Weekend SPORTS entertainment Thursday Wildcats blow out Vikings .............Page 3 May 8, 2008 ...................................Page 6 INSIDE Mendocino County’s World briefly The Ukiah local newspaper ..........Page 2 Friday: Partly sunny H 72º L 43º 7 58551 69301 0 Saturday: Mostly sunny; H 77º L 45º 50 cents tax included DAILY JOURNAL ukiahdailyjournal.com 14 pages, Volume 150 Number 29 email: [email protected] Wattenburger reflects on race for his BOS seat By ROB BURGESS up for election who isn’t seeking chairman. He resides in Ukiah the entrance of former Round The Daily Journal re-election. “I don’t know if it’s a with his wife, Karen. ‘I’ve never seen a race with more Valley School Board member In a year when the triple-dis- change in attitude, if more peo- “I wasn’t born here; I was than three candidates in the entire Estelle Palley Clifton; Jim trict race for county supervisor ple are grasping the impact local born on a naval base outside of Mulheren, Ukiah planning com- has more candidates than any in elected officials have.” Chicago, but I love this county,” time I’ve been here.’ missioner, and Ukiah City recent memory, who chose not to A former firefighter, Watten- he said. “I’ve always told the Councilmember John McCowen. run is just as significant as who burger was elected to the board truth, and I sleep really well at JIM WATTENBURGER In the three business day adden- did. in November 2004, defeating night. I’ve really enjoyed these 2nd District supervisor dum to the deadline after “I’ve never seen a race with then-incumbent Supervisor years. If you ask my most ardent Wattenburger’s announcement, more than three candidates in the Richard Shoemaker. Watten- opponents, I’m a pretty easy guy re-election at the last possible Ross Mayfield Jr. threw his hat entire time I’ve been here,” said burger served as vice-chairman to get along with.” moment, March 8, the field of into the ring, bringing the total Jim Wattenburger, 2nd District during 2007 and currently holds Before Wattenburger an- competitors out to take his job Wattenburger supervisor, the only incumbent the gavel with his new title as nounced his decision not to seek had already swelled to three with See 2ND DISTRICT, Page 13 Local college TIP-A-COP TO HELP SPECIAL OLYMPICS scholarships to multiply, thanks to gift $70 million donated statewide by Bernard Osher Foundation By ZACK SAMPSEL The Daily Journal With help from a $70 million gift from the Bernard Osher Foundation, Mendocino College will be awarding an additional five $1,000 scholarships to current or prospective students from now on. Chancellor Diane Woodruff announced Tuesday the unprecedented commitment from the Bernard Osher Foundation to support private scholarships for California’s community college students -- much to the pleasure of the staff at Mendocino College. “Seventy million dollars, as a whole, sounds great, but it’s even better when you break it down one by one,” said Jacque Bradley, assistant dean of financial aid at Mendocino College. “Giving $1,000 to students would really help someone out.” The statewide commitment is made as part of the Osher Initiative for community college students and represents the single largest gift to the community college system in the nation. “I know firsthand the incredible value of commu- nity colleges from my time at Santa Monica College,” said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger at the MacLeod Pappidas/The Daily Journal press conference Tuesday. “They serve a vital role in Sheriff’s Sgt. Scott Poma prepares for Saturday’s Tip-a-Cop dinner with full water pitchers at the Broiler preparing our work force, and this gift will provide restaurant kitchen, along with Head Chef Mike Sander and Sous Chef Glenn Ashford. innumerable benefits to our state’s economy and diverse communities.” Two separate commitments are part of the Osher Initiative, including assistance to students with Law enforcement officers fill in as waiters $1,000 scholarships at each of the 109 community By BEN BROWN Welch said fund-raising is important to Special Olympics, colleges throughout the state. A $50 million gift will The Daily Journal especially in the face of a 10 percent budget cut from the support endowed annual scholarships with $25 mil- state. lion immediately used to fund an endowment man- f you have ever wanted to order a police officer around, “Fund-raisers are the only way our athletes get to do any- aged by the Foundation for California Community make a reservation for dinner at the Broiler Steak House thing,” Welch said. See COLLEGE, Page 13 ISaturday. Special Olympics has 150 athletes countywide who partic- This Saturday, for the ninth year, Mendocino County law ipate in a number of sports, including baseball, softball, soc- enforcement officers will be serving food and filling water cer, bowling and bocce. glasses from 5 to 8 p.m. to raise money for the Mendocino Welch said participation in the program is up more than 40 Geocaching game County Inland Special Olympics through the Tip-a-Cop pro- percent in the last year. gram. Last month, one of the Mendocino County Special sparks Hwy. 101 Tips left for the officers by diners will be donated to Olympics basketball teams won a gold medal at the state Special Olympics. competition. This year, the event will feature officers from the In addition to funds, Welch said Special Olympics is bomb investigation Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, the Ukiah Police always looking for more volunteers and coaches. Special By BEN BROWN Department, the Willits Police Department, the California Olympics has no paid employees and all of the money it rais- The Daily Journal Highway Patrol and the Mendocino County Probation es goes back to support the athletes. A popular hobby forced the California Highway Department. “Our program is totally dependent on volunteers,” Welch Patrol to close Highway 101 Tuesday after a geo- “We have a couple of people from everywhere this year,” said. caching box was mistaken for a bomb. said Area Director James Welch. Anyone who wants to volunteer can contact Special CHP Officer Erick Van Emmerick said California In previous years, the three-hour event has drawn up to Olympics at 468-1282. Transportation workers were walking on Highway 200 people and generally brings in between $2,500 and 101 near the Covelo turnoff at around 9 a.m. Tuesday $3,000 for Special Olympics. Ben Brown can be reached at [email protected]. when they discovered the box. “They thought it was an ammo box,” Van Emmerick said. “It had a computer mother board on it; it looked odd.” CalTrans workers called the California Highway Patrol, which contacted the Sonoma County Bomb Coast theater company fighting for its life Squad to investigate the box. CHP officers closed the highway for half an hour Must raise $15,000 by June 15 was just not up to snuff, and combine that the Savings Bank of Mendocino County. while the bomb squad investigated the package and with softness in ticket sales and this is the The special account will be used to col- found it was not a bomb, Emmerick said. By ZACK SAMPSEL crisis. It’s a very difficult situation, but I’m lect donations from the public, but unlike Geocaching is a kind of high-tech treasure hunt. The Daily Journal very optimistic.” other accounts, this one has some special People hide small treasures in boxes and then post A slump in ticket sales and donations has Cohen, who’s been with the company rules. Cohen says that unless $15,000 is col- GPS coordinates on geocaching Web sites. Other backed the Mendocino Theatre Company since the late-’70s, says the slumping econ- lected in the account by the cutoff date, all people use those coordinates to track down and into a corner, forcing the nonprofit to come omy is to blame for the situation, but he and the money will be returned to the donors. retrieve the item, often leaving something else in up with $15,000 by June 15 or close its cur- the other 10 members of the board of direc- “If we don’t get $15,000 then you get place of the item they took. tains after 31 years. tors are working toward a solution. He said your donation back, but if we raise the “It’s a treasure hunt,” Van Emmerick said. “The problem this year is that, with the the board prepared a “crisis fund-raising money we will soldier on,” Cohen said. It was unclear at press time whether the person recession, the contributed income is just way plan,” which involved cutting back on paid “The company started in 1977, and we’ve who placed the box near the overcrossing will face off,” said Bob Cohen, president of the MTC staff, increasing the number of volunteers charges. board of directors. “Our contributed income and setting up a special savings account at See THEATER, Page 13 Ben Brown can be reached at [email protected]. 2 – THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2008 DAILY DIGEST Editor: Jody Martinez, 468-3517 The Ukiah Daily Journal [email protected] FUNERAL NOTICES The world briefly [\ beloved aunt Alberta interested in many things. Canclini, uncle Fred He played music, Ferris, and aunt Nola he loved riding his Harley, U.S. diplomat says 100,000 free expression is punished and free speech can King, nieces and many and going out fish- take place only in hushed whispers and silent friends that loved him ing on his boat. may have died in Myanmar prayers. And Cuba will not become a place of dearly.