Virginia Bass, Humboldt County’s longest-serving current supervisor, today announced that she will not seek a fourth term in office. 

“I think I’ve had a good run and I believe it’s time for me to move on to other adventures,” she said in a statement provided to the Outpost.

A scion of old school Eureka, having bussed tables at her father’s popular steak joint, O-H’s Town House, Bass went on to serve on the Eureka City Council and as the city’s mayor before her 2010 election to the Board of Supervisors, representing the Fourth District.

With Bass bowing out of the 2022 campaign, there’s now a three-way race to fill her seat. Current Eureka City Councilmembers Natalie Arroyo and Kim Bergel have both announced their candidacies, and on Wednesday a new contender filed his candidate intention paperwork: Eureka resident Thomas Koors, about whom the Outpost knows very little. (We reached him by phone this morning and he said he’ll follow up this afternoon.)

Here’s the full statement from Bass:

Bass

As I write this, I realize how fortunate I’ve been to serve my community as an elected official for over 2 decades. During the last 11 years I’ve had the pleasure of serving on your Board of Supervisors. I love my job and the challenges that it brings, and I think I’m pretty good at it. I’m not perfect but nobody is. I know that I try to do the best I can to represent the residents of the fourth district and the county as a whole.

After much thought and internal dialogue, I have decided not to run for re-election. This truly is one of the most difficult decisions I have ever had to make. I’ve always said I didn’t want to stay past my expiration date like that container of curdled milk in the back of the refrigerator. Of course, in this line of work there’s not necessarily an expiration date, but I think I’ve had a good run and I believe it’s time for me to move on to other adventures.

As some of you may know, my mother passed away in August. As someone said to me recently, having your last surviving parent die changes who you are and I believe that to be true. It’s given me the opportunity to reflect on my own life and where I’ve been and where I still hope to go. 

Choosing not to run allows me an entire year to continue working for the betterment of my community but also leaves me unencumbered to make decisions that may not always be popular. Campaigning is literally a full-time job and to be honest, I would much rather spend my energies serving my county well in this last year. We have some big challenges AND opportunities that deserve my full attention. 

I’ll gladly meet with all of those interested in running for the position to let them know some of the challenges they will be dealing with once in office should they be elected. I didn’t have that when I came into this job, and I know that it was overwhelming to try to learn it all without a thorough understanding of what county government really is. I can tell you from experience, I thought I knew a lot when I made the transition from city government to county. However, I quickly learned that I was sorely mistaken and had much to learn. Whomever is elected, I will do what I can to give them a warm handoff so that they can begin their term ready to tackle the issues and not left to learn on the fly. While this might sound strange to some of you who are reading this, I want to apologize to former 4th District Supervisor Neely as I think I judged her rather harshly as I didn’t really know the challenges that faced county government. But boy, I sure know now! However, every challenge is an opportunity if you look at it the right way.

I am so appreciative that I have had the opportunity to serve my local community in various offices in local government during these last 21 years. This was never the career path I planned, but sometimes I think a career picks you.

I’ll be forever grateful for the members of this community who have stuck with me through all these years as well as those who probably looked at me like I was from another planet in the beginning and got to know me enough to realize that I’m not about partisanship I’m about my community and making it better.

When it comes down to it, when you’re involved in local government, all that matters is making the community better and doing your best even though you know sometimes you fall short. And every time you fall short you learn something valuable and adjust. While after this year I may no longer be an elected official, I can still be a huge advocate for local government in one form or another.

I look at life as a series of adventures. While I might have started as a bus-person in my family business, I learned how to operate the organization, I became involved in community groups and learned the value in doing that.  In a last-minute decision, I ran for City Council which led to Mayor and then of course to Humboldt County supervisor. I’m not done, I’m just ready for my next adventure whatever that may be. 

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On Jan. 6, 2022, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office received information that a homicide suspect wanted out of Washington State was possibly in the Loleta area.

On January 7, at about 12:01 a.m., officers with the Bear River Tribal Police Department located the suspect, 46-year-old William Lee Rickman, inside a vehicle on the 600 block of Singley Hill Road. As deputies were enroute to the location, Rickman fled in the vehicle from law enforcement officers. While searching the Loleta area for Rickman, deputies learned that the vehicle associated with Rickman had crashed on Lundblade Mill Road and Rickman had reportedly fled on foot from the vehicle.  

Sheriff’s deputies, HCSO K9 Yahtzee and officers with the California Highway Patrol conducted a search of the wooded area nearby the abandoned vehicle in an effort to locate Rickman. Despite extensive search efforts, teams were unable to locate Rickman.

A short while later, a local resident contacted law enforcement reporting that a male subject unknown to the resident had arrived at their home requesting a ride. Deputies responded to the residence, located Rickman and took him into custody without further incident.

Rickman was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on a fugitive from justice warrant (PC 1551(a)). He is being held without bail, awaiting extradition to Washington.

Anyone with information about this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.

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Hospitals are at capacity. COVID-19 infections are at record highs. Testing lines stretch for hours. Yet even as the omicron variant batters the state, only 38% of vaccinated Californians have gotten a booster shot.

As with initial vaccinations, acceptance of the booster shot has varied throughout California: Counties in the far north and rural areas continue to see lower numbers, with as few as 23% of vaccinated people getting a booster in Mariposa, Colusa and Merced counties, according to a CalMatters analysis of state data.

The Bay Area boasts the highest rate, at 55%, and only three counties have more than half of their vaccinated population boosted: San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo. In 19 California counties, less than a third of eligible residents are boosted.

In Imperial County — the border community that led the state in vaccination rates last spring after it was hit hard by the virus — only a quarter of eligible residents have gotten a booster shot. The health officer there blames “pandemic fatigue.”

“I do think there’s been some fatigue after nearly two years of this pandemic, not just in Imperial County, but everywhere,” said Health Officer Dr. Stephen Munday. “People want to get back to their normal lives. They want to go to work, they want to take care of their families. It’s kind of like, well, gosh, I got my two doses, why do I have to get another one?”

It’s not just people in rural counties where a majority of people have refused so far to get the extra shot: Los Angeles, Kern and Santa Barbara and 28 other counties have lower booster rates than the 38% statewide average. Major population centers such as San Diego, San Bernardino and Riverside are lagging behind.

“Run, don’t walk, to go get your boosters.”
— Dr. Rais Vohra, Fresno County Health Officer

State and federal recommendations for booster shots have changed several times, making them difficult for the public to follow. Current guidance advises a booster for all adults, while children as young as 12 can only get an additional Pfizer shot. Immunocompromised children as young as 5 are also eligible for another Pfizer dose.

Studies show an additional dose can double protection against infection and is highly effective in preventing severe disease and hospitalization even against the omicron variant, said UC San Francisco epidemiologist George Rutherford.

“Run, don’t walk, to go get your boosters,” Fresno County Health Officer Dr. Rais Vohra said.

Most older adults throughout the state have listened to the advice: Nearly 64% have been boosted. In Marin County, as many as 80% of those 65 and older have been boosted, and only four counties have boosted fewer than half of their older population.

But for younger Californians, getting an additional dose is far less common. Only 47% of those aged 50-64 have been boosted. Forty-four counties have boosted less than half their population in this age group.

“The case spikes are being driven by the unvaccinated, which are 25 to 45 years old, largely,” Rutherford said. “That’s where we’re seeing the majority of cases, and that’s where the majority of unvaccinated or under-vaccinated people are.”

Unlike early in the pandemic when vaccines were limited, the slow booster uptake has little to do with availability. “There’s a very robust supply,” said Imperial County Health Officer Munday.

According to the state health department, the state stockpile currently has 5.6 million available doses — a 39-day supply. MyTurn, the state’s vaccination portal, recently added booster appointments for children ages 12-15.

“Omicron is here. We can’t abandon the tools that have allowed California to be one of the safest states throughout the pandemic. Those are vaccines and boosters,” Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said during an update Wednesday.

All-patient hospitalizations are approaching 51,000 people, a number just shy of the peak capacity reached during last winter’s surge. Approximately 8,000 of those patients are COVID-19 cases.

“To those who haven’t been vaccinated at all: Get your vaccine as quickly as you can. And those who have been vaccinated but haven’t been boosted, please consider getting boosted,” Ghaly said.

In Fresno, where COVID-19 has prompted deployment of the National Guard, many health care workers are unable to work due to COVID-19 exposure or infection, further straining their hospital system, officials said.

Only a third of eligible residents in Fresno County are currently boosted, according to state data.

“The boosted vaccination population is fending off the omicron infections really quickly,” Vohra said. “For the unvaccinated folks they basically are the ones who are super vulnerable and those are the ones we’re worried about because they’re the ones that land in the hospitals and ICU.”

North of Fresno, officials in sparsely populated Mariposa County are relying heavily on the state’s MyTurn portal to distribute booster shots. Less than a quarter of eligible residents have been boosted.

County Health Officer Dr. Eric Sergienko said mass vaccination clinics have subsided due to decreased demand, fewer resources and privacy concerns in their small community.

“Rather than doing clinics with hundreds, we have clinics through MyTurn that are booked out with 30 to 100 people at our scheduled clinics on Tuesdays and Thursday,” Sergienko said.

Cases and hospitalizations in Mariposa County have trended younger with a majority of cases occurring among those ages 20-40 and a majority of hospitalizations among unvaccinated people ages 40 to 55, department spokeswoman Lizz Darcy said.

The statewide surge in infections and hospitalizations is expected to peak during the third week of January, experts say. Hospitalizations remain substantially below pre-vaccine levels.

Community organizations and health centers, which have been at the forefront of vaccine education and distribution, say interest in the booster has increased during this current surge.

“It seems our community is much more receptive to receiving the booster than they were originally to get the first dose,” said Bryant Macias, emergency relief supervisor at the United Farmworkers Foundation, which has advocated for priority doses for farmworkers and helped organize clinics.

“The main challenges we have identified are individuals not knowing how long they need to wait before getting the booster shot, whether or not they can get a booster that is different from their initial vaccine, and some folks only wanting the booster if it’s the same kind as their initial dose.”

In agricultural counties, like those in the Central Valley, workplace vaccine clinics played an important role in increasing access last spring. Those events for boosters may not be as visible yet because it’s the off season for many crops. But they’re in the plans, said Irene de Barraicua, director of operations with Lideres Campesinas, a nonprofit network of farm workers based in Oxnard.

“We’ve heard from counties and workgroups that are enthusiastic about continuing these efforts,” she said.

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CALmatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

Thomas Robert Coriell was born on March 18, 1947 in Philadelphia. Tom passed away on September 17, 2021 at Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto at the ripe young age of 74, with his wife and family at his side.

He lived in Arcata and spent most of his weekends and summers at Five Waters Ranch among the forests and peaks of the Trinity Alps. Tom passed away from complications following a surgery related to cancer. He was otherwise incredibly healthy and young at heart. Tom’s untimely death was not related to any COVID complications.

TOM’S LIFE

Tom grew up in the Philadelphia and New Jersey area, with loving parents and two brothers, Jim and Steven. Tom was a popular kid in the neighborhood and played both linebacker and quarterback on his high school football team. He went to Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, where he met his wife Marilee “Mellie” Coriell. Tom and Mellie were married on June 6, 1969 and enjoyed fifty-two years of marriage.

After college they traveled to the west coast and lived for a time in Seattle. They then worked their way down the coast until they discovered Arcata in 1970. They settled down in Arcata in 1971, raising their two sons Stein (born 1974) and Bryn (born 1976) in their beautiful Victorian home. Tom and Mellie bought a 200-acre remote wilderness property in Trinity County in 1972, co-founding the beloved Five Waters Ranch. They were soon joined in this endeavor by Mellie’s siblings Roger, Marjie, and Bob.

TOM’S CAREER

Tom believed a great deal in the importance of education. Whether advising on the pursuit of a graduate degree or teaching his grandchildren and other students, it was his primary mission in life.

Tom had a long career as an educator, working at Fieldbrook school as a Kindergarten and 1st grade teacher, at Sunny Brae Middle School as principal, and ultimately as a School Psychologist in San Francisco and for the Humboldt County Office of Education. Tom earned no less than three Master’s degrees related to his profession and was entirely dedicated to helping the youth of Humboldt County to be as successful as possible in all aspects of their lives. In addition, he mentored many new school psychologists in San Francisco and in Humboldt County.

TOM’S LEGACY

People describe Tom’s personality with words like peaceful, playful, kind, and friendly. Tom was thoughtful, gentle, and caring toward the people in his life. He was quick to welcome new family members and visitors, making them feel safe and appreciated.

Tom lived his life with vigor and energy, had the courage of his convictions, and he loved hard work. He would respond to people with eyes wide, eager and ready to start the next project on the spot! Yet he was patient and calm when faced with challenges. He made others feel calm too.

Tom was known to be clear headed, thinking five steps ahead to articulate possible solutions and problems that might arise on any given project. He seemed to have an endless well of excitement about the next task, whether it be facing another day of hard work on the ranch or an afternoon of relaxing by the river, enjoying his book.

It’s easy to picture Tom with his bright eyes and infectious smile, and his genuine happiness as he went about his daily activities. That positive outlook was such an inspiration to all. He would greet returning friends with a genuine hug and a hearty “Welcome Home!”.

Tom was a calming, stabilizing factor in the lives of so many. He greatly valued careful thinking, peaceful acts, and love of family. He taught these things by example, and those who loved him will carry his wisdom forward.

For decades Tom spent his free time in the rural back country of Trinity County, as a co-founder and tireless supporter of the Five Waters Ranch on New River. He cared with all his heart for the clear streams, vibrant wildlife, and vast forests of this majestic and awe-inspiring place.

As a steward and caretaker of the wilderness, he worked tirelessly on restoration, maintenance, and enjoyment of all the land had to offer. His firewood piles were legendary, and the sound of his axe would ring from dawn to dusk. There was no trail too steep, no brush too thick, or journey too tough for him. Generations of friends have found themselves at home there, their lives inspired and enlivened thanks to Tom’s mentorship in the ways of the wilderness. In our mind’s eye we see him there still.

TOM’S RELATIVES

Tom was preceded in death by his parents Dr. Lewis L. Coriell and Esther L. Coriell, and his brother Jim. Tom is survived by his wife Mellie Coriell, his brother Steve Coriell, his son Stein Coriell with spouse Aisha and their children Zack and Theo, and son Bryn Coriell with spouse Jennifer and their children Emily, Caden and Collin. He is also survived by in-laws and numerous other family members.

TOM’S MEMORIAL

Tom’s ashes will be spread by his family. If you would like to send in any messages, stories or pictures to the family, you can do so at rememberingtomcoriell@gmail.com A celebration of life is being planned for 1 p.m. on March 19, 2022 at Veterans Hall in Arcata.

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On Jan. 6, 2022, at about 4:55 a.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a residence on the 100 block of 6^th Street in Alderpoint for the report of a gunshot victim.

Deputies arrived in the area and located a deceased adult male with what appeared to be a gunshot wound. While investigating, the Sheriff’s Office received information that a vehicle possibly associated with the incident had been involved in a traffic collision on Highway 36 near Buck Mountain, and California Highway Patrol Officers had located and detained two individuals associated with the vehicle.  

Upon further investigation, the driver of the vehicle, 29-year-old Jake Henry Combs, was determined to be the suspect responsible for the victim’s death. Combs was arrested and is being booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of murder (PC 187(A)).

This case is still under investigation. There is no perceived threat to the community at this time.

The victim’s identity is being withheld pending next of kin notification. An autopsy is in the process of being scheduled.

Anyone with information about this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.

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During a long and sometimes tense meeting on Wednesday night, the Arcata City Council took major steps toward addressing homelessness, moving forward with creating a Safe Parking Program for people living out of their vehicles, and adopting the zoning changes to allow two Valley West motels to be converted into housing for the homeless.

Valley West Hotel Housing Projects

The council voted 4-1, with Councilmember Brett Watson dissenting, to adopt an ordinance making the necessary changes to the city’s zoning code that will allow two Valley West hotels – the Days Inn & Suites and the Red Roof Inn on Valley West Boulevard – to be converted into permanent supportive housing for homeless and chronically homeless individuals. The hotels will be purchased and managed by local nonprofit Arcata House Partnership and local developer Danco and will provide residents with 24-hour on-site management and access to support services.

The ordinance was already discussed at length and approved by the council during its Dec. 15 meeting and returned to the council for adoption on Wednesday as an item on the consent calendar – items that are considered routine and passed in one motion, without discussion. But after the item was pulled from the consent calendar, a somewhat uncomfortable debate ensued. 

Councilmember Watson said his reason for voting against the ordinance is because he felt the project was moving too fast and he felt there needed to be more opportunity for public input.

Prior to the vote, Watson prompted a discussion about the public process surrounding this and other development projects, questioning if the council felt that there should be more opportunity for community input on such projects. During what dissolved into a confusing debate at times, members of the council and the staff took turns showing frustration.

The Red Roof Inn and Days Inn in Valley West | File photo

Watson started by asking many questions about the Valley West properties and the proposed projects, saying that he had tried to have the questions answered by staff prior to the meeting, to no avail.

“I do want to apologize for taking up time with these questions,” Watson said during the meeting. “I did try adamantly today to get my questions answered by staff, but I was not responded to. They were not available to help me. So it kind of hampered my ability to do my job.”

At a point, Vice Mayor Emily Goldstein asked if she could make a motion and was reminded that public comment hadn’t yet been taken. Watson was annoyed at the interruption, saying that he was still asking questions and making comments.

In addition to not feeling his questions could be answered before the meeting and feeling he did not have adequate time to review the project,  Watson also felt that some of the Planning Commission’s concerns about the project had not been given enough consideration. (During its Dec. 14 meeting, the Planning Commission voted not to recommend approval of the ordinance and during the council meeting the follow day, Watson made a failed motion for the council to hold a special meeting to allow the commission more time to review the project.) Circling back to the public involvement, Watson questioned if the City should have a more “robust” process for public input on housing projects.

Several other council members agreed that there should be more public involvement moving forward and Mayor Stacy Atkins-Salazar mentioned that she had discussed that issue earlier in the day with Community Development Director David Loya.

At this, Watson seemed perturbed. “It’s interesting to know that another councilmember was provided time with staff that I was denied,” he said.

City Manager Karen Diemer then chimed in to explain that the council can agree at a future meeting add a provision  to the loan term agreement (the city will be loaning Danco and Arcata House Partnership money for the project, which will be repaid, with three percent interest by Homekey grant money) requiring more community engagement. Diemer said that adding that language to the ordinance would not be the best option.

Watson said he appreciated the clarification. He then added, “I’m just wondering, how’s the council feel that I wasn’t able to access staff today?”

Mayor Atkins-Salazar responded awkwardly, “Well, I don’t think we’re legally allowed to speak on that because there are reasons why you have limited access and I don’t want to get in trouble for speaking out of turn.”

Atkins-Salazar then asked City Attorney Nancy Diamond to speak to the issue.

“From what I understand your questions came in at the very last minute,” Diamond said.

“They came in early in the day,” Watson interjected.

“Let me finish,” Diamond said. “You’ve been talking about people talking over you, so now you wait for a minute. There is a protocol for you to have access to staff – as there is for every council member– and you can access staff through that method. And I think you did not want to do it that way and David’s time is very limited. I know he had other meetings. And the mayor, as you well know and remember, actually needs to be interacting with staff in order to be able to facilitate the meetings. So I think that’s enough. I don’t think that we’re on topic  anymore. I think we’ve moved off the agenda item. And we can take this up in closed session further if you would like.”

To that, Watson said he would like this discussion to be placed on a future closed session agenda.

During the public comment period, several community members spoke against the project, citing concerns over the impacts the housing developments would have on the Valley West neighborhood. Others supported the project because of the dire need for housing in our community.

And most of the council members agreed that need to house the homeless outweighed any potential issues with the project or with the speed at which the project approval is moving forward. 

“If we were dragging our feet on this and leaving people out on the streets, I think we’d be hearing about that too,” Atkins-Salazar said. “It is something that we’re moving quickly on because it’s a crisis and we have people on the streets.”

Safe Parking Program

Following a shorter and not-so-tense discussion, the council voted unanimously to authorize the city manager to execute a month-to-month lease agreement with the owners of the property at 1680 Samoa Boulevard, allowing the property to be used for homeless individuals to safely and legally park and stay in their vehicles.

The property will be able to hold between 30 and 40 vehicles and will be equipped with other services, such as bathrooms, water and electricity. The plan, Diemer said during the meeting, is to park all of the vehicles in the large warehouse building on the property, providing residents with additional security and protection from inclement weather.

The property at 1680 Samoa Blvd that will hold the Safe Parking Program

The reason the City selected the property on Samoa Boulevard, rather than a city-owned property, is because no available city-owned properties had both the proximity to services and the existing infrastructure – such as fencing, a covered building, and utilities – that the Samoa property has. Even though the city will have to pay rent on this property, Diemer said, the cost is offset by the fact that the city won’t have to pay to install the infrastructure.

Funding for the project will come from $685,000 in ARPA funds that the council set aside earlier this year for establishing a Safe Parking Program. The budget is meant to fund the pilot project for one year and will need to cover utilities, services and rent on the property.  Although the rent could be up to $6,500 a month, Diemer said she is still hopeful that the budget could cover a year of operating expenses.

Because the project is funded by the city’s ARPA grant money, unlike the Valley West hotel projects, the city will have a lot more say in who is invited to stay on the property. The city plans to conduct outreach to homeless people parking in Arcata, including in the HealthSPORT parking lot – an area the city has received many complaints about.

The city is still seeking an agency to manage the program, and a request for proposals (RFP) is currently being circulated with a deadline of Jan. 13. The council will most likely select a proposal during its next meeting on Jan. 19.

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Humboldt Bay Fire press release:

At 4:48 p.m. on Wednesday, Humboldt Bay Fire crews received report of a person trapped in a metal boat in the Eureka Slough.

We initiated a water rescue response, positioning engines staffed with rescue swimmers on either end of the slough.

The first rescue swimmer deployed from underneath the Highway 101 Bridge near Target and paddled northbound to reach the subject stranded on a mud flat. Once there, the Swimmer was able to determine that the occupant of the boat was not suffering from any injuries but had been stranded on the flat for over an hour, unable to call for help.

A second Rescue Swimmer deployed from the Jacobs Avenue loop. Together the Swimmers were able to free the boat from the mud, instructing the occupant to steer the boat ashore.

Crews met the occupant back on shore where they learned that the occupant’s trailer had been damaged and would not be able to haul the boat. Making matters worse, the outgoing tide had coated the boat ramp in slippery low-tide mud, making it risky to back the occupant’s truck down the ramp.

Crews sprayed water to clear the mud so that the truck could make it safely down, removed the motor from the boat, and lifted the boat and motor into the bed of the truck so that the occupant could drive home safely with all the belonging they came with.

Humboldt Bay Fire prides itself on delivering the same level of service to our community that we would want given to our own family. We would like to extend a thank you to the passerby who noticed the occupant trapped in the slough despite the incoming fog and called it in.

Without your call, the occupant would have remained trapped into nightfall until the tide came in without the ability to signal for help. Humboldt Bay Fire would also like to thank City Ambulance for standing by until we were able to determine that the subject was not injured.