MCT: Monday, December 23, 2019

• Cool & Dry
• Skye Wiene
• Oakley Attack
• Christmas Lights
• Fires Discussion
• Open Mouth
• Jeffrey Kostick
• First TV
• Neighbor Phil
• Little Dog
• Non-Lethal Means
• Stagecoach Mary
• Ed Notes
• Joneshenge
• AV Village
• Plastics Ban
• Police Reports
• Class Warfare
• Doc Passes
• Yesterday's Catch
• Moore Interview
• Tulsi's Dad
• Fix Washinton
• Extraordinary Stupidity
• Eggism
• Dems Done
• Impeachment Past
• Crab Season
• Found Object

COOL AND DRY conditions are expected Monday and most of Tuesday, with interior valley clouds and fog overnight and in the mornings. Light rain and mountain snow are expected Tuesday evening through early Wednesday, with light snow accumulations possible above 2500 feet in elevation. Dry and mild conditions are expected Thursday through Saturday. (NWS)

SKYE HALDAN WIENE

November 6, 1995 - December 9, 2019

A letter to my friends from Barbara Lamb…

Many Valley residents will be saddened to hear of the death of my grandson, Skye. He was tragically killed when he was coming home from work on his motorcycle on December 9.

Skye was known to many of my friends, as he came up to stay with me in Yorkville almost every summer since he was very little. His mother, my late daughter Bonnie, would put him on a plane and send him up to me as an unaccompanied minor. He was fearless even as a young kid. He helped Suzi Miller make it through an airplane ride on Airport Day, he watered plants for Barbara and Cesare Reyneri, and Cesare taught him woodworking skills. He loved swimming in the Wallo's pond, climbing stumps in Hendy Woods, playing with the doves in my aviary, hand feeding my koi, catching frogs and lizards, and chasing butterflies. He was truly a Nature Boy.

In the summer after Bonnie's death in 2012, Barbara Stevens gave Skye a job pulling seaweed from the beach at Elk, and he was comforted by the sea and the emotional space she provided for him at that dark time in his life. As Bonnie once said, being up here in the country was good for his soul, and she was right.

In the summer of 2018, Skye and his girlfriend, Natalie, spent almost four months with me and they were both so much help to me. Skye fixed things that were broken, cleaned out my garage, built gardens, amended soil, and planted vegetables and herbs. He loved gardening and was good at it. Skye consumed mass quantities of food as he grew to be the man he was at six foot ten inches, so we were always seen at Farmers' Markets and Grange Pancake Breakfasts.

Skye was so gentle, tender, kind, sensitive and loving. He was generous and caring and spent many hours helping our friend, Debbie Covey when she needed it. He was loved by my friends Dave and Debbie, Pat Ford and Dev Podolac and by everyone who knew him. He and Natalie were planning to move up in the Spring and build a little home on my land. I loved him deeply and I will miss him so much. His sudden, untimely death is an immeasurable loss to us all.

Skye is survived by his father, Klaus Wiene, his brother, Brandon Beck, and sister Sashell Beck, his aunt Teresa Simpson, his uncle, Rick Lamb, his girlfriend, Natalie Blando, and many other relatives. And by me, Gramma.

I wish to express heartfelt thanks to my many friends who have been so supportive of me and my family. Your love and caring are helping me through these dark days.

With love to all,

Barbara Lamb

THE OAKLEY ATTACK

Press Release from the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office:

On December 20, 2019 at approximately 6:30 p.m., Mendocino County Sheriff’s Deputies received a call for service regarding a physical altercation in progress at a residence in the 5000 block of Albion Little River Road in Little River.

After Deputies arrived on scene the involved parties were separated and an investigation was initiated. During that investigation, Deputies learned the altercation resulted from a civil dispute over property.

A 32 year-old adult male arrived at the location in order to return property to the resident, Anthony Oakley.

Deputies reviewed video footage of the incident and observed a verbal confrontation quickly ensued between Anthony and the adult male after he arrived at the location.

The confrontation escalated when Anthony’s father, John Oakley, and the adult male became entangled in a physical struggle that led to the adult male being taken to the ground.

While John pinned the adult male to the ground, the adult male was struck repeatedly in the head by Anthony with several strikes being delivered by both hand and foot.

The adult male was transported from the scene to the Mendocino Coast District Hospital by ambulance due to injuries sustained from the assault.

In addition to several minor injuries to the adult male's face, Deputies determined he sustained a severe laceration to the right side of his head that would require suturing.

Deputies arrested Anthony and John Oakley as principals to the listed charges as the battery resulted in serious bodily injury and the adult male was kicked in the head several times.

Both Anthony and John Oakley were booked into the Mendocino County Jail where they each were to be held in lieu of $30,000 bail.

---

A READER WRITES about the Oakley arrests: "These pictures were taken last night. Father and son jumped this man. Father was on top, holding the victim's head up with his hair, while the son, hit and kicked him in the face. These two men are dangerous!"

JASMINE WILSON WRITES: "Last night Chris and I were over at Anthony’s picking up my belongings he’s held from me for a year after a court order was established and John jumped out of the bushes across the street and attacked Chris and held Chris on the ground while Anthony repeatedly kicked and punched him in the face. Chris did not swing once and was not the aggressor. John and Anthony both had knives on them, and Chris had nothing. I tried to tell Anthony to stop and he turned around and threatened to hurt me if I didn’t back off. All the while, Ashlynn was inside the house watching from the window. If you see these two around town and they give you some made up story trying to make them sound like they were doing what was deserved, it is not true. This is fucked up and people should know the truth about these two. They are facing two felonies one being assault with a deadly weapon. They got out on bail, so please watch out for these men. They are not safe to be around."

ANOTHER READER sent along this note with the photo of the Oakley boys assault victim: "As recently as 2016 the father, John Oakley, was listed as “assistant chief, engine driver, ex-EMT" for the Albion-Little River Fire Department. Also on that department list was recently convicted murderer Andrew Crowningshield. And the Chief of that Department was Ted Williams."

COUPLA COMMENTS would seem to be in order: Supervisor Williams, in his capacity as volunteer firefighter can't be responsible for the off-duty behavior of his fellow volunteers. Oakley senior must have been a valuable volunteer given that he was or is second in command. Young Crowningshield shot and killed his ex-wife in a domestic tragedy having nothing to do with his work elsewhere. All of this said, I was surprised to see the Oakleys bail set at a mere $30,000. You hit someone in the head with a blunt object hard enough to injure him as bad as this guy was injured, you're either trying to kill him or you don't care if you do. I'm looking forward to the rest of the story.

NIGHT LIGHT OF THE NORTH COAST: HOLIDAY MAGIC

by David Wilson

I’m used to odd things. I especially love when they visit me during the holidays, those special times when people want to do good things, and odd things find a welcome home. These times bring out the magical things; one doesn’t usually find Santa or the elves or Easter bunnies running about outside of their respective holidays.

But it’s all fair game during a holiday. My family put up our tree earlier this week, a little later than normal. My favorite ornaments are a little set of wooden Santas, elves, angels, sleighs, snowpeople, and the like. I’ve always felt closest to the Santas, cute little two and three quarter-inch figurines that remind me of the stop-motion Christmas specials of my childhood. They’re the things of which dreams are made, and the tiny figures danced and played in my dreams that night.

Later in the week my wife and I traveled into Ferndale to find some holiday night light and see what magic might be about in town to photograph. Main Street Ferndale was beautiful, a fully decked-out corridor with lights adorning most of the stores. The towering Christmas tree at the end of the street was visible for many blocks. But periodic showers kept most people inside, and they sent us home before I’d quite gotten what I wanted. I wanted magic, but that kind of thing has to come along when it’s ready.

A couple nights after our Ferndale visit I found myself down in Old Town Eureka. Many businesses were cleverly illuminated for the holidays and open for business, but many were not. I ended up outside the particularly beautiful windows of Many Hands Gallery at about 8p.m. With the view down the sidewalk and the glow from the window it gave me the best window/sidewalk/view I could find for a holiday photograph.

But magic wasn’t happening yet… the photo needed something, or it needed someone, to give the foreground a story element. I was on the point of posing myself for the photo just to get something into the foreground when the strangest thing happened. I could swear even now that it had been a dream like those from the other night, but for the photographic evidence my camera recorded.

As I stood beside my camera waiting for the next great idea to come along, a wooden Santa ambled stiffly out of the store. Yes, I know how that sounds — but there it was. It, or he, perhaps I should say, came out clutching a little package. He smiled and nodded to me and had proceeded to shuffle down the sidewalk when the window display caught his attention. But for his size he was identical to the little Santas in our ornament set.

He clucked and “Ho-ho-ho’d” delightedly, his head swiveling and his stubby little arms working. Made of wood and stiff in every joint, he might have walked right out of one of the old Rankin-Bass animated specials I loved. It was odd, I assure you. Was I hallucinating? Probably, I thought. But I took photos just the same. They’d tell the story later.

It certainly looked a lot like Christmas in Old Town, Eureka. I’d gone down to photograph some nighttime holiday lights, and what should happen by but a wooden Santa ornament. It hobbled stiffly out of the store as if nothing were amiss, and I swear I heard it muttering about the Christmas rush. Then he paused to peer into the window display at Many Hands Gallery, cocking his wooden head from side to side on his stocky neck. Suddenly he chuckled, threw me a wink, and scuttled quickly back inside.

Festive lighting and Ferndale’s great Christmas tree lent holiday vibes to Ferndale’s Main Street. My wife kept a lookout for cars while I captured the image. December 19, 2019 in Humboldt County, California.

Evening holiday foragers found interesting things in Mind’s Eye Manufactory & Coffee Lounge in Ferndale on December 19, 2019. Look closely, for they were turned to blurs by the camera’s long exposure. Humboldt County, California.

(To keep abreast of David Wilson’s most current photography or peer into its past, visit or contact him at his website mindscapefx.com or follow him on Instagram at @david_wilson_mfx.)

ANDERSON VALLEY Community Services District board member Kathleen McKenna’s suggestion that the Board consider hiring a consultant to work on a possible parcel text was tabled last Wednesday night when the rest of the board thought that the timing might interfere with the District’s ongoing water/wastewater project, not to mention pending countywide tax measures.

Fire Chief Andres Avila told the Board that the structure fires in recent weeks were the worst series of fires in recent memory in Anderson Valley. The Chief said that several factors contributed to the fires: the old materials and construction of the buildings with multiple layers of roofing, common attics, and the absence of separating firewalls; response delays occurred when people did not call 911 when they first observed a fire. "Always call 911 first," insisted the Chief. Apparently some locals called the firehouse, or friends, or other neighbors, before they called 911 which delayed firefighter response. Also, in some cases, there was initial confusion about the locations of the fires when callers gave road names or homeowners names that refer to more than one place in the Valley.

The lack of a reliable water supply in downtown Boonville was also mentioned. There are two hydrants at the Fairgrounds but what is now being referred to as the Lodge Fire (because the building that housed the famous old Boonville bar was destroyed) drew down the Fairgrounds’ ground water supply and had to be supplemented with water from down the street. Chief Avila also reminded the Board and the public that proper address signage is important for firefighters. Signage details are available at the firehouse.

"The troops performed well, the equipment worked well,” said Avila, “but it's discouraging to lose as many structures as we have been the last few weeks."

The fires have left two large piles of rubble in the center of Boonville now added to the unsightliness of the abandoned Ricard building down the street. Poor old Boonville has never seemed so forlorn.

Since the now-gone buildings depended on “existing/non-conforming” water and septic systems, both areas will be hard if not impossible to rebuild to modern building code standards.

However, as several people have observed, if the water/wastewater system now being planned by the district is ever built, both buildings could be much easier to rebuild.

As to the causes, no official determination has been made. "The fire next door to Lizzby’s Restaurant definitely started in the first house, Unit A, in the kitchen/stove area," said the chief. “It was not a candle, not drugs, and not arson.”

The District is accepting donations for the displaced locals affected by the recent spate of structure fires. Donations will be divided equally among displaced persons by the Sueño Latino organization. Sueño Latino can also be reached directly via Donna Pierson-Pugh at 707-684-0325.

(Mark Scaramella)

THE MOUTH OF THE NAVARRO, DRAINING NICELY (MSP)

JUDY VALADAO WRITES:

I have to say I am very disappointed in The Fort Bragg Advocate News. Bringing up an issue such as a local person being found deceased in a parking lot and using it as a political statement to insult the President even with childish name calling in my opinion is in pretty bad taste for a small local paper. It doesn't matter who you support or don't support as President, this was done in bad taste at its best. Where was the name calling and pointing fingers by this paper when a local gentleman died on Franklin St. by the cleaners? Or what about the person who died in the culvert near Noyo Beach? The current President was not President at that time so do those two lives not matter?

Who is in charge of mental health and addiction services in Mendocino County (Fort Bragg)? How many millions are spent in Mendocino County for mental health/addiction services? Perhaps instead of making this a political issue you could open the doors to the agencies responsible for the mentally ill/substance abusers and ask what they did on this particular night. What did the County of Mendocino do on this particular night? By the way, what did the author of "Our Opinion" do on this particular night?

You missed a huge opportunity in your "Our Opinion" article by choosing to make it political rather than asking for volunteers to staff the shelter. You missed an opportunity to ask for solutions. You missed an opportunity to perhaps get one more person into the shelter on a cold night. You missed the opportunity to perhaps save a life. But you did get to state your political opinion and do a little name calling. Congratulations!

After reading your article, the facts remain the same. A local man died on the street of Fort Bragg. While others were pulling together to get a shelter open because of the storm, what were you doing?

All of us who got together to get the shelter open come from different political backgrounds and that never became an issue with us. In fact, politics weren’t even mentioned. Had you been there you would have known this.

Anyone wishing to help with the Winter Shelter can contact the Hospitality Center to volunteer: (707) 961-0172 Monday through Friday 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM.

---

Advocate-News Editorial, December 19, 2019: Our Opinion - The Homelessness Next Door.

This week, the people and city government of Fort Bragg rose to the occasion again and put together a remarkable team effort to make shelter available at Grace Community Church to people on a cold, rainy night.

The next night, the Caspar Shul opened its doors to do its share in what should be four months of sustained emergency shelter on the Mendocino Coast, spread among several local churches.

The next morning, Jeffrey Kostick, a native and lifelong resident of Fort Bragg, who had long struggled with problems that he shared with many of us, and who had two days before been taken to the hospital by Fort Bragg police officers with signs of hypothermia, was found after his life had slipped away in downtown Fort Bragg.

There has been a lot of emotion, as there is every year, around forming the Emergency Weather Shelter. People point fingers and accuse each other of lacking heart or good sense or clerical skills. People also forget their differences and armchair opinions and just lend a hand, as happened at Grace Community Church Friday night, and will happen every night through April, at local houses of worship, whose members do so much of the heavy lifting around here.

But Jeff Kostick puts it in perspective. Homelessness in Fort Bragg, in California, in the nation … it’s hard to find a word for it. New York Times reporters recently spent three months in an Oakland homeless camp and then compared it with a camp in Mexico City. Oakland came up short. We in the United States are not used to being compared to places like New Delhi, places where people spend their whole lives on the street. We used to tut-tut and send checks to places like that.

Jeff Kostick tells us: look around you.

The finger-pointing, the exasperation … we should never forget that we are in a horrible situation, and even challenges imperfectly met are above and beyond the call. We have gotten used to seeing a permanent population of homeless people — a terrible line was crossed some time back. This is a classic “frog in boiling water” situation and the bubbles are forming.

We can and will continue to throw together duct-tape-and-baling-wire solutions as long as lives are in the balance. And clearly they are: people who say that the relatively mild weather on the Mendocino Coast is never an “emergency” do not take into account that people on the street are often not in the best of health. You might not die sleeping outside in the rain. Jeff Kostick did.

But duct-tape-and-baling-wire solutions are an insult to what is happening here. We are letting our towns, state, nation, literally go to hell. No wonder people lash out and want a scary, orange-haired clown to make it all go away.

But the clown’s busy with his circus. The people who will ultimately figure out how to take care of our neighbors, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, is us. The people who will find a way to make our streets places of community and commerce, and not scenes of tragedy, squalor and death, is us.

Bureaucrats move money around, politicians tell them where to put it. We tell the politicians. That’s how it’s supposed to work. Oh yeah. And the bill…

The need for emergency shelter on the Mendocino Coast is addressed for now. The need for people to not have to live and die on the street? Jeff Kostick reminds us: there’s got to be a better way, and we’d better find it.

A YOUNG BOY watching television for the first time in an appliance store window. Photo taken circa 1948.

TOMMY WAYNE KRAMER ON PHIL BALDWIN

Phil Baldwin, R.I.P.

From a distance Phil Baldwin was an aggressive politico full of half-baked leftwing nonsense served up at high volume. But the closer you got the more the impression evolved. And Phil Baldwin was very approachable.

He was outgoing, affable, pleasant to be around, and someone who never allowed political differences to get in the way of camaraderie and friendship. It was easy to spend time with Phil and not come within a mile of an argument.

I never heard him say a bad word or a snide comment regarding a political opponent, be it Donald Trump or Frank McMichael. I never heard him ridicule anyone’s opinion.

Phil, marinated as he was in progressivism, was an unwavering hardliner embracing communism more than any other recognizable political brand.

But he was never accused of being lazy or unprepared during his time on Ukiah’s City Council. That matters in local politics; an officeholder’s position on Gun Control? Not so much.

He was serious, diligent and, despite occasionally wanderings off into not-so-critical topics like leaf blowers and plastic bag bans, served the city well.

This column has endorsed one (1) politician in 11 years. That candidate was Phil Baldwin. I’ll miss him as both a friend and neighbor.

And just think: Today he’s sitting at the left hand of God.

(Tom Hine and TWK live in Ukiah for reasons neither understand. They are united in wishing a Merry Christmas to You!)

LITTLE DOG SAYS: Of course I gotta work Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but here's to you for all the happy-happy you can manage. The people here at Fort Negativity are saying 2020 is "the end," a motion seconded by the deadbeat Skrag, who had the nerve to say to me, "Who cares? So long as someone's around to pull the tab on my cans of Friskies, the world can end so far as I'm concerned." Typical cat talk. It's kinda hard for me to smile through all this gloom, but I try.

CHOOSE NON-LETHAL

Editor,

Mendocino County Approves Lethal Wildlife Services Program.

On Tuesday, December 17th , the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors gave the go ahead to renew the County’s contract with USDA Wildlife Services to implement its lethal Integrated Wildlife Damage Management (IWDM) Program.

The Board took this action despite hearing expert testimony on how the lethal IWDM Program is ineffective (if it were effective, the kill numbers would go down instead of remaining consistent year after year), it is extremely cruel and kills hundreds of non-target animals, and there are existing models of humane and effective non-lethal programs in Marin and Sonoma Counties to protect peoples’ property.

The only public support for the Wildlife Services program comes from a sector of the ranching industry, which receives a direct financial subsidy from County taxpayers to advance their private business interests.

These ranchers argue that without a public subsidy from County taxpayers to kill wildlife, they will lose their ability to use lethal methods to protect their livestock from predators, but this is simply untrue. The fact is, any rancher who wants to kill a mountain lion or bear that threatens their livestock can get a depredation permit from the California Department of Fish & Wildlife to kill that animal. And coyotes can be shot on sight even without a depredation permit.

Proponents of the Wildlife Services lethal program also insinuate falsely that a non-lethal wildlife management program in the County would preclude using lethal controls on rabid animals, feral dogs and feral pigs, none of which is true. Rabid animals and feral dogs come under the jurisdiction of the Sheriff’s Department, not Wildlife Services, and in the 30 years the County has contracted with Wildlife Services to kill feral pigs, the problem has only gotten worse. Dealing with feral pigs is a national problem that is not going to be solved by Mendocino County’s wildlife policy.

If Mendocino County follows through on signing a contract with Wildlife Services, thousands more wild animals will needlessly suffer and die. Clearly, the right thing to do is for the County to move away from this barbaric system of slaughtering wildlife to a system that respects wild animals’ inherent right to life, while at the same time protecting peoples’ property. The time is now for the County to adopt a non-lethal wildlife program — the public demands it!

Mendocino Non-lethal Wildlife Alliance Steering Committee

Rose Ireland

Don Lipmanson

Jon Spitz

Mendocino County

MARY FIELDS, also known as Stagecoach Mary, was the first African-American woman employed as a mail carrier in the United States, and just the second American woman to work for the United States Postal Service.

Even though she was about 60 years old when she applied, Mary was hired because she was the fastest applicant to hitch a team of six horses. She never missed a day, and her reliability earned her the nickname "Stagecoach." She was born a slave in 1832 and died a legend in her own time in 1914.

ED NOTES

THE UDJ REPORTS "lines out the door" at the just opened Panda Express among Ukiah's big box stores strewn out along 101. Panda Express in a town with four or five good-to-very good existing Chinese restaurants?

---

MENDOCINO COUNTY is organized with the Supervisors delegating much authority to a CEO, meaning an un-elected person makes a lot of decisions about the public's business. We used to have a CAO system, the diff being the Supes tell the CAO what to do and he or she does it. Either way things fall apart when you have a board of supervisors whose five elected members consist of, as recently happened here, two crazy persons and an incompetent. The presiding CEO, Ms. Angelo, stepped into the breech, and opinions differ wildly as to the quality of her work. A fully competent board of supervisors would ideally arrive with consensus opinions on what needs to be done and tell a CAO to make sure it happens. Seems from here a CAO is preferable assuming a competent set of Supes, which we may get for the first time in years in the March election.

---

CHRISTMAS never fails to bring out the atheists, the legions of people who seem to look forward to eternal nothingness, which may or may not be man's fate. True, no one's ever reported back from the other side, but for the millions of people who believe, religion is the only comfort, the only explanation they have for what is happening to them, that their temporal misery has an upside in the world to come. Marx explained it better: "Religious suffering is, at one and the same time, the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people. The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness. To call on them to give up their illusions about their condition is to call on them to give up a condition that requires illusions. The criticism of religion is, therefore, in embryo, the criticism of that vale of tears of which religion is the halo."

---

I SEE Ukiah has won a national pee wee football championship. That news reminds me (and lots of us) of the late, great Brad Shear, a once ubiquitous Mendo County sports figure who, as I recall, was a better-than-average baseball player in his youth, which would have been in the forties and fifties when baseball was the reigning national sport. When I first knew him he ran the little guys football team in Ukiah, a state powerhouse under Shear. And I knew him through men's league basketball when he always seemed to come up with 6'8" forwards no one around here had ever seen before. These mystery men did reverse slams on the local boys. To say the least, the guy was highly competitive. And a gifted story teller. I tried to get interviews with him before he passed, but Shear seemed, in his way, and away from sports, a shy man who didn't think he was worthy of formal attention. Too bad. In sports circles, everyone knew him and, in his way, he was an important figure in the County's vivid human tapestry of his time.

---

ANDERSON VALLEY'S newest restaurant opens in the Farrer Building, central Boonville. Uneda Eat in Boonville will have a soft opening Friday and Saturday December 20-21 and 27-28. We will be open for our regular winter hours (Wed-Sat 3-8ish) after the new year on Thursday January 2nd. We are interested in supporting local purveyors (quail, produce, etc.)! You can reach us at unedaeatboonville@gmail.com or 895-2222.

---

COOLEST CHRISTMAS CARD ever comes from Bob 'Wood Duck' Fowler, our talented Boonville neighbor whose unique works of art will bring big bucks someday on the Antique Road Show.

---

SOME THINGS seem inevitable. The Democrats will screw Bernie again — and Liz for the first time — as estranged Democrats refuse to vote for the "moderate" the Democrats’ funders foist off on the better people in their bankrupt party. Who either will not vote or vote third party. And Trump gets another four years. 2020 has a nice numerically apocalyptic symmetry to it.

---

I WAS HEARTENED to see Dr. J. Holden bring up conservatorships as a means to protect the walking wounded from themselves. The late Charles Hensley, though, resisted sustained efforts by the court and other people familiar with him to cooperate with the process and finally drowned himself in the bottle. Absent compulsion, there will always be lots of troubled and troublesome people out there in the fields of play.

---

LEGAL MARIJUANA, as widely predicted, has failed. Illegal dope is cheaper and, as I'm told, often better than storefront dope, which is expensive because it pays rent and taxes and fees. The system worked better when marijuana was totally illegal. The cops took off enough every summer to keep outlaw farmers incentivized, small businesses cash-prospered, the prospect of home invasions created a nice community frisson, and life in Mendocino County was exciting and prosperous.

ANDERSON VALLEY VILLAGE - WEEKLY UPDATE for 12/22/2019

Anyone interested in meeting up for coffee with other Village members, volunteers and supporters? Let me know and we can help connect people! Below is a list of all of the calendar events for the next two weeks that are hosted by The Anderson Valley Village as well as events in our community at large. Plenty to keep you busy! Note: We try to maintain this calendar as events change, especially AV Village events. Other events listed here are subject to change without notice so contact the particular organization/ venue for the latest information. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us, Anica Williams: 707-684-9829 andersonvalleyvillage@gmail.com

andersonvalley.helpfulvillage.com/events/index_list

THE ENTIRE EUROPEAN UNION JUST VOTED TO BAN ALL SINGLE USE PLASTICS BY 2021

collective-evolution.com/2019/12/21/the-entire-european-union-just-voted-to-ban-all-single-use-plastics-by-2021/

TOWERS FLEES

On 12-20-2019 at approximately 6:49 P.M., Deputies from the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office observed a vehicle traveling southbound on Highway 162 in the area of Covelo. Deputies observed a lighting violation and attempted a traffic stop, however the vehicle failed to yield resulting in a pursuit. Deputies pursued the vehicle for several miles as it continued to travel southbound on Highway 162. The vehicle swerved into the northbound lane several times, however the vehicle maintained a speed of approximately 45 miles per hour as the Deputies pursued it. California Highway Patrol Officers deployed spike strips; which rendered the vehicle inoperable. The vehicle eventually pulled to the side of Highway 101 and stopped. Deputies contacted the driver and sole occupant, Jack Towers, 46, of Ukiah.

Deputies observed Towers displayed objective signs of being under the influence of a controlled substance. Deputies evaluated Towers and developed probable cause to believe he was, in fact, under the influence of a controlled substance. Deputies searched Towers' vehicle and located loaded firearms inside the driver's compartment that were readily accessible to him. Deputies arrested Towers for Evading a Peace Officer-Reckless Driving, Under Influence Controlled Substance In Possession of Firearm, and Felon/Addict In Possession Firearm. Towers was booked into the Mendocino County Jail where he was to be held in lieu of $35,000 bail.

---

MEDERS MIXER

On December 20, 2019 at approximately 5:41 P.M. Mendocino County Sheriff's Deputies were dispatched to a physical altercation between four subjects in the 100 block of Coyote Valley Boulevard in Redwood Valley. Deputies arrived on scene and located William Meders, 30, of Ukiah inside a residence where Coyote Valley Tribal Police Officers had him detained.

Deputies learned the three subjects fighting with Meders had fled the area prior to their arrival. Deputies learned that Meders was on active Post Release Community Supervision - County Parole. Deputes contacted Meders' Probation Officer, who revoked his parole and directed Deputies to place Meders under arrest for Violation of County Parole. Meders was booked into the Mendocino County Jail where he was to be held on a No-Bail status.

DOC PASSES

It is with a heavy heart that Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office announces that retired canine partner “Doc “ Holliday passed away on December 19, 2019 at the age of (8) EIGHT years.

“Doc” was a Czechoslovakian Shepard born in 2011. “Doc” was purchased by the Willits Police Department in 2013 at which time he was assigned to Willits Police Officer Jeffery Andrade.

Following an intensive training period both “Doc” and Officer Andrade went into service as a canine team in that same year. “Doc” and Officer Andrade were certified in handler protection and Narcotics detention.

In July of 2014, Officer Andrade and canine “Doc” came to work for the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.

During their tenure with the Sheriff’s Office “Doc”, and Deputy Andrade, participated in several assignments. These assignments included working patrol and with the County of Mendocino Marijuana Eradication Team (C.O.M.M.E.T).

During a FOUR (4) year career with the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office “Doc” and Deputy Andrade, working as a team, were responsible for the capture, and surrender, of FIFTY THREE (53) individuals suspected of committing criminal acts, TWENTY TWO (22) felony suspect apprehensions, the seizure of over $2.8 million dollars, over 3,000 pounds of marijuana, over 19 pounds of methamphetamine, over 5 pounds of cocaine, 1.3 pounds of crack cocaine, 13.8 ounces of heroin and ONE (1) firearm.

After FIVE (5) years of faithful service to the community “Doc” retired in 2018 at the age of SEVEN (7) years.

Following his retirement “Doc” lived out his remaining years, in comfort, with Deputy Andrade and his family.

“Doc” will be remembered as an energetic canine partner with a strong drive that loved to come to work each and every day with Deputy Andrade.

“Doc” will be missed by the Andrade family and by all the men and women working at the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.

K9 "DOC" HOLLIDAY

Service Period: 2013 to 2018

Laid to Rest: December 19, 2019

K9 Unit Team

Deputy Jeffery Andrade

CATCH OF THE DAY, December 22, 2019

EDUARDO CONTRERAS-NUNEZ, Ukiah. Domestic abuse, criminal threats, vandalism, damage/destroy communications device, probation revocation.

MEGHAN FOWLER, Ukiah. DUI.

JASON GOWER, Eureka/Willits. Grand theft from building, probation revocation.

WILLIAM MOON, Ukiah. Resisting.

AARON NORBURY, Ukiah. DUI, misdemeanor hit&run, failing to install ignition interlock, suspended license (for DUI), evasion, resisting, probation revocation.

EDUARDO NUNEZ, Harlingen, Texas/Willits. DUI, misdemeanor hit&run.

NICHOLAS SAAVEDRA, Ukiah. Disorderly conduct-alcohol.

COREY SQUIRES, Ukiah. Trespassing, resisting, probation revocation.

CARLOS TAYLOR-LOPEZ, Willits. Probation revocation.

NICHOLAS TOW, Ukiah. Attempted burglary, vandalism, probation revocation.

JESSTINE WAKELAND, Willits. Domestic abuse.

MICHAEL MOORE INTERVIEW W/ ROLLING STONE: "WE'RE NOT PREPARED"

by Matt Taibbi & Michael Moore

In the first episode of Michael Moore’s new podcast, Rumble, he tells a story of being given a gift of a new reel-to-reel tape recorder as a child, kicking off his media career. He taped everyone in sight, produced his own ad-hoc version of The Tonight Show before nap time, and went on to launch his own newspaper at school. In an amusing precursor of future events, the paper would be shut down almost right away after criticism of school sports programs.

More than half a century later, Moore is still going against the grain. His career arc is unique in the modern media landscape, being one of the very few figures to achieve commercial success and broad audience share without the full support of one or the other wing of the blue/red news media ecosystem.

Moore came to prominence as a critic of corporate sociopathy in Roger and Me, and became a liberal icon in the Bush years with Fahrenheit 9/11 and Bowling for Columbine, but his anti-corporate, anti-war, pro-labor message has never aligned exactly with the Democratic Party, either. Most recently he’s been a pointed critic of Democratic policies that opened the door for Trump’s election in 2016, while also voicing criticisms of the cult of Robert Mueller and Barack Obama’s contribution to the Flint water crisis.

He now feels the urgency of the political moment is such that he won’t wait to put out another movie, say, after next Election Day. The Rumble podcast will be a way for him to chime in all year long, and get out a message that is wholly his own, without having to go through studios or editors. “I’m going to say what I want to say,” he says. “I don’t have backers. I don’t have investors.”

In 2016, Moore was one of the few people in the media who correctly predicted Trump’s success in the vital swing states of the Midwest. He was ignored. This time around, it might be worth listening earlier. In a visit to Rolling Stone, Moore sat with Katie Halper and me to talk about about the presidential race, how his new podcast scratches the same independent-media itch he had as a kid with a tape recorder, pedophile coffee shops in Utah, and other topics. Some highlights:

On asking Donald Trump to fix the Flint water crisis…

Trust me… if the water had been poisoned in Bloomfield Hills, or Grosse Point, or Ann Arbor, this would have been fixed within 30 days. And somebody would have gone to prison. . . . It’s such a heartbreaker for me, I don’t know what to do about it. I even thought, I should just see if Trump would privately meet with me. And I would say, “Look, you and I are about as opposite as things can get, and my mission is to remove you from this house that you’re currently occupying, but if you’d like to be remembered for something good, if there’s one thing you know, it’s construction. I even have a belief that you could operate a backhoe. You should come to Flint and fix the water.”

On Barack Obama drinking a glass of water in Flint…

I’ll have [Trump] meet the people who will tell him and show him that the water Obama drank in Flint came off Air Force One. … Do you think the Secret Service are going to let the president of the United States drink poisoned water? It was all a show. The number-one question that I do not have the answer to, and I hope to talk to him someday, is “Why? Why do that?”

On being targeted by mail bomber Cesar Sayoc…

He had a big picture of me on the side of his van with a bull’s-eye over it. . . . Frankly, to be honest, out of respect to him, while everyone else had a bull’s-eye over the face, he put mine over the shoulder. And I thought, OK . . . two things. Number one, that’s a really good picture of me! It’s hard to find a decent picture of me. And he didn’t put the bull’s-eye over [my face], he put it over here. …

I said to [my producer], “I wonder if he’s been to any of the Trump rallies that we went to. Maybe we filmed him.” And we started going through the footage, and damn if he wasn’t right there in front of the rope line, screaming for Trump, and “make America great,” right into our camera.

On his unsuccessful attempt to inject humor into the Clinton campaign in 2016…

I’ll tell you a story I probably shouldn’t tell. I won’t mention any names, other than Hillary’s. I thought the way to win this in part would be during the debates … if Hillary just had a comedy shiv, just something that she could use to go under [Trump’s] thin skin, to have him implode on national TV. People would go, “He is unhinged…”

We offered this to Hillary and her people that we would do this quietly, nobody would know we would write lines for her, we would help with debate prep. She had political people helping her with lines — how about from myself or some of the top satirist-comedian types? And all she’s gotta do is land one or two of these…

They turned us down. They were afraid if it ever got out, because this comedian is dirty, and that comedian said that once…

On the Clinton campaign not wanting to distribute its own signs in Michigan in 2016…

Because, I spent a lot of time at my other apartment in Michigan. Trump signs were everywhere. More than Hillary signs. I found out the campaign in Brooklyn wouldn’t send signs. They were afraid if too many people saw it, it would inflame the Trump people, make them go out and vote. That actually happened.

On New York’s culpability in inflicting Trump on the country…

Something I never understood as a Midwesterner is why New York never took care of Trump. . . . If that guy, with the way he is, was from Pittsburgh or Detroit or Milwaukee, he never would have been foisted on the rest of you. He would have been dealt with. The fact that he got away with so much for so many years, and all he was was tabloid entertainment to the people of New York. He was a punchline. The Donald.

On his brief tenure as editor of Mother Jones…

The left liberals, whatever you want to call it, they’re not always friends of the working class. … I don’t know how you guys would describe it, that part of the so-called left. … They’re really centrists. They’re not really left. These centrists? These liberals? They love humanity, they just hate people. … I was fired on Labor Day 1986.

rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/michael-moore-useful-idiots-2020-election-donald-trump-929152/

(RollingStone.com)

TULSI'S ROOTS: A reader asks, "Does any one recall Mike Gabbard from Sonoma State College days? Got this message from one of our fellow alums from Sonoma State College earlier today? He’s at least part Samoan and was a politician in Hawaii.

Do you remember someone named Mike Gabbard from Sonoma State? I have no recollection of him and it was such a small campus back then. He apparently attended there when we did. A very conservative politician and Tulsi’s father. It explains a lot about her, I think."

AND OUR VERY OWN Hari-Hari Krishna, Craig Stehr, writing from Hawaii where mystics spend the winter, says pere Gabbard was a fellow Hindu, and Vishnu with you?

PIERS MORGAN: President Trump was impeached yesterday and amid all the rapturous cheering from liberal celebrities they all seemed to miss the point — that they will help him get re-elected. Indeed, all the gloating and social media bleating did was confirm what has been self-evident since the day Trump won the 2016 Election: that most of America's mainstream hates him and is absolutely thrilled to see him impeached. So, of course, are the Democrats, which was obvious when they exploded into raucous cheering in the House of Representatives as their leader Nancy Pelosi solemnly announced Trump's fate — before she frantically silenced them like a crazed kindergarten teacher. The truth is that she and her party have been plotting this since Trump set foot in the White House. They couldn't beat him at the ballot box in 2016 and fear they won't be able to beat him at the ballot box in 2020. So, they've concluded impeachment may be their only route to stop him. Yet as I have repeatedly said, it is an act of extraordinary stupidity and self-harm. And never was this more apparent than in the moment of its happening. Yesterday was one of the most pointless, farcical days in the history of America's Congress.

RACISM FOR DUMMIES

MIND-BENDING

Editor,

Does anyone realize the hypocrisy, stupidity and iron-headed craziness of the Democrats, the liberals, the House who got the impeachment going against President Trump? They have nothing, zero. All they have is numbers; they could vote anything they wanted to. But it won't stick. Now they are afraid to turn it over to the Senate who will laugh at it. They will become the biggest horses asses in the United States. It's a joke, a miserable, mindbending, money spending taxpayer… It's just awful! The Mueller thing, the Kavanaugh thing, and now this? Millions of taxpayer dollars for nothing. They get nothing done. All they’ve done is chew on President Trump for the last three years and it won't work. He will get four more years which will flatten them right to the ground. The Democrats are done and over with. Stupid.

God bless Donald Trump, four more years.

Jerry Philbrick

Comptche

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE:

The commercial Dungeness crab season in Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte counties is scheduled to open at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, to be preceded by a 64-hour gear setting period that would begin no earlier than 8:01 a.m. on Dec. 28, 2019.

Delays due to quality only affect the Dungeness crab fishery in this area (Fish and Game Districts 6, 7, 8 and 9). Dungeness crab quality test results from Dec. 17, 2019 met the minimum guidelines established by the Tri-State Dungeness Crab Committee. Director Charlton H. Bonham had announced a delay to Dec. 31 based on the last round of tests conducted on Dec. 3, 2019, but with these new results no additional delay is warranted. Tri-State managers met this morning to determine that their respective Dungeness crab fisheries would open coastwide within the Tri-State region on Dec. 31, 2019.

No vessel may take or land crab in an area closed for a meat quality delay (i.e., Fish and Game districts 6, 7, 8 and 9 through Dec. 30). In addition, any vessel that takes, possesses onboard or lands crab from ocean waters outside of a delayed area is prohibited from participating in the crab fishery in any delayed area for 30 days following the opening of those areas. Permitted vessels that have already participated in the Dec. 15 opener south of the Sonoma-Mendocino county line would not be able to set gear in Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte counties until 12:01 am Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020. This applies to any delayed areas in Oregon and Washington as well. For more information, please see CDFW’s Frequently Asked Questions regarding the 2019-2020 Dungeness crab commercial season.

To help minimize the risk of whale and sea turtle entanglement in trap gear, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife recommends implementation of Best Fishing Practices developed by the Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group. This includes following guidance on surface-gear set-up, reducing excess line, using neutral buoyancy line and minimizing knots and lead.

For more information on Dungeness crab, please visit: wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Whale-Safe-Fisheries and wildlife.ca.gov/crab.

FOUND OBJECT