Mendocino County Today: Sunday, May 27, 2018

• Memorial Day
• Hutchins Endorsement
• Missing Margit
• County Mismanagement
• Public Expression
• Pets
• PG&E Dams
• Albion Circle
• Book Sale
• Boonville Rainfall
• Doubiago Book
• Ed Notes
• Little Dog
• Dope Epidemic
• Clouds
• Baseball Quarterfinal
• Yesterday's Catch
• SW Drought
• Goodnight Nannycam
• Boomers Awesome
• Peace Out
• Summer Issue
• Library Events
• Marco Radio

LAST CALL: Memorial Day ceremonies commence at 10am today (Sunday), May 27, at Evergreen Cemetery, Boonville, at 10am.

FALSEHOODS ABOUT MICHELLE HUTCHINS

Dear Editor,

Peace & Blessings To Anderson Valley School District

I want to respond to the letter of No Confidence from the teachers’ and classified staff of AVUSD against Michelle Hutchins, our Superintendent, and candidate for County Superintendent of Schools.

This letter of No Confidence contains assertions that I disagree with.

I am the current Resource Specialist at AV Elementary School (AVES), and the head of the Special Education Department. I have been an educator for 32 years, taught 1st, 2nd, 5th, and 7th grades, have been a Special Education teacher for 17 years now, taught as an Assistant Professor of Education at Sonoma State University for 14 years, and served as Education Specialist for the Sonoma County Office of Education, Curriculum & Instruction Department for 7 years. I have been a teacher at 7 different school districts, both large and small, in Sonoma, Marin, Solano, and Mendocino counties. When I was a consultant for SCOE, I led classes for thousands of teachers and parents at school districts across northern California. My classes included Positive Discipline, Building Community, Parent Education, Conflict Resolution, etc. I facilitated teambuilding and consensus decision-making, and group problem solving with school staffs and school boards day in and day out for 7 years. I specialized in every aspect of creating a positive environment in schools for students, educators, and parents, which is my personal and professional mission. I have a Multi-Subject Clear Credential, a Special Education Clear credential, and a Preliminary Administration credential. My parents were both teachers, and my husband and grandfather were teachers, coaches, and principals.

I believe I am well qualified to register a credible professional opinion about recent developments at Anderson Valley Schools, having two years of service there. Michelle Hutchins, rather than being a cause for the turnovers in Special Education teachers as the No Confidence letter claims, has been outstanding in creating a wonderful Learning Center for special needs children at AVES, has recruited and developed bilingual teachers who are long time residents of Anderson Valley to be Special Education teachers, and was the #1 reason I took the job as Resource Specialist at AVES.

I have been the friend and confidant of many a superintendent of small school districts in Sonoma County, and none do I respect more than Michelle Hutchins. Her personal warmth, integrity, positivity, intelligence, and down to earth nature charmed me immediately. I was so excited to work in beautiful Anderson Valley with such sweet humanistic employees, that I volunteered many weeks of service before officially taking my position there.

I was blown away by AV Elementary School, with its very small class sizes, well-mannered students, dedicated teachers, its music, computer, library, gardening, PE, and Art specialists, its wealth of classified aides, and its glorious setting. I have never seen such a resource-rich elementary school, and I have known scores of schools.

Unfortunately, the principal who was hired for the elementary school last year, while she had doctorates, experience, and could talk a good story, did not have the ethics, the knowledge, or the common sense to be a school principal. I have known scores of principals, and she was the most unqualified person for the job I have ever encountered by far. This principal and I shared mutual disrespect for one another, and we disagreed over such things as whether or not a certain student had an IEP or not. She could not remember an IEP meeting that she attended two weeks before, and ripped me apart for contradicting her and affirming to a family that, yes, their child had an IEP.

In the Spring of 2017, I was terminated without cause or documentation from my position as half-time Resource Specialist. I had received exemplary praise for the one lesson that I was evaluated on. I was verbally abused and the personal whipping post for the principal. I could handle this because I confided my opinions to Michelle Hutchins. She did not respond verbally, but let me know she cared about my concerns.

Eventually Michelle and the entire staff at AVES except for a couple of people, realized that the principal was unfit for their position. The teachers voted at a union meeting to give the principal a warning that if a sudden turnaround in behavior did not happen within 30 days, the teachers would register a Vote of No Confidence with the school board.

I believe that the principal was given a forewarning by a teacher friend of hers of the upcoming poor evaluation, because the morning of the day the teachers’ representatives were going to confront her, was the day she created a diversion by calling the Sheriff, talking trash to the press, and “ruining” the reputation of Anderson Valley Schools (particularly Michelle Hutchins) by making absurd false accusations like being held against her will in the district office.

I personally knew the dark side of this principal well, and believed her capable of such Jerry Springer tactics. I immediately believed that Michelle Hutchins was innocent of all the phony accusations against her.

Unfortunately, a lot of people believe what they read in the press, and many parents and staff blamed Michelle, and not the rightful drama queen who caused the whole spectacle. This culprit’s own daughter claims publicly on the Web that her mother leaves “a trail of destruction” wherever she goes.

Fortunately, Anderson Valley has a wise and compassionate school board. They investigated the matter thoroughly, and found Michelle Hutchins innocent of all charges of wrong-doing. They decided to hire a public relations consultant to repair the damage that had been done to the district’s reputation at a cost of $6,000. This was the board’s choice, not Michelle’s.

Meanwhile, Michelle disappointed the teaching and classified staffs by not giving them another raise (no money for it) and by being in charge when a couple of beloved local colleagues were no longer employed by the district. Couple this with a need for a scapegoat, a few outspoken negativists fired up the unions against Michelle. They touted vague, unsubstantiated, emotional claims against her. The unions claimed a Vote of No Confidence unanimous when dissenting or officially neutral teachers were not accounted for at the Board Meetings or in the press. I personally stopped attending union meetings last year because a very few seasoned, local teachers were so caustic in their wish to fire Michelle Hutchins. I did not want to argue nor could I stand to listen to the poisonous rhetoric. Their anger was mainly fueled by revenge for their friends losing their positions due to unknown reasons, as employers are forbidden to identify causes for dismissal.

Other fellow staff members were distanced from the unions and the Michelle controversy, and officially took no position in order to not be a part of this negativity/scapegoating development. We are dismayed with the animosity and conflict that a few chronic complainers are spear-heading at board meetings. I personally have tried my best to keep my opinions to myself in hopes that peace and sensibility would win out.

However, when I read the letter of No Confidence from the teachers I became morally indignant by some of its total falsehoods.

#1 Falsehood: Michelle is the primary cause for the turnover in Special Education teachers at AVSD.

The only reason I am working as head of Special Education is because Michelle personally recruited me, supported me, and rehired me after my wrongful dismissal last year. I have talked with four of the former Special Education teachers and they personally told me the reason for their resignations which were: desire to retire, not wanting to return to graduate school to obtain the proper credentialing for their job; a distaste for the responsibility of IEP meetings and IEP paperwork; and the stress that a couple of out of control Special Education students/difficult parents had produced. Not only has Michelle not caused the turnovers, she has actively recruited and hired local residents of Boonville who are bilingual and possess Bachelor’s degrees to pursue special education credentials. There are three of such cases I know of.

#2 Falsehood: Michelle is the reason for Special Education lawsuits.

Having sat in on contentious IEP meeting after contentious IEP meeting, I can testify that Michelle has bent over backwards to please families, serve the needs of students, stay legally compliant, and be mindful of the financial implications for the district. I know that Michelle peacefully settled a recent lawsuit, and prevented one; for if I had not been able to find suitable employment, I myself might have sued AVSD for wrongful dismissal last year.

#3 Falsehood: Michelle is not a consensus-oriented leader.

Au contraire! Name another school district who would put administrators, classified staff, certificated staff, and parents on a Budget Reduction Committee to define where the budget should be cut!

Every district I have ever worked for unilaterally eliminated music, library, PE, art programs, computer specialist, and all non-teacher positions when there was a need for budget cut-backs. Class size was increased, as were the teacher duties. It is absolutely amazing and miraculous that substantial funds were cut from the budget without one employee lay off nor one student program cut! Hats off to the Board, Michelle, and the Budget Reduction Committee!

Michelle Hutchins has always had an open door policy towards every employee and parent in the district. Many complainers would rather attack her from afar than inform themselves of the facts by talking with Michelle personally.

AVUSD employees are mad because their pay is not increasing, while the cost of living is increasing. Michelle is not to blame for this; the economy is likewise affecting others similarly, and education funding does not provide well-educated teachers fair compensation. Such is the case in every school district. This is not Michelle’s doing.

I suspect that many union members went along with a Vote of No Confidence for Michelle not because they were sick of Michelle, but because they wanted an end to the controversy and negativism surrounding her.

I appall poisonous emotions being funneled toward a benevolent person who has done their very best to serve Anderson Valley.

Michelle Hutchins is leaving AVUSD in the near future, which is their loss. Hopefully, she will become the County Superintendent of Schools, for which she is well qualified.

Some AVUSD employees unfortunately undermine their own district’s reputation by their chronic criticism and negativity. If they want the best for AVUSD, and to increase student enrollment, staff would best be served by grateful public appreciation for the many outstanding programs and services the district now provides plus the unbelieveably low class sizes.

You have two talented and popular principals, and many exciting, new endeavors such as the home school program and bilingual education.

Please thank and support the AVUSD School Board and all AVUSD employees who faithfully serve students and families. You have a wonderful school district, but only you can restore the community to good will, harmony, and teamwork. It does no good to play the blame game. There is no perfect school district or administrator. Yours is a fortunate circumstance; appreciate it.

PS. I am personally donating approximately $12,000 worth of new school furniture, curriculum, learning games, office supplies, student rewards, and copier/printer to AVES Learning Center; which would not have occurred without Michelle Hutchins personally saving my job last year.

Kudos to the AVUSD School Board for using common sense and listening to the attorneys. They are saving the district a potential lawsuit or the cost of buying out an expensive contract.

I wish the best for the entire Anderson Valley Community Peace and love,

Robyn Hamilton, Resource Specialist

AVES Boonville

SEARCH FOR MARGIT PRICHARD SCALED BACK

by Dan Squier

The search for Margit Prichard, 76, a missing Piercy woman, began May 18 and after a week of searching, resources are being pulled and returned to their normal duties, according to family and the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.

For Margit’s husband, Paul Prichard, the search won’t end until his wife is found. Margit Prichard suffers from Alzheimer’s and it’s the key to her disappearance, according to her husband, but he said she was having a good day May 18.

“I really want you to understand that there are good days and there are bad days,” Paul Prichard said Thursday. “Most days she functions pretty damn well and Friday was one of those days when she was not confused.”

Paul Prichard said his wife was aware of the onset of Alzheimer’s and it affected her deeply.

“Margit realized she was slipping into Alzheimer’s because of family history,” he said. “She was absolutely miserable seeing her life taken from her.” He then added, “we believed she had a number of years of functioning well ahead of her.”

The lack of clues as to Margit Prichard’s whereabouts has frustrated her family and search-and-rescue personnel who have used a bloodhound, helicopters and on-the-ground search teams to no avail.

“There are no clues; there is nothing that shows what happened to Margit,” he said. “Margit just disappeared; it doesn’t make sense.”

Paul Prichard realized his wife was missing May 18 after he awoke from a nap and he immediately began to search their property, particularly favorite spots of Margit’s.

He said Margit Prichard hasn’t driven since last December and that “she would never leave home without appropriate clothing and she would never leave without her purse, ever.”

He said he initially searched the property, then drove around on local roads, and then made contact with neighbors in search of any clue as to Margit Prichard’s whereabouts.

Finding none, he called 911.

The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office responded May 18 around 7:30 p.m. and a Silver Alert was issued across the region and down into the San Francisco Bay Area where Margit Prichard used to live. Search-and-rescue personnel from neighboring counties including Humboldt County, took part in the search effort.

“They were fast, they were here immediately as soon as they realized she was missing,” Paul Prichard said. “They had a tracking bloodhound out here on Friday evening and by Saturday it was absolutely amazing how many counties responded to the call for help.”

He said since the search-and-rescue teams have been on scene, he has remained at home in case Margit makes her way home. He also said, “I wanted to stay out of everybody’s way and they said I should stay here in case she wandered home.”

Alzheimer’s can lead to short-term memory loss, confusion, loss of a sense of direction, and wandering away from home is common, according to Hannah HagQuist, the Alzheimer’s services coordinator at the Humboldt Senior Resource Center.

“So with Alzheimer’s in the mix, it takes a stressful situation it makes it immensely worse,” HagQuist said Thursday. “They may not remember where home is and finding a way back can be hard. Alzheimer’s patients can also be very paranoid and suspicious of others, so she might shy away if someone made contact and the sense of direction can be very off.”

Paul Prichard said his family has been very supportive and his two sons arrived from Southern California about three days ago. They are devastated by Margit Prichard’s disappearance.

Search-and-rescue operations rely on clues and so far no clues have been found.

“There are several factors at play but one thing searchers rely upon is finding some clues,” said Lt. Shannon Barney of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office. “We were unable to tie anything to her. We have scaled back search-and-rescue, but we’ll have CHP and local units in the area keeping an eye out and who will be available to follow up on any leads. We do have a few interviews underway.”

Meanwhile, Paul Prichard said he will continue to search.

“I don’t want Margit to just disappear,” he said.

(Eureka Times-Standard)

FIFTH DISTRICT SUPES CANDIDATE Arthur Juhl writes:

I just read the article that my fellow candidates for the 5th district have it all in the bag! I guess you, the voters do not want to change the way the county spends the budget. The fellows are all Nice guys, but do the Nice guys have the wherewithal to buck the present county system? If you want Nice guys you must give the CEO another raise as $310,000.00 is not enough to do all the work she does. Also drop plans for housing, homelessness and mental health. As no one understands the budget there will be no money for any project especially the Roads! But if you really want CHANGE you will vote for ME, Arthur E. Juhl. I understand the budget and will reduce the outrageous salaries that are paid to people who really do not know what the hell they are doing. And not waste money paying consultants for a job that county employees should be doing. And find out what happened to the funds set aside for our roads the past 20 or so years!

A crook was caught steeling a million dollars a few years ago, but how long has that been going on? That money was for our roads! And who knows more about mental health, having a Uncle messed up from WW1, and a son that I have been taking care of the last 20years? I put my hat in this race because of Measure B, but found the county really needs help getting the financial crisis understood by you, the people! In order to solve the problems of the county one has to know where the money comes from and where it is going! Without that type of knowledge, it is all Puff.

Arthur E. Juhl candidate for the 5th district Supervisor

* * *

MARK SCARAMELLA REPLIES: Nobody really cares, Mr. Juhl. I’ve been complaining about county mismanagement for literally decades with minimal effect, as is obvious to anyone like you who looks at it with a critical eye. I know that several supervisors and the CEO are aware of these complaints and modest suggestions for improvement — some of them even agree that improvement is necessary — yet nothing is done; they don’t even bring up the subject of routine monthly departmental status reporting. Nor does anyone in the public (until Mr. Juhl’s quixotic run) bring it up. The only conclusion one can draw is that nobody in official Mendo wants to know what’s going on. The Supervisors see their job as simply handing out or rubberstamping the handing out of our cash — what happens after that is irrelevant. Besides, if they knew what the departments were doing (or not doing) with our money, they’d have to do something to change it and they don’t want to — that would require conflict and work. Another lesser factor is the ridiculous deference the Supes pay to their own subordinates — as if it’s bad form to inquire or express doubt, much less complain about their operations. The only people who “understand the budget” are the ones who prepare it for largely self-serving and unaccountable reasons. This is probably why Mr. Juhl’s candidacy is trailing behind the candidates who prefer non-starter ideas to management complaints.

MICHELLE HUTCHINS, Superintendent of Anderson Valley School District.

Public expression comment at Board of Supervisors Meeting, Tuesday, May 22, 2018:

I represent the school district in Anderson Valley and I am a candidate for County Superintendent of Schools. Today I am speaking to you representing all superintendents in Mendocino County. We ask that next month you vote to leave juvenile hall open. As our mental health services are being brought back into the community, the county, we believe that juvenile hall services need to also remain in the county. To ship our youth outside the county to receive those services could potentially expose our youth to a much more serious population than what we have currently in our county. The school district superintendents spoke last Friday on this item. We are asking for some time to be able to explore alternatives to juvenile hall programs that are small. There are some innovative programs in the state and we would like to have the time to look at those programs and present you with a different format for how we feel deal with our juvenile probation students today.

* * *

JAMES MARMON, Former Social Worker V for Family and Children's Services in Mendocino County.

Public expression comment at Board of Supervisors Meeting, Tuesday, May 22, 2018:

I think it was about nine years ago I started hitting you guys with a bunch of emails about social workers acting under color of law by violating Mendocino County residents’ constitutional rights, primarily the 4th and 14th amendments. Today you guys are going to meet in closed session regarding one of such case. You are gonna find out that it's gonna cost you half a million dollars to defend the social workers who violated a Potter Valley family’s constitutional rights. I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so. There could have been a lot more of these cases except for the fact that the County will throw $250,000 away for attorneys. But a poor mother and father who were on county aid have no way to defend these constitutional rights violations. They are never heard in our courts, they have to be heard in federal courts which are quite expensive. I would easily guess that there have been hundreds of people whose constitutional rights have been violated in this county. I tried to stop those nine years ago.

PETS OF THE WEEK AT THE UKIAH SHELTER

Our first litter of kittens available for adoption have arrived!

Pictured here is Monte. He is a friendly, 2 month old male, ADORABLE kitten. Monte's two brothers Mouse and Charles are also available for adoption. We expect many more kittens to become available in the next few weeks and continue throughout Spring and Summer, so come down to the Ukiah Shelter for some fun kitten time and perhaps you will find the perfect kitty to adopt. Buzz is a happy dog who enjoys playing with toys, especially chasing tennis balls. He knows sit, wave and shake.

Buzz lived with young children in his former home, and his past guardian told us how nice he was with them. They also said Buzz was housetrained, loves belly rubs and ear scratches, and is a fan of cuddling and couches--and cuddling ON couches. Buzz is 2 years old and 70-ish pounds. One of the shelter volunteers told us this: "Buzz is very sweet. He knows shake and sit, is polite when he takes treats. Buzz will need help with leash manners, and I began training him during a walk. If he pulled, we stopped walking. After a bit, he was getting the hang of it, so imagine how much he could learn from a 6-week class!"

The Ukiah Animal Shelter is located at 298 Plant Road in Ukiah, and adoption hours are Tuesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday from 10 am to 4:30 pm and Wednesday from 10 am to 6:30 pm. To see photos and bios of the shelter's adoptable animals, please visit online at: http://www.mendoanimalshelter.com or visit the shelter. Join us the second Saturday of every month for our "Empty the Shelter" pack walk and help us get every dog out for some exercise! For more information about adoptions please call 707-467-6453.

READER COMMENT RE PG&E & THE POTTER VALLEY DIVERSION

If you like the way PG&E has protected people from disasters, whether Northern California's power lines, or Burlingame's gas pipelines, you'll love their Eel River dams. PG&E is trying to palm off their century-old Eel River dams at their Potter Valley hydro-electric project — to Sonoma County, Mendocino County, Humboldt County and perhaps all of us as ratepayers for water.

They want to auction the dams and tiny power plant, and want to turn it over to some entity instead of relicensing it under federal rules. The dams, particularly Scott Dam (Lake Pillsbury) have major seismic, landslide and structural problems going back to 1921. But PG&E and the federal licensing agency (FERC) have kept most of that information and data secret, just as FERC and the state did with Oroville Dam.

Watch out! Sonoma County (Supervisor James Gore), Humboldt Co Supervisor Estelle Fennell, Mendocino County Supervisors Carre Brown and John McCowen, and others have been meeting over the past year to craft some kind of deal to get PG&E's project and the water diverted from the Eel River thru this PG&E project. And stick water customers with the risks and liabilities. Don't let them do it.

PG&E can't be trusted with their power lines, gas pipelines and with their dams. Be forewarned.

PTA MEETING, ALBION, 1975

BOOK SALE SUNDAY May 27 Kelley House Museum in Mendocino 10a.m. to 4 p.m. Mayan civilization, local history, travel and lots of books on snakes. Cheap. 937-5854 for more info. (Katy M. Tahja)

RAINFALL TOTAL FOR BOONVILLE 2017/2018 SEASON: 24 inches.

SHARON DOUBIAGO'S latest book is called “My Beard, Memoir Stories.”

Like her poetry, Ms. Doubiago's poetic prose, cuts close to the bone, especially if your bones have six or so decades wear and tear. Her accounts of her father's last days, and her memories of him when she was a child, are tough reading for this old guy, tough but true. The non-literary sectors of the Mendo population know the Doubiago name from the world of sports via Dan Doubiago, a dominant high school athlete who went all the way into pro football. Mom's accounts of her son's athletic prowess are almost puzzled, as the beautiful hippie poet becomes mother of the great athlete in a kind of cosmic fluke. But this sports mom always managed a spectacular life of her own, and she's obviously not done yet. What is this, her 23rd book? "Anyone ever tell you?" a man called across the horseshoe, "you look just like Farah Fawcett?" The writer, I'm sure, has often had her good looks to overcome to get her art taken seriously, but in this moving, sometimes shockingly candid look back at her life, there's no doubting she's done it.

ED NOTES

AGREE TOTALLY with Art Juhl and my colleague, Spaghetti Scaramella, that Mendocino County isn't managed like anything in free enterprise. Anybody making over a hundred grand at, say, Apple, is always looking over his shoulder because he's expected to verifiably produce. And he or she has had to compete hard against legions of other cyber-wizards to get to the cubicle. Not saying GizmoLandia is a particularly desirable way to pass one's days, but watching Mendo's $80 thou plus medical-dental-pension Supervisors it does verify my father's oft-repeated dictum: "If you want steady, easy work, go to work for the government. It doesn't pay much but nobody ever gets fired; you've got life security." It's probably unfair, but a lot of the people — especially the Supervisors themselves — that you see rambling through content-free presentations at Supe's meetings, wouldn't make the kind of money and get the kind of job security they've got going in Mendocino County if they had to compete out in the jungles of capitalism. Which accounts for the embarrassing nuzzle-butting that goes on — live, too, right there on YouTube. These people live in fear! Of each other, of not being acceptable to the other drones. With the upper echelons of local government — all government, I'm sure — you're either on the bus or no parties in Deerwood, Rogina Heights, and white wine with the Congressman for you. I live for those moments that the untamed James Marmon lumbers up to the mike at Supe's meetings to lash the truth about the wholesale installment plan fraud that claims to be a mental health program. The Supes of course ignore Marmon, if they aren't outright rude to him, and you can almost hear them saying to themselves, "Do we really have to listen to this guy, us the good people, the people working so hard to make government work for ingrates like him?"

AMONG the candidates for the easy money Supervisor job, and I disagree here with the outspoken Juhl, I'd guess that both Williams and Roderick know exactly the magnitude of County management dysfunction, but it's politically dangerous for them to say so. The County blob, like the edu-blob, is large and powerful, at least in their voting because there are so many of them and you can be sure they'll vote for the person who they view as least threatening to them. And they vote. Which is why they definitely don't want people like Juhl and Pinches sitting in authority over them. How well government really serves the people it gets paid to serve is not its purpose anymore. It's purpose is itself. Probably hasn't been operated in the public interest since the Roosevelt Administration.

* * *

YUP, ORANGE MAN has done it. Spotted a bumpersticker in San Anselmo reading, "I Miss Nixon."

LITTLE DOG SAYS, “Who do I like in the election? I vote for the candidate who puts dogs first, and so far no one has even mentioned dogs.”

ON LINE COMMENTS RE: THE DOPE EPIDEMIC, NORTHCOAST DIVISION

[1] It’s not an easy fix but the real problem is all of these young addicts have no Treatment available. Their lives feel so hopeless because there’s no jobs and the economy is tanking. Then they get thrown in jail and the jails are in deplorable conditions. They are filthy, they don’t disinfect, they don’t clean. They wash the bed linens in there with things that are filled with feces so everything is cross-contaminated with MRSA and Hepatitis and all kinds of disgusting things, they don’t use soap in the laundry or if they do use soap they cut it back to just minimal, they wash everything in cold water. The deputies of the jails laugh at these people and treat them like they’re just trash. Then you can’t get any help from anything in from Public Health because there’s no funding and there’s no needle exchange programs that are working. There is no treatment anywhere! You want to know where the problem lies: it’s because there is nothing! Sure these people have problems, but honestly if you don’t have programs to help people when they’re in dire need this is what you’re going to get at the end of the day. People are coming down hepatitis positive puking everywhere and the damn place never gets disinfected; people have HIV coming down sharing toothbrushes, sharing razors, washing in cold water. You wonder where it spread and that’s where it’s coming from.

[2] It may be like that where you come from in Mendocino, but where I come from, Trinity, that is not the case at all. My personal inspection of the jail in Weaverville found the jail was clean, the inmates are clean, and the deputies treat the inmates well. It’s still a depressing place, for inmates as well as deputies.

[3] I believe there are several programs for detox and clean and sober houses in this area. I personally know several people who run the multiple times in rehab and back on the streets game. They receive social security/disability so their addiction is funded. They have been treated for Hep C only to go out and use again. It’s a revolving door between clean and sober living and homeless. Their choice. The reason for choosing to use again? Boredom. There are options. But some people just truly do not care as they can play this game until they kill themselves. It is hard to have compassion for people who are offered and given so many opportunities and still continue to use. I have a family member who is a junkie. The lies and manipulation are overwhelming. It is a selfish, narcissistic addiction. Even when in rehab you are just waiting for the other shoe to drop and the person decides, usually because a friend is using again, to give up being clean and hitting the streets again. If we make things too easy and make life too comfortable why should these addicts want to change?

FRIDAY ROAD PICS heading for the coast: clouds over the valleys

(Photos by Dick Whetstone)

JUST IN FROM MENDOCINOSPORTSPLUS

Defending Champ Redwood Christian Beat Fort Bragg 7-2

Stanford-bound pitching ace, senior Alex Williams of defending division 4 champion Redwood Christian, struck out 13 Timberwolves and blasted a grand slam in the 4th inning to lead his team to a 7-2 Quarterfinal victory Saturday at Patton Field in Fort Bragg. Williams fastball was clocked at 92 mph.

It was a great day for playing baseball, the projected 20-mph NNW wind gusts didn’t make an appearance and it was sunny with deep blue skies — and the Redwood Christian team wisely came to the coast Friday night (and we heard a couple players were carsick from the journey on winding Hwy 20). It was a 4-hour drive from San Lorenzo to Fort Bragg. 
Fort Bragg’s ace Garrett James started the game for the Wolves throwing for four innings, striking out five and walking an uncharacteristic five batters. (He only gave up 9 walks coming into the game.) Andrew Johnston came on in relief, as did Clay Pyorre to close out the game.
 The Redwood Christian team out-hit Fort Bragg 8-to-4 with most of the Wolves hits coming in their 7th inning rally.

BOX SCORE

REDWDCHST 0 3 0 4 0 0 0 = 7

FORT BRAGG 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 = 2

CATCH OF THE DAY, May 26, 2018

TIMOTHY BANUELOS, Willits. Probation revocation.

MARK BEARDSLEE, Santa Rosa/Ukiah. Failure to appear, probation revocation.

OZZIE BUSHWAY, Willits. Domestic abuse.

MICHAEL DONAHE, Ukiah. Disorderly conduct-alcohol. (Frequent flyer.)

AMBROSE FALLIS, Covelo. Misdemeanor hit&run with property damage, suspended license, shuriken, probation revocation.

DEBORAH LAWRENCE, Ukiah. Disorderly conduct-alcohol, probation revocation. (Frequent flyer.)

ROBERT LEWIS, Santa Rosa/Ukiah. Domestic abuse, child custody order violation, protective order violation, suspended license, failure to appear.

EUGENE WINTERHAWK LINCOLN, Covelo. Community Supervision violation.

ROBERT MCPECK, Willits. Failure to appear, probation revocation.

JONATHAN MIRAVALLE, Ukiah. Unauthorized entry into dwelling without owner’s consent, probation revocation.

JONAH OTWELL, Ukiah. Disorderly conduct-alcohol.

HEATHER SILVEY, San Jose/Ukiah. Probation revocation.

DROUGHT CONDITIONS IN THE SOUTHWEST ARE SO BAD THAT THEY ARE ALREADY BEING COMPARED TO THE DUST BOWL OF THE 1930s

What about the water for Southern California?

endoftheamericandream.com/archives/drought-conditions-in-the-southwest-are-so-bad-that-they-are-already-being-compared-to-the-dust-bowl-of-the-1930s

FROM (ALMOST) ALL THE GOODNIGHT MOON PARODIES

(ranked by Emily Temple)

In the great green-certified room

There was a smartphone

And a silver spoon

And a picture of—

 

A high-contrast, brain-stimulating black-and-white moon

 

And there was a musical concert by Baby Mozart

 

And high window guards

And French flash cards

 

And a fireplace safety gate

And toys without phthalate

 

And a sterilizer and bottle brush and bowl full of organic mush

 

And a bilingual nanny who was whispering “hush”

ON LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY

How many here have a high school senior in their home as we speak? Those of us that do can tell you that the future will be considerably more bleak than the average boomer can even imagine. Someone upthread opined that the powers that be are just waiting for the end of the boomers. That comment brought a wry smile to my face. When we are gone there will be no one that can even consider resistance or personal autonomy.

LET’S EAT!

What is it about this time of year that feels like you are ramping up to warp speed? The approaching summer is a time to relax, get outside, fill the long warm days with vacations and family fun. Yet this pre-summer moment always seems packed with graduations, weddings and other events that are taking advantage of the sunshine-y days.

We here at Word of Mouth magazine have been putting the final touches on our Summer 2018 issue, out June 1st at all our distribution points and by subscription. We can’t wait to share this collection of fun things to do, see, and eat around our fabulous county and beyond. Articles include how to eat like a lucky local in Provence, the casual perfectionism of Queenie's, the value of community in the success of Tequio Farm, the deep commitment to organic farming at Irene's Garden, and so much more. So add us to your calendar in between those other great commitments and we will give you an excuse to sit back, relax, and enjoy the season to come.

Yours in gratitude,

Holly Madrigal

Willits

LIBRARY EVENTS

2018 All-Ages Summer Reading Program. This year’s theme is Libraries Rock!

All Mendocino County Library branches will have a Summer Reading Kickoff in mid-June to begin a summer full of stories and fun events for everyone. Stop by any Mendocino County Library branch or the Bookmobile to sign up. Grab a reading log and start tracking for the chance to win prizes!

In addition to reading, all Mendocino County Library branches will host performances by Andy Z, Dinosaurs Rock, and the Fratello Marionettes. Please check with your local library or visit www.mendolibrary.org for dates and times, as well as info on more upcoming events.

The purpose of summer reading programs is to promote literacy skills, provide continued access to books and learning tools, and encourage reading as an enjoyable activity. Children who don’t read during the summer can lose up to two months of learning by the time they return to school; families from low-economic backgrounds are especially at risk. Those who continue to read at least six books when school is out also perform better in reading and math when they return in the fall. Every novel, picture book, comic book, and audiobook counts!

* * *

“Libraries Rock!”

Summer Reading Kickoff

June 16th from 1-3pm @ Alex Thomas Plaza

On Saturday, June 16th from 1-3pm, Mendocino County Library, Ukiah Branch is hosting its annual Summer Reading Program Kickoff at Alex Thomas Plaza. Are you ready to ROCK? Join us for two hours of music and fun in the sun. Food and crafts will be available for all ages, with special music performances from rock bands Weird Year and Lightning Amen! Sign up for summer reading and grab a reading/log to earn prizes throughout the summer.

PLEASE NOTE: The Ukiah Library will close at 12pm for the day to host this off-site event. The after-hours dropbox will be open for item returns.

This event is free, family-friendly, and sponsored by the Ukiah Library, Ukiah Valley Friends of the Library, and Mendocino College Recording Arts & Technology Department.

* * *

The “It’ll be Fine” Read-a-Thon!

Got fines on your library account? Let’s fix that! On Thursday, June 14^th from 10am-8pm, Mendocino County Library, Ukiah Branch is hosting the “It’ll-be-Fine” all-ages Read-a-Thon. Start off your summer reading with a clean slate. Participants who read at the library on June 14^th will receive a $1 fine waiver for every hour read. These fine waivers are great for wiping out late fees, but are not valid on lost or damaged item charges.

* * *

Saturday Summertime Storytimes @ Ukiah Library

From June 23rd to August 4th at 11am, Saturday storytimes will return to the Ukiah Library for the summer! After visiting the storyteller at the Farmer’s Market from 10-11, swing by the library for an hour of stories and crafts indoors. This event is free, family-friendly, and sponsored by the Ukiah Valley Friends of the Library.

SECRETS OF THE MOTA EULA.

The recording of last night's (2018-05-25) KNYO Fort Bragg and KMEC Ukiah Memo of the Air: Good Night Radio show is available by one or two clicks, depending on whether you want to listen to it now or download it and keep it for later and, speaking of which, it's right here: https://tinyurl.com/KNYO-MOTA-0282

And besides that, celebrate Decoration Day weekend with links to a few not necessarily radio-useful but worthwhile items that I set aside for you while gathering the show together, found mostly thanks to the fine websites listed to your right:

Stalking for love.

https://boingboing.net/2018/05/23/how-stalking-is-romanticized-i.html

“Nooooo! No bubbles!"

https://tinyurl.com/TerrorOfMrBubble

Apparently to know those particular secrets you have to sit in the fire. Equally provocative brassiere and brazier.

https://misscellania.blogspot.com/2018/05/goat-people.html

And photos rendered in Play-Doh. In the future there’ll be real-time A.I. filters for your ocular implants. You’ll be able to set your eyes so you see everything like this all the time. Add a low-tech vial of Play-Doh essential oil for your hankie pocket to complete the experience. Ace any interview.

https://eleanormacnair.com/works/

Marco McClean