MCT: Sunday, October 11, 2020

• Nice Day
• Fire Weather
• 1042 Cases
• Covid Surge
• Pet London
• Training Facility
• Main Street
• Cannabis Conundrum
• Election Forums
• Azbill Arrested
• Ridge Roads
• Ahern Rescued
• Caspar Inn
• Bear Found
• Music Class
• Coast Images
• Ed Notes
• Will Work
• Favors Democrats
• Yesterday's Catch
• Socialism
• Embracing Mari
• Don't Trust
• Visions Tab
• Texan Democracy
• Frozen Accounts
• Reagan Legacy
• Hernandez Guilty
• Joe Crime
• AB 1950
• North Beach
• Democracy
• Blighted Culture
• More Off
• Hot Spots
• Metal Fans
• Voting Recommendations
• Marco Radio
• Found Object

MORNING VALLEY FOG and cool temperatures will give way to a mostly sunny and seasonably mild afternoon. Expect a gradual warming and drying trend early this week, followed by unseasonably hot inland temperatures and possible fire weather concerns mid to late week. (NWS)

FIRE SEASON NOT OVER

Cool weather and light drizzle in some places provided relief for firefighters working to increase containment of numerous wildfires across California on Saturday, but the forecast for dry and warming conditions starting on Sunday signaled that the state's lethal fire season is far from over.

Several of the wildfires were over 95% contained, but full containment likely won't be reached without rain, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.

But the prospect of significant weekend rain was fading, and the National Weather Service said a high-pressure system is expected to grow starting Sunday, bringing dry, warm conditions, with potential winds, through the week.

The forecast led Cal Fire to remind residents that the state historically experiences some of the most devastating wildfires in September and October.

“Do not let your guard down!” the department urged Saturday.

More than 8,400 wildfires have scorched well over 4 million acres (16,187 square kilometers) since the beginning of the year. There have been 31 fatalities and more than 9,200 structures have been destroyed.

Most of the loss has occurred since a mid-August blitz of lightning-ignited fires in northern and central sections of the state amid withering dry heat. Several large fires have burned in Southern California.

More than 13,800 firefighters were on the lines of 21 major wildfires Thursday, Cal Fire said.

(Associated Press)

SEVEN NEW COVID CASES in Mendocino on Saturday, total now 1042.

THE WORLD CROSSES AN OMINOUS MILESTONE

The world recorded more than one million new cases of the coronavirus in just the last three days, the highest total ever in such a short span, a reflection of resurgences in Europe and the United States and uninterrupted outbreaks in India, Brazil and other countries.

nytimes.com/live/2020/10/10/world/covid-coronavirus/the-world-crosses-an-ominous-milestone-recording-more-than-1-million-new-cases-in-three-days

UKIAH SHELTER PET OF THE WEEK

London came to the shelter as a stray dog, so we don’t know his history. Here at the shelter, he’s pretty mellow for a Husky, and beyond handsome. London appears friendly and eager to meet new canine friends. It's always a good idea to read up about dog breeds you are considering adopting, and that’s especially true with Husky dogs. Secure fencing and daily activity are important for this breed. London is 3 years old and weighs a svelte 66 pounds. 

You can find more about London on the shelter wepage at mendoanimalshelter.com While you’re there, you can read about our services, programs, events, and updates regarding covid-19 and the shelters in Ukiah and Ft. Bragg. Visit us on Facebook at: facebook.com/mendoanimalshelter/

For information about adoptions please call 707-467-6453.

THE TRAINING FACILITY NOBODY WANTS

by Mark Scaramella

On Wednesday, the day after Tuesday’s Supervisors meeting, we reported that nearly three years after the passage of Measure B and more than a year after the purchase of the Redwood Valley Jehovah’s Witness Church and acccompanying residence, nobody seems to want it, although a training center of some sort was called for in Measure B and subsequently purchased with Measure B funding.

The Training Center was specifically listed in the text of Measure B: “provide … a regional behavioral health training facility (BHTF) to be used by behavioral health professionals, public safety and other first responders.” 

At Tuesday's meeting of the Supervisors, Measure B project manager Alyson Bailey reported that a “business plan” for the training facility is being worked on. Surveys are “being prepared” for “various groups who hopefully [sic] will be brought in to use the facility.” 

Ms. Bailey added that “the first draft” of a Memorandum of Understanding between the amorphous Measure B staff and the Sheriff’s office “is complete and in hands of the ad hoc.” [See below.] Bailey added that about $308k of Measure B funds is being spent to turn the property into a training facility; the $308k is on top of the $370k the County paid for the property in July of 2019. 

Ms. Bailey said the preliminary agreement will address how the facility will be shared with the Sheriff’s office and Measure B staff on mundane things like security, utilities, landscaping, upkeep, etc. — but not training.

Supervisor Ted Williams who, with Supervisor John Haschak, is half of a two-supervisor ad hoc committee assigned to prepare a Measure B Strategic Plan, said, “I have heard that Mental Health may not use this facility for training. We need a list of people who will use it and offset the ongoing cost” of managing, operating and maintaining the facility."

Ms. Bailey replied that she didn't have a roster of potential occupants, but the survey was being prepared, adding, that she is “working on a plan” and that such a survey will have to go through “Behavioral Health” (Department? Advisory Board?) first, continuing, “We will have a good understanding of who will use it and how often after that. It may be that the business plan will allow some organizations to use it for free; others can be worked on. But that’s not the current framework that I have.” (?)

Supervisor Williams: “We bought this as a substation and training facility for mental health programs. But it’s not coming together. Why are we hanging on to this moving forward? We need a business plan for how it’s a net gain. What are the numbers? Should we move forward on it even if it’s a loss on paper? Does Health and Human Services see any potential for its use?”

Remember, it’s now three years since Measure B passed, and over a year since the purchase of the Redwood Valley property with full intention of developing it as a training facility. Yet nobody has any idea what to do with it, and apparently nobody has even bothered to ask as the year-long remodel was underway and is now almost complete.

Supervisor McCowen noted correctly that the Training Center was the only specific facility called for in the Measure B text and thererfore probably required. But then he went on to claim that 10% of the Measure B funds were to be allocated to it and that golly, isn’t it great that we’re “under-budget” on the training center? (10% of Measure B funds would be over $3 million.) 

However, we have re-reviewed the Measure B text and there’s no such percentage mentioned for the training facility. There’s also no mention of 10% of anything for anything in the Measure’s text.

Williams: “We have no plan. We have no input from the right voices. We hear that Mental Health may not use it. So why build it? [Note: It’s already built, Supervisor.] If it’s for the Sheriff, let the Sheriff design it for his needs. We have a big disconnect here. We won’t get the most for it out of the dollars we’re spending.”

Supervisor Haschack agreed: “I don’t know why we’re sinking more money in this if it’s not to be utilized except a few times. We need a business plan.”

McCowen commented, “We have to have the training center. Sheriff Allman did well in locating that property. Some funds were reserved for the facility if necessary. [Not true. — ms] We should keep it and promote it and make it pay for itself. It could be a regional center. The substation conversion? Maybe not. It can be expensive [to operate and manage and maintain]. I’d prefer to spend that on staffing and enforcement. Then ask Mental Health to envision [sic] additional uses that are mental health related that it could be used for.”

Sheriff Kendall then joined the conversation, remarking that there were “pros and cons” about using it as a substation. “We need more space because the new courtroom/hearing room conversion at the jail will take up valuable space there. But I am concerned about longer response times to the south, like Hopland, and other central sector areas [including Anderson Valley; if they have to dispatch deputies out of Redwood Valley]. We need to look at what we’re getting for the money. We can look at other options for better response times. We need to look at the entire central sector. [There are three Sheriff’s Sectors: Coast, North and Central.] We need funding for converting it into a substation. Would [the substation] impact any mental health activities on the site? We need to take a good hard look at this.”

Supervisor Haschak concluded, “We need a business plan [for this facility] as part of Measure B.”

PS. Even though Mendocino County Mental Health Director Dr. Jenine Miller was on hand throughout this discussion, she didn’t say a word about the training facility or its potential use. 

CHRIS CALDER COMMENTS on Supervisor Williams pot permit program problem overview:

A looong-ass explanation of why weed legalization is moving from failure to catastrophe. Supervisor Williams focuses more on the environmental destruction, but the fact is, very scary organized crime, using legal grows as cover, has decided that, more than ever, Mendocino County is the place to do business.

Here's a nugget of relevant truth amid the bureaucratese:

"Out of the estimated 9,000 cultivation sites, about 1,100 applied, with less than 275 receiving county permits and only a few receiving state annual licenses."

Legalization has never touched more than a tiny fraction of weed growers, while providing cover for the mafia and bringing county government to its fiscal knees with undoable weed-related mandates.

The Mendocino County Sheriff last week made an urgent request for state and federal law enforcement help to combat mafia growers who are getting increasingly bold, commandeering neighbors' and firefighters' water supplies, running slave camps, plotting military style assaults on deputies.

The response could well include the National Guard. I think that's part of the reason for the special meeting on weed the Board of Supervisors is having next Tuesday. The prospect of soldiers entering your county tends to get local officals' attention.

Legalization has never been in the picture for more than a tiny fraction of growers, and now the legal market is being gamed by global-level criminals. Earnest sounds notwithstanding, county government is spinning its wheels and blaming the state.

This problem is too big for them. They should be spending money and time on the very, very basics for this county: roads and public health and safety. Regulating an unregulatable "industry" is far, far beyond their capability. It has turned out to be a crushing financial burden, not a public windfall, and is only getting worse.

Be honest with state government and the people: you're not "regulating cannabis" so don't pretend to. Suspend the county program and go very public with that. State government is the only one who can clean up this mess - if anybody can - or, literally, the military could end up involved.

A COUPLE ELECTION FORUMS

District 1 Supervisor:

Ukiah City Council:

AZBILL AND HIS GHOST GUN

On Wednesday, October 7, 2020 at approximately 3:35 PM, the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office was contacted by an officer with the Round Valley Indian Tribal Police Department regarding their having an adult male detained in a parking lot in the 76200 block of Covelo Road in Covelo.

Upon the arrival of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Deputy, the Round Valley Indian Tribal Police Officer advised the Deputy that he had been notified of a reckless vehicle that made an unsafe U-turn on Covelo Road, nearly colliding with a water tender committed to the firefighting efforts in and around the Round Valley area.

The driver of the vehicle had been identified as being Britton Leonard Azbill Jr., 38, of Covelo.

Upon contacting Azbill, the Tribal Officer observed an AR style assault rifle in the vehicle between Azbill's leg and the center console of the vehicle.

The Tribal Officer knew Azbill from prior contacts and suspected him to be a convicted felon. Azbill was detained in handcuffs by the Tribal Officer and was assisted by a parole agent from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation who was in the area and witnessed the incident in its entirety.

The Mendocino County Sheriff's Deputy took custody of Azbill and confirmed he was in fact a previously convicted felon.

The initial weapon located was found to possibly be a manufactured high powered assault style rifle.

This gun was an example of what is commonly called a "Ghost gun" and it had no serial numbers or manufacturer markings.

There was a second firearm in the vehicle, which was found to be a lever action .22 rifle which was loaded with live ammunition.

Additionally there was a large generator in the bed of the pickup which was found to be reported stolen out the state of Louisiana.

In addition to being a convicted felon, Azbill was found two have misdemeanor warrants for his arrest in Mendocino County for allegations of violating the terms of his probation and for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Azbill is also currently on probation in the Superior Court of Mendocino County for possession of stolen property.

Azbill was booked into the Mendocino County Jail for the listed charges — Felon in possession of a firearm, Felon in possession of ammunition, Possession of stolen property, Violation of terms of probation — where he was to be held on a total bail of $42,500, including the two arrest warrants.

It should be noted that some of the charges Azbill was booked on fall under the "Zero Bail" order currently in place due to the COVID-19 Pandemic which is why the bail is set as it is.

The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office would like to thank the Round Valley Indian Tribes for the continued efforts in working to keep the people of the Round Valley Indian Tribal lands safe, and would like to the thank the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for their assistance in this case.

BY 1881 THERE WAS a well established path from Willits to Eureka. Up what is now Brooktrails to Sherwood Valley, down Strong Mountain to Cahto Valley, up Long Valley, up Bell Springs Ridge, Alder Point, Blocksberg, Bridgeville, into Springville. 

The Old-Timers were smart enough to stick to the ridges where the roads didn’t wash away. If you noticed, everytime the Highway 101 was closed between Garberville and Laytonville, the Bell Springs road was open. 

— Ernie Branscomb

AHERN RESCUED

On Thursday, October 8, 2020 at approximately 3:23 P.M., Deputies with the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to check the welfare of Patricia Ahern at her residence located in the 44000 block of Little River Airport Road in Little River.

The reporting party was a family member calling from out of the area, who was concerned for Ahern after learning Ahern did not make a scheduled medical appointment. Ahern was described as having medical related issues and it was believed she might have fallen somewhere in the area of her residence.

Due to another exigent call for service involving search and rescue efforts for an unrelated missing person in the Fort Bragg area, Deputies were unable to immediately respond and requested the assistance from the California Highway Patrol and California State Parks.

Officers from the California Highway Patrol and Rangers with California State Parks responded to Ahern’s residence and conducted a lengthy search of the residence and nearby properties, but Ahern was not located.

At approximately 5pm, Deputies with the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office continued with efforts to locate Ahern and Mendocino County Search and Rescue Volunteers were contacted and initiated a deployment to assist with this continuing investigation.

A more comprehensive search of the residence and property was conducted utilizing Search and Rescue personnel and on Friday, October 9, at approximately 1am., Mendocino County Search and Rescue Volunteers located Ahern in a ravine located a significant distance downhill from her residence.

Due to the complexity of the rescue resulting from the steep rugged terrain, the Albion Little River Fire Department was requested to assist in Ahern's rescue.

Albion Little River Fire Department and Mendocino County Search and Rescue personnel were able to safely rescue Ahern and she was transported by ambulance to the Adventist Health Mendocino Coast District Hospital for further evaluation and treatment.

The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank all agencies who assisted during this investigation and who contributed to Ahern’s safe rescue and recovery.

BEAR FOUND SAFE IN THE WOODS

On 10-08-2020 at approximately 12:00 P.M., Deputies with the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to a missing person on West Highway 20, approximately 8-miles east of Fort Bragg.

Deputies arrived and spoke to the reporting person near the aforementioned area, which is within Jackson State Forest and currently open to permitted cutting of firewood.

Deputies learned the missing person was 72-year old Sharon "Chris" Bear.

Sharon Bear and the reporting person were friends, who made plans earlier in the day to meet at the location to cut firewood.

Sometime after the reporting person arrived, she received a voicemail message from Bear who informed the reporting person that her vehicle was stuck and she was lost. The reporting person described Bear as an at risk person due to medical related issues.

Deputies initiated a search for Bear and her described vehicle. That initial search included Bear’s residence, her presumed route of travel to the area, and a canvas of the multiple forest service roads currently accessible by vehicle within the Jackson State Forest wood cutting area.

At approximately 3:30 P.M, Deputies located Bear’s vehicle stuck in heavy brush just off an unimproved skid trail. Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Bloodhound “Chase” was deployed in an effort to scent track Bear without success.

At approximately 7:00 P.M., Mendocino County Search and Rescue personnel deployed and searched the area throughout the night, but could not locate Bear.

A more comprehensive search of the Jackson State Forest area was conducted on 10-08-20 utilizing Search and Rescue personnel, ATV's, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), ground searchers, and canines.

Search and Rescue personnel were unable to locate Bear, so mutual aid resources were requested through the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services Law Enforcement Branch with continued search efforts planned for 10-09-20 and.

Search efforts on 10-09-2020 were unsuccessful and will continue on 10-10-2020 with the following personnel:

Mendocino County Search & Rescue, Sonoma County Search & Rescue, Humboldt County Search & Rescue, Napa County Search & Rescue, California Rescue Dog Association (CARDA), Bay Area Mountain Rescue Unit (BAMRU) and the Marin County Search & Rescue.

In addition to the numerous human searchers there are (2) tacking/trailing canines and (3) area search canines.

Anyone with information regarding Sharon bear’s possible whereabouts is requested to contact the Sheriff's Office Dispatch Center at 707-961-2421

---

UPDATE:

On 10-10-2020 at approximately 10:20 AM searchers dedicated to the Search & Rescue operation found Sharon Bear alive within the search area.

Searchers are actively working on extracting her from the search area to deliver her to awaiting medical personnel for medical assessment and treatment if needed.

I'M VERY PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE the Boonville-based Bueno Yabbelow Music Series has partnered with the Anderson Valley Adult School/ Escuela de Adultos de Anderson Valley and the lifesaving Anderson Valley Fire Department for a unique online "music appreciation" class with awesomely great performing artists who are donating their time to raise funds for our brave firefighters.

This is a four-week course (Sunday afternoons) on the Zoom platform where I'll briefly introduce a style/aesthetic/genre before special guests join us from across the US and Canada to talk about their performing lives, sing/play for us, and take questions. If you have been attending our concerts these past few years, you'll know that we bring in truly great performers who are also the coolest people -- Very open to sharing their favorite works while enlightening us with stories. And we do it for ultra-low cost ticket prices, too, with proceeds benefiting local organizations.

The visiting musicians for this unique class will all have a special connection to the Anderson Valley -- Some have performed on our series before and others are already booked to come to Boonville when the pandemic eases in the future. I can't tell you how many of my colleagues have reached out in concern for what has been happening in CA, and I had to turn away musicians wanting to donate their time for this class. 

If this proves popular, we will do a second run of donated classes in early 2021.

And best of all: All proceeds (minus small overhead for AVAS) will benefit the AV fire department!

So, if you've been going a bit stir crazy at home and are a bit starved for some music, please consider joining us for a worthy cause. Classes begin October 25th. More information in the flyer!

— Gabriela Lena Frank, Boonville

COAST IMAGES FROM THE PAST

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ED NOTES

NY TIMES HEADLINE: “The Plot Against Gretchin Whitmer Shows the Danger of Private Militias”

PREDICTION: The "plot" against Michigan governor Whitmer will be revealed as loose talk among fat boy gun fantasists, and the "evidence" against them will be revealed to come from two or three FBI snitches who'd infiltrated the group by walking into an outback bar and, sizing up the fat boys as armed blowhards of the type found everywhere in rural America, suggested the "plot" in the first place. I was surprised that even the BBC World News, via an American professor allegedly knowledgeable about these things, described the "plot" as "complicated." I'll bet.

CLASS ANGLE the plot against Whitmer: The conspirators are working class white men. The people most afraid of working class white men (and women) are financially secure white liberals who, natch, consider working class white people as stupid, irremediable racists and Trump supporters when, in fact, Trump's white working class support, and his white support generally, derives much of its energy from the contempt felt by working class white people for the financially secure white liberals who, under the banner of progressive-ism, have screwed the entire working class regardless of race ever since Reagan and his Democrat allies.

ARE THERE MILITIAS in Mendo? Not that we know of. I dimly recall an attempt at a militia in Fort Bragg in the mid-90s, and farther back there was Jack Azevedo, a candidate for 4th District supervisor who came to public attention by sailing out of Noyo to bullhorn a giant Russian fishing ship anchored three miles offshore as it vacuumed the Pacific of all aquatic life. The fishing boundaries have since been adjusted to keep factory ships outtahere. The Russkies' big boat was clearly visible from Fort Bragg, a surreal presence that seemed nearly as large as the town itself. Azevedo, a gun guy, had a cadre of the militia-minded around him for a brief time before he flamed out, the Boonville weekly supplying the gasoline when we obtained Azevedo's enemy's list, an unintentionally hilarious roster that included a large number of the wackier libs mixed in with targets like members of the Masonic Lodge.

ANOTHER PREDICTION: Trump's going to lose so overwhelmingly he won't have the slightest pretext for prolonging his stay in the White House. The uprisings and riots a lot of people seem to be hoping they can watch on TV won't materialize to the extent hoped for as the country returns to normalcy under Harris-Biden, and take it away, Jeff St. Clair: 

"A return to normalcy, you say? Normalcy brought us the Iraq War, torture, assassination by drone, 607 billionaires & 600k homeless, the gutting of welfare, warrantless wiretaps, militarized police, the war on drugs, globalized fracking, the destruction of the Gulf of Mexico and an atmospheric C02 level of 416 ppm and rising." 

And Biden was on board for all of it, not that he'll be president for more than a few months as his senescence becomes obvious even to the DNC and Kamala takes the reins.

THE AMERICAN RIGHT lacks leadership. Trump stirred them up plenty but his long-term limitations are evident. There may be smarter, more capable American fascists out there but so far none of them seem to have mass appeal. Italy and Germany, not all that long ago, were able to actualize the fascist impulse via their deluded intellectuals in books like Hitler's ‘Mein Kampf,’ a lunatic tract but, in its way, appealing to millions of Germans who really did get screwed at Versailles after losing World War One. Hitler said Germany had been sabbed by Jews, and millions of Germans bought that big lie, plus the second big one that Germans were a master race and should therefore run the world. The Japanese felt they were also a master race while Mussolini convinced the Italians that they might not be a master race but they sure as hell were culturally superior. More generosity towards the Huns might have cooled them out after World War One, but… Hitler not only had a plan he also had plenty of smart, evil bastards around him and, together, they got the Germans feeling so sorry for themselves they marched off to the east to grab off more land for themselves. If Hitler had listened to his generals we might all be speaking German. Trump's no Hitler, and he's certainly no Mussolini. He's a showbiz windbag who stumbled into the presidency because the Democrats put up the only person in the country who could possibly lose to him. And the Demos have done it again with Biden. But Trump's so far out he's even managed to alienate so many Trumpers that even Hillary-Biden is going to beat him. But the undemocratic feeling always latent in large numbers of Americans had not been made manifest until Trump, although there have always been fascist groupings in America. Even if we still had capable people in the power slots the number and magnitude of rolling catastrophes would probably overcome them. Whatever happens next month it's going to be wild.

IS IT ALREADY OVER?

NY TIMES: Huge Absentee Vote in Key States Favors Democrats So Far.

CATCH OF THE DAY, October 10, 2020

PATRICK GAIA, Ukiah. DUI, suspended license for DUI.

BROOKE KAHANER, Tarzana/Ukiah. Pot possession for sale, transportation-give marijuana over 18, resisting.

FRANKIE LEMUS-CORTEZ, Fort Bragg. Burglary, obstruction of justice.

ALEX MORA-WHITEHURST, Willits. Disorderly conduct-alcohol. 

JOSHUA NEESE, Ukiah. Attempted murder, assault with deadly weapon not a gun, special allegation use of weapon for felony.

KYLEE PETERSEN, Ukiah. Failure to appear, probation revocation.

LINDA REYNOLDS, Ukiah. Probation revocation.

YVETTE ROCKEY, Willits. Battery with serious injury, no license. 

JASON TIDD, Redwood Valley. DUI.

MELISSIA TURNEY, Clearlake/Ukiah. Domestic abuse, assault with deadly weapon not a gun.

PATRICK WILLIS, Ukiah. Disorderly conduct-alcohol, probation revocation.

MARI RODIN GETS THE KISS OF DEATH

Dear Coastal Resident,

For coastal residents, Ukiah, and our county government, can seem distant and disconnected. With only two Supervisors representing coastal districts, our unique concerns are often inadequately addressed by the Board of Supervisors - or worse yet, are addressed by inland Supervisors who don’t take the time to study the issues. On every issue, the coast is reliant on having at least one inland Supervisor who is educated and interested in our coastal perspective. That’s why who is elected 2nd District Supervisor this November is EXTREMELY important to our community.

The next few years the county will face budget shortfalls, complex problems, and competing priorities. The next 2nd District Supervisor could make the deciding vote for how our community addresses coastal land use issues and protecting and promoting our community. The new Board of Supervisors will determine the remainder of our coronavirus response and course of our economic recovery.

With the unprecedented challenges we face, what are we looking for in the leaders who make decisions for our entire County?

Integrity, experience, intelligence, and empathy: we want a Supervisor we can respect, one who listens to our concerns and takes thoughtful decisive action.

We believe that Mari Rodin embraces these qualities and so much more. She is the better choice for being our next County Supervisor.

Here is why Mari is our choice:

* During Mari’s 11 years on the Ukiah City Council she consistently demonstrated her intelligence and facility with complex issues, was always well prepared, and welcomed and considered all opinions and information presented to the Council. She is adept at synthesizing and applying facts to complex issues and skilled at bringing people together.

* Mari is the only candidate in the race who opposes offshore oil drilling and supports the continued protection of our coastline from destructive commercial and industrial developments. Mari’s opponent has only said she needs to “learn more” about offshore drilling and has taken campaign contributions from eager real estate development PACs.

* Mari cares about our community and has the proven track record to deal with the challenges we are currently facing — a public health crisis, developing safe, affordable, and appropriate housing for all income levels, and bolstering our economy.

* In all her work to support our community, Mari has never sought recognition or to aggrandize herself. She has always shown herself to be a person of maturity and integrity; working hard for our collective good. She is running because of her love of and commitment to our whole community.

Mari has all the qualities we want in a County Supervisor. But before she can serve, she needs to win this election. Her opponent has a year head start in campaigning and lots of special interest money. We need your help to catch up! That is why we have stepped forward to send this letter to you.

Please join us! Here is how you can help:

Donate — Via credit card or PayPal on Mari’s website: www.marirodin.com.

Endorse Mari for 2nd District Supervisor— Allow the public use of your name endorsing Mari. You can endorse on her website: www.marirodin.com.

Volunteer — Make calls, be an active and engaged supporter on Facebook, and write postcards. You can also put up a sign and help with events. Mari is running a visible and well-organized grassroots campaign.

Please join us today to help Mari Rodin win election to the Board of Supervisors.

Sincerely,

Rachel Binah

Kendall Smith

Meg Courtney

Greg Peterson

Jeff Tyrell

Paul Tichinin

MO BARKS BACK

I don’t support offshore drilling but I am known to need more information before responding to a question. I’m not sure where this came from, just thought I’d set the record straight that I don’t support offshore drilling and I have been 100% transparent about my endorsements and contributions. You can see all of them at https://www.mo4mendo.com/endorsements

Also I have put the Q&A from individual organizations directly on my website under the visions tab if you’d like to read for yourself.

Maureen ‘Mo’ Mulheren

UNEMPLOYED CALIFORNIANS GET A FRIGHT FROM EDD (CALMATTERS)

As California’s unemployment agency tries to cut off fraudsters, real unemployed Californians have found their benefit accounts suddenly frozen.

calmatters.org/california-divide/2020/10/unemployment-benefits-frozen-accounts-edd/

AUDREY HERNANDEZ FOUND GUILTY OF CHILD ABUSE

Ukiah, Thursday, October 8. -- Child Abuser Found Guilty.

At the conclusion of a two-day bench trial, defendant Audrey Joyce Hernandez, age 76, of Ukiah, was found guilty of two counts of willfully and unlawfully inflicting an injury resulting in a traumatic condition on a 10-year-old child occurring on two separate days, both counts at the felony level. 

AubreyHernandez

Defendant Hernandez was also found guilty of three additional counts of unlawful child endangerment, one misdemeanor count for each of three additional children.

Also known as a court trial, a bench trial occurs after both the defendant and the prosecution waive their respective rights to have the question of guilt on criminal charges decided by a jury. 

The defendant's case has now been referred to the Mendocino County Adult Probation Department for a social study and sentencing recommendation. 

A formal sentencing hearing has also been calendared for November 4, 2020 at 1:30 in the afternoon in Department A of the Ukiah courthouse.

Any person interested in the outcome of this case is welcome to attend the hearing on November 4th. Facial coverings and social distancing will be strictly enforced for those in attendance.

The law enforcement agencies that investigated the defendant and gathered the evidence supporting today's convictions are the Ukiah Police Department and the investigators working for the District Attorney.

Special thanks are extended to the school counselor who sounded the alarm, the emergency room staff that treated the minor, and the minor's current foster mother.

The prosecutor who is handling this case is Assistant District Attorney Dale P. Trigg.

Mendocino County Superior Court Judge Ann Moorman heard the evidence, entered the guilty verdicts, and will preside over the November 4th sentencing hearing.

Background: https://www.theava.com/archives/102558#6

ANOTHER LEGISLATIVE AND GUBERNATORIAL HIT ON THE ABILITY OF LOCAL COURTS TO REHABILITATE DEFENDANTS AND PROMOTE PUBLIC SAFETY ....

Governor Newsom and the Sacramento Legislature do it again. 

But first some background information. Probation -- whether formal or informal -- is an opportunity granted a convicted defendant for a set period of time by local judges to allow the convict to prove him or herself by following a number of court-ordered rules ("terms and conditions"). 

Follow the rules, all is good and no further legal proceedings are required. Violate one or more of the rules and further judicial sanctions may be forthcoming.

Now back to the story. Last week the Governor signed into law Assembly Bill 1950. 

AB 1950 is yet another soft on crime measure that undercuts the ability and discretion of local judges to place a convicted defendant on formal or informal probation for enough time to allow rehabilitation efforts to take effect, meaning the probationer has enough time to modify learned criminal behaviors and return to being a productive, law-abiding citizen. 

MISDEMEANORS

With only a few exceptions, under AB 1950, formal or informal court-ordered probation for adults convicted of one or more MISDEMEANOR offenses may now be imposed for only up to ONE year. 

Will this short time period have an adverse impact on public safety? You can bet your bottom dollar it will. 

For example, recidivsts convicted in the local courts of misdemeanor drunk driving offenses -- especially those with a blood alcohol greater than .15 -- are currently placed on FIVE years of informal probation with probation terms and conditions ("rules") developed by the courts to protect and promote abstention and public safety. 

So much for good ideas and taking the time to get it right. 

FELONIES

Again, with some exceptions, under AB 1950, formal (supervised) probation for adults convicted of one or more FELONY offenses may now be imposed for only up to TWO years. 

Is that different from what has been happening? 

Depending on the facts underlying a convicted felon's current crime or crimes, his or her past criminal record, his or her drug or alcohol addiction, his or her mental health, his or her family or support system, his or her employment history and availability of current employment, his or her potential for being a future threat to one or more victims, and/or the length of time believed necessary to evoke a positive change in attitude and conduct, local judges have generally placed defendants eligible for and deserving of local supervision on felony probation for THREE up to FIVE years.

It was said in the past by those in favor of AB 1950 that TOO MANY probationers were being found in violation of their terms and conditions ("rules") of probation. To solve this "problem," it was proposed -- using AB 1950 as the vehicle -- to limit the length of probation so that probationers would have less time and opportunity to fail.

That used to be called backassward logic. And so much for requiring that convicted felons take personal responsibility for their actions.

Expect the revolving jail doors to start spinning even faster ....

(Mendocino County DA presser)

FROM CITY LIGHTS BOOKS in San Francisco:

We saw this photo on Vesuvio's instagram today and had to share - Vesuvio is open now and serving drinks in Kerouac Alley! So you can now buy a book here and read it over there while sipping a drink again while North Beach smiles upon you.

I’M NOT SO INTERESTED IN COMICS ANYMORE, I don’t want anything to do with them.

I had been doing comics for 40-something years when I finally retired. When I entered the comics industry, the big attraction was that this was a medium that was vulgar, it had been created to entertain working class people, particularly children. The way that the industry has changed, it’s ‘graphic novels’ now, it’s entirely priced for an audience of middle class people. I have nothing against middle class people but it wasn’t meant to be a medium for middle aged hobbyists. It was meant to be a medium for people who haven’t got much money.

Most people equate comics with superhero movies now. That adds another layer of difficulty for me. I haven’t seen a superhero movie since the first Tim Burton Batman film. They have blighted cinema, and also blighted culture to a degree. Several years ago I said I thought it was a really worrying sign, that hundreds of thousands of adults were queuing up to see characters that were created 50 years ago to entertain 12-year-old boys. That seemed to speak to some kind of longing to escape from the complexities of the modern world, and go back to a nostalgic, remembered childhood. That seemed dangerous, it was infantilizing the population.

This may be entirely coincidence but in 2016 when the American people elected a National Socialist satsuma and the UK voted to leave the European Union, six of the top 12 highest grossing films were superhero movies. Not to say that one causes the other but I think they’re both symptoms of the same thing – a denial of reality and an urge for simplistic and sensational solutions.

— Alan Moore, deadline.com/2020/10/alan-moore-rare-interview-watchmen-creator-the-show-superhero-movies-blighted-culture-1234594526/

BLUE GIRAFFES AND HORSE SERUM

by Hugh Pennington

Student halls of residence have now joined cruise liners, care homes, meat plants, giant evangelical church gatherings and migrant worker dormitories as Covid-19 transmission hot spots. The US is top of the league table so far. A New York Times survey found that by 25 September, 1300 colleges had been affected and 130,000 students had tested positive. Universities in Scotland start teaching earlier than in the rest of the UK, so here they have led the way, with cases and outbreaks at St Andrews, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Many other universities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have followed since.

Historically, campuses have tended to be safer from the lethal effects of infection than the communities surrounding them. Oxford and Cambridge have been studied intensively. In 1348-9 during the Black Death, students and masters in the theology faculty at Oxford had a mortality rate of 25 to 27 per cent. For the rural poor it was 40 per cent. During the 1918-19 influenza pandemic, three students at Cambridge died, two in the second wave in November and one in the third wave in February. During this period influenza killed 117 town residents, including five labourers, ten domestic servants, three shop assistants and four munitions workers.

Outbreaks of infection caused by other pathogens in universities have been small, such as the occasional recent clusters of cases of meningococcal meningitis, or the forty cases of septicaemia at the University of Jena in 1882 caused by contaminated duelling Schläger. A very recent upsurge in cases of mumps was driven by outbreaks in universities. It terminated abruptly after the UK-wide lockdown. Students had become susceptible to infection because their vaccine-induced immunity had waned, and some had missed out because of Andrew Wakefield. If mumps resumes it is remediable. There is a vaccine.

As transmission hot spots, university halls of residence are close epidemiologically to migrant worker dormitories, even though hot bunking is not the norm, they are not usually infested with bed bugs and students pay fat fees to stay in them. The good news is that testing positive is not the same as being ill; a study of 670 positive students at a North Carolina university in August found that none had been hospitalised.

Big outbreaks of respiratory infections in migrant workers are not new. Early in the 20th century, pneumonia mortality rates among gold miners in South Africa were extraordinarily high. In early 1904, 206 men arrived at a Rand mine from Mozambique. Within four months, 116 were dead. The cause was Streptococcus pneumoniae, a bacterium carried harmlessly by a minority of adults in the nose and throat. Like Covid-19 it can cause pneumonia and spread to other organs, and is particularly harmful to the elderly. In early editions of his landmark medical textbook William Osler called it ‘the special enemy of old age’; in the final edition, published posthumously, it was termed ‘the friend of the aged’ because it killed quickly.

In the pre-antibiotic era, S. pneumoniae, like Covid-19 today, was more lethal for black people and individuals living in poor quality housing, and it still kills more men than women. Unlike Covid-19, the risk of a pneumococcal infection is highest in infants, and alcoholics are more susceptible. When I was a casualty officer I once saw a very sick and agitated ticket collector from Waterloo Station. One side of his chest was completely solid. I asked if he was seeing pink elephants. No, he said, blue giraffes; pneumonia had stopped him drinking, causing alcohol withdrawal delirium tremens.

Research on a pneumococcal vaccine in South Africa started in 1911, funded by the Witwatersrand Native Labour Association, a mine recruitment organisation. Progress was slow. Real success didn’t come until 1976, when a trial at the East Rand Preparatory Mine near Johannesburg showed that the latest vaccine gave 80 per cent protection. Just as well, because antibiotic-resistant strains were becoming common.

Before antibiotics, if you got pneumococcal pneumonia and were in a specialist hospital there was a strong possibility that you’d be given blood serum from immunised horses. You would be told that, with the serum, you had about a 20 per cent chance of dying from the pneumonia, possibly doubling your survival prospects, and a 10 per cent chance of an allergic reaction, though the likelihood of being killed by anaphylaxis was very low. Serum treatment was abandoned as soon as sulphonamides and penicillin appeared. Whether human plasma from convalescent patients will work as a treatment for Covid-19, time will tell. In August Donald Trump hailed it as a miracle cure. I wonder if he feels differently now that he’s tested positive for Sars-CoV-2 himself.

---

Commenter Rebekah Seeger says: 

I'm surprised that campuses have been safer in the past. My sister had a meningitis scare while a student in the US in about 2005. Her doctor said that's typically where contagious diseases spread - in places where people share showering facilities, toilets, dining spaces etc. I suspect that something like COVID-19 that spreads through droplets is going to be a challenge in dorms with like 4 showers/floor, where people are spitting in the same sinks brushing their teeth etc. 

Commenter Graucho says: 

Trump's case is an interesting experiment in the benefit of very early intervention. Fighting a virus is a race determined by which can reproduce faster, the virus or your immune system. By giving him an anti-viral+a high dose of mono-clonal anti-bodies they have given him a head start which is a much better position to be in than playing catch up.

While he is getting the best medical care on the planet, his lawyers are at the supreme court trying to deprive 20 million Americans of any health care at all. A number to be swelled by the as yet unknown number of covid long haulers who will now have to try to get insurance with a pre-existing medical condition.

The Democrats may have removed their attack ads, but this point needs making. 

TOM & NANCY'S PICKS

Subject: Voting recommendations

Hello voter! Before each election folks ask me for my voting recommendations, knowing I’m a thoughtful, caring progressive, so here they are. Feel encouraged to pass it on to local family and friends.

Tom Wodetzki

• President & VP: Joseph R.Biden & Kamala Harris
• House of Representatives: Jared Huffman
• Member of Assembly: Jim Wood
• Mendocino Coast Rec & Park: Keith Stiver and Angela Dominguez
• Propositions (Yes on all except 20 & 22, see below):
  • 14: Yes
  • 15: Yes
  • 16: Yes
  • 17: Yes
  • 18: Yes
  • 19: Yes
  • 20: NO
  • 21: Yes
  • 22: NO
  • 23: Yes
  • 24: Yes
  • 25: Yes

Below is a chart to help you decide how to vote on this year’s 12 ballot propositions. Their numbers are listed across the top of the chart and described at the bottom. Down the left side of the chart are 20 major non-profit organizations, listed in order of liberal to conservative, followed by their recommendations. This allows you to see what the groups you respect recommend and therefore cast a more informed ballot. 

To summarize the recommendations, most conservative and Republican-leaning organizations encourage a No vote on all the propositions except 20 and 22, while most liberal and Democratic groups favor Yes votes on all except 20 and 22. 

Good government depends on informed voters. Please send this to your California friends.

Nancy Severy & Tom Wodetzki,

COMEDY OF HORRORS 2: CLOWN WITHOUT PITY.

The recording of last night's definitely not a fluke (2020-10-09) Memo of the Air: Good Night Radio show on KNYO-LP Fort Bragg is right here: https://tinyurl.com/KNYO-MOTA-0405

Furthermore, at https://MemoOfTheAir.wordpress.com you'll find a fresh batch of dozens of links to not necessarily radio-useful but nonetheless worthwhile educational items I set aside for you while gathering the show together. Such as:

"Stop that, Ivanka. No-one believes your fake tears." https://tinyurl.com/DownfallDrumpf

 Parting out the end of an obscenely wasteful, ridiculous industry whose only real benefit was a handful of jobs for piano bar performers and, in antique wartimes, troop transport. Though we'll wish we had kept a few of these ships around and intact when the climate panic-migrations begin. And I suppose they could be prisons and office buildings and dystopian orphanages and entry-level housing right now. Just hook up electricity and sewage. https://nagonthelake.blogspot.com/2020/10/ship-graveyard.html

One level up, in the real world. https://tinyurl.com/TheSimulacron

And, yeah, exactly what I was thinking: This will disrupt toxic stereotypes of gender. "It is also 100-percent cotton and includes smock embroidery," so there's that, too. This is the kind of clothes where you don't want to be eating oatmeal when you first see it, because you will snort out a quick bark of laughter and oatmeal will get up inside the back of your nose. That's worse than when you get Pepsi up in there. And it's only $1,500. https://tinyurl.com/DisruptingTSOG

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

FOUND OBJECT