The Critical Observer: Recent Episodes
Alex Horvath
Personal stories plus news and analysis of what is going on in Sonoma County (and the world beyond).
Bolinas legend Don Deane speaks about his journey with the brain disorder hydrocephalus and how that relates to his selling Smiley’s Saloon in Bolinas.
Don Deane has had more careers in his life than he would care to remember. From juvenile probation officer to newspaper publisher, from foster parent, to saloon owner and campground operator. And then there was his brain surgery in 2019 from which he successfully recovered (with the exception of remembering a period of twenty years, he says). Listen as Don discusses the state of politics in the United States — and if he would ever consider publishing the Coastal Post newspaper again.
In the early morning hours of January 19, 1971, Tom D’Onofrio sipped coffee while listening to the radio news. Two oil tankers had collided near the Golden Gate Bridge, releasing thousands of barrels of oil. The oil was expected to wash up on Bolinas Beach and into the nearby lagoon.
In June 2008, a homeless person, Ricky Green, was beaten with fists, boots — and skateboards — by a group of teenagers in Bolinas, CA, a tiny California village that is known for being a bastion of the counter-culture — and tolerance.
Warning: Some offensive language in this recording! Audio of my father’s relating his first visit to Bolinas, CA, in 1969, where his ex-wife and children had seemingly become hippies. My mother passed away in 1982 and dad lived until January 2020. The recording is from a visit with Dad in 2010 at his home in South Carolina. Warning: Dad held racist views and used them in conversation. I apologize to anyone who is offended. The views and language are his, not mine.
Marty Balin Founder of Jefferson Airplane, lead Singer/Songwriter with Jefferson Starship. Marty was also a fabulous painter and visual artist.
In February 2008, a YouTube video caused commotion in tiny West Marin over the fate of an oyster farm which that had leased the property for decades but whose fate was up for grabs.
Interview with architect Gregory Cook regarding trends in correctional (prison) healthcare.
My father called me on the evening my 53rd birthday. He seemed to think that he was “stuck in a hotel” on his way “home from the coast” while a storm raged outside. However, upon closer inspection, the caller ID showed that he was actually calling from his new home at an Independent Living facility in Pennsylvania.