The Modesto Bee from Modesto, California • 16

i 2 Sunday January 11 1937 The Modesto Baa A MetroThe Region Missing girl may be victim of foul play for a couple of months before she disappeared and there was no indication that she was going to run away" Mrs Bender said She said the last time she saw her daughter was on April 25 1986 when Susan left home to go to the Greyhound Bus Depot to catch a bus to Carmel where she was to visit friends for a few days She never arrived in Carmel Instead police have learned that the girl was seen getting into a van in front of the bus depot and driving away Detective Richard Ridenour said a woman who knew Susan Bender saw her talking on the telephone at the depot and about 10 minutes later she saw the girl get into a green van in front of the depot The woman said she was unable to see who was driving the van or if the driver was a man or woman Ridenour said Mrs Bender said she reported her daughter missing on May 1 She said she By DARYL FARNSWORTH Boe staff writer The mother of a missing 15-year-old Modesto girl said Friday that she believes her daughter may have been the victim of foul play and she is fearful that the girl is dead Pat Bender said her daughter Susan Robin Bender who disappeared nearly nine months ago has not been seen or heard from since a mother 1 want to think that dead until I get positive proof she is or Mrs Bender said Friday really I know what to think maybe she's dead and maybe not She's been gone a long time It's a strange disappearance" Mrs Bender said her daughter had run away from home twice in the past but each time the girl would call her mother within a few days and return home had been good between us Neighbors against development near became worried about her daughter when she return home and call to say she be home Ridenour suid he thinks that Susan Bender may be dead (police) have certain evidence to indicate foul play was involved in the disappearance of Susan Bender" Ridenour said Friday He declined to say what the evidence was The Modesto Bee Secret Witness Program is offering a $1000 reward for in formation leading to the whereabouts of Susan Bender Tipsters may call Secret Witness at 578-2020 Monday through Saturday between 10 am and 4 pm The identity will remain anonymous People with information may also call the Police Department at 526-2501 and talk to Ridenour Susan Bender is described as 5 feet 5 inches tall weighing 130 pounds with black hair and brown eyes Board of Supervisors The planning board held a public hearing last week then postponed for three weeks its decision on general plan amendments and zoning changes John Anderson of the Planning Department said written and oral comments at the hearing gave the commissioners information that they need some time to One of the new bits of information was that Tuolumne Agricultural Advisory Committee opposes the project The committee cited loss of agricultural lands among its concerns and also the fact that existing housing development around Lake Don Pedro has never been filled Those were also the concerns expressed by Tim Erickson whose 600-acre La Grange cattle ranch would be a neighbor of the development Erickson 41 said after the hearing that agricultural land becoming less and less" as development creeps in not mad at Erickson emphasized if this thing goes it goes I still be mad at anybody But agricultural land should remain in agriculture until needed for something OPEN: Officials try CONTINUED from B-1 plaint may get no action until weeks later Yamamoto said Seasoned developers and others used to dealing with government on the other hand may adapt sooner he said The council also would have had to delay its controversial vote in November on approving new sewer trunk lines if the Brown Act rules had been in effect allowing more debate by developer opponents Another inconvenience is posting agendas the city is building a display board outside city hall to post what Mensinger called tremendous of boards and committees want open meetings and fine as long as we recognize some practical she said have to see how this one By RON DeLACY Bee staff writer SONORA Neighboring ranchers are trying to stop a new $35 million 2000-acre recreation and residential development on agricultural land just south of Lake Don Pedro The developer LaVentana Land and Cattle Co of Stockton owns about 8090 acres in the area including about 4000 acres restricted to agriculture under the Williamson Act plan is to get general plan and zoning changes to build a community similar to Pine Mountain Lake near Groveland The area includes about 460 acres of Williamson Act land It would have to be withdrawn from that designation and the rest of the area would have to be rezoned The Williamson Act enables people to get a tax break by guaranteeing their land will remain agricultural for 10 years It takes 10 years to withdraw land from a Williamson Act contract unless the county approves the switch The development would include 313 condominium units 561 single-family 'Agricultural land should remain in agriculture until needed for something rancher Tim Erickson lots an 18-hole golf course with a clubhouse a 17500-square-foot lodge and conference center a health arid sports complex a 140-slip public marina (outside the boundaries) a children's camp and an equestrian center More than half of the area would be used as an open-space buffer surrounding the development The project covers 2005 acres with about 60 percent of it in Tuolumne County and the rest in Mariposa County So two counties are involved in the permit process Mariposa County is still reviewing the environmental report while in Tuolumne County the issue has reached the Planning Commission its last stop before being considered by the wish there was somebody who would come and take away the garden said Modesto's Davis He said there is no market for compost cities like Davis even give theirs Davis said could end up with a big mound of compost that still has to be trucked to the waste-to-energy agreed Dennis Shuler Stanislaus solid waste program manager Shuler said the waste-to-energy plant might bum hotter and cleaner without the garden clippings But if no market for compost it would be better to bum the clippings than to have them take up space in a landfill These days the same with other recydables Market demand is low for newspaper oil and other reusables TRASH: Recycling advocates weary of 90-gallon automated trash cans In Brief $5 parrots are stolen Thieves stole at least 35 parrots with a combined value of $5650 from the west tylOdesto residence of a parrot breeder frtday afternoon Stanislaus County Sheriffs deputies said Saturday The breeder Billie Railsback 69 of 1713 Carpenter Road said the parrots were Stolen between 3: 15 pm and 6:15 Ivhile she was visiting her husband in a fiospital Railsback said the thieves Ipparently gained entry into her home through a bedroom window Two of the tiost expensive parrots taken were kept friside her home The rest were removed (rom buildings in the back yard Railsback said Among those taken were A Mexican Red Head parrot and Yellow Head Amazon both about 1 1 inches tall fcfany other parrots were left behind Dt puties found two nets apparently used capture the parrots on the ground in back yard Also found were several rocery bags which probably were used i carry the birds away in Railsback told deputies that once a parrot is placed Inside a darkened bag it will remain quiet Deputies said they have no jtispects or leads Escapee is recaptured An inmate who escaped from the Stanislaus County Honor Farm last week was arrested Saturday afternoon in south Modesto deputies said Jimmy James Campos 2 1 was reported as an escapee at 9 pm Wednesday when he was missing from a at the honor farm sheriffs Lt Stan Ross said Jailers said Campos apparently climbed a fence the honor farm to get out Campos was dft ested in the 1200 block of Boulder Ai enue at 3:22 pm after he was seen by deputies Pat Kelly and Mark Ottoboni The deputies reportedly had to chase on foot a short distance before tHev caught him Campos was serving a sentence for drug violations deputies said Campos began serving his jail sentence Dec 23 and he was due to be released April 26 deputies said Domecq to be honored DENAIR Denair's Community Services District Volunteer Fire Department and Lions Club will fete Alvin Domecq for 40 years of community service from 2 pm to 5 pm next Sunday at the Denair Community Center Domecq managed the service district until his recent retirement and was active ui virtually every community group and Organization The event is open to all well-wishers according to its co-hosts State of Turlock economy TURLOCK The local state of the economy will be the subject of the Turlock Chamber of Commerce's second annual Economic Trends Breakfast scheduled at 7:30 am Friday at the Turlock Golf and Country Club The public is invited to hear members of the Economic Review Group present brief reports on current trends in their respective sectors of the local economy The cost of the event which includes a buffet breakfast and copies of the reports is $850 per person Reservations can be made by telephoning the chamber office at 632-222 1 Nurses to vote Jan 21 About 100 Scenic General Hospital cbunty mental health and public health nurses are scheduled to vote Jan 21 on an offer from the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors to raise employee retirement benefits by 375 percent "There has been some controversy over whether retirement benefits are acceptable in lieu of a pay raise so we thought it should go to a vote of the said Janet Sass a spokesman for the California Nurses Association which represents the county nurses Identical retirement benefit increases were accepted last month by county employees represented by the Stanislaus County Employees Association The county offer also calls far pushing back a salary reopener clause in the nurses' current contract from June to December Except for sheriffs deputies and deputy marshals county employees have not received salary raises in three of the last five yars Robber hits mini market Tokyo a mini market at 15600 Harlan in San Joaquin County was robbed of several cartons of cigarettes and about $500 in cash at 6:30 pm Saturday according to the San Joaquin Sheriffs Office The suspect was described as a white male wearing a cowboy hat and boots having light blond or gray hair and brandishing a blue steel short -barrel revolver Setting It Straight We want to make sure stories in this newspaper are correct If you think an error has been made please call it to our attention promptly You can call The Bee Metro Desk at 578-2330 or write Box 3928 Modesto 95352 CONTINUED from B-1 companies and their workers One operator on a truck will be needed instead of two and the truck not the worker will pick up the can In addition lawn clippings left for pickup on the street often clog storm drains It's a popular program with citizens but a big headache for city public works crews trying to unclog the drains during the rainy season It also costs the city close to $2 million a year said city Finance Director Pete Brock But recycling advocates have complained the city should compost the garden clippings instead of throwing them away A few cities in California Davis is one already do that they say SIMON: Wants to CONTINUED from B-1 Susan Robin Bender Don Pedro else" There are empty lots on the nearby Dike Don Pedro subdivision developed by Boise Cascade 18 years ago "That project is about one-fourth devel: oped" Erickson said now they want to put in another The Boise Cascade project includes more than 3000 lots Gloria Turner secretary of the Lake Don Pedro Owners Association said there are about 400 homes on those lots' and that about half of them are lived ki year-round The others she said are vacation getaways or future homes for people who plan to retire in the foothills that is starting to change" she said have about 36 homes under construction now and most of the new people coming in are younger people who plan to live here Turner said the Don Pedro association's board of directors supports the nearby subdivision have a few members who want to see she said came up here for seclusion and they want to keep it that way But they have to realize those days are TUI to cope with law Mensinger helped the League of California Cities ensure exceptions would be built into the new rules allowing actidrt on emergency items and others deemed urgent but too late for the 72-hour limit Curiously the new rules liberalize preL cedures for California schools said Bob' Shelburne general counsel for ModeStO City Schools Until now schools lived under rules that prevented agenda add-ohS 24 hours before the meeting without exception A spokesman for Assemblyman Condit reported Wednesday that the Stanislaus County Drug Enforcement Unit an inter! agency task force will not have to open its meetings under the new amendments City Attorney Elwin Johnson wrofe Connelly Dec 5 voicing concerns that sensitive police information would have to be discussed publicly under the changes tion education interventions and a referral service And Guerra a bilingual Mexi can-American says all his set vices are available in Spanish Guerra is a member of and an advocate for the Cnlifori nia Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors non-profit organization that ccri tifies counselors By law alcohol and drug counselors need credentials Guerra says He wishes they did are a lot of counselors out there" he says The association requires 30 hours of continuing education which is going up to 60 soon according to the administrator Nancy Drrsbnch Guerra has applied to the association for certification ns an instructor and Dresbach says he will get it That will mean that workshops Guerra conducts out of Milagros will apply toward the education requirements for certification and re-ceiliflcation An example of a Guerra workshop is something called "Advanced Facilitator Training" a 10-hour program he is conducting at Guerra sees the association as the next best thing to mandatory certification for drag counsel ors He understand the1) state's requiring recovery ties to be licensed without also requiring their staffs to be attract more industry Education not abuse this path services that much more difficult he added be seeking revenue from whatever sources we can in order to avoid reductions in he said That includes stepping up encouragement of commercial and industrial development outside the cities in the unincorporated area board I think will be looking at those projects he said Creating a favorable climate for industry will be an important aspect of that effort be taking an active and personal role to see to it that we lose industry and to attract more industry he said am firmly convinced that elected political officials meeting with industry and encouraging them along with county staff is very However that mean paving over agricultural land indiscriminately he said primary goal will be to encourage development of existing vacant industrial land and some new areas along the northern Highway 99 corridor We intend to abandon our policy of protecting ag land" Simon also predicted there will be pressure on the board in coming months to approve additional commercial development along Kier-nan and north McHenry avenues Supervisors in recent months have approved a flurry of development for expansion-minded car dealerships that have abandoned Modesto for cheaper land in the county along upper McHenry Modesto Mayor Peggy Mensinger this week lashed out at the stepped-up commercial development in the unincorporated area statement that the county has abandoned its agreement with the city with respect to development and I suspect she meant McHenry Avenue is Simon said McHenry Avenue north of Modesto has always been envisioned as a strip for commercial development he said The city one day will inherit those businesses arid their sales tax dollars through annexation when it extends its sewer trunk lines to the area he added Increasing the number of emergency 91 1 dispatchers and finding long-term financing for the county libraries are other high priorities for the board in the coming year he said need for several more judges and court space in the near future" he said Simon said the business community also can be useful in determining whether county property around the Department of Social Services building on Scenic Drive could be sold to a commercial developer with the proceeds being used to finance constaction of a new county building downtown to house welfare and the county superintendent of schools Consolidating some of the county government offices scattered in five centers throughout the Modesto area has been a long-sought goal Looking to the private sector for help may be necessary he said because there seems to be little chance of shaking more revenue loose from the state for financially distressed counties such as Stanislaus The county has hired a lobbyist to push for bills in Sacramento of benefit to Stanislaus County how successful that effort will be is he said to balance the budget without having to diminish services any further than we had to last year will probably be the toughest challenge faced by the board in the coming year" he emphasized County staff is expected to submit a proposed budget to the Board of Supervisors in May or June But Simon said it is too early to tell need to make more cuts or It also is as yet unclear how the governor's proposed 1987-88 budget unveiled last week will affect the finances he said The governor has suggested transferring several welfare and indigent health care programs to counties sweetening the deal with an offer of an additional share of the state-local sales tax just know at this point how it will affect he said But he added county officials are a state of over how the proposal will affect the county-run Scenic General Hospital The loss of $12 million in federal-sharing revenue will make the task of balancing the county budget without additional reductions in By RON DeLACY Bee staff writer TUOLUMNE CITY Rudy Guerra a substance-abuse counselor and educator has a few pet myths about his field One is the notion that the most important credential for an alcoholism counselor is to be an experienced alcoholic says Guerra like somebody saying used to have cancer so 1 know how to treat Guerra has worked in his field 13 years counseling at inpatient facilities administering courses and substance-abuse programs for the federal government He retired from government service last year He visited Tuolumne County with a friend and decided it was the place to live at these he said gesturing toward the snowcaps to the east from Mny-nord's drug and alcohol treatment center near Tuolumne City Guerra had brought Fabio Martinez an abuse counselor and cultural researcher from San Diego State University to talk to Maynord's counselors Counseling for counselors is among the services Guerra offers through his own company Milagros (Spanish for Consultants of Sonora Besides training counselors Milagros Consultants offers youth substance-abuse preven 4 1.