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Mendocino County Today: Saturday, March 17, 2018

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ADAMANTLY OPPOSED TO CARMEL’S NEW AGENCY

Dear Editor:

Unfortunately, the County is attempting to siphon dedicated Library funds for other departments. The Library Advisory Board (LAB) is adamantly opposed to the the proposed Cultural Services Agency and we need the help of media to alert the public.

Attached is the LAB's statement with our arguments against the CSA.

Interested users and lovers of the Library can help by:

  1. Attend the Board of Supervisor meeting on Tuesday, March 27th where a presentation will be made about the Cultural Services Agency. Give input in the public comment period. Check the county website for the time of the meeting.
  2. Contact your supervisor.
  3. Write a letter to the editor.
  4. Join Friends of the Library groups throughout the County. The Library needs a loud response to the County's attempt to divert Library funds.

Marc Komer

Mendocino County Library Advisory Board, chair

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LAB’S RESPONSE TO THE PROPOSED CULTURAL SERVICES AGENCY (CSA)

A Cultural Services Agency, now under consideration by the County, would incorporate three departments/programs: the Library, Museum, and County Parks. Allegedly, these three existing departments/programs incorporate similar vision and purpose, including providing informational, educational and recreational access to Mendocino County communities. Apparently the County believes that through the potential consolidation of these departments/programs under one administrative umbrella, our community will have greater access to resources. By forming an agency, the County believes it will be better positioned to apply for grants and/or funding streams, will increase administrative efficiency by sharing resources for marketing, finance, outreach programs, and provide the potential for Countywide collaboration between the three departments/programs.

Discussion

Museum: The County has had a checkered history with the County Museum. There are on-going damage control efforts to remediate staff shortages and collections problems at the Museum. Over the course of many years the County has alternately attempted to get rid of the Museum and neglected the Museum ostensibly because this department is small. It could be deduced that this is because the Museum is a drain on the General Fund.

The former director worked in excess of fulltime capacity. Karen Horner has worked as the Interim Director since November spending approximately 20-25% of her time trying to straighten out the problems of the Museum. The CEO’s office has been active in the management as well. Apparently the County was unaware until last year that the Museum had a problem with its director, staff morale and a deteriorating collection.

In order for the Museum to thrive it needs a fulltime dedicated and experienced director to actively safeguard its collection, plan new exhibits, prepare publicity and supervise staff. The proposed CSA with a 10-25% director would abolish the validity of the Museum as a County Department and forfeit its ability to shape itself as a tourist and public entity.

Parks: There are seven parks and public access areas, which are mainly historic properties. The Museum and Parks share a common purpose of preserving the history of the County in that both occupy historic properties that enhance tourism. Parks has never been a separate department and has always been wrapped up in other agencies including the General Services Agency. Currently they are part of Fleet and Facilities, with a budget of $18,000, under the administration of the CEO. In order for the Parks to thrive there must be enhanced promotion and exposure of their resources. The County has provided only janitorial services to the Parks. Otherwise they are nearly neglected. The proposed CSA best suits the combination of the Museum and Parks, without the Library.

Library: The Library is self-funded through its pro-rata share of property tax and Measure A sales tax revenue. By law, these funds are dedicated to the Library. The CEO treats the Library as a County Department, believes that the Library can be administered as such, and that the County has the legal authority to fold the Library into the proposed CSA. This may be contrary to California Code if the Grand Jury’s finding are correct. (See GJ Report 2013-14, pages 8-9; Education Code §19146).On several occasions the County has improperly charged the Library for A-87 reimbursement on fully depreciated equipment. The Fort Bragg Branch insurance funded facility and the Willits Branch’s grant funded facility are two examples of improper charges to the Library. It took two Grand Jury Reports and two years for the County to refund $24,000 for building use charges and $31,000 for equipment charges to the Fort Bragg and Willits branches. Additionally, the County refuses to even consider that the Library Director’s salary should be paid by the County as explicitly stated in the Education Code. Prior to the passage of Measure A, the Board of Supervisors considered closing the Willits Branch and the Bookmobile. The Library had no budget for materials. The branches were open only three days per week. Measure A, approved by 75% of the voters, reversed this dire condition.

Library Director Karen Horner and her staff have put considerable effort into trying to correct the myriad problems at the Museum. Ms. Horner believes she will be able to manage the Museum as if it were a library branch. She is currently devoting approximately 25% of her and staff time but intends to reduce it in the future. The LAB understands that some of the impetus for the Library Director’s embrace of the CSA has three components:

[1] Working conditions for the library ad/min staff at the Ukiah branch are difficult. The back area of the Ukiah Branch is cramped, without privacy, and with constant disruption. Ms. Horner believes that an upstairs office in the museum could be used for ad/min offices.

[2] Ms. Horner believes with the creation of the CSA the County might supplement the proposed agency with new ad/min employees.

[3] It is likely the CSA Director will have an enhanced salary for the director.

Ms. Horner believes the Museum does not need a dedicated director. Instead, she feels a curator and a part-time director or “branch-head” with staff will be sufficient.

Arguments Against The Proposed Cultural Services Agency

[1] Today we have a thriving library system but the future of the library is contingent on a renewal of Measure A funding in 2027. Any actual or perceived co-mingling, diverting or misuse of the Library’s dedicated funding or library reserve fund will detrimentally affect the passage of voter approved future library funding, thus returning the Library to its pre-2011 crisis condition.

[2] The Library deserves the time and attention of a fulltime Library Director. Additional ad/min staff should be hired on as needed basis. Library staffing is not contingent on a proposed CSA. There is no reason the Museum facilities could not be used now by the Library for office space without being part of a CSA. Agencies often rent space to each other. The best intentions of the County to safeguard proper use of Library funds in the proposed agency budget would be impossible to track and would lead to public mistrust.

[3] It is likely that what the CEO means by [the agency] will have “greater access [to] shared resources” is that the Museum and Parks will have the potential to utilize Library funds through ambiguous accounting and unspecified co-mingled costs of ad/min and A-87 expenditures. The County’s opaque accounting practices, past attempts to inaccurately assess A-87 charges and refusal to consider following state law regarding the proper source of the Director’s salary are reasons to doubt the intentions of the County in its attempt to combine the Library with the Museum and Parks into an agency. The Library, Museum and Parks have disparate missions and volume of public use. The Library had a door count of approximately 417,000 in 2017, while the Museum had approximately 8,000-10,000 visitors in 2017, including special events. The Library is free while the Museum requests an admission fee. The Library and Museum provide educational opportunities but have differing use of resources. Their appeal is not congruent. Libraries are dynamic. They strive to adapt to charging community needs and serve as vibrant community centers. The Museum’s mission is the preservation of historical artifacts. It is a tourist destination and a resource for County residents. Our Parks are mainly gifted properties to the County and have more in common with the Museum as historic sites with limited use as recreational facilities. Both the Museum and Parks clearly need attention and deserve dedicated leadership to improve, maintain and promote the use of their assets and properties.

[4] It is dubious logic that says that combining the Museum with the Library and Parks will serve the public any better than they are now. It is feasible for any of the three to work on joint grants and programs now. We believe the Library, Museum and Parks are and have been capable of applying for grants independently and have no need for affiliation. For example, the Bookmobile was procured in part by a Department of Agriculture grant with the strong support of Supervisor Brown. Outreach can be accomplished collaboratively between agencies. There does not need to be a combined agency or budget. There is no evidence that demonstrates that combining departments/programs is a more effective management system in providing services to communities. The proposed CSA is contingent on a convenient and reductionist approach rather than being a forward thinking structural change that takes into account the best interests of the Library, Museum and Parks.

Conclusions

The LAB believes the proposed Cultural Services Agency will harm the Library for the following reasons:

[1] Jeopardize future library funding.

[2] Reduce the director and ad/min staff to part-time with diminished focus on library services and programs.

[3] Loss of control of the library budget and library reserve fund through the potential for co-mingling and improper use of dedicated library funds.

[4] Prop up the Museum and Parks at the Library's expense.

[5] Less effective administration and loss of services.

We advise The Board Of Supervisors To Reject The Proposed Cultural Services Agency.

Submitted by the Mendocino County Library Advisory Board

Marc Komer, Chair

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IT’S A PARK, NOT PARKING

Editor,

I’d like to call your attention to plans for the Regional Park just east of Fort Bragg. You may remember that several plans have been presented over 20 years; including a golf course, playing fields, hiking and biking paths, and habitat protection. The Regional Park is 586 acres and is owned by the Mendocino Coast Recreation & Parks District, supported by county taxes.

The Plan now being put forward is to convert the entire park into an Off Highway Vehicle Park (OHV Park) with training areas, a campground and a network of OHV trails. Two grants have already been obtained, altho none of the work has been done. An EIR is being prepared with just these activities, none of the recreational activities that were originally proposed or requested by residents.

The Sierra Club feels that designating the entire park as an OHV Park will discourage all other activities and cause unintended destruction of the sensitive habitats (Pygmy Forest and Northern Bishop Pine Forest) as well as threatening sediment pollution of the Newman Gulch headwaters and reservoir. The sensitive habitat areas also include wetlands and a sphagnum bog.

The additional recreation facilities included earlier, playing fields, tennis courts, picnic areas and hiking & bike trails are very important to include more of the local interested public. At the very least, alternative recreation activities should be included in the EIR and Master Plan.

General comments can be sent to the Exec. Director Dan Keys at dkeyes @MCRPD.US, 964-9446, ext. 102

Discussion of the wisdom of converting the Regional Park to an OHV Park can be addressed to the Board of Directors of the Park District, at the same address. If this is not discussed now, the momentum will take it forward, and the park will be lost to the 90% of us who don’t ride off-road vehicles.

Address is Mr. Dan Keyes, District Administrator, Mendocino Coast Recreation and Parks District, 300 South Lincoln Street, Fort Bragg CA 95437. Email to dkeyes@mcrpd.us.

Thank you for your attention to this important development of our park.

Rixanne Wehren
Sierra Club, Mendocino Group
Coastal Committee

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PUDDING CREEK MEETS THE OCEAN

(Click to enlarge)

(Photo by Judy Valadao)

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COSTCO

by John Arteaga

Boy, things are certainly hopping in our sleepy little burg of Ukiah these days; while the serious construction pros, who apparently have done this before, assemble the gigantic new Costco structure at the south end of town with impressive speed, what appears to be a very well thought out design and construction of a large new winery building is taking shape at the other end of town, on that long underutilized Masonite property.

Now we’re hearing about something finally being done with that long-vacant property known as the Brush Street triangle; it’s hard to imagine more deserving beneficiaries of this new low cost housing than those agricultural workers who are so essential to a large part of the county’s economy. I am sure that many of those folks have been finding it harder and harder to find affordable rental homes in Mendocino County.

On the subject of affordable housing, I was sufficiently shocked by the prospect of the disappearance of the Class K building regs, that I attended a Board of Supervisors meeting last week in hopes of adding my voice to the many others who were outraged by the prospect of losing this vital set of rights for owner-builders. It came as a great relief when the board chair, Dan Hamburg, assured those who had come to give public feedback, that the board already had at least three votes against the most costly and unnecessary alteration of the Class K codes; requiring interior sprinkler systems in all new construction. I have never heard of anyone being saved by such a system (which would do nothing to stop a fire burning the house from the outside), but I’ve known several buildings to have been severely damaged by frozen broken pipes while people are away on winter vacations.

Boy, is that an impressive piece of concrete work they just finished pouring down at the Talmage off ramp? Quite a footing they put under that thing; it looks like it’s going to be there for the next millennium or two. I was worried for a while that the infrastructure improvements on that off ramp and on the Airport Park Boulevard would not be ready for the soon to open Costco, but with the agreeable weather it seems like they’re going to ‘git ‘er done’ on time.

One project that I am delighted to see stalled is that new County Courthouse, which is slated for construction down by the old train station; this boondoggle, wherein perhaps $100 million of the California taxpayers’ money may be squandered, instead of spending the $7 million or so to address the shortcomings of the present courthouse, is not only an obscene waste of public resources that could be spent much more fruitfully, but will actually do damage to the whole downtown; the layout of all of the professional offices that depend upon frequent access to the courthouse, has been established, over time, close to the courthouse. It is hard to overstate the beneficial effect that all of these business people and their clients being able to walk to the courthouse has upon the various retailers downtown; restaurants, bookstores, clothing stores etc. all depend on that foot traffic for their livelihood. Mendo’s hard-working DA Eyster has taken the unusual step of expressing his displeasure with the prospect of having to schlep the reams of documents they routinely handle, out to cars, find parking and from those cars into the new courthouse (few will make the short hike, especially when it’s 100 degrees or raining outside). Even though it’s ‘free money’ (the state’s money is our tax money too), I think we would be better off in the long run turning it down and reworking the existing courthouse, homely though it may be, rather than putting our economically struggling downtown through the trauma that the relocation of the courthouse would undoubtedly cause.

As for our political infrastructure; the sudden legalization of that formerly illicit plant which has long provided the economic bedrock of our local economy, reminds one of the old saw, “look out what you wish for, you might get it.”

Just trying to gain a rough idea about all the different requirements and regulations is enough to give one a headache. Why is it that so many people in the positions where rules and regulations are concocted feel that everything must be controlled and all risk eliminated? This kind of thinking is what leads to the regulatory disaster we are witnessing in the county these days; while the small time, eco-aware ‘mom and pop’ growers are being priced out of even attempting to pass legal muster, will they be replaced by deep pocket corporate entities growing huge swaths of weed, to be tended by serf-like workers? Will regulators find it more convenient to oversee massive indoor grows, even though their consumption of electricity is obscene?

This is the blessing and the curse of legalization; hard as it is to imagine what reasonable regulations would look like, I was certainly happy to read about John Pinches, (who I always thought was the most practical and grounded supervisor I’d ever seen), saying that he could write the regulations on the back of a bar napkin. Can’t wait to read that napkin. That’s the kind of thinking that we need to get through all kinds of problems in this county, whether pot regulation, building codes or town planning.

(John Arteaga is a Ukiah resident.)

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LITTLE DOG SAYS, “Skrag says to me, ‘Shorty, you need a new bark. Your yap-yap is annoying. Take it up an octave and maybe you'll be a 'Yap-a-doodle'!’ Every day a new provocation from that deadbeat.”

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POT POLITICS. Now that marijuana is more or less legalized, we expect a post-prohibition political environment to kick in similar to the one that kicked in in the 30s when alcohol prohibition was lifted. Recall that booze prohibition had been national, but when booze was re-legalized regulation went back to the states. A similar arrangement is emerging for marijuana. When booze prohibition ended, states came up with their own patchwork of regulatory and taxation schemes, which are to this day are still evolving almost 100 years later. And that “evolution” comes at a price to the industry.

EVERY YEAR we see state politicians proposing adjustments to booze regulation, most of which the drinking public could care less about. But the booze makers, distributors and sellers? Oh yes, they care. It’s a de-facto pay to play arrangement where politicians can pretend to be proposing “improvements” to booze regulations (right down to the size of bottles, percentages of alcohol, and what you can have in your car and where, what taxes apply where and on what step in production, etc.) while claiming it’s some kind of public benefit, when in living fact it’s just a gift to the industry that supports political campaigns with cash (cf the Northcoast's career officeholders at the state level).

WITH THE RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT that some state pols are considering tax reductions to help the “fledgling marijuana industry,” we see the early stages of the same thing we saw with booze legalization and regulation. It won’t be long before pot regulation will become as big a political industry as booze regulation always has been. Meanwhile… Well, pick your rolling, unaddressed catastrophe.

(Mark Scaramella)

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NOTES (they don’t call them “minutes” any more) from the February 21 meeting of the Mendocino County Association of Fire Districts are finally floating around. The meeting was held in Anderson Valley, with representatives of most of the County’s 20-some fire districts and departments and fire “companies” in attendance. CEO Carmel Angelo and Supervisor John McCowen, fresh off their joint (sic) botch-up of pot policy, were also on-hand. Most of the discussion was about what to do after Mendo separates itself from Sonoma County’s Coastal Valley EMS operation (which we’ve discussed in some detail previously) — Mendo (i.e., Angelo) is not happy with the lack of service they got during the Redwood Complex Fire or with the continuing delays in the processing of the Exclusive (ambulance) Operating Area implementation.

ONE OF THE sub-conversations was about what kind of revenues fire departments can expect from pot taxes (as called for in last year’s pot tax and regulation measure approved by County voters). Answer, according to the unbylined notes: “Short term benefits from current County cannabis taxes appear quite dim.”

(Mark Scaramella)

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OF COURSE YOU DO, STEVE: "During a stop on his European tour, former White House chief strategist and ex-Breitbart boss Steve Bannon admitted that he is a big fan of Benito Mussolini — and he no longer speaks to President Trump. “He was clearly loved by women. He was a guy’s guy. He has all that virility,” Bannon told The Spectator of the Italian fascist dictator. “He also had amazing fashion sense, right, that whole thing with the uniforms. I’m fascinated by Mussolini.” Bannon also said that he “hated every day” that he was in the White House. “I’m not a staffer,” he said. When asked if he still spoke to President Trump, he responded, “Our lawyers talk because it’s the middle of an investigation. I don’t talk to the president... because it’s better that we don’t chat.” Bannon took his populists beliefs to Zurich to make a speech on Tuesday after he spent some time in Italy to observe its elections and Europe’s “populist surge.” When asked if populism is the new fascism, he replied, “This is all theoretical bullshit. I don’t know. Populism, fascism — who cares? It’s a media smear of the populist movement.”

(The Spectator)

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MARK SCARAMELLA ADDS: It may be an urban legend, but the way I heard it was that back in the 30s as Mussolini was building his fascist power base he proposed draconian means to get rid of socialists and communists who were making it hard for him to implement his corporate/fascist agenda. One of Mussolini’s political advisors told Mussolini that “I don’t think the people will support that kind of thing.” Mussolini replied, “That’s what newspapers are for! Tell them what to write!”

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NOYO

(Click to enlarge)

(Photo by Dick Whetstone)

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ELECTION NOTES: With the entry of Dave Roderick into the 5th District Supe's race, the sprawling jurisdiction, for the first time in many years, if ever, is seeing candidates from each of its antipodes. Historically, the Mendocino Coast has elected the Fifth's supervisor. Even prior to the dominance of conservative liberals based in Albion, Mendocino, and Anderson Valley, the Mendocino Coast sent Joe Scaramella of Point Arena and Ted Galletti of Elk over the hill to Ukiah to represent the far flung Fifth.

FROM his public statements it's clear that Hopland's Roderick is more in the tradition of Scaramella and Galletti than he is, say, Norman deVall, Charles Peterson or Dan Hamburg. Ditto for candidates Rodier and Juhl. Rodier lives in Upper Hopland at Russian River estates between Hopland and Ukiah, and farms grapes and olives in the Alexander Valley. Juhl, 75, is retired from a varied and highly successful employed life in Gualala.

CANDIDATES Williams and Skyhawk live in Albion which, along with the precious hamlet of Mendocino, is Mendolib's ground zero. They are more in the tradition of deVall and current 5th District supervisor, Dan Hamburg, although Skyhawk is more in the conservative liberal tradition of Hamburg than the younger Williams.

WILLIAMS' statements run more to the practical than the ideal. From our Boonville bunker we would say Williams is the guy to beat in the 5th, although the libs seem split between him and Skyhawk.

NONE of the Fifth's candidates are well known, or known at all, outside their home areas, although Williams, Skyhawk and Roderick are known by their work as firefighters to the county-wide firefighting companies. All five are running hard, no recreational politicos in this one.

THE THIRD DISTRICT is the wild, heavily outlaw country that includes Willits but runs deep into the outbacks of Covelo and Laytonville. The 3rd has also drawn a crowded field of candidates dominated by the popular former supervisor, John Pinches.

OUR WILLITS' sources tell us that Cyndee Logan, a Willits realtor, "has her signs up everywhere and has a lot of support, at least in Willits." Two Willits teachers, John Haschak and Shawna Jeavons seem to be popular with lots of libs, while Suzy Barsotti and Pam Elizondo of Laytonville, and Tony Tucker of Covelo, have not yet made much or any impression on the scattered public's consciousness.

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TWO INJURED IN FIRE AT ALBION RIVER INN

An early morning fire Friday at the Albion River Inn on the Mendocino Coast, sent two people to the hospital for smoke inhalation and forced the hasty evacuation of multiple guests, though firefighters managed to confine the flames to a single cottage unit, officials said.

The blaze was reported around 1:40 a.m. at the 10-acre bluff top property on Highway 1 at the mouth of the Albion River, located about 7 miles south of the town of Mendocino, Cal Fire Capt. Sean Farrelle said.

The cottage, one of about a dozen strung along the bluff, was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived, officials said.

Albion-Little River Fire Chief Ted Williams said the two occupants had escaped, and firefighters focused on preventing flames from spreading to neighboring structures.

(Click to enlarge)

(Photo, courtesy MendocinoSportsPlus)

Containment was only possible because of a new engine purchased through a 2014 parcel tax, and equipped to apply compressed-air fire-suppressant foam that can be made without much water, which is often in short supply in rural areas, Williams said.

Despite help from fire agencies in neighboring communities, including Mendocino and Elk, firefighters also called in Mendocino County sheriff’s deputies to assist with evacuating people, Williams said.

Williams said propane was used to heat the cottage but said the cause of the fire was undetermined and remained under investigation.

(Courtesy, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat)

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ED NOTES

JAMES CONAWAY'S latest book is called Napa at Last Light: American’s Eden in an Age of Calamity. The author has written several books on Napa's wine industry, this latest one highly critical of the ecological and sociological damage done to the Napa Valley by the Golden Horde, the billionaires who descended on Napa over the past quarter century and have since converted the once bucolic farming community into a garishly over-crowded tourist trap pegged to a wine theme.

HERE IN THE ANDERSON VALLEY, the Golden Horde is so far fairly subdued, but they're here, fouling the hillsides and ridgetops with apparently endless vineyards, and as has happened in Napa and areas of Sonoma County, they, the Golden Ones, have diverted and often sucked dry the hundreds of Valley streams that put the water in our watersheds.

THERE ARE LOTS of little guy wineries who try to farm responsibly, but the big boys engage in a heavily industrialized production process dependent on herbicides and pesticides, and when's the last time you've seen a frog anywhere near a major vineyard?

FORTUNATELY for the Anderson Valley, we remain so rural that we don't have the infrastructure — large-scale water and sewage systems — that made it easy for the super-rich to destroy the Napa Valley where all they had to do is arrive and buy up the place. Fortunately for the Ukiah Valley it's so deficient in so many ways the Golden Horde finds it so unattractive they are unlikely to buy in.

BUT THE WINE INDUSTRY dominates Mendocino County, and all the elected apparatuses from the Supervisors to city councils are auto-yes vote for whatever the wine and tourist industry wants. And, of course, elected people at the state and federal level — Huffman, Wood and McGuire — are wholly owned subsidiaries of the wine industry.

AS THE DROUGHT kicks back in, expect the fighting over water to intensify, especially in the Ukiah Valley where wine reps have gotten themselves placed on the requisite boards of directors to make sure their industry retains first dibs on water's finite supply.

FOR PEOPLE who advertise the Anderson Valley as "the unhurried Napa Valley," and even look forward to a version of Napa here, Conaway's book should be a cautionary tale.

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MENDOCINO COUNTY WINERY HITS THE MARKET FOR $5.4 MILLION

Are you ready to live the Wine Country dream? A Mediterranean style vineyard estate is on the market in Hopland.

http://realestate.blogs.pressdemocrat.com/20877/hopland-hottie-topel-winery-in-mendocino-county-hits-the-market-at-5-4m/

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CRAZY BOB

On March 15, 2018, at about 11:00 AM, staff at Mendocino High School on Ford Street in Mendocino saw an adult male clad in a black raincoat and rain pants walking across the campus. This subject walked across the campus, while school was in session, loudly yelling death threats and obscenities. School staff called 911 and tracked the subject as he walked across the campus, across the sports field, and into a wooded area off campus.

Fielden

Mendocino County Sheriff's Deputies arrived and, based on the excellent description of the suspect provided by school staff, recognized that the suspect is a local transient, Robert Fielden, 44. Deputies were assisted by several California State Parks Rangers and a California Fish and Wildlife Warden in diligently searching for Fielden and he was not located in the area of the school. Mendocino County Deputies continued to search for Fielden and he was eventually located on 03.16.18, at approximately 0744 hours, in downtown Mendocino. Fielden was arrested without incident for violation of 422 PC (Criminal Threats) and has been lodged at the Mendocino County Jail with bail set at $20,000

(Sheriff’s Press Release)

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IDES OF MARCH

[March 15]

Dear Families,

A transient walked through campus toward the headlands today yelling threats and nonsensical statements. Staff immediately reacted and law enforcement was contacted. The individual is known to law enforcement and not considered a threat. No students or staff were ever in danger and there was no need to initiate a lockdown.

Law enforcement is continuing to watch the area to ensure there is no further disturbance from the individual. Please rely on updates from me, should there be any, rather than on social media.

Thank you,

Tobin Hahn

Principal, Mendocino High School

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 [March 16]

Good morning,

The transient who walked through campus yesterday has been arrested and taken into custody. I want to reiterate that the individual did not enter any buildings or have contact with or engage any staff or students. The individual walked between MCHS and MHS and onto the soccer field before continuing to the headlands. We are thankful for our local law enforcement for their quick response and follow up.

Please direct any questions or concerns to me. These things tend to take on a life of their own through social media and I would be happy to clarify any confusion.

Thank you,

Tobin

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CATCH OF THE DAY, March 16, 2018

Alarcon, Bautista, Dille

AARON ALARCON, Covelo. DUI.

ISRAEL BAUTISTA, Redwood Valley. Pot cultivation conspiracy, possession of money for illegal use, conspiracy.

JAMILEH DILLE, Ukiah. Under influence, probation revocation.

Edwards, Fouche, Giustie, Maestas

MATTHEW EDWARDS, Lagunitas/Ukiah. DUI.

RANDY FOUCHE, Fort Bragg. Domestic battery, assault with deadly weapon not a gun, theft of utilities, shoplifting, controlled substance, failure to appear.

DAVID GIUSTI, Fort Bragg. Disorderly conduct-alcohol. (Frequent flyer.)

HIEDI MAESTAS, Covelo. Petty theft.

Nelson, Taylor, Wright

EVAN NELSON, Ukiah. Domestic abuse, probation revocation.

HUBERT TAYLOR III, El Sobrante/Domestic abuse, probation revocation.

ANDREA WRIGHT, Ukiah. Probation revocation.

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THERE IS FOUND a third level of religious experience, even if it is seldom found in a pure form. I will call it the cosmic religious sense. This is hard to make clear to those who do not experience it, since it does not involve an anthropomorphic idea of God; the individual feels the vanity of human desires and aims, and the nobility and marvelous order which are revealed in nature and in the world of thought. He feels the individual destiny as an imprisonment and seeks to experience the totality of existence as a unity full of significance. Indications of this cosmic religious sense can be found even on earlier levels of development — for example, in the Psalms of David and in the Prophets. The cosmic element is much stronger in Buddhism, as, in particular, Schopenhauer’s magnificent essays have shown us. The religious geniuses of all times have been distinguished by this cosmic religious sense, which recognizes neither dogmas nor God made in man’s image. Consequently there cannot be a church whose chief doctrines are based on the cosmic religious experience. It comes about, therefore, that we find precisely among the heretics of all ages men who were inspired by this highest religious experience; often they appeared to their contemporaries as atheists, but sometimes also as saints.

— Albert Einstein, Religion and Science

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ON LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY

Science’s problem is that as far back as they are trying to explain what happened, they run up against a wall. The Big Bang started from a singularity, ie 0 dimension, infinite mass. Where did that come from? And if you explain that, where did that come from? Somewhere, sometime, if time really exists, something had to go POOF! POOF is God in whatever form you want to conceive.

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THE FOREST QUEEN assesses Humboldt County:

Missing on both sides of my road all the way in – wild lilacs and berries all the way around the corner from Martin & Shirley’s. Missing on 36 across from the Carlotta Post Office – California poppies. Missing going west up the hill towards Hydesville - the wild sweet peas. Missing are the Van Duzen River Grange words across the front of Humboldt’s largest gathering hall built to protect The Land. Missing out of the Van Duzen River just slightly east of the Post Office are tons and tons of river rock – just being stashed here and there til plants and grasses grow on the mounds of gravel. Added: one big SOIL sign – across from the vacant grange. According to Humboldt’s upstairs-in-the-library’ history books . . .Carlotta was known as the heart of the redwoods. She was complete w/coach and railroad stops, hotel, food, supplies. The soil here was especially praised.

Missing are the cali-lilies in Hydesville, on the right side just before you do a sharp right and go down hill. A big gully that was year-round green and lush with the most beautiful huge white lilies.

Missing in front of 825 Fifth Street, Eureka; every snippet of vegetation (except for a patch of grass and a couple of palm trees) is gone!

A big corner tree that was by the steps, a bunch of cypress (all wet in the winters and hard to navigate through; they were so thick on the short-cut around the corner to the court file office), here a palm, there a palm, flowers, (both annual and deciduous), ferns, and even the post with a small sign - that i Super glued my signs over (even a front page picture of one in Times Standard!).

* * *

I THINK THAT THE WAY WOMEN DRESS is also ultimately undermining the seriousness with which men take them … I love sexy clothing, but I'm saying women really need to look at themselves and realize, when you are dressing with short skirts, bare legs and stiletto heels in a professional workplace, you are saying that your sexuality is part of your power … I'm not saying stop wearing that sexualizing clothing. I'm saying, you cannot just offer yourself as an ornament.

— Camille Paglia

* * *

MEMO OF THE WEEK

Peace And Freedom Party

From: sclsf@sonic.net
To: kevinakin1950@hotmail.com
Sent: Friday, March 16, 2018 4:14 PM
Subject: Allegation that someone hacked my email account is untrue

Dear Kevin Akin,

I request that you inform the Officers' meeting that I myself sent my email about C.T. Weber on or about February 9. No one sent it for me or on my behalf. Anyone making this allegation is an idiot!

Have you asked Weber about his behavior, or are you just blaming the victim? I worked very hard to have P&FP declare itself a Feminist-Socialist party back in the '70s. Weber not only opposed this move but left Party activity for several years. A feminist he has never been! Or a socialist either, except for the time he wore a National Socialist German Workers' Party uniform.

I find your proposal to bring me before a Kafka Court laughable. I have better things to do, like promoting Left unity, instead of participating in the gradual falling apart of what could once have been a creditable ballot alternative.

Not only have you probably not bothered to ask Weber about the charges I raised about his sexual assault and battery upon me or about Dina Padilla, but you will probably never do so. However, Dina and I are entitled to his responses and your failure to provide them simply shows your fundamental ignorance of due process.

This is just more of the same anti-female bias you displayed in sticking up for that child molester Frank Runninghorse (Steven Bruce Orcutt). PF&P included in leadership a person who had to register for life as a sex offender and then blamed his victim, a black 14 year old, calling her a whore. What a fine example of a commitment to women's liberation and social justice you all displayed!

I understand Marsha Feinland is hot on my case. She should be concerned because her late unlamented hubby was also a Mr. Handsy, well known to women in the party. Almost everyone who has been in the party for more than 20 years knows Weber's reputation as a womanizer. Unfortunately, the Party has had too many of these guys over the decades. And times up!

Toni Novak, Sonoma County

* * *

AMERICANS SUPPORT TORTURE

The American public supports torture by a pretty wide margin, and Republicans support it almost unanimously. This means there’s really not much reason for anyone to feel ashamed about it or to think it will hurt their reputation or their ability to work in government.

(Click to enlarge)

The bottom half of the poll graphic explains why so many people feel this way: they’re scared.

This is hard for people like me to understand: It never even occurs to me to feel scared in any of the situations they asked about. At airports I mostly feel annoyed. At movies I mostly wish Hollywood made better stuff. At sporting events I wish the guy in front of me wasn’t wearing a big hat.

But scared people support bad policies. They support interning people of Japanese ancestry. They support napalm and carpet bombing. And they support torture. The only way to change this is to figure out a way to make people less scared. Obviously we haven’t done that yet.

Kevin Drum, Mother Jones

* * *

PACIFIC FISHERY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL CHOOSES OPTIONS FOR 2018 SALMON SEASON

Rohnert Park, California – The Pacific Fishery Management Council has adopted for public review three alternatives for the 2018 salmon seasons off the West Coast of the United States. The Council will select a final alternative at their next meeting in Portland, Oregon April 6-11. Detailed information about season starting dates, areas open, and catch limits for all three alternatives are available on the Council’s website at www.pcouncil.org.

Fisheries north of Cape Falcon (in northern Oregon) are limited by the need to reduce catch of lower Columbia natural tule Chinook and coho stocks of concern. Additionally, three stocks of coho (Queets River, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Snohomish) currently meet the criteria for overfished status, which is also a concern when structuring 2018 fisheries. The Council also provided guidance to structure ocean fisheries so that the ocean escapement of Columbia River upriver bright fall Chinook is at least 200,000 fish, which will allow more access to that healthy stock in Columbia River treaty Indian and non-Indian fisheries.

Fisheries south of Cape Falcon are limited by the need to reduce catch of Oregon Coast natural coho, Klamath River fall Chinook, Sacramento River fall Chinook, and Rouge/Klamath coho. Klamath River fall Chinook and Sacramento River fall Chinook contribute significantly to ocean harvest, but both met the criteria for overfished status as a result of poor returns over the past three years. However, the forecast for Klamath River fall Chinook is substantially improved over last year, and both stocks are projected to meet their spawning escapement objectives under this year’s management alternatives.

“Although some abundance forecasts are improved over last year, the 2018 salmon runs still present a challenge for ocean fishermen and managers throughout the west coast,” said Executive Director Chuck Tracy. “In the north, low returns of some Puget Sound and Washington coastal coho runs and lower Columbia River natural tule fall Chinook will constrain fisheries. In the south, the conservation needs of Sacramento River fall Chinook and Rogue/Klamath coho will constrain fisheries.”

“Once again, the Council adopted a range of management alternatives for public review designed to conserve and rebuild a broad range of Chinook and coho stocks of concern. Commercial and recreational fisheries will face restrictions in areas along the entire west coast in response to the Council’s conservation efforts” said Council Chair Phil Anderson.

Northern Oregon and Washington (north of Cape Falcon)

Sport season alternatives

Ocean sport fishery alternatives north of Cape Falcon in Oregon and off the Washington coast include Chinook recreational quotas ranging from 22,500 to 32,500, a decrease from 2017. For coho, recreational quotas range from 16,800 to 42,000 hatchery coho, compared to 42,000 in 2017. Starting dates range from June 23 to July 1, and in all alternatives, recreational fisheries are scheduled to run through early September. Both coho and Chinook retention are allowed in all alternatives.

Commercial season alternatives

Non-Indian ocean commercial fishery alternatives north of Cape Falcon include traditional Chinook seasons between May and September. Chinook quotas for all areas and times range from 22,500 to 32,500, compared to 45,000 in 2017. Coho quotas in the commercial fishery alternatives range from 3,200 to 5,600 marked coho, similar to 2017.

Tribal ocean fisheries north of Cape Falcon

Chinook and coho quotas for tribal ocean fishery alternatives range from 30,000 to 50,000 for Chinook salmon, and from 12,500 to 40,000 for coho. Seasons open May 1 and run through September 15.

California and southern Oregon (south of Cape Falcon)

Sport season alternatives

Chinook fishing in the Tillamook, Newport, and Coos Bay areas all open March 15 and run continuously through October 31.

Oregon ocean recreational alternatives include mark-selective coho fishing seasons starting in late June and running through mid-August or Labor Day Weekend in the area between Cape Falcon and Humbug Mt. Quotas range from 20,000 to 40,000 marked coho. In addition, non-mark-selective fisheries are proposed for the area between Cape Falcon and Humbug Mt. in September, with quotas of 4,500 to 9,800 coho.

Due to improved forecasts of Klamath River fall Chinook abundance in 2018 compared to 2017, the Klamath Management Zone was reopened in both California and Oregon this year.

Ocean sport fishing is restricted below Horse Mountain, California compared to recent years, due to the stock status of Sacramento River fall Chinook. Alternatives for 2018 fisheries were structured to allow for spawning escapement in excess of what is required under the Salmon Fishery Management Plan in an effort to begin the rebuilding process for both Klamath River fall Chinook and Sacramento River fall Chinook.

Commercial season alternatives

Commercial season alternatives south of Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt. are constrained this year to protect Sacramento and Klamath River fall Chinook. Chinook salmon seasons open May through October with closed periods in May through August.

The commercial alternatives reopen salmon fishing in both the California and Oregon sectors of the Klamath Management Zone this year, although the Oregon portion is closed in Alternative III. Fishing opportunity is provided primarily by a range of monthly Chinook quotas between May and September.

Commercial season alternatives south of the Klamath Management Zone are also restricted this year to protect Sacramento River fall Chinook. All areas are limited to about two to three months of fishing or less.

Management Process

Public hearings to receive input on the alternatives are scheduled for March 26 in Westport, Washington and Coos Bay, Oregon, and for March 27 in Salinas, California. The Council will consult with scientists, hear public comment, revise preliminary decisions, and choose a final alternative at its meeting April 6-11 in Portland, Oregon.

The Council will forward its final season recommendations to National Marine Fisheries Service for its approval and implementation by May 1.

All Council meetings are open to the public.

Council Role

The Pacific Fishery Management Council is one of eight regional fishery management councils established by the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976 for the purpose of managing fisheries 3-200 miles offshore of the United States of America coastline. The Pacific Council recommends management measures for fisheries off the coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington.

* * *

On the Web

Pacific Fishery Management Council: http://www.pcouncil.org

Draft Alternatives for 2018 salmon management: https://www.pcouncil.org/2018/03/52933/draft-council-adopted-salmon-management-measures-tables-for-public-review-from-march-2018-pfmc-meeting/

Final Alternatives and analyses of the biological and socioeconomic impacts will be posted on the Council web page in the near future (on or about March 22).Description of 2018 salmon management process: http://www.pcouncil.org/salmon/current-season-management/

Fact sheet: Salmon: http://www.pcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/17-Salmon-August-2017.pdf

Fact sheet: Common Terms Used in Salmon Management: http://www.pcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/19-Salmon-common-terms-July-2017-NEW-FORMATx.pdf

* * *

* * *

DRUMS ALONG THE POTOMAC

by James Kunstler

The amateur psychologist in me suspects that the more the USA heaps Russia with censorious opprobrium and punishments, the closer this floundering polity actually is to completely losing its shit. Friday morning’s front-page headline in The New York Times appears to have been written by Pee Wee Herman:

I can just hear Vlad Putin blowing a raspberry out of the Kremlin: “Nyah, nyah, nyah… I know you are, but what am I…?” We’re also informed today by that august journal that U.S. Accuses Russia in Cyberattacks on Power Plants. (Oh, wait a second, they changed the headline at 8:02 to Russia Wormed Its Way Into Access at Power Plants, U.S. Says.) Hmmmm… well, the amateur detective in me suspects that A) this is exactly the kind of bullshit that US intel excels at making up; plus B) the public was actually told last year that our intel has the ability to place any kind of cyber-footprint and time-stamp it wants on digital information, so that C) this assertion can be neither proved nor disproved.

The amateur international relations analyst in me sees in these shenanigans a desperate search for a casus belli, an excuse to go to war. But that only brings me back to amateur psychology: the US apparently wants to commit suicide. Wouldn’t war be a great idea a week after Russia announced it had new hypersonic missiles that the US can’t defend itself against? Hmmmm. Maybe the Russians made that shit up. And maybe they didn’t. Perhaps we’d like to test that, say, by bombing a bunch of Russian military personnel in Syria, just to see what happens.

There is also the matter of the poisoning in Salisbury, UK, of the Russian Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia with a suspected nerve toxin, Novichok, first developed by the old Soviet military. The two remain in critical condition. A nasty bit of business. Skripal was a Russian-to-British double agent who was exchanged some years back in one of the infrequent swaps of captured intel “assets” by the so-called great powers. British Prime Minister Theresa May had a whack attack over the Skripal hit, reeling out new sanctions and booting a boat-load of Russian diplomats off-island.

Forgive me for seeming callous, but it’s a little hard, in the first place, to give a fuck one way or the other about the poor Skripals. Being a double agent carries some serious occupational hazards. This is generally understood among observers older than age six. Mr. Skripal came to an unhappy fate, and his daughter is apparently what we like to call collateral damage — of the sort, say, when one of our drones in a foreign land blows up a wedding party by some targeting error. Whoops! Our bad. One lesson here is that people with ambitions in the intel sector should consider sticking with one side or the other.

Interestingly, and secondarily, the accusation itself is unaccompanied by evidence. The Brits will not release samples of this Novichok for analysis. But are we also to believe that the Brits (or one of their close allies, say) could not concoct a bit of this poison themselves in a lab? After all, when you’re in the world of double-agentry, you’re in a hall of mirrors, and who, really, is to be trusted? Least of all in a matter such as this, would you start banging war drums.

But that, alas, is where things rest for the moment. War drums beating and war cries wafting across America’s spacious skies. The hysteria is palpable and we are making ourselves ridiculous — if not getting ready to blow up the world. Oh, I might also add that it is impossible to believe that there is not some room in the giant NSA facilities full of computer jocks trying sedulously to worm their way into every computer system in every foreign land the world over. The question you’d have to ask is: why would we not be doing that?

The amateur theologian in me thinks: when the Shining City is at hand, will someone please hitch Rachel Maddow to the back bumper of a Toyota Landcruiser and drag her over six miles of broken lightbulbs? Of course, I can’t say that because it would by misogynistic.

(Support Kunstler’s writing by visiting his Patreon Page.)

* * *

MEMO OF THE AIR: GOOD NIGHT RADIO TONIGHT!

All things bright and beautiful. All creatures big and small.

I'll be in Fort Bragg for tonight's show. If you want to talk about your  project, or play your new song, or show-and-tell about the odd kind of  snail you found, you can drop by 325 N. Franklin, next door to the Tip  Top bar after 9pm* and just wander in. Head for the lighted room at the  back and you're shiny and cool. And so is your snail if it's healthy.  (If it's not, be considerate and don't bring it; it might be a danger to  other guests' snails.)

*Except tonight the first hour will be the recording of Merlin Tinker's  retirement-from-fixing-sewing-machines interview, so come after that. I  already bought the cheap chocolate for you, enough to choke a horse.

The deadline to email writing to be read on MOTA is always about 5 or  6pm the night of the show. So you've got a little while to get that  together for tonight. Just paste your poem or essay or kvetch or sale  item or event notice or whatever into the body of an email, check that  it's going to memo@mcn.org and not to the whole group, unless that's  what you want, and press send.

Besides that, you can have your own whole regular real radio show on  KNYO. Contact Bob Young: bobb@poetworld.net and introduce yourself;  you'll be on the schedule just like that!

Memo of the Air: Good Night Radio: Every Friday, 9pm to 4 or 5am on  107.7fm KNYO-LP Fort Bragg, and 105.1fm KMEC-LP Ukiah. And also there  and anywhere else via http://knyo.org or http://kmecradio.org and if  none of that works for you try http://TuneIn.com and look up KNYO-LP.  --

Marco McClean

http://MemoOfTheAir.wordpress.com

* * *

FOOTLOOSE & FANCYFREE

Available April 1st on Planet Earth.

Warmest spiritual greetings, Please know that my surgery to remove a bella-cancerous skin lesion this morning at Kaiser Permanente in Honolulu was successful. I have a routine follow up appointment on March 22nd, and beyond that, I have no plan, schedule, commitments, or anything at all on planet earth. In other words, I am available. I will continue to chant OM on the outbreath, and thus remain spiritually identified and NOT associated with the deranged materialist disaster worldwide, including its representatives, such as the current political situation in Washington, D.C. If this resonates with you, feel welcome to contact me. I look forward to hearing from you.

Craig Louis Stehr
Honolulu, Hawaii
Email: craiglouisstehr@gmail.com

* * *

18 Comments

  1. Kathy March 17, 2018

    Perhaps The Mendo High School,Principal should propel into the 21st century and get himself a social media account In Order to prevent news stories from taking on a ‘life of their own through social media’…

  2. james marmon March 17, 2018

    Homeless expert advises Mendocino County to focus on ‘engaging, not enabling’

    http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/general-news/20180315/homeless-expert-advises-mendocino-county-to-focus-on-engaging-not-enabling

    “What you need is another Buddy Eller Center,” Marbut added, describing it as having “some special sauce” when it came to achieving recovery for its clients.

    Yeah, but the County stopped supporting the Ford Street Project and pulled mental health workers out, then cut funding to give more cash to the Schraeders empire, so Ford Street closed the Center’s doors.

    “Almost all of the stakeholders sincerely get along and like each other. This is highly unusual.”

    Yeah, if you don’t you get blackballed by the Schraeders and the County. No contracts or funding. And besides, “Groupthink Exists”.

    James Marmon
    Social Worker

    • james marmon March 17, 2018

      “THIS JUST IN. The Buddy Eller Center in Ukiah closes its doors tomorrow. For good. Funding has mostly evaporated. This means a lot more homeless people on the streets of Ukiah.”

      -AVA News Services

      Mendocino County Today: Tuesday, April 22, 2014

      The County (aka Carmel Angelo) refused to acknowledge the need to pick up funding after the Buddy Eller Center lost their federal funding for the Homeless Center. The ever clairvoyant AVA News Service saw it coming, and you read first here on the Mighty AVA.

      https://www.theava.com/archives/30843#1

      The County (aka Carmel Angelo) just shifted funding and support over to the Schraeders, that’s all. Once we got our homeless numbers up, good things happened, more federal grants.

      James Marmon MSW

    • james marmon March 17, 2018

      The Ford Street lost their federal funding because the Ukiah’s homeless numbers were falling. The closure also coincides with the “Great ASO Experiment”. If the County (aka Carmel Angelo) had supported the Buddy Eller Center with funding and mental health professionals we probably would have never needed Measure B. So now that we have it, lets give some of it to the people who really know what to do with it, the Ford Street Project.

      The Schraeders are monopolizing the helping professional services in Mendocino, that usually leads to higher costs. We need competition.

      James Marmon
      Social Worker

      • Bruce McEwen March 17, 2018

        Re: “So now that we have it, let’s give some of it to the people who really know what to do…” w/ etc.

        To wit: Would that be you, Jms?

        R.S.V.P: Who, pray tell, are these splendidly knowledgeable [w]ind[y]viduals who know so well what to do with all that dough?

    • Betsy Cawn March 18, 2018

      The URL for the actual video (thanks to DJ-Ken Steely on Facebook), which is not published in the UDJ article:

      https://www.facebook.com/theukiahdailyjournal/videos/10155947507191328/?hc_ref=ARTaWcVTew4DiDM5x23VBCnaOD3NBj7-jIf00kB–X9Q8vFcuDbqG-NHiIyEPeU0kWM

      The article provides a decent summary of the facts as presented by the consultant, whose style is folksy but firmly on point. I’d love to see his “take” on Lake County’s problem set (for which “homelessness” is a key indicator of performance in many areas of local government’s “social services” sector), not that Lake County has any interest in defining the real facts for public consumption.

      Considering the number of interactions in both agencies and in “the field,” as it were, plus the assembly of data that the public is not privy to, I think you all got your money’s worth on this one. Now, let’s see whether the “leadership” enables or empowers the kind of collective decision making that leads to productive results.

      I do wonder how Sheriff Allman’s “Measure B” committee will respond.

  3. Arthur Juhl March 17, 2018

    My short comment of the day! As the library is under attack for their funds let us take a look at accountibilty of the other county departments. Let them do there job and eliminate the consulting parties! That would sure balance the budget! Accountibilty is what the county needs in all positions. As I have been studying the budget of the county, there is hope! Arthur E. Juhl, candidate for the 5th district Supervisor

    • Lazarus March 17, 2018

      I suspect the Grand Jury will have some interesting things to say about the library when the reports come out. If they don’t…they certainly should. It should be noted that several on the BOS consider the Grand Jury a gaggle of fools playing gotcha, which is the opposite of what they are really about…
      As always,
      Laz

  4. Bill Pilgrim March 17, 2018

    RE: Americans Support Torture…and Drums Along The Potomac.

    The two pieces fit together appropriately. The Military-Industrial-Congressional-Media-Complex strives to keep Americans frightened in order to keep the cash flowing to their already overstuffed coffers.

    Now that Isis / Al Queda no longer dominate as the greatest threat, it’s back to the bogeyman of choice since 1917: THE RUSSIANS. THEY’RE BACK AND THEY’RE COMING FOR YOUR (sham) DEMOCRACY!

    Suicide by hysteria.

    https://tomluongo.me/2018/03/14/the-neocon-full-court-press-for-war-is-here/

    http://www.unz.com/mwhitney/washingtons-century-long-war-on-russia/

  5. Ted Williams March 17, 2018

    “although Williams, Skyhawk and Roderick are known by their work as firefighters to the county-wide firefighting companies”

    Roderick is a director on the board of Hopland Fire District. Skyhawk was appointed to the board of Albion-Little River Fire Protection District. He has never volunteered as a firefighter.

    Williams and Juhl have volunteered in the sense of training and responding to emergencies. Juhl’s time was short, about nine months, but given his age and the arduous nature of firefighting, I have respect for the guy.

  6. Eric Sunswheat March 17, 2018

    Pot regulations on a bar napkin… karma, dogma or katma.

  7. Jim Updegraff March 17, 2018

    Comment of the Day: The universe when it stops expanding will collapse into where it begin and then there will be another Big Bank. There is no beginning or end – this has happened for infinity – there is no beginning or end.

    ps: Not sure where a God can fit into this process.

  8. George Dorner March 17, 2018

    When Prop A passed to provide needed funding for the library, I wondered how long it would take for the pols and bureaucrats to steal the money from the library for their pet purposes. Now we know.

  9. james marmon March 17, 2018

    Here’s something you will never see the Schraeder’s make public, for either one of their “for-Profit” or “not for-Profit “Agencies, RQMC and RCS.

    THE FORD STREET PROJECT
    UKIAH, CALIFORNIA
    FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SINGLE AUDIT REPORT
    JUNE 30, 2017

    WITH ACCOMPANYING INFORMATION REQUIRED BY THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND THE CALIFORNIA HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY

    http://govwiki.info/pdfs/Non-Profit/CA%20The%20Ford%20Street%20Project%202017.pdf

    Where’s the money Camille?

    James Marmon
    Social Worker

  10. Bill Pilgrim March 17, 2018

    RE: Einstein – Religion and Science.

    An interesting and unexpected citation from the editor of MC Today.

    Few know this, but Einstein was an admirer of the writings of Helena P. Blavatsky, co-founder of the Theosophical Society. It’s motto: “There is no religion higher than Truth,” was one of his philosophical underpinnings.

    It’s been confirmed by several personal friends that Blavatsky’s magnum opus – The Secret Doctrine – was on Einstein’s desk in his reference section.

    Many of the concepts involving the interchangeability of matter and energy that led to his Theory of Relativity were enunciated centuries earlier in the spiritual traditions of long lost ancient cultures, as Blavatsky brilliantly resurrected.

    Einstein recognized this, but the ‘scientific materialists’ of today do not.

  11. George Hollister March 17, 2018

    Good discussion today.

  12. George Hollister March 17, 2018

    “—PROFIT FIRST—”

    There is a law in science, all successful living organisms are required to make a profit. Success is defined by what survives. So help as you can, where you can, but don’t become a victim yourself.

    The Irish that survived were fortunate to have America to immigrate to. And as bad as California was for dust bowl refugees, the dust bowl was worse. In both cases, few considered returning home a better option.

    We don’t live in a perfect world. And history tells us to not try, because the demonstrated result is a hell on Earth. The 20th Century should have taught us that.

    • George Hollister March 17, 2018

      All true. Focus efforts locally, where you know where the money and efforts go. I am leery of crusades where we depend on third parties, usually with political motives, to tell us how it is and how to act. Being from Comptche, I hardly know what is best for Ukiah, let alone some place in South Dakota, Africa or the Middle East.

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