Mendocino County Today: Thursday, March 17, 2022

Shower Clearing | 4 New Cases | Zelensky Address | Open Chambers | Replacing Joy | Tulips | AV Sports | Cat Mother | Personal Attack | Peace Fair | Director Krog | Point Cabrillo | We Object | Little Owsley | Great Boondoggle | Noyo Fleet | Budget Notes | Hare Creek | PG&E Bill | Buckhorn Cove | Karen Fischer | CEO Pay | Mo Zoom | School Threat | Yesterday's Catch | Historic Drought | Stockings | Boudin Derangement | Headlands Cleanup | Locked Fault | Lambing School | Lying Here | Sensible Approach | Fatally Wounded | Why Mariupol

CLOUDS AND A FEW LIGHT SHOWERS are possible today followed by dry weather tonight through much of Friday. A more substantial chance of rain with high mountain snow will occur Friday night through Saturday. High pressure, dry weather and cooler overnight low temperatures are forecast Sunday night. (NWS)

4 NEW COVID CASES reported in Mendocino County yesterday afternoon.

THE UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT has said humanitarian corridors failed on Wednesday because “Russian soldiers didn’t stop shelling and didn’t guarantee safety”. In a national address on Wednesday night Volodymyr Zelenskiy called Russia a “terrorist state” and pleaded for more support from the west, including air defence systems, jets, lethal weapons and ammunition. Zelenskiy also directly addressed Russians, asking them whether the siege of Mariupol was any different from the siege of Leningrad during the second world war. He also promised Russian soldiers who laid down their arms a chance to survive. (theguardian.com)

THE SUPES ANNOUNCED TUESDAY that they will return to the Board chambers with open meetings on April 19.

THE ANDERSON VALLEY COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT has hired a new General Manager replacing Joy Andrews who announced her plans to move to Oregon last fall. Her name is Cora Haynes. As the new GM, she will be paid $23 per hour for 80-90 hours per month, plus a $200 per month health insurance stipend. Ms. Haynes, who lives in Ukiah, told us she has previously worked at Community First Credit Union and before that she was a server at the former “Crush” restaurant in Ukiah. Ms. Haynes has some big shoes to fill. Ms. Andrews has done an excellent job as CSD GM, smoothly and competently steering the CSD through various bureaucratic thickets (including the complicated strike team billing process, ambulance billing and budgeting, and the paperwork associcated with the years-long water-sewer project), as well as keeping the office open and on task during the days-long 2020 Public Safety Power Shut off emergency. Ms. Andrews’ last CSD meeting will be in May. She will be missed both personally and professionally.

— Mark Scaramella

AV SPORTS REPORT: The baseball and softball teams have already played some preseason games. Softball played against Cloverdale's JV team last Wednesday, but they lost. They also traveled to play Tech last Friday with the baseball team and lost their second game. They are a new team, with a new coach (Amy Burger), and it is going to be exciting to see how they develop. Although they lost their second game against Tech, they did score 11 runs. 

As for baseball, this is coach Bullington's third season (though his first season was cut short to one pre-season loss to Tomales before the pandemic canceled all sports); we had 8 pick-up games last season against tougher teams and went 0-8. For the first three preseason games this year, we also have fallen short, only scoring 6 runs in three games. However, Tuesday night in Calistoga, things turned in our favor. Here is a recap from Coach Bullington: 

"After two years of blood, sweat and tears, the Anderson Valley baseball team finally secured their first victory yesterday against Calistoga by a score of 14-9. The Panthers were led by stellar pitching from Andres Garcia (grade 11) and Travis Wilson (grade 11), along with good offensive scoring contributions from nearly every player in the lineup (most notably juniors Diego Perez and Alejandro Carrillo, who reached base repeatedly and scored multiple times). The baseball boys worked extraordinarily hard for this win. Our next game will be the first league game on Tuesday, March 22 against Point Arena. Hopefully both softball and baseball will come out victorious."

Tennis has their first Match scheduled for March 22 in Mendocino.

— Arthur Folz

THE KELLEY HOUSE MUSEUM is interested in collecting materials related to the 1970s band ‘Cat Mother and the All-Night Newsboys’ for an exhibit in Summer 2022.

We are looking for pictures, posters, flyers, music, videos, or memorabilia for consideration as part of the show.

If you were there and have something to share, please contact programs@kelleyhousemuseum.org for more information!

All submissions will be handled with care and will be stored securely until they are returned. We ask permission to copy or record certain items as appropriate.

Thank you!

MCCOWEN SHOULD SUE

Outgoing CEO Carmel Angelo and her backstabbing enabler Ted Williams said this week that people should stop their “unfounded personal attacks” (i.e., criticisms of them) because it hurts the County by making recruitment more difficult, and makes them upset.

OF COURSE, our criticisms of the Board and the CEO are neither personal nor attacks, nor are they unfounded — because if they were so awful, they would engage and argue and correct them. But no, they simply dismiss them and tell themselves to ignore them.

THEY HAVE PROBABLY FORGOTTEN about their own real attack last February, 2021:

Emerging from a closed session meeting, County Counsel Christian Curtis reported, “The board met in closed session to consider possible legal remedies to return County property in possession of retired supervisor John McCowen. Per usual custom and practice, the county requested the return of the items at the time that Mr. McCowen left office. Despite repeated requests however, the property, including a laptop computer tablet, cell phone, printer, and building keys, was never returned and Mr. McCowen has ceased communicating with the County. Pursuant to existing authority and practices, County risk management has already initiated a small claims proceeding. The total damages to the county including the cost of rekeying the building is estimated to be between $3,000 and $4,000. At this time the Board of Supervisors unanimously indicated its support for the pending small claims matter, but decided that investing additional resources in a superior court proceeding would be premature.”

SUPERVISOR WILLIAMS immediately commented: “John McCowen, I would appreciate it if you would return the keys, the laptop, the iPad, and the iPhone. I don't want to be in the position of having conflict. I appreciate that you served for 12 years with the county, even longer in public service. It's not fair to put the Board in this position that you created. We have to treat everyone, all employees, equally and we would ask any other employee to return public property upon their departure from the county.”

THESE TWO STATEMENTS are tantamount to an accusation of theft of county property. 

A MONTH LATER District Attorney David Eyster avoided further legal action by brokering and mediating the dispute which turned out to be nothing of the sort alleged by Curtis and Williams. 

SINCE that quiet, private resolution, however, neither Curtis nor Williams have publicly apologized to McCowen nor corrrected the record nor withdrawn their real “unfounded personal attack.”

McCOWEN should demand a public apology and retraction. If they don’t he should sue them for defamation of character. 

— Mark Scaramella

JULIA ACKER KROG APPOINTED Director of Planning and Building Services

Post Date: 03/16/2022

On March 3, 2022, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Carmel Angelo appointed Julia Krog as Director of the Department of Planning and Building Services, effective March 6, 2022.

Mrs. Krog was born and raised in Elk, a small coastal community in Mendocino County, where she continues to live with her husband. Mrs. Krog graduated in 2013 from Humboldt State University with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Management and Protection Planning and returned home after graduation to pursue career opportunities in her field of study.

Mrs. Krog began her career with Mendocino County in December 2013 as a Planner I with the Department of Planning and Building Services. Over the last 8 years, she has served in various positions within the Planning Division of the Department and served as the Assistant Director since January 2021.

To expand her education and capacity to serve the community, Mrs. Krog graduated from the California State Association of Counties Institute as a Credentialed California County Senior Executive in June 2021.

Nash Gonzalez, who previously served as the Interim Director of Planning and Building Services from December 2020 to March 5, 2022, will remain on to assist Planning and Building Services in the completion of the Inland Zoning Code update, General Plan implementation work, and other special projects. Mr. Gonzalez noted, “The Planning and Building Services Department and the County will benefit tremendously from Julia’s leadership and drive. She is what the Department has needed for a long time.”

Chair Ted Williams adds, “Julia's dedication and responsiveness to a broad array of planning concerns convey her deep connection with Mendocino County. I have enjoyed tracking her professional growth and she has my confidence in the new responsibilities. Planning can be about more than issuing permits. I look forward to Julia's creativity in our housing strategy.”

“To serve the community in which you’ve grown up is a privilege and is one of the most meaningful things I’ve done in my life. I have deep roots in the County and I am committed to serving this County and this Department long-term. I look forward to finding creative solutions to the many challenges facing our County with the help of Planning and Building Services staff, the Board of Supervisors, the CEO, the Planning Commission, and the public.” Mrs. Krog stated regarding her appointment. 

MEMO OF THE WEEK

Attorneys for Applicants and MCA Present Legal Objection to Denial Threat Letters

On Feb 28, attorney and Senior Policy Advisor to MCA Hannah Nelson submitted a letter to the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors calling out Improper Tactics by the Mendocino Cannabis Program in their Vegetation Modification letters sent out to a reported 35 applicants. In it, Hannah raised several serious concerns with the way the program was being rolled out, specifically the level of evidence requested that is not included in the Ordinance, the shifting of the burden of proof to the applicant, and the very short time period applicants had to respond to information for which they had not been asked in several years of operating.

After these concerns were raised by Hannah and many members of the licensed cannabis community, the Mendocino Cannabis Department held a weekly meeting on March 4 where it was made clear in no uncertain terms that not only were they prepared to deny applicants’ permits based on their inability to meet the unreasonable demands, but that no ‘after-the-fact’ documentation, even from ‘licensed professionals’ would be accepted as ‘credible evidence’ that no violations had occurred.

In public comments from MCD it has been expressed that Department staff is currently reviewing responses to the letters to determine what steps to take. It is our firm opinion that the Vegetation Modification Letter program should be halted immediately, and that MCD should work with stakeholders to both determine how alleged tree removal is addressed and to ensure that applicants have access to a fair appeal process if they are proposed for denial. To this end MCA has joined with the Attorneys of Unnamed Applicants who have received these Vegetation Modification letters, including Hannah, to draft the document linked below which was sent Monday to Director Kristin Nevedal of the Mendocino Cannabis Department, as well as the Board of Supervisors and County Counsel. The letter explains various objections to MCD’s letters and proposes a collaborative approach to addressing those objections.

It is the sincere hope of the co-signers of this letter that MCD and the County will agree to our recommendations. If, however, MCD and the County continue on this course of action, a more involved response will be required. We are prepared to do what it takes to stand up with, and for, our community. The immediate threat levied by these letters has led to the need for immediate action. 

Click the link to read the letter: https://bit.ly/Veg_Mod_Objection

We will keep you posted as this situation develops, but know that we’ve got your back 100%. #strongertogether #wearecaliforniacannabis

Michael Katz, Mendocino Cannabis Alliance

THE GREAT REDWOOD BOONDOGGLE

by Mark Scaramella & Bruce Anderson

At the first meeting of the Great Redwood Trail Agency, Bay Area weatherman Mike Pechner accurately predicted that the “new” agency’s project was “a financial boondoggle that would spend several billions of dollars in maintenance and repairs for little economic gain.” (As quoted in the SF Chronicle.)

Why?

According to yesterday’s Press Democrat report on the Agency’s first meeting, “The Great Redwood Trail Agency begins with the same board of directors as the NCRA with Healdsburg Councilman David Hagele is serving as chair.”

So the train scam agency that never ran a train has simply been re-named so that they can continue their “financial boondoggle” with a core of naive diehard trail lovers waving the flag to make sure the Democrats in Sacramento continue, and in fact increase, the funding of the re-named “Agency.”

The only difference between the old NCRA board and this new bunch is that they are a not as bald.

The PD notes that the NCRA “was forced [sic] to take on loans to conduct routine track upgrades and other infrastructure projects. Much of its debt was held by the only freight rail operator on its line, the Northwestern Pacific Railroad Company. The company is co-owned by former North Coast Rep. Doug Bosco, who helped create the NCRA. Bosco is an investor in Sonoma Media Investments, owner of The Press Democrat. Bosco’s freight company operated on clearly favorable terms with NCRA: The contract did not require any payments from NWP Co. to NCRA until the freight operator reached $5 million in annual revenues — a threshold it never met. McGuire smoothed SMART’s acquisition of the freight rail system with a $4 million purchase of NWP Co.”

NCRA was "forced" to borrow from Bosco? The only people “forced” here were California's taxpayers who are being forced to finance this boondoggle.

That’s at least some honest reporting by the PD, and a surprise because Bosco owns the paper, although the story was only up for a few hours. In a nutshell, the NCRA was “forced” to borrow money at very high interest rates from Bosco for “track upgrades” for a train that never ran. The NCRA didn’t have to pay Bosco back because they never made any real revenue besides storing some dangerously explosive propane railcars on an abandoned spur in Sonoma County. But with the renaming of the NCRA to the GRTA Bosco gets his fraudulent loans paid back — with interest. 

Your tax dollar at work. In Bosco's pocket.

And that’s the real reason for McGuire’s great redwood boondoggle.

For a full report of how corrupt this entire arrangement has been (and will continue to be) read former NCRA board member and retired Marin attorney Bernie Myers’ explanation of how the Bosco scam worked from the inside: marinpost.org/blog/2021/11/9/the-ncra-boondoggle-from-bankruptcy-to-bankruptcy-in-30-years

COUNTY BUDGET NOTES: Angelo Departs as $12 Million Dollar Deficit Looms — Or Does It?

AVA News Service

Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting was dominated by an extended send off for retiring CEO Carmel Angelo. Board Chair Ted Williams led off by reading a proclamation that praised Angelo for her commitment to the fiscal sustainability of Mendocino County. That was followed by accolades and proclamations from State Senator McGuire, Assemblymember Wood, Congressman Huffman (by video), the presidents of state county lobbying organizations and a parade of Executive Office loyalists. Public Comment was capped off with John Sakowicz presenting his minority report detailing a number of Angelo’s less than savory “accomplishments.” Williams dismissed the criticisms as “unfounded personal attacks.” 

Supervisor Haschak said Angelo’s focus was “always on the people and the employees of Mendocino County” but not a single county employee, department head or union rep came forward in praise of Angelo. Williams, taking another shot at critics said, “If you look at social media or a local tabloid [An obvious reference to the mighty AVA] you see a reductionist perspective. Carmel is looking at the whole puzzle.” The carefully orchestrated praise-fest featuring a smiling CEO blowing kisses to her own staff lasted about 35 minutes, the same amount of time devoted to the mid-year budget report.

Tuesday’s mid-year budget report, presumably assembled by Carmel Angelo’s highly praised (by her) Executive Office Budget Team, was scattered, incomplete and all over the map. In one moment we had Angelo bragging about a huge $20 million reserve as she prepares to head out the door, and in the next Interim CEO Darcie Antle announces that projected revenues are falling short and expenses are escalating, driven largely by projected cost overruns in the jail expansion project and health plan deficits. 

The report was very poorly organized and haltingly presented by Antle and a cadre of Executive Office staffers, some of whom repeated info already presented by the previous speaker, as they all seemed to be reading from the same prepared script. 

Depending on where you looked in the Mid-Year report, the Power Point, the Attachments, the Exhibits or the oral presentation, the numbers and explanations were contradictory. It seemed obvious the documents had undergone constant revision with the “final” version being the least rough of a series of rough drafts. 

Despite the high praise for Angelo’s supposed commitment to fiscal sustainability, the mid-year budget report contained the shocking news of a potential $12 million dollar deficit for the current fiscal year, including $9 million in the General Fund. Or was it the $1.2 million “operational deficit”? Revenue is projected to be off by $1.245 million, primarily due to a $3.5 million shortfall in cannabis tax revenue plus other shortages, partially offset by Transient Occupancy Tax (up $2 million), sales tax (up $700,000) and property tax (up $500,000). 

Projected costs for the new jail building (set to go out to bid in June) continue to escalate. The initial county match of $1 million quickly became $2 million, then $3 million, then $4 million, despite repeated downsizings by the County’s expensive Sacramento based design consultant, the same one which designed the $1 million house (Crisis Residential Treatment Center) for the Schraeders). Or maybe $6 million since the original cost of $25 million is now pegged at $31 million. The budget presentation was unclear on the currently unfunded county share which might be $3 million, or maybe $4 million. The current plan is to use reserves to cover the overrun and restore the reserves by incurring long term debt in the form of bonds (plus interest). Which sounds a lot like robbing Piper to pay Pauline. Instead of making debt payments on bonds, why not use the same money to repay the reserves? (Mainly because the bond consultants only get paid if bonds are issued.)

The leading cause of the budget shortfall is a projected deficit in the Health Plan Trust of $7.37 million (with $4.8 million of that in the General Fund). The Health Plan Trust consultants were on hand to answer questions. Supervisor McGourty, attempted to inject a bit of humor, asking, “Are we getting sicker, heh, heh?” The answer seemed to be yes, with more employees utilizing the health plan coverage and with an increase in the average cost per employee. Although “utilization” accelerated beginning in the first half of 2020, the consultants said Covid was not a significant factor. (Although this would certainly seem to account for the increased numbers of employees using the plan.) 

The consultant attributed the deficit to not increasing the health plan premiums over the last ten years, plus some significant large claims (illnesses) and inflation. The consultants deflected questions about types of claims, asserting that even giving any basic categorical information could violate privacy laws by somehow revealing the nature of the illness afflicting individual employees. No one questioned the absurdity of the remark. None of the Supervisors (except the famously disinterested Gjerde) have been in their positions long enough to remember that the same consultant previously had no problem saying that specific catastrophic illnesses such as heart disease or cancer were the drivers of increased costs.

Supervisor Haschak had a question about the recommendations, which listed $15 million in departmental requests (including $1.6 million for the Sheriff’s Office). Haschak said he was trying to get clarification on what the recommendations were. Antle walked him through the vague list, noting that except for $500,000 that was previously authorized none of the other items would be funded. Haschak, having just heard that none of the other things would be covered, astutely asked, “So none of these other things would be covered?” Antle replied, “That’s correct.” 

Haschak then asked about the $1.6 million requested but not funded for the Sheriff’s Office. (Elsewhere deep in the presentation package, the Sheriff attributed the cost overrun to overtime responding to disasters, an increase in murders and armed robberies and a sharp spike in coroner’s cases and autopsies.) But just last month the Sheriff’s department was reported to be right on budget for the first half of the year. 

Sheriff’s Office overtime has been a hot button issue in recent years and was the apparent (but not real) cause of the conflict between the Sheriff and the Board of Supervisors (with the Board threatening to hold the Sheriff personally liable for any overruns.) But on Tuesday, Antle said the Sheriff’s  budget overrun could be covered by under-runs in other departments and end of year fund-balance carryover. Then again, Antle said that most departments operate at a loss so they themselves will need some of that fund-balance carryover. Nobody followed up on the inconsistencies in the report or the explanations, or the underlying rationale for any of the recommendations. 

The report was so poorly organized that is was hard to tell what it really means. For instance, the health plan deficit didn’t materialize overnight but must have been building for at least the last couple of years although under CEO Angelo it was never cited as an issue. And as usual, there was no department by department budget-to-actual rundown making any kind of mid-year assessment almost meaningless. In short, no one should jump to any conclusions about the implications of the “potential” budget shortfall and what it means for any agency dependent on county funding. 

As usual, the supervisors themselves had very little to say and seemed almost completely disinterested in the information presented. Except for McGourty’s health plan joke and Haschak’s clarification (which wasn’t very clarifying) there were no other questions or comments. Williams and Supervisor Mulheren managed to get through the presentation without saying anything at all.

Supervisor Dan Gjerde reserved his comments for the end, when he made the recommended motion augmented by two additional items: “Direct the Executive Office to work with the Auditor to look at current reporting protocols and practices to assure that fiscal information is disclosed in a timely manner.” (Which shows that Gjerde is at least aware that financial information is not presented to the Supes in a timely manner, if at all.) And, “Direct the Executive Office staff to ask the state if cannabis taxes can be paid with state cannabis funds.” (Obviously in anticipation of numerous pot permit applicants bailing out on their pot taxes because they can’t sell last year’s crop.) The motion passed unanimously. Besides, in Gjerde’s first item the verb he chose was for the Executive Office to “look at reporting protocols,” not to actually require timely reporting.

The only Public Comment came from Ron Edwards, a cannabis advocate, who is one of the few members of the public who still lives in hope that the Supervisors pay any attention to what the public thinks. Edwards commented on the budget, “Boy, what a mess you’re looking at here! I’m hoping that you can come up with some creative ways to increase tourism. Have a Restaurant Week expansion. Maybe get people eating out putting money in the economy a little bit more. I hate to say this but maybe we need somehow to get more participation into the cannabis program. I don’t know what the prospects are for 2023. I know we’re in complete turmoil now.”

Right. As Carmel Angelo puts Mendocino County in the rear view mirror and retreats to San Diego with her nearly $15,000 monthly pension payments, our economic salvation lies in more tourists dining out during a perpetual rolling Restaurant Week and getting more pot growers to participate in the completely unworkable cannabis program with prices in freefall. 

PROPOSAL WOULD GIVE PG&E RIGHT TO CUT TREES

Senate Bill 396 is an unprecedented attack on landowner rights and the environment. If voted into law, this bill would allow Pacific Gas and Electric Co. to demolish green trees at any distance outside their rights of way along 25,000 miles of power lines in “high threat fire districts” without review by any qualified expert, without a procedure for the homeowner to appeal and with no compensation for damages.

This bill legalizes a taking of private property and negates the limits of utility easements on private and public right of ways. PG&E has long ignored obvious solutions to the fire threat from their obsolete dangerous electrical equipment. Insulation of overhead cables is the solution being implemented by the Southern California Edison power company.

Modern circuit protection relays are an equally effective way to stop wildfire ignitions. Instead, PG&E seems to want the ability to destroy tall, green trees at any distance from their circuits. The result could be abandoned wood debris on private lands near fire-igniting fragile bare wires, rusting transformers and expulsion fuses.

SB 396 is authored by state Sen. Brian Dahle, a major recipient of PG&E campaign contributions. Dahle wants to be your next governor.

To add further insult, this bill specifically removes a homeowner’s ability to appeal PG&E’s tree demolition plans to the California Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety. Those who don’t like what PG&E is doing to their property should have at least $50,000 to file a private lawsuit.

Also, don’t hold your breath for undergrounding. I think that’s mere public relations. Even if done, putting power lines underground would take many years and will address less than half of the circuit miles involved.

Kevin Collins

San Rafael

46 YEARS AGO, KAREN FISCHER SOUGHT HUMBOLDT’S BEACHES But Was Found Raped And Strangled At The Foot Of The Cross On Trinidad Head

It was Wednesday, January 14, 1976. 21-year-old Karen Fischer was a University of Colorado Boulder student on Christmas Break. Instead of returning home to Rhode Island for the break, she had gone west to California to visit friends attending Humboldt State. Since she was leaving Friday, her trip would soon be over and she was determined to visit the Pacific Ocean.…

mendofever.com/2022/03/16/46-years-ago-karen-fischer-sought-humboldts-pristine-beaches-but-wound-up-raped-and-strangled-on-trinidad-head/

MENDOCINO COUNTY CEO SALARIES

From yesterday's, March 15, BOS meeting:

Agenda Item 5b) Approval of Employment Agreement Between the County of Mendocino and Darcie Antle to Serve as Mendocino County’s Interim Chief Executive Officer for the Term of March 20, 2022, through March 19, 2023, in the Amount of Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000), with Compensation Including Benefits Totaling Three Hundred Thirty-Eight Thousand Dollars ($338,000).

$338,000! In Mendocino County, where one half of our residents are eligible for Food Stamps and one third are eligible for Medi-Cal. Shocking!

(John Sakowicz)

CREDIBLE THREAT AT WILLITS HIGH

On the evening of March 15th, 2022, Willits PD (WPD) Officers were alerted by a concerned citizen of threats made towards Willits High School. The reporting party provided WPD Officers with a screenshot of a social media post made by a juvenile student who attends the high school. 

The nature of the post was serious and deemed credible that such an act could take place. The Willits High School principal was immediately advised and the juvenile suspect was identified and subsequently contacted at his residence. 

During the course of the investigation, further evidence was located that supported the ability of the threats to be carried out. The juvenile was ultimately arrested and booked into the Mendocino County Juvenile Hall for violation of 422 PC (Criminal Threats). The principal was advised of the juvenile’s arrest. The Willits Police Department would like to add that there are no additional threats or suspects outstanding in this incident. 

The Willits Police Department would also like to thank the vigilance of the community member who reported the social media post. Their actions could very well have averted a serious incident. WPD, and all law enforcement agencies, take threats toward the school community seriously. Given the history in recent years of school violence in the country, these type of threats cannot be dismissed as “pranks” or “jokes” and must be investigated promptly and thoroughly. WPD encourages everyone to immediately notify their local law enforcement agency when they suspect threats of violence towards schools.

(Willits Police Presser)

CATCH OF THE DAY, March 16, 2022

ALIM ABDULLAH, Dallas, Texas/Ukiah. Fugitive from justice.

JAIRO ALVARADO-CRUZ, Ukiah. Pot possession for sale, mandatory supervision sentencing.

JOSHUA COLCLEASER, Ukiah. Failure to appear.

JIM HINKLE, Albany/Ukiah. Failure to appear.

MANDEE NELSON, Ukiah. Probation revocation.

CHRISTOPHER PAGEL, Fort Bragg. “Convicted of certain misdeamenor within 10 years owns/possesses/receives…”

SALVADOR PEDROZA, Ukiah. Attempted murder, assault with firearm, 20-year enhancement for using of weapon.

MARTY SWAYZE, Ukiah. Trespassing, polluting state waters, camping in Ukiah. 

ADAM VASQUEZ, Hopland. Probation revocation. 

THE WORST DROUGHT IN 1,200 YEARS — CALIFORNIA AT THE RUBICON

by Dan Bacher

A paper that was recently published in the journal Nature Climate Change had a convoluted title: Rapid Intensification of the Emerging Southwestern North American Megadrought in 2020-2021.

But what the paper detailed was explicit, easily understood — and terrifying. Using tree-ring data, researchers determined that the decades between 2000-2021 were the driest 20-year period in the American Southwest (including much of California) since 800 CE. Moreover, the current drought will likely continue through 2022, making it equivalent to a prolonged “megadrought” that afflicted the area in the late 1500s.

“Reservoirs are low,” said Jay Lund, the co-director of the Center for Watershed Sciences at the University of California, Davis. “Lake Shasta is lower than it was at this time last year. The warming climate is making smaller droughts bigger, even as it’s increasing weather variability — as we just saw this past winter, where we had some of the driest and wettest months on record in the same year. At the same time, we’ve been losing a lot more water off the landscape even during years of average or above average precipitation. We get less runoff from the snowpack because much of it evaporates into the atmosphere before it can melt and soak into the ground.”

We have, in short, entered territory that is unknown and unmapped in the modern era. Further, the potential impacts of great droughts have increased as human populations have grown. When the last megadroughts occurred, California was inhabited by perhaps 300,000 people, all pursuing subsistence lifestyles that could adjust to massive shifts in climate regimes.

Now? There are 40 million people in California, the great majority living in urbanized areas. All of us are dependent on the abundant energy, material goods — and water — that are hallmarks of modern civilization. Throughout the modern era, we’ve never had enough water to waste in California — even though we did waste it. And now, in the depths of a devastating drought — one with no end in sight — we are at a crisis point.

But who is acknowledging this crisis? Not the people who can respond to it most effectively — the managers of the gigantic state and federal conveyance projects that deliver water from the North State to Southern California. Their approach remains mired in the myth of abundance that drove the construction of the projects more than 70 years ago — a myth that still provides water at subsidized rates to the sprawling industrial agricultural complexes of the San Joaquin Valley.

“More than 30 years ago, we published papers on California’s vulnerability to climate change,” said Peter Gleick, the co-founder of the Pacific Institute. “At the time, we were projecting possible impacts to snowpack and water availability. Today, those impacts are not hypothetical — they are real. We are seeing the unambiguous consequences of climate change. And as we compare recent droughts with the historical long-term record, we see that those consequences are far worse than anyone expected. But despite this, the agencies and institutions that control water in this state have failed to either prepare or act.”

As an example, Gleick cites the snowpack and run-off models the state Department of Water Resources and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation use to calculate annual water availability and allocations.

“Simply put, they are no longer correct,” Gleick said. “We saw that last year, when the snowpack didn’t deliver much of the anticipated water due to evaporation. Climate change has presented us with a new hydrology — what used to happen isn’t happening anymore. But the agencies are still predicating policy on the historical record.”

Both agencies and lawmakers have avoided taking any comprehensive action even when effective solutions are obvious.

“There has been persistent pressure on urban areas to do more to conserve water,” said Lund. “And to their credit, they’ve been responding. Considerable progress in conservation and water recycling has been made in many cities.”

But cities use only about 20% of California’s developed water, said Lund. The remaining 80% is used by agriculture. Therefore, Lund emphasized, the only practical way to achieve significant water savings is through the retirement of “impaired” lands”: croplands in the southern San Joaquin Valley that are heavily laced with selenium and salt. To remain productive, these lands must be flushed periodically with large volumes of water, simultaneously wasting a public trust resource and creating floods of toxic effluent that imperil fish and wildlife.

Relying on outmoded computer models and supporting destructive “old school” industrial agriculture aren’t the worst faux pas of the water agencies. Even more egregious is the state’s continued support for “paper water” — reserves that exist on legal documents, but not in our rivers, reservoirs, and aquifers. Ted Grantham, a water and climate specialist with the Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of California, analyzed California’s appropriative water rights data and concluded the State was allocating five times more water than actually existed.

“If anything, our work probably underestimated the ratio of paper water relative to average supply,” said Grantham. “So as we come off the second year of the current drought, things are looking extremely grim. That’s true for agriculture, but it’s especially the case for the environment. Reservoir operators are going to have a very difficult time maintaining [cold] temperature requirements for Sacramento and Klamath system salmon.”

Along with fisheries, disadvantaged communities are suffering disproportionate impacts from the drought, said Grantham.

“We learned from the last drought [2012-2014] that many of the water systems used by disadvantaged communities are highly vulnerable,” Grantham said. “A significant number of drinking water wells went dry or became unusable due to water quality deterioration. So looking ahead, it’s critical that the State considers both the social equity and environmental justice implications of any drought preparedness or adaptation actions it pursues.”

As Grantham noted, surface water isn’t the only issue of concern. Increasingly, Californians are turning to groundwater as surface supplies dwindle, leading to aquifer depletion across the state. The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014 was a good first step in managing groundwater depletion, observed Grantham — but in many cases, it’s honored more in the breach than the observance.

“SGMA was the most important policy change in a long time,” said Grantham. “Managing groundwater properly is fundamental to any future drought response. But the impression I get [about SGMA’s groundwater quantification and pumping plans] is mixed. Many of the local groundwater agencies have made rosy projections about future supply that probably are not realistic.”

In sum, said Gleick, “The water agencies are long overdue for integrating climate change into their models. The drought isn’t a short-term problem — it’s a whole new reality. The potential to do things differently is enormous, and we’ve already made significant progress. Per capita water use in California, for example, is going down. At the same time, agricultural efficiency is going up. A lot more food and profit are now produced per acre foot of water used. But some of that improvement has come explicitly at the expense of groundwater reserves and natural ecosystems. That isn’t justified — or sustainable.”

Carolee Krieger, Executive Director of the California Water Impact Network (C-WIN), a ratepayer advocacy and environmental justice organization that litigates for equitable water policy, said immediate action is needed to prevent California’s water emergency from evolving into an outright catastrophe.

“It’s not simply a matter of restrictions on watering lawns anymore,” said Krieger. “It’s a matter of cities running out of water, of California’s salmon runs becoming extinct. This is a 21st-century crisis, and our agencies are approaching it with a 1950s mindset. We need to implement long-term solutions that distribute our limited water fairly and sustainably to ratepayers, responsible agriculture, and the environment.”

Contacts:

Jay Lund jrlund@ucdavis.edu 530-304-9543

Peter Gleick pgleick@gmail.com 510-251-1600

Ted Grantham tgrantham@berkeley.edu 510-664-4664

Christina Speed Communications Director, California Water Impact Network (C-WIN) info.cwin@gmail.com 805-259-7983

The California Water Impact Network is a state-wide organization that advocates for the equitable and sustainable use of California’s freshwater resources for all Californians.

BOUDIN DERANGEMENT SYNDROME

“Toppling Boudin wouldn’t solve our problems, of course. Drugs, robbery and crime will continue to sully our wonderful bastion of extreme economic inequality, as always. We’ll just need someone else to blame.” 

sfexaminer.com/news/opinion-chesa-boudin-derangement-syndrome-grips-s-f-politics/

ICE PLANT REMOVAL FROM MENDOCINO HEADLANDS!

In January of 2021, California State Parks Volunteer Carrie Durkee noticed the invasion of ice plant at Mendocino Headlands SP and decided to do something about it. Shortly thereafter, Winnie Pitrone and Andy Mackey signed up to join the effort. Eventually they named themselves HEART, Headlands Eradication and Restoration Team. They have met weekly ever since, removing invasive plant species from specified areas approved by Senior Specialist Environmental Scientist, Terra Fuller.

On March 2, 2022, a group of four members of HEART including Carrie Durkee, the Natural Resources Vegetation Crew, Forestry Aide Taylor Groves, Heavy Equipment Operator Mike Drake, and myself met at the Mendocino Headlands in the morning with a plan. Mike brought the dump truck and the back hoe. We used tarps and wheelbarrows to move all of the ice plant to the road, for Mike to scoop and dump into the dump truck, to be composted offsite.

We worked until late in the afternoon, and completed our mission. Three dump truck loads full of ice plant were removed from the Mendocino Headlands, just in time for the upcoming whale festival that weekend. It was a great collaboration and a wonderful success."

— Amelia Schall, Sonoma-Mendocino Coast District Volunteer Coordinator

Interested in helping out? Contact Amelia at: Schall.Amelia@parks.ca.gov

IS CALIFORNIA AT RISK OF A DEVASTATING MEGAQUAKE? 

The U.S. Geological Survey has warned the risk of “the big one” hitting California has increased dramatically.

Researchers analysed data from the state's complex system of active geological faults, as well as new methods for translating these data into earthquake likelihoods. The estimate for the likelihood that California will experience a magnitude 8 or larger earthquake in the next 30 years has increased from about 4.7% to about 7.0%, they say.

'We are fortunate that seismic activity in California has been relatively low over the past century,' said Tom Jordan, Director of the Southern California Earthquake Center and a co-author of the study. “But we know that tectonic forces are continually tightening the springs of the San Andreas fault system, making big quakes inevitable.” 

Seismologist Lucy Jones from the US Geological Survey warned that people need to accept the fact catastrophe is imminent, and prepare themselves. Dr. Jones said our decision to not accept it will only mean more people suffer as scientists warn the “Big One” is now overdue to hit California. 

HOPLAND REC ANNOUNCES NEW LAMBING SCHOOL

For many the sight of new lambs skipping through the fields heralds spring, but the process of supporting the ewes through pregnancy to the birth of a healthy lamb can be challenging. The UC Hopland Research and Extension Center has announced a new school to help ranchers, small farmers, 4-H/FFA members and all those connected with sheep husbandry during lambing season.

Instructors include Dr. Roselle Busch, UC Davis Sheep and Goat Veterinarian, Alison Smith, Hopland Research and Extension Center Shepherd and Dan Macon, UC Cooperative Extension Livestock Advisor. This expert team will guide the class through animal husbandry, nutrition, infrastructure, predator protection, stages of labor and common problems for ewes and lambs.

The class will suit both those new to working with sheep and those with experience and questions to ask. HREC Shepherd, Alison Smith, has planned a small group of ewes to give birth during the class to allow students to observe birth, and learn hands-on where possible.

The class will take place on Friday March 25 12pm-4pm, Saturday March 26 8am-4pm and Sunday March 27 8am-12pm at the UC Hopland Research and Extension Center. Class cost is $190 and includes instruction and educational materials. Basic accommodation is available upon request for additional cost. Registration is required online at: https://bit.ly/lambschool22

NOAM CHOMSKY PROPOSES ‘ONE SENSIBLE APPROACH TO ENDING THE TRAGEDY’ IN UKRAINE

by Travis Gettys

Noam Chomsky proposes one means of ending the horrific tragedy in Ukraine, but he doesn't believe the United States or the United Kingdom are fully committed to ending the war so soon.

The famed linguist and political theorist told Truthout the U.S. and its NATO allies must allow for a negotiated settlement of the conflict, but he said even Ukrainian president Volodmymyr Zelenskyy recognizes that his country cannot be admitted into the alliance, and he said the American media has failed to report on the proposals that could end the war.

"I would like to stress the crucial issue that must be in the forefront of all discussions of this terrible tragedy: We must find a way to bring this war to an end before it escalates, possibly to utter devastation of Ukraine and unimaginable catastrophe beyond," Chomsky said. "The only way is a negotiated settlement. Like it or not, this must provide some kind of escape hatch for Putin, or the worst will happen. Not victory, but an escape hatch. These concerns must be uppermost in our minds."

Chomsky faulted elected officials and media figures who are urging Ukrainians to keep fighting, although western governments have ruled out sending troops to help, and he can only guess about their motives for allowing the human suffering and destruction to continue.

"We can only speculate about the reasons for U.S.-U.K. total concentration on warlike and punitive measures, and refusal to join in the one sensible approach to ending the tragedy," Chomsky said. "Perhaps it is based on hope for regime change [in Russia]. If so, it is both criminal and foolish. Criminal because it perpetuates the vicious war and cuts off hope for ending the horrors, foolish because it is quite likely that if [Vladimir] Putin is overthrown someone even worse will take over. That has been a consistent pattern in elimination of leadership in criminal organizations for many years."

It's also possible the U.S. government is hoping the conflict will enhance American influence over Europe, Chomsky said.

"Another possibility is that Washington is satisfied with how the conflict is proceeding," he said. "As we have discussed, in his criminal foolishness, Putin provided Washington with an enormous gift: firmly establishing the U.S.-run Atlanticist framework for Europe and cutting off the option of an independent 'European common home,' a long-standing issue in world affairs as far back as the origin of the Cold War."

"I personally am reluctant to go as far as the highly knowledgeable sources we discussed earlier who conclude that Washington planned this outcome, but it’s clear enough that it has eventuated," Chomsky said, "and, possibly, Washington planners see no reason to act to change what is underway."

(rawstory)

'WHY? WHY? WHY?' UKRAINE'S MARIUPOL DESCENDS INTO DESPAIR

by Mstyslav Chernov, Evgeniy Maloletka And Lori Hinnant

The bodies of the children all lie here, dumped into this narrow trench hastily dug into the frozen earth of Mariupol to the constant drumbeat of shelling. 

There’s 18-month-old Kirill, whose shrapnel wound to the head proved too much for his little toddler’s body. There’s 16-year-old Iliya, whose legs were blown up in an explosion during a soccer game at a school field. There’s the girl no older than 6 who wore the pajamas with cartoon unicorns, among the first of Mariupol’s children to die from a Russian shell. 

They are stacked together with dozens of others in this mass grave on the outskirts of the city. A man covered in a bright blue tarp, weighed down by stones at the crumbling curb. A woman wrapped in a red and gold bedsheet, her legs neatly bound at the ankles with a scrap of white fabric. Workers toss the bodies in as fast as they can, because the less time they spend in the open, the better their own chances of survival.…

apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-mariupol-descends-into-despair-708cb8f4a171ce3f1c1b0b8d090e38e3