VOLUME 141, No. 265 FACEBOOK.COM/MODESTOBEE NEWS ALL DAY. Sunny STAY CONNECTED MODBEE.COM TWITTER.COM/MODBEE YOUR WAY. SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 22 2018 $1 88°/61° See 2A spoke about his gratitude in com- ing here as an immigrant from Turlock mayoral candidates Mexico and being able to run for mayor. He also spoke about the need for more opportunities for children, treating homeless peo- clash over city’s finances ple with dignity and respect, and the need for better roads on the city’s west side. Bublak said Turlock is using in additional spending this year. reserves to pay employees’ BY KEVIN VALINE “We are spending down on salaries and benefits, which she [email protected] our reserves in a good econo- said is “absolutely the worse my,” said Councilwoman Amy thing you can do.” The candidates for Turlock Bublak, one of the four candi- Bates said there has been so mayor talked about water, roads dates for mayor in the Novem- much conflicting information and the incumbent’s leadership ber election and who voted for about the city’s finances that he at a Thursday night forum at the most of the additional spending. compared it to a “pinball in a Carnegie Arts Center. The other candidates are pinball machine,” adding that And they talked about the Mayor Gary Soiseth, former Soiseth’s recent State of the City city’s roughly $42 million gener- Mayor Brad Bates and Jaime address said Turlock was al fund budget, which primarily Franco, who unsuccessfully ran strong. “That’s not true,” Bates pays for police and fire, and that for council in 2016. The Turlock said. “... We are facing an ex- CHRISTOPHER WINTERFELDT [email protected] the city is on track to drain all of Journal put on the candidate tremely serious financial fu- Mayoral candidate Amy Bublak, among a group of four contenders, the fund’s reserves in about forum, which drew about 200 ture.” answers a question during the Turlock Mayoral Candidate Forum on three years after the City Coun- people. Thursday at the downtown Carnegie Arts Center. cil approved nearly $3.3 million Franco is the long shot and SEE TURLOCK, 4A Truckers ignored weight limit on Seventh St. Bridge BY JOHN HOLLAND TOM BRENNER NYT [email protected] “I have no doubt that, if the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as The century-old Seventh Street she says, charges would have Bridge in Modesto will close for been immediately filed with local three days to repair damage done Law Enforcement Authorities by by trucks that exceeded the weight either her or her loving parents,” limit last month. President Donald Trump said in a The current closure will be tweet Friday. through 6 a.m. Monday, on the Tuolumne River span. The damage happened during an Aug. 30 detour from a Crows Landing Road onramp to Highway Trump 99, said David Leamon, interim public works director for Stanislaus questions County. The bridge has a 4-ton limit because of its age, and semi driv- Kavanaugh ers were directed to take their typically 40-ton loads to the Ninth Street Bridge. An estimated 100 accuser’s THE REPAIR IS EXPECTED credibility TO COST $25,000 TO $30,000 FROM A FUEL BY JOHN WAGNER, SEUNG MIN KIM TAX FUND. AND SEAN SULLIVAN Washington Post WASHINGTON drivers used Seventh Street any- President Donald Trump cast way, and the vibration caused doubt Friday on the credibility of some of the concrete to crumble the woman who has accused on an abutment on the south side, Brett Kavanaugh of sexually Leamon said. assaulting her when they were A county crew installed wooden teenagers, escalating the stan- columns the next day to tempo- doff over the Supreme Court rarily support that part of the nomination. bridge. The upcoming work will By attacking California profes- involve adding concrete to the sor Christine Blasey Ford, abutment. Trump abandoned the self- The repair is expected to cost restraint he had showed for days $25,000 to $30,000 from a fuel and pushed Kavanaugh’s nomi- tax fund. The county could seek nation deeper into turmoil. reimbursement from a trucker’s Democrats, key Republican insurer, Leamon said, but that is senators and advocates for vic- unlikely with the large number in tims of sexual assault swiftly this case. rebuked the president. The city and county already Republican senators on Friday were planning on replacing the issued an ultimatum to Ford. bridge, which was built in 1916 and Senate Judiciary Committee served residents well for decades. Chairman Charles Grassley, The project is expected to cost STANISLAUS CO. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS R-Iowa, called on Ford to re- about $34 million, mostly federal Vibrations from large trucks damaged a concrete abutment on the Seventh Street Bridge in money, and finish in 2020 or 2021. Modesto on Aug. 30. The bridge will be closed for three days ending Monday. SEE KAVANAUGH, 5A CUSTOMER SERVICE To subscribe or report delivery issues, Classified 6-8B Local 3-4A Opinion 7A Comics 5-6B Lottery 2A Sports 1B 800-776-4233 or modbee.com/customer-service Horoscope 4B Obituaries 6A TV 6B 2A SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 22 2018 StayConnected MODBEE.COM ....................................................... MODESTO 5-DAY FORECAST PEOPLE LUCKYNUMBERS On thisDate Michelle Obama DRAWN FRIDAY BIRTHDAYS MEGAMILLIONS bookingarenas Friday($275 million) Baseball Hall of Fame forbook tour manager is Today Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday TommyLasorda 1211 52 64 9 The outlook 91. Actress Anna Karina is 78. Check out the upcoming Tuesday 88/ 61 86/59 88/63 92/ 63 92/ 63 Actor Paul Le Mat is 73. Nextdraw: 4iGes6re.G events at Chicago’s Unit- Musician is sunsBine 3oG.H( 1unn$( 2i,+' :unnH( )iDB3 :unnH( )iDB3 :unnH( )iDB3 :unnH( )iDB3 ed Center and you’ll see King SunnyAde Fantasy 5 419253539 win.( winG( winG( winG( winG( 72.Actress Shari Belafonte is :?iDB3?H ,oo?er Daily 4 6321 Bulls games, Blackhawks 64. Singer DebbyBoone is 62. we.3Ber is Daily 3Midday ASK SCOOPY: games and concerts by Singer-musician Joan Jett is 436 4B.3 is .nisoGo6/ Daily 3Evening e06e,3eG( -Answer below Fleetwood Mac, Nicki 60.Actor Scott Baio is 58. 197 AIR QUALITY ALLERGY REPORT Minaj and Cher, among Actress Catherine Oxenberg Daily Derby 385 Sacramento Today’sforecast is 57.Actress is RACE TIME:1:40.77 Sat others –and former first Bonnie Hunt 88/57/s based on PM2.5: 57.Actress is 43. Sun lady Michelle Obama, to Mireille Enos Good launch her book tour in Actress Daniella Alonso is 40. PAST DRAWS Napa Mon Moderate November. Actor Michael Graziadei is 39. 78/51/pc Rio Vista low med high Actress is 36. POWERBALL Unhealthy for Predominant Pollens: Just for the scale of its Katie Lowes Wednesday($163 million) 85/56/s sensitivegroups 4eeGs( Actress is 33. venues, there has never Tatiana Maslany Stockton Unhealthy 4394850 51 11 No data BURN RULES County status been arollout quite like —ASSOCIATED PRESS 90/59/s KEY: More information at San Joaquin No burning the one for Obama’s ...................................................... Winner: None www.sparetheair.com No burning memoir “Becoming,” with Today Merced unless Nextdraw: Manteca registered stops including the Pepsi ($178million) Stanislaus No Center in Denver and dozen show up, Obama’s 88/59/s restrictions, San Call: 800-766-4463 burning American Airlines Center appearances will be at Livermore Modesto SUPERLOTTO PLUS Francisco Online: valleyair.org discouraged in Dallas. Obama is the venues of 15,000 and Wednesday($33million) 67/54/f 88/55/s 88/61/s FIRE DANGER first to promote her book higher in capacity, with Atwater 8131530 41 24 Patterson Turlock 90/56/s Forecast on ascale common for top tickets that range from San Jose 88/58/s 90/59/s Extreme musical performers, even just under $30to$3,000. Winner: 1 81/56/s Very high using the entertainment (VIPtickets include the Nextdraw: Today($7 million) Merced High company Live Nation. chance to meet Obama.) Santa Cruz 92/57/s Moderate While the traditional —ASSOCIATED PRESS LosBanos Low 76/52/f bookstore reading is usu- 90/58/s –U.S. Forest Service ally free and might be Sky legend Gilroy called asuccess if afew SOURCE:CALIFORNIALOTTERY s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, 88/54/s U. S. CITIES c-cloudy, sh-showers, Fri.Today Sun. t-thunderstorms, r-rain, REGIONALOUTLOOK H/LPrcp. 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