AVA, MARCH 2013 — This rumor is making the rounds on the Mendocino Coast: The sprawling (by Coast standards) Heritage House, recently purchased by a certain Mr. Greene out of Florida who flies in and out of Albion in a private jet, is a front man for the Koch Brothers who plan to use the place as a kind of junior varsity Bohemian Grove, the Bohos being too liberal for the Kochs. Could be. The Kochs already own the invalu¬able Fort Bragg Mill property just up the road.
AVA, JUNE 2013 — Dogged investigations by Frank Hartzell of the Fort Bragg Advocate reveal that a mega-bucks Florida man named Jeff Greene has bought and will re-open the Heritage House, the once glorious inn just south of Mendocino. In anticipation of his restoration effort, Greene has purchased a liquor license owned by the Carvajal family of Point Arena who’d operated the Arena Cove Bar and Grill at the Point Arena Pier. According to Hartzell, “parties unknown paid $8 million for six parcels of Heritage House property on March 27, 2012, county records say, then another $470,000 to add a new parcel next door.” Those parties unknown seem to consist solely of Greene.
FROM THE HH WEBSITE: The Heritage House Resort, now reopening summer 2013, is well-known as the location for the acclaimed classic motion picture, "Same Time Next Year" starring Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn. Located in Little River California, next to Mendocino, this resort is a classic gem and a place like none other. The scenic setting on 37 expansive acres along the Pacific Ocean allows for a truly rewarding experience. The guest rooms all feature majestic views of the Pacific along with the soothing sounds of the sea. The gardens, grounds, and wooded trails along the coast afford opportunity for a wonderful engagement with nature. The Heritage House Resort features stylish Pacific contemporary accommodations that make for a very warm, cozy, and comfortable stay. Rooms and suites feature fireplaces, seating area, and outside decks for viewing and tasting the freshness. The Ivy covered, New England style, main building built in 1877 sits atop a collection of unique cottages each with their own character and memorable setting. It is hard not to find peace and tranquility at the resort while being served by a seasoned and attentive staff. Long after a visit the Heritage House Resort will be part of your most relished times. For Farm-to-table gourmet dining during all three meal periods, please visit the award winning Heritage House Restaurant and Lounge with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean and resort grounds. While the resort still finishes the revitalization over the next 12 months, please come to visit our pre-opening with new luxury rooms & suites, an amazing restaurant and lounge and soon-to-be-open Spa, Tennis Courts, Fitness and Wellness Center with state of the art equipment, yoga studio and Pilates classes overlooking the Pacific Ocean and world class organic nursery not to mention the upcoming meeting facilities and outdoor/tented reception areas perfect for the ideal destination wedding or corporate outing.
AUGUST 29th 2013 — The Heritage House has been red tagged and is bouncing checks to several dozen employees and to the contractors and their employees who've been working for months on the famous Mendocino Coast inn which was supposed to re-open “late summer.” Which is now, but it all seems to be flying apart. Mr. Greene had everyone sign secrecy agreements, as in Don't Talk About Anything That Goes On here, but it's hard not to talk when your paychecks bounce and you've got families to feed.
LET’S HOPE Mendocino County wasn’t budgeting much revenue from anticipated bed taxes from the Heritage House.
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WENDY ROBERTS WRITES: “As a small lodging owner and former board member of Mendocino County Lodging Association, I have a small bone to pick…or perhaps I could frame that as ‘an offer of information clarification’ on the subject of the County's investment of $325,000 in tourism marketing. That budget item represents a tiny fraction of the 10% Transient Occupancy Tax that is collected by lodging owners from visitors. Lodging (not restaurants or any other business) also collects 1% of these visitors' room charges through the Business Improvement District assessment. The county is committed to a .5 match of each BID dollar. For the current period, Lodging guests contributed $6.5 million to the County General Fund and collected an additional $650,000 to be spent on county-wide tourism marketing. The County added the .5% match of $325,000. Taxpayers can only dream that the County will find other opportunities with that kind of return on investment. That said, the incisive minds behind Off the Record got it all so right in the juicy rant on a different aspect of Mendocino County's destination marketing organization. If it were any more top heavy it would be buried head first and to the knees. It shouldn't take multiple boards with dozens of volunteer members and financial reviews to oversee the paid professionals who actually design and implement the county's award winning marketing program. Kudos and God speed to the current board members who are working to address this wasteful structure and other issues resulting from too many cooks and the bitter aftertaste of mistrust among various visitor serving entities.”
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A PETITION is circulating in support of popular Fort Bragg Senior Center director Charles Bush, which is odd because Bush is currently the director and no one among the actual Seniors is unhappy with him. So, who's unhappy with him? A couple of meddling board members and a paid staffer who don't know to let well enough alone.
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IT SEEMS that Ms. Hecox popped her boyfriend one across the cheek as they stood alongside 101, thus attracting attention, thus attracting the law, thus resulting in the arrest of Ms. H for misdemeanor battery, bail set in the unserious amount that bail is set for in unserious matters at $10,000.
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ROSEANNE BARR TO FEATURE JEFF BLANKFORT SATURDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 1 AT 11AM (PACIFIC TIME). SUBJECT: SYRIA AND THE MIDDLE EAST
KCAA Radio (1050AM, Loma Linda) Presents Co-Hosts Roseanne Barr and Kathleen Wells Sunday September 1, 2013 2pm Eastern / 11am Pacific discussing Syria and the Middle East with Experts Jeff Blankfort and Gilbert Mercier
Jeff Blankfort is a Middle East analyst who has written extensively on the Israel-Palestine conflict. He is a former editor of the Middle East Labor Bulletin, a photojournalist and currently hosts a program on international affairs called “Takes on the World” for KZYX, the public radio station of Mendocino County in California. Blankfort participated in a conference on Israel’s nuclear weapons held at the Spy Museum in Washington DC and sponsored by the Institute for Research: Middle East Policy. Jeff is a frequent guest on The Kathleen Wells Show and Palestine Today — both of which air on KCAA.
Gilbert Mercier is a French journalist, photojournalist and filmmaker based in the US since 1983. He is the co-founder & editor in chief of News Junkie Post.
Gilbert frequently appears on RT (Russian Today Television).
For more information go to www.roseanneworld.com
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FROM THE HUMBOLDT COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES:
Officials with the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) are urging users of the Mad River to avoid contact with algae in the lower Mad River in the area above the Blue Lake Bridge and below the Mad River Hatchery. This week, a dog wading in this area suffered symptoms consistent with those of ingestion of toxic blue-green algae. The dog survived and is recovering.
“A blue-green algae bloom can present a health hazard to those swimming or playing in the river, especially children and pets. We recommend that people stay out of the water where significant algae are present, and keep their dogs out of this part of the river at this time,” said Kevin Metcalfe, Consumer Protection Unit supervisor of the DHHS Division of Environmental Health. Other areas that are warm, slow, stagnant and muddy are to be avoided, especially areas with floating algal mats.
DHHS is aware of 11 dog deaths which may have been caused by blue-green algae poisoning since 2001. The dogs died shortly after swimming in Big Lagoon, the South Fork Eel River and the Van Duzen River. A nerve toxin associated with blue-green algae was found in the stomachs of the dogs that died on the South Fork Eel River in 2002. The same toxin was found in water samples from the South Fork Eel and Van Duzen rivers in 2009 just after two dogs died. This poison is the most likely cause of the dog deaths on these rivers. Dogs are more vulnerable than people because they may swallow the toxin when they lick their fur. The onset of symptoms can be rapid; dogs have died within 30 minutes to one hour after leaving the water.
Blue-green algae can be present in any freshwater body. It looks like green, blue-green, white or brown scum, foam or mats floating on the water. Usually, it does not affect animals or people. However, warm water and abundant nutrients can cause blue-green algae to grow more rapidly than usual. These floating algal masses or “blooms” can produce natural toxins that are very potent. Dogs and children are most likely to be affected because of their smaller body size and tendency to stay in the water for longer periods.
Potential symptoms in dogs following exposure to blue-green algae toxins can include lethargy, difficulty breathing, salivation, vomiting, urination, diarrhea or convulsions. People can experience eye irritation, skin rash, mouth ulcers, vomiting, diarrhea and cold or flu-like symptoms.
This summer, increased algae in the Mad River may be due to warmer coastal temperatures, low flows, added nutrients and warmer water temperatures.
DHHS officials recommend the following guidelines for recreational users of all freshwater areas in Humboldt County:
Keep children, pets and livestock from swimming in or drinking water containing algal scums or mats.
• Adults should also avoid wading and swimming in water containing algal blooms. Try not to swallow or inhale water spray in an algal bloom area.
• If no algal scums or mats are visible, you should still carefully watch young children and warn them not to swallow any water.
• Fish should be consumed only after removing the guts and liver and rinsing fillets in tap water.
• Never drink, cook with or wash dishes with water from rivers, streams or lakes.
• Get medical attention immediately if you think that you, your pet or livestock might have been poisoned by blue-green algae toxins. Be sure to tell the doctor about possible contact with blue-green algae.
Human activities can have a big effect on nutrient and water flows in rivers, streams or lakes. Phosphorous and nitrogen found in fertilizers, animal waste and human waste can stimulate blooms. Excessive water diversions can increase water temperatures and reduce flows. People can take the following measures to prevent algal blooms in our waters:
• Be very conservative with the use of water, fertilizers and pesticides on your lawn, garden or agricultural operation.
• Recycle any “spent” soil that has been used for intensive growing by tilling it back into gardens. Or protect it from rainfall to avoid nutrient runoff.
• Plant or maintain native plants around banks. These plants help filter water and don’t require fertilizers.
• Pump and maintain your septic system every three to four years.
• Prevent surface water runoff from agricultural and livestock areas.
• Prevent erosion around construction and logging operations.
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ON LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY:
Let's see - no approval from the U.N. (admittedly a waste of time), no approval from Congress (required), against the will of the American public, no "international coalition", no clear objective, and no clear winner. You better ask yourself why the Obama Regime is pushing this agenda and who stands to benefit from it. We need regime change now, right here at home.
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STATEMENT OF THE DAY:
At some point in the next few hours or days, it is likely that deeply damaged collection of moral cretins known as “Western leaders”, will sit down behind the gargantuan phalanxes of heavily armed security that keeps their well-wadded rumps safe and cozy and give the nod to some close-cropped flunky laden with medals for mendacious time-serving and relentless butt-covering to launch the airstrikes that will kill a large number of human beings. Poor souls who had absolutely nothing to do with the alleged chemical weapon attacks allegedly carried out by Syrian government forces. (Chris Floyd)
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WHILE CAMERON DEFERS TO PARLIAMENT, OBAMA LOCKS INTO WARFARE STATE OF MIND
By Norman Solomon
The British Parliament’s rejection of an attack on Syria is a direct contrast -- and implicit challenge -- to the political war system of the United States.
“It is clear to me that the British Parliament, reflecting the views of the British people, does not want to see British military action. I get that, and the government will act accordingly,” Prime Minister David Cameron said Thursday night. At least for now, Uncle Sam’s poodle is off the leash.
Now all eyes turn to Congress, where the bar has suddenly been raised. Can the House of Representatives measure up to the House of Commons?
It’s a crucial question -- but President Obama intends to render it moot with unwavering contempt for the war authority of Congress. Like his predecessors.
Even with war votes on Capitol Hill, the charade quotient has been high. The Gulf War began in early 1991 after the Senate vote for war was close: 52 to 47. But, as the PBS “Frontline” program reported
<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/gulf/script_a.html>
years later, President George H.W. Bush had a plan in place: if Congress voted against going to war, he’d ignore Congress.
“The president privately, with the most inner circle, made absolutely clear he was going to go forward with this action even if he were impeached,” said Robert Gates, who was deputy national security advisor. “The truth of the matter is that while public opinion and the voice of Congress was important to Bush, I believe it had no impact on his decision about what he would do. He was going to throw that son of a bitch [Saddam Hussein] out of Kuwait, regardless of whether the Congress or the public supported him.”
By the Pentagon’s estimate, the six weeks of the Gulf War took the lives of 100,000 Iraqi people. “It’s really not a number I’m terribly interested in,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, Colin Powell, said at the time.
Eight years later, the War Powers Act’s 60-day deadline for congressional approval of US warfare expired on May 25, 1999 -- but large-scale US bombing of Yugoslavia continued. Bill Clinton was unable to get authorization from Congress but, like other wartime presidents before and since, he ignored the law that was passed in 1973 to constrain autocratic war-making. Republican Rep. Tom Campbell said: “The president is in violation of the law. That is clear.” Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich said: “The war continues unauthorized, without the consent of the governed.” And President Clinton said, in effect, *I don’t care.*
In October 2002, President George W. Bush won congressional approval for an invasion of Iraq, waving the fig leaf that passage would strengthen his hand at the bargaining table. Of course Bush got what he wanted -- a full-scale war on Iraq.
“The president’s ability to decide when and where to use America’s military power is now absolute,” pundit Michael Kinsley observed, writing<http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,443202,00.html> in *Time* magazine in mid-April 2003, just after the US occupation of Iraq began. “Congress cannot stop him. That’s not what the Constitution says, and it’s not what the War Powers Act says, but that’s how it works in practice.”
*That’s how it works in practice.*
We’ve got to change how it works in practice.
During the next few days, a huge and historic battle will determine whether President Obama can continue the deadly record of presidential impunity to ignore Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution (“The Congress shall have Power … To declare War”) and the War Powers Act as well as public opinion, now strongly against an attack on Syria.
In recent days, perhaps as a tactical matter, some progressive groups and members of Congress have focused on urging that Congress get to vote -- or at least play a role -- in the decision on whether to bomb Syria. But we should not imply that we’ll be satisfied as long as the matter comes to a congressional vote. Time is very short; we should cut through the preliminaries and get to the point: *No attack on Syria!*
Since mid-week, more than 20,000 people have sent this email message to Congress: “No Attack on Syria. As a constituent, I am writing to let you know that I oppose a military attack on Syria. Creative diplomacy is the best way to respond to the alleged use of chemical weapons. I urge you to work for a ceasefire, to pressure Saudi Arabia, the Gulf states, and Turkey, to halt the flow of weapons, and to pressure Russia and Iran to do the same.” (To join in sending that email message to your senators and representative, click here.<http://act.rootsaction.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=8463> )
Will the president again be able to order a military attack on yet another country -- on his own say-so?
That is Obama’s intention. “Administration officials made clear that the eroding support would not deter Mr. Obama in deciding to go ahead with a strike,” the *New York Times* reported on Friday morning. “Pentagon officials said that the Navy had now moved a fifth destroyer into the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Each ship carries dozens of Tomahawk cruise missiles that would probably be the centerpiece of any attack on Syria.”
In the next days, history will be made. Let’s make it for peace.
(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.” Information about the documentary based on the book is at www.WarMadeEasyTheMovie.org<http://www.warmadeeasythemovie.org/>)
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FIRST FRIDAYS FREE CARTOONING WORKSHOP AT GRACE HUDSON MUSEUM
Enjoy unleashing your creative genius with a free public art workshop at the Grace Hudson Museum on Sept. 6, the eve of First Fridays Ukiah Artwalk. The workshop will take place from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. Titled "Cartooning With Pen and Brush," and led by professional illustrator and artist Surya O'Shea, it is inspired by the work of Milford Zornes, whose work is currently on display at the Grace Hudson Museum's Main Gallery. Workshop participants will have an opportunity to experiment with traditional methods of quill pen, brush and ink to create simple cartoon characters or striking line drawings. Hailing from Northern California, O'Shea has taught numerous classes for Santa Rosa's Charles M. Schulz Museum and is also a fantasy illustrator with a line of greeting cards and prints. Materials for the workshop will be provided, and participants should wear clothing that can get stained with India ink. In addition to the workshop, Sept. 6 will be the night the winning ticket for an art quilt will be drawn. This lovely fall-themed art quilt, "Quiet Morning," is by celebrated local artist Laura Fogg. Drawing tickets for the quilt are still available at the Grace Hudson Museum. All proceeds from the drawing benefit the Grace Hudson Museum & Sun House. The Grace Hudson Museum is at 431 S. Main St. in Ukiah. For more information please go to www.gracehudsonmuseum.org <http://www.gracehudsonmuseum.org/> or call 467-2836.
Congratulations to Jeff Blankfort.