Eagles RELIGION tourney Saturday Faith community news continues ...................................Page 3 .............Page 6 Nov. 29, 2008 INSIDE Mendocino County’s World briefly The Ukiah local newspaper ..........Page 2 Sunday: Mostly sunny H 71º L 38º Monday: Sunny with 7 58551 69301 0 patchy clouds H 66º L 40º 50 cents tax included DAILY JOURNAL ukiahdailyjournal.com 14 pages, Volume 150 Number 234 email: [email protected] Ukiah’s vintage signs: Part II By DANIEL LAZARUS For the Daily Journal Editor’s note: Today we present Part II of our Top 10 list of great local signs from the times past. Ukiah Post Office Mural The Ukiah Post Office, at its current location on Oak Street, was constructed in 1936. Two years later, in 1938, the oil-on-canvas mural on the wall over the Postmaster’s office door was executed by Ben Frazier Cunningham (1904-1975). It is entitled, “Resources of the Soil,” and a smaller study for the mural, which the Nevada artist painted in preparation for the post office wall, hangs in the Smithsonian in Washington. While it is commonly assumed that post office murals from the Depression era were a product of the Works Progress Administration (W.P.A), most - including this one - were actually created by artists working for the Treasury Department’s Section of Fine Arts. “The Section,” as it came to be known, was not a relief program. Their mandate was to com- mission high quality art for newly constructed U.S. Post Offices and Courthouses, and in so doing, make that art accessible to all people in a democratic way. Generally 1 percent of the cost of constructing a new building was set aside for its “embellishment,” and the contracts for murals, were awarded based on regional or national competitions. Artists like Cunningham were typically provided guidelines or a theme for their work. Scenes of local interest were the most common request. But, because these were public buildings, with the Treasury Department, as well as local civic leaders, all “look- ing over the artist’s shoulder,” the images of Americans at work and play tended to be idealized and heroic, with the hard realities of existence rarely apparent. In that light, consider Cunningham’s vision of Mendocino County life from 70 years ago. He depicts a man working attentively at a sawmill, a kneeling farmer planting young grapes in a vineyard, his dutiful wife gathering fruit from a tree, and in the distance, a rancher looking over his herd of cattle as they thread their way through the billowy hills of grass below. These are scenes of daily life and the figures look almost sculptural, somewhat in the man- ner of regionalist Thomas Hart Benton, who was an influential artist at that time. The sections of the mural interconnect beautifully, and the composition draws us in. In sum, this is a local treasure well wor- thy our admiration. Additionally whereas many murals from this era are fading or damaged, this is one is still quite well preserved. Interestingly, a year before Cunningham took the Ukiah job, he had painted a mural on the ceiling of the Reno, Nevada Post Office. A local artist who saw the finished work called it, “a great piece of art, the most beautiful ceiling I ever saw.” But shortly after the work was completed, the retiring postmaster in Reno, apparently objecting to some of its imagery, had the mural painted over, and obliterated forever. There is no record of any public outcry. Perhaps Daniel Lazarus for the Daily Journal More vintage signs include: Frosty Cone on South State Street; The Happiness Is Club on Lake Mendocino Drive; The Water Trough Sign on South State Street; Ukiah Post Office mural; Ukiah Home of Masonite sign. See SIGNS, Page 2 Learn from Locals shop local on Black Friday police and By ZACK CINEK walkability of the town and was The Daily Journal probably spending more this fire profs The Black Friday scene in year. Spending local keeps the downtown Ukiah was small- money here, she said. town peaceful compared to the Some on the streets that at college melee that killed a Walmart afternoon did not carry stuffed By ZACK CINEK employee in New York that shopping bags, some carried a The Daily Journal morning. just-bought treasure and others Mendocino College offers Black Friday, the day after carried nothing at all. classes taught by police and Thanksgiving, has a reputation Emily Long pushed a stroller fire professionals for those for shopping deals and stores down the sidewalk and said that contemplating a career in opening their doors to early she was “just killing time.” public service or who already birds. It is named for the black Kevin Gutfeld was also out are involved. ink - denoting profits - that busi- and about in downtown Ukiah Public service curriculum nesses see on that day. Friday. A therapist with a busi- at Mendocino College On School Street behind the ness nearby, Gutfeld said he includes the categories of fire courthouse a crafts fair occu- would probably be spending science and administration of pied a block’s length of the less this year. justice. street. In front of the “I try to shop local whenever Marcus Young is director Democratic party’s former possible,” Gutfeld said. of public safety programs at headquarters a band played “Support the community; that is the college. Professionals in alongside trees that had lost important.” the field in classrooms teach- their leaves to the turn of the John Hird said he had been ing the classes is beneficial, season. around to buy some hardware Young said. Jo Richardson and Ryan items earlier that day, but now Dan Grebil, Ukiah Valley West were in downtown Friday he had been brought to the Fire District chief, teaches a afternoon walking at a casual crafts fair and was more of a Sarah Baldik/The Daily Journal class. Grebil said a class like pace in front of Mendocino bystander. Diane Whitney from Las Vegas and her daughter Tracie Lyons of Ukiah Book Company’s window. “I try to buy local,” Hird browse through the crafts fair on School Street, shopping for the perfect See LEARN, Page 2 Richardson said she liked the said, “I try not to buy Chinese.” Christmas gifts and goodies, Friday afternoon. 2 – SATURDAY, NOV. 29, 2008 DAILY DIGEST Editor: K.C. Meadows, 468-3526 The Ukiah Daily Journal [email protected] Watch Repair Please join Friends and Family on Sunday evening, DETAIL CENTER November 30 th at 6 p.m. Need a watch battery 859 N. State Street to celebrate the life of Jo McMorris or watch band? (707) 462-4472 with stories and music. Stop By today... Windshield We will meet at the D. William Jewelers Replacement Saturday Afternoon Club Pear Tree Center at 107 S. Oak St. Ukiah 462-4636 CALTRANS REPORT paving project from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays The following was compiled from a that will set traffic back five minutes. Visit our web site at report prepared by the California DELAY -- A Highway 20 project near Polk Department of Transportation. Jones Cattlepass to Nice-Lucerne cutoff will ukiahdailyjournal.com NOTICE: Many road work crews are set drivers back 10 minutes from 7 a.m. to 2 observing the Thanksgiving holiday through p.m. weekdays. Sunday, Caltrans stated in a report issued DELAY -- A Highway 20 project near Wednesday afternoon. North Fork Cache Creek Bridge to west of MENDOCINO COUNTY Walker Ridge Road will delay traffic 10 min- DELAY -- At the Outlet Creek Bridge on utes from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Highway 162 motorists may incur a stoppage of 10 minutes at all hours every day. CORRECTIONS DELAY -- Motorists crossing the Anderson The Ukiah Daily Journal reserves this space to correct errors or Creek Bridge on Highway 253 will be set back make clarifications to news articles. Significant errors in obituary 10 minutes at all hours every day for widening notices or birth announcements will result in reprinting the entire of the bridge. article. Errors may be reported to the editor, 468-3526. The world briefly DELAY -- Traffic on Highway 253 will be delayed 10 minutes at all hours every day due LOTTERY NUMBERS to a widening of the Soda Creek Bridge. Get the winning lottery numbers at Indian forces blast Mumbai Black Friday turnout is LAKE COUNTY www.ukiahdailyjournal.com or hotel — militants’ last stand strong, but many say they’re DELAY -- Near the Middle Creek Bridge www.calottery.com on Highway 20 a permit has been granted for a — with grenades playing it cautious; MUMBAI, India (AP) — Indian forces fired 3 dead in incidents at the how and the why of why This semester Mitchell grenades at the landmark Taj Mahal hotel NEW YORK (AP) — Shoppers, who had Learn things are built a certain way. teaches police and community Friday, the last stand of the suspected Muslim snapped their wallets shut since September, Sprinklers, Yates said, do not relations. militants, just hours after elite commandos turned out in force Friday to grab early morn- all go off at the same time. “It (ideally) is not a pro- stormed a Jewish outreach center and found six ing deals and hard-to-find toys like Elmo Live, Continued from Page 1 “All sprinklers do not go gram,” Mitchell said, “it is a hostages dead. but many said worries about the economy have off at the same time like in a process.” Community rela- More than 150 people were killed in the vio- them focusing on fewer gifts and less expen- an introductory class he teach- Schwarzenegger movies,” tions is an exchange of infor- lence that began when gunmen attacked 10 sive, more practical items.