~Jane Austen.

for what it’s worth, this is great reading. and people ask what we do for entertainment here in mendoland…

As far as you burning rubber with your truck after midnight on Laurel Street, I don’t know son, This is kind of a childish temper thing of yours. Maybe it is you who is a little shop worn. You and your neighbor are quite perfect for one another with your late night activities.

It is for sure some people are much more subject to misinformation than are others. It is true that all of this has cleared the air for us around here. We know who our friends are. Contrary to your suggestion, even with the continuing slander machine running, more then 50% see right through it all.

By the way mud slinger, how did you access that CONFIDENTIAL information between the Green Door Studio and the City of Fort Bragg regarding Yelp?
Good Old Boys Forever!

In my story, I went out of my way to say that I could not know what happened on the day that Hemann and Muto crossed swords. As is often the case, the only people who can are those who were actually there. What I could do was attempt to get each man’s perspective and let readers make up their own minds about who they believe.

I’d hoped Hemann would share his version of events directly. Instead, we learn his account through you, in a kind of modern media version of the children’s game Telephone. Since you seem to be his spokesperson, I’d hoped to ask you a few questions. But when I dialed a phone number listed online for Pamela Morey, certified iris analyst, I reached Dan Hemann at his Green Door Studio instead.

I’d still like to hear Hemann’s account in his own words. But your recitation was evocative—and goes a long way toward filling in the details from a Hemannian perspective. I especially liked the part about the spoon.

So what if Jim popped his ornery neighbor in the head a couple times? Quit wining you babies.
He probably deserved it if he provoked one of the nicest men in the world to lay hands on him.

I spoke to this green door fellow some years ago and i’m pretty sure he mentioned having suffered acute lead poisoning? Somehow relating to his always wearing sandals. That may explain his behavoir in part, and maybe his refusal to provide his account of the events to the community. Maybe these ‘northcoast residents’ should go back to Carmel and enjoy some peace and quiet under its own brand FACISM!

Who is cares more about this town? Does ‘green
door’ offer surf movie night or have an open ACOUSTIC music corner where bards can sing for their supper? Perhaps ‘green’ is the cash they want coming the ‘door’. Does anyone buy anything there? Its a better name for a money laundering service. And what the fuck are they complaining about noise? They live half a block from highway one.

The ‘green door’ doesn’t fit in this town. Best they go look out for their own interests in some other town they don’t want to be a part of.

9-11 refugees? Come on.
We’ll see who’s going to be pumping gas.

Quite frankly, the whole town would be better off if he would just leave. No one on Laurel street likes him. Even his former allies have bailed on him. Every case he’s brought to court or to the ABC he’s lost. The reason he loses is because he’s a miserable old crackpot whose paranoid ranting has no truth behind it. He just likes to try and make everyone else as miserable as he is. Sad, really.

your looking good

To see such hatred from Jim Muto for the past three years. Daniel Hemann has been and is the most loving partner to me and my very special children.
The 15 years that I bar tended in Fairbanks Alaska during the pipeline I have never seen such ugly bullying, and I thought I had seen the worst in people. We tried to get a restraining order from the Fort Bragg Kangaroo court, we were declined based on a lack of evidence. even though we had submitted approximately 150 pages of facts of attempted staged accidents, Vcanto patrons attempting to fight with us, vandalism, the owners screaming at Dan to come out and fight. You name it, they have done it !
They managed to manipulate the hours they wanted, for Jim Muto this just isn’t enough, he wants more and more, he posts in his window every dilemma that comes down his poor little pike. He is banking on gossip and slander.

We know we live down town, we expect noise, but people do live here too, at the same time, there are reasons why late night uses are restricted in a mixed use district. Not only the City Use Permit, but also Alcoholic Beverage Control restrict these uses.Not only are there twelve residential uses within 100 feet, In this case the Vcanto building has four dwellings upstairs. If our count is correct, as many as 16 tenants have moved out in the past three years. Understand, this a beautifully renovated victorian building with very reasonable rents.
Could it be we have too much noise???????
If you have seen the attempted blue fabric sound proofing hanging from the Vcanto ceiling you may agree that maybe Mr. Muto is aware of the problem.

Please Mr, Muto, continue with your reasonable entertainment that you have featured in the last few weeks without amplification. Stay within the current guidelines of your ABC and Use Permit, and there shouldn’t be a problem. In the past we have been told by many that its just too loud to dine there.

I can’t say how upsetting this is to me knowing Dan never set foot into your building on the day in question. And even more upsetting that Robert Van Peer stood in your door way taking pictures with his awful cel phone instead of helping me lift you off of Dan while you continued pounding his face and left ear with your fist. Dan’s coffee cup fell to the ground when you came running out of your building ramming and kicking him to the ground, before you started swinging at him. The coffee cup was never used as a weapon.
In the three years that this has been going on we have never before come to your side of the street……….. It has always been your people and patrons who have come here to harass us. Is it enough controversy yet, or do you just live for it ?????

First of all- there was no “fight.” There was only an assault and battery by Jim Muto upon Dan Hemann on the public sidewalk- and not inside Muto’s VCanto Restaurant as Muto’s attorney suggests in this article. Dan Hemann merely suggested to Van Peer through VCanto’s open doorway- that Muto needed to stop the late night vandalism of Dan’s building. Muto hearing Dan say this to Van Peer in a sudden rage lunged at Hemann through VCanto’s open doorway into the public street and knocked Dan to the ground while Muto then continued to hit Dan Hemann multiple times in the head. Dan never fought back, but was only trying to save his new eyeglasses from being ruined in the fall from Muto’s sudden attack. Dan and his girlfriend, Debra Hock, were both holding coffee mugs as they were drinking coffee at the time on the public sidewalk and not planning on using the coffee mugs as a “weapon.” The coffee spilled on all parties in this sidewalk incident due to Muto’s sudden unexpected physical attack upon Dan. Muto says he doesn’t remember hitting Dan, but the police report and the hospital emergency room records show that Dan Hemann was hit in the head and ear multiple times by Muto causing hearing loss and scratches on Dan. Van Peer took photgraphs of Muto hitting Dan, but offered no assistance to stop Muto. Therefore, Debra Hock – who dropped her favorite coffee cup doing this- helped to pull the flailing Muto off of Dan while Dan tried to save his new eyeglasses. The Fort Bragg police later returned to Debra Hock her coffee spoon.

It appears that it is Muto that is a bit “unhinged” and that he should be embarrassed for his behavior. To tell news “stories” about Dan Hemann and Debra Hock doesn’t alter the fact that the dispute between Dan and Muto started years ago over VCanto’s violation of city ordinances in playing amplified music outside of the normal Central Business District Hours of Operation which are from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Business hours that may interfere with the quiet enjoyment of residences in this mixed use downtown area must obtain a Use Permit and follow the rules of the City Use Permit. Muto had his liquor license temporarily suspended by the Dept. of Alcoholic Beverage Control because the Fort Bragg Police Dept. reported to ABC that Muto had been violating the special provisions of his liquor license by playing amplified music outside his approved hours of operation which was in violation of the Fort Bragg City Noise Ordinance and V Canto’s ABC license and City Use Permit. It appears that Muto, then in anger for this temporary loss of ABC licensing- took out his rage upon Dan Hemann and Dan’s building instead of admitting that he needs to follow the rules of his business permits or risk losing the right to operate a restaurant serving alcoholic beverages downtown.

There are no charges by the Police Dept. or D.A. against Dan Hemann. He was offered the same mediation as Jim Muto for this incident as he also has no prior criminal record of any kind. It appears that the Police Dept. isn’t interested in prosecuting either party to this incident and that Muto and Freda Moon of the AVA are making up a “story” to help Muto save face for his unruly behavior.

My advice to Muto is to please stop the war. You got the business hours that you wanted already through “bending the rules” with the City of Fort Bragg and ABC who have bent over backwards to help you succeed with the restaurant. If your business still has problems they are not Dan Hemann’s fault. Maybe its the bad economy and/or your inability to follow the rules of your permits. Your business needs something positive to draw more customers. All of this dreadful gossip and hate towards your neighbor will not bring you any good luck.

Amplified music is not allowed in the mixed use Central Business District according to the F.B. City Noise Ordinance and any restaurant music should not be heard by downtown residents outside of the restaurant premises especially after 10:00 p.m. in the mixed use CBD which is zoned both residential and commercial. If VCanto wants more noise making- then they need to re-locate outside of the mixed use Central Business District. Slander or attacks upon your residential neighbors will not deliver to you the right to make late night noise.