EVA JOHNSON, Long-time Boonville Sheep Rancher, dead at 90.
The family of Eva Johnson is sad to announce that we lost our sweet Grandma on Christmas Eve Eve. There’s another bright angel flying high and watching over us all. Her celebration of life will be held on January 11 at 1:00pm in the Apple Hall at the Mendocino County Fairgrounds. Please join the family for this Celebration. A potluck will follow the service. If you would like to contribute, please bring a side dish or dessert.
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ROBERT SCOTT LORENTZEN
Robert Scott Lorentzen, also known as Bob or Bobby Scott, passed away at home in Fort Bragg, California, on January 15, 2022 of complications from acute myeloid leukemia. He was 72 years old.
Bob is survived by his beloved child Crow Lorentzen, his cherished dog companion, Bowie, and many longtime friends, including a core group from U.C. Santa Cruz, who shared delightful reminiscences with him during his final months.
Bob was born January 25, 1949 in Salt Lake City, UT, to Carolyn Harman and E. Karl Lorentzen. He graduated from Clearfield High School and moved to Orinda, CA to join his father. He attended U.C. Santa Cruz, where he graduated in 1972 from Crown College with a B.A. in Community Studies.
Following graduation, Bob joined the VISTA program where he served in Visalia, CA. From there, he made his way to Lake County, CA and in 1976 was hired to work in Mendocino County’s Nutrition Program in Anderson Valley. He became the program’s director, moving to the Mendocino coast where he was instrumental in founding Fort Bragg’s Food Bank in 1979.
He then went into business as a timber cruiser, spending time among the coastal redwood forests. As an avid hiker and backpacker, in 1986 Bob founded Bored Feet Press by publishing “The Hiker’s hip pocket Guide to the Mendocino Coast.” From that tiny seed, Bob authored eight more guidebooks, becoming a well-respected publisher and reseller of guidebooks and maps for the west that endured for 35 years. His “Hiker’s hip pocket Guide to Sonoma County” was published in 1990.
Bob was instrumental in raising awareness of the need for continuous access along the California Coast. In the mid-1990s, he hiked the length of the California coast, publishing two guidebooks with co-author Richard Nichols of Coastwalk, detailing the California Coastal Trail while highlighting areas where access was non-existent. These books were instrumental in leading the initiative for improved signage, trail mapping, and grants for increased access to the California Coastal Trail.
Bob had a deep love of and respect for nature. He camped, hiked, and backpacked throughout northern California and the Sierra Nevadas.
He enjoyed foraging for mushrooms in his neighborhood, loved music and attending concerts, and he was a huge San Francisco Giants fan.
Bob will be greatly missed by his family of friends. To honor his memory, please consider donations to Coastwalk/California Coastal Trail Association or to the Humane Society of the Mendocino Coast.
MENDOCINO COUNTY MOBILE SPAY & NEUTER VAN HITS THE ROAD IN 2025
Mendocino County is pleased to announce the launch of its Mobile Spay & Neuter Van, designed to bring essential services to communities across the County. Following a successful trial run at the Humane Society, where 34 surgeries were completed, the van is now ready to expand its operations.
Key Dates:
January 14, 2025: First public event at JD Redhouse in Willits. Spay and neuter surgeries are fully booked, but walk-in vaccine services will be available from 10 AM to 2 PM.
Potential Additional Dates:
February 8 & 21, 2025: Laytonville and Hopland are being considered.
February 11, 2025: JD Redhouse in Willits.
These efforts are part of an ongoing initiative to provide accessible spay, neuter, and vaccine services to reduce pet overpopulation and improve animal health in the county.
For more information, contact Animal Care Services at: 707-463-4427 located at 298 Plant Rd. Ukiah, CA 95482.
KATY!
Katy’s Giving A Talk
If you’re a fan of mineral springs, from tiny ones bubbling by the side of the road to big fancy ones like Orr Hot Springs take a Saturday drive over to Lake County Jan 11 at 2 p.m. and have local historian Katy Tahja tell you tales about the mineral springs of Lake and Mendocino Counties.
Go to the Ely State Stop and Country Museum at 9921 Soda Bay Road in Kelseyville.
EVALUATION DAY AT GRACE HUDSON: JAN. 10
On Friday, January 10 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Grace Hudson Museum will host an Evaluation Day. Modeled after the enormously popular Antiques Road Show featured on PBS, visitors can bring up to three items to be evaluated and appraised by professional appraisers from Witherell Auctions in Sacramento. Anyone who's wondered about the history and value of a prized family possession has a chance to learn about that vase, painting, comic book, firearm, furniture, or what-all they have stowed away. Participants can bring up to three items, with assessments lasting about 3 minutes per item. A fee will be charged for each assessment: $5 per item for Museum members, and $8 for non-members. The Witherell team is donating their time, so all proceeds go to the Grace Hudson Museum.
To purchase advance tickets and guarantee your place, call the museum at (707) 467-2836. The Museum is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Sunday noon to 4:30 p.m. The Museum will be closed on Wed., January 1st.
The Grace Hudson Museum is at 431 S. Main St. in Ukiah. For more information please go to www.gracehudsonmuseum.org
JACK SAUNDERS (Mendocino County History)
In late 1910 the Union Theater in Fort Bragg moved from Main Street to a new location on Franklin Street. An enterprising young man, CV Starr, recognized an opportunity and arranged to open Starr's Ice Cream shop immediately next to it. He ran this shop for a couple of years, then moved on to bigger and better things. The business, renamed The Sugar Plum, remained and changed hands at least several times over the years. My grandfather's sister Clara bought the business in June 1917, but due to ill health she sold it just six months later and spent some time in Arizona regaining her strength. Clara is the woman in white in one photo. I don't know who the other women are, but I imagine they were good friends and likely born about 1886 in Fort Bragg. The other photo is Starr in about 1911 taken from a biography produced by his foundation, the same organization that provided funds to build Fort Bragg's CV Starr Center many years later. Street numbers have changed slightly over time, and I believe the addresses of the shop and theater today would be 357 and 353 N. Franklin Street, respectively.
LET’S HAVE IT!
The Northern California Community Blood Bank is in urgent need of type O+ blood donations as supplies have reached critically low levels once again. The shortage is attributed to increased local demand for O+ blood products over the Holiday Season, resulting in a strain on the available inventory.
As January is National Blood Donors Month, we encourage everyone to take this opportunity to give back to the community. Donating blood is a simple yet impactful way to help save lives.
The Northern California Community Blood Bank urges individuals with O+ blood type to donate as soon as possible to help replenish the supply and ensure that patients in need can receive life-saving care and transfusions.
To schedule a blood donation, please visit the Northern California Community Blood Bank’s website, nccbb.org, or call 707-443-8004.
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