Mendocino County Today: Saturday, Oct 10, 2015

• Indigenous Day
• Missing Persons
• Shelter Support
• Greenwood Bridge
• Beyond Redundancy
• FB Reservoir
• Marijuana Rules
• Amanda Nabbed
• Hung Jury
• Yesterday's Catch
• Gun Gauntlet
• Abalone Diving
• AM Radio
• MRC Posts
• Disinformation Business
• Republican Jesus
• Canada Rail
• Delta Tunnels
• Blankfort Exhibition
• Crush Rush
• Library Events

MENDO AGREES TO ‘INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY’

Resolution by the Board of Supervisors (drafted by Perry Two Feathers Tripp), approved 5-0 by the Board on October 6, 2015:

Recognizing October 12, 2015 as Indigenous Peoples Day to celebrate the thriving cultures and values of the indigenous peoples, acknowledging the intergenerational Harms and traumas related to the forcible removal of Indian children as a result of the United States American Indian Boarding School policy.

Whereas the County of Mendocino will recognize October 12, 2015 as Indigenous Peoples Day to celebrate the thriving cultures and values of indigenous peoples and promote the well-being of Mendocino's Native American and Alaskan Native and other American indigenous peoples;

Whereas the County of Mendocino recognizes that Mendocino is built upon the homeland and villages of the indigenous people of the region consisting of at least 10 federally recognized tribes; Whereas the United States at the urging of and in support of the Christian churches of that time adopted the Indian civilization Fund Act of 1819 to provide financial support for church-run schools to civilize Native American children through an education program intended to eradicate Native American culture and later adopted a boarding school policy for the purpose of eradication of Native American culture and language;

And whereas between 1859 and the 1869s at least 100,000 Native American children were removed from their homes and families, often involuntarily, placed in faraway boarding schools. They were funded and operated by the federal government and Christian churches where those children were shamed for being Native American, punished for speaking their tribal language, banned from engaging in any traditional, spiritual or cultural or tribal practices, shorn of long hair, stripped of traditional clothing, neglected, subjected to harsh discipline and corporal punishment and physically, sexually and mentally abused.

Whereas Article 2, Section E the United Nations definition of genocide is as defined in international law and in the convention for the prevention and punishment of genocide it states that forcibly transferring children from one group to another group is an act of genocide;

And whereas Native American children who were indigenous to the Pacific Northwest and lands known today as the County of Mendocino were forcibly removed from their homes and families and transported to regional boarding schools where they were forced to speak English and otherwise treated inhumanely as set forth above, affected indigenous peoples in the greater Mendocino area and throughout the Pacific Northwest in profound ways to this day.

Whereas these Native American children and their children and now their grandchildren and their great-grandchildren have become the legacy of the United States Indian boarding schools and the federal policy that established and sustained those schools and the trauma these Native American children suffered has gone unrecognized and unresolved, has instead been passed on to each subsequent generation resulting in historical and intergenerational trauma that pervades, undermines and devastates Native American individuals, families and communities to this day.

And whereas the United States has never offered any meaningful apology or offered to provide any redress to Native American, Alaskan Native and other American indigenous peoples for the generations of harm caused by the United States Indian boarding schools and the federal policy of establishing and sustaining those schools;

Whereas the facts and history about the pervasive and continuing harm and trauma caused by the United States American Indian boarding schools policiy are poorly understood by the American public, the United States Congress or its executive branch;

And whereas in order to begin the healing process to address the harm and trauma suffered by the Native American, Alaskan native and other in American indigenous peoples as a result of the United States American Indian boarding school policy, a comprehensive national study of the policy and its impact is needed. Which studies should include complete study of the policy and its impacts, documentation of the events that took place at each of the boarding schools, the fate of each of the native students, the gathering of testimony from those who attended the schools and recommendations to Congress for truth, healing, reconciliation, redress and justice.

Now therefore be it resolved that the County of Mendocino in an effort to promote truth, healing, reconciliation, redress and justice does hereby acknowledge the various harms and the genocide and the ongoing historical and intergenerational trauma to Native American and Alaska Native and other American indigenous peoples resulting from the United States American Indian boarding school policy;

Be it further resolved that the County of Mendocino strongly encourages the County of Mendocino public schools to include both the history of the boarding school era and the teaching of Native American, Alaskan American and other indigenous American indigenous peoples languages in school curriculum.

STILL LOOKING FOR MISSING PERSONS IN MENDOCINO COUNTY

by Linda Williams

In May 2013 the charred remains of a young woman were discovered in a refrigerator alongside the Eel River near Dos Rios. It took forensic scientists months to confirm the remains were human and to extract DNA from them. The DNA did not match any local missing person in someone in the national or state database. Without an identity, the case became cold. It wasn’t until May 2015 the family of Rachel Sloan of Laytonville reported her missing, telling police they had not had any contact with her since August 2012. The family provided DNA and in September the California Department of Justice confirmed the remains found in 2013 were those of Rachel Audrey Sloan, 25.Each year in Mendocino County more than 100 persons are reported missing. Most are located or return on their own but between one and two persons each year go missing under suspicious circumstances.

New forensic capabilities have allowed detectives to close some missing persons cases. Tony Joseph Griffani, 38, left a Ukiah residence to go to Gualala in November 1999 and was never seen again. His pickup truck was found in January 2000 near Willits. In 2003, a human skull was located near where the pickup was found. Mendocino County Sheriff’s Cpt. Greg VanPatten has confirmed the remains found belonged to Griffani and that the disappearance is considered suspicious.Other remains have yet to be identified. Skeletal remains were found in Sept. 2013 along the Eel River near the Standish-Hickey State Park. The skeletal remains of an unidentified man, 25 to 45 years old, and between 5 ft. 11 and 6 ft. 5 inches tall were located in October 2012 on the shore of the Eel River north of Leggett.

One of the oldest unidentified case in the county is Jane and John Doe who were likely murdered in December 1978. Jane was about 14 years old and John was about 13. The two are not related. Both teens had light brown hair. Detectives found a pierced-ear hoop earring ornamented with a small carved bird and some duct tape with the remains. Little else is known. The teens’ scattered skeletal remains were found in steep terrain just off Highway 20 about 13 miles west of Willits on Sunday July 8, 1979. The teens were apparently never reported missing. Anyone with information that could assist detectives in either locating the missing or identifying the remains are asked to contact the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office tip-line by calling 707-234-2100.

Mendocino County missing

James Leroy Watson: was last seen on March 31, 2015. Watson was born on Dec. 25, 1965. He is a white male, with brown hair, blue eyes, 5 foot 7 inches, 190 pounds with pierced ears and two tattoos.

Barbara Lea Norton: was last heard from on April 4, 2014 in the unincorporated area of Willits. She was 53 years old at the time of her disappearance. She is a white female with brown hair, gray eyes, 5 ft. 1 inches and 130 pounds. When she disappeared her cell phone, purse and id was left in her residence. She was thought by friends to be despondent.

Erik Swan Lamberg: was last seen on May 27, 2013. His car was found abandoned on a dirt portion of Sherwood Road. He was born on Oct. 29, 1961. He is a white male with brown hair, blue eyes, 6 ft. 5 inches and 200 pounds.

Tellie Joe Simmons: was last heard from Christmas 2013. At the time of her disappearance she was 31 years old. She has brown hair and eyes, 5 ft. 11 inches and 135 pounds.

 

Genevieve Kathryn Alexander: was last seen on April 4, 2013. She was born Dec. 15, 1982. She is a white female with brown hair, blue eyes, 5 foot 6 inches and 110 pounds. Alexander was last seen walking from the Pomo Campground. A search of the area revealed a pair of pants that Alexander was wearing floating in the surf.Michael

Travis McInerney: was last seen on March 1, 2012. He was born on July 19, 1984. He is a white male with brown hair, blue eyes, 5 ft. 8 inches and 150 pounds. Eric Christopher Grant: was last seen working for Mendocino Redwood Company on October 27, 2010 near Navarro Ridge Road. Grant was 33 at the time of his disappearance. He had brown hair and green eyes, 6 ft. 3 inches and 130 pounds.

Michele Bonnie Schlick: was last seen Dec. 31, 2007. She was born June 1, 1955. She is a white female with blond hair, blue eyes, 5 foot 1 and 115 pounds.

David Virgil Neily: was last heard from in April 2006. He was born Nov. 29, 1936. He is a white male, with gray hair, green eyes, height 5 ft. 5 inches and 150 pounds. He was reported missing in May 2006. Detective found both his vehicles in Westport in July 2006. Newspaper articles in one vehicle were dated April 17, 2006.

Thomas Michael Thurston: was last seen on Nov. 6, 2005. Thurston was born July 14, 1986. He is a white male, with brown hair, blue eyes, 6 foot 1 inches, 170 pounds. Thurston and a friend went on an overnight camping trip to north Cow Mountain Mayacamas campground east of Ukiah. Thurston left the camp at 2 a.m. and has not been seen since.

Michael William Desmet: was reported missing in September 2005. He was 35 years old at the time of his disappearance. He has blonde hair, green eyes, 6 ft. 1 inches and 200 pounds. His last known location was on his friend’s Joseph Clarence Wilma’s property in Covelo. Wilma is considered a homicide victim after his femur and jawbone and vehicle were found at the property. Desmet is considered missing under suspicious circumstances and investigators believe he is likely also a victim of a homicide.

Donald James Cavanaugh: was last seen on March 1, 2005. He was born July 26, 1941. He is a white male with gray hair, blue eyes, five foot 8 inches and 140 pounds. Cavanaugh was reported missing in May 2005. Detectives located his vehicle along with other personal property in Westport.

Chad Richard Kirkendall: of Caspar was last heard from on May 29, 2004. He was born Oct. 12, 1980. He is a white male with brown hair, brown eyes, five feet 9 inches and 215 pounds. He drove his roommate’s vehicle to their mailbox and has not been seen since. His roommate located the vehicle in a ditch and called police. Kirkendall’s shoes were found in the vehicle and someone matching his description hitched a ride and was dropped off at the Mendocino Elementary School.

Katherine Rebecca Lamadrid: was last seen on Dec. 17, 2004 in Fort Bragg. She was born on Oct. 25, 1964. She is a white female with blonde hair, blue eyes, 5 ft. 10 inches and 170 pounds. She was last seen walking across the old Noyo River Bridge.

Jaime Vasquez: was last seen on March 31, 2001. Vasquez was born Nov. 26, 1972. He is a Hispanic male, with brown hair, green eyes, 6 foot tall, 175 pounds.

Danny Ray Michael: was last seen on April 3, 1995. He was born on Nov. 15, 1950. He is a white male with brown hair, blue eyes, 5 ft 6 inches and 150 pounds. He was last seen on the 46000 block of Fisherman Drive in Laytonville. He told a family member he was planning to drive to Garberville. On April 3 his vehicle was found abandoned on Sherwood Road.

Jon David Snyder: was last seen in December 1994. He was 45 years old at the time of his disappearance with blond hair, blue eyes, 5 ft. 11 inches and 170 pounds. His vehicle was found stuck in the mud in the Chicken Ridge area of Covelo, Neighbors reported seeing it there sometime in January 1995. A search turned up no further clues to his disappearance.

Paula Jan Schulze: was last seen in April 1995. At the time of her disappearance she was 45 years old. She has red hair and hazel eyes and is 5 ft. 6 inches and 130 pounds. She resided in the 1500 block of Branscomb Road in Laytonville. She was last seen in a hot springs area of Lake County when she had an argument and “reportedly walked away from the friends with her six dogs and was never seen or heard from again.”

Kristi Suzanne Krebs: was last seen on Aug. 9, 1993 in Fort Bragg. She was born on Dec. 19, 1970. She is a white female with brown hair, blue eyes, 5 feet 2 inches and 140 pounds.

Daniel William Southers: was last seen on Sept. 17, 1987. He was 24 years old at the time of his disappearance. Southers had brown hair, hazel eyes, 6 ft. 3 inches tall and 250 pounds. He left his Fort Bragg residence the morning of his disappearance and has not been seen since. Detectives believe Southers may have been involved in marijuana cultivation and that this could have led to his disappearance.

Peter Harrington: was last heard from around Nov. 1, 1983 in Redwood Valley. He was born on Feb. 2, 1945. He is a white male, with blonde hair, blue eyes, 5 foot 8 inches and 160 pounds.

Frederick (aka William) Donald Leach: was last seen on March 17, 1976 in Laytonville. He was born on Dec. 6, 1926. He is a white male with gray hair, blue eyes, 5 ft. 8 inches and 165 pounds. Leach lived in a residence about 1 mile south of Laytonville at the time of his disappearance.

Those listed as missing were either reported to Mendocino County authorities or listed by the California Attorney General as missing in Mendocino County.

(Courtesy, the Willits News)

PUBLIC FLOCKS TO SUPPORT MOTION to allocate up to $60,000 for winter shelter funds by the County. (Approved 5-0)

THE NEW GREENWOOD BRIDGE — GETTING THERE

A Philo Reader Writes: There was a big drilling rig working at the Greenwood Road bridge this morning. I stopped and asked one of the guys what they were working on and he said they were drilling for soil samples. I assume it was for the engineering firm that's designing a replacement bridge. Regarding that, I haven't heard or read anything about what stage they are at since that meeting at the Apple Farm. Have you?

County Transportation Director Howard Dashiell Replied Friday:

We will have another public meeting when the final report is done (that report will have the from the rest of the design studies like the Geotechnical borings) - But the good news is that as discussed at the public meeting year or two back - we needed FHWA to agree to "retrofit" option as the preferred alternative — which they did!

However, because NEPA requires we do analysis of alternatives we must discuss the "new box bridge" in our studies BUT, we are only spending design resources on the "retrofit" option as the preferred alternative... so that drill rig is sampling for new footings for the approach slab bridge an to add the new "arch" along with the two existing.

* * *

PS. Rough schedule dependent on funding allocations:

CEQA/NEPA 2017

Right-of-Way 2018

Construction over two years (traffic is maintained with possible limited closures with notice) 2019 & 2020

BEYOND REDUNDANCY:

Why Last Month’s AT&T Outage Sucked So Bad

by Ryan Burns

It’s been more than a month since vandals severed AT&T’s fiber optic line in a remote area south of Ukiah, sending untold tens of thousands of customers into an information blackout. (“Untold” because AT&T isn’t telling. A spokesman said hard numbers might encourage more vandalism.)

The outage affected wireless and wireline service in Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte counties, knocking out at least seven 911 call centers, disabling credit card machines and ATMs and bringing many government offices and local businesses to a standstill.

Many doctors’ offices, pharmacies and medical clinics were unable to access computerized patient records, make phone calls or contact specialists. For example, a man suffering a medical crisis couldn’t fax test results to his specialist in Portland, nor could he reach the doctor by phone.

In the days after the outage, locals recounted the impacts on Facebook. A local tech company employee was talking to a potential client when the phone cut out mid-call. “It’s hard to be competitive and close deals when phone lines are down,” he wrote.

A woman said her friends had trouble getting food since EBT and credit card systems weren’t functioning.

Librarian Ruth Moon noted, “Students taking online courses were unable to access course materials, delaying their completion of homework and assigned readings.”

“Imagine the millions of dollars of productivity we lost yesterday on the North Coast due to a lack of redundancy,” wrote local attorney Bill Barnum.

An emergency medical dispatcher for Southern Trinity Area Rescue was unreachable at 5 p.m., when she was scheduled to go on-call. Unbeknownst to her, there was a gap in on-call services while the clinic tracked down another volunteer dispatcher, who was on Verizon. “We have no way of knowing if any parties were unable to contact the clinic or STAR [Southern Trinity Area Rescue] number with an emergency,” the woman wrote.

The blackout was expensive, dangerous and more than a little frustrating. Most of us here in Humboldt County thought the days of such debilitating internet and phone outages were behind us. We suffered a series of them last decade, including severed fiber-optic lines in 2006 and 2007 that, like this recent outage, crippled not only the internet but also phone service, credit card machines and ATMs.

Back then, the vast majority of broadband internet in the county got routed through a single fiber optic “trunk line” running north-south, which meant that every time the line got severed — be it by an errant backhoe bucket or a massive mudslide — darkness descended.

But in late 2011, the community’s cries for broadband redundancy were answered when a company called IP Networks finished construction of a second “trunk” line running east-west, a project that cost $14.4 million, including almost $5.8 million from the taxpayer-funded California Advance Services Fund (CASF).

Or at least we thought our cries for redundancy had been answered. Turns out it’s more complicated than that.

Having two separate fiber-optic arteries does not automatically mean redundancy, which is why that word irks some of the area’s more techno-savvy residents. The second line merely created another pathway, increasing our region’s route diversity and allowing for more redundancy potential. But if your personal internet service provider isn’t leasing space on at least two routes, or if you’re not buying service from two different providers using two different routes, or if your service doesn’t have the infrastructure for automatic failover, then you don’t have redundancy. (Even then, if there’s an outage closer to your location — in the so-called “middle mile” or “last mile” of your connection — your service will go down.)

Suddenlink customers weren’t affected in last month’s outage, and a spokesman said the company leases space on both the north-south line and the east-west line. “We have taken steps that would allow us, in many instances, to avoid customer service interruptions,” he said.

Local company 101Netlink offers redundancy because it leases space on the east-west line and uses microwave infrastructure to route traffic south to another east-west line that connects in Ukiah.

But here’s where things get murky. AT&T supposedly has built-in redundancy, too. The company told this reporter more than three years ago that it was leasing space on the east-west route, presumably as backup for connections through the north-south route that it owns. AT&T boasts of its “redundant fiber network” in advertising and informational materials, and indeed, as the Outpost reported during this latest outage, some AT&T customers weren’t affected at all.

Why? That’s a tough question to answer since all telecom companies treat the details of their infrastructure as proprietary information. Despite repeated attempts to get details from AT&T, a spokesman remained vague about many aspects of the situation.

“Our network is designed to provide back-up service wherever possible for all customers, taking into account factors such as geography, the route data must travel, and age of existing facilities,” the company’s official statement read. “In rare instances, customers with large or sensitive facilities may opt to purchase back-up fiber service where available for added redundancy.”

Is that the key? Were the only AT&T customers left standing the ones who purchased backup fiber service? Some businesses and agencies, including Redwood Capital Bank and Humboldt State University, have taken measures to ensure coverage during such outages, purchasing space on dedicated backup routes. Homes and businesses in the vicinity of such big-time customers often benefit because they’re served by the same circuits.

Follow-up emails to AT&T were answered by Steven Ramirez, a spokesman for a PR agency called Beyond the Arc, which handles AT&T’s public relations in northern California and Nevada. “For this specific cable that was cut,” Ramirez wrote, “we know some circuits served by the damaged fiber had a backup route where others did not.”

Customers wanting added protection, Ramirez said, can buy local access “or even dedicated end-to-end routing engineered to specific needs.” How much does that cost? “These are typically custom options and priced according to the design and the service provided.”

How can individual customers and businesses know whether or not they’ll be protected during the next outage? Ramirez declined to get specific. “[W]e do not have a customer-by-customer breakdown and do not share specific sensitive network infrastructure details publicly.”

Earlier this week, AT&T submitted an official report to Humboldt County supervisors, recounting certain aspects of the outage and restoration, which, judging by the report, was a harrowing experience indeed.

“AT&T work crews overcame significant obstacles posed by the remote location of the damage, including cold weather and the presence of rattlesnakes,” the statement recounts. Despite these dangers, the workers bravely forged ahead.

“The nearest road to the area is a twenty to thirty minute walk away. Technicians teamed up with a local fire department’s railroad trolley operator, who used the adjacent railway to haul in power generators, fiber fusing machines, building cases for splicing, a backhoe, and all the new fiber that would be needed for repairs.

“With the necessary equipment in place the crew began splicing the 96 fibers of the severed cable and worked through the night using light and power from generators while fending off against rattlesnakes and without any space heaters. By sunrise the following morning, the crew had restored most services and a relief crew arrived to complete the remaining work.”

(Read the entire nail-biting account here.)

It took a little more than 24 hours to restore all wireline services. Wireless services weren’t fully restored until 2:30 Friday afternoon. Remote fiber line switches in Hopland and Eureka were isolated, leaving customers in those areas with dial tones but unable to make or receive phone calls outside their local areas, including calls to 911.

“The Hopland switch was restored at on 9:55 p.m. Thursday and the Eureka switch was restored at 8:45 a.m. on Friday,” the report states.

AT&T defends its record of reliability in the report, noting that during 2014 the company received an average of just two trouble reports per 100 lines in Humboldt and Mendocino counties, “well within the CPUC’s guidelines.”

CPUC is the California Public Utilities Commission, which has also been rather short on information about the outage. Spokesman Christopher Chow told the Outpost in an email, “We are not an active participant in the criminal investigation that caused the specific outage in question.”

The agency monitored AT&T’s efforts to restore service, and it has received more detailed information from the company in the month since. But it’s not releasing that information publicly. “Details about the incident and its specific impacts were provided by AT&T to the CPUC as confidential information,” Chow said.

Why would that information be confidential? After all, it was given to a regulatory government agency charged with serving the public interest. “The information is confidential because the investigation is still going on,” Chow said. “You should ask AT&T.”

Where does that leave customers? It depends on their size and finances. Last year the county commissioned a report that spelled out the local broadband situation and, in retrospect, could have served as a warning for last month’s outage. Prepared by Tina Nerat of NeraTech, the report, which can be read online here, outlined a range of concerns raised by local tech support companies. Among them: “Businesses need to do more contingency planning for emergencies. Few companies have business continuity plans, hot sites, or alternative bandwidth.”

The report also noted, “Complacency has increased about the need to install backup bandwidth now that there are multiple middle mile routes out of the region.” In other words, many people just assumed they had backup bandwidth since the technology now exists here.

Larger businesses and government agencies like Redwood Capital Bank and HSU may have set up dedicated symmetrical services that offer an extra degree of protection, but, the report notes, “Many local businesses cannot afford to purchase backup bandwidth in case of disasters.” Plus, some of the county’s more remote areas simply don’t have the option of multiple providers.

Seth Johannessen, owner of 101Netlink, said that, to a large extent, local businesses get what they pay for. “If Internet connectivity is mission critical or really valuable, you need two connections, and you need hardware installed by a network management company,” he said.

That way, if one line goes down, you have the option of a backup line and the failover system to connect you to that second line automatically. Johannessen’s company offers that, and he suggested customers call their own provider to ask specific questions about their systems.

It’s also important to consider the reliability of each internet service provider and the response time during outages, Johannessen said.

The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Department continues to investigate the vandalism that led to last month’s outage. AT&T officials will soon deliver a report to Humboldt County supervisors, according to 1st District Supervisor Rex Bohn. State Senator Mike McGuire called for “a long-term fix to ensure that there is redundant 911 emergency phone service throughout California.” And Connie Stewart, coordinator for the Redwood Coast Connect Consortium, is working with regional partners to advocate for greater broadband deployment, adoption and policy in the region.

For a look at that group’s checklist, click here.

For now it’s clear that our redundancy celebrations were premature. Humboldt County still has a ways to go before achieving reliable and truly redundant broadband access for the majority of residents.

SUMMERS LANE RESERVOIR WON'T HELP ALL THAT MUCH

The City of Fort Bragg has posted CDFW's comment letter on the Summers Lane Reservoir here: https://cityfortbragg.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=3212198&GUID=057FFCC4-ACAB-4811-865D-5AF17F316A36

Regarding the effect of additional storage, the City of Fort Bragg's environmental document for the project (http://city.fortbragg.com/DocumentCenter/View/3894) states that "The City currently has the ability to store 6,300,000 gallons of water, including two raw water storage ponds at the Water Treatment Plant, two tanks at the Corporation Yard, and a smaller tank at the Highway 20 Fire Station. Additional water storage is accommodated within the Newman Reservoir, Waterfall Gulch, and water within the distribution system. The proposed reservoir would hold approximately 14,700,000 gallons of raw water. For perspective, Fort Bragg uses roughly 500,000 to a million gallons of water per day in the summer." (Page 3)

Please let me know if I may be of further assistance.

Thank you,

Angela M. Liebenberg
Environmental Scientist
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Coastal Conservation Planning
32330 North Harbor Drive
Fort Bragg, CA 95437

NEW MEDICAL MARIJUANA RULES APPROVED BY GOVERNOR

Governor Brown signed a trio of bills designed to rein in and regulate the state's medical marijuana industry for the first time.

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/4596903-181/gov-brown-signs-bill-to

ANOTHER 'WARRANT WEDNESDAY' SUBJECT APPREHENDED — LONG ARM OF LAW GRABS HER IN SAN DIEGO

Amanda Ward, age 19, appeared on a Mendocino County Sheriff "Warrant Wednesday" last July 15th and managed to evade law enforcement for 85 days. But she is now in custody after being apprehended in San Diego according to this Sheriff’s post Thursday night. Amanda Ward was picked up by San Diego authorities. She was wanted for felony assault with a deadly weapon. Her bail had been set at $105,000.

HUNG JURY: On Thursday, Oct. 8 a mistrial was declared today after a jury returned from its deliberations and announced it was unable to reach agreement on the two felony counts that the 12 jurors had been tasked to decide. Richard Lee Bolton, Jr., age 31, of Willits, was charged with possession of marijuana for sale and cultivation of marijuana in 2014 at his Brooktrails home. The foreman announced that the jury was split 9 for guilt to 3 on the possession of marijuana for sale count, and 7 for guilt to 5 on the cultivation charge. Because the jury could not reach a unanimous decision on either of the two substantive counts, it did not deliberate on the special finding of whether the defendant was armed with firearms at the time of the commission of the two offenses.

The prosecutor who presented the People's evidence at this week's trial was District Attorney David Eyster. The investigating law enforcement agency was the Mendocino Major Crimes Task Force. Bolton's attorney was Al Kubanis of Ukiah. Defendant Bolton's case was immediately reset for new trial to be heard in front of a different jury on January 25, 2016.

Anybody who may have information about defendant Richard Lee Bolton, Jr., relating to marijuana and/or these specific charges may contact the District Attorney's Office (707-463-4211) and ask to speak with Investigator Gupta.

(DA Press Release)

CATCH OF THE DAY, October 9, 2015

DARRELL CARADINE, Fort Bragg. Probation revocation.

ANGEL FLORES, Ukiah. Probation revocation.

BERNABE FLORES, Ukiah. Petty theft, possession of controlled substance.

AUGUSTINE FREASE, Covelo. Drunk in public.

BENJAMIN GAYSKI, Willits. Fort Bragg. DUI-alcohol & drugs, DUI while on probation, violation of county parole, suspended license, probation revocation.

RANDALL GENSAW, Ukiah. Under influence of controlled substance, paraphernalia, probation revocation.

PHILLIP LOPEZ JR., Ukiah. Parole violation.

MICHAEL MONAHAN, Vallejo/Ukiah. Possession of controlled substance, failure to appear.

TASHA ORNELAS, Ukiah. Under influence of controlled substance, probation revocation. (Frequent Flyer)

TASHA ROBINSON, Willits. Drunk in public, possession of hashish/honey oil & hypodermic needles, resisting.

ROGER SCHOENAHL, Ukiah. Drunk in public.

EFREN SORIANO, Ukiah. Burglary/Shoplift, stolen vehicle, recklessly causing a fire that causes great bodily injury, probation revocation.

TASHINA TILLMAN, Willits. Trespassing, paraphernalia, probation revocation.

ON LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY

How about we treat every young man who wants to buy a gun like every woman who wants to get an abortion — mandatory 48-hr waiting period, parental permission, a note from his doctor proving he understands what he’s about to do, a video he has to watch about the effects of gun violence, an ultrasound wand up the ass (just because). Let’s close down all but one gun shop in every state and make him travel hundreds of miles, take time off work, and stay overnight in a strange town to get a gun. Make him walk through a gauntlet of people holding photos of loved ones who were shot to death, people who call him a murderer and beg him not to buy a gun. 
It makes more sense to do this with young men and guns than with women and health care, right? I mean, no woman getting an abortion has killed a room full of people in seconds, right?

DYING FOR ABALONE:

Thrills & perils of diving for the slimy delicacy

by Robin Abcarian

They get smashed against the rocks. They have heart attacks. They get tangled in ropes of kelp. In the hunt for abalone, people can die all sorts of ways.

This year, seven abalone seekers have perished off the coasts of Marin, Sonoma and Mendocino counties, all for the love of a slimy white mollusk that is more sublime texture than taste.

In April, just after the start of abalone season, three friends drowned in choppy waters north of Mendocino. Another man died near the same spot in August. In June, a Texas man drowned in Tomales Bay and a Santa Rosa man had a heart attack off Sonoma’s Timber Cove. A man fell to his death after getting trapped by a high tide north of Fort Bragg in April. The victims ranged in age from 49 to 67.

“I think people underestimate the amount of exertion that it takes to do the diving,” said Jerry Kashiwada, an environmental scientist for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife in Fort Bragg. “People just don’t appreciate how rough the water is. It may look calm between wave sets, and that can fool them.”

To understand why divers go to such lengths, you need to understand the mystique of the world’s most-sought-after sea snail. In the wild, a 10- or 12-inch abalone, not uncommon, might take as long as 30 to 40 years to grow. The shell that protects the muscular blob is unremarkable on the outside and spectacular mother of pearl on the inside.

Wild abalone are tough and tasty, nearly impossible to buy and difficult to procure at sea. If you can even find it in restaurants, the price will shock you. Last week, my sister-in-law and her husband celebrated their anniversary with a wild abalone entrée at a restaurant in Monterey; $82 for 10 ounces.

Cultivated abalone, on the other hand, are small. The meat is soft and unremarkable.

* * *

Eric Johnson's beach house, which hangs on a cliff above the abalone-rich waters of this tiny Mendocino County town, is the gathering spot for a group of friends who come together a few times a year to fish and dive.

This band of abalone brothers are avid sportsmen; their love for the outdoors led most of them to careers in marine biology or environmental sciences. I'd like to say they spend hours spinning yarns about near misses with all manner of marine predator. Except their stories are all true.

On Tuesday, as they wriggled into thick wetsuits and strapped on 25 pounds of weight, Eric, 61, and Steven Lagos, 64, did not appear worried. With decades of experience, they are pros at reading the water.

But they know even a routine dive can turn deadly without warning.

In 2012, Eric was diving near his family's beach house here when a surge pushed him backward into a crevice. The back of his weight vest caught on a rock. He was deep underwater, holding his breath and trapped. “I thought that was it,” he said.

His friend, Curtis Steitz, was bobbing in a kayak nearby. “I thought he was down there for a pretty long time,” Curtis said. But he had no idea his buddy was in mortal danger — until after Eric wrenched himself free.

* * *

Abalone, it turns out, is one of the most heavily policed edibles in California. Wildlife officials estimate that as many are poached — about 250,000 a year — as are taken legally.

In an effort to preserve a dwindling population that has been beset by disease and overfishing, state authorities have made it as hard as possible in the last two decades to nab the indescribably delicious mollusk.

Divers can’t use air tanks, only masks and snorkels. They must have a fishing license and an “abalone report card,” a scroll-like form with detachable tags and a place to record the date and location of each catch.

They can take only three abalone a day, 18 total a year. They may possess only three abalone at any one time, so if a diver takes three one day and three the next, he or she better have eaten or given away three abs.

Divers are required to return the report cards to the Department of Fish and Wildlife each January so the state can keep track of the harvest.

But wait, that’s not all.

Divers must tag their abalone as soon as they reach shore — or before they reach shore if they are diving from a motorized vessel.

The wildlife department considerately recommends that divers carry their abalone report cards, fishing cards and pens in a Ziploc baggie. Eric's friend, Paul Miller, told me that a testy young warden once threatened to cite him because his pen had stopped working.

“I mean, you could see the imprint marks from where I was trying to write on the card,” Paul said.

“The rules are incredibly complicated, but people are really good about following them and educating themselves,” said Kathleen Boele, a state wildlife officer in Point Arena, north of Gualala.

In abalone season, which runs from April to November with a break in July, checkpoints are a familiar sight along highways. And yes, there is an abalone-sniffing dog, a yellow lab named Cali. “I’ve seen her find abalone that people have hidden in rocks,” Boele said.

* * *

There is no one I would rather be on the ocean with than Steven Lagos, who is not only one of my favorite people, but also happens to be my brother-in-law. When he told me I could tag along on one of his abalone trips, I jumped at the chance. I am passionate about abalone, preferably sliced into steaks, pounded, breaded and sauteed in butter.

“There might be some thought that it acts as an aphrodisiac,” Kashiwada said.

I don’t know about that, but I do know that abalone can make you hot … for more abalone.

On Tuesday morning, I wasn’t quite ready to strap on weights and flippers and dive 20 feet in cold water, holding my breath to try to pry an abalone from a rock. Instead, I kayaked out with Steve and Eric to watch them dive off Robinson Point, a Gualala landmark.

First, we had to climb down a rocky ravine to a small cove to launch the kayaks. Without a rope line, the descent would have been impossible.

The water was cold and calm, with a gentle swell. Bull whip kelp bobbed up and down, looking like a thousand otters. Steve and Eric took deep breaths and disappeared for what seemed like impossibly long stretches. I began holding my breath just waiting for them to reappear.

Within 45 minutes, they each had their limit. They were disappointed it took so long.

Personally — and I say this as someone who is driving home with two giant abalones in a cooler — I thought it was worth every minute.

(Courtesy, the Los Angeles Times)

AM RADIO

by Jeff Costello

"You may know that I like to complain, and that I do it because there is so much to complain about." -- Jim Gibbons

It's all well and good that we complain about NPR. But I listen to it on the car radio because it is the least irritating station available, aside from Scott Simon, unless I listen to the classical or jazz stations, when the classical isn't too bland and the jazz isn't too frantic.

The aftermarket radio with the bastard wiring job in my 30-yr. old car is "having some problems" i.e., with the controls. The volume control is rotary push-button affair and often as not just won't work. And you can't get inside to clean the contacts, no user-serviceable parts inside. Lately, I can't get the FM band that carries NPR, or any of the stations in that range. Fooling around with the band selector, I engaged AM for the first time since I bought this car in 2002.

When I was a kid back east, AM radio was "top forty" more or less, but before the Drake format people bulldozed most of the stations into a limited payola-fed playlist. This was the golden age of guitar instrumental records, which I liked, but there was nothing for the kids to sing along with, and that era faded away just in time for the Beatles.

Suddenly I was in a twilight zone of right wing blather. Trickle-down Limbaugh stuff. These guys are talking to people I do not know, and don't want to know. That must be them in the big pickup trucks tailgating me angrily, or in the well-manicured, gated communities, with alarm system warnings and Trump signs in front of the houses. One of them is surely the guy overheard on the street in Denver saying "We gotta get the nigger out of the White House." It sure isn't the Mexicans down the street pulling their landscape equipment off to work every morning. I'd have hardly believed any of it it if I didn't hear it for myself: They love the bible - did you know that even a Jew can saved if he comes to Jesus? - they love William F. Buckley. Guns, the NRA.

They hate the notion of global warming. Today one announcer challenged parents to ask the kids, "What is the greatest danger you will face: Islamic extremists or carbon emissions?" Answer - the one that poses less of a threat to the economy. They hate Hillary for the wrong reasons, saying the WalMart board member is a "known socialist." Topsy-turvy world, everything backwards. At breakfast, Dad buttering his napkin and wiping his mouth with the toast. Obama is out to destroy America. These AM listeners apparently don't know that such big political figures receive their marching orders from the same elements. HRC's finger-to-the-wind shifting of views according to yesterday's news would be a marvel to behold if it weren't so obvious. If politics is show business for ugly people, there still must be script writers. One guy called in to rave about a movie, even if Matt Damon is in it: "Of course you wouldn't want to think about his politics, him or Sean Penn." Damn Hollywood liberals.

MRC QUICKLY REPLIES TO AVA/Parrish Hack & Squirt Article

http://www.hrcllc.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/AVA_Article_HackSquirt_Unabated_9_30_15.pdf

* * *

AND POSTS THE TEXT Of Their Second In A Series Of Newspaper Ads

http://www.hrcllc.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Ltr_Colleagues-Friends-and-Neighbors_BMertz_10-8-15.pdf

RECOMMENDED VIEWING

"Merchants of Doubt" (2015) is a documentary that examines the modern business of disinformation. The primary topic is climate change and how the current purveyors of propaganda learned their trade and techniques from the tobacco industry. This film not only identifies many of the cretins currently involved in this despicable practice of media manipulation but also manages to interview a number of them. It is good to read the names, see the faces, and hear their justifications.

The most compelling testimony came near the end, from Bob Inglis, a former South Carolina congressman who lost his seat in 2010 when he let the actual science of global warming begin to inform his political position. As a conservative Republican, he speaks with knowledge and authority about how his tribe feels threatened by the idea of global warming. If the science is true, if global warming is caused by human activity -- the burning of fossil fuels -- then it stands to reason that we should stop doing that. This implies change, and these people don't like that. So they choose, instead, to shut out this urgent warning from science, so they can simply continue with their current lifestyle. That's on a personal and selfish level, which is shameful. But these smaller sins have been fueled by the grander deception perpetrated by the fossil fuel industry, people like the Koch brothers, who have obfuscated and orchestrated delay as they continue profitting at the expense of our shared future. That's shameful squared.

(— Mike Kalantarian)

REPUBLICAN JESUS

BRITISH COLUMBIA BY RAIL

by Katy Tahja

People who love riding trains realize in this 21st century the lines are vanishing. If you suspect a spectacular stretch of rail travel is in danger of eliminating passenger service you GET There and RIDE IT before it’s gone. With that in mind we took off for British Columbia and a 3,300 mile rail/ferry/auto/airplane adventure.

But half the fun, in our family, is getting there. And we love back roads, so going north through Oregon it was on the roads less traveled. I love reading signs along the roadsides. One place had a Truck & Tractor Pull event coming up with special divisions for competing garden tractors and ATV’s. Creeks were called swales and field crops were identified so we knew we were seeing miles of fescue, rye and winter wheat. Bars were called taverns. There were Chestnut, Christmas Tree and Bison farms. Gas was $2.99 a gallon at the crossroads and many farms offered eggs at $3 a dozen.

In Oregon we saw people back their pickups into a blackberry patch and stand in the pickup truck bed to pick the berries. Signs saying “Bus Drivers Needed” were everywhere and state highway signs reminded folks “Seatbelts must be worn day AND night”. Roadside flower stalls at the end of farm driveways offered fresh cut blooms. Water was abundant with rainbird sprinklers shooting 40’ sprays of water over crops.

Traversing these back roads we passed Distracted Acres farm and Poverty Bend Road as we plodded along behind slow moving tractors that ruled those roads. Red clover in bloom turned fields purple. I liked the Relief Pitcher Bar and the place name Dismal Nitch, where Lewis & Clark got stuck for a few days along the Columbia River when on their Voyage of Discovery.

Oyster packing houses were an out of the ordinary commercial establishment enterprise as we drove north through Washington. Clam burgers, clam omelettes, and smoke salmon pizza were advertised on roadside signs. South Bend claimed to be the Oyster Capitol of the World. From the 1850’s to the 1880’s their oysters were sent to San Francisco. Now they grind shells to be a chicken feed supplement. The area also had organic fish fertilizer factories and boat building sites.

At Port Angeles we returned the rental car and caught the Coho ferry over the Straits of Juan de Fuca to Victoria. Grabbing a new rental car we headed north on Vancouver Island to Port Alberni. A group of dedicated volunteers here run a steam powered railroad and sawmill. My husband works with Roots of Motive Power in Willits and here we were, 800 miles from home, talking to folks doing similar restoration work. Due to extreme fire danger the steam for the sawmill was generated with electrical power, not waste wood. Hubby was happy as a cab ride in the locomotive and shop tours were given to him as a fellow steam enthusiast.

Best meal of the whole vacation was German food at the Little Bavaria Restaurant in Port Alberni - a whole platter of German meat delicacies and kraut that would have horrified my vegetarian daughter.

To our next stopping point we drove up the east side of Vancouver Island. There are no fences along these forested landscapes and lumber companies build their own overpasses over highways. Road signs have their own separate pictographs to show you if there are log trucks, dump trucks or fire trucks entering the road and ferry landing signs.

Signs said Caution Roadside Activity, though we seldom saw any, or Vision Limited. Artisans got their own standardized signs saying Woodworker, or Potter, or Painter ahead. Tiny roadside fishing lure sales booths appeared promising Experienced Fishing Guides. A restaurant offered “All You Can Eat Crab”. We admired the snow still present in midsummer on Vancouver Island peaks that reach over 7,000’.

At Port McNeill we took a ferry to Malcom Island and Sointula. A large number of Finnish folks settled the town of Sointula with dreams of a communal cooperative lifestyle a century ago. Economics and personality conflicts in leaders ended the dream but the Finns stayed.

Outside of Fort Bragg on Highway 20 near Noyo Hill the Mendocino Coast had a place called Sointula. I believe our Sointula was founded after the one in Canada with the same ideals of workers supporting each other. At the museum there we shared information about local Finnish family groups and saw their grocery Co-op which has survived one hundred years.

We stayed at a B&B called Dunroven on the south end of the island at Mitchell Bay. In one of those magical moments I hope everyone has on vacation travels we saw whales. Well whoop-de-doo…anyone can see whales on the Mendocino coast. I can see them from my window at work in Gallery Bookshop…BUT…what made it magical was that we were alone on a beach, no sign of man anyplace, no wind, no boats and we had the stillness of late evening. You could hear every breath those orcas and humpbacks released, every exhalation, and every flipper and fluke splash. There was no other sound than occasional bird calls and behemoths coming up for air.

The next day we were back on Vancouver Island headed north to Port Hardy to return the car and catch a ferry. The view from our hotel of a marina had bald eagles sitting atop masts of docked boats watching harbor activities. On board the British Columbia Ferry we had Aurora Lounge seating for the 15 hour trip with reclining soft seats in a private area with huge picture windows on the bow of the boat.

On both VIA RAIL and Ferry the food would have pleased vegetarians along with omnivores. I was surprised to find Quinoa salad, gluten free burritos and coconut water alongside regular dining fare. The skies remained bright until 10 p.m. we were so far north.

Ferries are a delightful way to travel because beauty surrounds you and you can pay attention to it. The islands and mainland we saw in B.C. from the ferry did not have beaches, forest grew right down to the water line. Lighthouses were not automated but staffed by real live human beings who actually came out and waved when the ferries passed. The biggest unit in any small harbor was the fuel depot and maritime traffic of every size was ever present. My Inside Passage map had a spotting guide so I could tell halibut, salmon and crab boats apart.

Arriving in Prince Rupert we spent the night then caught VIA RAIL’s “Skeena” train east. Spectacular scenery but the train was only half full in the midst of tourist season. That’s why I mentioned “endangered” lines earlier. This route could turn to freight trains only. We passed freight trains of no less than 100 cars full of containers of trade goods from China over and over again. We did see lumber and pipe, of all things, being transported west for shipment overseas.

VIA RAIL does not want visitors to miss great scenery in darkness so come twilight the train stops in Prince George for the night and everyone disperses to hotel accommodations. Gathering together the next day we were back on board and headed to Jasper Alberta. The further east we went the worse the bug kill of conifers from Pine Beetles got. Around Jasper it looked like autumn gold foliage, but it was July and the trees were dead. Talk about a forest fire disaster waiting to happen. The national park there does not want to damage the viewscape for tourists and no one is doing anything about the problem but talk.

Jasper functioned in peak tourist season frenzy. We found more German travelers than any other European contingent. We were glad we were spending only one night but we got a great meal and Blueberry Vanilla Ale at Jasper Brewing. Twice before we’ve traveled Jasper to Vancouver and the beauty never diminishes. The train actually slows to a crawl at Pyramid Falls for picture taking as this water feature can only be seen from the rails.

Dining on VIA RAIL is a lovely old fashioned experience. Our table setting had six pieces of silverware, china and linen. Tea water in individual pots was always a blazing hot as befits a culture where tea is more important than coffee. Dinner, included with the sleeper compartment fares, offered rack of lamb, seared tuna, a maple baked chicken and a tofu veggie bowl for entrée choices. That lamb was some of the best I’ve tasted in years. How they can produce such gustatory delights in a space about the size of an RV’s kitchen is beyond me, but I’m always impressed.

Singer Kate Wolf in her song “Carolina Pines” sings “open windows, empty doors…nobody lives here any more…” and we saw so many abandoned homes along the tracks. Some were overgrown in briars, some were basement holes with stone chimneys, some were actual log cabins. Often an old rose bloomed in the bushes. The railroad right-of-way was festooned with tilting telephone poles with old glass insulators and broken lines. When current communication technology replaced land lines they left the old lines along the rails.

Looking out the train’s windows you saw shoreline houses along lakes with seaplane hangers and a runway straight into the lake. Log rafts were being assembled to float down river to the nearest sawmill. Riverside dwellers had docks with their own tugboat tied up. While the majestic Rocky Mountains, or the Fraser River, might be noteworthy my rockhounding geology obsessed mind wanted to know how the heck the interior of B.C. had so much sand everyplace? Taking a geology text out when I got home I realized I’d forgotten B.C. was covered in glaciers. When the ice sheets retreated and melted they were full of glacial till…minute particles of sand that settled out to become sandy soil and sandstone.

At Vancouver’s Central Pacific Station we missed our AMTRAK train to Seattle and had to wait four hours for a shuttle bus. In a nice green park across from the station we actually saw Canada Geese IN Canada, not on a California golf course someplace. They were begging food from tourists as blatantly as seagulls do on the Mendocino headlands.

Driving through Vancouver’s city streets we observed the rather strange variety of commercial enterprises any big city has. Supplier of $1 Stores one establishment proclaimed, near to the International Table Tennis Association building. It was just down the road from a Muslim Secondary School and restaurants representing the dining cuisine of every area of India.

Light rail got us from Seattle to Tacoma for an overnight with friends who gave us a ride to Sea-Tac the next morning. Our daughter and grandson awaited us in Sacramento and brought us home. So the “Skeena” route of VIA RAIL got crossed off the bucket list of train trips to make. We recommend it highly if you can get to Jasper or Prince Rupert and figure out a way home. Next summer we’ll catch some rail lines in Canada’s Ontario province and I’d still like to get to the Copper Canyon in Mexico. So many trains, so little time.

GROUPS CHARGE DELTA TUNNELS PLAN WITH VIOLATING CLEAN WATER ACT

by Dan Bacher

Environmental and fishing groups on October 7 alerted the Federal and State agencies responsible for issuing permits before any construction of the Delta Tunnels can start that the controversial project will violate the federal Clean Water Act (CWA).

A 15-page letter from the groups documents multiple violations of the landmark CWA if the project is built and operated as described in the EIR/EIS for the "California Water Fix, formerly known as the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) under public review until October 30, 2015.

The groups signing the letter include Restore the Delta, Earth Law Center, Friends of the River, the Center for Biological Diversity, the California Water Impact Network, the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, and the Environment Water Caucus (a coalition of over 30 nonprofit environmental and community organizations and California Indian Tribes.)

“The BDCP Delta Water Tunnels project is not a permissible project under the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) because it would degrade water quality in the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary," the letter warns federal officials. "This in turn will adversely impact numerous recognized beneficial uses and public health. The Water Tunnels project will require a Clean Water Act Section 401 certification, it cannot legally be given one since it will not comply with established water quality standards.”

On September 9, 2015 the coalition sent a similar letter outlining the provisions of the federal Endangered Species Act that the Delta Tunnels will violate, according to a joint press release from the groups.

That letter found, “The BDCP Delta Water Tunnels project is not a permissible project under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) because it would adversely modify critical habitat for at least five endangered and threatened fish species.”

The Delta Independent Science Board has also found the tunnels plan "lacking." In a scathing review sent to Randy Fiorini, Chair, Delta Stewardship Council and Charlton Bonham, Director, California Department of Fish and Wildlife on September 30, 2015, the Delta Science Board found:

"The Current Draft lacks key information, analyses, summaries, and comparisons. The missing content is needed for evaluation of the science that underpins the proposed project. Accordingly, the Current Draft fails to adequately inform weighty decisions about public policy."

Today’s letter concludes that by rejecting permits for the Delta Tunnels project, these agencies still have a chance to “restore and enhance the integrity and health of the Bay-Delta Estuary by adopting (at a minimum) sufficient flows to support healthy fish species and Delta habitats. Moreover, the time is overdue to establish a comprehensive instream water rights program that ensures the longevity of the Delta ecosystem and species, and serves as a model for the state as a whole.”

Representatives from the groups commented about the significance of the letter.

“The Tunnels plan ignores the inherent rights of rivers to flow. They instead create infrastructure that will create pressure to drain every drop,” said Linda Sheehan, Executive Director of Earth Law Center. “California must follow the Clean Water Act and ensure that its actions protect waterways and species now, or risk losing them forever. Environmental, fishing and tribal groups have recommended numerous solutions that comply with the law, respect nature’s rights, and meet our water needs now and in the future."

Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta said, “Four million people in the five Delta counties depend on good water quality in the Delta for their livelihoods and quality of life. Nearly one million Delta residents depend on the Delta as their primary drinking water supply. To improve the Delta as a fishable, swimmable, drinkable, and farmable region will require protecting and enhancing the Estuary’s water quality, pure and simple. The Delta tunnels will denigrate water quality for all these uses and thus fails as a project. We can't meet water needs south of the Delta, by ruining water quality for the millions of people who live in the Bay-Delta estuary.”

“The Water Tunnels are not the Least Environmentally Damaging Practicable Alternative (LEDPA) required by the Clean Water Act. The Tunnels are instead the most environmentally damaging alternative possible for Delta water quality and the people of the Delta," according to Robert Wright, Friends of the River Senior Counsel.

Tim Stroshane, policy analyst with Restore the Delta, said, “The Tunnels Project’s own data show it will worsen the water situation in the Delta. Fresh water flows will decrease, stagnation will ensue, pollutants like pesticides, selenium, mercury, boron, and bromides will accumulate. People accustomed to fishing for their food in the Delta will find it a greater health risk to do so. The Tunnels Project would also increase toxic algal blooms, even in non-drought years.”

Ironically, on the same day the letter was sent, Governor Jerry Brown, in yet one more photo opportunity to portray himself as the "Green Governor," joined government, climate, business, environmental justice and community leaders in Los Angeles to sign SB 350 by Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles).

While Jerry Brown grandstands about "green energy" and "climate change" in conferences and photo opportunities in California and across the globe and his admirers praise him as a "climate leader," he has in fact promoted the expansion of the environmentally destructive practice of fracking in the state and the construction of the salmon-killing Delta Tunnels.

And fracking and the tunnels are just two of the many environmentally devastating policies of the Brown administration. Brown has promoted water policies that have driven salmon, steelhead, Delta smelt and other fish to the edge of extinction; presided over record water exports out of the Delta in 2011; backs the clearcutting of forests in the Sierra Nevada; and is a strong supporter of neo-liberal carbon trading policies that routinely promote environmentally ineffective and socially unjust projects across the globe. He also fast-tracked the creation of tainted "marine protected areas," crafted under the oversight of a Big Oil lobbyist, that fail to protect the ocean from fracking, offshore oil drilling, oil spills, pollution, corporate aquaculture, military testing and all human impacts on the ocean other than sustainable fishing and gathering.

For a complete discussion of Brown’s tainted environmental policies, go to http://www.truth-out.org/speakout/item/30452-the-extinction-governor-rips-the-green-mask-off-his-tunnels-plan

JEFF BLANKFORT’S PHOTO EXHIBITION AT THE HARVEY MILK PHOTO CENTER THRU OCT. 25

Dear Friends, Acquaintances and lovers of photography,

If you missed the opening and haven't had a chance to get over to the Harvey Milk Photo Center at 50 Scott Street across from Davies Hospital on Duboce to see the exhibition of my photos, there is still time. The show will be closing at 5 PM on Saturday, October 25, but until then it will be open on weekends from 10 AM to 5 PM and Tuesday through Thursday, from 4 to 9 PM.

For those who hate to drive in the city, there is also good public transportation to the center, both by bus and trolley. Check it out at:

http://harveymilkphotocenter.org/category/exhibits/c

PARDUCCI CRUSH RUSH 5K Raised over $3000 in Support of Ukiah Unified School District Garden Programs

Run Brought Together Community for Fun in the Vineyards, Locally Sourced Brunch

Ukiah, CA — October 9, 2015 — The Parducci Wine Cellars Crush Rush Benefit 5K raised $3328 on Sunday, October 4th, in support of the Ukiah Unified School District Garden program. Over 160 participants aged three to seventy-five ran, jogged, and strolled the 5-kilometer route through Parducci’s organic vineyards, gardens, wetland wildlife refuge, and winery. Visit www.parducci.com for more information and details.

Community Sponsors Join Together in Support

Eight school gardens, serving over 3,000 pre-K through 8th grade students will benefit from the funds raised by all of the businesses and families who participated in the Parducci Crush Rush 5K. Terry d’Selkie, Teacher Coordinator for the Ukiah Unified School District Gardens said, “The contributions from our community help keep our school gardens thriving as science learning laboratories for our students.” 100% of the race’s entry fees will go directly to seeds, plants, soil and tools for garden and nutrition education. Donations can be made to the program by Ukiah Unified School District, Attention: Terry d'Selkie, 511 S. Orchard Ave., Ukiah, CA 95482.

The 2nd annual run began early in the morning in the vineyards. Parducci Winemaker and Race Director, Mark Beaman, started the participants off the finish line while family and friends lined the course to cheer everyone on. “I loved seeing the gardens while running though the vineyard,” said Valeria Larios, a first grader at Oak Manor Elementary School. “It was cool when Mark said ‘On your mark, get set, GO!’ But the best thing was getting 1st place in the race!” Laros won a gold medal in the Female Under-10 division.

And the Winners Are…

Course records were set by top overall female runner Caramia Putman (22:48) and top overall male runner Tyler Clark (18:26). Race t-shirts and medals were provided by local business sponsors including Savings Bank of Mendocino County, Selzer Realty, Factory Pipe, Ukiah Natural Foods Co-Op, C&A Organic Farm, Friedman’s Home Improvement, and Acme Rigging. Visit www.parducci.com/News--Awards for the complete list of winners.

Following the race, participants enjoyed a complimentary brunch catered by Mendocino College Culinary Arts students, led by Chef Nicholas Petti. In line with the Crush Rush’s theme of healthy local eating, the brunch featured eggs, ham, and organic produce raised on Parducci’s own 15-acre farm. Schat’s Bakery provided muffins and breakfast breads, matched with complimentary Bee Bold coffee, a new line by Thanksgiving Coffee that supports bees and pollinators in Mendocino County.

"We had a great turnout of smiling faces that included both newcomers and repeat runners,” said Jess Arnsteen, Parducci Head Gardener and Race Coordinator. “The caliber of runners keeps getting better as participation grows wider and more diverse. All this helps raise more money for healthy gardens and healthy students. Parducci Wine Cellars is honored to be a part of this community tradition and we look forward to next year's run."

About Parducci Wine Cellars

Parducci Wine Cellars is Mendocino County’s oldest winery, producing legendary wine—expressing both varietal character and terroir—for over 80 years. The winery operates with high standards and broad vineyard cultivation practices with the conviction that better wines come from healthier vines. For more information, please visit parducci.com.

Contact:

Jess Arnsteen, Head Gardener
Parducci Wine Cellars
(707) 489-1485 - jessa@parducci.com
www.parducci.com

LIBRARY EVENTS

Halloween Teens on Oct. 31^st from 3-5 pm: Get Zombified!

Teens are invited to Get Zombified this Halloween by zombifying Barbies, & frosting brain cupcakes in the District Teens space at the Library. For more information – please contact Melissa at the Ukiah Library: 467-6434 or carrm@co.mendocino.ca.us

Sponsored by the Ukiah Valley Friends of the Library. 105 N. Main St. Ukiah

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Fall Carnival

On Saturday, October 24, 2015, 11-1 pm, the Mendocino County Library, Fort Bragg Branch is hosting a Fall Carnival. Bring the whole family down for some fun old school carnival games. There will be ring toss, bean bag toss fishing pole game and cake walk to name a few of the fun games. Games will be set up inside the library. Play the games and get a chance to win prizes and candy.

At noon we will have a fun Costume Contest for all ages. There will be different categories for Adults, Teens and Kids.

Come down to the Fort Bragg Branch Library on Saturday October 24^th from 11-1pm for some good family fun at the Fall Carnival.

For more information - please contact: Karen at the Fort Bragg Branch Library at 707-961-2625 or hornerk@co.mendocino.ca.us

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Legos at the Library

On Tuesday October 27, 2015, 4-5 pm, the Mendocino County Library, Fort Bragg Branch is hosting a Legos at the Library.

The Fort Bragg Branch will be hosting after school Legos at the Library every last Tuesday of the Month. Kids can bring their imagination as they build and create some wonderful Lego creations. The Fort Bragg Branch Library welcomes any donations of Legos to help increase the size of this fun and popular program.

For more information, please contact Karen at the Fort Bragg Branch Library 707-961-2625 or hornerk@co.mendocino.ca.us

Sponsored by the Friends of the Fort Bragg Branch Library