Edwards Giving Back ON THE MARKET is a rare find column Guide to local real estate ...................................Inside ..........Page A-7 ............Page A-3 INSIDE Mendocino County’s World briefly The Ukiah local newspaper .......Page A-2 Tomorrow: Mostly sunny; continued hot 7 58551 69301 0 FRIDAY July 21, 2006 50 cents tax included DAILY JOURNAL ukiahdailyjournal.com 44 pages, Volume 148 Number 103 email: [email protected] Jury finds mayor ‘not guilty’ By BEN BROWN In her closing argument, jury and be decided by the Planning and Building Director Charley The Daily Journal Ashiku’s attorney, Susan B. jury,” said Deputy District Stump that it was the policy of Planning The jury deliberated for less than half- Jordan, said the prosecution ASHIKU TRIAL Attorney Brian Newman who and Building to allow building permit an-hour Thursday before finding Ukiah of Ashiku was about politics prosecuted the case. applicants to begin preparatory work Mayor Mark Ashiku not guilty of misde- and not about an actual criminal offense. During the presentation of the defense, without a permit. meanor charges that he altered or “If there was a doubt in anyone’s mind Ashiku testified that he was told by for- “My understanding was that once you destroyed a building without a permit. this should erase it,” Ashiku said after the mer Department of Planning and Building had a permit on file, you could do any The charges stem from work Ashiku verdict was announced. “Politics, politics, Associate Planner Brian Keefer, former prep-work you wanted to get the building Ashiku did on his house at 510 S. Spring St. in politics.” Certified Plan Checker for Planning and August of 2005. “This was a case that had to go to the Building Carl Tuliback and Department of See MAYOR, Page A-12 CITY COUNCIL HORIZON PROGRAM AND MARKET ANIMAL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM Options for the Palace presented By KATIE MINTZ The Daily Journal As with many historic buildings that require renovation, the Palace Hotel is a black hole for profit. That’s what Dana Burwell, certified general real estate appraiser, told the Ukiah City Council Wednesday evening in the presentation of an appraisal of the building he completed earlier this year with associate Dennis Elias. “Our conclusion was that no matter what you do to the Palace Hotel, it will not pencil out,” Burwell said. “You will not make a profit on the hotel.” Because the property has negative returns, Burwell said its only value is the 20,600-square-foot site on which it stands at 272 N. State St. between West Smith and West Standley streets. That value, $309,000 as stated in the appraisal, is still nearly three times what current owner Eladia Laines paid for the Palace in 1990. Since being in her possession, the hotel that was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 has sat vacant. Isaac Eckel/The Daily Journal Now, described in the appraisal as a Jessica Crowhurst brushes her meat goat Joe Thursday afternoon. Crowhurst was awarded a Market Animal “large three-story brick building with Scholarship to help raise her goat. boarded up windows, old paint, graffiti markings and an overall appearance of deterioration,” it’s considered an obsta- cle to many who want to see an eco- nomic revitalization in downtown Fair animal financial help offered Ukiah. City Manager Candace Horsley said By LAURA MCCUTCHEON the City Council, acting in its capacity as The Daily Journal the Redevelopment Agency, commis- Raising an animal for the fair can be costly, but area sioned the appraisal in an attempt to youth are getting some welcome help to ease the budget move forward with some sort of resolu- crunch. tion, hoping that the appraisal would Rainbow Ag, Purina Mills and Land O’Lakes, along give valuable information to interested with local 4-H and Future Farmers of America supporters buyers. and livestock breeders, offer a Horizon Program and a “They felt that it was a very well- Market Animal Scholarship Program, which assist youth structured appraisal and that interested who might not otherwise be able to raise animals for the buyers will be able to use it as a source fair. of information,” Horsley said. “They’re Bobby Loucks, 13, and his 11-year-old brother, Trevor, trying to get the property owner togeth- are raising hogs, and they -- along with more than 100 er with potential buyers to have a mean- other youth -- are saving money in the process by using the ingful conversation.” Horsley said she has sent five poten- See FAIR, Page A-2 tial buyers who have expressed interest in the property copies of the appraisal. Isaac Eckel/The Daily Journal The report is also available at the Civic 4-H’ers Bobby and Trevor Loucks purchase Center, 300 Seminary Ave. Though items at Rainbow Ag using the Horizon Laines does not currently have the prop- Program, which offers feed at a discount to erty listed for sale with local agencies, local youth who are raising livestock for the Horsley said potential buyers who have fair. spoken with her have indicated a sale See PALACE, Page A-12 County begins work toward Inclusionary Housing Ordinance By JAMES ARENS build as affordable housing and helps ty’s IHO and to make recommenda- “There are many things you can affordable housing, and after about a to increase the supply of affordable tions to the Board of Supervisors at a do with these properties,” said year of work the Action 1.5 Housing The Daily Journal housing throughout the community. later date. Bandy. He also said that the homes to Task Force recommended that 20 The Mendocino County Planning On Tuesday, the county took its “It is going to be one of our most be built for people with lower percent of the new housing be Commission has a large issue on its first step to adopt an IHO with both challenging issues, but it is never too incomes would not be of a lesser affordable at different levels, ranging plate that’s going to take some time the county Planning Commission early to start on it,” said Jim Little, quality. “They don’t have to be from very low income to moderate to digest. and Board of Supervisors present at a Planning Commission chairman. exactly the same style or at the same income families. The county has to adopt an meeting to listen to information Dewey Bandy, of the California level of quality as the more expen- “Just like in the Pledge of Inclusionary Housing Ordinance by about affordable housing. On Coalition for Rural Housing, pre- sive homes,” Bandy said. “But they Allegiance,” said Pamela Townsend, Dec. 31 -- an ordinance that requires Thursday, the Planning Commission sented information on Tuesday relat- have to be similar.” senior planner for the Mendocino residential developers to set aside a met to further discuss policies and to ing to the experiences in other coun- An affordable housing program is portion of the housing units they guide the development of the coun- ties. intended to increase the supply of See HOUSING, Page A-2 A-2 – FRIDAY, JULY 21, 2006 DAILY DIGEST Editor: Jody Martinez, 468-3517 The Ukiah Daily Journal [email protected] to evacuate people from their sweltering homes Thursday after understand that many African-Americans distrust my political storms knocked out power to nearly half a million St. Louis- party.” The world briefly area households and businesses in the middle of a searing heat That line generated boisterous applause and cheers from the wave that has killed at least 17 people across the country. audience, which generally gave the president a polite, reserved With forecasters expecting another day of 100-degree heat, reception. utility crews raced to restore electricity, and Gov. Matt Blunt “I consider it a tragedy that the party of Abraham Lincoln let Israel hints at full-scale invasion declared a state of emergency, granting the mayor’s request to go of its historical ties with the African-American community,” as troops cross into Lebanon send in 250 troops to take people to air-conditioned public Bush said. “For too long, my party wrote off the African- buildings and to clear debris. BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) — Israeli troops met fierce resis- American vote, and many African-Americans wrote off the “We can’t overemphasize the danger of this heat,” Mayor Republican Party.” tance from Hezbollah guerrillas Thursday as they crossed into Francis Slay said. “The longer the heat goes on and the power Lebanon to seek tunnels and weapons for a second straight day, is out, the riskier it is.” and Israel hinted at a full-scale invasion. Police used public-address speakers from their squad cars to U.S. military confirms sharp rise in Israel warned residents to “immediately” flee a nearly 20- announce locations of the community centers and other places bombings and shootings in Baghdad mile swath of south Lebanon along the border. Its warplanes designated as cooling centers. Volunteers went door to door, also launched new airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, a checking on people with no power to run fans or air condition- BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) — Bombings and shootings soared Hezbollah stronghold, shortly after daybreak, followed by ers. by 40 percent in the Baghdad area in the past week, the U.S. strikes in the guerrillas’ heartland in the south and eastern Utility workers urged customers to find a cool place to stay. military said Thursday. An American general said extremists Bekaa Valley. The planes also bombed large parts of the south, They warned that power could be out in some areas for three to were preparing “an all-out assault” on the capital in a decisive from which Hezbollah guerrillas fired more rockets into Israel.