Paul Henry Maisenback was born on January 7, 1935 and passed away peacefully on August 29, 2021.

Paul worked for Hammond Lumber and went to work for Louisiana-Pacific thereafter. He retired after 32 years working in the shipping department. Paul was a very hard-working man. He worked overtime many times to provide for his family.

Paul deeply loved all animals. Many of the neighbors’ animals always found their way to his and Ann’s home for extra love and treats. There was something about the both of them that animals just loved and trusted. Paul loved camping and being outdoors. He had a great appreciation for nature and everything in it. He was a stamp and coin collector, mostly in his younger years. He loved a good debate — whether it be politics, religion or sports, he was always ready to put in his two cents.

Paul and Ann took many travels and vacations with Paul’s brother Bud and sister-in-law Shirley. They had some really great times together and shared many memories.

Paul is survived by his wife, Ann; his brother Bud and sister-in-law Shirley and his half-sister Pay; his daughters Debbie O’Neil (Grant), Shari York (Gary) and Paula Gergowicz (Gary). He is also survived by his grandchildren Brian Harrison, Stacy Mayhorn, Rob Will, Amy Christian, Cameron Will and Kelly McBride. He leaves behind many nieces and nephews and great-grandchildren. He also leaves behind his very special friend Margaret Denn.

Paul was preceded in death by his parents, Paul Sr. and Marge Maisenbach, his sisters Nancy Maisenbach and his nephew Rodney Maisenbach.

Richard (Dick) Delbert Schneider Sr.
July 1, 1952 – August 12, 2021

Richard, beloved father and husband, passed away with his children by his side early Thursday morning. Enduring no more pain, he was most certainly reunited with Carol, the love of his life.

Born on July 1, 1952 in Gregory, South Dakota he moved to Eureka with his family around age 5. Attending schools locally, he graduated from Eureka High School in 1970. Shortly thereafter he married his high school sweetheart Carol DuBee and started their family.

A very hard-working man, he sacrificed a lot of time away from home to take care of his family, working most of his life as a truck driver. He loved being behind the wheel, and the open road was where he spent most of his time — running long-haul freight, furniture, lumber and just about anything an 18-wheeler could haul, and pit-stopping in nearly every state as he crisscrossed the US.

Richard had a great sense of humor, was always cracking jokes and telling stories with a wry smile on his face. He loved to chat it up with a smoke and a beer while enjoying a game of pool. A man with a big heart, he was always willing to help folks out when they were struggling or needed a second chance.

Richard is preceded in death by his loving wife Carol Schneider and is survived by his daughter Marni Schneider, son Richard (Rick) Schneider Jr., grandson Darren Schneider and numerous nieces, nephews and extended family.

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With about three-fourths of the votes counted, Californians are rejecting the recall of Gov. Gavin Newsom by a 64% to 36% margin. And the governor painted his victory as an affirmation of his strategy to double-down on his pandemic measures.

“We said ‘yes’ to science, ‘yes’ to vaccines, we said ‘yes’ to ending this pandemic,” Newsom said on election night. In interviews since, he has argued that his win shows that Democrats across the nation “shouldn’t be timid in trying to protect people’s lives.”

President Biden, who campaigned for Newsom the night before the election, is also putting the same spin on the California recall result, calling it “a resounding win for the approach that he and I share to beating the pandemic: strong vaccine requirements, strong steps to reopen schools safely, and strong plans to distribute real medicines.”

Indeed, exit polls showed that 81% of “no” voters said that COVID-19 was the most important issue facing California. Only 19% of “yes” voters did, and 91% of them also said that Newsom’s coronavirus policies were too strict. And 84% of “no” voters said getting vaccinated is more of a public health responsibility, while 84% of “yes” voters said it’s a personal choice.

But while there is a clear correlation between vaccination rates and “no” votes in the county-by-county results, it isn’t quite that simple.

As with most statewide races in California, the recall came down more to political affiliation. The exit polling also showed that 94% of Democrats voted to keep Newsom in office, while 89% of Republicans voted to remove him. Even before the recall, more rural, Republican areas tended to have lower vaccination rates.

In some Republican counties, the percentage of “yes” votes for the recall is far higher so far than the percentage of people still unvaccinated. For example, in Lassen County, 84% of people voted “yes,” while the percentage of eligible people unvaccinated was 67%.

And in some Democratic counties, the share of “no” votes is higher than the vaccination rate. One example was Santa Cruz County, where 80% voted “no,” compared to a 75% vaccination rate.

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

Press release from the Fortuna Police Department:

On Friday, September 17th 2021, at approximately 7:00 A.M., the Fortuna Police Department took 35-year-old Miles Keola Neiva of Fortun, into custody and booked him at the Humboldt County Correctional Facility.

Between 2014 and 2021 Neiva is suspected of sexually assaulting a juvenile victim on multiple occasions. The Fortuna Police Department was made aware of the allegations and immediately began an investigation. Through the course of the investigation, investigators developed information and developed cause to arrest Neiva. Multiple Search Warrants have been served in order to locate additional evidence.

Neiva was booked in to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on the following charges:

• California Penal Code section: 288.7(b) – Any person 18 years of age or older who engages in oral copulation or sexual penetration, as defined in Section 289, with a child who is 10 years of age or younger.
• California Penal Code section: 288(a) – Lewd or Lascivious Acts with a child who is under the age of 14 years, with the intent of arousing, appealing to, or gratifying the lust, passions, or sexual desires of that person or the child.

This investigation is ongoing. If anyone has any information regarding this case, please contact Detective Richardson at the Fortuna Police Department.

The Fortuna Police Department remains committed to public safety and transparency. Any questions regarding this incident can be directed to the Watch Commander, Sgt. J. Primofiore at (707)-725-7550.

PREVIOUSLY:

• HSU Student Arrested, Held on Two Counts of Sexually Assaulting Intoxicated Victims

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From the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office:

On September 14, 2021, Humboldt County Judge Neel sentenced 31-year-old Darrius Dejuan Upshaw to 10 years in state prison for the crimes of orally copulating an unconscious person [Penal Code section 287 (f)] and orally copulating an intoxicated person [Penal Code section 287 (i)]. The convictions stem from an investigation by the Arcata Police Department concerning events in spring of 2019, when the defendant was a student at HSU.  

Upshaw.

Deputy District Attorney Carolyn Schaffer prosecuted the case with the assistance of District Attorney Investigator Ryan Hill and Victim Advocate Keosha Chambers. Attorney Russ Clanton represented Darrius Upshaw.  Witnesses at trial included each of the sexual assault survivors, other citizens, and members of the Arcata Police Department.  Because both the defense and prosecution agreed to proceed without a jury, Judge Neel decided the case. 

The people in the District Attorney’s Office recognize and appreciate that the strength of the survivors in this case allowed achievement of a measure of justice and has enhanced the safety of others. 

Press release from the Humboldt County Drug Task Force:

During the month of September, Agents with the Humboldt County Drug Task Force (HCDTF) received information that Buddy Bear Jr (43 years old) of Hoopa was trafficking large amounts of methamphetamine from Southern California to the Hoopa Reservation.

Agents conducted surveillance on Bear and observed him travel from Lancaster, California into Humboldt County. In the early morning hours of September 17th, 2021, a traffic stop was conducted, and Bear was detained. Inside the vehicle Agents located five pounds of methamphetamine and a digital scale. Bear had a loaded revolver in his pocket as well.

Bear is on felony probation in Humboldt County for HS13366.5 (operating or maintaining a drug house).

Bear was booked at the Humboldt County Correctional Facility for the following charges:

• H&S 11379(b) Transportation of controlled substance to noncontiguous counties

• H&S 11379(a) Transportation/Sales of controlled substance

• H&S 11378 Possession of controlled substance

• H&S 11370.1(a) Possession of controlled substance while armed

• PC 29800(a) Convicted felon in possession of a firearm

• PC 1203.2(a) Probation violation

• PC 25400 Concealed weapon without a license

Anyone with information related to this investigation or other narcotics related crimes are encouraged to call the Humboldt County Drug Task Force at 707-267-9976.

PREVIOUSLY:

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Remember Samoa Beach Academy, the career and technical education charter high school some local folks dreamt up and pitched to the Northern Humboldt Union High School District last school year? Well, despite getting a thumbs-down from NoHum’s staff the first time around (which led the charter to withdraw its proposal before the school board could vote on whether to approve it), SBA is still quite determined to open up shop. Its leaders resubmitted a second charter petition in June, and NoHum’s school board voted whether to approve it at their regular meeting held via Zoom this week. 

They denied it. That wasn’t a huge surprise, though, because NoHum staff recommended disapproval on this second proposal, as well as the first. Getting a green light from the school board that presides over the district that a proposed school falls within is the first avenue for opening a charter. But it’s not the only avenue. SBA can seek a charter from the Humboldt County Office of Education. 

Preceding the vote, an hour of back-and-forth between SBA leaders and NoHum administrators and staff was respectful but somewhat charged. Legal counsel of both parties chimed in. Public comment on the item had some intensity too. It was dominated by supporters of the charter and included an outburst from Dan Johnson, whose company, Danco, has backed Samoa Beach Academy from the beginning. SBA planned to rent property from Danco.

Samoa Beach Academy would be a CTE-focued charter high school offering three pathways in the trades: building and construction, health science and medical technology, and business and finance. The idea is to provide a local education that would produce workforce-ready high school graduates, which, the proposal argues, would hugely benefit students and the community. 

To legally deny a charter proposal in California, its district must produce written factual findings describing why the proposal doesn’t meet certain requirements. 

NoHum’s first report, researched and written by district staff, recommended denial based on three main concerns: that the charter presented an “unsound” educational program, that the petitioners were “demonstrably unlikely to successfully implement the program,” and that the charter would undermine existing superior CTE programs offered at other local schools.

SBA’s second proposal is very similar to its first. A few differences are a decrease in total eventual enrollment from 400 students to 300, a change in opening date from fall 2021 to fall 2023, and a removal of advanced placement courses from their catalog. They outlined why their CTE offerings would not duplicate existing local CTE options, and amended their budget a bit.

In their analysis of the second proposal, NoHum dropped their third concern, but held on to the other two. Their biggest issues are with whether the school will successfully recruit teachers, plans for special education students and budget in general.

In terms of the CTE curriculum, NoHum staff fears the charter would fail to attract qualified teachers — because SBA’s compensation package is not competitive, they say — and would therefore end up relying on inferior online curriculum. 

“With respect to the health science and medical technology pathway, there’s a long history of classes being discontinued or not offered at all due to low interest from students and to the inability to hire and retain properly credentialed teachers. And that’s not just a McKinleyville-and-Arcata-High-couldn’t-figure-it-out thing. This is from talking to colleagues across the county,” NoHum Superintendent Roger Macdonald said at the board meeting.

“A CTE teacher must have three years of industry experience, meaning that most healthcare professionals will take a significant pay cut to be a CTE teacher.”

NoHum staff also anticipates that Samoa Beach Academy would fail to adequately serve its population of students with disabilities. Among other things, SBA underestimates how many students with disabilities would enroll — despite SBA’s note that their program “may attract a disproportionate number of students with disabilities” — and underbudgets for those students, NoHum’s report states. 

NoHum’s concerns with SBA’s budget are extensive. The district notes that the charter would need to hit its goal enrollment of 300 students by the 2027-2028 school year to generate the budget it has proposed, which NoHum staff seriously doubts is possible based on how other local charter schools have fared in their early years. 

SBA doesn’t plan to offer transportation, and NoHum worries about how that will impact average daily attendance and, consequently, revenue. SBA also doesn’t account for a food service worker in its budget, or an adequate number of special education teachers and paraprofessionals, NoHum’s report found.

At the board meeting, after getting more into the nitty gritty of fiscal concerns, NoHum’s Director of Fiscal Services Cindy Vickers concluded that the budget is “unsustainable.”

SBA members were prepared with responses to the concerns outlined in NoHum’s report. “We have spoken to many instructors interested in teaching in our school, and we will vigorously recruit credential teachers to fill our teaching staff,” said David Lonn, who formerly worked as an administrator at NoHum. 

“Although we are very confident in our budget and our commitment to students with disabilities, if these are areas that continue to be a concern, we would welcome a collaboration with NoHum, that could be outlined in an MOU.”

SBA’s legal counsel, Janelle Ruley of Young, Minney & Corr LLP — a firm that represents more than half of California’s charter schools, Ruley said — explained California law surrounding charter schools to the board. “We do not believe that the district staff has met [the] legal threshold to deny,” Ruley said. “The findings are speculative in nature, they’re not factual and they mischaracterize, in a lot of cases, the plain language of the charter petition.”

SBA member Troy Nicolini, of National Weather Service Eureka, underscored that the community wants a CTE high school. 

“I can tell you with great certainty that this community strongly supports what the Samoa Beach Academy is proposing,” Nicolini said. “I would suggest voting to deny our petition is really voting against what your community wants.”

Most community members who appeared to comment on the item were in support of the school. Several of them were tradespeople — often with Danco — and some were parents hoping to send their own kids to Samoa Beach Academy. 

“I think that catering to kids do something that they can make a career out of right out of high school is super essential, and it shouldn’t be overlooked,” said one parent. “I appreciate all the objections and hurdles that are put forward, but I don’t think there’s anything that’s not overcome-able.”

Dan Johnson, who formerly served on NoHum’s school board, thanked the board for “taking it seriously and looking at the petition,” but then said he was disgusted that it seemed as though a decision had already been made prior to the meeting. Johnson also seemed offended by the prediction that the Samoa Beach Academy program would attract a higher-than-average number of students with disabilities (even though SBA’s leaders themselves made that prediction).

“This is for the damn kids! Who cares if we went out of business if the school opened up and it broke? Then you could run around and say ‘Great, we were right!’ Who cares? It’s for the damn kids,” Johnson said. “I’m sorry, that’s all I got to say, move this thing on, because I’m telling you, we are not going away.”

Throughout the meeting, NoHum administrators and board members expressed appreciation and support for the trades. 

“Regardless of what happens today, I think there’s nobody in this room that doesn’t support the concept of a career technical education for our students,” said Board President Theresa Grosjean.

“All the things that people are saying about the value of trades — I’m there,” said Macdonald. “I am 100 percent there, but that’s not what this conversation is about. This conversation is about the efficacy of the school itself.”

The board unanimously voted to deny the charter petition without debate. 

That doesn’t necessarily mean that SBA is surely a no-go, though. In an email to the Outpost, SBA lead petitioner Catherine Scott confirmed that the SBA team plans to take their petition to the Humboldt County Office of Education. If successful, the school would be charted under HCOE rather than NoHum. 

We will see.