Eagles The LETTERS baseball action Commerce File On pot, research not rhetoric .............Page 6 ..............Page 3 ...................................Page 4 INSIDE Mendocino County’s World briefly The Ukiah local newspaper ..........Page 2 Tomorrow: Mostly sunny 7 58551 69301 0 WEDNESDAY May 3, 2006 50 cents tax included DAILY JOURNAL ukiahdailyjournal.com 16 pages, Volume 148 Number 24 email: [email protected] Denoyer case delayed over attorney PV school honored by state By DON CLAYBROOK Declared a Fort Bragg Advocate-News FORT BRAGG - In a surprise Distinguished move at Ten Mile Court on Tuesday, alleged horse abuser James L. School Denoyer showed up for court with a By LAURA CLARK new attorney, namely Nathan Raff The Daily Journal from the law firm of L. Stephen Turer Potter Valley Elementary School might be in Santa Rosa. a small, rural school, but it’s big in its abili- Don Lipmanson, Denoyer’s attor- ties.In fact, the little country school serving ney of record until the bail increase 129 kindergarten through sixth-grade students hearing on Tuesday, was candidly -- as well as some 25 or so preschoolers -- asked if Denoyer had fired him. The has been recognized as a California Ukiah attorney said, “It wouldn’t be Distinguished School. It’s the only school in ethical for me to comment on that.” Mendocino County this year to receive the Denoyer’s bail increase hearing also honor. was to include a hearing as to the A total of 377 California public elementary source of his bail. schools -- chosen from 190 school districts in Deputy District Attorney Emily 40 counties -- were selected as 2006 Brinkman had asked for the bail hear- California Distinguished Schools, according ing on Wednesday, April 26 but that to State Superintendent of Public Instruction, hearing was continued until Tuesday Jack O’Connell. when it was learned that Lipmanson Of the more than 5,000 elementary schools was out of the country. Judge in the state, 2,043 were eligible to apply for Jonathan Lehan ordered an eviden- the Distinguished School honor based upon tiary hearing for Tuesday saying that their Academic Performance Index (API) and it would be an abuse of his discretion Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) results. The if he failed to order such a hearing. 997 schools that filed applications this year Isaac Eckel/The Daily Journal District attorney investigators had underwent a selection process conducted by Cherie Alton reads to her third grade class Tuesday afternoon at Potter Valley connected the sale of eight of the the California Department of Education in Elementary School which was chosen as a 2006 California Distinguished School by the Department of Education. horses at the Animal Control auction partnership with the California County to Denoyer’s brother-in-law Mark Superintendents Educational Services the central theme of their instruction,” Paulin award, describes PVES as a “small rural Scripter in Ventura. On April 26, Association, and with the help of many local said. school in a beautiful valley, that respects and Deputy District Attorney Tim Stoen, educators from across the state. “We’ve worked so hard to do this,” fourth- honors each child and provides the best possi- filling in for Brinkman who was out “These schools are the best of the best,” grader, Richard Williams said Tuesday ble education to all.” of town, argued that bail should be O’Connell said. “They share a vision of adding, “It’s awesome.” On the application, which addresses nine raised to $540,000 rather than remain excellence and they have brought that vision Other students agreed. different themes of a school -- for example, at $50,000. He said that apparently to life. ... These deserving school leaders and “It feels really cool,” Jamaliese Blundell standards and assessment, curriculum, student Denoyer had violated the terms of his their teachers, staffs, and students have said. “You wanna go to school ’cause you’re support services, and school culture -- bail by having access to the horses via worked extremely hard to achieve academic proud of going to (this) school,” she said, not- Distefano talks about the benefits of a low Scripter. He also argued that the court success and this recognition,” he said. ing she really likes her teacher (Cheryl student to teacher ratio at PVES. could raise bail following a prelimi- Interim Potter Valley Elementary School Brooks). “(This ratio) helps staff recognize the indi- nary hearing because a holding order principal Ralph Paulin -- and his students -- Kylie Johnson said she’s happy going to vidual academic and personal development of agreed. Potter Valley Elementary School. each student. Knowledge of family back- represented a very high likelihood of “We have a dedicated staff -- both profes- guilt. The new bail, if granted, would “I like my teacher, having friends here and grounds and roots in a strong community are sional teachers and paraprofessionals and we everything.” used to enhance the curriculum. Many family represent $15,000 per count in the 36- have a supportive community ... this school count animal abuse holding order. Paulin, too, said it “feels great” to be rec- and friends are constantly called upon to becomes a focal point for community activi- ognized. speak about their careers and life in Potter Lipmanson said that he was con- ties. ... The staff has really dedicated them- cerned that the case had become the “It’s to the credit of the teachers and the Valley. Each teacher believes in the magic of selves to making the No Child Left Behind rest of the staff who have worked really hard discovery as a learning tool. ... ” focus of the district attorney’s race. guidelines and our California State Standards He said he was also troubled by how to put together a quality education program The California School Recognition much the DA’s office purported to that meets not only the Program was created in 1985 to publicize and academic needs of the reinforce the priorities of the State Board of know about horse care. Lipmanson students, but builds their Education and the State Superintendent of continued, saying he felt the DA’s self esteem and feelings Public Instruction. The program identifies and office was pre-trying the case in the of self worth and com- honors some of the state’s most exemplary press and that he was still very much munity belonging.” and inspiring public schools with the perplexed at what he viewed as over- A school profile, California Distinguished School Award. charging by the district attorney’s complied by staff and Although participation is voluntary, the award office. previous principal, is highly sought after by schools in all areas “Overcharging is not desirable for Michael Distefano, of the state, according to O’Connell. plea-bargaining purposes,” lamented when applying for the Approximately 5 percent of California’s Lipmanson. He maintained all along public schools are selected each year and no that many of the counts of animal fewer than 40 counties are typically repre- abuse should have been charged as Kindergarten stu- sented. misdemeanors. dents at Potter For more information about the California The hearing on Tuesday lasted Valley Elementary School Recognition Program, go to long enough for Denoyer’s new attor- prepare to board a www.cde.ca.gov/56012. ney Nathan Raff to introduce himself bus to go home on Laura Clark can be reached at and ask for a continuance to May 16 Tuesday afternoon. [email protected]. at Ten Mile Court in Fort Bragg. Hopland school gets book bonanza EDUCATION ISSUES The Daily Journal flood. Most of the school’s On Monday, Tzu Chi Ukiah library books were destroyed Service Center donated 823 and desperately in need of Exit exam creates brand new books to Hopland replacements. School. Tzu Chi Foundation, an They include 170 books for international charity organiza- English-only diploma seven classes, 20 children’s tion, focuses on disaster relief By JILL TUCKER There is no law stating stu- dictionaries and 633 1-6 grade and responds to urgent needs The Oakland Tribune dents must be fluent in library books. in the community. MediaNews Group English to graduate from high This marks the third year in Principle Jeanne Yttreness, Diplomas passed out at school. Instead, legislators which Tzu Chi Ukiah office teachers and children were California high school com- took a back-door approach in made book donations to vari- happy to find out in the last mencements in June will look 1999, requiring students to ous local facilities; including few minutes of the program just like they did last year. pass the California High Ukiah Valley Pediatric Clinic With invisible words, they School Exit Exam - in English in 2004, Grace Hudson and that, other than the books for each class, 28 extra cases of will in fact be dramatically - to get a diploma. Calpella elementary schools in altered, reflecting a sea In short, the law essentially 2005. Scholastic brand new books says students not only need to magically popped out from change in California public This year Hopland School policy and in the expectations know algebra and geometry, was recommended by the under the table as a surprise of its immigrants. they must know them in Ukiah Unified School District gift for their new library in the The pieces of paper won’t English. Same goes with find- because it suffered devastating school scheduled to reopen say it - and it’s not always a ing the main point of a pas- damage from the January this fall. popular way to put it - but sage or writing a logical essay. photo by Tzu Chi foundation these will be English-only The state’s position is this: Members of the Tzu Chi Ukiah center on hand to donate diplomas.