Ukiahi boys Weekend STORM STORIES basketball entertainment What did the Corps do? ..............Page 3 action ...................................Page 1 .............Page 6 INSIDE Mendocino County’s World briefly The Ukiah local newspaper ..........Page 2 Tomorrow: Rain in the afternoon 7 58551 69301 0 THURSDAY Jan, 5, 2006 50 cents tax included DAILY JOURNAL ukiahdailyjournal.com 16 pages, Volume 147 Number 271 email: [email protected] Fund WHAT’S AHEAD IN 2006 drive reaches Elections, housing, city skatepark Editor’s note: This is the first of three stories about what citizens goal! can expect from government in 2006. By SETH FREEDLAND To our readers: The Daily Journal As the storm and floods hit “Prediction is very difficult, and continued through the especially if it’s about the future," weekend, the Daily Journal wisely quoth Neils Bohr. Yet, devoted all its space to the despite an appropriate modicum of crisis. Today we resume more respect for the Nobel laureate, any normal operations with some purveyor of Mendocino County pol- stories we had planned for the itics would be forced to realize New Year weekend and also today’s present is very much preg- our Food Bank Fund Drive nant with its future. With that in list. Even though we have mind, here are some of the largest reached our goal - THANK issues expected to make local gov- YOU ALL - we know there are ernment headlines in 2006. more names out there and we • A weighty election on June 6 will get them in as soon as will see Supervisors David Colfax they are forwarded to us from and Hal Wagenet seeking reelection the UCC. and three qualified sheriff candi- The latest donations: Bob dates seeking promotions. One of & Suzie Hardie: $1,000; the largest unanswered questions in Gerald Emmitt: $500; the dawn of the new year lies in the Anonymous: $250; The Bacik race for District Attorney. Assistant Family: $200; Anonymous: DA Scott McMenomey announced $200; J.B. & I.M. Scott: his candidacy in July, but current $150; Superior Court Clerks DA Norm Vroman recently decided of Mendocino County: Diana to toss off aspirations for Superior Donnelly, Diane Parker, Court Judge and pursue another James & Janet Noe and term. McMenomey has yet to pub- Yolanda Nunez: $125; The licly comment on Vroman’s change Amy Wellnitz/The Daily Journal Corcoran and Jones’ of heart. Recently, members and supporters of the Ukiah Skate Park Committee, gathered at the future Families: $100; Susan T. • Mental Health aficionados will site of the park on Perkins Street to mark donated funds and grants. Hadel: $100; Robert & dedicate themselves to hammering Louise Kirby: $100; Richard out Prop. 63 dollars, as they imple- & Joyce Harrington: $100; ment a months-long plan in funding Pat Williams: $100; Martin E. distribution. It will be interesting to Moyer: Moyer Construction: watch the Mental Health depart- $100; Janna Ostoya: $100; ment head transition in February David Chubon: $100; from Beth Robey to Ana Mahoney, Corinne & Ernest Olson: who was pulled out of retirement. $100; Anne & Bill Retallick: Robey’s new role in the executive $100; Marlin & Carol office -- namely bringing Social Thompson: $50; Joan M. Services, Public Health and Mental Simpson: $50; Janet Moore: Health departments closer together - $50; Anonymous: $50; Lucy - will also draw attention. MacLeitch: $25; Dale & Josie • Staying with the John Ball and Herndon: $25; Anonymous: the Executive Office gang, the first $25 for a daily total of $3,700 year of quarterly budgets will and a subtotal of $75,420.42. encompass most of 2006. The trans- Corrections from the Ukiah parency could produce more ques- Community Center to the tion marks for supervisors and gov- Ukiah Daily Journal Fund ernmental economic critics. After Drive: revamping Animal Control in Joe & Vera Vargas gave October, officials wonder which $100; Dorothea Parsons gave county department CEO Ball will $25; Albert & Patricia rework next. (Following officials’ Beltrami gave $200; Louisa Three candidates for Sheriff was face off in June. They are, from left, Donald Miller, Kline gave $25. Also, Mark Tom Allman, and Gary Hudson. Davis Insurance Agency was See AHEAD, Page 9 misspelled. STORM STORIES: THE TALK AROUND TOWN Hopland school likely dam was constructed to take Notes on a water over the spillway. (The severe flooding was the) to remain closed this year valley still responsibility of the Corps. By LAURA CLARK tractors without going through “The most immediate need They have to have the guts to The Daily Journal a competitive bidding process is to remove carpet from all wringing out say shut off the dam and pro- The Ukiah Unified School -- which can take three to four the classrooms because it is tect those houses.” District board at a special weeks -- and that helps get saturated with moisture,” said ow that the flood Local contractor Lee meeting Wednesday declared repairs done quicker. The Steve Turner, UUSD director waters have receded, Howard agrees that the Corps an emergency in regard to the action requires a unanimous of maintenance, grounds, Nthe sun is shining again did everything right. He also flooding of the Hopland vote of the board and approval operations and transportation. and the immediate danger is says he believes this flood is Elementary School. from the county superinten- The walls also need to be past, I’m getting the calls Analysis not nearly as bad as the 1964 If a school district declares dent of schools. MCOE opened up as soon as possible about what went wrong, what By K.C. Meadows floods even though people an emergency it essentially Superintendent Paul Tichinin keep making comparisons. In could have been done better, Daily Journal Editor allows the district to hire con- said he supports the action. See SCHOOL, Page 9 what people are mad about, 1964 the water came over the and what we haven’t reported they can’t let the water get (dam) spillway, the flows but should. high enough to spill over the were higher, and there was First and foremost is a con- dam or they lose control of it more rain. And he says water Woman beaten while man films tinuing debate about whether altogether. levels didn’t rise as high this The Daily Journal arrest, battery on a police offi- at the gas station, Ukiah the U.S. Army Corps was in “That’s the only option year as they did in 1964. That Two teenage girls said they cer, and violation of proba- Police Detective Sgt. John part responsible for the sever- they had - they held back the year there was water all way thought a documentary was tion, and then taken to jail. McCutcheon said. ity of the floods on the east water as long as they could,” to the Farm Supply store (on being made when they wit- At around 2:19 a.m. The clerk told police that side of Ukiah and in Hopland. said Judy Hatch of the Talmage) he said. Note nessed a man beating up a Sunday, Ukiah Police officers Taylor had allegedly been I’ve looked at a variety of Russian River Flood Control Howard’s statement that the woman and another man film- were dispatched to the USA “beating up” a woman in the charts, which make little sense District. “It (the dam) came water came over the spillway ing it. gas station on the corner of gas station parking lot while to me, showing water flows at through beautifully. It’s just that year. He says Stu Before the day was over, Talmage and State streets to Watson video taped it. Police the dam during the crisis. I’ve that there were so many cfs Townsley of the Army Corps however, Vincent Thomas the report of a fight between a were uncertain why Watson heard people in government (cubic feet per second) com- water management office in Taylor, 27, of Vallejo, was man and a woman. When offi- was filming the fight, but said defend the Corps, saying that ing from the West Fork.” Sacramento was wrong when arrested on suspicion of cers arrived they found he has an association with even if the dam isn’t quite full, Others, like Ed Nickerman attempted murder, felony Taylor, Billy Ray Watson, 27, of Potter Valley say: “That See STORM, Page 16 domestic violence, resisting of Ukiah, and the store clerk See ATTACK, Page 9 2 – THURSDAY, JAN. 5, 2006 DAILY DIGEST Editor: K.C. Meadows, 468-3526 The Ukiah Daily Journal [email protected] FUNERAL NOTICES The world briefly [\ enjoyed participating in her Caldrone), David (and time. After World War II bridge group, the Cultus Jill) Finegold, Sarah they moved to Fort Bragg, Club, the investment club, Finegold Macquarrie (and Willits, and then Ukiah 12 confirmed dead in W.Va. mine blast and the American Mark Macquarrie), Dan where Ruth has resided for Association of University Finegold, and Sherri (and the past 50 years. Don TALLMANSVILLE, W.Va. (AP) — In a stunning and heart- Women. She was proud to Bruce) Gravier; proud passed away on their 47th breaking reversal, mining officials told family members early support the local symphony, grandfather of Sofia wedding anniversary July Wednesday that 11 of the 12 trapped coal miners initially the Sun House, and the his- Caldrone, Brandon and 7, 1990. Ruth was a secre- thought to have survived a mine explosion had died. torical society, and she vol- Nathaniel Finegold, Megan, tary for the USDA Soil The devastating news came more than three hours after Gov. unteered at the hospital and Jaycee and Scott Conservation Service for Joe Manchin announced he had been told 12 of the miners sur- the library.