Head Start Union OK'd
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Community The UDJ FOOD BANK DRIVE sports digest Commerce File Goal of $85,000 exceeded ............Page 6 .................Page 3 ...................................Page 1 INSIDE Mendocino County’s World briefly The Ukiah local newspaper ..........Page 2 Tomorrow: Mostly sunny 7 58551 69301 0 WEDNESDAY Jan. 17, 2007 50 cents tax included DAILY JOURNAL ukiahdailyjournal.com 14 pages, Volume 148 Number 283 email: [email protected] Bomb SPACE IN NEED OF MORE SPACE Head threat empties Start FB court union By BEN BROWN The Daily Journal FORT BRAGG -- The Ten Mile Courthouse in Fort OK’d Bragg was evacuated Tuesday afternoon, after a man walked Nearly 80 percent in with an item that may have of affected workers been a bomb. Mendocino County Sher- vote in favor of iff’s Lt. D.J. Miller said that SEIU representation shortly after noon Tuesday, John Marcus Palacios, 38, The Daily Journal hometown not released, After more than six entered the Ten Mile Court- months, Head Start workers house wearing military in Mendocino and Lake coun- fatigues and carrying a .30 ties have finalized their deci- caliber ammunition box sion to unionize. which had a CD attached to it Votes in the union repre- with a magnet. sentation election were count- Miller said Palacios ed Jan. 12, with nearly 80 per- approached the clerk at the cent cast in favor of union membership with Service courthouse and identified Isaac Eckel/The Daily Journal himself as a “chemical clerk.” Employees International Paulette Arnold, co-director of SPACE, points out planned renovations as she talks with Mary Ann Union Local 707, which “He also identified himself Villwock, chairwoman of the board, at the future theater on West Perkins Street. SPACE has received as a priest and a doctor,” approval from the Ukiah Planning Commission to build onto the already proposed expansion area that will house a stage area and greenroom. See UNION, Page 14 See BOMB, Page 14 2 semis Planners approve expansion FOLLOW-UP By KATIE MINTZ Victim of The Daily Journal collide When the historic, mission-style The Daily Journal former church at 508 W. Perkins St. shooting Two empty semi-trucks wound up in the hands of Near & with trailers collided on Arnold’s School of Performing Arts identified Highway 101 south of & Cultural Education in 1999, co- Confusion Hill at 10:35 a.m. directors Paulette Arnold and Laurel Monday, spilling diesel onto Near of the then 4-year-old, non-prof- as RV man the roadway but causing no it organization were ecstatic. By BEN BROWN injuries. “It was amazing, exhilarating, just The Daily Journal Robert Garner, 45, of breathtaking, really, because we all The Mendocino County Willits, was southbound in a felt really strongly about saving this Sheriff’s Office has identified 2001 Peterbilt and was dri- building,” Arnold said of the former Corey Coleman Gray, 44, of ving at a speed unsafe for the Saint Mary of the Angels Catholic Redwood Valley, as the vic- icy conditions, according to Church built in 1923, that after public tim in Sunday night’s homi- reports from the California outcry and a generous anonymous cide on the Cahto Reservation Highway Patrol. donation, avoided demolition. near Laytonville. Garner lost control of his The organization immediately Sheriff’s Lt. D.J. Miller vehicle, which slid into the went to work, preparing plans to con- said Gray’s body was found northbound lane, where it col- vert the building to a 200-seat perfor- by sheriff’s deputies at 11:30 lided with a 1995 Freightliner Looking down from the raised balcony to where a 200-seat per- mance hall, adding a lobby and formance auditorium and stage will be built during the next phase p.m. Sunday in the driveway driven by Fredy Mendoza, 26, restrooms, a greenroom, office space of a home owned by 37-year- of Bakersfield, and came to of expansion at the SPACE theater, which formerly was home to St. Mary of the Angels Catholic church. old Laytonville resident rest in the northbound lane. See SPACE, Page 14 Leonard Britt Campbell at See SEMIS, Page 14 See SHOOTING, Page 14 Suit filed against residential care operator UKIAH DAILY JOURNAL HOLIDAY Parent company of Mountain Chatelle said: “No. In fact, I would refer you FOOD BANK FUND DRIVE The lawsuit alleges Sunwest forces its facilities to the recent surveys from Mountain View. View Assisted Living in Ukiah to operate under a budget that increases Last summer they had their annual survey and The Daily Journal they were absolutely deficiency free, which is A class action lawsuit against residential business profits by charging for services not almost unheard of.” Donors give elder care operator Sunwest Management, There are currently 45 residents at was recently filed in Orange County Superior provided, such as adequately staffing facilities. Mountain View and 33 employees, Chatelle Court on behalf of all California citizens who said. resided in -- or are residing in -- a California Does Mountain View charge for services $86,507.59 Sunwest facility from Jan. 15, 2003 through ‘We deeply regret the filing of this frivolous that are not provided? January of this year. lawsuit; and adamantly disagree with its content. “No we don’t,” she said. The Daily Journal The complaint against Sunwest Sunwest in a media statement said: “We The latest donations to the UDJ Holiday Management, Inc. -- the parent company of ... We are confident that the true facts of the deeply regret the filing of this frivolous law- Food Bank Fund Drive include: $1,000, more than a dozen residential elder care facil- situation will come to light.’ suit; and adamantly disagree with its content. Anonymous; $509.41; Dragon’s Lair ities in California, including Mountain View Our company is proud of our long-standing patrons; $150, The Fullers; $100, William Assisted Living in Ukiah -- alleges that SUNWEST MEDIA STATEMENT history of service in the communities in Radtkey & Mary Jane Sheppard; $100, Sunwest, its directors and the approximately which we are privileged to operate. We look Eileen Mitro; $100, James Crelan & Roberta 16 residential elder care facilities in the state porate strategy, policy and practice is to max- forward to addressing the issues in the lawsuit Valdez; $100, David & Micki Colfax; $50; of California that it owns, operates or man- imize profit at the expense of the elderly and via the judicial process; and we are confident Dale Hartley; $50, Richard Guthrie; $50, ages, fail to comply with applicable laws and vulnerable people it claims to serve,” said that the true facts of the situation will come to Jim & Karen Wattenburger; $50, Julie Merz regulations governing the operation of resi- Long Beach plaintiff attorney Stephen Garcia light. Until then, because this matter now rep- & Leaf Farr; $50, Susan Janssen; $50, dential care facilities for the elderly, resulting of the Garcia Law Firm. “The claims this resents a pending legal issue, additional com- Chevalier Vineyard Management, Inc.; $50, in the defendants receiving multiple citations company makes on its Web site and in its pro- ment at this time would be inappropriate.” Barry & Deborah Sheppard; $25; Dorothy of deficiencies from the California motional materials are a far cry from the real- Garcia claims this is not Sunwest Breitweiser; $25, Patricia & Gerald Chaney; Department of Social Services. ity where facilities are understaffed and have Managements’ first problem in California. He $25, Jane & Gary Leonard; $25, Leon The lawsuit alleges Sunwest forces its a long history of citations for deficiencies,” he said the California Department of Social Springer; $20, Anonymous; totaling facilities to operate under a budget -- said. Services is currently suing to prevent the non- $2,549.41. The Fund Drive total now stands approved and directed by Sunwest and the Asked if she agreed with the allegations in profit assisted living operator’s top seven at $86,507.59, exceeding the $85,000 goal directors of the individual facilities -- that the lawsuit, Melody Chatelle, spokeswoman executives from operating elder care commu- for this year’s drive. increases business profits by charging for ser- for Sunwest Management on behalf of nities in California. Any final donations not yet reported will vices that are not provided, such as adequate- Mountain View on Tuesday said, “Absolutely For more information about the class be published as soon as the information is ly staffing the residential care facilities. not.” action suit, contact Stephen Garcia at (800) received from the Ukiah Community Center, “Basically, we believe that Sunwest’s cor- Asked if Mountain View is understaffed, 281-8515, or visit www.lawgarcia.com. 888 N. State St., Ukiah, 95482. 2 – WEDNESDAY, JAN. 17, 2007 DAILY DIGEST Editor: Jody Martinez, 468-3517 The Ukiah Daily Journal [email protected] POLICE REPORTS spouse at 2:52 p.m. Sunday. calling those responsible “a desperate group of terrorists and BOOKED -- Kevin Saddamists.” The following were George Jordan, 48, of Willits, The military said four U.S. soldiers with Task Force compiled from reports was booked into jail on suspi- The world briefly Lightning were killed Monday in the northwestern province prepared by the Ukiah cion of assault with a deadly of Ninevah, home to the city of Mosul, which has seen a Police Department. To weapon with force sufficient recent increase in violence. The deaths raised to at least 3,026 anonymously report to cause great bodily injury President Bush chides al-Maliki’s members of the U.S. military who have died since the Iraq war crime information, call and making terrorist threats at administration over the executions started in March 2003, according to an Associated Press 463-6205. 10:23 p.m. Sunday. count. ARREST -- Alexandra BOOKED -- Adam of Saddam and his aides Nicole Zotter, 19, of Ukiah, Sachary Poore, 24, of Arcata, WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush said Tuesday the Dismissed juror candidates in CIA was arrested on suspicion of was booked into jail on suspi- unruly execution of Saddam Hussein “looked like it was kind driving under the influence in cion of driving under the of a revenge killing,” making it harder to persuade a skeptical leak trial were openly opposed the 600 block of South State influence at 2 a.m.