[PM News Update]
We told you yesterday that Ukiah PD had arrested a couple of teens for fights that broke out at Ukiah High School. That was on the 15th. A couple of days later, more fights took place at the school. Some of those involved were active gang members and weapons were found on school grounds. Now, the UPD has arrested six of the juveniles, both male and female. All six have been booked into the Mendocino County Juvenile Detention Center.
Just a couple of years ago, California’s budget surplus was in the tens of billions of dollars. That’s when Legislators passed a law to expand our state’s nationally renowned free-tuition and cash aid program for around 137-thousand college students by this fall, but only if there was available money. Fast forward to today as Governor Newsom and the State Legislators deal with a budget deficit which is now estimated at between 38 and 73 billion dollars. Those in the know say it looks like the state will not be able to follow through on the tuition program for the students, now or in the near future as projections show California will be battling at least 30-billion dollar deficits through 2028.
There was a big salmon release this week into the Klamath River. About 500-thousand of them headed straight for the Pacific Ocean following release and that will be the case until the migratory patterns bring them back for spawning season. Yesterday saw the release of about 90,000 coho salmon. The threatened species reside in rivers for about a year before migrating. Today, 400-thousand Chinook salmon will be heading straight to the ocean. And next month, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is going to be introducing yet another 1.75 million Chinook salmon smolts to the river. Officials are confidently optimistic that the fish will survive because the conditions of the Klamath are so much better now that dams have been removed.
It’s kind of like a throwback to the rural roots of Ukiah. It’s the Grapevine Quilter’s Guild. And they are presenting an annual event called “Quilts in Bloom” coming up on Saturday and Sunday May 5th and 6th. The event will be held at the Ukiah Conference Center. The Guild is continuing to come back from the Covid pandemic years. This will be their first quilt show since pre-covid in 2019. There’s going to be over 80 quilts on display, each one created by Guild members. Lots of vendors and other events will be available as well. Regular Guild meetings are held on the first Wednesday of the month. Members get together, have lunch and sew together, sometimes working on a community project and sometimes on personal items. For more information on the Guild, visit https://www.grapevinequilters.com.
This Saturday, Grammy-nominated guitarist and Mendocino College guitar instructor Alex de Grassi will be presenting a “Guitar Night” fundraiser for the Friends of the Mendocino College Music Program. All proceeds will go to that program. The event will be held at the Mendocino College Little Theater and begins at 7pm. Featured will be solo performances by de Grassi and other performances by Mendocino College Professor of Music, Ukiah Symphony conductor and guitarist Phillip Lenberg, as well as Ukiah Music instructor and performer John Mattern. Some of di Grassi’s senior guitar students will also be performing solo, duo and ensemble pieces.
