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Posts published in “Essays”

Murdering MendoHealing

MendoHealing, the medical cannabis farm in Fort Bragg, has drawn its last breath, dead of natural causes or murdered, depending. David Moore began with a vision of a farm-direct medical cannabis cooperative that would give…

The Judge Who Ruled Pot Is Medicine

Most drug-policy-reform advocates know the name of Judge Francis Young and many can quote a line from his 1988 recommendation that the DEA remove marijuana from Schedule One: “Marijuana is one of the safest therapeutically…

Call It Frisco?

Our renowned “Baghdad by the Bay” as Herb Caen, the famous San Francisco Chronicle columnist dubbed it, was originally founded in 1776 by Franciscan missionaries (see Mission Dolores) who dedicated the site to the venerable…

Barbie Turns 50!

Guess who just turned fifty?  Barbie Millicent Roberts. Most of us know her simply as “Barbie.”  In 1959 Mattel stunned the Betsy-Wetsy toy world by introducing a doll with a grown-up shape squeezed into a…

Time to Tax Alcohol Fairly

Like many people with a drinking problem, our nation itself is in denial about what alcohol abuse costs. With a looming 'financial Armageddon' upon us, it's time we confront the issue. I started drinking alcohol…

What We Have Here Is…

Mr. James Houle, Concerned Citizen, began the meeting last week by asking the Board of Supervisors to reconsider Ordinance 4168, a 2006 stipulation making County CEO Tom Mitchell the County's top disaster management man. Mr.…

Waterboarding Mendo

If you'd been forced to take a lower paying job because of the looming Great Depression Two, and your bank told you that if you didn't make a payment like right now you'd lose your…

The Inevitable Knocks

Two more senior department heads left County employ this month. Long-time Agricultural Commissioner Dave Bengston retired two weeks ago, and Human Resources Director Linda Clouser has resigned to take a position with the State Court…

What Time Does The Ship Sink?

Last week's swearing in ceremony for the 2009 Board of Supervisors was a childish affair in two ways, literally and figuratively. There were children in the room and there were the child-like proceedings. Children led…

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