I have enjoyed the warm summer here in Humboldt County, and I’ve been spending time in my sunny backyard with my family, getting my annual reminder that sunscreen is not magical and needs reapplication. United Indian Health Services (UIHS) has even hosted some outdoor community events at our clinics throughout the region, some for the first time in three years. Seeing old friends, clients and coworkers in person has been as soothing and needed as those precious sunny summer days are to my mental health.

Nurse Michelle with one of her nifty Corsi-Rosenthal boxes. Photo: Submited.

That said, this is your monthly COVID-19 column, and while the “rules” have changed recently, at least according to the CDC, the actual situation across the country still suggests a need for proactive steps, or at least that I inform you of the current state of affairs.

Let’s start with those CDC guidance changes. The CDC has “streamlined” the COVID-19 guidance, and has removed social distancing recommendations, quarantine and “test-to-stay” for school. It is also no longer required to mask on public transit (but it is recommended) or have proof of a vaccination or a negative test before, during or after travel.

The logic behind this seems to be twofold. First is the idea of “meeting people where they are,” and not trying to force or demand action from the public, since you may have noticed that was slightly divisive and didn’t work as intended. Second is the acknowledgment that COVID-19 exposure is happening regularly, and quarantining after exposure is, unfortunately, no longer a realistic response with so many cases still going around. COVID-19 is now posing less risk of “medically significant” infections, so the guidance is simplified to “stay current with your vaccines and stay home if you are sick.”

Confirmed cases in California have been trending downward for a month, which is great. Both Humboldt and Del Norte Counties are “low” or “in the green” as far as transmission (cases and hospitalizations). Unfortunately, there are still 8,000 cases daily (in California), and experts suggest the true number could be 6-7 times higher. Summer is also drawing to a close, and the colder weather will draw all of us indoors, which has lead to a troubling surge in COVID-19 deaths the past two years, while over 500 Americans still die daily of COVID-19.

None of this is to make you despair — the situation has been improving slowly, and there are mitigation efforts you can take to protect yourself and your community. Check with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “COVID-19 by County” page to see what level of caution you should take when out and about, or even when traveling to another area. Being ready for the unexpected helps me feel better when I am traveling — emergency kit for the car, first aid kit, disinfecting wipes, masks, hand sanitizer and antigen test kits are the new normal.

Last month I introduced you to Corsi-Rosenthal boxes, and I have been building my own and teaching classes on them in the community. These filters will remove well over 90 percent of virus and bacteria particles in the air (also wildfire smoke!) and are incredibly easy to make. If you are worried about the air quality in a shared space, I encourage you to build and install a Corsi-Rosenthal box. They are great in school classrooms, offices and retail shops, and have a meaningful impact on reducing the spread of COVID-19.

Forget COVID-19 for a minute. Your grandmother was right — if you’re sick, stay home (and get tested). If you do get infected with COVID-19, you still need to isolate for five days whether you have symptoms or not. COVID-19 antigen (at home, rapid) tests are available and very helpful to use if you are experiencing symptoms — even if you think it’s “just a cold” or “boy, my allergies are really acting up”, or “wow, this smoke is really making my throat feel scratchy.” And don’t forget to wash those hands!

Regardless of when you end isolation, avoid being around people who are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19 until at least day 11, wear a high-quality mask around people, and do not go places where you are unable to wear a mask, including public transportation and travel settings.

Masking remains important for those who aren’t infected as well. As I mentioned last month, the BA.5 variant has become the dominant strain in most areas, and it remains infectious for the vaccinated and previously-infected alike. This is troubling because of what is becoming known as “long COVID.” While risks of severe infection, hospitalization and death have decreased, incidents of long COVID have continued for some people infected with the regular version of COVID.

Long COVID is still not well understood but is essentially a cluster of late onset health symptoms brought on by COVID-19 infection. One of the more common symptoms associated with long COVID is brain fog. I don’t know about anyone else, but I don’t need any additional brain fog in my life. Some other symptoms include tiredness, fatigue, fever, difficulty breathing, headache, difficulty sleeping, joint pain, depression, and anxiety. No. Thank. You. Very much.

Fall approaches, and the rules are becoming recommendations. Use your freedom to make healthy choices, and listen to your grandmother.

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Michelle Lewis-Lusso (she/her) is an Infection Prevention and Control nurse at United Indian Health Services, serving the 11,000+ clients and staff at their six area clinics. She’s not your grandma, but also thinks you should cover your mouth when you cough.

Neal Sligh (Mr. Sligh, or “Coach,” as known to hundreds of former students at Pacific Union School), was born March 9, 1937 to Thomas “Roy” Sligh and Jessie Lee Sligh in Gadsden, Alabama. Neal passed away at home surrounded by his family in the early morning of August 27, 2022. Neal did not “go gentle into that good night (Thomas).” Neal struggled to the end to tell Sharon, his wife, and those present, “I love you.” In his last moments, he reached out with both arms to embrace someone or something unseen and then found peace.

Neal and his parents lived for several years in Pell City, Alabama, but the family decided to move west to seek better employment. Neal spoke of being a young boy riding across the country in a vehicle equipped with a rumble seat.

Neal and his parents moved around quite a bit when he was a young boy and he attended a number of schools. He described moving away from newfound friends as difficult. The family eventually settled in Oceanside, California. Neal was living in a mobile home park when he became friends with James “Jim” Nolan. They became lifelong best friends and were close until Jim’s death in 2009.

Neal enjoyed sports and had natural athletic ability. In high school, he found that he excelled at track and field. Neal began pole-vaulting and literally went to new heights in high school and junior college, setting school records. Neal loved coaching and taught several local young men who set records to pole-vault.

After Neal graduated high school, he decided to enlist in the US Marine Corp Reserve. The Korean War was coming to an end and Neal always downplayed his courage in joining the Marine Corp as the war was ending. Neal loved being a Marine and had the honor of serving with Marine Heroes that had served during WWII and Korea. Neal was a young boy during WWII and talked about what a scary time it was to grow up. Neal had tremendous reverence for “The Greatest Generation,” which led to him reading and studying extensively about WWII.

Once Neal graduated from junior college, he looked to transfer to a four-year college that was as far away from Oceanside as possible, but still in California. Humboldt State College fit the bill and he moved to Arcata. Neal initially had trouble figuring out his major but found elementary education. Teaching school was his calling and he thoroughly loved every minute of it.

One day on campus, Neal was in a hallway when he noticed a pretty young lady crying. As a gentleman, he was always vigilant for “damsels in distress.” Neal approached the Freshman girl and asked what the problem was and if he could help. The young lady was having trouble figuring out what classes to take, so Neal assisted by planning her class schedule. The young lady was Sharon Jane Eller, the future Mrs. Sligh, and the love of his life. Neal and Sharon dated for the next two years and married in 1962 in Crescent City.

Neal and Sharon started a family in 1966, with the birth of their son, Ronald “Ron” Sligh, and had their second child in 1970, daughter Tierzah Sligh. The family purchased a lot on Anderson Lane in Arcata in 1972 and began building their home with help of family, friends, and sub-contractors. Neal did much of the construction himself. Anderson Lane was a special place and all the neighbors became like family and helped each other out. Neal loved living there and often said it was the best place he ever lived. The family is very thankful for the Pattersons, Mendes, Akanas, Westmans, Thompsons, and Desimones.

Neal and Sharon enjoyed traveling and being on the academic year, which allowed them to take many summer trips. Sharon talked Neal into going on a 450-mile bicycle tour with their church’s youth group. They then came up with the idea of doing a coast-to-coast biking trip. In 1983, the family took a 64-day bike trip from Florence, Oregon to Muskegon, Michigan.

During the crossing, Neal’s family met a biking group called Wandering Wheels. He biked across the country five more times with Wandering Wheels and went on trips to Russia and China. Neal’s favorite jackets were his Wandering Wheels Jackets. He had several and wore them all the time.

Neal’s son Ron married Annette (Demmin) Sligh in 1988. Neal immediately found that Annette was a new daughter and treated her as such. Neal’s love of teaching was passed down to Annette and gave them a unique bond.

Neal became “Papa” upon the birth of his first granddaughter, Josephine “Joie” Sligh, followed by Ashley Sligh, Jessica “Jessie” Ibarra, and Annabelle Sligh. He was fortunate to gain a step-granddaughter, Gabriella “Bela” Ibarra.

He taught at Pacific Union Elementary School in Arcata for 34 years and retired in 1995. Neal coached seventh-grade basketball for most of his career. Neal had the ability to get his teams to reach the best of their abilities and he had several undefeated seasons. During his career, Neal found himself as the vice-principal for three years. The administrative role took him out of the classroom, which weighed heavily on him. The principal at the time told Neal that he would have to stop coaching basketball, as it was taking too much of his time. Neal told his boss that being the vice-principal was taking up too much of his coaching time. Neal went back to the classroom and began enjoying his job again.

Neal was very active in the Arcata United Methodist Church for 50 years and has been in Eureka First United Methodist Church for the last 10 years. These past 11 years, Neal was a member of the Redwood Roamers, the RV’ing group, of the Eureka Elks Lodge #652. Also, back in the 1960s, he had revived the Humboldt Archers and enjoyed his years with the club.

Neal was preceded in death by his parents, Roy and Jessie, and his sister, JoAnne Sligh, who he never met. Neal is survived by his wife, Sharon, son Ron Sligh (Annette), and daughter Tierzah Sligh. He is also survived by his above-mentioned granddaughters. Neal will be missed by his niece, Misty Malloroy, nephew Todd Eller, niece Kim Anderson, and extended family.

We miss him greatly, yet, we know his struggle with dementia and his “liquid-only diet” is over. During the last month of his life, the family had the support of friends, Hospice of Humboldt, Visiting Angels, and local hospitals.

Services will be on September 10, 2022, at 11 a.m. at the Eureka First United Methodist Church at 520 Del Norte St in Eureka, California with a reception following.

Shane Lyndon Toroni
Born — Jan. 26, 1965
Died — July 28, 2022

It is with profound sadness, we announce the passing of Shane Toroni, after a 10½ year battle with Metatastic Pancreatic Neuro-Endocrine Tumors, a very rare cancer. He was 57½ years young and fought his cancers with strength, courage and a strong will to live, never giving up hope, no complaints. He also had a hereditary condition known as Lynch Syndrome, a gene mutation which was discovered in 2017 through an Arizona Genetic Counselor. This mutation makes one at a higher risk for some cancers. Early intervention is essential.

Shane attended South Bay Elementary School, Jacobs Junior High and graduated from Eureka High School in 1983. He worked in various cabinet making shops and for Wallace & Hines bars, and as a casual longshoreman for 20-plus years before becoming a registered longshoreman in the I.L.W.U., Local 14, Eureka, Calif., following in his father and uncle’s footsteps. He remained an active member until his passing. His last job was as a crane driver and as the local dispatcher. He loved his job which provided good wages and benefits so sorely needed in his fight with cancer. He also enjoyed the camaraderie of his union brothers.

Shane was born and raised in Humboldt County, a true native son. Besides work, he had a green thumb and enjoyed gardening, was a deer and waterfowl hunter, a clammer, a mushroom forager, a wild blackberry picker and a jam and pie maker. He loved to cook and grill on his Traeger, enjoyed the slots at Bear River and the horse races at the Humboldt County Fair, playing cards with friends and social media time. He was also a son, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin and friend to his survivors.

Shane was preceded in death by his father, Leland Toroni; his paternal grandparents, Martin and Linda Toroni; his maternal grandparents, Carl and Shirley Aldrich; nine uncles and three aunts; one first cousin; his hunting buddy and longtime companion, Zeke; and many other relatives and friends.

He is survived by his mother, Marlene Toroni; his sister, Sandy Toroni; and his niece, Rylee Ratcliffe; also by his uncle, Gerald Aldrich (Marlene) and aunt, Deanne Alexander; first cousins; his hunting buddy and companion, Charley; and many other relatives and friends.

Shane was cremated by Ayers and his ashes and Zeke’s will be scattered. No services are planned at his request.

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The obituary above was submitted by Shane Toroni’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

Marilyn L. (Paxton) Robertson of Eureka passed peacefully on September 1, 2022, age 89.

Marilyn was born February 13, 1933 in San Bernardino,, the eldest of four children. She moved to northern California in the early ‘50s with her first husband, Willard Watts, and two small children, Linda and Tony Watts. She later began working for the phone company, where she met and married James “Fuzzy” Robertson. They purchased the current home in 1958 and had three children together — Joe, Ruthie and Lori — and a step-son, Jimmy Robertson, joined their blended family. Marilyn balanced homemaking, child-rearing and outside employment with PG&E and Dr. Richard Wissinger.

“One year, she was room mother at Freshwater School and transformed herself into the Wicked Witch of the West (complete with full green makeup, pointed hat and cackle) and even scared her own children who didn’t know who she was,” fondly remembers her sister-in-law, Roxie Paxton. Fuzzy was a teamster and retired from the short-haul trucking industry and together they delighted in spending time with the grandchildren.

Everyone who knew her will miss her intelligence, love for the wildlife, and her fresh tortilla & beans dinners with the family! She was very creative and talented — sewing Halloween costumes and clothes for her kids; making popcorn balls for the neighborhood parties; whistling to her kids for them to come home; her attachment to the wringer washers for doing the family laundry and drying the clothes on the line!

Marilyn was preceded in death by daughter Linda, husband Fuzzy, grandson Cody Watts, step-son Jimmy Robertson; her parents and three siblings. Surviving her are her children Tony & Marilee Watts (Reno), Joe (Eureka), Ruthie Robertson & Paul Shoen (Gardnerville, Nevada) and Lori & Mike Koehnen (Chico); brother Tim and Roxie Paxton, Eureka; seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. A celebration of life will be held in the future.

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PREVIOUSLY: 

• Heated Meeting Sparks Accusations of Dishonesty and Discrimination, Opening Rift Between Tribes and Humboldt County Planning Commission
• Despite Silence From Tribes, Mega-Home Builder Optimistic Ahead of Tonight’s Continued Planning Commission Hearing to Address Permit Violation Fallout

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Hoping to avoid getting overruled by the California Coastal Commission and further damaging relations with local tribes, the Humboldt County Planning Commission postponed a permitting decision last night on a controversial home construction project near the Fay Slough wildlife area north of Eureka.

The hearing was a continuation from the commission’s August 18 meeting, during which Chair Alan Bongio employed incendiary language, repeatedly referring to “the Indians” while accusing both the Wiyot Tribe and the Blue Lake Rancheria of dishonestly manipulating negotiations over the project. [DISCLOSURE: The Blue Lake Rancheria is a minority owner of the Outpost’s parent company, Lost Coast Communications, Inc.]

Local developer and business owner Travis Schneider is pursuing modifications to a coastal development permit and special permit in order to resume construction of his 8,000-square-foot home on Walker Point Road. The project has been halted for the past eight months as the result of a stop work order issued by the Humboldt County Planning and Building Department.

Schneider was found to have violated the terms of his previous permits by building an access road through environmentally sensitive habitat and disturbing a known Wiyot archaeological site when he used an excavator to clear native blackberries and other foliage. Schneider also built the home’s foundation about 10 feet away from the footprint specified in his site plans, and he initially failed to comply with the county’s stop work order.

Several members of the public spoke out against Bongio’s behavior at the last meeting. The commission chair offered a qualified apology, saying he was sorry “if [he] in any way offended” the tribes. Two of his commission colleagues expressed their own regrets, with Third District representative Noah Levy denouncing Bongio’s “appallingly disrespectful comments” and Fifth District representative Peggy O’Neill describing the previous meeting a “a very dark day in our history.”

During the first public comment period, a woman who introduced herself only as Vanessa spoke out against “the bigotry and the racism that occurred at the last Planning Commission meeting.” She called on Bongio to recuse himself from any decision on the Schneider project.

Local resident Ellen Taylor, chair-person for the Lost Coast League, said the tenor of the previous meeting “took us back to the 19th century” when the region’s colonizers “wanted to sweep the indigenous population off the landscape.” She argued that Schneider’s permit violations should disqualify his project from further permitting and said it would be “a disgrace for the county to approve this exemption after the planning commissioner’s behavior last week.”

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In a staff report, Senior Planner Cliff Johnson recounted the history of the project and said planning department staff reached out to the Wiyot Tribe and the Blue Lake Rancheria after the August 18 meeting in hopes of arranging a meeting but were unsuccessful.

In letters submitted to the commission a day before the last meeting, the Wiyot Tribe and Blue Lake Rancheria both asked for additional environmental review and more time to review the proposed restoration and mitigation measures, with the latter asking the county to revoke Schneider’s building permit.

They also said it was unclear how the recommended conditions would be implemented, monitored or enforced. The Coastal Commission backed the tribes, saying the proposed project didn’t adequately address violations of the Local Coastal Plan nor adequately protect onsite coastal resources.

Johnson also reported that the county’s environmental health division submitted comments after 5 p.m. Wednesday, pointing out that the project doesn’t have an approved septic permit and requesting some additional conditions of approval. The health division’s emailed comments, published yesterday by the North Coast Journal, express concern that Schneider’s temporary road may have impacted the onsite wastewater treatment system’s dispersal field areas.

Regardless, planning staff again recommended approval of the permit modifications, noting that the recommended conditions of approval had been developed in consultation with the tribes and the Coastal Commission, agreed to “in principle” during an August 2 meeting, and that the parties have not offered suggested alternative conditions. However, staff also prepared an alternative resolution to deny the project. 

Planning Commissioner Melanie McCavour recused herself, as she did at the previous meeting, so that she could participate as the tribal historic preservation officer of the Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria, another Wiyot-area tribe that has been involved in negotiations on the project.

On behalf of the Bear River tribe, McCavour offered suggestions for how to avoid such messy situations in the future. She proposed, for example, that a separate page be attached to conditions of approval for any project on which there are known tribal cultural resources, and that applicants be required to sign the page.

Unlike the other two Wiyot-area tribes, which have requested archeological excavation to more fully assess damage to the tribal cultural resource onsite, the Bear River Band wants the area to be capped or fenced because it considers excavation disrespectful. McCavour reiterated that position on Thursday.

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During another public comment period — this one dedicated specifically to Schneider’s project — the applicant himself addressed the commission.

“Several planning commissioners have indicated to me that they have personally and proactively reached out to the stakeholders and had not received any negative comment, which has also been my experience,” Schneider said, adding, “I’m glad we found common ground.”

Apparently taking the tribes’ recent lack of communication as consent, Schneider said, “I’m proud of the fact that when I put my my kids to bed this evening we will have shown them how, by working together patiently, we can navigate an adverse situation and come to a thoughtful resolution.”

Apologies

After the previous meeting, Wiyot Tribal Administrator Michelle Vassel told the Outpost that she had attended via Zoom and tried to raise her hand to participate after commissioners complained that nobody from the tribe had shown up to answer questions.

“I never saw any of those hands come up,” Bongio said last night. “I truly apologize if anybody on either side of the item [was] not allowed to get up and speak.”

Levy said that in the past week he sent letters to both the Wiyot Tribe and the Blue Lake Rancheria apologizing for making an issue of their non-attendance “and, secondly, for the disrespectful way that I feel Chair Bongio spoke about and treated them throughout that meeting.”

He said he was upset not only by Bongio’s language and treatment of the tribes but also by “the overall biased handling of the matter that I felt infected that item from the start. It betrayed, I felt, our role that we need to strive for to be a neutral and fair and unbiased body when these items and these stakeholders come before us.”

Levy said he didn’t feel Bongio’s mea culpa went far enough to repair the damage done to tribe-county relations and suggested drafting “a simple and formal apology on behalf of the whole commission to submit to those tribes, and I would offer to work with the chair and with the [planning] director to help draft such a letter.”

Bongio said he’d be willing to be part of that.

O’Neill said she worked for the Wiyot Tribe about 30 years ago. “Of all the tribes in Northern California … there’s no tribe that has been treated worse than the Wiyot people,” she said, recounting their wholesale displacement and the Wiyot Massacre of 1860. Given this history, O’Neill said she was particularly offended by Bongio’s suggestion that future applicants may have to go before “the Indians” for approval on all projects.

“I don’t think that we can make the comment that ‘the Indians’ are going to tell us what to do,” she said. “And it was very offensive because they are tribes and they’re all separate tribes. They have separate languages, cultures [and] history. … So I wanted to say that and, you know, give my apologies as a part of this commission, too, [for] what I felt was a very dark day in our history.”

From there the commission worked to find a path forward. Levy said he really wanted to find a way to approve the permit, but Planning and Building Director John Ford warned that the California Coastal Commission remains unsatisfied with the county’s proposed conditions of approval. 

The commissioners tossed out a few ideas for possible ways to appease the Coastal Commission. Commissioner Brian Mitchell, for example, wondered aloud about requiring Schneider to demolish the portion of his home that was constructed within the 100-foot wetland setback area. 

Bongio got into a back-and-forth exchange with Ford over the appropriateness of Schneider’s 8,000-square-foot home, with Ford eventually cutting him off and saying he was merely trying to articulate potential objections from the Coastal Commission.

“They’re concerned with the size and the mass of the house in a very scenic location and whether or not that fits within the setting of the property,” Ford said.

Bongio defended the merits of the project and again voiced frustration with the length and complexity of the permit review process.

“I mean, everything to this point that has been asked for, the applicant has readily offered to give and do … ,” he said. “So with all the mitigations that have been proposed and everything, I think that we should move forward on this.”

He suggested that the details should be left for the Coastal Commission, tribes and applicant to work out among themselves.

“I think that we’re more of the 30,000-foot view on this and not in the trenches, you know, mucking out the details,” Bongio said. Later he added, “I think it’s our job to move this along.”

Mitchell disagreed.

“The Coastal Commission sent a letter, and it was very clear to me that they are reminding us that they have every authority to deny this permit,” he said. “And if we keep heading down the path that we’re on, that’s where we’re going to end up. And so my goal is to try to avoid that dead end.”

Levy said he takes issue with the fact that Schneider was able to take advantage of the county’s Alternative Owner Builder (AOB) program, a less restrictive permitting system originally intended to give flexibility to back-to-the-land residents looking to build low-cost, low-amenity dwellings in the hills.

“That was a legal pathway for the developer to take, but I think what has happened has shown that had there been more oversight, more inspections, we probably wouldn’t have gotten to the point where we’re at with this,” Levy said. “I don’t really think this is an appropriate type of project to be using the AOB permit.”

Eventually it became clear that the choice at hand was whether to approve the project and risk it being appealed to the Coastal Commission or delay a decision once again in hopes of ironing out a more thorough resolution. The commission appeared to be headed toward another contentious vote until Schneider was asked his opinion. 

“I would be reluctant to rush something in spite of our desire to get this structure weatherproofed as we watch natural materials diminish rapidly and we see a great deal of waste,” Schneider said. “I do recognize there are probably some matters that are unresolved.”

He wound up asking the Planning Commission to direct staff to reach back out to the Coastal Commission so they could identify the agency’s specific outstanding concerns about the project’s conformance with the Local Coastal Plan. He said he wants one definitive list of mitigation measures “that would ensure that we can approve this at the local level and satisfy all parties that are involved.”

Commissioner Mike Newman said he appreciates Schneider’s request “because I think in the long run it will speed things along and not jeopardize the project that is at hand here.”

“I always defer to the applicant — or try to,” Bongio said. He argued for establishing a limited timeframe, possibly bringing the item back for a decision at the next meeting. 

Newman said he was hesitant about that suggestion, and Schneider came back up to say he agreed that there should not be a time limit placed on talks with the Coastal Commission.

Mitchell made a motion to table the matter to an unknown future date and direct staff to bring back “regular reports” while continuing talks with the Coastal Commission and other trust agencies, referring to the tribes, presumably. Newman seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.

Eureka’s most prolific public commenters seized the opportunity to grill city staff about a roster of local issues during a candidate briefing at Eureka City Hall this week. Seemingly at every turn, the group of five individuals – none of whom are officially running for local office – incessantly questioned city staff about hot-button issues surrounding mental health, homeless, drug abuse, needle litter and housing.

The idea behind Wednesday’s candidate briefing was to give Eureka City Council hopefuls and members of the public a better idea of how local government works ahead of the November General Election by outlining the city’s departmental structure as well as the duties and responsibilities of the mayor and council. Department representatives came prepared with presentations outlining their individual operations within the city’s organizational structure and major projects candidates ought to be aware of.

The briefing was not intended to be an open forum for community members to air out their grievances, although that seemed to be this group’s sole intent.

The forum began on a civil note with staff introductions and a brief summary of city functions from City Clerk Pam Powell. There were no more than 10 members of the public in attendance, including city council candidates Nicholas Kohl, John Fullerton and Renee Contreras De Loach. Councilmember and soon-to-be Mayor Kim Bergel was in attendance, as was her near competitor and frequent public commenter Stephen Parr, who failed to gain enough valid signatures to qualify for the mayor’s race.

Mental Health in Eureka

City Manager Miles Slattery began his portion of the forum by focusing on one of the city’s biggest issues: mental health.

“Mental health is obviously a big discussion point in the city and we’ve been trying to be really proactive,” he said. “About two years ago, we had planned on starting a pilot program for an alternative response team [that would] respond to some of the mental health-related services that [the Eureka Police Department] is regularly called out to. We worked with the [Human Resources] department to establish a mental health clinician position that we’ve recently hired for. [They are] already starting to divert … those community members that are having mental health issues away from the ER and Sempervirens to provide services.”

Parr asked why the city wanted to divert people away from Sempervirens and if the city had “any concrete plans to actually help people.” Because of staffing limitations at local hospitals and Sempervirens, Slattery said, the city is making a concerted effort to proactively respond and “treat individuals out in the field” whenever possible. 

Citing “an ever-increasing number of mental health issues on our streets,” Cornelius Lowenstein, a member of the aforementioned group of public commenters, asked “what draws people here, what attracts them to Eureka?” Slattery emphasized that mental health issues “are not specific to our community members experiencing homelessness” and pointed to a marked increase in mental health issues worldwide.

“What is the percentage of the drug-riddled, psychosis-riddled people living on the streets that cause the vandalism, the crime, the decay that affect citizens, that affect tourists … versus people that are housed? Versus people that had a mental health crisis because of COVID, because of unemployment or being isolated from family?” Lowenstein persisted.

Slattery felt as though “it is a misnomer that the people that are causing those crimes are definitely community members experiencing homelessness, or even people that have mental health issues.” He added that recent data from the City’s 2022 Homeless Survey indicates homelessness has gone down in Eureka in the last two years.

Fullerton asked if the city had identified a new site for Betty Kwan Chinn’s trailer village, which aims to provide transitional housing for Eureka’s homeless. The project hit a snag in July when an early morning fire destroyed the 12 trailers that were donated to the Betty Chinn Foundation by PG&E. Even still, Slattery said the new trailers will go on the same site at the foot of Hilfiker Lane.

Parr asked if the city had looked into “more durable, less expensive alternatives” to the trailers.

“The trailers [we’re looking at] are meant specifically for people to live in,” Slattery said. “After we got the grant, COVID and supply chain things happened and the cost for everything increased significantly. That’s why we put out [a request for proposals]. We have a couple of potential people with proposals that would make the work more cost-effective.”

Harry Wilcox, another frequent public commenter, returned to the issue of crime and harassment coming from the city’s homeless community, specifically in local parks.

“You can’t even walk your dog there without getting harassed or yelled at … and people are sleeping right on the sidewalk,” he said. “This is a person – I know for a fact – [who] has had many police contacts, and they refuse to go to shelters, they refuse to get any help. I was wondering what the legal situation is [to force] these people to get help because some of them are mentally, you know, beyond talking to or dealing with.”

The County of Humboldt is currently participating in a pilot program under Laura’s Law which allows for court-ordered assisted outpatient treatment for a small subset of individuals with serious mental illness, Slattery explained. To qualify for the program, an individual must have a recent history of psychiatric hospitalizations and/or acts of violent behavior.

“If that’s not the case, there are very limited things we can do,” he said. “A lot of people will say ‘don’t bring new services here,’ but if we don’t bring in new services we cannot use the stick part of the carrot [and the stick] that we need to demonstrate that we do have the capacity to house everybody. So adding housing, adding those things and having a place for people … that need to be sheltered is a good thing. …We can’t just arrest them and put them in jail.”

Wilcox pushed back. “Give somebody housing – I’ve seen it happen – they just wreck it and walk off.”

Slattery explained, as Wilcox attempted to interrupt him, that the city “has learned from past mistakes” and has acquired a housing specialist to check in with newly housed individuals and landlords. “I think we’ve lost two folks who have been housed in a two-year period,” he said.

Parr began questioning Slattery about the money being spent on local housing initiatives. Already a half-hour into the forum, Slattery made an attempt to steer the conversation back to the matter at hand: informing candidates about City functions. 

The forum would carry on this way for another hour and a half. 

Economic Development and Public Works

Eureka’s Economic Development Director Swan Asbury, talked about her team’s efforts to update two of the city’s guiding documents: the Economic Development Strategic Plan and Strategic Arts Plan. Her department also oversees the Eureka Visitor Center (which recently relocated) and Eureka Main Street.

“We also manage a lot of city events like the Fourth of July and the Eureka Street Art Festival,” she said. “We also do a number of programs for business assistance. We just wrapped up a bridge program to help pay businesses’ rent over the past few years. … We also have a facade [improvement] program, which offers grants for exterior beautification and security improvements. If a business installs security cameras or exterior lighting, we will reimburse them $2,500.”

Slattery said the city’s transient occupancy tax “has broken records” in the last year. He added that development in Eureka is “probably the most it’s ever been,” with a mixed-use building going in at the corner of Second and E Streets, a new senior living facility being built on Myrtle Avenue, a hotel next to Harbor Lanes on Broadway and, of course, the EaRTH Center.

“So, where is [the city] at with the EaRTH Center?” Dianna Hardwick, another public commenter, asked.

“We have a pre-development agreement approved with Servitas,” Slattery said. “They’re working with Cal Poly Humboldt right now, and that should be coming to a head soon.”

If you recall, earlier this year the Eureka City Council gave staff the green light to move forward with the ambitious (yet contentious) transit and housing development on two city-owned parking lots on Third Street between G and H streets, behind Lost Coast Brewery. The city held numerous public meetings on the subject and, despite concerns over parking accessibility in Old Town, decided to move forward with the project.

“This room was packed with people telling you ‘We don’t want the EaRTH Center,’ so I’m hoping you’re putting the brakes on it,” Hardwick said. She pointed to the City of Arcata’s outreach efforts surrounding the Gateway Area Plan and encouraged the city to take note and engage with the public. 

Slattery said the project “is not stopping because it’s already been voted on.” 

Hardwick interjected, accusing the city of “not caring about the local business community.” She continued to push Slattery on the subject. After a bit of back and forth, he asked her to hold her questions until the end of the meeting when he would be happy to talk about the EaRTH Center “’til I’m blue in the face.”

During a presentation from Public Works Director Brian Gerving, Lowenstein pressed him about the presence of drugs and COVID-19 in the city’s wastewater. Gerving tried to explain that the “water coming out of the tap is absolutely safe” because the city’s wastewater treatment plant, well, treats the wastewater.

Lowenstein also asked about the presence of needle litter in the city’s plumbing system to which Gerving responded, “People flush any number of surprising things down the toilet.” 

“Honestly, the biggest bane of our existence in maintaining the wastewater system are those so-called flushable wipes – which are not flushable,” he added.

James Harrison Graham, another public commenter, interjected to point out the issue of needle litter on the city’s Waterfront Trail and criticized the construction of new trails in the city.

“People are worried about new trails and their houses are nearby and they’re worried about drug addicts coming through their yard at night,” he said. “We see it all over Facebook. …So you build this new trail and the drug-addicted transients take it over and there’s needle litter all over it and human feces on the side … it doesn’t seem like a very good idea.”

Slattery interjected, once again, to emphasize that the Waterfront Trail, “all the way from Pound Road up to Tydd [Street], is 10 times better than it used to be. That’s a fact.”

Kristen Goetz, the principal planner for the City of Eureka, began talking about the city’s Waterfront Development Plan but was interrupted with concerns over needle litter throughout the city’s waterfront and more concerns about the EaRTH Center.

The group of public commenters began talking over one another and accusing staff of dodging their questions. City Clerk Pam Powell very nearly begged the group to hold their questions until the end of the meeting, reminding attendees that the intention of the meeting was to brief candidates on city functions.

This is how the remainder of the forum went. City staff would deliver a brief presentation on their department for the candidates – remember, this forum was supposed to be a candidate briefing – only to be interrupted by the small group of commenters who seemed hell-bent on stirring up controversial issues to no end.

Local Policing

The tone suddenly changed when Eureka’s interim police chief Todd Jarvis stepped to the front of the room as the final speaker of the evening. Suddenly the raucous group was respectful and complimentary, asking Jarvis if he had any intentions of staying with the City of Eureka as police chief (he couldn’t say) and praising the work he’s accomplished during his short time on the force.

Jarvis praised the work of EPD staff, commending them for rising to the occasion and working as hard as his former colleagues at the San Diego Police Department. “Everybody here is pitching in and working together like nothing I’ve ever seen, and that’s what has kept me here in town and makes me excited to be a part of the department,” he said. “I can tell you from the bottom of my heart, I have never seen a level of support from a community for a police department that I’ve seen here.”

Jarvis acknowledged that the department had to pull back on its Problem Oriented Policing (POP) unit and relocate the department’s Old Town Patrol officer to meet staffing needs. However, he was optimistic that new hires over the coming months will alleviate the staffing shortage.

Fullerton asked if Jarvis had any indication as to when the POP unit would be up and running. Once the city gets three of its new hires into the field, Jarvis said, EPD will be able to begin staffing special assignments. “I hope within the next six months that we can get pumped back up and running.”

Kohl asked about patrols in Old Town and requested EPD Officer Brian Ross return to his assignment. “I was able to develop a rapport with him that allowed me to engage in a way that was immediate,” he said. “I cannot stress enough how impactful he was in that district.”

Parr questioned Jarvis about the necessity of the “Big Brother cameras” and “what exactly [the city] hopes to accomplish with [this] investment.”

Jarvis explained that the security cameras were installed in specific, problem areas of the city in an attempt to deter crime but to also capture footage of crimes taking place.

“If I can solve a murder or a child abduction or anything like that with this technology, then it’s working,” he said. “Is it a perfect system? No, but I think it’s going to be beneficial.”

Candidate Feedback

After Wednesday’s doozy of a meeting, the Outpost asked the three city council candidates in attendance how they felt the briefing went. In classic campaign fashion, each candidate offered a polite and gracious response.

Kohl said he “had not had the chance to meet several of the [city’s] department heads” and appreciated the opportunity to ask specific questions about the ward he hopes to serve.

“It also allowed me to ask specific questions facing the departments,” he wrote in an email to the Outpost. “I appreciated the city staff’s efforts in conveying their structure and scope. …The nature of transparent participation in government means that a meeting’s direction may be swayed by personal agenda. I felt it [was] good practice for maintaining focus and intention under those circumstances.”

Contreras De Loach, Kohl’s opponent, said she was expecting more of a discussion between city staff and the candidates about ongoing and upcoming city projects.

“I appreciated the opportunity to learn in greater detail the opportunities and challenges facing the city,” she told the Outpost. “I thought some of the presentations were excellent and was impressed by the enthusiasm and commitment shown. We have some really exciting developments in progress in Eureka and they are happening because committed and dedicated people are making them happen.”

The questions and criticisms posed by members of the public “were beneficial in giving candidates a realistic view of public discussions and criticisms that may occur after their election,” she added, noting that “misinformation and criticism is always a challenge.”

Fullerton took a similar stance.

“I asked several questions and was satisfied with the answers,” Fullerton wrote in an email to the Outpost. “I wish the five people from the public hadn’t dominated the night, a few questions from them might have been OK but they seem[ed] determined to debate issues and that was not what the event was for. I had heard from those five [people] many times before and their disruptions last night were not productive.”

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Press release from the unified command of the Six Rivers Lightning Complex:

Today, California Incident Management Team 15 assumed command of the SRF Lightning Complex. CAIIMT 15 will join the unified command with California Highway Patrol, Trinity County Sheriff, and Humboldt County Sheriff. The Six Rivers Lightning Complex is currently 39,721 acres with 64% containment and 1,573 personnel assigned to the incident.

CURRENT SITUATION

The Campbell and Ammon fires are the last two uncontained fires after a lighting event occurred in the early morning hours of August 5th . Over the last month, crews have worked hard to implement a full suppression strategy through the mixture of direct line construction, and tactical operations where the steep rugged terrain made direct actions impossible.

Fire resources will continue the current strategy and focus on holding and securing the control lines on the north side of the Campbell fire on either side of Cedar Creek. If successful, controlling this flank will ensure the fire remains off Hoopa Reservation jurisdiction. The crews will also focus on securing the fire along the system of roads being used to contain the southeast portion of the Campbell fire above the community of Trinity Village, minimizing the potential impacts to the area’s infrastructure. Minimal fire activity is expected on the Ammon fire.

Wildland firefighters continue to contain spot fires across the control lines during the persistent warm and dry conditions. This weather trend will continue into the weekend as a ridge of high pressure intensifies across the state.

The morning inversion will again move smoke into communities West of the Campbell Fire. This smoke is expected to lift late afternoon and overnight. For more information on air quality conditions please check out this link. .

ROAD CLOSURES

Due to a large presence of fire personnel and machinery working to build containment lines for the Ammon Fire, residents are asked to limit travel on Titlow Hill Road/Route 1 in zones HUM-E052 and HUM-E062 to essential traffic only. Residents may still use roads to travel out of evacuation order zones:

The following roads into evacuation zones have been closed.

- Forest Route 7n15 at Six Rivers Forest Boundary

The following roads are restricted to local traffic only:

- Horse Linto Creek Road at Saddle Lane (Open to residents only)

- 6N06 Sandy Bar (Route 6)

- Titlow Hill Road (Route 1) at Horse Mountain Botanical Area

State Route 299 remains open to through traffic. Residents are encouraged to visit the Caltrans Quickmap to check for state highway closures.

FOREST CLOSURES

Forest order NO. 22-10-06 Six Rivers Lightning Complex is currently in place, which includes river access at Kimtu Park.

To view this closure and map, please visit this link.

EVACUATION UPDATES

For the latest evacuation information go to Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services or Trinity County Office of Emergency Services. For an interactive map of evacuation zones visit: Zonehaven Aware To sign up for alerts this link..

ANIMAL EVACUATION CENTER

Hoopa Rodeo Grounds
1767 Pine Creek Rd., Hoopa, CA 95546
Phone: (707) 492-2851