Mendocino County Today: Tuesday, Feb 9, 2016

• Hot Weather
• Hot Licks
• Water/Wine Study
• Captain Underpants
• Martyr Woods
• Peyton Money
• Super Flyby
• Like Nazism
• Shelter Manager
• CPUC Fury
• Yesterday's Catch
• Getting Through
• Greater Craziness
• PA Public Hearing
• Removing Thistles
• Cherub's Ball
• Library Events
• Otto Appreciation

ACCORDING TO WEATHER UNDERGROUND, it reached 81 degrees in Boonville today, and there was lots of talk that the drought seems to have resumed.

ADD LOOK ALIKES:

Musician

Dan Hicks

&

Supervisor

John McCowen

MENDOCINO COUNTY HAS PONIED UP $10,000 for a study on behalf of the wine industry, which will highlight "the economic impacts related to water use from Lake Mendocino." The purpose of the study, quite explicitly, is to justify an investment by the US Army Corps of Engineers in raising Coyote Valley Dam and enlarging Lake Mendocino. The Mendocino County Agriculture Department and Mendocino County Inland Water & Power Commission, both public agencies, are partnering with the Mendocino County Farm Bureau and Mendocino County Winegrape Commission to produce the report. Robert Eyler, the Sonoma State University professor and private consultant who is conducting the study, is a go-to guy for wine industry junk science. In 2012, he published a report on how the extremely modest State Water Board frost protection regulations would cause economic losses to the Sonoma and Mendocino county wine industries of "up to $2 billion" per year. The study was funded by New York investment tycoon John Dyson, owner of a SoCo winery, and best known perhaps as the New York City Chamber of Commerce executive who created the "I [Heart] New York" bumper stickers. Dyson is a right-wing extremist. No doubt, the Mendo-funded study for the grape growers will be used from now on to assist the industry in warding off regulations, justifying their enormous water use, etc.

A SONOMA COUNTY READER WRITES. "Our midnight rambler, Efren Carrillo, cashed his political chips the night he took his personal "welcome wagon" to the streets of late night west side Santa Rosa, only to have his dressed-in-his-underwear advances dismissed followed but duly noted by SRPD. As much as "Captain Underpants" tries to play it down, there's just no way a guy this clueless can remain in office. He didn't learn that you have to wait till you get to Sacramento to start ramping up the "benefits schedule" via your constituents. Next time, Doug Bosco and his crew will be more discerning in their plug and play political game and install someone a bit more subdued, a bit more patient. Notice that that big ham headed dude Gore, a total product of the Dem machine, keeps his personal life in check — so far. Irv Sutley and I are plotting. Be unconcerned. Be VERY unconcerned."

YEAH, I watched the Super Bowl. Bad habits don't die hard or die at all if you're happy with them. The game was boring, the ads infantile, the half-time show bizarre. All-in-all a perfect visual for the true state of the union.

DURING the half-time show, the hoochie koochie dancers held up signs reading "Justice for Mario Woods." Woods is the San Francisco man gunned down by a multi-ethnic posse of San Francisco cops a month ago. (The lead shooter was black.)

THE MAN Woods stabbed to get himself killed by the police was interviewed the other night on Channel 7 television. So far as I'm aware, Woods' victim has otherwise been completely ignored as Woods, a life criminal, is elevated to martyr status.

WOODS' VICTIM was a young black man whose face was obscured on tv because he said he feared further harm. From who he didn't say, but he seemed to imply that since his attacker is being hailed as a national victim of police violence by the kind of unthinking bandwagon jumpers who think he's a hero, the race demagogues might come looking for him, an unknown, a mere prop for his assailant.

THE ANONYMOUS VICTIM said Woods had stabbed him for no reason, that Woods appeared to be in full raging drug maniac mode when he did it. Woods' anonymous victim said he didn't call the police himself. The police were called when he appeared at SF General for emergency treatment and was asked what had happened to him.

THE VICTIM said he has received no calls from anybody in San Francisco's civic power apparatus asking him how he's doing or even to say they're sorry for what happened to him. Instead, the SF supervisors unanimously passed a resolution declaring Mario Woods Day.

SHOULD THE COPS have shot Woods? I'd say no, which is easy for me to say after the fact and in complete safety from random knife attacks. Woods, although he's seen in the video waving a knife around and almost certainly would have stabbed some other unlucky passerby if he hadn't been suppressed, he hadn't lunged at or otherwise threatened any of the cops who shot him.

WHAT SHOULD THE COPS have done? Waited him out? Fired at his legs? Chanted Buddhist peace vibes at him? I don't know. It's always easy to second guess cops. What I do know is the posthumous honors conferred on Mario Woods are as grotesque as his execution.

IT WAS HARD TO KNOW what dismayed me most about yesterday's Super Bowl. The game itself was a dreary, defensive snooze-fest. It came seconds after the end of the game. There was Peyton Manning, star quarterback of the winning Denver Broncos team. This was perhaps the last time he would ever play, a fittingly victorious end to one of the great NFL careers. So who did he go to first to hug and kiss? Why, Papa John, the guy who pays him a bit fat check to hype his pizzas! Then he chose the historic moment to plug a beer company - Budweiser. Why would you do that?

— Piers Morgan

ON LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY

Ground control to homeland security…..

Here in San Jose I’m wondering how much money the government is spending for Super Bowl security. Twice yesterday my house was buzzed by a pair of fighter jets. (I complain, but I secretly hope a stealth jet or bomber will fly by on its way to Levi’s Stadium — because it would be cool to see.) Our family isn’t going anywhere near the Super Bowl today. I’m planning on grilling skirt steak for the occasion. My next-door neighbors, Barbie and Fratman, are no doubt holding their annual Super Bowl booze fest. Last year after the big game, I awoke Monday morning to a half dozen red plastic cups that had migrated over to my driveway from their yard. Oh well. I’m going to root for the Panthers simply because their defensive end, Jared Allen #69, grew up part-time in the neighborhood … His mother, Sarah, used to live four doors down the street. (Sarah, 5’3″ 105 lbs. giving birth to a guy who ends up to be 6’5″ 260 lbs. is one of life’s mysteries). I remember Jared painting the house as a teenager.

ENABLING SUICIDE

Letter to the Editor

First off I would like to explain that some of your information is incorrect.

1. I do not work for Mendocino County; I was employed by the County up until about six years ago.
2. I did not state any one was a fascist.

I am so surprised about your reactions, but maybe I should not be. I have been told numerous times that I should not have expectations of others because it can and does backfire. You see, I thought that you were an advocate for the people, especially those who are the most vulnerable and marginalized is in our society.

Two people during the Jan. Mental Health board meeting stood up and pushed the idea to have criminal background checks on folks who use the Hospitality House. One of these persons explained that two deaths and one rape had occurred on the Coast which was creating fear in people. I than stated it sounds like Nazism.

When anyone, anywhere states that any group of people should be treated in a harmful manner because of their religion, color, social and/or economical (economic) status, I will make a stand. I believe that if we allow or ignore statements that are harmful to others, we too are supporting discrimination which in turn supports the division of people.

This incident reminded me of the time a gun was pointed at me. I was in this neighborhood to visit a friend who lived in that area. I remember someone shouting getting out of here you Mexican/Nigger. I was in great fear that day, so I can state that I know what close up fear is. I also have fear of the future for my nephews who are of African, Latino and Native American descent for they are considered an endangered species.

I also know what discrimination does to a soul, for I have experienced being denied numerous times due to my color and my gender. I am aware of the consequences of discrimination to families and communities.

Just a side story, when I was employed by Mendocino County, I did register a complaint against my supervisor for yelling and screaming at me. I was told by the management, "You are overreacting, you know like Mexicans do".

I know what it feels like when you go into stores or people's homes and they follow you because they fear something will be stolen. It hurts, it hurts a lot.

These are just small little incidents, but they leave deep open sores on the soul.

I am on the Mental Health Board now because I know that people of Latino descent are not receiving mental health services. I continue to advocate and fight for mental health services, but I guess I am not doing a very good job because the county continues to decrease its support to Latinos.

To conclude, I have not called anyone any names, but I have failed at advocating for mental health services for the chronic mentally ill, especially people color and of Latin descent.

Dina Ortiz

Ukiah

ED REPLY: I simply commented that it's inaccurate (and tiresome) to haul out fascism in the context of Fort Bragg's burgeoning homeless problem. Fort Bragg people have legitimate concerns about the cynical exploitation of that town's ever larger population of free range drunks, drug addicts and criminals by well-paid people whose net effort simply enables this population to go merrily about their self-destructive behaviors.

COUNTY APPOINTS MONTANA INTERIM ANIMAL SHELTER MANAGER

On Wednesday, February 10, 2016, Mary Jane Montana will assume the role of Interim Animal Shelter Manager at the County’s Animal Shelter in Ukiah. Ms. Montana, who has over 20 years of experience with government and non-profit organizations, and most recently served as the Executive Director of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty of Animals (SPCA) of Clear Lake. The SPCA closed its doors on January 31st due to the retirement of their volunteer veterinarian, and a dramatic drop in donations as donors have focused their charitable efforts towards those impacted by the Valley Fire. Ms. Montana has also served in multiple positions with the County of Lake, including Chief Building Official and then nine years as Planning Director.

Stacey Cryer, Health and Human Services Agency Director states, “Ms. Montana’s experience at the SPCA, as a leader in local government, and her personal love for animals will provide Mendocino County a stable and experienced presence at our Shelter, while we review our operations and look to the future. Our shelter has many staff and volunteers that are both dedicated and passionate, and selflessly give for our animals. I trust Ms. Montana will provide a fresh and energetic presence in the shelter and provide assistance to the County with refocusing on improvement of shelter operations, while the Board of Supervisors considers any long term changes.”

Ms. Montana notes that, “I am no stranger to the issues facing Mendocino County’s Animal Shelter and I understand that it is in need of a stabilizing presence over the next few months. I look forward to using my experience in caring for animals, both personally and through the SPCA, to strengthen the shelter in a way that all of us can be proud of.”

For more information, please contact the Mendocino County Executive Office at (707) 463-4441.

Carmel J. Angelo, Chief Executive Officer

KUDOS FOR THE MAJOR

Editor,

Kudos to Mark Scarmella, for fighting the local vineyard owners who had the noisy frost fans. Thanks to those vineyards who complied and set an important precedent. Let me translate, this is the best practice now. Those of us who will benefit from this should consider a donation to Scarmella for his service. Did it do anything?

Drive by the rental yard in Windsor and you will see a small multi-prop frost fan available for rent. It does not however insure that farmers use the quieter technology. But our supervisors did absolutely nothing but tout our Ag Commissioner who did absolutely nothing with the knowledge that the multi prop alternatives exists and work because of New Zealand’s fair, cleanly documented noise ordinance. That ordinance created the need for the quieter multi prop technology that is now available in the world. Good regulation leads to good solutions. Sitting and hoping the problem goes away is irresponsible governance. Likewise we need a grading ordinance.

We need real communication redundancy. There is a microcosm macrocosm aspect to ATT’s reluctance to put a real redundancy system in to guarantee crucial communication. There is also a continuing rift of lack of real regulation from our State utility governing agency in the California Public Utility Commission CPUC. ATT simply wants profits without care to their systems. They have left their wired network in neglect for so long that they had to declare an emergency and get CPUC support to do expensive emergency repair involving out of town experts still putting band aids on a tapped together system that was at one time bedrock support towards minor interrupts. In our personal main line, ignored squirrel damage of very old lines has repair folks out annually whenever it rains as they discover yet another missing pair to try for the upcoming year. Each repairman says that replacement is necessary, but no plans for such are in the works. The main lines have sagging wires, sheets of plastic waving from patch points and angry users with new digital technology taking down their phone service with ATT total digital version instead of the old direct analogue system that worked for phone service. The CPUC is there to help the utility!

What? They are supposed to be there to insure quality service and fair pricing. Yet they allowed PG&E to charge Mendocino residents for Smartmeters that can’t and couldn’t communicate and still require meter readers who do it every other month while the company guesses in a way that seems to put folks in higher tier ratings. With regards to Smartmeters, those of us who chose not to use them and got charged for metering service are paying for those who opted in. Have you finally paid for this nonfunctioning device? Better yet, should you have paid at all for this untested device that does not function except to allow time of use to a meter reader?

My fury stems from their lack of willingness to pay for real redundancy via another company’s fiber optic line that exist while waiting new engineering that puts the redundancy in the same line that was accidentally ripped out twice. That is not redundancy. That’s ATT doing yet another band aid to keep the money while emergency services buy satellite and other non ATT services to insure safety while ATT continues to shirk it’s responsibility while the CPUC does absolutely nothing. If they want their own redundancy then they should put in the second fiber on a secondary path. Here are some suggestions as to ways to insure you have real redundancy. Keep your wired ATT line and plague the CPUC and Governor for real governance and regulation. Wired services are what saved Tokyo during their earthquake. Wired services are robust and hard to foil unless you let them slowly dissolve from lack of service. Demand that your state representatives like Assemblyman Wood and Senator Mike restructure the CPUC to be an elected office, not appointed. The previous CPUC president was so beholding to utility kickbacks that his regulation lead was a joke. He was more busy attending utility funded events in touring destinations that he ignored his responsibility. Demand a meter reading system that is based on fact and not guesses. They should only bill after reading a meter, not based on previous years use when the climate could be unseasonable cold or the inhabitants may have been using very different power consumption habits. Demand a wired system along with redundancy. Get an alternative broadband service like satellite or wireless that is not ATT based because they have independent lines and set up a Skype system. On a Skype system you can call emergency services or your family in an emergency with no problem. Skype is an added feature for your computer that allows you to use your broadband as a cheap telephone system.

I have one other gripe. Leave the wild ponies of ‘Robinson Creek’ alone. Get them back into the hills where they have lived for years. They are not cats that populate exponentially and thus do not need to be castrated by good Samaritans. I have seen them several years above Robinson creek on Pine Mountain where they have ranged successfully. Sure they should not be on the highway but they do not need to be boxed up, emasculated and shipped out.

Sincerely

Greg Krouse

Philo

CATCH OF THE DAY, Feb 8, 2016

BLADEMIR AYALA, Palm Desert/Ukiah. Pot possession for sale, sale.

CORY BRANDELL, Ukiah. Under influence, controlled substance, paraphernalia, probation revocation.

DENISE DEGALLIER, Ukiah. Pot possession for sale, armed with firearm, child endangerment.

ARLEY ENGLE, Willits. Protective order violation.

ROBERT FACKRELL II, Ukiah. Controlled substance, paraphernalia, probation revocation.

LEON GIBSON, Ukiah. Probation revocation. (Frequent flyer.)

JOSE GONZALEZ, Atwater/Ukiah. DUI.

SUNDANCE MYERS, Fort Bragg. DUI-suspended license.

VINH NGO, Marina/Uiah. Drunk in public.

JORGE SANCHEZ JR., Fort Bragg. County parole violation.

THEY’RE JUST NOT ANSWERING!

by Ralph Nader

Steve Leone, editor of the Concord Monitor—the second largest newspaper in New Hampshire — makes me long for the good old days of old-fashioned communications. He actually, personally, answers his own phone.

I know this because when I called him I actually got right through, despite the media’s frenetic immersion in the week before the state’s presidential primary.

“You answer your own phone?” I asked him incredulously, saying to myself, no voicemail, no screening secretary? “Yes,” he said calmly, “I pick up my phone right away.” The result: from our conversation, he suggested that I write an op-ed. In 24 hours it was in the newspaper and online.

My larger point is that with the most advanced, communications systems in history at our disposal, it keeps getting harder to get through to people for a contemporaneous two-way exchange. I know people in the media, in the civic/academic communities and even many among my own circle of friends, who do not answer their phones, irregularly check their voice mail, and barricade their emails with filters and spam-detection software. Some now advise text-messaging, which hardly can compare with the two-way telephone conversations of past decades.

Over fifteen years ago, the Wall Street Journal noted a survey that concluded it took an average of six calls for people at work to reach their party. I’ve experienced calling reporters and going through three tiers of press one, press two, press three. One wonders how they get fast scoops these days.

And don’t talk about the airlines, the banks and almost any major business these days. Even Southwest Airlines has gone to voicemail, which for so long sustained the old ‘three rings and a human answers’ practice.

Sure, everybody is overloaded with messages, but is the volume slowing the process of getting things moving or done? Also, so cheap is high-velocity, massive communication these days (no fretting about long-distance calls), that people are wont to make far more calls for far less purpose—i.e., lots of low-level trivia and gossip.

After a while one has a mental list of people so hard to reach personally that attempts to contact them are not even made. We are all callers and callees; guess who’s got the power these days, other than venomous bill collectors who can damage your credit score if you don’t accede to their incessant demands?

I sometimes try sending a message by postal letter. “Letters,” people tell me when I finally get through to them, “who looks at the mail anymore?”

There are people in public life who are so committed to running away from the tsunami of calls and messages that when you do finally get their very-personal cell number, and they manage to answer, retort — “how’d you get my number?!”

All this is to point out that as there emerge more communications technologies, more apps, more defenses by callees against callers, the irritation level, and the time and productivity losses will continue to mount. I’ve yet to see any estimates about how much time is lost in the business world by people, including consumers, trying and trying again to get through to other people they’re trying to do business with, but it’s got to be billions of hours a year.

We all know many people who experience and complain about the difficulty of getting through. But no one seems to know any way out from the present overloads. However, also being a callee every day, there is that consolation of knowing how many ways you can keep “them” from getting through to you.

At info@csrl.org, we’ll look at any of your suggestions.

(Ralph Nader is a consumer advocate, lawyer and author of Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us!)

NOTES FROM THE LOCKED WARD

by James Kunstler

The remaining Americans sound-of-mind must view the primary election spectacle with mounting sensations of wonder, nausea, and panic. It’s one thing for the financial system to crack up, and another thing for social norms to disintegrate, and still another for the political system to become a locked ward of obvious psychopathology. Even the neurosurgeon on duty went narcoleptic the other night when his name was called to take the stage.

Last week’s candidate “debates” (or boasting contests) only underscored the human frailty on display. Marco Rubio was unmasked as an android with a broken flash drive. For a few moments I thought I was seeing an clip from the old movie Alien. In fact, the Republican melodrama more and more echoes the tone and plot of that story: a hapless, bumbling crew lost in space. One of these nights, something unspeakable is going to shoot out of Donald Trump’s mouth and there will be blood all over the podiums.

The Democratic boasting contest was not more reassuring. Bernie blew his biggest chance yet to harpoon the white whale known as Hillary when he cast some glancing aspersions on Mz It’s-My-Turn’s special side-job as errand girl of the Too-Big-To-Fail banks. Together, Bill and Hillary racked up $7.7 million on 39 speaking gigs to that gang, with Hillary clocking $1.8 million of the total for eight blabs. When Bernie alluded to this raft of grift, MzIMT retorted, “If you’ve got something to say, say it directly.”

There was a lot Bernie could have said, but didn’t. Such as: what did you tell them that was worth over $200,000 a pop? Whatever it was, it must have made them feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Did it occur to you that this might look bad sometime in the near future? Is there any way that this might not be construed as bribery? And how is some formerly middle-class out-of-work average voter supposed to feel about you getting paid more for 45 minutes of flapping your gums than he or she has earned in the past five years?

Bernie could have found a gentlemanly way to say that directly, but perhaps he experienced a sickening precognitive vision of his jibes being used against the party establishment’s candidate in the fall general election. Of course, if it looked like Hillary was going to get elected, the remaining sound-of-mind in this country might be falling over each other to apply for citizenship in Uruguay.

Beyond all the political histrionics, is there not some broad recognition that whoever occupies the White House in 2017 will preside over a financial debacle like unto nothing in scale that the world has ever seen before? With all the reverberating side effects imaginable among the traumatized nations? Something wicked has been creeping through the stock markets since the year began. The velocity and damage are amping up. Credit default swap spreads are yawning like fault lines in a ‘quake. Bankers are watching their share prices collapse. It’s a wonder that panic has not already broken out.

This is not just about Wall Street and its counterparts in London, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Frankfurt. This is the financial world (and underworld) catching up with the Economy of Actual Stuff. In the USA, that economy has bled out like a hapless bystander with a sucking chest wound for the last eight years. Despite all the patriotic sanctimony on view at the Superbowl on Sunday, the nation appears to be visibly cracking up, along with the fantasy of a permanent global economy.

None of the desperate work-arounds since 2008 have worked around the predicaments of our time. Politics will not abide a rational journey out of our fatal hyper-complexity to something simpler and more consistent with the realities at hand. Expect more and greater craziness as the year lurches on.

(Support James Kunstler’s writing by visiting Jim’s Patreon Page!)

YOU ARE INVITED to the public hearing regarding the New Housing Element for the City Of Point Arena, February 26, 2016, 6 PM; As well as Hearings regarding a storage building on the Hay property and the new Medical Marijuana Ordinance 226. Review Copies of the Housing Element and Ord 226 are available in City Hall and the Website,

www.cityofpointarena.net.

https://files.acrobat.com/a/preview/17434f4b-0c6c-44ad-8d3f-a4845ee445a0

THISTLES ANYONE?

Navarro Point stewarding this Wednesday 10am-noon

Hello. You are invited to join us to remove thistles at Navarro Point this coming Wednesday, Feb 10th, from 10am until noon. The weather is predicted to be sunny and clear, and this coastal headland is a stunningly beautiful place to be outside. You can find us in the parking lot on the west side of Highway 1 south of Navarro Ridge Road. No tools or previous experience are necessary. Contact me if you have questions. We hope to see you there this Wednesday at 10am.

Tom Wodetski, 937-1113, tw@mcn.or

KIDS KIDS KIDS

Cherub's Ball advance tickets available

Leave your parents home or bring them on a special Valentine's Day date to the First Annual Cherub's Ball, hosted by Mendo Coast Mamas and Groundloop Sound at the Community Center of Mendocino, February 13th 5-8pm. Enjoy dinner, kid friendly music and dancing with professional lighting, face painting, group activities and games, Valentine craft making, goodie bags and FUN!!

**All included in the price~

• 4-12: $25/advance, $35/at the door
• Under 4: $10
• Parents enter free with Cherub, $10 to eat
• Advance tickets available today at big river beach!! 12-4
• Get yours now and save $10!

Parents Parents Parents

Drop off the kids 4-12 and go have some Valentine's Day FUN of your own!

If you plan to stay at the dance with your child, I'd love to talk to you about being a chaperone!

LIBRARY EVENTS

Love Stinks @ the Ukiah Library (for teens)

Wednesday, February 10^th 1:30pm – 4:30 pm

Teens (13-19) are invited to Love Stinks at the Ukiah Library this Wednesday to graffiti romance novel cover images, share break-up book playlists, duct-tape broken hearts and black roses, and write blackout break-up poems. Best of all – you can hang out in the teen space and lament breakup woes. Snacks and drinks will be provided.

Sponsored by Friends of the Ukiah Valley Library & District Teens.

You can also follow District Teens on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ukiahlibrarydistrictteens to stay informed about teen events at the library.

* * *

A PBS/POV Documentary, Chisholm ‘72: Unbought and Unbossed

On Wednesday, March 2^nd at 5:30 pm, in celebration of Women’s History Month, the Mendocino County Library, Ukiah Branch is screening the PBS/Point of View documentary, Chisholm 72: Unbought and Unbossed, by Shola Lynch.

Shirley Chisholm was the first black female member of Congress and the first major party black candidate to run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. Chisholm supported civil rights legislation, the Equal Rights Amendment, and a minimum family income.

Chishom 72 won the Peabody Award in 2006 and was nominated for the Sundance Grand Jury Prize in 2004.

A discussion, recorded and moderated by KZYX General Manager, Lorraine Dechter, will follow the film. All PBS/Point of View documentary screenings are food friendly. Bring your dinner or snacks.

* * *

A Wacky Cat People Party!

Caturday, February 27^th – 3-5 pm

Adults are invited to don their ugliest cat sweaters & join us at the Ukiah Library for a Wacky Cat People Party. Cat lovers of all stripes can share cat stories, watch cat videos, challenge their friends to cat trivia, meet adoptable shelter cats & kittens c/o Sage Mountainfire & Ukiah’s local shelter, and make cat-butt coasters. We look forward to seeing you there.

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.

* * *

Catapults and Trebuchets

On Friday, February 26^th from 3:30-4:30, Ukiah Library is offering kids from 7-11 a chance to build catapults and trebuchets. Once we have completed our models, we’ll test our machines and fine tune our designs.

Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult and adult participation and assistance is encouraged.

This event is supported by the Ukiah Valley Friends of the Library.

* * *

Seed School in a Day

A Seed Saving Workshop

At the Ukiah Library

Saturday February 20th, 10:00-4:00pm

Seed School in a Day will offer a comprehensive yet accessible overview of the science, business, and craft of seeds. This course is for gardeners, farmers, and anyone interested in rebuilding a vibrant regional seed system for our community. This event is appropriate for teens and adults.

Space is limited and pre-registration is required by February 17th

Call 707-463-4490

This free event is sponsored by the Ukiah Valley Friends of the Library.

* * *

The second meeting of “The Lunch Bunch,” Ukiah Library’s new Cook Book Club on Friday, February 19^th at noon.

On Friday, February 19^th, at noon, the Mendocino County Library, Ukiah Branch is hosting the second meeting of The Lunch Bunch, a new cook book club.

During this meeting, we’ll be sampling and critiquing g the recipes we chose at the January meeting, and discussing and choosing new recipes from popular cookbooks for our next meeting in March. Join us in the Meeting Space in the Northeast corner of the library at noon. If this is your first meeting, prepare something from a new recipe to share with the group.

The Lunch Bunch is supported by the Ukiah Valley Friends of the Library.

LIFE LESSON

Subject: Thank You Postmodern America

In the early 1980s I was hired as the assistant registrar at San Francisco's Golden Gate University, which specialized in business and law. While successfully registering the entire student body, with a student helper, I was interacting with abusive, often confused students, and the neurotic, narcissistic gender-crazies who took evening classes to get their kink businesses off of the ground. Following a successful semester of registration, I went upstairs to ask why I was not being interviewed for more challenging, higher paying positions. It was suggested that I "take a look at my personnel file". So, I asked the personnel director, nicknamed "the former acid queen of Sausalito", to show me my file. To my shock, she had written that I was essentially attacking the students, as opposed to the fact that the students were throwing forms at us because we refused to register them in classes that were filled. In addition to this, we had an extremely aggravating clerk in the department, who kept sending the women home in tears, because the women lacked the guts to tell him to shut his mouth! One morning, after realizing that I was being passed over for advancement due to the crazy personnel director's notations in my personnel file, coupled with my refusal to put up with the aggravating son of a bitch clerk, I told him that I couldn't work with him any further because he was a jackass. I left the school on a Friday afternoon early. On Monday, the registrar, who was a retired Air Force colonel, reluctantly terminated me. Subsequently, the labor union (which I was not a member of), represented me at my unemployment compensation hearing, which I won. Otto Butz, then president of GGU, later invited me for lunch at both the Bohemian Club and the top floor Banker's Club at Bank of America, to somehow make up for my insane experience at the school. We remained friends until his passing. He shared with me that he had been fired six times in his career, and advised me to henceforth "take care of myself". I never got around to fully expressing my appreciation for this invaluable lesson in life here in postmodern America. Hopefully, getting this published will make up for my omission.

Craig Louis Stehr

February 7, 2016

EMAIL: CraigStehr@inbox.com

 

PS, Watched Super-B at The Hut (formerly Kalt's). Left over-hyped SF last night and went to The Hut on College Avenue to watch the last half of the Super Bowl. walt's down the street was packed, but only a dozen patrons were at The Hut...four at the bar, which had plenty of bar snacks set out, four at the tables, and four at the pool table, playing eight ball underneath those large, black, wrought iron chandeliers left over when it was Kalt's in the early 70s, (whose patrons were bikers, metal heads, and Oakland Raider fans). Enjoyed three beers I never heard of, backing up two shots of Johnnie Walker Black Label on the rocks. Watched what was fundamentally a very satisfying, well-played football game, enshrined by extreme techno-neurosis and examples of a sexuality which I do not recognize. Just left Kabuki Spa in J-town...been there precisely five hours, finishing with a bracing cold plunge; penance for accepting the complimentary second shot last night, compliments of the bartender who has been there for years and years and years. Will be at Embassy-SF, which is essentially a well maintained Edwardian travel hostel, at Webster & Oak until next Sunday. No plans at all, Craig ;-)