Ukiah Daily Journal from Ukiah, California • Page 6

A-6 SUNDAY, DEC. 31, 2006 Editor: K.C. Meadows, 468-3526 FORUM The Ukiah Daily Journal Setting the record straight To the Editor: Concerning the letter to the editor from Don Lundy on Dec. 24 titled "Gun range near quiet resort a bad idea." Mr. Lundy states that he is a gun owner and is licensed to carry.

If Mr. Lundy can't tell the difference between "automatic" and semiautomatic gun fire. I would suggest that he turn in his "Licensed to carry permit" and take up basket weaving. The noise that he heard is the sound of his right to be able to own and shoot his gun. That should be music to his ears.

Automatic weapons are not allowed at the Ukiah Gun Club. With close to 500 active members, the Gun Club is a safe, clean and well maintained place to shoot. Most, if not all. of the law enforcement in Mendocino County and the close by areas use the Ukiah Gun Club for training on a regular basis. The Ukiah Gun Club was started in 1947 and is an asset to the community.

Any housing tracts in the area were built after the Gun Club. If Mr. Lundy likes the idea of a "indoor shooting range," then if he builds it, they will come. And I might add that basket weaving classes are taught at Mendocino College. Michael G.

McQuisten Potter Valley To the Editor: Concerning Don Lundy's letter to the editor, about the location of the Ukiah Gun Club, though Mr. Lundy states he is a gun owner and is licensed to carry a concealed weapon, I would think he would be able to tell the difference in normal rifle and shotgun fire, and automatic weapons fire. If not perhaps he shouldn't have a license, and he should also know that automatic weapons are illegal in California and not allowed or used at this range. Mr. Lundy must have known the range was here as he drove past the range's sign, whitch is larger than a person on a bicycle, so I would hope he noticed it, or perhaps lie shoulden't have a driver's license either.

Concerning the housing development in that area, it's all a relative newcomer, and the gun club has been in its present location sense 1947. And, for Mr. Lundy's information, all prospective buyers in this development are advised in writing about the Gun Club before they purchase property there. This gun club is a great asset to the community, with' over 500 members from all over the area, and its also used for training by most, if not all law enforcement departments in the area, including the CHP. Mr.

Lundy is obviously not well educated about guns and shooting, a requirement for a CCW in California, and that's why I question his statement about being licensed to carry. If he is, he should also know that there is no such thing as an indoor range for rifles and shotguns. I doubt that the resort told him he would have total silence at all'times. And most don't object to what little noise, if any, they can ever hear coming from this club. Perhaps he should be working on trying to get the airports all moved.

He may know more about that subject. Michael H. Meek Mendocino Shut down the Bookmobile To the Editor: An Open Letter to the Mendocino County Superyiors: 1 believe it is time to wake up and look at where some of our tax dollars are squandered. I am speaking specifically of the giant monstrosity called the "traveling Branch library" or, "Bookmobile." It is headed by a librarian and a driver who cruise the county from near Piercy to LETTER POLICY The Daily Journal welcomes letters to (he editor. All letters must include a clear name, signature, return address and phone number.

Letters chosen for publication are generally published in the order they are received, but shorter, concise letters are given prefer- ence.We publish most of the letters we receive, but we cannot guarantee publication. Names will not be withheld for any reason. If we are aware thai you are connected to a local organization or are an elected official writing about the organization or body on which you serve, that will be included in your signature. If you want to make it clear you are not speaking for that organization, you should do so in your let- ter.All letters are subject to editing without notice. Editing is generally limited to removing statements that are potentially libelous or are not suitable for a family newspaper.

Form letters that are clearly part of a write-in campaign will not be published. You may drop letters off at our office at S. School or fax letters to 4683544, mail to Letters lo the Editor, P.O. Box 749, Ukiah, 95482 or e-mail them to E-mail letters should also include hometown and a phone number. OH EDITORIALS Daily Journal, editorials are written by Editor K.C.

Meadows with the concurrence of Publisher Kevin McConnell. In our opinion Happy New Year! Ukiah Valley residents will have much to do in 2007. We will continue to have our say on the future of development in our area through the Ukiah Valley Area Plan. Through that we will make our views known about what to do with the old Masonite property. One hopeful mall builder will need to ask for permission to turn that industrial property into commercial property and we will get the chance to advise our supervisors on how we want that property used.

We will need to begin to take seriously the coming water crisis that may ultimately limit development anywhere in our valley if solutions are not found. Our wine industry is now gathered together in a Winegrape Commission that hopes to increase the value of our local products. Our Promotional Alliance has a new director and new energy behind it to build tourism in our area. We need to find a new CEO for the county and a new city manager for Ukiah, two positions that will be very important to the future of our community. We will have a special election to choose a new District Attorney for the county.

We have a community college with a multi-million dollar bond to administer and an improving campus to look forward to. We have newly elected State Senator Pat Wiggins to get to know. We will still have housing to build and jobs to create. 2006 brought new excitement to development and planning in our area. It brought a renewed passion about the voting process.

And it showed us again that participating in the process does bring results. We hope that energy will be just a strong in 2007. Happy New Year! Stewarts Point (Sonoma County) to Covelo. and Westport to the, west.The,.bookmobile, ii stops at such special interest entities as the CCC camps spreading knowledge to the incarcerated who are not paying taxes and probably never did. This monstrosity meanders all the way down the coast serving a handful of ex-hippies, welfare drones and Bottom line: Shut down this antiquated money pit now! Mandrake Benno Lucerne MAYBE we CAN we IT WEAK UP ON HIM WHERE TO WRITE President George Bush: The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Washington, D.C.

20500; (202) 456-1111, FAX (202)456-2461. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger: State Capitol, Sacramento, 95814. (916) 445-2841; FAX (916)445-4633 Sen. Barbara Boxer: 112 Hart Senate Office Washington, D.C. 20510; (202)224-3553; San Francisco, (415) 4030100 FAX (415) 956-6701 Sen.

Dianne Feinstein: 331 Hart Senate Office Washington, D.C. 20510. (202)224-3841 FAX (202) 228-3954; San Francisco (415) 393-0707; stein.senate.gov Congressman Mike Thompson: 1st District, 231 Cannon Office Bldg, Washington, D.C. 20515. (202) 225-3311; FAX (202)225-4335.

Fort Bragg district office, 430 N. Franklin PO Box 2208, Fort Bragg 95437; 962-0934; www.house.gov/write rep Assemblywoman Patty Berg: State Assembly District 1, Capitol, Rm. 2137, Sacramento, 95814. (916) 319-2001; Santa Rosa, 576-2526; FAX, Santa Rosa, 5762297. Berg's field representative in Ukiah office located at 104 W.

Church St, Ukiah, The office's fax number is 463-5773. E-mail to: assemblymember.berg@assembly.ca.gov Senator Wes Chesbro: State Senate District 2, Capitol Building, Room 5100, Sacramento, 95814. (916) 445-3375; FAX (916) 323-6958. Ukiah office is P.O. Box 785, Ukiah, 95482, 468-8914, FAX 4688931.

District offices at 1040 Main Suite 205, Napa, 94559, 224-1990, 50 Suite 120A, Santa Rosa, 95404, 576-2771, and 317 3rd Suite 6, Eureka, 95501, 4456508. Email: senator.chesbro@sen.ca.gov. Mendocino County Supervisors: Michael Delbar, 1st District; Jim Wattenburger, 2nd District; Hal Wagenet, 3rd District; Kendall Smith, 4th District; David Colfax, 5th District. All can be reached by writing to 501 Low Gap Road, Room 1090, Ukiah, 95482, 463-4221, FAX 463-4245. Happy 2027! There are lots of voters out there glad to see the back of 2026 when we had the most and most confusing elections on record.

I'm glad that we may, this year, see a new voting system put into place where we go to local schools and cast written ballots on a single day. The system harks back to many years ago when people went to places called "polls" and voted in person. The system we used this year just isn't working. Voting by telephone wasn't too bad, but being put on hold for 15 or more minutes because the lines were busy on your day to vote, or worse, getting a call from the elections office phone banks in the middle of dim ner to remind you to vote on your day, turned a lot of voters off. Also the calendar of 15 days during November when votes were cast based on a combination of the voter's birth date and the second and third letters of his or her last name was just too confusing.

For instance, 1 thought I was supposed to vote on November 18, and when I called in, was told I had missed my day appar ently I was supposed to vote on Nov. 12. Then I had to reregister by computer to vote on the 28th but could only do so by creating a password that corresponded to the 4th and 5th letters of my last name. And, even though our elections officials say everything went smoothly, we still don't officially know who won in four of our 12 supervisor districts and who will be our next county Energy and Water Director, That race between former Ukiah City Manager John Ball and county Planning Director Rick Deringer is still too close to call. At the state level we know that Sen.

Phil Baldwin (G-Ukiah) will continue to represent us in Sacramento and Republican Governor Alec Baldwin says he's glacf to have him back on the team even though they fight every year about the number of leaf blowers allowed on the Capitol grounds. This year's elections also burdened the voters with dozens of local tax, bond and other measures that have been the reason voter participation was only 11 percent this year and that's up from the 10.6 percent who voted in the off-year elections last year. I think we're all happy to see the Trader Joe's tax renewed so the specialty retailer can afford to keep itjj doors open in Ukiah, but I'm surprised that voters were willing to say yes to the City of Ukiah's $1.5 billiorf bond to tear down the former Palace Hotel and put in a new 10-story city office building. After all, the doned historic hotel had finally become something of a tourist attraction when it was discovered.that,.its boarded up facade hid the entrance to an old gold mine. Voters also said yes to the city's new flag ordinance which will, it is hoped, bring some order to the display in the city's western hills more commonly known as Patriot Peak where more than 84 oversized American flags now fly on 75-foot poles.

The new ordinance opposed it appears only by the few dozen Peak residents would require the property owners to actually lower the flags at night, replace them when they get damaged by weather, and put aircraft warning lights at the top of each flagpole. Also on this fall's ballot was a $112 billion bond measure to run a new access from Highway 101 to the county's Vroman Criminal Justice Center. A consultant study done in 2007 recommended combining the Sheriff's office, jail, DA and Public Defender offices, probation and juvenile hall in one location at the former Brush Street Triangle. Once it was built in 2015, however, the county realized that the only road to the new complex was over a one-way bridge from the. Wagenseller neighborhood.

Speaking of Norm Vroman, the FBI finally this year was forced to release the substance of its 20-year-old investigation of the former District Attorney who died in the same year, 2006. According to the previously sealed records, the FBI planned a raid on Vroman's home in Hopland to look for weapons the FBI said it had information were unauthorized for use in the U.S. The file contained the following letter: Dear FBI: Look in Vroman's house for illegal weapons.He's a gun freak: Signed, Someone who hates his guts but is really Based on this evidence, the FBI now says perhaps it was a little misguided when jumping to try to search Vroman's house. It has sent an official apology to Mil Vroman's family. The apology is now sealed.

Last but not least, 2027 will be the year we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the booming meat processing industry in the Ukiah Valley. The old Masonite plant property was refurbished in 2007 to house a slaughtef- house, leather works, jerky factory and direct meat market which has turned into one of the county's best employers. The humane slaughtering and environmeriT tally stable process has allowed not only all the coun; ty's cattle and sheep ranchers to thrive but has encouraged new industries in ostrich, rabbit and poultry meats, bringing over 800 highly paid jobs to the inland valley. The plant, often mistaken for a winery, has wor dozens of awards from design to its quality products. And this year, for the first time, meat may pass wine grapes in value in the Mendocino County Crop Report.

Happy New Year! K. C. Meadows is the editor of the UDJ. Visit our web site at ukiahdailyjoiirnal.com email us at udjgpacific.net The Ukiah DAILY JOURNAL Publisher: Kevin McConnell Editor: K.C. Meadows Circulation director: Cornell Turner Office manager: Yvonne Bell Qroup systems director: Sue Whitman Member Audit Bureau Of Circulations Member California Newspaper Publishers Association.