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VALLEY FIRE DECLARED FEDERAL DISASTER, only the fourth time in California fire history. Additional fatality discovered (see below). Size still at about 76,000 acres. Containment up to 82%. CalFire: “Firefighters continue to improve and hold existing lines while mopping up hot spots across the fire area. Rehabilitation is underway to restore the natural landscape that may have been altered during our initial firefighting efforts. The Valley Fire now ranks among the top three most destructive wildfires in California history. Damage assessments continue.”
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ON TUESDAY, September 22, 2015 at approximately 6:30pm, deputies and detectives from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and fire personnel were checking areas and conducting searches in the burn area of the Valley Fire. Human remains were located in the Cobb area. Identification of the decedent is being withheld until positive identification can be made. Based on the location and evidence found at the Cobb location, the remains are presumed to be those of Robert Taylor Fletcher. Fletcher was reported missing on September 16, 2015. If anyone has been unable to locate friends or family members since the Valley Fire, they are encouraged to contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office so a missing persons report can be made. Contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 263-2690. The Sheriff’s Office and all first responders express their condolences to those who have been affected by this disaster. We are hopeful that the fire does not claim any more lives. (Lake County Sheriff’s press release.)
COYOTE SCARE STORIES now appear regularly in the San Francisco Chronicle as the cunning creatures proliferate in The City. Pet owners tend to want the animals wiped out, and it is true that coyotes do occasionally attack Little Muffy, especially when LM is off leash and strays near a coyote birthing den. I've often seen coyotes on walks through the Presidio early in the morning, and one afternoon, hiking out to the Golden Gate, I was in the middle of a coyote attack on an off leash dog. I hollered, spun around in circles, waved my walking stick, and soon the two coyotes plunged back into the underbrush of their own volition. The dog was uninjured, his owner unperturbed. I expected her to at least thank me for my clownish rescue attempt, but she walked on, her dog still unleashed. He had probably come too close to baby coyotes.
I'M CERTAIN urban coyotes get plenty to eat. They regularly chow down on feral cats, and I've heard that sentimental anthromorphs leave food out for them. I know a lady in LA who leaves food out for coyotes. She says the beguiling varmints stop by regularly. And they are multiplying.
THE INGLESIDE TERRACE Neighborhood Association has hired Mary Paglieri, described as "a specialist in human-animal conflict who has prepared a plan to drive out the yipping invaders." She believes the drought has so reduced the primary prey of coyotes — mice and voles — that they have been forced to look for food in city neighborhoods. Maybe. But coyotes will eat anything, and there's food everywhere in the urban environment.
GET READY: 'SUPERMOON LUNAR ECLIPSE' ON SUNDAY!
It’s been three decades since the last one. Mark your calendars for Sept. 27. That's when scientists say a supermoon lunar eclipse will rule the sky for the first time in 30 years.
(Courtesy, MendocinoSportsPlus)
BEDROCK ON BASEBALL
AVA,
This is a letter I sent to Todd yesterday.
I didn't think it was polished or coherent enough to publish--even as a comment to his great article on the Giants and the Dodgers.
I hate what baseball has become: night games; American League games that routinely last over four hours--a double header at Yankee Stadium would usually be over in five or six hours! Stadia (?) that were built with little apartments so rich people can have sex if they wish during the game--this actually occurred and was televised in Toronto. The owners, like Charles Finley, becoming "stars." Brent Musburger and the "corporate announcers" with their damned ABC, CBS, or NBC labels. (I hate the Dodgers, but they have had the best baseball announcer in history for almost my entire life.)
But at one time, at one time baseball was an important part of my life. And the 1962 World Series, with my two favorite teams, and my favorite pitcher--who I had met in person one year earlier, was the zenith of my baseball life.
The nadir came in 1963. Misery, thy name is Koufax.
Louis Bedrock
Todd,
Elmora School 12 was the home to three of the world’s great religions. They were mutually exclusive and initiates of any one hated members of the other two with a passion.
I am of course speaking of the Yankee, Giant, and Dodger religions. I was somewhat of an exception. I was, and still am, a Yankee Fan. Because you are my friend, I will make no allusion to our 27 World Series championships, or to our victory over the wonderful Giant team in 1962 in the greatest world series ever played.
However, I loved the Giants. Their fans hated the Dodgers too. And their players were wonderful and had amazing names: Johnny Antonelli, Dusty Rhodes, Red Schoendienst, Whitey Lockman, and an outfielder named Willie Something who was second in skills only to Mickey Mantle.
When the Giants and Dodgers moved to another country in 1957, I was heartbroken. I used to listen to a sportscaster named Les Keider reconstruct Giant games from a city in South America called San Francisco.
I started watching Philly games to keep up my National League Jones. They were pretty boring, but had this big rookie pitcher who was a Dodger killer and who became my hero. His name was Jack Sanford.
When he was traded to the Giants, I lost all interest in the pathetic perennial loser Phillies, and the Giants, who had this kid from another Latin American country named Juan Marichal, became my national league team—despite that treacherous, evil son of a whore owner of theirs, Horace Stoneham.
When the Yankees won that 1962 series, it was a bittersweet victory. My favorite pitcher in baseball pitched heroically against one of the greatest lineups in baseball — and lost 1-0. I refer, of course, to Jack Sanford. I forget how Marichal did, but believe he also acquitted himself well in the series.
1963 was the worst year of my life. It was somewhat redeemed when Marichal nearly took off Johnny Roseboro’s head with a baseball bat. I really hated the Dodgers: especially Maury Wills.
I met Jack Sanford at Forbes Field in 1961. After a great night of Dodgers vs Pirates, the Giants came to Forbes Field.
Dodger game: Pitching mismatch of the century — Pirate rookie Earl Francis vs. Sandy Fucking Koufax. What a fastball that sonofabitch had — it jumped up and in just before it crossed the strike zone. Un-fucking-hittable. But Pirates win with a rally in the bottom of the eight fueled by hits by a guy named Roberto Clemente and the kid pitcher Francis: Final score 3-1.
Before the game with the Giants the following night, Clemente takes the pen out of my shirt pocket to sign an autograph for an old lady fan, and a newspaper photographer takes a photo of the three of us. No, I do not still have the photo. Damn.
A groundskeeper for the Pirates fetches Jack Sanford. He talks to me for ten minutes with his huge hand on my shoulder. He signs my hat and scorecard. Don’t have them either. Real nice man. Your mention of him in last week’s article brings back a lot of great memories.
I did not mind the Giants winning three World Series at all. Wish at least one had come against the goddamned Red Sox who are only slightly less evil than the goddamned Dodgers.
Be well, Todd.
Louis Bedrock, Roselle, New Jersey
7 ON YOUR SIDE TAKES CRITICISM OF RED CROSS TO LOCAL CEO
After hearing complaints about the Red Cross' handling of donations, 7 On Your Side's Michael Finney sat down with the local Red Cross CEO.
http://abc7news.com/news/7-on-your-side-takes-criticism-of-red-cross-to-local-ceo/997497/
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- People in the Bay Area have donated tens of thousands of dollars to the American Red Cross following the devastation of the Valley Fire in the North Bay. But with that money, comes criticism over how the organization has handled the relief effort. 7 On Your Side received dozens of emails and messages on my Facebook page and on Twitter from people upset with the Red Cross response and questioning how the donations would be spent. We took several of those messages to Bay Area Red Cross CEO Trevor Riggin, who was in Middletown, to see what he had to say.
Finney: "Ryan G. says, 'They keep the majority of the money.' Jim Y. says, 'He's heard reports that only 8% of the donations go to programs and services.' I looked up Charity Navigator and they say a tad over 90% goes to goods and services. What are the facts?"
Riggin: "For the Red Cross as a whole, an average of 91 cents of every dollar spent is going to our services in the community and it will be the same for this disaster."
Those writing to me are also concerned on where that money is being spent.
"We are committed that any money that is designated to be spent on California wildfires, will be spent in supporting the wildfires here in California," Riggin said.
Another issue voiced in social media was Red Cross' rejection of volunteers and material donations.
Finney: "Kim M. says, 'Ask Red Cross why they're returning away donations left and right? They won't let anyone drop off donations at their fire sites."
Riggin: "So, we have changed that. So obviously we did put that messaging out and I think that fell into the category of we didn't have the right communication, the right coordination going on, especially at the fairgrounds."
The Red Cross admits it failed to build partnerships before the disaster occurred.
"Over the last several days, we've worked with the county and the fairgrounds to identify a partner - the center for volunteer and non-profit leadership is now taking a leadership role," Riggin said.
For instance, the Red Cross doesn't take donations of physical goods like blankets, but instead tries to partner with other charities that do. It is also pointed out that Red Cross is accused of having problems, not just at the Valley Fire, but around the country and around the world.
Finney: "Why is it that every time there is a major disaster, it seems like the Red Cross ends up in a major scandal? Hurricane Sandy a most recent one. Trucks -- you guys are accused of driving trucks around for PR purposes and not delivering goods. Haiti -- accused of wasting tens of millions of dollars. In San Francisco after the 1989 quake -- the mayor had to threaten to sue to get some of the money he felt that had been raised in quake victim's names. Why the history?"
Riggin: "So some of those past disasters, there's inaccuracies in those reports. But in every big disaster, there are huge challenges, they're disasters, there are struggles to meet the needs of enormous populations."
When given an opportunity, what Riggin really wanted to talk about was his volunteers. He said, "Our volunteers are just incredibly dedicated and they're working just amazing hours, they're working 14, 16 hours a day tirelessly, looking for opportunities to serve."
We asked about the salary for the organization's CEO. According to Charity Navigator records, you'll see president and CEO of the American Red Cross, Gail McGovern, made $562,000 last year. Many viewers also asked us about this, so we asked Riggin. He said that figure is about right and said it was normal for an organization of this size.
TRANSPARENCY only a click away? The Supes announced yesterday that a new website called NextRequest will make public documents available on-line via a public records request. Of course requests for sensitive docs will still be routed through the County's jive County Counsel's office, meaning the County CEO will continue to have the final say in what the Great Unwashed can or can not see. NextRequest is supposed to be up and running by the end of October. A video about the new website can be found at www.nextrequest.com/#video.
SUNSET AT MENDO COVE
(Photo, courtesy Susie de Castro)
HONER DOES NOT BUY LOCAL
Editor,
I read with interest your article about the Mendocino Historical Review Board's Historic Preservation Award that was given to Tom Honer for his solar panel installation at Harvest at Mendosa's. One important fact that was left out is Mr. Honer went out of county to hire a solar contractor. Mendocino Solar, who did such a great job on my system and pay their employees well, is more than capable. So much for shopping local huh Tom?
Don Cruser
Mendocino
JAMES MARMON WRITES:
Mr. Anderson
I am so pleased that Betsy Cawn and I were able to come together. If it wasn’t for her reading my comments in the AVA she would have never sought me out like she did. I’ve been disconnected from the Lake County community and government since 2001. Even though I owned a house in Lake County, most my energy and efforts have been focused on Mendocino and Del Norte Counties, hoping my work would creep into Lake someday. I signed an agreement with Lake County in 2001 that I would never seek employment with the county again. I filed a sexual discrimination claim with the EEOC and they were found culpable. I was one of 3 male mental health specialists working there at that time. They were assigning all the dangerous cases to men with no additional compensation. I had experience at working in inpatient mental health facilities and level 14 group homes where I received Professional Assault Response Training (PART). I was more physically superior than most the women so I could pretty much take care of myself, but I was not entirely happy with being forced to be the hero all the time. You wouldn’t believe the crap I was being sent out to. Everyone got paid the same though. The men got all the dirty roads and women got all the paved neighborhoods where it was safe. I was going into places where I wouldn’t even gone into when I was drinking and using drugs, these were some bad places. As an result of my claim, I got the County to stop sending specialists out alone, and they started giving women more specialized training in self defense as well. Unfortunately according to my sources, they have reverted back to their old ways. I hope no one gets hurt.
Betsy Cawn’s energy has rejuvenated me, she has even offered me the opportunity to speak on her radio show. I now plan on going to Lake County Board of Supervisors meetings and speaking out. Supervisor’s Farrington, Brown, and Smith are not going to be happy with that, they hate my guts. We spent 3 days together in my termination hearing. As a result of my EEOC actions, a woman brought a grievance against me claiming that I intentionally knocked her to the floor one day. Several month’s earlier I was called to the reception counter and was told that I was being asked to rush to the Courthouse concerning a conservatorship hearing. I had forgotten about the hearing and knew the judge was going to be mad. I rushed around the corner and ran smack dab into this female worker from another office. I hit her hard and knocked her flat to the ground. I was sorry but felt she was wrong side of the road anyway, working in a office with halls you never walk out of your lane. Several women gathered around her and helped her to her feet and I apologized and scurried off on my way. Only after I filed my EEOC claim did this lady file her grievance. At my termination hearing two or three women testified they saw the incident and that they too felt physically threatened by me. I argued motive, but the Board wouldn’t hear it. I didn’t even know this person. My office mate, a 4’6’’ Pilipino woman who was a licensed therapist testified in my behalf. The two of us had been sharing a small office for months. She told the board that I was a big teddy bear and that I didn’t scare her at the least.
Here’s my problem, I have long hair, a beard, tattoos, and weigh 260 pounds. Any day that it isn’t raining I ride my Harley to work. I guess I do look dangerous. I’ve been seen with Hells Angels and attended several Hells Angels funerals and anniversary parties. I even grew up with a former member who attended my brother’s funeral. The rumors spread among both Lake and Mendocino counties. Even though I do not belong to any group, church or association, rumors were still spread. I even quit paying dues to the National Social Workers Association, I am such an independent. I was a biker long before I was a social worker, and my appearance has helped me deal with my clients more effectively. I’ve never had a client file a grievance or complain about me. After they get through the shock of who was knocking at their door they quickly acknowledged that I was pretty much a nice guy who really understood and wanted to help them. A few may have straightened up just by the sight of me, but who knows? I’m definitely not your typical government type. My appearance works for me out in the field and keeps me safe, but does not do me well in the office. I am loud and opinionated, I don’t look civilized I guess, even in a suit and tie. It’s like putting lipstick on a pig. My appearance effects my credibility and I’m always left out of the decision making and planning process, no reindeer games for me. It doesn’t matter if I’m the most qualified and/or experienced person in the room, administration and management and others don’t respect me. I don’t look like one of your typical nice guys. Who in the world would want an employee who looked like me?
When AJ Barrett and Bryan Lowery, each barely 5 foot tall, testified that they felt physically threatened by me at my State Personnel Board hearing, the Administrative Judge took one look at me and found me guilty, there went my job.
When Bryan Lowery, Stacey Cryer, and Carmel Angelo testified in Mendocino County Superior Court that they were afraid of me, there went my career. Now I am unemployable with that workplace violence restraining order on my record. They are mean spirited people and will stoop to the lowest level possible to destroy anyone who gets in their way.
Up until this mess, I had passed every employment background check ever needed to work with families and children. I was once even an adoptions worker. I even used to work in the schools. One time I was assigned to be a classroom social worker in Jaime Escalante’s math program after he moved to Sacramento and became a special advisor for the Governor. We worked with some pretty tough kids at that academy. If anyone has ever seen the movie “Stand and Deliver” starring James Olmos, they would know who Jamie was, James Olmos played him perfectly. What a great man and I am proud to have worked with him. Over the years I have rescued hundreds of children from abusive homes or made lives better for them in their own. All the way back to when I was a outreach crisis worker for the Mendocino County Youth Project in 1993. As I pledged to Angelo, Cryer, and Lowery, “I will never give up and I will do everything legally possible to clear my name,” and that means in Lake County as well. I refuse to be a victim.
By the way, a few years later after I knocked that poor lady down in the hallway at Lake County Mental Health, I ran into her again at a local convenience store. This time it wasn’t physical. She walked up to me and started crying. She said she wanted to apologize for what she had done to me. She said that her female supervisor and co-workers talked her into to filing the grievance against me. She said that she was new at the department and just wanted to fit in. Then she went on to tell me what they did to her. It should be noted, that there was never even a police report filed of the incident and I was extremely shocked when they terminated me for it. My position was civil service so the State did not hear my case, just the Board of Supervisors.
I should have never demanded that they pay me hazardless pay or assign cases fair and equitably. Anyway, they got rid of that asshole James Marmon.
Publish this if you want, especially if you think it’s of public concern. I actually think that I am needed in both Lake and Mendocino Counties and that I can still contribute to both communities in some capacity.
James Marmon, MSW, (aka, Mr. Negative)
SEVERAL MONTHS AGO the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office began receiving information about a marijuana cultivation operation being established by the Pinoleville Pomo Nation Tribe in Ukiah. Since that time personnel from the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office had numerous contacts with representatives from the tribe concerning why the operation was being established. During those contacts it was determined the operation was utilizing open land located at 650 Pinoleville Road and a building at 2150 North State Street both being locations in Ukiah. Several aerial over-flights of 650 Pinoleville Road were conducted within the last two months showing approximately 400 growing marijuana plants at that location.
On Friday, September, 18, 2015 Mendocino County Sheriff's Office Deputies were called to 2150 North State Street due to the activation of a burglary alarm. Upon arrival Deputies contacted several individuals who were transporting cut marijuana plants from 650 Pinoleville Road to the building. These individuals identified themselves as being employed by the Pinoleville Pomo Nation Tribe.
On Tuesday, September, 22, 2015 the County of Mendocino Marijuana Eradication Team obtained search warrants for 650 Pinoleville Road and 2150 North State Street. Each search warrant was subsequently served and 382 growing marijuana plants were eradicated from 650 Pinoleville Road. Investigators noticed several marijuana plants had already been harvested from the location. During the search of the building at 2150 North State Street a sophisticated honey oil chemical extraction laboratory was discovered in addition to over 100 pounds of trimmed/processed marijuana. No individuals were present at both locations when the search warrants were served and investigations are on-going at this time. In 1953 Public Law 280 mandated a substantial transfer of jurisdiction from the federal government to the state level in California as to situations occurring on Indian Country. As a result, The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office is mandated to assume jurisdiction on Indian Country located in the unincorporated areas of Mendocino County and to enforce California state laws including Cultivation of Marijuana, Possession of Marijuana for sale, and conduct of a Narcotics Lab.
ANOTHER GENIUS DOPE TRANSPORTER — On Saturday, September 19, 2015 at approximately 09:25 PM a Mendocino County Sheriff’s Deputy K-9 handler conducted a traffic enforcement stop on a speeding vehicle traveling southbound on Highway 101 near mile post marker 32 in Redwood Valley, California. When the Deputy contacted the sole occupant, Trinity Brickey, 37, of Willow Creek, California, the Deputy detected the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. The Deputy utilized his K-9 partner "Doc” who is trained to detect the odor of controlled substances and "Doc" alerted to the rear of the vehicle. A search of the vehicle was conducted and approximately 54 pounds of processed marijuana was located inside the vehicle’s trunk. Brickey was booked into the Mendocino County Jail for Transportation or marijuana and was to be held in lieu of $50,000 bail.
* * *
TWO MORE GENIUSES — On Saturday, September 19-2015 at approximately 12:49 AM a Mendocino County Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic enforcement stop on a speeding vehicle traveling southbound on Highway 101 in the 7600 block of North Highway 101 in Redwood Valley, California. When the Deputy contacted the occupants, Robert Mandato, 39, of Stony Point New York (driver) and Richar Henriquez (passenger), 43, of Denver, Colorado, the Deputy detected the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. A Mendocino County Sheriff's K-9 handler Deputy arrived on scene to assist and utilized his K-9 partner "Doc” who alerted on the rear of the vehicle. A search of the vehicle was conducted and approximately 22 pounds of processed marijuana was located inside the vehicle’s trunk. Additionally, approximately $60,000 in US currency was located as well. Mandato and Richar were arrested and booked into the Mendocino County Jail for Transportation of marijuana, Possession for sale-marijuana, and conspriacy to commit any crime, and were to be separately held in lieu of $50,000 bail.
* * *
WAAAAAH! BETHANY PINCHED ME! — On Sunday, September 20-2015 at approximately 6:20 PM, Deputies from the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to the Wildwood Campground in Fort Bragg, California to investigate a reported domestic dispute. The investigation revealed that Bethany Pacheco, 24, of Fort Bragg, had vandalized a mirror from a car belonging to her 29 year old Fort Bragg boyfriend and that she also pinched the backside of his arm causing visible bruising. Pacheco was on Mendocino County probation for a previous theft related offense. Pacheco was arrested for domestic violence battery and violation of probation. Pacheco was booked into to the Mendocino County Jail where she was to be held in lieu of $30,000 bail.
* * *
ON TUESDAY September 22, 2015 at 12:00 PM, Mendocino County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to the 700 block of Pinoleville Drive in Ukiah, California for a reported stabbing. Responding Deputies were advised the suspect, Victor Lopez, 32, of Ukiah, had left the location in a purple car and may have been armed with a firearm. As Deputies got close to the location they observed the vehicle leaving the area. Deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle but the vehicle took them on a high speed chase southbound on North State Street to southbound Highway 101. The vehicle eventually stopped at the Perkins Street exit from Highway 101, with Lopez fleeing on foot while leaving two female adults inside the vehicle. Deputies subsequently located and arrested Lopez near the 200 block of North Orchard Street. Inside the vehicle the Deputies located body armor and a firearm. A knife witnessed to be discarded by Lopez was found near where he was located and arrested. Lopez was determined to have an active arrest warrant for a parole violation. During a subsequent investigation Deputies discovered that Lopez and Alexander Jackson, 32, of Ukiah, were involved in a physical altercation prior to the vehicle pursuit. During the altercation Jackson was stabbed by Lopez in the head causing a minor non-life threatening injury. Lopez was booked into the Mendocino County Jail for charges of assault with a deadly weapon, vehicular evading, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of body armor, resisting arrest and on the parole violation arrest warrant. Lopez was to be held on a No Bail status. Jackson was booked into the Mendocino County Jail on an active No Cite misdemeanor arrest warrant from Lake County for possession of a controlled substance. Jackson was to be held in lieu of $10,000 bail.
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ON SATURDAY, September 19-2015 at approximately 11:16 PM, Deputies from the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to a citizen's report of breaking glass at June Marie's Western Wear store in Covelo. Despite being nearby at the time of the call, the Deputies arrived to find a large glass window near the front door shattered by a large rock and the suspect(s) already gone. The Deputies reviewed surveillance video which showed a male suspect with a heavy build and very bushy shoulder-length hair enter through the window opening. Upon entry the suspect shattered a glass display case and fled quickly with the contents of the display case. The stolen items were mostly inexpensive items of jewelry. The Deputies noticed the presence of blood on the floor and on the display case suggesting the suspect had cut himself on broken glass. While one Deputy processed the crime scene, their partner began to canvass the neighborhood. The following night Deputies were patrolling Covelo and noticed a person matching the description of the suspect. Deputies contacted the person who was identified as Daric Pardo, 28, of Ukiah, and determined he had been responsible for the burglary. Pardo was arrested for burglary, vandalism, possession of burglary tools and violation of probation. Four pieces of jewelry stolen from the display case were recovered from Pardo’s clothing. Pardo was transported to the Mendocino County Jail where he was to be held in lieu of $20,000 bail.
WARRANT WEDNESDAY!
Shae Morris is wanted on a $25,000 felony warrant for Obstructing/Resisting Arrest and Possession of a Controlled Substance.
Height: 5' 6"
Age: 42 years old
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Weight: 200 lbs
If you have any information regarding his location, please call MCSO Dispatch at (707) 463-4086.
CATCH OF THE DAY, September 23 2015
ABEL AGUADO, Ukiah. Petty theft, illegal camping, impersonation of another, false ID, probation revocation.
MARTIN BALL, Ukiah. Probation revocation.
MICHELE BRIGANDO, Ukiah. Drunk in public.
CLARENCE CHRISTIAN, Ukiah. Domestic assault, child endangerment.
MICHAEL GAMA, Ukiah. DUI-suspended license.
JAVIER GARCIA, Willits. Assault with deadly weapon not a gun, battery on peace officer, petty theft, loitering.
DILLON MCAMOIL, Sacramento/Ukiah. Stalking, petty theft, false imprisonment.
JESUS MEDINA-VALENCIA, Santa Rosa/Ukiah. Ex-felon with firearm.
JOHN VARNEY, Ukiah. Drunk in public, probation revocation.
ON LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY
Where I live (medium size southern city) there are two areas that have changed the paradigm of the “neighborhood” around here. Both are 5-6 blocks long with the street lined with small shops. There are very few chain stores – and most are locally owned. Everything from gifts, to clothing stores, restaurants, and small grocers. At the end of each street there is an elementary school and at the other end a middle school and high school. There are churches and and offices too. But on the streets behind these main streets are flourishing middle income homes and town homes. Some are large homes selling for a half million or so but most are modest 3 bedroom, 2 bath homes. Everything is in walking distance. There are also parks, sidewalks and the streets are well lit. People walk everywhere. I don’t live in either of these areas but I wish I did. It’s hard to find an affordable home (for me) because they don’t come up for sale very often. The days of the big box stores are definitely ending (unless you need an appliance).
NEW YORK YANKEES BASEBALL LEGEND YOGI BERRA DIES, AGED 90
Yogi Berra, baseball's Hall of Fame catcher renowned as much for his dizzying malapropisms as his record 10 World Series championships with the New York Yankees, has died. He was 90.
Berra died of natural causes on Tuesday at his home in New Jersey, according to Dave Kaplan, the director of the Yogi Berra Museum.
"While we mourn the loss of our father, grandfather and great-grandfather, we know he is at peace with Mom," Berra's family said in a statement released by the museum. "We celebrate his remarkable life, and are thankful he meant so much to so many. He will truly be missed."
Short, squat and with a homely face, Berra was a legendary Yankee who helped the team reach 14 World Series during his 18 seasons in the Bronx.
Berra played in more World Series games than any other Major League Baseball player, and was a three-time American League Most Valuable Player.
But his name appears almost as often in Bartlett's Famous Quotations as it does in baseball's record book. "It ain't over till it's over" is among eight "Yogi-isms'" included in Bartlett's.
"When I'm sittin' down to dinner with the family, stuff just pops out. And they'll say, 'Dad, you just said another one.' And I don't even know what the heck I said," Berra insisted.
Berra played for the Yankees from 1949-65. His teammates included fellow Hall of Famers Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford.
In 1956, he caught the only perfect game in World Series history and after the last out leaped into pitcher Don Larsen's arms. The famous moment was captured in photographs published in newspapers around the world.
After his playing days, Berra coached or managed the Yankees, New York Mets and Houston Astros. He led both the Yankees and Mets to pennants.
In 1985, his firing as manager by the Yankees 16 games into the season sparked a feud with owner George Steinbrenner. Berra vowed never to return to Yankee Stadium as long was Steinbrenner owned the team.
But in 1999, Berra finally relented, throwing out the ceremonial first pitch of the Yankees' season-opening game.
Berra, the son of Italian immigrants, got his nickname while growing up in St. Louis. Among his amateur baseball teammates was Jack McGuire, another future MLB player.
"Some of us went to a movie with a yogi in it and afterwards Jack began calling me Yogi. It stuck,"' Berra told the Saturday Evening Post.
He was a fan favourite, especially with children, and the cartoon character Yogi Bear was named after him.
Berra, who played in 15 straight MLB All-Star Games, never earned more than US$65,000 a season.
Growing up, he was anything but a natural.
Chunky and slow, Berra was rejected by his hometown St. Louis Cardinals after a tryout in 1943. But a Yankee scout recognised his potential and signed him.
He reached the major leagues late in the 1946 season and homered in his first at-bat. The next year, he continued to hit well, but his throwing was so erratic he was shifted to the outfield, then benched.
His breakthrough season came in 1948, when he hit .315 with 14 homers and 98 RBIs while continuing to improve his fielding. In 1949, he compiled a .989 fielding percentage and did not make an error in the All-Star Game or World Series.
"I don't care who the hitter is," New York manager Casey Stengel told the New York Journal-American. "(Berra) knows just how he should be pitched to."
Berra was American League's Most Valuable Player in 1951, 1954 and 1955. He holds World Series records for most hits (71) and most games (75).
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972.
"You never think of that when you're a kid," Berra said. ``But egads, you gotta be somethin' to get in."
Berra married his wife, Carmen, in 1949. The couple, who met in St. Louis, had three sons, including Dale Berra, who played in the major leagues as an infielder.
His wife once asked Berra where he wanted to be buried, in St Louis, New York or Montclair.
"I don't know," he said. "Why don't you surprise me?"
Here are some of Berra's famous quotes:
- On his approach to at-bats: "You can't think and hit at the same time."
- On selecting a restaurant: "Nobody goes there any more. It's too crowded."
- On economics: "A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore."
- On the 1973 Mets: "We were overwhelming underdogs."
- On how events sometimes seem to repeat themselves "It's deja vu all over again!"'
- On baseball attendance: "If people don't come to the ballpark, how are you gonna stop them?"
- On a slipping batting average: "Slump? I ain't in no slump. ... I just ain't hitting."
- On travel directions: "When you come to a fork in the road take it."
- On pre-game rest: "I usually take a two-hour nap from 1 to 4."
- On battling the shadows in left field at Yankee Stadium: "It gets late early out there."
- On fan mail: "Never answer an anonymous letter."
- On being told he looked cool: "You don't look so hot yourself."
- On being asked what time it was: "You mean now?"
- On being given a day in his honour: "Thank you for making this day necessary."
- On a spring training drill: "Pair off in threes."
- On his approach to playing baseball: "Baseball is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical."
- On death: "Always go to other people's funerals. Otherwise they won't go to yours."
- On learning: "You can observe a lot by watching."
- On his team's diminishing pennant chances: "It ain't over till it's over."
- On the fractured syntax attributed to him: "I really didn't say everything I said."
(Courtesy, the Associated Press)
LOS ANGELES PUTS $100 MILLION INTO HELPING HOMELESS
CHICO POLICE MAP POINTS TO CHICO AS DESTINATION FOR HOMELESS
FUNDING NOW AVAILABLE FOR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH THE MENDOCINO COUNTY COMMUNITY BENEFIT FUND
As part of the FY 2015-16 Final Budget, the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors set aside a total of $250,000 in funding intended for support of community organizations. The source of the funding is from one-time money, or fund balance from previous years, and does not constitute an obligation for on-going programs in future years. Currently there is $186,000 available to assist community organizations and government agencies.
Eligible entities are other government agencies or local non-profit organizations that provide a community benefit. For profit entities are not eligible for funding from the Community Benefit Fund. Additional information and applications are available in the Executive Office or online at www.mendocino.ca.us/bos .
Applications for funding must be submitted to the Executive Office no later than 5:00 p.m. on October 16, 2015.
Carmel J. Angelo, Chief Executive Officer
‘REGULATORY CAPTURE’ IN BERKELEY
Becky O'Malley has a message in her editorial on regulatory capture in the Berkeley Daily Planet from U.C. physicist James McFadden, an opponent of the Harold Way project. Sounds like the way meetings are conducted here in San Francisco:
Having spent many an evening over the last 9 months at City Council, ZAB, LPC, and School Board meetings, I'm finally starting to recognize ‘industry capture’ of both staff and the council/board/committee members. Although many people are quick to assume that capture means corruption, they really are different things.
Capture is more of an aligning of economic world views, not necessarily to any monetary advantage, often just to make one's job easier or more pleasant in dealing with people on a day to day basis (perhaps like the Stockholm syndrome). It entails adapting views that parallel industry's views which are clearly shaped by profit motive.
Captured individuals don't necessarily have an economic conflict of interest. They don't see their behavior as incorrect. They have forgotten that their role is to provide oversight and protection to the public on these public-private deals, and instead see their role as making sure the deal gets done. Their public meetings evolve into patronizing facades of democracy.
Captured staff and government officials suffer from wishful blindness rather than corruption per se. For the most part, capture is about creating a pleasant working environment with those in industry who they deal with on a daily basis. It is a slow and insidious process that strikes at the heart of human psychology that allows us to work in groups. The more time you spend with someone, the more likely you are to mirror their behavior—especially when the industry hires shills who continually flatter staff and boards/committees. When we-the-public show up and complain, we become the opponent to be ignored.
A telling sign of capture is an inability of staff to answer direct questions in a public forum, questions they should have answers for. This happened several times during the ZAB [Thursday] night. Staff instead must go outside and get the answers from industry—or just stonewall—or just present the industry talking points outside of public view.
Capture also manifests in the actions of the members of boards/councils/committees who are supposed to provide oversight, but instead seem more concerned with time and process. They often spend their time praising staff or justifying their poor performance, or worse yet praising the industry over which they are supposed to provide oversight. I was particularly struck by [ZAB Chair Prakash] Pinto's behavior at [Thursday] night’s ZAB.
The meeting becomes a dance of false empowerment where getting through the meeting on time is more important than focusing on important issues or input from the public.
— Rob Anderson (Courtesy, District5Diary)
WAITING FOR COLLAPSE: USA DEBT BOMBS BURSTING
by William Edstrom
It’s been so easy the past 15 years for local governments in the USA, state governments, government authorities, corporations, banks, hedge funds and the US Federal government to simply say how many millions, billions or trillions of dollars they wanted, pay some high priced call accountants to fill out some paperwork with fine print and voila, millions, billions and trillions of dollars in borrowed money simply appeared. It has been that easy!
Now, the government in the USA owes $46 trillion, US corporations owe $15 trillion, US individuals owe $13 trillion plus there are $315 trillion in outstanding Wall Street derivatives. (Few Americans know what a derivative is, but we as a nation are on the hook for up to $315 trillion in additional debt because of these derivatives.) These debt figures continue to escalate with each passing month.
Detroit and Puerto Rico have only just begun the debt bombs bursting in the USA, the USA’s slow motion economic collapse. Who’s next? I’m going to tell you about some US local and state governments that have too much debt and are ripe for debt collapse along with a few US government authorities and corporations that borrowed too much money and are also ripe for debt collapse.
Mr. Dudley of the New York Federal Reserve Bank recently warned of a wave of US municipal debt collapses coming soon. The problem is bigger than solely US municipalities as Mr. Dudley no doubt is aware. Chicago or LA, which one is more likely to collapse first? Chicago. Kanakee County IL or Perry County KY? Kanakee County is more likely to go belly up first. Atlantic City (AC) or Yonkers? AC is more likely to bite the dust first. 1 out of 25 states are ready to collapse within months, as are 1 out of 20 US cities, 1 out of 15 US government authorities and 1 out of 7 US corporations. Within a few years, many US cities, counties, authorities, states and corporations will have debt collapsed, before the USA as a nation debt collapses. A tsunami of debt collapses is hitting the USA. The causes are government officials and corporate executives who borrowed too much easy money plus Wall Street bankers and hedge fund vultures who lent too much easy money.
Besides city, county and state collapses, there will also be school debt collapses, hospital debt collapses, government authority debt collapses, individual bankruptcies, corporate debt collapses and finally the nationwide debt collapse of the USA. If change cannot be brought about fast – like increasing revenue (e.g. raising taxes on the rich) or cutting spending (e.g. ending endless war, cutting military/intel spending) or both – then, the best way forward may be to evacuate. Get away from the places about to collapse as quickly as you can. If you find your home is burning to the ground, as I discovered one Sunday evening in New York City in the Summer of 2011, what are you going to do? Evacuate.
Much of the data about which collapses are forecast to come first, second, third and so forth are from financial data, spreadsheets, credit ratings, revenue vs. debt calculations and the like. These are projections, they are not cast in stone. Any corporation, any individual, any part of government in the USA can stop borrowing too much money and can start paying off the debts they owe anytime they feel like it.
Most likely to be first up to collapse are some US cities like Atlantic City NJ, Chicago IL, Newark NJ and Paterson NJ. If you’ve studied cost accounting at a graduate level, did cost accounting work and you look at publicly available financial data from these cities, it’s like looking at nightmare on main street parts I, II, III and IV about to happen.
The next set of cities most likely to collapse include: Arkansas City KS, Asbury Park NJ, Brownwood TX, Coralville IA, Fairfield IA, La Feria TX, Lockport NY, Maple Heights OH, North Las Vegas NV, Philadephia PA and Poughkeepsie NY.
US cities most likely to collapse next include: Baltimore MD, East Pennsboro PA, Erie PA, Houston TX, Jersey City NJ, Kearny NJ, New Orleans LA, Union City NJ and Yonkers NY. Most likely to be followed by: Bristol VA, Buffalo NY, Carroll IA, Central Falls RI, Eastlake OH, East Chicago IN, Los Angeles CA, Monessen PA, Niles OH, Orlando FL, Phoenix AZ, Pittsburgh PA, Providence RI, Robstown TX, Taylor MI, Toledo OH, Tulare CA, Two Rivers WI, Washington DC, West Haven CT, Williston ND and Woonsocket RI.
Counties most likely to collapse first include Kanakee County IL and Perry County KY. BASF’s decision, in September 2015, to close their nylon and epoxy unit at their Kanakee IL factory is yet another accelerant to the debt collapse of Kanakee County IL. Most likely to be followed by the economic collapses of Allegheny County PA, Baxter County, AR, Boyd County KY, Cullman County AL, Dutchess County NY, Essex County NJ, Gilchrist County FL, Harris County TX, Passaic County NJ, Putnam County MO, Rockland County NY, San Bernadino County CA and Wayne County MI.
Without a doubt, the State of Illinois is the US state most likely to collapse first. Followed by, most likely, New Jersey. Tied for 3rd place for US states most likely to collapse are: Arizona, California, Kentucky and Michigan. Tied for 7th place: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
The severity of this debt collapse around in the USA, coupled with the impotence of the US government, the emperor has no clothes, their inability to mount a rescue of the US economy – because Fed Funds interest rates have been at 0% since December 2008, and cannot be lowered, and because the US Treasury already printed $4.5 trillion out of thin air (QE1, QE2 & QE3); more money printing on that scale will lead to hyper-inflation which will cause the US dollar to become worthless – will accelerate the economic collapse of the USA and worse. An example of worse is an increased likelihood of states such as Texas seceding from the Union.
Vast cultural differences between US regions – like the Rockies, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast and West Coast – will be exacerbated during the USA’s economic collapse 2016-2021, which will increase the likelihood of states or even entire regions seceding from the overly-indebted economically collapsing USA. State defiance of national laws (e.g. marijuana laws) coupled with the far right movement (e.g. Tea Party, Libertarian Party) has set the stage for secession fever to catch fire against the capitol district, Washington DC.
The next article in this USA debt bombs bursting series will cover more on the likely sequence of events such as pension cutting, more lethal health care rationing, escalating unemployment, rising crime, increasing hunger, more Americans freezing to death each winter, possible deflation followed by hyper-inflation, wars, etc. – events which could make the Deagle Inc. economic forecast for the USA more plausible. The main focus of this article is limited primarily to places likely to collapse first before the entire nation, the USA, economically collapses.
Many government authorities will collapse including many schools, school districts and hospitals. Among the most likely authorities to collapse first are the East Liverpool City Hospital in Ohio, Citrus Memorial Hospital in Citrus County FL, the Detroit Public Schools, Pontiac City MI public schools and some universities like Ashland University in Ohio, Dowling College in NY, Franklin Pierce University in NH, the Detroit Academy of Arts and Sciences and the University of Puerto Rico (UPR). Many universities, public and private, have done borrowing through state dormitory authorities blurring the line between private and public, and leaving taxpayers on the hook for much of the debt that many universities took out for luxurious new dormitories, new gyms, etc.
Student loans guaranteed by the US Federal government are at $1.3 trillion and climbing fast. A higher than ever number of graduates are unable to find work in their majors. The labor participation rate among US adults is 63% employed and 37% unemployed. The US unemployment rate will ratchet up much higher than 37% in 2016, 2017 and subsequent years as the slow motion USA debt collapse climaxes with the entire nation’s final economic collapse, like a house of cards blown away in a cool summer breeze. Like domino’s falling, city by city, corporation by corporation, government authority by government authority and state by state until the entire nation, the USA, debt collapses.
Higher education in the USA is a bubble. That bubble is bursting. Universities most likely to financially collapse and scale back (or close down) first include Ashland, Dowling, Detroit Academy of Arts and Sciences, Franklin Pierce and UPR. The next set of US colleges and universities most likely to financially collapse include: Bellarmine University (KY), College of Saint Rose (NY), Delaware Valley College (PA), Dominican University of California, Drew University (NJ), Lake Forest College (IL), Mills College (CA), Morehouse College (GA) and the University of Sacred Heart (PR). The wave of US colleges and universities most likely to financially collapse next include Beloit College (WI), Canisius College (NY), the New York Institute of Technology, the University of West Hartford (CT) and US News top-tier ranked Yeshiva University in NYC.
Yeshiva University’s potential collapse may be caused more from Bernie Madoff’s ponzi scheme debts, that university’s “investments” in Madoff’s ponzi schemes, and their bad timing to have not gotten out in just in the nick of time.
The USA’s debts are increasingly being compared to ponzi schemes like Madoff’s ponzi schemes. More Elderly Americans getting stiffed out of pensions they were promised. More creditors are getting screwed out the money owed to them. The US government’s $46+ trillion in debts will soon turn out to be the largest ponzi scheme ever in human history.
Public school districts most likely to collapse next include: Charleroi Area School District(SD) in PA, East Allegheny SD in PA, Frazier SD in PA and York City SD also in PA. Next most likely to financially collapse school districts include: Lake County SD in IL, Coatesville Area SD in PA, East Ramapo SD in NY, McLean SD in MD, Odem-Edroy Independent SD in TX, Pocono Mountain SD in PA, Reading SD in PA and Manatee County SD in FL.
Elementary and Secondary school is legally mandated in the USA, so it’s unclear what the outcomes to the tsunami of public school district bankruptcies will be. Will teacher to student ratios mushroom up to more than 50 students in each classroom? Will these school districts stop paying for books, food and buses? What will happen to teacher pay and benefits? Will the quality of teaching decline even further in the USA? The USA has been falling in international educational rankings for decades now, how low can the quality of education in the USA get? Will teachers get stiffed out of their pensions, Detroit style?
There is also a healthcare bubble in the USA with average physician salaries at $187,200, an intentional shortage of physicians in the USA (only 850,000; far fewer physicians per 1,000 people than in most nations), many new blockbuster drugs – like Sovaldi – costing $85,000 per patient or more, bankrupting hospital stays often exceeding $5,000 per day and a decades long wave of hospital closings nationwide leaving the USA exceedingly unprepared for a pandemic or biological crisis. Many US hospitals, in the best of economic times (2010 – 2014), were already routinely reporting Emergency Room waits of more than 24 hours. How long can ER waits get in the USA? And with an acute shortage of both hospital beds and doctors in many areas, what will happen in the USA in the event of a crisis? The USA’s greed ridden healthcare system is too woefully fragile for words.
The hospitals most likely to financially collapse next include: Blue Mountain Hospital District in OR, East Texas Medical Center Regional Healthcare Systems, Guadalupe Regional Medical Center in TX, Indiana County Hospital Authority in PA, West Jefferson Medical Center in LA and Whidbey Island Public Hospital District in WA.
The most likely next wave of hospitals to financially collapse include Clarendon Hospital District in SC, Community Medical Center in Montana, Eisenhower Medical Center in CA, Exeter Hospital in NH, Friendship Village Assisted Living Facility in Columbus OH, Holyoke Medical Center in MA (Romneycare land), Hopkins County Hospital District in TX, San Antonio Community Hospital in Upland CA and Wood County Hospital Association in OH.
Millions of Americans will have to travel further, in many instances, many more miles (kilometers) further, in the event of a ‘minutes make a life or death difference’ healthcare crisis. The looming wave of hospital debt collapses and closings will result in delays for millions of Americans to get emergency care which will result in many more Americans dying each year because they cannot get the healthcare they need in time. Is this intentional on the part of US government planners to save money? Or is it due to ignorance and a depraved indifference to human life (the human lives of US citizens) on the part of US government officials.
Many of the too expensive Obamacare deductibles are not being paid, Medicaid cuts and the political talk of turning Medicare into a voucher system, that is a system of coupons for health care discounts, will accelerate hospital bankruptcies and closings around America, resulting in many more deadly delays for Americans in the USA trying to get healthcare just in the nick of time. None of the hospitals on the above list of endangered hospitals are in the areas where the richest 10% of Americans live. Ditto for endangered school districts.
The Rostaver Township Sewage Authority in PA is also on the verge of financial collapse. One of the largest municipal bankruptcies in the past decade, the Jefferson County AL bankruptcy, traces back to an expensive sewage system financed in that county.
The San Joaquin Hills Corridor Transportation Authority has $2.1 billion in debt for a 12 mile stretch of toll road (Route 73) in Orange County CA. Overly optimistic toll revenue projections fell short and this is yet another government authority on the verge of debt collapse. Who’s going to pay $2.1 billion plus interest and fees for that 12 mile stretch of road?
1 out of 7 corporate bonds are classified as junk with a high risk of imminent default. Many of these corporations are Fortune 1000 corporations on the verge of financial collapse during the USA’s current financial nosedive.
Valeant Pharmaceuticals, for example, has $31 billion in junk bond debt, they currently employ 17,000 people worldwide and have a monopoly on several of the 500 drugs they make like Efudex and Mestinon. A financial collapse of Valeant not only means 17,000 more unemployed people, it also raises the question of who exactly is going to make Efudex, Mestinon and other drugs they have a monopoly on. Will the patients taking Valeant Corporation medicines be left high and dry, how many people will die due to drug shortages? In 2012, during the best of times, the FDA reported 117 drug shortages. Many of those shortages were lethal. How many Americans in the USA can be killed off each year because of pharmaceutical shortages, how empty can pharmacy shelves get in the USA?
Other corporations on the list of corp.’s most likely to financially collapse in the immediate future include: Peabody Energy, Clear Channel Communications, JC Penney, Radio Shack, Rite Aid and Sears. These corporations are overextended, maxed out and living on the financial edge. A couple of quarters with lower revenues makes all the difference between financial subsistence or financial collapse to overly indebted corporations. Overly indebted junk corporations employ 25 million Americans who have about 25 million children. If only 50% of these corporations go belly up by 2019, that’s an additional 25 million Americans without a source of income (and not paying taxes). Where would the money come from to pay for food stamps, housing and Medicaid for another 25,000,000 Americans in poverty? Where will the money come from to pay for the $0.4 trillion loss in tax revenues each year?
Many energy companies are in the first wave of debt collapse corp.’s. Many fracking corporation executives were more interested in borrowing money and paying big executive salaries with the borrowed money, than they were in actually fracking for gas. Gas and oil prices collapsed (2014 to August 2015) and there is a tsunami of energy corp.’s debt collapsing now, more than $1 trillion in debts that cannot be paid back (money lent assuming that oil and gas prices would only go up up up), which will leave more than 1,000,000 more Americans unemployed. Hydrofracking pumps billions of liters of toxic carcinogenic fracking fluid into the ground in the USA each year, which will result in millions of additional Americans in the USA getting cancer in coming decades; how will Medicare and Medicaid pay for millions of additional Americans with cancer?
Some of these energy companies likely to collapse or already collapsing include: Bristol VA based Alpha Natural Resources Inc., a coal corporation with 10,000 employees and $3.5 billion in debt, Alta Mesa Energy (TX, 200 employees, $0.4 billion in debt), American Eagle Energy (CO, 100 employees, $0.25 billion debt), Arch Coal (St. Louis, 5,000 employees, $5.15 billion debt), Armstrong Energy (NM, 25 employees left, $0.25 billion debt), Basic Energy Services (TX, 6,000 employees, $1 billion debt), Black Elk Offshore (500 employees, $0.25 billion debt), California Resources (LA based, 2,000 employees, $6.6 billion in debt), Centrus Energy (MD based uranium corp., 500 employees, $0.25 billion debt), Cobalt International Energy (TX, 200 employees left, $2.0 billion debt), Comstock Resources (TX, 150 employees left, $1.4 billion debt), Conacher Oil and Gas ($0.2 billion debt, 200 employees left), Energy XXI Gulf Coast (TX, 500 employees, $4.7 billion debt), Exco Resources (TX , 600 employees, $1.6 billion debt), Forbes Energy (RI, 2,500 employees, $0.3 billion debt), Forest Oil aka Sabine Oil ($0.8 billion in debt, already in bankruptcy), Goodrich Petroleum (TX, only 80 employees left, $0.65 billion debt), Halcon Resources Corp (TX, 500 employees, $3.7 billion in debt, who’s going to pay?), Heckmann Corp aka Nuverra (AZ based fracking water treatment corporation, 2,500 employees, $0.55 billion debt), Hercules Offshore ($1.2 billion debt, declared bankruptcy August 2015, 2,000 employees left), Linn Energy (TX based fracker, 2,000 employees, $10.5 billion debt), Midstates Peteco (OK based, 200 employees, $2 billion debt), Milagro Oil and Gas (TX, $1 billion debt, in bankruptcy), Niska Gas (PA based, $0.8 billion debt, 200 employees left), Parker Drilling Corp. (TX, 3,500 employees, $0.6 billion debt), Petroquest Energy (Louisiana based, 200 employees left, $0.4 billion debt), Quicksilver Inc (TX, 3,000 employees, $1.1 billion debt, in bankruptcy), Raam Global Energy (KY based, 100 employees left, $0.25 billion debt), Resolute Energy Group (Denver based, 300 employees, $0.8 billion debt), Samson Resources (Australia based doing business in USA, 2,000 employees, $7 billion debt), Saratoga Resources (TX, $0.2 billion debt, bankrupt, no known employees left), Sandridge Energy (OK based fracker, 2,000 employees, $4.5 billion debt), Swift Energy (TX, 300 employees, $1.2 billion debt), US Shale Solutions (TX, $0.3 bln debt), Venoco Inc. (CO based, 500 employees, $1 billion debt), W & T Offshore (TX, 500 employees, $1.5 billion debt), Walter Energy (AL based, 2,500 employees, $3.1 billion debt), Warren Resources (NY based, $0.5 billion debt, 100 employees left), Willbros Group (TX based, 8,000 employees, $0.3 billion debt) and Williams Clayton Energy (TX, 500 employees, $0.8 billion debt). This is a partial list of energy corporations most likely to debt collapse first.
Commodity companies, like metals corporations, have suffered since demand for metals decreased as demand for electronics and luxuries have declined, 500,000+ more Americans will become unemployed, hundreds of billions of dollars in debts that cannot be paid back: Castle A M and Co. (IL based metals and plastics distributor, 2,000 employees, $0.4 billion debt), Cliffs Natural Resources (OH based, 5,500 employees, $0.6 billion debt), Coeur Mining (IL, 2,000 employees, $0.6 billion debt), Glencore (180,000 employees, global operations, $30 billion debt), Magnetation (MN based, 500 employees, $0.4 billion debt), Molycorp (Colorado based rare earth metals corporation, 2,000 employees, $1.7 billion debt), New Enterprise Stone & Lime (PA, 2,000 employees, $0.5 billion debt), Patriot Coal (St Louis based ,3,000 employees, $1.1 billion debt, already in bankruptcy), Peabody Energy (St. Louis based, $6.3 billion debt, 9,000 employees) and Thompson Creek Metals (CO based, 1,000 employees left, $0.95 billion debt). This is a partial list of commodity corporations most likely to debt collapse first.
Retail corporations, many of which can’t figure how to sell online, but did figure out how to borrow too much money. As online sales continue to climb, many retail stores are closing down or scaling back, more than 5,000,000 more Americans will become unemployed. Many retail stores couldn’t figure how to sell online, but they didn’t borrow too much money; they’ll be in much better shape than these corporations who borrowed too much money: A & P Supermarkets (NJ based, $2.3 billion debt, 25,000 employees), Albertsons (CA based, 250,000 employees, $8 billion debt), American Apparel (CA based, $0.3 billion in debt, 9,000 employees left), Bon Ton Department Stores (PA, 25,000 employees, $1 billion debt), Conn’s (TX based retailer, $0.9 billion debt, 4,500 employees), Guitar Center (CA based retailer, $1.7 billion debt, 10,000 employees), Gymboree (CA based, $1.2 billion debt, 8,000 employees left), Haggen Grocery Stores (WA based, 15,000 employees, announced shut down of 27 more stores in September 2015, has at least $0.3 billion in debt), JC Penney (TX based, 114,000 employees, $5.5 billion debt), Jones Apparel Group (NYC, 6,000 employees, $0.9 billion debt), Logan’s Roadhouse (TN based, 6,000 employees, $0.5 billion debt), NPC International Restaurants, e.g. some Pizza Huts (KS based, 29,000 employees, $1 billion debt), Party City (NY based, 8,000 employees still there, $1.9 billion debt), Radio Shack (TX based, $1.25 billion debt, 50,000 employees), Reddy Ice (TX based ice maker, 1,300 employees, $0.55 billion debt), Rite Aid ($7.3 billion debt, PA based, 51,000 employees left), Rue 21 (PA, $1 billion debt, 15,000 employees), Sears & Roebuck (IL based, 200,000 employees, $3.4 billion in debt) and Toys R Us (NJ based retailer, 70,000 employees, $1.3 billion debt). Too many Americans will become unemployed because these corporate executives borrowed too much money, much of which they paid themselves in extravagant executive pay and a gravy train of executive freebies.
With the winding down of long expensive multi-trillion dollar wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with other factors, like certain contractors falling out of favor with government officials who spend billions of our tax dollars each year, are some defense related corporations: Altegrity (Falls Church VA based, $1.8 billion debt, 1,000 employees left, who’s going to pay $1.8 billion it owes?), Colt Defense LLC (original producer of M-16’s, now bankrupt, $0.35 billion debt, few employees left) and Dyncorp International (VA based contractor, 25,000 employees, $0.8 billion debt) and Alion Science and Technology (VA based contractor, 3,500 employees, $0.6 billion debt).
Media and communications companies, many are now scaling back or shutting down, leaving more Americans unemployed: Charter Communications ($14+ billion debt, CT based, 24,000 employees), Clear Channel Communications aka iheart media (TX based, $21 bln debt, 21,000 employees), Knight Ridder aka The McClatchy Co. (CA based, 6,000 employees left, $1.1 billion debt) and LBI Media (CA based, $0.2 billion debt, 1,000 employees) – just a few examples of overly indebted media corporations.
Many banks have also borrowed too much money on the assumptions they’re too big to fail and when they do fail, the government will bail them out (again). It remains to be seen how the US government can bail them out, assuming the American people do again want to bail out the big banks that borrowed and lent too much easy money. Banks which paid their executives too much money, loaned trillions in debts that cannot be repaid; over 2,000,000 more Americans will become unemployed due to the most likely to collapse first banks like: Bank of America (NC based, 220,000 employees, $525 billion debt plus trillions in derivatives), Bank of Nova Scotia (90,000 employees, Canada based bank operating in USA too, $104 billion debt plus trillions in derivatives), Capitol City Bank & Trust (Atlanta GA), Citibank (NY, 240,000 employees, $490 billion debt plus tens of trillions of dollars in derivatives), Community Choice Financial (530 check cashing branches, 4,000 employees, $0.5 billion debt), Doral Bank (San Juan PR), Edgebrook Bank (Chicago IL), First Data Corp. ($30 billion debt, Atlanta based, 23,000 employees), First National Bank of Crestview, FL, Frontier Bank (Palm Desert CA), Goldman Sachs (NYC based, 35,000 employees, $400 billion in debt plus tens of trillions of dollars in derivatives), Highland Community Bank (Chicago IL), Northern Star Bank (Mankato MN), Nelnet (Nebraska based, 3,500 employees, $29 billion debt), Ocwen (GA based mortgage corporation, $6.2 billion debt, 11,500 employees), Premier Bank (Denver CO), Squaretwo Financial (Denver based, 5,000 employees, $1+ billion in debt), SG Structured Products, part of Societe Generale, a French bank operating in the USA (150,000 employees worldwide, $400 billion debt plus tens of trillions of dollars in outstanding derivatives) and Wilton Holdings (Bermuda based life insurance corporation, $0.3 billion in debt, only a few employees).
Some other corporations that borrowed too much money, will cause 5,000,000+ more Americans to become unemployed and are among the most likely to debt collapse first include Affinion Group (CT based, 4,000 employees, $2.3 billion debt), AMD computer chips (CA, 10,000 employees left, $5 billion in debt), ASG Consolidated (Seattle based, $0.95 bln in debt, 1,000 employees, has 6 big fishing boats), Aspect Software (MA based, 2,500+ employees, $1 billion+ in debt), Aurora Diagnostics (FL based, 1,000 employees, $0.4 billion debt), Avaya (CA based, 14,000 employees, fka Lucent Technologies, $6.1 billion debt), Alere Inc (MA based, otherwise successful diagnostics corporation that has $3.6 billion in debt, which may cause scale backs and possible debt collapse, 10,000 employees), BMC Software (TX, 10,000 employees, $8 billion debt), Beazer Homes (GA home builder, $1.55 billion debt, 1,100 employees), Brookstone Holdings (500 employees, $0.3 billion debt), Harrahs now Casears Entertainment (NV based, $20 billion debt, 20,000 employees), Altice’s takeover of Cablevision adds $8.6 billion in new debt to $9.6 billion in old debt (NY based, 14,000 employees), Cenveo Corp (CT based marketer, 8,000 employees, $1.3 billion debt), Congoleum Corporation (NJ based, 1,000 employees, $0.2 billion debt, foreign competition may hit harder than their debt), Dispensing Dynamics (CA based, 2,000 employees, $0.3 billion debt), Education Management (PA based, 11,000 employees, $1.5 billion debt), Frontier Communications ($9.6 billion debt, CT based, 18,000 employees), Getty Images (WA based, $2.3 billion debt, 1,000 employees), Gibson Brands (TN based musical instruments, $0.3 billion debt, 1,000 employees), Harnett Health Systems (NC based, $0.4 billion debt, 1,000+ employees), HD Supply (GA based distributor, 14,000 employees, $5.4 billion debt), Hewlett Packard (CA based, $26 billion debt, 305,000 employees, recently announced 30,000 more lay offs), Momentive Specialty Chemical (NY based, subsidiaries include Borden and Hexion, $3 billion in debt, 10,000 employees), Hovnanian Enterprises (NJ homebuilder, 2,000 employees, $2.2 billion debt), MGM Resorts (NV based, $13.5 billion debt, 52,000 employees), Monitronics International (TX, 1,000 employees, $1.75 billion debt), Radiation Therapy Services aka 21st Century Oncology (FL based, 5,000 employees, $0.6 billion debt), Sitel Financial (TN based subsidiary of Toronto based Onex Corporation with 190,000 employees and $17 billion debt), Sprint (KS based telecommunications corporation, $35 billion debt, 31,000 employees), Tenet Healthcare (TX based, 81,000 employees, $14.8 billion debt), Valeant Pharmaceuticals ($31 billion in junk bond debt,17,000 employees worldwide), Verso Paper Holdings (TN, 2,000 employees, $3 billion debt), Visant (NY based, 3,500 employees, $1.6 billion debt), Waterford Gaming (CT based gambling corporation with stake in Mohegan Sun Casino, Mohegan Tribe also owns part of Mohegan Sun and has $1.6 billion in debt, 10,000 employees) and Weight Watchers (NY based, 21,000 employees, $2.3 billion debt). This is a very partial list of overly indebted US corporations most likely to debt collapse in the immediate future.
Hundreds of thousands of corporations in the USA borrowed too much money and they will experience debt collapses in the months to come. The above mentioned corporations are just a snapshot of fewer than 1% of the US corporations that will have to scale back or shut down because their executives borrowed too much money. With few exceptions, the US corporate executives who borrowed too much money then paid themselves gigantic amounts of money and a gravy train of freebie perks, freebie benefits and bonuses with that borrowed money prior to their corps’s debt collapse and the unemployment of millions of Americans.
Within a couple years of USA debt bombs bursting all over the USA, the US government will no longer be able to borrow any more money. The US government has been hooked on binge borrowing money by the trillions for more than 3 decades now. How is their withdrawal from binge borrowing money going to work out?
So far, in 2015, the Peoples Central Bank in Beijing (the US government’s #1 foreign creditor) has dumped $0.2 trillion in US Treasury bonds and oil rich states in the Middle East have dumped $0.1 trillion in US Treasury bonds. With fewer sugar daddies willing to lend money to Uncle Sam, how is the US Federal government going to continue borrowing money by the trillions?
Many cities, counties, government authorities and corporations are on the verge of financial collapse in the USA. A tsunami of US municipal, government authority and corporate financial collapses will be followed by entire states – like Illinois and New Jersey – collapsing financially.
As the domino’s falling are getting bigger with each collapse, from Detroit to Puerto Rico to fill in the blank who’s next, we see the tactics and outcomes from each financial collapse. 11 cents on the dollar for pensions leaving retirees in poverty (e.g. Detroit). Lethal healthcare rationing (e.g. Detroit and Puerto Rico). Electric bills at $436 a month on average (e.g. Puerto Rico) and rising. Water shut off 5 days a week (e.g. throughout Puerto Rico). 60 plus minute waits for a response to 911 calls (e.g. Detroit). People are dying in the USA. Hedge Fund vultures swooping down and grabbing anything of value like airports, seaports, utilities, highways, mines and factories. Wall Street bankers, hedge fund vultures and US government officials are trying to set the example of lowering the minimum wage to less than $7.25 an hour in Puerto Rico, so that the same can be done all across the USA, so that US wages will be ‘more competitive’ with China’s average $1.75 an hour minimum wage, but without American people getting the benefits that Chinese people get from their government. Foreclosures, crime, poverty, homelessness, misery and desolation are mushrooming up in post debt collapse parts of the USA, like Detroit and Puerto Rico.
With vast differences between regions and even between states within the USA, secession fever will catch fire. And the Lone Star Republic is on the short list of states most likely to secede. In a coming era of $50+ barrels of oil, Texans will secede when they somehow become focused on the economics of just how much money they will have as an oil rich independent republic vs. just how poor they will be with the economically collapsing USA draining their tax money and their oil from them.
If even one region or state secedes from the USA, there is a likelihood that the USA’s vast military-intel-industrial complex will be directed inwards at trying to quell another civil war instead of directed outwards at foreign wars against other countries. Woe. A majority of California residents will soon be Latino. A 2020 California Ballot Proposition for re-unification with Mexico could pass.
What we’ve seen in Detroit and Puerto Rico is what’s coming soon all over the USA, unless we the people make changes for the better, fast, to paying down debt instead of increasing debt. I wrote previously of several ways towards government budget surpluses and paying down the government’s gigantic mountain of debt like Medicaid for All, one Social Security pension for All with a $2,000 a month minimum and current cap, train more doctors, build more hospitals, cut or eliminate the patent monopoly, tax cuts for the poor and middle class (e.g. raise the standard deduction to $90,000), increase tax rates on the richest 10% in the USA, a sales tax on financial ‘sales’ and cutting military/secret police spending.
In 2020, we’re going to look back and ask how was it humanly possible that these money lenders and money changers on Wall Street didn’t known that all these corporations and governments – local, state and national (e.g. USA and Japan) – couldn’t possibly pay back the mountains of debt lent to them? Or did the Wall Street money lenders and money changers just want to have a master’s upper hand over debt slave corporations and governments?
The solutions still exist. It’s a decision on the part of Americans, we the people, to passively go along with a slow motion debt collapse, the USA’s slow motion economic collapse – collapsing municipalities (e.g. Atlantic City, Chicago, etc.), collapsing government authorities, collapsing schools and hospitals, collapsing corporations (e.g. Clear Channel Communications, Peabody Energy, etc.), collapsing states (e.g. Illinois, New Jersey, etc.) and a collapsing USA – or to choose a better way.
(William Edstrom graduated from Columbia University in 2003. He has worked as a scientist for ten years, has co-authored publications in scientific journals such as Nature and the Journal of Biological Chemistry, and co-authored Agents of Bioterrorism: Pathogens and Their Weaponization, a Life Sciences textbook (Columbia University Press, 2005). William is a member of the Educational Writers Association. Courtesy, CounterPunch.org)
GETCHER HOT VACANCIES HERE!
The Mendocino County Executive Office is accepting applications for anticipated vacancies on the following Board or Commission:
- Covelo Public Cemetery District (1) Trustee
- Health and Human Services Agency Advisory Board (2): 2nd District Representative, 4th District Representative
- Library Advisory Board (2): 4th District Representative, City of Fort Bragg Representative
- Noyo Harbor District (1) Commissioner
- Workforce Investment Board (1) Member #25/Mandatory M-7
If you are interested in serving on this Board or Commission, contact your District Supervisor, or the Executive Office, at 501 Low Gap Road, Room 1010, Ukiah, CA 95482 (707) 463-4441. LAST DATE FOR FILING: October 1, 2015, or until filled. CARMEL J. ANGELO Clerk of the Board of Supervisors
THIS WEEK AT UKIAH LIBRARY
Celebrate Shel Silverstein's Birthday at the Ukiah Library:
Poetry, pictures, songs, & snacks
When: Friday, 9/25 from 3-4 pm
Where: Ukiah Library Children's Room
* * *
Bilingual Story Hour for Preschoolers
Every Wednesday at 11 am.
Songs and Crafts? Of Course!
* * *
Where: Ukiah Library Children's Room
Ongoing Teen Events at Ukiah Library
Weekly crafts, WiiU gaming, book chats.
Monthly meetings and clubs
* * *
Weekly:
Teens Get Crafty - Wednesdays, 2-5pm, District Teens Room
Game on - Wii & U - Thursdays, 3:30-5:00pm, Meeting Area
Snak & Yak Book Chats - Fridays, 3:30-4:30pm, District Teens Room
* * *
Monthly:
Teen Leadership Council - Oct. 10th & 2nd Saturdays. 3pm, District Teens Room
Manga & Anime Club - last Wednesday of the month, 2-5pm, District Teens Room
* * *
Watch Out For District Teens' Special Events!
* * *
A Child, a Dog, & a Good Book
Bringing children and therapy dogs together in a safe space.
When: Every Wednesday from 3:30 - 4:30pm
Where: Ukiah Library Children's Room
TAKE THIS, GORDO
Gordon Black wrote: "Marco McLean [sic] adds to his curses against KZYX management as, "classically [sic] paranoid, tyrannical, greedy, conniving, false-faced…." But don't forget your old "utterly corrupt," Marco. I liked that one. After a year and a half of indulging complaints from some names known on these pages, the Federal Communications Commission has renewed the broadcast license for KZYX&Z."
Okay, Gordon, I never complained to the FCC. And the people who complained never did so to harm the station, nor could they have harmed it; the FCC never removes a station's license once granted, so your crowing that it spent two years thinking about it and then didn't do it isn't any kind of endorsement of quality, either of the FCC's deliberations or of KZYX. Stuart Campbell bitches that it cost MCPB thousands of dollars to defend the station -- well, Stuart Campbell sucks $5000 every month out of the station for himself, to do an hour of paperwork per week. It's the exact same job that Bob Young does for zero dollars at KNYO.
And for all the yay-team blattery that you have ever blatted in favor of the club of sleazeballs that runs KZYX entirely for their own benefit, you have never answered a single one of my points, such as that KZYX management pissed away four million tax-derived dollars on itself over the last 26 years, and further pissed away many times that in membership dues and contributions, to squat like a toad on three county-spanning educational-band frequencies and eject good people and throttle dissent, and in all that time you and most of the other airpeople, who are allowed to keep your shows only because you're entirely mediocre and harmless to management, not to mention cheerleading territorial lapdogs, have never been paid a cent. The bosses are paid. You show up to work, you work, and you should be paid.
I don't have time to go over again for you all the points I have ever raised in the AVA and the UDJ and the kzyxtalk listserv, Gordon, because I'm working on my Friday night KNYO show. I put about twenty concentrated hours every week into getting the show ready. If you, or Tim Gregory, or any of a couple dozen of the genially-stoned-sounding button-pushers and hourly station identifiers there have ever put even five minutes into preparing your shows I would be very surprised.
Even so, I still want the email addresses of the airpeople at KZYX -- as a member I'm part owner of the station, after all -- in order to lay out a case to all of you for all of you to be paid. Again: there are many historical words for a system where the bosses are paid and wield all the power and the people actually doing the work are never paid and have no power at all, not even creative control over their own work.
And I still contend that it's a mark of Mary Aigner's well-remunerated incompetence that my high-quality, interesting, informative and entertaining show wasn't on the schedule at KZYX within six months of my offering it -- in February of 2012 -- and still isn't, and will never be as long as she's in power. I understand several airpeople spoke up for me to no avail. Eduardo Smissen among them.
I was talking with one of my real-world employers about this awhile ago. I said, "If I just let it go, then they win." He said, "Marco, they won a long time ago." That's true; I see that. But it's not right, and I feel like writing, and I write.
Speaking of which, until I get access to the airpeople's email list, will you click the three clicks necessary to cut and paste this letter into an email from you to the exclusive KZYX programmers' listserv for me? I'd be obliged. Include my signature lines:
Marco McClean
http://MemoOfTheAir.wordpress.com
NO SLAM BLAM
To the Editor:
It's absurd for KZYX management to say that the recent FCC decision to renew the station's licenses was somehow a "slam dunk victory" for the station.
First, the FCC's investigation took almost two years. In other words, the station's license was held up for almost two years. That's a very long time in the regulatory world. A two-year investigation is a rebuke in and of itself.
Second, it's almost unprecedented that the FCC completely revoke the broadcasting licenses of a presumably public radio station. A station would have to be commandeered by a terrorist group...something like that.
Third and quoting from the FCC decision, "...the Informal Objections filed by John Sakowicz, Sheila Dawn Tracy, M. Kathryn Massey, Yasmin Solomon, and Sandra Peterson ARE GRANTED IN PART."
The FCC decision continues, "IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that KZYX IS ADMONISHED for failure to maintain both a full-time employee and one full-time management level employee at Station KZYX(FM)'s main studio during the license term."
The emphasis above in capital letters is the FCC's own emphasis.
The objections were substantiated in part, and KZYX was admonished -- terrible.
A slam dunk victory? I think not. Couple the FCC's two-year investigation and qualified decision with the decision by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to slash KZYX's funding -- the station was cited for not reaching enough of the minority community -- and we get a more accurate picture of the very serious problems at KZYX.
There's more.
In October, KZYX's business records will be inspected as a result of a demand letter that was filed earlier this summer. Within a day of the station being served, former KZYX Executive Director and General Manager, John Coate, announced his sudden resignation.
Was Coate's resignation a coincidence? I think not.
The demand letter was signed by two former KZYX Board directors, Doug McKenty and King Collins. It was also signed by myself, a current board director, along with a former and highly respected member of the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors, Norman De Vall, and Ukiah attorney, Dennis O'Brien.
Attorney, Peter Kafin, will accompany us on the records inspection in October.
There's more trouble ahead for the bullies who call themselves KZYX management. The truth shall set us free. Let's be clear, KZYX is not a truly public radio station. KZYX is a closed clubhouse.
What is KZYX?
KZYX is a closed clubhouse that is not advised by a strong and independent Community Advisory Board and Program Advisory Committee. Both are weak and ineffective, and characterized by conflicts of interest.
KZYX is a closed clubhouse that keeps its 2,100 members in the dark and fights every effort to organize them. The result is that membership has declined from 2,300 members in only the last few years.
KZYX is a closed clubhouse that keeps its 80-90 volunteer broadcasters unpaid and fights every effort to unionize, or otherwise organize them.
KZYX is a closed clubhouse that is a jobs program for the full-time staff at the station who will not disclose their salaries, will not provide job descriptions or work logs, and will not be subject to job performance evaluations by the Board of Directors.
KZYX is a closed clubhouse whose program decisions are made by one person, the Program Director, who does little actual work, comes and goes as she pleases, and who also routinely censors programmers and otherwise purges her critics. The result is that she has remained unchallenged at KZYX for 25 years.
Let's work together to make KZYX truly public again.
John Sakowicz
KZYX Board of Directors, 2013-2016, Board Treasurer, 2014
FALL EQUINOX IN WASHINGTON D.C.
Warmest spiritual greetings, On the Fall Equinox, the Catholic pontiff is in Washington D.C., and will celebrate an historic mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception at 4:30 P.M. ET, canonizing Fr. Junipero Serra (so-called "founder of California", who established the early missions). Meanwhile, the hunger strikes at both the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission sponsored by Beyond Extreme Energy, and at McPherson Square sponsored by the Franciscan Action Network, are ongoing; the 100 women walking 100 miles arrived last night advocating for increased migrant rights, followed buy a spontaneous sing-a-long with Sweet Honey in the Rock. In the midst of the usual political wheel-turning in Washington D.C., there is evidence of intelligent spiritual life! On Thursday September 24th, the Pope will address a climate justice gathering on the Smithsonian Mall between 3rd and 7th Streets beginning at 7:45 A.M. ET. The Pope's next stop will be to address a joint session of congress, and then will give a public address on the west side of the capitol building. Right now there are tens of thousands of people lining the parade route to get a glimpse of the Pope in his Popemobile, as the day unfolds toward the celebration of joy at Catholic University's Shrine to the Immaculate Conception. What is really important is to take note of how the multitudes have turned toward this iconic religious figure for an answer, for some actual hope, in the midst of the current idiotic U.S. presidential primaries, which are being written off as worthless by the people here. At best, the current political primaries serve as entertainment. Nobody here is expecting anything more from the hopelessly lost, clueless government. People here have given up on government in general as being able to accomplish anything significant, in particular regarding global climate destabilization. Instead, the masses are seeking spiritual resolutions. There is a shift happening in Washington D.C., as environmental and social conditions become more dire. The general attitude here is that it's just not funny anymore, and the political establishment is incapable of doing anything successful in any area of importance. At this moment, the Pope is meeting with the U.S. president inside of the White House. Perhaps they are wishing each other a pleasant Fall Equinox.
Craig Stehr, craigstehr@inbox.com
Mark and Bruce,
I am honored that you published the letter I wrote to you and the one I wrote to Todd.
I wish I had edited it a little–and done some more research.
In his only World Series appearance, Marichal was brilliant–he pitched four innings in game four, was spinning a shutout and had a 2-0 lead; however, he injured in his hand attempting to bunt in the fifth and had to be taken out of the game. Don Larson relieved and got the win.
Giant fans–follow the link to read about the mythical Marechal-Spahn marathon game which some people call the “greatest game ever pitched”.
There are still a lot of older people around who will start a bar fight if someone utters the names O’Malley or Stoneham.
Have just ordered THE BOYS OF SUMMER from Barnes and Noble. I haven’t read it for many years and look forward to rereading it.
All the best,
LB
What in the World is going on out at Camp Love?
“Porter Dinehart: to Bu-shay Campground Volunteer Shelter aka Camp Love
8 hrs · Ukiah, CA ·
PLEASE BE ADVISED: A disgruntled volunteer has tried to sabotage the efforts at camp Bu-Shay. Please know that we are still welcoming ALL VOLUNTEERS! We would love to have you and welcome your support at Camp Love. For any questions please let us know here or better yet come and visit us. We ❤ you.
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Jenny Curtiss: A disgruntled volunteer? What does that mean???
Like · Reply · 2 · 8 hrs
Porter Dinehart: Someone that wanted to be a lead volunteer but didn’t or couldn’t be a team player.”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/768299649963838/
I hope that the men are being treated fairly out there. Porter doesn’t do well with men. She has spent years protecting battered women from abusive men. She needs to remind herself that Camp Love is not Project Sanctuary.
RE: Marmon’s Termination.
The real reason Lake County Mental Health was mad at me was because I was demanding all kinds of safety reforms in the office. This was just after Laura Wilcox (Laura’s Law) and several other people were murdered at Nevada County Mental Health. I was demanding panic buttons in all the offices, locked doors, and bullet proof glass in the reception area.
Laura was a receptionist when she was shot, many others were injured jumping out of second floor windows. After shooting Laura er and several others, the murderer drove to Lyon’s restaurant where he then murdered the manager.
He was obsessed with the thought that Lyons restaurant was poisoning him and that no one at mental health believed him.
Mr. Marmon,
Your story–stories are compelling, but I’m a bit overwhelmed by your torrent of comments. Slow down a bit. Maybe others would like to respond.
I have a question: How can I help?
1. You mentioned your daughter’s house being destroyed by fire. Can you provide information that would enable those of us so disposed to make a contribution to help your daughter and her neighbors?
2. I’m appalled at your firing. Teachers in NYV went through a similar trauma when Michael Bloomberg and his rodent- like Chancellor of Education began firing teachers, or sending them to “rubber rooms” and bringing in scabs from Teach for America to replace us.
I live in far off New Jersey, but consider myself a part of the AVA family. How can I help you, a fellow family member?
Edward Abbey wrote, “Sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul.”
I read this in the margin of the AVA.
I suspect that many of us would like to help.
Tell us how.
Thank you Mr. Bedrock for you critique, and concern for my daughter. My daughter was heavily insured and is being taken care of. She has located back to Crescent City to be near her mother and has a large extended family up there that is providing support for both her and my beautiful granddaughter.
She has no needs and is doing fine, thank you very, very much for thinking of her. I’m the one who is suffering, I miss them both terribly. She has no plans to move back to Middletown, so I’m dealing with that. After her home is rebuilt she will be selling it. She is truly one of the more fortunate among the fire survivors.
Sorry for the torrent of comments, I will slow them down. I went for a ride on my Harley this morning, something I haven’t done for months, its a beautiful today.
James Marmon.
Okay, this is long enough time away now. At my phony two friend FB “snooping” account, I unjoined the Bushay Camp Love group, the Adidam Fire Hub Info Group, the Valley Fire group, etc…….I therefore depend on you for fresh updates on these fronts.
“In 1953 Public Law 280 mandated a substantial transfer of jurisdiction from the federal government to the state level in California as to situations occurring on Indian Country. As a result, The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office is mandated to assume jurisdiction on Indian Country located in the unincorporated areas of Mendocino County and to enforce California state laws including Cultivation of Marijuana, Possession of Marijuana for sale, and conduct of a Narcotics Lab.”
I’ve read that there’s no great clarity from PL-280 on all the potential issues and problems, so this test case upcoming should further clarify issues.
Make popcorn. Or buy packages of Oreo cookies, the new snack food for the movie show (i.e. “Life”).
This is going to be fun! Cowboys and Indians again. Hope the Indians win this time.
I guess in those non PL-280 states where the plant and its use is illegal they must be REALLY grinding their teeth, the law enforcement people and politicians and community tsk tskers, for Obama has allowed the Indians full reign to grow and sell in those states.
Regarding that lab site, either testing or honey oil production. Don’t know why they’re tripping on that, it’s LEGAL!
http://reset.me/story/ca-court-rules-thc-wax-honey-oil-qualify-medical-marijuana/