Petaluma Argus-Courier from Petaluma, California • 1

Petaluma (jf 4' Solemn memorial for slain girl Story below r'i I Students learn the value of a second language Page 1 COURIER A Pulitzer Community Newspaper MIDWEEK EDITION Sept. 8-10, 1998 50 Cents Over-40 champions Page 8A 'Tagging' war in town Story below Having fun with natural history Fed money ai low-income housing in city By sti8AN LAUER Gaebler, the city's housing administrator who oversees the federal block grant money. Last year, HUD issued $33 1 ,000 to Petaluma through the CDBG program. The city used all of the money to benefit low- and moderate-income residents, exceeding the HUD requirements of at least 60 percent on more needy residents. The greatest amount $78,000 was spent to improve access to public facilities for people with a disability.

For example, the city improved access to the Petaluma Swim Center bathroom and locker room facilities, which are heavily used by residents during the summer for recreation and by homeless as a winter shelter during the winter. (See Housing, page 6A) Argus-Courier Staff Some $331,000 in federal grant money last year went a long way to provide assistance to Petaluma's low-income population, according to an annual city report to be presented today before the City Council. The report is required by the Department of Housing and Urban Development as a review of what has been accomplished during the past fiscal year through federal funds issued as the Community Development Block Grant Program. "(The Teport) will basically report how a small city, located in one of the least affordable areas of the country, can make a difference in the lives of our low and moderate income residents," wrote Bonne M' ill 1 lX Leena HintsanenArgus-Courier staff Brooke Lobaka, 16, pretends she's being attacked by a dinosaur at the Petaluma Wildlife Museum. Mom in starvation case stays in jail Wildlife miiseum to expan New building, interactive displays to be added at PHS By CYNTHIA DYER-BENNET Argus-Courier Staff Most people, when they're nearing retirement, consider ways to pare back their work responsibilities, but Petaluma High teacher Ron Head has a novel approach.

"We're going to expand the museum," said Head, 54. Head is the director of the Petaluma Wildlife Museum, a teen-built, teen-run natu ral history and live animal facility at the high school. "When people come here we have $4.5 million worth of stuff to show them," he noted. "But the one thing we tell our visitors. is 'look but don't I think we're missing the boat." Head envisions an additional series of displays for the museum, displays that invite people to interact with the exhibits.

"It would be like the Exploratorium, we'd have things people can handle, touch, explore." He already has the rudiments of this expansion in the vast collection of skulls, skins and bones that have been donated to the museum and are backlogged in storage. The hook, of course, is space to establish this activity area, but Head has that all figured out, too. "I'm going to buy an earthquake-safe portable building. We'll put it right next to the dinosaur in the parking lot." He has already received approval from his school site and district administrators. The only thing holding him back now is money.

The portable is expected to cost about $60,000 for purchase and installation. He has already lined up a $30,000 pledge from the Mzuriwildlife Foundation in San Francisco. The Mzuriwildlife Foundation and the Wildlife Museum already have a shared histo- See Museum, page 6 A The Petaluma woman accused of starving her two daughters for a month is mentally disturbed, but is competent to stand trial, according to a mental health expert who examined her last week. Kris Ellen Teixeira is psychotic and a suicide risk, but is able to understand the charges against her, said Rolf LaMar, a licensed clinical social worker with Sonoma County Mental Health Services. LaMar, who evaluated Teixeira in the county jail, announced his findings during a bail reduction hearing Friday in Sonoma County Court.

Judge Knoel Owen subsequently ruled to keep Teixeira 's bail at $50,000. Teixeira and her two daughters, ages 9 and 7, were found last Monday in their Round Walk Village apartment, pale and weak after not having eaten for a month. The 37-year-old widow told police she had deprived herself and her girls of food because she was waiting for the "Holy Spirit" to take them away. She said she took direction from the way the phone was ringing and interpreted it as a sign to stay upstairs, where she would be closer to the Holy Spirit. The family was taken to Petaluma Valley Hospital for treat- (See Teixeira, page 6 A) Petaluma under siege by 'taggers' 1 City will abandon home buy in flood area City explores ways to eliminate graffiti City officials are exploring ways to eliminate graffiti in public and private places to reduce the eyesore of unsightly markings.

See page 6A. By DAEDALUS HOWELL Argus-Courier staff Acclaimed painter Jean-Michel Basquiat scrawled his freshman efforts across concrete and brick when he could not yet afford canvas. Keith Haring's simple stick-person renditions of the Madonna and child and gleeful dancers first graced subway walls. Both artists hailed from a graffiti tradition that flourished in the mid-1980s and both achieved staggering fame when adopted by New York City's gallery establishment. Fifteen years later and 3,000 miles west, downtown Petaluma is under the siege of aspiring graffiti artists (or "taggers" to invoke the nomenclature) and though they purport to have artistic ambitions and ideals, their romantic association with tagging remains unrequited.

A local businessperson whose storefront edifice is often under the assault of taggers, spoke with the Argus-Courier about Petaluma's tagging phenomenon under the condition of anonymity. "I think the only way to fight graffiti is to be diligent and paint over it every day," he resignedly 1 fry AW JSff advises. Over the past few years, he has learned to differentiate among the various tags and insignias and their codified meanings (or lack thereof). According to the source, today's tagger prefers the relative stealth of shoe polish and paint-pens over the clumsy spray-paint cans of yore. They also employ glass etchers to tag windows.

A basic tag consists of "the writer's name, usually followed by a 'ONE' and then the crew name, if the graffiti writer is in a crew." A "crew," explains an 18 year-old tagger (who uses the nom de paint Wesk), "is not a gang. It's a loosely organized group of taggers who are usually friends and use a common name or sign that repre- (See Graffiti, page 6A) By SUSAN LAUER Argus-Courier Staff The City Council will vote today to officially abandon plans to buy homes along flood-plagued Rocca Drive and adopt a floodwall design to keep the river flood fix project on track. The council has selected the least expensive floodwall design of a heavy gauge steel wall along the banks of the Petaluma River in the Payran neighborhood. A redwood fence will be hung on the sheet wall rather than a precast panel as a cost savings measure of about $1 million. The total cost is estimated at $5.6 million, according to a summary provided by the city's Engineering Director Tom Hargis.

After the devastating winter flooding in the Payran Area, residents have regularly appeared before the City Council to complain the city is not doing its part to protect them. Earlier this year Councilman David Keller suggested the city look into purchasing the homes. The proposal was cheered during the packed City Council meeting. But as city personnel investigated its feasibility a number of concerns arose. Of the 23 questionnaires sent to affected homeowners, only 12 approved of the proposal with seven homeowners not responding.

In addition, the city does not have money available to purchase the homes. Jeremy PortieArgus-Couner slatt Jennifer leaves flowers Sunday at the memorial garden for Georgia Moses at the Petaluma Boulevard South freeway onramp. Slain girl not forgotten More than 30 people gather at memorial garden for Georgia Moses Ann Landers 3B lence against children. The memorial efforts took place for three hours at the site where Georgia's nude body was found on Aug. 22, 1997 off the Petaluma Boulevard South on-ramp to Highway 101.

Sponsored by Sonoma County Women Against Rape, which with Georgia's friends established a memorial site and garden at the site shortly after her death, the Sunday event was to remember the tragic murder of the girl and raise public awareness (See Memorial, page 6A) Obituaries 4A Petaluma Living 1B Pulse of Petaluma 2A Sports Theaters 3B Weather 2A Yesteryears 3B Bill Soberanes 2A Classified 7B Club Connection Editorials 2B Education Express 5B Kid Scoop 4B By SUSAN LAUER Argus-Courier Staff More than 30 people visited the Petaluma memorial for slain 12-year-old Georgia Moses on Sunday to keep her memory alive with the replanting of a garden and express their concern about vio.