MCT: Saturday, June 1, 2019

• High Pressure
• Film Showing
• Big Band
• Pardini's Patch
• GJ Report
• Vamping B
• Squaw Rock
• Shelter Saga
• Cat People
• Chinese Immigrants
• School Mural
• Yesterday's Catch
• Simplifications
• Being Indoctrinated
• Mueller's Ruse
• Dick Drawer
• Stupidity
• Kentucky River
• Broadband Meeting
• McCain Reminder
• Priced Out
• Assange Case
• Boycott Amazon
• Completely Insane
• Moving Day
• Ivy
• Marco Radio
• Found Object

PACIFIC HIGH PRESSURE will continue to build offshore, while low pressure drifts over southern California. A shower or thunderstorm is possible each afternoon this weekend over the interior mountains. Otherwise, expect continued areas of coastal clouds and fog, while inland temperatures heat up for the next few days. (National Weather Service)

WINDOWS ON THE WORLD — big local opening/showing this Sunday, June 2, at 2 pm at the AV Grange in Philo. Screenplay by former locals, Robert Mailer Anderson and Zack Anderson. Starring Edward James Olmos, Ryan Guzman, Chelsea Gilligan with René Auberjonois to name a few. There will be refreshments, raffles and guest appearances. $5 donation. All proceeds to benefit AV Senior Center. See you at the show Windows on the World!

BOB AYRES' SWINGIN' BOONVILLE BIG BAND will be performing at Lauren’s Cafe in Boonville Saturday June 1. Show starts at 9 and ends at 11. Tickets are $15 and proceeds go to the Anderson Valley Adult Education Music Program. Dinner is available from 5 - 8 and the beer/wine bar is open late.

AV FIRE DEPARTMENT FIREFIGHTER EDDIE PARDINI was the first of the Spring 2019 EMT students to take the National Registry Test. That patch looks good on you, Ed - Congrats!

WHO RUNS MENDOCINO COUNTY?

May 31, 2019

Report of the Mendocino County Grand Jury

SUMMARY

Mendocino County is governed by an elected Board of Supervisors (BOS) consisting of five members and an appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The BOS is charged with enacting legislation and determining overall policies for the county departments and commissions.

The CEO is appointed by the BOS and is responsible for day-to-day execution of County business. As specifically stated in Ordinance No. 4182 which created the position in 2007:

“…the Board of Supervisors expects the CEO to exercise overall responsibility for sound and effective government management of county government pursuant to board policy and adopted budget…”

The Mendocino County Grand Jury (GJ), based upon its investigation, finds that the BOS has failed to establish and publish strategic county-wide policies with effective long term goals that address county-wide issues of public safety, health, economic, environmental and other needs of our communities, as it is charged to do. Rather, the BOS reacts to crises as they arise.

The CEO has an enormous responsibility to fill in the gaps of leadership that occur. Often it appears that the CEO is providing leadership that has been abdicated by the BOS. This imbalance needs to be addressed by the BOS so that the county as a whole can benefit from more effective leadership on the part of its elected officials.

The GJ commends the County for including exclusive agenda item viewing on the BOS webpage.

The GJ notes that with the new BOS chair and two new supervisors there appears to be positive changes in the board dynamic.

GLOSSARY

BOS – Board of Supervisors: The BOS consists of five elected officials, one from each district, with a mission to create and maintain a responsive and responsible government.

CAO – Chief Administrative Officer: The CAO is charged with evaluating the effective management of all county resources and with making recommendations to department heads and agency heads to assist them in meeting the BOS’ set goals, policies and budgets.

CEO – Chief Executive Officer: The CEO is appointed by the BOS to oversee administration of county government and implement decisions made by the BOS. The CEO is the day-to-day manager of county government and represents the County and BOS in a variety of activities. The Executive Office oversees the preparation, adoption and administration of the County’s budget and coordinates the activities of other county departments to ensure the effective accomplishment of the BOS’ directions and policies.

BACKGROUND

The GJ became aware of public concerns addressing the issue of whether the CEO was exceeding her authority in determining and implementing policies that govern the County. The GJ turned its focus to the BOS itself and how effective the Supervisors are in addressing county-wide strategic needs, meeting the concerns of the public and establishing effective and easily accessed methods for constituents to contact individual board members.

DISCUSSION

The BOS, in its mission statement and “Principles of Office,” is charged with “creating and maintaining a responsive and responsible government” and is expected to represent the entire County of Mendocino while understanding the needs of a Supervisor’s individual district. Further, “the primary mission of the BOS is to establish policies by which the County is to be administered.” This would suggest that the Supervisors are therefore required to engage in strategic planning that effectively meets the needs of the County as well as their constituents and invites the participation of county residents to weigh in on strategic long term goals. Unfortunately, while strategic planning is essential for the health and safety of Mendocino County, there is no published long term strategic planning for the County as a whole by the BOS. The plan should include applicable benchmarks to address issues of homelessness, fire prevention, economic development, housing and other major concerns. The BOS is reactive and issues directives and establishes ad hoc committees only as concerns and issues arise.

In 2007, the BOS adopted a CEO position which replaced the CAO. While this change establishes greater responsibilities and authority in the CEO position, the BOS has neglected to establish a succession plan to insure a seamless transition in leadership. Presently, there is no formal succession plan for the Mendocino County CEO position. The Assistant CEO position is funded but unfilled.

The BOS routinely issues directives to the CEO but does not adequately track directives or require specific timelines, benchmarks and completion dates. The directives are not published on the county website or accessible to the public unless requested in person. The individual Supervisor must ask the Executive Office for directive status updates. One neighboring county (Sonoma) publishes an “Action List” on its website that lists goals, proposed action, potential activities or projects, status, funding status, primary agency, county role, other county agencies and outside partners, on a chart that clearly provides substantive information regarding what their BOS is pursuing. Additionally, the website provides for constituents to respond to these proposed goals and actions. Changes like these would align the BOS with its aspiration to establish a truly “…responsive and responsible government.”

The published CEO Report could be a great tool for disseminating information to the public and Supervisors. A CEO Report that includes BOS directives with status updates, Sheriff overtime, and major County projects would provide an opportunity to keep constituents fully updated on important issues. The report could also include information on fire recovery efforts and work currently being done to proactively make the County ready for wildfires along with other strategic planning issues. It should be published monthly. While it is available online, consideration should be given to placing the report in locales like the libraries and other community centers, along with local newspapers since not all constituents have access to online information.

The County website needs to be a better communication tool. There is no designated oversight body for maintaining or directing the website content. Each department is individually responsible for updating or adding content. While the BOS web page provides easy access to the agenda, minutes and video for each board meeting, it lacks other critical information. There is no embedded communication/complaint form for constituents to raise critical issues with their individual supervisor. Currently, the web page does not provide direct contact numbers for individual Supervisors. Finally, there is no published process that requires the Supervisors to respond to constituents in a timely manner or even to respond at all.

The BOS meetings provide an important opportunity for concerned citizens to address the Board directly. Public expression is a cornerstone of democratic participation and all citizens availing themselves of this opportunity should feel respected and that their concerns will be considered. While the Brown Act specifies that the Board cannot take action on a non-agenda item, the Act does not prevent Supervisors from acknowledging those who make public comments. Supervisors can ask clarifying questions, can refer matters to staff for further action or advise the speaker if action has already been taken. It is incumbent upon Board members to make speakers feel that their concerns have been taken seriously and this necessitates more than a mere rote “thank you” that is so often the default response of the Chairperson. Further, the minutes of each Board meeting should contain not just the names of those who appear before the Board during public comment, but also a short description of the issue addressed as well.

The BOS Consent Agenda often includes items of a controversial nature, for example, salary increases and cost overruns. This routine inclusion of controversial items in the Consent Agenda prevents debate and public input. While a supervisor can pull any item from the agenda, it would be more efficient to simply follow the established guidelines that determine which items should be included and which should be excluded.

In order for the individual Supervisors to be more responsive to their constituents, regularly scheduled meetings in each district would be beneficial. While some constituents might contact individual supervisors with concerns, the public meeting provides a forum for meaningful engagement and if the meetings are scheduled at least quarterly, the public will have a consistent opportunity to participate in County government.

METHODOLOGY

The GJ interviewed the CEO, members of the Executive Office, and members of the BOS, past and present. The GJ members also attended and monitored the bi-monthly meetings of the BOS. Mendocino County budgets from 2010 to the present were also reviewed.

FINDINGS

F1. There is no published long term county-wide strategic planning by the BOS, e.g., fire response, homelessness, cannabis, housing and economic development.

F2. There is no written succession plan for the CEO of Mendocino County.

F3. The BOS does not adequately track directives given to the CEO. The current list of directives has inadequate status and descriptors and there are no timelines or milestones for completion.

F4. The CEO Report does not include substantive department updates, e.g. new jail addition, Sheriff overtime, BOS directive status, departmental statistics and major road project status.

F5. The Consent Agenda has often included controversial items, e.g. salary increases and cost over runs.

F6. In the BOS minutes, the name of the public speaker is listed but not a description of the issue raised.

F7. There are no scheduled proactive meetings with residents of individual districts to speak with their Supervisor.

F8. The GJ could not find a complaint or issue form on the Mendocino County website.

F9. There is no procedural requirement for any Supervisor to respond to a constituent complaint or issue.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The Grand Jury recommends:

R1. strategic goals should be formulated by the BOS each year, prioritized and posted on the BOS page of the County website,

R2. develop a succession plan for the CEO position,

R3. determine whether an Assistant CEO position is necessary. If the position is not going to be filled, it should be unfunded,

R4. the BOS needs to include expectations for completion at the time directives are given to the CEO,

R5. directive status should include goal, proposed action, funding status and primary agency,

R6. the BOS meeting agenda should include directives and status updates,

R7. improve the CEO Report to include information on current major projects, tracking, expenditures and strategic goals,

R8. the Consent Agenda should not include controversial items, e.g., salary adjustments or cost Overruns,

R9. the BOS minutes should include the name of the speaker and the issue raised during public expression,

R10. publicized, regularly scheduled district town hall meetings should be held by each Supervisor,

R11. the BOS page of the County website should contain an embedded complaint/issue form that requires sender contact information sent directly to the individual supervisor,

R12. the BOS should draft and publish a policy for responding to constituent complaints and issues. The policy should include an expectation of timely response by the Supervisor.

RESPONSES

Pursuant to Penal Code §933 responses are required within 60 days from the following individuals from the following governing bodies:

Board of Supervisors (F1-F3,F5-F9 and R1,R2,R4-6,R8-R12)

Pursuant to Penal Code 933.05, responses are required within 90 days from the following individuals from the following governing bodies:

Chief Executive Officer (F2-F5,F8 and R2,R3,R5,R7-R9,R11)

The governing bodies indicated above should be aware that the comment or response of the governing body must be conducted subject to the notice, agenda and open meeting requirements of the Brown Act.

---

Background:

Our $225k Bargain Basement CEO

Excerpt: Supervisor John McCowen when CEO Angelo’s big raise was proposed last October: “She works really hard at her job. I believe she is very effective at it.”

VAMPING

by Mark Scaramella

“A vamp is a passage of instrumental music which can be played as many times as needed to create time for some purpose. In musical theatre or cabaret, vamps are often used to allow singers to deliver dialog or carry out stage directions within a song. A vamp is essentially a musical holding pattern in music for the stage. ‘Vamping’ is sometimes metaphorically used outside the context of music to mean ‘stalling for time without making it obvious’."

(Quora.com)

As a former bar piano man, I’ve experienced both the pleasure and the pain of vamping. Good singers not only can extract great humor and expectation out of a vamp, but they make the final product that much better because the audience gets into a good mood.

But, more often, live vamps fail because inexperienced or incompetent singers either can’t pick up the beat or they can’t pick up the musical cues or, worse yet, they’re so far off-key that the accompanist is sorry he even bothered to vamp.

Mendo’s Measure B Oversight/Advisory committee has been vamping now for almost a year and a half now with nothing to show for it but meandering preparations. Even Sheriff Allman, the driving force behind the popular measure to fund mental health facilities in Mendocino County, strains to find “progress” in the County’s seemingly endless dithering, which so far hasn’t even managed to hire a project manager or begin a feasability study.

Just last month — when the Measure B Committee didn’t even bother to meet — in an open letter to all local papers, the Sheriff called upon his fellow committee members to “be willing to make very strong decisions and vigorously encourage the Board of Supervisors to follow our direction.”

At the May 22 meeting, the Sheriff even told his fellow committee members that one day recently all five local inland cops on duty (except CHP) were tied up at the hospital tending to 5150s and none of them were available for ordinary patrol duties. (A PHF would probably alleviate this somewhat, but what about the $25-million plus mental health apparatus? Where were they? Why did cops have to stand around so long waiting for their 5150s to be dealt with?)

If Sheriff Allman was really as frustrated as he says he is, he’d at least propose a short-term fix like a modular PHF facility to handle today’s 5150s, not satisfy himself with the county staff’s continuous stalling tactics revolving around the maze of brick and mortar construction preparations.

We suggested a modular option a year ago with no response. Not only would it get help for the mentally ill in the short term, but it could be moved to the Coast if there’s ever a brick and mortar facility inland to help address the the crisis cases there.

Then the local Mental Health Alliance’s Sonya Nesch proposed a modular approach in an open letter to the Measure B Bunch, and still not a peep.

Upshot: If there ever is a Psychiatric Health Facility in Mendocino County, it will be over the cold dead hands of the obfuscators and staffers who comprise Mendo’s Measure B Oversight Committee.

At their latest meeting on May 22, a parade of county staffers tried at length to pretend that vamping is progress. Meetings have been held, money has been accumulating, consultants have been hired, more consultants and architects and project managers are being hired, RFPs are being drafted, lawyers are being consulted, reviews are underway, interviews are scheduled, options are under consideration, bids are being sought, property ownership is being transferred, issues are being identified…

Please.

When Sheriff Allman asked newly appointed Measure B planner Nash Gonzalez if they might have a feasibility study on the Orchard Street and Old Howard Hospital sites done in 60 days (hah!), Gonzalez replied that such studies are “extensive” and would take at least 90 days. (Besides, no RFP for the feasibility study has yet been issued.)

To make matters worse, Gonzalez threw in several new complications, such as California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) compliance, and Disability Act compliance, and the possibility of toxics underground at the sites, and the need to address alternatives and combinations of alternatives.

Allman then asked if the Request for Proposals for the feasibility study would be ready in a month.

Gonzalez said he didn’t know, it was under review at the County Counsel’s office (where projects go to either become more complicated or die ).

Committee member Mike Mertle of Fort Bragg, one of the few lucid persons on the committee, asked what happened to the idea of soliciting proposals from local hospitals for a PHF unit.

Deputy CEO Janelle Rau said they hadn’t been asked by the Supervisors to look into that.

What about using the old Public Health facility on Dora Street?

Rau replied that that building would require extensive repair before it could even be included in the feasibility study, which it’s not. And, in Rau’s opinion, the County should fund those repairs before it’s even on the table for Measure B consideration, not Measure B funds.

Former Mental Health Advisory Board Chair John Wetzler told the Committee that they shouldn’t build anything until they know how much staffing they can afford. Response: Blank stares.

At the end of the May 22 meeting, Measure B Committee Chair Dr. Ace Barash asked his fellow committee members when their next meeting should be because he didn’t see much material likely to be ready to discuss in June.

Although CEO Carmel Angelo said she could give a status report in June, a majority voted in favor of no meeting until July. Not one “very strong decision” was even proposed, much less made, and nobody “encouraged the Board of Supervisors” to do a damn thing.

Figures.

Tell the piano man to keep vamping. The singer hasn’t even approached the stage.

---

PS. FROM WHAT CAN BE GATHERED, it seems the County of Mendocino is apparently buying the Orchard Avenue property back from the private Mr. and Mrs. Schraeder. Near as we can tell the parcel is valued at about $2 million, the down payment for which was paid out of public grant funds, about $500,000 that may have to be returned.

ASKED about this murky transaction, we asked CEO Angelo for clarification:

CEO ANGELO REPLIED: "This is my understanding: The Orchard Street property was purchased by RCS with government money. RCS is the legal owner of the property. The County is in negotiations with RCS for the purchase of the property….from RCS to the county."

RCS, aka the Schraeders, is magically the sellers? Seems from here that the entire relationship of the Schraeders with Mendocino County is overdue for serious investigation.

CATS

To the Editor:

The Ukiah Animal Shelter is too strict.

The Ukiah Animal Shelter treats me like I am harmful to cats because I have surrendered many cats to them. They are not interested in my reasons.

The kittens and cats I surrendered to them are for many reasons. 1. There was an unwanted and therefore not cared for cat where I lived in a horrible drug and alcohol infested apartment. The cat’s fur was full of white flakes and some of her hair was gone. I had no money to take her to a vet. I gave her to the Ukiah Animal Shelter in hopes they would help her and adopt her out. They did not. They returned her in better condition to where we all were living. 2. I have a kitten from, I guess the shelter. It was in the same apartments. The kitten would not come home to be with me. Neighbors would let her in their apartments and feed her. I was very angry and sad about that. The kitten would also play with other cats under the cars in the parking lot. I don’t know how I got her to come to me but I did and I took her to the shelter. 3. I got an older cat from the shelter. I was not told by them that the cat was abused and that the cat bit people. I did not know how to work with an abused cat. I petted the cat and he bit my hand hard and punctured my skin. I asked animal control to come get him. They did. 4. I had two female cats at the same time. One was abused and someone hurt her tail. When she was spayed the doctor cut off her tail. I was so glad to see her out of pain and to not have an infection on her tail anymore. She was not easy to love because she was abused but I loved her just the same. The other kitten was given to me. She was beautiful and sweet. At first she had blue eyes. As she grew they turned more gray. She was white with light brown spots and pink ears. The older kitty went outside. (She was used to going outside.) The smaller kitty wanted to go outside also and was getting me upset about it.

I was planning on moving into a nice apartment complex where they wouldn’t allow animals outside without a leash. Both my cats were free and outside.

I was so heartbroken but I had to give them away to the shelter in hopes they’d be adopted by people who don’t have those rules and would love them.

The Ukiah Animal Shelter told me that I could never get a cat from them again.

Leslie Jo Feldman

Ukiah

AT THE KELLEY HOUSE MUSEUM...

“Sunday Afternoon With… Look Tin Eli”

We hope you'll join us at the Kelley House Museum on Sunday, June 2 from 4:00 - 5:00 PM for a 'Sunday Afternoon With…Look Tin Eli' and researchers, Lorraine Hee-Chorley and Jane Tillis, who will be speaking about the history of the Chinese on the Mendocino Coast with special emphasis on Look Tin Eli and his contributions to American history and the Chinese community.

kelleyhousemuseum.org

NEW MURAL at Ukiah Grace Hudson School includes cultural and historical icons

ukiahdailyjournal.com/2019/05/29/new-mural-at-ukiah-grace-hudson-school-includes-cultural-and-historical-icons/

CATCH OF THE DAY, MAY 31, 2019

THOMAS GALINDO, Ukiah. Disorderly conduct-alcohol. (Frequent flyer.)

VICENTE GONZALEZ, Redwood Valley. Disorderly conduct-alcohol.

CHARLES HENSLEY, Ukiah. Disorderly conduct-alcohol, probation revocation. (Frequent flyer.)

ROSENDO HERNANDEZ, Ukiah. Domestic abuse, damaging communications device.

PETER IBRAHIM, Mendocino. Domestic battery.

ELIZABETH JEREMIAS, Ukiah. Failure to appear.

JOHN PALACIOS, Redwood Valley. Probation revocation.

MICHAEL PURVIS, Tracy/Fort Bragg. Battery with serious injury, trespassing, resisting.

TRAVIS TAYLOR, Willits. Reckless driving.

RONALD VALENTINE JR., Ukiah. Disorderly conduct-alcohol. (Frequent flyer.)

BRYAN VICKHAMMER, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho/Ukiah. Disorderly conduct-alcohol.

ON LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY

Stupendously complex systems aren’t just of the electronic-mechanical variety. Take a look at the impenetrable tax codes of any western country, their baroque administration complete with procedures beyond the ken of the administrators never mind the ordinary citizen. Or fantastically convoluted legal systems and costly legal professionals that only the wealthiest can afford.

Present-day tax systems need an army of expensively educated people who spent years mastering the intricacies and, of course, none of these people work for free having spent so much time and money in the learning process.

What takes their place? I’ve said it before. Have a look at the Ten Commandments as a template. Those simple rules apparently took shape in the collapse of civilization in the eastern Mediterranean three thousand years ago or thereabouts and have the look of a legal code of a people who abandoned indefensible coastal towns and cities and who had no time and resources for the legalistic ponderings of an army of bureaucrats.

There will be simplification for no other reason than the lack of energy resources to maintain a bureaucracy that decides how to slice and dice tax obligations, or fight over who’s guilty of what and who owes who how much money. It’s like Herb Stein said, if something can’t go on, it won’t.

PRELUDE TO A FIASCO

by James Kunstler

You’d think that Robert Mueller might know what any licensed attorney-at-law in the land tells a client in a tight spot with a lame alibi: better keep you mouth shut. Instead, Mr. Mueller crept Sphinx-like out of the Deep State woodwork on little cat’s paws and in a brief nine minutes blabbed out a set of whopperish riddles much more likely to get himself in trouble than the target of his hinky inquisition.

The key whopper was that he could not make “a determination” on an obstruction-of-justice charge against Mr. Trump because guidance policy from the DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel had said some years ago that a sitting president can’t be indicted. That is not what he told his boss, Mr. Barr, the Attorney General (and a roomful of the AG’s staffers who heard it), in person when he delivered his final report a few weeks ago.

Upon receipt of that report, Mr. Barr asked the Special Counsel three times whether his inability to conclude anything on an obstruction charge was due to the OLC guidance, and three times Mr. Mueller answered “no.” Mr. Barr relayed this on-the-record in testimony before the House Judiciary Committee and, as averred above, he has plenty of witnesses. It should not be hard to reach a determination on who is telling truth here.

In fact, Mr. Mueller could have declared that he found chargeable obstruction crimes were committed based on the evidence, and also demurred to press them at this time — leaving them available to federal prosecutors until after the president was out of office, one way or another. The reason he didn’t is that Mr. Mueller does not want the case to come to trial, ever, because he would lose badly and his reputation would be destroyed. Consider that in any trial, the defendant gets to call witnesses and make his own case. The evidence for gross prosecutorial misconduct on the part of Mr. Mueller and his associates is mountainous compared to the molehill of Mr. Trump’s temper tantrums over the seditious hoax he was subject to. And that matter is now moving in the direction of adjudication.

So instead, Mr. Mueller has set in motion a potential political crisis as momentous as the Civil War, but completely unlike it. Knowing that congress can impeach the president on just about anything — especially this president, publicly reviled like no other before him — he served congress the platter of material to use in the form of his final report, and pretty much dared them to not go forward with it.

Get this: it is a ruse. The object is solely to divert the nation’s attention with an impeachment circus, allowing Mr. Mueller to slip away harmlessly into history without sacrificing his own reputation in a courtroom.

Do you have any idea what a fiasco this set-up is? I will tell you. The US government itself will be discredited and crippled. At one end of Pennsylvania Avenue, you’ll have the impeachment circus in which the misdeeds of the RussiaGate perpetrators will be revealed in all their naked political indecency; and at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue you’ll have many of the same government officials involved in all that indecency marched into courtrooms to be tried by Mr. Barr’s prosecutors on charges possibly as grave as treason. On the sidelines, you will see something like a fight to the death between the White House and the rogue leviathan that the nation’s “intel community” has grown into — like the ghastly, slime-dripping creature that stowed away on the spaceship Nostromo in the horror movie Alien.

In his farewell performance, Mr. Mueller declared that he considers himself unavailable to testify before congress in whatever proceedings they convene going forward. That’s rich. If you take him at his word, he said that if called, he would simply refer to his 448-page report, where all the mysteries of existence may be found — like the Old Testament Yahweh laying his Good Book on the table before the cringing multitudes. It will surely come as a surprise to Mr. Mueller that he is actually not Yahweh with such supreme powers, but a mere mortal who has fucked up mightily in the service of an earthly political conspiracy. In the event, he may find himself citing not his fabulous RussiaGate report, but the Fifth Amendment to the constitution.

That’s what we have to look forward to in the months leading up to the 2020 election, if it can even take place during what may be an epic paralysis of government verging on sickening collapse.

(Support Kunstler’s writing by visiting his Patreon Page.)

FYODOR DOSTOEVSKY: “The more stupid one is, the closer one is to reality. The more stupid one is, the clearer one is. Stupidity is brief and artless, while intelligence squirms and hides itself. Intelligence is unprincipled, but stupidity is honest and straightforward.”

MAY 30, 1927: The Kentucky River peaks during a massive flood that kills 89 people and leaves thousands homeless.

JUNE 7TH BROADBAND ALLIANCE MEETING AGENDA

Please join the Broadband Alliance of Mendocino County for our quarterly Public Outreach Meeting on Friday, June 7th, 2019 - 10 am-12:00 noon.

Organized through the Economic Development and Financing Corporation, the meeting will be held at the Community Foundation of Mendocino County, 204 South Oak Street Ukiah.

The agenda can be found on our website, by clicking here: https://edfc.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2d0cf2d57193110d955e81ffa&id=bbac20cbf8&e=9909de0778

Feel free to contact us with comments, questions and input.

Best regards,

Call in Number: 605-313-4876 Access code: 108 1131#

Broadband Alliance of Mendocino County

Our mailing address is:

208 B S. Oak St.

Admin@mendocinobroadband.org

PRICED OUT OF MUSEUMS IN SAN FRANCISCO

Letter to the editor in Monday's SF Chronicle:

It’s nice to learn in “S.F. museums waiving fees for many” (Chronicle Datebook, May 24) and that San Francisco residents who receive public benefits will be given free admission to more than 15 city museums and cultural institutions.

However, those of us who struggle to pay high monthly rents and other expenses and who don’t receive public benefits might disagree with Mayor London Breed’s statement that “All San Franciscans, regardless of their income, should have access to the art and culture institutions that San Francisco has to offer,” since (as an example) it costs two adults $50 for regular admission to SFMOMA and $70 for admission plus the ability to see the current Andy Warhol exhibit.

Those prices aren’t accessible to average middle-class people living in a city well known for its art institutions.

Elliot Branca

San Francisco

FRANK HARTZELL WRITES: From what I have seen and experienced, Bezos and Amazon are much worse enemies of the future than GOP and Trump, although they might be second. Oil companies knew and did nothing but they are giving humanity a product that humanity wants (although we shouldn't) Amazon recreated the economy as feudal, with no rights for partners and few for employees. They quadrupled the size of the consumer-waste economy. Taxing or eliminating disposable consumer products (in favor of quality, durable ones) and their shipping and their garbage costs are what we should be doing to solve global warming. But 99 percent of people SIMPLY have to buy what's easy and always without thinking, from Uber destroying good jobs in transport to next day delivery of consumer products using special trucks (another Amazon future destroying "innovation"). How can anybody who has used next day delivery for a non life threatening situation criticize Exxon? Its totally ridiculous. Good first step - never buy on Amazon again.

IT HAS FINALLY ARRIVED

Tomorrow is moving day. All, so far as is humanly possible to plan for everything (admittedly a hopeless yearning), has been involved. Moving: handled. Laundry: free. Meals: handled, three per day, coffee or tea any time. Clientel: Looks like a cross section of middle America. Pets: an additional deposit of three-hundred dollars. Male/females: virtually fifty/fifty. On the small side for this sort of place: sixty-six aparments. Looks just like a hospital. In parts, like an upscale hotel.

Got a tour from a sweet young thing with a fetching, earthy smile, who showed me around the confusing hallways. When I get lost finding my room tomorrow after dinner, help will be at immediate hand. Obviousy, the staff is used to this.

Both of my daughter's have messaged me that they will be visiting as soon as they can manage same. An old distant friend from Bell Springs Road has been a friend in arranging for a truck and crew to haul my stuff to the new place tomorrow. A small bookshelf will hold the remnant remains of what once were thousands.

A new page, volume and chapter. Welcome as a dying seventy-six year old, does what he can to be ready at ten in the morning. Excited is a good place for an old man to be. I am ready. Let's do it… (Bruce Brady)

MEMO OF THE AIR: Good Night Radio tonight!

(This week's riddle prize: a fabulous free brunch of unspecified quality after a serious sales pitch for hearing aids. Must be present to win my invitation card to that event. I only have one. No runner-up.)

Memo of the Air: Good Night Radio, 9pm to 5am tonight (Friday, May 31) on 107.7fm KNYO Fort Bragg (and 105.1fm KMEC Ukiah, and via KNYO.org), live from 325 N. Franklin, next door to the Tip Top bar.

Deadline to email your writing to be read on the air tonight is 6pm or so. If you're not done by then, send it whenever it's ready and I'll read it next week. Or call and read it on the air yourself: 962-3022. Or visit if you're in town. Stroll importantly in and head for the provocatively decorated room at the back. Bring your otherwhere-banned act.

And here are a few not necessarily radio-useful educational tidbits for while you wait for tonight: Recording engineer driven nuts by mystery new-home beep uses science, makes HOLY SHIT discovery.

Musician uses audio engineering skills to search for annoying mystery beep in his home

Evil Brain from Outer Space (the complete film, including shocking alien brain nudity).

http://www.weirduniverse.net/blog/comments/evil_brain_from_outer_space

And landscapes, D-Day and now. I must say, Europe cleans up nicely.

https://apimagesblog.com/blog/2019/5/22/d-day-now-and-then

Marco McClean, memo@mcn.org, https://MemoOfTheAir.wordpress.com

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