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MCT: Sunday, November 17, 2019

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COASTAL LOW CLOUDS will likely persist in parts of the Humboldt coast today, but remain clear most of the day in Mendocino. Inland temperatures will continue to warm today, with chilly overnight lows in the valleys. Some light rain will be possible in Humboldt and Del Norte counties late Monday and early Tuesday, and will be followed by gusty north and northeast winds Tuesday through early Thursday. A period of elevated to critical fire weather conditions will be possible early Wednesday through early Thursday. (National Weather Service)

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PG&E INDICATES POWER SHUT-OFF POSSIBLE FOR WEDNESDAY

Winds forecast for Wednesday and Thursday have prompted PG&E to warn of an “elevated” potential for a power shut-off that would affect parts of the North Bay, the utility said Saturday.

pressdemocrat.com/news/10330140-181/pge-indicates-power-shut-off-possible

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Mendo Sunset (photo by Annie Kalantarian)

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OUTTA THE WAY, HOSPITALITY CENTER

by Malcolm Macdonald

At three in the afternoon, November 14, at the Hospitality Center in Fort Bragg (former site of the Old Coast Hotel) a meeting was held on the topic of a winter shelter for the homeless. You didn't hear about it before hand, you say? No surprise. The leadership at Hospitality Center, specifically the Board of Directors leadership under the eye of one Lynelle Johnson, doesn't like to expose decisions that effect the public to… Well, let's just say, the public.

What was once called the Extreme Weather Shelter, will now become simply the Winter Shelter, tentatively open to house Mendocino County's coastal homeless overnight from December 15, 2019 to March 15, 2020. The new moniker means the shelter will be available every night between those dates, not just on days when rain is predicted above a certain percentage or the temperature is predicted to drop below a certain degree.

That change should prove to be a good thing, taking away uncertainty among the homeless as to whether or not the shelter will be open on any given day. It also provides certainty to those staffing the shelter or those who prepare food for the homeless.

Now, we are advancing into the nitty-gritty and part of the reason Ms. Johnson and those who run the Hospitality Center don't want the public to know how badly they are flailing about this late in autumn. Where will this winter shelter be located? It is mid-November and the answer is not clear yet, though there have been talks about this winter's shelter between city and county officials, and presumably the Hospitality Center, since July.

As usual (meaning more or less every year) those early talks floundered enough that the topic of there potentially being no plan to house the homeless this winter was even broached by at least one coast hospital board member at an August board of directors meeting.

Rumors ran around in the last month that the Hospitality Center would be renting the site of a former steakhouse on Main Street in Fort Bragg for about $3,000 per month (for a total of $9,000 for the year). That locale is immediately north of Safeway and Starbucks and a car wash business. In the past, shelter sites were rotated between faith-based locales for a week or two at a time. One advantage in that rotating system proved to be that homeless folk did not hang out at one spot for the entirety of the winter. Using the faith-based organizations also saves thousands in rent.

For some reason Ms. Johnson has had it set in her head that this season the homeless would have a permanent home a half block or so up Main Street from Safeway. That same store is currently under an official warning by the California Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) office for too many cases of alcohol shoplifting without proper monitoring. This subject and the details of how Safeway has woefully lagged behind its chief competitor, Harvest Market, in pursuing the reporting of alcohol theft is worthy of a complete report at another time.

The plan to use the Main Street steakhouse as a shelter fell through. The Hospitality Center (HC) leaders are still looking for another one stop shop site in Fort Bragg. The single spot on Main St. looked advantageous to HC officials because its location would not require going through the permit process before Fort Bragg's city council, which would be doubly important to HC leaders like Ms. Johnson. The permit process would require potential input from the public.

As of this writing, in mid-November, 2019, it appears that the winter shelter may very well revert to rotating between two week stays at faith based locales on the coast. HC leaders indicated they'd continue to search for a single site. HC Executive Director Carla Harris stated that $1,000 per month was pretty much the maximum rent HC was willing to pay. Ms. Harris seems to be trying to navigate between doing the right things while still having to adhere to the wishes and whims of the leader of HC's Board of Directors.

Ms. Johnson lives on an isolated road south of Little River, a protected enclave far removed from the business owners in Fort Bragg, many of whom work long hours and often six days rather than five. Some of the business owners in the central business district are up at three or four a.m. to make sure everything is ready and right when customers and clients start appearing hours later. Ms. Johnson didn't mention any of these neighbors or any of the hard working people in Fort Bragg at the November 14 meeting.

Ms. Johnson is out of touch and has been for some time. She has repeatedly told falsehoods to city officials and business owners as well as inquisitive souls like yours truly. Readers familiar with the AVA's online archive should check a November 16, 2016 piece in which Ms. Johnson features somewhat prominently.

More information on Ms. Johnson's failings at Hospitality Center and Hospitality House can be found in a February 1, 2017 AVA piece and perhaps most tellingly in a February 22, 2017 article, which concluded that “the truth is not in Ms. Johnson…”

The only real hope for the Hospitality Center at this juncture is a change of leadership. There are some reasonable people on its board of directors. They need to prove their reasonableness translates into action by removing Ms. Johnson from any leadership positions at the institution.

An important difference in this year's plans for operation of the shelter involves the location at which individuals will be picked up to be driven in vans to a sheltering site. Over the last two winters that staging point was near the Food Bank, in the northeastern corner of Fort Bragg, relatively distant from downtown. Ms. Johnson appears insistent that the staging point be at the Hospitality Center, which could create, at the least, a three month long loitering problem in the central business district.

According to HC Executive Director Harris, the county government is willing to expend $67,000 on the coast winter shelter. That's nearly double the amount put forth last year. Unfortunately, a vote to approve that expenditure won't come before the Board of Supervisors until December 10. Actual payments from the county may not kick in until a month or more later.

At the November 14 meeting, HC board members bemoaned the economic strain on their outfit in financially carrying the burden of a month's worth of winter shelter costs, which are estimated to run between $650-$700 nightly. Those costs include overall administration and paying four trained staffers (two each on eight hour shifts) to monitor the overnight shelter's inhabitants.

Keep in mind that individuals who are drinking or doing drugs are not given overnight services at the Hospitality Center or its adjunct Hospitality House; however, no one is turned away from the winter shelter for being high or drunk.

To understand the extent to which Ms. Johnson is out of touch with reality, one need look no further than the agenda for that November 14 meeting.

Under the heading for winter shelter locations, the options are listed in this order: [single] building sites; tent; faith communities. This means Ms. Johnson prefers having a single site with a tent on it for the homeless throughout the winter over using the faith based structures (and reportedly she prefers the tent idea even though the owner of a company that would provide a tent urged her to look elsewhere for shelter). This brings us back to the idea that a single site would avoid the permitting process and avoid public comment.

Yes, this is, in part, a cry for help, a sigh and a bellow for someone, some other entity, to take control of sheltering the homeless on the coast out of the hands of the Hospitality Center who have, to put it politely, muddled the process for far too long.

The Hospitality Center Board of Directors meets November 21 at 9 am, at the northwest corner of Oak and Franklin Streets in Fort Bragg.

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CUTENESS ALERT! This handsome, adorable pup has been in foster care with his siblings for the past month. He is well socialized and very happy. Puppies are wonderful and lots of fun, but they need time, energy and committment, so make sure you have lots of all three to ensure your puppy grows up to be a well mannered and loved member of your family. Come to the shelter and take this sweet little guy to our Puppy Play Yard where he can be 100% puppy, and entertain you! Daniel is a 3 month old, male puppy who we think will be a large adult dog (check out those paws!)

The Ukiah Animal Shelter is located at 298 Plant Road in Ukiah. Visit our website information about our canine and feline guests, and all of our services, programs and events: http://www.mendoanimalshelter.com For more information about adoptions please call 707-467-6453

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JESUS HERNANDEZ, 47, a tow truck driver out of Santa Rosa, died Friday about about 6:40pm while attempting to tow a disabled pickup. According to the CHP, the tow truck’s flatbed was lowered and all rear white and yellow lights were activated as Mr. Hernandez was stopped on Highway 101 near Comminsky Station Road. CHP: “The winch on the tow truck was attached to the pickup. Hernandez was on the ground near the front of the pickup. It appears that the pickup, which was in neutral, rolled forward causing fatal injuries to Mr. Hernandez.” The incident is under investigation. Alcohol or drugs were not considered to be a factor.

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WHEN DIRECTIVES ARE IGNORED

by Mark Scaramella

ACCORDING to an unnecessarily lengthy and cluttered list of “Board Directives” buried deep in next week’s CEO report there’s a “directive” called, “Discussion And Possible Action Regarding Direction To Chief Executive Officer About Hiring Practices — IT IS ORDERED that the Board of Supervisors Directs the Chief Executive Officer to produce monthly hiring reports, document the necessity of every open position prior to upcoming budget decisions, and provide a realistic projection of which positions will actually be filled in the coming fiscal year.”

RATHER than being assigned to Human Resources where it would seem to belong, it is assigned to Deputy CEO Janelle Rau and listed as “in process.”

ELSEWHERE in the CEO report we find a list entitled “Justification of Filled Positions” which lists just 9 positions: three staff assistants, three juvenile hall probation officers (remember that the juvenile hall holds a dozen or so delinquents on average), a building inspector, a new deputy, and an account specialist in Health & Human Services.

ACCORDING to the CEO, the Juvenile Probation officers are necessary because “Services will be delayed or not provided and may fall below state mandated level of service.” The others imply that there’s a “risk of” non-compliance with some unspecified state rule. (Never mind that the state has never taken any significant punitive action regarding low staffing levels.)

BUT the other part of the “directive,” which was issued back in March of 2019 — “to produce monthly hiring reports” — hasn’t been complied with at all. (The occasional vacancy list is not a “hiring report.”) And the “necessity” part is full of hedging language like “may be” and “risk of” — which means the leadership wants these positions filled without knowing for sure if they’re required beyond some low-level of theoretical paranoia.

IF THE BOARD took their directives seriously, they’d prune the list to only those that are important. They’d also demand the still “in process” and undelivered hiring practices report which has no anticipated completion date so they could manage overall hiring priorities. In fact, none of the directives include a scheduled completion date.

MEANWHILE, Social Services continues to be woefully understaffed — even though they recently got big salary increases and those positions are funded by federal and state earmarked funds, not out of the County's general fund.

ALSO, THE BOARD DIRECTIVES LIST is cluttered with trivialities that fuzzy important directives. The directives have no clear title, making their review difficult. Nor are the directives prioritized or listed with completion dates. The “status” column simply says either “in process” or “complete.”

ANOTHER INTERESTING “In process” directive is “Discussion And Possible Action Regarding ‘Homelessness Needs Assessment And Action Steps For Mendocino County,’ A Report Of Data And Recommendations For Strategic Action Steps By Robert G. Marbut Jr., Ph.D.

THE Health & Human Services Agency is in theoretical charge of outreach to the City Councils to endorse the strategic action in Dr. Marbut’s report, particularly “prioritizing the needs to throughout [sic] the County; providing meals prior to 9 am and after 5pm to avoid taking homeless away from programs that are helping; limiting it for to [sic] Resource see [sic] days; and for staff to provide a written report every two months; and an in-depth presentation to the Board of Supervisors every six months.” Translation: More meetings, more stalling on Marbut's commonsense recommendations which, boiled down to their essentials are: Sort out the homeless to the genuinely local needy and help them, kick the lifestyle bums down the road.

THIS “DIRECTIVE” was issued in April of 2018 so six months would have been in October of 2018 — last year! The item is so crudely written that it’s not likely that anybody’s even read it since it was put on the list. There’s been no “in-depth presentation,” no bi-monthly “written reports,” no “prioritization,” no “outreach to the City Councils.” In fact, the Marbut Report hasn’t even come up in any board discussion for more than a year and a half, as capitalism's casualties steadily grow in numbers.

The Marbut Report contained the unwelcome news (to County staff anyway, although anyone driving through Ukiah would know at a glance) that Mendo’s overpriced, ineffectual and self-aggrandizing homelessness staff’s efforts were unfocused and not helpful to anyone but the well-compensated staff itself. But the Board would be paying attention to high-priority “directives” like this if they followed up on their own directives.

YES, we know this is all sort of inside baseball. But if the CEO and staff and Supervisors can’t even manage to keep a useful, uncluttered list of their own directives up to date with due dates and real status reports, you have to conclude that the bigger stuff is being totally ignored.

WHEN I WAS IN THE AIR FORCE, failure to follow a direct order — i.e., a directive — was insubordination subject to court martial. In Mendo it’s business as usual.


PS. Also in the CEO’s November 19 report is this Measure B item:

“RFP/RFQ# 23-19 Architectural/Engineering/Environmental Services for Mendocino County Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF), Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU), and Crisis Residential Treatment (CRT) Facilities (Executive Office/Measure B); Issued on June 19, 2019; Submission deadline was August 16, 2019; Evaluation process completed. Anticipated presentation of award recommendations to the Board in mid-November.”

It’s already past “mid-November” and they’ve had the proposals since August and the evaluation process is completed. Yet there’s nothing on the Board’s November 19 agenda about an RFP/RFQ. In a nomal county, this exercise should have been done two years ago, and, as typical with everything Measure B related, it’s taking forever and a month. You’d think that the CEO report would at least contain an explanation about what’s taking so long…?

(Mark Scaramella)

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POSTER OF THE WEEK

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PAUL McCARTHY NOTES: The “Sacred Cow Sandbar” is in place at the mouth of the Navarro River but the 0.10”-plus of rain that fell on the river’s drainage basin saw no appreciable rise in the river — although it does look “high” near the mouth. The upstream gauge had the level pegged at 1.80’ Friday @ 4:15 pm - no threat to flood to say the least. But, as we remember all to well - Hwy 128 can be shut down at milepost 0.18 when we get enough rain and the sandbar doesn’t breach.

MR. M. describes the annual sandbar as a sacred cow because, in bygone days, way gone, locals would either hand-dig a big hole in the sandbar so the salmon and steelhead could get upstream or bring in a small dozer to free the mouth of the Navarro where it meets the Pacific. When the river stays blocked, as it seems to do longer into the winter every year, the whole ecology of the river is thrown off. The migrating fish cluster in frustration at the blockage, the seals feast on them, the fish don't reproduce because they can't get upstream to lay their eggs.

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A MEETING OF THE FAIR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

I wound up at the Fair Board Meeting the other night. It was a big surprise - the results of the Fair Board meeting.

In years before I remember folks in the hippie community plotting about who they'd appoint to the Fair Board. You had to be registered as part of the Fair Association for one year before voting, so I didn't go to the meeting that year because I couldn't vote to fill that one seat of someone other than the old cowboy crowd that's held the Fair together all these years. Horses and their cowboys are a bygone era, and there's no money in them. The Fair is going broke, as we've all known for many years, and it's in need of one entire face lift. After all, what is that crazy logo, and didn't they already improve it in some way that they aborted in last year's Fair?

This year there was very little plotting to find a representative to bust the Board. It just happened.

The head of the Fairgrounds, Jim Brown, led the meeting and seemed open to new money making ideas about how to use the Fairgrounds. One thing led to another as one hippie after another straggled in after the main entrees had been removed from the serving table and everyone was done eating. It was a full house and the women from the Dragon House showed up and stood along the back wall because all the chairs were taken at all the tables. The place was packed. Captain Rainbow ate and stayed to comment and vote, and was asked by one Board member to be quiet (musta had some history there). Johnny Schmitt showed up late and sat silently.

The Board was asked to contact Sonoma County Fair Grounds and find out if they can get a budget, etc. The vote on folks in the room wanting to open the Fairgrounds to marijuana events was something like two against the idea, and the rest of the room for it. I'm guessing there were about 60 people present and maybe 58-2 in favor of pot.

I was way surprised by the vote for opening the Fairgrounds to new events so they don't have to close altogether. Fair Manager Jim Brown was open to ideas for a change, too. And two younger folks were voted onto the Fair Board: Sophia Bates and Derek Wyant.

Still no Latinos rep'd on the Board, or at the meeting.

One Board member resigned, Mr. Craig Titus. He wasn't angry about it. He just said it was time for him to step aside and let someone else take the Fairgrounds down the path. He was very graceful about it and was applauded.

Folks in the room were really acting very open and accepting. And mostly, very kind. Tim Bates finally said that he couldn't see why not approving marijuana events if it's legal and others are making money off events like it. Wendy Read defended herself when one of the old school women sitting at the back of the room said something about not wanting "people like that" as tourists in Boonville. Wendy said, "I'm people like that, and I'm sitting right here. We're here and we're not leaving…"

The Board had just announced the news that the World Music Festival has not yet signed a contract for the year 2020. (The organizer-financier of the festival fell ill with cancer last year, canceling weeks before the event, and promised he'd be returning this year.) I mentioned that they need to put more music festivals on at the Fairgrounds. The Board mentioned that they make alot of money off camping, so it'd pay to have long weekend events, with camping available. Not mentioned, is that with marijuana there, they could share a broader profit margin on events.

Manager Jim Brown also mentioned that the Fairgrounds needs serious renovation, so it'd be good to come up with an event theme that is both useful and retains much of the beauty while adding good design taste.

The old little league field at the Fairgrounds is not in use. The horse barns weren't used this year because of liability concerns. Horses were trucked in for the Fair show and trucked out the same day. The horse barns are old and falling down. That entire end of the Fair grounds all the way over to PennyRoyal seems like it could be better utilized. Looks like there's plenty of land there.

But, I digress… The dinner was just great. I love ham and "scalped" potatoes, green beans, and the dessert table even had (Jeweler) Andy's award winning (County Fair) peanut brittle. I even had time to register on "the association" list so that I could vote. You could sign to be a member of the Fair Association until 7 pm.

I was just talking with Stephanie Frost, who sings with the Joe Blow Band, about all the great things that could be booked at the Fairgrounds as far as events are concerned. She listed off a bunch of event ideas:

Vintage car shows, tattoo expos, baby showers, quinceaneras, food festivals, community dances, workshops, Halloween party, school carnival, music festivals featuring: Zydeco Dance Bands/Food Festival, ukulele festival featuring local Ukaholics. It worked having the Mexican Dance on the last night of County Fair last year, so why not add the Mexican Rodeo with a popular band Sunday night at Fair? And, of course, marijuana oriented events including the Mendocino Cup.

It was a pretty good meeting. Not an easy job for the old board.

How much is entertainment going to be worth when the economy tanks? You have to advertise a year in advance in many cases for large events. It'll take three years to get rolling with any kind of an organizer or plan at all. It takes time for folks to follow new events.

(Debra Keipp)

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CATCH OF THE DAY, November 16, 2019

Farias, Galindo, Hammond

BRAULIO FARIAS, Ukiah. Resisting.

THOMAS GALINDO, Ukiah. Disorderly conduct-alcohol, probation revocation. (Frequent flyer.)

SHELBY HAMMOND, Fort Bragg. Controlled substance, probation revocation.

Hernan, Kostick, Miller

LINDA HERNAN, Willits. DUI, suspended license (for DUI).

JEFFREY KOSTICK, Fort Bragg. Trespassing/refusing to leave, disorderly conduct-alcohol, probation revocation. (Frequent flyer.)

DONNIE MILLER, Potter Valley. Cultivation of more than six marijuana plants, failure to appear.

Piver, Romero-Medina, Schaefer

RONALD PIVER, Ukiah. Probation revocation.

FELICIANO ROMERO-MEDINA, Ukiah. Resisting.

JUSTIN SCHAEFER, Eureka/Ukiah. Probation revocation. (Frequent flyer.)

Stone, Viana-Ribeiro, White

BRANDON STONE, Fort Bragg. Probation revocation.

CARLOS VIANA-RIBEIRO, Ukiah. DUI, no license, controlled substance, paraphernalia.

CARLOS WHITE, Covelo. Felon-addict with firearm, controlled substance while armed with loaded firearm, controlled substance for sale, ammo possession by prohibited person, loaded handgun-not registered owner, parole violation.

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ART WALK UKIAH

“Wackier Than Usual”

Join us on Friday, December 6th from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Ukiah Library for “Wackier Than Usual,” a whimsical painting exhibit featuring Tamsen Donner. Artist Tamsen Donner has this to say about her art form; “What I like about painting is it addresses the chaos- both within and without. Everything comes into play.”

Create magnets in a tin for holiday gifting, be entertained by the live music of Majide, peruse a Friends of the Library book and holiday sale, and partake of yummy refreshments. This event is for all ages and sponsored by the Ukiah Valley Friends of the Library. For more information, please contact the Ukiah Library at 707-463-4490.


WRITING WORKSHOP

With Natasha Yim

Join us at the Ukiah Library on Sunday, November 24th from 2:00 to 4:00 PM for a writing workshop with Natasha Yim! Participants can expect to learn how to use visual storytelling, how to create strong narrative arcs, and how to devise a plot.

Natasha Yim is a children’s author and freelance writer. She has published six picture books, written for children’s magazines and is a regular contributor to Mendocino Arts Magazine. Her upcoming math-concept picture book, Luna’s Yum Yum Dim Sum illustrated by Violet Kim, will be published by Charlesbridge Publishing in Fall, 2020, as part of the Storytelling Math series. She is currently working on a multicultural historical fiction middle grade novel. Natasha grew up in Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong and loves to write about people and cultures from around the world.

To sign up, or for more information – please contact the Ukiah Library: 463-4490.

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ON LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY

I don’t see the coming breakdown of things to be totally predictable. Using my California/ PG&E example - I’ve seen many changes happen in this, my home state throughout my life (born here in 1951). But I never saw this one coming - a major power company letting it’s infrastructure become so outdated as to be highly dangerous and even lethal (i.e. the Paradise and Santa Rosa Fires as well as others in Southern California).

My plans? I plan to NOT move back to a big city ever again. I currently live in a large county with a total population of a little less than 200,000 people. Though I can’t say I have a lot of close friends, my wife and I have cultivated a circle of decent friends and a network of local folks who are willing to help each other out in times of need.

I support and, to what extent I can, am involve with a few lesser know organizations that do a fine job of defending wildlife and wilderness - particularly Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and Wildlands Network, as well as our local American River Conservancy.

I participate in local, regional and occasionally state matters of concern by attending various meeting when I can and have been to state legislative meeting where we have been allowed to voice our opinion. And I have enough books and records to keep myself amused for the rest of my life.

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FROM THE SANDERS CAMPAIGN:

PG&E is a crystal clear example of how corporate greed and recklessness terrorizes communities, jeopardizes lives and destroys the environment.

While this company enriched its executives and Wall Street speculators, it knowingly endangered the safety of hundreds of thousands of Californians. Now that the company is once again bankrupt, it is time to reject another bailout and say enough is enough.

So instead of begging billionaire investors to bail out PG&E, we need to support the growing movement in California to bring power to the people and place PG&E under public ownership.

PG&E has known for years that its power lines were susceptible to causing fires, but the company refused to address the problem, and its infrastructure has continued to cause wildfires throughout the state — including the disastrous Woolsey and Kinkade blazes.

The fact is, PG&E fought to deny climate change for years, and continues to rely on natural gas. It is not a utility that is serving in the public interest. PG&E has spent more than $160 million in lobbying and campaign contributions in California since 2000. The regulators and officials in charge of ensuring California’s safety and security have neglected their duties and authorized massive payouts to investors over investments in maintenance and resilience.

Add your name if you agree we must bring PG&E under public ownership.

Thank you for your support on this important issue.

In solidarity,

Team Bernie

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ADD THIS UNDOUBTEDLY FALSE ANTI-VAXX TALE THAT POPPED ON THE MCN CHATLINE SATURDAY:

Subject: [MCN-Announce]- Watch out for rogue Ob/Gyn nurses at FB hospital

From: "Inger Grape" bouncedancer@gmail.com

A client who recently gave birth at our hospital told me a harrowing story.

After she gave birth, a nurse asked her if she wanted the Hepatitis B vaccine for her baby; she lied to my client and told her that it was mandated by law and that Child Protective Services would take her baby if she didn't comply. Another nurse came in with the syringe, and again asked the frightened mother if she wanted her baby to have the vaccine. The new mother, fearing for her baby, said "Yes." The nurse replied, "Good, because if you had said No, we would have sent CPS to your home to take your baby."

It is not yet illegal to not vaccinate, though the politicians are working hard at making it so. What the nurses said and did was not only untrue, but illegal. To act with coercion or threat fits the definition of assault. My client will be filing a complaint. If I were her, I'd sue. That baby not only got a worthless vaccine that will have worn off by the time he becomes sexually active, he's now been exposed to the following, in addition to the main pathogens:

Note the formaldehyde, which is highly regulated because it's bad for our breathing and harmful to our skin, and note all the cells from animals, which has the power to change our DNA and is likely to set you up for allergies, as allergies are created by foreign proteins in the blood. This witches' brew also contains no less than 3 kinds of aluminum and 3 kinds of yeasts. The list of ingredients is from the CDC:

Fenton medium containing a bovine extract, modified Latham medium derived from bovine casein, formaldehyde, modified Stainer-Scholte liquid medium, VERO cells, a continuous line of monkey kidney cells, calf serum and lactalbumin hydrolysate, aluminum hydroxide aluminum phosphate, aluminum salts, sodium chloride, polysorbate 80 (Tween 80), neomycin sulfate, polymyxin B, yeast protein.

Please warn local pregnant women; they must inform themselves of their rights. This information is heavily suppressed; if they need some links for high-quality information on the subject, rather than the Pharma lies that the medical establishment has been trained to deliver, they can email me and I'll be happy to point them in the right direction.

For more on why to reject this pharmaceutical, which, BTW, like other vaccines, has not been tested for carcinogenicity or mutagenicity, unlike any other pharmaceuticals:

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/11/03/hepatitis-b-vaccines-at-birth.aspx

Inger Grape

Microcurrent therapy

Bowen soft-tissue therapy

ReboundAIR teacher/distributor

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CHRIST SAVE US ALL

Our monthly Sacred Space Interfaith Circle will meet this next Sunday November 17th at 3pm at Evergreen Church at the corner of Laurel and N Corry in Ft Bragg, one block east of the Library. Sacred Space is an interfaith, dogma-free, inclusive gathering for global and personal healing with drumming, chants, prayers, music, lighting candles and sharing spiritual community. Kianna Gehente will lead the circle with traditional Lakota medicine, Kelsie Hubik, sound healer, will bless us with her Tibetan singing bowls. (Kelsie is a certified Tibetan Singing Bowl Sound Therapist!)

https://www.vibrationalsoundassociation.com/vst-certification-course-1/

And Paula Butler will play piano and lead drumming. Please bring musical instruments, drums, poems, readings, prayers etc. Please do not wear any scent. For Info call Diana 707 964-5497 or email at dhunter@mcn.org.

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THE CONNECTION BETWEEN FLOW KANNA'S FAILING FINANCES AND SATELLITE SURVEILLANCE

To the Editor:

As Flow Kanna cuts its workforce by 20 per cent, is there a connection between its failing finances and Mendocino County's new push into the satellite surveillance of cannabis farmers?

What would be the connection?

Here are some theories floating around.

Because Flow Kanna has failed to sign up enough white market farmers for its supply chain.

Because Flow Kanna wants to help law enforcement bust black market cannabis farmers.

Because Flow Kanna wants to use law enforcement to frighten black market farmers and drive them into Flow Kanna's greedy embrace.

FACT

“Mendocino County is now among a number of California counties that are using satellite technology to enforce cannabis code compliance, including El Dorado County, which recently issued an RFP for the services. Humboldt County was the first to use satellite imagery as a means of identifying the estimated 15,000 illegal grow sites that existed in the county at the time of legalization.”

FACT

“Humboldt currently uses the technology to monitor the county’s 4,000 square miles of rugged terrain for environmental issues and unpermitted cannabis cultivation. During the pilot year, county staff identified 600 illegal cultivation sites remotely and issued violation notices. Since then, the county has brought in millions of dollars in fines.”

NEWS FLASH

Satellite maps are not survey products, and are not officially adopted by either the Board of Supervisors or the Building and Planning Department. Likewise, satellite maps are not evidence; they only help direct operations by the Sheriff's Office and DEA.

The Emerald Counties using satellite technology say they make "a reasonable effort to ensure the accuracy of the maps and data provided, however errors and omissions may still exist."

THE LEGALITY OF SATELLITE SURVEILLANCE

https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1333&context=elr&fbclid=IwAR2t-_F1Mjb_JwoQqPrR2SUSQ9JRrfzUzxbRTnS8SqQ0iPEYwodZSC5cKgA

FOR MORE ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY

https://www.int-arch-photogramm-remote-sens-spatial-inf-sci.net/XLII-3/547/2018/isprs-archives-XLII-3-547-2018.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3voYlo1RmJkjbpeYLitZ_gW4bqFjrURa16pY0_stwTvauo48I98VF-lDk

PLANET LABS AND HUMBOLDT COUNTY

https://lostcoastoutpost.com/loco-media/loco-media/blog/post/20704/Approve%2Ba%2Bsupplemental%2Bbudget%2Bfor%2Bacquisition%2Bof%2Bhigh%2Bresolution%2Bsatellite%2Bimagery.pdf?fbclid=IwAR008ffZ60eu0kprc7ei0YENyHiQYI4pDBrn_7ddUc9m1GN6Txeb0kjo3yE

DEFEATING SATELLITE SURVELLANCE

Using microsatellite data – which goes down to a less-than five-meter ground resolution -- cops can cheaply gather visual data over huge stretches of land.

That's old news.

Here's the bad news.

Satellites are not just about visual data.

Satellites do a lot more than photograph topography, site conditions, and buildings and other structures.

Satellites are approaching real-time. With new, regularly updated images, cops can track the changing state of the land -- both permitted and un-permitted activity -- every day throughout the year.

But it’s not just photographs that these satellites can capture.

Images captured in spectral bands invisible to the human eye can reveal extra details about vegetation types and other surface characteristics.

Infrared technology captures heat signatures. Infrared can easily detect cannabis by measuring the heat and reflective indications of the vegetation mixed in with cannabis. Compared with other plants, cannabis has higher reflectivity at certain wavelengths.

Cannabis’s reflective signature can be defeated -- up to a point, but only up to a point -- by planting cannabis next to cedar or pine trees. The heat from the trees overlaps the heat from the cannabis making it harder to be detected, but with AI (artificial intelligence) and analytics, coupled with satellite data, the cops are ahead of us.

Likewise with placing pots in the ground or growing cannabis up a trellis. It's a new era with AI and analytics.

AI and analytics can even detect overall yield changes by calculating how much green plant chlorophyll was present in each of the images the satellites snapped over time.

WHAT'S THE ANSWER?

  1. Simplify and streamline the permit process.
  2. Zone cannabis as ag, not as commercial.
  3. Create a path to amnesty for legacy growers.
  4. Create a non-profit, farmer co-op that collectively owns and operates a supply chain, including physical facilities for grading, processing and packaging which are supported by an e-trading platform, and systems for e-payments and e-tracking.
  5. Create "direct to consumer" marketing programs for the cannabis farmer-owned supply chain, much like farm-to-table restaurant campaigns.
  6. Create equity and reparations programs for legacy farmers hurt by our nation's so-called "war on drugs".
  7. Give workers in the cannabis industry the right to unionize, including government permit and inspection workers.
  8. Bring the fatally flawed Prop 64 back to California's voters; we need a new law that's fair to small, independent farmers.

As a friend told me, we need fully lawful status, not a "legal lies" model.

Thank you.

John Sakowicz, Candidate Mendocino County 1st District Supervisor

www.johnsakowicz.org

Ukiah

* * *

FOUND OBJECT

12 Comments

  1. George Hollister November 17, 2019

    “WHEN I WAS IN THE AIR FORCE, failure to follow a direct order — i.e., a directive — was insubordination subject to court martial. In Mendo it’s business as usual.”

    In non-military settings insubordination is common, and often a result of the boss demanding that a round peg be placed in a square hole. This is coupled with subordinates never telling the boss he/she is wrong. So if the CEO is commonly not complying with board directives, the board should consider looking at itself, first.

    • Harvey Reading November 17, 2019

      “…never telling the boss he/she is wrong…”

      Most likely because they don’t want to get fired.

      Don’t you get it, George? The supes are tickled with the CEO. If they weren’t, they’d find a new one. Maybe Mendo oughta try a different administrative model for county government, since the CEO system doesn’t seem to work. My opinion is that the county is, and has been for a long time, completely ungovernable.

      • George Hollister November 17, 2019

        “Most likely because they don’t want to get fired.”

        This is true, but not the entire story. Whatever the dynamic, no one ever tells the boss he/she is wrong. In the military strict discipline is required for survival. There is no alternative. In war, there is also a long history of officers commanding those under them to do stupid things, with unavoidable and tragic consequences. This is less seen outside the military, and outside the military it is more common to see insubordination.

        When there is a continuum of insubordination, it should not just be assumed that the insubordinates are to blame. It might be that what is being directed, can not be done, or will have significant negative consequences. This reality exists in any organizational system outside the military. The dysfunction that exists in county government starts with the board of supervisors, not anyone else.

        I did not go to business school to learn this, either. I learned it from observation, and personal experience.

        • Harvey Reading November 17, 2019

          ” In the military strict discipline is required for survival.”

          Survival of the officers. The foot soldiers are never any more than cannon fodder. They call that “honor”. “Honor” is just another lie peddled to get common folks to die or get maimed for the interests of the wealthy rulers. There is NO honor in that.

          You use more words to say nothing than anyone I have ever read, George.

          • George Hollister November 17, 2019

            Harv, you have a way of making even people like me look smart.

            • Harvey Reading November 17, 2019

              Fraid not, George. You must have been talking to the mirror as you typed.

    • George Hollister November 17, 2019

      A good example of this interaction, on a public stage, is what is seen between President Trump and his insubordinate subordinates. He says what he wants, they say not possible, or they ignore him. He overly complains about them, and eventually the insubordinates either quit or are fired. At the root of this is Trump has a different way of looking at things, and his underlying assumptions are different than those in Washington. With Trump, there is no self reflection, either. “I’m right.”This is true across the board. It is certainly true in foreign policy. (The case of the Ukrainian ambassador is typical, and not unique to this presidency. So the ambassador should not feel singled out.)

      The county board of supervisors is not the POTUS. The board, as a group, needs to act if anything is to get done. Right now, I am not sure there is even a consensus among board members regarding what their job description is. So we see what we see. Trump knows exactly what his job his, and he’s doing it.

  2. Harvey Reading November 17, 2019

    If the Clearcut Triangle dope growers can’t, or won’t, comply, let ’em go under. There’s plenty of dope out there, grown elsewhere, for those who want it.

  3. Harvey Reading November 17, 2019

    FOUND OBJECT

    The “Interfaith Space Circle” in action?

  4. Lazarus November 17, 2019

    FOUND OBJECT

    Nice boots…

    As always,
    Laz

  5. James Marmon November 17, 2019

    Sacramento Kings beat 10-1 Boston

    “LUKE, I’M YOUR FATHER”

    -BILL WALTON

  6. Mary Darling November 17, 2019

    I was at the same Fairgrounds Board meeting as was Debra Keipp, but do not agree with what she says was decided. I believe that the membership vote was simply an advisory vote for the Board to pursue the possibility of opening the Fairgrounds to marijuana events by developing more information about the possible impacts of such events. Rather than continuing to hear everyone express their opinions as the meeting dragged on, I think almost everyone wanted factual information; for example, from the Sonoma Fairgrounds since they have actual experience. With facts, not opinions, an informed decision could then be made by the Fairgrounds Board. Even though few people at the meeting were willing to outright reject marijuana events, I think it is premature to conclude that there will be such events at the Fairgrounds. That decision has not yet been made.

    I am sure a copy of the resolution which was passed would easily clarify this difference of opinion.

    On a second minor point, Captain Rainbow was asked by the Board Chair to wait his turn to speak rather than immediately rebutting a point someone else had just made. This was simply procedural without the animus implied by Debra.

    Neil Darling

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