Community REMINISCE sports digest SUNDAY This Was News ..........Page A-8 Dec. 28, 2008 ................................Page A-3 INSIDE Mendocino County’s Obituaries The Ukiah local newspaper .......Page A-2 Monday: Cloudy, rain H 57º L 37º Tuesday: Partly sunny; H 58º L 39º $1 tax included DAILY JOURNAL ukiahdailyjournal.com 36 pages, Volume 150 Number 263 email: [email protected] DEC. 31, 1858-DEC. 31, 2008 Candles blamed in Burke Rd. fire Family of seven escapes unharmed The Daily Journal Seven family members were displaced when fire ignited in their 2030 Burke Road home about 7:48 p.m. Friday. No one was injured in the The current Ukiah post office at 224 N. Oak St., was opened on Jan. 30, 1937, and is shown, above left, as it looked in 1937, short- fire that is believed to have ly after its completion, and, right, as it looks today. been started by candles, 1937 photo from the Robert J. Lee collection; today photo by Rob Burgess/The Daily Journal Ukiah Valley Fire District’s Jeff Adair reported. Throughout the home, there was damage from smoke and heat, a Ukiah Valley Fire District report stated. A bathroom, hallway and two bedroom ceilings sustained damage from 150 years for flames in the two-story home. Friday’s blaze began in the home’s bathroom and then Ukiah post office See FIRE, Page A-12 ‘Neither snow nor rain earlier.) And, on Dec. 31, the first U.S. nor heat nor gloom of night post office was opened in Ukiah. Weather stays these couriers from The federal government had the swift completion of been struggling to establish regular outlook their appointed rounds.’ and timely mail service to the West Coast for some time. With the –Inscription on New York City discovery of gold in 1848, the General Post Office population of California had calls for By DANIEL LAZARUS exploded and stood at around 380,000 in 1860. Of those, 624 for The Daily Journal more rain lived within the township of Ukiah. he year was 1858. The Nothing meant more to the early Snow advisory ends first transatlantic cable residents than receiving a letter was sent. The Lincoln- from home. There were two The Daily Journal Douglas debates were possible routes for a letter to travel, Following hazardous in full swing. neither completely reliable. Carried weather reports of snow and TMinnesota was admitted to the by boat from the East Coast, ridden cold issued before Christmas union as the 32nd state (California Day, the next few days are had become a state eight years anticipated to be relatively See POST OFFICE, Page A-3 uneventful as some much- needed rain falls in Mendocino County. Friday in the Russian River area, about one inch of rain fell and similar amounts are expected in some parts of the Daniel Lazarus/for The Daily Journal county, Carol Ciliberti of the Lead Window Associate Steven Schuler stands in front of National Weather Service said some of the original 1900 post office boxes in use at the post Saturday afternoon. office on Oak Street since its opening in 1937. Ciliberti said there will be no snow locally from the Courtesy of Ed Bold storm coming from the cen- The earliest known “cover” (envelope) from the Ukiah post tral Pacific. A weather report office is shown at left. It is dated Aug. 24, 1861, and was mailed issued at 4:47 a.m. Saturday to a Mr. Hiram Gray in Barnstable, Mass. at a cost of 10 cents, stated that rain may raise the which is noted in the upper left corner. Because of the hand- levels of creeks in the area. written postmark, it is known as a “manuscript cancel cover,” As recently as Wednesday, also a “stampless cover.” weather reports had called for snow levels at about 1,500 feet on Christmas Day. Graziano Family of Wines: a Mendocino legend TOP 5 ONLINE The dashboard thermome- the Caminos and Graziano what should have been a nor- then-owner Jim Milone in ter registers 28 degrees as I families handed down their mal day in the vineyards, 1976. He also was involved drive through frozen vine- heritage of wild mushrooms, Joseph Graziano was acciden- with other Mendocino winer- yards before pulling up in robust olive oil infused meals, tally and tragically electrocut- ies including Olson, front of the Graziano Family strong family ties, hard work ed at the age of 39, when Greg Tysseling, Baccala, Friday winery in Redwood Valley. and growing and making was only 16. Scharffenberger, La Crema, 1. 16-year-old killed in Greg Graziano, known wine. His mom raised him and and Hidden Cellars. Hwy. 101 crash throughout the wine industry Graziano’s grandfather his brother, leased out the In between making wine for his amazing array of wine Vincenzo and great-uncle vineyards and eventually built for others, Graziano found 2. 3-vehicle collision talents, his dogged work ethic Hugo Graziano started grow- the Italian style villa on the time to start his own brand, north of Willits and his strong opinions, ing grapes during Prohibition. east side of Ukiah Valley the first of which was 3. Wattenburger: ‘I was invites me into the winery They shipped the grape juice where Graziano, his wife, Domaine Saint Gregory in packing a gun’ at office. We settle into chairs to the East Coast for altar Trudi, and daughters 1988. “I had many things all where we’ll catch up before Wine notes wine. The family home is still Alexandra, 19, and Isabella, going at once,” he says. He board meetings he heads over to his Potter by Heidi Cusick right next to Highway 101 11, now live. Graziano went hasn’t lost that ability over the 4. Girl struck by car while Valley vineyard to prune Dickerson near Calpella. Graziano’s dad, off to college, first to Cabrillo years. trying to rescue cat vines. The conversation Joseph, grew up working in and later to the University of Graziano is known for mul- 5. 3 HPUD board wends from personal history tos of his grandparents, who grapes and met his mom, California at Davis. His main tiple wines he made for more to his wine brands to creative came to Mendocino County in Monti Lee, when he was in the education, however, comes than 20 brands, and a quote members may face ways to make it during the 1918. Originally from the military. They moved back to from the many wineries he has that he never met a grape he recall recession. Piedmont (“Piemonte” in raise their sons Greg and been associated with over the didn’t like. “I used to make a ukiahdailyjournal.com “I have a cool family tree,” Italian as Graziano always Mark on the ranch in last 30 years. The first winery he begins. We look at old pho- pronounces it) region of Italy, Redwood Valley. In 1970, on he started was Milano, with See WINE, Page A-11 A-2 – SUNDAY, DEC. 28, 2008 DAILY DIGEST Editor: Jody Martinez, 468-3517 The Ukiah Daily Journal [email protected] Lee Thomas Look inside today’s insert Fletcher for Holiday formerly of Redwood Valley, California died Thursday, December 4, 2008. A celebration savings! of his life was held in Grants Pass, Oregon. He was born May 5, 1943 to Larice and Mabel Fletcher in Philadelphia, PA. He spent his youth in Southern California. He relocated to Marin County where he married his first wife Eileen (deceased) and they started their family. In 1977 Lee relocated to Ukiah. He married Kathy Clark in April 1979 and they resided in Redwood Valley for 21 years. He retired in May of 1999 after 37 years with Safeway. In July 2001 he and Kathy retired to Grants Pass, Oregon. Lee volunteered his time at the local Food Share Warehouse for the last eight years. He was passionate about helping those less fortunate. Twice he was named NO Volunteer of the Year for his commitment to helping others. He was a member of the Grants Pass Lions Club since 2001. He held many offices and was voted Lion of the Year in 2006. New He enjoyed RVing, spending time with his family and he especially enjoyed Candles spoiling his grandchildren. He is survived by his wife Kathy, daughters Elizabeth White (Reno, NV), Laurel (Jerry) Snyder (Sterling Heights, MI), Gifts sons Tom Fletcher (Ukiah), David (Jennifer) Fletcher (Marysville, MI), step- Jewelry children Mike Clark (Danville, CA), Stacey (Ken) Caico (Ukiah), brother John (Irene) Fletcher (Cedar Ridge, CA), sister-in-law Sharon Hicks (Grants We Moved To: Pass, OR), 18 granchildren and one great-grandchild. He was preceded in Pear Tree Center death by his brother James Fletcher in 2001. Free Gift Wrapping See’s Candy Contributions may be made to the Fund Raiser Grants Pass Lions Foundation P.O. Box 6 • Grants Pass, Oregon 97528 462-2660 FUNERAL NOTICES wintry treks to school by lifelong friends with his fel- ling and spending [\ New York. Bonnie’s family foot and Skunk Train low drivers as well as his time with family and will remember her were often the subject of parcel route customers. friends. He adored and great sense of humor her humorous family He spent much of his loved her two children, fortitude and physi- gatherings. In Ukiah, he adult life vacationing Meghan and Craig Hil- cal strength and being an attended Ukiah High with family and friends. debrand. absolute master of School where he met life- He was very fond of He was preceded in Horoscope. Her favorite long friends as well the outdoors, as he loved to death by his mother and saying was “It’s a as his first wife and his fish, hunt and father, Max and Delores great life if you don’t weak- children’s mother, Pat- play golf.