In the last of hundreds of bill actions taken before midnight Sunday, Schwarzenegger approved the two bills by Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco.

The governor last year vetoed the measure declaring May 22 a state day of recognition for Milk, suggesting that the former San Francisco supervisor be honored locally. But he subsequently named him to the California Hall of Fame.

Leno’s SB 54, meanwhile, requires California to recognize marriages performed in other states where same sex marriage is legal.

In a signing message, Schwarzenegger said California will not recognize the couples as married but will “provide the same legal protections that would otherwise be available to couples that enter into civil unions or domestic partnerships out-of-state. In short, this measure honors the will of the People in enacting Proposition 8 while providing important protections to those unions legally entered into in other states.”

via Schwarzenegger signs gay rights bills – Latest News – sacbee.com.

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“I have been in Jewish cemeteries,” Eliasberg continued. “There is never a cross on a tombstone of a Jew.”

From: Sharp debate at high court over cross on US land – Yahoo! News.

This case mirrors a  current situation in Porterville,  one of many that our City has managed to generate in attempts to skirt the First Amendment’s Establishment clause.

Here in Murray Park, we have a Christian Cross, where Easter Sunrise Services are annually helped on City-owned and run parkland.

If only our City could devote as much energy to innovative thoughts and solutions to real civic issues, such as:

1. Poor use of information technology (IT) by City Hall
2. Abysmal education rate
3. The lack of a strategy for marketing Porterville as part of an economic development plan
4. The lack of a sense of place and purpose in the new General Plan

Perhaps if we are all lucky, the Supreme Court will rule sensibly in this case and it will serve as a wakeup call to City leaders to find what makes Porterville best and competitive and to nurture that instead of the anti-First Amendment, anti-science, anti-equality hate they focus on so much.

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Greasy-haired guys in hot rods necked with gals in poodle skirts while nearby families in Studebakers stared ahead at the screen, munching on popcorn and Pez candies.

It was during the heyday of the drive-in movie theater, 1950, when Verne and Maymie Schwin opened their family-run business in Porterville, Calif. Nearly 60 years later, many memories from the drive-in era of Elvis hits and sock hops have faded, but Roseburg’s Shirley Schwin has about 5,000 reminders — her movie posters, a legacy from her late husband.

Currents: Roseburg woman collects movie posters | The News-Review – NRtoday.com.

Funny, I have been watching as trees are chopped down and the land of that drive-in is cleared slowly – something is up there. I have been meaning to go take some pictures before it is gone completely.

And I am not the only one, yesterday I came across this blog by a local photographer featuring photos of the drive-in:  N. Godinez Photography

Taken at the old Porterville Drive-in Theater

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From the newspaper The San Francisco Call, August 18, 1910: http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85066387/1910-08-18/ed-1/seq-7/

DEMENTED MAN STRIPS HIMSELF BEFORE DEATH

Nude Body Found With Clothing Scattered in Field
[Special Dispatch to The Call]
PORTERVILLE, Aug. 17.— PORTERVILLE, Aug. 17.— In Alila colony a party  of dove hunters yesterday discovered in a stubble field four miles east of the Southern Pacific railroad the dead body, of a nude man.

About the field were later found articles of clothing which had been torn from the man’s body, indicating that he had become demented. From the emaciated condition of the body it is possible that his mania had been induced by starvation.

In one of the pockets was a bit of paper on which was written “Schneider.”

The dead man was about 40 years of age and 5 feet 7 inches in height. Although his hands were calloused from labor, some of his clothing was unusually good.

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Earlier today I was looking for the Porterville City General Plan. It is difficult to find on the City’s own web site. Thanks to the City Officials who helped me find this important document, which cover’s the City’s vision of itself looking out to 2030.

Here is the Porterville General Plan update (64.3 mb pdf, be patient), and hopefully this will now be searchable in google so everyone so inclined can review and comment on this.

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Apparently, Porterville once had a minor league baseball team! From 1947 until 1951, when the population was a league low 5,000, only about 1/6 -1/7 of the current population. That places it more in line with modern-day Strathmore’s size.

Anyone know where the field of dreams was located?

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