Mendocino County Today: Thursday 6/26/2025

BREEZIER winds possible today through Friday, bringing elevated fire weather concerns. Seasonable temperatures are expected to continue today through Friday, followed by hotter weather this weekend and into early next week. Moderate to locally major HeatRisk this weekend, especially on Sunday. (NWS)

STEPHEN DUNLAP (Fort Bragg): I have overcast conditions with 48F this Thursday morning on the coast, although I did see the stars earlier so no idea what daybreak will bring? You can see on satellite shot the fog has backed off some but is still close by, hence our forecast: more sunny than foggy for a couple days then getting foggier again over the weekend. But, here I am trying to forecast the fog once again, I'll never learn.

NARCAN SAVES THREE

On Tuesday, June 24, 2025 at approximately 01:12 A.M., Sheriff's Deputies from the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office overheard radio traffic regarding three unresponsive subjects located in an apartment in the 1400 block of North Bush Street in Ukiah.

Deputies responded to the apartment and observed a 55-year-old female subject who was unresponsive and laying prone near the front door of the residence. Deputies also located two additional unresponsive subjects inside the apartment, who were later determined to be a 36-year-old male and a 31-year-old male.

Based on the circumstances known to deputies from the medical dispatch, it was suspected the three adult subjects who were unresponsive may be suffering from an unintentional drug overdose. Deputies administered (2) 4MG doses of Narcan nasal spray on all three of the unresponsive subjects. After the Narcan was administered, Sheriff's Office personnel noticed the subjects began breathing. Medical personnel arrived at the scene and transported all three subjects to Adventist Health Ukiah Valley for further medical treatment.

Deputies observed drug paraphernalia and suspected controlled substances inside the apartment, which were seized for destruction. It should be noted that pursuant to California Law law enforcement cannot charge individuals for possession of a controlled substance or paraphernalia, or being under the influence of a controlled substance at the scene of a suspected overdose.

In April 2019 the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office began to issue NARCAN® (Naloxone HCI) nasal spray dosage units to its employees as part of their assigned personal protective equipment. MCSO's goal is in protecting the public and officers from opioid overdoses. Access to naloxone is now considered vital in the U.S. The Center for Disease Control. At that time, the California Opioid Overdose Surveillance Dashboard reported Mendocino County ranking, per capita, 3rd in all opioid overdose deaths (https://skylab.cdph.ca.gov/ODdash/?tab=Home). Refer to dashboard for current updated opioid overdose information. Narcan nasal spray units are widely known to reverse opioid overdose situations in adults and children. Each nasal spray device contains a four-milligram dose, according to the manufacturer. Naloxone Hydrochloride, more commonly known by the brand name NARCAN®, blocks the life-threatening effects of opioid overdose (both medications and narcotics) including extreme drowsiness, slowed breathing, or loss of consciousness.

The antidote can reverse the effects of an overdose for up to an hour, but anyone who administers the overdose reversal medication in a non-medical setting is advised to seek emergency medical help right away. The spray units can also be used by Public Safety Professionals who are unknowingly or accidentally exposed to potentially fatal amounts of fentanyl from skin absorption or inhalation.

The issuance of the Narcan nasal units, thus far, have been to employees assigned to the Field Services Division, Corrections Division and the Mendocino County Jail medical staff. Employees are required to attend user training prior to being issued the medication.

Since the April 2019 issuance, there have now been (23) twenty three separate situations wherein Mendocino County Sheriff's Office Patrol Staff have administered NARCAN and saved the lives of (23) twenty three overdosing individuals in need of the lifesaving antidote medication.

In October 2021 the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office received a grant from the California Naloxone Distribution Project through the Department of Health Care Services to help maintain an inventory of the live saving antidote. This grant was renewed in 2023 where the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office received additional NARCAN dosage units for the Field Services Division and Corrections Division.

Sheriff Matthew C. Kendall would like to thank Mendocino County Public Health for providing the Narcan nasal units to the Sheriff's Office free of charge as part of the Free Narcan Grant from the California Department of Public Health.

Sheriff Matthew C. Kendall would like to thank the California Naloxone Distribution Project through the Department of Health Care Services for awarding the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office with the Naloxone grants to better help protect his employees and the public.

Swallowtail visits geraniums (Elaine Kalantarian)

ON-LINE COMMENT: We lost a talented musician in North county last week. People - There is fentanyl in the coke! I don’t know why this is not publicly stated and warned! Humboldt has great weed …but the “coke” is not cocaine. Please tell everybody especially the kids! And please push for our police to arrest these dealers of death- they seem to just sweep it under the rug.

GOING DOWN WITH THE SHIP: MARCY ROYAL

by Thomas Hine

Rite-Aid, a retail institution that has outlasted K-Mart, Sambo’s, the Lido, Montgomery Wards, Green Barn Restaurant, Palace Hotel, Palace Dress Shop, a century of Ford dealerships and Bank of America, will close its doors later this month.

When Rite Aid departs so will everything but memories of its famous five cent ice cream cones, the city’s best rack of greeting cards, the pharmacy, Big Hunk candy bars and, perhaps most of all, Marcy Royal, the face of the store for more than 40 years. The question becomes, What will we miss more? Marcy or Rite Aid?

My pick is Marcy. Everyone knows Marcy and Marcy knows everyone. This might happen to us too if we spent, as Marcy has, 43 years behind the counter and among the shelves at Rite Aid. To have logged that many years at Rite Aid, Inc., calculations suggest Marcy began when she was three or four years old. A guess is she’s about 39 right now, but math can be very confusing. I can’t even spell adiditon.

So the countdown has begun. On June 25 Rite Aid closes here, there and everywhere.

The local store, always well-stocked, now appears as if looters had stormed through half an hour ago and ransacked the place. No, wait. No it doesn’t, because there are still plenty of whiskey and wine bottles remaining on shelves. (Note: More to come on store lootings.)

Some background: There are odd things about Rite Aid in Ukiah, starting with it originally was known as Value Giant and opened in 1969, as you surely don’t remember, before morphing into Payless Drug Store and finally Rite-Aid Drug Store.

And Rite Aid itself has operated out of two buildings, albeit on the same property at South State and Gobbi Streets. And the old store is the one where Marcy began working part-time when still in high school.

There were also two Thrifty Drug Stores in Ukiah. The first one built in 1968 near the former Montgomery Ward store in the Deep Valley Shopping Center and the second one in 1977 where Big 5 Sporting Goods is at today in the Pear Tree Center.

All three of those became Thrifty Payless until bought by Rite Aid Drug Stores.

That’s a long time for the memories to pile up.

“I started in 1982 working part-time, still in school, and it was my first real job. I was thinking I’d be able to save some money, maybe buy a car. I never really thought I’d be here this long,” she laughs. “But then you get married, have kids and pretty soon it’s one thing after another.”

But she doesn’t look back and wish she’d taken another path. “No. No regrets. It’s been a good job and I’ve enjoyed it. People (in the store) have always been great to me, helpful when I needed it. When I got a divorce and it was just me and the kids everyone was flexible, everyone worked with me.”

Her friends in the store are outnumbered only by the friends she’s made with customers, and the store’s imminent closing has brought it all into focus.

“I have people who heard the store is shutting down and they come in to see me, concerned about me and see about how I’m doing,” she said. “These are people I’ve known for a long time, and they’re genuinely worried. They’ve come in over the past two or three weeks and I’ve been touched by how much they care. It brings a tear to me eyes when they tell me how much they’ll miss me.”

A former boss, Richard ‘Dick’ Anderson stopped in, said Marcy. “He wanted too see how I was doing, to see if I needed anything, and that he was concerned whether I was OK and what I’d be doing, where I’d be going.

“He said, ‘Will I get to see you again?’ It just touches my heart.

“A wonderful lady stopped by to tell me she’d have her church pray for me, and when she asked for a hug that’s when I just started to cry. It’s all so genuine. Everyone is so sincere.”

And of course people wonder whether she’s going to retire.

“I don’t think I’m ready to retire,” said Marcy. “I need to keep busy. I need to be doing something. I’ve never even been on unemployment. So maybe I’ll stay home and paint my house.”

But why is Ukiah’s longtime anchor drug store suddenly going under? Marcy thinks it’s a combination of corporate mismanagement and the changing nature of the way people shop.

(Trigger Warning: Looter Alert)

“It’s little bit of everything,” she says. “Retail just isn’t what it used to be. People are doing their shopping online now.

“That, combined with all the theft, the looting and shoplifting; it makes it so much more difficult. People come in, take whatever they want and walk back out,” she said. “There’s no accountability and I guess people today just don’t know right from wrong.”

The answer from the top has been to let people take what they want and for store employees to stand back and watch. “If we say anything or go after anyone we’re the ones who get fired. They (management) say they are looking out for us and they don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

The wave of local lawbreaking hasn’t been confined to Rite Aid. Stories of employees quitting at Raley’s due to lax anti-shoplifing policies have made the rounds. Marcy says a friend who’d been working at JC Penney’s told her, “Marcy, I just can’t take it. I can’t do this anymore,” and quit.

The soon-to-shutter store which once had 30 or more employees in the previous building, now manages to get by with four. No plans for a farewell party are contemplated. Nothing is planned for its few remaining workers.

Rite Aid closed for good on June 25, 2025.

FREE WATER MONITORING EQUIPMENT FOR RUSSIAN RIVER VOLUNTEERS

State Water Board staff from the Telemetry Research Unit are seeking volunteers for the Telemetry Study in the Russian River watershed. Any people or entities who own land, operate water monitoring equipment, or collect water monitoring data in or near the Russian River watershed are encouraged to apply. To apply, please complete the Intake Form at waterboards.ca.gov/telemetry

Admission to the study is open now!

Volunteers may receive:

Free telemetered water monitoring equipment installed at their site.

have the option to keep equipment at end of study.

Free maintenance and operation of the equipment during the study.

Ability to view and download their site’s data during the study and to control privacy of their site’s data.

Training and technical support for equipment and data transmission during the study.

Extended reporting deadlines and modified compliance for Senate Bill 88 (SB88) requirements during the study.

Contribution to shaping future water reporting, management practices, and policies.

Learn more about the project at waterboards.ca.gov/telemetry/russian-river-study.html or email [email protected] with questions or comments.

THE PHILO HOUSE used to be Doug and Bev Elliott's house across from Flood Gate.

I visited them many times. I really liked the house when they lived there. It was a lovely simple home with character. Now the house is "fancy" without any character.

Just plain white. Blah.

Any locals got $1.3 million? Ha.

THE 3,000-WORD PREPARED MONOLOGUE FROM SUPERVISOR MULHEREN that she speed-read to her colleagues at the opening of the tax sharing/annexation discussion on Tuesday (from facebook).

Supervisor Gjerde and I were on the tax sharing ad hoc for three years before we brought the plan to the board last year. At that time we had a balance area map from the City of Ukiah and City of Fort Bragg which would require them to take in economically disadvantaged areas to balance the loss of sales tax revenue. in an opening question John Bakker the counties special council said that this plan was more favorable towards the county because it has the sales tax sharing agreement And gives the County time to adjust for the revenue lost and the city begins with Services right away so that will be a challenge.

The plan that we created tries to balance the loss of revenue with the increase in economic improvements that can be developed with the cities, urban planning and municipal services in a way that the County can’t accomplish as we simply do not provide many of these services including water and sewer. At that time we were working off of previous City of Ukiah Council guidance for the Sphere of Influence and hadn’t had direction from the Current Council. This year in coordination with the Willow County Water and Millview Water District Boards the City Council began to look at annexing areas that covered those service boundaries that would incorporate the new water JPA. .i think there has been a lot of misunderstanding in the public about the LAFCO and annexation process. Now that we know the area is still similar to what was in the Master Tax Sharing Agreement and continues to provide a balance of taking in the less affluent areas.

This is the second item that has come forward on something that I worked with County and City Staff for three years to develop. At first I didn’t know what to expect from Supervisor Clines item about the agreement and at that time asked that the Board continue to let the ad hoc work with the City and the Executive Office to handle the details that need to be worked out before a final plan was created, I’m still going to ask that that is the direction today. Although I haven’t attended any workshops because I’m not on the ad hoc I have watched the City Council meetings and planning commission meeting and Many of the people that are hosting no annexation signs have come to public meetings and think there should be “some” annexation and I think it’s worth continuing the process to get questions answered and see if the annexation should move forward in a different format or not. Today’s action would not prevent that work from continuing but would instead start a five year clock where the County would need to continue to provide information and meet so it does not meet Supervisor Williams goal of financial savings.

The CEO for three years told the ad hoc that we couldn’t afford to lose the tax revenue but there was no financial projection that determined that and in fact it’s because the County has been over budget for decades. $3-6million was the average carry forward that Lloyd Weer came up with each year when he was the Auditor and in the last few years it’s been more in the $1-3million range. When considering the loss of revenue the Board and the public also need to consider the reduced expenses as well as the increased property value and then there are some financially intangible things as well. In my opinion at the end of the day the County will continue to be broke whether there is an annexation or not. This year staff presented us a budget that was $23 million over our revenues. The City of Ukiah getting a portion of the sales tax to provide services is not going to solve the Counties budget crisis. We ended up having to use one time funds to yet again balance the budget, if the County can’t increase its revenues and reduce its costs way beyond $3million we will continue to remain stagnant and our community overall will not see improvements either from the City or the County.

This might be my only opportunity to publicly address this item again since campaigning and I wanted to provide a few examples of where the City Of Ukiah has had to step in where the county has not in these specific areas that appear to be part of a future annexation request. I think its important that we are transparent about the challenges that both the City and County have and where we can coordinate strengths.

I’ll start with the Bellavista housing project on the south end of Ukiah. This is formerly known as gardens gate and was required to have open space in a park by the county. After decades we had a new developer and approval by the Board and when the county was asked how they could help with the required park with their facilities department they could do nothing. We sat in a meeting. Everybody rung their hands, said we can’t figure out that we could help and sorry. Have a good day.

City Of Ukiah stepped in figure out how what their parks department they could help maintain the park figured out what the cost would be And not because they would make money to do it but because they understand and know that the housing is so important that they need to do it. This housing would be middle market for working professionals like doctors, firefighters, law enforcement, teachers all very important to creating a thriving well rounded community and economy and would also have Senior bungalows which would allow some people in existing housing to move in to a smaller more manageable place and free up existing housing again for working families. It’s my understanding that this project is still going through County planning and roads processes and I’m not sure when it will move forward.

The other project that would bring much needed market rate housing to our community is on the north end of town and would be about 157 units. Again stalled because the County doesn’t have water and won’t let the project move forward until there’s a connection that can serve the area. I’m not saying that’s wrong but I do believe that’s a problem the annexation would help solve.

Now do I know and understand for both of these projects there are market influences that have also inhibited construction moving forward, yes absolutely. And that there needed to be changes made to the County such as removing the inclusionary housing ordinance which was approved by the previous Board. Is an annexation going to magically make these developments occur? Of course not, because the City is better prepared to provide public works services like water, sewer and parks maintenance as well as electricity and has a knowledgeable staff to be able to move the projects forward I believe they have a better chance of being built if the City annexes than if it doesn’t.

When you look at the two housing projects that have not been developed in the county for decades the loss of property tax to our community over the last 20 years is $47 million. It’s $2.3 million a year, roughly for what those properties could bring in to our community. the county only gets 11% of the property tax so that’s about $261,000 a year for both projects for the county. Which over the course of 15 years is $3.9 million into the county general fund. Do I think eventually the County might be able to get these project across the finish line, sure, but I think the City of Ukiah can do it a lot faster.

(Sale price $600,000 x .01186 example from the website = $7,116

One project 157 units x $7,116 = $1,117,212

Another project 177 units x $7,116 = $1,259,532

Total Property Tax brought in to the community annually with just two projects $2,376,744

Property Tax two projects about $261,441 based off 11% to the County

$261,441 without growth 15 years $3,921,627 collected by the County

Lost for 20 years =lets say $200,000 $4,000,000 to the County $47,534,880 to the community over 20 years)

So I’d like to talk about Law Enforcement response in the possible future annexation area. If you look at our civic assist data you can see that this area that is proposed to be annexed has a very heavy impact on calls to the Sheriffs office

When the people at Orr Creek Commons were struggling with an excessive amount of calls to the sheriff‘s office. It was a City Of Ukiah that stepped in and helped the conversation with the developer so that we could get a fence put across and keep people that were camping in the creek out of the apartments. Also, the creek happens to be on the Ciity County line and the city was regularly going in and getting people out of the creek and there is no longer anybody camping there. This is about more than just the people camping in the creek. This is about keeping the people that are housed housed so that they are not back on the street And to this day there’s an average of one call per day to those apartments by the sheriffs office that is incredibly expensive as a matter fact, I took some of the top four locations that I could think of, these are just apartment buildings or streets that have a high volume of calls, used the average rate the weighted rate for our deputies $180 and can see that that’s roughly $500-$798,000 at the sheriff‘s office would save annually by not patrolling that area that is proposed to be annexed. This doesn’t mean that the City Of Ukiah would take on that expense of patrolling because they handle things different within the city they are more active and engaged in working with developers and the County to make sure that the issues in their apartments or facilities are addressed. If you use the Citizen Connect website to look at Sheriffs Office calls you can see that many calls are in the area that could potentially be annexed. I think it would be good if the Sheriff and his leadership team could take a serious look at what it would be like to no longer patrol this area what the savings would be or more likely what could be done in other areas of the County like Covelo and on the Coast. There are still many discussions to be had with the Sheriff and the Chief of UPD that can and should continue to figure out what is the best way to provide service.

As a reminder this master tax sharing agreement doesn’t change realignment funds so 91 and 2011 realignment funds all still come to the County for Public Safety including the Sheriffs Office, jail, probation, and behavioral health.

I’d like to talk a little bit about the social services and behavioral health budget because the new members of the board and some members of the public may not know that a previous board voted to reduce any general fund dollars to these departments to the maximum amount possible. Your general fund amount that goes to behavioral health is a $23,000 match that’s it. And to social services it is a few hundred thousand dollars to specific programs again a required match by law. The Master tax sharing agreement has little affect on these amounts.

I’d like to talk about another area of savings to the County and that is roads

If you review the 20 Year Rd. plan you’ll see that there’s $15 million in projects that would be in the annex area over the next 10 years.

Road Plan

29-30 in the annexed area $6.5 million - N State Street, S State St, N State St at Calpella

31-32 partially in the annexed area $1,705,128 - Brush Street, South Dora Street, Oak Knoll Road, Laws Ave, Tedford Ave

33-34 in the annexed area $7 million - Malaga Drive, Tokay Ave, Chablis Drive, Zinfandel Drive, Despina Dr, Lovers Lane, Feed Lot Lane, Kuki Lane, Ford Rd, Tedford Ave, Laws Ave, Canyone Dr, Rosemary Ln

Fircrest Dr, S Dora Street, Jefferson Lane, Oak Knoll Road, Meadow Brook Drive, Plant road, Taylor Drive, Stipp Lane, Orr Springs Road

Rough savings in the current plan $15,205,128

The county would be able to use those funds for other projects throughout the county like Little River Airport Road or it could potentially be a savings. And to the residents in those areas but did not hear your street you should know that if you live in the area and I did not list your street, the County has no plan to do updates to your road. I think those residents should inquire with the City what the plan will be for those areas.

As a reminder the Executive Office does not offer individual board members support, we are required to work on initiatives by ourselves if the Board does not agree to help fund it. With that being said,

I have other examples of how the City has had to step in and help with a community problem outside their service area when the County was again wringing its hands and saying we don’t have money we can’t do anything to help you. When there was an encampment on the abandoned railroad I was tasked with personally working to disband it, without support from the Executive Office. Eventually I was able to have people removed from the encampment with the help from the Sheriff’s Office and some outreach from the Social Services special projects team. Again I was asked without help from the Executive Office to figure out how to get about 20 tons of trash out of the area; the first quote was for $291,000 which of course we didn’t have the money for and the City of Ukiah helped get it cleaned up for $20,000. I think it can’t be underestimated the impact to the community because of this encampment not only to business owners but nearby residents.

When I first got on the Board I asked for support to fund a homeless trash program, To be able to pick up trash. Again the Board himmed and hawed and said yeah good idea but we don’t have any money. And since there was a job that needed to be done I bought a truck and got to work. For four years I picked up trash myself sometimes with the people in the encampments often with the help of the City of Ukiah and even the police chief once.

This year I decided that me personally picking up trash and having volunteers clean up encampments is not a sustainable path so I asked for help internally to come up with a proposal to submit to the State to try and get some funding to have a contractor do it. I was told no. That a staff member would not help me. I happened to mention it at a regular meeting with the City and they volunteered a team member to help me submit it. Not because they had to but because they see the benefit to the community.

I could go on and on about the Russian River Watershed Agency, Inland Water Power Commission, Eel Russian River Association, Ukiah Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency, Great Redwood Trail Agency and other organizations that the City has partnered with that reduce costs to the county and supports the community.

The way that the City has helped with Mendocino Solid Waste Management Authority and stabilizing that agency and providing support can’t actually be financially enumerated as the cost to burdening the planet with illegal waste is hard to articulate. Thankfully they have been able to work with the hauler to get a handle on the illegal dumping all over the County and have started hazardous waste pick ups again to much success which I have spoken about during my Supervisor Reports.

I haven’t had time to go through every single scenario and I have many more and I don’t think that everything that the City does is right, and I don’t think that everything the County does it wrong. We have strengths and weaknesses and I think the Ad Hoc and the Executive office and the other elected officials can work together to figure out what the true costs and benefits are. Yes there will be challenges in creating the some of the accounting to track progress, but once there is a system set up it should be less difficult to maintain. I think that between the ad hoc, the executive office and elected officials can work with the public to discuss the size of the annexation in a way that can get the most agreement. The City of Ukiah has recently issued a press release to make sure that the public understands that they are slowing down the process to engage in more community conversation and this is an opportunity for concerns about the Right to Farm Ordinance, the zoning or utility concerns to be addressed by the public with the City and the Ad hoc. I support the continued work of the ad hoc, but terminating the master tax sharing agreement is unnecessary at this time.

COMMUNITY GROUP OPPOSES CITY OF UKIAH’S MASSIVE ANNEXATION PLAN. Residents Urged to Push Back Against Risky Expansion Proposal That Triples City Limits

Ukiah, CA – June 23, 2025

No Ukiah Annexation has launched a campaign to oppose the City of Ukiah’s controversial plan to triple the size of its city limits through an aggressive annexation of the Willow and Millview Water District areas. The proposed annexation threatens to overwhelm the city’s already strained public safety services, burden local residents with higher taxes and fees, and accelerate financial instability.

What Is Annexation and the City of Ukiah’s Annexation Proposal?

Annexation is the process by which a city expands its jurisdictional boundaries. Ukiah’s plan would absorb a massive area extending from near Calpella to Burke Hill Drive south of Highway 253, covering commercial, industrial, agricultural, and undeveloped land. “This plan reflects a clear disregard for the property rights and lifestyle choices of residents who intentionally live outside city boundaries to preserve an agricultural or rural way of life,” said the Mendocino County Employers Council. “These citizens are now facing the imposition of city oversight without consent, due process, or adequate representation. More concerning is the imposition of city-level regulations that would severely restrict or prohibit long-standing rural practices which are integral to rural living and agricultural operations.”

Overstretching Public Safety

The Ukiah Police Department (UPD) is currently operating with a 20% staffing shortfall, even after offering a $25,000 signing bonus to new officers. A few years ago, the department was operating at only 62% of its required capacity. These staffing deficits directly impact response times and public safety, especially as service demands grow.

“This annexation as currently proposed will be a lose-lose for everyone and will have a negative impact on all of Mendocino County due to the reduction in revenues from businesses as well as a reduction in services for those annexed into the city. It became clear that this annexation will likely have serious implications for the county.”

Mendocino County Sheriff Matt Kendall

During a recent Zoning Commission meeting, a Habit Burger project manager confirmed that the company chose not to include outdoor seating, citing concerns that police do not have the bandwidth to respond to quality-of-life calls—an issue that annexation would only exacerbate.

Hidden Costs for District Residents

Beyond public safety, residents in the proposed annexation zone would see a sharp increase in living and business costs, including:

● A 30% increase in Ukiah Valley Sanitation District fees over the next five years

● Higher sales tax and business license fees than in the county

● Increased building permit and utility rates

Ukiah already collects six times more sales tax per resident than the county. Yet its FY 2023–2024 General Fund fell by $572,182, and its unrestricted net position plummeted to -$40.62 million. The city is increasingly reliant on depleting reserves, and Measure Y, intended to fund street repairs and infrastructure, is already running a $2.25 million deficit. “The Mendocino County Farm Bureau is opposed to the City of Ukiah’s annexation plan,” the organization said in a formal statement. “We have serious reservations regarding the scope and scale of the annexation and deep concern about the negative fiscal implications this would have for County finances. Such a rapid expansion of the City of Ukiah would endanger farmland through urban sprawl that would lead to an increase in conflicts between agricultural producers conducting everyday farming activities and neighboring urban residents.”

LAFCo’s Mandate & Our Concern

The Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) exists to encourage orderly development, protect farmland, and ensure that local governments don’t outgrow their capacity to serve. Ukiah’s plan is the opposite of those principles. It encourages urban sprawl, risks agricultural preservation, and stretches already-thin services. “Tripling the size of the city in one move is reckless,” said Ross Liberty, President of Factory Pipe. “The City of Ukiah didn’t ask us if we wanted to be part of Ukiah — they’re telling us. If I wanted to live and run my business in the City, I would live in the City, and my business would be in the City — but I’m not.”

A Smarter Way Forward

No Ukiah Annexation supports responsible, phased growth, not a one-time land grab that risks the wellbeing of all residents. We urge decision-makers to pursue thoughtful expansion plans based on real capacity, not just financial ambition.

Take Action Now

We encourage Ukiah residents and those in the affected districts to:

● Contact your local representatives to express your opposition and concerns with the current annexation proposal

● Attend upcoming meetings related to annexation.

● If you live in the annexation area, keep lookout for Protest Petitions that will be sent out by LAFCo which you can then submit as a formal protest.

● Join us at noukiahannexation.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

No Ukiah Annexation

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.noukiahannexation.com

(No Ukiah Annexation is a community-driven organization made up of residents, local businesses, and public officials committed to ensuring that any annexation is approached thoughtfully, sustainably, and through a phased process.)

AT MOSSWOOD, JULY 1ST

JULY 4TH PARADE PROTEST

Hello All Mendocino residents,

Please join me in the July 4th parade to protest the imminent destruction of the Main Street water tower, (next to Flow).

The building owners are determined to tear down this iconic and historic landmark.

Please participate with signage and enthusiasm.

As a background, the MHRB 3 times said no to the owners requests, then owners appealed to the Board of Supervisors, Ted was the only NO vote. So it appears that the water tower will be torn down, another landmark gone forever.

Simone Pisias

[email protected]

REMEMBERING VERN PIVER

Long ago sports by Andy Johnston

I knew Vern Piver very well. The Editor mentioned him several times and commented on John DeSilva too. When I moved back to Fort Bragg from Redwood Valley, I got a call from a lady on the Little League board who said "Vern Piver said you wanted to be on the LL board; we have an opening and it's yours! This was in 1977 after Vern's years with the Pirates. I barely knew him, but it was an introduction to his personality.

One previous meeting I was pitching against Fort Bragg and we were playing at the old Green Memorial field where the Starr Center is now. It was a great field. So, on this day Vern was our homeplate umpire. But someone lost the key to the umpire's room, so he had no gear. Well, we didn't come all the way from Laytonville not to play. So Vern, said, OK, I will umpire from behind the pitcher's mound. So, the game commenced and around the 5th inning I ran into trouble with guys on base and Biggie Richards came to bat, their best hitter. I turned around and was looking at second and Vern lowly chuckled, “This guy can't hit a curve ball.” He was right; I was out of the inning.

We coached against each other many times doing Senior League. One time a kid missed a bunt sign and Vern called time and gave the kid a sure tale sign. Again it was missed! Vern coaching third called time again called the kid down the third base line. He took his bat and scribed an X in the dirt and said very loudly, “On the next pitch I want you to bunt the ball right here.”

I loved sitting by Vern at games we would be watching. He had some famous one liners. If someone booted a grounder he would say, “Get a stick and kill it," or "Put on the beans mom, they are curving me,” meaning the game was lost.

We had a tree on our ranch that was almost on our property line with Union Lumber Company, now Lime Redwood. Vern was falling timber for Union Lumber Company. At the time and he said, "Andy, let's cut this tree. We will both make lots from it" — me for falling it, you for selling it to Union Lumber Company. Well, I said no. End of story? No. That tree twas about 10 feet wide on the stump and right next to the County road. It was noticed by a person visiting the area from the Moscone Center in SF. He approached us and we made a deal to give the tree to them. They were building a new addition onto the center and wanted a redwood that had to be big but dead or dying. They would not cut a live tree. This tree, although big, had a dead top; so it was perfect.

They insured the tree before we fell it and it took a special layout where it landed so it would not break up, Then the long process of curing it and hauling it to San Francisco began. It took a special permit to cross the Golden Gate Bridge.

Now the tree stands in the Center ten stories high with a staircase from the entrance to the top floor. On each floor artists from various countries have fastened their artwork on the tree. They are great.

What does all this lead up to? Well, we saved 120 feet of the tree, so we had 10 feet left over. I wanted to save it for something special. When Vern passed, they built a little league field in his honor. Vern’s wife Betty was looking for donations, so I had the 10 remaining feet of the tree milled and had “Vern Piver Little League Field” routed into it. Bottom line: Vern got his tree.

More on baseball, Jim Jones, and more coming until you have had enough.

FROM EBAY, A PHOTOGRAPH OF SEMI-LOCAL INTEREST (via Marshall Newman)

CATCH OF THE DAY, Wednesday, June 25, 2025

KEVIN DAHLUND, 56, Ukiah. Petty theft with two or more priors, controlled substance with two or more priors, concealed dirk-dagger.

FRANCISCO GONZALEZ, 35, Ukiah. County parole violation.

LEVI LEON, 37, Willits. Paraphernalia, disobeying court order.

JOEL NUNEZ, 54, Willits. Controlled substance with two or more priors, paraphernalia, false personation of another.

ROGER ROTH, 54, Willits. Controlled substance with two or more priors, paraphernalia, false personation of another.

BRIAN SCHATZLEIN, 59, Fort Bragg. DUI, controlled substance with two or more priors, addict driving vehicle.

ARLEN SMITH, 47, Willits. Domestic battery, child endangerment.

ENFORCE FIREWORKS LAWS

Editor:

A startling explosion near my home reminded me that the Fourth of July is around the corner. I used to enjoy the holiday, but in recent years I have come to dread it. Not only have the explosions begun earlier every year the number of households setting off illegal explosives seems to have grown.

The excessive noise affects humans, pets and other animals. Dogs can sustain damage to their hearing organs. The noise causes fear and anxiety in some humans and animals. The frightening noise has caused animals to be injured or killed when fleeing.

Like many pet owners, I try everything possible to reduce the frightening effects of these explosions on my pets. It is impossible to drown out the loud cracking sounds that replicate gun shots. Many pet owners purchase prescription drugs for their pets to reduce the anxiety produced by the explosions. The need to drug our pets to protect them from illegal activity is absurd. This should not be the norm.

Relatively few households create this annual, weeks long, excessive noise that affects many households. The law on the purchase and use of illegal explosives needs to be enforced.

Barbara Gay

Santa Rosa

STOP SB 607. CEQA BELONGS TO YOU!

There’s word of a last-minute deal to gut massive portions of YOUR environmental bill of rights, CEQA (the California Environmental Quality Act). Scroll down to take action - please call and email your state representatives now to stop the undemocratic backroom deal to take away the public’s voice…/Your Voice/…from decision-making.

We need your help urgently to stop a backroom deal on dangerous legislation that will gut CEQA. We just learned last night that SB 607 will be included in the Governor’s budget trailer bill and the final language will be confirmed this Friday. We are concerned that almost every extreme feature of SB 607 will remain in the bill. Worse still, the bill is proceeding under the cloak of darkness, with none of the transparency of normal legislation.

We can’t get into the backroom, but you can blast the doors off! Please Make calls NOW to Stop SB 607 and to demand that more time be allowed for public input about the bill.

The calls should be made today - June 25th - and emails sent now too.

Take Action: Using the script below as a guide…

Contact the Speaker of the Assembly, Robert Rivas, at (916) 319-2029 or email via his online form at https://speaker.asmdc.org/contact-me

WHO PUSHED TRUMP INTO HALTING (SOME) ICE RAIDS, AND IS IT FOR REAL?

Farmworkers struggle against deportation and even lower wages.

by David Bacon

President Trump's wild swings about immigration raids over the last few days may sound unhinged, but they have surfaced some basic realities. The economic importance of immigrant workers in the U.S. economy couldn't be more clear, and Trump's fealty to the powerful companies that employ them couldn't be more obvious. Yet immigrant workers are not simply exploited victims in this system. They have power, and increasingly know how to use it to defend themselves and their communities. Their actions are a real, if uncovered, story.…

https://davidbaconrealitycheck.blogspot.com/2025/06/who-pushed-trump-into-halting-raids-and.html

JAYNE THOMAS:

Here's a link to the list of Dems who voted with Repugs.

https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-impeachment-vote-al-green-democrats-list-2090250

I don't see Huffman. Our Rep. Lateefah Simon had some courage. I was surprised at some: Raskin !, Neguse, Lieu, Lofgren, Aguilar…Kyle says all who voted with Rs should be primaried.

GIANTS LEFT BRUISED AND DEFLATED after losing to lowly Marlins in 10

by Shayna Rubin

San Francisco Giants' Jung Hoo Lee, right, is tagged out at home by Miami Marlins catcher Nick Fortes to end the ninth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

The sting of an 8-5, extra-inning loss to the lowly Miami Marlins turned into frustration and concern within the San Francisco Giants’ clubhouse Wednesday night.

Casey Schmitt, the hottest hitter on a team desperately searching for momentum at the plate, was in the back room getting X-rays after taking a 95 mph sinker off his left hand in the ninth inning. Not only was Schmitt the second Giant to be hit in the inning (and third of the game), but it marked the ninth time a Giants batter has been hit by a pitch since their series against the Los Angeles Dodgers began June 13.

X-rays came back showing no fracture, Schmitt said, but he’ll likely undergo further testing on Thursday. If he has to miss time, San Francisco will be down two third basemen as Matt Chapman works back from a sprained right hand. Though the Giants don’t feel opposing pitchers are intentionally trying to hit them, the entire clubhouse was frustrated with all the painful plunks.

“I think the game will even itself out,” Giants starter Logan Webb said. “It’s starting to get frustrating when guys are getting hit, so, just … pitchers have to do a better job of protecting these guys.”

“I’ve been hot, Schmitty has been hot, (Wilmer Flores) too,” said Heliot Ramos, who has been hit 10 times this year. “I feel like they’re trying to execute some pitches, at the same time nobody wants to get hit. If you don’t know how to pitch in, don’t pitch in. You know what I’m saying? Try to get us out some other way. At the end of the day, it’s the game. You’re going to get hit, it’s going to happen, but it is annoying for sure.”

However the Giants pitchers might even the score, they can’t afford to spot opposing teams a free base runner given the way the offense is going. San Francisco had only five hits Wednesday, four of which were singles.

Schmitt and Dom Smith were both hit in the ninth inning and, though painful, that ignited their best offensive sequence of the night down two runs heading into the final frame. Marlins reliever Calvin Faucher walked Jung Hoo Lee to load the bases with no outs.

Another walk-off win felt inevitable when Willy Adames' deep drive to left field traveled well into the cold night, but fell a few feet short of a grand slam. Statcast says would have been a home run in three ballparks. He settled for a sac fly, cutting the deficit to one. Patrick Bailey hit an opposite-field single to tie it with one out, but an aggressive send by third base coach Matt Williams had Lee, the potential game-winning runner, thrown out at home to send the game to extras.

In the 10th, Camilo Doval gave up four runs (three earned) on two hits and a leadoff walk. The Giants had no answer.

Manager Bob Melvin defended the decision to send Lee in the ninth, saying, “We’re trying to win a game there and give him credit in left field, it wasn’t hit that deep and he charged hard to get it, had to get it perfectly and had to make a good throw. We’re trying to win a game there.”

It was the second time in as many days Williams waved in a runner in a risky situation, but it’s a sign of how desperate the Giants are to make the most out of every hit with runners in scoring position. They’re 8-for-59 with runners in such situations over eight games this homestand.

“Camilo has been great, Tyler (Rogers) has been great, they can’t be perfect all the time,” Melvin said. “Offensively we have to do more. We feel like we’re on the verge of breaking out, we had a good game Sunday, and we’re winning our share of games even though we aren’t hitting. It’s going to take us swinging the bats a lot better and putting more pressure to get out of this funk we’re in offensively.”

Once the Boston Red Sox left town, the Giants were looking at some of the smoothest seas they’d see all year. Four teams with middling-to-bad records were on deck — the Marlins, Chicago White Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks and Sacramento A’s — over a stretch of 16 straight games.

But this stretch is off to a rough start with a series loss to the Marlins and ball-shaped bruises to boot.

As has been a trend, Webb pitched well, but didn’t get much run support. He needed 102 pitches to get through six innings while allowing two runs. Outfielder Kyle Stowers was his worst enemy. In the fourth, he smoked a double to right with a 113.7 mph exit velocity, setting the table for Otto Lopez’s go-ahead, two-run single.

Stowers made Webb’s sixth and final inning all the more stressful with a two-out double, smoked again at 112.5 mph. Webb walked a third batter to get his pitch count into the 100s, but got a one-pitch Heriberto Hernandez flyout to end the inning. He struck out six and gave up two runs on six hits.

Something had to give, and Rogers was the victim. Agustin Ramirez led off the eighth on an infield hit and Liam Hicks snuck a double down the first base line, inches from Smith’s glove, in the next at-bat. Rogers nearly escaped the jam, striking out Stowers and getting Lopez to pop out foul, but Hernandez lobbed a two-run single to score two go-ahead runs.

Mike Yastrzemski hit his sixth career leadoff home run, but the Giants didn’t get another hit off Marlins starter Edward Cabrera until Adames’ single in the fifth. The hit advanced Lee, who had walked, and ignited a tepid rally in which the Giants tied the game on a Christian Koss sacrifice fly. San Francisco collected three hits and three walks in five-plus innings against Cabrera, who was throwing five different pitches. The Marlins bullpen, carrying a 4.44 ERA, didn’t allow a base runner over the next 2 ⅔ innings.

“I understand it, at the end of the day we have to score runs for them to protect us,” Ramos said. “We have to play the game either way, we can’t take our minds off the game and the pitchers have been doing a good job. I feel like if we score runs and do what we have to do, they’re going to protect us for sure.”

(sfchronicle.com)

WE MAY NOT AGREE ON CLIMATE, BUT WE ALL FEEL THE HEAT

by Ashley Ward

Just five days into summer, much of the United States is gripped by a record-breaking heat dome. Pavement is buckling in Wisconsin. Trains in the Northeast have had to slow or stop to avoid heat-induced “sun kinks” in the rails. Emergency rooms are expected to fill with patients with heat-related illness across the Midwest. Power grids are straining and the Washington Monument is closed to visitors.

These events aren’t outliers; they are the signs of a new era of more frequent and intense heat waves that will test infrastructure, public health systems and communities.

For my research on heat, I meet people from across the political spectrum who are living through these extreme heat episodes and stressing over escalating electric bills, dying livestock and dangerous working conditions. I have found that there is no need to litigate the science of climate change in these conversations. Rather, if our leaders focus on the disruptions and damage caused by heat, they can open the door to broader, more effective bipartisan solutions.

Unlike hurricanes or floods, extreme heat doesn’t leave behind eye-catching wreckage. But its toll is no less profound. Exposure to heat in the workplace drags down labor productivity, suppresses local gross domestic product and hits rural economies hardest — especially those heavily dependent on manufacturing or agriculture. Supply chain disruptions and power outages that destroy inventories also drive up costs for producers and consumers, from food spoilage in grocery stores and warehouses to heat-damaged electronics and pharmaceuticals rendered unusable.

The risks go beyond the economy and public health. Extreme heat is also emerging as a national security concern. It threatens the physical readiness of soldiers, weakens military installation infrastructure and complicates logistics and supply chains critical to defense operations. The Department of Defense has begun incorporating heat-related stressors into its strategic planning because of the compounding effects on personnel, equipment and mission reliability, especially in rural and remote regions. Like other sectors, the military isn’t waiting for political consensus on climate change. It’s adapting to the effects that are already here.

As the costs from extreme heat mount, there is growing interest from industries and lawmakers to come up with new solutions. Congress recently formed a bipartisan Extreme Heat Caucus — proof that the issue is gaining recognition across the aisle. The focus is on responding to worker injuries, economic losses and public safety risks. That’s a promising sign that heat can unite lawmakers on urgently needed nonpartisan solutions.

Imagine if our approach to heat mirrored how we prepare for hurricanes — anticipating its damage, issuing targeted alerts and deploying protective infrastructure, such as cooling centers, shaded transit stops and reflective roofing materials. A new approach should also include better emergency response systems that prioritize vulnerable populations.

While the National Weather Service does issue heat alerts, they are often based on statistical thresholds (like the 95th or 98th percentile of past regional heat waves) and generally do not incorporate health outcomes. Many of the most serious health effects occur well below those statistical thresholds. As a result, alerts may come too late or not at all. More nonpartisan support for dealing with increasingly brutal summers could also mean updated alerts, as well as better workplace protections, a modernized electric grid to avoid outages and the development of smarter technologies.

Business leaders are beginning to recognize the need to address extreme heat. GE Appliances recently installed sensor-driven ventilation systems to keep factory floors cooler and less humid. The result was increased employee comfort, greatly improved retention of workers and safer working conditions.

In the construction industry, some firms are giving employees devices that detect early signs of heat stress, helping field supervisors respond before a medical emergency occurs. Delta Air Lines is working with the Korey Stringer Institute, a research center focused on heat and health, to develop policies to protect their ground crews, who can be exposed to very high temperatures from heat radiating off the tarmac and jet engines. United Parcel Service recently rolled out cooling hats, towels and sleeves along with water for its delivery workers and added fans and exhaust heat shields to vehicles as part of a new heat-safety agreement with the Teamsters.

The insurance industry is also beginning to rethink how it responds to the rising risks of extreme heat. One emerging tool is parametric insurance, a policy that issues automatic payouts when specific temperature thresholds are met, rather than requiring damage assessments or lengthy claims processes. This kind of approach isn’t about replacing income; it’s about helping businesses, farms and independent workers absorb shocks and keep operating.

The solutions are out there — we just need to scale them. Congress should support bipartisan efforts like the new Extreme Heat Caucus. Businesses should treat heat not as a seasonal inconvenience, but a year-round operational risk. And cities, states and the federal government must invest in extreme heat preparedness, not just recovery.

Extreme heat is not a niche environmental issue. It determines whether construction crews can safely finish a job, whether school buildings without adequate air-conditioning can stay open and whether crops make it to market or wither in the field. If we get serious about heat, we don’t just weather the summer — we will protect workers, safeguard infrastructure and strengthen the systems that communities rely upon every day, building a more resilient economy for everyone.

(Ashley Ward is the director of the Heat Policy Innovation Hub at the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability at Duke University.)

ON-LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY

I work outdoors. My only suggestion is keep a wet rag around your neck and begin your day at the crack of dawn. And yes, it is getting hotter. I think we left the happy-happy, nice-nice kind of climate change about 10 years ago. We’re in the abrupt phase now. I recommend the gvt report titled Abrupt Climate Change: Anticipating Surprises so you’re not surprised when your home floods or flies away.

POLITICIANS AGREE ON SCHOOL MONEY, BUT POOR TEST SCORES NEED ATTENTION

by Dan Walters

Historically, the annual process of writing a state budget has often stumbled over how much money California should spend on its public school system and its nearly 6 million students.

However, as Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders negotiate a final budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year, dealing with a multi-billion-dollar deficit, they have only small disagreements on school finance.

Both Newsom’s latest budget and the Legislature’s alternative draft would peg state spending on schools at $80.5 billion, including transitional kindergarten, a new education subcategory.

That’s $4.5 billion less than the current budget allocates, but with anticipated increases in education’s share of local property taxes, total spending would remain roughly even.

With schools off the table, politically, Newsom and legislators are wrangling over more contentious issues, particularly the reductions in medical and social services for poor, elderly and disabled Californians that Newsom seeks to close the budget gap.

The comity on school spending, however, shuns a debate that California’s politicians should be having — what to do about the system’s chronically subpar academic achievement.

This week the Public Policy Institute of California issued a timely reminder that there’s been little progress — and some regression — in such basic skills as reading and mathematics, with wide gaps among students tied to family income, ethnicity and other socioeconomic factors.

In an analysis of state academic tests that were administered last year, PPIC researchers reported that fewer than half of all students “met or exceeded state standards in English Language Arts, while about a third (36%) did so in math.”

The analysis also found that “proficiency rates were highest among Asian students: just above 70 percent in English and nearly two-thirds in math. White students’ rates were lower, with 60 percent meeting the standard in English and 50 percent in math. Proficiency rates were lower on average for Black and Latino students — 24 percent and 37 percent in English, respectively, and 18 percent and 30 percent in math.”

Also girls fared much better than boys in English. And proficiency in basic skills among low-income students is scarcely half that of those from moderate- or high-income families.

To cap it off, PPIC notes that California students’ rates of proficiency in federal tests continue to lag behind those of other states.

None of these findings is unexpected. California students have been lagging behind the state’s expectations and national norms for many years, even as spending on the school system has continued to climb to well over $20,000 a year per pupil from state aid, local property taxes and federal subventions.

One would think that California’s stubbornly mediocre — at best — education outcomes would sit atop the political agenda, given their negative effects on students and the state as a whole.

However, the Capitol’s discussions of education usually start and end with how much money schools should receive, when it’s obvious that school finances, while important, are just one factor in outcomes.

There are some signs of progress on those other factors, such as a recent agreement to encourage local school systems to use phonics in teaching elementary students how to read, the most important of all academic skills.

While the state is stopping short of mandating phonics, as many education experts advise, it’s a step forward that more or less declares a winner in the very long debate over methodology that’s been dubbed “reading wars.”

However, there’s also been some regression. As PPIC notes in its study, the state Board of Education, which tends to reflect the education establishment’s priorities, has adopted new definitions of academic test proficiency that could obscure embarrassingly low results. For instance, if a student scores below grade level, their performance will be labeled “Developing” or “Minimum.”

“Understanding student scores could be growing more difficult,” PPIC says. That’s not a good thing.

Dan Walters is one of most decorated and widely syndicated columnists in California history, authoring a column four times a week that offers his view and analysis of the state’s political, economic, social and demographic trends.

(CalMatters.org)

“I’M HUNGRY,” JAKOB INGEBRIGTSEN SAID AFTER CRUSHING THE INDOOR MILE WORLD RECORD WITH A BLAZING 3:45.14 FINISH.

At the Meeting Hauts-de-France in Liévin, the 23-year-old Norwegian ran solo in the final laps, leaving pacing lights—and the competition—behind. He shattered the previous record by over 1.5 seconds, just five days after it was set by American Yared Nuguse.

This race not only confirmed Ingebrigtsen’s dominance but signaled a new era for middle-distance running. With his sights possibly set on the outdoor 1500m world record, the best may still be ahead.

SAN FRANCISCO BOOKSTORE PULLS ‘HARRY POTTER’ BOOKS OVER J.K. ROWLING’S ANTI-TRANS PLEDGE

by Aiden Vaziri

A popular San Francisco bookstore has removed the “Harry Potter” series from its shelves after author J.K. Rowling announced she would use franchise profits to support efforts aimed at rolling back transgender rights.

Booksmith, located on Haight Street, said via statement, it would no longer carry Rowling’s books following the author’s pledge to fund the J.K. Rowling Women’s Fund, which she described as an organization committed to removing transgender protections “in the workplace, in public life, and in protected female spaces.”

“We don’t know exactly what her ‘women’s fund: (sic) will entail, but we know that we aren’t going to be a part of it,” Booksmith wrote in a blog post Monday, June 23. “As a group of queer booksellers, we also had our adolescents shaped by wizards and elves. Look at us, it’s obvious.”

Rowling has said the fund will provide legal support for women who challenge inclusive gender policies.

“Promoting the idea that men can become women by performing their idea of what a woman is — which, funnily enough, often turns out to be a pornified sex object — does not liberate women and girls,” she wrote in a statement on X last month, criticizing transgender activism.

SFGATE first reported on the book ban. (SFGATE and the San Francisco Chronicle are both owned by Hearst but operate independently.)

While Booksmith acknowledged the series’ formative role for many readers, they urged fans to purchase used copies or explore their curated list of fantasy alternatives.

The list includes Jessica Townsend’s “Nevermoor” series, Ursula K. Le Guin’s seminal “Earthsea Cycle” and Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” trilogy. Other featured titles include “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon” by Grace Lin, the “Tristan Strong” series by Kwame Mbalia, “Hurricane Child” by Kacen Callender and Rick Riordan’s “The Heroes of Olympus” series.

“Happy reading, solidarity forever,” the statement concluded.

(SFGate.com)

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGHER (Part 2 of 2)

by Terry Sites

Breckenridge, Colorado is a gold rush town. Fortune hunters came first in 1859 for gold and then again in 1879 for silver and lead. Like all “rush” towns people were in a hurry to get to the treasure, investing as little time as possible in domestic arrangements. They arrived, slept outdoors then improved upon that with tents finally building log cabins. There were rocks, trees and mud in abundance. Combining these natural resources with newspaper for insulation and muslin cloth to smooth out the lumps, they sometimes slapped wallpaper over that in an attempt at Victorian civility. Boy, was it different from what we have today. No plumbing, no electricity and every household chore laboriously done by hand.

The Breckenridge Heritage Alliance provides a booklet with a self-guided walking tour highlighting mostly downtown buildings. A glimpse into the not so distant past is illuminating. Log cabins and basic wood-frame houses with a few Victorian frills line the main street some with tall false fronts. A number of the larger ones were hotels to accommodate the ever-fluctuating population of mostly men. “Early miner’s cabins were of small dimension with limited window openings to keep the miners warm in winter and cool in summer. They were built from native hand-hewn logs and held in place with square notches. A half-story loft provided additional interior space, the front gable opening served as an escape hatch on deep snow mornings!”

This new country barely opened up provided opportunities for some unique characters. Visiting the Barney Ford Museum (his family residence), you can read a copy of a letter he wrote to his former master as he exited slavery. As a slave he had traveled with his owner to Illinois, a free state. Barney knew that there was a law on the books stating that if a man brought his slave to that state and stayed for longer than 10 days the slave became a free man. In his letter he reproaches his former master for the poor treatment he received. This letter is eye-opening to say the least. Mr. Ford went on to become a statesman, and a restaurant owner in Breckenridge.

Another interesting man with his own small museum (also his former home) was Edwin Carter. Originally drawn to the mining activity, he became alarmed by the damage to the land and animals that mining caused. He was very concerned that some Colorado native animals would soon become extinct. Mercury released through mining was causing mutations, which he documented by preserving at least two different two-headed animals. Acquiring the skills of a taxidermist his goal was to preserve one of each species. He housed his growing collection in his home, heating only his bedroom in the winter to better preserve his collection. Eventually he had 3,300 stuffed animals and birds, which became the founding collection of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. What drives someone to undertake such an enterprise?

Colorado is a mountainous state. There are 56 mountains at or over 14,000 feet, which they call “The Fourteeners.” They are beautiful and majestic when viewed from afar — even in June they are snow-capped. You can climb them if you dare. There are loads of trails and hikers are everywhere. Also many lower peaks are there to practice on. Breckenridge is at 9,000 feet and you can feel it. At 14,000 feet I’m pretty sure the average hiker would be uncomfortable.

Skiing is THE thing in “Breck.” The town is filled with ski-centric goods. There is an impressive gondola to take you and your skis up, up, up. I’m sure a snowy Breckenridge is beyond picturesque but we were glad to avoid the cold white stuff.

Thinking of the people who came before eventually leads to wondering about the miners. Those first brave souls with pick and pan who came to find gold gave way to the hard rock miners who spent most of their working lives in holes like moles. It was an unimaginably hard life. Down in the mine by 7 AM, often working in standing water. The walls and ceilings of the mines seeped moisture. The humidity was high so they worked in just undershirts and Levis. Candles were their only light as they chopped rock and filled trams for 10 hours a day. Who among us today would survive such conditions for longer than a few days? History has so many stories like this, sober lessons beneath the surface of the larger stories that are recorded in history books.

Looking for activities that kids would enjoy, we visited a giant troll sculpture made of local wood. The Danish artist Thomas Dambo, a “Recycled art activist,” is known for his trolls that have been installed in 17 countries worldwide.

Taking the train home from Granby Colorado to Emeryville we saw some of the most stunning scenery in the U.S.A. outside those observation car windows in Colorado, Utah, Arizona and California. Huge and fantastic rock formations in gorgeous color from red to gold, orange, brown and tans stretched for miles along the Colorado River. We watched rafters (some trying to push off of sandbars where they were stuck) and kayakers. We saw thrilling rapids and broad smooth stretches. We saw trees, trees and more trees. There were majestic mountains and mild mannered mountains laced through with scary black tunnels. To say the least it was dramatic.

We passed remote little towns and had to wonder what would land people exactly there? Seemed like some good destinations for the witness protection program. One town we especially liked the looks of was Helper, Utah. Here all the downtown buildings were rimmed in small lights. We learned that the town was named “Helper” because in a bygone era they sent extra engines out to help trains in distress. We were glad our train wasn’t one of them. The whole idea of trains in deep snow country is fascinating. The lengths they had to go to keep the track clear and/or dig the trains out of the snow were heroic.

The train also showed us how much open space is out there — mile after mile after mile. Inside the train was also interesting. One man rode the entire way with a full sized skeleton on the seat next to him. Another stumbled off the train raving and leaving his luggage and phone behind. The average traveler does not choose the train these days, so be prepared to be surprised. There was one very skinny long bearded man who appeared to be Amish or Mennonite with about a dozen very chunky women all wearing exactly the same style floor length dress (each in a different solid color) and starched white caps. He looked happy, they did not.

The downside of the train trip was sitting up all night. Even though the seats are comfortable and recline, it was still hard. The sleeper car is three times the price so most travelers opted for the sleeper chairs. The dining car was expensive, but the one meal we ate there was pretty good. The snack bar was the happening place with a really good assortment of all kinds of foods for reasonable prices. Some of the intercom announcers during the trip had obviously missed their callings as stand up comedians, which was (mostly) amusing. Some admonished us about train etiquette in a motherly way while others told bad jokes.

Overall, the entire trip was very memorable and one that we would recommend to anyone. We will be replaying scenes from this vacation in our minds for a long time to come.

Part 1 of this 2-part story can be found at: https://theava.com/archives/268524/#27

IN THE GOLD RUSH BOOMTOWN of Cripple Creek, Colorado, where fortunes were made and lost by nightfall, the line between civility and chaos was often blurred—but even so, decorum had its place.

Local ordinances required that prostitutes and dance hall girls wear aprons over their short dresses, not out of modesty, but to preserve the delicate sensibilities of townsfolk who might be scandalized by the mere glimpse of an ankle. Despite the prim demands, the women of Crapper Jack’s—a popular and lively establishment—carried on with flair and defiance, their aprons doing little to disguise the sparkle in their eyes or the mischief in their laughter.

Crapper Jack’s was a hub of revelry, alive with the clink of whiskey glasses, the stomp of boots on the dance floor, and the music of ragtime pianists who knew exactly when to play faster. These women, often dismissed as outcasts, were in fact shrewd, resilient, and central to the town’s economy and spirit. Among them, it’s said, was the famed madam Laura Bell McDaniel of Colorado City, a woman who defied every attempt to box her in. Educated, well-dressed, and deeply respected by both miners and businessmen, Laura Bell was no simple brothel keeper—she was a force. Her establishments were clean, her girls protected, and her influence far-reaching, even among lawmen and judges who pretended to frown upon her trade.

To bet against a sporting girl in Cripple Creek was a fool’s wager. These women lived on the edge of respectability, but they were often the sharpest minds in the room. They navigated a world ruled by men with charm, intelligence, and a sense of camaraderie that turned places like Crapper Jack’s into sanctuaries as much as they were saloons. Their laughter echoed through the mountains long after the gold rush faded, and their stories—sometimes tragic, often triumphant—remind us that the wild West was shaped not only by miners and gunmen but by the spirited women who danced, worked, and fought for their own brand of freedom.

BIRTHPLACE OF THE REDOUBTABLE FALCON

SELF REALIZATION IN TIMES OF CONFUSION, BANKRUPTCY, AND TOTAL MADNESS

Warmest spiritual greetings,

Spent the week at the Catholic Basilica attending Mass and receiving Holy Communion, meditating in two side chapels on both levels, and centered on the heart chakra, or svarupa. And then went to the William R. Thomas Memorial Anti-Nuclear Peace Vigil in front of the White House to be supportive. And then returned to the Adam's Place Homeless Shelter for the night. And then got up the next morning to do it again.

You may wonder what the point of this is. Well, I'll tell ya. The point of this is to STOP identifying with the body and the mind and realize your true nature, and then know that under all conditions you are Knowledge, Bliss, Absolute.

I am seeking others to go beyond the present moment. Please contact me.

Thank you.

Craig Louis Stehr, [email protected]

THEY WERE CONVICTED OF KILLING WITH THEIR CARS. NO ONE TOLD THE CALIFORNIA DMV.

by Lauren Hepler & Robert Lewis

California courts have failed to report hundreds of vehicular manslaughter convictions to the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles over the past five years, allowing roadway killers to improperly keep their driver’s licenses, a CalMatters investigation has found.

Marvin Salazar was convicted in May 2023 for killing his 18-year-old friend Joseph Ramirez, who was in the passenger seat when Salazar gunned his car, lost control and slammed into a tree, court records show. Under California law, the state should have taken away Salazar’s driving privileges for at least three years.

But the Los Angeles County Superior Court didn’t report the conviction to the DMV. Two months later, the agency issued Salazar his most recent license. Since then, he’s gotten two speeding tickets and has been in another collision, records show.

“How can he keep driving?” said Gaudy Lemus, Ramirez’s mother. “We wanted consequences for him. Remove his driver’s license.”

LA court officials belatedly reported the manslaughter conviction to the DMV last month, after CalMatters discovered the failure and asked about the case. It was only then that the state sent Salazar a notice revoking his driving privileges, records show.

CalMatters uncovered the error and others like it by cross-checking convictions in vehicular manslaughter cases against motorists’ DMV records, as part of an ongoing investigation. Earlier this year, we reported that the agency routinely allows drivers with horrifying histories of dangerous driving — including fatal crashes, DUIs and numerous tickets — to continue to operate on our roadways.

But this isn’t just a DMV issue. Reporters identified about 400 cases from 2019 to 2024 in which the drivers’ convictions weren’t listed on their driving records, largely because the courts failed to report that information. The review wasn’t comprehensive; records were unavailable or incomplete in a number of counties.

In Los Angeles, about one-third of all convictions in manslaughter cases we identified were missing from drivers’ records. In Santa Clara County, it was half. We found no missing convictions in Orange County.

In response to our questions, 32 county courts so far have reported more than 275 missing convictions to the DMV. As a result, nearly 200 drivers who’ve killed have had their driving privileges suspended or revoked, updated DMV reports for these drivers show. While some already had a separate license suspension, 70 appear to have had a valid license before the agency took action in response to our reporting.

County courts, law enforcement and the DMV have a long history of poor communication that dates to the days of paper records. Today, court administrators blame the breakdowns on a mix of human error and technological bugs.

Chris Orrock, a spokesperson for the DMV, said the agency sends out revocation and suspension notices “as soon as we’re notified.”

Even without a conviction, the DMV does have the discretion to strip a driver of their license for a fatal crash. We reported earlier this year that the agency often doesn’t use that power.

But in many cases, there is no discretion. State law, for example, requires the agency to revoke a driver’s license for at least three years after a felony vehicular manslaughter conviction.

As a result of the delayed reporting by the courts, some drivers could end up losing their licenses for far less than three years. That’s because the DMV typically enforces the sanction from the date of the conviction, not the date the court communicates it to the agency.

Salazar’s current driving record shows him eligible to reapply for a license next spring — three years after his conviction but just a year after records show the state took action to revoke his driving privileges.

His attorney declined to comment on his driving record but said Salazar did everything the court required.

For Lemus, the months after her son died in Salazar’s car were a blur. The loss was haunting, coming just as the teenager had decided to pursue a career building tiny homes for the homeless.

She started having such bad panic attacks that she moved to a new city and switched jobs, unable to bear the drive to work through the intersection where the crash occurred. Her 25-year-old daughter still refuses to drive at all.

Lemus said she didn’t initially want Salazar to go to prison, “because it was an accident.” Now, she wonders whether that was a mistake.

“I don’t want another family to go through whatever we went through,” Lemus said.

A Series Of Errors Leads To Reporting Failures

State law has long required courts to report vehicle-related convictions to the DMV, including for speeding, DUI and vehicular manslaughter. The agency then puts the violations on a motorist’s driving record and, if necessary, suspends their license.

Last month, CalMatters reporters sent hundreds of names and case numbers to dozens of courts throughout the state and asked why convictions from vehicular manslaughter cases didn’t appear on drivers’ records. Most courts responded to questions quickly, thanked us for telling them, acknowledged the mistake and indicated that they would report the convictions to the DMV.

“They were errors on our part. I’m not going to sugarcoat it,” said Tara Leal, the court executive officer in Kern County, where we found 22 missing convictions.

In many counties, court staff simply neglected to send the information to the DMV.

Court clerks typically enter convictions into a case management system. Many courts use a system that has a tab for them to click on to transmit the information to the DMV.

Vehicle code violations like speeding tickets and DUIs clearly need to go to the DMV, court officials said. But most penal code violations, including offenses like robbery and assault, do not. Vehicular manslaughter is a penal code violation.

Heather Pugh, the Yuba County Superior Court executive officer, confirmed that her court should have reported conviction information to the DMV for eight cases CalMatters flagged. “To address that, we will reach out to the DMV to provide training to our staff on reporting requirements,” she said. “Additionally, we have instituted manual reviews of reportable non-vehicle code convictions to ensure they have been properly reported.”

Similarly, Fresno County’s director of court operations, Vidal Fernandez, acknowledged “the element of human error” in his court not reporting a half-dozen convictions in recent years. After realizing the problem, he said, staff checked further back, to 2015, identified an additional 17 cases and sent those convictions to the DMV as well.

Other counties have their computers essentially programmed to send conviction information to the DMV when clerks update the disposition information on a case, in theory taking human error out of the equation. But in response to questions from CalMatters, some administrators discovered that the programs were missing certain codes and had failed to function as intended.

“Ultimately it’s our responsibility,” said Jake Chatters, the court executive officer in Placer County, where a coding issue kept the court’s system from reporting two manslaughter cases.

In other courts, convictions were apparently reported, but there was some mistake in the information sent — like an incorrect birth date or a missing digit in a license number — and the DMV kicked the report back with an error message. Administrators said clerks are supposed to fix any errors and resubmit the information to the DMV, but in some cases that didn’t happen.

The result of the patchwork process is that even convictions from some of the most high-profile traffic deaths in recent years were missing from drivers’ records.

A Deadly Street Race That Grabbed International Attention

Ricardo Aguilar was racing his Dodge Challenger Hellcat in South Los Angeles one December afternoon in 2021, according to the Los Angeles Times, when he struck and killed a pedestrian — Arian Rahbar, a 21-year-old USC student and aspiring medical researcher.

Rahbar’s father, Sam, summarized the void left by his only child. “Without Arian, life as we know it has ceased to exist,” he told a judge.

The story made global headlines amid a spike in traffic deaths in Los Angeles and other California cities. Aguilar was convicted of felony vehicular manslaughter in 2023, court records show. But until a few weeks ago, that was never reflected in his state driving record.

In the section of his DMV report where collisions and traffic violations are supposed to show up, there was instead this message: “NONE TO REPORT.

His driver’s license was still listed as valid.

It was only in May, after CalMatters asked the LA court for an explanation, that officials reported his and more than 100 other convictions to the DMV as required. Aguilar’s license is now listed as revoked.

Aguilar’s attorney did not respond to requests for comment.

Rahbar’s friend and former high school tennis teammate Ashwin Yedavalli was saddened and frustrated all over again to learn about the court error that allowed Rahbar’s killer to keep his license.

Yedavalli, now 25, lives in Long Beach and still stops by the crash scene when he’s nearby. He helped organize a tennis tournament in his friend’s memory, and he said it’s unfair that the legal system failed to deliver on fundamental consequences for his death.

“It’s basically been brushed off,” Yedavalli said. “What about Arian’s life and legacy?”

A Decades-Long Failure To Communicate

This is not a new problem.

In the early 1990s, the California DMV was so concerned about getting timely and accurate reports from courts and law enforcement that it produced an educational video called “The Traffic Citation Trail.”

Frank Zolin, the agency’s director at the time, sat behind a desk wearing a crisp suit and chunky glasses, his silver hair swept to the side, to deliver the film’s key message: “We cannot achieve traffic safety without effective teamwork between local law enforcement, the courts and DMV.”

The film goes on to tell the fictionalized story of a reckless young driver who is able to avoid a license suspension because a ticket wasn’t reported to the DMV. In an early scene, the young man rushes to the mailbox to intercept a letter from the agency before his parents can see it.

“They told me four tickets means bye-bye license. There’s only three tickets here,” the driver says in surprise as he reads a warning letter from the state. “The one I got more than a month ago isn’t even here. … It’s party time tonight.”

In a tragic, real-life twist, the actor who played the motorist was killed by a drunken driver more than a decade later. And communication continued to be an issue.

Robert Bullock worked at the DMV for more than three decades. In that time, he said, drivers would sometimes come in wanting to know whether they could renew their license, despite a conviction.

“We’d pull up the record and it wasn’t there,” said Bullock, who retired in 2019. He said he would tell them, “The court has screwed up, and you kind of got a freebie.”

Technology has, of course, improved from the era of grainy ’90s videos. Back then, police drove boxy sedans and held walkie-talkies the size of bricks. DMV clerks picked through mounds of paper forms, copying information into clunky gray computers with white text on black screens.

Today, at courthouses equipped with online records and modern digital tools, some administrators said they’re upgrading to a new case management system that should ensure conviction reporting is automated. Others said they’re going to do more training and manual checks to make sure the information is sent to the DMV.

In Los Angeles — one of the nation’s biggest county court systems, where we sent a list of 150 convictions that appeared to be missing from driver records — administrators declined an interview request. Instead, they emailed a statement from Rob Oftring, the court’s chief communications and external affairs officer:

“The Court continues to work expeditiously to identify ways to ensure the successful electronic transmittal of all abstract of judgments to the DMV from its case management systems. This includes additional manual checks to identify in advance technical issues that prevent an abstract from being sent to the DMV. This also includes ensuring all criminal courthouse locations timely process their queues for transmittal and additional mandatory training for court staff.”

A Trail Of Disappointment

For someone like Angie Brey, who’s had to confront a system that often treats deadly crashes as accidents rather than crimes, the promises of change sound hollow.

She lost her partner and the father of her son, Gregory Turnage, on Mother’s Day in 2021. That’s when wealth manager Timothy Hamano drove onto a sidewalk and hit the 41-year-old Turnage, according to records prosecutors filed in court. Hamano had been drinking beer on the golf course and a bloody mary at lunch in San Francisco before the crash, his wife later told police.

Hamano pleaded no contest to felony vehicular manslaughter and hit-and-run early last year. He received virtually no time behind bars after getting credit for wearing an ankle monitor at home while the case was open. The conviction should have prompted the state to revoke Hamano’s license, but the Alameda County court didn’t report it.

“They essentially let him get away with murder, in our minds,” Brey said. “The fact that they didn’t even take away his license … is just mind-blowing.”

A spokesperson, Paul Rosynsky, said the Alameda court reports hundreds of criminal convictions to the DMV every month, but he acknowledged that staff had missed sending two for manslaughter in recent years, including the Hamano case.

Hamano’s license appears to have been valid as recently as May 7, when DMV records show he got in another collision. (The records don’t detail who was at fault or the severity.)

The agency sent Hamano a notice on May 28 that his driving privileges were revoked, following CalMatters’ inquiries.

Hamano’s attorney, Colin Cooper, said his client “is traumatized by what he did” and will never forgive himself. Hamano didn’t drive while the case was open and drove afterward only because he had a valid license and insurance, Cooper said. Hamano stopped driving after getting the revocation letter from the DMV, he said.

Brey said holding drivers accountable for death is the least the state can do. She said she worries every day, when their son has to cross a busy intersection to get to school, that history will repeat itself.

“If somebody can come up on the sidewalk and kill my partner,” she said, “it just makes me really scared for my son.”

(CalMatters.org)

DURING WORLD WAR II, the United States faced a massive problem: every code they created, the enemy eventually cracked. So they turned to something the enemy could never prepare for—a language they didn’t even know existed.

That language was Navajo.

But it wasn’t just the language that made the code unbreakable. The brilliance was in the layers. First, the Navajo language itself was virtually impossible for outsiders to learn. It had no alphabet, no textbooks, and no formal grammar guides. It’s a language of rhythm and tone—where meaning can change with the pitch of a syllable. Its structure is built around complex verbs, and it shares no roots with Japanese or European languages.

That alone made it a mystery.

But the real genius? The Navajo Code Talkers didn’t just speak Navajo. They built a code within the language. Military terms were turned into poetic metaphors—like “iron fish” for submarine. For everything else, they used a phonetic alphabet. Each English letter had a Navajo word assigned to it. So even if someone managed to learn Navajo, they’d still have to crack the code inside the code.

The result? The Navajo Code was never broken. Not once.

An Axis cryptographer couldn’t break what they couldn’t read. And they couldn’t read what they couldn’t hear, speak, or learn. The Code Talkers didn’t just communicate—they protected lives and battles with every word.

They weren’t just translators.

They were warriors with a language that saved nations.

LEAD STORIES, THURSDAY'S NYT

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ODD ONE OUT

There are 9 coins, all except one are the same weight, the odd one is heavier than the rest. You must determine which is the odd one out using an old fashioned balance. You may use the balance twice. Explain how this can be done.

6 Comments

Cotdbigun June 26, 2025

Form 3 groups of 3, weigh any 2 groups, if balance is level, then Mr. Odd is in the remaining group. If balance is uneven, then Mr. Odd is on the heavy side. Weigh any 2 of Mr.Odds group, Mr. Odd is on the scale or on the table.

Fascism For Fun and Profit! June 26, 2025

The Pentagon’s history site removed mentioned of the Navajo code talkers, replacing it with a page that said simply “DEI,” shortly after Mago Mussolini entered office again. The pages were restored a few weeks later after people complained.

Mamdani said that as mayor he would have Netanyahu arrested if the genocidal criminal came to NYC. Doubt that would ever happen, but it’s a nice thought.

Oops June 26, 2025

Why is Ukiah so aggressive in its annexation proposal despite not being able to name a single impacted citizens who is actually for the proposal? See for yourself: https://californiapolicycenter.org/fiscal-health-dashboard/

- Call It As I See It June 26, 2025
  
  I think the real question with annexation is, who do you trust? This makes us look at the City Council and BOS.
  It’s like trying to decide between Charley Manson and Ted Bundy. There is evil on both sides.
  
Lily Bay June 26, 2025

Elaine, Ashley…praise for your work, today.

An insect turns into a flower
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJF47hivx3c/?igsh=NDJoMGJwa3J4YTg2

Falcon June 26, 2025

Falcon family lives on

soccer/fútbol
Estadio Nemesio Camacho El Campín | IDRD – Instituto Distrital de Recreación y Deporte https://share.google/AVKSuKfPnxy9PTF6A

6 Comments

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