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Letters (July 6, 2023)

By AVA News Service on July 6, 2023

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ILLEGAL CULTIVATION

Editor,

Over the past few years, we have seen a down-turn in the number of illegal marijuana cultivations sites in Mendocino County. We continue to make progress however this doesn't mean we are ahead of the problem. 

Illegal cultivation continues to be a huge problem for our county and continues to bring organized crime, violence, and environmental damage. The problems were once hidden in our dense forests however following the passage of proposition 64 in 2018, these problems came to our front doors.

During the week of 06/19/2023 the Mendocino County Sheriff's Marijuana team completed several investigations in partnership with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. We also received assistance in personnel and equipment from the Trinity County Sheriff's Office, the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office the California State Water Board, and the California State Department of Cannabis Control. 

Search warrants were executed on 11 properties. In total our teams eradicated 26,039 plants. Seized 5,520 pounds of processed marijuana, and 5 firearms. Also seized was $14,900.00 in cash under asset forfeiture laws. There were 81 violations of the California Fish and Game code which included 12 water diversions and 1 illegally taken black tail deer. 

Investigative reports will be submitted to the District Attorney for prosecution on these cases. 

My priorities for marijuana enforcement remain the same as previous years. Grow sites which are associated with drug trafficking organizations, violence and human trafficking, trespass grow sites and grow sites which cause environmental degradation continue to be our top priorities. 

I am often asked why we are still dealing with marijuana following the passage of Proposition 64. I'm afraid this question shows a naïve approach to the human capacity for greed. Many people had a belief legalization would remove crime from the equation. The truth is many of the legislative measures enacted were simply inadequate to stop the problems to come. 

I continue to receive calls and correspondence on a weekly basis regarding the illegal grow sites, armed individuals and environmental crimes. 

The interface of rural to suburban neighborhoods with illegal marijuana cultivations has been an eye opener for many of our communities. 

Last year we investigated two rolling shootouts between vehicles involved in marijuana robberies. The collective patience within our communities continues to wear thin for bad actors with no intentions of being good neighbors, good stewards to the environment or good human beings. This problem didn't appear overnight, and it won't be solved overnight. 

Drug trafficking organizations are not one trick ponies. Once a footing is established, these organizations bring fentanyl, methamphetamine, human trafficking, and violence. If we don't deal with these issues the problem will continue to expand. 

The aforementioned reasons are why we continue to combat this even though the penalties for the bad behaviors have been largely removed.

As we continue working through these problems, I am hopeful our representatives in state government will continue to listen to the voices of rural communities. If we all work together we will see an end to these issues and hopefully we can move beyond where we are today. I look forward to a day when marijuana enforcement is a thing of the past, however we will not see that happen until the crimes associated with illegal cultivations have stopped. If we all work together we can make that goal a reality. 

Thank you

Sheriff Matt Kendall.

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Three Comments

[1] I have a little food for thought here. How much of the explosion in the marijuana industry came from a direct support of the media. The music videos glorifying weed, cash, ass, money, drugs and thuggish behavior. Facebook posts, Tiktok posts, IG Etc. A lot of times historically if you weren’t exposed to something you had no knowledge of something. With the advent of mass media and advertisement the message has spread globally.

[2] The rapid expansion of the marijuana industry here began long before Facebook or Tiktok. The Emerald Triangle’s reputation even pre-dates music videos. Just like alcohol prohibiton a century ago motivated people to set up stills anywhere they thought they could get away with it, the criminalization of pot created an oportunity for people to set up grows and make some relatively easy money. What happened next was an entirely predictable cycle of growth until the whole industry collapsed under the weight of its own success.

[3] Nancy Reagan turned a lot of our kids on to weed. She and Ron were more effective than Tim Leary was 15 years earlier with LSD. Just say no. No to what? DARE you!

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ELK VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT SUMMER BBQ, JULY 29

Editor,

Cindy Johnson from the “oppressive little place of Elk” here. I may be getting a little “feebleminded” but still have it in me to perform plenty of volunteer “civic” duties, and with real “niceness!”

Damn, another year goes by — much more full of news and events this year. We continue to enjoy and appreciate the AVA, maybe because we the support all geriatric endeavors, big and small.

So, if you could find the room in one or both of the printed and online versions of the AVA, here is a blurb about the EVFD BBQ coming next month. This is a shorter version of what I have sent in the past, thus more likely more likely to be included.

I look forward to contacting you at this time of year, as other opportunities just don’t seem to materialize. I hope you and the family are all doing well. We are doing pretty good, and Jim is hanging in there with all his medical and mobility issues. Oldest son, Chris, is nearby and works at Heritage House. Youngest son, Tim, is living in Stockton and works for Yolo County Health and Human Services. He’s coming over to Redwood Valley on Saturday to grieve with long-time friend, Sarah Summit, over her tragic loss.

Be well and keep up making trouble for yourself and others!

Cindy Johnson 

Elk

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PS. THE ELK VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT celebrates 67 years of service at its 17th Annual Summer BBQ on Saturday, July 29, noon to 4:00 p.m. at the Greenwood Community Center in downtown Elk. Savor tri-tip, chicken or polenta and mushroom entrees plus sides, dessert and coffee. Donation: $30 for adults, $15 for kids 7-12; 6 and under are free. Enjoy a no-host bar featuring Elk’s famous Margaritas, live music with the Caspar Kings, a raffle, and activities for kids. Gather wildfire and emergency preparation resources. Come out and support the firefighters who serve Elk and provide mutual aid to Anderson Valley. This year's proceeds will go toward upgrading the ambulance equipment. Kindly leave the dogs at home.

For more information, contact Sarah Penrod at 877-1607.

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SKATE PARKS ARE FINE!

Editor,

My son Milo and I went jade hunting in Covelo last weekend. We did really well because Milo has a really good eye! On the way back to Highway 101 we took a right at Dos Rios and took the back way up to Laytonville. I got two Anatolian shepherds from a lady named Jesmina who lives out that way and one of her neighbors also has one. So we went to see if any of our dogs' siblings were around. We headed to the Laytonville skateboard park to skate and visit Rolo and his wife.

When we got to the skateboard park we realize Milo's skateboard was in his mother's car. Oops. Luck would find Rolo there at the park with an extra skateboard ready for Milo. The park looks good and they have done more improvements and even made some nifty drink coasters in the shape of the skate park.

Just as we got there about eight teenagers from all out around Laytonville showed up and Milo got to skate with some other kids. Rolo told me that he wishes more people knew about this cool little skate park. So everybody: There is a skateboard park in Laytonville! It is just west of Chief Drive In! Come skate!

Jonah Raskin is coming up from San Francisco soon to visit and hang out in his old community. He is super busy which is great and really good for him. Jonah invited my wife and myself to a dinner at one of his friend's from Sonoma State University. We had a very nice dinner with a bunch of really smart university professors. Cool beans! I especially like the physicist — she is super interesting.

I'm just checking in. Derek is fine, Keith is fine. Jonah is fine. Shungi (my father in law) is 94 now and has a new knee and lives in Osaka and he is fine too. 

Okay, quit fooling around and finish this letter.

Best to all,

Oaky Joe Munson

Monte Rio

PS. Piss on the county government and don't forget winos suck water, lots and lots of water and other things too.

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COLLECTING TAXES OWED

Editor,

Peter Boudoures posted this note to Adam Gaska on the AVA’s website, theava.com:

“So far you want to collect more taxes. Moneys flowing in just manage it correctly.

I want the county to collect the money that is owed to it in entirety and promptly. I am not supporting new taxes.

Two years ago, I looked into the people who had donated money to Citizens for Sustainable Agriculture who were campaigning to defeat the two cannabis referendums. A few of the donors I noticed had purchased hundreds of acres, presumably to grow cannabis, and many of their parcels were grossly under assessed. I saw parcels of Covelo valley land that had been purchased within the last few years and were assessed for as little as $400 an acre. Generally speaking, the county should be updating assessments within two years. Even if land was purchased far under market value, the county can assess at market value. And vice versa. 

Initially I thought maybe someone(s) at the Assessor’s office were being bribed to look the other way. So then I looked into random real estate sales to compare. Vineyards, homes, etc. I noticed the same pattern. Vineyards sold for half a million dollars being assessed for $350,000 for years with no correction. Some had been longer than four years which is the cut off date where if the county has not billed for the correct amount, they cannot go further back. So money that the county should have been collecting was falling off. My estimate is millions have not been collected that should have been. So I emailed the Assessor's office and asked what the problem was. They called me to respond. They said that they were understaffed, having some software issues and that there was nothing they could do. I told them that they were letting hundreds of thousands of dollars, possibly millions, go uncollected. They apologized and shrugged their shoulders.”

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Adam Gaska: Fast forward to today. They are finally catching up and have sent out 6,000+ corrections, termed supplementals and escapes (i.e., buildings that have “escaped” any assessment). Some people have received very large bills in the tens of thousands. They qualify for a payment plan but weren't notified of that. They were just told to pay by June 30. Even when people ask about payment plans, they are being told that they have to pay a large portion by June 30th to qualify for a payment plan. If they do not meet the deadline of June 30th, they will also be assessed penalties and interest until they pay. 

There are still properties that have not been corrected. I was doing some research and found another person buying hundreds of acres, being assessed at $7 an acre. So they are paying $800 for 111 acres per year. That's ridiculous. 

Why does this matter?

The county's entire budget is just shy of $500 million dollars. Most of this money is from the state and federal government and is non-discretionary meaning it can only be spent on specific things. The largest chunk of non-discretionary funding goes to funding health and human services. Almost $90 million is discretionary funds, meaning the county can spend it how it sees fit. This is the money that funds the sheriff's department, supplements funding for roads, capital improvement projects like maintaining county buildings, etc. About half, about $40 million dollars, of the discretionary funds comes from secured property taxes. 

When people aren't paying what they should, it makes it hard to afford things like public safety, better roads, COLA's for county employees, maintenance of county buildings/property, etc. 

There most likely are savings to be had by cutting out waste in the budget but that will only get us so far. 

I raise pigs. I liken it to that. You can't fatten pigs entirely by making sure the mice and birds aren't eating their food. It is important that you keep vermin out, but it is also important that you are feeding the pigs enough so they are fat and happy. Skinny pigs don't make bacon. I like bacon. I am willing to pay my fair share to get bacon, i.e., better roads, adequate funding for public safety, etc. I also want other people that I am raising the pig with to pay their fair share.

Unfortunately the assessor’s office hasn't been doing their job for quite awhile. A software program and understaffing is often blamed for their backlog but the problems predate the adoption of the new software. Until the assessor's office gets things in order, is properly staffed and running smoothly, the tax collector/treasurer's office can't adequately do their job collecting the taxes due to the county. If we aren't collecting taxes, we can't afford the services we would like.

Adam Gaska 

Redwood Valley

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DOWN WITH ’EM ALL

Editor,  

I’ve regarded Marilyn Davin as an intelligent, well-informed,  compassionate correspondent to your mighty paper, but she  disappoints me in her defense of Southern monuments. Should Berlin erect a statue to Hitler to be viewed in “gratitude” that the WWII Nazis no longer exist? These structures do not honor our historical heritage in any way. They didn’t appear until after Reconstruction during the 1890s’ Southern movement, The Cult of  the Lost Cause, and exploded under Jim Crow with the growth of the Klan, appearing as late as the 1940s.  

The specific intention was to rewrite history and celebrate a fictional sanitized Confederacy, ignoring the death, enslavement and terror it embodied. Their placements underscored that although the South  lost the Civil War militarily, White supremacy still reigned. For instance, Kentucky has two monuments to the 90,000 troops who fought for the Union; 72 for the 35,000 on the Confederate side.  

There are more than 700 of these monuments, each one representing a traitor to the country and a standing abomination to efforts to end our enduring racism and the miseries it still inflicts.  

Bring them all down!  

Jayne Thomas  

Berkeley   

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AMERICA 2023

Editor,

Re-state bleeding — democracy dying. America Bullet-blasted blood-soaked half-staff. America. Decades-long Limbaugh-poison drip-drip. America. Idiot-savant Elon electrocute America. Foxed and Tuckered America. Anger-outrage-fear paralysis. America 2023.

Nels Erickson, S/Sgt, Ret., USAF, 1952-1956

Veterans Home of California at Yountville

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ANOTHER HOSPITAL NEEDED

To the Ukiah City Council:

I read in the paper that the City Council was meeting to discuss the General Plan for Ukiah.

I wonder if you might add to the agenda bringing another hospital to our area. I’m thinking maybe Kaiser. It would give people a choice, and bring in more doctors and staff. The doctors would need housing, which would help the economy.

Kaiser has its own insurance which would benefit the college employees, the teachers, as well as businesses.

I’m sure there is open land available that would have access from the freeway.

Something to think about.

Thank you,

Donna VanWyhe

Ukiah

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THE FAST TRACK TO DAM REMOVAL

Editor,

For the last several years, I’ve been optimistically sharing that if everything fell perfectly into place, the Eel River Dams could be out of the river by 2030. We’ve just learned that my optimistic timeline may turn out to be realistic. People like you who keep our bills paid deserve huge credit.

Friends of the Eel River has consistently held strong positions, made strategic moves, and played critical roles driving toward dam removal.

For years we’ve exposed serious dam safety concerns present at Scott Dam. We’ve commissioned studies, reviewed and cataloged dam safety documents, and decried the opaque nature of classifying dam safety documents. And we’ve written to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, PG&E, and a range of elected officials with our concerns that PG&E was ignoring significant dam safety issues at Scott Dam. This spring, in response to a seismic risk study of Scott Dam ordered by the California Division of Safety of Dams (DSOD), PG&E announced it would never again completely fill the Lake Pillsbury reservoir.

Along with a group of conservation and fishing industry advocates, we’ve brought federal suits against both FERC and PG&E for violations of the Endangered Species Act. These actions articulate numerous harms both Scott and Cape Horn Dams cause to listed species. Together, both lawsuits underscore the need for expedited dam removal.

And finally, we’ve dedicated countless hours to developing clear, factual, scientifically accurate explanations of the project, its operations and effects, how it harms the ecosystem, and the unmatched opportunity that dam removal offers for recovery. We do our best to address the tide of misinformation, to speak truth to power in seeking an end to injustices the Potter Valley Project has forced upon Eel River communities over the last century.

Compared to other dam removal projects, it feels like a free-flowing Eel River is just around the corner. But don’t get me wrong, correcting a century of injustice is an uphill battle all the way to the end. We need to keep up this steady pace to ensure that the fish make it home before it’s too late.

Of course, as I hear many wise people say in this era of removing barriers, dam removal is just the beginning.

We also need to make sure that endangered species like the Northern California summer steelhead have the full protection of both the state and federal laws to help them recover. In 2021 we succeeded in listing the southernmost run of summer steelhead as Endangered under the California Endangered Species Act. Soon we will re-petition the federal government to secure a similar listing with the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Of course, there must be sufficient flow and quality habitat throughout the watershed to allow for our native fish to thrive. This is why we brought suit against Humboldt County, to ensure that groundwater use in the lower river is appropriately managed when dry conditions require curtailment. And to protect the public trust values in a flowing Eel River.

There’s much work to be done to catch up on decades of neglected road maintenance. We are continuing to work with Humboldt County, using our Cannabis Mitigation grant program, to fund sediment reduction projects in sensitive salmonid habitat.

Finally, we need to make sure everyone can access this wonderful river! How else are we to continue cultural practices that have shaped the river and its people since the beginning of time, or to encourage new generations to fall in love with the river? Through our work with the Great Redwood Trail Friends and partnering with allies like the Wiyot Tribe and local fishing and boating communities, we are protecting historical river access points and identifying appropriate locations for new access.

In April American Rivers listed the Eel as one of the ten Most Endangered Rivers in the nation. This listing is given to rivers at a crossroads, with real opportunity to solve a pressing threat. We are thankful for this opportunity to draw some much-needed attention to our very special watershed, and to rally widespread support for starting the long process of recovery for the Eel, its fisheries, and our communities.

For the fish,

Alicia Hamann, Executive Director

Friends of the Eel

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CHANGING GUN LAWS FOR THE BETTER

Editor,

The editors of the Press Democrat, Sat., June 10, “Newsom’s risky gambit on guns,” opposed Gov. Gavin Newson’s call to pass a Constitutional amendment to ban the sale assault style weapons, ban sales of any firearms to anyone under 21 years of age, pass universal background checks and pass so-called “red flag” laws. In effect, the editors want the nation to continue the bloody, murderous s*tatus quo*, selling great numbers of weapons that that slaughter innocent victims in seconds. These present editors support the positions of the gun lobby in Congress.

Newsom is trying to change this awful tragic pattern of death due to guns. This past “Juneteenth” 3-day weekend killed 12 Americans. His aim is to reduce the gross excess of guns across America. To pass such an amendment, either Congress must act or 2/3s of the states would have to act. Congress isn’t likely to agree so this is the only alternative. We should support Gov. Newsom’s effort even if it may take decades. Otherwise it’s doubtful it will ever happen.

Frank H. Baumgardner, III

Santa Rosa

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BOXES HERE, BOXES THERE, BOXES EVERYWHERE

Editor: 

Remember when hotels, banks and office buildings were made to fit into a business district or neighborhood? They reflected and matched the nature of the areas they occupied. You could almost say “they had style.” Not so anymore. Most buildings nowadays look like they were designed by the same architects who created Kaiser Permanente medical offices. Glass, plastic, basic nothing pleasing to the eye. What happened? What’s next? The proposed new hotels in Petaluma (B Street and Petaluma Boulevard) and Cotati (Highway 116 and Old Redwood Redwood) and the multistory apartment building on East Cotati Avenue show no class, no excitement. Look at the basic blahs going up in Santa Rosa.

At least the Appellation Petaluma hotel would be in the center of Petaluma, but, to the eye, it doesn’t fit the area. The Cotati Hotel will be surrounded by Highway 101, a pocket shopping area, a coffee shop, Walgreens, a long walk to the “historic” downtown on cracked sidewalks, weeds and small worn-looking buildings.

I don’t know. It seems that creativity has gone out of the new architecture. Oh, wait. There is an open patch of ground. Let’s build something on it. We can use the same plans we used on …

Anthony Morgan

Cotati

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SAVE THE COAST LISTSERVE

Editor,

Mendocino is very vulnerable in that the listserv is the only way to get timely local news. For instance, recently, we learned of a possibly rabid dog that had bitten someone unprovoked. We got the description of the dog, including its bright-orange collar, and that may have kept someone else from being bitten (doubly important because the dog was seen just across the street from the community center and its programs for children).

This past winter, people checked the listserv to find out from others what the conditions were on 128/20/1, right up to the minute — trees down, snow/icy roads, and all. (This information helped me to decide to stay in Cloverdale overnight at one point; a friend of mine hadn’t checked and wound up in a ditch alongside 128 with two kids in the car.)

Radio stations don’t perform these functions well and aren’t reliable sources; it may take half an hour or an hour of listening to get one tidbit of information — that’s if it ever arrives — and it’s limited to people who are able to listen to the radio for updates, on its schedule. The Beacon and Advocate have deadlines (Friday afternoon) almost a week ahead of publication (Thursdays), so that’s no help in urgent situations at all. The listserv is readily available on all devices that can deliver email (as opposed to some websites), and it’s there whenever you look at it.

Where are we supposed to get this information otherwise? There is no place. Commercial entities, like Facebook and NextDoor, collect our data and sell it, aren’t local enough, and aren’t accepted by a fair number of people in this pretty sophisticated population. Craigslist doesn’t have a local readership, and scammers prowl it.

The listserv is critical to local nonprofits and commerce — people announce jobs offered (from two-hour jobs to full-time), businesses advertise sales, people their yard/estate sales, places for rent, art exhibits and theatrical performances, fundraising events to support all the nonprofits (volunteer fire, the arts center, the Community Center) that pretty much run this place.

The listserv is a place to form a sense of community, say when announcing a death or asking for help for someone in need. People find caregivers, wheelchairs to borrow, petsitting jobs, gardeners — new friends!

I really don’t like the argument that we’re all paying taxes for the school system (and voting on bonds), so therefore the school district owes the community this — too transactional, and each voter makes his/her/their own decisions about what they want to support. But a closely related argument, with a different spin, can easily be made, which is that the elders (and let’s face the demographics head-on, this is a community full of elders) are looking out for and taking care of the next generations by supporting the schools, and it would be nice if that feeling of caretaking and watching out were reciprocated in the form of the listserv. More and more elders here are isolated due to sight and mobility problems, or maybe because they’re full-time caregivers for a spouse, and the listserv is a way for them to continue to take part in the community. It’s the connective tissue for everyone, the way the schools form a community primarily for parents and children. The comments made at the recent school board hearing indicated even more clearly the need for this connective tissue — the school board members didn’t seem to understand just how critical this resource is; my guess is they haven’t been keeping up with it!

When we first bought our house and wanted to become part of the community, the listserv was critical.

I don’t think this whole community should be torn up because a few men can’t stop calling each other names and misbehaving. Some of the loudest complainers are the very people causing the problem! And anyone can block the abusers, so no one has to be exposed to them.

MUSD Board: Please keep the listserv going; it’s essential to Mendocino.

Jean Arnold

Mendocino

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OK, FINE

Editor,

There is a way to ask the court to lower the fine, set up a payment plan, give you more time to pay, or do community service instead. This is sometimes called an "ability to pay determination."

In some courts, you can now use an online program, MyCitations, to make your request. In Assembly District 2, Mendocino, Humboldt, and Trinity Counties currently use this option. All courts will use MyCitations by June 30, 2024. With MyCitations, you can submit your request online and upload any proof the court needs of your financial situation.

The MyCitations tool allows people to look up their citation, answer simple questions, and submit a request to the court. An important alternative to appearing in person, this new option saves the public and the courts significant time and resources. The tool is currently available in English and Spanish (additional languages available soon).

I hope you find this information useful. Please share it with anyone who is struggling to pay their traffic fines.

Best,

Jim Wood,
Assemblymember, 2nd District

Healdsburg

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BURIED MONEY

Editor,

This guy I know went up north to do a little work on someone's land. There had been three partners but one shot another in a fight over weed and money. So one was dead, the second in prison and the third mentioned he was thinking of selling the acreage. The guy told the owner he'd like to be considered and soon bought the piece of land and moved on to it.

One night he was in the house, heard some motorcycles drive by, jumped on his bike, and followed them out to the back forty. 

“What are you doing?” he said. “This is private property, get off my land!”

The woman in the group said, “Hold on, we're looking for some buried money, $450,000. We got a map from “Chester” in prison.”

“Well, it's my land now,” the guy said. “You have to leave.”

“We'll make you a deal,” the spokeswoman said. “When we find it we'll give you half.”

He thought about it briefly and agreed. They dug for hours, couldn't find anything, and left. The next day he went all over that section of his land with a backhoe and found nothing.

A few weeks later the bikes roared past his house again and he followed them to the digging grounds. “What the fuck!” he said.

“We have a better map,” she said.

“No, I want you off my land,” the guy said.

“Same deal, you get half,” she said.

“Oh, okay,” the guy said and they started digging.

They still couldn't find the money and when they were done he said, “That's it! Don't come back.”

They left and didn't come back, but the guy is mindful that the murderer gets out of prison in 2025.

Name Withheld

Redway

* * *

HISTORY LESSON

Editor: 

The history of Western civilization depicts a struggle between opinions and objective thought. The Dark Ages illustrated how dogma’s authoritarian nature made the masses vulnerable to physical and intellectual oppression. Democracy, unlike convention, requires dispassionate deliberation and selflessness based on appropriate behavior. Both approaches to governance reap results, but authoritarians try to control their followers’ thoughts and behavior. Democracies allow their followers to listen and decide whether to comply, whether they like the idea or not (seat belts).

If someone tabulated an opinion’s degree of correctness, they probably would never surpass the results of a coin flip. And yet that doesn’t stop politicians from utilizing them for personal gain. After all, pandering to compulsive knee-jerk voters is politically beneficial. Sadly, that tactic only benefits the morally corrupt who like to stoke fires of discontent.

Once an ideology is adopted, ideologists strive to destroy rational behavior to protect and promote their source of power. Wars and crusades have been waged to prove which belief was better; lives upon lives sacrificed to validate an unprovable idea. Reasonable debates cause disputes but not necessarily wars. Diplomacy is usually the first tactic; wars are the last. Ideologues utilize fear, accusations and lies to promote hatred; reasonable people would never stoop that low.

Tom Fantulin

Fort Bragg

* * *

THOMPSON'S BILL LEAVES OUT FARMWORKERS

Editor: 

So our representative to the U.S. Congress, a vineyard owner, has submitted a bill to favor grape growers, a bill that includes no provisions for farmworkers whatsoever. Growers have to struggle with the hard decision of when to bill insurance for their smoke-tainted grapes, the article reports, the poor little rich things. They have a powerful lobby and Rep. Mike Thompson is one of them. Meanwhile, workers struggle to cover basic living costs when they are put out of work by rains or fires, and raise families on thin margins in the best of times. They suffer from smoke inhalation and, too often, poor working conditions. There are more workers than growers, but they are not as powerful. Self-serving conduct in Congress ought not be business as usual for Thompson or the Democratic Party.

Amy Kittelstrom

Santa Rosa

* * *

IT’S OBVIOUS

To the Editor,

America is at war right now and nobody is telling you about. Nobody is talking about the war on drugs anymore. So let's talk about it. Let's talk about conspiracies and tactics and just how far our nation will go to win this war and the drastic measures I believe they are taking right now.

Simply put, it blows my mind. I don't know why I'm the only one who sees it. But I am at least talking about it.

Whether or not this even makes it beyond you and me is entirely up to you. No one is going to listen to a convict like me. But sometimes we see what we want to see instead of what's right in front of us.

Hell, sometimes we can't see anything clearly at all. But occasionally the puzzle seems to come together and you get a glimpse of the big picture.

I think this is one of those times. You be the judge. I'm going to show you the gray areas. The shadows right in front of you and me. No matter how close I come to hitting the nail on the head and stating the truth, this is the real world where society believes the dreams that they've been fed.

But not me. Not today, and not anymore. I'm waking up and today I'm speaking out. I'm going to speak about the silent concerns of civilization and how we have been stepped on these last four decades. I will tell you how I see it and why I see it. You might see it too. From my perspective it couldn't be more obvious. I's going on right in front of us all. Smoke and mirrors, misdirection or blatant coverups and BS. To be honest I don't know what to call it. All I do know is to see through all of their camouflage I will have two start somewhere close to the beginning. To my beginning and why I see the things I do.

This is the story of the boy with the dragon tattoo.

Ronald Rhea #55985

Lake County Jail

4913 Helbush Drive,

Lakeport, CA 95453

* * *

MOCKEL FIRED?

To the Editor:

Shoved down our throats by the Democrat Party's Northcoast Political Machine, Trevor "Bullethead" Mockel was always unelectable.

In unanimously and prematurely endorsing him, political insiders and local power elites rode roughshod over anything even vaguely resembling a grassroots or populist choice.

Democracy isn't supposed to work that way.

Guess what? Today (Monday), Trevor's powerful political friends couldn't keep him from losing his do-nothing government job. He was let go.

Without a job, and still living at home, poor Trevor needs to get himself elected...now more than ever!

Vote for change in 2024.

Trevor Mockel ain't it. He's more of the same dysfunctional county government. More of the same toxic work environment. More of the same insider politics. More of the same cronyism. 

And while you're at it, vote out anyone who endorsed him.

John Sakowicz

Ukiah

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MEMO OF THE WEEK

Now, seeking a Roommate!

Well, I’ve negotiated with my landlady, and she’s changing the space to accommodate two individuals living in the house, instead of one. So sharing the rent with two people makes the space reasonably affordable! Hooray! I will be able to stay in the space where I’ve been living for six years. All I need now is to find an excellent roommate!

I’m looking for an employed person, who’s a good communicator, who likes order but is not fanatic. I’d love to share space with someone who enjoys occasionally, cooking, cleaning and possibly gardening together. They must be someone who enjoys my dogs (3 mature, well-trained huskies), and my occasional singing and dancing in the kitchen!

I am a community-minded person, of modest means — a yoga teacher, bodyworker, caregiver and a chaplain at the FB hospital. I am looking for someone who is a gentle, patient, kind, a  compassionate person. I prefer a spiritual friend. Someone who would like to share in self-discovery and growth.

The house is out Road 409 in Caspar, near the border of Russian Gulch State Park. It is a humble home, and now has 2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths, 2 Living Rooms, Dining Room, Kitchen, a small outdoor deck overlooking an open outdoors space and a large pond. Roomates rent is $875 includes utilities. Depending on utility usage this could be as much as $30 less.

FYI-Unfortunately, we cannot have any more animals living with us. I am not able to tolerate smoking of any kind, or intoxicated behavior.

If you are a good fit, please call or text me: Rainah (707) 326-2919

Rainah Dancing Waters <rainahhh@earthlink.net>

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