Valley People (Oct. 24, 2018)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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?”

NOT BEING FACEBOOKERS, we do look in on local public pages where, at the AV Fire Department, we find that “JORGE MEDINA, AV High 2018 graduate, had never been interested in fire or emergency services but he was moved by the presentation that AV Fire Department and CalFire did at AV High School last year. He came to training and wasn't hooked right away — he stuck with it and got interested in engines, hazard mitigation, and teamwork. On his first call as a firefighter he realized that he enjoyed the rush of the urgency and the hard work. He likes serving the community and the adrenaline: "It's tiring but it feels good afterward."

ALSO from AV Fire: “TINA WALTER started helping out with the Yorkville Community Benefit Association (YCBA's) Ice Cream Social when she first began spending time in Anderson Valley. At some point Sarah Farber asked if she'd be interested in joining AVFD and Tina's reply was, "No, I'm 46!" She didn't think she'd fit in, since she only knew former fire chief Colin Wilson and Sarah and imagined the rest of the crew were "young, buff guys." She ended up joining the fire department in 2006. A year later she took the EMT class but with no intention of staffing the ambulance. These days, in addition to serving as Lieutenant at the Yorkville station, she spends regular 12 hour ambulance shifts at the crew quarters. "Initially, it made me a 'serious' member of the community, gave me an entrée to meet people and make friends, instead of just being someone who comes up from LA and just 'tries' to live here. And of course everyone is family now, so I'm hooked. I'd never felt community like I have before I moved here."

THE 35TH ANNUAL ZENI RANCH CHESTNUT FESTIVAL is set for this Saturday, October 27, 2018 from 10 AM to 5 PM. Potluck lunch at 1 PM. Free to the public! Come taste fire roasted chestnuts! Also available for purchase are T-shirts, unfiltered raw honey, apples, juice and other gifts. This year there will be Halloween activities including a costume contest and pumpkin carving. Costumes optional. Live music will be provided by Black Sugar Rose. Chestnuts can also be purchased: U-pick are $3.50 and pre-picked are $4.50. For information or directions check out the “Zeni Ranch” facebook page, or call Jane at 895-2309 or Linda 884-4208.

PETIT TETON SEPTEMBER 2018. “The past month and a half has been tough for us. The conjunction of the peak harvest season, which has stressed us to the max, and the daily news, which has engendered a deep and abiding anger, has not been a good combo. We're tired. We even took four days to visit the Sierra and relax, and we did...to the best of our ability :>) The first day out we climbed 13,050' Mt Dana which forced us to relax for the three days afterwards because we could hardly walk! Our last Mendocino market for the year is next Friday and we're ready. Ready for rain and wind and a slower pace. Bring it on. Hope all is well with you and yours. Take care, AND VOTE (we know you all do). Nikki Auschnitt/Steve Krieg, Petit Teton Farm, Yorkville”

IRENE SOTO, the unfailingly gracious cashier at Boonville's Pic 'N Pay, told me Sunday morning that the store has set an all-time record for lottery sales. "People have even called up to ask if they could get tickets here as they head to and from the Coast," she laughed. I wondered if I was the first sucker this morning to buy a Mega Mil? "Oh, no. I've been selling them all morning," Irene said.

CORRECTION: A Celebration Of Life for Bonni Davi will be held at River’s Bend (formerly Wellspring) in Philo on Sunday, October 28 (not Saturday, October 27 as one of the posters said), 2018 from 2-7pm. For more information call Seasha at 533-5094.

SPEAKING OF SERVICES for the late Ms. Davi, the following note was sent to a colleague of ours who sent it on to us: “This is Seasha Robb. I was notified that the AVA may have made a mistake and posted the date of my mother in law's memorial incorrectly. Please make sure it says Sunday the 28th of October. At Rivers Bend. 2-7pm. Thank you.”

MS ROBB “was notified” that the AVA “may have made a mistake," but doesn't tell us what the mistake was. We finally figured out that the “mistake” was the date in a poster widely distributed in The Valley which said that the memorial for Bonni Davi was Saturday, October 27, which we printed as a Valley People item last week on the assumption that the poster maker had the dates right.

DONNA PIERSON-PUGH WRITES of the local Fair Boosters writes: “Hi Folks, What a great fair we had this year with the participation and attendance up from the previous year in everything!! Thanks for being part of the fun. The Mendocino County Fair Annual Meeting is Monday, November 12 at 6:00pm. The fun is not over yet because the November Annual Fair Meeting is coming up next month on Monday 11/12 at 6:00 for the report about all things fair that happened this year, along with voting for the two board positions that are open. Come to one of the best potluck dinners that happens in the valley at 6:00. Hope to see you there!”