How a 1962 Modesto Snowstorm Shaped Leon Panetta’s Political Career

“By Bill Bagley, Lew Butler and Leon Panetta

Here is how Assembly Speaker Jesse Unruh’s 1961 skullduggery and a freak snowstorm in Modesto the following year caused former Republican U.S. Senate aide Leon Panetta to become a Democratic congressman from Monterey and eventually chief of staff to President Bill Clinton.

In 1961, Modesto attorney Ralph M.    Read more »

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Virginia Strom-Martin

Since Virginia Strom-Martin and her husband moved to Duncan Mills 30 years ago, the population has nearly tripled, increasing from 35 to 85.

The small Sonoma hamlet beside the Russian River was the terminus of the long defunct North Pacific Railroad. Black Bart held up stagecoaches on the trail between Duncan Mills and Pt.    Read more »

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Johan Klehs

Former East Bay Assemblyman Johan Klehs was astonished to learn in a recent edition of the San Francisco Chronicle that he was a candidate for Don Perata’s Oakland-centered Senate seat.

“I have myself on permanent Google alert for Germany and the United States. I was driving to Sacramento in the morning and there it was,” Klehs said in recent interview at the Esquire Grill near the Capitol.    Read more »

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Bill Campbell

At 72, former state Senator Bill Campbell finds himself the chairman of the board of Point Blank Solutions, a Pompano Beach, Florida maker of bulletproof vests.

The Coraopolis, Pennsylvania native and former Senate minority leader can’t say much about his new job since the company is suing its former CEO, David H.    Read more »

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Classic Chappie

While walking precincts for Ken Maddy of Fresno in Maddy’s uphill bid for the Assembly in 1970, then Assemblyman Bill Campbell of Hacienda Heights was told by fellow GOP Assemblyman Gene Chappie of Cool that he thought Maddy could pull it off.

“What gives you that idea, Gene-o?” Campbell said.

“Some guy just drove by and gave me half the V-for-Victory sign.”    Read more »

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Ross Johnson

Ross Johnson’s 26 year legislative career began in 1978 – the same year Proposition 13 was approved. He was the leader of both the Assembly Republicans and the Senate Republicans, the first person in state history to be a leader in both houses.

But now, Johnson, who turns 69 in September, has put aside partisan politics.    Read more »

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Dede Alpert

During her 14 years as a state lawmaker, Dede Alpert tried to tackle two of California’s most vexing problems – improving public education and legalizing ferret ownership.

California’s public schools are improving, in part thanks to landmark bills Alpert carried as an Assemblywoman to integrate phonics, spelling and math skills into school curriculum and improve assessment of academic performance.    Read more »

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Jerry Waldie – Former Congressman, Gubernatorial Candidate

Jerry Waldie was elected to the state Assembly in 1958 – a liberal Democrat swept into a Republican-leaning East Bay district by Pat Brown’s big coattails.

The Legislature met only one year for seven months and three the next to put together a budget. Lawmakers were paid around $500 for their trouble.    Read more »

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Perfect Timing

This is a great moment that requires a somewhat windy preamble.

When I started at the Chronicle in August 1988, two things happened that made me go, “Whoa, I’m somebody.”

The first was on the Assembly floor when I was asked what was going on by Ruth Ashton Taylor of KCBS, an idol of mine from my youth in Southern California.    Read more »

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