Mendocino County Today: Saturday, April 7, 2018

• Rainy Day
• SakoToo
• Fisch Bros
• Crowningshield Pleads
• Robin
• CalFresh Scam
• Visibly Deranged
• Dangerous Secrecy
• Big Al
• Opioid Overdose
• Rummage Sale
• Laytonville Dump
• Little Dog
• Bridge Film
• Underserved Month
• County Claim
• Succulent Poaching
• Yesterday's Catch
• Manchester Care-A-Van
• Which Religion
• Syriasly
• Voter Census
• Niggertown
• Sandwich
• Theatre Auditions
• Musicians Wanted
• Rumors Weekend
• K9 Vest
• Homaro Cantu
• Marco Radio

FRIDAY was a wild weather day, with nearly six inches of rain in some areas of Mendocino County. This post by Nick Wilson of Little River about 3pm summed up the rain's impact as of Friday afternoon:

Not only is Hwy. 128 closed west of Flynn Cr. Road, there was also blockage due to flooding near Navarro Vineyards between Philo and Flynn Creek. Travel by the usual detours on Comptche Rd. and Flynn Cr. Rd. is risky and not advised. There are numerous road blockages due to slides, downed trees, blocked culverts and so forth. Hwy 20 had at least one lane blocked earlier today, and so did Hwy 1 north of Fort Bragg. Basically if it is not urgent that you travel to or from the coast, it would be wise to stay home.

THE HEAVIEST RAINS were expected late Friday night and into early Saturday, even though some locals have recorded 5.88 inches since the rain started Thursday.

MIKE KALANTARIAN, reporting from Rancho Navarro a little after noon Friday, said, "just poured four inches out of the rain gauge." By Saturday morning "another 2.25 had accumulated, for a total of 6.25 inches."

CLOSED: Highway 101 just north of Leggett at mile marker 93.04 due to trees and debris. No current estimated time of reopening. Will update when open. (3:29pm, 4/6)

CALTRANS REPORTED Friday afternoon that Highway 128 was “closed Friday, April 6, 2018 from the jct of Sr 1 to 11 mi east of the jct of Sr 1 (Mendocino Co) - due to flooding - motorists are advised to use an alternate route.”

YES, HIGHWAY 128 CLOSED

But it seems from landslides not river flooding. We noted numerous Caltrans Trucks dumping “slop & rocks” in the turnout just east of the Hwy 1 Bridge.

THE NAVARRO RIVER LEVEL was 10.41 feet @ 3:15 pm — the flood level is 23 feet. It was expected to rise above flood stage Saturday morning.

CALTRANS fixed the clogged culvert in Little River also near Frog Pond Road that nearly shut down Hwy 1.

A CALTRANS worker was up to his waist getting debris out — great job. (MendocinoSportsPlus)

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FRIDAY NIGHT: Heavy rain is expected to continue through early Saturday morning and is expected to cause small stream and urban flooding in many areas. In addition, there is a slightly enhanced potential for debris flow in the Redwood Valley burn scar area in the heaviest persistent showers. Additional rainfall accumulations of 3 to 4 inches are expected, with hourly rainfall rates reaching 0.5 inches per hour at times Friday night. Storm total rainfall amounts, some of which has already fallen, will likely range from 5 to 7 inches across a broad area. Small streams will become swollen and fast moving. They may exceed their banks and cause flooding. Low lying areas and both rural and urban roads may also flood. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop.

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TED WILLIAMS WROTE FRIDAY AM: 128 is closed. We are at scene waiting for road crews.

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At 10:46am, Jim Heid <jim@heidsite.com> wrote: A friend just arrived from Boonville and was stranded about half a mile east of the Navarro River Bridge due to a big slide. It was cleared, but she said there are many small slides, and the road is now closed. (4.5 inches since last night, according to our rain gauge!)

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TREE TOPPLE ON FLYNN CREEK ROAD

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DOUBLE WHAMMY

Redwood Fire Flooding / Debris Flow

ADVISORY: Redwood Fire Burn Area Flooding and Debris Flow Advisory

Redwood Fire Burn Scar (Redwood Valley and Potter Valley area)

Friday April 6, 2018 through Saturday April 7, 2018

Friday (4/6/18) through Sunday (4/8/18) forecast rainfall amounts in the Redwood Fire burn area may be significant enough to cause localized landslides, debris flows, or flooding in some areas of the burn scar. Residents are urged to monitor conditions in their area for potential risks to property and life safety. The National Weather Service is not forecasting major debris flows, landslides, or flooding at this time, just localized issues. The National Weather Service is currently forecasting that the most significant rainfall rates will be tonight (April 6, 2018) into tomorrow morning (Saturday April 7th). At the time of this release, the National Weather Service has a Flood Advisory and Watch Flood for portions of Mendocino County stating that “Small streams will become swollen and fast moving. They may exceed their banks and cause flooding. Low lying areas and both rural and urban roads may also flood.” County Department of Transportation will be patrolling the roads throughout the night and public safety agencies will continuously be monitoring conditions. If residents see an issue along the County Roads, call the County Department of Transportation at (707) 463-4363; if it is an emergency call 911. If residents believe there is an immediate emergency or risk to property or life please call 911 and leave the area. If residents believe there might be a potential land slide or debris flow issue, but not an immediate emergency, please reach out to a qualified professionals to request an assessment of the area.

Thank You,

Rick Ehlert, Emergency Services Coordinator

SAKO SURE GETS AROUND!

A letter to the editor in the March 31st edition of the Denver Post:

Re: “Colorado Supreme Court suspends appellate judge following sexual harassment complaint,” March 30 news story.

Let’s get this straight: John Sakowicz (of City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, Calif.) and Colorado Appeals Court Judge Laurie A. Booras had an alleged consensual, adulterous, long-term sexual affair despite Sakowicz’s apparently long marriage.

Yet, it appears that Sakowicz only placed his complaint of “adultery” (and public sex, etc.) against Booras after his wife found out about their decade-long complicit affair and filed for divorce.

Many of Judge Booras’ alleged actions, including calling a fellow judge a “little Mexican,” are dismaying at a minimum, and unbecoming of a public official. Yet, also dismaying seems Mr. Sakowicz’s timing, a potential usage of this situation for his own personal reasons, which could perhaps be seen as an exacerbation or exploitation of the #MeToo movement.

Karey Christ-Janer

Berthoud, Colorado

* * *

THE REST OF THE STORY

Colorado Supreme Court Suspends Appellate Judge Following Sexual Harassment Complaint

A complaint alleges that Colorado Appeals Court Judge Laurie Booras called a fellow appeals court judge “the little Mexican”

by Kirk Mitchell, The Denver Post

March 30, 2018 — The Colorado Supreme Court on Friday temporarily suspended Colorado Appeals Court Judge Laurie Booras with pay, pending an investigation of allegations raised by a man claiming to be her former lover — including that she called a fellow appeals judge “the little Mexican.”

In the court order, the Supreme Court said an investigation by the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline would remain confidential. However, The Denver Post received a copy of the complaint from the man claiming to be Booras’ former lover, John Sakowicz, of City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, Calif.

The high court gave Booras three weeks to respond in writing explaining why “she should not continue to be suspended temporarily from any and all judicial duties pending the outcome of preliminary or formal proceedings,” the order says. The high court has not reached a conclusion about the validity of the allegations against Booras.

The court, acting with approval of all seven justices, appointed three judges to serve as special masters to oversee the commission’s investigation: 19th Judicial District Judge James F. Hartmann Jr., 12th Judicial District Judge Pattie P. Swift and Senior Judge Gregory J. Hobbs.

All proceedings of the three judges will likewise remain confidential “unless and until a recommendation for sanctions or a recommendation for approval of a stipulated resolution (is) filed with the court.”

Contacted about the allegations, Booras, communicating through Colorado Judicial Branch spokesman Jon Sarche, indicated she would not comment. Sarche declined to comment about the order temporarily suspending Booras.

Asked whether it was common procedure for the court to suspend a judge in response to a complaint, Sarche said: “It’s not very common.”

Sakowicz filed the complaint with the judicial commission on March 9 accusing Booras of “impropriety off the bench.” He wrote that Booras sexually harassed him and committed adultery and a litany of other public and private indiscretions. Sakowicz also provided copies of an email in which Booras referred to fellow Appeals Court Judge Terry Fox as “the little Mexican.”

“Given the national awareness of sexual harassment, as demonstrated by the #MeToo movement, I am enclosing a few examples of unsolicited emails of a sexual nature from Judge Booras,” Sakowicz wrote in the complaint.

Sakowicz is a former deputy for the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office. He said he served on the Board of the Mendocino County Employee Retirement Association as a public trustee and is a bonded fiduciary of a $600 million pension fund.

In a Sept. 30, 2016, email, Booras wrote that she was stalking Sakowicz’s family, the complaint says. He accuses her of sending numerous sexually explicit email messages that he and Booras exchanged during their 10-year affair to Sakowicz’s wife after he broke off the relationship with the judge.

“This email exchange with my wife hurt her deeply and resulted in my wife filing for divorce last month,” Sakowicz wrote. “For years, Booras threatened me with such exposure of our affair to my wife if I did not leave my wife. Booras’ behavior could be interpreted as coercive and extortionary.”

Booras made a “crude” drawing of Sakowicz’s family, including him, his wife, his two sons and three dogs, and mailed it to his home, he wrote.

“Booras was obsessed with me after a failed relationship. She was angry and abusive that I would not have sex with her, nor meet with her. She made the drawing to embarrass me. She made the drawing to intimidate me. … Booras’ behavior — especially the drawing — frightened me,” the letter says.

Sakowicz also accuses the judge of feeding him private financial information about clerks who worked for her and failing to recuse herself in an oil-and-gas case even though her son is a financial analyst in the fracking industry. He accuses Booras of giving legal advice to the same son in a fraudulent scheme to buy an affordable housing unit for which he should have never qualified.

Sakowicz wrote that he and Booras had sex in public venues at least twice, including in the Pearl Street neighborhood of Denver in the back seat of her car.

“For Booras to deny any such lewd and lascivious behavior under oath in an investigation by the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline would be perjury,” his complaint says.

Booras grew up in Lawton, Okla. She graduated from the University of Texas School of Law in 1982 and began her legal career at the Texas attorney general’s office defending against federal habeas corpus actions filed by state prisoners. From March 1985 to November 1990, she served as an assistant district attorney in the Travis County district attorney’s office in Austin, Texas, and the Bexar County district attorney’s office in San Antonio.

In 1991, Booras began working in the Colorado attorney general’s office in the appellate division, and she was promoted to first assistant attorney general in 2000. She served on the Colorado Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Rules of Criminal Procedure from 2004 to 2008. She acted as an advisory member of the Colorado district attorney’s Council Legislative Subcommittee from 2000 to 2008.

Booras helped the Colorado Senate Judiciary Subcommittee consolidate Colorado sentencing law from 2000 to 2003.

(The Denver Post)

NEW SIGN ALONG HIGHWAY 128

CROWNINGSHIELD PLEADS OUT

A preliminary hearing scheduled to begin this morning in Ukiah did not happen as a result of the murder defendant changing his plea to guilty.

The Defendant in a Mendocino Coast murder case changed his plea to guilty on Friday, averting a scheduled preliminary hearing in Mendocino County Superior Court.

Andrew Curtis Crowningshield, age 27, of Little River, plead guilty to the willful, premeditated and deliberate murder of Autumn Renee Smith, age 22, of Fort Bragg, on February 4, 2018, along Highway 1 in Little River. He also admitted as true that he intentionally used a 9mm handgun, discharging same multiple times causing the death of the victim. The defendant and victim had a young child together.

As required by the District Attorney, the defendant also stipulated to a state prison sentence of 50 years to life (25 years to life for the first degree murder plus a consecutive 25 years to life for his personal and intentional use of the firearm causing death).

The defendant's matter was referred to the Mendocino County Adult Probation Department for a background study to accompany the defendant to the Department of Corrections, said study to assist CDCR in its intake and required prison classification review.

The 50-to-life sentence will be formally imposed on June 7, 2018 at 9 o'clock in the morning in Department B in the Ukiah courthouse. Anybody interested in this case or this defendant is welcome to attend and watch that proceeding.

The prosecutor handling this case is DA David Eyster. The investigating law enforcement agency responsible for gathering and piecing together all the evidence against this defendant was the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.

Mendocino County Superior Court Judge Cindee Mayfield accepted the defendant's change of plea this morning. Judge Mayfield will also be the sentencing judge on June 7th.

ROBIN

(Photo by Judy Valadao)

WAIT A MINUTE!

Some readers may recall that last September the Board of Supervisors approved the following item which we complained about at the time because local school districts already do this as part of their regular fall in-processing.

Agenda Title: Approval of Agreement with Mendocino County Office of Education in the Amount of $175,000 to Provide CalFresh Outreach Services to School Children in Mendocino County for Fiscal Year 2017-18

Recommended Action/Motion: Approve Agreement with Mendocino County Office of Education in the amount of $175,000 to provide CalFresh outreach services to school children in Mendocino County for fiscal year 2017-18; authorize the Health and Human Services Agency Director or designee to sign any future amendments to the Agreement that do not increase the annual maximum amount; authorize Chair to sign same.

Previous Board/Board Committee Actions:

The Board previously approved Agreement No. BOS-14-008 on February 25, 2014; Agreement No. BOS-15-035 on March 3, 2015; and Agreement No. 16-024 on June 7, 2016.

Summary of Request:

The goal of the CalFresh Outreach Project for Schools is to maintain and/or increase participation by children in the CalFresh Program in Mendocino County. The Health and Human Services Agency has identified several target populations, including working families with children, in need of outreach and supportive services for CalFresh. With this contract, the Agency hopes to maintain or increase participation in CalFresh, thereby reducing hunger, improving health status, and improving economic security for low-income households. The Contractor, Mendocino County Office of Education, will serve as the coordinator and facilitator of funding allotments to all school districts in the County that are willing and interested in performing CalFresh outreach activities to their student population. Funding for this project is provided by CalFresh Administration funds. This contract is a one-time commitment, and is dependent on funds available. The contract period is July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018.

Alternative Action/Motion:

Return to staff for alternative handling.

Source of Funding: CalFresh Administration Funding

Current F/Y Cost: $175,000

* * *

NEXT WEEK’S BOARD AGENDA HAS THE FOLLOWING NEARLY IDENTICAL ITEM:

Agenda Title: Approval of Retroactive Agreement with North Coast Opportunities in the Amount of $24,840 to Provide Information and Referral Services to Families Likely to be Income-Eligible for Medi-Cal and/or CalFresh for the Period of January 1, 2018 through June 30, 2018

Recommended Action/Motion: Approve retroactive [sic] Agreement with North Coast Opportunities in the amount of $24,840 to provide information and referral services to families likely to be income-eligible for Medi-Cal and/or CalFresh for the period of January 1, 2018 through June 30, 2018; authorize the Health and Human Services Agency Director or designee to sign any amendments to the Agreement that do not increase the annual maximum amount; and authorize Chair to sign same.

Previous Board/Board Committee Actions:

N/A

Summary of Request:

Employment and Family Assistance Services of the Health and Human Services Agency provides CalFresh and Medi-Cal programs to low-income families to help them achieve financial stability. Under the proposed Agreement, North Coast Opportunities (NCO) will provide outreach, information, and referral services for the CalFresh and Medi-Cal programs in conjunction with their existing Earned Income Tax Credit promotion program. NCO is the only local community-based agency that provides direct tax preparation assistance to low-income households.

Both parties to the proposed Agreement were heavily involved with fire recovery efforts; because of these efforts, NCO’s contract was delayed until it became clear that NCO would be available to provide outreach services.

Alternative Action/Motion:

Return to staff for alternative handling.

Source of Funding: CalFresh and Medi-Cal Administration

Current F/Y Cost: $24,840

* * *

WHAT KIND OF A SCAM ARE THEY RUNNING HERE?

First they give $175k to the County Office of Education to do an entirely unnecessary and duplicative task. Then they turn around a few months later and give $25k more to North Coast Opportunities to do the same thing — RETROACTIVELY? On the CONSENT CALENDAR? Without mentioning the $175k September Boondoggle under “Previous Board/Board Committee Actions”? What happened to the $175k?

YEAH, YEAH, appearances can be deceptive, and it isn't fair to judge a person's mental health by how he or she looks, but the woman who shot up YouTube the other day? Visibly deranged, and not a person you should sell a gun to.

WHEN THE HART "FAMILY" took their liberal stage props out of public school, not to mention found guilty of beating their smallest female child and moving across the country, the agencies that are supposed to be safeguarding dependent children should have intervened and taken the children back into custody. But....

But despite the perpetual mantra from children's agencies that their first priority is the safety and well-being of dependent children, they operate in total secrecy, with oversight supposedly exercised by the courts. There is no public oversight because, the helping pros and their legal allies claim, we must "protect the privacy and welfare of children." Bad things are inevitable in conditions of secrecy, and that secrecy by public agencies is to protect them, not children.

REMEMBERING BIG AL

A celebration of life for Big Al will be held on Sunday, April 8, 2018 at the Community Center of Mendocino from 12 to 3 p.m. Please bring your stories, music and pot luck.

For more information, call Peg at 707-937-4133 or email PegBrownLevy@yahoo.com

NO O.D. STATS YET for Mendo, but America’s Surgeon General, Jerome Adams, says he wants more Americans to start carrying an overdose antidote to help fight back against the nation’s spiraling opioid crisis.

The doctors wants people at risk of overdosing, as well as their friends and family, to start carrying the naloxone (“Narcan”) antidote and learn how to use it to save lives. Adams says 42,000 Americans suffered fatal opioid overdoses in 2016. “Each day, we lose 115 Americans to an opioid overdose — that’s one person every 12.5 minutes. It is time to make sure more people have access to this lifesaving medication, because 77 percent of opioid overdose deaths occur outside of a medical setting and more than half occur at home.” Naloxone is available over-the-counter and can bring overdose victims back from near-death by restoring their breathing.

ACKER HALF OFF

THE LAYTONVILLE DUMP

by Kelley Lincoln

The headwaters of the South Fork of the Eel River have been continuously tainted by polluted seepage from the Laytonville landfill for 50 years. Preliminary results from a community health study currently underway suggest people in Laytonville may be up to five times more likely to have cancer than elsewhere in California. And the California State Water Resources Control Board identified a significant pollution in 1974, but the dump continued to operate until 1993, was poorly capped in 1997, and has never been fully remediated as ordered.

Longtime Laytonville local, Peggy Hoaglin, has been fighting the dump and its pollution since the 1980s, and she has enlisted the help of her Pastor, David Sanchez formerly of the Redway Babtist Church for 25 years. They held a community meeting at the Laytonville Lyons Club Monday the 26th of March to alert the community of the preliminary data coming in from a community health survey being conducted in consultation with Green Action for Health and Environmental Justice.

Pastor Sanchez opened the meeting. He explained he’s known Peggy for the 20 years she served as the Secretary for the Redway Baptist church just across the corner from the KMUD radio station.

Sanchez said he didn’t want to be involved and didn’t get involved until he came to Laytonville to pastor at the church there, though he continues to reside in Redway. He told the people at the meeting, “I pastored her church in Redway. I just said, ‘I’m the pastor of the church and that’s my focus.’ I basically just ‘stiff-armed’ her for the better part of twenty years. But when I came down [to Laytonville] to pastor, I began to see…I began to realize there’s a problem here.”

Sanchez referenced the opinion of some who think the problem is being over-estimated, when he said, “Here’s what we know from someone in the highest levels of the BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs), ‘It would take billions of dollars to clean this up. If it could even be cleaned up.’ Did I say that? Did Peggy Hoaglin say that? Did Green Action and Bradley Angel say that? No, that came from the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs.”

Sanchez concluded that the dump is “something they’ve been dealing with for many years. And that man looked at us and just simply said, ‘It’s too big. It can’t be cleaned up really. We’d have to throw billions of dollars at it’.”

Meanwhile, Sanchez reported that while not yet complete, the map of Laytonville is heavily dotted with homes where people have cancer diagnoses. “I want you to see it’s not just a Cahto [Rancheria] problem. We have a comprehensive problem on the Rancheria and Laytonville. How much of Laytonville? I don’t know. Why don’t I know? Because there isn’t sufficient testing. We need more testing. Real, earnest, genuine, sincere, fact-finding testing that doesn’t have a political agenda — because your life doesn’t have a political agenda.”

Sanchez points out the problem does not stop in Laytonville, it flows all the way to the sea because the dump’s leachate seeps into Cahto Creek, empties into Ten Mile Creek, empties into the South Fork Eel River, which Sanchez points out, is a top five priority watershed for the California Water Action Plan

Clean-up and Abatement Ordered in 1974

The problems leaching from the dump were ordered to be discontinued by the State Water Resources Control Board in 1974 when Clean up and Abatement Order #74-95 was issued. David Joseph from the NCWRCB wrote, “The County of Mendocino is negligently or intentionally causing or permitting the discharge of leachate…” And, “The discharge of said waste is unreasonably affecting the water quality in that it is deleterious to fish and other aquatic life which exist in said waters to a degree which creates a hazard to the public health since downstream waters are used for domestic and agricultural water supply and will therefore create a condition of pollution which threatens to continue unless the discharge of waste is permanently abated.” And ordered, “Permanently abate the threat of any further discharge of waste to the waters of Cahto Creek and its tributaries by November 1, 1974.”

Peggy Hoaglin's Activism

Peggy Hoaglin grew up moving in and out of Laytonville and married her high school sweetheart Louis Hoaglin. She still gets a schoolgirl’s twinkle in her eye when she refers to him, even casually. It’s heartbreaking to her that her beloved husband has stage four metastized kidney cancer.

Hoaglin joined neighbors fighting to close the dump back in the 1980s. Then in 1993, Hoaglin’s granddaughter was born and immediately suffered severe breathing difficulty. The dump’s Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions were the suspected cause when the three-month old infant required CPR and had to spend two weeks in ICU after she stopped breathing altogether one day. Within a month of that incident Hoaglin said she chained herself to the dump’s fence.

Hoaglin said the community’s activism finally got the attention of the county government and the dump was ordered closed later in 1993. Although it was capped in 1997, it was never lined and continues to leak into the groundwater.

Because of their granddaughter’s breathing problems, the Hoaglin family moved over near Covelo where they remained until her husband had a heart attack a few years ago. He was subsequently diagnosed with the kidney cancer. As a result, they have returned to Laytonville to be closer to health services.

When they returned, Hoaglin picked up where she left off, and although the dump is now closed, the pollution has never been remediated. Hoaglin is on the case of the Laytonville dump once again.

Hoaglin has reached out to Green Action for Health and Environmental Justice. Green Action is assiting Laytonville residents to conduct a community health survey.

Getting the Data

According to its Executive Director, Green Action's mission focuses on environment justice in low income communities and communities of color. Green Action works to empower residents so they can effectively interact with government and regulatory agencies to protect their environment and their health.

Bradley Angel from Green Action explained the health survey. “We’ve worked together to develop the survery. And those of you who’ve filled out the survery, you didn’t see leading questions like ‘don’t you think the Laytonville dump has caused your whatever.’ It doesn’t mention [the dump.] It asks, if you live on the rancheria or another part of town. And it lists a lot of different potential health problems.”

Angel really stressed the confidential nature of the survey. The addresses are there simply for mapping.

Angel said the results, though preliminary, are alarming enough that its organizers wanted to get the word out qickly and encourage the remainder or the survey’s recipients to complete the survey.

Five hundred and eleven surveys have gone out to people living in the north end of Long Valley. 169 have been returned. Of those 169, 23% of the respondants from Cahto Rancheria, just west of Laytonville and immediately next to the dump, have reported cancer diagnosis in their household and 19% of the respondants from Laytonville have reported a cancer diagnosis. This compares with a cancer rate of about 5% in Mendocino County as a whole. According to the Green Action statisticians, two cancers are being identified at statistically significant levels—brain cancer and cervical cancer are both showing a .04% occurance compared to a statewide probability of a half percent (.005%).

Government Analysis Continues to Show 'No Problems.'

Cancer clusters are not common. The American Cancer Society page on cancer clusters says, “most of the suspected clusters (as many as 4 of 5) are determined not to be true clusters and no further investigation is done.”

And in fact, California Department of Health Services wrote a report in 2005. The report references two sources: a 1994 cancer cluster investigation by the Mendocino County Health Department and the California Cancer Registry.

The 2005 CDHS report reads, “The findings [of the cancer cluster investigation] showed that cancer mortality rates within a 1-mile radius of the landfill were similar to those for Mendocino County as a whole. It is possible that inaccuracies in cancer mortality records limited the ability of the studies to estimate cancer rates for this population. Although the MCHD and CCR cancer estimates may be somewhat wrong, there is no way to get a more accurate estimate.”

The report includes some suprising analysis, “Using available data, CDHS concludes that playing in the leachate, swimming in the sedimentation ponds, as well as playing in Cahto Creek or puddles formed from surface water runoff, and eating fish or eel from Cahto Creek in the past and currently pose no apparent public health hazard. However, long-term exposure to the liquid that periodically leaks (leachate) from edges of the cap could pose a health hazard in the future.”

Describing the cap on the landfill, the 2005 CDHS report says, “All sides of the capped landfill are steep, and at least one side is seismically unstable because of poor design. Gaps are occurring at the edge of the landfill cap, and it is known that water containing VOCs has seeped from these gaps. These very real concerns add to the burdens that the landfill places on nearby residents.”

The 2005 CDHS report acknowledges there is a lot of missing data, but the Laytonville CSD tests the water from Cahto Creek regularly and has found no problems associated with the dump.

Seeking All Surveys

David Sanchez’s concerns are not yet abated though. Sanchez described his observations of the problem and the need for Greenaction’s community health survey, “You all know someone that has cancer, leukemia, birth defects, unusual diseases or has died of the same. There’s a problem. How far it spreads, how deep it is, I don’t know that. We need our government’s help to figure that out. We’re not getting it really.”

Meeting organizers stressed that the Community Health Survey results are preliminary because only a third of the surveys have been returned thus far. Residents of Laytonville who have received the community health survey are encouraged to complete and return it. If there is no health problem in your home, that is also necessary information because then the results will accurately reflect the scope of the problem,

(Previously published in the Humboldt Independent and Redheaded Blackbelt/KymKemp.com)

LITTLE DOG SAYS, “Had to laugh at yesterdays picture of Skrag with a field mouse. Had to be a facsimile thereof. He's wayyyyyyyy too lazy to hunt, and why should he hunt the way these suckers are always feeding him? Talk about star boarders!”

THE KELLEY HOUSE Museum in Mendocino will play Laurie York and Carmen Goodyear’s short film “Bridging the Gap” as part of their “Almost Fringe Festival” on Saturday 4-14 from 11am—3pm. The Guest House Museum in Fort Bragg will play “Bridging the Gap” Saturday & Sunday from 10am—4pm.

PROCLAMATION Of The Mendocino County Board Of Supervisors Declaring April 2018 As National County Government Month In Mendocino County — “Serving the Underserved”

WHEREAS, the nation’s 3,069 counties serving more than 300 million Americans provide essential services to create healthy, safe and vibrant; and

WHEREAS, counties move America forward by providing health care, administering justice, keeping communities safe, crating economic opportunities and much more; and

WHEREAS, through National Association of Counties President Roy Charles Books’ “Serving the Underserved” initiative, NACo is focusing on the critical role counties play in breaking multi-generational cycles of poverty; and

WHEREAS, in order to remain healthy, vibrant and safe, America’s counties provide public health, justice, safety, infrastructure, transportation, technology, environmental stewardship and economic services that play a key role in everything from residents’ daily commutes to emergency response; and

WHEREAS, each year since 1991 the National Association of Counties has encouraged counties across the country to actively promote their own programs and services to the public they serve; and

WHEREAS, Mendocino County exemplifies this initiative by helping our residents overcome adversity and thrive. Just as our residents overcome adversity every day, so too do counties overcome countless challenges to build stronger communities.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Supervisors of the County of Mendocino, hereby proclaims April, 2018, as:

National County Government Month in Mendocino County — “Serving the Underserved” 

Dated: April 10, 2018

Dan Hamburg, Chair

MEMO OF THE WEEK

Notice of Claim Against the County of Mendocino

Claimant’s Name: Rebecca Whiteman

Date of Loss: Various from August 9, 2017, ongoing

Location of loss: Various locations. Calls made from CPS office, perjury in court, etc. Inexcusable negligence.

Description of incident/accident which caused you to make this claim: Violation of Welfare and Institutions Code 361.3(a)(8)(B), violation of statutory rights, abuse, negligence, perjury, libel, slander, dereliction of duty. A CPS caseworker, Joan Ross, with regard to handling relative placement of minor. Failure of supervisor to take corrective action, failure to make proper placement of child with grandmother, causing emotional trauma to his sister and grandmother.

Amount claimed: $100 million. See attached for details (attachment not included in on-line claim).

Names of county employees whom you allege caused your injury, damage or loss if known: Joan Ross, Lindsay Coke, Tami Voris.

Signed Rebecca Whiteman, 3/16/18

ICE PLANT? THEY'RE STEALING ICE PLANT?

WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT?

California Department of Fish and Wildlife press release:

California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) officers have made another arrest this week in their ongoing battle against a rising poaching trend on the north coast of northern California with international connections.

CDFW arrested Taehun Kim, 52, and Taeyun Kim, 46, both of Korea, and Liu Fengxia, 37, of China for poaching over 2,300 Dudleya succulent plants near Trinidad in Humboldt County. Charges include illegal take of the plants and felony conspiracy, among others.

Poachers profit financially from the illegal take of Dudleya by stripping plants from sea cliffs and shipping them overseas to other countries, including Korea, China and Japan, where they are prized by some for decorative purposes. On April 4, wildlife officers intercepted and seized 1,334 of the plants in boxes on their way to be shipped overseas. An additional 1,000 Dudleya were found in the suspects’ hotel room during the service of the search warrant. The overseas market value of the plants is between $40 to $50 per plant, resulting in a conservative value estimate of over $90,000.

PREVIOUSLY: People are Poaching Succulents From Mendo Sea Cliffs and Shipping Them to Asia, CDFW Says

The removal of Dudleya can result in environmental degradation of habitat and a destabilization of bluffs and cliffs on the coastline. Illegal harvesting is also alarming because California hosts a number of Dudleya species and subspecies that are rare or at risk of extinction.

CDFW enforcement initially identified this trend earlier this year, in part, after determining that a man was shipping Dudleya out of a Mendocino post office to China.

In recent months near Point Arena, Mendocino County, wildlife officers cited three individuals for a series of misdemeanor violations including illegal take and trespassing. The charges were elevated by the Mendocino District Attorney to felony conspiracy and grand theft, based upon the value of stolen plants.

On Jan. 29, one man was apprehended with approximately 50 succulents, and on March 6, two men were cited after being apprehended with 1,400 succulents. The individual in the January incident pleaded guilty to the illegal take of plants and received a sentence that included three years of probation, a $5,000 fine and 240 hours of community service. The March case is pending.

“We have seen a remarkable amount of concern over this from botanists and the public alike,” said David Bess, CDFW Deputy Director and Chief of Law Enforcement. “A public tip started this investigation and ultimately uncovered an international conspiracy to poach Dudleya succulents and ship them overseas for profit. A critical part of the Department’s mission is to protect and manage California’s diverse fish, wildlife and plant resources, and the habitats upon which they depend, for their ecological values and for their use and enjoyment by the public.”

Law enforcement personnel from the U.S. Postal Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and East Bay Regional Parks, in addition to representatives of the California Native Plant Society (CNPS), U.C. Santa Cruz Botany Department and local citizens, assisted with the investigation. CDFW personnel have replanted the seized succulents in the areas where taken whenever possible with assistance from CNPS and U.C. Santa Cruz botany experts.

Anyone who believes they are witness to unlawful poaching or pollution activity is encouraged to call CalTIP, CDFW’s confidential secret witness program, at (888) 334-2258 or send a text to tip411. Both methods allow the public to provide wildlife officers with factual information to assist with investigations. Callers may remain anonymous, if desired, and a reward can result from successful capture and prosecution.

CATCH OF THE DAY, April 6, 2018

KENNETH BENNETT, Santa Rosa/Ukiah. Probation revocation.

ADRIAN CASTRO, Ukiah. Battery with serious injury.

JOSE CEJA-LOPEZ, Ukiah. Protective order violation.

JESUS ELIZARRARAS, Ukiah. Disorderly conduct-alcohol.

JOEL KIMBALL, Ukiah. Criminal threats, probation revocation.

JEFFREY KOSTICK, Fort Bragg. Disorderly conduct-alcohol, probation revocation.

JAYSON MALSON, Potter Valley. DUI.

JAMES RENICK JR., Redwood Valley. Community supervision violation.

BENJAMIN RIVERA, Sacramento/Ukiah. Prison escape without force.

ERIC SPRING, Ukiah. Resisting, probation revocation.

STEVEN TEMPLE, Ukiah. Domestic battery, fighting in public, paraphernalia, suspended license, probation revocation.

DAVID WEINERT, Coarsegold/Piercy. DUI.

DAVID YADON, Willits. Under influence, probation revocation.

CARE-A-VAN at the Manchester Community Center

The Mendocino County Pet Care-A-Van will be at the Manchester Community Center/Garcia Guild on April 10 and April 11. For neuter and spay surgeries call (707) 513-7604 and leave a message. There are only a few spots remaining. Low-cost vaccinations do not require an appointment. Drop-in at the Center between 10 am and 2 pm either day.

SYRIASLY

by James Kunstler

“Peace with Honor” was President Nixon’s anodyne phrase for futzing around as long as possible in Vietnam to conceal the reality that the US military was getting its ass kicked by what we had initially thought was a 98-pound weakling of a Third World country. That was a half-century ago and I remember it now at age 106 thanks to my diet of kale and pepperoni sticks. Not ironically, the long struggle finally ended a few years after Nixon quit the scene, with the last straggling American evacuees waiting desperately for helicopter airlifts off the US embassy roof. And now, of course, Vietnam is a tourism hot-spot.

And so just the other day, the latest POTUS declared (in his usual way) that “we’ll be coming out of Syria, like, very soon. Let the other people take care of it now.” The utterance sent the neocon partisans in government into a paroxysm. Cries of “Say What?” echoed up and down the Great Mall. Which “other people” was Mr. Trump referring to? The United Auto Workers? Gandalf the Grey? The cast of Glee?

I doubt that the average Harvard faculty member can state with any conviction what the fuck is going on in Syria. Vietnam was like a simple game of Animal Lotto compared to the mystifying puzzle of Syria. And then, of course, once you get a handle on who the players are, it’s another matter altogether to descry what US interests there might be.

One angle of the story is whether it is in America’s interest for Syria to become another failed state in a region of several other failed states. Whatever else you might say about US policy in that part of the world, the general result in places like Iraq, Libya, and Yemen has been anarchy and irresolvable factional conflict. In today’s world of nation-states, a central government is required to avoid that fate, and the embattled one in Syria happens to be the regime of Bashar al-Assad. The US has long militated for the overthrow of Assad, but I would also challenge you (and the Harvard faculty) to name any credible party or person who we have hypothetically proposed to replace him with.

You might argue that the Great Age of Nation States is winding down, that the world does not need them anymore, that they are the cause of too much strife and anguish. But then you would have to account for all the strife and anguish that occupied the world when it was composed of petty kingdoms, principalities, fiefdoms, and tribes. And, of course, following that logic you’d also have to inquire into the legitimacy of the US government — which, by the way, California is well into testing these days.

One might also propose that the battlefield of Syria, with its array of militant religious maniac armies, is just a proxy action for the tag-teams of the USA/Israel versus Russia/Iran. If so, the US has not been very clear or honest about it. Anyway, it has hardly been demonstrated that Russia is all that comfortable with Iran extending its influence to the Mediterranean Sea. I would take Russia’s presence in Syria as an attempt to block, or at least moderate, Iran’s influence there — which is one of the arguments for a US/Russia partnership in cleaning up the mess there.

That possible outcome has been hugely compromised by the RussiaRussiaRussia hysteria engineered by the neocon warhawks of the US permanent bureaucracy (a.k.a. the Deep State). The latest ploy by these players is the overcooked story of Vladimir Putin personally moving to poison the Russian/British double agent Skripal (and daughter) in Salisbury, UK. Given the extremely lethal nature of the supposed poison, Novichok, and the method supposedly used (smearing it on the Skripal doorknob), it’s hard to believe that the Skripals were able to walk to the park bench where they collapsed, nor that other persons ranging from the police to the medical examiners didn’t come into contact with the substance and fall ill. But this is the sort of cockamamie melodrama that it has come down to on our side of the gameboard.

The other part of the story worth considering is this: Syria, like other new-ish nations of the Middle East, was able to hugely increase its population in the post-WW2 era due to oil wealth (now all but gone in Syria), and other perqs of modernity like cheap grains for feeding all the newcomers. Dwindling oil revenue and severe drought (arguably induced by climate change) that caused crop failures commenced in 2006. So Syria became a workshop study in population overshoot and resource scarcity — problems that are sure to spread around other regions of the world in the years ahead. Nature’s way of correcting those imbalances is very ugly, and easily mistaken for mere politics.

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

EXPLAIN TO ME…

Editor:

Is the goal of the census to count people or voters? Explain to me how someone who is a citizen and doesn’t vote is more important to count than someone who is here (legally or illegally). Both work, live and operate under the same system and don’t actively participate in their government’s democratic structure.

I thought the census was to get an idea of how many people were alive and some general statistics about each household. It seems now the major reason is to determine how much money a state gets based on the number of people. If that is the case, anyone not participating in voting might as well not be counted either.

According to Google, 40 percent to 50 percent of eligible voters vote, and among all U.S. citizens, I think it might be much less.

I say toss the question of citizenship and ask if people voted. That is certain to tell us something important.

Karen Norman-Boudreau

Sebastopol

MEANWHILE, down in Georgia, as the city council of Griffin (an Atlanta suburb) declares April Confederate History Month, a former councilman named Larry Johnson testified in favor of the resolution in this manner:

“I told you at that time that there were white folks, and there were black folks when I was growing up. There was white trash — my family — and there was n—–town. I lived next to Niggertown.”

Johnson was interrupted by Rodney McCord, a black city councilman. “You lived next to what town?” McCord asked Johnson, incredulously.

“Niggertown, son. I’m telling you son, now that changed. I’m no longer white trash …My skin is white, my neck is red, and I was born in a Southern bed. Nothing wrong with that. I hope that doesn’t offend anybody.”

This exchange occurred on the 50th anniversary of the assassination of MLK, Jr.

— Jeffrey St. Clair

PBUTTER&PICKLES

(Photo from Susie de Castro)

WEST VIRGINIA, ANYONE?

zerohedge.com/news/2018-04-04/how-much-income-you-need-afford-average-home-every-state

AUDITIONS FOR FUN HOME are Today!

Gloriana Musical Theatre is holding auditions for the Tony-award winning musical Fun Home on April 7. Directed by Jenni Windsor. Based on the graphic novel by Alison Bechdel. Book by Lisa Kron. Music by Jeanine Tesori.

The Story: Fun Home weaves together a family's story into a heart-wrenching, innovative and charmingly honest musical sure to relate to every person in the audience. When her father dies unexpectedly, graphic novelist Alison dives deep into her past to tell the story of the volatile, brilliant, one-of-a-kind man whose temperament and secrets defined her family and her life. Moving between past and present, Alison relives her unique childhood playing at the family’s Bechdel Funeral Home, her growing understanding of her own sexuality, and the looming, unanswerable questions about her father’s hidden desires.

How To Sign Up: Please fill out a form at: gloriana.org/audition-funhome

Auditions: Auditions will be held on April 7th from 10am – 2pm at Eagles Hall, 210 N Corry, Fort Bragg.

Casting: Alison Female, 35-50; Medium Alison Female, 18-22; Small Alison Female, 8-14; Bruce Male, 40-52; Helen Female, 35-50; Christian Male, 10-15; John Male, 8-12; Joan Female, 18-22; Roy/Pete/Mark/Bobby/Jeremy Male, 20-30

More Info and character breakdown at gloriana.org/audition-funhome

LOOKING FOR MUSICIANS

We are looking for musicians to play during a free family festival in Fort Bragg on Saturday April 14th on redwood ave at Spring Commons. It will be from 12 to 6 and Should be a whole lot of fun. Call Megan @ 364.9828

RUMORS! FINAL WEEKEND!

Don't miss your chance to see RUMORS at the Mendocino Theatre Company. The show closes this Sunday, and there are just a few tickets are left! For tickets call 707-937-4477, or purchase online at mendocinotheatre.org

DEPUTY DAWG GETS VEST

MCSO 2018 Vested Interest in K9s Donation UPDATE

Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office K9 Chase has received body armor Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office

K9 Chase has received a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. K9 Chase’s vest was sponsored by an Anonymous Donor and embroidered with the sentiment “Born to love - Trained to serve - Loyal Always”. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. is a 501c (3) charity located in East Taunton, MA whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States. The non-profit was established in 2009 to assist law enforcement agencies with this potentially lifesaving body armor for their four-legged K9 officers. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provided over 2,600 protective vests, in 50 states, through private and corporate donations, at a cost of over 2.1 million dollars. The program is open to dogs actively employed in the U.S. with law enforcement or related agencies who are certified and at least 20 months of age. New K9 graduates, as well as K9s with expired vests, are eligible to participate. The donation to provide one protective vest for a law enforcement K9 is $1,050.00. Each vest has a value between $1,795— $2,234 and a five-year warranty, and an average weight of 4-5 lbs. There is an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States. For more information or to learn about volunteer opportunities, please call 508-824-6978. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provides information, lists events, and accepts tax-deductible donations of any denomination at www.vik9s.org (http://www.vik9s.org/) or mailed to P.O. Box 9 East Taunton, MA 02718. News of the donation prompted Mendocino County Sheriff's Office K9 Unit Sergeant Joey DeMarco to proclaim, "This is great! We go into some dangerous situations, like illegal marijuana grows, work with the SWAT team, track fleeing felons and conduct parole and probation searches. Mendocino County Sheriff's Office Lieutenant Kirk Mason who oversees the Sheriff's Office K9 Unit stated, "The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office program has been in existence for over 20 years. During this time our canine partners have evolved from being strictly protection partners to person trackers, evidence seekers and tactical partners. As a result we have seen a marked increase in deployments and an increased awareness of our canine partners capabilities by both sworn personnel and community members. The donation of these vests will allow our canine partners to safely work side by side, with their handler, in day to day situations which tend to increase in both numbers and complexity. Our handlers will now have the peace of mind in knowing that their canine partner will be deployed in all situations, knowing that their canine partner has the highest level of affordable protection currently being offered." Attached is a photograph of K9 Deputy Ryan Murdaugh and his partner K9 Chase wearing his body armor from Vested Interest in K9s.

HOW A HOMELESS CHILD GREW UP to become the most inventive chef in history.

theguardian.com/news/2018/apr/06/homaro-cantu-moto-chef-change-the-world

MEMO OF THE AIR: Good Night Radio tonight, on KNYO and KMEC.

Tonight I'm doing it by live remote from Juanita's apartment, not from the back room of the KNYO performance space at 325 N. Franklin, next door to the Tip Top bar, so make plans to show-and-tell there /next/ week. Or get custom airtime for a show entirely of your own devising-- contact Bob Young: bobb@poetworld.net and be your own boss in that regard.

I have plenty of intriguing and even disturbing material for tonight's show, in case you're missing a tingling feeling of intrigue and disturbment in your existence. It might have been awhile for you, and I like to provide these experiences for my special little people, so you can feel really alive in the short time we have left before the asteroid, which will also be explained in detail tonight, though that's not the disturbing part.

To Email your writing to be read on MOTA, just paste your poem or essay or kvetch or idiosyncratic ramblings into the body text of an email, check that it's going to me and not also to the whole group, unless that's what you want, and press send. And even if you're reading this after about 6:30pm, it's never too late, just send it anyway and I promise to read it on a future show. Or come in and read it yourself next week, see above.

Memo of the Air: Good Night Radio: Every Friday, 9pm to 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 if that doesn't work for you try http://TuneIn.com and look up KNYO-LP. (TuneIn might play an ad first.)

Marco McClean

http://MemoOfTheAir.wordpress.com