The Modesto Bee from Modesto, California • 16

METRO Sunday May 25 1997 B-2 The Modesto Bee Deputies arrest Empire man in kidnapping ro Joe Mendonza and Jim Francom went to Livingston to make the arrest Saturday brother was very surprised when I he found out why (Fuentes was wanted by Stehle said No charges will be sought against the brother for his part in the incident Stehle said The suspect was taken to head quarters before being booked into the I Stanislaus County Jail on Saturday night He was booked on charges of assault I with a firearm on a person terrorist threats of violence false imprisonment kidnapping and assault to commit rape He is being held in lieu of $50000 bail description given by the girls On a seat was a roll of masking tape A registration check listed the father as the owner Stehle said While the parents are in Mexico his sisters and brothers stayed behind siblings Stehle said Through interviews with them investigators determined that the suspect had called his brother in Livingston The suspect told the brother he was in trouble with the law and asked the brother to come and get him Stehle said It took awhile to locate the residence before deputies Mitchell Pinhei- High School at 2:30 pm Stehle said The girl told authorities she was forced at gunpoint into an older model white van She said the suspect tied her hands and feet with rope then wrapped masking tape around her head to cover her eyes She said the suspect drove around for an undetermined amount of time before stopping the van and fondling her He later released her in the same general area the abduction had taken place Stehle said She still had tape in her hair when she spoke to investigators Later Friday afternoon deputies located at an Empire home a van matching the By Jeff Jardine Bee staff writer Stanislaus County deputies on Saturday arrested an Empire man suspected of kidnapping a teen-age girl Hector Fuentes 19 was taken into custody at his home in Livingston at 5:40 pm Sgt Larry Stehle said Authorities believe Puentes tried unsuccessfully to abduct two girls at gunpoint near Teel Middle School in Empire at about 830 a Friday The girls said he drove off after they screamed and ran Then he kidnapped a 15-year-old girl who was walking home from Johansen Escalon firm to clean McClure he will clear off 22000 yards the first year for a total of $209220 Debris removal the second year will bring the total cost to about $418000 District General Manager Ross Rogers said the costs should be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency or a state agency District officials had hoped to complete the work this year But Ted Selb assistant general manager for water operations said that be possible because the water level rise enough to refloat all the beached deadwood And much of the shoreline is too steep to reach the debris until it is back in the water The reservoir was filled to the brim by runoff caused by warm torrential rains in the Sierra in early January And when dam operators began dumping water downstream to keep New Exchequer Dam from overflowing and to create more flood storage space nobody thought the reservoir fill again this year By Bob White Bee staff writer MERCED It will take two summers and cost an estimated $418000 for the Merced Irrigation District to clean up thousands of tons of trees limbs bushes and branches that swept down the raging Merced River and into Lake McClure during the January floods The debris now lines the shores of the reservoir but much of it will be floating again as the spring runoff raises water level When that happens an Escalon firm will round up the flotsam skimming it off the lake with giant floating booms chip it up and haul it Lionudakis Wood Green Waste Recycling one of two companies that bid on the project was awarded a contract Tuesday by the irrigation board of directors Lionudakis will charge $951 per yard of debris removed and owner Phil Lionudakis estimated that hospitalized The agenda TUOLUMNE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS: 9 a Tuesday administration center 2 Green St Sonora Consider lifting the alcoholic -beverage drinking ban in Tuolumne City for the 48th Tuolumne Lumber Jubilee June 20-22 Presentation by Jan Wold Stanislaus National Forest supervisor on forest programs and impacts on the county Hearing to consider setting a $1 entrance fee for adult softball at Standard Park SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS 10 a Tuesday courthouse 222 Weber Ave Stockton Hearing on San Joaquin County Farm Bureau's request to remove the proposed New Jerusalem subdivision from the county general plan Discuss term limits for members of the Board of Supervisors and the Board of Education Hearing on county policy for cellular and radio transmitting towers MERCED COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS: No meeting this week STANISLAUS COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS: No meeting this week STANISLAUS COUNTY LOCAL AGENCY FORMATION COMMISSION: 6 pm Wednesday administration building 1100 St Modesto Consider annexing to the city of Riverbank 630 acres near Clari-bel and Oakdale roads south of the existing city limits Consider annexing to the city of Modesto 234 acres south of Kier-nan Avenue and east of Dale Road north and east of the existing city limits Consider request to include in the city of sphere of influence the proposed 75-acre Road report Fontino Rodell Larkin 31 of Stockton took the worst of it King said He said Larkin was knocked to the ground and all eight members of the opposing group were hitting and kicking him Then one of the assailants Mi-quel Garcia 20 struck Larkin with a metal car theft prevention device King said Another assailant Marco Sorrano 22 pounded on Larkin with a gas pump nozzle King said The other six men continued to kick Larkin who suffered a broken nose a bruised and swollen face and a severe concus not landowners will decide IN BRIEF Fire damages offices A two-alarm fire broke out in an office building at the corner of 13th and streets at 6:58 a Saturday Four engines a truck company and seven off-duty firefighters needed nearly three hours to put out the fire that engulfed three rooms The fire destroyed about half of the building including the storage area for the Farmers Insurance Co The main office rooms in the front of the building were saved Damage was estimated at $125000 The cause probably was electrical and not suspicious Modesto Fire Capt Terry Inderbitzen said Gas pipeline hit CERES Several Ceres residents were evacuated Saturday afternoon when a neighbor digging a fence post hole struck a natural gas pipe The incident happened in the 3200 block of Puma Way shortly before 3 pm and Ceres police and fire officials quickly blocked off the street The gas could be smelled more than a block away on Whitmore Avenue Residents within half a block of the residence were told to leave their homes while a worker repaired the leak The neighbors many of whom had their pets with them were allowed to return to their homes at 3:37 pm No ID on victim SPUD ISLAND One person was killed and another injured early Saturday when the boat they were riding in ran aground on Spud Island in the main channel of the San Joaquin River Deputy Mike Padilla public information officer for the San Joaquin Sheriffs Department said the boat crashed near the Lost Isle restaurant around midnight He said the boat likely hit a shoal and the driver of the boat was unfamiliar with the varying depths of the river channel The deceased a man is believed to have been the driver to air The Modesto police will highlight the Beard School neighborhood on their show to be aired on Post-Newsweek Cable Channel 2 on June 5 The hourlong show begins at 5:30 pm The police will hold a follow-up neighborhood watch meeting at the school at 6:30 pm June 1 1 Women vets luncheon Organizers of an all-women veterans luncheon this fall are seeking those who have served in the armed forces The event is set for Nov 1 in Santa Rosa Women from all branches of the service are welcome For more information call Violet DiFrancia at 522-9461 SETTING IT STRAIGHT We want to make sure the stories in this newspaper are correct If an error has been made please contact us The telephone numbers for various departments appear at the top of the front page of each section If you have additional comments concerns or questions about the content of the paper contact Executive Editor Sanders LaMont at 578-2350 or Managing Editor Mark Vasche at 578-2356 Today Memorial Day service 11 am San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery Highway 33 at Santa Nella Lost-boat ceremony in which the names of sunken submarines will be called out Music by Los Banos High School Band Christ Superstar" open auditions 11 am to 3 pm Grapevine Productions of Fresno Tower Theatre 276-8218 Try The TipLine Have a news tip or story idea9 Call The BeeLine at 575-7500 Wait for the voice prompt then punch TIPS (8477) and leave a message We'll check it out Northgate Promenade development north of Pelandale Avenue and east of Sisk Road north of the existing city limits MODESTO CITY COUNCIL: 4 pm Tuesday council chamber 801 11th St Consider a request for a shopping center at Oakdale Road and Sylvan Avenue Consider appeal for an alcoholic beverage license at 1725 Prescott Road TURLOCK CITY COUNCIL: 7 pm Tuesday Turlock Irrigation District boardroom 333 Canal Drive Turlock Consider accepting a traffic circulation study of the Monte Vista Avenue-Fulkerth Road area and directing city staff to prepare a project study report Consider locating the Northwest Quadrant Community Park adjacent to the future Pitman High School MANTECA CITY COUNCIL: No meeting this week TURLOCK IRRIGATION DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS: 10 am Tuesday 333 Canal Drive Turlock Receive a report on proposed dredging work in the Tuolumne River below Don Pedro Dam Review water and power conditions OTHER MEETINGS: South San Joaquin Irrigation District board of directors 10 am Tuesday 11011 Highway 120 Manteca Oakdale Joint Union High School District and Oakdale Union Elementary School District boards of trustees joint meeting 5:30 pm Tuesday 168 Third St Oakdale Manteca Planning Commission 7 pm Tuesday 1001 Center St Sylvan Union School District board of trustees 7 pm Tuesday 605 Sylvan Ave Modesto just gotta know how to do it with all the people on the lake Harrington said is a lot of people out The crowd at Lake McClure was average for a holiday weekend ranger Mike Brown said were sold out of campsites Friday night with reservations but we do have some Borwn said expect the people will stop coming tomorrow The crowds had apparently not found their way to Modesto Reservoir The sounds of music and jet skis were faint in the background as Chuck Bucking-hanan hung out next to the lake with his friends Memorial Day Weekend this place was Buck-inghanan said year it is just like any other INTERSTATE 205: Westbound No 2 lane and eastbound No 2 lane at Patterson Pass Road San Joaquin County closed from 6 pm to 5 am Tuesday through Friday Patterson Pass Road onramps and offramps closed through reconstruction HIGHWAY 4: One-way controlled traffic between Drais and Escalon-Bellota roads San Joaquin County 6 am to 6:30 pm Tuesday through Friday 15-minute delays HIGHWAY 26: One-way controlled traffic between Escalon-Bellota Road and Valley Springs Calaveras County 7 am to 7 pm Tuesday through Friday 20-minute delays One-way controlled traffic at the Mokelumne River Bridge Calaveras County 7 am to 4 pm Tuesday through Friday 10-minute delays HIGHWAY 49: One-way controlled traffic at Shaws Flat Road Tuolumne County 7:30 am to 4 pm Tuesday 10-minute delays One-way controlled traffic on Jackass Bridge Tuolumne County 7:30 am to 4 pm Friday 10-minute delays One-way controlled traffic between Highway 140 and Mariposa Creek Mariposa County 7 a to 3:30 pm Tuesday through Friday and continuing weekdays through Sept 5 10-minute delays HIGHWAY 99: Northbound and southbound lane closures between Chowchilla River Bridge and Harvey Pettit Road Merced County 7 am to 3:30 pm Tuesday through Friday Vista Avenue overpass closed HIGHWAY 120: One-way controlled traffic at Tulloch Road Tuolumne County 7:30 am to 4 pm Wednesday 10-minute delays One-way controlled traffic at Johnson's Ranch Tuolumne County 7:30 am to 4 pm Thursday 10-minute delays MODESTO: Sylvan Avenue between Claus and Roselle avenues open to local traffic only 24 hours a day Monday through Friday detour posted Mable Avenue between Coffee and Oakdale roads subject to intermittent delays STANISLAUS COUNTY: Closed due to flood damage: Center Road east of River Road between Dairy and Orchard roads Dairy Road between River and Center roads and Orchard Road between and Pelican and River roads Faith Home Road closed between Service and Redwood roads for culvert work TUOLUMNE COUNTY: South Fork Road and Italian Bar Road open to lightweight local traffic only Wards Ferry Road closed at Deer Creek Road All closures subject to change due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances Compiled by Vangie Snuffer Bee chief newsroom assistant Who The fire districts and the areas they serve: Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District A combination of the former Empire Waterford Hickman and Stanislaus County fire departments Total revenue: $41 million Assessment: $240000 Ceres Fire Protection District Contracts with the Ceres Fire Department for protection of the rural area south and east of Ceres Total revenue: $84500 Assessment $59500 Industrial Fire Protection District Contracts with the cities of Modesto and Ceres for coverage of territory between those two cities If the assessments go down in defeat voters who own property will see their property taxes decrease and more than likely will see their fire insurance premiums increase Using Salida as an example again the Fire Department with four paid firefighters 40 volunteers and two stations has an Insurance Sendee Office rating of 5 That translates into annual fire insurance premiums of about $365 for a $100000 home The Insurance Service Office is a private organization that rates fire departments in 28000 after fight sion He was taken to a hospital The six other assailants were booked on assault charges They are: Marjano Cardenas 21 Domitilo Martinez 22 Martin Ponce 22 Jose Cardenas 18 Francisco Garcia 22 and Herman Daldovios 22 two companions also were arrested: Aide Williams III 22 for resisting delaying and obstructing police and Lee Hayes 23 for malicious mischief Officers saw Hayes throw a large rock through a car window after they broke up the fight King said Budget information unavailable Burbank-Paradise Fire Protection District West of Modesto Total revenue: $164000 Assessment: $83000 Salida Fire Protection District Includes Salida and Del Rio Total revenue: $400000 Assessment: $200000 Hughson Fire Protection District Rural area around Hughson Total revenue: $188000 Assessment: $78000 Keyes Fire District Unincorporated community of Keyes Budget information unavailable cities and communities nationwide The 1 through 9 rating system based on a fire staff equipment training and water supply is used to determine fire insurance rates Janice Morgan an agent with Greater Modesto Insurance Association estimated that if Salida had to rely on a volunteer fire department its fire rating would jump to 8 or 9 the protection class bumps to 9 insurance still would be available but it would double in price and a policy with replacement cost probably be Morgan said receipt and I thought This is the city or the auxiliary would pay But I just feel it is my personal way of telling them you' for all they give to us and the city It was something I could personally She also is there for fire victims who often must stand and watch their dreams turn to ashes Her approach toward them is the same: food coffee and comfort "Sometimes just a cup of coffee is what they she said They are all around us people who give and give to make this community a better place to live They are our "Unsung Heroes" Each Sunday we share their stories If you know someone like this call our TipsLine at 575-7500 Ext 8477 Or e-mail metromodbeecom 10 jailed 1 By Jeff Jardine Bee staff writer What began as a war of words escalated into a fight that sent a Stockton man to the hospital and 10 men to jail early Saturday morning Modesto police said Lt JD King said two groups from Stockton one consisting of three men and the other of eight began arguing at The Orbit bar on Prescott Road When the bar closed at 1:30 am the dispute moved to the Chevron Station at 1600 Sisk Road King said the party of eight attacked the other three men Police responded to the call at 2:06 am FEES: Voters CONTINUED from B-1 ment will be decided by the 4000 registered voters living in such areas as Empire and the Airport District Owners of industrial property and buildings such as Tri Valley Growers and Gallo Winery will have no say whether the assessment will continue More than perhaps other fire districts the consolidated district has unique firefighting challenges In addition to fighting residential fires it must also be capable of fighting industrial fires which require special skills training and equipment (continuing the assessment) is very important to the area Hopefully most people will recognize the said Jim Beard of the 2000-acre Beard Industrial District that includes Gallo Tri Valley Growers and dozens of other major manufacturing facilities Although the assessments vary they make up substantial portions of some fire annual budget In Salida for instance the assessment generates $200000 a year half the annual $400000 budget If voters reject the measure it will have measurable effects on the department would take us completely back to a volunteer Fire said Chief John Brubaker about the district that protects thousands of homes from Salida to Del Rio HERO: Food CONTINUED from B-1 auxiliary disbanded I just kept doing For years every major fire became a Lasley family outing: father John fighting the fire mother Molly supplying firefighters with food and drink our (three) children were little they knew the she said have their little sleeping bags and sleep in the back (of the pickup) and spend the night there It was great for them to understand what their father did for a living" an engineer in the department now Their children two girls and a boy are now grown So Molly keeps up the routine by herself Over the years been to more than 150 fires working many of them straight through until dawn without sleep HOLIDAY: Boats lining up coffee and comfort at fires CONTINUED from B-1 the water early enough to enjoy the day out on the sparkling blue lake traffic coming up here wasn't so Turlock's Chliff Smee said at Barrett Cove you got here there were long lines Like now trying to get my boat in the Smee was in a line of about four trucks and trailers waiting to back down the launching pad Across the road Pat Harrington and his son Wader were packing up and heading home to San Ramon hoping to avoid the midafternoon crush of jet skis and ski boats come up here a lot we just came to Harrington said Despite the crush of boaters on the normally calm lake Harrington and his son caught about 30 fish always have to retrain the new police officers so I can get past the she said once they know I have coffee and doughnuts The Lasleys have a law enforcement scanner in their home When a fire call goes to two alarms she calls Station 1 on 11th Street to confirm If it looks to be a time-consuming blaze she cranks up five coffee-makers at her home Then she goes to Station 1 and fills ice chests with bottled water and other cold drinks On her way to the fire she'll stop off at a doughnut shop or fast-food restaurant more often than not paying the tab out of her own pocket always done she said very first time 1 handed in my receipt to the women's auxiliary The second time I lost my.