Mendocino County Today: Wednesday, Nov 18, 2015

• Tiny Village
• LakeCo Changes
• deVall Interview
• Timberwolves Playoff
• Grapevine Virus
• Party Ordinance
• Begging Olympics
• Gourmet Gas
• Winery Forum
• Weather Shelter
• Formal Complaint
• Rock Writing
• Whiskey Tasting
• Police Reports
• Yesterday's Catch
• Identity Scam
• Travel America
• Refugees Refused
• Islamic Terrorism
• Gun Crazy
• Library Events

THE TINY HOUSES VILLAGE proposed for Ukiah by the Supervisors, with Supervisor McCowen leading the charge will, if it proceeds, be an interesting experiment. If you came in late the Supervisors would provide housing for some of the homeless via some portion of a $1.5 million Community Development Block Grant. The proposal is to install Tiny Houses — each less than 200 square feet — on a parcel near the former Buddy Eller Center. Redwood Children’s Services (RCS) is requesting $604,000 to buy the parcel, and $400,000 to purchase the “Tiny House village,” for a total of about $1 million. The village would consist of common buildings besides the teensy houses themselves. The houses would be funded through community donations, meaning, it seems, individuals and the kinder service organizations might sponsor individuals hobbit houses. Put us down for Scott and Kelisha, assuming couples are welcome.

JUST IN FROM LAKE COUNTY: "All kinds of changes in Lake County today, the Chief Administrative Officer just resigned and Office of Emergency Services (OES) was turned over to the Sheriff. I hope it doesn’t take a catastrophic event to make this happen in Mendocino."

I WAS TARDILY ALERTED that former Supervisor Norman deVall was on KZYX this morning, but I tuned in only to hear deVall constantly interrupted by the host, Dr. Mind, Body Whatever. I'm always interested to hear deVall because he talks local, and is local-knowledgeable. It was hard for Norman to get out a coherent thought about the County's bankrupt pension fund without Mr. Know-It-All Buttinski horning in to show how hip he is to financial matters. Another frustrating audio experience for this station member but infrequent visitor.

FORT BRAGG has enjoyed its best football season ever and is set to play off for the NorCal small school championship against Marin Catholic. I'm already angry. I hope Fort Bragg can somehow beat MC but it's unlikely they will. Why? As any sports fan can't help but know, the Catholic schools of the Bay Area, and Cardinal Newman here in the North Bay, recruit players, scouting potential prospects as young as the pee wee leagues. People who enjoy 100-0 ball games defend the professionalization of youth sports as found at the Catholic schools by saying things like, "Well, gee, all kids like to play for a winner. These kids come to us." I'm sure they do in lots of cases, but the result is huge annual imbalances wherever the Catholic schools are part of regular public school leagues, as Marin Catholic is in Marin County where Marin Catholic mops up the local competition year after year. Fort Bragg will be at huge disadvantage this Saturday when they play Marin Catholic at MC's home field in Kentfield, but every real sports fan will be pulling for the Mendo boys to pound hell out of their hosts.

GOOD NEWS FROM NAPA. A grapevine virus discovered by Italian researchers in 2012 has been found in Napa. The grapevine Pinot Gris virus (GPGV) has been linked to disease in Pinot Gris/Grigio in Italy since 2003. Virus testing done on 96 randomly chosen grapevine samples the lab already had for testing tested positive for grapevine red blotch-associated virus. The lab doing the testing says seven vines were positive for GPGV including reds and whites, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay from three separate vineyards in Napa Valley. The detection apparently doesn’t mean the disease will materialize, or will even happen in the future.

A NEW ordinance has been enacted by Fort Bragg. The “Social Host Ordinance” means police officers can arrest or cite property owners, renters, leasees, or others responsible or knowing there’s alcohol drinking by minors on the property or premises. Those found responsible will have to pay back any costs and fees for public safety response. They could get $300 penalty for the first time, then $500 for a second offense, within 12 months of the first, and $750 for each additional violation after that.

ACCORDING TO COUNTY CEO CARMEL ANGELO, Mendocino County has $186,000 to spend on “community benefit” projects on a one-time basis. How they got to that number remains a mystery. (Other than they began with a mystery-$250k that was magically picked as available and subtracted $60k for a winter homeless shelter program in Ukiah and $4k for “Leadership Mendocino” — an oxymoronic term roughly comparable to Jumbo Shrimp because there is none. And “Leadership Mendocino” certainly doesn’t need $4k from the Supervisors to produce said none, nor do they deserve money first before other projects of much higher merit are considered.) Which, come to think of it, proves that there’s no leadership in Mendocino.

No sooner had the Supes announced the availability of the $186k than 63 applications came rushing in asking for over $1.3 million ranging from silly to useful in estimated amounts from about $2k to over $116k each. The Supes were then given an opportunity to preside over the Begging Bowl Olympics, knowing that most of the applications would be turned down.

Supervisor Dan Gjerde came up with his own suggested methodology for selecting the winners and losers:

“Although some may disagree, I see the two projects funded off-the-top by the board as serving the entire county. To recap, they were: 1) $60,000 for Inland Winter Homeless Shelter, match for Winter of 2015-16 2) $4,000 for Leadership Mendocino, match for FY 2015-16. In addition, I’ve reviewed the list of 61 other projects and see that a very small number were intended to enhance services county-wide, and are not tied to serving a specific geographic location. With that as background, I’m suggesting the board allocate a small amount, just $6,000, to one of the handful of remaining county-wide projects. Taken together, this would result in the board allocating a grand total of $70,000 of the Community Benefit Fund to county-wide projects. Here is my recommendation: 3) $6,000 for Good Farm Fund, for one-time capital grants to low-income farmers of fruits and vegetables. That leaves $180,000 available for community-specific projects.”

Gjerde then suggested allowing each Supervisor to hand out $36,000 to their own districts.

On Tuesday (yesterday), the Board was expecting to announce the winners. We expect much hand-wringing and posturing as the individual Board members put on their hair shirts and bemoan Ms Angelo' limitations of Ms. Angelo’s purely artificial $186k allocation.

IF THERE WAS LEADERSHIP in Mendocino, the process would be inverted with applications first, then allocations to any and all that were truly merited, especially if they were small amounts of money and met the basic criteria of being seed money for beneficial ongoing projects.

IF THERE WAS LEADERSHIP in Mendocino, the criteria for even submitting an application would exclude existing programs and County government agencies which have their own budgeting processes and would discourage money for “services” from existing government or non-profit employees (i.e., more money for them). This would exclude applications like the City of Willits’s request for $45k for a “feasibility study” of a rec district in the city. And the Alex Rohrbaugh Center’s request for $45k for “programs and activities.” And the Mendocino AIDS/Viral Hepatitis Network’s request for $42k for “Addressing problematic alcohol and drug use, and increasing behavioral health services and medication adherence.” And $5k for Healthy Mendocino to “Underwrite cost of designing and printing executive summary of the Community Health Needs Assessment final report and contribute to the cost of three meetings regarding the needs assessment.”

INSTEAD, it would encourage the purchase of actual things that benefit the community (some of which were actually applied for).

IF THERE WAS LEADERSHIP in Mendocino, patronage would be avoided by having the four supervisors from the other districts awarding a given district’s projects.

BUT THIS IS MENDO, and there’s no leadership, so the Board will have to suffer through a tedious discussion of the Community Benefit funding allocations. We’ll let you know who wins and who loses and why (if there are reasons) — if we can stand to watch the handwringing when the video is released.

WELCOME TO MENDOCINO - WE'VE GOT GOURMET GASOLINE.

A STORY in today's Press Democrat is called, “Winery critics, backers pack forum.”

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/4769871-181/critics-supporters-of-sonoma-county?most

Among other things, the story says that the wine people wore t-shirts saying “Proud to support Sonoma County Agriculture.”

SHEPHERD BLISS RESPONDS to the story:

Wineries are not ag. They are industrial processing factories, and hence belong in urban areas and along the Highway 101 corridor. Grape growing is only a small, but important, part of the wine industry. I was at last night's meeting. I object to the t-shirt claim that the wine industry is "sustainable." This is propaganda. Sustainability require a triple-E bottom line--economics, environmental, and equity. The wine industry is certainly economical, for the vintners and managers, but it is not equitable for the farm workers, most of whom are Latinos and permanent residents of Sonoma County. I did not see any brown faces in last night's large crowd. They are underpaid and poorly housed.

In terms of helping the environment that we are all dependent upon, the wine industry systematically damages it. In 1992 I moved to the natural Redwood Empire and planted a vineyard, in which I grow berries. Wine grapes are not food; they are a luxury crop. During my time here the wine industry managed to re-brand our county as their commercial "wine country." Sonoma County has become the alcohol capital of California.

The wine baron industrialists cut down thousands of redwoods, oaks, and other trees, which benefit all creatures in many ways. How "sustainable" is that? They build fences to keep wildlife out, causing the death of many animals. They hoard our limited water, which people have to conserve, unless you are part of the wine industry. As Preserve Rural Sonoma County's Padi Selwyn said last night, we need "to stop the 'Napafication' of Sonoma County."

The important agreement last night by people from both sides was that we need to have better enforcement of regulations, especially those that involve the required permits for wineries as event centers that serve food and host parties. Such wineries in ag areas are paving over prime land where food could be planted. They draw tourists to narrow roads and endanger our rural lives. More information on these issues is available at www.winewaterwatch.org.

PS. Though I disagree with some of the opinions expressed by members of the wine industry, I respect the ways in which they expressed those opinions. I found it to be an informative evening, as well as mainly cordial. Our groups and individuals challenging the over-growth of wineries as event centers in rural areas includes grape-growers in the four-county Wine and Water Watch group and in Preserve Rural Sonoma County. Some spoke last night. Growing grapes is hard work and should be rewarded. Let me also admit that I do have a few grapevines here and I do eat those grapes as desert. YUM! YUM!

On the other hand, I do not appreciate the online personal attacks and name-calling, especially by people unwilling to reveal their real name. It is hard to take them seriously, so they are easily dismissed. They get in the way of a democratic process of trying to work toward solutions that take into account different points of view. They seem designed to shut up others.

And actually, I do like peanuts, walnuts, cashews, and almonds, even though growing them takes so much water, so I guess that I am guilty of being a "nut case," as I am accused of being above. :)

FORT BRAGG 'EXTREME WEATHER SHELTER' OPENS TODAY

According to the website: "The Extreme Weather Shelter provides meals, showers, and a warm place to sleep on nights the temperature is below 36° F and/or it is wet. Faith communities rotate responsibility for sheltering men. Hospitality House provides meals and showers for all, and shelter for women and children. Overnight supervision is provided for all guests."

http://www.mc1day.org

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The 7th Annual Mendocino Coast Extreme Weather Shelter keeps our neighbors out of the cold and wet. The need for shelter in wet and cold weather exceeds what Hospitality House alone can provide. Without shelter, homeless neighbors are at risk of hypothermia and death. Initiated by Love in Action and managed by Hospitality House, the Extreme Weather Shelter operates in partnership with Coast Faith Communities, Mendocino County, and you.

The Extreme Weather Shelter provides meals, showers, and a warm place to sleep on nights the temperature is below 36° F and/or it is wet. Faith communities rotate responsibility for sheltering men. Hospitality House provides meals and showers for all, and shelter for women and children. Overnight supervision is provided for all guests.

So that others may be sheltered, the suggested donation is the amount you spend housing yourself or your business for one day of the month. For example if your monthly expenses are $1000, give $33 and if $3000 give $100. Monetary gifts will keep the Extreme Weather Shelter open during stormy weather and help Hospitality House.

Make Checks payable to:

“Mayor’s Fund for the Homeless”

and mail to:

Mayor’s Fund for the Homeless
PO Box 2859
Fort Bragg, CA 95437

or

To make secure online tax deductible donations through PayPal click the Donate button below

SUSPENDED FOR DOING THE RIGHT THING

Here’s a formal complaint I filed against Lowery and Lynch in 2011, it was ignored, but I heard that they immediately moved Lynch from CPS to Adult Protective Services (APS) where she is now a high ranking employee under Lowery.

TWO OGAMS

The second artifact I will discuss, I refer to as the “Willits Rock.” Its existence and location are no secret. Anyone can go and look. Personally, I have spent many a long, hot day in the countryside peering at rocks, looking for possible ancient writing. The only reason I did not “discover” this one earlier is that no one told me it was there.

The Willits Rock is located outside the front door of the Willits Museum, in Mendocino County. A plaque next to it acknowledges that it was donated to the museum in 1972 by the Hansen Ranch. The museum itself was opened in that same year.

Willits is a small town located about fifty miles from Solstice Rock, in the neighboring county. Originally both Lake and Mendocino Counties were territory of the Pomo Indians. The plaque referred to above identifies the rock only as “Pomo petroglyphs.”

This stone is somewhat smaller than Solstice Rock, but appears to be composed of the same type of hard andesite – or so I thought at first. At some point in its history it has broken through the middle – probably decades ago, judging by the degree of erosion.

The Willits stone has prominent Ogam style script, but only on one side. The other side is occupied by a large number of cupules, small round depressions which are a typical trademark of West Coast Native Americans. No one knows the meaning of these shallow depressions, except for the fact that they probably had some ritual purpose. (To me, the surface of the rock resembles a large, pock-marked meteorite, but I’m assured it isn’t one!)

I asked the museum curator for any information regarding this stone. She could tell me only that it came from the Hansen Ranch, which is located somewhere to the east of town.

It was at this point I encountered another annoying but ubiquitous obstacle to scholarly research – lack of public funds. I asked the curator if I could examine any documents relating to the stone’s original location and position – with photographs if possible. I was told the museum would be happy to oblige, but I might have to wait several months for an appointment to use the document files. This delay is due to shortage of staff and impending reorganization.

Nevertheless, I did fill out an application for an appointment. (You have to complete the paperwork to see the paperwork!) I am interested in learning if the Willits rock had any particular astronomical orientation – bearing in mind the functions of our Lake County rock. Information may or may not be on file somewhere – archeology is often more a matter of digging through files than digging through dirt.

I found this rock extremely difficult to photograph. This is because of a shade tree which blocks the sun and casts speckled shadows all over the rock’s surface. In fact, my first observation was on an overcast day, and due to poor contrast I failed to note a number of important details. For example, I at first failed to see the baseline of the three prominent vertical strokes at the front.

You will recall that one of my criteria for identification of Ogam is the presence of a baseline. In this case, the line is eroded and faint, but definitely present. This fact identifies those three strokes as the letters “L-B,” in Ogam.

Dr Barry Fell has pointed out that this is the Semitic form of the name Baal, an ancient sun god, written right to left.

Another interesting detail, and one that makes me suspect an astronomical meaning, is one of the round cupules located near the edge of the Ogam area. This one has three vertical lines extending from its lower edge, giving it the shape of a comet – or the sun with descending rays. Just to the right is the letter “L,” inscribed vertically.

The three lines below the cupule form the letter “L-B,” turning it into a rebus. A rebus, of course, is a picture formed with letters which spell the name of the picture. In this case we have the ancient sun god Bel, or Baal, spelled right to left, in the Semitic style. The circular cupule therefore represents the sun. And just to the right is the prominent letter “L.”

There is only one word in modern Irish or Old Gaelic which can be spelled with the single letter “L.” (The older form of Ogam usually included no vowels.) This word is “la,” written with an accent in English letters.

“La” turns out to be an Indo-European cognate related to a Sanskrit word, “latha”; the most common meaning in several different languages is “to shine.” In modern Irish the meaning is “day.” “La” is related to English “light.”

Thus, our unknown rock writer did his best to make sure we understand his meaning. He draws a picture of the sun, with the name of Bel. So that we don’t miss it, he repeats the name “Bel” above, and the word “shine” to the right. Thus, the three glyphs have the meaning “sunshine!”

Unfortunately, it seems that most of the thousands of people who have looked at this book in stone have missed its meaning. The bronze plaque on the ground reads simply, “Pomo petroglyphs.”

There are other glyphs here which I do not understand. There is, for example, a vertical line with a curve starting from its top and descending to the right. I suspect this may have some astronomical meaning, or it may be a map.

I find all these ancient glyphs extremely difficult to study. I have found that photographing a particular glyph from two slightly different angles may reveal different details. Often I may miss something with the naked eye which later appears obvious in a photograph – or I may find it nearly impossible to photograph something I can easily see.

I’m not sure of the mineral composition of the Willits rock, but some parts of the surface look like marble or possibly obsidian. It’s an extremely hard type of rock. Given its advanced state of weathering it must be quite old. How did Ogam writing arrive in California in some remote past age? I have no idea. It is a mystery. I can only hope that with further study by qualified scholars, it may not remain a complete mystery forever.

For my final (?) word on Solstice Rock, look here.

(Courtesy, chargedbarticle.org.)

NON-WINE TASTING

While wine tastings are common events how about something new? At the Kelley House Museum’s Holiday Open House from 4 to 7 p.m. December 4 there will be a single malt Scotch Whiskey tasting. For a small donation visitors can imbibe great Scotch in a beautifully decorated Victorian home with tasty treats and live music. Fans of Scotch whiskey know there are flavors available as diverse as anything wine presents. A local connoisseur will pour samples and books and maps will show where that Scotch came from in Scotland. Seasonal decorations old and new will give the museum a festive appearance and this event is free for museum members. This is a great time to sign up for a membership and sip Scotch for free. Everyone over age 21 is invited to this Museum fundraising party to usher in the holidays. Call the Kelley House at 937-5791 for more information about the party.

CAN THIS MARRIAGE BE SAVED?

On November 14, 2015 the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office was dispatched to the Ukiah Station in regards to a domestic violence incident that occurred the previous evening in Redwood Valley, California. Upon arrival, Deputies contacted Bonnie Akin, 33, of Redwood Valley who advised she had been involved in a domestic violence incident with her husband, Kurt Akin, 34, of Redwood Valley at their residence on 11-13-2015.

Deputies learned a struggle over a cellular phone resulted in the pair having physically restrained and physically assaulted each other inside the residence. Deputies noticed extensive bruising on both of Bonnie’s arms. Kurt subsequently arrived at the Sheriff's Office at the request of Deputies and was interviewed. Deputies observed no obvious injuries on Kurt’s body in relation to the reported incident. Based upon the reported circumstances of this incident Kurt was arrested for felony domestic violence battery and was booked into the Mendocino County Jail to be held in lieu of $25,000 bail. Bonnie was cited and released for misdemeanor domestic violence battery.

(Sheriff’s Press Release)

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RAMOS’S RAMPAGE

On November 15, 2015 at about 8:50 AM Mendocino County Sheriffs Deputies were dispatched to contact an adult female at a local hospital to investigate a reported domestic violence incident. Upon arrival, Deputies learned a 38 year-old adult female was visiting with Todd Ramos, 44, of Redwood Valley at his residence earlier in the morning when an argument erupted between the pair. The argument escalated and Ramos grabbed the adult female and threw her across the room causing her to fall to the floor of the residence where she sustained injuries to her shoulder, chest area and a knee. Deputies observed a visible injury to one of her knees consistent with a physical assault. During the contact Deputies learned the pair were engaged in a dating relationship. Deputies subsequently contacted Ramos at his residence located in the 100 block of Campbell Drive in Redwood Valley, California. Ramos was arrested for felony domestic violence battery. Ramos was determined to be on Mendocino County Court Probation for an unrelated incident and he was also arrested for violating the terms of his probation. Ramos was booked into the Mendocino County Jail for Infliction of injury to spouse or cohabitant and Violation of Probation where he was to be held in lieu of $30,000 bail.

CATCH OF THE DAY, November 17, 2015

MARTIN BRIGGS, Willits. Probation revocation.

RICHARD COMPTOIS, Ukiah. Under influence.

KANDICE DELAPENA, Ukiah. Suspended license.

HEATHER DEWOLF, Fort Bragg. Petty theft, drunk in public, refusing to leave, possession of deadly weapon, probation revocation. (Frequent flyer.)

MONALISA DURAZO, Covelo. Possession and sale and under influence of meth, paraphernalia, suspended license.

ROBERT FULLER, Fort Bragg. DUI with priors, receiving stolen property, probation revocation.

MICHAEL GRANT, Petaluma/Laytonville. DUI-drugs & alcohol, under influence, possession of controlled substance.

NATALIE GRANT, Petaluma/Laytonville. Possession of controlled substance.

TYRONE HARRIS, Stockton/Ukiah. Probation revocation.

LORENZO MARTINEZ, Ukiah. Parole violation.

BRIAN MILLER, Redwood Valley. Drunk in public, vandalism.

EDDIE MITCHELL, Laytonville. Battery, vandalism.

JESSICA NORTON, Willits. Receiving stolen property, probation revocation.

KIRK RICHARDSON, Ukiah. Sale of meth.

JACOB SANDERSON, Laytonville. Pot sale-furnish-transport, conspiracy.

JOHN SCHNAUBELT, Fort Bragg. Drunk in public.

IDENTITY SCAM ALERT

On November 17, 2015 at 2:00 PM the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office learned of an Identity Theft related scam that is currently being perpetrated in Mendocino County, California. Beginning a few days ago there has been an automated recording (unlisted or 001 listed in caller ID) that people in the community have been receiving from the "Savings Bank of Mendocino County" indicating the person's "MasterCard" has been blocked. The person is prompted to provide personal identifying information, such as card PIN number and social security number, to get the card reactivated. This has been determined to be an Identity Theft scam and the Savings Bank of Mendocino County has issued the following statement: "Be Aware of Fraudulent Automated Phone Calls If you receive an automated phone call that conveys it is from Savings Bank, it is fraudulent. DO NOT provide requested information. The bank DOES NOT make automated phone calls and WILL NOT call customers to activate their debit cards or to ask for account or card information. The Bank will call customers if there is unusual activity and it is suspected to be fraud. In this case, the calls are made in person, not automated." Anyone who receives any suspicious call(s) of a similar nature should always consult with their financial institution or local law enforcement agency prior to engaging in the requested activity. Anyone with information that might help to identity the person(s) responsible for this Identity Theft scam is urged to call the Sheriff's Office tip-line at 707-234-2100.

ON THE ROAD

But there are obstacles to travel in the United States, or at least obstacles to penetrating the country. We are a naturally welcoming people, but with too strenuous a response from the stranger, the welcome wears off, it shreds, it cools, it vanishes and becomes wary and reluctant. We are full of opinions, but we are temperamentally inhospitable to opposition to or to searching questions — and the best traveler has nothing but questions. Americans will talk all day, but they are terrible listeners and have an aversion to probing or any persistent inquisitiveness by a stranger. Americans share with the furrow-browed villagers in the folk societies of the world a deep suspicion of personal questions. We say we tolerate dissent, but the expression of a strongly held contrary view can render you undesirable, or even an enemy. A difference of opinion is often construed as defiance. You would not know that from our obsessive self-congratulation and our boasts of liberty and freedom. New Americans, refugees, people fleeing the horrors and tyrannies of their homelands, who have come to the United States for its freedoms, are often the most narrow-minded and censorious. We tolerate difference only when we don't have to look at it or listen to it, as long as it doesn't impact our lives. Our great gift as a country is its size and its relative emptiness, it's elbow room. That space allows for difference and is often mistaken for tolerance. The person who dares to violate that space is the real traveler.

— Paul Theroux, Deep South

MEANWHILE, IN THE HOME OF THE BRAVE,

More than a 20 US states’ governors have announced they will refuse to take in Syrian refugees following Friday evening’s deadly terrorist attacks in Paris. Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley said Sunday he planned to refuse the relocation. “I will not place Alabamians at even the slightest possible risk of an attack on our people,” the governor said in a statement.

ON LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY

Many of the terror attacks are on other Muslims. I don’t think that is about us stealing their oil. Nor do I think the Islamic criminal attacks in Africa is all about oil. Or the ones in Indonesia. Or in many places around the world. Muslims are closing in on committing nearly 100% of the terrorist attacks in the world. It seems to be a pathology associated with that religion.

Further, those that believe we can somehow solve the problem by vacating our presence in the Middle East and simply walk away from the oil are fooling themselves. It is not possible for that to happen, not now, and not in a century due to our reliance on liquid hydrocarbons to underpin our western economies. We are an empire built on access to those energy resources and folks who rant about taking their oil would not like the consequences of just walking away.

As tight as oil supplies are (the glut we see now is temporary and probably damaging to oil companies, and hence, future supplies), the Middle East will continue to be a major player in supplying energy resources for the indefinite future. Nothing will replace it; not solar, not wind, not nuclear, not shale, nothing. We westerners profit greatly from this access to cheap energy afforded by the empire of which we are a part and we will not give up our empire easily. So we will continue to do what it takes to keep our access to oil supplies around the world and will only cease doing so when either the oil industry collapses or the western empire fails.

Even though Islamic terrorism is rampant throughout many parts of the world, there is one nation (at least according the article whose URL I will post below) that has no terror issues, at least with respect to Islam. That country is Japan, which controls its borders by not allowing many Muslims in. You can read about it here:

chersonandmolschky.com/2015/04/13/islamic-terrorism-japan/

GUN CRAZINESS in "a pretty typical week"

Scottsdale Gun Club

From the Daily Kos:

Halloween often brings out a little extra gun crazy. In the week ending on October 31st, 27 people accidentally shot themselves. Seventeen kids were accidentally shot, five people accidentally fired their weapons into the homes or property of others, four people accidentally fired guns they were cleaning, three people were accidentally shot at the firing range, and returning to another continuing tradition, two people were accidentally shot at a gun show (the second such accident in three years at the same Idaho venue). There were also five hunting accidents, and six police-involved GunFAILs (resulting in four law enforcement officers shot, along with two bystanders). In other words, a pretty typical week.

But let me tell you about the week’s top crazy. Let’s see. We had a gun selfie injury, a Pennsylvania man shot from over a mile away while walking in his parents’ back yard, a 9-year-old boy shot when an upstairs neighbor accidentally shot himself in the foot in the apartment above, and a Florida man who fired a shotgun in the air during an argument with his girlfriend, only to end up wounding himself in the neck.

We also had a string of three 2-year-olds accidentally shot in a three-day period, two of whom fatally shot themselves with guns they found unsecured. The first such incident, incredibly enough, involved a loaded shotgun left on a bedside night table in an in-home daycare. Turn that one over in your mind for a minute.

And from the “maybe you just weren’t cut out for this gun thing” files, we have the Cortez, Colorado woman who, apparently frightened by someone at the front door, accidentally shot herself in the foot with a .45 caliber pistol, then sent a second accidentally discharged round through an interior wall, luckily just missing her sleeping roommate. The capper? She’d already accidentally shot herself in the same foot earlier this year.

— Rob Anderson (Courtesy, District 5 Diary)

LIBRARY EVENTS

Share the Light — First Friday Art Walk

Friday December 6th, 5:00-7:30pm

Get in the swing of the holiday season with local Bluegrass band Gibson Creek, while creating a votive candle gift and enjoying delicious treats from Schat’s Bakery.

The Friends of the Ukiah Library Book Sale will be open from 4:30- 7:45pm on Friday and from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm on Saturday.

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Upcoming Events for the whole family at Ukiah Library

New games and old favorites. Learn new board games or play the ones you know.

Celebrate International Game Day at Ukiah Library

Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 7:30--classic and the newest board games for the whole family.

Play a favorite and learn something new.

Every Saturday afternoon in November, from noon to 5 pm.

We supply the coffee, you write your novel.

Donate lightly used or new winter clothing for our upcoming Clothing Swap.

Please, no used hats, scarves, socks, swimwear or undergarments.

The Swap will be on Sunday, December 13th from 2-5 pm. All ages are welcome.