UHS girls REMINISCE basketball SUNDAY Elusive Images photo contest ..........Page A-8 Jan. 22, 2006 ................................Page A-3 INSIDE Mendocino County’s World briefly The Ukiah local newspaper .......Page A-2 Monday: A full day of sunshine Tuesday: Mostly sunny $1 tax included DAILY JOURNAL ukiahdailyjournal.com 54 pages, Volume 147 Number 288 email: [email protected] Solar-powered home incentives funded By BEN BROWN capacity in California by 3,000 was announced earlier this month. but it also represents the collusion incentive payment per watt of elec- The Daily Journal megawatts a year by 2017. “Now it’s up to Californians to make years of political uncertainty in many tricity produced by an individual The California Public Utilities “Today’s decision signals Califo- this a reality by stepping up to the oil producing countries and a desire photovoltaic array. Individuals and Commission will be funding the rnia’s vote for a cleaner, more reli- plate to go solar.” for energy independence, said Adam businesses receiving electricity or California Solar Initiative, an 11- able energy future,” said Rachelle This victory for clean energy Browning, director of operations for gas from investor-owned utility com- year, $3.2 billion incentive program Chong, California Public Utilities advocates was the result of three the Vote Solar Initiative. aimed at increasing the solar energy Commissioner, when the decision years of hard work by many people, The program will provide a $2.80 See SOLAR, Page A-14 THOMPSON SWEET SATURDAYS AT THE UKIAH LIBRARY ON COAST: Queries Children’s toys crowned fielded, By BEN BROWN The Daily Journal even if ayla Meadows, a River Oak Charter School unpopular kindergarten teacher, stands at By FRANK HARTZELL the door to the Fort Bragg Advocate-News Kchildren’s room of the Mendocino When Mike Thompson’s County Library Saturday morning, mom first brought him to the greeting children and parents as Little River Inn, it was to they enter for the first Sweet soothe the allergies of the Saturday event of the year. future congressman. The fam- “Come in, come in, we’re ily stayed in a rustic cabin and making birthday crowns,” walked on the beach until Meadows said. young Mike’s allergies got Sweet Saturdays is organized by better. the charter school and the library. Recently a much more Nearly 30 children brought dolls robust Thompson held a town and stuffed animals and made hall meeting at a much more crowns for them from construction glamorous Little River Inn. paper, lace, feathers and yarn. Thompson rejected political Meadows said the activities help advice that he not tell people children expand their imaginations. he was once an allergic little “Albert Einstein said boy because that made him imagination was more important sound like a “sissy,” the than intelligence,” she said. standing room-only crowd of One child made a tiny crown for about 150 people heard. a stuffed bug, while another Soldier straight in his blue fashioned a larger one decorated suit for two with feathers and yarn for his solid hours, stuffed lion. Thompson “They have such a close Tyler Stoffel/The Daily Journal literally relationship with their babies,” said Above, Suzanna Mills (center stood out in Meadows, in reference to the toys. top) watches her daughter a crowd Those who did not have dolls of Bailee cut a paper crown for that leaned their own were welcome to borrow her teddy bear Saturday at the further to one from the basket in the corner Ukiah library. Saturday’s the left and of the room. Sweet Saturday gathering had further At one table, four generations a doll and teddy bear theme. toward the sat working on projects. At right, Noa Mabanglo’s casual than Grandmother Kathie Smith and attention briefly wanders from their repre- Thompson great-grandmother Elva Jackson his crafts. Also seated at the sentative. helped their children and table, Larry Guyette and Kai While nobody was likely to grandchildren decorate crowns. Mabanglo work on acces- think of the decorated “This looks like mom’s wedding sories for dolls and teddy Vietnam veteran as a sissy, he dress,” said Baily Mills, of the lace bears. managed a politician’s finesse on her crown. while not always saying what Sweet Saturdays helps children the children to make new friends the crowd wanted to hear. interact with each other and build and work together on their “He did a good job of connections in the community, projects. addressing some of the Meadows said. Songs, games and tougher questions from some sharing building materials all help See SWEET, Page A-14 of the radicals,” Fort Bragg High student Jasper Henderson said after the meeting. Henderson is an intern in Thompson’s office. “He isn’t exactly a radical congressman but doesn’t Nothing to fear but the perception of fear make them angry either,” he “There is a lot of fear and concern over retribu- and other related costs in delayed construction pro- added. tion.” jects waiting for the city to perform a needed task. It was a true town hall Next, on “Sentences one would never expect to A local contractor provided anecdotes to the meeting, with the constituents hear at a Ukiah City Council meeting…” MATTER council of various timing conundrums. For one, city doing most of the talking. A job covering Ukiah and Mendocino County inspections were needed to place a roof on a com- Thompson answered “ques- politics never ceases to surprise, to be sure, but when plex project on Friday, but that Monday was a feder- tions” that sometimes bor- I heard a respected public employee state the above al holiday and weekend rain delayed the project dered on preaching. OF FACT “I was impressed with his to the City Council last Wednesday I was taken three months. Dickerson noted later the unseen costs aback like rarely before. that expand with every holdup, including contracts knowledge and the way he This saga began with our politicians’ favorite rab- SETH with sub-contractors and paying interest on loans. answered questions,” said ble-rousers with good intentions, the Employers The consternation is not just limited to workers Carolyn Zeitler, who is a cam- Council. The council, along with the local Chamber FREEDLAND and residents, who may come to the Civic Center to paign manager for former of Commerce and the Builders Exchange, had heard pay bills or get their utilities turned on only to find Assemblywoman Patricia a handful of complaints about inconvenience created the front door locked. People looking to move to Wiggins, who plans to be a by the city’s office closings every other Friday. To 30-plus businesses were then called for clarification. Ukiah frequently come up on Fridays to visit the candidate for the local state determine that opinion’s prevalence, they faxed a Some indicated little more than minor aggravation, Planning Department before spending the weekend Senate seat now held by Wes one-minute survey to 400 local businesses. Dickerson said, but others said they could prove the here. There is simply no way potential home-buyers Chesbro. “People would pre- About 100 responded, with a third noting some closures cost them tens of thousands of dollars. This inconvenience. The EC’s John Dickerson said those money largely stemmed from wasted labor hours See FREEDLAND, Page A-5 See THOMPSON, Page A-5 A-2 – SUNDAY, JAN. 22, 2006 DAILY DIGEST Editor: Jody Martinez, 468-3517 The Ukiah Daily Journal [email protected] it spent two days swimming up the murky river whether the threat of a military solution should POLICE REPORTS past some of the capital’s most famous land- remain in place, Franz Josef Jung was quoted as The following were compiled The world briefly marks — had shown signs of increasing stress responding: “Yes, we need all options.” French from reports prepared by the and stiffening muscles, an indicator it was in President Jacques Chirac said Thursday that Ukiah Police Department. To serious difficulty. France could respond with nuclear weapons anonymously report crime against any state-sponsored terrorist attack. information, call 463-6205. Rescuers find bodies Bush highlights economy, CITATION -- Antonio Contreras, of two W.Va. miners Coldest winter in a quarter 22, was cited on suspicion of driving energy, health care in address under the influence at 653 S. State St. MELVILLE, W.Va. (AP) — Rescuers on of a century grips Russia Saturday found the bodies of two miners who WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush pre- at 12:58 a.m. Friday. Contreras was viewed three domestic themes of his upcoming MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s severest cold in released after being cited. disappeared after a conveyor belt caught fire deep inside a coal mine, bringing to 14 the num- State of the Union address — tax cuts, energy a quarter of a century, with temperatures in ber of West Virginia miners killed on the job in prices and the rising cost of health care — in his Moscow at minus 8 Saturday, has killed at least Those arrested by law enforcement officers weekly radio broadcast Saturday. Bush took par- 40 people and strained the nation’s crumbling are innocent until proven guilty. People reported less than a month. The bodies were found in an as having been arrested may contact the Daily area of the mine where rescue teams had been tial credit for recent gains in the U.S. economy infrastructure, with residents piling on the blan- Journal once their case has been concluded so battling the intense blaze for more than 40 hours. and urged Congress to make tax cuts permanent, kets and heating bricks to keep warm.