I’ll admit it: I felt more than a twinge of anxiety when I was asked to participate in this year’s Week Without Driving. Even more so when I agreed to write about it. In 2023 I joined in — begrudgingly — and got through it with a few walks to work and mostly rides from my husband and coworkers.

In 2024 I didn’t even respond to the email (sorry, Colin!). At the time, I was Executive Director of the Arcata Chamber of Commerce, and my job — especially in the first week of the month — is very big on the schlepping of heavy things to many places, including the “Big Scissors” that are not public transportation-friendly, nor conducive to walking or biking. And here we are in 2025. (With a rainstorm, of course, to kick off Monday.)

This year, I’ve started a fantastic new role as Executive Director of the Humboldt Lodging Alliance, which typically takes me — and my trusty Subaru — around the county. A lot of my work I can do from home, which, thanks to that storm, is exactly what I did on Monday and Tuesday. But I’ve decided to use the rest of this week to see our county through the eyes of a car-free tourist. A win for my work, and a win for the environment.

The only hitch? These reflections are due before I’ve had my actual adventures. So with the help of the Lost Coast Outpost Lowdown, the HTA website, and my Facebook events feed, I’m planning out my “can’t-miss” week in Humboldt.

Wednesday: My office is right off the Plaza, and by walking to work I can avoid the necessity of moving my car every 2 hours. After that I can walk across the Plaza to City Hall for the City Council meeting. Hopefully the meeting will be less exciting than the last one, so that instead of walking to a bar afterwards to decompress I can catch a ride home with a colleague who is not participating in this challenge and be home in time for Survivor.

Thursday: Yom Kippur. That gets me off the hook from commuting. I’ll be fasting and observing the holiday in my own way, which usually means sitting among the trees and reflecting on the past year. I can walk to the park, so that part is covered. On my way back I’ll stop at Los Bagels for the traditional break-the-fast bagels (and our West Coast version of lox), then swing by Murphy’s for ingredients for my “make-up-for-all-the-calories-you-missed-while-fasting” kugel. Add matzo ball soup, and I’ll be set for sundown.

Friday: I’m blissfully meeting-free. I’ll take the bus to Eureka to meet my boss at Familia in Old Town, just in time for the kickoff of the Redwood Coast Music Festival at noon. The event has grown so much over the years — expanding venues, days, and lineups to attract not just locals but visitors who shop, dine, and stay in our hotels. I’ll bus back to Arcata in time to support the Hounds of Humboldt Dog Party fundraiser. (No, I won’t bring our ancient, poorly behaved beagle, but I’ll cheer on Gloria Baker and her dream business. You should, too.)

Saturday: One of my favorite Arcata events — Pastels on the Plaza. I’ll walk over, watch artists transform the square, and grab some produce at the Farmers’ Market. Later I’ll bus back to Eureka for Arts Alive, catch more Redwood Coast Music Festival sets, and end the night at Kaptain’s Quarters for Radio Clash. I’ll catch a ride home from friends, because even though I have been told to the contrary, I don’t trust that there is a robust Uber network here in Humboldt.

Sunday: Porchfest is happening over in Sunny Brae, so I’ll hop on my bike with my kid, who is also becoming a lover of live music, and head over there to walk the neighborhood, meet us with friends and listen to some bands.

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Of course, I recognize this week is an anomaly. Most of the time I’m traveling across Humboldt — from Benbow to Ferndale to Eureka — and often lugging tables, equipment and brochures. Going fully car-free simply isn’t feasible. And having lived in Orleans for a decade, I know firsthand how challenging transportation is in rural communities. I’m fortunate to treat this as an experiment, not a daily necessity.

That said, I appreciate Arcata’s walkability and the privilege of being able to live in a place where so much is within reach. Our bus system has improved tremendously, though it still struggles with late-night service and Sunday gaps. Hopefully those will change soon. And our trail network — linking cities and communities — is a true gem. I’m grateful to the people who made it happen, and I love seeing it in use.

So, thank you, Colin and CRTP, for nudging me this year. I think I’ll do better than in 2023 — and definitely better than 2024.

Meredith Matthews is a member of the Arcata City Council and executive director of the Humboldt Lodging Alliance.

Terence Hugh Liles
August 7, 1936 – September 10, 2025

Terence Hugh Liles, 89, of Eureka, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on September 10, 2025.

Born in Kent, Oklahoma, on August 7, 1936, to Charles Amos Liles and Katherine Elizabeth Kerwin, Terence grew up in Texas and later Riverside, California. In 1956, he married the love of his life, Carma Jean Wyrick, and in 1963 they moved to Eureka, California where together they raised six children — Michael, Mary, Theresa, Matthew, Anthony and Terry.

Terence worked many years for Simpson Timber and later as an electrician and handyman. He was a hardworking, independent, and private man who loved reading, westerns, and woodworking projects in his garage workshop. In 1978, he gave his life to Jesus Christ, a decision that shaped the rest of his days. His greatest joy was the family that he and Carma Jean made together.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his beloved wife Carma Jean, and his daughter Mary. He is survived by his children, many grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, who will forever remember his strength, convictions, and love.

Terence lived a long and full life, and his family takes comfort knowing he is reunited with his wife and in the presence of his Savior.

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PREVIOUSLY

• With Its Maine Project Dead, Nordic Aquafarms is Seeking New Investors and Facing a Longer Timeline for Its Land-Based Fish Factory on the Samoa Peninsula
• Coastal Commission Approves Humboldt Bay Seawater Intake System Upgrades Needed for Nordic Aquafarms Project
• Nordic Aquafarms Celebrates Coastal Commission Denial of Five Appeals to Samoa Fish Farm
• Coastal Commission OKs Wastewater Discharge Permit for Nordic Aquafarms’ Onshore Fish Farm
• Water Quality Board Awards Wastewater Discharge Permit for Nordic Aquafarms’ Planned Peninsula Facility
• Salmon OUT, Yellowtail IN: Nordic Aquafarms Announces Species Switch-Up at its Planned Humboldt Facility

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Is the Nordic Aquafarms project dead? 

It has been six months since the Norwegian company’s executives last spoke on the record about the project, and the Humboldt Bay Harbor District is being conspicuously tight-lipped about where things stand. The resulting dearth of new information has led to deep uncertainty about the much-heralded proposal to build a $650 million recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) facility on the Samoa Peninsula. 

Back in April, Nordic’s stateside CEO, Brenda Chandler, and local project manager, Scott Thompson, told the Outpost that the company was seeking new investors and projecting a longer project timeline amid turmoil in international financial markets and more complex environmental mediation requirements from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).

Just three months earlier, the company had cut bait on a similar project in Maine, despite having spent more than six years and tens of millions of dollars securing the necessary permits. Legal challenges from the local community (which have yet to be fully resolved) proved too costly.

Seeking an update on the local project, the Outpost reached Harbor District Executive Director Chris Mikkelsen by phone on Sept. 11. He said he’d been “working with Nordic on what outcomes could look like” but did not have anything to report yet. However, he said he had a phone meeting with the company’s Norway-based executives scheduled for the following morning. 

Later that day, though, Mikkelsen called back to say the meeting had been pushed to the following Wednesday. He also hinted at the possibility of the company bailing on the project altogether.

“At the end of the day it’s a fully permitted project, so we would market the project to other users,” he said, though he acknowledged that the project’s value is dependent on keeping the environmental permits valid. 

We called Mikkelsen back after the meeting was scheduled to take place, but he did not return the call. In fact, over the next two and a half weeks Mikkelsen did not respond to a series of phone messages, a text and an email. Finally, earlier today, he sent the following reply via email:

I do not have any substantive updates to provide you concerning the Nordic project. Our team continues to have productive discussions with Nordic about the project, the entitlement vesting schedules, and the challenges surrounding the current global market conditions. As soon as I have a firm update or announcement, I will be happy to share that with you.  However, as of right now, I am not in a position to disclose additional details. Thanks for your understanding.

Members of the Harbor District’s board of commissioners, including Aaron Newman and Stephen Kullmann, also declined to say anything substantive. The former noted that Nordic has been “so challenged” by regulatory requirements but referred all questions to Mikkelsen.

The company itself regularly posted links to local news coverage and Humboldt-specific updates to its website until October of last year, when the posts abruptly stopped. 

Chandler, Nordic’s former U.S. CEO, is no longer with the company. Thompson, who appears to be the only remaining Nordic employee in the United States, said he’s unable to comment on the record. Emails to Norway-based CEO Lars Henrik Haaland received no reply.

Humboldt County’s First District supervisor, Rex Bohn, believes the company has indeed given up on the project.

“I understand they’ve thrown the towel in but nobody wants to admit it,” he said via phone this morning. The Humboldt County Planning and Building Department has put the project “on the back shelf” and stopped any work on it, he added.

The Humboldt Bay Harbor District announced the project in February 2019, saying it would involve a massive cleanup and modernization of the agency-owned Redwood Marine Terminal II. Nordic quickly signed a 30-year lease for that property, agreeing to pay the district $20,000 per year during the planning phase, followed by a balloon payment of $500,000 and a rent increase to roughly $159,000 per year for the duration of the lease term. 

Nordic planned to complete environmental cleanup of the EPA brownfield site on the Samoa Peninsula and replace the crumbling old pulp mill infrastructure with a state-of-the-art recirculating aquaculture facility that would eventually create up to 150 full-time jobs with benefits. This, combined with the proposed development an offshore wind terminal, promised to revitalize the industry and economy surrounding Humboldt Bay. 

Over the past six and a half years, Nordic Aquafarms managed to secure the necessary agency approvals and environmental permits, even conducting a full Environmental Impact Report despite the absence of a legal obligation to complete one. The company modified its plans several times — switching its product from Atlantic salmon to yellowtail kingfish, for example — but managed to survive appeals to both the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors and the California Coastal Commission. 

Still, the finish line kept getting more and more distant. To comply with the terms of an incidental take permit from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), Nordic agreed to design a new environmental mitigation project aimed at minimizing impacts to longfin smelt, a species of fish designated as threatened under the California Endangered Species Act.

That project, which would involve construction of new wetlands in several locations, would require its own environmental permitting. Meanwhile, the Coastal Commission asked for additional underwater mitigation work to be done between the Harbor District’s two intake locations — one at Redwood Marine Terminal II and the other at the “Red Tank” dock in Samoa.

When we spoke with Chandler in April, she said the construction was likely still years away, plans had been downsized and she still had doubts.

“I’m not going to be 100 percent confident until we’re literally breaking ground,” she said at the time. Two months later she was no longer employed by Nordic. (It’s unclear whose doing that was; the Outpost was unable to reach her for this story.)

Visions of a revitalized harbor have not been entirely extinguished. Mikkelsen recently said that the Harbor District is proceeding “full steam ahead” with plans for an Offshore Wind Heavy Lift Marine Terminal Project despite the Trump administration’s withdrawal of more than $426 million in federal funding for the project. 

The district is looking elsewhere for that funding, and it’s looking increasingly likely that completion of a fish farm project on the Samoa Peninsula will also require a different backer.

PREVIOUSLY:

• Fortuna City Council Likely to Pass a Freeze on Mobile Home Rent Increases
• Owners of Royal Crest Mobile Home Parks Say Rent Increase Moratorium Could Lead to Litigation

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As expected, Fortuna’s city council passed a moratorium freezing increases on lot rents in mobile home parks in the city at a special meeting last night.

“We won,” said Hilary Mosher, a spokesperson for the Save Our Seniors group behind the push for the rent-stabilization ordinance (RSO) in a phone call with the Outpost. “We are ecstatic. Absolutely ecstatic. It’s historic.”

The moratorium stops park owners from raising rents until April 30, unless an RSO is adopted before then. 

The moratorium passed over the objections of the park owners, whose attorney sent a letter to the city council last week that hinted they weren’t above taking the city to court if the moratorium was enacted. 

The next steps for the council and staff will be to design an RSO for the city; Mosher said she’d drawn one up based on Humboldt County’s RSO from 2016, which anchors rent increases to the Consumer Price Index Bay Area region and to infrastructure improvements. 

Mosher said she and the other members of the SOS were grateful to the city council for hearing them out and working with them. 

“We’re calling them our heroes, right here, right now,” Mosher said. “The city council and the city staff are our heroes.”

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PREVIOUSLY (2024):

• YEAR in REVIEW: It Was a Pretty Wet Year. And We Don’t Know Whether Next Year Will be Wet or Dry

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Once again it is Sept. 30, which is the last day of the of the California water year, which means it’s time to take stock of the year in precipitation that was.

And once again, we rejoice to tell you: It was a wet one! Very wet!

The good people at the National Weather Service office on Woodley Island, who keep the Humboldt coast’s official rain gauge, estimate that we got a full nine inches more rain than what they call the “normal,” or “average,” year.

Nine extra inches amounts to about a 23 percent wetter year than the average!

Here’s how it played out on a day-by day basis:

A Flourish chart

This year, unlike the year before, we built up a lead early, in the fall months — especially November — then kept pace through the winter, with another small surge in the spring.

Overall, this is the third year running that Humboldt has gotten more precipitation than the average year. The three years before that were the dry years — the latest California drought, which drained reservoirs and parched land all around the state. 

What’s next year looking like? Impossible to say on a local level, really. Climate scientists are saying that there’s a better-than-average chance of a weak La Niña pattern forming this fall, but as we wrote last year that doesn’t really tell us a whole lot about what amount of rain we’ll be getting in Humboldt.

In any case: Happy 2026 Water Year, everyone. May it bring blessings to you and your family.

When I heard about the October Week without Driving in mid-July, I thought, “Why not?” At the time, I had one significant event that week, but figured, “Okay, so that day I will drive, but the rest I will take the bus, work from home, ride my bike. Easy peasy.”

In July and August, I took the bus a handful of times — getting ready for October, but also because it was so easy to do. I have not gotten the knack of arriving just minutes before the bus, so I wait for at least half the time it would take me to drive myself. Gotta get better at that.

Prior to my move to Arcata in 2019, I spent my entire post-college work life living three miles away from my place of work. I would ride my bike, sometimes with my dog Nevada in tow, when I worked at the Humboldt Senior Resource Center. I walked from Myrtletown to the Area 1 Agency on Aging office (formerly) on 7th Street, but it was a trek. The bus route was too circuitous from Myrtletown to downtown, though, so driving was my main go-to.

When I lived in Botswana, I was three miles from work — from one end of a long skinny village to the other — and the only choice was walking or hitching. I lost twenty-five pounds during my time there but regained it all back within a year of Humboldt driving.

My current commute is now close to seven miles. I am privileged to have a car that I use in my Rotary volunteer work, my side business as a Senior Move Manager, and for my work at A1AA. It takes me 10 minutes to make the 7-mile drive from just off the Plaza in Arcata to J Street in Eureka. Sometimes I drive straight to work and back and realize I didn’t need my car. I see folks getting on the bus at the corner near my home and think, jeez, why aren’t I doing that? Especially on days when the car will just sit in the office parking lot.

Living in Arcata, I have a rule that I walk everywhere within walking distance from my house, which I figure to be the well-worn 3-mile radius. Except when I need to carry more stuff than rational, non-circus performing people would.

Fast forward to Sunday, September 28, 2025. The schedule filled up. Way up. I have three side gig clients — two next Sunday, one on Monday. Tuesday, I have a late meeting in Eureka. Oh wait! Tuesday I can take a bus and get home! WIN.

Our agency fundraiser is on Wednesday, and I must bring a bunch of stuff to it. (Young and Lovely, Arcata Playhouse 5:30 p.m., tickets at the door, cake decorating contest and auction. Fundraiser for our Volunteer Driver Program, which coincidentally takes people who cannot or do not drive to medical appointments. Come dance!)

Thursday I am delivering heavy materials to CUNA. Hmm … buses to Valley East … Check! Friday, an old friend is in town and wants me to visit her in McKinleyville. Oh wait. A bus!!!

On Saturday, my Rotary Club has a fundraiser at Baywood Golf Club. (Free charity fundraiser social from 4 to 6 p.m. — for Food for People. Appetizers, a silent auction, and a limited number of tickets for a 7-night trip stay at the Marriott Kauai Beach Resort in Lihue, plus up to $1000 towards travel). I volunteered for the silent auction which means delivering massive amounts of stuff to the event.

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This Week without Driving has shown me how dependent I am on my car and how insanely busy one can accidentally get. It also shows me that with planning, I can ride the bus on three days I didn’t think I could!

Things I regularly do in a good week.

1. Walk to anything within a 2 to 3-mile radius. This includes light grocery shopping. I plan accordingly and only buy what I can carry.
2. Walk to places in Eureka within a 1 mile radius of my work, which covers the bank, post office, and old town.
3. Batch driving. I never go anywhere for one thing. I rarely drive to Eureka on the weekend unless I can run errands as well, but I try to do errands during the week.
4. Work from home two days a week.
5. Zoom meetings save time and driving. Thoughtful in-person gatherings are great.
6. Take the bus to Eureka when I do not need my car.
7. Ride that trail! Riding to Eureka, knowing I can put the bike on a bus on the return trip is great. Not sure about walking it, but next summer I will walk home a couple of times after work. Because I know I can, and those twenty-five pounds need to know who’s boss.

It is hard to be without dependable transportation in Humboldt County, and many are. Our work at A1AA shows the negative health and social impacts on people who can no longer drive. Even those who want to take the bus may not be able to get to a bus stop safely, or it may be too far away from their home or destination. I know older adults who do not want to ask for a ride from friends or family. They either drive when they should not or end up not meeting their needs.

Every time I can leave my car behind, it is a win. Whether the benefit is fresh air, exercise, interactions with neighbors as I walk around town, using a more efficient form of transportation, like buses, my bicycle or my own two legs, it serves to keep me connected to others and to the world around me. We are not designed, physically or emotionally, to be lone drivers in cars. So, next time you have a trip planned that needs to be in a car, do you know someone who might need a ride? Do you really need the car? Those of us 60 plus get great rates on the bus, and if you are just commuting to a regular 8 or 9 to 5 job, it’s worth checking out.

Maggie Kraft is executive director of the Area 1 Agency on Aging.

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

Over the past several years, Humboldt County has endured devastating impacts from the opioid crisis, first with heroin and now fentanyl. Our rural community continues to experience overdose and death rates among the highest in California.

In response, the Humboldt County Correctional Facility (HCCF) developed a Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program to provide opioid medications to incarcerated individuals struggling with addiction. While effective during custody, many participants declined to continue treatment after release, often leading to relapse and, tragically, overdose.

To bridge this critical gap, the Sheriff’s Office is launching a new initiative that will provide Sublocade. a long-acting monthly injection designed to support individuals as they transition from custody back into the community. Sublocade reduces cravings, blocks the effects of opioids, and significantly lowers the risk of overdose following release.

Until now, the high cost of Sublocade prevented HCCF from offering this treatment. Thanks to the advocacy of Sheriff William Honsal and his team, the Humboldt County Opioid Settlement Committee has approved $150,000 annually for the next three years to fund this life-saving program.

Beginning in October 2025, HCCF nursing staff will administer Sublocade injections to eligible participants in two priority groups:

• Individuals in the MAT program who are nearing release

• Individuals with severe mental illness who struggle to maintain daily Suboxone treatment

Sheriff William Honsal emphasized the importance of this new step forward:

“This voluntary program represents hope for those who desire help with their addiction. Too many lives in Humboldt County have been lost to fentanyl overdose. By providing Sublocade, we’re giving individuals leaving custody a real opportunity to break free from addiction and avoid overdose. This investment is about saving lives, protecting our community, and helping people rebuild their lives.”

The Sheriff’s Office remains committed to compassionate, innovative solutions that address the opioid crisis and safeguard the health and well-being of Humboldt County residents.

For more information about the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, please visit HumboldtSheriff.org.