Mendocino County Today: Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016

• Woodhouse Conserved
• Burial Registry
• Little Dog
• Boonville Services
• Pump #3
• Phoning In
• Neither
• Flynn Creeking
• Willits Weekly
• Friday Night
• New KZYBoss
• Holiday Hours
• Yesterday's Catch
• Twitter President
• Speak Up
• Broadband Action
• Sacto Rock
• SoCo Rock
• First Communion
• Winter Feast
• Aerial Patrols
• About Bannon
• Gladstone Reading
• Democracy Fundamentalists

WOODHOUSE CONSERVED

Third District Supervisor Tom Woodhouse’s wife, Carlyn Woodhouse, was granted conservertership of her troubled husband in Superior Court Friday. The legal pronouncement means the Supervisor is not competent to manage his affairs, and is not likely to recover himself any time soon. Woodhouse has not attended a Supervisors meeting since the last week in August. He has also been arrested for a violent incident where he had to be tasered as he choked his wife in the Woodhouse home in Willits. Willits attorney Chris Neary has been functioning as the Woodhouse family attorney and appeared for them in this morning's hearing. Neary filed a “Declaration in support of ex parte application for good cause exceptions to notice of hearing on petition for appointment of temporary conservator,” speeding up a process apparently aimed at protecting Woodhouse's medical benefits as a County employee.

A HUGE GIFT TO THE HISTORY OF MENDOCINO COUNTY

Besides chairing the Community Services District Board, Yorkville’s Valerie Hanelt has undertaken an huge multi-year project to catalog all of the Anderson Valley's cemeteries and the people buried in them. Ms. Hanelt has compiled names, maiden names, nicknames, birth and death dates, cemetery name, whether there is a marker, military service, and extensive notes on some 1600 burial plots in Anderson Valley. And she's not finished. The basic database is being posted on line through the national data base, findagrave.com website and an extended version with notes is being posted on

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mendocem/cemetery/av/av.html

But not all of the records are on-line at that site yet.

In the near future Ms. Hanelt plans to do a series of articles about her project, the multiple sources she has drawn from, and the fascinating history surrounding the Valley’s graveyards and the people and families represented there.

LITTLE DOG SAYS, "Coupla days ago, I invited the pits next door to watch the big moon come up. Retros that they are, and probably homophobic Trump voters, they said no and called me "a little fruit." I try so hard, too, and this is what I get for being a little liberal dog."

LAST WEDNESDAY night the Anderson Valley Community Services District achieved a significant local milestone — one which has been addressed off and on for decades without getting very far — by completing and signing off on arrangements with the State Water Resources Control Board and the Sonoma County-based engineering firm of Brelje & Race to conduct $1 million worth of engineering and planning for both a municipal sewer system and a municpal water system for the Boonville area. The engineering and planning work is expected to take about two years with a number of interim reports and public hearings along the way. Although details remain to be determined, the sewer system service area could run from the south end of Boonville near the intersection with Highway 253 down Highway 128 to the Anderson Creek Bridge, plus a number of residents on the various sidestreets along the way. The water system could cover a larger area extending from the Highway 253 intersection all the way to the high school and Airport Estates (which has historical water problems with its own small water system). The specifics of the coverage and the service areas will be spelled out in the alternatives which the engineers develop and prepare cost estimates for. As Board Chair and project spearhead Valerie Hanelt said after the Board voted to sign the contracts and grant agreements, “I don't think the State would be spending $1 million on this kind of planning if they didn't intend to fund the construction."

IF THINGS GO AS EXPECTED, the final engineered plans and specifications and environmental and economic documents will be presented to the property owners in the proposed service area(s) sometime in 2018 for an up or down vote. Presumably, since Boonville is considered to be low on the average household income scale, the state would subsidize the construction under Proposition 1 water bond funds to keep the monthly cost to participating households below 2% of their monthly income.

GRAFITTI OF THE WEEK

Gas pump #3 at the Redwood Drive-in in Boonville:

ANSWER THE GD PHONE!

Valley Old Timer Wonders WTF?

WILMA WITHERELL WRITES: All Monday morning I tried to get ahold of the Anderson Valley Health Clinic to make an appointment for later that day. I waited on the phone for 15 minutes for somebody to answer and nobody ever did. Then I called the non-emergency number for the Anderson Valley Ambulance. When I finally got through to them around 11 o'clock I was told they were in a meeting and they were not taking calls until 11:30. I called at 11:30 and still I was told the same thing. Absolutely unacceptable. They should put a message on there that they are not taking calls instead of causing all the frustration of making it so difficult to get through to them. It's absolutely unacceptable.

UKIAH DEMO

A READER WRITES: Note sign, and tee shirt. Are we unclear on the concept or is it a case of "I want to be a career politician when I grow up!"

HOW TO GET FROM THE COAST TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD

Re: Highway 128 closed due to flooding

One choice is hiway 20 to Willits and then south on 101.

If you live towards Little River, Albion, Navarro, then another choice is to take the Comptche-Ukiah Road (by the Stanford Inn), to Flynn Creek Road and then to hiway 128 (intersects just past where they close hiway 128).  Or you can take Little River Airport Road to the Comptche Ukiah Road, turn right, go to Flynn Creek Road,, etc.  That route is narrow and curvy and adds about 15-20 minutes versus being able to go staight on 128.  If you live out our Little River way, it is faster than the hiway 20 route.  Check it out on a map so you have a feel for the route. You might think going straight over Comptche-Ukiah Road is an alternative.  It is if you have a LOT of time and want a scenic/slow drive.  My suggestion is DON'T as a route to 101.

Greg Schellhase

WILLITS WEEKLY GETS LEGAL

Great news for Willits Weekly today, this morning at the Ukiah courthouse, we were adjudicated by the Hon. Jeanine Nadel, which will now allow us to run legal and public notices. A huge thank you to April Tweddell, Holly Madrigal, Jim Harden and our Attorney Chris Neary who all came to support our efforts! With nobody there contesting, the hearing was less than 2 minutes long. We're all so excited. Many wonderful things coming for Willits Weekly in 2017. Whoooo hooo!

— Maureen Moore & Jennifer Poole

FRIDAY NIGHT IN LAKE COUNTY

KZYX APPOINTS VETERAN JOURNALIST, MEDIA ENTREPRENEUR AS INTERIM MANAGER

Mendocino County Public Broadcasting is pleased to announce the appointment of Jeffrey Parker, a veteran newsman, media pioneer, publisher and social entrepreneur, as Interim Executive Director and General Manager of KZYX radio. Parker will take up the post on December 1, succeeding Diane Hering.

At its next meeting in early January, the KZYX board plans to vote to make Parker a formal offer of the position of permanent Executive Director and General Manager.

A native of Santa Rosa with lifelong family ties to Mendocino County, Parker served two decades as a news agency reporter in New York, Washington, Beijing, Hong Kong and Taipei before co-founding an independent publishing company and dedicating many years to fostering sustainable, community-focused healthcare services in China and India. Parker resided mainly in China from 1990 until early 2016, when he returned to his roots with a desire to find new channels of service.

“With rich experience as a reporter, editor, newsroom manager, publisher and nonprofit community advocate, Jeffrey brings unique experience to our mission of serving Mendocino County with first-rate news, public affairs, music and community programming,” said MCPB board president Meg Courtney. “He’s a longtime friend of KZYX, having listened daily in Shanghai via our webstream and Jukebox archive and supporting the station as a sustaining member.”

Parker thanked Mendocino County Public Broadcasting for the opportunity to lead KZYX.

“KZYX plays an important role in Mendocino County, keeping listeners informed and entertained, and providing a forum for exchanging ideas about the important issues affecting us all,” he said. “It’s a privilege to join the team. I look forward to working with staff and the board as we build on the station’s successes and discover new ways to serve our community.”

Parker majored in Geography and Chinese/Asian Studies at UC Santa Barbara and Journalism at Columbia University, with gap years for intensive immersion in German in Bamberg, (West) Germany, and Chinese in Taipei, Taiwan. His career falls into three long phases – news reporting, news service innovation and community advocacy – each relevant to community broadcasting.

In 1985, he was recruited in New York as a reporter/editor by United Press International, which posted him to its Washington world desk in 1989, and then to Beijing as correspondent in 1990. He joined Reuters news agency in 1992, serving as correspondent in Hong Kong, deputy bureau chief in Beijing, then bureau chief in Taipei, where he also oversaw the Reuters Chinese Language News Service, always upholding the highest standards of journalistic quality and freedom from bias across the Reuters print, broadcast, digital and professional services.

In 2000, Parker shifted into newsroom innovation, writing business plans and launching Reuters local-language web-delivered multimedia news services and on-demand live TV services in China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Southeast Asia and India/South Asia. These services, employing hundreds of local reporters, editors, photographers and translators, helped transform Reuters from a traditional English-language news-and-pictures wire service into a top international multimedia information provider for the digital age.

In 2002, Parker left Reuters to co-found an independent news company in China, launching what would become the leading professional news magazines for eye doctors in China and India. In each country, these sister publications overcame prohibitions on foreign-owned news media, and provided doctors with a fresh new path to international learning and professional development.

Parker relocated from Shanghai to Elk, CA, earlier this year.

(KZYX Press Release)

STOCKING STUFFERS

Mendocino County Winter Holiday Department Schedules

CATCH OF THE DAY, November 18, 2016

JAY BLOOM, Covelo. Domestic battery, false imprisonment, brandishing a gun at a daycare center.

KENNETH CHANDLER JR., Stateburg, Georgia/Ukiah. Arson.

PETER CIPPONERI, San Jose/Fort Bragg. DUI, drunk in public, suspended license.

ANGELA FREASE, Ukiah. Probation revocation.

ANTHONY GONZALES, Ukiah. Probation revocation.

JAMES KINSEY, Riverside/Ukiah. DUI.

EWA MALADY, Santa Cruz/Ukiah. Drunk in public.

JOHN MORTON, Potter Valley. DUI.

WITHOUT SAN FRANCISCO AND THE BAY AREA, Donald Trump might not be the nation’s president-elect.

Our prosperous and provocative metropolis is the birthplace of Trump’s medium of choice, Twitter. Down the road in Silicon Valley are Facebook and Google, Internet companies that now are the first stop for many people in search of what they want to believe are facts. Values that are embraced here early, such as same-sex marriage or transgender rights, put conservative parts of the country on edge.

— John King

SPEAK UP, TRUMP

Editor,

President-elect Donald Trump continues to communicate to the public with short phrases and limited information. Speculation fills in the information holes. This provides him with increased power to strike out at those press organizations he dislikes, claiming they create misunderstandings. Our democracy requires a free press, and guarantees it in the First Amendment. Isn’t it time for a post-election press conference, for an opportunity for questions to be asked and answered? Donald Trump needs to demonstrate his professed deep regard for our country by stepping up to the press conference podium.

Eugenie Marek, San Francisco

GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS

Hi everyone,

I want to keep everyone informed about a rather complicated subject, and that is the proceeding at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for which Mendocino County has "party" status.

Here's the very short of it:

Our landline phones lines are not reliable; we had outages; we wanted to do something about this. We got party status in a state-wide proceeding so that our voice could be heard at the CPUC.

CPUC (led by Commissioner Sandoval) held hearings around the state, including Ukiah.

People showed up and told her their story and that our phone lines are bad and the outage was bad. She listened. This all became evidence for the record.

She then asked everyone, "What do you think/recommend the CPUC should do about all these issues we heard about?"

Mendocino submitted our recommendations (along with everyone else).

She took all these recommendations and developed a "Proposed Decision" (PD) to put before the CPUC for adoption at their Dec. 12th meeting.

It looks good...many of Mendocino County's recommendations are addressed in her PD to hold the telephone companies accountable and to fix problems.

BUT - it means nothing unless they are passed by the CPUC (earliest would be in Dec), and there will be strong lobbying against this Proposed Decision by the big cable and telephone.

So, I have an important favor to ask everyone. Commissioner Sandoval's term is up in December, and she has been a very strong advocate for rural broadband. We need her fighting for us, and for this PD. There is a petition going around asking for Governor Brown to re-appoint her. The telephone companies don't want to see her re-appointed, so unless there is a groundswell of support it likely won't happen.

My favor is for everyone to sign the petition for her re-appointment so we can create this groundswell of support. We really need to keep the CPUC working for the people (especially since the FCC may have a lobbyist as it's head). You can read the letter that I wrote, and the NBNCBC wrote, in her support as well on the website link at the end of this email.

Here's the petition link:

http://org.salsalabs.com/o/1734/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=20629

Again, PLEASE sign this petition and share on any social media that you use. She is so qualified and dedicated to this job, we really don't want to lose her.

And in case you want to read more about this Proposed Decision, the link is below. To make it easy to identify which documents you want, click the link and go to the "July 15th California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Public Participation Hearing," and under Follow-up articles and Rulings I have posted relevant documents and also changed them to RED so you can find them more easily. Her Proposed Decision is 169 pages long, but the last document is where I did the work and took our Mendocino County's recommendations, then went through the PD and found Sandoval's recommendations, and combined into one document where you can compare what we asked for, and what she proposed. And my document is a lot shorter (10 pages).

http://www.mendocinobroadband.org/topics/special-sessions/

And lastly, here is a link to read our letters of support for Commissioner Sandoval:

http://www.mendocinobroadband.org/correspondence-with-government-agencies/

Thanks again for signing the petition and sharing as much as you can!

Trish Steel
www.MendocinoBroadband.org
707-354-3224

OVER 500 PEOPLE IN SACRAMENTO STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH STANDING ROCK SIOUX

by Dan Bacher

Over 500 Sacramento area residents, including Native Americans, social justice advocates and environmentalists, joined tens of thousands of others throughout the world on November 15 to demand that the Obama administration and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers halt the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL).

They lined both sides of the street in front of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers office on J Street, proclaiming their solidarity with the struggle of Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota and their allies to stop the pipeline that carries fracked crude Bakken oil. Many drivers passing by on the busy street honked their horns in support of the protesters.

The protest took place the day after the Corps announced it is delaying an easement for the Dakota Access Pipeline project until it conducts further environmental review and discussion with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. The Corps said “construction on or under Corps land bordering Lake Oahe cannot occur because the Army has not made a final decision on whether to grant an easement.”

The Standing Rock Sioux and the water protectors opposing the pipeline are worried that the final Corps decision won’t be made until next year after Donald Trump is inaugurated. Trump’s transition team has vowed to expand offshore and offshore oil production throughout the nation.

Even more worrisome, Trump has invested between $500,000 and $1 million in Energy Transfer Partners, the company building the pipeline, according to financial disclosure forms, Wes Enzinna of Mother Jones reported. Energy Transfer Partners CEO Kelcy Warren also donated more than $100,000 to help elect Trump.

“Trump also owns stock worth between $500,000 and $1 million in Phillips 66, which will own a 25 percent share of the finished pipeline. One of Trump's key energy advisers is North Dakota Rep. Kevin Cramer, who has encouraged him to dismantle key aspects of the Clean Water Act, which gives the Army Corps and the Environmental Protection Agency authority to regulate the nation's waterways and wetlands,” Ezinna wrote.

Tuesday’s protest was one of the largest regarding an indigenous struggle ever held in the Capital City. “We had an incredible turnout at our event,” said Chris Brown, an organizer from the Sacramento Climate Coalition. “A special shout out goes to the Nevada County protectors of water, who came out in droves.”

Brown noted that the Corps approved the construction pipeline without proper consultation or adequate environmental studies.

“The Standing Rock Sioux are resisting the DAPL, which threatens their water, ancestral burial sites, and Native sovereignty,” according to Brown. “They have been met with militarized police using automatic rifles, sound cannons, tear gas and mace, flash-bang grenades, bean bag rounds, and rubber bullets. The courage of the Water Protectors has inspired people all over the world.”

Cosponsors of the local action included Sacramento Area Friends and Relatives of the Lakota Nation, Sacramento Climate Coalition, 350 Sacramento, Davis MoveOn, Davis Stands with Standing Rock, Raging Grannies of Sacramento, Sacramento Stands with Standing Rock, Alianza, and Jewish Voice for Peace.

"The state of North Dakota has deployed the National Guard, State and Local Police and police from several other states as well as the FBI to protect Energy Transfer Partners, a privately owned pipeline construction corporation,” said Francisco Dominguez (Tarahumara) of Sacramento Area Friends and Relatives of the Lakota Nation. “The last time I checked we were still a Democracy."

Mariana Rivera from the Zapatista Coalition noted the links between the Sioux Tribe’s struggle in North Dakota and struggles of indigenous peoples and their allies to stop the raising of Shasta Dam, the environmentally destructive Delta Tunnels of Governor Jerry Brown and fracking in California.

“Native people are taking the lead on something that concerns us all, protecting our water and land. All of us to need to take a stand with Standing Rock now,” said Rivera.

“Extracting fossils fuels jeopardizes water systems and native rights — and that’s why we’re here in solidarity with them,” explained Alicia Esquivido, a local Greenpeace activist, who was there with fellow activist Trent Pearson.

Rick Guerrero, an SEIU organizer and former president of the Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS) Board said, “I'm here to stand with our brothers and sisters in North Dakota. Last week’s election crystallized how our resistance needs to be immediate and sustainable. This destruction needs to be be stopped not only for native people, but for the earth and all workers.”

Before the end of the protest, Carol Standing Elk, Lakota Sioux, met with a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers representative, Tyler Stalker, and several men from the agency inside the office.

"She told us, 'We don’t have anything to do with DAPL; you are are wasting your time,'" said Standing Elk.

“They kept assuring us that their Sacramento office couldn’t do anything. However, I pointed out that they do have the same director in charge of the Corps — and they should know rules and regulations that apply to Tribes,” she said.

Energy Transfer Partners is building the 1,200-mile pipeline to carry fracked crude oil from the Bakken oil fields in North Dakota. The pipeline would run under the Missouri, the nation’s longest river, where a spill would endanger the drinking water for 18 million people.

In a classic case of environmental racism, early plans proposed routing the pipeline close to the city of Bismark, a largely white community. However, when the people there objected because of the danger to their water supply, the pipeline was rerouted near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation.

DAPL also imperils the world’s climate, with 2015 and 2016 being the warmest years in recorded history. A recent study from Oil Change International showed that fossil fuel projects already in production will carry us beyond the 2° rise commonly considered the maximum allowable to avoid the most serious effects of climate change. “This means we must stop all new fossil fuel infrastructure (e.g., DAPL), and transition to a fossil free economy,” said Brown.

On Monday, the Army Corps issued a statement calling for more study and discussion with the Tribe before it allows the pipeline to cross under Lake Oahe at the proposed location:

"Washington, D.C. – Today, the Army informed the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Energy Transfer Partners, and Dakota Access, LLC, that it has completed the review that it launched on September 9, 2016. The Army has determined that additional discussion and analysis are warranted in light of the history of the Great Sioux Nation’s dispossessions of lands, the importance of Lake Oahe to the Tribe, our government-to-government relationship, and the statute governing easements through government property.

The Army invites the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe to engage in discussion regarding potential conditions on an easement for the pipeline crossing that would reduce the risk of a spill or rupture, hasten detection and response to any possible spill, or otherwise enhance the protection of Lake Oahe and the Tribe’s water supplies. The Army invites discussion of the risk of a spill in light of such conditions, and whether to grant an easement for the pipeline to cross Lake Oahe at the proposed location. The Army continues to welcome any input that the Tribe believes is relevant to the proposed pipeline crossing or the granting of an easement.

While these discussions are ongoing, construction on or under Corps land bordering Lake Oahe cannot occur because the Army has not made a final decision on whether to grant an easement. The Army will work with the Tribe on a timeline that allows for robust discussion and analysis to be completed expeditiously.

We fully support the rights of all Americans to assemble and speak freely, and urge everyone involved in protest or pipeline activities to adhere to the principles of nonviolence."

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe then published the following news release in response to the Corps’ statement:

CANNON BALL, N.D. – The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers today announced they are delaying an easement for the Dakota Access Pipeline project until it conducts further environmental review with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. The Corp noted that “construction on or under Corps land bordering Lake Oahe cannot occur because the Army has not made a final decision on whether to grant an easement.”

Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Chair Dave Archambault II said while the decision was not 100 percent what the Tribe had hoped for he said it is clear President Obama is listening. “We are encouraged and know that the peaceful prayer and demonstration at Standing Rock have powerfully brought to light the unjust narrative suffered by tribal nations and Native Americans across the country,” Archambault said.

“Together we can inspire people across America and the globe to honor each other and the Earth we hold sacred,” Archambault said. “Millions of people have literally and spiritually stood with us at Standing Rock. And for this, you have our deepest thanks and gratitude. The harmful and dehumanizing tactics by the state of North Dakota and corporate bullies did not go unnoticed because of you. Not all of our prayers were answered, but this time, they were heard.”

The 1,100-mile pipeline was rerouted towards tribal nations after citizens of North Dakota rightfully rejected it to protect their communities and water. While the pipeline is nearly complete, it required the final easement to drill under the Missouri River (at Lake Oahe) just a half a mile upstream of the tribe’s reservation boundary. The water supply of the Tribe and 17 million Americans downstream are at risk for contamination by crude oil leaks and spills. A single spill would be culturally and economically catastrophic for the Tribe. The Missouri River is the longest river in North America and crosses several states south of the project.

“We call on all water protectors, as we have from the beginning, to join our voices in prayer and to share our opposition to this pipeline peacefully. The whole world is watching and where they see prayerful, peaceful resistance, they join us,” Archambault said.

Learn more about the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe at standwithstandingrock.net. For incremental updates please follow our Facebook page at Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

For my photo essay, go to this link:

https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/11/18/18793816.php

GOOD NEWS FOR STANDING ROCK FROM AROUND THE WORLD

by Shepherd Bliss

“Think global and act local. This is the intention behind the actions of the Commission on Human Rights, which passed a resolution on Tuesday night in opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline,” according to a Nov. 18 press release from the Sonoma County Commission on Human Rights.

“We wanted to support the Standing Rock Sioux, but also the actions of our local tribal leadership from the Coyote Valley Band and Kashia Band of Pomo, Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria and Ya-Ka-Ama, as well as the many residents of Sonoma County who have mobilized around this issue,” says Vice Chair Dmitra Smith.

“The Commission joins nineteen U.S. city governments and more than 300 tribes who have rallied in support of the Standing Rock Sioux’s stance against the routing of the Dakota Access oil pipeline under the Missouri River near their reservation. After last night’s unanimous vote, the Commission is urging elected officials to consider adopting similar proclamations county wide,” the press release continues.

Meanwhile Norway’s Bank DNB announced that it is going to sell its assets in the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) project. As actions were occurring around the world on Nov. 15, hundreds of thousands of signatures were delivered to the Bank’s offices in Norway. Two days later, the bank made its decision.

The Chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council sent the following note:

We are pleased that Bank DNB is weakening its ties to DAPL. It was a wise decision, especially given Energy Transfer Partners’ continuous disregard for our land, water, and sovereignty. Recent comments by Energy Transfer Partners CEO indicate the company seems intent on ramping up aggression, which is why it is of the utmost importance that other banks follow the example of DNB.

This major milestone could only happen because around the world, people are standing in support of the Standing Rock Sioux and the courageous water defenders on the ground right now in North Dakota. The fight against the DAPL is not over yet. It is important to force other banks to pull out of DAPL.

They need our support more than ever with the incoming Trump administration. Donald Trump owns between $500,000 and $1 millions in stock in the Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners. He supports DAPL.

Meanwhile, around 300 people gathered Nov. 15 in Sonoma County, California, at the downtown Santa Rosa Citibank to protest it funding the four-state Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) in North Dakota. It was one of hundreds of protests at Citibanks. An estimated 600 people attended an inspiring Nov. 6 benefit at the Sebastopol Grange for the indigenous people and their allies, raising nearly $29,000.

“This is the rebirth of the native nation,” declared Adam, the indigenous man who led the drummers and chanters at both events. “This is a spiritual movement connected to our legal rights. This is the traditional relating to the political. We have kept our word; the U.S. government has not.” Young people and elders have been at the fronts of both the Sonoma County and North Dakota events.

“Wars are fought primarily over land and resources,” Adam declared. “The prophecy of a black snake is coming true. Standing Rock is a continuation of the Indian Wars that we have dealt with for a long time,” Adam asserted as he explained the threat of the 1,200 miles long DAPL. It costs $3.8 million and would cross both the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers to carry fracked oil.

“This is blood oil,” declared elder Tom Goldtooth, interviewed Nov. 17 on KPFA.FM’s Flashpoints program. “They are degrading our sacred space. They are commodifying nature. We’re fighting for everyone, not just Native people. 17 million people live downstream from this Missouri River site, depending on it for their water, which an oil spill could pollute.” He also described this struggle in the context of “unpredictable global climate change.”

“This is about the privatization of water by corporations,” Goldtooth said.” At both Sonoma County gatherings children and adults held signs like “Water is Sacred,” “Love Your Mother,” and “Water is Life.”

The Army Corps of Engineers halted construction of the Texas-based Energy Transfer Partner’s pipeline on Nov. 14 and called for “additional discussion and analysis.”

Standing Rock may seem far away from San Francisco’s North Bay, but by joining in solidarity and educating each other about what's at stake, we can make a difference.

More information: http://standingrock.org,

https://m.facebook.com/SonomaNoDAPL/

(Dr. Shepherd Bliss {3sb@comcast.net} has contributed to 24 books and farmed for the last two decades.)

COMMUNION

by Manuel Vicent

(Translated by Louis S. Bedrock)

After seven years, the neo-cortex, where intelligence nests, develops in the human brain. To celebrate this event, children of the Catholic religion take first communion.

The arrival of the neo-cortex signifies the end of innocence. In truth, these creatures dressed up as little sailors and princesses, who receive so many gifts after the ceremony, are actually being expelled from Paradise, as were our first parents according to Genesis.

The Church teaches that after the age of seven, with the capacity to reason, the child who dies in mortal sin goes to Hell. Up until that age, children are governed by the limbic brain, which human beings have in common with some higher mammals. In that brain, emotions, symbols, dogmas, beliefs, fears; the authority of the father, teacher, clergy; first flavors, caresses, aromas, songs, and landscapes are engraved during infancy.

In the Paradise of infancy, the human child, like any other animal, feels immortal because she has no awareness of death. It is that limbic brain that the Church claims as its property because it understands that everything inscribed in that defenseless membrane will never be forgotten.

It's logical that little boys are dressed in costumes of sailors since they have been expelled from Paradise and must begin the risky journey of life. On the other hand, the wedding dress costume of the little girls preserves within them the sexist illusion of an everlasting fairy tale.

This celebration recalls the state of evolution at the foot of the tree of Paradise when the bite of the apple initiated the consciousness that converted us into mortal beings; and on those Sundays in spring, with the child who has just received communion, families fill the restaurants to celebrate the event.

WE WILL, ELIZABETH, WE WILL! PROMISE.

Farm To Table Feast Celebrates Community And Raises Funds For Local Farms

Ukiah, CA. The Good Farm Fund is excited to host its Third Annual Winter Feast on Thursday, December 8 from 5-9 pm. This year’s farm-to-table dinner will be held at Barra of Mendocino Event Center at 7051 North State Street in Redwood Valley, and will feature locally raised meat, produce, cheese, grain, beer, wine, and cider. There will also be live music by The Thin Air String Band – known for their jazzy/west coast-punkgrass style – and a silent auction packed with unique local items ideal for holiday giving.

This dinner is back by popular demand after selling out last year. Attendees proclaimed it a highlight of the holiday season, with plenty of feel-good cheer and an abundance of local food and drink to enjoy at an affordable price.

“This dinner is about celebrating all the hard work that farmers do throughout the year and the customers who support us,” says Caroline Radice of Black Dog Farm & Catering, one of the event coordinators. “The best way to do that is enjoy delicious local food together, while raising funds to help local farms expand!” Radice and husband Jason Pluck cater the event with the help of many volunteers. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free meal options will be available.

Proceeds will go toward the Good Farm Fund’s small grant program for local farms, as well as the Ukiah Farmers Market Food Stamp Match program, which makes nutritious food affordable for all. The event is sponsored by North Coast Opportunities, Inc. (NCO), MendoLake Credit Union, First Five, Ukiah Natural Foods Co-Op, the MendoLake Food Hub, and Thompson's Party Rentals.

In its first year, the Good Farm Fund awarded a total of $7,000 in farm grants to nine local farms. Now in its second year of accepting applications, the Good Farm Fund is poised to award $20,000 in grants. Applications were due in October, and grant recipients will be at the dinner to talk about the critical projects that have been or will be supported by the fund.

Tickets are $30 in advance or $40 at the door; youth 15 and under are $15. Tickets can be purchased at the Westside Renaissance Market, the Mendocino Book Company, the Ukiah Farmers Market, The Spot Coffee in Redwood Valley, or online at www.goodfarmfund.org.

The Good Farm Fund is a fiscally sponsored project of NCO, a 501(c)3 Community Action Agency serving Lake and Mendocino Counties.

For more information, to sign up to volunteer, or to donate items to the auction, please email goodfarmfund@gmail.com.

MENDO CO-OP'S AERIAL PATROLS SPOT 26 FIRES

You may remember back in June, PG&E started flying over Humboldt, Lake, Sonoma and Mendocino Counties

http://www.pgecurrents.com/2016/06/27/video-pge-starts-aerial-patrols-to-spot-and-speed-response-to-wildfires/

to help local fire districts spot wildfires - as part of our overall drought emergency response.

We worked with Mendocino County Cooperative Fire Control to fly over Mendocino County and the results were pretty impressive. I thought you'd like to know that:

142 total fires spotted across the entire patrol territory that covers several counties 26 were spotted by Mendo Co-Op in Mendocino County 5 of them were first-reports; meaning, Mendo Co-Op spotted them first.

Deanna Contreras, PG&E

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PG&E Aerial Smoke Patrols Spot Dozens of California Wildfires in 2016

Willits, Calif.- Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) played a significant role in helping spot and report wildfires before they could become larger thanks to daily flights conducted over much of the energy company's service area in the past four months.

From late June through late October, PG&E completed daily air patrols to spot fires in five regions in Northern and Central California. During the time period when PG&E operated the flights as part of its drought emergency response, the patrols spotted 142 fires and, in seven instances, were the first to report the fire to CAL FIRE or the U.S. Forest Service. This is the third year of the program; 146 fires were spotted in 2015.

Early detection of smoke or fire allows fire agencies to quickly respond to accurate locations and put out fires before they spread.

In all, more than 2,800 hours of flight time were recorded. PG&E used four fixed-wing aircraft to fly from Redding to Auburn in the north, from Auburn to Auberry in the Central Valley, from Vacaville to Solvang along the Central Coast, from Redding to Humboldt to Lake County, and contributed to the Mendocino County Aerial Fire Patrol Co-Operative over Mendocino County on the North Coast. The patrols flew from 3 p.m. until dusk - the time of day when wildfires are most likely to ignite because hot, dry weather is at its peak.

"Thanks to these daily air patrols, PG&E has been able to help fire-fighting agencies locate fires in remote areas and to put them out quickly. This is just one of the ways that we are supporting our customers and our communities during this unprecedented drought," said Pat Hogan, PG&E senior vice president of Electric Transmission & Distribution.

"The early detection and reporting of wildfires gives us the ability to dispatch resources quickly, and provides us the best opportunity to save lives, property and natural resources," said Chief Dave Teter, CAL FIRE's Deputy Director of Fire Protection. "We appreciate the efforts of PG&E's daily air patrols over these past few months."

Through early November, CAL FIRE has responded to more than 5,600 wildfires this year, scorching more than 147,000 acres. During the same period in 2015, according to CAL FIRE, more than 307,000 acres burned. California fire season can last six to eight months, and some parts of the state are vulnerable year-round. And despite some early-season storms, it remains unclear how much rain and snow we will receive this fall and winter.

In addition to the daily air patrols, PG&E continues to be steadfast in its efforts to prevent or lessen the impact of wildfires as part of its drought emergency response plan, including:

Conducting enhanced ground and air patrols to inspect, prune or remove dead or dying trees that could fall into power lines and spark a fire. This includes use of LiDAR (Light Detecting and Ranging) and spectral imagery patrols.

Funding 20 local Fire Safe Councils for fuel reduction, emergency access and defensible space projects. This is the third consecutive year PG&E has partnered with CAL FIRE and local councils. PG&E provided funding for 45 shovel-ready projects in 20 high-fire risk counties throughout our service area to help reduce the risk of wildfires.

Providing support and maintenance funding for remote cameras in lookout towers for early fire detection. PG&E funded remote cameras in 2014 and 2015.

PG&E is supporting CAL FIRE's Prepare for Bark Beetle

http://www.readyforwildfire.org/Bark_Beetles_Risk

public awareness campaign. According to CAL FIRE, more than 90 percent of all wildfires in California are sparked by people, and therefore preventable. In addition, bark beetles are killing millions of trees in California, greatly increasing the risk of wildfire. The U.S. Forest Service estimated in June that 66 million trees have died in California since 2010. Homeowners can reduce risk by removing dead trees on their property and properly maintaining healthy trees by pruning and watering as necessary.

BETTER HUNKER DOWN LIB LABS

The Radical Anti-Conservatism of Stephen Bannon — Donald Trump’s campaign manager wants to destroy the left. And the GOP nominee is just the most recent vessel of convenience in his consequences-be-damned crusade.

by Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/08/the-radical-anti-conservatism-of-stephen-bannon/496796/

LIA GLADSTONE: THE KID CAN WRITE. BE THERE!

The Mendocino Theatre Company hosts a reading of works by Lia Gladstone.

A reading of two short plays, written and directed by playwright Lia Gladstone, will be offered on Wednesday, November 30th at 7pm in the Mendocino Theatre Company on Little Lake Rd. in Mendocino. Ms. Gladstone will give a talk-back after the show. Suggested donation is $10.

HOW WE LOOK FROM SARAJEVO #2

Democracy Is Sometimes Idiocracy (Part 2)

by Midhat Ridjanović, PhD

This is basically a sequel to my essay “Democracy Is Sometimes Idiocracy,” published last January in the online version of the Anderson Valley Advertiser and available at https://www.theava.com/archives/51415#12. In that essay I say, among other things, that democracy as practiced in the United States is the second worst political system, immediately after cruel dictatorship. The main reason I believe democracy is a bad system is because a majority of voters are people of meager education, of limited cultural horizons, of inferior intelligence, and often of bigoted political and religious views, and because their votes carry the same weight as the votes of educated, enlightened, and politically informed people.

An imagined but realistic scenario showing the fallacy of the one person – one vote rule

If I were an American citizen preparing to vote for the President of the United States, I would first educate myself about the candidates - their intelligence, their education, their character, their political background, and their moral profile. I would then carefully study their political program, i.e. what they promise to do if elected. Unfortunately, in most “democratic” countries politicians’ electoral platforms are often vague, incomplete, or too general to be of any use to voters (like Trump’s “I will make America great again”). But even if I believe that a candidate’s platform is adequate and corresponds to my own ideas about how the country should be run, there is no guarantee that s/he will honor her/his promises made before the election, and there is no political or judicial mechanism by which a candidate can be held accountable for the breach of her/his promises.

How do most voters prepare for voting? I lived in the States during two presidential elections and, as far as I could see, the overwhelming majority of ordinary Americans “prepared” for voting only by watching television programs related to the election. (After the 1968 presidential election a journalist asked a woman for whom she had voted; she replied she had voted for Nixon because he reminded her of her late uncle, whom she was very fond of.) Yet, the vote of each ordinary American carries equal political weight as my own! Well, looking at it from the human side, I can’t help but be offended by that “equality.”

Voting for your own killer

The democratic political system as practiced in America is the only system in which you vote to elect your own killer. George W. Bush was elected President of the US the first time in 2000. There is no doubt that many members of the US Army voted for him. Early on during his presidency Bush ordered an attack on Iraq, premised on the belief that Iraq’s President Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction (later, the belief proved to be unfounded). To date, close to 5,000 American soldiers have died in that war. It is perfectly reasonable to suppose that many of those 5,000 who died in Iraq had voted for Bush. Doesn’t that mean that, unwittingly, they elected their future murderer?!

Brexit is probably the most important political event in recent history of the United Kingdom. Many knowledgeable economists claim that it may have a disastrous effect on the UK’s economy. Voting for or against Brexit required even more preparation and more knowledge about politics and economics than voting for the President of the US. But when interviewed after the referendum, almost all voters who had voted for Brexit said they had done so because they didn’t want more refugees settling in the UK. In other words, the new political order in that country is based primarily on xenophobia!

Democracy has become a religion in the West, especially in the US. “Standard” religions are usually harmless, but fundamentalist versions of religions can be very dangerous. It seems to me that the religion called “Democracy” has more fundamentalists than any traditional religion; what’s more, fundamentalists worshiping Democracy tend to be more bigoted than fundamentalists in traditional religions. We have all heard of people converting from Christianity to Islam or the other way round, but I have yet to hear of a Democracy worshiper “converting” to another political system. A democratic fundamentalist would probably say that nobody in their right mind would abandon a political system in favor of an inferior one. I think that this attitude is generated and cultivated by governments of “democratic” countries, which use “democracy” as a magic word with which they “justify” their unjustifiable acts. It is therefore essential for honest, thinking people to explore possible political systems other than democracy, systems which will bring us closer to the ideal “government of the people, by the people, for the people.”

I will now give two examples of political systems that I believe are closer to the rule of the people (unattainable in the literal sense) than Western-style democracy. I am doing this although I don’t believe that American political life, run by the military-industrial complex, can be changed. The American power wielders are so deeply entrenched that nothing short of a nuclear war can remove them from their positions of power.

Some American corporations are very well organized and function in a way which brings satisfaction and decent earnings both to employers and employees. Why not organize the government of the US in a similar way? Congress announces a vacancy for the President (corresponding to the CEO of a corporation), people who feel they can fill the vacancy apply and Congress appoints the best candidate as President of the country. S/he hires assistants and advisers for various activities needed to carry out the business of government. S/he is given a mandate for a particular period of time but is constantly watched and supervised by Congress. Just like a bad CEO, the President can be sacked for bad work or any negligence of her/his constitutional duties. A possible name for this political “system” could be Semi-Democratic Supervised Benevolent Dictatorship.

In 1950 the Yugoslav government introduced self-management as the pivotal principle of the country’s political system. The main idea was that people working together for a common goal, say in a school or a furniture factory, should elect a workers’ council which will make all important decisions related to the functioning of the particular institution. I am aware of a couple of American PhDs who produced researched evaluations of the system. Some were affirmative, some less so. But Yugoslav self-management was in operation long before the advent of the computer. I am sure that the system would function much better with the Internet, the social networks, and other technical advances such as smartphones that have made communication easier and faster. Self-management could eventually do away with “important” people because all decision-making would be done in workers’ council meetings, chaired successively by individual members of the council. Councils at the lowest level would elect councils at the next higher level; the same procedure would apply to all levels of government and would ultimately reach the highest level, i.e. the country’s parliament. This of course is only a rough outline, with details to be worked out in accordance with the particular political environment.

The main advantage of self-management is that it doesn’t need political parties, which have often been an end unto themselves and, especially in less developed countries, a source of income for corrupt politicians. Governments usually assist political parties financially and the money often ends up in politicians’ pockets (that is why we have over fifty parties in Bosnia). Besides, there is usually no significant difference between a country’s parties, which means that elections are generally a huge waste of money. Insightful American political analysts say that America doesn’t have a multi-party system but a single party with two right wings.

Between 1945 and 1992 former Yugoslavia was under a communist dictatorship; true, a “milder” form of dictatorship, but still a dictatorship. In the course of forty-odd years a primitive agricultural society was transformed into a mid-developed industrial state. Thousands of peasants living in shacks with no flooring moved to modern apartments, became educated, and worked in well-paid jobs. All education was free, health care was free, and apartments were given for free to all deserving employees - especially those with expert knowledge important to the society at large. (When I came back from the States in 1985, I was welcomed by the dean of my Faculty with keys to a brand new apartment.) True, you couldn’t say “Down with communism” or insult Tito, but you had to be foolish to do that – what’s the use of freedom of speech if there is no freedom to eat? We now have a “democratic” multi-party system which is responsible for probably the worst economic situation in Bosnian history – out of a population 3,800,000 people, close to a million don’t have enough to eat. Throughout former Yugoslavia there is general nostalgia for Tito’s communism. Surveys indicate that the masses would be happy to revert to the political situation we had before 1992; the masses, of course, do not include current rulers, who literally plunder the people.

I would like to invite Americans with a right-wing political orientation to come to any part of former Yugoslavia and carry out surveys asking people which political system they prefer, the current or the former one. I am sure they will be shocked to find that nearly all ordinary people will say that they yearn for “communist dictatorship.” I personally don’t believe in communism, especially not its utopian goals, but I refuse to be blinded by words and ready-made judgments of political systems and ideologies. The facts are not in words but in flesh-and-blood human beings.

Midhat Ridjanović, PhD
Professor Emeritus of English and linguistics
University of Sarajevo
Sarajevo, Bosnia
r.midhat@gmail.com