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RAINFALL (past 24 hours): Laytonville 4.06" - Covelo 2.70" - Willits 2.06" - Leggett 1.27" - Ukiah 0.56" - Yorkville 0.48" - Boonville 0.40" - Hopland 0.37"
STEPHEN DUNLAP (Fort Bragg): A rainy 56F with .99" of new rainfall this Wednesday morning on the coast. Rain ending early today then dry until about noon tomorrow ?, we'll see. Rain is forecast daily thru Christmas but the total amounts are way down, again. We'll see #2 ?
MODERATE to locally heavy rain into Wednesday morning for mostly Del Norte, Humboldt, Trinity and northern Mendocino Counties. Lingering showers expected Wednesday and Thursday. Moderate to heavy rain and breezy southerly winds arrive again Thursday through Friday. More rain and strong gusty winds will be possible this weekend. (NWS)
BARBARA BLATTNER MEMORIAL
by Terry Sites
Barbara Blattner was remembered at a memorial service to celebrate her life on December 10, 2025 at the Fairground’s Apple Hall. Barbara spent a lifetime in Anderson Valley and there were many who came to honor her passing and remember her life. Guests were greeted by the family who turned the proceedings over to pastor Eric Peterman who delivered a formal sermon.
Eric reminded us to remember Barbara’s world-class smile and her “sweet sass.” He described the shock of her death following a recent report of good health. He exhorted us to pause and slow down to honor Barbara. He told us that this unexpected death should remind all of us of the brevity of our days. He spent quite a bit of time on the gifts of grace, hope and forgiveness, sharing that he believes it is not “good-bye” but, “until we meet again.”
He asked Barbara’s daughter Kimberly Morgan to bless us with a song. She sang two songs, “It won’t rain always” with the verse, “The hurt won’t last forever and the tears are bound to dry.” Her final song was “I Know My Redeemer Lives.” Kimberly told us that she knows where her mother is, that they will meet again and that this is a great comfort to her.
The Eulogy was delivered by grandchildren Garrett Morgan, Quentin Morgan and Madeleine Morgan. Maddy was visibly moved when she spoke of her Grandma. Clearly, Barbara was a beloved grandmother and a great support to her grandkids. There were two quotes on the program that attendees received. Proverbs 31:25: “Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.” C.S. Lewis was also quoted, “Joy is the serious business of Heaven.”
One side of the hall was decked with photos reflecting many different periods in Barbara’s life. It is always poignant to see childhood portraits of those who have grown old. What a darling little girl she was way back in the 1950s. Then there was the teen-aged girl, a perky and energetic looking young woman. We were able to see in photos the marriage and child bearing years and the years of working and finally the years of maturity.
After the death of her husband Jerry Blattner (son of the late Smokey and Charmian Blattner), Barbara took over the running of the Unicorn Youth Ranch founded by Jerry. Many boys passed through her program as she and her staff worked to help kids who found themselves in trouble. A number of those who worked for Barbara at the ranch were in attendance including Gregory Sims, Lindsay Clow, David Knight, Sandra Knight (who is also Barbara’s sister) and Bob Sites. Working with youth takes a high energy level and Barbara rose to the occasion over many challenging years.
The Apple Hall decorated very nicely with fresh rose bud floral arrangements on each table. Many old-time Valley people were present. The atmosphere in the room was serious and respectful. A nice meal was provided by Terry Rhoades, Marilyn Pronsolino, Wanda Johnson and crew. People attending added to the feast with potluck items. No one left hungry, that’s for sure.
Barbara was a religious person who had a long prayer list of people that she prayed for. I am sure many at the service made a vow to pray for Barbara as she had prayed for them. It is always sad to lose someone because forever is a very long time. They say that you don’t really die as long as people still hold you in their hearts and memories. Barbara knew lots of people; friends, family, and co-workers. She will be remembered for many, many years to come.
A LOCAL WINE PIONEER
This month, Anderson Valley lost one of its wine pioneers. Theresia Kobler passed away at 92 from natural causes, and our community already feels the loss deeply. We send our love to her family and will miss seeing her at our industry gatherings — she was known to make an appearance well into her later years.
Lazy Creek Vineyards was founded by Swiss immigrants Hans and Therese Kobler in 1972. Producing around 4,000 cases, most of their wines were sold directly through their loyal mailing list, and nearly every customer made the journey at least once to their remote Anderson Valley home.
Local lore says Hans and Theresia brought cuttings from renowned French vineyards back in their suitcases. While legalities kept them from confirming the details, it’s long been believed that Lazy Creek's early Pinot Noir vines traced back to none other than Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.
The Koblers became well known for their dry Gewürztraminer, and their distinctive, Burgundian-style Pinot Noir. Prior customers, often turned friends, share fond memories of time spent at their table — breaking bread, sharing stories, and experiencing the warm hospitality that defined the Lazy Creek legacy.
Theresia’s contributions helped shape Anderson Valley into the wine region it is today. She will be missed, and always remembered. She is survived by her son and daughter in law, Norman & Colleen Kobler, and their sons Tiernan and Morgan. The Koblers own the Vonarburg Vineyard and farm a large portion of the wine region today.
THE ANDERSON VALLEY LION’S CLUB celebrated their holiday party at the Boonville Distillery on Dec. 15th. Owner Natalie Matson and Chef Chris Nord went all out to prepare a sumptuous Prime Rib and chicken dinner with all the fixings including horseradish sauce with whipped cream. President Eric Bloyd snapped these photos catching all the members and their guests at the three long banquet tables Natalie provided. The restaurant was as festive as they come with holiday cheer throughout. The evening concluded with a lively gift exchange that left many laughing and done scratching their heads. The Lions always know how to work hard and also how to have a good time.
(Terry Sites)
DEATH CAP MUSHROOMS KILL ONE, SICKEN 21 in San Francisco and across Northern California
State fails to give out any relevant info in alarmist press release
by Frank Hartzell
We have no idea who died, how they died or if all 21 or 22 mushroom hunters were in one county, all together or what, but the state has issued a press release imploring everyone to stop all wild mushroom hunting.…
UKIAH WALKING TOUR - SCHOOL STREET EXPLORED
by Justine Frederiksen
About two dozen Ukiah residents, most of whom were keenly interested in the future of their beloved Chinese pistache trees, showed up Thursday afternoon to walk with consultants preparing a plan for improving School Street in the city’s downtown core.
“What a great-sized group, people love their downtown here,” declared Dan Burden, a consultant working with the engineering firm hired by the city of Ukiah to evaluate all aspects of School Street, though someone in the crowd quickly clarified: “People love the trees downtown!”
And indeed, when asked by Burden what they hoped to learn from attending what he called a “walking audit” of existing infrastructure like crosswalks, lighting and signage, most people said they wanted to know what the city’s plans were for the Chinese pistache trees, which most everyone can agree are responsible for creating a beautiful display of fall colors every year.
“My friend said she counted 55 of the (Chinese pistache) on School Street, and I’d like to hear about each tree well, and what the plans are for them,” said resident Linda Sanders, who served on the Ukiah Planning Commission for many years and was a member of the Tree Advisory Group that helped make the planting of Chinese pistache trees a requirement for School Street that is included in the city’s code.
“There are no plans to take any trees out,” said Tim Eriksen, the city’s Public Works Director, but staff from the GHD Group that are preparing the “School Street Multimodal Transportation Corridor Study” soon pointed out that while the trees’ leaves create beauty above the sidewalks, their roots can wreak havoc with the important infrastructure below the concrete.
“There are roots about as big as your thumb, or maybe even the size of your arm, that are intermingling with the utilities we’ve marked out,” said one of the GHD representatives, pointing to the large orange markings resembling hieroglyphics that have been drawn on the sidewalks to map out the “critical” infrastructure below, such as the “power lines that are feeding downtown businesses,” as well as supplying water, gas and Internet.
Another problem with the trees on School Street is that most weren’t provided a large enough tree well, which is basically the amount of ground its roots can expand into.
“We generally want at least five-feet by five-feet, which is still tight for a pistache,” GHD staff noted, explaining that creating larger tree wells both improves the health of each tree and improves the surrounding sidewalk, as there will be “less uplift” caused by roots straining for more room to grow and collect the nutrients they need.
However, providing larger tree wells usually means providing less pavement for cars, because the space created for the roots would likely be carved out of “the street, and that is where is we have to start talking about how the parking is configured,” explained GHD staff, pointing to one existing parking space that would either have to be removed, or turned into one for “compact” vehicles only.
But whatever changes are made, Deputy City Manager Shannon Riley assured the group that they are still several years out from implementation, if and when they are decided upon.
“How the city will fund this plan, which is long overdue, since it has been 50 years since the last plan, is through grants,” Riley said. “And how we get grants is through a study, which is what we’re doing now. And I would say, if we were able to develop a plan, which is then approved by the City Council, and then we find a good funding match that we apply for, and then we’re awarded the grant, and then we go out to bid for a contractor, I would say the best-case scenario would be three years out, minimum.”
So in the meantime, Riley said the purpose of Thursday’s walking audit and workshop, which she described as the last such event designed to collect public comment on the study that GHD is preparing, was to help “preserve and protect what we all love about downtown, and to make sure it lasts another 50 years.”
“I really appreciate the passion that Ukiah residents have for their downtown,” said Susan Sher, a member of the Ukiah City Council who will soon begin serving as the city’s next mayor, when the group returned to the Ukiah Valley Conference Center after the walking audit.
During the Ukiah City Council’s last meeting earlier this month, Riley told the board that over the past year, “there has been a tremendous amount of community input,” a lot of which was “really good and constructive.”
However, she said there also “some misconceptions” about the city’s plans for the popular Chinese pistache trees that line the street in the heart of Ukiah’s downtown.
“We’ve gotten a lot of feedback about the trees, and this is a wonderful way to learn how much people appreciate them,” Riley said. “I imagine that some of you have probably received some phone calls (from people) thinking that the city is going to cut down all of the trees on School Street, but this is just a planning study, so it does not come with chainsaws. And it’s important to note that the Downtown Zoning Code literally requires Chinese Pistache trees, and only Chinese Pistache trees, on School Street; there are no exceptions, there are no alternatives. (So whenever a tree) needs to be replaced on School Street, it will be a Chinese Pistache. So the trees that we all love and enjoy so much every year will continue to be there.”
However, Riley continued, those trees “were planted 60 years ago when we didn’t know as much about how to properly plant trees in streets.
But we know more now, and we can do better, and so we will be looking at some alternatives (in order to) provide a healthy environment for our future trees, and our future generations.”
(Ukiah Daily Journal)
MARIO CEJA
Mario Ceja, age 56, of Ukiah, California, was called home to the Lord, leaving behind a legacy rooted in love, faith, and devotion to family. He was born on July 14, 1969, in Sahuayo, Michoacán, and later made his home in Ukiah, California.
Mario was the beloved son of Rodolfo Ceja and Rosalina Ceja, and a cherished brother to Rafaela Ceja, Gloria Ceja, Maria Alvarez, Norma Ceja, Rodolfo Ceja, Connie Lopez, Rosie Ceja, and Estella Ceja.
A hardworking and honest man, Mario lived his life with integrity and purpose. He worked as a tow truck driver and landscaper, always willing to do whatever was necessary to provide for his family. A devoted Catholic and man of God, his faith was the foundation of his life and guided his values, strength, and compassion.
Mario was a loving and devoted father to Yesenia Ceja, Isabel Ceja, Sebastian Ceja, Andrea Ceja, Rachel Ceja, and Zalma Ceja, and a proud grandfather to thirteen grandchildren. His grandchildren were his greatest joy, and he found true happiness in spending time with them, creating memories filled with love and laughter.
Mario shared 32 years of his life with Lilia M. Hernandez, his former wife, with whom he built a family grounded in love and commitment. Together they raised six children, and her role in his life remains an important and cherished part of his story.
Mario will be remembered for his warm heart, gentle spirit, strong work ethic, and unwavering love for his family. Though he will be deeply missed, his faith assures us that he now rests in God’s eternal peace, watching over those he loved so dearly.
SKUNK TRAIN CHIEF DETAILS FREIGHT OPERATIONS, FEDERAL OVERSIGHT AMID EMINENT DOMAIN DISPUTE
“Freight is not a big part of our business. But it is part of the business, and people have taken us up on it.”
by Elise Cox
The president and CEO of the Mendocino Railway says freight service — though limited — remains a real and documented part of the Skunk Train’s operations, a point at the center of a recently decided eminent domain case involving a Willits property owner.
In an interview last Friday, Robert Pinoli walked through federal railroad regulations, internal records, and specific examples of freight and passenger service that he says establish the railroad’s status as a common carrier under federal law.
The eminent domain case stemmed from Mendocino Railway’s effort to acquire 20 acres of land in Willits owned by John Meyer, a move initially blocked by a trial court but later revived by a state appellate ruling that held the railroad qualifies as a public utility with eminent domain authority.
Federal Rules And Railroad Operations
Pinoli emphasized that railroad operations are governed first by federal law — specifically Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations — and then by the General Code of Operating Rules, a nationally adopted rulebook originally developed by Union Pacific and used by hundreds of railroads across the country.
While federal regulations cannot be altered by individual railroads, Pinoli said operating rules may be modified through a railroad’s timetable, special instructions, or temporary “general orders” used to address conditions such as construction or speed restrictions.
“These are the documents that govern how trains actually run,” Pinoli said.
FRA Inspection Found No Violations
Pinoli said the Federal Railroad Administration conducted a records inspection in 2024 covering the period from January 2020 through April 2025. The inspection focused on required monthly reports tracking train miles, employee hours of service, and injuries or illnesses.
According to Pinoli, the FRA identified a clerical reporting error involving how freight and work-train miles were categorized on Form 55 but recommended no violations.
“They ordered us to correct how the miles were allocated going forward,” Pinoli said. “There were no violations, and we’ve never had a records’ violation.”
Pinoli said the FRA’s request for correction occurred because the railway did haul freight during the period in question but did not account for the miles correctly.
The railroad was also asked to provide its internal control plan under 49 CFR Part 225, which Pinoli said existed at the time of the inspection but was not immediately available to inspectors.
Freight Service Examples
Although freight is not a major revenue source, Pinoli said it has been — and remains — part of the railroad’s operations and that it is reflected in the company’s documentation.
In 2022, he said, the railroad carried approximately 150 to 160 carloads of aggregate for a neighboring property owner near Willits. It has also transported steel bridge components manufactured in Texas and transloaded onto railcars in Willits for delivery to a site near milepost 26, as well as concrete footings for construction projects at Camp Noyo and Camp Mendocino.
“At present, freight is not a big part of our business,” Pinoli said. “But it is part of the business, and people have taken us up on it.”
Pinoli said freight operations have at times required the railroad to cancel passenger excursion runs to meet construction deadlines, citing internal emails directing staff to prioritize rock hauling over tourist service.
Passenger Service As Transportation
Pinoli also provided an example of point-to-point passenger service — Camp Noyo, a privately owned retreat facility located about 16 rail miles east of Fort Bragg.
While the camp has road access, Pinoli said winter conditions often make the road impassable, leaving rail as the only reliable transportation option.
“In the wintertime, if they’re hosting a retreat, they absolutely depend on the train to get in and out,” he said.
Acknowledging Public Reaction
Pinoli acknowledged that eminent domain cases often provoke strong reactions and said he understands why the dispute has drawn public scrutiny.
“There are few things in this country that make people angrier than eminent domain,” he said. “It’s not something I take lightly.”
(Mendolocal.news)
SARAH KOTILA BALLARD
Sarah Kotila Ballard was suddenly taken away by the fairies and dragons on 11/28/2025. She was 63 years old.
Sarah was born and raised in Fort Bragg; a descendent of a Finnish logging family, and the baby of 7 children. She had a childhood filled with taming wild animals, playing in the mud with her siblings, and rock fishing. She devoted her life to caring for others at the end of their lives and raising her two daughters and her three grandchildren. She was a great friend to many and made a point to check in on everyone and to drop whatever she was doing to help those in need. She loved nothing more than singing to country music and dancing like no one was watching. She will be remembered for her kindness, free spirit, patience and devotion to her friends and family.
She was proceeded in death by her parents Vilho and Annie Kotila, sister Ella and brother Mike. She is survived by her Just See daughter Jessica and mermaid daughter Madison, her grandbabies Vink, Onyx and May, her 2nd and 3rd husband Robert, her son-in-law Jared, her sisters Ginny, Martha, Linda, and little Mary Ann and countless friends and relatives.
In lieu of flowers, Jess and Maddie ask that you provide memories you have of their mother. You can reach out by sending a letter to them at PO box 22 Elk CA 95432 or calling 707-877-1138. If you are inclined to donate time or money on her behalf, she was a supporter of the Fort Bragg Food Bank.
Her celebration of life will be held 3/28/2026 at the Inglenook Grange from 6-10pm. Line dancing starting at 8pm. Please bring a dish to share.
SUPERVISOR JOHN HASCHAK:
Dear Residents of District 3 and Mendocino County,
Serving on the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors has been a great honor. For the past seven years, I get up each day with the clear intention of making the County a better place for its residents. I am proud of having accomplished that goal on many days. Whether it is connecting a senior citizen in need with the right service or working with service providers and healthcare professionals when the federal government is cutting away the safety net for too many of our neighbors, it has truly been my privilege to be a public servant. I have decided not to run for re-election. While this was not an easy decision because I love doing the work and working with and for many wonderful people, I cannot commit to another four-year term. When Henry Thoreau was asked why he left the woods, he replied, “Perhaps it seemed to me that I had several more lives to live….” I plan on completing this term and advocating for Mendocino County and its residents during the next year.
Sincerely,
John Haschak
Willits
JOHN SAKOWICZ ASKS: Does this mean Tom Allman will be running for District 3 Supervisor?
CALIFORNIA APPEALS COURT SAYS PUBLIC UTILITIES NEED NOT SERVE ACTIVE CUSTOMERS
A KMUD News and MendoLocal.news report
by Elise Cox
A California appeals court has ruled that a company can qualify as a public utility — and seize property by eminent domain — even if it does not actively serve customers. The court also determined that an intent by a private
The case before the court, which was decided December 9, concerned Mendocino Railway v. John Meyer et al. Mendocino Railway is operator of the Skunk Train, a beloved excursion train and a significant local employer. Meyer owns a 20-acre parcel in Willits.
Mendocino Railway began seeking to acquire the parcel five years ago, but the railway and landowner could not agree on a price. On December 22, 2020, Mendocino Railway filed a complaint against Meyer in Superior Court to take the parcel by eminent domain for an appraised value of $350,000.
In 2023, Mendocino County Superior Court Judge Jeanine Nadel halted the effort, ruling that Mendocino Railway did not qualify as a public utility — a prerequisite for exercising eminent domain — and that the proposed taking was not supported by the state or federal constitution. The railway appealed.
During oral arguments heard Nov. 10, Mendocino Railway attorney Paul Beard pointed to a September ruling by the federal Surface Transportation Board affirming the company’s status as a common carrier. The board found that once an entity becomes a rail carrier, that status does not end simply because the carrier was not carrying passengers or freight. Instead, the board stated explicitly that common carrier obligations cannot be terminated without federal authorization .
Beard argued that under California law, common carriers are public utilities by definition. He cited the California Constitution, which states that “common carriers are public utilities,” and contended that the defining feature of a public utility is whether it dedicates its property to public use — not how many customers it serves or how frequently the service is used .
During the state trial, Meyer’s attorney had drawn attention to the railway’s revenue sources, noting that roughly 90% of its income comes from excursion train rides and about 10% from property leases and easements, rather than from transporting freight or passengers from one point to another. Meyer’s attorney, Stephen Johnson, also argued that the railway’s early plans for the property — which included a campground and RV park — reflected a private, not public, purpose.
The appellate court rejected that reasoning. In a detailed opinion, the panel held that Mendocino Railway met its burden of proof that it is a common carrier and therefore a public utility under California law. The court emphasized that the key question is whether an entity has dedicated its property to public use, not the number or type of customers it serves.
During oral arguments, justices pressed the railway on whether there are limits on how long a public utility could hold property acquired through eminent domain without actively using it for a public purpose. Beard acknowledged uncertainty on that point but noted that public utility status can be challenged through other mechanisms, including complaints filed with the California Public Utilities Commission.
The opinion, written by Justine Langhorne Wilson, addresses the issue of what recourse Meyer would have if Mendocino Railway does not dedicate the 20-acre parcel it is acquiring to a public purpose — namely to further a freight and passenger service that today is largely aspirational.
“Should the proposed development violate any provisions of the law or of the Constitution by furthering a purely private endeavor—i.e., campgrounds, retail spaces, etc.—Meyer’s remedy is in an action attacking that future development and not in in an attempt to defeat a proper acquisition of property for a valid purpose,” Langhorne Wilson wrote.
The appellate ruling does not end the dispute. Instead, it sends the case back to trial court, where the remaining issue will be how much compensation Meyer should receive for his property.
ELISE COX (Mendolocal.news): Folks, it turns out I broke a bunch of bones in my foot. Does any one have a referral to a orthopedic surgeon trained specifically in bone alignment, healing, and biomechanics who is also a foot & ankle subspecialist?
AUTHOR BRUCE LEVENE AWARDED LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP
Kelley House Museum
To a casual visitor, the coastal town of Mendocino, California, might seem timeless. However, much of its rich past has been meticulously preserved and documented, thanks in no small part to the efforts of author and historian Bruce Levene. Through his books, oral history projects, and multimedia presentations, Levene ensured that the vibrant stories of Mendocino and its people would not be lost to time.
At the reception for the 60th Anniversary of The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming, the filming of which Levene helped document, he was presented with a Lifetime Membership to the Kelley House Museum. A true local historian, Levene’s work has captured the many unique facets of Mendocino’s character, including its logging past, artistic community, and Hollywood legacy.
Oral history projects
Levene knows how to get a story before the storyteller is no longer around to tell it. He was involved in the Mendocino County American Bicentennial History Project; he co-authored and edited the multi-volume work Mendocino County Remembered: An Oral History, a collection of firsthand accounts from local residents serves. Bruce also collaborated on Voices and Dreams: A Native American Oral History project in 1991, transcribing dozens of interviews with the local Pomo people, a copy of which we have in the Kelley House Museum library.
Mendocino’s Cinematic Heritage
In his book Mendocino and the Movies, Levene documented through photos and newspaper stories, the numerous films and television shows that used Mendocino Coast as a backdrop. Another of his books, James Dean, is devoted solely to the filming of the Steinback story East of Eden in Mendocino. Levene’s research is so thorough that his collection of movie posters and scripts was donated to the Kelley House Museum for its permanent archive.
Mendocino Life
Levene also edited the historical book Perley Maxwell’s Mendocino, a compilation of photos and stories from the early 1900s, based on the recollections of a longtime resident.
This book offers an intimate glimpse into the daily life of the village in a bygone era.
Beyond early history, Levene was instrumental in chronicling the dynamic counter-cultural movement of the 1970s that defined modern Mendocino. He published The Mendocino Review magazine, which showcased the photography, writing, and art of local residents.
In later years, he created a celebrated “digital scrapbook” of this period, featuring music, interviews, and photography from the era.
A Dedication To Preservation
Through his extensive research, meticulous editing, and tireless enthusiasm, Bruce Levene’s work transformed the anecdotal history of Mendocino into a well-documented and accessible record. His efforts not only preserved the past but also connected generations of residents and visitors to the unique heritage of this special coastal community.
This enduring legacy will continue to educate and inspire for years to come.
Levene’s books are available for purchase in the Kelley House Museum bookstore. The Kelley House is open Thursday-Monday, 11am-3pm. Visit our event calendar for a walking tour schedule.
UKIAH COMMUNITY INFORMATION REPORT:
This transient sex offender is currently being housed at Mendocino County Jail, he’ll serve a soft sentence and be released to prey on the vulnerable once again.
He’s been thru our system over and over wasting time and resources like so many of Ukiah’s transients. The breakdown of the system clearly shows in this case, what are we even doing here?
Mendocino County’s catch and release tactics for transients in our small community puts us at risk. It breeds mentally ill, drug abusing repeat offenders with no accountability & a get out of jail free card.
We have fear of our public spaces due to the violence, theft, and open air illicit drug use that occurs here everyday.
These posts are to get conversations going, to offer a platform for either victims to speak, community members to share stories & ideas, and offer a place for healthy dialogue on how we can make our town safer.
MENDOCINO COAST HOSPITALITY CENTER CELEBRATES 40 YEARS OF SERVICE
by Carole Brodsky
Whether they brave the cold underneath an awning of an uninhabited building, or tuck themselves amongst the bushes along the Ka Kahleh Trail, homeless people are living on the Mendocino Coast. “Everything our staff of 18 does is designed to help people overcome barriers to getting and maintaining permanent housing,” says Paul Davis, executive director of the Mendocino Coast Hospitality Center (MCHC).
With a variety of emergency and transitional housing options available such as the Hospitality House, which provides emergency housing for up to 24 people, staff help guests identify their barriers to housing and match them to programs and services that will help them acquire the skills and support necessary to become permanently, safely housed. (Contributed)
The non-profit organization was birthed in 1985, when a group of interfaith community members created an emergency shelter with the support of the Richmond, California Gospel Rescue Mission. Two years later, MCHC’s Hospitality House Shelter was purchased, and was later enlarged and renovated to include the Gibson House- built behind the shelter and designed for families.
In 2011, in response to a closed service, MCHC took over operation of a homeless/mental health resource center, and the following year did the same for an existing transitional housing program on Harrison Street. In 2015, the Old Coast Hotel was purchased, which added additional transitional housing beds, a Wellness Center, mental health clinic and administrative offices.
In the past year, the 24-bed Hospitality House/emergency shelter provided 12,345 meals, 5,611 showers and housed 147 individual overnight guests. 296 individuals, 16 veterans, 21 children and 34 adults over the age of 65 were served through MCHC programs- with 21 individuals finding permanent housing solutions.
The number of services provided by the MCHC is staggering. The MCHC Wellness Center provides case management intakes, low-income housing listings, local resource guides and information about food and shelter. Group activities are available including a variety of arts and crafts, movie screenings, wellness and recovery action planning, and access to community groups. Other services and activities include support acquiring ID’s and benefits, anger management training, life skills courses and mindfulness meditation. The MCHC also provides meeting space for Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings.
At the Hospitality House, located on McPherson Street, two buildings provide accommodations for women, families and men on a first-come, first-served basis. Donated clothing is available to those who need refreshments or additions to their wardrobe, and a 3:00 meal is available to anyone in the community. “We couldn’t provide this meal without the support from the Fort Bragg Food Bank and the amazing generosity of our community,” Davis continues.
For those receiving Medi-Cal who need mental health services, the Hospitality Clinic acts as a service provider, including individual rehabilitation services and case management. The clinic is open on a walk-in basis, and street medicine is also provided weekly.
MCHC staff assist with Coordinated Entry enrollments and Rapid Rehousing, both of which help to streamline access to housing and assist with deposits and temporary rental assistance. “Our Landlord Liaison works with property owners to increase housing opportunities for our clients. We offer comprehensive case management to assess and prioritize individuals for housing and services, and assist with the completion of paperwork so clients receive all the support they need,” Davis explains.
All of these services require collaboration. The MCHC works with Anchor Health Management, Adventist Health Mendocino Coast, the Mendocino Coast Children’s Fund, the Fort Bragg Police Department and CRU, Tapestry Family Services, the Fort Bragg Food Bank, Mendocino Coast Clinics Fort Bragg, Parents and Friends, Project Sanctuary and the Paul Bunyan Thrift Shop.
The Street Medicine Program operates with support from the Arline and Michael Rosen Foundation, the Mendocino Coast Healthcare Foundation and Mendocino Coast Clinics. 270 individuals have received services from this program. Services include the provision of basic health care, health education, case management, connection to primary care and/or mental health services, the provision of hygiene products, socks, clothing and Hepatitis C testing.
The Hospitality House is supported by the County of Mendocino, United Way and the City of Fort Bragg. The emergency shelter is a communal environment, where guests participate in the operation of the house. Guests receive two daily meals, free laundry and shower facilities, and while living at the Hospitality house are expected to work on a path toward community connection- creating a plan resulting in improved housing. Single guests stay in one of three dorm-style rooms, and families with children reside in one of two family rooms. Daily chores, meal prep and cleaning are part of the guest’s routine, and of course, no substance use is tolerated.
The overall impression of each of MCHC’s facilities is calmness, cleanliness and an effort to make spaces simple, homelike and welcoming. The rooms in the Old Coast Hotel resemble hotel rooms of yore, with the antique tin siding still on the walls. Davis hopes that in the future, the commercial kitchen and adjoining café will be accessible to the community and increase the agency’s revenue stream.
When asked what has kept the MCHC running for 40 years, Davis responds: “The staff.”
“Eleven of our eighteen staff people have some kind of lived experience- whether being homeless, having addiction issues or mental health issues. At least ten staffers have received some type of services here, and half the staff have been here for six years or longer.”
Jessica Fitch, Services Coordinator began her journey to MCHC in 2014, at the Buddy Eller Shelter in Ukiah. “I came back to the coast where I was born and raised, became the Hospitality House manager in 2015 and worked for a year at the shelter. When we acquired the hotel, I became the housing navigator.” Fitch has been with MCHC for 11 years. “Helping people is my passion. These are my people. Sometimes they’re coming right off the street. They learn to expect seeing us here. We’re like family to many of our guests.”
Kindra Fryman is the House Manager/Outreach Specialist. “I grew up in a home where there were lots of drugs and partying. In 2023, I found myself living in a car with my son, addicted to meth. I was referred here by the Building Bridges shelter in Ukiah. It was very hard to get clean time there. Once here, when I was 3 weeks clean, I lived in the shelter for three months. I felt so safe here- in my own room with my son. This program helped me get my car registered, insured and repaired. The more clean time I had, the healthier I got. Jessica and the managers gave me the confidence to get back into work force. Each person helped with a different aspect of my life. I went from the shelter to transitional housing to having my own housing, and in October of last year, I was hired be a house manager. If I can do it, everyone can,” she smiles.
“Lived experience really makes a difference here,” says Board President Carole White. “From the Board perspective, staff are our organization. They are the heart of MCHC. What we hear from clients is, ‘Since coming here, I feel like a human for the first time.’” Our staff are exceptional at demonstrating compassion and building meaningful relationships.”
White and Davis note that continuing misconceptions regarding who homeless people are and why they become homeless abound.
“A growing number of seniors come to us,” says White. “For many reasons, they are finding themselves without housing. They don’t know how to navigate the system, and many have personal care and health issues. This is a nationwide concern, and the needs of senior populations are unique.”
“We continue to hear folks label homeless people as ‘lazy.’ ‘All they need to do is get a job,’ some people say. This is a simplistic idea,” says White.
“Many people continue to believe homelessness can’t happen to any of us- at any time. Some people think the cause of homelessness is rooted in addiction and mental health issues. You might know someone with mental health issues or addiction issues, and you care about them, but when it comes to someone on the street, there’s a stigma attached to that person. This misunderstanding allows folks to pass judgement on something they can see, but these issues are not the cause of homelessness. What is true is that experiencing homelessness can cause or exacerbate existing mental health and addiction issues, and this is backed up by very good data,” says Davis.
To successfully find permanent housing, MCHC helps clients identify and address the totality of issues contributing to their homelessness. “For mental health and addiction barriers, we collaborate with local agencies. When it comes to income barriers, or physical and mental disabilities, we help people navigate the system. With clients accessing our Specialty Mental Health Clinic, they may have come here housed, so the idea is to help them maintain that housing,” says Davis.
The MCHC is funded through a combination state, federal, and most recently, a contract for shelter beds being funded through the Fort Bragg Police Department.
“We always have concerns that come back to funding. I think everyone knows what’s going on federally. HUD has reallocated the ‘buckets’ of services they will pay for,” says Davis. “The same dollar amount might be coming into our county, but there will likely be reductions in housing voucher programs. We’ve had very little time to formulate a backup plan.”
Other changes to state funding for mental health are about to impact the agency’s Wellness Center. “We’re looking at changing the Wellness Center model to something that will be feasible for us,” says Davis.
Shelter funding is always tenuous. “We can never line up a ‘done deal’ until the 11th hour. No matter how many years it works out, I’m always nervous. Every year, the State authors different rules and allocation requirements, which can be good news for shelters and bad news for adjacent programs that help get people into housing- like funds designated to help people pay their first few months of rent.”
“Along with the uncertainty of shelter funding, we’re struggling with increased utility costs, diminished offerings from the Food Bank and increased labor costs. The anticipation of more prohibitive SNAP program changes will certainly impact our entire community,” says White. “Some changes coming down may or may not affect our administration or management, but they will affect clients. If we can’t keep our doors open, this rapidly becomes a cascading community disaster,” says White.
“Our clients carry this weight,” says Fitch. “They are very aware of what’s going on with funding. People come in almost every day, asking if we’re going to stay open or not.”
“We’re not here because we got dealt the best cards,” says Fryman. “We’re here for a reason. We’re not here to make friends. We’re here to get our lives together. There is a unity among the house managers. We tell guests, ‘You didn’t do anything wrong to get here. You can do it. You can get housed. You can get the skills you need. It’s so cool to see people flourish. It doesn’t happen overnight, but here I am. I can now function in society, and now I can help other people find that in themselves,” she concludes.
There are many ways to support the MCHC. Donations of the following items are always appreciated:
Food Items For Hospitality House:
- Butter/margarine, Whole Milk, Sour Cream
- Fruit Pie filling, Dried berries and fruit (apricots, blueberries, cranberries)
- All Salad Greens
- Sandwich fixings: Large tomatoes, Sliced lunch meat, sliced cheese, sliced pickles
- Fresh fruit
- Individual bags of chips, pretzels, corn chips, trail mix
Food and Personal Items may be dropped off at the Hospitality House, 237 N. McPherson Street from 7:00 AM- 6:00 PM.
Personal Items For Hospitality House/Coastal Street Medicine:
- Toothpaste/Toothbrushes
- Hand Cream/Body Lotion/Sunscreen
- Deodorant/Body Wash/Bar Soap/Hand Sanitizer
- Shampoo/Conditioner
Clothing:
- Wool Socks (size large or medium; new)
- Long Underwear (tops and bottoms) for men and women; new
- Wool Sweaters (new or clean used)
- Warm Hats, Scarves, Gloves (new or clean used)
- Rain Jackets/Rain Pants (new or clean used)
- Shoes and Boots for cold, wet weather (new or lightly used)
Personal Items and Clothing may be dropped off at 101 N. Franklin St. Fort Bragg, Monday-Friday, 8:30-noon or 1:00-3:00.
One-time or recurring cash donations may be made online at https://www.mendocinochc.org/donate. Volunteer opportunities are also available. For more information visit https://www.mendocinochc.org or phone (707) 961-0172.
(Ukiah Daily Journal)
NORTH BAY LINEMAN HELPS ELECTRIFY NAVAJO NATION HOMES
Sal Ramos, who lives in Ukiah and works for Pacific Gas and Electric Co. out of Santa Rosa, was one of 21 union electrical workers who took part this fall in Light Up Navajo, a coordinated effort to bring on-demand electricity to isolated corners of the Navajo Nation, where some 10,000 families still live without power.
by Phil Barber
After two weeks of stringing power lines on the desert plateaus of Arizona, Sal Ramos, a North Bay lineman volunteering 1,000 miles from home, was invited to an appreciation dinner staged by the local community.
During the event, an older woman stood up to offer gratitude to the PG&E worker who had brought electricity to her home. She had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and she was happy to know that before her last day came, she would get to read a book at night — for the first time in her life.
“I had a lump in my throat,” recalled Ramos, a PG&E foreman who lives in Ukiah and works out of Santa Rosa. “I don’t think there was a dry eye in the room.”
Ramos, 37, was one of 21 electrical workers who took part this fall in Light Up Navajo, a coordinated, multiyear effort to bring on-demand electricity to isolated corners of the Navajo Nation, a 27,000-square-mile territory in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
Light Up Navajo is administered in partnership with the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority, which delivers electricity, natural gas, water, wastewater treatment, renewable energy and communications utilities throughout the vast reservation, the largest within the U.S.
The tribal utility has wanted this work done for years, but it’s an expensive undertaking for an organization with limited funding. Workers might build out five miles of line to service only a few families in far-flung homes.
“We’re a not-for-profit enterprise,” said Deenise Becenti, public affairs manager at the tribal utility authority. “We have to be careful how we spend our resources.”
Generally, her office does all the legwork to get a job shovel-ready, and pays for equipment and material. Then outside volunteers arrive to complete the connections. It typically costs the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority $40,000 to power a household; under Light Up Navajo, the cost to the utility is less than $8,000 per home.
When the program was launched as a pilot in 2019, there were 15,000 families or households without power on the reservation. Now there are just over 10,000. About 1,000 of those households were directly connected under Light Up Navajo.
Ramos’ contribution was organized by his union, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers’ Local 1245, which represents close to 30,000 utility workers in Northern and Central California, and parts of Nevada.
IBEW 1245 put out a call for volunteers in June. No email blast, no social media, just word of mouth. The response was more than robust. The union got four or five applicants for every one it picked, according to Bob Dean, the local’s business manager.
PG&E paid Ramos and nine other linemen — they were split into two crews — for eight-hour shifts during their stint on the reservation. They volunteered their time beyond that, sometimes putting in 16-hour days. By the end, they had pulled 11 miles of wire, hung transformers and run service drops to houses.
The job sometimes felt like sightseeing. Ramos saw the Painted Desert and the iconic stretch of highway pictured in the movie “Forrest Gump,” where Tom Hanks’ character decides to go home after “three years, two months, 14 days and 16 hours” of running.
If they had done the work during the summer, Ramos said, “it would have kicked our butts.” As it happened, the weather was “wonderful” in September and October.
Still, there were challenges. The crews didn’t have their usual PG&E equipment, including bucket trucks. They climbed every pole they wired, Ramos said.
He’d had a similar experience to draw from. Ramos joined a crew in Puerto Rico after the island was decimated by Hurricane Maria in 2017. By the time he arrived, people had been without power for seven months. It was highly gratifying to get them hooked up, Ramos said.
The Navajo Nation was different, though. Some of the houses there had gone generations without electricity service.
“It kind of changed my life,” Ramos said. “People in general, we want to know that what we do to make a living is necessary, that it contributes to the greater good of society. That when we lay our heads down at night, people are better because of what we did.”
Few projects could deliver that satisfaction more convincingly than Light Up Navajo.
Bringing light to darkness is a dramatic achievement, but electricity goes far beyond that. Without it, many residents of Navajo Nation have been unable to pump drinking water from wells, or to use the internet for medical appointments and school assignments, or to run a space heater in the winter, in a high-desert environment where it’s not uncommon to live at 7,000 feet.
Most fundamentally, electricity equals refrigeration.
The Navajo Nation is bigger than West Virginia, but it has no supermarkets, no Targets, no Walmarts.
“It means families have to travel for basic supplies,” noted Becenti, the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority manager, who said she personally knows hundreds of such families. “Their grocery stores are convenience stores and gas stations. Coolers — that’s their refrigerator.”
Off-grid Navajo families can’t buy a lot of perishable food. They drive for groceries and bags of ice, and repeat the process every couple of days.
After electrification, Becenti said, “I’ve seen kids jumping up and down with joy because they can have ice cream in their home. I remember vividly an elderly woman, sitting outside her house as the lines were being completed. I asked her, ‘How will your life change?’”
“You know what?” the woman answered wistfully. “I’m gonna make me some toast.”
This potential for everyday transformation is what drew Bob Dean’s attention in the first place. In addition to his work with IBEW 1245, he’s on the executive committee of the nonprofit Electrical Workers Without Borders North America.
“You look on a global scale, and the No. 1 predicator of economic success is availability of energy,” he said.
His union had been sending member volunteers to Haiti, Suriname and other developing countries for more than a decade, to help train and work alongside utility workers there.
Then he found out about the Navajo Nation.
“I’ve been in this business most of my adult life. And I’m native myself. And I was shocked,” Dean said. “If you had told me there were 100,000 people in the U.S. who had no power, I would have said you’re a boldfaced liar.”
Why, Dean wondered, was the union sending volunteers to help improve Haiti’s electrical grid when so many Americans weren’t being served? He was also exasperated to learn Light Up Navajo was projected as a 20-year project?
“Why isn’t this an immediate problem that the federal government, and state governments, are planning to solve next year?” Dean said.
The collective effort to electrify the Navajo Nation is not lost on Becenti.
“We’re doing what we can as a tribal utility,” she said. “Knowing there are crews and communities willing to donate their time to be here is a demonstration of the true American spirit – people helping people.”
Sal Ramos, for one, hopes to honor that ideal in the Navajo Nation again.
(pressdemocrat.com)
MENDOCINO COLLEGE PROFESSOR & accused child sex predator Jason Davis has made bail after it was lowered from $1m.
CATCH OF THE DAY, Tuesday, December 16, 2025
ABEL AGUADO, 41, Ukiah. Controlled substance with two or more priors, paraphernalia, putting pollutants near state waters, disobeying court order, failure to appear.
JEANE BETTEGA, 30, Covelo. Paraphernalia, mandatory supervision violation.
DANIEL GARCIA III, 29, Covelo. DUI, failure to appear, unspecified offense.
PETE GONZALES, 23, Fort Bragg. Domestic battery.
JEREMY HOLZ, 51, Ukiah. Camping in Ukiah, resisting.
MARSHALL LUCIER, 64, Fort Bragg. Assault with deadly weapon with great bodily injury.
AMANDA MARUFFO, 38, Ukiah. Failure to appear, probation revocation.
JOSEPH RAEL, 21, Lakeport/Ukiah. Assault with deadly weapon with great bodily injury, robbery.
JOMAL REED, 43, Oakland/Ukiah. DUI-any drug, no license.
LET’S GET FULL VALUE FROM ELECTRIC VEHICLE BATTERIES
Editor:
Electric vehicle batteries taken out of a car are still valuable as batteries. In a car, one wants the greatest charge per weight and volume. For standby power, the weight and volume are irrelevant; two old batteries with 50% capacity equal one new battery pack. Battery recycling is ramping up slowly because there’s a use for “used” EV batteries. But recycling is happening, because the “good stuff” in an old battery is much easier to recover than the small amount of good stuff in a ton of dirt.
Ken Nethery
Sebastopol
HAS PG&E FINALLY LEARNED ITS LESSON ON HELPING TO PREVENT WILDFIRES IN CALIFORNIA?
by Lucia Yu
In 2023, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. made a bold statement: “Our stand is that catastrophic wildfires shall stop.”
That was quite an assertion for a company whose legacy has become marred by its own culpability in a string of horrific California blazes.
From 2009 to 2019, PG&E was held responsible for more than 1,500 fires. This included the 2018 Camp Fire, the most destructive wildfire in California history, which resulted in 85 deaths, the destruction of nearly 19,000 structures and the evacuation of 52,000 people. State investigators traced the cause of the fire to faulty PG&E transmission lines and revealed systemic problems.
In response, PG&E launched a comprehensive inspection effort across its grid, with a focus on high-risk wildfire areas. California’s drought turned much of the vegetation in PG&E's high-risk areas into standing firewood — as detailed by Katherine Blunt in her 2022 book “California Burning.” Dry conditions existed in more than half of PG&E’s service territory, where there were 5,500 miles of transmission lines. In 2018, the company released an apologetic statement admitting that over 250,000 repairs were needed across its system.
The resulting financial toll was staggering; PG&E faced an estimated $30 billion in wildfire liabilities. PG&E’s legal challenges and escalating liabilities drove the company to file for bankruptcy and prompted legislative intervention.
In 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1054 and AB111, landmark legislation that established the California Wildfire Fund and introduced reforms to address utility-caused wildfires in California. The $21 billion fund was designed to help participating utilities cover wildfire liabilities, but was only accessible after eligible claims were settled. This proved difficult for PG&E, which remained in bankruptcy proceedings.
It was clear that legislative oversight was needed. In 2020, the California Public Utilities Commission approved a six-step reorganization plan to allow PG&E to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in order to access the fund. This intervention, coined the Enhanced Oversight and Enforcement Process, was adopted after PG&E failed to perform wildfire mitigation work, including vegetation clearing along high fire-risk transmission lines. In April 2021, the commission placed PG&E into the first step of the plan and ordered it to implement corrective measures to improve its safety performance.
Despite these efforts, PG&E faced a devastating setback a few months later. The 2021 Dixie Fire surpassed the Camp Fire as the deadliest fire in California history, with 86 fatalities. It also cost the company $45 million and undermined the fragile trust that it had only begun to rebuild with the public. After years of criticism for putting profits ahead of safety, PG&E faced growing backlash for its lack of corporate responsibility. This marked the tipping point. Leadership changes ensued, and PG&E began making public commitments to prioritize community safety.
In 2023, PG&E published a Wildfire Mitigation Plan that outlines a strategy to strengthen safety and resilience. The plan includes advancing internal monitoring and data collection, implementing operational measures for risk reduction and management, undergrounding 10,000 miles of distribution lines and expanding community engagement. These efforts have yielded measurable progress, including a 36% reduction in ignitions and a 99% reduction in impacted acres compared to the 2018-2020 average. Grid resiliency also improved, reducing the need for public safety power shutoffs. These changes were the beginning of a long-overdue transformation, signaling PG&E’s shift toward becoming a more responsible company that was willing to take ownership of its actions.
On Sept. 19, Senate Bill 254 was enacted to reform the 2019 wildfire legislation and created an $18 billion continuation account to sustain the California Wildfire Fund. SB254 supported PG&E’s mitigation efforts while helping with its financial stability. In 2025, PG&E achieved major milestones by undergrounding 1,000 miles of power lines and clearing vegetation at the base of 4,000 transmission structures. CEO Patti Poppe announced that 2025 is on track to have the lowest number of ignitions since data collection began in 2015, a promising sign of progress.
Looking ahead, PG&E says it remains committed to its wildfire mitigation efforts, along with advancing grid modernization and resiliency. Yet even the most robust grid cannot fully shield utilities from the growing threat of climate change, with extreme weather driving increased fire frequency as evidenced across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. PG&E’s 2025 Wildlife Mitigation Plan reflects this reality and incorporates a 45% increase in climate-related risk factors compared to the prior year.
PG&E has emerged from its lowest point, and its story offers a cautionary tale. In regulated electricity markets, systemic flaws often remain hidden until disaster strikes. For PG&E, shortcomings such as poor record keeping and inconsistent maintenance proved catastrophic, and its hard-earned lessons serve as a guiding framework for utilities. The challenge is clear: Utilities must be prepared to adapt to rapidly evolving conditions that are redefining the energy future.
(Lucia Yu is a clean energy project developer focusing on utility-scale battery energy storage systems. She has a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and management from UC Davis and a master’s in sustainability management from Columbia University.)
CREATE PUBLIC UTILITIES
Editor,
Regarding “Has PG&E finally learned its lesson on helping to prevent wildfires in California?” Open Forum offers a good summary of the damage caused by PG&E’s negligence. It begs the question: Why do we allow a company with a known record of harm to continue to run our utilities?
Utilities are a necessity and a public good and should never be run by a for-profit company; they should be public entities.
PG&E’s legacy of destruction in pursuit of profit proves that.
Robert Leeds
Oakland
THE VERSATRONEX STRIKE
The first strike by production workers in a Silicon Valley factory, 1992-3
by David Bacon
In mid-February of 1993 the last workers at the Versatronex plant in Sunnyvale filed out of the plant's door for the last time, and the factory closed. But many electronics workers in Silicon Valley remember Versatronex as the first plant where production workers went on strike, and the first plant where a strike won recognition for their union.
"It's a little sad, but we said at the beginning that if the company was going to close, let them close," said Sandra Gomez, who lost her job at the end of the Versatronex strike. "But as long as the plant was open, we were going to fight for our rights."
Factories like Versatronex are a startling contrast to the hi-tech public image. More stable and better-paying production jobs in the valley's large plants practically disappeared, while contractors like Versatronex competed for business from big companies by cutting wages and conditions.…
https://davidbaconrealitycheck.blogspot.com/2025/12/photos-from-edge-25-versatronex-strike.html
RADIOACTIVE PIGS: A CHRISTMAS STORY
Editor,
(for Mike Geniella)
It was 1957 and almost Christmas in Marysville, California. I remember the Bethlehem Star above Main Street and the Christmas lights at night.
I have never forgotten a thing. Not a single thing.
It was 1957 and it almost Christmas in Marysville. I was five years old. I was riding down D Street in Marysville with my dad. I was riding in the back seat of the family car.
The family car was a 1951 Mercury Four Door Sedan. It had a big, massive grill and a large rearview window.
The 1951 Mercury Four Door Sedan offered a variety of colors to choose from, reflecting the era's design trends and the car's appeal.
The color of our car was Luxor Maroon Poly.
The 1951 Mercury Four Door Sedan also came in Kerry Blue Poly, Monterey Red Poly, Brewster Green Poly and Yosemite Green Poly. These were all vibrant colors and the availability of these colors contributed to the car's popularity back in 1957.
It was 1957 and almost Christmas in Marysville. I was five. I was riding down D Street in Marysville with my dad. I was riding in the back seat of the family car.
My dad was driving to pick up my mother at her shop. The Singer Sewing Machine Shop.
It was a winter's night and almost Christmas, and Main Street was decorated with Christmas lights and all the retail stores had window displays, and all the window displays had either a Christmas theme or a winter theme, and everything was magical.
When you look back, there is always the past, even when it has vanished.
It was 1957 and almost Christmas in Marysville, and I remember the Bethlehem Star above Main Street and the Christmas lights at night.
I have never forgotten a thing. Not a single thing.
I remember the Crow and Bull neon sign.
I remember the historic downtown -- the rectangular area bounded by E St. to the west, B St. to the east, Ellis Lake to the north, and 1st St. to the south. Our family lived off of 14th Street, on the north side of Ellis Lake (outside the city’s top boundary.)
I remember Marysville’s “twin” city of Yuba City, which was much bigger and fancied itself more cosmopolitan, which is absurd because no place in Sutter County is cosmopolitan.
I remember everything.
I remember the Silver Dollar Saloon on 1st St. (my dad's Marysville watering hole), which backed up to the levee, and is the presently standing structure that’s as near as possible to the old Cordua place -- that’s where they chose to stick the “New Mecklenburg” historical plaque.
I remember my dad with his with his clean fingernails, and his white shirt, and his grey suit, and his spotless silk tie, and his polished black wingtip shoes. I remember his buttoned-down, squared-away, military look.
I remember how tall and handsome he was.
I remember my dad was a WWII hero. A Silver Star in the Battle of Manila in February 1945.
I remember my father's love without end.
I remember sleeping softly at night.
I remember feeling safe and protected.
I remember the moon shining through night clouds and how the moonlight touched the patchwork spread of orchards and fields in the valley.
I remember the washed-out colors of ghosts from the afterlife, the ghosts of my grandparents and great-grandparents and their families going back a hundred and fifty years in the valley -- ghosts who lived there in the valley with my family and how these ghosts woke without fail every Christmas morning.
I remember Christmas morning's bright air and mysterious singing in Maryville's empty streets on Christmas morning.
On Christmas morning, I remember feeling the presence of divinity which is never absent but rarely felt. On Christmas morning, it inhabited the air itself.
I remember the pigs.
In 1957, I read about the pigs in some magazine. I was only five, but I could read good enough.
Maybe it was Life Magazine. Maybe it was Look Magazine.
Almost 1,200 pigs were subjected to bio-medical experiments and blast-effects studies during Operation Plumbbob at Frenchman Flat at the Neveda Testing Grounds in October 1957.
During one shot, Priscilla (37 kilotons), 719 pigs were used in various experiments on Frenchman Flat.
Some pigs were placed in elevated cages and provided with suits made of different materials, to test which materials provided best protection from the thermal radiation.
As shown and reported in the big, glossy news magazines of the day -- and much later in PBS documentary "Dark Circle" -- the pigs survived, but with third-degree burns to 80% of their bodies.
Other pigs were placed in pens behind large sheets of glass at measured distances from the hypocenter to test the effects of flying glass on living targets.
It was 1957 and almost Christmas in Marysville. I remember the Bethlehem Star above Main Street and the Christmas lights at night.
I have never forgotten a thing. Not a single thing.
I remember the pigs.
In October or November 1957, I was a five-year-old precocious kid reading about pigs being roasted alive with radiation and how other pigs were cut to pieces by shards of glass during Operation Plumbbob at the Neveda Testing Grounds.
A month later, the merchants of Marysville put the Bethlehem Star up above Main Street and lit Christmas lights at night.
There was no innocence in 1957. There is no innocence now.
Evil sags like a roof above our ruin.
John Sakowicz
Ukiah
TRUMP SIDES WITH AGRICULTURE IN CALIFORNIA WATER WARS
by Dan Walters
From the onset of his foray into presidential politics a decade ago, Donald Trump has been obsessed with managing California’s water, often interjecting himself into decades-long conflicts over how the precious commodity should be divvied up.
During his first stint as president, Trump was heavily influenced by the Westlands Water District, a huge agricultural water agency in the San Joaquin Valley that sought more irrigation water for itself and other farm interests.
That relationship led to a controversial contract that guaranteed Westlands as much as a million acre-feet of water each year from the federal Central Valley Project, solidifying the district’s supply situation. Lacking water rights, Westlands had historically depended on temporary contracts to meet members’ demands.
The new contract angered environmental groups because it threatened to reduce flows through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta for wildlife habitat. The groups sued and won rulings against the contract in trial and appellate courts.
After Trump moved back into the White House in January, he immediately picked up where he left off, issuing an order to federal water officials to maximize deliveries in California.
He also asserted that a shortage of water deliveries to Southern California was a factor in the rapid spread of deadly wildfires in Los Angeles County, claiming that the state’s efforts to protect “an essentially worthless fish called a smelt” was at fault.
“Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way,” Trump wrote on his social media site, Truth Social.
Newsom’s office rebuked the claim, saying, “There is no such document as the water restoration declaration – that is pure fiction.”
Meanwhile, Trump’s executive order pushed the Bureau of Reclamation to modify how it operates the Central Valley Project, a complex of reservoirs — including Lake Shasta — and canals that captures runoff from Northern California mountains and supplies water agencies in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys.
The bureau just announced an operational modification that would increase annual water deliveries by 130,000 to 180,000 acre-feet from the Central Valley Project and another 120,000 to 220,000 from the State Water Project, the latter chiefly generated from the Oroville Dam on the Feather River. The two projects share management of the Sacramento River and its tributaries.
“This updated operations plan reflects our commitment to using the best available science to increase water deliveries while safeguarding the environment and honoring the legacy of the Central Valley Project’s 90 years of service,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement.
The announcement sparked reactions, both pro and con, that reflect the state’s long-running water allocation battles — praise from Westlands and other agricultural water agencies that are facing supply reductions from regulation of groundwater use and condemnation from state officials and environmental groups.
“These operational refinements reflect a thoughtful, data-informed approach that strengthens water supply availability for growers while maintaining California’s commitment to environmental stewardship,” Westlands said in a statement.
Newsom spokesperson, Tara Gallegos, had another take: “The Trump administration is putting politics over people — catering to big donors instead of doing what’s right for Californians. As per usual, the emperor is left with no clothes, pushing for an outcome that disregards science and undermines our ability to protect the water supply for people, farms, and the environment.”
For their part, state water officials say they have no intention of matching the Bureau of Reclamation’s new operational rules.
So here we go again, another chapter in the war over water that began when California became a state 175 years ago. It’s probably headed to the courts and will probably outlast not only Newsom’s governorship but Trump’s presidency.
(CalMatters.org)
ON-LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY
I was a county attorney in rural America. There were times when a family would come to the courthouse and petition the court to place a family member in a hospital for 72-hour evaluation, having to prove their family member was “a threat to himself or others.” It was always a hard thing for a family to do. It was a last resort. The embarrassment and shame and regret, like the family had done something wrong.
If the unfolding Reiner story is true, that these parents were allegedly attacked and murdered by their own child who had a long history of issues. . . People with all the money, stature, and respect were unable to prevent this?
President Trump was a complete loser with his response to this. I am beyond disappointed. Mental health wellness is behind most of our health issues in this country. This is a time to be kind. There is NO JUSTIFICATION for that heartless post. None.
FLURRY OF WEEKEND SHOOTINGS, VIOLENCE SHOWS FOURTH ESTATE IN DISARRAY
In Australia, Providence, and Los Angeles, the postmodern blame game is already making the who, what, where, when, and why hard to figure
by Matt Taibbi
At 6:47 p.m. Sunday, Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) — 4:47 a.m. Eastern time in the U.S. — police heard reports of shots fired at a “Hanukkah by the Sea” celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney. Two gunmen killed at least 16, including a ten-year-old and a Holocaust survivor, while an additional 38 were injured. Before most Americans were awake, a 43-year-old named Ahmed al Ahmed gained international renown by tackling and disarming one of the attackers despite being “riddled with bullets.”
Within 24 hours, two more were killed and nine injured in a mass shooting at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, while famed director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were murdered in their home, with their son Nick arrested Sunday evening and booked at 5:04 a.m. PT today.
If you were like me and away for the weekend, you likely found digging out even that handful of facts difficult. The world by midday Monday was already plunged into a cacophonous argument about the meaning of this extraordinary flurry of violence, with even the journalistic enterprises spending more time assigning blame than figuring out what happened.
Donald Trump posted that Reiner and his wife died “due to the anger he caused others” through his “massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind-crippling disease known as Trump Derangement Syndrome”; Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy’s comment on the Providence shooting was to blame Trump for a “deliberate” and “dizzying” campaign to “try to make violence more likely in this country”; Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese somehow already conducted multiple post-Bondi interviews warning of the “rise of the extremist right”; the fact that one of the Providence victims was the Vice President of Brown’s College Republicans of America chapter led Libs of Tik Tok to declare it’s “open season on conservatives now,” while the New Republic was just as premature in declaring this ridiculous; Trump’s FBI and the Providence police force have been conspicuously busy leaking accusations about one another while the manhunt continues after the shooter somehow got away, and on, and on. There are really two Providence manhunts, one in search of the murder suspect (to protect society) and a nearly-as-intense media hunt for answers about the shooter’s race and motivation (to feed bottomless demand for culture-war ammunition).
When the 24-hour news cycle arrived in 1980 via the first repeating CNN broadcasts, journalists worried that covering news events in real time would massively increase the likelihood of reporting mistakes. It turned out to be true and a generation of reporters was trained to be wary of re-reporting first-blush claims, lest we become accomplices in disasters like the Richard Jewell episode or Sandy Hook, where mass killer Adam Lanza’s brother was initially misidentified as the culprit. That kind of thing happens even more in the Internet age (in the last 24 hours, NPR for instance reported that Brown issued emergency system alerts Friday night), but the bigger problem is that news has become so completely a war of subtext that we start arguing the whys before the whos and wheres are even in.
The postmodern news consumer has to build mental Excel sheets, first making lists of claims (Providence shooter is a guy from Wisconsin, Nick Reiner is trans, the Bondi hero was really a Christian), then sorting them into sourced and unsourced categories, and finally waiting to see in which side of the TRUE/BULLSHIT divide to dump the final check mark. The number of checks in the latter column seems to get bigger with each of these horrors. Politicians who had any decency used to only offer condolences and reassurance on days like today, but they’ve all now become so convinced that the power of tragedy can’t be ceded to ideological rivals that every one of them turns death into ad-hoc commercials stumping for legislation, reform, credit, or whatever within minutes after disasters. Blizzards of that always make it hard to see anything concrete, but today it’s particularly bad.
Understanding that it’s become difficult to sort out truth from BS from afar (even though Racket has contributors from Providence), we spent most of today trying to nail down a few things that continue to be confusing in coverage. Walter Kirn and I will try to go through some of those in America This Week at 4:00 p.m., and also discuss other stories that popped up over the weekend. See you in a bit.
DAVID SAMUELS:
"I have a name for Trump: The demon emperor. Because I feel like he’s like a figure that you’d find in some Chinese chronicle, right? There was a time of terrible chaos, social disintegration, and then a Mongol invasion. They breeched the Great Wall and did this and that. And in those moments, the Demon Emperor would arise and take power. He had the head of a pig and the body of man, and he was known for his vile excesses and the terrible rampages that he’d go on, and his desecrations of ancient scrolls. Everyone bemoaned him.
But there was a certain virtue, at times, in certain moments, to having the demon emperor around. Yes, he raped 150 virgins in surrounding villages and all their families were very upset and there’s no reason he should have done that, and he defiles the very ground he stands on, and indeed, no one of noble birth would consent to marry his daughter. At the same time, he defeated the Mongols."
“YES, ALONE WE ARE, deeply alone, and always, in store for us, a layer of loneliness even deeper. There is nothing we can do to dispose of that. No, loneliness shouldn’t surprise us, as astonishing to experience as it may be. You can try yourself inside out, but all you are then is inside out and lonely instead of inside in and lonely. My stupid, stupid Merry dear, stupider even that your stupid father, not even blowing up buildings helps. It’s lonely if there are buildings and it’s lonely if there are buildings and it’s lonely if there are no buildings. There is no protest to be lodged against loneliness⎯not all the bombing campaigns in history have made a dent in it. The most lethal of manmade explosives can’t touch it. Stand in awe not of Communism, my idiot child, but of ordinary, everyday loneliness.”
— Philip Roth, ‘American Pastoral’
“WHENEVER I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off - then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can.”
— Herman Melville, ‘Moby Dick’
HE WAS GUNNED DOWN in Parral, Mexico, on July 20, 1923—Pancho Villa’s life ending as violently as it had been lived. Born José Doroteo Arango in 1878, Villa rose from the dusty plains of Durango to become one of the most feared and celebrated revolutionary generals of the Mexican Revolution. By the time his death came, he had led armies, struck fear into governments, and captured the imagination of both the oppressed and the powerful. His bullets and strategies had reshaped the nation, but in the quiet streets of Parral, no army could protect him from the ambush that awaited.
It wasn’t just an assassination; it was the closing of a storm that had raged for decades. Villa had survived countless battles, betrayals, and narrow escapes, from daring raids across the border into the United States to the bloody campaigns that toppled regimes and defended the poor. His life was a series of impossible gambles—each fight a calculated risk, each victory feeding legends that spread faster than the revolver fire. Even in retirement, driving through the streets of Parral in his automobile, he remained a target, a man whose enemies knew that killing him would echo louder than any battlefield victory.
By the time the smoke cleared and Villa lay dead beneath the July sun, the nation mourned and whispered his name with awe and fear. Outside the stories of armies and revolutions, how many could imagine living a life where every step, every word, could be your last, yet choosing to stand and fight anyway? How many could ride into battle and into history with the certainty that enemies waited for the moment your guard faltered? Pancho Villa’s death forces us to ask: what would you have done when the world hunted you for every life you’d taken and every freedom you’d fought to give?
I LIKE MEN who have known the best and the worst, whose life has been anything but a smooth trip. Storms have battered them, they have lain, sometimes for months on end, becalmed. There is a residue even if they fail. It has not been all tinkling; there have been grand chords.
— James Salter
LEAD STORIES, WEDNESDAY'S NYT
Johnson Rules Out House Vote to Extend Health Insurance Subsidies
Trump Expands Travel Ban and Restrictions to 20 More Countries
Trump Orders Blockade of Some Oil Tankers to and From Venezuela
White House Shrugs Off Rise in Unemployment Rate
Trump Dangles Cash Payments to Buoy Voters’ Views of the Economy
A Powerful New Drug Is Creating a ‘Withdrawal Crisis’ in Philadelphia
At Rome’s New Stations, Peruse Ancient Relics While Catching a Train
ANY MAN who dies with more than $10,000 to his name is a failure.
— Errol Flynn
HE WOULD NOT STAY FOR ME, AND WHO CAN WONDER
He would not stay for me, and who can wonder?
He would not stay for me to stand and gaze.
I shook his hand, and tore my heart in sunder,
And went with half my life about my ways.
— A. E. Housman (1896)
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BOOKS FOR SERIOUS READERS
by Ralph Nader
The following books should be bestsellers in a thriving, deliberate democracy addressing and correcting widespread injustices. The dedicated authors labored thousands of hours to produce these enlightening books. We only have to spend a few dozen hours to reap the fruits of their labors.
- Exposed: A Pfizer Scientist Battles Corruption, Lies, and Betrayal, and Becomes a Biohazard Whistleblower by Becky A. McClain. This is the personal story of a stunningly courageous scientist at a Pfizer Lab in Connecticut who handled deadly pathogens. Denied access to her medical records after being exposed by sloppy lab practices, she took Pfizer to federal court, won a verdict, and continued to battle Pfizer’s multiple retaliations. She raises serious questions about corporate labs around the country. Her story is the stuff of a gripping Hollywood movie.
- The Big One: How We Must Prepare for Future Deadly Pandemics by Dr. Michael T. Osterholm and Mark Olshaker. John M. Barry, author of The Great Influenza, praises this “extraordinary book … part thrilling disaster movie script, part insightful history of public health, part personal story … You’ll reread it and learn something new each time.” Given the reach of a global pandemic, everyone needs this wakeup call for preparatory action by “one of the world’s leading epidemiologists.”
- The Blue Road to Trump Hell: How Corporate Democrats Paved the Way for Autocracy by Norman Solomon (with Cartoons by Matt Wuerker). It took a very decrepit and corporatized Democratic Party to lose twice to Tyrant Trump and the worst GOP in history. But the unremorseful, unintrospective Party of the Donkey pulled it off and seems ready for an encore unless it listens to long-time Democrats like Norman Solomon. (See: Between The Lines video roundtable for a discussion about this book.)
- The Trillion Dollar War Machine: How Runaway Military Spending Drives America into Foreign Wars and Bankrupts Us at Home by William D. Hartung and Ben Freeman. Enabled entirely by our Congress (535 men and women we send to Washington, DC, the devouring gigantic corporate war machine, driven by Pentagon contractors and new upstart high-tech firms, spreads conflict around the world and that embroil America in endless wars, at the expense of everybody else. Remember Trump promising voters he’ll end the endless war? He lied and is pursuing his own wars to boot. Hartung and Freeman show us the way out. “Enough already” – wage peace and bring those tax dollars back home for public services and infrastructure.
- Burned by Billionaires: How Concentrated Wealth and Power Are Ruining Our Lives and Planet by Chuck Collins. This gripping book, written with clarity, and enhanced by cartoons, and graphics designed to engage a broad audience, is just what the demands of public education and civic motivation require. Reflecting a lifetime of scholarship and action, Chuck Collins conveys the essentials to extinguish the profiteering wildfires eating at the livelihoods, health, and safety of families everywhere and supercharging racial divides.
- No Neutrals There: US Labor, Zionism, and the Struggle for Palestine by Professor Jeff Schuhrke. Finally, a book on the direct engagement of U.S. labor unions with the Israeli government, including huge investments of American worker pensions in Israeli bonds. This book exposes conflicts of interest and the tensions between the rank and file workers and the compromised Union bosses. Fresh material throughout about this continuing taboo subject. Will the New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal cover this exposé? Ask them!
- The Crying Window: Memoir of a Female Scientist Looking for Truth by Dr. Helene Hill. Fresh out of Smith College in 1950, Helene Hill broke ranks and pursued a daring career in science. Met with one man-made hurdle after another, she overcame them all, while raising four children. Along the way, she uncovered a serious case of scientific fraud. Her rigorous life provides lessons for confronting today’s obstacles to aspiring women in all professions. Young women scientists will want to read this motivational narrative that spells TRIUMPH.
- A Seat at the Table: The Making of Busboys and Poets by Andy Shallal. I’ve called Shallal “Democracy’s Restauranteur”—not just for his open civic advocacy in Washington, DC—but because his eight nutritious restaurants are really community centers with bookstores and a stage for poets, politicians, musicians, community leaders and famous authors and champions of justice. No one like him in this industry. A very personal story to read and relish.
- Finally, there is my book Let’s Start the Revolution: Tools for Displacing the Corporate State and Building a Country that Works for the People. It presents wisdom from over twenty civic leaders for winning elections in the right way for the right causes. It is a handbook for voters who want to collar candidates and steer them to the pathways for a just society. Very pertinent for the 2026 elections. It gets rid of the many excuses voters make for their cynicism and low expectations for politics.
WAITING FOR A CROSSING TO OPEN
by Hassan Ayman Herzallah
I enrolled at the Islamic University of Gaza in 2022. As I started my second year, I hoped I would do well enough to get a scholarship to spend the second semester as an exchange student at a university abroad. A few weeks later war broke out. Everything in Gaza came to a halt; education was suspended at all institutions. We began to live from one day to the next, never knowing what the next day would bring.
With the borders closed, the only way to leave Gaza was by paying a fixer $5000 or more per person, an impossible amount for my family. Our home was destroyed. We moved into a tent in a camp where I knew no one.
My university resumed online classes in mid2024, but I missed the classrooms, the cafeteria where I would get mint tea, the friends to chat or study with. All I had were a few prerecorded lectures – some of them years old – that I had to watch and then take exams on two months later. Every night, I thought about being able to travel and continue my life somewhere better.
I wasn’t the only one. My cousin Amal got engaged a week before the war broke out. Her fiancé left Gaza and she was supposed to follow him. But the war has kept them apart for more than two years. Even now, after the ‘ceasefire’ was announced two months ago, Amal is still waiting for the crossings to open so she can be reunited with her fiancé.
Ahmed, an eight-year-old boy who lives in the same tent as my aunt’s family, suffered a serious head injury that no one expected him to survive. But his determination proved stronger than anyone could have imagined, and he clung to life as if fighting for every breath. Gaza’s overstretched medical services could not provide the care he needed. His family are still waiting for the crossings to open so Ahmed can get to a hospital where he can be treated.
Badr and Marwa got married two months before the war. The home he had built for her was destroyed before she could see it. Now they are waiting for the chance to travel and begin a new life abroad.
My friend Abu Hashem is studying medicine in Egypt. Before the war he used to look forward to the summer break, when he could return to Gaza to see his family and friends and spend time at home. That has been impossible since October 2023. The last two summers, Abu Hashem hasn’t been able to return to Gaza and his family hasn’t been able to visit him. ‘I grew up during the war while I was away,’ he says. ‘My simple dream: for the crossing to open. Not for me but for them.’
I’ve known Salman since we were growing up together in the neighbourhood where we used to live. He had several sisters and brothers. At the beginning of 2024, the house they lived in was destroyed, killing more than half of his family. He was injured. One of his sisters was transferred abroad for treatment, accompanied by their aunt.
At the end of 2024, she heard that her family had been targeted again. ‘I just want to return to Gaza,’ she said, ‘to bury them and see them one last time.’ The border closures made that impossible.
I met Mohammed in September, at the small cafeteria next to the camp where I live. He had started university in 2023. Moving between camps without a place he could call home, he was unable to continue his studies, but he never gave up hope. He won a scholarship to study in Turkey, but is still waiting for a crossing to open.
My mother kept encouraging me to apply for scholarships, even with everything we were going through. I would just laugh and tell her: ‘They won’t accept me, why should I bother?’ But eventually, realising I had nothing to lose, I applied to the University of Buckingham.
At the end of October, I was sitting alone, overwhelmed with confused thoughts and growing fears about the future, when an email arrived from the University of Buckingham. I assumed at first it was another rejection. But I had been accepted. I was on the list of admitted students, depending on confirmation of the scholarship that would fund my studies – an email that still hasn’t arrived.
Something inside me came back to life. The acceptance letter was a sign that there was still a chance I could continue my studies in the UK. Like so many others, I am just waiting for a crossing to open.
(London Review of Books)
TRANSFORMATION & ESCAPE
1
I reached heaven and it was syrupy.
It was oppressively sweet.
Croaking substances stuck to my knees.
Of all substances St. Michael was stickiest.
I grabbed him and pasted him on my head.
I found God a gigantic fly paper.
I stayed out of his way.
I walked where everything smelled of burnt chocolate.
Meanwhile St. Michael was busy with his sword
hacking away at my hair.
I found Dante standing naked in a blob of honey.
Bears were licking his thighs.
I snatched St. Michael’s sword
and quartered myself in a great circular adhesive.
My torso fell upon an elastic equilibrium.
As though shot from a sling
my torso whizzed at God fly paper.
My legs sank into some unimaginable sog.
My head, though weighed with the weight of St. Michael,
did not fall.
Fine strands of multi-colored gum
suspended it there.
My spirit stopped by my snared torso.
I pulled! I yanked! Rolled it left to right!
It bruised! It softened! It could not free!
The struggle of an Eternity!
An Eternity of pulls! of yanks!
Went back to my head,
St. Michael had sucked dry my brainpan!
Skull!
My skull!
Only skull in heaven!
Went to my legs.
St. Peter was polishing his sandals with my knees!
I pounced upon him!
Pummeled his face in sugar in honey in marmalade!
Under each arm I fled with my legs!
The police of heaven were in hot pursuit!
I hid within the sop of St. Francis.
Gasping in the confectionery of his gentility
I wept, caressing my intimidated legs.
2
They caught me.
They took my legs away.
They sentenced me in the firmament of an ass.
The prison of an Eternity!
An Eternity of labor! of hee-haws!
Burdened with the soiled raiment of saints
I schemed escape.
Lugging ampullae its daily fill
I schemed escape.
I schemed climbing impossible mountains.
I schemed under the Virgin’s whip.
I schemed to the sound of celestial joy.
I schemed to the sound of earth,
the wail of infants,
the groans of men,
the thud of coffins.
I schemed escape.
God was busy switching the spheres from hand to hand.
The time had come.
I cracked my jaws.
Broke my legs.
Sagged belly-flat on plow
on pitchfork
on scythe.
My spirit leaked from the wounds.
A whole spirit pooled.
I rose from the carcass of my torment.
I stood in the brink of heaven.
And I swear that Great Territory did quake
when I fell, free.
— Gregory Corso (1960)
TRUMP SIDES WITH AGRICULTURE IN CALIFORNIA WATER WARS
Who says Homo sapiens are not the dumbest species ever to evolve? Certainly not the MAGAt trumpists. We will be the death of ourselves in our pursuit of the “rewards” associated with greed and severe overpopulation. RIP, stupid, greedy human monkeys…
A calm spirit, a strong woman, Theresia Kobler was that and so much more. Whether touring Europe on a 3rd hand motorcycle behind her fiancé, soon to be husband Hans, or standing waist deep in the cold, rushing Lazy creek, pouring pilings for a bridge to her home, she was a rock. Meeting them in the late 1970’s as we scouting AV for a property, they became suppliers of very good wine, then friends and mentors. She was the still water between (sometimes) tempestuous Hans, and (sometimes) rebellious son Norman. All together they were a force; hardworking, generous, and just fun to be around. Sitting under the tree in their shady backyard, petting their pet pig, watching the huge rottweler with his pet mallard in tow, learning about planting and trellising, those were some of my best days with the Koblers
After Hans’ death and her own failing health,, I was pleased and relieved that she spent her last years with Norman, Colleen, and their sons. From personal experience, I know of the challenges of an elderly relative in the house hold, but she was so family centric that any other arrangement would not have been her wish.
Goodbye Theresia, you left a good mark on our family, and so many more.
Samuel Baker