The Fresno Bee from Fresno, California • B1

SATURDAY B1 THE FRESNO BEE-SOUTHTHE FRESNO BEE SOUTH 1 Logical Page is THE FRESNO 23:57 BThe Fresno BeeSaturday, October 4, 2008fresnobee.com By Pablo Lopez The Fresno Bee Running for re-election, Fresno Uni- fied School District trustee Carol Mills wants to clear up any misconception about her working relationship with Superintendent Michael Hanson: She supports him and want to fire him. Though a Fresno County grand jury in 2007 accused Mills of micromanag- ing Hanson and asked her to step down as board president, she said the criti- cism was unfounded. The board later voted to keep her as president. Recently, challenger Natalie Clark said Mills continues to dog Hanson at school board meetings. open, honest and Clark said.

opponent is not a team player and throws up roadblocks. I feel her ego gets in the Now voters will decide whether to let Mills continue as a trustee or give Clark the job for the next four years. The seat up for grabs in the Nov. 4 election represents the Fresno High School area in central Fresno. Mills, 53, has lived in the area 20 years.

Clark, 36, See DISTRICT, Page B4 By Mike Osegueda The Fresno Bee KSEE (Channel 24) con- firmed Friday that news an- chor Rich Rodriguez is no long- er employed at the station. Station president and gener- al manager Todd McWilliams declined to say whether Rodri- guez was fired. He said only that Rodriguez longer works a personnel McWilliams said. talk about Rodriguez said he parted ways with the station because he refused to take a pay cut. He said he was first asked to take the reduced salary two weeks ago and immedi- a ly clined.

He a a mull the mat- ter over for two weeks and again re- fused the offer this week, leading to the end of his relationship with KSEE. believe when you have a contract, you stick to Rodri- guez said. Rodriguez, who had been with the station since 2001, an- See ANCHOR, Page B5 Carol Mills By Denny Boyles The Fresno Bee On the same day that state officials said they may need to borrow $7 billion from the federal government, Fresno of- ficials boasted that they had more than $4 million left over from the last budget year. Mayor Alan Autry said the surplus came from conservative budgeting and concerted efforts to tighten fiscal belts in every department. More than $1 million came from refi- nancing bonds used for the No Neigh- borhood Left Behind program.

That money will be sent right back into the program, Autry said. serving as a model to the rest of our state on how to survive tough fi- nancial Autry said. been very blessed to have some hard, good work by our staff and The surplus surprise city offi- cials, said Renena Smith, bud- get director. have been conservative in our Smith said. we look at things constantly.

We have a bud- get season anymore. We talk about the business of the city every Smith said the city also has changed the way it creates its budget. not about a me-first way of think- ing in each department anymore, but in the best interest of the city as a she said. Autry said council President Blong Xiong and public-safety union leaders have endorsed his plan for the surplus, which will go before the City Council Tuesday. also engaged the city unions in a very positive, very productive Autry said.

Xiong said that he had met with City Manager Andy Souza earlier in the week to talk about the plans for the surplus, and that he generally agreed with ideas. Said Xiong: are investing in some programs that are worthwhile, and also doing what we need to do to be ready for the next years of tight The reporter can be reached at or (559) 441-6659. Mills faces challenger Trustee works to clear worry of rivalry with Hanson as rival promises clean slate. Rich Rodriguez Political Notebook is a compilation of news and anecdotes found on The Political Notebook blog. To comment or read more, go to www.fresnobeehive.com/news/ Natalie Clark More bone fragments found in Fossett search.

INSIDE, B3 Autry beams at $4m surplus By Cyndee Fontana The Fresno Bee Since 1995, Habitat for Hu- manity Fresno County has been building homes on the same sweep of land in southwest Fres- no. Now the nonprofit builder of af fordable housing is looking for new frontiers. Habitat offi- cials say they will finish work on the 89-lot Crossroads subdivi- sion by the end of 2008 allow- ing them to close one home- building chapter and open oth- ers on different land. feels said Tony Miranda, executive director of Fresno af filiate. have distinct memories of work- ing in the subdivision.

It just felt like we had dirt for Today, that dirt at Jensen and Arthur avenues is mainly occu- pied by houses. The Fresno affil- iate of Habitat, an ecumenical Christian housing ministry, is working on its final three homes there. One will go to the Vangs, a family of 10 now living in a rent- al. Choua Vang, a college stu- dent and the oldest of nine chil- dren, said the family is excited to move into one of the subdivi- final homes. She said family members al- ready are getting to know future neighbors who also helped build their own homes.

Construction a tough Vang added. good for us to Founded in 1985, the local Hab- See HABITAT, Page B2 PHOTOS BY DIANA FRESNO BEE Washington Union High School senior Andrew Nhim, center, pours paint as volunteers armed with rollers and brushes work on the Vang home at Habitat for Humanity Fresno Crossroads subdivision in southwest Fresno. Habitat for Humanity officials say they will finish work on the 89-lot subdivision by the end of 2008. I probably not a newsf lash to say aperception that old, white people dominate the Republi- can Party. Even the local GOP recognizes it.

Now, an effort to do something about it. Party leaders are putting together a slick, professional ad campaign targeted to the 18- to 35-year-old demographic with the slogan: am the Republican The faces in the ads only young, they also feature plenty of minorities. Look for billboards, bumper stickers and T-shirts promot- ing the colorful campaign, which is an attempt to counter recent Democratic Party voter registration gains in the central San Joaquin Valley. intent here is to rebranch the Republican image, because it needs says Fresno City Council Member Jerry Duncan, who helped put the campaign together. John Ellis Differences on Prop.

8 Fresno mayoral candidates Henry T. Perea and Ashley Swearengin spoke last week at the No-Name Fellowship Candidate Forum at Corner- stone Church. In answering a question from a group of pastors, both said they saw Proposition 8, which would amend the state constitution to define mar- riage as a union between a man and a woman, as relating to their faith. But they took different approaches on the constitutional amendment. Swearengin supports the amendment, saying, believe marriage is between and a man and a Perea, who was raised Roman Catholic, said he believes in that definition, but want to amend the constitution in a way that would force a segment of the population to lose their rights.

will vote against turning my faith into a constitutional he said. Denny Boyles Vetoes rankle lawmakers State lawmakers, mostly Democrats, are still sore over Gov. Schwarzenegger vetoing of the bills that got to his desk this year, a modern record. So how did Valley lawmak- ers do? Assembly Member Juan Arambula, D-Fresno, and Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, tied with the most vetoed bills, five apiece.

Arambula had six bills signed, though, the second- most of any Valley lawmaker. Florez had three signed. Sen. Roy Ashburn, R-Bakers- field, led the pack. He got eight bills to the desk and had them all signed.

Ashburn, by the way, was wooed by Schwarzenegger during the state budget fight, as the Republican governor sought GOP lawmakers to sign on to his budget proposal. Assembly Member Nicole Parra, D-Hanford, also posted a perfect score. Of course, she only got one bill to the desk, relatively minor legislation that extends the sunset date for a nursing degree scholar- ship program. biggest problems were with fellow Democrats. She said in August that leaders refused to put her remaining two bills up for consideration after she bucked her party on the state budget vote.

She got one through and moved the other to another author. It got to the desk and See NOTEBOOK, Page B4 Plans for the bounty Mayor Alan proposals for the budget surplus: 8 $1.6 million to be placed in a reserve account for a public safety hiring program 8 $1.1 million to go toward infrastruc- ture improvements as part of the No Neighborhood Left Behind Program. An additional $500,000 already has council approval. 8 $600,400 to be added to a $17.5 mil- lion rainy-day fund 8 $350,000 to be used to create a public safety recruitment and retention program 8 $220,000 to cover jail booking fees Moving in, MOVING ON Habitat for Humanity close to filling Crossroads, looking for more land. Volunteer Cheryl Decker helps to paint the Vang home.

Habitat for Humanity Fresno County is wrapping up work at the Crossroads subdivision and will look at new areas. Republicans try to update their image KSEE news anchor Rich Rodriguez leaves station POLITICAL NOTEBOOK Bee staff reports ON THE WEB Go to fresnobee.com/elections for further coverage of local campaigns..