The Californian from Salinas, California • 13

1 1 Californian SZSinnsm www.californtanonhne.com Local Inside: Public meetings2C Obituaries2C State news5-6C SATURDAY, February 10, 2001 Ray Estrada, City Editor Phone: 754-4280; Fax: 754-4293 E-mail: restradasalinas.gannett.com Maim admits moksftatoim ERNESTO SUAREZ ARIZMENDEZ PLEADS GUILTY TO 7 COUNTS Tell US your story How are you saving power? As we prepare an upcoming special report on the power crisis plaguing California and the West The Californian needs help from readers. We invite individuals and businesses to tell us about specific steps they've taken to conserve electricity and also what they've done to help solve the problem of limited and sometimes unreliable power. To participate, respond in care of POWER by e-mail to newsroomsalinas.gan-nett.com; by fax to 754-4293; or mail or bring information to The Californian, 123 W. Alisal St, Salinas 93901. Please respond by Friday and be sure to include your name and a daytime phone number.

down as Monterey County Superior Court Judge Wendy Duffy sentenced him. He could be eligible for parole in early 2013 when he is 78. Arizmendez molested five girls, including two of his granddaughters, between 1995 and 2000. Two of the other girls were family members by marriage and another victim was a family friend. The girls ranged from 5 to 11 years old.

Before sentencing, two of the girls parents and a grandmother of a victim addressed the court in an attempt to persuade the judge to hand down the maximum 20-year over their shoulders, Hill said. The allegations of molestation surfaced in May 2000 after one of the victims watched a child-abuse prevention video at schooL After the video, the girl went to a representative from the Monterey Rape Crisis Center, who had sponsored the presentation of the video, and told the woman she had been sexually molested. Most of the molestations occurred in Arizmendezs home in Prunedale. The Monterey County Sheriffs Department arrested Arizmendez in August after an I would have liked to have seen the full 20 (years in jail), Frank said. But I think the 14 years, the way the court system goes, is OK.

What he has done to those girls has ripped them apart, he said. To this day, my daughter questions why her grandfather did this, a mother of a victim said. Even though Arizmendez didnt receive the maximum penalty, his five victims should have peace of mind knowing he is going to prison, Deputy District Attorney Ann Hill said. I think that theyll do better, now that they dont have to continue looking Judge sentences him to 14 years in prison By Kelly Nix The Californian A Prunedale man, who pleaded guilty in December to seven counts of child molestation, was sentenced to 14 years in prison Friday. Known to neighborhood children as grandpa, Ernesto Suarez Arizmendez, 66, kept his head RICHARD GREENTHE CALIFORNIAN Ernesto Suarez Arizmendez, 66, appears in court Friday in Salinas, where he pleaded guilty to molesting young girls.

A toast to tine birthday girl Defense attorney Susan Chapman argued that because Arizmendez molested primarily family members, he wouldnt be a threat to children and should be placed on probation instead being sent to prison. Arizmendez originally was charged with 60 counts of molestation. As part of a plea bargain, he confessed to seven of those counts on Dec 7. The judge gave Arizmendez the mid-range penalty for his crimes. Frank, a father of a victim who wanted only his first name used to protect his daughters identity, said the sentence is bittersweet mother when she was fully mobile, before dementia had robbed her of some of her memory, I miss her times of talking, she said.

I miss being able to carry on a Salinas woman reaches the century mark today By J. Michael Rivera The Californian With an orchid corsage, a bottle of bubbly, cards and a gathering of family and friends, one happy Salinas woman celebrated her 100th birthday Friday. Fern Bott, a resident of Skyline Care Center in Salinas, today will celebrate the actual day of her birth a century ago with another party at the home of her great-granddaughter, Dawn Yone-mitsu. Four of her five grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and five great-great-grandchildren plan to attend. Family is dear to Bott, but she also smiled widely at the possibility of having a sip of scotch her drink of choice for many years at the birthday barbecue today.

Im very happy to be here with you, said Bott at Fridays party. She was walking until last year, and driving until well in her 90s. Im going to have a few more (birthdays), too, she said. Bott, the third of five children, had three brothers, Clyde, Harold and Theodore, and one sister, Mildred Fern Bott is a native of Ohio, and has lived in Salinas since 1967, where she worked as an office clerk for a school. When asked what it felt like to be 100, a coy Bott Fern Bott celebrates her 1 00th birthday Friday with friends at Skyline Care Center in Salinas.

Bott, a 31 -year Salinas resident, is a native of Ohio. She has outlived all of her children and her husband. Her actual birthday is today and there will be another party with family members. 'I'm very happy to be here with you. I'm going to have a few more (birthdays), Fern Bott, 100 years old today Lyn Owens is human resources manager at MST.

MST searches for bus drivers About 20 are needed; job fairs held this week By Katie Greene The Californian Monterey-Salinas Transit is trying to complete the hiring of about 20 drivers in the next two months to keep the wheels of the county bus service rolling, officials said Friday. MST recruiters wrapped up two days of an on-the-road job fair Wednesday in front of the states Employee Development Department on Webster Street in Monterey. The BusMobile, a bus specially outfitted to encourage people to apply for jobs with MST, spent Tuesday outside the One Stop Career Center of Monterey County in Salinas, said Lyn Owens, MST human resources manager, who has been on the job just two months. We had about 50 applicants at both job fair sites, she said. The recent expansion of routes in Salinas and Seaside and new services slated for later in the year have driven up the demand for drivers, said Carl Sedoryk, assistant manager of Monterey-Salinas Transit Plans to extend services to Gonzales from the Salinas Transit Center are on track for April, Sedoryk said.

Other plans include bus routes to the Amtrak station in Gilroy from the Monterey and Salinas transit centers, starting in late summer or early fall. A lot of this is contingent on getting more buses and bus operators, Sedoryk said. Thats part of the reason were doing this aggressive recruitment campaign were gearing up for that, as well as the increase in services in the summer. The number of riders has increased by around 12 percent in the last year, Sedoryk said. MST buses have about 14,000 passenger boardings each day, officials said.

MST has redesigned a number of routes to make them easier to use, and that may have contributed to the increase in bus riders, Sedoryk said. But I think were also seeing the impact of increased population and increased congestion in See MSTJOBSPage 3C exclaimed No! Im 93. She smiled, looked up and said Well, I wouldnt say I was 100. Bott has outlived all of her children, and her husband, who died in 1970. Ive had good days, she said.

I cant complain about my life, said Bott, whose maiden name is Limerick. As Bott admired her Datelines Compiled from staff reports MONTEREY COUNTY Some offices closed Monday City offices in Salinas and King City will be closed Monday in observance of Lincolns Birthday. State offices, including courts, and some banks and credit unions also will be closed. Monterey County and federal offices will be open, as will city offices in Marina, Greenfield and Soledad. SALINAS Trial ordered in slaying case A Seaside man will stand trial for the murder of a Salinas restaurant worker last year.

Treandous Cotton, 26, is charged with the murder of Javier Diaz, 21, on May 25 near Baldemiros Taco Shop. The start of the trial will be announced March 2. The preliminary hearing took two months before Judge Stephen Sillman said there was enough evidence to conduct a trial. If convicted, Cotton could face the death penalty. He already had been convicted of a murder that took place in 1989.

Police said he is considered a suspect in the murder of Richelle Cherry, a Seaside woman who was missing from her home before being found dead at the former Fort Ord. MONTEREY Child-care event set for today Child-care specialists, educators and social service officials will gather in Monterey today to discuss ways to reduce high turnover among childcare workers. Almost 60 percent of child-care aides in Monterey County leave their jobs each year, primarily because of low wages and a lack of training opportunities, officials say. The average annual salary of a child-care worker in the county is $16,140, according to the county Children and Families Commission. Todays workshop will be from 9 a.m.

to noon at the county Leadership Institute, 2354 Garden Road. It is open to the public. Main speakers will be Kathleen Murray-Phillips, county child-care coordinator, and Jim Stockinger, an Alameda County specialist on work force retention. 0BITUARIES2C Donald BoysenJr. Catalina Gomez Jayubo Laurence 'Larry' Johansen Marion 'Shorty' Long ABC-TV finds Keeley pushes 5 power-saving bills again on cable RICHARD GREENTHE CALIFORNIAN conversation.

Yonemitsu has her great- grandmother to thank for two things: getting hooked on Guiding Light, Botts favorite soap opera, and learning how to crochet. People ask me where I learned how to crochet, and they are always surprised when I say my great-grandmother, she said. Commissioa The bill would allow cities and counties to pass final judgment on plants up to 100 megawatts. Here are Keeleys bills: AB 43X: $250 million in grants and loans to all public schools for projects that increase energy efficiency, from dual paned windows to solar-heating equipment AB 42X: $100 million in grants to nonprofit groups to hire teams known as Mobile Efficiency Brigades, and to buy energy efficient light bulbs and other similar products to be distributed to residences. AB 40 Provides an as-yet-to-be-determined amount of money, divided equally between grants and loans, to local governments to make their local public buildings more energy efficient AB 38X: $150 million to increase the states investment in renewable energy supplies.

AB 37X: $50 million, probably in loans, for companies willing to install clean small generators at their business sites. At a glance The following are local television stations that have national affiliates and local news broadcasts: Channel 8, KSBW: NBC affiliate, owned by Hearst-Argyle Channel 5, KION: CBS affiliate, owned by The Ackerly Group Channel 3, KCBA: FOX affiliate, owned by The Ackerly Group Channel 2, KTVU: FOX affiliate Channel 7, KGO: ABC affiliate Channel 22, KCU: Telemundo affiliate. birthday cards with her great-great-grandchil- dren, her family reflected on what it means to still have her living. Bonnie Page, 56, remembers her grand- a home system wont rule it out I cant say there will be or there wont be, he said. Channel changes happen for reasons.

KGO is one of eight television stations to broadcast local news and one of five stations that is an affiliate of a national network in the county. KGO one of three Bay Area-based stations to broadcast in the Monterey-Salinas market The Monterey-Salinas market is the 118th largest television market in the nation while the Bay Area is the fifth-largest market in the nation, according to Nielsen Media. ByJakeHenshaw Californian Capitol Bureau SACRAMENTO In a bid to put some environmentally friendly solutions to the states energy crisis on the fast track. Assembly Fred Keeley, D-Boulder Creek, is joining other legislators to push five bills. The measures would fund projects for schools, businesses and homes that use solar heating, energy-efficient light bulbs, weather stripping and clean power generators.

We are trying to advance a package of bills that are practical, common sense, effective as soon as possible, in meeting the energy needs of the region I represent but also the state, Keeley said. Assemblyman Simon Salinas, D-Salinas, also is going to be the joint author of another energy-related bilL Hie measure would increase the size of proposed power generators that could be approved by local governments. Currently, generators larger that 50 megawatts must be approved by the state Energy Affiliate KGO airs on Cable channel problem began when KNTV became NBC station By Glenn Cravens The Californian Who Wants to be a Millionaire? is back on Channel 7. After months of confusion and channel changing, ABC-TV is back on cable Channel 7, but this time, under a different affiliate KGO in San Francisco. An opening for an ABC channel occurred when ABCs long-time affiliate, KNTV in San Jose, decided to become an NBC station.

That left the Mon-terey-Salinas market ABC-less. That sent Cable officials on a quest to find another ABC station. KGO was found and a deal was reached, ironic because KGO is on Channel 7 in the Bay Area. programs the cable television stations in Monterey County. Thats where (ABC) ultimately belonged, said Andrew Johnson, Cable vice president of communications.

ABC is in its final resting place. Until a deal could be finalized, ABC programming switched to Channel 17. KGO reached a deal with and ABC programming moved back on Jan. 24. There arent any plans to switch any more stations in the future, although Johnson.