The Californian from Salinas, California • 6

(P Friday, December 19, 2008 OBITUARIESCALIFORNIA CASTROVILLE Vanessa Dawn Zufiiga-Martin Vanessa Dawn Zufiiga-Martin, 25, of Castroville, passed away Monday, Dec. Major roads reopen after big snowstorm IS, 2008, due to a tragic SALINAS Peter H. Hicks Peter H. Hicks, 86, of Salinas, passed away Saturday, Nov. 29, 2008.

He was born June 13, 1922, in Rhode Island. Military Service: Army Air Corps, Air Force, Civil Service. MILITARY SERVICE automobile accident. She was born in Palo Alto, June 1, 1983. Vanessa was a graduate of North Monterey County Vanessa Dawn Zufiiga-Martin The Salinas Californian designates obituaries of military veterans with a flag to honor them for their service.

i -brrx. ii i -SL' i V- 71 fa Ay THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Motorists stuck Thursday on Interstate 5, because of snow conditions, stand outside their vehicles in Santa Clarita, High School She recently attained a physical therapy assistant certificate. She had a beautiful heart, an immense capability to love and share, always benevolent and gentle. She will be remembered always by her beautiful smile. Her favorite times were spent with family.

She adored her nieces Brianna, Lauren and nephew, Christian Ruelas. Survivors: Husband Aaron Martin; father Domingo Zuniga, mother Carmen Zuniga; sisters, Sarah Zuniga and Laura Andrea (Pooh) Zuniga; nieces Brianna Ruelas, Lauren Ruelas, and nephew Christian Ruelas; grandmother, Laura Zuniga. She was preceded in death by grandfather, Domingo Zuniga Louis Garcia, and FUome-na Garcia. Visitation: From 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

today, Dec. 19, 2008, at Whitehurst Muller Funeral Chapel, 41 E. Alisal Salinas. Funeral Service: 6 p.m. today, Dec.

19, 2008, at Whitehurst Muller Funeral Chapel. Interment 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 20, 2008, at Oak Park Cemetery in Greenfield. Condolences: May be left at www.whHehurstmullerfh.com.

Arrangements: Whitehurst Muller Funeral ChapeL GONZALES Pierino 'Perry' Bassetti Perry Bassetti, 83, of Gonzales, passed away Tuesday morning, Dec. 16, Southland passes closed until noon on Tliursday 7--. J. mmm THEASSOCIAIEU PRESS 2008, at Saunas Valley Daniel Diaz, a maintenance worker, clears the driveway Thursday to a gas station in Gorman. i Hospital with his son and daughter at his side.

Perry was By ROBERT JABL0N The Associated Press LOS ANGELES Thousands of motorists began moving Thursday after being stranded overnight as snow and ice made highways too dangerous for travel through the mountains of Southern California. Shortly before noon, the California Highway Patrol began escorting 1,000 cars and trucks at a time through the Grapevine segment of Interstate 5 north of Los Angeles. The main artery linking Los Angeles with the Central Valley and Northern California was closed for nearly 24 hours by treacherous conditions in Tejon Pass. Some drivers apparently couldn't wait, however. A motorist waiting for the southbound lanes to reopen was arrested for investigation of hit-and-run driving after running through barricades and striking a California Department of Transportation worker, causing minor injuries, authorities said.

The interstate was one of several major arteries that were closed by blowing snow, slush and ice on Wednesday. Thursday morning, vehicles began moving through snow-blanketed mountains lit by brilliant sun. frf Mltf 1 born June 29, 1925, in Tici-no, Switzerland, and Pierino 'Perry' Bassetti Widow of 'Star Trek' creator dies at 76 By ROBERT JABL0N The Associated Press LOS ANGELES Majel Barrett Roddenberry, "Star Trek" creator Gene Rod-denberry's widow who nurtured the legacy of the seminal science fiction TV series after his death, has died. She was 76. Roddenberry died of leukemia Thursday morning at her home in Bel-Air, said Sean Rossall a family spokesman.

At Roddenberry's side were family friends and her son, Eugene Roddenberry Jr. Roddenberry was involved in the "Star Trek" universe for more than four decades. She played the dark-haired Number One in the original pilot but metamorphosed into the blond, miniskirted Nurse Christine Chapel in the original 1966-69 show. She had smaller roles in all five of its television successors and many of the "Star Trek" movie incarnations, although she had little involvement in the productions. She frequently was the voice of the ship's computer, and about two weeks ago she completed the same role for the upcoming J.J.

Abrams movie "Star Trek," Rossall said. Roddenberry also helped keep the franchise alive by inspiring fans and attended a major "Star Trek" convention each year, Rossall said. "I think 'Star Trek" will always be her legacy," Rossall said. "Star Trek" and its successors often focused on political and philosophical issues of the day. Roddenberry and her husband, who died in 1991, believed in creating "thoughtful entertainment" and were proud of the show and the passionate devotion of its fans, Rossall said.

"My mother truly acknowledged and appreciated the fact that 'Star Trek' fans played a vital role in keeping the Roddenberry dream alive for the past 42 years. It was her love for the fans, and their love in return, that kept her going for so long after my father passed away," her son said a statement on the official Roddenberry Web site. Born Majel Lee Hudec on Feb. 23, 1932, in Cleveland, she began taking acting classes as a child. She had some stage roles, then in the late 1950s and 1960s had bit parts in a few movies and small roles in TV series, including "Leave It to Beaver" and "Bonanza." She met her husband in 1964 during a guest role for a Marine Corps drama he produced called "The Lieutenant." That same year, she was cast in the pilot for the "Star Trek" series as the no-nonsense second-in-command.

The pilot did not appeal to NBC executives and a second pilot was made, although parts of the original later showed up in a two-part episode called "The Menagerie." The couple married in Japan in 1969 after "Star Trek" was canceled After her husband's death, Roddenberry continued her involvement with the "Star Trek" franchise. between the Antelope Valley and Los Angeles were delayed up to 45 minutes and one was canceled because of weather. Spokesman Francisco Oaxaca said train crews were late reporting to work because they had to rest for a federally mandated number of hours. Road closures kept some replacement crews from arriving. The storm dumped as much as 4 feet of snow on the Big Bear ski resort region in the San Bernardino Mountains, said James Oh, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in San Diego.

Schools were closed Thursday, many of them for the fourth straight day, in several high desert and mountain districts. Interstate 15 was reopened over the Cajon Pass east of Los Angeles but it took until around noon to reopen a 50-mile stretch in the Mojave Desert that is on the main route between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. And while sunshine returned to Southern California, lingering effects of the storm may have caused at least one traffic death. In Santa Clarita, a driver was thrown from a car and died on an onramp to State Route 14 about 20 miles north of Los Angeles. The car rolled over on a stretch of road made dangerous by black ice, the CHP reported.

The highway was closed Wednesday between the high desert Antelope Val ley and Los Angeles, where thousands of people who drive an hour or so over the San Gabriel Mountains to jobs had been unable to return home. Some went to Red Cross shelters or motels but others took! their place in a line of cars waiting for the road to' reopea "We're tired, hungry. We don't want to get out of line so we're just hoping that soon it'll open," Aline Fes-tekjian, a passenger in a car waiting to get off the freeway in Palmdale, told KCAL-TV. State Route 14 fully reopened Thursday afternoon along with adjacent Sierra Highway and Soledad Canyon Road. Some Metrolink com-; muter trains running came to the Salinas Valley in 1947.

He started in the dairy business and later became a building contractor. However he is best known for making Swiss sausage. Perry was a member of the Swiss American Club, Swiss Rifle Club and Pro Ticino Club. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Susan, and five brothers and three sisters. Survivors: His son, David Bassetti of Salinas and daughter, Arlene (Jim) Bassetti of Modesto; granddaughters, Ashlyn and Kylie Bassetti, of Salinas and brother, Cecil Bassetti of Greenfield.

He is also survived by the mother of his children, Wilma Bassetti of Gonzales. Perry leaves numerous nieces and nephews, both in the United States and Switzerland. Memorial Mass: 230 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21, 2008, at St.

Theodore's Church in Gonzales. Memorials: In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Theodore's Church, P.O. Box Gonzales, CA 93926, or to the donor's favorite charity. Arrangements: Struve and Laporte Chapel, 41 W.

San OK to sue Good Samaritan, court rules Torti was a passenger in a car that was following behind the vehicle and stopped after the crash. Torti said when she came across the wreck she feared the car was going to explode and pulled Van Horn out. Van Horn testified that Torti pulled her out of the wreckage "like a rag doll" Van Horn blamed her friend for her paralysis. Justice Carlos Moreno wrote for a unanimous court that a person is not obligated to come to someone's aid. "If, however, a person elects to come to someone's aid, he or she has a duty to exercise due care," he wrote.

Torti had argued that she should still be protected from a lawsuit because she was giving "medical care" when she pulled her friend from a car wrecks Alexandra Van Horn was in the front passenger seat of a car that slammed into a light pole at 45 mph on Nov. 1, 2004, according to her negligence lawsuit. By PAUL ELIAS The Associated Press LOS ANGELES Proving that no good deed goes unpunished, the state's high court on Thursday said a would-be Good Samaritan accused of rendering her friend paraplegic by pulling her from a wrecked car "like a rag doll" can be sued. California's Supreme Court ruled that the state's Good Samaritan law only protects people from liability if they are administering emergency medical care, and that Lisa Torti's attempted rescue of her friend didn't qualify. Luis Saunas.

Online condolences: www.struveandlaporte.com. SALINAS Another Option for HAIR REMOVAL FREE Consultation Call forAppt. 1015 Cass St. Ste 3. Monterey 644-0750 Sherri Hernandez L.E.C.P.E.

Gloria Gomez Gloria Gomez, 64, of Salinas and formerly of Fresno, passed away Monday. Visitation-. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec.

21, 2008, at Lisle Funeral Home in Fresno. Rosary: 7 p.m. Wednesday, at Lisle Funeral Home in Fresno. Services: 10 a.m. Monday, Dec.

22, 2008, at the chapel Arrangements: Lisle Funeral Home in Fresno. He's II II II JEWELERS TUES-Fri 9:30 TO 5:15 Sat 236 So. Main St. Oldtown Salinas 422-6181.