Press release from Rep. Jared Huffman’s office:

Washington, D.C. – On Wednesday, January 13, 2021 Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) delivered remarks on the Floor of the House of Representatives in support of H.Res. 24, impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for incitement of insurrection.  Below are the Congressman’s remarks:

Representative Huffman: Madam Speaker, history is watching and saving the receipts. Today, my colleagues across the aisle must choose which side of a very bright line they want to be recorded on for all time.

On one side: lies, sedition, inciting and supporting insurrection and domestic terrorism.

The other side: your oath of office, the constitution, democracy, decency.

There is no middle ground.

Today, we make history forever. So choose well. A vote to impeach Donald Trump means years from now, you can look your grandchildren in the eye and say ‘I did the right thing’.
I yield back.

The county’s Community Emergency Response Teams are volunteer organizations that assist in times of crisis. This message from the McKinleyville CERT team says that they — and indeed, CERT teams throughout the county — are always looking for new members.

Interested? Here’s what CERT Teams do, and here’s how you can sign up:

HOW WILL YOU RESPOND WHEN DISASTER STRIKES?

While dealing with the pandemic, Humboldt County has also had to deal with other emergencies and disasters such as fires and wildfires, power outages and blackouts, as well as floods. And, here on the North Coast, there is always the possibility of severe winter storms, earthquakes, tsunamis, and active shooter incidents among other unpredictable events. What will you do to help protect yourself, your loved ones, family and friends during such times?

There are CERT Teams (Community Emergency Response Teams) around the County that have been trained in Disaster and Emergency Preparedness to help others during times of need. Many of its members initially joined to learn what to do to keep themselves and their family safe as it was recognized that we cannot help others if we do not know how to help ourselves. If you have an interest in a free training to become a CERT member, the best way to begin would be by contacting Linda Nellist, Chair of the Humboldt CERT Coalition – humboldtcert@gmail.com. You will leave the training with information, skills, as well as equipment that could help you and your community achieve successful outcomes during times of disasters.

The McKinleyville CERT alone put in over 380 hours in 2020 helping out Humboldt County. Fortunately, there were no emergency events in McKinleyville itself, but there were significant needs throughout the County and McKinleyville’s team responded in the following ways:

1. Assisted the Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services (OES) with delivery of PPE (personal protective equipment) to a variety of Medical Centers and Health Care Facilities as well as to Police and Fire Fighters;
2. Assisted at Food For People by culling and sorting foodstuff to help ensure freshness and viability and delivery during drive-thru distribution;
3. Assisted the Red Cross during the wildfire season at the Shelter Evacuation Center in Ferndale, including set up and tear down;
4. Assisted the OES with set-up and upgrade of an Alternative Care Site in the event that our CoVid cases exceed hospital capacity.

In addition, McKinleyville’s CERT Team Leader, Cliff VanCott, helped to train the new Bridgeville CERT team last February, prior to the Co-Vid shut down.

There is always more to report and you will hear from CERT again next month. Until then, stay well and be safe!

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $227 billion California spending plan is setting records in more ways than one.

Were his budget proposal approved by lawmakers as is, the state would spend an unprecedented amount to fend off poverty, eviction and K-12 education loss for California’s most vulnerable residents in the 2021-22 fiscal year. And that would be funded, in part, by unparalleled tax revenues from the soaring income growth and stock market gains that the richest Californians enjoyed this year.

“Folks at the top are doing pretty damn well,” Newsom said Friday. “But I don’t begrudge that success, I admire and respect it.”

The last recession led to a major dip in state tax revenue. This one is on track to top its spending limit for only the second time in California history. Under the arcane cap known as the Gann Limit, the state can’t spend more tax revenue per Californian than it did in 1978, adjusted for inflation. Any state revenue over that cap must be split between investments in schools and rebates to taxpayers, which could pencil out to roughly $1.70 per person.

Two main factors drive the governor’s predictions of Gann-limit-busting revenue.

First, California’s tax system is considered among the most progressive in the country, meaning that state taxes take a bigger bite, as a percentage, out of wealthy Californians’ incomes and wealth gains than most other states and invest it in social programs. Depending on your fiscal attitude, you may view this form of income redistribution as a sign of California’s commitment to equity. Or you might see an unhealthy reliance on a tiny sliver of the population to fund social programs, while throttling economic growth.

Second, California’s top earners, largely tech moguls in the Bay Area, have made a killing during the pandemic. One in four American billionaires live in California. They gleaned about 40% of the wealth that U.S. billionaires added between Mar. 18 and Dec. 7, according to a CalMatters analysis of Forbes’ billionaires database. In fact, the riches that California billionaires gained during those nine months could almost fund two years of state spending.

In a sense, the state’s progressive tax structure is doing exactly what it’s supposed to do: reap billions from the wealthiest to fund the state’s safety net — and that’s without a wealth tax that some progressive lawmakers have rallied around and that Newsom definitively promised is “not part of the conversation.” But it reveals the deep irony of how a pandemic that has stripped livelihoods, good health and housing security from millions of Californians has also helped fatten the pockets of California’s wealthiest and, thus, the state’s coffers.

While Newsom is asking that lawmakers vote to approve about $5 billion immediately — to help schools reopen safely, send $600 stimulus payments to low-wage workers who file taxes, and keep small businesses afloat with loans — and another $6.5 billion this spring, lawmakers have until mid-June to negotiate a finalized budget before the the new fiscal year kicks off on July 1.

These five charts pulled from Newsom’s spending plan show how California’s wealth gap is getting worse:

1. The income gap has grown faster in California than in the country as a whole

2. The richest Californians have seen record wealth gains this year

3. California increasingly taxes the wealthy to fund safety net programs

4. Those that already worked paycheck to paycheck have been hit hardest

5. Income inequality and racial inequality are two sides of the same coin

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This article is part of the California Divide, a collaboration among newsrooms examining income inequality and economic survival in California.

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

David D. Noel, age 85, loving husband, father and grandfather passed away in his home, surrounded by family on December 22, 2020. He passed away from cancer after an almost four-year battle. He was born July 15, 1935 to parents Mary and Clarence Noel.

David was a proud veteran of the Unites States Air Force. He served his country proudly for nie years. He was originally stationed at Duluth Minnesota Airbase, where he would meet his wife of 62 years, Marlys. He met his longtime love through a friend that was dating his sister. They married on May 11, 1957 in Duluth, Minn. David and Marlys moved to Porterville, Calif. a few months after they married to be closer to David’s family. Due to David’s time in the Air Force they later traveled to Hahn, Germany where David was stationed for two years. Throughout their years together they welcomed six children into the world. They later migrated north to Humboldt County, where they would make their permanent home. They have lived in Fortuna for the last 34 years.

David was a jet mechanic in the Air Force for several years. Often David loved telling stories of his days in the Air Force to his family. He worked for Noel’s TV in Eureka and later opened up his own shop in Fortuna with his boys. He retired at the age of 77, but always kept a hand in the business. He loved talking with his customers and enjoyed fixing things.

David was an avid fisherman. There was nothing he loved more than early mornings out on the water. He, and his sons, spent countless hours out on the ocean fishing. On one of his great fishing adventures, David caught a 96-pound halibut, one of truly many days on the water to remember. He was also known for his green thumb; he was able to grow an incredible garden every year. Even chemo and hospital stays couldn’t keep him out of his garden. He had a love for animals as well. Throughout the years he had a slew of cats, dogs and rabbits.

David was a quiet man, never one to judge, slow to speak, quick to listen. He had a fuse a mile long. He loved spending time with his family during Sunday dinners and holidays. He was the one who always carried a camera or camcorder in order to capture memories for the family. David was an amazing Yahtzee player; he spent a lot of time playing Yahtzee and cards with his kids and grandkids.

David is preceded in death by his parents Mary and Clarence Noel, his sisters Faye Noel, Model Boone, Noran Yow , Margeurite Hutchinson, and his brothers Earl Noel and Buck Noel. He is survived by his wife Marlys Noel, his sister Gail Dickson, his children Mark (Tami) Noel, Dava (Keith) Harvey, Kirk(Julie) Noel, Leon (Glenda) Noel, Dale(Terena) Noel and Gary Noel, as well as 12 grand children and 7 great grandchildren. David was a family man; he loved his family, and they loved and respected him. He will be greatly missed by his family, but his legacy will live on through them. His family finds comfort in the fact that he is home with his lord and savior. Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the lord forever.

There are no services for David. Please spend time with your loved ones.

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

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PREVIOUSLY: Bohn Asks Fellow Supes to Consider Joining Call for Fewer State COVID Restrictions, Ability to Open Schools ASAP

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Some got what they wanted and others didn’t at Tuesday’s meeting of the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors.

After years of often contentious exchanges with her fellow county officials, Auditor-Controller Karen Paz Dominguez was given board approval to hire more employees — specifically, two full-time accountants — to alleviate what she has described as chronic understaffing in her office.

Things didn’t go quite so smoothly for First District Supervisor Rex Bohn, who wound up withdrawing a controversial COVID-19-related resolution he’d placed on the agenda. He also faced accusations that he has conflicts of interest — or at least the appearance of them — in his bid to be appointed to the California Cannabis Authority. 

The meeting began with Board Chair and Fourth District Supervisor Virginia Bass reading a prepared statement regarding the violent mob of Trump supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday. Calling the attack a “horrific” and “abhorrent” assault on democracy, Bass condemned the group’s actions on behalf of the board. She also commended “the courageous law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol” and led a moment of silence for the two who died.

Sheriff William Honsal also condemned the attack as “unsettling and horrific” and offered assurances that local law enforcement is committed to ensuring community safety from extremists. 

The Healthy Communities Resolution

If Bohn ever felt truly committed to passing the Healthy Communities Resolution, a statement of opposition to California’s COVID-19 restrictions in favor of more local control, his enthusiasm had diminished some by Tuesday morning. Having received loads of negative feedback online and, according to at least one fellow supervisor, via email, Bohn said he merely “brought it forward for discussion” in hopes of giving the Public Health Branch and local school districts more latitude to set their own regulations.

It should be pointed out that the resolution would carry no legal weight or usurp the state’s authority. And local school districts already have the power to determine when and how to resume in-person instruction.

“This is a simple resolution,” Bohn said almost apologetically. He suggested it could be “wordsmithed” or shortened, “or I can just ask to have it removed.”

Third District Supervisor Mike Wilson said he was “wholeheartedly against” the resolution, in part because it would contribute to the lack of cohesion that has characterized the national response to the pandemic. He also tied the resolution to last week’s events at the Capitol, saying it reeked of “toxic individuality.”

Bohn apologized for the timing of the resolution, explaining that he brought it to staff week before last with “no premonition that D.C. would blow up like it did.”

Second District Supervisor Michelle Bushnell said that while she thinks the timing and the resolution itself are probably bad, “I do want to show my support for the idea of local control when our numbers are sufficiently lowering.”

Fifth District Supervisor Steve Madrone said school boards already enjoy local control, and he doesn’t support the resolution. “When you’re in a really good place, that’s not the time to loosen things up,” he said.

Bohn, who took the criticism in stride, pulled the item off the agenda without putting it to a vote.

California Cannabis Authority

Who knew that a seat on this agency would be so coveted?

The CCA is a Joint Powers Authority among counties, sponsored by the California State Association of Counties (CSAC). Its purpose, according to a staff report, is to collect and analyze data, help local governments comply with state regulations and provide information to financial institutions that want to work with the industry.

Previously, former Supervisor Estelle Fennell held the county’s seat, with Treasurer-Tax Collector John Bartholomew serving as the alternate. Fennell’s November election loss left a seat open, and at the Jan. 5 Board of Supervisors meeting several board members expressed interest — especially Bohn and Madrone.

On Tuesday, Madrone made an aggressive case for himself, largely by suggesting (without naming him directly) that Bohn’s familial connections to the industry should disqualify him. (The First District Supervisor’s adult son, Trevor, has active business interests in the cannabis industry.)

“Neither I nor any member of my family is involved in commercial cannabis,” Madrone said, adding, “The public’s trust turns on whether they perceive our actions to be promoting the public’s interests as opposed to our own.” He touted his training on conflict-of-interest policy and read aloud some provisions for public employees.

Clerk of the Board Kathy Hayes interjected to say she’d received an email from the CCA executive director/attorney, Greg Turner, which said that while the agency is currently revising and updating its own conflict-of-interest policy, industry connections are by no means disqualifying. 

“I don’t want to discourage a [Board of Supervisors] member from participating who is engaged in or connected to cannabis businesses,” Turner’s email states. “We want them.”

Bohn pushed back against the conflict-of-interest allegations, saying he just won reelection by a healthy margin, so his constituents clearly aren’t worried about that issue. 

“To try to disparage my family and myself continuously is quite unnerving,” Bohn said. Nevertheless, he grudgingly acquiesced, saying, “Steve, you can do this,” though he added a parting shot: “Kick and scream and throw me under the bus every chance you get; I’m all for it.”

The vote to appoint Madrone and Bartholomew was unanimous.

Auditor-Controller’s Office Staffing

For the past few months, the county’s Human Resources Department, led by Director Linda Le, has been researching the fine print of job requirements, staffing levels and classifications for positions in the Auditor-Controller’s Office. This work was necessary, according to HR staff, to give the Board of Supervisors the information necessary to consider Paz Dominguez’s requests for additional staff.

At today’s meeting, Le said the work has been completed, and she recommended giving Paz Dominguez some help in the form of a full-time supervising accountant-auditor and a full-time senior accountant-auditor.

Her staff report suggested that these positions should be approved only for an unspecified but “limited” duration. That’s because the county should really undertake a comprehensive, countywide staffing study — a “realignment endeavor” aimed at making the whole county run more efficiently, Le said. 

But in the meantime, Le said she believes the extra staff would “stabilize operations” in the Auditor-Controller’s Office.

Bohn bitterly noted that the county has already added staff to the office since Paz Dominguez took the helm, but he said, “Let’s give her more.” There’s work that desperately needs to be finished, he said, including a cost allocation plan and closing the books on previous fiscal years. “We’ve got to get this stuff done or we are in financial disaster,” Bohn said. “No ifs, ands or buts.”

Paz Dominguez expressed gratitude for Le’s efforts, and she challenged Bohn’s accounting of her office’s staffing woes, saying two positions allocated to her office remain unfilled while the one accountant who’s been assigned to her was immediately reassigned to the Emergency Operations Center amid the county’s COVID response.

Madrone said he was excited by the opportunity to “start turning a corner” on this divisive issue, and he suggested making the two accountant positions permanent rather than temporary. 

There was some discussion among the board members about whether that would be appropriate, and despite a particularly critical and anonymous public comment accusing Paz Dominguez of being under-qualified, inflexible and obstructionist, the board would up unanimously approving the staffing request. 

Video of College Cove recorded on Sunday by reader Jason Wheeler.

King tides and 30-foot waves have made for some very scary ocean conditions along the North Coast these past few days.

Eureka’s National Weather Service office reports that the hazardous conditions will subside tomorrow, before large westerly swells move into the area on Friday.

A few kind readers have shared their frightening photos and videos of the monster surf with the Outpost. Scroll through the videos below for some recent ocean views along the Humboldt Coast.

Footage of high tide at Moonstone Beach this morning. | Karina Junge

Photos and video taken by Jon Burton-Reesman in Trinidad on Sunday.

Big waves at the North Jetty on Sunday. | Video provided by Jenifer Sherman. (Sherman wanted to include that the dog seen in this video, which is not hers, was unharmed by the waves.)

Aerial footage of waves crashing into an old barn in Centerville yesterday. | Video by Rose Hanan.

Additional footage of a group nearly getting swept away by a large wave at Trinidad State Beach last week. | Rose Hanan

The North and South Jetty. | Aerial photos from around Humboldt County yesterday by Tim Hanan.

The Arcata Marsh.

Centerville Beach.

Humboldt and Arcata Bays.

NWS.

From the Eureka Police Department:

Over the last several months, the Eureka Police Department’s (EPD) Community Safety and Enhancement Team’s (CSET) Park and Waterfront Ranger has received numerous reports of fireworks and loud explosions coming from the area of Bayshore Way in Eureka.

Vitolo.

On January 9, 2021, a report of an explosion near the waterfront trail was received. After speaking with witnesses and reviewing video surveillance from the area, 53-year-old Darin Vitolo of Eureka was identified as the suspect.

On January 11, 2021, CSET and EPD’s Problem Oriented Policing Team (POP) responded to the 1300 block of Bayshore Way for a probation search on Vitolo. During the search of Vitolo’s shipping container, 29 grams of methamphetamine, US Currency, a scale, packaging material, and a pay/owe book were located.

The following items were located during a search of Vitolo’s makeshift workshop: a live explosive device, materials for the manufacturing of explosive components (fuses, containers, tape), tools, and items used to build explosive devices. There were also bulk chemicals which could be used in the making of energetic materials used in explosives. Several exploded devices and commercial firework containers not California approved were also located on the property. All items were consistent with evidence found after previous reports of explosions heard around the waterfront area. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team responded and rendered the functioning explosive device safe. A test conducted at the scene confirmed the device was filled with explosive material.

Vitolo was transported and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility for felon in possession of ammunition, manufacturing of explosives, possession of a destructive device, and controlled substances for sale. At the time of this release, Vitolo remains in custody.

“This type of criminal activity has no place in our community or society and the wanton disregard for the safety of our citizens who were in the vicinity at the time of these explosions is unacceptable. These were not annoying firework explosions. The devices that were built and detonated had the potential to inflict serious injuries to anyone that would have been in close proximity at the time of the explosion. We have reached out to our Federal Law Enforcement partners for assistance in this investigation, which could include the potential for federal prosecution,” said Captain Brian Stephens.