Calvin “Bubby” Lavern Sand, Jr. passed away April 14, 2024 at St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka at the age of 73. Calvin was born September 2, 1950 at St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka to Calvin Lavern Sand Sr. and Lucy Vitta Wilkinson Sand Walker.

He lived in Humboldt County all of his life with the exception of when he served in the United States Army for a tour in Viet Nam from 1968 to 1971 at which time he was honorably discharged. Bubby joined and served in the National Guard in Eureka from 1972 to 1975.

Bubby started his 33 year career in the lumber industry in 1972. During his career he worked at Arcata Redwood Company. He attained the highest standards of grading redwood and fir lumber and throughout his career maintained the highest standards of grading.

At a young age Bubby started playing little league baseball and continued through high school playing a sport he loved. He was a lifelong New York Yankees fan. After high school and in his adult years Bubby played fast and slow pitch softball. Bubby was a great hitter, in fact, when he was up at bat you always heard the other team say “Back up, Bubby’s at bat”. He was a double threat, as well as hitting the ball the distance, he was fast around the bases. He was always in friendly competition with his younger brother Billy “Pee Wee” Sand to see who could hit the furthest and run the fastest. The Sand boys liked to compete.

Bubby was a very kindhearted and loving man. Always helping family members in need and never judging anyone or their situation. Everyone that got the pleasure of knowing him understands the great man that he was.

He loved his sons Corey and Casey with all his heart. Bubby was heartbroken when he lost his youngest Casey in 2003. He was the absolute best grandpa to many grandchildren. He was such a proud grandpa and loved going to all his grand children’s sporting events, graduations, and weddings. The friends of his grandchildren often called him Grandpa Bubby.

In 2022 Bubby helped support his best little buddy Izaiah Couch-Sand (Nephew) by entering a guardianship. Bubby loved being able to help support Izaiah by taking him to school, shopping, Tribal Events, and anything else Izaiah needed.

Bubby was an enrolled member of the Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria. He loved being part of the Tribe and went to as many gatherings and tribal functions as he could. Although Bubby had many nieces and nephews everyone regardless of relation called him “Uncle Bubby.”

To Bubby family was everything. He was known to call family members every day to check in and see how things were going and let you know how he was doing. He was the best brother, dad, grandpa, great grandpa, and uncle a family could ask for. We are all blessed to have had him in our lives and he will be missed by all of those that knew and loved him.

He is preceded in death by Calvin Lavern Sand, Sr. (Father), Lucy Vitta Wilkinson Sand Walker (Mother), William “Billy” Sand (Brother), Sheila Alcantar (Sister), Casey Sand (Son), Tony Sand (Nephew), and many aunts and uncles.

He is survived by his son Calvin “Corey” Lavern Sand III, his six grandchildren Maryah Greer (Morgan), Makenzie Sand, Mason Sand, Hunter Sand (Gina), Hayden Sand, Hallie Sand, his great-grandchildren Elizabeth and Sophia Sand and two more on the way this year, his sisters Shay Freeman (Wendell), Marlena Barrow (Russ), and brother Dennis Sand (Norma) and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

There will be a family and friend viewing at Sanders Funeral Home 1835 E Street, Eureka CA, 95501 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday April 19, 2024. The family invites all that knew and loved Bubby to swing by and say your farewells.

The family will be having a celebration of life later in the year.

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At last night’s regular meeting, the Eureka City Council received a progress report on city’s Homeless Action Plan and staff’s ongoing efforts to address one of the community’s most pressing issues.

The plan includes eight goals to reduce homelessness in Eureka by increasing access to affordable housing and expanding the city’s homeless prevention program. The plan also seeks to increase engagement with people experiencing homelessness through partnerships and collaborations with service providers and local organizations.

What has been accomplished so far? According to city staff: Quite a bit, actually! Jeff Davis, project manager for the Community Access Project for Eureka (CAPE) and UPLIFT Eureka, said his team has helped rehouse 56 individuals through UPLIFT’s Rapid Rehousing program since the Homeless Action Plan was approved in 2022.

Davis | Screenshot

“Fifty-six is a lot because these folks are the ones that have the highest needs [and] are the most vulnerable,” Davis said. “It’s not just securing housing and helping folks move in –  it’s providing those supportive services [to] ensure that they’re able to stabilize [and get] connected with services and keep that housing permanently. We are continuing to reach out to landlords and trying to house as many folks as possible.”

UPLIFT has rehoused over 200 people since it launched its Rapid Rehousing program in 2019, he added.

At the beginning of this year, Eureka received a “prohousing” designation from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Office, paving the way for more funding opportunities for future housing projects. Davis said the city is working with private developers to build “over 300 deed-restricted affordable housing units” across several city-owned properties by 2028.

Staff has made significant progress with the Crowley property, Davis continued, referring to a transitional housing project on Hilfiker Lane, near the Hikshari Trail at the south end of town. 

“We are moving forward with the assembling transitional housing units …  and we’re making progress every week,” he said. The city will receive the final shipment of “wet units,” including bathrooms, showers and laundry facilities, next month. “If we continue this progress, there’ll be a potential moving date of July or August of this year. And that’s enough [space] for up to 40 individuals that are currently living in camps along the Waterfront Trail here in Eureka.” 

Shifting to engagement and outreach goals, Davis said UPLIFT and the city’s Community Safety Engagement Team (CSET) have been working with local service providers and the county to survey people experiencing homelessness. The biennial Point-In-Time (PIT) Count was conducted at the beginning of this year but the data has yet to be finalized, Davis said. 

“Those numbers should be available pretty soon,” he said. “We analyze and apply that data to our outreach and our different programs.”

In just a few months, the city will open a resource center on the E Street side of the Eureka Municipal Auditorium. Davis said the resource center should be up and running in early July. “It’ll be a wonderful place for folks to go and community members come and [get] connected with resources and services,” he said. “Progress is being made every day.”

The city has also “stepped up” its low-barrier, overnight shelter options, Davis said. In partnership with faith-based organizations, the city expanded its extreme weather overnight warming center, providing “low- to no-barrier” shelter for people needing a place to sleep. “We activated [the shelter] last year multiple times and it was a great success,” he said.

Following Davis’ presentation, Councilmember Scott Bauer asked if there was a waiting list for homeless folks seeking housing. There are over 900 people in the county’s “coordinated entry system,” which is more of an eligibility list than a waiting list, Davis said.

“Just so we’re clear, when we say ‘900’ that’s by the McKinney-Vento definition of homeless,” City Manager Miles Slattery added. “[They’re] not necessarily unsheltered; [that] could be people living in hotels, people living on couches … .”

Councilmember Leslie Castellano asked if the staff had made any progress in establishing a sanctioned camping area in the city. Slattery said the city held a workshop last year to gauge interest in an authorized encampment. Staff connected with an individual interested in facilitating an encampment, but the conversation fizzled out.

Councilmember Renee Contreras-DeLoach thanked city staff for their dedication. “It’s inspiring,” she said. “I think it’s really impressive because some of the stuff that the city is doing is not [stuff] that the city has to do, but it’s stuff that is being done.”

Mayor Kim Bergel echoed Contreras-DeLoach’s sentiments and urged people to pay attention to the important work staff is doing. “A lot of good things are happening in our city, and you find what you look for.”

The council did not take any action on the report.

More Construction Along H and I Streets

The city council approved staff’s request to reduce traffic from one two lanes to two one lane on H and I Streets (both one-ways) between 1st and 2nd Streets in Old Town to make way for a buffered bike lane, plus a few more parking spaces, as seen in the graphic below.

The project follows the city’s Complete and Green Streets Policy, which aims to create a “comprehensive, connected multimodal transportation network that contributes directly to the safety, health, economic vitality and quality of life of all residents, especially the most vulnerable.” In this case, the city is hoping to create a corridor that safely connects Old Town to Henderson Center neighborhoods, said City Engineer Jesse Willor.

Councilmember Kati Moulton asked if the bike lane would stay on the same side of the street from Old Town all the way to Henderson Center. Willor said the bike lane would actually shift from one side of the road to the other between 2nd and 3rd Streets.

“We wouldn’t do it at the busiest intersections in town,” he said. “[There’s] much lower volume of traffic down there on 2nd and 3rd, and it would just be one crossing. … Because of the way the parking and everything’s configured down there, you have to move [the bike lane] or else you’d have to go down and reconfigure all the parking between 4th and 1st, or at least some of it, in order to make it work.”

Bauer asked if the realignment of parking spaces would result in a loss of parking. By shifting from diagonal to parallel parking, Willor said the project would actually add four spaces to Old Town. 

One public commenter asked if the staff would consider people towing trailers and boats while implementing the project, adding that he’s had a difficult time getting around the newly constructed bulb-outs without veering into oncoming traffic. “I just got ran off the road this morning by a Mercer-Fraser concrete truck, so just keep that in mind when you guys are planning, please,” he said.

Colin Fiske, executive director of the Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities, spoke in favor of the project, noting that it is “an important part of connecting the Waterfront Trail and facilities in that part of town with the rest of town.” 

After a bit of additional discussion, Moulton made a motion to approve the resolution, which was seconded by Councilmember G. Mario Fernandez. The motion was approved in a 4-1 vote, with Contreras-DeLoach dissenting.

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Odds and ends from Tuesday’s meeting:

• Mayor Kim Bergel invited meeting attendees to the upcoming community health town hall – “Embracing Humanity” – featuring keynote speaker Joe Roberts aka the “Skidrow CEO.” The event will take place at Eureka City Hall on Saturday, May 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. “If we fill the room to capacity, Miles [Slattery] will buy me a car!” Bergel said. “So everybody please come and bring all your friends!” More information on the town hall can be found at this link.
• The city council unanimously approved the creation of the Eureka Housing Trust Fund to support various city-operated housing development programs, including the city’s accessory dwelling unit (ADU) program. Last year, the city earmarked $500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to start the trust. The city will contribute at least $100,000 in Vacation Dwelling Unit (VDU) Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) revenues to the trust fund each year.
• Mayor Bergel also noted that the floral arrangements on either side of the speakers’ podium were made by students in the Eureka High School floral program. How nice!

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A recording of the meeting can be found here.

Arcata Fire District press release:

On Tuesday, April 16 at 3:27 P.M., the Arcata Fire District was dispatched to a medical rescue in the McKinleyville Community Forest, with closest access to the patient on the 2000 block of First Road.

The first engine arrived on scene as well as Arcata/Mad River Ambulance’s team and a Chief officer with AFD’s off-road side-by-side to find that the patient was approximately one mile up the trail.
Due to a boulder and tree blocking access to the trail for the side-by-side, two engine companies and the paramedic team set out on foot to find a woman who had fallen off of her mountain bike while riding one of the trails.

She was put in a traction splint and Reach 5 helicopter team was called to the scene, responding from the Redding area. When the helicopter landed on scene, the patient was flown to Redding to assess her injuries.

Arcata Fire District would like to thank Arcata Ambulance and Reach 5 for their assistance today and would also like to provide a reminder to the community to wear a helmet, always have a phone on you or a person with you in case of an emergency in a remote area.

Sebastian Amaro, an eighth-grade student at NPA in Arcata, seems to be a pretty crack runner. Here’s a Mad River Union story that shows him placing third among all eighth graders at last fall’s Humboldt County Youth Cross Country Championships. Nice job!

But Sebastian is about more than just running. He’s also about making sure all the kids can run if they want to, and to that end he has made it his mission to raise awareness of the Six Rivers Running Club’s Shoe Fund, which buys running shoes for kids whose families might have trouble affording them.

Sebastian recently wrote the Outpost to see if we might partner with him to spread the word about the Shoe Fund, as the deadline for applications this year is coming up soon. The Outpost said that it would be honored to do so.

Take it away, Sebastian:

There is a local shoe fund in Humboldt County called the SRRC shoe fund.

This is primarily for young runners who are struggling to buy running shoes and whose families have lower incomes. The goal is so that these young runners can run for their school or running club, but only K-12th graders are eligible for this.

This application must be filled out by the coach of a running team/club, and they have to email maguro4u@gmail.com for the application, and you must send this in by April 30, but there is no guarantee that your school will get shoes.

If you have any questions about this you can visit the SRRC shoe fund pdf which has all the information.

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Local residents this week are getting knocks on their front doors from clipboard-wielding representatives of a company called SFE Energy, a natural gas supplier whose salespeople often say they can lower your PG&E bills. 

SFE logo

While not quite an out-and-out scam (the company is licensed as a “Core Gas Aggregation Service,” i.e. a third-party supplier, with branches in numerous states across the country), SFE has an abysmal reputation. 

The Better Business Bureau has rescinded its accreditation of the company following a deluge of complaints. In fact, due to the extraordinary volume of reports, the BBB has published a portion of those complaints from people who were convinced to sign up, only to regret it later.

Last year, the Maryland Public Service Commission launched an “enforcement blitz” after receiving a record number of complaints about SFE, according to the Baltimore Sun. 

“The commission’s consumer affairs division had received dozens of complaints against SFE from Jan. 1, 2020, through Sept. 30, 2022, including allegations that SFE used deceptive marketing practices, failed to comply with contracting requirements and enrolled customers without their consent, a practice known as ‘slamming,’” the Sun says.

In January, SFE reached a settlement in the state, requiring it to pay a $150,000 civil penalty and refund $400,000 to certain customers.

SFE sent teams to Humboldt County in 2016 and again in 2018.

Be careful out there, folks, and if you have any elderly neighbors who aren’t online much, maybe warn them, too.

Comes word this morning that someone has enlisted a Cal Poly Humboldt welcome sign to a side in the Israel-Gaza war.

This will certainly help!

Press release from Dave Meserve:

On Saturday, April 13, two days before Tax Day, we conducted the annual Penny Poll at the Arcata Farmers Market. It is usually in front of the US Post Office, but in this electronic age, people rarely mail their tax returns any more. About 165 people voted by distributing ten pennies among ten containers labeled to represent major government programs. By choosing where they want their federal tax dollars to go, they also inform the community about their priorities.

The graph of the Penny Poll votes by Humboldt County taxpayers looks like an inverted image of the federal government priorities. The federal budget allocates over 55% of our discretionary budget tax dollars to the military, and a total of 27% to Education, Health, Environment, Housing and Social Services. This year, people chose to give only 4% to the military and 76% of their taxes to those five programs.

The Penny Poll is carried out every year on tax day, in communities across the country. While results vary slightly from city to city, the Poll consistently shows broad consensus for a federal budget that addresses people’s basic needs, and the environment, rather than pouring funds into war and the military industrial complex.