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SUNNY skies and warm inland temperatures are expected today and Tuesday. Coastal areas will remain cool and breezy today. Tuesday winds are expected to start to diminish. Wednesday Coastal and valley clouds are expected to increase along with cooler temperatures near the coast. Friday and Saturday warmer temperatures are expected again. (NWS)
STEPHEN DUNLAP (Fort Bragg): 43F under clear skies this Monday morning on the coast. A little windy today then cooler temps into Wednesday before warming back up into the weekend.
ESCAPED BACON RECAPTURED
A man who escaped from a minimum-security prison camp in Mendocino County early Sunday morning was taken into custody hours later by local deputies, authorities confirmed.
Donovan R. Bacon, 33, walked away from the Parlin Fork Conservation Camp #6 at approximately 7:35 a.m., according to a press release from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. An emergency count confirmed his absence shortly thereafter.
Bacon was captured later the same day 40 miles from the prison camp at the Coyote Valley Reservation, Mendocino County Sheriff Matt Kendall said.
“We received a phone call — the reporting party said they saw someone who looked like him,” Kendall told SFGATE. “They arrived on scene, confirmed it was him, and they took him into custody at the Coyote Valley station.”
Originally sentenced in San Bernardino County to six years for second-degree robbery with an enhancement for the use of a deadly weapon, Bacon had been housed at the Parlin Fork Conservation Camp since February 18.
(Matt LaFever, Mendofever.com)
REDWOOD VALLEY SHOPPING CART BOMBER RELEASED ON BAIL
On Thursday, May 1, 2025 at approximately 12:00 P.M. The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office was called to the 8600 block of North State Street in Redwood Valley to investigate a reported explosive device detonation. Redwood Valley-Calpella Fire District personnel had responded to the area for a reported fire and discovered a small grass fire that had been extinguished by quick-acting community members. Upon further inspection of the scene it was determined the source of the fire was an explosive device that had been ignited in an abandoned shopping cart. A Battalion Chief with the Ukiah Valley Fire Authority responded to assist and determined the crime of arson had been committed.
Examination of the scene revealed a section of the shopping cart was destroyed and scattered on the ground, leaving an approximately 100-foot debris field. A section of the grass, approximately 8 feet in diameter, had burned before being extinguished by community members. Fragments of the destructive device were located and believed to be similar to a recent incident investigated by the California Highway Patrol on Highway 222 (Talmage Road) in Ukiah on 04/30/2025. During the incident on 04/30/2025, an intact and non-detonated explosive device was located in a roadside ditch. Personnel from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad responded on 04/30/2025 and rendered the device safe. Photographs of the detonated fragments from 05/01/2025 were sent to Bomb Squad personnel, who confirmed the two devices were of similar type. Further investigation revealed that on 05/01/2025 a destructive device wrapped in several layers of packing tape and ignited with a fuse had been placed in the shopping cart by a male adult, later identified as Todd Scott a 49-year-old male from Ukiah.
Based on these two similar devices being placed in public over two days, concern was raised that Scott may have additional explosives and intend to deploy them elsewhere. Efforts were made to locate Scott as quickly as possible, and a warrant was obtained to search his residence. Scott was contacted at approximately 6:00 P.M. during a vehicle stop in Redwood Valley. Based on evidence obtained and Scott’s statements, he was arrested for igniting an explosive device and arson causing damage to land. During the service of a search warrant at Scott’s home, a third explosive device was located along with three firearms. Scott was determined to be prohibited from owning or possessing firearms due to a prior criminal conviction. The explosive and the firearms were seized as evidence.
Scott was booked into the Mendocino County Jail and released after posting $75,000 bail. Charges regarding the illegal possession of firearms by Scott will be submitted to the Mendocino County District Attorney for review.
The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Redwood Valley-Calpella Fire District, Ukiah Valley Fire Authority, and Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance during these investigations.
Anyone with information related to this incident is requested to contact the Sheriff’s Office Communications Center at 707-463-4086 (option 1). Information can also be provided anonymously by calling the non-emergency tip-line at 707-234-2100.
FORT BRAGG ANTI-TRUMP RALLY (photos/captions by Karen Rifkin)
ANDERSON VALLEY GENEROSITY
Awards Ceremony For Av Panther High School, Class Of 2025
by Terry Sites
On April 22nd beginning at 6 PM the Anderson Valley High School held their Awards Ceremony and catered Mexican dinner in the gym. Local chef Libby Favela and her crew served their famous (and delicious) tacos along with sides of rice, beans and salad. Following the meal, first year principal Heath McNerney welcomed proud parents and expectant students with Soleil Cornejo as translator.
Class Salutatorian Soleil Cornejo was the first student honored, followed by Emilia Bennett, Valedictorian. Next came the students who earned the Golden State Seal of Biliteracy. These students will be distinguished by wearing a white cord on graduation day: Keily Espinoza, Soleil Cornejo, Natalie Marcum-Soto, Dariana Perez-Reyes, Toyo Yeliz, Cinthia Garcia-Parra and Diego Torales-Medina. The highest honor, the Golden State Seal of Merit, went to Emilia Bennett.
Mr. McNerney took the podium again to explain that the Career Pathways Awards requires 300 hours of participation in a particular field. Music teacher Sarah Crisman told us that she was proud to present awards to two students who she had worked with in the performing arts since 5th grade: Diego Torales-Medina and Julian Ochoa-Rocha. Teacher David Ballantine took the podium to present the Woodworking and Construction Pathway to Omar and Steven Rhoades. Teacher Ruby Suarez congratulated a team of high-powered math students including Dariana Perez-Reyes, Soleil Cornejo, Brissa Mendoza, Keily Espinoza, Natalie Marcum-Soto and Natalie Lopez-Mendoza. Ruby told them that their accomplishment went beyond mastery of mathematics. They also learned that they can do really hard things and problem solve using analytic thinking. She told them life is full of problems and thinkingl reason and logic are great tools. Inspirationally, she said, “You have learned the beauty of patterns, the satisfaction of a well-solved equation and the elegance of math.” Veteran agriculture teacher Beth Swehla presented the Agriscience Pathway awards to students who completed 3 or 4 years of agriculture classes with distinction: Emilia Bennett, Soleil Cornejo, Julian Ochoa-Rocha, Natalie Marcum-Soto, Natalie Lopez-Mendoza and Keily Espinoza.
Moving on from the honors portion of the program to the scholarship section, Principal McNerney introduced Marcela Mendoza and Kathy Cortez, both school district employees, who awarded their scholarships for $100 to Natalie Marcum-Soto. Retired Air Force Col. Curtis Frost presented the $2,000 American Legion award which goes to a student with an armed services member in the family to Kiely Espinoza. Robert Sites awarded the Lion’s Club scholarships for $2,500 each to Cinthia Garcia-Parra and Julian Ochoa-Rocha. Teacher Casey Farber-Folz awarded two $1,000 Scholarships from the Yorkville Community Benefits Association to Cinthia Garcia-Parra and Natalie Marcum-Soto. The Anderson Valley Grange awarded Natalie Marcum-Soto $2,000. Luis Espinoza from the AV Sports Boosters gave awards to Natalie Marcum-Soto and Luis Perez.
Sandra Nimmons and Wynne Nord were on hand to present $1000 each to three young women: Keily Espinoza, Natalie Marcum-Soto and Cinthia Garcia-Parra. Jo Athey of the Anderson Valley Unity Club awarded five scholarships: Lola Brodie and Soliel Cornejo each received $1,500, Natalie Marcum-Soto and Dariana Perez each received $1,000 and Brissa Mendoza received $500.
Art instructor Cora Hubbert distributed the Anderson Valley Arts Association Awards: Emilia Bennett, $3,500; Natalie Lopez, $3,500; Keily Espinoza, $2,000; Lola Brodie, $1,000; and Miguel Marron, $1000. Teacher Arthur Folz representing the Anderson Valley Teachers Association awarded Natalie Marcum-Soto and Keily Espinoza $1,000 each. The Michael Shapiro Business Scholarship for $1,000 was presented by Nat Corey-Moran and went to Keily Espinoza. The Cheri Fish Memorial scholarships also presented by Nat went to Cinthia Garcia-Parra $1,000 for 4 years; Natalie Marcum-Soto, $500 for 4 years; Emilia Bennett, $500 for 4 years; Diego Torales- $500 for 2 years plus two more years at a 4-year school.
The William Sterling Memorial Scholarships were presented by Alondra and Esmeralda Espinoza for $500 each going to Soliel Cornejo, Natalie Marcum-Soto and Keily Espinoza. The Anderson Valley Winegrowers Scholarships presented by Jo Athey went to Keily Espinoza, $3,000; Cinthia Garcia-Parra- $2,000; Emilia Bennett, $1,000; and Julian Ochoa-Rocha- $1,000.
The Anderson Valley Education Foundation awards were presented by Tere, Sally Ann and Linnea as follows: Cesar Benitez, $250; Diego Benitez- $500; Angel Guerrero, $1,200; Brissa Mendoza, $1,200; Diego Torales-Median, $1,200; Juan Vasquez, $1,200; Edwin Magana, $2000; Luis Perez, $2000; Bridselda Camarillo-Balandran, $2,500; Fatima Cruz, $3,500; Emilia Bennett- $4,000; Ashley Garibay-Espinoza, $4,000; Cinthia Garcia-Parra, $4,000; Keily Espinoza, $4,000;, Natalie Lopez-Mendoza, $4,000; Soliel Cornejo, $5,000; Natalie Marcum-Soto, $5,000; Julian Ochoa-Rocha, $5,000; Dariana Perez-Reyes, $5,000. The Redwood Coast K-16 Collaborative presented their scholarship to Ashley Garibay-Espinoza.
The final awards of the night came from Robert Mailer Anderson and Nicola Miner. Briselda and Ashley, $5,000 each; Angel, Juan, Edwin, Diego and Brissa, $1000 each for 2 years, $8,000 for 2 years; Natalie Lopez-Mendoza, Keily Espinoza, Julian Ochoa-Rocha, Fatima, Emilia, Cinthia, Dariana, Soliel each $5,000 for 4 years; Natalie Marcum-Soto, $5,000 for 4 years.
Taken altogether it is a spectacular amount of money and support for the futures and the dreams of the young people of Anderson Valley. Blessings upon all the generous benefactors and best of luck to the graduates as they move forward into their adult lives, with the support of the people of Anderson Valley.
AV UNIFIED NEWS
On this beautiful Day of the Child in Anderson Valley, we are celebrating! Please come out to celebrate with us today at Anderson Valley Elementary, 1:00-3:00!
Another celebration is coming - a celebration of our educators! Staff Appreciation Weeks are here! Our teachers and classified staff are second to none. Many of them have been members of the community all their lives and all of them go above and beyond every day, supporting our students and families. Whether it’s planning a lesson, cleaning up a skinned knee, or organizing or attending a community event, our educators go the extra mile! Please take a moment to encourage your child to pick a flower, bring a goodie, or write a note of appreciation for an educator who has made a positive impact on their life!
AV Jr/Sr High will be celebrating THIS WEEK, May 5th-9th
AVES will be celebrating May 19-23
Fondly,
Kristin Larson Balliet
Superintendent
UPDATED Upcoming Events - Mark your Calendars!
• April 22-May 9 - CAASPP Testing at AVES (3rd-6th)
• May 4, Day of the Child at the AVES campus
• May 5, AVES TK-3 trips to the Wildflower Show
• May 5-9 Staff Appreciation Week at AV Jr/Sr High
• May 12-16 - CAASPP Testing at AV Jr/Sr High
• May 15 - Agriculture Day at AVES
• May 13, 4:00 p.m., Board Meeting Ribbon Cutting Event
• May 19-23, Staff Appreciation Week at AVES
• May 20, 225 Sports awards dinner
• May 22-26, 2025 Senior trip
• May 22, 5:30 AVES Open House
• May 26, 2025 no school
• May 28, 2025 FFA Drive Through dinner
• May 30, Peachland Graduation
• June 5, FFA Awards Night at AVHS
• June 10, 6th Grade Promotion
• June 11, 8th Grade Promotion
• June 12, High School Graduation at AVHS
• College Day TBD
• 6th to 7th Orientation: date TBD
Reminder: Staff Appreciation Weeks!
• AV Jr/Sr High will be celebrating THIS WEEK, May 5th-9th
• AVES will be celebrating May 19-23
Please encourage your child to take a moment to share their appreciation with an educator who has impacted their life!
Ribbon Cutting - Final Details
We are thrilled that construction is nearly completed! Many, many thanks to former superintendent Louise Simson, who spearheaded the myriad updates to our facilities during her time with the district. These renovations simply would not have happened without her. Mrs. Simson is not able to attend the ribbon cutting but sends her best wishes to the school community, to whom she dedicated her tireless efforts.
To coincide with our Board meeting, the Ribbon Cutting will take place on May 13 at 4:00 p.m, just before the Board meeting. All community members are welcome to attend.
We are thrilled to dedicate our new Science wing to Dr. Richard Browning, who has served on our school board for many years, and Mr. William Sterling, in memoriam, for his many contributions to Anderson Valley Unified School district. The facilities are spectacular!
The ribbon cutting will start in the vestibule near the front office of AVHS; we will cut the ribbon right at the hallway that leads to the new Science rooms. Sparkling cider and cookies will be served, and we will tour the new labs, then the renovated front wing of the school as well. We hope you join us!
Prom
What a lovely, wholesome, fun prom our high school students had last week! Our students showed up dressed to the nines and enjoyed hours of dancing, fun, and treats. The venue at the fairgrounds was transformed by the Student Leadership group, complete with castle, glowing balloons, and dressed up tables and chairs. A fabulous time was had by all! Cheers to our students for their ability to kick up their heels while maintaining their respect for their school, community, and themselves. They had a wonderful time and their parents should be proud.
Pomo Partnerships Assemblies
We are so grateful to the Progressive Tribal Alliance for the awesome assemblies they brought to our students last Friday. Students learned about Pomo culture and history, and enjoyed engaging in Pomo dancing. Many teachers are now working together with the Pomo Tribal Alliance to plan projects to benefit our students and campus now and throughout next year. Many thanks to Nat Corey-Moran who organized this event!
CAASPP Testing Is Important!
CAASPP Schedules
AVES: April 22-May 9
AV Jr/Sr High: May 12-16
Please make every effort to have your child be present at school on these dates, as make-up testing is not ideal; taking the test with their peers is the best way for your child to focus and show what they know. These scores will be used to identify students who need extra support courses in 25-26. Strong scores may also identify your child for additional, challenging coursework.
While no single test defines a student, we encourage all students to give their best effort so that we have accurate information to guide their academic journey. With your continued support at home, we can use this data to ensure every student receives the opportunities and challenges they need to thrive. Please ensure your child is at school, well rested, and ready to do their best during the CAASPP tests.
Summer School
Summer School will be June 23-July 22
8:30-12:30 / ASP 12:30-5:30 Transportation provided
(bus leaves for the day at 3:00 p.m.)
AVES will provide activities including sports, crafts, science, art, and field trips. Here is the AVES Summer School flier
AV Jr High will provide fun learning activities.
(More info coming soon.)
Sr High School provide credit recovery opportunities
(More info coming soon.)
Anderson Valley Elementary Family Work Party, Saturday, May 17, 9:00-1:00.
Please save the date and join us to help make our school even more beautiful. Weeding, pruning, planting, and other landscaping jobs are planned and your participation is welcomed and encouraged. More details coming out soon, please contact Nat Corey-Moran ((707) 354-3330 for more information.
Immigration Support and Updates
Please find links to additional information for families below:
Mendocino County Office of Education: Immigration Resource Page
Immigration and California Families: State Immigration Website
National Immigration Law Center: “Know Your Rights” (English | Spanish | Additional Languages)
If you would like to be more involved at school, please contact your school’s principal, Mr. Ramalia at AVES or Mr. McNerney at AV Jr/Sr High, or our district superintendent, Kristin Larson Balliet. We are deeply grateful for our AVUSD families.
With respect,
TOM-TOMS AND CHICKEN BONES IN COFFEE CANS
Full Moon Drum Circle at Pudding Creek Beach on Monday, May 12th at 6PM.
It’s free. Everyone Welcome.
Bring Drums, Bells, Washboards, Shakers, Pot, Pans, Tambourines
We will meet just east of the trestle and Pudding Creek Beach in Fort Bragg.
We may have a few extra drums. Bring a friend. You may want to bring a chair.
For more information, contact Sandy at 707 235-9080 or [email protected]
The weather forecast looks good for that evening.
ED NOTES
AS A READER reminds us, in any round-up of unsolved Mendocino County murders, those of Charles ‘Buzzy’ Mitchell, 66, and his son Nolan Mitchell, 34, must be included. Mitchell Sr. was bludgeoned to death outside his home on Orr Springs Road (Ukiah). He had been a candidate for a seat on the Coyote Valley Tribal Council. There was talk at the time that his 2004 murder was related to the intense tribal political infighting prevalent at the time. Nolan Mitchel was apparently unaware that his father was being beaten to death only a few yards from where Nolan was subsequently shot to death as he slept inside the home he shared with his father.
ALSO UNSOLVED is the case of Jergun Knemeyer, 57, of Willits. Knemeyer was found beaten to death in his home on Aug. 8, 1999. Miller said police believe Knemeyer, whose remains were not found until several days after he was killed, had been growing marijuana. The Sheriff’s Department has assumed his death was related to his enterprise, as the following from the Sheriff’s website makes clear:
”ON AUGUST 14, 1999 at 12:30pm a deputy from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to Jergun Knemeyer’s Willits home on Hill Top Road on a welfare check. A neighbor had reported seeing the back door to Jergun Knemeyer’s home open with the interior lights being on since 3am. Upon entering the residence, the Deputy located Jergun Knemeyer deceased from injuries obviously associated with a homicide. During investigations detectives learned a family member had last spoken with Jergun Knemeyer on August 12, 1999 at 9:30pm. At this time it is unclear the motive for the homicide but growing marijuana was located at Jergun Knemeyer’s home during the processing of the crime scene. “
IF YOU HAPPEN to go for a dip on the Lost Coast, Surfer Mike cautions, “Black sands beach is no normal beach, it is all massive shore break because it drops off very deep 10 feet out. ALL lagoons have this same feature, it can happen anywhere but those beaches are the worst. Places like camel, state beach can all rush in as well but usually its not quite as bad. go to this site and check the surf size before you go to the beach. I would say surf under 5 feet has the least danger of sweep in while 6 to 10 feet their is a moderate danger and over 10 feet, esp. over 15 feet it is very dangerous to be closer than 50-100 yards from the water line. longer interval swells also tend to increase the tide surge chances ( its the part that says seconds, as in 10 feet @17 sec.).Tides are a factor to , try to go on a low tide , still going lower. Incoming tides can create surges. IF you happen to get swept in, the first rule is to relax, and if you can , remove shoes and jackets. Let it take you out past the break and then try to body surf in on a wave when the tide surges in . It may take several tries .You have to try to relax even though you are freezing and scared. IF help is near by and you cant make it in , try to swim out just past the break and float on your back, conserving energy till they can pluck u out w a copter. Be careful fam. 1 love.”
REEL SHORT MOVIE REVIEW from a while back. ‘Zero Dark Thirty.’ The Chron’s former movie reviewer, Mick LaSalle, said it’s “one of the best films of 2012.” I’d say it’s one of the worst but, in its way, revelatory, in its unintentional depiction of our government as depraved and stupid, a fact of American life many of us adjusted to years ago. Zero supposedly tells the story of the CIA agent who locates Osama Bin Laden so the militarized version of the Stanford football team can finish him off. The CIA agent is a beautiful woman, natch, because this is a movie, and the movie’s sub-theme is contempo-feminist, i.e., women can be as cruelly brutal as men, another fact of life unlikely to surprise anyone over the age of 12. Bin Laden and lots of other fanatics have been “neutralized” because the beautiful redhead and the Ivy League grad students who comprise the CIA have tortured their whereabouts out of their gofers at secret torture centers in places like Poland and Egypt, not to mention Afghanistan. The movie’s torture scenes are advertised as depictions of the real deal and, as some reviewers have described them, “excruciating.” The real deal, we can be sure, does not resemble the Frisco sex dungeons we get here. The Ivy League CIA man doing the torturing throws out a lot of “dudes” and “bros” as he hoists his captive with ropes and pulleys while the beautiful redhead looks on and occasionally winces. (She’s a girl, you see, and it takes girls a little longer to adjust to psychos torturing other psychos to win the jive War On Terror. There are lots of explosions and Bruce Willis-type special effects — in fact that moron’s latest movie was prominent among the talent-free previews before ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ began. Of course this fascist epic got a lot of Academy Awards, and looked at objectively, it really is terrifying.
IS ‘ARGO’ A GOOD MOVIE? No. Is it watchable? Kind of, but that’s setting the bar pretty low. Mick LaSalle at the Chron loved it, and he was always a reliable guide to bad movies. If LaSalle likes it it’s probably bad but it’s also probably watchable, entertaining enough without you storming out of the theater to demand your money back. Which is still a low standard. All these movies come with an imperial assumption, which is that our imperialism, unlike British, French, Chinese, and other imperialisms, is somehow good imperialism, benign imperialism, so benign it isn’t even imperialism, it’s helping others. If you think taking the natural resources of other countries by force has been good for America you probably are predisposed to enjoy movies like ‘Argo’ and ‘Zero Dark Thirty.’ You would have believed that we weren’t in Iran and the Middle East for their oil, we’re there to liberate the poor bastards from the burkah-brains.
I KNOW AN IRANIAN car mechanic in San Francisco, an older man, who I asked once where he was from. I suspected he was from either Iran or Iraq from his accent. “Persia,” he said. I asked him if he’d been a Mossedegh man. He wouldn’t say, so I assumed he’d left Iran with the fall of the Shah. He did say, “The problem with Iran is too many stupid people.” I said his adopted country had the same problem, and we laughed and left it there. Mossedegh, some of you will know, was a democratically elected secular nationalist who nationalized Iran’s oil and was duly overthrown by the CIA (with a keystone kops team lead by FDR’s nephew) acting in concert with the British who replaced him with the representative of the ancient Kingdom of the True Aryans or some bullshit like that who set up a murderous police state which was eventually overthrown by the ayatollahs. The forces of the Anti-Modern took American hostages in the 1979 — the Carter interim — when a mob successfully stormed our embassy. This all happened in the Carter years. ‘Argo’ is the story of a successful joint CIA-Canadian operation to smuggle six embassy people out of Iran. I haven’t spoiled the movie for you because most people know the story. Check that: Most people used to know the story. You really can’t assume what people know anymore, and there are no honest move critics writing in the English language any more. If Iran’s Mossaddegh government hadn’t been subverted in 1953, the history of the Middle East might not have become as murderous as it has.
FORT BRAGG BLUES FESTIVAL (photos/captions by Karen Rifkin)
MENDOCINO COUNTY MUSEUM: The Mackerrichers
If the MacKerricher name sounds familiar, you may recognize it from the MacKerricher State Park also in Cleone. Duncan and Jessie MacKerricher married in Quebec Canada on October 14, 1864. Immediately afterwards they left for New York, where they boarded a liner to travel through Panama, and then up to San Francisco; though because of the raging Civil War, their liner was escorted by the U.S.S. Constitution through the ‘danger zone’. They had friends in Mendocino, which was their planned destination, but due to weather the schooner they took up from San Francisco could not dock and had to travel onward to Eureka. They finally made it to Mendocino on the southward journey of the schooner.
Like many others, Duncan worked in the mills for about two years but eventually he was able to purchase 1,000 acres of land naming it the Rancho De la Laguna. Within two years of owning the land, the MacKerricher’s had 69 cows and were selling butter all over Mendocino County and San Francisco; they were infamous for potatoes, hogs, and draft horses as well.
Jessie is reputed to have named Cleone from the Greek word for ‘Gracious’ or ‘Beautiful’.
The MacKerricher’s had several children, including Evelyn and Margaret. In 1950 the MacKerricher heirs sold the land to the State of California, which now gives us the MacKerricher State Park that is enjoyed but thousands of travelers and locals alike every year.
The Mendocino County Museum has a collection of belongings from the wedding day of Evelyn MacKerricher and Joel Cotton, who married on June 10, 1899, in Cleone.
The collection includes Evelyn’s ensemble and signature book, which contains their marriage certificate. Evelyn and her sister Margaret MacKerricher Lord handmade the dress for the event.
For the month of April our Wednesday History Makers program will be focusing on different ranches and ranching lifestyles throughout Mendocino County. This week from 2:00-4:30 we will be making DIY farm animal ears in honor of the history of the MacKerricher’s ranch that ultimately became a state park for all to enjoy.
CATCH OF THE DAY, Sunday, May 4, 2025
ADELINA GONZALEZ-CEJA, 28, Ukiah. DUI, misdemeanor hit&run.
CAROL GRASS, 70, Fort Bragg. DUI.
ADRIEL HERNANDEZ, 22, Hopland. DUI, suspended license for DUI, domestic battery, failure to appear, probation violation.
JEFFREY SHEPHARD, 31, Middletown/Ukiah. DUI.
CAROL THOMAS, 68, Dos Rios. DUI-any drug.
ON-LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY
The wine industry is losing. Younger folks just don’t drink wine so much. It’s going down and people are pulling up vines and selling off interests in their wineries. Could some of this be related to weed sales? I say yes: there is only so much discretionary money and what the kids spend on weed they then can’t spend on wine. So if we keep harvesting their money in black market sales we can not only destroy the corporate pansy BigWeed but also help destroy the Wine Cartels of Napa and Sonoma. YeeHaw!
CINCO DE MAYO. A day known by all and celebrated all over the States. Few know the history behind this historic, Mexican-American holiday.
During the 1860s, California has little over a decade of being a U.S. territory. After the Mexican-American war of 1846, many Mexicanos were “adopted” into the U.S. culture, but few adopted the U.S. customs. Many Californios, still considered themselves Mexicans and still paid homage to the homeland.
Come 1862, when the French invaded Mexico, many were attentive to the happenings on the field of battle and were anxiously expecting Juárez and Zaragoza’s win. To show support, Juntas Patrióticas in California took on the form of weekly assemblies to show support for the troops in Mexico and share news with the community.
While this was happening, the American Civil War of 1861 was simultaneously happening - and the Union (the precursor to the U.S.) was losing. The Confederate Army was more adept at battle than their northern contemporaries.
Already facing battles in California over their lands, Mexicanos were weary in accepting a new regime. A loss to Confederates meant slavery and more racism. It is believed, had the French won in Mexico, they would support The Confederacy and the support would tip the balance in their favor, thus, the U.S. would not exist without the victory at the Battle of Puebla, nor would many democracies in the Americas.
When the victory was announced and Juárez declared Cinco de Mayo a national holiday on May 9th, 1862, California’s in Juntas Patrióticas celebrated with danza folklóricos, mariachi, and food. The first know celebration was in Columbia, California.
For more on this topic, a highly recommended read is “Cinco de Mayo: An American Tradition” by David B. Hayes.
SHORTY’S BIRTHDAY SURPRISE
.
Shorty works the breakfast griddle
At the Oasis Cafe
He opens up at 6 a m
And he works alone all day.
.
His place is on the desert
And it’s from another time
And a decent cup of coffee
Only costs a dime.
.
The walls are hung with photographs
Of the horses of his day
And the faded checkered silks he wore
Are always on display.
.
He talks about the racetracks
And the friends that he’s made
Then he laughs and cocks his head
In his own peculiar way.
.
Aye God, he says. I thought you’d died
But look, you’re here alive
And I suppose you probably want
The ham and eggs with biscuits the side.
.
Hey, grab a coat, Shorty,
It gets chilly on the coast,
And we’ll be there in time to watch
The running horses post.
.
Yes, we’re off to the races
Though only for the day
Me and old Shorty in this big-rig truck
Hauling alfalfa hay.
— B. McEwen
YOU KNOW THIS GUY?
by Tommy Wayne Kramer
Sooo, didja hear I’ll probably be taking off early? Friday, maybe around 10? Or might be even earlier because we’ve got a long drive down to Drixel.
It’s not too far from Bakersfield if you know where that is. Kinda south. It’s where my uncle lives and I haven’t seen him in a pretty long time so we thought we’d go down there. Should be fun. My uncle Puckie is a really funny guy, but I don’t think he’s really my uncle, more like an old friend of my dad’s from when they were in the army or something, but we’ve always called him our uncle.
I actually have a real uncle, guy named Ed, my mother’s brother I guess, or maybe he’s a half brother because I think her parents got divorced at some point and he’s maybe not related. I mean I think he is, but even if he isn’t we still call him Uncle Ed. But we’re not visiting him, we’re going to Uncle Puckie’s. Uncle Ed lives in Cleveland now but he might’ve moved. I’ll ask when I’m down there.
Uncle Puckie, he’s a really neat guy. You’d like him. Always clowning around, acting like a goof but he’s pretty smart. And like I said we’ll be needing to get out early. He doesn’t actually live in Drixel, but that’s the closest town. You know where Drixel is?
Well, if you’re heading down 251 you actually go past Drixel unless you take the off-ramp, but if you just keep going straight in about a half mile it curves to the right a little and there’s this big barn-like thing? On the left? It’s red and I think it’s galvanized steel, but maybe it’s aluminum. I’ll ask Uncle Puckie; he’ll know. Anyway it’s red and it’s on the left side.
But if you go straight it curves and the road goes back down to two lanes. Not in the curve, but after it straightens out, and there’s a a street up a little ways ahead, maybe a quarter mile, and you make a left on to it. It’s got a sign that says Phlegm Street, which people down there pronounce “Flem” even though with the letter P you’d think it was “Puh-leg-um.” But they say Flem so we do too. When in Rome, you know? I always say that but I never did know what it’s supposed to mean. When who’s in Rome?
Anywhoo, there used to be a stoplight there but they took it out maybe three years ago. It wasn’t really a real stop light just one of those lights that blinks. You know the kind of lights that just blink?
So if you turn there his house is the first one on the right, maybe a few hundred feet down. It’s set pretty far off the road so it’s not easy to find. I’ve even drive past it a few times. There’s a mailbox but I still miss it, (laughs)
Anyway, if we don’t have to stop too much we should be getting there around six o’clock. I hope. They like to eat early. Uncle Puckie does these barbecue things like chicken and ribs, stuff like that, and what he does is puts them in barbecue sauce the night before. Ever hear of that? Anyway, it makes everything he grilles really good. I’ll bring you back some chicken wings.
No, no he won’t mind. He likes showing off his barbecue stuff, especially the ribs. And some cornbread too. Aunt Dodie makes the best cornbread ever.
And I’ll try to remember some of his jokes. Squirrel goes into a bar with a rabbit. No, wait. A crow and a rabbi go into a bar, and somebody tell him to take his hat off and he winds up getting blamed for the Titanic sinking. Something like that. It’s really funny the way he tells it. I’ll try to remember some other jokes for when I get back. You’ll crack up.
Then after dinner we play croquet until it gets dark. You won’t believe this but I almost always win. No really! Uncle Puckie says he thinks I must cheat and practice at home a lot, but I don’t even have a croquet set! Just lucky is all, I guess.
And then we go in and Aunt Dodie makes popcorn and we watch an old Hallmark Christmas movie. Everybody on the couch, even Barley the dog. Oh, no, Barley died a couple years ago. Their new dog is Wahoo. Barley died from something but I don’t remember what. Maybe he got put down. He was a really good dog. I’ve got some pictures here.
Hold on, right here. Oops. These are of my grandmother’s birthday, which was nice. She’s cutting the cake in this one. And that’s Uncle Puckie in the striped tie.
Oh here it is. This is Barley when he was a pup. I think they put him down last year or maybe the year before. I’ll ask Aunt Jodie. But Granma is still doing good. She’s 88. Or maybe 89. Not sure. I think she’s older than her sister, who’s got the same birthday I do. Funny huh?
Oh wait. Here’s pictures of Barley at my high school graduation. Or it might have been the prom. Anyway, that’s him and but my wife took the picture so she’s not in it. I’ve got some pictures of her though. Gimme a minute.
This is her at Disneyland. We went there three years ago. No, four. Because three years ago she had knee surgery so it had to have been four. I took pictures of her knee before and after the surgery. Just a sec. I think they’re… oops.
I AM A COW. I’m not interested in girls basketball
or global-weapons sales. Oh sure, there are the fences.
but I find the grass grows wherever I walk and the
.
fences don’t particularly bother me.
Grass is what
most interests me — green grass. … Oh, Hay is OK
but grass is best—green grass.
.
I am a cow. I’m not interested in girls or basketball.
Actually, I like fences.
Fences allow me to scratch my
head and to scratch some of the more inaccessible areas
near my ass. I am a cow and I break fences regularly
scratching my head and ass.
Often, I feel the grass is greener
on the other side of the fence. Like I say,
fences don’t particularly bother me as long as I am able
to scratch my head and ass and continue to find grass
that appears greener on the other side of the fence.
Without fences all grass would appear to be the same.
Not all cows agree but there is a general feeling that
without fences and the resultant consistent appearances,
the position of grazing would become untenable.
.
Gradations of green and the corollary choice involved
(vis-a-vis fences or lack of same) interest me.
There are no cows in foxholes.
— A. COW
(Don Shanley)
BUDDY HIELD SHUTS UP HATER WARRIORS FANS WITH RECORD-BREAKING GAME 7
by Gabe Fernandez
The haters and doubters have never been more wrong about a Warriors player, as Buddy Hield finished as Golden State’s leading scorer with 33 points in the Dubs’ 103-89 Game 7 win against the Houston Rockets.
As if that wasn’t enough, Hield tied an NBA record for most 3-pointers scored in a Game 7 performance with nine, finishing 9-of-11 from beyond the arc.
Many online Warriors fans had egg on their face following the first half of Game 7 against the Rockets after they ripped Buddy Hield’s inclusion in the last starting lineup of the first-round series only for the 32-year-old guard to already have the greatest postseason performance of his career.
When head coach Steve Kerr’s starting five for this win-or-go-home duel in Houston was announced, many within Dub Nation honed in on Hield’s name with reactions that ranged from mildly displeased to deeply depressed.
“Season in the hands of Buddy Hield,” one user replied with a gif of a screaming Chris Pratt.
“Why is Buddy Hield starting?,” another incredulously asked with a sobbing emoji.
The complaints went on and on, but the concerns quickly proved to be unfounded. Hield, who had never scored more than 20 points in a playoff game throughout his NBA career, scored 22 during Sunday’s game in just 16 minutes of first-half action. The surest sign that this night was going to be much different for the guard than the previous two games was the half-court buzzer-beater he hit to end the first quarter.
From there, the hot hand remained, scoring eight of his nine shots from the field, and six of his seven threes. Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN noted that Hield’s half-dozen treys broke the NBA record for most 3-pointers in the first half of a Game 7. It also tied the record for most 3-pointers in any half of a Game 7, matching what Donte DiVincenzo did for the Knicks last year.
The most impressive thing about this performance is not just that it happened during a Game 7, but that it happened during a Game 7 where Steph Curry was ice cold throughout the half. Curry couldn’t find his shot during the first two quarters, going 1-for-7 from the field and only sinking his first bucket with about 30 seconds left in the second quarter.
It’s never fun to be proven wrong online, but given how it’s benefiting Golden State in this pivotal matchup, perhaps the overzealous Warriors fans from earlier will be more than happy to see their Hield-hating prediction fall flat.
GIANTS POUND HAPLESS ROCKIES BEHIND TWO HOMERS FROM ADAMES, WEBB’S SEVEN INNINGS
by Shayna Rubin
As Willy Adames stepped into the batter’s box with bases loaded and no outs in the seventh inning, the sold-out crowd of 41,087 at Oracle Park rose to its feet. It would be an anticipatory situation for any San Francisco Giants fan, but Adames had given this crowd every reason to expect a highlight.
In his three prior at-bats, Adames had hit two solo home runs and came just a few feet shy of a third, settling for a loud RBI double off the fence in center field. Adames took three big swings on Colorado Rockies reliever Tyler Kinley’s sliders, striking out in the process.
“I was sitting on the slider the whole time,” Adames said. “The location wasn’t where I wanted.”
It didn’t matter. Adames had already made an imprint on the Giants’ 9-3 win over the Rockies on Sunday afternoon. He hit both home runs off Rockies righty German Marquez for his eighth career multi-homer game. The first ended a 10-pitch battle and the second was off a hanging slider.
With Adames igniting the offense, Logan Webb bounced back from a rough outing in San Diego with his third seven-inning outing of the season.
Similar to the Padres’ strategy, the Rockies came out aggressive and swinging early in the first inning, trying to take advantage of first-pitch strikes. The contact didn’t break Webb’s stride — though, a comebacker that deflected off his right knee in the fifth inning did briefly — as he allowed one run on six hits with six strikeouts and two walks. Along with his typical sweeper, sinker and changeup combination, Webb threw his four-seam fastball 14 times among his 96 pitches.
The win handed the Giants a 3-1 series win over the Rockies before they head to Chicago to play the NL Central-leading Cubs.
The Giants wound up scoring four runs the seventh after Adames’ strikeout — Wilmer Flores and LaMonte Wade Jr. chipped in the key RBI hits with two outs — to put the game away.
Sunday’s power display is a sign that Adames is warming the jets after a cold April. Slow starts, he’ll say, are typical for him.
“Even when I was talking to my best friend, he was telling me, ‘Why do have to be like that? Why do you suck in April?’” Adames said. “I said, ‘You think I’m trying to suck?’”
Throughout Adames’ eight-year career, his .221 average and .678 OPS in April are the lowest marks of any month. A typically slow start combined with the pressure to perform with a new team had the shortstop below the Mendoza Line continually through last month. Through April, he was batting .208 with a .592 OPS, striking out 32 times in 31 games.
But as the calendar shifted to May, so did Adames’ bat. Having played previously in indoor stadiums with the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays, Adames is getting familiar with his new outdoor home and the challenges Oracle Park presents. Since the start of the home series against the Milwaukee Brewers, his former team, on April 21, he’s batting .283 with seven RBIs, eight walks and 10 strikeouts.
“Really calm at-bats now,” manager Bob Melvin said. “When he tends to get going, he gets pretty hot. The homer, not shocked for another one, but every game now it seems like his at-bats are better. Couple home runs today, feels like he’s off to the races now.”
Added Adames: “It’s May. That’s the only difference.”
(SF Chronicle)
TRUMP TELLS FBI, HOMELAND SECURITY TO REOPEN ALCATRAZ — CLOSED SINCE 1963 — AS A PRISON
by Jessica Flora
President Donald Trump said Sunday that he has ordered federal law enforcement agencies to reopen and rebuild San Francisco’s Alcatraz as a prison to house violent offenders.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said the reopening of Alcatraz — which shuttered on March 21, 1963, because it was too expensive to maintain and operate — would “serve as a symbol of law, order and justice.” He directed the Bureau of Prisons, Justice Department, FBI and Department of Homeland Security to work together to reopen the infamous penitentiary on the island.
“For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat Criminal Offenders, the dregs of society, who will never contribute anything other than Misery and Suffering. When we were a more serious Nation, in times past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals, and keep them far away from anyone they could harm. That’s the way it’s supposed to be. No longer will we tolerate these Serial Offenders who spread filth, bloodshed, and mayhem on our streets,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social site.
“That is why, today, I am directing the Bureau of Prisons, together with the Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security, to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ, to house America’s most ruthless and violent Offenders. We will no longer be held hostage to criminals, thugs, and Judges that are afraid to do their job and allow us to remove criminals, who came into our Country illegally.
According to a history produced by the federal Bureau of Prisons, Alcatraz was almost three times more expensive to run than other federal prison, largely because all supplies — even fresh water — had to be brought in by boat. San Francisco’s northern shore is just over a mile away. About $3 to $5 million for restoration and maintenance work would also have been needed in the 1960s to keep the prison open, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi said in a statement Sunday that President Trump’s proposal to reopen the site as a prison “is not a serious one.”
“Alcatraz closed as a federal penitentiary more than sixty years ago,” she said. “It is now a very popular national park and major tourist attraction.”
Alcatraz operated as a prison for 29 years and housed well-known prisoners considered violent or escape risks, such as Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly and Arthur “Doc” Barker.
The prison was most known for the 1962 escape of three inmates — Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin — who used a vent shaft to reach the roof and launch a raft into the bay. They were never found.
Since 1973, Alcatraz has been open to the public. It is managed by the National Park Service and has become “one of the most popular park service sites,” according to the federal government. Approximately 1.2 million people visit each year to tour the cells and island grounds, according to the park service. The island is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
There is no executive order on Alcatraz currently on the White House website.
John Martini, a local historian, told the Chronicle Sunday that reopening Alcatraz would not be possible because the building is “totally inoperable.” There is no water, no sewage and only some parts of the building have electricity, he said. Some of the buildings on the island were built over 100 years ago, he noted.
“It was falling apart and needed huge amounts of reconstruction, and that would have only brought it up to 1963 code,” Martini said. “It was always an extremely expensive place to run.”
“If the discussion is to rebuild the prison building to hold people, I don’t think that would be feasible. It would have to be torn down and rebuilt,” Martini said.
State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, described the prospect of reopening Alatraz as ”absurd on its face” in a statement Sunday. Wiener noted it is a “museum” that “generates significant revenue for the federal government and supports many jobs.”
He said that the effort was part of the president’s “ongoing crusade to sabotage the rule of law.” He added: “If Trump is serious about doing this, it’s just one more step in his dismantling of democracy — a domestic gulag right in the middle of San Francisco Bay.”
(SF Chronicle)
‘DEATH SENTENCE’: ONE OF CALIFORNIA’S LARGEST COLLECTIONS OF HISTORY COULD GO DARK
by Amanda Bartlett
One of California’s largest collections of digitized newspapers, going back nearly 200 years and spanning approximately 54 million articles, could disappear due to gutted state funding. The unexpected news has delivered a heavy blow to historians, journalists, researchers and educators who rely on the archives for their work in the Bay Area and beyond.
The California Digital Newspapers Collection, housed at UC Riverside’s Center for Bibliographical Studies and Research, said on its website that its future “is in jeopardy” after director Brian Geiger recently learned its budget was completely decimated, leaving him with just a few weeks to source $300,000 or face the possibility of getting shut down.
“Without it, the CDNC will go offline and the work we do to preserve and digitize California newspapers will end,” he wrote in an email to CDNC users.
Geiger told the Jewish News of Northern California, whose newly digitized archives could also be impacted, that the collection typically gets $430,000 in funding administered by the California State Library, but “didn’t receive any of it this fiscal year,” which runs from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025. Meanwhile, he said “UCR has continued to pay expenses, mainly salaries, this entire year,” expecting them to eventually be paid back by the state.
Geiger told the outlet he has some reserves that could cover part of the gap, but said fundraising is necessary unless the university agrees to take on the costs. But he fears he’s running out of time. “I don’t think I could close it down in 60 days, not in a way that would leave it in any decent shape,” he said. The collection would vanish, and while its data would still be protected, the free archives would no longer be accessible to the public, including people hoping to trace their own family histories.
The CDNC’s massive repository of newspapers — nearly 1.5 million issues spanning over 21 million pages — date back to as early as the 1840s, allowing users to easily search for stories by date or keyword from the Californian, the first newspaper in the state, to the Black-owned and operated San Francisco paper The Pacific Appeal and the Sacramento Daily Union, which offers a comprehensive look at daily life in the Gold Rush era.
SFGATE reached out to UC Riverside, which was not immediately able to provide comment.
In an email to SFGATE last week, the San Francisco History Association board lamented the potential loss, describing the extensive work the collection has allowed them to achieve.
“Many of us who love history and do research or teach have come to depend on the California Digitized Newspaper Collection,” the board said. “You can imagine what a fabulous resource this is for anybody studying the history of California, its regions, and cities. Those of you who have enjoyed our SFHA presentations have often seen the final result of hours and hours of research, much of it done through or culled from the CDNC.”
The board implored people to reach out to members of the state budget committee, including state Senator John Laird and Assemblymember David A. Alvarez, and donate to the fund.
“If they are unable to raise money immediately, they will go dark and all those hours and hours of work and amazing historical resources will be gone,” the board wrote.
The Emperor Norton Trust, a nonprofit dedicated to honoring the life and legacy of the famed 19th-century San Francisco eccentric, said it has utilized the CDNC nearly every day for the past 12 years. The trust lauded the collection’s original sources documenting Norton’s life that no other digital newspaper archive has, including “the most complete collection” of the Daily Alta California, the first daily newspaper in San Francisco.
The trust pointed out that the California State Library receives its own federal funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and in mid-March, President Donald Trump issued an executive order calling for the agency and six others to be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.”
If the CDNC were defunded, it “would be a death sentence,” the trust said. “It is impossible to overstate the negative impact of this possible outcome.”
KEZAR STADIUM IS A SAN FRANCISCO ICON. IT WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO EXIST
by Peter Hartlaub
If you grew up in San Francisco, you almost certainly have a bond with Kezar Stadium.
The Golden Gate Park stadium, which quietly turns 100 years old Friday, has hosted more than 175 San Francisco 49ers games, thousands of high school football contests, and countless soccer matches, run club hangouts, parades, graduations and middle school track meets. “Dirty Harry” Callahan tortured the killer Scorpio on this field. Led Zeppelin played a sold-out concert here.
Phil Ginsburg, general manager of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, calls Kezar “the people’s stadium.”
“How many cities have a 100-year-old stadium that anybody can walk into just about any time of day and use?” Ginsburg says. “You don’t get that at the Coliseum in Los Angeles. You don’t get that in Franklin Field in Philadelphia. You don’t get that anywhere.”
But through it all, its founder has been all but erased from history. While the namesakes of Coit Tower, Sutro Heights and McLaren Park have books written about them, Mary A. Kezar’s full name wasn’t mentioned once in the Chronicle’s 1925 story about the grand opening of her stadium. Her anonymity became a century-long running joke.
“As there’s plenty of nothin’ on Mary Kezar, it’s just as well that the city’s brass decided to hang her name on the shingle,” Chronicle columnist Millie Robbins wrote in 1962. “Otherwise she might have been lost entirely in the historic shuffle.”
Kezar’s spot on Golden Gate Park’s southeast corner was chosen for its proximity to streetcar lines, and its central location became its biggest asset. Children would march across town for school safety patrol rallies inside its bowl; these uniform-wearing students (my uncle included) were deputized to monitor San Francisco traffic. Kezar track meets were front-page news in the Chronicle; a teenage Johnny Mathis won a city high jump championship there in 1953.
There were world-class events, too. Heavyweight Rocky Marciano fought Don Cockell at Kezar in 1955, in an open-air ring erected at the center of the field. On Dec. 22, 1957, when the 49ers played the Detroit Lions for the Western Conference championship, the ticket was so hot that hundreds climbed the roofs of Victorians that overlooked the field.
San Francisco family histories abound with Kezar Stadium stories. Kezar was partially demolished in 1989, and the current 10,000-seat arena with a track and football field has been open for free to the community most days since.
My son Milo ran his first high school mile race there, and my mother marched in May Day pageants from 1959 to 1962. Another relative, Warren Fannin, was a Polytechnic High football star who once intercepted Tony Serra at Kezar Stadium and ran it back for a touchdown. Serra became the city’s “hippie Atticus Finch” and inspiration for the movie “True Believer.”
But there is one name, maybe the most important, that doesn’t echo over time.
When I asked Ginsburg whether he knew the story of the stadium’s namesake — setting a bit of a trap — the parks head came up with the same two facts that have been repeated for the last century:
- Mary Kezar donated $100,000 to build the stadium.
- It’s a memorial to her uncles John, Charles and Bartlett Doe.
And it turns out one of those statements is factually squishy.
The Does were wealthy lumbermen who moved to San Francisco in the 1800s after generations in Maine. Mary was their beloved niece. As they died — Bartlett was the last, perishing from “exhaustion” at age 85 on the day of the 1906 earthquake — Kezar became wealthy.
When Kezar died in 1922, the Chronicle reported, she donated $100,000 — nearly $6 million in 2025 dollars — for a “permanent monument” to her mother, Nancy, and uncles, who loved the outdoors. Perhaps a large statue, a children’s playground or a zoo?
What happened next is pieced together from articles from the 1920s to 1960s, including by heavyweight Chronicle columnists Collins, Herb Caen and Art Rosenbaum.
San Francisco Mayor “Sunny Jim” Rolph’s son was student body president at Polytechnic High, the school across the street from the southeast corner of the park. Jim Jr. and his friends wanted a stadium. The city had insufficient funds, but Rolph remembered Kezar’s “gift.”
A stadium was a stretch and required assent from both the will’s executor and a judge. But in late 1922, the Chronicle reported, superior court Judge Frank L. Dunne approved construction.
The final punch line came from Caen, who in 1963 talked to a living relative: “Mary Kezar hated sports.”
So there’s the answer: Kezar Stadium is the product of political opportunism and nepotism. The benefactor asked for a monument to her uncles, not rock concerts and big-ticket football games. When Led Zeppelin launched into “Black Dog” for 50,000 fans on June 2, 1973, imagine Mary A. Kezar rolling in her grave.
But here’s the twist: Kezar Stadium now is the perfect monument. Since the coliseum-like walls were torn down, it blends into the landscape, surrounded by trees and nearly invisible until you descend into the bowl.
On a summer morning, it reflects the city, feeling more like a park than a sports arena. High-level athletes running stairs mix with youth camps, parents with strollers and weekend joggers. The few events that are ticketed, like SF City FC and San Francisco Nighthawks soccer games, are aggressively affordable. And there are beloved traditions, such as the Bruce-Mahoney football game between St. Ignatius College Preparatory and Sacred Heart Cathedral. This week Kezar hosted the San Francisco Unified School District’s middle school track and field finals, a multiday event Ginsburg calls “the happiest youth sports event on Earth.”
Ginsburg said his department still pursues big Kezar events. FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi practiced there in 2009, and the 49ers practiced there in 2015. But true to the Kezar/Doe spirit, “it will always be a place where you can go for a run in the morning.”
“We want it to be a very special space for San Francisco kids in particular, so they can have these memories,” Ginsburg said. “For our high school kids to have played in a Turkey Bowl on the same field that the 49ers used to play? I like this mix of it being community-oriented, but also being available for the highest-quality sporting events.”
So, happy birthday, Kezar Stadium. And thank you, Mary A. Kezar. It took a few generations, but you couldn’t have picked a better gift for San Francisco.
FROM FDR TO TRUMP
To the Editor:
Re “The New Deal Is a Stinging Rebuke to Trump and Trumpism,” by Jamelle Bouie (NY Times, April 30, 2025)
In his first 100 days in office, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, my grandfather, encouraged us to believe in ourselves, to trust and help our neighbors, and to put the country’s stability and well-being as a whole at the forefront.
By contrast, the current administration has caused economic chaos at home and abroad, while exhibiting carelessness and cruelty to nearly everyone except billionaires. The early success of a presidential agenda should be defined by what it creates and not by what it destroys — the confidence in the American promise that it inspires, not the fear it sows.
All my life I have lived in the shadow — no, the glow — of the legacy of my grandparents’ leadership, ideals and public accomplishments. I am 77 years old, and I hope I live to see that legacy give rise to a reborn America that treasures the freedoms they enshrined: the freedom of speech and expression, the freedom to live one’s own faith, the freedom from desperation and want, and most especially, the freedom from fear.
Thank you, Mr. Bouie, for your clear declaration of what we must do and why.
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt
Embden, Maine
SEX ED
This is an actual extract from a sex education textbook for girls, printed in the early 1960’s in the UK. As far as we have come, we have so far to go!
When retiring to the bedroom, prepare yourself for bed as promptly as possible. Whilst feminine hygiene is of the utmost importance, your tired husband does not want to queue for the bathroom, as he would have to do for his train. But remember to look your best when going to bed. Try to achieve a look that is welcoming without being obvious. If you need to apply face cream or hair-rollers wait until he is asleep as this can be shocking to a man last thing at night.
When it comes to the possibility of intimate relations with your husband it is important to remember your marriage vows and in particular your commitment to obey him. If he feels that he needs to sleep immediately then so be it. In all things be led by your husband’s wishes; do not pressure him in any way to stimulate intimacy. Should your husband suggest Congress then agree humbly all the while being mindful that a man’s satisfaction is more important than a woman’s. When he reaches his moment of fulfillment a small moan from yourself is encouraging to him and quite sufficient to indicate any enjoyment that you may have had.
Should your husband suggest any of the more unusual practices be obedient and uncomplaining but register any reluctance by remaining silent. It is likely that your husband will then fall promptly asleep so adjust your clothing, freshen up, and apply your night-time face and hair care products. You may then set the alarm so that you can arise shortly before him in the morning. This will enable you to have his morning cup of tea ready.
“NORTHERNERS took over the Southern myth and themselves began to revel in it. This acceptance was to culminate in Gone With the Wind, the enormous success of which novel makes a curious counterbalance to that of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. But it began in the Century of the eighties with the stories of Thomas Nelson Page. Though Page had been only twelve at the end of the Civil War, so had had little experience of the old regime, he really invented for the popular mind Old Massa and Mistis and Meh Lady, with their dusky-skinned adoring retainers. The Northerners, after the shedding of so much blood, illogically found it soothing to be told that slavery had not been so bad, that the Negroes were a lovable but simple race, whose business was to work for whites. And Page also struck in his stories a note of reconciliation that everybody wanted to hear: he cooked up romances between young Northern officers, as gentlemanly as any Southerner, and spirited plantation beauties who might turn out to be the young men’s cousins and who in any case would marry them after the war.”
― Edmund Wilson
IT'S GOOD that Trump’s “MAGA” base opposes war with Iran so forcefully, but it’s pretty revealing how absent they’ve been on Trump’s butchery in Yemen and Gaza. They’re not opposed to war or mass murder, they’re just opposed to fighting people who are strong enough to fight back.
— Caitlin Johnstone
LEAD STORIES, MONDAY'S NYT
A Trump Family Push for Profit on Three Continents Breaks Historical Norms
Trump Says ‘I Don’t Know’ When Asked About Due Process and Upholding Constitution
Trump Says He Wants Alcatraz Restored as a Prison
Student Debt Collections Restart on May 5. Here’s What to Know
As Gaza Siege Grinds On, Gazan Children Go Hungry and Patients Die
Sean Combs Jury to Decide if He Led an Entourage or a Criminal Enterprise
A.I. Is Getting More Powerful, but Its Hallucinations Are Getting Worse
Universal Antivenom May Grow Out of Man Who Let Snakes Bite Him 200 Times
NO, STATE MEDIA AND DEMOCRACY DON’T GO “HAND IN HAND.” JUST THE OPPOSITE
In the age of digital censorship, state media is just as likely to be a threat to democracy as a boon to it
by Matt Taibbi
The press watchdog Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, or FAIR.org, which I read regularly as a young reporter, weighed in on the NPR debate:
“One could look at this threat as part of Trump’s general distrust of major media and desire to seek revenge against outlets he believes have been unfair to him… Going after public broadcasters is also a part of the neo-fascist playbook authoritarian leaders around the world are using to clamp down on dissent and keep the public in the dark, all in the name of protecting the people from partisan reporting. That’s largely because strong public media systems and open democracy go hand in hand.”
Titled “Cuts to PBS, NPR Part of Authoritarian Playbook,” the above is either satire or written by someone consciously ignoring the history of state media. Yes, Car Talk and the MacNeil/Lehrer report were cool, but outlets like Neues Deustchland, Télé Zaïre, and Tung Padewat more often went “hand in hand” with fingernail factories or firing squads than democracy. It’s bizarre to see Americans trying to whitewash this.
The office of my first full-time reporting job with the Moscow Times was in the Pravda building. I used to spend lunch hours walking through the doors shown in the photo above, beering up in a cafeteria with writers from the sports section of Komsomolskaya Pravda, at the time the Guinness Book record-holder for world’s largest circulation. With over 21 million readers, “Komsomolka” sure as hell qualified as “strong public media,” but hardly went “hand in hand” with democracy. Like the rest of ex-Soviet media, its owed its circulation to decades of forcing insane lies on readers, like cheery dispatches about the “Doctor’s Plot“ purges of 1953.
The Russian muckrakers of the 1990s threw themselves into the job like superheroes once they got a whiff of freedom, which in their case usually meant being disentangled from the state. That period, like the lives of many of those folks, didn’t last long. Vladimir Putin sent masked police into the last independent TV station on May 11, 2000, capping less than ten years of quasi-free speech. “Strong state media” remained, but actual journalism vanished.
People who grew up reading the BBC or AFP may imagine a correlation between a state media and democracy, but a more dependable indicator of a free society is whether or not obnoxious private journalism (like the Russian Top Secret, whose editor Artyom Borovik died in a mysterious plane crash) is allowed to proliferate. As for those once-storied European networks, most have now become parodies, operating in concert with multiple official review operations like BBC Verify or the “Trusted Flaggers” of the EU’s Digital Services Act. This layered messaging system essentially guarantees favorable coverage of public policy and is more dangerous than asking the listeners of stations like NPR to pay for media they like.
As anyone who’s read Hate Inc. knows, I was until recently a proponent of public incentives for journalism, which is necessary but hard to fund. The Post Office Act of 1792 charged publishers fractions of normal postage rates. Western expansion was aided by gratis rides on the Pony Express for “newspaper slips,” and the Communications Act of 1934 helped birth broadcast news by requiring licensees of public airwaves to operate in the “public interest, convenience, and necessity.” After the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 passed, we enjoyed an imperfect system that left room for public and private innovations, from Sesame Street to Radical Chic. Which was great, but how nuts do you have to be to think “strong state media” doesn’t have a dark side? Is the history of this stuff just not being taught?
(racket.news)
ON-LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY (2)
A journalist is someone who has been hired to collect information and to write it for public consumption, by a company that will profit financially from this.
Apart from the state media, this is a business. And even then, the employees of state media are employees like everyone else.
There are no formal credentials to become a journalist. Nor is there any professional body overseeing this. Many Journalists in earlier eras had grade 12 educations. If even that. And in the last generation, the ante may have been upped to an undergrad degree in some cases. Or a Community College diploma in newsroom procedures. In other words, most journalists cannot possibly be omniscient gods. They simply pull material off the wire or the internet.
Those few MSM journalists like Matt Taibbi and Walter Kirn, thinking for themselves, are in the minority.
NOT PRETTY, BUT NO CUTS PROPOSED TO MEDICARE/MEDICAID
Trump unveiled his fiscal 2026 budget proposal May 2, cutting non-defense federal spending by $160 billion.
Six things to know:
- The budget provides resources to HHS to promote nutrition, physical activity, healthy lifestyles and more, according to the White House press release. The funds will also tackle “over-reliance on medications and treatments” as well as food and drug quality and safety.
- The VA medical centers will receive additional funds for healthcare services. Qualified veterans can also receive care from local community providers to expand access for those who otherwise would have to drive hours for care.
- The budget would cut funds nearly in half for the National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The NIH’s funding would fall from around $48 billion to $27 billion and the CDC funding from $9 billion to $4 billion, according to The New York Times.
- The budget further would eliminate divisions for the CDC focused on disease and injury prevention, including gun violence. It would also cut the programs for environmental health, global health and public health preparedness, according to The Times. The CDC’s focus would narrow to cover just infectious disease.
- Trump’s budget proposes $1 billion cuts from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
- The budget proposal does not cut funding for Medicare or Medicaid.
5/2/25 - Becker’s Hospital Review
https://consortiumnews.com/2025/05/04/chris-hedges-trumpland/
Well, well, well. We’re almost to the destination to which we’ve been heading for a long, long, time. The MAGAts will be in hog heaven, at least for a short time. Glad I’m old. I never cared for authoritarian rule, or rule by greedy, wealthy, moronic rich people.
No worries about getting supplies to Alcatraz island, Trump will instruct the Dept. of Transportation to reroute the Golden Gate Bridge to the island, Problem solved.
Alcatraz “plan” is just the latest play in the game of “Hey, look over here!” Definitely his super power.
Haberdash! Alcatraz “plan” may be just fine without water and sewer.
Call it “Gaza West”. Give the inmates hope.
Build a tunnel from Tiburon to Treasure Island via Alcatraz, with Musk’s tunnel boring machine.
It is closer than Mars.
Use the spoils for ocean swelling wetlands mitigation.
Speaking of Alcatraz and superpowers: in /X-Men: The Last Stand/. Magneto shakes the Golden Gate Bridge and stops all the cars. He’s at the height of his power at this point in the story. He will tear the bridge from its moorings and /fly it over to Alcatraz./ It’s like an earthquake. Cables and girders are stretching and popping. People are out of their cars, running south, in terror. Magneto and his army of vengeful twisted supermen march onto the bridge from the north. Stalled cars sweep aside out of their path. Magneto turns to concentrate on the north end of the bridge. He holds out his arms, one behind him, one before, rips the bridge loose and apart, steers it sideways to span from the Marina District to the island, and drops it there. The music and thunder and power go quiet. He looks around, and… a woman remaining in a car locks her car doors with one click, reflexively, for safety, as if. I love this. That’s the whole movie, for me, right there. Also the part at the end, after the credits, the chess game in the park.
It absolutely is, and the national media swallow’s the bait and the hook every time. The real question is what is he trying to distract us from? Illegal crypto trading? Land deals in Russia? Hundreds of millions spent on weekend trips to Florida and elsewhere?
Drixel, California? Near Bakersfield? Highway 251? Can’t find the former, and the latter appears to be the state designation for Sir Francis Drake Blvd., in Marin. Is there some “hidden meaning” here? If so, it’s beyond my capabilities.
-> Yesterday’s “hiddden meaning” MCT SF Vietnamese dining hotspot recommendation in ‘anything goes’ neighborhood that doesn’t impact the tourists or wealthy, also has mystifying contradictory information, whether one establishment or another is referenced for meals, in one area or perhaps another.
Diabetes Benefit Dinner…
If you want to kill a type 1 diabetic just serve, “Italian comfort food, wine, and beer”.
From HCR’s Letter from an American:
In an interview aired today on NBC News’s Meet the Press, reporter Kristen Welker asked President Donald J. Trump if he agreed that every person in the United States is entitled to due process.
“I don’t know. I’m not, I’m not a lawyer. I don’t know,” Trump answered.
Any Maga’s wanna comment on this statement by your dear leader? Call it, anybody?
Just had the lovely image of Trump a few years from now, entering the newly-renovated–at his command– Alcatraz Prison as the very first prisoner. Heck, give him the presidential suite there, he’d have earned it, paying the price for all his crimes over all the decades. What a celebration, what a media-feast, it would be. A fantastical day dream, I know, but a good one…
I think Elba is still available Chuck and it has family rates. But most likely he’d wanna hang with Assad and Putin in Russia. Maybe sponsor a miss Fascist Universe Contest and get some of that backstage action again. Speaking of Assad, I highly recommend No Man’s Land, a series on Hulu about the Kurdish women brigades who fought against Isis.
Be careful what you wish for, the first prisoners could be Bill and Hillary Clinton and The Biden Crime Syndicate, Chuckie.
James Marmon used to call me by that name, You are not a worthy successor to him, and of course you have not the courage or character to tell us your name.
Love to! A person who crossed into our Country illegally, their due process is to be deported. Trump is vague because he has all these district judges not following the law. He also knows SCOTUS is hearing the case about these district judges this week. If he gave the answer he probably wants to, then people like you would say he is trying to influence the Supreme Court.
But you and your buddies keep defending rapists, child abusers and murderers. It will just mean your party will fall in every election until you get common sense. 21% approval rating, keep defending the 80/20 issues from the twenty side. I told Bruce Anderson I would use another term rather than Libtards, it was so simple and maybe it won’t get your panties in a bunch, America Haters.
Great answer. Ever read the Constitution or has your dear leader banned that also? Guess that makes me a Constitutiontard. What I call you is not polite to print here. Use your imagination.
Wait until these liberals find out most people from down south don’t support ms13 members or the cartel. Who do you people think your standing up for?
Ever heard of the constitution?
I stand up for a guy named KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA! And other people renditioned by Trump without DUE PROCESS.
Of course you do! You hate America. And yes, I’ve read the Constitution. Don’t know what you’re reading but no where does it say, an illegal alien who has had two deportation hearings where the court’s ruling was to deport. He got his due process. Your leader, Sleepy Joe failed to deport him. Keep rooting for the criminals.
Nobody here “hates” America, as even a frother like you has got to know at some level of your turbulent consciousness. And nobody is rooting for criminals, homegrown or imported, as you must also realize at some level of your shrieking, deliberately misunderstanding consciousness, such as it appears to be. Why are you so unhappy?
Counter intelligence sock puppet?
The Trump administration made a mistake in deporting the MS13 guy to El Salvador in conflict with a judge’s order. if he had been deported to anywhere else all would have been good. Of course who would wanted him? That is another matter.
Please provide citations for your claim that Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the “MS13 guy” was MS13, otherwise you are spreading lies and MAGA/Trump propaganda known to be false Hollister.
From Snopes:
Snopes readers searched the site and wrote to us asking if the photograph was real and if it proved Abrego Garcia was affiliated with MS-13. While publicly available evidence confirmed the image shared by Trump was authentic in origin, it also confirmed that the image had been altered to insert the text “MS-13” above the actual tattoos — in effect annotating them. There was no clear evidence the symbols on Abrego Garcia’s fingers proved an affiliation with MS-13.
Abrego Garcia was mistakenly detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on March 12, 2025. According to CASA, an immigration advocacy organization involved in Abrego Garcia’s legal defense, he had no criminal convictions in either the U.S. or El Salvador. In 2019, a judge ordered that he not be returned to El Salvador on the grounds that he would face persecution. Three days after his detainment in 2025, however, the government sent Abrego Garcia to El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center prison, or CECOT, without a hearing, according to The New York Times.
The Trump administration itself called his detention and removal an “administrative error.”
A messy revelation process seems to be underway that spans the worlds of the DOD, IC, and contractors running Waived, Unacknowledged Special Acess Programs. There are internal conflicts between officials re whether to disclose a surprising fact commonly suppressed for decades. The head of the DOD UFO program, Dr. Jon Kosloski, has recently admitted that they have cases that are real but are so anomalous and strange (exhibiting technologies way beyond our known capacities) that they’re not releasing them publicly.
David Grusch, a retired AF Colonel and official with the NRO and Geospatial Agency, has been hired as a staffer for the bipartisan UFO committee associated with the House Oversight Committee. Grusch was tasked between 2019 to 2021 by the then UFO Task Force Director Jay Stratton to find if there were unknown special access programs that recovered and studied extraterrestrial technology. He testified in in a congressional hearing during the summer of 2023 that 40 whistleblowers provided evidence of recovered alien craft and “biologics”. (The latter report of bodies so upset the AP they excluded that in articles.)
Two new whistleblowers have just now bravely gone public:
Matthew Brown, former policy advisor to the Secretary of Defense; former technical advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security; former program advisor in Dept. Of State.
Dr. Gregory Rogers, retired Chief of Aerospace Medicine (aka Chief Flight Surgeon and AF Major)
Brown was the source for the report on “Immaculate Constellation” that was the subject of a Congressional hearing this past January. He inadvertently saw their info and extensive high quality film of UFOs. It was misfiled and seen when he was at the State Dept.
Dr. Rogers just came out, revealing he saw CCTV film of a reversed engineered craft (levitating) in 1992 and that he knew of several astronauts having experienced craft flying in formation with them.
Many whistleblowers are currently holding back due to fears of what might come from private corp security forces.
LOL.
Trump signed an Executive Order renaming the San Andreas Fault.
It will now be called “Biden’s Fault”.
Ok! Doesn’t matter which side of the coin you are on, I hope everyone can admit THAT WAS FUNNY!!!
Trump renaming!!?
Biden’s fault!!
Laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes!
Carry on Julie!
You’re on Drudge today. He linked to a sfgate article re cannabis farms on tribal lands.
Though there’s no news article confirming that story is true Rep. Huffman suggested naming the planet “Trump”.
Clarifying:
There’s no news article saying Trump renamed the San Andreas fault but a Google search showing alot of people on X and Facebook doing alot of renaming with various names that include Biden or Newsom.
Huffman, during a committee hearing that was considering putting Trump on Mt Rushmore, suggested that everyone just cut to the chase and simply rename our planet Trump.
That’s a good one, “planet Trump.” The man has a hole that cannot be filled, and seeks endlessly to make himself whole at the expense of his country and its people. It is abnormal psychology at its sad apex. One for the text books, and we all suffer for it.
Agreed.
The cold-open crew at Saturday Night Live are green with envy —Trump got ‘em a good un w/ that. Sheesh I’ve been grinning ever since I read it and my typical scowl won’t come back! Hahahaha
I like it.
Then you probably didn’t get it (as my mother used to say when us kids laughed like the others at some witticism beyond our ken).
That’s funny!
More than four decades ago, I wrote a bunch of fictitious, humorous (for April Fool’s Day) wine reviews for the April edition of the late, great Redwood Rancher Magazine. Included was one for a San Andreas Winery, whose motto was, “It’s not our fault.”
I asked the All Seeing Eye:
AI Overview
+2
It appears you’re asking about whether former President Donald Trump has renamed any geological faults.
Based on the search results, there’s no evidence to suggest that President Trump has renamed any geological faults. However, there is a Facebook post referencing the San Andreas Fault and the text “Trump Renamed San Andreas Fault!”, which may be satirical or misinformed.
The search results also contain information about other renaming proposals and actions during Trump’s presidency, including:
Veterans Day: Trump proposed renaming Veterans Day to “Victory Day for World War I”, which was met with backlash and later retracted by the White House.
Gulf of Mexico: Trump signed an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America”.
It’s important to rely on verified news sources for information about official actions and policy changes.
Before now it was “Trump’s Fault”. I like it.
cinco cinco veinticinco 🎉
No one, no one
NO ONE
Provides SERVICE,
Like a MEXICAN,
Native, or
from its roots,
In the U.S.A.
Y’all need a garden or a hobby .
Falling for the orange one’s latest fantasy like fourteen year old boys.
Then you have the time to whack off on your keyboards about it.
Getting hard to wade through the AVA
to find the gems anymore.
BH
“…no honest movie critics writing in the English language any more.” I nominate Eileen Jones of Jacobin as the best critic any where today. Of course she usually aligns with my taste…but that’s how many of us seek out critics. She’s very critical of Capitalism, Imperialism, etc. And funny besides!