AT 6:45am Tuesday morning, CalFire called in the terrible news that a fully loaded logging truck had overturned on Flynn Creek Road near Navarro. The driver of the truck was dead and logs had spilled into the roadway, blocking the road in both directions. The name of the deceased has still not been released. The accident occurred about a mile and a half up Flynn Creek Road from Highway 128.
ON SUNDAY, at approximately 2:20pm, Jeffrey Mooney, 51, of Oakland, was driving a 2002 Toyota RAV4 eastbound on Highway 128 a short distance west of Highway 253. Mooney fell asleep at the wheel and the Toyota drifted to the left across the roadway and collided with a parked car on the north shoulder. Mooney sustained minor injuries and did not need to be packed off to Ukiah's emergency room. But his passenger, Ginnette Walden, 40, also of Oakland, sustained major injuries and was flown to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. The collision is still under investigation, the CHP reported.
SUZANNE SHIPPEY is the talented seamstress who works her magic in the Farrer Building in downtown Boonville. Monday morning about 9, Ms. Shippey, whose daughter works across the street at the Boonville Hotel, had left the Farrer Building to retrieve something from her home down the street where she found a strange young man, a very strange young man, standing in inside her house. Ms. Shippey dashed across the street to the Boonville Fairgrounds, and in a matter of minutes deputy Craig Walker was placing the handcuffs on Gary Taylor Potterton, 22, of Glen Ellen. Ms. Shippey was only temporarily unnerved and was soon back working her magic at her singing sewing machine, but she is taking legal steps to ensure that the Anderson Valley has seen the last of Potterton.
DEPUTY WALKER assumes Potterton arrived in Boonville for Rasta Fest two weeks ago and hadn't wanted to leave. He'd been hanging around Boonville since the music stopped, harassing the young women who work in the ice cream kiosk and at the Boonville Hotel. Potterton had also been observed with his hand in the tip jar at Mosswood and, shoeless in Redwood Mercantile, pulled expensive socks up over his bloody, unwashed feet, assuring the clerk he was simply trying them on. He seemed particularly interested in the comings and goings of Ms. Shippey as she moved from her work to her home. Obviously a drug casualty, Potterton had become a constant, menacing presence in downtown Boonville.
AS A COMMUNITY SERVICE last Friday, Deputy Walker drove Potterton to Ukiah with a strong recommendation that he not return to Boonville. He was back later that evening. Then, on Monday morning, Potterton turned up inside Ms. Shippey's home, after earlier appearing in her shop. When Ms. Shippey found him in her home, Potterton said he was looking for a friend. Deputy Walker took Potterton into custody and booked him into the County Jail on felony burglary charges, stalking, and threatening bodily injury with bail set at $50,000. It turns out that Potterton has long history of annoying behavior that brings him constantly to the attention of the police. His father has taken out a restraining order against him, and Suzanne Shippey will also soon have a court order preventing Potterton from appearing anywhere near her business and home. She hopes it will keep him permanently out of the Anderson Valley.
THE LATE NORM VROMAN, Mendocino County DA, took a hard line on the Potterton types. “Are you any less dead because a crazy person kills you?” he once demanded of me when I expressed some softy-wofty lib-lab opinion on the subject. No, you aren't any less dead if a crazy person kills you, but what kind of society just lets them roam around getting sicker and sicker and more dangerous to everyone else? Used to be in this country all persons, including chronic drunks and dopeheads, who were unable or unwilling to care for themselves, went straight into the bin until they could manage. Now, there's nothing for the lost legions of the doomed, but there is a whole industry of non-profit buccaneers “helping” them and the larger society come apart.
GARRETT MAZZANATO, his mom, Renee Lee, reports, “is doing great.” Garrett has been cleared to start running on a treadmill or soft trails and his strength is almost 100%. A terrific three-sport athlete, on the last play of the final football game of last season, the championship game versus Point Arena, Garrett went down with a badly damaged knee causing him to miss all of basketball and baseball seasons, making his injury at least triply painful.
FARMERS MARKET NOTES: With the warm weather picking up, we are excited to see more local vendors coming in the Boonville Farmers' Market. Enjoy an excellent array of produce and preserves from Petit Teton, vegetables from Brock Farms, fresh greens from newcomer Navarro Ridge Roots, various types of blackberries from McEwen Family Farm, olive oil from Yorkville Olive Ranch, and Pam from Blue Meadow will be providing an excellent variety of tomatoes. We will also have local crafts. Some of the music this month will be provided by Michael & Leslie Hubbert, and singer/songwriter Jay Watkins. Join us this Saturday from 10:30AM-12:30PM. Support and eat local. Below is a list of activities for the month of July: July 14th: Chef demo with Julia Conway; July 28th: Blackberry tasting with Linda Filer Wiley.
JERRY BROWN'S BUDGET, just released this week, seems to have spared imperiled State Parks from closure this year, but the future of the Parks remains iffy. Kathy Bailey, of Anderson Valley's Save Hendy Woods, puts the latest developments in perspective: “It doesn't even mean “full” funding for the new fiscal year. It just means all but one of the parks on the closure list will be open in some form or another. For instance, Standish-Hickey is open only for bike/hike camping, not car camping at this time. Does that even count as “open?” But they are trying to work out a management agreement with Mendocino Area Parks Association (MAPA). I am still trying to get clarification on what is still in the budget. For instance, we are very interested in the water bond monies because the water delivery system at Hendy Woods is aging and springing leaks. The part of the system from the source to the tanks is recently upgraded and in good shape. It's the pipelines to the campsites that need help soon. The $11 million for Parks in the budget means they have dispatched the ambulance, but whatever they wheel in will be hanging out at the Emergency Room. We can only hope they infuse enough money to discharge some of these victims. Otherwise, parks are moribund. In spite of evidence to the contrary, I am actually pretty optimistic long term!”
AND FRANKLIN GRAHAM also takes on the Parks issue in all its grisly detail in this week's paper.
I WAS PLEASED, honored and surprised to be handed an invitation to Miss Sandra Gutierrez's quinceañera this Saturday, beginning with a celebratory mass at Saint Elizabeth Seton Church, Philo, 2pm. Mass will be followed a reception at the Apple Hall, Boonville where food will be served from 3 until 6pm followed by music and dancing from 6 until midnight. Anactasio Gutierrez and Laura Morales, the charming Miss Gutierrez's parents will present their daughter. Luz Maria and Jesus Pulido serving as godparents of honor.
THE BOONVILLE ARTWALK on Saturday, July 7 from noon to 5pm will include a showing of Wax and Bing Potter at the Boonville General Store.
COME CELEBRATE Paul Titus's 90th birthday! Saturday, August 4, 2012, 1pm at the Mendocino County Fairgrounds in Boonville. Barbecue and music. Please RSVP to Marty or Craig at 895-3424 or marti@mctitus.com. No gifts please.
PAUL AND VERA TITUS were my neighbors for many years, a proximity that must have seemed to them at times most unfortunate, but they were the best possible people to have nearby — always helpful, always with smiles on their faces — absolute rocks of stability in uncertain times. Happy 90th, Paul!
THE CSD'S rec committee meetings will now be held the last Thursday of the month, and I read the announcement several times and it seems that sometimes they're at Lauren's and when they aren't they're at Mosswood, and if you're interested you probably already know when is when, where is where. The Anderson Valley Land Trust BBQ and Barn Dance at Yellowdog Ranch, near Yorkville (www.andersonvalleylandtrust.org ) is coming right up on August 11th. AVLT helps landowners protect their land — including agricultural ranch and farmland — and this event will be raising funds to help complete conservation easements to achieve those goals. AVLT is looking for donations of local produce and products for the dinner and for the live and silent auction items. The donors' business names will be well publicized. Individuals will be listed if they so choose. For the auction we will feature gift certificates for perishable items such as meat, vegetables, fruit, chestnuts, eggs, cheese, etc. If the donor does not have a gift certificate form, we have created a generic gift certificate form that will be provided to the donor. For non-perishables such as honey, olive oil, preserves (how about salsa!), these items can be provided before the event so we can include them with the gift certificates. Non-edible local items such as soaps, aromatic oils, etc. would also be great donations. An auction donation form will be sent to each donor so we will need your email address. — Lisa Harrington will be creating the menu from local ingredients. Please let me know what you might be able to share. Please email (bgoodell@mcn.org ) or call me (895-3897) as soon as possible if you would like to contribute.
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