Mendocino County Today: Wednesday 10/23/2024

Mild | Matson Benefit | Physical Therapy | Fraser Memorial | AV Artists | Free Food | Football Rankings | Friend Opossum | Finger Pointing | Bans | Lights Festival | Fur Elise | Abalone Memories | Gardening | Defamatory Statements | Hot Damn | Ed Notes | Yesterday's Catch | Unsubsidized | Cloverdale Esmeralda | Popcorn Sutton | Bum Adjacent | Restaurant Work | Nosey Banker | VW Van | SQ Giants | Fat Men | One Wish | Butkus & Sayers | Lead Stories | Kill Twitter | Fry Cook | Shooting Children | Bibi Drone | Holocaust Return | Visitors | The Moon

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DRY WEATHER and mild daytime temperatures are expected through the week. Wetter and more unsettled weather will be possible this weekend and early next week as a series of fronts move through. (NWS)

STEPHEN DUNLAP (Fort Bragg): 41F under clear skies this Wednesday morning on the coast. A mix of sun & clouds into the weekend then a good chance of light rain on Sunday. Next week is looking mostly clear so far.

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BENEFIT FOR CLAY MATSON

by Terry Sites

This past weekend on October 18 friends and family of Clay Matson gathered at the Anderson Valley Brewery to benefit Clay Matson and his family. Clay Matson is long-time employee of the Brewery who originally took care of the Brewery’s original owner Kim Allen’s Clydesdale horses when they lived at the brewery.

Clay has been suffering with severe pancreatitis. Following a long stay in the hospital, he is recuperating at a rehabilitation center in Sebastopol. A GoFund.Me campaign (gofund.me/ce579d84) has been established that allows anyone to donate at any time.

The benefit at the Brewery included a sizeable silent auction with all proceeds going to the Matson family. Friends and brewery staff did a wonderful job of organizing. Working off an Oktoberfest theme, there was continuous German(ish) music that kept the pace lively. Lederhosen and Dirndls were worn by some (Judy Basehore, Shea) who danced boisterously through the crowd. No stranger to drinking beer; Clay would have loved the party.

This family can use all the support they can get at this difficult time. Clay’s three energetic young sons Spike (Clay Jr.), Kingston and Cannon all miss having their Dad at home. You can help with expenses by visiting the GoFund.me website (above) or you can send a check to the Anderson Valley Brewery, P.O. Box 505, Boonville, CA 95415. Attention Clay Matson.

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PHYSICAL THERAPY AT COAST HOSPITAL

Editor,

I am hoping the hospital board will discuss the issue of physical therapy at the PCT 24 meeting. I was glad to read that the board is feeling positive about the solutions to Adventist requiring more money to stay here.

But want to suggest that there may be more ways than turning over tax money or other adjustments. Additional services are needed and could add income.

While I recognize there are many issues to discuss at the October 24 meeting of the hospital board, I am writing to suggest that a discussion of increasing the Physical Therapy capacity on the coast is essential to the service changes on the coast and as well as a likely income generator.

Last week I contacted the Physical Therapy to set up appointment for post cervical surgery appointment and was told the first available appointment is in December. It was a shock and how had this fundamental department reached this state of being completely unable to meet the needs of the community.

I am aware that there were once two local private physical therapy providers (and had used both over the years) are no longer in business. The owners retired, the first one closed about two years ago and the most recent in the last year. To my knowledge the number of clients remained high at these practices, the decision to close was based on the owners personally wanting to retire after many years of service. A couple of years ago In a conversation with one former owner, she talked of the ever increasing burden of billing requirements for insurances meant increased business office staff making the running of the business harder and significantly cut into profitability.

It Is unfathomable that Adventist did not see the need and opportunity to expand the physical therapy department on the coast beginning 2 years ago when the first practice closed.

It should be clear to anyone living or doing business on the coast that our aging population has a high need for physical therapy help. The fact that as a post surgery patient I would be expected to wait three months to get help regaining movement in my neck is beyond comprehension. I am unclear where the responsibility for deciding what medical practices Adventist should be providing on the coast- is it the hospital board? is it Adventist? Ultimately it seems like the local board should be working with Adventist to try to insure local needs are being covered. It seems also that meeting local needs for physical therapy locally would increase the percentage income Adventist is looking for.

Note: I called Willits Physical Therapy to see about appointment and the person I scheduling spoke with was shocked that a post op person would be expected to wait 3 months. Willits holds open spaces for post op patients. I was given an appointment for next week.

Elizabeth Swenson

Fort Bragg

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RANDAL SCOTT FRASER

June 19, 1968 - Oct. 12, 2024

by Terry Sites

Long-time member of the Anderson Valley Community member Scott Fraser who was born on June 19, 1968 died on October 12, 2024 following a long illness. People came together on Sunday, October 20 at the Mendocino County Fairgrounds Redwood Grove to celebrate his life. His wife Saffron and his two sons Otto and Angus graciously received hugs, words of comfort and shared memories from the crowd. There was a joyful quality underlying the sadness of loss. Clearly Scott was well loved.

Everyone mingled and drank, ate wood-fired pizza, Boont Berry salads and potluck desserts. Get-togethers like this are always reunions with people who haven’t seen each other in a long time catching up. Finally people started circling the picnic table where Saffron was sitting. Memories were shared. The “program” developed into a kind of a call and response with people calling out, “Tell about the tattoos,” or “Tell about the fish.” Every thread of a story led to a laugh and another story. Saffron (a good story teller) fleshed out these tales. You could feel the fondness in both the telling and the listening,

Although Scott looked like a tough guy, his wife and those who knew him best reported that underneath it all he was a tender and caring man. His two vibrant sons are a testament to his fathering skills. Otto serves in the U.S. Coast Guard and Angus is an aviation mechanic. Obviously, Saffron also had a lot to do with the successful parenting. Several people spoke of Scott’s love of babies and how patient he was with them even when holding a crying tot.

A table of memories was assembled containing many photos from different phases of the Fraser family’s life. It is always interesting to see how people change as the years roll by. The engagement picture of Saffron and Scott was especially touching — so young and so beautiful with their whole lives ahead. Life includes so many adventures, triumphs, challenges and heartbreaks.

Along with the mementos were some small business sized cards with a photo of a bearded Scott. On the flip side of the card a single quote read: “The star that burns twice as bright burns half as long.” Also there was a carved wooden marker inscribed “Randal Scott Fraser June 19, 1988 - Oct. 12, 2024 Husband, Father, Friend. Rev. in Peace.”

Scott Fraser, gone too soon, will be missed.

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THE ARTISTS OF ANDERSON VALLEY will hold their yearly Open Studio on November 9-11 11AM-5 PM. Go to artistsofandersonvalley.org for more information. Local artists participating in the tour this year are: Rachel Lahn, Doug Johnson, Rebecca Johnson, Beat Gallery, Nadia Berrigan, Marvin Schenck, Colleen Schenck, Candida Sanlorenzo, Martha Crawford, Saoirse Byrne, Antoinette Von Grone and Rebecca Goldie. (Terry Sites)

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TOMORROW, OCTOBER 24:

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FOOTBALL RANKINGS: No movement after Week 8, but big matchups loom in Napa, Sonoma counties

This weekend’s games could go a long way in determining league winners.

by Gus Morris

There’s no movement in The Press Democrat’s prep football rankings after Week 8, but lots of change could be on the horizon.

No. 2 Windsor and No. 5 Vintage square off this week in a battle of ranked teams in the Redwood Empire Conference’s top-tier Adobe division, while No. 7 Ukiah hosts St. Vincent in a game that will likely decide the REC-Bay title.

And next week, we’ll finally get our face-off between No. 3 Casa Grande and No. 4 American Canyon in a league-deciding battle in the REC-Valley.

1. Cardinal Newman (7-0)
Last ranking: 1
Last week: beat No. 6 Rancho Cotate 38-8
Next up: vs. San Marin (6-1), 7 p.m. Friday

2. Windsor (5-2)
Last ranking: 2
Last week: lost to San Marin 35-27
Next up: at No. 5 Vintage (5-2), 7 p.m. Friday

3. Casa Grande (5-2)
Last ranking: 3
Last week: beat Justin-Siena 49-7
Next up: vs. Tamalpais (2-5), 7 p.m. Thursday

4. American Canyon (7-0)
Last ranking: 4
Last week: beat Petaluma 41-21
Next up: vs. Napa (0-7), 7 p.m. Friday

5. Vintage (5-2)
Last ranking: 5
Last week: lost to Marin Catholic 20-0
Next up: vs. No. 2 Windsor (5-2), 7 p.m. Friday

6. Rancho Cotate (4-3)
Last ranking: 6
Last week: lost to No. 1 Cardinal Newman 38-8
Next up: vs. Marin Catholic (5-2), 7 p.m. Friday

7. Ukiah (5-2)
Last ranking: 7
Last week: beat Santa Rosa 42-14
Next up: vs. St. Vincent (6-1), 7 p.m. Friday

On the bubble: Sonoma Valley (7-0), Maria Carrillo (6-1), St. Vincent (6-1)

The Cardinals took care of business in their 38-8 win over No. 6 Rancho Cotate a week after their overtime win over No. 2 Windsor. The Jaguars were unable to bounce back from that loss and dropped their second game in a row, 35-27 to San Marin. Despite the losses, the Jaguars stay at No. 2 mainly because they only lost to Newman by one point.

By comparison, No. 3 Casa Grande lost to Newman by 47 to open the season. That matchup might be closer now, but that’s the result we have to work with.

No. 4 American Canyon will have a good chance to move to 8-0 this week as host to winless Napa in its final tuneup before its matchup with the Gauchos.

While they were shut out, No. 5 Vintage hung tough against Marin Catholic — but the Wildcats’ defense shut down every facet of the Crushers’ offense. Still, the result wasn’t as lopsided as some thought it might be. The Crushers will have a good chance to move up in the rankings if they can beat Windsor this week.

No. 6 Rancho Cotate has lost its first two league games by a combined score of 69-29 and the road doesn’t get any easier in the last three weeks, as the Cougars still have to play Marin Catholic, Windsor and San Marin.

Still, the Cougars’ 40-22 victory over Ukiah to open the season will keep them ahead of the Wildcats for now. Even if Ukiah beats St. Vincent this week, it’ll hard to move them over Rancho because of that head-to-head result. St. Vincent, however, would certainly make it back into the rankings next week with a win over Ukiah on Friday.

(The Press Democrat)

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WHO IGNORED WHO?

by Mark Scaramella

Acting Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector Sara Pierce presented her proposed “Corrective Action Plan” response to a state Controller report that had criticized the County’s financial procedures to the Supervisors on Tuesday. As previously noted, the State Controller’s first recommendation was: “For future reorganizations, conduct a risk assessment before implementing significant changes, such as consolidating two elected offices” — a sideways reference to the Board’s poorly conceived, controversial, unwarranted and rash decision to consolidate the elected offices of Auditor-Controller and Treasurer-Tax Collector.

Ms. Pierce’s proposed response was a simple, “County Chief Executive Officer and Board of Supervisors agree with the recommendation.”

That was a simple admission that they had not done any kind of “risk assessment” or any other planning or analysis before consolidating the two offices.

So the Board couldn’t let it go at that.

They again claimed that the problem wasn’t them, but the uncooperative, now-departed elected officials, Treasurer Shari Schapmire and Auditor Chamise Cubbison. Schapmire retired early right after the decision to consolidate the two offices saying she was “unable to work with the current board” because they were proceeding with the unwarranted and unplanned consolidation which would seriously impede the offices’ ability to perform their duties over her objections. Cubbison stayed on over the noteworthy objection of DA David Eyster whose pointed complaint about Cubbison caused the Board to appoint Cubbison as “interim” Auditor rather than their original proposal to make her “acting” Auditor, pending the next election. By the time the next election rolled around, after the consolidation, Cubbison was the only candidate and was easily voted in as Auditor.

Cubbison’s refusal to take the blame for the Board’s and the CEO’s failure’s to do their ordinary budget reporting and her attempts to explain that her office’s delays in generating some required financial reports was the result of the consolidation, put her at odds with the Supervisors who began their months-long “Get Cubbison” campaign to replace her with a more compliant Auditor-Treasurer.

They finally got that opportunity when DA David Eyster abruptly charged Cubbison with misappropriation of funds by alleging that the Cubbison had allowed the Auditor’s office’s payroll clerk to pay herself for overtime while she was a salaried staffer during covid who otherwise would not have qualified for overtime.

That case has drifted into months of legal mush and maneuvering ever since with delays, judge changes, prosecutor changes, and the County suddenly unable to find relevant emails which might prove their case.

On Tuesday, lame-duck Supervisor Dan Gjerde who is leaving Board in December was the first to claim that the problem wasn’t the CEO or the Board, but Schapmire and Cubbison for refusing to cooperate in the Board’s ill-conceived consolidation.

“We did outreach to those offices,” insisted Gjerde, adding that they tried to hold interviews and private meetings. Those officials would not engage with the supervisors about planning the merger, said Gjerde. “So those two officials shut down discussion. The board did outreach but the discussion was shut down by those two officials at the time.”

However both officials had made it clear with detailed written explanations before the consolidation why the consolidation was unjustified, ill-timed and not thought through and would create unnecessary confusion and chaos in the two offices and would probably lead to resignations of senior staffers and delays in getting financial reports out.

The Board ignored that input and proceeded with the consolidation despite those objections and those of everyone else with an opinion on the subject.

Attempting to answer Gjerde’s question, Ms. Pierce tried to bring the Board back from their usual finger-pointing by noting that the State Controller was simply saying that there was no risk assessment — which is ostensibly the case.

Supervisor Glenn McGourty, a “Get Cubbison” ring leader, still wouldn’t let it go. “We offered to obtain the assistance of Regional Government Services,” said McGourty. “That contract was not used. The idea we did nothing is absolutely not true.”

Nobody said they “did nothing.” With the exception of John Haschak who correctly noted that the consolidation had no accompanying plan, they consolidated the offices without any kind of plan or risk assessment, they tried to force Cubbison into taking assistance she said she didn’t need as she tried to hire replacements for the staff that had quit or retired in reaction to the consolidation. Having been unsuccessful at Getting Cubbison through misrepresentation and finger-pointing, the Board subsequently piggybacked on Eyster’s convenient and so far unproven misappropriation charge to remove Cubbison from office without even giving her an opportunity to respond to Eyster’s charges before her removal.

Gjerde asked, “How could you do [a risk assessment] if the elected officials refuse to participate?”

Pierce, perhaps risking her own appointment, replied, “Yes, all parties all should have been involved. But there should have been a risk assessment. You can send me whatever language you’d like about it for this response.”

One of the “parties,” Shari Schapmire, had retired by the time the Board offered the outside service group, and the Board had made it clear that they wanted Cubbison out. If they had tried to do a “risk assessment” when they first raised the idea it’s likely that “the parties” would have participated and the “risks” would have outweighed whatever alleged benefits the Board perceived. But the Board was not interested in hearing about any risks. So they forced the consolidation, ignoring opinions to the contrary, and then — after the fact — claiming that the elected office holders wouldn’t cooperate in planning, the opportunity for “risk assessment having long passed.

Conspicuous by its absence from the discussion was the Board’s previous claim that they didn’t combine the offices, only the top positions. On Tuesday, none of the Board members tried that lame excuse, conceding that they had indeed consolidated the offices and asking questions of Ms. Pierce about how the office consolidation was going.

At one point Ms. Pierce told the Board that the Treasurer’s side of the consolidated office turned out to have been the “most impacted by consolidation of the offices” mainly because more of those Treasurer staffers retired or resigned after the consolidation was announced. Ms. Pierce added that on November 5 she belatedly intends to bring a proposal to the Board to hire additional Treasurer staff. So much for the cost savings the Board had hoped for with the unplanned consolidation.

Ms. Pierce, assigned to the position out of the CEO’s office, remains as “acting” Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector in a position that is supposed to be an independent elected position. She’s been “acting” Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector for more than a year now as the two legal cases against Cubbison drag out: the relatively well publicized and increasingly problematic criminal case, and the civil wrongful termination case which in theory could see the return of the duly elected Cubbison to her elected position, especially if the criminal case collapses.

As far as who’s to blame for the lack of a “risk assessment,” the Board was the first to ignore the input of the involved elected officials because they didn’t like what the officials were saying. It was only after they had pushed though the consolidation and realized those officials had been right: it left the two combined offices plagued with staffing and experience gaps. That’s when they started complaining about the predictable non-cooperation from the only remaining elected official who had advised against the consolidation, yet soldiered on until she was sacked.

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FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS AT MENDOCINO COAST BOTANICAL GARDENS

Fort Bragg, CA (October 22, 2024) — Tickets are available for the best holiday light display on the Mendo Coast! Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens is proud to present the 14th annual Festival of Lights. The event will run rain or shine each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from November 29 through December 22. Doors open at 5PM, last entry will be at 7PM.

This unique light show is 100% original and lovingly handmade. Stroll the twinkling pathways, marvel at the glittering scenes, and capture a fabulous family photo. Find a unique present for your favorite person at the gift shop. There will be hot cocoa, apple cider, and sweets available at the Friends of the Gardens’ Holiday Cafe. This year Santa Claus will be available for photos each Sunday! Sundays are a great night to visit if you live locally, enjoy smaller crowds, and more time to enjoy the lights.

We have several strategies to keep everyone safe during this popular event and provide a more enjoyable stroll through the lights. You can purchase tickets at the traditionally low rate of $10 per adult in advance but this year we will be charging More At The Door to encourage everyone to arrive at prescheduled timeslots to create a better flow and help with limited parking. Ticket prices will be $20 for adults at the door and are not guaranteed. Children ages 16 and younger attend for free. Advanced tickets are strongly recommended to ensure availability. Timed entry tickets at limited capacities will be available at 5PM, 6PM, 6:30PM, and 7PM. Tickets will not be sold at the door on evenings when the event is at capacity.

Now let’s talk parking.¦ We are offering a free parking shuttle each night of the Festival of Lights. The shuttle will pick up from the Mendocino Community College parking lot off Highway 1 and Ocean Drive at 1211 Del Mar Dr, Fort Bragg, CA 95437. The parking lots will fill up. When this happens, please be prepared to use our shuttle and do not park on Highway 1, it is extremely dangerous!

Finally, dogs are not allowed at Festival of Lights. Clearly marked service animals are an exception to this rule. The Gardens is well-known for its pet-friendly nature. However, during this special event, keep your pets at home or arrange for doggy daycare.

Our staff and board want everyone to have a chance to enjoy this enchanting nighttime event. Bundle up and enjoy the imaginative displays, sweet treats, and holiday fun during this year's Festival of Lights! Advanced tickets are strongly recommended and may be purchased online or at the Gardens’ gift shop. Full event details and tickets are available at www.gardenbythesea.org/FOL.

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SUPERVISOR ELECT MADELINE CLINE:

Re: ED Notes: Abalone

The Editor’s comments took me back to some of the best memories of my youth – abalone diving and spearfishing right off our coast. Usually with my father and his friends, it was a rarity if there was another female let alone another kid. Being a strong swimmer, I could dive 15 feet, but some of the people I dove with were such legends in the water they dove 20 feet with ease and suctioned the abalone to their wetsuit to forgo a tube. One of the highlights of my life will always be harvesting a 10-inch ab on a cold fall morning.

Friends from inland areas like Colusa, Sacramento, etc. had longstanding summer trips to Fort Bragg for cool weather and abalone diving trips. The ones I keep in touch with don’t make the trip over much anymore. It seems there has been a hit to the coastal economy due to the close of abalone season.

I doubt we will see the opening of abalone season in 2026. I recently read about the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s tracking and research of abalone, and two abalone species remain extinct.

I remember seeing abalone poaching take place all over the coast, through both rock picking or actual diving, by taking too small of abalone and many over the legal limit. However, I saw more wardens and increased general presence on the coast than I have ever seen in twenty years of other fishing and hunting endeavors.

California Fish and Game Code Section 13100 establishes the county fish and wildlife propagation fund to be expended for the protection, conservation, propagation, and preservation of fish and wildlife. Funds are received through various fines – and as the levying of these fines has decreased, so have the funds available to return to the community in the form of local grants. As a Commissioner on the Mendocino County Fish and Game Commission, I appreciate attention to topics such as abalone. The Commission regularly discusses wildlife trends or issues, as well as selects the grants to be funded by the propagation fund. If members of the community are interested in joining these conversations or applying for a grant (applications will be opening soon), we’d welcome the participation. We are meeting this afternoon (Tuesday) at 2pm, and meetings are also available via the County’s youtube page.

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WOOF-WOOF!

RETRACT AND CEASE AND DESIST LETTER - DEFAMATION

Tue, October 22, 2024 1:01 pm

Cc: Richard Coberly <richardcoberly@yahoo.com>

Hello Publisher,

It has come to our attention that you have published defamatory statements about our client(s) on your website:

https://theava.com/archives/254284 an article written by Shay Haverty titled “THE ONGOING ABUSE OF A LOCAL GIRL AND HER MOTHER by a Mexican husband/father assisted by the in-over-his-head Mendocino Judge Patrick Pekin”

Please see the attached letter immediately.

We are kindly requesting that you retract, cease and desist the article that is published on your website no later than October 25, 2024.

Thank you,

Attached:

RE: RETRACT AND CEASE AND DESIST LETTER - DEFAMATION

Dear Publisher:

It has come to our attention that on October 18, 2024 you successfully published through the Anderson Valley Advertiser (https://theava.com/archives/254284) an article written by Shay Haverty titled “THE ONGOING ABUSE OF A LOCAL GIRL AND HER MOTHER by a Mexican husband/father assisted by the in-over-his-head Mendocino Judge Patrick Pekin” wherein defamatory and false statements about our client(s), Carlos Alberto Esparza De La Torre and the Esparza Family were made.

The following false statements include and are not limited to:

“THE ONGOING ABUSE OF A LOCAL GIRL AND HER MOTHER by the Mexican husband/father assisted by the in-over-his-head Mendocino Judge Patrick Pekin”

“…but also to bring awareness to what feels like a very incompetent Court, Judge, DA investigator and court system in Mendocino County, if not corrupt”

“But more importantly, she stayed out of fear of the child’s father and family having many ties to the Cartel in Mexico”

“Judge Pekin did not allow my niece’s full testimony, rejected crucial evidence, and subjected her to victim-shaming. His lack of understanding of domestic violence laws was clear throughout the trial”

“Throughout the litigation there was ongoing abuse from the opposing party and even the court-appointed minor’s counsel documented the controlling and abusive nature of the child’s father”

“Despite all of this, due to Judge Pekin’s ruling, the child is now facing a Hague petition that could force her to return to Mexico, tearing her away from her Mother (her only caregiver since birth) causing emotional and psychological harm that no 6 year old should have to endure”

“She will have no rights in Mexico and in fact Carlos has had an arrest warrant issued for her, if she tries to enter that Country, she will be arrested”

“Carlos has never taken care of the minor child for any period of time”

“Despite the move and changes Ileana is thriving…and a very happy little girl”

“The filings provide a large compilation of evidence demonstrating the abuse that Mylea has suffered in the aftermath of the relationship”

“The files also show that the appellate court has had to ‘correct erroneous denials’ of the restraining order request”

“On two separate occasions, Carlos and his counsel have gone behind the back of this court to try and obtain orders more favorable to him [in federal court], and which he knows would be traumatic for Ileana…”

“The Federal Court further recognized and admonished Carlos for his lack of focus on Ileana’s best interest…”

Carlos Alberto Esparza De La Torre and the Esparza Family preserve the right to include any and all other statements not mentioned in this letter for a potential defamation law suit against you.

ED REPLY: Sorry, Toots, can't get to it before November.

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MS. HAVERTY RESPONDS:

I want to assure you that what was posted was not defamatory nor did it capture even a fraction of the ethically questionable tactics we have witnessed. Just today Ms. Miller physically positioned herself between my niece and Carlos when my niece was trying to give her 6 year old daughter a goodbye hug.

What I find particularly interesting is that Mylea and I were in court this morning, completely unaware of any publication, yet an attorney from Southern California already had knowledge of it. This strongly suggests that she has been engaging in "off the record" conversations with somone inside the court. I suspect that this individual is either Mr. Pekin or DA Investigator Guzman. None the less, thank you again for giving us a voice, I hope it touches the right person.

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ED NOTES

A READER WRITES: “Here is a shocking report which brings home the far-reaching impact of drug production and consumption. It was written by Stephanie Powers of Tampa, Florida: “As a veteran English teacher I need to speak some ugly truths you will never hear from politicians or school officials: this country is full of clueless, disengaged parents who can’t or won’t control their kids. Many of my students shamelessly admit they never study, do homework or read books for fun. Meanwhile, I spend a lot of instructional time shutting them up, waking them up and telling them to put away their cellphones. I love my job and my students, but I’m tired of taking all the blame for education’s problems. Everyone needs to be held accountable.”

PLEASE, mighty editor, knower of all things, give your readers some answers to the questions posed by this beset instructor of youth. We look to you for salvation!

BLESS YOU MY SON, but if you’re looking to me for either answers or salvation, you need a new church.

BUT WHAT CAN WE CONCLUDE from the teacher's experience? Is civilization falling apart? (Yes.) Why do people practice self-destructive behavior? (Because it makes them feel good temporarily.) Does a combination of material wealth and democracy carry the seeds of its own destruction? (Yes, capitalism’s inherent contradictions make it unsustainable, long-term.) Does this help explain why so many (all?) societies, now and in the past, devolve into authoritarianism? (Yes, but also wealth and its concomitant decadence, which we have in lethal abundance.) What is the process by which a “green” region such as Mendocino County becomes a major player on both sides of the equation? (Mendocino County is no kind of major player in any kind of equation, except maybe civic dysfunction.) Does this letter reveal a major source of trouble? ([When’s the last time you met an entirely wholesome kid?) Was legalization of marijuana a solution or a step toward even greater trouble? (Legalization did great damage to Mendocino County's economy, albeit a criminal-friendly economy, but marijuana or no marijuana we have millions of drug-soaked Thanatoids We're headed for the rocks. Stockpile rice, buy extra ammo.)

ACCORDING TO Ralph Nader, in the fine documentary about him, “An Unreasonable Man,” several “third parties” approached him in the summer and fall of 2004 and told him that if he withdrew from the Presidential race they’d “shower” his non-profits with millions of dollars. But if he stayed in the race they’d “strangle” those same non-profits. Either way, they’d also make sure the non-profits knew exactly who was responsible for the cash or the strangulation: Ralph Nader. No one else seems to have noticed this particular piece of Democratic Party thuggery in all the reviews and comments about the movie. This kind of coercion is applied to most politicians if they stray from the reservation, not that many stray since they arrive ready made for, ah, ethical flexibility. Ralph ran for president, his non-profits were strangled, the noose around the country’s interchangeable two party neck, tightened.

SOME YEARS AGO, a highly-paid Criminal Justice Center consultant named Steve Reader told the Supervisors that the jail facility on Low Gap was in such bad shape that “inmates can shove their fingers through the wall.” Reader also said that “the lights require constant maintenance, doors are constantly failing, and the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system doesn't work. Because it's so old, you can't get the parts to fix these things anymore.”

AHEM. When yours truly was housed in this third world facility back in ‘87 in the days when dope came sailing over the fence from adjacent Low Gap Road in tennis balls, I slept on the floor for three days before I even got a cot. The showers couldn’t be turned all the way off and there were huge holes in the ceiling’s sheetrock, from which a fine powdery dust fell round the clock.

HARRUMPH! A petition was quickly drafted then, me and my fellow Americans filed a unanimous writ with the Superior Court based on everything wrong with the place, from the dangerous overcrowding on through a dozen or so other obvious violations of the laws governing incarceration to which even Mendocino County is beholden.

THE JUDGES, predictably, pretended not to know that jail conditions were so bad, but we won, and a whole lotta guys had to be released early because there were too many of us crammed into a very unhealthy space. I, however, had to do all my 36 days, finally being released one minute after midnight on what would have been my 37th day of lounging around outside on the grass with highly amusing company, And reading in my friend Rod Balson’s cell and eating free meals with the jail soup being particularly good, as I recall. A new jail was soon built, and it soon fell apart, leading to today’s “jail expansion project.”

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CATCH OF THE DAY, Tuesday, October 22, 2024

DEBORAH ANDERSON, 52, Lakeport/Ukiah. Failure to appear.

MANDY GRINSELL, 49, Ukiah. Bad checks, evidence tampering.

VICTORIA IDICA, 26, Ukiah. Probation revocation.

VICTOR LOPEZ, 41, Ukiah. Assault with deadly weapon not a gun, paraphernalia, county parole violation, resisting.

RAFAEL PAZ JR., 48, Willits. County Parole violation.

CASEY RAY, 33, Ukiah. County parole violation.

SAMUEL SIERRA, 34, Ukiah. Paraphernalia, county parole violation. (Frequent flyer.)

ASAHEL WEAVER JR., 56, Willits. Controlled substance, paraphernalia, marijuana for sale.

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Let's face it, I bled. I never considered myself a great fighter. I beat a lot of guys in good condition and I never shunned an interview. And I finished well-ranked. A lot of fighters expect to be subsidized for the rest of their lives because they're boxers. I never wanted to be subsidized. I had my shot, and I'm grateful.

— Chuck Wepner

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FOUNDER OF CALIFORNIA’S LATEST PLANNED TECH UTOPIA EXPLAINS HOW IT ISN’T LIKE CALIFORNIA FOREVER

by Rachel Swan & Julie Johnson

A plan to build a new Wine Country enclave modeled after an Italian hamlet went viral last week after developers announced their plans on X, formerly Twitter. The post showed a digitally rendered picturesque neighborhood, promoting a community where there would be a culture of “learning and building.”

Dubbed “Esmeralda,” the proposed new neighborhood in Cloverdale prompted predictable questions about affordable housing and wildfire risk, as well as instant comparisons to California Forever, the billionaire-backed planned city in Solano County. While the Chronicle wrote about the plan last week, Esmeralda spokesperson Devon Zuegel wasn’t able to respond before the story was published. But she did take time to answer several questions about the plan over the weekend.

Here are Zuegel’s responses to queries about affordable housing, how this plan differs from California Forever and about the relationship between Esmeralda and the City of Cloverdale. The Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: California Forever had to hit pause after facing pretty strong resistance from residents and political leaders. Do you worry the same thing could happen with Esmeralda?

A: The political and social context couldn’t be more different. The City of Cloverdale started analyzing the 266-acre site for potential redevelopment over 20 years ago. As far back as 2004, the City published a draft (Environmental Impact Report) for the property that included a flagship hotel, spa, restaurants, homes, shops and an event/conference center. Twenty years later, we are showing up as private-sector partners, helping the city to achieve its vision while adding new energy and ideas.

Since we announced our plans to purchase the property this summer, we have received tremendous local support: hundreds of messages of encouragement, and dozens of invitations for coffee and walks. Everyone I have met wants to share ideas and learn more about our plans. I’m impressed with the YIMBY sentiment in Cloverdale.

A year before this summer’s formal announcement, we reached out to local leaders to learn about the history of the site and Cloverdale’s unique opportunities and challenges. The fact that the City Council, Chamber of Commerce and City Manager were helpful and supportive of our ideas and interest in the site was a big part of our decision to move forward. We are here to create a win-win situation, and one of our key selection criteria for a site was a local community that welcomed us and was excited to work together.

One reason the city is excited about this project is that it will generate substantial property tax and TOT (Transient Occupancy Tax) for the town. The city has a structural budget deficit of about $1 million. This is where the idea to build a flagship hotel on the site comes from, and why it’s required in the Development Agreement associated with this property that was approved over 10 years ago.

Cloverdale residents tell us that they are excited that our potential project will generate new jobs, bring foot traffic and vitality downtown and attract investment more generally in the city.

Q: And would you consider California Forever an inspiration for Esmeralda?

A: Although we are very different from California Forever, there is a lot to learn from their experience. California Forever is proposing to build a large new city built from scratch in a rural, unincorporated area; we are proposing to create a new neighborhood inside the boundaries of an existing incorporated city, on a former industrial site.

Q: Where did the name Esmeralda come from?

A: Esmeralda is the Spanish word for “emerald.” A Spanish name felt fitting given the history of California and Sonoma’s Mediterranean climate. Plus, I have family from Chile, Guatemala and Argentina and speak Spanish at home, so the name just felt right. Esmeralda is also one of the fictional cities in one of my favorite books, “Invisible Cities,” by Italian writer Italo Calvino.

Q: What would you say to working class Cloverdale residents who are worried that this type of development will make the community unaffordable, and will push the community to transform like Healdsburg which has lost a lot of housing to second homes? Could you tell us more about your vision for housing — how many homes, what type and income level? Does Esmeralda have plans to include affordable housing units?

A: In our many conversations on the ground with Cloverdale residents over the past year-plus, we haven’t heard people express concerns that our project will make the community unaffordable. In fact, most residents have told us they are excited about its inclusivity. Cloverdale hasn’t seen much market-rate housing development in the last decade, and the region desperately needs more housing supply at all income levels.

We are not trying to turn Cloverdale into “another Healdsburg” — on the contrary, we love Cloverdale’s unique identity. It is important to us that this new neighborhood support a wide range of incomes and life stages. To that end, and from the outset, our housing vision includes:

A commitment to build a diverse range of housing types and styles, from small “affordable-by-design” 1-bedroom cottages to larger, 4-bedroom, multi-generational homes that include attached ADUs. A diversity of sizes means a diversity of prices and lifestyle choices.

A prime site for deeply affordable below-market-rate (BMR) family housing. (Notably, Cloverdale is one of the few cities in Wine Country that has not only met but surpassed its low income housing Regional Housing Needs Allocation target!)

Both small-lot single family homes as well as stacked flats. This will ensure a greater diversity of price points.

We are in conversations with senior housing developers who are interested in providing “continuum of care” units that could accommodate active seniors to memory care.

Q: We heard from the Chamber of Commerce head that community members in Esmeralda will lead seminars. Is that right, and how will it work?

A: Yes that’s right! Community events are an important part of the concept. This aspect of Esmeralda is inspired by Chautauqua, a unique small town in western New York where I spent childhood summers visiting my grandparents.

Imagine a cross between a college campus and a family summer camp, where people of all ages learn things together.

This summer, our nonprofit arm, the Esmeralda Institute, hosted the first iteration of our future programming with a month-long event in Healdsburg called Edge Esmeralda. This was a great opportunity to experiment and learn so that we can transfer the learning program to the permanent community as it gets built out. We were thrilled that hundreds of locals from Healdsburg, Cloverdale and beyond participated; in fact, we sold out the local tickets before we sold out any other type! You can read a few accounts of locals’ experiences here, here, and here.

Q: How close are you to buying this parcel? Are you confident you’ll get the financing to build this community?

A: We recently executed a Purchase & Sale Agreement and are in the middle of a rigorous due diligence (DD) process to understand whether our development vision is financially, politically, and environmentally feasible. At the end of the DD process, we will make a decision on whether to close on the purchase and proceed forward with an extensive planning, design and entitlement process.

Q: There’s a concern among some people that tech-centric groups are trying to build self-isolating communities that ostracize outsiders while rewarding community members in pursuit of their own goals. Does that characterization fit with Esmeralda?

A: Who expressed this concern? We have not heard that feedback from locals on the ground, and we have talked to a lot of people.

The opposite of iIsolation, our goal is to build a multigenerational, diverse, vibrant and walkable village that emphasizes the public realm, neighborliness and human connection. In fact, you can think of Esmeralda as the “un-gated” community! Cloverdale is our most important partner in this project.

Our vision actively invites the Cloverdale community in through thoughtful urban design and programming — picture an Italian hill town with a public piazza with kids running around, not an isolated gated “luxury” community. And the nonprofit, Esmeralda Institute, will host year round activities, events and classes that all Cloverdale residents can enjoy.

It is also important to emphasize that currently, the site is privately owned and inaccessible to the public. Our plan will open much of the property to the public, including prime frontage along the Russian River. (Notably, 60% of the 266-acre site will remain open space!) We plan to build out a vast new network of publicly accessible trails across the site, including key portions of the SMART Pathway and the Great Redwood Trail. We are also exploring other active uses for the site, including permaculture, kayaking and camping.

So with all due respect, it is hard to understand how anyone who knows the facts would describe the above plan as “self-isolating”

Q: What is the historical use of this property?

A: The site was once occupied by heavy timber mills and wood processing operations, which resulted in substantial soil disturbance. Under the careful regulatory guidance of the Regional Water Quality Control Board, the site’s current owners have spent years of effort on remediation from these industrial uses.

These days, CalFire regularly conducts drills on the property that involve bulldozing paths around the site to improve their firefighting skills. Needless to say, the site is not a pristine, untouched natural landscape.

That said, the site is beautiful and there are still some natural areas that are relatively untouched. As I said before, we plan to preserve almost 60% of the site as open space. Our plan protects the most beautiful natural areas, and will restore and create new habitat.

Q: There’s been some dialogue about cryptocurrency, in reference to Esmeralda. How is crypto related to the planned city, if at all?

A: We’ve heard that dialogue too, and to be honest, we’re not sure where it’s coming from! This is not a crypto project.

Our best guess of the source of that confusion is that the Edge Esmeralda event had some speakers who are involved in the field of mathematical cryptography as well as some involved in cryptocurrency, but those were just a few topics out of dozens that were discussed at the event, much like how a college campus has a wide array of disciplines.

(SF Chronicle)

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MEMO OF THE WEEK

BUMS HASSLE FAIRFAX LITTLE LEAGUERS

Dear West Marin Little League Community -

We write to provide an update on the League’s efforts to address the growing encampment next to Central Field.

First and foremost, the safety of our players, umpires, coaches, families and spectators is our League’s primary concern. For this reason, we have taken additional steps to help ensure safety at our games. As part of that effort, we have attempted to engage the Fairfax Town Council to address our concerns, including a presentation made by the League at the April 3, 2024 council meeting. Unfortunately, the Town Council failed to take action in response.

Since that time, the continued growth of the encampment against the outfield fence at Central Field has resulted in additional incidents at Fall Ball games and practices, with several disturbances resulting in police intervention.

At the most recent Fairfax Town Council meeting, West Marin’s own Ryder Edrington (age 10) and his classmate Vincent Maresca addressed the Town Council, sharing their own harrowing experiences at Central and at Peri Park. They asked the Town to make these spaces safe for children.

West Marin Little League sent the attached statement to the Town Manager, Town Council, and candidates for Town Council asking how they will help us ensure the safety of our children going into the Spring 2025 season, with prompt responses received from all four candidates. Two of the five council members responded that they have added the topic to their November 6, 2024 meeting for further discussion.

We therefore want to highlight a number of ways you can stay informed and participate in the public dialogue about this important issue, particularly if you are a Fairfax resident eligible to vote in the upcoming election. Please note that West Marin Little League is not affiliated with any of these events and makes no endorsements.

Wednesday 10/23 at 4:30pm, downtown Fairfax: There is a planned meetup / march at the Parkade Steps at Bolinas and Broadway in support of children’s safety at Peri Park & Central field. For more information see this link. This event is organized by a number of concerned citizens of Fairfax.

Saturday 10/26 at 10:00am, Central Field: Candidate for Town Council Mike Ghirenghelli has scheduled a pop-up session to discuss his approach to the encampment and how to ensure the safety of the community and its youth.

Wednesday 11/6 at 6:30pm: The Fairfax Town Council has agreed to add the topic of the encampment to their November agenda for discussion. Anyone from West Marin Little League can attend & support the presenters on November 6 at 6:30pm at the Fairfax Women’s Club. The agenda is to include a presentation by residents and discussion.

We are, of course, aware of and sensitive to the challenges many face in communities across California, including those who reside in the encampment. Whatever the solution may be - and it admittedly requires addressing many factors - surely it cannot permit the status quo. We are hopeful that the Town Council will act to relocate the encampment away from Central Field and Peri Park. In the unlikely event that does not occur before our Spring season, our League will continue to take all steps possible to ensure a positive and safe experience for our players.

As always, we are grateful to our volunteers, coaches and families who support our League with the common goal of teaching our players important life lessons through baseball. Thank you, and we are looking forward to a safe & fun Spring 2025 program right around the corner.

Sincerely,

West Marin Little League Board

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"You can always tell when a person has worked in a restaurant. There's an empathy that can only be cultivated by those who've stood between a hungry mouth and a $28 pork chop, a special understanding of the way a bunch of motley misfits can be a family. Service industry work develops the "soft skills" recruiters talk about on LinkedIn — discipline, promptness, the ability to absorb criticism, and most important, how to read people like a book. The work is thankless and fun and messy, and the world would be a kinder place if more people tried it. With all due respect to my former professors, I've long believed I gained more knowledge in kitchens, bars, and dining rooms than any college could even hold."

— Anthony Bourdain

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ON LINE COMMENTS OF THE DAY

(1) Alert! I wrote a check for cash a few months ago. The bank said that over a certain amount they are required to ask what I intend to use it for. The teller was embarrassed and provided me with a "potential use." I guess we have moved from "friendly banker" to "nosey banker."

(2) They did that to me a few yrs ago when I pulled out 20k just to keep at home … and I had to go to 2 different branches as neither had the 20k on hand. I told them it was "for a trip to Vegas to do hookers and blow.”

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THE HIPPIE VAN IS BACK

Whether you call it the Microbus, the Hippie Van, the T2, or even the Samba, it was an icon of a generation. But it’s been decades since Volkswagen last rolled one out.

Now, you can finally stop holding your breath. If you’re looking for an all-new version of the classic people-mover, the 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz is just getting ready to roll into U.S. showrooms.

The German automaker has done a surprisingly good job at picking up the classic Microbus design cues, starting with the blunt nose adorned with an oversized “VW” logo. And don’t let the new van’s relatively compact footprint fool you. The interior is surprisingly roomy.

But there are some notable differences, starting with Buzz’s all-electric drivetrain. And it’s no longer cheap transportation. After factoring in delivery fees, even the base model tops $60,000 — though it offers a lot of delightful features they couldn’t have even imagined during the Summer of Love.

In short: The 2025 VW ID.Buzz’s retro-futuristic looks are spot on; it’s got usable range and is surprisingly fun to drive. Creature comforts are impressive, and it’s big enough to throw a mattress in the back for some proper VW van camping.…

https://gearjunkie.com/motors/2025-volkswagen-id-buzz-first-drive-review

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‘IT GIVES YOU A REASON TO DO BETTER’

Baseball helps prisoner leave the yard with hope

Austin Thurman found joy playing on San Quentin team and briefly got a shot in a professional league

by Jason Mastrodonato and Kate Bradshaw

On Saturday mornings during baseball season at the San Quentin prison yard, 22 incarcerated athletes ditch their prison clothes to slip on black and orange baseball uniforms, a gift from the San Francisco Giants.

The prisoners hit, pitch, catch and throw like elite athletes. Some of them actually are. And were it not for the razor wire-topped wall standing between the ballfield and the peak of Mount Tamalpais on the horizon, a visitor might briefly forget they’re inside a prison.

This is the San Quentin Field of Dreams, a baseball field at California’s oldest prison and the home field for what’s believed to be the only prison baseball team in the U.S., a tradition that dates back a century.

“For three hours a couple of times a week, I’m not in prison, I’m on the baseball field,” said Martin DeWitt, a volunteer equipment manager who’s been with the San Quentin team since 2021. Roster spots are difficult to come by; about 65 men compete for the 22 uniforms.

The team is regularly coached by Richard Williams, who has been incarcerated for more than 30 years, with help from a volunteer, San Francisco resident Steve Reichardt. The team exclusively plays home games, but any competitive men’s team can visit the prison and take a whack at the San Quentin Giants.

Most of those teams will lose.

“They’re so fast and have so much power,” said James Stapleton, who plays for the Bay Area Vintage League, which visits San Quentin each year, and lost 7-4 last month. “They’re so grateful and gracious. Getting to know them on the field, laughing with them, getting stuck in a pickle, hugging afterwards when you’re out, it’s a very humanizing experience.”

Just five years ago, the team rattled off 33 straight wins and finished 38-2 as the “greatest incarcerated team ever,” said Reichardt, now in his 16th year as the coach.

It was an unforgettable season. And it launched a second chance for one young man, Austin Thurman, who dreamed of getting his life back on track, getting out of prison and perhaps one day playing professional baseball.

Thurman grew up in the Sacramento suburbs as a boy who didn’t fit in. Living in a predominantly White neighborhood, he felt too Black. When he moved to a predominantly Black high school, he didn’t feel Black enough. He began skipping lunch just to avoid sitting by himself.

But there was one way Thurman found he could fit in: playing sports at Inderkum High and “chasing that high of acceptance.”

After high school, he played baseball at two junior colleges, but was kicked off those teams after run-ins with the law for robbery and possession of a weapon.

But in 2016, Thurman was arrested after an altercation in Grass Valley ended with an 18-year-old being shot in the head. Convicted as an accessory to attempted murder, the 19-year-old Thurman was sentenced to four years at San Quentin.

“Every day, I’d go through my day, go back in my cell, reflect, talk to myself: ‘What’d you do wrong and how could you do better?’” he recalled.

Thurman discovered that San Quentin had a baseball team, when he noticed a few guys carrying gloves. He tried out and made the team.

“It gave you a chance to be free, to play the game you loved,” he said. “It gives you a reason to do better.”

Thurman became the star center fielder on the squad that won 33 straight games.

“Having that brotherhood, having people depend on you, it was more than just a game,” he said.

When Thurman finished his sentence in 2020, he moved to Houston to reunite with his dad, Leon — and he tried out for the independent Pecos Spring League.

League commissioner Andrew Dunn noticed him right away, although he didn’t know his story.

“Here’s a guy who can play,” Dunn recalled thinking.

By the time he learned of Thurman’s past, Dunn was already committed to helping him. He guided Thurman, who signed first with Texas’ Galveston Sea Lions and later joined New Mexico’s Roswell Invaders.

Thurman had done the unthinkable: gone from San Quentin prison to professional baseball. He lived with a host family and earned just $50 to $100 a week, but he was leading the league, hitting .313 with six home runs and 36 stolen bases in 47 games.

”Everyone said he was going to win a triple crown,” Dunn said. “He’s one hell of a player.”

But at age 23, Thurman said, “I felt like I was extremely old. These guys are coming from high school, college ball. I’m competing and doing better than most, but to make it to the next level, you need to be fully committed.”

Thurman retired from baseball at the end of that season to focus on finding a career and supporting his newborn daughter. After applying, interviewing and ultimately being rejected for 15 jobs, when background checks revealed his past, Thurman finally found steady work as a truck driver.

Giving up on his baseball dreams hurt, of course. “I knew in my heart that if I (had) stayed on the right track when I was younger, if I trained like that growing up…” he said.

Looking back now, Thurman isn’t sure he would have made it out of prison, if it wasn’t for the San Quentin baseball team.

“I would’ve had a lot more time on my hands, and I could’ve been doing stuff I shouldn’t have been doing,” he said. “The people in there serving a lot of time need those activities.”

Branden Terrell, a teammate at San Quentin who served a decade for voluntary manslaughter, was released in 2022 and helped organize the partnership with the San Francisco Giants, who now sponsor the team, provide equipment and occasionally visit.

“That baseball program changed my life, gave me purpose and value,” said Terrell, now a father of five.

This season, the San Quentin Giants are 20-9-3 with just one game remaining and dreams that endure.

“Something unique happens on this team, beginning from tryouts,” said shortstop Carrington Russelle. “We get out here, and we have a blast. But there’s so much that we learn out here on the field that is immediately transferable to everyday life.

“This team is full of men that are growing, that have made horrible decisions, but are trying to rebuild their lives,” he said. “We can’t undo the harm we’ve done, but we can be a living amends going forward.”

(East Bay Times)

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THE MINNESOTAN AND WISCONSINITE were walking by the lake one day, and found a bottle on the beach. Rubbing the sand off, a cloud of smoke poured out and billowed forth and poof!- out came the genie.

“There are two of you, so I can only grant each one wish,” he announced. “Now, what will it be?”

The Minnesotan spoke up. “I want you to put a wall around my state to keep out that bunch over there!” he said, shaking his fist at Wisconsin. And poof!, a giant wall appeared, all around Minnesota.

“Now you,” the genie said, “What is your wish?” to the other.

The Wisconsinite began pulling at his beard. “Ay dunno…,” he mumbled, dismayed. Suddenly, he brightened. “Ooo, ay know! Now…fill it wit water!”

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REPORTER: “Have you ever been scared on a football field?”

Butkus: “Scared?, Of what?”

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"People think I played 10 years. I only played 68 games."

Gale Sayers

Selection of Gale Sayers & Dick Butkus in the first round of 1965 draft remains the only time a team has selected two HOF players in the first round of one draft.

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LEAD STORIES, WEDNESDAY'S NYT

U.S. Says North Korean Troops Are in Russia to Aid Fight Against Ukraine

Blinken Urges Netanyahu to Seek Truces in Gaza and Lebanon

Abortions Have Increased, Even for Women in States With Rigid Bans, Study Says

U.S. Fears Russia Might Be Planning Post-Election Chaos

Judge Orders Giuliani to Forfeit Millions in Assets to Election Workers He Defamed

Freshman Enrollment Appears to Decline for the First Time Since 2020

A Radical Approach to Flooding in England: Give Land Back to the Sea

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ELECTION EXCLUSIVE: BRITISH ADVISORS TO KAMALA HARRIS HOPE TO ‘KILL MUSK'S TWITTER’

England, not Russia, is the culprit in a real foreign election interference story, as the leaked Stateside plans of an advisory group with close ties to Prime Minister Keir Starmer show

by Paul D. Thacker and Matt Taibbi

The British are coming, to meddle in our elections!

In an explosive leak with ramifications for the upcoming U.S. presidential election, internal documents from the Center for Countering Digital Hate, whose founder is British political operative Morgan McSweeney, now advising the Kamala Harris campaign, show the group plans in writing to “kill Musk’s Twitter” while strengthening ties with the Biden/Harris administration and Democrats like Senator Amy Klobuchar, who has introduced multiple bills to regulate online “misinformation.” Klobuchar’s office declined repeated requests for comment.

The documents obtained by The DisInformation Chronicle and Racket show CCDH’s hyperfocus on Musk — “Kill Musk’s Twitter” is the first item in the template of its monthly agenda notes dating back to the early months of this year.

The Center for Countering Digital Hate is the anti-disinformation activist ally of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Party, and a messaging vehicle for Labour’s neoliberal think tank, Labour Together. Both the CCDH and Labour Together were founded by Morgan McSweeney, a Svengali credited with piloting Starmer’s rise to Downing Street, much as Karl Rove is credited with guiding George W. Bush to the White House.

The CCDH documents carry particular importance because McSweeney’s Labour Together operatives have been teaching election strategy to Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, leading Politico to call Labour and the Democrats “sister parties.” CCDH’s focus on “Kill Musk’s Twitter” also adds to legal questions about the nonprofit’s tax-exempt status as a 501(c)(3) organization.…

https://www.racket.news/p/election-exclusive-british-advisors

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OK, FOR THE SEVENTH TIME we put the fries in the box. Then we put them in the bag. And we don't take a couple to eat. It doesn't matter if they would never know, OK.

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SHOOTING CHILDREN

On July 24 a group of 45 doctors and nurses signed an open letter to President Biden stating “every single signatory to this letter treated children in Gaza who suffered violence that must have been deliberately directed at them. Specifically, every one of us on a daily basis treated pre-teen children who were shot in the head and chest.”

On Oct 10 the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory concluded that, “Israel has perpetrated a concerted policy to destroy Gaza’s healthcare system as part of a broader assault on Gaza, committing war crimes and the crime against humanity of extermination with relentless and deliberate attacks on medical personnel and facilities”.

As record numbers of women, children, journalists, medical staff and humanitarian workers continue to be killed by Israel, and evidence of war crimes and atrocities, some posted by soldiers, continue to surface, claims of Israeli “self defence” ring increasingly hollow.

The decades of Israeli criminality that preceded Oct 7 and their current off the scale barbarities, should make Israel an international pariah much like its predecessor South Africa. An aversion, across the political spectrum, to provide the public with the historical context required to understand the events of October 7 has paved the way for the uncontested annihilation of Palestine and its people.

— Vagner Castilho

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WHEN THE HOLOCAUST RETURNED it came denouncing anti-semitism and wearing a Star of David.

It was never going to look how we were expecting. It wasn’t going to show up in its old familiar costume with the bent cross and the tiny mustache, blaming all the problems on the Jews.

It had to look different. If it didn’t look different, we never would have let it in the door.

And that’s still what’s throwing a lot of people off: it looks different. It doesn’t look like what all all the World War II movies and Holocaust novels conditioned us to watch out for. In fact, it looks so different that the victims in the last story have the same religion as the antagonists in the new one.

That old aphorism “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes” is true because people don’t tend to make the exact same mistake in the same way twice, but the conditioning which led them to make the first mistake will often lead them to make a second similar one. We’ve all been made far too familiar with the Nazi extermination program to ever consent to Jews being rounded up and loaded onto trains again, but we also didn’t purge from our civilization all the murderousness, hatred and tyranny which made it possible. That’s why this new Holocaust has been allowed to happen.

We’ve all been conditioned to watch out for the next Hitler, but there’s never going to be another Hitler. We’ve been so focused on looking out for the Hitler who never comes that many of us missed when we started singing verses that rhyme with the ones we were hearing in Germany eight decades ago.

People assume what’s happening in Gaza can’t be an actual genocide, because the news media keep assuring everyone that’s not what we’re looking at, and so do the politicians in both parties.

“This can’t possibly be what it looks like,” people say. “If it was, we would have heard about it in the news.”

The villains in this new story don’t look like the villains in the old story, and, if you are a properly indoctrinated westerner, they might not look like villains at all. They might just look like Jews defending themselves from terrorists and western governments rightly defending their dear ally — which is exactly what they should do if they want to prevent another Holocaust!

But it’s that very misperception which is making today’s Holocaust possible. This mass atrocity is being tolerated by huge parts of the population exactly because we see it as intolerable for large numbers of Jews to be killed by those who hate them, not understanding that the people who were killed on October 7 were killed not because of their religion, but because they were part of a settler-colonialist project which is premised on the perpetual abuse of a preexisting indigenous population.

People defend Israel’s actions on the grounds that Israel has reasons for doing things the way it’s doing them. They have to bomb Gaza — they suffered an unprovoked attack from a bunch of evil terrorists. They have to bomb all the hospitals and schools and mosques — that’s where Hamas are hiding. They have to bomb areas that are packed full of children — Hamas are using those children as human shields.

But those who commit mass atrocities always justify their actions. They always have reasons for doing them. They always frame it as a necessary act of self-preservation.

That was always what the next Holocaust was going to look like. It was never going to feature new bad guys who cackle and twist their mustaches saying “Haha, we are evil! Let’s kill a bunch of people because we are evil!” They were always going to frame themselves as the heroes and victims, and the other side as the villains and victimizers. They were always going to offer a bunch of reasons why what they’re doing is actually good and righteous, even though it looks evil on its face.

If we are to prevent genocidal atrocities, we need to be able to recognize what’s happening in real time, and we can’t do that if we’re expecting them to show up in familiar and instantly recognizable packaging. We need to be able to see through the manipulations and justifications in the here and now so we can stop it in its tracks instead of waiting for history to judge it in our rearview mirror after it’s already happened.

This is important to recognize when it comes to saving Gaza, and it’s important to recognize when it comes to preventing the Holocausts of the future as well. They will never look identical to the Holocausts of the past. Their form will be unprecedented, and they will have different justifications for their orchestration. But they will rhyme. And we need to be able to pick up on that as it happens.

— Caitlin Johnstone

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THE MOON was but a Chin of Gold
A Night or two ago –
And now she turns Her perfect Face
Upon the World below –

Her Forehead is of Amplest Blonde –
Her Cheek – a Beryl hewn –
Her Eye unto the Summer Dew
The likest I have known –

Her Lips of Amber never part –
But what must be the smile
Upon Her Friend she could confer
Were such Her Silver Will –

And what a privilege to be
But the remotest Star –
For Certainty She take Her Way
Beside Your Palace Door –

Her Bonnet is the Firmament –
The Universe – Her Shoe –
The Stars – the Trinkets at Her Belt –
Her Dimities – of Blue –

— Emily Dickinson (1863)