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Saturday, February 12, 2011 – Daily News – 7A Obituary DAVID "DOC" SILVA Long time resident of Corning, David “Doc” Silva passed away July 12, 2010 of congestive heart failure. Dave was born on July 4, 1948 and raised in San Pablo, CA. He came to Corning in 1977 as the first Chiropractor in town after graduating from Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, IA. Dave’s hobbies included softball, bowl- ing, hunting, fishing and coin collecting. He was also a member of the Orland Moose Lodge. Dave is survived by his father David R. Silva of Sacra- mento, mother Patricia Ball of Newark, two sons, Antho- ny of Hampton, VA and Daniel of Pooler, GA, and 4 grandchildren. A celebration of life will be held at Java Lanes Bowling Center in Corning on Saturday February 19, 2011 at 12:00. STING Continued from page 1A Eight unlicensed opera- tors who bid more than $500 for labor and materi- als were arrested and received a notice to appear in Tehama County Superi- or Court to face misde- meanor charges of con- tracting without a license. Six will face an addi- tional charge for illegal advertising. A ninth person was not arrested, but did receive a $3,000 citation from the Department of Industrial Relations for employing two people without having workers’ compensation insurance. “We cannot stress enough how important it is to make sure the people you hire to work in and around your home are properly license by the state of California,” said license board Registrar Steve Sands. “It’s a level of protection that can keep you from becoming a vic- tim of fraud.” Dueck is no stranger to the license board investiga- tors. His painting license was revoked in 1995 after failing to comply with terms of two administra- tive citations and failing to pay back claims against his license bond. Dueck was cited in 2000 after a con- sumer complaint and failed to pay the $1,500 citation. Last April, Dueck was arrested in an undercover sting and pleaded guilty to a charge of contracting without a license. He was on probation at the time of his arrest this week and even told the undercover investigator before he was arrested that he was ner- vous about being caught again. The license board will ask the Tehama County District Attorney’s Office to charge Dueck for violat- ing Business & Profes- sions Code, which raises the penalties for a second offense of contracting without a license to a $5,000 fine and 90 days in jail. The following eight sus- pects received notices to appear: • Stephen Boyce Schmidt, 56, of Red Bluff, for contracting without a license and illegal advertis- ing under the C-33 paint- ing license classification. • Randy Wade Dueck, 50, of Red Bluff, for repeat offender, contracting with- out a license and illegal advertising under the C-33 painting license classifica- tion. • Stephen Norman Dutro Jr., 33, of Cotton- wood, for contracting without a license and ille- gal advertising under the C-15 flooring license clas- sification. • Tracy Darren Driskell, 38, of Redding, for con- tracting without a license and illegal advertising under the C-54 tile license classification. • John Leslie Rickard Jr., 48, of Redding, for contracting without a license under the C-54 tile license classification. • David Wesley Vance, 54, of Redding, for con- tracting without a license and illegal advertising under the C-33 painting license classification. • Vaughn Norman Led- better, 42, of Redding, for contracting without a license under the C-33 painting license classifica- tion. • Cory Lee Hall, 37, of Shasta Lake City, for con- tracting without a license and illegal advertising under the C-33 painting license classification. California law requires all home improvement jobs valued at more than $500 to be undertaken by a licensed contractor. Con- tractors must place their state license number in all advertisements. Unli- censed individuals may advertise and accept jobs valued at less than $500, but their ads must state that they are not a licensed con- tractor. State law requires those selling home improvement services for licensed contractors to reg- ister with the license board. The license board urges consumers to follow these tips before hiring a home improvement contractor: • Verify the contractor’s license online at www.cslb.ca.gov • Ask to see a photo identification to verify the contractor’s identity • Don’t pay more than 10 percent down or $1,000, whichever is less. There is an exception to this rule for about two dozen contrac- tors who purchase special bonds and are noted on the license board’s website. • Don’t pay in cash, and don’t let the payments get ahead of the work. • Get at least three bids and insist on a written con- tract before your project begins. Information and publi- cations about hiring con- tractors are available on the license board’s web- site or by calling 800-321- CSLB (2752). California open primary system to get first test SACRAMENTO (AP) — Califor- nia voters upset with partisan gridlock decided last year to try a new way of electing lawmakers — an open prima- ry where only the top two vote-getters advance, even if they are from the same political party. The system gets its first test Tues- day in two Southern California special elections. Voters in the 17th and 28th Senate districts are choosing succes- sors for George Runner, who was elected to the Board of Equalization, and Jenny Oropeza, who died in office. Political strategists say candidates will have to appeal to a broader con- stituency now that Republicans, Democrats, independents and mem- bers of minor parties all choose from the same list of candidates. The top two candidates will head to a runoff election if no one receives more than 50 percent of the vote. TRIAL Continued from page 1A trial. Deputy district attorney Glenn Jennings said Hodge intentionally got into his truck drunk, knew it was dangerous and acted with disregard for human life. “There is ample evidence to show he knew if he got into a vehicle and drove while intoxicated he could kill somebody,” Jennings said. The defendant’s driver’s license was suspended and a Butte County judge had ordered him to install an ignition interlock device into his vehicles, which he had not done, Jennings said. The device is a type of breathalyzer that prevents a vehicle from starting if it detects a higher than pre-set alcohol level on the breath of the person who blows into it. Defense attorney Grady Davis said he thinks it was a “mean effort” by prosecu- tion to charge murder. “Someone’s life was lost and now my client’s life sits in the balance,” Davis said. He said he can see Hodge is guilt-stricken by the awful event. “It was a tragic event but it wasn’t murder,” Davis said. California Highway Patrol investigator Noel ROCKS Continued from page 1A with students. The main thing he told me is be yourself and talk about what interests you.” Deike said she started out collecting items from around her house including fossils she had collected on filed trips in college. “As I sat there with the fossils in my hand I thought there has to be some way to get across to these kids how old they were,” Deike said. “They’re 350 million years old and I knew it would blow them away. For me it was an ‘oh- wow’ moment (holding the fossils) and that’s what I wanted to get across to them.” Deike was able to come up with 14 different mysteries to show the chil- dren. Each mystery kit had an item with some information on a sheet of paper with a few facts and questions but left some things unsaid. Deciding to call her program Become a Rock Detective because children love to be detectives, Deike said she wanted each mystery to have something that would give the children an “oh wow” moment. “I want them to discover it for them- BARN Continued from page 1A network, which could include local dealers, Mar- keting Manager Kate Gris- som said. The acquisition included local barn busi- ness Barns by Harrahs, which will create employ- ment locally. Barns are manufactured out of Ontario, where more than 35 people are employed at the plant. The tribe owns several successful businesses in the general contracting, envi- ronmental services, waste and stopped next to his patrol car about 11:20 p.m. Nov. 14 on Highway 99. White was assisting just south of the collision that occurred about five hours earlier, for which Smith had set up the detour roadblock. White said the previous crash was blocking the road. The officer noticed Hodge’s truck had damage to the right front and there was blood on it, he testified. White said Hodge smelled of alcohol, admitted he had about two Budweiser beers and failed field sobri- ety tests. “I concluded Mr. Hodge MediaNews photo Coady testified he special- izes in the human factor for crashes in a Multidiscipli- nary Accident Investigation Team. Coady testified he inter- viewed Caltrans worker Michael Hyde, who was standing side by side with Smith behind orange cones as Hodge approached the detour roadblock they were working. They had just enough time for a “last sec- ond reaction” after they realized the vehicle would not turn, Coady said Hyde told him. Hyde took his “escape route” east and Smith stepped west and was struck by the vehicle, Coady testi- fied. “He believed without moving, Gary would have been struck whether he took that step or not,” Coady said. The officer said debris on the road near the impact matched crack lines on Hodge’s truck. Coady testified he inter- viewed Hodge a few hours after the crash. He said Hodge admitted he was dri- ving, was an alcoholic and had completed two or three drunken driving aversion classes. CHP Officer Ryan White testified Hodge pulled up selves because what we discover our- selves, we remember,” Deike said. Deike had nothing to worry about when it came to keeping her grand- daughter’s class occupied. She was surprised to find her mysteries kept them occupied for three hours, she said. Two big events caused her to take her trips to the classroom to the next level and form a non-profit organiza- tion, she said. A friend told her about a collection being sold that was gathered by a geol- ogist who traveled for 25 years collect- ing samples of fossils all over the world. “I ended up with a whole basement full of rocks and I knew I wanted to get them cleaned up and into classrooms,” Deike said. Deike then heard from a friend about the closure of a warehouse full of items collected by geologists from Alaska, Japan, Africa and Costa Rica. “These rocks were collected from all over at the tax-payers’ expense and if I could get them into classrooms to teach how the earth works, then the taxpayers’ money would be going into education.” She ended up with about 40 pallets full of boxes with rocks and from there management, real estate investment and architectur- al design industries. The tribe owns and operates Rolling Hills Casino and resort, which includes two hotels, three restaurants, an 18-hole golf course, event center, travel center and three restaurants. “MD Barnmaster will compliment our other business ventures, and we can utilize our existing resources to strengthen this company,” said John Crosby, director of eco- nomic development for the tribe. Calif. Advocates campaign in teen farmworker death STOCKTON (AP) — The farmworkers union and rela- tives of a pregnant teen who died from heat stroke in a Cali- fornia vineyard said Thursday they are planning vigils and marches to hold farm officials accountable in the death. The United Farm Workers of America and its allies want a judge to dismiss a plea deal for two of the three defendants ini- tially charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of 17-year-old Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez. Authorities believe the teen collapsed because her supervi- sors denied her access to shade and water as she pruned grapes for nine hours in nearly triple- digit heat in 2008. The plea deal is expected to be finalized on March 9, San Joaquin County District Attor- ney Lester Fleming said. “Community service is not an adequate punishment for causing death,” said Maria Isabel’s uncle, Doroteo Jimenez. “We’re fighting this, because as farmworkers we’re considered a lower kind of peo- ple.” Authorities said Maria De Los Angeles Colunga, the teen’s employer and owner of Atwater-based Merced Farm Labor, was set to plead no contest to a misdemeanor count of failing to provide access to shade, with a sen- tence of 40 hours of communi- ty service. Elias Armenta, Colunga’s brother and the company’s for- mer safety coordinator, plans to plead no contest to a felony charge of failing to follow a safety regulation that resulted in a worker’s death, which would carry a sentence of 480 hours of community service, Fleming said. was intoxicated to the point he could not safely operate a vehicle,” White testified. The officer then arrested Hodge. He searched Hodge’s truck and did not see an ignition interlock device. When Hodge relented to a blood alcohol test at Enloe Medical Center in Chico, the result was a 0.20 blood alcohol level. The legal dri- ving limit is 0.08. Hodge is scheduled to return to court Feb. 24 for arraignment following the hearing. He remains in cus- tody at Butte County Jail with more than $1 million bail. Katy Sweeny is a reporter for the Chico Enterprise-Record. decided to form the non-profit, which puts together geology kits for teachers. In 2007, Deike moved, bringing her non-profit organization with her, from Dresden Mills, Maine to Red Bluff to be closer to her son and his family, and because of her love for geology. The fact that California’s geology is a lot like what Maine’s used to be many years ago fascinated her, Deike said. Deike said she estimates she has sent out more than 80,000 individual samples since she began. With about 200 mysteries in her repertoire, she would like to get togeth- er a network of volunteers and possibly interns to help out, Deike said. “I can’t pay much, but it’s a great learning environment that gives them more experience in business and sci- ence,” Deike said. She is also hoping to visit more classrooms, especially third, fourth and fifth grades, in Tehama County, which won’t cost a thing for teachers, Deike said. For more information on the pro- gram or to volunteer, call Deike at 529- 4890 or visit www.rockdetective.org. ——— Julie Zeeb can be reached at 527- 2153, extension 115 or jzeeb@redbluffdailynews.com. MD Barnmaster has 150,000 customers world- wide with projects ranging from 1-stall horse barns on family farms to a 1,000- stall equine facility. In addition to barns, MD Barnmaster designs and builds commercial storage buildings, agricultural buildings, garages, sheds, corrals and other modular structures. Thomas, himself a horseman, is as enthusias- tic about the quality of MD Barnmaster barns as he is about the company’s earning potential for the tribe. “These barns come with huge benefits,” Thomas said. “They are cost-effective to construct, good-looking, easy to maintain and built to help withstand snow, heavy winds, fire, earthquakes and kicking horses. The company has an excep- tional reputation for quali- ty and customer service. I am confident that MD Barnmaster will be a suc- cessful acquisition for the tribe because of the bene- fits these barns offer.” For information, visit mdbarnmaster.com or call 1-800-343-BARN. Landfill to hold ag tire collection event The Tehama County/Red Bluff Landfill is holding a free agricultural tire collection event Feb. 14-25 at the Landfill, 19995 Plymire Road. Vouchers are required. In total, 250 vouchers are available at Corning City Hall, Tehama County Agricultural Department, Tehama County/Red Bluff Landfill and Tehama County Farm Bureau. Each voucher is valid for two tires, maximum of six tires per address. Tires can be dropped off during the landfill’s normal business hours. For more information call 528-1103.