The Californian from Salinas, California • 3

California! Monday, March 19, 2007 FROM PAGE ONE Removed from shelves PET IF From Page 1A could have affected the food. Zawisza added that even if wheat gluten is the source "it doesn't necessarily mean the wheat gluten per se. It could be another substance associated with the wheat glutea" The recall covers the company's "cuts and gravy" style food, which consists of chunks of meat in gravy, sold in cans and small foil pouches from Dec. 3 to March 6. The company said it makes pet food for 17 of the top 20 North American retailers.

It is also a contract manufacturer for the top branded pet food companies, including Procter Gamble Co. Salinas Californian staff writer SUNITA VUAYAN and THE ASSOCIATED PRESS contributed to this report. illness) had to be related," Finegold said. "She won't be eating that stuff anymore." A complete list of the recalled products along with product codes, descriptions and production dates is available from the Menu Foods Web site, www.menufoods. comrecall.

The company has also designated two phone numbers that pet owners can call for information: (866) 463-6738 and (866) 895-2708. Wheat gluten blamed Menu Foods' chief executive and president Paul Henderson told the Associated Press on Friday that the company was still trying to figure out what happened. He said that the company had received an undisclosed caution they were voluntarily recalling some products made by Menu Foods. Many stores that sold the affected brands frantically pulled packages off shelves. Ron Finegold of Boynton Beach, said he noticed about a week or so ago that his family's 3-year-old cat who was regularly fed a variety of lams cat food had stopped eating and did not appear welL He quickly took the animal to the veterinarian, who determined she was in renal failure.

He said he heard about the recall on the radio Friday night. He checked his trash, and found out he had given the cat some of the affected food. "That's when I realized (the 1780 San Juan Grade Road in Salinas, said that store has also pulled the brands of pet food named in the recall. Avoiding suspect brands Leaving Pet Fun with Dakota, a chocolate Labrador, Jaime Shipman of Salinas said her 9-year-old daughter had been the one to tell her about the recall. While she has never purchased the products in question, Shipman said, she will steer clear of them now more than even.

"Oh yeah, I'm going to be staying far away (from those brands)," she said. Two other companies Nestle Purina PetCare Co. and Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc. said Saturday that as a pre number of owner complaints that dogs and cats were vomiting and suffering kidney failure after eating its products. He estimated that the recall would cost the company, which is mostly owned by the Menu Foods Income Fund, an estimated $26 million to $34 million.

Sarah Tuite, a company spokeswoman, said the recalled products were made using wheat gluten purchased from a new supplier, which has since been dropped for another source. Wheat gluten is a source of protein. U.S. Food and Drug Administration spokeswoman Julie Zawisza said it is still too early to determine what The food was distributed by major retailers such as Wal-Mart, Kroger and Safeway. An unknown number of cats and dogs suffered kidney failure and about 10 died after eating the affected pet food, the company said.

Torres, a Salinas resident, said while she still feeds formula to her 6-week-old puppy, she will be staying away from the brands that have been identified. In the window of the Salinas PetSmart, a sign has been posted reassuring customers that all Menu Foods-produced dog and cat food in cans and pouches has been pulled from the shelves. An employee of Pet Fun, PAlofmrv on1iit.n KSBW Green and Clark CICUiaLlllg UllUlC anchor 10 p.m. newscast From Page 1A From Page 1A 0MTV "They're coming forward (today) to say, 'Thank you and we appreciate you reaching out to help Huerta said. UFW President Arturo S.

Rodriguez said he's amazed at how much the event has grown since its inception last year. "It's extremely important, because it demonstrates to the community that they can look for support in their mayor, county commissioners and state assembly," Rodriguez said. "(It shows) that these leaders are all up in arms to the issues that affect the Mixteco and Triqui communities." Contact Sunita Vijayan at svijayanithecalifornian.com. One of the crowd-pleasers was the "Danza de Los Rubios," featuring whip-carrying, masked performers dressed in fringed suede jackets and fur-covered chaps, who circled the stage with jingling spurs. Joe Escalera of Greenfield, a retiree, said the event was especially important because it allowed time to appreciate a hard-working group of people who migrated to the area in search of a better life.

"The Mexican culture is a poor culture, and yet it's beautiful, too," Escalera said. "It goes back for many years, and I think it's made me the person I am today." SCOn MACDONALDTHE SALINAS CALIFORNIAN People attend Sunday's event at Greenfield High School. Greenfield Mayor John with the Oaxacan groups for Huerta Jr. said city, county the past several years on and state leaders have been issues such as improving diligently working together housing conditions. reasons, lifestyle-wise, can't watch the 11 o'clock news," Heston said.

The half-hour newscast is anchored by Dan Green and Erin Clark, with lead weather forecaster Jim Van-derzwaan, and Dennis Lehnen on sports. KSBW faces competition from one other local 10 p.m. newscast KCBA's nightly Fox 35 News "First at Ten." Denise Clodjeaux, hews director for KCBA and KION, said the station will be relying on the fact that its 10 p.m. newscast has an established audience. "We're going to keep doing what we do," Clodjeaux said.

"We have a real solid 10 o'clock newscast with solid ratings." Heston said he's unable to reveal KSBWs exact rating numbers for legal reasons, but the station has been enjoying an edge over other local television operations, including a 10 to 1 advantage on its 6 p.m. newscast and a 6 to 1 advantage at 11 p.m. Part of Hearst-Argyle Television KSBW-TV began broadcasting on the Central Coast on Sept 11, 1953, and serves Salinas, Monterey and Santa Cruz. In January, KSBW-TV launched "Action News 8 Weekend Sunrise," a two-hour morning show anchored by Adam Kramer. Salinas-area local newscasts: KION 46KCBA 35: Co-anchors Brian Speciale and Olga Ospina and meteorologist Norm Hoffman.

KION at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. and Fox 35 News "First at Ten" at 10 p.m. weeknights. KSBW ACTION NEWS 8: Co-anchors Dan Green and Erin Clark, meteorologist Jim Vanderzwaan and sports anchor Dennis Lehnen at 5 p.m., 6 p.m.

and 11 p.m. weeknights. On digital TV and the Internet only: "KSBW Action News 8 at 10" at 10 p.m. on KSBW Weather Plus' digital receiver channel 8-2, on Comcast digital cable channel 186, or live on the Internet at www.theKSBWchannel.com. KSMS UNIVISION 67: Co-anchors Patricia Lezama and Beatriz Moncayo, and sports anchor Fidel M.

Soto. 6 and 11 p.m. weeknights. KSBW-TV News Director Lawton Dodd said Monday the station's primary interest lies in providing its audience news from a reliable team. "It's not about overall station ratings," Dodd said.

"It's about the viewers delivering a product that they want and trust at a time where, for many, it's more convenient and usable." Contact Sunita Viayan at svijayanthecalifornian.com. MEDICAID Changes are scheduled to start Sept. 1 ABOUT MEDICAID with their share of Medicaid financing. The proposed regu-. lation is an attempt to inject more accountability into the process and to ensure states are in compliance with federal law, Kahn said.

Congress reacts Reacting to complaints from their hometown hospital administrators and public health officials, congressional lawmakers have put CMS on notice they will challenge the proposed new regulation. In the House, 226 lawmakers signed a letter opposed to the regulation. Forty-three senators signed a similar letter. Salinas Californian staff writer DAWN WITHERS contributed to this report. Contact Larry Wheeler at Iwheeler gns.gannett.com could not sustain taking care of those patients." Patients with chronic health care problems would find it harder to get in to see a doctor or specialist as hospitals would be forced to cut costs by adjusting staffing, services, operating hours or other techniques that amount to rationing of health care.

Federal officials say the proposed changes are intended to eliminate longstanding, improper practices by states and hospitals to generate or boost federal matching Medicaid dollars. "There are ways in which states shuffle the money that is not legitimate," said Mary Kahn, a spokeswoman for CMS. In 2003, CMS began investigating how states come up Hnolifw kuaiiiy Boot Shoe REPAIR i 1 n. Beck's 557 ua Medicaid is a joint federal-state program that pays hospital and physician bills for low-income Americans and the disabled. It also helps finance care for 60 percent of all nursing home residents and underwrites the charity care many hospitals are required to perform because federal law prohibits them from turning away patients who seek treatment through the emergency room.

Overall, Medicaid assists an estimated 60 million Americans. $374 millioa Ultimately, it's the patients who will suffer, said Philippe Largent, vice president for government affairs at the Illinois Primary Health Care Association Largent's association represents the Illinois community health care centers that provide care to nearly 1 million poor and uninsured state residents. "This is a profoundly poor group of people," said Largent Many of them adults and children scrape by on annual incomes below the federal poverty level, currently $1030 for an individual or $13,690 for a two-person household such as a single parent with one child, according to the CMS poverty guidelines for 2007. Rationed health care Fewer Medicaid dollars would have a direct impact on the poor and uninsured who rely on publicly supported hospitals for care, said Bruce Schroffel, president and CEO of University of Colorado Hospital. "Last year alone, we saw about 50,000 (Medicaid and uninsured) outpatients and had about 2,000 admissions," Schroffel said.

"We simply FLOOR COVERING SERVICE jr 354 Main St Oldtown Salinas 424-7569 Red Wing Shoe store 734 Lighthouse Ave Monterey 373-7377 I 1 I FAST, FRIENDLY, RELIABLE Free Cup of Coffee With this Ad! DUALITY, GUARANTEED WORK LOW -COST FREE ESTIMATES 1 tc ft i From Page 1A years by changing complicated formulas that determine how much money is available to each state for Medicaid health care. The changes, scheduled to start Sept will effectively "dismantle" the nation's Med-icaid-based health-care safety net, leaders of the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems wrote last week in a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS. "We haven't made a statement like that in the 25-year history of the NAPH," said Larry Gage, the group's president "It isn't a question of paring and slicing around the edges. This is a double-wham-my. Our members have nowhere to turn." Comments on the proposed rule change are being accepted through today.

Setback for Natividad Harry Weis, interim chief financial officer for Natividad Medical Center in Saunas, said if the cuts are imposed, the Monterey County-owned hospital will lose $8 million in funding. "We don't have other payer categories that could make that loss up, and it's unfair for other patient populations to make up that loss," Weis said. For the fiscal year that ended June 30, Weis said, Natividad lost $9 million in Medicaid funding even after receiving its safety net reimbursements. Reimbursement cutbacks will wipe out all savings the Huron Consulting Group is trying to bring to Natividad Medical Center, Weis said, which is budgeted to lose $12 million this year. In order to make up that funding loss, Weis said "drastic" changes will need to be made to how much money the state provides to hospitals such as Natividad.

However, the proposed rule change is so unpopular, Weis said, there's a reasonable chance it won't be implement- fid 3.t fill- From Florida to California, hospital industry officials have estimated the new payment limits would destroy their Medicaid budgets and state lawmakers aren't likely to fill the holes. Some examples of estimated one-year losses: Florida, $932 million. Georgia, $235 millioa New York, $350 millioa Texas, lWWWmrwmnymmmrTT9mnm 1 1 1 J'l HM tl 1 J'l 41' I J'J 'Hl-ltl till-Ill I I I I tMA I I Carwash Fast Lube LrflE I EXTERIOR DRIVE THRU CAR WASH (BUHSCBCSS With Any Factory Srvi lot mMM wilt any thr offer CALL TODAY1 shophours: VMhL Saturday (by Appotnttn.nt) Appointments recommended 7588277 Monday Friday Off any full I 1S "MW 'I I OFF washed! I Service Car Wash Package Expires 33107 231 I I expires jji'U -uners canna comDineo i 1 1 im kvw iem i ESTABLISHED IN 1871 0 The mm 0 Salinas Californian SERVING THE SALINAS VALLEY AND MONTEREY COUNTY The Salinas Californian (478-120) Is published Monday-Saturday morning by Salinas Newspapers, 123 W. Alisal P.O. Box 81091, Salinas.

CA 93901.2644 Phone (831) 424-2221 or 649-6626 TTY: (831) 754-4296 A Gannett Newspaper Periodicals postage paid at Salinas, CA, postmaster. Send address changes to The Salinas Californian, P.O. Box 81091, Salinas, CA 93912-1091. ff Otl Full Service Oil Change and 20 pt Service WW Check Plus Free Exterior Car Wash! itinrri Sots otl filljf 1283 Expires 331 fJ783 905 Abbott Street Salinas, CA 93901 831-755-8000 S3.