BRIAN WOOD writes with the sad news that “Diane Hering died peacefully yesterday (Tuesday, May 24th) at about 2:15PM. She had been in the Ukiah hospital since Saturday, when she had been helicoptered over from Boonville in some distress. I saw her there a few times when she still had some awareness, and a few other friends were able to visit as well. She was kept as comfortable as possible, and I'm told the end was easy.”
LIFE GOES ON. Superintendent Simson: "The kids were so thrilled with the prom last weekend. It was a beautifully hometown celebration. Coming from larger places where they rent hotels, having a simple dance in the gym was lovely. My son went to a small school where they set up the prom in the rotunda and the teachers cooked and served the dinner, and I thought I’d never see anything like that again. But then I got to Anderson Valley, and here we go. It was really sweet. (And the kids were relatively well behaved last week because nobody wanted to miss the privilege!)
TICKETS to The Beach Ball at the AV Grange on Saturday, June 18 at 7pm are available at Lemon's Market, Boont Berry, and AV Market. $20 for 18+ and $10 for 12-17. Kids free! Remember this is a late evening event going until about midnight... two different musical sets by Mama Grows Funk and Boonfire! June 18th at the Grange. For the health and safety of all our community members, please stay home if you are sick, be aware of exposure before coming, test day-of if possible, and don't hesitate to continue to wear a mask inside. We all want to have a fun time, let’s just be smart about it!
A RESOLUTION Expressing Appreciation To Outgoing General Manager Joy Andrews
Whereas Joy Andrews has been a committed General Manager of the Anderson Valley Community Services District since December 1, 2010,
Whereas Joy has been an important contributor to the general board as well as the Budget Committee, the Policy and Procedures committee, the Loss Prevention Committee, and the Boonville Municipal Water Projects,
Whereas Joy has unfailingly contributed her extensive expertise in helping the CSD with the development of contracts, personnel issues, budgets, grants, and job descriptions,
Whereas for many years she volunteered to manage the AVVFFA's hamburger booth at the County Fair, which benefits the Fire Department.
Whereas Joy has enthusiastically contributed endless hours to the community both through her service on the CSD but also in many other Valley organizations resulting in many activities and projects enhancing the lives of all Valley residents,
Whereas Joy has participated in training her replacement and has made herself available to ensure a smooth transition,
And finally, whereas we are going to miss her very much,
Now, therefore, be it resolved that the CSD staff and Board of Directors dedicate this Resolution of Appreciation to Joy Andrews as a thank-you for her dedication to her job for the Board, and her ongoing dedication to this community.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 24th day of May, 2022, by unanimous vote.
STACEY ROSE writes from Peachland: “This is where I came as a kid to watch the sunrise and sunset. Drink beer in high school, hunt hogs, and deer. Lucky to be from such a unique and wonderful place with unlimited opportunity before me. I have shared this spot with family, friends and lovers. Proposed to my wife here, prayed here, and cried here. It doesn’t feel special anymore. It feels foreign and unfriendly. But I realize that it’s because I turned it that way. I destroyed the serenity and peace that I had in AV. I let my community down, I let my family down, I alienated folks in order to feed the demons. I pushed my wife away and took her for granted. I’m sad, heartbroken, regretful, and most of all ashamed of the selfish asshole I have become. Mostly at the expense of my parents, Children, and family. I have done some bad things to some really good people. I will have a lot of challenges before me and I apologize for my arrogance and disrespect displayed in the past few years. Staying in the Valley while rebuilding myself is slim to none. I welcome and encourage anyone with advice, comments, or suggestions to directly message me or personal message me. I accept any and all constructive criticism and I am open to programs, classes, and especially “outside the box” solutions. I have no desire to harm myself or anyone else in any way shape or form. Most of all I wish to make this place special again in my heart. I love this Valley, always have and always will.”
THE VALLEY is pulling for you, Stacey. Lots of us have run off the rails but, with the support of family and friends, got back on track and stayed there. You seem already on the road back.
A LOCAL WRITES: “Admitting you have a problem is the first step, Stacey. Now, what you do from here determines what comes next in your life. Are you just gonna talk the talk? Or are you willing to walk the walk? It’s gonna be hard, Stacey, a lot of work. But if you REALLY WANT it, you can do it. Good luck, friend”
COVID IN GREECE:
We (Val Hanelt & Hans Hickenlooper) are in a small seaside village north of Athens recovering from Hans getting Covid. We are on a combined genealogy and cruise trip. The first half of the trip was Val's search to find relatives which was successful. After the genealogy portion of the trip in Sparta and surrounding villages, we met dear friends for dinner in Athens. The next morning the husband of the couple came down with Covid! Our cruise was to depart in four days — the timing was good — if we were negative in four days we could embark. Our friends sent us to their lovely beach house to wait it out. But when the Clinic tested us Hans came up positive. So our cruise left without us and our visit in their cottage was extended. That evening Hans had a fever of 100.1 degrees and a scratchy throat. After two days his mild fever broke and now, the third day, he feels back to normal with a slight cough left. Seems like a mild case so his two shots/two boosters paid off. I am still negative. The Greek Ministry is tracking us (self reports) so we must stay put and quarantine for five days. Once you have a negative test you can then fly within 24 hours. So, if I don't test positive, we can come home mid-week. Trip insurance (Aon) covers everything. They say, “of course, of course” to every expense. They must be used to this. We highly recommend trip insurance! The cruise company, Road Scholar, checks in on us as well and will arrange our flights once we both are negative. So we are sitting looking across the Aegean at the island of Eubuoa (pronounced “Evvia”) and we will take the car ferry over when we are cleared and before we fly out. I am so grateful we accomplished all my ancestor quests before this happened! We are SO lucky and grateful that our friends put us up and we weren't stuck in a hotel room! We will reschedule the cruise portion, but not until the Covid era is over.
PS. Random Greek observation: No litter! People do not have garbage cans at their homes — they drop off, for free, any garbage/recyclables in ANY municipal dumpster. So why throw something out the window or the side of the road when you can drop it off in a minute or so? Also, the scrap truck comes by with a loudspeaker and buys old appliances or large metal scrap. Brilliant! Clean everywhere (except for graffiti). And no ugly trash cans everywhere. I wish we did this!
— Valerie Hanelt
TROUBLE IN PARADISE. Four young men from Anderson Valley were recently arrested for an armed robbery of a convenience store in Cloverdale. 18-year-old Angel Marron, of Yorkville, and one of the three underage youth accompanying Marron, are being held in Sonoma County where both have been charged with numerous felonies, including attempted murder. Two of the boys have been released by Sonoma County juvenile authorities, much to the dismay of locals who describe them as “wannabe gang bangers.” All four are suspected of committing a rash of recent Valley burglaries, including the theft of guns from a Philo residence, a smash and grab at Lemons Market, Philo, that destroyed the store's front door, and a daylight ransacking of a home in Yorkville.
ON THURSDAY, May 19th, about 9:40pm, Cloverdale police were called to the Quik Stop on Cloverdale Boulevard where the clerk said two people wearing ski masks had run into the store brandishing a handgun and demanding cash. A witness sitting outside in his car had already reported suspicious activity outside the store as two young men pulled on ski masks and the witness leaned on his car horn to alert the store clerk that two bandits were on their way into the Quik Stop. The driver of the Honda then attempted to block the witness from getting closer to the scene when two of the robbers exiting the store fired at least three shots at him.
POLICE were able to match the Honda’s license plate number, thanks to the witness, to a vehicle belonging to Marron. He had been stopped about an hour earlier by Cloverdale Police for an unspecified reason, according to the press release on the evening's events.
THE MENDOCINO County Sheriff’s Office and officers from the Cloverdale Police Department were soon at Marron’s Yorkville address where they found the silver Honda Accord plus Marron and his three teen accomplices. Also found were “several items of evidence connecting the subjects to the crime.” Cloverdale Police arrested Marron and one of the minors for attempted murder, armed robbery, possession of a firearm with no serial number, and assault with a deadly weapon. The other two minors, since released, were charged with conspiracy to commit a crime.
RE ANDERSON VALLEY'S MARRON GANG, an on-line comment: “All them kiddos got some big britches don’t they? Couple questions besides the out-of-control gang activity. How are these kids getting these fancy cars? How are they driving around with a bunch of other teenagers when they’re not supposed to after dark? Who are the parents that are just allowing their kids wander off with the cars like this to travel in groups of kids which are obviously up to no good. How did they not notice that their kids are sub-human jackass punks? Parents get to parenting. FACT…teens need more support than toddlers!!!”
THERE ARE GOFUNDME pleas and then there's Mommy and her blind love. The mother of one of the minors arrested for that armed robbery in Cloverdale two weeks ago, who is also a suspect in at least three burglaries in the Anderson Valley, has established a GoFundMe plea for her little criminal. Mom thinks he needs a lawyer.
CONGRESSMAN HUFFMAN was in Boonville last week to celebrate the Anderson Valley Affordable Housing Initiative Community Project funding, out of which the feds awarded the local charity $400,000 to make an offer on fifties-built apartments on Anderson Valley Way to preserve them for affordable housing. Once known as the Boonville Apartments, and located across the street from the former home of the ava and owned by an Oakland woman who, drunk, once screeched out a threat to murder the editor of Boonville’s beloved weekly, the property will sell for far more than $400,000. The death threat seemed to have its origins in an ancient police report faithfully reported here, and investigated by Deputy Squires, that the property owner’s boyfriend had sexually assaulted another guest on the property. As I recall the boyfriend, an MD, was not prosecuted.
ROBBIE LANE:
Several weeks ago, I posted here about my intent to help save the youth of our valley from the opioid crisis, with the emphasis on Fentanyl. It goes without saying that opioids are not the only problem drugs in society, but this newest form of addiction makes the others look like Kool-Aid. I can state this from personal experience.
Beyond a few verbal comments as to the validity of my intent, I received several dozen emoji’s.
While I appreciate being, “liked,” what I need are fellow warriors, with or without children of their own, who are willing to give of themselves to help our addicted youth and to prioritize keeping the clean ones from getting started to begin with.
I have a number of ideas on ways to intervene, but I’m asking ALL of you to get involved in this dialogue. One of the comments to my original post was, “It takes a village…”. Truer words were never spoken. So, please, respond to me here, or simply call me at (707) 489-2915. I can’t do this alone.
Furthermore, if any of you have an at-risk or addicted child, friend, or loved one who could benefit from talking to a man who found a way to walk through the Hellish fire that is addiction and come out fighting on the other end, do not hesitate to ask my help.
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. The Park Website: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=438
ERNIE PARDINI: It will be with a deep sense of regret that I walk down the cobblestone walkway and look back at this cozy little country house that I've called home for the last 14 months. I experienced some of the greatest joy and some of the deepest sorrow of my life during the short time I was here. But this little house embodied the warm, loving spirit of Mrs. Summit and her wonderful family who spent so many years here. I hope the new owners will appreciate it the way I have.
VELMA'S FARM STAND AT FILIGREEN FARM: We are open for the season again! The farm stand will be stocked with spring veggies, dried fruit, and fresh flowers to fill your home. We will be open Friday 2-5pm and Saturday 11-3pm. Offerings include: lettuce, beets, fennel, kohlrabi, chard, kale, spigarello and broccoli, fava beans, bok choy, artichokes, turnips, spaghetti squash, potatoes, herbs, frozen blueberries, dried fruit (prunes, apples, raisins, peaches), olive oil, quince apple butter, and fresh flower bouquets! We will also have a few flavors of Wilder Kombucha available as well. All produce is certified biodynamic and organic. Follow us on Instagram for updates @filigreenfarm or email Annie at farmstand@filigreenfarm.com with any questions. We accept cash, credit card, check, and EBT/SNAP!
MANY OF YOU will know WT Johnson as the friendly and, ahem, non-judgmental guy who showed up at 3am to pull you and your ride out of a ditch. WT did that for years all the while holding down a full time job with the County road crew. These days, as he nears County retirement, WT drives all over our vast county to haul your junked car outta here, no charge. And he'll do the paperwork. WT's performing a major public service here. Sure, he makes a little on the recycle end after he's pulled your ancient Volvo down to the crusher yard in the East Bay, but given fuel prices he's basically a charity at this point. He can be reached at 272-8101 or johnsonjunkers@hotmail.com.
TRASH PICK-UP in the Anderson Valley is kinda hit or miss these days. Detritus headquarters up at Willits Solid Waste says their schedules are off because of a shortage of drivers and mechanical problems with their trucks. What they don't say is hauling our garbage back and forth to Willits at the thin-margin-profit they've operated at for years is barely a paying proposition anymore.
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