MCT: Wednesday, January 30, 2019

• Light Rain
• Skrag
• Variety Players
• Oaky Jump
• Newstand Price
• Gualala Wastewater
• Long Story
• Super Sunday
• Pension Blues
• Murphy's World
• Yesterday's Catch
• Dem Delegates
• Circus 1929
• Exchange Fundraiser
• Weed Tax
• Birth Control
• Starbucks Schultz
• Bronco Ride
• Diagnosis
• Meeting Cancelled
• Homemade Hoist
• Community Breakfast
• Teen Art
• Junkie Fights
• Weed Workshops
• Lucy 1931
• Blind Faith
• Mona Lisa
• Spill Anniversary
• Baffin Island

A WEAK STORM SYSTEM will yield light rain across the region Wednesday and Wednesday night. Mainly dry weather will return Thursday before a stronger system brings heavier rain to the area on Friday. Cold air aloft will favor showers and mountain snow during the weekend. (National Weather Service)

CAT & MOUSE — Skrag survives another rough day at the office.

THE AV GRANGE’S 28th annual Variety Show is on Friday March 8th and Saturday March 9th, at the Anderson Valley Grange. They need YOU and your acts onstage! Contact Captain Rainbow at 895-3807, or Robyn at 272-2127 (you can text her, too) if you have a talent, skill, animal, joke, or anything else you'd like to put onstage. They will discuss what you need for rehearsals and for the night of the show. They have professional caliber lights and sound, and the kindest, most enthusiastic and forgiving audience found anywhere in the world. This is your big chance to show people what you've got!

A CALLER wanted to know what happened to the jump in Jonah Raskin's story about the colorful Oaky Joe Munson, which appeared in the 1/23/2019 edition of the AVA. Called "In & Out of Solitary," it began on page 5 and promised, "Continued on page 5." In fact, the article continued on page 7 under the possibly misleading jumpline: "Solitary." But it's all there. Just a minor mix-up in the jumps.

ANOTHER CALLER suggested we boost our cover price to two dollars and go back to 12 pages every week. He said he wasn't a cyber-guy and had no intention of becoming one. In more vivid terms he denounced his local papers and the Press Democrat. I replied that we cover our costs with a tiny bit left over, meaning we're actually doing a little better than, say, the SF Chron, which has been hemorrhaging money for a long time. But a paper-paper is increasingly expensive to produce, what with constant increases in the price of newsprint (no help from a Trump-imposed tariff on the cost of Canadian paper) and regular hikes in postage costs that hurt us because we mail a lot of papers outtahere. Raising the newsstand price would probably hurt us more than help and probably propel even more readers to cyber-frivolity. Paper-papers are doomed, and as one dino to another, they beat hell out of the daily electronic din. The pure tactile pleasure of holding and reading a broadsheet newspaper was and is far more satisfying than gazing into a phone all day.

SOMETHING'S STUCK IN THE SOUTH COAST SEWER (Part IV)

It’s a brave new world or how to flush without having it back up

by Spike McGinnis

So, out walks one GCSD Board member and another is recruited to fill “mom’s” position. Meanwhile the District hires a new District Manager. A gentleman from down Central Valley way with not only the required state certified Grade 3 but this fellow entered the arena with a Grade 5 wastewater treatment state issued license.

Lo and behold, the District had never seen a Grade 5 operator. And this new District Manager did not hesitate to jump right in and assess the operations of the plant and the collection system. But no one (as far as has been reported) clued this guy into what the history of the District had been nor what to expect from the District administrative secretary. And of course, “mom’s” son was reported to have not been able to effectively pass the torch to the incoming District Manager.

A whole lot was in store for this unsuspecting servant of the district. As has been divulged, things went really smooth in the honeymoon period while the new District Manager learned the ropes. It appears even Bonnie Adshade offered all sorts of assistance during this time, approving a contract change order in the amount of either $23,000 or $28,000 over the phone. A contract change order in effect should have been approved by the Board. But who reads contracts anyway?

Flowing merrily down the street as it were, things went smoothly for a while. And then the new Board member arrived and somehow the micro management began.

First, the new Board member backed by Bonnie Adshade began by challenging the per diem expenses (a policy approved by the board of directors in the past) of a lunch, then the use of emergency on-call district vehicles to park at home became an issue and on and on, and on. Reportedly, the new District Manager responded with an inquiry as to why the District was paying rent for a portion of Bonnie Adshade’s residence for District office space when there was adequate room at the wastewater treatment plant only 2 miles from her abode.

FURIOUS was the response, and the new Board member and Bonnie Adshade doubled down on their attack on the new enemy (created by the new board member and Bonnie Adshade). The battle ensued, and one Board member in a Board meeting claimed that he was not there to put up with such “crap” and resigned. Funny thing, the new Board member resigned also, but claims to have not signed the resignation letter sent to the District’s attorney, and to Adshade.

All of this was revealed when Adshade gave her notice to leave, and following retrieval of a District computer following Adshade’s departure, the letter was located on the computer’s hard drive, presumably erased as evidenced by video footage released by the remaining Board members. You see, Adshade convinced that Jerry Orth (Remember him?) was breaking in to her office/home and “placing mouse turds” on her pillow, requested the Board to purchase some really slick video recording equipment. When one looks at the videos, one could suspect that the filming found on the hard drive of the District computer in Adshade’s office was staged because she keeps looking up at the camera while the new Board member and Bonnie move about and discuss District atrocities on her front porch in full view of the camera.

The new Board member returns to the Board of Directors meetings as if he had never submitted the act in print of retiring from the Board. But the remaining Board members knew better from the emails and videos they found on the computer hard drive. The new Board member became the old retired Board member by a unanimous board decision of just enough members to hold a quorum.

The case could have gone two ways for the newly old retired Board member: 1. He could file a case of injustice displaying that he never signed the letter of intent to quit the board, or 2. He could walk away in a gentlemanly fashion and let this lesson in politics serve him well. Apparently, he seems to have chosen the prize behind door number 2…Time will tell.

But while the Board meetings were reaching Fahrenheit 451, there was not much local news coverage. Actually, nothing was noted until things got really, really hot as reported in the Independent Coast Observer, by Chris McManus.

And as things are reported at times like these, the purported victims present themselves as at the edge of the world, pushed there by others whom the victim fears. We all delve quite adeptly into drama in the south coast area, but the claims by Adshade, and the stand in attorney for Terry Gross (who mysteriously disappeared in a Woodhouse/Hamburg maneuver; as seen in Adshade emails) were seemingly those of a displaced mind(s). Following Adshade’s departure, the District enlisted advice from a “new” attorney and things started to make sense in a sober way. And Independent Coast Observer’s McManus capitalized on a statement by the newly enlisted attorney “It is not good to air our dirty laundry in public” and got the whole community in an uproar for about a week following the print that followed.

Hell, people are in a frenzy as it is since 9/11 and describing the failure of a legal eagle for one statement is not the same as being present throughout the whole play of the past which led up to the present. One might regret that the Board or the District’s constituents did not enlist the presence of the local press, and perhaps all have learned the lessons vitally important to symbiotic transparency, but a local press presence and reliable translation of what happens in those meetings is always appreciated.

In closing, the press can be a good thing, dedicated and qualified servants to work in the wastewater realm are hard to find, and need the support of their Board, and that of the Public these people serve. And if that does not make sense we all better keep the toilet plunger a short distance from our grip.

STONE AND EMBERS, Philo

This weekend Friday February 1st & Saturday February 2nd Stone & Embers will be open 12-8 pm. We will be closed Superbowl Sunday. We will return to our regular hours Thursday - Sunday Noon 'til 8 pm the following week. We hope to see you all soon.

PENSION BLUES

To the Editor:

Quoted from the MCERA's January 2019 Newsletter:

"December 2018 saw another decline in the market value of MCERA funds. With market losses of $23 M, the portfolio closed the year at a value of $476 M. The preliminary return during December was -4.80%, compared to a benchmark return of -4.25%.

"Obviously, investment losses are not the outcome the MCERA Board and staff and hoping to see. However, it bears repeating that since the portfolio is invested for the long-run, we should expect investment losses in times where the financial markets are down. Over the long-run, we remain confident in the ability of the MCERA investment program to earn the target 7% annual rate of return.

"For more information, download a PDF of the December Preliminary Investment Report.'

And so, I ask, how big is the MCERA's UAL? How monstrously big is Mendocino County' unfunded pension liability?

Is it $350 million? Is it $400 million? Is it more than $400 million?

And will we bankrupt our kids and grandchildren by issue hundreds of millions of dollars in pension obligation bonds to fund this nightmare, and dare them to file a "generational equity" lawsuit?

John Sakowicz

Ukiah

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SAKO, TED STEPHENS AND JOHN DICKERSON (SSD) are very big on what they say is the County's unrealistic projection of the rate of return on the County's pension investments in the stock market. They say the projected rate of return is 7%, which they say will not be achieved and that a more realistic lower projection would require the County or the pensioners to put more money into the pension fund to assure that it is "fully funded" for the foreseeable future. SS&D say they can't get anyone in authority to see their point. Periodocally, they complain, but nothing changes much. (Although we seem to recall a slight reduction a few years ago when the County was more flush than it is now.)

OBVIOUSLY, the County is hesitant to consider lowering the expected rate of return because each notch they lower it translates to a bigger pension contribution from the County and/or the pensioners. The County, of course, can't even tell what this year's revenues are nor what each department's budget performance is even though we are more than half-way through the fiscal year. But the County and the Pension Board (most of whom are current or future pension recipients) are reluctant to bring up the subject for fear that they'd have to allocate more of their precious general fund dollars to the pension system. Meanwhile, multiples of millions are shoveled to our privately owned mental health services.

WE DON'T BELIEVE the stock market returns either. But their numbers are their numbers. The Pension Board can't just go off on their own and say, "We don't think the stock market will produce that much so Mendo has to pay more." They need the numbers before they can do anything like that.

THE SS&D TRIO should produce a chart with options for various rates of return assumptions and show exactly how much that would cost the county for each increment of reduction. Then they'd say what county services or expenses could be reduced to cover each amount. Then they'd explain what they think the correct rate of return should be and why they think that.

THEN WE ALL COULD SEE what their adjustments would mean as a practical matter so that decisions could be evaluated and, perhaps adjustments could be made. Until they do that (or if there's a huge stock market drop which forces everybody's hand) all their criticism is whistling in the dark.

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SAKO DOUBLES DOWN

Dear Editors,

The palatable, short-term answer is twofold: 1.) lower MCERA's expected rate of return, thereby increasing contribution rates, and 2.) start to develop a new tier of benefits that shifts the county from its defined benefits plan towards defined contributions plans; several tiers of hybridized defined benefits and defined contributions may be necessary to accomplish the shift over time.

The draconian answer is the obvious answer: Mendocino County may have to declare bankruptcy to void the contracts that obligate the county to pay unaffordable benefits. I've studied the law and precedents in this area. Bankruptcy is an option.

What is not the answer? Refunding the UAL with a massive issue of pension obligation bonds. If that happens, I will personally help fund a lawsuit on behalf of my kids and grandchildren. The basis for the lawsuit? A niffy legal concept called "generational equity". Future generations have a right to prosperity, unburdened by the follies and extravagancies of the generations that preceded them.

I've been saying this for a very long time.

It will be a major part of my platform when I run for 1st District Supervisor in 2020.

The "charts" for how return assumptions play into contribution rates, to which you refer, are complex, and cannot be undertaken solely by John Dickerson, Ted Stephens, or myself. It's actuarial science. MCERA's Board of Retirement can, and should, undertake this study. It's the prudent thing to do.

But this much I can unequivocally tell you: The current assumptions are wildly optimistic and imprudent. Public pension systems based on these assumptions are crumbling across the country. Detroit was just a harbinger of things to come.

The other thing I can unequivocally tell you is that Wall Street won't bail us out. It's a rigged game. The casinos of Wall Street are in business for themselves. Think the Global Financial Crisis of 2008 was bad? Think again. There is now more risk and higher debt in the market than ever.

There is nothing that supports the U.S. dollar. Nothing except the empty promise to pay U.S. debt with more debt. Rolling over debt has its limits. Everything that former U.S. Representative Ron Paul, and his son, U.S. Senator Rand Paul, has warned us about will come to pass.

John Sakowicz

Ukiah

WOODVILLE, OREGON

by Alice Cohelan (not her real name) 1973

(Ed note: This odd document was circulated in Southern Humboldt County. It sounds to me like “Woodville” is Garberville-Redway, and Murphy is Robert McKee. The author's clumsy attempt to disguise the area and the man most responsible for HumCo's back to the land movement is doubly odd since it's obvious who she's talking about.)

All over the country there are growing communities of hippie alternative people who are being lured into country "escapes" by big landowners to promote their business deals in the name of "serving the people." I have lived in one of these new communities for almost two years in a place called Woodville.

Woodville is an old logging area and mill site located in North Central Oregon. Before the hippie invasion, the town of Woodville consisted of about 60 people with large areas of land and forests surrounding it. Ten years ago a man named Murphy inherited about 500 acres in the area. He moved there and began to enlarge his property. Today he owns thousands of acres.

Murphy made his own market to sell his land. Four years ago he began promoting a neat little package deal: anyone could purchase a small plot of land, about 12 acres each, for no down payment and low monthly payments of $55. He sold his first plots of land to some hippies (under the guise of helping out these poor people who were so discriminated against by the "straight" world) and overnight he became a pseudo-hippie himself. He used to full advantage the alternative culture lines. "Back to the land … living the good life … getting out of the system" — these were Murphy's slick advertising slogans.

The first hippies to buy Murphy's land did much of his advertising for him. They spread the word around that there was a man who would sell land to hippies (poor, oppressed outcasts according to these circles) with nothing down and low monthly payments. Within a year the area became infested with hippies looking for a good deal complete with a ready-made alternative philosophy to justify and glorify their existence. Murphy's "good deal" didn't last very long. And the latecomers were stuck with higher and higher payments and poorer and poorer land.

In order to "help" his new hip "friends," Murphy decided to build a lumber yard so they would find it easier to get the materials necessary to build their houses on his shoddy land. Today, people can buy their lumber as well as their land on time from him, and make two separate monthly payments. Murphy of course says he's not a capitalist pig and that all these hippies are his friends. As proof, he says they needn't worry if they can't make their monthly payments. They can always work for him in exchange. What a generous offer! Now he has a lumber yard, a hardware store, and a thriving construction business in which much of the labor is free. And this is actually considered a wonderful land of opportunity by many of the residents.

Except for Murphy's little enterprises and the welfare system, there is absolutely no way for people to earn a living in the area. There are no industries, and no towns sizable enough to demand services. Murphy has his tenants right where he wants them. He is the landlord and the hippies are his serfs. It's feudalism. And Murphy lives like a feudal lord with a large family in a comfortable "tasteful" home. He and his beloved wife have raised six children, five of whom are now in their teens. His three teenage sons are typical long-haired rich kids playing "dope dealer." And his teenage daughters are terrors on wheels, in sweet sisterly disguise. They have their run of the turf and obviously enjoy their position of power. They take great pride in being wilder than other women in the community and have the nerve to claim that their behavior is a reflection of their "liberation" and their victory over the "uptight" rules that govern the less powerful women whom they know. They drink the most, take the most drugs, and go to bed with the most men — all of which proves how free and groovy they are. They especially like to bed down with men who are involved with other women. Men who might otherwise live up to their commitments to their wives and girlfriends usually don't dare say "no" to a come-on from the Murphy girls. Papa has too much power for that.

Murphy maintains his power (and prevents any underground muttering) through a tight hierarchy of high ranking men who have bought his land and the women they live with. The men with the highest ranking are for the most part those who first "settled" in the community. This hierarchy and its exact purpose became clear when a women's liberation "small group" was started. Inside of a few months the women connected to the higher ranking Woodville men were in total charge of the group. While maintaining the image of sweetness and a newfound "love" for all "sisters," these women systematically put down any suggestions for real political activity that came up in the group. More important, they silenced women who dare to complain about Murphy and his role in the community. Tentative attacks on Murphy (or his daughters) were met with disdain and the implication that there was something perverted about anyone who could even think such mean thoughts about a man to whom everyone should feel grateful.

My personal life in Woodville has been, to say the least, horribly insecure. I took part in forming the women's liberation group only to be driven out of it by the classy, better connected women who took charge of it.

I then became romantically involved with a man named Michael. Michael is one of the men in good standing in the community and everyone seemed horrified that he would want to be with me. I was taunted by some of the group "sisters" for getting "involved with a man" although they themselves had remained in their own relationships with important community men. When I moved in with Michael there began an insidious and constant attack on our relationship. The most dangerous has come from one of the Murphy girls, the sexy little 16-year-old named Judith.

She comes in and out of our house at will, impressing Michael with her groovy "free love" attitude never failing to point out how "un-liberated" I am. Michael's male friends have systematically excluded me and exerted a great deal of pressure on him to find himself a less "uptight" girlfriend. There seems to be a constant stream of "hippie chicks" paying us little visits, encouraging Michael to make it with them, encouraging him to be a "real hippie." Free love, free sex, and of course free Michael of me. Even women who had seemed interested in being my friend turned quickly enough when they discovered it was more advantageous to form sisterly little friendships with the Murphy girls or some of the other "liberated" "hippie chicks" inhabiting the community.

Everything that happens in Woodville ends up working to Murphy's advantage. Even the difficulties that befall him are turned around to make everyone rally behind him. Recently, Murphy got the word around that the IRS was after him because he couldn't account for all of his money. The way he told it, he was in trouble because he was dealing with hippies who, since some of their money comes from drug dealing, couldn't account for their money themselves. He made a big thing about how “the man” was after him. All because of his wonderful hippie "friends."

In fact, his tax troubles come from his petty lying to the IRS and have nothing to do with the dope deals of his hippie serfs. But his definition of the problem made everyone think he was taking great risks for his hip tenants, and left everyone more grateful than ever. Murphy, the hero, the protector. Now, the serfs grovel more than ever.

The truth is that Murphy is a real pig. The worst kind of land swindler and slave owner. By passing himself off as some kind of liberal friend of the "new people," he has built himself a powerful base as well as an economic kingdom. I wouldn't be surprised to see him get himself into big-time "straight" Oregon politics as the "new liberalism" sweeps the country.

CATCH OF THE DAY, January 29, 2019

CURTIS ADAMS, Willits. Controlled substance, paraphernalia, offenses while on bail, failure to appear, probation revocation.

NICHOLAS BRITTON, Covelo. Failure to appear, probation revocation.

JENNIFER CRAM, Ukiah. Failure to appear, probation revocation.

JAIME GONZALEZ JR. Ukiah. Controlled substance, disobeying court order, failure to appear.

CAMERON HAMMOND, Ukiah. Suspended license (for DUI), probation revocation.

SAMUEL HARRIS, Ukiah. Under influence.

PATSY MOORE, Fort Bragg. DUI, driving without license, driving with suspended license (for DUI), probation revocation.

AGUSTIN MORENO, Fort Bragg. Disorderly conduct-alcohol.

RANDY PIKE, Point Arena. Paraphernalia, parole violation.

AGUSTIN ROSADO JR., Willits. Protective order violation.

FLYNN WASHBURNE, Ukiah. Parole violation.

ANDREW WILEY, Ukiah. Paraphernalia, unauthorized entry into dwelling without owner consent, vandalism, probation revocation.

HUMCO PWOG SWEEP

Dear Anderson Valley Advertiser,

Humboldt Progressive Democrats Club is pleased to provide the attached press release announcing our recent Progressive win in the hotly contested Assembly District 02 election for delegates to the California Democratic Party. Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to schedule a follow-up interview.

Warm regards,

Helene Rouvier, Chair, Humboldt Progressive Democrats

530-598-9687

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Local Progressive Slate Sweeps Democratic Party Elections

Crescent City Voters Save the Day

Eureka, California, January 28 Newly-elected Democratic Party delegates are celebrating the success of their progressive slate in California’s Second Assembly District (AD02), which includes Humboldt and stretches from Del Norte to Sonoma counties. The Progressive Labor Slate overcame long odds against the establishment wing of the party to win 11 of 14 open seats in the January 12 election. The California Democratic Party certified results January 23 after a recount exposed discrepancies in ballot counting and tabulation, changing results.

“In spite of the deliberate suppression of voters, shenanigans by party officials and even the removal of an unsecured ballot box, this new wave of progressive leaders worked up and down our vast District to cement our place at the table. It's a tremendous success for the grassroots,” said Helene Rouvier, current Assembly District Elected Delegate.

In one of the more remarkable turn of events, local organizing successfully pressured the higher-ups to revoke a previous decision, which had marginalized the most progressive areas of the District. Covering five rural counties, Regional Director Debra Broner had slashed the number of polling places down to one, and then placed it in Santa Rosa to avoid the areas of the North Coast most supportive of Bernie Sanders in the 2016 primary election. Not coincidentally, the opposing slate consisted overwhelmingly of Sonoma County delegates (12 of 14). Progressives filed a complaint with the State Party and won a second polling place…which was then sited in Crescent City.

“They sure don't like Humboldt's Bernie voters, let me tell you,” said Allen McCloskey, AD02 Elected Delegate. “It's almost like they are afraid of us.”

In spite of the geographic obstacles, voters overwhelmed the Crescent City site, which temporarily ran out of voter registration forms. Tribal members activated and registered Native youth and organized transport for first-time voters and others. Showing up in business suits, pajamas and everything in between, people came from around the region, jamming the parking lot in spite of extensive car-pooling from Eureka and elsewhere.

This latest win means progressives will continue to build their influence in the region's Democratic politics. In addition to taking 11 of 14 seats in AD02, progressives also won 10 of 14 seats in AD10, which includes Marin and the rest of Sonoma County. One third of the Delegates to the California Democratic Party are elected through this process. The rest are appointed by party leaders and elected officials or elected by the County Central Committees.

“The Crescent City turnout of about 300 was truly remarkable and made all the difference for the Progressive Labor Slate. We would have lost if only the Santa Rosa votes were counted,” said Rouvier. “This is absolutely the peoples' win. The support was incredible and everyone should give themselves a pat on the back for pulling together so well. A lot is at stake, and everyone knew it.”

Community members interested in taking back the party of the people can attend the next Humboldt Progressive Democrats Club meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, February 20.

For more details, go to facebook.com/groups/HumboldtProgressiveDems/

PUGILIST SISTER CIRCUS FAT LADIES, the Carlsons, c. 1929! 1,146 lbs. of fun, says the caption! With tiny man looking at his iPhone!

DINE OUT FUNDRAISER for Fort Bragg Otsuchi Student Exchange

The Fort Bragg of Otsuchi Cultural Exchange Association actively promotes the relationship with our sister city Otsuchi, Japan that began nearly twenty years ago. We host our Japanese friends in alternating years. 2020 will be the next exchange, they visit in March and we visit in September of 2020.

Noyo River Grill, 32150 North Harbor Drive, Fort Bragg

Wednesday, Jan. 30th, 11:30 AM - 8:30 PM

Sharon Davis, C.E.O.

Mendocino Coast Chamber of Commerce

www.mendocinocoast.com

707.961.6302

CALIFORNIA LAWMAKERS PROPOSE SLASHING POT TAXES to lift sluggish legal cannabis industry

sfgate.com/news/article/California-lawmakers-seek-tax-cuts-for-sluggish-13567717.php

ON LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY

LOL… Starbucks Schultz is full of crap and probably everyone knows it. He is no more running for Prez than I am. He just wanted on the Trump bashing train and 60 minutes gave him that opportunity. More of the ongoing “look at me I’m running as a Democratic Presidential clown show.” So now going forward every time his name is used in the media it will be preceded by former Starbucks CEO and “Democratic Presidential contender.” The Dems would suicide him and drop his body in Fort Marcy Park before letting him run as an independent.

I can see the Washington Post press release… “former CEO and Democratic Presidential contender Howard Schulz was found dead early this morning in Fort Marcy Park with 12 stab wounds to his back and several nail holes in the back of his head. A machete and a partially loaded assault nail gun were found at the scene. The local authorities including the coroner, Nancy Pelosi, and Chuck Schumer have ruled the incident a tragic suicide.” In other news Starbucks officials have decided to reduce prices for all mocha choka ya ya ya yas to $14.00 a cup while Mr. Schultz, former CEO and Democratic Presidential contender lies in state at Starbucks international HQ Seattle, WA…”

DIAGNOSIS: The physician’s art of determining the condition of the patient’s purse in order to find out how sick to make him.

— Ambrose Bierce

FEB 11 STANDING COMMITTEE SITS

Community Partners, Colleagues, and Interested Parties:

The Board of Supervisors Standing Committee meetings scheduled for February 11, 2019, have been canceled.

Please contact the Executive Office at (707) 463-4441 if you have any questions regarding this message.

A SPECIAL SUNDAY BREAKFAST AT THE MANCHESTER Community Center this coming Sunday, February 3.

Lynn Derrick from Queenie's Roadhouse Cafe of Elk will be preparing the "First Sunday of the Month" Community breakfast at the Manchester Community Center/ Garcia Guild this coming Sunday, February 3 from 8:30 until 11:00. Queenie's opens for her season on Friday, February 15 but if you can't wait until then, this is your chance for a sneak preview of the great breakfasts to come.

The theme is Mardi Gras and the menu includes Cajun scramble (eggs, meat, green peppers, onion, celery, cheese, and spices) and a tofu scramble with the same ingredients but no meat; Blackened home-fried potatoes; Corn biscuits, and fruit salad.

This is an all you can eat breakfast and costs $10.

There will be FREE blood pressure screening between 9 - 11 am by the Mendonoma Health Alliance. Also, there will be a mini silent auction.

As the theme is Mardi Gras - where your best hat or mask. Prizes for the best hat, the best mask, and the best hat/mask combination.

The Manchester Community Center is on Crispin Road just east of Highway 1. Come on down from Ft Bragg, Caspar, Mendocino, Little River, Albion, and Elk for a little fun here on the South Coast. Enjoy this very special Queenie's breakfast.

FORT BRAGG HIGH SCHOOL ART OPENING at Edgewater

Gallery, 356 N. Main St., Fort Bragg

Friday, February 1, 2019, from 5-8 pm

Admission is free. Light refreshments served.

The Fort Bragg High School is proud to present a selection of student works at Edgewater Gallery the month of February, 2019. The works for display will include ceramics, digital media and photography, paintings, paper media, and more. Proceeds will support student artists and the Fort Bragg High School Art Department. Please join us at the reception on Feb. 1, 2019, and see the work of our talented, young, local art community.

"THE RUSSIANS run an underground fighting league in Coney Island where they pay junkies to fight. I fought about fifty fights for them. They pay you $200 win or lose. They'd always make sure I was real doped up before the fight. I mean they weren't good people but it did make me feel kinda important to have all those gangsters cheering for me. And they'd always be really happy if I won, because that meant I'd made them money."

THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE (CDFW) and the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) are extending outreach to the cannabis cultivating community with presentations at four permitting workshops in northern California.

The presentations are ideally suited for cannabis cultivators, consultants and anyone interested in the topic.

CDFW will address important areas such as how to begin the notification process, Lake and Streambed Alteration agreements, and limiting environmental impacts.

SWRCB will cover policy and permitting, and other important information. Computers will be available for applicants to apply for water rights and water quality permits.

Workshop attendees will have time to talk with agency staff about individual projects. In the coming months, more workshops will be announced throughout the state.

CDFW and SWRCB will present at the following venues:

Wednesday, Jan. 30

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (presentation at 10:30 a.m.)

Sonoma Lab Works

1201 Corporate Center Parkway

Santa Rosa

For more information, please visit: www.scgalliance.com/event/cannabis-cultivation-permitting-open-house/

Wednesday, Feb. 6

5 to 7 p.m. (presentation at 5:30 p.m.)

The Foothills Event Center

400 Idaho Maryland Road

Grass Valley

For more information, please visit: www.nccannabisalliance.org/calendar/water-board-fish-wildlife-water-rights-a-get-legit-workshop-2/

Tuesday, Feb. 26

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (presentation at 10:30 a.m.) – Free

North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board

5550 Skyline Blvd. Suite A

Santa Rosa

Thursday, Feb. 28

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (presentation at 10:30 a.m.) – Free

Trinity County Fairgrounds

6000 CA-3

Hayfork

In addition, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) will be at the Feb. 26 and 28 workshops. CDFA will provide an overview of the state’s cannabis cultivation licensing program and review the primary requirements for a cannabis farming license. Staff will also be available to answer questions.

CDFW encourages cannabis cultivators to obtain all necessary state licenses and county permits, as well as implement best management practices to reduce environmental impacts. Following these recommended actions can help cultivators avoid common pitfalls that may lead to enforcement actions.

To learn more about CDFW’s role in cannabis cultivation, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/cannabis or email AskCannabis@wildlife.ca.gov.

To learn more about SWRCB, please visit: www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/cannabis/.

(Press release from California Department of Fish and Wildlife)

LUCILLE BALL at age 21 showing her natural hair color, 1931

LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH

Throw a blind dart at a government agency posted up on the wall. There. The FBI will do as well as any. No matter what we may think of them for any given action, most of us most of the time assume good and necessary work done in the name of all of us, with a few glaring exceptions and in spite of at least one sexually wavering leader. The citizenry.

These days, that faith is largely lost. None of our institutions has escaped, whether in the government or acting as private agents. The folks who administer our national parks are no more to be trusted these days than those in charge of Wells Fargo Bank. And all of them do their work in secret networks unsuspected by the rest of us who in the end are surprised again and again and again. And usually poorer and more exposed for it.

No matter how it was before the last election, for the un-brain dead and unrepentant, few of these folks remain who will not betray our trust. No more loyal to us than a summer mosquito, the way it used to be has morphed into a very distant memory, a once-pleasant thought, like heartburn as the souvenir of a tasty meal.

So it is hard - and hardly advisable - to allow our thoughts such a lovely run. We are, it is clear, now in this alone, and those in charge will get little help from this quarter, and they will assuredly deserve less than that. Like Steve Stills once told us, love the one you're with. And be sure to do it in the road.

OIL INDUSTRY, ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERS MARK FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF SANTA BARBARA OIL SPILL

by Dan Bacher

Oil industry and environmental leaders in California both marked the 50th anniversary of the Santa Barbara Oil Spill, but they  did it in very different ways.

Catherine Reheis-Boyd, President of the Western States Petroleum Asssociation and former Chair of the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative Blue Ribbon Task Force to create "marine protected areas" in Southern California, used the fiftieth anniversary of the spill to claim that the oil industry’s “number one priority” is “maintaining the safety and environmental integrity in the communities where we operate.”

"As we mark the 50th anniversary of the tragic Santa Barbara oil spill, it is important that we remember our coastal communities most affected by this incident and how they’ve inspired not only reform and innovation but a global movement to support environmental protection,” said Reheis-Boyd in a statement.

“In that spirit, the employees of California’s oil and gas industry are fervently committed to continuous safety improvements in all of our operations, whether that be through innovative technologies or by partnering with the dozens of federal, state and local agencies that regulate oil & gas operation in our state. Our number one priority as an industry is in maintaining the safety and environmental integrity in the communities where we operate,” said Reheis Boyd. 

On the other hand, environmental advocates marked the 50th anniversary of the spill by protesting outside the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s Pacific regional office, the federal office working to expand offshore drilling in U.S. waters, in Camarillo, California. Organizers of the protest included the Center for Biological Diversity, Greenpeace, Surfrider Foundation, Food and Water Watch, and Citizens for Responsible Oil and Gas.

“The Trump administration’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has continued to work on this five-year leasing plan and communicate with the oil industry during the current federal government shutdown, despite taking no other public input,” according to a press release from the coalition. “The offshore spill that began Jan. 28, 1969 in the Santa Barbara Channel gushed more than 3 million gallons of oil and killed thousands of marine animals and birds. Public outrage over the spill helped spark the modern environmental movement and passage of the country’s most significant environmental laws.”

“President Trump last year proposed expanding offshore drilling into most U.S. oceans, including offering the first leases in the Pacific Ocean since 1984. The next draft of the five-year offshore leasing plan could be released at any time. The plan calls for the first new offshore leases to be offered in hazardous Arctic waters later this year,” the groups stated.

Blake Kopcho, an organizer with the Center for Biological Diversity, pointed out that offshore oil drilling has “taken a devastating toll on our country over the past 50 years.”

“We need to learn from that history instead of adopting a reckless plan that’s doomed to repeat it. Our coastlines and climate can’t take another Santa Barbara spill or Deepwater Horizon disaster. Rather than working to fulfill the oil industry’s wishlist during this government shutdown, we need to permanently shut down offshore drilling,” explained Kopcho.

Tomás Morales Rebecchi, senior Central Coast organizer with Food & Water Watch, discussed how the California coast is both threatened by the proposed opening of federal leases — and the offshore drilling that expanded under existing leases under the Jerry Brown administration. He urged Gavin Newsom to break with the Brown administration’s environmentally destructive policies by “by ending drilling in California state waters and onshore throughout the state.” 

“The 50th anniversary of the Santa Barbara oil spill is a grim reminder of how far we have to go in stopping not only offshore drilling, but onshore oil and gas expansion as well,” said Morales Rebecchi.  “If Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to lead opposition to the Trump administration’s plans to expand dangerous offshore drilling, he should start by ending drilling in California state waters and onshore throughout the state. The vibrant environmental movement sparked by this disaster so many years ago, which includes local communities fighting drilling in their backyards, would welcome his support.” 

While the Governor’s Office press releases and many media outlets touted former Governor Jerry Brown’s credentials as a “climate leader,” Brown Administration regulators issued about 238 permits for new state wells in existing offshore leases, within three miles of the coast. Oil production continued from 1,366 offshore wells in existing leases, according to the California Department of Conservation data analyzed by the Fractracker Alliance in 2017. For more information, go here: www.fractracker.org/…

On September 8,  2018, Brown signed two bills, SB 834 and AB 1775, to block new federal offshore oil drilling along California’s coast, but consumer and environmental justice advocates pointed out that the state needs to also to stop the expansion of new offshore drilling in state waters, where the state controls four times the number of wells that the Donald Trump does.

“During his administration, Brown issued more than 20,000 permits to drill new oil and gas wells in California, and that includes more than 200 permits for off shore wells in state waters -- wells within 3 miles of the California coast,” said Jamie Court, President of Consumer Watchdog.

The state under Brown — and now under Gavin Newson - controls four times as many offshore oil wells in state waters as Trump’s federal government controls in California, according to Court. You can view the map showing the location of wells here: http://brownvtrumpoilmap.org    

The reason why Big Oil has been been able to expand offshore and onshore drilling in California in recent years is simple: deep regulatory capture - the capture of the regulators by the regulated — by the Western States Petroleum Association, oil companies and other corporate lobbies. If you want to know the industries, organizations and people that control California, the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA, the trade association for the oil industry and the largest and most powerful corporate lobbying organization in the state, is right at the top of the list.

WSPA represents a who’s who of oil companies, including oil giants BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon, Shell, Valero and many others. The companies that WSPA represents account for the bulk of petroleum exploration, production, refining, transportation and marketing in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, according to the WSPA website, www.wspa.org.

WSPA and Big Oil wield their power in 6 major ways: through (1) lobbying; (2) campaign spending; (3) serving on and putting shills on regulatory panels; (4) creating Astroturf groups: (5) working in collaboration with media; and (6) contributing to non profit organizations.

Over the past decade, WSPA and Big Oil have topped the list of spenders on lobbying the Legislature in California. During the 2015-2016 Legislative Session, the oil industry spent a historic $36.1 million to lobby lawmakers and officials in California.

WSPA was the top overall oil industry spender during the 2015-16 session, spending $18.7 million. Chevron, the second overall oil industry spender, spent $7 million in the 2015-16 session.  

In 2017, Big Oil also dominated three out of the four top spots of expenditures by all lobbying organizations. Chevron placed first with $8.2 million and the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA) placed second with $6.2 million. The Tesoro Refining and Marketing Company finished fourth with $3.2 million.  

That’s a total of $17.6 million dumped into lobbying by the three top oil industry lobbying organizations alone. That figure exceeds the $14,577,314 expended by all 16 oil lobby organizations in 2016.

In the first six months of 2017, the oil industry spent more on lobbying in California, $16,360,618, in the first six months of 2017 than was spent by the industry in all of 2016, $16.0 million.  

This translates to an average of $2.7 million per month – $90,000 per day – according to a report compiled and written by William Barrett of the Lung Association in California: www.lung.org/…

On January 31, 2019, the lobbying expenses for 2018 by the oil industry will be posted on the California Secretary of State's website. It will be interesting to see what the oil industry spent on lobbying in 2018.