One thing going on in Boonville is the contest at the November 7 election for judge of the Anderson Justice Court between Homer W. Mannix, incumbent, who wears several other official hats in the small Mendocino County community, and Richard E. Kossow, a new lawyer who has moved into Anderson Valley. Kossow is a University of Minnesota graduate who chose a life somewhat removed from the madding throng. With the attorney are his wife Ginger and daughter Amy.
Incumbent Judge Mannix, among other things, is the publisher and editor of the local newspaper — printed in his downtown Mannix building below the courtroom —in effect he has to write up and print his own proceedings.
Friendly folks are on duty at the Anderson Valley Branch of the First National Bank of Cloverdale, managed by Mrs. Jack (Kaye) Clow of Philo. The clerks here are Eileen Pronsolino with Vera Titus. The bank opened in recent years, eliminating many trips over to Cloverdale or Ukiah for Anderson Valley residents. Mr. and Mrs. Clow also operate Jack’s Valley Store near Philo, a few miles west of Boonville.
Old Redwood Troughs filled with flowers decorate the sidewalk in Boonville, adding a colorful touch to the downtown area. Mrs. Ila Ervin is the clerk of the Anderson Justice Court covering a long area between the Sonoma County line and the Coast, flanking Highway 128.
The Core Area, as the planners say, is the downtown business block in Boonville along Highway 128, and a similar row of buildings extending in the other direction behind the flow of logging trucks. That row of buildlings also mostly hides from view the main exhibit building at the local fairgrounds where the Mendocino County Fair and Apple Show is held each September. Timber is still one of the sources of industry in Mendocino County and much of the traffic through Boonville consists of logging trucks which don’t seem to slow down much while passing through town. Just a few years ago there were from 35 to 40 sawmills in this area. They are all gone now with the depletion of timber and take-over by industrial giants like Georgia-Pacific and Boise-Cascade.
Women’s Lib in a mild form is practiced by Mrs. Peggy Bates, who has been the postmaster at Boonville for a couple of years. She thinks women should be in responsible jobs, all right. But in the home, “the man is the boss.” Mrs. Bates is assisted by Joann Wyant. Postmaster Bates succeeded George Lawson, who served there 34 years and still lives in Boonville. Where else?
Melvin Baker is superintendent of the Anderson Valley Unified School District and high school principal. One of the outstanding programs at the school involves aviation in which a number of students learn to fly and do aircraft maintenance work. A recent addition to the equipment is a Cessna which the school district bought for $2,500. This is considered a low price for the 1962 model plane, now used for instruction at the school. A Beech 18 is queen of the fleet at the Anderson Valley High School Airport. While we were there it got a paint job from Billy Harding who is a junior this fall. This and other planes are housed in an aluminum hangar, constructed mostly of “surplus” and donated materials.
(Santa Rosa Press Democrat, October, 1972)
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