Jesse William Dalrymple of Willow Creek died of lung cancer on November 11, 2020. He was born September 23, 1952 in Dunkirk, N.Y. to Bill and Betty Dalrymple. He grew up in Fredonia, NY with his two sisters Arlene and Darlene.

Jesse joined the Marine Corps in 1969 honorably serving four years stationed in North Carolina. It is fitting that he passed on Veteran’s Day as he was honored and proud to have served his country. After his time in service, he married Lynne Cronk and moved to Fresno to pursue a degree in forest management. Upon completion of his degree, he moved to Somes Bar, working with the forest service for several years.

His career at the forest service was cut short due to a back injury. He remained in the Orleans/Somes Bar area for 15 years doing odd jobs. It was at this time that he fell in love with the mountains and rivers. In particular, he loved rock hunting, gold panning, fishing and mushrooming.

In 1995, after his divorce from Lynne, he relocated to Willow Creek area with the love of his life, Carol Davis. He continued to be an outdoors man and avid mushroomer. His passion for mushroom hunting led him to be locally known as the Mushroom King, a title he help proudly.

He is survived by his two sisters, Arlene and Darlene, four children, Aja Dalrymple, Lucy Szostkiewicz, Kyle Dalrymple, Carly Dalrymple, and two step children, Becky Davis and James Davis. He was preceded in death by his parents Bill and Betty Darlymple.

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The Outpost stopped by the Sequoia Park Zoo earlier today to attend to something other than a newly hatched baby flamingo, but the fact remains that we did encounter a baby flamingo. In our very reasonable brains, then, it seems wholly appropriate that we show you said baby flamingo. 

Here, readers, is that baby flamingo. We are friends. That is all. 

It’s figuring out how to do that flamingo-stand-on-one-leg thing hcjksdhjksd! 

UPDATE, Nov. 24:

The Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services reports that the Subway has gone through the proper inspection process and has officially been approved to reopen.

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The Subway located at the shopping center on Myrtle and West Avenues in Eureka was shut down by the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services yesterday for operating without a valid permit.

According to the inspection report, the business had been closed since March, when the Humboldt County Shelter in Place Order went into effect. 

This business submitted a change of ownership permit application on September 21. However, the store’s general manager reportedly never scheduled a mandatory inspection prior to reopening the business.

“Per employee, [the] store just reopened today at 12:30 p.m,” the inspection report reads.

The health inspector also cited the business for using a sandwich preparation table that was reportedly not in working order, and for improperly using ice to refrigerate some of the food.

“Food holding temperatures are being maintained with ice,” the report reads. “Observed ice in plastic shopping bags, not in direct contact with metal food containers.”

DHHS has advised the Subway to contact its office for a proper change of ownership inspection once it fixes the aforementioned food preparation issues.

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On Nov. 18, 2020, at about 4:50 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the 3400 block of Chezem Road near Blue Lake for the report of a firearm brandishing with shots fired.

 

Deputies made contact with the 23-year-old male victim on scene, who told deputies that he was sitting in a vehicle outside of a residence on Chezem Road when he heard multiple gunshots coming from nearby. Shortly after the shots were fired, a truck reportedly pulled up near the victim’s vehicle and the driver brandished a firearm at the victim. The suspect then fled the scene.

While on scene, deputies received information that the California Highway Patrol had located the suspect’s vehicle traveling west on Highway 299. Deputies and CHP Officers conducted a felony traffic stop on the vehicle in the area of U.S. Highway 101 and Sunset Avenue. The driver, 55-year-old Berry Chiefton Buzzard, was taken into custody without incident.

During a search of the vehicle, deputies located a loaded firearm matching the description given by the victim.

Buzzard was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of exhibiting a firearm (PC 417(A)(2)), carrying a loaded firearm in a public place (PC 25850(A)), felon in possession of a firearm (PC 29800(A)(1) and carrying a concealed dirk or dagger (PC 21310).

Anyone with information about this case or related criminal activity 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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Press release from Humboldt Bay Fire:

On Thursday, November 19, 2020 at about 11:00 a.m., a newborn infant was safely surrendered to Humboldt Bay Fire Station 1 in accordance with our Safely Surrendered Baby Program.

Receiving Humboldt Bay Fire personnel performed an initial medical assessment and found the infant in good health. They additionally performed basic cleaning and comfort measures, made necessary notifications, and awaited transport to the hospital for further medical examinations.

The Safely Surrendered Baby Program policy was established in 2013 by Battalion Chief Chris Jelinek who now works for Manteca Fire Department in the Central Valley of California. Despite the over 155-year history of the department in this community, as well as the nearly 8-year-old program, this is the first time in our history that a baby has been surrendered to Humboldt Bay Fire.

All Humboldt Bay Fire Stations are designed as drop-off sites for “safely surrendered babies.” The California Safely Surrendered Baby Law allows a parent or other individual having lawful custody of a child 72 hours or younger to voluntarily surrender physical custody of the child to any firefighter on duty at any of our stations. This may be done discretely without fear of judgement or prosecution for child abandonment.

We are thankful to have had a prepared, caring, and empathetic staff, and we are grateful to be seen as a trustworthy place to turn during such a difficult time.

The hearts, thoughts, and well-wishes of the entire Humboldt Bay Fire family are and will continue to be with the infant and her parent.

Wendy Hensley and Carlos Nunes | HCDTF

Humboldt County Drug Task Force press release: 

On November 19th, 2020, special agents with the Humboldt County Drug Task Force (HCDTF) served a search warrant on a vehicle parked in the area of 8th and L St. in Arcata. This warrant was issued for suspicion of heroin sales.

When agents made contact with the vehicle, the passenger Carlos Nunes (46 years old-Arcata), exited the vehicle and fled on foot. Agents chased Nunes for approx. 3 blocks before they detained him. Other agents detained the driver, Wendy Hensley (46 years old-Eureka), inside the vehicle.

Agents conducted a search of the vehicle and located approx. 1/2 pound of heroin, 2 grams of methamphetamine, and a digital scale. Agents arrested both Nunes and Hensley for possession of heroin for sale (11351 H&S). Nunes was also arrested for resisting arrest (148 PC) and Hensley was arrested for possession of methamphetamine (11377 H&S).

Both suspects were booked at the Humboldt County Jail. Anyone with information related to this investigation or other narcotics related crimes are encouraged to call the Humboldt County Drug Task Force at 707-267-9976.

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Rio Dell Mayor Debra Garnes had the triumphant tone of vindication in her voice — or perhaps it was just civic pride — as she talked about the tax revenues flowing into her city from cannabis businesses.

“We’re one of the few cities that have come through the COVID thing pretty whole, from a financial standpoint — better than we’ve been for a long, long time,” Garnes told the Outpost in a phone interview Wednesday. 

If she was tempted to say “I told you so,” she resisted the urge. But gloating may be warranted.

Four years ago, as a member of the Rio Dell City Council, Garnes was dismayed when three of her fellow council members voted to keep cannabis out of “the warm-hearted city” altogether. The 3-2 vote rejected an ordinance that — with voter approval of a corresponding tax measure — would have allowed limited cultivation on the Dinsmore Plateau overlooking downtown and at the abandoned Eel River Sawmills site across the river to the north. It also would have allowed up to three dispensaries within city limits.

Garnes had been advocating for the city to allow medical marijuana since her election to the council in 2014. 

Garnes. | File photo.

“To me it just made sense to bring into our coffers a legal source of revenue, so that’s really how I started the conversation,” she said. The rest of the council wasn’t exactly receptive.

“I got on the council and there was no talk of it, no inclination towards even looking at it,” Garnes said. However, the tide of public opinion was shifting rapidly. In 2016, California voters passed Prop. 64, legalizing recreational cannabis, and over a series of public meetings in Rio Dell that same year, many residents spoke in favor of Garnes’s recommendation to regulate and monetize an activity that was already taking place. 

Until the night of the vote, Garnes was convinced the ordinance would pass. When it didn’t, she responded with a scathing public letter, saying the majority decision represented “a sad, pathetic statement” by fearful grown men who had displayed a stunning level of fiscal irresponsibility. 

Garnes wasn’t the only person upset by the vote. Developers had purchased property at the old sawmill site, banking on their ability to launch cannabis projects there. Garnes isn’t entirely sure what happened behind the scenes, but in December of 2016, her fellow councilmember Jack Thompson surprised her. Though he’d voted against the ordinance, he revived it — something only those who’d been on the majority side of the vote were allowed to do. Thompson reintroduced the ordinance just as he was finishing out his final term in office. 

The city proceeded to hold more public meetings about cannabis — more than 100 of which have been held to date — and eventually the council decided to give it a try, starting across the Eel River at the old mill site, which was rechristened as the Humboldt-Rio Dell Business Park.

There have been some setbacks — notably, the unexpected (and unrelated) deaths in 2017 of prominent developers Dennis Wendt and Michael Martino, plus major infrastructure hurdles at the industrial property and, of course, complications wrought by COVID-19.

But Rio Dell now finds itself riding high, so to speak, on cannabis. Last year, the city passed a series of reforms aimed specifically at stimulating cannabis industry investments, and Garnes said the city has received three to four times more tax revenue than expected.

City Manager Kyle Knopp told the Outpost recently that those revenues are being put toward the police department and much-needed road repairs. “Overall, I think Rio Dell has done a really good job of setting this up, clearing a path for developers to create good projects that comply with all these new regulations.”

Two cannabis businesses — co-operative manufacturer/distributor Humboldt Brand and cultivator/distributor Humboldt 454 — are up and running at the business park, and a third, with two concentrate extraction labs, was operational for much of last year. There’s now a dispensary downtown with another recently approved by the city’s planning commission. The most ambitious projects are still in the works, and Garnes is fired up.

“We are trying — I am trying like you wouldn’t believe — to make Rio Dell’s image so much better than [it’s been] since I’ve been here, to show that we are to be reckoned with,” she said.

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If you’ve driven past the old mill site at any point over the past year or so, you may have wondered if the whole endeavor had stalled out. Toward the northern end of the long gravel expanse that parallels Hwy. 101 there’s a hulking, three-story gray edifice just sitting there, seemingly vacant, encased in scaffolding and looking distinctly abandoned. (See photo at the top of the post.)

It hasn’t been abandoned. It’s just that, for developer Glenn White — like the rest of us — 2020 hasn’t quite gone as planned.

“There’s a lot of stuff that didn’t happen the way we wish,” he told the Outpost during an interview last week.

When we met up with White, he was working alongside his wife Michelle and an employee he called “Moose” inside a mobile office trailer on his property, one of 16 parcels in the subdivided business park.

A framed photo on the bookshelf behind his desk showed White, young and bearded circa 1984, with his hand raised beside a towering kush plant on his late father’s property in northern Mendocino County. A closer look reveals his dad’s face peeking out from behind the foliage.

White is a developer who has built large-scale projects in SoCal communities such as Santa Barbara, San Diego and Newport Beach, but he has long wanted to return to the Emerald Triangle, where his dad and friends came in the late ‘70s to escape the city and return to the land — and grow weed.

“My focus and everything was to retire [and] be a part of Humboldt,” White said. He owns a home on a 20-acre ranch on a ridge above Rio Dell — “We always laughed and said I could get a zip line to work,” he said — and another ranch in northern Mendocino County.

He purchased his parcel at the business park in 2016, before recreational cannabis had been legalized in the state.

“Everybody’s like, ‘Are you outta your mind? They’re never gonna let you go with that down there,’” White recalled. But his bet paid off, and his companies Humboldt Live Resin (extraction) and Emerald County Statewide (distribution) were the first to be approved in the business park. 

His ambitious plans include three buildings totaling more than 50,000 square feet. Building Three, the one that’s partially built, will include facilities for testing, manufacturing of concentrates and tissue culture cultivation. Building One, next in line for construction, will offer retail sales and a health spa. Building Two, the largest of the three, will function as a distribution headquarters for Emerald County Statewide.

There was a lot of work to be done before he could even begin construction. When White bought the property, the business park had no electricity, no gas and no sewage service. White ended up having to foot the bill for most of that work himself. 

“A lot of stuff seemed simple at first,” he said. “Then you get to it and wow, there’s a lot to it.”

The city and the Fortuna Fire Department wouldn’t approve his three-building development without water — specifically, a 5,000-foot-long pipeline, 10 inches in diameter, to serve as a fire main. White brought up a trusted work crew from SoCal to dig the trench, but when they approached the river they hit a wall.

“We were [saying], ‘What is that? Rock?” White recalled. Turned out to be the remnants of the the old freeway. After the ‘64 flood, rather than repairing the roadway, construction crews simply built a new one on top. White’s crew had to dig through it, adding labor costs to a project that wound up costing him $824,000. And when he was done, he had to deed the infrastructure back to the City of Rio Dell.

Knopp described the pipeline as a major asset for the city. “It has really opened up [possibilities] and put the business park in the fast lane, so to speak,” he said. “It takes a lot of time and money to move those types of projects forward, and to have a private developer do that is really kind of a big deal.”

To offset White’s expenses, the city agreed to place a lien on all parcels where developers may want to tap into the water line. For a period of 15 years, the city won’t issue a commercial business license unless the developers agree to repay White for their portion of the cost, which is approximately $80,000 per connecting parcel, White explained. 

He also experienced unexpected setbacks getting the gas and electrical infrastructure installed, in part due to a series of delays from PG&E, he said. The utility company was beset by wildfires, Public Safety Power Shutoffs, liability lawsuits and bankruptcy. 

“They had valid excuses,” White said.

White’s crew had to install an underground vault to pull power up from behind the Humboldt Brand property. On the morning we visited the property last week a PG&E employee was onsite, finally hooking up the transmission lines. 

White also faced setbacks from the pandemic. “COVID definitely took a hit on us,” he said. The business loans he’d lined up for his three-building development got delayed multiple times and finally canceled as investors retreated during the health crisis. 

”We had financing already approved, letters, et cetera. Then when COVID hit, that week [the loan approvals] got delayed, delayed, then died away,” he said.

After experiencing his own financial setbacks with projects in Southern California, White is now back on track, focusing on his Rio Dell cannabis projects. “Weve got some pretty big backers that will push the whole thing through,” he said. He’s aiming to have his operations in all three buildings up and running by 2022.

Meanwhile, there are some even more ambitious developments being developed in the business park. On the parcel next to White’s, for example, Redway-based Humboldt High Grade has plans for a two-story, 62,000-square-foot building with a retail nursery, a processing and distribution facility and 22,000 square feet of indoor cultivation.

The Rio Dell Planning Commission has approved 80,000 square feet of mixed-light greenhouse cultivation on two separate parcels owned by Marathon 101, LLC, and Marathon 102, LLC, operated by Sean Suh of Sacramento. Construction is set to begin next year. 

Kevin Caldwell, Rio Dell’s community development director, told the Outpost that there’s an investor interested in purchasing a remainder parcel that’s currently designated as a contaminated brownfield — a legacy of the old sawmills — and converting it into a solar farm.

And Caldwell said the cannabis developments aren’t limited to the Humboldt-Rio Dell Business Park. There are also multiple projects in development on the Dinsmore Plateau, which sits above the city. Below is a map of the parcels where three cultivation projects are in various stages of development:

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All told, the three projects — from applicants James Cortazar, Rio’s Diamond Farms and Humboldt Sweet Grass — would comprise roughly three-and-a-half acres of mixed-light greenhouse cultivation. 

”Rio Dell is in a really in a great position,” Knopp said.

Caldwell agreed. “I think a lot of the kudos goes to Mayor Garnes, who spearheaded this discussion,” he said.

The city is now working on plans to make major investments in infrastructure over the next five to 10 years, Knopp said — plans to improve the city’s streets, water and wastewater systems while investing in the police department and adding more staff. 

“So things are going really, really well here, and the cannabis industry has played a positive role in that,” Knopp said.

Just like Garnes said it could.