Last week, I listened with interest to Holly Madrigal’s KZYX interview with unopposed Point Arena City Council Candidate, Olivia Ford. One of the young candidate’s concerns was, “A major corporation is buying up Point Arena real estate.” Although Madrigal made no inquiry as to what corporation might be buying up Point Arena, are you aware of which corporation that might be, and why a corporation buying up Point Arena would be an issue? With 14 empty store fronts on Main Street, Point Arena looks awfully dismal these days.
After I, for one, sat on the Point Arena City Council and voted on April 24, 2000, in favor (4 to 1) of a resolution to end Corporate Personhood in Point Arena, asking locals to NOT sell out to corporations; the first to sell out to a mega-cooperation in Point Arena, was the local pot dispensary, sold to international cannibus corporation, Flow Kana, which/who...
(It is confusing, because ...is a corporation a “which” or a “who” when selecting restrictive qualifiers?) Oh, yes, ...the only difference being that humans eventually die for good… corporations, on the other hand, don’t have to eventually die, as dying is not good for business. Here’s a good website describing Corporate Personhood in Mendocino and America today: http://www.nancho.net/corperson/cparena.html
However, the other corporation which appears to be buying up great gobs of Point Arena is The Mormon Church of the Latter Day Saints, under the pseudonym, “610 Properties, LCC, (a self-described “real estate investment trust business” also listed as SixTen LCC). Representative of this corporation in Point Arena is Jeff Hansen.
Searches related to 610 Properties, llc holding company for the Mormon Church of Latter Day Saints reveal an estimated 32 billion dollars in LDS holdings across the U.S.
Candidate Ford better do her homework, because when she’s voted in, unopposed, onto Council, (don’t vote for write-in candidate and Brown Act violator/conspirator, Eric Dahlhoff, who, in last week’s AVA, gave specific directions for voters on how to complete the ballot to write in his name. For some reason, he added in the letter to the AVA editor column that he promises to “be nice” while seated on Council, but like Trump, I wouldn’t trust Eric Dahlhoff any further than I could throw him. I’ve watched him “work it” up close and personal. Being nice is not in Dahlhoff’s nature, but violating Brown Act, always his first impulse.) … Ford will be sitting with Richie Wasserman, whom, even though he let his contractor’s license lapse years ago, woodworks as contractor for the Mormons at the Wildflower Boutique Motel, serving as planning intermediary to Richard Shoemaker, City Manager. Another conflict of interest, Richie works as City Councilman and Planner for the City of Point Arena (and as paid LAFCO rep for the City’s County seat on that board), as well as the Mormon Church. Formerly the Sea Shell Inn Motel, the Wildflower Boutique Motel finally opened for business after a renovation of several years. I wonder if Richie has recused himself on all City Council votes related to the old Sea Shell Inn.
Before an un-named source realized who she was dealing with, she was initially friendly with Richard Wasserman, and says she was in the presence of LAFCO rep, Wasserman, one day when Richie informed Jeff Hansen, of 610 Properties, LCC, that Richard Shoemaker, City Manager, sent word through Richie that it wasn’t the time presently for Mormon representative, Jeff Hansen to run for political office in Point Arena. Perhaps later… Richie Wasserman knows you have to get on City Council to reap the benefits of Brown Act Violations when conspiring to get building projects approved within the City of Point Arena. Wasserman’s been operating like that for years, having been Mayor several times, each time voted in by the old white powder population in Point Arena. It only takes less than 80 votes to win in the City of Point Arena! In fact, Richie Wasserman sat on Pt. Arena City Council with me in 2000 and also voted for the Corporate Personhood resolution, but backslides now ...for money.
Names of just a few of Point Arena’s homes and businesses purchased so far by the Mormon’s 610 Properties Corporation: Point Arena General Store; Shannon Hughs’ old Pangaea Restaurant next door to post office; a home and an empty corner lot on Scotts place; the low income multi-unit apartment housing off Port Road adjacent to the City Park; The old Sea Shell Inn Motel, which finally opened just recently after years of renovation to include the Easter Ridge Realty building next door; and Richie Wasserman sold them his four-plex apartments on Mill Street. In addition, Richie’s friend, Peter Reimuller, also sold his Abalone Arms Apartments to this Mormon corporation. These two predatory white men used to be self-proclaimed hippies, or so they say. So why sell out to a corporation so far to the right in their old age? Not an ethical backbone between them, maybe they want a ticket on that stairway to heaven, compliments of the Mormon church.
Local renters whose rentals were purchased by SixTen corporation, have had to move because their paid rental rates were then increased incrementally, until they could no longer afford to live in their long-time homes. The Mormons then moved in their own renters, friends from their “corporation”.
Point Arena has it’s own sewer plant installed circa 1984-85, and Bill Hay’s mother owned the water works before him. Having established sewer and water makes Point Arena a real “city”. However, Boonville hasn’t fared so well under thoughtless County supervision of Anderson Valley. There is no infrastructure in Anderson Valley and the sewer has infiltrated the subterranean ground water. Even the Boonville Hotel, touted, the “best water in Boonville” tested positive for coliform bacteria a few years ago.
This seems more like religious prosecution than reporting. You state that 610 is a holding company for the Mormon Church yet there is no evidence to support your claim. I really don’t understand the vitriol towards the individuals who are breathing new life into the crumbling facades of PA. Just because someone creates an LLC does not make them a major corporation. It’s merely a tool for property ownership. A quick google search shows that 610 has 2 employees and makes less than $100,000 a year… a far cry from your reported 32B…
I hear stories of when PA was a bustling town, filled with life. Wouldn’t it be great to have businesses in town doing well enough to actually keep their doors open?!
duhh – in response to the above comment – wouldn’t it be great to have loggers raping the redwoods and fishing wiping out the salmon & crab ?
I always like a clear cut answer
Things are moving in some direction, but which is a mystery? The city council has genuine interest in improving businesses. Which is kinda like Pres. Reagan’s trickle down theory!
However it’s hard to argue with the rural beauty and a national monument status. So selling out to tourism has been the story ever since J.C. Pellascio properties began selling. He of course owned much of town at one time. In that day and age (70’s&80’s) came the response “Oh, what will we do?”…..Logging went south, while gutting the salmon streams, for what; a 100 years of corruption?
No, Debra, I love you because you’re such a natural contrarian. You fit right in, or at least you did for many years.
Who would like to develop a city as a bustling small town?
The City of Point Arena was a town of great characters! But redeveloping is a sticky wicket!
JC Pellascio owned my old property on Mill Street – the meadow behind has a very shallow clot of petroleum product seeping from the earth at “high tide” during the flooding season in the meadow. It oozes up, creating an opalescent sheen on top of the flowing water, almost smack dab in the middle of the property. He bought the mineral rights ad infinitum, which is still written on the deed to the property. At that time, it was determined that so much of the “oil” (fossil fuel) was at the earth’s surface, that it wouldn’t be a big enough amount to pump, so it was never mined. But his name lives on, deed after deed on the property. Yah, Point Arena has a huge economic slump about every 25 years, which kinda goes contrary to the rest of the world situation, but with COVID… a whole different kettle o fish!
Oh, might add, that, did you know that protected Point Arena Mountain Beaver Territory over by Richard Wasserman’s has been forsaken for his loud lumber mill of a building project? If that flies, we’re back to grand jury and a maybe that law suit, all over again!!!!
A refresh and renewing of Main Street today does not equate to raping and pillaging of the forest and ocean tomorrow…. It means there’s more than one bar, one restaurant, more open storefronts than vacant ones…. it wasn’t that long ago… remember 215? Alas, Covid is a wrench in the gears and we can all be thankful to have beautiful places to retreat to while it plays out… but Thank you to those who are fighting the good fight and looking towards a brighter future for this town and continuing to share great food from our local farms and bring people together, outside and at a distance…
Debra…. nice story about JC. Please provide references to support your article. I did my own digging and found more information contrary to your claims of Mormon corporation influence. In fact, I found no religious affiliation at all. Correct me if I’m wrong, but just because someone originated from Germany with the name Keipp does not make them a Nazi.
Hey deb, did you bring your pitch fork with you while writing this? Those signs when you come into town talk of inclusion and love, not bigotry towards certain groups… I also don’t see the connection you’re trying to make between 610 and the Mormon Church… where are you getting this? Maybe it’s all that coliform you’ve been taking in?
Corporate Personhood, estupidos.
Please share the specific evidence that support your claims of a connection between 610 Properties, LCC and LDS. Quite inappropriate for any journalist to “forget” to provide their sources.