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WEDNESDAY MARCH 24, 2010 Breaking news at: Birth Announced Community News www.redbluffdailynews.com See Page 3A RED BLUFF League Opener SPORTS 1B Partly cloudy 70/45 Weather forecast 6B By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer CORNING — The Corning Police Department is seeking the person or persons responsible for a Molotov cocktail thrown in the driveway of a residence at 10:32 p.m. Monday in the 520 block of Marin Street. 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 Corning home hit with Molotov cocktail Officers were sent to the area after someone reported a fire had been set in the front yard and dis- covered that a Molotov cocktail had been thrown at 26-year-old Gerald Howard’s residence. The device, made from a 32- ounce beer bottle that was filled with gasoline, had been thrown at Howard’s 2003 Honda Civic parked in his driveway, a Corning Police release said. Rolled up material had been stuffed in the top of the beer bottle and set on fire. The bottle smashed the rear window and scorched the trunk of the vehicle before it bounced off Pump you up Dignitaries turn out for pump project kick-off event By TANG LOR DN Staff Writer Commencement of the Fish Passage Improvement Project at the Red Bluff Diversion Dam was cele- brated Tuesday in what offi- cials say is the start to a solution to get water to area farmers while guaranteeing safety for fish. The milestone ground- breaking for one of the nation’s largest recovery- funded project drew some big time federal and state officials including Secretary of the Department of the Interior Ken Salazar and Gov. Arnold Schwarzeneg- ger. Salazar spoke on the larger scale of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and how this project benefits from recovery money. “This project will receive, because we decided it should receive, because it was worthy to receive, $109 million in economic recov- ery funds,” Salazar said. Since the recovery act has been implemented, an estimated 2 million jobs have been created, Salazar said. The economy has grown 5.7 percent in the fourth quarter, which is the largest growth in the last 6 years. This project contributes to the recovery of the nation’s economy because it will create an estimated 1,200 jobs, Salazar said. The economic stimulus funds being provided through the project protect the area’s agricultural econ- omy while at the same time creating a safe passage for fish, Salazar said. Daily News photo by Chip Thompson Interior Secretary Ken Salazar speaks to the crowd during the ground breaking ceremony for the Fish Passage Improvement Project at the Red Bluff Diversion Dam Tuesday, which Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger looks on. The area’s agricultural economy is of importance to the rest of the nation because food from this area feeds others across the nation. The food of Ameri- ca cannot be compromised or sacrificed, so farmers in the North State need the water, Salazar said. “We know at the end of the day water is the lifeblood for agriculture, and agriculture is the lifeblood for these commu- nities in Northern Califor- nia,” Salazar said. The project is the largest of 3,400 recovery projects that the Interior is working on throughout the nation. When completed, the pumping plant will replace the function of the gates at the Diversion Dam, allow- ing for water from the Sacramento River to be diverted to the Tehama- Colusa and Corning canals, which irrigate about 150,000 acres of crops. The project will cost an estimat- ed $230 million with $109 million being funded through recovery money. Schwarzenegger joined the ceremony briefly, speak- ing about how the project meets the needs of North State farmers and fishes. “I always believed very strongly that you have to protect the farmers,” he said. While other businesses can move where they want, farmers cannot just pick up their farms and leave, Schwarzenegger said. Farmers in California are a part of feeding the world. For nearly four decades people have been disputing the problem of safe fish pas- sage and this project is part of the solution, Schwarzenegger said. The project makes everyone happy including farmers, environmentalists and fish- es. Jeff Sutton, general man- ager of the Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority, said get- ting to this point in the pro- ject has only been possible through the efforts and sup- port of a number of people, See PUMP, page 3A and smashed into pieces against the outside wall of Howard’s bed- room, taking a piece of the wood- en siding off and scorching some of the siding, the release said. Damage is estimated at $800. Howard was in his bedroom at the time of the incident and was able to put the fire out using a gar- den hose. The incident has been ruled arson, however, no one was seen leaving the area and Howard had no idea as to who the responsible party might be, the release said. Anyone with information is asked to call the Corning Police Department at 824-7000. County approves land shift to feds By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer Tehama County’s tax rolls look to drop by $370 and Lassen National Forest looks to grow another 600 acres. Cam Tredennick, senior project manager for the Western Conservancy Meeting, approached county supervisors on Tuesday looking for their support in a $1.2 million land transfer. Under the agreement, land purchased from Sierra Pacific Industries, including Lower Deer Creek Falls, could be transferred to Lassen National Forest if Con- gress approves the money to do so. Sierra Pacific had long harvested all the marketable timber from the area, and it would take years for any- thing useful to regrow, according to conservancy docu- ments. The conservancy purchased the land in Novem- ber with the intent of moving it over the forest service. Transferring the land to federal control would pro- tect one of the few Sierra streams that hosts healthy chi- nook fish, one of the Sierra’s “top three streams for aquatic life,” Tredennick said. It would transfer four miles of Deer Creek into for- est management, making for a continual land tract that stretches from the high Sierra to the valley floor. Supervisors gave the project their blessing, 3-1 — Supervisor Charles Willard was absent — with Super- visor Bob Williams holding out in a move he said was to protect county taxes. “I know it’s only going to be $400, but $400 is $400, okay?,” he said. Williams expressed skepticism toward conservation groups, singling out the Nature Conservancy as an example. Such groups have a history of selling land off at a profit and using it to acquire more, adjacent lands, gradually stripping away county property taxes, he said. See LAND, page 3A Arrest in knife threat PAYNES CREEK — A Red Bluff man has been jailed on suspicion of breaking into the resi- dence of a female friend and threatening her with a knife. Kevin Alan Niemeyer, 38, reportedly accused Paynes Creek resident Fallon Hale, 20, of steal- ing money from him, according to a release from the Tehama County Sheriff’s Department. Niemeyer and Hale had known each other for two years, and been on friendly terms, the release said. On Monday morning, Niemeyer reportedly entered her residence and brandished a knife against her. Hale hid herself in her bedroom, but Niemey- er persisted, eventually forcing his way in, the release said. As Hale dialed 911, Niemeyer stepped on her foot, took the phone from her hand and shoved her backward before threaten- ing to stab other residents, the release said. See MAN, page 3A Richfield residents riled over rehab residence By GEOFF JOHNSON DN Staff Writer RICHFIELD — What does it take to earn the trust of your neighbor? What if you openly house a rotating group of ex-convicts and former junkies seeking Jesus? State law and county ordinances have a loose def- inition of a six-person fami- ly residence, loose enough to allow for a rescue mis- sion to set up shop just about anywhere in the unin- corporated county. Two months ago, Barry Coccellato did just that with Hope Rescue Mission. In what he said is a direc- tive from God, Coccellato moved his mission onto Sacramento Road. Though neither a rehabilitation facil- ity nor detoxification center, Coccellato takes in as many as six men at a time seeking recovery through Christian- ity. With a grandfather clause allowing Coccellato to rent out a neighboring apartment complex in the area without a use permit, he plans to house graduates of the 12-month program in a neighboring complex. “Alcohol, drugs, obesity –any life threatening strug- gle, we’re willing to help, because we have the answer,” Coccellato said. On Monday, Coccellato appeared at a Richfield town hall meeting of about 70 people at the Richfield Elementary School, where a mix of public officials and 7 5 8 5 5 1 6 9 0 0 1 9 Red Bluff Outdoor Power locals gave him a grilling as thorough as any public hearing. He took questions about everything from daily schedules to complicated legal inquiries about the organization’s non-profit status. Some questions about insurance and property taxes were either deemed too personal for him, irrele- vant or were simply beyond his knowledge, he told the audience. Altogether, he meeting lasted for about an hour and a half. “If I wasn’t going to tell you I was scared out of my wits up there, I’d be lying,” Coccellato later said. Coccellato was not the only one scared. Richfield residents maintain their neighborhood has been the scene of burglaries and drug deals. Moving a group of addicts and offenders on probation into the neighbor- hood, who can willingly leave Cocellato’s property at any time, is an idea that spooks at least a few resi- dents. “I know that God sent you here,” Dennis Wolf said. “But God also told me I had to watch everybody.” Wolf, reached after the meeting, said he remained unconvinced. The facility’s clients are purely voluntary, thorough- ly screened, and undergo an acceptance process that can take weeks or months. The process is by no means easy, and with so few beds, anyone applying must prove a commitment. Part of the process means weeding out addicts until they are beyond the stage of withdrawal. “If you’re detoxing from drugs, I’ll know it,” Cocella- to said. “Remember, I was a drug addict.” As Coccellato told the audience, again and again, that he is determined to be a good neighbor, there were signs of acceptance. Melissa Grootveld, who works with the neighbor- hood watch, invited Coccel- lato to join future watch meetings. As the meeting drew to a close, the revela- tion that Coccellato would be keeping farm animals and gardening drew laugh- ter and smiles from most of the audience. The operation was given See REHAB, page 3A PHYSICIAN REFERRAL A FREE SERVICE PROVIDED FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE 1-800-990-9971 CHW North State Region