Mendocino The Human Race: ON THE MARKET College a collaborative Guide to local real estate baseball preview fund-raiser .......................................Inside ............Page A-6 ............Page A-3 INSIDE Mendocino County’s Obituaries The Ukiah local newspaper .......Page A-2 Tomorrow: Rain and breezy 7 58551 69301 0 FRIDAY Jan. 27, 2006 50 cents tax included DAILY JOURNAL ukiahdailyjournal.com 40 pages, Volume 147 Number 293 email: [email protected] Contractors steamed over no-bid jail work By SETH FREEDLAND major public works project, a move August, county officials have resort- maintenance project, but other busi- ongoing discussions is Steve The Daily Journal they slam as illegal and unfair to the ed to patchwork repair to keep the nesses are complaining that such ter- Roberts, who owns his own roofing Local contractors are condemning county’s builders. much-maligned building serviceable. minology restricts a legally mandat- company and has been in the busi- Mendocino County officials for not After the county’s major jail The county recently hired a local ed fair selection process. offering them the ability to bid on a expansion project fell apart in roofing firm to reroof the jail as a Among the most vociferous in the See JAIL, Page A-14 MEDICAL AIR SERVICES REDWOOD VALLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SPELLING BEE NTSB asks B-l-i-z-z-a-r-d a winner for stricter By LAURA CLARK The Daily Journal safety rules It was a close race between two final contes- tants Thursday at Red- wood Valley Elementary on flights School’s spelling bee until By BEN BROWN Victor Gonzalez earned The Daily Journal victory with eight letters: The National Transportation b-l-i-z-z-a-r-d. Safety Board issued a new report The school’s first-ever Wednesday, asking the Federal spelling bee began with Aviation Authority to impose stricter three students from each safety requirements on all emer- third, fourth and fifth- gency medical services flights. grade class -- or 36 stu- The report investigated 55 EMS dents total -- up on stage accidents over a three-year-span in the cafeteria. The Fifth-grader Karissa ending in January 2005. Among remaining elementary Stark reacts as she is those investigated was the crash of a school students sat on the given the word Redwood Empire Air Care floor below the stage and “microwave” to spell Helicopter in December 2003. kept their lips sealed -- during the spelling The flight was on its way back except on a few occasions bee. from Willits after an aborted attempt when excitement over- to pick up a gunshot victim. The came them and they col- whisper of the word “yes” helicopter crashed into a hillside lectively whispered “yes” from the audience. near Redwood Valley, killing all when someone spelled a “Squabble,” “parale- three people on board. word right. gal” and “multitude” The report found that, when trans- Words such as “tem- removed Alyssa Langevin, porting patients, EMS flights must ple,” “shingles,” “disap- Karissa Stark and operate under the same rules as pas- prove” and “pleasant” Madison Klee from the senger planes, but when not carrying were spelled correctly in fifth round, leaving two Round 1. Others, like “tor- clearly gleeful boys neck- See FLIGHTS, Page A-2 nado,” “tetherball,” and-neck: Gonzalez, in the “library” and “ooze” fifth grade, and Mario quickly eliminated stu- Reynoso, in the third McMenomey dents from the 90-minute grade. competition. A nervous Gonzalez, up About 20 contenders first, misspelled “stu- drops out of made it to Round 2, where dious,” transforming the the words got a little more smile on his face into a challenging: “submarine,” look of discouragement. race for DA “soccer” and “handicap” However, a glimmer of The Daily Journal were among those that hope returned to his eyes, Scott McMenomey, a Mendocino were misspelled. Ten stu- and a smile to his lips, County deputy district attorney, has dents were left by Round when Reynoso also mis- taken himself out of the race for dis- 3, and only five survived spelled his word -- “gradu- trict attorney, The Daily Journal has Amy Wellnitz/The Daily Journal the fourth and fifth rounds. ate” -- meaning they were learned. Above, Redwood Valley Those who did tried to back to square one. In mid-December, when current Elementary School fourth- stay cool, but they could- Gonzalez was then DA Norm Vroman announced he grader Dylan Lancaster n’t keep smiles off their asked to spell “intermis- would run for re-election, and not for participates in the spelling faces, and properly spelled sion,” but was unsuccess- judge as he had declared earlier, bee Thursday. At left, words resulted in thumbs ful. He pondered the word McMenomey requested a return teacher Jerry Burns, with up among contestants, and back to the DA’s Willits office. second-place finisher by this point a louder See SPELLING, Page A-2 McMenomey served as a deputy Mario Reynoso and winner there before Vroman brought him to Victor Gonzalez, Ukiah with a promotion to assistant addresses all the students DA. after the spelling bee. McMenomey originally ran unop- Some of the students who posed for the June election, with participated in the bee are near-overwhelming support for his standing in front of the campaign before Vroman’s altered stage. At right, Victor intentions changed the political land- Gonzalez, the eventual scape. winner of the Redwood Numerous phone calls to Valley Elementary School McMenomey seeking comment had Spelling Bee, asks for a not been returned by press time. little guidance while he waits for his turn to spell. When Vroman announced his deci- sion to seek re-election he described McMenomey as “understandably disappointed.” There are 16 deputy DAs in Vroman’s office and one assistant DA, currently Keith Faulder. Governor, Democrats clash on public works, assisted-suicide By STEVE GEISSINGER lion public works plan, the other over ocratic legislative leaders’ objections physician-assisted suicide in In addressing questions at the MediaNews Sacramento Bureau adoption of an assisted-suicide mea- to his infrastructure improvement California. Sacramento Press Club about criti- SACRAMENTO -- Two power sure. proposal, such as ceding too much The bill’s author, Assembly- cism of his public works plan, struggles broke out Tuesday between Both foreshadow a stormy legisla- authority to state bureaucracy. woman Patty Berg, D-Eureka, and Schwarzenegger said he is remaining Republican Gov. Arnold tive session this election year, ana- Setting the stage for a separate Lloyd Levine, D-Van Nuys, flatly flexible -- contrary to Democrats’ Schwarzenegger and Democratic lysts said. showdown, the governor said voters disagreed. They said the issue should lawmakers -- one over his $222 bil- Schwarzenegger discounted Dem- should decide whether to adopt be worked out at the Capitol. See CLASH, Page A-2 *Installed w/purchase of any ABC Free* DirecTV HDTV of $2500 or more. In HD Offer Good til 1/31/06 CBS $300 Value NBC from SF HD Satellite System FOX on DirecTV 1030 N. State Street, Ukiah • 468-0191 *After Rebate California Contractor License #794022 A-2 – FRIDAY, JAN. 27, 2006 DAILY DIGEST Editor: Jody Martinez, 468-3517 The Ukiah Daily Journal [email protected] this bond issue,” said of the terminally ill -- a practice circumstances. FUNERAL NOTICES Clash Assemblyman John Laird, D- upheld in Oregon last week by Levine said, “The public said Santa Cruz, who chairs the the U.S. Supreme Court. the Legislature and governor [\ Bostick and great-grandson Assembly budget and infra- The ruling spurred chances should work together. The pub- Continued from Page A-1 ERVIN A. BOSTICK Lucas. structure committees. “I think of lawmakers sending the gov- lic (in polls) overwhelmingly Ervin A. Bostick, a long- “My grandpa was a claims. “We’re open to any dis- deadlines can be met for a piece ernor similar legislation this supports the idea. We don’t time Lake County resident, strong and caring man with cussions about our position,” of it.” election year. There are no ini- need to waste time and money passed Jan. 17, 2006, in little words to say, but we said Schwarzenegger. “There's The Legislature began tiatives in circulation on the on an election.” Santa Rosa. all knew how he felt. He will nothing we’re saying is a deal examining the proposal in issue. Berg said, “Californians He is survived by his wife be deeply missed,”-Ryan, breaker.” earnest Tuesday, with a March Even so, Schwarzenegger deserve a reasoned and thought- Madeline Bostick of Nice; Kim and Chelsea Sweeney. But in reply, Democrats -- deadline to qualify for the June said, “This is a decision that ful debate on this issue, not a A memorial service will ballot. should be made by the people.” campaign shouting match son Glen Bostick of Ukiah; who feel the public works daughter Janet Hamner be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, In addition, in answering After his ill-fated “govern- between fundamentalists and Jan. 28 at the Kelseyville plan’s flaws include inade- wide ranging questions, ment revamp” special election civil libertarians, which you'd and husband Jim of quately addressing areas such Kelseyville; brother Bill Cemetery. Schwarzenegger said voters last November, however, the have if it went to the ballot.” Bostick and wife Janice of for further information as affordable housing, hospi- should decide whether to adopt governor said he had learned Moreover, Berg and Levine Lakeport; six grandchil- call Chapel of the Lakes tals, parks and high-speed rail - physician-assisted suicide, but that Californians want him and said, the courts have specifical- dren and four great grand- Mortuary at 263-0357 or - predicted only parts of the Democratic authors of the legis- the Legislature to work out ly mentioned legislatures as the children.