The Fresno Bee from Fresno, California • B5

SUNDAY B5 THE FRESNO BEE-FINALTHE FRESNO BEE FINAL 5 B5 Logical Page is THE FRESNO 23:12 Composer brought opera to masses filled the San Joaquin River last April, loodwaters lapped at shores, seeped into parks and up to homes. Ramirez pays $695 a year for lood insurance because his home is in the lood plain. He said about 400 Firebaugh homes are in the existing lood plain and 50 others will proba- bly be affected by the revised lood plain. In some areas, the new lood plain could extend out 11 miles from the river, said Chris White, general manager of the Central California Irrigation District, which extends from Mendota into Stanislaus Coun- ty. only within a few hundred he said, expect- ing the new number to affect more than 200 of his property owners.

White said proposal would affect the way landown- ers will be able to farm and build. lood plain map is based on the highest projected low from Friant Dam into the San Joaquin River from a storm that might occur once in 100 years. The existing lood plain map assumes 21,000 cubic feet per second would spill past the dam in a 100-year storm. But FEMA, using U.S. Army Corps of Engi- neers estimates, says more than three times that amount could leave the dam in such a storm.

In the 1997 lood, releases from Friant peaked at about 60,000 cubic feet per second. That became the basis for the federal new lood plain map. Tony Buelna, chief of opera- tions for the Bureau of Reclama- tion at Friant Dam, said he be- lieved the 1997 lood was an ex- ceptional event, unlikely to occur but once in 125 years. Fresno and Madera counties first argued that the existing lood maps were adequate. Spurned by the federal govern- ment, they then argued that the lood plain would almost dou- ble in size in a 100-year storm, but would still inundate a far smaller area than what FEMA proposed.

This latest appeal was nixed. up and down the river wanted a second opin- ion on what the lows said Joseph Countryman, presi- dent of MBK Engineers in Sac- ramento and a former chief of design for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He was hired by the two counties to build a case for a smaller lood plain. think what we provided was he said.

tried to take an unbiased, straightfor- ward shot at what the lows were, and I think it was Ray Lenaburg, a FEMA se- nior engineer in Oakland, said local officials could file anoth- er appeal. But they might have more success pressing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to re- vise its assumptions on how Fri- ant Dam is operated or by pre- senting their case to local mem- bers of Congress. Prosperi said Friant had too much water in it when record releases began in 1997. If water releases had started earlier in the year, the peak of the lood would have been reduced, and the proposed lood plain would cover a smaller area, he said.

Prosperi said he thinks FEMA wants development moved away from the river. want the number to be contrived. We just want the real he said. now become a land-use The reporter can be reached at or (559) 441-6166. Continued from Page B1 The Fresno Bee The Big Fresno Fair won 20 awards, including eight first- place honors, at the annual West- ern Fairs Association Achieve- ment Awards.

Among the eight first-place awards earned by the fair was the Merrill Award for the rates in the play struc- ture, which was built in the Table Mountain Rancheria Park for last fair. Western Fairs Association Ex- ecutive Director Stephen J. Chambers hailed the im- provements in recent years: Big Fresno Fair is the most improved fair in North Ameri- The Merrill Award, named after WFA founder Louis S. Mer- rill, is selected by the fair associ- board of governors. It is considered the high- est honor and was the first Mer- rill Award won by The Big Fres- no Fair.

The Big Fresno Fair also earned six second-place and six third-place awards. The Big Fresno Fair competed against other top fairs in the western United States including the Los Angeles County Fair, California State Fair, Orange County Fair, San Diego County Fair and Arizona State Fair. There is no need to wait for the comfort, support and pain relief of hospice care in your own home. Watch our educational video online to learn more. (559) 320-4000 www.optimalcares.com Associated Press ROME Gian Carlo Menot- ti, who composed a pair of Pu- litzer Prize-winning operas and founded the Spoleto arts festi- vals in Italy and the United States, died Thursday at a hospi- tal in Monaco.

He was 95. died pretty peacefully and without any pain. He died in my his adopted son, Francis Menotti, said by tele- phone from Monte Carlo. The Italian composer won Pu- litzers for a pair of the 20th cen- more acclaimed operas: which pre- miered in 1950 in Philadelphia, and Saint of Bleecker which opened at New Broadway Theater in 1954. also earned him the New York Drama Crit- ics Circle award as the best mu- sical play of the year in 1954.

He also wrote the Christmas classic and the Night for NBC, which was broadcast in 1951 and may have been the first opera written for television. Carlo Menotti intro- duced a generation of Ameri- cans to with the tele- vised production, said Peter Gelb, general manager of the Metropolitan Opera. was one of greatest com- The New York opera also staged the world premiere of Mr. Island in 1942. Mr.

Menotti also wrote the li- bretto for which was composed by Samuel Bar- ber, his life companion, and re- vised the libretto for and Bar- ber and Mr. Menotti shared a house in Mount Kisco, N.Y., north of New York City, for many years. By 1976, The New York Times called Mr. Menotti the most-per- formed opera composer in the United States. His Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy, and Spoleto Festi- val USA, of Charleston, S.C., sought to bring together fresh creative forces in U.S.

and Euro- pean culture. The tradition launched young artists into im- pressive careers. Carlo was great both as a composer and stage direc- said tenor Placido Domin- go, who sang in the world pre- miere of Mr. in Washington in 1986. also had great imagination as a li- brettist, not only for his own op- eras, but in even for a composing colleague.

And if we consider his legacy in the Ital- ian Spoleto Festival, we might call him a real Renaissance For three weeks each sum- mer, Spoleto, population 35,000, is visited by nearly 500,000 peo- ple. The festival also surround- ed Mr. Menotti with the tion and that is im- portant for our creative as he put it. GARAGE DOOR OPENER SPECIAL OFFER FEBRUARY 1 FEBRUARY 28 2664 N. Business Park 292-3005 Largest Installing Dealer Showroom Hours: Monday-Friday 8AM-5PM Saturday 683491 Some areas do not apply.

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$279Only (After $30 mail-in rebate)Includes installation tax Designed for ultra heavy-duty performance. Powerful HP industrial strength chain drive. Premium Control panel with lock and light switches. 15 98 24 OBITUARIES Flood: Public meetings to be held when maps released Fresno Fair wins awards Josephine Aguilar, 73, of Fresno Jamal Ali Alqutami, 59, of Fresno Fred Amey 51, of Fresno Donna Lee Baratta, 81, of Madera Dorothy Maynard Barr, 24, of Fresno Bennett E. Brewer, 63, of Clovis Luis Moreno Canales, 87, of Fresno Marlys Lorraine Chamberlin, 71, of Friant Earl Cheeseman, 85, of Biola Robert Leroy Ebell, 88, of Kerman Jessie Ervin, 81, of Fresno Edlo C.

Hansen, 88, of Clovis Vincent A. Howard, 50, of Porterville Jack Gardner Kirk, 100, of Fresno Deborah McCombs, 51, of Madera Randy Mosqueda, 43, of Fresno Lourdes R. Namit, 84, of Lemoore Mary Norman, 64, of Madera Jeffrey A. Parsons, 17, of Hanford Michael Sheridan, 66, of Fresno Joyce C. Watkins, 73, of Fresno Mary A.

Webster, 72, of Ogden, Utah, formerly of Fresno Shiela L. Winn, 51, of Fresno AGUILAR, JOSEPHINE A ro- sary for Josephine Aguilar, 73, of Fresno will be recited at 7 p.m. Tuesday at John N. Lisle Chapel at Lisle Funeral Home. Mass will be celebrated at 9 a.m.

Wednesday at St. John Catholic Cathedral. Mrs. Agui- lar, a homemaker, died Wednes- day. Visitation will be from 10 a.m.

to 5 p.m. Tuesday at Lisle Funeral Home. ALQUTAMI, JAMAL ALI Ser- vices for Jamal Ali Alqutami, 59, of Fresno were held under the direction of Sterling Smith Funeral Directors Inc. Mr. Alqutami, a teacher, died Friday.

AMEY, FRED JR. Services for Fred Amey 51, of Fres- no will be held at 10 a.m. Thurs- day at Wheel Church. Mr. Amey, an auto mechanic, died Wednesday.

Visitation will be from 1 to 8 p.m. Wednes- day at Jesse E. Cooley Jr. Com- munity Chapel. BARATTA, DONNA LEE Cryptside services for Donna Lee Baratta, 81, of Madera will be held at 11 a.m.

Tuesday at Arbor Vitae Cemetery Mausole- um. Mrs. Baratta, a retired cook for Madera Unified School District, died Friday. Visitation will be from 2 to 8 p.m. Monday at Jay Chapel.

Re- membrances can be sent to Hinds Hospice 1616 W. Shaw Suite C-1, Fresno, CA 93711. BARR, DOROTHY MAYNARD Private services for Dorothy Maynard Barr, 24, of Fresno will be held at a later date. Mrs. Barr, a homemaker, died Fri- day.

Remembrances may be sent to the Food Pantry, 210 N. Thorne Fresno, CA 93706; or American Cancer Society, 2222 W. Shaw, Fresno, CA 93710. Arrangements are by Cremation Society of Central California. BREWER, BENNETT E.

Pri- vate services for Bennett E. Brewer, 63, of Clovis were held under the direction of Tinkler Funeral Chapel Crematory. Mr. Brewer, a truck driver, died Monday. CANALES, LUIS MORENO A rosary for Luis Moreno Canales, 87, of Fresno will be recited at 7 p.m.

Monday and Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Holy Spirit Catholic Church. Mr. Canales, the owner and operator of a jan- itorial service, died Thursday. Visitation will be from noon to 5:30 p.m.

Monday at Stephens Bean Funeral Home. Remem- brances may be sent to Nancy Hinds Hospice, 1616 W. Shaw Suite B6, Fresno, CA 93711; or Founda- tion of Central California, 4411 N. Cedar Fresno, CA 93726. CHAMBERLIN, MARLYS LOR- RAINE Memorial services for Marlys Lorraine Chamberlin, 71, of Friant will be held at 1 p.m.

Wednesday at Farewell Chapel. Ms. Chamberlin, a checker, died Wednesday. Re- membrances may be sent to Na- tional Kidney Foundation of Northern California, 131 Steuart San Fran- See OBITUARIES, Page B6 At Fulton Belmont 16 04 46 Available for Immediate Delivery We accept Medi-Cal Medicare Associated Press A subsidiary of Station Casi- nos has reached a settlement to buy 305 acres in Central Califor- nia for development of a tribal casino. The Las Vegas-based gaming company filed a lawsuit Jan.

8 asking a California Superior Court to enforce a written agree- ment between Fresno Land Ac- quisitions, a wholly owned sub- sidiary, and a private seller. The seller tried last year to termi- nate the agreement to sell the land. Terms of the settlement, reached last week and disclosed to the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday, were not released. Station Casinos has a develop- ment and management agree- ment with the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians for a casino that could open some- time in 2009. Tribal Chairwoman Elaine Be- thel-Fink said Friday the land dispute was an expected in the in the process.

very pleased this is re- Bethel-Fink told the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Friday. Station Casinos declined to comment. The casino company will own the land just north of Madera until the tribe clears regulatory approvals to purchase it. The company will also have to se- cure a gambling compact with the state of California. Station now operates the Thunder Valley Casino in Plac- er County and has development deals for two more casinos in the state.

Dispute settled over Madera Co. casino land fresnobee.com the fresno bee sunday, february 4, 2007 page B5.