LAST THURSDAY morning, May 6th, an Obama-size motorcade, reinforced by a hovering helicopter, passed through Boonville on its way to 3500 Little Mill Creek Road, Philo, the home of Thomas Plowright III, 42, of San Jose, and Teresa Plowright, 50, of Manteca.
THE PLOWRIGHTS came to local attention three weeks ago when deputies discovered a tractor stuck in Little Mill Creek where Little Mill flows, or attempts to flow, through a neighbor’s property. The creek is a year-round blue line stream in which much local volunteer labor has been invested in a perhaps vain effort to bring it back to its once fecund life as a major salmon and steelhead stream. It appeared that the Plowrights were attempting to build a catchment pond to irrigate an outdoor pot field when the tractor became mired in the streambed.
THE COUPLE was arrested Thursday “without incident.” The raid team found several pieces of stolen equipment, including a cement truck, apparently taken from a San Jose construction site. These items were valued at approximately $80,000. The raid team said they also found burglary tools, marijuana, methamphetamine, and paraphernalia related to drug manufacture at the property in addition to numerous firearms including a fully automatic assault weapon. Additionally, items and chemicals consistent with the manufacture of methamphetamine were discovered along with an “explosive device.” The Highway Patrol's hazardous devices technicians were summoned from their Sacramento office to render the apparatus harmless “by counter charging the device.”
THE PLOWRIGHTS were booked into the Mendocino County Jail on the following charges: manufacturing a controlled substance, possession of a substance to manufacture methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine, possession of a device for injection or smoking a controlled substance, violation of probation, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, committing a felony while armed with a firearm, possession of an assault weapon, possession of ammunition by a person who is prohibited. Bail was set at $75,000 for each Plowright which, even given so many felony charges, translates merely as “semi-serious.”
REDD VOLKAERT, from Austin, Texas, “Master of Telecaster” will perform right here in downtown Boonville with Dean Titus and the Coyote Cowboys this Saturday night at Lauren’s Cafe starting at 9pm. After touring and recording for six years with country legend Merle Haggard, Redd Volkaert received the 2009 Grammy Award for Instrumentalist of the year with Brad Parsley. He is a “must-see” act in Austin’s famed music scene and tours with such greats as Bill Kirchen, Dale Watson and Cindy Cashdollar. Don’t miss this great opportunity to hear country legend guitarist/singer Redd Volkaert with Boonville’s Coyote Cowboys, a bargain at $10 at the door!
FROM the May 5 Board of Supervisors minutes: “Supervisor Colfax has recommended funding the Anderson Valley Health Center to purchase a digital x-ray machine. This project includes an interface with the electronic medical records system and an archival and distribution system which would activate simultaneous digital x-ray transmissions. Of the $500,000 in Tobacco Settlement funds allocated to District 5, $345,000 has been spent: $275,000 to Anderson Valley Eldercare Home, and $70,000 to Anderson Valley Housing Association…”
ATTENTION POWER HITTERS. Muscle up, boys and girls. Anderson Valley Youth Baseball is throwing its third annual Homerun Derby and tri-tip fund-raiser this Sunday (May 16th) 1-4pm at the Fairgrounds Little League field.
THE GLEN JENKINS reported last week as the victim of a Lucerne (Lake County) shooting is the 35-year-old son of our Glen Jenkins, and I hope this information soothes the confused lady who called us worried that Jr. was Sr. Glen Jr. hasn't lived in the Anderson Valley since he was a child; he remains in the hospital but is expected survive. Although the shooting is believed to have been committed by Daniel Scott Beaty of Nice, who is in custody, police are still seeking John McClean of Lakeport for questioning in the incident.
THE ANDERSON VALLEY Pinot Festival is all systems go for this weekend, much of the festivities occurring at the Boonville Fairgrounds with the Sierra-Nevada Music Festival coming up the weekend of June 18th.
LUIS ESPINOZA earned special fatherhood points for walking the recent Boontling Classic with his infant child in a chest sling, his other holding his hand the whole way. The tiny Espinoza, needless to say, was the youngest person to finish the race. Luis, incidentally, works for the Hopland Tribal Police as he awaits an opening with the Mendocino County Sheriff's Department. A graduate of Anderson Valley High School, Luis, all-round good guy, has coached basketball at his alma mater.
JERRY COX, campaigning for Finnegan for DA, called to say, “No pearl in that Eyster,” a pretty good pun at David Eyster's expense. Eyster is also running for DA, as is incumbent Meredith Lintott.
A HUGE THANKS from us here at your beloved community newspaper to Jeff Ellis of the Boonville Hotel whose prompt and savvy trouble shooting revived our computers early on production day this week. I'd still be standing around scratching my head if Jeff hadn't appeared to get us back on-line for crunch time.
WOODEN NICKELGATE? Someone or someones managed to exchange felony amounts of those tokens Ken Allen used to pass out among his employees at the Boonville Brewery. The tokens could only be redeemed at Valley stores, but someone or someones, it seems, exchanged thousand of dollars worth. The case is under investigation.
WHILE WE'RE at the Brewery, we can say we were pleased to meet its new owner, Mr. Trey White, most recently of Chicago and before that, Tennessee. A smart, pleasant young fellow, Mr. White said the local newspaper reports of the money involved in the Brewery's sale had been “greatly exaggerated,” as was “holding company” as applied to him. The Anderson Valley Brewing Company, Mr. White emphasized, is his sole business interest into which he intends to put his full-time effort.
THE SIGNS out front of Ledson's tasting room and the Boonville General Store say, “2 hour parking.” Below the 2 hour stipulation the signs read, “Anderson Valley Planning Commission.” Anderson Valley doesn't have a planning commission.
THE TALENTED CAMILLE CORBY has donated a beguiling painting of a young mother shopping at a farmer's market to the Boonville Farmer's Market. The painting will be silently auctioned off by the Market as a fund-raiser. It can be seen in the hallway at Farmhouse Mercantile, and I can tell you it's very nicely done.
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