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Bureaucracy Burial Baloney: The Government Wants To Control Your Body Even After You Die!

I just learned that a good friend, Patricia Monaghan, had died. Her son sent me a note that the family hoped to have a small memorial at the former Putah Creek Resort, now the Putah Canyon Campground. Pat and Jim had a place there for decades and had raised their kids there. Many of us had done the same thing with our families at the various resorts around Lake Berryessa before intransigent incompetence of the Bureau of Reclamation destroyed that vibrant community. My mobile home was at Steele Park Resort.

Pat was the founder of "Task Force 7 at Lake Berryessa". She convinced me to join her as co-chair in 1999. Pat was the guiding force behind our fight to save the resorts, our "energizer bunny", and often had to recharge my batteries to keep up with her indefatigable spirit. And indefatigable she was, possessed of  endless energy and enthusiasm, working persistently toward a goal without ever yielding to fatigue or giving up.

See her 2007 KCBS 2007 interview at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPsQ0W7qdK8

Pat and Jim wished to have their ashes spread out on the lake they so loved. Although I had never given it much thought, it turns out that your family cannot simply go anywhere you or your loved ones wished and spread their ashes "willy-nilly". You may be prohibited from doing so or need to meet some onerous requirements if it is public land or water managed by a government agency.

Here's a relevant scene from the movie, The Big Lebowski, which I'm sure Pat would have loved.

https://youtu.be/6OrGhs2TQDM?si=r_X5TAaTwHnGSLdg

A quick Google AI search provided this result.

"Scattering Cremation Ashes at Lake Berryessa: If you are strictly focused on Lake Berryessa, there is no legal way to scatter ashes anywhere on or immediately around the water. Because the lake serves as a critical domestic water supply managed by the Solano County Water Agency and the federal Bureau of Reclamation, both agencies enforce a zero-tolerance policy for the disposal of human remains."

This statement is simply silly. The amount of cow, deer, and other animal waste, human pee & odd stuff that washes into this lake every year, far outweighs a few pounds of leftover mom or dad that has been processed at such high temperatures that nothing organic could survive.

A relevant example of the potential real pollution that did not occur is the Markley Cove Boat Fire on February 25, 2023. A fire destroyed a dock and 23 watercraft - boats, houseboats, and jet skis on Friday night. A section of the dock broke off and was floating independently, with some sections sunken and others floating aflame.

The Solano Irrigation District set up a water quality monitoring station on lower Putah Creek below Monticello Dam. They found no pollution from the gasoline, oil, and other chemicals from that fire in that water during several weeks of testing.

The process and result of cremation is not like burning wood to turn you into "ashes". You, the body, is placed in a very special container designed for cremation that is then placed in a specialized furnace. While the furnace uses flames to reach extreme temperatures, the remains are never directly exposed to flame.

Most of your body turns to gas. Because the human body is mostly composed of water, the result of exposure to such high temperatures is the evaporation and sublimation of the human tissue to gasses. The average human body will produce only four to six pounds of human ash as a result of cremation. Bones actually make up almost all of what remains after cremation. These remains are then submitted to a purification process. This helps to break down the bones into a fine dust-like substance.

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Remember the recent Smittle Creek Fire? Here's a good news video about it.

Barbecue In Dry Grass Ignites Wild Fire At Lake Berryessa. Suspects Flee The Scene And Let Fire Burn. 

KORK North Bay News, www.KORKTV.com

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1538888877918193&ref=sharing

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The "Keep on Truckin'" Story Is Not About Truck Drivers!

I first saw the original cartoon shortly after I came to Berkeley in June, 1967. Robert Crumb was already a popular cartoonist. The cartoon, featuring men with exaggerated large feet strutting confidently, was created by underground comix artist Robert Crumb. It debuted in the first issue of Zap Comix in 1968 as a visual play on the 1930s song "Trucking' My Blues Away" by Blind Boy Fuller.

Many years later I met a woman whose husband was a long-haul truck driver. Although she was relatively conservative, as was her husband, they were proud of the Crumb cartoon because they thought it was an ode to truckers. When I pointed out that it was a famous old hippie cartoon, she was offended! (They disliked hippies!)

Cultural appropriation is the adoption of elements from a minority culture by members of a separate, but usually, dominant culture. It is generally considered problematic when these elements are used without respect, understanding, or acknowledgment of their original context. Examples: Traditional Native American headdresses and other regalia as fashion accessories; Non-Black individuals adopting traditionally Black hairstyles, such as dreadlocks or cornrows.

See this link for more cultural appropriation context:

https://ywcaspokane.org/2023-racial-justice-challenge-cultural-appropriation-vs-appreciation/

Before its hippie-era fame, the phrase originated in African American vernacular and 1930s blues songs (such as Blind Boy Fuller's music). In this context, it was an expression used to indicate persistence and pushing through a hostile, oppressive society

"Keep on Truckin'" symbolizes cheerful resilience, perseverance, and the determination to keep moving forward despite challenges. It evokes a laid-back, "keep on keeping on" attitude, urging people to stay in the groove and stick to their path regardless of obstacles. 
 
The Crumb image quickly escaped the underground comic scene and became a massive, often-pirated counterculture icon of the hippie era. While Crumb intended the cartoon as a symbol of cheerful, laid-back perseverance, its widespread commercialization on T-shirts, posters, and mudflaps famously annoyed the artist, leading him to battle for his copyrights.

"I became acutely self-conscious about what I was doing. Was I now a "spokesman" for the hippies or what? I had no idea how to handle my new position in society! Take Keep on Truckin' for example. Keep on Truckin' is the curse of my life. This stupid little cartoon caught on hugely. There was a D.J. on the radio in the seventies who would yell out every ten minutes: "And don't forget to KEEP ON TR-R-RUCKIN'!" Boy, was that obnoxious! Big feet equals collective optimism. You're a-walkin' boy! You're movin' on down the line! It's proletarian. It's populist."

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The Napa County Defensible Space Fuel Mapper
https://youtu.be/vuXplddIVhA?si=m4VOuiWmWetQyZbw

The Napa County Wildfire Fuel Mapper was created to help residents, fire safe councils, and other land managers to help to locate and understand fire hazards on their property. The application aggregates fine-scale fuels and fire hazard datasets to deliver information via custom maps and reports. The simple interface helps community members to understand planning and regulatory requirements specific to their location. Formerly available only to Sonoma County residents, the Wildfire Fuel Mapper has recently been expanded to all of Napa County, with funding from Napa Firewise Foundation.

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Five Lake Berryessa resorts are open.

Spanish Flat Campground: https://campspanishflat.com/

Steele Canyon Campground: https://campsteelecanyon.com/

Pleasure Cove Marina: https://goberryessa.com/

Markley Cove Resort: https://markleycove.com/

Putah Canyon Campground: https://royalelkparkmanagement.com/putah-canyon
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I Just tasted this Cowboy Cabernet when I picked it up yesterday, plus a few egg rolls.
Very flavorful for my 4th of July dinner!

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Track the real-time Lake Berryessa weather at:
 
 
Skiers Cove (Below the Berryessa Highlands)
Skier Cove - KCANAPA228
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KCANAPA228
 
East Side Road (Across from Big Island)
East Side Road, Lake Berryessa - KCALAKEB2
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KCALAKEB2
 
Spanish Flat (Near the Spanish Flat Recreation Area)
Roger - KCASPANI1
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KCASPANI1
 
Berryessa Pines
KCANAPA461
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KCANAPA461
 

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Lake Berryessa Fire Watch Cameras

This site covers the whole Lake Berryessa Region.

http://www.rntl.net/lake-berryessa-cams/

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Press Democrat: Camp Margaritaville Resort at Steele Canyon

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Free Book Chapters Available For Download

My sincere thanks to those of you who contributed to the future of the Lake Berryessa News. I challenge you to find any Lake Berryessa news anywhere. Hopefully, the many years of our intensive reporting about the latest Lake Berryessa issues will convince you of the truth of our motto, "Without The Lake Berryessa News there would be no Lake Berryessa news".

Here's a gift from The Lake Berryessa News to my readers - Free downloadable chapters from my books:


Lake Berryessa Technical Manual: The Science, Engineering, History, and Humor of a Major Unnatural Resource:

The Death of a Valley

Why Does Lake Berryessa Exist?

The Lake Berryessa Watershed

Rainfall and Lake Level History

How High Is Lake Berryessa?

How Deep is Lake Berryessa?

How Much Water Does Lake Berryessa Hold?

Mean Sea Level: Is There Such A Thing As Accurate Height?

Water In, Water Out, But From Where?

Does the WALROS Like Lake Berryessa?

Why is Lake Berryessa Not a Part of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument?

East Side Story

Hiking and Wildlife Viewing

Are There Quail on Quail Ridge?

Why Does A Hiker Cross The Road? To Get To Stebbins Cold Canyon!

Private Houseboats - Yes; Private RVs & Trailers - No: Why?

Motorized Boats Banned From Big Island Lagoon! Why!

Archeologists Can't Dunk But Can Dig

What Can't You Do At Lake Berryessa?

Napa Opposes Building the Monticello Dam

Monticello Dam Construction
Raise Monticello Dam

Power Generation at Monticello Dam

Monticello Dam Failure Analysis

Predicting the Future & Glory Hole Drone Videos

As Lake Berryessa Turns!

The Ins and Outs & Ups and Downs of Lake Berryessa

Does Lake Berryessa Sweat in the Summer?

Glory Hole Introduction

How Does Glory Hole Work?

Glory Hole: Awesome, Frightening, But Dangerous?

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Lake Berryessa Political History (Free Downloads of Book Chapters)

Policy And Politics Betray The People: The Lake Berryessa Saga: 1958 - 2020, By Peter Kilkus

 
I. The Five Tragedies Of The Berryessa Valley: A History Of Heartbreak
 
II. Lake Berryessa Political History Timeline
 
III. The “Big Lie”: How It All Began
 
IV. The “Big Fail”: Napa Abandons Lake Berryessa (1975)
 
V. The “Big Picture”: Lake Berryessa Issues: 1957 - 2012
 
VI. The “Big Illusion”: Notice Of Intent
 
VII. The “Big Fight”: Facts Do Matter
 
VIII. The “Big Betrayal”: Perversion Of Public Law 96-375
 
IX. The “Big Mistake”: Pensus - The Beginning Was The End!
 
X. The “Big Hole In History”: Post-Pensus Blues
 
XI. The “Big Boondoggle”: Creation Of A Phony National Monument
 
Addendum 1. Dueling Napa Register Letters To The Editor
 
Addendum 2. The Napa Register View
 
Index Of  Primary Documents

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Lake Berryessa Technical Manual: The Science, Engineering, History, and Humor of a Major Unnatural Resource

 https://www.amazon.com/Lake-Berryessa-Technical-Manual-Engineering-ebook/dp/B0C21DZ9M9/ref=sr_1_3?

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Policy and Politics Betray the People: The Lake Berryessa Saga: 1958 - 2020
https://www.amazon.com/Policy-Politics-Betray-People-Berryessa-ebook/dp/B08MFSQDBR/ref=sr_1_1?
 
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Conspiracy Theory or Automatic Pilot: The Economic Roots of Environmental Destruction

 https://www.amazon.com/Conspiracy-Theory-Automatic-Pilot-Environmental/dp/1676368302/ref=sr_1_3?


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The KPIX Eye on the Bay interview below is one I did in 2010 and a relevant introduction to the substance of the book. I did it after Pensus had been given the contract for 5 resorts. As we all know Pensus was subsequently kicked out in 2012. 

https://youtu.be/nP9K8Ai0Lkc

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Lake Berryessa Data Sources

There are many sources of Lake Berryessa water and weather conditions available. The Solano County Water Agency site is good for real-time graphs of level, capacity, and water temperature. The California Data Exchange Center has data going back decades for level, capacity, capacity change, dam outflow, dam inflow, and rainfall. Anyone can research their own data and create custom charts. This is the source of many of the charts on the Lake Berryessa News website.

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An upgraded wildfire alert camera system will be keeping watch on Napa County day and night and notifying Cal Fire crews of potential fires. Twenty cameras will be part of a system that will use artificial intelligence and other technologies to identify fire and smoke. If they detect something, an alert will sound in the Cal Fire emergency command center near St. Helena.

Cal Fire has made a large investment into the ALERTCalifornia system, partnering with UC San Diego. There are 1,000 cameras across the state and Napa County is one of the test models. Cameras can see 60 miles during the day, and this can increase to 120 miles on clear nights, with the changes in the air. The system can differentiate among smoke, clouds and dust. A link to this camera system and other relevant weather data is available on the Lake Berryessa News website at: http://www.rntl.net/lake-berryessa-cams/

This website was created by Doug Kunst. It is an amazing resource for Lake Berryessa fire cameras and weather. His business website is http://www.rntl.net/

Lake Berryessa Fire Alert Cameras

http://www.rntl.net/lake-berryessa-cams/

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 Real-Time Lake Level, Lake Capacity, Water Temperature
 
Solano County Water Agency
 
https://www.scwamonitoring.com/LakeBerryessa/
 
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Lake Detailed Historical Data
 
California Data Exchange Center
 
https://cdec.water.ca.gov/
 
Research historical data and create custom plots
 
Lake Berryessa Code: BER
 
https://cdec.water.ca.gov/dynamicapp/sensorplots?staid=ber&dur_code=D
 
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Local Weather Stations (Weather Underground Network)
 
Skiers Cove (Below the Berryessa Highlands)
Skier Cove - KCANAPA228
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KCANAPA228
 
East Side Road (Across from Big Island)
East Side Road, Lake Berryessa - KCALAKEB2
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KCALAKEB2
 
Spanish Flat (Near the Spanish Flat Recreation Area)
Roger - KCASPANI1
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KCASPANI1