- Stop Wasting Time
- What About This Class K?
- Parade, Yes; Hardware, No
- To Be Or Not To Be, Part 3
- A Pound Of Prevention
STOP WASTING TIME
Editor,
The Board of Supervisors opened last Tuesday’s meeting by rejecting all of the roofing bids for the complex at Low Gap. The lowest bid was at least $1 million over what had been projected and put aside for the project. They then proceeded, despite hours of public comment in opposition, to make the Class K building permit process more expensive and restrictive by adding requirements that make it more similar to a regular uniform building code compliant project. How a public agency that is struggling to find the funds to put a roof over its own head can justify making it more difficult for the citizens it serves to house themselves is a question we need answered.
Class K accounts for only 7% of the building permits issued each year, but they are generally the smaller, more affordable projects that this County so desperately needs to encourage if we are going to solve the housing crisis we currently face. Why are our elected representatives wasting their own time, as well as that of staff and the general public further restricting the population's ability to construct affordable homes? This project is a dud. It should be abandoned. Class K has worked fine for nearly 40 years and should be left unchanged. We can then focus our attention on the much more difficult problem of how we are going to build sufficient housing for the people of this County. It is so much easier to say how a house should or should not be built than it is to actually sweat in the hot sun, write the checks, draw the plans, or do any of the actual work necessary to put a roof over one's head.
I urge everyone to call or e-mail the supervisors and tell them that Class K is a valuable tool which should not be changed or made more expensive to utilize. Ask them to please stop adding restrictions and costs to the building process — instead start thinking creatively about solutions to the housing shortage in this county.
Ishvi Aum
Albion
WHAT ABOUT THIS CLASS K?
Editor:
Back in 2013 I stumbled across the fact that Timothy Mullins of Balo Winery improperly applied for and improperly received from the Building Dept. a Class K permit to build a commercial barn and pond on one of two parcels totaling 15 acres of bare land he had just bought from Bryant Whitaker at the west end of Anderson Valley Way. Deception from both parties I believe was involved. Class K is not intended for commercial enterprise nor can out buildings (barns) be built under Class K without being “appurtenant” to a dwelling. Since there was/is no house on the property to be appurtenant to, both of these conditions were violated.
At the time I did talk with Chief Building Inspector Chris Warrick about the situation but did not file an official written complaint. Warrick acknowledged the improprieties and said he would “… do something about it.” Ha!
Just recently, with a challenge looming to the continued existence of Class K, I revisited what had happened in the above mentioned affair to find that just last year Mullins had sold the two parcels, having previously changed the the recorded name from Balo Winery to Vineyard Logistics. According to County records the transfer amount (purchase price) from Whitaker for both of the parcels combined was $470,000. The larger of the two at 11.6 acres with pond and barn, was sold to Signal Ridge Vineyards whose proprietor is Roger Scommegna of Milwaukee for $850,000. The smaller piece of 3.6 acres that sits in the back sold to a John C. Vitek, a lawyer from Milwaukee, for $350,000. A guy hanging out by these two parcels who looked like he might have been Roger Scommegna himself told me knowledgebly that “The same guy owns them both.”
What happened is that Mullins in four years turned his $470,000 outlay into $1,200,000 — a $730,000 profit less whatever it cost to put in the relatively small pond and Class K barn.
Of course any deception and impropriety does not account for the full windfall profit made by Mullins — acute business acumen and terroir peppered with a bit of greed play a big role, but I believe that impropriety can certainly be considered part of the picture.
What is further bewildering and maddening is that from pre-Whitaker’s time until present no visible agriculture has taken place on that land — Vineyard Logistics services other wine growing properties — yet the smaller parcel for some reason under Williamson Act criteria was assessed for tax purposes at $21,025 while the larger was assessed at $140,414. At the standard one percent tax rate that would have them paying about $210 and $1,404 per year respectively. On my Philo one acre with chickens, vegetable gardens and at times goats, rabbits, and pigs we pay about $400 a month in taxes or $4,800 a year.
Neither Scommegna nor Mullins (I don’t know anything about Vitek) do what they do to make a living. They are both, like most Anderson Valley wine monkeys, wealthy beyond their need to make a living. For them it’s just a monopoly game. As such, why can’t they along with the myriad other similar, locally esconsced yet non-resident game players ante up for more of the social and environmental degradation involved in their activities that puts our County’s and our Earth’s well-being in jeopardy?
David Severn
Philo
PARADE, YES; HARDWARE, NO
Editor,
Trump's parade. I was a sailor in 1967 and was discharged at Treasure Island. The war was very unpopular and we were advised to wear civies going home to avoid conflict. I liked the Navy, it got me ready for the demands University of California required.
The only time I truly felt proud was at a Fourth of July parade with a band leading and people on both sides of the street cheering. I will never forget that moment, even though it was over 50 years ago.
I would like to see Trump’s parade be military people. We don't need tanks and armored vehicles and flyovers. The whole world knows about that. How about a parade that doesn't show off, but says, Thanks for your service?
No $50 million spent, just some bands and soldiers and they certainly don't need much security. How about at every state capitol on Fourth of July where Democrats and Republicans can wave and cheer and say thanks?
Michael Smith
Philo
TO BE OR NOT TO BE, PART 3
Editor,
One day at Mr. Colombini’s ranch I asked him for a loan of $40. He replied, "Ramiro, I will lend you the money but before I do, what you need it for, if you don't mind me asking?" I honestly responded as to why I needed the loan and he understood my situation. Mr. Colombini went into his house and came back and handed me $60 which was more than what was needed. I thanked him. (Mr. Colombini, if you are reading this, sir, you will receive what is owed. Thank you and forgive me for being a knucklehead, sir.)
My last day at the Colombini ranch is a day I will never forget. God sent an angel. As I was pulling out dead rose bushes I noticed a beautiful woman walking down the street with a pit bill on a leash in one hand and a glass of drink in the other. I continued to shovel out the rose bushes by the roots while I noticed her walking. Soon I noticed her walking back up the street and I decided to make a move. I said, "Hi, that's a beautiful pit bull you have there." She replied, Thank you, and approached me.
We spoke for a few minutes and exchanged names and said our see you laters.
A month slid by and I found myself fishing with a few friends at the dams early one morning. A female friend wanted to try her luck at the Hopland casino. I was heading home that way anyway so I said, "Why not?" When I stopped giving the machine more money, on the way out I noticed the same angel I had met a month earlier at my work site. I waved and got her attention. She got in her vehicle and drove up to me. I walked up to the passenger side and said, Hi, remember me? I soon became the passenger and was helping a beautiful woman on her route home. On the way we grabbed a sixpack and I went over to a friend’s house. As the afternoon progressed she asked if she could kiss me. I responded, yes!
In 2014 I enrolled in Mendocino College. I was aiming for engineering. But I some advice because math wasn't my best subject. Finding a foundation is the key, so I started off in English and basic math.
Outside of school I had an altercation with this beautiful woman and I was arrested. I was released within a few hours. I had class the next day. An assignment was due. We had to write about a personal experience and use logic versus emotion. So I wrote about what I'd done that got me in jail. Mrs. Bucchelli gave me a low grade on my assignment. She wrote on my paper, "Romero, you could have come to me before you wrote this." Things took a turn. I was looked at differently when I tried reaching out to my teachers who looked at me as if I was nuts. So I stopped talking and began to switch gears and listen. Because of this incident I took a month off. When I returned from my mini-vacation Mrs. Bucchelli received me with a hug. She was happy to see me return, especially for finals.
Then I found myself in jail again when I turned myself in for open warrants and as I was being booked I was told that I had hit my mother and that's why I was arrested. I'm not going to say much about this because there are real people who care and want to see me succeed and there are jealous lying individuals who want to see me fail.
This quote from our true example of this world tells us human beings how we are meant to be: "For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother and a daughter against her mother-in-law. … And the man's enemies will be those of his own household.” — Matthew 10:35-36. Now this is self-explanatory. Thank you Jesus for the words of wisdom.
Back to my story. I was ordered to stop by the Probation and check-in. My probation officer, Amanda Carly, was nice enough to get me into the Ford Street project for a few days. I showed her my form the Victory Outreach had sent me. After my stay at Ford Street Project I walked up the street to my aunt Betty's house, my mother’s sister. That morning she gave me a ride to the Victory Outreach on Luce Street. After my intake on July 16, 2015 five months into the program I took off still leaning on my own understanding. For three months I had to return not because of anyone telling or saying anything about returning to the program. It was meant for me to return.
On March 15, 2016 I was in where it all began. Now I must dedicate myself 100% to the one-year commitment and sure enough I did and my day of graduation I received my diploma. But to me it was just a piece of paper. Inside I felt like just ripping it in half just to send a message to the congregation in Santa Rosa. Two other brothers and a sister and I had the chance to say something on stage. Once my name was called I asked for the pulpit. The pastor and another brother helped put it up on stage. Then I heard the pastor, Jose Guaderama, say, We got a preacher in the house? Come on somebody!"?
This is what God placed in my heart meaning my brain: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent." For you see your calling brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many are noble are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty. " 1-Corinthians 1:19-26,27. God was and is working that day because when Pastor Jose was at the pulpit he gave the same scripture to the congregation. "Wow!, I said to myself. God is good all the time.
To be continued,
Ramiro Gonzalez
Ukiah
A POUND OF PREVENTION
Editor,
Some things today make me want to vomit.
San Diego State has a regular course for people to take on how to undermine President Trump. Just one more un-American thing.
The Oakland Mayor got on the phone and warned every illegal immigrant in the country that ICE was coming. A lot of those people should stay but a lot of them have to go. The good people who stay want the bad people to go. Another anti-American act. I hope they bring obstruction of justice charges against her.
The Golden State Warriors went to Washington DC last week. They were invited to the White House. They declined to go. All that rests on the head of Stephan Curry. He is a dirty little liberal bastard. He has his head so far up Kaepernick’s ass that he has to breathe for him. And he supported Hillary Clinton! He's a liberal all the way. And he is leading the Warriors! I like the Warriors. I like McGee. I like Livingston. I like Durant. But the rest of them—
County roads: I recently traveled from Willits to Highway 1 on Highway 20. I counted 14 places where the highway roadbed was slipping off on the outside. All the county would have to do is come out with a few cans of tar and tar those cracks so the water don't run down there and cause the road to slide off. They won’t do it. They've never heard of something I learned when I was 10: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Political correctness is the worst thing we have. It's worse than anything else that's ever happened to this country. The reason that boy went into the school building and shot the 17 kids in Florida was political correctness. The officers and the FBI had their eye on him but they couldn't get any closer to find out what was really wrong because they would be violating his rights. Political correctness.
Gun free zones make me sick. It's just like putting a can of honey in the woods for a bear. It means that nobody there can shoot back at you.
I was in the mall last Thursday and two security guards walked by. I asked them why they were not armed. They said, Well we have radios! I said, Listen, if a crazy bastard comes in here and starts shooting up the place what are you going to do? Throw your radios at him? Come on! You better tell your superiors that safety in our country is not taken for granted anymore. It's here. People are trying to kill us. Security guards should be trained and armed.
That's how rotten and stinking the Liberals have made this country. It's so sad.
God bless Donald Trump.
Jerry Philbrick
Comptche
PS. Within 30 days after they pass all this gun control crap there'll be another mass shooting, for sure. Gun control will not stop these killers. They can get guns anywhere they want on the black market. It makes me sick when they say guns kill people. People kill people. That's who they have to start correcting! They need real serious background checks. Maybe even with a psychologist. I don't know. Banning AR-15s will not stop these shootings. Teachers should be armed. They should go through mandatory gun training and then some of them should be armed in every school. Then the shooters would think twice before they came around. Not just schools, but other places too. Armed security guards.
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