Bird’s Eye View (May 23, 2018)

My friend and fellow drinking/eating partner, Steve Sparks, is on the AV Museum and Historical Society Board and is completing the AV High School Yearbook collection at the Museum in the Little Red Schoolhouse near the Elementary School. The collection begins with the first edition, from 1921. It was originally 24 short of being a complete set. After some research and foraging, Steve came up with 11 more. Then following more “painstaking” research, he unearthed five more, leaving just 8 on his wanted list. So if anyone has a copy of any of these editions and is wiling to part with it, please contact Steve at 895-2460 or email at avcbulletin@gmail.com. The missing yearbooks: 1963, 1972, 1981, 1989, 1991, 2004, / 2005, and 2014. Your contribution to the collection will be much appreciated and provide an important addition to the Museum’s archives.

Public Service Announcements

#542. The Vets from the Mendocino Animal Hospital will be here Thursday, May 31 at the AV Farm Supply, 2-4pm. They will make just one visit in June. on Thursday 14.

#543. The AV High School Ag. Department’s annual Drive-Thru Dinner feast FFA program fundraiser is tomorrow, Thursday, May 24, 3.30-5.30pm. Dinner, to be picked up at the school parking lot, includes Tri-Tip, baked potato, 3-bean salad, watermelon, and rolls. I$25 for two and $50 for four. Pre-order only. Call 895-2514 or bswehla@avpanthers.org.

#544. The Lions Club Memorial Day Barbecue to benefit the ElderHome is the actual Memorial Day, not the usual Sunday event. So it’s next Monday, May 28, 4-7pm at the Redwood Grove in The Fairgrounds. Beef, chicken, and a vegetarian option. Also a silent auction; music by the Ukeholics and Tiny Orchestra of Boonville. Tickets are $18 in advance, $20 at the door; $10 for children 6-12; free for Under 6. Advance tickets at Lemons Market and AV Market.

#545. The always-fun General Knowledge and Trivia Quiz held at Lauren’s Restaurant is at 7pm on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of every month. So that’s tomorrow, Thursday, May 24, 7pm.

#546. The County Dump is open from 9am-4pm Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday.

#547. The Boonville Farmers Market reopened last month under the management of Steve and Nikki of Petit Teton Farm. Open through the summer every Saturday from 9:30am to noon at the Boonville Hotel parking lot. For further details or to sign up as a vendor, call 684-4146 or contact farmer@petitteton.com.

#545. The Mendocino Bookmobile returns to the Valley next Tuesday, May 29. (Alternate Tuesdays for 45 minutes at: Navarro Store 9am (for just 30 min. before heading out to Comptche); the Floodgate 12.30pm; Philo 1.30pm; Boonville (Apple Hall) 2.30pm. 

Here is the menu for the Community lunches and dinners next week in the Senior Center at the Veterans Building in Boonville. $6 donation from seniors for both lunches and dinners and $7 charge for Non-seniors for lunches and $8 for the dinners. Tomorrow, Thursday, May 24, the lunch, served by Marti Titus and her crew at Noon, will be Hamburgers followed by Banana Split Cake. Next Tuesday, May 29, the evening meal at 6pm, features Oven BBQ Chicken and Texas Sheet Cake for dessert. It’s the last Tuesday of the month, so Bingo at 7pm follows dinner. All meals include vegetables, salad bar, and fruit, plus milk, coffee, tea, and lemonade. ALL ages are welcome!

This week at The Three-Dot Lounge! – Moans, Groans, Good Thoughts, and Rampant (yet surprisingly reliable) Rumors from my favorite gathering place in the Valley. 

…The Poleeko Roadhouse, “a classic American Grill” in downtown Philo formerly occupied by Libby’s, is nearing the end of renovation but is still dealing with the interminable permit process. Latest guess for opening: some time in June. 

…A real wisenheimer at the Lounge asked if The AV Chamber of Commerce was the Valley’s best-kept secret. Some customers laughed at this harmless comment, some humorless types leapt to the defense of The Chamber. However, the joke does now seem unwarranted. The improvements to their website are excellent and they are clearly doing a splendid job of supporting commerce in the Valley after a period of inertia. Good to see. I’m sure the many local businesses are very pleased indeed. 

…Election Day is nearly upon us. Tuesday, June 5. The candidates for our Fifth District Supervisor are battling it out and, based on the conversations I have had on my many travels, plus the number of signs dotted around the Valley, it would appear that Chris Skyhawk (Youth and family counselor) and Ted Williams (Fire chief of Albion Fire District and programmer) are doing plenty of legwork and hand-shaking, closely followed by David Roderick (Farmer and business owner). I have yet to see a sign supporting, or indeed have heard little mention of talk about, the candidacies of Arthur Juhl of Gualala (Real estate broker) and Alan Rodier of the Ukiah area (Farmer and attorney). Makes me wonder if real estate brokers and attorneys have any chance to win around here. 

…Meanwhile, and of interest to many Valley folks, the race for County Superintendent of Schools between AV’s current School District Superintendent Michelle Hutchins and Ukiah’s Bryan Barrett, a school administrator, is a much debated topic and, to quote one of the candidates for Supervisor above “I can feel the heat coming out of the Valley on that one,” It appears that Bassett has the AV vote, but elsewhere in the County it may well be different. Either way, it’s always worth a little effort to get out and vote. 

I’m outtahere. Show love to your pets, they will be faithful and true. Keep your windows cracked if you leave them in your vehicle. And, “Let us prey.” Humbly yours, Turkey Vulture. 

Contact me through the Letters Page or at turkeyvulture9@gmail.com. PS. Skylark: read any good books lately? Hi, Silver Swan: behaving yourself? Hopefully not!. Everything cool with you, O.J.? Of course it is.