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Letters (Dec 16, 2015)

By AVA News Service on December 15, 2015

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UNITY CLUB APPRECIATION

Editor,

The Anderson Valley Unity Club wishes to Thank the following for their donations to the Holiday Bazaar Raffle. Brutocao Cellars, Ferrington Vineyard, Foursight Wines, Handley Cellars, Harmonique, Husch Vineyards, Meyer Family Cellars, Philo Ridge Vineyards, Roederer Estate, Scharffenberger, Toulouse Vineyards, Gowan’s Oak Tree, Anderson Valley Brewing, Rookie-To-Gallery, Shear Elegance, Blanca Gresham Cleaning Services, All That Good Stuff, Apple Farm, Boontberry Farm, Buckhorn, Farmhouse Mercantile, Fish Rock Farm Girls, Jack’s Valley Store, Lauren’s Restaurant, Lemons Market, Libby’s Mexican Restaurant, The Puzzle People, Village Books, Judy Nelson, Gene Herr, Gypsy Spring, KZYX, Gowan’s Cider, Beverly Dutra, Wally Hopkins.

Your contributions are greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Elizabeth Dusenberry

Bazaar Chairman, Boonville

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THANK YOU!

Editor,

The Anderson Valley Fire Department held its annual Awards/Christmas Dinner at River’s Bend on Saturday, Dec. 5. This event provides a very important “thank you” to all of the AVFD volunteers who provide such an essential service to our community! AVFD recognized all the individuals who support our fire department in their area of expertise; training, mechanic, admin, radios, responders, general help, etc. The department’s highest awards were: Officer of the Year, Angela DeWitt; Firefighter of the Year, Ben Glaus; Engineer of the Year, Fal Allen; Rookie of the Year, Moy Perez; and Medic of the Year, Aaron Martin. When you see them, or any of our firefighters and families, give them a big shout out! They deserve it.

Of course, there are the people behind the scenes who contribute to making this event such a huge success and deserve a big “Thank You”. We particularly appreciated donations from (in no particular order): Anderson Valley Brewery, Handley Cellars, Lula Cellars, Husch Winery, Meyer Family Cellars, Roederer Estates, Scharffenberger Cellars, Phillips Hill Winery, Brutocao Cellars, Toulouse Winery, Maple Creek Winery, Yorkville Cellars, Foursight Wines, Philo Ridge Vineyards, Balo Vineyards, Knez Winery, Bink Wines, Goldeneye Winery, Greenwood Ridge Vineyards, Harpe Ranch, Navarro Vineyards, Bucket Ranch, Signal Ridge Vineyard. We couldn’t have done it without the assistance of Walt & Ginger Valen, Julie Hunter, and Mike Howell. And once again, we thank Chef Marie Richard amd her crew for the wonderful food.

Once again, thanks to everyone! Happy Holidays!

Andres Avila, Chief AV Fire Department

Judy Long, President, AV Volunteer Firefighters Assoc.

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AT LEAST SAY THANKS, ROSS

To The Editor:

Back in the Fall of 2009, there was battle here in Mendocino County for the future of the abandoned Masonite site. An international developer wanted to build a giant mall on the site and fill it with giant chain stores which would have killed downtown Ukiah along with many local businesses and jobs. It also would have ruined our rural character and destroyed our chance for having a local industrial center and job creator, for which it is zoned.

Measure A was the vehicle used by the outsiders to force the issue, spending a million dollars on their campaign to change the zoning and bypass environmental tests. They were supported by many Chamber of Commerce, Real Estate, and conservative interests crying "property rights". Among those supporters of the outside developer was entrepreneur Ross Liberty who wrote letters to the editor supporting the mall. Local citizens rose up to support our community, and the mall developers lost the vote decisively.

Soon thereafter, Mr. Liberty moved his small business in to one of the Masonite site buildings, and has recently announced that an investment group he heads wants to develop the site into an industrial center.

Good for him. The least he could do is say thank you.

Dave Smith

Redwood Valley

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WHEN IS ENOUGH, ENOUGH? NEVER

Editor,

When the heads of City Departments are brought in to find out if they have enough funds to operate, the answer is always not enough. The same is true about county governments, state governments, and federal governments, with all kinds of reasons. Now when the question is: Can you get by with the present funds? The answer is usually yes, except occasionally when something different has occurred like a disaster.

Therein is the problem of government. The principle is that Government is supposed to give the most service for the least money, but the fact is that Government gives the least service for the most money.

In the private world we have that thing called competition, which tells the heads of companies when it's enough. When a company has to lay off say a thousand workers because sales drop or other reasons for the loss of income, it seems heartless, but if we keep that thousand workers we have to sell our product at a higher price, and in a competitive society the company goes broke and everyone is out of a job. All these people are out of a job, but they still have to exist and have all the things necessary to live, even if it's the minimum amount.

Who pays for all these laid off people? The Government with fees tax a list too long to put on this letter, thereby lowering the standard of everyone. The same thing in Government that unfortunately does not have competition. If they no longer need a program or less of that program or personnel, and there is talk of cutting or even lowering a program, all hell brakes loose. Every reason under the sun comes out of imminent doom, making it almost impossible to cut anything that Government has started the outcome. Lots of deadwood of all kinds. In reality it lowers the living standard of everyone, including Government employees. Efficiency is what made this country great.

Emil Rossi

Boonville

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TO BE CONTINUED. AND CONINUTED. AND CONTINUED…

Dear Bruce,

It was wicked and mean-spirited of you to write that smear piece about me.  Fact checking, Bruce.   You described me as an original California hippie.  The fact is I never quite attained hippiedom, though there are many aspects of hippie culture I embraced – the back to the land ideas, growing  home grown fresh fruit and vegetables, respect for and caring for nature and the California forests and wildlands. I  was already an environmentalist  when I arrived in California, having witnessed my favorite woods destroyed, bulldozed to the ground, the sweet black soil stripped away to reveal the yellow clay in which very little would grow.  I believe this woods was the last pocket of original forest left in New York City in an outlying area of Queens borough, where immensely tall ivory white and pale pink flowering dogwoods flourished,  a bog where wild geraniums, wind anemones and jack-in-the pulpits grew, where I sighted my first scarlet tananger, first Baltimore oriole.  In February I was already examining the north sides of the trees for greening moss announcing the arrival of near spring.

Back to my arrival in San Francisco to begin a new job with Gordon Ashby Design as the editor of the 44-screen extravaganza for the Texas Pavillion of Hemisfair.  It was a daunting experience.  I felt like the commoner girl in the fairy tale who was given three impossible tasks to perform when the animals and birds helped her to complete the impossible.  Yet the show, despite the Rube Goldberg editing equipment, 2 screens of the Movieola running in sync, a 3rd screen on a variable speed motor on catch-up or running ahead.  Yet the final version of the show when previewed in a special effects Hollywood  studio went up perfect to the frame, thanks to the teamwork of Gordon Ashby Design.

Unheard of in the film industry for a first screening to be perfect.

To be continued.

Sincerely,

Dorotheya M Dorman, Redwood Valley

ED REPLY: I, I, I… but, but, but Dorothea, I thought… please let me explain, I, I, I… You're not listening, Dorotheya. I, I, well, but, I… Can I get a word in here? I, I, I… I was trying to apologize but, but, but… You wouldn't give me… any… room so I, I… gave up.

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TURKEY ROAST

Editor,

I rarely, if ever, read anything the Turkey Vulture writes. While face to face I tend to like the human critter and love the winged wonder, I will indulgently chalk my dislike of the prose up to a misunderstanding or ignorance of the British sense of humor.

But Sunday night at the annual Holiday Community Dinner at the Grange something was grumbled that prompted me to take a peek at last week’s paper.

With this letter I am asking someone to explain the humor in degrading and trivializing an event that brings so many people together for good cheer, good conversation and a warm sense of community.

The ongoing theme of the Turkey is that at the root of all joy is alcohol, a drug that is implicated at the top of the list for traffic fatalities, domestic violence, myriad medical issues and a whole wealth of just plain stupid behavior that is often criminal.

Why would anyone want to belittle those of us who enjoy getting together without focusing on alcohol as a means of loosening our tongues?

To set the record straight, alcohol has never been served at the annual Holiday Community Dinner sponsored by The Food Shed and the Grange, and contrary to the Turkey this year, was no exception. Those among us who might consider a glass of wine as food did bring their own and I imagine the event will proceed through the coming years in such a fashion.

David Severn

Philo

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OVER THE TOP

Editor:

It is a shame that Rex Gressett is so over the top. I wish he had been around to take on Dominic Affinito, Gary Milliman, and the bought and paid for city council. He might have then had a better understanding of corruption, good ol’ boy politics, and the current situation.

A 45 year resident of Fort Bragg

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THE LONELY CROWD

Editor,

Re: Jeff Costello's "Your Attention, Please" in Mendocino County Today, Dec. 8th, 2015, www.theava.com

Jeff Costello mentioned an idea about our overpopulated world and its effect on our psyches that I've had for a while: "Maybe it's the final existential crisis, in an overpopulated world. The more of us there are, the harder it is to stand out from the crowd. As if we need to be sure we're actually here."

I've been fascinated by population figures since I was seven years old and got my first World Almanac and perused the US Census population tables. I doubt many Americans are cognizant of the specific population figures of their town, city, county, state, country, etc., but we all know there are a hell of a lot of us in this state, country, and planet! The population of the Earth at seven billion would be equal to one thousand Bay Areas (seven million).

Humans seem to have a need to be seen, or for attention, and it must be overwhelming on the modern individual's psyche to have to compete with so many others for that attention. Costello used the example of Facebook as a forum where people are desperate to stand out. What about competition in jobs, schools, communities? Not to mention the fact that there are so freaking many of us people, each one of us is quite expendable! There will always be plenty of others to take your place if you're gone, even the President is expendable with the position of Vice President existing just for the reason of replacing him.

Maybe in a rural place like Anderson Valley with several thousand people this effect on one's psyche is not as extreme, but in a major metropolitan area like the Bay Area it's more pronounced.

Keith Bramstedt

San Anselmo

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EXPLOSIONS, ANYONE?

Editor,

Why would you encapsulate an idea? Why, (jerk!), so you can swallow it whole, no pain!

Theory is, your mental digestive system would then “comprehend,” and “understand.”

Problem is, without checking out the list of ingredients, you risk having swallowed an explosive mixture with unpredictable consequences.

Like, a time bomb. There it sits, a neat, compact package, waiting for some pre-set electrical impulse to “smithereen” the world within range.

Not to mention that “time bombs” are becoming passe. People go for direct action and immediate effect now, no time to waste. Use themselves as carriers and detonators all at once.

That may be why certain ideas with explosive consequences keep us all alert, with the NSA at the ever-ready. Just like the old battery brand, “eveready,” wire ‘em up, and throw the lever (touch the button, depending on your tech level).

ISIS is very disciplined. So is life within “Armed Forces.” What’s the difference?

Orders are given. Orders are obeyed. Explosives are delivered. Explosives tend to detonate. That’s in their nature.

What’s the difference between a drone and a self-destructing jihadist? Not one thing, its the MISSION, (dummy!). The army and Isis are servants, each, of their all encompassing god, “Obedience to the Higher Mission.”

Paradigm parallel here: Encapsulated Corporate footnotes, in the jungle of investment activities supporting our explosive way of life (this is NOT a “non-sequitur”), the higher mission is always “Bottom Line" (its the ECONOMY, er, dummy?):

In 1986, Union Carbide sold its Battery Products Division to Ralston Purina Company for $US1.4 billion, becoming the Eveready Battery Company, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary…. for your energy, breakfast and pet food needs.

Union Carbide Corporation is now a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company. The spider web of corporate co-conspiracy includes all possible bad acts. There are still people dedicated to keeping slogans like “Remember Bhopal” alive.

Backwards in time: Old News Release from way after Bhopal (look it up): The Bhopal disaster, also referred to as the Bhopal gas tragedy, was a gas leak incident in India, considered the world's worst industrial disaster.[1]

It occurred on the night of 2–3 December 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Over 500,000 people were exposed to methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas and other chemicals. The toxic substance made its way into and around the shanty towns located near the plant.[2]

Fast forward: 1999 September. Dow Chemical is buying Union Carbide for about $11.6 billion. The Dow-Carbide merger is a tax-free, stock-for-stock pooling of interests with the resulting corporation to be owned 75 percent by Dow shareholders and 25 percent by Union Carbide shareholders. Two Union Carbide directors will join the board of Dow. The new corporation expects to save $500 million by consolidating.

And investing we shall go!! “Roll me over, lay me down. And do it again.” (Stopping short of “ad nauseam”)

Al Krauss

Ukiah

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DISPIRITING

To the Editor:

In response to Linda Warden’s letter objecting to “tiny houses” for the homeless: I lived in Ukiah for nine years. My father and I moved there, to a pretty ratty trailer park, after over a year among the homeless. We did not, as you seem to think, prefer to live that way. The house I grew up in was sold and we did not have enough saved to move with two months notice. I was employed in town until two jobs laid me off in the space of a month, and then my dad—a disabled vet and senior citizen—went into kidney failure and I helped out with his care through the IHSS program. When he died, guess what? My rent doubled, I was once again unemployed, and my unemployment benefits amounted to $63 a week.

I lived off savings for as long as I could, but ended up with no choice but to move from room to room for the last two years, indoors but hardly stable and forced to scavenge for freelance gigs to stay afloat. I get that it’s tempting to hold up the most obnoxious system abusers and the trimmigrant population and say, “Ugh!” But you’re missing the big picture AND the small one when you do that. It’s considerably cheaper to house people, and uses far less taxpayer money, than it is to deal with constant calls to the police and trips to the E.R.; Utah has been housing the homeless and the results have been almost entirely positive, including substantial savings and lower crime rates. The right thing in this case turns out to be the cheaper thing as well.

On a personal level, the generalizations you’re throwing around hurt. It hurt me to read your letter, particularly while I’m once again trying to find a place to live as the weather gets colder, and realize how many people close off their hearts based entirely on false impressions and supposition; sit down with someone and listen to their story before deciding for yourself who they are and what they prefer. I keep forgetting that the real spirit of Christmas is more about having something drawn on our disposable coffee cups than concern for the welfare of others, but it’s disappointing to be reminded.

Heather Seggel

Santa Rosa

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ED DENSON, THE DEFENSE

Letter to the Editor

A few weeks ago in Off The Record, you had some unkind words about Humboldt attorney Ed Denson, calling him “an old crackpot,” who ran “some kind of half-assed music business with uber crook Darryl Cherney.”

I’ve known Ed Denson for many years. I would not describe him as a crackpot, he's a smart and dedicated person. And he never owned or operated a business with Darryl Cherney.

Ed Denson was the manager of the bands Joy of Cooking and Country Joe and the Fish in their heyday, and he was a major reason both bands were so successful. Denson and the guitarist John Fahey founded Takoma Records together and resurrected the careers of legendary bluesmen including Booker “Bukka” White, who was living in poverty on a dirt farm until Denson found him and gave him a new lease on life.

Denson and his wife Mary Alice founded and for years ran Kicking Mule Records, which helped the careers of dozens of blues singers and acoustic performers. The Densons' annual Eel River Music Camp, held at their property in Alderpoint, attracted hundreds of amateur and professional musicians. The Densons charged next to nothing for people to come to the camps, it was a labor of love.

Alas, it was at one of the Denson music camps where Judi Barry and Darryl Cherney first met, but neither one was involved personally or professionally with Denson.

Bear Kamoroff

Willits

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LETHAL DISTANCE 

Editor,

We all know that a firearm can kill at a long distance. If you can see it, it can kill you. But what is the lethal distance for a man holding an edge weapon (knife)? If you are holding a pistol, at what distance are you in danger of being killed by a person holding a knife? That person could be high on drugs and is probably supercharged with his own adrenaline. From over 25 feet away, he can kill you, and your children will grow up without a parent. Yes, you may have put several shots into him, and he will die, but not fast enough to save your life. Check the reason for the development of the .45 auto pistol if you don't believe me. Give the police a good option other than using their handgun. True, a person supercharged on drugs and adrenaline may die from the Taser, but he has better odds to live than multiple gunshots.

Ralf Stinson

Alameda

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OUR SIDE

Editor,

As a retired cop, I'd like to weigh in on police use of force. Recent police shootings have left the public feeling angry and distrustful, and the police feeling alienated and unsupported. Misunderstanding plays a big part in the disconnect between the police and the public. While the public may not understand the realities of lethal force situations and force options, the police may not understand that the public won't simply accept or excuse every instance of lethal force because it was "legally justified."

They want to know that it was also reasonable and necessary. Let's try this: Have law enforcement and the public arrange meetings at local theaters and put some simulated scenarios on the big screen that portray reenactments of deadly encounter situations, like those that police train with in "shoot / don't shoot" exercises. Show scenes where certain tactics work and where they don't, the availability and prioritization of options, and in real time. Maybe both sides can then get a better understanding of each other's perspectives, and what can be done better in these cases.

Steve Aurilio

San Bruno

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JUSTAJUGGALO UPDATE

To The Editor,

As always I will allow you to "oh so cleverly" entitle this piece.

Hello to all those Mendocinians, NorCalians and fellow avid Anderson Valley Advertiser readers. I must say there's no place like home. Those who don't know me, don't worry, Ah-coona-ma-ta-tah. Home is where you make it. And so it seems mine is destined to be someplace in Mendocino. Where exactly? I haven't the foggiest. At least for the next three years or until released from parole, the figment of the imaginational collar the county's got on me. What is meant to be is what is! Truly! I have tried nearly every trick up my sleeve to break the chains.

Beginning with reception at San Quentin State Prison, I told them when I was booked that I was living in San Francisco at a homeless shelter when I could, prior to being picked up in Laytonville which is a part of the record, but no such luck.

During classification I went so far as to provide the address to one of the homeless shelters.

Counselor T. Dunkley: "I don't care, you're going back to Mendocino. In fact, I don't think you were sentenced correctly and I'm going to do what I can to see you're resentenced."

That's the point I was kicked out of his office. My paperwork mysteriously disappeared. At least for the next three months until my 602 concerning the issue caught someone's eye and I was pushed right on outtathere. Sending me is far from my family as they possibly could, i.e., CIM—California's Institute for Men in Chino. Well, maybe not as far as they could, but next to it.

Since being here I did as I was supposed to — programs, no trouble, in an effort to get help changing parole areas. Again, no luck! A counselor at the substance abuse program, Ms. Burton, tried — I think, at least she pretended to. Where she ran into a roadblock is with what is called AB 109, county supervised parole which is actually probation. This being my first term served in California it makes me eligible for AB 109.

Get this, during sentencing probation themselves deemed me ineligible for probation and judge Ann Mormon said she felt I was incapable of completing probation. Now after paying my debt to society by way of a prison sentence I'm being forced to do AB 109 parole in Mendocino County. Not just that, but Mendo seems to be one of the only counties that will work with Ms. Burton to help parolees into treatment and/or drug free housing. Right, lucky me. It figures really. At least that's how it was explained to me. I am CCC-MS and might not understand. Never mind my 12-9 TABE score.

Okay, I'm used to rejection. Let's try a different angle. During a provider fair, something that was done in an effort to inform the inmates here what kind of opportunities are available to us once released, I approached the representative of Hope Homes, a sober living program. I turned on a little charm and explained my situation as best I could. Turns out that program must have a recommendation from San Bernardino probation to give housing. The thing is, if I, me specifically, was released to San Bernardino and told a probation officer there that I've already spoken with her she would make sure I had a place at Hope Homes. Here is my phone number, wink wink, and address. Good luck! Great, something to work with.

I go to open line, give my counselor the address and number, but I happen to have misplaced her name, silly me.

CCI J. Tierce: "Oh, so you want to change counties. Sounds easy. Oh, you don't have her name. I'm sorry I can't input incomplete information."

Self: "What does it say it is?"

CCI J. Tierce again: "It says 'transient'."

Self: "Is that not incomplete?"

Back to Tierce: "Well, yes. It seems so. But I can't change that. If you get an address, number and name of who you are going to be released to I'll put it in for you."

Self: "Can't you just put my name down."

J.T.: "Um, uh, well — no. Not exactly."

Self: LOL. "Okay, thanks for all your help."

So as of this point I still have no place to go and no family in California. With less than a month ago it appears I will be a new resident of the County of Mendocino.

What has brought all this to mind and pushed me to write this letter? A little article in the AVA of October 28, 2015 entitled, "Holding the Helping Pros Accountable." In the middle of the article it speaks about a case involving a Mr. Barden. He allegedly lures a Mendocino County Sheriff's Deputy into a secluded area and attacks him. Luckily his trusty sidekick canine was released from the vehicle via a button on his belt and Rin-tin-tin to the rescue. A case in which a jury of your wonderful citizens found him guilty of assault on an officer. Now I can't attest to his guilt. I can say I was forcibly represented by the same attorney, the spectacular Mr. Andrew Higgins who obviously lost my case. Also, some wording in both cases was similar. This being "the guy had superhuman strength." Which is almost identical to what was said of me. Wow, more than one superhuman wandering around Mendocino. Coincidental? Your guess is as good as mine.

One last thing on this, and what I really want to put on record is this: I, myself, was threatened by a Mendocino County Sheriff's Deputy while he was transporting me — specifically the officer who joined me to my preliminary hearing. I'm at a loss for a name, though I could find out. Whom I might add seemed to be good friends with Deputy Elmore. After the hearing while walking out of the courthouse he said to me, "So those tasers didn't affect you, huh? Just wait till I run across you out in the streets. I will sic my dog when you." So I do have empathy for Mr. Barden. And I hope without hope that it is not to be my fate also, once released and forced to return to Mendocino County.

Last but not least, I would like to say spending time in facilities from here to there I can say that NorCal does seem more of a fit for me. The people I have had the opportunity of meeting are probably not the best reflection of your wonderful state. But there is most definitely a difference between the North and South attitude. Although I do understand the stance every other state has taken of Californians.

So if you do happen across me out in the wild wild Oz, say Hi. No matter what picture of me was effectively painted of me, I'm really not as bad as I seem to appear. I won't bite. Contrary to popular belief I do look forward to meeting you all. Until then, my best thoughts are set up.

Arik Caldwell, Forever No One

Justajuggalo 007, Chino

* * *

ATLAS AS ESCAPE TOOL?

Editor,

I've been in the Victorville hole since 25 July and will be transferred to another US prison joint sometime from this hole.

I did nothing to deserve this worse than usual treatment. I get along with all the other prisoners and have no problems with the regular guards. It's the lieutenants who usually harass me. In this joint it's the SIS lieutenant and those SIS of less rank. The SIS is a small gang of guardsmen in the guard force of every federal joint. Here they have the power to run the joint as they wish due to the warden being a don't-bother-me warden and he has given them the power. Other guards including regular lieutenants must defer to them.

To justify the existence of the Security Intelligence Service in every federal joint they must generate documentation of how they foiled escape plots, murders, gang wars and whatever. They do this through the lies and paid rats and their own bogus assertions. In my case I had a Rand-McNally Road Atlas which one of the lesser SAS staff members wrote up as a hazardous tool most likely used in an escape attempt.

I had that Atlas four years at the last joint I was in. The SIS there packed my property prior to my moving here. (They did not run that joint, the warden did.) Staff in receiving and discharge (R&D) here unpacked my property and gave me the road atlas which is 22 x 15 with 72 pages.

I fought the incident report for three months and was found not guilty with the most unusual help from a regular lieutenant.

Then a month after the not guilty finding I was taken from my hole cell back to the kangaroo hearing room and the hearing began again at the point just before the Lieutenant who had testified on my behalf. This time no lieutenant and the judge said she investigated on her own and now found me guilty. She also said the R&D staff denied ever seeing the Atlas.

To ease this obvious injustice she changed the I.R. from "hazardous tool" to the less serious "possession of something not authorized." She said it's okay with her if I'm put back in general population but the SIS wants me transferred to go along with their secret report of having thwarted an escape, so transferred I will be.

There are many things wrong with the federal prison system. What I have described, the self-aggrandizing reports of some staff, is one of the minor faults.

There are three main problems with the federal and most state prison systems and they are:

Crowded. All the single man cells contain two and sometimes three men with all their belongings. The medical services department, school and library. gym, outside yard areas, dining room and kitchen are all built for half as many as there are.

Excessively long prison sentences. Small drug users who sold a little in order to buy more for their own use find themselves doing life without parole. Three times convicted of shoplifting: life without parole. That sentence was originally proposed for big organized crime heads, mafia dons, and now it's used whenever a prosecutor can get it for anything.

The results of life without parole are prisoners with no hope, desire or ambition. They don't care and in an increasing number of cases they kill just to be moved to another prison and occupy a real single cell.

All prison authorities issue propaganda claiming that prisoners are classified according to type of crime and age. That claim is bunk! They will do that with a few in order to get public relations value like any average confidence man does. If you believe that you are susceptible to being sold a share in the Brooklyn Bridge.

Poor help and care. By help I mean programs designed for socialization, customs, personality adjustment, general education and vocational training that is relevant to today's society. Also, psychological development courses to understand oneself and emphasize the restarting of the arrested maturation process. Add real counseling with positive outlooks, less punishment and more help.

By care, I mean real medical care, not the almost automatic dispensing of drugs and resistance to all other medical needs and humane treatment.

The Department of Corrections authorities from the top and right on down to the smallest minion keep thinking up new punishments when the punishment already imposed is not being allowed to be in society. It is help that is needed.

Strange subcultures have grown within the federal and some state prisons and the various wardens are retaining the tension between prison gangs to control the crowded prisons.

My presumptive parole date should still be June 2020.

The mountains surrounding this prison block all the good radio signals. I will be glad to go someplace else. Happy holidays to all of you out there.

Freedom,

Paul Jorgensen,

Adelanto

* * *

FAVORITE PARTS

Dear AVA,

I noticed my subscription is almost up. This cannot happen. Please renew it. There are a good five Mendo homeboys who I pass the paper to who would really be upset. Reading the AVA has helped make time fly. I think you thank you so much. My favorites are Flynn Washburne, Bruce McEwen (of course), letters to the editor, Off the Record and anything talking about the good old dump truck Linda Thompson. LOL! Not funny, she got me five years for criminal threats (ouch!)

Daniel Sheeler

Soledad

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