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Mendocino County Today: Saturday, Jan 24, 2015

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ONLINE COMMENT RE THE COLLAPSE OF THE WILLITS BYPASS: “I've a clue for them. Stop the pour in place now and have this done prefab. This was a dumb idea and more costly, plus lacking the quality assurance that prefab panels can assure. We need better CalTrans engineers and very soon.”

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AT APPROXIMATELY 10am on Jan. 23, 2015, Sheriff's Deputies attempted to contact Riley Keisel, a 31 year-old white male adult, at a residence located in the 44000 block of Crestwood Drive in Mendocino. The reason for the attempted contact was that Keisel had a felony arrest warrant from Humboldt County.

When Deputies arrived at the residence Keisel fled on foot towards the Big River Haul Road in a heavily wooded area. An extensive search was conducted for 1-2 hours with the aid of several allied law enforcement agencies and ended without Keisel being located. A reverse 911 notification was issued at the conclusion of the search notifying the public that Keisel was wanted and at large in the area. Keisel was last seen wearing black jeans, a blue jacket, a large green back pack and a purple bandana. Deputies developed information that suggested he was in possession of a handgun, thus he is considered armed and dangerous.

Keisel, in four prior booking photos
Keisel, in four prior booking photos

BACKGROUND:

(AVA Feb 2013) — In May of 2012 we wrote (based on a Sheriff’s Department press release) that a frequently arrested 28 year old Coast man named Riley Kiesel who had been permanently 86'd from Dick's Place (bar) in Mendocino, had been charged with attempted murder after an incident back in 2012, soon after he showed up early on a Monday morning at Dick's a half hour before closing time. Kiesel had been peacefully escorted off the premises by bartender Alexander Behounek, 32. Two hours later, about 3:20am, at the intersection of Little Lake and Lansing, Kiesel, apparently waiting for Behounek to leave work, jumped in front of Behounek's car. Behounek then made the nearly fatal error of getting out of his car to confront Kiesel, at which point Kiesel stabbed Behounek once in the stomach. Deputies were quickly on the scene and located Kiesel nearby. Kiesel readily admitted to stabbing Behounek who was airlifted to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital in apparently serious condition. Before the stabbing, Kiesel had a record of local arrests going back to 2004, which include charges of carrying concealed weapons, drunk in public and marijuana-related offenses. For the incident in front of Dick’s Place, Kiesel was charged with attempted murder with bail set at $200,000.

THEN, about a month later, according to the Fort Bragg Advocate’s archived reports for the Ten Mile Court, on June 28, 2012 Mr. Kiesel appeared before visiting Judge Galen Hathway, in custody, and plead not guilty to a reduced charge of assault with a deadly weapon causing great bodily injury. A Jury trial was set for August 22. At that time the judge noted that Kiesel “also has two [prior] violations of probation.”

THE NEXT WEEK (July 2, 2012) the Advocate’s Court reporter cryptically reported “Correction: In last week's report on the Riley G. Kiesel case, this reporter was in error when he wrote that Kiesel's alleged victim was the man commonly known as ‘Big Al.’ The question was asked of the Sheriff's Office witness while he was on the stand and under oath. ‘Is this the man in Mendocino better known as ‘Big Al’?” asked the Deputy Public Defender at the time Thomas Croak. J.D. Comer, the detective answered, ‘I didn't hear anyone use an alias.’ Then he talked about the man being 6'3” or 6'4” and just under 200 pounds, a description that much better fits ‘Big Al’ than it fits the actual alleged victim.”

SO THE VICTIM was NOT Big Al. It was a regular sized guy named Alexander Behounek.

ON SEPTEMBER 20, 2012, the Fort Bragg Advocate’s court report again mentioned Mr. Kiesel, this time when he appeared before Judge Clayton Brennan.

“Riley G. Kiesel, in custody, was sentenced to 365 days in MCJ (113 days CTS) for the stabbing of a man on Little Lake Street after both had left a bar. Following his jail sentence, Kiesel is to complete a six-month residential treatment program of his choice (one without a religious component). He is to attend four AA meetings per week for the full term of his probation and restitution was reserved for his victim; however, he must pay a $700 restitution fine to the court.” (No mention of probation.)

THAT WAS for what the cops first declared “attempted murder.”

LET’S ASSUME that Mr. Kiesel, an obviously dangerous drug abuser and alcoholic (also described by some people as schizophrenic), started serving his “365 day” jail sentence the day after he was arrested on May 29, 2012, and let’s further assume that by September 20 he had served 113 days as “credit for time served (CTS).” Assuming Mr. Kiesel would end up serving maybe half of his original 365 day jail sentence (183 days), he would have had just 70 more days after September 20 of actual incarceration where, presumably, he wouldn’t have access to drugs or booze. So September 20, plus 70 days means he would probably be out by the end of November 2012.

ON NOVEMBER 8, again according to the Advocate’s Ten Mile Court report, “Riley G. Kiesel, in custody, agreed to pay his victim, Al Sanders, restitution totaling $7,341.”

SOMEHOW Kiesel’s victim, the aforementioned bartender Alexander Behounek, had morphed into a guy named Al (“Big Al”?) Sanders. (Maybe the Advocate’s Court reporter forgot that he had issued a correction about who the victim was.)

ANYWAY, MR. KIESEL was still in custody on November 8 of 2012 when he somehow gave the guy he tried to kill by stabbing the whopping restitution of $7,341.

THE NEXT TIME WE hear about Mr. Kiesel was in May of 2013 when Kym Kemp of LostCoastOutpost.com reported that “Arcata police arrested a Mendocino man yesterday (Tuesday, February 12). … Riley Kiesel was out and about as of last night [even though he’d been arrested for attempted murder just last May]. Below is the Arcata Police Dept. press release of their encounter with the man.”

Arcata Police Dept. Press Release: “During the late evening hours of Feb. 12, 2013, Arcata Police officers on foot patrol in the downtown area detained a male subject, later identified as Riley Gordon Kiesel, age 29, of Mendocino, CA. Kiesel was detained on suspicion of possession and use of a controlled substance. During the course of their investigation, Kiesel fled from the officers through a downtown alley. He was captured after a brief foot pursuit and arrested for resisting arrest. In a search pursuant to his arrest, Kiesel was found to be in possession of a loaded .38 caliber Smith and Wesson handgun. Kiesel was arrested and booked at the Humboldt County Jail without further incident and the following charges have been submitted to the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office: Carrying a concealed firearm upon a person; Carrying a loaded firearm in public; Resisting arrest; Violation of terms of probation/not to possess firearm; Possession of firearm by subject of a restraining order; Violation of probation.

LET’S HOPE Humboldt County keeps Mr. Kiesel in custody for more than a few months, and doesn’t just sentence him to a few AA meetings and then put him back on probation.

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KRISTIN GOES TO EUROPE

(Below is the Consent Agenda Item where Ms. McMenomey’s trip to Europe was quietly approved in December of 2014. Note how they buried the word "Europe" in parens deep in the body of the item description. And there's no reference at all to how long the “travel” is for.)

TO: Board of Supervisors
DATE: December 9, 2014
FROM: Kristin McMenomey, GSA Director
MEETING DATE: December 16, 2014
DEPARTMENT RESOURCE/CONTACT: Kristin McMenomey
PHONE: 234-6050

AGENDA TITLE: Approval of Out of Country Travel for the General Services Agency Director to Participate in the Annual California State Association of Counties-Excess Insurance Authority (CSAC-EIA) Property Renewal Program Negotiations Serving as the Vice President of the CSAC-EIA Board of Directors

PREVIOUS BOARD/BOARD COMMITTEE ACTIONS: The Board of Supervisors has the authority to approve out of country travel for County employees serving in the course and scope of their duties.

SUMMARY OF REQUEST: The CSAC-Excess Insurance Authority (CSAC-EIA) is a member directed insurance risk sharing pool of California public agencies, dedicated to providing effective risk management solutions. The CSAC-EIA works closely with Alliant Insurance Services Inc. (Broker of record), to provide risk coverage programs that are stable, secure, and flexible. The County of Mendocino has been a participating member of CSAC-EIA pooled services for several years. The General Services Agency Director serves as the County’s voting representative on the CSAC-EIA Board of Directors. The General Services Agency Director was recently elected to serve as Vice President of CSAC-EIA Board of Directors for 2015. One of the many duties of the Vice President is to accompany the CEO of CSAC-EIA and several brokers from Alliant Insurance Services, Inc., out of the Country (Europe) to meet with various insurance markets to represent all the counties, cities, school districts, and special districts that are currently members of the CSAC-EIA pool in the annual Property Insurance Renewal Program. All travel expenses are paid for by CSAC- EIA.

Funding: CSAC-EIA. No cost to the County

RECOMMENDED ACTION/MOTION: Approve the out of country travel for the General Services Agency Director to participate in the annual California State Association of Counties-Excess Insurance Authority (CSAC-EIA) Property Renewal Program Negotiations serving as the Vice President of the CSAC-EIA Board of Directors.

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Minutes of BOS Board Meeting, Dec 16, 2014: “Approval of Out of Country Travel for the General Services Agency Director to Participate in the Annual California State Association of Counties-Excess Insurance Authority (CSAC-EIA) Property Renewal Program Negotiations Serving as the Vice President of the CSAC-EIA Board of Directors – General Services Agency – Approved”

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SELMA, THE MOVIE. It's not very good overall, historically inaccurate and the acting, except for Oprah, implausible. Given the givens of contempo-education, millions of young people will be presented with the movie as fact, just as Oliver Stone's version of the Kennedy Assassination is believed by millions as the reality of a conspiracy involving a cast of… Well, pick a number. LBJ was much less of an obstacle than the Kennedy Bros during MLK's brave civil rights work, and LBJ did not team up with J. Edgar Nutball to send Corretta King a tape recording of her husband's extra-curricular sexual encounters. Very unfair to vilify LBJ in that particular way when he was straight up villainous in expanding the War on Vietnam. And there was no mention of King's pivotal speeches on economic justice. Jim Clark, mega-'neck sheriff, wasn't portrayed nearly as menacing as he was in real life, although there are glimpses of some Klan types who look suitably depraved. In fact, the clips from the real march are much more interesting than the movie recreation and, indulge me here, the marchers en masse looked like they were — mostly young and wholesome looking. Any march of today's dissident or idealistic citizens, at least half the people will look crazy, and about a third of them will be nuts.

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…BUT NOT HIS JOB BACK

Fort Bragg Police Lieutenant John Naulty was one of three recipients of the California Robbery Investigators Association’s “Officer of the Year Award” for their heroism during the confrontation with Ricardo Chaney outside of Fort Bragg last year.

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Officer Of The Year Award Recipients: Del Fiorentino, Stefani, Naulty

Submitted by CRIA Executive Director Jack Baxter

01/07/15 — Each year the California Robbery Investigators Association presents it’s Officer of the Year Award to a police officer or deputy sheriff working a uniform assignment who distinguishes themselves through an act of uncommon heroism or an outstanding investigation involving a robbery crime. This year CRIA will honor three law enforcement officers from Mendocino County for their work in stopping a major crime spree that stretched from Eugene, Oregon to Fort Bragg and involved homicide, robbery and kidnapping. The incident took place over several hours and several hundred miles and resulted in the death of the suspect and the ambush murder of a Mendocino deputy sheriff. These officers willingly put themselves in harms way and one gave his life to protect their community. The award will be presented during the Annual Training Seminar Award Ceremony on Wednesday, Feb. 4, at Harrah’s in Las Vegas. This year’s recipients are Mendocino County Sheriff’s Deputy Ricky Del Fiorentino (posthumous award), Sheriff’s Lieutenant Gregory Stefani and Fort Bragg Police Lieutenant John Naulty.

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BECAUSE LEE HOWARD raised his voice…

Russian River Huksters (via Rosalind Person, Lee Howard and James Houle)

Herum \ Crabtree \ Suntag

5757 Pacific Avenue, Suite 222

Stockton, CA 95207

(209) 472-7700

Invoice Date

NAME: Matter ID:

ADDRESS:

DESCRIPTION:

Responsible Attorney:

Last Bill Date:

COMPANY: Mendocino County Russian River Flood

9/25/2014

Federal ID# 91-1878652

Jeanne M. Zolezzi

Type: Hourly

151 Laws Avenue, Suite D

Ukiah, CA 95482

10/24/2014

Sean White 3322-009

Personnel

SERVICES RENDERED

Date Attorney Description Hours Rate Amount

9/25/2014 WAL Begin draft of summary report and 1.52 210.00 318.83

recommendations.

9/26/2014 WAL Complete draft of memo of legal exposure. 3.76 210.00 789.98

9/29/2014 WAL Phone call with Alex Sperry regarding finalizing 0.61

210.00 127.53

the report and sample policies and procedures. Review attachments to report.

9/29/2014 WAL Continue draft of summary and 1.09 210.00 228.24

recommendations and board policies.

9/30/2014 WAL Complete draft of finding and recommendations 2.53 210.00

531.36

report and draft board policies.

9/30/2014 WAL Draft confidentiality agreement to accompany 0.51 210.00

106.28

investigative report.

10/2/2014 JMZ Review memo and summary of report and 0.51 320.00 161.94

recommendations. Email to Paul Zellman conveying recommendations.

10/3/2014 JMZ Respond to email from Paul Zellman. 0.20 320.00 64.78

10/13/2014 WAL Two phone calls with Paul Zellman regarding 0.51 210.00

106.28

confidentiality issues and distribution of the summary report and recommendations at a closed session on 10/13/14. Conference with Jeanne Zolezzi regarding same.

10/13/2014 JMZ Email from Paul Zellman. 0.20 320.00 64.78

Invoice No. 75687 Page: 2

Sub-total Fees: 2,500.00

FEE ALLOCATION

Wendy A. Locke 10.52 hours at $ 210.00 /hr 2,208.50

Jeanne M. Zolezzi 0.91 hours at $ 320.00 /hr 291.50

Total hours: 11.43

COSTS

Date Description Amount

Communication Fee 50.00

Sub-total Expenses: 50.00

Total This Bill:

Previous Balance:

New Balance Owing 2,550.00

2,550.00

------- A/R Aging -------

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Current Over 30 Over 60 Over 90

Payments/Adjustments:

Amount in Trust: 0.00

2,433.72

2,433.72

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ON FRIDAY January 23, 2015 around 0815 hours Mendocino County Sheriff's Deputies received a report of a home invasion robbery that occurred earlier that morning in the 5300 Block of Lake Ridge Road in Calpella. Deputies responded to the location where they contacted the 48-year old victim who related, in essence, the following. During the early morning hours of 1/23/2015, while he slept in his home, two or more unknown persons entered his home, assaulted him, tied and blindfolded him and then ransacked his house and travel trailer. According to the victim the suspects stayed at the location for approximately 1 hour. The suspects demanded to know where the victim's marijuana was and told him they had already located and stolen his cash. Patrol Deputies contacted the Mendocino County Detectives Unit who responded to assist with the investigation. It was discovered the suspects stole approximately $3000 in cash, less than one pound of marijuana, and a Subaru Sedan. The Subaru was later located, by the victim, on another area of his property, stuck in the mud. The marijuana that had been stolen was recovered in the vehicle. The victim received numerous abrasions and bruises but did not require medical treatment for his injuries. Mendocino County Detectives are continuing to investigate this case and request that anyone who might have information about this incident to please contact the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office Tip Line at 707-234-2100.

(Sheriff’s Press Release)

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CATCH OF THE DAY, Jan 23, 2015

Allen, Blunt, Carrier, Grunwald
Allen, Blunt, Carrier, Grunwald

JOSEPH ALLEN, Ukiah. Under influence of controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia.

CHARLES BLUNT, Ukiah. Petty theft, inflicing corporal injury on a child, child endangerment.

SHARON CARRIER, Fort Bragg. Contempt of court.

MICHAEL GRUNWALD, Ukiah. Arson, vandalism, probation revocation.

Gunby, Hensley, Hickman, Nikolova
Gunby, Hensley, Hickman, Nikolova

TREVOR GUNBY, Ukiah. Resisting arrest, probation revocation.

CHARLES HENSLEY, Ukiah. Drunk in public, probation revocation. (Frequent flyer.)

RONALD HICKMAN, Santa Rosa/Ukiah. DUI with priors.

ANELIYA NIKOLOVA, Danville/Willits. DUI.

Peters, Robinson, Turley
Peters, Robinson, Turley

DAVID PETERS, Covelo. Domestic assault, vandalism.

CASEY ROBINSON, Blue Lake/Ukiah. Failure to appear.

CHAD TURLEY, Fort Bragg. Probation revocation.

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COLORADO GOVERNOR explains why legalizing marijuana in the state was a bad idea —

“If I could have waved a wand the day after the election, I would have reversed it…”

by Sophie Jane Evans

The sale of recreational marijuana was legalized state-wide in Colorado following a 2012 vote. But now, Colorado's governor, John Hickenlooper, has claimed the landmark move was a bad idea.

Speaking on CBNC's “Squawk Box,” the 62-year-old Democrat said: “If I could've waved a wand the day after the election, I would've reversed the election and said, ‘This was a bad idea’.”

Gov Hickenlooper, who opposed the 55% “yes” decision by voters to make marijuana legal, warned the state still does not fully know what the unintended consequences of the ruling will be.

“Can we keep it out of the hands of kids?” he said at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. “All the top neuroscientists say this high-THC marijuana can diminish long-term memory in teenagers.”

In January 2014, Colorado became the first state to allow the sale of cannabis for recreational use to anyone aged 21 or older — via Amendment 64 — following the November 2012 vote.

It was later followed by three other states: Alaska, Oregon, and Washington.

But speaking at the Davos-based forum — also known as the Davos Annual Meeting — Gov Hickenlooper said: “You don't want to be the first person to do something like this.”

He explained how the state does not have a federal partner in the way that it does with alcohol [the Federal Bureau Of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms And Explosives] because pot is still illegal federally. For this reason, he warned other US governors to “wait a couple of years” before legalizing marijuana so they can see how Colorado fares in upcoming months, CNBC reported.

And he said that Colorado's legal marijuana business model is susceptible to corruption and fraud because it is based on cash transactions. “No one wants it to be a cash business,” he said.

However, he added that a credit union in the state is currently trying to achieve federal approval.

Although businesses that sell marijuana in accordance with state laws cannot be targeted by federal officials, many banks are reluctant to finance them because pot is still listed as illegal federally.

It comes as the number of children treated annually for accidental pot consumption in Colorado has reached double-digits, according to figures by a US anti-marijuana group.

In a report, marijuana legalization foe Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) also said that a drug treatment chain has seen a surge of teens treated for cannabis abuse, and it pointed to higher-than-average use in the first states to sanction recreational cannabis — Colorado and Washington state — and an increase in burns from butane hash oil production.

“We need a pumping-of-the-brakes on the marijuana industry,” SAM’s president, Kevin Sabet, said in an interview.

“When we have hospitalizations and burns and deaths, we need to stop many of these products from being sold.”

According to legalization opponents, Washington and Colorado have been flooded with dangerous pot-infused products, many far stronger than what might have been smoked in the 1960s.

At least 14 Colorado children, aged three to seven, were sent to hospitals in the first half of 2014 for accidentally ingesting marijuana products, SAM said of state data.

This is compared with eight in 2013 and four between 2008 and 2011.

In Colorado, teen marijuana abuse treatment at about a dozen Arapahoe House Denver-area facilities increased by 66% between 2011 and 2014, SAM cited that group as reporting.

Earlier this month, Colorado health officials announced a $4 million Internet, television and radio public-education campaign aimed at exposing the dangers of cannabis-infused products.

Use among people aged 18 and older from 2011-2013 in Colorado and Washington has risen about 3 percentage points, from roughly 16% to 19% and from 15% to 18%, respectively, SAM said, citing federal data. The national average is about 12%.

The University of Colorado observed 17 cases of marijuana-related burns in 2014 and 11 cases in 2013, largely from botched butane hash oil extractions, with one case each in the three years prior.

“Trying to draw any conclusions with less than one year of data is irresponsible,” pro-cannabis Marijuana Policy Project spokesman Mason Tvert said. He said research on pot has drawn conflicting results and has been limited by the federal ban.

Marijuana-Related Calls To Poison Control Centers Are On The Rise, New Figures Reveal 

Marijuana-related calls to poison control centers in Washington and Colorado have spiked since the states began allowing legal sales last year, with an especially troubling increase in calls concerning young children.

New year-end data show that the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center received 151 calls for marijuana exposure last year, the first year of retail recreational pot sales.

That was up from 88 calls in 2013 and 61 in 2012, the year voters made marijuana legal for adults aged over 21.

Calls to the Washington Poison Center for marijuana exposures jumped by more than half, from 158 in 2013 to 246 last year.

Public health experts say they are especially concerned about children accidentally eating marijuana edibles. Calls involving children nearly doubled to 48 in Washington involving youngsters aged 12 or under and to 45 in Colorado involving children aged 8 or under.

(Courtesy, the London Daily Mail)

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‘TRANSCENDENTAL BLUES’

In the darkest hour of the longest night

If it was in my power I'd step into the light

Candles on the alter, penny in your shoe

Walk upon the water — transcendental blues

Happy ever after 'til the day you die

Careful what you ask for, you don't know 'til you try

Hands are in your pockets, starin' at your shoes

Wishin' you could stop it — transcendental blues

If I had it my way, everything would change

Out here on this highway the rules are still the same

Back roads never carry you where you want 'em to

They leave you standin' there with them ol' transcendental blues

— Steve Early

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HARE CREEK SHOPPING CENTER on Corporations & Democracy Tuesday, January 27, 1-2 pm

The new Hare Creek Shopping Center proposed for the Highway 1 and 20 intersection at Fort Bragg will be discussed on Corporations & Democracy at 1 pm on Tuesday, January 27. Join Toni Rizzo, new co-host, Lynda McClure, and guests Marie Jones, Fort Bragg Community Development Director, and Debra Lennox, Hare Creek Center architect to learn more about this proposed development. Listeners will be invited to call with questions or comments for our guests.

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PUBLIC TOUR OF TAVERNIER EXHIBIT at Grace Hudson Museum: Jan 27

Tavernier tour on offer at Grace Hudson Museum

Tavernier1

On Tuesday, January 27th, at 12 pm, Grace Hudson Museum Curator Marvin Schenck will lead a tour of the Museum's current exhibit, "Jules Tavernier---Artist and Adventurer: The Illustrations." The exhibit highlights 40 wood engravings and 3 paintings made by French artist Jules Tavernier (1844-1889), as he traveled from the East Coast to California in 1873-74 with his friend and fellow artist, Paul Frenzeny. The tour is free with Museum admission. The Grace Hudson Museum is at 431 S. Main St. in Ukiah and is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 am to 4:30 pm, and Sunday from noon to 4:30 pm. General admission is $4; $10 per family; $3 for students and seniors; free to all on the first Friday of the month; and always free to members. For more information please go to www.gracehudsonmuseum.org or call (707) 467-2836.

Roberta Werdinger, Writer, Publicist, Editor

* * *

FOLLOWING ANOTHER LONG AND ESPECIALLY WINDY DISCUSSION, the Ukiah City Council voted Wednesday to again give Palace Hotel owner Eladia Laines more time to work on the building, but added the threat of receivership within three months if a list of tasks is not completed.

http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/news/ci_27375517/ukiah-city-council-threatens-receivership-palace-hotel

* * *

OFF-ROAD VEHICLES

by Edward Abbey

Let me tell you what a lot of us who live out here in the American West think about your goddamned Off-Road Vehicles. We think they are a goddamned plague. Like the snowmobile in New England, the dune buggy on the seashore, the ORV out here in the desert and mesa country is a public nuisance, a destroyer of plant life and wild life, a gross polluter of fresh air, stillness, peace and solitude.

The fat pink soft slobs who go roaring over the landscape in these over-sized over-priced over-advertised mechanical mastodons are people too lazy to walk, too ignorant to saddle a horse, too cheap and clumsy to paddle a canoe. Like cattle or sheep, they travel in herds, scared to death of going anywhere alone, and they leave their sign and spoor all over the back country: Coors beer cans, Styrofoam cups, plastic spoons, balls of Kleenex, wads of toilet paper, spent cartridge shells, crushed gopher snakes, smashed sagebrush, broken trees, dead chipmunks, wounded deer, eroded trails, bullet-riddled petroglyphs, spray-painted signatures, vandalized Indian ruins, fouled-up waterholes, polluted springs and smoldering campfires piled with incombustible tinfoil, filter tips, broken bottles. Etc.

It is not the bureaucrats back in Washington who are trying to stop this motorized invasion of what little wild country still remains in America; on the contrary, the bureaucrats are doing far too little. What feeble resistance has so far appeared comes from concerned citizens here and there who are trying to prod and encourage the bureaucrats to do their duty: namely, to save public lands for their primary purpose, which is wildlife habitat, livestock forage, watershed protection and non-motorized human recreation.

Thank God for the coming and inevitable day of gasoline rationing, which will retire all these goddammed ORVs and "escape machines" to the junkyards where they belong.

* * *

FOODSHED NEWS

Boonville Winter Market 1/24

* * *

Winter Abundance Workshop (Seed and Scion Exchange) 1/31

* * *

Petit Teton Farm will join us at the Boonville Winter Market on Saturday. They haven't been with us for awhile, so come on down to check out what they offer - in front of the Boonville General Store, 10 - 12:30, rain or shine.

* * *

From Bunny Bill:

Onion and leek starts have arrived. $5 for 50+. I will be at the Saturday Market Jan17, Jan 24 and the Seed and Scion Exchange on the 31st. Also a few grown leeks and lemons will be available.

* * *

AV Foodshed is now a co-sponsor for Mendocino Permaculture's Fruit Tree Grafting Workshop/Seed, Scion, and Plant Exchange on January 31st--along with AV Adult School. We still have some volunteer spaces to fill to make this instructive and free event yet another successful year. No prior experience is necessary to volunteer, just email Barbara at bgoodell@mcn.org or call 895-3897.

As in past years, the Boonville Winter Market will be incorporated into the activities at the Fairgrounds that day.

Here's the info:

Mendocino Permaculture’s 32nd Annual

Winter Abundance Workshop

Saturday January 31, 2015 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

at the Fairgrounds in Boonville

Seed, Scion & Cutting Exchange with Hands-on Fruit Tree Grafting

Free to All – no charge for admission, classes, seeds, cuttings, or scion wood

Classes all day on tree & vine propagation, variety selection, and saving the seeds of all kinds of plants.

Buy our fruit tree rootstocks cheaply and graft your own trees with our free scions.

Spend the day with gardeners and orchardists who understand our climates and soils.

Buy a hot organic lunch and beverages at the event.

Schedule Of Events — Rain Or Shine

9:00 – 4:00 Open tables – Scions, seeds, cuttings and selection advice

9:30 – 10:30 Class – Mark Albert: Scionology – The Basics of Making Your Own Trees & Vines from Seeds, Scions and Cuttings

10:30 - 12:00 Class – Amigo Cantisano & Jennifer Bliss of The Felix Gillet Institute: Saving & Identifying Local Heirloom Fruits and an Introduction to Arboreal Archeology

10:30 – 11:30 Grafting Clinics by local permaculturists – sign up at front table as you come in

12:00 – 1:00 Lunch for sale – Salsitas’ Organic Lunch

1:00 – 2:15 Class – Patrick Schafer: Grafting, Budding & Topworking Techniques & Strategies

2:15 – 3:30 Class – Seed Saving Basics by the local Seedsavers Linda MacElwee and Tom Melcher

Seed Exchange: Seeds from local growers with local seed savers on hand. Bring your own saved seeds to share. Glass jars are good. We supply free seed envelopes.

Scion Exchange: Free scions will be available all day, with local experts on hand. Please bring labeled scions of your favorite fruit trees – especially the gems that are proven here. New varieties and your own seedlings are also welcome. If you do not know the varietal name, just label with your name, phone, brief description. Best scions come from the lower portion of the longest and straightest new shoots. Cut scions 8-12” long and zip-bag them. Cuttings for rooting should be 12-18” long and bundled. Store them damp and cold on the north side of a building, or refrigerate. Cut dormant scions on nice January days rather than waiting until the last moment in this unpredictable season. Our dormancy period is short, so picking scions early is best.

Rootstock sales: We sell over 500 tree rootstocks of all major fruit types, for a few dollars each, selected for our climate and soil.

Plant share: everyone is welcome to use our venue to give away or swap plants. Due to Sudden Oak Death and other soil pathogens, please minimize the attached soil. Try to use soilless potting mixes if possible, or bring plants bare root, gently washing native soil off dormant plants.

Trees & plants & seeds for sale by local tree and seed companies, who are invited to come and sell. No charge to come as a vendor.

Food sales by local people: the Salsitas sells an inexpensive organic Mexican lunch, and the 6th grade science class sells beverages and snacks. Please bring your own plate, utensils, & cups. Utensil sets are also available for purchase.

The Boonville Winter Farmers' Market will be set up for sales too.

This workshop is co-sponsored by Anderson Valley Adult School and Anderson Valley Foodshed, with help from the Master Gardener Program of U.C. Cooperative Extension.

This is a free public event conceived by Mendocino Permaculture Society, as it has evolved over 32 years with a lot of help from our friends. Our costs are funded by rootstock sales and donations. There is no charge for admission, classes, seeds, cuttings, or scion wood.

We appreciate volunteers for various aspects of the event; also at noon on Friday the 30th to set up the tables and signs. Please pass on our email flyer to friends and e-bulletin boards. Our postcard flyer is also designed to post on good old-fashioned bulletin boards if you know one.

About the Boonville Fairgrounds venue. Classes will be in the dining hall. Scion and seed tables will be in the Library/Arts and Crafts Building. Rootstock sales, tree sales and plant exchange will be under the large roof around the library building. We are using only the front parking lot and street parking on Hwy 128 near the fairground entrance. Vehicles that arrive before 9 am will be allowed into the grounds to drop off plant material. The AV Community Library will not open for its regular hours. This is a rain or shine event: we have enough roof cover for all of us to be sheltered should the weather be rainy.

For more information please call Barbara/Rob at 707 895-3897 or Mark at 463-8672. Latest information can be found at http://www.mendocinolocalfood.org

See you there!

* * *

COPS ON PATROL IN UKIAH

ON FRIDAY 1/16/15 at about 648PM, Ukiah Police Department Officers were dispatched to a report of a possible kidnapping. Officers were advised that a witness had observed a group of juveniles place a person in the trunk of a car in the parking lot of Yokayo School (790 S. Dora St.) The vehicle was described as a white 2 door car, possibly a Mazda, with a large spoiler on the trunk. The vehicle was last seen Eastbound on W. Gobbi St. Officers searched the surrounding area for several minutes and located a vehicle matching the description near the intersection of South Oak Street and West Clay Street. At the time Officers located the vehicle it was seen going at excessive speeds and repeatedly rapidly braking. Officers initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle and quickly learned that it was in fact the correct vehicle. A male juvenile was found in the trunk of the vehicle and removed. After interviewing all of the occupants in the vehicle, including the driver, the juvenile in the trunk and the reporting party, Officers determined this was not as reported. Due to the nature of the call, observations made by Officers as to the way the vehicle was being driven with a juvenile in the trunk of the vehicle the juvenile driver was arrested for reckless driving.

Tillman
Tillman

ON SATURDAY 01/17/15, at about 453 PM, Ukiah Police Department Officers were dispatched to a residence in Ukiah to conduct a welfare check on a two year old juvenile. Upon Officers arrival they contacted 26 year old Richard Tillman, the father of the juvenile. Once Officers entered the residence they noticed an excessive amount of trash and empty aluminum beer cans scattered around the floors. The furnishings within the living area were covered in dirty clothes and trash. Also observed inside the residence was drug paraphernalia that was within easy reach of the juvenile. Upon inspecting the kitchen, Officers observed an excessive amount of trash, old moldy food sitting on the counter and food items that needed to be refrigerated were sitting out on the counter that were warm to the touch. No refrigerator was found along with minimal food for the child was found within the home. As Officers spoke with Tillman regarding these issues they noticed he displayed symptoms of recent drug use. Tillman was evaluated for being under the influence of a controlled substance and found to be in violation. Tillman was arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance and child endangerment.

Blackwell, Lua
Blackwell, Lua

ON WEDNESDAY 01/21/15, at about 306 PM, a Ukiah Police Department Officers were dispatched to the railroad tracks in the 200 block of East Gobbi Street regarding an intoxicated female subject who was partially naked. Upon Officers arrival they contacted 45 year old Erin Blackwell and 54 year old Saralee Lua both are known transients of the Ukiah area. Lua was found lying face down in a nearby ditch and was naked from the waist down. Both were found to be displaying symptoms of alcohol intoxication and were arrested for public intoxication.

* * *

BETSY CAWN OF LAKE COUNTY NOTES:

Top Stories - Half of California's Big Trees Are Gone - Ca – News

Appropos of Will Parrish's January 21, 2015, epistle relating the destruction of rainforests and the consequent devastation of life-giving atmospheric rivers, please note this report on California's tree losses:

http://www.allgov.com/usa/ca/news/top-stories/half-of-californias-big-trees-are-gone-150122?news=855447

* * *

MEASLES UPDATE IN MENDOCINO COUNTY

As of January 21, 2015, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) reported that there are 59 confirmed cases of measles in California residents. Additional suspected cases are under investigation. Eight additional cases have been confirmed in other states and Mexico. Twenty-eight of the 59 (47%) are known to have been unvaccinated.

Measles, also called rubeola, is a highly contagious respiratory infection that's caused by a virus. It causes a total-body skin rash and flu-like symptoms, including a fever, cough, and runny nose. Twenty million cases occur worldwide every year.

Measles is highly contagious - 90% of people who haven't been vaccinated for measles will get it if they live in the same household as an infected person. Measles is spread when someone comes in direct contact with infected droplets or when someone with measles sneezes or coughs and spreads virus droplets through the air. A person with measles is contagious from 1 to 2 days before symptoms start until about 4 days after the rash appears. Since measles is caused by a virus, there is no specific medical treatment, and the virus has to run its course. A child who is sick should be sure to receive plenty of fluids, rest and be kept from spreading the infection to others. Persons who think that they may have the measles should phone their primary care provider prior to going to the office.

Children with measles should be closely watched. In some cases, measles can lead to other complications, such as

otitis media (http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/otitis_media.html) (ear infection),

croup (http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/lung/croup.html),

diarrhea, pneumonia (http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/lung/pneumonia.html),

and encephalitis (http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/encephalitis.html) (a serious brain infection),

which may require antibiotics or hospitalization. The impact on teens and adults can also be particularly hard.

The most important thing you can do to protect kids from measles is to have them vaccinated according to the schedule prescribed by your doctor. The measles vaccine occasionally causes side effects in kids who don't have underlying health problems. The most common reactions are fever 6-12 days after vaccination (in about 5%-15% of children vaccinated) and a measles-like rash, which isn't contagious and fades on its own (in about about 5% of vaccinated children).

If someone is unsure if they received the second dose of the measles vaccine, they can receive a second dose without causing harm.

For more information, go to www.cdc.gov/measles to learn more.

* * *

BUT NO MEASLES IN MENDO. Yet. There are now quite an alarming number of young parents in the County who deliberately don't vaccinate their children, thus imperiling not only their own children but everyone else's. Broadly speaking, the non-vaccinators, informed by the internet, new home of the credulous, say that inoculations can cause autism, not that there's a shred of informed evidence they do any such thing. From the AVA’s perspective, the non-vaccinators are simply one more indicator of social collapse.

* * *

TAX PREPARERS BRACE TO BE BEARERS OF BAD HEALTH LAW NEWS

Kaiser Health News — January 21, 2015

by April Dembosky, KQED and Jeff Cohen, WNPR

IRS Commissioner John Koskinen declared this tax season one of the most complicated ever, and tax preparers from coast to coast are trying to get ready for the first year that the Affordable Care Act will show up on your tax form.

The penalty for being uninsured in 2014 is $95 or 1 percent of income, whichever is greater. Next year, it’s 2 percent. (Sue Ellen Smith of H&R Block in San Francisco) says the smartest move for people to avoid those penalties is to sign up for insurance before Feb. 15, the end of the health law’s open enrollment period.

But a lot of people may not think about this until they file their taxes in April. For them, it will be too late to sign up for health insurance and too late to do anything about next year’s penalty too, says Mark Steber, chief tax officer for Jackson Hewitt Tax Services.

http://kaiserhealthnews.org/news/tax-preparers-brace-to-be-bearers-of-bad-health-law-news/

HealthCare.gov <http://healthcare.gov/>: Fees and Exemptions https://www.healthcare.gov/fees-exemptions/fees-exemptions-overview/

* * *

Comment by Don McCanne

Many of those who decided to pay the $95 penalty instead of being insured in 2014 may be surprised to learn at tax time that the penalty at their income level is 1 percent of income over the tax filing threshold - roughly $300 for an individual with a $40,000 income. If they wait until April to file their taxes and still don’t have insurance, open enrollment for 2015 will have already ended and their penalty increases to 2 percent. A double surprise.

Actually it is much more complex than this. The link for “Fees and Exemptions,” above, describes other considerations such as what constitutes minimum essential coverage, numerous exemptions from the requirement to pay the penalty, specific hardship exemptions, the various application processes for exemptions, instructions on paying the “shared responsibility” penalty, and so forth.

This is only one of the multitude of unnecessary administrative complexities introduced by the Affordable Care Act, layered on top of the most administratively complex system in the world. Had we enacted a single payer national health program, we would have had a dramatic reduction in this administrative waste, with a recent study demonstrating that we could save about $375 billion simply by addressing our excessive billing and insurance-related functions. This doesn’t include the savings that we would realize by eliminating much of the other administrative excesses such as the one described here.

It’s never too late. We can still make the change to single payer.

* * *

PERSISTENCE

Hello all,

I am running for the at large seat for the KZYX Board of Directors again this year along with my friend Dennis O'Brien, a lawyer who has served on the Board of KMEC for many years. Together we are hoping to bring transparency, membership control (esp. of programming choices) and programmer syndication rights (as well as web based program distribution) to our only county wide community radio station.

Dennis and I are currently looking for a like minded citizen of Mendocino County to run with us from District 2 (the Ukiah area) in the hopes that, if elected, the three of us will have the leverage on the board to facilitate the changes we seek. If you are not currently a member, you must become one and then fill out the appropriate form found at KZYX.org by 1/30, so time is of the essence.

You are welcome to call me personally at 707-353-0469.

Thank you, Doug McKenty, Elk

* * *

INSIDER HIRING AT KZYX

Dear Stuart Campbell, MCPB Board Vice Chair:

I understand that you are coordinating our next Board meeting.

I have important news to report. The FCC just wrote to me in a letter dated January 15, 2015. Apparently, the FCC made a finding of fact that, indeed, as I alleged, the MCPB violated EEOC laws by hiring Paul Lambert in 2011 without posting or advertising the job.

MCPB has 15 days to respond to the finding...or we will lose our licenses.

The letter is addressed to MCPB legal counsel, Colin Black Andrews and Melodie Virtue, at Garvey, Schubert & Barer, and is signed by Peter H. Doyle, Chief, Audio Division, Media Bureau, at the FCC.

Sheila Dawn Tracy, Mary Massey, and the others who filed similar FCC complaints objecting to the renewal of MCPB's licenses pending a change in management, should also have a copy of the same letter I received

I would like to see this item placed on the agenda for our next Board meeting.

I have a second item I would like to see placed on the agenda.

Because I have been denied due process in the appeal of my suspension as a host and producer of a popular public affairs show of more than six years at KZYX and KZYZ due to a trumped up violation, I will soon be complaining to the Inspector General's Office of the CPB, as I have been encouraged to do by others at the CPB.

The gist of my complaint will be that I have been denied due process by MCPB Chair Eliane Herring's repeated insistence that my appeal can only be heard by MCPB General Manager, John Coate, and Program Director, Mary Aigner, when, in fact, my grievance is directed at Coate and Aigner.

I have suggested that my grievance be heard by the CPB Ombudsman, Joel Cohen, or another such objective, third-party upon which Coate, Aigner, and myself, and our respective attorneys, can mutually agree. I would also like to have my grievance hearing videotaped.

The important thing is that the person hearing my grievance be external to KZYX...someone fair and impartial.

Again, I will be making the case that I was removed from the air solely because I complained to the FCC in my capacity as a KZYX Board member and as former Board Treasurer.

My FCC complaint voiced my concerns about the following: misappropriation of funds (more than $10,000 stipulated for a Ukiah studio is missing); obfuscation of financial reporting (line items are not consistent across the station's three financial reports -- the GM's Annual Report, the IRS Returns, and the Audit); the frequent and predictable failure of the station's Korean War-era broadcast equipment; the failure of staff to be present on station premises during business hours; the failure of station management to comply with EEOC regulations; the failure by staff to disclosure staff salaries and other financial data; and the meddling in Board election by station management.

Again, Mr Campbell, I have two agenda items. One, the FCC letter. And, two, my impending complaint to the CPB regarding no due process for my grievance hearing as required and described in station's Policy Handbook.

I do not consider this letter a privileged communication, because I am its author and waive confidentiality. I strong believe MCPB Board business should be public business. We are, after all, a presumably public radio station. I strongly object to our current practice of secrecy in Board business.

Thank you.

John J. Sakowicz

MCPB Board of Directors (2013-2016), Board Treasurer (2014)

* * *

HELP SHAPE THE FUTURE OF MAIN STREET HOPLAND

The Mendocino Council of Governments is hosting a two-day series of community events on February 11 – 12 to develop ideas for improving conditions along U.S. Highway 101 (Redwood Highway) and State Route 175 (River Road) in Hopland. The focus will be on safety, access and mobility for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists, as well as opportunities for gateway, beautification and other treatments to enhance the town core. Community input will help identify a range of potential improvements along these central corridors. Everyone is invited and encouraged to participate.

The events will kick off with a Walking Assessment of the area on Wednesday, February 11 (4:00 –5:00 p.m.), beginning at the Brutocao Schoolhouse Plaza at 13500 S. Highway 101. During the walkabout, participants will observe conditions along the two roadways, and help determine where and how improvements can be made. (Please wear comfortable shoes.)

After the walk, a Community Workshop will be held at the Brutocao Schoolhouse Plaza from 5:15 to 8:00 p.m. Participants will become community designers as they craft their own solutions that build upon local assets and character. Share your ideas – and free food – with friends and neighbors.

Presentation of Initial Concepts: The following evening, Thursday, February 12, from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m., the project consultant team will review the input from Wednesday’s activities and present sketches and recommendations for discussion at the Brutocao Schoolhouse Plaza

Immediately following the Thursday night presentation and public feedback, Brutocao Cellars will sponsor a wine tasting reception to celebrate the community effort to help shape the future of Hopland.

The community input from these sessions will be incorporated into the final plan.

This planning effort is sponsored by the Mendocino Council of Governments, with support from a California Department of Transportation State Planning and Research (SP&R) Grant. The project consultant team is led by W-Trans, with Alta Planning + Design, Local Government Commission and GHD.

For more information: hoplandmainstreetstudy.com or contact Loretta Ellard at MCOG, 707-234-3434, lellard@dbcteam.net.

* * *

NORMA WATKINS passes along this link:

None so blind as those who will not see

https://normatalksaboutwriting.wordpress.com/

* * *

CITIZENS UNITED'S 5TH ANNIVERSARY,

Americans Decry Corporate Influence in Politics

On 5th Anniversary of Citizens United, Groups Nationwide Decry Corporate Influence in Politics. 'The Supreme Court, in its Citizens United decision, opened the floodgates, and our democracy is drowning,' says activist. y Deirdre Fulton

On the fifth anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision, which unleashed a scourge of dark money and unlimited corporate spending in U.S. elections, a coalition of reform-minded organizations gathered on Wednesday to promote several key pieces of legislation aimed at countering the influence of big money in politics.

In Washington, D.C., 15 members of Congress joined a diverse set of democracy groups to reintroduce measures including:

  • The Democracy for All Amendment, which provides Congress and the states with the authority to determine reasonable regulations on campaign financing and distinguish between natural persons and other artificial entities under campaign finance laws;
  • The DISCLOSE Act, which establishes a system of disclosure of campaign spending and the sources of those funds;
  • The Sunlight for Unaccountable Nonprofits Act, which makes public the donors who give more than $5,000 to tax-exempt groups that engage in election activities;
  • Various proposals geared toward empowering small donors and increasing political participation by matching public funds for small dollar contributions, such as the Government by the People Act, Empowering Citizens Act, and Fair Elections Now Act.

The growing support for such reform measures is reflected in a recently released 'Unity Statement of Principles' (pdf) signed by 130 organizations and endorsing policies that are "already working in many parts of the country to ensure a democracy where everyone participates and everyone's voice is heard; where everyone knows who is buying influence in our elections and government; and where politicians play by common sense rules and are held accountable with enforceable penalties to deter bad behavior."

Meanwhile, a 5th Anniversary rally and forum were planned to take place outside the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the biggest spender in the 2014 congressional elections among outside groups that do not disclose their contributors. Convened by a laundry list of progressive groups including 350.org, Jobs With Justice, and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, the forum featured U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), Jobs With Justice executive director Sarita Gupta, and Public Citizen president Robert Weissman, speaking on how the problem of big money-fueled elections impact people's daily lives.

Elsewhere, more than 60 events—film screenings, rallies, and protests—would take place around the country.

In Wisconsin, where 54 communities representing more than 2.4 million people have called for a 'We the People' amendment that would clarify for the Supreme Court and all Americans that money is not speech, and therefore, campaign spending can be regulated, the organization Money Out, Voters In (MOVI) held a morning press conference to mark the anniversary.

At the event, Wisconsin State Assemblywoman Lisa Subeck introduced a bill to create an advisory referendum on the November 2016 ballot asking whether Wisconsin’s congressional delegation should support, and the Wisconsin Legislature should ratify, an amendment to the U.S. Constitution stating that:

  1. Only human beings—not corporations, unions, nonprofit organizations, or similar associations—are endowed with constitutional rights; and
  2. Money is not speech, and therefore limiting political contributions and spending is not equivalent to restricting political speech.

"The Supreme Court, in its Citizens United decision, opened the floodgates, and our democracy is drowning," said Matt Rothschild, executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. "Here in Wisconsin, we’ve seen the consequences, as the Koch brothers, and Gogebic Taconite, and the school privatizers are throwing their weight around as never before."

Similarly, in New York, hundreds of activists planned to gather in the state capitol to urge the New York Legislature to make New York the 17th state to call for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United. New York came close last year with a majority of the Assembly and 28 state senators signing a letter to Congress calling for an amendment; so far, 20 local municipalities, representing nearly 10 million people, have voiced their support for an amendment, including New York City, Albany, and Buffalo.

In New Hampshire, a statehouse rally will be followed by the 'Granny D Gala,' named for late Doris Haddock, who walked over 3,200 miles across the continental United States to advocate for campaign finance reform in 1999 and 2000. The gala will feature activist Lawrence Lessig as keynote speaker.

Last week, a set of eight reports were released simultaneously, showing that Citizens United "opened the floodgates to big money influence in our democracy, giving special interests and the wealthy more control over our government and economy than they’ve enjoyed since the Gilded Age of the late 19th century," as Common Cause phrased it.

* * *

THE WHAT?

Bay Mendo Exchange Conference

Coming To Coast

From January 30th through Feb 1st, the Mendocino Coast will be the site of the Bay-Mendo Communal Exchange Gathering Conference. In part, the conference will help to connect musicians, artists, poets and creative people from the Bay Area with those based on the coast. The Bay-Mendo Communal Exchange Gathering will kick off efforts by an eclectic and diverse group of musicians, artists, poets and creative people to establish the Bay-Mendo Cultural Corridor. At this point we need to get down to the basics of organizing the weekend. We want to help people with transportation and lodging issues, and get as many Bay Area folks to attend as possible. We hope that this is the first of many similar events, and that we will have the momentum to begin to build the Bay Mendo Cultural corridor, which is the larger vision. To that end, we are also starting an FB group devoted to that larger project.

Please join at https://www.facebook.com/groups/411733552336734/

We hope that this is the first of many similar events, and that we will have the momentum to begin to build the Bay Mendo Cultural corridor, which is the larger vision. The Bay-Mendo Communal Exchange Gathering Conference will include a show, conference and get togethers sponsored by the Intergalactic Black Hippie Alliance, The Fall Mountain Music Collective, Rainshine Unlimited and others. The key event on Saturday evening will feature live music, DJ music, art, educational and promotional presentations and scmoozability. One of the goals of the conference is to include cultural sharing, and to celebrate diversity. Activities include tours of the local area and a Black History Beach Party on Sunday in Elk.

The conference is being organized by volunteers from the Mendocino Coast and the Bay Area. Community participation is welcomed. For more information contact Zappa Montag at 707.357.0073.

2 Comments

  1. Trelanie Hill January 24, 2015

    “Twenty-eight of the 59 (47%) are known to have been unvaccinated.”

    By my math I interpet the statistics to reveal 31 (53%) of the 59 were vaccinated.

    But then the article wasn’t presented in that way. Maybe we can find out why those vaccinated still contracted measles at the same rate as those that weren’t. That should be of interest to most of us. It would appear that vaccinations against measles in this small sample were useless. How exactly would one know if the vaccination helps?

    Confused,
    Jim Hill
    Potter Valley

  2. Jim Armstrong January 24, 2015

    Just after reading the bill for legal services above, I came across this in one of my other daily stops, The Omnificent English Dictionary in Linerick Form
    http://www.oedilf.com/db/Lim.php

    By Atticus Vere

    The enactors of all of our laws?
    Largely lawyers! — which should give us pause.
    Many bills they ordain,
    Both verbose and arcane,
    Are found wanting… and porous as gauze.

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