“U.S. food prices are on the rise, raising a sensitive question: When the cost of a hamburger patty soars, does it count as inflation?” — Ben Leubsdorf and Jon Kilsenrath The sentence above opens a…
Posts published in “Day: July 16, 2014”
The mouse sniffed its way through the dark. Rejecting the wild pea vines, it scurried past the oak barrels full of strawberry plants. Been there, snipped that, tucked away in its nest. The mouse knew…
Don MacQueen, 88, a long-time AVA subscriber and contributor, died in Eugene, Oregon, on June 28, 2014. He was a major part of Sonoma County's literary scene in the '80s and '90s, helping found the Russian River Writers' Guild, which sponsored a lively reading series, quarterly newsletters and occasional poetry collections, notably “A Stone's Throw,” a major anthology of local poetry, including several Mendocino County writers. Don helped edit Rich Benbrook's feisty quarterly “The Tomcat,” and “Tiny Lights,” Susan Bono's periodical of short fiction. He also helped with “Green Fuse,” which published political and environmental poetry, some of which appeared in the AVA. Don's terse, witty poems appeared in virtually every Sonoma County publication of those years.
Slow week at the County Courthouse last week. In recent years we’ve had some riveting murder trials in the summertime, but this year, so far, the most sensational murder, that of a prominent physician’s wife,…
Last week, the US Congressional representative for California's North Coast, a former Natural Resources Defense Council attorney named Jared Huffman, threw the full weight of his legislative power behind the most environmentally destructive project in the recent history of Mendocino County, the California Department of Transportation's Willits Bypass. This more than $300 million project, as presently designed, requires the largest filling in of wetlands in northern California in more than 50 years.
COUNTY AUDITOR Meredith Ford’s proposal to hire herself as an “extra-help” trainer for her replacement, Assistant Auditor Lloyd Weer at $440 per day was approved unanimously without discussion at last Tuesday’s Board of Supervisor's meeting.…
DR. MARK APFEL has been relieved of his duties as medical director and chief medical officer at the Anderson Valley Health Center. No reasons given, and if there's a distinction between the two functions, if…
So another movie is about to be made featuring the Valley. This time it's an historical drama purportedly about life here in the time following the 1906 earthquake. According to producer/writer Judy Belshe-Toernblom, they started filming “Boonville Redemption” a few days ago and while most of the film is being shot elsewhere there might be some second unit shooting in Boonville at some point. The cast apparently includes such well-known performers as Ed Asner, Dianne Ladd, and, in an amazing coincidence, Pat Boone! Having visited the website, I’m still not sure what kind of message the film is sending, certainly Faith and God’s forgiveness play a part, but for a synopsis and other details go to www.BoonvilleRedemption.com.