Weekend SPORTS entertainment Thursday Giants’ Zito falls to 0-4 ...................................Page 6 .............Page 3 April 17, 2008 INSIDE Mendocino County’s World briefly The Ukiah local newspaper ..........Page 2 Friday: Mostly sunny H 69º L 40º 7 58551 69301 0 Saturday: Mostly sunny; H 60º L 36º 50 cents tax included DAILY JOURNAL ukiahdailyjournal.com 14 pages, Volume 150 Number 8 email: [email protected] BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FISHERMEN BLAME STATE FOR SALMON SEASON CANCELLATION Campaign Fishing boats idled finance ordinance again tabled By ROB BURGESS The Daily Journal With talk of campaign finance reform a top issue in national politics, the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors took up the debate at its Tuesday meeting. A campaign finance ordinance that had previously been shot down by the board was once again tabled by a vote of 3-2. If passed, the ordinance would have, among other things, capped the amount of contributions by people or business entities to a candidate to $1,000 during an election period. In addition, the ordinance would have set $5,000 as the maximum amount that could be given by people or organiza- tions outside the county. David Colfax, 5th District supervisor, sponsored the item and said excessive mon- etary contributions were a concern, even in smaller counties like Mendocino. “Fundamentally what we’re trying to do is bring the first step to address the issue of money in campaigns,” he said. “At the same time the document is more on the order of a first draft effort. If passed it would not go into effect for the June primary.” John Pinches, 3rd District supervisor, said he had followed county politics for years and ascertained no need for such an ordi- nance. “I don’t see the problem,” he said. “I MacLeod Pappidas/The Daily Journal don’t see the undue influence. The amount Fort Bragg fishermen Bill Forkner, left, and Ben Platt discuss the cancellation of the 2008 salmon season of contributions aren’t overwhelming. I Wednesday at the Noyo Harbor marina, where their boats are docked. don’t believe it passes the muster of freedom of speech. I’ve got some real problems with blame for the low returns, but fishermen it. I don’t think we have a problem with this Fishermen hoping to like Platt and Bill Forkner, also the vice in this county.” catch crab, cod, tuna president of the Salmon Trawlers Kendall Smith, 4th District supervisor, Marketing Association, say ocean condi- said she had consistently supported the ordi- to stay afloat this year tions have been fine and that the state is to nance and saw it as a way to level the play- blame. ing field. since salmon’s off-limits In previous years, Forkner said the state “I think there really can be undue influ- By BEN BROWN would raise young salmon in ponds until ence with respect to countywide races,” she The Daily Journal they were six inches or more long, and then said. “I think in one of the last sheriff races The sky was clear in Fort Bragg transfer them to protected holding pens on one of the candidates spent over $150,000. I Wednesday and the air was warm, but the the Sacramento River where they would let think those are reasonable caps. I support docks on South Harbor Drive were full of the fish adapt for a few weeks before it.” boats and nearly empty of people. releasing them into the wild. This practice Colfax said that even the perception of “Usually, on a day like today, you’d hear provided a survival rate of young salmon as vote-buying by candidates was enough to sanders buzzing, people getting ready to go high as 90 percent. pass such an ordinance. out,” said salmon fisherman Ben Platt. Forkner said the state let those pens dete- “In the rest of the state we see campaigns Boat owners and crew members should riorate until they were unusable, and in for supervisor positions going into the hun- be painting their boats and switching over A fisherman’s cap lays on the float- recent years has taken the young salmon to dreds of thousands of dollars,” he said. “If their gear for the salmon season that is their ing dock of the marina in Fort Bragg. the river and let them go, where they are you go into the race for supervisor you go bread and butter, but none of that is hap- easy prey for striped bass and seagulls and into it with expectation you have a relative- pening this year, because there will be no ily low returns of ocean salmon to the their survival rate dropped to around 20 ly level playing field. When you get to the salmon season. Sacramento River last year, dropping from percent. level where you’re talking about over On Friday, the Pacific Fisheries 800,000 fish in 2006 to 63,000 in 2007. “They’re releasing them into a bed of $50,000 you’re going to get to a point where Experts from the National piranhas,” Forkner said. Management Council voted to cancel the See CAMPAIGN, Page 13 salmon season along the West Coast in both Oceanographic Atmospheric Oregon and California, citing extraordinar- Administration say ocean conditions are to See SALMON, Page 13 Local arrest made in FedEx College’s Juried Student Art Show opens pot shipment By ZACK SAMPSEL Gray said this is typically the most popular judged by professional artist Sandra By LINDA WILLIAMS The Daily Journal exhibit of the year, and with the college adding Mendelsohn Rubin. Gray said part of the pur- The Willits News The opening of the Annual Juried Student Art courses in colored pencil, digital photography, pose in limiting the number of entries was to A drug sniffing dog in Alaska alerted law Show tonight at the Mendocino College Art collage and printmaking she said the exhibit was foster the students’ ability to evaluate their own enforcement to the presence of marijuana in Gallery isn’t just a display of art, it’s a chance to the most diverse of any of the student displays work. two FedEx packages, leading to the arrest of see the next generation of gallery design and yet. “I think that it’s very rewarding to see the stu- a Laytonville man. arrangement. “It’s the broad spectrum of what’s going on dents pull their work together, put it in a formal Lawrence Frederick Sourbeck, 51, was “I think it’s especially important for the stu- here at the college,” Gray said. “This shows the setting and see it in context,” Gray explained. arrested last month following an investiga- dents to go through the process of presenting diversity of the students and their techniques.” “This show reflects a wide range of styles, tech- tion prompted by the discovery of 62 pounds their work for exhibition here at the college,” In addition to the artists participating in the niques, materials and levels of experience.” of marijuana in two FedEx packages in an said Gallery Director Paula Gray. “This is a exhibit, students from the gallery management The Art Gallery is located on the Mendocino Alaskan airport and the subsequent arrest of microcosm of going on to display and prepare class have also been putting their skills to work. College Ukiah Campus, Center for the Visual the alleged recipients, say police. their own work later in life.” Part of the exhibit features works framed and and Performing Arts, Building 5000, 1000 During a search of Sourbeck’s residence, The most popular of all the yearly displays at matted by students. Gray said some of the pieces Hensley Creek Road. officers allegedly discovered evidence of an the gallery, the Annual Juried Student Art Show in the gallery were also arranged and lighted by For more information or to make an appoint- outdoor grow and a number of firearms. is an exhibit of a wide variety of the work from Mendocino College students -- some of whom ment, contact the Mendocino College Art The Mendocino Major Crimes Task Force Mendocino College students. On display will be have helped with arrangements at the Corner Gallery at 468-3207. Art Gallery hours are arrested Sourbeck on suspicion of posses- student-created pieces of photography, ceram- Gallery and One Earth! Clay & Glass. Tuesday through Thursday, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., sion and transportation of marijuana for sale, ics, paintings, weaving, textiles, colored pencil, “It’s great seeing students take what they’ve and by appointment. For a listing of special conspiracy to commit a crime and being print making and even a guitar. The exhibit learned and apply it,” Gray said as she perused events and activities, visit the Mendocino armed during the commission of a felony. begins tonight with an opening reception, which the gallery. “I always welcome people who want College Events Calendar on the Internet at Sourbeck was originally held on is open to the public, taking place between 4 and to learn and apply what they’ve learned.” www.mendocino.edu. $500,000 bail and was subsequently 6 p.m. in the gallery. The exhibit will run Each student was allowed to enter three Zack Sampsel can be reached at released after his bail was lowered to through May 14. pieces for consideration in the show, which was [email protected]. $80,000. 2 – THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 2008 DAILY DIGEST Editor: Jody Martinez, 468-3517 The Ukiah Daily Journal [email protected] DOT doubles compensation available for bumped fliers Associated Press tives Wednesday intended to decrease air trav- “It’s hard to compensate for a missed fami- ernment data.