Twin Eagles ‘A Woman ON THE MARKET carry a Coming from Guide to local real estate special bond England’ event ..........Page A-8 ...........Page A-3 .....................................Inside INSIDE Mendocino County’s Obituaries The Ukiah local newspaper .......Page A-2 Tomorrow: Partly sunny; H 65º L 39º 7 58551 69301 0 FRIDAY Feb. 8, 2008 50 cents tax included DAILY JOURNAL ukiahdailyjournal.com 38 pages, Volume 149 Number 305 email: [email protected] ILLEGAL MARIJUANA OPERATIONS TRASHING LOCAL ENVIRONMENT County blasts new law on water Public comment period extended; supervisors trying to formulate strategy to challenge policy By ROB BURGESS The Daily Journal Tuesday’s Mendocino County Board of Supervisors meeting saw several board- members, sitting as the Mendocino County Water Agency, release their collective venom regarding the water rights as out- lined in AB 2121. The bill was signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in September 2004 and seeks to regulate stream flows ostensibly to protect various species of wildlife. The item was placed on the board’s agenda to address the deadline for public comment on the policy. Roland Sanford, county water agency Little Lake firefighters mop up a house fire south of Willits last year that was started by an improperly installed gen- general manager, said that since the item erator. Three-hundred marijuana plants and a room full of processed bud were found during the firefighting efforts. had first been placed on the board’s plate, the comment period had been extended to May 1. “Since this agenda item was prepared, Diesel fuel, oil from there are some late-breaking events,” he said. “Last week they granted an extension. We’re grateful to have that extension of generators primary time. There are a number of existing reser- voirs that will be affected by this policy. ” Sanford said the item originally was sources of pollution intended to ask the board to write a letter to the State Water Resources Control Board, By BEN BROWN Harrison said. asking it to delay the deadline for this com- The Daily Journal These generators require ment period. Every year, law enforcement large amounts of fuel and fre- “We do have additional time now to look officers in Mendocino County quent oil changes. at this policy more carefully,” he said. “It is raid hundreds of illegal marijua- At an indoor grow on Hunt a very lengthy policy. There are 600 to 700 na gardens and seize thousands Ranch in Laytonville, 33,000 pages of supporting documents.” of marijuana plants, but in a pre- gallons of diesel fuel were sentation to the Ukiah City stored in several large plastic See WATER, Page A-12 Council Wednesday night, bins that were connected to gen- Hazardous Materials Specialist erators by plastic tubing. MacLeod Pappidas/The Daily Journal Jim Harrison showed the lesser “Just about every connection Jim Harrison, Mendocino County hazardous materials known environmental impacts had a leak,” Harrison said. specialist, delivers a presentation on the environmental Inmate with of illegal marijuana cultivation. At another indoor grow on impacts of large marijuana grows Wednesday night at the The primary sources of pollu- Foster Mountain, near Salmon Ukiah City Council meeting. tion in illegal indoor marijuana Creek, a chronic fuel leak conta- no vital signs grows are diesel fuel and waste minated the soil. Foster Mountain cleanup cost Highway 162 led to an illegal oil, Harrison said. Illegal mari- “We had to take 200 truck- $650,000. He said cleanups on indoor marijuana grow near juana growers often use genera- loads of contaminated dirt out of that scale are not uncommon. Longvale, where the two men tors to power grow lamps. there,” Harrison said. “We run into it periodically,” had allegedly dumped 750 gal- revived by “The generators run seven Cleanup at these sites can be he said. days a week, 24 hours a day,” expensive. Harrison said the Last month, a traffic stop on See MARIJUANA, Page A-2 jail deputies The Daily Journal Mendocino County corrections Council delays decision on Measure B support deputies were able to revive a 23-year-old Plans to help organize forum to support Measure B, which would repeal Supervisors encouraging it to put a measure inmate Wednesday night when he stopped Measure G which passed in 2000 and sets repealing Measure G on the ballot. breathing after being placed in a sobering By BEN BROWN the number of legally permissible marijuana McCowen’s position found little support cell. The Daily Journal plants in Mendocino County at 25, was an among council members. Vice Mayor Phil According to reports from the After two hours of discussion and public obvious course of action. Baldwin said he would vote for Measure B, Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, the comment Wednesday night on whether to “Supporting Measure B is a logical exten- but did not think it was the council’s place to 23-year-old man was booked into jail support the repeal of Measure G, the Ukiah sion of asking that it be put on the ballot in take a stand on a county ballot measure. Wednesday evening and was put in a City Council opted to put off a decision the first place,” McCowen said. Baldwin said voting to support a ballot sobering cell for observation because he while it helps organize a forum on the issue. During its Jan. 2 special meeting, the measure could lead down a slippery slope to was highly intoxicated. At the beginning of the meeting, council voted unanimously to send a letter to Corrections deputies were checking on Councilmember John McCowen said a vote the Mendocino County Board of See MEASURE B, Page A-2 the man periodically when Deputy Roland Moncivais noticed the man lying on his back with his eyes partially open. He did not appear to be breathing, accord- ing to sheriff’s reports. Moncivais and Corrections Deputy State budget blamed for Prop. 92’s failure Miguel Vazquez opened the door and found that the man was unresponsive and College president says voters didn’t night, and according to Mendocino College want to vote for that because the state budget is had no vital signs. Vazquez began CPR fully understand the measure President Kathy Lehner the state’s budget a mess.” while Moncivais called the jail’s medical deficit didn’t help. Proposition 92 would have separated com- staff. By ZACK SAMPSEL “My initial reaction is disappointment,” munity college funding from K-12, thus setting Vazquez managed to revive the man, The Daily Journal Lehner said. ‘I think it’s unfortunate because I it as its own category, while also decreasing stu- who was taken by ambulance to Ukiah Proposition 92, also known as the don’t think people understood what the measure Valley Medical Center, where he was Community College Initiative, failed Tuesday was about. I can understand why folks don’t See PROP. 92, Page A-2 treated before being returned to the jail. A-2 – FRIDAY, FEB. 8, 2008 DAILY DIGEST Editor: Jody Martinez, 468-3517 The Ukiah Daily Journal [email protected] FUNERAL NOTICES DEATH NOTICES Death notices are free for Mendocino County residents. [\ tive in local events and and John C. Pringle A.M. on Wednesday, Death notices are limited to JOHN NELSON PRINGLE activities. John and of Kennewick, WA and February 13th. • David Lee “Dangerous name of deceased, home- Doris were charter mem- grandchildren: Jac- Remembrances may be Dave” Byers, 72, died in town, age, date of death, July 22, 1914 - date, time, and place of ser- February 1, 2008 bers of Redwood Val- queline Anderson, Sumner, made to the Redwood Ukiah Tuesday Jan. 29, 2008. A memorial service and vices and the funeral home John Nelson Pringle, ley Community Church; he WA; Jeanette All- Valley Community Church. handling the arrangements. most recently of Kenne- was a member of wardt, Kennewick WA; Arrangements are under potluck will be at the Ukiah Gun Club 2 p.m. Sunday, For information on how to wick, WA, went to be with the Redwood Valley - Judith Hayauchi, To- the direction of the place a free death notice the Lord on Friday, Calpella Fire Depart- kushima, Japan; Michael Eversole Mortuary. March 9. Arrangements are please call our editorial February 1, 2008. Born in ment and the Redwood Peterson, Beau- [\ under the care of the Eversole department at 468-3500. Honolulu, Hawaii Valley school board. mont, TX; Jeffrey DONALD GENE PATEREAU Mortuary. on July 22, 1914 to John John enjoyed working Peterson, Malibu, CA; Donald Gene Patereau, and Jean Cullen with people and tend- Nancy Hengst, Richland, born April 7, 1982 Pringle, John was preceded ing to his grape growing WA; Brian Peterson, St. passed away January 28, in death by his while maintaining Petersburg, FL and four- 2008 in Covelo. Coast men critically wife of 70 years, Doris managerial positions in the teen great-grandchil- Donald was a young man Ford Pringle, and his lumber industry dren. with tremendous love for sister, Dorothy Pringle including time working for Rev. Kevin McDougall everyone around him. hurt in vehicle rollover Bass of Banning, Cali- Al Thrasher and fi- will officiate at the He is survived by his fornia who passed away in nally for Max Schlienger at graveside service in Ukiah father and mother, Mi- Driver facing charges of DUI December of 2007. RETECH where Cemetery 9:00 chael and Margaret The Daily Journal A resident of the Ukiah, he retired at age 82. A.M., followed by a memo- Patereau and eight sib- Two Manchester residents suffered major injuries in a single Redwood Valley and John is survived by his rial service at Red- lings: Cindy, Carrie, vehicle rollover accident near Fort Bragg early Thursday morn- Potter Valley area since children, Marjory Jean wood Valley Community Timothy, Paula, Michael, ing.