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Mendocino County Today: Wednesday, Apr 13, 2016

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Trotter
Trotter

UKIAH EMERGENCY ROOM DOCTOR, Dr. Marvin Trotter, former Mendo County Public Health officer, made his bi-monthly appearance on KZYX Tuesday morning. Dr. Trotter trotted out some surprising stats and observations among his usual scatter-gun free-association speaking style, most of them based on his experience in the Emergency Room at Ukiah Valley Medical Center:

"There must be a thousand 87-year old women living alone in Ukiah who insist on living alone."

WELL, doctor, what are their alternatives? Those of modest means should be getting the in-home services considered a public obligation in the civilized parts of the world but it’s not available here. Or available only via haphazardly delivered "services." What is available here are doctor-owned Senior stalags like those delightful institutions on South Dora. And there are lots of capable elderly people of both genders who prefer to live alone. Any way you cut it, America is no longer a country where it's safe to grow old in. The wolves circle at the very first faltering step…

TO BE FAIR to the doctor, I think he was only trying to emphasize the huge new population of old people and how to meet it with at least a semblance of adequate care.

TROTTER: "On average two or three of UVMC's emergency room beds are filled with 5150s, sometimes up to five. You wonder why it takes so long to be seen there? That's usually the reason. [And therefore, Dr. Trotter implicitly agrees with the Sheriff that Mendo needs its own in-county mental health facility.]

TROTTER ADDED, "The County spends $8 million a year (per year!) on out-of-county 5150 three-day hold placements, most of them drug-induced." Trotter said that after the three days in Yuba City or Vacaville, since the Mental Health system doesn't handle "dual diagnoses," (mental illness and drug or alcohol use) the 5150s are "thrown to the curb."

TROTTER ALSO SAID that the old Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF-or Puff Unit) closed not because staff complained about conditions (although they did), but because the County simply couldn't meet minimum psych tech staffing requirements. Trotter proposed that Mendocino College set up a psych tech training program, in addition to the College's successful nursing program.

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STATE SENATOR McGuire's push for the No Place Like Home initiative is a proposed funding grab bag that creates the illusion of shelter for impoverished people suffering from a range of mental disorders. So, McGuire calls all the local government donut people together in Ukiah to pretend they're getting down to the basics of housing the houseless, and by god McGuire and the Democrats are gettin' it done!

McGuireUkiah

THE LOOMING INITIATIVE is, you guessed it, a two billion dollar bond that would provide "supportive housing for those who are chronically homeless or have some sort of mental or behavioral disorder or addiction to drugs or alcohol.”

HELL, what's more bond indebtedness in a state whose bonded indebtedness is already approaching a trillion dollars? These bonds will never be paid off, but our grandchildren will be paying the interest on them until their grandchildren assume the Eternal Mortgage.

MEANWHILE, the state pay-out to the bond holders, the same rich people McGuire says will be taxed to pay for the "supportive housing" scheme, will be greater and greater, starving existing public services such as the formerly free University of California.

McGUIRE SAYS the $2 billion bond to pay for his "supportive housing" will be repaid out of the 2004 Mental Health Services Act via a 1% tax on incomes over $1 million and will result in 10,000 to 14,000 housing units for difficult tenants. Got that? No, because it's fantasy. And the reason McGuire assembled the local Donut People was to assure them that this bogus deal would be be tended to by them — local mental health professionals with their buddies at places like Ukiah City Hall who decide who will build the houses where.

AT SOME POINT, billions has got to be invested in genuinely low cost housing. Complicated funding schemes pegged to incompetent existing bureaucracies won't get it done. We need a new New Deal in this country. Bernie's the only hope for it.

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ALDEN GLOBAL HEDGE FUND controls Digital First. These vultures own The Willits News, the Ukiah Daily Journal, and the Fort Bragg Advocate-Beacon. They just sold off land — no doubt for very big bucks — that came with purchase of Orange County Register where they also laid off 70 employees the first day. They've stripped their Mendo papers of tangible assets while knocking off workers and cutting salaries. The Ukiah Daily Journal, for instance, had its premises sold from under it and now rents moldy space on State Street.

OCRcartoon

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DISTRICT ATTORNEY DAVID EYSTER and his staff take this opportunity to remind the extended Mendocino County community that this week — April 10th through April 16th -- is National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, an annual event promoting victims’ rights and honoring crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf.

VicRightsWeek

The goal of this week is to remind communities of the importance of providing support for our own victims and witnesses, including focused assistance from trained experts working for the DA to those among us who have been victimized by creeps who stalk and prey on others. These crime victims are people who -- due to circumstances many times beyond their control -- have had their lives and families disrupted by unexpected crime and, as a result, become involved as interested parties in the criminal justice system.

DA Eyster said, “My office continues to stand ready and willing to provide information, assistance and support to victims of crime in Mendocino County. Calling attention to National Crime Victims’ Right Week is an excellent way of shining a spotlight on the availability of our specially-trained, dedicated, and hard-working victim/witness advocates.”

This nationwide week of recognition marks the achievement of the past 30 years in securing rights, protections and services for crime victims. Congress in 1984 passed a bipartisan Victims of Crime Act. The legislation provides money from fines and penalties imposed on offenders for a wide variety of assistance for victims, including rape crisis centers, domestic violence programs and out-of- pocket expenses for funeral expenses, counseling and lost wages.

Joye Frost, director of the federal Office for Victims of Crime, said it is critical communities support crime victims. “If victims are to trust that the criminal justice system will work for them, we must meet them where they are — physically, culturally and emotionally,” said Frost.

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CATCH OF THE DAY, April 12, 2016

Amante, Blackwell, Cuadra, Eads
Amante, Blackwell, Cuadra, Eads

ANTHOMY AMANTE, Ukiah. Domestic battery.

ERIN BLACKWELL, Ukiah. Drunk in public. (Frequent flyer.)

GREGORY CUADRA II, Ukiah. Suspended license, community supervision violation.

JAMES EADS, Willits. DUI.

Emery, Goss, Hale
Emery, Goss, Hale

BRADLEY EMERY, Laytonville. Drunk in public, resisting, parole violation.

JOHN GOSS, Laytonville. Grand theft.

TAMMY HALE, Covelo. Failure to appear, probation revocation.

Halvorsen, Jenkins, Jones
Halvorsen, Jenkins, Jones

NICHOLAS HALVORSEN, Fort Bragg. Probation revocation. (Frequent flyer.)

JAMES JENKINS, Ukiah. Probation revocation. (Frequent flyer.)

JOHNNIE JONES, Fort Bragg. Controlled substance, resisting, failure to appear.

Kennedy, Mallon, Mora
Kennedy, Mallon, Mora

KELLY KENNEDY, Kelseyville/Ukiah. Drunk in public, probation revocation.

JOSEPH MALLON, Ukiah. Petty theft, fake ID, probation revocation.

PABLO MORA, Ukiah. Vandalism, probation revocation. (Frequent flyer.)

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CANADA’S FIRST NATIONAL MARIJUANA ADVERTISEMENT

by David Downs

Say goodbye to Rastafarian flags and dancing pot leaves — marijuana messaging gets way glossier this spring with Canada’s first national commercial for the weed industry.

The Cannabis Growers of Canada’s first national pot industry advertisement takes a page from Exxon, the U.S. Army, or the California tourism board — with a gauzy, acoustic-guitar-backed montage of the best of British Columbia — its skiing, surfing, biking, and wildlife … and its 17,000 pot farms.

Cannabis Growers hopes to sway public opinion in Canada — where a small number of government-licensed growers supplies medical marijuana direct to patients, much to the chagrin of the cottage industry of small farmers. Unlike, California or other medical marijuana jurisdictions, Canadian patients cannot grow a few plants of their own at home.

“We are the cannabis growers of Canada. We create wealth opportunity and good-paying private sector jobs. We are joining together to build a free and fair cannabis market that benefits all communities,” the video states.

“Recent regulatory changes are inadequate for supplying approved patients with the medicine they require and the CGC is joining their struggle to maintain access to safe and effective cannabis,” CGC states.

The video has gotten over 1.8 million views since its debut in March.

As California lawmakers implement state regulations and pick winners in the pot trade this year and next, expect to see California’s own version of pro-small pot farmer messaging in the coming weeks and months.

http://unofficialnetworks.com/2016/03/watch-canadas-first-tv-advertisement-for-marijuana

(Courtesy, the San Francisco Chronicle)

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AT EASE, POT GROWERS

Pacific Gas & Electric Co. said Monday it plans to conduct more helicopter flyovers this week in Mendocino County. In response to the drought, PG&E said the low-flying helicopters will be searching for drought-stricken trees near power lines on Wednesday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., weather permitting. Wednesday’s flights will occur near Cleone, Fort Bragg, Noyo River, the Redwood Highway between Laytonville and Leggett, Willits, Brooktrails, Hopland, Duncan Springs and Yorkville. “Consecutive years of drought have taken a toll on trees and even some trees deemed healthy six months ago have since succumbed to the dry conditions,” PG&E said in a statement. PG&E is using a contract helicopter service to fly foresters over the area to check for trees weakened by the drought. This patrol is in addition to the annual patrols PG&E does along power lines to identify trees and vegetation in need of pruning and removal, the company said, as weakened trees and branches may fall onto power lines, leading to outages and even wildland fires. “The drought has weakened and killed many trees and left others susceptible to disease or insects,” PG&E stated. “After the flights, foresters will hike to the trees in question for an up-close inspection to verify tree conditions. Once a forester confirms a tree needs to be removed, PG&E will work with the property owner to schedule a contractor to cut the tree.”

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ON LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY

I like the expression “paranoia and fear are locked and loaded, socially, financially and militarily”.

One small example of how fragile everything is: The little woman and I were waiting to check out at the local home center store when the in-store local network went down. The waiting line began to extend exponentially, like cars on the freeway when an accident is ahead. You would think there would be a contingency plan, no? Not!

In the olden days, they would keep the manual credit card embossing machine and a stack of the carbon triplicate CC slips. Remember those, millennials? Think again.

Things righted after 15 minutes or so but I suspect some contractors (time-is-money!) switched their allegiance that day to the other home center store across the street.

We should all recognize that the better adapted to this hyper-dependent technological world we become, the less adaptable we are to any new environment.

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A READER WRITES: Getting Droned On (and surveilled?)—

Yesterday I was sitting on my back porch enjoying the break in the clouds, reclining and reading away. It was a blissful afternoon until I heard the startling buzzing equivalent of what for a few seconds I thought was a horsefly or bumblebee that sounded about the size of a baseball. In half panic I jumped up to shoo the bug, did a quick dance and within 15 to 20 seconds the sound was gone. I then heard what was a drone pass back over me at a much higher altitude heading on its course back home. So then I thought what the hell? It must have been right over my head. The same thing happened to me about six months ago when I was kicking back in the sun and I jumped up at what sounded to be a prehistoric sized bumblebee. On that occasion I did not figure out what the disturbance was and I ended up thinking it was sound being projected from afar or something. Well now I know that startling sound is a drone hovering over your head. How often does something like that happen? It happened to me twice in six months. Has that happened to anyone else? What was I caught doing? I didn't have my pecker in my hand or anything like that. I wasn't even smoking a joint. I was reading a beginner’s course book on Arabic that I had checked out of the library an hour before. The one creepy thing is that the books do have the RFID tags on them, so… Anyways it was enough to trip me out for a little while and I thought I would let y'all know.

All is well besides (in my small radius.)

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PACIFIC CHAMBER ENSEMBLE

Sunday April 24 at 3 PM in Preston Hall, Mendocino. The group will perform two gems of the chamber music repertoire, Brahm's C minor Piano Quartet and Mendelssohn's Piano Trio in D minor. Both works are full of graciously melodic lines. As a special treat violinist Anna Presler will perform the capricious Debussy Violin Sonata. Advance tickets ($20) are available at Harvest Market, Fort Bragg, Out of This World, Mendocino, and at the door ($25).

PacEnsemble
Photo: Katherine Lawhead

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THISTLE DISMISSAL: You are invited to join us to remove thistles at Navarro Point this coming Wednesday, April 13th, from 10am until noon. There’s only a 2% change of rain, and this coastal headland is a stunningly beautiful place to be outside. You can find us in the parking lot on the west side of Highway 1 south of Navarro Ridge Road. No tools or previous experience are necessary. We hope to see you there this Wednesday at 10am. Contact me if you have questions.

Tom, 937-1113, tw@mcn.org

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TELL US: Have you used local psychiatric emergency services?

The Press Democrat

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/5489220-181/tell-us-have-you-used

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PLEASE:

The Anthropocene Show “Voices about Climate Change in Honor of Earth Day!”

Redwood Valley, California/USA - April 11, 2016 — The Anthropocene is a geological epoch in which humankind has a larger impact than Nature in shaping the environment.

The Anthropocene Show features film, an art exhibit, music, seed bomb/ball workshop, and seed & plant exchanges, all at the Redwood Valley Grange, 8650 East Road, Redwood Valley during Earth Weekend, April 22nd — 24th.

Anthropocene

Two inspiring films about war Vets becoming farmers; “Ground Operations” and “Terra Firma” will be shown on Friday April 22nd from 6:30 — 9 pm with a $10 suggested donation. There will be a panel discussion to follow. We’re proud to have Robert McFarland, President of the CSG United on our panel, speaking about the Veteran-Farmer Bill which is in the works.

“Home Grown Music Fest” featuring Joel Cohen, John Mattern, Clay Hawkins, Bill Taylor, Charlie Vaughan, The Raging Grannies, Gwen Hardage-Vergeer, Michael Oberg, and August Kaster happens on Saturday, April 23rd from 6:00 — 9:00 pm with a $15 suggested donation.

Seed and Start Exchange, and Seed Bomb/Ball Workshop with Peggy Backup is Sunday April 24th from Noon to 3pm. FREE

Art, poetry and prose in an 8 ½ x 11” format will be on display during the entire weekend. All are welcome to submit their work. Paintings by local artist Linda MacDonald, a native Californian, will be highlighted. Her current concerns are the California redwood trees: their conservation, appreciation, knowledge, discovery, and stewardship. She hopes to increase awareness of their plight through the many facets of her artwork. Jaye Alison Moscariello, artist and curator of the show will show her “Pool Series” paintings. Both artists have shown their work worldwide. During her Masters of Fine Arts residencies at Transart Institute in New York City and Berlin, Germany, local international artist Jaye Alison Moscariello became obsessed with the idea that the word “Anthropocene” was relatively unknown to the folks she spoke with at home even though it is in common use globally. As a member, she asked the Redwood Valley Grange to sponsor these events.

“Most of us hold views about the world and times in which we live, and don’t always have the opportunity to pause, reflect and comment in an open sharing forum. My aims in doing so are to bring us into the global conversation and to give voice to this dynamic era and invite solutions.”

Moscariello recently spoke about the Anthropocene to Kathy Mattison’s sixth grade science class at Eagle Peak Middle School in Redwood Valley. “The children were amazingly responsive and creative in suggesting solutions to our climate concerns. I am heartened that they will become good stewards of our planet. ‘Eliminate soda cans and make public fountains pour soda! Change cars from engine running to pedal cars! Make it illegal to bring plastic anywhere near the beach or lakes! Make all cars except electric cars illegal! Use more solar power, ban oil! Protect the Polar Bears!’” And there were many more, their voices will be appearing at the Anthropocene Show mounted at eye level so all can see. Submissions with a $10 donation to the Redwood Valley Grange, for the art exhibit must be received by 5pm, April 19th. The donations help the Redwood Valley Grange continue to bring great programs to our community.

Contact: Jaye Alison
artisall@earthlink.net
PO Box 848,
Ukiah, California

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OPPOSITION MOUNTS TO MEASURE U (the anti-hack&squirt initiative) in Fort Bragg.

NoOnU

 

18 Comments

  1. malcolmlorne April 12, 2016

    Measure V (as in Valenzuela) is the hack and squirt Measure. Measure U (as in Uribe) involves banning social service organizations, established after January 1, 2015, from Fort Bragg’s central business district. Looks like somebody needs to consult former San Diego Padre Doug “Eye Chart” Gwosdz before their next online post.

    • LouisBedrock April 13, 2016

      Good article and an important issue.

      Most doctors never have a course in nutrition during all their years in medical school. They over prescribe pharmaceuticals and ignore the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

      Fortunately Neil, my oncologist, did study nutrition and when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, one of the first things he did was to arrange an appointment for me with the oncological nutritionist of the Carol Simon Cancer Center at Overlook Hospital.

      Neil is one of my favorite doctors. He looks like a guy in his twenties. His attractive wife looks 20-ish also.. They’re actually 40ish and have a thirteen year old son. All three are serious bicyclists—Neil’s wife is a hundred miler; they’re also skiers, joggers, and healthy eaters.

      The oncologist recommended eliminating sugar or at least severely limiting it. She also suggested that I try a vegan diet. I’ve been a vegan ever since with just occasional lapses when I travel.

      My weight has stayed at 162 pounds. I exercise every day although jogging has been supplanted by walking—a concession to arthritis.

      I’d assess myself as much healthier than the average 70 year old.

      Morbid obesity is an epidemic in Florida, which is not surprising when you see what people eat in restaurants. Everything has bacon and cheese on it unless you request something that doesn’t.

      When I taught in the southeast Bronx, I was astonished at the number of morbidly obese children. This is a consequence of a terrible diet and lack of exercise.

      The problem is not merely what we are told about nutrition; it’s also about what we’re not told– as Dr. de Castro suggests.

        • LouisBedrock April 14, 2016

          This article is interesting, but fails to distinguish science from pseudo science and compromised science.

          We must avoid conflating corporate controlled science, politically corrupted science, and pseudo-scientific chicanery with the scientific method, which is the most efficient way of gathering knowledge we have.

        • LouisBedrock April 14, 2016

          Randy,

          I usually agree with your comments.
          Here, I’m not sure if we’re on the same or opposite sides.

          I am a former science teacher. I don’t deify science or see it as the source of a solution for all mankind’s problems. I don’t deny the validity of other paths to knowledge.

          However, I do support the scientific method as the most efficient machine for acquiring and refining knowledge that mankind has developed.

          Below is an excerpt of a letter I sent to the esteemed Todd Walton a while ago.
          Todd is another person with whom I often agree and from whom I learn a lot.
          However we had a difference of opinion about science:

          “In science, a theory is a scientific hypothesis that has been tested and peer reviewed and is accepted as the best available explanation for the present. This last point is important. Unlike orthodox systems, science thrives on controversy, debate, and iconoclasm. Religion depends on obedience; science on challenging, retesting, and revising, when necessary, hypotheses and even current theories.

          Copernican astronomy and Einstein physics are example of science at its best; however, both Copernicus’s theory of the solar system and The Theory of Relativity have been refined from their original forms.

          Scientists are often fools. Even when their theories are accurate, the consequences of the theories can prove horrendous. This is due to human frailty, not science. Science is not a magic wand that you can just wave and turn Todd Walton into a dung-beetle–although right now, I wish I could if only for a few hours. Science is the most effective engine for accumulating knowledge about the real world that we have. It’s not perfect, but without it you wouldn’t have novocaine, morphine, antibiotics, computers, or Dick Cheney’s pacemaker–as I said, it’s not perfect.”

          I would like to add that science requires as much creativity and imagination as art. A theory based on induction requires creating a gestalt, an understanding, an explanation about collected data. A theory based on deduction is even more like the creation of a poem or a painting. The scientist looks around at his field of study and bang: he suddenly experiences an epiphany–which becomes his hypothesis. Then he must gather relevant evidence to support his hypothesis.

          Our understanding of the world remains incomplete and flawed. However, thanks to science, we no longer cure diseases through prayer or relics, we know we’re not the center of the universe, that there are over a hundred elements, not just four, and that Juan Marichal was the best right handed pitcher that ever lived.

          I rest my case.

  2. BB Grace April 13, 2016

    “The horse U rode in on”?

    search results: https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090514134157AATiAnY

    Best Answer: It’s almost like “screw you and your whole family too,” because your horse would be like one of your main tools to survive {like a car – I hope it breaks down}. But this is doubly cruel – wishing death on your faithful animal friend {family} and your transportation.

  3. LouisBedrock April 13, 2016

    Apropos of nothing.

    Presentiment is that long shadow on the lawn
    Indicative that suns go down;
    The notice to the startled grass
    That darkness is about to pass.

    (Emily)

  4. Judy Valadao April 13, 2016

    I am assuming the “Horse you rode in on” sign is actually supposed to be about Measure V. As Malcolm explained the hack and squirt Measure.
    Whatever it’s about “V” or “U” I would suggest that everyone vote the way you wish but please leave the animals alone. At best, the author of post seems confused and I’m wondering if they should be voting at all.

    • BB Grace April 13, 2016

      “Horse V rode in on”

      ?

  5. Randy Burke April 13, 2016

    Drones are not 12 gauge buckshot proof. By my side and within reach, ol’ sweet lips double barrel Remington keeps the drones at bay.

    • Harvey Reading April 13, 2016

      Recommend #4 Buck rather than 00 … far more pellets yet still big enough to get the job done.

  6. Jim Updegraff April 13, 2016

    When you consider how many people are morbid obese it is not surprising that we have show a big spike in diabetes 2, A lot of ways to commit suicide and morbid obesity is certainly a way to do it. (Very painful).

    Late in the day so will comment tomorrow about 5 major banks failing their “Living Wills”. No wonder the big banks wanted to meet with Hilary while she was in New York. The Bern has got it right.

  7. Eric Sunswheat April 14, 2016

    Yeah, Dr. Trotter sound bites about doctor school trainees shortages in the US, were repeated morning and evening on KZYX News, but he said not a word about other US citizens being trained internationally at lower cost, and then coming back to US for residency. This is probably because they are not Seventh Day Adventist graduates, the health cartel. New York has a big discussion right now about maybe passing a law so that internationally trained doctors would not be able to do a family doctor residency in New York state, yet doctors that graduate from studying in New York, often leave the state without doing family residency. Go figure… Here is the link, to straighten out the lala land of KZYX News humoring their financial sponsorship, Adventist Health. – Eric

    Crain’s New York Business
    OPINION
    March 25, 2016
    Letter to the Editor
    Foreign medical students help New York more than the state’s do
    Overseas schools’ access to clerkships in NY hospitals must be preserved.

    http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20160325/OPINION/160329936/foreign-medical-students-help-new-york-more-than-the-states-do

  8. Nate Collins April 15, 2016

    “Jah Canada”….. Oh Lord I almost peed my pants!!!

  9. Nate Collins April 15, 2016

    RE: DRONE. Well if Arabic is such a cryptic taboo for US citizens, that makes Arabic all the more tantalizing now don’t it??? Oooh, clandestino.

  10. Debra Keipp April 16, 2016

    Gee, I read that National Crime Victims Rights Week notice, and all I could think about was the crime that comes fresh off the bench from Ten Mile Court and the investigations that the D.A. needs to make on revamping those victimizing judges and lawyers in cahoots in Ten Mile Court. Brennan, to please his lawyerette counterparts in flogging the law and removing the rights of victims invited into their court, should be removed. Not enuf that Eyster served Brennan with a stack of 170.6 pre-emptory challenges to prevent him from working cases in Ukiah? The rest of us suffer with that victimizing cockaroach connected with that red-headed mendo maggot O’Rourke, friend of the Lehan court. And we still look upon Lehan’s picture on the wall of Ten Mile court like a picture of Christ on the wall of a church? There aren’t enuf 170.6 forms to submit to Ten Mile Court!

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