Barich newspaper a hot item at Cotati City Hall

George Barich, Cotati gadfly and the city's most persistent City Hall critic, is now the city's most frustrated publisher.

Copies of his new Cotati Independent monthly newspaper have been disappearing by the hundred from a City Hall table where newspapers and other materials are left for the taking.

"It's very suspicious," said Barich on Monday.

After noticing early last week that a stack of 25 papers vanished fast, as did the replacements, he started putting out larger stacks every few hours. They vanished too. As of Monday, he said, 300 copies had gone in a few days.

He said he does not know for sure that the newspapers are being stolen. But even Barich doesn't believe his newspaper is

that popular.

"I think it's alarming if someone is going in there and throwing papers away or confiscating them," he said. "It's very un-American."

Cotati Police Chief Michael Parish said the problem hadn't been brought to his attention. City Manager Dianne Thompson could not be reached for comment Monday morning.

The paper's first issue came out this month. It echoes the views of Barich and his political allies, criticizing city leaders and an array of positions generally considered to be liberal.