DAILY MAIL, Saturday morning: “Thousands of 'No Kings' protesters clutching obscene signs pack the streets to oppose Trump… as America braces for violent chaos.”
DOUBT IT, but violent resistance to Trump's daily crimes is the historically logical next step. Meanwhile, in Mendocino County, where quiet chaos is a way of life, as it is these days most places, heavily peopled and strictly peaceful anti-Trump rallies were held all over the county, the largest anti-government — or any kind of demonstration — in county history. Could Mendocino County's quiescent Trumpers manage anything approaching Saturday's rallies? Given their tepid turnout to honor the memory of the recently murdered and self-alleged “Christian,” Charlie Kirk, the guy who made millions lying to dumb kids, it seems pretty clear that Mendolib has the Magas cordoned off, leaderless, bereft, and surrounded by thousands of “leftwing lunatics.” (Without the late, volcanic Jerry Philbrick, the last Mendo rightwinger capable of rousing the Trumpers out of their Barca-Loungers, Mendo's Magas may as well not exist for all their visibility. Or maybe they've awakened to the obvious — Trump and his billionaires are not on their side.
MENDO'S MILK MONITORS were out in full force, as if the average age of the Mendo No Kings protester wasn't 75 and secure in the tepid embrace of the Democrats.
We expect all participants to:
- Act lawfully
- Stay on the sidewalks
- Carry no weapons of any kind
- Seek to de-escalate any potential conflicts
- Follow the instructions of our yellow-vested safety volunteers
No Kings events are not intended to be acts of civil disobedience. This is a peaceful and legal exercise of our constitutional right to public assembly and free expression.
THERE'S some political hope. Zohran Mamdani will apparently be the next mayor of ungovernable New York City. A democratic socialist, Mamdani has inspired young people to turn out for him, as have Bernie, AOC and few other Democrats trapped in the geriatic irrelevance of Schumer and Pelosi. He promises — “fast and free” buses, universal child care, a rent freeze on rent-stabilized apartments, five experimental publicly owned grocery stores, and so on, ideas successfully deployed in many countries around the world. Natch, Mamdani is viewed as the reincarnation of Che Guevara by the Trumpers. But for young people, and Americans generally, the cost of living has made living at all problematical.
WHERE'S THE NORTHCOAST'S MAMDANI? Why are we stuck with Pelosi and Schumer knockoffs like Huffman, McGuire, Thompson.and their reactionary ilk occupying the political power slots up and down the Northcoast?
THE SMALL HOURS of Sunday morning find me in the middle of a page that has taken me all day and is still far from finished. I am putting it aside to write to you, and in fact it may perhaps take me into tomorrow evening, since I often spend several hours looking for a single word, and since I have several to find, it is quite likely that you would still be waiting all next week if I were to wait until I had finished. However, it has not been going too badly over the past few days, except for today, which has caused me great problems. If you knew what I throw away, what a hodgepodge my manuscripts are. There's 120 pages finished; I have written at least 500. Do you know how I spent my entire afternoon the day before yesterday? Looking at the landscape through pieces of colored glass. I needed it for a page of my Bovary, one which I believe will be rather good.
— Gustave Flaubert, letter to Louise Colet, translated by Geoffrey Wall, May 15-16 1852
IN THE GOLD RUSH ERA —20 men to one woman — the prostitutes in San Francisco were quick to appear on the scene from New Orleans, Chile and Nukahiva, and an elegant lot they were, by all accounts. Mme. Belle Cora arrived in 1849, mothering a herd of talented demoiselles imported from her parlor house on the corner of Dauphine and Burgundy in New Orleans' Vieux Carré. By 1851, Frenchwomen dominated Commercial, Dupont and Pike Streets, and their clothes were the dernier cri, copied not only by second-class courtesans but eventually by actresses like Lola Montez and Lotta Crabtree, and then “respectable” matrons.
They wore daintly British boots, crinoline petticoats… Russailh wrote at the time: “Il y a aussi des honnêtes femmes dans San Francisco mais pas de trop” (There are honest women in San Francisco, but not too many.”) — and the only way to distinguish “honest” women from the others was by the absence of paint on the faces of the former.
The myth of San Francisco fashion — or shall we be kind and say legend? — began with Mme. Cora's soirées and the Sunday promenade of her girls down Kearny Street. Whether our women are particularly well dressed today is a matter of opinion, although some pretty Tenderloin tarts and cocktail-hour secretaries on Montgomery Street exert themselves to uphold Mme. Belle's tradition.
A pity they never make the published lists of best-dressed women.
— Herb Caen, 1976
THE COST OF PROPOSED HOMELESS RESTRICTIONS in Palo Alto, esp. new RV street parking rules:
You don’t often see municipal cost charts on the local Bay Area news. But this one caught our eye Tuesday morning showing that just to put up signs around town in areas where RVs would not be allowed to park would cost over $7 million. There was no mention of how much housing could be built for $7 million. (Mark Scaramella)
YOU’RE ASKING HOW CAN I HELP THE MENDOCINO COUNTY OBSERVER?
by Jayma Shields Spence
Many of you have reached out and asked how you can be helpful after the loss of my dad, Jim Shields. It has meant a lot to me to be on the receiving end of so many offers of support. His loss is so tremendous and he did so much in our community and county, so figuring out “Where do I go from here” is a big question I haven’t quite grasped yet. One thing I am grasping is how I didn’t have any spare time before he passed, and since his passing, my cup runneth over.
While figuring out the day-to-day operations is getting a little easier, and his animals seem to be understanding that I’m not quite on the same schedule as he was, we are all figuring it out together.
It struck me this past week as we are planning our various fall/Halloween and holiday events at the organization I work for (Laytonville Healthy Start and Harwood Memorial Park) that asking folks to pitch in and help us would mean a great deal to me and take a bit off my plate. My mom Susan and Dad Jim really gave so much of their time, energy and money to support Laytonville and the various causes. They instilled in me the value of giving back. Even when they were limited on time and funds, they still managed to help out a good cause. In their memory, here’s ways folks can give back or pitch in, which in turn helps me out, which in turn, helps our community.
Laytonville Food Bank is the 3rd Friday of the month. We unload the delivery truck either the Wednesday or Thursday of the week of Food Bank. If you want to pitch in, call Chris at Healthy Start and ask to be put on her volunteer list. She will call you the week of Food Bank and remind you the days/ times to help.
Harwood Hall Fall Halloween Carnival will be on Thursday, October 30 from 3-6 p.m. We could use help in a variety of ways- by donating random pieces of glassware for our dime toss or cake mixes and frosting for the cake walk. We could also use help setting up and decorating the hall the week of the Carnival. We could always use help tearing it all down. Events like the Carnival are put on by a few volunteers, two of which are Roland and I. Since we’re stretched like Gumby, pitching in here does help us out.
And finally, once we get through October’s events, we go full-steam ahead into the Holiday season. I could use help with our annual Thanksgiving food drive, which consists of gathering canned foods to ensure we have enough to make boxes for local families. Then, it’s on to Christmas! Pam & Susan’s North Pole Toy Express is our local toy drive. We can always use help with donations, as well as wrapping gifts.
If you want to learn more or pitch in, feel free to reach out to me at (707) 984-8089 or email jayma@ laytonville.org
Thank you all for your showing of support, it really means so much during these difficult times.
Mendocino County Observer, 50 Ramsey Rd. / P.O. Box 490 Laytonville, CA 95454 Telephone (707) 984-6223; FAX (707) 984-8118 Email: [email protected]
DUANE BIGEAGLE ART EXHIBITION
Farmed artist/poet and former Coast resident Duane Bigeagle’s big art exhibition, “An Osage Sees The World,” runs through October 28 at the College of Marin Fine Arts Gallery’s Performing Arts Building, 15 Laurel Ave., in Kentfield. The Exhibit will be open Monday-Friday from noon to 5pm. Highly recommended by Philo’s Don Shanley, among others.
From turningart.com:
Duane BigEagle is of American Indian descent from the Osage Nation of Oklahoma. He was born at the Claremore Indian Hospital in Claremore, Oklahoma, in 1946. He has a B.A.Degree from the University of California at Berkeley and has been painting, writing, and publishing poetry since the early 1970s. Images are story for him, and he has mostly been known as a poet. He has also taught creative writing to young people with the California Poets In The Schools Program since 1976 and is a past President of the Board of Directors of that organization. He was awarded three California Arts Council Artist in Residence grants in the late 1980s and has received several awards for his poetry, including the W.A. Gerbode Poetry Award in 1993. He has been a college teacher since 1989 and a lecturer in Native American Studies at San Francisco State University, Sonoma State University, and presently at the College of Marin. He is a founding Board Member of the Northern California Osage and the American Indian Public Charter School in Oakland. He is also a traditional American Indian singer and an Osage Southern Straight dancer. He is inspired by his Native American cultural traditions, his world travels, by the Ukiyo-i Japanese woodblock print artist Hiroshige in painting, and by the poet Cesar Vallejo in poetry.
https://duane-bigeagle.pixels.com
COUNTY CLERK RECORDER ASSESSOR KATRINA BARTOLOMIE on her office’s recent rejection of the notice to circulate a petition callling for the recall of District Attorney David Eyster:
“It was not rejected because it said he was the DA of Ukiah, we do not critique what the reasons for recall are. We pointed out all the differences between what was filed with us and served to Mr. Eyster and what was published. It was rejected because names were incorrect and addresses were incorrect. The Notice of Intent to Recall needs to be an exact copy, not a copy that has errors. From what I understand the proponents are trying again.”
COUNTY NOTES
by Mark Scaramella
Supes To Weigh In On Potter Valley Project Decommissioning
Proposed resoliution on the Potter Valley Project sponsored by Supervisors Madeline Cline and Bernie Norvell for next Tuesday’s Board consideration:
“RESOLUTION OF THE MENDOCINO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS REGARDING THE FUTURE OF THE POTTER VALLEY PROJECT AND THE LOSS OF WATER SUPPLY RELIABILITY
WHEREAS, the County of Mendocino is charged with protecting and preserving the health and welfare of its citizens and is uniquely positioned to advocate on behalf of its citizens; and
WHEREAS, for more than one hundred years the Potter Valley Project (PVP), currently owned and operated by the Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E), has stored water behind Scott Dam in Lake Pillsbury and diverted water from the Eel River into the Russian River basin via Cape Horn Dam, providing water supply and reliability for Mendocino and Sonoma Counties; and
WHEREAS, the water diverted through the PVP has formed the foundation for community development, agriculture, and economic stability throughout Mendocino County including Potter Valley, Redwood Valley, Ukiah Valley, Hopland, and other downstream Russian River communities; and
WHEREAS, entire communities, farms, and businesses have been built in reliance upon this water supply, and public services such as schools, fire protection, and municipal water systems depend on its continued availability; and
WHEREAS, these communities and economies developed under the expectation of water supply reliability created by PG&E’s century-long operations, and PG&E has benefited from the use of public resources during that time from the generation of electricity which is the foundation for its rate base and dividends to its shareholders; and
WHEREAS, it is the strong desire of Mendocino County constituents and communities directly impacted by the Potter Valley Project to see the existing infrastructure maintained, protected, and responsibly managed; and
WHEREAS, the removal of Scott Dam and Cape Horn Dam would eliminate this critical water source serving community health and safety, causing significant harm to residents, agriculture, property values, and the long-term viability of rural communities and the region; and
WHEREAS, PG&E now seeks to give up the PVP based on profitability, without accepting responsibility for the consequences to the communities that were built around the project’s operations; and
WHEREAS, the draft decommissioning plan submitted by PG&E in July 2025 to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) does not quantify or meaningfully assess these profound social and economic consequences that will happen if Scott and Cape Horn Dams are removed; and
WHEREAS, the draft decommissioning plan includes the proposal for a new water diversion facility near the Cape Horn Dam known as the New Eel Russian Facility (NERF) to maintain water diversions into the Russian River; and
WHEREAS, the NERF proposal continues vital water divisions, but without Lake Pillsbury the Russian River communities can only receive water in high flow seasons, requiring additional significant storage and infrastructure improvements that would not be necessary if Scott Dam was maintained; and
WHEREAS, the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors recognizes and supports the continued work of the Mendocino County Inland Water and Power Commission and the Eel-Russian Project Authority (ERPA) in developing long-term, sustainable strategies to protect and secure our regional water supply, all of which is essential should any aspect of the PVP be decommissioned.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors acknowledges the community opposition and concerns regarding the decommissioning of the PVP and calls on PG&E to reevaluate its decision to seek decommissioning of the PVP, and for PG&E to account for and address the severe social and community impacts of water loss as a result of its responsibility to the communities that developed around its operations; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board calls upon the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to condition any approval or certification of the decommissioning plan on a full and comprehensive analysis of community and economic impacts and enforceable mitigation strategies to safeguard the residents of Mendocino County and the greater region; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board urges state and federal representatives to hold PG&E accountable for its decision to decommission the PVP which is negatively impacting the communities who rely on the water, especially in light of its role in shaping those communities that now depend on the PVP, and to advocate for the protection of local economies, public services, and water security in all decisions concerning the project; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that if FERC orders decommissioning and Scott and Cape Horn Dams are removed, the Board urges maintaining a water diversion through the NERF proposal that provides the same or greater water supply, and along with it urges federal and state support for the funding and construction of necessary storage.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that no alternative diversion plan is adequate nor acceptable without permitted, fully funded and constructed water storage solutions available for all affected communities at the time of decommissioning and the removal of existing storage.”
THIS ISN’T A BAD RESOLUTION, as far as it goes. But for the Board to be taken serioiusly at this late point in the decommissioning process, they have to follow up by, say, inviting PG&E and Sonoma County Water to appear before the Board to answer some pointed questions and emphasize specifically that part at the end about “maintaining a water diversion through the NERF proposal that provides the same or greater water supply, and along with it urges federal and state support for the funding and construction of necessary storage.” Since decommissioning is estimated to cost upwards of half a billion dollars, a few million for Potter Valley storage/supply mitigation seems reasonable. Even so Potter Valley will still have to cover increased operations costs for their water.
THIS ODD AGENDA ITEM appeared on next Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors consent calendar:
Item 3k: “Adoption of Resolution Authorizing the Library Director or Designees to Accept Donations and to Annually Report on Donations Valued in Excess of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000) and Immediately Report on Donations Valued at $100,000 or More.”
Why is this necessary? Wouldn’t such reporting be routine? All we can think of is the specious reasoning that the Board wants to know about large library donations on the spot so they can deduct an equivalent amount from their library budget, pretty much defeating the purpose of the donation, and cleverly converting library donations into donations to the County’s general fund. Pretty underhanded, if that’s the reason. We hope some library people show up to dispute this.
More Bad Economic News For Mendocino County
(From the October CEO report)
“The unincorporated county’s gross receipts from April through June 2025 were down 6% compared to the second sales period in 2024. After adjusting for reporting modifications from audit adjustments and delayed payments, actual sales were 7.2% lower. 2025 sales tax returns remain modest, reflecting broader economic volatility. … Reduced garden/agricultural supply receipts and the continued decline in the winery industry contributed to a 13.5% fall in business-industry. All sectors of the food-drug group contracted – ending down 7.4% compared to a year ago. … As the largest tax group, the County’s allocation from the countywide use-tax pool reduced by 3.1% as the unincorporated area’s share decreased. General retail revenues also shrank, indicative that consumers pulled back on spending.
Fire District Agreements: The Board of Supervisors recently approved an allocation of Fiscal Year 2024-25 (Q4) Measure D, Measure P, and Prop 172 funds to the twenty-one local fire districts/agencies. The Contract Unit has processed these contracts and routed them through the County’s review process. It is anticipated that the fire districts/agencies will receive copies of the agreements to sign before the final Board meeting in October 2025.”
(This is money the County received in the April-June 2025 fiscal quarter. It takes the County upwards of six months to simply pass these sales tax revenues to the local fire services districts.)
ON-LINE COMMENTS OF THE WEEK
[1] A hug that lasts 15 seconds or more is something that shouldn’t happen anywhere but in a cage match.
[2] Harry Patch, the last surviving veteran from World War I at the age of 111, had the best suggestion for war.
”I felt then, as I feel now, that the politicians who took us to war should have been given the guns and told to settle their differences themselves, instead of organizing nothing better than legalized mass murder.”
[3] Democrats would feed 100 people to ensure not one of them goes hungry; Republicans would let 100 people go hungry fearing one might not deserve food.
[4] Sitting here in Red California, it's not about "getting the message out," it's about having something to say to rural and rust-belt people in the first place. Love or hate Trump, he was elected as the nominee by a strong base. Kamala wasn't selected through any kind of nomination process. She went right from the Naval Observatory to Beyonce without having to take questions from random people in Iowa. "Democracy is on the ballot." Yes, and people voted for what they knew, and not someone who promised to be just like Biden only totally different.
[5] Re-electing men like Schiff and Blumenthal is proof that half of US may be crazy; or if not crazy, then delusional, brainwashed, very dumb, and/or easily manipulated - and that is very scary. The next step is to ask why? Is it just a combination of political parties and the perversity of human nature, and if so how does this reflect on mankind’s achievements during the last, say, 250 years?
[6] Violence is treated with absolute abhorrence and condemnation, and the use of violence brings all of the opposing resources at their disposal to bear. And yet, for the community of men, it is the threat of violence that is the most important deterrent to bad behavior. The potential threat of violence is what is most effective as a deterrent for antisocial or criminal behaviors getting established in the community. Feminization removes this deterrent from the reach of men, thus placing them at an even greater disadvantage when it comes to the active management of society, or of organizations. And it can be argued that the removal of this threat does not improve society at all, rather it leaves society vulnerable, and it places actual violence, the willingness to use violence, in the hands of the criminals and antisocial types.
[7] I think the 60s might have been the last time protests were effective. But Nixon still managed to get elected and re-elected. In honor of those protests, whenever I see a protest, I will offer up the chant, "Hell no, we won't go!" Fewer and fewer know what I am talking about.
[81] HEALTH CARE, AN ON-LINE COMMENT:
AS A CANADIAN, I love our socialist medical system. You should try it, it's awesome. And I'm not taking the piss, you seriously should. Listen to Bernie -- he's looking out for you. Privatized health care is 100% a scam. On a PPP-adjusted dollar-for-dollar basis, Americans pay twice -- twice! -- as much per capita in health care costs as Canadians do, and you're certainly not twice as healthy. In fact, the US is increasingly lagging the rest of the developed world in health outcomes, notably life expectancy.
It's not hard to understand why, either: supply and demand simply don't work when it comes to medical care. Whether you're buying a house or a chocolate bar, you have the option to walk away and just not pay. This means there's downward pressure on prices. But what if you're sprawled in the street with a broken leg because of a hit and run? Does anyone ever bargain shop in that situation? What if you have cancer? What if your kid has cancer? (Fun fact: retinoblastoma is a common childhood cancer of the eyes. So maybe your kid won't die, they'll just be blinded. Fun!) The idea that anyone has freedom of choice in that situation is a mockery. To force market economics in health care is enforcing extortion dynamics. You live in an extortion racket masquerading as a health care system.
The idea that I pay 'onerous' taxes is a scam, because I have zero health insurance costs and basically zero out-of-pocket medical expenses. Yes, zero. That's not a fantasy, it's good governance. Whereas you live under an all-pervading extortion racket that uses medical care as a way to string you along in desperation and fear. When the CEO of United Health was assassinated, the truly amazing thing wasn't that it happened -- it was the absolute unanimity of the response. Across the board, left and right, red state/blue state, absolutely every American (with an income below $150K, at least) was celebrating. What kind of society works that way?
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