Lady Eagles REMINISCE beat Comets SUNDAY Elusive Images photo contest ..........Page A-8 Jan. 27, 2008 ...................................Page A-3 INSIDE Mendocino County’s World briefly The Ukiah local newspaper .......Page A-2 Monday: Cloudy with rain; H 46º L 33º Tuesday: Cloudy and cold; H 42º L 34º $1 tax included DAILY JOURNAL ukiahdailyjournal.com 42 pages, Volume 149 Number 293 email: [email protected] Ukiah’s Melissa Chaty reaches final 8 Storm lull won’t MISS AMERICA PAGEANT last long New system expected to bring several days of rain The Daily Journal Ukiahans got a brief respite Saturday from the storms that lashed the county all week, but another system was expected to move into the county Saturday night, bring- ing more rain. The Miss America Pageant According to reports from the National was at the Planet Holly- Weather Service, an area of low pressure off wood Resort & Casino on the Mendocino Coast was expected to send the Las Vegas Strip. rain east across the county Saturday evening. The rain is expected to continue into Monday when cold temperatures are predict- Competing ed to drop the snow level to 1,500 feet. Rain is expected until at least Wednesday. Heavy rainfall overnight Friday con- for Miss tributed to several slides that briefly covered parts of Highway 253 and Highway 128. According to the NWS, more than three America: inches of rain fell in the county Friday night. On Saturday morning, the NWS issued a flood alert for the Navarro River. the week As of 7:15 a.m. Saturday, the river was at 17.3 feet, according to the NWS. Flood stage Editor’s note: Dirk Wunderlich is 23 feet. has been in Las Vegas covering The NWS was expecting minor flooding Melissa Chaty’s activities at the Miss America Pageant for The on Highway 128 at Navarro, about five Daily Journal. Following is his miles from the intersection with Highway 1. report on the more than weeklong The road was expected to be closed and event. drivers were encouraged to find alternate routes and not attempt to drive through the By DIRK WUNDERLICH floodwaters. Most vehicles will float if sub- for The Daily Journal merged in only two feet of water, according to the NWS. t’s Friday in Las Vegas. To check road conditions, call CalTrans at The day before a new 1-800-427-7623. Miss America is crowned. Three nights and one day of preliminary competi- No time to Ition are history. Now there is only the waiting and the last- minute rehearsals before the big vote? Try a night. Vegas put on its own unin- tentional show this morning with a top floor fire at the Monte Carlo Hotel, just a few blocks work break from Planet Hollywood, Miss State law allows workers paid America’s host. time off from work; employer Asked why she wants to be Miss America, Miss California must be notified well in advance Melissa Chaty answered, “The The Daily Journal six years of my life spent getting The California Elections Code allows here are dedicated in honor and workers up to two hours off, without a loss memory of my grandfather. of pay, to vote if they do not have enough “Every day when I work with time to do so in their non-work hours, the Alzheimer’s Association in according to a statement released Friday by San Diego I’m potentially Secretary of State Debra Bowen. impacting some of the 90,000 The next statewide election is the Feb. 5 with Alzheimer’s. At least three Photos by Dirk Wunderlich/for the Daily Journal Presidential Primary, also known as Miss California Melissa Chaty sings ‘The Jewel Song’ from ‘Faust’ in the talent compe- “Tsunami Tuesday.” A total of 24 states will tition for the Miss America Pageant. She wore an ivory jewel-encrusted bouffant gown. See CHATY, Page A-12 hold primaries or caucuses on this date, with 52 percent of all pledged Democratic Party delegates and 41 percent of the total Republican Party delegates at stake. Miss Michigan crowned Miss America 2008 Polling places will be open between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Election Day. By KATHLEEN HENNESSEY The law also requires workers to give Associated Press Writer their employers two working days’ notice LAS VEGAS — Miss Michigan Kirsten before the election if they will need to take Haglund, a 19-year-old aspiring Broadway star, time off to vote. was crowned Miss America 2008 on Saturday in Employees are eligible for paid time off a live show billed as the unveiling of the 87- for the purpose of voting only if they do not year-old pageant’s new, hipper look. have sufficient time outside of working Haglund, of Farmington Hills, Mich., sang hours to vote. The intent of the law is to pro- “Over the Rainbow” and walked a crowd-pleas- vide an opportunity to vote to workers who ing strut in a black and gold bikini to clinch the otherwise would not be able to do so because title. She beat Miss Indiana Nicole Elizabeth of their jobs. Employees can be given as Rash, the first runner up, and Miss Washington much time as they need in order to vote, but Elyse Umemoto, the second runner up for a only a maximum of two hours is paid. $50,000 scholarship and year of travel that Section 14001 of the code requires comes with the crown. employers to post a notice to employees Among the other top 10 finalists: Miss Iowa advising them of provisions for taking paid Diana Reed, a fire juggling baton twirler and leave for the purpose of voting in statewide entrepreneur; and Miss California Melissa elections. Copies of the notices can be obtained by calling the Secretary of State’s See PAGEANT, Page A-4 Elections Division at (916) 657-2166. These notices are also available as PDF downloads, The final eight contestants for Miss and can be found at www.sos.ca.gov/elec- America, including Melissa Chaty, tions/elections_tov.htm. (fourth from right) line the stage at The employee notice must be posted Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. either in the workplace or where it can be seen by employees as they enter or exit their place of work. A-2 – SUNDAY, JAN. 27, 2008 DAILY DIGEST Editor: Jody Martinez, 468-3517 The Ukiah Daily Journal [email protected] Allen Causey, 29, of Ukiah, cles. Significant errors in obituary DEATH NOTICES was arrested on suspicion of notices or birth announcements will Medusa’s Muse driving under the influence result in reprinting the entire article. and a probation violation in Errors may be reported to the editor, When I think about a do-it- reasons. Scott is a book lover •Refujilo Vargas, 86, of the 600 block of South Oak 468-3526. yourselfer, I imagine a mid- from the get-go and likes to Ukiah, died Thursday, Jan. Street at 10:35 p.m. Friday. dle-aged guy out in the garage run things. 24, 2008. Services will be at Those arrested by law enforcement on a Saturday, armed to the “I was one of those kids St. Mary of the Angels officers are innocent until proven LOTTERY NUMBERS teeth with sharp tools and ser- who always had her nose in a Catholic Church at noon guilty. People reported as having been arrested may contact the Daily Journal DAILY 3: night: 8, 8, 1. enaded by a screeching saw, book, even at recess. I had no Tuesday with arrangements once their case has been concluded so hard at work constructing friends,” Scott explains. handled by Eversole the results can be reported. Those who afternoon: 3, 2, 0. Mortuary. feel the information is in error should FANTASY 5: 11, 16, 18, something. Well, I am way “Also, I love new challenges contact the appropriate agency. In the out-of-date and that old-fash- and I’m a control freak.” 34, 35. case of those arrested on suspicion of DAILY DERBY: 1st ioned fellow has been Her experience as a theatri- driving under the influence of an intox- replaced by younger, hipper cal stage manager “running icant: all DUI cases reported by law Place: 11, Money Bags. POLICE REPORTS enforcement agencies are reported by folk who have gone “DIY.” the show” serves her well in 2nd Place: 02, Lucky the newspaper. The Daily Journal Star. These are active, creative her new role as publisher. She The following were makes no exceptions. individuals whose “do-it- had a deadline to meet with In Our Own Words compiled from reports 3rd Place: 06, Whirl yourself” mantra often is her first book, split decisions By Dot Brovarney prepared by the Ukiah Win. mobilized by digital technolo- to make about its visual pre- Police Department. To CORRECTIONS Race time: 1:47.72. LOTTO: 2, 23, 29, 32, gy, the advances that have sentation and ongoing anonymously report The Ukiah Daily Journal allowed musicians to record exchanges with her author, print-on-demand service that crime information, call 42. charges for small batches of reserves this space to correct errors Meganumber: 20. their own compact discs and designer and editing partner to 463-6205. or make clarifications to news arti- enabled writers to produce create a finished product. books as they’re ordered. This ARREST -- Jonathan Jackpot: $50 million. their own ’zines. One such The mission of Medusa’s newer method eliminates the individual is Ukiahan Terena Muse is to publish tales of higher up-front costs and large Scott, who founded her own transformation.