Community Weekend HYDROELECTRIC PLANT sports digest entertainment City back in electricity business .............Page 6 ..............Page 3 .....................................Page 1 INSIDE Mendocino County’s World briefly The Ukiah local newspaper ........Page 16 Tomorrow: Cool and cloudy, with shower 7 58551 69301 0 THURSDAY April 19, 2007 50 cents tax included DAILY JOURNAL ukiahdailyjournal.com 16 pages, Volume 149 Number 10 email: [email protected] County Maximum CRACKDOWN enforcement rattled by CHP : effort in area 4.8 quake By BEN BROWN The Daily Journal A 4.8 magnitude earthquake shook the Lake Pillsbury area of Mendocino County Wednesday morning, but no damage was reported. According to the United States Geological Survey, the earthquake occurred at 1:42 a.m. about nine miles northwest of Lake Pillsbury. “It was a slip-strike earthquake,” said Susan Garcia of the USGS. The epicenter was 14 miles northeast of Willits and 22 miles northeast of Ukiah. The quake was originally reported as being a 5.0 magnitude, but was later down- graded to a 4.8 magnitude. It was followed by a series of 26 after- shocks, starting at 1:51 a.m. and continuing until 8:23 a.m. Wednesday. The strongest was 2.6 magnitude at 1:56 a.m. and the weakest a 1.6 magnitude at 6:39 a.m. Two-hundred and ninety-five people reported having felt the earthquake to the USGS Web site. Respondents lived as far north as Covelo and as far south as Guerneville and from Clearlake Oaks in the east all the way to the coast. Nick Uram, a Lake Pillsbury resident and owner of the Soda Creek Store, said nothing fell off the shelves at his store but the earth- Ben Brown/The Daily Journal quake did shake his house. California Highway Patrol Officer Scott Donham tickets the driver of a gray Toyota Prius Wednesday for allegedly driving 75 mph in a 55 mph zone. Donham was participating in a day of enhanced enforcement of traffic laws on See QUAKE, Page 15 Highway 101 between the Golden Gate Bridge and Willits. ‘Fishing’ for speeders on Hwy. 101 More budget By BEN BROWN done, sign the ticket and drive off, slower cuts for local The Daily Journal The fine for driving between 1 mph and safer than before. Others are not calm. On Wednesday, California Highway One man, pulled over at the crest of a school district Patrol officers from the Golden Gate and 15 mph over the speed limit in a hill north of Hopland for driving 73 mph Bridge to the redwood forests north of in a 55 mph zone, gets out of the car and Progress reported in talks Willits were working a massive demands to see the radar reading. When enforcement of basic traffic laws. 55 mph zone is $146. Between 15 the reading doesn’t support his contention regarding teacher salaries “It would be a great day if I could come mph and 20 mph the fine is $266. that he was only driving 64 mph, the man By LAURA MCCUTCHEON out here and not give anyone a ticket,” walks back to his vehicle in quick, jerky The Daily Journal said Ukiah CHP officer Scott Donham. steps and climbs into his car, slamming the There was no place to park outside the Donham patrols from Ukiah south to over and over, stopping occasionally in a door. Ukiah Unified School District office the county line, looking for speeders, shaded spot or just over the crest of a hill “It’s amazing the gamut of emotions Tuesday night and no empty chairs for late- people not wearing their seat belts and to wait a little bit. you run across,” Donham said. comers to the school board meeting held people driving under the influence of There is no way to predict when or Regardless of the reaction, Donham inside, which addressed additional budget drugs and alcohol. where speeders might be found, Donham said he tries to be courteous, following the cuts, a salary increase for teachers and the Radar detectors, mounted on the dash of said. Sometimes you get several all at model of a mentor he had out of the modernization of Calpella School. the patrol car and in the rear window and once, and sometimes you have to wait. academy who told him to “sell the ticket.” The district in March cut $1,634,740 from linked to a display on the dash, help “It’s like fishing,” Donham said. Donham leaves every ticketed driver the budget, primarily by eliminating -- and/or Donham catch people breaking the speed He said he writes between 100 and 200 with the same words: “Slow down and reducing the hours of -- several positions. limit. speeding tickets per month. The fine for have a safe day.” This was done, in part, to free up some Every morning, the radar detector has to driving between 1 mph and 15 mph over He said he tries to be polite to everyone money to increase teachers’ salaries. As be recalibrated, using a set of tuning forks the speed limit in a 55 mph zone is $146. because most speeders are just people always, the goal was to make the cuts as far Donham keeps in the car. Between 15 mph and 20 mph the fine is making mistakes, but it is also a good way away from the classroom as possible. When trying to catch speeders, what $266. to avoid getting written complaints. “We haven’t cut any programs for stu- CHP officers mostly do is drive, traveling The reactions of people being ticketed dents,” Ukiah Unified School District across the same dozen-miles of territory are varied. Some admit to what they’ve See CHP, Page 15 Superintendent Ray Chadwick said See SCHOOLS, Page 15 City celebrates re-start of its hydroelectric plant at lake Plant will soon be Coyote Valley Dam celebrated erates power by harnessing the bines was first started March the re-start of the plant that is force of the water flowing 21 for testing. It has recently generating electricity expected to generate approxi- through the dam into the developed a minor mechanical for Ukiah residents mately $700,000 worth of sus- Russian River, is comprised of problem, but Grande said it tainable electricity a year once two turbines -- one with a 1- will be operating around the By KATIE MINTZ fully operational. megawatt capacity, and the clock soon. The larger unit, The Daily Journal “We should be up and run- other with a 2.5-megawatt which is expected to be used Nearly 20 years after its first ning, generating electricity, lit- capacity. dedication, and close to a erally, within days,” Murray The smaller of the two tur- See CITY, Page 15 decade since it last generated Grande, plant project manager power, the city of Ukiah’s from the Northern California hydroelectric power plant is Power Authority, said to the Isaac Eckel/The Daily Journal back in business. small crowd that attended the Workers with Source California Energy Services close A modest ceremony held ceremony and toured the plant an outlet so they can work on it at the Lake Mendocino Wednesday afternoon at the Wednesday. hydroelectric plant. The plant will be ready to go on line facility at Lake Mendocino’s The hydroplant, which gen- in a few days, the first time since 1998. >cigdYjX^c\8dbXVhiidBZcYdX^cd8djcin Ndjg8VWaZIKVcY>ciZgcZi8dbeVcn^hX]Vc\^c\&"-%%"8DB86HI 2 – THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2007 LOCAL THE UKIAH DAILY JOURNAL FUNERAL NOTICES SHERIFF’S REPORTS [\ The following were they were his own, and Company. He on Thursday, May 31ST , looking forward to very compiled from reports eventually, they gave started his own internation- 2007 at 11:00 A.M. much prepared by the him 6 grandchildren which al marketing and In lieu of flowers, the fami- Jamie is survived by his Mendocino County were his pride and import companies, Trans ly requests that con- son, C.J.; his wife of Sheriff’s Office: joy. Global Metals and tributions in his memory be 13 years, Oriana; his mom BOOKED -- Eric Spencer, People adored Charlie. SeaForce, Inc. Later, Mike made to Vietnam and dad, James 25, of Santa Rosa, was His family loved him. held positions as and Legacy Vets MC, 330 Leon and Carolyn McGrew; booked into jail on suspicion His community respected VP-Marketing and Sales for Washington Ave., brother Sean of driving under the influence him. Charlie will be Kitz Valve and Ukiah CA 95482. McGrew, wife Staci and [\ at 2:37 a.m. Tuesday. missed beyond measure. He Red-White Valve their daughter Ash- BOOKED -- Julie Darlene left behind his Corporations. Mike and his ley; sister Tanney McGrew, Frease, 30, of Hopland, was wife Cora and “their” three wife raised three children husband Mike booked into jail on suspicion children: Jerry in Southern Califor- Higgins and children of a probation violation and a Floyd of Ukiah, his wife, nia and moved to Novato in Mykaela and Gaberial, warrant for taking a vehicle and their daughter of Marin County in and grandpa John Dalerio; without consent at 12:49 p.m. San Luis Obispo, CA; 1969. Mike and his wife father-in- law and Tuesday. David Floyd, his wife traveled extensively mother-in-law David and BOOKED -- Paul and their 2 daughters of to Asia, Europe, Canada, Patricia Bozzoli; Christopher Campbell, 55, of Grover Beach, CA; Mexico and brother-in-law Scott Redwood Valley, was booked and Shari (Floyd) Sinkler, throughout the United Bozzoli, wife Michelle into jail on suspicion of dri- her husband and States. While raising and son Dane; brother-in- ving under the influence at three children of Salinas, his three children, Mike law Ryan Bozzoli; 10:54 p.m.