Category Archives: Mendocino County

Dollar Store

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Dollarstore1The July 18 Fort Bragg Advocate News article begins simple enough: “If approved by the City Planning Commission, Fort Bragg residents may see a new shopping outlet open soon.” It goes on to say blah, blah, blah “Dollar Tree store.”

If you’ve lived on the Mendocino Coast longer than six months, you know these are fightin’ words.The Advocate Facebook page lit up with 44 comments that can be classified into the following thought-provoking arguments:

The Logical: Fort Bragg Desperately needs a dollar store for all the low income they have there. The people deserve a break. Give them a Dollar Store so they don’t have to drive to Willits anymore and they will be able to have money to spend at other stores.

The Big Ass Watermelon: now i dont have to drive to Ukiah to buy everything!! Everyone always says shop locally but when you shop locally its like getting bent over and a big ass watermelon shoved up your ass.

The Grandma Cleaning Solution Recipe: I worry that it will just drive the urge to consume needless products. But, I can’t buy into the “cheap” cleaning supplies argument. Why even waste money on cleaning supplies that are full of toxic chemicals. Grandma taught me well- Vinegar Tips – Cleaning with Vinegar http://www.vinegartips.com

The I’ll Criticize Your Spelling & Give You a Quick English Lesson:

First comment: Fort Bragg needs this like it needs a whole in the head!

Rebuttal comment: I assume you mean “hole” as I’m not sure what “whole” in the head would equate to. I’m would suggest you educate yourself on what Fort Bragg needs (such as JOBS of any kind,affordable shopping for people who live at or below the poverty line,etc,etc) but it looks like you need help in basic English Composition. I wish you luck.

The (Yes!) Plug The Purity: Between Down Home Foods and Purity I can get pretty much all I need.

The Love It Or Leave It: Why not move where these stores are if you like it so much?

The I Have Limited Time to Protest: boooo

The Sarcastic: Now, if Fort Bragg can just a get a Wal-Mart to come in, then everything will be just dandy!

The Need To Clarify Whether Or Not The Previous is Sarcasm: tongue-in-cheek-RIGHT?

The Off Topic: you know that whole thing about “having to buy bags”? i just bought two bags of produce at harvest market and when we used two of our own cloth bags; the checker took $.20 off our bill!!!! where’s big corporate safeway on that issue? just a thought…

The Hiding From Pseudo Hippy Friends: Lol, all the people bitching about the dollar store actually do shop at the one over the hill but don’t want their psuedo hippy friends to know, and so if there’s one here they will be “caught”. Since I’ve seen a lot of fort bragg and mendo people shopping in ukiah I find it hard 2 believe that all these people are so against it. Maybe its because while its fun to protest everything, these people are secret wal mart fans

The Please Stop Talking About Wal-Mart: Okay. WalMart is a moot point. Drop it now. If you’ll recall, WalMart does not wish to locate here. The demographics do not fit their model for placing a store on the coast. You can want WalMart a lot but it will never happen. It’s not up to you.

Dollarstore2The Good Old-Fashioned Bread: What ever happened to good old-fashioned bread and circuses? Can someone tell me why a Dollar Store is a higher priority than Chuck E. Cheese?

The Listen To Me: PEOPLE !!! you NEED to be in attendance for any hearings on this if you want to show your want for this…

The I Didn’t Read the Article: and where are they wanting to put it

Whenever the local populous becomes so passionate about an issue, I find it hard to pick a favorite, but here it is—

The Ship Out The Crack Heads and Liquid Plumber Affordability: The crack heads don’t enhance the area. If you want to enhance the area, get rid of them! We NEED convenient and CHEAP shopping. Some of us can’t afford your “high quality” liquid plumber. (Same ingredients)

Yee Haw! Let’s Rodeo!

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emma

Photo courtesy Henrietta Wade

For nearly 50 years, the Shoreline Riders of Fort Bragg, California have hosted an annual rodeo. In my 21 years of living here, I’m ashamed to say I’ve never attended. In fact, I’d never been to any rodeo until last Sunday when I strong-armed my friend Marcia and her eight-year old granddaughter Mackenzie into letting me tag along.

In the car, Mackenzie got me hyped up over the promise of visiting the petting zoo. Upon our arrival at the rodeo, her grandma took her to see the baby animals while I waited for a hamburger at the concession stand. (I wanted to get food before the events started so I wouldn’t miss a thing.)

When I joined them, Mackenzie was cradling a tiny black piglet in her arms. It could not have been more than a few weeks old. Its brown litter mate was held by another child. As both kids begged to take the piglets home, I took a moment to peruse the “zoo.”

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Disclaimer: Far be it from me to judge anyone who expends the energy to put together a petting zoo.

If I hosted one, it would be located inside the plastic hoop house that covers my raised vegetable beds. The humidity that drips off the ceiling creates a mini-rain forest environment which would add an educational component to the experience.

My petting animals would include:

LilMrmouse

Little Mr. & rodent

  • One deaf 14.75-year old black dog with a three-pound fatty tumor on his right side.
  • A belligerent 9-year old gray cat.
  • Whatever half-eaten furry rodents the cat could supply.

I would not charge an entrance fee, but for fifty cents you could view the tattoo on the inside of my left ankle. For a dollar more, I’d take you on a tour of The Purity Market.

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The Shoreline Riders Rodeo petting zoo was designated by a temporary wire fence erected on a patch of dirt and consisted of:

  • The aforementioned super cute piglets.
  • A small raggedy sheep that was lying down, avoided eye contact and gave off the aura that it could never be coaxed to stand.
  • Two pigmy goats that had the psycho look of extreme post-traumatic stress disorder and tried to make themselves invisible by hunkering down behind a bale of hay.
  • A large predatory-looking rooster that no child wanted to touch.
  • A denim-clad, cowboy-booted elderly rancher.

After a few minutes, it was time to head to the stands and take in my first rodeo. I asked the rancher where to leave the piglet.

“Just put it in the bucket.” He pointed to a five-gallon recycled paint bucket that held a few handfuls of hay.

Really? Put the piglet in that bucket? Really?!?

How about I put it in my purse and take it to the SPCA?

I took a deep breath.

I was there to enjoy my first rodeo—not to bring the law down on the poor petting zoo rancher. The piglet went into the bucket where it stayed for about 10 seconds before another child scooped it up. I urged Mackenzie out of the area and into the stands.

The petting zoo left me emotionally scarred. Fortunately the bulk of my life is behind me, so I only have to suffer this particular trauma for the next two or three decades.

Photo courtesy Shoreline Riders

Photo courtesy Shoreline Riders

The rodeo, on the other hand, was filled with excitement: bucking bulls attempting to crush their riders, women expertly steering their horses in arcs around barrels, cowboys flying through the air and landing hard to tie down calves, and the horses—the beautiful horses that were so impeccably partnered with their riders.

Not having been to a rodeo before, I didn’t know how to behave. I loudly oohed and awed, shrieked and cheered. The woman sitting on my left was rather stoic and drank a lot of beer. I hope it was because she was enjoying her afternoon—or that she was an alcoholic. I hope it wasn’t to dull the pain of sitting next to me.

I highly recommend the Shoreline Riders Rodeo. I’m definitely going next year. In the meantime, I just might buy me a cowgirl hat and pair of boots.

Yes, Jessica—a pair of red boots.cowgirlboots