Community Your health: LETTERS sports digest Ask Dr. Gott Marine worried about Ukiah .............Page 6 ..............Page 3 ...................................Page 4 INSIDE Mendocino County’s World briefly The Ukiah local newspaper ..........Page 2 Tomorrow: Sunny High 67; Low 31 7 58551 69301 0 TUESDAY Nov. 20, 2007 50 cents tax included DAILY JOURNAL ukiahdailyjournal.com 14 pages, Volume 149 Number 225 email: [email protected] Fatal accident on 20 shuts highway By BEN BROWN east. available at press time. The Daily Journal The driver of the hybrid was CHP, CALSTAR, the Ukiah One person was injured and one killed in the accident. Ambulance Service, the Potter killed in a head-on traffic collision The driver of the Chevy suf- Valley Fire Department, the of Highway 20, east of the Buffalo fered major injuries, including a Mendocino County Sheriff’s Ranch, that occurred around 3:30 compound fracture of the left leg Office, Animal Control and p.m. Monday. and was taken by air ambulance to CalTrans all responded to this call. According to the California a local hospital for treatment. Ben Brown can be reached at Highway Patrol, a Chevy pickup Traffic on Highway 20 was [email protected] truck was eastbound on Highway stopped for close to an hour 20 when the driver allowed the Monday while officers investigat- pickup to drift across the center- ed the accident and cleared a space Ben Brown/The Daily Journal line and into oncoming traffic. for the helicopter to land. By 4:30 Firefighters work to remove The driver of a grey Marina p.m., CalTrans had one-way traf- the driver of a Chevy pickup Hybrid was unable to avoid the fic control in effect and by 5:30 from his car. The driver was collision and slammed head-on p.m. traffic was flowing in both involved in a head-on colli- into the Chevy. Both vehicles spun directions. sion on Highway 20 Monday out of control and collided with The cause of this crash is not afternoon and suffered the guardrail before coming to rest known. The names of the people major injuries. The driver of in the eastbound lane pointing involved in the accident were not the other car was killed. NEWS UPDATES Beltrami still in ICU By BEN BROWN The Daily Journal Baskets of cheer Former County CEO Al Beltrami remained in intensive care Monday following a single vehicle car accident on Highway 101 near Cloverdale Baskets by Friday afternoon. According to reports from the California the numbers: Highway Patrol, Beltrami was northbound on Highway 101 at around 11:51 a.m. Friday when he failed to negotiate a turn in his 2006 Lincoln Zephyr south of Cloverdale. 373 The car drove off the roadway and into some total number of bushes, colliding with several before coming to a baskets served to stop after hitting a tree. community residents Beltrami suffered major injuries in the form of lacerations to his head and face and cracked ribs, according to CHP reports. He was transported to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for treatment. 102 Beltrami was returning home from an annual number of senior meeting of the California State Association of citizens getting Counties at the time of the accident. baskets this Ben Brown can be reached at [email protected] Thanksgiving Shooter 32 killed himself the number of cases of By BEN BROWN dressing mix the The Daily Journal Food Bank purchased The Willits man who was involved in a stand- for the baskets off with police after allegedly shooting his long- time girlfriend, died of an apparent self inflicted Alen Dixon and Harley Hegeler load turkeys into bags Monday. Turkeys were given to gunshot wound Sunday. families of three or more people, and families with less than three people received According to reports from the Mendocino chickens. County Sheriff’s Office, sheriff’s deputies called 20 for the assistance of the Special Weapons and the number of cases of canned Food Bank puts meals on Thanksgiving tables Tactics unit Sunday afternoon after the suspect, vegetables the Food Michael Huerto, 46, of Willits, took refuge in his Bank purchased for By ZACK SAMPSEL been incredible,” said David en, whereas families with more house after allegedly shooting the victim Michele the baskets The Daily Journal Youssoupoff, UCC executive than three people were present- Patereau, 44, of Willits. Volunteers and families filled director, in response to the ed with a whole turkey -- some- When the SWAT team made their entrance the warehouse at the Ukiah increased need for the baskets thing Youssoupoff said the Sunday they found Huerto dead of an apparent Community Center Food Bank this year. “I’m just glad we can Food Bank was very lucky to self-inflicted gunshot-wound. Monday with holiday cheer as contribute to the people in have this year. Sheriff’s deputies, along with officers from the 5 more than 370 food baskets need. Holidays are really “Because donations were the age of the Willits Police Department responded to Huerto’s youngest volunteer, were given out during the holi- important. When you have to down this year things looked home at 2101 Valley Road at around 3 p.m. Destinee Castorena, day food basket program, mak- choose whether to pay your rough at first,” Youssoupoff Sunday after an anonymous caller reported a at the Food Bank ing it the Food Bank’s most utilities or feed your family; explained. “But we were able to shooting. When they arrived, officers found Monday popular charity bash to date. that’s where we come in.” keep things going with a gener- Patereau, laying on the ground in front of Space “The demand this year has For the people receiving bas- ous donation from our local 42, she had suffered multiple gunshot wounds to kets, this year’s fare was yet guardian angels, Liz and the head and chest. another well-rounded meal. Chuck, who chose to make Patereau was transported by air ambulance to Each basket came with rolls, their gift anonymous.” UC Davis Medical Center for treatment. stuffing, mashed potato mix, a Youssoupoff’s selfless atti- Sheriff’s Capt. Kurt Smallcomb said the shoot- can of fruit, pumpkin pie mix, tude was contagious at the ing appears to have arisen from a domestic dis- cranberry sauce, cans of vegeta- Food Bank as the volunteers pute. Huerto and Patereau had been in a common- bles, cappuccino mix, yams and laughed and smiled throughout law relationship for 20 years, Smallcomb said. either a chicken or a turkey. For the day. The smiles may have This is the second shooting of this type to occur families of less than three each partly been caused by the fact in the Willits area in the last week. basket contained a whole chick- that this year’s event was a On Nov. 13, Brian Lofling shot and killed his family affair as Henry ex-girlfriend Jeanette Pinon in a parking lot in First-time volunteer Greta Castorena and his daughters, Middleton loads canned Willits. Lofling then turned the gun on himself. Destinee, 5, Kristin, 16 and Also injured in the shooting was Redwood Valley vegetables and fruit into Danisha, 18 were all at the the Thanksgiving food bas- resident Catherine Sanders. Sanders sustained Food Bank early Monday gunshot wounds to the elbow and leg and was kets at the Ukiah morning with huge smiles on Community Center Food transported to Howard Memorial Hospital for Bank Monday. treatment. Pinon and Lofling had not been a cou- See FOOD, Page 14 ple for the several years preceding the shooting. She had a restraining order issued against him in April of 2005. “Great Entertainment is Easier than Ever!” Call 1-800-Comcast 2 – TUESDAY, NOV. 20, 2007 DAILY DIGEST Editor: K.C. Meadows, 468-3526 The Ukiah Daily Journal [email protected] FUNERAL NOTICES [\ mother Nella McNamara, from Kathy to those tal Manager. He initialed with amazing courage. 2007. He was the brother & sister in she touched. “Your color most of the innovat- He was a modest, kind youngest son born to law Dave and Pam Berry. will always shine the ed environmental programs and gentle spirit and Jeanne McLean John- Also survived by brightest in the Rainbow that makes Fetz- will be missed deeply by his son and Carl Alfons numerous aunts, uncles, for you are stronger er's a leader in sustainable wife; Charlotte Johnson Sr. cousins, nieces and and more beautiful than business practices Healy of Redwood Valley, Wally graduated from nephews. the pot of gold, you today. He implemented and Ca. son; Aran Hea- Eureka High School Mike & Kathy were mar- are the gold inside and out, over saw a pro- ly of Santa Cruz, Ca. sis- and from Humboldt State ried on June 8, 1974; you will always be gressive recycling program ters Peggy Sander- University with a they had an untouchable unique in life, don’t ever that reduced son of Shelton, Wa. Pam Bachelor of Arts Degree in love starting from stop shining”. waste to landfill by over Kauffman of Wind- French and a mi- the 8th grade and carried Family and friends are 95% while production sor, Colo. and Kay Fagg of nor in Greek and Latin. on in love for 33 invited to attend a Me- levels more than doubled. Wenatchee, Wa., He was a Real Estate years of marriage. morial Mass in celebration He pushed for brother Tim Healy of Broker in Ukiah. Wally Kathy was a resident of of her life at 12 clean power purchases Olympia, Wa. and close liked the Ukiah area Redwood Valley for noon on Saturday, making Fetzer one of family member Elijah and built a home on his KATHLEEN JOAN BERRY 28 years.