Warriors New director POLITICS defeat at Botanical The race for county supervisor Suns Gardens .............Page 6 ..............Page 3 ....................................Page 1 INSIDE Mendocino County’s Daily digest The Ukiah local newspaper ..........Page 2 Tomorrow: Partly sunny; H 65º L 31º 7 58551 69301 0 WEDNESDAY Nov. 28, 2007 50 cents tax included DAILY JOURNAL ukiahdailyjournal.com 16 pages, Volume 149 Number 233 email: [email protected] AG’s Office to take charge of marijuana case DA says she’s turning over marijuana cultivation case involving tion since Nov. 15, when sheriff’s finances. stances and background,” the letter Mendocino County District deputies entered her home with Young has not been arrested or said. “The employee received no case to avoid appearance of Attorney’s Office employee Sherilyn Young’s consent and found 39 formally charged, and the case special treatment.” impropriety in matter Young will be turned over to the pounds of dried marijuana in the remains under investigation. According to the letter, Lintott is involving her employee California Attorney General’s house, said Sheriff’s Lt. Kurt According to the letter, written by turning over the case to the Attorney Office, District Attorney Meredith Smallcomb. Lintott and Sheriff Tom Allman, an General’s Office to avoid any By BEN BROWN Lintott said in a letter to The Daily Young has been an employee of arrest was not necessary. appearance of impropriety. The Daily Journal Journal. the DA’s Office for two years. She is “This practice is the same for Ben Brown can be reached at Investigation and prosecution of a Young has been under investiga- in charge of managing the office’s other suspects with similar circum- [email protected] AT LAKE MENDOCINO, LAKE BED GROWS AS WATER LEVEL DROPS UKIAH CITY COUNCIL City yard Dry cameras on hold By ZACK SAMPSEL lake The Daily Journal By BEN BROWN It appears Big Brother won’t be watch- The Daily Journal ing at the Ukiah Corporation Yard just As Mendocino County settles yet. into a fall with clear skies and During a special meeting Monday, the warm daytime temperatures, City Council worries remain about the level delayed its What’s next? of the county’s primary reservoir decision to pur- as the rain refuses to fall and chase $32,000 ▲Going with an water levels continue to drop. worth of sur- idea proposed by There has been countywide veillance video Councilmember Phil concern about the lake level cameras for the Baldwin, the City since early summer when the Corporation Council decided to Sonoma County Water Agency Yard as an delay the purchase announced that, without conser- attempt to quell and wait for mem- vation, water levels in Lake MacLeod Pappidas/The Daily Journal theft in the bers of the Ukiah Mendocino could drop as low as A warning buoy for boats sits on the exposed and cracking bottom mud of Lake area. Police Department 8,000 acre-feet by August. Mendocino Tuesday, trailed by more than 20 feet of anchor chain. The corpo- and Ukiah Fire As of Monday, lake storage ration yard Department to be was at 29,982 acre-feet. The Engineers spokeswoman Maria serves the present. The council maximum capacity is 122,500 Lee said access has been cut off city’s Water/ is expected to acre-feet. for safety reasons. Sewer, Elec- resume discussions “It’s as low as I’ve ever seen Lee said the lake is still open tric, Garage during one of its it,” said Nancy Weinhold, 55, of to those who want to use kayaks, and Street de- December meetings. Willits, as she walked along the canoes and other boats small partments. dry lake bed Tuesday. enough to carry out to the water. Recent thefts at From the north boat ramp it She said she advised against try- the Corporation Yard and the Wastewater was possible to walk nearly 100 ing to drive out, noting one truck Treatment Plant have cost the city yards along the lake bottom has already become stuck. upwards of $60,000, according to City before reaching water. Mendocino County Water Manager Candace Horsley. Most notably, The dry lake bed was littered Agency General Manager four suspects were arrested last week in with stumps and logs, and buoys Roland Sanford said there is the theft of more than $25,000 worth of warning boaters of the “no wake concern across the county about copper wire from the Corporation Yard. zone” sat upright on the lake bed the lake levels, especially in With the value of copper and other at the end of 25-foot chains that places like Redwood Valley, materials rising, the city has made once kept them tethered to con- which draws much of its water attempts to secure the facility and stop crete anchors. from the lake. some of this activity, but according to Both the lake’s boat ramps are Since summer, most water Horsley the attempts have failed. closed and access from the agencies in Mendocino County Potter Valley resident Jerry Pollock takes advantage of “We’ve had increased police patrols in southern Jet Ski Beach has been Lake Mendocino’s low water level to search for treasures the area, and worked to replace the fenc- closed. Army Corps of See LAKE, Page 16 with his metal detector. ing, but they just cut the fence,” Horsley explained to the council during Monday’s meeting. “Because of the cost of copper and wire it will just keep it going on.” According to the staff report, available online at www.cityofukiah.com, the Four county supervisor candidates file early departments involved at the Corporation Yard met to analyze a variety of security By ROB BURGESS from Feb. 11 to March 7, 2008, but several people “Starting on December 28, candidates can file a systems that would work in the area with The Daily Journal have already filed their letters of intent,” she said. certain number of signatures in lieu of a filing fee,” a goal of integrating one system to serve Although the June 3, 2008 primary is two Those who have already completed their paper- she said. “Both numbers will be calculated based all needs. Ultimately the departments dozen-plus weeks away, four candidates for coun- work include: Carre Brown for the 1st District on population.” involved, with the help of IT Supervisor ty supervisor have already filed an official notice position currently held by Michael Delbar, Paula In addition to being in her 20th year as the Steven Butler, agreed to look into the pur- of intent with the Mendocino County Elections Deeter for the 4th District spot now occupied by Mendocino County Farm Bureau administrator, chase of five surveillance cameras from Office, said Katrina Bartolomie, assistant registrar Kendall Smith, and Estelle Palley Clifton and John Brown is also a member of Mendocino County AT&T. The cameras’ features include a of voters. McCowen for Jim Wattenburger’s 2nd District “The actual filing period for registering runs seat. See SUPERVISOR, Page 2 See CAMERAS, Page 16 Environmental coalition asserts NCRA fails to disclose freight impacts The Daily Journal Superior Court, said Nadananda, exec- firm of Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger is planned, a number of trains daily, to the purposes and procedures of the A coalition of North Coast environ- utive director for Friends of the Eel the attorney for the coalition. pulling as many as 60 cars each, could California Environmental Quality Act. mental organizations has announced River. The groups filing the brief are The city of Novato earlier filed a travel through Novato neighborhoods. According to the brief, EPIC long intent to file an amicus brief in support the Friends of the Eel River, based in writ of mandamus against the NCRA, The city’s suit will be heard Dec. 12 has argued that due to unstable geolo- of the city of Novato’s lawsuit against Garberville; Environmental Protection protesting construction to restore in the Superior Court of Marin. gy, steep slopes and high annual rain- the North Coast Rail Authority. Information Center and Californians freight operations, also alleging that According to the brief, the groups fall in the Eel River Canyon, the The brief, which asserts that the for Alternatives to Toxics and Marin the NCRA had not complied with state have a collective interest in protection Northwestern Pacific Railroad will NCRA has failed to disclose the eco- Conservation League and Watershed and federal environmental law. and restoration of the natural environ- continue to contribute to environmen- logical impacts of its proposed freight Preservation Network, headquartered If the NCRA, through its operator ment and resources currently being tal degradation of the watershed and operation in the Eel River Canyon in in Marin County. the Northwestern Pacific Railroad harmed by the actions of the NCRA as will require tremendous infusions of Trinity County will be filed in Marin Kevin Bundy of the San Francisco Company, reinstates freight as well as sharing a strong commitment taxpayer money in order to operate. Great Toys Party Area Superior Clothes children’s shop 463-0628 211 S. State St., Ukiah Locally Owned 2 – WEDNESDAY, NOV. 28, 2007 DAILY DIGEST Editor: K.C. Meadows, 468-3526 The Ukiah Daily Journal [email protected] ed in 2006 to a full term. Before FUNERAL NOTICES Supervisor that, he served on the City of Ukiah Planning Commission in [\ Crissy Evans, her sister called upon. Hospitals. It was there Continued from Page 1 1996 and 1997, the Mendocino AMANDA RENEE’ EVANS Brieana, and her We would like to that he had the honor to County Airport Land Use Amanda Renee’ Evans, brother Kevin Ring, of “Thank” our friends and shake hands with Cattlewomen, the Mendocino Commission from 1997 to 2004 Redwood Valley, Cali- fam- President Truman, some- age 18, went to be County Employers Council, the and the County Planning with her Lord and Savior fornia, her parents Bruce ily for their love and sup- thing he never forgot! Public Policy Facilitating Commission from 1997 to on November 22, & Joyce Loranger, port during this trying Russ will be remembered Committee for the Section 7 2004, with the last three years 2007.