FORUM Little League ● Can computers ●● field destroyed ●● make wine? Our readers write .............Page 6 ..............Page 3 ...................................Page 4 INSIDE Mendocino County’s World briefly The Ukiah local newspaper ..........Page 2 Tomorrow: Morning fog then sunny 7 58551 69301 0 WEDNESDAY Jan. 4, 2006 50 cents tax included DAILY JOURNAL ukiahdailyjournal.com 16 pages, Volume 147 Number 270 email: [email protected] Authorities estimate flood damages at $15 million By K.C. MEADOWS Both the city and the county are did not have a phone number picked that the Russian River jumped its as a team.” The Daily Journal asking local residents to tell them out Tuesday. banks entirely at about the Fetzer There was little Monday morning Emergency officials say the coun- what damages they suffered so as At the meeting Tuesday, county winery in Hopland and “made its quarterbacking at the meeting, ty will have at least $15 million in much information as possible can be department heads and emergency own river.” although it became clear that the damages from the weekend’s flood- included in the report to the state - workers took time to review all the Officials agreed that the county county had no emergency operations ing. About $5.7 million of it will be and eventually the federal govern- actions they had taken beginning and its cities worked well together center ready to go. The Mendocino in the city of Ukiah, said City ment if the county is included in a Monday, Dec. 26, in preparation for during the emergency and that the Emergency Services Agency has Manager Candace Horsley Tuesday. federal disaster declaration. the week’s storms, and during what “mutual aid” agreements in place up been described as largely defunct for Both are rough estimates. Residents outside the city of is now being termed a “flash flood” and down the Ukiah Valley between months and the operations center at Some 40 county and city officials Ukiah should call the county plan- the Sheriff’s department which was Friday night which inundated the fire, water and other departments last used in 1995 was woefully gathered in the Mendocino County ning department at 463-4281 or 1- east side of Ukiah and most of were critical and worked well. administration building Tuesday to under-equipped. Smith explained 800-992-5441 ext. 4281 to let them Hopland. “This is show time in public ser- that an industrious county systems begin assessing the damage in order know what damages they suffered. “Hopland really got the brunt of vice,” said county CEO John Ball. employee came through with brand to meet a Friday deadline by which The city of Ukiah plans to have a it,” said acting emergency services “(The citizens) don’t care who’s the state wants damage estimates. special damage hotline as well but coordinator Gregg Smith who noted responding, they expect us to work See MEETING, Page 16 Millview Damaged homes tagged sells The Keg and several water Hopland homes unsafe, says county to Ukiah By LAURA CLARK Water safe to The Daily Journal Members from the drink officials say Hopland Fire Department on By LAURA CLARK Monday combed their com- The Daily Journal munity to check on the condi- The water in the Millview tion of the homes and busi- County Water District is safe nesses in the area -- post to drink, as is that supplied flood. via the city of Ukiah, officials “We are looking at houses said again Tuesday. we are requesting be con- A concerned citizen had demned because of structural contacted Millview County integrity. We went to every Water District stating she single house in the (Hopland) heard the water was contami- community, to check on the nated, Operation Supervisor, amount of damage done, con- Michael Wieling said tents lost, structural integrity Tuesday. ... ” Assistant Hopland Fire But that’s not the case, nor Chief Dan Gourley said has it been, he said. Tuesday. “Millview County Water A commercial building -- District had no storm related The Keg -- seven apartments water quality problems or and two houses were deter- equipment failures. However, mined unsafe by the fire the District is currently sup- department, Gourley said, plying water to the City of noting the county building Ukiah and asks its customers, inspector would do an inspec- as well as City of Ukiah cus- tion and make the final deter- tomers to conserve water,” he mination on what to tag. said, noting at this time peo- Evidence on the front ple should avoid any unneces- doors of several apartments in sary water use like washing the 13000 block of south Amy Wellnitz/The Daily Journal cars, or hosing off sidewalks Highway 101 indicated Chris Hopland Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief Dan Gourley, who served as Southern Division Commander dur- or driveways. Warrick, the chief building ing the flood, holds his hand at the high water mark at The Keg, a local bar in Hopland. The Keg is one the Apparently the city’s stor- official, had been in Hopland buildings that Hopland Fire recommends be labeled uninhabitable by the county. age reservoirs were depleted Tuesday. after one of its wells, located “Warning: this structure on Perkins Street, just past has been damaged and its Oak Manor, was shut off late safety is questionable. Enter Saturday morning due to “tur- only at own risk. After shocks bidity” in the water as the or other events may result in result of the flood, said Alan death or injury ... ” stated the Jamison, water treatment yellow notices from the plant supervisor. County of Mendocino “That source had prob- Department of Planning and lems. Due to flooding, the Building Services. water became cloudy with “We could put up a green mud ... it’s what we call tur- bidity, or suspended particles See TAGGED, Page 16 in the water,” Jamison said. At right, this Hopland “We have a well house there, home can be seen lean- it was under water. We could- ing to the right after the n’t shut the well off on flood. Far right, the same Perkins until later (Saturday) home Saturday morning. See WATER, Page 16 Flooding not the fault of Hopland students head to Oak Manor, Nokomis By LAURA CLARK Coyote Dam, says county The Daily Journal Amy Wellnitz/The Daily Journal About 150 Hopland Volunteers work to clean By AMY WELLNITZ Elementary School students up Hopland School The Daily Journal and 11 staff will temporarily Tuesday. In addition to A man helping a neighbor in the Oak Manor area clean relocate to other campuses in the school’s teachers, up after Friday night’s flooding asked the question on many the district, as the result of administrators and lips this week. excessive flood damage to grounds crew, additional “Why did they dump Lake Mendocino water from the their own. resources from Ukiah reservoir at the height of the storm?” Five classrooms will go to Unified School District, But county officials say that’s not the case. In fact, Oak Manor and two class- Ukiah Teachers according to county acting emergency coordinator Gregg rooms will go to Nokomis Association, Hopland Smith, the Coyote Dam at Lake Mendocino actually did its School, Ukiah Unified School Fire Department, Fetzer job - it held back flood waters. District Superintendent Ray Vineyards and Brutocao At a meeting Tuesday among county and city officials Chadwick said Tuesday, not- assisted in the cleaning. aimed at planning for the recovery phase of the flood cri- ing he is confident the stu- Additionally, many par- sis, Dianne Chocholak of the county’s water agency dents will be placed by ents and students explained that the water which caused what county offi- Monday morning. pitched in. Grapes and Grounds in Cloverdale See DAM, Page 16 provided lunch. See SCHOOL, Page 16 2 – WEDNESDAY, JAN. 4, 2006 DAILY DIGEST Editor: K.C. Meadows, 468-3526 The Ukiah Daily Journal [email protected] FUNERAL NOTICES [\ County Special Olympics. of Willits, his sisters Luetta ters Ella Mae and Millie, as passed away December 30, ing, generous, kind attitude. Kiri and Donna Bowers, well as numerous nieces and 2005. Marley was a beauti- She was always “just a [\ both of Fernley, Nevada, his nephews. ful, happy baby who loved to phone call away.” ALOHA ESTHER PAGE grandchildren Jamie, Tess, She was preceded in laugh and giggle. He will be Ruth is survived by her Aloha Esther Page, born Jacob, Justin, and Caden death by eight brothers and missed dearly by his mother, daughters Beverly and her February 18, 1917, in Mullins of Willits, Erin sisters. Ashlee Lyons, his stepfather, husband Kent Pearson of Covelo, CA passed away Mullins of Lancaster, South At her request, no ser- Jeff Bautch, and his two big Santa Rosa and Nancy December 31, 2005 in Carolina and Shyann vices will be held. brothers, Imagination and Morrison and her compan- Willits, CA at the age of 88. Mullins of Pocatello, Idaho. The Eversole Mortuary Moon. ion Gary Rasche of Santa A homemaker most of her Funeral services were was in charge of arrange- Marley is survived by his Rosa, her grandchildren life, she was one of the orig- held Tuesday, January 3, ments. grandmother, Carolyn Stone John Morrison, Kathryn inal members of the Covelo 2006 at 11:00am at the her husband Randy Stone Peyton and Kent Pearson, Assembly of God Church, Anker-Lucier Mortuary [\ and great grandparents, Jr. and great grandson where she was a Charter & Chapel by Rev. Father Richard and Simone Croft, Connor Peyton. In lieu of Lifetime member of the Bruce Lamb, and interment all of West Palm Beach, flowers, donations to St.