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Bird’s Eye View (Oct. 12, 2016)

Greetings one and all. Are you are sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin.

Downtown Boonville was hopping on Saturday night and as I flew over the heaving metropolis. In the early evening the throngs on the streets and “traffic jam” in the heart of the “City” was quite a sight to behold. At the Redwood Drive-In there was a birthday celebration attended by many from our Mexican community, while the three other Boonville restaurants, Aquarelle, The Hotel, and Lauren’s had large numbers of vehicles parked outside each of them. Further down the road there was a clearly popular event at the Pennyroyal Farm, while at The Brewery’s Visitor Center people had gathered to watch Game 2 in the Giants/Cubs series.

But the biggest gathering was at The Apple Hall for a Quinceañera hosted by the Perez/Sanchez family where over 200 folks were assembled. Four hours later, following a Giants defeat and a drowning of the subsequent sorrows, I flew over again and the town had calmed down, except of course at the Apple Hall where the music blared at an acceptable Saturday night level and the fun was clearly still in full swing. And City people ask me what there is to do up here?

Meanwhile, in a parallel universe know as The Real World, a place far removed from the Boonville Bubble, The Old Buzzard has some interesting, and quite disturbing observations on a “new” Donald Trump. Please note: this was written both before Trump’s comments about women surfaced last Friday and also prior to the excruciatingly ugly debate on Sunday evening. “Donald Trump made a big play this past week with a revival of the Populist theme that has served many ‘dictators’ well in the past. He was lying about his intentions of course but at this point nobody seems to be unduly worried by a little outright fabrication and deception. This is what Trump said. “We will rebuild our roads, our bridges, tunnels, highways, airports, schools, and hospitals. American cars will travel the roads. American planes will soar the skies and American ships will patrol the seas. American steel will send skyscrapers — new, beautiful skyscrapers — into the clouds. American hands — hands, hands, hands! — will rebuild this nation. And American energy, harvested from American sources, will power this nation. American workers will be hired to do the job, not workers from other countries. We will put new American steel into the spine of the United States. I will fight for every neglected part of this nation.’

“Good stuff, right? Whether he's hired new speechwriters, or his staff simply has found the right dosage, The Donald is dealing out the real thing there — true, classic America First populism. Is it all a charlatan's boast? Of course it is. He can't do any of that stuff if he's also going to ram even more wealth upwards with his preposterous economic program. But, for the first time since I've been listening to him, Trump has stumbled into a rich vein of American political history and a productive maelstrom of American political gobbledygook, both of which have sustained the other ever since this nation was founded.

“Of course, there is a dark side to this brand of populism. Germany in the 1930s comes to the mind of doom-mongers like myself. It would be absurd for Donald Trump to go even more all-out racist and anti-Semite on the country at this point. Besides, he can subcontract that job to his factions of his supporters on social media. But to hear him talk about the ‘collusion’ between the ‘special interests’ and the ‘corrupt media executives’ is to hear echoes of the shiny boots on cobblestones, without the inconvenient swastika armbands and militaristic brown uniforms. He will play that card as readily as he will talk about the new ‘American steel in the spine of the country.’ This is why he remains the most dangerous presidential candidate of my lifetime.

“The bright vision coupled with the conspiratorial darkness in which Trump is now trafficking has sold well in this country since they first put it together. Trump will no doubt be selling it until Tuesday, November 8th. I cannot quite fathom how we have bungled things enough to have reached this point, to have such a diabolically awful candidate being opposed by one who has consistently showed herself to be naively carefree with the truth. But, given that we have this choice, this election is nowhere near over and one is left with the mantra of ‘May the less worse person win’.”

Thanks for really scaring me, Buzzard. Now on to the lighter topic of Public Service Announcements. Calendars and pens at the ready. #543. An early-ish heads-up on an event that is important and always lost of fun. AV Arts presents “It’s About Time,” a live auction fundraiser featuring time-inspired artworks created by Valley artists. The event will take place at Lauren’s Restaurant in Boonville on Sunday, October 23, from 4-7pm and will feature a little live music. Your $20 donation includes a glass of wine and some delicious hors d’oeuvres and all proceeds from the auction will support supplemental arts programs and scholarships for AV students. Tickets at the door. Visit www.av-arts.org. #544. The Vets from the Mendocino Animal Hospital have one more visit this month to the AV Farm Supply on Highway 128, north of Philo, on March 24. That will be on Thursday, October 20. #545. The General Knowledge and Trivia Quiz held at Lauren’s Restaurant is now on its winter/spring schedule of 7pm on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of every month. That means there will be one tomorrow, Thursday, October 13. #546. The Food Bank is open from 8-10am on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. which is next Tuesday, October 18. They will also be open on the Monday evening before from 4-6pm. Gardeners, farmers and produce growers of all kinds, remember to donate your extra produce and drop it off on the Monday behind the Boonville Methodist Church. If you need someone to glean your produce to take to the Food Bank, contact Valerie Kim at valerie.h.kim@gmail.com. Denisse Mattei is the Food Bank director, 895-3763. #547. The Mendocino Bookmobile returns to the Valley next Tuesday, October 18 (alternate Tuesdays for 45 minutes) at: Navarro Store 9am (for just 30 minutes before heading out to Comptche); the Floodgate 12.30pm; Philo 1.30pm; Boonville (Apple Hall) 2.30pm. Phone 463-4694 for further details. #548. The AV Museum is open every Saturday and Sunday, from 1-4pm in The Little Red Schoolhouse next to the Elementary School on AV Way, a perfect thing to do in the Valley when you have a couple of hours to spare on a weekend afternoon at “The Best Little Museum in the West.” #549. There will be an AV Foodshed “Fun(d)raiser” at 6pm on Saturday, October 15 at The Shed, behind the Farrer Building. Food and live music for your $25 donation. BYO Beverage.

Here is the menu for the Community lunches next week in the Senior Center at the Veterans Building in Boonville. $6 donation from seniors and $7 for Non-seniors. Tomorrow, Thursday, October 13, the lunch, served by Marti Titus and her crew at Noon, will be Smothered Steak, with Pumpkin Gooey Cake for dessert. Then, next Tuesday, October 18, the lunch will feature Fish & Chips, with Poppy Seed Cake for dessert. All meals include vegetables, salad bar, and fruit, plus milk, coffee, tea, and lemonade. Maybe the best value for money you’ll get all week! Tai Chi is available every Tuesday at 11am; Thursdays at 11am it is Kathy’s Easy-stretch Yoga class. Also on Thursdays, the Active Life Club runs from 10am to 2pm with games, crafts, and music. The Senior Center/Community Bus goes to Ukiah on Mondays and Santa Rosa on the first Wednesday of the month. These trips fill up fast so don't forget to sign up early at 489-1175. Hopefully you will be able to attend some of these events, and certainly the lunches and dinners, and remember. ALL ages are welcome! Hope to see you there.

The Three-Dot Lounge has closed for the week.

That’s enough for now, so please take me drunk, I’m home. Be careful out there; if you break a leg don’t come running to me; stay out of the ditches; be wary of strangers with more dogs than teeth; show love to your pets, they will be faithful and true to you to the last beat of their hearts, and remember to keep your windows cracked if you leave them in your vehicle; think good thoughts; “Keep the Faith’; try to not let life get in the way of living; may your god go with you, and may your dog go with you too. A final request, “Let us prey.” Sometimes poking, often stroking, but almost always humbly yours, Turkey Vulture. Contact me through the Letters Page or at turkeyvulture9@gmail.com. PS. Keep on wagging that tail, Fred. Hi, Silver Swan. behaving yourself? Hopefully not! Keep up the good work, Round-eyed Robin.

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