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Letters (July 15, 2015)

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GRANGERS + RASTAS = $

Editor,

I would like to give a big thank you to all the people who helped make the Grange booth such a success at the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival. We were able to sell out all of the food and drinks that weekend and over $4300 changed hands that weekend. And thanks again to Joe, Bill and David for all the help before and after. We worked a crew of 15 volunteers in the booth that Tim Ward handpicked. We’re hoping to remodel our kitchen at the Grange and hope to earmark these profits for that project! If you saw the booth, the lights gave it the WOW factor and some new signs helped also.

Also I'd like to thank the promoters of the event for waving the vendor fees for our local nonprofit Grange #669. I know this event isn't for everyone but at least it is helping keep our fairgrounds open and helping some of the nonprofits here in the Valley. So if you are not an active Granger think about joining and getting active because were all in this together!

Thanks,

Andy Jones

Philo

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THEY GET AWAY WITH IT

Editor,

After reading David Severn’s “Balo’s Barn” (AVA, June 24) article, I’m not surprised that this County is no different than the US government. Let’s face it: If you have the privilege of wealth you can do anything you want. Just look at Anderson Valley!

R. Wells

Boonville

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REPRESENT!

Editor,

Thank you for the subscription to your newspaper. It has helped me in many ways. It has kept me informed of current events in Mendocino County — some good, some bad, some funny things as well.

Lately it's been very disturbing to me that a couple of "homeboys" from Mendocino County have resorted to talking "shit" in letters about their cases (old and upcoming) in the courts. It's embarrassing! It's also way out of line to talk "details" of a court case when the person has an upcoming appeal! I guess that explains a lot about how certain people catch time with the good old CDC are in the first place.

I am an "OG" from Mendocino County and I respectfully ask all the homeboys to rest their necks and do the right thing. Shut the F--- up and do your own time and don't sell wolf tickets you can't cash in on anyway! Represent, don't disrespect!

Long respect and lotsa love,

Brian D. 'Big B' Hartke 2316

Jamestown, CA

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FIREWORKS

Editor,

The good news is that the city moved the “official” fireworks closer to Noyo beach so they were much more impressive this year.

The bad news is that less than a third of “the people” who used to go to Noyo beach on the 4th of July celebration showed up this year due to the illegal actions of the city claiming authority where they have none, below the mean high water mark. Two thirds of the people had their traditional 7/4 celebration rights violated illegally.

The bad news is that a beach that used to be full of campfires on the fourth of July had not one, because the city had prisoners come in to remove all the firewood. This is illegal. No one, including a governmental agency, can remove more than 50 pounds of driftwood at a time, and then only for personal use.

The bad news is that everyone who had fireworks to set off, who would have done it in the safest legalenvironment, on the beach, where a fire engine was standing by and emergency medical assistance was available, set off their fireworks in other places where no such assistance was available, greatly increasing the chance of a wildfire.

The sad news is that the chief of police went on air to say they are enforcing existing laws when their laws don’t apply, nor do county laws, below the mean high water mark.

Either the Chief of Police doesn’t know the state constitution and the limits of his authority, or he deliberately lied to justify the city actions, which are illegal. Either way, he does not have the qualifications to be a police chief and violated Federal law, illegally denying people their rights.

Fortunately some of the benefactors who used to set off their fireworks legally on the beach chartered boats this year to avoid the illegal police actions and the boat show was very good this year, rivaling the “official” fireworks. Thanks to you, patriotic folks!

Unfortunately, because the city moved the official fireworks closer to Noyo beach, the smoke from the patriots’ fireworks on the boats, who had been pushed offshore by the city’s illegal actions, obscured the official fireworks.

City Hall is illegally denying people their rights “under color of law”, which is a federal offense investigated by the FBI. They are destroying tradition and eroding our freedoms. They are creating a more dangerous situation by dispersing people who want to set off their fireworks legally and safely. Please file a complaint with the FBI. These “petty tyrants”, who have no respect for the law or the limits of their power, need to be humbled and put back in their place.

Capt. Cass Forrington

Fort Bragg

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HILARY ON ISRAEL

Dear Editor:

The Guardian newspaper reports that "Hillary Clinton condemns anti-Israel boycotts as 'counter-productive'". in a letter to Jewish leaders. She asked one of the leaders for his advise on "how leaders and communities across America can work together to counter BDS" and that BDS "seeks to punish Israel and dictate how Israelis and Palestinians should resolve the core issues of their conflict". I am not sure from her comments if she understands the Boycott, Divest and Sanction (BDS) is a grass roots organization that focus its efforts against the companies that operate in the occupied territories and assist Israel in the apartheid state Palestinians.live under such and the internal passports that limit their movements. Mrs.Clinton apparently does not have a problem with the internal passport program. For your readers not familiar with the program. Every Arab in the occupied territories has an internal passport which indicates if the holder is from the West Bank, Gaza or East Jerusalem. The passport holder can not travel from one area to another without the permission of the Israelis which may be denied. One other question is how Mrs. Clinton who apparently is a running dog for the pro-Israel lobby will react if an agreement is reached with Iran. It is certainly true Bill and Hillary do an excellent job of following the money regardless of the source. Her statement on BDS will certainly raise a bundle of cash for her campaign.

In peace and love,

Jim Updegraff

Sacramento

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WAY TOO HIGH

Editor,

I agree that citations should be given for those who ignore pedestrians who want to cross in a pedestrian crosswalk. My objection is the amount of the fine, $276.50. A fine of $25 is enough to encourage drivers to stop to allow pedestrians to cross. I see these high fines as a way for the city or state to raise new money. No drivers want to get a citation even if it’s small. It’s just a pain in the neck. When it’s high like $276.50, drivers become more aware of the high fine to the point it becomes at times dangerous. Like a driver slamming on the brakes when a pedestrian suddenly decides to cross, causing a rear-ender.

Also soon it becomes a source of revenue and it gets out of hand. They are not doing it to enforce a statute, but to raise money for the city.

I have had four tickets in my driving life. Two for seatbelt violations going from our store to the Drive-In, maybe one-tenth of a mile. The first one cost me $100, the second one cost over $200. I looked up fines in the law library and it said $25 for the first and $50 for the second. I took the statute to court and the judge refunded the difference. So I wrote to the court about the first one where I paid $100. No answer! They’re still using these excessive illegal fines and on top of this have changed the words from fines to bail.

The first ticket I got was many years ago coming back from Santa Rosa late at night. I got a ticket for speeding through Cloverdale. I’m not a speed enthusiast and never have been. I paid the ticket. Later a friend in Cloverdale told me that the cops in Cloverdale issue a lot of false tickets to raise money for the city from late drivers who are from some other place and won’t dispute it and just pay it. Since I have only received one speeding ticket, I must not be much of a speed demon.

The second was in Santa Rosa coming down 4th Street. I wanted to make a left turn and as I got to Mendocino Avenue I saw cars going both ways so I made a left turn. A block away a cop stopped me at a convenient spot and asked if I saw the no left turn sign. I said no, which didn’t make a difference. He gave me a ticket which I paid. A coupla weeks later I drove down to the same spot to see if the no left turn sign was there. There was no left turn sign on the left side, but on the right side it was up high on the no left turn sign pole. They might have just as well put it on top of a tall building. I wrote and told them of this fraud. No answer.

That’s what bothers me about a fine of $276.50 which not only makes corrupt politicians but corrupt cops. We pay the city manager $270 something thousand to do this!

Emil Rossi

Boonville

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