Richard S. Hall
December 21, 1972- July 7, 2025

Richard was born in San Diego and moved to Eureka in the late 1990s. He loved his momma Beatrice “Cindy” Hall and his dogs. Rich was a father to three children — Theresa Hall, Christina Hall and Dillon Macias — and has two grandchildren, Janie-Ann Hall and Uriah Singleton.

Richard was a great story teller. He always had a smile and was great at making everyone laugh. He was a hard worker at everything he did. He was plumbing for the last few years of his life and he took great pride in his work.

He had a great love of the outdoors. Rich and his dogs would take his truck to the middle of nowhere and where always outside on a hike. He loved exploring the redwoods.

Richard had two nephews by his sister, Wendy Wuilmier, Nicholas Wuillmier and Cody Wuilmier whom looked up to him very much and I know he loved with his whole heart.

There isn’t a day that will go by that his him and his smile will not be missed by his many friends and loved ones.

His funeral will be held by Ayers Cremation at Ocean View Cemetery on July 25 at 1 p.m. There will be a wake following at his sister’s.

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Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) conducted a coordinated operation resulting in the arrest of four individuals for trespassing on private property along Hatchery Road in Blue Lake. The operation, carried out in collaboration with property owners, was prompted by multiple community complaints regarding illegal encampments on the site.

These encampments have been linked to several recent fires, which were swiftly contained by the Blue Lake Volunteer Fire Department, preventing significant damage. Over the past week, HCSO deputies conducted outreach efforts, informing individuals at the encampments of the property owners’ request to vacate and providing ample time for compliance.

On July 13, 2025, deputies arrested four individuals who failed to comply with the directive to leave. The arrestees were identified as Chad Kovatch, 42; Gregory Miller, 37; Troy Miller, 56; and Autumn Studdert, 19. All were charged with trespassing.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to serving and protecting all members of our community while upholding the law. Criminal activity, including trespassing on public or private property, will not be tolerated.

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 the U.S. Forest Service:

Operational Updates:

• Butler Fire: [7,203 acres; 0% containment] As temperatures reached 112 degrees and humidity less than 20 percent—the lowest since the fire started—the Butler Fire continued its measured advance July 12 toward the Salmon River along its eastern flank. Winds shifting out of the southwest pushed fire toward the community of Butler Flat, while a spot fire jumped the Salmon River Road into the nearby Moorhouse Creek drainage.
  
  The spot fire, detected by infrared imagery, was quickly reached by firefighters who crossed the river by foot. Other firefighters joined them later, ferried across the river by local residents. Aided by helicopters dropping water, firefighters were able to hold the spot fire to less than two acres.
  
  Engines maintained their sentinel around structures overnight, and crews will begin patrolling the fire by boat as spotting potential continues.
  
  
• Red Fire: [116 acres, 50% containment] Containment of the Red Fire stayed at 50 percent as crews sought out isolated hot spots within the fire’s interior, while also directly engaging the fire where possible along its perimeter.

Evacuations:

• Butler Fire: Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office has issued evacuation orders for the following zones impacted by the Butler Fire: SIS-1703, SIS-1704 (Butler Creek, Lewis Creek, Bloomer Mine residents and Nordheimer Campground), SIS-1803-A and SIS-1707-A.
  
  Zones SIS-1705, SIS-1708, SIS-1707-B and SIS-1802 are under an evacuation warning, where residents are advised to be prepared to evacuate if conditions become more threatening. The latest evacuation information can be found at https://protect.genasys.com.

Closures:

• Butler Fire: The road between Butler Flat and Nordheimer Campground remains closed as rocks and burning debris continued to fall into the roadway. Nordheimer and Oak Bottom campgrounds are also closed.
  

Weather and Fire Behavior:

• Extreme heat continues today with highs forecast at 110 degrees. Winds will remain relatively calm and resume their typical flow out of the northwest.

Fire Safety and Prevention: Persistently high temperatures will keep fuels dry and increase potential fire danger. Individuals seeking relief from the heat by recreating in streams or rivers or in the forest need to be mindful of their vehicles’ condition or where they park. Roadside sparks or dried vegetation against the heated undercarriage of a vehicle could quickly result in a wildfire. 

The Six Rivers and Klamath National Forests are not currently in fire restrictions. However, campfires should never be left unattended and should be dead out and cool to the touch before leaving. Remember, drown, stir, feel, REPEAT. Please report suspected wildfires by calling 911.

We are headed west, for good this time, after a few north-south ventures. The Minnesota Twins are the only baseball stop this week, giving us the opportunity to add a few side stories from the trip. We’re going to take the long way home from here, so the next two weeks will not have a game story but instead take a closer look at ballparks we have visited to date (Week 12) and then nothing but National Park reviews (Week 13).

Game #29: Cubs versus Twins at Target Field in Minneapolis, July 8

When the Twins (formerly Senators) moved from Washington DC in 1961, there was a vast untapped market west of the Mississippi River. Only the Giants and Dodgers had moved west at that point. Even though teams have since been added in Oakland (now Sacramento), Kansas City, Seattle, San Diego, Denver and Phoenix – the Twins are still very much a regional team. We went on a stadium tour before the game, and fans on the tour were from North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana. When they come to Minneapolis to watch baseball at Target Field, they make a week of it. It’s more than one game, and it’s more than just baseball. On the rail ride after the game, we overheard out-of-town fans comparing notes about what they were doing while in Minneapolis (shopping, horse races), and which of the games the rest of the week they were attending.

“I started attending Twins games when they came in ’61,” said Mark Wilson, a Twins season ticket holder since Target Field opened in 2010. “I became a baseball fan right away.” Wilson was 9 years old in 1961. “I went to the first two games of the 1965 World Series.” The Twins beat the Dodgers in both of those games, defeating Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax. The only reason he didn’t go to the final two games – Games 6 & 7 – is that his dad sold the tickets. The Twins weren’t able to touch Koufax after Game 2. The Dodger ace pitched a 2-0 shutout with 10 strikeouts in Game 7.

The Twins greats from the ‘60s included Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, Tony Oliva and Jim Kaat. Still, seeing the Twins defeat Dodger greats Drysdale and Koufax is not the World Series highlight for Wilson. “My favorite Twins World Series moment is Game 6 of the 1991 World Series against the Braves when Kirby Puckett told the team to ride his shoulders.” The Twins were down 3 games to 2 at the time. Puckett made a spectacular catch in the third inning to keep the Braves from scoring at least one run, then hit a walk-off homer in the 11th inning to force a seventh game. Jack Morris pitched a 10-inning complete game in the Twins 1-0 win for the title. It is considered by many – including yours truly (I put it just ahead of the 1975 World Series) – as the greatest World Series ever with three extra-inning games and five one-run games. Side note: Morris threw 122 pitches in that 10-inning shutout. How many managers in today’s pitch-count-happy-world would have the guts to keep him out there? Kent Hrbek and Chuck Knoblauch were other key starters that year for the Twins.

“The Twins ownership doesn’t spend much money,” Wilson said. “And, despite that, they still won two World Series championships. It’s fun.” The Twins also won the title in 1987. Both of those World Series wins were in the Metrodome, which, like all domed stadiums, was a horrible place to watch baseball games – although it may have offered some home field advantages. Even some locals are still convinced the Twins were involved in shenanigans during playoff games involving the opening and closing of doors and/or windows in “The Dome” that benefited Twin hitters. The Metrodome has long since been demolished, and the new stadium – Target Field – is a source of much pride among fans, club personnel and even the local TV weatherman. “I like how packed it is. Everything is close together. It reminds me of Camden Yards in Baltimore.” Wilson said. “Did you know Target Field has the second smallest footprint of any stadium except Boston?” (I did not know that.) I did know that it has earned LEED Platinum certification and is known as the “Greenest Ballpark in America.”

Game atmosphere: Positive

The Twins should be fined. They were not “Minnesota nice” to the visiting Chicago Cubs. And such behavior with so many Cubs fans in the house! Things initially did not look good for the Twins. They were facing Cub lefty Shota Imanaga (2.78 ERA), and the Twins lost their last seven games against left-handers. But sterling outfield defense, coupled with a pair of doubles down the left field line in the first inning, gave the Twins a 2-0 lead that they clinged to for seven innings. Cubs fans made up almost half the crowd. One fan behind us said early in the game that if he wasn’t watching the action, he couldn’t tell based on the noise of the crowd if something good was happening or something bad was happening for the Twins. “There are too many Cubs fans here,” he muttered more than once. There was often groaning and clapping happening at the same time when a batter from either team swung and missed. At one point, the video board tried a “Let’s go Twins” prompt but the result was “Let’s go TcWuIbNsS! Let’s go TcWuIbNsS! Let’s go TcWuIbNsS!” They didn’t try that one again.

In the eighth inning the Cubs threatened with a leadoff single followed by a walk. Reliever Griffin Jax struck out the next two batters swinging, and a line out ended the threat. The Twins faithful let the visiting fans know whose house they were in. It was as if every Twins fan cheered twice as loud as usual just to make a point. And they were just getting started. The bottom of the eighth was a slaughter, with Twins fans getting louder with each run scored and the Cubs fans getting quieter. Here’s how the inning played out: walk, home run, home run, double, wild pitch, single, home run. The pitcher was finally taken out after he got his first out, a strike out, and after giving up six runs to make it 8-0. Cubs third baseman Jon Berti finished the inning. It was the fourth time this trip that we’ve seen a position player as the last pitcher of the game for his team. The Cubs added a meaningless run in the ninth.

Kudos to Twins Production intern Katie Stewart and Sam Henschen, senior director of game day experience, for their work on player notes that are posted on the scoreboard when each player comes up to bat. The notes were a nice combination of informative, interesting and sometimes irreverent details. I enjoyed reading them, and they were a step up from most ballparks that bore us with the player’s current OPS or some freakish statistical anomaly such as the player has reached a hit in his last three Tuesday games. Here are some samples from Stewart and Henschen:

Dansby Swanson­ – His first name is actually James. Dansby is his mother’s maiden name

• Bryce Lewis – His sister is his personal stylist on game days
• Ty France – Says the worst part about first base is having to run towards foul balls because it’s extra cardio
• Pete Crow-Armstrong – Wonder if PCA owns a PSA-10 PCA card? Let us know ASAP.

I particularly like that last one, realizing that nine out of 10 fans won’t get it, but the one out of 10 that does will truly appreciate it. I do this sometimes with song lyrics or titles, weaving them into the stories as Easter eggs, knowing it’s for the enjoyment of a chosen few. Allow me to explain the last one for the 90 percent. Pete Crow-Armstrong is nicknamed “PCA” by Cubs fans, each letter corresponding to his initials. A PSA-10 card is a baseball card that has been professionally graded as being in gem mint condition, the highest rating a card can have. PSA is a company called Professional Sports Authenticators, the leader in the industry for grading cards.

Target, which has its roots in the Minneapolis area, has the naming rights to both Target Field (baseball) and the Target Center (basketball) next door. I guess negotiating for the naming rights to one of the Twin cities fell through (Targetapolis or Saint Target). Besides the team’s name of Twins, there are two other tributes to the Twin cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. One is the Twins logo itself which features an interlocking T and C, standing for Twin Cities. Another is a nod to the club’s heritage with a remake of a celebration sign from the ‘60s showing the “Minnie and Paul” characters shaking hands across the Mississippi River. This is featured prominently in center field and lights up when things go well for the Twins.

The team provided a tour for us, and on that excursion we learned that the Champions Club seats (field level, padded seats behind home plate) cost up to $24,000 per season but include access to a climate-controlled area where you can enjoy all-you-can-eat prime rib; Champions Club seats are hard to find on the secondary market unless you look at day games. Day games are usually uncomfortably hot. We checked and, yes, a day game Champions Club seat was available for $490; and tour guide Dennis Sundlie heard it from a friend who heard it from a friend who heard it from another that Jorge Polanco, who played for the Twins from 2014 to 2023, was spotted at a stadium ATM before a game, getting cash before dashing back to the clubhouse. All but two of the 30 stadiums are now cashless, so there are no longer ATMs at the ballpark. Except by the player’s clubhouse. Because they still need it allegedly for their in-house card games. Card-playing is a player tradition that goes back to the days of travel by train. I suspect the stakes are higher now.

A few other Target Field notes: There was a mascot race with five Minnesota-based characters whose identities escaped me. I did note that Louie won. … It has a great view of the Minneapolis downtown skyline … The Metro Light Rail conveniently ends right next to the stadium. … Winnebago Industries sponsors an interactive area just beyond right field that features mini golf, cornhole, and lawn chairs. It’s like an indoor tailgate section called the Gate 34 area, conveniently located next to Kramarczuk’s Sausage Company and Drafts of 34 which features 22 different local craft beers … Gate 34 is developed to be family friendly, perhaps at the expense of an actual children’s play area. The kids area at Target Field is very small and limited. Most parks have an interactive baseball area where children can run, hit and pitch. Such an area probably got axed in the planning stages in order to keep the stadium footprint small.

Ballpark cuisine: Positive

What do we look for at the ballparks when we peruse the concession areas? First, something already identified by others as the best thing offered. Second, some kind of unusual take on traditional ballpark food. Finally, something that is available to everyone at the park. Food in preferred seating areas does not count. Food in an on-site, sit-down restaurant doesn’t count unless there is a to-go option. At Target Field there were multiple options in every category. We had to come back a second day to finish the task. Seriously. The team gave us additional access to come back the next night.

First on the list: Kramarczuk’s Brat Sampler. Kramarczuk’s Sausage Company has been part of the Minneapolis food scene for 60 years. In the sampler you get two half brats of three varieties – Polish sausage, bratwurst, and cheddar sausage – with plenty of caramelized onions and sauerkraut. It was filling enough that we couldn’t try any other food even if we wanted to. These were tailgate-worthy brats. Fresh, grilled and mighty tasty.

On our second day at the ballpark, we had to try the Vinai Sweet and Sour Fried Pork at the Truly on Deck restaurant in right field. Truly on Deck is a premium space, but it is open to everyone. And you can get your food order to go. Tour guide Sundlie recommended a strategy using Truly on Deck, particularly on hot days or when your tickets aren’t that great. Come to Truly on Deck, sit in the seats overlooking right field, and stay for the duration of the game, having your soft drink refilled throughout the action. There is a $5 seat charge, and you have to spend at least $20 on food and drink. Strategy aside, let’s get back to the Sweet and Sour Fried Pork. Eathan Ishmael, one of the Truly on Deck’s chefs, said the key to the dish is its simplicity. “There are so few ingredients, but it is so good,” he said. “Crunchy on the outside, soft in the middle. And presented really well.” Besides the crispy fried pork butt, ingredients include cabbage slaw, cucumbers, pickled carrots, and an amazing sweet-and-sour sauce by Vinai that pulls it all together. Absolutely loved this. It will likely crack the Top 5 for the trip. Vinai is a Minneapolis restaurant that opened just last year.

Chef Ishmael talked us into getting the Homestand Burger at Truly on Deck. We did not regret it. They put together a new specialty hamburger for each homestand, and for this homestand the burger included two 4 oz. beef patties, candied bacon, sweet and spicy fig aioli, and arugula cheese on a brioche bun. I’m a big fan of the double-double at In-N-Out Burger, and I am a recent convert to the Double Deluxe at Culver’s. As good as those burgers are, this Homestand Burger was in a totally different class. Lisa rated highly the Bobby Flay burger at Yankee Stadium, and she also liked this one better. The key was the sweet and spicy fig aioli. It tied everything together, giving a lasting comfort with every bite.

Can you get out of Target Field without trying a Dugout Dill slice of pizza? (See more on this below under “You don’t see that every day.”) Another delight for your palette is the deep-fried Oreos (five Oreos in each order) sold by Curds and Cakes on the second level. This one requires no description.

And there is so much more: grilled SPAM sandwiches at Truly on Deck, hot Indian rice bowls at Hot Indian Foods, smoked beef sandwiches at Murray’s, and an 18-inch quesadilla called the Machete at Taco Libre. And Boba! You should probably be like those folks from North Dakota when you come to Target Field – plan to stay a few days.

Smile for the camera! Photo: Nina Zimmerman.

Club hospitality: Positive

Your attention please, allow us to introduce to you the latest addition to the club representative All-Star team, and the current captain, Nina Zimmerman! Nina reigns. Nina is the communications manager for the Twins, and she went well beyond “Minnesota nice.” She is the first contact to send us Game Notes for both the home and visiting teams. (Most clubs find it difficult or an inconvenience just to send their own Game Notes.) She is the first one to set us up with seats in a premium section (padded seats in the Thrivent Section, on the second level behind home plate). She is only the second contact to make a point of meeting us personally. She is only the second contact to arrange for a tour of the ballpark for us. And then there is that live TV interview she set up with the Minneapolis FOX affiliate, as seen earlier this week on LoCO. Judging by the level of texting and messages we’ve received from all parts of the country after that interview, it seems LoCO followers prefer watching something to reading about it. The other club representative All-Star team members are Josh Lederman of the NY Mets (former team captain), Tabitha Labrato of the Rays, Karely Avila Ledesma of the Braves, Darren Feeney of the Padres, and Sam Stack of the Guardians. Nina is the one who told us about “Minnesota nice,” saying “If we’re not Minnesota nice, we get fined.”

Game details: Twins wins 8-1. Attendance 30,384. Time of game: 2:22.

Helpful tips: There is plenty of parking in Target Field garages for $25. Or in city surface lots for $15. If you have the time and would prefer to spend $4 instead, take the Metro Light Rail from the Mall of America. Parking at the mall is free and each way to Target Field will cost $2, or $1 for seniors. But it takes 42 minutes of travel time each way. If it’s a night game, use the Park and Ride, the last stop before the mall. Otherwise the mall might be locked by the time you get there, making for a rather circuitous route to your car. … Bag policy – Target Field reluctantly still allows people to bring in bags. They strongly encourage that you don’t bring a bag. Perhaps they will join Detroit in future seasons as the only teams that do not allow you to bring in a bag. For now, you can still bring in bags, including soft-sided coolers, that are 16”x16”x8” or smaller. Backpacks are not allowed. … Sealed, bottled water of 32 oz. or less are allowed. You can also bring in outside food, as long as it is not in a hard-sided container such as Tupperware.

You don’t see that every day: Pickles on pizza. It’s offered at Pizza Luce on the second level of Target Field. The sauce is a creamy ranch dill sauce instead of traditional tomato-based sauce. There are two layers of mozzarella cheese and large pickle chips. “It’s a Minnesota thing,” said pizza fan Ben Raschke. “Pickle Pizza won an award at the Minnesota State Fair three years ago. People love it. People stood in 100-degree heat for an hour and a half to get it at the state fair. I know because I was one of them.” We have it on good authority that it is good, briny, garlicky and cheesy – a Minnesota cult classic.

Past Noteworthy Items: Part Two

With just one game this week, we are supplementing the story with a few noteworthy things that didn’t make the previous summaries.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

A worry when planning this trip was that a game might be postponed due to rain, and we would have no way to make it up, thwarting our goal of seeing all 30 ballparks in one summer. There were plenty of storm systems in the east and Great Lakes regions during our trip, but our schedule somehow managed to play out. Three games (Pittsburgh, NY Mets, and Detroit) had delayed starts due to rain, one was suspended after six innings (Cincinnati) and completed the next day, and one was completed after midnight following a rain delay of more than two hours (Washington). There was also a tornado warning (Pittsburgh) and a flash flood warning (Washington DC). And one game was postponed the day after we were there (St. Louis).

What, no curb?

We alluded to this incident in Week Eight of “Sprinting Across America.” Some parking lots are easier to park in than others with a 20-foot long, 10-feet high vehicle. Our strategy has been to back in to a space, preferably an end space so that only one vehicle is next to us, making it easier to pull out. In the parking lot in Washington DC, we backed into our spot at one end of the lot. The back-up camera did not show anything in the way, but there was also no wall to use as a reference. And no curb for the wheels to touch against. I successfully parked. Or so I thought. The back wheels were hanging off the edge toward a ditch, with nothing for the wheels to grip. We called Triple-A and since it was the day before the big parade, various road closures would keep them from arriving for an hour. Fortunately, a fellow motorist with a heavy-duty truck who wanted to show off its tow capability teamed up with a fireman from the station across the street who had a heavy chain. The chain connected the two vehicles, and a little tug from the truck got the Sprinter wheels to come up just enough to grab the asphalt, and we were free and clear!

Are you small? No, I’m tall!

The various GPS apps do not take into account the height of your vehicle. Next trip I will likely invest in an RV GPS app ($$) to avoid complications like this one. We left Citi Field in New York, and began our drive to Connecticut where we would stay the night before heading to Fenway Park the next day in Boston. As we approached the Hutchinson River Parkway (The Hutch), signs warned of a height restriction of 10-feet, 2 inches. Our Sprinter is 10-feet, 3 inches. We took the last exit before the parkway, and tried a different route. It also wanted to take The Hutch. Every alternative route we selected on GPS went through The Hutch. We pulled into a 7-Eleven parking lot. I went in and made a general announcement to everyone in the store, “Can anyone tell us how to get to Boston without taking the Hutchinson Parkway?” A lady checking out told us the freeway to take. “How do we get to there?” I asked. She began to give directions, but realized it would be too complicated. “I’m going there,” she said. “Just follow me.” And we did. Thank you, friendly New Yorkers!

Foul play

There have been three significant game-used baseballs that have landed near us during the trip. One we documented in Week Six of this series. (The Anaheim woman who got hit in the head with a foul ball.) At the Brewers game on June 29, another foul ball almost had the same head-hunting fate. With the retractable roof partially open, the mix of stadium lights and natural light made it difficult to track the ball when the batter hit pop-ups. One ball was fouled off in our general direction, and I totally lost it. No one around us budged, but the fans not too far from us could see it from a different angle and increased their volume of concern. BAM – it hit an empty seat two seats from mine. No one had seen it in our row, the row behind us or in front of us. It ricocheted off the seat and hit a guy in the shoulder who was sitting in the row in front of it.

The last baseball story has a happy ending. Juan Soto of the Mets caught the final out of the top of the third on June 14 and tossed the ball into the stands. Lo and behold – after being knocked around by some other fans, it landed at my feet. Not an impressive foul-ball, barehanded catch. But a nice souvenir, nonetheless.

Tom Trepiak is the former sports information director at Humboldt State and a member of the Cal Poly Humboldt Athletics Hall of Fame.

PREVIOUSLY:

• 37-Year-Old Man Shot and Killed in Glendale Last Night; Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Seeking Suspects

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Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On July 11, 2025, at approximately 9:00 a.m., the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) SWAT Team executed an arrest warrant at a residence in the 100 block of H Street, Arcata, as part of an ongoing homicide investigation conducted by the HCSO Major Crimes Division (MCD).

Following an extensive investigation, MCD detectives identified Danielle Roberta Durand, 41, as a suspect in a homicide that occurred on Glendale Road, and a Ramey Warrant was issued for her arrest. As SWAT prepared to enter the residence, Durand left in a vehicle and was apprehended during a traffic stop on Highway 101 near the Bayside Cutoff.

Concurrently, SWAT members executed the warrant at the Arcata residence, where Deunn Antoine Willis, 38, was detained. Further investigation established Willis as the primary suspect in the homicide, and he was placed under arrest.

Both Durand and Willis were transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility and booked on charges of:

• Penal Code 187 (Murder)
• Penal Code 182 (Conspiracy)
• Penal Code 211 (Robbery)

The victim in this case has been identified as Joshua Lee McCollister, 37, of Fort Bragg, California. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate this case and encourages anyone with information to contact the Major Crimes Division. Further details will be released as they become available.

Anyone with information about this case can call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445- 7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.

Roughly a third of people don’t drive. That might seem like a lot but you probably know non-drivers in your own life. Some people can’t, either because they have some kind of disease or disability that makes driving impossible. Some people can’t because they are too young or too old to safely operate a vehicle. Some people can’t afford to drive, as car ownership is stupidly expensive (the average cost of owning a car is over $1,000 a month). Some people choose not to drive or drive as little as possible, as cars have a large environmental impact, from greenhouse gas emissions to fish-killing toxins in tires.

Anna Zivarts, author of When Driving Is Not an Option: Steering Away from Car Dependency (Island Press, 2024) and founder of the Week Without Driving, joins hosts Colin Fiske of the CRTP and Tom Wheeler of EPIC on the show to talk about how we can meet the transportation needs of non drivers.

Anna is also giving a free public talk on June 17th at 7 p.m. at the Arcata D Street Neighborhood Center. The talk will cover the nondrivers in every community, the importance of meeting the transportation needs of nondrivers, how communities can work better for nondrivers (and everyone else), and valuing the expertise of nondrivers.

Want to hear more? Listen to Arcata City Councilmember Sarah Schaefer and others discuss their attempts to go carless during the 2024 Week Without Driving.

Considering the longevity and outcome of most other private schools in Humboldt County’s history, the fine reputation and success of the Eureka Business College is more than noteworthy. Continuing with the high standards established by the school’s founder Prof. N.S. Phelps, C.J. (Chan) Craddock piloted the school through nearly 45 successful years before his retirement. The old-timers I’ve talked to have lost track of dates and particulars, but they have been unanimous in relating the exceptional reputation the academy and its graduates enjoyed.

The Eureka Business College had its roots in the Humboldt County Young Ladies Seminary. This was a day and boarding school for young women. The school building, located in the vicinity of Eureka’s Fifth and K Streets, was a large three-story frame building built in the mid-1870s with financial help from Joseph Russ. The Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Lathrop were in charge of the school at that time and reportedly established a high standard of scholarship in literature, art and music. After several years the Lathrops left and the school was taken over by Miss Mary and Isabel Prince. These prim and proper spinsters were apparently hard working and capable, but because of low attendance were forced to close their doors. Announcement of the closure appears in the November 11, 1886 issue of The Humboldt Times. In that same issue an advertisement is found for the soon to open Eureka Academy and Business College.

This school, to be located in the Seminary building, was described in the article as being a “boarding and day school for both sexes.” The advertisement was signed by Prof. N.S. Phelps.

Prof. Phelps, already known in the community, gave the school its initial boost into notoriety. As a young man he had taught in the country school at Grizzly Bluff. He later became the principal of the Ferndale Grammar School, a position he held for some time. For the four years just prior to establishing his private school. Prof. Phelps served as Humboldt County Superintendent of Schools. With capable leadership as well as the fact there were no public schools above the grammar level in the area, the time was right. The school experienced phenomenal growth.

After only the first session, the already large building had to be added to and the staff increased. In time, the reputation of the college grew to the point that nearly half of the enrollees were from out of the area.

The curriculum of the Eureka Academy and Business College was impressive. It consisted of five departments; preparatory, academic, normal, music and commercial.

The preparatory department included the work ordinarily covered by the primary and intermediate grades in the public schools. Phelps advertised that he could “… provide a much more thorough and careful training than the public schools.”

The academic department was designed to meet the need for high school level course work in the Humboldt area. At that time parents who could afford to do so were sending their children away for high school. The second issue of “The Academy Record,” a quarterly promotional publication of the school, stated the following in regard to the academic department:

It is our intention in this department to furnish; 1st, an English high school course; 2nd, a thorough course in the modern language; 3rd, to prepare students for any department of the University.

The normal department of the Eureka Academy was designed and established to give teachers of the county and those persons contemplating teaching a place of training here at home. The expense involved in leaving the area for training was prohibitive to all but a few. Prof. Phelps promised that “… the student who satisfactorily finishes this course is grounded in the theory and art of teaching, and is able to demonstrate his ability as a true teacher wherever he goes.”

The department of instrumental and vocal music was a special feature of the school. “The Academy Record” stated, “We have no hesitancy in saying that there is now no private school in California that can boast of as thorough a course in music as we offer in the Academy.” The courses offered in this department included: music theory, chorus singing, individual voice culture and classical piano.

The most extensive and popular area, however, was the commercial department. The course of study included bookkeeping, commercial arithmetic, applied grammar and correspondence, commercial law, rapid business penmanship and spelling. The foundation of the commercial department was a teaching method introduced by the first department head. Prof. Charles L. Ellis. This method, called the “Actual Business System,” and is described in “The Academy Record.”

The student upon becoming a member of the school, receives instruction in penmanship until he has acquired a rapid, plain hand, when he enters upon the regular course, and assumes at once the responsibilities of a business man. He is furnished with the necessary blank-books, and a complete outfit of business forms, comprising Notes, Drafts, Receipts, Invoices, Deposit Tickets, Bank and Check Books, Freight and Shipping Receipts, Insurance Policies, Deeds, Mortgages — in short all forms ordinarily used in business, all of which are printed neatly and in mercantile style. He is also furnished with a cash capital of at least $1,000, which he deposits in the College Bank, and takes a Pass and Check Book. He now leases a place of business, and pays the rent, and takes his place among the merchants of the school as a General Jobber. He is instructed how to buy to the best advantage from the different students in the school, for cash, on time, and on note, draft, etc., being careful to make the proper entries in his books for each transaction as it occurs. After having purchased in this way a sufficient amount of goods to begin selling, he solicits customers among the teachers, and sells to the best of his knowledge and skill.

In describing the general atmosphere of the school, the 1890-91 issue of “History and Business Directory of Humboldt County” has this to say:

One of the most pronounced features of the school is to surround the students with the pleasant and refining influences of a well ordered home. Students and members of the faculty occupy the same building, meet at the same table for their meals, and are intimately associated together as members of one large family. Everything combines to make the school a constant object lesson in politeness and good manners to those who have been prevented from acquiring the manners and customs of a polite society.

Within the first few years of the Phelps Academy, Chauncey J. (Chan) Craddock was hired as a teacher. He apparently demonstrated great ability because by the year 1890, Prof. Ellis had left to teach at the San Francisco Business College and C.J. Craddock was given charge of the commercial department. On May 23, 1893 (some say 1892, others 1894) the school burned to the ground in what was reported as the largest Eureka fire of the year.

Shortly thereafter, Craddock reopened the school himself in the upper floor of what became Horel’s Second Hand Store at 312 E Street. Craddock cut the school’s curriculum back to business courses only and called it Eureka Business College. An article in the weekly newspaper Redwood Christian, dated January 18,1901, described the curriculum as including bookkeeping, shorthand, typewriting and commercial law and theory of contracts. The article states:

… There are in the school three teachers and nearly three score pupils, with additional constantly coming in, as the course is completed by the retiring graduates. From six to ten months to complete according to aptitude, time and course taken.

While this commercial college is a benefit to our city, to our young people, and the business interests of commercial centers, let us as citizens uphold all such institutions by patronage, a kind word, and our influence.

With the public schools continually increasing in quality and the career options for young people expanding each year, it was no small task for Craddock to keep his school producing. He was reportedly active in recruiting new pupils. A form letter sent to various high school graduates in 1906 read: “Are you satisfied to rest on these well earned laurels? If you are not, perhaps a thorough course in a practical and up-to-date business college would interest you.”

Something that contributed to the school’s success was the distinguished reputation of Craddock himself. He was active in community affairs and local government, and was highly respected in the community.

On June 17, 1929, when Eureka city council members were for the first time, to be selected by popular vote, Craddock won the position of councilman. Third Ward, by a considerable margin. He held that position for several terms. We again get an indication of the reputation of C.J. Craddock and his business college by reading an unsolicited preelection endorsement by local businessman Willard Wells appearing in the June 15, 1929 issue of The Humboldt Standard. It read:

… today it is a general business practice among our business houses when in need of competent office help to call on “Chan” Craddock to supply the students to fill the requirements. Eureka Business College under his management has grown and prospered. Its product has been such as to reflect credit, not alone for his efforts, but has been recognized throughout Northern California as an accredited institution of business education, where the system of teaching business methods in a practical business manner emphasizes the business judgment of its principal.

On the lighter side of “Chan” Craddock, he was reportedly quite proud of the baseball team that he could sometimes work up amongst his students. His team was appropriately called the Eureka Business College Club and when they faced another club Craddock was always in the rooting section.

The Eureka Business College played a unique and influential part in the local history. Many of its graduates were and still are found in the higher levels of Humboldt County’s businesses and institutions, where they continue to have impact.

In 1938, C.J. Craddock sold the Eureka Business College and retired from teaching. A few years later, in 1941, the Eureka City Directory appeared for the first time in fifty years without the name C.J. Craddock. Prof. “Chan” Craddock was gone.

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SIDEBAR: Eureka Business College Rules and Regulations 1887

1. Students must be punctual in attendance, diligent in study, respectful and courteous to their teachers and fellow students.
2. Day pupils must reside with their parents or guardians, or room at such places as the Principal will approve.
3. The use of profanity, tobacco in any form, in or about the institution, loitering or collecting in groups in any of the halls or entrances, defacing the walls or furniture in any part of the building, is strictly forbidden.
4. Regular pupils will not be permitted to leave the school premises at any time without the consent of the Principal or Preceptress.
5. Only persons of good moral character will be permitted to enter or remain in the school.

Additional rules for boarding pupils:

1. Ladies and gentlemen may receive all friends and callers in the parlors at any time not later than 10 p.m.
2. Students must be in their rooms during all the hours designated for study, and must maintain absolute quiet during such times.
3. Each student is responsible for any injury to the walls or furniture in his or her room.
4. Rooms to be open, i.e., unlocked, so that the Principal or Preceptress may see that all are comfortable before retiring.
5. Outside doors will be fastened at 10 p.m., and all students must be in their rooms at that hour, unless by special permission.
6. All the study hours are from 9 a.m. until 12 a.m.; and 1 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m.
7. Students will be provided with hooks on etiquette, and will be required to practice politeness toward all at all times, but especially toward one another.
8. All pupils must answer promptly to the appointments of the daily program.

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The story above was originally printed in the November-December 1982 issue of the Humboldt Historian, a journal of the Humboldt County Historical Society. It is reprinted here with permission. The Humboldt County Historical Society is a nonprofit organization devoted to archiving, preserving and sharing Humboldt County’s rich history. You can become a member and receive a year’s worth of new issues of The Humboldt Historian at this link.