Mendocino County Today: Thursday, Feb 18, 2016

• Superintendent DUI
• More Ortner
• Canine Camera
• Shelter Update
• Library Budget
• Cha-cha Booby
• Walmart Associate
• Local Patrol
• Bern Youth
• Fatalistic Pragmatism
• Exposing Lobbyists
• Elite Control
• Transcendental Brain
• Voter Suppression
• MCBG Needs
• Trump Analysis
• Museum Roadshow
• Resource Management
• Before Existing
• Library Events
• Weedology
• Writers Conference
• Piano Concert
• Jefferson State
• Feb13 Bookings
• Feb12 Bookings
• Feb11 Bookings

IT TOOK A WHILE for the Sheriff to re-set the booking log and start catching up on the missing days.

No sooner had he (and the vendor) done it than we noticed that back on February 12...

County School Superintendent (!) Warren Galletti now of Calpella, formerly of Point Arena, was booked after being arrested the day before for DUI in Ukiah.

WHY MORE ORTNER?

Editor,

The Supervisor’s Meeting on the Kemper Report was disheartening when Supervisor Hamburg and Supervisor McCowen threw adult mental health patients and their families under the Ortner bus for the next many months. They want staff to write what amounts to a beginner’s instruction manual (new contract, Memos of Understanding language) for Ortner on how to carry out State Mandated Services that were listed in their original contract. In addition, Ortner wants instructions on HIPPA laws they do not understand. We’ve given them almost three years to perform contractual obligations and they can’t, because they never understood how to provide County Mental Health Services.

We have a local group with a successful track record of providing Mental Health Services. A wise solution would be to give them the Mental Health Patient money to expand services to adult patients. They have offices throughout the County and already do Crisis Services, Medical Outpatient, Residential, Day Programs and much more for people under 25. They hire excellent, qualified, competent staff, and licensed professionals when needed. Management has an Open Door Policy so when something goes wrong, the system can be fixed for everyone. Let Redwood Community Services replicate the relevant mental health services for adults and immediately begin to create the continuum of Crisis Care we desperately need.

Why engage in months of writing Kemper’s proposed documents, and wait months more to see if Ortner can finally perform what we know they can’t? This just prolongs the misery for mental health patients and their families. It’s also a waste of patient money that could be used by Redwood to create local residential facilities, Crisis Residential Treatment Centers, a psychiatric hospital and more, along with good jobs for local people.

Sonya Nesch, Comptche

Author, Advocating for Someone with a Mental Illness

THE HIDDEN CAMERA REPORTS:

The attached pictures were taken Tuesday.  At noon a large number of cages still had feces, urine, intermingled with food on the floors. Supposedly three more attendants have been hired, but only one was working. The windows to the quarantine areas have been covered with paper. I can't help but wonder what is being hidden behind them. The new interim manager was not there.  Who supervises the attendants?  Who is in charge of scheduling them?  Especially on Tuesdays, after the animals have been confined for 48 hours in their kennels that are not cleaned on the days the shelter is closed to the public, it would make sense to have them all working.  I also think the manager should be at the shelter on Tuesdays to familiarize herself with new animals that came in over the weekend and to supervise the staff.

ALL SYSTEMS GO AT THE ANIMAL SHELTER

Editor,

Another bit of clarification regarding the facts brought to the Board on Tuesday, Feb. 16, by several speakers in regard to the Animal Shelter.

All dogs were walked and exercised on saturday, Feb 13 and Feb 16.

The overall tone and general feeling at the shelter has improved greatly since privileges have revoked for the volunteers in question. Those volunteers who do not want to get involved with the ongoing circus, and definitely all staff, feel less threatened, and the moral of all us who have been personally slandered on facebook is much better as we feel we can do our jobs without the very disruptive shenanigans hanging over our heads.

If things are not getting done at the shelter, it’s because staff has had to accommodate daily record and information requests from the "public" — I'll leave that to your imaginations — forcing hands-on staff into clerical work leaving them unable to perform their jobs.

I am confused if this is actually a subject the Board has control over, as the shelter staff's union is involved with the ongoing problem of staff intimidation.

I can say that as a community member having recently been targeted by the outsourcing group, I, personally, feel much safer and calmer going to the shelter knowing I will not be running into people who have delighted in ripping me apart in their facebook world. I finally understand how staff have felt the past three months, and I have gotten away easy from the tirades.

My husband takes professional photos of the shelter dogs two or three times a week, then spends the remainder of his week refining the photos to be the best images possible. These files are uploaded to two sites and are available to anyone who needs photos of dogs. There is not a dearth of photos as has been presented to you. In fact, another rumor had been started that we were not allowing photos to be used by a group of volunteers, something which is completely false, and a sign of the level of silliness and vindictiveness that continues to morph and grow at the shelter.

We are all expendable. The loss of a volunteer does not break the shelter. For several years, Nancy Commons and I were the only consistent volunteers at the shelter, and still, the number of monthly dog adoptions averaged in the mid-40s. Of course it’s nicer to have more volunteers, but only if they can find their place amongst many other volunteers and staff, and are willing to play well with others. When Nancy and I were the only volunteers, the shelter ran smoothly because we plus the staff all worked together, we always tried to maintain a respectful attitude, and no one was under the delusion that they could take control of the shelter's workings.

What I fear is more of the same at the shelter, more lawyers becoming involved, no strong direction from a crippled staff, and the further demoralization of the shelter's employees. I hope things can be figured out. I certainly hope the volunteers with revoked privileges will be told why their activities at the shelter have changed, and can understand that certain behaviors are unacceptable in any environment, working or social, that involves groups of people. I have always viewed my being able to volunteer at the shelter as a privilege, not an entitlement that means I have the right to take control, and turn every perceived problem and injustice into a negative campaign. I believe the social media environment is very responsible for a lot of the current problems at the shelter, as cliques of people cluster and any respectful dialogue disappears, replaced by juvenile verbal interaction with a bullying tone. I hope the people who continue to undermine the shelter on a daily basis will be given direction that will tell them its time to stop. And I hope we will be able to put together, with all stakeholders, a viable concept for improving the lives of our county's homeless pets during their stay with the shelter, without the necessity of tossing it off to an out of area vendor.

Kathy Shearn

Ukiah

LIBRARY BUDGET NOW FIXED

To the Editor:

The Mendocino County Library Advisory Board wishes to publicly thank the Board of Supervisors for their work in bettering the Library District. Last week the Board of Supervisors hired a new director, Karen Horner. Ms. Horner was quickly appointed as Interim Director after Wally Clark resigned in December. She also served as the Fort Bragg branch manager. The Board of Supervisors prompt and instinctive action has helped maintain library staff morale, dedication and function. Last week the Board of Supervisors announced that the County will credit the Library District approximately $100,000 for the improper assessment of A-87 user fees. This is very welcome news and the LAB applauds the work of Supervisors McCowen and Gjerde in their investigation and resolution of this matter. Now, more than ever, the Board of Supervisors and the Library Advisory Board are working in concert for the betterment of our libraries.

Marc Komer

Mendocino County Library Advisory Board, Chair

COMMENT RE the HumCo upskirting perv: "Honestly this is just like teenage boys who put mirrors on their shoe tops when I was in junior high. Or like Reggae on the River some years. Pretty minor.

A lot of men are pervs. Most. And our society accepts it and promotes it. They dont admit it here especially as they know there are many empowered women.
 I’d be more worried if he was offering them drugs or something. 'Victimized' is a pretty strong word for this situation, especially compared to what’s going on these days. Almost all men look at some kind of porn and this is a lesser version of that; we are being filmed all the time, and being in public gives you no rights to not be filmed however someone decides. At least he’s just filming and not slipping roofies and raping. I know its not pleasant, but trust me there are waaaaaay worse things we women outta be protecting ourselves from. There is at least one man in Northern Humboldt practicing as a 'healer' throwing 'play parties' (play like a kid idea not an advertised sex party just to be clear) who is 43 & has admitted to hitting on & liking girls 18-22 after he hit on a 16 year old by bringing her flowers and chocolates to her work. She felt so uncomfortable she called her boss and her mom. Yes, he knew her age. His ex knew said teen since she was a little girl & he had been in said teen's work with his ex the day prior to the flowers. He has been called out. The biz owner where the teen works banned said dude from the biz, and yet dude is still “teaching” here. This getting young girls to be sexual by telling them you’re helping them heal has been rampant in the healing community for years, i.e., a certain massage school in Northern Humboldt. I can’t name names as I know Kym [Kemp] cant put out conjecture; let's just say I would recommend staying away from classes taught by men who write for the Isis Scrolls. This video dude ought to be watched to make sure his behavior doesn't escalate of course. It's never fun to have something done against your will, like cha-cha&booby videos, but its happening every time you go out. You are being tracked and recorded and even filmed in bathrooms and fitting rooms sometimes (under guise of theft prevention).

THE UKIAH POLICE DEPARTMENT issued the following press release @ 3:22 pm Tuesday:

"On Monday, February 15th at about 12:45 pm, UPD Officers were dispatched to Wal-Mart regarding an employee who was suspected of embezzlement.

Officers learned Wal-Mart’s Asset Protection Team had conducted an internal investigation and had evidence that showed employee Donna Arriaga, age 58, from Ukiah had embezzled in excess of $6,000, since late January 2016. Officers placed Arriaga under arrest for felony embezzlement and grand theft. Arriaga had in excess of $4000 in cash in her possession at the time of her arrest.

UPD Detectives were called out and assisted with the subsequent investigation. Detectives obtained information that Arriaga had purchased numerous items with the money she stole from Wal-Mart, which led to a local motel room in the 600 block of South Orchard Ave., where she had been staying.

Some items that were purchased with the stolen funds were located in this motel room and recovered. While at the motel room Officers and Detectives contacted Raymond Snyder Jr., age 48, from Lake County.

A records check revealed that Snyder had two local warrants and a Lake County warrant for his arrest. Snyder was arrested for the warrants and was additionally found to be in possession of a controlled substance.

Snyder was booked into county jail and Arriaga was booked and released."

SOME PEOPLE JUST TALK; SOME PEOPLE WALK THE WALK: HOW SOHUM IS DEALING WITH CRIME

by Kym Kemp

At first Tara Sutherland of Southern Humboldt Locals on Patrol thought the glint of white on the asphalt in front of the Garberville Courthouse Monday night was a shattered pen but, as she drew close, she realized what it was.

“There’s a needle here,” she warned. Sutherland and eight others were walking as part of their night patrol after their first town meeting this year.

The group gathered round the needle. One group member opened a large pack containing everything from food and hand warmers for the homeless to garbage bags meant to contain discarded items snapped up with their trash grabbers. Out came a sealed container designed to hold needles dropped by drug addicts in town.

“Number 52,” said Melissa Sutherland, sister to Tara. “I’ll have to buy another pencil.” As a visual reminder of the dangers they clear from the town streets, she puts a pencil in a large jar every time they find a discarded needle. This September when LOP (Locals on Patrol) have been patrolling Garberville for one entire year, she plans to donate the pencils to students at the local school.

Earlier that evening, the group had met with Supervisor Estelle Fennell, Sergeant Jesse Taylor of the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, Connie Beck of the Department of Health and Human Services and about 75 of their fellow townsfolk. They had a list of concerns they wanted to address. Chief among them was the increasing public signs of drug use in the town.

Tara Sutherland, one of the founding members of the group which started last fall said, “People are shooting up in daylight on the streets.”

“We can watch drug runners come from certain rooms” in the motels, said business owner Beth Allen.

John Earp who runs the 76 station in town complained, “I have customers come in saying, ‘What is going on in town. We were scared to come in…I wouldn’t even have stopped if I had known it was like this.'”

“That affects your business,” he added.

“We used to be a tourist town,” said Beth Allen. “Now our Yelp reviews for our town are terrible. Our tourist business has dropped off.”

But LOP working in conjunction with Fennel, Taylor and Beck is trying to address the issues.

One possible solution to motels harboring drug sellers and other law breakers was a proposed ordinace that could be passed for the unincorporated areas of the county such as Garberville similar to the one that closed the Blue Heron Motel in Eureka – an ordinance that would allow for the assessment of fines on motels that had too many law enforcement issues.

Another solution proposed was putting together a MIST unit (Mobile Intervention Service Team). Fennell said that with that unit in place, officers and experts in mental health come to the area and become more deeply involved. They look for people with serious mental health issues and build trust with clients over time. “They just get to know that person” and their issues, Supervisor Fennell said.

John Anderson, a Mental Health Clinician stationed in the community pointed out that sometimes when services are presented, there have been few willing to take help. “I’ve been out on our streets along with my case manager…offering services,” he said, “but the response, if any, is very, very minimal.”

Sergeant Taylor said that Sheriff’s Department had just gone through “a massive hiring phase.” He explained, “Our staffing level is improving.”  In addition, he was working on getting more officers for the area. “I’m Southern Humboldt’s biggest cheerleader,” he stated.

To the crowd’s pleased astonishment, he announced that officers like to work this area. “Garberville is a coveted spot,” he said.

The board of LOP agreed that over the last few months the Sheriff’s Office was more visible and more responsive.

“We have noticed a huge difference,” said Tara Sutherland. “Thank you for that.” But she also noted during the meeting that the area needed a resident deputy and “we really need 24 hour coverage.”

After the meeting as the crowd drifted away, Sutherland and LOP donned their green Locals on Patrol vests. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday they gather in Garberville at 6 p.m. for a patrol through the town. On Wednesday, they meet at three when children get off the school bus. Because of the meeting, they headed out on patrol later than normal.

Sutherland, four months pregnant, didn’t appear to hesitate when seeing people in violation of the group’s standards.  She admonished firmly but politely two men sitting on a railing in front of a business.

When the man offered excuses, one of the members of LOP pointed to a damaged part of the rail and stated that the business owner didn’t want people sitting there as it could harm his building.

When the man didn’t move quickly, another member asked him about his instrument case. When he opened it to reveal a violin, the woman complimented it and spoke to him quietly about its beauty.

Eventually, the two men left. Though they obviously would have preferred to remain where they were, the interaction between LOP and loiterers was non-confrontational.

As the group walked through town they were greeted once by residents with applause and shouted encouragement. Sometimes community members hand them money to help with expenses, said Tara Sutherland. Earlier that evening at the meeting, she had told the gathering that many in the community were angry and ready to strike out because of the deteriorating situation in their town. She was worried about violence and that, she said, is why LOP was organized. “We are the final step before the vigilantes come out,” she declared.

During the meeting, Sutherland had repeatedly requested support. “Be our backbone,” she asked the assembled crowd. Without community support, she said, LOP would not be able to function. Sutherland addressed the gathered business owners asking them to step up and support the group’s efforts to move loiterers out of doorways and off railings by coming outside their businesses and standing in solidarity beside the group members.

“We want [those violating the group’s standards] to know our community is backing us,” she said. She also asked for community members to join the patrols so they have the required four person team.

Right now the small group seems strong. The gathering on Monday was relatively large for such a little town.

But whether or not the Locals on patrol will get the support needed to keep the group vibrant and a force for order in the community depends a lot on who is willing to help. As local resident Traci Bear Thiele said, “Some people just talk and some people walk the walk.”

(Courtesy, the Redheaded Blackbelt/KymKemp.com)

THE PRAGMATIC CASE FOR BERNIE SANDERS

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/02/the-pragmatic-case-for-bernie-sanders/462720/

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER, JIMBO

California Legislators announced a new bill in response to recent calls for action following the Coastal Commission firing their executive director.  AB 2002 would require anyone, with the exception of volunteers, who engages the Coastal Commission with the intent of influencing decision making to register as a lobbyist.

Assemblyman Wood said, “The fact that this is not already required is an egregious loophole.  The public and the legislature have the right to know who is influencing decisions made by the Coastal Commission and a responsibility to hold the Commission to the same standards as other policy making bodies. ”

The Political Reform Act of 1976  (PRA) sets the parameters for what qualifies as lobbying, what lobbyists must do to ensure transparency and the penalties for noncompliance.  AB 2002 applies these obligations to people attempting to influence “administrative actions” of the Coastal Commission including the proposal, drafting, development, consideration, amendment, enactment, or defeat of any rule, regulation, permit action, federal consistency review, appeal, local coastal program, port master plan, public works plan, long range development plan, categorical or other exclusion from coastal development permit requirements, cease and desist order, restoration order, or any other quasi-judicial or quasi-legislative matter requiring commission action.

“We depend on the Coastal Commission to protect one of our state’s greatest resources,” said Wood.  “If there are outside influences affecting decisions made by the Commission we should know about it.”

ON LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY

Throw in the death of Scalia, and a governing system with only the thinnest shroud of a structured, lawful, and constitutional pretense is thrown into the shredder. This next year will prove what many of us have always known; the United States has been ground down to nothing more than an illegitimate power structure controlled by elites solely for the maintenance, betterment, and consolidation of control and power of those elites.

The super-delegates and DNC doing all within their power to prop up Clinton, the GOP leadership and establishment at all out war against Trump. The supposed media-of-record, owned and controlled by the monied interests, exposing their activist inclinations and their powers of control (debates) as the fourth branch as never before.

In November, the will of the people will once again be reined in by those in the wheelhouse. It will be more blatant and obvious than anytime previously. The media that protects them will be even less equipped or able to produce the necessary lies. But when it’s over you can be rest assured, that come that cold January morning it won’t be Sanders or Trump taking that pledge. We will not be allowed this chance to freak-out or act-out. It’s not our choice to make.

GOD LIVES ABOVE MY EAR

by Rosa Montero

(Translated and edited by Louis S. Bedrock)

I am reading in a fascinating book by the neurologist V.S. 
Ramachandran (Phantoms In the Brain, Ed. William Morrow, NY) that God lives in the left temporal lobe of our brain, just above the ear.  Well, Ramchandran doesn’t say so in these exact words, and in addition employs countless circumlocutions, poor man, to avoid irritating believers.  But the fact is in that soft, fatty, gray mass of our brain, in that lump of organic material with the consistency of a cheese spread, there’s a small corner in which the idea of God is entrenched; where divinity palpitates, expands or diminishes, depending on the turbulence of our lobe.

Or at least that is what a series of studies and experiments realized in recent years appear to demonstrate.  It’s undeniable that epileptics, whose attacks originate precisely in that part of the brain, experience intense mystical raptures during their crises and even during the periods between attacks.  These epileptic crises sometimes are part of what are called “petit mal” — that is, small, very localized attacks that last very few seconds and have few general consequences except for this sudden awe before an all encompassing divinity.

However, the vestiges of these electrical jolts in the brain can change the behavior of an individual forever, even to the point that some neurologists speak of the “personality of the temporal lobe” in those patients that consists of, more or less, a lack of a sense of humor, exacerbation of emotions, a tendency to give a divine interpretation to the most insignificant minutia, egomania, and an obsessive interest in philosophical, religious, and moral themes.  It’s the portrait of the guru or the fanatic.  Since my reading of Ramachandran, I imagine the heads of clerics and shamans lighting up periodically during the night with the radiance of their silent neural torments.

This type of brain damage may have spawned our great writers as well as our mystics.  Without doubt, great artists harbor genius within themselves; nevertheless, the damaged lobe may have granted them the courage to stare into the eyes of God.  It is said that Saint Teresa suffered epileptic attacks.

The brain is a prodigious artifact.  Its injuries may produce monsters; however, they may also produce gods and fantasies.

“Finally I understand the destiny of the earth.” asserted an epileptic after an attack.  Or, “I have seen the divine light which illuminates all things.”  Perhaps Paul of Tarsus, when he fell off the donkey, hit the left side of his head with a rock and that resulted in his sudden, drastic conversion.

Forgive my bizarre hypotheses.  Actually, the only things these experiments show is that our capacity to understand the transcendental is housed in a region of our brain -- just as other regions of the neural zones concern mathematics or memory.

But these studies are unnerving.  One experiment evaluated the emotional response of normal people and people with damaged lobes to various images:  family portraits, neutral representations (of a vase, for example), erotic photographs, scenes of appalling violence (like a crocodile eating someone alive), and sacred images.  The “normal” people responded emotionally to the erotic and the family pictures and were quite upset by the violent images.  The patients with lobe damage only reacted to the religious images.

It’s disturbing to think that many of our saints and gurus are, or were, mentally disturbed people capable of ignoring the pain of a human being eaten alive while they levitate with the simple vision of a cross. Perhaps this explains the presence of Evil in the world:  it’s possible that Evil is merely that damaged, deformed God that all of us carry inside of our skulls.

THE PEACE AND FREEDOM PARTY of California has again made a serious error in again closing off its presidential primary to independents.

Story from the 'Napa Valley REGISTER'

http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/no-party-preference-mailer-to-voters-causes-confusion/article_d72d6c79-dceb-5198-a72a-edc24cf4a0a5.html#.VsTGSM29xmU.email

DONATE UNWANTED ITEMS TO THE GARDENS!

Cleaning out the gardening shed or upgrading equipment for spring planting?

Donation of supplies is a great way to show your support for the local not-for-profits such as Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens! With your tax-deductible donation of any item on the "MCBG Wish List," you actively become a part of our mission to engage and enrich lives by displaying and conserving plants in harmony with our Northern California Coastal ecosystems.

We are currently in need of:

• Two Polycarb Garden Sheds for Nursery on the Plaza and the propagation area
• Mule or electric cart
• Small pick-up truck
• Large chipper shredder
• Outdoor display items for the Nursery - wood shelves, étagères, plant stands, wagons, wheelbarrows, etc.
• Plastic tubs of any size to help store off-season items at The Garden Store
• Deep plastic tubs, at least 9” to 14” wide and 9”+ tall, with or without lids to hold our plant signs, which are taking up too much space in the Nursry office
• Bigger storage bins with lids to hold soil amendments to keep dirt and grime out
• Vacuum to help keep our floors clean and inviting
• Electric hand mixer with twin blades for Rhody's Garden Cafe
• Two-slice toaster to warm delicious organic breads at Rhody’s

Our Wish List is updated periodically on our website:

http://www.gardenbythesea.org/donations/wish-list/

If you have any of these items that are in working condition and would like to donate them to the Gardens, please contact the the Administrative Office at 707-964-4352 ext. 10 or email

administration_volunteer@gardenbythesea.org. Also, if you have other items not included on the Wish List give us a call, we are always looking for fresh supplies!

MICHAEL MOORE SAYS NO, Donald Trump Is Not Like Him - First Draft. Political News, Now. - The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/02/16/michael-moore-says-no-donald-trump-is-not-like-him/

MENDOCINO COUNTY MUSEUM ROAD SHOW SPOTLIGHTS THE PAST

Willits, CA: Now in its third year, the Mendocino County Museum Road Show has become an annual tradition, reflecting the lives of residents back to them via drama and song. The Museum Road Show will play over the span of three weekends in March, at 7:30 p.m. for one night only each, at the following venues: Friday, March 11 at Willits High School; Saturday, March 12 at Arena Theater in Point Arena; Saturday, March 19 at SPACE Theater in Ukiah; Friday, March 25 at the Anderson Valley Grange in Philo; and Saturday, March 26 at Cotton Auditorium in Fort Bragg. There will also be a matinee at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 20 at SPACE Theater in Ukiah. Doors open half an hour early for guests to find their seats and enjoy pre-show music. Museum Road Show Director Linda Pack, working with dramaturge Kate Magruder, has once again dug into the archives, presenting a completely new selection of stories gleaned entirely from local primary sources. The audience will get to test the adage "The more things change, the more they stay the same" as the cast romps through tales of hop-picking, childhood pranks, home remedies, politics, vice, temperance campaigns, and the exciting, critical election of 1916 for wet versus dry in Mendocino County.  Seven remarkable actors will together portray more than 50 different characters, as local history springs to life through a number of stories that are all the more touching and funny because they are true. Americana ensemble All About Sally will once again provide vocal background, which will combine with light and sound effects, a backdrop of never-before-seen vintage photos, and the trademark proscenium arch to form a homegrown extravaganza.

The Mendocino County Road Show is a history-based theater program of the Mendocino County Museum, which is based out of Willits and is a repository of the area's rich and ever-evolving heritage. The Road Show is the Museum's means of bringing that heritage directly to the people of Mendocino County, traveling to its far-flung communities. Director Alison Glassey believes “The Museum Road Show is a way of connecting people with their history and connecting the Museum with its people.”

The cost for the Road Show is $15 for Adults, $12 for Seniors (65 & over) and Youth (20 & under). A few of these true stories of our county’s wild past, although tastefully and humorously presented, discuss licentious behavior. Parental guidance is suggested. Additionally, theatre goers are asked not to bring young children who cannot naturally stay quiet and sit still through the performance.

All tickets are available online through www.MendocinoMuseum.org, by calling the Museum at (707) 459-2736, or by visiting the Mendocino County Museum at 400 East Commercial Street in Willits during open hours, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. Tickets for individual shows can also be purchased at specific outlets in the cities of the performance venues: Mendocino Book Company (Ukiah), Arena Market & Café (Point Arena), Harvest Market (Fort Bragg), and All That Good Stuff (Boonville). Tickets for the shows can sell out quickly; advance tickets are strongly encouraged. The 2016 Museum Road Show is generously supported by our Broadcast Partner KZYX and local businesses, including: Ingel-Haven Ranch/Magruder Meats, North Coast Brewing Company, Savings Bank of Mendocino County, The Book Juggler, Emandal-A Farm on a River, Harvest Market, Lia Patterson RE/MAX Full Spectrum, Lisa Epstein State Farm, Mendo Mill, Room to Bloom Preschool & Infant Center, Albion Doors & Window, Sparetime Supply, DripWorks, Real Estate Magazine, and Saucy Ukiah.

Paloma Patterson, M.A.
Mendocino County Museum
400 East Commercial Street
Willits, CA 95490
(707) 459-2736
www.MendocinoMuseum.org

Tickets now on sale for the 3rd annual Museum Road Show! Take a lighthearted romp through vice, debauchery and politics in the early days of our county. Premiering in 5 locations throughout March.

RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS and projects being sought

WILLOWS, Calif. - The Mendocino National Forest officials are conducting public outreach to fill committee member seats and accept project proposals for several RAC boards within Glenn, Colusa, Tehama, Mendocino and Lake Counties.

RACs were established as a provision of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000. By law the four-year term, 15-member committee is composed of a wide representation of national forest interests organized into three categories. An additional member is also appointed as a replacement should a committee member leave for any reason.

"RACs are extremely beneficial to both the Forest and local communities. They allow for public engagement and approval on resource projects that benefit public lands," said Forest Supervisor Ann Carlson. Applicants must complete a cover letter, interest form and an FBI background check form prior to being considered for the committee.  An interest form is available on the Mendocino National Forest website at: www.fs.usda.gov/mendocino<http://www.fs.usda.gov/mendocino>.  From the main page, click "Working Together" on the left side bar, then Advisory Committees.

To apply for Glenn, Colusa or Tehama County RACs, please address your correspondence to Zach Rich or Randy Jero, 825 North Humboldt Ave., Willows, CA 95988 or call 530-934-3316 for more information.  Applications must be received on or before March 7, 2016.

To apply for Mendocino or Lake County RACs, please address your correspondence to Debbie McIntosh, RAC Coordinator, 10025 Elk Mountain Road, Upper Lake, CA 95485 or call 707-275-1407 for more information. Applications must be received on or before March 15, 2016.

RAC projects must have broad community-based support with objectives that may include, but are not limited to, road, trail and infrastructure maintenance or obliteration; soil productivity improvements; improvements in forest ecosystem health; watershed restoration and maintenance; restoration, maintenance and improvement of wildlife and fish habitat; control of noxious and exotic weeds; hazardous fuels reduction; and reintroduction of native species.  Projects must be on public land but can occur on private land if it can be demonstrated that there is a benefit to public land resources.

Proposals currently being accepted for:

Glenn County RAC - $79,998.00 available - Submit project proposals to Zach Rich no later than March 7, 2016

Colusa County RAC - $32,418.00 available - Submit project proposals to Zach Rich no later than March 7, 2016

Tehama County RAC - $200,046.00 available - Submit project proposals to Randy Jero no later than March 7, 2016

Mendocino and Lake County RAC - Submit project proposals to Debbie McIntosh - call 707-275-1407 for more information

Project proponents are encouraged to present their proposals at upcoming RAC meetings.

The first Glenn and Colusa County RAC meeting is tentatively scheduled for March 21, 2016 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM at the Mendocino National Forest Supervisor's Office, 825 North Humboldt Ave., Willows, CA 95988. Tehama County RAC meeting is tentatively scheduled for March 17, 2016 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Tehama County Farm Bureau Office, 275 Sale Lane, Red Bluff, CA 96080.

For additional information about the Secure Rural Schools legislation, including Titles I, II and III, please visit the SRS website at www.fs.fed.us/srs<http://www.fs.fed.us/srs>.  For further information or questions please contact each RAC coordinator directly.

YOUR MONEY OR YOUR LIFE

NEW EVENTS @ THE UKIAH LIBRARY

Lunch Bunch Cook Book Club

Friday, February 19th @ noon

Do you love to cook but want some inspiration for new delicious dishes? Join us at the next monthly meeting of our new Lunch Bunch Cook Book Club where we will discover and devour new recipes from our selection of cookbooks. During this month's meeting, we'll be tasting the food we prepared from the recipes we picked at our first meeting and choose new recipes for our next meeting in March.

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Fuse Bead Anime & Crunchyroll Manga Teen Club

Wednesday, February 24th @ 2-5PM

Do you live, breathe, and love manga/anime or are you a new fan? Everyone is welcome at the next meeting of the Anime & Manga Teen Club, with crafts and book chats the last Wednesday of every month in the Teen Room.

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Catapults & Trebuchets

Friday, February 26th @ 3:30-4:30PM

We are offering kids from ages 7-11 years old the 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 graciously sponsored by the Ukiah Valley Friends of the Library.

For a full list of Library events, check out our Google Calendar or follow us on Facebook.

EMERALD GROWN WORKSHOP

Laytonville Grange; Thursday, February 25; 1pm-5pm

Please join us for an introductory overview of some of our Best Management Practices

IMO - This will be an overview of Indigenous Microorganisms and demonstrate how to culture them into a applicable innoculate.   We will aslo explain why culturing and applying your own unique Terroir' is a beneficial way to enhance your soil food web.

FPJ - Fermented Plant Juice - The “How Too” on fermenting plants, which plants to use and how to use them.

OHN - Oriental Herbal Nutrient - is a fermented extract of herbs used in natural farming to optimize their resilience to environmental stresses such as wind, drought, heat etc.

LAB - Here we will learn how to culture Lactic acid bacteria and it's benefits in increasing crop and livestock production, plus so much more.

Teas - Tea brewing a key to success! Here we will discuss several types of teas, each of their unique benefits, how to brew them and when to apply them. Anaerobic tea, botanical tea, aerated compost tea, seed sprout tea, vermicasting tea.

REGISTRATION BEGINS MARCH 15

For Mendocino Coast’s 27^th Writers Conference

Registration begins Tuesday, March 15 for the 27th Annual Mendocino Coast Writers Conference held August 4-7 at the Mendocino College - Mendocino Coast Campus in Fort Bragg.

The Mendocino Coast Writers Conference (MCWC) features award-winning authors, and publishing professionals. Long considered an intimate, warm and personalized conference, MCWC serves 100 participants who develop their craft in a supportive literary community surrounded by the spectacular scenery and temperate climate of the Mendocino Coast.

Writers at all levels attend morning workshops, craft talks, open mic, literary readings, and publishing pitch panels. Students may opt-in for manuscript consultations with authors, editors, and agents. Informal social gatherings enrich networking and conference experience. MCWC provides a place to work closely and exchange ideas with writers of many talents, ages, and backgrounds. Selected literary readings by visiting authors and the popular “Paths to Publishing” panel will be open to the public.

Nationally recognized publisher Shirin Yim Bridges will lead MCWC’s new, Publishing Boot Camp on Sunday, August 7. Everyone is invited to enroll in this day-long Publishing Boot Camp, whether or not you register for the main 3-day writing conference.

2016 instructors include Les Standiford (Master Class); Jessica Piazza (Poetry); Reyna Grande (Creative Nonfiction/Memoir); James W. Hall (Novel/Mystery); Jordan Rosenfeld (Emerging Writers); Lori Ostlund (Short Fiction); and Laura Atkins (Children & YA). YA author Emily Lloyd-Jones, literary agents Andy Ross and Lisa Abellera, editors Grant Faulkner (NaNoWrMo), and Brooke Warner (SheWrites Press) round out the faculty.

Various scholarships are offered to writers of all ages. Scholarship applications open March 15 along with registration. Teachers may earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) through Dominican University. Seats are filled first-come, first-served. Early application is encouraged.

Visit mcwc.org for complete guidelines. Barbara Lee, Registrar: info@mcwc.org.

TANYA GABRIELIAN

Fort Bragg Center for the Arts will present Internationally acclaimed pianist  Tanya Gabrielian on Sunday, March 6, in Preston Hall, Mendocino at 3 PM. She will perform works by Bach, Schubert, Schumann, Chopin, and Sarasate. Tickets are $20 in advance from Harvest Market, Fort Bragg and Out of This World in Mendocino, Tickets at the door are $25.  For additional information call 937-1018 or go to www.fbcamusicseries.com.

THE STATE OF JEFFERSON

by Bruce McEwen

http://interactive.nydailynews.com/2016/02/state-of-jefferson-secessionists-california-gun-totin-rebels/

There’s two sides to the State of Jefferson secessionist movement in its Northern California, Southern Oregon heartland, and the two halves of that coin are diametrically opposed, politically.

On the right you have the don’t tread on me Libertarian cattle ranchers whose Daddies and Granddaddies, circa 1940, came up with the idea for a new state. In NorCal you've got ultra liberal back to the land pot growers inspired by Earnest Callenbach’s sensational 90s novel Ecotopia, another secessionist fantasy to which many stoners remain entranced.

While the sides are traditional opponents, both are fed-up and on the verge of making concessions to one another for the greater glory of a common cause: The State of Jefferson.

So it’s not all that surprising that every once in a while the in-between wannabe appropriates the brand  —  for ulterior applications. That appears to be how the State of Jefferson Medical Marijuana Co-Operative turned up in one person in the Mendocino County Courthouse last week — Brian Woodson.

In Dockers and Oxfords, Woodson seemed neither rancher or pothead. He looked like a man with his head on straight. But his lawyer, the unkempt, confused, wheezing pot-asthmatic, Edward Denson of Alderpoint, looked like Bernie Sanders after three days sleeping on the Courthouse lawn.

Mr. Woodson’s trial for illegal cultivation and possession of marijuana for sale has suffered many delays, and his lawyer, the tattered, disoriented Denson, has been fined $500 for causing some of these delays, and it was delayed again last Friday as two witnesses took the stand during a pretrial motion.

The first was Peter Martin, a Brit, and president of the Martin Family Investment Corporation. They own a tract of land near Ukiah. The land in question was characterized as a cattle ranch specializing in a Scottish Highland breed. The rancher leasing the Martin land was Brian Woodson.

At first DA Eyster was adamant in objecting — well, lemme rephrase that: Eyster objected adamantly to everything Denson said and did throughout — but in the end he was thrilled with defense witness Peter Martin, so much so, he subpoenaed Martin for the trial despite the Brit’s urgent desire in returning to the United Kingdom. But to begin with, Peter Martin took the stand over Eyster’s vociferous objections.

DA Eyster: “Why do we have to hear this witness’s testimony now, Judge?”

Denson: “Because he has to leave the country before the trial date, and we need to get his testimony on record.”

Eyster: “I object, judge. This is all over my objections.”

Judge David Nelson: “This is just a conditional examination to determine whether his testimony may be used and is relevant to the trial.”

Denson entered Martin’s passport as Defense Exhibit A, pointing out that it showed he entered the country on November 19, 2015.

Denson: “How long are you allowed to stay in the country?”

Eyster: “Objection.”

Martin: “Ninety days.”

Nelson: “Just a moment, Mr. Martin, we have an objection. Please wait until I rule on the objection before you answer  —  in future. Mr. Eyster, what’s the basis for your objection?”

Eyster: “Calls for a expert opinion, or knowledge the witness doesn’t have.”

Denson: “How do you know you can only stay 90 days?”

Martin: “The customs official told me.”

Eyster: “Objection, move to strike.”

Nelson: “The objection is sustained, and the answer will be stricken from the record.”

Denson: “What is your understanding of how long a person can stay in the US on a visa?”

Eyster: “Objection  —  relevance!”

Nelson: “Overruled.”

Martin: “My understanding is that it’s 90 days.”

Denson: “And did you enter the country on a visa?”

Martin: “Yes I did, sir.”

Denson had given copies of Martin’s airline tickets (Exhibit B) to the DA as part of discovery, but had forgotten to bring in the originals to show the defendant and ask if they were his. This oversight put Denson in the humiliating position of having to beg the DA to loan him the copies which, after he'd extracted a suitable groveling from Denson, Eyster finally gave them up. Yes, they were Martin’s electronic tickets and showed a departure date of February 16 from San Francisco to London.

Having brilliantly established that his witness was due to depart the country, Denson rested.

Eyster: “As to your understanding of the 90-day rule, Mr. Martin — please show me where it says that on Exhibit B.”

Martin: “It’s not on that piece of paper; that’s just an electronic printout of my tickets.”

Eyster: “Did you bring anything with you today to show the existence of this 90-day rule?”

Martin: “No, sir.”

Eyster: “Has anyone from the US government told you you have to leave?”

Martin: “No, sir … except the customs agent—”

Eyster: “Objection, judge, that’s been stricken!”

Denson: “This is not a fabrication, your honor.”

Eyster: “We don’t know that!”

Denson: “He’s a British citizen and he needs to leave the country so he came today so he could testify.”

Eyster: “Not over my objections, judge. He can’t do this, not over my objections.”

Nelson: “He’s about to leave, whether forced to or not, so I’m going to allow it.”

Eyster: “Judge, you’re making the assumption that he’s the owner of the property.”

Nelson: “Do you own property in the Ukiah area?”

Martin: “I have an interest in property in the Ukiah area.”

Nelson: “What does that mean?”

Martin: “The property at 11200 Chingam Road is owned by Martin Family Investments Corporation, of which I am the president, since October of 2011.”

Denson: “And have you leased the property to a tenant.”

Eyster: “Objection — leading!”

Nelson: “The question ‘has he leased the property?’ is not leading, although asking to whom it was leased  —  ‘a tenant’  —  would be; but since a lease implies a tenant, I’m going to overrule the objection.”

Denson: “And who was that?”

Martin: “Fraser Nelson.”

Denson: “Did you have a written agreement?”

Martin: “No, sir.”

Denson: “How long did the lease last?”

Martin: “Well, it was for a year, so through 2012, but his rental payments were in arrears when his occupancy ceased earlier than that.”

Denson: “Did you have a subsequent tenant?”

Martin: “Yes, sir, Jeremy Fleming.”

Denson: “When was that?”

Martin: “From April 2013 to 2014.”

Again, payment was not forthcoming and Mr. Martin found himself in a Redding café lamenting his difficulty finding a non-deadbeat tenant when Brian Woodson, apparently eavesdropping, offered $10,000 cash up front for a turn at the lease. This time Martin got a written ”agricultural” lease and flew back to jolly old England a much more sanguine subject of the crown. Woodson soon brought in his herd of about 50 Scottish cows.

He also erected a greenhouse.

Alas, Woodson’s rent ($2000 per month) also fell into arrears. However, over the phone he arranged to sell some of his beef cattle to the Martin Family Investment Corp. to make up the diff and both parties were happy.

But then, those noted Mendo killjoys, Sergeant Bruce Smith and Deputy Jeremy Mason of the County of Mendocino Marijuana Eradication Team  (COMMET) swooped down on the bucolic landscape and fully acclimated Scot cows and busted Mr. Woodson in possession of more than 200 marijuana plants and nearly 20 pounds of processed bud.

Mr. Martin testified that he knew nothing about the marijuana grow, had never looked in the greenhouse or other buildings, and only came to check on the land itself. He approved of the cattle because they kept the grass down, whereas his other land owners in the area had to hire mowers.

(Uh, just sayin' but pot plantations are often arrangements where the landowner gets a percentage of sales, but if the operation is busted the owner says he had no idea his property was being used for illegal purposes.)

Eyster: “Who is the secretary of your investment corporation?”

Martin: “Adam Honeycutt.”

Eyster: “Who are the other officers?”

Martin: “There aren’t any.”

Eyster: “When was it formed?”

Martin: “In 2011. It was formed to buy this property.”

Eyster: “How do you check on the financial health of your corporation?”

Martin: “I don’t check, not in detail.”

Eyster: “Would it surprise you to learn your corporation has been suspended since 2013?”

Martin was more than surprised. He was dumbstruck.

Eyster: “So you have a lease that you entered into after the corporation was suspended by the State Franchise Tax Board?”

Martin loosened his necktie enough to gulp then whispered: “I just learned that.”

Eyster: “Are you educated, Mr. Martin?”

Martin: “Yes, sir, I have a masters in business administration.”

Eyster: “Do you know who looks after corporations in the State of California?”

Martin: “No, sir.”

Eyster: “Do you know your entity number with the Secretary of State?”

Martin: “No… no, I don’t believe I do.”

Eyster: “Who was your lease notarized by?”

Martin: “A land agent across from the Costa Coffee Shop.”

Eyster: “You were present and chose not to sign it?”

Martin: “Yes, sir. I did.”

Eyster: “You approved this lease when it was signed by your ex-vice president?”

Martin: “Yes, sir.”

Eyster: “It’s an agricultural lease… what crops were planted and growing?”

Martin: “To my knowledge, none. Excepting grass — grass for the cattle.”

Eyster: “Let me show you this copy of the lease. See where it says the tenant shall not keep any hazardous or flammable materials on the premises?”

Martin: “Yes, sir, I see it.”

Eyster: “Did you know that your property had been searched by the police and butane for making honey oil was found?”

Martin again seemed dumbstruck.

(Again just sayin', but the man is a citizen of a country world renowned for the excellence of its thespians.)

Eyster: “Do you know what an alcohol extraction lab is?”

Martin: “No.”

Eyster: “What steps did you take to make sure marijuana was not being grown on your property?”

Martin: “None.”

Eyster: “Did Woodson tell you he was found in the greenhouse with Prop 215 marijuana plants?”

Martin: “No.”

Eyster: “Did he mention the 20 pounds of processed marijuana?”

Martin: “No.”

Eyster: “You have a master’s degree in business administration?”

Martin: “Yes, sir.”

Eyster thought the answer amusing, by the look on his face, but before Mr. Martin could leave to catch his flight, the DA’s Deputy Chief Investigator Andy Alvarado papered him with a subpoena.

Martin: “Does this mean I can’t leave the country?”

Alvarado: “Your attorney will explain it to you.”

But Denson was engaged just then: he'd called in Damian Wyzgg of Mount Shasta, the president of the State of Jefferson Medical Marijuana Co-Operative and was trying to get some questions asked over DA Eyster’s steady stream of objections. The contest of wills was uneven — Eyster was like the roar of the lion to the squeak of Denson's mouse. It evolved that everyone in the Shasta co-op showed Mr. Wyzgg their doctor’s recommendation, then they each paid $500 to Woodson to grow their “medicine.”

Eyster asked Wyzgg what he had done to make sure none of the marijuana “leaked” into the black market.

Wyzgg: “We never got any of the marijuana.”

Eyster: “That’s not what I asked you. I want to know what precautions you took to make sure this marijuana wasn’t sold on the black market.”

Wyzgg: “None. I didn’t do anything.”

Eyster: “Did you do any research before you set up this co-operative?”

Wyzgg “No.”

Eyster: “Get any legal advice, consult with a lawyer?”

Wyzgg: “No.”

Eyster: “Did you read the State Attorney General’s guidelines for setting up a co-operative?”

Wyzgg looked as miserable and confused as Martin had. He had come in looking somewhat scruffy, his hair hadn’t obeyed the comb, his khakis looked slept in, and he had an awed expression on his face, like a kid at his first rodeo. In fact, he looked a lot like the unprepared attorney who'd called him to testify without, apparently, preparing the poor guy for what he'd be testifying to.

But Eyster, who had earlier been so stubbornly opposed to Denson's pole-axed witnesses, was suddenly delighted with both of them, so much so that he now had no objection to their taking the stand in Woodson’s defense.

The hearing was concluded and the trial set for Tuesday morning. The stranded Brit has had to revise his travel plans.

CATCH OF THE DAY, February 13, 2016

OMAR AGUILERA-RAMIREZ, Philo. Criminal threats.

MELISSA BRADSHAW, Bakersfield/Ukiah. DUI-drugs, suspended license, controlled substance.

GABRIEL CAMPOS, Ukiah. Drunk in public.

MICHAEL CUMMINS, Fort Bragg. Drunk in public.

DANIELLE DAVILA, Willits. Drunk in public.

VICENTE GONZALEZ, Willits. Controlled substance, paraphernalia, impersonation of another, failure to appear, probation revocation.

MICHAEL KAGLEY, Fort Bragg. Retaking land after removal, paraphernalia, failure to appear, probation revocation. (Ed note: We think this first charge has something to do with returning to land or property after having been evicted…)

DELILAH KNIGHT, Ukiah. Obtaining credit with someone else’s ID.

LORENZO MARTINEZ, Talmage. Parole violation.

GWENDOLYN MCGRATH, Ukiah. Fugitive, multiple DUIs, probation revocation.

MAIRA MEZA, Willits. DUI.

TAYLOR MILLER, Ukiah. Domestic battery.

JENNIFER OVERCAST, Roseville/Willits. Failure to appear.

MATTHEW PAQUET, Ukiah. Drunk in public, false impersonaltion, parole violation.

YANETH SANDAVAL-REYES, Ukiah. DUI.

ENRIQUE TOVAR, Nice/Hopland. Domestic assault, resisting, offenses while on bail.

WILLIAM VANTREESE, Ukiah. Probation revocation. (Frequent flyer.)

CATCH OF THE DAY, February 12, 2016

JAMES AVERY, Ukiah. Under influence/possession of ontrolled substance, suspended license.

KEVIN BAILEY, Ukiah. Drunk in public.

ZEBULON COUTHREN, Willits. Probation revocation.

JOSEPH DITTO JR., Redwood Valley. Resisting.

WARREN GALLETTI, Calpella. DUI.

EUFEMIO HERNANDEZ, Ukiah. Failure to appear, probation revocation.

JUSTIN HEWITT, Willits. Drunk in public.

WILLIAM LOCKETT, Ukiah. Domestic assault.

TERRY MURPHY, Fort Bragg. Protectiver order violation.

CHRISTOPHER RAY III, Covelo. Domestic battery, controlled substance, paraphernalia, false ID.

MICHAEL SAN MILLAN, Richmond/Ukiah. DUI.

GARRETT TRAVIS, Shasta Lake/Ukiah. DUI.

ALEXANDER YOUNG, Ukiah. DUI.

CATCH OF THE DAY, February 11, 2016

VIOLET BECK, Ukiah. Driver with concealed weapon, possession of drugs while armed.

CURTIS BETTEGA, Covelo. Controlled substance, probation revocation.

JOE CRUZ, Upper Lake/Ukiah. Suspended license

MATHEW GARDINER, Ukiah. Possession of/under influence of controlled substance, probation revocation.

SAMUEL GIBNEY, Fort Bragg. Drunk in public.

JOSHUA GUEVARA, Talmage. Dirk-dagger, probation revocation.

LANIE HOLCOMB, Willits. Probation revocation.

CLINT JEWELL, Willits. Drunk in public.

JARED KIDD, Ukiah. Drunk in public.

DAVID KROLL, Ukiah. Drunk in public.

LUCY LINCOLN, Covelo. Harboring a felon, probation revocation.

STEVEN MOSES, Ukiah. Resisting, probation revocation.

ROBERT PLOTNICK, Laytonville. DUI, misdemeanor hit&run, child endangerment.

ISRAEL RAMIREZ, Willits. Unspecified felony warrant.

SHANNON RIVER, Willits. Drunk in public.