Mendocino County Today: Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018

• Rain Chance
• Candidates Debate
• Iron Bendy
• Elder Lift
• Ed Notes
• Galactic Core
• Coon Warning
• Book Nook
• Pinches Endorsement
• Vet Visit
• Ballot Recommendations
• Mo No
• Yesterday's Catch
• Social Unreality
• Big Read
• NYT
• Temper
• Table 128
• Kelp Decline
• Vote Cox
• Not Moderate
• Myofascial Release
• Ivory Tickler
• Huddle Meeting
• Foodshed Events
• Senator Scold
• Guitar Trio
• Russian Gulch
• Country Dance
• My Boyfriend
• Comments
• Street Safety

A WEAK FRONT will bring a chance of light rain this afternoon. Otherwise, dry weather and mild daytime temperatures are expected through the week. (National Weather Service)

PINCHES v. HASCHAK on the Radio

KMEC radio 105.1 at 10:30 Tuesday morning

The ACCESS Program with host Norman de Vall

Guests: John Pinches and John Haschak, Candidates for 3rd District Supervisor

Talking Points, Not in Order of Priority:

• CAO vs. CEO
• Standing Committees or None
• Juve Hall: Closed or Open
• Employee Retirement Debt
• Supervisor Pay vs. employee cuts
• Measure B and Howard Forest Hospital redo
• Offshore Petroleum Development
• Support for the Coastal Act and Commission
• Klass K housing
• County Road maintenance budget
• Supervisor Croskey’s tax paid trip to DC

www.kmecradio.org

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PS. BOS hearing on Juvenile Hall: The CEO and two members of the BoS are in favor of closing Juvenile Hall. The BOS will make its decision on the closure of our JH at their meeting on Tuesday, November 13. After the next ad hoc meeting on 10/29, that date will be confirmed. I’ll let you know if that changes, in the meanwhile, please save the date and try to get as many supporters of the Hall there as possible.

MAYOR PETERS & CLAM CLAPPING

by Rex Gressett

When protest is suppressed, central authority is permanently injured and remains so when the protest issues have faded from memory.

We can see this principle of inverse social benefit to the cost in liberty at work in Mayor Lindy Peters Fort Bragg City Council. It might be useful to recall that Mayor Peters was elected as a member of the City Council, but he became Mayor not by any vote of the people but by a quick and effective political maneuver. He used his extensive experience to ram through his elevation to Mayor in a surprise procedure that took the then new majority of the City Council entirely by surprise. Was there some principle of rotation at work? Not according to the Municipal Code. Did Peters receive the most votes in the election? No, he ran in the preceding election.

The appointment of Lindy Peters as Mayor was a power grab. No law, no municipal ordinance, no regulation that governs the City Council made Lindy the Mayor. It was a political maneuver. The “new majority” on the City Council in their inexperience were easily manipulated.

Since his appointment by his fellow Councilmen, Mayor Lindy has expanded his authority. Indeed, Will Lee who expects to succeed Lindy Peters as Mayor, has been outspoken in his support for every coercive measure and every erosion of popular sovereignty.

It began quietly, almost gently, with soothing words and smiling faces. The first fatal step was a little shocking, somewhat insulting to the dignity of the people but on the surface innocent enough.

The people of the city were forbidden to simply clap their hands at public meetings, however politely. Instead, they are “allowed” to do a silent one-handed “clam clap”.

Clam claps might be appropriate in places like North Korea, but what could be so utterly alien to traditions of constitutional democracy? Nope, the polite appreciation of hand clapping is no longer allowed in Fort Bragg City Hall. Any audible public reaction to the actions of the Lindy Peters—controlled City Council is strictly prohibited. When the Council acts bravely on behalf of the people there can be no cheering. When the Council stands up for the community we must remain silent. The no clapping rule was the first move, but it was by defending the prohibition that the Mayor made it powerful. In Mayor Lindy's words, the legal justification of the gag order on the expression of public sentiment was simply that “The meetings are my meetings and I will conduct them in any way that I want.”

When I asked the City Council to put to a vote the simple request that within the strictures of the Code of Civility polite hand clapping be brought to a vote, no Councilman would agree to put the item on the agenda. Quoting Will Lee “Hello Rex, Thank you for the email. The mayor has the right to run the meeting as he sees fit etc etc.”

The eloquent preamble of the Ralph M. Brown Act (Government Code sections 54950-54953) states that “The people of this State do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies which serve them.” Under the administration of Lindy Peters, our sovereignty has quietly been taken from us. Not only have we lost our right to clap at a City Council meeting, but in quick consequence, we have lost our right to ask a councilman to put an item on the agenda. Under Lindy Peters, the City Council does not represent. They rule.

Behind the scenes, in the unattended Public Safety Committee, Lindy Peters, with the silent acquiescence of the inscrutable Bernie Norvell, has maneuvered even more aggressively to consolidate his power. On August 15th of this year, Lindy Peters proposed the “Crimes Against The Public Peace” ordinance, which for the first time in Fort Bragg history allows the Mayor at his discretion to have the police remove from Council meetings any individual who in the Mayor's opinion is disruptive. If you clap for example, out you go. Or as the Mayor has explicitly said, if you criticize or address any City Administrator in what the Mayor might view as abusive terms, you’re out. Disrupters will be removed by the police and prohibited from attending the meeting for some indeterminate period.

When the Mayor brought the resolution to the Public Safety Committee, the Police Chief was totally surprised. You mean removed from parks? he asked. The Mayor was explicit. “No, from City Council meetings.” The City Manager, in some dismay, noted that she had never in her tenure seen any behavior that would occasion police intervention. “It has happened though," said the Mayor. “They are my meetings and I will run them any way that I want.”

Perhaps we should have expected it. No politician in Fort Bragg history has ever had the reputation of Mayor Lindy Peters for arbitrary course correction, and self-contradiction. Should it surprise us that “Bendy” disdains the public and manipulates the rule of law?

Lindy Peters is a local guy, deeply embedded in our community. He is a smiling, personable man, we hear announcing our football games and joking from the podium. But freedom is the rule of law, not of men. The danger to freedom will come not from guerrilla bands in the woods, or ships coming from across the sea to unload foreign invader, the most serious threats to freedom will emerge slowly but fatally in tiny authoritarian increments like this.

ELDERLY GENTLEMAN urgently seeks a ride to Ukiah this Sunday morning (October 28th). Must arrive in Ukiah by 10am to catch the southbound bus. Please call Dr. Gregory Sims at 684-0043.

ED NOTES

MARK YOUR CALENDAR NOW: The annual Grange Christmas Dinner, this year co-sponsored by the Anderson Valley Foodshed, is on for Sunday, December 9th, 4-7, at the Philo Grange.

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LOCAL ARTIST and entrepreneur, Laura Diamondstone appeared at last Wednesday's Community Services District meeting at the behest of Board Chair Valerie Hanelt (who was unable to attend to pursue the possible installation of a "full-service ATM" in Anderson Valley. Along with Boonville Hotel proprietor Johnny Schmitt, Hanelt and Diamondstone met with the president of Community First Credit Union (formerly Mendo-Lake Credit Union) a few months ago to discuss what it would take to get an ATM installed at Aaron Weintraub’s Tindall Market building next door to the Boonville firehouse. The Credit Union president reportedly said that it would cost around $100,000 to set it up and then service it. That cost seemed a little high to everyone so Ms. Diamondstone was seeking input and ideas about pursuing the matter. Anderson Valley is widely thought to have considerably more financial wherewithal than, say, Point Arena which has a Redwood Credit Union office downtown serving fewer people. Apparently, a full-service ATM is also being talked about in Albion. The CSD Board decided to put the subject on their November agenda and invite representatives from the two local credit unions, and any commercial banks that express interest, to discuss what it might take for one of them to install a full-service ATM.

OLD TIMERS will remember when Boonville had a full-service bank, a drug store, a flight program at the high school, a marching band, a daily Greyhound running through the Anderson Valley between San Francisco and Fort Bragg, and homes for everyone who needed one. In terms of civic amenities we seem to be going backwards.

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SEVERAL older locals, organized as "Anderson Valley Village," are looking at ways to help themselves and their neighbors as they age. "We'd like to retain our independence, stay and age in place and remain active in the community,” said Lauren Keating. "We are following a model that began in Boston in 2002 and has now spread across the country with 200 ‘villages’ in operation and another 150 in development." This "village movement" is based on a local locally organized, self-supporting membership model offering "comprehensive support and social engagement designed to maintain and improve our quality of life." The Anderson Valley village group is still working on how to set things up. They have applied for nonprofit status and have started working on the necessary details. They meet on the second Sunday of each month from 4 PM to 5:30 PM at Lauren’s Restaurant in downtown Boonville. Everyone is invited to attend. The Village people hope to be able to hire at least one coordinator soon and would be receptive to any qualified local who might be interested when more formal arrangements are completed. The Village Group is actively seeking applicants for the Coordinator position. They are looking for someone who is passionate about and skilled in building community, has strong interpersonal skills with all age groups, and can solve problems creatively. Applications can be picked up at Lauren’s restaurant or the AV Health Center. For more info call Donna Pierson-Pugh at 684-0325. Applications should be sent to AV Village, PO Box 576, Boonville CA 95415 by November 15.

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FISH ROCK FARM GIRLS in Boonville is closing. Great prices! Next week is our final week! Open 11-5 Thursday -Monday. 707-684-9739. We may be open longer hours and other days, call first!

14111 Hwy 128, Boonville

• Furniture 50% off
• Vintage Clothes & Accessories 50% off
• Most all antiques and collectibles 30% off.

Take a drive to Boonville and score some great deals!

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A READER WONDERS, “I have a question for Anderson Valley old-timers, which I am asking for no reason other than curiosity. Does anyone remember the name of the Department of Forestry (which became Cal Fire) supervisor in Boonville in the early 1960s who looked like Clark Gable? I remember him clearly – handsome, charming guy in his 40s or early 50s with a trimmed mustache. Neither I nor my siblings can come up with his name. Anyone?”

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LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS ought to be required to respond to reasonable inquiries. Carmel Angelo, County CEO, is not elected and we're on her case constantly. But she replies to our questions, and for that we give her major kudos. McCowen will respond, Gjerde is often petulantly out of contact when we're critical of him, Carre Brown never answers, and ditto for the Willits temp, Croskey. Hamburg is.... well, to be gentle it, only in the 5th District of Mendocino County could a guy this bogus get over. Pinches is always available to talk or argue, and candidate Haschak has also established himself as a guy who isn't afraid to mix it up. If an elected person can't or won't defend him or herself he/she ought to get into another line of work. Not an admirer of Willie Brown or establishment Democrats period, but I always admired Brown for wading straight into the media scrum and giving as good as he got, partly because he's smarter than most of the chuckle buddies of Bay Area media, but mostly because he has the combative personality necessary to defend his positions. Mendo? We elect too many people who want to be loved. And argument is “negative.” Politically, Mendocino County is about as sophisticated as a day care center.

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JUST IN from Carre Brown: “I forgot to say that the effort to contact me was at 1:38 pm on Friday. I don't hide from reporters nor constituents. I am sorry I was out of coverage and then backlogged with email and phone calls. FYI - I was in Weaverville for a regional meeting until my return home at 9pm on Friday evening. I had an event to attend all day on Saturday and a personal family commitment on Sunday. Weaverville did not have good cell service for my cellphone to receive messages, therefore, I had a huge backlog to go through in the order each came. Marilyn [Davin], I left a message on your cellphone earlier today.”

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LOTS OF US are sorry to see Mary Lynn Hunt retire from the Planning and Building Department. An absolute rock of reliable information re building projects for something like 39 years in an office where, well, contradiction often seems the policy, Ms. Hunt was always friendly, always helpful, always responsive.

NIGHT LIGHT OF THE NORTH COAST: THIS WAY TO THE GALACTIC CORE

Outer Space is everything that’s Out There, beyond us. Earth is adrift in outer space. I hesitated to include this annotated version for fear that such a detailed map might lead the aliens right to us. From Outer Space.

WOODLANDS WILDLIFE RE RACCOONS AND DOGGIE DOORS

Lock your doggie door at night! Trapping and relocating raccoons is a death sentence for them, and unless you can lock the door, the ones you remove will quickly be replaced by more. You can't win this one.

—Ronnie James

WHY TO VOTE FOR PINCHES

Dear Third District Voters:

John Pinches is the best and most qualified candidate for Third District Supervisor for the following reasons:

He was born and raised here and understands the problems that face a rural county such  as Mendocino.

He knows how the County works, having been on the Board of Supervisors before.

As a previous Supervisor, he was fully committed to the job.

He understands the relationship between the County and the State of California.

He is fiscally responsible; he helped the County get out of debt twice.

He also is an independent businessman, and knows how to meet a payroll.

Johnny has limited his contributions to $49 per individual and/or business.

He has the most logical position regarding marijuana.

For the above listed reasons, John Pinches is the most qualified candidate and deserves your vote on November 6^th.

Thank you.

John and Charline Ford

John Ford Ranch

Willits

VETS COMING TO PHILO NOVEMBER 1ST

BALLOT RECOMMENDATIONS

by Jim Shields

All right, here are some of my thoughts on the upcoming Nov. 6^th election.

First of all, take your politics seriously but never personally, there’s always another day and believe me the sun will rise.

Secondly, anytime you don’t understand a ballot proposition, vote no, it’s the safest course of action you can take.

And one more thought, I never encourage people to vote. The way I look at it is if you have to explain to folks how important this fundamental right is to somebody, they’re too ignorant and disaffected about participatory democracy, so why waste your time.

OK, here’s the rest of my thoughts on the election.

Third District Supervisor

Permeating the entire local governing process is that the current Board of Supervisors functions basically as a rubber-stamp for virtually every proposal emanating from the Chief Executive Officer. In fact, when you think about it, it was pretty audacious when the Supes voted themselves their 40 percent salary raise, given the fact they’ve delegated so much of their responsibilities to the CEO. They’re doing less work than ever and getting paid more.

So, I’ll be voting for John Pinches because he combines the best of the old (his proven experience and capability of representing 3^rd District constituents) with the new: he understands that times have changed with the new governing dynamic down in the county seat, and he’s committed to changing how the public’s business is currently being conducted.

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State Ballot Propositions

1: Bonds to Fund Housing Assistance Programs

Proposition 1 permits the state to issue $4 billion in new general obligation bonds for the following housing programs: build and renovate rentals ($1.8 billion), offer home loan assistance to vets ($1 billion), construct additional housing in dense urban areas and near public transit ($450 million), offer down payment assistance and other aid to low- and moderate-income homebuyers ($450 million) and provide loans and grants for agricultural workforce housing development ($300 million).

I’m voting no because for a minimal benefit (30,000 multifamily and 7,500 farmworker households as well as home loans to about 3,000 veterans)), taxpayers will be saddled with billions more in debt.

2: Bond to Fund Housing Program for Individuals with Mental Illness

A $2 billion bond to fund supportive housing (affordable housing with on-site social and medical services) for those suffering with mental illness. That debt would be repaid with money previously set aside for county-run mental health services. In 2004, California voters approved Prop 63 that provides funding for counties mental health services including housing for severely mentally ill patients.

I’m voting no because Prop 2 spends money on buildings instead of providing badly needed, basic mental health treatment, and untold millions will be diverted for administrative costs and to housing developers.

3: An $8.9 Billion Water Bond

This measure authorizes $8.9 billion in general obligation bonds for various water-related programs and projects. The proposition’s broad spending categories include: watershed protection ($2.5 billion), water supply improvements including wastewater treatment ($2.1 billion), habitat restoration ($1.4 billion), groundwater management ($1.1 billion), flood protection projects ($500 million), as well as upgrades and repairs to traditional water infrastructure, like canals and dams ($1.2 billion).

I’m voting no because why should taxpayers statewide pay for these mostly regional or site specific projects, such as upgrades and repairs to traditional water infrastructure, canals and dams, that are usually paid for by local water agencies?

4: Children's Hospital Bond

A $1.5 billion bond to fund renovations, expansions, and upgrades at hospitals that treat children. Most of the funding is reserved for the state’s eight private non-profit children’s hospitals ($1.08 billion) and the five hospitals run through one of the University of California campuses ($270 million).

I’m voting no because why should more taxpayer money be gifted to hospitals, most of which are privately-owned and operated, but use their non-profit children’s centers as a tax write-off?

5: Portable Real Estate Tax Break

Prop. 5 would expand a homeowner’s ability to transfer assessed value to a new home. The new home still must be the owner’s principal residence and be acquired within two years of the original home’s sale. Prop. 5 also applies to situations in which the original property is damaged by a declared disaster or made unusable by contamination. Exemptions from these reassessment triggers are allowed for homeowners over the age of fifty-five or who have a severe disability.

I’m voting yes because as the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer’s Association points out, Proposition 5 would allow homeowners age 55 and older to sell their current homes, purchase a replacement property anywhere in the state and transfer the property tax assessment from the home they sold to the home they bought. This measure would remove restrictions in existing law that limit these transfers by putting conditions on the price and location of the replacement property. It would also allow older homeowners to transfer their base-year property tax assessment more than once.

6: Gas Tax Repeal

Prop 6 repeals last year’s so-called “Road Fix” legislation that raised fuel taxes and car fees, and it also requires voter approval for all transportation-related tax increases in the future. Taxes to be rolled back include a 12-cent hike in the gasoline excise tax, a 4 percent increase in the diesel sales tax, as well as a new annual vehicle fee based on the value of the car or truck.

I’m voting yes not because it repeals the new increased fuel and car fees, but because it amends the state constitution to require voter approval of all future increases in fuel and vehicle taxes or fees. Voters should have had this right all along.

7: Permanent Daylight Savings Time

This measure repeals the 1949 federal law that created Daylight Savings Time. If passed, the Legislature would then act to pass a law (with a two-thirds super-majority) that would finally deep-six the twice-a-year changing of clocks backwards and forwards every spring and fall. Keep in mind, the Feds would have to sign off on final implementation of this proposition.

I’m voting yes because this is a no-brainer: Resetting our clocks every year is a stupid practice and a waste of time — daylight time.

8: Dialysis Clinic Profit Cap

Prop 8 would require companies operating dialysis clinics to payback any profits over 15 percent of qualifying business costs. Payments would be made to insurance companies or to individuals who pay out of pocket. According to a League of Women Voters analysis, approximately 588 licensed clinics operate in California. The majority of the clinics are owned and run by one of two private for-profit companies. Estimated annual revenue of the private companies is $3 billion. Most dialysis is paid for by Medicare and Medi-Cal. These programs pay a fixed rate established by the regulations and are close to the average cost of treatment. Private insurance also covers dialysis with payment rates fixed by negotiation with the providers. On average those rates are multiple times higher than that paid by the government programs.

I’m voting no because the National Kidney Foundation, the Renal Support Network, major advocacy groups for dialysis patients, nurses’ associations, and physician organizations oppose it. I’m not going to argue with them. Besides, this initiative was brought to the ballot by a special interest, in this case a union (SEIU) that has been unsuccessful in organizing employees at non-union clinics. They need to be better organizers.

10: Rent Control

This proposition repeals the Costa Hawkins Rental Act, a 1995 law that basically eliminated local government-enacted rent control. If approved, it would allow cities and counties to regulate rents for whatever type of housing property they choose, no matter when it was built or what type of building it is.

I’m voting no because when you think about it would you really want the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors telling you how much you can rent your house for, or a room in your house? Enough said.

11: Private-Sector Emergency Ambulance Employees to Remain on Call During Work Breaks.

According to one analysis, two years ago, the state Supreme Court ruled that security guards cannot be required to keep their radios on and remain on call while enjoying their meal or break time. A number of private ambulance firms are now facing class action lawsuits in California courts over similar break time violations, including American Medical Response, the Colorado-based company backing this initiative. Those cases are still pending, but the companies involved want a specific exemption written into labor law.

This measure is an example of my warning to vote no on any proposition you don’t understand. So I’m going to follow my own advice.

I’m voting no because this initiative is being backed by companies seeking a special exemption from state labor law. They need to follow the law just like everybody else.

12: Bigger Cages Means Farm Animals

Mandates specific size requirements on the coops and cages used to contain breeding pigs, veal calves, and egg-laying hens. By the numbers, these news standards require at least:

43 square feet of floor space per calf by 2020

24 square feet of floor space per pig by 2022

1 square foot of floor space per hen by 2020 and cage-free by 2022

I’m voting yes because as a farm boy I was taught by my mother, my high school ag teacher, and my leaders in the Future Farmers of America, to take care of your animals and to do all you can to improve their welfare.

(Jim Shields is the Mendocino County Observer’s editor and publisher, and is also the long-time district manager of the Laytonville County Water District. Listen to his radio program “This and That” every Saturday at 12 noon on KPFN 105.1 FM, also streamed live: http://www.kpfn.org)

MO’S NO DEMOCRAT

Letter to Editor

Re: Nov 6 election comment

Mo Mulheren is a friendly, articulate, active, forthright politician. I like that she's seeking ways to slow Ukiah's speeding drivers and that she supports the State Street "road diet" to help achieve that.

However, it seems she's got Democrats bamboozled. After garnering local Democratic club's endorsement on something like a 6 to 3 vote, she immediately began to run as a slate with incumbent Republican Jim Brown. Posters on her Facebook page & at her office confirm this questionable slate.

Democrats need to keep in mind that this incumbent slate led the charge to eliminate tiered garbage can rates which had encouraged thoughtful, vital recycling. Mo continues to blame Ukiah's best recyclers using the smallest cans. She says many were cheating by putting garbage in their blue bins. Mo should know that's mean spirited, unsubstantiated, & simply untrue.

Then too, Mo seems an advocate of growth at any cost as she champions simultaneous densification of our neighborhoods and sprawling subdivisions onto prime AG land. After endorsing the farm paving "Vineyard Crossing" subdivision, she voted against a Mendocino Land Trust conservation easement at Lovers Lane vineyards because, she said, that should remain available for future development; (read - additional auto dependent sprawling subdivisions of half million dollar homes). She forgets Democrats stand for "protecting California’s agricultural land as an irreplaceable resource."

Finally, Mo's stated opposition to Prop 10 which returns power from State to cities in facing the rental housing crisis is the position of Republicans & wealthy speculators, not Democrats. But that's true of her other actions noted here as well.

We can do better.

Phil Baldwin

Ukiah

CATCH OF THE DAY, October 22, 2018

ALBERTO ACOSTA, Ukiah. False ID, probation revocation.

ANTONI BECERRA, JR., Ukiah. Disorderly conduct-alcohol.

DAMIEN BIRD, Ukiah. Disorderly conduct-alcohol.

ZACHARY BRINT, Ukiah. Controlled substance.

MATTHEW FAUST, Ukiah. Disorderly conduct-alcohol, resisting. (Frequent flyer.)

KRISTINA FORD, Ukiah. DUI.

MARVIN GIBSON, Willits. Loaded concealed weapon.

JENNIFER HEVEY, Calpella. Controlled substance, disobeying court order, suspended license (for DUI).

JOSEPH JOURDAIN, Fort Bragg. Probation revocation.

MASON MCGEE, Ukiah. Probation revocation.

SHAWN MCGLASSON, Ukiah. Probation revocation, resisting.

RAUL SOLANO-DIAZ, Ukiah. Battery, Disorderly conduct-alcohol.

DAVID VELAZQUEZ-SUAREZ, Ukiah. Hit&run with property damage.

LOST IN TRANSLATION

by James Kunstler

Saturdays, when fewer eyeballs see the paper, The New York Times likes to publish its most extreme ventures into social unreality. Last week’s prank was the story at the top of page one that declared: #WontBeErased: Transgender People and Allies Mobilize Against Trump Administration Proposal. (The accompanying photo featured a rainbow flag, of course, denoting that there was a pot-of-gold awaiting true believers.) This was a response to a Trump administration policy memo calling for “strict definition of gender based on a person’s genitalia at birth,” The Times said.

The dishonesty at work here ought to impress those observing the slow-motion collapse of culture in the USA. The political Left has taken its lessons in the abuse of language straight from the campus “post-structuralist” workshops, where novelties of narcissism get churned out by striving grad students in the ceaseless pursuit of cutting edge prestige (and academic career advancement). The game is to produce a never-ending chain of self-referential, status-enhancing world-views as a replacement for consensual reality. The more “marginalized” one can claim to be, the more deserving of high status (including tenure, grants for attending echo-chamber conferences and symposia, and a claque of attending assistants to actually teach those pain-in-the-ass classes). The goal is to get to feel special, and especially deserving of special privileges based on special grievances.

The net effect is to destroy whatever remains of an American common culture, to divide and conquer the polity in the hope that society might advance into a state with no rules and no boundaries — except for whatever capricious actions the “Progressive” authorities might choose, based on how they feel at any particular time. It must be obvious that this all comes down to a vicious sort of sentimentality. It’s exactly what turned the governments of the Bolsheviks and the Nazis into killing machines. It’s Kafka’s nightmare of the murderous bureaucratic state that disposes with the rule-of-law.

I suspect that neither The New York Times nor the Democratic Party actually cares about so-called transgender people, who are merely being used as stalking horses to provoke conflict. The Left’s main beef these days is that Mr. Trump is in the White House, signifying that Daddy’s in the House, an intolerable condition. The Left is desperate to get rid of that particular Daddy and Daddyism per se and altogether. Daddyism represents rules and boundaries. The Left prefers chaos. It’s clearly a juvenile disposition, since that point-of-view fails to apprehend that the universe is chaotic enough without additional help from them. And they are still in despair over the failure of “mommy” (HRC) and her disappearance into the darkling woods of political ignominy.

The rule at hand is that the word gender is not a substitute for the word sex, and that in the world of real things, you don’t actually get to declare what sex you are. You can engage in all kinds of behaviors, such as enjoying intimate relations with members of your same sex. You can pretend to be a member of the opposite sex. In statistically very rare instances, you can come into this world with genital abnormalities that present developmental problems, but most of the people currently pretending to some kind of “intersex” status do not fall into that category. The game of pretend can be very personally intense, I’m sure. But it’s still just a game of pretend.

I propose the perhaps novel idea that there is a place for everything and that the correct place for the marginal is… on the margins! The argument lately, especially on the Progressive side, has been that the marginal ought to occupy the center (of American life). That is surely the argument of The New York Times. It is a foolish and even dangerous argument, popular only with those determined that the center should not hold. In the process, they have come close to replacing the political center with a black hole. Now they want to drag the country across the event horizon into what they hope is a transhuman paradise of rainbows and unicorns. I wouldn’t be so sure that awaits us there.

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

JODY GEHRMAN KEYNOTE SPEAKER FOR NEA BIG READ

Kelly Link's short story collection Pretty Monsters has been called "an alchemical mixture of Borges, Raymond Chandler, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer" by Salon. Time describes it as "a place few writers go, a netherworld between literature and fantasy, Alice Munro and J.K. Rowling...Link finds truths there that most authors wouldn’t dare touch." Join novelist, playwright and Mendocino College professor Jody Gehrman as she leads a community discussion exploring this extraordinary collection of stories, with special emphasis on the Hugo, Nebula and Locus award winning story "The Faery Handbag." Copies of Pretty Monsters will be available free at your local branch while copies last.

Join us for a discussion with Jody Gehrman at your branch:

• Fort Bragg Library - Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018 @ 3:00
• Coast Community Library - Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018 @ 2:00
• Round Valley Library - Friday, Oct. 12, 2018 @ 3:00
• Willits Library - Friday, Oct. 19, 2018 @ 4:00
• Ukiah Library - Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018 @ 5:00

The NEA Big Read showcases a diverse range of contemporary titles that reflect many different voices and perspectives, aiming to inspire conversation and discovery. The main feature of the initiative is a grants program, managed by Arts Midwest, which annually supports dynamic community reading programs, each designed around a single NEA Big Read selection.

Mendocino County Library will partner with local groups such as The Mendocino County Museum, The Arts Council of Mendocino County, the National Parks Service Natural Landmarks Program of the Pacific West Region, and Mendocino County Parks. The library will also feature book discussions led by local author Jody Gehrman, as well as craft, poetry, and writing workshops.

Since 2006, the National Endowment for the Arts has funded more than 1,400 NEA Big Read programs, providing more than $19 million to organizations nationwide. In addition, Big Read activities have reached every Congressional district in the country. Over the past eleven years, grantees have leveraged more than $44 million in local funding to support their NEA Big Read programs. More than 4.9 million Americans have attended an NEA Big Read event, approximately 82,000 volunteers have participated at the local level, and 39,000 community organizations have partnered to make NEA Big Read activities possible. For more information about the NEA Big Read, please visit arts.gov/neabigread.

The Mendocino County Library is a free public library committed to providing open access to all its collections and services through its five branches, bookmobile, and online at www.mendolibrary.org which is available 24-hours a day. The library branches are fantastic community resources providing books and other materials, as well as gathering places featuring educational, thought provoking, and creative program for all ages.

Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the NEA supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America. Visit arts.gov to learn more about NEA.

Arts Midwest promotes creativity, nurtures cultural leadership, and engages people in meaningful arts experiences, bringing vitality to Midwest communities and enriching people’s lives. One of six non-profit regional arts organizations in the United States, Arts Midwest’s history spans more than 25 years. For more information, please visit artsmidwest.org.

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Other events happening at the Ukiah Library: in the next few weeks, we have a Local Author Panel Discussion, a Pokemon Halloween Celebration & Scavenger Hunt, the First Friday Art Walk & Book Sale, an afternoon of Brushes & Bubbles Family Painting, the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read Book Discussion with Jody Gehrman, Faery Herb Gardens, and Virtual Reality. For details go to www.mendolibrary.org

ON LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY

The New York Times puts out over 200 pages on a lazy Sunday, like every Sunday, and it’s filled with all the angles. I know because I read it. Stop blaming journalism for people’s ignorance and/or lack of understanding. People are spending far less time getting the news no matter where they are. And they are less able to understand it. They expect it to be delivered in tiny soundbites. But this model is what people want. They have systematically rejected the ancient art of journalism for an algorithm that predicts what they want to read or see, bracketed with advertisements filled with their own pernicious falsehoods. There’s a section in the Times in front of me right now called 24 Hours in America. 15 pages of features on American lives, American experiences. Granular. Intimate. Also nothing any of my college, and non-college educated friends would be interested in reading. They’re complete idiots outside their bubbles of expertise and familiarity. Its too bad but it is what it is and its not the fault of the New York Times.

THE WORST TEMPERED PEOPLE I’ve ever met were people who knew they were wrong.

— Wilson Mizner

JOIN US THIS THURSDAY!

Table 128... at the Boonville Hotel, a dinner for the Food Shed, Thursday October 25, 2018

appetizers & sparkling

• mendocino grain project cracker
• & garden carrot jam
• & pennyroyal goat cheese & sundried tomatoes
• marinated beets & herbs
• on a lettuce cup
• wild mushroom bisque shooters

first course at table

• garden greens
• delicata squash, boont corners & walnuts

the main course

• braised (tbd) from new agrarian collective
• polenta, tomatillo & salsa verde

sweet finale

• apple tart tartin
• cider sauce & chantilly cream
• coffee and tea service

CALIFORNIA’S UNDERWATER FORESTS ARE BEING EATEN by the ‘Cockroaches of the Ocean’

Climate change is ravaging California’s underwater kelp forests. That’s caused what one scientist called a “perfect storm” in the ecosystem.

nytimes.com/2018/10/22/climate/kelp-climate-change-california.html

REMEMBER WHEN CROTCH GRABBING WASN’T SO BAD?

Editor,

I'm up here in Lake Stevens, Washington. Spending time with my daughter and her family. Having a great time. The corrupt media — ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, the New York Times, the Washington Post and others — are all being paid by the corrupt Clinton Foundation and Hillary Clinton who stole billions of dollars while she was Secretary of State besides killing four good Americans. She and George Soros and another awful billionaire are all behind the corrupt media feeding them with millions of dollars to get behind attempts to derail President Trump’s administration and President Trump.

Good Californians cannot let Gavin Newsom get elected. If he is elected you will have the same thing you have now if that's possible after being led by Governor Moonbeam Jerry Brown. More taxes, more corruption, more infrastructural work not done, thousands of more idiotic permits, more environmental restrictions, sanctuary cities, more endangerment of California citizens. John Cox is the only answer. If you want to save your butt and fix California vote for John Trump, I mean John Cox, sorry.

Also, to Kelly Ruddis in last week’s letters: I don't believe in prosecuting people until they are proven guilty. I don't believe in kidnapping them when they are still innocent, you need proof of guilt. All these people you mentioned, that's what happened to them. The liberal rotten Democrats slammed them with slanderous things before they were proven guilty and they have the bad name on them immediately. It's not right for you or anyone else to call these people what you call them without proof. It seems to me in the old days when you were younger grabbing a crotch wasn't too bad of an idea. All right? Have a good day Kelly.

God bless Donald Trump

Jerry Philbrick

Comptche

PHILBRICK THE MODERATE?

Editor,

In the Philbrick interview, Marilyn Davin makes the assertion that he has,"all around moderate political views." She seems to completely ignore the content of his letters to the AVA over the past few years. Just two weeks ago he wrote - "He talks like a Republican but votes like a Democrat, like a liberal. He should be hung from a lamppost in the middle of town and left to rot. You liberals better watch out." This sounds "moderate" in Berlin in 1938 maybe, but certainly not the U.S.A. The only other person I've ever heard speak so hatefully towards liberals is Adolph Hitler!

Philbrick also writes in, regularly condemning "Antifa," who are an anti-fascist activist group. Who'd be against Antifa, except for a fascist? Normal moderate Americans don't accept fascism, but Jerry spews venomous hate against Antifa here regularly. This is not "moderate."

The FBI and the school teacher both thought Philbrick was a domestic terrorist back then, and now a bunch of us AVA readers also do too. How can someone as extreme as him be called a moderate when he regularly writes violently veiled threats against U.S. citizens? Hate speech against Americans is now considered moderate? I don't think so!

The real kicker is that Jerry "sees divisiveness of the country as a huge problem." Ha ha ha! Odd how he does not see that his hateful violent intolerance and childish degrading language is his contribution to the very divisiveness he dislikes! This hypocritical behavior is so common now with Trump’s base that it's become a psychopathological dysfunction. Trump’s whole act is 100% divisive, from the "Mexicans are rapists," to the "grab women by the pussies" comments... He's the swamp-king of divisiveness. However, Jerry and the Trumpsters just smirk like idiot hypocrites, and see no problem there!

Trump Guilty Of Fraud. $25 Million Dollar Fine. U.S. Judge Condemns Trump As A Criminal. These are the facts, no exaggeration. But yet Jerry blames liberals every week and not a single one of them has a FRAUD conviction like Donald Trump does! Hillary, Obama, Waters, Pelosi — Not Guilty Of Fraud! Trump Guilty Of Fraud! See the difference?

Crazy how Trump’s fans don't care that he lied and cheated and defrauded U.S. citizens and had to be taken to court to get justice. The angry mob found at Trump rallies scream "lock her up" even though no crime was found. They ignore Trump’s many serious crimes as they are hypocrites!

If Philbrick truly doesn't want divisiveness, then he can begin by not telling AVA readers whom he disagrees with, to "shove it up their asses." He's a radical extremist, not a moderate.

Best Regards,

Rob Mahon

Covelo

MYOFASCIAL RELEASE

Free Strategic Self-Care for Election Season

Coming up at Perfect Circle T'ai Chi in Fort Bragg: Tomorrow (Tuesday) at 6 pm, Free Strategic Self Care for Election Season. A double dose covering nutrition with Anna Rathbun and myofascial release with James Humecky: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/strategic-self-care-for-election-season-nutrition-and-myofascial-release-tickets-51587372219

Poster for Strategic Self-Care: https://goo.gl/s7iyHe

Saturday, November 6, from 10-2 pm, Intro to Perfect Circle T'ai Chi: https://squareup.com/store/perfect-circle-taijiquan/item/intro-to-perfect-circle-t-ai-chi

For more information, see contact info below!

Scott Menzies, M.A. (Environment & Community), Instructor/Proprietor, Perfect Circle Taijiquan, 330 N. Franklin St, Fort Bragg, CA, 530-410-3333 (cell), 707-962-3009 (studio - ringer always off)

CHARLIE'S BACK!

Charlie Tetoni / Albion River Inn

Charlie Tetoni is returning to the Albion River Inn this week with his popular piano renderings, Wednesday thru Saturday evenings (October 24th thru the 27th ). 5:30 till 8:00 each evening. Enjoy a drink and the music!

HUDDLE UP!

Huddle Meeting & Climate Change Talk November 20

Potluck, Huddle Meeting & Climate Change Presentation, Tuesday November 20, 5:30 to 7:00 pm at Gallery Bookshop

At our November meeting, Doug Nunn will present the material he learned at Al Gore's Climate Reality Leadership program. Bring a friend!

5:30 Potluck, socializing & open announcements

6:00 Presentation starts

The Huddle is a work group. Anyone who would like to participate in actively supporting the group's purpose is welcome. We work on local issues, influence our elected officials, create ways to connect with other fed-up citizens, and help turn other districts blue around the state and the country.

For more information, email Christie Olson Day: mendohuddle@gmail.com

PLANTING THE SEEDS

Seeds that are adapted to a local area and can be collected and re-planted each year are likely to be healthier plants, produce more vegetables, and have strong roots that dig deeper into the soil to fortify their fruits with more vitamins and minerals. Without having to be stored, transported, and displayed at grocery stores the produce retains that nutrition for your eating pleasure and helps support our local economy.

AV Foodshed’s C’mon Home To Eat month in October has centered on local food from local venues, emphasizing Anderson Valley products but stretching out to source from other parts of Mendocino County as well. We’ve had a whole month’s calendar of what’s happening in AV around home meals, restaurant/store offerings, a Health Center Harvest Fair, bringing extra produce to the Food Bank, pertinent radio broadcasts, gleaning, farm stands are encouragement for a connection with local food and its myriad advantages.

The fourth and final week continues the celebrations and camaraderie:

10/24 Mosswood’s and Pilar’s weekly local soup and salad special

10/25 The Anderson Valley Foodshed invites you to a special, cozy evening celebrating local food, farmers, and community at the Boonville Hotel/Table 128. The proceeds will go to the Fresh Food in the Schools program and towards reprinting the local food guide. Please make reservations at 895-2210.

10/26 The Boonville General Store will be serving pizza (or you can take it out) with the crust made from Mendocino Grain Project’s heritage wheat flour. There will also be pumpkin carving for all ages.

10/27 37^th Annual Chestnut Gathering at the Zeni Ranch from 10:30-4. Bring a local food potluck item for the lunch, gloves to de-burr chestnuts, walking shoes for the ranch tour, and an appetite for chestnuts roasted on an open fire.

10/27 Blue Meadow Gleaning Party from 9:00 a.m. Come help pull out the veggies and flowers, and reap the bounty. 895-2071

10/27 20% off on seeds and plants at AV Farm Supply

Daily specials at the Boonville General Store

All month at Boont Berry—apple desserts with local flour

Hot apple cider at Paysanne all month

Local salad bar and fruit at the high school cafeteria lunches

AV Foodshed apple press available for use 895-2949 or avfoodshed@gmail.com

You’ll find more information about all these activities at www.avfoodshed.com. And remember to fill out a raffle ticket when you attend events for a drawing with dinners at the Boonville Hotel and Bewildered Pig, plus gift certificates at local farm stands.

(Barbara Goodell)

“First you choose a protein, then some toppings, then a senator to publicly scold.”

GUITARS WITHOUT BORDERS--NOV. 11

String theory:

Virtuoso guitar trio performs original tunes

Ukiah CA (October 5, 2018): The Ukiah Community Concert Association presents Guitars without Borders on Sunday, November 11 at 5 p.m. at the Mendocino College Center Theater, featuring Grammy award-winning classical guitarist Andrew York, National Fingerstyle Guitar champion Muriel Anderson, and steel-string virtuoso and local luminary Alex de Grassi. These three internationally recognized guitarists/composers will offer a program of their original guitar solos, duos, and trios.

Guitar Player Magazine states, “Andrew York’s eclectic writing and playing constitute one of the hippest styles in American classical guitar.” Acquiring a keen interest in folk and jazz music from his musician parents as a youth in his native Virginia, Andrew eventually relocated to Los Angeles and received his Master’s Degree in guitar composition and performance at the University of Southern California. He has since performed in over 30 countries and has recorded several albums, both as a solo artist and as a member of the groundbreaking Los Angeles Guitar Quartet. His compositions have been recorded and performed by some of the most well-known names in classical guitar including Christopher Parkening, John Williams, and Sharon Isbin. His latest recording, Equations of Beauty, was released earlier this year to great acclaim. He has won Grammy awards for his work with both the LAGQ and his performance of Osvaldo Golijov’s opera Ainadamar recorded with the Atlanta Symphony.

Formerly a student of both Chet Atkins and Christopher Parkening, Muriel Anderson has received commissions from the Nashville Chamber Orchestra and had her music placed in the Woody Allen film Vicky Cristina Barcelona. The Chicago Tribune writes that "she has justifiably gained a reputation as one of the world’s best, and most versatile, guitar instrumentalists” and the late guitar legend Les Paul has called her “[J]ust one hell of a great player.” A Midwest native, she received a music degree from DePaul University in Chicago and has since relocated to Nashville where she is known for hosting the All Star Guitar Night. She has toured extensively throughout the world and released over a dozen instrumental CDs as well as numerous instructional videos and books with various publishers. Her most recent recording, Nightlight Daylight, has received 11 awards including a Global Music Award Best Instrumental for her composition "A Bakers Dozen."

Mendocino County’s own Alex de Grassi has been called a “national treasure” by New York Guitar Festival founder David Spellman and the Los Angeles Times has called him "an acoustic guitarist of virtuosic strength and ability.” Born in Japan, and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Alex began playing folk and blues as a teenager, and continued studying music while pursuing a BA in economic geography at UC Berkeley before launching his 40-year-long career recording and performing his solo guitar compositions. Alex’s early Windham Hill recordings Turning: Turning Back and Slow Circle are often cited as landmarks that have influenced a generation of younger players, and his 1998 recording The Water Garden received a Grammy nomination. His compositions have been widely published and he has received film scoring commissions from the New York Guitar Festival and a commission from String Letter Publishing. Alex shares with Ms. Anderson the distinction of having their CDs accompany astronauts into zero gravity on the space shuttle Discovery.

In addition to performing their own solo guitar compositions, the trio will be performing original works and arrangements for two and three guitars. As a duo de Grassi and York will likely be performing York’s tongue-in-cheek composition "DissFunkShun," as well as de Grassi’s tribute to space travel, "Zero Gravity." Along with other surprises, listeners can expect to hear a three-guitar arrangement of the Rolling Stones’s classic "Paint it Black." Anderson will also delight audiences with her unique compositions for harp guitar, which has additional bass strings.

These three uniquely talented performers have shared the stage in different combinations, but will be coming together as a trio for the first time. De Grassi, who has played separately with both York and Anderson, comments, "What makes this concert so unique is that although our musical education and backgrounds are all distinct, we share a common ground in integrating different traditions into our compositions, arrangements and performances." He and York have both played on Anderson's well-known All Star Guitar Night events over the years. De Grassi notes that Anderson "also brings together the techniques and musical influences of both classical and more popular styles of music." The result is sure to be an evening of rich and diverse guitar music by three of the most recognized guitarists performing today.

Ukiah Community Concert Association has been presenting nationally acclaimed talent since 1947. This all-volunteer nonprofit’s mission is to build and maintain a permanent concert audience and cultivate an interest in fine music among the citizens of the community and surrounding area. It is also their goal to encourage music appreciation in the schools of the community.

In addition to the concert and as part of its educational outreach, UCCA is sponsoring a master class led by Alex de Grassi and open to the public from 12:30 to 2:30 on Tuesday, November 13, in room 5430 of the College Performing Arts Building.

Advance tickets to Guitars Without Borders are available at Mendocino Book Company in Ukiah, Mazahar in Willits, and online. Single tickets for this concert are $30 in advance and $35 at the door (adult) and $10 in advance and $15 at the door (youth under 18). Free tickets are available at the door to Mendocino College students with ID, space providing. Schat’s cookies, Black Oak Coffee and Rivino wine will all be available. More information is at 707-463-2738, or online on Facebook and at www.ukiahconcerts.org.

Russian Gulch

MENDOCINO ENGLISH COUNTRY DANCE

Saturday, November 3, 2018, Newcomer instruction at 7:30 pm, Caspar Community Center, $10.00 Admission (High School Students - Free)

Support your local dance events by coming out and dancing! Calling & instruction by dance leader Ashley Harvie. Lovely dancers and band members who kindly bring potluck food, please also bring your own utensils and a bag to put everything in when dance is over so the volunteer cleanup people can more easily do their work.

Sunday Dancing

Advanced English Country Dance Workshops, English Country Dance at Private Location near Caspar Community Center, Every Sunday from 3:30 - 5:30pm Starting September 9th - November 11th

Sunday dances are for dancers who wish to explore English Country Dance at a higher skill level. If you are comfortable with the basic figures of ECD and wish to learn more challenging dances in a fun workshop atmosphere, please join us! We usually meet on Sundays 3:30-5:30 in advance of upcoming balls held in the Bay Area, and focus on learning the dances on the ball program for those who wish to attend. Taught by local callers, with live music no charge, but we encourage donations for our talented musicians. For more information and directions, email or call Mary K at marykchampagne@gmail.com or (707) 961-1203.

About English Country Dance

English Country Dance is fun, relatively easy, community-oriented dancing with live music. Country dancing is all about the community dancing together. It can be simple, doesn't have to involve intricate steps - you're basically walking. You and a partner are dancing with another couple, then you move on to another couple. For it to be successful you need a lot of people and you're all working together; the whole community is moving in time to music. At its best it can... be transcendental. You definitely are lifted outside yourself into a feeling of fellowship and community. All dances are taught. No partner is required. Beginners are encouraged to participate. No special dress is required.

Fragrance Free Event: Please do not wear perfume, cologne or after-shave. A number of people have health issues with these products.

Very lively music by "Take A Dance" English country dance orchestra, the house band for the Mendocino English Country Dances.

Upcoming Dates:

• Saturday, November 3, 2018 Ashley Harvie
• Saturday, December 1, 2018 Lea Smith
• Saturday, January 5, 2019 Dan Kozloff
• Saturday, February 2, 2019 Kalia Kliban
• Saturday, March 2, 2019 Cassiane Vlahos
• Saturday, April 6, 2019 Lise Dyckman
• Saturday, May 4, 2019 David Newitt
• Saturday, June 1, 2019 Alan Winston
• Saturday, July 6, 2019 Bruce Hamilton
• Saturday, August 10, 2019 Bruce Herbold
• Saturday, September 7, 2019 Alisa Dodson
• Saturday, October 5, 2019 Alan Winston
• Saturday, November 2, 2019 Lise Dyckman
• Saturday. December 7, 2019 Lea Smith

Dance Location: Held at the Caspar Community Center in downtown Caspar (between Mendocino & Fort Bragg, California).

For further information check http://www.larkcamp.com/mendoengdance.htm or you can call or email (707) 964-5569 ecd@larkcamp.com. If you have any comments on how to make our dance events more enjoyable or informative please email us.

ON LINE COMMENTS OF THE WEEK

[1] The everyday world we live in is straight forward and relentless and it doesn’t tolerate the frolicking of people that disrespect its dictates. You need to eat, you need to sleep, you need to drink. If you don’t drink you die in a few days, if you don’t eat you die in a few weeks. In this everyday world, in fact, in this universe, every object hurtles through time and space at the combined speed of the speed of light whether we like it or not, and given that we move through space at maybe a few hundred miles per second, we are moving through time at pretty much the speed of light. And that would be about 186,000 miles per second. Which is one hell of a clip. The point is that literally, time flies, or alternatively, we fly through time, and if time can be defined as the distance between events, that distance is covered pretty damn quick. There isn’t “time” for nonsense, and so the bullshit-mongers, to the extent that they believe their own bullshit, will not be accommodated, they will go splat against the windshield of onrushing events.

And if YOU ascribe to bullshit, you won’t be accommodated either, you are speeding through the direction of reality we call “time” and the events interspersed through it will splat you too. And so Hollywood, the bastions of – cough – higher learning, the promoters of a “liberal” world order where oligarchs allowed to run rampant, these are people and things that don’t respect the macro-reality of time and space and its rules. These people, the New York Times included, may insist that THEY make the reality but this is a laughable conceit.

[2] I’m sure more than a few have noticed the ironic dichotomy in this individualistic behavior. Whether biker, hipster, or tattooed barista the same group identity and conformance takes over.

I get a laugh out of Hell’s Angels types – that’s right, I’m talking to you biker dude. They are all about being an individual from the larger society so long as one wears the appropriate leathers and vest, rides the appropriate Harley, and parties in the sanctioned behaviors. Ya, real lone wolf individual there.

You could be the meanest, toughest drug dealin’ outlaw but don’t dare show up in a polo shirt riding a Honda – or driving an Aztec.

Same phenomena, same outcomes. Rinse and repeat.

STREET SAFETY, MENDOCINO COUNTY, FOUR ON-LINE COMMENTS:

[1] I sometimes hear people say that safety is an issue in Fort Bragg. What are they talking about? I'm sincerely wondering. I've lived here for 20 years and have walked or jogged literally every single block, including every single alley, at all hours of the day and night. I've never witnessed a crime. I've never been the victim of a crime. I've never felt threatened, and I'm often alone on the streets in the dark. (Of course there's the usual sexual harassment, a given if you count that, but it is not a “crime.”)

[2] I feel much less safe walking around in Fort Bragg at night than I do in a big city. That's partially because I am a city person by nature, and something about more people makes a place feel more safe. I very rarely am out at night, but when I am I feel like I run into more vacant-eyed drug casualties than I do in a big city where you get a mix of all kinds of people doing any number of things at night.

[3] True. When I'm out at night I prefer the more populated spaces, even in Fort Bragg. I figure even if the sidewalks are empty the houses are not, so if I did need help ... But in a big city you have plenty of people out and about and there's security in that too. Also sometimes I worry about mountain lions. Ha!

[4] I moved to the coast from San Francisco and still spend time in Oakland/Berkeley. From a subjective standpoint, Fort Bragg feels much safer generally than either of those places. I suspect that many people in larger cities do not report crimes that are reported in Fort Bragg, and this skews the statistics. I know people who have not reported muggings, car break ins and burglaries in the cities, unless they need to do so for insurance purposes, because they feel it would be pointless.