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MENDOCINO COUNTY – Two Lake County residents were among 38 people arrested or charged last week during a series of marijuana sweeps around Mendocino County that netted more than 49,000 illegally grown marijuana plants.

Hallie King, 19, and Anthony Crisanti, 37, both of Nice, were among those arrested, according to a Monday report from Lt. Rusty Noe of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.

Noe said that from Sept. 22 to 24 a large multiagency marijuana eradication and investigation operation took place, with the raids led by the Mendocino County Sheriff's marijuana investigative team and COMMET.

Assisting in the operation were agents from the Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement, Campaign Against Marijuana Planting, Drug Enforcement Administration, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, California Parole and Mendocino County Probation, Noe said.

Approximately 49,091 marijuana plants were taken during the eradications, according to Noe's report.

Noe said the raids were a result in a series of investigations of large scale marijuana growing operations in the Laytonville area. The investigations were from citizens reports as well as cases developed from over-flights conducted by law enforcement.

In addition to King and Crisanti, those charged with cultivation and possession of marijuana for sale included Stephen McKernan, 33, of Laytonville; James McLean, 28, of Philadelphia; Pedro Vasquez, 37, of Springfield, Ore.; Stephen Caverly, 60, of Santa Rosa; Shawn Caverly, 21, of Kailua, Hawaii; Denise Hoge, 24, of Willits; Frederick Gaestel, 20, of Beuville, New Jersey; Ryan Zembo, 19, of Roseville; Joseph Hahnz, 42, of Sacramento; Micco Chahte, 32, of Vacaville; Chelsea Garner-Prohs, 27, of Riverside; Jessy Greulich, 29, of Willits; Canadian citizen Erin Doncaster, 23; Scott McKendrick, 25, of Crested Butte, Colo.; Peter Laskarin, 36, of Steamboat Springs, Colo.; Robert Zacharda, 43, of Lancaster, Penn.; Edwin Smith, 45, of Reno; Kenneth Murray, 48, of Willits; Thomas Gorman, 47, of Willits; Kenneth Zabkar, 59, of Petaluma; Jeffrey Daily, 53, of Laytonville; Anthony Lazzaro, 25, of Trafford, Penn.; Thomas Castell, 33, and Jennifer Struckholtz, 28, both of Ukiah; Stephen Bernes, 51, of Fairfax; Lauren Kaplan, 44, and Eric Kaplan, 44, both of Laytonville; Brian O'Callaghan, 24, of Hutto, Texas; Dana Burke, 33, of San Ramon; Alfred Donahue, 62, of Oakland; Chris Lemay, 40, and 61-year-old Nickolas Skarlatos, both of Castro Valley; Nicholas Theriano, 62, of Oakland; and Daniel Marinello, Luis Alvarez and Mendoza Diaz, ages and places of residence unknown.

All subjects arrested were booked into the Mendocino County Jail. Noe said some of the suspects have not been arrested with charges pending.

Noe said four search warrants were served in the Spy Rock, Iron Peak and Woodman Canyon areas on Sept. 24. Agents arrested six individuals, eradicated 4,931 marijuana plants, and seized 80 pounds of processed marijuana and 2 ounces of hashish.

During the service of the warrants the COMMET team and CAMP were working a large marijuana garden in the Branscomb Roaad area on Campbell Hawthorne property, where Noe said they eradicated 30,139 marijuana plants.

On Sept. 23, five search warrants were served in the Spyrock Road, Blue Rock Creek (George Washington Rock), and Island Mountain areas. Noe said 5,610 marijuana plants were eradicated, 14 arrests were made, and two guns and $12,980 in assets were seized. In addition, 95 pounds of processed marijuana and 30 pounds hashish was seized.

The property on Island Mountain was reported due to the suspects taking large amounts of water from the Eel River, Noe said. Chelsea Garner, Jessy Greulich, Erin Doncaster, Scott Mckendrick, Peter Laskarin and Robert Zacharda were arrested at the site with 552 large marijuana plants. A large pump feeding a 4-inch pipe was pumping water to a series of large tanks from the Eel River to provide for the marijuana operation.

California Department of Fish and Game was on scene to investigate the water diversion. The Mendocino County District Attorney's Office has committed to the review of this case for environmental crimes, Noe said.

During the service of the warrants COMMET and CAMP were working in the Island Mountain area and eradicated 4,277 marijuana plants from a large grow operation, he said.

On Sept. 24, three search warrants were served on Bell Springs Road and Dos Rios Road. Noe said 3,582 marijuana plants were seized and 21 people were arrested. There were 12 guns seized as well as 123 ponds of processed marijuana and 4.5 grams of cocaine.

During the operation there was one injury as a officer had a minor injury vehicle accident, Noe said.

CLEARLAKE OAKS – The public is invited to a Clearlake Oaks Community Town Hall meeting, hosted by District 3 Supervisor Denise Rushing, set for next week.

The meeting will take place at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the Clearlake Oaks Moose Lodge, located at the "Y" junction of Highway 20 and Highway 53.

Topics will include an update on the community's redevelopment efforts, county projects and issues, Clear Lake, community group updates and announcements and an open forum

Free tables will be set up for local groups, businesses or organizations wishing to distribute informational literature.

For more information contact 707-263-2368 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

 

 

 

 

 

LOWER LAKE – Supporters of state parks are remaining cautious about Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's Friday announcement that he won't close more than 100 parks around the state, including Anderson Marsh State Historical Park in Lower Lake.

On Friday, Schwarzenegger announced a plan to keep the parks open without increasing the Department of Parks and Recreation budget appropriation.

That sounds like good news for parks like Anderson Marsh, which just hosted the fourth annual Old Time Bluegrass Festival and is an important center of outdoor activities for residents and visitors alike.

But the California State Parks Foundation, which advocates for the parks, said Friday that they're concerned about Schwarzenegger's proposals, which include some partial closures and which, ultimately, they said is a “clever way to get political cover” on what has proved to be a powerful statewide issue.

The statement from the Governor's Office explained that, following the passage in July of the budget reduction, Schwarzenegger told the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Department of Finance to work together on a plan to achieve $14.2 million in budget savings in the current fiscal year while, at the same time, mitigating the number of park closures.

“Working closely with my Departments of Finance and Parks and Recreation, we have successfully found a way to avoid closing parks this year,” said Schwarzenegger. “This is fantastic news for all Californians.”

A memorandum from Ruth Coleman, director of the Department of Parks and Recreation, and Ana Matosantos, chief deputy director of the Department of Finance, to Chief Deputy Cabinet Secretary Paul Feist outlined an alternative solution to closing parks.

Coleman and Matosantos proposed that parks can achieve one-time budget savings to address the state's fiscal crisis by reducing ongoing maintenance for the remainder of the 2009-10 budget year and eliminating all major equipment purchases, such as vehicle replacements.

Both of those proposals would save an estimated $12.1 million.

Another suggestion is service reductions.

Coleman and Matosantos proposed reducing hours as well as days of operation at most state park units, along with reducing expenditures on seasonal staff, and reducing staffing and operations at headquarters, for an estimated $2.1 million in savings.

They proposed closing some facilities on weekdays and opening them on weekends and holidays, and closing portions of other units, such as parts of campgrounds.

In the case of parks with multiple campgrounds, they may close a campground or day use facility for a partial closure, while parks that currently close for seasonal conditions would have their closures extended.

The proposal included planning in order to “minimize disruptions to visitors, achieve cost savings and maintain park fee revenues.”

They also suggested that, in order to achieve the $22.2 million of ongoing future General Fund savings that was included in the 2009 Budget Act, Schwarzenegger's administration can explore various solutions for inclusion in the Jan. 10, 2010, budget “to generate ongoing budget savings while minimizing full and complete park closures.”

Gae Henry, secretary of the Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association Board of Directors, said she's just as concerned for the park as she was before the governor's announcement.

Henry, who also is one of the Old Time Bluegrass Festival's event coordinators, took part in a Sept. 24 conference call with about 30 state park associations and supporters, at which time they discussed strategy for the future.

“I believe that what the governor has just done does not mean that our parks are 'saved,'” Henry told Lake County News. “I do believe possible legal issues as well as intense public pressure have influenced him and this is good.”

Henry urged community members not to stop and think the fight is over, but to keep the pressure on to keep Anderson Marsh open.

She said the park's area has had more than 12,000 years of continuous human habitation, a point she made at a Sept. 22 hearing on keeping the parks open, at which more than 150 people gathered.

Henry said Anderson Marsh has more than 900 acres, access is by water and land, archaeological and American Indian sites, a nature preserve and an historic ranch house complex, all of which she and other volunteers are fighting to keep open and available to visitors.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews .

LAKE COUNTY – The effort to fight homelessness in Lake County is getting an important infusion of funds.

On Sept. 22, the state's Housing and Community Development Department announced that Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa was awarded $1,195,000 to provide housing assistance to Lake County residents.

The announcement came a day after local officials discussed the possibility of receiving the funds at a homeless summit in Clearlake, as Lake County News has reported.

The funds come through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 – also known as the stimulus bill – and the US Housing and Urban Development’s Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP), the state reported.

The Lake County Community Action Agency, Lake Family Resource Center, Community Care Management Corp. and Catholic Charities collaborated to develop the funding proposal, which was awarded based on collaboration with local county and city officials.

“We're just excited,” said Gloria Flaherty, executive director of Lake Family Resource Center.

She said the funds will allow the four collaborating agencies to provide assistance on security deposits to catch up on rent, pay utilities and offer case management.

Catholic Charities reported that it will is the direct contractor with the state, but all four agencies will work together to qualify applicants for the financial assistance provided by the state grant.

Larry Lakes, executive director of Catholic Charities, said the HPRP grants aren't intended to provide long-term support for individuals and families. The grants also won't provide mortgage assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure.

HPRP offers a variety of short- and medium-term options to those who would otherwise become homeless, Lakes said. Payments will not be made directly to households, but only to third parties, such as landlords or utility companies.

Lakes said the majority of the funds are for rental or utility assistance to either prevent individuals and families from becoming homeless or help those who are experiencing homelessness to be quickly rehoused and stabilized.

He said the agencies working to distribute the funds will receive a very small administration fee to administer the funds.

“It will be beautiful timing for Lake County,” Flaherty said.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews .

 

 

ain’t no words to this song

you just dance and hum along …

 - Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong

 

Good God! We are just about down to the last quarter of the year 2009.

This year is the anniversary of two very large cultural events in the lore of America. Motown, The Sound Of Young America as envisioned by Berry Gordy, was birthed in 1959. Woodstock, the epitome of all Rock & Roll music festivals, happened 10 years after in 1969, pun intended.

The first single that was released by Gordy’s fledgling Tamla label, the forerunner of the Motown imprint, was a naturally dancable ditty with vocals by the above mentioned Barrett Strong.

Of course many acts over the years had hits for Motown including Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Mary Wells, Marvin Gaye, The Contours, Shorty Long, The Marvelettes, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Temptations, Gladys Knight & The Pips, The Four Tops, The Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder and many, many others.

For me, I’ve always sensed a semi-charmed co-existence with Stevie Wonder, notably after I found out we were born on the same weekend of the same year. It happened to be Mother’s Day Weekend. God was not jiving!

In my opinion, one of many great moments in recorded musical history occurred when Berry Gordy, striving to transmit the essence of the genius of Wonder to the record buying public, recorded the then-monikered Little Stevie’s live performance of the song entitled “Fingertips.”

The song is a jazzy improvisational, mostly instrumental showcase of his harmonica and bongo drumming skills. Stevie does a call and response vamp to the bridge with the audience that seems like the end of the song. After he is led off the stage to thunderous applause he appears onstage again to add a few more harmonica licks.

As the band races to catch up with the supercharged Wonder, a surprised musician who didn’t anticipate the encore is heard to shout, “What key? What key?” They pull it off to ecstatic climax.

Time marches on. Stevie Wonder is the only artist from the Golden Era of Motown that is still with the label, now sold and conjoined to an entity entitled Universal Motown. When the CyberSoulman counted the current roster of 95 acts, he had only barely heard of a dozen or so. Conversely, I was able to count more than 20 former Motown artists and acts that are still alive and performing, relegated to the county fairs and oldies circuit with maybe a cool payday every blue moon in Europe someplace. I guess it beats a blank. The point is that Motown, as we knew it is gone. Many of the artists have left this earth.

Similarly, consider Woodstock. It was held at Max Yagur’s farm in upstate New York for four days, Aug. 15-18, 1969.

From what I’ve been able to gather the original lineup included Richie Havens, Swami Satchidananda, Country Joe McDonald, John B. Sebastian, Sweetwater, Incredible String Band, Bert Sommer, Tim Hardin, Ravi Shankar, Melanie, Arlo Guthrie, Joan Baez, Quill, Keef Hartley Band, Santana, Canned Heat, Grateful Dead, Mountain, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Sly & The Family Stone, Janis Joplin, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Joe Cocker, Country Joe & The Fish, Ten Years After, The Band, Blood, Sweat And Tears, Johnny Winter, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Sha-Na-Na and Jimi Hendrix.

There was a great movie and accompanying soundtrack that were released to huge acclaim. All of the above artists did not make the final cut in the film or the album. I can remember anticipating with youthful exuberance the release of both. Wishing we could’ve all been there.

Then, a few months later, in an attempt to stage a Woodstock West, The Rolling Stones headlined a concert at Altamont Speedway in Livermore. It drew about 300,000 folks. Not as many as Woodstock but close enough. I almost went. Glad I didn’t. There were four deaths – one by stabbing, two by hit and run and one by drowning. It was a bad scene. A documentary, “Gimme Shelter,” was produced.

Sadly, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix were dead within a year of Woodstock. Many of the artists of the era are gone.

On a brighter note, many artists from that celebrated time are gathering to commemorate Woodstock’s 40th Anniversary at WestFest in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on Oct. 25.

Confirmed acts include Leslie West of Mountain, Lester Chambers of the Chambers Brothers, The Original Lowrider Band (founding members of War), Greg Errico, Cynthia Robinson and Jerry Martini from Sly & The Family Stone, Country Joe McDonald, Lydia Pense & Cold Blood, Edwin Hawkins and the New Edwin Hawkins Singers.

For a more complete lineup and more information go to www.2b1records.com/woodstock40sf/ .

And if the drive is too much for you and you can’t stand the city, Country Joe will be at the Soper-Reese Community Theatre in Lakeport on October 17.

Keep prayin’, keep thinkin’ those kind thoughts.

*****

Upcoming cool events:

Monday, Sept. 28

The Bottle Rock Blues & Rhythm Band featuring Mike Wilhelm and Neon. 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., Blue Wing Saloon & Café, 9520 Main St., Upper Lake. Information: 707-275-2233 or www.bluewingsaloon.com .

Thursday, Oct. 1

 

 

Open mike at 6 p.m. Blue Wing Saloon & Café, 9520 Main St., Upper Lake. Information: 707-275-2233 or www.bluewingsaloon.com .

Friday, Oct. 2

Gil Scott-Heron at The Regency Ballroom, 1290 Sutter St., San Francisco. Telephone 415-673-5716.

T. Watts is a writer, radio host and music critic. Visit his Web site at www.teewatts.biz .