Mendocino County Today: February 12, 2013

THE PERILS OF BLIND OBEDIENCE. Just in from the Sheriff: “On February 08, 2013 around 11:45am, Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office K-9 ‘Argus’ died as a result of injuries sustained in a fall from a height of approximately 30 feet. At the time Argus was off duty with his handler, Deputy Craig Walker, when he got out of an enclosed backyard. Deputy Walker called Argus, who responded, leaping off a nearby building he wandered up onto. It appeared Argus responded immediately to his handler’s call and was not aware of the height of the structure he was on. Argus’ injuries were immediately fatal. Argus was a two-year old German Shepherd that had been brought to the United States from Slovakia. Argus had been assigned with Deputy Walker for approximately six months prior to his death. Prior to his death Argus assisted Deputy Walker on his patrol duties in the Anderson Valley Resident Post providing handler protection duties, fugitive apprehension, drug detection, and regularly attended to the needs of the citizens they served. Argus made a recent visit to the Anderson Valley School District where the students met him and learned about the K-9 duties related to law enforcement. Argus was a big hit with the school children and all who met him. Argus will be missed not only by his handler and immediate family, but by everyone in the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office. Argus will be remembered as devoted, courageous, and loyal. The Sheriff’s Office will be seeking to obtain another K-9 to partner with Deputy Walker to meet the law enforcement needs of the citizens in Anderson Valley and surrounding areas.”

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A READER WRITES: “Steve Sparks may be interested to know that according to the BBC, Ms. Daphne Oxenford, host of the famous British children's TV program “Listen With Mother,” known to millions of children for saying “Are you sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin…” has died at age 93.

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THIS COMING Saturday, Feb 16, will see the co-authors of “Out There in the Woods,” Stephen Sparks and Sheriff Tom Allman, appearing at a book-signing and Q & A discussion at Lauren's Restaurant in Boonville. The event is presented by Laughing Dog Books and will run from 4-6pm. Later that night, the Sheriff will be discussing many connected and relevant issues such as mental health services, gun control, marijuana cultivation, and hunting for fugitives from justice, when he appears at midnight on KGO-810AM's “'Crime Talk” show with Candice DeLong. The Sheriff was on those same airwaves last Sunday evening on the Pat Thurston Show, talking about the book and related issues. Host Thurston is clearly a fan of the AVA, which she referred to as “America's best newspaper”! It should be mentioned that proceeds from the book, after costs, will go to the non-profit organizations chosen by the families of the three people who lost their lives in the tragedy covered by the book in its account of the Aaron Bassler double-murder case that took place among the coastal forests near Fort Bragg in the fall of 2011.

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COMMENT OF THE DAY: There are approximately 30 gun murders every single day. The number of gun suicides is somewhat higher. Curiously, the total number of deaths due to guns in this country is almost exactly equal to the total number of traffic deaths, at just over 30,000 per year. But, while the number of traffic fatalities is decreasing, from a high of over 50,000 in the 1970's, the number of gun deaths is now slowly but steadily increasing. Just imagine what would happen if we made a good-faith attempt to reduce gun deaths the same way we did with traffic deaths. More safety laws and equipment. Better enforcement (e.g., DUI). Why does the NRA hate public safety?

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A READER WRITES: “I read in last week's AVA that you are thinking about no longer printing the AVA, offering it online only. I hope you can find a way to continue to offer a print edition. I would pay more to cover the cost of a first-class mail subscription if needed. Although the AVA is my favorite paper (I've been a subscriber for something like 25 years) I am not going to read the AVA online. I only have a computer at work, not at home. I do not enjoy reading from electronic devices. And I can't imagine downloading and printing out the AVA so I can read it when I get home. Maybe I'm not a typical AVA subscriber, but you would lose me (and worse, I would lose you) if you went online only.”

WE'RE BEING SHOVED in that direction by the Post Office and the general societal drift of things — the abbreviated attention spans, the fear of 9-point type so many readers now have, our own pessimism that we may soon be reduced to roving bands of scavenging survivors as newspapers lie unread as we tend the potato patch and so on — but we soldier on, devoted to long rows of gray print on paper made from trees, our columns unrelieved by graphics or photos of grinning fools. As the sage, looking around at the company, said, “Pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the spirit!” Onward!

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ON THE OFF CHANCE a Republican sees this in the weekly swarm of commie comment, the Mendocino County Republican Central Committee will meet Saturday, February 16, 2013, 10am-Noon Noon at the Lumberjack's Restaurant, 1700 S. Main Street, Willits. For further info contact: Stan Anderson, 707-321-2592.

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THINK ABOUT IT: "Rodney King's name is a hot button for some. Can anyone name the African-American man who saved Reginald Denny's life at great risk to himself? Bobby Green was one of the riot's greatest heroes. The black truck driver was watching the violence unfold on television at his Los Angeles home when he saw Denny being attacked and quickly headed to the scene. He helped push Denny back into his truck's cab and then drove him to the hospital, saving his life. Later, despite threats and insults from the community, he went on to testify against Denny's attackers. He and his family have since moved to a suburb east of Los Angeles and he did not respond to messages for comment. On the 10th anniversary of the riot, he told the Los Angeles Times: 'I can tell my kids that color is on the outside, not the inside. To me, I turned justice around and showed them that all black people ain't the same as you think.'" [from KTVU.com]

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A FEW NOTEWORTHY ITEMS from County CEO Carmel Angelo’s report to the Board of Supervisors this Tuesday (Feb 12):

• “Dora Street Building Flood Response Informational Website: An informational webpage has been created to enable staff, community partners, and interested parties to monitor progress on the facility repairs and client services updates. The page is accessed at:

http://www.co.mendocino.ca.us/hhsa/dorastreetflood.htm.

Over 600 visitors to the site have indicated a strong public interest in the latest information on this disaster situation. The County is putting an all out effort into communicating any updates to the emergency and alternatives to accessing services from the Public Health department.” Current status: “Complete restoration of the facility is expected to take several months. Currently, all services located at the Dora Street Public Health and Behavioral Health & Recovery Services (Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs) office are up and running. It has been necessary, however, to reconfigure and relocate many staff members, including temporary modular structures that were installed on-site to allow the Women’s Infants & Children’s (WIC) program to have adequate space to continue serving clients. Please continue to use the Public Health main phone number of 472-2600; for Mental Health Crisis, please use 472-2304.”

• “Implementation of the Affordable Care Act: Executive Office staff are deeply involved in conversations with the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) regarding implementation of the Affordable Care Act and Covered California to present a coordinated policy plan to the State Governor’s office. The health care overhaul will require careful allocation of local resources to account for the community members newly eligible for care. The County is implementing a Health Care Working Group to engage top stakeholders in the area and discuss impending challenges that will need to be addressed to continue providing top level care.”

(Note: According to a recent comprehensive critique of Obamacare by an anonymous insurance company insider/whistleblower on Counterpunch.org (http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/02/05/obamacare-a-deception/) one of the biggest problems with the program is that the co-pays and deductibles, even for the lowest coverage (“Bronze”) are so high that although people will be “covered” (40% of the cost of which will be government subsidized, 60% mandatorily paid by mandatory tax withholding) the coverage will still be very expensive and many low-income people will not use the coverage because the co-pays and deductibles are still too high. So the insurance companies will pick up millions of new ratepayers who still can’t afford to actually seek care.)

• “Community Engagement/State of the County Presentations: As the County embarks upon its budget development process for the coming fiscal year, the CEO gave the first public budget presentation to the Unity Club of Anderson Valley on February 7, 2013. One high priority topic was Public Safety and what the County is doing to keep its citizens safe. The presentation also reviewed statistics on employment areas, demographics, and anticipated industries for future growth within the County. Moving forward, the CEO plans to give presentations within each Supervisorial district.”

AND THIS ONE from County Treasurer Shari Schapmire: “Roundtable Discussion of the County’s Investment Pool. March 14, 2013, 1pm. Mendocino County Administration Center, 501 Low Gap Road, Ukiah, Conference Room C. Items to be discussed: New Investment Advisor, Economic Indicators, Current Investment Strategy, Investment Policy, Interest Apportionment Rates, Costs Associated with Treasury Pool, Banking Services, Any Additional Topics of Interest. All pool participants are encouraged to attend this informal roundtable discussion. Interested members of the public are also welcome to attend. Questions or comments, Contact Shari Schapmire, Mendocino County Treasurer, at 234-6884.”

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THE INTERNATIONAL WILDLIFE FILM FESTIVAL’S "Wild Fridays" begin on Feb. 22. It's time for the International Wildlife Film Festival to roll out its amazing animal features once again! This Post-Festival tour, fresh from Missoula, Montana, is a benefit for the Redwood Valley Outdoor Education Project. The Festival opens Friday, February 22 in Ukiah, and continues for five more Friday evenings through March 29. “Wild Fridays" begins with “Otter 501,” the Festival’s winner in the Best Theatrical Film category, which features an orphan sea otter pup that gets a second chance at life in the wild. Stars of the following Fridays' films will include “Broken Tail” (a Bengal tiger), cranes, primeval creatures of New Zealand, and India’s sloth bear of Jungle Book fame. We will also meet Jim Brandenburg, one of the world’s greatest nature photographers, sharing his inspiration from the untamed north woods of Minnesota. For our final feature we will join David Attenborough for an updated look at what is happening at the earth’s poles. Films will be shown at the Ukiah Civic Center, 300 Seminary Avenue. The doors open at 6:20 with live music presented by a variety of local musicians and a chance to socialize. Films begin at 7 pm. Tickets are available at Mendocino Book Company or at the door. A suggested donation of $10 for adults and $5 for children is requested for each evening. Festival-goers can also procure a series ticket for $50. Buying a series ticket is a great way to save money and support the Redwood Valley Outdoor Education Project (RVOEP). The RVOEP is a community-supported outdoor environmental education program of the Ukiah Unified School District and serves over 2,000 students each year. Donations provide vital funding for staff, field trip transportation, and other program expenses. To learn more about the RVOEP and see a full film schedule, visit www.rvoep.org or contact Helen Menasian, Education Coordinator, at 489-9932.

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MOVE TO AMEND’S WE THE PEOPLE AMENDMENT was introduced in Congress on Monday! The We the People Amendment is the only amendment that deals with both Supreme Court doctrines that grant constitutional rights to artificial entities and that define spending money as free speech. 

There are still many steps along the way, but this is a major milestone for the movement to amend! 

Move to Amend will not now become a Congressional lobbying effort (not at this point). In fact now more than ever it is critical that we reach and educate the American people -- letting them know that there is a movement to get corporations out of our Constitution and big money out of our political process, and getting them involved.

What you can do: On Monday go to http://WeThePeopleAmendment.org for photos, video and updates on the coverage of the amendment drop. Ben Manski will be on Reddit.com at 1pm Eastern / 10am Pacific doing an "Ask Me Anything" interview about the We the People Amendment and Move to Amend. Tune in!
 Ask your friends to sign the Move to Amend petition to get involved in the campaign.
 If you're not already active in Move to Amend -- now's the time. Sign up to volunteer with an existing local MTA group or start one in your community.
 Make a donation to Move to Amend to support our work. We are a grassroots organization supported by donations from individuals like you. We are proud of this significant success, but you won't see us resting on our laurels in the weeks and months to come. We know there is still work to do to ensure victory and we know you are with us to see it through to the end. Thanks for that! Yours for democracy, Ashley Sanders, Ben Manski, Daniel Lee, David Cobb, Egberto Willies, George Friday, Jerome Scott, Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap, Laura Bonham, Nancy Price Move to Amend National Leadership Team PS -- Don't forget to tune in tomorrow for coverage on the amendment drop at http://WeThePeopleAmendment.org. We need all hands on deck to help spread the word and make this announcement viral! (Tom Wodetski)

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"NATINIXWE: THE HUPA PEOPLE" details tribal life. By Roberta Werdinger

On Saturday, February 23, from 2 to 4 pm, the Grace Hudson Museum will host a free presentation and opening reception for its new exhibit, "Natinixwe: The Hupa People." The exhibit is curated by Bradley Marshall, regalia-maker and member of the Hupa tribe. Marshall will be giving a special illustrated program beginning at 2 pm in the Museum’s public room on Hupa history and culture. The Grace Hudson Museum’s new exhibition showcases historic photos of the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation community during the 1940s and 1950s taken by Ernest (Ernie) Leland Marshall Jr., Bradley Marshall's grandfather. In addition, regalia created by Bradley Marshall will be on display, along with paintings by Hupa artist Loren Lavine.

The Hupa tribe lives in the northeast corner of Humboldt County on the largest reservation in the state of California. The Trinity River flows through the middle of the valley they inhabit; the river's semiannual salmon runs are still an important part of Hupa people's lives. They have been unusually successful in maintaining and preserving their lifestyle and traditions in an era of rapid social and cultural change, when loss of tribal history and culture has been common in other parts of the state.

Ernest Marshall Jr. (1913-1961) was a founding member of the Hoopa Valley Tribal Government (one of the first successful self-governing tribal structures in the nation) and a photographer whose thousands of prints provide a diverse portrait of the lifestyle and traditions of the Hupa people. These include compelling photographs of ceremonial dances such as the Brush Dance and the White Deerskin Dance. While it is usually forbidden to take photos of the dances, Ernie Marshall was given special permission to do so by the dance leaders of the time.

Intricate regalia is worn by the participants in these ceremonies, requiring a vast array of natural materials that are carefully gathered and painstakingly prepared for use. These include such things as clam shells, deer hide, bear grass, leather, abalone, pine nuts and numerous types of feathers, including those from the California condors, which used to fly above the Hoopa Valley.

“My father always told me that when you are making something, you have to be in a good place," curator and regalia-maker Bradley Marshall comments. "You have to have good thoughts, because what you’re feeling, whatever you’re experiencing, it will show in your work…. And with the pieces I create, I know they are going to outlive me. A life span is pretty short, when you think about it. But the pieces I’m creating I know are going to be here, be used, for several generations.

"I was taught that a piece of regalia is not alive until it is danced. Or you could say that the spirits that were in the animals that I used come back into the piece and form a new life. One of the things that I’ve always been told is that regalia that I make, I don’t own. I’m just a holder. The holder is almost like a parent with a child…It’s my responsibility to house them, to make sure that they’re maintained. And then it’s my responsibility to run that regalia all over, wherever the dances are going on, wherever it’s supposed to be, it is my responsibility to make sure it gets to that place.”

"Natinixwe: The Hupa People" opens on February 16 and runs until March 12, 2013. ("Natinixwe" is pronounced "Nah-tin-ah-way.") Museum Director Sherrie Smith-Ferri will lead a tour of the exhibit, free for docents and Museum members, at noon on Tuesday, Feb. 26. This exhibition was made possible through the generosity of West America Bank, Mendocino Striders, and the Sun House Guild.

The Grace Hudson Museum is at 431 S. Main St. in Ukiah and is a part of the City of Ukiah's Community Services Department. General admission to the Museum is $4, $10 per family, $3 for students and seniors, and free to members or on the first Friday of the month. For more information please go to www.gracehudsonmuseum.org or call 467-2836.