Ukiah Iten RELIGION Tournament Saturday Faith community news ...................................Page 3 ...........Page 6 Dec. 2, 2006 INSIDE Mendocino County’s World briefly The Ukiah local newspaper ..........Page 2 Sunday: Partly sunny; high of 63 7 58551 69301 0 Monday: Partly sunny 50 cents tax included DAILY JOURNAL ukiahdailyjournal.com 16 pages, Volume 148 Number 237 email: [email protected] No Truckers Light Parade this year Cost of liability big rigs, usually decked with lights, ry reason for its absence. Join the Greater Ukiah will be parked. Last year, the truckers’ $35 reg- Chamber of Commerce in insurance a factor New Chamber Chief Executive istration fee was expected to cover Officer Bert Mosier, who just com- insurance for the event, however celebrating a Small Town By KATIE MINTZ Christmas today: pleted his first week on the job, then-CEO Cherie Blower warned The Daily Journal said the high cost of liability insur- 10 a.m.: Santa arrives at The Truckers Light Parade, a ance for the parade was the prima- See PARADE, Page 10 the Ukiah Municipal Airport Ukiah holiday staple since 1990, is with the help of CALSTAR. taking its second hiatus in four Accompanied by one of his years. Isaac Eckel/The Daily Journal Today, the Greater Ukiah Santa volunteers his down time on Thursday to help the Ukiah favorite reindeer, he will Main Street Program decorate parking signs through the share cookies and punch with Chamber of Commerce’s Small Town Christmas celebration will downtown area. More than 60 poles on School, Perkins, See SMALL TOWN, Page 10 kick-off as usual with Santa Claus’ Standley and State streets were wrapped as candy canes and grand arrival and the tree lighting topped with bows made by Petal for Your Thoughts for the hol- ceremony, but the crowd-favorite iday season. County The gift of warmth appeals DA ruling Asks state Supreme Court to intervene in election case By BEN BROWN The Daily Journal The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors filed an appeal with the California Supreme Court Friday, of the Nov. 21 decision by the First District Appellate Court that annulled the Nov. 7 Mendocino County district attorney’s election and ordered a special election. Fort Bragg attorney and district attor- ney candidate Meredith Lintott also filed an appeal of the Appellate Court decision Friday. The board met in a special session Nov. 24 and decided in a 3-0 vote to appeal the Appellate Court’s decision. According to the court, no briefs have been filed in the case, but County Counsel Jeanine Nadel has asked the state Supreme Court to stay the Appellate Court’s decision until the Supreme Court has the opportunity to rule. At press time, a stay had not been granted, according to the court. The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to have further discussion about the appeal in a closed session during its Tuesday meeting. Ben Brown can be reached at [email protected]. Isaac Eckel/The Daily Journal Raff pleads A thankful recipient of a sleeping bag and backpack gives a hug to Josey Shun of the Tzu Chi Foundation as Sofi Koo, right, hands out sleeping bags at Plowshares on Friday morning.The Tzu Chi Foundation handed out 48 sleeping bags and backpacks to help the homeless cope with the cold in the coming months. not guilty Tzu Chi Foundation distributes sleeping bags of murder By LAURA MCCUTCHEON distribute 84 sleeping bags and 84 back- ing with two blankets, so these are great,” By BEN BROWN The Daily Journal packs to the homeless in Fort Bragg. Lastly, she said. The Daily Journal Warmth from the Tzu Chi Foundation will on Christmas Day 60 backpacks will be Jennifer Burnett, sitting nearby, agreed. Howard Raff pleaded not guilty to be felt by dozens of homeless people this donated to the Buddy Eller Center. “I think it’s generous, and I feel apprecia- charges of first-degree murder Friday, winter as they snuggle into sleeping bags Ukiah transient Lisa Pacheco, sitting on tive,” she said of her new sleeping bag. “The almost a month after being arrested on given to them by the nonprofit, charitable the lawn outside Plowshares on a chilly backpack helps too, ’cause I can put my those charges. organization. Friday morning, new sleeping bag and back- clothes, toiletries and snacks in it,” she said. “I’m still not guilty,” Raff said in Friday at Plowshares, Tzu Chi distributed pack beside her, seemed thrilled with her “I think I’d be cold if I didn’t have a response to questions from Mendocino 48 sleeping bags and 48 backpacks to those gifts. sleeping bag,” said Michael Furstenberg, Superior Court Judge in need. The foundation did the same on “I think it’s awesome. Me and my old Cindee Mayfield. Thursday in Willits, and on Monday it will man are camping, and we’ve just been sleep- See TZU CHI, Page 16 Raff also stated his innocence in court dur- ing his first arraign- ment Nov. 8. He did not enter a plea at that arraignment. Raff is charged with Plea in attempted-murder court case delayed first-degree murder in By BEN BROWN Lopez in this case. Both the Public and McCutcheon said the victims were the shooting death of The Daily Journal Alternate Defenders are also unable to attacked by eight rival gang members and Virginia Larkin, 60, of Juan Lopez appeared in court for represent Lopez because they are repre- one of them was stabbed three times and Ukiah. Larkin was shot Raff arraignment Friday, but did not enter a senting one of the other seven suspects in suffered serious injuries, including a col- one time in the head at plea to charges of attempted murder the case. lapsed lung. the Law Offices of Hugh L. Preston on because his lawyer could not attend the Lopez has been charged with attempted McCutcheon said Lopez is believed to the morning of Nov. 6 and died a week hearing. first-degree murder, participation in a be the one who stabbed the victim. later at UC Davis Medical Center. Patricia Littlefield will be representing criminal street gang and assault with a McCutcheon said the victims and sus- According to reports from the Ukiah Lopez, but was unable to be in court deadly weapon, with the special allega- pects belonged to rival gangs, and the Police Department, Raff walked from the Friday. tions that he was associated with a crimi- attack was a result of ongoing hostilities law offices to the Mendocino County Lopez turned himself in to authorities at nal street gang at the time of the incident between the two groups. Superior Courthouse, where he turned Juvenile Hall Wednesday evening, accom- and that he caused great bodily injury. Lopez is scheduled to enter a plea to the himself in to courthouse security. panied by attorney Richard Petersen. The charges stem from a Halloween above listed charges on Monday. Ukiah Police Detective Sgt. John Petersen appeared in court Friday but night gang assault on two 15-year-old Ben Brown can be reached at udjbb@pacif- Lopez said he would be unable to represent Ukiah residents. Ukiah Police Sgt. John ic.net. See RAFF, Page 10 2 – SATURDAY, DEC. 2, 2006 DAILY DIGEST Editor: Jody Martinez, 468-3517 The Ukiah Daily Journal [email protected] the information is in error should con- Beirut to pressure the U.S.-supported government to resign. POLICE REPORTS tact the appropriate agency. In the case of those arrested on suspicion of dri- But Prime Minister Fuad Saniora showed no signs of backing The following were ving under the influence of an intoxi- The world briefly down in a confrontation that could tear apart the country. compiled from reports cant: all DUI cases reported by law The protesters raised a deafening noise of chants and revo- enforcement agencies are reported by lutionary and nationalist songs just outside the main govern- prepared by the Ukiah the newspaper.The Daily Journal makes Police Department. To no exceptions. ment offices. Barbed wire and armored vehicles separated the anonymously report Bipartisan group pictured Friday as demonstrators from the buildings where Saniora and some of crime information, call ready to urge pullback of U.S. troops his ministers were holed up. “Pack your bags Fuad, and leave 463-6205. CORRECTIONS us and the country in peace,” many shouted. WASHINGTON (AP) — The commander of coalition The loud but peaceful rally, which took on a carnival-like ARREST -- Bobby The Ukiah Daily Journal reserves Redfearn, 59, of Potter Valley, forces in northern Iraq said Friday that four Iraqi army divi- atmosphere in bright autumn sunshine, was far larger than last this space to correct errors or make sions in his area will be put under Baghdad’s control by next was arrested on suspicion of clarifications to news articles. week’s pro-government demonstration that followed the driving under the influence in March. It’s just the kind of transfer that a U.S. study commis- assassination of Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel. Friday’s Significant errors in obituary notices sion reportedly is ready to embrace. “I can certainly see great the 200 block of Cooper Lane or birth announcements will result in crowd was estimated at between 800,000 and a million peo- opportunity to reduce the amount of combat forces on the at 2:18 a.m. Thursday. reprinting the entire article. Errors ple, who formed a sea of red-and-white Lebanese flags with ARREST -- Kenneth may be reported to the editor, 468- ground” in the north “and turn more responsibility over to the green cedar emblem.