Valley People

BOONVILLE DEPUTY CRAIG WALKER said Monday he thought there were many more people at this year's World Music Festival than last year's annual weekend event at the Boonville Fairgrounds. There were cars parked clear to the gravel pits south of Boonville, cars throughout Boonville and northwest to the high school and on out to the Boonville Airport. Some people thought there may have been as many as 8,000 people in town by Saturday afternoon, but insiders say that the organizers of the event can only sell 5,000 tickets and “throw in another 500 freeloaders and another 500 staff and volunteers, maybe 6,000 were inside. “

DEPUTIES described the big event as “peaceful,” with a mere 15 arrests “all for stupid stuff like drunk in public.” There was only one reported fight, a pair of thieves were caught prowling tents, a male mope tried to crawl into a sleeping bag with a woman he did not know. A drunk severely gashed his hand trying to vault a fence and had to be hauled over the hill by ambulance for repairs. Considering the size of the mob, there was really no trouble at all, a deputy told us.

BOONVILLE FIRE CHIEF Colin Wilson said Tuesday that his biggest task over the weekend were keeping fire lanes open at the jam-packed campgrounds. Other than some fire lane rasta-juggling, “It was pretty quiet,” Wilson said, adding, “You've got to hand it to the organizers. They came prepared with their own medical tent that included a doctor and a paramedic. These folks know what they're doing.”

THE ORGANIZERS of the Festival do indeed know their stuff. By Tuesday morning they had the Fairgrounds and all of Boonville cleared of litter, and seemed awfully good at keeping downtown Boonville litter-free even in the teeth of the glassy-eyed hordes. You'd never know that thousands of people had been in town over the weekend.

TOM CRONQUIST found this neatly hand-lettered Festival artifact early Monday morning on whose reverse side, in descending legibility, was printed “And Herb! And a ticket wristband wouldn't hurt.”

SHAUNA ESPINOZA is walking in this year's Avon Walk for the Cure in SF on July 9th & 10th. She needs your help to get her over the $1800 commitment, and to help Shauna meet her goal everyone is invited to a special night at the new Mexican restaurant, Mis Potrancas, next Tuesday June 28th, from 5-9pm, where Raul Mendoza and his staff are offering four special plates with a percentage of the proceeds going to the Avon Walk. As Raul says, “Come and enjoy some tamales, mole, birria or carnitas, support our newest local restaurant and support a great cause all in one. Thanks to all who have already donated, we hope to see everyone next Tuesday night!”

HUGE HOUSE FIRE last Wednesday (the 15th) on the ridge just south of Elk. The very large, heavily insured home burned to the ground. It was said to have contained a Matisse. Fire fighters aren't saying, but it seems that the home, owned by an older woman surnamed Jones, may have been the site of an adjacent indoor grow. Two young dopers were said to have suddenly appeared while the house was in flames to remove their priority items — a big HD and video games. The home, said to be insured for many millions, though probably not enough millions to cover the loss of a Matisse, was a total loss. Both fires started in a bedroom built into a three-car garage on the property. The second occurred after power was restored four days later to the room where the original blaze had started.

FORMER 5TH DISTRICT SUPERVISOR Norman de Vall, you probably don't know, has offered sea burial services for some years now. Sailing out of Sausalito, Cap'n de Vall “offers a unique alternative when you select the final resting place for your loved ones, be they family, friends or pets.” Fully licensed by the state, the Elk entrepreneur maintains a 29-foot sailboat for this much needed service, which you can arrange by contacting Norman at toll-free 866-877 3551.

THE MENDOCINO MARIJUANA MUSEUM will hold a Sneak Preview on July 4th, a Monday, beginning at 10am. Museum curators encourage visitors to “bring items of interest for conversation.” Donations of relevant artifacts for exhibit and cash gratefully accepted. Light refreshments will be served from 10am to 2pm, and the gift shop will be open. The Mendocino Marijuana Museum is located at 1802 Highway 128 at Floodgate. “Be there or be square,” but visitors are reminded, “We will have no marijuana or marijuana sales on the premises, and we cannot accept donations of marijuana or its derivatives in any form.”

SPEAKING of artifacts and museums, whatever happened to the late Bobby Glover's stuff? He had an impressive collection of old bottles and quite a few Indian artifacts.

ODD ACCIDENT last Wednesday (the 15th) when a Coast bound vehicle containing three Chinese males careened into a redwood at mile marker 10 on 128 near Flynn Creek Road. The crash was called in about 5am. Witnesses said the uninjured driver of the destroyed vehicle hopped out of his crushed car, jogged to an accompanying vehicle to continue on to his presumed abalone destination. His two passengers were injured so severely they had to be airlifted outtahere.