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Thursday
 July 2, 2015
Vol XV, Edition 274
SAVING WATER
STATE PAGE 5
BEST WAYS TOWATER GARDEN
SUBURBAN LIVING PAGE 17
CITIES SHOW BIGGEST REDUCTION IN USE YETDURING THE DROUGHT
Big building clears key hurdle
By Austin Walsh
DAILY JOURNAL STAFF
South San Francisco UnifiedSchool District officials botched abond spending plan leaving educa-tors scrambling for funds to fulfillremaining project obligations,according to a report from an inde-pendent auditor. A variety of financial misstepsand questionable maneuvers bymembers of the former administra-tion have left the district ham-strung without the necessarymoney left over from Measure J tofinish a final round of promisedconstruction, according to a reportfrom an accounting firm hired bythe district.Uncompetitive constructionbids awarded to incompetent con-struction firms and too muchauthority allowed to former bond
Audit: Bondblunders ledto shortfall
Independent report: SouthCity school officials poorlymanaged taxpayer money
By Austin Walsh
DAILY JOURNAL STAFF
Residents took advantage of their first opportunity to offi-cially and publicly expressopinions and critiques of adevelopment plan which is slat-ed to forever alter the gateway todowntown Millbrae.City officials received feedbackon the draft environmental impactreport for the first round of devel-opment proposed in the region of the Caltrain and Bay Area RapidTransit station, located near the
Residents scrutinizeMillbrae station plan
Concerns expressed regarding impact of development
By Sudhin Thanawala 
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN FRANCISCO — An ex-California state senator pleadedguilty Wednesday to a racketeeringcharge in an organized crime andpublic corruption case centered inSan Francisco’s Chinatown. Leland Yee could face a maximumof 20 years in prison when he issentenced in October after enter-ing the plea to one count of con-spiracy to engage in racketeeringas part of his campaign commit-tees. He appeared relaxed as he enteredfederal court in a dark suit and redtie, smiling and chatting withpeople in the audience. He left thecourthouse without talking toreporters.The FBI arrested Yee and 19 oth-ers in 2014 during a series of raids,one of which targeted a Chinesefraternal organization. Yee wasaccused of soliciting and accept-ing bribes in exchange for provid-ing help from Sacramento. The FBI also alleged that the SanFrancisco Democrat, who was run-ning for secretary of state at thetime, conspired to connect anundercover agent with an interna-tional arms dealer in exchange forcampaign contributions. Yee’s arrest was among a seriesof legal cases involvingDemocratic state lawmakers in2014 that damaged theLegislature’s image and led toreforms. Sen. Ron Calderon wasalso indicted on federal briberyand corruption charges. Calderon has pleaded not guilty.Sen. Rod Wright was convicted forlying about living in his districtand sentenced to three months in jail.
Leland Yee pleads guilty to racketeering
Ex-state senator could face a maximumof 20 years in prison
By Bill Silverfarb
DAILY JOURNAL STAFF
A proposed office developmentat 601 Marshall St. in RedwoodCity was approved by thePlanning Commission on a 5-1vote with the lone dissenter, JanetBorgens, saying the building issimply too tall and will overshad-ow the city’s historic courthouse.The commission approved thenine-story, 112-foot-tall buildingat its Tuesday night meeting to apacked house at City Hall.The public was generally spliton the project with those in favorsaying more offices are neededdowntown as those opposed saidthe project does not have adequateparking, according to a video of the meeting.Others said the city is growingtoo fast and that developmentshould be slowed.Cheryl Gorman, a 48-year resi-dent of the city, said she initiallyapproved of the city’s DowntownPrecise Plan, a blueprint for futuregrowth, but that it was meant toguide development over a 20-yearperiod.“The acceleration of buildinghas been astronomical. It’s beentoo quick. I think we should slowdown our building,” she said aboutthe many projects currently underconstruction downtown with morein the pipeline.Another resident, Geoff Carr,who owns property at 605
Redwood City Planning Commission approves nine-story office project
 The Redwood City Planning Commission approved a nine-story office projecton Marshall Street that will comprise 129,235 square feet with a mix of retail.
REUTERS FILE PHOTO
Former state Sen. Leland Yee pleaded guilty in federal court in San Francisco to one count of participating in aracketeering conspiracy to solicit campaign contributions in exchange for political favors.
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SAN MATEO NATIONALEXTRA-INNING VICTORY 
SPORTS PAGE 11
 
Dolphin leaps onto boat,injuring California woman
SANTA ANA — A dolphin leapedonto a boat in Southern California,crashing into a woman and breakingboth her ankles. Chrissie Frickman was boating withher husband and two children June 21when a pod of dolphins swam along-side them. One of the animals jumpedon the vessel, knocking Frickmanover and landing on her legs, theOrange County Register reported.Her husband, Dirk, pulled her outand called authorities as he headedtoward an Orange County harbor.While he steered, he splashed water onthe 350-pound dolphin to keep it aliveas it thrashed around and bled fromsome cuts.“I could hear my phone buzzing andbeeping on the floor — it was coveredin blood,” he said.Dirk Frickman got help pulling thedolphin onto a dock with a rope andthen releasing it. “The dolphin was hopefully saved,”Frickman said. “It swam away with noproblem.”His wife is still recovering from herinjuries. Harbor Patrol Sgt. DJ Haldemanconfirmed the incident. He said sealions have been known to jump aboardboats before, but that this is the firsthe’s heard of a dolphin doing thesame.“I don’t know what was in the water,but something must have scared itout,” Haldeman said.
Boy chained up with dead chicken around neck tells his story
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Handcuffedand shackled to a block of steel, theyoung boy would brace himself whenhe heard footsteps outside his bed-room door. He knew that once thegrown-ups entered, the abuse wouldbegin.For years, he was whipped withbelts, his face was burned with electri-cal wires and his fingers were brokenwith pliers — all to “teach him a les-son.” The abusers, who have sincepleaded guilty, were his legal guardian— a supervisor with the Department of Social Services in Union County,North Carolina — and her longtimeboyfriend, an emergency room nurse.The abuse ended in November 2013after police discovered the boy inhandcuffs, chained to the front porchof the house with a dead chicken hungaround his neck.When police entered the roach-infested house “covered with urine andanimal feces,” they found somethingelse: four other children, ages 7 to 14,who had been adopted by the coupleover the years. They were removed andplaced in protective custody.All were abused, but authorities saythe boy bore the brunt of the couple’srage.“I was scared to death,” the boy, now13, told the Associated Press onTuesday. “I thought I wouldn’t sur-vive.”The AP is not naming the boybecause of the nature of the abuse.Three months after Wanda SueLarson and her boyfriend DorianHarper were sentenced, the boy istelling his story. Larson was releasedfrom prison in April, just nine daysafter pleading guilty to child abusecharges. Now, the boy wants everyoneto know she didn’t serve enough time.“I want her to be in jail longer,” hesays.His mother agrees.“It’s ridiculous,” his mother said.The AP isn’t identifying the mother, toavoid indirectly identifying her son.Jeff Gerber is founder of the Justicefor All Coalition, which organizedprotests against the plea deal that ledto Larson’s release. He said there iswidespread outrage over Larson’slenient sentence.Harper, 58, was sentenced to up to10 1/2 years in prison after pleadingguilty March 17 to maiming, inten-tional child abuse inflicting seriousinjury and assault with a deadlyweapon.Two weeks later, Larson, 58, wassentenced to nearly 17 months in jailafter pleading guilty to four counts of child abuse.
FOR THE RECORD2
Thursday
 July 2, 2015
 THE DAILY JOURNAL
The San Mateo Daily Journal
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Actress-singerAshley Tisdale is30.
This Day in HistoryThought for the Day
1776
The Continental Congress passed aresolution saying that “these UnitedColonies are, and of right ought to be,free and independent States.
“The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.”
— Ernest Hemingway
Figure skaterJohnny Weir is 31. Actress LindsayLohan is 29.
Birthdays
REUTERS
A man walks past a capsized ship at a marina in the town of Elefsina, near Athens, Greece.
Thursday
: Mostly cloudy. A slightchance of thunderstorms in the morn-ing. Highs in the mid 60s to lower 70s.Southwest winds 5 to 15 mph.
Thursday night:
Mostly cloudy.Lows in the mid 50s. Southwest winds 5to 10 mph.
Friday
: Mostly cloudy. Highs in themid 60s to lower 70s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
Friday night:
Partly cloudy in the evening thenbecoming cloudy. Lows in the mid 50s. West winds 5 to10 mph.
Independence Day:
Cloudy in the morning thenbecoming partly cloudy. Highs in the mid to upper 60s.
Saturday night through Wednesday
: Mostly cloudy.Lows in the mid 50s. Highs in the 60s.
Local Weather Forecast
In 1881, 
President James A. Garfield was shot by Charles J.Guiteau at the Washington railroad station; Garfield died thefollowing September. (Guiteau was hanged in June 1882.)
In 1890
, President Benjamin Harrison signed into law theSherman Antitrust Act.
In 1915, 
a time bomb planted in a reception room of theU.S. Senate exploded shortly before midnight, causing con-siderable damage but hurting no one. Former MexicanPresident Porfirio Diaz died in exile in Paris.
In 1926, 
the United States Army Air Corps was created.
In 1937, 
aviator Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonandisappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to makethe first round-the-world flight along the equator.
In 1943
, Bing Crosby and the Ken Darby Singers recorded“Sunday, Monday or Always” for Decca Records.
In 1955
, “The Lawrence Welk Show” premiered on ABC-TVunder its original title, “The Dodge Dancing Party.”
In 1961
, author Ernest Hemingway shot himself to death athis home in Ketchum, Idaho.
In 1964
, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law asweeping civil rights bill passed by Congress.
In 1979, 
the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin was released tothe public.
In 1982
, Larry Walters of San Pedro, California, used a lawnchair equipped with 45 helium-filled weather balloons to riseto an altitude of 16,000 feet; he landed eight miles away inLong Beach.
In 1990
, more than 1,400 Muslim pilgrims were killed in astampede inside a pedestrian tunnel near Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
Ten years ago:
Shasta Groene , an 8-year-old girl kid-napped six weeks earlier, was rescued at a restaurant in Coeurd’Alene, Idaho; the man with her, Joseph Edward Duncan III,was arrested and accused of kidnapping Shasta as well askilling members of her family.
In other news ...
(Answers tomorrow)INEPTPUTTYONWARD VERSUSYesterday’sJumbles:Answer:They wanted more information about the mountainthey’d just climbed, so they — READ UPON ITNow arrange the circled letters to form the surprise answer, assuggested by the above cartoon.
THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME
by David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek
Unscramble these four Jumbles,one letter to each square,to form four ordinary words.
GEDHETOHMUMEROYMLEESAW
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   C   h  e  c   k  o  u   t   t   h  e  n  e  w ,   f  r  e  e   J   U   S   T   J   U   M   B   L   E  a  p  p
Lotto
 The Daily Derby race winners are GorgeousGeorge, No. 8, in first place; Money Bags, No. 11,in second place; and Whirl Win, No. 6, in thirdplace. The race time was clocked at 1:43.20.
8 1 011 17 34 43 50 15
Meganumber
 June 30 Mega Millions
7 24 26 31 41 25
Powerball
 July 1 Powerball
5 16 17 21 22
Fantasy FiveDaily three midday
00 0 6
Daily Four
9 5 8
Daily three evening
7 14 29 34 37 10
Meganumber
 June 1 Super Lotto Plus
Former Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos is 86. Jazzmusician Ahmad Jamal is 85. Actor Robert Ito is 84. ActressPolly Holliday is 78. Racing Hall of Famer Richard Petty is78. Former White House chief of staff John H. Sununu is 76.Former Mexican President Vicente Fox is 73. Writer-director-comedian Larry David is 68. Luci Baines Johnson, daughter of President Lyndon B. Johnson, is 68. Actor Saul Rubinek is67. Rock musician Roy Bittan (Bruce Springsteen & the EStreet Band) is 66. Rock musician Gene Taylor is 63. Actress-model Jerry Hall is 59. Actor Jimmy McNichol is 54. Countrysinger Guy Penrod is 52.
 
3
Thursday
 July 2, 2015
 THE DAILY JOURNAL
LOCAL
UNINCORPORATED SAN MATEO COUNTY
Burglary
. A purse with contents valued at$1,081 was stolen from a vehicle on RossiRoad in Pescadero before 3 p.m. Thursday,June 25.
Grand theft
. A person suffered a loss of $1,250 from a phone scam on the 100 blockof Corona in Moss Beach before Tuesday,June 23.
Vehicle theft.
A trailer worth $4,000 wasstolen on the 6100 block of Highway 1 inPescadero before 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, June23.
Grand theft.
A laptop valued at $1,300 wasstolen from a residence on the 600 block of Isabella Road in El Granada before 6 p.m.Monday, June 22.
South San Francisco
Burglary
. Two backpacks were stolen froma smashed window of a car at the Holiday Innparking lot on South Airport Boulevardbefore 10:49 a.m. Monday, June 29.
Arrest
. A person was arrested for having anoutstanding warrant after a neighbor report-ed them for leaving fecal matter and bottlesof urine on the street before 1:54 p.m.Sunday, June 28.
Arson
. Flames were seen coming from thebathrooms at Buri Buri Park on Arroyo Drivebefore 2:20 p.m. Sunday, June 28.
Police reports
That’s wild
A raccoon was stuck in wires and washeard crying on Eucalyptus and Badenavenues in South San Francisco before11:01 p.m. Monday, June 29.
DAILY JOURNAL STAFF REPORT
The San Mateo County Health System’ssecond in command, Louise Rogers, wasnominated by County Manager JohnMaltbie Wednesday to replace outgoingChief Jean Fraser.The Board of Supervisors will vote onwhether to tap Maltbie’s pick to replaceFraser at its July 7 meeting, the day beforeFraser officially retires.The county did not disclose what Rogers’salary would be but Fraser earns approxi-mately $300,000 a year.The Health System, the county’s largestdepartment, has 2,200 employees and a$716 million annual budget. It oversees theSan Mateo Medical Center and clinicsthroughout the county.Since 2011, Rogers has served as deputychief of the Health System and was previ-ously director of the Health System’sBehavioral Health andRecovery ServicesDivision which servesmore than 17,000 clientsand has an annual budgetof $133 million. “Louise has long beenan outstanding asset toour county’s HealthSystem and I couldn’t bemore excited to see hercontinuing its excellent delivery of equi-table and compassionate care to clients,invaluable leadership to staff and unwaver-ing commitment to keeping the entire com-munity healthy,” Maltbie wrote in a state-ment. The outgoing Fraser first worked withRogers in the mid-1990s.“Louise and I first worked together 20years ago in San Francisco and I was imme-diately impressed by her smarts, savvy andcommitment. My admiration for her hascontinued to grow and over the past fouryears as deputy chief, Louise has helpedguide this very large and diverse organiza-tion. I am leaving with great confidencethat the Health System and the people weserve will be in excellent hands,” Fraserwrote in a statement.Prior to joining the Health System in2003, Rogers held a variety of positions inpublic and nonprofit health organizationsin San Francisco and New York City. Sheearned a bachelor’s degree from YaleUniversity and a master’s degree in publicadministration from Golden GateUniversity.“There is no other place with greateropportunities to help people through publicservice live longer and better lives than SanMateo County. It would be my honor toserve the county, the organization and ourcommunity in this new capacity,” Rogerswrote in a statement.
County names new Health System chief 
Board of Supervisors must approve at next meeting
Louise Rogers
By Scott Morris
BAY CITY NEWS SERVICE
A 29-year-old music teacher pleaded nocontest Tuesday to three counts of molest-ing his students during piano and guitar les-sons in Daly City last year, prosecutors saidWednesday.Danville resident Brian Butts faces up tosix years in prison when he’s sentenced onAug. 14, according to the San MateoCounty District Attorney’s Office.Butts was a guest piano and guitar teacherat the Music Art Studio at 200 NorthgateAve. in Daly City giving private lessonsthere while the school’s owner was away,prosecutors said.When the owner returned, two victims,13-year-old girls, told him that Butts hadgrabbed their breasts during music lessonsbetween April 7 and June 8 of last year.Investigators found a third victim, a 15-year-old girl, who reported similar incidentsduring piano lessons.Butts was initially charged with 10felonies and faced a maximum sentence of life in prison, but pleaded no contest tothree counts Tuesday in exchange for a sen-tence of no more than six years in prison,prosecutors said.His attorney Peter Goldscheider said thelast-minute plea deal came as a surprise asprosecutors had not previously made anyoffers. But facing a possible sentence of 30years to life in prison, the six-year maxi-mum sentence was the best thing for hisclient.“It was all around a very difficult decisionfor him to make,” Goldscheider said.Had the case gone to trial, Goldscheidersaid he would have argued the touching wasincidental and did not have sexual intent.As Butts has no criminal record, he mayonly receive a probationary sentence, butthat will be up to the judge, Goldscheidersaid.Butts remains in jail on $1.5 million bail.
Music teacher pleads no contest to molesting students
FBI looks into fiber-optic vandalism in Northern California
SAN FRANCISCO — The FBI is workingwith police to catch vandals behind nearly adozen fiber-optic cable cuts in NorthernCalifornia in the past year.The latest snips occurred Tuesday, whensomeone sliced at least three fiber-opticcables in an underground vault in AlamedaCounty east of San Francisco. The cutsdisrupted Internet and phone servicearound Sacramento for 20 hours beforeservice was restored. FBI spokesman Greg Wuthrich says theFBI has known about the separate vandal-ism incidents and became involved lastmonth because cable cuts in one locationcan affect businesses and customers in othercities and counties, requiring coordination.The FBI says fiber cables in Fremont,Berkeley and San Jose have been intention-ally severed in 11 instances since July2014.
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