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In acknowledgement of what BIPOC students and families face inside and outside local education systems, McKinleyville High School Principal Nic Collart recently circulated a letter sharing what the school is doing to understand and amend systemic racism.

“We understand that racism and its impact on our systems and institutions is not an issue specific to MHS, but we recognize our role in it and our responsibility to make change,” Collart wrote.

Specifically, Collart shared that the school is working to identify what needs to change in curricula, policy and procedures, as well as implementing staff training. The foundation of these plans was largely gleaned from listening sessions, Collart said, during which current and former BIPOC students and their families shared their experiences at MHS.

“Their sharing has both saddened and had a profound impact on me as both a member of our community as well as in my role as principal, for it is clear, from these listening sessions, that our school has not always provided a safe, nurturing and empowering environment for our BIPOC students, and this must change,” Collart wrote.

During a call with the Outpost, Collart specified that there have been times when BIPOC students haven’t felt supported by the school following a racist comment or action. “It may have been a specific incident, it may have been that something wasn’t addressed that needed to be addressed in the moment and instead it just kind of, you know, it was left hanging there,” he said. It’s come to his attention that there are “times where there are microaggressions that occur in a classroom that we don’t even notice,” Collart added. “The student feels the impact yet nothing is done.”

The school is reevaluating or clarifying policies and procedures to improve the way MHS addresses instances like these, Collart said. “I think it’s making sure we understand what occurred, and then taking steps to hold the person accountable,” he said. Some incidents may lead to suspension. In terms of addressing microaggressions, “our goal is always going to be to follow up, work to make sure that we understand the impact on the victim, and then hold the person who perpetrated it accountable. And I think that then we can hopefully help both of them move forward.”

Another primary step highlighted by these listening sessions has been diversifying curriculum, Collart said. The school is working toward “making sure that all of our students, no matter their culture, their background, their ethnicity can see themselves in the books that we read, can be empowered by the lessons that we teach,” Collart said. “That’s something that we have as a long-term goal, is how do we find a process to really examine our curriculum with, with the lens of race and equity.”

Collart emphasized that these efforts are ongoing, and that the school has made a commitment to continue evaluating and assessing where and how progress can be made, in terms of curricula, policies and procedures. In addition to those listening sessions, the school has assembled a committee of staff members and BIPOC students, who meet weekly to discuss these changes. The school has also been supported by BIPOC community members, Collart said. “I would say that we are definitely in the infancy stages of, I think, creating a sustainable process,” Collart said. The recognition that there are changes to be made is “a really good step in the right direction.”

These efforts at McKinleyville High School are happening elsewhere in the Northern Humboldt Union High School District, too. In June, the district released a statement on racial equity, partly in response to the murder of George Floyd, and also vowing to make “concrete, systemic changes to create a better, safer world.” Since then, the district has implemented a standing agenda item in board meetings, during which Superintendent Roger Macdonald delivers an equity update.

Read the full letter from MHS Principal Nic Collart below:

Dear McKinleyville Community:

I have always been proud of both graduating from and serving as Principal at McKinleyville High School. My experience has been overwhelmingly positive in both roles. This fall I was honored and entrusted to listen to the stories and experiences of current and former BIPOC students as well their families during their time at McKinleyville High School. Their sharing has both saddened and had a profound impact on me as both a member of our community as well as in my role as Principal, for it is clear, from these listening sessions, that our school has not always provided a safe, nurturing and empowering environment for our BIPOC students, and this must change.  

Our school mission states, “McKinleyville High School fosters an inclusive community where all individuals can excel both personally and academically by empowering learners with meaningful skills in a safe and supportive environment.” We have not upheld this promise for all of our students. While we cannot change the past, we are dedicated to creating a school that honors and supports all our students from this day forward. We acknowledge harm in the hopes it will help our community heal.

We understand that racism and its impact on our systems and institutions is not an issue specific to MHS, but we recognize our role in it and our responsibility to make change. In order to do this, we are working on staff training, curriculum and the development of policies and procedures in partnership with our BIPOC community to meet the mission of our school for the success of all of our students. All of us want a school where our students have agency, feel connected and honored for who they are, and have all the opportunities and support to prepare them for all that comes after. McKinleyville High was that school for me, and I want to make sure it is that school for everyone. I look forward to making that happen.

If you have any questions about this work or would like to be involved, please feel free to contact me at 707 839-6405 or at ncollart@nohum.k12.ca.us

Sincerely,

Nic Collart
Principal
McKinleyville High School

Emily Marie Perry Ritchey age 18, passed away in a tragic car accident on December 17, 2020. Her sudden and unexpected death is horribly devastating, then add COVID-19 now we cannot gather together to mourn.

Emily was born and raised in Eureka, where she attended Pine Hill and South Bay Elementary School, Zane Junior High and graduated from Eureka High School. She just began her journey as a full-time student at College of the Redwoods in her goal to become a dentist. Emily was a full-time employee at Target where she was starting to blossom and fly into a young adult life.

Emily was an intelligent young woman who loved music and shopping (she loved to spend money). She enjoyed road trips, she loved and would go broke just to get her nails done. Emily had the best bubbly personality. It was contagious. Her laughter would fill the room. She loved joking around. She truly enjoyed life. If she wasn’t working or studying she would be hanging out with family and friends. Some of her favorite places where the beach and local rivers.

Emily will be dearly missed by her father Jeff Ritchey, Mother Vanessa Perry, Brothers Coleton and Eli, Great-grandparents, Papa, Nana, Auntie’s, Uncle’s, Cousins, friends and by so many more…as you can tell by the continuous love pouring out of the community, which is also greatly appreciated.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date… Due to COVID-19.

A private service will be held to place Emily to rest in the next month or two at Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery. At that time Emily’s location will be shared so that friends and family can and we welcome to go mourn in smaller safer groups.

“Remembering you is easy,
I do it everyday,
But missing you is heartache
That never goes away.
I hold you tight within my heart
And there you will remain
Until the joyous day arrives,
That we will meet again.”

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

 

William Whipple, 31, of Eureka, passed away on December 11, 2020 in Bayside.

William Whipple was born in Eureka to Jewel Frank and Andrew “Slim” Whipple on November 22, 1989. He was raised alongside his siblings and family in Bayside. His fiancé Diane Baltzley and he were in a loving relationship since September of 2019.

William had the brightest soul that managed to light up every room he entered, while also brightening the day of anyone who had the privilege in knowing him. A man who gave his one hundred and ten percent into anything he put his mind into, there was nothing he could fail at. A smile that was so contagious he always managed to fill the area with laughter and love. His personality and aura allowed him to become the center of attention wherever he went. William was always on top of the world. William loved his family more than anything and was always someone you could count on, no matter what.

William Whipple is preceded in death by his grandmother, Ada Frank Jones, his uncle namesake, William Whipple, and his grandfather, Clarence “Punky” Whipple as well as several cousins.

William Whipple is survived by fiancé Diane Baltzley and stepson Payton. Loving parents, Jewel Frank and Andrew “Slim” Whipple. Sister Jessica Bradford Eleck and twin sister Raven Whipple. Brothers Domenyc “TJ” Whipple Johnson, Andrew “Cisco” Whipple Jr., Manuel Whipple and Laurence Whipple. Nieces and Nephews Jasmine Eleck, Ardie Eleck IV, Naomi Eleck, Kyanna Longendyck, Maxwell Longendyck, Bear Whipple, Tyler Whipple, Ruby Whipple, Fawn Whipple, Hazel Whipplendace Whipple, Donte Whipple, Manuel “Little Manny” Whipple, Wendi Whipple, Damein Whipple, Andrew Whipple, Colton Whipple and Kain Whipple.

Pallbearers will be Andrew “Slim” Whipple, Andrew “Cisco” Whipple Jr., Manuel Whipple, Laurence Whipple, Domenyc “TJ” Whipple Johnson, Nick Metcalf, Raymond Payton, Jeremy Wildman and Eugene Hatfield. Honorary Pallbearers will be Larry Alameda Sr., Kyle Longendyck and Ardie Eleck III.

The family of William Whipple wishes to extend our sincere thanks to the Yurok Tribe and the Northern California Indian Development Council.

Please join us in saying goodbye to William on Friday January 29, 2021 at the Ocean View Cemetery in Eureka at 1 p.m. All COVID-19 safety precautions will be in place, please wear a mask.

 

Jean Shannon 
Dec. 26, 1927 - Jan. 3, 2021

At 93, Jean succumbed to complications of old age after a long, well-lived life.  

Coming to Humboldt County to operate the Sea Cliff Motel in Trinidad in 1973 was a dream come true for Jean and her husband, Paul. They loved the North Coast and were avid beachgoers. For 30 years they ran their motel, enjoyed the many friendships they formed and listened to the sounds of surf and sea lions.

Jean was born in Bakersfield in 1927. She met her husband Paul at a rival highschool basketball game. When he returned from WWII they married and began a 63-year, love-filled life together.

Jean was a gifted artist, both on canvas and in the garden. Her surroundings were always beautiful, full of flowers and birds. She loved animals and always had her special canine companion by her side.

She will be sorely missed by her two children, Kathy Henry of Arcata and Stephanie Lakin and her husband Jack of Petrolia. She leaves behind six loving grandchildren all with wonderful memories of Trinidad and 12 great-grandchildren: Jim Eddy (Mikie) with LeeAnne, Victoria and Alex; Melissa Sandeen (Steve) with Spencer and Marley; Mark Montgomery (Jen) with Hayden and Morgan; Shaun Montgomery (Laine) with Kira and Kaleb; Orianna Tomlin (Matt) with Reve, Braydon and Brody and Ryan Lakin.

She was preceded in death by her husband Paul.

Her family would like to thank Hospice of Humboldt with all of their loving, caring staff and the First Choice Care Home in Fortuna with their wonderful caregivers that made Jean’s final months so much brighter.

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

Nancy (Corbett) Warden
Jan. 13, 1934-Jan. 20, 2021

Nancy was a lifelong resident of Humboldt County. At the age of 17 she married Wayne the love of her life and shared 49 years together. She and Wayne raised their family of four girls in Carlotta. Wayne passed away in 2001 and life was never the same for her. She lived her last six years in Ferndale where she enjoyed taking her dog Murphy for scooter rides then wheelchair rides around town.

Nancy always loved working with children and spent many years as a teacher’s aide at both Cuddeback and S. Fortuna Elementary School

In her free time she loved gardening, canning, cooking, sewing, knitting and genealogy. She loved animals especially Murphy and enjoyed telling stories about the pet skunk she had named Smelly. She could do just about anything from killing and cooking a chicken to sewing a wedding dress. She loved nothing more than organizing a family reunion that included a potluck with lots of coffee.

Born 1934 to George (Jenny) Corbett and Catherine (Paul) Snell.

Survived by her daughters: Paulina (Arne) Petersen, Nancy Hernandez, Leana (Joe) Flocchini, Denise (Russ) Barnings. Half Sisters: Grace (Danny) Dill, Diane (John Enos) Reading, Janet (John) Mattson. 10 Grandchildren, 16 Great Grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Preceded in death by Gilbert Wayne Warden (husband), Timothy Wayne Warden (son), George and Jenny Corbett, Paul and Catherine Snell (Parents), Nina Brown (sister), Gus and Mike Snell (half brothers), Freda Grubbs, Colleen Foster and Farrell Swain (step siblings)

A Very Special THANK YOU to Dr Tamara Dennis, Ferndale Fire Department, Tom Renner and Pat Cowan.

There will be no memorial gathering so please “Just stop and smell the roses.” Memorial contribution may be made in Nancy’s honor to the Ferndale Volunteer Fire Department.

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

A travel blogger from Hawaii incited a wave of backlash from Humboldters after he trash-talked Arcata and Eureka on his mildly-popular Instagram page last week.

Noah Lang, a self-described climber and landscape photographer, blasted Humboldt’s most populous cities while allegedly traveling through the Pacific Northwest for pleasure last week despite the ongoing pandemic.

“I think this might have been my favorite day on the whole trip minus our terrible night prior!” Lang wrote in the Instagram post featuring photos taken along Avenue of the Giants. “I say terrible night because like I said in my stories before, Arcata and Eureka are horrible disgusting towns that surround such a beautiful area.”

The post has received more than 600 comments so far, many of them from angry locals coming to Humboldt’s defense. Lang doubled-down on his negativity in the post’s comments section, defending his opinion and his decision to travel during the pandemic.

“lol I don’t care about covid and that’s my opinion vs yours so just leave it at that, and I live in a place fueled far more than humboldt by tourism so don’t think I don’t understand,” he wrote. “I’ve been twice to understand what I’m talking about and I stand by it.”

Lang also shared a post from Redwood National and State Parks in September of 2020, although it’s unclear if he was visiting Humboldt at that time or if he shared a photo from a previous visit.

Humboldters who want to add to the discussion can find the post via Lang’s Instagram handle: @noahawaii.

UPDATE, Jan. 27:

The Trinidad City Council voted 3-2, opting not to participate in the feasibility study from the Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District. 

Councilmember Tom Davies made the motion not to pursue the pipeline option, earning support from Councilmember Jack West and Mayor Steve Ladwig while Councilmembers Richard Clompus and Dave Grover voted in favor of the pipeline study, according to Ted Pease, a member of the Humboldt Alliance for Responsible Planning (HARP). 

The majority of public comment was opposed to the pipeline.

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Original post:

PREVIOUSLY: 

• Coastal Commission Gives Green Light to 100-Room Hotel on Trinidad Rancheria … as Long as the Tribe Can Find a Reliable Water Supply
• The City of Trinidad and the Trinidad Rancheria Are at Odds Again Over the Water Supply for the Tribe’s Hotel Project
  
• City Pumps Brakes on Trinidad Rancheria’s Request for Water; Will Draft Policy Before Continuing Formal Negotiations Over New Hotel Development
• Trinidad Rancheria Asks for Pipeline Extension to Get Water Via Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District

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The Trinidad City Council on Tuesday will consider whether to participate in a feasibility study for a project that would bring a steady flow of water to the city from the Mad River via a new pipeline. 

The Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District (HBMWD), which supplies water to Eureka, Arcata, McKinleyville, Blue Lake and other area communities, is in the early stages of researching the possibility of expanding its service area north via a waterline extension at least as far north as the Trinidad Rancheria, where tribal leaders have been searching for a reliable water source to supply a proposed five-story, 100-room hotel near Cher-Ae Heights Casino.

Trinidad’s water is currently supplied by Luffenholtz Creek, which rises and falls fairly dramatically with seasonal rainfall. During recent drought years, it has fallen to particularly low levels. City leaders, conducting long-range water planning, have identified the HBMWD as a possible source of “water resilience.”

However, some area residents, including Fifth District Supervisor Steve Madrone, are vehemently opposed to the pipeline proposal because they believe it could pave the way for future development that could spoil the region’s rural charm, and in recent days they’ve been sending letters to the Trinidad City Council urging it to shun the proposal. 

In a letter sent dated Monday, for example, Edward C. Pease, who lives northeast of city limits, says, “Once unlimited (untreated) water is available, forested hillsides from Moonstone to Big Lagoon that are now unsuited for development suddenly become prime building lots, and the area will be prime for a development boom. Such development would destroy the Trinidad area, and make us just another bustling California coastal town.”

A group of activists aligned under the banner of the Humboldt Alliance for Responsible Planning (HARP) has steadfastly fought against the proposed hotel on Trinidad Rancheria property, and now they’re speaking out against the pipeline. 

One member of that group, Trinidad area resident Jane Williams, began her letter to the council in all caps:

“I AM UNEQUIVOCALLY AND PERPETUALLY AGAINST UNLIMITED GROWTH NORTH OF LITTLE RIVER!” it reads. “I am asking the city council to not EVER get involved with bringing water in pipelines north of Little River.”

Madrone, in his own letter to the council and community, says that while all locals are concerned about water resiliency for the greater Trinidad area, the best solution would be to focus on increasing rainwater collection and hard tank storage. The pipeline, by contrast, would induce growth, he argues.

“Increased growth means increased crowds in town and at beaches and on trails,” his letter states. “Imagine the kinds of crowds we saw this summer being here all year long and even bigger in the summer. Our community is at a critical juncture in deciding what kind of community we want in the future.”

Reached by phone on Monday, Trinidad City Clerk Gabriel Adams said these pleas are misplaced. The council, he said, isn’t considering the pipeline project per se; it’s merely considering whether to participate in the feasibility study upon which HBMWD has already embarked.

“This is merely a fact-finding mission,” Adams said. “This is just [asking], ‘Hey, do you want more information?’”

The staff report on this matter takes an even stronger tone.

“The concern of rampant development is not realistic, especially for the City of Trinidad,” it says. “The City is only a square mile and has very few undeveloped parcels. On top of that, a City has control over its own development and can limit future development through zoning and planning.”

The report also brings raises the prospect of worsening droughts due to climate change. 

“We can’t leave ourselves high and dry,” it states.

Opponents to the pipeline, of course, are concerned about growth beyond Trinidad city limits, including in and around Westhaven, Moonstone Beach and north to Big Lagoon. But Adams said the lack of public sewage service to the region restricts growth. 

“There will always be that thumb on development,” he said.

In a December 4 letter to the Trinidad City Council, HBMWD General Manager John Friedenbach said now is the time for the city to get involved if it wants to have a say in how big the proposed pipeline might be — and thus how many customers it could potentially serve.

“If a potential waterline to the Rancheria is sized only for their consumption needs, the possibility of a further extension to the City of Trinidad will be very unlikely and will cost considerably more,” Friedenbach’s letter states. 

Of course, “very unlikely” is exactly how some area residents hope to keep this proposal. 

The Trinidad City Council meeting, which will be held remotely via Webex, is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. To participate, you can join the meeting from a link on the city’s website.