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MCT: Sunday, February 10, 2019

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LOW ELEVATION SNOW will continue through the late morning, but should diminish during the afternoon. Multiple rounds of rain and mountain snow can be expected for much of the rest of the week, beginning late tonight and continuing until possibly next weekend. (National Weather Service)

Rancho Navarro, Sunday morning

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LITTLE DOG SAYS, “I warned Skrag. These wolf-like creatures come hunting and hungry up out of the creek late at night, and even I am glad to be safe indoors. Did he listen? Nooooooo."

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BOONVILLE WATER-SEWER PROJECT PLANNING & FINANCING NOTES:

According to a transcript of last week’s “Boonville Planners” meeting with interested locals and county and state officials, Community Services District Board Chair Valerie Hanelt said that “At this time our financing situation looks good. We have been assured that the private laterals for the sewer system will be paid for. We have also been assured that between Ground Water Funding and Prop 1 funding we will probably be fully funded for the infrastructure for Sewer project. We are close for the Drinking Water. We are looking for a grant for private hook ups to the water meters from the Community Development Block Grants. We are looking to very little outlay of expense from parcel owners for the cost of infrastructure.”

ANOTHER INTERESTING COMMENT was from AV Health Center Director Chloe Guazzone-Rugabregt: “One important perspective is renters who are not in charge of the systems in the places they rent. Landowners do not always take care of their systems and we see the repercussions.” Is Ms. Guazzone-Rugabregt implying that there’s a demonstrable link between poorly maintained septic systems and some of the illnesses being treated at the Health Center? Apparently so. Health Center Nurse-Practioner Luiza Savin added, “A lot of people can’t afford to maintain their water systems. It’s hard to put that responsibility on someone who can’t afford it. There are a lot of disparate outcomes in Boonville, and especially the Latino population definitely suffers from not having access to safe public water.” Ms. Guazzone-Rugabregt continued, “It’s hard for us to know on a statistical level when there is an outbreak whether we can attribute the health issues to the water; but for us if we have a couple of kids with gastroenteritis or colitis and the stool testing comes back positive for E-Coli bacteria – there are many factors – but definitely water could be a source of it.”

THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE DISCUSSION OF CONTAMINATION and the possibility that the local water table is subject to contamination because in some areas it is fairly shallow and in some cases the water table is close to septic systems, whether “functional” or not.

IT APPEARS that the Boonville Planners and the engineering consultants have abandoned plans for an underground disposal site for the treated sewage outflow. Although the engineers continue to insist that treated effluent is not very smelly, some locals are still skeptical. Sewage system engineer Dave Coleman said, “If you go right on top of the wastewater treatment plant (a 12x12x50’ box) you might smell a musty smell from the aerated wastewater. It’s not the same smell as a septic tank because it is not anaerobic; it is not septic. When you are 100’ away you would not smell it.” Nevertheless, the planners are now looking at sites on the south end of town, pending agreement from landowners at that (higher) end of town.

AT ONE POINT, Roy O’Connor from the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control staff was asked about the smells emanating from the AV Brewing facility: “Brewery wastes are 300-400 times as bad as household,” replied O’Connor.

AS FAR AS WATER SOURCES GO, Water system engineer Jack Locey said, “Because of the high ground water (in the Boonville area), all the wells developed for private residences tend to include only 20’ sanitary seals. This is inadequate for public water systems. The Water Board considers a seal less than 50’ to be under the influence of surface water and the mitigation for that is essentially you tack on extra treatment process that assumes the water could have the same constituents in it that you would find if you were drawing directly from a creek. In each of these cluster locations we will bring the raw water to a centralized small treatment facility. We consistently noted elevated levels of manganese, sometimes iron in the groundwater. Both of those elements can be treated by a simple filtration process. So that process would be provided at the front end of the treatment train, then followed up by simple cartridge filtration. There are inexpensive large-scale cartridge filters that can accomplish the surface water treatment requirements at the tail end of the filtration process. Final treatment would consist of disinfection [typically chlorine] before that water is discharged into the distribution system.”

THE ABANDONMENT of the original leach field area near the airport means that the Environmental Review will have to be revised to address whatever new site is selected which means the EIR will be pushed back to later in 2019. At that time the engineers will estimate what they think the monthy service fees will be for water and sewer. Previously, the Community Services District officials have said that because Boonville is classified as a low-income area the cost of the monthly service cannot exceed 2% of average monthly household income as determined by the latest census.

CSD TRUSTEE Larry Mailliard (of Yorkville) concluded, “If we don’t do it now with the money that’s available…It was first started in the 50s, and then the 70s. I knew about it in the 80s. Here you have the opportunity. I don’t live in the district, I live eight miles thataway. If you don’t take advantage of the opportunity now when it is virtually free [i.e., construction], it [the grant money] won’t be available and the water situation will be 10 times worse.”

(Mark Scaramella)

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MSP'S ‘EYE ON THE NAVARRO’

Still No Threat Of Hwy 128 Closure

A glance at the NOAA prediction for the river level found they backed off the 13.5' "crest" next Wednesday to 13.2.' That crest is predicted to be reached Wednesday at 5:00 pm and it's well below the 23.0' flood stage.

The current USGS (upstream) river gauge reading (9:15 am Saturday) was 5.85'

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TWEAKER BURGLARS NABBED — Finally?

On February 1, 2019 at 1:23 PM Ukiah police officers responded to a residence in the 500 block of Cypress Avenue regarding a residential burglary. The responding community service officer met with the executors of the estate as the homeowner had recently passed away. The executors found that an unknown suspect had forced entry into the residence, damaging the residence and had taken several items from inside the residence including several watches and a laptop computer. Officers continued the investigation responding to a local pawnshop and found watches matching the description had been attempted to have been pawned at that business. Using security camera footage from the business, the individuals attempting to pawn the watches were identified by law enforcement. The following day (February 2, 2019) the same persons were located in a local hotel still in possession of the watches later confirmed to be stolen from the residence. The investigation continued and Scott Mather, 33, transient, of Ukiah, and Angela Rivera, 29, transient of Ukiah, were identified as having provided the watches to the people who pawned the watches.

In the evening of February 2, 2019, officers responded to a local motel and located Angela Rivera in a room at the motel. A search of the room by officers resulted in more of the stolen watches being located and recovered. Rivera was subsequently arrested and booked into the Mendocino County Jail. As a result of this, Scott Mather was again implicated in the burglary and a third party identified as Roxanne Scarioni, 35, transient of Ukiah, was identified as being involved as well.

On February 6, 2019, Scott Mather was located at a homeless encampment. Mather was arrested and interviewed by Ukiah police detectives and subsequently booked into the Mendocino County Jail. Following up on information received during the investigation, Roxanne Scarioni was located in an apartment north of the Ukiah. Ukiah police detectives responded and interviewed Scarioni how was subsequently arrested and booked into the Mendocino County jail as well. Angela Rivera, Scott Mather and Roxanne Scarioni were booked for burglary, conspiracy and probation violations. Rivera was booked on an additional charge of possession of stolen property. Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact the Ukiah Police Department at 463-6262.

(UPD press release)

Mather, Scarioni, Rivera

Previously...

Scott Mather arrests:

  • April 4, 2016, Controlled substance, paraphernalia.
  • February 28, 2017, Controlled substance.
  • September 2, 2017 Harboring a wanted felon, probation revocation
  • August 10, 2018, Probation revocation.
  • November 18, 2018, Probation revocation

Roxanne Scarioni arrests:

  • January 12, 2018: second-degree burglary
  • October 14, 2018: domestic abuse.

Angela Rivera arrests:

  • January 21, 2018 [Listed as from San Diego and Redwood Valley]: DUI-drugs
  • June 24, 2018: Con sub, paraph, failure to appear.
  • December 18, 2018: Controlled substance, stolen property, probation revocation.
  • January 14, 2019 Willits DUI, paraphernalia
  • January 21, 2019: Failure to appear, probation revocation

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PETS OF THE WEEK

Who has the cutest pink nose? That would be Matilda! Mattie is a 3 year old, spayed, female, medium hair, black and white cat. She's very outgoing and friendly. We see Matilda easily fitting in with her new family. Come down anytime the Shelter is open to meet Matilda and all her feline friends.

Gerald is a 3 year old, neutered male, weighing in at 82 hunky pounds. Although he's a pretty mellow dog, Gerald enjoys playing with toys--his favorites being tennis balls and anything that squeaks. Gerald is easy to walk on a leash and according to his previous guardian, he's good with children. Mr. Mellow's tail never stops wagging, especially if treats are coming his way. Check out Gerald's webpage for more about this big, sweet goofball, at

www.mendoanimalshelter.com/dogblog/gerald

The Ukiah Animal Shelter is located at 298 Plant Road in Ukiah, and adoption hours are Tuesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday from 10 am to 4:30 pm and Wednesday from 10 am to 6:30 pm. To see photos and bios of the shelter's adoptable animals, please visit us online at: www.mendoanimalshelter.com For more information about adoptions please call 707-467-6453.

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ED NOTES

SO FAR, SO GOOD. Off their first two meetings our new supervisors, Haschak and Williams, have done well, Haschak even boldly arguing against the plump contract for the new assistant DA and finding himself on the short end of a 4-1 approval. Haschak simply pointed out the obvious — the county's line workers are so poorly paid there are about 290 unfilled job openings out of almost 1400 funded positions, and many county workers, cops for instance, as soon as they're trained and have a little experience leave Mendo for better pay. Williams just as boldly and just as futilely tried to get specific answers to the county's bumbled pot program. Meanwhile, the supervisors give themselves and top management hefty raises based on what? Poor performance? If that's the standard I think they deserved another raise. But nothing new about poor leadership when we're talking the County of Mendocino.

I KEEP thinking of the bewildered shlub who appeared last week to ask the supervisors why he's been placed on paid leave for what, six months now? For his impertinence the guy got the patented Mendo Stare Back in lieu of an answer. Paid leave, as applied in Mendo, is a form of house arrest, with some spiritual Stalinist calling the man's home at random intervals during work hours to make sure he hasn't snuck off to do what? What he's paid to do? Is this expensive, humiliating, shameful practice of suspending county employees with pay common anywhere else?


AS ANOTHER of our many public services, Boonville's beloved weekly will try to explain the Brexit you've heard so much about as it relates to England, the home of the Beatles and Masterpiece Theater and other entertainments, a cozy, quaint little country where people drive on the wrong side of the road. The English have voted to leave the European Union. (Like here, a lot of people don't vote.) The English who voted to leave are a lot like Trumpers here, suspicious of furriners, unhappy with what they see as too much immigration, especially of darker people, and disgusted with their government, which they view as not only doing nothing for them but actively conspiring against them. In fact, the Brits have a range of social programs Americans can only dream of, but historically speaking the English don't care much for the peoples east of them. (Americans tend not to like the people next door to them, but we're a special case.) Anyway, the problem with Brexit is what is shaping up as the sudden, unplanned abrogation of zillions of trade relationships and the general neo-isolation of England even from much of Ireland. Apparently, English people are stockpiling goods in anticipation of who knows what when the curtain comes down about three weeks into March.


AT SOME POINT, the County of Mendo will erect a new structure, or re-model an existing one, to house mental patients. County voters have voted to fund it via Measure B and something like seven million has already been accumulated to do it. Like the Sheriff, whose campaign for Measure B almost singlehandedly got Measure B passed, we're partial to a rehab of the old Willits hospital which, a re-do, as we recall, the Sheriff has said will cost about $14 mil.

HERE'S WHERE we probably depart from prevailing opinion. In a county (and a country) whose architecture took an abrupt rearward turn after World War Two, and hasn't erected an attractive or even interesting building since 1910 with the graceful buildings and grounds of the old state hospital at Talmage, the old Willits hospital at least has a kind of ramshackle charm. Any new building planned by Mendo…. and no insult intended…. by architectural savages!… is one more eyesore for Ukiah, another assault on what's left of our sensibilities, more visual oppression for all of us! Dare we hope…. dare we ask….. dare we demand….. nothing grand, not the goddam Tuileries…. just something pleasing, something to lift the spirits of both the unconfined mentally ill, and the certified insane? Might the design of this thing at least consider, he begged as if for his very life, and choking back a sob, beauty?

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YORKVILLE MARKET’S Valentine’s Day dinner menu.

RSVPs are required. Limited space available. Call the market to reserve a table 707/894-9456

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RANCH FIRE: NEAR FATALITY DURING WILDFIRE

Confusion, infighting put firefighters at risk, report by Cal Fire finds

by Jacklyn Cosgrove

Infighting among fire leaders from multiple agencies during the largest wildfire in California’s modern history created a tense environment that trickled down to ground troops and might have endangered the lives of firefighters, according to a report released Friday.

The report, compiled by staff from the U.S. Forest Service, Cal Fire and the L.A. City Fire Department, focuses on an Aug. 19 incident in which a group of firefighters from L.A. and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection almost died when they became surrounded by flames from the Mendocino Complex fires.

The firefighters were working north of the Snow Mountain Wilderness, attempting to build a fire line to try to keep the Ranch fire—the larger of the two in the complex—from charging through that portion of the forest and into a creek bed before reaching homes.

At the time, several firefighters on the ground expressed concern that there was no clear plan for how they would build the fire line. The fire’s front was drawing nearer, and the majority of the firefighters assigned to the job believed they didn’t know what they were supposed to do. According to the report, L.A. city firefighters had heard that a crew that had turned down an assignment had been punished and assigned to pick up trash and other mundane tasks. As a result, they plowed forward despite their anxieties.

A shift in wind caused the flames to surround the firefighters, forcing them to scramble to safety through the forest.

Daylight suddenly turned into darkness as embers and ash swirled around the crew. Scanning the area for an elusive escape route, the strike team leader thought: “This is how it ends. We are going to be vaporized.”

One firefighter was flown to a burn center, and another was taken to a hospital for a dislocated shoulder. The other four were treated for burns to their heads and necks.

The report stated that its goal was, in part, to understand why this near-fatal incident occurred and what can be learned from it. Fire investigators also wanted to understand how the tension among leaders might have contributed to the events leading up to the incident.

By the time of the firefighters’ brush with death, the Mendocino Complex fires, which had been burning for almost three weeks, had grown to almost 385,000 acres, about 600 square miles, and firefighters were tired. Just that day, it had already burned 21,000 acres.

Six days earlier, on Aug. 13, a Utah battalion chief died when a low-flying air tanker dropped thousands of gallons of fire retardant from only 100 feet above the treetops, uprooting an 87-foot tree that struck and killed 42-year-old Matthew Burchett a popular seasoned firefighter from Utah. Three other firefighters were injured in the incident, one seriously.

In total, the fire, which started July 27, ended up burning 459,123 acres and destroying 280 structures. Over the past few months, investigators have interviewed numerous firefighters who worked on the Mendocino Complex fires.

Their report suggests that tension among leaders, along with substantial communication issues, including radio “dead spots” where communication wasn’t possible, might have contributed to the chaos that ensued Aug. 19.

The Cal Fire and U.S. Forest Service “rivalry was evident on this fire, and I believe it was a detriment to the operational tempo and production,” one firefighter told investigators.

Additionally, command staff needed more firefighters, including hotshot crews, but couldn’t get them because of other large wildfires burning across the state, including the Carr, Cranston and Ferguson fires, the report notes.

L.A. City Fire declined to comment, deferring to Cal Fire. Cal Fire also declined to comment, with a spokesman saying the agency, which helped compile the report, did not yet have a final copy of it. Ann Carlson, Mendocino National Forest supervisor, said communication is critically important during a large wildfire, and as California will continue to have large wildfires, agencies at every level must find ways to effectively work together, including through training together before disaster strikes.

The Mendocino Complex fires had the potential to burn many homes in the communities surrounding Clear Lake, which was a priority for fire leaders, she said. Flames were regularly burning at least 17,000 acres per day, about 27 square miles.

The near-fatal accident that August day was preceded by substantial leadership issues among the fire’s command staffs. Generally in California, an incident management team gets assigned to a large wildfire to create an overall strategy for snuffing out the blaze and to help organize the hundreds of firefighters and equipment coming in. These teams often include veteran firefighters with experience fighting wildfires.

Because of the Mendocino Complex fires’ size and intensity, it was determined that two incident management teams were needed, the report noted. This atypical approach created tension among fire leadership because it duplicated jobs. People were confused about who was in charge, and having two management teams added layers of unnecessary bureaucracy, the report said.

This tension and confusion among leadership affected the ground troops, the report notes. Firefighters—already hesitant to speak out against their leaders’ plans—were made more nervous about speaking out about plans they believed were dangerous or that didn’t make sense.

This problem was apparent the day the five LAFD firefighters and one Cal Fire firefighter almost died.

Although several firefighters on the operation safely reached their trucks and escaped, the strike team leader along with four L.A. city firefighters and one Cal Fire firefighter were surrounded by fire.

(LA Times)

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CATCH OF THE DAY, February 9, 2019

Bolton, Brant, Collins

JOHN BOLTON IV, Willits. Battery with serious bodily injury, probation revocation. (Frequent Flyer)

ANDREW BRANT, San Francisco/Ukiah. DUI.

MARSHALL COLLINS III, Albion. Driving without license, failure to appear, probation revocation.

Fox, Hafner, Katzeff

JOSHUA FOX, Ukiah. Fighting/Challenging to fight, DUI, hit&run with property damage.

PATRICK HAFNER, Fort Bragg. Controlled substance, paraphernalia, concealed dirk-dagger, failure to appear.

MOLLY KATZEFF, Mendocino. Escaping while charged with felony, probation revocation.

Ketchum, Keyser, Leard

GINA KETCHUM, Santa Rosa/Ukiah. Disobeying court order.

CHRISTOPHER KEYSER, Ukiah. Failure to appear.

STEVEN LEARD JR., Ukiah. Community supervision violation.

Magana, Miller, Ramirez-Gonzalez, Riley

MARK MAGANA, Ukiah. Robbery.

SEAN MILLER, Ukiah. Probation revocation.

JULIAN RAMIREZ-GONZALEZ, Ukiah. Probation revocation.

MATHEW RILEY, Ukiah. Battery.

Rivett, Strazi, Weaver

RONDA RIVETT, Ukiah. DUI.

RICHARD STRAZI, Fort Bragg. Failure to obey lawful order from peace officer, failure to appear,

ASAHEL WEAVER JR., Willits. Mandatory supervision sentencing.

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BIG UTILITIES HAVE FAILED CALIFORNIA. IT’S TIME FOR THEM TO FACE REAL COMPETITION

Utilities are a monopoly and ensured a profit because they must put the public good first. Energy utilities in California have a very long history of ignoring this responsibility.

latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-ol-le-edison-pge-utilities-california-20190122-story.html

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UPCOMING EVENTS AT THE UKIAH LIBRARY IN FEBRUARY.

The return of Teen Game Time on Thursdays, and a new Research Skills 101 biweekly workshop for teens, as well as Virtual Reality Day.

www.mendolibrary.org

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SF GIANTS STRIKE NAMING-RIGHTS DEAL with Oracle as AT&T deal ends

The San Francisco Giants' waterfront home is now named Oracle Park.

espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/25724823/oracle-park-new-name-san-francisco-giants-stadium-replacing-att

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ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTISTS are now describing our current era as the sixth mass extinction event in the history of planet Earth, with this one caused by us.

—Jem Bendell

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THAT LOOK

That look we regularly see in all of their faces, that look that says We own it all. It's nearly always a mask for their evident certainty that they damn right do own it all, and they'll take it all back when they choose. Those of us not allowed in the limos never had much of a piece of this action. It is time -- well past the time -- for a change.

It is time to give the folks in the limos some pause, let them see that our smiles as they pass are as phony as theirs. Make them see a future in which they are nothing but the decorative cherry at the top of the cosmic sundae, some sugar, but not much nutrition. It is time to take it all back.

The relative danger of the city serves their interests, as does, of course, the relative danger of rural places. As we have seen, things burn, sometimes catastrophically. The roads which get us to work are often in disrepair, serving their interests as they go out to fix them. We may think that they're doing it for us. Our money is theirs. Our airports are theirs. Our resorts.

Our ideas of our nation are theirs, gotten partly from textbooks, which they publish. As the clock ticks in the background, they will get worried. Their assholes will itch and bleed as they stare in disbelief at what's happened. And as ever, they'll see the lampposts, waiting. A joyous vision for the rest of us, beginning to come into focus. Once again, inhale, have some rich coffee, and smile. Inhale deeply, and smile some more as they lose their stuff and their power, especially those dangerous lunatics at the top, who ever test our abilities to fully describe them. Sit back, inhale deeply, and know that you're helping to speed what is coming. From me, at least, to all of you: Thank you. Indeed.

(Bruce Brady)

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ON LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY

Or, if we insist on having corporate personhood, institute the corporate death penalty for misbehavior. That means revocation of the articles of incorporation, disbandment of the organization, sale of the assets, repayment of debt with the proceeds, any left-over going into government coffers as opposed to shareholder pockets.

On the environmental front, what we have is the substitution of talk for action. There is no way in hell that the bi-coastal glitterati have got any intention of inconveniencing themselves or those of their class with ANY measures that would reduce their carbon foot-print. Ain’t gonna happen. As in never ever.

We’ll get a lot of posturing, a lot of talk of green this and green that, maybe some taxes on gasoline, but the multi-thousand pound, mammoth SUVs that could give a WW2 armored vehicle a run for its money will stay on the roads, the gasoline tax offset by cuts in income taxes on the wealthy, because as we all know, the rich need to pay less tax. And heaven forfend that private jets be mothballed. Those are a dire necessity, Hollywood types otherwise expiring, dying of jetlessness.

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HOW DOES IT FEEL?

Editor,

Hey liberals! How does it feel? I’m talking about Virginia. How do the liberals like it now that the governor and lieutenant governor and attorney general have been brought up on charges of rape and molestation and whatever? For years the liberals have complained about Republicans like Judge Kavanagh and now you are getting a dose of your own medicine! I love it!

President Trump is all wrong about taking troops out of Syria and Afghanistan. It's the same thing that Obama did when Isis took over. We were just about to win everything and then we wasted it all. An Isis return is inevitable. It's a bad idea, but I'm sure President Trump knows what he's doing.

Why does Caltrans have ten-foot high chain-link or corrugated fences around their compounds? Why do people have fences around their yards? Why are there gated communities? Open borders are BS. It's all Democrats. We need a solid border wall and only let immigrants in legally. I love immigrants, they are good for our country, but they need to come in legally so we can sort out the bad ones. The bad ones are pouring in like maggots.

High praise for Sergeant Gallagher, the Navy seal who killed and tore apart a couple of Isis people over there who were cutting people's heads off. The military morons who are prosecuting him should be tried themselves. He did exactly what he should have done to those Isis bastards.

Cop killers and perpetrators of heinous crimes do not need a trial. Just get an excavator and string them up in their hometown. Put a noose around their necks and raise the boom as high as it will go and then let them dangle there until they rot.

I went to Eva Holcomb's funeral on Friday and there were many wonderful people there. She was a wonderful person and I will miss her. She came from the well-known Pardini family of Anderson Valley. They are great people and they had a lot to do with developing the Valley.

God bless Donald Trump.

Jerry Philbrick

Comptche

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THE NORWEGIANS ARE COMING!

(Press release from Nordic Aquafarms):

Nordic Aquafarms, an international leader in land-based aquaculture, today announced that a subsidiary, California Marine Investments, will on Monday enter into an exclusive option agreement with the Humboldt Bay Harbor District to lease 30 acres on the Samoa peninsula near Eureka in Humboldt County. This will be the company’s second land-based aquaculture facility in the US, and its first on the West Coast. According to Nordic Aquafarms´ CEO Bernt-Olav Roettingsnes, the agreement is aligned with the company´s US strategy of building its facilities close to the regional markets it plans to serve.

One year ago, Nordic Aquafarms announced plans to build a land-based salmon farm in Belfast, Maine to serve the East Coast markets. That project is now in the permitting phase and plan to start construction later this year.

“As we did on the East Coast, we conducted a thorough search over the past few months to find the right location for our West Coast expansion,” said Nordic Aquafarms´ US President Erik Heim. “This site meets all of our criteria for building a safe, clean, and sustainable fish farm, and we have been welcomed by local authorities who are excited about the many benefits this project can bring to the area.”

This unique location greatly simplifies permitting and provides significant infrastructure savings. The location already has an outfall pipe in place, established acces to good fresh- and seawater sources, a substation with power on site and many more benefits. Key permits such as aquaculture licences are also already in place.

Heim said the company is considering raising salmon or steelhead as options for the land-based facility, which will use state-of-the-art recirculating aquaculture system, or RAS, technology. A final decision on which species to raise will be based on market considerations market and further discussions with the local permitting authorities.

Nordic Aquafarms has developed an innovative energy management approach that enables the company to be cost competitive independent of local energy costs. Solar power will among other things be a part of the energy mix in California.

“We will now be situated on both coasts, which fits into our strategy of locating fish farms close to major regional markets,” said Commercial Director Marianne Naess. “The Humboldt location will enable us to reach more than 50 million people within a 12-hour drive or less, which reduces the cost and environmental impact of transportation while supplying the market with super-fresh, sustainably raised local fish.”

The project is also seen as a good match for Humboldt County. “Humboldt County is a leader in the fisheries industry, and our community recognizes that it must continue to build on these strengths in order to achieve further economic success. This project fits well with that strategy,” said Scott Adair, director of economic development for Humboldt County. “Nordic Aquafarms is an innovator within their own industry. Their project will create opportunity to improve local job quality and career potential, add to the overall vibrancy of the community and enhance quality of life for our residents. We are very excited for the potential of this project.”

According to Larry Oetker, executive director of the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District, the district has already permitted properties on the Samoa peninsula for aquaculture. “We have been looking for an anchor project that will be a catalyst for attracting and developing an aquaculture cluster,” said Oetker. “Nordic Aquafarms and California Marine Investments provide that, and we are pleased to be working with them get this project under way as soon as possible.”

Naess said the company has begun engaging in discussions about the project with local authorities and stakeholder groups and looks forward to working closely with them as it moves forward. The company will now execute extensive due diligence and plans to submit permit applications by the Spring of 2020.

About Nordic Aquafarms

Nordic Aquafarms (www.nordicaquafarms.com) is one of the premier investors and developers in land-based aquaculture internationally, with production facilities in Norway (Fredrikstad Seafood) and Denmark (Sashimi Royal and Maximus), and two projects under development in the United States. The company is a trailblazer in the land-based fish farming industry with employees in three countries and well-established financial investors. The company has a strong in-house engineering capability that has enabled significant innovation in RAS development.

Nordic Aquafarms is developing sustainable fish farming practices for the future to deliver super fresh high-quality seafood to regional markets and is committed to a low environmental impact and sustainability in every facet of the business, from setting new standards for clean discharge, to energy efficiency and solar power, to refusing to use GMO or antibiotics in its production.

In January of 2018, Nordic Aquafarms Inc., the company’s U.S. subsidiary, announced plans for a land-based salmon farm on the Atlantic Coast in Belfast, Maine, to be built in two to three phases. Construction is expected to start in 2019, with operations commencing in 2020.

In February of 2019, Nordic Aquafarms Inc., announced plans plans to build a land-based fish farm in Humboldt County, Calif., near Eureka, to serve West Coast markets.

Land-based aquaculture

Land-based RAS production is a rapidly emerging method for sustainable production of salmon. It is based on indoor production in a controlled environment using large tanks and water treatment systems. Its benefits include:

  • the ability to recycle and treat water on site to reduce overall water consumption;
  • recycling of waste resources and nutrients;
  • the prevention of sea lice and parasites;
  • the elimination of fish escape into the sea and co-mingling with wild species;
  • the application of renewable energy concepts;
  • a shorter distance to market for a high quality, fresh product, reducing the carbon footprint of air and land transport; and
  • consistent quality and traceability all year round
  • Videos depicting the RAS technology that Nordic Aquafarms will use in Maine and California can be seen here seen here.
  • Demand for fresh seafood

The U.S. today imports more than 90% of its seafood and demand continues to grow. The U.S. and many other countries in the world can never become self-sufficient on wild-caught fish, particularly with the many ecological challenges we are seeing in oceans worldwide, such as pollution and climate change effects.

To meet current demand, much of the fresh fish consumed in the U.S. is air-freighted at a significant cost and with considerable carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming. To achieve growth in domestic supply of fresh local fish in a sustainable, environmentally responsible manner, fish farming is a necessity and we will see much more of it in the coming years. Since sea-pen farming is controversial in the U.S. and wild-catch resources are limited, the many benefits of land-based farming should make our approach widely acceptable and a high priority in the US.

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MEMO OF THE AIR

Tell me, where is fancy bread?

On the shelf or in the shed?

Is it sliced or is it whole?

Tell me while I’m on a roll.

The recording of last night's (2019-02-08) KNYO Fort Bragg and KMEC Ukiah world-class Memo of the Air: Good Night Radio show is available by one or two clicks, depending on whether you want to listen to it now or download it and keep it for later and, speaking of which, it's right here:

https://tinyurl.com/KNYO-MOTA-0319

Besides that, also at http://MemoOfTheAir.wordpress.com you can find a fresh batch of dozens of links to not necessarily radio-useful but nonetheless worthwhile educational items I set aside for you while gathering the show together. Such as:

Motorcycles. Just like with cars, the old ones are achingly beautiful and the new ones are brutally ugly and weird. Who cares if new ones can go 160 miles an hour? No-one with a brain in his head --that he wanted to keep in there-- would ever go even half that on a motorbike, and they all could go fast enough to make an organ donor out of you by the 1920s, leaving plenty of time to develop the surgical techniques required. A hundred years.

https://newatlas.com/motorcycle-sale-of-the-century-2019-las-vegas-auctions/58222/

Wow. Timing.

https://joannecasey.blogspot.com/2019/02/bird-woman.html

One breath. Short film.

And the latest Super-Fun-Pak Comix.

Marco McClean, memo@mcn.org,

https://MemoOfTheAir.wordpress.com

29 Comments

  1. Kathy February 10, 2019

    Snow in Albion this a.m.

  2. Harvey Reading February 10, 2019

    Re: “Although the engineers continue to insist that treated effluent is not very smelly, some locals are still skeptical.”

    I would agree with the engineers.

    The small town (+/- 650 republicans) where I live has its treatment facility less than one-half mile from where I live. Others live even closer. I have never noticed any odors from it. There was a time though, shortly after my residency here began, when the town fathers, who had not long before approved construction and operation of a mushroom growing and processing plant that was VERY odoriferous, would tell us that what we were smelling was the treatment pond!

    The original owner of the mushroom plant, a crook of renown, who had been run out of California for his sloppy management, went under a few years later and the plant now is run by a more environmentally oriented engineer, using techniques that avoid the odor problem. Even so, the town now has a grant for putting its treatment plant underground, which is probably better in the long run anyway.

    Now, if some two-bit-wide-spot-in-the-road of a town in Wyoming can do that, surely a small town in brilliant California can do as much. Doncha think?

  3. Lazarus February 10, 2019

    re: “Like the Sheriff, whose campaign for Measure B almost singlehandedly got Measure B passed, we’re partial to a rehab of the old Willits hospital which, a re-do, as we recall, the Sheriff has said will cost about $14 mil.”

    Money down a rat hole boy. I’ve never known a government job to come in on budget, let alone under… but WTF, if that’s it, ole Howard would likely be tied up with the lawyers for years…Go for it, it will be fun to watch. A monument to cronyism, backroom deals, and oh yea, incompetence.
    As always,
    Laz

    • Lazarus February 10, 2019

      And then there’s, just because the Sheriff was instrumental with Measure B, does that make him a structural expert on a 92-year-old earthquake fault-riddled condemned for human occupancy hospital?
      Yea, I guess we should just trust that Howard bunches experts, who pulled that number straight out of there collectives ass’s, and when questioned about how accurate that guestimate might be, they tapped danced all around the room, fancy paperwork and all.
      With huge remodels, no estimate is ever accurate, there’s just too many variables, (unforeseen issues), get it?
      As always,
      Laz

  4. Harvey Reading February 10, 2019

    Re: THAT LOOK

    Amen!

    Ditto for ON LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY.

  5. Marshall Newman February 10, 2019

    Jerry seems to have forgotten the old adage, “People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.” I see the blackface incidents by Virginia’s Governor and Secretary of State as resulting from youthful stupidity, which can and – at least in the case of the Governor – have been atoned by later actions. Virginia Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax may be responsible for sexual assault and if so should resign. On that basis, so should the guy who said. “I admit it, I did try and f** her. I moved on her like a b****, but I couldn’t get there. And she was married,” as well as, “I’m automatically attracted to – I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait.” And that guy is President Donald Trump.

  6. Harvey Reading February 10, 2019

    Re: THE NORWEGIANS ARE COMING!

    F**k ocean ranching.

  7. Lazarus February 10, 2019

    Dear Mr. AVA,
    Remco…?
    As always,
    Laz

  8. Harvey Reading February 10, 2019

    I do believe that I have found a cure for MAGAism, the religion practiced by the brain-dead disciples of Donald Trump. Its adherents include almost all republicans, and a relatively small number of Working Class deadbeats lost in the desert. They are a surly bunch, who, when in groups of three or more can be dangerous, or seemingly so.

    Over the past two-plus years since Trump was elevated, I have found it increasingly hard to get a good rest at night. I often awaken during the night from dreams of a dystopian nature that are set in unfamiliar surroundings and populated with people I don’t even know. During the day, I find my mind filled with anger. I am frequently on edge, with a sense of justified foreboding. I actually that fear a group of MAGAists might break into my house and attack me (not unimaginable, especially in places like Wyoming). A few months back, I replaced the .357 revolver I had kept hidden in the living room with an old Ruger Standard Pistol, a .22LR semiauto. Why did I do that? Simple: I am so stressed that I fully believe it is possible that MAGAists might really break in, and I do not want blood all over my house after I deal with them. I’m a good enough shot with a handgun that I can put a .22 hollow point through a target the size of an intruder’s forehead, without aiming, from a distance of 5-15 feet.. Something you might care to keep in mind, Jerry boy. The bleeding from an injury inflicted by the .22 bullet is much less than that produced by a .357 jacketed hollow point.

    Now, that’s NO WAY TO LIVE. I realize that. That kind of semi-self-induced stress is bad for a person’s health. And, I believe I have found a solution. Bear with me.

    I have run out of books to read and was too lazy to get more ordered before finishing the last of those I already possessed. In another week, I should again have a supply to tide me over for another few weeks, hopefully until spring, but at the moment the well is dry. Plus the weather (especially the relative humidity, which is much higher than normal) this winter is so inclement that I have no desire to leave the house, except to walk with my dog to the Post Office–about a one mile round trip–on those days when the temperature gets above 10F (no home delivery here).

    I refuse to read from my mostly inherited full set of the Harvard Classics, believing them to be selections made by wealthy people from the ruling class, because the selections would not prove “unsafe” for consumption by those of us from the lower orders of humankind. I really should pack them up and store them in the garage … it’s just that they’ve been around since long before I was born, and I expended so much time in used book stores during the 70s and 80s tracking down missing volumes. Oh, well.

    So, a few nights ago, I broke out a couple of my old mathematics books and started reading them. Part of the reason for doing so was because I had forgotten how to differentiate (a calculus term) exponential functions. I really wanted a first-year calculus book, but no longer have one. I had lent mine to my cousin-roommate back in 1970 and the deadbeat never returned it. So, I was stuck with Maxwell Rosenlicht’s Modern Mathematical Analysis and Protter and Morrey’s Introduction to Analysis (a second-year calculus book), modern at least from a 1960s-early 1970s perspective.

    Talk about taking ones mind off the problems and stress associated with MAGAism. Reading math books will take ones mind off most anything beyond the text. Mathematicians are sooooo precise. And so boring to read. Even so, I feel much better and am sleeping well at night. I doubt that my knowledge of math has increased at all. Nevertheless I highly recommend reading math books as a means for reducing stress–unless you’re taking a class where you have to actually understand what’s in the book!

    Please excuse any typos. One should NEVER edit ones own scribbling. You always miss something.

    • Bruce Anderson February 10, 2019

      For Harvey. If you’re worried about intruders you want a shotgun, not a handgun. You can’t miss with a shotgun, you can miss with a handgun and probably will.

      Recommended reading: Big Trouble by Luckas, a slice of American history few people know.

      • Harvey Reading February 10, 2019

        Too much damage from a shotgun. At close range they blow right through the target and into furniture, walls, windows, etc. Plus there is a lot of blood everywhere. I’ll stick with the .22LR when it’s up close and personal, and inside my own house, where I do NOT want some ignorant scumbag’s entrails and blood covering everything.

        It’s not really intruders that concern me. It’s deadbeat religious fanatics of the MAGAist variety that worry me. They have a lynch mob mentality and feel like everbody’s been on them all their lives. Plus leaving a loaded shotgun lying around is asking for trouble … especially if you have a Lab in the house.

        I do have a short(but legal)-barreled Remington 870 in the closet with 4 shells of #4 buckshot in the magazine, but that is for outdoor work (have a more conventional barrel for hunting, which I don’t do these days). It came in handy when a stray dog climbed over the fence and attacked my dog a few years back. I beat the dog off with the shotgun butt. Never even chambered a shell.

      • Bruce McEwen February 10, 2019

        Aye, Skipper, aye…. very sound advice. As former editor of Guns Magazine, I must concur. The double barrel 12 gage is far and away the best thing to have in the corner of your bedroom — forget the .357 magnum under the pillow — And, as they used to do in Ireland, during the Troubles, always have a steel door behind the wooden one, and the screen; so that by the time the Royal Ulster Constabulary kicks down you doors, you have had at least enough time to get into your pants and cock your gun — Bring it, dude, bring it on!

        • Harvey Reading February 11, 2019

          Keeping any weapon under a pillow is stupidity. And keeping a loaded shotgun in the corner is just as dumb. Using shotguns inside a house is insane, no matter what some gun magazine might advise. I imagine that a lot of the consumers of such publications are MAGAists.

    • George Hollister February 10, 2019

      Harv, classic symptoms of cabin fever. Get a UV light, and an exercise machine. Saunter around town in the sun, ASAP, even if the wind is blowing, and it’s cold.

      • Harvey Reading February 10, 2019

        BS, George. Cabin fever does not last throughout the year, nor is it coincidental with elevation of a moron to the presidency. What you advise can kill a person in winter temperatures here. Or perhaps that was your intent?

        • George Hollister February 10, 2019

          My suggestion, for everyone’s sake, sell the guns(turn them over to the local sheriff) and get a club. Get a few clubs. Place them around your house.

          • Harvey Reading February 10, 2019

            Noted. And rejected, George. You are far less knowledgeable than you think you are. Let’s put it this way: I would avoid being in a position where I had to rely on you. For anything.

            • George Hollister February 10, 2019

              Also, get a dog. If you have a dog, and a club, no one is going to bother you. (Not a pit bull.)

              • Harvey Reading February 10, 2019

                See a doctor, George. You need attention. Pit bulls are perfectly fine dogs if not owned by idiots. I prefer Labs.

  9. Harvey Reading February 10, 2019

    Pretty much his last words for anyone.

  10. John Sakowicz February 10, 2019

    I love our two new members of the Mendocino County BOS, Haschak and Williams.

    Two meetings in…so far, so good.

  11. chuck dunbar February 10, 2019

    Thanks, Harvey, for the long, interesting post. Would not work for me, a math dullard for sure, but glad it works for you. And thanks, Susie, for the John Dingell last words for us all, a good bit of wisdom there….

    • Harvey Reading February 10, 2019

      I’m a math dullard, too, Chuck, which means I have to read the text very slowly, and, even after two or three readings, I’m still lost in the woods. It allows me to completely forget about everything except what I’m reading, though, which is a relief, a relief that seems to last … just as long as I don’t listen to the nooze …

      • George Hollister February 10, 2019

        Turn off the nooze, Harv. And just in case you are, stop listening to Guy McPherson as well. This guy is a nut case. The combination of the two will drive anyone crazy. Get a dog. You’ll be better for it.

        • Harvey Reading February 10, 2019

          You appear to have gone off the deep end, George. My condolences to you, though I admit it’s entertaining. Nitey night, now, youngster. You need a good, long sleep.

  12. John Sakowicz February 10, 2019

    https://www.facebook.com/Heroes-and-Patriots-KMUD-1554754391263726/

    DR. STEPHEN ZUNES, PROFESSOR AT UCSF, SPEAKS WITH HOSTS JOHN SAKOWICZ AND MARY MASSEY ABOUT THE TWO STATE SOLUTION BETWEEN ISRAEL AND PALESTINE; AIPAC VS. J STREET; AND PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE KAMALA HARRIS AND HER UNCONDITIONAL SUPPORT OF ISRAEL.

    THE PROGRAM ORIGINALLY AIRED, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2019, AND IS ARCHIVED AT KMUD.ORG; HEROES AND PATRIOTS, KMUD FACEBOOK; AND HEROES AND PATRIOTS, KMUD, YOU TUBE. IN ADDITION, THE PROGRAM IS REGULARLY RE-BROADCASTED ON KLLG.ORG WILLITS, CA.

    Heroes and Patriots is a program about national security, intelligence and foreign policy. The show is streamed live the first Thursday of each month, 9-10 a.m. at KMUD.ORG Like us on Facebook and YouTube at Heroes and Patriots, KMUD Community Radio.

    ————-

  13. Bruce McEwen February 10, 2019

    When I opened the blinds this morning and saw snow flakes dancing around Ukiah, I decided it was a good day to put on some slow food, as Greg Brown used to sing so passionately about, describing the cozy warmth of the kitchen, the deliriously delicious smells, the comfortable bustle of tending a fire and stirring a pot.. . So I went out and dug through the freezer until I found a mutton neck, the main ingredient to Alexander Cockburn’s recipe for Irish stew, the recipe for which I copied from these pages years ago.

    Well, it’s coming up on dinner time, now my friends, and I’ll keep you posted, like they do on Facebook, on how it all goes down, in case you have any dogs (Irish setters, perchance?) who would enjoy the scraps.

    • George Hollister February 10, 2019

      Great day for it. I would be doing the same, except I have cleaned my freezer out of soup items already. Too bad.

      • Bruce McEwen February 10, 2019

        There’s a guy, he’s a friend of mine,
        He says, ‘Hey, I’m doin’ fine,
        Moin’ up the ladder, rung rung rung,
        gonna get my millions while I’m young!’
        But at night, when he’s had a few,
        his eyes tell a different story
        than his tongue.

        — G. Brown

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