Community AAUW speakers FORUM sports digest describe life Watch race for Lt. Gov. .........Page A-6 in Japan ...................................Page A-4 ...........Page A-3 INSIDE Mendocino County’s World briefly The Ukiah local newspaper ..........Page 2 Tomorrow: Partly sunny 7 58551 69301 0 FRIDAY Feb. 24, 2006 50 cents tax included DAILY JOURNAL ukiahdailyjournal.com 40 pages, Volume 147 Number 321 email: [email protected] Chamber drops Fourth of July celebration; can’t afford it By K.C. MEADOWS play will be upwards of $35,000 this first three main sponsors they were which has done the fireworks show to make this happen,” she said. “I am The Daily Journal year. That includes $20,000 for the unable to put it into their budget this for the Chamber in Ukiah in the past so willing to help somebody else do The Ukiah Chamber of fireworks alone, $5,000 for the state year,” Blower explained. and which says it’s raising its fees by it, I feel bad that this may not hap- Commerce says it will not be able to Fire Marshal’s sign off (because the In 2005 the chamber collected 30 percent in 2006. pen. I was born and raised here, I afford to put on the Fourth of July event is held at the fairgrounds, state $13,000 in admissions at what many Blower said she’s just sick about remember parking on State Street officials are required to give the show and fireworks this summer. considered a steep ticket cost of $10 the Chamber having to make the and watching the fireworks.” Chamber CEO Cherie Blower OK); and thousands more in insur- for adults and $6 for children. Total decision not to put on the Fourth of Blower hopes anyone willing to says they are hoping someone else ance, facility rental and entertain- costs in 2005 were $24,000. will take it on and she’d be happy to ment and publicity costs. July celebration this year. take on the project or anyone with help. “I go around and ask for sponsor- Blower said the $35,000 estimate “If someone wants to take this on, ideas on how to make it happen will According to Blower, the cost of ships every year to trade advertising for this year’s show includes a price I will open all my books to them and email her at the Fourth show and fireworks dis- to be a part of this. When I called my hike from Boom Boom, the company give them as much time as possible [email protected]. “These rising costs are going to have significant impact. I think we’re going to have Mill Creek Dam small family farms that go out of business.” -Mendocino County Farm Bureau President Tyler Nelson talks friendlier Coast region. County, F&G Entrix Environmental Farm profits eroded by costs hoping for Consulting is working with both groups will help deter- High fuel prices, higher interest rates taking a toll amicable solution mine available alternatives. By SETH FREEDLAND The release of sediment and By BEN BROWN The Daily Journal the associated habitat damage The Daily Journal Mendocino County Board is a weighty problem for the Rising fuel prices dams, Larson said, but multi- and increased interest of Supervisors might not need to invest in those industrial- ple methods to repair the rates are expected to flaws are being reviewed. cause a significant sized chains after all. “As we’ve said, (taking drop in the income of When the county learned in down the dams) is one of the American farmers November 2005 that the state alternatives we’d like to have this year, following Department of Fish and Game examined,” Larson said. “It’s two years of unusual- wished to remove the Mill on the table, but we’re not ly high prices and Creek Dams to restore habitat committed. It may be, with record crops, but in for fish and other wildlife, two costs to overhaul the manage- Mendocino County supervisors suggested they ment of the system, that it will these factors will only would chain themselves to the be a low-cost alternative.” add insult to the local landmark to prevent The dams and reservoir injury of several such a move. have been a popular recre- years of low earnings. But recent meetings ational spot for Mendocino “We’re not making between the county and Fish County residents -- and that any money right and Game have paved the way balance remains at the crux of now,” said Tyler toward a more amicable con- the long-term decision mak- Nelson, local farmer clusion, said Eric Larson, ing. But Fish and Game has and president of the deputy regional manager for Mendocino County Fish and Game’s Central See DAMS, Page A-9 Farm Bureau. “That fuel cost hits us in the pocketbook.” REGIONAL ACTION TO WATCH Nationally, fuel costs have increased 35 percent in the last year. Organizers say the The total value of agriculture products has been in a steady proposed corporate decline since 2001, dropping $24.3 million in between 2001 and 2004. Bengston said he agreed that rising fuel prices would A recent glut of grapes has caused significant damage have a negative impact on local farmers but said he did to that industry. The value of grapes in Mendocino not believe that the local impact would be as bad as it is donation ban legal County dropped $10.2 million between 2003 and 2004. nationally. By JAMES FAULK “The Supreme Court Pears have also been on the decline over the last five “There are some people who are going to make less The Eureka Times-Standard years, said Nelson who, in addition to grapes and money than they would have if gas and diesel prices had- EUREKA -- Organizers has ruled that a com- Christmas trees, raises Bartlett pears. Agriculture n’t shot up,” Bengston said. trying to pass a ban on non- munity can limit cor- Commissioner David Bengston said that pear growers Bengston noted that most states grow between three local donations to local races were facing increasing pressure from national and inter- and a dozen crops while California grows more than 350, this week produced a list of porate contributions if national sellers, including China. providing the country with 90 percent of its produce. legal scholars who support it is shown that such “Pears are going to be rough all around,” Bengston Bengston believes that this diversity is what will protect their effort. said. farmers from the large across-the-board drops in income This comes after a legal contributions under- “These rising costs are going to have significant expected nationally. expert recently criticized the mine citizens’ confi- impact,” Nelson said. “I think we’re going to have small “We’re so diverse, were going to have counties that local ballot measure, saying family farms that go out of business.” make a lot more than last year and some that are going to that it was unconstitutional dence in their own Nelson said that fuel costs and interest rates are not the make a lot less,” Bengston said. and would lose any court government,” Bengston said that grapes grow in nine- to 11-year only things threatening the family farm. Family farms challenge. - Peter Gabel,New College have to sell their produce to corporate distributors who cycles, one of which finished in the late 1990s. Recent Mendocino County have incredible influence in setting prices. Small farmers low prices show that grapes are moving back into an up activists may take note of the of California Law School often don’t have the influence to negotiate the price up. cycle. Bengston called last year’s large crop an anomaly Humboldt County effort, with in San Francisco, “Farmers are 2 percent of the population, we don’t Ukiahans considering cam- have a very loud voice,” Nelson said. See FARMS, Page A-9 paign finance reform aimed at limiting big out of county the New College of California spending and the experience Law School in San Francisco, of Measure H - the ban on in a news release. “Measure T GMOs here - which faced an is carefully crafted to meet Judges select new courthouse CEO influx of cash from an outside that requirement by literally corporate donor opposing the building the finding into the The Daily Journal court administration and a background in Stough said. measure. law itself. I believe this law Benjamin Stough, of Alameda , has fiscal management. He was appointed by “Ben is one of those court administra- Backers of Measure T in would withstand a legal chal- been named the new Court Executive Presiding Mendocino Superior Court tors for whom no assignment is too diffi- Humboldt County, as the cor- lenge.” Officer for Mendocino County, filling the Judge Cindee Mayfield because of his cult or complex,” said Tom Duncan, porate donation ban is called, Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap, space vacated when Tania Urgin- history of adapting new technology and Oakland Trial Court Administrator. say it would stand a legal test. campaign manager of the Capobiano left the position in September implementing innovative programs in his “What sets Ben apart is his ability to “The Supreme Court has Humboldt Coalition for for unknown reasons that none of the former job as manager of the come up with innovative and creative ruled that a community can Community Rights, said that judges has ever disclosed. Even after Administrative Office of the Court in solutions that can actually be implement- limit corporate contributions more than three-quarters of Urgin-Capobiano had clearly left her Alameda.