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STEPHEN DUNLAP (Fort Bragg): 48F with a mix of clouds covers this Thursday morning on the coast. A scant .06" of rainfall recorded. Dry skies until Saturday evening then a lot of moderate rain well into next week. No big rain amounts or winds are forecast currently.
AN EXTENDED period of wet and colder weather that will span through next week will begin over the weekend. Significant mountain travel impacts begin from these systems by early next week. (NWS)
SMOKE AT HENDY WOODS: NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT
The Parks Department has asked Hendy Woods Community to notify folks that starting Wednesday Feb 11 through Saturday Feb 14 they are planning to burn the many, many burn piles that were created as part of a fire safe project last year. We have asked them to try not to burn on Saturday to avoid possible smoke during the AV Wines International White Wine and Sparkling Festival, which is Feb 14-15. Update: The contractor has agreed not to burn on Saturday! Thank you! In any event, if you see smoke at Hendy Woods, don’t worry. It will be great to have those piles burned!
(Photo is of one of the trees that fell during the December storm. It was not cut on purpose.)
— KB
MENDOCINO COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH ECHOES STATE WARNING AS MEASLES CASES RISE IN CALIFORNIA
From: Mendocino County Public Health, Charles Evans, MD, Deputy Public Health Officer
Following the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) alert regarding 17 confirmed cases statewide, Mendocino County Public Health is urging residents to verify their immunization status. While no cases have been reported locally to date, the highly contagious nature of the virus and its presence in neighboring Northern California counties, including an outbreak in Shasta County, requires immediate community action.
“Measles is one of the most contagious diseases we face, spreading easily through the air” Mendocino County Public Health Officer Dr. Charles Evans stated. “With residents traveling for school, work, and recreation, the risk of introduction to our county is real. The MMR vaccine remains our most effective tool to prevent local transmission and protect those most vulnerable, including infants and the immunocompromised”.
Measles symptoms typically include a high fever, cough, runny nose, and watery eyes followed by a rash that spreads from the head to the rest of the body. Individuals are contagious 4 days before the rash appears until 4 days after. If you or a family member has developed these symptoms, contact your healthcare provider immediately by phone before visiting a clinic to prevent spread to others.
What Should Residents Do?
To ensure you and your child are up to date on the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine check your records by using the California Department of Public Health’s Digital Vaccine Record portal. This online system allows you to instantly access your complete immunization record directly from the California Immunization Registry. Visit myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov or contact your healthcare provider where you receive vaccinations.
If you have not yet been vaccinated, you are encouraged to get vaccinated. Most health insurance plans cover the MMR vaccine. Those without a provider may contact Mendocino County Public Health at (707) 472-2713 to check eligibility for free vaccinations through the California Vaccines for Children (VFC) program and schedule an appointment.
Mendocino County Public Health supports and follows the CDPH immunization schedule: www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/publichealth4all/vaccines.aspx.
For more information about Measles and Vaccination, visit the website: www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Immunization/measles.aspx.
BURGESS WILLIAMS
Private services will be held for Burgess Williams of Ukiah who passed away at his home on Saturday, January 24, 2026 with his family by his side. Born July 26, 1939 he resided and practiced law in Ukiah for the past 56 years.
Burgess was very active in his community serving as President for the Ukiah Valley Association for the Handicapped, President of the North Coast Regional Center, President of the Parent, Teacher, Student Organization, President of Ukiah Dolphins Swim Team Board of Directors, Vice-President of Project Sanctuary, Chairman Mendocino County Board of Supervisors, Charter Member of Big Brothers Big Sisters Board of Directors and member of the Ukiah High School Athletic Boosters Organization.
Burgess is survived by his wife Judy, sons John and Harbor and five grandsons; Boston, Carson, Morgan, Logan and Jason.
FORT BRAGG MAN CONVICTED OF ASSAULT, KIDNAPPING WITH INTENT TO COMMIT RAPE
Willy Hill to return to court on March 20 for trial on aggravators
by Elise Cox
A Mendocino County jury has found a Fort Bragg man guilty of assault with intent to commit rape and kidnapping with the intent to commit rape in connection with an attack on a local woman in Ukiah in 2019.
The jury returned its verdict against Willy Hill on Tuesday after deliberating for an Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning. Hill had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Prosecutors alleged that Hill assaulted and forcibly moved the victim with the intent to sexually assault her. During the trial, jurors heard testimony that Hill’s DNA was found in multiple locations on the victim’s body. The prosecution argued the forensic evidence, along with the victim’s account, established that Hill intended to commit rape and that he committed kidnapping in moving the victim away from a sidewalk.
Defense attorneys sought to raise doubt about how Hill’s DNA came to be on the woman, suggesting it could have been transferred indirectly. They argued the prosecution had not proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Hill committed the rape. They also argued that the distance the victim was moved was not far enough to warrant the kidnapping charge.
Jurors also heard testimony from other women who described similar alleged conduct by Hill. Such prior-act evidence is permitted in sexual assault cases under certain circumstances.
Hill will continue to stand trial on aggravators, such as his prior conviction for two sex offenses. His next court date is March 20.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Eloise Kelsey of the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office.
(Mendolocal.news)
ANTHONY DARRELL TRE-VON WATSON
Anthony Darrell Tre-Von Watson of Ukiah California at age 26 was suddenly and unexpectedly lost on January 29th 2026.
Anthony was born on March 24th 1999 to his mother and father Elizabeth and Dennis Finley in Ukiah, California. He was greeted by his older siblings, Bubba, Jimmy and Amanda, who all became very close with him. Later he became a big brother to Carlie, who he deeply cherished. To his siblings he was a light and a best friend through everything. He enjoyed the roles he played in the family. He adored being an uncle to Gabriel and Becky, a brother in-law to Chance and Stephanie, a Big Brother, a Baby Brother, Close Friend, Cousin, Son, Grandson and Nephew. He also relished being a doting father to his loving dog Buttercup and his cat Shelly. The amount of people he loved was numerous and the lives he touched were vast, having friends near and far. Anthony was always up to something, garnering laughs and eyerolls from all his siblings and friends. One of his most notable hobbies was sending texts, voice memos, memes, videos and jokes to the people in his life, something that brought him and the recipient happiness. He loved taking goofy pictures of himself, Buttercup and Shelly. Aside from playing games with his friends, siblings, niece and nephew he relished taking care of others. Anthony has a joyous, loving beautiful soul. Anthony’s unexpected passing comes as a shock to his family and friends, who are still reeling at the loss. He lived a vibrant life and still had so much ahead of him. He was taken far too soon, may he rest in peace.
MENDOCINO COLLEGE PROFESSOR CHARGED WITH CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
by Sydney Fishman
A Mendocino College professor facing child sexual abuse charges is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing next week, when a judge will decide whether there is enough evidence for him to stand trial.
Jason Davis, a 54-year-old Ukiah resident and an English professor who has been placed on administrative leave at Mendocino College, has been charged with six felonies related to the abuse of a minor that allegedly started when the girl was 13 years old.
Davis was booked into the Mendocino County Jail on Nov. 20 but was released from custody after paying bail in December. His bail, originally set at $1 million, was reduced to $285,000 by Mendocino County Superior Court Judge Keith Faulder at a December hearing.
On Feb. 18, a preliminary hearing will be presided over by Faulder to determine whether Davis should face a trial. If the judge deems there is not enough evidence, he could dismiss the charges.
Deputy District Attorney Robert Waner, the prosecutor on the case, said at the December hearing that the Ukiah Police Department has found additional evidence.
“There will very likely be additional charges coming in this case. What needs to be at the forefront of the court’s mind is that this man engaged in a dating, sexual, cohabitating relationship with a 13-year-old,” Waner said at the December hearing. “We will show that he knew her age … A mistake of age will not be a defense in the case.”
The Mendocino County Public Defender’s Office will represent Davis in this case. The Mendocino Voice reached out to the Public Defender’s Office for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
The preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 18 at 1:30 p.m. in Mendocino County Superior Court, 100 N. State St., Ukiah, and will be open to the public, but the judge could limit access during testimony.
— Mendocino Voice
ROBERTA “BOBBIE” DUFFY (EGGLESON)
It is with great sorrow we announce the passing of Roberta “Bobbie” Duffy (Eggleson) on December 30, 2025, at the age of 71, following a long and courageous battle with illness. She was a loving wife and mother, devoted sister and daughter, adoring grandmother and aunt, and a great friend to many. Bobbie is survived by her mother, Lorraine Bandfield, her sister, Judy Eschen, her sons Adam (Anna) and Robert (Chi-Hai), and her three grandchildren, Owen, Reid, and Sofia Duffy. She is preceded in death by her father, Robert Eggleson, her husband, Michael Duffy, and her sister, Connie English, who passed away December 4, 2025.
She was born on July 21, 1951, in Redwood City, California, and was raised alongside her beloved two sisters in Belmont on the Bay Area Peninsula. Bobbie met her high school sweetheart, Mike, at Carlmont High School, and the two married in 1975. Bobbie and Mike fell in love with the North Coast of California after their honeymoon in Fort Bragg, and moved to the coastal community in 1976 after Mike took a job at the Georgia Pacific Mill. In 1981, Bobbie and Mike welcomed their first son, Adam, who was followed three years later (to the day) by their second son, Robert. While raising her family, Bobbie brightened the days of local residents as a teller at several local banks in Fort Bragg, including the Fort Bragg Community Credit Union, where she spent many years. Following her banking days, An avid reader, Bobbi found joy assisting teachers and students as a library aide at the Fort Bragg High School library until she retired. In addition to her love for reading, Bobbie enjoyed dance, knitting, and spending time with her family. She caught the travel bug during retirement, and made wonderful memories traveling with her sisters and her cherished friend and companion, Steve Hagen.
A memorial service will be held on May 16, 2026 at the Caspar Community Center. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to any public library to honor Bobbie’s love for reading and books.
KIRK VODOPALS (Navarro): What happened with the coaching change at AV high school basketball? Surprised I haven’t heard a word from this publication that “fans the flames of discontent” and seems so cover so much about sports. Wazzup?
ED NOTE: All we’ve heard is rumors as we await confirmation. Myself, I hope what I’m hearing is untrue.
AN INACCESSIBLE DOCKET IN CASE INVOLVING JOURNALIST IS MADE PUBLIC AFTER EDITOR FILES MOTION TO INTERVENE
District attorney orders law enforcement not to access seized devices
by Elise Cox
A previously inaccessible court docket and related records in a case involving journalist Matthew LaFever were made public on February 2.
Included in the records was a request for a special master and a transcript of a discussion relating to “an agreement in principle” between Mendocino County District Attorney David Eyster and LaFever’s defense attorney, Orchid Vaghti.
Six weeks later, no order appointing the special master appears in the court file.
Neither Vaghti nor District Attorney David Eyster responded to a request for comment.
The records were released after Elise Cox, editor of MendoLocal.News, filed a motion to intervene seeking access as a member of the press.
Although Mendocino County Superior Court Judge Keith Faulder stated during a Friday hearing that “nothing has been sealed” in The People of the State of California v. Matthew LaFever, the case had remained entirely inaccessible to the public since it was filed on Dec. 2, 2025. The docket, case number, and filings were visible only to a limited group of courthouse personnel.
Even after the hearing, members of the public were unable to locate the case. A clerk assisting visitors at the Ukiah courthouse searched using both the case number and LaFever’s name and found no record. It was not until Monday afternoon that Court Executive Officer Kim Turner confirmed the file could be accessed from a public terminal.
“I wish I had a good explanation for the confusion around whether the file was sealed, confidential or public, but I do not,” Turner wrote in an email to MendoLocal.News.
Background of the case
LaFever, a working journalist and part-time high school teacher, was arrested by the Ukiah Police Department three months ago for allegedly annoying or molesting a minor (PC 647.6)
The charges followed an investigation, documented in a search warrant and Ramey arrest warrant, into Snapchat messages LaFever allegedly exchanged with a 17-year-old girl he met through the platform. LaFever has not been charged with a crime, and his bail was exonerated last month. LaFever’s lawyer has repeatedly communicated to MendoLocal.News that she and her client will not be commenting on the case.
The case is listed in the court’s online system as a miscellaneous criminal petition. While the caption now reads The People of the State of California v. Matthew LaFever, a Dec. 2 motion seeking appointment of a special master retains its original styling: Matthew LaFever v. the People of the State of California and the Ukiah Police Department — as originally reported by MendoLocal.News.
The motion to intervene
Cox’s motion argued that the U.S. Constitution does not permit criminal proceedings to be closed by default, by custom, or for administrative convenience. “Any closure — particularly one occurring before charges are filed — requires strict, on-the-record justification,” the motion stated.
The filing further asserted that no such justification appeared in the record. There was no written order authorizing closure and no findings showing that constitutional requirements for sealing the case had been met.
Search warrants and journalist protections
LaFever’s motion to appoint a special master, revealed in the newly disclosed documents, cites the California Electronic Communications Privacy Act, California’s shield laws enshrined in the state Constitution, and Evidence Code Section 1070, which protect journalists’ unpublished materials and confidential sources.
Special master requirements are rooted in Penal Code §1524 and related case law and enshrined in the rules of the State Bar of California, Under those rules, when law enforcement serves a search warrant on certain professionals — including attorneys, psychotherapists, and clergy — a special master must be appointed to oversee the search and prevent privileged information from being improperly accessed. The special master is required to accompany officers serving the warrant and is prohibited from allowing law enforcement to participate in the search itself.
Those procedures do not appear to have been followed when Ukiah police seized LaFever’s electronic devices on Oct. 17, 2025, or when he was arrested on a Ramey warrant on Nov. 3, 2025.
Ukiah Police Chief Tom Corning and Ukiah City Manager Sage Sangiacomo declined to comment on whether a special master participated in the LaFever investigation.
The investigation and seizure of devices
According to the Ramey arrest warrant application signed by a Ukiah police detective, police received a complaint from the mother of one of LaFever’s journalism students, who reported that LaFever had said “Oh, damn” while standing behind her daughter with his phone in his hand.
When police interviewed the teen, she allegedly told them about a friend who had engaged in Snapchat conversations with LaFever over the summer using an alias. As alleged in the Ramey warrant, the friend later disclosed her real age and reported that LaFever continued the conversation, made comments about her appearance, and sent shirtless photos of himself while requesting a photo of her in return.
Based on those messages, the detective told Judge Patrick Pekin there was probable cause to believe LaFever had committed the misdemeanor offense of annoying or molesting a minor, which does not require physical contact but does require conduct that would disturb or offend a reasonable person.
The Ukiah detective requested and received a search warrant authorizing seizure of LaFever’s iPhone, Apple Watch, router, SD card, and three laptops.
The 33-page warrant included a request for a “digital forensic search order” and proposed searching devices at the scene to avoid seizing irrelevant equipment. At the same time, the detective sought authorization to transport devices to “a secure location like a forensic lab or the Ukiah Police Department.”
Over the following 16 days, police conducted an extensive forensic examination of LaFever’s digital activity across multiple platforms, based on the press release announcing LaFever’s arrest.
The Ramey warrant and arrest
On Nov. 2, the detective appeared before Judge Faulder and requested a Ramey arrest warrant — a procedure typically used for expediency, often in serious felony cases. Mendocino County Sheriff Matt Kendall said such warrants are most commonly sought in homicide investigations. Misdemeanor suspects are typically sent a letter and asked to surrender voluntarily.
LaFever was arrested the next day at his home on the misdemeanor charge.
Leak allegations and a narrow circle
That same day, former sheriff’s deputy and former Willits police officer Trent James posted a 44-minute YouTube video describing graphic details allegedly drawn from LaFever’s digital devices, including information contained in the then-confidential Ramey arrest warrant.
“There is enough evidence at this point, these cops have this guy dead to rights,” James said in the video, asserting additional allegations not included in court filings or forwarded to prosecutors.
To date, LaFever has not been charged with any crime, and pending the appointment of a special master, the case appears to be stalled.
Ukiah Police Chief Tom Corning said the department conducted an internal affairs investigation after the video was published but “did not identify an individual responsible for leaking information.” Corning did not respond to questions about whether a special master oversaw the search of LaFever’s devices or whether an outside investigator reviewed the leak.
Citing the California Public Records law, MendoLocal.News has asked to review the contract with an outside investigator to conduct the leak investigation, if it exists.
In the video, James described friendly relationships with members of the Ukiah Police Department command staff. “I always knew him to be a really good dude,” James said about Chief Tom Corning. “I mean I remember Corn Dog is working on the coast as a deputy. He started about the same time I did. Yeah. And um working with him he was a fantastic deputy so I yeah I have nothing bad to say about Tom Corning.”
In his email to MendoLocal.News, James expressed his longstanding animosity toward LaFever, whom he has publicly accused of biased reporting dating back to the 2022 sheriff’s race. He also objected to a question from MendoLocal.news about any discussions he had regarding the Ukiah Police investigation with a law enforcement colleague he worked with at a previous department.
A festering news article
James ran for sheriff of Mendocino county in 2022 as a write-in candidate. During his campaign, he gave an extensive interview to LaFever. In LaFever’s article, published on May 26, 2022, the journalist questioned James’ residency status, noting that James had told viewers he was in Florida, Texas and on the East Coast, while also claiming to maintain a permanent residence in Mendocino County at a friend’s home, where he rented a room for two months.
James lost the election but received 2,488 votes, equal to 15 percent of the vote for that particular race.
Under California law, knowingly filing a false or forged document with a public office is a felony punishable by up to three years in state prison and fines of up to $10,000. There is no indication James was charged with such an offense.
James declined to provide specific examples from LaFever’s article that were inaccurate, or one-sided, or to name statements that he wasn’t given a chance to address. James has previously cited the article in a YouTube video as an example of LaFever’s allegedly one-sided and biased reporting.
Instruction to restrict access
During a Dec. 17 hearing on appointing a special master, Deputy District Attorney Robert J. Waner told the court that prosecutors and defense counsel had reached an agreement in principle.
“Law enforcement has already been instructed not to access LaFever’s devices pending further court order,” Waner said.
He added that prosecutors would submit a revised warrant incorporating the appointment of a special master.
“We’ll submit the order, you’ll sign it, and we’ll get to work,” Waner said.
(mendolocal.news)
CAROLYN MARIE (DANNER) SEALE (August 11, 1943 - January 20, 2026)
It is with tremendous sadness her family announces that Carolyn Marie Seale passed away peacefully on January 20, 2026 after a brief hospitalization.
Carolyn was born in Hailey, ID to Fred and Betty Danner on August 11, 1943. She spent her early years in Stanley, ID surrounded by the extended Danner family. They moved to California as Fred searched for work and eventually landed in Fort Bragg, where Carolyn was a standout athlete at Fort Bragg High School (class of 1961). After graduating she moved to Marin County, and was a waitress in a local restaurant. It was there she met a dishwasher who was also an Airman stationed at Hamilton Air Base. This “dishwasher”, Richard (Dick) Seale, would prove to be the love of her life. They were married March 20, 1965. After a few years of living in a trailer while Richard traveled working for the State of California, they returned to Fort Bragg with their three young daughters. With the adoption of two more children a few years later, the family was complete. Carolyn helped run Richard’s business as a land surveyor, as well as providing a loving home for her five children, volunteering in her children’s activities and sports, and being the go-to mom for countless other young people in her life. She was a talented seamstress, could knit and crochet beautifully, made her own jewelry, and was a phenomenal cook. After raising kids she focused on commercial pursuits including at one point owning/operating a food truck, and buying and selling fine jewelry and other treasures at the local flea market. There she was often sought out for her expert opinion, great eye for quality, and her ability to research the value of various collectibles. She also worked for a local thrift store prior to retiring completely in 2020.
Carolyn was preceded in death by her parents Fred and Betty, and her brother Jess O. Danner. She is survived by her loving husband of 60 years, Richard. She is also survived by her children; Melissa (Robert) Ivankay, Christine (Myron) Williams, Lynnett Cooper, Jennifer (Brian) Houts, and Eric Seale. Her grandchildren whom she adored; Derek, Kaianna, Codey, Kyle, Louis, Triston, Sonja, and Valen, and her beloved great-grandchildren; Jaxon, Emersyn, Casey, and Caroline. In addition to her siblings; Lee (Jennifer) Danner, Janice (Byron) Baxter, and Becky (Terry) Anderson, Carolyn will be missed by her large extended family of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
She had the uncanny ability to see people for who they truly were and meet them wherever they were at, but still encourage them to be the best version of themselves. Her kindness, love and generosity were felt by all who knew her. At her request, no services will be held, but the family will host a celebration of her life on March 21, 2026. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests you take some time and sit in the sunshine in her honor.
DOGHOLE SCHOONER CAPTAINS
by Walter A. Jackson
The Master of a deep-water cargo ship on the Mendocino Coast during the late 1800s was generally a hard-fisted man who ruled his domain with an iron hand. He and his mates had to be, as usually the men before the mast were derelicts from the waterfront, some of whom could be criminals. Often the greater part of a crew would be brought on board ship in a drunken or drugged condition, so when sailing time arrived the vessel would have a full complement. Perforce, the officers had to be “rough” in order to complete a voyage.
On the other hand, the “Dog-hole” Captain rarely had to resort to physical violence to have his orders obeyed.
Most of the time the Captain worked with and as hard as any of his men and seemingly all were equal, whether on land or on ship.
All Captains were supposed to have the interests of the ship owner, or operator, uppermost in his mind at all times. And yet, they had to operate as cheaply as possible, particularly as regards the smaller vessels. Without doubt, by the expenditure of a few dollars for extra mooring lines, or for the replacement of worn ones, many of the vessels which “broke her lines” during a storm could have been saved from destruction.
The “Dog-hole” Captains were usually well liked by sailors and if good food was provided, little difficulty was experienced in securing a crew. Many men followed a Captain from one vessel to another because of personal relationship and affection.
Biographies of the “Dog-hole” Captains are hard to come by, moreso if they did not rise higher than the Master of a tiny schooner.
The men who trod the after-deck were of many nationalities and every European country could claim one, but the majority of the Redwood Coast sailing schooner Captains were of Swedish, Norwegian or Danish ancestry.
These three nationalities comprised what was known as the “Scandinavian Navy,” or facetiously, the “Scandahoovian Navy.” All members of this so-called “Navy,” almost without exception, served their apprenticeship on the sailing vessels of their respective countries. Many worked their way to the “Promised Land,” the United States, to become residents of this growing nation. Many had the ability and incentive to study for and receive in a few years their Master’s Papers. A great part of the rapid expansion of the American Merchant Marine in the Nineteenth Century can be credited to the energetic and industrious members of this “Scandinavian Navy.”
(‘The Doghole Schooners,’ 1970)
CATCH OF THE DAY, Wednesday, February 11, 2026
JEFFREY CARVER, 42, Willits. Controlled substance with two or more priors, probation revocation.
JODI DUTRA, 50, Ukiah. Grand theft, marijuana for sale, obtaining money by false pretenses, paraphernalia, probation revocation.
GABRIEL HAWKINS, 27, Lakeport/Ukiah. DUI-alcohol&drugs, probation revocation.
JOHNATHAN HENDERSON, 23, Ukiah. Concealed dirk-dagger, probation violation.
KODY IDICA, 25, Redwood Valley. Domestic battery, probation revocation.
MICHAEL PARKER, 48, Ukiah. Controlled substance with two or more priors, paraphernalia, probation revocation.
JOSE SOTO-RUIZ, 56, Ukiah. Trespassing, “property broker sale statements,” failure to appear.
NORTHCOAST REGIONAL LAND TRUST FINALIZES 12,000-ACRE CONSERVATION AGREEMENT
The protected easement, adjacent Six Rivers National Forest, will allow for continued timber and agricultural use while designating some 900 acres as forest reserves
by Robert Schaulis
This week, the Northcoast Regional Land Trust announced that, in conjunction with a coalition of state and federal partners, it had finalized a conservation easement for Trinity County’s Travis Ranch. The easement protects 12,000 acres of land described as “a key landscape linking the Six Rivers National Forest’s Yolla Bolly–Middle Eel and North Fork wilderness areas with adjoining U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands.”
The easement will, according to NRLT, “permanently extinguish” the ability to subdivide and develop the property and will support continued timber and agricultural production alongside habitat restoration and wildfire risk reduction operations aimed at ensuring long-term stewardship of the land.
NRLT worked with Cal Fire, the California Wildlife Conservation Board and the U.S. Forest Service to secure the easement. According to a news release from the trust, “the easement will be held by Cal Fire, with funding provided by the … (WCB) and the … Forest Service’s Forest Legacy Program.”
That news release notes that “NRLT worked with the landowner and agency partners to design an easement that balances conservation, stewardship and continued working land use” and said that “NRLT will serve as the monitoring agent, ensuring the long-term protection of the ranch’s conservation values.”
“We are honored to work with such forward-thinking landowner and agency partners to protect this remarkable property,” NRLT executive director Dan Ehresman said. “The Travis Ranch conservation easement will keep the ranch intact while protecting wildlife habitat, conserving natural resources we all depend on, and sustaining resource-based livelihoods that have shaped this landscape for generations.”
According to NRLT, Travis Ranch is home to a variety of species, many of which are federally recognized as threatened. Those species include northern spotted owl and Northern California summer steelhead. Additionally, the easement will preserve black-tailed deer and Roosevelt elk migration routes.
“Nearly 900 acres are designated as forest reserves, where activities are limited to those that improve forest health, enhance wildlife habitat and reduce wildfire risk,” NRLT said. “Outside these areas, sustainable timber harvesting and ranching will continue as part of an integrated approach to land management.”
(Eureka Times-Standard/Ukiah Daily Journal)
WE PAY FOR WHAT THE RICH CAN AFFORD
Editor:
To Americans, profits are not everything; they are the only thing. The United States’ obsession with money is both a strength and a curse. If confronted with a choice between cash, prudence and morality, money wins. Money tops health care, public safety, resource management and foreign policy. But if solutions were U.S. politicians’ primary concern, they would abandon capitalism across several sectors of the U.S. economy.
Canadian Premier Mark Carney and Donald Trump defined that difference in their addresses to the World Economic Forum. Carney urged middle-power nations to abandon their alliances with the U.S. and to seek what is best for their nations. Trump harped that NATO never did anything for us. We, he complained, put more money in the alliance than others. He neglected to mention that NATO nations aided us in the Middle East wars and that NATO buys U.S. weapons.
Trump wants less populous nations with smaller economies to kowtow to us. It doesn’t matter if they can afford to please him or not. To me, Trump’s foreign policy replicates his Big Beautiful Bill. He wants the less privileged to pay for what the rich can easily afford. The Trump administration wants other nations to treat us like royalty, even though we don’t deserve it.
Tom Fantulin
Fort Bragg
NOT ABOUT THE STUDENTS
Editor,
The United Educators of San Francisco union talks about putting students first, but that’s not the case. I say that as a parent whose children have only had amazing teachers — true public servants. Unfortunately, that can’t be said about the union’s leadership.
When including pensions, teachers in the San Francisco Unified School District make as much as teachers in nearby districts. I recognize teachers can’t pay rent with a pension that’s 20 years away, but the union can’t ignore those real costs to the district.
The district has largely offered what’s been asked of it, and the union has shown no interest.
This is the same union that insisted on keeping schools closed during COVID after they could be reopened safely. This is the same union that opposed school closures, which would right-size the district for fewer students and alleviate some of the budget issues now making this negotiation so difficult.
The union has shown that its only priority is teachers, and that it is willing to use students as negotiating leverage. It hopes to make parents angry and gaslight them into directing that anger at the district. That is going to backfire, and it’s time to end the strike.
Allan LeBlanc
San Francisco
CHAPPELLE NOT FUNNY
Editor,
I saw Dave Chappelle’s comedy show on Saturday, and he is undeniably talented, but his repeated digs at gay, transgender and Jewish people are not acts of bravery or truth-telling.
Chappelle’s jokes are shortcuts that reinforce stereotypes and legitimize cruelty. His decision to double down on divisive humor during a moment of deep American discord may explain why so many people applaud him, but it is also why I regret seeing his show.
When laughter comes at the expense of groups facing real threats, harassment and violence, it does not challenge power; it echoes it.
It was especially troubling to hear Chappelle express admiration for Kanye West without reckoning with the real harm caused by West’s explicit antisemitic rhetoric. At a time when antisemitism is rising, treating this as provocative entertainment rather than a warning sign is dangerous.
Humor can help the country heal, and it can deepen wounds. In a time of growing fear and an erosion of empathy, comedy that targets vulnerable communities doesn’t provoke insight; it fuels the “isms” that divide and dehumanize us.
This is not a call for censorship, but for discernment. Laughter should not come at the expense of compassion or humanity.
Susan Sherman
San Francisco
TAX ELECTRIC VEHICLE DRIVERS
Editor,
I drive an electric vehicle, and I believe that I should help pay for the maintenance of roads. If not a tax based on distance driven, then what would be the fairest way to pay for roads?
The uproar about studying a mileage tax appears to be based on the assumption that this (possible) new tax would be additive to the existing gas tax. But perhaps the rational thing to do is to study what the funding needs are and the various methods that could be used to procure those funds.
The study may find that a mileage tax should replace the gas tax. Or it may propose lowering the gas tax and adding a mileage tax. Or some other taxing method.
Whatever a study recommends, I suspect that politicians will be careful not impose costs on households that would appreciably increase their expenses. After all, most elected officials probably want to keep their jobs.
Gary Farber
Walnut Creek
THE BAY AREA’S MOST UNLIKELY LANDMARK: A 125-YEAR-OLD LIGHTBULB THAT’S STILL BURNING
by Sarah Ravani
A typical lightbulb can last about a year. The one hanging from the ceiling at Fire Station No. 6 in Livermore has lasted more than a century.
The Centennial Lightbulb, as it’s known, has been glowing almost continuously since 1901. This June, it’s expected to reach its 125 year mark. Time has turned a simple light fixture into one of the Bay Area’s head-scratching curiosities.
Recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest burning light in the world, the bulb has turned off only a handful of times, mostly during moves between firehouses and once due to an unexpected generator outage. It’s drawn visitors from Israel, Saudi Arabia and Germany and been the subject of children’s books. The Centennial was even featured in a South African commercial for financial lending. Locally, the lamp has become a frequent stop for people passing through the Bay Area city of about 90,000 residents.
“It’s a unique situation,” said Tom Bramell, a retired deputy fire chief who is the custodian of the light. “Here we are 125 years later and it’s still going.”
Scientists don’t know why the Centennial bulb has continued to burn for so long, although it could be tied to its design. Manufactured in the late 1800s by the Shelby Electric Co. in Ohio, the 60-watt light bulb was designed by French engineer Adolphe Chaillet. According to Bramell, the lamp was made out of plastic cellulose and baked until it was almost carbon — compact and hardened like a diamond.
In 1897, engineers from Shelby and other companies ran endurance tests, leaving lightbulbs running continuously in a room. By the end of the test, all the lights had fizzled except one: the Shelby. Chaillet later promoted his invention saying it was more efficient and longer lasting than other bulbs, Bramell said. Shelby lightbulbs were a commercial success at the time but were discontinued in 1912 after the company sold to General Electric.
“It lasted a lot longer than Adolphe Chaillet thought,” Bramell said of the lightbulb.
The bulb was first installed at a volunteer fire station on Second Street in Livermore in 1901. Dennis Bernal, who owned the Livermore Power and Water Co., donated the bulb when he sold his water company. Firefighters left the light on around the clock.
When the department moved into a new combined fire station and town hall in 1906, the orb went with it — briefly turned off for the move, but no one knows for how long, Bramell said.
In 1971, Mike Dunstan, then a reporter with the Livermore Herald News, received a call from his editor asking him to look into a lightbulb that had apparently been burning for years.
“I thought this could turn into a big fat nothing, like la la la take a picture and wind up on page 24,” Dunstan told the Chronicle. “Or I can investigate and try to find something unique about it.”
Dunstan, who now lives in San Diego, said he wondered if it could be the longest burning light in the world. He found another long burning bulb in Fort Worth, Texas, and reached out to the Guinness Book of World Records, which ultimately confirmed that the Centennial Bulb in Livermore was the longest-burning light though it now only burns at 4-watts.
His story ran on the front page of the newspaper in 1972.
Four years later, when the city built a new fire station on East Avenue, the fixture needed to be moved again. A city electrician and his assistant removed the bulb with its socket and drove slowly for about a mile to its new home, where it was hung.
When the electrician installed the fixture into the new location and asked his assistant to turn on the power, the lightbulb did not initially turn on, Bramell recalled. About a dozen people gasped and said, “What do we do?”
The electrician stood on a ladder and noticed that the socket had a rotating switch. He rotated it and sure enough, the light bulb turned on, Bramell said.
The last time the light bulb turned off was in 2013 when Bramell received a call in the middle of the night from a firefighter who said that the fixture had shut off. Panicked, Bramell drove to the station only to discover that the generator powering the fixture had run out of battery life. He replaced the battery and the light turned back on.
Alex Elliott, a fire captain at the station, said he gets at least one visitor a day: people who have driven to the station expressly to see the bulb or who were driving by when Google Maps alerted them to its existence. But for the firefighters, it’s just a normal part of their daily life.
“I just live with it,” Elliott said. “It would be like me showing up to your house and being like, ‘Tell me about your refrigerator and the specs on it.’”
That attitude extends to Livermore residents, many of whom said they know it exists but haven’t seen it in person.
Anthony Sotelo, a 40-year-old resident, and Andre Diller, who has lived in Livermore for 18 years, both said they’ve never stopped in to take a look.
“I will see it at some point,” Diller said. “I think it’s great. We should make more historical items available to be seen.”
ON-LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY
Those degenerate Russians may have the Bolshoi but, hey - we've got Bad Bunny.
The cheapest seat in the house for this Super Bowl, from which those in attendance may as well have been observing an anthill, cost three thousand one hundred and five dollars, but nobody ever said that culture was cheap.
MIKE MENDES:
Here are my thoughts on the modern Superbowl. As a lifelong fan of watching NFL games, this has become the worst broadcast of the whole year. It's completely focused on non-sports fans, not those of us who watch regularly. It's all about the money brought in by commercials, so you get very little replays, very little technical commentary, little focus on the details of the game itself like you get in the other regular season and playoff games. It's all about fluff for non-sports fan viewers. I really wish there was an additional broadcast that focused on these things, but I doubt that will ever happen.
End of rant, does anyone else here feel the same? (Yes!)
HIPPIES
“A legion of horribles, hundreds in number, half naked or clad in costumes attic or biblical or wardrobed out of a fevered dream with the skins of animals and silk finery and pieces of uniform still tracked with the blood of prior owners, coats of slain dragoons, frogged and braided cavalry jackets, one in a stovepipe hat and one with an umbrella and one in white stockings and a bloodstained wedding veil and some in headgear or cranefeathers or rawhide helmets that bore the horns of bull or buffalo and one in a pigeontailed coat worn backwards and otherwise naked and one in the armor of a Spanish conquistador, the breastplate and pauldrons deeply dented with old blows of mace or sabre done in another country by men whose very bones were dust and many with their braids spliced up with the hair of other beasts until they trailed upon the ground and their horses' ears and tails worked with bits of brightly colored cloth and one whose horse's whole head was painted crimson red and all the horsemen's faces gaudy and grotesque with daubings like a company of mounted clowns, death hilarious, all howling in a barbarous tongue and riding down upon them like a horde from a hell more horrible yet than the brimstone land of Christian reckoning, screeching and yammering and clothed in smoke like those vaporous beings in regions beyond right knowing where the eye wanders and the lip jerks and drools.”
— Cormac McCarthy
BREAK ON THROUGH (TO THE OTHER SIDE)
You know the day destroys the night
Night divides the day
Tried to run, tried to hide
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side, yeah
We chased our pleasures here
Dug our treasures there
A-can you still recall time we cried?
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side
Hey!
Come on, yeah
Everybody loves my baby
Everybody loves my baby
She get high
She get high
She get high
She get high, yeah
I found an island in your arms
Country in your eyes
Arms that chained us, eyes that lied
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side
Break on through, ow!
Aw yeah!
Made the scene, week to week
Day to day, hour to hour
Gate is straight, deep and wide
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side
Break on through, break on through
Break on through, break on through
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah
— Jim Morrison (1966)
EARLY ON, when I was quite young and going from job to job I was foolish enough to sometimes speak to my fellow workers: “Hey, the boss can come in here at any moment and lay all of us off, just like that, don’t you realize that?”
They would just look at me. I was posing something that they didn’t want to enter their minds.
Now in industry, there are vast layoffs (steel mills dead, technical changes in other factors of the work place). They are laid off by the hundreds of thousands and their faces are stunned:
“I put in 35 years…”
“It ain’t right…”
“I don’t know what to do…”
They never pay the slaves enough so they can get free, just enough so they can stay alive and come back to work. I could see all this. Why couldn’t they? I figured the park bench was just as good or being a barfly was just as good. Why not get there first before they put me there? Why wait?
— Charles Bukowski
LEAD STORIES, THURSDAY'S NYT
Border Officials Are Said to Have Caused El Paso Closure by Firing Anti-Drone Laser
Bondi Faces Anger From Lawmakers Over Handling of Epstein Files
House Votes to Cancel Trump’s Canada Tariffs
Employers Hired Swiftly in January After a Dismal 2025
New Method Can Find Hidden Eggs to Aid in Fertility Treatment
Champagne, Concierges and Emergency Sand: How the Ultra-Rich Travel
PARTY BALLOON
Late Tuesday night, the F.A.A. shut down the airspace around El Paso for 10 days, citing “special security reasons” — without explaining what that meant. The move surprised airlines, travelers and even others in the federal government.
By yesterday morning, though, the restrictions were gone. And The Times learned the reason for the shutdown: Customs and Border Protection had fired a high-energy anti-drone laser, on loan from the Pentagon, without giving aviation officials time to assess the risks to commercial airlines.
The target of the laser? According to people familiar with the matter, it was a party balloon that the military thought was a cartel drone.
(nytimes.com)
"WE’RE DEFENDING FREEDOM? We’ll fight to the death for freedom? That’s absurd. This country is no more a capital or bastion of freedom now than Nazi Germany was in the 1940s. This country is a rogue nation in a way, but worse than a rogue nation. We’re a war-crazy, war-dependent, really, nation and that leads right to the oil industry. It is ridiculous. And particularly in the media. To not discuss the connection between oil and bombs in Iraq is disgraceful. Winston Churchill said, “In times of war, the first casualty is always the truth.” Truth is the first casualty of any war."
— Hunter S Thompson
DR. JEKYLL & MS. BONDI
America is getting answers on Jeffrey Epstein, but there is an opportunity cost.
by Caden Olson
Attorney General Pam Bondi testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday in a hearing that stretched well beyond the four hour mark, yet pressing Department of Justice matters ranging from the 2016 election to congressional phone taps received little attention, overshadowed by the spotlight on disclosures related to Jeffrey Epstein and Democrats’ opposition to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
This reporter sat in the press bullpen for the show and can report it was an ear splitter. Almost every question from a Democrat ended in a shouting match and pleas to “RECLAIM MY TIME, MR. CHAIRMAN!” Georgia Democrat Hank Johnson accused Bondi of acting out a “Jekyll and Hyde kind of routine.”
“You’re nice to the Republicans and you turn like Hyde on the Democrats,” he said. (Welcome to Washington.)
The Epstein documents — which include mentions of many powerful domestic and foreign politicians, Ivy League “thought leaders,” and Silicon Valley tech barons — have captured the nation’s attention, and Epstein dominated the day. A group of women who allege to have been victims of sexual violence by Epstein sat in the audience. Democratic members twice asked Bondi to turn around and apologize to the women for unredacted victim information in the latest document dump, including nude photographs and home addresses, which have since been removed.
Bondi confirmed in the hearing that more than 500 DOJ attorneys and reviewers have been involved with the release of the Epstein files, representing a massive investment of time and resources for the department.
But DOJ’s actions to seek justice in otherwise history-defining scandals — the attempted sabotage of a president by the U.S. intelligence community, American sponsored research that killed millions, sweeping surveillance of Republican politicians and conservative groups — received little or no congressional oversight.
House Oversight Committee Chairman Jim Comer said in a January interview with journalist Catherine Herridge that Bondi had not made enough arrests on a number of investigations important to the president’s base.
But Bondi, in the hot seat for the first time since October 2025, faced few questions about the apparent lag. Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan asked Bondi about one such overlooked investigation — the potential indictment of former CIA Director John Brennan.
“[Brennan] lied to us about the [Steele] dossier, and specifically what role the dossier played in the intelligence community assessment,” Jordan said. “He lied to Congress about the role he played.”
The Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA), a January 2017 report alleging Russian interference in the 2016 election on behalf of President Donald Trump, cited the fabricated and fantastical Steele dossier among its flimsy sources.
“Mr. Brennan, when asked a question, said the CIA was not involved at all with the dossier, he said it was their purview, FBI’s purview, and not ours,” Jordan continued. “He also said the CIA was very much opposed to having any reference or inclusion of the Steele dossier in the Intelligence Community Assessment.”
Jordan emphasized that Brennan refused to remove information from the ICA after being informed that Steele’s dossier had many flaws — to which Brennan replied, “yes, but doesn’t it ring true?”
Bondi told Jordan that she couldn’t confirm nor deny the existence of any pending investigation against Brennan. New York Rep. Dan Goldman, a Democrat, interjected that “if we want to know whether Mr. Brennan will be indicted, you should just ask the president.”
Another issue that received limited attention during Wednesday’s hearing was that of phone tap surveillance carried out in the Arctic Frost investigation into efforts to create alternate slates of electors in the 2020 election.
Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs homed in on the question of intercepted private communications of members of Congress, particularly the use of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
“Section 702 was used in the Arctic Frost investigation and information derived was used by Special Counsel Jack Smith,” Biggs said. “And my question has always been — and no one’s been able to answer this — is what was the legal predicate for using a foreign intelligence authority in the Arctic Frost investigation? Have you been able to ascertain any legal predicate?”
Bondi did not comment on anything related to Arctic Frost, saying only that the investigation is “active and ongoing.”
(“Section 702 only permits the targeting of non-United States persons who are reasonably believed to be located outside the United States,” intel.gov states. “United States persons and anyone in the United States may not be targeted under Section 702.”)
Wisconsin Rep. Scott Fitzgerald later noted that he was one of 20 members of Congress who were under surveillance, an intrusion of which he had no knowledge.
“This brings up the question of nondisclosure orders, and whether or not they should apply to members of Congress,” Fitzgerald said. “With my phone records being surveilled, as well as, looks like 19 other members of Congress, just wondering how DOJ views that?
Bondi again did not comment, though Jordan jumped in to point out that DOJ had changed its policies so that the department could not ask a judge for a nondisclosure order, which he said “in and of itself tells you how wrong it was.”
(The Daily Caller)
LOST IN THE HARBOR
Over here the ladies
All want sweet perfume
But there's never a rose
And over there
The roses are frightened to bloom
So they never can grow
And over here they need wool
For weaving baby's new clothes
But nobody has any wool
And the sheep are all lost
In the harbour
And over here
They want diamonds to wear
But there aren't any here
And over there,
Everyone's hiding their tears
But they're crying inside
And the wall won't come down
Til they're no longer afraid of themselves
If you don't believe me, ask yourselves
And I can come down
To the harbour
And then I will fill the ocean
Back up with my tears
I still have a couple more years
And then I can come back
To the harbour
— Tom Waits (1992)
“GRIEF TURNS OUT to be a place none of us know until we reach it. We anticipate (we know) that someone close to us could die, but we do not look beyond the few days or weeks that immediately follow such an imagined death. We misconstrue the nature of even those few days or weeks. We might expect if the death is sudden to feel shock. We do not expect the shock to be obliterative, dislocating to both body and mind. We might expect that we will be prostrate, inconsolable, crazy with loss. We do not expect to be literally crazy, cool customers who believe that their husband is about to return and need his shoes. In the version of grief we imagine, the model will be "healing." A certain forward movement will prevail. The worst days will be the earliest days. We imagine that the moment to most severely test us will be the funeral, after which this hypothetical healing will take place. When we anticipate the funeral we wonder about failing to "get through it," rise to the occasion, exhibit the "strength" that invariably gets mentioned as the correct response to death. We anticipate needing to steel ourselves for the moment: will I be able to greet people, will I be able to leave the scene, will I be able even to get dressed that day? We have no way of knowing that this will not be the issue. We have no way of knowing that the funeral itself will be anodyne, a kind of narcotic regression in which we are wrapped in the care of others and the gravity and meaning of the occasion. Nor can we know ahead of the fact (and here lies the heart of the difference between grief as we imagine it and grief as it is) the unending absence that follows, the void, the very opposite of meaning, the relentless succession of moments during which we will confront the experience of meaninglessness itself.”
— Joan Didion
RAIN
Rain, midnight rain, nothing but the wild rain
On this bleak hut, and solitude, and me
Remembering again that I shall die
And neither hear the rain nor give it thanks
For washing me cleaner than I have been
Since I was born into this solitude.
Blessed are the dead that the rain rains upon:
But here I pray that none whom once I loved
Is dying tonight or lying still awake
Solitary, listening to the rain,
Either in pain or thus in sympathy
Helpless among the living and the dead,
Like a cold water among broken reeds,
Myriads of broken reeds all still and stiff,
Like me who have no love which this wild rain
Has not dissolved except the love of death,
If love it be towards what is perfect and
Cannot, the tempest tells me, disappoint.
— Edward Thomas (1916)
Mike Mendes: Spot on.
“If you have not yet been vaccinated, you are encouraged to get vaccinated.”
Exercise caution, though. The Stuttering Idiot in charge of all things related to health may call in ICE and have you murdered. This is “America”, after all…
ROBERTA “BOBBIE” DUFFY (EGGLESON)
I believe there is an arithmetic error. I was born in ’50 and became 75 last year…or maybe I missed something???
Harvey, you are a young guy–I’d pictured you in my mind as maybe an old codger, but at 75, no way.
When I was in my 20s, I never expected to make it this far, figuring 70 at most, if I was lucky.
Yep, me too, Harvey, and here we are in our messed up brave new world that horrifies us both daily. I turn 79 this month, hard to fathom, but I’ll take it and become the old codger.
Compared to the alternative, it’s a good choice.
Geriatric bodies, geriatric minds, nothing new is always new.
Send this one to the fortune cookie factory.
How do you know? Met someone who’s been there?
Nope, and when I die, I expect simply to die. Religion is to me just a peddling of false hopes.
“BREAK ON THROUGH TO THE OTHER SIDE”
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUYI_Bfke1t/?igsh=bzJqbDZqd2trMnB3
(I think they are good musicians, period)
Warmest spiritual greetings, Just sitting here on a public computer at the Martin Luther King Jr. Library in Washington, D.C. Am identified with the Spiritual Absolute which works through the body-mind complex without interference. With $5,200 in the bank checking account, $291.97 food plus $20.01 cash in the EBT account, and enough health insurance for a family of four, I am ready to go anywhere and participate in relation to radical environmental action and peace & justice! No longer needing to be at the D.C. homeless shelter to be supportive of the Peace Vigil in front of the White House, (after the current presidential administration had it removed for being out of step with the new aesthetic upgrade in the District of Columbia), I am available. At 76, this is my postmodern American retirement plan!
Craig Louis Stehr
Adam’s Place Homeless Shelter
2210 Adams Place NE #1
Washington, D.C. 20018
Telephone Messages: (202) 832-8317
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 34181
Washington, D.C. 20043-4181
Email: [email protected]
February 12, 2026 Anno Domini
Bondi as waitress. Too funny/sick/true/sad all at once…
https://m.youtube.com/shorts/sm3jfvB5Y5o
(Nixon’s AG went to prison. History to repeat?)
“permanently extinguish” the ability to subdivide and develop the property”
So yet another 12,000 acres are removed permanently from any chance of increasing the possibility of housing for anyone who doesn’t already have buildable land. Result, even higher real estate prices.