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PREVIOUSLY:

• With Apparent Backing From Danco, Community Group to Propose New Charter High School in Samoa at Special NoHum School Board Meeting Tonight

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At a special Northern Humboldt Union High School District board meeting Tuesday night, petitioners for a new charter high school, named the Samoa Beach Academy, presented plans for their school to the NoHum community. With career and technical education (CTE) at the forefront of their curriculum, the Samoa Beach Academy would cater to both college- and career-bound high school students, with plans to offer three CTE pathways — building and construction trades, health and science medical technology, and business and finance. The petitioners hope to open for the 2021 fall semester, beginning with an enrollment of 150 students that would eventually grow to 400 students over the school’s first few years.

The charter’s presentation on Tuesday was brief (see the petition here or a summary here). Though a couple community members appeared in support of the idea, it was mostly met with concerns during public comment. Voicing worries about enrollment, a few teachers (many of whom prefaced their remarks with nods to the importance of CTE) suggested that NoHum should expand existing CTE programs rather than opening a whole new school.

With current enrollment at 1,665, NoHum’s student population would drop by nearly 25 percent if Samoa Beach Academy’s students all come from within the district. (However, living in the district would not be a requirement to enroll.)

“The idea that we could lose even 10 percent of our students is going to have a significant impact,” JoAnn Moore, a teacher at Arcata High, said. “If we lost more than that it would have a profound impact on the electives that we could offer, the funding that we would have, the teachers that we would be able to retain and the opportunities that we would have for our students.”

Likelihood of declined enrollment is not a reason that a governing board could deny the approval of a charter petition in California. The grounds to disapprove a charter include the presentation of an “unsound educational program” or that “petitioners are demonstrably unlikely to successfully implement the program set forth in the petition,” among other things.

Distress about enrollment and the impact the charter might have on existing clubs and classes were echoed by students as well. One Arcata High student expressed concerns about the potential diversity of the Samoa Beach Academy, saying that at such a small school, BIPOC students might feel uncomfortable and unwelcome given that the district isn’t very diverse as it is.

The board will continue to discuss the charter at future meetings. Its final decision is due on March 6.

Marian Jennett Whitten (nee Andrews) passed away on December 17, 2020 in Eureka after a three-year-long battle with cancer. A lifelong resident of Humboldt County, Marian was born in Eureka on February 24, 1950 to Harrison “Pinky” Andrews and Barbara (nee Farr) Andrews. She was the second youngest of their six children.

Marian is survived by her husband Phillip Andrew Whitten Jr. of Eureka, California, her son Joseph Andrew Whitten, her daughter Sandi Jennett Whitten, sons in law Igor Nagez and Ronald Phelps, her grandchildren Jeffrey G. Nagez-Whitten and Joelaine A. Nagez-Whitten all of Las Vegas, Nevada, her sister Kathleen Andrews Johnson of Roseburg Oregon, her sister in law Patricia Norrell (nee Whitten), her Nieces and Nephews Ron Cooper, Michelle Heins, Steven and Jack Wingett, Mark and Darrell Andrews, Kevin, Keith, and Kent Bohlken, Kari Piazza, Brandon Walker, Scott, Delaina and Thomas Andrews, Kim Crosgrove, Diane Castro, Dan and Robert Norrell, Rene Scribner, Tamee Whitten and numerous great nieces and grand nephews. She was preceded in death by her father Harrison “Pinky” Andrews, her mother Barbara Andrews, her brothers Norman and Dennis Andrews, her sister Nancy Andrews Walker, her brother in law Kenneth Whitten, and her nephew Yarnell Cooper Jr.

Marian’s father died in 1963, leaving her family without income at the age of 13. Her mother struggled to raise the family alone, and that had shaped Marian into a strong and resilient woman with a spirit that was loved by all. Later her students would say that she had the type of personality made for working at the school, with just a right amount of kindness and strength wrapped up in one.

Marian graduated in 1968 of Eureka High School and later of Fredrick and Charles Beauty College. She worked as a hairdresser from the age of 19. Due to a back injury Marian had to change her career, and later worked for the animal shelter, McGarghan’s clothing store, and operated a daycare, which led her to a career of working with students. In 1985 she moved with her family to Willow Creek, where she was employed by the Klamath Trinity Unified School District as a school secretary at Hoopa Valley High School until she retired in 2012. She was loved and adored by many of her students and teachers alike, whom she always treated as her own family.

Marian met the love of her life Phillip Andrew Whitten Jr. in 1977 and married him on January 27, 1980. They raised two children Joseph Andrew Whitten (married to Igor Nagez) from Las Vegas and Sandi Jennett Whitten (married to Ronald Phelps) from Las Vegas, and they have two grandchildren Jeffrey G. Nagez-Whitten and Joelaine A. Nagez-Whitten. She was a loving parent and grandmother who never stopped caring about her kids.

Marian was a passionate lover of animals and over the years adopted many of them, including her surviving dog J-lo and cat Toby. She loved to travel but had not completed her great plans to travel the country in her fifth wheel.

This was Marian’s favorite poem:

The Pasture
BY ROBERT FROST

I’m going out to clean the pasture spring;
I’ll only stop to rake the leaves away
(And wait to watch the water clear, I may):
I sha’n’t be gone long.—You come too.

I’m going out to fetch the little calf
That’s standing by the mother. It’s so young,
It totters when she licks it with her tongue.
I sha’n’t be gone long.—You come too.

Due to the ongoing pandemic Marian’s memorial service will be held at a later undetermined date, which will be publicly announced on her Facebook page, once known. Meanwhile everyone is encouraged to post stories and memories of Marian on her Facebook page, which has been made public, for all of us to share and remember her.

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

After hours of discussion and hearing from dozens of community members during a meeting on Tuesday night, Eureka City Council unanimously adopted a resolution allowing for mobile syringe exchange programs (SEPs) to operate within city limits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The decision, which follows the council’s recent vote to temporarily ban SEPs entirely, amends the city’s local emergency declaration related to the pandemic to temporarily allow for mobile-only exchange, until the council can rewrite and adopt a more permanent syringe ordinance.

Although the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) — not subject to city jurisdiction — has continued to operate a SEP in Eureka, City Manager Miles Slattery said that the program is strained. “While they have increased to three days and have seen a lot more people, they don’t feel that they’re meeting the need,” Slattery said, citing a conversation he had with Public Health Director Michelle Stephens.

In addition to requiring that SEPs only operate on a mobile basis, the resolution requires that SEPs adhere to a strict one-for-one needle exchange per visit — meaning participants can only receive one new needle for every used one handed in.

Many members of the community, including medical and public health professionals and representative from the Humboldt Center Area for Harm Reduction (HACHR) — urged the council to not approve the resolution, saying that it is too restrictive and not in the best interest of those who use syringe services, especially during a pandemic.

Alessandra Ross, an injection drug use specialist from the state Office of AIDS, said that requiring a one-for-one exchange would not reduce needle litter and would increase the risk of disease through needle-sharing and reuse. “The evidence for this is really solid and there is consensus within the public health, medical and scientific community that one-for-one is not effective as litter prevention and it’s certainly dangerous as disease prevention,” she said to the council.

HACHR Executive Director Lasara Firefox Allen also voiced concern over several of the proposed restrictions, including not allowing credit accrual — meaning when someone brings in old needles, the organization operating the exchange will keep track of the number turned in and the participant is able to receive new ones during a different visit. So if someone brings in, say, 200 needles, they can take 10 new ones and have a 190 credit. Allen said that this is a crucial component of syringe exchange because it encourages people to clean up others’ syringes, while allowing participants to carry fewer syringes on them at a time.

After a long and somewhat convoluted discussion, the council ultimately decided to allow syringe credit, but with a cap of 100 syringes — meaning that, regardless of the number of syringes a person returns to the exchange, the cannot have an accrued credit of more than 100 syringes.

The resolution requires that any organization wishing to operate a mobile SEP submit a detailed operations plan for review and approval by the city council at a public meeting. Though HACHR is currently the only organization — other than the county DHHS — that operates a syringe exchange locally, Slattery said that there was potential interest from another organization.

In a statement sent out this afternoon HACHR said that although it “categorically opposes the restrictive measures taken by city council,” the nonprofit still plans to apply to operate a mobile exchange, and that it “will do whatever it takes to get services — even if they are compromised from a public health perspective — to our population.”

You can read the full press release from HACHR below:

On 1/5/21, against the advice and request of many specialists including doctors, representatives from California Department of Public Health (CDPH), harm reductionists, and concerned citizens from all sides of the issue, Eureka City Council voted into effect a vastly restrictive emergency resolution amendment governing SEP operations within the city limits. HACHR opposed this amendment not only on our own behalf, but also on the behalf of any future non-profit SEPs who may wish to operate in the City of Eureka. We are further concerned about the precedent set by the actions taken by city council, many of which are a solid overreach, and all of which toss the science of harm reduction to the side.

HACHR categorically opposes the steps taken which limit access to syringe services; a practice which is dangerous at any time, but is even more dangerous in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic which —according the CDC— is bringing to bear new clusters of HIV infection across the US. Current recommendations designed by the CDC and the CDPH Office of AIDS to address these spikes include reduced restrictions, and reduced barriers to access. 

The city manager crafted, and Eureka City Council voted in, an amendment that stands in stark opposition to these recommendations.

According to the Vulnerability Assessment released by CDPH in November of 2020, Humboldt is in the highest risk categories for HIV and Hepatitis C infection spikes. This amendment restricts the distribution of syringes to a strict 1:1 protocol, as opposed to the needs-based methodologies supported and recommended by the CDC and CDPH. Further, the amendment caps the credit system for syringes brought in at 100, a number that was chosen arbitrarily, punishes participant’s positive behavior, and will likely result in a decrease in HACHR program participants performing voluntary cleanup duties.

While HACHR has always practiced a 1:1 exchange, it has been done so voluntarily and in direct response to community concerns. We recognize that a needs-based exchange model is what is recommended by public health officials and harm reduction specialists. HACHR also has a well-established credit system that encourages our participants to bring in additional discarded syringes they find along with ones used for personal use and get credit for future needs. This credit system is a 1:1 system, and one which works for our population to incentivise voluntary syringe cleanup in our community.

The new requirement created by the city council is even more restrictive than a 1:1 protocol, working in direct contradiction to the recommendations of public health officials. The amendment puts a cap of 100 needles for credit, meaning that if a participant brings in 150 used needles, for example, and can only carry away 20 that day, the remaining credit that would normally be 130 would instead be 100. This is damaging for all participants — especially folks who live in more remote locations and may come in only rarely. Some participants bring in a large volume all at once and do not want to get the whole number back in one visit.

The credit system as designed by HACHR is a logical and fair way to participate in a 1:1 exchange protocol without penalizing participants for the desired behavior of conducting voluntary syringe litter cleanup. There are currently 187 people in HACHR’s credit system that will unfairly lose the majority of their accrued credit in the past year due to these dangerous and restrictive measures, further damaging already fragile relationships which have been eroded by past measures taken by city council.

Amidst varied requirements including spatial considerations and written permission for use of any site for mobile SEP services, the amendment also requires that each SEP make a proposal to be considered for emergency operation and bring it to a publicly noticed city council meeting. You can rest assured that there will be more five-hour council meetings in our collective future.

While HACHR categorically opposes the restrictive measures taken by city council we will still apply to operate under these draconian measures within the city, because we will do whatever it takes to get services —even if they are compromised from a public health perspective— to our population

A few dozen Trump supporters gathered at the Humboldt County Courthouse this afternoon to wave flags and hold sings in unison with the mob of political extremists that raided the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C. today.

Outpost reporters Andrew Goff and Ryan Burns report that the courthouse crowd has since dispersed.

Pro-Trump rioters shatter a window at the US Capitol and enter the building https://t.co/7V2SR34L6F pic.twitter.com/wxkZCA7B1A

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) January 6, 2021

Meanwhile, the U.S. Capitol Building remains in lockdown after Trump supporters stormed the building following the president’s rally in D.C. this morning.

According to multiple reports, one person was shot to death inside the Capitol Building during the riot. However, not much information is available at this time.

While the mob was seemingly motivated by the president’s ongoing tirade of inaccurate claims about the legitimacy of the 2020 Presidential Election, President Trump later issued a pre-recorded statement where he continued to push anti-democratic sentiments while also asking the rioters to “go home.”

pic.twitter.com/Pm2PKV0Fp3

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2021

President-elect Joe Biden also spoke at a live press conference today where he called for the chaos in the capitol to stop and for President Trump to “step up” in response to the riots.

“Our democracy in under unprecedented assault,” Biden said.

WATCH LIVE: President-elect Joe Biden holds a news conference in Delaware. https://t.co/Wrg0u2X8vo

— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) January 6, 2021

North Coast Congressman Jared Huffman issued multiple statements on social media while on lockdown in the Capitol Building today, calling the riot an act of “terrorism.”

“Today, our country and democracy were attacked by domestic terrorists, egged on by Trump,” Huffman said. “But we will not be intimidated into abandoning our Constitutional duty. Once the Capitol has been secured, we will continue our work to certify the election results.”

My staff and I are safe. I am incredibly grateful to the first responders struggling to protect us.

I never could have imagined I would be riding out a violent coup attempt led by a president.

This is terrorism, and Donald Trump is responsible.

— Rep. Jared Huffman (@RepHuffman) January 6, 2021

From the Humboldt County Joint Information Center:

The California Department of Public Health Director late yesterday issued a Health Order intended to maintain quality of care in hospitals experiencing a surge in COVID-19 patients by increasing the availability of intensive care unit (ICU) and other hospital beds statewide.

The Order outlines two measures to reduce the strain on hospitals: the immediate cancellation of most elective surgeries, and the ability to transfer patients between counties, regions and the state as a whole. Counties are subject to the stoppage of surgical procedures if the following conditions are met:

• The county falls under the regional stay-at-home order
• The region’s ICU capacity is at 0%

• The county’s ICU capacity is under 10%.

While the Health Order authorizes patients to be transferred to other hospitals, including into and out of Humboldt County, Health Officer Dr. Ian Hoffman said he believes the most immediate impact will be an increase in hospital capacity statewide as many surgical procedures are canceled.

He stated that the intent of the order is to avoid crisis care standards throughout the state by freeing up nearby resources, not to move patients from one end of the state to the other.

“This order is meant to help severely impacted hospitals and regions free up space by stopping elective procedures in those areas, allowing for better transfer of patients within that county or region,” he said. “Elective surgeries in Humboldt will not be immediately impacted because we don’t meet the state’s criteria at this time.”

Dr. Hoffman went on to say that this is another sign that the pandemic is depleting the resources of health care systems. “We’re not only talking about patients with COVID. All of us could feel the impacts if our hospitals are overwhelmed,” he said. “That’s why we have to double down on our efforts to keep from spreading this virus.” Dr. Hoffman urged residents of Humboldt County to help keep each other healthy by staying home as much as possible, keeping at least 6 feet of distance from people outside of one’s household and wearing a facial covering at all times in public.

Read the Order in full here:

https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/Order-of-the-State-Public-Health-Officer-Hospital-Surge_1-5-2021.aspx.

For the most recent COVID-19 information, visit cdc.gov or cdph.ca.gov. Local information is available at humboldtgov.org or during business hours by contacting the Joint Information Center at covidinfo@co.humboldt.ca.us or 707-441-5000.

On Wednesday Dick Taylor Chocolates revealed big plans for 2021: They are expanding! After two years in the making, Humboldt’s decade-old craft chocolate company has put the finishing touches on a deal that will move their operations from their current Fourth Street home into the old Co-op building at the corner of E and First streets along Eureka’s waterfront.

“We are so excited to finally be able to announce that we have closed escrow on on the new future home of Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate!” Dick Taylor co-founder Dustin Taylor wrote on the company’s Facebook page.

The building that will become Dick Taylor’s new home has been vacant for decades, having last housed the Eureka Co-op back in the 1990s. More recently, it was purchased by a couple, Pierre LeFuel and Karen Banning, who began renovations on the structure, but those efforts ceased with LeFuel’s untimely death. 

Read Dustin Taylor’s full statement from the DT Facebook page below:

We are so excited to finally be able to announce that we have closed escrow on on the new future home of Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate!! This beautiful building which is located in the heart of Old Town Eureka on the boardwalk and dates back to the late 1800s. This property has been vacant for a few decades and is so ready to be restored to the gem that it once was.

Adam and I have both lived in Eureka for many years, and it brings us such joy to be given the opportunity to not only fix up a beautiful piece of architecture but to also bring much needed new life to our historic old town water front. Thanks to all involved in making this happen for us!

PREVIOUSLY: 

• (AUDIO) HUMBOLDT HOLDING UP: Fudge Pops and Barn Tunes with Dick Taylor Chocolate/Huck Flint’s Adam Dick

Southern Humboldt resident Ryan Anthony Tanner has been scheduled for a May jury trial on 13 charges ranging from murder to domestic violence.

Defense attorney Russ Clanton entered not gully pleas on Tanner’s behalf this morning during an arraignment before Judge John Feeney.

 

Tanner, 33, was held to answer after a lengthy preliminary hearing last month. The jury trial is set to begin May 17, with a trial confirmation on May 3. Clanton, appearing via Zoom, said he has a full trial schedule but will try to work around the date scheduled.

Tanner is accused of shooting 26-year-old Jason Todd Garrett to death with an assault rifle on Feb. 13. He also is charged with kidnapping Garrett and setting fire to the truck he had been riding in. The sole eyewitness, Christopher Champagne, testified he saw Tanner force Garrett into a bathtub and shoot him in the head. Champagne admitted to helping bury the body on Tanner’s property on Crooked Prairie Road in the Ettersburg area. The body was exhumed after Champagne went to law enforcement, and Tanner was arrested shortly afterward.

The domestic violence charge relates to an alleged attack on Champagne’s mother, who was Tanner’s girlfriend at the time.

This morning Deputy District Attorney Jessica Acosta appeared for the People. Acosta and Deputy District Attorney Whitney Timm are prosecuting the case.

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