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During a virtual meeting Tuesday evening, the City of Eureka previewed its draft economic development plan and disscussed plans to take over operations from two local nonprofits: Eureka Main Street, a business advocacy group, and the Eureka Visitor Center, currently being operated by Humboldt Made.

The plan has been a topic of discussion for some time, and after receiving approval from the Eureka City Council last week, Eureka Main Street and the visitor center will be consolidated into the City’s economic development department. The City will take over operations on July 1.

[CLARIFICATION: Charlotte McDonald, the longtime executive director of Eureka Main Street, told the Outpost that after her upcoming retirement, the organization will operate without an executive director, and current Assistant Director Amanda Kruschke will become an employee of the City of Eureka. The organization will continue to have a board of directors that will serve in an advisory role for the Eureka City Council and will oversee the Eureka Business Improvement’s funds.]

During Tuesday’s meeting, Bill Prescott, chair of Eureka’s Economic Development Commission, asked about the City’s long-term plan for taking over these agencies and questioned whether city staff has the experience necessary to run them efficiently. [Disclosure: Prescott is general manager of Lost Coast Communications, the Outpost’s parent company.]

“It just seems like that would be something better left in the nonprofit or private sector,” Prescott said during the meeting. “I’m just curious what the plan is to bring all that stuff into the City, which we know is already strapped for resources.”

City Manager Miles Slattery said that many city employees do have the necessary experience. Humboldt Made will continue to partner with the City, he added, though current visitor center staff will be made city employees. Slattery added that, for the time being, the City plans to keep operations of the center as they are, though it may explore ways to improve or streamline operations in the future. 

Slattery argued that taking over operations of Eureka Main Street should simplify operations since a large part of what the agency does is serve as “the middle man” between business owners and the City of Eureka.

City Manager Miles Slattery | Screenshot from Tuesday’s Zoom meeting

Donna Wright, president of the Eureka Chamber of Commerce, said she’d been hearing concerns from many local business owners who feel they were left out of the loop about the transition. Slattery said the city has tried to maintain full transparency about taking over EMS but did not feel fully comfortable reaching out to all the businesses while the City was not yet in charge of the agency.

Now that the transition is happening, the City will reach out to each business individually, Slattery said. Following the meeting, the City sent out a press release officially announcing the partnership. You can read the release in full at the bottom of this article.

The main purpose of Tuesday’s meeting was to give folks a chance to learn about, ask questions about and provide input on Eureka’s draft economic development strategic plan. Eureka Economic Development Manager Swan Asbury began by stating the plan’s overarching goal, which is to  “improve the quality of life for Eureka’s residents, businesses, employees and visitors through positive actions to attract, retain and expand businesses within the city.”

The plan is divided into four subgoals: to maintain and create high-quality jobs, build Eureka’s community assets, create a diverse and resilient economy and strengthen the city’s revenue base. Asbury outlined 32 strategies the City plans to implement to reach these goals, including such efforts as digitizing business license applications, creating a website to welcome businesses and connect them with necessary resources, focusing on beautification, modernizing coastal zoning and promoting the area as a cruise ship destination.

Some meeting attendees voiced concerns about the scope of the City’s plan, suggesting that Eureka lacks the resources to carry it out. “There’s a lot of things on this list,” Scott Pesch, member of the Economic Development Commission, said. “My concern is we don’t have enough people power to push them through.”

Pesch also said that he would like to see the City prioritize the website for businesses looking to open in the area, something Prescott also felt should be a top priority.

Larry Oetker, executive director of the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District, said he would like to see the plan focus more on specific areas of town and would like to see the City prioritize a “blue economy,” preparing the waterfront to “welcome modern industries.”

Eureka City Councilmember Natalie Arroyo said that the City does need to decide which strategies it is going to prioritize and encouraged members of the public to reach out with their input. “This is an awesome plan and I want to know where we’re going to prioritize so we don’t spread ourselves too thin,” Arroyo said.

You can view the City of Eureka’s full Economic Development Plan Update here and email comments to sasbury@ci.eureka.ca.gov by July 10. After public input is taken into consideration, the plan will go before the Economic Development Commission on July 21 and will come before the Eureka City Council for final adoption on Aug. 3. You can view a full video of Tuesday’s meeting here.

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More from the City of Eureka:

Last evening, on Tuesday, June 22 at 5:00 p.m., the City of Eureka hosted a virtual meeting to share a draft economic development strategic plan update, answer questions, and seek public input. A recording of the meeting is now available on the City website, along with the draft document. All citizens and community stakeholders are encouraged to provide feedback via email through July 10th.

Alongside these planning efforts, the City of Eureka is also working to reconfigure two meaningful local partnerships. To ensure streamlined deployment of all business support services under the updated Economic Development Strategic Plan, partnerships with Eureka Main Street and Humboldt Made are being reconfigured to better support evolving citizen and organizational needs.

Pending the upcoming retirement of Charlotte McDonald, a long-standing community leader who has led Eureka Main Street (EMS) for 25 years, the City of Eureka’s Office of Economic Development will soon partner with the Eureka Main Street Board to take over the day-to-day administration and programming operations of Eureka Main Street.

Eureka Main Street has been serving the community since 1983, when the Eureka Business Improvement District was first formally recognized, and it has been officially operating under the name Eureka Main Street since 1992. The organization’s mission and focus will both stay fully intact. City of Eureka staff will now work closely with the existing Eureka Main Street Board of Directors to identify, support, and respond to the unique needs of the businesses in this specially designated geography. This change is taking effect July 1, 2021, and corresponds with the start of the next government fiscal year.

“It has been an honor to serve as Executive Director of Eureka Main Street for so many memorable years,” Charlotte McDonald said. “While I am excited to enter this next life phase, I am also deeply pleased that our Main Street businesses will be in such good hands moving forward. Our dedicated board and our City’s talented and passionate economic development staff all share a commitment to serving the important needs of this special business district. I look forward to both watching and participating in their continued efforts moving forward. I consider myself very lucky to be a part of this very special community and, while I will be retiring, I won’t be going anywhere. Eureka is home.”

Additionally, on July 1, 2021, the City of Eureka Office of Economic Development will also begin to directly manage the operations of the Eureka Visitor Center inside the Clarke Historical Museum. Humboldt Made, the organization that currently operates the Eureka Visitor Center, will continue to partner with the City to support economic development but will shift their focus and lend their talents to several new initiatives that better align with their organizational goals and future direction.

As the first in a series of planned new projects, Humboldt Made will receive city funding to provide a week-long intensive marketing and distribution workshop for City of Eureka-based artisans, makers, and business owners next spring.

“I’m looking forward to these planned adjustments to our partnership,” Alanna Powell, Executive Director of Humboldt Made, said. “Like many organizations, we’ve used the last 18 months to restructure, focus, and assemble an impressive team of local creatives, strategists, and marketers to serve not only our membership but also the greater community. It’s been a challenging year for everyone. We’re thankful that the City has been open to helping us position to better provide much-needed support for our artists, businesses, and community during this critically important time. We are proud of the services we provided to those traveling to our area in the last three years and look forward to passing the torch into the capable hands of City staff. Eureka is experiencing a revival. We look forward to continuing to support and play a role in that progress in ways that are more in line with our organization’s core mission.”

“Our economic development team has been working hard and is bringing clear focus on meeting the goals of our citizens,” City Manager Miles Slattery said. “I want to encourage everyone to provide feedback. There is a lot of important momentum building regarding Economic Development in Eureka.”

Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office press release:

PREVIOUSLY: Suspected McKinleyville Meth Dealer Arrested

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Press release from the U.S. Department of Justice:

Deryl Craig Morse appeared in United States District Court today to face a federal indictment charging him with being a felon who possessed a loaded firearm and also charging him with possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine, announced Acting United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Craig D. Fair.  

The indictment alleges that Morse, who is 58 years old and resides in McKinleyville, California, is a convicted felon who on March 10, 2021, possessed a Ruger .357 caliber revolver loaded with six rounds of .357 ammunition.  A forfeiture allegation in the indictment asserts the loaded revolver was recovered from Morse’s residence along with more than 50 additional rounds of ammunition. Morse is also charged with possessing on the same date 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it.  

Morse made his initial appearance in federal court today before United States Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Spero.  Morse is out of custody on condition of location monitoring.  His next appearance is scheduled for July 14, 2021, for an initial appearance before United States District Judge James Donato.

The indictment charges Morse with possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B)(viii).  If convicted, Morse faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years, with a maximum fine of $5,000,000.  The indictment also charges Morse with being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1).  If convicted of this charge, Morse faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.  However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the Court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. 

Ankur Shingal is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Daniel Fuentes and Madeline Wachs.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the Humboldt County Drug Task Force.

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On June 23, 2021, at about 6 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the Elk Camp CAL FIRE Station on Bald Hills Road near Orick for the report of a gunshot victim.

According to CAL FIRE employees, a male gunshot victim was brought to the station in a vehicle occupied by multiple unknown individuals. The victim was dropped off at the station and the vehicle left.

Despite life-saving efforts administered by CAL FIRE employees, the victim succumbed to his injuries on scene.

This case is being investigated as a homicide by the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Criminal Investigations Division.

This is an ongoing investigation. Information will be released as available and appropriate.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank CAL FIRE and California State Parks for their assistance with this investigation.

Anyone with information about this case 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 regular weekly storytime gathering on Wednesday morning, the Arcata Library hosted what might have been Arcata’s only Pride Month parade of 2021 . Bandemonium led a tiny group of flag-and-streamer-waving parents and their tots from the Arcata Library parking lot to the Arcata Ballpark, where Arcata Library Manager Susan Parsons read “My Mommy, My Mama, My Brother, and Me” by Natalie Meisner and the crowd danced to “All You Need is Love” by The Beatles.

This was the first pride-themed storytime the library has hosted, which, Parsons told the Outpost, was largely inspired by her late sister Betsy, who devoted her life to advocating civil rights for LGBTQ folks. “I do it because for so long I didn’t understand,” Parsons said. “She had to suffer for so long, but we all grew through Betsy, and I wanted to make sure that that doesn’t happen. I want to pass on her love and openness and compassion.”

Susan Parsons reading “My Mommy, My Mama, My Brother, and Me” by Natalie Meisner

Betsy was the first teacher to come out in the state of Maine, and she formed 100 Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) groups in high schools around Maine. Betsy’s story is written in “The Book of Pride: LGBTQ Heroes Who Changed the World” by Mason Funk, which is available to borrow at the Arcata and Humboldt County Library.

Parsons was thrilled to weave LGBTQ pride into the library’s weekly storytime reading and plans to do it again in the future. The event was supported by the City of Arcata, which allowed use of the ballpark, the Parks and Recreation department, which lent the library a parachute for the event, and music was provided by Bandemonium. Wednesday’s was the third in-person storytime the library has hosted in 15 months, which are usually held in the library garden.

“Arcata is an inclusive and open community where everybody belongs,” Parsons said. “Love is all there is!”

Scroll down for more photos of the event!

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After 17 years dazzling Humboldt at its small birthplace in Old Town Eureka, Synapsis — an artist collective founded and directed by Eureka City Councilmember Leslie Castellano — is gearing up for a grand opening at its new location in south residential Eureka. 

Synapsis Director Leslie Castellano.

Crammed with relics of former occupants, the large taupe building at 1675 Union Street was a time-capsuled wasteland by the time Castellano and her crew first viewed the property a couple of years ago. Beneath the leaks and the mold was a historic community hall, and Castellano bought it with plans to revive the building to its original glory with a circus-y twist. 

“The building was close to being a teardown when we got it,” Derek Shaw, a Synapsis collective member, said, standing in the building’s welcoming and surely unrecognizable performance hall. “Which is also why we could afford it; no one else wanted it,” he added. “But for us, we could see the value.” 

Founded in 2004, Synapsis — which is a DreamMaker project of the Ink People — is an artist collective with emphasis on aerial silks and dance. The original Old Town location became a dependable Arts Alive! staple over the years and hosted many performances, but it was rented, small and stageless. “I’m thankful to the people I’ve rented from, but, you know, there’s only so much you can do within a space that isn’t yours,” Castellano said.

“We wanted a hall,” Shaw specified. “Who else wants that?”

From gym owners to growers, several businesses have cycled through the building over the last couple of decades. There are neat hints of former occupants scattered throughout the building, like a climbing wall from its gym days (stage right) or a massive canvas painting Synapsis members discovered in the basement, which they think was created by some very early occupants, if not the original builders. When Synapsis arrived with hopes to restore the building’s community-oriented features, it had been vacant for two and a half years and had seen only irregular use for about five years before that. 

The historical significance of this hall, located across the street from the CalTrans building, is important to its new occupants. Built in 1904, the building served as a gathering site for a string of immigrant communities in early 20th century California, originally operating as a Finnish community hall. Synapsis doesn’t know much about the builders. “No one really is alive from then, ‘cause it was so long ago that it was actually active as a hall,” said Shaw, adding that if anyone has information about the building’s history, Synapsis would love to learn more.

Castellano suspects that a 1935 union strike, which resulted in several deaths and happened at a saw mill where the Bayshore mall now stands, was planned in the building. 

“I have hopes of putting some sort of historical marker up,” Castellano said. “Some part of that story of the past is tied into how we perceive ourselves today, [and is] present in the building and in the neighborhood as well, because, you know, the neighborhood has changed over the years. And in some ways, it’s currently in the process of a lot of change.” 

The move to Union Street — where there is less foot traffic, more car traffic, and virtually no public art — is a significant shift in atmosphere that Castellano is excited about.

“This is a change of location that will allow us to engage with people who live in the area in a different way,” Castellano said. “I think Eureka has such a strong arts community that there’s kind of space to expand.” 

Arts in Eureka are largely concentrated in Old Town, especially because of Arts Alive!, Castellano said. She appreciates and loves that scene and noted she’ll miss being a piece of the Arts Alive! “But there’s a lot of people who don’t go to [Arts Alive!], you know, because they don’t feel like it’s their scene, and I think in a neighborhood you get to kind of mix it up a little bit more. This is your scene because you live next door,” she said.

“I would maybe generalize to say that there may be a real need and desire for art spaces within more residential areas because it allows people to access the arts in a way that is more immediate, and is more about how we live our lives.” 

Castellano isn’t worried about losing Synapsis collaborators, participants or audience members now that they’ve moved. “I think, because we’ve been around for so long, that we’re relatively known at this point,” she said. “I think it would have been harder to start a performance space here, having no history.” 

After arriving in the neighborhood in February 2020, Synapsis was prevented by the pandemic from initiating relationships with their new neighbors until very recently. So far, the space has only been used for classes and as a private gym for existing Synapsis members. 

“We haven’t been able to really engage with the community in a way that we think is of our nature,” Castellano said. But now, with decreased COVID danger and increasingly reliable weather, Synapsis is cautiously reentering the scene. A few weeks ago the collective hosted Outer Roominations, a site-specific event which featured a collection of outdoor trails that wove through temporary art installments. (The Outpost’s Andrew Goff was also an organizer and host of that event.)

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Synapsis is now in the midst of its first onsite public event. With specific hopes to attract members of their new neighborhood, they’ve been closing off Union street every Saturday to host a series of free outdoor dance and drum lessons, which are open to all and will continue until July 10. 

“We went around and fliered the neighborhood for the classes,” Castellano said. People are attending them “because they live here, and because they can walk here.” She hopes to pick the lessons back up in the fall, and maybe create a “fun and funky” drum and dance ensemble to bring to events. 

“This is, I think, the step towards a relationship that we hope to be ongoing and to build over many years,” Castellano said. “Hopefully people in Eureka will really see Synapsis as a resource for their own imaginations, you know, as well as a resource for coming and seeing amazing performances.”

With potential lingering COVID restrictions in mind, Castellano is thinking a two-week series of separate small events — like dance parties, aerial shows and music performances — might be wiser than one big event for their grand opening, which is tentatively scheduled for October. 

And although Synapsis has been itching to finally connect with their new community, the timing of their move lined up conveniently with COVID closures given all the renovations the building needed. “Every square inch of the building gets touched at least 10 times, you know, through some sort of process,” Castellano said. 

Though their restorations aren’t complete, Synapsis has made remarkable progress from the shambles they started with. So far every surface in the main hall has been revitalized. They outfitted the formerly leaky ceiling with patterned tin panels, a mural by Blake Reagan, disco ball and, of course, several aerial silk suspensions. They ripped out thousands of staples fastening moldy fiberboard to the ground and restored the building’s original hardwood floor. They coated the interior and exterior with fresh paint, subbing out the previous underwhelming brown for a bright blue outside. Next they’ll tackle the stage, lobby and smaller rooms around the building.

“I remember, when I was a kid, the first time I went to a big concert hall — and, you know, I wasn’t from a family that went to those things, really — it just seemed like everything was so special. And I really want kids in this neighborhood to walk in and be like, ‘Oh, this place is special, and it’s our place,’” Castellano said. “Giving that kind of level of quality and care to the space feels really important, for us as an artist collective, but also for, you know, the community around us.”

Ronald Gene Powell was born in Flandreau, South Dakota to Everett W. and Inez (Underwood) Powell. Ronald was proud of the fact that he was the seventh son of the seventh son. Shortly after his birth his family moved to Hayden Lake Idaho. In 1948 their family moved to Castle Rock, Washington, where he graduated from Castle Rock High School in 1954.

During Ronnie’s teen years, he used to visit his older brother Duane in the Hoopa and Orleans areas. After High school, at age 18, he moved in with his brother in Hoopa, CA and began working in the mills. Ronnie was intrigued and fascinated by the American Indian culture up and down the Klamath and Trinity Rivers; due to this interest, he would later be known as a local historian.

In 1955, Ronnie married Julia “Judy” Bussell and they had two children, Marilyn Jean and Ronald Dean Powell. He continued working in the mills and he moved around to several mill sites throughout Northern California. He took pride in his skills and always spoke about how he learned from the best. Due to this, he was always more than willing to teach his skills to other new trainees or anyone willing to learn.

After his divorce in 1962, he moved his trailer to a place near the Deep Sleep Inn. Shortly after, he purchased property in Hoopa, on the South end of Highway 96, which to this this day, people reminisce about as the after-hours party spot coming home from the bars.

In 1967, he married Margaret Kane. Margaret had a daughter, Tracey (Moreno) Ramone, whom he raised as his own. They were married for 41 years, until her death in 2008. Together Ronnie and Margaret were entrepreneurs and owned and operated Margaret’s house of Beauty, and Hoopa Wood Products. They were also involved in the Hoopa Rodeo Association, and Norton Field Water District.

Ronnie was a major history buff and a proud participant of the “Adobe House” project and later a member of The Hoopa Historical Alliance. Ronnie worked as a Director of The Hoopa Valley Tribe Public Utilities District, but he spent a majority of his career as a sawyer; It has been said that he was known as one of the top five sawyers in the West Coast. He was offered employment far and wide, which was the catalyst to his travels.

Ronnie was an adventurer, outdoorsman and an enthusiastic storyteller. You could find him hiking and hunting the Marble Mountains, Trinity Alps, and he would even fly in with his brothers and nephews to hunt as far as Idaho. In his retirement years, he enjoyed sharing his koi pond, and love of gardening.

Ronnie found joy in spending time with his siblings, children, nephews and nieces, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He would often laugh and reminisce how as a teen he would babysit, although he would never admit it to his friends, saying he was paid better than his buddies working at the service station.

Ronnie had a story for almost anything, and would often share them at the Powell Family Reunions, or with anyone he crossed paths with. One would never get bored talking to him. He definitely had the gift of gab. Sometimes he was known for stretching the truth to make his stories sound more interesting. He has definitely left a large void in this world and will be dearly missed.

Ronald was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret Louise Powell, parents, Everett W. and Inez Powell, sisters: Delores Dunn, Edith Whisnant, and Maxine Armstrong, brothers: Vernon, Dean, Duane, Ivan, Keith, and Donald Powell, mother-in-law, Iola Moon, brothers-in-law: Carlson Kane, Hugh Moon Jr.; sisters-in-law: Cheryl Rose Moon, Corene Miguelena, grandson, Ronald Dean Powell Jr., his special friends: Virgil “Beebo” Bussell, Lowell Bussell, Vernon “Tootie” Bussell, Louie McConnell and Hank Mosier.

Ronnie is survived by his children: Ronalda Jordan (Danny), Marilyn Powell, Ronald “Dean” Powell Sr., Tracey Ramone, and Lyle Matilton, whom all reside in Hoopa, CA.

Grandchildren: Carmeli Begay (Nolan), Rachell Powell, Jenna Miller (Damon Martin), Jill Mix, Ty Ramone (Chelcee), Eric Phines (Ariel Richards), Leland Jordan, Anna Rose Powell, Melissa Phines (Arlen Doolittle Jr.), Clay Ramone (Kristy Bedoni), Donald Powell, John Acuna, K’ida:y Powell, K’it-Say Powell and Irene Powell.

Great-grandchildren: Nah-Tes “Lil’ Tes” Jackson Jr., Raymond Begay, Alexia “Taryete” Jackson, Helena Begay, Derek Hodge, David Jackson, Dominic Phines, Elayna Miller, Cireyn Phines, Juanita Blake, Tagg Ramone, Melody Phines, Robert Blake Jr., Shayne Ramone, Melia Reeves, Tripp Ramone, Azalea Doolittle, Aaron Phines, Zayne Doolittle, Tuffy Ramone, Perseus Phines, Ivy Martin, Dwayne Acuna and Kane Ryder Ramone.

Ronnie is also survived by his sister-in-law, Beverly Powell, and brother-in-law Denny Kane, and many special nephews, nieces, and friends.

Ronnie’s family would like to express their sincere thanks to Dr. Smith, Susan Walsh, FNP, and Michael Masten, all staff of the K’ima:w Medical Center; the staff at St. Joseph’s PCU unit and the Timber Ridge Senior Living Facility staff. Although Ronnie only stayed for four days at Timber Ridge, the family is very thankful for the warm compassion that was shown to Ronnie in his last days of life.

The family would also like to give special gratitude to Barbara “BR” Beck for going the extra mile and especially for her kind and caring nature.

A viewing was held by Paul’s Chapel on June 16th from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. A celebration of life will be held at his home, “the Powell Ranch” in Hoopa, CA on Saturday, June 26, 2021 at 4:30 p.m. Please bring your favorite stories to share. Social distancing will be practiced.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Ronald Gene Powell’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.