GOVERNOR VISITS SCENE OF MUDSLIDE STATE HELP IN REBUILDING PROMISED.

Byline: Andrea Cavanaugh Staff Writer

LA CONCHITA - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger visited the oceanside scene of the La Conchita mudslide tragedy and declared a state of emergency Wednesday hours after the bodies of Jimmie Wallet's wife and three young daughters were pulled from the rubble.

The official death toll stands at 10 with three others still listed as missing. Others who were feared dead have been located although authorities still want to verify that up to 30 people whose houses were crushed when the cliff collapsed Monday are safe.

Schwarzenegger toured the area in a helicopter and promised to help residents rebuild their fractured community although Ventura County officials have long hoped the potential for mudslides would have encouraged people to leave the town.

``We have seen the power of nature cause damage and despair, but we will match that power with our own resolve,'' Schwarzenegger said as he declared a state of emergency in Ventura County.

``I'm going to help them. No one wants to be chased from their neighborhood, their town, their village.''

Karen Oren, 55, was one of about a dozen residents who met with the governor and is one of those who still wants to live in what has long been a Bohemian community.

``He said he was here to help us,'' she said. ``Let's hope he keeps his word.''

The grim discovery of the Wallet girls - Paloma, 2; Raven, 6, and Hannah, 10, along with their mother, Mechelle, 37, ended the 36-hour struggle of Jimmie Wallet, who clawed through a mountain of debris to try to rescue his family.

``He was digging with his hands,'' Ventura County Fire Chief Bob Roper said. ``He was here digging the entire time until he found his family.''

Norm Plott, a battalion chief with the Ventura County Fire Department, worked alongside Wallet as they dug down through the layers of what was once the family's home.

``You could see the refrigerator with the pictures on it - we knew we were close,'' Plott said. ``It just made your heart sink. I have kids - we all have kids. You just feel for their family.''

The three girls were found next to each other, apparently sitting on a couch when the slide broke apart their house.

``They never had a chance to get out,'' said Scott Hall, a battalion chief with Fire Department. ``It appeared they were ... unaware of the slide.''

Despite the devastation, rescue workers were buoyed by unexpected good news Wednesday.

Four people feared lost in the landslide stood up when their names were read at a community meeting at a Red Cross shelter at the Ventura County Fairgrounds.

``There was a lot of cheering when those people stood up,'' Ventura County sheriff's Sgt. Ron Nelson said.

Three more people believed lost were located later in the day, leaving just three people missing. Authorities would like to locate about 30 people known to frequent the area, to ensure they are safe.

Many in the community hope that authorities will spend the millions of dollars necessary to stabilize the cliff that has caved in many times over the years.

``We want it fixed and we want it fixed right,'' said Oren, a 36-year La Conchita resident whose house was undamaged by the slide. ``A lot of politicians would like to get everyone out of here. We raised three daughters here. We have a lot of happy memories. We don't want to leave.''

As rescue workers carried away the mud in buckets and wheelbarrows in the desperate search for survivors, piles of debris sprouted everywhere.

The mud-spattered heaps were reminders of what was once a carefree life in a laid-back town with an eye-popping view of the ocean.

Broken surfboards, playing cards, children's books and games littered the ground, making rescue workers think about their own loved ones, safe at home.

``We're finding toys and stuffed animals. Most of us have kids too,'' Ventura County fire Capt. Tom Lanski said. ``You start wondering, what if it was your kids and your family. It does take a toll.''

Rescuers using dogs and electronic devices clung to the hope that more survivors would be found in the rubble, even though no one has been found alive in the wreckage since Monday afternoon. Workers on Wednesday removed nothing but mud and debris.

``The sense of accomplishment comes from finding people alive or just finding people,'' Hall said. ``Just to dig dirt is disappointing. But if they're discouraged, they're not showing it.''

Schwarzenegger's emergency declaration will allow the county to receive state and federal disaster funds.

``I would welcome his ideas, his help and his money,'' county Supervisor Kathy Long said.

Damage in Ventura County from the powerful four-day storm has been estimated at $37 million, with $18 million in crop destruction.

The three-day rescue effort at La Conchita has cost an additional $1.2 million. State officials estimate $1 million per day is being lost by the closure of Highway 101, which they hope to reopen by Saturday.

The devastation has taken more than an emotional toll on La Conchita residents as well. Don Ski, 48, and his girlfriend Deanna Munroe, 36, were temporarily staying in a rented room in Carpenteria with their three dogs and three cats.

But Ski's only source of income came from working as an electrician for builder Charlie Wommack, who perished in the mudslide.

``The wallet is empty,'' said Ski, who returned to his red-tagged home on foot Wednesday to retrieve a garbage bag of clothing. ``The guy I was working for is dead. I'm afraid to move back in, but I'm more afraid of being homeless.''

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Andrea Cavanaugh, [phone]

andrea.cavanaugh(at)dailynews.com

VICTIMS

The 10 victims of the La Conchita mudslide have been identified as:

--Michael Anthony Alvis, 53, of La Conchita

--Vanessa Bryson, 28, of La Conchita

--Christina Kennedy, 45, of La Conchita

--John Morgan, 56, of La Conchita

--Patrick Roderick, 47, of La Conchita

--Mechelle Wallet, 37, of La Conchita

--Hannah Wallet, 10, of La Conchita

--Raven Wallet, 6, of La Conchita

--Paloma Wallet, 2, of La Conchita

--Charles Wommack, 51, of La Conchita

CAPTION(S):

5 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger speaks about the devastated town of La Conchita in Ventura County on Wednesday as the mudslide site looms in the background.

Tina Burch/Staff Photographer

(2) Firefighters and local neighbors bring out the bodies of a mother and three of her daughters found Wednesday morning during recovery operations at the site of the La Conchita mudslide.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News

(3) La Conchita resident Karen Rauch rests her head on husband Dave's shoulder during a meeting Wednesday between members of the devastated community at the Ventura County Fairgrounds.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer

(4 -- color) WALLET

(5) This undated family photo shows the Wallet family in better times. Jimmie, center, and his teenage daughter, Jasmine, right, survived Monday's mudslide. His wife, Mechelle, holding Paloma, and daughters Raven, left, and Hanna, front, perished.

Box:

VICTIMS (see text)