Mendocino County Today: Saturday, July 9, 2016

• Shooter Identified
• Weiner Documentary
• Transfer Station
• Mendocino Taste
• Pesticide Use
• Ukiah Crossroads
• Beacon Photos
• WIC Coupons
• Book Sale
• Cluny Retirement
• Rescue Training
• Helicopter Patrols
• Mosquito Talk
• Police Report
• FB Agenda
• Biomass Plants
• Homeless Magnets
• Grower Vote
• Yesterday's Catch
• Stein Offer
• Wind Machine
• Pablo Neruda
• Philo Dino
• Marco Rejected
• Accurate Writing
• Rio Hell
• Marry Me

THE MAN WHO SHOT 12 POLICE OFFICERS, killing five, at a Black Lives Matter protest in downtown Dallas on Thursday night has been named as Micah Xavier Johnson, a 25-year-old with no criminal history or ties to terror groups. Johnson, from Mesquite, Texas, a 20 minute drive from Dallas, is a US Army Reservist who served in Afghanistan, and claimed to have acted alone, countering reports that as many as four gunmen were involved in the massacre.

'The suspect said he was upset about Black Lives Matter. He said he was upset about the recent police shootings of black suspects. He said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers,' Dallas Police Chief David Brown declared at a 7:30am Thursday press conference.

But while he professed a hatred for white people, it appears his stepmother, Donna Ferrier Johnson, a teacher from Dallas schools, was white.

Pictured below is a house belonging to his mother Delphene Johnson, where he lived, and was being searched by police.

* * *

REGARDING YESTERDAY'S events in Dallas, any American over the age of 70 can tell you that race relations in this country are better than they've ever been, hugely better. In 1955, to pick a bad race year at random, there was only murder and general viciousness coming from white people. There are now millions of loyal, affectionate, intra-racial friendships.

THERE REMAINS, obviously, a minority of cops who shouldn't be cops, let alone armed cops. The videos of the police shootings in Minnesota and Louisiana reveal in the one, Minnesota, a screaming, obviously unhinged cop shooting into an occupied vehicle, one of whose occupants is a little girl. The cop seems to have assumed the man he shot dead was going for a gun as the man reached for his wallet containing his ID. The Baton Rouge shooting does not show enough in the released video to know why one cop of the two wrestling with the guy suddenly shoots, but from what we do see the shooting looks unjustified.

THEN our national media, never dumber, less competent, or less responsible, plays the shooting videos non-stop on national television with a lot of accompanying demagogic rhetoric that suggests cops are shooting black people as a matter of unspoken policy, thus promoting in the steamy minds of hysterics everywhere the false idea that all the country's policemen are out to kill people, not help them.

ALL OF THIS is occurring in a deteriorating economic context where the obvious solutions to much violence would begin with an assumption that without economic justice there's no hope for social peace. And does anybody out there really think the next president will make things better? That the current political leadership is capable of meaningful reform let alone fundamental change?

RECOMMENDED VIEWING: Weiner, the documentary about the disgraced congressman who compulsively texted photos of his genitals to a handful of women who, in at least one case, rivaled Wiener in general perv-i-tude. The Weiner movie is astonishing in many ways. Mr. and Mrs. W are very odd people but much more likable than I thought they'd be. She, of course, as most of us know, is aide de camp to Hillary. He's a compulsive, self-destructive sexual exhibitionist but a good liberal of the better kind who was on his way to becoming mayor of New York when he got caught dispatching penis pics again, this time to a Vegas floozie who parlays her electronic nude swap with Weiner into a porn career for herself. You sit there in the theater thinking apocalyptic thoughts: "If this stuff is common, and it probably is, we probably are deep into the End of Days." It's a mystery why she stays with him. But the biggest mystery of all is why this very odd couple would permit a filmmaker unfettered access to their weird personal lives. Despite all we see of them, the Weiners come off as sympathetic people, perhaps because he manages to keep on keeping on through a media pummeling that would destroy most people.

HIGHWAY 20 TRANSFER STATION, AN EXCHANGE

Letter to the Editor,

I understand Rick Child's angst (see his message below). He and his neighbors have suffered the foul presence of a transfer station on Road 409 for a long time. Rick once told me any solution would be better than the status quo. However, you don't solve a problem by moving it but by facing it.

Projected at $5 million several years ago, it's probably double that now. Why build it when there's a perfectly adequate transfer station at Pudding Creek? For considerably less money, a road on GP land can be maintained from Cypress Street all the way to Pudding Creek, minimizing traffic on Fort Bragg streets.

The threat to the reservoir is real, Rick. Natural and man-made disasters occur and human error is responsible for most of it. Why take the chance of polluting Fort Bragg's water? I'm sure you've seen self-haulers leak garbage on the way to the 409 site.

I'll leave the issue of wildlife protection to the Sierra Club and other agencies charged with protecting the environment and endangered species, and remind Rick of another conversation we had after a presentation by Mike Sweeney, head of Mendocino Solid Waste Mgt. Authority (MSWMA), during which Sweeney proposed constructing a transfer station on Hwy 20. "If you can't stop it," he asked me, "will you sue?"

I'm not suing, but with a helipad adjacent and environmental threats present, lawsuits will be brought, especially if construction or operation of the station is flawed. The cost will not be borne by Mike Sweeney, who is retiring, but by everyone who lives on the coast. Rick notes that the EIR reports “no significant environmental effects” but it was Sweeney who prepared the EIR, and Sweeney's exit package no doubt includes liability protection.

It's also possible that MSWMA itself will cease operations. For more on this, see Adam Randall's account in newspapers on the coast and Willits.

John Fremont, Fort Bragg

* * *

From Rick Childs:

The recent spate of letters from the Sierra Club and a few Hwy 20ers have unfortunately used some rather misleading and even incorrect facts in an effort, it seems, to scare the public into opposing the new Transfer Site.

The biggest scare is that it will possibly contaminate the future Summers Ln. reservoir. Ft Bragg’s Director of Public Works has stated, “Because this is man-made, no 100% guarantee can ever be given. But the extensive protective measures engineered into this site will make the possibility of any groundwater contamination of the Summers Ln. reservoir (or any residential neighbors) virtually zero. The facility’s being one mile away from the reservoir adds a further level of assurance.”

And the Sierra Club says 17 acres of pristine pygmy trees will be destroyed for this facility; in fact, the project will remove only 0.6 acres of “scrub pygmy”…pygmy neither used by the public nor even visible from Hwy 20.

Ten years and $400,000 have produced a “best location possible” study and an 845 page EIR that reports “no significant environmental effects” in any area.

* * *

ABOUT THAT TRANSFER STATION....

Dear Editor,

The position of the Sierra Club on the Central Coast Transfer Station siting should be made more clear. We do not oppose moving the Transfer Station off of Road 409. We do not oppose siting the new Transfer Station on Hwy 20. What we DO oppose is the selection of the most destructive site on Hwy 20, among 3 sites that were studied. All three sites are within 1.5 miles of each other, only one has “exceptionally high quality Mendocino Pygmy Cypress Woodland and good Northern Bishop Pine Forest habitats….this parcel supports habitat of the highest quality.” (Dept. Fish & Wildlife Feb. 2014) All three sites provide the SAME savings in mileage, fuel use, greenhouse gas reduction, etc. Two of the sites have already been bulldozed, and one is already publicly owned. Why pick the one that is most destructive of the environment?

The answer: because the parcel chosen is on Jackson Demonstration State Forest, and the Joint Powers (city & county) think they can get it free through a trade with State Parks. However, this brings the issue of giving away 12.6 acres of Russian Gulch State Park to enable the Transfer Station. The 12.6 acres is east of Road 409 and consists of redwood, fir and mixed forest that has been protected for nearly a century in the park.

If this area is given to JDSF, it will be subject to logging in the future. The mentioned “road corridor” is not a permanent protection, and applies only to a narrow strip along the road, probably 100’ in this case.

The remaining 10-11 acres would join the Caspar Watershed Study Area, one purpose of which is to study the effects of logging on sedimentation.

Neither is the murrelet habitat a permanent protection, it simply means studies must be done before logging. If there is no presence, than logging can continue. So the 12.6 acres of parkland would be stripped of permanent protection it now enjoys. This is a legitimate Sierra Club complaint that has not been addressed in the EIR.

Back to the sites: the info on the other two sites which are available and close has been manipulated in the EIR to make them seem unreasonable. The measurements taken on the trailer park site for “distance to neighbors” used the boundaries of the parcel, rather than the outline of the facility, to imply that the facility would be much closer to the neighbors. In like fashion, the size and cost of the city Parks & Rec parcel was based on buying the whole parcel, rather than an estimate of using a boundary line adjustment to buy only the cleared pad and entry necessary. The EIR was begun and finished with a foregone conclusion. In fact, the arrangements for the tradeoff of parkland were made years ago with no public notice or input.

Future plans for waste disposal will certainly be more modern than long-haul to Outahere landfills. New technologies would allow us to deal with our waste stream locally, perhaps with cost benefits, maybe even electricity generation.

Again, the Sierra Club, Mendocino Group simply asks that the LEAST environmentally destructive site be chosen to avoid continued destruction of the world-unique Pygmy Forest habitat.

Rixanne Wehren

Chair, Coastal Committee

Sierra Club, Mendocino Group

SAN FRANCISCO TURNS OUT FOR A TASTE OF MENDOCINO

by Bernadette Byrne

It was a capacity crowd in San Francisco for a Taste of Mendocino at Fort Mason Saturday, June 25. Over 300 people, a mix of trade, media and consumer guests filled the beautiful Gallery 308 venue within minutes of the doors opening at 1 p.m.

“What a great chance for Mendocino County wineries to shine in the city. It was an amazing turnout with both trade and consumer guest attendance,” said Kerry Finnie, marketing manager for Goldeneye Winery.

“Generally, at tasting events, the event has its ebbs and flows allowing the participants to grab a glass and taste around the room. Not at the Taste of Mendocino! We started pouring at 1 p.m. and had a crowd around our table until 5 p.m., we were not able to taste a single wine!” stated participant Steve Alden of Murder Ridge Winery.

Consumers clearly loved the experience with 26 Mendocino wineries pouring outstanding small production wines, and a sampling of Mendocino’s local food producers serving up delicious bites. Drawings for multiple raffle items throughout the afternoon added an element of excitement to the event.

Kris and Jim Woodward of San Carlos were thrilled to win a two-night stay at the lovely Little River Inn. A highlight of the event was the drawing for two round trip tickets on Surf Air, the nation’s first all-you-can-fly travel club offering flight service between 12 California cities and counting.

Ecstatic winners Randy Borcherding and Beverly Riehn were speechless when Jori Johns of Surf Air presented them with the certificate entitling them to fly round trip to any of Surf Air’s destinations, such as Las Vegas, Santa Barbara and Palm Springs.

A great feature of the venue, Fort Mason, is the ability for wineries and specialty food producers to sell directly to the consumers at the event.

Stella Cadente sold out of their Everyday Extra Virgin Olive Oil, a Best In Class Gold winner in the Los Angeles International Olive Oil Competition. Philo Ridge, Theopolis Vineyards, Murder Ridge, Maple Creek and many other wineries were pleased to sell out of all of the wine they brought to the event.

What is a great wine event without fabulous food? Boring! This wasn’t a problem at Taste of Mendocino with gourmet offerings from chefs and food producers alike.

The crowd favorite was Chef Richard Whipple of Heritage House as he expertly prepared and served up fresh pasta with exotic mushrooms in a Parmigiano-Reggiano, Seebass Family Wines Chardonnay Cream Sauce, Drizzled with Truffle Oil.

Heritage House, a historic jewel resort and spa on the Mendocino Coast, has recently gone through an extensive renovation. Chef Richard Whipple joined the property early in 2016, with 30 years of experience preparing fine food in wine country restaurants. You can bet that many of the attendees at Taste of Mendocino will be heading up the coast to sample more of Richard’s culinary creations!

Wine wasn’t the only beverage served at Taste of Mendocino; attendees were able to sample Gowan’s Hard Apple Ciders and Thanksgiving Coffee.

Sharon Gowan, whose family is celebrating 140 years of growing produce in the Anderson Valley, had this to say about her experience “Taste of Mendocino was a successful event for us! We not only connected with a number of wholesale accounts interested in carrying our heirloom ciders, as well as interested new club members and guest buyers. Plus, we connected with a number of media interested in doing stories!”

Red wine and…CHOCOLATE! Starchild Chocolates from Willits gave wine lovers a unique and interesting education about the similarities between wine and chocolate.

Here is what Ash Maki of Starchild Chocolate had to say of his experience: “We had a great time in San Francisco. It’s very cool how similar the making and tasting of wine really is to that of chocolate. Our cacao bean has a massive array of different flavor profiles from bean to bean and region to region. It keeps our job very exciting.

“We brought a variety of chocolate with us serving samples of six different origins, three of which have recently received metals at the world’s top chocolate competitions. We make all of our chocolate from the bean and keep our bars at a 70 percent cacao content so that people can taste the vast difference between regions and varieties - much like wine.

“Working at the shop with beans from over 25 different countries we selected some of our favorites to bring only six. We sampled chocolate grown in Ecuador, Tanzania, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Bolivia and Nicaragua.”

Wineries large and small had positive things to say about their experience. “Taste of Mendocino was a great opportunity for a relative new winery like Theopolis Vineyards. We were able to get our wines before wine lovers and people in the wine trade. We were able to not only sell our wines on the premises, but made critical connections with wine bloggers, food vendors and wine critics. To boot, a great time was had by all,” said happy vintner Theodora Lee.

Scott Willoughby, president of Mendocino Winegrowers, and part of the family of Seebass Family Wines, said “The event was the most successful in terms of attendance that I’ve seen in four years. We enjoyed seeing some of our wine club members, meeting new enthusiasts, and chatting with several writers and distributors. All in all, the Mendocino wine and craft foods community put its best foot forward and San Francisco responded enthusiastically.”

(Taste of Mendocino was hosted by Mendocino WineGrowers Inc. and Visit Mendocino, and our generous sponsors, American Ag Credit and Savings Bank of Mendocino. Bernadette Byrne is the executive director of Mendocino WineGrowers Inc.)

MENDOCINO COUNTY PESTICIDE USE, 2014 (indexed by commodity):

http://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/pur/pur14rep/comcnty/mendoc14_site.pdf

Top distributor of glyphosate in Mendocino County? The wine-grape industry: spreading 8 tons over 11,000 acres.

THE UKIAH DAILY JOURNAL REPORTS: Change of ownership for Ukiah Crossroads, which was built in 1986 on nearly 10 acres of land just north of City of Ukiah and remodeled in 2012. The shopping center on North State Street is anchored by Raley's. The shopping center, has been sold for $15.1 million according to a real estate brokerage and advisory firm that specializes in retail property sales, Hanley Investment Group.

THE FAMOUS BOBBY BEACON at his equally famous Beacon Light Bar in Elk.

(Courtesy, MendocinoSportsPlus.)

WIC COUPONS TO BE DISTRIBUTED AT THE UKIAH FARMERS' MARKET

An Opportunity is Coming in July for Women, Infants, Children (WIC) Supplemental Nutrition Program Recipient to Get Coupons

Ukiah, CA— The County of Mendocino WIC Program will issue USDA Farmers Market Coupons at the Ukiah Farmers Market the starting on July 9 and for the remaining Saturdays in July. This is the fourth year for distribution of coupons at the farmers market location.

WIC can provide farmers' market coupons to 700 families, totaling $14,000. Local farmers have the benefit of this program. Families benefit with very fresh food often picked that very morning.

The Farmers Market provides a variety of fresh, nutritious, unprepared, locally grown fruits, vegetables and herbs. Prepared items and items like honey are not included.

In order to get coupons families can come to the Ukiah farmers market, which runs from 9am to noon on School Street between Seminary and Stepenson, find the WIC table at the south end of the market and show their WIC folder at the WIC booth. They will receive a brief instruction about how to use the coupons. At the market they will meet the farmers who grow the beautiful fruit and vegetables. For more information, call the toll free WIC number 855-843-2949.

LIBRARY LINES

The $4-a-bag book sale is still going on at the AV Library. We still have a great selection of books and DVD's. So bring a bag and come to the library. Our last open day will be Tuesday, August 2nd. We are not accepting any more book donations at this time. Library hours are Tuesday 1:30-4:30pm and Saturday 2-4pm. —Elizabeth Dusenberry, for the AV Unity Club

FORT BRAGG EXPAT'S LIFE IN FRANCE

Editor,

My new "home sweet home"—

Bonsoir mes amis,

I've been in my new studio apartment for a week now, living out of boxes and trying to beat the heat. I have little furniture — a camping table and chair — but I can prepare meals, sleep on a mat from my "camping car" (Anglo-French for "recreational vehicle") and can use my computer and cell phone.

My friend, Judith from Oregon, took me to an IKEA store in Dijon, about two hours drive north, and I took photos of the furniture I want. We'll go back one of these days with her trailer.

"The Benetin" is a residence for seniors, the youngest being 55. At 79 — the average age span for an American male — I fit in nicely. I don't need assisted living yet but it's available when I do. I can see the entrance to my general practitioner's office from my balcony, a new hospital is being built a few blocks away and my dentist is also very close-by as well as pharmacy, lab, large supermarket, bank, Peugeot dealer and TWO great Italian restaurants. With my French health insurance, I qualify for taxi service to my ophthalmologist in Lyon about two hours drive south. Instead of an all day trip by bus, then train, then taxi, a visit takes half-a-day now. If my vision deteriorates more and I have to stop driving, everything I need is within walking distance. So health-wise, I feel I'm in the right place at the right time of my life.

My place is small but I've lived in much smaller spaces. It has an ample covered balcony with two wide doors that when open, makes the place seem much larger. From the balcony, I can see the Maconaise Mountains in the distance and the red-tiled rooftops of Cluny that is an ancient Roman settlement. (See the link below.) Every now and then, I can see the TGV (express) to Paris about two hours away by the train. On a street sign just below my balcony, I can see a sign pointing to "LE LOUP GAROU." The translator on my iPad shows "the were wolf." I have NO intention of finding out more about him or her.

Cluny has a population of almost 5,000. A few centuries back it had a population of ten thousand or more monks alone. It was the center of Christianity before the Vatican. And although it has fallen out of grace with history, it's still an interesting town with an interesting past. During Napoleon's time there was a cavalry school here and an area for equestrian events is still maintained. I especially like watching the mostly horsewomen jumping hurdles. And of course there are horse shows.

Although there is a decent sized lake nearby, sailing — my sport — is NOT big here in Cluny. But two hours drive east near Switzerland is the most beautiful lake I've ever visited — Lac Annecy. Two hours drive north is another large, beautiful lake — Lac Setton — that Judith and I plan to sail on. Judith is a more serious sailor than I am and plans to get a boat like mine.

In the three years I've been in France, I've moved four times. Now I think I may stay put for the duration of my life. Cluny may be the last center of my universe. It's too hot right now, but in the Fall I will use my electric bicycle to explore the area more. There may even be a puddle within walking distance on which I can kayak.

Meanwhile I do NOT miss the madness the USA is going through right now.

Best of health and love to you all,

Tom Cahill

Town of Cluny, Burgundy, Monastery and Tourist Information, Saíne et Loire, Bourgogne, France

WHAT BETTER SITE FOR JOINT TRAINING?

Extended Remote Search Training
Location: Lake Mendocino
Date of Incident: July 12 and 13, 2016
Time: 7:00 AM through Midnight both days

The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office would like to announce a joint training effort between the California National Guard, Cal Fire, Search and Rescue Teams from Lake, Napa, Marin, and Mendocino Counties, the US Army Corps of Engineers, and the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office. This training will occur on July 12th and 13th, 2016 around Lake Mendocino and around the Cal Fire Station at Howard Forest.

Background: In recent years California State Wilderness Search and Rescue professionals have seen an increase in extended search and rescue (SAR) missions in difficult-to-access, mountainous terrain, across California. Many of these incidents have occurred in Mendocino County or in Counties adjacent to Mendocino. These searches often require a large commitment of advanced SAR teams and significant logistical support that must be brought to the scene. These SAR missions are also often dependent on aviation resources to insert and extract teams and to be available to provide rescue support in the event of injured searchers or lost persons.

As a result California State SAR Coordinators, with the assistance of California Office of Emergency Services, have drafted a plan or guideline to be presented to the California State Sheriff’s Association for adoption. Part of this plan calls for a more formal plan involving air assets of cooperating agencies, such as the California National Guard and Cal Fire, to assist in deploying or extracting resources to remote areas and or to provide medical extractions (hoist) to injured subjects, either the missing/lost persons or searchers.

In addition to Wilderness SAR missions the National Guard and Cal Fire can be called to assist other emergency response personnel, including law enforcement, during incidents involving emergencies or natural disasters and law enforcement missions. This assistance is provided as a mutual aid support system and can include: providing critical transportation of personnel, medical evacuation, general evacuation, logistical supply, and technical night search capabilities using Forward Looking Infrared cameras.

This Joint Training Effort will utilize helicopter resources and crews from the California National Guard and Cal Fire specifically to train Law Enforcement and Search and Rescue teams in the capabilities of and safe operations of their respective helicopter platforms. These helicopters will include the following: the National Guard CH47D Chinook, U/HH60 Blackhawk, UH72A Lakota, and the Cal Fire UH1H Super Huey.

Starting on July 11 the public will see an increase in helicopter operations regarding this training exercise in the area of Lake Mendocino, around the Ukiah Municipal Airport, and on the Ridgewood Grade near the Cal Fire Station.

For Safety reasons during this training the US Army Corps of Engineers has closed the South Lake Mendocino Wildlife Area, including all hiking trails east of the Lake Mendocino Dam to the general public. These areas will re-open on Thursday July 14, 2016.

Press access will be granted on the afternoon of Tuesday July 12 to any member of the press who would like to visit the training. Any member of the press wishing to visit the training should send an email to Mendocino County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Shannon Barney at barneys@co.mendocino.ca.us

ATTENTION PARANOIDS!

PG&E aerial patrols set for July 12

PG&E to Conduct Helicopter Patrols to Ensure Electric Reliability and locate dead trees Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) will be conducting low-level helicopter patrols July 12 to inspect electric distribution lines for maintenance in rural and remote areas in parts of Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties. The flights will also help locate dead hazard trees in those areas. In Sonoma County flights will cover Highway 12 and Calistoga Road, the towns of Sonoma, Santa Rosa and Kenwood, and the communities of Oakmont, Spring Lake Village, El Verano, Temelec, Eldridge, Sonoma Mountain as well as the Petrified Forest area.

In Mendocino County, flights will cover Highways 20 and 29, the towns of Potter Valley and Redwood Valley and the community of Pomo.

In Lake County, flights will cover Highway 53, the town of Clearlake and the communities of Lower Lake and Hidden Valley Lake. The flights will take off from the Sonoma County and Ukiah airports. Flights will start at 8 a.m. and finish by 4 p.m. A helicopter will fly at approximately 500 feet, depending on the area and if livestock are present. PG&E patrols remote power lines, which are often located in rural areas, by helicopter as part of its continuing effort to ensure safety and reliability of its electric system. If issues are identified, it's possible that they may need to inspect at a lower altitude.

PG&E patrols and inspects all of its lines annually - nearly 134,000 miles of them - to ensure safety and reliability, and to identify equipment in need of repair. This allows PG&E to proactively schedule repairs that might otherwise result in power outages. In rough country, remote areas or areas where there are fewer trees, the most efficient and sometimes only way to accomplish this is by helicopter.

PG&E uses a helicopter company to fly the PG&E inspectors.

Denny Boyles
Corporate Relations
Pacific Gas and Electric Company

ITCHY ANNOYANCE OR PUBLIC ENEMY #1

A talk by U.C. Researcher and Lecturer Jan Washburn (Sponsored by the UCCE Master Gardeners of Mendocino County) Wednesday, July 20, 12:30-2pm

UCCE Meeting Room 890 N. Bush Street—Ukiah

There is no charge for this event.

Meet California’s native and recently introduced mosquitoes and learn about diseases they carry that pose major health threats to humans and native birds. Learn how mosquitoes and mosquito borne diseases are being monitored and dealt with by mosquito abatement districts and the California Dept. of Public health, how you can help reduce their populations and what to do to protect yourself.

Jan Washburn has taught, conducted research, and published extensively since earning his PhD in Entomology from UC Berkeley in 1984. He has served as a Trustee and, recently, as Interim Director of the Alameda County Mosquito Abatement District and as Editor of the Proceedings of the California Mosquito and Vector Control Association. He is a docent at the UCB Botanical Garden and is a Land Conservancy Trustee in Comptche, where he resides. Jan has been a regular lecturer in the Mendocino County Master Gardener Program.

HOLD THE MAYO

On July 6, 2016 at about 11:30 a.m., Mendocino County Sheriff's Deputies contacted suspect Ismael Rodriguez, 21, of Point Arena, during an unrelated investigation at a residence in the 50 block of Mill Street in Point Arena. During that contact, Deputies learned Rodriguez was on active summary probation. A condition of Rodriguez's probation permitted Deputies to search Rodriguez and his property. Deputies conducted a search and found that Rodriguez was in possession of approximately 27.5-grams of suspected methamphetamine, 4.5-grams of suspected cocaine, 16.0-grams of suspected psilocybin mushrooms, and 18.0-pounds of marijuana (all weights reflected are gross). Deputies seized a variety of other drug paraphernalia related to and indicative to drug sales. Rodriguez was ultimately arrested for possession for sales of marijuana, controlled substances possessed for sale and narcotics possessed for sale as well as violation of probation. Rodriguez was transported to the Mendocino County Jail where he was booked and is being held in lieu of bail set at $85,000.

A FORT BRAGG READER WRITES:

Re: City of Fort Bragg Council Agenda July 11, 2016 - Community Development Block Grant Funding Availability

Please publicize this agenda, including the Bike Trail project, and the expense of Jones latest bs report, and the Fact that Portland is spending millions now on the homeless encampments causing serious crimes there as well as environmental damage. Which taxpayers must pay for. FB pretends to drop a project when the residewnts display serious opposition, but they never truly go away. Like the other item, the Hare Creek Mall! How can they allow a mall that will guzzle vast amounts of water we don't have? Why don't they go after grants to study water sources other than our depleted watershed, before permitting a new brewery, and now a mall?

People who cannot attend or can’t stand to sit thru the blah blah blah can voice their opinions with emails.

* * *

The Fort Bragg City Council will conduct a public hearing at 6:00 p.m., on MONDAY, JULY 11, 2016, at Town Hall (363 North Main Street), Fort Bragg, California 95437, to discuss the submittal of an application in response to the 2016 State Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) and to solicit citizen input.

 Below is the website link to the agenda item 5A:
https://cityfortbragg.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

DON’T CLOSE BIOMASS PLANTS

Editor,

Regarding "Wood is piling up after tree die-off" (San Francisco Chronicle, July 3): Their otherwise highly informative article on the tree mortality crisis our state is facing came up a bit short on discussing solutions to the problem. California has the largest fleet of biomass (waste-wood) power plants in the nation. These clean and renewable power plants are capable of producing approximately 2% of the state's power needs. But there is a huge problem. Right now, when these power plants are needed more than ever to help deal with the state’s forestry crisis and the growing inventory of piled dead trees, many of them are shutting down. Despite the fact that, as noted in the article, the governor has called for increased bioenergy production, the California Public Utilities Commission is moving at a glacial pace to keep the biomass power plants running, risking an additional shutdown of seven facilities by the end of the summer. This would be a disaster. Biomass power plants use wood that has no other beneficial use. We need to keep all operable biomass facilities in the state running.

Gregg Morris, Oakland

HOMELESS MAGNETS EXIST

Editor,

The San Francisco Chronicle's recent series presents the homeless problem as a San Francisco problem, to be solved by San Francisco. That perspective will lead to failure. It's a national problem, not a local problem. Do you see homeless people lying on the street in San Mateo? In Tiburon? In Moraga? In any of the thousands of similar suburbs and small towns throughout the country? No. Mentally ill and addicted people who were born and raised in those places migrate to more accommodating cities: New York, Los Angeles, etc., including San Francisco. Why should cities be saddled with sole responsibility for this financial and social burdens? Ultimately, the problem is political. Legislators from suburban and small town districts have no incentive to help the cities deal with this. Our urban legislators should pressure them to accept responsibility for problems that originated in every part of America. Once that happens, real solutions will emerge.

Myron Moskovitz, Piedmont

POT GROWERS WEIGH IN

Group split over pot ballot measure

California Growers Association board votes to stay neutral for now

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/5800058-181/north-coast-pot-growers-law?artslide=0

CATCH OF THE DAY, July 8, 2016

KENNETH ABRAMS, Santa Rosa/Fort Bragg. Controlled substance, suspended license.

CHRISTOPHER BAGLEY, Ukiah. Drunk in public.

ROBERT BERG, Ukiah. Unauthorized entry into dwelling, paraphernalia. (Frequent flyer.)

MARK FISCHER, Troy, Michigan/Willits. Drunk in public.

RANDALL GENSAW, Ukiah. Under influence, probation revocation.

ANTHONY GONZALEZ-APARICIO, Willits. Rape, soliciting or engaging in prostituion, acting in concert with another by force or violence or aiding & abetting, conspiracy.

LAURIE HAYES, Ukiah. Failure to appear.

KASSANDRA PHILLIPS, Covelo. Failure to appear.

DANNY RAY, Ukiah. Probation revocation. (Frequent flyer.)

SHEENA REBOCA, Covelo. Drunk in public, resisting, battery of peace officer.

WOBOLLEE REDHAWK, Covelo. DUI.

JOSE RIVERA-DIAZ, Ukiah. Meth possession, probation revocation.

JONDIE SPERRY, Ukiah. Controlled substance, failure to appear.

CHRISTOPHER TURNER, Santa Rosa/Ukiah. Under influence, paraphernalia.

HERE'S THE offer by Jill Stein for Bernie Sanders to take over the Green Party as its Presidential nominee. If Bernie endorses Hillary on Tuesday and refuses Stein's offer, then he has betrayed his own revolution. On Tuesday, we may find out.

“I’ve invited Bernie to sit down explore collaboration — everything is on the table,” Stein said. “If Bernie saw that you can’t have a revolutionary campaign in a counter-revolutionary party, he’d be welcomed to the Green party. He could lead the ticket and build a political movement,” she said.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/08/jill-stein-bernie-sanders-green-party?CMP=share_btn_fb

ROEDERER’S NEW WIND MACHINE

(Photo by S. de Castro)

THE CONVULSIVE HEART OF PABLO NERUDA

(by Manuel Vicent)

One day during a huge storm, from his window in Black Island — his house on the beach, Pablo Neruda saw a large plank, the remains of a shipwreck, being pounded by the surf. With a commanding voice, he said to his wife: “Matilde, the ocean has brought a desk to the poet. Get it.”

Matilde threw herself into the ocean fully dressed and struggled against the choppy ocean waters, risking drowning to humor her husband. That piece of wood from a ship is mounted in a corner of Black Island and on that writing desk the poet undoubtedly wrote some of his distinguished verses. It forms a part of the mountain of objects he collected during his voyages around the world: conches, figureheads, multi-colored bottles, butterflies, devils, masks, spurs, and seashells. This compulsive gathering, an example of his horror of the void, produces uneasiness as one walks through the spaces of that house. One doesn’t know where to put his feet to avoid breaking some piece of junk.

In the entrance, there’s another table. In the center of this second table, the gazes of four masks hung in each corner of the room converge. When he needed inspiration, Neruda used to place his open notebook at the point where the energy of the gazes of the four masks, which had crossed the seas, was concentrated, and he would begin to write a poem. A Chilean intellectual, elegant and ironic, after showing me the museum of Black Island one day, where the enormous ego of the poet shamelessly displayed itself — converted into a clearance sale, commented sotto voce, “This Neruda character, wasn’t he in fact Argentinian?"

He was volcanic in love and in verse. Juan Ramón Jiménez, whose wicked opinions were always on target, said: “Neruda is a Great Poet: a bad Great Poet.” With poems of gold next to poems of clay, Veinte poemas de amor y una canción desesperada, published in 1924, won the hearts of innumerable adolescents and made him famous. From then on, Neftalí Reyes, under the pseudonym of Neruda — stolen from a Czech poet, began to devour lovers, throw himself in a fast moving river of poetic lava, and concentrate all his hatred against his countryman Vicente Huidobro. Between the two of them, rancor became a carnivorous spectacle; almost another profession.

Vicente Huidobro, born in Santiago in 1893, scion of a wealthy family of prominent bankers and politicians, was part of the avant-garde, a founder of creationism, a traveler and a snob, intelligent, aesthete, communist, gentleman, and atheist, who moved among the intellectual and artistic elite of Paris in 1917 with Apollinaire, Cocteau, Breton, Louis Aragon, Max Jacob, and Paul Eluard. Picasso did a portrait of him. Later, in 1927, in Hollywood, he mingled with Charlie Chaplain, with Douglas Fairbanks, and Gloria Swanson. He fought in the World War with the allies and was wounded in the head.

In an anthology of poetry, Eduardo Anguita put Huidobro in first place. This was sufficient for Neruda’s jealousy to unleash an inner torment that culminated in a famous poem, “Aqui estoy”, (“Here I Am”), an avalanche of scatological insults in which the only thing missing at the end was the flushing of the toilet. Bastards, sons of bitches, neither today or tomorrow will you be finished with me; gold-assed communist: I shit on the whore that spawned you; “vidrobos”* — although you write in French with the portrait of Picasso on your balls. And so on and so forth into the depth of the bowels.

Like Neruda, Huidobro was a womanizer. He abducted an adolescent of sixteen years and ran away with her. Later, he fell in love with a girl named Juanita Fernández, who wound up becoming a nun and achieved sainthood under the name of Sor Teresa de los Andes. In 1947, this enemy of Neruda suffered a cerebral hemorrhage as a result of his war injuries and died shortly thereafter. He is buried in Cartagena under the epitaph, “Here lies the poet Vicente Huidobro. Open the grave. At the bottom, you can see the ocean.”

With Huidobro dead, the rage subsided. With his spirit placated, Neruda’s convulsive heart began passing through women’s bodies successively or simultaneously, and he began receiving honors while wearing his sailor’s cap, blue blazer, and anchor buttons. Teresa Vázquez had been his first great love. She was followed by Albertina Azócar, Laura Arrué, and Josie Bliss — called the “Burmese Panther”. Maria Antonieta Hagenaar, his first legal wife, a young Malaya with Dutch roots, was replaced by Delia del Carril, an Argentinian intellectual 20 years older than the poet, nicknamed "La Hormiga" — “The Ant”.

In 1946, Neruda had met Matilde Urrutia, a student of singing, during a concert at a place called Parque Forestal and established a secret love with her, submerged, full of adventures that they lived via rendezvous, letters, and parallel journeys through Argentina, Mexico, and Europe. From the shadows, Matilde followed Pablo and Delia wherever the couple went; so, in the same train they could be traveling first class while Matilde accompanied her lover concealed in a third class carriage. Matilde would register at a different hotel in the city and arrange apparently fortuitous encounters.

One summer when they had managed to be alone together in Capri, they pretended that they were wed by the full moon, a romantic game that lasted until 1955 when this love affair was revealed through a tip off. At that moment, Delia vanished and Matilde completely occupied the heart of the poet. She provided the inspiration for Los versos del capitán, perhaps his best book.

Those secret love letters from Pablo to Matilde that were handwritten with feverish pulse and burning heart between 1950 and 1955 from different cities, hotels, planes, and ships may be read today in a book recently published by Seix Barral. All the cloying adjectives used in the worst Boleros abound in these pages: “my life”, “my love”, “my bitch”, “my treasure” — a fountain of marmalade that doesn’t stop flowing:

—My love, I received your letter. I thought you were already on your way. You know what’s best. As soon as you’re settled someplace, communicate officially your address, and I’ll write to you immediately. I think about you every night, every morning, every day — about us.

And,

—Today is Saturday, the 28^th and the morning found me without your feet. This is how it was: I woke up and touched something firm at the foot of the bed. It turned out to be a pillow, but only after my many illusions.

After this hidden passion was discovered, a stable happiness arrived for these lovers. Pablo and Matilde walked together through official awards, receptions, medals, and homages. But all was not so easy. Amidst all the glory, Matilde surprised Pablo in bed with her 25 year-old niece, Alicia Urrutia, whom the couple had employed as a housemaid.

Matilde kicked her out of the house and obliged her husband to leave Chile. Allende named him ambassador to Paris. Near the end of his life, when Neruda was sick, it was Matilde who traveled and he awaited her letters prostrate in Black Island. Practical adjectives replaced the romantic ones. On May 7^th, 1973, the poet writes to Matilde and asks her not to forget to bring “tolerable” toilet paper.

When Neruda received the Nobel Prize in 1971, he received a different letter. It was from the young, abandoned Alicia Urrutia from Argentina:

—Pablo, my love, I wanted this letter to arrive July 12^th for your birthday. Pablo my love, may you be happy. Every day and night, wherever you are, with whomever you are with, be happy; I will remember you, think about you, my soul; my heart is with yurs (sic) because I love you so much and think about you. Beloved love, love I kiss you and I caress your entire beloved body. Beloved love, oh love, love, my love, my love. Your Alicia Loves (sic) you.

On the 23^rd of September of 1973, 10 days after the coup d’état by Pinochet, the convulsive heart of the poet Neruda stopped beating. Soldiers assaulted his house of the Black Island. Today, the remains of Pablo and Matilde are buried together in the house, before the surf that always brings to poets the wood of shipwrecks.

(Translated by Louis Bedrock who notes:

* ”vidrobos” is a word made up by Neruda. Perhaps it is a portmanteau combining Vicente Huidobro’s last name, and “vidrioso” which means “brittle”, “fragile”, or “touchy”.)

HEEERRRE'S PHILO

(Photo by S. de Castro)

BRING MARCO BACK:

ALICE WOELFLE-ERSKINE, the KZYX program director, has shuffled Marco's program request off to a committee of unnamed programmer-persons rather than make the decision herself, although she's presumably paid to make programming decisions.

KZYX was structured by its larcenous founder, the ineffable Donovan, in a way that rewarded airtime to "programmers" handpicked by Donovan. Because Donovan gave the programmers their programs, they were beholden to Donovan and his years of successors. The big bloc of programmers act and vote as a bloc for the boss because the boss leaves them alone to, uh, program. So, what we have is the usual Mendo incest-fest of institutionalized, mutual back rubs.

THE PROGRAMMERS, especially this anonymous committee, probably don't care much for Marco. He's a long-time critic of station management and, therefore, since management and programmers are interchangeable, and Marco is critical of both management and the programmers, this gang of Lilliputians takes petty revenge.

THE NEW STATION MANAGER, Lorraine Dechter, has worked a minor miracle in re-vibing the place, so to speak. Prior to Ms. Dechter, the Philo bunker was a nest of snarling old hippies — nobody more viperous than a hippie gone mean. Unlike her predecessors, Ms. D is smart, accessible, open, and just what the SS KZYX has needed for most of its mostly pathetic life. There have been brief interludes of competent management, Nicole Sawaya, for instance, but mostly not.

MARCO McCLEAN is a talented guy. He lives for radio. This constant humiliation of the man by KZYX, at this point, borders on the sadistic. What's the point in denying him a program? There's lots of room for him by substituting the funny and always amusing Marco for any one of the hours of canned programming. Miz D oughta intervene here and put him on.

* * *

MARCO: Announcing an open letter to Alice Woelfle-Erskine, program director of KZYX.

TO KZYX and the general public:

This is how old I am. I was at Haverford College, Philadelphia, when I first heard FM radio. No static, no commercials. A presence in the signal and sound I'd never heard in radio. Wow! Fast forward several decades (like, five). I am in Mendocino. Berkeley's KPFA has been instrumental in making FM and public radio a Force To Be Reckoned With. Here in Mendocino, the nascent Green movement was making history — stopping offshore oil, stopping CalTrans from poisoning roadside weeds in Mendo County, creating new ways to do logging right, physically confronting a rich, ruthless, bully industry — over and over and over. Along comes Sean Donovan with plans to bring public broadcasting, which we so-o-o needed! I was jubilant. Old timers can tell you what happened to my jubilation. Sean and I, rarely face to face, weren't a match, but I stayed with the station's stuff (if not its staff), still happy it was here.

But a smell began, a nasty smell. It was persistent. Certain sleazy names and nepotism and absurd squabbles became prevalent until I didn't care to hear it anymore, the stench came through the speakers, the Internet and print. Strong smell, that, a green smell, small "g," money's noxious odor in it.

It may be that the bum who started the station infected it forever, in which case I'll shrug, sadly, and stick with JPR — 1300AM — and KNYO, online (unless you live in Fort Bragg; weak signal).

You've had excellent, devoted people and lots of creeps. Marco, there briefly, as I was, has been knocking at your door again. He's a man of rare originality and talent. His radio is riveting, without peer. For the first time in a long while, I'm interested again. Looks like you're blowing him off. I hope not. Loyalty felt good, rancor never. Let's all see what you are now.

Mitch Clogg, Mendocino

* * *

Dear KZYX and Mendo Community,

I have known Marco McClean for over 35 years, worked with him on theatre productions, radio shows, recording sessions, and listened to his radio shows. He is funny, he educates his audience, he is willing to work at midnight on Friday and hold down the fort all night. He is one of the greatest community assets the Mendocino coast has.

I have been a member of KZYX from the beginning, helped raise money for it at benefits where I literally handed over benefit proceeds to Sean Donovan, done numerous pledge drives as an on air voice, and am truly glad to have the station in our county. I am a devoted listener. KZYX would benefit HUGELY by having Marco on the air, most especially as he would take some obscure, late night position and make it fun and workable. Why this isn’t obvious is a mystery to me.

I know we are not supposed to make the Announcement list a soapbox, but Marco’s position warrants it. KZYX, is there any way you can put this gem of a radio personality on the air? Make Friday midnight his slot! Make Thursday at 3am his slot. He will make you proud.

There, I’ve said it! Marco and KZYX should be a match. Let’s make it happen!

Doug Nunn

** *

MCN COMMENTER SAYS:

Yeah! what he said.

I quit giving KZYX money years ago because of their incompetence, cronyism, and the general idiocy of these Mendocino "nice" people. Sucking on the public teat as well as fund-raised dollars. KZYX is a joke — a bad one. Other than Trading Time ("super fantastic ") — NOT — not worth putting up with the too-often repeated self-promoting station ID, which is wayyy longer, sickeningly so — than the law dictates. They'll never give you air time, Marco, cause you're too smart, too correct, and you're a threat to their entrenched mediocrity and short-sightedness. $5000 a month — Jesus.

* * *

ALICE: "THE PROGRAMMERS NIX MARCO"

Mr. McClean,

Thank you for your passion, and thanks for you dedication to producing quality media outside the mainstream. Our world needs more of that. I would also like to apologize for not replying sooner.

The way that programming decisions are currently happening is this: Potential programmers submit a proposal for a show. It is reviewed by a programming committee and that committee decides which shows are approved and when those shows will be aired. You submitted a proposal for a show, which I think sounds very interesting. The programming team has decided not to air it. We currently don't have an opening for a show of your format or length. One thing we consider when discussing programming is the programmer. It is important that the programmers on kzyx are reliable, accommodating, respectful, and committed to serving the station. The aggressive and demanding tone of your correspondence, and the mistrust you have of the operating procedures here at the station are not positive recommendations to you as a potential programmer. We are not motivated to give air time to people who display mistrust and aggression towards the station or its staff.

You are applying to be a volunteer at this community organization. While you do have a lot of experience and produce good radio, at this time your application has been rejected. Thank you for you proposal, at this time we are not offering you a show.

Please feel free to call me if you have further questions. Regarding the budget, I suggest you speak to the board. I am not involved in any decisions regarding finances.

Thank you,

Alice Woelfle-Erskine
Interim Program Director, KZYX & Z

* * *

Alice:

Think of this matter as an unconscionably neglected repair ticket and address it.

So how is the "process" you described different and more transparent than the way it's always been? The same anonymous unqualified people are making the same bad decisions and pushing you in front of them to face the public, telling you to say "we" decided. I heard Stuart Campbell chairs the so-called committee. Personal contact information for him, please. Then, next, and contact info, then next, and go on until you reach the end of everyone involved in we. Please.

— Marco McClean

memo@mcn.org

http://MemoOfTheAir.wordpress.com

Addendum: I don't know about the committees, either overt or covert or Potemkin or whatever. No committee or other pertinent information show up on the KZYX website, and Alice has refused to tell me. Maybe they mentioned it at the latest MCPB board meeting that I couldn't attend because I was in Sacramento squiring my mother to a dental adventure. Mendocino Teevee taped it. And I don't know Alice. In May my friend Mark told me she's a great person and that's why I wrote her in the first place.

ON LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY

I know I will catch hell for concerning myself with the irrelevant amidst the relevant but seriously, how can I help myself?

We all know by now about the latest two black guys shot and killed by police and then the sniper revenge killings of 4 cops and the wounding of 8 others……. the numbers have no doubt changed since I read about this last night…… I’m not up to speed yet this morning.

This article, already revised since I read it last night (link below), appeared on the web and I am going to select a specific paragraph to show you so that I can discuss typos, poor grammar and their effect on understanding.

5 officers dead in Dallas shootout, sniper suspect dead

Black people were shot at 2.5 times the rate of white people, according to the Post’s tally, which also found that less than 10 percent of those killed by police were unarmed, and one-quarter were mentally ill.

Now, I ask you to interpret for me several things in this extremely poorly written paragraph:

1. Were (or are) Black people SHOT way more frequently than white people?
2. Were (or are) Black people shot AT way more frequently than white people?
3. Does the figure “2.5 times the rate of white people” mean that for every 2 white people shot (or shot AT) there were (or are) 5 Black people shot (or shot AT)? In coming up with this 2.5 figure how were the White (63.7%) and Black (12.2%) population percentages in the US taken into account?
4. A source identified as the Post “also found that less than 10 percent of those killed by police were unarmed.” Does this mean Blacks killed by police, Whites killed by police, or both? Based on the pro-Black, anti-White tone of the article I am going to assume that the author is saying that less than 10 percent of Blacks killed by the police were unarmed. Have you got that……….UN-armed. That would mean that more than 90% WERE armed. Does anyone here other than Janos and Malthuss believe that more than 90% of Blacks killed by the police have been armed?
5. The Post’s tally also says that “one-quarter were mentally ill.” Again, we wonder if this means Blacks, Whites or both. And again, I will assume they are talking about Blacks. So, what is the implication to be drawn from this mental illness percentage? ……that the cops, when faced with a gun toting Black should take into account the fact that 1 in 4 Blacks who have previously been killed by police in arrest situations have turned out to have been crazy and it is not fair to shoot armed crazy people. The cops should inquire of the Black in question “before we proceed with attempting to arrest you can you kindly let us know if competent medical authorities consider you to be mentally ill?

Is anyone here getting my point about the importance of accuracy in writing?

RIO’S POLICE SAY ‘WELCOME TO HELL’

by Dave Zirin

On Monday, outside of the international arrivals section of Rio de Janeiro–Galeão International Airport, was a very curious kind of protest. State police, agitating for a raise and threatening to strike, held a banner that read, “Welcome To Hell: Police and firefighters don’t get paid, whoever comes to Rio de Janeiro will not be safe.” The demonstration received breathless and widespread global coverage, and understandably so with the 2016 Olympics ready to launch in less than a month. In response, the state of Rio issued an executive order freeing up 2.9 billion real ($850 million) to make sure that the police—not the firefighters, just police—would receive overtime and bonuses. Rio’s Olympic Committee also sent hurried assurances that a remarkable 85,000 troops will be in the streets to keep tourists and athletes safe for the duration of the game.

Yet, with all the coverage, a minor factoid was left unexamined: This message, “Welcome To Hell,” was not in Portuguese. It was in English. This was a banner for foreign consumption, and it worked. The police knew what is an open secret in Brazil: If you want to open the purse strings, just make politicians nervous about how they are being seen by people who don’t happen to be Brazilian.

This is how we can have a situation where bailouts for tourist safety were treated like a national emergency while the ongoing “hell” for poor and working-class people in Olympic Rio has only worsened. There is no bailout for those displaced by Olympic construction or the thousands of students in the state of Rio who have occupied their schools in protest of education cuts, as billions are spent on the games. There is no bailout for the health services, cut earlier this year, despite the specter of the Zika Virus, which is far more prevalent in poor communities than anywhere tourists or athletes will tread.

There is also no addressing the conditions in what is a far closer approximation to “hell”: impoverished communities currently in the grips of police violence. This is common for a city hosting the Olympic games: The state makes a muscular show of force in the poorest areas; the message being, “You better stay in line while the tourists are here spending their money.” Yet even by the standards of this history, Rio has seen a staggering rise in homicides at the hands of police. According to Amnesty international, “In the city of Rio alone, at least 307 people were killed by the police last year, accounting for one in every five homicides in the city.” This represents a dramatic uptick for an area that sees police violence in the favelas during the most placid of times. I asked the mayor of Rio, Eduardo Paes, if the Olympics had anything to do with this. He said to me, “That’s not true. This has been a situation for Rio for much longer than when we got the Olympics. This is not new in the city, this is an everyday life problem for Rio. I even wish it was because of the Olympics because [after the games the violence would decrease, but it won’t.]”

An opponent of Paes whom I interviewed, City Councilman Jefferson Moura, also did not blame these killings on the Olympics, instead attributing it to the “immense financial crisis” in the state of Rio. He pointed out that the “project of pacification” in the favelas, a Brazilian term for what we would call “community policing,” had been dramatically defunded because of the economic downturn. Its replacement has been the kind of quick-hit, more cost-effective, and more deadly methods of policing, where you keep the peace by shooting first and asking questions later.

Whether the violence is a product of the economic crisis or the Olympics is largely irrelevant. Far more important is for the world to understand that the “hell” in Rio is being unleashed by the very people who just received a massive raise to keep doing what they have been doing, and that’s kill with impunity. They say “welcome to hell,” and one has to wonder if this a warning or a boast.

Yet the police have also proven something to the people of Rio: If you protest during these games, you have a far greater likelihood of being heard. Earlier this week, 500 people rallied in Rio against the priorities of the Olympics. Expect this to be the first of many. As one protester named Tomas e-mailed me, “The eyes of the world are on Rio. If this produces shame in our government; if this is what gets results, then we can play that game. All we’ve known this year is cuts. Now we also want our bailout.” It is safe to say that the battle for Rio has been joined. This is a contest more dramatic than anything we’ll see on the field of play during these Olympics.

MARRY ME!

Beyond Extreme Enjoyment

Just finished a $100 stop at the Waikiki Beach Hard Rock Cafe. Am sending this to you at the Apple Store, on my way to the Cheesecake Factory for dessert and coffee. Ya , I've got plenty of money, and the night scene in paradise is so exquisite that I realistically cannot describe it to you. Suffice it to say, that this is the only true argument for marriage...to have somebody to share this with. I have finally understood "feminism"!

Peace out, Craig Louis Stehr