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Look down, look up! Salamanders, banana slugs and forest floor life featured in new mural

A new mural was unveiled the same day as the big protests in downtown Fort Bragg. I walked up two blocks to get some photos. There I found others who had been at the protests, such as my long-time redoubtable pal Janet Ashford, who trekked through the whole protest, meeting old friends and joining in, then did some art at this event. Also on hand was Mayor Jason Godeke, former mayor Dave Turner and Police Chief Neil Cervenka I saw Turner at the protest. There were so many people at that event that I don’t know who else was there.

The mural is absolutely delightful, a tile work composed by Layne Roytman’s titled Redwood Forest Floor. Most of these creatures are found on my property in Cleone, which includes a mini redwood forest and pond . I took a photo of Layne and her mom at the event! The mural is on Redwood next to Flobeds.

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Frank Hartzell

Frank Hartzell has spent his lifetime as a curious anthropologist in a reporter's fedora. His first news job was chasing news on the streets of Houston with high school buddy and photographer James Mason, back in 1986. Then Frank graduated from Humboldt State and went to Great Gridley as a reporter, where he bonded with 1000 people and told about 3000 of their stories. In Marysville at the Appeal Democrat, the sheltered Frank got to see both the chilling depths and amazing heights of humanity. From there, he worked at the Sacramento Bee covering Yuba-Sutter and then owned the Business Journal in Yuba City, which sold 5000 subscriptions to a free newspaper. Frank then got a prestigious Kiplinger Investigative Reporting fellowship and was city editor of the Newark Ohio, Advocate and then came back to California for 4 years as managing editor of the Napa Valley Register before working as a Dominican University professor, then coming to Fort Bragg to be with his aging mom, Betty Lou Hartzell, and working for the Fort Bragg Advocate News. Frank paid the bills during that decade + with a successful book business. He has worked for over 50 publications as a freelance writer, including the Mendocino Voice and Anderson Valley Advertiser, along with construction and engineering publications. He has had the thrill of learning every day while writing. Frank is now living his dream running MendocinoCoast.News with wife, Linda Hartzell, and web developer, Marty McGee, reporting from Fort Bragg, California.

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