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Posts published by “Malcolm Macdonald”

River Views

The first white people to settle this place alongside the Albion River were treated with kindness by the Pomo who periodically camped on a portion of what came to be called the Macdonald Ranch. Those…

River Views

Last week’s column provided background to the case of a homeless man accused of injuring his dog, Frankie. On August 19th the defendant woke at the Hare Creek beach, south of Fort Bragg. He admitted…

River Views

Does it seem like more and more of the homeless are accompanied by a dog or dogs? The City of San Francisco has just initiated a program that pairs the homeless with abandoned puppies. The…

The Backdoor Tax

An envelope marked “Urgent Notice” arrived in the mail last Friday. The return address said: State of California. Inside were four identical slips of paper with “Advance Notice” boldly printed across the top. Advance Notice…

River Views

Fifteen years ago a South African music enthusiast established aweb site that he called “The Great Rodriguez Hunt.” Rodriquez was an obscure singer/songwriter from the Detroit area whose two albums disappeared into the dustbin of…

River Views

On Labor Day the Albion River moved at less than a trickle. Gravel covered much of the riverbed and the tiny flow of water could be dammed to a halt with a few kicks of…

River Views

My name is Malcolm and I’m an ice cream addict. During summer and fall I’m often able to sate my needs with homemade product made from a recipe in the 1941 edition of America’s Cook…

River Views

This edition of the AVA hits the streets on August 29th; on the same day in 1892 traveling salesman Whitcomb Judson was issued a patent for his shoe clasp locker, a metal fastening device for…

River Views

In the 1920s the Albion Lumber Company hired one of the first college educated foresters. On his initial day on the job he rode the train east several miles and strode up a steep hill…

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