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TUESDAY MAY 17, 2011 Breaking news at: www.redbluffdailynews.com A century of speed See Inside American Profile RED BLUFF Hall of Fame Sports 1B Showers likely 57/46 Weather forecast 8B DAILYNEWS TEHAMACOUNTY DAILY 50¢ T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Invasive dispute Man dies after being struck in parking lot A 68-year-old Oregon man was killed in a collision with a 1996 Dodge Pickup Saturday evening in the parking lot of Rolling Hills Casino, 2655 Barham Ave., in Corning. Frank Lopardi of Clatskanie, Ore. walked out the south entrance of Rolling Hills Casino at 9:50 p.m. and entered the south parking lot just before the collision. Jerry Lee Ogle, 64, of Modesto was driving his Dodge pickup at about 5 mph, completing a turn from the parking spots just east of Lopardi. Ogle did not see Lopardi in front of him until he turned left to face Ogle. Lopardi put his arms out to brace himself just before the impact with the pickup, a California Highway Patrol release said. Ogle came to a stop immediately after the collision, how- ever, Lopardi was thrown backward from the impact, land- ing on his head, which caused fatal injuries. —Julie Zeeb Employee robbed while making bank deposit An employee of Valero Gas on Antelope Boulevard was robbed at 11 a.m. Sunday while attempting to make a deposit at Wells Fargo Bank on Walnut Street. Red Bluff Police responded and learned two men had attacked the woman as she was trying to make a deposit. One man threw her to the ground and the second stole the deposit bag she was carrying before both fled on foot with stolen cash and checks. Courtesy photo A damaged elderberry bush near tee seven on the Dog Island Disc Golf course. Concern over elderberry bushes at Dog Island Park By TANG LOR DN Staff Writer While the creation of a disc golf course and other maintenance has improved Samuel Ayer/Dog Island Park, one resident is concerned the changes are being made at the expense of the natural habitat and species. William Leach does not oppose the disc golf course or other development in the park, he said. As a runner he appreciates and frequently uses the trail that encircles the park. But the city of Red Bluff has not done anything to protect or accommodate the natural habitat and species. “The city is not taking into consid- eration the species on that island,” Leach said. “They are destroying the natural habitat.” He is particularly concerned about the cutting of elderberry bushes, which are home to the Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle, a threatened species. Leach’s research started in 2008 fol- lowing an incident in which some elderberry bushes were cut by a Cal- Fire Ishi Conservation Crew hired by the city to clear invasive species on the island. In that incident, some elderberry bushes were inadvertently trimmed, but the city has been very careful with any activities at Dog Island, Planning Director Scot Timboe said. For years, the area has been main- tained by the Parks and Recreation Department for events such as Civil War Days. Most recently, the city did not pro- vide any direction to the group that cre- ated the disc golf course, Leach said. “They just let them go in there and cut whatever they wanted,” he said. Leach wants the city to provide guidelines for groups who are working in the park and for the city to adhere to its general plan policy to protect and preserve the natural habitat. He wants the city to post signs warning people about the beetle’s habitat. Last year when a group from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints volunteered to clean up the park, Timboe and a biologist from the Bureau of Reclamation looked at the area and marked off the elderberry bushes with caution tape. Reclamation-approved pamphlets notifying the volunteers of the bushes were handed out, Timboe said. While there were bushes on the island, there were none on the mainland side. Still, elderberry bushes, including some that were marked, were cut, Leach said. Upon Leach’s insistence, Timboe again went out and found no evidence of any cut elderberry bushes in the area. See DISPUTE, page 7A According to logs, the men, who were in their early 20s and were wearing black shirts, ran northbound in the alley by State Farm Insurance. According to sheriff’s logs, the men were also wearing black ski masks. The suspects were still outstanding Monday and the investigation is on-going, a Red Bluff Police release said. Anyone with information is asked to call the police department at 527-3131. —Julie Zeeb Breakfast buddy turns out to be after wallet By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer A Corning man was robbed at gunpoint about 2 a.m. Monday by his breakfast companion whom he met at Rolling Hills Casino. At 4:15 a.m., Tehama County Sheriff’s Deputies were sent to Rolling Hills where the contacted Javier Moreno. Moreno said he had been playing the slot machines about 1 a.m. at the casino when he met a woman about 35-40 who was also playing the slot machines. According to a sheriff’s press release, Moreno agreed to take the woman out to breakfast at a truck stop in Corning, but it wasn’t until after breakfast things See BUDDY, page 7A Green Barn, Vic’s Branding Iron among best beef By ANDREA WAGNER DN Staff Writer Two local restaurants are among 37 in the state eligible to bout for beef bragging rights. Sponsored by the Cali- fornia Beef Council, a California Beef Backer Award is given out annu- ally to restaurants that give extra effort to make beef the centerpiece of their menus. Nominated by cattle ranchers and farmers, The Green Barn Steakhouse in Red Bluff and Vic’s Branding Iron in Cotton- wood are among the nom- inees this year. Since the contest began in 2000, only three Tehama County restau- rants have ever been nom- inated, said Shannon Kel- ley, the public relations coordinator for the Cali- fornia Beef Council. Other than The Green Barn Steakhouse, only the Crystal Steak and Seafood Company, formerly at 343 S. Main St., in Red Bluff, and Lassen Steak House in Vina have been nomi- nated before, Kelley said. North State nominees this year include 33 Steaks Booze & Jazz in Chico, Jack’s Bar & Grill in Redding, Gino’s Steak- house in Colusa, Louis Cairo’s Restaurant in Williams and Brand-N Iron Family Steakhouse in Yreka. In order to be eligible to compete in the Califor- nia Beef Backer Award contest, a restaurant has to be nominated by a Cali- fornia beef rancher, Kel- ley said. Then, the restau- rant has to submit an entry form to compete. “I have sent out letters and entry forms to the 37 nominated restaurants explaining the contest and encouraging them to enter into the contest,” Kelley said. Beef industry leaders will judge and select a winner and runner-up among the nominated restaurants to be announced in October. The award winner and runner-up will get cash prizes to use for future beef purchases. First place garners a $1,500 cash prize and a public relations campaign by the California Beef Council with an additional budget, Kelley said. Runner-up, or 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 See BEEF, page 7A Daily News photo by Andrea Wagner The Green Barn knows beef and has it for dinner. COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR Smog Inspection $ 2595 + cert. (MOST CARS & PICK-UPS) Pass or FREE retest 195 S. 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