Tonight in Albion: Fire Bonds, Plus Celestial Wonders, and Political Cameos

Albion’s Fire Bond: Denied, But Not Forgotten

The Albion Little River Fire Department isn’t just essential—it’s sacred. It’s one of the Coast’s most vital lifelines, quietly heroic and always ready. Albion itself is a kingdom of eccentricity, nestled among forests that once stood proud and resilient. But reckless logging has left many of these woods brittle, flammable, and frighteningly vulnerable.

We know what wildfires can do. We’ve seen the smoke, felt the fear, and watched the skies turn orange. And still—we love these forests. We love this place.

But in November, Albion’s fire bond was denied.

Why Was the Bond Denied? A Case of Political Malpractice

Albion’s fire levy didn’t fail because the need wasn’t real. It failed because the pitch was weak. The department suffered from a political illness we’ve seen before: not trying hard enough to tell voters why the money matters.

It’s a familiar malady. The Hospital District caught it. Fort Bragg Unified School District too. Instead of storytelling, they offered a shrug and a stack of accounting forms. “It’s all in there—have a look!” they said, as if voters had the time or appetite to decode spreadsheets. Clarification- a reader was confused— the hospital did not yet have a ballot tax or bond, but we think it should in the future. But it needs to do more public engagement before it does or even if not. It held a workshop meeting that was supposed to be the launch of three options for the future but ended up deciding the future at a meeting where that was not on the agenda. We plan to delve into that in the future.

But voters don’t fund what they don’t understand. And they don’t rally behind silence.

Fort Bragg Shows How It’s Done

If other local agencies want a masterclass in public engagement, they should look no further than the City of Fort Bragg.

When it came to the Skunk Train process, the city didn’t just open the books—they opened the doors. Reporters like Elise Cox were able to follow the twists and turns because city staff, council members, and even rivals worked hard to keep the process visible. Not perfect. Not without politics. But transparent enough that the public could actually see what was going on.

That’s the difference. We weren’t just asked—we were invited. Not just tolerated—we were solicited. That’s how trust is built.

This Time, Albion’s Fire Department Is Making Noise—and We’re Listening

Kudos to the Albion-Little River Fire Department for doing things differently this time. Yes, they held Zoom meetings last round. Yes, the process was technically open. But it took effort—effort to dig, effort to decode, effort to care.

This time, they’re not just opening the door—they’re waving us in.

We’re hearing about the bond from multiple sources. Flyers, interviews, word-of-mouth. They’ve made a real effort to invite everyone into the conversation. And we plan to take them up on it.

Here’s where to go:

• 🕖 Tuesday Oct 21, 2025
• 📍 06:00 PM Pacific Time
• https://l.gourl.es/l/2193e891ff42e6dd50dd36e0f7969b1935c82425?u=11733209
• 🔥 Topic: Why Albion needs this fire bond—and what happens if it fails again

Come curious. Come skeptical. Come ready to ask questions. This is how democracy works—when we show up.

And yes, FBUSD survived their last bond—barely. By the hair of their chinny chin chins. Which is sad.

Back when I worked for the Advocate, Superintendent Steve Lund and the maintenance crew took me on a tour of those ancient trailers and hilariously outdated HVAC systems. I took photos. The paper ran them. People were appalled—and they voted overwhelmingly for the bond.

I was subbing in Fort Bragg schools at the time and knew how stingy things were. It was infuriating. I once helped a teacher tape grocery bag covers onto classic paperbacks that had been read by generations.

But until they opened up and showed the public the budget, I had no idea how bad it really was.

(I’m not taking credit—they ran a big, open, public campaign across multiple media.)

And that made all the difference.

When people feel part of something, they don’t just vote for it—they show up, speak out, and become full-throated supporters. Transparency builds trust. Inclusion builds momentum.

Let’s Show Up for Albion—and for Each Other

So let’s come out and hear what the Albion Little River Fire Department has to say. Let’s thank them for making the effort—and encourage every tax-funded entity on the Mendocino Coast to follow suit.

Albion has a history of openness. I’ve got the pictures to prove it—events at the school, gatherings in Little River, moments that showed what community looks like. I’ve met most of the folks on our local boards, and I’ll say this: they’re good, community-minded people. Smarter, frankly, than most of what I see on TV.

But here’s the thing. Our isolation—and the fact that so many of us know each other—isn’t a weakness. It’s a strength. If we share our needs honestly and openly, we build trust. We build support.

So throw out the playbooks from corporate America and political science class. Spin backfires here. Silence breeds suspicion.

Transparency wins.

Here is how to join in tonight.

The Citizens Fire Tax Committee invites you to ZOOM Tuesday, October 21 6 to 8 pm meeting

The Woods Clubhouse Meeting Albion Little River Fire District 2026 Ballot Measure

Topic: Citizens Fire Tax Meeting

Time: Tuesday Oct 21, 2025 06:00 PM Pacific Time

Join Zoom Meeting

<https://l.gourl.es/l/2193e891ff42e6dd50dd36e0f7969b1935c82425?u=11733209>

Meeting ID: 817 5827 1859

Passcode: 400689

Here is some crazy stuff from increasingly crazy times.

#1. The World Series is one of my favorite events, and I’ve never been offended by its pretentious name—something only a colonial power like us would boast. This year, it’s Canada versus the U.S.

The Dodgers—one of the greatest and most hated franchises—are led by two Japanese stars, including the first player who can be compared to a young Willie Mays or Babe Ruth without riling up fans. And he’s just getting started.

Japan is baseball-obsessed, as are Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela. But the sport never really spread beyond the Americas and Pacific Rim.

Meanwhile, in the U.S. Senate race, retired Dodgers icon Steve Garvey—still the National League’s ironman with the consecutive games record lost but polled in curious ways. While digging through vote totals on Albion’s bond denial, I found Garvey surprisingly popular among Democrats in Southern California, and surprisingly unpopular among Republicans in Northern California.

Could Giants-Dodgers be more potent than left versus right?

Garvey and his wife were once fixtures in L.A.’s “beautiful people” scene, before the world turned prude (especially the left). The Dodgers dumped him late in his career, and he responded by leading the Padres past them with a spectacular playoff home run.

So no, Northern California had no reason to embrace him. LOL.”

#2. Curtis Sliwa is the Republican candidate for Mayor of New York. Back in the ’70s, when I had just left New Jersey for Magnolia, MA, Curtis and his crime-fighting crew—the Magnificent 13—were all over the news. Weird, wild, vigilante energy. They quickly morphed into the Guardian Angels.

I had no idea Curtis was still around, let alone running for office. I never thought of him as “conservative,” but the world has changed.

Same with Steve Garvey. I had no clue he was a Republican until he ran. He’s definitely fulfilled the “more conservative with age” arc—settled down with his wife in 1989 and never looked back.

You may laugh, but I am a conservative too. I love our country and our flag more than ever. I believe crudity, rudeness, and bullying are bad. I believe in We the People. And that puts true conservatives like me out on the curb politically right now.

One of my favorite photos from the No Kings era is Darryl Cherney standing next to a giant American flag in Eureka, saying how much he loved his country—and how nothing was more American or more fun than being a revolutionary.

Darryl’s been at the heart of protest against big government since Reagan, through Clinton, and into the most intrusive administration we’ve ever had—Trump. He was a key Earth First! leader and Redwood Summer protester, riding with Judi Bari when someone bombed their car. Maybe the FBI. Maybe a jilted lover. But the FBI was after them, no question.

Antifa? Entirely imaginary—Fox News fiction. But Earth First! was the kind of left-wing group today’s radicals wish existed, just so they could justify crackdowns.

The FBI fired most of its real investigators and now spends its time chasing Democrats. White-collar prosecutions are at an all-time low. Consumer protections? Gone in a flash.

The world changes. But Darryl’s still out there, still fighting the Great Father in D.C., just a bigger and badder and stricter bully than ever before.

# 3. The Green Comet—One Last Chance

I went looking for the green comet last night—Comet Lemmon, though it looked more yellow than green to me. The skies were mostly clear, but haze tortured the horizon right where it was supposed to appear.

I caught a brief greenish shimmer before the haze swallowed it—Venus too, for a moment. That fuzzy meant business.

I had the P1000 and the iPhone, but not the telescope. If anyone’s interested, I’ll bring the scope to the Albion meeting tonight. Just know: The Woods has way too many trees.

And if you want to try spotting it—tonight’s your last chance for the next 80,000 years.

Here is something else worth supporting!

October 22, 4:00-6:00: Dinner Fundraiser. Help Fort Bragg Middle School students take an educational trip to Washington D.C. Pasta (choice of Pesto or Alfredo), salad, warm bread. $28. Pre-order: Call (707) 964-3309 or text (707) 813-0641. Pick up at Cafe 1, 753 N. Main #community #support