Mendocino County Today: Friday, May 5, 2023

Showery | Skate Park | Correction | Garden Beds | Brooktrails | Grocery Outlet | Orchard Fog | Desalination Project | Candidate Mockel | Seven Mile | Candidate Norvell | Boonville Classic | Noyo School | Philo Blues | Arena Painkillers | Community Chorus | Variety Show | Latin Jazz | Arena Cemetery | BBC Interview | Swedish Books | Covelo Exposition | History Wall | Art Walk | Abalone Diving | Booze Run | Yesterday's Catch | Green Day | Go Around | Game 2 | LeBron Fan | Stabbing Suspect | Killing Machine | Lazy Medicine | Nostalgic Smells | Vesuvio | Tucker Talk | Youthful Body | Tombstone Town | Scripted Comedians | 1944 Teens | Papers Principle | Reserve Currencies | Ukraine | Persuader | Museum Pieces | Never Surrender

A COOL AND SHOWERY WEATHER PATTERN will persist through early next week. Isolated thunderstorms will be possible over the mountains of northeast Trinity, eastern Mendocino and northern Lake Counties this afternoon and Saturday afternoon. A warming and drying trend will begin around mid next week. (NWS)

BOONVILLE SKATE PARK

After many months of planning and design, Anderson Valley's custom skatepark design has been finalized! The plan includes a 12,500 square foot skatepark (plus two internal landscaped/seating areas), a viewing area with seating, a water fountain, access paths, landscaping with native plants, a bioswale to accommodate drainage, new trash and recycling receptacles (with mosaic panels) and an entrance wall that will feature mosaic and donor appreciation tiles. 

CORRECTION (rental property proposal vote)

Dan Gjerde: As an FYI, in Bruce's column, he wrote the supervisors "proceeded to turn down the Planning Commission’s modest proposal unanimously." Actually, it was a 4-1 split vote, with myself voting to uphold the planning commission interpretation of County code.

GARDEN BEDS AVAILABLE: The Community Garden at the Anderson Valley Elder Home has four beds available for rent this season (April through the following March). Some are in-ground and some are raised beds. For a small annual fee (depending on the size of the bed) the Community Garden provides soil, compost, water and drip irrigation management. If you are interested in renting a bed, or want more information, please contact Jill at: avehcommunitygarden@gmail.com

GROCERY OUTLET EIR PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Wednesday, May 10 at 6pm at Town Hall in Fort Bragg

Grocery Outlet Environmental Impact Report

You might have already heard that the Planning Commission will be holding a public hearing on this project at Town Hall (363 N. Main St.) on Wednesday, May 10 at 6pm. Public comments on the project can be made in-person, via zoom, or telephone (see agenda) at the Planning Commission hearing on May 10, and by e-mailing comments to the Community Development Department CDD@fortbragg.com 2pm on May 10. Here is a link to this notice: https://www.city.fortbragg.com/home/showpublisheddocument/4225

If you want to read more about the project, you can find documentation about the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) and EIR here: https://www.city.fortbragg.com/departments/community-development/city-projects

Unfortunately the Initial Study (deficient Mitigated Negative Declaration), which forms the basis for the DEIR, was not included. The DEIR was flawed, inadequate, and conclusory so that a meaningful public review was hindered. It also omitted analysis of items that are potentially significant. This is still the case with the EIR.

In 1970 the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) was enacted as a system of checks and balances for development and environmental management decisions. Its goal is to protect California’s environment.

There are many issues of environmental concerns with this project includingtraffic, pedestrian safety, and increased noise for residential areas that were not sufficiently addressed. Due to increased traffic, ambulances will need to turn on the sirens much sooner at the 4-way stop at the intersection of South St. and S. Franklin St. The recent 68 affordable housing units and amanager's unit to house workforce families, seniors and homeless community members (Danco buildings at the Plateau) on River Street across from the hospital was not part of the traffic analysis conducted in October 2019, nor the Parents and Friends project, and the new Crisis Respite Center on Cypress Street.

There are also other concerns not properly addressed like site layout in regards to the parking lot, delivery truck access, and allowing traffic to turn left at the intersection of N. Harbor Drive and Highway 1 (Main Street) immediately next to Noyo Bridge.

The construction of the project and more traffic will result in increased pollution, including storm water runoff, site flooding, vehicle carbon emissions, and bright lights effecting nearby residents and visitors at the nearby motels. These also have not been sufficiently addressed in the EIR.

In addition visual resources/aesthetics, and the impact on other grocery stores have not been sufficiently considered. Rather than filling in empty spaces downtown to prevent blight, allowing a national discount grocery chain to build a new structure on the south side of town will effect local businesses and employees. These national discount grocery chains often do not support local organizations. Grocery Outlet does not provide most of their employees with the dignity of livable, good wages or affordable medical benefits (no sick leave, no maternity leave) and does not live up to industry standards. Not only will it be harder for other businesses that provide good wages and benefits in our community to compete with this cheap labor, it will also likely result in the loss of several better paying positions for our members in our community. A net loss of these better paying positions will also directly impact other businesses in our community. It is conceivable that another store would not be able to survive. The added tax dollars from the Grocery Outlet would effect less tax dollars from other stores. Cheap alcohol and hard spirits will be a nuisance and safety issue for surrounding businesses, and also at Noyo Harbor.

If the project has a significant environmental impact that hasn't been mitigated to reduce it down to an acceptable (or less-than-significant) level it should only be approved along with meaningful mitigation of the project's impacts. Articulating thoughtful concerns about this particular project is important. These concerns need to tie in with the EIR.

The Planning Commission will make a recommendation to the City Council and the City Council will make the final decision about this project.

The agenda for the Planning Commission can be found here in a few days: https://cityfortbragg.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

For people who want to see the Planning Commission live streamed check this link as it gets closer to the date: https://www.city.fortbragg.com/government/planning-commission/planning-commission-meeting-live-stream

Annemarie Weibel

Albion

OCEAN WATER TO FRESH: First-Of-Its-Kind Wave-Powered Pilot Project In Fort Bragg Set To Test

Assuming it’s successful, Fort Bragg’s desalination unit could provide a replicable model for coastal communities around the North Coast and on other U.S. coastlines, water officials said.

by Mary Callahan

Fort Bragg is embarking on an innovative pilot project to desalt ocean water for the Mendocino Coast community using carbon-free wave action to power an energy-intensive process that in other cases generates climate changing greenhouse gases.

The design comes from a young Quebec-based company called Oneka Technologies that makes floating, raft-like units containing the equipment needed to draw in water, pressurize and force it through reverse-osmosis membranes, then send it back to shore in a flexible pipe on the ocean floor.

Fort Bragg will start with a single, 16-foot by 26-foot unit, anchored about a mile off shore of the Noyo Headlands, Public Works Director John Smith said.

It could be deployed in perhaps six or eight months, once a variety of tests are completed to determine the best location for it. Permits also must be acquired to ensure the project complies with California Ocean Plan water quality provisions for desalination facilities and meets other regulatory requirements.

The project is to be covered by a $1.5 million state grant through the Department of Water Resources, which includes permitting and regulatory expenses, Smith said. The grant was announced last month in a new round of funding totaling $5 million for three desalination efforts under the state’s strategic plan to expand water supplies, increase storage capacity and generally improve drought resilience.

Assuming it’s successful, Fort Bragg’s desalination unit could provide a replicable model for coastal communities around the North Coast and on other U.S. coastlines, as well, water officials said.

The equipment also is modular by design and can be scaled up using an array of floating units spaced apart in the ocean.

“It’s a very small version of what it could be in the future,” Smith said. “It’s pretty fantastic.”

Very fine mesh across the unit’s water intake is designed to prevent aquatic wildlife from getting sucked in and being harmed. The vertical line to the anchor and any surface lines connecting floating rafts to each other are under high tension and very taut, so they aren’t subject to entanglement, Oneka co-founder the Chief Executive Officer Dragan Tutic told The Press Democrat.

Using wave energy to mechanically pressurize the water means the process doesn’t contribute to the atmospheric changes that are contributing to water scarcity in the first place. There is no electricity, no connection to the grid, no chemical use.

And only 25% of a given batch of ocean water is treated. The resulting concentrated brine is then diluted by the remaining 75% of the batch before it’s discharged back to the ocean. That water will be about 30% more saline than the existing ocean water, addressing another typical concern with desalination. Sensors on the rafts monitor the salinity of the incoming and outgoing water, he said, but the discharged water dilutes so quickly in the ocean, it’s difficult to measure any increased salinity around the raft.

“It’s an amazing and innovative project,” Fort Bragg Mayor Bernie Norvell said. “It addresses both of the main obstacles to desal: the amount of energy needed to produce the desalinated water and what to do with the salt. The energy is produced by the wave action, and the salt is filtered and returned directly to the ocean. Win, win.

“We hope it is highly successful, and we end up with several more,” Norvell said.

Water scarcity is a growing concern around the globe, as rising temperatures cause increased evaporation and more extreme swings between drought and severe storms and flooding.

During California’s recent, three-year drought, the Mendocino Coast faced particular challenges, given its dependence on shallow groundwater wells, which began running dry. Many communities and individual residents elsewhere on the coast turned to Fort Bragg to purchase water.

But they eventually were cut off, as the city, its surface water sources running low, struggled to meet the needs of its own 7,000-plus residents.

The water shortage was so severe in towns like Mendocino that the County of Mendocino and the state Department of Water Resources arranged to purchase water from the city of Ukiah and truck it over the hill to the coast in late summer of 2021 to supply minimal needs there.

Fort Bragg, meanwhile, obtained emergency state funding for a mobile desalination unit set up that same fall to remove the salt from brackish water at an intake in the Noyo River 4 1/2 miles upstream from Noyo Harbor.

The river was running at such a low ebb that tidewaters pushing upstream had made the water there unusable. But the city could only rely on about half the mobile unit’s capacity because of limits on how much dense brine it was authorized to dispose of through its waste water treatment facility.

Oneka, launched in 2015, heard about Fort Bragg’s foray into the world of desalination through mutual connections approached the city about a pilot project using its wave technology.

Though relatively new to the marketplace, with units so far deployed off the coasts of Chile and Florida, Oneka last year won the U.S. Department of Energy’s “Waves to Water Prize,” beating 66 initial entrants with technologies using the power of waves to turn ocean water into drinking water.

The company currently has three unit sizes, including a small, nimble product that can be deployed quickly to provide emergency water supplies for communities hit by natural disasters. It is working on a new larger unit twice the size of the one Fort Bragg is getting but with four times the production capacity, supported by the Canadian government, Oneka co-founder Tutic said.

The Fort Bragg project provides his company with a demonstration site on the California Coast with the opportunity to glean information about its technology’s performance in northern Pacific waters, though the coastal land is similar to Chile, he said.

It also aligns with Fort Bragg’s Blue Economy Initiative, which provides direction for the city’s cultivation of emerging, ocean-related industries like aquaculture, renewable energy and mitigation banking that contribute to a healthy ocean while ensuring existing fishing, recreation and other long-standing economic activities maintain the ocean’s long-term health.

“This is just one more way our community is trying to stay ahead of the curve,” Norvell said. “Do not be afraid to be innovative and just get started.”

California has seven active seawater desalination facilities. An eighth has been approved but is not yet operating. All are on coastal land, mostly in central or southern California, said Laura McLellan, senior environmental scientist with the State Water Resources Control Board’s Recycled Water and Desalination Unit.

The state is also supporting desalination facilities to treat brackish groundwater as part of a major, ongoing push to diversify water supplies to meet current and future needs.

But this is the first time its been asked to fund offshore, wave-powered technology like Oneka’s, McLellan said.

“It is very unique for California, is my understanding,” said Matt Herman, a water resource control engineer with the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board. “I think the hope of the corporation that does these offshore desalination units is to make them more common, and in this case, it might actually be a good fit for the North Coast communities because it’s very scalable”

“I’m an engineer,” Herman said. “I find it intriguing … I want to see what the study turns out … whether it’s effective in our region. Time will tell.”

(Santa Rosa Press Democrat)

TREVOR MOCKEL FOR FIRST DISTRICT SUPERVISOR CANDIDACY ANNOUNCEMENT

Dear fellow Mendocino County residents,

Today, I am filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude and excitement as I announce my candidacy for the position of First District Supervisor of Mendocino County. My career to date has been dedicated to serving my community, and I believe that I have the experience, values, and vision necessary to make a real difference in the lives of all those whom I hope to represent.

As a lifelong resident of the First District, I have seen firsthand the challenges that our community faces daily. Mendocino County has faced incredible difficulties, from prolonged and damaging droughts to sudden and devastating wildfires. This is to say nothing of the human toll - I have seen families struggle to make ends meet, students struggle to receive a quality education, and businesses struggle to thrive in a constantly changing world.

But I am not deterred by these challenges. In fact, they motivate me even more to work tirelessly to create a better future for all of us. I believe that by bringing together our diverse perspectives, ideas, and talents, we can find innovative solutions to our problems and build more equitable and just solutions to the challenges we face.

Securing the future of the First District will be a three-part challenge that requires a delicate balance between water, fire, and agriculture.

Water is a precious resource in this district, and ensuring its sustainable use and conservation is critical for the future. At the same time, the threat of wildfires is an ever-present danger that must be addressed through proactive fire management strategies. Finally, agriculture plays a vital role in the district's economy and must be managed carefully to ensure its long-term viability. Balancing these three priorities will require careful planning, collaboration, and innovation to ensure that the needs of all stakeholders are met while preserving the district's natural resources for future generations.

Throughout my professional career, public service has been the cornerstone. I've had the honor of serving in various capacities, including staffing and legislative work for two California State Senators in their Capitol offices. I’ve also had the privilege of serving as a Field Representative for the California State Senate, overseeing Mendocino, Lake, Trinity, Humboldt, and Del Norte Counties. I've gained valuable experience working for First Five of Mendocino County, Mendocino County Public Health, and the City of Ukiah City Manager’s Office. These diverse experiences have helped me hone my skills in policy analysis and advocacy, data analysis, emergency operations management, community outreach, and other valuable areas.

I pledge to listen to your concerns, engage with you, and work alongside you to create the kind of community that we all want and deserve.

I am running because I believe that we can do better. I am running because I believe in the power of our collective potential. And I am running because I believe that together, we can build a brighter future for Mendocino County. Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to earning your trust and support in the coming weeks and months.

* * *

Endorsements:

I am supporting Trevor Mockel in his campaign for 1st District Supervisor in 2024. I have worked with Trevor when he was a Field Representative for State Senator Mike McGuire, and found that he is responsive, empathetic, professional and communicates well with people. He has great working knowledge of the different level of government having worked for the City of Ukiah, the County of Mendocino and as a staffer for the California State Senate. He is a Mendocino County native yet gone off for an education, worked outside of the community, but returned to make a life here. He understands the important local issues and will know how to source help from other places when needed. He is dedicated to public service and already has shown professional competence in his career. All these attributes add up to someone who will be productive from Day 1 if he is elected to the Board of Supervisors. I strongly encourage you to vote for Trevor Mockel for 1st District Supervisor.

Glenn McGourty

* * *

I support Trevor Mockel’s candidacy for Supervisor. Trevor is can do person with deep roots in the community. He listens to and cares about people. I have worked with Trevor on many issues and have found Trevor to be hard working, persistent, and capable. He is a person of integrity and understands the issues facing the 1st District and the County. I enthusiastically support Trevor Mockel as Supervisor for the 1st District of Mendocino County.

John Haschak

* * *

I’m happy to lend my early support to the Trevor Mockel's campaign for First District Supervisor. Trevor has the right combination of experience, connection, and energy to help guide the County of Mendocino into the future. I have worked with Trevor in several governmental roles and have found him to be a critical thinker and a problem solver. He has a strong understanding of our local issues and a willingness to communicate and be educated as new situations arise. I endorse Trevor Mockel for 1st District Supervisor.

Mo Mulheren

* * *

I am proud to endorse Trevor Mockel for the First District Supervisor position. Trevor is a dedicated and hard-working individual with a deep understanding of the needs of Mendocino County. He has a proven track record of public service and is committed to serving his community. In my opinion, Trevor is the best candidate for the job and I strongly urge you to support him in the upcoming election.

Ted Williams

* * *

Dan Gjerde has endorsed Trevor Mockel for the First District Supervisor

Full endorsement letter coming soon.

BERNIE NORVELL, Candidate, 4th District:

Good morning and thank you for the mention. To be clear I watch and follow all the supervisor meetings. I don’t always get to watch them live in their entirety but do follow up with the recordings. I stay in touch with at least three of the current supervisors. You are correct there are in fact several positions I have taken on council that are opposite of the county’s current direction. This is no different than when I first arrived on council. My plan is to bring change on many levels to the county. Starting with the ones you mentioned. I have however learned that change takes time and one cannot just come in like a wrecking ball and expect to work well with others. I have learned progress and change comes with compromise and hard work. Neither of which scares me. Do your homework, bring facts to the table, don’t be afraid to make a mistake or be wrong, always fail forward and get started yesterday. “Either get on the bus or get out of the way.”

* * *

Mark Scaramella notes:

When my uncle Joe Scaramella was first elected Fifth District Supervisor in 1952 after four previous unsuccessful runs (a record he was very proud of) he was considered to be a “troublemaker” by the old guard that he had been criticisizing and complaining about for two previous decades. As Joe described it:

“I was elected at a special election because the incumbent had passed away and there was no election intervening between then and the end of the term. I walked into the boardroom one day and there was a lady by the name of Edith Beck who was the clerk of the board. I was highly critical of the board and she knew about my criticisms. So I walked in and she says, ‘Am I going to have a job?’ — just like that. I came back with, ‘Why?’ She said, ‘Well everybody tells me that you're a troublemaker and you're going to change the whole damn thing.’ I said, ‘Let's get this thing straight. Anybody can get an axe and demolish things. It's not my job to demolish things. My job is to construct things.’ I said, ‘You just do your job and you'll have nothing to fear from me.’ And she was one of my best friends from that point on. So you see how they fostered that notion that I was a troublemaker because I was critical. Perhaps sometimes unnecessarily. But, criticism in my judgment is an essential part of life and of the job. If nobody says anything negative, how can you expect things to improve? See?”

Joe Scaramella went on to become the most accomplished Supervisor in Mendocino County history. Among many other things during his 18-year tenure, he created the civil service commission and wrote their operating procedures. He wrote the first version of the Board rules (and used them effectively throughout his tenure to advance his objectives), insisted that all board business take place in the open in the Board chambers (Pre-Brown Act), helped Richard Wilson stop the flooding of Round Valley, supported the County Assessor in increasing assessments of under-assesed large timber and ranch parcels (against serious opposition), was the sole vote to increase the County’s share of ownership of Coyote Dam. Once as Chair he turned down Union Lumber company’s demand that they be allowed to take over a county road for a day, and more. 

These difficult times and the deep holes the Board has dug for themselves require more than the ordinary Mendo go-along/get along chumminess that pervades local political circles these days. They require leadership that includes direct but fair criticism of colleagues and staff and taking strong positions for the things an elected official wants to pursue and accomplish. We hope that if Mr. Norvell becomes Supervisor he doesn’t soften his positions or observations in the name of “working well with others.” Perhaps a more current model would be former Supervisor John Pinches who was never reluctant to offer his blunt opinions and disagreements on the important issues that came before the Board. 

BOONVILLE CLASSIC THIS SUNDAY

We have less than a week until the Boontling Classic on Sunday, May 7, 2023 at the Elementary School! Sign up at runsignup.com/boontlingclassic to make sure that you secure an awesome t-shirt printed by Grindstone Printco in Ukiah before they sell out!

We are so excited about all of the amazing donations for the post-race drawing -- bottles of wine, apple juice, wine-tastings, dinners, fudge, books. You name it, and our local businesses have stepped up to donate!!! Best of all, all of the proceeds go to the Anderson Valley Food bank.

You can run, walk, or just cheer! Don't miss the opportunity to come out and celebrate our fantastic community in this much-loved local race!

We can't wait to see you there!

DARLENE NEAL:

Greetings, I am working on a history of the name “Noyo School” in Fort Bragg CA and would welcome your comments to provide a more accurate and complete history. The Kelly House Museum website provides three photos of Noyo Schools in 1905, 1925 and a third Noyo School (construction date unknown) was attended by Fort Bragg residents in the first, second and third grade in the early 1950’s. Perhaps both school buildings were in use until the Redwood Elementary School was opened in 1953.

The name Noyo was not used again until the Fort Bragg Continuation School changed the name to Noyo High School in 1992. During the past 20 years, approximately 400 graduates have diplomas from Noyo High School. The school name on their diploma may have meaning to them.

The School Board of Trustees is currently considering changing the name of Noyo High School. The topic will be discussed at the May 11, 2023 board meeting with a presentation from Noyo High School to discuss why a name change is desired. If you have any comments you want to share with them, please email School Superintendent Joseph Aldridge, jaldridge@fbusd.us and Mary Makela, Board President, mmakela@fbusd.us

FRUSTRATED IN PHILO

Editor,

Philo blues

Went to the Philo post office to see why my mail wasn't appearing in my box at Navarro.

The kind postal worker informed me to contact the Yorkville office since they are handling the Navarro mail now.

I then tried to mail a letter but their system was down.

Walked down the street to Lemons and paid $5 for a single bell pepper and $11.50 for a sandwich.

I realize that most of the clientele who regularly visit the wineries can afford such prices, and probably don’t even bat an eye. But for us working stiffs, this is ridiculous.

I'm 46 years old and these things are turning me into a grumpy old man too early in life. Time to buy a fast pony and a fat hog.

Kirk Vodopals

From the Deep End

TOMMY CASTRO & THE PAINKILLERS returns to Arena Theater Friday, 5/5 at 7:30pm. Come on out and dance to this amazing blues band!

REDWOOD COMMUNITY CHORUS - Free Concerts Tomorrow (Fri) and Sat

The 25 member local Redwood Community Chorus invites you to its Spring Concert this Friday, May 5 at 7:00 pm and Saturday afternoon, May 6 at 1:00 pm.

The concert will be held in the Mendocino Presbyterian Church. Admission is free (donations to help cover costs always appreciated).

The concert will include a robust piece by George Handel, a traditional American folk song, and some lovely Spring melodies. The program will feature “Festival Gloria,” a dynamic modern composition with rich and complex interweaving melodies.

The chorus is led by director Jenni Windsor and accompanied by pianist Robin Knutson. Ms. Windsor says, “Part of the joy of spring is new growth and beautiful reminders everywhere of the things we love to experience. This music reminds me of what I love about choral music.” 

Katherine Hart <hart4clrvision@gmail.com>

AV VARIETY SHOW: HERE WE GO!

Buckle up for the 30th AV Grange Variety Show. Friday May 12th and Saturday May 13th doors open at 6:30.

Pre-sale tickets at Lemons Market downtown Philo and the AV Market in downtown Boonville. We save back 100 tickets to be sold at the door each evening. Different shows each night. Close to 40 acts, amazing the amount of Variety around these parts. Not promising anything and not saying which night but: an animal act, the silks are back, the grand piano will be freshly tuned, Mariachi, poi spinning, bellydancing, slide guitar, Corridos, kids and The Raging Grannies with everybody in between. This will be quite the occasion and we are hoping you all will dress for it. In fact there is a rumor floating around that each night the "best" dressed person will have the honor of rotating the notorious raffle ticket cage or even choose the winning ticket (gasp).

Ah yes, no expense has been spared, oh well some expense has been....ok, ok lots of expense has been spared to put this extravaganza together because it's the biggest yearly fundraiser for the Grange and our friendly insurance company has just dropped us and we haven't raised the price of admission in years. To tell you the truth we could really use any cash you have lying around. So, if you dress up and have a great time don't be shy about dropping some extra cash in the donation jar.

There is another rumor (unconfirmed) that there will be food for your tailgate parties in the parking lot. Stay tuned. At intermission the Grange has a mess of goodies to snack on too and there will be entertainment outside. So get a little spiffed up, get in the mood, come out and have a great time with your friends and neighbors. Brightlighters and fogeaters welcome!

~ Captain Rainbow 

ODD FELLOWS CEMETERY IN POINT ARENA

Hi, All

I have been unable to contact persons in charge, or responsible for Cemetery in Point Arena. I would like to get permission to gather a group of Volunteers to fix the fence, and prepare for 4th of July Festivities. City, also, has a non-working number.

Grapes <grapeful20@gmail.com>

ON THE LAST DAY OF MARCH I was interviewed by BBC Radio about the global spice industry. Yes. BBC Radio. Live. Me. I was quoted in a BBC article earlier in the week entitled “Spice sales boom as home cooks get more adventurous” and they were doing some quick coverage on the radio. I was already excited to see our farm featured on BBC and really didn’t expect anything else beyond the article! 

ANYBODY READ SWEDE?

A Comptche resident has three feet of books in the Swedish Language looking for a new home, all topics. If you would like an instant Swedish language library contact Katy Tahja at ktahja@mcn.org and she’ll tell you how to claim them.

THE TINY TOWN OF COVELO, California located in a valley east of HWY 101 in Mendocino County was a huge part of the Golden Gate International Exposition in 1939 and 1940.

The descendants of the Yuki, Concow Maidu, Little Lake and other Pomo, Nomlaki, Cahto, Wailaki, Pit River nations formed a new tribe on the reservation, later to be called the Round Valley Indian Tribes. They were known at the time of the event as the Covelo Indian Community. They traveled to Treasure Island in San Francisco and actually had a building called the Indian Court. They sold or displayed arts and crafts from the different tribal nations across the USA. This particular poster has a Pomo basket on it. At the time, there was a huge art appreciation of all cultures and it may have been a positive experience, compared to past actions that brought them together in the first place. The event was actually structured to have people from different places performing dances or working on their crafts while attendees observed their creations or performances. Hence, the title The Golden Gate International Exposition that celebrated the new Bay and Golden Gate Bridges which both opened between 1936 and 1937.

PATRICK BRODERICK: We are going to have History Wall in our new taproom to be located on Franklin and Laurel to celebrate coastal culture. There will only be about 16 photos which we have framed and displayed prominently. My idea is to show the people, not necessarily buildings, activities etc. For example, I want to avoid cliche photos of logging but would love an image of a logger and his equipment. I want to see faces of people from the past. If anyone can help me locate and give me permission to use some old photos such as these, I would be grateful. Here are two examples:

FIRST FRIDAY ART WALK UKIAH 

Ukiah is a very walkable town. Join artists and their hosts for an evening of art, music and refreshments as you stroll from one venue to the next; each showcasing local art and artistry. Held in Historic Downtown Ukiah on the first Friday of each month, the First Friday Art Walk is the perfect way to relax your body, mind and soul. This enjoyable evening begins at 5:00 p.m. and promises to delight your senses; all while enjoying the company of others.

Bona Marketplace, 116 W Standley Street, Ukiah — Bona will be featuring Meelah Dorhosti, a well traveled and talented art instructor with her “Here, There and Everywhere” exhibit. Bona is celebrating their 10 year anniversary, please join them. W Real Estate, 101 N State Street, Ukiah W Real Estate is honored to welcome back Illustrious Andy. From a very young age, art has always been the main subject of interest by bringing vibrant colors and illustrated graphics to life. Andy’s creations have been featured in many locations across her home of Mendocino County. Whether she is displaying her canvases, hand painted fashions, teaching guided painting classes, or expanding her creativity in many other mediums, her art comes from a place of passion. Andy's art style is a touch of illustration with a tattoo-esque feel. She uses her creativity as a positive outlet for her anxiety. With her belief, that creating heals the mind, body and spirit. When she does not have a paint brush in hand, you can find Andy at Dream Beauty Lounge creating art with hair. Her two children are following in her artistic footsteps which has the full support from her and her loving husband.

Mama’s Medicinals, 328 N State Street, Ukiah — Mamas Medicinals is having Eagle Eye- Come take a visual journey with the photographic art of Eagle Rose. Live music by Red Bud

Labels, 200 S State Street, Ukiah — The featured artist at Labels will be Jenny Dalton. She is a local author that wrote, “Butterflies and Bullies” a story of how it feels to be bullied. It’s about best friends and frenemies expressing the wonder, doubts, and pleasures of being a child on the cusp of puberty. The story is mostly for adult women to help them heal from their own childhood traumas with bullying. The “Butterflies and Bullies” book will be available for discussion and purchase at Labels on May 5th from 5-7p

Medium Art Gallery, 522 E Perkins Street — Deep Valley Arts Collective is pleased to announce their spring show, “Impressions: A Printmaking Exhibition” at MEDIUM Art Gallery in Ukiah from May 5 through June 25, 2023. Printmaking, based on the principle of transferring images from a matrix onto another surface, most often involves paper or fabric. Printmaking techniques include, but are not limited to: woodcut, linocut, etching, engraving, lithography, screenprinting, and letterpress. Impressions features works of art by: Carolyn Rose Adams, Artisonia, R. Beckstrom, Mr. Czech, Rose Easterbrook, Alicia Farnsworth, Suzanne Farris, Kate Gould, Gary Gregory, Pauline Halper, Kari Hartmann, Kristin Hock, Meredith Hudson, Interloper, Leigh Jacobs, Lesa Oswell, Chris Pugh, Lisa J. Robinson, Annie Ruygt, Alexis Spakoski, Squid, Frank Van Curen, Daniel Villa. Opening Reception: First Friday Art Walk: Friday, May 5, 2023, from 5:00-8:00 Music by DJ Certone. Beer, wine and snacks available.

Ukiah Library, 105 N Main Street, Ukiah — The Ukiah Library staff invite the community to join us for Art Walk Ukiah *on Friday, May 5th from 5-7 pm*. Come enjoy an exhibit by local artist Janet Rosen, titled “Art is Made Here: Painting Local Artists.” The Ukiah Branch Library will be hosting live music by Clovice Lewis. Meditative art coaster creation materials will be available for in-person crafting or as a Take & Make. Enjoy a book sale by the Ukiah Valley Friends of the Library as you browse the art walk. This exhibit is free to the public, open to all ages, and sponsored by the Ukiah Valley Friends of the Library and Mendocino County El personal de la Biblioteca Ukiah invita a la comunidad a unirse a nosotros en Art Walk Ukiah *el viernes 5 de Mayo de 5 a 7 p.m.* Venga a disfrutar de una exhibicion de la artista local Janet Rosen, titulada “El Art se Hace Aqui: Pintado Artistas Locales.” La succursal de la Biblioteca de Ukiah presentara musicae n vivo a cargo de Cloive Lewis. Los materiales de creacion de montanas rusas de arte meditative estaran disponibles para la elaboracion en persona o como Take & Make. Disfrute de una venta de libros de los Amigos de la Biblioteca de la Bibioteca del Valle de Ukiah mientras navega por el paseo del art. Esta exhibicion es gratuita para el publico, abierta a todas las edades y patrocinada por los Amigos de la Biblioteca del Valle de Ukiah y la Biblioteca del Condado de Mendocino.

Grace Hudson Museum, 431 S Main Street, Ukiah — Make the Museum one of your stops during the Ukiah First Friday Art Walk in May. We’ll be between special exhibitions, but we expect to have lots of flowering plants in bloom in the Wild Gardens. Plus Ziggy Daniels, our super Wild Gardens docent will on hand to lead tours. And you can always discover or get reacquainted with our core galleries. Admission is free for all visitors on First Friday.

Other locations available include the Art Center Ukiah and Corner Gallery. For more information about the First Friday Art Walk contact Mo Mulheren at 707-391-3664

ED SMITH: Recreational Abalone diving was one one many wonders of the Mendocino coast. In the old days people did not have to dive as they could just pick them up off the rocks on a low tide. They got to keep 10 a long time ago. But when I dove last about 12 years ago, there were plenty of them left. But now they had to shut it down, maybe never to re-open. Surprised me as the amount of money lost though ticket sales is staggering. Maybe for the best I don't know but I sure enjoyed it for all them years.

LET'S DO IT AGAIN

Dear Editor 

In regards to our booze boutique run. How many years ago was it now? I can barely remember it. I think we should update it someday.

We’ll have to start out at 10 AM this time because there must be like 40 wineries now and we’re gonna wanna bring a bag lunch. Last time we barely got back just in time to get Rob back to the dishes at the Boonville Hotel. How is Rob? Would we be able to get him back for another spin 30 years later?

Sincerely,

Pilar Duran

Boonville

CATCH OF THE DAY, Thursday, May 4, 2023

RAMON ALCAZAR, Ukiah. Petty theft with priors.

VICTOR ANDING, Stockton/Laytonville. DUI-alcohol&drugs, controlled substance.

CHRISTINA BRITTON, Covelo. Burglary, failure to appear.

COREY CLAY, Willits. Failure to appear.

RICKIE CURTIS, Willits. Disorderly conduct-alcohol.

JESSE DAVIDSON, Covelo. Failure to appear, probation revocation.

NAKEA SIMS, Laytonville. Vehicle tampering, resisting, probation revocation.

JESSICA WHISMAN-FRIDAY, Laytonville. Probation revocation.

LARRY LIVERMORE: I was pretty sure Green Day/Sweet Children were gonna do great the very first time I saw them, but the day I knew they were destined for superstardom came a few months later at one of their early Gilman shows. They brought a bag of dry ice and opened it up when Mike clambered on top of a milk crate to play, of course, "Dry Ice." One of their buddies turned a flashlight into a spotlight, shining it through the fog to illuminate Mike's calmly ecstatic features. I guess he was still only 16 at the time, but he stood tall, confident, and proud even without the milk crate, and the band, while mocking generic arena rock, seemed to be simultaneously saying, "Oh yeah, we could pull off a stadium show with three bucks worth of props." At the time, probably no more than a couple hundred people had even heard of them, but it was obvious nothing short of a meteor landing on their practice pad was going to stop these guys from being one of the biggest bands in the world. Happy birthday, Mike, thanks for all the memories and inspiration, past, present, and future. 

WARRIORS HAD THEIR ANSWERS FOR LAKERS AND FOR DOUBTERS IN GAME 2

by Ann Killion

Coming into Thursday’s Game 2, there was concern. Doubt. Even low-key panic. There was, as usual, a Game 1 overreaction.

On a Twitter Space, which the San Francisco Chronicle and the Los Angeles Times co-hosted before Game 2 of the Golden State Warriors-Lakers series, one of my esteemed colleagues from SoCal declared it would be a short series.

“I don’t see how the Warriors have any answers,” he said.

How’s 127-100 for an answer?

The Warriors had their first laugher of the postseason, starting the fourth quarter of Thursday’s game with a 30-point lead over the Lakers, enabling Steve Kerr to rest his starters for almost all of the final period as they evened the series at one win apiece. Also a laugher: how anyone still doubts this team.

The Warriors had answers on Thursday. They’ve had answers since 2015. This is their 25th playoff series under Kerr. It is not exactly a small sample size.

“We needed this one,” Stephen Curry said. “We had great motivation to figure out how to win this game at all costs.

“When you have a bounce-back game like we had tonight and win as decisively as we did, knowing it’s going to be a whole lot tougher in Game 3 in LA, it’s a big morale boost. To give yourself life and belief that our game can carry on the road.”

The Warriors loss in Game 1 wasn’t exactly a surprise. The Warriors were coming off an emotional high, winning Game 7 in Sacramento just 48 hours earlier. The fact that they were able to make a 14-0 run late in the game to tie the score and only lost by 5 was encouraging.

Also not surprising: Anthony Davis did not recreate his monster performance from Game 1.  People in Lakers Land have started joking that A.D. stands for “alternate day.”  In the Lakers first round series against Memphis, Davis was great every other game and all but vanished the rest of the time.

Two days after he was being compared to Kareem, Shaq and Wilt, Davis put up an 11-point, six rebound output with Draymond Green hounding him and making him uncomfortable the entire game.

But after the blowout, Davis didn’t want to give the Warriors any credit for adjusting.

“I took all the same shots I took in Game 1,” he said. “I just missed them … Same exact looks. Didn’t shoot no shot that I didn’t shoot in Game 1. Just missed them, that’s all.”

It sure looked like something was different. Thursday was the 11th time the Warriors had faced Davis in the postseason. Granted those previous meetings were when he was with the Pelicans, but they’re not exactly surprised by anything he does.

“AD is a great player,” Green said. “When you try to make him do things on our terms, you make it a little bit tougher.”

The Warriors did things on their terms on Thursday night. They dictated the pace and it started to wear the Lakers down. Curry, who took 38 shots and scored 50 points two games ago against the Kings, took just 12 shots, scored 24 points and had 12 assists. He enjoys distributing like that Laker legend, Magic Johnson.

“I do, but I like to shoot, too,” the league’s greatest shooter said, inspiring laughter. “Just finding ways to be impactful and be aggressive. I’m capable of playing a lot of different ways.”

The Warriors had 48 points in the paint, finding a way to attack the rim with Curry finding Green in the key again and again. Kevon Looney, who didn’t start the game because he was feeling ill, came off the bench to score 11 points and grab eight rebounds. JaMychal Green, who started in Looney’s place, had 15 points. The Warriors outrebounded the Lakers 55-40 and had more offensive rebounds (13-9).

It was quite an answer.

The Warriors are 20-6 in Game 2s under Kerr. They are 33-11 in the playoffs in games following a loss, dating back to 2013.  Not a small sample size.

Now the Lakers will adjust. No Game 2 overreactions please. This is a chess match and each game is its own entity. Just as the Warriors' starters got plenty of rest in the fourth quarter, so did the Lakers starters. Everything starts anew on Saturday afternoon.

Curry said his aunt sends him little slices of wisdom from game to game.

“She said you’re always trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube in every game,” Curry said. “It starts at a different place and you’re always trying to figure it out. That’s the beauty of basketball. I love that part of the game.”

The Warriors solved the Rubik’s Cube of Game 2. In decisive fashion. It’s almost like they have some experience at this, or something.

(sfchronicle.com)

STABBING SPREE IN DAVIS

Police in Northern California announced Thursday they arrested a man suspected of killing two people and injuring one during a days long stabbing spree that left the college town on edge.

Davis Police Chief Darren Pytel and other city officials spoke at a press conference May 4 and shared the news about the arrest, which came the same day police said they had detained a person of interest in the case.

Pytel identified the suspect as 21-year-old Carlos Dominguez. He was reportedly a student at University of California, Davis "up until last week" and was taken into custody on two counts of homicide and one count of attempted homicide.

Police executed a search warrant at his house Thursday.

On May 2, Davis Police described the suspect as a light-skinned thin male between 5-foot-6 and 5-foot-9 wearing a black or blue sweatshirt, black Adidas pants with white stripes, black shoes, and a brown backpack.

Once that description went out, several people called police to report seeing a man in Sycamore Park that matched the description. One witness began following him, and Davis Police eventually caught up with him and started speaking with him. Pytel said Dominguez had "physical evidence" on him and was wearing dark clothing matching the description. Dominguez reportedly had a "large knife" with him that matched what detectives were searching for.

Pytel said police initially arrested him for possessing the knife, which he described as a "hunting-style knife." Detectives continued to investigate and later filed homicide charges.

A statement released by the University of California, Davis confirmed Dominguez was a student in his third year until April 25 when he was "separated for academic reasons."

The attacks shook the area for several days.

On April 27 at 11:20 a.m., Davis Police conducted a welfare check on an unresponsive individual at Central Park and found a man suffering from multiple stab wounds in what police called a "significantly violent attack." Officials later identified the victim as 50-year-old David Breaux, who was known around town as the "Compassion Guy."

Two days later, on April 29 at 9:14 p.m., a resident near Sycamore Park heard "what sounded like a disturbance" and located a male also suffering from stab wounds. The Davis police and fire departments arrived at the scene and declared the victim deceased.

He was identified the next day as 20-year-old Karim Abou Najm. He had attended the University of California, Davis and Davis High School.

The stabbings continued May 1 at a homeless camp near 2nd and L streets when the suspect attacked a victim through her tent. Pytel identified her as "Kimberly."

A motive remains unknown.

TO BE SILENT the whole day, see no newspaper, hear no radio, listen to no gossip, be thoroughly and completely lazy, thoroughly and completely indifferent to the fate of the world is the finest medicine a man can give himself. 

— Henry Miller

HE SMELLED the odor of the pine boughs under him, the piney smell of the crushed needles and the sharper odor of the resinous sap from the cut limbs. ... This is the smell I love. This and fresh-cut clover, the crushed sage as you ride after cattle, wood-smoke and the burning leaves of autumn. That must be the odor of nostalgia, the smell of the smoke from the piles of raked leaves burning in the streets in the fall in Missoula. Which would you rather smell?

— Ernest Hemingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls

IT CAME FROM SAN FRANCISCO

by Sean Wilsey

The name Tucker (it’s gender-neutral, n.b.) comes from the Old English tucian, meaning to torment, treat ill, afflict, harass, vex. Tuckers of all genders earned this sobriquet by making our clothes comfortable—through soaking, beating, and trampling fabric before we put it against our skin.

That’s a true name-is-destiny definition for the Tucker under discussion here, the recently unchained bête of the left and pet of the right, with his endearingly canine moniker and golden retriever–like hair, a stray for now, but surely not for long. And what’s the lineage of this creature? Alas, I can tell you, because it is my own.

Tucker Swanson McNear Carlson and I both were born at San Francisco’s Children’s Hospital in May of adjacent years (him: ’69; me: ’70), making our origins as near to geographically identical as possible. I didn’t know him, but I do know him.

We both know how to tie bow ties, and we share a great many ties—not just to S.F. but to bucolic Petaluma, in Sonoma County, where our grandfathers George McNear and Hayes Wilsey, respectively, were landowners and connected through the marriage of close relations to the McNear and Swanson clans. The latter family, per a 1979 New York Times story, “gave America the TV Dinner.” (Read: the family that destroyed family.)

Both of our fathers were orphans. We share close family connections to U.S. ambassadors and Protestant ministers. We each left California for New England prep schools and stayed on the East Coast, finding ourselves living in New Jersey at low points in our trajectories. We were each disinherited. In his case, unsuccessfully, but in a manner no less painful.

Carlson came to the wider public’s attention in 2004, when he was cohosting CNN’s since-canceled debate program Crossfire and, in an exchange that went viral, Jon Stewart berated him with the rhetorical question: “How old are you? And you wear a bow tie? So this is theater. Look, I’m not suggesting that you aren’t a smart guy, because those things are not easy to tie, but you’re doing theater when you should be doing debate…. It’s not honest. What you do is not honest. What you do is partisan hackery.”

If you find it difficult to merge your conceptions of Tucker Carlson and San Francisco, consider the fact that he is not a mere Nancy Pelosi–level fan of the Grateful Dead but listens to African drumming to chill out and considers Jerry Garcia a “genius.” (A photo of him standing beside Garcia holds pride of place in his studio.) But another kind of San Franciscan—hidebound, wealthy, well-connected—isn’t as familiar to the uninitiated, who think S.F. is the most liberal town in America. There’s a secret, equally powerful strain of prejudice, clubbiness, and institutionalized cruelty there. As a teenager in the 1980s, I knew prominent people who thought nothing of calling Mexican men “boys,” collecting Nazi memorabilia, and making occasional use of the n-word—despite sharing their dinner tables and political affiliations with Black intellectuals and politicians.

They are still there. My father, who was barred (or “blackballed,” to use his word) from one of the city’s power institutions for, as he told me, being raised in a Jewish household and marrying (his second time out) a Jewish woman, had no qualms about joining that same organization when he had finally accrued the social standing to overcome all resistance. He introduced me into this circle when he married his fourth wife, whose blue-blood bona fides offered him a clear path to social advancement. In this, he was similar to Carlson’s own father, whose rise through marriage to a Swanson was accompanied by a swerve to the right. My dad and stepmother doled out political donations to Democrats and Republicans without discrimination. Just so long as they knew, as Dad liked to say, “what side their bread is buttered on.” In short, San Francisco is run by powerful people who believe in nothing but themselves.

As the novelist and San Francisco native Rachel Kushner put it in The Mars Room: “There was evil coming out of the ground there.”

Carlson seems to be both from this city and utterly at war with it. More than at war, in fact. He has a vendetta against everything San Francisco represents to the 99 percent of Americans who don’t know better and is completely a creature of the place. It’s a civil war being waged in public but also inside one man.

As every profile of Carlson notes, his mother, the sculptor Lisa McNear Lombardi, abandoned her two children, Tucker and his younger brother, Buckley, giving their muckraker journalist father, Dick, full custody of the boys when Tucker was six. Carlson never saw his mother again. While she joined the coterie of that decade’s most famous wearer of bow ties, David Hockney, he was raised in full-bore masculinity by a man whose most cited journalistic stunt was outing a trans woman for winning a tennis tournament. Lombardi left her kids to spend the rest of her life in gay bohemia. As Rosebuds go, it’s pretty on the nose.

Is it any surprise that Carlson’s college yearbook lists him as a member of the “Dan White Society”?

Carlson once said of his mother, “I bitterly hated her.” (He used strikingly similar language in private texts about Donald Trump.)

Lombardi died in 2011 and never got to see her son master the right-wing universe. By default, Carlson and his brother each inherited a third of her estate, despite the later emergence of a will that not just disowned them but, in a statement no longer than a tweet, disowned and insulted them: “I LEAVE MY SONS TUCKER SWANSON MCNEAR CARLSON AND BUCKLEY SWANSON PECK CARLSON ONE DOLLAR EACH; $1.00. EACH.” This document, adjudicated to be genuine, came to light only after it was too late to enforce it.

Though the most intriguing part of this handwritten document, which apparently had been stuck in a book, is this: “I LEAVE ALL OF MY EARTHLY GOODS AND POSSESSIONS TO MY WIFE MY HUSBAND.”

In a 2019 podcast interview with Adam Carolla, Carlson spoke at length about what his mother’s abandonment had done to him: “I always said to my wife for 25 years, I said the one thing I’m worried about is when I get a call from someone saying, ‘They found your mother’s body….’ And it’s going to wreck my life, and this whole facade that I’ve built over the years of, like, [a] normal person living [a] normal life will just implode.”

But, he went on, “it didn’t really affect me…. I think the lesson is, if you live like a normal, if you just pretend to be a normal person long enough, if you pretend that you’ve conquered your problems over time and act like you grew up in a perfectly happy Mormon family in Idaho Falls, if you act like that for 30 years, it becomes true…. I actually know I’m healthier than I used to be because I pretended to be.”

Back in 2005, I took the opposite tack, writing a memoir that hid nothing about my family or myself. For me, this wasn’t a way to heal, or a form of therapy, but a way to stand up as my own person and claim an identity separate from my family’s. I’m proud to say that one member of San Francisco’s old guard called me “a traitor to his class.” And so my life as my own person began. To quote Carlson’s first statement in the wake of being fired from Fox News: “When honest people say what’s true, calmly and without embarrassment, they become powerful.”

Tucker, listen to yourself, man.

(altaonline.com)

WHY ARE THERE SO MANY GRAVES IN COLMA? And So Few In San Francisco?

by Jon Brooks

When you drive around the tiny town of Colma, just south of Daly City, you can't help but notice a certain redundancy of scenery. Tombstones. A florist ... More tombstones ... another florist. What Las Vegas is to gambling, Colma is to death. Nearly three-quarters of the 2.2-square-mile town is zoned for cemeteries -- of which there are 17. Colma is the last place you want to be when the zombie apocalypse goes down.…

kqed.org/news/10779164/why-are-so-many-dead-people-in-colma-and-so-few-in-san-francisco

ON LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY

Call me naive but I was surprised to learn that the 6 years of Trump hatred from the likes of Kimmel & Colbert is totally scripted; late night comedians simply deliver what’s written for them. They have no original thoughts.

WHO HELPED OVERTURN the "Pentagon Papers Principle"? The Washington Post and New York Times

First reported by Michael Shellenberger, new details about the "Burisma leak" tabletop exercise of summer 2020 reveal a notable betrayal of principle by two famed papers

by Matt Taibbi

Last December, Michael Shellenberger reported in a #TwitterFiles thread that the Aspen Institute hosted a “Hack-and-Dump Working Group” exercise in the summer of 2020 titled, “Burisma Leak,” which predicted with uncanny accuracy an upcoming derogatory story in the New York Post about Hunter Biden’s lost laptop. 

The documents Shellenberger published showed how at least five media figures, including David Sanger and David McCraw of the New York Times, Ellen Nakashima of the Washington Post, then-Daily Beast and future Rolling Stone editor Noah Schactman, and Rick Baker of CNN worked alongside Twitter and Facebook’s chief moderation officers, Yoel Roth and Nathaniel Gleicher, to plan a response to a hypothetical damaging exposé about Joe Biden’s son. 

The “Burisma Leak” exercise predicted many elements of the real response to the New York Post’s coming Hunter Biden story, including complaints from influential Democratic congressman Adam Schiff about its “source and veracity,” and public statements from “former senior intelligence officials” falsely raising the specter of a “Russian operation.”

Newly uncovered documents show the war-gamed, choreographed response to the New York Post piece in October, 2020 — which included temporary suppression by those tech platforms Twitter and Facebook — may have been part of a broader plan to re-think basic journalistic standards in general, beyond just the one incident. This included junking what experts involved with the tabletop exercise referred to as the “Pentagon Papers Principle,” under which journalists since Daniel Ellsberg’s 1971 leak had “operated under a single rule: Once information is authenticated, if it is newsworthy, publish it.” 

The “break” from the age-old standard was endorsed by multiple current and former figures from the Washington Post and New York Times, the two papers most associated with the publication of the Pentagon Papers. Neither of the press offices of the two papers would comment, nor did individual figures named in the #TwitterFiles leaks. 

The genesis of this idea appeared to come from a paper co-authored by two Aspen tabletop attendees, both from Stanford: longtime journalist Janine Zacharia and former Obama and Trump Cybersecurity Policy Director Andrew James Grotto. Their “How to Report Responsibly on Hacks and Disinformation: 10 Guidelines and a Template for Every Newsroom” included the idea of ditching the “Pentagon Papers Principle,” insisting, “authentication alone is not enough to run with something.”

The concept seemed to provide the intellectual foundation for shelving the Post story, which otherwise presented a real conundrum for would-be censors, being neither fake news nor a Russian plant. The elaborate carve-out for dealing with such material is laid out in another newly discovered document, called “Partnership for a Healthy Digital Public Sphere: Opportunities & Challenges in Content Moderation.” 

This summary was sent by Aspen Digital’s Executive Director and former NPR CEO Vivian Schiller to two other Aspen figures on September 15, 2020. Echoing the Stanford paper, it summarized the lessons Aspen Digital learned from examining the hack-and-dump problem, explaining the need to put “provenance front and center”:

The concept theoretically represented a major shift, asking reporters to move from focusing on the what of news to why? and who from? ...

racket.news/p/who-helped-overturn-the-pentagon

IS THE PARTY OVER?

Since 1450 there have been six major world reserve currency periods. Portugal (1450–1530), Spain (1530–1640), Netherlands (1640–1720), France (1720–1815), Great Britain (1815–1920), and the United States (1921– ). The average currency span is 94 years. The US dollar presently has been the world’s reserve currency for roughly 102 years.

UKRAINE, THURSDAY, 4TH MAY

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov blamed the U.S. on Thursday for what Russia claims was an assassination attempt by Ukraine targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin − and said retaliation options were being weighed.

“Attempts to disown this both in Kyiv and in Washington are, of course, absolutely ridiculous," Peskov said. "We know very well that decisions on such actions and such terrorist attacks are made not in Kyiv, but in Washington."

Kyiv has dismissed the allegation as a manufactured pretext by Moscow to justify massive strikes on Ukraine's battered cities. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, asked about Russia's claim on MSNBC's "Morning Joe,"said Peskov was “just lying."

“I can assure you that there was no involvement by the United States," Kirby said. "Whatever it was, it didn’t involve us."

Peskov declined to provide details on possible retribution, suggesting only "well-thought-out steps that meet the interests of our country."

Moscow says its defenses shot down two drones attempting a strike Tuesday night on the Kremlin residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin was not at the Kremlin and his schedule was unaffected, his office said. Ukraine denied involvement.

"We are attacking neither Putin nor Moscow," Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. "We are fighting on our own territory, defending our villages and cities."

IN ROOM 16

by Nicholas Penny

“What a shame that the ancient painted vase illegally exported from Turkey or the bronze leopard brutally looted from Benin or the sandstone deity clandestinely excavated in Cambodia should be returned to their countries of origin, where they would be seen by a smaller and less varied public and would be less well displayed, or perhaps not be displayed at all and only possible to view by appointment.”

Hearing such muttered laments you might have supposed that there were no closed galleries in the great museums of the Western world, and no fine things in storage.

In fact there are many major works of art in our museums which are not on view, and of which the British public, for whom they were acquired, know little. Of course, some of these – most notably the light-sensitive works on paper – should only be exhibited occasionally. And it is always possible to argue about what is meant by a major work of art. A convenient definition might be an object which a comparable foreign institution would regard as a great acquisition and would not dream of consigning to a store.

The upper part of Room 16 in the British Museum, entered by a short staircase from the main circuit of Greek and Roman galleries, was devised half a century ago (before the needs of the disabled were properly considered) to exhibit the frieze of the cella (inner chamber) of the ancient temple of Apollo Epicurius (“the Healer”) at Bassae in Phigaleia. It would qualify as a major work of art by any reasonable criterion. But for a long time the staircase has been closed.

The temple at Bassae was much admired in antiquity when it was said to have been designed by Ictinus, one of the architects of the Parthenon, and it also enjoys textbook prominence as the earliest building known to have featured the three orders of classical Greek architecture: Doric was employed outside for the peristyle; Ionic columns, engaged to internal buttresses, were ranged around the cella; and a single, free-standing Corinthian column – the earliest known example – marked the entrance to the inner sanctum. The substantial remains of the building, situated high on the slope of Mount Kotylion, were provided in the 1980s with special protective scaffolding and a temporary canopy, so the temple has, so to speak, entered emergency care, whereas its frieze now has a new, or at least a renewed, home. At the end of April, the upper part of Room 16 was reopened, repainted and supplied with improved lighting and labels.

The frieze, which had long been dislodged, was excavated in 1811 and 1812 by Charles Robert Cockerell and Carl Haller von Hallerstein with their colleagues. It was bought for the British Museum in 1814. Three years later it went on public display in a temporary room beside the one housing the Parthenon marbles. For well over a hundred years the Phigaleian frieze, as it was known, was regarded as complementing those great sculptures. The upper part of Room 16 was not intended to marginalize the frieze but to create a space around which it could be completely wrapped, as it would have been in the interior of the cella for which it was made.

On account of the dimly lit interior of their original setting, the 23 marble slabs of which the frieze is composed are carved in unusually high relief, each with a separate episode but in no discernible sequence. The two subjects – Amazons in combat with Greeks, and Centaurs in combat with male and female Lapiths – seem to have been jammed together and the frieze as a whole has a “staccato violence,” a “curious irregularity of rhythm,” as Martin Robertson puts it in A History of Greek Art (1975), an insistent repetition of the tense diagonals of both straight and bent legs, which contrasts with the later Amazon frieze that once surrounded the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus and now adorns the long walls of Room 21 in the British Museum.

There are also scenes that Robertson describes as “uncommonly brutal.” One biting and kicking centaur makes those of the Parthenon metopes seem quite tame, and a foreshortened centaur below daringly disrupts the front plane. The drapery of the Amazons is pulled across their thighs in jagged horizontal folds of “curious and convincing ugliness,” in contrast to the melodic flutter where it is loose. Alongside the brutality there is pathos. The warriors clutching the sinking forms of dying or dead companions anticipate the later, more famous three-dimensional groups with comparable subjects. But, apart from the fixed grimaces of the centaurs, there seems to have been little facial expression, even on the face of the Lapith woman being abducted by a centaur.

The previous wall text characterized the frieze as “a collection of formulaic motifs probably borrowed from contemporary Athenian art” but Robertson devotes two dense and impressive pages to its distinctive dramatic character. The new presentation brings this out but does not conceal the compositional failures determined, as the new wall text succinctly notes, by the miscalculations of the sculptors, who were not working on site.

The frequent closure of Room 16 had weakened the claim (sometimes advanced in the debate that most absorbs the British Museum today) that ancient Greek sculpture occupies a special place in the artistic imagination and education of the British people. Few today would echo the words of Shelley in his preface to Hellas:

The human form and the human mind attained to a perfection in Greece which has impressed its image on those faultless productions whose very fragments are the despair of modern art, and has propagated impulses which cannot cease, through a thousand channels of manifest or imperceptible operation, to ennoble and delight mankind until the extinction of the race.

But the mere fact that such ideas were so widely and so long believed is adequate reason for their legacy to be properly respected, and even to regain some pre-eminence, in the British Museum.

Cockerell, who excavated the frieze, decades later embodied casts of it in the staircase hall of the University Galleries in Oxford. He also employed, for the exterior of that building (now the Ashmolean Museum) and the conjoined Taylor Institute, the combination of golden brown and white stone that is a feature of the Temple at Bassae, together with the exquisite Ionic order that he had found there. Cockerell was an architect, an art historian and an archaeologist. The institutionalized separation of these three disciplines has contributed to the closure of many of the channels to which Shelley referred. The reopening of Room 16 merits more notice than it has received.

* * *

Byron Black: 

How dismaying. I had eagerly commenced reading, thinking I was about to be presented spicy fare deemed improper and offensive by the Victorians but common with adherents of "Greek love" and its variants. Naw, no porno. Crushed, I withdraw to my dim salon to gaze upon the embers of a dying fire. 

Come on - it deserves mention at least: how many museums, confronted with vases showing figures engaged in mutual masturbation or at least fiddling with another’s microscopic John Thomas (pace Monty Python), stash them away to "...protect the children..." from reality?

P.R. Whalley:

Many years ago I delivered a 14th century Burmese temple lintel to the Metropolitan Museum in New York. While I was pushing it across a gallery floor one of the dolly wheels stuck and the lintel fell off on to my leg, ripping a big gash in my calf. It was very painful. An ambulance was called and after a while two EMT drivers with a folded up wheelchair showed up. They put me in the wheelchair and rolled me towards the loading dock. Quite a long journey as the Met is a pretty big museum. About half way one of them said to me "Hey, you wanna see something cool?". I said sure. They wheeled me over to a display cabinet and pointed up at a bowl on the top shelf with a relief running around it. I looked up and squinted, "What is it?".

"Two guys fucking!"

True story :-)

(London Review of Books)