Clash of unbeaten: Weekend MURDER TRIAL Patriots vs. Colts entertainment Jury to decide competency ...................Page 6 ..............Page 3 ...................................Page 8 INSIDE Mendocino County’s World briefly The Ukiah local newspaper ..........Page 2 Tomorrow: Plenty of sunshine; H 81º L 40º 7 58551 69301 0 THURSDAY Nov. 1, 2007 50 cents tax included DAILY JOURNAL ukiahdailyjournal.com 16 pages, Volume 149 Number 206 email: [email protected] UKIAH MAIN STREET PROGRAM HOSTS DOWNTOWN HALLOWEEN UUSD finances discussed By ROB BURGESS The Daily Journal At the Oct. 24 special meeting of the Ukiah Unified School District board at the district office, Cindy Plank, the district’s fiscal services director, presented the 2006-07 unaudited financial reports to the board. “At this point, the 2006-07 financial reports are considered unaudited,” Plank wrote in a let- ter addressed to Lois Nash, superintendent, and members of the board. “The Board What’s next? of Trustees must review and ap- ▲The Ukiah Unified prove the unaudit- School District has ed financial re- scheduled a special ports before the meeting of the board independent audit for tonight at the dis- can be completed. trict office boardroom Once the audit is at 925 N. State St. The completed, the meeting will begin at draft audit will be 5:30 p.m. with a closed submitted to the session, followed by a district for prelim- public session starting inary review and at 6 p.m. comment.” After a presentation by Plank, the board MacLeod Pappidas/The Daily Journal approved the statement unanimously. Delilah Iversen, 6, and Jacob Smith, 7, dressed in Halloween costumes, also serve as mannequins at Liv Fashion Highlights of the report include: Boutique on School Street Wednesday afternoon during Ukiah Main Street’s Downtown Halloween. -- Total General Fund revenues recognized in fiscal year 2006-07 equaled $52,678,769, of (Left) Werewolf True Phillips, 11, is See UUSD, Page 8 one of hundreds of children trick or treating at down- 3 injured in town Ukiah busi- nesses. rollover crash (Far left) Butch Purcell hands can- The Daily Journal dy to 3-year-old Three people were injured, one seriously, Hailee Yahweh at when the 1995 Saturn they were in overturned Heidi’s Yarn Haven. several times on northbound Highway 101, south of the Jitney Gulch Bridge Tuesday night. According to reports from the California Highway Patrol, Kristina Kruse, 24, of Wellington Nev., was northbound on Highway 101 driving at approximately 60 mph at around 9:21 p.m. Tuesday. Also in the car were Ronald Brunk Jr., 18, and Marshall Wright, 25, both of Garderville, Trick-or-treaters out in force Nev. For unknown reasons, Kruse turned right By ROB BURGESS Joy Beeler from behind her desk on the “Over 40 businesses participated this and left the paved portion of the road, accord- The Daily Journal sidewalk in front of the Chamber of year,” Beeler said. ing to CHP reports. The right side of the Saturn o, a skunk, the eight-foot tall angel Commerce. “I think it’s even better than The largest percentage of participating collided with a dirt embankment and continued of death, a China doll, a shark, last year.” merchants were located on the west side traveling north. SBatman and an octopus walked into The first 1,000 children to arrive of School Street, but businesses as far The Saturn collided with a plastic paddle- Heidi’s Yarn Haven... received special prizes, including stickers south as Moochie Poochie Pet Boutique marker, veered left and overturned twice on the That’s it. That’s what happened for two and a coloring book. at 610 S. State St. and as far north as road surface before coming to rest on its wheels hours Wednesday. It’s not the beginning Well, that and as many sugary treats as Freedom Skate Shop and Freedom Girls in the northbound lane, facing southwest. of a joke. the smiling plastic orange-handled at 435 N. State St. passed out treats. Kruse sustained minor injuries in the acci- All this free costumed action was pumpkins could carry. Children weren’t the only ones going dent; Brunk Jr. sustained moderate injuries. courtesy of the Ukiah Main Street Downtown sidewalks were filled to incognito, with parents and dogs getting Both were taken to Howard Memorial Hospital Program as it hosted its annual capacity as bucket-toting children sported into the act, some with matching for treatment. Downtown Halloween celebration from 4 their carefully designed costumes while costumes. Wright sustained major injuries and was to 6 p.m. shopowners dispensed candy to Rob Burgess can be reached at taken to Ukiah Valley Medical Center for treat- “This is great,” said Executive Director outstretched hands as fast as they could. [email protected]. ment. Wright was the only person in the car not wearing a seat belt, according to CHP reports. Election Day is Tuesday Candidate profiles ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ Ukiah Valley Fire District board - Vote for three Jerry Buzzard Butch Carpenter Tony Defatte Michael Panzo Jim Rickel Jerry Buzzard, Butch Carpen- Tony Defatte is Michael Panzo Jim Rickel is a retired mechan- ter is an incum- a local business is a local business an incumbent on ic and former vol- bent on the Ukiah owner of a heavy owner, who said the Ukiah Valley unteer firefighter Valley Fire Dis- equipment com- he is running for Fire District in Willits, is run- trict board. He pany, who said he a seat on the board and is run- ning for a seat on has been on the is running for a Ukiah Valley Fire ning to retain the the Ukiah Valley board 10 years seat on the Ukiah District board to seat he was Fire District and is running to Valley Fire Dis- serve the commu- appointed to four board. retain his seat. trict board be- nity. years ago. Rickel “I think I have Carpenter has cause he feels a “I’m just try- is a self-described something to a fire protection need to serve the ing to do my part community offer the board,” Buzzard background and Carpenter community. Defatte and represent Panzo activist, who has Rickel See BUZZARD, Page 8 See CARPENTER, Page 8 See DEFATTE, Page 8 See PANZO, Page 8 See RICKEL, Page 8 2 – THURSDAY, NOV. 1, 2007 DAILY DIGEST Editor: Jody Martinez, 468-3517 The Ukiah Daily Journal [email protected] woman was not injured years as first lady. POLICE REPORTS The bike sustained major The following were damage to the frame, front Sex offenders declare themselves compiled from reports fork and handlebars. The The world briefly prepared by the Ukiah windshield of the car was homeless; attempt to track them difficult Police Department. To shattered, and the car sus- SACRAMENTO (AP) — Hundreds of California sex anonymously report tained other minor dents and 3 key suspects convicted of mass murder offenders who face tough new restrictions on where they can crime information, call scuff marks on the bumper, in Madrid train bombings live are declaring themselves homeless — truthfully or not — 463-6205. hood and roof. and that’s making it difficult for the state to track them. ARREST -- Raul Those arrested by law enforce- MADRID, Spain (AP) — The true ringleaders of the devas- Jessica’s Law, approved by 70 percent of California voters a ment officers are innocent until tating Madrid train bombings were not in the dock when the Cocone, 19, of Ukiah, was proven guilty. People reported as hav- year ago, bars registered sex offenders from living within 2,000 arrested on suspicion of ing been arrested may contact the verdicts were handed down Wednesday, having blown them- feet of a school or park where children gather. That leaves few being a sex offender on Daily Journal once their case has selves up years ago as police closed in on their terror den. places where offenders can live legally. been concluded so the results can be Those left behind met sharply contrasting fates in Spain’s school property and posses- reported. Those who feel the informa- Some who have had trouble finding a place to live are avoid- sion of a weapon on school tion is in error should contact the National Court, with sentences stretching from outright absolu- ing re-arrest by reporting — falsely, in some cases — that they property in the 1000 block appropriate agency. In the case of tion for one alleged mastermind to tens of thousands of years are homeless. of Low Gap Road at 9:31 those arrested on suspicion of dri- behind bars for three others tied to Europe’s worst Islamic ter- Experts say it is hard to monitor sex offenders when they lie ving under the influence of an intoxi- ror attack. a.m. Tuesday. Cocone was cant: all DUI cases reported by law about their address or are living day-to-day in cheap hotels, released after being cited. enforcement agencies are reported The verdict appeared to leave almost no one completely homeless shelters or on the street. It also means they may not be ARREST -- A 17-year- by the newspaper. The Daily Journal happy, least of all victims and prosecutors, who had hoped the makes no exceptions. getting the treatment they need. old boy was arrested on sus- three-judge panel would give more weight to a trove of circum- “We could potentially be making the world more dangerous picion of leaving the scene stantial evidence — and look past a lack of hard forensic data. rather than less dangerous,” said therapist Gerry Blasingame, of an accident and driving CORRECTIONS While the prime minister said the verdict still upheld justice, past chairman of the California Coalition on Sexual Offending.