Valley People (January 19, 2022)

YORKVILLE DELINQUENTS’ big night out. According to the Ukiah Department, on Sunday, January 9, a little after 3pm, officers couldn’t help but notice “two vehicles traveling southbound at a high rate of speed engaged in a speed contest.” One car got away, but Yorkville’s teen delegation “came to a stop in the 200 block of Tedford Avenue” and subsequently identified as “two male juveniles, one female juvenile and an adult male.” The driver was identified as a 17-year-old male from Yorkville, the front passenger was identified as a 14-year-old male from Yorkville, the girl and an “adult male” were in the back seat. “The arresting officer observed a bottle of liquor on the floorboard of the vehicle and soon also “observed the handle of a firearm protruding from under the front passenger seat, an Intratec Tech-9,” which had “a threaded barrel tip and met the requirements for an assault weapon…. And a loaded high capacity (30 round) magazine and a barrel extender.” The Yorkville gun boys were placed under arrest,  the  girl “was released to her legal guardian and the adult male was released from the scene.” The vehicle was impounded and the two Yorkville yobs booked into Juvenile Hall.

KIRA BRENNAN REPORTS: Theft on Gschwend Road, Philo. 16 ft green trailer. Yoga studio interior with built in propane stove. Taken between Dec. 31st-Jan 4th. Looking for leads to bring back home. Very sad to think this would be a new reality. We are very trusting for a reason. We love and trust our community. Also: All PO boxes on Gschwend road down to 128 were stolen from during the same period. Please keep your eyes and ears open. Please let me know if you saw the trailer being towed in the Anderson Valley area. It is a Salvage vehicle, has no lights, papers or registration and an eyewitness said they saw it going South towards Yorkville on Dec. 31st around 5 to 5:30. It is brown-green camo colors, 1965 Scotsman. It is completely empty, paneled, carpeted with a white wool, with my Yoga gear, and a steel Propane stove mounted on the wall. It is a vintage trailer, my Yoga studio, and was taken from Gschwend Road in the broad daylight it seems. (After 4 pm Dec. 31st)I am actively looking to find my trailer and who did this. It is not ok. I will offer a reward and my gratitude if you can help me. Anonymity is guaranteed. I have posted in Valley Hub, Elk and Mendocino Trading platforms, Craigslist in Mendocino and Sonoma County. This is in addition to having all of our mail stolen for the 4th time from the mail-boxes on HWY 128. Kira Brennan, kibrenn@yahoo.com, 707-321-8644 

BOONVILLE seemed deserted Sunday afternoon between the hours 1-5pm. Even through traffic was light on 128 when I popped outside to look at half time of the Niners unusually thrilling victory over the Dallas Cowboys, confirmation that when the Niners are on, Mendo is watching.

SHERIFF KENDALL has squelched a prevalent rumor that a serial killer is active in Mendocino County. The Sheriff said the recent deaths of two young Ukiah women are not related. The Sheriff did not say but could have said that the serial killer people think is loose is indeed loose, and easily identified as the ruthless people selling it.  

COUGH UP, ANDERSON VALLEY. Our schools are old and badly in need of fundamental repairs. Superintendent Simson: "I am excited to share with you that tonight the AVUSD Board voted to place a $13 million dollar bond measure on the ballot. This is the beginning of a visioning in facilities that will transform us from all that we currently ARE into all that we can BECOME. The measure will be on the June ballot. If anyone wants to walk through and see our needs and vision, call my cell at 707-684-1017 and set up a time. We also take this moment to express gratitude to Linnea Totten for accepting the appointment to the Board to fulfill an open term."

SUPERINTENDENT SIMSON also reported that although school attendance and staffing is down a little after the long holiday, not to mention the ravages of covid, when our super Super did a “walk through” Monday morning staff was at their posts, some of them at two posts to fill in for absent colleagues, students were at their studies and the Good Ship AV Unified was sailing on. The Superintendent praised staff, students and student families for managing so well in a very difficult time.

ACCORDING to the National Weather Service, the lush precipitation totals we've so far enjoyed here in NorCal could quickly drop below normal if we have a long run of dry days in January or February. What will the upcoming months hold? It's impossible to know for certain. Weather forecasts beyond 10 days are only accurate half the time, the National Weather Service says. But long-range forecast models from NOAA suggest that Southern California is more likely to be dry than wet, while Central and Northern California have an equal chance of being wet, dry or normal. Jan Null, who runs the private forecasting service Golden Gate Weather Services, said a January dry spell in Northern and Central California is highly likely, based on decades of data.

"Based on San Francisco's daily rainfall, over the past 71 rainfall seasons (i.e., July 1 to June 30) since 1950, there has been a 'dry' period in December or January averaging 19 days," Null wrote in an email.

Null defines a "dry period" as consecutive dry days with no rain, or consecutive days that were broken by no more than two nonconsecutive intervening days of very light rain with less than 0.08 inch recorded.

"All of these dry periods began in December or January, with the exception of the 1964-65 period, which was 19 days but did not begin until Feb. 6," he said. 

He thinks California could currently be in the midst of a prolonged dry spell.

LOOKING FOR GARDEN STARTS? Geoffrey at Natural Products of Boonville asks for input from anyone who wants to get garden starts or seed potatoes from him this spring. 

“The plan is to only grow pre-ordered starts for people this year. This is primarily because without a local Farmer’s Market there’s no other local venue for selling ‘leftovers’. I hope not to plant more than we can consume like I’ve done in the past. 

Ideally people should send me a list of not only what they may have gotten from me in the past and would like to grow again, but also cultivars they would like to be able to get this year. I’m currently waiting for a list of available certified seed potatoes from my favorite supplier and hope to post that next week, as well as a list of vegetable seeds I currently have. I plan to order any remaining seeds by early February for planting later that month. Please contact me via email: geoffrey@naturalproductsofboonville.com or text me at 707-272-3494. Please don’t verbally tell me. I need written records for tracking all the orders.”

NICK WILSON: Four years ago aerial views of the Navarro River Mouth when it had just opened a new channel through the sandbar at Navarro State Beach.

Right now in January 2022, thanks to ample rain since the end of October 2021, the river mouth has been open for most of the winter and the river is flowing freely into the ocean.

The Navarro River mouth sandbar finally breached naturally early Monday Jan. 8, 2018, letting backed up river water flow into the Pacific, and allowing reopening of Hwy. 128.

FREE FOOD PHILO (formerly known as Love to Table) is distributing meals in town to those who could use some extra love in the form of food. We cook nourishing meals using produce from our farm and others, and would love to offer you a warm lunch on Monday, January 17. If you could use a home cooked meal, or have a friend in mind who would, please message, call or text Arline Bloom (415) 308-3575, who will head up distribution in town.

~ This week’s menu ~

Beef Stew with Garden Vegetables

Parker House Bread Rolls 

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Thank you for letting us be of service.

For more information on Free Food Philo / Love to Table, check out: unconditionalfreedom.org/love-to-table or message me here!

ANDERSON VALLEY VILLAGE VOLUNTEER TRAINING

Friday, January 21st, 10 to 11 am

The Mosswood Market— Join us for a short volunteer training and we’ll treat you to a coffee or tea - learn more about the Anderson Valley Village and how you can give back to the elders of our community. The work of volunteers is vital to our mission of supporting seniors as they age in place, providing all manner of help, from basic chores, transportation, tech support and errands to check-in calls and visits to skilled services. It’s up to you how, and how often, to volunteer. Because we are working with a vulnerable population, we require our volunteers to have the COVID vaccine, thank you (please bring your card). And if you would like to be a volunteer driver, please bring your Driver's License and proof of insurance card. Volunteer applications are available at the training, Senior Center, Health Center and/or our website: andersonvalleyvillage.org

Please RSVP with the coordinator* - thank you!

Anica Williams

Anderson Valley Village Coordinator

Cell: 707-684-9829

Email: andersonvalleyvillage@gmail.com

HENDY WOODS. Free Entry to Hendy Woods State Park for local residents On the Second Sunday of every month in 2022, the Hendy Woods Community is covering the Hendy Woods State Park’s Day Use fee ($8) for local residents from the following communities: Yorkville, Boonville, Philo, Navarro, Comptche and Elk - Know your zip code. Enjoy a free visit to the park on us and stroll the old growth redwood groves and beautiful meadows, hike the trails, and unwind along the river! Note: Day use is from sun up to 1 hour after sunset 

AND BEAT BACK INVASIVE PLANTS - Volunteers Needed! Saturday January 22nd 10 am to 12 pm Hendy Woods State Park Please join us in restoring natural habitats by removing invasive plant species (mainly poison hemlock and Dock). Take local action and be rewarded with FREE entry to the park. ~ rain cancels ~ Meet at the Day Use Area of Hendy Woods State Park Dress in layers, bring gardening gloves with rubber palms, shovel or hand tools (some will be available) & a picnic lunch. 

Want to join our great team and support your wonderful park? We are always looking for motivated Volunteers to staff the Hendy Woods Visitor Center, remove invasive plant species and lead forest walks! Interested? 

Contact:

Hendy Woods Community

Web: http://www.hendywoods.org

 Phone: 707-895-3716

Email: hendywoodscommunity@gmail.com

Park Website: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=438

A LONG TIME AGO I wrote to the Boonville government (our Community Services District) requesting that the abandoned Ricard building fouling South Boonville for the past fifty years be abated, torn down or burnt down as a training exercise. Not only was it a major eyesore in a little town where everyone else at least tries to keep up appearances, it was an obvious fire and health and safety hazard. The response I got was that Ricard's horizontal kindling pile was “not deteriorated enough” to qualify for official abatement. And here we are years later with Ricard's slum an even a greater fire hazard, especially to the crowded, adjacent Haehl Street hive and, obviously, still a major eyesore. Ricard wouldn't get away with this any other place in this low standards county, and certainly not in his home area of Mendocino Village where he owns rental properties (the Village's consensus worst landlord) or out on Little River Point where he lives in gated splendor. It's past time to move on this guy.