Mendocino County Today: Monday, May 8, 2017

• Poetry Celebration
• $age/$hannon
• Little Dog
• Helpless Pros
• Ukiah Baseball Phenom
• Boonville Ad Shack
• Minneapolis Measles
• Puppy Love
• Wild Iris
• Lyme Awareness
• Yesterday's Catch
• Digital Divide
• Money Politics
• Caltrans Albion
• Russian Bill
• KMEC Interview

MENDOCINO SPRING POETRY CELEBRATION

Sunday, May 14, 2017

The 42nd Anniversary Mendocino Spring Poetry Celebration takes place Sunday, May 14 at the Hill House in Mendocino. There will be two open readings. Sign up at noon for the reading at 1:00 PM. Sign up at 5:00 PM for the reading at 6:00. Readers should prepare four minutes per session, of their own work or of favorites by others. This annual event draws 30-40 poets from the north counties and beyond. Open book displays, choice comestibles, fellowship. Contributions welcome. All poems will be considered for broadcast by Dan Roberts on KZYX&Z Walt Whitman said, “Great poetry requires great audiences.” Celebrate the word! For information: Gordon Black at gblack@mcn, or (707) 937-4107.

CITY COUNCIL TO UKIAH CITIZENS: DROP DEAD

by Tommy Wayne Kramer

http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/opinion/20170507/assignment-ukiah-city-council-to-ukiah-citizens-drop-dead

LITTLE DOG SAYS, "I tried out for Ringling Brothers a while back when I heard they needed a little guy to complete the Poodle-Conga line. But then they announced they were closing down their 150-year old circus. Honestly, I was relieved. Way too effete for me, and the pitbulls next door were barking homophobic insults non-stop."

A WILLITS READER NOTES: "I watched a situation the other day with an obviously mentally ill young woman. She was in a neighborhood in Willits, standing on a corner, screaming obscenities to nonexistent people, this went on for 30 minutes or more. The police were called by several neighbors. The police showed up, spoke to her for maybe 5 minutes, got into their cruiser and drove away. The woman continued on with the rant for another 10 minutes. Finally… she stumbled down the street, screaming, flailing hands and arms, occasionally stopping to address a telephone pole or pot hole… I could hear her on Main St. 30 minutes later. The point is, the police are either powerless to do anything, or this kind of issue has become so commonplace they have elected to just go through the motions to semi-placate the public…Something is very wrong, the public deserves better. “Lock her up…!” I can hear the bleeding hearts crowd already…"

THE BLEEDING HEARTS I know voted for Sheriff Allman's proposed County psych unit, which is where this lady would have been sequestered until she regained herself. At the moment, the County Jail is so crowded the "quality of life" offenses that normally get people locked up are merely cited and, as in this case, the police drive off, having determined that shouting obscenities at invisible antagonists, although unpleasant for the people who have to listen to it, isn't an arrest offense. Besides, there's no place to put her and she's not crazy enough for us to suppress her.

MILLIONS are annually frittered away just in Mendocino County on programs that allegedly help the tormented and the helpless. But they're really just jobs programs for people with vague college degrees. The help rendered is monitored and reported on by the people rendering it. They occasionally appear before the Supervisors where they say, "We're doing good things for ____ — insert one or all of the following:  homeless, dependent children, drug and alcohol addicts, single mothers, and helping professional's latest cash and carry reimbursables, families "who may become dysfunctional."

EVERYONE in the room is smiling at all the good that's getting done. The Supervisors rain down superlatives on their 9-5 saints — "Great work. Keep it up." Meanwhile, the Willits crazy woman is still screaming on Main Street.

AT SOME POINT, the county's (and the country's) highly paid leadership is going to have to talk seriously about what to do with the growing armies of walking wounded. To date, the only in-county person to offer at least a partial solution to the most troubling sector of the dependent population — street crazies — is Sheriff Allman, and his proposal to establish an in-county psych unit was narrowly defeated in the last election by a combination of wealthy people who believe they shouldn't be taxed at all for anything except weapons systems and "liberals" led by Supervisor Hamburg, many of them helping pros.

THE GIANTS could use this kid. Ukiah High School's Karter Koch pitched a perfect game against Rancho Cotati last week. Koch threw a total of 80 pitches — in seven innings, mowing down 21 consecutive hitters, striking out seven at Ukiah's Anton Stadium on a recent Friday night. When he isn't pitching, Koch is at shortstop for the Wildcats.

I ONCE SAW a tentative tourist couple step gingerly into Boonville's brochure-festooned Chamber of Commerce ad shack, the elderly gent cautiously peering in before beckoning his wife to follow. They were soon back out in the sunshine, empty-handed because there's nothing inside of interest or in any way associated with life in this place as it is lived by us. I've never seen anyone else enter, and I was surprised to see this couple brave it.

MAYBE the Chamber of Commerce could jazz it up a little with, say, a roster of the world class maniacs who once called The Valley home — The Manson Family; Pastor Jim Jones; Ken Parnell; the Moonies; Tree Frog Johnson; Leonard Lake and Charles Ng. Of course, the macabre isn't ordinarily celebrated by the tourist industry but it is our distinctive hook, as they say in the business.

SERIOUSLY, though, visitors on foot seldom venture past the Hanes Gallery on one end of town, the buildings clustered around the freshly rehabbed Live Oak Building on the other because they can't get any farther without breaking an ankle or getting run over. And there are lots of tourists stopping for a look these days, many of them not particularly mobile once they're out of their vehicles. Sooooo…

WE need sidewalks on both sides of 128 from the junction of 128 and Mountain View Road and the junction of 128 and the Ukiah Road, which would enable visitors to have a close look at the splendors offered by the whole town, not just its ice cream cone core.

AS FOR THE KIOSK, the Chamber needs to haul it down around the fire station where tourists are more likely to investigate it, and when it's re-located put stuff in it that tell the visitor what he might see other than tasting rooms and Hendy Woods. As is, there's no mention in the kiosk of the absolutely unique store right next door, Boont Berry Farm, which is really Boonville's beating heart.

LAST MONTH in Minneapolis, the first cases of measles appeared among immigrant Somalis. Soon there was a full-blown outbreak, one of the starkest consequences of an intensifying anti-vaccine movement in the United States and around the world that has gained traction in part by targeting specific communities.

IN MENDOCINO COUNTY, the targeted population is, and right here we'll have to go to euphemism — neo-hippies, anti-corporate hysterics, the learning impaired, and random citizens immunized at birth against sequential thought processes.

ALTHOUGH extensive research has disproved any relationship between vaccines and autism, the fear has become entrenched in many communities across the country.

ANTI-VACC activists defend their role in exposing children to death from diseases long assumed extinct by inoculation, by saying they merely provide information to parents. A defrocked Brit medical doctor named Wakefield wrote an anti-vaccination tract that has been hugely influential among the educationally unprotected, but Wakefield's study was tardily revealed as fraudulent and was retracted by the medical journal that published it, and Wakefield's medical license was revoked.

MEASLES, which remains endemic in many parts of the world, was eliminated in the United States at the start of this century. It reappeared several years ago as more parents from the privileged sectors of society began refusing to vaccinate their children.

THE RAMIFICATIONS already have been significant. A 2014-2015 measles outbreak infected 147 people in seven states and spread to Mexico and Canada. In California, high school students were sent home because of infected classmates. One patient who was unknowingly infectious visited a hospital and exposed dozens of pregnant women and babies, including those in the neonatal intensive care unit. Another adult patient was hospitalized and on a breathing machine for three weeks.

FEDERAL guidelines typically recommend that children get the first vaccine dose at 12 to 15 months of age and the second when they are 4 to 6 years old. The combination is 97 percent effective in preventing the viral disease, which can cause pneumonia, brain swelling, deafness and, in rare instances, death. State health officials are now recommending doses for babies as young as 6 months if there is concern for ongoing measles exposure.

IN CALIFORNIA, children must provide proof of immunization before they are admitted to public schools. Unfortunately, there are legal exemptions to this commonsense requirement. We've got a call in to Public Health for the stats, but we know going in there are too many un-vaccinated children in Mendocino County.

From California’s Public Health statistics we found that:

State average for vaccinated and conditionally vaccinated kindergartners is about 92%

Lake County: 95%.

Mendo: 94%.

Sonoma: 94%

Marin: 91%

HumCo: 89%.

Nevada county (the worst): 78%.

According to public health standards “coverage rates must remain in the 92-94% range to ensure ‘herd immunity’ against measles, which involves maintaining a threshold level of vaccination across a community that protects even the unvaccinated.”

PUPPY LOVE

by Bruce McEwen

The popular soap opera on South State starring the dashing Zebulon Zale Couthern and co-starring Mandy Etta Grinsell has entered its 27th season to much applause of the canned type. Judge Richard Henderson, one of the starcrossed couple’s most devoted fans, was on hand to enjoy this latest episode in the popular drug and alcohol-fueled domestic drama.

The charming Ms. Grinsell took the stand to describe how she was walking down the sidewalk in the 900 block of South State Street on April 14th, an adorable puppy wrapped protectively in her arms, when Ms. Grinsell ran smack into the dashingly suave Mr. Couthern, her ex of some 27 years. The cad proceeded to wrench her puppy from her loving arms and threatened Ms. G with great bodily harm.

After Ms. Grinsell had left the courtroom, Couthern’s lawyer, Anthony Adams, put his client on the stand to tell his side of the story.

Adams: “Did she have the puppy in her arms, holding it to her breast?”

Couthern: “Yes she did.”

Adams: “Did you take it from her?”

Couthern: “Yes I did.”

Adams: “Why?”

Couthern: “Because it was mine.”

Adams: “So you believed you owned the puppy?”

Couthern: “I did own it. It was mine.”

Adams: “Were you angry?”

Couthern: “Yes I was.”

Adams: “Why?”

Couthern: “Because she stole my dog from me.”

Adams: “But you didn’t keep it, did you?”

Couthern: “No, I gave it back to her.”

Adams: “Why?”

Couthern: “Because she was so sad. She said she needed something to love, and I felt sorry for her.”

Adams: “How long have you been associated with Ms. Grinsell?”

Couthern: “For 27 years now.”

Adams: “Did you threaten her in any way?”

Couthern: “No.”

Deputy DA Scott McMenomey, another devoted fan of Ukiah's longest-running soap, began his cross examination:

McMenomey: “In 2012 you were convicted of a violation of Penal Code 69 [resisting arrest], were you not?”

Couthern: “Yes I was.”

McMenomey: “And again in 2014*?”

Couthern: “Yes.”

McMenomey: “And there was a restraining order** in place prohibiting you from approaching Ms. Grinsell?

Couthern: “I didn’t approach her – she approached me.”

McMenomey: “Weren’t you supposed to stay away from her?”

Couthern: “I repeat: She approached me.”

McMenomey: “Did she have the puppy in her arms?”

Couthern: “Yes, she did.”

McMenomey: “And you forcibly grabbed the dog from her?”

Couthern: “I took the dog back; it was mine.”

McMenomey: “Oh?”

Couthern: “Yeah.”

McMenomey: “Well, then, what’s the dog’s name?”

Couthern: “It didn’t have a name. I hadn’t had it that long and hadn’t named it yet.”

McMenomey: “Who did you buy it from?”

Couthern: “Julie Hutchins in Willits.”

McMenomey: “Did you buy just one or did it have a litter mate?”

Couthern: “Just the one.”

McMenomey: “Did you go to Willits to get it?”

Couthern: “No, she brought the dog to my house.”

McMenomey: “What kind of dog was it?”

Couthern: “A chow and Chihuahua cross.”

McMenomey: “Once you grabbed it, how long before you gave it back to Ms. Grinsell?”

Couthern: “An hour, maybe two.”

McMenomey: “That’s all I have.”

Judge Henderson held Couthern to answer on second degree robbery and assault, along with contempt of a court order for breaking the terms of the stay-away order, and a violation of his probation.

* * *

*ON AUGUST 1st [2014] at about 2:15 PM Ukiah Police responded to a residence in the 100 block of Observatory Avenue for a violation of a restraining order and the suspect refusing to leave. Officers learned that 39 year old Zebulon Couthern had a restraining order against him, prohibiting him from being within 100 yards of the victim. Couthern was located seated outside the residence and had been drinking. Couthern was arrested for violating the court order, and once handcuffed became belligerent and repeatedly tried to physically get away from the arresting officer. Couthern continued to twist his body and try to pull away from the officer, nearly spit on the officer, and made several threats. Couthern was also charged with resisting arrest.

On August 6th at about 8:20 AM officers returned to the residence for Couthern having damaged the front door. Officers learned Couthern had returned to the residence at about 7:00 AM after being released from jail, and had again been drinking and tried to push his way into the residence, damaging the door. Couthern was located nearby, and placed under citizen’s arrest for vandalism.

**On Wednesday, November 5th [2014] at about 11:50 PM Ukiah Police responded to the Motel 6, at 1208 South State Street, for a domestic disturbance. Arriving officers saw the involved parties in the doorway of the upper level room, and a 6 year old child run from the room. The female appeared upset and was trying to leave, and officers instructed the male to wait in the doorway. The male stepped back into the room and closed the door, and officers reopened the door and detained the male subject, identified as 40 year old Zebulon Zale Couthren. Officers determined Couthern and 39 year old Mandy Etta Grinsell had been arguing, and that Couthren had thrown Grinsell down several times. Officers noticed loose marijuana strewn about the room, as well as numerous hypodermic syringes some of which contained liquid methamphetamine. Both Couthern and Grinsell had been using methamphetamine, and a court order was in place prohibiting anything but peaceful contact between them. Couthern was arrested for domestic violence and for violating the court order, child endangerment, and being under the influence of a controlled substance. Grinsell was arrested for drug influence, child endangerment, and violating probation. The couple’s 6 year of child was released to the custody of Child Protective Services.

MAY IS LYME DISEASE AWARENESS MONTH

The Mendocino Lyme Support Group has several events scheduled this month.

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection primarily transmitted by Ixodes ticks, also known as deer ticks, and on the West Coast, black-legged ticks. These tiny arachnids are typically found in wooded and grassy areas. Although people may think of Lyme as an East Coast disease, it is found throughout the United States, as well as in more than sixty other countries.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 300,000 people are diagnosed with Lyme disease in the US every year. That’s 1.5 times the number of women diagnosed with breast cancer, and six times the number of people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS each year in the US. However, because diagnosing Lyme can be difficult, many people who actually have Lyme may be misdiagnosed with other conditions. Many experts believe the true number of cases is much higher.

Lyme disease affects people of all ages. The CDC notes that it is most common in children, older adults, and others such as firefighters and park rangers who spend time in outdoor activities and have higher exposure to ticks.

Phyllis Mervine, national founder of Lymedisease.org, will speak at our monthly support group meeting on May 16 at NCO at 413 North State in Ukiah. Meetings are from 6 to 8pm.

In 1989, Phyllis Mervine established the Lyme Disease Resource Center, later re-named LymeDisease.org. She also founded The Lyme Times and serves as its editor-in-chief. In an effort to help Lyme patients join together for mutual support and political action, she set up LymeDisease.org’s network of online state support groups. She has collaborated with researchers studying ticks, animal reservoirs, and human infection in Northern California. She has served on numerous advisory committees both locally and nationally, and is a former member of the National Institute of Health’s Advisory Panel for Studies on Chronic Lyme Disease. She has had several letters and one article published in peer-reviewed medical journals, and her posters have been displayed at international Lyme conferences. Her special interests are networking and community-building, improving patient access to accurate information, and educating, mentoring, encouraging and supporting the next generation of Lyme disease advocates.

Come and get caught up on the latest developments in Lyme information.

We will also have a booth at Pastels on the Plaza on May 20^th, stop by and visit.

Information about Lyme and our upcoming meetings and events will be available.

Also we will be showing the great Lyme documentary film “Under our Skin, “at the Ukiah Library 105 N. Main. Showing will be from 5:30 till 7:30pm on Wednesday, May 24th.  Come and learn about Lyme from a very informative film .A great way to increase your awareness about Lyme and the effects it has on our bodies.

We hope to see you at any and or all these events. Being informed is a great way to move forward during tick season and keep you and your children safe.

We are also on Facebook at Mendocino Lyme Support Group. We have monthly meetings with times and dates posted on our Facebook site.

Visit www.lymedisease.org for current information and new developments in the Lyme community. We also encourage you or someone you know that has Lyme to take the “My Lyme Data” survey from the Lyme site listed above. The more information gathered the greater the awareness in the Lyme community.

Together we are strong. Being informed is the key.

CATCH OF THE DAY, May 7, 2017

MARTIN BRIGGS, Willits. Probation revocation.

SHANNON CARDOZA, Eureka/Willits. Parole violation.

CYNTIA FLORES-LOZANO, Covelo. Domestic assault inflicting corporal injury.

ADAN GARCIA, Ukiah. Intimate touching against the will of the victim, paraphernalia.

JESSE GERMAINE, Little River. Domestic assault, DUI, suspended license, parole violation, probation revocation.

ALAN GRAHAM, Albion. Trespassing.

ANDREW HOLM, Ukiah. Failure to appear, probation revocation.

JAMES KING, Willits. Failure to appear, probation revocation.

TATE MADSON, Willits. Probation revocation.

CYNTHIA PHILLIBER, Ukiah. Drunk in public, resisting, parole violation.

GENE ROEDIGER II, Willits. Controlled substance, failure to appear, probation revocation.

ANTONE WEBB, Sonoma. Failure to appear.

AT&T’S DIGITAL DIVIDE IN CALIFORNIA

by Garrett Strain, Eli Moore, Samir Gambhir

(Mendocino County is among 14 rural California counties in which virtually no household has access to wireline, or fiber-based, broadband at reliable speeds. 39% (9,637) of Mendo have download speeds of less than 6 mbps, the PUC minimum standard, and 24% (8,238 households) have no AT&T broadband as of Dec. 15, 2015, placing it in the bottom 10 among all California counties. Nobody in Mendocino County has access to download speeds of 25/3 mbps, the minimum standard set by the FCC.)

* * *

Intro/Executive Summary:

California is a leader in digital innovation and technology, yet too many California residents are stuck in the slow lane on the information highway, with few competitive options for high-speed broadband. In this report, we focus on broadband availability from AT&T California because it is the largest legacy telephone company in the state, reaching 70.8 percent of California households—approximately 9.7 million households—across its wireline network in 56 counties. AT&T is also the largest telecommunications company in the nation, with revenue of $163.8 billion and profits of $13 billion in 2016.

Californians need high-speed broadband—it is an essential conduit for opportunity, shaping access to education, employment, health services, and other spheres of life. Internet speed matters. More than half of all Internet traffic is now data-rich video, requiring higher capacity networks. All-fiber networks capable of delivering gigabit speeds have become the global standard for Internet connectivity.

With great fanfare, AT&T launched an initiative to build “GigaPower,” fiber-to-the-home networks to 12.5 million customer locations across its 21-state wireline footprint. This report provides the first analysis of the income distribution of AT&T’s initial fiber-to-the-home deployment in California. The analysis uses the most recent data (which presents data as of June 30, 2016) from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and correlates the FCC data with statistics on household income from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

The report also examines more generally AT&T’s advertised wireline broadband services in California. The analysis covers households located within AT&T’s California wireline footprint (i.e. households where AT&T California is an incumbent local exchange carrier). AT&T is the largest telecommunications carrier in California, with a landline network serving 70.8 percent of California households across 56 counties. AT&T is the largest telecommunications company in the United States, with revenue of $163.8 billion and pro ts of $13 billion in 2016.

The data reveals disturbing trends that will exacerbate the digital divide in California. First, AT&T’s initial fiber-to-the-home deployment is disproportionately focused on high-income communities. Second, AT&T has left too many Californians stuck in the slow lane on the information highway, unable to participate fully in the expanding digital economy. Despite its large size and profitability, AT&T has fallen short of providing equitable access to high-speed broadband in California. The major findings from the June 2016 data are as follows:

AT&T’s Initial Fiber-to-the-Home Network Deployment is Concentrated in High-Income CommunitiesThe median household income of California communities with access to AT&T’s fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network is $94,208. This exceeds by $32,297 the $61,911 median household income for all California households in the AT&T wireline footprint.

In contrast, the median household income of California communities for whom the most advanced broadband technology available from AT&T is its slower U-verse fiber-to-the-neighborhood (FTTN) network is $67,021, which is $27,187 (28.9 percent) lower than the median household income of fiber-to-the-home households.

Approximately one-quarter (27.6 percent) of households— about 2.7 million households—in AT&T’s California footprint are stuck with slow DSL. The median household income for California households for whom DSL is the most advanced broadband technology available from AT&T is $53,186, which is $41,022 (43.5 percent) lower than the median household income of fiber-to-the-home households.

Millions of Californians are Underserved by AT&T Broadband

1.7 million households are underserved by AT&T. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) defines communities without access to broadband at a speed of at least 6 Megabits per second (Mbps) download/1.5 Mbps upload as underserved. A full 18.1 percent of California households in AT&T’s wireline footprint—approximately 1.7 million households—lack access to AT&T broadband according to this definition.

4.1 million households are without access

to AT&T high-speed broadband. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) defines high-speed broadband as digital transmission at 25/3 Mbps download/upload. Based on this definition, 42.8 percent of California households in AT&T’s wireline footprint, or approximately 4.1 million households do not have access to AT&T broadband that meets the FCC’s high-speed definition of 25/3 Mbps.

Rural California is left behind by AT&T. In 14 largely rural counties, virtually no household has access to AT&T broadband at the FCC’s 25/3 Mbps speed and one-third or more households are underserved without access to AT&T broadband at 6/1.5 Mbps.

Many urban and suburban Californians are stuck in AT&T’s slow lane. AT&T’s slow speeds are not limited to rural areas. In Los Angeles county, for example, approximately 443,000 households (20.4 percent) in AT&T’s wireline footprint lack access to AT&T broadband at 6/1 Mbps and approximately

1.1 million households (51.5 percent) lack access to AT&T broadband at 25/3 Mbps. In Santa Clara County, the heart of Silicon Valley, approximately 98,000 households (17.5 percent) are underserved by AT&T and approximately 176,000 lack access to AT&T broadband at 25/3 Mbps.

Full Report:

http://haasinstitute.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/haas_broadband_042417-singles.pdf

ON LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY

Get big money out of politics and a lot of this goes away. The people who ostensibly represent us in Washington cannot get elected without wiping the boots of the medical, insurance, finance, and defense industry.

A few minutes ago I watched a video about the launch of the USS Tripoli. It is one of the largest ships in the world called an “amphibious assault vessel. One is already in service and another will be built. The article says the cost was originally 2.38 billion but will be 3.1 billion when it is outfitted.

Who are we planning to assault amphibiously?

How long would it take to blow this thing out of the water with a cruise missile from 1500 miles away.

We waste money on crap we “might” need, but probably will not, and then deny the basic necessities of life to people who need it “now” in order to live.

ITERATIVE PROCESSES

Caltrans Meeting at Albion School Tues May 9 6-8pm

Caltrans and their environmental consultant, ICF, have reserved the Albion Ridge Elementary School for Tuesday, May 9, 2017 from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. to meet with the local community to discuss the Community Impact Assessment (CIA) for the Albion River and Salmon Creek bridge projects. The CIA is an iterative process that will assist in the planning, project development, and decision making throughout the life of both projects. The CIA will include an analysis of the potential impacts that each project alternative would have on the community and identify opportunities to avoid, minimize, and/or mitigate any adverse effects from each alternative. Public involvement is an integral part of the CIA process and we hope that as many community members as possible will be able to attend this very important meeting. Please feel free to submit your questions, comments and concerns, as well as any topics you would care to discuss relative to the CIA process, for the open discussion portion of the meeting.

You may contact Liza Walker, Senior Environmental Planner, at (530) 741-4139, email liza.walker@dot.ca.gov or Frank Demling, Project Manager, (707) 445-6554, frank.demling@dot.ca.gov if you have further questions.

Draft meeting agenda as follows:

• Project Descriptions
• Salmon Creek Project Alternatives
• Albion River Project Alternatives
• Environmental Documents
• Salmon Creek Project Initial Study / Environmental Assessment
• Process and Opportunities for Input
• Albion River Project Environmental Impact Report / Environmental Assessment
• Process and Opportunities for Input
• Review Environmental Resource Categories
• Community Impact Assessment (CIA)
• Project Location
• CIA Study Area
• General Plan Land Use Designations
• ZoningFarmland/TimberlandCommunity Resources
• Request Public Input Regarding Community Resources
• Open Discussion

LEVINE'S RUSSIAN BILL

Editor,

Assemblyman Marc Levine’s Assembly Bill 838 to have the state Board of Education consider developing curricula about Russian interference in the 2016 election brings nothing but shame on the Democratic Party.

Neither the FBI, the CIA nor the National Security Administration have provided any substantial proof that such activity took place.

Assemblyman Levine’s proposal is not a characteristic behavior of a dedicated elected official and only brings shame on all who voted for his election. Unfortunately, I am one.

Conrad R. Walas, Novato

KMEC RADIO

John Sakowicz and Sid Cooperrider interview Ira Helfand, MD, and Greg Mello, Monday, May 8, 1-2pm.

Helfand is past president of Physicians for Social Responsibility and is currently co-president of that group's global federation, the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, recipient of the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize. Mello is executive director of the Los Alamos Study Group and is a leading expert on nuclear policy.

Listen at 105.1 FM in Ukiah, CA. We also stream live from the web at www.kmecradio.org