# 146 - January 21st, 2009

Greetings one and all…Are you sitting comfortably - then I shall begin…Let’s get straight down to business with The Valley Quiz - answers at the end of the column...
1. Who will be the guest speaker and presenter of the awards at the upcoming Film Festival on the final afternoon - Sunday, Jan 25th?
2. Who catered the memorial for Hans Kobler, formerly of Lazy Creek Vineyards, that was held at Lauren’s Restaurant a week or so ago?
3. Who is that cheerful, helpful, and always knowledgeable person who works the Friday shift at Rossi’s Hardware in Boonville – Rossis themselves not withstanding...
As mentioned above, this coming weekend (Thursday, Jan 22nd – Sunday, Jan 25th) sees the 3rd Annual Anderson Valley Film Festival, benefiting The Grange, The Lions Club, The A.V. Animal Rescue, and The A.V. High School Film Class. It all takes place at The Grange on Hwy 128 and for full details and screening times check out www.andersonvalleyfilmfestival.org...There’s draft and bottled beer, local wines, tacos from Alicia’s, pastries and snacks from Mosswood Market, locally-made films, films from the high school’s film class, movies from other film festivals, short films featuring dogs herding sheep, political documentaries about current issues, movies with women in thongs, socially-aware features, films about pig hunting, films featuring a naked Barbie doll, and rumors of a performance by legendary blues-harp man Charlie Musselwhite on the Saturday night...and it’s all for deserving local causes – I can’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t be there!...
The Vets from the Mendocino Animal Hospital were in town this past week, unbeknownst to me or I would have informed you. In the future they promise that they will let me know so I can pass the news on. In the meantime, they have already announced that their visit in February will be on Thursday 12th at 2pm. I’ll remind you closer to the time and if your pet has some needs hopefully you will take advantage of this excellent service...
Whine of the Week...As I stood talking with Uncle Donn Jaeckle outside the Pick ‘n’ Pay last Friday afternoon we simply could not continue our exchange of wise words after three Harley riders had started up their engines parked a few feet away outside The Boonville Lodge. They were the usual nerds-without-a-cause that seem to dominate the Harley fraternity these days. You know – the investment bankers, computer geeks, soccer mums, and art gallery owners from Marin and its environs out for a bit of “bad ass craziness”, or may be just a shrimp salad and a glass of wine out on the coast. The level of noise was ridiculous. Imagine Donn and I going to their Harley Davidson bike shop and preventing them from conducting their business by depositing a steaming turd or two at the entrance to the store. What’s the difference? Both acts are extremely anti-social in my view...May be it’s time to start feeding the pigs on Ornbaun Road some shiny new leather and nerd flesh?...
On to a better and brighter topic...This past Monday was the day we observed Martin Luther King’s birthday and with the world facing so much chaos and uncertainty, and witnessing hatred, cruelty, and conflict in so many places, it certainly seems as appropriate as ever to pay heed to his words, “We must learn to live together as brothers, or perish together as fools”…Then yesterday it was Inauguration Day and no doubt M.L.K. was somewhere joining in with the feelings of positive expectation that exists not only this country but around the world as the new “Lincoln/Roosevelt/Kennedy” takes control. I have a feeling he may be the best of the lot despite the enormous hurdles he faces - one can but hope as we finally enter the 21st century for real...
Many congratulations to the organizers of the Senior Center Crab Feed that was held at The Apple Hall in Boonville last Saturday evening. It seemed to go very smoothly and everyone I spoke to had a wonderful time, with many positive comments about the freshness of the crab and the efficient service provided by Ben Anderson’s High School Baseball team who played particularly good attention to my own ‘special needs’ in the crab and bread department. The usual suspects prepared and ran the show as competently as ever with special mention to Eddie and Gina Pardini, The Wyant Crew, Gloria Abbott, Harold Hulbert, Tom Lemons, Howard Morse, Melissa Davis, Cherie Matthias, Jim Schneider, and Ernie Pardini, with apologies to anyone I have forgotten...By the way, there is no truth to the rumor that Bill ‘Big Thighs’ Teague ate more crab than I did. It was close for a time but ultimately there was only going to be one winner – just ask the baseball players who kindly cleaned up after us...
Perhaps I should go now - I’ll get my coat shall I?...Be careful out there; think good thoughts; support your local businesses; and may your god go with you…Oh, and of course, one final request, “Let us prey”…Humbly yours, Turkey Vulture…
You can contact me with words of support/abuse by e-mail at turkeyvulture1 @ earthlink.net…
Quiz answers...
1. It will be star of stage, screen and t.v....and local resident - Rene Auberjonois...
2. The caterers were Cory Morse and Diana Charles – great job by all accounts...
3. That would be non-other than Mike Crutcher, or ‘Cruncher’ to the Boont-speakers amongst you...