Mendocino County Today: Wednesday, May 16, 2018

• Patter-Bombed
• Motorcycle Fatality
• Secret Meetings
• Negative Energy
• Little Dog
• Flower Exhibits
• Overlook Maintenance
• AVA Recommends
• Ed Notes
• Huff's Endorsement
• For Skyhawk
• For Juhl
• Puff Finance
• Helping Hands
• Yesterday's Catch
• Defense Money
• Shredding Event
• Ukiah Speedway
• Donald Shot
• Bloody Gina
• Stupid People
• Natural Wine
• Recovery Meeting
• Shooting Unarmed
• 21 Trillion
• Congressman Caffrey
• Libraries Good
• Jared's Checklist
• Spantsa's Secrets
• Human Kindness
• County Vacancies
• Sexual Harassment

THE WORST CITY COUNCIL MEETING

by Rex Gressett

Wednesday the Fort Bragg City Council came together for their regular meeting bi-weekly meeting. I thought it would be packed and angry. I was wrong about that. Two weeks ago unemployed newbie lawyer Jacob Patterson threw a bomb at the City Council and basically blew fair and free democracy in our little town right to hell. Like nothing else in the last eight years, the impending loss of general elections to the raging avarice of a twit lawyer has thrown a cloud of discouragement over the politics of the city. In confusion and deep uncertainty, everybody stayed home. The routinely packed City Council meeting was almost devoid of the passionate involvement that has come to characterize it. True a sizeable batch of top administrators from the Hospital had shown up to get a more or less automatic City Council recommendation for their parcel tax. Sheriff Allman drove over the hill to make his pitch for Measure C, but once the hospital gang got their rubber stamp and wandered off, the chambers were almost empty.

It has been quite an adventure for Jacob Patterson. A few short months ago, Patterson returned to the little town where he had attended high school and went down to city hall to shake the tree. First he applied to be the City Attorney. The city thought not. It would have been his first job since graduation from law school ten years ago. Undeterred, he suggested rather loudly that he would make a really great City Manager. Somehow no one took that generous offer seriously either. Big mistake. Patterson has an astronomical estimation of his own importance.

April 16th Patterson sent the city a formal demand for compliance with the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA). The letter requests the city abandon general elections and set up five gerrymandered districts which will elect neighborhood representatives for the City Council. Patterson informed the city this innovation is necessary because the current Council does not include any Latino members.

In his letter to the City Council, Mr. Patterson pointed out that Fort Bragg was a pit of racism. Who knew? In our apparently calm and friendly little city, racism is rampant and ethnic hatred has pervaded our elections. In the righteous tones of a pious scold, Mr. Patterson informed the city that by deliberate intention Hispanic interests are being ground to dirt under the iron heel of a white majority. Patterson has dropped into our little city to correct injustice. Naturally, he expects to be paid handsomely for the pursuit of his high ideals. Possibly millions.

Lawyers who sue municipalities under the CVRA are guaranteed attorney fees and costs. A city in the crosshairs pays both lawyers if they lose and they all do. Every one of the 88 cities that has been challenged under the CVRA, has either lost in court or been forced to settle. Famous among losers is courageous Palmdale, California. Palmdale chose to fight for the right to general elections. They lost like every city before and after them. Palmdale paid $4.5 million to the plaintiff. When the dust settled it was the triumphant attorneys who told the city where they would draw their districting lines.

Former state Sen. Richard Polanco, who authored the Voting Rights Act, said the law included a provision for legal fee reimbursement in successful lawsuits because lawmakers believed “it was better to have local governments pay millions in settlements than rob minority groups of fair representation.”

Surprised to hear you’re a racist living in a racist town? So was the City Council. So were the people of the city, Hispanic and otherwise. We all thought in our innocence that Fort Bragg was one of the most integrated, mutually supportive and tolerant cities anywhere. The facts seem to declare it, and yet almost incontestably Jacob Patterson is going to win, the city is going to pay and general elections for the City Council are going away. The CVRA is sweeping the state like a virus.

Modesto was sued. They challenged the CVRA as unconstitutional. They won in trial court, lost on appeal. The Supreme Court declined to review the decision. Modesto ended up settling for $3 million and spent $1.7 million on their own attorneys. Anaheim got hit for $1.1 million. Whittier $1 million, Santa Barbara $600,000. Across California, cities have been targeted by a few proactively avaricious attorneys. Every one of those cities has settled and paid or lost in court and paid more heavily. Every city that has been sued under the CVRA, has lost the right to a general election.

In Fort Bragg, no one can quite believe the sinister inevitability of it. Fair elections are being taken from us without discussion, debate, or recourse. The division of the city into small neighborhood districts, however convoluted, will not, in fact, cannot result in any specifically Hispanic neighborhood. Hispanic voters are spread across the whole city. Like the rest of us, they will no longer vote on the whole City Council. All of our votes will be for neighborhood representatives. The Fort Bragg City Council as an instrument of the broad public will is over.

In the special City Council meeting convened to discuss the CVRA lawsuit, The City Council hid their confusion and panic behind posturing indignation and restrained professional anger. They promised the people that they would fight it, but the Council knows which way the wind blows. They have already hired a demographer to help gerrymander Fort Bragg.

It does not matter that no identifiable interests particular to Hispanic voters can be identified. Safe streets, good schools, a balanced budget and the opportunity to work hard and get ahead are common to all of us. In Fort Bragg Hispanic prosperity is general. Of the 3500 or so Hispanic residents of the city 390 are registered voters. About 1500 are citizens of the United States. Virtually all are employed. I am unaware of any restriction, prohibition or barrier to hard work and I am entirely sure that the Fort Bragg Hispanic community has distinguished itself as utterly honest, hardworking and incorrigibly decent. Intermarriage and the deep connections between us that have grown out of our churches, schools, sports and job places have knit us together in a single unified community. I will bet you thought so too. Apparently, we were wrong. Fort Bragg is a bigoted racist community even if nobody knew it. Fortunately, we have Jacob Patterson to correct our misconceptions.

A UKIAH MAN WAS KILLED Saturday when his motorcycle hit a guardrail on Highway 253, the California Highway Patrol reported Tuesday. According to the CHP, the 52-year-old Ukiah man was riding a 2005 Harley Davidson motorcycle eastbound on Hwy 253 on May 12 when, for unknown reasons, around 6:45pm, the motorcycle struck a guardrail near mile marker 11.62, about five miles from Ukiah. The driver sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office identified the driver Tuesday as John Disomma, 52, of Ukiah. The collision is under investigation by the CHP, which reports that it remains unknown if alcohol or drugs were contributing factors.

IT'S GONNA GET UGLY

Friends of the Eel River has obtained notes using the Public Records Act that show Humboldt County Supervisor Estelle Fennell and other county supervisors have been meeting secretly for months to advance a plan environmentalists warn could lead to salmon and steelhead extinction in the Eel River.

“Supervisors Fennell, Brown, and Gore all denied having these meetings. We now know that they did in fact meet. They even went to the trouble of preparing explanations in case they got caught,” said FOER Conservation Director Scott Greacen. “And now we know why they kept their plans secret: they are trying to keep the Potter Valley Project in place, even if it leads to extinction of the Eel River’s salmon and steelhead.”

Since April of 2017, Friends of the Eel River, other conservation and fishing groups, and tribes with treaty rights to Eel River salmon and steelhead, have been participating in the relicensing process for the two dams on the upper Eel River, known as the Potter Valley Project. Since last fall, we have also been meeting with stakeholders in a parallel process convened by Rep. Jared Huffman to try to develop solutions that would work for both the Eel and Russian River interests.

Removing Scott Dam — while still retaining some capacity for winter diversions to the Russian River — would open up hundreds of miles of prime salmon and steelhead spawning grounds. And the FERC relicensing process provides a window of opportunity to forge such a deal. The key lever in securing Scott Dam removal is the requirement in the Federal Power Act that new hydropower dam licenses include fish passage where feasible. It is now clear that such passage is feasible, but would be quite expensive ($50-90 million for a fish ladder that probably would not work very well).

These environmental and economic realities don’t sit very well with either the dam owners (PG&E) or the Russian River recipients of all of the hydro plant’s ‘waste water.’

Last week, PG&E finally publicly announced its intent to auction the Eel River dams/Potter Valley Project off this fall. Also last week, FOER learned through a series of Public Records Act requests that Eel-Russian River Commissioners (including county supervisors Estelle Fennell, of Humboldt County, James Gore of Sonoma and Carre Brown of Mendocino) held a series of at least five secret meetings with PG&E and various Russian River interests over the last year to put together a plan to keep the Eel River dams in place.

This scheme would move the dams out of federal licensing so as to avoid having to provide additional protection for fisheries, especially fish passage.

Under what’s called a “non power license,” they’d operate the project primarily as a water transfer project, but they’d keep the hydropower running as well. They think they’d even get state Renewable Power credit for running fish-killing dams!

Supervisor Fennell is asking the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors to move tomorrow to appoint her and Supervisor Bohn to an ad hoc committee that would continue meeting in secret to push this secret plan to avoid protecting Eel River salmon and steelhead (according to the agenda). Nowhere does Supervisor Fennell explain the non power license plan she is clearly seeking to advance. That idea has never been presented to the public and stakeholders in any forum by its proponents.

“It is outrageous that our public representatives have been meeting in secret to undermine the public process seeking a reasonable compromise that would protect Eel River fish and Russian River water interests,” Friends of the Eel River Executive Director Stephanie Tidwell said. “We find it particularly galling that Supervisor Fennell is willing to negotiate the Eel River future’s away, knowing full well her constituency would oppose her if they knew what she was up to.”

As a policy minimum, Humboldt County should be pushing for a solution that would remove Scott Dam and restore fish access to the Eel River headwaters.

But at the most fundamental level, we deserve the opportunity to discuss and debate the positions our elected representatives are taking on our behalf. Democracy cannot function when leaders make policy in secret.

The meeting begins at 9am at the usual location in the Supervisors Chambers in the Humboldt County Courthouse. Appointing Supervisors Fennell and Bohn to continue the secret negotiations is on the agenda.

Handwritten meeting notes FOER obtained through Public Records Act request from the Sonoma County Water Agency show that ERRC commissioners have been actively engaged in putting together this plan since July of last year. This reality flies in the face of the assurances that FOER and others received from ERRC commissioners denying such meetings ever happened.

It is worth noting that in response to our PRA requests, none of the four counties was able to find any evidence that any of these meetings or any of this correspondence ever took place. It’s very clear that their elected officials were actively engaged in these discussions. We look forward to the counties’ explanations of their inability to comply with the Public Records Act.

Press release from Friends of the Eel River

ED NOTE: Fifth District Supervisor candidates have understandably been vague about the looming sale of the Potter Valley Diversion by PG&E. I say “understandably” because only the inland Supervisors pay attention to it and understand what's at stake. Which is lots. I'd like to see at least one Supervisor stand up for a re-negotiation of the shockingly bad deal Mendo entered in with Sonoma County in '54, by which most of the diverted Eel River water piled up behind the Coyote Dam in Ukiah is owned by Sonoma County. Mendo is losing millions of dollars every year by not demanding its fair share of the profits Sonoma County makes on that water, more than 80% of which flows downstream and outtahere, as wine grape farmers siphon off locally what they seem to think is their's by birthright. The discussion of what to do about the Diversion is already dominated by so-called agriculture, i.e., the wine industry. who get what is essentially free water via the Diversion sold to them at what amounts to free prices. Our past and present Supervisors refuse to even discuss water arrangements. Third District Supervisor candidate, Johnny Pinches, who is not afraid to discuss the Diversion deal, remarked in passing one day, "There's more than one way to pump that water over the hill." See the movie "Chinatown" for the implications of that suggestion.

WARM SODA & A GALA GREASE CAKE

MCPB Corporation (KZYX) board meeting, 6pm Monday night, Fort Bragg Senior Center

Mark Slafkes wrote:

Marco, normally I just delete your postings on the Announce list serve. However, I know both Bob and Meg and have been on a board with Bob. Although I don't agree with Bob on many things, these are two very honest and good hearted people. We are lucky to have them take the time in their lives to make things better.

You clearly have a different philosophy about how a non-profit public radio station should be run. At a time in my life I would have agreed with you. But I don't nowadays. Managers work hard and they don't get even the small public recognition that volunteers do. I think everyone on this list understands your issues and your right to promote them. But this is an Announce list and not a public forum to demean others.

I believe that this email will have no impact on what you do. But, I just couldn't stand by and see your attack on Bob and Meg who both contribute so much to the community when it is not easy for them to do this.

* * *

Marco McClean responds:

Okay, Mark. Marco here. I just came from the board meeting, which resembled any lunch at the old folks' home for being a pack of white-haired (if haired) old white people, but in this case was comprised of the poobahs of KZYX; I'd be surprised if anyone there but Teevee Terry's little boy was younger than I am, and I'm 59. Wait, no, Sheila Tracy was there, she's not that old. But most of them are clearly in their seventies.

All of the old people, though, smiling and smug, patting themselves and each other on the back, applauding the manager's report about how we're in the new digital age now and what's important is connectivity and how about that new studio in the closet down the hall, hey? Why, we can connect to the internet in there, and do internetty things and even talk on the phone! And to hear him tell it, he talked on the phone with some very important people at KQED just last Friday. It was a conference call! And back during the fires 1,000 people clicked on some recorded content about the fires in the station's website, so that's exciting. But then the phone rates went up (!) so he called around and eventually got a bargain, you know, like you do. And also he spoke about how cool it will be to partner with Mendocino College in exactly the same terms he used at the meeting in March of 2017. It was gonna be so cool then and it still is. "Imagine: students learning to record a show." There: he's sure earned the ninety large he's sucked out of the station for himself so far. The strain is telling, though. His hair is entirely gray now, and his face seems pressurized with blood (mainly the red and bulging eyes, more so than before) the way Captain Fathom's face gets when he's getting ready to flip out, but this guy isn't quite at Fathom level yet. Give him a little longer and a couple more phone rate hikes.

Then the chairman exclaimed that the CPB people told him that if the station could raise even more money, CPB would grant them even more money still, so let's raise some more money! And there's cake in the back of the room, and a case of warm Coke. Help yourselves, everybody. He even made the tale of the CPB audit sound like a dish of ice cream.

After about an hour of this nightmare I could take no more. I wasted my three minutes of what they call public expression time suggesting again that they pay the airpeople, whose work is what the radio station is there to transmit, after all. I mentioned that there's a reason the minimum wage is called the minimum wage-- that it's the very minimum amount of money per hour that a person's work is worth, and the entire room, except for Sheila and a couple of others, turned against me. I think you know how that feels when that happens.

You mention my "attack" on Bob Bushansky. I don't think of it as an attack to quote a man's campaign slogan, rigged election or not. And the first thing the MCPB trustees did as a convened new board, was to appoint him treasurer of the fiefdom. Also, in addition to being apprised by a homeless guy in the Safeway parking lot of the Great Paintbrush Embezzlement, I just got email that Bob Bushansky is behind the new chainsaw-motor ATV park project in the forest up Highway 20. If that's true, is that good? Because I don't think it's good. I think it's like the Hare Creek dented can store and similar slow-motion destruction of the commons everywhere so a bunch of old rich people can stay rich for another fifteen minutes until their little lives are rounded with the Big Sleep anyway, so why screw everything up just to make them happy, as though their having plenty enough means everyone else has to keep bowing and scraping before them and giving them their own way in all things forever.

I may have read it wrong though. Maybe he's opposed to the ATV park. Somebody will set me straight, either way.

Really--room full of the polar opposite of progressive energy. Radio station run by and mostly supported by arrogant old very-well-off white people, none of whom have built a radio station (I've built two, with my hands, from circuit diagrams and surplus parts), very few of whom have any expertise in or passion for actually doing radio in specific or teaching in general. And if they're old teachers, I wonder how they would have felt back in the day if school administrators would only hire volunteers and keep all the school money for the principal and his secretary. That's different, they would say. That's not the same thing at all. But isn't it?

And I can't even give them the benefit of the doubt for their having been bamboozled by all these other Nice People who are just like them, who could be their dozens of brothers and sisters all old and slightly tipsy together in the reunion at the Grand Manse. I don't think they were bamboozled. I think that's really just who they all are.

Afterward, just before I left, I spoke with a new boardmember who had patronizingly berated me for wanting volunteers to be paid. (They're volunteers, after all; why should we pay them? And it's just impossibly complicated to do that, was his implication. And it's not as if there's any money.) (Besides the $600,000 they manage to piss away every year.) I said, "I applied to get my show on KZYX in February of 2012 and got zero action on that ever since. I was the first person kicked off KZYX in 1989. This station has been treating me like shit for thirty years. That's why I'm upset." He waved his hand, said, "I dunno anything about that," and turned away, dismissing me from his august presence.

I want to say, honestly, I don't know why I bother to even go, but I keep thinking that next time it'll be different, and it is, it's worse every time. Maybe I'll go next year, stick my head momentarily past the door and say, Please, sir, may I have another, and not even wait around for it.

On the way home I stopped in Mendocino and took a walk around the headlands. It was so long since the last time I went out there that the whole experience is changed. Not just the weeds and the season and the weather, but the paths near dropoffs seem treacherous to me now. I went near an edge to look down into where the waves go underneath the rocks, that big dark hole with the tunnels going in and out, and I felt spooked and involuntarily stepped backward, and then felt doubly spooked because, what if the other side was closer and I hadn't been paying attention, and then I'd be dead down there. Yeech.

There's a series of books by Steven Brust that Juanita and I like, about a man named Vlad Taltos, who lives in another very Earthlike world that's got different races of people who are really different races, not just different colors and eye-shapes. A man and a woman are from a race where people live to be a thousand years old (barring accident), but these are young people in their 70s or 90s, and at one point they're discussing a course of action. The man urges caution. The woman says something like, "We should not fall into a rut of always being careful, lest we one day become afraid to throw a stick into the river, in case the water might be all poisoned and a drop could splash out and get on our shoe and kill us."

LITTLE DOG SAYS, “Caught Skrag this morning in the act of decapitating an endangered species. He's one low down feline, that one. Worse, he says, ‘Go ahead, snitch face, call me in’!"

FAIR FLOWER LOVERS UNITE

by Terry Ryder

If you are a flower lover it is not too soon to begin thinking about the Hall of Flowers at the Fair September 14-16 2018. June Hall, that oasis of cool where the regularly hosed down concrete floors give you a break from September heat is a great place to hang out and a great place to contribute your talents to. You know that the scents of innumerable flowers and plants feed your soul and they feed a lot of other people’s too. You can be a part of that by planning to create an exhibit of one kind or another for the hall.

The big contributors are the garden builders and you can go for a 6 x 6, a 10 x 10 or a 10 x 20 foot plot. This is where a lot of the glory and all of the prize money resides. This year the theme of the hall will be “Love-A-Fair” which obviously can be interpreted many ways. Last years theme was “Worlds Fair” and included widely diverging interpretations like a garden with the Golden Gate Bridge included and another promoting “World Peace.”

If a big garden is too much to manage there are flower arrangements to be put together also with creative directions. Some samples from last year - “Brazilian Carnival” using tropical flowers and including a carnival mask, “French Champagne” that required a champagne bottle, glasses and bubbles along with the flowers. “Our Anderson Valley World” instructed arrangers to use grapes and apples with their flowers. Novelty exhibits are another avenue you might explore. Wheelbarrow Gardens is a great choice for those wanting to design a garden but on a small scale.

New this year will be Little Red Wagon Gardens. Three other brand new exhibit categories are pressed flower arrangements, home grown arrangements with every scrap of plant material coming from your very own garden. (This is harder than it seems in a scorching September.) And also growing plants in artfully broken containers.

The guidelines for Fair 2018 have not yet been released but keep an eye on the Mendocinocountyfair.com website. Also you can call the fairgrounds at 895-3011 and they will tell you when the paper exhibitor’s booklet is due to arrive in their office for you to pick up.  To see last year’s instructions scroll down to Fair Pages and then tap on Exhibitor’s Guidebook for the Floriculture entries.

Anyone living in Mendocino County is welcome to exhibit. It is so much fun to enter The Hall Of Flowers Friday afternoon after the judges have done their work. Even jaded adults may get butterflies in their stomachs as they approach their exhibits looking for a ribbon or maybe even a trophy. The really important part is the joy the beautiful plants, flowers and gardens give to the visitors to the hall. If you have a potted plant that is a beauty make the effort to enter it for exhibition so many can enjoy it. Single specimens of various flowers are also very much enjoyed so if you know you’ll have awesome cosmos, roses, dahlias, etc. enter in those categories.

Without participants there would be no Hall of Flowers and wouldn’t that be sad? Start planning now and stay alert for entry submission deadlines. We will all benefit if you do. Robyn Harper and Taunia Green are the two biggest shakers and movers for the Hall for the run of the Fair. If you think you could help with any aspect of the work of running the building and keeping the exhibits looking good you can contact them.

SAVE THE OVERLOOK

Friends,

The enclosed photos refer to the exactly same area, one from 1971, the other from last week. However, it’s gone corporate and maintenance ignored for 20 years.

Recently the Trail was opened up, cleared of brush — overkill. So the clean-up is immense and needs a lot of help!

Are there any next generation people who agree that this property wants to be used by many for all to enjoy forever?

The house is also For Sale. But the eight acres (1240 feet square) on the Coast at Big River are the issue now. The house that Coke built in 2018 needs an update. However, that will come soon enough.

Could you please help make it known that the property needs support from the folks in town, not from corporate interests like the Mendocino Land Trust?

Thank you in advance.

I am humbly yours,

Allen Morgan

Mendocino

THE AVA RECOMMENDS

(WARNING: These recommendations assume that both political parties represent an ongoing menace to the health and welfare of the people of the United States.)

GOVERNOR: Gloria LaRiva, P&F, if you're an old rad nostalgic for the days there was a Left; Delaine Eastin if you've devolved into a lib-lab of the Democrat type.

LT. GOVERNOR: Who could possibly care? (A make work position created for temporarily out of work career officeholders.)

SECRETARY OF STATE: Michael Feinstein, the Green candidate

STATE CONTROLLER: Mary Lou Finley, P&F. Count on a Socialist to at least understand that the whole fiscal show is a house of cards.

STATE TREASURER: Kevin Akin, P&F. As above.

ATTORNEY GENERAL: The choice here is two death penalty Democrats, two neo-fascist Republicans. No recommendation.

INSURANCE COMMISSIONER: Nathalie Hrizi, P&F. The other candidates are captives of the industry they want to "regulate."

BOARD OF EQUALIZATION: Used to have a a couple of people like Bill Bennett who actually looked after the little guy taxpayer. No more. No recommendation.

UNITED STATES SENATOR: Anybody but Feinstein. We prefer John Parker, P&F.

CONGRESS: Andy Caffrey of Garberville, a total lunatic but a Northcoast kinda loon, if you get our meaning. Anyway, rigorous mental health clearance would disbar most elected reps so Caffrey is at least a good fit. Incumbent Huffman is another Mike Thompson, i.e., errand boy for the wine industry, the kind of Democrat who got Trump elected, and an enemy of even the hope for progress.

STATE SENATOR: Choice between Little Mikey McGuire and another lamebrain Democrat, a woman named Roni Jacobi. Go for Roni. She couldn't be any sillier or more superficially insulting than Mikey.

STATE ASSEMBLY: The incumbent is James Wood who, like Little Mikey, comes out of Healdsburg, land of the blonde bimbo, perfect lawns and decaf lattes. Wood opposed single payer and is another empty suit of the Billary political type. Matt Heath is the only other person in the race. He's a Republican who lists his qualifications as "father, businessman." Dude, fatherhood? Really? The qualifications bar seems lower than ever.

STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF INSTRUCTION: With public ed in this state having fallen from the best in the nation and among the best in the world to among the worst in the country and the world, this office is a state version of the Mendocino County Office of Education — no real function. No recommendation, other than bulldoze the office and rebuild the school systems from scratch.

COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS: Michelle Hutchins. The County's edu-blob, female division, has busily but falsely vilified Mrs. Hutchins for what they claim is "a lack of people skills," meaning she's not the slavish ass kisser you typically find running the County's school districts. Hutchins' opponent is the guy who thought the word 'niggardly' was an ethnic slur, in other words a walking example of everything that has gone terribly wrong with the schools. Hutchins is the only possible choice for this office.

SUPERVISOR, 5TH DISTRICT: Arthur Juhl, the only candidate who seems to understand that there's an utter absence of accountability in County government. Our very own little deep state here in Mendocino County — the permanent bureaucracy that runs things regardless of who is elected to allegedly supervise it — is as opposed to Juhl as it is to Johnny Pinches in the 3rd District, because our little deep state is opposed to anyone likely to act independently of THEM. Juhl for Supervisor. (Our little 5th District and the County's deep state is positively orgasmic at the prospect of Skyhawk being elected to succeed Hamburg who, well, stoner dude will mercifully be moving on, no need to paint a lame duck any lamer than he is.)

SUPERVISOR, 3RD DISTRICT: The Laytonville cowboy, Johnny Pinches, an independent voice on the Board of Supervisors in his previous turns, will be one again as he re-ascends to his rightful position as leader of Mendocino County's Wild, Wild Country, everyone from bush hippies to rednecks.

NOTE: I was unhappy to receive one of those slick, professional Democrat mailers for Chris Skyhawk of the type foisted off on us by McGuire and Wood, meaning, in Skyhawk's resort to gross superficiality of the very most insulting type, with his endorsement by Congressman Huffman and local Demo hacks like Rachel Binah, Joe Wildman et al, that the Hawk does not understand the Supe's position is supposed to be non-partisan. But, as Boonville's beloved weekly has pointed out for many years, these people, the Billary Brigades, the people who got Trump elected, either occupy or try to occupy the top spots in all the County's public jobs, nonprofits, city councils, and even school boards. But everything they touch is instantly mediocre, self-serving morasses of flagrant cronyism and personal aggrandizement, all the while cooing superlatives at each other as "excellent", "proactive," "a great listener," and so on. They must be resisted at every opportunity! They are not the way forward! They are not in any way "progressive," whatever that degraded term means anymore. They are barely even liberal in any recognizable sense of the term. Resist!

ASSESSOR/CLERK/RECORDER: Dirk Larson. Time for a change in that office, and Dirk is the only candidate likely to blackjack it into full working order.

AUDITOR/CONTROLLER: Lloyd Weer, incumbent. Does a pretty good job, all-in-all, especially considering he's trying to do it with an outdated anachronism of a computer set-up.

DISTRICT ATTORNEY: David Eyster. Has proved to be an excellent DA, not one of these bloodthirsty Jávert types incapable of rational prosecution policies.

SHERIFF-CORONER: Tom Allman. In a time we find ourselves living in an imploding society, the Sheriff's Department and the police departments of the County's incorporated towns, manage to maintain order without exerting any more muscle than necessary, going about their impossible tasks in a decent, humane manner. Allman, a master politician, is easily the most popular elected official in recent County history. No reason to oppose him, although there are people who question the performance of Allman's former Under-Sheriff, Randy Johnson, apparently retired but magically appointed to fill the top spot in the Deadbeat Dad's office at big bucks.

TREASURER/TAX COLLECTOR: The incumbent is Shari Schapmire, and who likes tax collectors, even when they come with such fetching alliteration? Somebody's got to do it, and nobody else wants to, sooooooo you're it, Shari Schapmire!

* * *

PROP 68: $4.1 billion in general obligation bonds for parks and water quality. General obligation bonds are backed by the state, and this one is not one of those tricky props stuffed with all kinds of pork for connected entities. Prop 68 continues funding for crucial water and parks programs whose funding is expiring although presumed as a large, ongoing expenditure. No reason to vote no, really, because it doesn't pile on more state indebtedness. The most important thing it does is protect water, and goodness knows water needs protecting. Vote Yes.

PROP 69: Protects the 12-cent gas tax, which needs protection because anti-taxers are preparing an initiative to repeal it on the grounds that the state legislature diverts the $5 billion annually raised to purposes other than road repair. (Which is true, but still….) This prop guarantees that the money all goes for road repair and can't be siphoned off to pay off the sexually harassed, three-hour lunches, fact finding trips to Italy etc. Vote Yes.

PROP 70: Republicans don't think the globe is warming. Science and everyone else believe it's getting kinda stuffy in here. Prop 70 maintains a simple majority vote by the legislature to keep climate cleansing programs in place. The ostriches wanted a two-thirds vote to maintain clean air efforts so they could get rid of them. Vote Yes, although all of us know in our bones that none of these teensy measures do anything at all to reduce global incineration. Face it, folks. We're doomed as a species.

PROP 71: I guess. So many people vote absentee now that it's taking longer — a lot longer in Mendo — to count and certify the vote as signed, sealed and delivered. Under 71, election results would not be "effective" until the secretary of state says so. For most of us, though, the preliminary results are invariably much the same as the final-final, certified count because the absentee votes typically run along the same percentages as the preliminary results.

PROP 72: If you install water-recovery equipment on your property, you will be able to deduct this particular improvement on your state taxes, as you can now by going solar and installing fire sprinklers. Strange that this one's even on the ballot, but it probably got there via bribes, er, campaign contributions from the water recovery installers to key solons. But if you can deduct solar, why not water storage? Yes on 72.

ED NOTES

GOT A GIANT'S TICKET, box seat, for Saturday's game with the Rockies. No charge. Call 895-3016 if you want it.

* * *

A READER wondered at the following title on an MCRPD press release:

BEAT BACK BUSHANKSY-ISM!

(Inside joke between me and maybe one other person who knows that Bushansky is on the MCRPD board of directors. He's what I call an “indicator species” — genus Mendo Wackus. Wherever he appears, bad things are certain to happen. In the recent KZYX elections, Bushansky was, of course, elected to the KZYX board. When I said the KZYX budget raised more questions than it answered, ol' Bushie said it was perfectly clear to him! Natch, KZYX has appointed him board treasurer.)

* * *

WE LIKED this note from Frank Hartzell to Tom Wodetski:

"Thanks for putting this out. [voting recommendations] For me, Gavin [Newsom] is the worst of the Democratic Party. I have watched him since the big Dems came in to help him beat Green Matt Gonzalez in the runoff for SF mayor. He did ONE courageous thing with gay marriage and it was significant and not to be disrespected. But the rest… Geez. I watched him ridicule the soda tax, ridicule the old taxi industry and praise Uber and much more corporatist stuff from Plumpjack onward. No doubt he and Feinstein will both win big and the whole Bernie revolution totally ignored by CA Dems, who seem to be affirimg their allegiance to Wall Street over Main Street. The CA Dems have had a super majority and total control but have advanced the progressive agenda little. Single payer has been nixed — by the Democrats. De Leon is a better choice than Feinstein and maybe best considering but I want to put in a word for Allison Hartson, who is ready to join with folks like Tulsi and Warren for real change."

COUNTY DEMS AT WAR

CONGRESSMAN HUFFMAN'S ENDORSEMENT of Chris Skyhawk for the non-partisan 5th District supervisor seat, has roiled the County's active Democrats: Huffman, feeling the heat, got off this weasel-lipped explanation: "Several of my trusted friends and longtime Dems are supporting Chris, including Rachel Binah who encouraged me to meet with him and consider an endorsement. I was not aware that the Club had endorsed another candidate. I wish I had the benefit of that information before I made the decision last week – it probably would have convinced me to stay neutral in the race. But Chris strikes me as an exceptional candidate, and while I have nothing against any of the others, I stand by my endorsement. I do apologize for the lack of communication though."

* * *

Jeff Tyrrell on Facebook regarding Inland Dem endorsement:

"Tamar and the Inland Mendocino Democratic Club may be unaware of the tremendous ill-will that this action has caused. The Democratic Clubs are regional by design, and by agreement the Fifth District endorsement has been a matter for the Coast Clubs. In April the Inland Club voted to withhold the endorsement in the Fifth District race, 8-6 with one abstention. Their own minutes discounted the possibility of reconsideration: "Can we revisit it later? No. Stretch the rules? No." Nowhere in their emailed May Agenda is reconsideration noticed. I don't know if the leadership of the two Coast Democratic Clubs or the Central Committee Co-Chairs were even consulted. Going forward, the agreed jurisdictions of each club is no longer applicable because of the unilateral reconsideration of the Inland Club's April Vote. I hope voters recognize that Ted was endorsed by the Coast Democratic Club, and the method by which Chris got an endorsement is seriously flawed, (in my personal opinion)."

POSITIVITY

Editor,

Why I support Chris Skyhawk for 5^th District supervisor

I applaud all 5 candidates running for 5^th District supervisor. Running for public office takes a bit of courage. I know this from personal experience. They are all good men and for that we can all be grateful. I know only 2 of them personally: Chris Skyhawk and Ted Williams.

I was the Campaign Manager for Measure V and worked with Williams for about 18 months. My husband Allen Cooperrider was the Treasurer/Recorder for Measure V.

I have known Chris Skyhawk for almost 25 years, having worked with him on environmental issues facing Mendocino County throughout that time.

Both are good men, and both will get the job done, if elected. That said, we are supporting Chris Skyhawk for supervisor. We have seen him interact with both advocates and adversaries in the struggle to preserve our fragile environment. Chris has a very long and solid track record that we can count on. He treats everyone with dignity and respect, even when he disagrees with them. This is a trait that has become rare in present day politics. It is also a trait I very much appreciate. This is how politics can be. Chris will never condone anyone on his team tearing down an opponent’s character. It’s not who he is.

Chris is running one of those positive campaigns on the issues that matter to us here in Mendocino County. We know he will carry on this positive approach into his term as supervisor.

Having Chris Skyhawk win in the 5^th will be very good for all of us, friends and foes alike. Join me in supporting Chris. www.Skyhawk5.com

Els Cooperrider

Turtle Creek

PETER LIT FOR ART:

At this point, Juhl has spoken clearly about the issue that most concerns me, the (mis)management of Mendocino County's government and how to fix it. Truthfully, i am tired of nice people trying to deal with the political arena. All the BS about marijuana, the current board and CEO seem to have no grasp of reality. Class K, air b'n'b are two more ways the current administration seems to be serving business interests at the expense of the people. We all say that honesty is important; let's insist on it. And directness while we are at it.

YOU'RE RIGHT, ART

Just listened to the San Francisco campaign for mayor and more puff! They are going to build housing for the poor. Again one has to ask “where is the money?” My fellow candidates are going to fix all our problems, but again do not realize it takes “money” to solve the problems. I can not understand why people believe in puff and not reality. I have spent a great deal of time studying the county budget and look for possible ways to fund the county problems. Not based on puff but facts. We can fix our roads, mental health problems, homelessness, and housing if we work on the budget and show accountibilty in the county. And not pay consultants for the jobs that the county workers should do! So people wake up and start thinking if you really want to solve the problems of the county!

— Arthur E. Juhl candidate for the 5th district Supervisor.

JAMES MARMON WRITES:

It looks like the touchy feely guy Chris Skyhawk is running away with it Art, just what Mental-cino needs, a counselor on the board. He should get along well with Molgaard, Schraeder, and the rest of the helping hands community.

“Chris has experience in social services and understands how the strength of our safety net actually benefits us all, not just direct recipients.” — Lauren Sinnott

Just shoot me!

James Marmon MSW

CATCH OF THE DAY, May 14, 2018

CHEYENNE COLLINS, Fort Bragg. Failure to appear.

RANDY FOUCHE, Fort Bragg. Fort Bragg/Ukiah. Failure to appear.

CANDICE HAWKINS, Covelo. Probation revocation.

ROBERT HUANG, Hercules/Covelo. Burglary, stolen vehicle, controlled substance.

NATE JACKSON, Rocklin/Willits. DUI.

LEVI LAMOUREUX, Laytonville. Probation revocation.

SEAN LEFFLER, Covelo. Burbank/Ukiah. Probation revocation.

WILLIAM POWELL, Ukiah. Probation revocation.

DARIN SCOTT, Laytonville. Failure to appear.

MARGUERITE SMITH, Ukiah. DUI, misdemeanor hit&run with property damage.

PATRICK TAYLOR, Ukiah. Probation revocation.

ANTIONE WEBB, Sonoma/Ukiah. Under influence, probation revocation.

AS WE EXPLAINED awhile back, a true America First national security policy could be done for $250 billion per year – the amount needed to maintain the strategic triad and protect the airspace and shorelines of the homeland. But the Deep State luxuriates in $800 billion of annual spending for the military and the empire, and the unspeakable prosperity of the military-industrial-surveillance complex and the beltway’s army of consultants, think-tanks, NGOs, lobbyists, "law" firms and racketeers. So it desperately needs enemies and threats to justify the half-trillion dollar per year excess. Ironically, Donald the erstwhile Swamp drainer is now doing his part to ensure that this yawning gap remains permanently bridged.

— David Stockman

SHRED IT!

Shred those old documents

The Savings Bank of Mendocino County is having a shredding event on June 1st from 9-11am at the Sport Chrysler Jeep Dodge location in Fort Bragg. You can take up to 3 - 35 pound boxes of documents for no charge. That's a lot of stuff!! What an opportunity to move out dated and old papers along - here it is.

I LOVE THE SMELL OF BURNING FUEL OIL, THE SWEET MUSIC OF RACING ENGINES, THE DRAMATIC CRASHES OF FULL SPEED COLLISIONS — IT'S SUMMER IN UKIAH!

Redwood Ford Speedfest

Photo 1 Bombers; #96 RJ Randall, #75 Audrey Portlock, and #5 Jeff French going three wide during the main event on Saturday Night.

Photo 2 Jammers; #4 Raymond Taylor Jr and #48 Gene Odell Sr battling in the heat race.

Photo 3 Modifieds; #04 Cole Brown and #37 Sierra Furia battling the trophy dash. Cole Brown took home the win.

* * *

It was a thrilling night at Ukiah Speedway with the four divisions of racing. Saturday night featured the Pro Jammers, Junior Jammers, Ukiah Modifieds, and the Bombers. In the Pro Jammers, it was tough to beat #88J Justin Moran as he won the heat race and the main event. The trophy dash was won by #4 Raymond Taylor Jr. In the Junior Jammers, it was a battle between Kylei Keown and Christian Sanchez. Sanchez was able to pull off the win in the heat race but Keown got the main event win. That was Keown’s second main event win of the season. In the Ukiah Modifieds, we seen some old faces and some new faces. Kyler Berry in the #88B made his debut in the series along with #88 of Jason Hunter and #6 of Kobe Taylor. Cole Brown in the #04 machine won the trophy dash finishing in front of #37 Sierra Furia and #5 Steve Taylor. There was two heat races, heat race #1 was won by #55 Tyler Caturegli and heat race #2 was won by #77 Erick Ray. In the main event, #55 Tyler Caturegli was able to take home the trophy with #04 of Cole Brown finishing 2nd and #37 of Sierra Furia finishing 3rd. In the Bombers, it was a battle between #5 of Jeff French and #96 of RJ Randall in the main event. The trophy dash was won by #88 Bob Mook. The heat race was won by #17 Robert Byers. The main event was a toss up between #5 Jeff French and #96 RJ Randall. French ended up taking home the win, with #88 Bob Mook in second and #96 RJ Randall took 3rd. Audrey Portlock won the B Bomber main event. This coming weekend at Ukiah Speedway on May 19th, the races will feature the Bandoleros, Bombers, Legends, Jalopies, Jammers, Pro 4’s, and the PCS Late Models. Gates will open at 3:30 with racing at 5pm. Adults are $12, Senior/Student are $9, Children 6-11 are $6, 5 & under are free, First Responders (id present) are $6, and the family pack is (2 general, 3 kids) are $30.

We hope to see everyone there!

Sierra Furia
Ukiah and Lakeport Speedway
Sierra@furiamotorsports.com
Sierra.furia@yahoo.com

HE COULD GET AWAY WITH IT, EASY

Editor:

Donald Trump may have told the truth when he said that he could shoot someone and get away with it. If that happened, his worshipers would be divided into two camps: one that believes it was fake news, while the other believed that it was a secret operation performed by the government designed to take away their guns. Therefore, Trump really could get away with it.

Duke Evans

Santa Rosa

BLOODY GINA IS THE NICE LADY WHO LIVES NEXT DOOR

by Tom Clark

Just think about it.

This woman is in charge of torturing you.

And this is her. The real her. With this sick grim little I swallowed your goldfish smile.

She says she is just a normal middle class American.

Like, no big deal, right?

This makes things a whole lot worse, you’re thinking.

She’s torturing you, and telling you

This is what normal Americans do,

And the only difference between her and the rest of them

These normal middle class Americans,

Is that she’s allowed to do these things

And they are allowed only to think of doing things like these

And for some of them even that is enough even more than enough

Though for others, nothing would ever be enough

So that once those others are put in charge of torturing you

In that precise methodical knowhow-in-this-department way we have

The torturing department that is

Which is practically our middle name

You’d better watch out if you know what’s good for you

But if you’ve reached this point it may be

That nothing is good for you, or could possibly

Ever be good for you

Any more.

This woman wants you to believe she did everything she did

For the best of normal American nice lady next door reasons

And would be happy to go into more detail about it with you sometime

Say when she’s torturing you

She says she had to do it because of top secret normal duty rule

#1212which she can’t ever tell you about due to loyalty

To you forget what and

You believe her.

She says she never knew

Never had a clue

And is now in charge of torturing you.

OK you think.

Maybe it’s not Bloody Gina after all.

Just your imagination playing tricks, running away with you.

Maybe it’s just some nice normal middle class lady.

Like, after all. Come on now. No worries.

What’s to be scared of, right?

Still there’s a certain suspense.

You can hear the clock on the wall ticking

Though there is no wall

And no clock.

Then you look up.

That took some nerve.

And she’s in the cell with you and the two guards.

And she pulls off the hood.

And Jeeeeminy Crickets!! No!!

Gina!! Not you!!!

All of a sudden I’m starting to feel Totally Normal!!!

I swear it, Gina!

Just – no more, PLEASE!! OWWWW!!!

(Tom Clark is a poet. His books include Light & Shade: New and Selected Poems (Coffee House, 2006) and Threnody (effing press, 2006). Courtesy, CounterPunch.org)

WHAT’S WRONG WITH TRUMP VOTERS?

"What is wrong with these people?" That's the title of a recent Jennifer Rubin column about Trump supporters---and she's a conservative.

Jonathan Chait answered that question in May, 2016:

Most voters don’t follow politics and policy for a living, and it’s understandable that they would often fall for arguments based on faulty numbers or a misreading of history. But a figure like Trump is of a completely different cast than the usual political slickster. He is several orders of magnitude more clownish and uninformed than the dumbest major-party nominee I’ve ever seen before. (That would be George W. Bush.) As low as my estimation of the intelligence of the Republican electorate may be, I did not think enough of them would be dumb enough to buy his act. And, yes, I do believe that to watch Donald Trump and see a qualified and plausible president, you probably have some kind of mental shortcoming.

That is, most Trump supporters are stupid.

(Rob Anderson, District5Diary)

HAS WINE GONE BAD?

‘Natural wine’ advocates say everything about the modern industry is ethically, ecologically and aesthetically wrong – and have triggered the biggest split in the wine world for a generation.

theguardian.com/news/2018/may/15/has-wine-gone-bad-organic-biodynamic-natural-wine

DEBRIS REMOVAL OVER-EXCAVATION ASSESSMENT & REMEDIATION; FIRE RECOVERY COMMUNITY MEETING

The Mendocino County Fire Recovery Team has initiated a program with the commitment of California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) to address and remediate over excavation issues that occurred as a result of private property debris removal by US Army Corps of Engineers.

Mendocino County’s Over Excavation Assessment and Remediation program originated from local complaints about issues related to debris removal. A partnership has been forged with Cal OES to address property owners’ concerns which has since been replicated in other regions of the state affected by the October 2017 wildfires. Mendocino County Fire Recovery team members along with members of the County Fire Recovery Team and representatives from Cal OES have been on the ground visiting properties to determine eligibility for the remediation program since May 1st, 2018.

The Army Corps of Engineers 877 complaint line regarding debris removal issues is closed to new complaints as of May 16, 2018. Mendocino County has established a local phone number to receive questions and concerns from property owners regarding issues related to debris removal.

If you would like your site assessed, please contact the County at the number below and a Mendocino County Fire Recovery Team member will schedule a site assessment. Please call no later than May 31, 2018, to see if you are eligible for this special state funded program.

Mendocino County Fire Recovery Team

707-234-6076

teamrecovery@mendocinocounty.org

* * *

Fire Recovery Community Meeting Rebuilding Mendocino County Strong

The Mendocino County Fire Recovery Team will be holding a Community Meeting to discuss this program with residents of Redwood Valley.

When: Wednesday, May 16, 2018 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Where: Eagle Peak Middle School Cafeteria, 8601 West Rd, Redwood Valley CA 95470

Agencies attending: Mendocino County Planning and Building Services, Mendocino County Department of Transportation, Mendocino County Environmental Health, M-ROC Resource Room, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Cal OES

Live Online: This community meeting will be streamed live on the Mendocino County YouTube Channel.

For more information please contact Tammy Moss Chandler or Steve Dunnicliff at (707) 463-4441.

THE PENTAGON CAN’T ACCOUNT FOR $21 TRILLION (THAT’S NOT A TYPO)

truthdig.com/articles/the-pentagon-cant-account-for-21-trillion/

THE GREEN BERNIECRAT

2014 Rerun in CA-2 Congressional race June 5-Caffrey the Green Berniecrat vs Huffman the Hillary Superdelegate

Greetings CA-2 voters! I'd like to be your next Congressman and ask for your vote on June 5. The choice is a rerun of the 2014 primary, but the stakes have changed in the era of Traitor Trump! Now your choice is a Hillary Superdelegate, a Sanders Ecotopian Green Democrat (me) or a Republican who wants to give personhood to the fetus, making abortions death penalty crimes in some states.

I advocate seven New Green America proposals: 1) Fight the climate crisis as national security threat number one. 2) Declare a national climate emergency and launch a national emergency infrastructure rebuild program to get off fossil fuels in ten years. 3) End corporate personhood. 4) Retreat the American empire-I'll vote against all wars. 5) Federal legalization of cannabis. 6) Prosecute American war criminals. 7) Paper ballots and electoral reform to make it easier for third party candidates and independents to get elected to higher office. I see a class war and call for an electoral revolution to oust plutocratic candidates of both parties from Congress replaced by community leaders.

I've also signed a contract with you to take action on eleven items within six months of taking power. It's called the Contract for American Renewal. I've signed it, Huffman won't. All of this is included in the CFAR: a commitment to a $15 minimum wage, infrastructure development, taxing the elites, taking bold action on climate destabilization, ending the war in Afghanistan, expanding Social Security and Medicare to provide high quality healthcare for everybody, ending corporate personhood and reversing Citizens United, free college tuition at public colleges and universities, and reversing globalist trade agreements!

If you are a Huffman supporter, I ask for your vote in the primary: Jared doesn't need it. In 2014, I won 10% of the district vote. But if everyone who voted for me in 2014 gets one more person to vote for me now, then I'll get more than the 16% needed to pass that Republican who got 15.7% in 2016. That would put me into the top two placing me and Jared on the November ballot.

This would be the first time in the nation's history that there would be no Republican on the Nov. ballot, just two Democrats, one a Marin Hillary Superdelegate and the other an independent Humboldt bioregionalist Berniecrat with truly green politics. This is a debate all Greens have been waiting for since 1980!

And who would the Republicans vote for? The Hillary candidate or the Bernie candidate?

In our district in 2016, 53% of Democrats voted for Bernie and 46% voted for Hillary. Berniecrats and greens, you have the opportunity to elect the first green to Congress in the nation's history.

The election is just weeks off. Please visit AndyCaffrey.org and make a contribution at https://secure.actblue.com/donate/caffrey. You can call me at 707-923-2114, neighbor. Mailed contributions made to Elect Andy Caffrey please send to 816 Locust St. #C, Garberville, CA 95542. Email: voter@andycaffrey.org Check out my Facebook Live and youtube TV show #InRecoveryFromMSNBC: Getting Real About Reality.

Andy Caffrey

Garberville

923-2114

TIMES HAVE CHANGED

AVA,

Thank you once again for drawing attention to Mendocino County Libraries (THIS WEEK’S BATCH OF “LIBRARY” EVENTS 4/22/2018). I know you mean well, at least unconsciously, because you are a man dedicated to the First Amendment. I’ll wager that you frequented libraries in the past and, perhaps as a youth, enjoyed the pleasure of reading. Libraries still offer old fashioned books that people who were young back then fondly remember, and so much more.

Libraries have evolved. Our Mendocino County Library system has five branches plus the Bookmobile. Each branch serves and reflects the needs of its population. You’ll find stacks of books, magazines, newspapers, movies, music and games to check out. In 2017 we hosted 1058 children’s program with an attendance of almost 20,000 children. This summer all branches will host summer reading programs to encourage youth to find entertainment and education in books.

You cited several ongoing events that take place in libraries but you neglected to mention baby storytime, the teen breakfast club, film series (some of the viewings are standing room only), seed and seedling swap and giveaway, lectures, knitting, bridge, game nights and other art events. But don’t get me started as there are plenty of other activities like literacy tutoring in Fort Bragg and Willits, quilt making, stamp clubs, native plant displays, book groups, poetry workshops, and bilingual singing performances.

And if that wasn’t enough, we now loan Do-It-Yourself energy audit kits to see how energy efficient your home or business is. I hope that isn’t too woo-woo for you.

And don’t worry you can still find books aplenty. In 2017 the library added over 9000 adult titles, 1416 young adult titles, and over 2600 CDs and DVDs. As promised by Measure A, the Library has added 20,000 items to the collection as we cull our inventory to modernize it. I will supply a complete list of all new materials though it may require several AVA issues to print it. I suggest you check our website www.mendolibrary.org or attend our next New Books Festival in Covelo in September.

You will also find public computers with fast Internet connections at all branches. Assuming you use a computer, you might be interested in the library’s online resources, which include:

• Axis360 - digital audiobooks and ebooks
• Overdrive - digital ebooks
• Enki - more ebooks
• Hoopla - streaming music, video, ebooks and audiobooks
• Odilo - over 1,000 ebooks in Spanish
• com - thousands of high quality online learning courses
• America's News featuring local papers such as the Fort Bragg Advocate, Ukiah Daily Journal and the Willits News
• com library edition - world's largest online resource for genealogy
• AutoMate - car repair and maintenance information
• Discover & Go - free and discounted tickets to Northern CA museums
• Consumer Reports - access articles from Consumer Reports
• GrantFinder - search the grants database
• NoveList Plus, NoveList K-8 Plus - Find read-alikes, and book club guides
• Small Business Reference Center - tools for the entrepreneur
• Legal Information Reference Center - Legal books featuring articles and forms from Nolo Press
• Learning Express Library - learn through many modules including the School Center, Adult Learning Center, Career Center, College Prep Center, High School Equivalency, Recursos para Hispanohablantes
• NextReads Newsletters - subscribe to email newsletters suggesting books on your favorite topics
• Explora Research databases for Elementary School, Middle School, High School, and Adults
• Points of View Reference Center- learn both sides for a debate
• ABC Mouse - online books for kids
• BookFlix - Video Storybooks paired with non-fiction ebooks for grades PreK - 3
• TrueFlix - Online learning made fun for elementary age students

So, don’t be shy, drive to the nearest branch of the Mendocino County Library or find out when the Bookmobile stops in your neighborhood to check out what a modern library offers. Library cards are still free, just like you remember.

If you or any AVA reader wants to help keep our libraries vital, relevant and community-friendly, please contact me at mkomer@pacific.net to learn how.

Marc Komer,

Mendocino County Library Advisory Board, chair

GOOD LUCK, JARED

SPANTSA’S SECRETS

Three performances only, this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday!

The Mendocino Theatre Company presents The Secret Life of Spantsa, an original one-woman play created and performed by Zuzka Sabata this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, May 17, 18 & 19, at 8:00 pm on the MTC stage. The play is based on the life of Olive Oatman, a European-American woman who, in 1852, found herself adopted by the Mojave Tribe. This highly physical performance delves into the seamy side of American expansionary history by moving beyond the standard narrative of so-called captivity stories into the inner world of a woman caught between cultures and permanently marked by murder.

Tickets are $20 (adult) and $10 (youth) We suggest that you purchase your tickets online<http://mendocinotheatre.org/single-tickets/>. Online ticketing fees have been waived for these performances! You may also order by phoning our box office at 707-937-447.For more information, please see our website<http://mendocinotheatre.org/special-events/>.

A PLEA FOR OUR TIME

ATTENTION SHUT-INS!

Boards and Commissions Vacancies

The list of vacancies, due to term expirations and/or resignations, for County Boards and Commissions has been updated. A list of all new and existing vacancies is available on the County Website at:

https://www.mendocinocounty.org/government/board-of-supervisors/boards-and-commissions.

The below document contains a list of the vacancies that are new.

Please contact the Clerk of the Board office at (707) 463-4441 if youhave any questions regarding this message.

Thank you.

Mendocino County Board of Supervisors and Executive Office
501 Low Gap Road, Room 1010
tel: (707) 463-4441

ON LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY

I’ve been lucky to have felt reasonably safe most of my life. However, I did once have to run away from a young man in France (when I was also young). I heard his footsteps behind me, as I walked over a pedestrian area around where I lived at the time, in what had been the Olympic Village.

It was broad daylight and I was headed for the local hypermarket. I was vaguely aware that there was someone walking behind me and vaguely waiting for him to pass me by. But he didn’t. He caught up with me and started very obviously walking in step with me. I started to be scared. Then he moved round in front of me and stopped me. I turned and ran and he ran after me. Fortunately he didn’t catch me up but I didn’t dare go out again for some time. To this day I’m quite conscious of men’s footsteps behind me in quiet places, although I don’t let it make me neurotic about going about my business. I like to stick to places where there are people, though.

On a less scary note, I witnessed a sexual assault about a year ago. Some would call it minor, I suppose, if it didn’t happen to them or if they were male.

I was sitting on the bus as it waited for people to get on and off. A young couple were standing waiting to get on while an old man with a walking stick carefully got off. Then, as the young woman stepped onto the bus, the old codger turned round and stuck his hand up her skirt.

She and her boyfriend were aghast. But they both looked round and saw an old man with a walking stick and presumably thought ‘What are you going to do? Drag an old man to a police station?’ I felt for her. She got on the bus and I wanted to smile to her in sympathy but chose not to in case she misinterpreted it as something else. She must have felt humiliated as most of us had seen it – the bus driver had a prime view.

So a short while later I logged the incident on the Everyday Sexism website, because I felt that was the least I could do.

As I say, many would say that was ‘trivial’, but it lets a young woman know what her ‘place’ is in society, especially if it happens more than once. And it was interesting that they deferred to old age and its supposed fragility, even in the form of a dirty old man.