Mendocino County Today: Monday, April 17, 2017

• Acoustic Device
• Conflict Mediation
• Ukiah Snapshot
• Local Protests
• Little Dog
• Movie Prices
• Prison Stats
• Goat Festival
• Transient Gathering
• Adoptees
• Farm Report
• PA Schools
• Schooner Race
• Record Rainfall
• Yesterday's Catch
• Brain Food
• Theatre Players
• Albion Trustee
• Berkeley Skirmish
• Stoners Driving
• Mac&Cheese
• Brown/Zinke
• Tossed Out
• KMEC Interview

UP PERISCOPE! Blue Meanie Alert! The following message appears on the coast listserve, "Can anyone tell me why Mendocino County needs a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD)? Also known as a sound cannon, it is used for crowd control. It is on the consent calendar on an upcoming BOS meeting, which means that unless a Supe pulls it off of the agenda it is passed automatically without discussion."

SURE ENOUGH, ITEM 4G on Tuesday's agenda is "Approval to Purchase a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) in the amount of $7,300 from FY2015 State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSGP) (Budget Unit VT15, line item 862239); and add item to the County's approved fixed assets."

CURSORY RESEARCH confirms that LRAD may be used for crowd control by directing an excrutiatingly loud noise at protesters, demonstrators or rioters. But it also may be used as a communication tool to assist with search and rescue or emergency communications. Since even the possibility of a riot, the only one ever in Mendocino County, passed without incident in 1990 (the Redwood Summer demo in Fort Bragg) this device is apparently desired for humanitarian purposes.

THE LIST SERVE PARANOIDS, of course, routinely assume evil intent, but never their own, which, over the years, has been considerable. But according to the Office of Emergency Services (OES, the same people who send comprehensive updates during severe storm events) is that the LRAD would be used by OES, the Sheriff's Office, and the Sheriff's Search and Rescue Team during search and rescue operations and during emergency situations.

LRAD IS LIKE A BULLHORN ON STEROIDS but can be used to communicate across much longer distances. Of course, it can also be used to blast collections of… But can anyone remember a time when the local Sheriff's Office resorted to violence to subdue a crowd?

SORTING IT OUT

Help with resolving conflicts

Nansee New:

Are you involved in a conflict or dispute with your family, neighbors, co-workers, service group, friends, or employees? We can meet with you for approximately 30 minutes to sort out whether your situation can be successfully mediated. Our fee of $25 can be applied to a future mediation with us.

Marco McClean:

This gives me an idea. I'll give a half-hour of my next radio show to mediate your dispute, whether or not you give $25 to KNYO. And of course you can come back later for free and re-dispute the dispute. We'll do it after 10pm so you can swear at each other and throw doughnuts, reconcile and engage in make-up sex, or whatever, and a good time will be had by all. Full disclosure: I rule with a heavy iron fist inside a velvet glove. And no incense, just that calming and clarifying new-transmitter smell. We'll sort this out, one way or the other.

Related: I rule no on the Homeland Security LRAD thing. In the late 1980s when, among other pursuits, I was making P.A. speaker towers, I used a Micromoog synthesizer and my most powerful amplifier and ruined a whole box of brand-new tweeters trying to drive away skunks from under my house. It didn't work; it just got them high. WD-40 doesn't work for that, either. You just have to wait till they get tired of breeding and/or go away, like with the hippies.

DON'T CRY FOR ME, UKIAH.

Late Friday afternoon. Shoals of ragged pedestrians shuffle along State Street like survivors of some terrible battle, some of them still screaming at remembered atrocities. No one stops to ask what happened. A still young tattooed woman with dead eyes is at the court clerk's window discussing her legal history. "I don't remember these two," she says. Al Kubanis, attorney, has a Trump sign in the window of his State Street office, the only visible political statement anywhere in town, including the somnolent Mendocino Environment Center, hours noon to like whenever. Two cops are questioning the walking wounded in Alex Thomas Plaza, site of so many police calls the Ukiah PD ought to consider placing a sub-station there. Down the street, the still imposing but much decayed Palace Hotel is in receivership. The receiver says he can borrow $2 mil against potential annual earnings of a quarter million if he gets the loans and partially resuscitates the Palace. He may not be aware in this town of civic cross purposes that the judges are building themselves a new county courthouse three long blocks to the east, and Ukiah's hazy leadership has paid a consultant to ratify their notion that an "upscale" hotel, in the same neighborhood as the Palace is a good idea. Meanwhile, the city manager says he could use an assistant city manager to keep this Swiss watch of civic functioning ticking right along.

LOCAL PROTESTS are so poorly organized that the message, if any, is usually not clear. A case in point was last October's "March to Let the Forest Heal" which saw a handful of protesters carrying a small freshly cut redwood log and walking on the side of the road from Comptche down Flynn Creek Road to Highway 128, and over Highway 253 to Ukiah. There was no advance publicity and no signs to announce their cause. Anyone curious enough to stop and talk was able to learn that it was a protest against Mendocino Redwood Company and the practice of "Hack and Squirt" which is used to kill tan oak trees which are then left standing in the forest. But all anyone driving by could see was what appeared to be a small band of transients transiting some unknown somewhere for some unknown purpose or no purpose at all.

LITTLE DOG SAYS, “So I ask these guys if I can watch the Warrior's playoff game with them this afternoon. "No, you yap too much, Little Dog. You answer the phone while we watch. We're at Sunday services if anybody wants to know where we are." All afternoon I can hear them yelling "Wow! Unbelievable! Holy Moly!" They swear a lot, too, not that I'm a judgmental kind of dog. I gotta work the phone while they watch a ball game? It's a dog's life, I'm telling' ya.”

ROBBED BY THE UKIAH THEATER

Editor,

When my brother died the taxes on the house (my house) that I had made every payment on while raising six children, tripled from $1400 a year to $4500. That means that now at 75 I must pay almost $400 a month out of my sparingly padded $735 a month Social Security to live here in my fully paid for home. So when I saw the trailer to the movie "Going In Style" I felt a connection and headed Friday evening over the hill to watch it at Regal Ukiah Stadium 6 theater, hoping for a laugh. At the box when I handed over a $20 bill and said "senior" I got $8 back. The last time I took my grandkids to the movies about a month ago the price for kids and seniors had been raised from $8.25 to $8.75 so I was expecting $11 and change. When I questioned what I thought was a mistake, the young woman was unable to communicate with my bum ears through the bulletproof glass and had to leave the box office to come outside to explain that movies were now $11.95 for seniors and children, $14.50 for adults. I told her I wanted my money back and got it with the help of someone higher on the entertainment providing ladder.

I can't say I was fuming and no, I did not consider robbing a bank like the old duffs in the flick supposedly do, but I was again disappointed by the run amok financial social order that I am aging into.

Back home I Googled. Noyo Theater in Willits: General $9.00; Seniors and Kids $7.00. Coast Theater in Fort Bragg: Adults $10.00; Seniors and Kids $7.50. The Clover in Cloverdale: Adult $9.50; Seniors and kids $7.00. Summerfield in Santa Rosa: Adult $11.00; Seniors and Kids $9.00. Rialto in Sebastopol: Adult $11.00; Seniors and Kids $8.50.

I realize that it might not be environmentally sound but I will be boycotting the Ukiah theater and spending a bit more on gas to travel to other venues to catch a flick. I encourage others to do the same.

David Severn

Philo

A NEW YORKER review of a book called "Locked In" by John F. Pffaf sorts out some of the prevalent myths about crime and incarceration. There are presently 6.7 million people in our prisons, public and private. If all the private jails were closed, the author says, there would be no noticeable bump in crime. Most people are locked up for relatively short periods — four years on the average and it is politically ambitious DA's responsible for putting them there to wow the wowsers that they're "tough on crime." Non-violent drug offenders do not swell the prison population, but lots of black people are in prison for violent offenses committed in and around the drug trade, and this happens because young black men are "deprived of a faith in their own upward mobility." 95% of cases are plea bargains: "Nearly everyone in prison ended up there by signing a piece of paper in a dingy conference room in a county office building." (cf Mendocino County.) Most career criminals "age out" of the prison merry go round around age 40.

GOAT FESTIVAL! WOW!!! The 3rd Annual AV Goat Festival is this Saturday April 22 at the Mendocino County Fairgrounds in Boonville. This year, we have hired Joe Blow to keep the energy flowing.

As in years past, there will be the Goat Parade; Celebrity Goat Milking; Birria Cook-off; workshops on Goat Care and making Goat Milk Yogurt, Kefir & Soap; a tour of Pennyroyal Farm and more. Check avfoodshed.com for current schedule (if it's not posted yet, please check back :)

AV Foodshed hosts this event, not as a fundraiser, but as a community fun-raiser. Since we do not charge admission, we hope to recoup the cost of the event with donations from local businesses, vendor stall fees and donations at the gate.

As in years past, we are sharing the Mendocino County Fairgrounds with The Unity Club's Spring Wildflower Show. This is a great event that we are happy to support.

This year we are also partnering with the Fringe Art folks that are putting on events around the valley that weekend. There will be artwork in the Home Arts building where the workshops are being held this year.

This is an Earth Day Weekend Celebration of Springtime — Community — And Country Living.

Hope to see you there.

— Barbara Goodell

FORT BRAGG POLICE DISPATCHED TO OLD COAST HOTEL @ 4:05 PM
The scanner said (4:05 pm) the Fort Bragg Police were dispatched to the Old Coast Hotel for the report from a passerby of "a large group of transients camping on the property." Negative on the camping, said the patrol unit, they were gathering to get ready to go to the Hospitality House dinner.

(MendocinoSportsPlus)

PETIT TETON MONTHLY FARM REPORT

March 2017

Dear friends,

We are living through difficult times. Sure, all times are tough and life itself is rarely easy. But the present is extreme. We live with the fear of the nuclear weapons we've created being used, violent unpredictable weather resulting from our own behavior, all the while being led off a cliff by a tough talking right wing administration pulling out all the stops for wealthy corporate America.

Frank Lloyd Wright said, "I believe in God but I spell it NATURE", and she's pissed.

As farmers, weather is of major concern to us. We are heading to 80" of rain for this past year (Sept 2016-June 2017) and although the rain has eliminated the 5 year drought for the moment, it is making planting and harvesting difficult to impossible in many parts of California. On our very small farm we are struggling to keep the weeds from strangling everything, are hand digging because it's too wet for rototillers or tractors, and are delaying plantings as we await sun and warmth. We've been lucky to have avoided any major damage — flooding, fallen trees, landslides, roofs blown off, etc. — all of which has happened around us. Imagine the trouble and expense the giant corporate farms are facing which feed a huge population.

On the bright side, we are enjoying an absolutely gorgeous spring. Everything is an intense liquid green with an incredible selection of vibrant flowers, and all the trees and shrubs have already grown a few inches.

We wish you a happy spring, Easter, and Passover wherever you are.

Nikki Auschnitt and Steve Krieg

* * *

Weather

It continued to rain. We are now up to 69” which is almost 6’! Luckily it doesn’t come all at once (like the Oroville dam threatened to do). It’s been cold.

Activities

4 Clement markets good to excellent.

3 Boonville markets poor.

On-farm sales ok.

Aquaponics: W working on a new idea and layout. More to come.

The pigeons are busy laying eggs. The squab sells well at market.

S & N did a farm tour with a group of Blackbird HS city kids. Enjoyed by all despite rain. Talked about animal husbandry, canning, farming.

Haven’t heard yet from Federal grant application to graze cattle/yak on 20 acres.

Will collect Buckhorn Restaurant slops starting April 10th.

Planted first wave of spring starts…cabbage, kale, fennel. Started tomatoes, peppers, choy, onions, shallots in flats in greenhouse.

Bought first batch of 20 chicks. Will buy 2 more batches over next 2 months.

Picked up butchered cow. Selling well.

Most of J’s grafts to apples killed by shothole beetle resulting from drought seem to be taking. The rains have helped.

S & N took a week-long train vacation.

Politics remain depressing.

Solar dispute continues.

Food

In ground/producing –asparagus, kale, mustard, thyme, oregano, mint, chives, dandelion greens, broccoli, cabbage, lemon grass, rhubarb, arugula, cilantro, choy, beets, garlic, parsley, anise hyssop, garlic chives, horseradish.

In aquaponics – mint, garlic, chive, scallion, celery, raspberry, ginger, turmeric, lemon, jalapeno, Espelette, orange, tomato, onion, rhubarb, lemon grass, strawberry, broccoli, watercress, sweet pepper, parsley, arugula.

VAPS Produced

Total VAPS for March: 191

Mojito Cocktail Mix, Plum BBQ Sauce, Winter Squash Soup, Mint Jelly, Pickled Asparagus, Pork Bone Broth, Beef Bone Broth, French Sorrel Soup, Chicken Bone Broth, Beet Veggie Broth

Flowers

Daffodil, flowering quince, plums, pears, iris, forsythia, coral bells, ceanothus, rosemary, geranium, rosemary, euphorbia, calendula, flowering almond.

Fruit & Vegetable

Weeding fields between rains. Used rototiller a few times, shallowly. Chipped around trees. Fed all plants worm casting and chicken poop tea. Asparagus going ballistic!

Animals: Will move Sosock soon to try to tame her a bit. All animals loving the grasses and worms.

Observations: We’re more tired than we recall being. Combo of rain, age and politics perhaps?

Workers: Cam, Wynne, Sarah, Juan, Juana, Cliff, Dave.

https://www.petitteton.com

RANDY BURKE of Gualala writes:

So sorry to be so late, but with the Point Arena School thing:

1. Susan Rush was right about all things.
2. Matt Murray was a real person; what you saw was what you got.
3. Jim Dewilder as to head of the board was, and remains someone who needs some serious therapy (definitely away from Langley, Virginia), and
4. Matt could have really made a change that would have lasted through all paradigm shifts. He was a really personable good guy, and unless the school district does something good like making people responsible/accountable for their actions with the gentle minds of the precious students, then the students are on their own, and they should be allowed the courtesy of knowing that those who hold them for 6+ hours a day are only baby sitters. We have a real chance to grow in this rural enclave, but after another resignation of a school principal, in as many years, the only ones who will suffer are the little trusting minds. I gotta add that there are some great parents who are bolstering up the students, but with much (as usual in PA) resistance. Come on folks, it ain’t that difficult to teach the children!

SCHOONER RACE, Biloxi

WETTEST YEAR ON RECORD; dry trend begins end of week; California hits precipitation record as spring warming commences: record wet in Northern California; huge snowpack threatens floods; dry/warm trend begins end of week.

by Daniel Swain

It’s official: the Northern Sierra “8-Station Index” “comprised of 8 precipitation observation sites in the northern half of the Sierra Nevada watershed” has eclipsed 1982-1983 to become the wettest Water Year (Oct-Sep) period on record <https://twitter.com/NWSSacramento/status/852546702187876352>! Even more remarkable is that this record has been set so early in the calendar year — even though May-September is the dry season in California, some additional precipitation in this region is all but inevitable in the coming months, which will push this record total even higher. Statewide precipitation metrics are not far behind. Precipitation in 2016-2017 is closely paralleling 1982-1983, and stands a good chance at breaking the long-standing record later this year.

All of this beneficial, drought-busting water, though, hasn’t been evenly distributed throughout the state. While Southern California has been wetter than average this winter, precipitation accumulations have not been nearly as anomalous as in the northern portion of the state (the Los Angeles basin, for example, is hovering just slightly above average for the Water Year to date).

The record wet conditions, however, have not been confined to California — a band of record or near record wetness extends from the northern coast of the San Francisco Bay Area inland across the Northern Sierra and then further across the interior West (as far east as western Wyoming and Montana!). This band of exceptional seasonal precipitation is the product of a persistently active and somewhat southerly storm track this winter, which brought frequent atmospheric rivers to the coast.

California snowpack is also extremely impressive this spring, though (as has been previously noted <http://weatherwest.com/archives/5621>) it has for the most part lagged total precipitation due to the relative warmth that has co-occurred with this record wet Water Year. The tremendous amount of accumulated water in the high Sierra snowpack is just what the doctor ordered with respect to drought relief, but may pose some problems in the coming weeks if it melts too quickly. Growing concerns over major snowmelt flooding have already triggered pre-emptive disaster declarations <http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-garcetti-water-emergency-20170320-story.html>, especially east of the crest along the Highway 395 corridor and in far western Nevada <https://twitter.com/Weather_West/status/853027914077556736>. It remains to be seen just how much flooding may result from melting of this snowpack — and it will largely depend on just how warm temperatures get over the next few weeks.

Yet more precipitation next 3-4 days, but then major drying/warming trend

A couple more modest spring systems are expected to bring additional precipitation to Northern and Central California over the next few days. The southern third of California will likely stay mostly dry, with some showers possible as far south as Los Angeles County. A few more thunderstorms could rumble across the Central Valley, and some additional accumulating snowfall is likely at the highest elevations of the Sierra Nevada. But by next weekend, there is multi-model ensemble agreement that conditions will dry out and warm up pretty rapidly as a strong ridge builds directly overhead. Temperatures could rise to 10-15+ degrees above mid-April averages by next week, which will likely accelerate snowmelt. It’s still to early to say whether there may be a subsequent pulse of snowmelt flooding downstream, but the upcoming warming trend certainly bears watching from that perspective.

<https://i1.wp.com/weatherwest.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/gfs-ens_T2ma_wus_fh102-240.gif>

El Niño may be back in the picture this year (yes, already)

There are increasingly strong signs that El Niño may be making a comeback in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. With all the usual caveats (namely, that we’re still on the wrong side of the Spring Predictability Barrier <https://twitter.com/Weather_West/status/853314365960855552>), there is excellent multi-model agreement that a significant event may begin to unfold in the coming months. That would be pretty eyebrow-raising, since it has only been a year since the last big El Niño. <https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/13/climate/el-nino-climate-change.html?partner=rss&emc=rss>

It’s still far too early to discuss California implications, but if the current outlook holds then I would expect warm SSTs to begin having an influence as early as this coming summer. I’ll continue to follow developments in the tropical Pacific in coming blog posts. Stay tuned!

(Weatherwest.com)

CATCH OF THE DAY, April 16, 2017

BRET BENGSTON, Ukiah. Parole violation.

ZEBULON COUTHREN, Willits. First degree robbery, violation of court order, probation revocation. (Frequent Flyer)

KEVIN DIRKSEN, Ukiah. Child abduction, false personation of another, suspended license.

MICHELE FABELA, Laytonville. Drunk in public.

JACOB GARCIA, Ukiah. Protective order violation, probation revocation.

VERNON KNAPP SR., Ukiah. Failure to appear. (Frequent Flyer)

CHAD LEWIS, Willits. DUI, evasion, threatening life of government official.

MIGUEL MARIN, Ukiah. Assault with deadly weapon not a gun, kidnapping, witness intimidation, criminal threats, conspiracy, participation in criminal street gang.

WILLIAM OWENS, Ukiah. Battery on peace officer, probation revocation.

CECELIA REEVES, Ukiah. Drunk in public.

RICHARD RODRIGUEZ, Ukiah. Drunk in public.

ZACHARY RYKEN, Fort Bragg. Burglary, receiving stolen property, vandalism.

ROY SANCHEZ, Ukiah. Assault with deadly weapon not a gun, kidnapping, witness intimidation, criminal threats, conspiracy, participation in criminal street gang.

STEVEN STANISH III, Fort Bragg. Domestic battery, criminal threats.

JACOB STOUT, Ukiah. DUI causing injury, probation revocation.

WILIAM VAUGHAN, Ukiah. DUI-drugs&alcohol, resisting, probation revocation.

À LA CARTE

by Manuel Vicent

Translated by Louis S. Bedrock

Despite being condemned to accept every kind of junk food, the modern stomach has not ceased to be very delicate, demanding, and reactive at the moment of digestion. This cannot be said of the human brain, an incredibly sophisticated organ, but one which is incapable of rejecting the intellectual junk it receives every day.

The stomach has two controls at the entrance for food—smell and taste. All goes well if it pleases the stomach; but in contrary circumstances, the stomach lets you know immediately. Acidity and indigestion are the first signs of rejection, but vomiting and gastroenteritis can show up if the stomach detects a serious danger of food poisoning.

In its own way, the brain receives a large amount of deteriorated intellectual nourishment every day, but lacks a self defense mechanism to protect it from the noxious ingredients borne by some ideas. The constant, despicable braying in the social networks, the toxic, manipulated information of the television newscasts, the polluted atmosphere of political corruption that one is forced to breathe, and the unbearable bedlam among some discussion groups that fills space with stupid opinions—if all this swill were food, the stomach would suddenly and violently vomit it up; however, the brain accepts a good percentage of it, mixes it up among neurons, takes possession of it—despite it being lethal, and doesn’t even react with a mild neuralgia or a slight headache.

The stomach could serve as an example for the brain. Eating light, well, and healthy has converted into a culinary fashion—almost a form of spirituality. The Mediterranean diet may also be applied to the brain to detoxify it. Here’s the menu: a minimum dose of essential news, a good book on the night table, a television series, classical music, and the cell phone always turned off.

SEEKING ORCHESTRA MEMBERS FOR CHICAGO!

Gloriana Musical Theatre is seeking a bass, tuba and trombone player for our upcoming production of Chicago!

If you are interested or would like more details please e-mail music director Marie Claire Dizin at mcdizin@gmail.com.

MENDOCINO SCHOOL DISTRICT NEEDS ALBION TRUSTEE

Public Notice: Mendocino Unified School District Board of Trustees is seeking applicants for appointment to fill the open Albion Area Board Trustee seat. The appointment will be in effect from May 2017, until an election in November 2018.Applicants for appointment to the Board must be at least 18 years of age, a qualified voter, and be a resident of the Albion Trustee Area.

Applications are available at: Mendocino Unified School District Office, 44141 Little Lake Rd. Mendocino, CA or the District web site (http://www.mendocinousd.org/) Applications must be received at the District Office by 5:00 p.m. Friday May 5, 2017.

Jason Morse, Superintendent
Mendocino Unified School District Office
Phone (707) 937-5868
Fax (707) 937-0714

The Superintendent will verify each applicant’s legal qualifications for Board membership prior to submitting applications to the Board. The Board will interview applicants, appoint, and swear in the new trustee at a board meeting in May, 2017.

TRUMPETS HAD IT COMING

Editor,

The Berkeley protests—

They call it Berzerkely well what is clearly goofy is that we just had a widely gathered group of "libertarians" come to town to demand more government intervention in the daily lives of citizens. Huh!?! I for one find it extremely funny that the "libertarians" who came from far and wide to descend upon this city are crying and moaning about the lack of police intervention when some of their kind caught a beat down yesterday in the running street battles of Berkeley. These out of towners came to Berkeley solely to provoke people with violence and offensive ideas and the cops did their job by confiscating the weapons they showed up with. Once the cops knew that people weren't killing one another, and the m-80's started flying they withdrew and let people engage in mutual combat which was the right choice. Cops are not babysitters, and it’s the captain’s responsibility not to leave his guys out there to get hurt for frankly some unimportant people. These provocateurs are leaving town and I need my hometown police healthy to protect my city. I really thought conservatives would be the first to know this. I was just shocked to hear all these conservatives whining like chumps. I heard one conservative commentator saying things like, "stop hurting people!! stop throwing things!!" I wanted to say yeah dude stop hurting people you should take that one to heart representing the War party and all. It was fitting that these War party shock troops had m-80's hurled in their face and their sticks taken away which basically left them with their tongues to wag and whine about it. What a bunch of slags repping the "War" party. Unimpressive to say the least.

Nate Collins, Oakland

ON LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY

Most people don’t want to drive when they get really stoned and experienced stoners can drive pretty good anyway. Only those who don’t indulge and consequently don’t know what they are talking about imagine impaired driving and weed to be a problem. Pot smokers drive slower, too.

JERRY BROWN TO MEET WITH INFERIOR SECRETARY RYAN ZINKE ABOUT WATER, FIRE & PUBLIC LANDS

by Dan Bacher

Governor Jerry Brown will meet with Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke in Sacramento this Thursday — and many opponents of the Delta Tunnels fear that that one of the major points of discussion will be the controversial California WaterFix project.

In an an email to me this afternoon, Heather Swift, Department of Interior spokesperson said, “The Secretary plans to discuss water, fire and public lands priorities” during his meeting with Brown.

The meeting will take place before Zinke travels to Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks on Thursday and Friday.

I have not yet received a response to an email I sent to the Governor’s Office regarding whether the tunnels will be specifically one of the points of discussion. However, since the California WaterFix is a priority water project of Brown’s, it will likely be a key item discussed.

The Department of Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation has been the primary federal agency promoting the construction of the Delta Tunnels through a partnership with the State Department of Water Resources (DWR).

Brown’s Delta Tunnels project has come under increasing fire from scientists, economists and public trust advocates over the past few years. Brown and his administration claim that the California WaterFix, a controversial plan to divert Sacramento River water through two 35-mile long tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, is based on “science.”

“The best scientific thinking says California needs the project,” Governor Brown told Dan Morain, Sacramento Bee editorial page editor in an interview in December of 2016. (www.sacbee.com/...)

However, federal scientists strongly disagree with Brown’s claim that “best scientific thinking" supports the construction of the tunnels. In fact, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has released a draft biological opinion documenting the harm the tunnels would cause to salmon, steelhead, Delta and longfin smelt, other fish and wildlife species, and water quality.

An independent peer review panel found the NMFS findings are backed by “comprehensive analyses, new data, and modeling,” according to the Golden Gate Salmon Association (GGSA). The panel further found NMFS used the “best available science” and produced evidence of “significant adverse impacts” to species and critical habitat, including unacceptable harm to salmon.

The draft biological opinion is available at http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/central_valley/WaterFix/WaterFixPeerReview2BMaterials.html

Secretary Zinke heads a department that employs 70,000 people, including expert scientists and resource-management professionals, in nine technical bureaus and various offices. The U.S. Department of the Interior “protects America's natural resources and heritage, honors our cultures and tribal communities, and supplies the energy to power our future,” the DOI website states.

The Department of the Interior (DOI) “protects and manages the Nation's natural resources and cultural heritage; provides scientific and other information about those resources; and honors its trust responsibilities or special commitments to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and affiliated island communities,” according to the agency’s website.

The DOI includes the following Bureaus: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, National Park Service, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Geological Survey.

MCCARTHY’S GHOST smiles as Democrats point the finger at Russia.

John Sakowicz and Sid Cooperrider interview Ellen Schrecker. Listen at 105.1 FM in Ukiah. We also stream live from the web at www.kmecradio.org.

Ellen Schrecker is a retired professor of American history at Yeshiva University, Schrecker is a leading authority on McCarthyism whose books include Many Are the Crimes: McCarthyism in America and No Ivory Tower: McCarthyism in the Universities.