Community YOUR HEALTH sports digest Tuesday Striving for Imperfection ...................................Page 3 .............Page 6 July 15, 2008 INSIDE Mendocino County’s World briefly The Ukiah local newspaper ..........Page 2 Wednesday: Mostly sunny; H 95º L 54º 7 58551 69301 0 Thursday: Mostly sunny; H 94º L 53º 50 cents tax included DAILY JOURNAL ukiahdailyjournal.com 14 pages, Volume 150 Number 97 email: [email protected] FIRE UPDATE Fire complex in fourth week The Daily Journal With only seven active Stats on the Lightning fires remaining, the Complex Fire as of Mendocino Lightning Monday Complex Fires entered their Size - 53,300 acres fourth week Monday. Fires - 7 The fires had burned Contained - 85 percent 53,300 acres Monday morn- Injuries - 42 ing, growing only slightly Fatalities - 1 from the previous evening. Structures destroyed - 2 The fires remained at 85 per- Structures threatened - cent containment Monday. 30 Staffing on the fire reached Commercial property 2,154 firefighters Monday, threatened - N/A backed by 183 fire engines, 70 Estimated cost - $37.1 water tenders, 25 bull dozers, million 15 helicopters and three air Source: Cal Fire tankers. The number of uncontained fires has been dropping Road between milepost 15 steadily since Saturday when and milepost 20. The road had several fires merged together been closed while firefighters and favorable weather condi- conducted burning operations Sarah Baldik/The Daily Journal tions allowed firefighters to in the area. An evacuation Sculptor Jessie Groeschen carves a redwood log with her chainsaw Friday in Hopland. Groeschen has done contain still burning fires. warning was still in place for woodcarving around the world but calls the Northern California coast and Pacific Northwest her home. An evacuation warning that area Monday. issued for the Community of Air Quality in Ukiah was Rockport issued almost three measured in the good range weeks ago was lifted Monday. on Monday but some areas The Middle, Hardy Creek and were still suffering from The art of wood sculpting Lost Pipe Fires burning near unhealthy air due to the Rockport were burning for a smoke, prompting the By SARA HOUSE total of 8,885 acres, Monday. Mendocino County Air For the Daily Journal The Middle Fire was sub- stantially contained Monday Quality Management District Redwood trees growing close to some- issued an air quality alert for one’s home can often cause damage and while the Hardy Creek and Lost Pipe Fires were burning Monday. become a nuisance if the roots get out of The current estimated cost control. Usually, the way to deal with this under moderate containment. Cal Fire also lifted a road of fighting the fire was $37.1 is to simply cut down the tree. However, million. one artist has found a way to turn an closure on Mountain View encroaching tree into a masterpiece. Jessie Groeschen has been sculpting wood for 18 years. Always loving art, Groeschen has turned her passion into a Early morning fire career. She has competed with other wood sculptors around the world in places such as the Netherlands, England destroys, damages and even Japan. Groeschen is originally from Washington, where she taught her- self to sculpt wood using a chainsaw. MCOE buildings “I have always been fascinated with art and working with my hands,” states By BEN BROWN ry,” he said. Groeschen. The Daily Journal The cause of the fire is still Groeschen now works out of Trinidad Supplies for several school unknown, but Ukiah Valley in Northern California where she has programs were destroyed and Fire District Battalion Chief been sculpting full time for 10 years. 15 people were displaced from Jay Beristianos said the cause Although she has stopped competing as their offices at the Mendocino does not appear suspicious. much as she used to, she plans on travel- County Office of Education by Tichinin said the informa- a fire that destroyed four build- tion that was destroyed will ing back to the Netherlands and to ings and damaged an addition Canada in the near future for some more probably be recoverable, but three early Saturday morning. the materials wont be. competitions. She has also written a book The fire, which was reported called “The Art of Chainsaw Carving,” Damaged estimates range into by a passing cab driver, started the hundreds of thousands of published in 2005 by Fox Chapel around 2:30 a.m. Saturday dollars, he said. Publishing. among several buildings on the The 15 displaced workers Groeschen’s current project is trans- Southwest side of the MCOE have been moved into tempo- forming an uprooting redwood tree in property on Old River Road. rary office space until their someone’s backyard into yet another The destroyed and damaged offices can be repaired and masterpiece. Dan Dodson of Hopland has buildings were home to the Tichinin said regular business been having problems with his 70-foot Homeless Youth Project, at MCOE will continue, redwood tree in the backyard, breaking Prevention Education Services, including a regional in service the pavement and making its way under- After School Programs, the for history teachers scheduled neath the house. To stop its growth, Child Care Planning Council, for this week. Dodson had the tree cut to about 25 feet. School Readiness, the Special “The staff will have to be Then he discovered Groeschen through Needs Project and the Cal Safe Program. resilient, and they are,” he said. her Web site. She worked with her chain- Tichinin said he wanted to saw for week on Dodson’s 25-foot high District Superintendent Paul Tichinin said materials, com- commend firefighters from tree stump, turning it into her artwork. UVFD as well as two “Strike Carving a 20- to 25-foot-tall tree is puters, lesson plans and cur- riculum plans for several after Teams” from El Cajon and dangerous, as is any project working with school programs as well as a Viejas in San Diego county, for a chainsaw. Groeschen has taken many Groeschen carving on the scaffolding at the top of the redwood tree. program for children with dis- responding to the fire and con- precautions when working with her This young redwood tree was endangering the foundation of Dan abilities were all damaged or taining it quickly. chainsaw, such as wearing safety goggles Dodson’s residence seen in the background, and had to be shortened to destroyed in the fire. “They prevented this from and protective clothing. curb its growth. “One of the storage build- spreading,” Tichinin said. Beginning on July 8, it took her less ings had that whole set up,” he The strike teams responded than a week to almost complete the work. “She has been carving all day, all week no longer grow, spreading its roots 80 said. to the fire from the Ukiah Cal Dodson’s tree is not only being designed in this 110 degree weather,” said Dodson feet under the house as this tree was Tichinin said it is not clear Fire base that they have been by Groeschen, but framed at the base about Groeschen. doing. how much was lost since fire- covering a part of firefighting with rocks by master mason Lorenzo. Dodson, an artist himself, gave Apart from working on the tree in fighter and insurance investiga- efforts on the Mendocino The rock wall will provide more sturdi- Groeschen his image of what he wanted Dodson’s yard, he and Groeschen along tors are still investigating the Lightning Complex Fire. ness to the tree carving and add some done with the tree and let Groeschen run fire to determine a cause. Ben Brown can be reached at more landscape to the backyard. with the idea. Once carved, the tree will See CARVING, Page 14 “We are taking an invento- [email protected] 2 – TUESDAY, JULY 15, 2008 DAILY DIGEST Editor: Richard Rosier, 468-3520 The Ukiah Daily Journal [email protected] ing prove necessary.” They would pay 2.25 percent for any bor- rowed funds -- the same rate given to commercial banks and big FUNERAL NOTICES The world briefly Wall Street firms. The Fed said this should help the companies’ ability to “pro- [\ and four sons, Randal of mote the availability of home mortgage credit during a period Cottage Grove, OR, Anheuser-Busch agrees to takeover of stress in financial markets.” Michael of Woodland, CA., Kirkland of Dublin, by Belgian brewer InBev, Hague prosecutor expected CA., Brian of Brentwood, creating world’s largest brewer CA. She has five to reveal details of Darfur case, grandchildren, Sergio, ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Anheuser-Busch, the maker of Budweiser seek warrant for Sudanese leader Nicholas, Mariah, Sa- and Bud Light, has agreed to a takeover by a giant Belgian matha and Alexandra. brewer, a union that creates a global beer leader and brings to THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) -- An International Viola and Lowell moved an end one of the most iconic names in American business. Criminal Court prosecutor is expected to seek an arrest warrant to Potter Valley, CA., The board of directors of Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. on charging Sudan’s president with genocide and crimes against in 1952 after college, then Sunday accepted a sweetened $52 billion takeover offer from humanity on Monday when he reveals details of his investiga- to Ukiah in 1968. Belgian brewer InBev SA, according to a joint press release. tion into war crimes in Darfur. Viola and Lowell were The deal, which is subject to shareholders’ and regulators’ In an indication of the fury that could be unleashed if employed by the Ukiah approval, would create the world’s largest brewer and create the Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir is charged with orchestrating a Unified School District.