SB
LOOK INSIDE THIS
Saturday, October 21, 2017
David Sherbundy hangs from the oak trees on Dave Mauldin’s Rough and Ready property while Dustin Tribby of TC Tree
Service works on the ground to make an area for a crane to lift a large limb off of Mauldin’s home. The tree came down
during the wind storm that helped spread the flames of the Lobo Fire the night of Sunday, October 8. The tree service,
along with Auburn Crane, volunteered their services when they learned of Mauldin’s situation.
‘Lucky to be alive’
Man escapes fire, returns to find tree on house
By Elias Funez
Multimedia Reporter
“It takes guts to drive through a
wall of flame, especially because
you don’t know what’s on the other
side of it,” Rough and Ready’s Dave
Mauldin said. “But you can’t stay
on this side, because you’d die. It’s a
split-second decision.”
Mauldin made this decision
twice as he escaped the flames of
the Lobo Fire in the early morning
hours of Monday, Oct. 9.
“I’m lucky to be alive, quite frank-
ly,” he said.
It all began at 3:30 a.m. when the
wind knocked a large limb of an oak
tree onto Mauldin’s home.
Not long after, Mauldin received
a phone call from his daughter who
got word of encroaching flames
from another neighbor.
Sinkhole’s impacts on creek will remain
By Matthew Pera
Staff Writer
Mounds of dirt that were
pushed into Little Wolf
Creek when a 100-foot
deep sinkhole opened up on
Freeman Lane in Grass Val-
ley this winter will remain
in the creekbed, according
to city officials.
City Manager Tim Kiser
said he was surprised when
specialists from the Federal
Emergency Management
Agency, the Federal High-
way Administration and the
South Yuba River Citizens Aerial view of the Grass Valley sinkhole, July 11.
League inspected the area
and told him that leaving “My initial intuition was
the dirt in Little Wolf Creek thinking we would have to
was the most natural course remove it, but when FEMA
of action. came out with the Federal
OBITUARIES
Kenneth Baker, Norma Bell,
William Burton Sr., John
Holland, Paige Langdon,
Barbara Shively, Tiana Trumbo
Page A7
VOLUME 152 ISSUE 302
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Homeless
shelter regs
recommended
By Matthew Pera
Staff Writer
Nevada City’s planning
commissioners recom-
mended a draft ordinance
regulating homeless shel-
ters to the city council
Thursday — with a few
slight tweaks that the
commissioners hope will
allow shelters to operate
more easily.
County residents
expressed concerns at
Thursday’s planning
commission meeting
about the lack of avail-
able beds and facilities
for local homeless people
and some asked wheth-
er the city could declare
COURTESY PHOTO a state of emergency in
order to expedite and
streamline the process of
establishing emergency
shelters.
“When you have an
emergency like the Oro-
ville dam, you just make
housing happen,” said
Nevada City resident
Charles Durrett, referring
to those who were housed
in temporary emergency
shelters when the Oro-
ville dam spillway failed
“She called my daughter and said,
‘My house is on fire as I’m mak-
ing this call. I’m out the door but I
wanted you to call your dad and let
him know.’”
Police: Man drugged
In a minute, Mauldin was out the
door with his pet bird in one hand victim, raped her
and an emergency radio scanner in
the other. By Alan Riquelmy
As Mauldin approached the in- Staff Writer
tersection of Digger Hill Way and
Prospector Road, he could see a A Truckee man accused
wall of flame shooting across both of spiking a woman’s
sides of the road, which he success- drink and then raping
fully drove through. her was
Smoke from the second wall of arrested
flame caused Mauldin to drive his after the
vehicle into a ditch on the side of victim hid
the road, where he suffered a blown a camera
tire. in the
“I was nervous because I was TC Tree Service owner Dustin Tribby kitchen,
watches as the large oak tree limb is lifted captur-
LUCKY, A6 off of Mauldin’s home Thursday morning. James Russell ing video
Ferrigno of him
putting
something in her glass,
police said.
James Russell Ferrigno,
dirt) than remove it,” Kiser 31, faces charges of rape
said. of a drugged victim, rape
Specialists told Kiser that of an unconscious victim,
it’s typical for a landslide or oral copulation of an un-
other natural event to push conscious victim, sodomy
dirt into a creek and move of a drugged victim and
it downstream. willfully poisoning food.
“They viewed it as a natu- Arrested Thursday night,
ral response,” he said. Ferrigno remained Friday
The sinkhole repair proj- in the Truckee Jail under
ect is still underway after $100,000 in bond, reports
delays caused by drainage state.
and cleanup issues set the Truckee police learned
timeline back, Kiser said. about the accusations
He expects repairs to be after the victim — who
complete by next month. rented space in the same
KEITH HAGEN / KHAGEN@THEUNION.COM “We’re in the final stages,” home as Ferrigno and had
he said. no romantic relationship
with him — approached
Highway Administration To contact Staff Writer authorities on Thursday,
specialist … they all came Matthew Pera, email Sgt. Danny Renfrow said.
to the same conclusion: mpera@theunion.com or “She suspected that
that it’s better to leave (the call 530-477-4231. Ferrigno was putting an
WEATHER INDEX Trial set in murder case the stage for an expected
Joseph Ward, accused in three-week trial starting next
Advice B4
the June stabbing death of month. Ward’s appearance in
Blotter A2 Kenneth Pestana, on Friday court followed a preliminary
Comics B5 had his case set for trial on hearing last week that led a
Cryptoquote B3 Nov. 28 in Nevada County judge to determine enough
Lottery B4 Superior Court. probable cause existed to
Opinion A4-A5 Ward, 32, appeared Friday advance the case to trial.
Home & Garden B1 before Judge Candace At that hearing an officer
Heidelberger. He pleaded testified that Pestana, 61,
H: 63˚ L: 47˚ Sports B12
not guilty to murder, setting knew Ward for about 20
See full forecast, Stocks B4
Page A9 Sudoku B3
Partly Cloudy The Union Circulation: 530-273-9565
$1
this winter.
Durrett said people
sleeping outside is an
emergency that deserves
immediate attention.
Nevada City resident
Greg Zaller said the city’s
proposed homeless shel-
ter regulations create “a
larger obstacle” for home-
less advocates trying to
provide shelter.
“It seems like the gov-
ernment needs to get out
of the box here, because
there’s this large popula-
tion of homeless people
that are being forced to
camp or sleep in people’s
backyards right now,”
Zaller said.
After listening to the
public’s concerns, plan-
ning commissioners opt-
ed to loosen some of the
restrictions in the draft
ordinance, including a
regulation that would
have required an emer-
gency shelter to provide
one toilet for every eight
beds.
Commissioners opted
to limit the number of
beds to two for every
HOMELESS, A6
unknown substance in her
drinks at night,” he added.
The victim first suspect-
ed Ferrigno of spiking
her drink in mid-August,
about two to three weeks
after first meeting him,
Renfrow said.
Over the next two
months the woman awoke
groggy around three to
four times, not remember-
ing the previous nights.
She then hid a camera in
the kitchen, the sergeant
said.
Waking Thursday
morning at the house,
the victim checked the
camera. She then went to
police, Renfrow said.
Officers began surveil-
lance of the home. At
some point the victim re-
ceived a text message from
Ferrigno stating he was
leaving for the East Coast
and that she wouldn’t see
him again. Officers saw
Ferrigno leave the home
and they arrested him
about a quarter mile away,
Renfrow said.
A search of his home
revealed unknown pills
and a squeeze bottle used
to spike the victim’s drink,
he added.
To contact Staff Writer
Alan Riquelmy, email
ariquelmy@theunion.com
or call 530-477-4239.
years and referred to him as
a son. Authorities have ac-
cused Ward of killing Pestana
on the older man’s property
and then fleeing to Nevada.
Ward fought extradition,
though he was booked in
late July into the Nevada
County Jail.
— Staff Writer Alan
Riquelmy
A6 | Saturday, October 21, 2017 | The Union

LOCAL, STATE & NATION

PET OF THE WEEK

ELIAS FUNEZ/EFUNEZ@THEUNION.COM
“Princess” is a five year old spayed chihuahua/
terrier mix and is good with people, cats, and
dogs and loves a lap to sit on. To adopt “Princess,”
contact Sammie’s Friends Animal Shelter at 14647
McCourtney Road in Grass Valley, at 530-471-5041
or http://www.sammiesfriends.org.
Pelosi says she must
remain as leader so
a woman is at table
Associated Press
WASHINGTON —
House Minority Leader
Nancy Pelosi said Friday
she must retain her lead-
ership position in Con-
gress so there is a woman
at the table when key
decisions are made.
After more than a
decade leading House
Democrats, Pelosi has
faced demands from some
lawmakers for leadership
changes, particularly after
Democrats failed to win
back House control last
year. A fellow Californian
and member of Pelosi’s
leadership team, Rep.
Linda Sanchez, said earli-
er this month that it was
time for Pelosi and other
veteran leaders to step
aside and make way for a
new generation of party
leaders.
Pelosi said in an inter-
view on ABC’s “The View”
LUCKY
From page A1
trying to drive out of the
ditch and the fire was
right behind me,” Mauldin
said.
Eventually, Mauldin
made it down the road
riding only on the rim
from the blown tire, pull-
ing over only after getting
to safety.
“I wanted to get as far
away from the fire, and
called 911 for help because
I’m in an abandoned
vehicle with a blown tire,”
Mauldin said. “It was har-
rowing at times.”
Back at his property,
firefighters and Mauldin’s
friend Craig Hufnagel
made a stand to help save
his home.
“He deserves a gold
medal around his neck,”
Mauldin said of Hufnagel.
“He was here at six in the
morning helping fire-
fighters to rake out spot
fires. He melted a rake
or two. That takes guts
when you’re not wearing
turnouts.”
But after the smoke
cleared and the flames
died down, Mauldin still
faced the problem of the
large tree limb resting on
his home.
Enter TC Tree Service
and Auburn Crane.
TC, which specializes
in removal of hazard-
ous trees and limbs, had
that she was ready to
leave had Hillary Clinton
become president, putting
a woman at the top. But
Clinton lost, and so she
must remain, Pelosi said,
as she recounted a White
House dinner last month
where she was the only
woman at the table.
“And that’s why I have
to stay there, to be one
of the top women, top
people at the table,” said
Pelosi, 77, adding that she
views one of her mandates
as protecting former Pres-
ident Barack Obama’s Af-
fordable Care Act, which
she was instrumental in
passing as House speaker
at the time.
“I was ready to go if
Hillary won, have a wom-
an at the top of the table,
protecting the Affordable
Care Act, which is to me
similar to Social Securi-
ty, Medicare, Medicaid,”
Pelosi said.
already volunteered its
time in removing limbs
on two other properties
before Mauldin contacted
them.
“We saw a lot of people
on Facebook saying stuff
was burned,” TC Tree
Service co-owner Dustin
Tribby said. “We decided
to offer up our services for
free to make sure that no
trees were falling on peo-
ple’s houses.”
“It was crazy on his
end,” TC tree climber
David Sherbundy said of
Mauldin’s experience. “He
escaped death three times
in a row. I was so glad to
see a happy smile on his
face. It makes you feel
good when you go home
at the end of the day.”
“Both of these compa-
nies are angels,” Mauldin
said of TC Tree Service
and Auburn Crane, which
both waived their fees
for the removal of the
downed limbs.
“Most of my neighbors
on my street lost their
homes, most of them lost
everything and I am so
sad for them. It makes
you want to cry,” Maul-
din said. “I am feeling
fortunate and blessed and
thankful.”
To contact Multimedia
Reporter Elias Funez,
email efunez@theunion.
com or call 530-477-
4230.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A sign on the chimney of a home warns looters Wednesday after it was destroyed by wildfires in Glen Ellen. California
fire officials have reported significant progress on containing wildfires that have ravaged parts of Northern California.
California fires cause $1B in
damage, burn 8,400 buildings
By Janie Har history. north of San Francisco and Brown’s order also al-
and Michael R. Blood The initial insurance other nearby areas. lowed disrupted wineries
Associated Press total covered 4,177 partial “The estimates are in to relocate tasting rooms
residential losses, 5,449 structures and are mostly and suspended state fees
SAN FRANCISCO — The total residential losses, 35 homes, but also includes for mobile home parks and
wildfires that have devas- rental and condominium commercial structures and manufactured homes.
tated Northern California losses, 601 commercial outbuildings like barns and The order extends the
this month caused at least property losses, more than sheds,” Berlant said. state’s prohibition on price
$1 billion in damage to 3,000 vehicle losses, 150 Twenty-two of the 42 gouging during emergen-
insured property, officials farm or agricultural equip- deaths in California’s Oc- cies until April 2018 and
said Thursday, as authori- ment losses, and 39 boats. tober fires happened in a expedites hiring of per-
ties increased the count of Those figures included Sonoma County wildfire, sonnel for emergency and
homes and other buildings some fire losses in South- making it the third-deadliest recovery operations.
destroyed to 8,400 as of ern California — several in California history. A 1933 In Los Angeles County,
Friday night.. dozen structures were Los Angeles fire that killed authorities said a charred
Both numbers were destroyed or damaged in 29 people was the deadliest, body was found on Mount
expected to rise as crews an Orange County fire — followed by the 1991 Oak- Wilson, where crews were
continued assessing areas though most were from the land Hills fire killed 25. trying to surround a smol-
scorched by the blazes that northern part of the state, When adjusted for in- dering wildfire in steep
killed 42 people, a total that agency officials said. flation, the Oakland Hills terrain.
makes it the deadliest series The California Depart- fire is believed the costliest The male body discovered
of fires in state history. ment of Forestry and Fire fire in California history at late Wednesday was recov-
State Insurance Commis- Protection’s estimate of $2.8 billion. It destroyed ered by the coroner’s office,
sioner Dave Jones said the homes and structures about half as many homes which will try to identify it,
preliminary dollar valua- destroyed was boosted to and other buildings as the Sheriff ’s Sgt. Vincent Plair
tion of losses came from 6,900 from 5,700 as fire current series of fires. said.
claims filed with the eight crews returned to hard- California Gov. Jerry California firefighters
largest insurance compa- hit neighborhoods and Brown late Wednesday were also battling a blaze
nies in the affected areas assessed remote and rural issued an executive order to that sent smoke billowing
and did not include unin- areas they could not get to speed up recovery efforts as into the college beach town
sured property. earlier, spokesman Daniel fire authorities say they’ve of Santa Cruz.
The loss total was ex- Berlant said. stopped the progress of The wildfire in steep and
pected to climb “probably He said most of the newly wildfires. rugged terrain had grown
dramatically so,” Jones told counted destroyed build- More than 15,000 people to nearly half a square mile
reporters, making it likely ings burned on Oct. 8 and remain evacuated Thurs- and the number of houses
the fires also would become Oct. 9 — when the wildfires day, down from a high of threatened by the fire had
the costliest in California’s broke out in wine country 100,000 last Saturday. doubled to 300.
Billionaire launches ads urging Trump impeachment
By Kathleen Ronayne
Associated Press
SACRAMENTO — California bil-
lionaire Tom Steyer announced Friday
that he will dump at least $10 million
into a national television advertising
campaign calling for President Don-
ald Trump’s impeachment.
In the ad, Steyer argues Trump
should be ousted from office because
he has edged the country toward
nuclear war, obstructed justice at the
FBI and threatened to shut down
news organizations he does not like.
He urges viewers to call their mem-
bers of Congress and tell them to
bring articles of impeachment.
“People in Congress and his own ad-
ministration know this president is a
clear and present danger who is men-
tally unstable and armed with nuclear
weapons,” Steyer says in the ad. “And ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO
they do nothing.” Billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer discusses climate change at a sympo-
Steyer plans to spend eight figures sium in Sacramento in October 2015. Steyer is dumping at least $10 million
to air the television ads nationally, but into a national advertising campaign calling for President Donald Trump’s
he would not give an exact amount. impeachment.
His investment comes as he consid-
ers running against U.S. Sen. Dianne Republicans will focus on “issues coming up for a vote. Green has
Feinstein, a fellow Democrat, and as voters actually care about,” such as the vowed to try again.
Democrats in Washington argue over economy and cutting taxes, he said. But Democrats such as House Mi-
whether efforts to impeach Trump are The White House did not im- nority Leader Nancy Pelosi of Califor-
smart or worthwhile. mediately respond to a request for nia think impeachment attempts are
“If Democrats want to appease the comment. not worthwhile because they will fail
far left and their liberal mega-donors Steyer also said he will spend seven in the Republican-led Congress and
by supporting a baseless, radical effort figures on an accompanying digital ad could energize GOP voters heading
that the vast majority of Americans campaign. into the next election.
disagree with, then have at it,” said An impeachment resolution Steyer has poured his wealth into a
Michael Ahrens, a spokesman for the brought last week by Democratic U.S. variety of political efforts, mostly fo-
Republican National Committee. Rep. Al Green of Texas died before cused on stopping climate change.

HOMELESS
From page A1
150 square feet of living space
at a shelter rather than impose
a toilet-to-bed ratio. They also
removed a proposed regulation
that would have forbidden a
homeless shelter from open-
ing within 300 feet of another
shelter.
“I sure thank the public for all
their impassioned seriousness,”
said Planning Commission Chair
Stuart Lauters. “I hope they un-
derstand that we’re serious about
this too and we’re not taking it
lightly.”
The proposed ordinance re-
quires emergency shelters to
provide sleeping facilities, secure
personal storage areas, showers
and restroom facilities. It also al-
lows shelters to optionally include
laundry services, child care, coun-
seling centers, recreation rooms
and kitchens.
Regulations on a maximum
length of stay for clients, facili-
ty management standards and
parking requirements, among
other factors, are included in the
draft ordinance.
Commissioners unanimously
recommended the ordinance to
city council.
To contact Staff Writer Matthew
Pera, email mpera@theunion.
com or call 530-477-4231.
A8 | Saturday, October 21, 2017 | The Union

NEVADA COUNTY CAPTURES

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY CRAIG SILBERMAN

Tent city for the firefighters at the Nevada County Fairgrounds last week. There were also trailers set up for showers nearby.

SUBMIT A PHOTO Send submissions to photos@theunion.

Have you captured the faces, places and
events of our lovely town as well?
Then submit your own photos to The Union’s
“Nevada County Captures” page to be pub-
lished in our print edition.
com, or post photos on social media using
#NevadaCountyCaptures
Submissions may also be used on TheUnion.
com for our “PHOTOS OF THE WEEK.”
Also check out our Instagram Page and tag us
@theunionnews!

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY JEFF HEYSER

An air tanker dropping fire retardant on the Lobo Fire.

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY JEFF HEYSER

Helicopter taking water from the lake to drop on the Lobo Fire.

Venice!
The City
of Masks,
The City
of Love!
Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Foundation proudly presents PHOTO SUBMITTED BY ANNITA KASPARIAN
Remnants of a car and property damaged by the McCourtney Fire last week on

Midnight in Venice McCourtney Road.

at the Masquerade Ball Dare to

TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE!
Advance reservations required Go Bare?
$150 per person ($100 tax deductible) | Call (530) 477-9700
Dinner, Dancing, Live Auction – Saturday, November 4, 2017
Leave age spots behind
Veterans Memorial Hall | Grass Valley | 6:00 p.m. Repair all your fall flaws
Costumes and cocktail attire encouraged. No host bar, must be 21 & over to attend.
The canals, St. Marks Square, Dinner by Antonio Ayestaran Free Illuminating
Facial Treatment!
The Rialto Bridge, The Dodges Palace. Custom Catering. Dancing to the
Gondoliers serenading lovers. music of Lolo Gervais & Special
Join the masked revelers at the Guests. And a fantastical live
opulent palazzo of Count Casanova. auction with auctioneer
When you purchase Jan Marini
Enjoy prosecco on the Grand Canal. extraordinaire, Mark Heauser. Illuminating Face Mask & Vitamin C Serum

We gratefully salute our Midnight in Venice at the Masquerade Ball sponsors:

Platinum Silver
October Only $190 reg $250
Alison Jones-Pomatto & Alan Pomatto Coldwell Banker, Grass Roots Realty No Trick, Our Treat!
Meyers Investment Group of Baird Interstate Benefits & Casualty Insurance
Quest Diagnostics
Diamond
SPD Markets, Inc.
Clarifying, Tightening & Firming
Peggy and Howard Levine Repair summer sun damage
Gem
The Union Correct dark spots
Country Copy Print Shop
Westamerica Bank Nevada City Engineering
Gold Sierra Mountain Coffee Roasters
Budget Blinds   Winery Sponsors
Jewel Nevada City Winery
Sierra Health Foundation Sierra Starr Vineyard & Winery Reflections Skin Oasis
Dr. Sarah Woerner & Anthony Norskog 138 Colfax Ave. Suite 2, Grass Valley
Live Auction Donors
Antonio Ayestaran Custom Catering • Back Porch Market • Dignity Health
Open Tuesday – Friday, 9 to 6
Leo Granucci • Charlie Litton • Colleen MeHarry • Ken Meyers • Weiss Brothers • Saturdays 9 to 4
As of 10/18/17

For more information visit supportsierranevada.org/venice.

Photo Credit: Bernadette Sylvester
530.274.9053