TRIVIALEDAD PRIZE
Editor,
Winner of the Times trivialedad contest: 1st Prize: 36 hours in Birmingham; 2nd prize: 72 hours in Birmingham.
If there is only one icon it is: Barbie Doll, Dismaleyland, Tom Mix, Black Friday, Willits Justice Center.
The answer of course is “The Times” with Peanut Butter a close second.
1. What is a word that “The Times” absolutely will not print?
2. What is a commonly used Spanish word “The Times” will not print, even in a quotation?
3. Who is now the best columnist in the country with the least amount of bullshit?
4. What does Maureen Dowd call candidate Romney?
5. Who is the socialist candidate in the 2012 election?
Why is it called the “Teddy Bear”? After Teddy Roosevelt who went on a bear hunting trip to Mississippi in 1902, but couldn’t find any bears and was ridiculed by cartoonists.
For what was Roosevelt most heavily criticized? For inviting a Negro to the White House.
What is the subject of these three popular books by Malcolm Gladwell? Outliers: When people succeed it has to do with luck and opportunities as well as talent. The Tipping Point: A study of social epidemics, otherwise known as fads. Blink: The importance of hunch and instinct in the working of the mind.
Robert Jouncewell
Willits
Answers: 1. Stink. 2. Maricon. 3. Eugene Robinson. 4. Mittens. 5. Quien sabe.
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THANKS FROM WALL STREET
Editor,
The protesters who tore up Oakland last weekend in the name of Occupy Wall Street are actually Wall Street's best friends because they enable the financial elite to portray all who legitimately oppose them as scary anarchists and vandals instead of ordinary Americans cheated out of the American dream.
James Holmes
Larkspur
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ANOTHER GREAT FILM FEST
Dear Anderson Valley film fans and local benefactors,
On behalf of the three local organizations that will receive donations from the recent 6th Annual Anderson Valley Festival, I would like to pass on the deepest gratitude for your support. The Festival's two nights and one day of films held at The Grange a week and a half ago brought in just under $2,000 in profits — all of which will be distributed between the AV Senior Center, the AV Animal Rescue, and the AV High School Film Class. There are many Valley folks who helped make the event such a success, far too many to mention individually, however, a few deserve a special 'Thank You' for their efforts.
Needless to say, my fellow Film Festival committee members should certainly be among those, for without them the Festival would not have taken place: Heidi Knott, Maria Goodwin, Charlotte Triplett, Jeanne Eliades, Tim Bates, and Eric Labowitz. And there are others who deserve special mention too: Mike Crutcher, the irreplaceable sound engineer and video and projector maestro; Patty Liddy, for all her work organizing the volunteers and collecting donations from our sponsors; the many (16) wineries who contributed so generously once again with wine for sale at the bar and as raffle prizes; the Anderson Valley Brewery for the draft beer and bar set-up; the AVA newspaper and the two radio stations - KZYX and KOZT, 95.3 The Coast, for all of the plugs and advertising; Mosswood Market and Alicia's Restaurant for their excellent food and substantial donations; David ‘The Grange Master’ Norfleet and the AV Grange Committee for allowing us to use their excellent venue; The AV Lions Club, particularly Judy Long, for her assistance in acquiring a beer and wine license for the event plus their help in finding volunteers; and last, but far from least, the many volunteers who gave their time to work their shifts on the door, bar and in the kitchen.
In previous years we have always made around $2000 in profits for the local beneficiaries. This amount was almost achieved once again, however on this occasion, given the financial climate, we decided not to ask the local small businesses for a donation this year, an amount that in the past has been approximately $1000. So, with that in the mind, the profits this year were particularly gratifying and entirely due to the generosity and support of our community.
Many thanks, and 'Well done' to everyone concerned!
Sincerely,
Steve Sparks
Philo
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MISBEHAVING
Dear Editor,
The report seen on a recent news broadcast was that husband, Shawn Harris is in prison doing six years for sexually assaulting/raping his wife many times (oral copulation). Wife Crystal Harris recorded many of the events which gave police and a court evidence to put this creep behind bars.
In further news, get this: Another judge, another court, has given Shawn an award of $1000 a month alimony from his former victim wife when he is released from prison in 2017 or sooner for good behavior. Obviously he knows how to behave well — behind bars anyway.
Is this Mendocino County? No, it happened in San Diego. By the way, neither the victim nor the perp is Hispanic.
Carl Flach
Alameda
PS. Just want to let you know that I enjoy/appreciate all the Todd Walton articles that you publish, which I read with glee. He certainly has great depth of himself and the world and puts words into a screed that is pure magic. Thank you for having him on your list of contributors.
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NO RESENTENCING
To the Editor:
An Open Letter to Judge Richard Henderson:
I read with great concern in the Ukiah Daily Journal that you are planning to review a sentence, the lowest prescribed for the crime, already lower than the least that have recently been determined for others for similar crimes, with the possibility of reducing it further, in response to pleas from the perpetrators family and friends.
The trend in society in recent times has been to take more seriously the crime of driving drunk, and rightly so. This is an especially egregious case. Here is someone, no longer a child, who drove drunk, killed a friend, and exhibited the most callous disregard by not rendering aid, first having coffee delivered to him, waiting four hours to report the accident, and lying about it, with no care or concern for anyone but himself.
If he does not serve at least the four year prison term, he will continue to drink, and he will continue to drive drunk, and perhaps kill and maim other innocent victims, because your attitude is telling him that what he did was no big deal. It is telling everyone else who drives drunk that it is no big deal.
Your approach to his sentencing shows disregard for the welfare of society. Living in Mendocino County since 1982 has taught me that in small communities, personal relationships take precedence over the rule of law. Some people cannot get arrested no matter what they do, and if they do get arrested, they cannot get the sentences they deserve. This creates disrespect for the law for those who benefit from these decisions, and cynical disrespect for the law for those who are not in a position to benefit from them. It destroys any belief in a just society.
I am asking you to let your original lenient sentence stand. Deliver justice in a fair and responsible manner, for the benefit of society. Driving drunk is a big deal. Driving drunk and killing someone is a very big deal. Compounding the situation as he did is an extremely big deal, and should not be dealt with lightly.
Carol K. Gottfried
Ukiah
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NO NEW JOB KILLERS
To the Editor:
If the Ukiah City Council denies Wal-Mart permission to expand, no one loses a job: Wal-Mart employees keep their jobs, as do the employees at Food-Maxx and Lucky’s. If, however, the City Council grants Wal-Mart permission to expand, employees at Lucky’s and Food-Maxx will lose their jobs because those supermarkets will be forced out of business. Some of those employees, but not all, will get jobs at Wal-Mart.
At a time when unemployment is already high, it makes no sense whatsoever to grant Wal-Mart permission to expand.
Janie Sheppard
Ukiah
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WHY THE DELAY?
Letter to the Editor
Open Letter to BOS
Last October, Supervisor McCowen asked CEO Carmel Angelo for a report on Laura’s Law. She said it would take her until December to report on it, then she said January and now she says April. Why?
The Supervisors can google on Assisted Outpatient Treatment and Laura’s Law (AOT/LL), and find out for themselves how successful it is all over the country in saving money from decreased hospitalizations and incarcerations, and in helping the sickest of the sick begin their recovery. AOT/LL is good public policy, increases public safety, saves money, makes common sense, and your constituents want it.
Why don’t you just do it?
Sonya Nesch, author of
Advocating for Someone with a Mental Illness
Comptche
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TALK TALK TALK
Dear Editor:
The GOP warhawks are beating their war drums for a war with Iran. These are the same fools that got us into a failed war in Iraq and having us engaging in a futile task of nation building in Afghanistan.
At the same time the warhawks in Israel want to bomb the nuclear facilities in Iran. Iran is not Syria or Iraq who didn't hit back when Israel bombed their purported nuclear facilities. Iran will hit back hard including missile strikes on Israel and Hezbollah with the their reported 25,000 to 30,000 missiles undoubtedly will attack Israel. Our embassy in Iraq with a staff of around 11,000 plus several thousand contractors is particularly vulnerable. Reportedly the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (Qud) already is in Iraq and could take these people hostage. Further our naval ships could come under attack and if their defensive weapons fail they become floating graveyards. Then of course we might have terrorist attacks directed towards Americans overseas as well as at home. If anybody is really serious about resolving this situation you don't bomb, bomb, bomb but rather talk, talk, talk.
In peace,
James G. Updegraff
Sacramento
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FISHERS, NOT OIL
Editor,
Keep Local Fishermen Fishing and Prevent Offshore Oil Drilling
Whoever is elected to represent California’s Northcoast Second Congressional District will be a key participant in setting ocean and fisheries policy. I am committed to supporting small, independent, local fishers, assuring local fishers a fair share of federal fisheries allotments.
I recommend that everyone support the “Keep Fishermen Fishing Rally” in Washington, D.C. on March 21. These fishermen are true environmentalists, asserting the rights of sustainable, harmonious fishers, bringing people health-giving food in harmony with the ocean environment.
I agree with the organizers of the March 21 rally when they told the truth about the Magnuson Act: “Signed into law in 1976, in recent years the Act has been transformed from its original intent, to conserve our nation’s fish and support our nation’s fishermen, into a weapon employed by a handful of megafoundations and the anti-fishing Environmental Non-Government Organizations they support to drive fishermen off the water.”
For information on the March 21 Keep Fishermen Fishing Rally, see their website <www.keepfishermenfishing.com >.
Awash in the most profits ever made, oil companies keep hammering on many levels to get at the Point Arena Basin, an earthquake-fault-riven unexplored offshore oil leasing area off the Mendocino Coast, believed to contain significant amounts of oil. Relentless opposition to offshore oil drilling here has prevented it so far, yet eternal vigilance is required.
This year, 2012, I recommend that we support Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey’s bill to expand the Gulf of Farallones-Cordell Bank Marine Sanctuary northward, to permanently prohibit offshore hydrocarbon drilling off the Sonoma Coastand Mendocino to Point Arena. This Marine Sanctuary, crafted with leaders of fishing unions and groups, does not regulate fisheries, but prevents pollution and drilling.
I recommend that fishermen push for introduction and enactment of Rep. John Garamendi’s “West Coast Ocean Protection Act,” which would forever protect the offshore federal waters of Washington, Oregon, and California from offshore oil or gas drilling.
Congressman Mike Thompson always has supported these and other efforts to prevent offshore oil and gas drilling.
The ocean upwelling ecosystem of Northern California is a rare and eternally abundant source of essential food for humans. Protecting the ocean and practicing harmonious seaweed harvest for food has been my life.
John Lewallen
Philo
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WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE…
Mr. Anderson:
While there was a lot to admire in Dick Meister’s article, "So, What About The State of The Unions, Mr. President?", I don’t think his criticism of Obama was strong enough.
Obama made only a half-assed effort to promote the Employee Free Choice Act. And he appointed a venture capitalist, Arnie Duncan, as his Secretary of Education. Duncan’s focus has been on replacing public schools with charter schools and beating up teachers’ unions–and teachers. Race to the Top is No Child Left Behind on steroids as some wit has observed.
Alexander Cockburn’s and Jeffrey St. Clair’s CounterPunch of 16–30 November, 2011, featured an excellent article by DavidMacaray entitled "Obama and Labor--Friends Without Benefits."
In his article, Macaray is a lot tougher on Obama. He concludes the article by writing, "Because Obama believes America’s labor unions have no place to reside except the Democratic Party, he condescends to them. ...The message is clear: if you think the Democrats aren’t doing enough for you, just see how you do with the Republicans."
The entire article merits perusal.
Louis S. Bedrock
Roselle, NJ 07203
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OBAMA V. CALIFORNIA
Editor,
It is vital that cities throughout California remain defiant like Oakland has been in the face of the Obama administration’s ongoing scare tactics with regard to medical marijuana.
Proposition 215 is the law in California and has been for the past 15 years. I met with US Attorney Melinda Haag this past December about the recent federal crackdown and the tension between state and federal law. Unfortuantely, she is not using the discretion granted her office to discrimate between the bad actors in the industry and the responsible ones.
I fail to understand how marijuana dispensaries throughout Northern California that are in complete compliance with local law are suddenly a threat to public safety after so many years. This is simply bad politics.
What we need now is strong political leadership from our elected officials to defend California state law. San Francisco has been a leader on this issue and the mayor and the Board of Supervisors need to be more prominent in their opposition to the US Attorney’s actions. Clearly, medical marijuana will eventually be decided by the Supreme Court, but in the meantime we cannot allow the wholsesale dismantling of medical marijuana in the state by a rogue Department of Justice.
Tom Ammiano, Assemblyman
San Francisco
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FREE AIR TRAVEL
Editor,
Free airline flights anywhere within the United States (from Maine to Florida, California to Washington — with hundreds of stops in between)
Are you tired of paying those exorbitant fees for airline tickets, for standing in line to prove you are who you say you are, for calculating schedules and frequent flyer discounts, for worrying about whether your plane will be blown up? (As for the safety issue, relax, our airline has reserved departure and landing areas secured by armed professionals. Additionally, armed air marshals accompany all flights. Our proud boast is that we’ve never lost a passenger.)
All meals are free. We even provide a physician’s assistant on all flights.
Hotel reservations? Not to worry. One of our singular claims to fame is that you can step off the plane right into our modern seven-story hotel, centrally located in the heartland of the country, Oklahoma City, where you can catch your connecting flights.
The only requirement for you to enjoy these CON-AIR benefits is that you must enroll as a member of the Gulag. This is not a difficult process. With the end of the Cold War and the imposition of the war on drugs, then the war on terror, the recruiting requirements have been lowered. Almost anyone can join.
If you’re squeamish and can’t commit the necessary deeds, just remember that this country alone has that all-inclusive statue on the books entitled “conspiracy.” Just whisper a few conspiratorial words into the ears of certain gossipy friendly folks near a mosque who will relay the secrets in greatly exaggerated form to one of the many agent provocateurs lurking about and you too can enjoy the benefits of CON-AIR.
Ronald Del Raine
Victorville
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WELL I’LL B
Dear Editor,
The AV B Well program is up and running for this new year 2012! Start this new year on a good foot and give it up for your health! All Welcome! Free or donation-based (suggested donation $5-7)
February/March Schedule: After School Fitness with Kira Brennan in the HS Cafeteria 3:45-4:45 Mon: Active Yoga-All levels Welcome. Bilingual
Wed: Fitness- Weight Training, toning and aerobics. Bilingual
Thurs: Erin’s Boot Camp: Aerobic work-out & Core training. Bilingual
Power Walk class: M-W-F at 8:45 am starting at the Elementary Parking Lot (Begins on Wed. Feb 1st) (2 Miles)
Boot Camp Aerobic Workout :Saturdays at 10am (Begins Feb 4th) AVHS Cafeteria. Join Erin Brown, personal trainer for this one hour aerobic workout.
Easy Stretch Chair Yoga: with Kathy MacDonald Thursdays 11:00-12:00 AV Senior Center.
All donations welcome to support the AV B Well program. Find us on Facebook AV B Well for updated schedules or call Kira Brennan at 877-3479 or kibrenn@yahoo.com
Peace and Health
Kira Brennan
Navarro
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MAKE WINE, NOT NUKES
Editor,
Frey Winery Hosting California Nuclear Initiative (CNI) Event
America’s first Organic Winery has assembled an evening of speakers and discussion around Nuclear Energy in California and the CNI 2012 Ballot Initiative to close the States two Nuclear Power Plants.
Redwood Valley, February 3rd, 2012. This Saturday February 11th in the beautiful Redwood Valley, Frey Vineyards, a leader in organic wine production and sustainable farming practices since 1980, has assembled an evening around ending nuclear energy in California.
Diablo Canyon and San Onofre Nuclear Power Plants operate near some of the largest population centers and most important agricultural lands in the State. The March 2011 triple meltdown and large radiation releases at Fukushima Daichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan have brought the risks and cost of nuclear power to the forefront of public debate.
California’s two Nuclear Power Plants, both built in the 1970s, are approaching the end of their 40-year design life, and have been plagued with problems for many years; both sit on active earthquake faults. San Onofre has the worst safety record of the nation’s 104 nuclear plants, as the recent January, 31st accident and Radiation release attest.
It is time for California, the nation and the world to begin a rational and fact-based discussion about the costs and dangers of operating old, poorly designed and poorly sited nuclear plants. Renewable energy alternatives exist and conservation measures could be enacted to make up the small contribution that nuclear power makes to the electrical supply of the State. The Japanese have made this clear, after shutting down 50 of its 54 plants in response to the Fukushima Disaster.
The CNI event begins at 6pm. Organic Pizza (made with ingredients grown at Frey Winery) baked in the winery’s beehive outdoor oven will be served along with Frey organic wine. Speakers to be announced, presentations will be given, petitions and information will be available to sign and take. Local music provided.
To learn more about the event and Frey Winery visit www.freywine.com.
Paul Frey, 707- 485 -5177, paulfrey@freywine.com
Mark House, 707 513 5843, mahouse729@gmail.com
Redwood Valley
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WATERLESS FROST PROTECTION
Editor,
Something I can’t quite understand: French and German grapes, and even Spanish and Italian, grow in climates with much colder winters than occur in Mendocino and Sonoma, including high ground vineyards. We have a few vineyards here in Minnesota and neighboring Ontario has a substantial wine country. How do they manage without frost protection?
Whyte Owen
Rochester, Minnesota
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TAKE THIS, WALL STREET
Editor:
Please chant for the destruction of the plutocracy:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Thank you,
Craig Louis Stehr
Oakland
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ANONYMOUS COP GRIPE
Dear Editor,
As a 15-year subscriber, great admirer of your enterprise, and an avid consumer of his reports, I say Bruce McEwen is a good fit in the ambient machismo at the AVA.
His obnoxious fraternity with cops and officers of the court on the prosecution side has crossed a line. In Two Little Trials (AVA, February 1) he declares his impatience with ‘police state talk,’ by ‘people here who don’t get out into the real world much.’ Then he says a jury trial is something a defendant has ‘managed to get himself.’ As though this fundamental feature of any righteous legal system was something bestowed by ‘feeb’ goddesses mollycoddling dirt-hippie skells. Then he quotes some anonymous tough-guy ‘lawyer-friend’ (maybe he has one too many of those) complaining about ‘the myth… that the system is rigged against poor people’!
Two years ago I deposited all the money I could muster into your local economy. Three days later Sheriff’s deputies from a Mid-Western county profiled my rental car with out-of-state plates. They wrote a completely fictional arrest report in which they lied about the reason they pulled me over, invented an odor in my car, under-reported the on-board agricultural specialties, and ripped off the difference. Crooked cops everywhere know they can write whatever bullshit they want about a dope arrest. To a jury, it’s the word of local cops against some stranger who had shit in his car. If a group of friends had not chipped in for the putative best lawyer in the area, I could be doing 5 to 15 down there now instead of my 5-year probation.
By all AVA accounts, the cops and prosecutors in Mendocino County seem very fair and honest. But hey, Bruce, in the ‘real world’ justice and freedom are for sale.
Name Withheld
Ukiah
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NOTES ON A REZ
Greetings to all you out there in Mendoland,
As one year comes to an end, another begins, and like all curious souls we try to remember the events that occurred during the past 12 months. Many of these events are good and some are bad, and which one is which depends on what side you're on or whose side you're on. No, I'm not trying to be negative. But sometimes the truth needs to be told. Yes, it may hurt some feelings and those who are caught will deny what they have done. But the truth is just that and, as they say, is the only thing that truly hurts.
So what do we have to talk about that happened in Indian country over the past year? Oh yes, a few months ago the Mendocino County Sheriff's office reared its racist head once again when they had the Buckhorn Bar shutdown on California Indian Days in Covelo. You know, that little town right next to the Round Valley Indian Reservation? The Valley had way too many cops in it and as one Indian put it, "he knew they weren't after him." Mendo's finest went beyond their usual display of racism. They might as well have hung signs on every bathroom door and water fountain so that Indians knew which ones to use. The Buckhorn was shut down because of Indian Days. The Buckhorn was shut down because more Indians were coming to town. And the Buckhorn was shut down because Mendocino County's white power said that “We need to control these wild drunken Indians.” I guess they figured if they shut down the Buckhorn, no Indians would come. But surprise, surprise, the Indians showed up anyway. So smoke that Mendocino's finest. The black man thought that they had it bad. Well, what happened wasn't good, but are they still going through it? It's just another day of approved racism by the powers to be Mendoland.
It's a sad day when law enforcement can openly call Native People “drunken Indians” and be patted on the back for it by their superiors. What's even sadder is that no Native People stood up to say anything about what happened. It makes me wonder: where have all the Indians gone? Are there any left to keep our people above water? Or will we sink and finally be annihilated by this government whose purpose in the beginning was to do just that to all our Native People across the country.
I do hate to jump on a different subject but I really have no choice because once again the Council of the Hopland Band of Pomo Indians screw their people without a second thought. This is the one thing that the Council of the Hopland Band does for its tribal members: they screw them over every chance they get. This time all but one of the election committee has elected to allow three known drug addicts to run for Council. Drug tests were done on the would-be candidates who want to run for Council and three were positive for drugs. One of those who was tested is a current councilmember and the election committee for the tribe said that “it does not matter that these three individuals are using drugs, they have a right to be on the tribal council.”
Makes one think that the election committee's shoe-in candidate was one of those who tested dirty so the committee had to do something to make sure that their candidate was not removed from running. According to the current Tribal Council and the election committee these are the kind of people they want in charge of our tribe. Not only that, another one of the would-be candidates is a known thief by his own words who stole money from the Hopland tribe to feed his own gambling addiction. He's a self admitted thief and yet our current tribal council allows him to run for a council seat. If these are the type of people who are allowed to run our tribe, and for all we know have been running our tribe, it's no wonder that the Hopland Band of Pomo Indians are so far in debt to the local white man.
I wish I could be on the Council. But we all know that will never happen. Well, maybe if I steal money from the tribe or become a drug user again, because the Tribal Council as well as the election committee sees fit for these types of characters to run are tribe. And these people have the nerve to promote a drug-free and no tolerance environment. What a joke.
Before I close I would like just like to remind the Council of something and I really hope that you listen and take what I have to say to heart because it's really important and could change the course of the future for the tribe. Remember and never forget that “You are Indians, so start acting like it.” You really need to remember who and how Indians are because I truly believe you have forgotten. Also try to remember you were put in office for the tribal members. You were put there to do something to benefit the future of the tribe, not to build shooting ranges for the cops. Why do the tribal cops need a shooting range? Why? So the next time the tribal council decides to assassinate one of its tribal members you can do it on their own and not involve the Mendocino County Sheriff's Department.
Signed:
Just one concerned Native
Hopland
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ADOPT-A-HIGHWAY
Open Letter To The Anderson Valley Community
from the Medical Marijuana Patients Union
A very strange thing has happened on Highway 128 outside of Boonville at the 24.84 mile marker — the Medical Marijuana Patients Union Adopt-A-Highway “recognition sign” has disappeared and the mendocino.com sign has replaced it.
Coming out of Boonville going west, there are now two mendocino.com signs, one after the other, and the former Patients Union sign is no longer there.
This has to be an act of vandalism because the sign outside of Philo is still intact. If it were an official CalTrans policy, the sign at the Philo end of the assigned route would have been removed as well. And CalTrans officials would normally be expected to contact us if there was a problem.
For example, we did have a regular problem of sign theft when we were located on Highway 1 at Elk. After three thefts, it was becoming inconvenient, so CalTrans moved us to 128, which has taken place without incident, until now.
I am appealing to the community to help us figure this out and help find out who is responsible for this wrong. It is more than random vandalism, because someone needed access to another mendocino.com sign to replace the one they removed.
Perhaps there is a connection with the recent Laura Hamburg dust-up, where her dispensary was made to feel unwelcome. And even though the purposes are different, this may also be designed to make the Patients Union feel unwelcome and unrecognized.
There is a distinct minority in this valley resistant to the inclusion and recognition of the medical cannabis community as equals, even though we are shrouded in medical rights approved by the voters.
The Patients Union has been picking up large amounts of litter on three highways for nine years (since 2003) in a concerted effort to perform a much needed service for the community and to pay our debt of gratitude to the voters.
Our purpose is to live well by doing good, and that means working for our rights.
According to previous AAH coordinator, Nita Brake, it was announced at one of CalTrans annual conventions that California had added the Medical Marijuana Patients Union to the roster of litter-picker-uppers and that they were out there doing the job. It was a positive topic of conversation. It was the first time the word marijuana had appeared on a permanent public sign anywhere in the country.
The Patients Union was originally told we'd be closely watched since this was a controversial first — no problem, we're used to that. We've always been on our best behavior as we did our work picking up other people's garbage. We've never had a complaint and our relations with CalTrans are positive. We do the job. What else is there to say?
California voters restored cannabis patients' medical rights, but many people still consider us criminals, or phonies at best.
But actually, we are forerunners of the idea that it's good for the soul to give back to society and it's good for society to care about having a soul.
Pebbles Trippet, for MMPU
formed in Navarro, Dec 2000
Fort Bragg
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WILL
Editor,
A Review of the Movie ‘Will’—
Will is a story about a kid who lives in an orphanage, and runs away to Istanbul to see Liverpool play a soccer game. His dad had bought the tickets but then died, so Will's buddies helped him run away in the night, and he took off across Europe by himself. He got as far as Paris when teenagers took his money. He met a guy from Serbia named Alek who used to play soccer. Together they go to Istanbul, meeting people and having adventures along the way.
I liked the movie because the story was interesting and funny. I liked the settings, too. My favorite character was Will because he was brave and kind.
Sam Douglass-Thomas
Boonville
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DEFENDING AMY
Dear Bruce,
I've been waiting years for the mention of AMY GOODMAN in the AVA. A “smug ideologue” he called her. Ya sure.
She comes on at 5am only in Homer, Alaska, the public radio staff there is one hour braver than Kodiak, Alaska, where it comes on at 4am. It stays under the radar cuz the Chambers of Commerce could never let her get prime time, but she's got closer to it than anyone ever has, and all over the world too. There's never been anyone like her and that's hard for some to admit.
This blooper brings to mind Nicholas von Hoffman who I always enjoyed, brought down as I recall by a clever shot from Alex Cockburn on the topic of a national identity card. Years later I think a card would be nice so I could whisk thru airports easier.
Then there was Arthur Winfield Knight, a delightfully whimsical movie reviewer, besmirched in these pages by a shittail who then wrote his own movie reviews, unreadable things, and then sputtered out after a few months. I guess it was enough for him to be the guy that got AWK.
I heard some things about how Amy came to be. My memory is lousy but there's the impression was she made some people unhappy. But that was then, and now is now. By any fair rating of her daily output of information you can't get anywhere else, she's the best there ever was and unfortunately probably ever will be. The writer (whose pieces I've always enjoyed) should do penance by faithfully listening to DEMOCRACY NOW for a few weeks, and we should all forgive him, make like it didn't happen. It could have been any one of us no-account coffee house squabbler that made the slip.
John Finley
Kodiak, Alaska
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MONTH-TO-MONTH
To the Anderson Valley Community and Beyond,
First and foremost, we want to thank you all for all your support for All That Good Stuff. It has been overwhelming and incredibly heart-warming to know that ATGS means so much to you and to the community.
We also would like to make a clarification. Johnny, Roger and Melinda stated that they offered me and Claudia a two-three year lease. We were never given an opportunity to sign such a document. It had been discussed a couple of times and then pulled off the table. The last clear communication we had regarding the state of our tenancy at the Farrer Building was that we were on a month-to-month basis with no increase in the rent and that we would be given time to find a new location.
We want you to know that we are actively looking for a new location and as soon as we have found our new spot in town you will all be the first to know. We are confident that something will come up and that we will continue to serve the community and beyond as we have done here at the Farrer Building for the last 22 years.
So for the time being, please continue to find us at the Farrer Building. We look forward to a fresh new start, whenever and wherever that may be. We are grateful to hear from you all that you will support us wherever we go. Claudia and I are, and will be, forever grateful for your continuing support.
Leslie and Claudia
Boonville
PS. If you do have any ideas for us concerning a good spot for ATGS, please let US know. Thanks!
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WILL
Editor,
A Review of the Movie ‘Will’—
Will is a story about a kid who lives in an orphanage, and runs away to Istanbul to see Liverpool play a soccer game. His dad had bought the tickets but then died, so Will's buddies helped him run away in the night, and he took off across Europe by himself. He got as far as Paris when teenagers took his money. He met a guy from Serbia named Alek who used to play soccer. Together they go to Istanbul, meeting people and having adventures along the way.
I liked the movie because the story was interesting and funny. I liked the settings, too. My favorite character was Will because he was brave and kind.
Sam Douglass-Thomas
Boonville
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