Posts published in “Letters to the Editor”

I used to think that when social, economic and environmental conditions came to a crisis point people would finally wake up and work for change. But there is a water crisis going on in the heart of Mendocino County and it doesn't seem like many of us are paying attention. With respect to what Caltrans has in mind for the Willits Bypass I think the general mind set is: the horse is out of the barn, it's happening, there's nothing much we can do about it now.

When someone is feeling suicidal on a Friday night in Fort Bragg, there is no Crisis Residential Treatment Center (CRTC) to provide the supportive connection and medical treatment the person needs. Privatization of mental health services means going to the ER and waiting for an Ortner non-medical person to drive from Ukiah to Fort Bragg to decide if you can get medical help.

The paper has printed a number of letters from community members who have concerns and observations about the Anderson Valley Health Center and the care received by patients there. Unfortunately, many of these letters have promulgated significant misinformation. Additionally, a number of people attending the Health Center’s Board of Directors meeting on August 25, who expressed their concern for Dr. Apfel, repeated much of the misinformation that has been published. Although we cannot always comment on particular points, we can make general statements that we hope will alleviate some of the concerns.

A Petition to Remove the Current Board of Directors for the AV Health Center and Seek a New Board, August 25, 2014:

Whereas the current BoD for the AV Health Center has failed to respond to questions from the public regarding the status and future of the Health Center and moreover they have undermined the efforts of Dr. Apfel to provide quality service and generally exhibited incompetence in administration of the Health Center, the following residents of Anderson Valley demand that this Board of Directors resign in its entirety and the medical practitioners ask for new volunteers to come forward to constitute a new Board of Directors.

It's shocking the way Dr. Apfel is being treated. The one who knows the most about the health concerns of our community is Dr. Apfel. He's the one who should be consulted. Dr. Apfel has done nothing but good for our community. I remember how compassionate he was when my young granddaughter was suffering from a kidney infection on her visit here and he quickly hooked her up to an IV in the office and she was better very fast. She was in a lot of pain and he saved her from a trip over the hill to ER which would have been really miserable. I'm sure there are hundreds of stories just like this one from members of our community.

I am writing to thank the people of Anderson Valley for their love and support in the aftermath of my recent accident. I am so moved and amazed by the generosity of this community.

I have seen our community come together for others when they have been sick or injured, but it feels different to be on the receiving end of it. So many people have told me that they have been thinking of me, praying for me, pulling for me. So many people have given me money to help pay my medical bills or offered to help in any way they could.

Apparently the efforts of the county grand jury result in nothing more than a futile exercise. The grand jury investigates selected government financed county operations and provides their findings and recommendation based on all the facts discovered and published in a public report. Whereupon the county administration goes into denial and obfuscation indicating that the grand jury has got it all wrong and the Board of Supervisors are reluctant to admit anything could be done wrong during their watch.

My doctor is Mark Apfel, wherever he may be practicing. If he is denied residency at the Boonville Clinic, I will no longer attend or support that institution and would encourage others to do the same.