August 15, 1963 (16 pages)

+ oe 4 Apathy --Chamber Can’t Disband, No It was a bitter Tom Yost, director of the Nevada City Chamber of Commerce, whosaid Monday at the director's meeting, "We can't even get enough people together to disband it. “ Yost had suggested that the chamber be dumped at a meeting last week. At the time his idea was facetious, but the response from other directors indicated serious interest in the suggestion. . As a result, President Alice McGee called a special director's meeting for Monday to take up the issue of whether to continue operation of the chamber. But only five directors showed. up for the meeting. Six are necessary for a quorum. By unanimous action the Fearless Five ordered a halt in all chamber expenditures and went on record that the group does not intend to be responsible for further debts incurred by the chamber or its members or officials. The meeting was expressly devoted to a discussion of the lack of attendance at director and general meetings, and more importantly the lack of support---both financial and physical---of chamber sponsored activities. The Fearless Five pointed out that there is still a nucleus of people who want the chamber to Quaker Hill, Willow Valley, Newtown, Indian Flat, Bridgeport, Birchville, Moore's. , Walloupe, G Bar, ouge Eye, Lowell Hill, Bourbon Hill, Scotch Ordinance Remains The Grass valley City Council, with one member absent, reflected the city's split opinion on the proposed repeal of a meat. ordinance that prohibits the sale of meat on Sundays and after 6 p.m. by voting 2-2 on the measure. Effect of the vote Tuesday night was to retain the ordinance. Twopetitions, two polls, several letters, and council banter on procedure preceded the vote onthe repeal which had been proposed by Clete Osterholt, Safeway Grass Valley manager, a month ago. Mayor John Hodge had invited all Grass Valley residents to“attend the Tuesday night regular council meeting to participate in "a free-for-all" on the measure. But the crowd was smaller than at the council's mid-month meeting inJuly, and the council came to vote without hearing members of the audience. Petitions were presented to the council: Gino Tofanelli, who operates a market on Main St. in Grass Valley, presented a petition with the names of 139 Grass Valley residents on it ‘expressing a desire to retain the meat ordinance. Osterholt presented a petition withthe names of 1017 area residents on it asking for repeal of the ordinance. He agreed with Councilman Vic Tamietti who observed that a majority of the names on the petition were those of residents who live outside the city, however. (Continued on Page 2) building permit to purchase and install most appliances, according to electrical and plumbing codes in Nevada County. Infact, until governing bodies in the county take a new look at their codes, enforcement of the few appliance permits required by the codes has been ordered halted. A tempest in the electrical coffee pots in Nevada County boiled up last week when Nevada County and Nevada City Building Inspector Jack Crawford released a news story saying that the plumbing code required a permit to install a new water heater "and certain other large appliances”. Rumors began flying around the county that a permit was required for the installation of refrigerators ---yes, even toasters, But they are not true. The electrical code permit requirement exempts all household appliances except those which for their proper operation require additional wiring in the home. The plumbing code, however, requires a permit for all water heater installations, for. pefmanently installed dishwashing machine, for a water softener, and for lawn sprinkling systems. Cost of the permits varies between $3.50 and $4. Both electrical and plumbing ‘codes are uniform codes adopted by the county and both cities in the county. A check of the code book indicates that any other appliance that required additional plumbing in a home would also require a permit. Are Appliances ‘Permitted”? You. aren't required to.haweacnoGrass. Valle y,.with its.owa building inspector, has not been enforcing the ordinance with res~] pect to appliances, Crawford, who is inspector for the county and for Nevada City, sayshe has not been actively enforcing the ordinance, either, He has issued permits when requested, but has not actively sought to enforce the plumbing code with respect to appliances. However, Crawford reminds that he is charged by law with enforcing the code and the news release was the result of that duty. The public how] that boiled up with the announcement indicated that few, if any, of the city and county officials realized that the permit requirement was in their code. Henry Loehr, chairman of the Nevada County Board of Supervisors, isreported to have ordered Crawford to go easy on enforcement, of the code until the supervisors can look it over next month. Nevada City Mayor Robert Carr Monday night wanted the press to let the people know that the permit business was not a public policy of the city. When he was reminded by the press that the city's plumbing code contained the permit requirement, the mayor was joined by Councilman Ben Barry in promising that the city would take a look at the ordinance and delete portions “that do not apply to our area’. Grass Valley city officials ignored the fuss at their Tuesday night meeting, and the city hall (Continued on Page 2) continue---if more people turn out for meetings and more people volunteer to support the chamber with labor and money. Even though the influx of people into the county make this an inopportune timeto disband the local chamber of commerce, the Fearless Five indicated there is not likely to be a better time if interest in the organization continues to lag. It was pointed out that the chamber of commerce has been of service to the city as a tourist information and reception bureau, has sponsored the bi-annual Fourth of July celebration, the annual bicycle race, the annual ChristPeriodicals Section Calif. State Libra Sacramento 9, Ca Quorum sponsored the first annual Fall Color Spectacular. Maps and brochures have also been furhnished by the chamber. In a parting shot, the Fearless Five hurled the challenge to other chamber members that criticism of the organization by local merchants is unwarranted, for “the chamber is you" and is only as weak as the residents and merchants of a community allow it to become. All director's meetings have been cancelled by the group. The next general meeting of the chamber is scheduled Sept. 16. Willthere be a quorum present mas promotion, and last year hadto officially disband the group? ---But lt Does CLOSED...The office of the Nevada City Chamber of Commerce will be closed at least until Sept. 16 when the next chamber meeting is scheduled. Directors ordered it closed Monday, and President Alice McGee gave Gwen Anderson, secretary, a two-week notice of her dismissal. Although the sign says "closed", local businessmen are hopeful that tourists will continue to recognize that the "welcome visitors" sign is still in effect. Insurance Representative: By Dean Thompson Nevada City Councilman Jack Brickell will be arraigned Monday on two felony charges of fraudulent collection of funds fromthe State Compensation Insurance Fund and the Maryland Casualty Insurance Company. The Nevada County Grand Jury indicted Brickell after hearing five witnesses the evening of July 29. Brickell is free on $3150 bail. The indictment came asthe re~ sult of insurance payments to Brickell for disability resulting from an injury he suffered at the 1962 barbecue-election of officersheld by the Nevada City Fire Department at Pioneer Park July 28, 1962. Two questions appeared to be the key tothe indictment, a study of the Grand Jury transcript re~ Brickell Was ‘Fighting Fire’ veals., Was fireman Brickell covered by the insurance if his injury came during a social-business function of the fire department? Was the application for benefits made with intent to give the impression that the injury was sus~ tained while fighting a fire? Ted Sigourney, secretary of the department's fire delegates, told ‘the GrandJury, “According to all the information that I have been abel to ascertain, that is, from representatives from Maryland Casualty Company and from the State Compensation Insurance Fund, firemen are covered for all Fire Department functions, fire fighting, sports, social, or any other Fire Department function, andI have delved into that quite (Continued on Page 2)

+ oe 4 Apathy --Chamber Can’t Disband, No It was a bitter Tom Yost, director of the Nevada City Chamber of Commerce, whosaid Monday at the director's meeting, "We can't even get enough people together to disband it. “ Yost had suggested that the chamber be dumped at a meeting last week. At the time his idea was facetious, but the response from other directors indicated serious interest in the suggestion. . As a result, President Alice McGee called a special director's meeting for Monday to take up the issue of whether to continue operation of the chamber. But only five directors showed. up for the meeting. Six are necessary for a quorum. By unanimous action the Fearless Five ordered a halt in all chamber expenditures and went on record that the group does not intend to be responsible for further debts incurred by the chamber or its members or officials. The meeting was expressly devoted to a discussion of the lack of attendance at director and general meetings, and more importantly the lack of support---both financial and physical---of chamber sponsored activities. The Fearless Five pointed out that there is still a nucleus of people who want the chamber to Quaker Hill, Willow Valley, Newtown, Indian Flat, Bridgeport, Birchville, Moore's. , Walloupe, G Bar, ouge Eye, Lowell Hill, Bourbon Hill, Scotch Ordinance Remains The Grass valley City Council, with one member absent, reflected the city's split opinion on the proposed repeal of a meat. ordinance that prohibits the sale of meat on Sundays and after 6 p.m. by voting 2-2 on the measure. Effect of the vote Tuesday night was to retain the ordinance. Twopetitions, two polls, several letters, and council banter on procedure preceded the vote onthe repeal which had been proposed by Clete Osterholt, Safeway Grass Valley manager, a month ago. Mayor John Hodge had invited all Grass Valley residents to“attend the Tuesday night regular council meeting to participate in "a free-for-all" on the measure. But the crowd was smaller than at the council's mid-month meeting inJuly, and the council came to vote without hearing members of the audience. Petitions were presented to the council: Gino Tofanelli, who operates a market on Main St. in Grass Valley, presented a petition with the names of 139 Grass Valley residents on it ‘expressing a desire to retain the meat ordinance. Osterholt presented a petition withthe names of 1017 area residents on it asking for repeal of the ordinance. He agreed with Councilman Vic Tamietti who observed that a majority of the names on the petition were those of residents who live outside the city, however. (Continued on Page 2) building permit to purchase and install most appliances, according to electrical and plumbing codes in Nevada County. Infact, until governing bodies in the county take a new look at their codes, enforcement of the few appliance permits required by the codes has been ordered halted. A tempest in the electrical coffee pots in Nevada County boiled up last week when Nevada County and Nevada City Building Inspector Jack Crawford released a news story saying that the plumbing code required a permit to install a new water heater "and certain other large appliances”. Rumors began flying around the county that a permit was required for the installation of refrigerators ---yes, even toasters, But they are not true. The electrical code permit requirement exempts all household appliances except those which for their proper operation require additional wiring in the home. The plumbing code, however, requires a permit for all water heater installations, for. pefmanently installed dishwashing machine, for a water softener, and for lawn sprinkling systems. Cost of the permits varies between $3.50 and $4. Both electrical and plumbing ‘codes are uniform codes adopted by the county and both cities in the county. A check of the code book indicates that any other appliance that required additional plumbing in a home would also require a permit. Are Appliances ‘Permitted”? You. aren't required to.haweacnoGrass. Valle y,.with its.owa building inspector, has not been enforcing the ordinance with res~] pect to appliances, Crawford, who is inspector for the county and for Nevada City, sayshe has not been actively enforcing the ordinance, either, He has issued permits when requested, but has not actively sought to enforce the plumbing

code with respect to appliances. However, Crawford reminds that he is charged by law with enforcing the code and the news release was the result of that duty. The public how] that boiled up with the announcement indicated that few, if any, of the city and county officials realized that the permit requirement was in their code. Henry Loehr, chairman of the Nevada County Board of Supervisors, isreported to have ordered Crawford to go easy on enforcement, of the code until the supervisors can look it over next month. Nevada City Mayor Robert Carr Monday night wanted the press to let the people know that the permit business was not a public policy of the city. When he was reminded by the press that the city's plumbing code contained the permit requirement, the mayor was joined by Councilman Ben Barry in promising that the city would take a look at the ordinance and delete portions “that do not apply to our area’. Grass Valley city officials ignored the fuss at their Tuesday night meeting, and the city hall (Continued on Page 2) continue---if more people turn out for meetings and more people volunteer to support the chamber with labor and money. Even though the influx of people into the county make this an inopportune timeto disband the local chamber of commerce, the Fearless Five indicated there is not likely to be a better time if interest in the organization continues to lag. It was pointed out that the chamber of commerce has been of service to the city as a tourist information and reception bureau, has sponsored the bi-annual Fourth of July celebration, the annual bicycle race, the annual ChristPeriodicals Section Calif. State Libra Sacramento 9, Ca Quorum sponsored the first annual Fall Color Spectacular. Maps and brochures have also been furhnished by the chamber. In a parting shot, the Fearless Five hurled the challenge to other chamber members that criticism of the organization by local merchants is unwarranted, for “the chamber is you" and is only as weak as the residents and merchants of a community allow it to become. All director's meetings have been cancelled by the group. The next general meeting of the chamber is scheduled Sept. 16. Willthere be a quorum present mas promotion, and last year hadto officially disband the group? ---But lt Does CLOSED.....The office of the Nevada City Chamber of Commerce will be closed at least until Sept.. 16 when the next chamber meeting is scheduled. Directors ordered it closed Monday, and President Alice McGee gave Gwen Anderson, secretary, a two-week notice of her dismissal. Although the sign says "closed", local businessmen are hopeful that tourists will continue to recognize that the "welcome visitors" sign is still in effect. Insurance Representative: By Dean Thompson Nevada City Councilman Jack Brickell will be arraigned Monday on two felony charges of fraudulent collection of funds fromthe State Compensation Insurance Fund and the Maryland Casualty Insurance Company. The Nevada County Grand Jury indicted Brickell after hearing five witnesses the evening of July 29. Brickell is free on $3150 bail. The indictment came asthe re~ sult of insurance payments to Brickell for disability resulting from an injury he suffered at the 1962 barbecue-election of officersheld by the Nevada City Fire Department at Pioneer Park July 28, 1962. Two questions appeared to be the key tothe indictment, a study of the Grand Jury transcript re~ Brickell Was ‘Fighting Fire’ veals., Was fireman Brickell covered by the insurance if his injury came during a social-business function of the fire department? Was the application for benefits made with intent to give the impression that the injury was sus~ tained while fighting a fire? Ted Sigourney, secretary of the department's fire delegates, told ‘the GrandJury, “According to all the information that I have been abel to ascertain, that is, from representatives from Maryland Casualty Company and from the State Compensation Insurance Fund, firemen are covered for all Fire Department functions, fire fighting, sports, social, or any other Fire Department function, andI have delved into that quite (Continued on Page 2)