Our Very Own Mutual Aid Society
An interview with The Anderson Valley Village’s Lauren Keating & Stephanie Gold
Hoyle v. Ukiah’s Bike Thieves
The Public Defenders were in a collective snit, a common fit of indignation, a united sense of outrage against that perennial evildoer (to the underclass), that legendary Man From U.N.C.L.E. (UNderCover Law Enforcement), Ukiah Police Sergeant Peter Hoyle. “What’s he done this time — busting skateboarders for roach-clips again?” “On no, no-no-no — nothing so […]
Bach in Chico
From Stanford University in Palo Alto, California northwest to the State University of California at Chico it’s a neat 200 miles—the kind of distance the young Bach would have covered on foot. He certainly wouldn’t have done it in a late model Subaru cadged from a friend with FastTrak for the tolls, feet-freeing cruise control, […]
Citizen Soldiers
It’s scary to think that, back in 1969, we as anti-war GIs had more civil rights than we have today. If the 20th Century proved anything, it’s that living under Big Lies Inc. is comforting in a mass society shaped by commercial propaganda campaigns zeroed in on mass-produced gullibility. Misery loves company and, up till […]
Variety the Valley Way
Some people are naturals on stage. Others have to practice. And for some… it doesn’t matter how hard you try, you just can’t put yourself out there in front of a crowd. But that’s okay, because there are plenty of other people eager to jump up and have their five minutes of glory. It’s an […]
An Ignored Green Solution
Regarding Mr. Art Harwood — and MRC for that matter. Five years ago Mrs. Hoaglin arranged a meeting with Mr. Art Harwood to discuss other possible solutions to make his enterprise more efficient. It was held at the old Garberville school. There were 17 people there. I saw many eager potential could-be workers there. I […]
Off the Record (March 13, 2019)
MICHAEL COLVIG is the principal at Willits High School, one of a bunch of Colvigs clustered at the Gateway to the Redwood Empire. Michael Colvig’s father sits on the Willits School Board, a school board like any other, meaning fully capable, and sometimes blithely willing, to commit their own crimes and misdemeanors. So when little […]
The Mendocino Bargain
In my short life I have observed Mendocino County give away some great assets. In looking back, I can find no one who can justify just what was the thinking of our great leaders in the past years. The most talked about great give-away was Lake Mendocino. I recently attended the showing of the movie, […]
Mary Fuller: Knocking On Heaven’s Door
One day before too long, a journalist will craft an obit about the artist known as Mary Fuller who lived much of her life on Sonoma Mountain with her husband and fellow artist Robert (Mac) McChesney, an abstract expressionist, a printmaker and lots more. Also, one day a wordsmith will write a biography of Mary […]
Rating Mendo Schools
U.S. educational policy has been in freefall for the past two decades. There was the wildly unpopular No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, which required states to regularly measure and report student performance against certain standards. If states didn’t do it they risked the hammer of losing their federal school funds. Then came the […]
This Mess Is a Place
Living on the Navarro River down a long dirt road off the grid in the flood plain with multiple perils made my remote 4.2 acres available in the ‘90s for a reasonable price. Navarro River Road, aka Poverty Row for hardy property owners, now has a handful of families who come on weekends, show up […]