THAT BIG FINANCIAL RECKONING MEETING of the Willits City Council last Monday night to address their dire financial situation (an estimated $2.4 million deficit this fiscal year) resulted in a Declaration of Fiscal Emergency and layoff notices for seven city staffers, as well as the elimination of around a dozen vacant positions. The council also reorganized and consolidated several remaining positions. The city’s water and sewer departments are separate entities with their own funding and therefore no layoffs in those areas. About $1 million in revenue from the city’s recently passed three-quarter cent “Emergency Sales Tax” will also be re-allocated to the City’s General Fund to make up most of the remainder of the deficit for this fiscal year. However, Willits still faces ongoing funding shortfalls and more reductions are likely to be made next year. (Mark Scaramella, based on a more comprehensive report by Bernard Kamoroff in the current Willits Weekly.)
HONORING CAPTAIN DAN
At the City Council meeting on February 23rd, Fort Bragg City Council read a proclamation honoring Dan Platt for a Lifetime of Service to Noyo Harbor and the Commercial Fishing Community. Dan has been one of the people helping keep Fort Bragg's maritime tradition alive for decades
Dan is a proud second‑generation commercial fisherman who’s been on the water since childhood and working West Coast fisheries since the 1970s. He’s taken part in just about every major fishery on the coast and is known for the dedication, resilience, and integrity that define our fishing community.
Most recently, Dan served as a Commissioner for the Noyo Harbor District from 2021 until his retirement, bringing steady leadership and real‑world experience during an important time for the harbor. Over the years, he’s also shared his knowledge across local, state, and federal levels; serving on boards, panels, and councils that support fishermen and help protect the future of sustainable fisheries.
We are grateful for his service, leadership, and generations of hard work. Thank you, Dan, we wish you calm seas ahead!
ERIC HART NOW ON THIRD DISTRICT SUPERVISOR CANDIDATE LIST:
County Assessor/Clerk-Record Katrina Bartolemie writes:
“Eric Hart’s name was added to our candidate list with Wednesday night’s update. Eric Hart is a candidate for Third District Supervisor. The final day to file candidacy papers for those offices where one incumbent did not file was Wednesday, March 11 at 5pm. We were expecting another candidate for Third District Supervisor Wednesday afternoon, but they did not come in.”
HISTORY TIDBIT
from Katy Tahja
Thanks to Jeff Burroughs and his “Good Old Days”
Did you know that there were once plans for a railroad from Anderson Valley to Dry Creek near Cloverdale to join the Northwestern Pacific Railroad? Businessmen saw great need for lumber from the Wendling-Navarro mill which was needed to rebuild San Francisco after the great earthquake.
There was an existing railroad line from Albion to Christine on Mill Creek. They hoped to continue the line to Yorkville, through the Dry Creek headwaters and the ghost town of Hermitage. Hermitage wasn’t really a town, rather a continuation of farms and a post office, settled around 1855 to grow hops.
In 1910 money needed to be raised, $30,000 a mile was the estimated construction expense or $3,000,000 total. People dreamed of train travel from Anderson Valley to Eureka and hopefully all the way to Portland, Oregon.
It never happened. By 1910 San Francisco had rebuilt itself and the demand for lumber was gone. Plans for a connecting railroad were abandoned.
SUPERVISOR TED WILLIAMS:
AB 2494, demonstration state forest system, Tuesday, March 24 - BOS
Item: Discussion and possible action by Mendocino County to formally support Assemblymember Chris Rogers’ AB 2494, which would modernize the operations of the demonstration state forest system, will be heard at the Tuesday, March 24 Board of Supervisors meeting. The agenda, including Zoom and phone participation details, is expected to be published by Thursday evening, March 19.
MENDOCINO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO REVIEW ASSEMBLY BILL 2494: “MODERNIZING OUR FOREST SYSTEM”
In response to significant public interest, inquiries, and community feedback, the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors will review and discuss Assembly Bill 2494, titled “Modernizing Our Forest System,” during its regular meeting on Tuesday, March 24, 2026.
AB 2494 would redefine “management” for purposes of state forests as the handling of forest vegetation and soils within state forests for biodiversity conservation and fire resilience, while maximizing the promotion of durable onsite carbon storage and sequestration, climate resiliency goals, equitable forest access, wildlife and recreation opportunities, and compatible research efforts.
For more information, please visit the California Legislative Information website at: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2494
The discussion will take place as part of the Board’s regularly scheduled legislative items and will provide an opportunity for Supervisors to engage in dialogue, ask questions, and hear from staff. Members of the public are encouraged to attend or submit comments.
The meeting will be held at the County Administration Center in Ukiah and will also be accessible via the County’s virtual meeting platform.
For the agenda and participation details, visit the County of Mendocino’s official website at: mendocinocounty.gov.
72-YEAR-OLD WOMAN JUMPS OUT OF WINDOW, CRAWLS TO NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE TO ESCAPE ATTACKER
38-year-old Willits man is arrested on suspicion of attempted murder
by Elise Cox
A 38-year-old Willits man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after authorities say he strangled and severely injured a 72-year-old woman in whose home he was living during an early morning assault Friday, according to the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies were dispatched around 12:20 a.m. to the 27000 block of Hawk Drive, north of Willits, after a neighbor reported that the woman had crawled to their home seeking help following the attack.
Officers with the Willits Police Department arrived first and provided aid until medical personnel took over. The woman was found with facial injuries consistent with strangulation and broken bones in her lower extremities. She was initially taken to a local hospital and later transferred out of the county for further treatment.
Sheriff’s deputies launched an attempted murder investigation after interviewing the victim at the hospital. Meanwhile, Willits police officers remained near the Brooktrails residence and saw the suspect, identified as Don Wiltse, in the driveway of the home, where he also lives. Officers detained him pending further investigation.
Authorities said Wiltse made threats against law enforcement officers while being detained.
Investigators determined that the assault followed an argument inside the home. Wiltse allegedly chased the woman into a bedroom, strangled her and threatened to kill her. When she tried to call 911, deputies said, he took her phone.
The woman escaped by jumping from a window about nine feet off the ground, then crawled to a neighbor’s home to get help.
Deputies later obtained a search warrant for the residence and collected evidence related to the assault.
Wiltse was arrested on multiple charges, including attempted murder, assault causing great bodily injury, criminal threats, elder abuse and resisting a peace officer. He was booked into the Mendocino County Jail and is being held on $1,205,000 bail.
(MendoLocal.news)
NO KIN OF MINE
Correction To Yesterday’s MCSO Press Release Re: The Donald Wiltse attack on the 72 year old woman in Willits.
“This updated press release is being distributed to correct an inaccuracy that was published in the original press release from 3/16/2026. The original press release stated the 72-year-old female victim from Willits was assaulted by her relative, Don Wiltse (38-year-old male from Willits).. The victim and Wiltse are not biologically related, but they lived together prior to the incident on 3/13/2026. The victim told investigators she considered Wiltse her "grandson", but they are not relatives. This case is still being actively investigated and anyone with information related to the assault that occurred on 3/13/2026 is requested to contact the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office Dispatch Center at 707-463-4086 (option 1). Information can also be provided anonymously by calling the Sheriff's Office non-emergency tip-line at 707-234-2100.”
CRAIG'S DAY IN DC
Warmest spiritual greetings,
Setting the Record Straight in the District of Columbia
On Wednesday March 11th, I took out $200 from my bank checking account, and went to a couple of trendy bars in Washington, D.C. In addition to the accumulated aggravation of living in the craziest racially absurd place in the world, there was lower back pain on one side which made it difficult to walk. Enjoyed two pints of Evolution IPA and a shot of Laphroiag 10, which cost around a total of $35. When I left four 20s on the bar, the barmaid asked me why I was leaving so much money. I said "My father once said: "Craig, if you want to be welcome next time, tip!" She laughed and wished me a good rest of the day. Walked up 7th Street past the Chinatown arch, and entered The Yard House. I spoke with the manager, informing him that U.S. federal law required me, as a senior citizen, to inform him that I had been to another bar previously and had two beers and a shot of whiskey. He burst out laughing, and shook my hand heartily. Taking a seat around the back side with a good view of the sports screens, I proceeded to enjoy a pint of Founders All Day IPA and a shot of Glenlivet 14, plus a delicious Ahi sandwich with onion rings. And, I bought the fella next to me a pint, who was chatting up sports at the bar. Paying cash (with a more modest tip than the last place), proceeded to walk over to Walgreen's and purchase a king size Butterfinger for the bus rides back to the homeless shelter.
As usual, some insane resident of Chocolate City gave me some anti-caucasian insults, but that was just the wrong time to do that. I exploded, and challenged the entire bus to get off and fight me, if they did not approve of white people living in the District of Columbia. That precluded my transferring to the next bus for the trip up the Bladensburg Road corridor, in which I finished my tirade, again challenging everyone to get off the bus and fight me. Several stunned current guests at the homeless shelter that I've been at for the past year and a half, were on board. One said out loud: "I think he's been drinking". Maybe it was because I used the word "nigger" in explaing that I was tired of hearing the black population using it constantly. Maybe because I've had enough of the American experiment with freedom and democracy. Doesn't look to me like anybody's very free around here. Insane is more like it!
Awoke this morning with the back pain much less. Gave the mind the "Om ParaBrahman Om" mantra to recite all day. Ate well at Whole Foods. Got some more cash from the bank ATM. That brings us up to Friday the 13th @ 2:52 p.m. EDT in Washington, D.C.
Craig Louis Stehr, [email protected]
ED NOTE: Craig old boy, I think it's time you packed up your karma and headed back west before you get hurt.
SUPERVISOR MAUREEN MULHEREN:
During Tuesday’s BOS meeting there was a discussion about putting a sales tax measure on the November ballot for County roads. This is a discussion that has been happening for at least the last 25 years and it hasn’t happened yet. Currently the County repairs roads based on the 20 year plan from 2019 which is included in this post. The Director of Transportation [Howard Dashiell] said that with a 1 cent sales tax in Unincorporated Mendocino (doesn’t include any of the four cities) the County could raise roughly $5.5 million with an additional opportunity to bring in a $1/2 million more if we are what the State calls a “Self-Help County,” with that additional $6 million he said in 18 years he could reach the other 300+ miles that aren’t in the 20-year plan. The Board clarified that a ballot measure would be for a specific tax which means it would need to get 2/3 of the vote and could not be used for other County purposes and asked the Director to come back with a plan for the money and the ballot language so the Board could consider whether or not to put it on the Ballot in November (which needs to be decided by August). When I was on the City Council we passed Measure Y and I did a lot of work to educate voters about how the money would be used and why it was important, and continued to follow up to insure that there is transparency in how those funds are used. Not all of the Supervisors view education and communication as a part of their role so I have many concerns about misinformation, I have concerns about the misuse of funds (which is why I’m not voting yes unless it’s a specific tax) and I have concerns about the plan bringing in a meaningful amount of money for the voters to feel like it’s making an impact. As a reminder the Second District covers mostly the City limits of Ukiah and only a small amount of land on the outskirts. A couple of areas that will soon get attention by the County is North State Street (yes there in front of the Crossroads shopping center is not in the City, it’s in the County) and by the high school and south of town will not get work done for many years. As we move forward I’ll keep sharing info and listening.
ED NOTES
Call me naive, but when Trump said immigrants were eating America's household pets, I thought for sure, “Well, that's it for that nut.” I still remember Kamala Harris' startled laugh, the most genuine emotion she showed during the entire campaign.
And here we are 18 months later with the lunatic incompetent still in charge, and leading a full-on war on the world's people. If there's a discernible plan for Iran it has not been revealed as one day it's nukes, the next day it's regime change, but the plan seems to be to knock out enough of Iran's medieval leadership and Iran's general population will rise up, which they did recently only to be brutally put down. The ayatollah has the guns, Iranians don't.
Iran's playing a lethal game of rope-a-dope, and even the Trump gang seems aware that they're no longer calling the tune as Iran bombs Israel at will and pulverizes the gulf states. If anything, the mullahs seem energized. It's not up to the orange windbag when this ends. Iran will decide, although Trump, to escape the massive mess he's created, will probably simply declare victory.
So, class, how did we get here, how did this depraved oaf get himself installed as the most dangerous man in the world?
We got here because a big slug of our fellow citizens were magically convinced by the orange fraud that a malign coalition of dark-skinned immigrants, corrupt politicians, public bureaucrats, pervs, election fixers, anti-Semites, liberals, communist-liberals, marxist-communist liberals, woke Jacobin Marxist communist liberals, Hillary, gender benders, college professors, fanatic vaxxers, and old fashioned criminals had taken over the country.
And this country's remedial readers bought this bullshit not once but twice, and here we are with the entire globe imperiled and America obligated to a tiny population of people every bit as deluded and fanaticall as the ayatollahs who claim God told them that Palestine belongs to them.
How about some basic distinctions, some reality here while we teeter on the brink. Marx did indeed lay it out so clearly that even college graduates could understand that capitalist societies are organized to serve the few at the expense of the many. Are there Marxists in America? Coupla thousand maybe. Any Lenins among them? No.
Of course a sensible society would of course be organized in a way that its economy had as its first and only purpose human happiness, in other words an economy organized to serve the people who live in it rather than the people who own it, as we suffer here in the United States. But even a European-like welfare state is beyond US, although a large majority of US would think we'd died and gone to heaven if we had the social guarantees that citizens of Denmark, and even Malaysia, enjoy. Revolutionaries, when they existed, took Marx’s analysis and tried to put it into practice, but they were murdered or otherwise nullified as soon as the rich learned that they wanted to divvy up the wealth the mass of people could see through the palace windows.
Lenin was the first, and probably the last, Marx-inspired revolutionary to pull it off, “it” being the transformation of a society to put its economy to work for the great majority of people. To turn a society on its head requires smarts and determination, which is why it doesn’t happen very often. Lenin’s Russia was on the cusp of industrialization but retarded by a degenerate, priest-ridden monarchy dominated by a parasitic gentry, a ruthless secret police, the usual retro army apparatus, all of it sitting on top of a huge but unschooled population.
The Czar also hanged Lenin’s brother, which was added incentive for the revolution Lenin subsequently engineered. In a context of a rigid and lethal dictatorship, one simply can’t call a public meeting to organize the overthrow of the government. Nor can one run for office on a platform promising the abolition of the ruling class. Check that: You can run for office on that platform but the liberals will howl you down.
Leninism, i.e., a cadre of smart, tough people who persuaded key sectors of the population to help them forcibly get the rich off their backs, although in a great irony of history Lenin and his Bolsheviks simply walked peacefully into an odd power vacuum and took over.
Leninism is really a sort of revolutionary how-to manual. (If there weren’t tenure in this country the barricades would go up tomorrow and every population center in America would have at least one Lenin.) The kind of government the Marxist-Leninists set up in Russia was a perverted, bureaucratic version of what they claimed was a classless state, but which in practice inserted them in the big black limos formerly enjoyed by the people they had just offed.
Lenin himself wasn’t much of a one for the high life but his successors had no trouble making the adjustment to gross privilege. That system, “the dictatorship of the proletariat,” is called communism, although it's a perversion of what Marx (and Lenin and Trotsky) had in mind. It wasn't communism although the communist states were generally able to feed, house and educate everyone, an accomplishment beyond capitalist states like ours.
The kind of gangster socialism of the Stalinist type survives as an ideal in America in a few Kom-Kults, some of them in the Bay Area, but our Kom-Kults never get bigger because they are wrong, boring, humorless, and fanatic — in short, the political equivalents of the more excitable but irrelevant congregations of Pentecostal Christians, especially the half-dipped ones.
So, the socialism that has a Lenin figure at the top and a bunch of hangers-on dependent on the top guy is modern communism. Castro was just about the only Lenin type left although the screwballs running North Korea are another version of what is generally called communism.
Socialism is not communism. It is a more malleable and democratic sharing of the wealth often achieved electorally as in Western Europe and parts of Asia because it makes sense to give the broad mass of folks a few comforts so they won’t pick up the gun to get them. Socialism can co-exist in an otherwise capitalist society. It has co-existed for many years, more or less, in the Scandinavian countries, and Western Europe including, sort of, in England.
Socialism usually means a guaranteed social floor of shelter, a livable income whether or not you work, education, health care, pensions, and various other amenities most Americans can only dream about because we have no political party representing the true interests of a majority of our citizen-body.
In America, socialism had its best shot at the turn of the century when this country produced its best-ever radicals in Gene Debs, Big Bill Haywood, Mother Jones, and immigrants like Emma Goldman. They argued for livable lives for all Americans and were framed, defamed, deported, and murdered by capital for their efforts. Today, thanks to a whorish media owned by the rich who use media to promote their stranglehold on an increasingly volatile society, harmless conservative liberals of the Democratic Party type are routinely denounced as socialists and even communists.
The average American, a product of a failed system of public education and completely befuddled by media owned by his objective enemies, can no longer make the basic distinctions between communists, socialists, liberals, vegetarians, greens, Billery, and anarchists.
A “leftist” thus becomes any person expressing an opinion the ruling class thinks will cost it money. “Leftist's” vague flexibility is handy to lazy journalists (99% of those presently employed in the so-called profession) as an all-purpose epithet with which to libel reformers while at the same time ingratiating themselves with the thugs who employ them.
Then again a lot of journalists are dumb as stones and sluttish too (cf. MSNBC, Fox News, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, so it’s often a close call where one deficiency leaves off and another begins.) Myself, I’m most attracted to anarcho-syndicalist ideas of social organization, but I’d settle for a benign form of socialism which, if adopted, would make America a much happier, much less violent place.
None of the current, ominous events have anything at all with Marxism etc. and more to do with suicidal theology. Israel is getting hammered. How much more will they endure before they go to their nukes? Used to joke about the End Times, but the most major, unimaginable catastrophes seem to be a real possibility.
WHO IS THIS ODD LOOKING DUDE?
It’s 36-year old Joseph ‘Joey’ Mertle of Hopland or Ukiah, or Santa Rosa, or… Mr. Mertle was arrested by the Ukiah Police on Monday, March 9 for possession of an assault weapon/short-barrelled rifle, and possession of a firearm without an ID. The first two charges are felonies, the second is a misdemeanor. He was booked at 3pm and released on $15,000 bail at 8:20pm that night.
Mr. Mertle’s facebook page is replete with unflattering photos, none of which match is “Tech Guy” image. He apparently thinks they are just peachy and cool.
According to his on-line profile he is “a senior technology and cybersecurity executive with more than 20 years of experience advising organizations on strategic IT leadership, risk management, and regulatory compliance.”
Which is interesting, because that means he’s been a “cybersecurity executive” since he was around 15 years old, undermining the credibility of his fancy techno-claims on the spot.
The on-line profile continues: “In addition to his professional leadership, Joey supports the United Service Organization (USO), the nation's leading nonprofit serving active-duty service members and their families. He is also involved in dog rescue and rehabilitation efforts at his ranch, reflecting his broader commitment to service and stewardship.”
“Joey is the Founder and Principal of Summit Technology Management [based on Santa Rosa], a multi-disciplinary consulting firm comprised of more than a dozen specialized providers. The firm delivers executive-level technology strategy, cybersecurity oversight, compliance advisory, and managed services designed to help organizations mitigate risk and scale securely.”
Further poking around shows that “Joey Mertle is an experienced business consultant specializing in Information Technology and Marketing and Communications Management, with a career spanning…”
And that’s where the description ends on his Redwood Community Services employment listing. (We don’t know when RCS deleted this reference to Mr. Mertle.) But in the past he has been listed as their IT Director and/or IT contractor. His email address is listed as [email protected]. (Anchor Health Management is Redwood Community Services’ corporate owner.)
Mr. Mertle’s name is also listed as a member of the Project Sanctuary Board of Directors from Oct 2023 – Present, 2 years 6 months with similar claims of techno expertise. “His work focuses on aligning technology infrastructure with business objectives to strengthen security, operational resilience, and long-term organizational performance.”
And, “Joseph Mertle, based in Santa Rosa, CA, US, is currently a Chief Executive Officer at Summit Technology Management LLC. Joseph Mertle brings experience from previous roles at Anchor Health Management, Redwood Community Services, Inc., Treble Entertainment, LLC. and Willits Charter School. Joseph Mertle holds a 2023 - 2025 Bachelor of Science - BS in Business Administration and Management, General @ Western Governors University.”
We do not know if Mr. Mertle’s arrest on two assault weapon felony charges and an unregistered gun misdemeanor charge will have or has had any affect on his consulting business, contracts, employment or organizational associations. But, it’s embarassing enough as it is. And for the local organizations he is, or was, involved with.
(Mark Scaramella)
ON-LINE COMMENTS OF THE WEEK
[1] The goals of this mission are clear,” Mr. Rubio said… 1. destroy the ability of this regime to launch missiles 2. destroy the factories that make these missiles (Is this really different from#1? Let's call it 1.b.) 2. destroy their navy (They finally got some use out of that lonely comedy writer at Foggy Bottom!) All for the low, low price of a billion bucks per day! And economic ruin! Clowns to the left of me Jokers to the right Here I am, stuck in the middle with IDJT
[2] I do have a history with drugs and have had an up close perspective of their attraction and horror. I am almost the sole survivor of my high school cronies.
It was corny, but Nancy Reagan's "Just say No!" program actually worked, a little bit. But, I just don't see a "comprehensive" solution.
[3] Trump had a plan. Its the same plan he uses for everything. 1. Pick a target that the public is frustrated with in some way, and disrupt it. 2. Toss out a simple justification or two. Don't stress over the details. Controversy is actually useful. 3. Apply as much pressure as possible. No rules. 4. Make a bunch of wild demands. No coordination required. 5. See what falls out. 6. Declare victory He really doesn't want anything more detailed than that. After all, once you say what you intend to do, you are expected to do it, and Trump will never cooperate with any form of accountability. So it is the only coherent pattern you will see. He really doesn't want to complicate things more than this. Victory is just around the corner!
[4] The real problem with housing is that physical resources and space are running short. the country is finally more or less full., (There's lots of space, but in places where people don't want to live.) Solving that problem will probably require major changes in the nature of our housing, as well as stopping the growth of population. The latter is taking care of itself, but the former depends on a maze of codes and regulations that will have to be rethought, over the opposition of the agencies. I wish them luck with that. The political breakdown could help with that, too, but probably won't. I don't see new beginnings happening.
[5] Mass shooters are disturbed, lonely, murderous, nihilistic people seeking desperately to establish lasting meaning—even if negative—in their own lives is not only frighteningly contagious it also reminds me of America's present president and how he became his awful self thinking he alone can do things and needs to slap his name and image on everything he can.
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