Mendocino County Today: Wednesday, Apr 6, 2016

• Wisconsin Primary
• Felon Release
• Bird Walk
• Gay T-shirt
• GJ Response
• Past Panthers
• Forbes Article
• Yesterday's Catch
• Rugosa
• Drought Money
• Abortion
• Bad Sculptures
• Neighborhood Wrestler
• Gardens Sale
• Trump Phenomenon
• Oakland Correspondant

SANDERS RACKS UP ANOTHER GOOD WIN, IN WISCONSIN (after being tied in pre-election polls), making seven wins out of the last eight primaries for Sanders.

Sanders: 56.4%, Clinton: 43.3%.

PS: Cruz beats Trump. Cruz: 48.4%, Trump: 35.0%, Kasich: 14.0%.

DAKOTA LEE MILES, 21, of Louisville, Tennessee, raped a local teenage girl last November while she was unconscious. The press release from the Fort Bragg Police Department issued at the time, and re-printed below, described a set of felony circumstances. But Miles will be released this month after serving barely five months in the Mendocino County Jail.

THE VICTIM'S FAMILY is understandably outraged that the apparently unrepentant Miles is being released after being convicted of a major crime. His victim is so frightened of him she refuses to leave her home.

WHEN THE MALE FRIENDS of the rape victim discovered what had happened they beat Miles and paraded him around public areas of Fort Bragg, hence his appearance in his booking photo.

WE'VE ASKED the DA's office for an explanation of the handling of the case.

* * *

Fort Bragg Police Press Release, late November 2015:

ON NOVEMBER 23, 2015, at approximately 4pm Officers of the Fort Bragg Police Department contacted a female juvenile in the lobby of the Fort Bragg Police Department who reported she was the victim of a rape during the early morning hours of November 22, 2015. The victim described the incident as taking place inside of a vehicle in the presence of several witnesses. Upon observing the alleged act, these witnesses interceded on the behalf of the victim. During the course of the investigation, Officers established enough probable cause to believe the alleged act occurred, and an Arrest Warrant was secured for the suspect, Dakota Miles, 21, of Louisville, Tennessee. A Search Warrant for the suspect’s motel room and his person was secured for collection of evidence in the case. On November 24, 2015 at approximately 8:50pm the suspect was arrested for Rape-victim has mental disorder, developmental or physical disability, unable to give legal consent; and sexual penetration while victim is unconscious pursuant to the Warrant. He was interviewed, and subjected to a forensic examination for collection of DNA and other biological evidence that could potentially tie him to the allegations. The suspect is currently being held at the Mendocino County Adult Detention Facility in Ukiah, CA awaiting arraignment. Bail was set at $150,000. This investigation is ongoing.

— Sgt. Brandon Lee, Fort Bragg Police Department

HENDY WOODS BIRD WALK

The Mendocino Coast Audubon Society will host a bird walk at Hendy Woods State Park on Saturday, April 9. No experience is necessary. Participants will meet at 9:00 outside the park at the south end of the Navarro River bridge. Binoculars will be available for those who need. Weather permitting, this walk should end around noon. This is a wonderful time to go birding - many of our winter visitors are still here, the summer birds have started to arrive, and everybody is singing. We hope to see you on Saturday.

GRAND JURY RESPONSES ON PROP 172 FILED.

The 2015-16 Mendocino County Grand Jury has recently received Proposition 172 report responses from the Auditor Controller and the District Attorney. They are posted on the Grand Jury's website at:

http://co.mendocino.ca.us/grandjury/gj15-16.htm

Kathy Wylie, Foreman
2015-16 Mendocino County Grand Jury

ANDERSON VALLEY’S 1966-67 Varsity Basketball Team

AVA,

Here’s a photo of the 66-67 b-ball squad you referenced in the March 23 Valley People, that finished 21-2 and beat Cardinal Newman 56-49 in the championship game of the Redwood Classic (admittedly it was only Newman’s 2nd year of existence, with about 150 students, but it was also the second year AV beat them, having done so the year before in overtime for the tournament consolidation trophy — a win is a win).

Back Row: Asst. Coach Bill Cooney, Dave Pronsolino, Rick Cupples, Jerry Blattner, Dan Huey, Tom Rawles, Coach John Walters.

Front Row: Ron Pronsolino, Gary Bates, Gene Wagoner, Dan Morabito, Charles Hiatt, Larry Banks (manager)

* * *

Only losses were to Point Arena in the league finale (shared co-championship) and Clear Lake at Potter Valley Tournament at the end of the year. (Clear Lake had a big guy named Len Gotshalk who later played on the line for the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons out of Humboldt State) Clear Lake was a game they could have and probably should have won. I remember Tom Rawles’ dad, Bob, coming over after the game in a near-empty gym where Tom and I were sitting talking, and asking him,” well, counselor, would you like to explain what happened, in 10,000 carefully chosen words?" Former PD sportswriter Rich Mellot played on that Newman team, and 20 years later came to the Classic to write a “follow-up” piece. Coach Walters left after that one year for Sonoma High School. Claimed he couldn’t tolerate a team as good as that one losing two games. The shame of it all! I’d put this year’s team in the top half-dozen or so, but of course it could be one of those one-time wonders, with a bunch of seniors leaving. Coaching will tell over the next couple of years if that’s the case but it does look pretty promising. Best pure shooter? John Stevenson.

— Norm Clow

DISCOVERED AGAIN (Forbes Magazine)

Once upon a time, in the not-so-distant past, the Anderson Valley used to be a brief stop on the way to Mendocino to stretch your legs, taste some wine, and get back in the car and head for the coast. But in recent years the Anderson Valley has become a full-fledged destination in its own right, with hip B&Bs, compelling restaurants, and cutting-edge wineries. It’s still a tranquil, lovely place where time slows down, but there’s more now to do in that time, and reasons galore to stop and explore. While Boonville is still the hub, Philo, population 400, is where all the exciting changes are taking place.

One: The Wineries

Goldeneye Winery has always been one of Anderson Valley’s crown jewels, and it’s still one of the best Pinot Noir makers in California. The Anderson Valley is best known for these cool-climate reds as well as Alsatian-style whites and French-style sparkling wines. Reserve a tasting on the gorgeous patio overlooking one of the vineyards.

Roederer, a longstanding French Champagne house, founded a 580-acre estate in the Anderson Valley in 1982, and current winemaker Arnaud Weyrich arguably produces the sparkling wines in the U.S. Tour the winery and have a glass of L’Ermitage Brut at the bar overlooking the vines.

Newcomers Kelly and Jessa Boss are are turning heads with their Panthea Winery estate Pinot Noirs made from Pommard and Dijon clones. The young couple set up shop with their son Griffyn and run the whole operation themselves. There’s no formal tasting room, but you can order their wines directly or buy them at local shops, including the Boonville General Store.

Two: The Restaurants

Two restaurants have single-handedly transformed the culinary scene in the Anderson Valley, The Bewildered Pig and Stone and Embers, both in the town of Philo. The former opened just this year next to the The Rock Stop, featuring the brilliant cooking of chef Janelle Weaver, whose bent is fully sustainable and hyper-local. Her husband Daniel has forged much of the property by hand, and the result is a veritable roadside destination for both food and wine. The cooking is lush and earthy, and the welcome is genuine and hearty. This place is honestly worth a drive up from San Francisco just for dinner.

Stone and Embers is, as the name implies, a restaurant centered around cooking with fire. It’s a super-casual spot built around chef Patrick Meany’s careful, inventive cooking, most notably the pizzas that sell out everyday before lunch service is over. The embers that remain at the end of the day are the vehicle for baking the most beautiful bread for miles. The restaurant is housed at The Madrones, one of the best overnight options along the North Coast (see below)

Three: The B&Bs

Aside from The Boonville Hotel, The Apple Farm was always the go-to spot for overnight stays and it remains a solid choice for its teaching kitchen and adjacency to Hendy Woods State Park (see below). But now the The Madrones is on the scene, offering an Italian-style rural experience of staying on a working farm, but the “farm” is a lush garden that serves the restaurant, Stone and Embers (see above), and a collection of small wineries housed on the Mediterranean-style property.

Four: The Art

Rebecca Johnson is a painter and sculpture artist whose studio is on Highway 128 in Philo, one of a number of world-class artists who’ve chosen the Anderson Valley as their home. You can often see her out back working on stone and metal pieces. If the gate is open, she’ll welcome you inside the barn that is her studio to see her paintings as well. Alexis Moyer is a potter whose work is synonymous with the Anderson Valley. Best known for her totems and animal sculptures, her playful handmade work is available at The Pot Shop in Philo.

Five: The Wild

Wherever you go in the Anderson Valley, nature looms large. The expansion of Philo to attract visitors hasn’t interfered in the least with the area’s bucolic charm. Hendy Woods State Park is a spot for hiking in redwood groves, walking along the Navarro River, and foraging for mushrooms (if you know what you’re doing). There are also 92 campsites and four cabins available throughout the year.

(Courtesy, Forbes.com)

CATCH OF THE DAY, April 5, 2016

JAMES AVANTS, Albion. County parole violation.

ERIN BLACKWELL, Ukiah. Drunk in public. (Frequent flyer.)

IRMA CASTANON, Ukiah. Domestic battery, probation revocation.

JESUS DELGADO, Fort Bragg. Paraphernalia, probation revocation.

AARON FINCHE, Ukiah. Controlled substance, paraphernalia.

TAMMY JIMENEZ, Ukiah. Failure to appear, probation revocation.

JARED KIDD, Ukiah. Drunk in public. (Frequent flyer.)

JOEL KIMBALL, Ukiah. Drunk in public.

KATE KUMMER, Arcata. Controlled substance, paraphernalia.

ISMAEL MARTINEZ, Fort Bragg. Meth for sale, county parole violation.

ALAN POLLICK JR., Ukiah. Drunk in public, probation revocation. (Frequent flyer.)

ERIC ROBERTS, Ukiah. Community Supervision violation.

CASH DROUGHT RELIEF

The Governor’s office of Emergency Services has released the list of eligible counties given disaster designation resulting from the drought. This designation is a result of the final rule announcement for the USDA Designation Process which includes nearly automatic approval for those counties that meet established drought intensity levels for at least 8 weeks as reported on the U.S. Drought Monitor.

According to UC Cooperative Extension Director Greg Giusti, both Lake and Mendocino Counties have been designated as eligible to receive disaster relief. According to Giusti, “Ag families, dependent on water supplies, have been critically impacted over the past years. This will provide some hope to those who want to take advantage of this opportunity”. Giusti said the programs are available to “Farmers and ranchers who conduct family-sized farming operations”. Giusti added, “The program will provide up to $500,000 for emergency loans for those who have suffered both physical or crop production losses as a direct result of the disaster.”

The program is being administered through the Farm Services Agency. The office that services Lake and Mendocino Counties is located in Ukiah. Their phone number is (707)-468-9223. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s Target Center at 202-720-2600.

Greg Giusti, Director/Advisor,

UC Ag/Natural Resources Extension, Lake-Mendocino gagiusti@ucanr.edu.

ABORTION

"Relatively" unscathed is what I should have said. And as you no doubt know, I myself descended into the abortion underground at 17, was lucky to get out alive, so I know whereof I speak. I was one of the lucky ones; others were not. I have a friend, a few years older than I, who got knocked up in Europe via a "date rape" when she was about 19. When she got home to Minnesota, she realized she was preggers; she consulted her family doc, who said he couldn't help her, but he referred her to a prostitute who did abortions in her apartment. Long story short: My friend landed in the emergency room, hemorrhaging, raging fever, perforated uterus, near death. They saved her with a D&C and a massive dose of penicillin--along with a massive dose of scorn, insults, derision and shaming. It left her sterile, wildly allergic to penicillin and for years, traumatized, terrified of having sex. Turned out her doc knew that this would be the course of events; the only way she could terminate the pregnancy was to get so ill that she'd be at death's door. Then and only then could the emergency room docs legally abort her. This is the system that will be reinstated if/when Roe is overturned. Anyone who contemplates relegating women and girls to the vigilante underground is a sick fuck. We should recoil from it the way we recoil from public flogging, lynching and queer-stomping.

(— Eleanor Cooney, MCNlistserve)

CALL IT "ART"

From the NY Times: Columbia Students Protest a Henry Moore Sculpture.

Yes, that's pretty bad, but it's no worse than this:

...this:

...this

...or this:

(Rob Anderson, Courtesy, District5Diary)

DEPT. OF INFORMATION I'D RATHER NOT HAVE

(from SF Chron)

Ex-Marin wrestler arrested in rape attempt of man, 80.

A 230-pound former high school wrestler was arrested in Novato after he allegedly assaulted and tried to rape an 80-year-old man he is acquainted with in the front yard of a house, authorities said Tuesday. The victim suffered critical injuries, police said, in the incident that happened just after 2 p.m. Sunday in the 100 block of Joan Avenue, said Sgt. Jennifer Dunlap, a police spokeswoman. Police responded to the house on reports that two people were fighting outside, said Dunlap. Arriving officers believe the suspect, later identified as Anton Scherba, 27, of Novato, attacked the victim. A neighbor witnessed the incident, police said, and restrained Scherba to prevent further injuries to the elderly victim. Scherba and the victim were both hurt, however, and taken to Marin General Hospital. Scherba was treated and released to police who booked him into Marin County Jail. The victim, who was not identified, remained hospitalized in critical condition as of Tuesday, Dunlap said. An investigation into the attack is ongoing, Dunlap said, but it appeared that Scherba may have been suffering from some mental health issues. Scherba, a former wrestler at Marin Catholic High School who went on to attend Stanford University, is being held in lieu of $250,000 bail on suspicion of elder abuse, assault with a deadly weapon and attempted rape, according to online records.

BOTANICAL GARDENS SPRING PLANT & STORE SALE

One Week Only
Sat, April 23, Sun, May 1
Daily, 9:00am to 5:00pm

It is time to stock up on plants, gardening tools and books, and much more at Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens’ annual Spring Plant & Store Sale at Nursery on the Plaza and The Garden Store. Gardens Members receive 20% off all plants and select store items. Non-members receive 10% off. No admission to attend the sale. Never an admission fee to shop or dine at The Garden Store, Nursery on the Plaza, or Rhody's Garden Cafe (re-opening April 16th!).

TRUMP has raised the great dispossession from impotence into the establishment’s face, and this is why he is a contagion on the American political scene. He is pervasively mocked, accused and slandered in non-stop public fireworks of ad hominem hits, but the counter-attacks never engage what Trump has set his sights on – the long stripping of America by corporate globalization selecting for the limitless enrichment of the very rich living off an ever-growing take from public coffers and the impoverishment of America’s working people. A primal rage unites the political establishment across party lines, but they can’t say why. No defaming scorn and abuse is off limits, but Trump’s underlying betrayal of the ruling game remains unspeakable on the stage. The electoral dynamite of all the Americans who have lost all their good blue-collar jobs, social benefits and public infrastructures is recognized only in class condescension. But the facts cannot be denied of a corporate globalization effectively stripping the lower middle classes and the public realm itself with no-one in Washington establishment saying a word against the greatest transfer of wealth to the 1% in history. Trump may deserve back as bad he gives. But this understanding keeps our eyes on the ego-contest which is the standard spectacle to avoid the real issues. The personal attacks only tells us how deep the rupture has become between Trump’s campaign and the establishment on the issues kept out of sight. This is why the corporate politicians and media are almost as wound into one-way demonization of Trump as they are when they beat the drums of war against a designated Enemy abroad.

— John McMurtry, ‘Why the Establishment Hates Trump’

CLEANER THAN MY SCHOOL’S WATER

Dear AVA,

I found a copy of this week’s paper in a coffee shop on College Avenue in Oakland. I read just about every word. I’d never seen it or heard of it before. I’ve been to Mendocino County four times. Twice with a boyfriend (former) when we camped out on a no-camping allowed beach and had an awesome time looking at the stars and listening to the waves. We were both 16. Twice with my parents which was less fun but a really awesome nature time. Anyway, I’m writing to tell you how sad I was to read the story about the two people who got busted for growing weed. My reason is: Who are they hurting? Are they becoming Donald Trump assholes because they make a little money in a place where it sounds like it’s close to impossible to make a living? And don’t they hire and pay people who need the money too? And what are we talking about here anyway? I went to an Oakland public high school where weed was about as hard to find as a water fountain (and usually better quality). I’d say at least 25% of the kids used almost daily and another 25% at least once a week. The ones I knew weren’t out of it or crazy or sad any more than anyone else. Some teachers were known users too. Why do you have DAs and judges who don’t just find a way to not bother people about non-violent nonsense like weed growing? And why do you not elect people who can pass laws saying whatever they can say to stop hurting people like weed farmers?

I hope I see your paper again.

Sorry I can’t sign this. You know how it is in the internet age. My parents would just love to see me involved in this kind of discussion (NOT!).

Big hugs, Rebecca (not my real name).

Oakland