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(1 of ) The Bodega Country Store, known for its kitschy collection of Hitchcock memorabilia and the statue of him out front, closed suddenly last week after the store owner's failure to pay rent. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat) (2 of ) The Bodega Country Store, known for its kitschy collection of Hitchcock memorabilia and the statue of him out front, closed suddenly last week after the store owner's failure to pay rent. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat) (3 of ) The Bodega Country Store, known for its kitschy collection of Hitchcock memorabilia and the statue of him out front, closed suddenly last week after the store owner's failure to pay rent. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

MARY CALLAHAN

THE PRESS DEMOCRAT | March 16, 2017, 6:49PM

| Updated 5 hours ago.

A Sonoma County market perhaps most distinguished by the life-size mannequin of Alfred Hitchcock that long stood out front abruptly closed last week, a result of the proprietors eviction from the historic building.

The Bodega Country Store, a roadside fixture in the tiny hamlet on the way to the coast, is shuttered indefinitely at this point, though the buildings owners hope it soon will reopen under different management.

Wed like to find someone to run it, said Tom Bonfigli, whose parents opened the Bodega Country Store in 1985 and bought the gray-blue structure a year later.

But finding the right person, he said, thats gonna be the trick.

Bonfiglis parents, Helen and her late husband, Joe, who died in 2014, ran the store for 20 years, catering to both locals and tourists.

Theres been a store there since 1854 in that space, said Tom Bonfigli, 55.

Under recent owner Michael Fahmie, who has run the shop since 2009 and into the ground, his critics say the market earned renown for a vast collection of kitschy movie memorabilia related to Hitchcock and the British film directors 1963 horror movie The Birds, which was shot in the county.

Fahmie said a string of personal challenges, including the decline and death of his father in Florida and a prolonged, serious infection of his own, along with unwise management choices, contributed to operational losses that made it impossible for him to keep up with his financial obligations, despite extreme patience on the part of his landlord.

I gave it a good shot, Fahmie said Thursday. I think I made the area more of a destination location. And now whoever assumes control of it can take it to the next level.

Some of the posters, photographs, Hitchcock busts, stuffed crows and myriad other items were for sale. Others werent and were on display to draw attention to the unique place of the town in movie lore, said Fahmie, 53.

Fahmie, who has a culinary background, said highlighting the Hitchcock connection put the store and surrounding village on the map, along with the crab mac n cheese and clam chowder he served up.

The Bonfiglis adjudged it cheesy overkill that crowded out basic groceries that would be useful to the local community and help sustain the markets business during the months when fewer tourists are around.

But the major issue lay in Fahmies continued trouble making rent for the main store, as well as a second retail space where he operated Birdland in Bodega, which was dedicated to more Birds collectibles, and a large upstairs apartment that he rented, though two other men mostly stayed there.

One of them was at the center of a high-profile law enforcement incident Feb. 19 in which Sonoma County sheriffs deputies and the agencys heavily armed SWAT team closed the road through town for three hours while they tried to persuade a domestic assault suspect they mistakenly believed was inside to surrender.

It turned out the suspect, Sean Aloysious Cameron, also known as Spartacus, was somewhere else, but two people who were at the apartment had not been forthcoming with what they knew about his whereabouts, sheriffs officials said.

Fahmie, it turns out, was not around that night and, in fact, had not been staying in Bodega much, even leaving the store largely unsupervised, which, he conceded was part of the problem, along with his accounting struggles.

Bonfigli and his mother, Helen, are motivated to reopen the business under a new purveyor, continuing the stores legacy.

We ran a tight ship, Tom Bonfigli said. Im not going to lie. But we tried to help people, and we tried to be fair, and we were.

You can reach Staff Writer Mary Callahan at 707-521-5249 or mary.callahan@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @MaryCallahanB.

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Bodega Country Store closed after proprietor booted by owners - Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Belleville News-Democrat

Adult dies in Glen Carbon fire but 6 kids escape; baby rescued from SUV in lake, body found Belleville News-Democrat A neighbor's surveillance camera on Dogwood Lane captured the Nissan Armada SUV leaving the house at 15 Dogwood Lane in Glen Carbon, IL, and the flames reflecting on surfaces. Then the Campbell children are seen fleeing down the street. and more »

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Adult dies in Glen Carbon fire but 6 kids escape; baby rescued from SUV in lake, body found - Belleville News-Democrat

A top House Democrat argued Thursday that "even a fraction" of President Trump's proposed spending cuts would be "an absolute disaster" for the State Department.

"[T]he White House wants to cut nearly one-third of the international affairs budget next year," New York Rep. Eliot Engel, the top Foreign Affairs Committee Democrat, said Thursday morning. "That obviously would be a disaster. In fact, slashing our international engagement by even a fraction of that, at a time when we're facing serious challenges around the world, would be an absolute disaster."

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson disagrees, and has said recent State Department budgets have run at "historically high" and unsustainable levels. But Engel countered that rising threats around the world make this year a uniquely bad time to cut diplomatic spending, and urged lawmakers to assert their congressional power under the Constitution.

"Congress, as we all say many times, is a co-equal branch of government, and, according to the Constitution, we appropriate funds or you appropriate funds," he told a House Appropriations subcommittee panel. "We don't just have to roll over because any White House says so. This year, we're going to have to put that idea to the test."

Trump asked Congress to cut diplomatic funding by nearly one-third, a $10 billion reduction that would lower spending to levels below George W. Bush's budget requests at the end of his administration.

"What the President is asking the State Department to do is, I think, reflective of a couple of expectations," Tillerson said while traveling in Japan. "One is that as time goes by, there will be fewer military conflicts that the U.S. will be directly engaged in; and second, that as we become more effective in our aid programs, that we will also be attracting resources from other countries, allies, and other sources as well to contribute in our development aid and our disaster assistance."

Engel accused the Trump team of indulging an "isolationist" outlook.

"History has shown us what we can get by retreating into a defensive, isolationist crouch," he said. "If we aren't carrying the mantle of global leadership, make no mistake, someone else will pick it up, and we may not like what we see. Don't want Russia picking it up, don't want China picking it up, don't want any of these countries that don't share our values picking it up, and they will if we retreat."

Also from the Washington Examiner

Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., said Friday he supports the Trump administration's tougher new policy against North Korea, and said using pre-emptive military force could end up alleviating some of the threat posed by the hostile country.

Duffy said on CNN that North Korea's continued development of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles might not be a threat to the United States at the moment, but given a longer leash the regime might end up trying to kill Americans on American soil.

"There's a real threat from North Korea," Duffy said. "Not only do they have nuclear weapons, but they're advancing their ballistic missiles technology and if they advance it further, they can be a real threat to Europe and, if we take

03/17/17 8:08 AM

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Top House Democrat: Any State Department cuts 'an absolute disaster' - Washington Examiner

CHICAGO -- Another Democrat could be jumping in to the race for governor.

J.B. Pritzker is the billionaire businessman and philanthropist known for pushing tech growth and digital startups in Chicago.

According to the bio on his site, he also led the campaign to build the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center. He's also the heir to Hyatt Hotels and related to other high-powered politicians in Washington.

Now, he's taking the next step in his potential run for governor, officially creating an exploratory committee. It means he filed the paperwork for the beginning stages of an official campaign.

In a statement, Pritzker said, As Ive traveled across Illinois, Ive listened to people express their deep concerns about the direction of our state. It is clear that having a governor whos unwilling to address our states challenges is having a real impact on peoples lives. I look forward to continuing my conversations with people across Illinois who are currently being forced to pay the price of failed leadership from Governor Rauner.

Pritzker said last month he was seriously considering a run, shortly after Chris Kennedy officially announced his candidacy. The Democratic businessman is also the son of the late senator Robert Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy.

Another Chicagoan, Ameya Pawar, announced early this year he's officially running. He's a city alderman running on the idea of a "new deal" for Illinois.

All three men adamantly oppose current Governor Bruce Rauner and his "turnaround agenda." But on his end, Rauner tweeted:

"Pritzker announced his gov exploratory committee - #IL deserves better. Show you're with us on #teamrauner instead."

The tweet then included a link to his fundraising page. That fundraising call could be because some consider Pritzker a symbol of big money: Forbes estimates his worth at $3.2 billion.

But Rauner is hardly strapped for cash. He's contributed millions to his own re-election campaign and has been valued at up to $1 billion.

Pritzker last ran for office in 1998, losing in the primary to Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. If he officially decides to run, he'll first have to win this Democratic primary over at least those two challengers.

The primary election is March 20, 2018.

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Another Democrat considering run for governor - IllinoisHomePage.net

The debate over Russias influence on American politics could be coming to a congressional race near you.

Harley Rouda, a Democrat challenging Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R) in Californias 48th district, is using Rohrabachers out-of-the-mainstream views on Russia as an early cudgel in the race.

A new Web ad set to run on Facebook promises Rouda will be tough on Russia and shows a clip of Rohrabacher saying Russia is not our enemy. The ad also describes Rohrabacher as one of the most entrenched members of Washingtons establishment.

Lets send a message that its time for career politicians to hit the road, Rouda tells the camera.

Rohrabacher, now in his 13th congressional term representing parts of Orange County, has won attention since the election for his desire to relax Washingtons posture toward Russia. Described in some news accounts as the Kremlins favorite congressman, he has defended President Trumps most controversial statements about Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In a December interview with The Post, Rohrabacher predicted a softer attitude toward Russia would sweep Washington under Trump.

This is what a number of people are all about, he said. Now that we have a president who is going to try his best to bring a better, more cooperative relationship with Russia, I think youll find more people stepping up to the plate and trying to put out an open hand.

Its too early to say whether Rouda, a businessman with a real estate background who raised $100,000 in donations in 12 days, can gain much momentum in Orange County by hammering Rohrabacher on foreign policy.

Still, its telling to see Russia pop up in the early stages of a 2018 House race.

On his website, Rouda says he supports investigating any and all countries and individuals, including Russia that might have influenced the election and calls for an independent prosecutor to lead the probe.

Another Democrat challenging Rohrabacher, Boyd Roberts, has also vowed to make Russia an issue in his campaign.

Rohrabacher won his district by 16.6 percent in November, while Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton edged out Trump by 1.7 percent.

A request for comment from Rohrabachers campaign was not returned.

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Democrat hits Republican congressman over ties to Russia - Washington Post