BishopAccountability.org
	'06 Once More Ticking down the Highs and Lows of a Year Soon to Be History Santa Rosa Press Democrat [California] December 31, 2006 http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061231/ NEWS/612310407&SearchID=73267876645774 It will be remembered as the year the American public sent Washington, D.C., a clear message that it was time for a change in Congress - and a new direction in the Iraq war. In California, it will be remembered as the year the economy was revived while the governor was reinvented - and re-elected. And in the North Bay, it will be remembered for protests, celebrations, elections and rainy days. Lots of the latter two. In Sonoma County, 2006 was a year of falling housing prices and rising gas prices. But it will also will be remembered for its highlights - from the beginning of the long-anticipated Highway 101 expansion in March to Santa Rosa's peaceful Cinco de Mayo celebration to Cardinal Newman's remarkable game against heavily favored Oaks Christian in the state football championship this month. Some issues went unresolved. Santa Rosa was one of many communities to witness street protests about proposed changes in federal policies concerning illegal immigrants. But by year's end, Congress was unable to reconcile the differences between two competing proposals - one in the House and one in the Senate - and no resolution was in sight. Santa Rosa Junior College will remember 2006 for the unveiling of its majestic new library and the near-completion of its multi-story parking garage. In Petaluma, it was a year that started with a flood of the outlet mall and ended with significant changes in city leadership. It was also a year when the hopes of baseball fans were raised when Merritt Paulson, son of Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, proposed replacing the Petaluma Speedway at the fairgrounds with a ballpark to house a minor league club to be named later. But eventually the deal came apart due primarily to the fair board's unwillingness to make a long-term commitment. In the Bay Area, 2006 was the year Barry Bonds, amid swirling speculation about steroid use, passed Babe Ruth on the list of all-time home run leaders - and inched closer to the top of the list. For law enforcement, it was a year of some high-profile disappointments, starting with the flight to Mexico of the Rev. Xavier Ochoa, a Sonoma-based priest accused of molesting children. The problem was compounded when, after Ochoa reportedly confessed to the conduct, Bishop Daniel Walsh delayed in reporting the crime to authorities. Walsh later apologized and, by Thanksgiving, the District Attorney's Office had decided not to press charges against Walsh, provided he completed counseling. Meanwhile, the District Attorney's Office suffered a major embarrassment when it was forced to drop child pornography charges against John Mark Karr - the man who drew national attention for confessing to the killing of JonBenet Ramsey - when prosecutors were forced to admit that key evidence, namely the computer, had been lost. Finally, 2006 was a year that will be remembered for the loss of a number of its most respected community residents, including Gene Benedetti, founder of Clover-Stornetta Farms, and Mike Parman, the former publisher of this newspaper. Regrettably, the passing of any year means moving on with only the memories of some friends and family members. But it also means leaving behind some things Sonoma County would just as soon not remember. Here's to making the right choices about what we all take with us into 2007. And here's to wishing all of you, our readers, a happy new year.
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