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Posts published by “Mark Scaramella”

Major Contributor

Supervisor Colfax: Shut The Hell Up!

At the Tuesday, December 8, Board of Supervisors meeting, after about three hours of the usual rambling discussion about the first quarter status of the County budget (which three months were being reported was never…

Dark Times For Mendo Timber

In the beginning there was Union Lumber, which begat Georgia-Pacific and Boise-Cascade, which begat Louisiana-Pacific and Masonite and Jackson State Forest, and Georgia-Pacific begat Hawthorne Timber (aka the Washington State Pension Fund), which begat Usal…

Mendo’s Management Deficit

Reader Michael Laybourn of Hopland recently asked: “Given the state of the county budget, what would you suggest to fix it other than layoffs of safety personnel?” First, the County should eliminate all management bargaining…

Gimme Shelter

The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors heard from the County's shelter administrators last Tuesday. Being intimately familiar with outdoor living, Mr. McEwen is co-authoring this report. The only person at the meeting who had anything…

Crime Statistics & Wine Sediment

Drawing any conclusions from the state's Department of Justice statistics for Mendocino County and its semi-comparable neighboring counties requires the skills of an experienced and slightly inebriated tasseographer or oenomancer and an empty glass of…

The Wine Industry’s Mendo Gofers

  Glen McGourty, UC Extension Farm Advisor, Mendocino County branch, is paid out of tax money to give free technical advice to grape growers about how to nurture their thirsty grapes. McGourty's advice is water-intensive.…

Pillsbury Dough Boy Opposes Booze Regulation

This is not the Pillsbury Doughboy. His name is Glen McGourty and he'sMendo's UC Extension Farm Advisor. (I use the term "farm" loosely.) Taxpayers pay Mr. McGourty to give free technical advice to grape growers/booze…

Private Club Or Public Airport?

The unspeakable was spoken at last Wednesday's Community Services District board meeting, beginning with an oblique suggestion that airport access fees be increased. Airport Manager and CSD trustee Kirk Wilder pointed out that the FAA…

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