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Bird’s Eye View (Jan. 11, 2017)

Coming Soon: Big headlines about the Valley’s restaurant situation. Full details next week!

Meanwhile this coming weekend we will bid a final farewell to restaurateurs who have served the Valley splendidly for sixteen years. At Lauren’s Restaurant on Sunday, January 15th from 3-6pm the community will express their gratitude to the Favelas — Libby, Jose, and family of Libby’s Philo Restaurant fame. The community-at-large is invited — bring finger foods to share. Jose and Libby have retired. They will not be cooking!

Of course, Lauren’s Restaurant continues their regular lunch and dinner hours; The Redwood Drive-In too; Lizbby’s, the new Mexican restaurant in Boonville, with a menu based on Libby’s, is opening in a month or so; Aquarelle and The Bewildered Pig remain closed; the Boonville Hotel continues with their family-style, prix fixe menu Thursday-Sunday; and Stone and Embers is open Friday-Tuesday, noon to 6pm.

Public Service Announcements. #542. Given the current weather situation: For road conditions and closures call 1-800-gas-road (427-7623); for power problems and outages call 1-800-PGE (743)-5000. #543. Again, the community “Thank You” to Libby and Jose is at Lauren’s Restaurant on Sunday, January 15th, 3-6pm. #544. The Vets from the Mendocino Animal Hospital have one visit this month to the AV Farm Supply on Highway 128, north of Philo, tomorrow Thursday, January 12. They will be here twice in February (2 and 23). Best to turn up at around 3pm. You will be seen. New customers and their pets are always welcome and previous visitors should be aware that they can call 462-8833 and the vets will bring your pet’s charts with them. #545. The Boonville Farmers Market continues with Winter location and hours at The Boonville General Store, on Saturdays from 11am-1pm. For more info, call Cindy at 895-2949. #546. Need a burn permit? From 11am to 3pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays you can get one from the Firehouse in Boonville. Call 895-2020 for more information or stop by and you will be efficiently served with a smile. #547. The Unity Club’s AV Lending Library is open Tuesdays from 1.30-4.30pm and Saturdays 2-4pm at The Fairgrounds in Boonville. #548. The County Dump is open from 9am-4pm Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. Dump Executive Director, Mike Mannix, rewards good customers with a star but will be very harsh with anyone thinking they can leave dead animals! #549. Gardeners, farmers and produce growers of all kinds, please remember the next Food Bank Day. Tuesday, January 17 (3rd Tuesday of every month) as a place to donate your extra produce. It will be greatly appreciated. They are open from 8-10 am on the 3rd Tuesday of every month; and are also open the Monday evening before, from 4-6. Please drop off on the Monday behind 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. #550. The annual Valley Crab Feeds are almost here. The Senior Center benefit is Saturday, January 21; tickets $35 pre-sale, $40 on the door — sold at the Senior Center, AV Market, Rossi Hardware, and Lemons’ in Philo. Happy Hour at 5.30pm, dinner served at 6.30pm. Two weeks the Original Crab Feed is on Saturday, February 4. Tickets $45, same as last year, includes complimentary wine. Tickets available through Gloria Ross at 895-3071, John Schultz at 895-9552, or Lemons’ Market in Philo. Both Crab Feeds are very popular Valley-centric occasions. They WILL sell out; you have been warned.

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 charges $7 for non-Seniors. Tomorrow, Thursday, January 12, the lunch, served by Marti Titus and her crew at Noon, will be Lemon Garlic Cod and Wendy’s Oatmeal Bars for dessert. Next Tuesday, January 17, the lunch features Roasted chicken with Winter vegetables with Bread Pudding for dessert. All meals include vegetables, salad bar, and fruit, plus milk, coffee, tea, and lemonade. What a deal. Maybe your best value all week! Tai Chi is available every Tuesday at 11am; Thursdays at 11am is Kathy’s Easy-stretch Yoga class. Also Thursday, the Active Life Club from 10am to 2pm features 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 sign up early at 489-1175. Hopefully you will be able to attend some of these events and certainly the lunches and dinners. ALL ages are welcome! Hope to see you there. Topics and Valley events under discussion this week at The Three-Dot Lounge: “Moans, Groans, Good Thoughts, and Rampant (yet surprisingly reliable) Rumors” from my favorite gathering place in the Valley.

…Regulars at the 3-Dot are still shaking their heads over the recent visit to the Valley by wine writer Melissa Vogt. In Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate she writes of her stop at Gowan’s Oak Tree and then her dining experience at The Bewildered Pig. Nowhere else in the Valley is mentioned specifically. Of her Pig visit, she remarked, “The food is incredible—a beacon of light in an otherwise rather drab offering of cuisine in the infinitesimal towns of Boonville, Philo and Navarro.” Drab offerings? How ignorant of her. We all know that food/restaurant reviewing is a sinecure that can produce mediocrity in its writing and irritating subjectivity in its conclusions, but to make such a remark goes to show that a large degree of mindless comment is also a part of the “game.”

… Dr, Logan McGhan, revered upon his arrival as the Valley’s wonderful new doctor and welcomed into the community as few others have been, has now departed. He was popular, and by all accounts he was competent. So what really happened? I think we should be told.

…On a more positive note regarding our local Health Center, my own recent experience in dealing with Dr. Mark Apfel and AmericaCorps volunteer Faris Gheith was a very pleasant, efficient, and friendly one. Hopefully this does not mean that they are about to depart too!? (Joking.)

…More kudos to pass out. With propane prices going through the roof at this time of year, it is good to know that some companies will work with their regular customers to reach a fair rate. Suburban Propane is one of these and I encourage you to investigate further by calling 707-263-5428.

I’m outta here. I’ve got see a man about a sheep. 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; 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 on cycling, Round-eyed Robin.

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