Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/269572
9A Saturday, March 1, 2014 – Daily News Setting it straight –––––––– It is the policy of the Daily News to correct as quickly as possible all errors in fact that have been published in the newspaper. If you feel a factual error has been made in a news story, call the news department at 527-2153. pilot, whom he would only know as "Mac," was Gar- ner's friend from Alaba- ma. Mautner later said he believed Mac might have drinking the night before and he was certain the co- pilot had. Still that didn't stop Mautner from jumping at the chance to take a flight in the plane, when Mac suggested they take it up. Mautner, Garner and Mac laid the drunken co- pilot over the radio opera- tors and took off on a joy ride. The flight had a lasting impact on Mautner, who took photos of the bomber, which he would later have developed by an X-Ray technician in the medical core and sent back to his family in the United States. "These 'forts' are the greatest bombers in the world," Mautner wrote on the back of one photo. About a month later Garner came to see Maut- ner again. This time he was in tears. He told Mautner that Mac had been shot down and killed. Stories Capt. Edward Maut- ner's stories, particularly those about World War II's great aircraft, inspired his son Ed. Ed built model air- planes as a child, and a trip in 1957 to the Smithsonian Air Museum only fur- thered his love. Decades later Ed would land a job at the then renamed Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. He would also begin piecing together the histo- ry of father's joy riding flight. As Ed could tell from the photographs his father sent home, the B-17 he rode that day was My Baby, whose bumper art featured the likeness of Carmen Miranda. My Baby was one of more than 100 B-17s to feature nose art painted by Cpl. Tony Starcer, the line mechanic and 91st Bomb Group's artist who also painted Memphis Belle. Through his research and others Ed was able to trace the history of My Baby and Mac. He came across the official crew photo for My Baby, which he was able to determine — based on the number of bomb decals on the aircraft — was taken the morning Mac had met up with Gar- ner and his father. He was also put in touch with another 91st Bomb Squad pilot. Shot down Bob Kelley knew David McCarty as Mac just like everyone else. The two were stationed together and both had turns flying My Baby. Kelley had the last turn, when he lost two engines and a crew mem- ber while making a raid at a German manufacturing plant, which the Ameri- cans believed was pro- ducing chemical weapons. Kelley and all but one of the remaining crew hid in holes made by the French underground for nearly two weeks before returning to England. My Baby just barely missed crashing into a French city as it plummet- ed to the ground. Three days after My Baby crashed, McCarty piloted The Roxy Special on a similar mission to Ludwigshaven, Germany. While The Roxy Spe- cial's mission ended in much the same way as My Baby's did, most of the crew wasn't so fortunate. Mac was killed in action. Pieces of history Through English histo- rian and author Ray Bow- den and Kelley, Mautner has been able to detail the final months of My Baby and Mac. While Kelley has pro- vided Mautner a wealth of first-hand knowledge he's also provided more. Kelley has made sever- al trips back to the crash site of My Baby and has collected pieces of the air- craft — one of which he gave to Capt. Edward Mautner, which Ed took possession of after his father died. The younger Mautner, now working on a book about the history he has uncovered, came to Red Bluff Wednesday to meet Kelley. The two met up at the Red Bluff Hampton Inn & Suites to swap stories and share memorabilia. Kelley came dressed in his repli- ca bomber jacket. Mautner said the remaining living veterans such as Kelley are impor- tant sources of informa- tion, not just for what they know, but their personal collections. Mautner said a lot of times a veterans' families either don't know how important what they pos- sess is, or don't know what something is. Sometimes it's just a manner of a man who can put a name and a face on a passed down story about a day trip a joy riding pilot took 70 years ago. Rich Greene can be reached at 527-2151, ext. 109 or rgreene@redbluffdailyne ws.com. Continued from page 1A B-17 Photo courtesy of Bob Kelley My Baby is pictured during World War II. Out of Tehama County's 13,536 estimated income-eligible individu- als, 9,668 people in 2012 utilized CalFresh, which is federally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. "Stigma, complex application processes and confusion about pro- gram eligibility, among other fac- tors, can contribute to low CalFresh enrollment," according to a press release issued by CFPA. According to the U.S. Depart- ment of Agriculture, 57 percent of eligible Californians utilized Cal- Fresh in fiscal year 2011, according to the release. "As a result of this low participa- tion rate, California loses out on an estimated $3.5 billion in federal nutrition benefits each year, which would generate an estimated $6.3 billion in additional economic activ- ity," according to the release. About 4.3 million Californians were enrolled in CalFresh as of December 2013, according to the report. "This translates to more than $615 million in monthly nutrition assistance benefits for eligible chil- dren, adults, and seniors," according to the report. "Participating house- holds received an average of $330 in monthly CalFresh benefits during fiscal year 2013." CalFresh benefits are fully fund- ed by the federal government, according to the report. The federal government also covers 50 percent of CalFresh's administrative costs. The state and counties contribute the rest. The 2014 federal poverty level for a household of four is $23,550. Tehama County residents can apply for CalFresh assistance at the county's department of social ser- vices at 310 S. Main St. in Red Bluff. Those seeking eligibility requirements can also visit www.calfresh.ca.gov. Continued from page 1A REPORT out about their talent. One of their songs was used in the soundtrack of the movie, "The Secret of Wilson Hill." Caleb Songmaker, Matthew's father and biggest fan, provides his transportation since Matthew is not old enough to drive. Everyone at the facility looks forward to the monthly music visit. "Performers that bring joy to residents also help our staff work with smiles." said Russ Cobb, administrator. "A doctor once told me, 'I think your facility gives my patients a reason to live.'" More information about the band and where they'll be playing can be found at matthewsong- maker.com/Gigs.html. Continued from page 1A MUSIC The Daily News news and production depart- ments are also switching to new technology to facil- itate the change. Editor Chip Thompson said he hopes the change will allow the Daily News staff more time to devote to local coverage. Rich Greene can be reached at 527-2151, ext. 109 or rgreene@redbluffdailyne ws.com. Continued from page 1A DN impressive, especially in areas that typically don't receive much, but not nearly enough to offer long-term relief from a long-running drought. Downtown Los Angeles received about 2 inches — doubling its total for the rainy season that began in July, the National Weather Service said. The city remained 7 inches below the normal 11 inches. The last time a storm dumped 2 inches of rain in Los Angeles was March 2011. ''We need several large storms and we just don't see that on the horizon. This is a rogue storm,'' National Weather Service meteorologist Eric Boldt said. ''We will dry out next week.'' But for this rain, the service said, this would have been the driest December through February on record in Los Angeles. In Glendora, a city about 25 miles east of Los Ange- les that sits beneath nearly 2,000 acres of steep moun- tain slopes stripped by fire in January, a muddy soup of debris began to fill catch basins. With the vegetation gone, little held the dirt and rock in place. Homes were spared. Skip loaders scraped tons of mud off a road that funneled ooze, large rocks and other debris from a dam-like catch basin below the burn area down the steep roadway. Andrew Geleris, 59, of Pomona, spent the night with his 87-year-old mother at her home near the catch basin. ''I tried to talk her into evacuating yesterday,'' he said, ''but she's just stubborn.'' Meteorologists posted flood watches for many other areas denuded by fires over the past two years, and also warned of potential coastal flooding. Rain also fell along the central coast, the San Fran- cisco Bay area and Central Valley. Winter storm warnings were in effect in the Sierra Nevada. About 15 inches of new snow had fallen by mid-day Friday at the University of California, Berke- ley's Central Sierra Snow Lab located at 6,900 feet ele- vation. Earlier in the week, the state Department of Water Resources found that the Sierra snowpack had water content at only 24 percent of average for the date. ''All these (storm) events move us a little higher up, but we're still well below average,'' said researcher Ran- dall Osterhuber. Farmer Ray Gene Veldhuis, who grows almonds, walnuts and pistachios and runs a 2,300-cow dairy in the Central Valley's Merced County, welcomed the wet weather but knew it would not rescue California from drought. ''Hopefully, they keep coming,'' Veldhuis said of the storms. ''If not, we'll deal with the hand we're dealt.'' In neighboring Fresno County, a man was struck by lightning while looking for work at an oil field, officials said. He was found unconscious and taken to the hospi- tal. The storm did more than force Californians to reac- quaint themselves with their rain gear. Numerous traffic accidents occurred on slick or flooded roads across California, including one about 60 miles east of Los Angeles involving a big rig whose dri- ver died after falling from a freeway overpass. Two men and their dogs were rescued from the swift waters of the Los Angeles River. A few miles downriv- er, another man was pulled out and carried to safety. Hundreds of miles north in San Jose, firefighters also pulled a man from swollen Coyote Creek near a home- less encampment. Power outages hit about 32,000 customers, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and Southern California Edison said. The storm was good news for other Californians who didn't have to worry about mudslides. Kite-surfer Chris Strong braved pelting rain to take advantage of strong winds that gave him about an hour of fun over the pounding surf in the Sunset Beach enclave of Huntington Beach. ''I don't get to kite here in these conditions very often — only a handful of times — but you put them in the memory bank,'' he said. Surf schools in San Diego cancelled lessons, and asked their customers to be patient. ''It's unruly out there now but when the storm settles and it cleans up, there will be the best waves in the next few days,'' said Rick Gehris of Surfari Surf School. Storms this winter mostly began in the Pacific North- west and followed a U-shaped path across the country. This latest storm originated farther south and is ''taking a beeline across the middle of the country,'' said warn- ing meteorologist Greg Carbin at the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla. ''It's a different than other storms we've seen so far, but this is nothing all that unusual,'' he said. Continued from page 1A STORM California health officials: Outbreaks not linked SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Small but unusual outbreaks of tuber- culosis, measles and an extremely rare polio-like disease in several regions across California have set off concerns about the risks of exposure. All the infectious disease reports are actively being investigated, and Cali- fornia health officials say it is sheer coincidence that they arose at the same time. California Department of Public Health's chief of the communicable disease control division, James Watt, assessed each of the diseases and offered his tips about how to stay healthy: MEASLES: Even as the number of flu-related fatalities is falling in the state, public health officials warn that measles cases are on the rise. The virus, which is widespread outside the United States, spreads through the air and results in symp- toms including a fever, cough and runny nose. Watt said the best way to prevent infection is to get vaccinated. The California Department of Public Health had confirmed 15 measles cases statewide as of Feb. 21, four in the San Francisco Bay area. POLIO-LIKE ILLNESS: Stanford University researchers announced this week that a very rare, polio-like disease appeared in more than a dozen California children with- in the past year, and each of them suf- fered paralysis to one or more arms or legs. But public health officials haven't identified any common caus- es connecting the cases. Stanford University researchers are studying the illness, and doctors warned this week that any child showing a sudden onset of weakness in the limbs or symptoms of paralysis should be immediately seen by a doc- tor. TUBERCULOSIS: Sacramento County public health officials announced this week that a Northern California high school stu- dent was diagnosed with the lung dis- ease tuberculosis. The Grant Union High School student was reportedly receiving medical care and letters were being sent to parents of students who may have been exposed. Tuberculosis, also called TB, is passed through the air, usually when someone is coughing, laughing, singing or sneezing. California cop convicted of assaulting 5 women WEST SACRAMENTO (AP) — A former Northern California police officer is facing the possibility of life behind bars after he was convicted of sexually assaulting five women while authorities said he was on patrol. The Sacramento Bee reports (http://bit.ly/1jFSymO) that a Yolo County jury found Sergio Alvarez guilty on Thurs- day of 18 counts of kidnapping, rape and forced oral copu- lation. The jury could not reach a decision on ten other counts, including counts related to Alvarez's alleged attack on a sixth woman. Prosecutors said Alvarez, while serving as a West Sacra- mento police officer in 2011 and 2012, targeted drug addicts and prostitutes. He allegedly forced them to perform sex acts in his cruiser, back alleys and wooded lots.