Mendocino County Today: Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023

Cloudy | Sheepdog Trials | Panther Win | FBI Rumor | Two Horses | Drug ODs | FFA Eggs | CEO Report | Lazy Navarro | PG&E Trees | Pet Pair | AV Events | Old Springboard | Bewildered Exit | Willits Arts | Ed Notes | Kelley House | Dry Mendocino | Jâca Duo | Yesterday's Catch | Eel Reading | Flexible Elders | Marco Radio | 49er Venue | Quit School | Pitching Marathon | Coming Soon | Detour Aborted | DIY Burn | 2024 Candidates | Glad Hand | CW2 | Geezers Erupting | Menendez Gold | Tramp Steamer | Ukraine | Great Gem

OCCASIONAL LIGHT RAIN is expected in mainly Del Norte County today. A low pressure system well to the north of the area will bring strong southerly winds late this afternoon through Monday. Rain will increase Sunday night and peak with heavy rain on Monday as a frontal boundary crosses the area. Additional showers and cooler air will follow through late in the week. Frost is possible in the colder inland valleys late in the week. (NWS)

STEPHEN DUNLAP (Fort Bragg): A cloudy 51F on the coast this Sunday morning. It will be cloudy today, then lots of rain on Monday (although forecast amounts are down slightly). Lingering showers for Tuesday & Wednesday morning are possible.

WHAT AN AMAZING EVENING FOR OUR FOOTBALL AND CHEER PROGRAM!

Last night Anderson Valley football bested visiting Laytonville 49-0 and lead at the half 43-0.

Senior Running back Eric Perez stole the show in the first half with multiple long touchdown runs and broken tackles, while linebackers Jack Spacek and Sam Guerrero along with dominant nose tackle Gus Spacek, held Laytonville scoreless. 

Our cheer team performed an amazing halftime routine and kept the stadium energized all night. It was an amazing night that showcased the tireless efforts of these students to re-establish the spirit and pride in their community and school and AV alumni were moved by what they were witness to last evening. The spirit in our student body is as proud and powerful as it has ever been. 

You may have noticed the AV football team wearing Black and white last night rather than their usual brown and gold - well fifty years ago when the Apple Bowl was first played, our panthers defeated Mendocino wearing that same black and white and these uniforms paid homage to that first applebowl - and they looked pretty dang sharp in the process.

Next week the Panthers host Tomales on Saturday an 12 noon. We have a lot of work to do to prepare for this rematch - including repairing the field after this weekend’s big rodeo!

If any community members would like to get in on the field repairs, please send us a note here to inquire about how you can support the amazing young men and women as they represent your community. 

Go Panthers

WE HAVE BEEN UNABLE to confirm a rumor going around some county offices that the FBI is looking into the County’s tax assessment and/or tax collector office(s). As we have pointed out before, there certainly are staffing and backlog problems in both offices and some work is probably not getting done in a timely manner. We have heard anecdotal reports of people who have bought homes recently but have not had their assessments increased or received a bill. Coast realtor Dierdre Lamb tried to tell an uncomprehending Board about the problem two weeks ago at their coastal meeting, but the board seemed unable to absorb Lamb’s point, saying only that they’ve added some appraisers in the Assessor’s office, which was not what Ms. Lamb was talking about; she was talking about tax bills not being forthcoming from the Tax Collector’s office. First District Supervisor candidate Adam Gaska told the board in July that there are wealthy property owners in the inland zones who have not had their assessments raised or their (new or added) buildings put on the tax rolls or who have simply not been billed for taxes due or past due. First District Supervisor candidate Carrie Shattuck has told the Board that she can’t get a copy of the tax defaulted properties that ought to be sold for taxes due. As we have said several times, the entire subject deserves an investigation, but unless somebody is defrauding the County or getting special non-assessment or non-collection treatment we doubt that the FBI would get involved. Perhaps the state’s Board of Equalization would be interested in unpaid property taxes. We have also heard that the state auditor is conducting an audit of the County’s finances so it’s possible that the rumor mill has turned that into an FBI investigation or perhaps the audit is focusing on tax assessments and collections… More to come, probably. 

— Mark Scaramella

FRIDAY'S BOONVILLE ODEES, ON-LINE COMMENTS:

[1] The Mendo fetty meth proved deadly again. Everyday ODs. Everyday reported ODs with Narcan used. Here we sit #1 in California for OD deaths. The treatment centers available are a mess maybe with a 1% success rate. Millions upon millions poured in to local treatment and supportive services with dismal if any results. Carnival workers working to survive vs laying around. The fair circuits drive a billion dollar industry often overlooked or not mentioned until something like this happens. RIP lost soul.

[2] Looks like the coroner can skip the toxicology report since you know the fatal formulation of the OD and that it was acquired in Mendo instead of arriving with the carnival. But you might be right. I just don’t think we know at this point. Curious also how you know there’s only a 1% recovery rate for treatment centers despite pouring in “millions and millions” of dollars. A major problem is there aren’t enough treatment beds. In Mendo, Ford St. Project has a successful treatment program but the Board of Supervisors has blocked funding for them to expand.

[3] How does anyone know Ford St. Project is successful? As far as can be seen, does any treatment center even keep records about relapses at all? Length of time to relapse? Are there any scientific guides specifying what can be called a success? The only one I came up with is for substituting methadone for the illegal drug.

[4] Addicts need to change habits and lifestyle, not just get “clean and sober.” Rehab places don’t have the resources to fix that.

[5] Hoofbeats could be zebras or even unicorns, but they’re usually horses. Chances are high that a carnival worker (or more than one) scored upon arrival in Mendo and that these tqo ODs weren’t expecting exactly what they got. Could have been laced meth. Could have been laced heroin. Could be simply not cut as much as they were used to. There are many possibilities but fentanyl in one way or another seems quite likely.

EGGS! EGGS!

The chicks we hatch last spring are laying.

We have dozens of beautiful colorful eggs in our school refrigerator. We are getting about a dozen a day.

Please buy them. $6/dozen 

Contact Ms. Swehla

CEO REPORT REPORT

by Mark Scaramella

ON FRIDAY, Mendocino County CEO Darcie Antle released the September CEO report. Anyone expecting any meaningful information will be sorely disappointed. As usual, it’s pretty much the same as all the other Antle-versions of the CEO report with mostly data-free summaries of activities in various departments. For example, the Environmental Health Department reported that they had started an Instagram account. Nothing else. 

ON A POSITIVE NOTE, the Planning and Building “permits issued” report lists one (1) amnesty program permit issued. Unfortnately that’s only one out of about 300 permits issued for the month. But maybe it’s still early yet.

Since February 2023, Family & Children’s Services reports that it has partnered with Mendocino County’s FrontDoor for Families program to implement the Bringing Families Home program specific to families involved with Family & Children’s Services. 

The In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) unit says they “aided” nearly 160 new applicants and performed over 295 IHSS reassessments. Is that a lot? Not enough? A trend? We don’t know.

During the 2nd quarter (April-June) the Mendocino County Probation Department Juvenile Division reports that they have received 143 new “referrals” for new crimes and traffic violations. The Juvenile Hall reports receiving 45 bookings. The Pretrial release unit provided 287 assessments to the Court for release consideration. 59 Individuals were referred by the Court to the Pretrial release unit for monitoring. That sounds good, we guess. But it would be nice to know how many of the 45 juvenile bookings were released the same day and why and to whom.

The General Services Agency reports that they entered a memorandum of understanding with a caretaker for the Indian Creek Park Campground in Philo in July 2023. “The caretaker will be onsite through the remainder of the season which ends the last weekend in October. The caretaker is tasked with greeting and assisting visitors and the public in a friendly, helpful, and courteous manner. They answer questions, remind visitors to register at the fee collection station, and explain applicable rules and regulations. They perform routine cleaning of the restrooms and campsites and report any issues or potential problems that require staff attention. We are thrilled to have somebody on site once again.” 

This too is good news. At least until October. 

We found the following “Assessment report” buried under the CEO’s Golden Gate Brige Initiative section, but after careful review we still have no idea what it means.

“Assessor’s Office Assessment — On September 18th, the Golden Gate team began an assessment of the Assessor’s Office to aid in the discovery and documentation of procedures, processes, workflows, and responsibilities. The assessment includes the following categories: Reporting structure analysis, Roles and responsibilities, Objectives and Priorities, Individual and Unit Accountability, Workflow and process documentation. Our goal is to provide the County and the Assessor’s Office a more holistic view of the responsibilities of the Office, document existing processes and procedures, and provide recommendations for process and workflow improvements.”

Could this be what the Assessor investigation rumor was about? Everything about this subject is so muddled it’s impossible to know what’s going on so it’s not surprising that rumors of various kinds pop up. The Supervisors can’t even agendize an item on the subject to clarify things or get things moving. Nor do they demand the monthly Assessor status report they directed three months ago. It obviously belongs on the front burner, not buried under the amorphous “Golden Gate Bridge Initiative” which, like the “leadership initiative” before it, is just another buzzword for business as usual.

CPUC COMPLAINT ABOUT PG&E (Coast Chatline)

Frank Hartzell: 

1. As far as I can tell the media narrative about PGE and tree work is false and backwards. They keep saying they want to trim trees and people wont let them. That's probably true somewhere, but in my world the opposite is true and I think widespread. They are trying to get out of the responsibility of trimming trees that are obvious line killers and fire starters. If you have a tale like that and are willing to share your address, I could attach to my complaint.

My property Had a big tree hanging over the lines. They came and marked it for total removal Family Tree came and said no, it didnt need to be removed as PGE had said I appealed this to PGE. They came and looked and said the tree did not need to be removed but trimmed. They came back and trimmed it roughly, leaving the giant tree to lean more and more toward our shed and fence. I said it wasnt enough. They said no. The tree dropped a monster limb onto the telephone pole, knocking sparky lines down and more. They were out all night fixing that. They left three giant limb widowmakers pointed straight down. If we tried (or try) to dislodge them they would kill us.

2. I manage a property with another gigantic cypress that has split in two. It’s right over all the lines but PGE says its not their responsiblity. Tree men wont touch it. Tonk says "its a PGE tree" if they worked on it, they would need PGE to be there literally, so we are stuck. A fire is likely WHEN this tree falls on all the lines. and it might not be pouring rain this time.

Anybody have anything like this to add. Just cut and paste stuff. I don’t have time to personally investigate

* * *

Keith Wyner:

If I remember correctly, PGE for the past number of years, outsources tree service work to private companies.

I don’t remember the name of the tree service company that did the work, but they were not PGE trucks, and I don’t think they were local.

My guess is that any complaints about tree work from PGE will be deflected, …I mean directed,... to the the tree service company they hired at the lowest bid. Good luck!

* * *

Ray Duff: 

When the tree service folk were here a week or so ago I received a card from Brent Robert, Vegetation Management Inspector, Contractor for PG&E, working for CNUC P.O. Box 818, Des Moines, IA 50304, phone 707-485-2923 mobile and 1-844-764-2682 office , broberts@cnutility.com

* * *

Frank Hartzell (re PG&E Complaint)

I keep hearing of all the people resisting PGE and we have had some of them talk on the Listserve or Facebok about it but on my street we have all had the exact opposite problem. PGE finds ways NOT to do tree management if the landowners are like me and what them to take whatever the heck they think is needed to keep us safe and protect their lines. I MUST SAY- PGE appeared shortly after I made this most offering to remove the trees I was referencing in all this. PGE does use contactors but they are the one responsible if the contractors dont do their job. In our case there was some obvious feud between the two contractors involved with marking and cutting and Family Tree overruled the markers desire to cut the dangerous cypress. I objected but was told i was wrong. The tree was not going to fall on the lines by Family Tree. The next year the tree dropped a tree sized branch on the telphone pole. As I understand it PGE itslef came and worked all night in teh rain to fix the broken telephone phole and leave the giant branches pointing straight down. Now they are saying they will remove the tree and branches. They aalso wanted to remove two big redwood trees we topped. we wanted those and they are only 15 feet tall but the PGE guy was right they are still firing branhces toward the wires. Ridiculous long branches from the topped top. Trees are amazing. But as I said, I have never said no to PGE . They also went and took care of the neighbors trees, which they have been trying to get tended for as long as I. And they say they will be back. wE will welcome them if they come but Im not holding my breath.

UKIAH SHELTER PET OF THE WEEK

Meet our fall puppies! These two girls are Heeler mixes, 13 weeks old and 17-ish pounds. They are typical puppies — happy, bouncy and energetic. Like all puppies, they will need lots of attention, training and TLC to become well behaved and loved adult members of your pack. Heelers are very intelligent, loyal and obedient dogs when given proper guidance and instruction.

The shelter is loaded with lots more puppies. Head to mendoanimalshelter.com to see and read about all of them, plus our adult dogs and cats. For information about adoptions, call 707-467-6453. Check out our Facebook page and share our posts!

ANDERSON VALLEY VILLAGE Events Calendar

A READER WRITES: Hey, I thought you might like this pic.

Been working in the woods for 30 years. This is the third one I have found still in the tree. Found North of Westport. It was real steep and they had to directionally fall her up the hill.

FAREWELL TO THE BEWILDERED PIG

An Interview With Chef Janelle Weaver and Daniel Townsend

by Cat Spydell

In early 2019 I was visiting Mendocino County frequently, looking for a new place to live after a twenty-year absence, during which time I lived in Southern California raising my children. It was a huge move for me. When I house-hunted, Philo was starting to pull me in, and in the beginning of March that year I arrived in town not only to look at a Philo property with local realtor Sheri from Rancheria Realty, but also to take my daughter Cassidy, who had recently moved back into her family’s home in Comptche with her dad Mike, to her 24th birthday dinner.

I began to look at restaurants near Philo and there weren’t a lot to choose from, but I did see an article that mentioned a place called The Bewildered Pig. The Smithsonian Magazine article dated June 2018 titled This Secret Corner of California Is a Paradise for Lovers of Great Food and Top-Notch Wines, mentioned The Bewildered Pig in quite a flattering manner. It discussed the fresh local fare Chef Janelle Weaver used to create culinary masterpieces, and Daniel Townsend’s special design flare that provided a stunning postcard-perfect destination.

I was interested in taking Cassidy to the unusually-named eatery, and she wholeheartedly agreed when I suggested it. She wanted to also bring her boyfriend Cameron, who I had met when he visited us in Los Angeles. Everything was melding together. We set up a reservation to enjoy a meal at The Bewildered Pig, which featured an incredible and specialized menu, and was located at Philo’s “Town’s End.”

It all felt like coming home. I was quite struck by the restaurant’s character and rustic beauty (described by the Pig owners as “refined rustic”), as we joined together to eat there. The front patio area was a uniquely landscaped wonderland, with a fire pit and palatial cactus wall. The garden lights sparkled in the dark country night. Going inside, the vibe was palpable as the place thrived with life while happy diners spoke in low tones, the clinking of glasses and cutlery adding to the ambience. The scent of the meals got our appetites going as we took our seats.

The opener miso deviled eggs were heavenly. We all enjoyed a delicious meal, which included things like wild mushrooms, delectable seasonal vegetables, specialty mac ‘n’ cheese, and my daughter enjoyed the pork for her birthday meal. I remember a delicious dessert and espresso afterward, and feeling very full and impressed with the fare my soon-to-be community of Philo had to offer.

Within six weeks of our celebration dinner at The Bewildered Pig, I moved in to my new property off Signal Ridge and began my comeback to a country lifestyle. As it turned out, Cam would become my son-in-law within a couple years of that dinner, when he and Cassidy got married in 2021.

It was a pleasant surprise that within a couple of months of that birthday dinner, Cam ended up working at The Bewildered Pig as Assistant Manager and Lead Server. He drove almost an hour from Fort Bragg there and then back, sometimes in storms to work there, but it was a labor of love. I asked Cam what he thought of the Pig’s food, since he and Cassidy are what I would call “avid foodies,” as they both appreciate a delicious well-prepared meal. Cam’s response was simple: “The best!” And when I asked Cam about his favorite thing about working at the Pig, he responded: “Them.” Of course he meant Chef and Daniel. It’s true, the small crew at the Pig had become a little family of sorts. I found myself there sometimes to drop someone off or pick someone up in our own family, as the Pig became our meeting point near my house, to avoid the further drive to the ridge and dirt road into the woods, as a visit to my house requires.

I have spent many evenings by one of Daniel’s crackling fires in the magical front patio area, admiring the cactus garden and the quiet and solitude that space offered. The Bewildered Pig became my stomping grounds of sorts, as we would wait for Cam to get off work after I’d spend the day with my daughter and their two children, or I would meet Cassidy there to pick her up for an adventure while Cam worked.

I for one was pretty devastated when I learned a few months ago that the Pig was giving up its perfect space at Philo’s Town’s End, and that the brick-and-mortar aspect of The Bewildered Pig restaurant was to only be a fond memory as the restaurant moves into a new way of being. I spoke to Janelle and Daniel about this changing situation, and they graciously allowed me to interview them about these changes.

CS (Cat Spydell): Thanks so much for chatting with me about The Bewildered Pig! To start, when did you two meet?

J/D (Janelle/Daniel): We met in 2004 when Janelle was the Executive Chef for Kuleto Estate Winery and Daniel was the Landscape Designer for both Far Niente and Nickel & Nickel Wineries, both in the Napa Valley.

CS: How did you meet?

J/D: To tell the whole story, with all of its serendipitous, synchronistic, and ironic twists and turns would take too many pages! We both lived in the rural area of St. Helena on Hwy 128 East. Ironically, Janelle’s next tenured chef position was at Peter Michael Winery on Hwy 128 in Knights Valley (in Sonoma County), and Highway 128 West is where we have been here in AV since 2015! Apparently, the 128 is our geographical main artery!

J: I had to pass Daniel’s mysteriously beautiful place every time I came or went home. I was always intrigued by the alluring landscape design and the secrecy and enchantment beyond the gate: the flowing bamboo, the chimes, the list goes on…¦

About a year into working at Kuleto Estate, one evening after dinner, Pat (Kuleto) told me that he knew who my “soul mate” was. He proceeded to tell me about Daniel. Daniel had also done design work for Pat. I was skeptical, but curious. After several weeks full of coincidences, we finally met.

J/D: The rest was history, and it seems Pat was right. That was almost 20 years ago now! We still refer to each other as “the boy and girl next door!”

CS: I love that! Sounds like kismet. How did you both decide you wanted to open a restaurant together?

J/D: Prior to being a landscape designer, Daniel had been a cook and chef for over 17 years — he opened and or tenured in many iconic restaurants, from Arizona, to San Francisco, and then Napa Valley in 1989 — Maxwell’s Plum, Domaine Chandon (under Philipe Jeanty), Don Giovanni, and many more, and he was Robin William’s private chef for several years. We had been seriously contemplating creating a destination restaurant and a B&B for a long time — since we began dating, actually.

Right around the same time for both of us, the companies we worked for sold to corporate entities, so our work and living environments were about to change pretty drastically. So with Dante, the wolf, we took off for a couple weeks in our ‘78 Volkswagen Westie on a road trip north, through Oregon & Washington, to take a break and “check out,” in contemplative curiosity.

Our combined passions and paths intersected in what we created on that trip: The Bewildered Pig name for our unique concept.

CS: That’s great that a road trip could give you such a fresh perspective on your next actions. Did you open The Bewildered Pig in Philo because you lived nearby, or was it because you felt like the Anderson Valley needed a restaurant like yours? What is your history in the AV?

J: We courted on the roads of Mendocino County, whether it was in the Westie or on the on/off road motorcycle. One of our first holidays together Daniel brought me sight unseen for a Thanksgiving weekend at the Greenwood Pier Inn, where the fantasy began of owning our own place — and of course how we would design it, what the food would be like, and how the culture of hospitality would be.

J/D: Later, friends in the industry who had relocated up here — both associates from the Kuleto/Foley days — invited The Bewildered Pig to cook for some events up at Handley Cellars. The Pig ended up cooking a lot at Handley when Milla was here, and we had a lot of fun. Then, we were invited to cook for the Alsace Festival, Pinot fest, and more. We loved it here! As the Napa Valley atmosphere began to change, we started to think more and more about relocating up here. We felt like we could do all of the things we love, without pretention: make delicious and pretty food, bring our farm (plants and critters), and create a beautiful vibe for all — including us — to enjoy.

Ironically, on Thanksgiving weekend 2014 spent in Mendo land, we were introduced to the Floodgate space by one of those same friends. It was that restaurant space, 6-years into our search, which would eventually become the long sought-after location for the Pig.

CS: That’s amazing how this area influenced everything that would come to be the physical version of The Bewildered Pig. Can you please explain the restaurant's name?

J/D: We have probably been asked this question even more than the one about how we met, and it’s a really tough one to have a cookie-cutter response to — because the name is really a moniker of a philosophically broader conversation about humans and their approaches to socio-culture, environment, farming, and food practices — and even religion and politics. “Why the Pig? Do you only serve pork?” people would often ask (and we would chuckle). We believe that pigs are very intelligent, sentient beings. They are also opportunists, clever, witty and precocious. They love to laze and love to graze. They can be and are incredibly agile and fierce when they so choose. It seemed to us that’s how people think they are, too; only they don’t like to be referred to as a pig. (Okay, we’ve raised pigs, and we know their table manners and housekeeping practices are not up to our human standards — we get it!). Humans like to eat a lot of pig, but many turn a blind eye to the industrial farming practices used to provide the vast quantities needed to satisfy that demand. We wondered — if we could ask pigs what they think of humans and their ways, what would they say? We decided that the pig would be bewildered by humans. And there was the name!

The way we felt to best portray it on the website was to provide the dictionary definitions for “Bewildered,” "Pig,” and “Metaphor.” Basically, the name is a metaphor for being a conscious person who is often bewildered at our human follies. No, it does not mean we’re a barbeque joint that serves only pork, although we do make some mean braised pork belly and pate!

CS: I really get what you are saying about The Bewildered Pig name, and the animal. I have rescued a pig before at my at-home animal rescue and know how clever they are. And by the way, though I am a vegetarian, my daughter tried the Pig restaurant’s pork belly once and she loved it.

Now that the Pig is facing a change in how you operate, how is packing up and selling the restaurant equipment going? I know you had a big sale recently and may plan more for the future.

J/D: The process of moving & schlepping isn’t fun; this we all know. But going through years of accumulated stuff is very liberating: reference George Carlin. The sale weekend was totally awesome, and totally nuts. We saw so many people we loved, and also tons of folks showed up just to see us and the place before disassembling — one last look at their beloved memory-making spot.

It’s also really been heartwarming to see a bunch of our stuff stay local. We’ll be able to go have dinner at several restaurants and event venues where we can eat our courses off of our plates and silver, know that it was cooked in our well-seasoned pans, perhaps sit at an old table we owned, or see a piece of fine and funky garden art or an unmistakably Daniel-designed fountain in their space. The enjoyment provided by these objects will live on making people happy, and that makes us happy!

Not everything was for sale, so one of the really cool results is that we get to have a lot of the things we own that we loved and had in our house prior to the brick-and-mortar incarnation of the Pig, back home — even if it ends up being temporary. We are very excited about our next chapter!

CS: Our family ended up with a wonderful Pig espresso maker that is used all the time. Maybe the one that made that cup of espresso I had at my first 2019 meal at The Bewildered Pig! I bet it is freeing to downsize. While I will miss visiting the physical location of the Pig, I am excited about the future for you both. Do you have an online sales link where people can purchase what you still have for sale?

J/D: We’re thinking about it! Once this move is done, we’re planning for some much-needed rest and relaxation. We’re also super excited to actually be able to get out into the community to which we moved, 9 years ago. When you own a restaurant, there is no life other than that. We have a lot of adventures ahead of us! Of course, we are excited to focus on our next chapter, which will be the culmination of everything we’ve created, and we can’t wait to be inspired by the beauty and deliciousness all around us!

CS: That sounds amazing. And relaxing sounds well-deserved! What do you see as the future for the Pig or other ventures?

JD: We will continue to do what we do: to provide next-level, super-local, healing deliciousness; make sustainable alchemy from Mother earth’s gifts; create whimsical, magical environments in which folks can find repose and rejuvenation, and to nurture with our own unique combination of witty, unpretentiously refined service. And, as always — we’ll create a proper amount of fun, provocative suspense!

CS: I don’t think you two could do anything any other way. That’s great! In closing, is there anything else you want to say?

J/D: Yes, we’d love to convey a heartfelt thank you to all of those who have supported us along this journey and continue to offer gestures of kindness, kind words, and encouragement. We will miss all of the fireside chats, dancing, and everything we created in that space. We are grateful and humbled by all the love that The Bewildered Pig community, near and far, has bestowed upon us. We couldn’t have done it without them!

If folks want to be sure to have first dibs on future events, or just to stay in touch with what we’re up to, they should sign up for our email list. There’s a sign-up spot on the webpage. You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram.

Web address: https://www.bewilderedpig.com

CS: I know many will want to follow you both on your next adventure, whatever it looks like! May The Bewildered Pig live on, somehow. What a gift your restaurant’s presence has been to our community. Thank you! The Bewildered Pig will certainly be missed, but how lucky we are to have had such a wonderful place to eat and gather these past few years in the magical setting you both created here in the Anderson Valley.

ED NOTES

A LIFE BAN, PLEASE. The slobs who brawled in the bleachers during the 49ers-Giants game on Thursday night face both police charges and a ban from Levi's Stadium. Video footage spread widely on social media showed at least two minutes-long fights. One involved six men and women, two of whom were pushed to the stairs as other people kicked and punched them. In another section of the stands, six men and women are shown throwing punches and tossing each other over seats. “Levi’s Stadium and the Santa Clara Police Department remain unwaveringly committed to stadium security and work collaboratively to create a safe environment for all fans,” The Niner and the Santa Clara police subsequently promised in a joint statement.

MOST FANS hate these drunken idiots. Candlestick, at both baseball and football games, used to be a kind of open air mosh pit, especially the left field bleachers at Giants games, everywhere during Niner games. Nothing new for Frisco. 

FIRST NINER GAME I attended at the old Kezar Stadium on the eastern edge of Golden Gate Park, circa 1948, marked my first exposure to, uh, unseemly adult behavior, all male in those days. At Kezar, the Niners had to cover the player's entrances with heavy wire covers to protect them from thrown bottles and other heavy projectiles. NFL players said Frisco fans were the worst of any fans in the country. The Giants these days run a tight ship. I've seen staffers eject people who were simply passed out in their seats, and shouted obscenities also gets the boor a quick heave-ho.

OF COURSE given the radical increase in feral citizens, large-scale sports venues have an uphill battle to maintain at least a basic standard of civility, but sports have always, all the way back to the Roman Coliseum brought out the worst in spectators.

FOUR QUESTIONS RE THE BARI CASE, an interrogatory from John Sakowicz:

Sako: First question: Is there any DNA evidence linking Mike Sweeney to the Judi Bari bombing? If yes, why didn’t the FBI pursue that lead?

Mr. Wizard: Because the FBI knew who had done what, and revealing their Mendo snitches, foremost among them Sweeney, would be to also reveal their active presence in Mendo during the Redwood Summer period, the FBI, from the outset, exempted Sweeny from Suspect Number One status, which is quite incredible given that he was Bari's ex-husband. But Sweeney, imo, had the feds by the short hairs. Arrest me and I'll bring down your Cointelpro operations in California all the way back to the torching of the Bank of America in Isla Vista, circa '67, I think. Two documents, first a snitch note from “Argus,” the mythical all-seeing beast, and a reference a Stanford grad is likely to know, was mailed to the Ukiah Police Department offering to let them know when Bari was going to mail another package of dope to one of her circle of customers; the second, The Lord's Avenger Letter, written by the bomber, was “lost” by the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. The latter was tested under the dubious auspices of the Bari Cult and allegedly showed the DNA of two persons, a male and a female, both unidentified. The FBI did not test either document, so far as is known. The Press Democrat maintains, or maintained at the time, a traditional library and a full-time librarian who saved everything. For the PD to claim that they “lost” the LA letter, the key document in a famous case, which had been returned to the PD by the FBI is, imo, simply a lie. The Lord's Avenger Letter was directly from the bomber written in faux Old Testament prose that my friend Joe Pfaff neatly revealed had come straight outta a biblical Concordance. The FBI denied access to the letter to famed documents analyst Don Foster who, ironically, had trained FBI doc analysts. Foster, examining a facsimile of the Avenger letter, and declared Sweeney the author. The original of the Avenger letter was addressed to Mike Geniella of the PD four days after the bombing, the bombing that Bari was not supposed to survive. I say that Sweeney wrote the Avenger letter to divert suspicion from himself and onto a crazed Christian. I've often enjoyed imagining a frantic Sweeney trying to come up with a way to exempt himself from suspicion. “God dammit, she survived. Now what do I do? I got it. I'll write a letter from a religious nut taking credit for the bomb!” Sweeney, having emigrated as far from Mendo as he can get, is comfortably at home in New Zealand where he undoubtedly enjoys many last laughs.

Sako: Second question: Does the physical evidence still exist? If yes, where is it kept? If no, why was it destroyed?

Mr. W: No, Bari's bombed vehicle is stored at the County museum in Willits, but the most pertinent evidence contained in and on the pair of aforementioned letters, has disappeared. Those letters, via contemporary DNA techniques, would reveal the bomber.

Sako: Third question: What would it take to have the FBI reopen the case?

Mr. Wizard: A miracle. At the onset of the Bari-Cherney federal lawsuit, which they won, proving that crime pays millions, the feds dispatched their top attorney, a man by the name of Joe Sher, the man who had defended high end figures like Kissinger. Sher got together with Bari's attorneys, principally the enfeebled Dennis Cunningham, to carefully edit the complaint — the allegation by Bari-Cherney that the FBI and the Oakland PD had libeled them by saying, initially, they'd been knowingly carrying the bomb, and to ensure that no mention of who did it would be admitted into testimony. (I was excluded by name, as were other people who were certain Sweeney had done it.) Skeptics met with Sher to voice our opinions, and Sher, a charming and likable dude, came to Boonville to meet with me at my house where, I'm saying now, he made it clear to me in winks and nods that my theory of the case was correct. I've never mentioned this before because it's not anything I could prove, but I have an e-mail from him saying “Long may the AVA flag wave.” The feds sent their top legal guy out here to make sure this embarrassment went away, and it has.

Sako: Fourth question: Why would the FBI protect a piece of shit like Mike Sweeney?

Mr. W: No need for gratuitous abuse, Sako, please. The answer, the only answer that makes sense, is that Sweeney was employed by the FBI all the way back to Isla Vista. In a way, I admire the cunning little psycho for stage-managing his crime that exempted him from responsibility, not that getting away with a complicated crime is particularly difficult in Mendocino County where you are whatever you say you are, and history starts all over again every morning. (My late sister-in-law, a Westside stalwart, often said to me, “Bruce, you're completely wrong about Mike Sweeney. I know Mike.” There you are and, natch, KZYX, KMUD, KPFA the gamut of “progressive” audio forums, devoted many hours to the unchallenged Bari version of events, all the while raising thousands, maybe a cool mil or so, to fund their federal lawsuit which if they won, they promised, they'd spend entirely on environmental good. They won. Cherney bought a dope farm near Garberville, Bari's share went to her already wealthy children. 

HOW ‘DRY’ I AM! 

by Katy Tahja

Did you know that Mendocino City went “dry” ten years before the rest of the USA? In the summer of 1909, the voters (men) of Mendocino decided to eliminate the sale of liquor. It can be said that Mendocino was a small town with a large drinking problem, and the number of voices speaking against the evils of alcohol had increased. While this decision made temperance workers, churchgoers and businessmen happy, it distressed the common people who liked their beer or wine, as well as the owners of the local saloons, which were forced to close overnight.

Not surprisingly, during the dry 24 years that followed, much illegal spirited refreshment was either produced in Mendocino or smuggled into it. Law enforcement officials took great delight in arresting bootleggers, not least because they always had cash to pay their fines. Raids on stills made great newspaper copy, but smugglers and bootleggers were often the heroes of those stories.

In a January 24, 1914 Beacon story, it was noted that two truckloads of booze taken in recent raids were dumped by Sheriff Byrnes over the bluff into the bay. The law enforcement officers broke heads of casks and smashed whole cases of bottles that were tossed into the water. The odor of liquor filled the air, and spectators were drenched by liquor when fierce gusts of wind blew upon them. The newspaper did not report that townsfolk on the beach below collected the booze in buckets when it came in streams from the bluff top. Town rumor had it that all the fish in Mendocino Bay were pickled.

Then in January 1920, the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution made it illegal to produce, import, transport or sell alcoholic beverages anywhere in the United States, so federal agents joined the county sheriff in searching for law-breakers. A February 20, 1923 Beacon article noted $700 in fines for bootleggers at Justice Murray’s court. In addition, four men from Boyles Camp paid $400 each for having 900 gallons of wine, jackass brandy (distilled from fermented grape juice or raisins), and other liquors in their possession.

On July 16, 1932, the Beacon reported: “A huge still and a large accumulation of materials for making jackass or moonshine booze was uncovered this week by the sheriff's office. Located in Barton Gulch on the Navarro River near Hop Flat, the plant, worth $15,000, included a 750-gallon still, a 50 horsepower steam boiler, 600 gallons of fuel, 2500-gallon vats, 1000 feet of pipe, and 1000 gallons of alcohol.” The most valuable commodity confiscated was 17,000 pounds of sugar. It would be utilized by the County Poor Farm and distributed to the needy. A big truck, seized during the raid, delivered the sugar inland.

When prohibition was repealed in 1933, the articles in the Beacon became much less exciting.

(The Kelley House Museum is open from 11am to 3pm, Thursday through Monday Questions for curator: curator@kelleyhousemuseum.org, or to make an appointment. Walking tours of the historic district depart from the Kelley House regularly For a tour schedule visit: kelleyhousemuseum.org/visit-walking-tours)

FIRST CONCERT AND LAST CHANCE FOR SEASON TICKETS!

UCCA Season Launch with Guitar and Clarinet Duo! 

The Ukiah Community Concert Association kicks off our 76th season Sunday, October 8, 2:00pm, at the Mendocino College Center Theatre with clarinet and guitar duo Jâca (Wesley Ferreira and Jaxon Williams), bringing an adventurous, passionate, and completely original musical style to our stage. Jâca’s music defies the constraints of a single genre, inspiring the review by The CoffeeHouse Classical, “It’s classical music, but you wouldn’t believe it’s as they shift from Flamenco to Fado, Appalachia to Argentina. If you haven't subscribed already, and if you have, tell your friends!: This concert will be the final day for purchase of season memberships at $120 for four world-class performances. Following the concert we will have a members-only reception catered by the Mendocino College Culinary Arts program. Members will have a chance to get to know Wesley (clarinetist) and Jaxon (guitarist), after being wowed by how Jâca combines classical and world music to bring an adventurous, passionate, and completely original musical style to our audience. 

(UkiahConcerts.org)

CATCH OF THE DAY, Saturday, September 23, 2023

TIMOTHY DAVIS JR., Vehicle registration tampering, suspended license for DUI, county parole violation.

VANESSA ELIZABETH, Fort Bragg. Disorderly conduct-alcohol&drugs.

ALEJANDRO EUFRACIO-HERRERA, Windsor/Ukiah. Disorderly conduct-alcohol&drugs.

ERIC HAYDEN, Ukiah. Grand theft, stolen property, obtaining credit with someone else’s ID.

KIMBERLY JONES, Ukiah. Unauthorized agricultural burning, camping on public sidewalk, prohibited burning, unspecified offense.

MIGUEL MONTES-LEMOS, Ukiah. Controlled substance.

RUFINO LOPEZ-VASQUEZ, Willits. Lewd-lascivious acts with minor under 14, contact with intent to commit lewd act with minor, oral copulation with person under14, lewd acts with child of 14-15 with perpetrator at least 10 years older, harmful matter of minor sent with sexual intent of a known minor.

PABLO MORA, Ukiah. Failure to register. (Frequent flyer.)

LUIS OLIVER, Covelo. Marshal’s warrant.

RAYMOND PICENO, Point Arena. DUI.

JULIAN ROMERO-MARIN, Windsor/Ukiah. DUI.

OWEN SPAGGIARI, Ukiah. Grand theft, stolen property, obtaining credit with someone else’s ID. 

A GOOD GOING OVER

Editor,

Saturday’s website edition is excellently filled with articles of the Eel river which I have to go over more closely as well as many more to give another look over. Thank you so much for a hearty entertaining newspaper.

Sincerely yours, 

Greg Crawford 

Fort Bragg

PS. I apologize yet am grateful for this author’s (Mazie Malone) importance to write about serious mental illness. Yet again what I’d like to see in this article is the solutions to over involvement. What I mean by this is those who did (past tense) help hold onto the future expectations for every time to join this venture with relatives. The flashbacks are stonewalled and painful estrangement. In my case being a retiree disposition is set, yet those who want to catch those off guard want them to swallow-as in take their lumps against their consideration and choice(s). The author to my opinion is embroiled in such antiquity behaviors. Both relatives need to find an outlet. To me the newspaper and opinion(s) fuel remote releases. Thanks to Estrangement the necessity is akin to that precious union layers will continue. 

MENDOCINO COUNTY DEMOCRATIC CENTRAL COMMITTEE

Ageism is rampant in our nation. How many who question Biden’s age are as flexible and has health?

ED REPLY: Me, Bob Deines, Mitch Clogg, and Bob and Mitch would be much better presidents, too.

MEMO OF THE AIR: We find these tropes to be self-evident.

“The heavens call to you, and circle about you, displaying to you their eternal splendors, and your eye fixes only on the earth.” -Dante

Here's the recording of last night's (Friday 2023-09-22) eight-hour-long Memo of the Air: Good Night Radio show on 107.7fm KNYO-LP Fort Bragg (CA) and KNYO.org: https://tinyurl.com/KNYO-MOTA-0559

Highlight? Eleanor Cooney's haunting Bradbury-like, Cheever-like story /Bush On Mars/. It begins about 3 hours and 40 minutes into the show, following the Dave Wilcox song /East Asheville Hardware/, in case you want to jump directly there.

I'm happy to read your writing on the radio. Just email it to me and that's all you have to do.

Besides all that, at https://MemoOfTheAir.wordpress.com you'll find a fresh batch of dozens of links to worthwhile items I set aside for you while gathering the show together, such as:

"Tiamat Medusa the Dragon Lady, once known as Richard Hernandez, says they have (has) almost reached their final form – a genderless dragon." This presents yet another new opportunity to socially misstep: one can rudely mis-species a person now. You really have to be on your toes at all times to not transgress. Times are changing. Try to keep up.

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/real-life/my-ultimate-dream-become-sexless-30965953

"A DEATHLESS WITCH who DEVOURS MEN turns the Milky Way into a GALAXY of GORE!" Queen of Blood, 76 min.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5Vpjth59Ik

Candy corn is the most disgusting candy, short of a display of Mexican lollipops I saw once, where each one had a different scorpion-or-wasp-like creature embedded in it. I didn't try a scorpion-wasp lollipop, so in that case I judge by the concept of the thing. I said, "Are these real bugs? Or candy bugs?" "Oh, they're real," and the man said the word for them that I don't remember now, sorry. Way before that, when I was in second grade, though, I saw my first so-called candy corn and thought of them as teeth not corn, for obvious reasons: they looked like candy rotten teeth. They were in a big bowl on a folding table by the door to the classroom. Someone said it's candy, it's for everyone, go ahead. I was dubious, but put one in my mouth, !gagged!, ran down the hallway to the bathroom and threw up in the trash can there. I've only very rarely drunk alcohol, so unlike everyone else in the world I can remember and recount every time I have ever vomited in my life. Without going into details again, and adding two in case I think of some later, I'm gonna say five times, an average of once every 13 years, but weighted heavily toward the early years. I mean, it's likely I threw up a few times I can't count when I was an infant, but who remembers things from when they're babies? Babies are all technically physiologically and psychologically blackout drunk. Candy corns are emetic candle wax. Not, in fact, crayons at all (they're called crayons in the link). I remember seeing other children eating paper paste and other glue and powdered-paint school supplies but I never tried those. I chewed on pencils, though, not to eat them but because pressing tooth marks into a pencil is interesting, the way drawing in ballpoint pen on cellophane tape or on the bottom of rubber tennis shoes is, or like mixing baking soda and water to make sticky white mud in a squeeze bottle and drop it, drop by pea-size drop, in rows to form a castle or igloo on the counter or windowsill. Currently my favorite candy is chocolate covered raisins in the same bowl with toasted salted almonds. Chocolate covered crunchy coffee beans are wonderful, but the after-effect is hours of buzzy nervousness and a headache, so I know better. Riesen candy is pretty good– that's chocolate and caramel, like Snickers bars but harder and without peanuts. Cotton candy. Big ball gum (like Painterz or Very Berry) starts out good and actually improves with staleness. Regular M&Ms in bulk to eat with a soup spoon. Fruit Loops or Apple Jacks right out of the box, dry. Dollar-store Cracker Jacks (superior to Fiddle Faddle, fresh or stale) are in fact real corn and so improve digestion of whatever else you eat while not being digested themselves. There, that's Halloween all laid out for you. The stores all have Halloween already set up, so I'm starting now too, at least in spirit.

https://misscellania.blogspot.com/2023/09/candy-corn.html

Marco McClean, memo@mcn.org, https://MemoOfTheAir.wordpress.com

What is it like to call a game from Levi's Stadium? What is unique about that stadium as a broadcaster?

I would say there is nothing that's truly unique except that our aerial shots regularly feature the Golden Gate Bridge and downtown San Francisco some 44 miles away. 

The baseball Giants saved their franchise by building a fabulous stadium in the city. The Warriors are thriving in the same locale. A lot of fans wish the 49ers could get a do-over and join them.

— Al Michaels

Ed note: Me among the millions who want the Niners back in The City, not miles away in suburban Nowheresville.

I QUIT SCHOOL in the sixth grade because of pneumonia. Not because I had it, but because I couldn't spell it. 

— Rocky Graziano

JULY 2, 1963 — Warren Spahn, 42, and Juan Marichal, 25, pitch, the most amazing pitching duel in the history of the game. 

They both pitched 16 innings that day. Spahn throwing 201 pitches and Marichal throwing 227. The game ends on a walk-off home run by Willie Mays with the score at 1-0. Absolutely incredible. 

To address all the modern day thinking that pitchers throw harder so they can’t go as long is preposterous. With modern day training and nutrition, today’s athletes should be able to go longer. Spahn was 42 and at the end of his career throwing against Kuenn, Mays, McCovey, Cepeda and F. Alou. The idea that he wasn’t throwing as hard as he could on each pitch which would cause just as much strain as a modern day pitcher with much better conditioning is laughable. Spahn went on to win 10 more games that year and finished the season with 23 wins and a 2.60 ERA. Which just goes to show that he didn’t throw out his arm, even at 42 years old. 

I’ll take the “old heads” over most of today’s pitchers any day for longevity and quality.

ALMOST AN ADVENTURE

by Doug Holland

Riding downtown to Seattle on the #99 bus, I seated myself behind two 30-something women speaking Swahili or something, and their young kids in strollers. Behind me sat a white or lightly ethnic man, folded over, moaning, holding his head as if giant invisible tweezers were squeezing it. 

Seemed like an ordinary ride on the city bus.

The driver had, perhaps accidentally, patched communications with Dispatch onto the bus's public address speakers, so we listened to an unseen voice above us:

“Attention all northbound #21, 99, 131, and 132 drivers. Due to police activity near the stadiums, we have reroute instructions.”

We'd be turning left onto Royal Brougham, then right on Airport Way, which the voice told us becomes Seattle Boulevard after a few blocks, and then merges with northbound Stadium Street, where the bus usually runs.

The voice then gave similar but reversed instructions for the southbound #21, 99, 131, and 132.

So, this would not be an ordinary ride — there'd new twists and turns. Cool!

Looking backward, I studied the bent-over bum behind me, still seated but with his hurtin' head only inches from the floor. From there, he couldn't see me, so why shouldn't I stare? 

I ain't mocking the guy, though. We all have unfortunate circumstances or make stupid choices, and whether it takes you down is mostly luck. I've had better luck than that bum, that's all.

The detour instructions were kinda complicated, so after a mile of radio silence, the voice from Dispatch repeated herself over our heads, with reroute info first for northbound drivers, then for southbound.

#99 is my most common route, because it runs by my house. By bus standards, it would be slightly exciting when we got near the stadiums, and made a few different turns. Almost an adventure.

Meanwhile, I was people-watching the immigrants in front of me — two black ladies with toddlers or babies in strollers. The women were having an ordinary conversation, probably about their kids, or perhaps their dreams, in a language unknown to me.

I wondered, were they friends on an outing with one child each, or were they a lesbian Zulu-speaking couple with two kids? There's no knowing without asking, and I wasn't asking, so there's no knowing.

After another few miles, Dispatch re-announced the detour instructions, but the driver must've had it memorized, and I certainly did — right on Royal Brougham, left on Airport Way, which becomes the Boulevard, and takes us back to Stadium Street. Got it. I was mildly looking forward to all the glorious new sights on three different roads, but tired of hearing about it.

Twenty blocks before the detour, an attractive white woman stepped onto the bus. She was 30 or so — half my age, but even an old man notices a pretty woman. Most noticeable was her facial expression, a combustible combination of boredom, anger, and the urge to vomit. She looked like she'd smack anyone who spoke to her, and also she was quietly mumbling to herself.

Is this dame mental, I wondered? Homeless? It was a mystery, so let's collect the clues: She wore neat, clean clothes, her hair was in place, and a lunchbag was on her lap. So, not homeless, not mental.

My theory? She was on her way to work, and doing what I'd do, were I a young, pretty woman, endlessly interrupted by men saying, “Why, hellloo there.” She's heard every line 10,000 times, so she wears a face that says “Shut up and stay away.” And everybody on the bus obeyed the face. Kinda brilliant of her, yes?

Dispatch came crackling on the air, telling the driver again about the detour, but then the voice stopped and said, “A moment please.” The moment came and went, and the voice returned, saying, “Attention all north and southbound #21, 99, 131, and 132 drivers. The police situation on Stadium Street has been cleared, so please disregard my earlier instructions and proceed on your normal routes.”

Aw, man! I'd been looking forward to seeing scenic Royal Brougham, Airport Way, and Seattle Boulevard, but all that had been snatched away. Instead the bus rolled along the same route it always rolls, past the same buildings and intersections and stops.

Approaching my destination, I rang the bell to step off, and as the bus slowed, I glanced again at the African family, the bum holding his head, the pretty woman you don't want to talk to, and also at forty other riders I haven't described.

Oh, the places we'd almost gone, my fellow passengers. We'd nearly taken the road less traveled, but instead it had been a bus ride like every other.

ONE REASON so many Americans are frustrated right now is that the Biden-Trump rematch is likely what we’re going to get, even though it defies common sense and what most people want.

On the face of it, it’s ridiculous that you have these two choices in a country of 330 million people. It doesn’t make much sense, but it does make sense within the context of our two party system.

But I think that the field for 2024 is still being shaped. I’m someone who remains optimistic that we still might end up with choices that we’re excited about. 

— Andrew Yang

ON-LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY

After all is said and done, and talked about ad nauseum, the facts are:

1-America is dead; it no longer exists, just look around.

2-the us$ is in the process of dying (one $ in 1970 is now worth less than one CENT)

3-The uscorp no longer has a reliable and sufficient supply of energy to run itself.

4-most of the world hates the uscorp and will do what it can to jab it in any way

5-what was once our country is now a soup of people who hate each other

6-all of our historical institutions and values have been destroyed and/or degraded.

7-the national debt will never be paid back and everyone, but amerikans, knows it.

Plan: buy all the gold, silver, ammo, storable food you can get; obtain a water source that you can control; bring family, friends and neighbors together, learn to pray to your G_d (not money) if you don’t know how. CW2 is approaching rapidly.

GOLD, AN INVESTMENT FOR SOME, IS A PORTABLE VEHICLE FOR GRAFT

Prosecutors say Senator Robert Menendez had a cache of ill-gotten ingots and a sudden interest in the price of the precious metal.

by Ed Shanahan

Of all the details in the federal indictment of Senator Robert Menendez, one of the most eye-popping may be the assertion that a sizable chunk of the graft he is charged with collecting came in the form of gold bars.

The indictment does not say why Mr. Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey, and his wife would accept such bribes along with the roughly $550,000 in cash and luxury car that prosecutors say were found in searches of the couple’s home and a safe deposit box.

Although gold is widely considered a dubious investment because it yields no revenue, can be costly to store and protect, and carries short-term risk, Mr. Menendez may have viewed it the way some people do: as an asset that maintains long-term value and acts as a hedge against inflation and stock volatility.

William Bernstein, the author of “The Four Pillars of Investing,” said in an interview that the appeal of gold resonated with those who seek security in case of an economic meltdown or who question the U.S. financial system’s underpinnings. Ads pitching investments in gold are a staple of some cable television and internet outlets geared to the conspiracy minded.

Gold is also attractive, he added, to those who want to stash wealth overseas easily or who need assets that can travel abroad if a hasty getaway is needed. Others, he said, like it because it provides a bit of “glitter and glamour.”

“It’s bling, pure and simple,” he said.

Some of the same qualities align with those identified in an International Monetary Fund report published in 2014 as making gold and other precious minerals “attractive to criminals.”

For instance, the report notes, such minerals are “high value, portable and odorless” as well as “compact and therefore easy to smuggle.” Gold specifically, the report says, “is easy to melt and cast in any shape.”

Drug dealers in the United States, the report says, have bought gold with their profits, disguised it as common items and shipped it back to suppliers in South America.

Precious metals like gold, the report adds, are “negotiable worldwide and may be used as a form of currency”; can be “held anonymously without a need for records to be kept”; and can be used “to store wealth generated by illegal activity and avoid seizure and confiscation.”

The illicit use of gold has significant global implications. Venezuela, under strict international sanctions and in economic crisis after years of government mismanagement and corruption, profits from illegal and dangerous mining in a region called the Arco Minero. The Venezuelan government has been reported to have sold hundreds of millions’ worth abroad to finance its programs and pay creditors.

If the charges against Mr. Menendez are true, he may have obtained the gold simply because it was favored by two of the businessmen charged alongside him. However it wound up in his possession, he took a keen interest in its value in October 2021, searching online for the worth of a kilogram, the indictment says.

During the period detailed by the indictment, the spot price of an ounce of gold was about $1,800, prosecutors say. On Friday, according to the World Gold Council, it was up to about $1,925.

(NY Times)

UKRAINE, SATURDAY, 23 SEPTEMBER

Ukraine says a strike on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet headquarters in the Crimean city of Sevastopol left dozens dead and wounded "including senior leadership." Russia has so far only said a soldier was missing.

Friday's strike was the latest and one of the most ambitious in a series of Ukrainian attacks on Crimea, the peninsula illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.

The general leading Ukraine's counteroffensive says his forces have broken through in the southern village of Verbove, and predicts an even bigger breakthrough to come. Kyiv's campaign has struggled in the face of stiff Russian defenses.

Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told Volodymyr Zelensky never to “insult Poles again” after the Ukrainian president suggested his neighbor was putting on a show over their disputes on grain exports.

All she wanted was her own bedroom, her own bed, and a door she could close. And grass. Grass to run in. Trees to hug and flowers to pick. This was a girl who had nothing but the great gem that she was, and everyone got to hold and fondle that gem, and then put it back when they were done with it. She was happiest, for a time, when she married Arthur [Miller], and there was a country house and trees and fruit and flowers — and silence and doors.

— Maureen Stapleton on Marilyn Monroe / Photo by Sam Shaw