Adams appointed to Buellton Planning
Commission
Buellton: Craig Adams, an engineer and former
commissioner for the parks and recreation department, is now a planning
department commissioner.
He was
appointed by the city council in a 3 to 2 vote Oct. 25. Mayor Diane Whitehair, Mayor Pro-Tem Russ Hicks, and council member
Victoria Pointer — who nominated Adams — all voted for Adams. Dissenting were council members Ed Andrisek
and Dale Molesworth, who earlier nominated ranch
manager Art Mercado, his son-in-law, for the position.
In his
application for the job as a planning commissioner Adams said that while he
enjoyed serving on the Parks and Recreation Commission, “I am currently looking
for some more involvement with the City of Buellton development.
“Having lived
in larger cities such as Tucson, San Diego and Las Vegas, I have seen the
effects (good and bad) from different levels of planning decisions, and hope to
apply that knowledge for the benefit of our community.”
Adams was
expected to be sworn in at the planning commission meeting Nov. 1. His term
expires in 2010. Planning commissioners are paid $100 a month for their
service.
Valuable copper wire stolen from SYRWCD, one arrested
Buellton: So far, one man is facing felony
charges relating to the theft of tons of copper wire and other items from the
local water district.
Alix Rickman, 47, was arrested Sunday,
Oct. 28, after Santa Barbara sheriff’s deputies received reports over two days
that rolls of copper wire had been stolen. They obtained a search warrant for a
home on Central Avenue where Rickman was taken into custody and booked into the
Santa Barbara jail on suspicion of possessing stolen property. He was released
on bail later that day.
Deputies
found used water meters made of brass, water meter components, copper cable and
cable insulation and evidence that several hundred pounds of cable had passed
through the residence, said Sgt. Dan McCammon, patrol supervisor.
The general
manager of the SYAWCD said the operations staff discovered the initial theft
Thursday, Oct. 25 during security rounds. The rolls of high voltage copper wire
is used for powering water wells, said Chris Dahlstrom,
and were stored outside in the district’s maintenance yard and facilities.
“The same
thing happened the second night … they came back to finish the job,” he said.
The rolls of
wire are wound like a garden hose and banded. They weigh approximately 200
lbs., Dahlstrom said. The number missing is still
being investigated, he said.
Because of
the location and weight of the wire rolls, Dahlstrom
said the theft would “require more than two people to do this.”
The water
district has never experienced this kind of theft before, the general manager
said. There was an incident of graffiti and minor breaches of the water supply
but nothing of this magnitude.
Copper wire
and brass are valuable metals for sale. Dahlstrom
estimated one to two tons of copper could be worth $15,000 to $20,000. Water
district losses could run more than $50,000.
Because
deputies believe more people were involved, the investigation continues.
Anyone with
information is asked to call the Solvang sheriff’s substation at 686-5000.
Another man
in the Buellton residence, Glenn Dennis Goff, 55, appeared to be under the influence
of methamphetamine, the patrol supervisor said. Goff was cited and released.