Mendocino County Today: Saturday, March 1, 2014

• College Crooks
• Weather Report
• Allman Says Colorado Will Regret It
• Calling All Chefs
• KZYX's Confusing Financials
• AIPAC Pleasures the Congressman
• Ukiah Costco Lawsuit
• Mortality
• Goodbye Bobby Markels
• Dingell Did Detroit
• Good Numbers for Ocean Salmon
• Sanctuary Forest Docent Training
• How To Apply for Drought Money
• National Forest OHV Comment Period
• The Crime Report

REPRIEVE FOR THE CROOKS OF COLLEGE OF THE REDWOODS

To give Kathy Smith and her administration the benefit of the doubt, College of the Redwoods, Mendocino has been grossly mismanaged. That is to say, we were not intentionally ripped of. But personally, I have no doubt that we were. She has blamed the demise of our community college on lack of enrollment, after systematically slashing classes, faculty, and student services. She has told us that the lack of students equals a lack of funds, hence the closing of the campus. But this is not true. The Fort Bragg campus has not made money, but it has been basically self-sufficient financially. And the lack of enrollment is a direct result of the drastic cuts that have occurred at our campus. Oh, and did you know? The entire 300 block of classrooms at CR Mendocino — approximately one third of the campus — has been leased out to a private entity? Yes, that's right. Three Rivers Charter School has taken over a good bit of CR's campus, basically without the knowledge or approval of this community. It was only announced after the fact by our mouthpiece newspaper — the Fort Bragg “Advocate” News. (Now we know who they “advocate” for....) Meanwhile Kathy Smith and her PR guy announced on KZYX a few days ago, that they are having a grand celebration at the Eureka campus this coming August, to commemorate CR's 50th anniversary — and the opening of three brand new, state-of-the-art buildings, including two-story science and humanity buildings, and a glorious new performing arts center, complete with stage and auditorium, and oh yes — brand new administrative offices for Kathy and her gang. The price tag? Over 37 million dollars in construction costs alone. And she says we're going broke. Reminds me of State Parks, and their 54 million dollar slush fund they were hiding as they starting closing down and privatizing our parks. I guess I agree with everyone else — the sooner we get out of CR, the better. I hope Mendocino College will take us, and why wouldn't they? But these CR crooks need to go to jail.

David Gurney, Fort Bragg

WEATHER REPORT: Very windy and gusty in Boonville Thursday night. It blew a couple more of those plastic corrugated panels off our deck roof. 20-30mph we'd guess. Power fluctuated a bit, but didn't go off. Rain off and on from late Thursday night and on into Friday from light to moderate. Most of the heavier rain went south to the SF Bay Area it seems. But the winds died down as of Friday morning. No reports of power outages locally, but we heard of some in SoCo from downed trees.

SHERIFF IN CALIFORNIA SAYS COLORADANS WILL REGRET LEGALIZING MARIJUANA

MENDOCINO, Calif. (CBS4) – The sheriff of Mendocino, Calif. is warning Colorado about the dangers of legalizing marijuana. Sheriff Tom Allman says voters in Colorado will regret the decision to legalize marijuana because crime will also increase. Allman says he should know, because for the last 30 years, Mendocino County has been regarded as the marijuana capitol of the US Scenic Mendocino County is nestled in an area called the Emerald Triangle, three Northern California counties which are considered a safe haven for marijuana growers. But Allman says marijuana has ruined the area’s charm. He says marijuana has led to a spike in violent crime and growers aren’t the only victims. “Thugs put on masks, they come to your house, they kick in your door. They point guns at you and say, ‘Give me your marijuana, give me your money’,” Allman said. Mendocino County authorities have arrested suspects from 14 foreign countries. Allman says home values soared where drugs could be grown and dropped in surrounding areas. “Without taking any quantum leaps we’ve said, ‘If you grow marijuana, you’re going to have large amounts of money, greed and violence,’ “ he said. Marijuana grower Tim Blake says the majority of growers in Mendocino were self-described hippies who have grown pot since the 1960s. Blake let CBS4 onto his farm, but he requested its location stay secret. When he’s ready to harvest his farm looks more like the Wild West. Blake has armed guards and watch dogs to protect himself from an annual rush of drug runners looking to steal his crop. “The response time for the sheriff is 45 minutes to an hour,” Blake said. Blake says protecting himself is a necessity. “It’s not going to take them that long to injure your wife, injure your kids, kill your stuff and be gone,” he said. The culture of crime in Mendocino County overwhelmed law enforcement agencies who claim they are strapped for resources. Sheriff Allman says the same thing could happen in Colorado. He believes voters will regret legalized marijuana’s impact on the state. “Mark my words,” Allman said. “Three years from now find out what they think of it. They’ll say, ‘Wait a minute?’ “

For the full on-air report by CBS4-Denver reporter Stan Bush, go to:

http://denver.cbslocal.com/2013/02/11/sheriff-in-california-says-coloradans-will-regret-legalizing-marijuana/

CALLING ALL CHEFS!

The Anderson Valley Senior Center is looking for Guest Chefs (could be more than one). These highly successful dinners are fundraisers for the center and 100% of the proceeds go directly to our community’s seniors. The Chefs prepare a dinner for 60 guests and are fully reimbursed their expenses. We have a very active/working board who will help you through the entire process. Not everyone is a chef but everyone can cook something yummy! If interested please contact Gina at the center 895-3609 or Cory Morse 895-2543

KZYX & $

To the Editor:

Someone just asked me: Since MCPB's policy is not to disclose individual salaries of staff — despite the fact that many other public radio stations do, in fact, disclose salaries (including KMUD) — what, then, is the budget line item for “total” salaries and benefits? In other words, what percent of last year's total income of $652,570 was spent on salaries and benefits?

Good question, especially for MCPB's Board of Directors.

Frankly, I couldn't answer that question. And that's a big problem. Not only is MCPB exclusionary — the Anderson Valley Advertiser banned, the New Settler Interview banned, KC Meadows and the Ukiah Daily Journal banned, volunteer radio show host and GMO activist Els Cooperrider banned, volunteer radio show host and hip hop DJ Johanna Schultz banned, respected newsperson Christina Aanestad banned, news director Dave Brooksher banned, volunteer radio show host and alternative health activist Dr. Richard Miller banned, former Board Director and popular radio show host Doug McKenty banned, public comment and free speech on “Open Lines” banned, etc. — MCPB is also obscure in its financial reporting.

If this lack of transparency and accountability were to happen in government, we would vote the bums out of office.

And yet, here we are at a presumably “public,” public radio station struggling with transparency and accountability.

Below is a comment I recently posted to KZYXtallk@lists.mcn.org. This listserv, incidentally, is the discussion board for many of the over 100 members of “KZYX Members for Change.”

* * *

It's my opinion that MCPB's finances are designed to be confusing by design. For example, just try separating out what's spent on salaries and benefits for staff.

Let's try, okay?

Looking at the audited financials, total income for MCPB in the FY ending June 30, 2013 was $652,670.

My contention has always been that MCPB has been a jobs program for the people who work there. We could probably get along with half the staff. When you really think about it, all we really need at the station are technical people to keep the signal humming. Everything else is secondary. I could do compliance with the FCC, CPB, and IRS in my sleep. It's all pro forma. As things are presently structured, staff really spends much of their time not working, per se, but raising money for their own salaries and benefits — singing for their supper, as it were. They're presently doing it now during this Winter Pledge Drive.

So all this raises the question: What part of of total income of $652,670 is expensed to salaries and benefits?

Ah, that is the rub!

Salaries and benefits are not reported as such. They're folded into other budget line items. Very deceptive. Very clever. Salaries and benefits are expensed as parts of “program services” and “supporting services.”

Take a look (again, from the audit):

* * *

EXPENSES

Program Services:

Programming and production $74,314 $ — $74,314

Broadcasting $106,393 — 106,393

Program information and promotion$ 58,614 — 58,614

Supporting Services:

Management and general $163,594 — 163,594

Fundraising and membership development $100,080 — 100,080

Underwriting and grant solicitation $ 44,140 — 44,140

TOTAL EXPENSES $547,135 $ — $547,135

* * *

If you were to think that you could go to MCPB tax filings for what we spend on salaries and benefits, think again. Salaries and benefits are not separated out. Everything is lumped together, as it was in our audit. The following line items are from MCPB's Form 999 for 2012, the last year on file in the public domain.

* * *

Part IX, line 5, “Total Expenses for Key Employees” — $54,000

Part IX, line 7, “Other Salaries and Wages” — $242,390

Part IX, line 13, “Office Expenses, Including Program Service Expense, Management annd General Expense” — $158, 284

* * *

Confused?

Well, confusing financials may be the whole point!

Thank you,

John Sakowicz

Ukiah

PS. One other thing about MCPB's financials. I just received this from former Board Director and programmer Doug McKenty, and I quote verbatim:

“The website only contains info going back to 2008. I don't know how to get any earlier data. From what I can gather, when Coate became GM the station was broke, but without much debt.

“Rather than go public with this info, as KMUD did when they had a financial hiccup a few years ago, he waited until the station was $175k in debt and he let Aanestad [Christina Aanestad, popular investigative journalist] go. Only at this time did the membership discover the extent of the financial problem. —Doug

* * *

If what Doug says is true, it's shocking.

WE DON'T REMEMBER Congressman Huffman or his wife reporting back to us on his fact-finding trip to Israel last August, but it was apparently paid for by the Israelis’ Lobbying Organization AIPAC:

Holy Land Tours, internationalchristianjourneys.com. Escorted Biblical Group Tours Great Prices and Superior Service. Rep. Jared William Huffman trip to Bethlehem, Israel on Aug. 4, 2013

Traveler: Rep. Jared Huffman (-CA)

Companion: Susan Huffman (Spouse)

Start Date 8/4/2013, End Date 8/13/2013, Filed date 8/26/2013

Approver: Rep. Jared Huffman (-CA)

Sponsor(s): American Israel Education Foundation

Destination(s): Bethlehem, Israel, Jerusalem, Israel, Ramallah, Israel, Tel Aviv, Israel

Purpose: Meetings with top Israeli officials, seminars on history and foreign policy, and tours of multiple strategic and historical sights, including Israel's border with the Gaza Strip

Total Cost $19,132.06 for Transportation (for two)

$5500 ea, Lodging $1800 ea, Meals $1000 ea, and security, tour guide, speaker fees, room rentals, tips, more meals, photographer, snacks and briefing materials $1300 ea. Total: $19,000-plus for Spike and wife.

(from http://www.legistorm.com/trip/38210.html)

UKIAH CITIZENS FOR SAFETY FIRST has filed a CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) lawsuit against the approval of a proposed Costco store on Airport Park

Boulevard. The group includes Ukiah residents Rachel Land, Patty Hernandez, Sandy McKee and Teri Stout represented by Davis-based attorney William Kopper.

THEIR ARGUMENT is that the massive CostCo, complete with at least a dozen gas pumps, “will create dangerous traffic conditions on Highway 101 and its interchange.” The suit also alleges that CostCo's Environmental Impact Report should not have been certified, and the site should not have been rezoned.

“PUBLIC OFFICIALS of Ukiah should strive to preserve the city's unique environmental beauty, its character and quality of life, while making every effort to protect the environment to the fullest extent reasonably possible by following and enforcing CEQA as well as the planning and zoning laws.”

Opponents of a proposed Ukiah Costco have filed a lawsuit, contending the city of Ukiah and Costco failed to adequately consider the massive store’s environmental impacts.

“We don’t believe the environmental impact report is adequate and we don’t believe the city complied with state planning and zoning laws,” said attorney William Kopper of Davis, who filed the lawsuit earlier this month on behalf of Ukiah Citizens for Safety First. No court dates have been set, he said.

It’s the second attack on the Ukiah Planning Commission’s January approval of the project’s permit. Another group has appealed that decision to the Ukiah City Council.

Costco officials hope to open the store in 2015. Before that can happen, the city must make an estimated $4 million in Highway 101 interchange improvements to accommodate extra traffic.

The project has been controversial from the outset.

Critics say they’re worried about impacts on traffic, air quality, seasonal wetlands, existing businesses and aesthetics.

Proponents say it will be a boon for area shoppers and city coffers. The store is expected to generate nearly $500,000 in revenue annually for City Hall.

MORTALITY

The moon stood already, like its own phantom, in the clear washed skies of evening. A little boy with an empty paper delivery bag swung lithely by, his freckled nostrils dilating pleasantly with hunger and the fancied smell of supper. He passed, and for a moment, as they stood at the porch edge, all life seemed frozen in a picture: the firemen were now looking toward him; a policeman, at the high side-porch of the Police Court, leaned on the rail and stared; at the near edge of the central grass-plot below the fountain, a farmer bent for water at a bubbling jet, rose dripping, and stated; from the Tax Collector's office, City Hall, upstairs, Yancey, huge, meaty, shirtsleeved, stared. And in that second the slow pulse of the fountain was suspended, life was held, like an arrested gesture, in photographic abeyance, and Gant felt himself alone move deathward in a world of seemings as, in 1910, a man might find himself again in a picture taken on the grounds of the Chicago Fair, when he was thirty and his mustache black, and, noting the bustled ladies and the derbied men fixed in the second's pullulation, remember the dead instant, seek beyond the borders for what was there (he knew); or as a veteran who finds himself upon his elbow near Ulysses Grant, before the march, in pictures of the Civil War, and sees a dead man on a horse; or I should say, like some completed Don, who finds himself again before a tent in Scotland in his youth, and notes a cricket-bat long lost and long forgotten, the face of a poet who has died.....Where now? Where after? Where then? (— Thomas Wolfe, Look Homeward, Angel)

BOBBY MARKELS, 87, died of old-age complications at 2am Friday morning. She was at a medical facility in Marin County, under the eye of her son, Alex. They were planning to come back today to her home-since-forever, here in Mendocino. She didn't quite make it. She had scleroderma, a chronic, systemic, auto-immune disease that troubles you for decades until its cumulative effects win out. Otherwise, Bobby had the furious vitality that deserved at least as long a life as her mother's. Her mother died just a few years ago, at 102, Bobby at her side. Scleroderma! It makes you cold all the time. It's indicative of Bobby's passion for coastal Mendocino that she stayed here. She did not go gentle into that good night. Her mind was still razor-sharp. She had a bumper sticker that said, “I believe in life BEFORE death!” Bobby was a practicing Buddhist, never blabby about it, but steady. She was one of the best writers to ever grace this place — or any other. The saga of her incredibly rotten luck at getting the rewards her work earned reads like “The Perils of Pauline.” More to come when memorial arrangements are made. She has a book in production. She never quit. There's much more to say.

— Mitch Clogg, Mendocino

ELEANOR COONEY ADDS: I was working closely with Bobby on getting her novel THE SEDUCTION OF NONNY STEIN into print. Editing was done, formatting begun, cover designed. We failed to beat the Reaper, but Alex, her son, says full steam ahead. It's a brilliant book, praised by no less than Saul Bellow, who pulled every string he could on her behalf in the publishing world of the late 50s, but even he couldn't overcome what we writers call “snakebit” luck. The book's a masterpiece, a sort of female PORTNOY'S COMPLAINT, written when she was at the height of her powers, about growing up in the 30s and 40s in Chicago's South Side. It should have been published fifty years ago. It'll be out soon. The cover design features a portrait of Bobby at about age 20, impossibly, mind-blowingly glamorous. This book will reveal a dimension to Bobby Markels that a lot of people around here never suspected. Stand by!

CONGRESSMAN DINGELL DOWN ON MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY

by Ralph Nader

Congressman John Dingell (D-MI), the longest serving member of Congress in history (59 years), did much good and much bad. Reports of his retirement stressed his work in championing Medicare, civil rights legislation, and several environmental laws. Less noticed was his vigorous oversight and investigations of federal departments and agencies that were lax, riven with conflicts of interest, or mistreated whistle-blowers.

But Dingell had another, darker side to his otherwise liberal image. He was totally and cruelly indentured to the auto industry even though he was from an overwhelmingly safe Democratic district. More than any other lawmaker, Democratic or Republican, he fought to make sure that the auto Goliaths got their way in Congress and at the EPA and the Department of Transportation.

I observed his tenacity in delaying the issuance of the life-saving airbag standard, in opposing noxious emission controls on motor vehicles and, most irrationally, in freezing fuel-efficiency rules for many years. He did this with sheer stubborn willpower and by forging a mutually destructive alliance between the Big Three auto companies – GM, Ford, and Chrysler –and the United Auto Workers (UAW).

In the greatest ironies of his lengthy career, he helped mightily in sheltering the technological stagnation of Detroit’s auto barons from innovation-advancing regulation that eventually cost them massive market share to more fuel efficient and higher quality foreign imports from Germany and Japan. This also cost the UAW tens of thousands of jobs.

When, in recent years, the domestic auto industry’s demise was finally clear to him, he began to relent on fuel efficiency but it was too late to save the industry from its own mismanagement and illusions.

The resultant impact on the health and safety of the American people was his most lasting devastating legacy. Year after year people breathed more vehicle emissions and lost their lives or were injured in less safe vehicles because of Mr. Dingell’s huge presence on Capitol Hill. He upset the balance in his Party and thereby made his Republican colleagues more powerful in their opposition to updating health and safety rules.

At his retirement announcement, Mr. Dingell described service in the Congress these days as “obnoxious” because of “the acrimony and the bitterness,” and the lack of productivity. Back in the 1970s and after he took over the chair of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee in 1981 from the retiring great Congressman John Moss (D-CA), I and other consumer advocates experienced his “obnoxious” and exclusionary dictatorial regime laced with exceedingly foul language directed to anyone who dared criticize him from the civic community.

Congressman Dingell knows politics, however. He is keeping his seat in the family. His wife Deborah Dingell will announce her candidacy to replace him very shortly and is considered a shoo-in. At age 60, she could complete a full century of Dingells by 2033 – John Dingell’s father, a New Deal liberal and advocate of universal Medicare, was elected in 1933.

Deborah Dingell, a former GM lobbyist, is an irreverent soul, even chiding her often grumpy husband at public dinners when he did not hide his disdain for people in attendance. She may surprise us yet by tying her experience in politics, her contacts with high-ranking Democrats, and her independent personality to some good works.

Asked this week by The Washington Post whether the condition in Congress “is fixable,” he replied fundamentally: “There’s only one person that can fix it, and there’s only one group of people that can answer that question, and that’s the voters. If they want it to change, it will change.”

Yes, Congressman Dingell, it will change, but only if we have a more competitive democracy with more choices of candidates and more voices for the voters.

(See www.competitivedemocracy.org and www.ballot-access.org for more information.) Party and candidate dynasties are not compatible with democratic elections.

(Ralph Nader is a consumer advocate, lawyer and author of Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us! He is a contributor to Hopeless: Barack Obama and the Politics of Illusion, published by AK Press. Hopeless is also available in a Kindle edition.)

CALIFORNIA OCEAN SALMON SEASON LOOKS PROMISING

Sacramento River fall Chinook abundance forecast is large

by Dan Bacher

In spite of the record drought, the forecast for recreational and commercial salmon fishing year on the California coast from Horse Mountain in Humboldt County to below Monterey looks relatively good, according to data released at a California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) meeting in Santa Rosa on Wednesday.

The majority of the fish caught in this region are Sacramento River fall-run Chinook salmon stocks, the driver of West Coast salmon fisheries. The ocean abundance forecast is 634,650 Chinook salmon, less than last year’s forecast of 865,525, but still a promising number.

“The abundance forecast is large,” said Michael O’Farrell of the National Marine Fisheries Service. “Our preliminary prediction is 328,567 spawners that would return to the Sacramento River and tributaries if the 2013 regulations were in place this year.”

O’Farrell said that number is well over their target of at least 190,395 salmon returning to Central Valley rivers to spawn, so this target is “unlikely to constrain 2014 fisheries.”

In 2013, a total of 424,914 combined hatchery and naturally spawning fall run Chinooks, including 404,666 adults and 20,248 jacks (two-year-olds) returned to the Sacramento River. This total included 164,213 salmon from the Upper Sacramento River, 193,391 from the Feather River Basin and 64,310 from the American River Basin.

The other factor constraining the recreational and commercial seasons is protections for Sacramento River winter-run Chinook. The maximum allowable age 3-impact rate is 15.4 percent.

If the same regulations as 2013 were implemented, the preliminary prediction of age 3 salmon impact rate would be 13.2 percent. “This is likely to constrain fisheries south of Point of Arena,” he said.

Last year angling impacts to the winter run Chinook, an endangered species that plummeted from 117,000 fish in 1969 to only hundreds in the early 1990s, were protected from potential impacts by anglers through a combination of days off the water during the summer and a size limit of 24 inches. This season is expected to see similar measures taken.

In 2013, federal and state fisheries managers documented a total of 6,122 winter run Chinooks, including 5,653 adults and 469 jacks (two-year-olds), the best run since 2006, said Alex Letvin, CDFW environmental scientist.

The recreational salmon season from Horse Mountain to the U.S./Mexico border is set to begin on April 5, while the commercial season is expected to start May 1.

While the prospects for this season look good, this will be no means a record year for salmon – and low water conditions on the Central Valley rivers and poor management of rivers and rivers by the state and federal governments are expected to impact the salmon runs in upcoming years, particularly the winter run.

“The problem isn’t in the ocean – it’s in the rivers,” said Dick Pool, administrator of Water for Fish and board member of the Golden Gate Salmon Association (GGSA). “The problem is getting the young fish down to the ocean. Some of us have dedicated our lives to solving this problem.”

Likewise, Bob Boucke, owner of Johnson’s Bait and Tackle in Yuba City and also a board member of the GGSA, commented, “There are no big changes expected to the ocean seasons that target the Sacramento River fall run Chinooks. A decent quantity of fish is expected this year.”

He emphasized, “The problem is that water diversions from the Sacramento River into the Delta Cross Channel take a percentage of fish corresponding with the percentage of water diverted for export. If 75 percent of the water is diverted, you can expect 75 percent of the smolts (young salmon) to be diverted in the wrong direction rather than towards the ocean. Once in the channel, there’s no hope for the fish.”

While relatively full salmon seasons are expected south of Horse Mountain, increased restrictions are expected in the Klamath Management Zone in California from Horse Mountain to the Oregon border.

The 2014 Klamath River forecast is only 299,282, including 219,840 age 3 fish, 67,367 age 4 fish and 21,075 age 5 fish. The potential spawner abundance forecast is 76,952 fish and all of ocean and river fisheries must target an escapement of at least 40,700 fish.

The forecast is a far cry from the ocean abundance estimate of 1,651,800 in 2012, a record year for Klamath River fall Chinook stocks.

If the liberal regulations of 2013 for Tribal, recreational and commercial fisheries were in effect this year, only an estimated 19,218 fish would return to spawn, less than half of the 40,700 natural spawner target. So a reduction in the seasons, bag limits and catch quotas for Klamath Management Zone salmon is expected this year.

The 2013 Klamath Basin fall chinook run estimate ranked 11th out of 36 years. A total of 18,806 fish, ages 2 to 5, returned to the Iron Gate Fish Hatchery on the Klamath River and the Trinity River Fish Hatchery combined. The total of natural spawners, ages 2 to 5, was 69,986 fish.

Based on the preliminary data released on Wednesday and other scientific information, the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) will craft three options for ocean salmon seasons in its upcoming meeting at the Double Tree Hotel in Sacramento March 7-13. The Council will then make a final decision on the seasons at its April meeting.

For more information, go to: http://www.pcouncil.org/

The season crafting process takes place as Governor Jerry Brown continues to fast-track the construction of the peripheral tunnels under the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP). The construction of the tunnels would hasten the extinction of Central Valley Chinook salmon, steelhead, Delta smelt, longfin smelt, green sturgeon and other fish species, as well as imperil salmon and steelhead populations on the Klamath and Trinity rivers.

JOIN SANCTUARY FOREST on Saturday, March 8th for the 2014 Summer Hike series Docent Training! This free training will prepare volunteers to represent Sanctuary Forest and help guide one (or more!) of 10 hikes offered this summer. Hikes vary from easy to difficult with a wide range of topics, including Edible and Medicinal Plants, Big Red: Ancient Redwood, and a walking tour of a ground-breaking water conservation project. Over the course of 4 hours, participants will learn how to lead the opening and closing circles, assist hike leaders, keep track of hikers, basic first aid, collect evaluations and more. All are welcome! A delicious lunch will be provided. Meet at 10:30 a.m. at the Sanctuary Forest office in Whitethorn. For more information call 986-1087 ext. 1# or email marisa@sanctuaryforest.org.

Sanctuary Forest is a land trust whose mission is to conserve the Mattole River watershed and surrounding areas for wildlife habitat and aesthetic, spiritual and intrinsic values, in cooperation with our diverse community.

NRCS DROUGHT INITIATIVE GRANT APPLICATION DUE THIS MONDAY, RELATIVELY SIMPLE

The National Resources Conservation Service has announced their Drought Initiative for California with a very short turn-around. Applications have to be in by this Monday, March 3rd, for help with a variety of water conserving practices, from dust control to fencing, from cover cropping to irrigation expenses (see attached list).

According to Linda MacElwee, of the Anderson Valley Foodshed Group: “To be eligible for these funds the landowner needs to be an agricultural producer, including Forestland as well, and they have to get an application in by next Monday to be considered for funding. They don't have to know all of the details of the project yet, however if they have identified something on this practice list that they are want financial assistance for now, all they have to do is get the application in on time. The details can be worked out in the subsequent months. If they don't get the application in by Monday, they will not be eligible for funding under this particular initiative. They may have to wait for regular NRCS EQIP program sign ups next Fall.”

Download the following documents if you are interested:

Conservation Program Application

Drought Practice List

Irrigated cropland fact sheet

EQIP Producer Worksheet

Michael Foley, Mendocino County Farmers' Market Association. Contact Editor at foley.mw@gmail.com

OPEN COMMENT PERIOD FOR MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST'S OHV GRANT APPLICATION

The State of California Department of Parks and Recreation and the Mendocino National Forest have maintained a successful partnership for nearly 30 years. This partnership has provided funding assistance for the management of off-highway vehicle (OHV) recreation on National Forest system lands through the California State OHV Grants and Cooperative Agreements Program. Current regulations mandated by the State of California require annual public participation in this fund allocation process. The purpose of this notice is to share information and to solicit public input specific to the Mendocino National Forest's upcoming grant application for the State's 2013 — 2014 grant cycle. These grants will support on-going OHV management activities, with categories including Ground Operations (trail maintenance and facility operation and maintenance) and Law Enforcement. “The Mendocino National Forest offers over 200 miles of designated OHV trails providing exciting riding opportunities for a wide range of ability levels and vehicle types. In addition, over 1,300 miles of roughly graded roads are available for use by Off-Highway Vehicle enthusiasts,” said Forest Engineer Shannon Pozas. “We appreciate your support and comments on our grant request. Your comments will help the State determine the level of funding to provide the Mendocino National Forest for on-going trail maintenance, facility maintenance and law enforcement.” In order to view and comment on the Mendocino National Forest's Preliminary grant application, please visit the State of California website at http://www.ohv.parks.ca.gov/ then click the grants tab. Additionally, a link to the State's website may be found on the Mendocino National Forest website at http://www.fs.usda.gov/mendocino. Comments may be provided between March 4, 2014 and April 7, 2014. Instructions for providing comments can be found on the State of California website.

CRIME REPORT FOR END OF FEBRUARY

Drummers Too Loud — Caller in the 300 block of South State Street reported at 12:37 p.m. Saturday that two men were sitting on a bench in the plaza playing drums “extremely loud.” An officer responded and advised them. At 2:20 p.m., a caller reported that the drummers had moved to the other side of the plaza but were still “pounding” on their drums. The officer responded again and advised them of city ordinances.

Neighbor Feeding Dog — Caller in the 900 block of South Orchard Avenue reported at 5:23 p.m. Saturday that a neighbor keeps feeding her dog over the fence. An officer responded and advised both parties.

Chased By Drunks — Caller at the corner of Scott and School streets reported at 1:11 a.m. Sunday that a group of drunk people was fighting and when she yelled at them, they chased her car. An officer responded and counseled the group.

DUI Arrest — An officer stopped a vehicle in the 100 block of North Main Street at 2:15 a.m. Sunday and arrested Eriberto Mendoza, 28, of Boonville, on suspicion of driving under the influence. He was cited and released.

TV Too Loud — Caller in the 400 block of East Gobbi Street reported at 9:50 a.m. Sunday having an ongoing problem with a neighbor playing a television “extremely loud.” An officer responded and reported that the area was quiet.

Watch Doesn't Work — Caller in the 300 block of North State Street reported at 10:30 a.m. Sunday that a watch he just bought doesn't work, the store owner was refusing to give him his money back and he wanted an officer to respond. He was advised that it was a civil matter.

Man Living Under Bridge — Caller at the Orr Street Bridge reported at 5:17 p.m. Sunday that a man was living under there with a dog that he left unattended for long periods of time. An officer responded and the man left upon request.

Transients Sleeping — Caller in the 200 block of East Standley Street reported at 6:10 a.m. Monday that transients were sleeping behind the location. An officer responded and cited them for camping within city limits.

Vandalism — Caller in the 200 block of South School Street reported at 7:22 a.m. Sunday that someone had carved into a tree and took a frame off a door.

Transient Camp — Caller in the 1100 block of Mulberry Street reported at 8:55 a.m. Monday that transients were camping underneath the bridge. An officer responded but the group was gone.

Cushions Stolen — Caller in the 1100 block of South Dora Street reported at 10:29 a.m. Sunday that patio cushions were stolen. An officer took the information.

Constantly Barking Chihuahuas — Caller at the corner of Irvington and Empire drives reported at 10:39 a.m. Monday that a nearby house had about 10 Chihuahuas in the back yard that were “barking constantly.” An officer responded and left a card because no one was home.

Driver Passed Out — Caller in the 1000 block of North Bush Street reported at 12:44 p.m. Monday that someone was passed out in the driver's seat of a vehicle and smelled of alcohol. An officer responded and determined the incident was not as reported.

Transient Camp — Caller in the 900 block of Hazel Avenue reported at 12:55 p.m. Monday that a transient camp was behind the ball field. An officer responded but the camp was empty.

Woman Acting Odd — Caller at Kohl's on North Orchard Avenue reported at 1:53 p.m. Monday that a woman was acting strange, yelling and jumping in and out of her car. An officer responded and located the woman at Home Depot, where she was arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance.

Car Window Smashed — Caller in the 800 block of Waugh Lane reported at 8:17 a.m. Tuesday that her car window had been smashed. An officer responded and determined that nothing had been taken.

Purse Taken From Car — Caller in the 800 block of Dora Avenue reported at 9:04 a.m. Tuesday that a purse was taken from an unlocked car, possibly while the engine was running.

Loud TV — Caller in the 400 block of East Gobbi Street reported at 9:29 a.m. Tuesday that someone had a very loud television. The caller later reported that the TV had been turned down.

Man Passed Out In Bus Stop — Caller in the 200 block of North Orchard Avenue reported at 11:21 a.m. Tuesday that a man at the MTA bus stop had not moved for an hour and appeared to have urinated on himself. An officer responded and arrested the 28-year-old man for being drunk in public.

Man Passed Out In Bushes — Caller in the 1100 block of Airport Park Boulevard reported at 11:56 a.m. Tuesday that a man with a dog was passed out in the bushes. An officer responded and the man left upon request.

Cat Bite — An officer responded to the 2300 block of North State Street at 1:10 p.m. Tuesday and took a report of a cat bite.

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A Woman Reported Having A Knife Pulled On Her Wednesday night during an attempted robbery in the parking lot of Lucky supermarket, the Ukiah Police Department reported.

According to the UPD, a caller in the store's parking lot in the 500 block of East Perkins Street reported around 10:40 p.m. Feb. 26 that she was standing at her vehicle when a woman approached her, held a knife to her upper body and demanded money.

The victim said she screamed and the suspect ran and got into a white Dodge pick-up truck with personalized Nevada license plates being driven by a thin, white man. The female suspect was described as white, thin, with straight blond hair and wearing jeans, a white shirt and a red scarf.

Shortly before the robbery was reported, a caller in the same parking lot reported that an iPad had been stolen from an unlocked vehicle in the same parking lot.

Around 1:30 a.m., officers located the suspect vehicle in the 500 block of Walnut Avenue and contacted the occupants, Sara M. Mothershed, 26, and Cassidy W. Carson, 20, both of Elko, Nevada. Mothershed reportedly matched the description of the suspect with the knife, but confirmation of her identity as the suspect could not be obtained.

However, officers reportedly found the stolen iPad in the truck and arrested Mothershed and Carson on suspicion of possessing stolen property. Carson was also arrested on suspicion of possessing metal knuckles and for a Nevada warrant.

Around 4:30 a.m., another unrelated robbery was reported by a man in the 700 block of East Gobbi Street who told police that he was exiting his parked car when he was approached by a man who said he had a gun and demanded his wallet.

The victim said the suspect ran a short distance away, then removed more than $500 cash from the wallet before discarding it.

The suspect is described as a thin man, 5-6, with a thin, dark mustache, wearing a dark, hooded sweatshirt with white drawstrings, dark pants and black-and-white “DC-style” shoes.