Mendocino County Today: Wednesday, Sep 16, 2015

• Wind & Rain
• Valley Fire
• Signature Gathering
• Cop Retention
• Water-intensive Foods
• Toxic Forestry
• Catch of the Day
• Metallica en Mexico
• Martial Law
• Plant Sale
• Oak Appreciation
• Art Courses
• New Doctor
• KZYX & FCC

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE issued the following @ 5:20 am:
"Light to moderate rain is steadily moving towards the NW CA coast & is expected to arrive within hour. This rain will increase in intensity & push inland through the morning but remain generally light to moderate with isolated pockets of heavy rain embedded within it. In addition, gusty south winds are beginning to develop along the coast & are also expected to gradually increase and spread inland through the morning. Expect sustained speeds of between 20 to 25 mph and gusts to 40 mph along coastal ridges by mid to late morning & 15 to 20 mph with gusts to 35 mph in exposed low lying areas along the coast and on inland ridges. Winds are expected to diminish late this afternoon & widespread rain will transition to showers."

CALFIRE REPORT ON VALLEY FIRE AS OF 8pm Tuesday night:

67,200 acres - 30% contained

2600+ firefighters, 289 engines, 8 airtankers, 16 helicopters, 46 dozers, 67 water tenders.

Report: “Fire behavior was moderate throughout the day due to cooler weather. A chance of rain exists tonight. Rain may assist firefighter’s efforts on strengthening and constructing additional fire line. Firefighters continue to focus on public’s safety, structural defense, and perimeter control. 585 homes have been destroyed by the Valley Fire and hundreds of other structures are known to have been destroyed as well. Residents of the Riviera Communities were allowed to return to their homes today.”

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VALLEY FIRE SPREADS INTO NAPA

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/4481060-181/updates-valley-fire-spreads-further?most

Looters arrested

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/4484826-181/lake-county-sheriff-looters-arrested?most

Initial Location ID’d

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/4483703-181/lake-county-residents-tell-of

Lake County Vineyard destroyed

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/business/4478939-181/valley-fire-destroys-lake-county?most

Body Count To Rise

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/4483152-181/body-count-expected-to-rise

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THE PARANOID'S GUIDE TO THE VALLEY FIRE: "Hmmm. Started at 1:24AM, in a very small area...like all ARSON fires. These poor residents better demand a thorough arson investigation, and the results made public! Many of the more than 400 fires burning all over the west are being deliberately set by eco-terrorists and NWO zealots who both want to rid all rural and forest areas of what they refer to as the ‘human scourge.’ The plan is that after they are burned out by fires set during dry-high wind conditions, to a) foot-drag on restoring water and other utility services, b) withhold well water permits, c) require more stringent environmental permits for any rebuilding, and, worst of all, d) immediately introduce the pack-hunting gray wolves back into those areas to keep people out, which is already being done in many areas of CA, MT, ID, and OR. Google it. And demand a full-scale arson investigation by your local sheriffs… NOT by Cal-Fire, which has been ordered to rubber-stamp all fires as ‘drought-caused.’ But many locals report there being no lightning, seeing suspicious individuals where the fires started, and some of the arsonists have actually been caught—but we don't hear any more about them or their motives. Arson fires only start in a small area, as all of these fires have done. And non-arson fires are RANDOM in terms of their location and frequency, and the causes are immediately discernable. These are anything but random, and although the flashpoint can be determined the ‘natural’ cause cannot. That, along with the shear number of fires occurring all at the same time, points to arson. My point is that there is no talk of the cause of all these fires when that is always the main information provided. ‘Drought’ or ‘global warming’ does not CAUSE a fire, which is all we are hearing, instead of the CAUSES."

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PRICE GOUGING, A Letter To Mendocino Sports Plus

THANK YOU EVERYONE who sent me info on potential price gouging from area hotels…All of the hotels that were suspected of this were contacted and have corrected their rates. The ones who did not were reported to authorities in their jurisdiction for investigation and potential prosecution…Most have issued refunds and comped rooms for evacuees…I also spoke to many hotels not reported to pass on the penal code info and make sure management and staff are aware of the issue so it does not happen anywhere else…I would like to thank Mireya Turner
with the County of Lake (also a council member in Lakeport), Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen and the officials in the city of Ukiah for being concerned and responsive to the issue…

The GOOD NEWS is I found MOST HOTELS were discounting rates, waving extra person and pet fees, allowing pets even when they usually do not, giving discount vouchers and free hygiene supplies to evacuees…I applaud these businesses that truly embraced the spirit of Lake County! ‪#‎valleyfire‬

Joey Luiz to ‎Lake county community awareness

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MENDO IS STILL THERE

Mendocino County Emergency Shelter Update And Disaster Assistance Information Regarding The Valley Fire

The County’s HHSA Disaster Response Team continues to operate the emergency evacuation shelter at the Redwood Empire Fairgrounds located at 1055 North State Street, Ukiah. The shelter is available to provide assistance and will continue to have water, beds and food available (as well as accommodations for animals, including large livestock and/or an area dedicated for cats and dogs).

Monetary donations are the recommended means of contributing and are in great need. Contributions to the disaster relief effort can be made as follows:

Redwood Credit Union is accepting donations online by following this link: www.redwoodcu.org/lakecountyfirevictims. Donations can also be made by visiting any of the bank's branches or by mail with a check payable to Lake County Fire Victims, RCU Lake County Relief c/o Redwood Credit Union, P.O. Box 6104, Santa Rosa, CA 95406.

Mendo Lake Credit Union is partnering with North Coast Opportunities for relief efforts. You can make monetary contributions at any of their branch offices or via a PayPal link on their website at www.mlcu.org. You can also visit the website for North Coast Opportunities at www.ncoinc.org and click on the fire relief photo at the top of the page.

Red Cross (www.RedCross.org). By making a charitable donation to the Red Cross, assistance can be provided to those facing this catastrophic emergency and can help them as they rebuild their lives.

Donations can also be made through the agencies contained in the public listing at www.lovelakecounty.org which contains the most up to date list of donation centers.

Any donation, no matter what amount, will help our neighbors in Lake County. The outpouring of support from Mendocino County residents has been incredible and is a reminder of the wonderful community we are a part of.

Details regarding the fire and shelter locations can be obtained from:

Lake County OES: www.Facebook.com/LakeCountyOES)

Calfire: http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=1226

The County will continue coordinating the shelter effort with Lake County Office of Emergency Services (OES). The Lake County OES has a pre-recorded information line set up at (707) 263-8274.

Carmel J. Angelo, Chief Executive Officer

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THE FOLLOWING PRESS RELEASE was issued by the Lake County Sheriff's office @ 6:55 pm today:

"On Tuesday, September 15, at approximately 5:00 am, Lake County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Deputies noticed a vehicle approach them, as they were parked at a closed intersection at Bottle Rock Road and Highway 29 in Kelseyville.

Both Bottle Rock Road and the section of Highway 29 from Live Oak Dr. were closed to traffic, due to the Valley Fire. Deputies illuminated the vehicle as it came to a stop in front of the road barricade.

The deputies approached the vehicle where they noticed a female driver and a male sitting in the back seat, who was not wearing a seatbelt. They observed the male passenger make some suspicious movements, as if he was hiding something from the deputies. They also noticed that he appeared to be extremely nervous and was wearing all black clothing. They identified the male as 26-year-old Royce Sterling Moore of Lakeport. Central Dispatch advised that Moore had two warrants for his arrest and he was immediately detained.

Deputies looked into the backseat area and noticed gloves, a black bandana and a backpack in the area where Moore was sitting. Moore admitted that the backpack was his. The deputy picked up the backpack and immediately located what appeared to be a semiautomatic handgun, which was lying underneath the backpack. On closer inspection they noticed that it was actually a BB gun, which Moore admitted was his. The deputy noticed the BB gun was broken and not functional.

As the deputy pulled the backpack out of the car, Moore appeared to be extremely nervous and complained about it being searched. A search of the backpack produced pliers, channel locks and a cordless drill with a grinder wheel attachment, which the deputy recognized as being very common burglary tools used in the commission of numerous types of theft.

The deputy also located a methamphetamine smoking pipe. Due to the tools being organized in a backpack along with the gloves, bandana and imitation firearm indicates they were possessed as burglary tools.

Based on the area where Moore was contacted and his possession of the aforementioned items, the deputies believed he was planning and attempting to burglarize evacuated residents in the Cobb Mountain area. When asked why Moore was being driven up to the Cobb area, he said they were going to check on a friend’s parrot.

Moore was arrested for possession of burglary tools, two warrants and possession of controlled substance paraphernalia. He was transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked."

(Booking photo of Royce Sterling Moore courtesy of the Lake County Sheriff's office.)

CLIPPIES (hippies with clipboards) are collecting signatures in shopping areas around the County to qualify a June 2016 ballot measure that would prevent timber companies from hack-and-squirt tree thinning. The initiative already has a broad base of support, especially among firefighters. Poisoned trees left standing until they collapse a year or two later (if they do collapse) constitute a double fire hazard because they burn rapidly and emit the deadly chemicals used to kill them. The Mendocino Redwood Company maintains hundreds of acres of these upright, highly flammable tree corpses, greatly alarming not only firefighters but residents of the communities bordering the forests.

MENDOCINO COUNTY has so far been spared a large-scale fire as they rage to the east and north of us in Lake and Humboldt counties. But if a fire were to break out in areas where non-commercial trees have been killed via hack and squirt, that blaze would that much more quickly become a raging, chemical-fed inferno.

THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE is called “Shall the People of Mendocino County Declare Intentionally Killed and Left Standing Trees a Public Nuisance?” Poisoned trees left standing for more than 90 days and that are more than 16 feet tall and within at least 3,200 feet of critical infrastructures such as roads, driveways, fire lanes, significant water sources and telecommunication structures, would be declared a public nuisance under the Mendocino County Public Health, Safety and Welfare code.

FORESTS FOREVER, a San Francisco-based environmental group, is gathering the signatures, of which only about 2,500 are needed by January 1st to qualify the initiative for the ballot. The full text of the petition, and a list of places where the petitions can be found is at www.citizensforfiresafeforests.com.

MENDOCINO COUNTY UNDERSHERIFF Randy Johnson On Difficulties Recruiting And Retaining Deputies.

(Excerpted from his report to the Board of Supervisors, September 8, 2015)

“It's difficult to get qualified candidates. Of the qualified candidates you do get there are still a percentage that don't make training, are not ready, for various reasons. And we have some who do fine and then decide after they've been on board for a relatively short period of time that it is not really what they had in mind, it's not what they like, they aren't really interested. We try to talk people into another position, if they say they want to leave. We've already done the background. We want them to remain a county employee and part of our family. But it just doesn't work out for various reasons.

We had one gentleman who looked really good, he finished training, was working well, then after a couple of months he decided it wasn't working out, it was too remote for his wife so he quit and went to Santa Barbara. So people will say yes, and give a commitment, and say they want to be there, but…

We also understand they are trying to get a job situation. If it doesn't work out for the family— we don't want to separate families, we don't want family issues because they are staying here and the family wants to move somewhere else or for various reasons they need to go somewhere different.

We have a person who is from out of state who is interested in the resident post in Covelo that we are excited about. He is going through the process of being certified in California. There may need to be some schooling and classes necessary. Until he has the certificate he is not eligible to apply for the job. Things like that can make the process longer.

We have the new deputy-in-training program which allows us to pay people while they are in the academy. If they pass, they come to work for us in some part of the county. That's been helpful but it has the same issues because they may not make training or they get training and then something else comes up.

Some of them are military personnel who are on reserve duty. We have not had anyone activated yet, but they are available for duty. It's problematic when reservists are in training because it can make it difficult for them to learn the new job. If they go away for reserve training it can expand their law enforcement training time.

The North Coast Sector is just about full now and we're about to fill a resident post on the South Coast.

Some recent retirements have cleared the way and improved the budget picture. We're working hard to fill vacant positions before the end of the fiscal year in June.

Since we have people back from injury and back on the street recently and we've made a few personnel changes, Deputy Walker has not had to cover Ukiah as much lately and spends more time in Anderson Valley.

A few years ago we hired somebody from the big city who had retired and was looking for something where he could slow down a little bit and stay in the community. It started out well but it didn't last very long. Everything was fine here, but he had started a security company after retirement and he left his son to run it and his son was having difficulty with it and there were family issues and he had to leave. He has not been back.

The biggest challenge is, it's certainly very isolated and there's not much there [in Covelo]. For instance if they bring a spouse and family it is difficult for them to be long term. It never seems to work out. We might get a recent retiree from another department who wants to slow down and be part of the community. Then they get here and there are all the callouts and they were looking to slow down a little, not be called out on their days off or while they're trying to sleep. Obviously none of us can control that. And there's a lack of activity for them to be involved in generally, so unless they are just going to be totally involved in the community and the job, that makes it very difficult when there's so little to offer.

Recent Academy grads are all willing to work wherever because they want a job. Generally it's not a wise business decision for us to put someone fresh out of the academy into a resident post though because they are still learning and they are far from done with training. It's difficult when the supervisors and supportive peers are not around, other than by phone. Then even if that happens they come here — and remember they have passed probation and they get that certificate — it's Have Gun Will Travel because most departments will offer more money than we do and more benefits and they move on somewhere for better benefits and more money.

It's well-known in law enforcement that the people we are hiring now are a totally different generation. They look at things totally differently. People ask why we don't do more recruiting and we answer that we get laughed out of the academy because other departments come and recruit and they're offering way more money. They also offer different job conditions and totally different things. When you're a new guy and you are going to the Academy you are looking at one thing: the bottom dollar, how much money you make. They don't look at how they have to commute for an hour or two. They don't look at how much they're going to be on call. Most of our staff has more experience in a year than they could get in most big departments in several years because they handle more kinds of things themselves. They don't call specialists to do work as much.

We could offer more money but we will never be able to offer the money to keep people from going to the big dollar departments. We try to make more of a family atmosphere. We take care of their training, their equipment, and we try to include the family in the schedules and be more flexible to try to keep them from going somewhere else. It works sometimes. But you can't change those people who are just looking for the dollars because Mendocino County will never have the kind of dollars to keep people from going to the big cities. When they are just looking at that, it's difficult to compete no matter what you offer. I'd like to see the staff get more bucks to recover from the 10% cut from before. But when you're out fighting against the big agencies with a lot of money— we can offer a beautiful location, we can offer a family atmosphere, we can offer training, equipment, but generally when they're coming out of the academy there looking at one thing, not retirement, but the bottom dollar. How much am I going to get paid? What is my take home?

Chasing bad guys is a young man's game. Right now it would be simple to fix the money issues such as reduced pension benefits. But in the long run it will hurt the [law enforcement] industry because people won't want to face bad guys and get attacked and potentially killed for less and less money. As you know one of our officers was killed recently and as we get further away from that it makes it a little easier. But when you see things in the news regularly, there are a lot of wives and mothers who will say they don't want their kids and their husbands going into law enforcement. They will find something else and for the most part they can find other things that pay pretty well and they don't take quite the risk that they take here. They don't get beat up, they don't get shot at, they don't get exposed to all kinds of different things. It's not easy. But we are not in this alone. Even departments with more money to offer experience shortages. They have retirements to fill. But it's harder for the small departments if you can't pay competitive rates. Maybe we can't pay what Sonoma County pays but we can make it enough to where you don't have to drive an hour to Sonoma County. But some will still go there.”

SAVING WATER

by Jon Spitz

As California's epic drought plunges into it's fourth year, Californians are desperately seeking ways to use less water in their daily lives with such measures as taking fewer and shorter showers, flushing less often, turning off the tap while brushing, washing the car less often and replacing lawns with drought tolerant plants being heavily promoted by State water agencies. And according to the State Water Resources Control Board, Californians have heeded this call as household water use was down 28.9% from May 2014 to May 2015.

While all these efforts by Californians to conserve water are laudable, household water use accounts for only a small fraction of the water Californians use every day; it is putting food on the table that accounts for most of the water we use. Eighty percent of California's developed water supply is used for agriculture.

University of California professor of Agricultural Engineering, Blaine Hanson, published a paper in 2009 in which he quantified how much water was being used to grow California's major crops. According to Dr. Hanson's figures, alfalfa was by far the #1 water intensive crop in California using 5.2 million acre feet/year (1 acre foot = 325,851 US gallons). #2 was pasture at 3.3 million acre feet/year (af/y). Here is the millions of af/y for other major California crops: rice – 2.7, cotton – 2.3, almond/pistachio – 2.1, fruit trees – 2.1, corn – 1.7, grapes – 1.6, subtropical fruit trees – 1.4, grains – 1.0, tomatoes – 0.8, squash – 0.3, dried beans – 0.3.

From Dr. Hanson's agricultural water use figures, it is clear that alfalfa and pasture account for a disproportionately large share of California's water use making animal feed by far the largest water user in the State. Seventy percent of California's alfalfa crop is fed to California dairy cows with some exported to China to feed their fledgling dairy industry. Most of the irrigated pasture is forage for dairy and beef cattle.

In a 2008 paper entitled, “The water footprint of food,” Arjen Hoekstra, Professor in Water Management at the University of Twente, the Netherlands, estimated on average around the world how many gallons of water it takes to grow one kilogram (2.2 lbs) of various foods. On the low end were lettuce at 15 gallons/kilogram, tomatoes 22 and cabbage 24. In the middle were corn at 107 gallons/kilogram, peaches 142 and avocados 220. At the high end were rice at 403 gallons/kilogram, eggs 573, chicken 815, cheese 896, pork 1,630, butter 2,044 and beef 2,500 to 5,000 gallons. The reason animal foods take so much more water to produce than plant foods is all the water it takes to grow their feed.

While the number of gallons of water it takes to produce specific foods varies somewhat from place to place and year to year, it always takes much more water to produce animal foods than plant foods because converting feed crops into meat, dairy and eggs is an inherently inefficient biological process and most of the biomass of the plants is not retained in the animals that eat them. Due to this irreducible biological function, as far as water is concerned, it doesn't matter whether animal foods are produced at a local family farm or at a factory farm far away, they take magnitudes more water to produce than plant foods.

Obviously, what this all means is that it takes a lot more water to put animal foods on the table than plant foods. By one estimate a single quarter pound beef patty takes 450 gallons of water to produce in California, the same amount as 45 (or a month and a half's worth of) daily ten gallon showers. While beef is the worst offender, as you can see from the numbers above, all animal foods are high water consumers. A much more effective strategy for cutting down on one's domestic water use than skipping showers is to cut down on the animal foods on one's plate.

Even today, some people still believe that they need to eat animal foods to get enough protein, but this fallacy was conclusively debunked long ago by nutritional science. And nutritional science has also proven unequivocally that a whole-foods, plant-based diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds is the only diet to effectively treat and prevent America's most common diseases of diabetes, atherosclerosis and many types of cancer.

So not only is eating less animal food and more whole plant food the near-term solution to California's current water shortage, it doubles as the long term solution to ending the scourge of chronic degenerative diseases that plague our country.

MENDOCINO REDWOOD COMPANY SEEKS RECERTIFICATION AS A GREEN COMPANY

Comments by Betty Lou Whaley, Stakeholder

The Rain Forest Alliance (RFA) called a meeting of ‘stakeholders’ to gather information for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) so that organization can decide whether to recertify Mendocino Redwood Company (MRC). Once certified, MRC wood can be branded as ‘green’ and sold for higher prices at Home Depot. MRC promotes itself as an environmentally sensitive company that uses green methods to grow and harvest their wood; however, they have used the ‘Hack ‘n’ Squirt’ method to poison tan oaks and other hardwoods on their land for many years. After the oaks die, foliar sprays are used to kill the ‘brush,’ thus nothing is left to feed and shelter wildlife.

MRC’s forests are situated above our watersheds and as Charlie Acker reminded everyone at the stakeholders meeting, “Water is a forest product.” Eventually all the poisons that have been squirted and sprayed on the forest, along with their metabolites, may seep down into the aquifer. Pesticides must not be considered innocent until proven guilty; we need to enact the precautionary principle and stop all use of all pesticides, before the earth is rendered unfit for all forms of life.

MRC should simply cut down their excess oak trees which would keep poisonous herbicides out of the air, the ground, the water, and the people who apply it; this would leave the wood clean and useful for custom furniture, flooring, striated strand-board, pallets, firewood, wine barrels, logs for growing mushrooms, landscaping mulch or biochar. MRC should leave large, mature oaks on every acre and allow native people to gather unpoisoned acorns, which are an important traditional food for them. It is sinful to waste this resource, and lose all the jobs that could and should be based upon it.

Killing hardwoods and leaving the dead trees standing, creates an extreme fire hazard, destroys wildlife habitat, wastes the resource, and fails to create jobs in our community; this is the polar opposite of green, sustainable, socially responsible forestry, and therefore the FSC should NOT recertify MRC as a green company.

All the timber companies in Mendocino County use Hack ‘n’ Squirt to kill their unwanted trees, and according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, all these companies together have killed 5 million trees in the past three years alone, and left them standing. Thousands of acres of dead standing trees constitute a massive load of fuel—ready and waiting for some accident or lightening strike to set off a toxic and unstoppable firestorm.

Despite the obvious fire hazard, Cal Fire only taxes land with ‘habitable structures,’ which garners almost nothing from the timber companies whose actions have set the stage for future firestorms; private homeowners with little land and few (if any) dead trees standing are taxed, and thus forced to subsidize Cal Fire’s firefighting on corporate timberland. In my opinion, Cal Fire must not give timberland owners a free pass on the cost of fighting fires on their own land. Furthermore, volunteer firefighters from community fire departments should not be expected to respond to toxic fires on MRC land.

The Grand Jury must investigate this issue of dead trees left standing and who pays for fighting fires on commercial timberland, as well as why Cal Fire urges private homeowners to cut down their dead trees because they are a fire hazard, but does not urge commercial timber companies to do the same.

The RFA held a stakeholder’s hearing at the Caspar Community Center on 25 August 2015. The standing-room-only crowd included several of MRC’s neighbors in the Comptche area who stated that their homes are now surrounded by ‘dead zones’ where nothing is able to live; some stated that they can still smell the poisons long after their use, and others claimed that the death rate at early ages from cancer is inordinately high in their neighborhoods.

One young mother stated her son was born with leukemia and without a functioning immune system four months after the area around her well was sprayed by four men at night, without her permission. Other women complained of having miscarriages, and at a different meeting, Hack ‘n’ Squirt workers claimed they had children born with cleft palates and missing fingers and toes.

Obviously, people in our community are being used as guinea pigs, which is illegal, immoral and downright sociopathic. The poisons being used are considered innocent until proven guilty, which places an undue burden on the public: it is as impossible for ordinary citizens to obtain absolute proof of harm caused by herbicides as it would be for them to finance justice through the courts.

The Mendocino County Health Department must investigate these allegations and they should conduct a survey to discover any other problems such as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, cancer, birth defects, stillborn babies and miscarriages experienced by residents living near dead forests, as well as by the people hired to hack ‘n’ squirt.

A ban on the use of all pesticides is the only sensible course to follow if we want a green, healthy environment where we can safely conceive and give birth to children, raise them, grow gardens, live and work without the fear of being sickened or trapped and burnt alive in toxic wildfires.

At the RFA meeting, several people asked for the definition of a ‘green’ company, but the facilitator Dr. Stephen Graddo (the socioeconomic auditor for RFA), appeared not to understand the question. Without official standards, how can any company shape their forest stewardship policy so they can be certified as green? Owners of TPZ land should be required to leave enough food producing plants and sheltering trees and shrubs per acre to provide for the birds and animals that would normally live on an acre in a natural forest. Without a clearly stated set of requirements for certification, RFA and FPC are a sham and their certification is no more than a marketing tool.

Another question asked at the meeting was: “Does MRC receive carbon credits for leaving their dead trees standing?” Stephen Graddo, claimed he knew nothing about this despite being the socioeconomic auditor for RFA. Beth Bosk recently claimed (in a letter to the AVA) that MRC gets more carbon credits by leaving their dead trees standing than they would get if they cut them down. If this is true, it is outrageous and makes the whole carbon credit scheme look like a scam.

Several attendees complained that Hack ‘n’ Squirt is transforming our natural forests into tree plantations, without filing THPs or EIRs. No stakeholders were pleased with the way MRC treats either the forest or the loggers, who were conspicuous at the meeting by their absence. Someone explained that any logger seen there would be blacklisted and would never work again. This is not how a ‘socially-responsible company’ should act.

According to Mendocino County Ag data, there are primarily three poisons used in forest management here: Roundup (active ingredient is glylphosate), Garlon (active ingredient is triclopyr,) which is not registered for use in CA for chemical mowing and possibly other uses as well, and Arsenal (active ingredient is imazapyr). The formulations that are used in the forests include up to 55% ‘inert’ materials, which are often highly toxic. When mixtures are combined, synergistic effects can create even more toxic compounds.

Everyone using these formulations claims they are nontoxic and not harmful, however the Safety Data Sheet dated 2015/04/07 for imazapyr states that it has not been tested for genetic or reproductive toxicity, or for carcinogenicity (cancer), or for teratogenicity (birth defects.) It also states: “when thermally decomposed, may release hazardous and/or toxic fumes … Firefighters should be equipped with self-contained positive pressure breathing apparatus and turnout gear … Contain fire fighting water – do not allow it to enter waterways.”

The Alligare Imazapyr 4 SL label states: “It is a violation of Federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling … This product may (not) be applied (in CA) on forestry sites with seasonally dry flood plains and transitional areas between upland and lowland sites when no water is present. Also (not) permissible (in CA) to treat marshes, swamps, bogs after water has receded as well as seasonally dry flood deltas.”

The Safety Data Sheet for ‘Glyphosate 4 Plus’ states: “Harmful if inhaled, Toxic to aquatic life, have the label with you when calling a doctor. During a fire, product may generating (sic) … toxic gasses. Evacuate area and fight fire from a safe distance. Approach from upwind to avoid hazardous vapors and decomposition products (nitrogen oxides, phosphorous oxides and carbon monoxide). A foam or dry chemical fire extinguishing system is preferred to prevent environmental damage from excessive water run off. If possible, dike and collect water used to fight fire to prevent/minimize run off.” Firefighters should wear self-contained breathing apparatus with full face piece. Wear full firefighting turn-out gear (Bunker gear). Roundup, which contains glyphosate, is highly lethal to amphibians in a natural setting. Both glyphosate and herbicides containing it cause genetic damage in laboratory tests with human cells; this year the World Health Organization announced that glyphosate is a probable cause of cancer in humans.

The ‘Material Safety Data Sheets’ and the ‘Specimen Labels’ warn of potential health hazards and list first aid treatments; they also warn of environmental hazards. For example the Specimen Label for ‘Forestry Garlon XRT’ warns “This pesticide is toxic to fish…The use of this chemical in areas where soils are permeable, particularly where the water table is shallow, may result in groundwater contamination.”

Up-to-date copies of these documents for every chemical used must be provided to all local fire and police departments as well as to hospitals, along with maps showing exactly where they have been used.

When used as foliar sprays, Arsenal, Roundup and Garlon destroy all the food and shelter for the birds and animals that live in a natural forest. They kill: Ceanothus, Chinquapin, Chamise, Buckthorn, Western Azalea, Coast Live Oak, Toyon, Hazel, California Bay Laurel, Manzanita, Madrone, Alder, Birch, Ash, Willows, Pine, Maples, Red Alder. They also kill huckleberries, thimbleberries, salmonberries, coffeeberries, dwarf Oregon-grapes, elderberries, chokecherry, salal, blackberry vines and many varieties of ferns. Not even wild roses, mosses, and rare fairy orchids are spared: otherwise why would stakeholders describe the sprayed forest as a ‘dead zone’?

The callousness of forest managers who plan the destruction of the food sources for all our beautiful native birds is disgusting. Have they never seen a family of handsome, redheaded acorn woodpeckers that depend on acorns but also eat termites, ants and insects in bark and foliage? Without birds to eat the gypsy moths and spruce budworms, won’t MRC then spray insecticides to kill the insects that would otherwise be eaten by birds in a truly green and sustainable environment?

Will MRC also use rodenticides to poison the rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, skunks, voles, gophers, mice and wood rats that are the food of eagles, hawks, blue herons and owls? Will the tiny beneficial micorrhizal organisms that live on the roots of oaks, hold water and transfer nutrients to the roots of the conifers die along with the oaks? We have dead zones in the oceans, now we have them in our forests.

Despite this mayhem in the MRC forests, the Fisher family wants to brand their company and their forest products as ‘GREEN.’ MRC has killed millions of trees at a time when the earth is heating up, and co² is building up in the atmosphere. We have great need now for the oxygen that only living trees can make for us. From the viewpoint of this stakeholder, the destruction of the original, natural forest ecosystem is a shameful and heartless crime, and more than a little sociopathic. To certify MRC as a green company and allow them to brand their wood as ‘GREEN’ is fraudulent.

The poisoning of trees in Mendocino County forests has been going on for too many years. Forty years ago, in the 1970s, I researched the potential fuel load contained in the thousands of acres of dead standing trees in our county at that time; I wrote a paper on the topic for the Environmental Protection Center (EPC), which we presented at a Board of Forestry meeting in Sacramento. In those days the poison of choice was Agent Orange, that infamous destroyer of Vietnamese forests and rice paddies, which caused serious illnesses in our vets and birth defects in their children and also in the Vietnamese and their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. As far as I know the Board of Forestry never took any action on this issue.

Thousands of acres in Mendocino and Humboldt Counties were sprayed from helicopters, secretly before 1970. The cat was let out of the bag when the wife of Hans Jenny, a soil scientist at U.C., sent a postcard to the EPC, reporting that the Tunzi ranch in Comptche had been sprayed. This was just after Operation Ranch Hand was closed down in Vietnam in 1971. The chemicals used both there and here were a mixture of half 2,4-D, half 2,4,5-T (Agent Orange), highly contaminated with a variety of dioxins. The public was horrified to learn that chemical warfare was being conducted at home in our forests, in our watersheds.

Foresters called this practice ‘Conifer Release,’ and it was intended to kill all broad-leaf trees and plants and create a coniferous monoculture. Just like today, it created an enormous load of combustible material, perfect fuel for toxic and unstoppable firestorms. In 1979 an initiative was passed which banned the aerial application of all materials containing any form of dioxin. The legislature quickly invalidated our initiative on the grounds that State law allows phenoxy herbicides to be aerially sprayed, and therefore we citizens could only make laws less stringent, but not more strict than State laws. Unfortunately this demonstrates how our ‘democracy’ has failed us. Should we wish to change State laws using the initiative process, undoubtedly the Federal government would claim the supremacy of their laws over those of the State of California.

Our initiative passed in 1979 and 15 years later (in 1994), the Board of Supervisors passed a resolution which stated that thousands of acres with dead standing hardwoods and dead brush killed by Garlon presented an extreme fire danger which threatened the health and safety of thousands of residents. They called for a voluntary halt to this practice, but unfortunately the timber barons ignored this resolution, and the practice has continued, unabated for all of the 21 years that have passed since then.

What can be done? Pray for rain and sign the petition put together by Fire Chief Ted Williams to place a measure on the ballot in June of 2016, which if passed will declare it a public nuisance to leave Hack ‘n’ Squirt killed trees standing dead for more than 90 days.

Most importantly, try to imagine a toxic-free future: Mendocino County will be declared a Toxic Free Zone. Poisons will no longer be available in chain stores and groceries. Farm and garden supply stores will only carry natural fertilizers – limestone, rock phosphate, compost, seaweed and fish emulsions. Cal-Trans and Mendocino County Department of Public Works will hire people instead of poisons to replace roadside weeds with maintenance-free native grasses and flowers. PG&E will mow beneath their power lines; weeds along railroad beds will be zapped with microwaves.

U.C. Farm Advisors will quit pimping for the chemical industry; a new generation of advisors will teach the organic methods of John Jeavons and Alan Chadwick, distribute practical information and help farmers and gardeners solve problems. Advisors will give classes in beekeeping; they will help develop strong races of bees suited to life in our various climates—without any need for chemical ‘assistance.’

U.C. Forestry Advisors will never again promote economic poisons; instead a new generation of advisors will teach methods along the line of the forester-conservationist Richard St. Barbe Baker, who wrote: “Nature is wonderful in her adaptations for she provides a symbiotic fungus whose strands attach themselves at one end to the decaying leaf of the hardwood tree while the other end contacts the tiny feeding roots of the pine. This process is known as a micorrhizal association.” (My Life, My Trees, p. 43) “Moreover, pine woods are inhospitable to birds and wildlife. Lacking browse, deer are liable to bark the trees, and squirrels and grouse destroy the buds. When a pure coniferous forest is artificially created, the balance of nature is disturbed. Birds may forsake the area owing to absence of food and thus permit insect pests to establish themselves unmolested. Insectivorous birds are the friends of both the farmer and the forester and are well known to be important controls of farm and forest insects. (Green Glory, p. 84)

‘Multiple-use’ in Jackson State Forest will no longer be interpreted as a chemically maintained monoculture of coniferous saw logs for Japan or China. A wide variety of native hardwoods will be planted among the conifers. Orchards of fruit trees and groves of nut trees will be planted there, along with berry vines and bushes. Space will be made available in Jackson State Forest for privately owned beehives. Honey wine (mead) will be bottled in our wineries during their off-season.

Trails and cabins will be built by groups of supervised young people just as they were in the Woodlands during the Great Depression. Special hardwoods will be grown for furniture makers, and hemp for textiles will be grown in their shade. People will learn to make high-quality, handmade hemp paper and yarn for textiles. Edible and dye mushrooms will be planted, and hand weavers and knitters will become well known for the beautiful colors of their unique mushroom-dyed, handcrafted clothing.

Huckleberries and blackberries will be encouraged and will provide fruit for the picking. Kitchens in our schools will be used during the summers for canning classes and people will be able to make jams and pickles there. Bed and breakfast inns will serve their muffins with berry jam and restaurant menus will include cobblers, pies and ice cream, all made from berries grown in Jackson State Forest.

Wildlife in Jackson State Forest and on private forestland will not have their homes destroyed by clear-cuts or their food supplies eliminated by herbicides. Venison culled from the forests will be safe to eat. Frogs and other amphibians will not be killed or deformed; sheep and ducks will weed vineyards; pigs, sheep, goats, cattle and poultry will range freely in pastures. Fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, trout, catfish, tilapia, crayfish and abalone will all be farmed organically. These crops will command the highest prices.

Restaurants will be proud to serve local organic food and wine, and Mendocino County will become a haven for chemically sensitized casualties from the toxic zones of the world. Tourists will flock here to hike, ride horses and bike along new coastal pathways and on trails in Jackson State Forest; they will enjoy our spas, music and original theater. They will breath clean air, eat our delicious uncontaminated food and sleep soundly in award-winning cabins built of logs, straw bales or rammed earth and heated by the sun. Multiple uses of Jackson State Forest will improve the quality of many lives and strengthen our connections with the natural world.

Our schools will teach toxic-free methods of producing the three basics: food, clothing and shelter. With training in these areas, perhaps kids will be able to stay here after graduation and have a future.

CATCH OF THE DAY, September 15, 2015

TINY WHIPPLE, Covelo. Domestic assault.

MARLEEN BOMIA, Lakeport. Refusing or failing to leave hotel or motel where accommodations are obtained but refuse to pay, resisting arrest.

JOHN GRAHAM, Willits. Suspended license, probation revocation.

NICHOLAS GURNETT, Eureka/Willits. Trespassing.

FREDERICK KAANAPU JR., Willits. Drunk in public.

PHILIP MARSICK II, Willits. Pot sale, transport, furnish.

CHRISTINA McGREW, Redwood Valley. Domestic battery, resisting, probation revocation.

LONNIE PIERCE, Fort Bragg. Drunk in public.

JASON PRINDLE, Santa Rosa/Willits. DUI-drugs.

DEREK SILVA, Fort Bragg. Burglary, probation revocation.

RICHARD TILLMAN, Ukiah. Probation revocation.

DONALD TRUMP VS. METALLICA: ONE BORDER DON’T STOP NO SHOW

by Lee Ballinger

In 2003, Metallica performed in the prison yard at San Quentin. Frontman James Hetfield was uncharacteristically introspective at the mic: “If I didn’t have music in my life it’s quite possible I’d be in here or, not even here, be dead. I’d much rather be alive. Everyone is born good. Everyone’s got the same size soul. So we’re very proud to be in your house and play some music for you.”

Six years later, Metallica played in front of 50,000 people at Foro Sol stadium in Mexico City. Their pride in being in someone else’s house to play some music was as heartfelt there as it was at San Quentin, as can be seen on the DVD Orgullo, Pasion, Y Gloria. But this time Hetfield is anything but introspective. He begins the show by screaming “Mexico!” and then uses his limited Spanish at every opportunity (the crowd responds by singing the songs word-for-word in English). There’s a way-too-early bass solo (second song) by Robert Trujillo that seems to have been placed there just so Hetfield can joyfully announce “Now welcome my friend Roberto!”

At a pre-show press conference, Trujillo takes a tattered piece of paper out of his pocket, unfolds it and reads slowly in Spanish “I am so happy to be here to play for you, in the country where my mother was born.” The spirit of that message is pushed relentlessly from the stage by all four band members throughout the night. The crowd, the band, and the stadium itself seem to be humming from some internal amplifier. Back and forth the energy goes. Like the repetition in lovemaking, it never grows old.

Finally, Metallica can’t play any longer but they can’t seem to leave. They’re trapped inside the energy wave they’ve helped to create. They take center stage holding a Mexican flag, mugging for the cameras. The stadium gets louder. Then each band member says goodbye in Spanish.  The noise drops a decibel or two and they take that as the cue to make their escape.

The show itself is transcendent — the band delivers a twenty-five year panorama of well-written songs with supreme skill. They are roaring but under control, precise but never rote. Yet the DVD, directed by Wayne Isham, is more than a concert documentary.

Orgullo, Pasion, Y Gloria  conveys the oppressiveness of the Mexican state apparatus as a force that pushes the fans toward Metallica for release. And those fans are allowed to display their “Pride, Passion, and Glory.” They talk about where they come from and why they love Metallica. They perform Metallica songs. They show their love for each other.

Nothing is translated and there are no sub-titles. Hetfield beams as he observes the long line of stalls selling bootleg Metallica gear. “Isn’t this great?” he says without a hint of sarcasm. The effect is to make you feel that instead of watching a Metallica show that just happens to be taking place in Mexico you are actually visiting Mexico and have somehow stumbled across a Metallica show.

Excerpted from a 2011 article in Rock & Rap Confidential….

(Courtesy, CounterPunch.org)

ON LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY

The United States of America is a weak, decrepit, corrupt, impoverished, larcenized shell of its former self. Anyone with functioning eyes can see it. So, if patriotism is the motive for volunteering for a hard and dangerous life, and if patriotism is what the military indoctrinates in its officers, then it’s easy to imagine some of the hats, patriotic to the core, seeing themselves as America’s saviors. You know, clean, good-hearted, disciplined officers assuming the levers of power, mucking out the Augean stables in Washington and Wall Street, formulating plans, giving orders, doing what’s right, restoring order and sanity after the decades-long Katrina of lousy behavior. And then, at a suitable time, with the clocks re-set and the trains running on time, and everyone eating their vegetables and going to bed at a decent hour, returning power to civilians. Can you see it? I can. It’s easy to map out a road to a military-run government. Not as easy to see the road back.

A DAY IN THE OAKS

As fall approaches we see our local oaks laden with acorns of all shapes and sizes from the pointed valley oak to the squat black oak acorn. This is the best time of year to try your hand at identifying these wonderful native trees. Join Kerry Heise, local botanist on a guided hike at the Hopland Research and Extension Center (HREC) on Sunday, September 27th from 10am-1pm for "A Day in the Oaks". Kerry will guide participants through the process of oak identification and introduce a variety of the diverse oak species present on the site. "We will likely see up to 7 different tree oaks as we walk from the center including coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), canyon live oak (Q. chrysolepis), blue oak (Q. douglasii), Garry oak (Q. garryana), black oak (Q. kelloggii), valley oak (Q. lobata), and Shreve oak (Q. parvula var. shrevei), and maybe some hybrids too" commented Kerry, a well-respected local botanist and member of the California Native Plant Society. Hannah Bird, Community Educator at HREC adds "This is a great place to discover these magnificent trees, our location straddles climate zones, maritime influence and soil and elevation differences. As a result, HREC has around 10 species of oaks across the 5,300 acre site." Participants are encouraged to wear clothing suitable for hiking whatever the weather and to bring a water bottle. Hikes will take place on roads or trails - but terrain may be steep and uneven at times. No dogs are allowed on the hike due to the presence of guard animals on the site used for sheep protection. Those who would like to share a potluck lunch after the hike are encouraged to bring along plates, utensils, cups and an item of food to share. This is a free event in partnership with the California Native Plant Society. Participants are requested to sign up in advance at: http://ow.ly/SchTq.

Hikers will meet at the Rod Shippey Hall, 4070 University Road, Hopland CA 95449 at 10am on Sunday, September 27th. For more information contact Hannah Bird, (707) 744-1424, Ext. 105, hbird@ucanr.edu

ART COURSES OFFERED at the Cloverdale Arts Alliance starting in October!

Beginning in October, the Cloverdale Arts Alliance is pleased to present two new 8-week afternoon Art Courses, an early afternoon art course for adults, and an after-school course for children. In these fun-packed general art classes, students will be introduced to Drawing, Painting, Collage, and more.

After-school Children’s Art Course -- “Drawing, Painting, Collage, & More”
Tuesdays 3:30-5:30pm (Oct 6, 13, 20, 27, Nov 3, 10, 17, 24)
Grades 3-12 (limited to a total of 10 students)
Cost is $250 for the entire course, plus $15 materials fee
10% family discount applies

Daytime Adult Art Course –“Painting, Drawing, Collage & More”
Tuesdays 11:30am-2:00pm (Oct 6, 13, 20, 27, Nov 3, 10, 17, 24)
Limited to 10 students
Cost is $250 for the entire course, plus materials
10% family discount applies

The instructor for these courses is Sandra Novia, who has been teaching art for over 30 years. In addition to the Cloverdale Arts Alliance, Sandra currently is teaching in Sonoma County in public and private schools, public libraries, Sonoma State University’s Youth Excel Program, Healdsburg Center for the Arts, and with homeschooled children.

The Cloverdale Arts Alliance is located at 204 N. Cloverdale Blvd. Application and sign-up sheets are available online at cloverdaleartsalliance.org.

If you have questions about the courses feel free to contact Sandra Novia directly at (707) 433-2787 or sandranovia@gmail.com. These art courses are programs of the Cloverdale Arts Alliance, a non-profit arts organization bringing cultural arts to Northern Sonoma County. Other CAA programs include Friday Night Live at the Plaza, Art Gallery, Sculpture Trail, THE Jazz Club, Americana Night, Music Workshops, Discovering Art Series, Ceramics Classes, Wine Appreciation Workshops, The Blues Session, and Special Events.

NEW FAMILY MEDICINE PHYSICIAN JOINS UKIAH VALLEY RURAL HEALTH CENTER

There may be a shortage of primary care physicians nationwide, but there isn't a shortage in Mendocino and surrounding counties. It looks like the stars are aligned for the Ukiah Valley, with the addition of Kimberley Hanneken, MD, family medicine physician at Ukiah Valley Rural Health Center.

As a family physician, Dr. Hanneken specializes in providing care for men, women and children. Dr. Hanneken diagnoses and treats many conditions and offers a wide range of services, including preventive medicine, such as vaccinations, annual physical exams; management of ongoing chronic illnesses and treatment of acute or serious medical conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension.

"I always knew I wanted to be a family medicine physician. I love being able to take care of patients of all ages and build relationships with families over time," says Dr. Hanneken. "As a mom, I understand how important it is to have a great relationship with your doctor and to find a physician that you can trust to care for your whole family," she adds.

Dr. Hanneken earned her medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago, IL. She then completed her residency in family medicine at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Decatur, IL.

"I feel that having a child has made me a better doctor. I am able to relate to my patients in a whole new way," she shares. Dr. Hanneken is passionate about women's health and caring for children and is also a supporter of breastfeeding. Asked why she chose a career in family medicine, Dr. Hanneken says she enjoys the variety. "There's never a dull moment throughout my day, and I love that."

Dr. Hanneken likes to promote preventive medicine with her patients. "I'm a collaborator and a straight shooter. I like to work with my patients to give them the best care. I think it's important to focus on preventing health problems from happening, rather than just fixing them if and when they do occur," she says. "Medications are a tool, but sometimes lifestyle changes are better option to try first. I try to work with my patients and give them as much information to help them make the best decisions about their health."

Asked what brought her to Ukiah, Dr. Hanneken says it's "everything". "It checks everything on my list: the people, the landscape, activities, and proximity to family."  Dr. Hanneken says she especially loves the outdoors and the chance to do the things she loves; spending time with her family, running, hiking, yoga, music, dance, Buddhist studies & meditation.

I look forward to working with the compassionate and cohesive team of caregivers here at the Rural Health Center. This opportunity is a great fit for me. I am excited to get started and to care for this community."

Dr. Hanneken is welcoming new patients at the family practice office at Ukiah Valley Rural Health Center, located at 260 Hospital Drive, Suite 209 in Ukiah. Please call 707.463.7488 or visit uvmc.org for more information.

--  UVMC  --

Ukiah Valley Rural Health Center is part of Ukiah Valley Medical Center,part of Adventist Health, a faith-based, not-for-profit integrated health care delivery system serving communities in California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington. Our workforce of 28,600 includes more than 20,500 employees; 4,500 medical staff physicians; and 3,600 volunteers. Founded on Seventh-day Adventist health values, Adventist Health provides compassionate care in 19 hospitals, more than 220 clinics (hospital-based, rural health and physician clinics), 14 home care agencies, seven hospice agencies and four joint-venture retirement centers. We invite you to visit [Hospital Website] for more information.

HUFF TO THE RESCUE

Subject: Good News!

Hi KZYX,

I just got the following from the FCC:

Hey Heather – I was just informed that the station’s renewal application was granted today. Let me know if you need anything else.  Thanks!

I didn’t get any additional information, but if you have questions please let me know and I can pass them on.

Sincerely, Heather

Heather Gurewitz
Field Representative
Congressman Jared Huffman
Fort Bragg District Office
430 N. Franklin St., Fort Bragg, CA 95437
Mail: PO Box 2208, Fort Bragg, CA 95437
707.962-0933; fax: 707-962-0905
www.huffman.house.gov