Santa Maria Times from Santa Maria, California • 1

Thursday, Feb. 3, 2000 500 i'r ij Local resident designs educational and fun Web site for children Senate OKs boost, but battle still ahead A Solid Second Righetti Warriors defeat Arroyo Grande in key NL Boys soccer match 1 -2 A FUMTZEB COMUONITY NEUSFAPEB MM Phantom people killed in the crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261, foreground, visit a make-shift memorial near the waters edge at Port Hueneme Wednesday. The ill-fated jetliner plunged into the ocean off the Ventura coast late Monday. 1 ii iinTiil.f1'-.!' rn ir-" prepare the F-4S plane for unloading after its two-day late-night trip from San Diego to the Santa Maria Museum of Flight. delivery NTSB: Plane was tumbling, spinning' Ur.23 Ccutscil AP Special Correspondent PORT HUENEME Moments before its crash, Alaska Airlines Flight 261 started "tumbling, spinning, nose-down" as it hurtled in a violent plunge toward the Pacific Ocean, a federal investigator said Wednesday.

There were no signs of fire or smoke when the jetliner hit the water in one piece, killing all 88 people aboard, witnesses told the National Transportation Safety Board. NTSB member John Hammerschmidt provided the witness accounts after the second day of investigation by the agency, which is trying to determine the cause of the crash. The NTSB will also rely on radar data, information from the "black boxes" and a photograph to piece together the terrifying few minutes between the pilots' first report of mechanical problems and the plane's crash in the Pacific. Earlier Wednesday, searchers recovered one of the See back page up of sand, Helping of love and grayer for families Associated Press Writer JPORT HUENEME Miguel Morales clutched a WEQrWom Bible and prayed, Elvia De Haro tossed a JiSquet of daisies off the pier and beach cafe owner KJiChelle Nicolefti wished she had done more. Disaster visited two Southern California beach (pwns this week, tying the communities to the friends and relatives of the 88 people killed when Alaska Air-hnes Right 261 plunged into the Pacific on Monday.

Beaches became a mecca for mourners unsure fQw to express grief for the victims and survivors. Many walked quietly to the sand, looking to the sea and kneeling for a moment of prayer. ihTlTt's very sad," Morales said as he gathered with fellow Victory Outreach parishioners Wednesday atongside Hueneme Pier, where a floral tribute fea-Kjred the sign "Remembering those lost pray for their families." "God's with them," Morales said. "We're going ti lift them up with our prayers. They need a prayer for them.

They are suffering the loss of loved ones." Teachers Cynthia Me hie and Terri Fouiks and 45 of their seventh- and eighth-grade students from Hueneme Christian School, all in uniform, walked See EIACX back page tciifl ft MM mMtItMt Es!) t'ZH tY.ZtS C23 from an F-4S fighter plane being delivered to the Santa Maria Museum of Flight Wednesday afternoon. Santa Maria Museum of Flight lands vintage F-4S Phantom Jim Jenkins get a close look into the jet of the F-4S. Diego area. The choice: a flatbed truck that made the trip with California Highway Patrol escort over two nights. The Final leg saw the huge load the width of a three-car garage and the length of two buses hog the two-lane Highway 166.

"We basically closed 166," said Michael Doell, Moving Systems based in Santa Fe Springs, praising a quartet of Central Coast CHP officers, who escorted the plane-carrying truck Wednesday. Accessing the airfield meant ripping out a fence post near the Blosser Road gate before the truck traveled across the airport to the museum. Driver Bob Clay, who carted the Phantom on his truck, is familiar with F-4s after working on them in me Air Force. "When you can climb up and down them in your sleep that's a scary thing," said Clay, before scampering all over the plane. As the crew worked to remove straps and cables, lowering wing tips and landing gear, the activity drew an audience, a few unable to resist the lure of peering inside the engine.

Some three hours after landing via truck at the airport, the plane eased off the flatbed, its nose lifted and gently set down by Specialty Crane equipment. "Sizable son-of-a-gun, isn't it?" an onlooker asked, gazing at the big warbird. Jar.cns Scully Times Staff Writer It's big, it's ugly, but it's here. An F-4S Phantom II arrived at its new home, the Santa Maria Museum of Flight, Wednesday morning following a two-day road trip atop a flatbed truck. The aircraft, which is on loan from the Navy, shows signs of being in storage, faded markings such as "VF-I5" and "USS Midway" barely visible against the dull gray.

Beaming volunteers saw beyond the surface, dreaming only of the possibilities they hope the warbird brings for the museum both more visitors and money from selling pictures of people sitting in the cockpit. "Basically we just moved into the modern era," said museum president Dick Weber, referring to the World War II and other early aviation craft the museum already had on display. "For people who hadn't believed we were serious up to now. this ought to get them (to believe)." The F-4S model began life as an F-4J, some 522 of which were delivered to the military between 1966 and 1972 from McDonnell Douglas Corp. in St.

Louis, Mo according to a company historian. Acquiring the craft has been months in the making, including the headaches of arranging for the oversized load's trip from the San Measure Pay now or pay later for Lopez Dam fix K2t Increasing cloudiness this after- -i noon taming to mostly cloudy with a chance of showers later tonight. "Today: Coastal 7244 Inland Tomorrow: 6744 Coatal 70 43 Inland B-I B-3 D-4 D-2 D-2 D-2 D-3 A -2 A4 of the Oceano Community Services District. "Until this is vote on. we won't know all of the r.i If it fails, we are Im k-r ing a potential doubting of our water rates" The implications of a "no" vote diminish from there for voters in Pismo Beach, Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach and AviU Beich; For the measure to patj, to-thirds of the vol en from most t-f the South County will have to extra money each resident will have to pay to help make Lopez Dam earthquake-safe.

There is no way of avoiding the estimated S26 million to S27 million it will take to complete the project. The pickle is the choice voters ill have on how they pay for half of the project's Cot estimated in November at $13.2 million. Whether voters pay for their half of the fn-up through property-taxes or higher atef rates is hat Measure is all about. Noting "no" di no! nu-ke the problem Pulitzer News Service ARROYO GRANDE Do we pay now, or do we potentially pay more later? That will be the simple question asked when south San Luis Obispo County voter? take a look at Measure on the March 7 primary ballot. It night be appropriate to if voters want pickles wish their h- S.i, Mar.

go away tt rc us KiJ on water bills in what is expected to be a more covdy venture in the lofig run. The weight of the problem might be best show in Oce "It concerns me." said Trancis "M.Uh" genera r. It.