EVERYONE who knew Susan Keegan of Ukiah is shocked and saddened at her sudden death two weeks ago. Mrs. Keegan, only 55, was the wife of Dr. Peter Keegan and well known in the Anderson Valley through her work as a newspaper reporter some years ago and, more recently, her advocacy for the Cancer Society. Always merry and bright, Susan will be missed.
EVERYBODY goes to Lauren’s to celebrate. And why not? The food is consistently the best available in the whole county; Lauren's has the very best local wines with a vast variety of beers; and Gary is the most professional waiter on the west coast, bar none; and the conversation is great because the place is over-run with artists, writers, musicians, actors and songsters. So it's no surprise that Lauren's the place to go. Saturday night Flick McDonald, volleyball coach, walked in wearing a big medal around his neck. “The storyline here is six girls,” he said. “It’s been 27 years coming, and only one girl graduates this year.” AV hasn’t won a championship in the last 54 years and now they look to have it sewed up for at least two more years in futbol and girl's volleyball. Flick said, “There was a big crowd and they were loud. That’s the whole thing – we’ve been to championship tournaments where there was NO crowd. But I tell you what, Anderson Valley is the best and we had a great crowd tonight!” (— Bruce McEwen)
FLICK McDONALD has coached volleyball at the high school since 1983. His teams have often reached the playoffs but have never won it all before this year, but this season they won it all with a mere six players — Rennie Wallo; Deysi Mendoza; Mirla Gaxiola; Kristen Andersen; Gimmena Manriquez; and Karina Perez.
THE PANTHER FOOTBALL team also had a good year with a batch of experienced players returning next fall, and now it's on to basketball with coach Ed Slotte returning to the hardwoods to take command of a team that just might have the size, speed and all-round athletic ability to go all the way with one kid, who just turned fifteen, named Hunter Sagaiga, who's got to be seen to be believed. You can see him yourself at the forthcoming Redwood Classic, the first week of December.
THE PANTHERS travel to Calistoga Monday night (the 29th) to take on the Mud Baths on their home court.
RENEE LEE reports on the basketball team's first game against Santa Rosa Christian last Friday night: The AVHS Boys Varsity Basketball Team got a taste of preseason action in an away game on Friday, November 19 against the Santa Rosa Christian (SRC) Lions. Things were looking good when the Panthers drew first blood by winning the tip and Garrett Mezzanatto scoring a quick bucket. This was followed up by a series of several shots made by Hunter Saigaga plowing through the paint. Irving Jimenez and Carlos Mendoza chipped in a basket apiece while Mezzanatto, Jason Sanchez and Omar Benavides added points from free-throw line ending the period 15-8 for the Panthers. In the second quarter, the Lions offense warmed up considerably and first-game butterflies and poor Panther passing gave the lead to SRC at halftime 29-25.The second half of the game was just simply mathematics. The Lions continued to hit from the outside. They outscored the Panther 14-6 in the third and 10-6 in the fourth quarter. Jimenez and Sagaiga scored a few baskets and Mezzanatto was brought to line several times. Final score was 53-37 for the Lions. Score leaders were; Hunter Signage 18, Garrett Mezzanatto 9, Irving Jimenez 4, Jason Sanchez and Carlos Mendoza with 2 each and Omar Benavides with 1. Some say this team is green and it may be a rebuild year for the Panthers with only four veterans returning from last year: 2 seniors; Carlos Mendoza and Sergio Guitierrez and 2 juniors; Garrett Mezzanatto and Elio Gonzalez. But I have faith this team will do well under the tutelage of new head coach Ed Slotte with assistance by Larry Mailliard and Patrick Schaeffer.
A READER WRITES: "That item you ran last week on the world's smallest cow up on Signal Ridge at that Hindu place? Do you think I could fit the cow on my rotisserie?"
SPEAKING of Signal Ridge, KZYX's radio antenna at the very top came down Sunday morning. Station management speculated it was dropped either by lightening or the rain got into it and froze from the inside out, thus making it so brittle the wind snapped it.
"THE BOONVILLE WINTER MARKET got off to a strong start last Saturday within the pleasant and always welcoming confines of Lauren's Restaurant where produce, prepared foods, crafts and other locally produced goods were on offer to the delight of a combined crowd of browsing locals and more than a few tourists. If you have something homegrown or handmade to sell, bring it on down. No reservation necessary. The market will be open Saturdays, 10am — 1pm, rain or shine, until the end of April. All vendors pay 7.5% of gross sales to the market. More info: Diane 895-3354 or Cindy 895-2949." — Cindy Wilder
A 28-YEAR-OLD Navarro man claimed last week that he’d been assaulted by Paullen Ophellan Severn-Walsh, also 28 and also of Navarro. Both parties to the episode agreed that Severn-Walsh had thoughtfully slipped on a boxing glove just prior to popping the alleged victim in the snoot. The responding officer, noting that the victim was uninjured and that Severn-Walsh had indeed slipped a pillow-like boxing glove over his punching hand before striking the uninjured victim, informed the victim that the only way the officer would make an arrest was if the victim placed Severn-Walsh under citizen's arrest. Which the victim immediately did. Severn-Walsh was then transported to the County Jail where he spent the weekend. When he appeared in court Monday morning the judge exclaimed, "What? For this? Case dismissed!"
"KEN MONTGOMERY has donated a living tree for us to decorate for our “Give-A-Book” Tree. Laughing Dog Books has received a list of books needed by the Anderson Valley Jr/Hi & Elementary libraries. So from November 26 thru December 20, shoppers can take a tag off the tree, buy a book for the schools, and receive a 15% discount on their purchase. All of the books purchased in this way will be given to the schools. We will also put a receptacle on our counter where shoppers can donate “Change for the Bank” — the Anderson Valley Food Bank, that is. Everyone is encouraged to shop locally first!" — Loretta Houck
BOB ABELES tells us that AT&T has silently rolled out their long anticipated DSL broadband service in Boonville, meaning that the poor guy who'd offered that service on his own initiative has been swallowed up by Big Phone.
NASH MILL RAPE? Apparently. Deputies Squires and Walker have investigated a complaint by a young woman from Alaska who, with a friend, was invited to a harvest party in the vicinity of the old Nash farm house and raped on day two of the celebration. The two Alaska women said they were unaware that the merriment had been inspired by the pot harvest, not the grape harvest they'd expected, and that they were also unaware that they would provide the entertainment at the otherwise all-male event. The rape victim conceded she was drunk and had engaged in consensual relations with a man she met on day one of the festivities. On day two, drunk, she was taken advantage of by at least one man, perhaps more. The two women, touring the lower 48, have since left the area.
AN IMMIGRANT friend of mine told me that she was stopped twice by bandidos last holiday season on her way to her ancestral home in the state of Michoacan. This holiday season the Mexican government is advising Americans returning to Mexico for the holidays to travel in convoys, and to travel only during daylight hours.
E-MAIL AD from Ukiah Valley Television promised "Robbery, Drugs and Murder," and just another day in the Mendocino County seat, it seems.
RESEARCHERS at the Harvard-affiliated McClean Hospital of Belmont, Massachusetts have found the early exposure to marijuana "causes neural changes," and not for the better. Smoke too young and lose your mental flexibility. Permanently. Meanwhile, here in Anderson Valley another kid at the high school was found in possession of enough dope to make the cops believe she was selling it on campus.
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