The Assembly Education Committee has approved a bill that would strengthen Native American student rights to wear tribal or ceremonial clothing at graduation ceremonies. AB 1369, authored by Assemblymember and Native American James Ramos, would clarify current law that potentially bans certain clothing, including eagle feathers or beading. Ramos says the new bill is necessary since school districts have continued to ban tribal regalia despite a law passed back in 2018 that allowed it. Lake County News says AB 1369 is sponsored by California Indian Legal Services and the Tule River Indian Tribe. It’s also supported by the Fresno Unified School District, Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake and Indigenous Justice.
The California Coastal Commission is closer towards maintaining Fort Bragg’s Coastal Trail and building the Noyo Center for Marine Science’s Ocean Science Center following Wednesday’s meeting. The members unanimously voted to approve an amendment to the Local Coastal Plan (LCP) for the Fort Bragg headlands, and it changed the zoning for 104 acres owned by the city, including the Coastal Trail, to “Parks & Recreation.”
That acreage is part of the former Georgia Pacific mill site, all of which is still zoned “Timber Resources Industrial.” Zoning for the Noyo Center’s headlands property will be changed to “Public Facilities.” The Mendocino Voice is reporting that the amended LCP also rezones five acres owned by the Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo Indians, which will allow for future improvements. The amendment does not affect the remaining 300 acres of the former mill site owned by the Mendocino Railway.
On Tuesday, Mendocino County supervisors voted 4-1 to add $1 million for road repairs to the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Supervisors Ted Williams and Madeline Cline introduced the motion, calling it a step forward toward prioritizing the county’s infrastructure needs. Supervisor Mo Mulheren claims it could help address areas like Vichy Springs Road, and West and Potter Valley. Supervisor John Haschak voted against it, saying he doesn’t see where the $1 million dollars would come from in light of a hard hiring freeze and other cuts. You should know that the county’s transportation director, Howard Dashiell, says it would take several hundred million dollars to bring Mendocino’s roads up to the standard of state highways.
The Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office is preparing to welcome a new team member: a courthouse facility dog. He or she will be a professionally trained assistance dog, able to offer emotional support to those in need during what can be a very difficult and emotional process. THe RedHeaded Blackbelt reports it’s part of the District Attorney’s ongoing commitment to the people that the legal system is as compassionate and supportive as possible for everyone. The Mendocino County DA’s Office has already selected two finalists for the position.
The Mendocino District attorney says a Fort Bragg man has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for possession of child pornography and failing to register as a sex offender. 64-year-old Jeffrey Hockett was found guilty of six felonies back in December, including three felonies for possessing child porn and three for failing to register as a sex offender. The Mendocino Voice says the jury also found him eligible for an enhanced sentence due to California’s Three Strikes law.
Applications opened this week for the annual Restaurant Cares Resilience Fund which will award $5,000 grants to over 230 restaurants across the state. The California Restaurant Foundation created the fund back in 2021 in response to the devastating economic impact the pandemic had on the restaurant industry. The Mendocino Voice says it’s partially funded by the PG&E Corporation Foundation. Over the years, more than 1,600 independently owned restaurants have received close to $7.3 million in grants. Three of those restaurants are right here in Mendocino County: The Boonville Hotel and Restaurant in Boonville, Cafe Beaujolais in Mendocino, and The Loose Caboose in Willits. To be eligible, restaurants must be in PG&E’s service area, have no more than five locations, and generate less than $3 million in revenue per year per location.
