# 353 - April 3rd, 2013

Greetings one and all – if you are sitting comfortably then I shall begin… And what better place to do that than with the April Birthday list… ‘Many Happy Returns’ to these Valley folks - Robert Fowler, Kirk Wilder, Cindy Wilder, Terry Camping, Kathy MacDonald, and Joan Rose…

         Moving on… Well, it’s that time of year again, when I leave these parts for the Annual Turkey Vultures and Other Birds of Prey Convention at a secret location many miles from here. You will no doubt be pleased to hear that I shall be receiving a Special Vulturanitarian Award for lifetime services to the Birds of Prey Community of Northern California, to go along with yet another Carrion-Eater of the Year Title (Anderson Valley Division). Thanks to everyone who has made these awards possible, particularly of course Hummingbird, my fellow Vultures, and the noble carrion-providers... I shall return in a few weeks and look forward to resuming my Bird’s Eye Views in the A.V.A.’s May 15th edition... In the meantime, think lucky and you’ll be lucky…

       Public Service Announcements… Calendars and pens at the ready… #236 - The Barn Sale on A.V. Way just north of Boonville opens their summer season this coming weekend, April 6 and 7, from 9am to 3pm on both Saturday and Sunday… #237 - The vets from the Mendocino Animal Hospital are in the Valley on these upcoming Thursday afternoons – April 11 & 25 and May 9, from 2pm – 3.30pm each day. If you are a previous client you can call them 48 hours in advance (462-8833) to ensure that your pet’s charts are brought ‘over the hill’ and also order any medications your pet might need. New customers and their pets are always welcome…

       In the month of April and beyond, Valley events will include the continuation of the Winter Farmers’ Market every Saturday at the Boonville General Store from 10.30-12.30, with opening day of the Boonville Farmers’ Market across the street in the Boonville Hotel parking lot scheduled for Saturday, May 4; the Spring Pledge Drive for local public radio KZYX & Z will be from April 20-28; the A.V. Wildflower Show is set for the weekend of April 27 & 28 at The Fairgrounds; the Boonville Beer Fest is on Saturday, May 4; and the Annual Boontling Classic 5K Footrace will take place on Sunday, May 5… 

       Furthermore, in my absence, I thought this list of regular Valley events might also be useful… Every Tuesday and Saturday, the A.V. Lending Library run by The Unity Club is open - Tues 1.30pm – 4.30pm and Saturday 2pm – 4pm at The Fairgrounds… Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the A.V Museum – ‘The Best Little Museum in the West’ - at The Little Red Schoolhouse next to the Elementary School on A.V. Way is open from 1pm to 4pm… Every Tuesday/Wednesday/Saturday/Sunday, The County Dump is open from 9am – 4pm each day… Every Tuesday and Thursday, the Senior Center Lunch is at 12.30pm / 2nd Tuesday Dinner and Bingo 6pm and 7pm respectively / Last Tuesday it’s dinner at 6pm... The third Monday sees the A.V. Lions Club meet at The Grange, 7pm… The third Tuesday it’s the Grange Meeting at The Grange, 7pm… The fourth Wednesday is the meeting of the Independent Career Women (I.C.W.) group - call 895-3069 for details… And, as mentioned above, the first weekend of the month, it’s The Barn Sale at The St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church Refectory on A.V. Way… Now you know…

       As a bonus P.S.A. here is the menu for the next week at the Senior Center… The Center asks for a $5 donation from Seniors and charges $7 for Non-Seniors for lunches, and $6 and $8 respectively for the evening meals. Tomorrow, Thursday, April 4, the lunch, served at 12.15pm, will be Beef Stir Fry, Jasmine Rice, snow peas, Quinoa Salad, Cabbage Slaw, and and Strawberry Lemon Squares for dessert… And then next Tuesday evening, April 9, at 6pm, Marti Titus and her crew will be serving a dinner featuring Tamale Loaf, Baked Cream Corn, Tabouleh Salad, Salsa, Black Bean Salsa, Chocolate Tres Leches cake - a delicious feast that will be followed by Bingo at 7pm… 

       Moving quickly on to a few of the topics and Valley events 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 where people get together and share their thoughts about Valley life…

… To use an oft-used Valley oxymoron, according to ‘reliable rumors,’ several regulars have heard that the new business going into the Farrer Building, at the location used for 22 years by ‘All that Good Stuff, will be a charcuterie, defined as a ‘delicatessen specializing in cooked and/or dressed meats’, that I imagine would offer other quality food items too. Over a year ago, during ‘Black January,’ at a time when all sorts of eye-brow-raising decisions were the talk of the town, you may recall that such a scenario was the rumor on the streets, and despite the human faces behind the Farrer Building ‘keeping their cards close to their chest,’ I think most Valley folks knew it would eventually happen. Not that there is anything wrong with this, of course…

… Meanwhile, Leslie and Claudia, owners of ‘All that good Stuff’ are said to be conducting a brisk business at their new location at business-friendly Benntraub Square in Boonville’s SoBo district next to the firehouse… Could this all work our well for everyone?...

… Other local businesses enjoying good trade at this time are some of the restaurants in town – specifically as a result of the large film crew in the Valley currently working on the movie ‘Need for Speed.’ Despite a number of objections being raised at the recent ‘town hall’ meeting to the affects of such a project on our doorstep, one would assume that the A.V. Chamber of Commerce gave their support to such a venture that can only help the Valley’s small businesses in these tough financial times…

… While the A.V. Lions’ Easter Breakfast, held last Sunday to benefit the local branch of the Future Farmers of America (F.F.A.), could have done with a larger turnout, particularly as they have to pay the financially strapped Fair Board $300 for the use of the kitchen at the Fairgrounds, those in attendance thoroughly enjoyed the feast. Among them was a group of ten or so from the ‘Man Overboard’ company who are the car-builders/maintenance crew for the ‘Need for Speed’ movie mentioned above. So much so that later in the day, according to my second top investigative reporter, the Rancho Navarro Bearded Hawk, they as a group donated $500 to our local Little League team, whom they had seen practicing under coaches Antonio and Robbie the previous day near to the current filming location …

… A couple of regulars pointed out that not everyone is happy about the film crew’s ‘invasion’ and we are yet to be hit with the more significant of the road closures, but I would suggest that if a positive economic effect on our community continues then perhaps the Chamber should be already thinking about inviting the movie folks back to make the sequel!...

… Talking of sports, 3-Dot regulars report seeing large numbers of school students every day on the sports fields behind the high school campus. The three spring sports of boys’ baseball, girls’ softball, and junior high co-ed soccer are in full swing and your support is always a big boost to the kids. Schedules are available at the high school office – one would assume…

       So, I am literally ‘out of here’, but in the words of General Douglas MacArthur, a man I am never mistaken for, “I shall return” … Meanwhile, ‘Keep the Faith’; 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…

p.s. You can contact me with words of support/abuse either through the Letters Page or by e-mail at <turkeyvulture1@earthlink.net>

p.p.s. Hi, Silver Swan – behaving yourself? Hopefully not!

p.p.p.s. On the sheep, Grace…

And most important of all - p.p.p.p.s. Keep on humming, Hummingbird…