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Local sports RELIGION roundup Saturday Faith community news ...................................Page 3 .............Page 6 March 10, 2007 INSIDE Mendocino County’s World briefly The Ukiah local newspaper ..........Page 2 Sunday: Partly sunny and warm 7 58551 69301 0 Monday: Mostly sunny and warmer 50 cents tax included DAILY JOURNAL ukiahdailyjournal.com 16 pages, Volume 148 Number 335 email: [email protected] STRIKE UPDATE DA CANDIDATES FORUM County decides against mediator Says it will re-enter talks if attorneys return to work; union plans to keep striking unless mediator is called in By BEN BROWN The Daily Journal The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors announced Friday the county will be re-entering negotiations with the Mendocino County Public Attorneys Association on Monday without a state negotiator. “It is ordered ‘It seems as though that the county will re-enter negotia- the Board of tions upon the attor- neys’ return to work Supervisors is more on Monday,” the interested in board said in a statement Friday crushing organized evening. labor than sitting Ben Brown/The Daily Journal “This is an issue Mendocino County District Attorney candidates (from left) Bert Schlosser, Meredith Lintott and Keith Faulder take between us and down and negotiating questions from the public at Thursday evening’s DA forum. them,” said 3rd District Supervisor in good faith.’ John Pinches. MCPAA Presi- dent and Deputy MATTHEW FINNEGAN District Attorney MCPAA president Contenders stress experience Matthew Finnegan By BEN BROWN attorney in this line of work,” Schlosser said he is disappointed by the board’s The Daily Journal ‘I will not appeal those results. I’m hoping to said. decision not to call in a state mediator and Mendocino County District Attorney can- get more than 50 percent.’ All candidates said that gangs and gang said the union will continue its strike on didates Meredith Lintott, Keith Faulder and violence are serious problems in Mendocino Monday. Bert Schlosser took questions from the pub- MEREDITH LINTOTT County. Lintott promised “vigorous prose- “We will be on strike,” Finnegan said. lic Thursday evening at an open forum. cution” of gang recruiters in Mendocino He had previously said the MCPAA Each candidate cited experience as the County and said the community needs to was willing to drop the strike and return primary reason why he or she should be ‘You choose the best candidate, and I will be work with local organizations to give youth to work on the condition that the county elected DA. happy with the results.’ in the county something constructive to do. brought in a state mediator. Lintott pointed out her more than 20 years Faulder cited the Gang Resistance Is “It seems as though the Board of of experience with the legal system in KEITH FAULDER Paramount program as one effort that has Supervisors is more interested in crushing Mendocino County that includes 10 years been helping in that regard. organized labor than sitting down and with the District Attorney’s Office as well as Schlosser said the DA’s Office would negotiating in good faith,” he said Friday many years as a defense attorney and work- ‘I can’t afford to sue.’ have to be more involved to solve the prob- night. ing in private practice. BERT SCHLOSSER lem. Finnegan said he did not know why the She also cited the 13 pages of endorse- “You have to get out there and engage the county would refuse to bring in any out- ments she has received since beginning her community,” he said. side mediators, but said it may be because campaign in January of 2006 as a reason to Candidates’ reactions to a report that two of them had All three candidates said they would also the county expects the court to grant the vote for her. threatened to sue if the April 3 special election resulted in aggressively attack methamphetamine pro- county’s petition for a temporary injunc- “I have the strength of people from ducers and distributors in Mendocino tion against the strike. Covelo to Point Arena, conservatives and a district attorney being elected with less than 50 percent County. Lintott said the DA’s Office and law A hearing on a temporary strike injunc- Democrats,” she said. of the vote. enforcement need to work more closely with tion filed by the county is scheduled for 9 Faulder cited the eight years he has spent the community. a.m. Monday. working in the District Attorney’s Office, “They all know who they are, but they’re The MCPAA, which represents attor- doing this job and doing it right,” Faulder neys from the Mendocino County District including stints as assistant district attorney said. afraid,” she said. and interim district attorney. Faulder said the DA’s Office had been Attorney’s Office, the Public Defenders Schlosser cited his extensive trial experi- Office, the Alternate Defenders Office Faulder said, in addition to trial experi- ence, gained during the 19 years he has receiving a grant for the Major Crime Task ence, he also has experience dealing with the Force and that the grant still provides money and the Child Support Attorney’s Office, spent with the Public Defenders Office and has been on strike since negotiations day-to-day administrative operations of the the Alternate Defenders Office. for one attorney dedicated to methampheta- office, including hiring and firing and deal- mine prosecution. broke down Tuesday over salary negotia- “I have done more jury trials than any tions. ing with budget. other attorney in that kind of work and I “I bring to this position eight years of The union has been negotiating for a have won more jury trials than any other See FORUM, Page 16 pay raise that would bring attorneys clos- See STRIKE, Page 16 Fisheries Service requests variance for frost-protection water By KATIE MINTZ farmers in Potter Valley, who rely on time variance in the license conditions to release extra water in the Russian The Daily Journal water from the Russian River to insu- to avoid a situation where the Potter River following each night of frost ‘We were able to dodge a big bullet this The National Marine Fisheries late their crops in freezing tempera- Valley Irrigation District suffers crop from March 15 to April 15, which is time, it appears, but the long-term issue Service sent a letter to the Federal tures. damages. considered the frost season. The water Energy Regulatory Commission The license negotiated with FERC Current conditions on the license would allow farmers to replenish their is still there. Since NMFS made the Friday requesting a one-time variance in 2004 called for a reduction in flows limit the amount of water that can be storage ponds for frost-protection, determination that we’re supposed to in Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s through the project of 15 percent from diverted from the Eel River through which are required by the PVID to license for the Potter Valley the amount negotiated in the license the project when Lake Pillsbury is hold three nights worth. live with a 33 percent reduction, which Hydroelectric Project to allow extra granted in 1983. However, recent dis- below a certain level to protect Eel PG&E has indicated it is willing to diversions through the project to the covery that PG&E had been diverting River fisheries, Butler said. comply with the variance if it is grant- is 50,000 acre feet of water less, it’s Russian River for needed frost-pro- more water through the project for the “The changes that we’ve asked ed by FERC. been my focus of attention, and others’ tection. last two years than allowed triggered FERC to allow are not going to “PG&E is pleased to hear that The letter follows a declaration of a reduction to 33 percent. impact fisheries in a negative way NMFS has proposed a one-year vari- as well, to find a solution to this issue.’ imminent disaster made Tuesday by According to NMFS North Coast because of the payback of water,” ance to provide frost protection for the Mendocino County Board of Area office Supervisor Dick Butler, Butler said, explaining that the letter crops,” David Moller, director of Supervisors, which feared that a the letter sent from NMFS Southwest also requests that PG&E be obligated hydro licensing for PG&E, said. “The MICHAEL DELBAR recent reduction in flows through the Regional Administrator Rod McInnis to repay any water used beginning in new license currently limits the 1st District county supervisor project to comply with the license to FERC Secretary Magalie Roman June when the frost season is over. amount of water PG&E can provide. would not leave enough water for Salas asks for FERC to allow a one- The variance would allow PG&E See WATER, Page 2 2 – SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 2007 DAILY DIGEST Editor: Jody Martinez, 468-3517 The Ukiah Daily Journal [email protected] The driver and one passen- FUNERAL NOTICES POLICE REPORTS ger of the second vehicle sur- The following were vived the collision. [\ Darlene Lockhart, Sloan visit. na Lynch, grandchildren compiled from reports Redfern was determined to YVETTE LYTLE Washington, Joyce The family is requesting Robert Bivin Jr., prepared by the Ukiah be under the influence of alco- DOVE MARSHALL Gonzalez of Redwood that any donations Thomas Lynch, William Police Department. To hol or drugs at the scene of the Yvette Lytle Dove Valley, Mary-Jane Ar- will be made to Yvette’s Bivin, Becky Ford, anonymously report incident, according to the Marshall passed away on nold of Santa Rosa, Ada mother Melody Mar- Dudley Bivin, Jerry Bivin crime information, call CHP.