The Sacramento Bee from Sacramento, California • 19

Friday July 14 1978 Page B3 THE SACRAMENTO BEE Gillings' Guilty 'Conviction Sticks It's Official: Pony Express Beat The Mail Rodriguez' Jail Term Extended goKIR'fa'IINS: '1 1 A :1 WIi' '4'41) ii fl fr1 li i 1 t' tt' 4:22 c4- i i i it 0 :1 lo: )4'- -4 't 47 44i :4 'NI --'z -1: N4 i Is 4) i ii 71: :4 7:: i7 i'l'7: 1 iio er 444! 31ft i i7'(' io i i t't rl--: ji- -111-1 '1 --i h' t-- 'x----: '----1' i -1-'- 'J-'- 1 --1-)L-1- r- -41 "'''7 0 '-7--' 1 i i ''''''r IN-' -17 ''-'-'rr r-' ---r' il r'-ii Tkif L'r c- 4' c- 1 r': 41 -r i'' 7' r' co 2r 7' :7 -r'-'-'-' Mcaatchy Newspapers Service The conviction of Francis Earl Gil' lings of Tracy a member of a Posse Comitatus group on a charge of assaulting a San Joaquin County deputy sheriff nearly three years ago has 'L been upheld by the 5th District Court of Appeal Gillings1 conviction of contributing lc to the delinquency of his teen-age son IL'i also was upheld In the complaint for contributing to delinquency Gillings was accused of wo permitting his son to skip school and kri carry a rifle and pistol during a con0 frontation with United Farm Workers of America organizers in a Stockton-I area tomato field The assault charge stemmed from 1 the firing of a shotgun near the head of Deputy Sheriff Dan Delfatti who had approached Gillings to serve him with a traffic warrant tr Gillings claimed the shotgun went off accidentally as he threw himself to n11 the ground thinking he was about to be A shot He denied he had his finger on the trigger His son Steven also was taken into custody after he pointed a rifle at one deputy and fought with another deputy before being subdued Sheriff's deputies said Gillings and (- about a dozen members of Posse Comitatus a private vigilante group went to the tomato field armed with shotguns rifles and pistols to prevent UFW union organizers from going into the field to talk to workers When sheriff's officers refused to escort the union organizers into the field the organizers left the scene Meanwhile sheriff's officers learned there was an outstanding traffic warrant for Giddings and attempted to advise him of the same Delfatti said he observed Gillings place a shell in his shotgun and heard him ask the other vigilantes to "back me up" on at least three occasions As he stepped backwards into a furrow he raised his shotgun and the weapon fired Delfatti grabbed the shotgun and knocked Gillings to the ground and placed him under arrest Gillings later claimed his arrest was motivated by adverse feelings toward him because of his involvement in a bitter election campaign with the incumbent sheriff the late Michael Canlis Delfatti suffered a concussion as a result of the shotgun blast near his head and was unable to work for about a week Gillings was sentenced to serve 90 days in jail and was placed on three years probation The confrontation occurred Sept 2 1975 SALT LAKE CITY (UPI) Riders re-enacting the pony express ride from Salt Lake City to Sacramento beat the US Postal Service in delivering a first-class letter The finish of the race was first announced last week Now with the letters having been returned to Salt Lake City the results are official The pony express run began July I at the Utah State Fairgrounds with riders from Utah Nevada and California following part of the original trail As the riders prepared their journey from the fairgrounds State Fair Director Hugh Bringhurst wrote two identical letters to the director of the California State Fair at Sacramento One was to be delivered by the Pony Express and the other by regular mail Bringhurst asked his California counterpart to mark each letter with the time and date of delivery and then to return them When the letters were returned the one delivered by the Pony Express was marked July 4 The letter delivered by regular mail arrived in Sacramento July 1 but was not delivered until July 5 July 3 was not a holiday Lowe presents awards to Duran left and Ricketts right 3 Earn Witness Awards In Theft Suspect Capture Coal Plants Continued From Page B1 TRACY The state Community Release Board added three years to Frank Rodriguez Jr's prison sentence Thursday after a deputy Yo lo County district attorney argued Rodriguez's existing sentence ignored the fact he nearly killed a woman But Rodriguez 21 will get one year off the extended sentence for good behavior the panel decided In a related development another convict sentenced from Yolo County Ronald Lee Tatum filed an administrative appeal with the board arguing the board does not have the authority to extend his sentence as it did May 2 In the Rodriguez case a three-member panel held a 50-minute hearing in the Deuel Vocational Institute here before extending the prisoner's sentence three years for causing great bodily injury to a 27-year-old Sacramento woman he kidnapped raped and shot The date Rodriguez will be eligible for parole was pushed from February 1981 to February 1983 making a total of six years Rodriguez must serve for his February 1977 conviction of rape with great bodily injury kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon Deputy District Attorney William Lebov who prosecuted Rodriguez told the release board Thursday that this was "a particularly brutal and sadistic" crime Rodriguez was convicted of forcing the victim into his car at gunpoint Nov 21 1976 driving her to Discovery Park where he forced her to commit oral sex then driving her to a deserted Yolo County road where he raped her shot her with a shotgun and left her for dead The prosecutor said Rodriguez a native of Woodland testified in his own defense at the hearing telling the panel he was innocent and he wants to leave prison ahead of schedule because his wife and child need him In the Tatum case the 27-year-old convict at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville asked the board to reconsider the eight-month extension a panel added to his sentence after a hearing May 2 The chief counsel for the board Brian laugher said Thursday that Tatum's appeal challenges the authority of the release board to extend prison sentences and claim3 it shouldn't have done so in his case anyway County District Attorney Robert Jameson who argued for Tatum's extended sentence said the appeal filed by the state public defender's office is based on parole procedures not the merits of the case against Tatum Over 10000 Woodland residents had signed petitions objecting to the con-vices parole a man and a woman and pointed out his hiding place to our officers "They didn't know it but the robber had run out of ammunition He said he would have shot all three if he had had any more bullets" Their actions resulted in the arrest of Richard Ybarra 18 of Colusa who has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentence He shot Doyle Harris 67 and his wife Hoy 57 when Harris resisted his attempt to take money from the service station at gunpoint Both recovered The Secret Witness Rewards Committee headed by Melvyn Lawson retired city superintendent of schools awarded each of the three $250 Sheriff Duane Lowe has presented certificates of appreciation and Sacramento Bee Secret Witness Public Service Award checks to three young men who helped capture an accused robber who shot two victims The recipients Larry Ricketts Clayton Luper and Gill Duran work in business places near the Shell Service Station at 7741 Auburn Blvd in Citrus Heights where the holdup occurred May 7 "This is a classic example of citizens who were willing at great possible risk to themselves to help in the law enforcement process" Lowe said "They followed the robber despite the fact that he had already shot Pet Of The Week Power Plants (CACPP) was orga- nized by Donald Blake of Oroville an olive grower and agricultural property realton "Even if these plants fl have all the new-fangled equipment to control pollution" he said "the emissions will still be fantastic 1 "Shucks" he said "I've got reports Of what the increase in ozone and sul fur dioxide will do to agriculture It's a pollution that really causes damage Butte County produced $143 million in agriculture crops last year And we can't stand even a 10 percent loss "If they really need this plant let 'em put it in the heart of San Francisco No one would notice it there" Caroline and Louis Hubbert both retired moved to Paradise four years ago to get away from smog in Long Beach And they don't want to see 4 smog in Paradise though they recognize that air pollution is increasing all around them Both are members of CACPP and are fighting the proposed plant with a petition for which they hope to get 10000 signatures to secure a place on the November ballot 3 In addition to air and crop pollution some groups fear that water the coal plants need for cooling will come from their government-allocated supply They also fear that the water will go to the plant instead of farmers in case of drought They're worried that twice-daily trainloads of coal from Price Utah rm will dissect their fields hampering V''A seed and harvest operations coal cars might spew coal dust on their interstate journey polluting wayside fields and particularly the Feather River small towns won't be able to accomodate the expected 1600 construction workers resulting plant sludge will pollute the ground and lower the water table They also fear that the presence of coal-fired power plants only will encourage more industry which will take away even more of their precious prime agricultural farmland spokesman Kit Newton disputed residents' contentions He said that if the plants do not conform to air quality standards "they can not be built' Although he admits that power plants will compete with farmland to a certain extent for water" in most sites there will be no problem with water Sludge will not contaminate ground water he said and none of the sites has been classified as prime agricultural land Further he said "construction of these plants doesn't necessarily mean these areas will be more attractive to industry Nothing will change the basic character of these counties" John Sohrakoff founder of PAACP and a Wheatland rice farmer said the sludge waste disposal area proposed for the South Yuba site is in a flood plain Levee systems around the area will force water into other people's property he said What's more he said "two 26-story buildings and a 600-foot plus smoke stack will take away valuable agricultural land increase traffic and alter our way of life in a way we don't want to see Nobody's threatening to blow the plant up but we are actively concerned We're probably most upset not with but with our elected represen tatives who wholeheartedly support this" Don Lederer a sheep and grain farmer whose family has lived in the area since 1903 said says the four sites all are marginal agricultural areas "Within 5 of a mile there's ground capable of producing 345 tons of sugar beets per acre way above average If that plant rains sulfur down on the crops and limits you to what you can grow and you can't grow sugar beets and all you can grow is grain you aren't going to make it" he said "If it doesn't pollute" he continued "then why is trying to stick it all the way up here?" three controversial sites are located six miles west of Willows in Glenn County eight miles southeast of Marysville in southern Yuba County and about six miles northwest of Oroville in Butte County The fourth and somewhat less controversial site is situated in Collinsville across the Sacramento River from Pittsburg which already is dotted with smokestacked industry It is not considered prime farmland But whether the coal plants are ever built and where they will go are questions far from being answered Last week an 18-month series of preliminary hearings began by the state Energy Commission At the conclusion will select from sites accepted by the commission But the project will not get final approval until a second 18-month review is complete and the state Energy Commission grants a certificate to allow construction That permission is not expected until 1982 't-''i' 4 ii 1 't) 14': 7I 1 1 '7771 t4: 1 '0 Fitt-" ill- 7 r---4! 1-1 4 ---'i 1 ii i -494- 4 s4 I- 11 f-41 i -4 yA :1 I i 41 -t--t A A P' 4 tr 1 i I 4 44' i-iz! -1ikiaiL4 ti Little Henry hopes to be sprung from the Sacramento SPCA Animal Shelter at II am Saturday when the center at Front and streets holds a free drawing Henry is a 6-week-old brown and white Shepherd mix He has had one distemper shot and likes children The facility also has other pets available and offers a low-cost spay-neuter service Push Renewed For Cityhood Jarvis' Erratic Driving Possibly Due To Anxiety Continued From Page B1 Produce The group pushing for creation of a city in Citrus Heights has been restructured and members will attempt to collect enough signatures this weekend to get the issue on the Nov 7 ballot Don Mutton chairman of the pro-city Citrus Heights Citizens for Good Government said 30 to 50 persons are expected to man tables in shopping centers and public buildings and to walk door-to-door to collect the necessary 6805 signatures 25 percent of the community's registered voters He said 2500 to 3000 persons have signed petitions so far deputy then gave him a breath test Jarvis said he heard the deputy say the test proved negative and saw him write down the rating of 01 on the sheet well below the legal level of intoxication Kipp earlier testified Jarvis tried to deny he was at the wheel of the auto and attempted to intimidate him but Jarvis denied making any threats against the deputy In Brief The following is a run-down on state-grown produce as the growers and the Food and Agriculture Department see it: ALMONDS 35 percent below last year's crop basically due to the "screwy spring weather" Nut sizes are the largest with the set and the amount the smallest since objective measurement surveying began in 1962 A total of 205 million almond meat pounds is expected WALNUTS Crop down by about 22000 tons to 170000 tons But the crop should be of high quality Orchards had a substantial fruit drop because of the warm winter The department says that sets vary throughout California APRICOTS Almost at its end in California the apricot crop is down 20 percent from last year Size has been the disappointing factor because of a lack of very warm days in late spring and early summer It's the lowest production since 1974 CHERRIES tons is all California was able to squeeze from the trees a drop from 27000 tons last year and 51000 tons in 1976 Blame the drought GRAPES Only wine grapes will be up over last year because of increased bearing acreage coming of age Raisin grape crop will be down 7 percent Whether there'll be raisins depends on the late summer weather If tropical storms hit the southern San Joaquin Valley like they did a couple of years ago the drying may be precluded thus no raisins Table grape varieties are down a whopping 38 percent from last year CLING PEACHES The crop should be down from 754000 tons to 575000 tons Again the spring vagaries did this crop in and a much-warmer summer is needed to even reach the predicted 575000 tons FREESTONE PEACHES Sizing has hurt here most of all Almost all fruits are small The crop should be 16 percent below last year's 238000 tons coming in at about 200000 tons BARTLETT PEARS No winter chilling a heavy fruit drop serious blight problems have combined to make this year's the poorest crop since 1967 About 250000 tons is forecast if all goes well Last year there were 326000 tons PRUNES The spring weather hurt during the blooming season and the crop is down from 151000 tons last year to a hoped-for 142000 tons this year The weight is in dried tonnage PLUMS Only 2 percent below last year Few problems and high quality fruit expected An anomaly in fruits this year CITRUS Snails the kind brought in several years ago by enterprising farmers who thought escargot would catch on in US restaurants It didn't Now the snails are hurting the citrus as is wind-scarring The forecast is for 2 percent fewer lemons 5 percent fewer Valencia oranges 7 percent fewer grapefruit But predictions are still around 50 million boxes WHEAT Winter wheat is down by 16 percent to 34860000 bushels California winter wheat goes into past ries Durum wheat is up three times over last year to 8050000 bushels all due to increased acreage Durum goes into pasta BARLEY 5 percent below 1977 at 50350000 bushels for this year The harvest is in CORN All of the grain variety It's up because of the increased acreage STRAWBERRIES More than last year all due to increased plantings about 11 percent But California is an importing state in potatoes and the available supply to the homemaker should be adequate although priced higher It's in fruits and nuts where the problems exist i They are the delicacies that the nation depends on from California Ninety-nine percent of the almonds and walnuts Eighty-eight percent of the grapes One hundred percent of 1 1 the olives Seventy-one percent of the 'i tomatoes Somewhere around 70 per cent of the melons And on down the I long long list Most fruit and nut trees are showing 1 the effect of the two dry seasons and the lack of chilling during the past winter Such produce must have a cold lay-over from the previous sea- son in order to mature The past win- ter was a warm one in the valleys despite the heavy winter snows in the oTuh ne tnaicnasm the warm-one-day-coldthe-next spring Fruit tree experts at the state Department of Food and Agriculture and at University of California Davis point to that stretch of weather as the devil in the short crop The bees come out when the weather is warm and start the pollinating cycle They did But then it turned cold The bees went back to hibernating Then it rained sometimes very ri hard The unpollinated blossoms dis 'ow appeared and when the bees came out when it warmed again it was too late What fruit did set has been struggling through the not-so-hot summer 0 It's been the cause of small not-so sweet fruit It isn't too late however If the weather warms up appreciably C' with days in the 90-degree-and-up sk' range the sweetness may increase and the fruits may grow to the larger sizes Californians are used to buying OXNARD (UPI) Threats against his life not alcohol or drugs triggered feelings of fear and anxiety which caused tax revolt leader Howard Jarvis to drive erratically leading to the mistaken presumption he was under the influence of alcohol it was argued Thursday In the second day of testimony before a Superior Court jury defense attorney Trevor Grimm questioned Dr Ronald Kornblum Ventura County coroner-medical examiner about Jarvis' state of mind at the time of his arrest March 15 Grimm asked Kornblum whether it was possible for erratic driving and failure to pass sobriety tests to be caused by fear or anxiety "Yes" the coroner said The attorney then told the jury Jarvis had received threats against his life during the campaign to place Proposition 13 on the June 6 ballot Grimm did not elaborate on the threats Jarvis 75 was stopped by sheriff's deputy Michael Kipp on US 101 for speeding and weaving back and forth The deputy said he gave Jarvis sobriety tests and Jarvis failed them all including one of the ability to recite the alphabet Under California law a person is considered intoxicated if he has a 10 alcohol rating and may or may not be considered drunk above 05 depending on his conduct Kornblum testified that someone driving erratically and failing a sobriety test as Jarvis had could be considered under the influence of alcohol at the 06 rating After the prosecution rested its case Jarvis was called as the first witness in his own defense and testified briefly before the noon break Jarvis said he drank two or three cups of coffee with Kahlua a liqueur at the home of Albert Greene the county's chief Proposition 13 backer on the night of his arrest He testified that after he was stopped by the deputy there was an unpleasant exchange of words and the Clinics Offer Free Physical Exams Physical examinations which meet state requirements for entry into first grade and student participation in sports can be obtained at no cost for eligible students this summer at several clinics in the Citrus Heights area Part of a program established and funded by the Legislature the exam includes a health history physical and dental examinations and testing for vision hearing urine blood and tuberculosis A team of nurses from schools in San Juan Unified School District will give the examinations Pediatricians will be available for consultation Eligible to receive the exams at no cost are persons under 21 with a Medi-Cal card children from low or moderate income families who are entering preschool or kindergarten or who are entering first grade but have not had such an examination in the past Appointments and information are available by calling 726- 6616 ext 29 from 9 am to 3:30 pm Monday through Friday Concillo Fund-Raiser Set Sacramento Concilio will host an "Evening of Pride and Unity" July 22 to raise funds for emergency services for the needy The affair at the Quality Inn-Woodlake will start at 6 pm with cocktails Hors d'oeuvres will be served and a fashion show will follow at 8 pm Dancing to the music of Los Elegantes will end the evening Tickets are $15 a person available by calling Concilio at 448- 3211 The donations will help the non-profit agency to provide emergency shelter food clothing medical care and transportation to needy persons Hole-In-One Tournament A smooth swing and $1 could win golfers at seven area courses WO Saturday in an informal hole-in-one tournament sponsored by the Mountain-Valley chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society The tournament at Rancho Murieta Campus Commons Davis Municipal Whitney Ranch National Foothill Lindale and Swallows Nest golf courses will continue July 22 Pre-registration is not required Golfers wishing to participate will be asked to donate $1 when they tee-off Auto Collision NNW rig itxpansion fl Continued From Page BI cou od lined a plan for use of the $8 to $10 Proposed is all-day high-speed million year expected from the sales service between major activity cen- tax ters such as downtown Sunrise Mall Chief planner Robert Koski says Arden Fair-Point West Florin Center that money along with additional and California State University Sac state and federal money for which RT ramento with frequent feeder service would then qualify would be used to to those locations The proposal would double the bus fleet and expand the also include more complete weekend share of trips around the area made and evening service by public transportation presumably One selling point for the expanded lowering pollution from individual service program aimed at those who avtos 0 still plan to drive will be lesseted traffic congestion In other action the advisory board briefly discussed Pacific Gas and Electric Co's proposal to build a coal-fired power plant at one of four locations in the Sacramento Valley George Ulrich a councilman of Wheatland said he'd rather see the United State use its own sources of energy than buy oil from the Middle East MEADOW VISTA Placer Co A North Highlands man was killed and five injured in a head-on crash Thursday on Placer Hills Road Dead is Phillip Elliott 19 drivr of one of the vehicles according to the Highway Patrol.