Predators a Serious Problem
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Ukiah Valley Seabiscuit Tour ON THE MARKET Youth Soccer will benefit Guide to local real estate under way Leadership ..........Page A-6 ............Page A-3 .......................................Inside INSIDE Mendocino County’s World briefly The Ukiah local newspaper .......Page A-2 Tomorrow: Clouds, then sun; H 81º L 48º 7 58551 69301 0 FRIDAY Sept. 14, 2007 50 cents tax included DAILY JOURNAL ukiahdailyjournal.com 52 pages, Volume 149 Number 158 email: [email protected] School policy reportedly prohibits bus expulsions By ROB BURGESS FOLLOW-UP dents off bus D25, some miles from home, ‘A bus driver shall not require any pupil to The Daily Journal Sept. 5 because she perceived a small group leave the bus enroute between home and According to a Ukiah High School stu- its drivers, possibly opening the district to as being too rowdy. school or other destinations.’ dent, a Ukiah Unified School District bus liability if any injuries had occurred. Christensen said the incident started when driver may have willfully ignored the dis- UHS freshman Troy Christensen said a From ‘A Guide to Student Responsibility trict’s policy regarding the responsibilities of UUSD bus driver kicked as many as 27 stu- See BUS, Page A-10 While Riding School Buses’ NEW PRINCIPAL AT NOKOMIS Predators a serious problem By BEN BROWN The Daily Journal Predators taking farm animals in Mendocino County are a much bigger problem than figures in the 2005-2006 agriculture report would suggest, according to Mendocino County Agricultural Commissioner Dave Bengston. According to the 2005-2006 www.ukiahdailyjournal.com agriculture This story broke report, 35 per- on our Web site cent of sheep at 6:54 p.m. herders reported on Thursday more than $26,000 in losses to predators including bears, mountain lions, coyotes and marauding dogs. “We’re looking at the tip of the iceberg,” Bengston said. He said that statistic is not an accurate reflection of true predation losses because not everyone sur- veyed by the county agriculture department responds. “Some people just don’t report, especially those who get knocked out of the business,” Bengston said. MacLeod Pappidas/The Daily Journal “I know the actual numbers are higher than that,” John McCann, the new principal at Nokomis Elementary School, takes time between crossing guard duties and he said. PTA meetings to ride the school’s slide. Bengston said sheep are the primary targets for predators, but that they will also take cattle, goats, with an enrollment of around poultry and rabbits. 370 was made easier by his “Every once in a while, mountain lions get a taste Educator thinks he’s unwavering curiosity. for goats,” Bengston said. “If you want to be stimulat- He said a mountain lion can take as many as three ed this is the job,” he said. goats in 10 days as happened a couple of years ago found a perfect niche “This is a really nice place to in the Deerwood area. By ROB BURGESS said he also tried his hand in be.” Reports of predators are handled by one of three The Daily Journal city government before set- McCann said being the trappers in Mendocino County, who are employed Call him the mayor. Call tling on education permanent- principal hasn’t stopped him by the Wildlife Services and funded by the United him the principal. Call him ly. from instructing students on States Department of Agriculture. Mr. McCann. “I was the mayor of an individual basis. Bengston said the process can be lengthy because What’s the difference? Susanville for two years from “I find myself teaching all trappers cannot come out to an area simply because First-year Nokomis 1990 to 1992,” he said. “I’ve the time, even though I’m the a predator has been seen on the property. Principal John McCann has also been a high school principal,” he said. “Just the fact that an animal is there is not a rea- worn many hats in his profes- teacher. I’m this addicted McCann said the draw of son to issue a permit to hunt the animal,” Bengston sional career, but now he learner and I decided if I being a part of every part of said. thinks he’s found the perfect called myself a teacher I could the learning process as Trappers need a permit to hunt bears and moun- fit. keep learning forever.” opposed to giving advice and tain lions, and they can only get one after they veri- “Before this I was a pro- The father of three and leaving was a main reason for fy that the predator has been killing animals or poses gram improvement supervi- grandfather of one said he The new elementary his interest in the position. a threat to people. sor,” he said. “I really wanted doesn’t have one particular school principal believes “Being this consultant that Bengston said trappers are very good at identify- a site of my own, where I teacher who inspired him, but education is a team effort. rides in and rides out you ing the type of predator, but that the process can be could be here longer than a a string of positive influences don’t get to see the end result,” complicated if the predator takes the animal out of year to see the whole thing throughout his life. working towards the same he said. “Now that I’m here the pasture or simply eats all of the evidence. through. You want to stop “There’s always landmark thing.” we’re working on a plan, and A mountain lion is capable of taking an animal up being this theorist. I really teachers in people’s lives, but McCann said making the I’ll be here next year and the to the size and weight of a full grown lamb and leap- needed to see the practical for me they kind of meld into transition from being the head year after that to see how it all ing over a seven-foot tall fence with it, Bengston application.” one face,” he said. “What I’ve of a city with a population of works out.” said. McCann, who replaces for- come to understand is that it over 13,000 at last count to Rob Burgess can be reached at Trappers do not have to get a permit to kill coy- mer Principal Rose Velasquez, takes everyone. We’re all being principal of a school [email protected]. otes, but in those cases it is necessary for the trapper to determine whether the predator to blame is a coy- ote or a pack of marauding dogs. Bengston said dogs, both those that have gone Two schools in ‘Year 5’ program improvement feral and those that have owners, can wander as Hopland, Nokomis elementary Hopland Elementary and Nokomis much as four miles from their homes and kill deer, FOLLOW-UP Elementary are currently in what is sheep, rabbits and even young cattle. schools could face possible In the last 15 years, those growing marijuana in Progress Report, which was released known as “Year 5” of program improve- restructuring by the state ment. illegal gardens have only added to the problem. Aug. 31 by State Superintendent of “In the fall when they harvest, they cut the dogs By ROB BURGESS Public Instruction Jack O’Connell, two “The 2007-08 PI Placement is place- ment under NCLB for a school (e.g., Year loose,” Bengston said. The Daily Journal Ukiah Unified School District schools Including production, livestock brought $14 mil- According to the California Depart- could face the possibility of extensive lion in revenue into the county last year, and cattle, ment of Education’s 2007 Accountability state restructuring. See ‘YEAR 5,’ Page A-10 calves and milk are all million-dollar commodities in the county. Ben Brown can be reached at [email protected]. College trustee ends his term prematurely due to clerical glitch By ZACK SAMPSEL “I’m now running for re-election a lot soon- The Daily Journal MacLeitch to run for Area 3 seat due to residency mixup by county er than I thought,” MacLeitch said Thursday. Following a clerical error at the Mendocino College board of trustees, chose to step down ly and will be running for the board of trustees MacLeitch, a former political science and County Elections Office, Larry MacLeitch, before his term was to end in 2009. But as the Area 3 representative in November’s former Area 2 trustee of the Mendocino MacLeitch is looking at the situation positive- election. See COLLEGE, Page A-10 A-2 – FRIDAY, SEPT. 14, 2007 DAILY DIGEST Editor: Jody Martinez, 468-3517 The Ukiah Daily Journal [email protected] Franklin said. Edward Petty, 50, was clearing debris in County in a black Pontiac, O’Brien said. The car was POLICE REPORTS front of his Beaumont home and said he was surprised later found at a shopping mall parking lot in neighbor- The world briefly by the quick turn. ing Broward County, but Labeet was not in it, she said. The following were A man, a woman and two children found in the car compiled from reports AP Interview: Petraeus says Iraqi were being questioned, she said. prepared by the Ukiah Police Department. To Bush rejects calls to end the war police have problems but not Salmon spawn baby trout, in anonymously report but says he wants gradual U.S. in need of total overhaul crime information, call experiment aimed at new way 463-6205. troop withdrawals from Iraq WASHINGTON (AP) — The top U.S. commander to preserve endangered fish WASHINGTON (AP) — Rejecting calls to leave in Iraq on Thursday rejected an independent commis- ARREST -- Casey Iraq, President Bush on Thursday approved gradual sion’s conclusion that Iraq’s national police are so cor- WASHINGTON (AP) — Papa salmon plus mama Nevill, 30, of Ukiah, was U.S.