Mendocino County Today: Friday 5/16/2025

A WEAK SYSTEM will increase cloud cover and present low chances for a few showers or light drizzle tonight through Saturday. Breezy northwest winds are anticipated through the afternoons, with increased strength Saturday and Sunday. A warming trend then develops next week. (NWS)

STEPHEN DUNLAP (Fort Bragg): 46F under clear skies this Friday morning on the coast. Clear skies & cooler temps but now with less wind thru the weekend. YIPPEE!

JIM SHIELDS (Laytonville)

As I send this out to you, the Sheriff’s Office is reporting “Law Enforcement activity in the COVELO area, Hulls Valley Rd closed due to on going investigation. There is a unit parked at each end of Hulls Valley Rd that will assist people who reside in the affected area.”

Other sources are reporting, “A man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds was located by a Mendocino County Sheriff’s deputy near Covelo around 8:15 a.m. today, May 15, 2025. The victim, who had been shot in the chest and lower body, told deputies he had been carjacked. An air ambulance was requested to transport him for medical treatment. REACH 80 is responding to pick up the shooting victim found this morning. The discovery comes just hours after deputies responded to another fatal shooting incident nearby. While law enforcement was out investigating an unoccupied vehicle in the 8000 block of Mina Road, dispatch received a 911 call shortly after midnight. A Spanish-speaking 911 caller reported seeing flashing lights near Hulls Valley Road, a rural area east of Covelo. Deputies responded and located another individual, believed to be deceased from a gunshot wound. Medical units were canceled, and the coroner and a chief deputy were notified. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether the two incidents are linked though we believe they are. Deputies remain on scene, and Hulls Valley Road is closed to through traffic as the investigation continues. We have reached out to the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Department requesting more information but deputies are still on scene investigating what occurred.”

We’ll have follow-up report in next week’s Observer.

SHERIFF’S NOTICE (Thursday evening): Situational Awareness: Law Enforcement activity in the COVELO area, Hulls Valley Rd closed due to on going investigation. There is a unit parked at each end of Hulls Valley Rd that will assist people who reside in the affected area.

ON-LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY

Hulls Valley is a beautiful place. And marijuana is a beautiful plant. I loved it. Small scenes were good times. I was saddened to my heart to see the greedrush and “the industry” destroy our counties. Covelo area worse than most others. This murder may not be directly tied to weed but weed greed was what spun us all into a dark place we are still experiencing…

LOCAL EVENTS (this weekend)

GET CUBBISON PROJECT MORPHS INTO BLAME CUBBISON: SUPES TELL CUBBISON SHE’S ON HER OWN. (But she can submit written questions with copies to CEO Antle.)

by Mark Scaramella

(The following is a draft letter from the Board of Supervisors to Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector Chamise Cubbison on next Tuesday’s Board agenda, presumably written by CEO Darcie Antle for Board signature.)

“Dear Ms. Cubbison:

As Chair of the Board of the Board of Supervisors, I am writing on behalf of the Board in response to your report to the Board on Tuesday, May 6, 2025.

You informed the Board that you will not be able to close the year-end books with year-end balance entries completed for the County’s outside audit firm, Clifton Larson Allen, to begin their outside audit in September, unless the Board of Supervisors directs Sara Pierce to work directly for you and with your staff beginning July 15, 2025, through the issuance of the 2025 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR).

You have also stated that you would like the Board to require Ms. Pierce, who is an Executive Office employee, to sign the ACFR and the Management Representation Letter, both of which are your responsibility pursuant to California Government Code section 53891(a), as the officer in charge of the financial records of the County.

For several reasons, the Board does not believe these are reasonable requests.

Ms. Pierce resumed her position with the Executive Office on February 26, 2025, and took on the duties of Purchasing Agent and Acting Assistant CEO. Since that date and your return to the office, Ms. Pierce has consistently provided regular assistance to your department.

When Ms. Pierce accepted the assignment of Acting Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector, she worked directly with your management team, including Assistant Auditor-Controller, Megan Hunter, Assistant Treasurer-Tax Collector Cheyenne Gordon and A-C and T-TC staff. She utilized the same staff and resources that were and are now available to you and your department, including, for example, the consultant contracts with Regional Government Services Authority (RGS) and Clifton Larson Allen (CLA). That institutional knowledge still exists with your current team and can be supplemented by the same consultant contracts which are still current and available to you.

Additionally, as an elected Department Head you can seek any contracts you need without delay up to $25,000, and, as you know, any Board level contract can be agendized for any regular meeting.

Ms. Pierce also remains available to answer questions you may have related to her work as the Acting Auditor-Controller/ Treasurer-Tax Collector. We ask only that you put questions in writing so that Ms. Pierce can effectively respond and balance her assistance to your office with her regular assignments in the Executive Office. Since Ms. Pierce works for the CEO please copy the CEO on your written requests as we believe this honors the organizational structure of the County.

Ms. Pierce is an employee of the Executive Office and wishes to remain an employee of the Executive Office. The Board and CEO cannot legally compel a County employee to accept a position within a different department. Additionally, although Ms. Pierce is available to answer questions you may have related to her work as the Acting Auditor-Controller/ Treasurer-Tax Collector, her current role as the Purchasing Agent and Assistant CEO carries a significant workload. It is not feasible for her to be assigned to your office for the rest of the year. Requiring Ms. Pierce to work for your office would leave her position vacant.

If you have a need for an additional position or positions in your office, the Board asks that you work with Human Resources pursuant to County policy #38, which requires you to determine what additional staffing would allow your office to fulfill its obligations. If you wish to discuss position allocation or adding positions within your department, please contact Human Resources.

The Board remains committed to assisting you in achieving your statutory mandates but is unable to compel an employee to work for you. With this understanding, please let the Board know as soon as possible if you are unable or unwilling to fulfill the duties and statutory requirements of your position. Thank you.

Sincerely,

John Haschak, Chair

Mendocino County Board of Supervisors”

First, narrowly speaking: Ms. Cubbison did not say that she would be unable to “close the books” without help from Pierce. Nor did Cubbison ask that Sara Pierce “accept a position in a different department.” Nor did Cubbison ask that Pierce “be assigned to [her] office for the rest of the year.” This is a deliberate misstatement of what Cubbison asked for. It is part of the Board’s and the CEO’s ongoing petty post-exoneration Cubbison revenge/blame strategy to punish Cubbison for staunchly defending herself against the bogus criminal charges and suspension without pay and disagreeing with the Board’s consolidation of the Treasurer and Auditor offices.

We went back to the video of the May 6 meeting. The specific request made by Cubbison after explaining the outside auditor deadlines was:

“The only way for me to meet the dates the outside auditor has set is for Sara Pierce to be made available to me directly when I need her to provide information, not through anyone else, from now until July 15. She will then need to be assigned to work directly with me and my staff through the issuance of the ACFR [Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, in early September]. … In addition, Sara Pierce will need to be authorized to sign the management representation letter and the ACFR with me.”

Cubbison asked that Pierce be “assigned to work with me,” not that she be assigned to the Auditor’s office. Cubbison also did not ask that Pierce be available “for the rest of the year,” nor that Pierce work for [Cubbison’s] office.”

If the Board and the CEO were serious about meeting the outside audit report deadlines while not transferring Ms. Pierce to Cubbison’s office, the Board could have suggested limiting the number of hours Pierce would be available, making it clear that she would not be “assigned” to Cubbison’s office. But they couldn’t even do that. Cubbison’s request that Pierce co-sign the management representation letter seems completely reasonable since Pierce was Acting Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector during the period in question.

Second, more broadly speaking, to top it off, the Board had no hesitation “assigning” Sara Pierce to the Auditor’s office and leaving her position in the CEO’s office vacant for 17 months (!) while Cubbison was wrongly suspended without pay. But now that Cubbison requests some help to meet audit report deadlines, Pierce can’t be spared because it would leave her position vacant.

Oh please. Ridiculously hypocritical, but typical. These are the people running Mendocino County.

Haschak’s/the CEO’s draft response to Cubbison ends with this nasty little masterpiece of passive-aggressiveness: “With this understanding, please let the Board know as soon as possible if you are unable or unwilling to fulfill the duties and statutory requirements of your position.”

Note to Board members: Please let the public know that you refuse to fulfill the duties of your positions as Supervisors by petulantly obstructing the elected Auditor-Controller/Treasurer Tax Collector at every turn.

UKIAH POLICE DEPARTMENT HIRES TWO POLICE OFFICERS

by Justine Frederiksen

Newly promoted UPD Capt. Jason Chapman, left, with newly promoted Chief Thomas Corning. (Contributed – UPD photo)

The Ukiah Police Department announced this week that it hired two new officers, and promoted a new captain to replace Thomas Corning, who was promoted to chief last month.

Capt. Jason Chapman, who was most recently serving as Patrol Lieutenant, was sworn in Monday to his new role, with UPD officials noting that “Captain Chapman has consistently demonstrated outstanding leadership, deep operational knowledge, and a strong commitment to our department’s mission. His dedication to service and ability to lead by example make him an excellent choice for this important role, and we are confident he will continue to serve with integrity and distinction.”

The UPD also announced that it has hired two new officers, whom Corning introduced as Oscar Acuna and Jacob Newcomb.

Acuna was described as a lateral hire from “the San Diego Police Department with a proud military background, and (Newcomb) comes to us as a recent academy graduate.”

During its last meeting, the Ukiah City Council declared this week, May 11-17, to be “Police Week in the City of Ukiah,” with this week chosen due to “President John F. Kennedy signing a bill into law in 1962 that designated May 15th of each year as Peace Officers’ Memorial Day, and the week in which it falls as Police Week.”

“On behalf of the Ukiah Police Department, I want to sincerely thank you for proclaiming this week Police Week,” Corning said to the council after the proclamation was read. “This recognition is deeply meaningful to our officers, who show up every day with dedication, integrity, and willingness to make personal sacrifices for the safety of this community. Our officers don’t ask for recognition, but knowing that their hard work is seen, and valued by our city’s leadership, makes a lasting impact.

“I also want to acknowledge the families of our officers, whose quiet support is essential to the work we do,” Corning continued. “Thank you for your continued support, and we are proud to serve the city of Ukiah.”

“I appreciate the work you do,” said Council member Mari Rodin. “It’s such hard work, and not many people are willing to take it on. It’s such important work, and I really appreciate all you do.”

WEED & RADIO

KPFN 10 Years On The Air:

Guitars And Pie-N-Coffee Total Success

by Kevin Marsh, KPFN

At last Saturday’s celebration at Laytonville’s Harwood Hall marking the 10th anniversary of the start-up of KPFN 105.1 FM, four programmers who have been with the station since its inception were honored with framed Certificates of Appreciation. Shown above (l-r) are Lauren Kaplan, “Mendocino Mike” Greenbaum, Jesse “Fuzzy” Louth, KPFN founders Darlene and Kevin Marsh, and Jim Shields. (Photo: Jayma Shields Spence)

KPFN celebrated ten years on the air last week at Harwood hall and I’m here to tell ya. It was not only a total blast! It was a huge success.

Indiana Slim and Blue Luke brought their living room with them (so to speak) and made it an extremely intimate evening with audience and performers. The pies, the bakers and performers made the evening. The evening could not have gone off without the help of those we need to mention.

Many thanks to all the folks who came out and celebrated our ten years on the air. Thanks goes out to the “behind the scenes” folks as well. Darwin Long for assisting at the door, Tom and Auntie Sue for the merchandising, Rock Star Ray Colby for the sound, Keoma McCaffrey for all the flowers and Darlene Marsh for the arranging of them. Devin McCaffrey for donating the “Cracken”. And hand carved re-built Telecaster guitar. Martin and Sally Mueller for coming out of nowhere and helping pull things together. Laurence and Valerie Edwards for “hosting” the coffee booth. Mendocino Mike and Nikki for helping in the kitchen keeping things served up properly. Roland and Jayma Shields Spence for their total all-out-assistance in everything to do with Harwood Hall. Amy Goodman of Democracy Now, for such a fabulous on-air promo.

I want to thank the Observer and Jim Shields for all the press the last month. Jim is also the host of “This-N-That” with Mendocino Mike every Saturday at noon. They both have been at KPFN since the beginning along with Loren Kaplan and Jesse “Fuzzy” Louth. All four were recipients of awards this weekend.

From the little station that could, out here in the middle of nowhere. We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for all the positive energy over the years and looking forward to at least … another ten years.

Peace.

INAUGURAL MENDO CUP Big Hit, Draws Big Crowd

by Nikki Lastreto, for the Observer

The goose featured above was a main attraction at the recent Inaugural Mendo Cup held in Willits at the Little Lake Grange. For anyone not familiar with the history of cannabis legalization in this county, ponder for a moment Aesop’s Fable of “The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs.” The Golden Goose story teaches us that greed can lead to great loss. Ring any bells? Photo: Nikki Lastreto; Caption: Jim Shields

The Inaugural Mendo Cup, hosted by the Mendocino Producers Guild and held in Willits at the Little Lake Grange on Sunday May 4th, was a huge hit! The sold out event featured 34 licensed cannabis farmers from our beloved County vying for the coveted Top 5 awards for their sungrown flowers.

It was not an easy decision for the 12 amazingly skilled Judges who gathered the day before at AREA 101 for eight solid hours of precise appraisals based on the appearance, aroma, taste and, of course, effects of the entries. But they did it!

Sunday’s gathering at The Grange was a HIGHly anticipated event attended by 400 people from near and far. The main hall was transformed into a colorful melange of vendors offering food, drinks and crafts, historical offerings from Richard Jergenson’s Cannabis Archives, and several of the farmers displaying their best flowers. No sales were conducted but guests were invited to smell and see possibly the best and purest cannabis in the world. On the stage was a subtle comment about the state of cannabis politics in Mendocino County -- a goose with golden eggs. Hopefully, an event like the Mendo Cup will remind the powers that be of the true potential in this County offered by its very talented cannabis farmers.

Outside was the very lively comfortable smoking lounge area that literally was smokin’ all day! OG growers mingled with interested consumers, the Press and Dispensary owners. Some of the real originals came out of the woodwork along with younger 2nd and 3rd generation Mendo growers.

Our favorite Laytonvillian performer and emcee, the amazing Mademoiselle Michelle, introduced Tribal Elder Ron Lincoln who called everyone together for a traditional Wailaki opening to the awards ceremony on the inside stage. Local cannabis luminaries followed, such a poet Kirk Lupkin, Comedienne Ma Sherry Glaser, cannabis attorney and advocate Omar Figueroa and Traci Pellar who represented MPG. At just about 4:20, naturally, Cup Producer Nikki Lasteto and Swami Chaitanya came on stage to finally announce the 5 Top Flower cultivators plus the Best Breeder in the County. (see list below). It was an emotional moment for them as their many years of devotion to the plant came to fruition.

The party went on until 8:00 when the very mellow crowd faded away back into the peace of a perfect Mendocino night.

Winners Mendo Cup 2025

1 Sarah, David & Flynn O’Donnell - Sweet Sisters Family Farm - “Biscotti” - Lower Eastside Comptche - THC 26.53%

2 Jesse Robertson - Sticky Fields - “King’s Poison” Seed - Canyon Road, Willits - THC 32.99%

3 Susan & Phil Crews - Mendocino Family Farms - “Modified Lemonhead” Seed - Cherrycreek - THC 32.82

4 Marty Clein - Martyjuana ”Supreme Gelato” - Round Valley - THC 33.55%

5 Joseph Haggard - Emerald Spirit Botanicals - “Royal Blueberry”- Noyo Watershed - THC 9.36% & CBD 9.04%

BEST BREEDER - Jesse Robertson - Sticky Fields - “King’s Poison”

Keeping The Golden Goose Alive

by Jim Shields

These are interesting times we live in without a doubt.

Wherever you look in our nation, whether it be Washington D.C. or this county’s seat, people are not being represented by the very people who are supposed to be looking out for our best interests. That’s clearly not occurring.

This paper’s role has always been to act as an advocate for good government. Not perfect government but a government that understands, believes, and acts that their primary role is to solve problems not create them.

As I’m always saying, “Problems just don’t happen, people make them happen.”

And there are far too many people in government creating problems instead of solving them.

And in all levels of government there are way too many people who think and act as if they’re the only ones who truly know what is best for the people they are elected to serve. That situation could be rectified overnight if elected officials would shut up, cease speaking down to people, and actually listen to those they are supposed to represent. There’s a reason why the Great Spirit In The Sky gave everybody two ears but just one mouth. Our elected officials haven’t figured that out yet. And they never will unless we teach them.

Now in the post-legalization era with the collapse and failure of both the state and Mendocino County Cannabis programs, what do we have?

Last week I said we have the situation where two-thirds of the citizens who live in the unincorporated areas have seen their once stable local economies devastated and undermined by this county’s failed Cannabis Ordinance.

In the Laytonville area alone we have experienced the closure of the historic Boomers Bar and restaurant, the Wheels Cafe and Bar, the Weathertop Nursery, the Long Valley Building Supply and Lumber Yard, and the one-year closure of the town’s Long Valley Market. School enrollment is down.

And just this week, Jesse “Fuzzy” Louth, owner of the Game Portal, announced he is closing his business

The Laytonville Food Bank has more than doubled in providing services to the families and individuals who are now reliant on it for basic food needs.

The Laytonville County Water District is all but insolvent due to the loss of one-third of our revenues directly linked to the failed Cannabis Ordinance.

Sheriff Matt Kendall said recently some areas of this County have become a hotbed of illicit cannabis activity with cartel activity and murders.

You know the old saying about “God helps those who help themselves.” Well, hats off to the folks who staged the Inaugural Mendo Cup, hosted by the Mendocino Producers Guild and held in Willits at the Little Lake Grange last weekend.

Three people I know quite well and consider friends, Nikki Lastreto, the Swami, and Traci Pellar were instrumental in helping pull off the successful event. The trio has been in the vanguard of those trying to overcome this county’s failed experiment with weed legalization. Even my daughter Jayma and son-in-law Roland pitched in and helped out at the Cup, even though neither one smokes or grows weed. They all were there because we’ve learned the hard way that most county officials don’t solve problems, they just create them.

So the Cup is an example of people getting together and engaging in creative problem-solving trying to resuscitate our wrecked local economies.

After I received Nikki’s report, I sent her an email: “Thoroughly enjoyed your report along with the photos. As I scrolled through the photos, the Numero Uno standout was the Golden Goose. Literally, it is the picture worth a thousand words. It captured the whole miserable history of the dysfunction and ineptitude surrounding the general chaos and socio destabilization and economic ruination that is the result of this damnable cannabis ordinance.”

UPCOMING PHILO EVENT TEACHES CANNABIS GROWERS HOW TO CLAIM THEIR STRAINS

by Sydney Fishman

The Madrones, a Mediterranean compound in the southern most part of the Emerald Triangle in Anderson Valley features a cannabis farm, dispensary, restaurant and wine tasting. (Nikolas Zvolensky/The Madrones via Bay City News)

A two-day workshop in Philo on Sunday and Monday will show cannabis growers how they can legally safeguard the intellectual property of their plants.

The nonprofit cannabis group Origins Council, in partnership with California State Polytechnic University Humboldt, University of California Berkeley and a few other advocacy groups, will host a panel discussion at The Brambles in Philo to showcase their work on the Legacy Cannabis Genetics study — a project exploring the history and genetics of cannabis to help farmers protect their outdoor, high-quality weed as a regionally recognized product. This event is part of a statewide series hosted by the research team.

The panel will highlight the researchers’ work on a community-based participatory project funded by a $2.7 million grant from the California Department of Cannabis Control. The study, officially titled “Legacy Cannabis Genetics: People and Their Plants,” focuses on community outreach and public education to help growers define, document and legally protect the genetics of their cannabis, like how the northeast region of France has legally protected Champagne wine.

Genine Coleman, executive director of Origins Council and a former cannabis worker with about 20 years of experience, said these panel discussions will give community members a chance to ask questions and offer feedback on the study. In addition, Coleman said public meetings are key to getting cannabis growers involved.

“We’ve identified geographic areas for research, so this is really about engaging the local community,” Coleman said in an interview. “Giving them a chance to meet the research team, ask questions, and find out how they can get involved if they’re interested.”

In total, eight panel discussions will be held in prominent cannabis regions throughout California, from Nevada City to San Diego.

“We just held our first event in Nevada City, and meeting people face-to-face is so meaningful,” Coleman added. “There’s a real opportunity to honor and preserve the history of cannabis cultivation — especially as our elders pass on — and also to support growers and breeders as they move forward in the commercial space.”

The next panel discussion will be held at The Brambles in Philo, a multipurpose venue operated by the owners of The Madrones — a cannabis-focused tourism destination.

The event will be held Sunday and Monday from 1 to 5 p.m. Each day will feature a panel discussion with the study’s research team, followed by a question-and-answer session with attendees. After the panel, researchers will demonstrate their work in herbarium science and explain various aspects of the project. Speakers will also cover topics including public policy, genetic research and the oral history of cannabis in California.

It is recommended that attendees register in advance. Registration information is available here.

(mendovoice.com)

REPORT ON FORT BRAGG ANIMAL SAFE FIREWORKS PROPOSAL

Hello friends I wanted to make a report, I gave public comment on the fireworks issue to the City Council on Monday, there was no comment or discussion as per the Brown Act rules, I closed by saying that I would like 1 council member, to step fw. And interface with concerned community members (aka- us), to bring a palatable proposal ; before the Council at some point in the future, I reached out via email and voice message since, but have not yet heard back from any Council member, So for now I will just be patient and wait; but we may need to garner more community support in the future, so stay tuned, thank you

Below is the comment I made to the council Monday night:

Greetings members of the Fort Bragg City Council, my name is Chris Skyhawk, I am a FB resident and I am speaking to voice my concerns about the impacts of fireworks, on our local animal populations (wild and domestic), and their numerous other toxic side effects, I have become increasingly concerned with these negative Impacts brought on by our Independence Day celebration, and I would like Fort Bragg to find friendlier ways to celebrate July 4th, After last years celebration, through social media and local email lists, I was able to ascertain, many other local residents feel the same, Many jurisdictions have adopted friendlier ways to celebrate the 4th, and we think fort bragg should too, since we are known for our wildlife and clean environment, I have already been in contact with MCHS, Eileen Hawthorn fund and they would support this, I believe the Audubon Society, and Noyo Marine Center would be on board, too, and since other cities, have adopted better practices ( such as LaJolla Ca,,Napa Ca. And Seatle Wa._ we would just need to replicate the efforts of others, Thus I’m asking how we might bring this issue to the council for discussion Please know I’m standing by and ready (and many others) to collaborate with you; thank you!

Chris Skyhawk, Fort Bragg

707-409-4789

hawkwork@mcn.org

FRED GARDNER:

A herpetologist was asked to ID that fabulous blue newt who posed for Mike Kalantarian a while back. He replied, “Salamander (newt) of genus Taricha. Either T. torosa. Or T. Granulosa. I can’t tell from the picture , but there are four somewhat similar species of Taricha genus in N. California. Probably granulosa.”

Another mystery solved (or at least narrowed down)!

STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS FOR INLAND (DIVISION I) LOW INTENSITY CAMPING ORDINANCE

The Mendocino County Department of Planning & Building Services will host 5 stakeholder meetings to discuss an ordinance amendment to allow Low Intensity Camping (LIC), and its impact on local communities, real estate, and tourism.

The intent of the meetings is to provide a brief outline of the amendment process and to solicit input from community stakeholders. Meetings are in-person events with one virtual option provided during the June 18th, 2025 meeting only.

Meeting Dates / Times / Locations

Fort Bragg: Wednesday, May 21st, 2025 at 6:00 pm
Fort Bragg Veterans Hall, 360 N. Harrison St., Fort Bragg

Anderson Valley: Wednesday, May 28th, 2025 at 6:00 pm
Boonville Veterans Hall, 14470 Highway 128, Boonville

Covelo: Wednesday, June 4th, 2025 at 6:00 pm
Round Valley Library, 23925 Howard St., Covelo
(RVAMAC regular meeting)

Willits: Wednesday, June 11th, 2025 at 6:00 pm
Mendocino County Museum, 400 E. Commercial St., Willits

Ukiah: Wednesday, June 18th, 2025 at 6:00 pm
Conference Room C Mendocino County Administration Center,
501 Low Gap Road, Ukiah and virtual participation via Zoom.
Webinar ID: 831 7441 6078

HISTORY BOOK SALE AT KELLEY HOUSE MUSEUM

by Katy Tahja

Kelley House docent and book sale curator Katy Tahja shows some of the books awaiting buyers

Save the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend (May 25th) for a visit to the Kelley House Museum in Mendocino and their Historic Book Sale from 10AM to 3PM. Due to the donation of some excellent art and history books, a great selection will be available on the east porch. Now is the time to add some century-old books to your bookshelf, at bargain prices.

An old three-volume set on the history of freemasonry would look good there. For people who enjoy food there is a set of Culinary Arts Institute’s “cook booklets,” with 20 available. From Anchovies to Zucchini, if an object flew in the sky, walked on earth, swam in the sea, or grew from dirt there will be a recipe on how to cook it. Can’t wait for someone to make Prune Ice Cream!

A slipcovered two-volume set on the Plan of St. Gall, a church designed in 820 AD in Europe. All the original drawings survived 12 centuries and were reproduced in this University of California publication. There is a reprint of “American Engineers & Surveyors Instruments-1874” and a companion volume, “Instruments of Precision-Illustrated-1900.” Or perhaps a reader will enjoy “The Beginnings of San Francisco-1774 to 1850” by Goeth Eldredge, only 110 years old. For more recent history there is “115 Years of Headline News” by the Ft. Bragg Advocate News” from 2004. It contains 48 big pages of news pieces printed between1890 and 2004. We have many binders of “First Day Covers” for stamp collectors or readers of postmarks.

Students learning to read in 1917 used the “The New Barnes Reader” by Ladilaw Brothers Publishing. Even if the stories don’t enchant you, the illustrations should. Collage artists buy books like this for no other reason than to cut them apart for art projects. That’s OK. Sales support the Kelley House Museum. “Readings from the California Poets” by Edmund Russell was printed in San Francisco 132 years ago. Inside the 124-page volume are verses by Ina Coolbrith, Brett Harte, Joaquin Miller, and more.

For someone who enjoys doing cross-stitch embroidery there is a stack of pattern books, and for fans of hot springs there is a great book on the hot springs of Nevada. Old hippies will like “Roll Your Own,” a 1974 guide to living in a truck, bus, van or camper; they may also enjoy a classic of that era: “In Harmony with Nature—Creative Country Construction” by Christian Bruyere, with beautiful hand-drawn illustrations. There are travel books to take readers all over the USA and the world, and art books to sit by the fire with some quiet evening, knowing it’s a $40 dollar art book that was yours for $5.

The focus of the sale is history, biography, travel, philosophy, nature, art and cooking, so visitors to the sale will not find much fiction, but curator and retired librarian Katy Tahja makes allowances for fiction over 100 years old.

“DRILL MAYBE DRILL?

Plans for drilling along the Sonoma and Mendocino Coast.

Additional info by Richard Charter The Ocean Foundation

“YOUR opportunity to determine where risky offshore oil drilling will or won’t be allowed is happening RIGHT NOW and ends on June 16, 2025.

Trump’s pending “Request for Information” as he plans his new offshore drilling sites reveals that EVERYTHING is now on the table for consideration. His potential drilling targets include America’s prime fisheries, productive ocean upwellings, and even our fragile National Marine Sanctuaries in which offshore drilling has always been permanently prohibited. No coastline is exempt.

Just click here to submit your comment….https://www.federalregister.gov/…/request-for…

Then just enter your comment, what your comment is about, upload files you wish to share, indicate whether you’re an organization or an individual, and include your email, which will not be posted publicly.

Ironically, this solicitation of comments about new offshore drilling comes even while the Trump Administration dismantles support for safely plugging disused spent oil wells, curtails our transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy for transportation, and pushes for drilling along Florida’s Gulf Coast. The current public comment period also coincidentally takes place just as the new May 2025 blowout from an old never-plugged wellhead started spewing toxic oil into fragile sea turtle habitat at Louisiana’s Garden Island Bay in the Pass-a-Loutre Wildlife Management Area. This lingering oil spill threatens black terns, bottlenose dolphins, larval yellowfin tuna, marsh birds, spring pogies, and young fish migrating into the estuaries for spring growth, as well as the shrimp fishery. Meanwhile, CBS News reports that due to Trump-imposed cuts to critical agency personnel, “the equivalent of 27,000 years of NOAA experience are walking out the door this week with early retirement.”

In soliciting these comments from the petroleum lobby and the public, the Trump Administration is now hoping to ignore President Biden’s irrevocable January 6, 2025 Executive Order permanently protecting the entire Atlantic Coast, the Gulf Coast of Florida, and the waters off of Washington, Oregon and California, as well as portions of Alaska’s Northern Bering Sea, from new offshore oil leases. As we acknowledge this 15th Anniversary of the tragic Deepwater Horizon offshore rig disaster, thank you for submitting comments on where new offshore drilling should or should not occur.

[ If you prefer to comment by U.S. Mail, just send an envelope labeled “Comments for the 11th National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program” to Ms. Kelly Hammerle, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (VAM-LD), 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, VA 20166-9216

Coastal Coordination http://AdoptanOcean.org

How to write effectively & deeper insight into the process click: https://www.regulations.gov/…/Public-Comment-on-Federal…

SUPERVISOR MAUREEN MULHEREN (facebook):

“I didn’t expect for this post to blow up like this. After the twelfth notification from Ken [McCormick] all I could do was sing why you so obsessed with me and wanted to share how comical his most recent accusation is. It seems like he doesn’t understand how Government works and despite trying to communicate with him over the last two years here we still are with him blaming me for apparently everything. Kerri Vau is right, I only have three more years in this job, I won’t be running again because of the way that I am treated. If you know me you know I’m going to continue to work hard to represent everyone (including the haters). But when I leave this position I want for the public to know that Elected Officials are real people and civil communication yields results. Weird name calling doesn’t, I don’t even know what bootlicker means, honestly I had to Google it.

LEE EDMUNDSON:

Scott Roat’s reporting of the peril facing the future life of the Main Street Mendocino water tower is persuasive, and compelling.

I would add only one caveat: The Board of Supervisors has only a single choice to make in this matter:. That is; to uphold the authority of the Mendocino Historical Review Board (MHRB) to determine the appropriate protections to preserve historical architecture within the Town. To do so, the Board must deny applicant’s appeal to overturn MHRB’s ( 3 times now) decision(s) to protect the Landmark Category 1 historic water tower from destruction..

The demolition/destruction of the water tower is anathema to the reason MHRB exists: To protect and preserve the Town’s historic architecture and the historic architectural character of the Town.

This issue should be a clarion call to everyone who cares about preserving the integrity of the Town for future generations.

Kudos to Scott.

BRUCE MCEWEN:

AVA Cook Book—as many readers want to contribute recipes?

I’ll break the ice with Ferndale Potatoes

Me wife learned the dish in Ferndale and we’ve got our own version derived from the original, which is basically baked red potatoes but with a crispy crust we much savor and relish.

What you’ll need:

4-5 small red potatoes

Olive oil

Place the potatoes on a shallow baking pan and bake at 400 degrees until almost done

Then cut an x in each one and mash it open either a fork. Drizzle or brush the olive oil on the potatoes and put ‘em back in the oven for no more than five minutes to crisp the skins— serve soonest! With your favorite entree!

ED NOTES

YOU’RE GETTING to be an old timer if you remember when the Anderson Valley Health Center was located in the Ricard complex, as was a bar, a feed store, a health food business, and a laundromat. Next door we had the First National Bank of Cloverdale and, in the other direction, at the Mannix Building, present-day site of the Bennett-Weintraub development, we enjoyed the basic amenity of a drug store.

THE DAYS THAT WERE: “We all lament the loss of a certain type of San Franciscan that maybe ain’t ever coming back. It’s the guy who, like my dad, took me to Candlestick to see Mays and McCovey. He worked a real blue-collar job, where he just did it. Didn’t talk about it, or write about doing it. Just did it. A little like Steve McQueen’s character in the movie ‘Bullitt.’ These teamsters, mechanics and cops for the most part drank and smoked too much, and maybe they didn’t wear their seat belts, but most certainly they wouldn’t have texted while driving, or at all, and would never have thought of bringing a mitt to a ball game unless it was worn by their son, as mine was.” — Armando Lagunas

HUH? “Transported to a surreal landscape, a young girl kills the first woman she meets, then teams up with three complete strangers to kill again.” — TV listing for ‘The Wizard of Oz’ from the ‘Marin Independent Journal.’

IT WAS EXACTLY ten that Wednesday morning when I was standing on the south side of California Street waiting to board the 44, which would carry me across the park to the N Judah line. The N stops directly in front of that day’s destination, the ballpark. (I refuse to call it by any of its corporate names.) I heard a man yelling just as I saw him nearly collide with two little Chinese kids, a girl about ten who was holding the hand of a small boy of 6 or 7, her brother presumably. The screaming tableau was playing out in front of the liquor store at 6th and California. For an awful instant I thought the man was attacking the children. “How do you like it?” he screamed at nobody in particular, as the little girl and her tiny brother swerved around him without so much as an upward glance at the ultimate boogeyman who’d loomed up before them. The two of them simply walked purposefully on as if the crazy man was simply one more sidewalk obstruction. The crazy man was still screaming “How do you like it?” when he suddenly charged across California at us, a half-dozen senior citizens, Asian except for me and one tiny old lady, a very old old lady, bent nearly in half from ancient scoliosis. I’d noticed that the crazy guy had looked both ways before he’d made his shrieking plunge across California, so he wasn’t quite as unhinged as he seemed to be. When the publicly insane are all the way gone, they run straight into the traffic without a look. We’ve all seen that. On his first run at us the crazy guy pointed an accusing finger and screamed, “How do you like it?” And then, looking both ways, he ran back across California where, hopping up and down, he continued to scream, “How do you like it?” before he ran at us again. I angled my unintimidating bulk so he would have to get past me if he was psyching himself up for real mayhem. As the largest person present by a hundred pounds, I was the default go-to guy. Of course all I wanted to do was make it to the ball game without pausing to grapple with a street psycho, but these days simply stepping out one’s front door can be like prehistoric man emerging from the safety of his cave. The crazy guy was dragging a blanket, his shirt was ripped, his gray trousers, which looked like they had been suit pants in better times, were stained and dirty, his dress shoes untied. Assessing the guy, I’d say he was 35, maybe 6’2” — a coupla hundred pounds. He had good teeth and generally appeared, through his grimy dishevelment, like someone had put a lot of time and money into raising this suburban Josh or Jason only to see all their hopes disintegrate into this screaming wreck. “Relax,” I said, “we don’t like it either.” He stared at me, apparently considering my idiot conciliation. The bus rolled up, and the crazy guy ran back across the street, dragging his blanket. He resumed screaming. “Better call the cops,” I said to the old lady, who peered up at me from her bent back. “I already did,” she said. We’ve gotten used to the streets as open air psych wards, grown hardened to the public fact that people can suffer like this without even the possibility of safe remedy.

AFTER BALL GAMES, the outbound N Judah is jammed but quickly unjams at the Embarcadero stop as all the East Bay people get off to catch BART back across the Bay. That day, after the N had unjammed, a black street guy was spread across two seats, him in layers of clothes and an overstuffed garbage bag next to him. A Chinese woman of about 50 gets on at Powell. She points at the guy taking up two seats. “I sit there, preeze?” He looked back at her, smiling like he didn’t understand. Two black guys sitting opposite glared at the guy. The Chinese woman again said, “I sit there, preeze?” The street guy smiled at her. I rationalized not intervening because I was standing six or so feet away and anyway this seemed a matter for intra-ethnic resolution. Sure enough. One of the black guys sitting opposite the street guy suddenly told the bum, “Man, move your shit and let this lady sit down.” The bum immediately moved his stuff onto his lap, the lady sat down, and we all rode on in peace, the bum getting off at VanNess.

THE LAST LITTLE DRAMA of the day occurred as I and another older man boarded the 44 at 9th and Irving for the trip back across the park. A tweeker dude pushed past us and sprayed us with several — oh well, never mind what he said. When’s the last time you were creatively insulted by a stranger?

CATCH OF THE DAY, Thursday, May 15, 2025

DARIUS CHATHAM, 30, Ukiah. Battery, disorderly conduct-under influence.

DANIELLE CHURCH, 27, Eureka/Ukiah. Failure to appear.

POLICARPIO GALAVIZ-RODRIGUEZ, 48, Ukiah. Controlled substance with two or more priors, paraphernalia, probation revocation.

RICARDO GARCIA-GARCIA, 30, Ukiah. Domestic violence court order violation.

DANIEL LONG, 38, Ukiah. Felon-addict with firearm, ammo possession by prohibited person, probation revocation.

RACHAEL WILSON-ANGE, 54, Willits. Failure to appear.

ENERGY INDEPENDENCE

Editor:

Burdened by outmoded infrastructure and still driven primarily by fossil fuels, PG&E is asking for another rate hike on top of six it received in 2024. For families struggling to pay bills, recover from wildfires, navigate power outages or lower their carbon imprint, another rate hike feels like the tipping point.

When we built our new home in Glen Ellen after losing our previous home in the wildfires of October 2017, we knew we wanted to do some things differently. We wanted to have more control of our home’s energy instead of relying on an already overburdened public utility. Quite simply, and if at all possible, we wanted cheaper power, cleaner power and more dependable power.

We decided to install solar panels with backup batteries, and that installation has been one of the best decisions we ever made. Our energy bills are dramatically lower, we no longer worry about blackouts, our cars are solar-charged, and we are making our small contribution to make the world just a little bit better.

We were able to take advantage of Northern Pacific Power’s “Energy Independence for All” campaign to achieve our own energy independence. I urge others in our community to do the same — especially now, with rates continuing to rise.

Timothy Dorman

Glen Ellen

PG&E REVEALS HOW MUCH IT WANTS RATES TO RISE THROUGH 2030

by Judie Johnson

After a decade of steeply rising utility bills, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. proposed a plan that would provide milder changes in the next few years — that is, if no major disasters like wildfires or storms erupt.

PG&E is asking state regulators to allow it to charge customers roughly $126 more each year from 2027 through 2030 in the company’s four-year budget draft released Thursday. However, in reality, PG&E said customer bills won’t increase (or not by much), at least through 2027, because those additional costs would be offset by significant decreases due to other sources, including a $15 billion loan from the federal government and the company’s efforts to slash operating costs.

That compares to a shocking jump in 2024 when bills rose by more than $400 in a single year for average PG&E households after the California Public Utilities Commission approved an unprecedented electricity price hike.

PG&E CEO Patti Poppe acknowledged in an interview this week that rising bills have been painful for customers, and she said the company has worked to lower its expenses and limit future increases. The proposal is the smallest increase PG&E has requested in the last ten years.

“The utility bill is a real form of stress for people, and we want to fix that,” Poppe said.

PG&E has previously said it would limit future increases to the rate of inflation, which is typically between 2% and 4%. In the company’s new plan, PG&E said that annual average rate increases hover around 3.5% annually from 2027 through 2030.

PG&E estimated that, if regulators approve the request, which they rarely do in full, average residential customer rates for electricity and natural gas combined would rise by the equivalent of about $128 annually in 2027, then another $119 in 2028, $126 in 2029 and finally an additional $133 in 2030.

However, Poppe said that bills — the full amount people actually pay — will remain flat in 2027 compared to costs this year. PG&E was less definitive about the years 2028-2030, but said bills would not necessarily go up and that its goal was to stabilize them.

Utility service grew far more expensive in the last decade — PG&E electricity rates doubled between 2015 and today — due to a combination of factors, including wildfires, inflation and state-mandated programs. Ratepayer advocates also blamed regulators for failing to curb utility overspending.

PG&E customers are paying some of the highest electricity rates in the country.

The company said it has trimmed operating and capital costs by about $2.5 billion in the last three years, which will help offset some additional costs, including burying 307 miles of power lines underground in 2027 to prevent utility-sparked wildfires (a small portion of the utility’s 100,000 mile network of overhead power lines).

“We can, in fact, keep bills flat while we are investing in infrastructure,” Poppe said.

PG&E said it has no plans to request further rate increases in 2025, and electricity prices are expected to decrease slightly in 2026 when temporary rates to cover certain expenses end.

However in 2026, a fixed charge of $24.15 will be applied to residential bills. The new flat fee will cause some customer bills to go down because it’s tied to lowered electricity rates, while it may cause some customers to pay more.

The projections through 2030 is an incomplete look ahead and doesn’t account for potential decreases caused when temporary rates end, nor does it include increases when new expenses arise, such as storm and wildfire response.

Poppe also said that customers could benefit from the delivery of a $15 billion loan, promised by the U.S. Department of Energy in the final days of the Biden administration, to help PG&E upgrade its transmission system, refurbish aging hydroelectric power infrastructure and increase battery storage, among other modernization programs.

Poppe said she’d just returned from Washington, D.C. and believed the federal loan would come through. The loan, Poppe said, could save customers $1 billion. The federal administration has ambitious plans to support artificial intelligence, she said.

“Guess who serves that? PG&E,” she said.

Correction: An earlier version of this article inaccurately described the projected rate increases. They are the equivalent of about $128 annually in 2027, then another $119 in 2028, $126 in 2029 and finally an additional $133 in 2030.

(SF Chronicle)

EVERYTHING CHANGES

Warmest spiritual greetings,

Sitting here contentedly at the Martin Luther King, Jr. public library on a guest computer, reading through today’s Boontling Greeley Sheet. Had an incredibly enjoyable afternoon yesterday. Ambled into the one bar open early on Capitol Hill, and quaffed three pints of Goose Island IPA and a shot of Woodford Reserve Rye. Left a generous tip, and proceeded to the corner hot dog stand for an everything-on-the-dog nosh. Sat quietly digesting all on a bench in the park nook across the street from the Capitol Hill Hotel. It would be impossible to be more comfortable than this on the planet earth! Regrettably, had to leave for the Metro to return to the Homeless Shelter. Paused on the way at Union Station for a Sbarro’s slice of pizza with everything on it, and then dropped into Hudson News to see what new disasters were reported in the newspapers and magazines. The cashier chided me for hesitating to fork out $5 for a king size Butterfinger candy bar. Of course it was necessary to save face. And consequently, enjoyed it on the long Metro and two bus return to the homeless shelter. I am eager to leave the District of Columbia because I do not have further reason to be here. Living on $488 social security, with $3,000 in savings. I can get to Mendocino County. Where do I go? Thank you very much for your ongoing appreciation of my last 50 years of peace & justice and environmental activism, which has done a helluva lot more to make America great than current politicians imagine that they are doing.

Craig Louis Stehr, craiglouisstehr@gmail.com

THE WARRIORS AREN’T DEAD, BUT THEY ARE DYING

by Drew Magary

Golden State Warriors fans received a long, hard look at their near future Wednesday night, and it was uglier than a Draymond Green flagrant. They saw their team escorted out of the playoffs with frightening ease, by a Minnesota Timberwolves team that spent a good deal of the clincher passing the ball to nowhere. They saw zero meaningful frontcourt offense from their Dubs, unless you count Naz Reid scoring own baskets. They saw the normally unflappable Steve Kerr lose his temper. They saw Green so gassed that he couldn’t even muster the energy to “accidentally” knee Rudy Gobert in the balls in garbage time. They saw a thoroughly mediocre basketball team, and very little to make them believe that things will improve anytime soon.

And that’s because they didn’t see Steph Curry out there.

This is not an obit for the Warriors’ dynasty. Casual observers have been premature to make that declaration in the past, only for Curry to render them fools. Curry will be back in uniform next season and, given the chaotic roster churn of the NBA, maybe he’ll get Giannis Antetokounmpo or some other daydream playmate to partner up with. Maybe that’ll give the Warriors one final shot of adrenaline before everything falls apart. Or maybe Jonathan Kuminga will turn into a player who’s dangerous for more than 12 minutes per game. All of that is possible, I suppose.

But if you watched the game Wednesday night, or the three other Curry-free losses that preceded it, you know that it’s NOT LIKELY. Steph Curry is now 37 years old, closer in age to me (48) than to Anthony Edwards (23). He’s beaten the odds his entire career. I know; I watched a really boring documentary about it. But the odds eventually come for us all, and what those odds now say is that the end of Curry — be it due to retirement, injury or ineffectiveness — will come sooner rather than later.

And when it does, everything afterward will look a whole lot like Wednesday night did.

Who do you trust to fix what’s broken here? You can’t trust GM Mike Dunleavy Jr., whose most notable move so far was to trade for Jimmy Butler, who was alarmingly hesitant on offense Wednesday night. You absolutely can’t trust owner Joe Lacob, who doesn’t believe in rebuilding because he thinks his organization is magic (fans who cheered for this team throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s know THAT’S not true). Listen to this man explain away his team getting run out of the playoffs last night to the Athletic:

“Yeah, we lost four games to one. Not good. But to a team that is playing very well.”

Well Joe, for one thing: The Wolves weren’t playing very well Wednesday night. In fact, TNT analyst Stan Van Gundy had to warn the Timberwolves, multiple times, that they wouldn’t be able to beat real teams in the Western Conference Finals if they turned the ball over as much as they had been. Secondly, most teams that make it this far in the playoffs DO play well. That’s why they’re here. You don’t win titles by playing the f—king Hornets four rounds in a row. You have to play extremely talented and disciplined teams, and you can’t excuse losing to those good teams by pointing out, “Well gee, how can you expect us to beat a team that’s GOOD?”

So there’s no hope to be found in ownership. You probably can’t even trust Kerr to fix this, and you may not even want to, because the man looks EXHAUSTED. I’d prefer Steve Kerr retire in peace than try to resurrect this franchise’s glory with whatever new version of James Wiseman that Dunleavy & Lacob bring into the locker room.

Curry’s brilliance is what held this whole enterprise together. Without him, this is just another NBA team. You just saw what that looked like for four straight, excruciating losses. Before this decade is over, you’ll see what that looks like for entire seasons.

That’s the dark side to cheering for a dynasty. No one outside of the Bay Area will cry tears for the Dubs, of course. They’ve won plenty, and Draymond is still the most grating asshole working in the NBA. But when you’ve lived the good life for as long as Dubs fans have, the lean years end up feeling even more barren. Ask any current fan of the Chicago Bulls. I’m not using Michael Jordan here to start up another tiresome GOAT argument, but as a potentially eerie historical parallel. Jordan arrived to a woebegone franchise and turned it into a juggernaut. When he left, there was NOTHING. The most excitement Bulls fans have had in this century was that one time they almost traded for Kobe Bryant. The rest has been abject misery.

So when I watched the Curry-less Warriors fold Wednesday night, I saw a franchise on the precipice of a similarly bleak future. These Warriors aren’t a serious team right now. They’re just a warmup act. You can play like shit and still beat them going away.

That feels like a thousand years removed from gawking at Steph highlights on Vine, from the Death Lineup, from superstar carpetbaggers like Kevin Durant dying to come aboard, and from feeling that supreme confidence that the NBA title is Golden State’s whenever they want it to be. Warriors fans always knew this had to end at some point, but nothing can ever really prepare you for watching greatness die. That’s the eternal curse of being a sports fan, especially when Buddy Hield is what comes after it.

I LIVE IN THE FUTURE

by Emjay Wilson

However, it isn’t like “The Jetsons”

People are not nice anymore.

They have lost their social skills

while living behind their social media personas.

You cannot engage in conversations

Empathy has been stamped out

if you have it you are called

“Woke”

or “Snoflake”

A felon runs the country,

Tax dollars have become his piggy bank

and no one blinks an eye.

If I decide it’s time to die

I can call a doctor and schedule my own

Euthanasia, for only a few consultations with some willing

friend who will give me the pills.

There is invisible money

The leader promotes with his image on ads.

People in golden plastic tennis shoes

line up to buy it

believing it will make them wealthy.

It does not.

The leaders women all have

blown up faces

rubber lips and the empathy

of expression has been

botoxed out of their faces.

These people will do anything to

avoid seeing

the masses who are poor and dirty.

They hope to have them made illegal

and sent away to camps.

It is not a world they want visible

from their estates, galas or yachts.

The Galas always misdirect the donations.

The idea of giving

became obsolete in the 80’s

with the advent of computers

and the egocentric cocaine fueled egos

taking over as CEO’s.

The Senators were equally guilty

They all vote to keep raising their salaries

and benefits sky high.

They will do anything to remain in office.

They sit there after their brains are rotted to keep their salaries.

I live in the future, and it is not a nice place to be.

US OFFICIALS LOOKING INTO FORMER FBI CHIEF COMEY’S ‘8647’ POST ABOUT TRUMP

by Daniel Trotta

U.S. law enforcement officials said on Thursday they were looking into a social media post by former FBI Director James Comey depicting an image of “8647,” which some Trump supporters interpreted as a threat against President Donald Trump.

Comey, who was fired by Trump in 2017, later took down the post, saying he was unaware the apparent political message could have been associated with violence.

In U.S. parlance the number 86 can be used as verb meaning to throw somebody out of a bar for being drunk or disorderly, and 47 is code for Trump, the 47th president. Some Trump supporters interpreted the message as one to violently remove Trump from office, including by assassination.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary says on its website that one recent meaning of the term was “to kill” but that it had not adopted that “due to its relative recency and sparseness of use.”

The Secret Service, which is responsible for protecting the president, said it was aware of Comey’s post but did not assess its meaning.

“The Secret Service vigorously investigates anything that can be taken as a potential threat against our protectees. We are aware of the social media posts by the former FBI director and we take rhetoric like this very seriously. Beyond that, we do not comment on protective intelligence matters,” Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whose agency oversees the Secret Service, said on X that DHS and Secret Service were “investigating this threat and will respond appropriately.”

Current FBI Director Kash Patel said on X that his agency was in communication with the Secret Service about the post and “will provide all necessary support.”

Others were more explicit in assigning a malign meaning to Comey’s post, with White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino saying it was a call to assassinate Trump.

Comey posted an Instagram photo of the number 8647 formed by seashells on the beach.

“Cool shell formation on my beach walk,” Comey said.

But after the uproar from Trump supporters, Comey took the post down, saying he had assumed it was merely a “political message.”

“I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence. It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down,” Comey said.

Early in his first term, in May 2017, Trump fired Comey, who as FBI director had been leading an investigation into the Trump 2016 presidential campaign’s possible collusion with Russia to help Trump get elected.

(Reuters)

THE GREAT COMPROMISE

by John Prine (1970)

I knew a girl who was almost a lady
She had a way with all the men in her life
Every inch of her blossomed in beauty
She was born on the fourth of July

Well, she lived in an aluminum house trailer
And she worked in a juke box saloon
And she spent all the money that I gave her
Just to see the old man in the moon

(Chorus)
I used to sleep at the foot of Old Glory
And awake in the dawn's early light
But much to my surprise
When I opened my eyes
I was a victim of the great compromise

Well, we'd go out on Saturday evenings
To the drive-in on Route 41
And it was there that I first suspected
That she was doin' what she'd already done

She said, "Johnny won't you get me some popcorn?"
And she knew I had to walk pretty far
And as soon as I passed through the moonlight
She hopped into a foreign sports car

(Repeat chorus)

Well, you know I could have beat up that fellow
But it was her that had hopped into his car
Many times I'd fought to protect her
But this time she was goin' too far

Now some folks they call me a coward
'Cause I left her at the drive-in that night
But I'd druther have names thrown at me
Than to fight for a thing that ain't right

(Repeat chorus)

Then she writes all the fellows love letters
Saying, "Greetings, come and see me real soon"
And they go and line up in the barroom
Spend the night in that sick woman's room

But sometimes I get awful lonesome
And I wish she was my girl instead
But she won't let me live with her
And she makes me live in my head

(Repeat chorus)

CLEVER THE TWAIN SHALL MEET

An epic new biography of Samuel Clemens confirms the Missourian’s literary mastery but contends that the most important character he ever created was his own.

by Sara Bhatia

Mark Twain by Ron Chernow Penguin Press, 1,200 pp.

In March, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts bestowed its annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on the former late-night talk show host Conan O’Brien. At the awards ceremony, there was a frisson of tension in the audience. Just one month earlier, President Donald Trump had attacked the center’s programming as too “woke,” dismissed its leadership, and installed himself as chairman of the board, sparking widespread protest in the arts community. On the Kennedy Center’s stage, many of the comedians roasting O’Brien also took aim at the president.

But O’Brien, who has built his reputation as a nonpartisan observer, seemingly kept his powder dry. Instead, he spoke of the legacy of Mark Twain and the profound honor of receiving the award. ”Don’t be distracted by the white suit and the cigar and the riverboat,” O’Brien chided. “Twain is alive, vibrant, and vitally relevant today.” He spoke of Twain’s hatred of bullies, his support for underdogs ranging from the formerly enslaved to Chinese immigrants—”he punched up, not down”—along with his hatred of intolerance, racism, and anti-Semitism, and his suspicion of populism and jingoism.

Though O’Brien never mentioned Trump, the audience slowly awakened to the comedian’s subversive subtext. He concluded to sustained applause, “Twain wrote, â˜Patriotism is supporting your country all of the time, and your government when it deserves it.’” And thus with just a few spare sentences, Conan O’Brien made Mark Twain—the mustachioed, wisecracking author of America’s Gilded Age—once again relevant to American politics.

So closely did O’Brien echo the praise of the writer’s “core principles” and irreverent wit that I wondered if someone had slipped him the advance galleys of Ron Chernow’s sparkling new biography. In Mark Twain, the acclaimed biographer takes a sledgehammer to the mythology of the quintessential American author. Like O’Brien, Chernow challenges the “sanitized view of a humorous man in a white suit, dispensing witticisms with a twinkling eye,” to demonstrate that Twain was among our nation’s most trenchant and biting social critics.

Chernow asserts that “far from being a soft-shoe, cracker-barrel philosopher, he was a waspish man of decided opinions delivering hard and uncomfortable truths. His wit was laced with vinegar, not oil.”

In his personal life, too, Twain belied his deliberately crafted, jovial public persona.

Chernow wryly notes, “Mark Twain could serve as both a social critic of something and an exemplar of the very thing he criticized.” Indeed, the author who charmed audiences with his folksy demeanor and sought to create “a new democratic literature for ordinary people” while skewering elites and their institutions was exceptionally well read and cosmopolitan. He had lived for more than a decade in Europe, residing in grand chÃ¢teaus and villas, and traveled the world, crossing the Atlantic 29 times. Twain’s barefoot boyhood on the banks of the Mississippi River was the stuff of legend, but the author spent most of his adulthood in New England, in a 25-room mansion with a fleet of servants, purchased with cash from his wealthy wife.

Chernow, the Pulitzer Prize— and National Book Award—winning writer of popular biographies of Ulysses S. Grant, George Washington, and Alexander Hamilton, tackles his complicated, often contradictory subject with nuance and prolific research.

Chernow explores the author’s enormous oeuvre—a gratifying surprise for those whose familiarity with Twain resides in hazy middle school memories of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

But this is no literary critique. Chernow asserts that Twain was “the most original character in American history,” and he is fascinated by him more as a man than as an author, reveling in his theatricality, both on the stage and off. He writes, "Mark Twain discarded the image of the writer as a contemplative being, living a cloistered existence, and thrust himself into the hurly-burly of American culture, capturing the wild, uproarious energy throbbing in the heartland. Probably no other American author has led such an eventful life."

Mark Twain is a massive brick of a book, comprising more than a thousand pages, and it is the mining of Twain’s private life and its intertwining with his public image that lends the book its physical heft and its most surprising and compelling content. Chernow concludes that “Mark Twain’s foremost creation—his richest and most complex gift to posterity—may well have been his own inimitable personality, the largest literary personality that America has produced.”

Twain was easily the most famous writer in Gilded Age America, an era whose name was coined by Twain himself. He was the nation’s first celebrity author, a consummate storyteller, the nation’s most quoted person, and for many outside the U.S., the archetypal American. He mastered a vast array of literary formats, including travelogues, novels, essays, political tracts, plays, and historical romances. He created a uniquely American voice that captured the vernacular speech of the young nation. As famous an orator as a writer, Twain elevated storytelling into a wholly original theatrical genre, conducting speaking tours that attracted massive crowds and took him around the world, from Hawaii to Australia.

Despite his myriad achievements, Twain felt unappreciated by the literary establishment, and chafed at the label “humorist,” fearing that audiences saw him as little more than vaudevillian. In 1907, Oxford University presented him with an honorary degree. For a man of humble origins who had left school at 12, Twain considered the diploma the pinnacle of his career, and he proudly donned the resplendent scarlet graduation gown to wear at formal events for the remainder of his life—including, charmingly, his daughter’s wedding.

Fast forward to 2025, and fear is the hallmark of Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office. Contributing Editor Jonathan Alter, who wrote the definitive book on FDR’s use of executive power in his first 100 days, contrasts the enduring legacy of Roosevelt to the chaos of Trump.

Today, the Supreme Court will hear arguments about Trump’s claim to be able to unilaterally change the meaning of birthright citizenship in the 14th Amendment. Legal Affairs Editor Garrett Epps explains that the Court must uphold birthright citizenship, not because the Constitution says so, but because of Congress. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, Congress explicitly granted citizenship to all babies born on US soil.

Sara Bhatia is an independent museum consultant who writes about museums, history, and culture.

(Washington Monthly)

MANUEL KOMNINOS

by Constantine P. Cavafy (1975)

One dreary September day
Emperor Manuel Komninos
felt his death was near.
The court astrologers—bribed, of course—went on babbling
about how many years he still had to live.
But while they were having their say,
he remembered an old religious custom
and ordered ecclesiastical vestments
to be brought from a monastery,
and he put them on, glad to assume
the modest image of a priest or monk.

Happy all those who believe,
and like Emperor Manuel end their lives
dressed modestly in their faith.

LEAD STORIES, FRIDAY'S NYT

Outsourcer in Chief: Is Trump Trading Away America’s Tech Future?

D.H.S. Requests 20,000 National Guard Members to Help With Immigration Crackdown

Trump’s Military Buildup at the Border Expands

Newark’s Air Traffic Control Staffing Crisis Is Dire. It’s Also Not Unique.

Baby Is Healed With World’s First Personalized Gene-Editing Treatment

A DEATH SENTENCE FOR THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE

by Bernie Sanders

The American people, whether they are Democrats, Republicans or Independents, understand that we have a corrupt campaign finance system which allows billionaires and their lobbyists to play an enormously powerful role in electing candidates, defeating candidates and in crafting legislation. This is true of the Democratic Party and it is true of the Republican Party.

Today, with Republicans in control of the White House, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House, we are seeing how this corrupt process plays out for the priorities of the Republican party and for their billionaire campaign contributors.

This so-called reconciliation bill, President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” that the Republicans are rushing through the House right now is a rather extraordinary piece of legislation. In many respects, given the crises facing our country, this legislation does exactly the opposite of what should be done.

It is no secret that we have more income and wealth inequality in our country today than we have ever had.

Today, the wealthiest man in the world, Mr. Elon Musk, who is now worth more than $400 billion, owns more wealth than the bottom 52% of American society. The top 1% owns more wealth than the bottom 93%. And CEOs of large corporations now make over 350 times what their workers make.

Unbelievably, according to the RAND Corporation, over the past 50 years, nearly $80 trillion in wealth has been redistributed from the bottom 90% of the American people to the top 1%.

What we have seen is the very wealthiest people in America are becoming much richer while at the same time, 60% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck and many millions of families are struggling to put food on the table. That is the economic reality of today.

What does President Trump and Republicans’ reconciliation bill do to address this grossly unfair and unstable situation? What are they doing when the very rich are becoming much richer while working families struggle?

Here’s the answer: this legislation makes the rich and wealthy campaign contributors even richer while making life harder and more stressful for the working families of our country.

This legislation provides massive tax breaks to the top 1% and large corporations in our country and pays for these tax cuts by cutting Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, nutrition, education and other programs that are life and death for working families.

Let me give you one example of how outrageous this legislation is.

As currently written, this bill provides a $235 billion tax break to the top two-tenths of 1% by increasing the estate tax exemption for couples to $30 million.

The estate tax is only applicable to the very wealthiest people in this country who inherit substantial sums of money from a relative.

Under this provision, a couple that inherits $30 million would now pay ZERO tax on that inheritance. Once again, this provision applies only to the top two-tenths of 1% of Americans – the very, very wealthiest people in this country. 99.8% of Americans would not benefit by one nickel under this provision.

Further, this legislation would provide a $420 billion tax break to large, profitable corporations that are stashing their profits in the Cayman Islands and other offshore tax havens and who, by the way, are replacing American workers with robots.

Bottom line: The tax provisions in the reconciliation bill provide huge benefits to the people in our country who need them the least while doing great harm to ordinary Americans.

whether you’re a Democrat, Republican or Independent, you know that our current health care system is broken, it is dysfunctional, it is cruel and it is wildly expensive.

Despite spending almost twice as much per capita on health care as any other major nation, some 85 million Americans are uninsured or underinsured. And we remain the only major country on earth not to guarantee healthcare to all as a human right.

So, given that reality, how does this reconciliation bill address the horrific health care crisis in America? Does it expand health care to more Americans and lower the number of uninsured? Does it take on the greed of the insurance companies and the drug companies who make tens and tens of billions of dollars every year by ripping off the people of our country? Is that what this reconciliation bill does? Not quite.

What this legislation does do is cut Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act by $715 billion, which the Congressional Budget Office has estimated would eliminate health insurance for over 13.7 million Americans. In other words, this legislation makes a very bad situation, in terms of our health care crisis, catastrophically worse.

If we were to pass this bill, the number of Americans who would be uninsured or underinsured would rise to almost 100 million Americans. In other words, instead of lowering the number of uninsured or underinsured people in this country, this bill greatly increases that number. But that’s not all that this legislation does.

This bill forces millions of Medicaid recipients who make as little as $16,000 a year to pay a co-pay of $35 each time they visit a doctor when they get sick – up to 5% of their annual income. What will be the impact of that?

According to a study from Yale University some 68,000 Americans die every year because they don’t get to a doctor on time.

Now, if you’re making a couple of hundred thousand dollars a year, the odds are that a $35 co-payment will not deter you from going to the doctor. You may not like it, but you fork over the $35 to go to the doctor when you are sick.

But if you are a low income American and you are struggling to pay the rent, or you’re struggling to buy food for your kids or pay for child care, that $35 co-pay may be just too much – and the result is that you don’t see the doctor when you should.

When you throw almost 14 million Americans off the health insurance they have and when you force low-income people to pay a $35 co-payment that they can’t afford to pay, no one can deny that many thousands more Americans will die if this bill is signed into law.

This bill is a death sentence for many thousands and thousands of people.

Further, when Trump and the Republicans in the House make massive cuts to Medicaid, they are also talking about making massive cuts to community health centers which provide primary health care to over 32 million low-income and working class Americans.

Community health centers rely on Medicaid for 43% of their revenue. When you make massive cuts to Medicaid you are significantly cutting back on the access that millions of low-income and working class Americans will have to primary health care.

It is not just community health centers that would be devastated by this legislation. All across this country, rural hospitals are shutting down and facing enormous financial pressure. This legislation will only accelerate those closures and bring increased hardship to rural America at a time when rural America already has enough problems.

Here is what Rick Pollack, the president and CEO of the American Hospital Association said: “These proposed cuts will not make the Medicaid program work better for the 72 million Americans who rely on it. Instead, it will lead to millions of hardworking Americans losing access to health care and many of our nation’s hospitals struggling to maintain services and stay open for their communities.”

Further, I hope my colleagues will listen to what Bruce Siegel, the president and CEO of America’s Essential Hospitals said in opposition to this bill: “Hospitals, which already operate on thin margins, cannot absorb such losses without reducing services or closing their doors altogether.”

That is exactly what rural America does not need. We don’t need more hospitals shutting down. We cannot allow that to happen.

And let’s be clear: It’s not just hospitals and community health centers that are opposed to this legislation. Physicians throughout this country have also come out in strong opposition to this legislation.

Let me read from a statement issued today in opposition to this bill from the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American College of Physicians and the American Psychiatric Association: ”Our organizations, representing more than 400,000 physicians who serve millions of patients, are alarmed by proposals to implement cuts or other structural changes to Medicaid during the budget reconciliation process. Cuts to Medicaid will have grave consequences for patients, communities and the entire health care system. With reduced federal funding, it will be harder for patients to access care, states will be forced to drop enrollees from coverage, and it will limit the health care services patients can access and cut payment rates … The impact of cuts to Medicaid funding is significant and wide-reaching, and it must be reconsidered.”

That’s what medical organizations in our country representing 400,000 doctors are saying about this disastrous piece of legislation.

Further, at a time when 22% of our seniors are trying to survive on less than $15,000 a year, this legislation will make it much harder for seniors and people with disabilities to receive the care they desperately need in nursing homes. When Medicaid provides over 60% of the revenue nursing homes rely on, slashing Medicaid will be a disaster for the seniors and disabled who need to live in nursing home care.

And that’s not all that this legislation is doing.

For the vast majority of Americans, including myself, who believe that women should have the right to control their own bodies, this bill essentially defunds Planned Parenthood which provides vital health care to millions of women.

But it is not just our health care system that would be devastated under this legislation.

While this bill provides massive tax breaks to billionaires, it would cut $290 billion from nutrition programs that would take food away from an estimated 4 million children and about half a million seniors.

I don’t know if there is any religion in this world where it would be morally appropriate to take food out of the mouths of hungry kids and frail seniors in order to provide more tax breaks to billionaires?

Further, For the many young people in our country struggling with student debt and others who wonder how they will ever be able to afford to go to college, this bill cuts federal funding for education by more than $350 billion.

What does that mean? Among other things, it means that the average student loan borrower with a bachelor’s degree in America would see his or her loan payments increase by about $3,000 per year – or some $244 a month.

At a time when college is now unaffordable for millions of young people, at a time when we desperately need a well-educated population and the best educated workforce in the world, this bill moves us in the wrong direction.

Finally, at a time when we already spend more on the military than the next nine nations combined and when everyone knows there is massive waste and fraud in the Pentagon, this bill increases defense spending by $150 billion.

And this is just some of what’s in this terrible bill. There are many other horrific provisions which are equally damaging that I have not touched upon.

It seems to me that this bill reflects exactly what is wrong with our current corrupt political system. When we have massive income and wealth inequality, our job is to demand that the wealthy and large corporations start paying their fair share of taxes, not give huge tax breaks to the very rich.

When 85 million Americans are uninsured or underinsured, our job should be to guarantee health care to every man, woman and child in this country, not throw 13 million Americans off of the health care they currently have.

When children and seniors go hungry here in the wealthiest country on Earth, our job should be to make sure that all Americans have the nutrition they need to lead healthy lives, not increase the level of hunger in our country.

I many respects, this bill represents exactly why many Americans are giving up on democracy and have such contempt for Congress. At a time when the richest people have never had it so good, they see Republican leadership working overtime to make the billionaire class even richer.

At a time when a majority of Americans are struggling to put food on the table and pay for health care, they see Republican leadership making life even more difficult for average Americans.

*Coffee and Friendship* (by Martina Heiduczek)

14 Comments

Harvey Reading May 16, 2025

Pretty depressing issue today…though quite accurate in terms of describing life here in freedomlandia at the moment…

Mark Donegan May 16, 2025

Really nice work articulating the inside between Chamise and the board. I told her in the hallway last session I hoped that they would listen. I’m trying not to read too much into the CEO’s office but it hard not to see the petty infighting. I’m trying to figure out what words would lead to another direction. It usually comes by Tuesday after I read the agenda a few times.

Chuck Artigues May 16, 2025

The facts that Bernie Sanders laid out are undisputable. Yet the fact remains that the majority of people who voted in the last election clearly voted for this outcome. Which leads me to ask, what does democracy even mean in our current situation where corporations are legally equal to people, money is considered free speech, while our current president enriches himself and his family at the expense of our countries best interests, and congress looks on and does nothing?

- Paul Andersen May 16, 2025
  
  Non-voters (41.0% of eligible voters) outnumbered the supporters of any individual candidate in the Presidential election. I assume apathy and disillusionment with political choices in this country were the main factor for that.
  
  - Eli Maddock May 16, 2025
    
    +1
    
- Chuck Dunbar May 16, 2025
  
  “The facts that Bernie Sanders laid out are undisputable.” Yes, he lays it out in all its glory, what a damned mess.
  
  “Yet the fact remains that the majority of people who voted in the last election clearly voted for this outcome.” True on the surface of things. But the real test will be in the next presidential election–and too some extent in the interim House elections– when we all see and know the real-life consequences for all us of Trumpist government at its autocratic, chaotic and destructive worst. The results then will reveal the nation’s true character. If Trumpism is rewarded then, we’ll be lost for sure.
  
Paul Modic May 16, 2025

The front page of the North Coast Journal last week, and the story within, lamented the loss of democracy in the feature story about the latest anti-Trump demonstration. “Could we have saved her?” one of the protest signs said.
The problem is that we the pimple voted against democracy, it lost fair and square, and one of the reasons can be found right at the end of that article when the author lists his/her pronouns. That’s the kind of virtual-signaling woke bullshit that doesn’t fly with most voters in the nation and if we ever want to win a national election again the culture war/ identity politics has got to go. (Actually I now own a button I got from a bowl at the Arcata clinic I go to which says, “My Pronouns are He/Him.” Ha, couldn’t resist…)

BRICK IN THE WALL May 16, 2025

Well, well,well. I haven’t of recent past thought I would recommend anything by Kunstler, but one of the first of his book publications as ‘World Made By Hand” has for me some severe relevance for today; if the Maga effect is successful, we are all as a general population going to be losing all positivity to our own existence. We will end up as serfs and knaves to serve a despotic way of life. Kinda the same as serving under the likes of King Longshanks. And all occurring without dropping the bomb, or “firing a shot’
Therefore look to this days refinement on the AVA: ya got the Board of supervisors qubbiling over third grade policies to detour an elected officer at every turn. How inspiring is that???
And then ya got Mo who had to look up the meaning of ‘bootlicker”. Really? Here are more for Mo to ponder(or Google): asskisser, butt kisser, and wienie hugger. Go for it Mo!!!
So as we collectively relearn rural trades, barter with our neighbors, grow our gardens, raise our livestock, let the outsiders who think they control us for their shallow whims go about their biz, and without us, sooner or later they will eat their own.

BRICK IN THE WALL May 16, 2025

Aw, Ferndale potatoes…Had them in Cornwall with a full blown Cornish Pasty. argh matey, they are the best, especially drizzled with lard in the final minutes of preparation.

David Stanford May 16, 2025

Bernie should have “86” Hillary

Eli Maddock May 16, 2025

PGE
They are despicable
Rate hikes to pay share holders
Slashing solar credits
And now a $15 Billion bailout from the Fed Gov
We’re getting screwed. And CPUC Is aiding them in the process.

Craig Stehr May 16, 2025

Warmest spiritual greetings, Awoke early at the Adam’s Place Homeless Shelter in northeast Washington, D.C. Following morning ablutions, did the usual walk down to the bus stop with trash bags, to pick up all of the litter left by assorted drug addicts, professional alcoholics, the unpleasantly mentally ill, assorted (other) homeless, and the club kids who hang out at Karma and Sound Echo on Queen’s Chapel Road. Having cleaned up the daily mess, proceeded to Whole Foods on H Street for hot Indian cuisine, because the California EBT has run out for the month, and since it’s all paying by cash now, might as well eat the faves. A cold Vietnamese-style coffee washed it all down with gusto. Am presently on a computer at the MLK Public LIbrary. I am NOT identified with the body. I am NOT identified with the mind. Immortal Self (id est: pure spirit, the Dao, the Absolute, God, One’s True Nature) I am. Thanking everyone for today’s emails informing me of how to return to California, and obtain senior housing by using various social service programs, shelters, drug addiction/alcoholic rehabilitation programs, senior advocacy governmental and non-governmental groups, and of course your encouraging me to simply pull my 75 year old ass up by the boot straps. NOTA BENE: The problem is that the problem is the “American experiment with freedom and democracy”. Those of you who are enlightened are encouraged to contact me here:
Craig Louis Stehr
Adam’s Place Homeless Shelter
2210 Adams Place NE #1
Washington, D.C. 20018
Telephone: (202) 832-8317
Email: craiglouisstehr@gmail.com
May 16, 2025 Anno Domini

Call It As I See It May 16, 2025

So with electing two new Supervisors we hoped for some change to the Board, nada, nothing, business as usual. Delay and obstruct Chamise Cubbison is now the plan. We’ve wasted another vote! I can’t even complain to my Supervisor, she is enthralled in a public spat with one of her constituents that she started. The rumor in Ukiah is Photo Op Mo is not running for re-election because people are hurting her feelings. She’s not appreciated. People have caught on to your game, a message you should have got loud and clear when you only beat Jacob Brown by 100 votes. Why don’t you do us a favor and resign?

Jerry Burns May 16, 2025

Hey Mo,
Here is a definition of “bootlicker” – an obsequious or overly deferential person; a toady. In the Navy, we just called them ass kissers.
Oh yeah, if you’re leaving, can we kill that goofy rail trail bullshit?

14 Comments

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