Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/6319
Mercy High School Homecoming is set for Friday, with the Girls' and Boys' varsity bas- ketball teams taking on Providence Christian, from Orland. The Girls Varsity game starts and 5:30 p.m. and the Boys' Var- sity game begins at 7 p.m. The public is invit- ed. Homecoming King and Queen will be announced between the games, as well as Spirit King and Spirit Queen. Candidates Alaina Germano, Ryan Ward, Bianca Torres, Cameron Vietti, Missy Grens, Scott Farmer, Marta Espinosa and Patrick Farmer. There will be a home- coming dance following the last basketball game for all Mercy students and their guests. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The head of a family values group testi- fied Tuesday that mar- riage developed to pro- vide children with clear ties to their biological parents but is in such a weakened state in the United States that extend- ing the institution to same-sex couples could be its death blow. David Blankenhorn, president of the Institute for American Values, a private think tank in New York, took the stand as the second and final expert witness for the defense in the federal trial challeng- ing California's ban on same-sex marriage. Lawyers for Proposition 8's sponsors are trying to prove the voter-approved measure serves a legiti- mate public purpose. ''If we move toward a widespread adoption of same-sex marriage, I believe the effect will be to significantly further and in some respects cul- minate the process of the deinstitutionalization of marriage,'' Blankenhorn said. Blankenhorn acknowl- edged that heterosexuals were responsible for ris- ing divorce and out-of- wedlock birth rates, but said allowing gays to marry could accelerate the process and possibly lead to the legalization of polygamy. ''The man-woman cus- tomary basis for marriage in turn reinforces limiting marriage to two,'' he said. ''If you knock out one of those pillars, the other becomes less comprehen- sible and therefore less defensible.'' The evidence phase of the trial, the first in a fed- eral court to examine if the U.S. Constitution pro- hibits denying gays and lesbians the right to wed, is expected to wrap up Wednesday. Chief U.S. Judge Vaughn R. Walker, who is hearing the case without a jury, said he will then take a few weeks to review the testimony before hearing closing arguments. David Boies, one of the lead lawyers for the two same-sex couples who sued to overturn Proposition 8, tried to dis- credit Blankenhorn by getting him to acknowl- edge that he has conduct- ed no independent research on same-sex marriage and his only advanced degree is in comparative labor history. ''I have read articles and had conversations with people and tried to be an informed person about it, and that really has been the extent of it,'' Blankenhorn said. ''I have read articles and had con- versations with people and tried to be an informed person about it, and that really has been the extent of it.'' Blankenhorn said he thought it was important to preserve the child-rear- ing function of marriage because research showed that being raised by bio- logical parents in a stable marriage produced the most well-adjusted chil- dren. Under cross-exami- nation, Blankenhorn said he unaware of any studies showing that children raised by gay or lesbian couples since birth fared worse than children brought up by their bio- logical mother and father. ''Do you believe that legalizing same-sex mar- riage would improve the well-being of children raised by those house- holds?'' Boies asked. ''Adopting same-sex marriage would be likely Red Bluff Outdoor Power Weather forecast 8B Partly cloudy 53/41 N EWS D AILY DAILY 50¢ WEDNESDAY JANUARY 27, 2010 Sifting Through Mat Medals Breaking news at: www.redbluffdailynews.com N EWS D AILY RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY 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 See pages 4A, 5A SPORTS 1B Bull Sale 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 Re-elect Sheriff/Coroner Clay Parker Tri-Tip & Chicken Dinner • Auction FEBRUARY 20, 2010 • 6:00PM $ 20 00 Donation • No Host Bar • Door Prizes Tehama District Fairgrounds Cafeteria FOR TICKETS CALL 527-9129 or www.sheriffparker.com Paid Political Advertisement Paid for by Sheriff/Coroner Clay Parker Re-Election Committee Shirley Wheeler, Treasurer 595-4418 Man stabbed by acquaintance in RV By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer A Canadian man was stabbed in the back around 9 p.m. Monday night in his RV at the Walmart parking lot by a suspect police believe is a Red Bluff resident. Helge Isdahl, 62, Red Bluff, is still recovering from emergency surgery after he was attacked by an associate of his, Red Bluff Police Sgt. Quintan Ortega said Tuesday morning. Detectives are still trying to find out what provoked the attack, but it is believed that Isdahl let the attacker, who was identified by Isdahl as "Frank," into his RV. Police logs describe Frank as a Hispanic man about 35 years old, medium height and medium weight, with black hair, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and black shorts, with a laceration to his hand and a 12-inch knife. The suspect was seen with a white, red-haired woman, about 40 ,with a heavy build, missing teeth and beige shorts. It is unclear just what the rela- tionship is between Isdahl and "Frank," or what Isdahl was doing in Red Bluff. Anyone with information regarding the crime is asked to contact Sgt. Jason Beeman at 527-8282. ——— Geoff Johnson can be reached at 527-2153, extension 114 or gjohnson@redbluffdailynews.co m. Swan puddle? Daily News photo by Tang Lor A bevy of swans take refuge in a flooded field along Gyle Road on Tuesday afternoon. Parts of Gyle Road have been closed due to flooding during the last couple of days. As of Wednesday morning the road had been reopened all the way through to Tehama city limits. Man gets 20 years in '07 DUI crash A Cottonwood man was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years and four months in state prison for hitting a car full of teenagers while he was under the influence. Nathan Onley Reep, 36, was intoxicated by alcohol and marijuana in November 2007 when, driving in the oncoming lane on Evergreen Road, he struck a vehicle with a 16-year-old boy, his 14-year-old brother and another 16-year-old, according to a press release from the District Attorney's Office. All three survived, though the 16-year-old driver lost his spleen. LA OKs plan to close pot clinics LOS ANGELES (AP) — The City Council gave final approval Tuesday to a much-anticipated ordi- nance that will close most pot dispensaries and curb the so-called ''Green Rush'' that swept through much of California in recent years. The ordinance, which passed 9-3, caps the num- ber of dispensaries at 70 and provides guidelines that will push the clinics out of neighborhoods and into industrial areas. Mayor Antonio Vil- laraigosa must approve the ordinance for it to take effect. City officials believe it will be at least 45 days before they can enforce the new rules. Enforcement could be a major effort for the cash-strapped city. No one is exactly sure how many pot clinics there are in Los Angeles — the best estimate is somewhere between 800 and 1,000 — and getting the owners to comply with the ordi- nance will likely meet resistance. ''I don't want to say this is an impossible task, but it's going to take a lot more effort than maybe the city realizes at this point,'' said Robert Mikos, a law professor specializing in federalism and crime policy at Van- derbilt University Law School. ''Just because the Witness: Marriage threatened if gays can wed Mercy Homecoming Courtesy photo Pictured, from top left, are homecoming candidates Alaina Germano, Ryan Ward, Bianca Torres, Cameron Vietti, Missy Grens, Scott Farmer, Marta Espinosa and Patrick Farmer. 'I have read articles and had conversations with people and tried to be an informed person about it, and that really has been the extent of it.' David Blankenhorn, Institute for American Values See DUI, page 7A See POT, page 7A See GAY, page 7A