# 218 - July 21st, 2010

Greetings one and all - if you are sitting comfortably then I shall begin... I am very pleased to report that once again the ‘Dinner and Bingo Night’ at the Senior Center was a big success with fifty-three people in attendance! The dinner, prepared by new Senior Center cook Natalie Matson, ably assisted by Gloria Abbott and Cindi Pardini, was delicious - a sausage and spinach lasagna, salad bar, veggies, and carrot cake, all of it made from scratch with locally grown organic produce. The bingo saw the big prizes being won by Berna Walker, Harold Perry, and the $60 top prize went to Ellen Fontaine (born Ingram). The evening was for a good cause, everyone seemed to have a fun-time, and it will happen again on the second Tuesday of next month (as always) – August 10th. I’ll see you there – oh, and next time there will be beer and wine too!...
Now let’s get in to the Public Service Announcements – lots of them at this time of year… #63 – The vets from the Mendocino Animal Hospital are making visits to the Valley on the next two Thursdays. I don’t know how this unusual schedule has come about, but it has, so I suggest you take advantage of it because they will not be back for another month. Anyway, they’ll be at The A.V. Farm Supply tomorrow (July 22nd) from 2pm to 3.30pm and then again next week (July 29th) – same time, same place – and please try to support your local Farm Supply while you’re there... #64 - The annual California Wine Tasting Championships will be taking place at Greenwood Ridge Vineyards this Saturday, July 24th – call 895-2002 for more information... #65 – This Saturday also sees Pat Hulbert’s monthly Bake Sale at Lemons Market in Philo from 10am until everything is sold. This will include huckleberry pies, apple pies, tarts, cakes, breads and cookies – don’t be late!... #66 - The A.V. Lions Club Tri-Tip BBQ Dinner to benefit the A.V. Ambulance is this Sunday, July 25th at 4.30pm at The Fairgrounds in Boonville – not to be missed... #67 – It’s time again for you bargain hunters to get over to the Barn Sale Weekend at The St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church Refectory on A.V. Way just north of Boonville; 9am to 3pm, on both Saturday and Sunday, July 24th/25th. Efren will be on the bbq grill and, for this month only, they have a Summer Special with every single clothing item on sale for $1! Yes, $1... #68 – It’s a full moon on Sunday, July 25th – you can’t say you haven’t been warned! But meanwhile remember the wise words of Carl Sandburg, the Pulitzer prize-winning writer and poet, who said “The moon is a friend for the lonesome to talk to.” And those comforting words are your Quote of the Week...
Let’s move on to a few of the topics under recent discussion at The Three-Dot Lounge - yes it’s “Moans, Groans, Good Thoughts, and Rampant Rumors” from my favorite gathering place in the Valley, at a location known only to ‘those in the know’...
... Contrary to one strange rumor I heard at The Three-Dot over the weekend, The Buckhorn, which is to be the name of the new pub/restaurant opening in uptown Boonville in a couple of months or so, will definitely have the use of much of the beer garden space outside – I’m thinking ‘bbq and pitchers of beer’!
... The Boonville Saloon at the location formerly occupied by The Boonville Lodge in the heart of downtown could be open by the end of the month – Alcohol Beverage Control board permitting. Fingers and claws crossed...
... Not for the first time, a very lively discussion developed amongst several regulars with regards to the A.V. High School colors. Now while some may think this is not that important, to many who have played sports for their school, it is very significant and a source of great pride. This is why the school’s decision, taken about ten years ago based on the votes of one senior class, to go to black and gold rather than the traditional brown and gold, continues to upset many Valley folks and alumni who follow the school’s activities, particularly sports. Meanwhile, School Athletic Director Robert Pinoli tells me that the colors are actually brown, gold, and black and he has an A.V. letterman jacket from 1967, his freshman year, to prove it! He goes on to point out that brown was both difficult and expensive to get. This is not the case now and so the good news for the traditionalists is that both the football team (if we are to have one this season) and the baseball squad, will continue to play in the brown and gold and it’s rumored that when the soccer program gets new uniforms they too will be in the traditional colors. Yer gotta like that!...
... Talking of the school, the new Principal is to be Jim Tomlin (former Vice Principal) who despite always reminding me that he is an ‘old man’, actually is a young man at heart and we at The Three-Dot wish him every success in his new position where his positive attitude and outlook will no doubt serve him very well...
... A number of regulars have informed me that they will be late arrivals for their Friday afternoon libations this week as they plan to be gorging themselves at the opening of the new ice cream shop due to happen on July 23rd. I told them I wouldn’t be at The Three-Dot either and to look for me at the very front of the line outside Johnny Schmitt’s latest venture in uptown Boonville!...
... Finally this week, I am told that there is a new ‘suburb’ in Boonville – the west side of Hwy 128 stretching from Rossi’s Hardware store to Donald Pardini’s house, a few hundred feet to the south. As those two places are homes to dogs called Duke, this small area is now known as Dukeville! I think I like it... This, together with all the ‘downtown’ and ‘uptown’ stuff in the heart of the Valley, would seem to suggest we’re getting to be a virtual ‘metropolitan area’!... Naah - never!!!...
Well, now I think it’s time to take my leave but before I depart I just wanted to add, as I always do at this time of year, that with the hot weather now upon us, please remember to keep your windows cracked if you have pets in your vehicle... Otherwise, 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”… Poking and stroking egos wherever necessary and, as always, humbly yours, Turkey Vulture...
p.s. Keep the Faith...
p.p.s. You can contact me with words of support/abuse at turkeyvulture1 @ earthlink.net

# 217 - July 14th, 2010

Greetings one and all - if you are sitting comfortably then I shall begin... Let’s get straight on to the Public Service Announcements and that way if you don’t want to read all the other ‘stuff’ you don’t have to! (Very thoughtful of me, eh?)… #215 – With it being the third Friday, it’s time for the monthly Dance Groove at The Grange on July 16th from 7pm to 10pm, with dancing and gyrating to the sounds of D.J. Pete... #216 – At the Boonville Farmers’ Market on Saturday morning (July 17th, 9.30-noon) in the hotel parking lot, not only will there be the usual goodies, but they’ll also have the ‘diamond edge knife and tool sharpening’ on offer... #217 – This weekend, Sat July 17th, in the Deep End sees the next event in the summer’s live music series. This time it’s the blues guitar sounds of Guitar Shorty following an opening act featuring The Ralph Woodson Experience – a Jimi Hendrix tribute band... #219 & #220 – The Lions Club monthly meeting is on Monday 19th and The Grange meeting is Tuesday 20th – both at 7pm – now you know...
Moving on to a few ‘quickies’ under discussion this week at The Three-Dot Lounge - yes it’s “Moans, Groans, Good Thoughts, and Rampant Rumors” from my favorite gathering place in the Valley...
... I can confirm that Tom Towey, recently of Boonville Lodge ‘fame’, will open a pub/restaurant at the location in the heart of downtown Boonville, formerly known as The Buckhorn Saloon/Highpockety Ox, sometime in the next couple of months...
... Shelley Scaramella will re-open a bar at The Lodge location in the next month hopefully... No restaurant is planned for the space next door at this time...
... The new ice cream shop, under the auspices of Johnny ‘Two Scoops’ Schmitt from the Boonville Hotel, with the very competent Miranda in charge, is now looking at a Friday, July 23rd opening day. I don’t know if I can wait that long for some delicious vanilla chocolate chip but I’ll do my best. Hope you can do the same...
... Several regulars wish me to pass on their gratitude to Ricardo at The Redwood Drive-In in downtown Boonville for showing World Cup matches when nobody else in town either could or would. For the Final on Sunday he even sent out several plates of complimentary appetizers to the assembled masses that probably numbered about 40 people. I even spotted Deputy Squires in there for one of the semi-finals, although he is not an admirer of ‘The Beautiful Game’ so I suspect he had no idea what was going on, nor cared....
Talking of which, as I watched the Final on Sunday morning, I ravenously devoured the delicious chicken taco plate and cheered the Netherlands on as they lost 0-1 against Spain. To complement this delightful lunch I guzzled down a couple of Scrimshaw Pilsners from the brewery in Ft. Bragg and I have to tell you that the zesty chicken coupled with the cool pilsner beer was... yes, you guessed it, orgasmic; and that’s why I just have to have Scrimshaw as my Wine (Beer) of the Week. Just thought you should know...
Now let’s move to the Whine of the Week... Err, what can I say. I’ve had a very pleasant week with little to complain about... Er... Er... How about the people you often meet whom we Turkey Vultures refer to as The Cappers? I’ve overheard and spoken with several over the past week or two (and hundreds over the years) who would fit this description – in these cases all were out-of-towners who just cannot accept that perhaps you know the Valley somewhat better than them. You know who they are, those who, having listened to you for a few sentences at the most, have to jump in and ‘cap’ your tale/news with a similar tale/news of their own that takes much longer to tell and, more often than not, is quite boring, and sometimes untrue if the truth were told. Nevertheless, they just have to grab a little limelight whenever they can, always lecturing, enjoying the sound of their own voice, and unable to just listen and converse. ‘Feed them to the hungry pigs on Ornbaun Road’ I say... (Of course we do have our own local Cappers and for a list of these please turn to page 74).
Well now I think it’s time to take my leave. But first, the usual farewell comments...With the hot weather now with us, please remember to keep your windows cracked if you have pets in your vehicle... Otherwise, 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”… Poking and stroking egos wherever necessary and, as always, humbly yours, Turkey Vulture...
p.s. Keep the Faith...
p.p.s. You can contact me with words of support/abuse at turkeyvulture1 @ earthlink.net
p.p.p.s. Hi, Silver Swan – behaving yourself? Hopefully not!

# 216 - July 7th, 2010

Greetings one and all - if you are sitting comfortably then I shall begin... Due to unforeseen circumstances I was unable to attend The Olde Time 4th of July Celebration but Hummingbird was there, in Stars and Stripes t-shirt and Lions Club apron, serving up some delicious tri-tip sandwiches along with many others from the always-giving A.V. Lions. The bad news, at least for Poleekos (Philo folks) and Deep Enders (Navarro dwellers), was that for the first time in nine years, the Men’s Tug-of-War was won by The Boonts (Boonville ‘city slickers’) and High Rollers (Yorkville mountain people). To add insult to injury the city slicker chicks and mountain girls also won the Women’s event! I suppose it was their turn, and more importantly, perhaps, was that the community as a whole had a wonderful afternoon. Thanks to all the organizers who gave their time and efforts in true A.V. style...
With this in mind, for the Quote of the Week, I offer these words from Morgan Scott Peck, an American psychiatrist and best-selling author, best known for his first book, ‘The Road Less Traveled’, who wrote “There can be no peace, and ultimately no life, without community.” Sounds like he may have been on that victorious tug-of-war team!
Public Service Announcements (P.S.A.’s)… #162 – The live music in the Deep End resumes this coming weekend on Friday (9th) evening at the Navarro Store with the wonderful Blues guitarist, Walter Trout... #163 – the annual Boonville Art Walk will take place on Saturday, July 10th and you are encouraged to take a stroll around town from 3-6pm admiring the many exhibitions... #164 – Laughing Dog Books in downtown Boonville has the paintings of young Hannah Newcomer (daughter of Shelly and Jay) on display throughout the month of July. Opening hours are Friday thru’ Monday, 9am to 7pm each day. Buy a book, admire some art – what’s not to like?... #165 – Last, but no means least, it’s time to remind you of next week’s Bingo and Dinner Night (July 13th) held on the second Tuesday of every month at the Veterans Building in Boonville to benefit the Senior Center. Dinner will be served at 6pm with Bingo to follow at about 7pm. It’s a great Valley night out, starting with Gloria’s salad bar, followed by a tasty dinner, freshly prepared by Natalie Matson, and featuring spinach and sausage lasagna with zucchini and real garlic bread, with homemade carrot cake for dessert; not to mention lots of prizes to be won at bingo, and you don’t have to be a senior to enjoy it all – everyone is welcome! ($7 for dinner; $5 suggested donation by seniors)...
Moving on to a few of the topics under discussion this week at The Three-Dot Lounge - yes it’s “Moans, Groans, Good Thoughts, and Rampant Rumors” from my favorite gathering place in the Valley at a location known only to ‘those in the know’...
... It’s almost a done deal at The Buckhorn Building! Former Boonville Lodge owner, Tom Towey has just about reached an agreement with landlords Gary and Ginny Island to open a pub/restaurant in the space that has been empty since Feb. 2008. More details to follow as I get them but Tom has indicated that the pub will have a similar menu to that he offered at The Lodge, with a broad selection of draft beers and Valley wines, plenty of outside seating as well as the newly renovated restaurant and bar space inside, and his wonderful Brunch, that was so popular down the road, served at the weekend. It all sounds good to me...
... It has come to my attention that the recently formed ‘Gentlemen Only Book Reading Organization (G.O.B.R.O.) – Military History Section’ in the Valley has been criticized in some female quarters for not allowing women members. The group apparently consists of eight gentlemen, with membership closed at this point... So let me understand this - we have the Independent Career Women (I.C.W.) for women only; the Sassy Ladies – for ladies only; the Women’s Dinner Group – for women only; the Unity Club – not officially for women only but when I last checked a few months ago there were no men involved; the 'Girls Night Out' evening at Lauren's Restaurant - for 'girls' only; and two very successful and long-standing book clubs that to my knowledge are for women only. These are no doubt all very lovely gatherings. I think it's great to have these women's fellowships with shared interests and aims, and long may every one of them continue. So why the criticism of this new group on grounds of sexism? This group is not sexist; it’s simply a group of men getting together to discuss military history with other men. A healthy thing for one and all, I would venture to suggest. Nothing more, nothing less. Isn’t it time for some of those around here who take political correctness to it’s narrow-minded extremes to realize that their stance is frequently a restriction on truth, free speech, and thought, and that they have become a vigilante force that imposes its views while accusing others of intolerance if you don’t agree with everything they say. Get over it and form your own book club, I say!...
... One regular echoed the sentiments of many others with a mini-rant about the parking of visitors in downtown Boonville. Through the summer months it is true that we have many people pulling in and parking at 90 degrees to the sidewalk, not parallel, as is the custom around here outside our stores and businesses. Along with many others he has even seen locals commit this ‘crime’! Come on folks, we can’t be doing that – we have our ways, they work, let’s not forget where we are...
Well now I think it’s time to take my leave. Meanwhile, with the hot weather now with us, please remember to keep your windows cracked if you have pets in your vehicle... Otherwise, 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”… Poking and stroking egos wherever necessary and, as always, humbly yours, Turkey Vulture...
p.s. Keep the Faith...
p.p.s. You can contact me with words of support/abuse at turkeyvulture1 @ earthlink.net