THE ANDERSON VALLEY FIRE DEPARTMENT just got word from the County Auditor that this year’s Proposition 172 sales tax “public safety” allocation will be about 18% less than last year. So either they’re spreading the allocation over more fire/ambulance departments than last year (less likely), or the County’s sales tax revenues are down, as we predicted, well below the rosy forecast the County Auditor provided to the Supervisors at their June budget hearing, which is more likely. If sales tax revenue is down by 18%, that would mean that the $6.5 million in sales tax that the County Auditor forecast will be closer to $5.5 million, about a million less than forecast. Humboldt County has reported that their sales tax revenue was down by 7% so we expected a similar decline in Mendo. We await an announcement from the CEO or the Auditor as to what the actual sales tax revenues are, and if any adjustments will be made to the budget to absorb the apparent million-dollar shortfall.
DESPITE the rosy economic blasts from the White House and the County of Mendocino, inflation continues to rise, wages are stagnant and too low to begin with, the local dope industry is on the ropes unless they can export east, and wage workers are getting squeezed. Bad.
PATRICK KALFSBEEK, THE HONEYBEE GUY, explains why he's late getting his hives to the Anderson Valley: "I am undermanned and late, late, late with everything. I have not a bee in Mendocino County. A sister and I made a sashay through your Valley a couple of weeks ago in response to a landlords summons - the extent of my Mendocino travels, so far, this year."
LONG TIME Anderson Valley High School Athletic Director Robert Pinoli has retired, but will continue to be a sports commissioner for the North Coast Section. AD was only one of the versatile Pinoli’s duties at the high school. He also taught and functioned as fill-in principal, all-in-all serving as a rock of stability in the fluid context of contemporary public education.
BRADY, REGINE AND MORGAN of AVFD, along with several friends and family worked all day on cleaning and restoring our Philo fire house! Both Brady and Regine will be responding out of this station to better serve the Philo area. Don Gowan has long been responding alone from this station and the new energy from these two is going to be a great benefit to Philo and Anderson Valley as a whole! (AV Fire Department)
TIFFANY at the grill at the Navarro Store, Fridays through Tuesdays, 10am-530. First reviews? “Best barbecue in the county!” And, “Amazing quality at people’s price.”
THE ABSOLUTE GREATEST BOOK deal going: The AV Library continues the $5 a bag book sale until July 30th. Please bring your own bag. We are not accepting anymore book donations. Our last open day will be July 30th and we will reopen in October. So come on in and stock up on your summer reading. We also have a lot of good books for check out. Family membership is $3 a year. Our hours are Tuesday 1-4 and Saturday 12:30-2:30." (Boonville Fairgrounds)
VISITING the Anderson Valley over the weekend from his home in Bandon, Oregon, Robert Kraft stopped by to say hello. Many of you will remember Robert from his years as the go-to guy for emergency road services, which he unfailingly performed with the efficiency and discretion everyone, especially late night everyones, appreciate in a tow truck guy. Now retired after years of accident rescues, Robert, a natural archivist, dropped off some Only In Mendo photos we’ll soon pass along to the Held-Poage Library in Ukiah.
THE MENDOCINO COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS has released their year-long and county-wide pedestrian planning study. They call it the “Mendocino County Pedestrian Needs Assessment and Engineered Feasibility Study.” With a title like that you know it was expensive, but we couldn’t find the actual amount of money spent on a Bay Area consulting outfit called “Trailpeople,” along with “GHD Engineers,” to do another study of trails and bicycle improvements in Mendocino County, but they must have spent over $100k of Caltrans planning grant money for the report and the detailed set of engineered plans for walking and biking upgrades that will never happen.
IN THE STUDY, BOONVILLE was described as “the largest urban area in Anderson Valley.” Accordingly, the Boonville area got a bit of attention in the study, but Philo, Navarro, Yorkville and other areas were ignored. The consultants keenly noted that “Highway 128 features wide shoulders that serve as both parking spaces for cars and walking space for pedestrians. However, there are relatively few crossing facilities throughout this corridor.” So they recommend “two additional high visibility crosswalks be installed on the north and west sides of the intersections of Highway 128 and Mountain View Road. The crossing of Highway 128 would feature a median refuge island and user activated warning lights. An additional high visibility crosswalk would also be installed across Highway 128 on the north side of the intersection with Lambert Lane. At this intersection user-activated pedestrian lights would be added to improve visibility and accessibility of the crossing.
YES, they actually suggested a “median refuge island” for Boonville. Which, given the volume and speed of through traffic we now suffer may not be as wacky as it sounds.
A MULTI-USE PATH on the outskirts of Boonville, mostly along Anderson Valley Way, is also proposed, along with some downtown sidewalk improvements.
ANDERSON VALLEY WAY has long served as the only mostly car free two miles in the Boonville area available to both casual walkers and dedicated exercisers, and for people to get there from central Boonville involves the harrowing stretch from town to and from AV Way.
(EVERY DAY when I see the dual inspirational sights of Lindsay Clow and Jan Wasson-Smith pedaling their bicycles along 128 and through Boonville, I think to myself there go Intrepid and Fearless, intrepidly committed to physical health, fearlessly making their way through a vehicular minefield.)
THERE’S NO MENTION of how these desired bike and pedestrian amenities would be financed. To be fair, a few of the improvements would only involve Caltrans changing some striping along Highway 128, but even that is unlikely without preliminary years of study.
OLD TIME 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION!
Thursday, July 4th (Independence Day)
12pm-4pm
Boonville Fairgrounds
KIDS (12 & under) : *FREE*
ADULTS: $5
Join us for a Bounce House, Parade, Games, Food & more! Volunteer teachers and parents will be leading a water balloon toss, tug-o-war, sack races, and a chicken “clucking contest! Our local fire trucks will be there as well as a yummy cake auction, tasty wine auction, and music from a brass band! It is sure to be a great event for all members of the family! We look forward to seeing you and your littles there!
*This FUN-raiser supports our local AVUSD Wellness Committee who helps our schools provide local and healthy foods, fruits and veggies to our kids.
Many thanks to local collaboration with Pennyroyal Farms, Bucket Ranch, Paysanne, Lauren’s, Stone & Embers, Poleeko, Boonville Hotel, and Anderson Valley Brewing Company.
Want to volunteer? Contact Anya Farquhar to help with the wine auction.
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