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Obituaries RUSSELL EVERETT FULLINGIM (1938-2010) 72, of Red Bluff, California passed away on Monday, August 30, 2010. He was born on January 24, 1938, in Ventura, California. Sur- vivors include daughter Kathleen (Katie) Smith and her husband Roy of Sandy Springs, South Carolina; son Russell II (Smokey) and his wife Tonie of Eugene, Oregon; son Alexander (Alex) Fullingim of Red Bluff, California; grand- daughter Soraya Fullingim; grandsons Russell Fullingim III, and William Truesdale; sister Sylvia Cogdill of Highlands, California; nie- ces Debby Walker of Phoe- nix, Arizona, and Denise Norman of Beaumont, Cali- fornia; and 5 great grand- children. He was preceded in death by his parents Carl and Lucille Fullingim. Russell earned a Doctor- ate in Business Administra- tion from Trinity Southern University, he was owner and operator of Truckers Financial Services, and a certified Tax Preparer. He was an Air Force Veteran of the Korean and Vietnam wars. A Military Honors Service Russell Everett Fullingim, charge from the Navy at the conclusion of hostilities, Mr. Eskridge left the service of his country, settling in the San Francisco Bay Area.. His parents had transplant- ed there during the war. He married Descygne (Dee) Rushing on September 25, 1948 in Hayward, Calif. The couple have three children: Yvonne Weems of Law- rence, Kansas; Lonnie Es- kridge of Porterville, Calif.; and Melanie Annes of Gas- ton, Oregon. While living and working in the San Francisco Bay Area, Mr. Es- kridge worked for various construction-related compa- nies and even for a time owned and operated his own - H&H Insulating Co. Inc. in San Leandro. Mr. Eskridge is survived the former After an Honorable Dis- g BLAZE Continued from page 1A He described his neigh- bors as “quiet” and “nice.” One house further down, Connie Bazzan said she heard a series of explosions before the power went out. “I had just gotten off work, I had just sat down in my recliner, and I thought I could hear a gun going off,” she said. Someone burst into Thursday, September 9, 2010 – Daily News – 7A formance. When Bourne first Bazzan’s residence and dragged her out, she said. Bazzan, whose building shares a wall with In-Dog- Nito Dog Grooming, said she saw dog groomers try- ing to hose down the fire before they were warned about the ammunition. Richard Bourne, a wit- ness to some of the inci- dent, said he was amazed with the firefighters’ per- HOSTAGE Continued from page 1A will be held on Friday, Sep- tember 10, 2010, at 9:00 a.m. at the Northern Cali- fornia Veterans Cemetery in Igo, California. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the charity of your choice in memory of Rus- sell E. Fullingim. by his wife. They would have celebrated their 62nd Anniversary later this month. He is also survived by all three children and grandchildren Mark Weems of Ozawkie, Kansas; JoDee Pelkey of Corinna, Maine; Ross Eskridge of Eureka, Calif.; Katie Eskridge of El Cerrito, Calif.; and Samuel Annes, Daniel Annes, and Lydia Annes, all of Gaston, Oregon. Virgil and Dee also have three great grandsons: Levi Saving, Clayton Saving, and Easton Weems. He is also survived by sons-in- law Verle Weems and Larry Annes, Danette Eskridge, brother Elza Fay Eskridge, sister Eva Shumate, and sister-in- law Ruth Eskridge, all of Red Bluff, and brother-in- law and sister-in-law Ken and Carol Rushing of Colo- rado Springs, Colo. Surviv- ing family includes many beloved nieces and neph- ews. He was preceded in death by his parents, broth- ers Conover and Troy Es- kridge, and sisters Willa Pickett, Viola Cox, Ruby Roberts, and Baby Girl Es- kridge who died shortly af- ter birth. Virgil was a devout Chris- VIRGIL EMMETT ESKRIDGE Virgil Emmett Eskridge passed away Sunday, Sep- tember 5, 2010 in Red Bluff. He would have been 85 next month. A proud Navy Seabee veteran of World War II, Mr. Eskridge was a life member of the Red Bluff Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion. He served on the VFW Honor Guard for many years offi- ciating at the burials of fel- low veterans. He was also active in the First Southern Baptist Church of Red Bluff and has served several churches in various leader- ship chairs as Deacon, Trustee, and Teacher. For over twenty years he lead local chapters of Royal Am- bassadors, a Christian or- ganization for boys. He spent a lifetime in the con- struction trades and used that ability, expertise, and knowledge in leading sev- eral church building and expansion projects for Stewardship Southern Bap- tist Church in Hayward, Calif., Los Molinos First Baptist Church (Mill Creek Baptist Church), and Red Bluff First Southern Baptist Church. He also served the Red Bluff Lions Club as member and president and was named Lion of the Year in 1979/1980. Many in the Red Bluff area knew Mr. Eskridge for his opera- tion of Red Bluff Janitorial Service and Virgil’s Carpet Cleaning. He loved spend- ing time with his grandchil- dren. An avid reader, he was especially fond of American history and Bibli- cal studies, building a sub- stantial personal library. He volunteered with the Salva - tion Army and also visited people in assisted living and skilled nursing facili- ties. 7, 1925 in Formosa, Arkan- sas, the third son and sev- enth of nine children born to Elza and Eva Eskridge. He never finished high school, choosing instead to enlist in the U.S. Navy dur- ing World War II. He served with the Seabee 118th Battalion in the Pacif- ic Theater from 1943 till the end of the war in 1945. The Seabees were a specifi- cally designed Construction Battalion formed to build facilities shortly after or even during battles in both Theaters of War of World War II. A tongue-in-cheek de- scription from the Seabee annals described them this way: "A Seabee is a man of magical abilities: he can weld, build, drive, repair and fight; he can wreck or he can beautify, he can make something out of nothing; work never fazes him nor does he seem to tire of it." Mr. Eskridge lived out the "Can Do" motto of the Seabees the rest of his life, never backing down from a challenge. Virgil was born October daughter-in-law During the attack, Lee reportedly rammed the butt of a shotgun into the face of Manuel Lee, 82, break- ing the gun in the process. Along with Jeffrey Pulido, 52, Manuel Pulido tried to overpower Lee, but Lee was able to escape by biting Jef- frey Pulido in the arm, according to the release. Department logs show Lee briefly driving away from the resi- dence and returning. When Lee returned, the Pulidos fled, the release said. As deputies arrived, they were STREET Continued from page 1A on behalf of the Red Bluff Police Department. The award will help offset some overtime costs associated with in-house LASSEN Continued from page 1A tian and was proud of his religious heritage. Other passages of the Seabee an- nals seem a fitting tribute to him: "A Seabee is a compo- site. He has the appetite of a horse, the digestion of a sword swallower, the ener- gy of a pocket-sized atomic bomb, the curiosity of a cat, the lungs of a dictator, the imagination of a Paul Bunyan, the slyness of a vi- olin, the enthusiasm of a firecracker and the spirit of a fighting cock." Interment will be at the Northern California Veter- ans Cemetery in Igo, Cali- fornia at 11:30 am. Friday, September 10, 2010. Fol- lowed by a memorial serv- ice at 3pm at First Southern Baptist Church, 585 Kimball Road, Red Bluff, officiated by Clyde Brandt, In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Homes of Hope, PO Box 8434, Red Bluff. Arrangements are being handled by Hoyt-Cole Chapel of the Flowers. Death Notice Gene Mitzel Gene Mitzel died Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2010, in Red Bluff. He was 82. Hoyt-Cole Chapel of the Flowers is handling the arrangements. Published Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010, in the Daily News, Red Bluff, Calif. Fishermen to get federal funds again HALF MOON BAY (AP) — California salmon fishermen can receive another round of federal disaster funds fol- lowing another subpar year because of declining stocks. U.S. Commerce Secre- tary Gary Locke formally declared California’s salmon fishery a disaster last week as the state’s shortened Chinook fish- ing season concluded. The previous two years of salmon fishing were can- celed altogether after Chi- nook populations dwin- dled. Federal fisheries regu- lators estimate that salmon fishermen earned less than $3 million this year — about 81 percent less than was averaged in 2003-05. Park Superintendent Darlene Koontz. “We get a group together annually to talk about issues. This year we want- ed to focus on the economic impacts of being gateway communities with our neighbors.” The goal is to get everyone mov- ing in the same direction, she said. “There’s a momentum going and we’re trying to push that momentum and keep it going,” Koontz said. “Really what we’re doing is brain- storming and we want to hear your ideas.” Michelle Archie of Harbinger Consulting Group was on hand to speak to the group about the economy and the effect of having the park near- by. “Our main goal at the end isn’t a to-do list but a things-we-want-to-do list,” Archie said. “Our job is to give ideas to spark conversation. To look at the economy in a different way and at what partnerships can do for you.” Archie began by looking at four reports compiled over the last seven years on the impacts of having National Parks close by, quoting Jonathan Tourtellot of National Geo- graphic who said that a park and its gateways are really a single destina- tion. “My experience is that a relation- ship between parks and gateway communities can make a big differ- ence because economic success is increasingly linked with quality of life,” Archie said. Key factors to success are spectac- ular natural settings, abundant and varied wild life, easy access to out- door recreation and small, friendly towns, Archie said. A study from 1971 to 2000 showed that non-metropolitan com- munities, such as Tehama, Lassen and Plumas counties, showed signifi- cant growth in employment, popula- tion and personal income in compari- son to similar counties not near a park and even outstripped the national averages, Archie said. According to a 2008 study of eco- nomic benefits, non-local spending was about $14.6 million in Lassen and 275 jobs were supported, while park payroll spending brought anoth- er $5.8 million and supported 121 jobs for a total of $18.3 million in spending and 396 jobs supported, she said. “Parks are magnets for visitors and SACRAMENTO (AP) — The California High- way Patrol says vehicle thefts in the state are down for the fourth consecutive year. The agency said Wednesday that vehicle thefts in California dropped 15 percent from 2008 to 2009. Of the vehi- cles reported stolen last year, more than 88 percent were recovered. Southern California is a hot spot for vehicle theft. The agency says approxi- mately 53 percent of all arrived, the flames and smoke were towering. But the firefighters stopped the flames from reaching beyond the first house. “They were mar- velous,” Bourne said. A few blocks down, Dan Johnson ushered in as many neighbors as he could. A former cook, John- son said he made sand- able to reach Lee by telephone. Lee claimed to be armed and suicidal and was uncooperative, according to the release. Joined by Corning Police and officers from the California High- way Patrol, deputies kept Lee con- fined to the residence until members of the Tehama County Inter-agency SWAT team arrived around 10 p.m. and attempted to contact Lee. When Lee refused to respond, SWAT members entered the resi- dence and found Lee in a bedroom, where he became combative, according to the release. He was subsequently taken to St. Elizabeth Community Hospital where he was treated for an over- training programs such as range, impact weapons training and Taser train- ing, Nanfito said. The grant does not require any matching funds. This year’s award is about $3,000 less than what the department wiches for 10 to 15 resi- dents and children living near the fire who were evacuated due to the ammunition. “It’s something anyone else would have done,” he said. ——— Geoff Johnson can be reached at 527-2153, exten- sion 114 or gjohnson@red- bluffdailynews.com. dose of an unspecified drug, though logs indicate police heard he had been taking “pills” of some kind. Lee was subsequently arrested on suspicion of false imprisonment, criminal threats, being a felon in possession of a firearm, being armed in the commission of a felony, assault with a deadly weapon and a warrant out of Contra Costa County. Bail was set at $525,000. Calls to Sheriff Clay Parker and department administration were not returned Wednesday afternoon. ——— Geoff Johnson can be reached at 527-2153, extension 114 or gjohn- son@redbluffdailynews.com. received last year. In 2008-2009, the city did not receive any grant money. Nanfito said, though his department applies for the grant annually, it is not guaranteed it will receive the grant. He is unsure of ‘There’s a lot of information out there, but this generation won’t just sit and read three pages of information before visiting’ Julie James, Lassen County Chamber of Commerce new residents,” Archie said. Working in favor of Lassen, which is made up of National Forest, Wilderness and National Park lands, is a complex of high quality public lands and doesn’t rely on one area to do it all, Archie said. Recent trends have seen an upsurge in outdoor recreation with backpacking up 19 percent from 2007 to 2008 and hiking up 9 percent. The top three things Lassen visi- tors enjoy, according to a 1999 survey scheduled to be conducted again in August 2011, are scenic views at 76 percent, natural features at 74 percent and wilderness at 58 percent, she said. Archie looked at what other national parks are doing, such as sup- porting highway reconstruction, con- ducting regional projects they collab- orate on with partners, having a trail master plan to connect communities to the park and each other and expanding night sky programs and changing lighting to make it less obtrusive. “What we’re really here to talk about is opportunities in and about Lassen,” said Bill Ellena of High Country Inn and the Lassen County Chamber. Participants were broken up into four groups to discuss employment opportunities and quality of life; land- scape management; education, sus- tainability and alternative energy; and business opportunities. Ron Martin, supervisory protec- tion ranger, presented for the employ- ment opportunities group. Ideas included training employ- ment agencies on how to apply for government jobs, expanding intern- ship groups, hosting a “show and tell” CHP says vehicle thefts are down thefts in 2009 occurred in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties. But San Diego County had the largest drop in thefts, down 30 percent in 2009 from the year before. Located in Chico, CA Combining Quality and Low Cost is what we do. 529-3655 www.affordablemortuary.net how the US Department of Justice determines which agencies receive the award each year. ——— Tang Lor can be reached at 527-2153, Ext. 110 or by e-mail at tlor@redbluffdailynews.co m. event for community leaders so they can become informed on what Lassen offers and become spokespersons and creating a regional map showing recreation areas and where to go to find them. Landscape management was pre- sented by Dan Ostmann, park fuels crew supervisor. The group said agencies in the area should find common ground and allow more time to spread word to the community about activities being offered. A newsletter should be developed to be sent to a broad group of people with announcements from the park and Forest Service. Tom Garcia, park assistant fire management officer, presented for the education group, which identified a need for greater regional collabora- tion and a development of a trans- portation plan for the region. Susan Bryner, owner of B&B Booksellers in Chester and executive director of the Chester Chamber of Commerce, presented for business opportunities. The group said there should be a three-year plan, an emphasis on developing healthy communities to draw more people to the area, collab- oration through a Lassen Gateway Coalition to meet twice a year and a coordinated marketing plan. Lassen National Forest Supervisor Jerry Bird volunteered to host the first coalition meeting. Tourism, presented by Jared Han- cock, of Susanville, suggested a sig- nage campaign of “We are open” signs. One sign in Red Bluff, cited by Beth Glenn of Mineral Lodge, con- fuses people about whether the park is open during the winter. While many roads are closed throughout the park there are areas such as the visitor centers on the north and south entrances that are open during winter and guided snow- shoe tours are offered January to April. “There’s a lot of information out there, but this generation won’t just sit and read three pages of informa- tion before visiting,” said Julie James of the Lassen County Chamber of Commerce, discussing the need to put information and videos online. The group decided there should be a survey of non-visitors in addition to visitors to see what they are looking for in the park. ——— Julie Zeeb can be reached at 527- 2153, extension 115 or jzeeb@redbluffdailynews.com.