Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/288630
raise $5,000 at the inaugural Ride for Life. The event drew more than 200 riders and raised more than $20,000. "This event could not go on without the sup - p o r t o f t h e c o m m u - n it y," Macdona ld sa id . Pa r ticipa nt s op en t he event by walking the first l ap, le ad i n g r i d erle s s horses in remembrance of those lost to cancer. Teams then have at least one member taking laps a rou nd the fa irg round arena throughout the day. At 11 a.m., riders circle the track to honor cancer sur- vivors. "The whole day is for those survivors who get to ride that lap," Macdon - ald said. "We continue to do the ride because we want more survivors to be in that lap every year." Pa r ticipa nts have sa id emotions run high dur- ing the event and survi- vors' lap, running the spec- trum from sorrow and sad- ness to hope and elation. Organizers have said the survivors' lap illustrates the mission of Ride for Life, which aims to assist in finding a cure for cancer. "Each year we are pleased to see more and more sur- vivors, and those survivors who've been with us from the beginning," according to the Ride for Life website. "That's why we ride." The Ride for Life will also include Locks for Love station where the partici - pant who donates the most hair will be crowned the Locks for Love champion. For mor e i n for m at ion visit www.norcalheroride- forlife.org. Ride From Page 1 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 be - lieve a factual error has been made in a news story, call 527-2151, Ext. 112. ——— An opinion column writ - ten by Don Polson in Tues- day's edition contained an incorrect name. The fea- tured speaker at the recent Tehama County Republican dinner was Dennis Revell, son-in-law of Ronald Rea - gan. The Daily News regrets the error. CorreCtion the state including the Red Bluff Police Department. In addition April 2-8 is California Teen Safe Driving Week, dedicated to empow - ering teens to make mean- ingful behavioral changes in their own driving habits as well as to promote safe driv- ing in communities. "Distracted driving has be- come a dangerous epidemic nationwide and we want to do everything we can to stop it here and now," OTS acting Director Russia Chavis said. According to a joint press release across the na - tion an estimated 3,328 peo- ple died and 421,000 more were injured in motor vehi- cle crashes involving a dis- tracted driver in 2012. "Catastrophic crashes can happen in a split second. No text or phone call is worth the risk," said California State Transportation Agency Sec - retary Brian Kelly. While any activity that di- verts a driver's attention away from the primary task of driv- ing is considered distracting, the recent rise in cell phone use has greatly increased the number of collisions, the press release said. The month-long program, named "It's Not Worth It!," cites research that says send - ing or receiving a text takes a driver's eyes off of the road for an average of 4.6 seconds. Typically at freeway speeds even a 3-second glance means a driver has traveled the dis - tance of a football field. A year ago the California Department of Motor Vehicles reported more than 426,000 handheld cell phone and tex - ting convictions. More than 57,000 of those were issued in April. The ticket cost for first time texting or handheld cell phone violation in California is around $161, subsequent tickets are around $282. "We take the issue of dis - tracted driving very seri- ously, because we see the af- termath of these totally pre- ventable crashes." Red Bluff Police Chief Paul Nanfito said. "Is that text message or cell phone call really wroth $161, or worse, someone's life?" To avoid falling victim to distracted driving behaviors, OTS and CHP recommend the following tips: • Turn off your phone or put it in silent mode, then put it out of reach while driving • Record an outgoing message on your phone that tells callers you're driving and will get back to them when you're off the road. • Adjust controls and set your song playlist before you set out on the road. • If it's urgent, pull over in a safe place to place a call. • Focus on driving, and avoid eating, drinking, read - ing, grooming, smoking, and any other activity that takes your mind and eyes off the road. Cellphone From Page 1 Yet those closely moni- toring California's drought aren't impressed and hold little hope that the snowpack surveyors will report back any good news. "Expect it to be really, really abnormally low," said Peter Gleick, president of the Oakland-based Pacific Institute. He spoke in a con - ference call Monday with re- porters in anticipation of the state releasing its official snowpack figures. California is in its third consecutive dry year, and in January Gov. Jerry Brown declared a drought emer - gency. Before the recent storms, California's snow-wa- ter content was estimated to be at 25 percent of normal. The California Depart- ment of Water Resources measures the snowpack monthly during the wet season. The Sierra Nevada snowpack is important be - cause it stores water that melts in the spring as run- off. Communities and farm- ers depend on it during Cal- ifornia's hot, dry summers. The April 1 survey is critical because it marks the peak of the snowpack. There's just one month re - maining of the rainy sea- son. Some farmers in the parched Central Valley have been told they will re - ceive no irrigation water from California's two vast systems of reservoirs and canals this summer, and many have left fields unplanted. Updated estimates on irrigation wa - ter from state and federal of- ficials for farmers won't be ready for days or weeks. Nancy Vogel, a spokes- woman for California's De- partment of Water Re- sources, said the state water levels remain in flux, given the current wet weather. An- other weaker system is fore- cast to hit California late Thursday and into Friday. "It'll take some time to quantify the results of the storms," she said. "Hope - fully, it'll still be snowing." Snowpack From Page 1 of the attack before being transported to the hospi- tal by ambulance, accord- ing to the release. He later said in a general statement that he had been assaulted somewhere on Monroe Street. Red Bluff police said they identified Hamilton as the suspect involved in the attack during an inves - tigation and contacted him at Crystal Complex, where he was taken into custody and then transported to the police department. Hamilton was booked into Tehama County Jail, where he is being held in lieu of $110,000 bail. Assault From Page 1 By Brian Skoloff The Associated Press nogaLeS, ariz. » Roman Catholic leaders made a rare visit to the border and cele- brated Mass on Tuesday in the shadow of the fence sep- arating the U.S. and Mex- ico, offering Holy Commu- nion through the steel bar- rier to people on the Mexican side as they sought to bring attention to the plight of im- migrants. Cardinal Sean O'Malley, the leader of the Boston Archdiocese, led a delega - tion of bishops from around the country and Mexico in the trip to the border, less than a week after President Barack Obama discussed immigration reform in a meeting with Pope Francis. They toured the border city of Nogales, walked along a notorious section of the bor - der that was once a popular crossing point for drug and immigrant smugglers, and celebrated Mass just a few feet from the fence. The Catholic leaders be - lieve that immigration is a humanitarian issue that deserves urgent attention by Congress. They cite the dozens of immigrants who die each year in the bru - tal desert terrain while try- ing to cross illegally into the United States along the roughly 2,000-mile-long bor- der with Mexico and note that the immigrants are sim- ply trying to find better lives in America. "This is not just a politi- cal or economic problem," O'Malley said Tuesday. "This is a moral problem." Several hundred people at - tended the Mass, which was translated into Spanish, and a few dozen people peered through the border fence from Mexico to watch the cer - emony. O'Malley and Bishop Gerald Kicanas of the Tucson Diocese offered Holy Commu- nion through the fence, pro- viding people in Mexico wa- fers as a blessing as some of the recipients broke down in tears. During the Mass, the clergymen laid a wreath at the border wall to remem - ber those who have died. It followed a similar event in Lampedusa, Italy, last year when the pope threw a wreath into the Mediter - ranean Sea to remember migrants who have died at- tempting to reach Europe. The push for immigra- tion reform in Congress has been stalled for months, with Democrats and Re- publicans unable to reach an agreement over the divi- sive issue. House Democrats last week tried to force a vote on a comprehensive immi - gration bill, an effort that is likely to fail given Republi- can reluctance to address the topic in an election year while all signs point to major gains for the GOP in the No - vember midterms. The Senate passed a com- prehensive bill last June, but the measure stalled in the GOP-controlled House, where Republicans have argued for a piecemeal ap - proach to reforming the sys- tem. Arizona state Sen. Al Mel- vin, a Republican running for governor, said the clergy visit will do little to solve problems on the border. He said devel - oping private-sector jobs in northern Mexico and secur- ing the border to prevent drug and human trafficking are needed to bring stability to both sides of the interna- tional boundary. "Frankly, and I am a Cath- olic, I think this is irrespon- sible of these bishops to be down there," Melvin said. "They are not bringing sta- bility to the border. They are adding to the chaos of the border. And it's not helping to save lives. If anything, I believe it will contribute to more lives being lost. We need to secure the border to protect lives." During his first meeting with Pope Francis last week at the Vatican, Obama ex - pressed his interest in get- ting immigration reform through Congress, explain- ing during a news confer- ence that "there was still an opportunity for us to make this right and get a law passed." "And as someone who came from Latin America, I think he (Pope Francis) is very mind - ful of the plight of so many im- migrants who are wonderful people, working hard, making contributions, many of their children are U.S. citizens, and yet they still live in the shad - ows, in many cases have been deported and are separated from families," Obama said. Mike Fleming traveled from Tucson to attend the Mass and voiced his support for the message of the Cath - olic leaders. "Someday in my lifetime I hope this comes down," Fleming said. "We're all one people. As Christians, we're all one people under God. There's no need for this wall." immigration Bishops celebrate Mass along Mexico border Rich PedRoncelli — AssociAted PRess Frank Gehrke, chief of snow surveys for the department of Water Resources, found that the snow pack at echo summit was 33.7 inches deep with a water content of 8.1 inches. that number is 29 percent of normal for this site at this time of year. MAtt YoRk — the AssociAted PRess cardinal sean o'Malley blesses a family aer mass tuesday along the international border wall in nogales, Ariz. o'Malley was one of several bishops who serve along the U.s./Mexico border visiting the town to bring awareness to immigration reform. By Jason Dearen The Associated Press S a n F r a nCi S Co » Pa - cific Gas and Electric was charged on Tuesday with federal felony counts involv- ing safety violations linked to a 2010 natural gas pipe- line explosion that killed eight people in the San Francisco Bay Area. The indictment charges the utility with 12 felonies and accuses it of violating numerous federal pipeline safety laws. Federal prosecutors al - lege that PG&E knowingly relied on erroneous and in- complete information when assessing the safety of the pipeline that eventually ruptured, sparked a fire - ball and leveled 38 homes in San Bruno. "The citizens of North- ern California deserve to have their utility providers put the safety of the com- munity first," U.S. Attor- ney Melinda Haag said in a news release. Prosecutors also accused the company of failing to act on threats in its pipe- line system even after the problems were identified by its own inspectors. About a year after the ex - plosion, investigators with the National Transporta- tion Safety Board found that these lapses by PG&E led to the blast. PG&E Chairman and CEO Tony Earley said Tuesday the company is holding itself accountable and is deeply sorry. "We have worked hard to do the right thing for victims, their families and the community, and we will continue to do so," Earley said in a statement. "We want all of our customers and their families to know that nothing will distract us from our mission of trans - forming this 100-plus-year- old system into the safest and most reliable natural gas system in the country." FeDeraL Court PG &E c ri mi na ll y charged in pipeline blast Accused of violating safety laws in 2010 RALPH WEBER Ralph Weber passed away on Tuesday, March 25, 2014, after a short illness. Ralph was born in North Dakota in 1927 to loving parents. The family later moved to Hay- ward, CA. He was a WWII veteran. He worked much of his life in road construction. After his retirement, he en- joyed RVing over the past 20+ years. He is survived by his sister, Mary Fraulino of Fremont, CA, a son, Michael Weber of Bakersfield, CA, and a daughter, Patty Blythe of Redding, CA, 2 grandsons and one great grandson. There will be services held at the No. CA Veterans Cem- etery in Igo, CA, on Friday, April 4th at 9:30 am. Please join the family for a Celebration of Life immediately fol- lowing the service at the Red Bluff Moose Lodge at 11745 State Highway 99W. Arrangements under the direction of Allen and Dahl, Redding, CA. Obituaries 900 Jackson St. • 527-1833 Lic. #0530362 Home Auto Farm Commercial www.andy4ins.com ANDY HOUGHTON Insurance Agency Motorcycle Boat RV Life The Passing Parade is brought to you by by Minch Property Management, 760 Main Street specializing in commercial leasing and sales. 530 527 5514 THE PASSING PARADE (From Dave Minch's I Say column of January 1959) There was a wave of kidnapping for ransom in the United States about 25 years ago. The vicious cold blooded killers kidnapped little children, killed them and then tried to collect ransom from their folks. No efforts of our government could stop these outrages .Then Brook Harte, son of a department store owner in San Jose, was kidnapped. The captors killed the hapless boy and dumped his body over a bridge. By outstanding police work two men were captured and lodged in the San Jose jail. The citizens had apparently suffered enough from the news of the brutal crime and knew that these confessed murderers, if convicted, would very likely get only a life sentence. That night, mob rule took over in San Jose. There was no television then, but everyone sat by their radios as all other programs were taken off the air. The mob began collecting early. They were in no mood to be stopped, many having children of their own. The Sheriff of Santa Clara County called on Governor Rolph to send in the State Militia, but the Governor knew it would do no good to kill a lot of citizens who were willing to die to carry out their plans. As Rolph hesitated, the mob broke down the front doors with by using a telephone pole as a battering ram. The kidnappers were strung up in the city park and cut to pieces. Pictures were taken and circulated over the country. I am not writing this to defend mob rule which is never right, but the way these men died, and the fact they died immediately, stopped most of the kidnapping for many years. My son Robert, along with several others, did not agree with my position in favor of Capital Punishment. His argument is: "Capital Punishment is not a deterrent to crime, for the criminal mind is unsound and unable to connect acts of aggression with punitive measures. By killing men, as described in your article, you do not set an example for others of his kind, but only for rational and sane people who need no such penalties in the first place. The punishment of death only cheapens life unless one looks at it only from an economic standpoint, that one cyanide pellet is much cheaper than a lifetime of room and board in a prison at taxpayers' expense. If you approve of mob violence, then consider that someday your father or son might kill somebody. Would you help with the lynching?"* Dave Minch `1900-1964 *As I recall, father said the question was not valid because I, as his son, would never kill anyone in a fit of anger. How ironic his answer proved to be 20 years later, when I would have done so if I could have found a way to kill the intruders in the night that murdered my mother, his, by then, widowed wife. RM WednesdAY, APRil 2, 2014 RedBlUFFdAilYneWs.coM | NEWS | 7 a