Greetings one and all. Are you are sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin. Following last week’s column and the basic list contained therein of some of the general comparisons made there between the US and the Old World, I have received a number of comments. Most readers enjoyed the observations that were presented, although some disputed a couple of my insights. Fair enough of course, as long as they had a credible and informed reason for doing so. Meanwhile, for your Quotes of the Week, here are a couple of examples of other people’s viewpoints on this fascinating topic. Mark Twain: “An Englishman is a person who does things because they have been done before. An American is a person who does things because they haven't been done before.” Irish writer Earle Hitchner: “The difference between America and England is that Americans think 100 years is a long time, while the English think 100 miles is a long way.” That’s as true as it gets.
Public Service Announcements. #534. The General Knowledge and Trivia Quiz resumes its summer/fall schedule tomorrow, Thursday, June 18, at Lauren’s Restaurant, beginning at 7pm. #535. The 22nd Sierra Nevada World Music Festival returns for its 10th year at The Fairgrounds in Boonville over this coming weekend, June 19-21. The line-up is particularly strong this year with headline acts such as Steel Pulse, Jimmy Cliff, Third World, Max Romeo, Ken Boothe, Big Youth, and The Melodians. #536. The Vets from the Mendocino Animal Hospital will be in the Valley on Thursdays, June 25 and July 2, but not again after that until August. #537. The Boonville Farmers” Market continues at its regular summer location in the parking lot at the Boonville Hotel. It runs from 10-12:30 and you are encouraged to come by with your locally grown or made food or crafts, to sell or trade, or just stop in to check out the wonderful produce etc on sale. For more info, call Cindy at 895-2949. #538. The AV Lending Library run by The Unity Club is open Tuesday and Saturday at The Fairgrounds. Tuesday 1.30pm-4.30pm and Saturday 2pm-4pm. but not this Saturday because the Fairgrounds will be full of World Music fans who will not be particularly interested in borrowing any books. #539. The County Dump is open from 9am-4pm Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. Remember, no dead animals! #540. Coming to The Grange in a couple of week’s time there will be a special live show of “First Person Plural,” a series of original monologues performed by six women. It is for one night only at 7pm on Thursday, July 2; doors open at 6.30pm and there is a $5-$10 entrance fee.
Here is the menu for Senior Center at the Veterans Building in Boonville. $6 donation from seniors for lunches and $7 for Non-seniors. Tomorrow, Thursday, June 18, the lunch, served by Marti Titus and her crew at Noon, will be Parmesan Cod, Salad Bar, and Triple Lemon for dessert. Then, next Tuesday, June 23, the dinner will feature Sausage Skillet, Salad Bar, and Not Mamma’s Banana Pudding for dessert. All meals include vegetables, salad bar, and fruit, plus milk, coffee, tea, and lemonade. What a deal. it maybe the best $7 you’ll spend all week! Hopefully you will be able to attend, and remember. ALL ages are welcome! Hope to see you there.
Topics and Valley events under discussion this week at The Three-Dot Lounge — “Moans, Groans, Good Thoughts, and Rampant (yet surprisingly reliable) Rumors” from my favorite gathering place in the Valley.
…So what is going to replace Coq au Vin restaurant? Rumors are it will be a fine dining establishment run by the folks who are behind The Bewildered Pig in St. Helena who currently operate a business next door to the restaurant location at the Floodgate and who modestly describe themselves as “purveyors of gastronomic pleasantries.” Surely we shall be the judge of that.
…It was universally agreed among all of our regulars that it was odd, even for this town, that all of our high school sports head coaches were required to “resign” in the off-season and then re-apply for their volunteer positions, along with anyone else who may be interested as a result of seeing the “vacancies” pinned up on the notice boards of the Valley’s post offices. This was done to follow some sort of protocol that had never been done before. It is one thing to advertise in-house at the school, as required, but to put it out to the public and have the coaches deal with many enquiries as to why they had “quit” the program is another thing entirely. Not well done.
…Why is it that when a charitable act is poorly done or presented, the excuse is often given that those responsible are just volunteering. so it's ok? Many folks in this Valley volunteer for various causes and events. The vast majority of them do a splendid job and these people certainly would not use their volunteer status as a reason for anything less than that. Mistakes can be made by anyone of course; accepting that without offering this lame excuse is fine. So since when did “volunteer” become acceptable as an excuse for “inefficiency” as some would have us believe?
…Where can you get your sheep sheared? There is someone around here who will certainly oblige. His name is Matt Gilbert and he has already done a fine job on many of the smaller flocks in the Valley during the past month or so, as he has been doing for the last few years or so around here. He will be continuing to do so for a couple of more weeks before stopping for a few months. He is accommodating and very reasonably priced, and can be reached on his cell phone at 972-9144.
…I rarely sing the praises of Mendocino restaurants/bars outside the Valley but for a combination of a wide range of quality dishes, coupled with excellent and friendly service with a splendid attitude, not to mention the lovely views, I must say that the Mendocino Cafe in the coastal town of Mendocino is hard to beat if you’re out that way. Reasonably priced too.
…Upon further exhausting and intoxicating research, I can confirm that the count of winery tasting rooms in the Valley that appeared in this column last week was accurate — thirty are currently operating. Some new ones have appeared in the last couple of years and a list of those which have closed over that time would include Zina-Hyde Cunningham, Londer, Breggo, Jim Ball, Standish, Esterlina, and Claudia Springs.
Time to take my leave; I’ve got see a man about a sheep. So, until we talk again. Keep the Faith; be careful out there; stay out of the ditches; think good thoughts; be wary of strangers with more dogs than teeth; please remember to keep your windows cracked if you have pets in your vehicle; and may your god go with you. A final request, “Let us prey.” Sometimes poking, often stroking, but almost always humbly yours, Turkey Vulture. Contact me with words of support/abuse through the Letters Page or at turkeyvulture9@gmail.com. PS. On the sheep, Grace. Hi, George; hope you and Sheila are well. Good day to you, Silver Swan; behaving yourself? Hopefully not!
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