The Modesto Bee from Modesto, California • 1

The Modesto Bee Raiders Oakland bee 24-0 on sloppy tracK Look To 2003 Folks offer up wishes for the coming year SPORTS C-1 FIRST The Voice of The Valley H-1 WWWMOOBEECOM SUNDAY DECEMBER 29 2002 PRICE $125 Search for missing woman moves west Inside Story WEATHER Winds cause power woes Police teams focus on wetlands donor boosts reward to $500000 By MOLLY DUGAN BEE STAFF WRITER Police pushed 10 miles west of Modesto to 4000 acres of wetlands along the Stanislaus Tuolumne and San Joaquin rivers in the search for Laci Peterson the 27-year-old expectant mother who disappeared Christmas Eve The Modesto family members remained hopeful Saturday know going to bring her home alive and said her mother Sharon Grantski The main thrust of search effort covered the territory where the Stanislaus and Tuol umne merge with the San Joaquin near the west end of Highway 132 The day before boat and dive teams made their way down the Tuolumne River from Modesto to the San Joaquin Ground teams talked with landowners along the way In other developments: Police said they doubt now whether Peterson ever went to East La Loma Park despite witnesses who said they believed that they saw her there with her golden retriever Tuesday The reward fund soared to $500000 with receipt of $375000 from an anonymous donor said Kim Petersen executive director of the Modesto-based Carole Sund Carrington Memorial Reward Foundation Police said they had found no connection between disappearance and a burglary SEE PAGE A-20 SEARCH The heavy rain never came Saturday but high wind did lasting about two hours and toppling dozens of trees including the Christmas tree at Memorial Medical Center in Modesto which hit power lines and cut power to the hospital Other power interruptions were reported and a barn in Merced County lost its roof and part of its walls due to a possible tornado outlook calls for morning showers followed by some sun Today: High 54 low 36 Yesterday: High 64 low 48 Details on Pages B-l B-8 BART AH Y0UTHE BEE Laci Peterson's mother Sharon Grantski and husband Ron attend press conference TURBUL0IU TIMES TRAVEL More than just big trees here The giant sequoias are the major attraction for the approximately 14 million people who visit Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks each year but the sights end there These parks about 55 miles east of Fresno have much more to offer There are rivers canyons waterfalls and the 14000-foot peaks of the Sierra Nevada Page 1-1 Work injury bills inflated union claims Doctors Medical Center charged triple the median group to attest NOTE: First in a two-part series By KEN CARLSON BEE STAFF WRITER Doctors Medical Center in Modesto charged more than three times the state median for treat-ing patients with work-related injuries according to the California Nurses Association Representatives of the nurses union are expected to testify next month before a state Senate committee that wants to know if Tenet Healthcare Corp has been overbilling for workers compensation cases Tenet owns Doctors Medical Center as well as Doctors Hospital of Manteca The median charge for workers compensation patients discharged from DMC last year was $62800 according to the CNA The hospital discharged 38 workers comp patients and the median cost is the point at which half paid more and half paid less $62800 median was times the state median of $17000 the median charge was just less than $34000 for all Tenet-owned hospitals in the state a The research suggests that DMC was part of Tenet strategy to use price increases to boost revenue According to a study commissioned by the nurs- es association DMC also has led Tenet hospitals SEE PAGE A-20 HOSPITAL In a dangerous world US threatens war against Iraq Hundreds die in Israeli-Palestinian conflict India Pakistan brought to brink of war over Kashmir Bali nightclub bombed Chechens seize Moscow theater Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl abducted killed in Pakistan HOMES Finding the ideal dwelling Louise Lacey knows exactly what looking for in a home: a spacious dwelling in a great town with an interesting history She also wants good schools nearby low crime and friendly neighbors Her dream home has to meet all those requirements plus two more She wants said house to cost less than $150000 And she want to leave California to find it Learn her secrets Page E-l Changing US political scene Republicans recapture US Senate gain in House US Sen Paul Wellstone killed in plane crash Signing of Homeland Security bill is largest overhaul of US government in 50 years Health and welfare Floods devastate Europe Wildfires rage in western United States Oil tanker splits apart sinks off Spanish coast West Nile virus kills more than 100 in United States Hormone replacement therapy dangerous for menopausal women study finds Mean US streets Sniper killings terrorize Washington DC area String of summer child abductions Olympics and other sports Salt Lake City hosts the Winter Olympics Serena Williams beats her sister Venus to win the French Open Wimbledon and the US Open Tiger Woods wins the Masters and the US Open American sports legends Sam Snead Ted Williams and Johnny Unitas die Uneasy US economy Jobless rate up lowest interest rates in decades Dow down nearly 17 percent for year US Airways United Airlines file for bankruptcy protection CAREER Leader of the Beyer bands Corruption and scandal Martha Stewart embroiled in insider trading scandal Arthur Andersen convicted in Enron case Adelphia WorldCom Tyco executives indicted Sex abuse scandal cover-up rock Catholic Church Microsoft antitrust lawsuit resolved company left intact Harvey Pitt resigns from SEC Brian Beute made a deal with his parents: They would pay for trumpet lessons if he promised to stick with the instrument He did better than that He made With ban over schools debate cell phone use Lawmakers cite student safety districts see potential distractions Sources: The Associated Press Facts on File Wall Street Journal US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Executives testify In Enron case music a career At Beyer High School Beute oversees two jazz bands a fall marching band and color guard two winter concert bands two winter color guards and one percussion ensemble Page F-l KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS COMING MONDAY A few shining moments make dark year bearable A LOOK BACK The year in review across nation world Pages A-3 A-5 It was quite a year for Modesto our region Pages B-1 B-4 By GARY DELSOHN BEE CAPITOL BUREAU On public school campuses around California the war on drugs has taken a back seat to concern for student safety At least when it comes to the use of cell phones When the Legislature amended the Education Code in 1988 to ban students from having cell phones and electric pagers on campus the target was drug sales at California middle and high schools Now because of a law taking effect Wednesday school districts can adopt their own rules and decide for themselves whether to allow cell phones the popular thing to do right now because everyone NEW LAWS is clamoring for it under the guise of said Willie Crittendon administrator for school operations and safety for the Los Angeles public schools Parents want their kids to be able to reach them if they need a ride home or there is a school emergency The Sept 11 terrorist attacks and the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School near Denver have made parents even more fearful about their whereabouts an emergency a cell phone will often be the closest phone to use to call Sen Liz Figueroa D-Sunol said when she introduced her bill last session with cell phones made the first and most helpful reports at Columbine High School alerting law enforcement to the exact loca- accommodate paramedics firefighters or police responding to a call Opinions: Area report card for 2002 Page B-6 Index Gary Condit re-elected the hardly popular Gov Davis and sent a Republican majority to the US Senate Modesto politics were lively and a bit embarrassing during the year Village I development-fee collections fell millions short triggering city budgeting nightmares State elections officials fined Mid-Valley Engineering $185400 for illegal campaign money-laundering Mayor Carmen Sabatino spent much of 2002 defending himself against accusations that he billed taxpayers for private cell phone calls limousine rides and credit card charges Two former Modesto mayors Peggy Mensinger and Don Hammond passed away during the year Their deaths rekindled fond memories and inspired words of praise Mourners turned out en masse for Chandra Levy the 24-year-old Modesto woman who was missing SEE PAGE A-20 2002 By JN SBRANTI BEE STAFF WRITER After a year of terrorist attacks suicide bombings sniper bullets budget shortfalls corporate scandals wayward priests missing girls and laid-off workers we should welcome the end of 2002 It all bad of course We cheered for gold medal skaters singers and Pennsylvania miners rescued from underground We applauded when officials broke ground for the University of California at Merced watched our property values soar and contributed to the Gallo Arts Center Crowds flocked to rock concerts at Modesto's John Thurman Field They also lined Modesto streets for an old-fashioned Graffiti parade and they laughed through Big Fat Greek which played for weeks at the State Theatre They crowd voting booths But those who bothered to cast ballots ousted the once-loved Rep The best and worst Parade Obituaries B-3 Opinions B-6 Travel 1-1 Your Home E-1 Area economy strong despite setbacks Page G-1 Classified F-1 Crossword F-1 5 Local News B-1 Movies H-2 Tops in pop culture Page H-1 TipsLine: 238-4519 To subscribe: 578-2222 COMING MONDAY: The year in review for California local sports -id business The Modesto Bee 2002 SEE PAGE A-20 NEW LAWS.