Press "Enter" to skip to content

Mendocino County Today, Saturday, July 31, 2021

Cooling Trend | 27 New Cases | Yorkville Ghanoush | Sheriff v Supes | Willits Fire | Forest Fest | Seniors Hold | Anchor Bay | PG&E Infrastructure | Night Jabs | Village Gathering | Father Yod | Ancient Tech | Water Agency | Fallers | EIR Please | Triangle People | Palace Bar | Biggar Bust | Hill Arrest | Poodle Team | Streetscape Update | McFries Mystery | Yesterday's Catch | Progressive Hub | Schlitz Okay | Zogg Liable | Vax Required | Profit Driven | Vax Misinformation | Fired Men | To Mexico | Censoring History | Stupidly PC | Ripe Moment

* * *

ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS are expected around northern Trinity County this weekend. Otherwise, expect a quiet summer weather pattern to set up through the middle of next week, with somewhat diminished interior heat, while the coast stays seasonably cool with persistent marine layer cloudiness. (NWS)

YESTERDAY'S HIGHS: Yorkville 107°, Ukiah 107°, Boonville 102°, Fort Bragg 66°

* * *

27 NEW COVID CASES reported in Mendocino County yesterday afternoon, with another death.

* * *

YORKVILLE MARKET SATURDAY LUNCH 7/31

Good morning!

I love these cool crisp mornings before the heat of the day begins to weigh down on us.

Today Chef B is preparing a delicious Mediterranean feast for us. He is making lamb kefta patties with homemade baba ghanoush, and a local Filigreen farm cucumber and heirloom tomato salad. We will also have a veggie plate with crispy chickpeas, flat bread, and the cucumber heirloom tomato salad. We will be serving from 12:30ish to 4:30ish or until we run out.

Please remember that The Market will be closed beginning Monday 8/2 until Wednesday 8/18. I will miss you all greatly and am wishing you a wonderful end of summer!

Best,

Lisa

* * *

HERE WE GO!

MENDO’S CLERK OF THE BOARD sent out a notice of an amended Board agenda late Friday afternoon. There was nothing in the notice about what the “amendment” was. But comparing the new agenda with the old one and, voila!, a newly added closed session item reveals, “Conference with legal counsel, Existing Litigation: One Case: Mendocino County Sheriff Matthew Kendall v. Mendocino County Board of Supervisors. Case # 21-cv00561.”

We looked up the filing on the Court’s fancy new electronic system and there it was, or at least the top of the first page of a 52-page filing entitled, “Declaration of Matthew Kendall in support of motion for an ex-parte order pursuant to government code section 31000.6 declaring that the County Counsel has a conflict of interest in representing both the Board of Supervisors and the Sheriff and appointing the law office of Duncan M. James as the attorney for the Sheriff."

The rest of the 52-page filing is available at 50¢ a page. We are in the process of ordering it, i.e., the Sheriff's "declaration." The filing itself was made by Duncan James without so much as a by-your-leave from the County and County Counsel Christian Curtis’s list of less expensive attorneys. The filing is time/date stamped 2:00pm, July 30, 2021, Friday afternoon. The case was filed in Presiding Judge Ann Moorman’s court. 

AND SO BEGINS a totally uncessary legal battle, first over who should be the Sheriff’s attorney, followed by another prolonged legal battle over how much control the Supervisors have over the Sheriff and his computer and his operations and budget. 

WE HOPE to see Judge Moorman cut to the chase by ordering the two parties into a settlement conference under threat of her deciding it in a way nobody likes. But Mendo’s lawyers and judges — one big club — have a history of dragging things out and running up the bills of all involved.

(Mark Scaramella)

* * *

A MASSIVE TURNOUT OF FIREFIGHTERS managed to confine a South Willits fire Thursday to the loss of a single outbuilding and 13 acres of burned vegetation. The blaze was called in at 5:20 and was mopped up by 7pm. It started near the intersection of Ridgeview Road and Black Bart Drive. On line comments suggest it was deliberately set. A total of 128 fire personnel responded to the incident with 11 engines and two helicopters from Cal Fire, the California National Guard and crews from the Little Lake, Redwood Valley, Brooktrails, Ukiah, Potter Valley and Laytonville fire departments.

* * *

* * *

NOT YET: SENIOR CENTER MANAGER Renee Lee announced Friday

Given the recent surge in Covid cases, the AV Senior Board sadly has decided to postpone the re-opening of in-person dining scheduled for August 3rd. This decision has everyone’s safety, particularly our vulnerable senior population, in mind. We do not have a new date for re-opening yet but we look forward to seeing everyone soon. In the meantime, feel free to enjoy our take out or delivery lunches on Tuesdays and Thursdays by calling to pre-order at 895-3609. 

Thank you!

* * *

* * *

JOHNNY SCHMITT: 

Please read this and consider signing. This practice is out of control, just look at the area around the Greenwood bridge near Hendy Woods. 

Official Redwood Chapter Campaign

Hold PG&E Accountable For Infrastructure Failure in Wildfires

Join us to demand that PG&E stops ravaging our trees and instead invests in modern infrastructure that will greatly reduce wildfire risk. State leaders must hold PG&E accountable for its negligence.

Why This Matters

PG&E’s antiquated infrastructure is vulnerable to high winds and its outdated lines create sparks that can turn into massive fire events. These fires have destroyed thousands of homes and other structures, killed people, forced hundreds of thousands of evacuations, and upended Californians’ lives. Modern technology can eliminate these risks even if a tree falls into a power line.

Yet, instead of upgrading to this modern infrastructure, PG&E has blamed the fires on trees! The utility has begun an assault on forested land by wholesale slaughter of trees near power lines, few of which actually pose a hazard. Trees sequester enormous amounts of carbon and are a vital line of defense against climate change. They should never be destroyed unnecessarily. This destruction also harms ecosystems and does NOT reduce fire hazard.

In addition, PG&E is not providing private landowners with notice, nor getting their permission, when encroaching onto their land to remove trees. Landowners have a right to refuse tree removal, even within PG&E’s right of way.

Not only has PG&E worked to divert attention from its own negligence, it has embarked on a propaganda campaign to blame the trees and gain public support for “enhanced vegetation management.” This tactic puts the cost on us, the ratepayers, whereas, if PG&E were to instead upgrade its infrastructure, the utility would have to pay for the improvements itself—a blow to shareholders. Ironically, it costs less to modernize the infrastructure than to do “enhanced vegetation management.”

Please join us in demanding that PG&E stop ravaging our trees and instead invest in modern infrastructure that will greatly reduce wildfire risk. We are asking state leaders to hold PG&E accountable for its negligence and misguided priorities.

Please add your name to show your support for this effort and to let your state regulatory and elected leaders know that PG&E must change its course of action.

Learn More: addup.sierraclub.org/campaigns/hold-pge-accountable-for-infrastructure-failure-in-wildfires/petition

* * *

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT BAINBRIDGE PARK

We are pleased to announce that Mendocino Coast Clinics, Inc. will be one of our participating agencies at National Night Out. For those community members who are wanting to get vaccinated against COVID-19, the Clinic will be available to administer vaccines. The Clinic will have all three vaccines, Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, available to choose from. This is just another opportunity to ensure our community has access to and is able to get vaccinated. 

(Fort Bragg Police Presser)

* * *

AV VILLAGE MONTHLY GATHERING: 

Volunteer Reception and Bring a Friend <https://andersonvalley.helpfulvillage.com/events/1703> 

Sunday August 8th 4 to 5:30 PM, AV Senior Center – Outside if possible 

Join us for a celebration of the dedicated volunteers that selflessly support our members, allowing them to age in place with dignity and respect. Our wonderful volunteers continue to donate countless hours to our members by giving them rides to doctor’s appointments, daily check-in calls, helping around the house, friendly visits and more. Come celebrate our amazing community and we invite you to bring a friend who would like to learn more about volunteering with the AV Village. It takes a Village! Refreshments served! Our gatherings are open to everyone, but COVID Vaccinations are now REQUIRED - please bring your vaccination card as proof or be prepared to wear a mask - thank you in advance for your understanding. 

— Anica Williams, Anderson Valley Village Coordinator, 707-684-9829, andersonvalleyvillage@gmail.com

* * *

DEB SILVA EXPLAINS:

This picture is of Father Yod and some of the ladies from the Source Family. It was a commune that began in Los Angeles not long after the Manson Family was busted. Oddly they started out as a health food restaurant.

At least one of the Manson Family members, Mark Ross, patched over to Father Yod as the death penalties came down. Many of the Source Family members changed their names to "something" Aquarian. Isis Aquarian is still a fervent follower of Yod even though he's been dead for many years. Mark Ross became Aesop Aquarian.

news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/the-truly-bizarre-story-of-father-yods-cult/news-story/95e5136dd4cd65b2417064a082987c39


PS. Hippies were always funny because they took themselves so seriously.

From the linked story: "Tragedy struck shortly after the move, with Father Yod attempting to hang-glide off a 400m cliff, despite having zero experience. He crash-landed on the beach and died from his injuries."

And his wives all moved to Albion and lived happily ever after...

* * *

* * *

WATER EMERGENCY, MENDO STYLE

by Mark Scaramella

YEARS AGO, I ran the Engineering Services Division of an electronics company on Long Island. One of my departments was “Design and Drafting” which consisted of the draftsmen who turned the engineers’ concepts into technical drawings. Some of those people were outstanding artists in their off hours, but had to make their way as draftspeople. 

The inadequate and occasionally failing air conditioning in the draftsmen's open bay area was the source of ongoing complaints. One day, one of the suffering artists drew a vivid cartoon showing the work area with drafting boards cluttered with skeletons, cacti in the aisles, cobwebs hanging from the ceiling, animal carcasses and skulls littering the floor, sand blowing around… In the rear corner of the room was a loudspeaker with a word balloon that said, “We are pleased to announce that the water cooler has been repaired.” The impromptu cartoonist posted copies his artwork in the hallways. 

Our CEO ordered his secretary to pull them down. But no sooner had she pulled them down than another one would pop up, adding to the amusement, but not the comfort of the draftspeople.

I REMEMBERED THAT CARTOON as I read the following press release from Mendocino County on Friday:

Department Transportation

Category Request for Proposals

RFP Number 210054(1)

Start Date 07/30/2021 8:00 AM

Close Date 08/30/2021 4:30 PM

RFP Post Status Open

Mendocino County Department of Transportation Request for Proposals from a Professional Consultant with Water Experience to Develop a Work Plan and Identify Funding Mechanisms to Re-Establish a Stand-Alone Mendocino County Water Agency

Please see full Request for Proposal for more details. 

Project Summary

This Request for Proposal (RFP) announces the County of Mendocino’s intent to procure a consultant to evaluate the County’s water resource needs and develop a work plan and identify funding mechanisms to re-establish the Mendocino County Water Agency (MCWA) as a stand-alone agency. Mendocino County requires the services of a Professional firm to provide assistance in the formulation of a Work Plan and updated Action Plan to address current and projected County water concerns. 

Submission Information

Consultants must submit 3 copies of their proposal with original Consultant signature. The proposal must be formatted in accordance with the instructions of this RFP. Promotional materials may be attached, but are not necessary and will not be considered as meeting any of the requirements of this RFP. Proposals must be enclosed in a sealed envelope or package, clearly marked “Re-establish a Stand-Alone Mendocino County Water Agency”, and delivered to:

Attn: Howard Dashiell

Director of Transportation, Engineering

Mendocino County Department of Transportation

340 Lake Mendocino Drive

Ukiah, CA 95482-9432

Late or facsimile proposals will not be accepted. It is the proposer’s responsibility to assure that his proposal is delivered and received at the location specified herein, on or before the date and hour set. Proposals received after the date and time specified will not be considered.

Submission Deadline:

August 30, 2021, at 4:30 p.m.

WE WERE PARTICULARLY IMPRESSED WITH the line: “Late or facsimile proposals will not be accepted.”

WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? Even by Mendo’s slothful standards, it’s way too late and nowhere near enough. Further, the assumption that a Water Agency will actually produce any additional water or water storage is preposterous. At best, they’ll be kinda like MCOG (the Mendocino Council of Governments), the County’s moribund “Transportation Authority” which sucks up millions of dollars that should go to road maintenance but instead is spent on themselves and consultants who do transportation plans and analyses, and apply for grants, and finance walking trails and bike lanes and such. But somehow never get around to actually improving any County roads. (The only actual road we know of that MCOG spent money on was the Willits Bypass, which absorbed every nickel of Caltrans’ local road money for more than ten years and sent it back to Caltrans as the local matching funds for the huge road project around Willits.)

SUPERVISOR GLENN McGOURTY’S “Ukiah Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency” is a perfect example of what a Water Agency — overseen by those well known water experts also known as the Board of Supervisors — would look like. The UVGSA was formed by an act of the State Legislature five years ago in the wake of an earlier drought and still hasn’t produced a single recommendation or report, much less a grant application or project proposal. They spend most of their time figuring out which member of the wine industry will sit on their Agency’s Board and then flab-gabbing with their UC Davis water consultant about how difficult it is to develop a “model” of the water situation in the Ukiah Valley. Apparently, that endlessly incomplete “model” is all they expect of themselves.

SO THAT OLD CARTOON of a desert created by managerial inaction while bragging about inconsequential after-the-fact actions originally meant as a metaphor for one simple office problem is now an apt portrait of where we’re going.

PS. FUNNY how this Board of Supervisors can find large piles of money to hire consultants for things like “strategic plans,” outside attorneys, water admin consultants, “mindfulness” for delinquents, no-bid retroactive mental health and social services contracts, and dozens of other things while nitpicking the Sheriff about not having enough “data” to justify his obvious budget.

* * *

* * *

AN EIR, PLEASE

To the Editor:

The Board of the Sanhedrin Chapter of the California Native Plant Society would like to submit the following comment on the current status of the Mendocino County Cannabis Ordinance. It’s a complex issue with social, economic and environmental facets. Our focus is on native plant and habitat conservation utilizing best available science and conservation tools. We see flaws and strengths in both the previous and current ordinances, and have the following position on ANY cannabis cultivation ordinance for Mendocino County. Whatever the direction we go, a full and comprehensive Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is critical to help us develop policies that mitigate the cumulative impacts of this activity in our landscape.

Jennifer Riddell

Ukiah

* * *

ON LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY

Generally people are not very friendly or very loving in the Triangle! And the way people treat each other is horrible and reprehensible, people are constantly competing instead of helping and cooperating! Having grown up in the Heart of Mendo I can tell you that the biggest source of trauma for most kids are the other kids who attend these schools. Lots of people teach their kids to be bullies, to be dominant and teach them the discrimination that they are better than everyone else. Men teach their sons to be players and “get laid.” Kids are traumatized with scars that last a lifetime by teachers and classrooms. Not to mention being treated the way you get treated by strangers, clerks, acquaintances, friends and family in the Emerald Triangle is what effects you the most. People hate their jobs and hate their lives. Not to mention many people are completely bored to death, there is nothing to do for recreation on a daily basis. No daily tailgate gatherings, can’t even drink a beer in the park with your buddies on your tailgate; so people become isolated! Most people just get a loan to buy a a car to drive to work, work every day for a pittance salary that barely pays for their home, car loan, or puts food on their table… For many it is a struggle between paying electric bill or buying groceries. Not to mention the high suicide rate among cannabis farmers and families who could not jump through the hoops McCowen and the BOARD OF Supes created that spelled nearly certain death or suicide for many rural cannabis farmers and their workers. Each grow we see that gets busted represents 10-30 workers livelihoods. The trickle down economic effect of cannabis affects everyone who lives and works in the Triangle. But nobody is doing anything to make the area fun. People are bored and isolated to death. People look like they are in the ozarks and many are on serious psych meds. Expressionless zombies everywhere! What kind of life is: work home work home work home… for eternity?! It’s modern day slave living just enough food to eat and no extra money for many people and the county wants to take that away and make life even harder in their hatred and pursuit for dominance and control and power. Seniors used to be able to supplement their SSI checks with cannabis and young couples and young families used to buy their kids christmas presents and school clothes with that extra few bucks the few plants brought in. But the people who hate, along with the Board of Supervisors, even took that little extra away from our working families and senior citizens! People are hate filled, envious and jealous; there is little community. Get out while you’re still alive!

* * *

Palace Hotel Bar

* * *

MR. BIG WASN'T THERE

In June 2021, the County of Mendocino Marijuana Enforcement Team (COMMET) was contacted by officers from the Mendocino County Code Enforcement Division, who reported an non-permitted commercial size marijuana cultivation operation that spanned over several acres/parcels in Covelo.

After speaking with Code Enforcement, COMMET and the Mendocino Major Crimes Task Force (MMCTF) began investigating the properties in question.

During the investigation, aerial overflights of the suspected properties were conducted.

The overflights confirmed the properties were cultivating marijuana in excess of state law. During the investigation, over one hundred (100) plastic style hoop houses cultivating marijuana were observed, that spanned over several parcels.

During the course of the investigation, law enforcement officials learned these particular properties were denied cannabis growing permits/licenses by the County of Mendocino and the State of California.

Due to the overwhelming amount of marijuana and the overall size of this illegal operation, COMMET and MMCTF requested outside assistance for a multi-agency search warrant service.

On 07-29-2021, approximately fifty (50) law enforcement officials, as well as civilian employees from these respective agencies, all participated in some aspect of the search warrant service on the suspected properties located in the area of the 24000 block of Biggar Lane in Covelo, California.

During the course of this investigation, several people were located and detained at the properties and subsequently interviewed regarding their involvement with the operation. A primary suspect was identified, however was not at the location during the service of the search warrant.

In total, the aforementioned properties were found to have a total of 104 plastic style hoops houses, which were all being used for the purposes of marijuana cultivation.

A total of 14,495 illegally cultivated marijuana plants were located and eradicated. In addition to the marijuana plants, a total of 7,590 pounds of processed bud marijuana was also located and destroyed.

At the conclusion of this investigation, a criminal complaint will be forwarded to the Mendocino County District Attorney's Office for consideration of criminal prosecution.

Mendocino County Code Enforcement, who conducted a parallel investigation, will also be pursuing legal action with fines in excess of three (3) million dollars for observed violations.

On 07-29-2021, the County of Mendocino Marijuana Enforcement Team (COMMET) observed additional marijuana being cultivated in the 24000 block of Biggar Lane, on two parcels owned by the Round Valley Tribe.

It should be noted, illegally cultivated marijuana was located on these same two properties on 06-07-2021, where several thousand marijuana plants were eradicated by COMMET.

According to tribal members, this marijuana growing operation was being conducted by individual(s) trespassing who did not have permission to occupy the land.

After the discovery of this recent trespass growing operation, the Round Valley Tribal Police requested the assistance of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office in eradicating the marijuana.

A total of 5,511 marijuana plants were destroyed as a result.

The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office would like to recognize and thank the following participating agencies who assisted in the successful operations conducted on 07-29-2021.

County of Mendocino Marijuana Enforcement Team, Mendocino Major Crimes Task Force, Mendocino County Sheriff's Office Detective Bureau, Mendocino County Sheriff's Office Patrol Division, Mendocino County Code Enforcement, Department of Cannabis Control, Mendocino County Probation Department, California Department of Fish and Wild Life Wardens & Environmental Staff, California Highway Patrol, Federal Bureau of Investigations (F.B.I), Drug Enforcement Administration (D.E.A), United States Air National Guard, Homeland Security Investigations (H.S.I), Willits Police Department and Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (C.A.M.P.).

* * *

WE HAVE A DISCREPANCY, MR. HILL

On Thursday, July 29, 2021 at 4:22 P.M. a Deputy from the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office was on routine patrol in the 600 block of Lake Mendocino Drive in Ukiah.

During this time, the Deputy saw two cars parked in an area known for illegal camping in the turnout and down by the Russian River.

The Deputy stopped and conducted an illegal camping investigation. One of the vehicles was unoccupied and the other was occupied by Vinson Hill, 35, of Ukiah.

The Deputy requested Mendocino County Sheriff's Dispatch conduct a records check on Hill. The Deputy was advised Hill had two active warrants for his arrest, one misdemeanor and one felony. Both warrants were issued out of the Mendocino County Superior Court. The Misdemeanor Arrest Warrant was for Driving on a suspended license, the felony warrant was for conspiracy.

Dispatch also informed the Deputy the license plate on the vehicle had been previously reported as stolen to the Santa Rosa Police Department.

The Deputy requested Dispatch contact the Santa Rosa Police Department and confirm the license plate was indeed still considered stolen. After contacting Santa Rosa Police Dispatch, MCSO Dispatch was able to confirm the license plate was still listed as stolen out of their jurisdiction.

Hill was advised he was under arrest for the two listed warrants and the additional charges of possession of stolen property and for unlawful display of evidence of registration.

Hill was subsequently booked into the Mendocino County Jail where he was to be held in lieu of $5,000 bail.

* * *

* * *

UKIAH STREETSCAPE PROJECT CONSTRUCTION UPDATE - JULY 30

It’s so exciting to have pavement on the entire project! (Check out the amazing drone photos below, taken by our own Andrew Stricklin!) The final striping is still a couple of weeks out, so it’s very important that we all drive slowly and be aware of possible traffic changes. For example, there is no longer parking on one side of West Perkins (on the Schat’s side) or on West Standley (next to the restaurants). Please do not park in the travel lane. Flashing red lights should be treated as stop signs. There will likely be construction crewmembers working in the center of the street (for the work described below), so please use extra caution during work hours. 

North State Street with the "final lift" -- top coat of pavement. 

Need a refresher on the project, or curious what the final striping will look like? Check out our website: www.ukiahstreetscape.com. Or as always, feel free to call or email Shannon or Traci; contact info below. 

August 28th, 11-4: Streetscape Celebration! Join us downtown for a car show, kids’ zone, sidewalk sales, live music, and more! 

Construction Overview, Week of August 2 

Monday-Friday: The final layer of pavement will be done…and we’ll be cutting back into it. One of the reasons the streets are so smooth right now is that we’ve paved over the utilities and manhole locations. (No, that wasn’t a mistake.) Now, we’ll need to cut those openings back in and “raise the irons”—build the infrastructure back up to the street level. It will take about 7-10 working days to complete this work throughout the entire project area, and will be temporarily noisy at each site as the asphalt is cut. 

New trash cans will also be installed. Other miscellaneous finish work will occur throughout the project area. 

On the south end of the project, the Electric Utility Department will be removing wires and transformers in anticipation of removing those remaining poles. 

Looking ahead: On the week of August 9th, the remaining old light and traffic signal poles will be painted black to match the rest of the project. Around August 12th, we’ll be adding special treatments to the primary intersections—stamped asphalt, and doing the final striping throughout the project, which will include the left turn lanes. 

Thanks everyone. Be well.

Shannon Riley, Deputy City Manager, City of Ukiah, (707) 467-5793

Bird's eye view of Perkins and State during final paving.

* * *

WHAT HAPPENED TO PAUL’S FRIES?

From Mendocino News Plus:

Hello. My name is Paul Marshall. I own Bragg About It Sportfishing and opened Noyo Marine last year. While I did not grow up here, I love this town and community. Like most of you, I was angry and appalled at the incident that occurred at McDonald’s on Friday. I filed a complaint with customer service and sent emails to several executives regarding the incident. 

On Wednesday morning, I received a phone call from Steve Pete, the franchise owner of our McDonald’s. He let me know that both Perla Sanchez and Alexa Hernandez had been terminated. It had come out that the girls had been suspended and not fired which further angered many locals. This was done for legal reasons as they needed final checks in hand before terminating them. Since this became public on Saturday they were unable to cut checks until Monday. The checks were overnighted and the girls were terminated on Tuesday. Steve reassured me that this was a poorly thought out prank and the fries in question never went into a customer’s bag or order. 

Steve was appreciative that I reached out and realized the community’s trust had been compromised. We discussed at length what he could do to repair it. Steve offered to buy me coffee or lunch at McDonald’s to show his appreciation and to discuss the matter further. We met today and had lunch. I can’t begin to tell you what a nice guy he is. Steve is a man of integrity and morals. He started as a crew member many years ago. He worked his way up to corporate and eventually bought his first of 18 franchises. McDonald’s corporate advised him not to do a social media post, however, he asked me to make a statement based on our conversation and have it posted here. He also spoke with the Chamber of Commerce, where he is a member and will be speaking with the local papers to have them release an article with his personal apology. 

Steve understood that we are a tight knit community and can accomplish big things when we work together. He wants me to reassure all that this type of behavior is not tolerated in his business. He also reassured me that cleanliness is of the utmost importance and they have attained a high level certification from EcoLab for clean sanitary conditions. 

As a business owner, sometimes you hire a bad apple or two. How situations are handled sets business owners apart. Steve acted as quickly as possible to resolve this matter promptly. I ask that no one does anything to retaliate against this business or the employees that remain there. I gave them a second chance and I ask that you all do the same. 

Sincerely,

Paul Marshall

Fort Bragg

* * *

CATCH OF THE DAY, July 30, 2021

Acosta, Bowman, Bravo

JOSE ACOSTA, Ukiah. DUI.

CAMERON BOWMAN, Willits. Domestic battery.

GUADALUPE BRAVO, Arcata/Laytonville. DUI.

Denton, Fausto, Haas

JOSEFINA DENTON, Fort Bragg. DUI-drugs. 

YARELI FAUSTO, Ukiah. DUI-alcohol&drugs, no license.

BRENT HAAS, Potter Valley. Controlled substance for sale, transportation, burglary tools, probation revocation.

Haddon, Hawkins, Herrera, Hill

DEREK HADDON, Ukiah. Failure to appear.

JOEL HAWKINS, Fremont/Ukiah. Failure to appear.

TRENTON HERRERA, Willits. Protective order violation.

VINSON HILL, Ukiah. Stolen property, unlawful display of registration, failure to appear, probation revocation.

Holm, Jones, Roesner

ELIZABETH HOLM, Redwood Valley. Failure to appear.

SHANE JONES, Kelseyville/Ukiah. Disorderly conduct-alcohol, contempt of court.

LEYTON ROESNER, Redding/Fort Bragg. DUI, reckless driving.

Sanudo, Shaffer, Strout

JORGE SANUDO-ZAVALA, Ukiah. Failure to appear, probation revocation.

CLETIS SHAFFER, Willits. Disorderly conduct-alcohol.

ALISON STROUT, Clearlake/Ukiah. Controlled substance/without prescription, paraphernalia, no license.

* * *

ROOTS ACTION

This week, RootsAction launched Progressive Hub, an ongoing site that I think will serve a unique function by combining the daily need to learn the latest with the necessity of taking action at the same time.

I hope you'll take a couple of minutes to visit the site and hopefully bookmark it as a frequent destination. And I'd appreciate it if you let your friends know about Progressive Hub now via social media and email. Underneath the brief "About" description on this page are share buttons for Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Thanks!

— Norman

* * *

* * *

SHASTA DA'S OFFICE FINDS PG&E CRIMINALLY LIABLE

The Shasta County District Attorney's Office has determined that PG&E is criminally liable for causing the deadly 2020 Zogg Fire. The blaze, which broke out on Sept. 27, 2020, killed four people and devastated the communities of Igo and Ono.

krcrtv.com/news/local/shasta-das-office-finds-pge-criminally-liable-for-deadly-2020-zogg-fire

* * *

DON'T LET 'EM IN

Editor: 

I’d love to see all private companies deny service to those selfish people who won’t get the COVID-19 vaccine. It’s a matter of public health. No vaccine? No airline ticket. As a matter of fact, no public transportation at all. Include shopping. No vaccine? Then you can’t personally shop. Order online. Concerts, movie houses, restaurants — all could require proof of vaccination for admittance. These anti-vaxxers are a danger to the public. I’m sure some businesses would allow them entry, but if more got tough it might change some minds.

Something’s got to give. Numbers are going up again. We’re never going to be rid of this until more people get the shot. And while we’re at it, let’s remind everyone that mask mandates are not a punitive measure. They’re just trying to keep people healthy.

Deborah Colyer

Santa Rosa

* * *

I’VE SPENT MUCH OF THE LAST WEEK experiencing firsthand the mystifying (and at times terrifying) labyrinths of the US health care system, helping tend to a close relative who has gone from a trauma ward to a rehabilitation hospital, accumulating an ever-expanding retinue of nurses, doctors, technicians and billing agents along the way. The torments of treatment have been nothing compared to the mental pain and anguish inflicted by System itself, where each medical decision is vetted by some actuarial table in some far-off city, where doctors come and go according to the contractual dictates of their corporate employers, where movement between facilities, even in emergencies, is delayed until an affiliated ambulance service can be located (in one instance by more than two hours as an ambulance was dispatched from Lafayette to move the patient a few blocks between two hospitals sixty miles to the south in Indianapolis.) Treatment is routinely withheld until the paperwork is completed, often in duplicate. The walls of the exam rooms for one of the surgeons were adorned with kitschy paintings of Jesus guiding the scalpel. Not sure how that message is received by his Muslim and Jewish patients, if he has any…

THE HOSPITALS THEMSELVES are under-staffed and overbooked. The operation directive seems to be to move patients in and out as fast as possible, in a kind of assembly line form of medicine, where the hospital beds themselves are objects of commerce. Triage is a price equation, even under the current Medicare system.

The rehab hospitals follow the dictates of the insurance companies and Medicare and arbitrarily discharge patients after they hit the limit of 14-days, regardless of the amount of progress they’ve made toward regaining the ability to function in a domestic environment. If there’s no one to care for them at home, they’re often dumped into nursing homes, spiritual and medical wastelands, where many, especially elderly patients, after having exhausted their bank accounts, simply surrender all will to live. Perhaps as a symbol of the dissonances and lethal contradictions of our crumbling health care system, the hospital where my relative is being treated is located adjacent to a gun shop and firing range. 

— Jeff St. Clair

* * *

COMBATING COVID MISINFORMATION CHART

Post-vaccination infections can occur. Vaccines are not 100% but they prevent a VAST majority of infections, transmission, and NEARLY all hospitalizations and deaths. Vaccinated individuals have a 25-fold reduction in risk of death, a 25-fold reduction in risk of hospitalization, are currently looking at ~88% effectiveness against symptomatic infection and ~90-95% effectiveness against severe disease and ~75-80% effectiveness at preventing any infection. STOP the misleading headlines.

* * *

* * *

GOIN' DOWN TO MEXICO

I was on my way down to Mexico,
there was trouble on the rise.
It was nothing more than I'd left behind,
which was much to my surprise.
I turned around and lit a cigarette
wiped the dust off of my boots.
When up ahead I saw the crowd,
I knew it was no use.

It's been the same way for Oh so long,
it looks like I'm singing the same old song.

A fine and fancy man was he,
doing good things for the poor.
Givin' rides in his rockin' Eighty-eight for free.
They could not hope for more.
When it came my turn he said to me,
"Have I seen your face before?"
I said, "Oh no, you must be wrong,
I'm from a distant shore.

So if you don't mind, I'll just move along
but it looks like I'm singin' the same old song."

A Nineteen Forty movie star
with a long forgotten name.
She was a sexy mess in her pleated dress,
still hangin' on to fame.
With forgotten lines she missed her cue
and left a glass of wine at home.
She was singin' the same song that I was.
Could we both be wrong?

So hand in hand we walked along,
each of us singin' the same old song.

— ZZ Top

* * *

MEET THE CENSORED: HITLER

by Matt Taibbi

Can history itself violate community standards?

100 years ago yesterday — on July 29, 1921 — Adolph Hitler was elected leader of the Nationalist Socialist German Workers’ Party, later known as the Nazi Party. The combustible Army corporal succeeded the party’s original leader, Anton Drexler, whom Hitler originally had been sent to spy on, but whose ideas he came to admire (he may even have shaved his mustache to emulate his predecessor). The 533-1 delegate vote set in motion a series of events that would dominate the next two and a half decades of world history.

A young Jewish Internet commentator named Manny Marotta wanted to call attention to the date, for educational purposes. Marotta has been maintaining popular accounts on both Twitter and Instagram called 100 Years Ago Live. His simple, clever, and enlightening mission is to describe history as an actual contemporary might have, in the language of modern social media tools. It’s popular, earning 26,000 followers on Twitter.

Marotta’s accounts remind us that the past was once news, that stories we now remember as ossified, fixed narratives captured in black and white were once fresh, suspenseful events, that filled contemporaries with excitement, and uncertainty.

Whether it’s a snapshot of a socialist congress in Lille, France that at the time might have seemed the beginning of a global Western revolution, or a cartoon showing both sides of the prohibition debate that showed how extremes of opinion dominated discourse even back then, Marotta has a nice touch for putting readers in the mood of the era, while keeping our thoughts in the present. He is very much the opposite of a Nazi or a fascist, and posts about history in the hope that people will learn from it. “I have a step-grandmother who’s a Holocaust survivor,” he says. “That’s part of the reason I started the account.”

His Instagram post on Hitler’s ascension to the status of leader of the Nazi Party looked like this:

A tweet marking the same event appeared as follows:

There is no politicking or advocacy observable here, not as standalone posts and still less in the context of hundreds of other entries about other scenes as disparate as Thomas Edison taking a nap under a tree, a woman on Tremont Street in Boston turning heads by wearing pants, or a Soviet ship shelled in the Russian Civil War.

Nonetheless, Instagram pulled Marotta’s post on Hitler’s election, saying it violated “community guidelines.” When he appealed the decision, the rejected him again, saying his content went against their guidelines on “violence or dangerous organizations”:

Since the beginning of the “content moderation” movement, a major problem has become apparent. Human beings simply create too much content on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for other human beings to review. Machines have proven able to identify clearly inappropriate content like child pornography (though even there the algorithms occasionally stumbled, as in the case of Facebook’s removal of the famous “Running Girl” photo).

But asking computer programs to sort out the subtleties of different types of speech — differences between commentary and advocacy, criticism and incitement, reporting and participation — has proven a disaster. A theme running through nearly all of the “Meet the Censored” articles is this problem of algorithmic censorship systematically throwing out babies with bathwater.

Whether it’s YouTube cracking down on videographer Ford Fischer for covering events involving Holocaust deniers or white supremacists, the same platform zapping footage of the January 6th riots shot by Jon Farina of Status Coup, or Matt Orfalea being punished for violating a “criminal organizations policy” for a spoof coffee commercial involving a mass-murderer, Internet carriers have consistently shown they cannot or will not distinguish between, say, being a Nazi and criticizing one, joking about one, even warning about one.

The frightening thing about the 100YearsAgoLive incident is that it’s not hard to see this becoming a trend, where history itself is deemed to violate common decency. The whole idea of historical education is to prevent future horrors via graphic warnings from the past. Survivors of the Holocaust have always been adamant that we must “Never Forget,” that places such as Auschwitz must never be buried or hidden away but instead displayed prominently, made into lasting cultural artifacts whose purpose is to be so conspicuous as to prevent the natural human impulse to whitewash our sadly expansive history of evil.

In the name of combating hate speech, violence, conspiracy theory, etc., Internet platforms are removing not just advocacy, but knowledge, in a wide-ranging effort that may help the companies create a more frictionless, commercially successful product, but will impede the past from chastening the present. If the aim is preventing the spread of hateful ideas, nothing could be more counter-productive that cleaning away the record of their real-world impact.

This 100YearsAgoLive episode seems like a silly glitch at first, a parody of Internet censorship, but it’s no joke — if we’re going to put machines in charge of cleaning our mental universes, the past is going to be one of the first casualties.

I reached out to Marotta:

TK: Can you tell us a little about the idea behind “100 Years Ago Live”?

Marotta: I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh two years ago. While there, in January 2018, I became interested in WWI history and decided to create a Twitter account that would “live-tweet” the events of the final year of WWI, as if I was a reporter on the ground. While there are certainly Twitter accounts that deal with historical subjects, none put themselves in the first-person, and act as if they are experiencing history, and so I decided to do that.

The account caught on and many people enjoyed the format. Its mission is to provide historical education in a fun and engaging way. I have had to report on some sensitive subjects. Most notably, this past May/June, there occurred the anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre. I took care to do thorough research on the subject and report on it in real-time with the utmost objectivity and respect for the victims. There was no censorship of this reporting.

Yesterday’s tweet/Instagram post was the first time in which the social media platform removed the post, accusing it of promoting hate. Hitler’s rise to power is, of course, one of the hallmark historical events of the 1920s and 1930s, and I intend to cover it often. This will be difficult if I cannot post the man’s name and image in any place.

TK: What happened yesterday?

Marotta: The purpose of this account is to provide historical education by reporting events from 100 years ago in real time. With that said, we espouse no extremist nor hateful views, even if they were expressed 100 years ago. 100 years ago yesterday, Adolf Hitler was made Führer of the Nazi Party. We reported on this story with the same caption for both Twitter and Instagram, explaining that Hitler had become Fuhrer and a little background information. There was no hateful imagery or view espoused in reporting on this objective fact. Within 20 minutes, Instagram took down the photo of Hitler, with the note that the post promoted hate speech and extremism. Given that it was literally a photograph of Hitler with the caption that he was made Führer, I appealed the decision. They struck it down once again.

TK: Do you think this was a human being making a decision, or a machine?

Marotta: This appears to be a result of an algorithm failing to distinguish between images used in an educational context, and images used in a hateful context. I believe that no human reviewed my case, and that the algorithm blindly struck it down because of the word “Hitler” and a depiction of the man.

TK: What do you think the rationale behind this kind of moderation is? If you have any idea, what’s your opinion on this brand of speech regulation?

Marotta: I believe that Instagram does this to protect their advertising viability, and because they cannot moderate each and every case, an automatic algorithm is applied. However, this serves as a detriment to historical education. I am Jewish, and Holocaust education is vital to my beliefs system. If I cannot provide context on Hitler’s rise to power, then Holocaust education becomes difficult.

TK: Can history violate “community guidelines”?

Marotta: There are certain situations in which I could understand a decision like that. If you had a violent or gratuitous image from the past, I could perhaps understand… But there is no situation in which you can justify suppressing just the image of a human being who happened to be an evil dictator. That is censorship of education itself.

* * *

* * *

THINGS GET RIPE

by James Kunstler

Besides trying to just live their lives in these days of socioeconomic meltdown, which, Gawd knows, is hard enough, the people can barely sort out the seemingly malevolent intentions of the folks in-charge of the monster that government has become. And so, the question arises: are they actually trying to kill us all, or are they so corrupt and stupid that everything they touch falls apart? In other words, is it mastermindery or clusterfuckery?

On the former side, you have that gallery of international villains out of the James Bond playbook: Bill Gates, Klaus Schwab, and George Soros — megalomaniacs armed with mega-money, a sho’nuff recipe for trouble — representing the emergence of a world-saving regime, in concert with lackey national leaderships. Their narrative goes like this: humans have over-replicated, like maggots in a trash can, they’re wrecking the planet and gobbling (our) resources, and we must find a way to get rid of them that looks like a natural catastrophe so the hidden powers-that-be don’t get blamed for pulling a global Auschwitz. Hence Covid-19 and the sketchy vaccinations. (“The Great Reset.” You will be dead and you will like it!)

I must say, I don’t go for that story, even if that trio have played their parts in some wicked doings du jour. Rather, I subscribe to the latter scenario: the likelihood that we’re in a pile-up of quandaries that we can only pretend to manage, and that all our pretenses of control and management only make things worse, while making a mockery of human ingenuity. This does not rule out an element of personal greed and attempted power-mongering.

Anyway, the Covid-19 story is now utterly unraveling and the official actions around it look desperately idiotic. It’s back to mass mask-ups and maybe even lockdowns. But don’t get the idea that those mRNA vaccines turned out to have a short half-life — though it kind of looks like they did. In which case, why the panicky rush to get absolutely everybody vaxed up? And how’s that working? I’ll tell you how: only with last-ditch attempts at totalitarian intimidation… you will have no rights to earn a living, go out in public, buy anything, or even protest on the street about any of these insults to human dignity.

The world has never seen the launch of such a gigantic lead balloon. All week, the hysteria has been building and now the balloon is falling to earth as the CDC prepares to announce that the vaxes are a bust against the “Delta variant” and it’s back to the drawing board for all the toiling myrmidons of Big Pharma. Did House Speaker Nancy Pelosi get some insider info on this, having appointed herself mask-sheriff of the US Capitol Building, threatening now to arrest non-masked members and their staffers. Indeed, even a few fully-vaxed-up congresspeople were moved to shout, “Hey wait a minute.”

Mrs. Pelosi, meanwhile, is busy orchestrating her national sob story to prove that half the country are domestic terrorists for trespassing in her office and need to be cancelled, especially the former president behind that dastardly “insurrection” — against whom criminal referrals will be shortly forthcoming to Merrick Garland’s Department of Justice. As if… one can only think.

As if, that is, the half of America not lost in the transports of Wokery and fantasies of half-assed communism are going to roll over for it. Please, pull the pin on that grenade, Nancy, you demented, deliquescing old jade! America has had enough of you, and your mendacious machinations, and of your sidekick, the sham president “Joe Biden” and his pitiful mummeries in the service of a claque that wants to destroy what little remains of the public interest and our national honor. You have no idea, Nancy, how all this is going to blow up in your face and leave you a figure of historic odium.

Meanwhile, events churn relentlessly in the background… especially the bankruptcy of America (the Western World, really), and the unappetizing effect that will have on our standard-of-living… and the terrifying momentum of election audits that will prompt a national crisis of confidence as summer stumbles into fall… and drought, crop failures, supply-line breaks, and food shortages coming down… and hundreds of thousands of third world mutts jumping the southern border… and the very real possibility that China will just go ahead and snatch Taiwan while our pussified US military hollers “no fair” from a safe distance….

I tell you, this is some ripe moment. We are spinning into pandemonium. The vacuum of leadership is awesome, as if Gawd himself has split the scene in utter disgust and left matters to the ancient furies.

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

27 Comments

  1. Lee Edmundson July 31, 2021

    As much as I take exception to the accuracy of some of Mr. Kunstler’s specific points, I find myself (OHMYGAWD!!!) agreeing with his overall nihilistic, apocalyptic view: Human society today simply isn’t very adept at solving the myriad global catastrophes currently confronting humankind. Neither on the global, national or local level. Yuck!

    Delta covid, wildfires, wells going dry, parched crops, immigrants fleeing their borders, famine, floods… the list goes on and on and on. The US Senate couldn’t (even) pass an extension of the Eviction Moratorium before taking its August Vacation. Nice work if you can get.

    I fear it will take tectonic shifts in our collective civic perception to be able to right the so many wrongs and tragedies currently occurring in this world. I fear humankind is simply not up to the tasks necessary to achieve viable solutions.

    “Homo Sapiens: a vastly over rated species”. — Me

    • Douglas Coulter July 31, 2021

      Bureaucracy is the heart disease of government.
      Attempts to control everything results in failure to achieve even simple tasks

    • George Hollister July 31, 2021

      Wisdom comes from individuals, not the collective mind of government. This is the case even with government institutions we so heavily need; like schools, law enforcement, national defense. So don’t despair. Individuals are acting to make the situation better for themselves, and they will. If allowed to, they always have, and that is how we achieved the advanced state we are today.

      • Harvey Reading July 31, 2021

        Of course, George. Of course. Just what “advanced state” are you dreaming of? Even with all those solid-state gizmos that quantum physics dreamed up, and all the bs peddled by the Skinner Box crowd, we are no more than primitives whose main objective is imposing our “vision” on the rest of the world, and, by god, we’ll use whatever force is needed to achieve that…until no humans are left. Better do a more thorough job of searching the records of your beloved lunatic-fringe “think” tanks.

  2. Marmon July 31, 2021

    Just when I think Kunstler can’t get any better, he does just that.

    Marmon

    • chuck dunbar July 31, 2021

      IF JAMES KUNSTLER HAD AN EDITOR…

      That poor soul of an editor might well send him the following letter:

      Dear James:
      The time has come for new rules. We value your work, but there must be reportorial standards, limits and boundaries in professional journalism. Please adhere closely to these rules. I will strictly enforce them as we work together.

      The Rules:
      1. You must be factual in your reporting. Facts are important. Facts are imperative. Speculation not supported by factual foundation—No more!
      2. To assist you with fact-based reporting, an expert fact-checker, Ms. Hagertson, is now assigned to assess factual issues in your work. She is an expert in her field; as such, she becomes testy if a writer disputes her wisdom. You must accept her feedback without question.
      3. Any predictions regarding future national circumstances must be realistic and credible. Your predictions cannot be, as in the past, wholly implausible and wildly hyperbolic.
      4. Conspiracy theories, absent factual proof, are now taboo. No exceptions!
      5. Variations on the theme of “the end of the modern world is coming” will be limited to once per quarter. (Even this is a generous indulgence-I don’t want to kill your spirit).
      6. A specific point: the 2020 presidential election is over. It is in the past, formally certified and decided—a done-deal. Cease all related opinions to the contrary.
      7. Your draft columns must be submitted for review by me before publication. Do not “forget” to abide by this dictum, as you have in the past.
      8. My editorial changes to your drafts are not”suggestions” and are not “negotiable.” My new motto: “I am right and you are wrong.” I say this respectfully, but with the full force of my status as your editor/boss.
      Good luck, James.

      • Bruce McEwen July 31, 2021

        JHK is not a reporter, he is a columnist. Columnists do not report facts, they give their opinions. Ever since the Y2K crisis, JHK has been of a very sour and cynical opinion — as the Y2K event did not go the way he prophesied. He is also a novelist, and his novels are set in the years following a collapse in modern civilization (World Made by Hand is the horse-drawn theme of his novels). The Long Emergency is what he fell back on when his predictions were ignored by actual events, and he seems to believe that sooner or later the economic system will finally collapse… but, it’s taking such a long time to happen that we may all be gone by then and his chance to say “I told you so!” will also pass him by. His columns in the AVA are reprinted from JHK’s own website Clusterfuck Nation, where he is the Editor-in-Chief.

        • chuck dunbar July 31, 2021

          Good points, Bruce, well-taken. And yet, columnists are indeed journalists, and their work/opinions must have some degree of factual integrity and credibility if they wish to be taken seriously. If a journalist-columnist often makes prophesies, as Kunstler does, their work must be based on a good degree of realism and facts, or their predictions fail to be realized, exposed then as so much hot air. And he fails miserably in this area, as the Y2K issue long ago tells us. Certainly, in recent months, he has relied on and repeated the crap conspiracy theories of the right-wing. Again and again his prophesies turn out to be in fact worthless. It’s almost funny, but in a ridiculous sense. This is a big problem, and he deserves to be called-out on it. Many of us in these pages object to this glaring problem with his opinions, and if he had a decent, professional editor trained in journalism, so would she or he.

          • Bruce McEwen July 31, 2021

            True, very true. It used to be that false prophets were reduced to brandishing doomsday placards on the streets, but the internet changed all that and now they’re all online. JHK once worked as a journalist, but the restraints you mention above perhaps were more than his ambition could tolerate, so he went out on his own with Clusterfuck Nation, and has made his own rules ever since, so good luck reigning him in — he probably never sees the comments on this page, but if you got to his website you can post your objections there where he will at least see ’em.

            • Stephen Rosenthal July 31, 2021

              “but if you got to his website you can post your objections there where he will at least see ’em.”

              Or do what I did more than a year ago, viz., don’t read him.

            • Douglas Coulter July 31, 2021

              Tolstoy predicted WW1 back in 1870s on the historical fact that nations cannot hoard weapons without eventually using them. Prophets who study history do far better than prophets who study Twitter

  3. Marmon July 31, 2021

    RE: SHERIFF KENDALL V. COUNTY OF MENDOCINO

    I wonder if after the way the Supes went after Kendall’s choice of attorney if Duncan James just decided to start this case out pro-bono. “Pay me now, or pay me later”

    Marmon

  4. Marmon July 31, 2021

    Larry Elder, the leading Republican running against Newsom in the recall election just said on Fox that one of the first things he will do if elected Governor of California will be eliminating the bottleneck called CEQA. He’s got my vote.

    Marmon

    • Ted Williams July 31, 2021

      The first thing he should do is study separation of powers.

  5. Marmon July 31, 2021

    RE: FROM THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

    Maybe With Delta the CDC Will Learn to Count

    (In Britain, they know 92% of the public has antibodies; here we panic in the dark).

    “Britain has seen its Delta surge wane rather quickly. And unlike the U.S., it is not flopping around in the half-dark about what’s going on. Thanks to biweekly blood-sample surveys, the U.K. government knows how many people have antibodies from vaccination and/or infection. Thanks to surveys and modeling it also has a good idea how many are currently infected, invariably a multiple of those who get a positive test.

    This is infinitely more useful and relevant than any information U.S. authorities produce, a point starting to break through thanks to former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb’s appearances on CNBC.”

    https://www.wsj.com/articles/delta-variant-covid-19-coronavirus-vaccine-hesitancy-natural-immunity-herd-11627679672

    Marmon

  6. Bill Pilgrim July 31, 2021

    re: PG&E “vegetation management.”

    Couldn’t agree more with Johnny Schmitt’s concern.
    Huge swaths of trees are being clear cut, leaving permanent scars throughout Anderson Valley and beyond.
    It’s a cheap solution that has a horrifying impact on our quality of life.
    Once beautiful vistas are now deserts.

  7. Marmon July 31, 2021

    “Huge swaths of trees are being clear cut”

    That’s what we call “fire walls”.

    Marmon

    • Harvey Reading July 31, 2021

      Call ’em what you will, but their vegetation burns like hell.

  8. Gary Smith July 31, 2021

    Caption on Jesus surgeon pic seen on doctor FB page:
    “Jesus, this is a sterile field; get the fuck out of here”

  9. Marmon July 31, 2021

    RE: MILD SYMPTONS ARE NOT AN EMERGENCY, DON’T FREAK OUT!

    Lake County’s emergency departments stretched due to COVID-19 caseload

    The Lake County Health Services Department has received reports that some people with mild symptoms that can be associated with COVID-19 have continued to utilize local emergency rooms for COVID testing. Others have sought vaccination at our hospitals.

    “As a small, rural county, we have limited intensive care and emergency medicine resources. They must be reserved for those in medical distress; those in need of immediate care. Overutilization of these resources extends wait times, and delays care for those in the greatest need,” said Charlie Evans, MD, Lake County’s acting Public Health officer.

    “At this time, we ask people with mild symptoms to please contact their medical providers and nursing advice lines, rather than going straight to the emergency room,” said Evans. “If you are in need of immediate medical care, go to the ER. However, if you are mildly ill, use alternative resources.”

    https://www.lakeconews.com/news/69861-lake-county-s-emergency-departments-stretched-due-to-covid-19-caseload?fbclid=IwAR22t0wGFGgnEMZ75tjtTkgPviQrcsf3xw7Kevn_AqUvDf2whmIvKsNOJAU&__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=pmd_79b71b8b802c55c90d10ecc2f0b049d4d2ddac27-1627760720-0-gqNtZGzNAo2jcnBszQmi

    Marmon

    • Douglas Coulter July 31, 2021

      Beat the panic drum and then complain when people panic?

      • Betsy Cawn August 1, 2021

        The drumbeat of rationed medical care, failure to fund preventive care, constant bombardment of television ads for pharmaceutical products (“ask your doctor if X is right for you”), medicalization of everyday life (everyone has to have a “medical home”), ever-present threat of bankruptcy and social exile due to enormous treatment costs, and “debates” over simple personal protection from infectious diseases, all demand the constant attention of the public by manic media floggers. Exhorted daily to submit to “consensus driven” “mandates,” bickered over and pecked to bloody shreds by opinionated “authorities” (using cherry-picked “data” displayed in unchallengeable charts and graphs), we have no tools to shield ourselves from the good old nattering nabobs of negativity. Just don’t “read ’em and weep”!

  10. Marmon July 31, 2021

    I can’t seem to wrap my head around the latest CDC recommendations, they want all vaccinated people to wear masks in order to protect the unvaccinated.

    Marmon

    • Betsy Cawn August 1, 2021

      Vaccinated people pose threat
      CORONAVIRUS » CDC says risk persists to carry, spread delta variant
      By
      APOORVA MANDAVILLI
      NEW YORK TIMES
      The recommendation that vaccinated people in some parts of the country dust off their masks was based largely on one troublesome finding, according to Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
      New research showed that vaccinated people infected with the delta variant carry tremendous amounts of the virus in the nose and throat, she said in an email responding to questions from the New York Times.
      The finding contradicts what scientists had observed in vaccinated people infected with previous versions of the virus, who mostly seemed incapable of infecting others.
      That conclusion dealt Americans a heavy blow: People with so-called breakthrough infections — cases that occur despite full vaccination — of the delta variant may be just as contagious as unvaccinated people, even if they have no symptoms.

      (Incomplete excerpt, go to the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat for July 30 for the whole report.)

  11. Harvey Reading July 31, 2021

    I REMEMBERED THAT CARTOON

    “Professional Consultant”. LOL. As though such a thing exists. They all do the bidding of their masters, else they never would have been hired in the first place.

  12. Harvey Reading July 31, 2021

    “Beverly Hills of the North Pole”

    Not for long…

  13. Rye N Flint September 16, 2021

    RE: Still relevant today

    “We see flaws and strengths in both the previous and current ordinances, and have the following position on ANY cannabis cultivation ordinance for Mendocino County. Whatever the direction we go, a full and comprehensive Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is critical to help us develop policies that mitigate the cumulative impacts of this activity in our landscape.”

    Jennifer Riddell

Leave a Reply to George Hollister Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

-