Spring weather has arrived, people are getting vaccinated and it seems that people’s thoughts have turned to the post-pandemic — that era when, perhaps, the county achieves “herd immunity,” whatever you take that phrase to mean.
In today’s media availability with the county’s Public Health division, nurse practitioner Lindsey Mendez — a member of the county’s vaccine task force — tackles several questions about this, plus a couple about the more stable Johnson & Johnson vaccine and whether the American Rescue Plan will help the county ramp up shots going into arms.
Video above, rough transcript below.
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From the North Coast News: How much vaccine hesitancy have you
observed thus far in administering the COVID-19 vaccine in Humboldt County,
and are you concerned about the impact it could have locally on reaching herd immunity?
Hi Humboldt County and hi North Coast News. To answer this question right now, we do not have
the amount of data that we would need to see about vaccine hesitancy in our own community. Obviously
vaccine hesitancy can occur in any part of the world and we would encourage people to
thoroughly research the vaccine and understand that it is a safe and effective vaccine and
that we have three vaccines that are safe and effective. And if at any time you are
given the opportunity to have a vaccine, please vaccinate yourself and be protected from COVID-19.
From the North Coast News: A week ago, you said the county would be utilizing the
single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine for rural populations, those who have difficulty with travel
and individuals experiencing homelessness. How has public health been working to do this?
I am elated to tell you that public health has been partnering with numerous community partners
in this area so that we can vaccinate persons who are experiencing any kind of hardship in which
a second dose would be more difficult for them to get to be vaccinated. With that said
we are partnering with people with the shelters, congregate living situations, persons experiencing
homelessness, rural areas that are beyond the incorporated borders of the 101 and we are
going to be continuing to do this in the coming weeks as we get Janssen and other vaccines in.
From the North Coast News: The American Rescue Plan, signed into law last week
by President Biden, includes billions of dollars for local health departments to
utilize for vaccine distribution. Do you know how much of this Humboldt has been allocated,
and how the county plans to use it? How much has funding been an issue?
Well first I’ll start with I can’t answer all questions about financial concerns at this time
as I’m part of a different part of the vaccine task force, but what I can say is that vaccine
supply is always a concern. What we are looking forward to is if we could get
more allocations of vaccine, then we could have more vaccines in our county and we’ll be able
to end the pandemic sooner. So we are currently in the process of looking at planning for this.
From the Redheaded Blackbelt: If Humboldt County is able to reach a level of herd immunity,
how would that achievement affect the level of active virus circulating in the community?
When we are looking at herd immunity and what the goal is,
obviously herd immunity is something that you want so that you can decrease any virus
in your community using things like vaccine. So as we move forward, we’re hoping that as we get
more shots into arms of those who are most vulnerable and at the highest risk,
you’re going to exponentially decrease the amount of virus that’s being spread around the community.
From the Redheaded Blackbelt: In regard to Humboldt County reaching a level of herd
immunity that actually prevents circulation of the disease by community spread, what is
a realistic timeframe for that goal to be met, and how is it possible to move that goalpost forward?
So when we’re looking at achieving herd immunity in our community,
we need to think about how much vaccine supply we are getting into our community at that time
and then all other resources for getting shots into arms to expedite that process. Right now we
don’t have a very good prediction of when herd immunity will occur in our community because
we do not know the exact amount of vaccine supply we will be receiving in the future.
What we do know is that just like we’ve been doing in the past where we have been protecting our
community members, we’ve been masking, we’ve been social distancing, we’ve been washing our hands
so that we can have an effort for our neighbors and for those most vulnerable. That’s what we’re
going to be doing with the vaccine at this time. We are going to continue to care in that way
and prioritize those who can help us achieve herd immunity and continue to put shots in arms
and empty our freezers every week like we’ve been doing since we got vaccine.
Paul DeMark, drummer and Humboldt music fan. Scroll down for a collection of his old local concert posters
Live music and Humboldt County have always been synonymous to me. It’s what brought and kept me here.
But because of COVID it has been an eerily quiet musical year in Humboldt. Here, live music ceased to exist a year ago. With vaccination numbers increasing, bands are cautiously considering outdoor bookings this spring at venues like the Mad River Brewery in Blue Lake. No one knows when it will be safe for indoor clubs to host live music, but hope is in the air.
I know Humboldt musicians are eager to play with each other and for audiences after a year sabbatical. I’ve loved playing my drums every day in my studio, but drums and drummers are made to play with other people.
Over the last 12 months, I’ve thought a lot about how Humboldt music lovers have been spoiled over the decades by the relative large numbers of venues in relation to population. This includes music festivals — Mateel Community Center’s Summer Arts and Music Festival, the Humboldt Folklife Festival, Reggae on the River, the Redwood Coast Music Festival and The Buddy Brown Blues Festival, to name a few.
For decades there have been a multitude of nightclubs throughout the county presenting live music. The Mateel and HSU’s CenterArts have provided a remarkable wealth of concerts for more than 40 years. It will be interesting to see if both of these organizations will continue to book shows when it’s safe.
Over the past year I’ve also remembered what the scene was like “back in the day.” I moved to Humboldt from San Francisco in March 1975 to play six months of guaranteed gigs drumming with The Coopers every Friday and Saturday at the Rendezvous Lounge in Rio Dell. We were paid $50 per night to play four sets of country dance music. I figured if I didn’t like Humboldt at the end of six months, I could move back to San Francisco.
Minimum guarantees of $50 per musician a night were common in those days, especially for weekend gigs. As a single person, I could pay most of my bills in 1975 with eight $50 gigs a month. According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index, $50 in 1975 would be worth $243 in 2021 adjusted for inflation. In 1981, $50 would translate to $144. The $50 per-night guarantee per musician was standard through the ‘90s, especially on the weekends. Most clubs had a cover charge of $2 to $3 in the ’70s and ’80s. The clubs hired a door person to take money to pay for the bands and their job.
A band would play four sets from 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Popular bands would often play several encores before the clubs would kick people out at 1:45. After packing up a few things, bands often were often invited to the after-hours parties with fellow night owls. Sometimes we made our own party.
At the end of my six months at The Rendezvous, I decided I could make a modest living here in Humboldt. I knew a lot of other musicians felt the same way about trying to live the dream of being a full-time musician. The cost of living was cheap and people were loving life.
The ’70s through the ’90s were a great time to be a musician and music lover here. Humboldt was humming with live music clubs by the mid-to-late ‘70s. Arcata had the original Jambalaya Club, now The Jam. In 1973, Fred Neighbor and Joyce Hough, who now perform in the Home Cookin’ band, bought a down-on-its-luck bar just off the Plaza on H Street called Dan and Jerry’s. Fred remembered its last days when the owner couldn’t afford electricity so he provided lit candles on the tables. On the bar’s shelves stood only a few lonesome liquor bottles.
Fred and Joyce turned the Jambalaya into a down-home cultural center for Arcata’s rapidly expanding counterculture and intellectual scene. The club featured something every night of the week — poetry readings, jazz, folk and bluegrass music on weekdays, dance bands on the weekends. Fred and Joyce’s highly popular Freddy and the Starliners group played a weekend or two a month. (A side note: When I started playing with Fred a few years later, he said, “I hate the name Freddy.”)
By the time I moved to Arcata in 1976, the scene was happening. There were no videocassettes, cell phones, cable or internet. People in their 20s and early 30s constantly went out to dig live music. Downtown Blue Lake had two rocking clubs with bands across the street from each other, Walt’s Friendly Tavern and The Mad River Rose. Throngs of young people, including HSU students, would saunter between the two clubs and dance up a storm, getting high and having a blast.
By 1978, I was playing in Caledonia, a roots American music dance band, with Fred and Joyce, Charles Horn and Chuck Garrett. Because of Fred and Joyce’s huge popularity, we had a built-in, and growing, audience. We played the Rose one weekend a month. We’d play every weekend at a different club earning our $50 each per night around 12 shows a month.
These were not the one-night stands that most bands have played in Humboldt over the past 20 years. We’d play two, three and four nights in a row, often to full houses. A great benefit: We could leave our equipment in the club and get out relatively early at 2 a.m.
In addition to The Jambalaya, Arcata had The Keg in Northtown, The Phoenix on Ninth Street and Bret Harte’s, located in the basement of the Jacoby Storehouse. On Eureka’s Second Street, within four blocks of each other, stood Chris “Showtime” Smith’s Vance Log Cabin, Fog’s (now The Booklegger), and the Old Town Bar and Grill. Numerous other clubs like the Den and Captain’s Galley also hired bands. Southern Humboldt offered live music at venues like The Riverwood Inn, as well as The Mateel’s old Fireman’s Hall, The Cellar and the Branding Iron, all in Garberville.
In my opinion, and with no disrespect intended toward other clubs, The Old Town Bar and Grill, once located at 327 Second St., was the coolest nightclub Humboldt has ever seen. The Siren’s Song occupies about 1/10th of the space the Bar and Grill had. It could easily fit 350 people into the two-story, red-brick-walled building. It had a big stage and a fulltime sound person, usually the late, great Sean Bohannon and, later, the very much still alive and excellent Russ Cole.
It had a large dance floor and a balcony that cut through the length of the club where one could watch the dancers and band from above. It featured booths and sofas sprinkled throughout the two floors where people hung out and sometimes made out. Behind the spacious, high stage, a beautiful, sound-absorbing dark velvet blue curtain covered the 20-foot glass windows overlooking Second Street.
The talented and charismatic Robert Cray Band traveled from their home in Eugene, Oregon, to play three nights of soul and blues at the Bar and Grill every six weeks. When they played, the full house danced and rocked with a joyous vibe. We all knew The Robert Cray Band was going to make it big. They were just that good every night. We felt lucky they came so often.
In January 1980, a 23-year-old Deborah Lazio was asked to start booking the empty, family-owned Old Town Bar and Grill. Her father, Laurie Lazio, had opened it up about four years earlier as a restaurant and nightclub. He closed it and was trying to sell it when Deborah moved back to town after college. Laurie wanted the club to show some life with live music so that it be sold easier.
She started booking local bands on the weekends. They included Dr. Ross and the Hellhounds, Airhead, Flex, Buckshot, Swingshift, The Beatmongers, Caledonia, Bishop Mayfield and Mason Dixon, to name a few. After some months of success, Lazio began presenting national acts in addition to the local bands. The venue was becoming successful, so the Lazio family decided to keep it going and see what would happen.
The national acts she produced over nearly 20 years included Bonnie Raitt, Los Lobos (admission $3!), Etta James, Sam and Dave, Boz Scaggs, The Band, Tower of Power, David Lindley, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells, Junior Walker and the All-Stars, and the Neville Brothers. Deborah hired local bands to open for these acts, often playing in front of full houses. The times were good.
I believe the pent-up demand for live music will attract crowds at outdoor facilities when it’s safe. Humboldt potentially still has many clubs. I hope these venues have survived this extremely difficult year.
Let’s hope the good times will roll again. I think we’ll be ready.
This morning [March 16] at approximately 11:15 a.m., a Trooper with the Indiana State Police ACP Team (All Crimes Policing) stopped a vehicle on I-65 near the 240 mile-marker (Lowell exit). The driver was stopped for a moving violation.
Colburn.
Subsequent investigation, including a canine sniff of the exterior of the vehicle, lead the officers to search the inside of the van. During that search, troopers discovered 38 large boxes and 6 black garbage bags. The boxes were wrapped in black plastic wrap. Inside the boxes contained a total of 1,264 individually sealed bags, each weighing approximately 1.5 lbs., and contained a green plant material. A field test of the content revealed it to be marijuana. The total amount of seized marijuana weighed approximately 1,275 lbs. A conservative estimated street value of the seized items is approximately $5.7-8.5 million dollars.
The driver, identified as Christopher S. Colburn, 31, from McKinleyville, CA, was arrested without incident. He was later transported to the Lake County Jail and is preliminarily charged with Dealing Marijuana- Level 5 Felony and Possession of Marijuana with Prior Conviction- Level 6 Felony.
All persons named in this release are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court. All charges mentioned are merely accusations, actual charges will be determined by the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office.
The following press release, and the headline above, came from the office of Assemblymember Jim Wood:
Reading the Sacramento Bee article today about texts among officers of the city of Eureka’s police force was painful and caused me great sadness, anger and concern to see that some members of the Eureka Police Department have a pattern of behavior and culture extremely disrespectful to women, people of color, people protesting legally, and people, frankly, who are extremely vulnerable and down on their luck.
I will follow closely the investigation promised by Eureka Police Chief Steve Watson to ensure that this investigation begins immediately and is transparent and appropriate to the serious nature of this behavior.
We put our trust in law enforcement to follow the law and enforce the law in a way that instills trust in our community. We should not have to rely on anonymous sources to reveal unacceptable and egregious behavior. I can only hope that this investigation reveals that this behavior is limited to a few officers and that that actions taken against these officers will result in allowing us to trust the city’s force and its leadership.
I sincerely hope this does not reveal much deeper cultural issues within the police department and I am pleased that Chief Watson has taken immediate action this afternoon by opening an independent investigation and placing to the two officers in question on leave.
Press release from the Eureka Police Officers’ Association:
The March 17, 2021 Sacramento Bee article entitled “California police degraded women in texts, called COVID patient ‘outbreak monkey’” includes several statements allegedly made by Eureka Police Department employees in private conversation. The Eureka Police Officers’ Association (“POA”) encourages a fair and prompt investigation into this matter.
The alleged statements in the article reflect extremely egregious behavior. They are abhorrent, and do not reflect the character, integrity, or attitudes of the vast majority of Police Department employees. Nor do they reflect the seriousness, maturity, or professional attitude this difficult job demands.
The POA does not, and will not, condone violent, racist, sexist, or indifferent attitudes towards the community members we are sworn to protect and serve, or each other. As police officers, POA members understand that their ability to do their job depends on the support and respect of the community.
The community deserves only the best law enforcement professionals.
Big changes in downtown Arcata. In a pair of Wednesday afternoon releases, Pacific Outfitters announced it would be permanently closing its Arcata store while Humboldt State University made clear its intent to move into that very space. Read both announcements below.
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Humboldt State University release:
The Humboldt State University Bookstore—which sells apparel, gifts, and other merchandise along with textbooks—is moving to the former Pacific Outfitters building, just off the Plaza on G Street. The store is expected to open in its new location by July 1.
The move is a big win for the University and the community. Its new location will provide numerous benefits that students, community members, and visitors have been asking for.
The bookstore will be here
HSU has been working with the community to find ways for students, many of whom travel from more urban areas, to connect with and feel welcome in the community. The new Bookstore location will help. With HSU goods, and the ability to hold student and community-centered events like guest lectures and mixers, students will have a welcoming space in the heart of Arcata.
The new Bookstore will have a small coffee and tea lounge for customers to enjoy while shopping. It will also provide easy access to parking for shoppers, especially tourists, prospective students, and families visiting from out of the area.
The Couxp food truck will continue food service in the parking lot. The Couxp is launching a discount for HSU employees and students of $1.25 off on orders with an HSU ID.
“We are excited to welcome the Humboldt State University Bookstore to downtown Arcata,” says Karen Diemer, Arcata city manager. “We know that the Plaza improves every time a new business moves in.
The Bookstore is sure to be a draw for both locals and visitors to stock up on Humboldt State spirit. As we work to grow out of the pandemic’s recession, having the University invest by directly filling the largest retail vacancy caused by COVID-19 is a huge boost. Go Jacks!”
The move also opens up the current Bookstore space, which students have been requesting to use for lounge space, activities, and entertainment. The Bookstore will maintain its current warehouse space on campus for receiving and picking up textbooks, along with handling textbook rentals, and the University is exploring delivering textbooks to students in residence halls. The College Creek Marketplace on campus will continue to sell HSU Bookstore items in the store and expand upon the current selection.
Follett will continue managing the Bookstore, bringing their specially branded HSU merchandise and other items for store visitors. And HSU will be looking at working with College of the Redwoods and local high schools to carry some of their branded items to create a shared community. The Bookstore will continue selling HSU merchandise in Eureka’s Clarke Museum.
The unexpected opportunity for the new location arose very recently and HSU was alerted that Pacific Outfitters was looking to lease its Arcata space. Pacific Outfitters will continue operating their stores in Eureka and Ukiah.
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Pacific Outfitters release:
With a heavy heart we would like to let our amazing Humboldt community know that Pacific Outfitters of Arcata will not be reopening. It has succumbed to COVID-19. Pacific Outfitters of Arcata, formally The New Outdoor Store, has been in Arcata since the early 1970’s. On a positive note, our Eureka and Ukiah locations continue to thrive and we will be here for all your outdoor needs.
A missing Oakland woman was found along a snowy Trinity County backroad by a California Highway Patrol airplane yesterday after spending the night in her car.
The Oakland Police Department stated that 27-year-old Perry Jue was reported missing after she was last seen preparing for a camping trip in Trinity County on Sunday.
Photo of Jue and her dog Katara provided by the Oakland Police Department
Two CHP Northern Air Division helicopters and one airplane searched for Jue for 24 hours before she and her dog were found parked along Wildwood Mad River Road, approximately 5 miles south of Highway 36.
CHP officials told the Outpost that Jue was attempting to travel to Zenia before officers came to her rescue. On-duty officers were unable to confirm how or why she became stranded in the area, but aerial photos taken by CHP show Jue standing next to her sedan along a snowy patch of road.
Jue was reportedly in good health when Trinity River CHP officers arrived on scene and was later reunited with her parents in the Red Bluff area.
