Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/599199
BySudhinThanawala TheAssociatedPress SAN FRANCISCO A prime defendant in a San Fran- cisco racketeering case or- dered the killing of a rival before taking over his crim- inal organization in China- town that laundered money and trafficked in guns and drugs, a prosecutor said during his opening state- ment Monday at the high- profile trial. The 2006 slaying of Allen Leung was a "cold-blooded, gangland-style hit" or- dered by defendant Ray- mond "Shrimp Boy" Chow, federal prosecutor Waqar Hasib told jurors as he de- scribed the killing. Defense attorney Tony Serra countered in his opening statement that Chow did not participate in any killings or other crimi- nal activity detailed in the case that led to the convic- tion of former state Sen. Le- land Yee on a racketeering charge. Serra said Chow is a re- formed criminal who will testify in his own defense at the trial and is looking forward to a lucrative book deal about his colorful life. "My client is not, and they will never show he is anything analogous to a godfather," Serra said. Chow was the focus of the lengthy investigation in Chinatown that resulted in more than two dozen ar- rests. Hasib called him the sun at the center of a crim- inal universe and accused Chow of repeatedly accept- ing money from an under- cover FBI agent posing as a member of the mafia. Serra said his client was broke after leaving prison, and the agent forced the money on him, often when Chow was drunk. Hasib, however, said ju- rors will hear a chilling recording of Chow talk- ing to the agent about an- other killing that resulted in a murder charge against Chow. In addition, a co-de- fendant will testify that Chow ordered the killing of Leung, who was then head of a fraternal organization known as the Ghee Kung Tong, the prosecutor said. Federal investigators say Chow took over the Ghee Kung Tong after having Leung killed. "This case is about this group of people engaging in this pattern of criminal activity," Hasib said. "But most importantly, this case is about the person who is at the center of that, around whom all of that criminal activity revolved, around whom all those people re- volved." Serra said Chow's co-de- fendants would say any- thing to get a lighter sen- tence. Legal observers say the racketeering conviction of Yee in July has largely validated the government probe. Federal agents say one of Chow's associates was Keith Jackson, a former San Fran- cisco school board presi- dent and well-known polit- ical consultant who raised money for Yee's unsuccess- ful run for San Francisco mayor in 2011 and his bid for secretary of state. Jackson led investigators to Yee, who acknowledged as part of his plea deal that he accepted thousands of dollars in exchange for fa- vors and discussed helping an undercover FBI agent buy automatic weapons from the Philippines. Yee is scheduled to be sentenced in December and faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. Jackson pleaded guilty to the same racketeering charge as Yee and is also scheduled to be sentenced next month. "The government has gotten what it wanted to get out of this investigation by already putting down Le- land Yee," said Peter Ke- ane, a professor at Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco and a former public defender. "He was their trophy." CHINATOWN CASE Racketeeringdefendant changed his life, says lawyer JEFFCHIU—THEASSOCIATEDPRESSFILE Tony Serra, right, speaks next to Curtis Briggs, both attorneys for Raymond "Shrimp Boy" Chow, pictured at le , during a news conference in San Francisco. By Julie Watson and Mike Schneider The Associated Press SAN DIEGO SeaWorld will end its orca shows at its San Diego park by 2017, its top executive said Monday, say- ing customers at the loca- tion have made clear they prefer killer whales acting more naturally rather than doing tricks. CEO Joel Manby told investors that the park — where the iconic shows of killer whales doing flips and other stunts debuted decades ago — will offer a different kind of orca expe- rience focusing on the ani- mal's natural setting and its behaviors, starting in 2017. Animal rights activists called the move a marketing gimmick and want the com- pany to phase out holding whales in captivity at all. The Orlando, Florida- based company has seen revenue drop since the 2013 release of the documentary "Blackfish" that examined how orcas respond to cap- tivity, particularly in the case of Tilikum, a killer whale that caused trainer Dawn Brancheau's 2010 death by pulling her into a pool at SeaWorld Orlando. Attendance has dropped the most at its San Diego lo- cation, and the decision to end such shows would be limited for now to that park, the original home of Shamu. Shows at its other parks, in- cluding in San Antonio and Orlando, will continue. "The theatrical produc- tion of the show in that market is what they wanted to see less of," Manby said of San Diego's customers. "But it's not universal across our properties." Manby told investors that the new killer whale attrac- tion will "have a strong con- servation message." "They want the orca ex- perience to be activities the whales do in the wild," Manby said of California customers. "Things they perceive as tricks, they don't like as well." The Shamu stadium that hosted its killer whale shows were the park's main draw in the 1970s and helped build SeaWorld as a top attraction. Train- ers would ride the whales in the giant pool before get- ting out and signaling for the orca to slap its tail in the water to splash specta- tors in a "splash zone." People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said the move does not go far enough and urged invest- ment in whale sanctuaries. "An end to SeaWorld's tawdry circus-style shows is inevitable and necessary, but it's captivity that denies these far-ranging orcas ev- erything that is natural and important to them," PETA's Jared Goodman said. "This move is like no longer whip- ping lions in a circus act but keeping them locked inside cages for life." The news came days af- ter SeaWorld Entertain- ment Inc. reported that its third-quarter earnings missed Wall Street expec- tations. SeaWorld earlier this year announced plans for a $100 million expansion of the San Diego park's killer whale tanks to boost atten- dance, but Manby indicated to investors it may shelve that project now. The California Coastal Commission endorsed the plans last month on the condition SeaWorld agree to stop breeding orcas in captivity and not transfer or sell them. The company has said it plans to challenge that de- cision in court. Manby said Monday that the company had no other choice because the ruling set a "bad prece- dent" for not only SeaWorld but all zoos, aquariums and other animal parks. NEW PROGRAM PLANNED SeaWorld to end orca shows in San Diego by 2017 CHRIS PARK — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE Four killer whales, including Kasatka and her calf, Kalia, leap out of the water while performing during SeaWorld's Shamu show in San Diego. The Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO Umbrel- las were out and streets were slick in the San Fran- cisco Bay Area on Monday as a rainstorm ushered in a two-day wet-weather sys- tem heading from the Pa- cific to the Sierra Nevada. The system moving across California is bring- ing cool, wet weather to the lowlands and snow in the mountains. The wel- come rain will not end the state's four-year drought, but forecasters expected a strong El Nino winter to bring above-average pre- cipitation in parts of the state. Chains or snow tires are required on most moun- tain highways around Lake Tahoe on the Califor- nia-Nevada border, with the forecast calling for up to 7 inches of snow along the Sierra Nevada mountain pass and up to 1½ feet at the highest peaks through Monday night. The National Weather Service in Sacramento says a low-pressure system from the Gulf of Alaska is ex- pected to drop up to three- quarters of an inch of rain in low elevations in Califor- nia. Temperatures in the San Francisco Bay Area and central California are ex- pected to dip into the 40s, and winds could reach 10 to 20 miles per hour. Thunder and lightning is expected in some areas, and some thunderstorms may produce hail. A dramatic photo of a cloud-shrouded Golden Gate Bridge shows lightning striking Monday over the iconic span. The weather will turn chillier Tuesday, with tem- peratures in some inland valleys dropping into the low 30s. Patchy frost will likely collect in the coldest areas around the San Fran- cisco Bay Area, so residents are urged to bring plants and animals inside. The remainder of the week will stay dry, but cold and rain is expected in the San Francisco Bay Area by Sunday. Rain also is fore- cast along the Central Coast and in Southern California. STORM Rain hits Bay Area; snow expected in mountains The Associated Press WASHINGTON The Su- preme Court won't hear a dispute over California's requirement that non- profit groups turn over the names of major donors. The justices on Mon- day let stand a lower court ruling that said the state has a right to review do- nor lists to determine whether a group is actu- ally involved in charitable activities. The conservative Center for Competitive Politics ar- gued that the review vio- lates donors' right to pri- vacy and freedom of as- sociation under the First Amendment. A federal appeals court rejected the group's chal- lenge in May, finding there was no indication the state was trying to ha- rass donors or discourage them from contributing. California Attorney General Kamala Harris said donor lists were for official review only and would not be released to the public. SCOTUS Court won't hear challenge over nonprofit donor lists JOHNRONALDPIGG April 12, 1932 ~ November 3, 2015 Services for John R. Pigg will be held on Thursday, No- vember 12, 2015 at 11:00 am at Northern California Veter- ans Cemetery, Igo, CA. John Pigg was born in Luther, Oklahoma, on April 12, 1932. He enlisted in the United States Navy and was hon- orably discharged in 1954. He worked for the Post Office in Red Bluff, CA and attended Chico State College. In 1958, he entered the California Highway Patrol Academy. Upon graduation from the Academy, he worked for the California Highwsay Patrol in the area offices of San Ber- nardino, Riverside and Yreka, CA. It was while he was in Yreka, CA, that he obtained his teaching credential and taught Police Science Courses at College of the Siskiyous, Weed, CA. In 1981, he accepted a position with the Social Security Administration in Redding, CA, as a claims repre- sentative. In 1977, he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. He never tired of sharing his love of Jesus with everyone. He enjoyed being with his wife, children and grandchildren. On Tuesday, November 3, 2015, John met his Savior face to face. He will be greatly missed by his wife of 63 years, Lovella Pigg; Children: Dorella Pigg Brown of Salem, OR, and Barry (Nanette) Pigg, of Universal City, TX; 7 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren; brother: Ervyl (Gerry) of Arcata, CA and sister; Patricia (Gary) Platner of Riverside, CA. He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother and 2 sisters. SANDY LEE (SYLL) DAVIES January 25, 1942 ~ November 5, 2015 Sandra Lee (Syll) Davies, better known as Sandy, passed away November 5th 2015, at her home in Flournoy sur- rounded by her loving family and Friends. Sandy was 73 years young when she Finished the Fight of a long term illness. She was born to Clyde and Velva Syll, on January 25th 1942 in Corning Ca. Sandy was a true horsewoman. In her young life she loved showing and riding her horse in different shows from Western Pleasure to English rid- ing and jumping. Sandy attended Corning Union High School. Sandy was always a beauty as she ran for Miss Tehama County, where she received 1st runner up and also received several other rodeo crowns. After gradua- tion she furthered her education by attending Cosmetolo- gy School, fulfilling her lifelong dream, of making people beautiful. She married Jim Davies of Flournoy in 1961. Their first child was born, in 1962, daughter Debbie, and their son Hank was then born in 1964. The family lived in Flournoy where Sandy raised her family, doing hair in her home, and also helping Jim continuously on their ranch, where they raised cattle and sheep. Sandy was very active in the Flournoy Community, where she was a 4-H leader, member of the PTA, participant and activist in the Paskenta Variety Show, and very active member of the Paskenta Pioneer Day Committee, along with being active in the Tehama County Bo-Peeps . In the late 70's they moved the family to Herlong Ca, where they became farmers and raised alfalfa for seed. After several years of very hard work, and living very remotely, the family re- turned to Flournoy in 1983. They then worked the family apple and cherry orchard above Paskenta. After a few years they moved to the Sobeck Ranch and became the ranch managers. After about 5 years they returned to their home place in Flournoy, where Sandy opened the Hair Place Salon. As owner and operator she was the happiest doing hair. Sandy also loved her herd of goats, which started with one, and ended with over 400. Sandy leaves a legacy of grand children who she was most proud of, attending their rodeos, wherever they went, and any event they were involved in. Sandy was a strong woman, and was admired by her family friends and com- munity for her fight to live. She never complained or felt sorry for herself; she took one surgery at a time with her head held high. There wasn't a doctor or a nurse that did- n't love her and admire her. She fought to the end and died with dignity and her family and friends will remem- ber her strength, her will to live, and her undying love forever. She is survived by husband Jim Davies of Flournoy, daughter Debbie Bidwell, and Mark of Hat Creek, son Hank Davies of Willits, grandchildren Blaire Taliaferro and Nick of Hollister, Bliss Bidwell of Paso Robles, Bailey Bidwell of Hat Creek, Blaine Davies of Au- burn, Blake Davies of Texas, and Bowdie Davies of Washington, and long time Friend Francyne Burt, and cousins Lois Mason and Jack McCullough. Family and Friends will celebrate Sandy's life on November 13th, at 1:00pm at the home of Francyne Burt with a Pot Luck Dinner to follow. (12620 Round Valley Rd, Paskenta). In lieu of flowers, the family would like donations to go to- wards the support of the Paskenta Community Hall or the Paskenta Pioneer Days. Obituaries R ed Bluff Simple Cremations and Burial Service FD1931 527-1732 Burials - Monuments - Preneed 722 Oak Street, Red Bluff TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2015 REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM |NEWS | 7 A