Mendocino County Today: August 13, 2013

NORM FLUHER of Mendocino's venerable Blair House used to sit on the board of the Mendocino County Lodging Association until he was purged from that august body for asking the un-askable. Mr. Fluher wanted to know where all the money goes and, very soon, it was bye, bye baby for him. His colleagues on the board voted him off the board by a one-vote margin.

THE LODGING ASSOCIATION collects $325k from its members, which is then “matched” by the County, and the entire $650k is then given over to Scott Schneider's “Visit Mendocino County.” Schneider pulls down a nice $90,454 for 35 hours of work a week. What exactly Schneider does during those 35 hours is one of those many ongoing Mendo mysteries, comparable to asking what Paul Tichinin does all day long as the County's superintendent of schools.

HERE'S how Fluher was got. “Board Member Conduct & Disciplinary Action. Pauline [Zamboni] presented the item. A number of Board members support an effort to impose disciplinary action on Norm Fluher, including possible removal from the Board. Letters in support of Norm have been received and some public are in attendance to express such support. Pauline notes that the proposed disciplinary action is based on his noncompliance with MCLA’s current bylaws, one violation in Article 2, ‘Purpose and Mission’ statement, i.e., his actions to disestablish the existing BID; and three violations in Article 4-Item 6, ‘Duties and Responsibilities of Board Members,’ i.e., his actions on more than one occasion being counter to Board policy as set by vote of a majority of members; and his action of giving the appearance of speaking officially for the organization without prior authorization. In addition, his continued actions which could be viewed as being counter to the fiduciary duties and responsibilities expected of a Board member to the organization was also brought into question. Pauline motions that the Board take disciplinary action against Norm by requesting him, in good faith…” And so on, the bloodletting accomplished by “Pauline” on a nicey-nice first-name basis.

BUT WAIT. “Norm does not agree to accept the disciplinary action and the motion is rescinded. Pauline motions Norm be removed from the Board. Jan seconds. Wendy [Roberts] also seconds. Motion Fails with 11 Yes and 4 No (13 Needed to pass).” But Pauline, Jan and Wendy went right to work and soon Norm was outtathere by one vote.

STILL CONFUSED? The inns, bed and breakfasts, motels and so on tax themselves to the tune of $325,000. Then the taxpayers, unbeknownst to most of them, casually drop another $325k to promote Mendo's delights in the great outside world, which is where Schneider comes in to do whatever he does — Frisco wine parties and a couple of big signs near the County line — and somehow the tourists come running. Fluher doesn't think the money is well spent. Neither do we.

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THE CITY OF UKIAH'S landfill east of town closed in September of 2001, but rather than seal the dump off as per environmental regulations, the City dithered and dallied for so long — twelve years — that now the County of Mendocino has subjected Ukiah to an "enforcement action." Which really means a lot of back and forth woof-woofing between Ukiah lawyers and the County's hard-hitting County Counsel's office. This is the kind of techno-hassle that should be worked out without involving lawyers, but…

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EXCERPTS FROM COUNTY CEO CARMEL ANGELO’S REPORT to the Board of Supervisors for Tuesday, August 13:

2013-14 BUDGET REPORT: The Recommended Budget has been published and is available on the County website at http://www.co.mendocino.ca.us/administration/13-14RecommendedBudget.htm Department reviews will be completed by August 16, 2013 and adjustments or corrections will be reflected in the Final Budget. The Auditor continues to work on the year-end closeout process for FY 2012-2013. Executive Office staff are monitoring the process and gathering information that may affect the 2013-2014 Final Budget.

HEALTH CARE REFORM UPDATE: October 1, 2013 marks the first day of the open enrollment period for Covered California. The Health and Human Services Agency is busy training staff to prepare them for the new enrollment process. Additionally, HHSA is reviewing its public outreach strategies, computer entry protocols, and any other necessary retraining to appropriately reflect the changes being implemented through the Affordable Care Act. HHSA is also hard at work transitioning its current Path to Health enrollees into Medi-Cal, and finalizing contracts for a new, state-mandated call center for Covered California. The biggest priority at the moment is increasing staff levels within HHSA to be prepared for a potential influx of new applications to Covered California by Mendocino County residents. The application period for up to 12 new Eligibility Workers closed at Human Resources on Friday August 8, 2013. Finally, there is a strong educational outreach effort occurring internally to make sure HHSA employees are familiar with the details and requirements of the Affordable Care Act.

TO: DOUGLAS F. CRANE, MAYOR. UKIAH City Council, 300 Seminary Avenue, Ukiah, CA 95482

Dear Mayor Crane and City Councilmembers:

I regret that I am not able to attend today’s meeting due to a prior commitment. However, I wish to make the following comments on agenda item 12a regarding the joint meeting of the City of Ukiah (City) and County of Mendocino (County) to discuss a master tax-sharing agreement. It is well known that the City and County have been meeting on the topic for many years but have been unable to reach a fair and equitable master tax-sharing agreement. I believe it is important for all involved, including the general public, to have as much accurate information as possible. While it is true that state law mandates that approximately .30 cents of each sales tax dollar collected countywide, including within the city limits of the four incorporated cities of Ukiah, Fort Bragg, Willits and Point Arena is ultimately distributed to the County of Mendocino, it is equally true that every penny of these funds are spent to provide state mandated services to all County residents, including those who reside within the cities. Unfortunately, this sales tax allocation doesn’t cover all the costs of providing statemandated services. Each year the County is required to spend millions of additional dollars from the County General Fund to provide state mandated services that city and county residents rely on. Therefore, it provides an incomplete picture to focus on the topic of state mandated sales tax collections, all of which must be spent to provide state mandated services. It is my understanding that the sales tax sharing discussions have historically been focused on the appropriate formula for sharing funds derived from the local 1.00% sales tax rate - not the funds derived from the state 6.50% sales tax rate. In order to reach agreement, I believe it is advisable to re-focus our discussion on the 1.00% local share, as well as future distribution of property tax and transient occupancy tax within the annexation areas. I welcome the inclusion of the November 27, 2006 letter from the City Council to the Board of Supervisors expressing a commitment to move forward with the steps needed to implement the Ukiah Valley Area Plan. Now that the UVAP has been completed, and the Municipal Service Reviews for Ukiah Valley public agencies are nearing completion, it is time to move forward with a master tax sharing agreement. It is time that our jurisdictions, and those we serve who live and work in the Ukiah Valley, benefit from the positive outcomes, as stated in the above referenced letter, that can best be realized , by reaching a comprehensive agreement for tax sharing. The county stands ready to continue the development of a fair and equitable master tax-sharing agreement so all our residents may benefit from more collaborative local governments that work together for the greater good. As stated in my letter of July 29, 2013 to City Manager Chambers, the County continues to support key land use policies that favor development that is consistent with the Ukiah City Council recommendations on land use in the greater Ukiah area. Let me reiterate the County ad hoc still supports the 50/50 split and the Costco addendum, a carve-out that gives the city millions in sales tax dollars from Costco up-front, and possibly no increased sales tax revenue to the county for the life of the tax-sharing agreement. I remain optimistic and I look forward to city and county staff working together to resolve any outstanding issues with our draft master tax-sharing agreement.

Sincerely, Carmel J. Angelo, Chief Executive Officer, Mendocino County

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AS REPORTED LAST WEEK, Noreen has finally figured out she can make more money working on retainer for the special interests than if she merely does their bidding as a member of the legislature. Or, the State Dems may have told her to jump before she gets pushed. We doubt her decision is related to her love of administration of justice or lawmaking. By the way, she was angling for appointment as a judge but the Governor’s screening committee declined.

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Dear Friends: This year marks my 20th in public office, including 10 years in the Legislature. But Sacramento is not my home and politics not how I planned to spend my life. Though I enjoyed my job as a lawmaker, my first love is the administration of justice. I will leave the Legislature next year at the end of my term to return to my private law practice. I am immeasurably grateful for the faith, trust and support of our great community and the hard work of my dedicated staff. 
 Together, we wrote the nation’s first Homeowner's Bill of Rights, improved our foster care system, protected the coast, kept state parks open, updated regulation of California’s wine industry, preserved CEQA as the cornerstone of California's environmental protection laws, and much more. I chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee, working to strengthen consumer and privacy protection and keep our courthouses open in the face of massive budget cuts. I also chaired the Legislative Women’s Caucus, advocating for the interests of women and children. When California faced economic meltdown, as Chair of the Budget Committee I prevented the worst of many attempts to shut down public services. After several difficult years, I am confident the state is now moving in the right direction under Governor Brown’s leadership, with a strong Democratic majority in each house. As I return to private practice, I will continue to be a strong advocate for progressive values, working families, equal protection and justice for all. We have seen California through unprecedented challenges. I hope my efforts over the past two decades have contributed in some small measure to a better future for us all.

Noreen Evans, California State Senator, District 2

HANK SIMS (of LostCoastOutpost.com) adds:

One the one hand it’s a bit surprising, because few folk willingly bail from the legislature before they’re termed out. Evans has another four years coming to her. On the other hand, she’s been publicly dismissive about the $100,000-per-year pittance of a so-called “salary” she receives as a public servant, even going so far as to hire herself out as a part-time attorney while on the state payroll. Evans’ return to the private sector blows the 2014 races wide open. Assm. Wes Chesbro is up for the term-limit guillotine next go-around, and Evans is stepping down. Who will the party bosses appoint to replace them? The Sonoma and Marinites are jockeying around — Dick Spotswood has the Spotswoodian take here — but there are bound to be some Humboldters in the mix. Stay tuned.

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THE FILING DEADLINE for the local November elections is extended to August 14 for those races where an incumbent did not file.

LOCAL RACES TO WATCH: The three Brooktrails incumbents, including Tony Orth, who is currently probably the longest serving board member of any pubic agency in Mendocino County, are faced with a couple of challengers;

THREE Russian River Flood Control District incumbents, who include former County Supervisor Richard Shoemaker, are being challenged by Ukiah Valley Sanitation District General Manager Frank McMichael (who was defeated by Shoemaker for re-election as Second District Supervisor back in 1996. McMichael is calling himself a “water rights advocate.” Shoemaker, of course, is a Shoemaker advocate.

MARY MISSELDINE, a dental hygienist, will replace Diane Zucker on the MCOE board.

SUSAN RUSH is among six candidates for four seats on the Point Arena Unified School District Board.

OVER IN COVELO, tribal member Amanda Britton is challenging the three incumbents who are running for re-election to the Tribal Council.

THREE of the four incumbent Ukiah Unified School District Board members up for re-election, including long time incumbent Kathy James and Glenn McGourty, who are choosing to step aside.

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ACCORDING to today's Press Democrat story by Paul Payne, 1,511 people were arrested in Mendocino County on felony charges and 835 – or 55.3% — were convicted. Lake County had 365 felony arrests and 171 convictions for a rate of 46.8%. “Mendocino County's assistant district attorney, Paul Sequeira, said felony arrest conviction rates don’t mean much because the standard of proof is higher in court. Many people arrested on felonies are later charged with lesser crimes or dismissed, he said. Sequeira said his office keeps statistics based on the number of complaints filed that shows a conviction rate of 87% in 2012 and 88% in 2011.

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ADAM MORALES comments on the banana toss episode last Sunday at AT&T, for which the fan who did it has already apologized.

A fan, probably drunk, tossed half a banana at Adam Jones, the Orioles’ All-Star centerfielder.

The episode conjured visions of the racist fans who’d throw bananas at black soccer players in Europe, especially Italy.

“At the 'stick it would have been a beer but who is going to waste a $10 foofoo micro brew? A free banana from a catering cart is a different story. If there had only been $8 brats left on the cart I doubt anything would have been thrown. I've been going to Giants games since I was a kid in the 70s. This is nothing compared to what you'd see or hear in those days. Nobody took it personally or cried PC tears of protest. The players wouldn't hide behind agents (CAA? Gimmie a break!), they'd turn around and talk right back and at times barely restrain themselves from jumping into the stands to ‘continue the conversation.’ I was excited for the new ballpark and even more so when I went to the preview night for season ticket holders. That excitement was curtailed when I met my new ‘neighbors’ in section 119. A bunch of yuppies on one side who would never pay much attention to the game showing up in the third leaving in the seventh and a rotating group of annoying South Bay folks who worked as bartenders/waitresses in some upscale brew house and could not stay off their cell phones. Don't get me wrong, there were a lot of great true fans there, but the majority of the 30,000 plus new season ticket holders were pretentious, stuck up
posers. It's a business — I get it and seeing the Bonds years (’roids or not) and our World Championships has only strengthened my love of my HOME team but I could do without the fans of the last 13 years. If I'm not mistaken centerfield is bleacher town — what's a catering cart even doing there? That should be the land of snuck-in flasks, not catered dinners! Again I get it— it's a business. Well, business is good with 200 plus sellouts in a row. Let's see how many of these ‘fans’ are there next year or the year after if the Giants don't win it all. That'll be the time to throw things.”

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RETURN TO PHILO

So quiet so still everything to see

In this wilderness so tame

I try to listen to feel to dream

To sing every song I've never sung

Every sight I've never seen

Looking for any path to anywhere.

 

I sing not wanting the song to end

Searching for the words I can't find

Humming to myself for all to hear

Wondering where it has been.

 

You don't need to write

Only going up and not down

You can write wherever in any weather

You can write whether you're right or wrong

You might even write when everyone is wrong.

 

This day will never be the same

Just as the redwoods grow and change

Reaching up and everywhere

Teaching us all who we are.

 

This is the way we travel

Finding more to see and sing about

Bring out the best of us

To last forever.

 

This is a day to walk or run

To climb to crawl to take the time

We've never found but for now

On this day of sky sun air to breathe.

 

This is the time and place

This is the way we always

Seem to dream and sing about

Walking through these sunny miracles.

 

Finding the words to say

Hello or goodbye

In any language at any time

Takes a better poet than I

Takes a symphony of sounds

I hope to find to let us hear

Of our time here in this place

Of dreams of growth of feeling.

 

Finding what we only hope to find

Breathing as we climb the trails

Feeling as our hearts are beating

Every moment of our possibilities

We are together when we're apart

It never seems far away

The sun keeps shining in our hearts

The songs keep singing keep coming.

 

— Jim Boudouris (not to be confused with my cousin in Philo, Jim Boudoures of the Philo SawWorks.)

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REMINDERS AREN’T THREATS

TO: Board of Directors, Mendocino County Public Broadcasting, P.O. Box 1, Philo, CA 95466

August 8, 2013

Re: Violation of California Corporations Code - Annual Membership Meeting

Members of the Board:

Thank you for your letter of July 24, signed by your president, Elaine Herring. The letter appears to be responding to my letter of July 2, which I mailed to you. I did not hand each board member a copy of my letter at your meeting of July 1, as your letter states. That letter was handed to you by member King Collins, and raises other issues that the board needs to address. This letter will focus on your violations of the California Corporations Code concerning our annual membership meetings.

Sections 5510-11 of the Corporations Code state, in part:

5510. (b) A regular meeting of members shall be held on a date and time, and with the frequency stated in or fixed in accordance with the bylaws, but in any event in each year in which directors are to be elected at that meeting for the purpose of conducting such election, and to transact any other proper business which may be brought before the meeting.

5511. (a) Whenever members are required or permitted to take any action at a meeting, a written notice of the meeting shall be given not less than 10 nor more than 90 days before the date of the meeting to each member who, on the record date for notice of the meeting, is entitled to vote thereat . . .

The Bylaws of Mendocino County Public Broadcasting state, in part:

Article X. MEETINGS OF THE MEMBERSHIP

Section 10.01 Annual Meeting:

1) The annual meeting of the Membership shall be held within sixty (60) days of the completion of Board elections each year, unless the Board shall provide for another date and so notifies Members.

2) The purpose of this meeting shall be to declare the results of the preceding election of the Board, to present an annual report to Members on the activities and accomplishments of MCPB, to present the audit report, and any other business as may come before the meeting.

3) Notice of the annual meeting date and location, including agenda items that may require Membership vote, shall be given to all Members a minimum of fifteen (15) days prior to the meeting if delivered by first class mail or a minimum of four (4) days prior to the meeting if broadcast daily on the Station’s radio frequencies and posted at the Station headquarters.

In plain English, since our bylaws require a membership meeting each year, a timely written notice to all members is required by state law.

You have stated several reasons why MCPB is exempt from the law. All are in error.

1) Cost. “Please note firstly that it costs MCPB in the range of $3,000-$4,000 to give a written notice of anything to all members.” Although the superior court can consider practicality in enforcing the Corporations Code, there is a cost-free alternative. Simply include the notice of the annual meeting with the notice of board elections.

Our bylaws state the following concerning the notice of elections:

Section 6.03 Elections

(2) The President of the Board or the Elections Coordinator shall announce ninety (90) days prior to the date of election that nominations will be accepted. Such announcement shall conform to MCPB’s Elections Policies.

In order to make both notices simultaneously, you would need to schedule the annual membership meeting on the same day as the close of balloting. You would not be the first membership nonprofit to do so. You could also change the timing for notice of the election. You could also include a membership renewal. There are many ways to avoid additional mailing costs. Practicality does not preclude compliance with the Code.

2) Habit. “Secondly, MCPB has never given notice of its Annual Meeting by mail.” Prior violations of a law do not justify future noncompliance. All you have done with this statement is to acknowledge a continuing pattern of noncompliance.

3) Agenda. You argue that the annual membership meeting is not a meeting at which “members are required or permitted to take any action”, and that therefore the notice provisions of the Corporations Code do not apply. “Accordingly, the Corporations Code Section that you cite, requiring 90 days advance written notice, was not applicable to the Annual Meeting in 2013, and it will not be applicable to any future Annual Meeting – unless the agenda for such meeting permits or requires action by the members.”

Your conclusion is based on the erroneous premise that only the board of directors can set the agenda at the annual membership meeting. If 20% of the members attend, they can conduct any relevant business, including changes to the bylaws. No board of directors can limit the rights of members that are established in the Corporations Code. Your efforts to do so by limiting the agenda and not giving proper notice violate both the letter and the spirit of the law.

4) Compliance with Bylaws. You argue that your actions were proper because “MCPB’s notices for the 2013 Annual Meeting complied fully with its By-laws,” citing Section 10.01(3) (above). Your argument is based on the erroneous premise that a corporation’s compliance with its own bylaws relieves it of the duty to comply with the Corporations Code. You are wrong. Mendocino County Public Broadcasting is a California corporation and must comply with the California Corporations Code. It is the notice provision in our bylaws that are out of compliance. Your failure to understand and acknowledge the significance of the annual membership meeting has resulted in erroneous policies and procedures.

Once you recognize the importance of the annual membership meeting, you will also understand that MCPB failed to hold a proper meeting in May by failing to answer any questions put forth by members at the meeting. It failed “to transact any other proper business which may be brought before the meeting” or to fully “present an annual report to Members on the activities and accomplishments of MCPB” as required by our bylaws (above). Even Horowitz and the vulture capitalists have to answer questions at their annual shareholder meetings. Are the MCPB board and management to be held less accountable?

The Board’s current policies of ignoring the rights and concerns of the members of MCPB bring into question its legal legitimacy. Worse, it burns the bridges of communication that are essential to any nonprofit membership organization. As a member of the Board of Directors, each of you has a sacred duty to maintain that communication.

In your letter, you characterized my efforts to protect the rights of members as “threats”, doing so five times in the first few paragraphs. But it is never a threat to nurture the collective consciousness of a nonprofit membership organization. Nor is it a threat to remind you that failure to comply with the California Corporations Code will expose Mendocino County Public Broadcasting to whatever court action is necessary to protect the rights of its members. Please change your policies and procedures as soon as possible to bring them into compliance and avoid any such action. It is the only way for our organization to find its best destiny and fulfill its mission of serving the people of Mendocino County.

Thank you for your time and attention.

Sincerely, Dennis O’Brien, Ukiah

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MEMO FROM OSLO:

If Peace Is Prized, a Nobel for Bradley Manning

by Norman Solomon

The headquarters of the Nobel Committee is in downtown Oslo on a street named after Henrik Ibsen, whose play “An Enemy of the People” has remained as current as dawn light falling on the Nobel building and then, hours later, on a Fort Meade courtroom where Bradley Manning's trial enters a new stage -- defense testimony in the sentencing phase.

Ibsen’s play tells of mendacity and greed in high places: dangerous threats to public health. You might call the protagonist a whistleblower. He's a physician who can't pretend that he hasn't seen evidence; he rejects all the pleas and threats to stay quiet, to keep secret what the public has a right to know. He could be content to take an easy way, to let others suffer and die. But he refuses to just follow orders. He will save lives. There will be some dire consequences for him.

The respectable authorities know when they've had enough. Thought crimes can be trivial but are apt to become intolerable if they lead to active transgressions. In the last act, our hero recounts: “They insulted me and called me an enemy of the people.” Ostracized and condemned, he offers final defiant words before the curtain comes down: “I have made a great discovery. … It is this, let me tell you -- that the strongest man in the world is he who stands most alone.”

Alone Bradley Manning will stand as a military judge proclaims a prison sentence.

As I write these words early Monday, sky is starting to lighten over Oslo. This afternoon I'll carry several thousand pages of a petition -- filled with the names of more than 100,000 signers, along with individual comments from tens of thousands of them -- to an appointment with the Research Director of the Norwegian Nobel Committee. The petition<http://www.manningnobel.org/>urges that Bradley Manning be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Like so many other people, the signers share the belief of Nobel Peace laureate Mairead Corrigan-Maguire who wrote this summer: “I can think of no one more deserving.”

Opening heart and mind to moral responsibility -- seeing an opportunity to provide the crucial fuel of information for democracy and compassion -- Bradley Manning lifted a shroud and illuminated terrible actions of the USA's warfare state. He chose courage on behalf of humanity. He refused to just follow orders.

“If there’s one thing to learn from the last ten years, it’s that government secrecy and lies come at a very high price in blood and money,” Bradley Manning biographer Chase Madar wrote. “And though information is powerless on its own, it is still a necessary precondition for any democratic state to function.”

Bradley Manning recognized that necessary precondition. He took profound action to nurture its possibilities on behalf of democracy and peace.

No doubt a Nobel Peace Prize for Bradley Manning is a very long longshot. After all, four years ago, the Nobel Committee gave that award to President Obama, while he was escalating the war in Afghanistan, and since then Obama's dedication to perpetual war has become ever more clear.

Now, the Nobel Committee and its Peace Prize are in dire need of rehabilitation. In truth, the Nobel Peace Prize needs Bradley Manning much more than the other way around.

No one can doubt the sincere dedication of Bradley Manning to human rights and peace. But on Henrik Ibsen Street in Oslo, the office of the Nobel Committee is under a war cloud of its own making.

(Norman Solomon is co-founder of RootsAction.org and founding director of the Institute for Public Accuracy. His books include “War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death.”)

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“THE APPEARANCE OF THE LEVIATHAN herself was quite pleasing. Like all large, comfortable old whalers, she had a sort of motherly look — broad in the beam, flush decks, and four chubby boats hanging at the breast. Her sails were furled loosely upon the yards, as if they had been worn long, and fitted easy; her shrouds swung negligently slack; and as for the ‘running rigging,’ it never worked hard as it does in some of your ‘dandy ships,’ jamming in the sheaves of blocks, like Chinese slippers, too small to be useful: on the contrary, the ropes ran glibly through, as if they had many a time travelled the same road, and were used to it.” — ‘Omoo,’ Herman Melville

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NOT-SO-SIMPLE 2013 LOST AND FOUND

Greetings. If you were not with us at the Not-So-Simple Living Fair this year, we missed you and hope you come back next year. If you were in attendance, please note these lost and found items: camera, tent in green bag, Razor scooter, St. Johns Bay cotton flannel shirt, A's baseball cap, beige floppy hat, red bandana, yellow plastic bat, misc BYO dishes. Also, if you were in attendance, please send any suggestions for next year. Thanks, NSSLF Coordinating Committee. — info@notsosimple.info

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FOR THE 100th TIME…

Warm spiritual greetings, These past two days I have been rereading the published lectures of Shunryu Suzuki, entitled "not always so: practicing the true spirit of zen." Roshi said: "As much as possible, follow your inner voice, rejecting useless things. Dogen Zenji said that if your practice is pure enough you will be supported by Buddha, so do not worry about who will support you or what will happen to you. Moment after moment completely devote yourself and listen to your inner voice." The commitment to realize a Washington DC around the beltway radical environmental protest action is enlightened, steady, and firm, just like one's back during zazen. Myself and two others (formerly of the Occupy DC Freedom Plaza kitchen working group) are still staying at a house in Mt. Lebanon, PA. We are eager to move on to D.C. and need a place to go to, and we need others to participate in the DC beltway action. I ask you for the hundredth time: "What Are We Waiting For?" This is the one question that I am unable to answer. Can you help me?

Gassho, Craig Louis Stehr, August 12, 2013

903 Florida Ave., Mt. Lebanon, PA 15228-2016

Email: craigstehr@hushmail.com

Blog: http://craiglstehr.blogspot.com

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KINETIC CARNIVALE STEAMS UP WILLITS

Second annual fair provides weekend's span of activities, unites old and new

by Roberta Werdinger

The Second Annual Willits Kinetic Carnivale powers up on Sept. 7 and 8 with a full weekend of activities combining the old and new in a way that is uniquely Mendocino and totally 21st century. The Carnivale's offerings this year include a daylong fair on both days, an evening ball with a full lineup of music and performance, handcar races, volunteer and VIP opportunities, and crafts and wares galore, alongside the annual Steam-Up of amazing operating equipment by Roots of Motive Power, and — new this year — the Kinetic Fly-In, aircraft displays and airplane rides for sale at the Willits Airport. Interested parties can visit the website at www.KineticCarnivale.com, which has a wealth of information about the weekend. There's also a Facebook page named Kinetic Carnivale with news updates and more photos. For more information on the Carnivale, including volunteering, send an email to info@kineticcarnivale.com. The Kinetic Carnivale is produced by the Mendocino County Museum. The Mendocino County Museum is at 400 East Commercial St. in Willits and can be contacted at 459-2736 or online at www.MendocinoMuseum.org.

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BLUES BROADS to Perform Last Sundays in the Park this Sunday, August 18th in Todd Grove Park at 6pm. What do you get when you put four incredibly talented women together, add an award-winning vocalist/keyboard/sax player and a backup band of equal abilities and histories? The result is the blues supergroup known as The Blues Broads.

Dorothy Morrison, Tracy Nelson, Annie Sampson and Angela Strehli, all highly regarded vocalists in their own rights. Reflecting more than two centuries of collective experience in blues, country, gospel and rock, the awesome aggregation is nothing less than a roots music "super group" of the first order. The Blues Broads are vocalists Angela Strehli, Tracy Nelson, Annie Sampson, and Dorothy Morrison. They are joined, whenever possible, by Deanna Bogart, whose skill on keyboards, saxophone, and vocals makes her an "Honorary Broad." The band features Petaluma native Gary Vogensen on guitar (Boz Scaggs, Etta James), Bay Area local Steve Ehrmann on bass (John Lee Hooker, Roy Rogers), S.F. Bay's Paul Revelli on drums (Charlie Musselwhite, Bo Diddley), and the North Bay's Mike Emerson on a second keyboard. Each of these nine fantastic players have had careers most musicians would die for, playing with legends from Charlie Musselwhite and B.B. King to Boz Scaggs, Sammy Hagar and even Simon & Garfunkel. This powerhouse of talent combines to become something even more than the sum of its parts. (Short clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT1_aO2U5g8)

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14TH ANNUAL SEAFOOD AND HARBOR FESTIVAL LABOR DAY WEEKEND. Sunday, September 1, 2013 Noon - 6pm. Point Arena Pier, Port Road, Pt. Arena Free Admission! Fresh, Local Seafood Feast: Salmon Kabobs, Fish Tacos, Oysters Beer, Wine and Soft Drinks; Desserts too! Entertainment: Thrive, Honest Outlaws, Groove Factor, DJ Sister Yasmin Raffle, Kids' Activities, Boat Rides around the Pier, weather permitting. Smoked Salmon Contest: $20. Entry fee, winner splits the pot with the Pier Fund. This event benefits the Point Arena Pier. No Dogs Please. Information: 707-227-0939. www.harborfest.net.