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Mendocino County Interviews --
Tom Allman
The Sheriff and Marijuana
Marijuana, some say, is on the lips of many people here in Mendocino County, California, and likely many other places throughout the world, to some with pleasure and to others with distaste. Nonetheless it doesn’t seem that marijuana will go away. Not withstanding federal laws prohibiting use and possession of marijuana, the people of the state of California adopted the Compassionate Use Act in 1996 and in November 2000, the voters of Mendocino County approved a resolution by a vote of 58% to 42% to decriminalize the personal use of marijuana. In this edition of Radio Curious we visit with Tom Allman the Sheriff of Mendocino County to discuss the enforcement of the many conflicting marijuana laws. Estimates of the value of the crop produced in Mendocino County vary from five to ten billion dollars. We began when I asked the Sheriff to comment on this estimate.
Tom Allman recommends "The Hunt For Red Octobor," by Tom Clancy.
Originally Broadcast: June 19, 2007
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Bruce Anderson
The Reporter Interviewed
The Anderson Valley Advertiser is an iconoclastic newspaper originating weekly from Boonville, Mendocino County, California, edited and published by Bruce Anderson, whose name is merely coincidental with the name of the Anderson Valley. The masthead of the AVA, as it is sometimes called, says, “Newspapers should have no friends,” and “Fan the Flames of Discontent.” After a three-year hiatus, beginning when Anderson sold the AVA and attempted to establish a newspaper elsewhere, he repurchased the AVA and returned to Boonville on July 1, 2007 to write again. We met in the studios of Radio Curious on July 13, 2007 and talked about why he left Mendocino County, what he did while he was gone, how he reckons with the aggravated relationships he created with some people in years past, and what the readers can expect now that he again buys ink by the barrel.
Bruce Anderson recommends books by Rebecca Solnit.
Originally Broadcast: July 17, 2007
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Steven Antler and Keith Faulder
A Lawsuit To Be District Attorney
After District Attorney Norm Vroman died in September 2006 after his name could not removed from the ballot, Keith Faulder, the interim DA appointed by the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors, sued Mendocino County seeking to void the November 8, 2006 general election for DA and to require that a special election be held. Former Deputy District Attorney Meredith Lintott received the most votes in the June primary election and was also on the November 2006 ballot along with Vroman. The California Court of Appeals upheld Faulder's claim which Lintott and the County appealed to the California Supreme Court. This edition of Radio Curious discusses the history and status of this unique case in interviews with Faulder and Steve Antler, Lintott's attorney.
Keith Faulder recommends "Theodore Rex," by Edmund Morris.
Steven Antler recommends "October 1964," by David Halberstram.
Originally Broadcast: November 29, 2006
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Christina Baldwin
Creating Community through Stories
Storycatcher: Making Sense of Our Lives though the Power and Practice of Story
Story, the heart of language. Story moves us to love and hate and can motivate us to change the whole course of our life. Story can lift us beyond the borders of our individuality to imagine realities of other people, times and places, to empathize with other beings, and to extend our supposing far into the universe. Storytelling, both oral and written is the foundation of being human. In this edition of Radio Curious we visit with Christina Baldwin, author of "Storycatcher: Making Sense of Our Lives though the Power and Practice of Story." This is being done in Ukiah, California, with the idea of capturing "what is the story of Ukiah," as a part of "what is the story of Mendocino County, California," to be used in the development of the Ukiah Area Plan that is now under consideration by the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors.
Christina Baldwin recommends "Turning To One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Our Hope for the Future," by Margaret J. Wheatley.
Originally Broadcast: April 17, 2006
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Phil Baldwin
Peace and Freedom Candidate for Congress, 1992
Our guest in this program was the 1992 Peace and Freedom Party candidate for the 1st Congressional District in California, Phil Baldwin. We spoke about the differences between the Peace and Freedom Party and the Democratic and Republican parties. Particularly of interest in this discussion are the differences between Mr. Baldwin and the final victor of the 1992 election, former Democrat Dan Hamburg.
Originally Broadcast: December 16, 1991
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Conversation with an Earth First! Leader
Until the mid-1990s, the Redwood Industry dominated much of North Coast economy. In the mid-1990s, due to a number of circumstances particularly involving Pacific Lumber Company and Charles Hurwitz, industry advocates collided with environmentalists in a final hurrah. Few figures among the environmentalists carry as much name-recognition and power as did Judi Bari. In this program, recorded in March of 1995 at the height of the conflict, Judi Bari and I discussed the position of Earth First!
Judi Bari recommends "J. Edgar Hoover," by Kurt Gentry.
Originally Broadcast: March 27, 1995
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Judi Bari
Conversation with Judi Bari
Judi Bari, our guest in this archive edition of Radio Curious, was one of the leading environmental activists on the North Coast in the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, notwithstanding that she was a victim of a car bombing in 1990 and severely injured. Presumably, the bomb was intended to stop her activities as a leader and organizer for Earth First!. The bomb that injured her exploded in May 1990 while she was driving in Oakland, California, took a tremendous toll on her physically and resulted in a lawsuit she brought against the FBI and the Oakland, California Police Department. In the weeks before this interview which was originally broadcast in November 1993, when Radio Curious was called Government, Politics and Ideas, Judi Bari obtained approximately 5,000 pages of FBI documents which she gathered as part of her lawsuit. We spoke about this information and about Judi’s background.
Judi Bari recommends “A Taste of Power: A Black Women’s Story,” by Elaine Brown.
Originally Broadcast: November 29, 1993
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Self-Styled Outlaw Lesbians
Terminal Velocity
The concept of memoir versus fiction leads many authors to transform their personal experiences and life to fiction. Blanche Boyd is a native of South Carolina and a Professor of Literature at Connecticut College. She is also the author of the book entitled, “Terminal Velocity.” This is a book about a group of self-styled lesbian outlaws in the 1970s. We discussed the relationship of memoir and fiction, and how it applies to her work.
Blanche Boyd recommends "Cathedral" & "To the Waterfall," both by Raymond Carver.
Originally Broadcast: August 19, 1997
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Origins of Public Television
We all know that people listen to radio and watch television. The difference between radio and television is in the image. When you listen to radio, your mind creates the image for you. When you watch television, a ready-made image is flashed before your eyes. The early days of television were days of great creativity, when the questions of “how” and “what should we do” were present at all levels of production, ownership and programming. In the early 1950s, a young professor from Stanford University named Stanley Donner was creatively engaged in the development of public television in San Francisco, California. In the last 50 or so years, Professor Donner has participated in and followed the development of this mind-boggling medium.
Dr. Stanley Donner recommends "The Hedgehog and the Fox: An Essay on Tolstoy's View of History," by Sir Isaiah Berlin.
Originally Broadcast: September 11, 1998
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A Juror Speaks
The Eugene “Bear” Lincoln murder trial ended in the fall of 1997 in Ukiah, California, with an acquittal of the defendant, Mr. Lincoln, on charges of first degree and second-degree murder, and with the jury divided ten to two, on acquittal from manslaughter charges. Apart from the divisive nature of this criminal trial, it also carried a particularly extraordinary aspect. Seven of the twelve jurors chose to come forward and talk about their responses to what they heard and saw in the courtroom. Jane Dymond was a member of the Lincoln trial jury. She attended every session of the trial, and every aspect of the jury’s deliberation. She is our guest in this edition of Radio Curious.
Jane Dymond recommends "Independent People," by Haldor Locksmith.
Originally Broadcast: October 10, 1997
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Sanford Elberg, Ph.D.
Microbiology and What It Does for Us
Microbiology, what it is and how it benefits society is the topic of this edition of Radio Curious. Our guest is Dr. Sanford Elberg, a retired professor of microbiology and bacteriology and later the Dean of the Graduate School at the University of California at Berkeley. One of his scientific successes was the development of a vaccine for brucellosis, a disease in farm animals causing the female to abort early in pregnancy. This interview with Professor Elberg, who received a Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of California at Berkeley in 1930 was recorded at his home in Mendocino County, California in March 1998. Dr. Elberg begins with a definition of microbiology and bacteriology.
Sanford Elberg recommends “The Plague Tales,” by Ann Benson.
Originally Broadcast: March 30, 2006
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Genetically Modified Food
Genetically engineered food products are an issue that concerns many. In more recent years, Mendocino County has gone so far as to pass a resolution legally prohibiting their growth in the county. My guest in this program, recorded in the late summer of 1995, is Ron Epstein, a philosophy professor at both the Buddhist University in Talmage, CA and San Francisco State University. He has given considerable consideration to the problems of genetic engineering of the plants and vegetables that we eat.
Dr. Ron Epstein recommends "Algeny," by Jeremy Rifkin.
Originally Broadcast: September 18, 1995
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Dr. Ron Epstein
Genetically Modified Food, Part Two
Not so long ago in human history, wars were fought with sticks, slings and rocks. Now, with the ability to modify the DNA of disease causing organisms, war is very different. Evidence is appearing that genetically engineered war has, in fact, been used in our world. With this program, Radio Curious will begin a series of discussions on environmental and social effects of genetically engineered war. This program’s guest is Dr. Ron Epstein, a research professor at the Institute of World Religions in Berkeley, California, and a lecturer in the Philosophy Department at San Francisco State University in San Francisco, California. We discussed the scientific and ethical dangers of genetic engineering.
Dr. Ron Epstein recommends "The Cobra Event," by Richard Preston & "Biotech Century," by Jeremy Rifkin.
Originally Broadcast: September 4, 1998
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Keith Faulder and Steven Antler
A Lawsuit To Be District Attorney
After District Attorney Norm Vroman died in September 2006 after his name could not removed from the ballot, Keith Faulder, the interim DA appointed by the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors, sued Mendocino County seeking to void the November 8, 2006 general election for DA and to require that a special election be held. Former Deputy District Attorney Meredith Lintott received the most votes in the June primary election and was also on the November 2006 ballot along with Vroman. The California Court of Appeals upheld Faulder's claim which Lintott and the County appealed to the California Supreme Court. This edition of Radio Curious discusses the history and status of this unique case in interviews with Faulder and Steve Antler, Lintott's attorney.
Keith Faulder recommends "Theodore Rex," by Edmund Morris.
Steven Antler recommends "October 1964," by David Halberstram.
Originally Broadcast: November 29, 2006
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Growing up Hippy
The Territory of Men
"The Territory of Men” is an intimate self-expose written by Joelle Fraser, a former Mendocino Community College English teacher. Written as a series of short episodes and adventures, Joelle shares the life of a woman who was raised in the hippie life of the 70s, and now is an accomplished writer and teacher.
Joelle Fraser recommends "Last Stand," by Richard Manning.
Originally Broadcast: July 30, 2002
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Richard Gardiner
The Mix of Psychiatry and the Psyche
This program is a two-part series with Dr. Richard Gardner, a practicing psychiatrist in Ukiah, California. We discuss what do psychiatrist do, and what don’t psychiatrist do? What is the psyche? What is crazy? What are the causes of mental dysfunction? What medicines were available to assist people with mental health problems, and other resources that were available in 1997 when this program was recorded.
Richard Gardiner recommends “How Good People Make Tough Choices,” by Rushworth M. Kidder and “The Cider House Rules,” by John Irving.
Originally Broadcast: September 30, 1997 October 3, 1997
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Wavy Gravy
You've Got to be Kidding …
Radio Curious is a program of interviews with those we wonder about. I’ve often wondered about Woodstock of 1969. I’ve often wondered how it got going and what its ramifications were. Why does the recollection make some people puke? So, I thought I’d ask Wavy Gravy, a man with insight on the subject far beyond most other people. We discussed Woodstock and other stories in July of 2000.
Wavy Gravy recommends "The Laughing Sutra," Mark Salzman & "Angela's Ashes," by Frank McCourt.
Originally Broadcast: July 25, 2000
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The Spontaneous Spoken Word
Are poets philosophers? Doesn’t the creative moment reveal a personal truth to share? Must a poem be recited the same way every time? The spontaneous spoken word is a form of poetry that sometimes leaves the listener wondering if what is said really is spontaneous. Steve Hellman is a poet who lives and speaks in Mendocino County and, in this program, shared some spontaneous spoken words.
Steve Hellman recommends "Crazy Wisdom," by Scoop Nesber.
Originally Broadcast: January 15, 2005
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Grace Carpenter Hudson & Laura Ferri
The Painter Lady
Grace Carpenter Hudson was known as the painter-lady in her hometown of Ukiah, CA. She started her career as a painter when she was a teenager in the 1870s. By the time of her death in 1937, she had produced over 600 canvas paintings and numerous other works. Her skills focused almost exclusively on the lives and cultures of the Pomo Indians who lived in Mendocino County. Her husband, Dr. John Hudson, assisted her by making the study of native culture his life’s work, overshadowing his profession as a physician. Grace Carpenter Hudson was a shrewd businesswoman, as well as an artist of increasing renown. Most of the family income came from the sale of her artwork. I spoke with Grace Carpenter Hudson in the person of actress Laura Ferri at the Grace Carpenter Hudson museum in Ukiah, CA, during an exhibition of her work.
Grace Carpenter Hudson recommends "The Age of Innocence," by Edith Morton. Laura Ferri recommends "Stones from the River," by Ursula Hegi.
Originally Broadcast: March 5, 1997
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M. Wayne Knight
Rural American Artist in Cambodia
Wayne Knight, an artist based in Mendocino County, California with over 40 years of experience, traveled very little before he found himself in Phnom Phen, Cambodia in 1995 and 1996. He spent just under a year there, looking, seeing, and painting scenes that previously were beyond his imagination. Wayne Knight also worked with the Cambodian Defenders’ Project in developing computer access to their legal resources in Cambodia. His experience verified his security and, in many ways, enhanced his continuing growth as an artist. Other programs you may enjoy are with Daniel Ellsberg discussing the Pentagon Papers and Vietman, and with Linda Kremer, Esq., a Marin County, California, public defender who took a leave of absence to direct the Cambodian Defenders Project. They both may be found on this website.
Wayne Knight recommends “Living My Life,” by Emma Goldman.
Originally Broadcast: April 2, 1997
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The Slow Food Movement
How can we assure ourselves that the food we eat is safe, nutritious and energy-efficient? If we are what we eat, we ought to know what we will become. That may be the concept underlying what is coming to be known as the slow food movement. Glenn McGourty is the wine growing and plant science advisor for the University of California Cooperative Extension for Lake and Mendocino Counties in Northern California.
Glenn McGourty recommends "The Origins and Ancient History of Wine," by Patrick McGovern.
Originally Broadcast: January 4, 2005
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Frank Pacino
Life in the Marine Corps
When recruiters from the Armed Forces of the United States seek out volunteers, they often portray military life to be a great adventure. They talk of schooling, travel and excitement. Sometimes that is not the case. In this edition of Radio Curious, we visit Sgt. Frank Pacino, who spent his early life in Covelo, California and then moved to Ukiah, California. Frank Pacino was recruited into the Marine Corps in early 2001 and is now a Sergeant. He was one of the first troops to go into Iraq in 2002, where he spent approximately six months. He was returned to Iraq in 2004 for a year.
Frank Pacino recommends "Bush At War," by Bob Woodward.
Originally Broadcast: May 17, 2005
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Bruce Patterson
Old Time Tales of Anderson Valley
Walking Tractor And Other Tales of Old Anderson Valley
Stories of the days that no longer exist in rural areas tell us how things were, how people worked lived and played, and bring to life conditions that most of us never knew existed. “Walking Tractor and Other Tales of Old Anderson Valley, “ is a collection of stories written by Bruce Patterson, who lives in Philo, a rather small community in rural Anderson Valley, Mendocino County, California. The introduction to “Walking Tractor,” quotes Ernest Hemmingway as saying “You can only write about what you know,” something that is verified in the stories of Bruce Patterson, who is know to his friends as Pat. I met with Pat in the studio of Radio Curious, in the last week of August, 2006 to learn about his life, his stories and the man he is.
www.4mules.com
Originally Broadcast: August 30, 2006
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Dr. Victoria Patterson
Native American Life, Before and After Europeans
Cultures that have no written language pass on their histories through oral traditions. The stories are the way that social values and traditions are taught by one generation to the next. Animals often play a significant character role in these stories. In the Native American traditions of the northwest part of California, the coyote is a very popular character. Dr. Victoria Patterson, an anthropologist based in Ukiah, California, has worked with native peoples for over 30 years. She knows these stories, and she sees them as windows, allowing us to imagine how original native peoples of northern California thought and lived. I met with Dr. Victoria Patterson and asked her about the significance of the story where the coyote jumped off into the sky. Our discussion lead to a two-part program, originally broadcast in February of 1999.
Dr, Victoria Patterson recommends "Deep Valley," by Bernard W. Aginsky and "Under the Tuscan Sun," by Frances Mayes.
Originally Broadcast: February 16, 1999 and February 26, 1999
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John Pinches
All Politics is Local Including Marijuana
The concept that all politics is local is shown in this interview with Mendocino County Supervisor John Pinches in our August 7, 2007 interview on growing, use and "legalization" of marijuana.
Originally Broadcast: August 7, 2007
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Ed Reinhart
The Piano Player Tour: 2007 Report
Ed Reinhart is an old friend and a wonderful piano player. Almost five years ago Ed changed the direction of his life by setting out on an adventure to western Europe. He now lives in northern Italy in the summer months and in Virigina during the other times of the year. Ed has deep roots in Mendocino County and returns here often. I heard him play during his current visit to Ukiah and invited him to visit the studio of Radio Curious again and give us an update on his life and thought since we last spoke shortly before he left on his adventure.
Ed Rinehart recommends "A Fortune-Teller Told Me: Earthbound Travels in the Far East," by Tiziano Terzani.
Originally Broadcast: January 14, 2007
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Don't Shoot The Piano Player
Earl Dixon is a veteran traveler, a veteran piano player, and he’s actually a veteran, too. An interesting story. Earl Dixon, the man on this show, traveled around the world, and has a lot of familiar stories to tell to those of us here in Mendocino County.
Originally Broadcast: June 11, 2002
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Richard Shoemaker
Barry Vogel, Esq.
Citizen Effort to Combat Big Box Takeover of a Small, Rural Community.
Contrary to the five to zero decision of the Ukiah City Council recommending a No Vote, Mendocino County Supervisor Jim Wattenburger, whose district solely comprises the City of Ukiah, voted yes creating a board majority to further investigate the development of a major shopping center adjacent to Ukiah, a small, tranquil, rural community. In this conversation Richard Shoemaker, a former member of the Board of Supervisors from the Ukiah district, and attorney and veteran board watcher Barry Vogel (host and producer of Radio Curious) discuss the unusual anomalies of this event.
Richard Shoemaker recommends "Ripples From the Zambezi," Ernesto Sirolli.
Barry Vogel recommends "Big Box Swindle," Stacy Mitchell.
Originally Broadcast: August 22, 2007
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An Experiment in Successful Community Mediation
Stockton, CA, has been called the most diverse community in the world. Fourteen distinct and primary languages are spoken in the Stockton area elementary schools. This enormous cultural diversity has, in the past, resulted in automatic rifle fire at a Stockton elementary school. Scott Spears, a young man who grew up in Ukiah, currently works at the Stockton mediation justify as a trainer and program developer in the schools and as a mediator in the Stockton community.
Originally Broadcast: April 16, 1997
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Litigation to Save Old Growth Redwoods
The California law prohibiting unfair business practices is the basis for the 2003 lawsuit brought against the Pacific Lumber Company by the People of the State of California. This case was brought when the Humboldt County, California, District Attorney alleged that Pacific Lumber provided inaccurate information to the California Department of Forestry as the basis for a timber harvest plan which would preserve certain old growth redwood trees in “The Headwaters” forest. Tim Stoen is the Assistant District Attorney in Humboldt County and the lead attorney representing the People of the State of California in this case.
Tim Stoen recommends "John Adams and the American Revolution" & "The Lion and the Throne," by Catherine Drinker Bowen.
Originally Broadcast: September 23, 2003
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Jim Wattenburger
Who Should Control Rural Growth, Corporations or Citizens?
Should a shopping mall and a large residential development occur adjacent to the city of Ukiah, California? The city and many people fear this develoment will result in the loss of a unique, rural small town in northern California. Mendocino County Supervisor Jim Wattenburger discusses his position in support of these projects, and the legalization of marijuana in two programs recorded September 23, 2007.
Jim Wattenburger recommends "Undaunted Courage," by Stephen A. Ambrose.
Originally Broadcast: September 26, 2007 and October 3, 2007
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Bill Zacha
Developing an Artist Colony in the Village of Mendocino, California
Bill Zacha, the leading force behind the creation of the Mendocino Art justify was a person with vision and moxie and one who made a dream come true. In August 1957, Bill Zacha, was a young married teacher and lived near San Francisco. On a short trip to the village of Mendocino with his wife Jenny and friends, Bill not only saw the beauty of the Mendocino coast, but the opportunity to act swiftly to purchase what is now the Mendocino Art justify and keep that property out of the hands of those who envisioned creating a trailer park there. Since its inception, the Mendocino Arts justify has featured artists, teachers, and students from all over the world. Bill Zacha, who was often called Mr. Mendocino, died on March 18th 1998.
Bill Zacha recommends "Love in the Time of Cholera," by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Originally Broadcast: March 27, 1998
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