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Wednesday, September 21, 2011 – Daily News 5A Obituaries SPREE Continued from page 1A gation. According to Red Bluff Police logs, several other locations were hit with graffiti, however, it is unknown if any of them are connected. • Graffiti was reported at 7:32 a.m. Friday on the bathrooms at Diamond Park and a request was put in for extra patrol. • Graffiti was reported JUBILEE Continued from page 1A books and related items, she said. On its own, a gift basket from the Los Molinos Chamber of Com- merce was offered in a silent auction Death Notices Martha Penner Martha Penner died Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011, in Chico. She was 100. Brusie Funeral Home is handling the arrangements. Published Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011, in the Daily News, Red Bluff, Calif. William Wooldridge William Wooldridge of Red Bluff died Sunday, Sept. 18, 2011, in Redding. He was 92. Hoyt-Cole Chapel of the Flowers is handling the arrangements. Published Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011, in the Daily News, Red Bluff, Calif. Poll finds support for Brown but not trigger cuts SACRAMENTO (AP) — A Field Poll released Tuesday finds support for Gov. Jerry Brown holding steady in California, with nearly half the respondents saying they approve of his job performance and a third disapproving. That is close to the same level of support the Democratic governor has seen in two other Field surveys taken since he took office in January. But Californians are not pleased with a key provi- sion of the state budget the Democratic governor signed this summer, which would trigger automatic cuts to schools, higher education and health care if anticipated tax revenues don't materialize. Two- thirds told pollsters they disapprove of the so-called trigger cuts while 24 per- cent approve of them. Brown vetoed a bill last week that would have sent the decision about further cuts back to the state Leg- islature. He said it would undermine investor confi- dence in California after the state won higher credit ratings because of its ''no gimmick, on-time bud- get.'' ''Why would we under- mine the plan that has earned widespread respect and helped stabilize Cali- fornia's finances?'' he wrote in a veto message. In assessing the budget, voters were split between those who believe this year's cuts went too far, were about right or did not go far enough. Most of the state's $26.6 billion deficit was addressed with spend- ing cuts. Californians repeatedly have opposed cuts to state spending but also have been unwilling to raise taxes or fees to pay for programs. In the poll released Tuesday, just 1 in 5 voters approved of the Legisla- ture's job performance while 65 percent disap- proved. Respondents gave poor marks to lawmakers of both parties, but the level of disapproval was higher for Republican law- makers, with 64 percent disapproving of their per- formance; 55 percent dis- approved of the job Democrats were doing. In a sliver of good news, Californians are feeling slightly better about the state's future: Two-thirds of voters said they think it is seriously off-track, down from a record 81 percent who believed it was off track last September. The poll surveyed 1,001 registered voters by telephone from Sept. 1-12 and has an overall sam- pling error margin of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points. It is higher for sub- groups of voters. Survey: Wine industry bullish despite challenges DAVIS (AP) — A new wine industry report indi- cates that wine grapes will be in short supply over the next few years, but it won't mean higher prices. According to two surveys released by the Universi- ty of California, Davis' School of Management, wine industry professionals show concern for grape short- ages because of recent cooler weather. But surveyed executives say discount pricing will remain in the foreseeable future because consumers and retailers have grown accustomed to lower prices prompted by the poor economy. Despite the challenges, the report says 71 percent of respondents believe the economic health of the wine industry would show improvement in the com- ing year. The school's dean, Robert Smiley, says that reflects a level of confidence that hasn't been seen since 2007. Smiley presented the findings Tuesday at a Napa wine industry symposium. at 2:32 a.m. and 7:57 a.m. Saturday to the area near Willow Street and the rail- road tracks. Graffiti included "Zonk," "Swag," "HNT" and "Smiley Face" spray painted in black or blue. Logs show that the paint was still wet at 1:38 a.m. Damage was estimat- ed at $100. • At 10:44 a.m. Satur- day someone reported that Frey Field in Trainor Park had graffiti on the announcers booth. • Someone reported at 4:30 p.m. Saturday that Reynolds Ranch and Farm Supply, 501 Madison St., had graffiti written on the building and a trailer sometime during the night. • Graffiti was reported at 5:28 p.m. Sunday on the side of the Staples build- ing. • Someone reported at 9:21 p.m. Sunday that here was graffiti on a building in the 200 block of Main Street. While no graffiti was and raised $80, Britting said. Celebrating the 30th year of the jubilee, organizers tried to bring in new faces, such as the South Oroville African American Histori- cal Society, she said. All vendors received a gift pack- age with packs of spiced walnuts from Bianchi Orchards and other reported, there was an incident of vandalism reported at 2:24 p.m. Sun- day at the concession stand behind Jackson Heights School. An unknown person had van- dalized the building and taken miscellaneous prop- erty, Ortega said. This case is still under investigation. ——— Julie Zeeb can be reached at 527-2153, extension 115 or jzeeb@redbluffdailynews. com. gifts, along with "36-lady" prune cake and coffee. Overall, it was a "really neat" event, Britting said. ——— Andrea Wagner can be reached at 527-2153, extension 114 or awagner@redbluffdailynews.com. Death toll rises to 11 in crash at air races RENO, Nev. (AP) — When 50-year-old Craig Salerno went missing after attending the Reno air races with friends, his wife didn't need DNA testing to confirm her worst fears. Her husband, the father of their two young chil- dren, was sitting in the VIP section where a fight- er plane landed in an explosive crash Friday afternoon. Salerno's friend was taken to the hospital with critical injuries. There was no way Salerno, an avid rac- ing pilot there to watch the show, had survived. ''The family knew,'' said Tony Buzbee, a spokesman for the Friendswood, Texas fami- ly. ''There is no delicate way to say this; the prob- lem was there was no way to confirm he was dead other than DNA testing.'' Medical officials con- firmed Salerno's death to his wife Monday night, bringing the death toll in what has become the nation's deadliest racing disaster up to at least 11. A spokesman for the medical examiner's office said investigators have been trying to identify body parts since the grue- some accident at the annual National Champi- onship Air Races. The names of all the known fatal victims had been confirmed by police or family by late Tuesday. Another 15 victims remained in area hospitals for treatment. More than 1,300 peo- ple had called a Reno cri- sis line in the days after the crash, many to report missing race spectators. Officials are trying to track down each missing person but have not released an official count. ''They have an awful lot of legal hurdles that they have to go through before they can announce especially the names (of the dead) but also the number of deceased,'' Washoe County spokesman Chris Matthews said. ''They have to verify that they are in fact looking at a deceased person, as opposed to looking at an arm of a person who is not deceased and is in the hospital.'' The newly identified victims were a Kansas woman previously report- ed missing, a father who took his 12-year-old son to see the racing pilots, a man who loved airplanes and Salerno. Relatives of the Kansas woman, 71-year-old Cheryl Elvin of Lenexa, had said she was likely dead because the relatives who had attended the show with her were all taken to area hospitals for critical leg injuries. John Craik, 45, of Gardnerville, Nev., died after taking his son to watch the race. Virginia Craik told The Associated Press that her grandson was not seriously injured and is back in school. ''It's been tough,'' she said. James McMichael, 47, of Graham, Wash., was at the show because he ''loved planes,'' his moth- er, Darlene McMichael, said. ''That's why most people go to those things.'' She said her son was survived by his wife and an extensive family. ''Our family has a great faith,'' she said. ''And we feel like things happen for a reason. It doesn't make it easier.'' Salerno was a dis- patcher for Continental Airlines and a lieutenant for a volunteer fire depart- ment, said Buzbee, a Houston lawyer repre- senting the family. Saler- no also volunteered with the annual Wings Over Houston Airshow, where he served as a liaison between the main act and the show. ''He was just one of those kind of people that many people know,'' Buzbee said. ''He made the community work.'' Salerno was given his VIP ticket by a friend, Buzbee said. ''It's a very difficult time for his wife and chil- dren,'' Buzbee said. More than 70 people were treated for injuries, some of them life-threat- ening, in the unexplained crash that also took the life of 74-year-old stunt pilot James Leeward. His WWII-era fighter plane dived into a crowd during the nation's premier avia- tion competition. Shrap- nel sprayed at the fans, cutting limbs and other body parts. Boeing engineer and longtime pilot Dave Desmon organized a group of people with ties to Washington to attend the show. They were standing near the finish line when the plane crashed about three feet from them. ''We were trying to fig- ure out which way to run basically,'' Desmon, 51, said. Among the dead were Desmon's friends, George Hewitt, 60, and Wendy Hewitt, 56, of Fort Mohave, Ariz. Another friend lost an arm and had a cracked skull. Desmon's girlfriend broke her leg. George Hewitt was a recently retired pilot and Wendy Hewitt was a pas- sionate volunteer who served the United Way, American Red Cross and charities devoted to low- income children and women. They were learn- ing Mandarin for an upcoming trip to China, Desmon said. The others killed who had previously been iden- tified were Sharon Stew- art, 47, of Reno; Greg Morcom, 47, of Stan- wood, Wash.; Michael Wogan, 22, of Scottsdale, Ariz.; and Regina Bynum, 53, of San Ange- lo, Texas. During the annual Reno completion, planes flew wingtip-to-wingtip as low as 50 feet from the ground. Pilots reached speeds of up to 500 mph. Leeward was the 20th pilot to die at the races since it began 47 years ago, but Friday's crash was the first where spec- tators were killed. Some of the injured described being coated in aviation fuel that burned. Leeward was a veteran air racer from Ocala, Fla., who flew in Hollywood films. He loved speeding, on the ground or in the air, and had recently taken up racing cars. It was the second year Leeward had competed in the competition with his modified Galloping Ghost fighter plane. He won sev- eral races last year but the gold medal had eluded him, Desmon said. ''He wanted to go against the national cham- pion and show that he was the fastest airplane there was,'' Desmon said. ''It was a race we were all really looking forward to.'' THE PASSING PARADE Over 50 years of serving Tehama County Ronald K. Smith, Jr. went to his reward June 29th of this year. His passing was of concern for his legion of friends for he seemed indestructible and would live well into old age gracefully and with a continuing zest for life. Known to his many friends as "Smitty", he attended elementary and then high school in Red Bluff, Class of '51, but lived most of his life in Hawaii and southern California for that's where the oceans were. He enjoyed the vigorous outdoor life of wind and wave. At Modesto Junior College, he excelled on the swim and water polo teams and spent summers as life guard while perfecting his 3 meter board diving techniques. He eventually went to College of The Pacific on a football scholarship...and when he received his draft notice, he joined the navy as an underwater demolition man, that most demanding of military service that evolved into the SEALS. If he had remained in the Navy, and had a little less age on him, he might have been in on the Osama bin Laden capture and execution. Some of his buddies considered him a "take no prisoners" type guy. After the service he became one of the founders of the Chart House restaurant chain and eventually became the chain's president. As a side line, he participated in dozens of Ironman triathlons specializing in biking, during which he survived multiple crashes and garnered extra pounds of steel plates and screws to repair broken bones. He was not an athlete to retire to his arm chair to admire his trophies. Independently owned Telephone: (530) 824-3792 Ron was diagnosed with cancer and died within one and a half weeks of being admitted to the hospital. He was just a few days short of his 78th birthday. He is survived by his four children and his sister Barbara of Covelo. A Hawaiian writer friend, Jerry Coffee, remembered the last time Ron visited him on the island of Oahu. He was surfing at White Plains Beach on Barbers point and had lost his Rolex watch while diving. Jerry expressed dismay at the loss, but Ron merely replied, "Hey, no worries. If it can be replaced with money, it's not a big deal!" However, Ron K. Smith, Jr. will not be easily replaced. He was one of a kind. Robert Minch The Passing Parade is brought to you by by Minch Property Management, 760 Main Street specializing in commercial leasing and sales. 530 527 5514 In his most recent home in Delmar, California he continued to surf, build surf boards for himself and others, to teach history and coach football at the Army-Navy Academy in Carlsbad.