The Press-Tribune from Roseville, California • 1

C6C9S6 VD AyvHnn mis 'jn3 i oz The fmtwnm 25 cents Since 1906 JyirY 1 i "lr r1; -T'Ll V''' iSSfcj- -J, jrnritl IrrA J. Mr'riw-y Ji I -1 J-iJVaJIg py 4f ,1,, i -r lL "TT" May 11, 1983 t-sT I If "-iStt St I rrr By DENNIS WYATT Of The Press Tribune staff ROCKLIN The Placer County grand jury is investigating whether Rocklin is illegally collecting school fees from builders of new houses. The probe has prompted Roseville High School District Superintendent Chuck Wiese to ask Rocklin to delay action on approving the first 991 homes of the Rocklin West subdivision until legal issues can be clarified. The grand jury inquiry centers on whether "thousands of dollars" in school fees may have been improperly collected, according to several officials who asked not to be identified because of state law governing the secrecy of grand jury proceedings. Hie grand jury is examining whether Rocklin is improperly collecting school fees on subdivisions that were approved before the city mitigation fee ordinance went into effect in 1979.

The grand jury also is trying to determine if all Rocklin developers were being treated "equally" in the assessment of school fees and if the ordinance itself conforms to state law. "The city staff has adhered to city School board mulls scholarship policy ordinances," City Manager Bill Mitchell told The Press-Tribune today. Mitchell declined to comment on whether he thought there were legal problems with the mitigation ordinance. "I am not an attorney," Mitchell said. City Attorney Sabina Gilbert has been meeting with the high school district's legal counsel to discuss the mitigation ordinance.

State law prohibits collection of school mitigation fees from developers of projects approved before cities and counties adopted a mitigation-fee ordinance. Placer County grand jury special prosecutor Jim Garbolino two weeks ago told The Press-Tribune the grand jury had "absolutely no knowledge of any questions concerning mitigation fees." When Garbolino was contacted on Monday, he refused to comment on whether the grand jury is investigating Rocklin to determine if the city is conforming to state law when they collect fees. Developers in Rocklin pay $10,279 in fees per each home. Included in that sum is $1,656 in school mitigation fees. The remainder includes fees for parks and traffic.

Weise told the board. Trustee Carol Hamel indicated support for higher grades, saying, "I always thought it was atrocious to let our young ones play with Fs." Robert McCarthy, another trustee, said he wanted to look at the proposal, but had concerns that there might not be enough students to allow extra-curricular activities to continue. McCarthy also said he felt that the extra-curricular acitivities were the only thing that kept some students in school. Kenneth Sahl, district assistant superintendent told trustees extracurricular activities and athletics had drawn strong support on the last community schools survey. Oakmont High School physical education teacher Glenn Poole said today the effects of raising grade requirements for athletics might be difficult to predict.

"It may cause students to just take easier classes," Poole said. "What if maybe athletics is their only way out?" The district now requires athletes to be passing in four grades, although that could mean four Ds and two Fs, Poole said. "We are already urging several of our students to bring their grades up," See SCHOOL, Page 2 I The fees are paid by developers to help defray the cost of additional school classrooms. The fee is then added to the price a buyer pays for a new home. The city collects the fees.

The school district then requests the funds when it is ready to obtain portable classrooms. The grand jury probe was discussed on Tuesday during a closed session of the Roseville High School District board. Following the session, board Chairman Bob Leighty indicated the board discussed the grand jury investigation. The high school district has never spent any fees collected in Rocklin. Superintendent Wiese declined comment on the grand jury investigation.

The Rocklin School District and the City Council have argued in the past whether the city or school district should hold the fees until portable classrooms or other campus improvements allowed under state mitigation fee laws are needed. "We initially did not agree with the procedure," Rocklin Superin- See ROCKLIN, Page 2 AAGM fire settlement: $140 million LAS VEGAS, Nev. (UPI) More than 1,300 victims of the MGM Grand Hotel fire in which 85 people died will divide $140 million the largest compensatory damage settlement in U.S. court history. Lawyer John Cummings, liaison for the Plaintiffs Legal Committee, said lawyers for 1,357 fire victims or their families settled with 42 defendants, including the MGM Grand Hotel.

The settlement was reached at a meeting Tuesday night with U.S. District Judge Lewis BechUe, a Pennsylvania jurist assigned to the case. Bechtle instructed all parties to meet with him May 20 in Philadelphia to finalize details of the settlement. Cummings said plaintiffs would have their money by late July. "We are negotiating with 10 additional defendants we think will settle and we will try the remainder of the case against approximately 26 defendants on July 11 in federal court." Inrnme than nancake breakfasts.

car washes or flea markets. They said less dangerous "safe and sane" fireworks help control "the real problem" illegal and contraband items. "You're not going to control it any more than they, could control bootlegged liquor back in the '20s," said Leroy Hyde of Auburn's American Legion chapter. Carolyn Bowden, administrator of Loomis Christian School, said See FIREWORKS, Page 2 Po'ly Press Tribune photo by Joe Kreiss) (Doily Press-Tribune photo by Joe Kreiss) Bel Air under way Construction crews have begun pouring concrete foundations for the new Bel Air Center. Phase one of the new shopping plaza, located at the corner of Sunrise Avenue and Cirby Way in will be home tor Bel Air other shops.

Phase two of construction will include a shops and a financial a a ii mi American Legion locals. Arguing against the ban endorsed by virtually all fire chiefs in the county, they argued that fireworks sales are how they raise most of their funds, and disputed claims that "safe and sane" fireworks are dangerous. While explosives such as firecrackers, cherry bombs and flying rockets are illegal statewide, the county's ban includes fireworks deemed "safe and sane" by the state Fire Marshal's Office, including sparklers, cones and snakes. Roseville, Market and the restaurant, Placer board votes again to ban 'safe and sane' fireworks By YVONNE McKINNEY Of The Press-Tribune staff ROSEVILLE Should high school athletics, band and cliee leading be limited to students with a average? Roseville Union High School District trustees said Tuesday night they would like to look more closely at possibly stiffening grade requirements for participation in extra-curricular activities. The trustees also gave preliminary approval to a policy change prohibiting athletic participation for one year for students who transfer within the district.

District Superintendent Charles Weise urged a board decision on the grade eligibility requirements in the wake of a similar proposal by the Sierra Foothill Athletic League. The league is expected to vote May 19 on a proposal to limit league participation to students who maintain a average with no Fs. Exclusion from league play would affect virtually all competitive girls and boys school sports, including football, basketball, baseball, track and tennis. Some school districts have applied grade eligibility requirements to other activities like band, drama, cheerleading and student offices, since 1979, when the board approved the uniform fire code without realizing it put the ban in effect. The parents of Darby Meehan, an Auburn 12-year-old who lost his eye last Fourth of July from an illegal firecracker, helped persuade supervisors to uphold the ban on the "safe and sane" fireworks.

"I don't want to dispute how people in these fine organizations raise funds," Jennie Meehan said. "They give all their heart, but the injuries caused to people, the property damage and the money Congressmen call for U.S. quake action By CHRIS CHRYSTAL United Press International WASHINGTON The California Democratic congressional delegation, responding to a devastating earthquake in Coalinga, today urged stronger federal action in preparing for such disasters and assisting the victims. The congressmen called upon the Reagan admini: allon to restore cuts in ms to predict earthquakes and to mobilize and But in a 3-2 decision, Supervisor Alex Ferreira of Lincoln said Placer is in a "different situation" than many parts of the state in that "the most fearful thing in a rural area is fire." "We will face a holocaust one of these days and I don't want any part of it," Supervisor Terry Cook agreed. "If there's one injury, one maiming or one fire, that's too many." Supervisors had formally approved the ban in February, although it had been on the books NEWSMAKERS involved to the county is not worth the funds being raised.

"They've got to look in their hearts and find other ways to raise money." Darby's father, Selso Meehan, marched to Sacramento from Auburn last year and helped convince then-Gov. Jerry Brown to veto a bill that would have prohibited local governments from banning fireworks. Still, some dozen community organizations argued fireworks sales offer a more viable source of Depot Days By BONI BREWER Of The Press Tribune staff AUBURN Some of the sparkle may be gone this Fourth of July from unincorporated parts of Placer County, but supervisors on Tuesday said they hope a fireworks ban also will snuff out dangers. The board upheld a ban on the possession, sale and use of all fireworks despite protests from community groups including Boy Scout Troop 20 of Loomis, the Loomis Christian School, the Penryn Rainbow Girls Club and several Cripple Creek flood woes addressed By JIM JANSSEN Of The Press-Tribune stoff CITRUS HEIGHTS Action has been taken to alleviate the concerns of Citrus Heights residents flooded by Cripple Creek during the record-breaking storms this spring. Alternative methods to reduce flooding along the creek, east of Auburn Boulevard and north of Watson Way, will be discussed at a June meeting to be set up by the Sacramento County Public Works Department, according to John Molloy, director of policy and Elanning for the Sacramento County edevclopment Agency.

The meeting will be conducted in the Rusch Park Community Center. 7801 Auburn Blvd. Molloy said residents of the area will be notified of the date. Proposed alternatives for reducing the flooding problem, as outlined by Molloy on Tuesday at a Citrus Heights Target Area Committee meeting, include: See FLOODS, Poge2 Tiny transplant patient dies MEMPHIS, Tenn. (UPI) The world's youngest double liver transplant patient died of cardiac arrest early today with his mother by his side, a victim of massive failures of other bodily functions.

Doctors said 13 month-old Brandon Hall died at 3:30 a.m. CDT in the intensive care unit at Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center. He had been hospitalized since his first transplant operation on April 13. He would have been 14 months old Thursday. Complications that brought about the failure of other bodily functions had forced doctors to keep Brandon alive on a respirator.

"Doctors listed the unofficial cause of death as cardiac failure, culminating from several problems experienced over the past four weeks," said John Donlca, a spokesman for the hospital. hdtx Almonoe 2 Ann landers. 15 Birthdoys 8 Bombech IS Business. 13 Calendar 70 Classified 22 25 Comics 20 Con umers 24 25 Crossword 20 Focus 13 15 WiatIur Sunny kls hov been predicted through Thursday by the Notional Weather Service, with some tapering oft in northerly winds. Additional weather Information on Poge2.

223rd Edition of 78th Year Horoscope 20 Movies 14 Notices ...,1,26 Obitoories 6 Records'00 2 11 television 21 dd n9' coordinate emergency aid faster aflpf a Uep, Tony Coelho. who examined the MS million damage of the earthquake that demolished most of Coalinga May 2, said the Federal Emergency Management Agency did not set up an oKice to as8ist vlclim9 sw-king loans until Saturday, five days after the national disaster struck. m'sh mash causes con- fusion." Coehlo said. "These people Jusl wanl help." Rocklin' Depot Days gels oil to a (tying start on Tuesday as, from left, Augie and Shcron Kofoet and Chomber of Commerce President Cookie Lowrie launch ballons filled with coupons good for free tee shirts. A special supplement in todoy's Press-Tribune outlines weekend activities in Rocklin..