The number of dead and dying abalone is not known but reports have come from Bodega Bay, Russian Gulch, Fort Ross, Timber Cove and Salt Point State Park, beginning on Aug. 27.

State Fish and Game biologists and game wardens have collected abalone, mussels and water samples and are continuing to document reports from the public.

According to Fish and Game biologists, these abalone deaths coincided with a local red tide bloom – or phytoplankton bloom – and calm ocean conditions.

Although the exact reasons for the abalone deaths are not known, invertebrate die-offs have occurred in the past along the Northern California coast when similar weather and bloom conditions existed.

Biologists are not attributing the deaths to withering syndrome, an abalone disease, since the abalone are not withered and other invertebrates have been affected. Withering syndrome has been known to cause abalone mortality in the past in central and Southern California.

The abalone fishery remains open at this time. Abalone divers and pickers are reminded that they must adhere to all licensing requirements and bag limits, which can be found online at www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/mapregs3.asp#abalone_open.

There is a daily limit of three abalone and a yearly limit of 24 abalone, along with season restrictions and area closures as well as other regulations for recreational abalone fishing in Northern California.

Abalone fishermen are advised to contact a physician immediately if they feel sick, and to report symptoms to the local county health department (www.sonoma-county.org/health/about/publichealth.asp).

The public is encouraged to report the location, number and date of dead or dying abalone to Ian Taniguchi at 562-342-7182 or by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The latest red tide updates from the California Department of Public Health are also posted online at www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/Pages/DDWEM.aspx.

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Michael J. Trevors, 28, in addition was placed on three years probation by Superior Court Judge Clay Brennan.

Trevors also entered a guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge related to the case during his court appearance on Monday, Aug. 29, according to the Mendocino County District Attorney's Office.

Trevors' sentencing followed that of co-defendant, Qiong Wang, who earlier this year entered a no contest plea to the same two charges.

Wang was sentenced on April 18 to the same terms as Trevors, with the exception that Wang was ordered to serve a full 365 days – known as a “bullet” – in the Mendocino County jail, the District Attorney's Office reported.

Prosecutor Tim Stoen said that in February of this year Trevors drove Wang from the Bay Area to Van Damme State Park on the Mendocino Coast.

Trevors then helped unload dive equipment, changed into dive gear, and maneuvered a kayak for Wang to dive from. With Trevors assisting from atop the water, Wang then poached 55 abalone on that day. The legal limit is three per day.

Trevors after his arrest contended that Wang asked him for a ride and that Wang had misled Trevors as to what could happen if they got caught. Trevors also attempted to downplay his involvement by arguing that he himself had not personally taken from the water any of the abalone.

Stoen said while Trevors was indeed less culpable that Wang, he was nevertheless guilty of aiding and abetting the crimes.

The case was initially investigated by the Special Operations Unit of the state Department of Fish and Game, Department investigators were aware of a prior offense by Wang and started surveillance on Wang's Bay Area residence. Wardens tracked the two suspects on the day they drove to Van Damme State Park, and witnessed the illegal poaching.

Mendocino County District Attorney David Eyster said fish and game wardens did “a terrific job investigating this case and in bringing both Wang and Trevors to justice. I appreciate the long hours and hard work of all the wardens, as well as the continuing diligence of Deputy DA Stoen to protect our local natural resources.”

Trevors is to surrender to serve his jail time on Oct.11. Wang is currently serving his jail time in the Mendocino County Jail.

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Aaron James Bassler, 35, of Fort Bragg, Calif., is being sought for the murder of Fort Bragg City Councilman Jere Melo on Saturday, August 27, 2011. Mendocino County Sheriff's Office photo.

MENDOCINO COUNTY, Calif. – As law enforcement continues to search forestland near Fort Bragg for a suspect in the shooting of a city councilman, Cal Fire has closed the Jackson Demonstration State Forest to the public.

Cal Fire Mendocino Unit Chief Christopher P. Rowney said Tuesday that the Jackson Demonstration State Forest was closed at Camp One campgrounds, the permitted public firewood area also was closed and the public was urged to keep out of the entire Jackson Demonstration State Forest area north of Highway 20 until further notice.

The action was taken to ensure public safety as the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office and allied agencies – including Cal Fire – are continuing to search the area for 35-year-old Aaron James Bassler of Fort Bragg.

Bassler is the suspect in the murder of Jere Melo, a well-respected member of the Fort Bragg City Council.

Melo, 69, was shot dead while on private timber company land he helped manage near Fort Bragg on Saturday, Aug. 27, as Lake County News has reported.

Bassler – who was last seen wearing dark clothing – is armed and dangerous, according to sheriff's officials.

He is described as a white male, 6 feet tall and weighing 160 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.

Anyone with any information about Bassler and his location is asked to call authorities at 707-463-4086 or 707-961-2479.

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The Ferris wheel towers over the still-silent midway at the Lake County Fair in Lakeport, Calif., on Wednesday, August 31, 2011. Photo by Elizabeth Larson.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The home of the Lake County was filled with activity on Wednesday as the final preparations for the opening of the event were under way.

The Ferris wheel towered over the midway as other carnival rides were assembled. Nearby exhibit halls were filling with arts, crafts, flowers, baked goods, photography and other items created by local residents. Vendors were putting up booths to line the fair's main pathways.

In the livestock buildings, 4-H and FFA members were tending to their livestock in preparation for shows and the weekend Junior Livestock Auction.

“We're looking forward to a great year,” said Lake County Fair Chief Executive Officer Richard Persons, who was busy overseeing the final preparations. “The weather is going to be fantastic.”

Carousel horses sit waiting for a busy weekend on the midway of the Lake County Fair in Lakeport, Calif., on Wednesday, August 31, 2011. Photo by Elizabeth Larson.

The fair, which runs from Thursday, Sept. 1, through Sunday, Sept. 4, averages an estimated 40,000 annual visitors, according to Persons.

He said the first Lake County Fair was held in 1880. However, the events weren't held annually until the fair moved to the current fairgrounds at 401 Martin St. in 1948.

The kickoff to the fair takes place on Thursday evening, with the annual Lake County Fair Parade.

Starting at 5:30 p.m., the parade will make its way from Natural High School on N. Main Street, traveling south until it reaches Martin Street, and then traveling to the fair's main gate, where the opening ribbon cutting ceremony will take place. Everyone who enters the parade with a float will receive free entry to the fair.

This year's fair parade grand marshal is Ginny Craven, founder of Operation Tango Mike, a group which over the past several years has sent thousands of care packages to members of the military stationed overseas.

Sheep wait for the show in the livestock pavilion at the Lake County Fair in Lakeport, Calif., on Wednesday, August 31, 2011. Photo by Elizabeth Larson.

Fair organizers hope to bring this year's theme – “Make Some Magic!” – to another large audience, and so far indications are that it should be a strong year for attendance.

Persons said presale ticket sales – which ended on Wednesday – have been brisk. A steady stream of visitors were making their way into the fair office Wednesday afternoon to pick up tickets ahead of the fair in order to beat what are expected to be long lines.

Also up “by quite a bit” this year are commercial spaces, said Persons, and the number of animals entered in the livestock division also has grown. So far spaces in the exhibit halls for fair contest entries appear to be on par with previous years.

The late Jean Holdenried's colorful quilt

Jason Michael Frick, 37, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of possessing a destructive device and to being a felon in possession of a firearm, also a felony, according to the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.

Frick also admitted two prior Humboldt County “strike” convictions – one for residential burglary and the second for robbery.

Overall, Frick has been convicted of seven strikes: two in Tehama County, three in Humboldt County – including the two mentioned above – and two in Del Norte County.

As a result of his guilty pleas and admissions, Frick may face a prison sentence of up to 50 years to life, depending on the outcome of defense motions to be decided by Superior Court Judge Richard Henderson on Oct. 21, the District Attorney's Office reported.

District Attorney David Eyster prosecuted the case. Frick’s defense attorney was Public Defender Linda Thompson.

The Humboldt County Superior Court had issued a warrant for Frick’s arrest after Frick had failed to appear in court on felony charges alleged to have occurred in October 2010, charges that included stalking, corporal injury on a cohabitant, first degree burglary, and possession of controlled substances, according to the District Attorney's Office. The Humboldt County matter remains on hold pending the October sentencing here in Mendocino County.

On Feb. 22 of this year local law enforcement became aware that Frick may be hiding out in the Willits area. The SWAT team and other local law enforcement resources were mobilized and it was confirmed that Frick was inside a Birch Street residence.

An 11-hour stand-off thereafter ensued, with Frick eventually surrendering just after 2 a.m. on Feb. 23, officials reported.

During the early stages of the stand-off, Frick told negotiators that he had a bomb and would not come out without defending himself.

Frick also fired a shotgun into the ceiling of the residence during the stand-off, later telling negotiators that he had done so because he believed somebody had placed a laser on him.

A bomb squad was dispatched from Humboldt County and the destructive device was made safe.

That pipe bomb was found to contain nails and BB’s mixed in with explosive matter, according to the District Attorney's Office's report.

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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Applications are now being accepted for the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) Warden Academy at Butte College in Oroville.

The academy will begin in January 2013 and is scheduled to graduate in September 2013.

The application deadline is Nov. 4, 2011.

The deadline for current peace officers to apply for a shortened lateral academy is Sept. 16, 2011, for an academy scheduled to begin in September 2012.

An increase in the number of applications received is expected as a result of the first season of “Wild Justice,” a reality show that premiered on the National Geographic Channel in November 2010.

The popular show chronicles California game wardens’ efforts to combat poachers and polluters.

“'Wild Justice' has given many hopeful candidates a clear picture of the intensive law enforcement nature of a game warden,” said DFG recruiter Lt. Jeff Longwell. “Game wardens are charged with ensuring public safety, investigating illegal sales of wildlife and parts thereof, protecting the state from pollution, enforcing habitat protection laws, fighting illegal drug trafficking, keeping the homeland secure and responding during natural disasters.”

A typical day for a California game warden is as diverse as the state’s fish and wildlife.

Wardens have the opportunity to patrol ocean, desert, mountain and valley environments, as well as California’s urban areas. They frequently work independently and conduct full-scale law enforcement investigations.

Wardens employ everything from all-terrain vehicles to jet skis to snowmobiles while on patrol, and spend much of a typical day making contact with Californians in the great outdoors.

DFG has a dive team and uses K-9 partners as well. Environmental crimes and pollution incidents also fall under the purview of game wardens. Annually, wardens make contact with more than 295,000 people and issue more than 15,000 citations for violations of the law.

Successful lateral academy applicants will enter a 30-week program, followed by at least three, three-week long training assignments where they will work with a seasoned field training officer.

DFG’s academy at Butte College is Peace Officer Standards and Training certified. Cadets are trained to be police officers with specific emphasis on working as wardens.

In California, with 159,000 square miles that offer habitat and wildlife diversity unequaled by any other state, the average warden has a patrol district of more than 600 square miles.

The state has more than 1,100 miles of coastline, 30,000 miles of rivers and streams, 4,800 lakes and reservoirs, three desert habitat areas and scores of high mountain peaks.

More information and applications are available at www.dfg.ca.gov/enforcement/career/.

Applications are now being accepted online and must be postmarked by the due date for each category described above.

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Robert Coker and an American Indian statue at Tatonka Land. Photo by Beth-Katherine Kaiman.

Tatonka Land will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday.

Owners Bunnie Carter and Robert Coker have spent months restoring the golf course to its original glory.

Over the past several years, the course had been vandalized and all the statues either stolen or destroyed. They were able to locate and restore a few of the original statues.

One of the statues they were able to track down was a polar bear that had been seen lying next to the course for years before it suddenly disappeared.

Thanks to the efforts of Russ Jonas of Jonas Oil the bear was rescued and found a new home with Craig Scovel of Highlands Alarm. When the word went out there were new owners Scovel returned the bear, which now wears a name tag that says “Craig.”

Carter and Coker opened Tatonka Trading in January 2009.

There's a new sheriff in town and her name is Cowlamity Jane. Photo by Beth-Katherine Kaiman.

“It has always been my dream to restore the golf course,” said Carter. “I have invested my retirement money into the future of Clearlake and I feel this town is going to come back in full force for the community to have a place to be proud of.”

She added, “I remember while growing up here, the resorts were full with people and there were always people walking down the street laughing and having a good time. I felt the community needed a safe place for our kids to hang out and stay out of trouble, so we opened Tatonka Land.”

In addition to the 18-hole miniature golf course, guests will be able to have rides on Zippy Pets, which are battery operated, ride-on animals able to hold up to 300 pounds. Kids can ride them on their own or with their parent.

Tatonka Land is keeping it affordable for all families. Five dollars will get you an 18 hole round of golf or a ride on one of the Zippy Pets. Special prices are available for birthday parties, office parties, family reunions, etc.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Lake Family Resource Center has vacated its Clearlake facility after venting geothermal gases led to concerns about potential health hazards.

Gloria Flaherty, the center's executive director, said they are moving out of the 2,400-square-foot building, located at 14264 Austin Road, at the suggestion of local health officials.

She said the center was notified that they were probably going to have to move out on on Thursday, Aug. 18. “And we did move out that afternoon.”

Lake County Health Officer Dr. Karen Tait said county health agencies recommended that Lake Family Resource limit use of the Clearlake building due to indoor air quality concerns related to the geothermal gas.

Tait said the issue is a longstanding problem that local health officials have been evaluating, adding that it is “complex and represents new ground in the health arena in many ways.”

“Strict guidelines for long-term air quality are lacking, so we've arrived at this recommendation after a lot of research, air quality measurements and deliberation,” Tait told Lake County News.

She said Lake County Public Health has been working with agencies including Lake County Air Quality Management District, Lake County Fire and its own Environmental Health division, the Environmental Protection Agency.

Lake County Environmental Health Director Ray Ruminski said Environmental Health did not do an enforcement on the building, just offered the recommendation not to use it.

“We advised them that there’s a possibility of hazardous conditions,” he said.

The facility wasn't staffed every day, said Flaherty, explaining that staff stopped in there to do paperwork. The space also had been used for therapy, workshops and parenting classes the nonprofit offers.

“It has always smelled but it's been worse the last couple of years,” Flaherty said, adding that they didn't want to take any chances due to the situation.

Tait said the venting “comes with living in volcano territory.” Local agencies were trying to determine if there are some guidelines needed to advise residents of precautions to take when living in areas where this activity is more noticeable.

She suggested that Lake Family Resource Center could mitigate the building's problem with some engineering, but Flaherty wasn't sure if the problem could be resolved, noting that a former owner tried putting in a ventilation system.

Ruminski said the venting is a “neighborhood phenomenon,” adding the area is a mixture of residential and commercial.

The venting gases appears to become more common during the rainy season than the dry season, said Ruminski. He said the venting is related to atmospheric pressure and groundwater levels, becoming more prevalent when the ground is saturated by water.

Wet conditions led to a natural hydrogen sulfide leak leak in February 2010 on an empty lot on Division Avenue in Clearlake, not far from the Lake Family Resource Center building. That incident required several agencies to respond and put equipment in place to diminish the strong sulfur smell, as Lake County News has reported.

When such venting occurs, there is a mixture of gases involved, said Ruminski, with carbon dioxide and methane as the major constituents. Hydrogen sulfide is found at a smaller concentration.

In a confined space or interior, if too high of a concentration of carbon dioxide builds up the oxygen concentration is lowered. “Then you can get an oxygen deficient atmosphere,” he said.

Ruminski said nobody really knows what levels of those gases are safe to be exposed to on a long-term basis.

He said there are other concerns as well.

“There’s a risk of fire and explosion if there's a buildup of the methane,” Ruminski explained. “There's a couple different hazards to worry about with these gases.”

Ruminski recalled that about 20 years ago in the same area a similar situation arose during the winter in a home. The home had so many problems that it eventually was foreclosed on and later demolished.

Because of the county’s geothermal resources, Clearlake isn’t the only area where such venting is found, Ruminski said.

He said there is an effort to get more resources focused on monitoring the venting issues. Last March the US Environmental Protection Agency did some field reconnaissance to study the issue.

There has not been any damage to the nonprofit's equipment, and Flaherty said Lake Family Resource Center will continue to maintain the building's exterior.

“We will probably use it for storage or something,” she said.

Flaherty said the challenge now is to find a building for workshops and classes.

“We own that building outright so now we're going to have to start paying rent,” she said.

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The settlement followed a two-year investigation that state officials said found widespread violations of environmental rules on storage of petroleum in underground tanks owned or operated by Golden Gate Petroleum, based in Martinez.

Dennis O’Keefe, president and sole shareholder of Golden Gate Petroleum and its affiliated companies, is a defendant in the action and is jointly liable for payment of the penalties, the State Water Board reported.

“The case against Golden Gate Petroleum is another in a series of underground storage tank cases brought by the State Water Board against facilities that substantially threaten water quality and public safety,” said Reed Sato, director of the State Water Board’s Office of Enforcement.

“The judgment against GGP compels the defendants to operate and maintain its fuel storage tanks in a manner protective of the environment,” Sato added.

The settlement covers violations at approximately 30 gasoline stations located in 17 counties throughout Northern California.

Parties to the lawsuit include district attorneys' offices in Alameda, Butte, Colusa, Contra Costa, Glenn, Humboldt, Kings, Lake, Mendocino, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, Sonoma, Sutter and Yuba counties.

Court records identified three Golden Gate Petroleum gas stations in Lake County that are covered by the settlement: Lakeport Shell, 2725 S. Main St.; Cobb Texaco, 16340 Highway 175; and Two Jacks, 5200 Main St., Kelseyville.

According to its Web site, Golden Gate Petroleum also owns Westgate Petroleum outside of Kelseyville, but that station was not alleged to have any violations.

A two-year investigation conducted by the State Water Board’s Office of Enforcement and various counties' environmental protection staff revealed that Golden Gate Petroleum had extensive violations, including the failure to install and repair leak detection equipment designed to prevent releases

of petroleum into the environment.

The court action does not resolve any liability or responsibility that Golden Gate Petroleum has to cleanup leaks of petroleum from its tank systems, the State Water Board said.

Under the terms of the settlement, Golden Gate Petroleum will pay $3 million in cash over a period of five years. The remaining $3 million will be suspended conditioned on Golden Gate Petroleum maintaining compliance with underground storage tank requirements.

Court records show that the State Water Board will receive $500,000 and the California Attorney General's Office will get $447,000 in the settlement, with $268,000 going to the Craig Thompson Environmental Protection Prosecution Trust.

Contra Costa and Monterey counties will each receive $410,000 to cover business and professional and health and safety code violations, the highest amount to any of the 17 counties, followed by Solano with $400,000 and Santa Clara with $220,000.

Lake County will receive a total of $35,000, due by June 30, 2014, according to the settlement.

Golden Gate Petroleum also must employ an environmental coordinator to oversee compliance in the future, according to the settlement.

The State Water Board said the settlement amount was based on Golden Gate Petroleum's financial inability of GGP to pay higher penalties.

The lawsuit is the latest in a series of major enforcement actions that the California Attorney General’s Office and local prosecutors have jointly brought against violators of California’s Underground Storage Tank laws.

To date, those actions have reportedly resulted in numerous multimillion dollar penalties and extensive corrective action and operational improvements by the violators to prevent unauthorized spills of motor vehicle fuel to the environment.

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082911 Golden Gate Petroleum Settlement

Christopher Adam Sanders, 30, of Clearlake, Calif., has hired a new attorney and may seek a new trial after being convicted this spring of five felony counts for the molestation of his stepdaughter. Lake County Jail photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The sentencing of a Clearlake man convicted this spring of five felony counts related to the alleged molestation of his stepdaughter has been delayed in the wake of his hiring a new attorney and possibly seeking a new trial.

In May a jury found Christopher Adam Sanders, 30, guilty of committing a lewd act with a child, two counts of lewd act with a child by duress, continuous sexual abuse of a child and statutory rape, as Lake County News has reported.

According to the evidence presented against Sanders, he was alleged to have begun sexually assaulting his stepdaughter in the summer of 2005, when she was 11 years old.

The molestation allegedly continued for three years, ending in December 2008. Sanders was arrested the following month, the District Attorney's Office reported.

Sanders, who the District Attorney's Office said was facing up to 35 years in prison for the convictions, was due to be sentenced on July 1, which then was delayed until Aug. 16. However, that date, too, was canceled.

Prosecutor Ed Borg said the delays resulted from Sanders dismissing his attorney, Chris Andrian of Santa Rosa, and hiring Lakeport attorney Mitch Hauptman to look at seeking a new trial under Penal Code section 1181.

That penal code section allows a new trial request based on several factors, among them several kinds of juror misconduct, including the jury reaching a verdict contrary to law or evidence, unfair deliberations and the jury receiving evidence out of court, as well as the discovery of new evidence and errors by the trial court.

Borg said a motion for a new trial is not common, although he wouldn't necessarily call it unusual, as there exists the statutory right for a defendant to make such a motion. He added that it could take Hauptman some time – several weeks – to weigh such an option.

Hauptman confirmed to Lake County News on Wednesday that he had been hired by Sanders, and that he was considering filing a motion on Sanders' behalf seeking a new trial.

Borg had said the case's next court date is Sept. 13, at which time the court would choose either a date to deal with a new trial motion or set a new sentencing date, but Hauptman said Wednesday that at this point he wasn't sure what might be up for consideration on that date.

Sanders remains in the Lake County Jail.

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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A man convicted of the October 1989 murder of a Cobb resident has been denied parole.

The Board of Parole Hearings denied parole for Kenneth Warren Perkins, 67, following a hearing on Tuesday, Aug. 30, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff.

Hinchcliff attended the lifer hearing at California State Prison Solano in Vacaville to argue against Perkins’ release.

A jury found Perkins guilty of second-degree murder for the shooting death of Edward Maher, according to a report from the District Attorney's Office.

Lake County Superior Court Judge Robert L. Crone Jr. sentenced Perkins to 17 years to life on April 30, 1990. Perkins originally was prosecuted by then-Deputy District Attorney Richard C. Martin, who is now one of Lake County’s Superior Court judges.

Perkins’ minimum eligible parole date was December 31, 2000, Hinchcliff said.

According to investigation reports, the 40-year-old Maher was temporarily living in a shack in the woods near the intersection of Golf Road and Highway 175 on Cobb.

One of Maher’s sons and some friends were visiting him on Oct. 18, 1989, when Perkins showed up with a shotgun. After they left about 7 p.m. , as they were heading out of the woods toward home, they heard a gunshot.

The next morning Perkins called the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and reported he had accidentally shot Maher after Maher attacked him and grabbed the gun, causing the gun to accidentally discharge.

However, investigators determined from evidence at the scene that Perkins had shot Maher in the neck from a distance of about 6 feet while Maher was sitting down tying or untying his boots.

Edward Maher left behind a wife and two sons. According to Maher’s family, Perkins had recently worked for Edward Maher doing construction and Perkins had recently been fired by Maher for some misconduct, and Perkins was angry at Maher for firing him.

According to reports Perkins had a serious alcohol problem for most of his life, and had been drinking at the time of the shooting. Perkins had several criminal convictions for burglary, theft, battery and DUI prior to the shooting.

Hinchcliff said prison records indicated that Perkins has remained disciplinary free while in prison, but has failed to take classes or get professional help to address personal issues that led to the shooting, and his participation in necessary substance abuse classes has been very sporadic.

Perkins has also continued to claim the shooting was accidental, Hinchcliff said.

At the two and a half hour hearing Tuesday, Hinchcliff asked the Board of Prison Hearings to deny Perkins’ parole on the ground that he still presented an unreasonable risk of danger to the public if
released, and failed to exhibit remorse or accept responsibility for his conduct.

Maher’s widow and one of his sons also attended the hearing and asked the parole commissioners to deny parole, Hinchcliff said.

The Board of Parole Hearings denied parole, agreeing that Perkins still presents an unreasonable risk to the public if released, according to Hinchcliff.

Hinchcliff said the Board of Parole Hearings' denial was for five years. Perkins next parole hearing will be in 2016.

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Jere Melo, 69, of Fort Bragg, Calif., was shot to death on Saturday, August 27, 2011, while on private timber company land he helped manage. Courtesy photo.

MENDOCINO COUNTY, Calif. – Law enforcement officials are continuing to search for a Fort Bragg man who is the chief suspect in the weekend shooting that claimed the life of a Fort Bragg councilman.

Aaron James Bassler, 35, a transient from Fort Bragg, was identified as the alleged shooter in the death of Jere Melo, the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office reported.

Melo, 69, a former Fort Bragg mayor and current councilman, was found shot to death on private timber company property he helped manage located four miles east of Fort Bragg and adjacent to the Noyo River and the Skunk Trail railroad, according to reports from the sheriff's office, and statements from the city of Fort Bragg and the League of California Cities.

A Monday report from Liz Evangelatos of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office said that an autopsy ruled Melo's cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds.

Evangelatos said the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office and other city and state law enforcement agencies continue to conduct searches in attempt to locate suspect Bassler.

Sheriff's officials urged Fort Bragg area residents to be cautious, as Bassler was last seen armed and is considered dangerous.

According to a Fort Bragg Advocate-News report, Bassler had reportedly been hit with a Taser and arrested for driving under the influence in February after he drove his pickup at high speeds through the city before crashing on school grounds.

A Saturday report from Mendocino County Sheriff's Sgt. Greg Stefani said that Melo had been on the timber property with another person – who has not been identified by law enforcement – when Bassler allegedly was seen shooting at them.

The witness who was with Melo fled the area and contacted law enforcement with a cell phone, resulting in a search of the area by a SWAT team, Stefani said. Melo's body reportedly was found the following day.

Melo, who worked as a security contractor for Campbell Timber Management, was investigating a marijuana grow operation when he was shot to death Saturday, according to a statement from the city of Fort Bragg.

In a statement posted on the city of Fort Bragg's Web site, officials said they were in shock over the murder of Melo, who was described as a “close friend and colleague.”

“Jere was the best of us. No one gave more of himself to our community,” Fort Bragg Mayor Dave Turner said in the written statement. “The shock of his death is too fresh to begin to realize all the

ways we will miss him.”

Turner added, “Words cannot express our sadness.”

Assemblyman Wesley Chesbro (D-Arcata) also expressed his deep sorrow “over the senseless loss of this wonderful man.”

Chesbro said, “Jere was always generous with his time and his energy. He found a way to be a bridge between the Fort Bragg of the past and the Fort Bragg of the future. There are no words to describe the hole this will leave in the community. I extend my heartfelt sympathy to Jere’s wife, Madeline, and their two children.”

League of California Cities Executive Director Chris McKenzie said, “Jere Melo was a shining

example of a public servant. His tireless dedication to Fort Bragg and all the cities of California was

unmatched and will be irreplaceable. The League is devastated by the loss of Jere and our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Madeleine, and his extended family and friends.”

“California cities have lost a great leader. Jere Melo exemplified how one person has the power to

make a great difference in his community. Many of us entered into public service to improve our

communities and Jere was an inspiration to all,” said League President and Modesto Mayor Jim

Ridenour.

Melo was raised in Mt. Shasta City, later attending the University of California at Davis and Berkeley, receiving a bachelor of science in forestry in February 1964, according to a biography provided by the city of Fort Bragg.

He received a commission in the U.S. Army upon graduation from Berkeley and served in South Korea and in NORAD on the continent.

Melo moved to the Fort Bragg area in 1966 when he accepted a position as a forester with Union Lumber Co. Upon his employment with Union Lumber, the Army assigned him as company commander to the local Army Reserve unit, and he served six years in the reserves.

He served on the Fort Bragg Planning Commission for four years before he was elected to the Fort Bragg City Council in 1996, serving as mayor from 2000 to 2004.

Melo also served on the board of the Mendocino Local Agency Formation Commission and the Fort Bragg Fire Protection Authority, as well as on the League of California Cities board from 2003 to 2008.

He was chair of the League’s Coastal Cities Issues Group and president of the League’s Redwood Empire Division in 2000. He also served as chair of the League’s Environmental Quality Policy Committee in 2002 and as vice chair in 2001.

Melo and hiw wife, Madeleine, were active in the Episcopal Church, Mendocino Coast Sports Foundation and the Fort Bragg-Otsuchi (Japan) Exchange Association, among other groups.

A wanted poster said Bassler was last seen wearing dark clothing.

He is described as a white male, 6 feet tall and weighing 160 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.

Anyone with any information about Bassler and his location is asked to call authorities at 707-463-4086 or 707-961-2479.

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