# 110 - May 14th, 2008

Greetings one and all…I hope you have recovered from the Brew Fest by now – whether you were either in attendance or had to deal with its impact on our local community. I flew into downtown Boonville on Saturday morning with every intention of attending the annual ‘benefit’ for “King” Ken Allen (although it must be said that even though he does sell a ridiculous amount of his beer he does give a large chunk of the profits to various local groups/charities). At 10.30am there were hundreds of people milling around, most of them drinking beer, and the event was still a couple of hours away – 1pm to 5pm officially. It was already quite warm and I asked myself, “do you want to spend an afternoon in the hot sun surrounded by this lot, many of who will be getting very drunk and some of which will no doubt behave quite obnoxiously?” The answer came to me quickly and was a resounding “No!” So, as a surprise to myself, the “new, sensible “ Turkey Vulture tuned round and decided to visit the High School’s plant sale instead!!!...As I flew back along Hwy 128 through town, the A.V. Brewery’s horse drawn carriage was passing by the A.V. Market and the two shire horses each made an immense deposit in the middle of the sidewalk. It sort of summed up my current feelings towards the event but then my animal instinct licked in and I wondered if perhaps “King” Ken’s horses were making a comment on behalf of Ken about the way he is often depicted by some in the local community. I guess we’ll never know. Meanwhile surely he must have arranged for one of his people to pick up the horses’ mess…
Votes continue to pour in to Poll Headquarters for the unofficial Mayor of Anderson Valley race and local restaurateur Lauren (of ‘Lauren’s’) currently has a narrow lead over the Variety Show’s Captain Rainbow with A.V.A. Supremo, Bruce Anderson in 3rd. Newly nominated candidates include the I.C.W.’s Freda Fox and the Farmer’s Market Director, Cindy Wilder…I remain in a dangerously threatening 4th place and would like to take this opportunity to announce that my election slogan, available on the soon-to-be printed t-shirts, is not surprisingly, “Trust me, you can thank me later”…
Latest poll results…Lauren 16%, Rainbow 15%, Bruce Anderson 13%, Turkey Vulture 10%, Bruce “Uncle Sam” Hering 8%, Ross Murray 7%, Bruce Patterson and Vince “Pig Hunt” Bellew both on 5%, Wayne Hiatt and Emil Rossi, and Coach Kuny each with 4%, Freda Fox and Cindy Wilder both on 3%, Gene Herr 2%, and “King’ Ken Allen with 1%...You can ‘register’ your support for a candidate, either from the list above, or perhaps add a new name, by sending a message to turkeyvulture1@earthlink.net…
It’s time for a quick “Whine of the Week” and this time it concerns the continuing lack of law enforcement in the Valley. I have mentioned this problem before but I am aware of an increase in the number of late night alcohol-fueled arguments in downtown Boonville with the combatants fully aware that there will be no police presence for as long as it takes for the officers to drive over the hill from Ukiah. This is ridiculous and I cannot help but wonder when the first “serious” incident will take place and the words “I told you so” will spill from my beak…
On a far more positive note, the “Wine of the Week” comes from my recent lunch experience at Libby’s Mexican Restaurant in Philo. It’s not actually a fine wine but the crisp refreshing Pacifico beer I enjoyed with the superb Carnitas that can certainly compare with the best of wine and food experiences. On that note I should point out that Libby’s carnitas plate is as good as anything I tasted in the many years I spent frequenting the taquerias of San Francisco’s Mission District. Served with a cold Pacifico, it is, dare I say, orgasmic!...
Talking about local merchants, has any small business owner done a better job in recent times than Dave Evans and crew at The Navarro Store? The way he has turned this store around is remarkable and, with the continuing improvements outside (including both a new stage and the "amphitheatre" for the summer music events ) matching the efforts made in the deli department by Dee Dee and Crist Perez, a visit to the Navarro Store these days is a very pleasant experience indeed…p.s. The word is that some very big names in the music world may be appearing in the heart of Deep Ender country over the coming months. I'll keep you posted...

Whilst applauding the efforts of Dave at the Navarro Store it is perhaps the moment to also admit to being an admirer of the work by the A.V.A.’s resident front-page cartoonist, Stan Peskett. One of his best efforts to date was last week’s “Glorious Weekend” with its depiction of both the Sheep Dog Trial in Yorkville and the Junior High Soccer tournament in Boonville. Unfortunately, I am here to inform you that Stan is not infallible in his pursuit of the perfect cartoon. At one point during the Trial, at which I was a V.I.P. Guest, he inexplicably decided to walk right across the course as a shepherd was competing with his dog! He was quickly admonished and one observer immediately referred to him as Stan “the Pest” Peskett! Then, to add to this faux pas, in the paper a few days later his cartoon soccer scene was labeled as showing a game between Fort Bragg and Flynn Creek. Really? There is no Flynn Creek School – it was actually Eagle Creek…“Come on, Stan,” I thought, “Time to change your medications, perhaps?”...He is a “lovely fellow” though…

Just a quickie to finish with…This coming weekend (May 17th/18th) is The Valley’s Pinot Festival and on Saturday it’s the public tasting event under the “Big Tent” at Golden Eye Vineyards. If you like your wine this event is a “must do” and here in The Valley we have some of the best Pinot Noirs to be found anywhere. See you there - I’ll be the one with a glass in each hand!...

It would appear that I’m out of space so I’ll get my coat and leave…Hopefully we’ll do a Valley Quiz next week…Be careful out there, stay out of the ditches, think good thoughts, and may your god go with you…Oh, and of course, one final request, “Let us prey”…Humbly yours, Turkey Vulture…

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