Letters (June 21, 2017)

• Community Poster Project Enters Final Week
• Citizens For More Pavement
• Socialism Strikes Again
• Bleeding Us Dry
• Pure Steinbeck
• The Captain’s Inheritance
• Have A Car Seat
• One Cranberry Too Many

COMMUNITY POSTER PROJECT ENTERS FINAL WEEK

Editor-

The Community Poster Event is in its final week of accepting the work of our local artists.The work of many younger artists is already on display at Lauren’s. There is still time for the rest of us to compose a masterpiece of word and image that shows our community solidarity.

The format is to choose or create a phrase which expresses empathy across the diverse cultures of our Valley, written in both English and Spanish. A favorite example is “Construimos Puentes, No Paredes. We Build Bridges, not Walls.”

Pre-printed poster blanks are available at the Mosswood and at Lauren’s.

Si, se puede! Yes, you can do it!

Steve Wood for

The Anderson Valley Progressive Action Committee

Boonville

CITIZENS FOR MORE PAVEMENT

To the Editor:

Lovers Lane subdivision project and Mr. Liberty’s letter to the Ukiah Daily Journal on 5/18, and Mr. Selzer 5/19.

Two prosperous businessmen wrote to the UDJ promoting the same project. Coincidental?

These gentlemen sat side-by-side at the Guillon Vineyard Crossing housing development presentation meant to inform neighbors about the proposal to pave over the Lovers’ Lane Vineyard, located north of Lovers Lane in north Ukiah; their proposal is to build 121 single family dwellings on 23 acres of prime agricultural land adjacent to Highway 101.

It is rumored that Mr. Selzer and Mr. Liberty are also members of a group calling itself Ukiah Valley Citizens for Prosperity. It does seem a prosperous group, including its out-of-town developers. But we wonder about their mission especially with this tract home subdivision that will pave prime farmland. What could be the group’s motive beyond solving Ukiah’s housing crisis?

Both Mr. Liberty and Mr. Selzer could benefit handsomely from a Guillon Vineyard Crossing development.

Mr. Liberty seeks to convert his North State fronting industrial property (Factory Pipe-plus) to commercial zoning in contradiction of 2008 resounding rejection of DDR’s mall proposal by county voters. Mr. Selzer (real estate broker) should win big if the Vineyard Crossing subdivision squeaks through the Board of Supervisors.

Help preserve our farmland. Contact your county supervisor today.

David Taxis

Ukiah

SOCIALISM STRIKES AGAIN

Dear Editor,

About six weeks ago while I was in Marseille, France, after suffering about TEN days with some kind of flu (only in my lungs (no headache, no runny nose, no sore throat, no fever), I checked into the emergency room (urgent care) at the Hospital European. I was there from 9 AM to 9 PM (with two hours out for lunch) during which time they did a full blood panel, had me hooked up to various inhalation masks (one was cortisone), did the CAT scan (i.e., spinner) and a did urine test. I finally checked myself out at 9 PM against their wishes. I was 90% better.

They were incredibly kind. (I speak good French which helped.)

The bill? 66 Euros, or about US$73!

France usually comes out number 1, 2 or 3 in universal health care charts. Their taxes pay for this.

We can't we have this?

Thought you might be interested.

Dan Clark

Jenner

BLEEDING US DRY

Editor,

Regarding the new marijuana sitatuion that has arisen. The County wants to put a bunch of restrictions on the types of land where you can or cannot grow marijuana and so forth. It’s state-sponsored, really. They are just wrapping their octopus like tentacles around the people to force the civilians who pay taxes to pay more taxes. That’s the only reason for it all. They don’t care. They just want to make it legal so they can tax it. And that’s that.

It’s the same way with the rest of the state. This Jerry-Brown-operated left-wing liberal admoinistration — if you the people of California allow another left-wing Democratic administration to run this state for eight more years, California will become the biggest shit-hole in the United States if it isn’t already. So keep it up taxpayers until they bleed you dry.

God Bless Donald Trump and Goodbye.

Jerry Philbrick

Comptche

PURE STEINBECK

Letter to the Editor

to Bruce, Mark, Rex Gressett, Bruce McEwen, Malcolm MacDonald:

The last issue (June 14) of the AVA was pure Steinbeck! It was pure literature. It was so fine!!!

An anthology of Mendocino County including our sister counties, managing to touch on a couple of other centuries.

Bruce McEwen doing his beat in his thrift shop jacket spilling his own guts in the middle of his coverage of a petty crime, smack up against his stenographic account of a gruesome crime the County charged as "Neglect".

The piercing journalism (naming names) bled by Rex Gressett of his On-Going Saga with local members of the officious State, as legitimate front page reportage.

Thank you. Send it to Marco to read out loud.

Beth Bosk, New Settler Interview.

Mendocino

THE CAPTAIN’S INHERITANCE

Editor,

Captain Fathom's Fables. On Tuesday we traveled to the Big City, Fort Bragg for shopping, doctor or dentist appointment, etc. My best friend (50 years) is Tammi Diane (the mother Nana of our family). We broke out of Spring Grove in late morning. We had smoked and were moving a wee bit slowly. At the Albion grow in Central Albion. Daphne’s eggs, coffee, perhaps a short smoke and then to the post office. Captain had perhaps $10 in his pocket. Phoebe retrieved the mail. My mail consisted of $9500 (my sister and I were left our parents "condo" in the World of Palm in Poruporu Beach, Florida). Go figure.

Alan "Captain Fathom" Graham

Albion

HAVE A CAR SEAT

Dear Readers,

I am deeply saddened and heartbroken at the overwhelming amount of injustice and abuse being inflicted upon the citizens of our earth.

So just when I thought I could not possibly bear hearing yet another instance of abuse in his great world of hours, I opened the June 7 issue of the AVA and read the letter from Simon Thornton expressing his concern for the cruel manner in which his "uncle" Greg Caudra is being transported to court from the county jail.

Reading Mr. Thornton's letter compels me to finally do what I feel is the right thing. It is with great compassion and empathy that I volunteer my grandson's car seat to the Sheriff's department so that Mr. Caudra can safely be transported to court.

Just trying to do my part!

Respectfully,

Alan Crowe

Soledad

ONE CRANBERRY TOO MANY

Ukiah Natural Foods Co-Op

To: Dorotheya Dorman, Redwood Valley

June 9, 2017, Dear Ms. Dorman,

This letter is your formal notification of your expulsion as a member of the Ukiah Natural Foods Co-Op (UNF).

The Board of Directors (BOD) considered the reasons for your expulsion (consumption theft) at our regularly scheduled meeting of May 15, 2017. In advance of that meeting, the BOD mailed and hand-delivered two letters to you over the past months providing you an opportunity to be heard orally or in writing per the requirements of our bylaws. The BOD invited your attendance at the BOD meeting to discuss this matter with you. You did not attend either meeting nor have you contacted any of the board members regarding this matter.

We have notified you in two prior letters stating that staff have directly spoken to you about your consumption theft and have requested that you stop this behavior. Your inability to follow through with your agreements compelled the BOD to consider your expulsion. As we stated in the letter dated April 19, the Co-op’s bylaws provide for the expulsion of a member for any justifiable reason under section 4.03(a)(5). The BOD hereby provides you notice under section 4.03(c) you are expelled as a member of UNF, effective as of May 20, 2017 and that your equity interest in UNF is being returned to you in the amount of $200. The check is enclosed with this letter.

As per our policies, UNF has the right to refuse service to anyone. You are no longer welcome to shop at the store and should you attempt to do so you will be considered trespassing and staff will take appropriate actions.

In cooperation,

The Board of Directors of Ukiah Natural Foods Co-Op

707-462-4778

721 South State Street, Ukiah, CA 95482

* * *

Previously (AVA, May 17, 2017)

The Case Of The Four Dried Cranberries

Editor,

Replying to the unsigned letter supposedly from the Co-op staff, I want to clarify the inaccuracies and outright falsehood in the letter. Inaccuracies: Only one person has spoken to me about tasting anything at the Co-op, that is the store manager. For tasting four dried cranberries to see if they would be good in the black bean soup, the manager and a male employee swooped down from their upstairs surveillance camera to confront me. Lori asked me to meet her outside the Coop for a lecture on “consumption theft.” I responded that the whole thing was ridiculous. I told the manager that she was petty, that there were more important matters than this. I suggested that she place little taster cups on the counter like other health food stores do. Laurie was adamant, “NO!”

I pointed out that for years she opposed placing a table at the soup bar because” there was no room.” She countered that I was “changing the subject,” as though I should stand there and be scolded like a child. I went back to eat my soup. Her idea is that a customer must look for an employee to hand you the four dried cranberries. According to Lori, the penalty for trying four cranberries is possible expulsion from the Co-op and invalidation of a fully paid lifetime membership in the Co-op, without offering to return my membership fees. Wouldn’t it be preferable to legalize trying the berries in soup with little thimble sized cups? Recently I made the mistake of ordering the lentil soup without tasting. Unfortunately, as happens frequently, the lentils were rock hard. Lentils and beans should be cooked soft or sprouted, not to be chomped on like little soup stones. It would be welcome if the Co-op “staff” would find local soup providers who would respond to customer dissatisfaction with uncooked legumes.

The falsehood: The accusation that I have put my hands into the food bins (without using the scoops) is untrue. Lori would not tell me who was responsible for this statement, only saying that it was another customer. This was either a faulty perception or a barefaced lie. Perhaps the mysterious customer should peruse some of the studies and experiments on accuracy of observation.

Why am I targeted for something so petty, so insignificant? Is it because I openly disagreed with the manager’s decision to replace the old juicer which is incapable of juicing green leafy vegetables with the same machine? An abundance of leafy green vegetables is recommended for people suffering from the lyme disease epidemic. The manager overrode the recommendation of the juice bar employees to purchase a somewhat more expensive cold press juicer, as it would quickly pay for itself. So many decisions in our contemporary society are made because of cost only. Money and profit are trumping the public good across much of the political spectrum from our local supervisors to the congress, senate, president and supreme court. The political class is the moneyed class, so money rules. Our value system needs to be rethought.

I am not the only person targeted for a taste by the Orwellian big brother, big sister upstairs video watchers. Another customer confided in me saying that the Co-op is the only store where he has ever had a problem in his whole life. Fearful of losing access to the Co-op, he did not want to be named. The actual accusation was “Eating your way thru the Co-op and theft, a crime.” To remedy the matter I placed four dried cranberries in a tiny paper cup. The scale would not read such a tiny amount of product, so one of the employees placed a penny on the scale. No reading. Adding a nickel produced a 6 cent reading. Here are some of the figures of money I have spent recently at the Co-op.

4/6/17. $101.72. 4/12/17. $46.18. 4/13/17. $36.21. 5/5/17. $41.00. And 6 cents.

A reminder: Co-op members are Co-op owners.

Sincerely,

Dorotheya M Dorman

Redwood Valley