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MCT: Thursday, November 7, 2019

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MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES will prevail across the interior, while areas of persistent low clouds and fog will linger along the coast through this week. Otherwise, no rain is expected through at least the next 7 days. (National Weather Service)

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MARK FONTAINE

Arthur 'Mark' Fontaine, a resident of Philo, died on Friday, November 1st.

Graveside services at Evergreen Cemetery, Boonville, 11am, Saturday, November 9th.

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FORT BRAGG THEATER ROBBERY UPDATE

The Fort Bragg Police Department is requesting the community’s assistance in reviewing surveillance video on private residences and businesses surrounding Coast Cinemas. The suspect in this robbery likely had a vehicle parked in the area and may have discarded his disguise after leaving the theater. The suspect was identified as being at the theater both on November 3, 2019 and November 4, 2019. The Fort Bragg Police Department has identified the following two timeframes for when the suspect approached and left the theater:

  • November 3, 2019 at 8:05 p.m.
  • November 4, 2019 at 7:17 p.m.

Individuals and businesses having surveillance cameras within a three block radius of the theater are encouraged to submit entire blocks of video up to thirty minutes before and after the above timeframes. Recordable DVDs may be picked up from the Fort Bragg Police Department during normal business hours or short videos may be e-mailed to toneal@fortbragg.com. Flash drives or DVDs can be submitted to the Police Department 24 hours a day. Anonymous submissions are acceptable but not preferred.

If you have information related to the case please contact Officer Ferris at (707) 961-2800 ext. 126 or pferris@fortbragg.com. Anonymous tips may be left on the Crime Tip Hotline at (707) 961-3049. Questions regarding this press release may be forwarded to Sergeant O’Neal at (707) 961-2800 ext. 120 or e-mailed to toneal@fortbragg.com.

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LADIES, PLEASE

Ukiah police are investigating the stabbing of a pregnant Ukiah teen during an altercation over hair-styling equipment.

The 17-year-old victim and 18-year-old suspect got into an argument Friday afternoon at a southwest Ukiah apartment on Village Circle, said Ukiah police Lt. Cedric Crook.

“Basically it seems to be a fight regarding a hair straightener,” Crook said.

The argument escalated and the victim was stabbed in the neck with a small knife, Crook said. The victim, who is five months pregnant, was flown to an out-of-county hospital, where she was treated and later released.

Shira Jessie Adams, 18, of Willits, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and booked into the Mendocino County Jail, with bail set at $250,000.

Adams

Adams is the girlfriend of the victim’s older brother, Crook said. There were others at the home during the altercation. Police have recovered a knife with a fixed, 3½-inch blade that investigators believe was used to stab the victim, Crook said.

Police asked anyone with information to contact officers at
707-463-6262.

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NANCY MACLEOD & BILL ALLEN got a national award this week as American Craft Week Artists Extraordinaire for their Signal Ridge folk art house with its unique furniture and paintings.

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VETERANS DAY IN BOONVILLE

Dear Valley Folks and those near beyond,

This coming Sunday, 10th November, 2019, at 10.30am prompt, the American Legion’s Kirk Wilder and myself will be presenting the Annual Veterans Day service alongside the Remembrance Wall at the Evergreen Cemetery on Anderson Valley Way just north of Boonville.

Valley folks are encouraged to attend. This event provides an opportunity for the community of Anderson Valley to show its support and gratitude for both the men and women who have given their lives or were wounded in the service of their country, and also those who have served or continue to serve, so that we may have the freedoms and liberties that we enjoy today… It should be emphasized that this is not an overtly political or religious event.

We hope to see you there.

Cheers,

Steve (Sparks)

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THINGS ARE WRONGER THAN WRONG when a young working father can't find a place to shelter himself and his young son:

Michael Hilburn michael75hilburn@gmail.com wrote:

We have a GoFundMe set up, alas, the donations came in spurts so we used what cash we got to purchase a military style tent and accessories. We had a place we could use but it turns out we can't stay there. We are looking for something to get us through winter.

I was a maintenance worker at the Redwood Coast Inn for a year where I worked and lived and built a solid reputation. For unknown reasons, the entire staff, including management, was fired! This left us without housing. I'm working with The hospitality house, Mendo Coast Mamas, The Mendocino Coast Children's Fund, and Safe Passage to possibly get an RV, but for now we need a place to stay or set up our tent. We will not be staying at the Hospitality House, as it is not suitable for children as we have previously checked on staying there.

Please, if you can help, let me know.

Thanks,

Michael and Evan

https://www.gofundme.com/f/tinyhome4evan

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RYAN BURNS of Lost Coast Outpost reports in detail on how he tried to nail down why Humboldt County’s own generating capacity can’t be isolated from the rest of the grid during a power shutoff. “The Outpost learned that the company was examining the challenges of operating in isolation from the larger grid since before [July]. However, PG&E spokespeople have proved to be remarkably evasive and obfuscating about their current capabilities…” Burns’s report is a case study in why the company shouldn’t be allowed to operate as independently as they have been doing. If at first their non-answer “apologies” don’t work, then they try the “we can’t do that” dodge when it’s obvious that they can, but simply don’t want to bother. Burns’s report shows that PG&E’s promises about installing more switches so that they can narrow down the scope of future shutoffs, is only good if they 1) do the promised switching installations, and 2) want to bother doing it even if/after the capability exists.

lostcoastoutpost.com/2019/nov/6/pge-says-its-local-power-plant-cant-run-isolation/

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MICROGRIDS COULD PREVENT NEED FOR PLANNED OUTAGES

Our aging and unstable electrical system must be replaced now, not decades from now…

mercurynews.com/2019/10/25/opinion-microgrids-could-prevent-need-for-planned-power-outages/

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"WYOMING BEACH AT LOW TIDE"

photo by Harvey Reading

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‘AN ECLECTIC HISTORY OF MENDOCINO COUNTY’ — BOOK BY KATY TAHJA SPANS 150 YEARS, FROM 1852-2002

by Grace Woelbing

In Mendocino County, stories are inevitably boundless and regional history is sure to be a tale of diverse influences. In truth, perhaps the most fitting word to describe a collection of such historical accounts is “eclectic,” for an author attempting to capture the themes throughout 150 years of county history must utilize a multitude of sources.

Author Katy Tahja, with her recently self-published book “An Eclectic History of Mendocino County,” has managed to achieve the feat of simultaneously informing and entertaining readers with both brief accounts and lengthy histories that define what makes Mendocino County an interesting place to call home.

“Every area of the county has its own interesting history tidbits,” says Tahja, who has previously authored several concentrated guidebooks and histories. “An Eclectic History of Mendocino County” is the first of hers, however, to involve the entire region.

The timeframe of Tahja’s new book spans 150 years, from 1852 through 2002. She began to accumulate little-known information that sourced from the vast time period during research phases for former books she has authored. “For years, I’ve kept interesting things on file for Mendocino County. I’d write down whatever I’d find and throw it in,” says Tahja.

Her decade of experience as a museum docent at the Kelley House Museum is responsible for her valuable knowledge of what attracts a reader to historical works. She shares that what she personally looks for is an account of why people settled and what kind of lives they experienced and accordingly, that was her focus as she compiled the stories that make up “An Eclectic History of Mendocino County.”

The book’s cover greets the reader with colorful photographs of characteristic sights located around Mendocino County—the Skunk Train, Leggett’s Chandelier Tree, and Bowling Ball Beach are a few highlights. One photograph features a particularly bright building in Mendocino, the Temple of Kwan Tai, which was built by the Chinese in the 1850s as a house of worship. As Tahja later divulges in the book, the build was a celebration of their survival of the long journey across the Pacific Ocean.

Tahja explores similar topics throughout her writing, such as the county’s rich history of agriculture. From the famous apples that were cultivated for years in Anderson Valley to pear trees populating Ukiah Valley to the current crop of wine grapes dominating county soil, Mendocino County has long been known for its farming.

The record of the logging industry bringing settlers to the coastline, the transition of regional governorship from Sonoma County to Mendocino County in 1859 when the population was finally large enough to elect its own public officials, and the beautiful description of native basketry are subjects also found within the pages.

“There were so many fun and interesting stories to tell,” interjects Tahja. “I thought that if I was going to take a page to talk about Winston Churchill’s 1929 visit here, I would include similarly surprising accounts.”

Indeed, throughout the book, there are entertaining mentions of famous characters such as the champion racehorse Seabiscuit, cult leader Jim Jones, and author Jack London who frequented Vichy Springs Resort. Lesser-known figures such as ethnobotanist Edith Van Allen Murphy and successful local athletes are also discussed.

Pieces of Tahja’s own past bled into the pages as her early background as a librarian initially led her to dedicate herself to introducing the public to stories of women in history. “I loved that we had so many strong women in the county,” she happily adds.

She easily made the decision as the author to place the emphasis on instrumental women in stories whenever possible. Lighthouse keepers, stagecoach drivers, and school superintendents were a few of the prominent roles women held that Tahja details in the book.

The black-and-white photographs featured in Tahja’s recent publication have their own story to tell as well. While the old landscape depictions and rarely seen pictures of railroad scenes and historical monuments can be found if one searches the local archives, it was a sincere friendship with local historical photographer Robert Lee that granted Tahja the use of many of the prints.

Before his passing, Lee possessed an astonishing 30,000 photographs of Mendocino County. Many are part of the collection of the Mendocino County Historical Society, but Tahja was also left innumerable duplicates that she was later able to use to provide the “Eclectic History” reader with visual supplements from within the proper timeframe.

“This county has a fascinating history,” concludes Tahja. “The book is also partly an appreciation of our ancestors and the hardworking, ingenious men and women who refused to accept standard roles in society. Learning about it is a rewarding experience; you discover things about the county that you never knew before and that’s what I want people to do.”

“An Eclectic History of Mendocino County” can be found on the shelves of the Mendocino Book Company in Ukiah, the Grace Carpenter Hudson Museum, Book Juggler in Willits, the Four-Eyed Frog in Gualala, the Point Arena Lighthouse, the Kelley House Museum in Mendocino, and the Guest House Museum in Fort Bragg. It can also be ordered online from the Gallery Bookshop.

Tahja will also be offering a presentation about her book, free of charge, to the public on Dec. 1 for the luncheon of the Mendocino County Historical Society at the Grace Carpenter Hudson Museum in Ukiah.

(Courtesy, the Ukiah Daily Journal)


A BOOK SIGNING of Katy Tahja’s new Mendo history book “An Eclectic History of Mendocino County” is this Saturday Nov. 9th at 6:30 p.m. “Everyone's invited. Come hear and see the County history tidbits I found!”

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YESTERDAY, WE ASKED what was wrong with this picture.

The photo is a screengrab of the Supes meeting on the Coast in Mendocino on Tuesday as they discussed “accessory dwelling units” as a way to get a few second homes built on the Coast where the Coastal Commission’s rules and restrictions have made doing that very hard.

We heard several interesting guesses about what might be wrong:

“Supervisor McCowen is missing from the Supes line-up.”

“What’s Linda Ruffing doing there?”

“Why do they need all those people on the clock?”

All good guesses.

But the answer we were looking for was: There are no contractors or permit applicants in the room.

The entire discussion was abstract in the extreme as planners and lawyers and Supervisors discussed proposed various tweaks to existing paperwork that they think might sway the Coastal Commission into modifying their current position as Mendo — and almost everyone else in California — struggles to address the housing shortage.

We also got a laugh at their casual use of the word “affordable” which is seldom defined, and in those few times it is, it’s basically not.

You probably could build an affordable accessory dwelling unit or two just with the money they spent on Tuesday’s discussion of the housing shortage.

But without a contractor — say Albion’s Ishvi Aum or Hopland’s Tony Luchetti for example — the entirely theoretical discussion does nothing to deal with actual construction and permit difficulties that homeowners and contractors have to deal with.

Has anyone wondered why the Planning Department’s free-for-the-asking small home pre-approved specifications and plans are not being requested? Even Planning and Building Director Brent Schultz asked just that question a few weeks ago at a Supes meeting wondering how he could get the word out about their availability. Schultz seems to think that just having them available is the end of the line. Could it be that even with their “pre-approved” cookie-cutter plans, navigating everything else involved in getting a permit in Mendocino County is too daunting with no end date and no feedback to the applicant as the process slowly unfolds?

The Supervisors recently got around to asking why so few pot permits had been approved. The answer — in Mendo’s opinion — had mostly to do with the applicants and the state — not Mendo, of course, oh no, their failed program is so blameless. But we never hear the Supes ask for a list of pending home permit applications, how long they’ve been waiting and what’s holding them up. As usual, the lack of curiousity about supposedly important things like this is a prime reason things like housing permits languish for months and months and months with some applicants simply giving up (like some of the pot permit applicants). Applicants dare not gripe for fear of some kind of vague bureaucratic retaliation. Without management attention, the bureaucracy has no incentive to keep things moving or to resolve problems expeditiously. And simply conducting more costly dog-and-pony show abstract discussions of how to tweak the planning minutiae paperwork will only lead to more of the same — no new housing.

Here’s what they ended up approving on a 4-0 vote on Tuesday as stated by Supervisor Dan Gjerde who seems to think this nearly non-sensical “motion” will somehow move the ball down the field toward an accessory dwelling unit or two (Supervisor McCowen was absent due to an “unanticipated emergency”): “Move to adopt a resolution authorizing the submittal of a local coastal plan amendment to the Coastal Commission consisting of an amendment of the Coastal Element of the Mendocino County General Plan and the amendment of the Mendocino County Coastal code establishing regulations for accessory dwelling units in the coastal zone."

At least Supervisor Williams seemed to realize this was basically useless gibberish:

Williams: “I fully support this. But I don't see it as solving our housing problem on the coast by any means. I think the next step is we need to invite the Coastal Commission here to see face to face how their restrictions are affecting our community. People come to our coast not to enjoy barren land, they're not up at the Lost Coast, they're enjoying the small towns. You only have small towns if they have a population base that can provide services. So the Coastal Act providing for visitor services first is one and the same with facilitating long-term housing. I think we need the Coastal Commission here to have a conversation.

That may be a “next step.” But it makes it appear as if the only obstacle to home construction on the Coast is the Coastal Commission. As with pot, official protestations to the contrary, a lot of the housing problem is Mendo itself which prefers lip-service and finger pointing to actual management and oversight. If housing — on the Coast or anywhere else in Mendocino and “affordable” or not — is really a priority, you’d think the Supes would at least want monthly reporting on the status of housing permit applications with date of submittal, reason for non-approval, and anticipated approval date.

PS. The late Boonville realtor Mike Shapiro, a prominent, wealthy and canny property developer and manager, told us a few years ago that he had so much trouble and frustration getting his small four-home project behind the Farrer Building approved after literal years of County processing that he would never consider asking Mendocino County for a housing development permit again — ever. (The only reason he stayed with it so long was that he had too much of his own money invested in the project’s planning paperwork.)

(Mark Scaramella)

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ED NOTES

THE BRITISH have a useful phrase to describe phonies: "rum characters." The rummest character ever happens to be our president. But most of the Democrats pursuing him are also rum characters. Beto O'Rourke is among the rumm-est characters on the national stage, with Little Rum, Mayor Pete, running a close second. Anybody whose Rum Detector is fully operational would recognize the following statement from Beto as Instant Rum: “Our campaign has always been about seeing clearly, speaking honestly, and acting decisively. In that spirit I am announcing that my service to the country will not be as a candidate or as the nominee.” Pure Rum, that. Lushly compensated officeholders who describe their sinecures (mostly) as "service" are of course Rum Characters, and this particular Rum Character, Beto, shorted out the Rum Meter every time he opened his mouth.

ON THE SUBJECT of definitions and pigeon holes, and because I've been asked a lot, I admire Kunstler's writing because he's (1) a very good and often very funny writer and (2) his world view coincides with mine and, perhaps, yours. That view assumes that Industrial capitalism is killing everything and it's going to kill us, too. That grim fact trumps all other issues. I also agree with Kunstler on the utter bankruptcy of the Democratic Party and their bogus pursuit of, in Kunstler's wonderful description, "The Golden Golem of Greatness." We have a situation where two hopelessly blinkered political parties are at the power levers, one denying that climate change is real, the other putting all their energy into the pursuit of GGG who just, as promised, withdrew from the Paris Climate Accord, setting back even the discussion of what to do about the climate catastrophe. And the political system itself has achieved a perfectly entropic immobility. We may truly be doomed as a species. Kunstler's the only political writer I know who addresses that grim fact directly.

CASE IN POINT: Yesterday, PG&E, reacting for calls to take it fully public, haughtily declared, "PG&E is not for sale." Eminent domain it, then. But… Prediction: For all Gavin Newsom's tough talk about revising the for-profit power monopoly, he and everyone else holding public office will back off with the first rains.

IT'S NOT POSSIBLE to argue with people who are uninformed but, the editor said, choking down a sob, "It's my duty as a media mogul to beat back the forces of darkness wherever I find them and however I can."

"TO THE FINLAND STATION" is a book by Edmund Wilson, a very good book, an essential book, a book that will teach even the educationally handicapped the difference between communists and socialists and anarchists and social democrats and the political goats from political elephants generally. That's assuming of course they feel any responsibility to the truth of things. Another good book on the basics, and a much funnier one, is George Bernard Shaw's "The Intelligent Woman's Guide to Socialism and Capitalism" which, as you can see from its title, assumes that women, being smarter than their repro partners, are more generally educable than men. I'm tired of posting the diffs myself, having done so to no effect on the dunderhead community or, in another brilliant phrase, the "confederacy of dunces."

CONTINUING WITH TODAY'S LESSON, here's the basics about Israel, the very basic basics. Israel was founded by terrorists who expelled the Arabs who'd lived in Palestine from the beginning of recorded history. This forceful expulsion naturally created a terrorist counter-attack from the expelled and persecuted people, aka Palestinians. The last reasonable Israeli politician who tried to make a decent accommodation with the expelled people, aka Palestinians, was Yitzhak Rabin, and he was murdered by an Israeli extremist identical in psychological make-up to, say, Isis fanatics. And here we are. To repeat: the Palestinians are the victims in the relationship. There are pertinent, truthful books on this big subject, and don't let anybody scream anti-semitism at you for checking them out of the library: Israel Shahak's Jewish History, Jewish Religion and anything by Norman Finkelstein.

BACK TO LILLIPUT: Linda Ruffing, former Fort Bragg city manager, enjoys an undoubtedly lush contract with Mendocino County as a consult to our Planning and Building Department. Her hire seems to have eluded our normally eagle-eyed scrutiny of the Supes' agenda consent calendar, via which the connected get this and that employment plum from County leadership.

EYES ONLY, BOONVILLE: Andres Alverado, a familiar sight around town recognizable for his positively military bearing, and also as a hard working man of many practical skills, remains confined to the Lakeport Post-Acute Care Home from a stroke that last year paralyzed the left side of his bod. A local visitor reports that Andres, 84, although dreaming of returning to his native Mexico, is in good spirits and that the facility itself is clean and the food good.

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ATTORNEY PATRICK PEKIN SEEKS ELECTION TO OPEN JUDGESHIP

Ukiah and Fort Bragg, CA - Trial Attorney Patrick Pekin has declared his candidacy to fill the seat vacated by retiring Superior Court Judge John Behnke. Judge Behnke announced on October 16, 2019 that he will retire at the end his term. The election to fill the open seat will be held on March 3, 2020.

"I am thrilled by the tremendous outpouring of support for my candidacy," said Pekin. Pekin has been endorsed by a variety of community leaders, including Sheriff Tom Allman, Superior Court Judge Keith Faulder, Ukiah Fire Division Chief Kevin Jennings, Mendocino Fire Chief David Latoof, Anderson Valley Fire Chief Andres Avila, and Supervisors Ted Williams and John Haschak. He is also supported by current and former deputy district attorneys and deputy public defenders as well as many local attorneys and private citizens such as Zoe Sheppard, José Gaona, Pamela and Tom Hudson, Debra and Bob DeCarli and Henrietta Alva Munoz.

In addition to his privately retained clients, Pekin has been appointed by the Court to defend some of the most serious cases in Lake and Mendocino Counties. These cases include homicide, gang crimes and matters involving significant mental health issues. Prior to moving to Mendocino County, Pekin was appointed to represent inmates accused of committing in-prison crimes at the Soledad and Salinas Valley State Prisons--some of the highest-ranked security prisons in the State. Pekin also serves as a hearing officer by contract with Mendocino County.

Pekin graduated from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law where he was an editor of the environmental law journal, West/Northwest. He currently sits on the Mendocino County Behavioral Health Advisory Board and is a firefighter with the Mendocino Volunteer Fire Department. As a firefighter, Pekin has responded to ocean rescues, fires, car accidents and medical emergencies. Pekin serves on the Mendocino Volunteer Fire Department Strike Team to assist with county- and state-wide fire incidents.

With his wife and their three young sons, Patrick has put down deep roots in Mendocino County because of its natural beauty and strong community values. Pekin declared, "I am dedicated to preserving Mendocino County's uniqueness for the benefit of all our children."

Said Pekin: "Judge Behnke's combination of humor, grace and intellect made him appreciated by all parties who stood before him. Having practiced throughout the State, I can attest to the fact that Mendocino County is fortunate to have judges who take the time to listen to all parties and ensure a fair process. I will follow the traditions and approach of Judge Behnke, and the Mendocino County Bench, in guaranteeing an open and impartial process for all."

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Canadian Lynx

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SUPERVISOR WILLIAMS: "Staff direction to apply our transient occupancy tax to private campgrounds with funds distribution to local fire agencies, 75% direct split and 25% at the annual recommendation of the fire chiefs passed on a 4-0 vote Tuesday. This will infuse struggling fire departments with a share of approximately $1 million annually. We anticipate the final language being ready for vote next Tuesday, placing the item before voters in March. This tax will be paid almost entirely by visitors, closing a bed tax loophole. It’ll be run as a general tax with advisory, meaning it needs 50% + 1 to pass. Some years the 25% might simply be divided. Other years, joint training needs could be addressed for the common good."

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DR. BURNS FROM MENDOCINO ANIMAL HOSPITAL will be at the Anderson Valley Farm Supply seeing patients on Thursday, December 19th. She's there between 2:00 and 4:00 pm. People can always check the events section of our Facebook page for more information - it's always posted when we're going to be there.

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BOONVILLE QUIZ NEXT THURSDAY

This Thursday, Nov. 7, is the first Thursday - so no Quiz. We shall return on the 2nd Thursday - next week, November 14th at 7pm. This will be the only Quiz in November as the 4th Thursday will be Thanksgiving (November 28th) and by 7pm in the evening the brain cells will not be functioning very well. Hope to see you next week. Cheers, Steve Sparks, The Quiz Master

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CATCH OF THE DAY, November 6, 2019

Ceja-Reyes, Dillon, Eagan

ISMAEL CEJA-REYES, Ukiah. Failure to appear.

AMBER DILLON, Willits. Probation revocation.

DION EAGAN, Fort Bragg. Protective order violation.

Espanola-Norton, Patrick, Weinberg

SAMANTHA ESPANOLA-NORTON, Willits. Probation revocation.

JOHN PATRICK, Redwood Valley. Domestic abuse.

JAMISON WEINBERG, Mendocino. DUI, failure to appear.

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BILL MCKIBBEN on U.S. Withdrawal from Paris Accord, California Fires, Climate Refugees & More:

The Trump administration notified the United Nations Monday that it would withdraw the U.S. from the historic Paris climate agreement, starting a year-long process to leave the international pact to fight the climate crisis. The United States — the world’s largest historic greenhouse gas emitter — will become the only country outside the accord. Trump’s announcement of the withdrawal came on the first day possible under the agreement’s rules. From Middlebury, Vermont, we speak with Bill McKibben, co-founder of 350.org. “The decision of the United States to be the only country on Earth unwilling to take part in a global attempt at a solution to the greatest crisis we’ve ever faced — there’s a lot to be ashamed of in the Trump years and a lot of terrible things that have happened — it’s pretty hard to top that,” says McKibben.

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WHO’S MISSING?


snopes.com/fact-check/msnbc-graphic-bernie-sanders/

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INSURANCE CANCELED

Editor:

The house we live in has been insured with AAA homeowners insurance for the past 40 years. We just got a letter stating AAA will no longer renew our policy because we live in a high fire risk area. How has that changed? Did AAA suddenly realize where we live, where the house has been for the past 40 years while it was insured? I am astounded that it can just decide not to renew our policy after insuring it for the past 40 years. This seems like it can’t possibly be legal. Is AAA going to stop insuring all homes in Sonoma County because of fire risk? I simply can’t wrap my head around this as it seems so wrong.

Rorbert & Christine Ault

Santa Rosa

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THE NATIONALS’ DISCORDANT WHITE HOUSE CELEBRATION

by Dave Zirin

Members of the Washington Nationals went to the White House to celebrate their World Series victory on Monday, and a MAGA rally broke out. In the normally apolitical post-win ceremony, Mr. National, Ryan Zimmerman, spoke directly to Trump in his remarks, saying, “We’d also like to thank you for keeping everyone safe in our country, and continuing to make America the greatest country to live in the world.”

But even that was dwarfed by catcher Kurt Suzuki’s whipping out and donning a MAGA hat as Trump bizarrely embraced Suzuki from behind, his hands cupping Suzuki’s bosom.

When asked about his MAGA move, Suzuki texted USA Today Sports: “Just trying to have some fun. Everybody makes everything political. It was about our team winning the World Series.” As Christine Brennan wrote, “Of course, Suzuki was the one who made this political, not the people who looked on shocked.”

Why was this all so tin-eared? First and foremost, the Nationals don’t exactly represent MAGA country. Their fans—as one cacophonous entity—booed Donald Trump during Game 5 of the World Series. Those boos and the subsequent booing Trump received at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event in New York City over the weekend have sent Trump into such a tailspin of neediness that he will be attending his third sporting event in the last two weeks this Saturday in Alabama, with the hope of finally finding a sports audience that doesn’t find him odious.

The actions of Suzuki also felt like a rebuke of his friend Sean Doolittle, who refused to attend the White House celebration, saying about Trump to The Washington Post, “I don’t want to hang out with somebody who talks like that.”

As Doolittle explained to the Post, “There’s a lot of things, policies that I disagree with, but at the end of the day, it has more to do with the divisive rhetoric and the enabling of conspiracy theories and widening the divide in this country. My wife and I stand for inclusion and acceptance, and we’ve done work with refugees, people that come from, you know, the ‘shithole countries’.” That last statement was, of course, a reference to Trump’s racist description of Haiti, El Salvador, and African nations in a January 2018 meeting.

“At the end of the day, as much as I wanted to be there with my teammates and share that experience with my teammates, I can’t do it,” Doolittle said. “I just can’t do it.”

Even if Doolittle was the furthest person from Suzuki’s mind, the catcher should have at least been self-aware enough to see how his old friend and the DC masses who supported Doolittle’s principled stance would take his actions.

While Doolittle received the lion’s share of attention for declining the White House’s invitation, seven other Nationals joined him in staying home: superstar third baseman Anthony Rendon; pitchers Joe Ross, Javy Guera, and Wander Suero; centerfielders Victor Robles and Michael Taylor; and second baseman Wilmer Difo.

This is also a moment to remember that anyone looking for some kind of athletic resistance to the current administration from the world of baseball—particularly the white world of baseball—will be left wanting. This is very conservative terrain, and always has been. The game cleanses itself and its history with progressive players like Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente. But the heroes who stood up to their bosses in addition to speaking up about politics, like Curt Flood, have been ostracized. It speaks volumes that Flood and union leader Marvin Miller, whose fight for free agency changed the game as significantly as Robinson, are not in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, but that the commissioner who Miller dominated in every negotiation, Bowie Kuhn, is enshrined in Cooperstown.

Many Nationals fans said on social media that the team’s embrace of Trump after their the stadium’s sonorous rejection of the president diminishes their World Series win. I would argue that the players have the right to their politics, no matter how discordant with the community in which they play. But we should thank our lucky stars for Sean Doolittle, Anthony Rendon, and the others who stayed away. In the context of baseball, that’s a regular insurgency. But because a win is a win and sometimes we need a win, Washington Nationals will always be the 2019 World Series Champions. Not even Trump can ruin that.

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FOUND OBJECT

61 Comments

  1. Louis Bedrock November 7, 2019

    “There are pertinent, truthful books on this big subject, and don’t let anybody scream anti-semitism at you for checking them out of the library: Israel Shahak’s Jewish History, Jewish Religion and anything by Norman Finkelstein.”

    Don’t let them scream “self-hating Jew” either.
    I’m not ashamed that my parents were Ukrainian Jews.
    It’s just that for me, “Never again!” means never again for anyone—including the Palestinians.

    Thank you, Mr. Anderson.

    In addition to Shahak and Finkelstein, I’d recommend Ghada Karmi’s MARRIED TO ANOTHER MAN, Ralph Schoenman’s THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF PALESTINE, and Edward Said’s THE QUESTION OF PALESTINE.

    Chomsky has written extensively about the subject. And so have many others.

    Thank you again for daring to stick your chin out on this controversial issue. It shouldn’t be controversial, but unfortunately we’re stuck with AIPAC and its ilk.

    • Louis Bedrock November 7, 2019

      And I could not agree more strongly about Kunstler.

    • Michael Koepf November 7, 2019

      See how it starts.

      France: Jews Are Fleeing Anti-Semitism

      “A dramatic rise in anti-Semitic attacks is prompting more and more Jews to leave France for Israel. President Emmanuel Macron has promised to crack down on instigators of violence and hate crimes. France has the world’s 3rd largest Jewish population.” Focus on Europe

      I’m not saying it’s exactly happing here, I’m not saying Israel is a perfect country, but I am saying where else can Jewish people flee when anti-semitism spreads like a virulant disease? Bedrock can quote whatever smarty pants, left wing academic, pro-Islam, apostle of bigoted stupidity that he wants, which only proves he has no thoughts of his own, but has the dear old AVA become a lighting rod for this kind of rot? On the pages of this paper there is little balance when it comes to Israel or the Jews.

      • Harvey Reading November 7, 2019

        Flop, flop, flop goes one of the old, discarded carp on the shore, respecting to disagree..

        • Michael Koepf November 7, 2019

          Little fish, the big carp will post below, but I’ll address the big whale in this goldfish bowl.

      • Bruce Anderson November 7, 2019

        The AVA from its inception, and long before you became a great defender of the apartheid state, has tried to be a voice for Palestinians, and we’ve always stood for the two-state solution, as have more than half of Israelis. But feel free to demagogue the issue and avoid them as you go.

        • Michael Koepf November 7, 2019

          Hmmn. Demagogue: a leader who makes use of popular prejudices and false claims…could this be a two way street?

      • James Marmon November 7, 2019

        I wish Ms. BB Grace would come back and put Bedrock and Reading straight about their anti-Semitic garbage.

        James Marmon MSW

        • Louis Bedrock November 7, 2019

          I suspect that Koepf is BB Grace in drag.

          Their levels of stupidity and ignorance are roughly equivalent.

        • Harvey Reading November 7, 2019

          You were not granted a wish, because you were a very, very bad little boy.

      • H. H. Heller November 7, 2019

        Jews, in Israel, are fleeing to Spain and Portugal, where they’ve been, officially, summoned back home.

  2. Eric Wilcox November 7, 2019

    I can see why she wanted the hair straightener….

  3. Harvey Reading November 7, 2019

    VETERANS DAY IN BOONVILLE

    Are they going to tell lies about people spitting on Vietnam vets?

    It never happened.

    • Michael Koepf November 7, 2019

      When did you serve, Harv?

      • Harvey Reading November 7, 2019

        Flop. flop, flop.

        • Michael Koepf November 7, 2019

          Oh, the Navy?

          • Harvey Reading November 7, 2019

            Flop, flop, flop.

  4. Michael Koepf November 7, 2019

    “Israel was founded by terrorists who expelled the Arabs who’d lived in Palestine from the beginning of recorded history.” A simplistic version of history complements of Bruce Anderson, editor, AVA.

    In recorded history, the Levant was inhabited by Syriecs (from Persia) Greeks, Jews, and Arabs. The Levant was controlled by the Jews until 63 BC when the Romans invaded. When the Roman empire split, the Byzantine empire in the east was predominately Christian, save for the Jews. A significant portion of Arabs were Christian, in fact, all of Egypt was a Christian. This all changed in 634 AD with the Muslim, jihad invasion. Forced conversion was the rule. Jews and Christians that did not convert were reduced a lessor existence. Slavery for Jews and Christians was common.

    A united Israelite monarchy began one thousand years before the birth of Christ and Jews existed as a tribal people in the Levant long before “recorded history.” Does anyone recall the Old Testament? Lefties shun it, but It’s remarkable piece of literature and it was written by the Jews. Guess were they lived? The Jews did not show up as “terrorists” in 1948 supported by President Harry Truman and millions of people in the United States. Those who weren’t still there, were simply going home.

    • Bruce Anderson November 7, 2019

      The Old Testament — an irrefutable history of the ancient times!

    • Harvey Reading November 7, 2019

      I really liked the story of Onan, and the way its meaning has been twisted by “biblical scholars” and various other religious nut cases. Oh, and the part about Noah was funny, too, in a bad science fiction sort of way. And Moses? It’s unlikely he even existed. Oops, almost forgot, that nonsense about Adam and Eve in the garden was hilarious. Everyone knows humans originated in Africa,offspring of Lucy and Desi.

      • Michael Koepf November 7, 2019

        Ecclesistes

        1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
        2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
        3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
        4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
        5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
        6 a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
        7 a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
        8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

        And so forth, with no significance to Harvey Reading who has never known, “a time to keep silence and a time to speak.” His time is always hate.

        • Harvey Reading November 7, 2019

          The song was much better.

          I love it when you flop around!

        • Louis Bedrock November 7, 2019

          “…a fool’s voice is known by a multitude of words.”

          Ecclesiastes 5:3

      • Bruce McEwen November 7, 2019

        The Australopithecus fossil “Lucy” was discovered by Richard Leakey 40 years ago, and like so many of your crackpot potshots, based on your mediocre reading, Mr. Reading, you are completely ignorant of the many important fossil discoveries made since then, and you are in dire need of some up-dating and re-reading; to that end let me recommend some basics such as The Neaderthals Rediscovered, How Modern Science Is Rewriting Their History, by Demitra Papagianni and Michael A. Morse; wherein you will learn that there was a species of human beings indigenous to Europe long before the descendants of “Lucy” ever arrived there.

        • Harvey Reading November 7, 2019

          I suggest you do a little more reading, Sad Sack. Make that a lot more reading.

          • Bruce McEwen November 7, 2019

            Certainly I shall; it is my most treasured pastime; in much the same way, I suspect, that ejaculating ersatz sagacity is yours.

            “If you thought you knew about the Neanderthals, think again. Prepare to have your understanding of humanity challenged.” — Clive Gamble, Professor of Archeology, University of Southampton.

            • Louis Bedrock November 7, 2019

              I thought getting drunk was your most treasured pastime.

              • George Hollister November 7, 2019

                LOL, wait a minute. I thought everyone who is an official contributor to the AVA had to have a history of some sort of substance abuse. I have heard so many autobiographical substance abuse stories here. OK, there are a few exceptions. A very few, including #1, and I believe #2. I am not sure about them, either.

            • Harvey Reading November 7, 2019

              Was that a blurb from the dust cover of your science book?

              • Bruce McEwen November 7, 2019

                Our Mr. Koepf may be a little off kilter in his views on Israel and Palestine, which is understandable, in light of his ethnic heritage, but he is right on the money when he calls you two sanctimonious old teetotalers on your nasty pranks; I had rather more to say in reply to the inept jabs you make at me, personally, but I’ve been advised by cooler heads that I’ve vastly overestimated each of you, intellectually, and that the readership thinks I’m very shamefully bullying a couple of developmentally disabled misanthropes but otherwise harmless curmudgeons when I respond to your more excessive posts.

                • Harvey Reading November 7, 2019

                  Flop, flop, flop.

                • Louis Bedrock November 7, 2019

                  When is your next scheduled appearance in CATCH OF THE DAY?

                  I think readers of the AVA know what you are.

                  • Bruce McEwen November 7, 2019

                    Apropos of the photo you submitted w/ the cutline about a Wyoming beach: It looks like a cove on the east shore of Pathfinder Reservoir, where we (sponsored by Hack’s Tackle) were ice-fishing once, w/ a crust of snow on everything – nine inches of ice, the wind sucking into Nebraska howling like a banshee, and the fish, four species at least walleye, trout (a F&G cross between a cutthroat and a rainbow), brookies, and one other – no, not carp – but, well, the picture is probably not Pathfinder, anyway, though little does it matter; the important thing is keep the photos coming, Reading, you’re improving in your judgment of what constitutes a landscape perspective.

                  • Harvey Reading November 7, 2019

                    I believe you refer to what Game and Fish calls a “cutbow” these days.

          • Harvey Reading November 7, 2019

            Your “reference” reminds me of all the hoopla that erupted years ago when Israeli scientists proudly announced that they had discovered a “Jewish gene”, which, naturally, proved to be nonsensical.

            “…a little off kilter…” Ha! You seem to be projecting yourself onto poor, dear Mr. Koepf. Shame on you.

  5. Harvey Reading November 7, 2019

    FOUND OBJECT

    Democratic presidential candidates traveling to yet another televised “debate”.

  6. Michael Koepf November 7, 2019

    No, Bruce. As I’ve indicated above, there is a difference between “recorded history” and the old Testament. You didn’t know that? For me the Old Testament is literature; for others more devote: words inspired by God. The point which you failed to grasp (or deliberately mislead with) is that the Old Testament was written by Jews in a land that we now call Israel, and it was written thousands of years ago. This refutes your thin argument the the Jews recently showed up as “terrorists.”

    Now, perhaps, Harvey and Bedrock can help you out with further supporting posts. Bye the bye, there’s an Arab dance called the dabke. Women are not allowed. Men dance arm and arm and joyously cavort about. Harvey and Bedrock’s postings combined with yours, constantly knocking on Israel without any balance at all, remind me of three guys doing the dabke in a blissful, bigoted dance. Dabke on! Check it out on YouTube.

    • Bruce Anderson November 7, 2019

      Thank the goddess we have you and Marmon for balance, Mike.

      • Michael Koepf November 7, 2019

        Balance, Bruce? You mean it’s never occurred to you? Well, then again, one side of the issue is always the easiest way to go.

  7. Craig Stehr November 7, 2019

    The body is an instrument of Sadhana given to you to attain blessedness. If you have mistaken the basic purpose of this great temple of God and treated it only as an avenue of pleasure, then trouble and unhappiness will not be distant from you.

    – Swami Chidananda

    • Louis Bedrock November 7, 2019

      “If you have mistaken the basic purpose of this great temple of God and treated it only as an avenue of pleasure, then trouble and unhappiness will not be distant from you.”

      Oh, you mean like drinking cold beers and warm scotch?

      • Craig Stehr November 7, 2019

        The Liberated Condition
        Not attaching to the frantic confusion of a
        Spiritually bankrupt global extreme situation
        On the big bright blue pearl; abundance and
        Basic sanity are rare here, in the hopped-up
        Eight balled techno-joke of postmodernism.
        I wouldn’t wipe my asshole with the face of
        America’s political leadership, and wonder
        When residents of an ecologically destabilized
        Planet earth are going to seriously revolt out of
        Necessity, as sea levels rise and rise and rise.
        What happened to the glorious experiment with
        Freedom and democracy? Where are the visions?
        What a joke it is to be living in Kali yuga’s dark
        Phase, mourning neither for the living nor the dead.
        We light incense and watch updates on television,
        Awake, and identified with Pure Spirit, because
        Satya yuga is dawning and there is sufficient
        Opportunity right now to be joyful, to be happy,
        And to be fully liberated; Sahaja Samadhi Avastha!

        Craig Louis Stehr
        7.XI.’19
        The Magic Ranch
        Redwood Valley, CA, USA
        Email: craiglouisstehr@gmail.com
        Paypal.me/craiglouisstehr

    • George Hollister November 7, 2019

      Meanwhile, Craig intervenes in a the mix with a quote from Swami. Got to love this.

  8. Louis Bedrock November 7, 2019

    Fun Quotes By Zionists:

    1. “This country exists as the fulfillment of a promise made by God Himself. It would be ridiculous to ask it to account for its legitimacy.”
    (Golda Meir, Le Monde, 15 October 1971)

    2. “It is impossible for a man to become assimilated with people whose blood is different from his own. …We shall never allow such things as mixed marriage because the preservation of national integrity is impossible except by means of racial purity and for that purpose we will have this territory where our people will constitute the racially pure inhabitants.”
    (Vladimir Jabotinsky)

    3. “The deepest layers of our being are determined by our blood; our innermost thinking and our will are colored by it.”
    (Martin Buber)

    4. “Zionism, be it right or wrong, good or bad is rooted in present needs, in future hopes of far profounder import than the desires of the 700,000 plus Arabs who now inhabit that ancient land”
    (Arthur Balfour)

    5. “A Jewish state would not have come into being without the uprooting of 700,000 Palestinians. Therefore it was necessary to uproot them. There was no choice except to expel that population.”
    (Benny Morris)

    6. “We came here to a country that was populated by Arabs
    and we are building here a Hebrew, a Jewish state. Instead of Arab villages, Jewish villages were established. You do not even know the names of those villages, and I don’t blame you because the villages no longer exist. There is not a single settlement that was not established in the place of a former Arab village.”
    (Moshe Dayan, 1969)

    7. “If I knew that it would be possible to save all the children in Germany by bringing them over to England and only half of them by transporting them to Eretz Israel, then I would opt for the second alternative.”

    (Ben-Gurion)

    • Michael Koepf November 7, 2019

      Bedrock,
      I’ve decided to buy you a ticket to Gaza City. Check in with Hamas. I think they’ll like the way you think. Best of luck.

  9. Eric Sunswheat November 7, 2019

    By Jon CohenNov. 6, 2019 , 5:00 PM
    An experimental dengue vaccine has shown promising early results in a large, multicountry trial, but critical questions remain about its effectiveness and safety. Still unclear, for example, is whether the vaccine—which had an efficacy of 80.2% in the study—might increase disease severity in some recipients, as happened with a dengue vaccine given to 1 million children in the Philippines before the problem became clear in 2017.

    Dengue virus, which is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes, infects about 390 million people each year, and the disease is rapidly increasing its reach around the world. Although it typically causes flulike symptoms or none at all, severe cases can lead to hemorrhagic fever, shock, and even death. So even less-than-ideal vaccines “can still have a public health impact,” says Derek Wallace, a clinician who heads the R&D project at pharmaceutical company Takeda in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

    https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/11/new-dengue-vaccine-performs-well-large-trial-safety-remains-key-concern

    • Michael Koepf November 7, 2019

      Oh, God. Here comes the anti-vaccination guy. Bruce, who is minding the store?

  10. Russ Rasmussen November 7, 2019

    Plaudits for the use of “dunderhead”!!!

  11. michael turner November 7, 2019

    Starting with Paul Ehrlich’s Population Bomb in 1968 I’ve been reading these doomsday prophets my entire adult life and have learned to doubt any writer who crowds selected facts into a single unverifiable hypothesis. Kunstler would be a more credible pundit if he could remind himself of the words of Doris Day: “The future’s not ours to see”.

    • George Hollister November 7, 2019

      Michael, I believe you are right. It is pretty clear, right here in this paper, we have no clear vision of the past let alone defined the future.

      • Harvey Reading November 7, 2019

        I note that you are particularly affected in that regard, George.

        • Bruce McEwen November 7, 2019

          Familiarize yourself with the perpendicular pronoun, my good man, I entreat you to stand up for yourself” –Grandpa McEwen’s Book of Epigrams

      • Susie de Castro November 8, 2019

        To G. Hollister
        “Ignorance is Bliss”

        Do you think these gifted musicians know the lyrics to the song—House of the Rising Sun—? I do not. They do not speak the language.

        https://youtu.be/qs2ZNj-5fDc

  12. Lazarus November 7, 2019

    FOUND OBJECT

    Tagalong Hillary…

    As always,
    Laz

  13. Harvey Reading November 7, 2019

    A human lifetime is a very short span of time…

  14. Randy Burke November 7, 2019

    Found Object: And as the Trump motorcade passes the cyclist, she issues the statement with just one finger; “Cram it Clownie”. Little did she know the clown was actually BOZO.

  15. Stephen Rosenthal November 7, 2019

    On a lighter note: How ‘bout dem 49ers!

  16. Susie de Castro November 8, 2019

    To Dr. Turner

    “The future’s not ours to see, what will be, will be…”

    A scary and horrific future, indeed, for those who will continue to be oppressed.

    A journey into the past, is at times quite revelatory, and clear as a whistle, a place holding evidence, which at times is horrific.

    “Don’t worry, be happy”

  17. Douglas Coulter January 12, 2022

    Amber Dillion was found dead near Sonoma County line Jan 2022
    Her body dumped in a field
    Suspicious?
    Catch of the day never bothers with details and arrests always exaggerate crimes so that public pretenders have bargaining power for plea deals
    I’ve seen too many murders go into the cold case file because police are busy with the easy cases and who cares about someone with a (criminal) history.
    I care!
    Moses told the priests to go offer a sacrifice for murdered persons near their town. Innocent blood leaves deep spiritual scars on the land.

  18. Douglas Coulter January 12, 2022

    The February 7 2020 shooting death in Ukiah at VA has still not seen news coverage. One man shot dead less than 100 feet of a day care center. I arrived two hours later, no crime tape, no chalk marks, just a deep blood pool in the dirt. Ukiah news said, coroner incident, Kings Court. Crime scene was sanitized by Feb 8
    If a dog had been shot near a day care center it would have been front page. News is redacted every day, but first hand experience shows me we live in a Police state.

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