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MCT: Saturday, December 7, 2019

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NUMEROUS SHOWERS, some with heavy downpours, will continue across northwest California through this evening. Showers will then diminish heading into Sunday, with high pressure bringing dry weather to start the week. A weak front will threaten to bring some light rainfall around Tuesday. (National Weather Service)

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HIGHWAY 128 WAS CLOSED (between mile-markers 0 and 12) yesterday evening due to flooding. Since yesterday noon, Boonville has received 1.6 inches of rain, Yorkville 2.7 inches. More rain is expected today, which means until the levee breaks, 128 may be closed for quite some time.


JUST IN [from MCN-Announce]

Subject: Re: 128 conditions, flood over, road still closed
From: Nicholas Wilson
Date: Sat, December 7, 2019 4:22 pm

When I checked at 3 PM Saturday the Navarro sandbar had breached and the water was flowing out fast. I went to the Navarro bridge and found that Hwy. 128 was still closed, and no CalTrans or CHP was there. The flood waters had already receded off the highway in that first quarter mile east of the bridge, which is the low spot that gets flooded by sandbar blocked water.

I'm hoping CalTrans and CHP will do their safety inspection and open 128 before dark today. There may be branches and rock slides to clear before they can open it, but the flooding is over with for now.

When I left the scene at 3:30 PM there was no change.  Cars were arriving from north and south on Hwy. 1, finding Hwy. 128 closed, scratching their heads, looking at maps, and going back in search of alternate routes.

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FIRE NOTES

LAST NIGHT'S terribly destructive fire understandably attracted a large crowd of onlookers, several of whom commented that if the fire had jumped into the eucalyptus trees at Tom Town, the ancient wood structure of the Farrer Building could have gone up, taking Tom Town with it. And then on to the old brewpub and on down the highway blown by the off-shore wind. Which would have happened if this fire had occurred on a windy September afternoon.

IN DOWNTOWN BOONVILLE there are three hydrants at the Fairgrounds which were used to refill both pumpers and tenders during Thursday's fire. Outside of Boonville, trucks can refill at various water storage facilities, including the department's tank farm in Philo and others on Signal Ridge, Rancho Navarro, etc. plus at a number of vineyard ponds which are fitted with firehose compatible valves. Typically, the department's three tenders either provide water directly or refill the pumpers on scene. As with a fire like Thursday, hose lays and hookups can get confusing and time consuming at busy fire scenes.

THE FIRE CREWS drained the Fairgrounds down to its minimum reserve fighting the fire on Thursday. They then started getting more water down the road from Pennyroyal's hook up. Tens of thousands of gallons all told were expended fighting last night's blaze and keeping it from getting worse.

DANNY PARDINI AND CRAIG TITUS trucked in the heavy equipment that reduced the destroyed buildings to rubble, thus exposing remaining hot spots for firefighters to extinguish.

WE UNDERSTAND that Dave Johnson, the Sonoma man who owns the destroyed homes and businesses, is fully insured.

THE HOMEOWNERS, unless they had homeowner's insurance, have taken a complete loss. The losses suffered by Lizzby's Restaurant, the revived bar attached to it, and Pic 'N Pay we hope are covered by Johnson's carrier.

AV FIRE CHIEF Andres Avila said Friday that the cause of the fire remains "under investigation." But it definitely started in one of the homes, not the restaurant.

CHIEF AVILA said it spread fast because once it jumped to the roof of the second unit — all the remaining downwind structures had a common roof — the fire was burning on the underside of the roof/rafters/insulation fanned by the wind and spread along the underside of the roof to the restaurant and then to PicNPay. The Chief said firefighters had trouble getting water on that part of the roof until it burned through and out, in spite of all the water they pumped. Their work in back however, did save those buildings.

THE PAKISTANI OWNERS of Pic 'N Pay are a couple with two honor-roll children. Mr. Pic 'N Pay long ago gave up explaining his name to his many customers, settling for "Chon." They not only lost their store, but they lost their home next door. Very nice people whose losses are lamented by all of us in Boonville.

ACCORDING to our DBA records, Lizzby’s retaurant was owned by Alejandro Gutierrez Silva, 14161 Hwy 128, Boonville, CA 95415.

IN 2010 PIC-N-PAY’s DBA said:

The following persons are Doing Business As: PIC N PAY PARTNERSHIP DBA PIC N PAY, 14161 Hwy 128 / P.O. Box 489, Boonville, CA 95415. Iqbal Singh, Barinder Kaur, 2838 Coleman Glen Ln., Santa Rosa CA 95404; Shaukat Ali, 1595 Herbert St. #11, Santa Rosa, CA 95401. Signed: Shaukat Ali

WE ARE ALSO INFORMED that the woman in the second house that burned, attached to Lizzby’s Restaurant, who lost everything she and her children owned in the fire was Ana Pena who lived in the rental unit next door to where the fire started. We are reliably informed that Ms. Pena had no household insurance and she and her family are in the most need of the more than a dozen displaced persons. We hope to have information about how to help Ms. Pena and her family in the next few days.

A LOCAL WRITES: We're dropping donation buckets off at all the AV wineries. They'll be there though the end of the year and most likely longer. Instructions and details have been communicated to the appropriate people. Hope this helps.


‘COMMUNITY’S REALLY COMING TOGETHER’: BOONVILLE RESIDENTS HELP FAMILIES DISPLACED BY FIRE

A fire that consumed several buildings in downtown Boonville on Thursday has displaced multiple families and left residents in the small Mendocino County town in shock.

pressdemocrat.com/news/10427119-181/communitys-really-coming-together-boonville

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ELK/GREENWOOD ARTS & CRAFTS FAIR

Saturday December 7th from 10am to 4pm Elk is the place to be. Join us for The Greenwood Community Church's 21st annual Arts and Crafts Fair at the Elk Community Center. There will be beautiful hand crafted gifts and yummy holiday treats for you and everyone on your list. Lunch will be available so make a day of it.

For information please email moclapperton@hotmail.com

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SUPERVISOR WILLIAMS (at Hilton San Francisco Union Square):

Supervisor John Haschak and I checked out homeless shelters. $4-6k (depending on quantity). I don’t know that it’s the right solution, but it was refreshing to see practical and immediately available solutions.

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REDWOOD CLASSIC DAY 2

  • Hoopa: 20, 18, 14, 17. T: 69
  • Forest Lake Christian: 9, 15, 2, 21. T: 47

Top Scorers: Tavis Young (Hoopa) - 21, John Smith (Hoopa) - 13, Simon Blackburn (Forest Lake) - 17, Luke Gilliland (Forest Lake) - 12


  • Woodside Priory: 17, 18, 15, 16. T: 66
  • Laytonville: 4, 7, 3, 10. T: 26

Top Scorers: D. Ajanaku-Makun (Woodside Priory) - 21, Zach Zafran (Woodside Priory) - 13, Tyson A. (Laytonville) - 16


  • Stuart Hall: 19, 13, 20, 13. T: 67
  • St. Vincent: 4, 1, 7, 0. T: 12

Top Scorers: Jasper (Stuart Hall) - 13, Sharp (Stuart Hall) - 12, T. Pease (St. Vincent) - 9


  • Bradshaw Christian: 5, 19, 22, 11. T: 57
  • Pinewood: 8, 5, 10, 16. T: 39

Top Scorers: Patterson (Bradshaw Christian) - 15, Evans (Bradshaw Christian) - 10, Riches (Pinewood) - 9, Bailey (Pinewood) - 8


  • Argonaut: 23, 28, 20, 14. T: 85
  • Tulelake: 4, 2, 1, 3. T: 10

Top Scorers: E. Jones (Argonaut) - 24, C. Eckhart (Argonaut) - 14, Allala (Tulelake) - 4

—Courtesy, Kaitlyn Espinoza, AV High

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ED NOTES

YOU READ it here first. Or maybe second. Or third, but Scott Warnock is poised to retire as Willits Police Chief. Warnock has been under fire since the Jones' affair appended here as a memory refresher.


SAW MY FIRST Boonville vapers the other afternoon puffing away at the foot of the ava's driveway. Four of 'em, 14-15 years old, passing the pipe around. Checked with the high school principal, Mr. Snyder, to see if the high school is counseling re the dangers of vaping, fully aware, I hasten to add, that the schools can't be expected to take responsibility for raising the full child.


2ND DISTRICT SUPE'S CANDIDATE, Joel Soinila "was very impressive" at an informal meeting of Ukiah voters the other night. "Descended from the Finnish folk who colonized Redwood Valley, a farmer, an ag guy, owns guns and is part of the Elizabeth Warren progressive arm for a socialist future or whatever the hell they/she wants. But the guy’s got lots of insights into the county power structure and where the money is going, especially with homeless funding and grants. I’m with him."


UKIAH mayor Maureen 'Mo' Mulheren has also declared, and former mayor Mari Rodin is making noises that she may enter the 2nd District contest. Seems from here — Boonville — that anybody who has held elective office in Ukiah over the past forty years has a lot of explaining to do about the current state of our county seat. A guy named Green is also in the mix for Carre Brown’s seat, but doesn't seem quite ready for political prime time, even here in Lilliput.

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1ST DISTRICT SUPERVISOR CANDIDATE GLENN MCGOURTY discusses plans for Mendocino County.

ukiahdailyjournal.com/2019/12/05/1st-district-supervisor-candidate-glenn-mcgourty-discusses-plans-for-mendocino-county/

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RISE UP!

To the Editor:

“My system is asking me to check boxes.” So spake the apparently pre-pubescent girl at the hospital’s administration office.

It was around 9 a.m. on Dec. 2 having called to complain about our less than Third World medical care.

As a disabled 85 year old I admit to having grown fragile; and feeling very ill and weak, I called my UVMC doctor’s office for an appointment.

I was told for the third time in as many years that my primary care doc had left the area and there was nobody who could see me but they were negotiating with two doctors to fill the vacancy.

The talley of doctors lost so far, became eight primaries in about 10 years, an oncologist (I have cancer), two urologists, two surgeons, three cardiologists, and probably a few I don’t recall.

I knew I was in trouble when the sweet young thing asked me to hold while she donned a headset, gosh it would have been tough to really just listen and then walk across the office and speak to the administrator.

Many of the doctors who left confided that they could no longer tolerate the administration’s uncaring, uncompromising dictatorial treatment.

We no longer have a walk in clinic, and urgent care is only available by appointment and only if they have a doctor available and if not, they simply close the doors.

Come on people! Rise up! (or maybe you never will).

M. Lee Wachs

Ukiah

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ED NOTE: Apparently the earlier deal where Coast Hospital and Adventist Health were going to pre-position an ambulance in Willits fell through for undisclosed reasons. So Medstar proceeded with earlier plans to station an ambulance in Willits.

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COMMENT RE ADVENTISTS AND COAST HOSPITAL: Adventist took over the hospital in Sonora, Tuolumne County, about 10 years ago for the same issues that we have; a rural area with low population and financial problems. I have a good friend who works there. She has never had any problems with religious dogma. Nor has my family who live there. They just recently built a $10 million dollar Cancer Center in Sonora. We need our hospital for our health care and for the many jobs it provides. Please don’t let negative comments prevent you from supporting this opportunity to keep MCDH functioning, the jobs, and continuing the care they give to our community. Just sayin’.

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THAT 50-FOOT WAVE off Cape Mendocino yesterday inspired this learning experience when a commenter asked how the heck does anyone know how high a wave is? Another commenter responded, "Elevation readings from the trough (bottom) to the lip (top) of the wave. NOAA buoys are GPS connected with lots of equipment on them measuring different aspects of oceanic and atmospheric conditions. I’ve been on several NOAA buoys and helped change them out, quite the experience!"

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HERE IT COMES AGAIN. Every presidential election for the past sixty years we get this panicked message: As predicted for months, here it is. Biden and Harris, the DNC's best shot, reason enough to stop infighting and unite to defeat Trump. Or, not. Democrats have a long and undistinguished history of shooting at each other and giving the race to the GOP. Sanders did it in 2016, he's learned nothing and may do it again in 2020. Four more years of Trump or get behind a centrist ticket that appeals to a majority, including mainstream independents.

SPEAKING for probably millions of registered Democrats, No Way.

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WHAT WILL IT COST TO RUN?

From: Ted Williams

BOS - December 10, 2019 – Agenda Item 6b

Discussion and Possible Action Including Direction to Executive Office to Perform Operational Feasibility of Proposed Measure B Funded Facilities

(Sponsor: Supervisor Williams)

Summary of Request:

Measure B will provide ongoing annual funding of approximately $1.8-2.1M. The County is presently considering significant expenditures related to planning Psychiatric Health Facility, Crisis Stabilization Unit and Crisis Residential structures. Prior to committing funds for construction or planning of structures, the County should determine feasibility of operating these new facilities. Feasibility should include availability of necessary personnel, recruitment and relocation costs of necessary personnel, trends in operating expenses at similar facilities in other counties, anticipated structure maintenance and trends in State/Federal reimbursement. The operational feasibility report will better ensure success and mitigate planning and construction of facilities beyond our operational abilities.


RELATED ITEM (Consent Calendar Item 4j) “Approval of Amendment to Agreement 19-202 with California Psychiatric Transitions, in the Amount of $300,000, for a New Agreement Total of $375,000, to Provide Residential Mental Health Treatment to Clients of the Health and Human Services Agency, Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, Effective When Agreement Becomes Fully Executed through June 30, 2020.”

BASED ON our cursory review of California Psychiatric Transitions staff — a company based in the Central Valley a couple of dozen miles out of Merced — it appears that most of the mental health "work” is done by very low paid “Mental Health Workers” and “assistants.” None of whom require much specialized training. The implication would seem to be that if or when Mendo gets its own facilities up and running it shouldn’t cost anywhere near the high salaries that many people may have expected for the majority of the staff and they may be available from locals, not imports from other counties.




https://cptmhrc.com/

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TWO MORE HIGH-VALUE RETROACTIVE agreements are on the consent calendar for next Tuesday’s supes meeting:

4m) Approval of Retroactive Agreement with Redwood Community Services, Inc., in the Amount of $152,000 to Provide an Inland Shelter and Day Center to Qualified Individuals in Mendocino County, Effective July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2020

4n) Approval of Retroactive Agreement with Mendocino Coast Hospitality Center in the Amount of $66,516 to Provide Coast Emergency Winter Shelter Access in Fort Bragg and to the Coastal Region, Effective November 15, 2019, through March 31, 2020, or Until Funding is No Longer Available

TIME & AGAIN, the supes have asked for these items NOT to be on consent calendar and here they are as if the Supes had said absolutely nothing. They don’t even include an explanation as to why they are retroactive.

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A FAILURE TO UNDERSTAND

Letter to the Editor,

I was also on the San Francisco State campus during 1968-69, the years described by McCain (“The Year of Riotous Living”, AVA 11/27). His article is a mishmash of accurate reporting of conditions on campus accompanied by naïve political opinion and almost total failure to understand the circumstances leading up to the student strike or the reasons and consequences of the faculty strike it precipitated. Anyone interested in what really happened would do well to start with “By Any Means Necessary” Smith, Axen and Pentony, Jossey-Bass, 1970,

Norm Wallen,

Flagstaff, Arizona

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KILLER HEADING TO STATE PRISON

Defendant Isaiah Alexander Bennett, age 23, a transient generally of the Ukiah area, had his ticket punched Thursday morning for an extended stay in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Bennett

Defendant Bennett was sentenced by Mendocino County Superior Court Judge Keith Faulder to eight (8) years in state prison, the maximum allowed by law for the charges.

Because his crime is characterized as a violent felony in the Penal Code, the defendant should be required under the current state of the law to serve 85% of his overall prison sentence before becoming eligible for release on parole.

Bennett was convicted on October 2nd by plea of causing the untimely death of Jimmie Darrell Isenhart, Jr, age 48, another transient generally of the Ukiah area.

Isenhart

After punching the victim in the face, the defendant then kicked the victim in the face, a violent application of force that caused traumatic and fatal injuries to the victim's brain.

This will be Bennett's first trip to state prison but not his first prison commitment. Bennett previously served a 44-month Realignment County Prison commitment for second degree burglary and statutory rape, a sentence he completed in the local jail in December 2018. Nine months later, he killed Mr. Isenhart.

The investigating law enforcement agency that gathered the necessary evidence to support the prosecution and conviction of the defendant was the Ukiah Police Department.

The prosecutor who handled this case from arraignment through sentencing was Deputy District Attorney Luke Oakley.

(District Attorney Press Release)


DRUG STORE ROBBER AVOIDS PRISON, GETS PROBATION.

The first of three Sacramento area-based robbers who together stole over $30,000 in drugs during a robbery of Rite Aid in Willits — before leading law enforcement on a chase down Highway 101 at speeds in excess of 100 mph — avoided being sentenced to state prison Thursday afternoon in the Mendocino County Superior Court.

Eural Strickland IV, age 19, of Carmichael, was convicted by plea in May of robbery in the second degree.

After the Mendocino County Adult Probation Department investigated the matter and commented that it looked like a prison case but additional information might be helpful, the Court ordered a full diagnostic study of the defendant to be conducted by counselors and psychologists at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).

When the defendant was eventually returned from the 90-day diagnostic study with a follow-on report recommending (without factoring in punishment) that defendant Strickland be committed to state prison, the Court referred the matter back to the Adult Probation Department for the preparation of an updated report and sentencing recommendation.

Friday, with the updated Adult Probation Department sentencing report in hand agreeing with CDCR's prison recommendation, Assistant District Attorney Dale Trigg thoroughly outlined in his cogent sentencing argument the significant risks that had been imposed by this defendant on the local citizenry and why this defendant had earned his way to state prison.

Assistant DA Trigg emphasized that the plan put in to action by this defendant and the other two out-of-the-area robbers was to hit a pharmacy in a rural area and steal the most valuable, highly addictive opiates that could then be sold on the black market in and around Sacramento for the personal gain of the thieves.

However, after a noon hour recess, Mendocino County Superior Court Judge Keith Faulder returned to the bench to announce he would not be following the studies and recommendations, and would not be following the sentencing recommendation of the Assistant DA.

Instead, citing the defendant's age and "young, not fully developed brain," Judge Faulder granted the defendant's application for probation and, again, referred the matter back to the Adult Probation Department for recommendations on terms and conditions of that probation to be received at a future court hearing.

When asked to comment, District Attorney Eyster noted that Friday's sentencing decision sends the completely wrong message to local criminal elements and those looking in from other areas — that wrong message being that crooks can commit violent crimes in Mendocino County and avoid prison if the henchmen chosen to do "the heist" are relatively young of age. "Fortunately that message has not previously been communicated around here — until today," said Eyster.

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THE USUAL SUSPECT

On December 04, 2019 at about 9:10 PM, a Mendocino County Sheriff's Deputy stopped a vehicle for a vehicle code violation in the 1800 block of N. State Street in Ukiah. As the Deputy walked up to the car to contact the driver, identified as Luis Parra, 47, of Newhall, California, he noticed numerous empty handgun holsters on the front seat and one attached to his belt.

Parra

The Deputy inquired about the holsters and asked if there was a firearm in the vehicle. The Deputy learned there was a firearm between the driver's seat and center console of the vehicle. The Deputy retrieved the firearm and found it to be a fully loaded Smith and Wesson handgun with a live cartridge in the chamber. Parra was reportedly a security guard for marijuana growing sites in the area and was on his way to work. Parra was unable to provide any documentation such as a guard card, a concealed weapons permit or any documents which would allow him to possess the firearm in this manner legally. A records check on Parra, showed he was on DUI probation with numerous terms to include that he must have an interlock device on his vehicle and obey all laws. Parra's California Driver's license was also found to be suspended. Parra was found to have numerous criminal convictions which prohibited him from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition. Parra was arrested for Felon Possessing a Firearm, Prohibited Person Possessing Ammunition, Carrying a Loaded Firearm in a Public Place, Carrying a Loaded Firearm not the Registered Owner, Concealed Firearm in a Vehicle, Violation of Probation, Driving while License Suspended, and Operating a Vehicle without an Interlock Device without incident. Parra was booked into the Mendocino County Jail where he was to be held in lieu of $30,000 bail.


GUYTON GIGGED

On 12-05-2019 at about 3:07 AM, a Mendocino County Sheriff's Deputy noticed an older model Kia driving erratically on southbound Highway 101 in Ukiah. The Deputy conducted a vehicle stop on the vehicle and it exited the highway onto Perkins Street. The Deputy contacted the driver, identified as Erick Keith Guyton, 44, of Bakersfield, and a female passenger.

Guyton

The Deputy learned the pair were traveling from Oregon and returning home to Bakersfield, California. The Deputy noticed some marijuana in plain view inside the vehicle and also found Guyton to have a suspended driver's license. During a pat search of Guyton, the Deputy located an orange flare gun with three live 12 gauge flare rounds. A records check was conducted on Guyton and he was found to be a person prohibit from possessing firearms or ammunition. Guyton was arrested for Felon Possessing a Firearm and Felon Possessing Ammunition. This case is still under investigation since numerous credit cards and identification cards that did not belong to Guyton were found in his possession. Guyton was booked into the Mendocino County Jail where he was to be held in lieu of $25,000 bail.


AIN'T ME, HE SAID, SPRINTING FOR DAYLIGHT

On December 4, 2019 at approximately 12:31 A.M. Deputies from the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for a vehicle code violation in the 7000 block of North State Street in Ukiah. Deputies contacted the driver and three passengers who were occupying the vehicle. The driver provided a false name, which was the name of an actual person the Deputies knew from prior contacts. Deputies became suspicious of the driver's identity. Deputies researched the name the driver provided and learned the person with that name had several tattoos that could be verified by researching the Sheriff's Office computer database. As Deputies were checking the driver to see if he had the same tattoos as the person whose name he provided, they noticed the driver was wearing body armor. Deputies attempted to place the driver under arrest; however, the driver attempted to flee the area on foot. After a short foot pursuit, Deputies were able to gain control of the driver and secure him in handcuffs after a short struggle. The driver was subsequently identified as bring Armando Alvarez, 29, of Ukiah.

Alvarez

Deputies arrested Alvarez for Resisting or Threatening Officer, Falsely Impersonating Another, Probation Revocation, and Driving While License Suspended/Revoked For DUI. Alvarez was booked into the Mendocino County Jail where he was to be held in lieu of $15,000 bail.


JOHN L. JIVE-O

On December 3, 2019 at approximately 5:29 A.M. Deputies from the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to a report of a subject brandishing a knife and making threats outside of a residence in the 700 block of Canyon Court in Ukiah. On arrival, Deputies contacted John Sullivan, 47, of Ukiah standing outside the residence.

Sullivan

Sullivan identified himself as a federal agent and when Deputies pat searched him for officer safety reasons they located three knives on his person. Sullivan was detained pending further investigation. Deputies contacted the 51 year-old female resident of the house Sullivan was standing in front of and learned he was the adult female's estranged husband and had sent her several text messages which caused her to fear for her safety. A 10 year-old juvenile male and a 7 year-old juvenile male were inside the residence when the incident occurred. During their investigation, Deputies corroborated the allegations by viewing the text messages Sullivan had reportedly sent and the security video taken by the security cameras at the residence. The Deputies developed probable cause to believe Sullivan had made serious criminal threats. Deputies arrested Sullivan for the charge of Criminal Threats and he was subsequently booked into the Mendocino County Jail where he was held in lieu of $20,000 bail.


HE UNDOUBTEDLY HAD IT COMING

On December 4, 2019 at about 10:40 PM, Mendocino County Sheriff's Deputies were dispatched to a verbal argument between a male and a female in the 7700 block of North State Street in Redwood Valley. When Deputies arrived they contacted the individuals associated with the call for service. Deputies learned Kelsey Pierce, 25, of Ukiah had been in a romantic dating relationship for the past year with the adult male.

Pierce

On December 3, 2019 Pierce had lost the adult male's cellular phone near the location. The couple went to look for the cellular phone when an argument began inside a vehicle. Deputies were told Pierce began hitting the adult male with a closed fist in the face causing visible injuries. The adult male had cuts and scratches on both sides of his neck, ears and there was fresh blood associated with his injuries. The adult male also had bruising and swelling to his left eye. It also appeared that during the incident Pierce damaged the vehicle which belonged to the adult male. Pierce was arrested for Domestic Violence Battery without incident and was booked into the Mendocino County Jail where she was to be held in lieu of $25,000 bail.

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IT'S ON! — MUSEUM GARAGE SALE IS INDOORS

Little River Museum 8185 Highway One's Garage Sale is indoors--even if it's raining, we are snug and dry and will probably have hot coffee. Watch for signs just north of Van Damme Park, south of Glendeven Inn. To mention a few things: Royal Copenhagen China dinnerware, lanterns, lamps, portable heaters, Xmas things, a few books, school and office supplies, have-a-hart trap (rat size), expensive frames for cheap, some quality framed etchings, a tripod, antique baskets, an expresso thing, a juicer, pet feeders, vacuum, VCRs, modems, wifi booster, garden supplies. NO rust, everything in good working condition.

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CATCH OF THE DAY, December 6, 2019

Acevedo, Doyle, Guyton, Hughes

JULIO DELVILLAR-ACEVEDO, Bakersfield/Ukiah. DUI.

JOHN DOYLE, Ukiah. Obtaining another’s ID without authorization, probation revocation.

ERIC GUYTON, Bakersfield/Ukiah. Felon with firearm, ammo possession by prohibited person.

TODD HUGHES, Penn Valley, CA/Ukiah. Concealed dirk-dagger.

Lawson, Morales, Ortiz, Pierce

BRIAN LAWSON, Ukiah. Contempt of court.

JOSHUA MORALES, Roseville/Ukiah. DUI, controlled substance.

JHOVANNY ORTIZ, Ukiah. Polluting state waters, paraphernalia.

KELSEY PIERCE, Ukiah. Domestic abuse, domestic battery.

Proctor, Ray, Sallee

RODNEY PROCTOR, Fort Bragg. Domestic abuse, petty theft, criminal threats, probation revocation.

JASON RAY, Fort Bragg. Paraphernalia, failure to appear.

CLINTON SALLEE, Fort Bragg. Controlled substance, paraphernalia, probation revocation.

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KERRY’S ENDORSEMENT OF BIDEN FITS: TWO DECEPTIVE SUPPORTERS OF THE IRAQ WAR

by Norman Solomon

On Thursday afternoon, the Washington Post sent out a news alert headlined “John Kerry Endorses Biden in 2020 Race, Saying He Has the Character and Experience to Beat Trump, Confront the Nation’s Challenges.” Meanwhile, in Iowa, Joe Biden was also touting his experience. “Look,” Biden said as he angrily lectured an 83-year-old farmer at a campaign stop, “the reason I’m running is because I’ve been around a long time and I know more than most people know, and I can get things done.”

But Kerry and Biden don’t want to acknowledge a historic tie that binds them: Both men were important supporters of the Iraq war, voting for the invasion on the Senate floor and continuing to back the war after it began. Over the years, political winds have shifted — and Biden, like Kerry, has methodically lied about his support for that horrendous war.

The spectacle of Kerry praising Biden as a seasoned leader amounts to one supporter of the Iraq catastrophe attesting to the character and experience of another supporter of the same catastrophe.

The FactCheck.org project at the Annenberg Public Policy Center has pointed out: “Kerry agreed that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and should be overthrown, and defended his war authorization vote more than once — including saying in a May 2003 debate that Bush made the ‘right decision to disarm Saddam Hussein.’ … Kerry also told reporters in August 2004 that he would have voted for the resolution even if he had known that the US couldn’t find any weapons of mass destruction.”

As for Biden, he can’t stop lying about his major role in pushing the war authorization through the Senate five months before the March 2003 invasion. During his current presidential campaign, more than 16 years after the invasion, Biden has continued efforts to conceal his pro-war role while refusing to admit that he was instrumental in making possible the massive carnage and devastation in Iraq.

Three months ago, during a debate on ABC, Biden claimed that he voted for the war resolution so it would be possible to get UN weapons inspectors into Iraq — saying that he wanted “to allow inspectors to go in to determine whether or not anything was being done with chemical weapons or nuclear weapons.” But that’s totally backwards.

It was big news when the Iraqi government announced on September 16, 2002 — with a letter hand-delivered to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan — that it would allow the U.N. weapons inspectors back in “without conditions.” The announcement was a full 25 days before Biden joined with virtually every Republican and most Democratic senators voting to approve the Iraq war resolution.

That resolution on October 11 couldn’t rationally be viewed as a tool for leverage so that the Iraqi government would (in Biden’s words) “allow inspectors to go in.” Several weeks earlier, the Iraqi government had already agreed to allow inspectors to go in.

Biden keeps trying to wriggle out of culpability for the Iraq war. But he won’t be able to elude scrutiny so easily. In a mid-October debate, when Biden boasted that he has a record of getting things done, Bernie Sanders (who I actively support) made this response: “Joe, you talked about working with Republicans and getting things done. But you know what you also got done? And I say this as a good friend. You got the disastrous war in Iraq done.”

Indeed, Biden — as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee — presided over one-sided hearings that greased the war-machine wheels to carry the war resolution forward. He was the single most pivotal Senate Democrat for getting the Iraq invasion done. While sometimes grumbling about President George W. Bush’s diplomatic performance along the way, Biden backed the invasion with enthusiasm.

Now, dazzled by Kerry’s endorsement of Biden, mainstream news outlets are calling it a major boost. Media hype is predictable as Kerry teams up with Biden on the campaign trail.

“The Kerry endorsement is among Mr. Biden’s most significant to date,” the New York Times reports. “His support provides Mr. Biden the backing of the Democratic Party’s 2004 presidential nominee and a past winner of the Iowa caucuses.” Kerry praised Biden to the skies, declaring that “I believe Joe Biden is the president our country desperately needs right now, not because I’ve known Joe so long, but because I know Joe so well.”

This year, many progressives have become accustomed to rolling their eyes at the mention of Biden’s name. A facile assumption is that his campaign will self-destruct. But that may be wishful thinking.

The former vice president has powerful backers in corporate media, wealthy circles and the Democratic Party establishment. Deceitful and hidebound as he is, Joe Biden stands a good chance of becoming the party’s nominee — unless his actual record, including support for the Iraq war, catches up with him.

(Norman Solomon is executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy, where he coordinates ExposeFacts. Solomon is a co-founder of RootsAction.org.)

* * *

50TH ANNIVERSARY ALTAMONT

A Reader writes: 50 Years! Remember it like yesterday!

* * *

IT'S NICE TO LEARN SOMETHING EVERY DAY. Today I learned that I was completely wrong about much of what I've thought about Lake Pillsbury. Your article "What's Under the Lake" helped correct my understanding. I did always wonder why the water came in as Eel and went out as Russian. Now I know. I had heard of a tunnel, but never knew that it was drilled to swipe water from the Eel and helped create Pillsbury. I owe Humboldt County an apology! By the way I love Lake County history, enjoyed learning more about Hullville.

— Jim Rexrode

* * *

ON-LINE SWAP SHOP

Mendocino Swap Shop

Buy and sell books, electronics, cars, clothing, shoes, collectibles, sporting goods, digital cameras, baby items, and everything else on The Mendocino Swap Shop Website.

https://www.mendocinoswapshop.com

* * *

* * *

A FRAUGHT MOMENT

by James Kunstler

The last time the Democratic Party blew up in a presidential election year was 1860. It had evolved from Jefferson’s 1800 bloc of yeoman farmers to Andrew Jackson’s rowdy caucus of frontier populists in the 1830s, and settled into a slough of pro-slavery apologists by the 1850s, including two do-nothing Democratic presidents, Pierce and Buchanan. The party held a nominating convention in the spring of 1860 and couldn’t come up with a candidate when a claque of southern “fire-eaters” walked out. They tried again a few months later and cracked up into three separate parties with three nominees — and of course Mr. Lincoln won the election. The result was the bloodiest war in US history.

That’s one way to drain a swamp. Historical obfuscators might say the Civil War was a lofty, legalistic quarrel over “state’s rights,” but of course it was really about the intolerable depravity of slavery. A hundred years later, the mysterious inversions of history converted the old slaver’s party into the Civil Rights party. That had a good fifty-year run. It included a hearty side-dish of anti-war sentiment, and a general disposition against the Big Brother treatment of citizens, including especially the overreach of the CIA and the FBI.

What is the Democratic Party today? Well, it’s the cheerleading squad for “seventeen” government agencies that add up to the craftily-labeled “intel community,” a warm-and-fuzzy coalition of snoops, false witnesses, rogue lawfare cadres, seditionists, and bad-faith artists working sedulously to hide their previous misdeeds with ever-fresh ones. They’re the party against free speech, the party against due process of law, the party determined to provoke war with Russia. They’re the party of sexual confusion, sexual hysteria, and sexual conflict, the party of kangaroo courts, cancel culture, erasing boundaries (including national borders), and of making up rules for all that as they go along — like the Nazis and Soviets used to do. The ideas and policies they advocate are so comprehensively crazy that their old support of slavery looks quaintly straightforward in comparison.

It’s taken a while for the full efflorescence of these political pathologies to present. But now they are finally on display for all to see in what is supposed to be a climactic impeachment melodrama. The impeachment process itself has revealed the party’s genius for inventing new debaucheries of law and government misconduct — the latest being Rep Adam Schiff’s blatantly illegal cadging of his opponents’ phone logs. And now, after three years of unchallenged wickedness, they literally face the moment of truth.

That is, when all the many players in this grand game of Gotcha have to face the consequences of what they have done. The Horowitz report is necessarily limited to the DOJ inspector general’s narrow mission scope: the IG can only interview current employees of the agency and its stepchild, the FBI, which means that key players in the Gotcha game such as former FBI director Comey, former acting director McCabe, fired special agent Peter Strzok and notably ex-CIA director John Brennan were outside of Mr. Horowitz’s sphere of operations. His scope was also supposedly limited to the issues around FISA warrant mischief — though those complex shenanigans may have led the IG to other related dodges, cons, and crimes outright. The IG has no real law enforcement powers. He can only refer or recommend further action. Nevertheless, a great miasma of anxiety oppresses the Democratic Party now as it awaits whatever Mr. Horowitz has to say about these matters.

The party’s propaganda arms at The New York Times, the WashPo, and cable news networks worked up a frenzy of distractions and ruses this past week — for instance the “bombshell” that International-Man-of-Mystery Joseph Mifsud was not a hireling of the FBI. Of course, nobody ever claimed he was. Rather, he is suspected of being an agent of the Italian intel service with links to British intel, both used by the CIA as beards for its nefarious activities around its own election meddling of 2016. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Democratic caucus has been busy with ersatz impeachment proceedings, which are invidiously scheduled to continue next week as a smokescreen to conceal the Horowitz findings. It’s been a frantic campaign for them at a fraught moment in this long saga — but the odor of desperation is thick and rank.

Of course, behind the Horowitz report loom the specters of Barr & Durham. Whatever they’ve been up to has been hermetically sealed in a globe of silence even more oppressive and nightmarish for the Dems than the IG’s inquiry. Barr & Durham are able to make things stick, most crucially genuine criminal culpability for the entire RussiaGate fiasco and all of its offshoots, including the most recent “Whistleblower” caper — a patently treasonous scheme. Who knows if and when indictments start raining down, but there’s a chance that it will be a very hard rain indeed.

I’m not so sure that the Democratic Party can survive the washing away of its beloved narrative by that hard rain. They are also faced with a field of manifestly lame presidential candidates, especially the current leader of the pack, Joe Biden, fumbling and doddering his way down the campaign trail in an apparent effort to dodge being investigated for the grifts of his Veep years. All this may be enough to put the party down, like a dog that has peed on the carpet one time too many. Somebody else, from some other hastily assembled party, may have to stand against Mr. Trump in 2020.

(Support Kunstler’s writing by visiting his Patreon Page.)

* * *

WHAT DO YOU CALL IT?

“Your own Benjamin Tucker wrote of the Land League,” a young man was saying in an unmistakably Irish voice, “in such glowing terms–the closest the world has ever come to perfect Anarchist organization.”

“Were the phrase not self-contradictory,” commented “Dope” Breedlove.

“Yet I’ve noticed the same thing when your band plays — the most amazing social coherence, as if you all shared the same brain.”

“Sure,” agreed “Dope,” “but you can’t call that organization.”

“What do you call it?”

“Jass.”

(Thomas Pynchon, Against the Day) via Jeff St. Clair

* * *

* * *

ON LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY

COMMENT LINES: Some sites have chosen to take down the comments section and get a lot less traffic as a result.

MSNBC for one took down the traffic and anyone who read that comments section saw it was full blown verbal warfare.

I believe they took the comments section down not because people were nasty to each but because many of the posters shredded what MSNBC attempted to call news and truth with simple fact and common sense.

Foxnews still has a comments section that is so busy it causes problems when typing.

They have a diverse group of posters some actually bring opposing views worth reading.

Comments sections drive traffic, period end of story.

* * *

THE RADIOACTIVE OLYMPICS?

Japan plans to host baseball and softball competitions in Fukushima City, just 50 km away from the ruins of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant.

IPPNW (International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War) has launched a “Nuclear-Free Olympic Games 2020” campaign to call for a worldwide phase-out of nuclear power and to sound the alarm about the Japanese government’s efforts to use the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to “normalize” the aftermath of the still on-going Fukushima nuclear accident. Here, four members of IPPNW Europe outline the campaign and the reasoning behind it.

ippnw.eu/en/home/artikel/94b243db2580f1ff328921d4e6b30bef/tokyo-2020-the-radioactive-olympi.html

* * *

* * *

JOHN SAKOWICZ, CANDIDATE, MENDOCINO COUNTY 1ST DISTRICT SUPERVISOR

Last night, I sought a major endorsement. I introduced myself with the following hand out:

CREDENTIALS

Johns Hopkins University, MA (1979), BA (1977)

awarded commendations by the Massachusetts Senate and House of Representatives for leadership in fighting the AIDS epidemic, 1990

Wall Street 1979-2000 (see FINRA file)

Mendocino County Sheriff's Office, 2000-2004

Mendocino County RDA Successor Agency, vice chair

served on three years on Mendocino County Grand Jury

Ukiah Valley Sanitation District, board of directors, 2017

served on the Retirement Board as public trustee and bonded fiduciary of the Mendocino County Employee Retirement Association (MCERA), a $550 million public pension system, 2012-2017

MCERA Budget and Audit Committee, Search Committee

proclamation from MCERA, 2017

CALAPRS training certificates from Stanford Law School, UC Berkeley Haas School, and UCLA Anderson School

host and produce a popular public affairs radio show, "Heroes and Patriots", on KMUD (formerly aired at KMEC and KZYX), 2009-present

attend Adventist Church -- Ukiah

pro union -- former member of the Deputy Sheriff's Association

pro independent family farmer -- member of the Mendocino Cannabis Alliance

politically active -- member of the Inland Mendocino Democratic Club

POLICY POSITIONS

will support the “two- basin solution” endorsed by Rep. Jared Huffman and intended to accommodate both the Eel and Russian river interests for the Potter Valley Project

will work to end the never-ending conflict between the Ukiah Valley Sanitation District and the City of Ukiah

will support a new gun club on property leased from the BLM on Cow Mountain and operated by the county

will support a resolution designating the entire county as a "sanctuary city" for undocumented immigrants

will support reparations, however symbolic, for local Native Americans

will support the CAO model over the CEO model for county executive management

will require department heads to provide monthly financial reports, performance metrics, and project updates to the Board of Supervisors

will relieve understaffing in county departments, especially at HHSA

will fill job vacancies in the county job chart, or will eliminate those open positions that are carried indefinitely

will support unionization of workers in the local cannabis industry (United Farm Workers, Teamsters, and United Food & Commercial Workers)

will work to streamline and simplify the cannabis permit program

will introduce an agenda item to "kickstart" a cannabis supply chain company that will be collectively owned and operated by a local, non-profit, farmers co-op

will work to keep cannabis revenues in Mendocino County and not exported back to Wall Street

will introduce an agenda item to put a new emphasis on cannabis tourism in the county

will support a living wage for IHSS workers

will work to close the "wealth gap" between county executive management and its rank-and-file workers

will work for a truly balanced budget to fund new labor contracts

will introduce an agenda item for Pension Obligation Bonds

will oppose outsourcing, privatization, consolidation, and other union-busting measures

will host a quarterly town hall meeting at SEIU union hall

will never cross a picket line

CONTACT INFO

personal website: www.johnsakowicz.com

radio show website: www.heroespatriots.org

campaign website: www.johnsakowicz.org

Thank you for supporting my campaign to represent all the people of Mendocino County.

John Sakowicz

* * *

42ND STREET-THE MUSICAL

Runtime: 155 minutes, including one 10 minute intermission

Saturday, Dec. 7

1 p.m., doors 12:30 p.m.

Tickets: $18, $5 youth (18 and under), online at

http://www.arenatheater.org www.arenatheater.org

Arena Theater, 214 Main Street, Point Arena

Musical extravaganza on the big screen

One of Broadway's most successful musicals, "42nd Street," will screen at Arena Theater on Saturday, Dec. 7, at 1 p.m., with doors opening at 12:30 p.m.

Based on the novel by Bradford Ropes and the subsequent 1933 Hollywood film adaptation, the backstage musical show focuses on the efforts of famed dictatorial Great White Way director Julian Marsh to mount a successful stage production of a musical extravaganza at the height of the Great Depression. "42nd Street" follows Peggy Sawyer, a talented young performer with stars in her eyes who gets her big break on Broadway.

Filmed in 2018 at London's Theatre Royal, the production is directed by the original author of the show, Mark Bramble (who passed away this year), and is full of crowd-pleasing tap dances, popular musical theatre standards such as "Lullaby of Broadway", along with show-stopping ensemble production numbers.

The play has a runtime of 155 minutes including one intermission. Tickets are $18, $5 youth (18 and under), available online at http://www.arenatheater.org. The Arena Theater snack bar will be open.

Arena Theater is located at 214 Main Street, Point Arena, California. Arena Theater is a member-supported community theater owned and operated by the Arena Theater Association, a 501 (c) (3) not for profit corporation. For additional information visit: www.arenatheater.org

* * *

* * *

PEARL HARBOR SURVIVOR

by Bruce Anderson

Count me as one. I was two, my brother one, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, on December 7, 1941.

My brother and I were born in Honolulu where our paternal grandfather, a Scots immigrant, was a principal in a successful business called the Honolulu Iron Works. My father, a graduate of the Punahou School, same as President Obama, spent much of his youth surfing and his evenings in white dinner jackets. He never quite adjusted to being a poor person.

By the end of the war Pop was loading submarines at Hunter’s Point in San Francisco. He’d cashed in his Honolulu chips because, like most Islanders, he assumed the Japanese would follow-up their successful blitz of America’s Pacific defenses with a ground invasion, and Pop preferred to be among the missing when that inevitability occurred.

The morning of the infamous day, we’d been up before dawn demanding, as family lore has it, ice cream cones. We were in the car as the sun rose and with it came wave after wave of low-flying planes swooping in over us and central Honolulu. We drove obliviously on as the invaders devastated the American fleet where it was conveniently assembled in Pearl Harbor, their crews slumbering, many eternally.

“The planes were flying so low I could see the pilots,” my father remembered. “I still thought it was some kind of maneuvers. There was smoke coming from Pearl Harbor, but most people simply assumed there had been an explosion and a fire. There were lots of people out in the streets watching the planes coming in.”

My father said quite a few spectators were recreationally strafed as the Japanese flew back out to sea. He didn’t know what was happening until we got home. It hadn’t occurred to him that the planes were hostile. That thought hadn’t occurred to much of anyone in Honolulu until they were either shot at or a stray bomb fell on their neighborhood. The Japanese, as always on-task, mostly confined themselves to military targets and, of course, forty years later, held the paper on our mortgages, including, for a spell, the Mendocino County Courthouse.

Some 20 minutes after the attack had begun, my father stopped to buy us our coveted ice cream cones, which were served up by an unperturbed clerk, and we drove on home. “Nobody had any idea that the Japanese would do such a thing,” my father said whenever he talked about December 7th. “They were too far away and America had no quarrel with them.” That he knew of, anyway.

Arriving home, my father famously complained to my mother that “These military maneuvers are getting a little too goddam realistic.” My mother, who’d always regarded her husband as something of a Magoo-like figure, informed her mate that the Japanese were attacking both Pearl Harbor and, it seemed, Honolulu, where errant bombs aimed at Hickham Field had already destroyed homes and businesses of non-combatants. She’d turned on the radio when she’d heard explosions. One of the first things she learned was that a bomb had obliterated the area where we’d made our ice cream purchase.

Years later, a hippie told me that I’d eluded the random wrath of the Japanese because I had “good karma.” I think it was more a case of God’s high regard for idiots and children.

My father was exempt from military service because he had a wife and children, but he was pressed into service as a member of a sort of impromptu Honolulu home guard — (Honolulu in 1941 was about the size of today’s Santa Rosa) — called the Business Man’s Training Corps, or BMTC. My mother had much ribald enjoyment at the abbreviation, and was even more delighted at the sight of my father togged out as a World War One Doughboy, the only uniforms available.

The BMTC wouldn’t have been much of a match for the Japanese Imperial Army which, fortunately, never appeared on Waikiki. The Japanese had surprised themselves by the unopposed success of their attack on Pearl Harbor and had not prepared to land an occupying ground force.

December 7th was a major trauma for America. For our family, too. Pop made plans to head for the Mainland as soon as he could wrap up his affairs and get on a boat, but he wanted to accomplish both without being derided as a slacker for fleeing. It took him another year to make it stateside. As he cashed in his chips and continued to spend his days surfing and sitting around in the dark at night behind blackout curtains, he put my mother and his two toddlers on a troop ship for San Francisco.

My mother was a registered nurse who’d worked at Queen’s Hospital in Honolulu, also the birthplace of President Obama, contrary to what the remedial readers say. She remembers daily submarine alerts all the way across the Pacific during which everyone, including the women and children on board, trundled over the side by rope nets into lifeboats. Mom recalls that the two of us infants loved being handed off like a couple of footballs up and down the side of the ship, but the daily alarms and exertions terrified her and everyone else on board.

But we made it through the Golden Gate unscathed, and were soon ensconced at the Fairmont Hotel, the evacuation center for people fleeing Hawaii.


Joint Address To Congress Leading to a Declaration of War Against Japan (1941),

by Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Mr. Vice President, and Mr. Speaker, and Members of the Senate and House of Representatives:

Yesterday, December 7, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that Nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its Government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American Island of Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese Government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday the Japanese Government also launched an attack against Malaya. Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong. Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam. Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands. Last night the Japanese attacked Wake Island. And this morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our Nation.

As Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.

But always will our whole Nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory. I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces — with the unbounding determination of our people — we will gain the inevitable triumph — so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire.

* * *

FOUND OBJECT

24 Comments

  1. Eric Sunswheat December 7, 2019

    In a recent article, Maryam Henein, perhaps best known for directing the documentary film, “The Vanishing of the Bees,” writes:

    “Google has become the digital Thought Police for health content, tampering and manipulating information, and shadow banning health professionals and independent journalists …

    I had the honor to interview 39-year-old Zach Vorhies, who served as Senior Software Engineer at Google/YouTube for 8.5 years … He is Google’s Snowden. He’s a hero in my book.

    And if you use Google, YouTube, Gmail, etc you are being impacted. Vorhies turned whistleblower, releasing a cache of internal documents illustrating that Google is NOT a reliable source of information.”

    https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/11/02/google-whistleblower-veritas.aspx

    0:00 / 29:13
    Google Whistleblower Zach Vorhies & Health Freedom Part 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEqAmT8KVt0

    0:00 / 26:54
    Google Whistleblower Zach Vorhies & Health Freedom Part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZQWCzAWMWs

    0:00 / 31:07
    Google Whistleblower Zach Vorhies & Health Freedom Part 3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzuJ6MSEpSY

    0:00 / 25:29
    Google Whistleblower Zach Vorhies & Health Freedom Part 4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eNorRDqMR0

  2. Craig Stehr December 7, 2019

    ~Aloha from Honolulu to Everyone~
    Following my renunciation of climate justice activism, because it was pointed out to me that it is basically fruitless due to the fact that the antarctic ice sheets will melt out regardless, and then there will be no ice there to reflect the sun’s rays which will result in increased warming, which will contribute to rising sea levels, which will possibly cause severe problems with global coastal nuclear power plants, I left California and returned to Hawaii.
    Having run out of money due to continuing to participate and otherwise financially contribute to peace & justice and radical environmental campaigns on the U.S. mainland since last spring, I applied for and received an increase in social security benefits while still in Southern Humboldt county in California. This included SNAP, formerly known as “food stamps”.
    Arrived Honolulu Thursday night December 5th, and got a pickup at the airport from a friend who manages The Plumeria Alternative Hostel on Piikoi Street, where I have been assigned a small room. Friday December 6th was spent at the Honolulu Social Services office reporting the move from California, and after I was appreciated for having responsibly done so, I was advised that there would henceforth be a significantly smaller SSI benefit amount, because one of the California benefits Hawaii does not give. Later at another social services office, I filled out an application for Hawaii SNAP, formerly known as “food stamps”, and was informed that I must telephone the California SNAP office and close my account prior to being able to receive Hawaii SNAP benefits, or else I would be attempting to get benefits from two states, which is a crime. The Hawaii SNAP personnel pointed out that they would telephone and inform me of my appointment day for an interview, and that I could close the California SNAP account in a timely manner. Obviously, it is to my advantage to do this efficiently, assuming that I wish to continue eating food. The highlight of the day was receiving a stronger dose flu shot for those over 65 at Kaiser Permanente, where I’ve got a senior HMO full membership.
    Went back to the travel hostel, which is allowing me to delay payment because I do not have enough money to afford the room plus all other monthly expenses presently, and took a cold shower, and then proceeded by bus to Kahala Mall to Whole Foods because the still active California SNAP card pays for a cold salad bar meal. Later, went to Waikiki Beach and got a strong latte and strolled around going past places I used to frequent, seasonally filled with tourists drinking and feasting. Having no present desire to drink beer, took a bus back to the travel hostel neighborhood, and am looking forward to a relaxing blissful sleep.
    Tomorrow, the Soul which witnesses and otherwise is responsible for the combined activity of the body and mind will do what it needs to do. Free of attachment from the existential hell of postmodern daily life, I look forward to the continuous improvement of my mundane circumstances, and welcome all creative opportunity ongoing. ~Mahalo~

    Craig Louis Stehr
    December 7, 2019
    Email: craiglouisstehr@gmail.com
    Paypal.me/craiglouisstehr

    • Harvey Reading December 7, 2019

      Well, aint that just effen great.

    • Eric Sunswheat December 7, 2019

      Flu shot no longer mandatory for British Columbia nurses
      4,904 views•Dec 6, 2019
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUkpa7dXjpA
      CBC News
      1.57M subscribers
      The flu shot is no longer mandatory for B.C. nurses. According to a statement from the union, a new agreement was reached with the Health Employers Association of B.C., that “[ensures] the professional judgement of nurses is respected.” Nurses will still be required to report to their employer if they’ve had a flu shot or not.
      More on this story: https://www.cbc.ca/1.5384902

  3. James Marmon December 7, 2019

    RE: WHAT WILL IT COST TO RUN?

    Supervisor Williams should ask what a PHF will cost the county and tax payers after Allman packs the facility with non-reinbursables (inmates), like law enforcement and judges did to cause the old PHF to be closed.

    Remembering Doug Rosoff

    “The county supervisors ordered the closure of the PHF in November of 2000 and it was closed down in 2001 citing lack of funding for qualified staff.”

    https://www.willitsnews.com/2012/08/25/remembering-doug-rosoff/

    RE: CALIFORNIA PSYCHIATRIC TRANSITIONS (Employee Reviews)

    “If possible go apply at mcdonalds pays more and less stressful. There’s very high turnover. Really dangerous at times especially when going hands on. Terrible pay with little adv. Management was the reason I left this place. Mano the head supervise is the laziest. I worked there 7 months and no one time was he on the floor with his staff. In work like this its essential for staff to have your back. The culture at CPT is horrible and it starts from the top.”

    https://www.indeed.com/cmp/California-Psychiatric-Transitions/reviews

    James Marmon MSW

    • James Marmon December 7, 2019

      RE: ALLMAN ABUSING NEW PHF UNIT

      Allman will not be happy to play by the rules because he will consider the new PHF unit his and he can do what ever he wants. Ufortunately he won’t be able to do what he and his fellow law enforcement buddies did in the 90’s where they flooded the old PHF with inmates who were being charged with crimes. The liberal judges hearts will be broken as well, the PHF examining doctor can not be forced to hold inmates charged with crimes once they are assessed and cleared, it will be back to jail.

      Psychiatric examinations and Custody

      If someone is taken by the police to a hospital for a psychiatric examination, how long will they be in the hospital?

      “Once a person is taken to a hospital for a psychiatric examination, the doctor who examines them must decide within three days (72 hours) whether to release them, or keep them in the hospital for a longer period of time. Until the doctor makes a decision, they are not free to leave the hospital.

      If the examining doctor decides the person is not a danger to themselves or anyone else, the person will be released from the hospital, and if they have not been charged with a criminal offence, released from police custody too. This may happen soon after the person is brought to the hospital or it may take the entire three days. If they’ve been charged with a criminal offence, the police will decide to either release the person on an appearance notice or a promise to appear or hold them for bail.”

      http://lawfacts.ca/mental-health/examinations

      • James Marmon December 7, 2019

        I forgot to mention that the AVA’s hearts will probably be broken as well. Everyone thinking that the PHF will reduce jail population and cleanup the streets should be the first to be held and have their heads examined. Allman, the judges, and the AVA should leave this business to the experts. Allman mislead everyone.

        James Marmon MSW
        Former Mental Health Specialist
        Sacramento, Placer, and Lake Counties

      • Lazarus December 7, 2019

        14 bucks for entry-level mental health workers? If true will likely doom the deal from the beginning. Only the most desperate or dedicated would dare to enter such a situation.
        It has become glaringly obvious to me that there is no fix on the back end. The only hope is to catch problems before institutionalization is the only option, but good luck with that, noting the cast of characters who are directing the Measure B circus.

        As Always,
        Laz

        • James Marmon December 7, 2019

          Required professional staff make a lot more, if you can find them. That is a treatment facility. Mendo already has a problem recruiting professional staff.

          • Harvey Reading December 7, 2019

            Maybe if Mendo paid decent salaries, with decent benefits, they could attract them. What I read of Mendo reminds me a lot of how things are here in the backward state. A bunch of brain-dead conservatives holding on to, and wallowing in, the past, with most of that past a creation of faulty, failing memories. I would say that Mendo is at, or near, peak stupidity, much like Wyoming.

  4. Eric Sunswheat December 7, 2019

    Why Island Nutrition
    and Island Family Farms?
    Island Nutrition has made premium supplements for almost a quarter century, and olives are our specialty.

    Our olive tree extracts are 100% grown and extracted in Andalusia, Spain, the premier source for quality olive products since ancient times. We use only the true olive tree, Olea europaea.

    The leaves and fruit are grown on small family farms with many generations of expertise, with no pesticide, herbicide, fertilizer or irrigation. Extraction is performed by world-class olive experts in a state-of-the-art facility near the farms.

    We use traditional extraction methods, without harsh chemicals or high heat, to retain a broad spectrum of polyphenols and other water-soluble and alcohol-soluble phytonutrients, including Hydroxytyrosol.

    We standardize for multiple polyphenols, not just Oleuropein. As far as we know, no one else does this.

    Our price per mg of pure Oleuropein is competitive, even compared to ordinary olive leaf extracts that do not declare a country of origin. Each capsule has more polyphenols than 1/3-liter of extra virgin olive oil.

  5. Harvey Reading December 7, 2019

    To M.Lee Wachs:

    In the 21st Century U.S., people have become nothing more than brainless robots, doing as they are commanded by their “betters”, via “smart” phone.

  6. Lazarus December 7, 2019

    14 bucks for entry-level mental health workers if true… will likely doom deal from the beginning. Only the most desperate or dedicated would dare to enter such a situation.
    It has become glaringly obvious to me that there is no fix on the back end. The only hope is to catch problems before institutionalization is the only option, but good luck with that, noting the cast of characters who are directing the Measure B circus.

    As Always,
    Laz

  7. chuck dunbar December 7, 2019

    A GOOD SAMARITAN TALE:

    Yesterday, a windy, rainy day, I took a sports car drive in my 13 year old Nissan 350 Z down the coast and over to 101 in Marin County, then back through Booneville to my home in in Fort Bragg. I like to drive our winding country roads when it’s raining, and the Z has large, wide and heavy wheels-tires that grip well in the rain—more on this in a minute. After stopping at Lauren’s for dinner, on I went on the last leg of the trip, through the redwoods on 128. It had been a smooth and fun day, but a lot of hours of driving—I was ready to be home with wife and cat. But fate intervened on this rainy, dark night.

    A few miles west of Flynn Creek Road, I noticed a small branch protruding into the roadway, too late to avoid hitting it. It felt like a small, glancing blow, and I thought that probably all was well. Then I saw the low pressure tire icon flash on and knew I was dead-wrong. I went into denial for a short moment, then thought: This is really not so good—really bad place, really bad time for a blow-out. Slowed down, found a place to pull off after a couple of minutes near Paul Dimmick campgrounds, near a small truck with camper shell. By flashlight, confirmed that tire was flat with a gashed sidewall. Tried to call my wife to let her know I’d be delayed, thinking she might also call a service to help me change the tire under these conditions. (I had recently injured my back, and it was still very sore. As noted, the Z has such heavy wheels-tires that I knew I would really do more damage to my old back if I even tried to do the job.) But of course, there was no cell service out there in the middle of nowhere.

    Just then, out of the nearby truck came a young woman. Told her what was going on and she offered to drive down the road until she had cell service and call my wife for me. She said her name was Megan, and was traveling around the country, having begun in Florida. She was on her way to Big Sur, then off to Arkansas for Christmas. She said she was 26 and had been traveling around for 7 years. Then she said, on second thought, “let’s take a look at your tire.” After a quick look, she said “I’ll change your tire.” And, barefooted, she proceeded to do so quickly and efficiently, finding a better car jack than I had in her truck, hefting the small spare tire out of the trunk and putting the damaged one back in with little effort. In the middle of all this, Cal Trans came by and said we needed to get a move on it, as they were closing the road due to sandbar-caused flooding. In parting I gave her my profuse old man thanks and some cash as recompense, which she took, though reluctantly. We wished each other safe travels and off we each went.

    So my blessings and thanks go to Ms. Megan from Florida, a good-hearted, strong young woman from Florida, who was my savior indeed on this dark and rainy night.

    • chuck dunbar December 7, 2019

      Sorry about the extra e in Boonville. Jeez, you’d think I would know…

    • Louis Bedrock December 7, 2019

      Nice story, Mr. Dunbar.
      I’m glad everything worked out.

      Is AAA available in California?
      I can’t tell you how many times they’ve rescued this old guy’s ass.

      AAA is more reliable than good-hearted Amazons.

      • Harvey Reading December 7, 2019

        Agree, and, unless something has changed, AAA road service is still available in the gilded state. Wyoming, too! Just hope you break down in an area with cell phone coverage…or you may have a long wait on the less-traveled roadways here.

  8. michael turner December 7, 2019

    M. Lee Wachs writes a great letter. His story illustrates exactly how poor health care administration puts seniors at risk . Fragile people who are unable to access health care can languish, get sicker and end up in the emergency room or hospital. Fortunately in this instance Mr. Wachs feels well enough to write a letter protesting the unraveling of his health care. It would be an unfair exaggeration to say that the Adventists “profits” from an abject situation such as his, but they certainly benefit from the perverse economic incentives built into our health care “system”. Medicare doesn’t pay much money for preventive outpatient services, but it pays exponentially more for acute hospital care. This pot of money is the reason why AH built a new hospital in Willits, a new emergency room and ICU in Ukiah, and now plan to upgrade the community hospital in Mendocino. While the hospital in Ukiah grows and grows, outpatient community care dwindles, and vulnerable people suffer. And that is why this upcoming vote is about much more than a spiffy new building.

  9. Eric Sunswheat December 7, 2019

    Life Extension Magazine® Issue: Jun 2013
    Unexpected Benefits of Olive Leaf Extract

    Scientists have isolated the unique molecule that provides olive oil with its multitude of health and life-extending benefits. Known as oleuropein, it is the polyphenol that can help lower bad cholesterol and blood pressure, prevent cancer, protect against oxidative damage, and help guard against cognitive decline.1,2

    Oleuropein provides the distinctive tangy, pungent, almost bitter flavor found in high quality extra virgin olive oils.2 It’s also responsible for most of olive oil’s antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and disease-fighting characteristics.2-4 In fact, when oleuropein was given to animals with tumors, the tumors completely regressed and disappeared in 9 to 12 days!5

    The olive tree (Olea europaea) produces oleuropein abundantly in its leaves as well as in the olive fruit itself, and special processing techniques now allow for the extraction of a stable, standardized form of oleuropein. That means that consumers can have access to one of the most beneficial components of olive oil without the necessity of consuming excessive amounts of olive oil.

    Olive leaf extracts and their oleuropein constituents are best known for their blood pressure-lowering effects, but the latest studies reveal their health benefits extend well beyond that. Additional anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties offer promise in fighting atherosclerosis, diabetes, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and even arthritis…

    IMPORTANT PRECAUTION
    The proven blood pressure-lowering effects of olive leaf extracts are potent enough to warrant caution if you are taking prescription blood pressure drugs.60 If you are on blood pressure medication, it’s essential that you speak to your prescriber before starting supplementation…

    If you have any questions on the scientific content of this article, please call a Life Extension® Wellness Specialist at 1-866-864-3027.

    References
    https://www.lifeextension.com/Magazine/2013/6/Unexpected-Benefits-of-Olive-Leaf-Extract

  10. Lazarus December 7, 2019

    FOUND OBJECT

    Boy, that sure looks like Republican pollster Frank Luntz, red shirt on the right.
    Better toupe, and hang’n with the Brass.

    As always,
    Laz

  11. Mike Kalantarian December 7, 2019

    You might be right. Also looks like Jayson Werth at far right.

    • Lazarus December 7, 2019

      Cleaned up too, I think it is him.
      Good catch.
      Laz

  12. Eric Sunswheat December 7, 2019

    Flu shot no longer mandatory for British Columbia nurses
    4,904 views•Dec 6, 2019
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUkpa7dXjpA
    CBC News
    1.57M subscribers
    The flu shot is no longer mandatory for B.C. nurses. According to a statement from the union, a new agreement was reached with the Health Employers Association of B.C., that “[ensures] the professional judgement of nurses is respected.” Nurses will still be required to report to their employer if they’ve had a flu shot or not.
    More on this story: https://www.cbc.ca/1.5384902

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