PREVIOUSLY: 

• Eureka High on Lockdown For the Third Time This Month, Following Another Threat

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After a day of asking the Eureka Police Department for more information about yesterday’s lockdown at the high school, the department issues this pair of communiques about that situation just before 5 p.m. Friday.

What they seem to say, taken together, is that Eureka police were called to the high school after someone reported graffiti stating that there would be a shooting on campus. This apparently involved a student, or maybe not. 

Then at some point after that they discovered a bomb threat on social media, which did not involve a student.

That’s all we got! Have a great weekend!

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Eureka Police Department release:

On October 10, 2024 at approximately 10:35 a.m., Eureka Police Officers were dispatched to Eureka High School on a report of a note found written on a wall indicating there would be a shooting at the school at a specific time. All available EPD resources were immediately deployed to the school. A lockdown procedure was initiated for the safety of the students and staff and to allow for the investigation. EPD secured the exterior of the campus while teams of officers, as well as Command Staff, set up inside the school to conduct the threat assessment. About 30 minutes into the hard lock down, a decision was made to reduce the level of lockdown so students could return to learning within their classrooms only.

School Administration identified 38 students that needed to be contacted as a result of the initial investigation. Staff, with the assistance of EPD, located 19 of those students still on campus. The other 19 were not on campus at the time of the lockdown. School administrators interviewed these students and collaborated with EPD to determine there was no active threat to the campus. The lockdown was lifted at 2:45 p.m.

EPD’s School Resource Officer and School Administration have contacted the other 19 students and are conducting interviews with them.

Chief Brian Stephens states, “I understand that this has been a very trying two weeks for students, staff, parents and our community as we navigate and investigate this criminal behavior. Understand that EPD’s priority is the safety of our students and staff. We have no margin of error in these incidents and must take each incident as a viable threat and respond accordingly. These types of incidents are time consuming to investigate and we appreciate the professionalism and cooperation of EHS Staff and the patience of the student body and parents. When the person or persons involved in these incidents are identified, they will be held accountable for their inexcusable behavior.”

This is an ongoing and active investigation and EPD is asking anyone that may have information about this string of threats to contact School Resource Officer Ryan Flowers at 707-441-4300, or EHS Administration.

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The following is a joint press release from EPD and Eureka High School:

Eureka High School and the Eureka Police Department are aware of a bomb threat on social media on Thursday, October 10th, 2024. This follows two previous threats on Tuesday, October 1st, and Wednesday, October 9th, 2024. Thanks to the technology and resources available, the Eureka Police Department was able to track the individual responsible and swiftly make contact and interview the juvenile. This incident is still being investigated on a criminal level however, EPD determined there was no credible threat to the students and staff. We want to emphasize that today’s threat did not come from a Eureka High School student.

Chief Brian Stephens of the Eureka Police Department stated, “This situation highlights the value of our partnership with Eureka City Schools and the importance of community vigilance. We encourage everyone to be proactive in reporting any suspicious activities. If you see, hear, or sense something concerning, please say something immediately.”

Rob Standish, Principal of Eureka High School, added, “Our collaboration with law enforcement was key to ensuring the safety of our school community today. We deeply appreciate the swift response and support from the Eureka Police Department. I want to remind everyone—students, parents, and community members—that your role is crucial. If you hear or see something that seems off, it’s always better to err on the side of caution and alert school administration or law enforcement.”

The safety of our students, staff, and community remains our top priority, and we thank everyone for their continued support and cooperation. We will continue to work closely with law enforcement and provide updates as necessary.

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Since she arrived here in Humboldt County nearly 20 years ago, Kati Moulton has devoted her time and energy to the arts and community service, working as the artistic director of the Ink People Center for the Arts and as a mentor and program manager for at-risk youth. Four years ago, Moulton decided to take her passion for community service to the next level and run to represent Ward 2 on the Eureka City Council. 

“When I was elected, I realized how much good I can do,” she told the Outpost. “You know, I’m not here helping one or two people at a time … [on the city council] I have this chance to directly help all of the folks in my ward, and to also steer Eureka in a direction that’s going to help our entire community.”

The Outpost met Moulton in Old Town earlier this week to learn more about her reelection campaign and some of the most pressing issues facing Eureka voters in this year’s election. To no one’s surprise, much of our conversation centered around Measure F and the future of the Jacobs Middle School campus. 

Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

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LoCO: Thank you for taking the time to talk with the Outpost about your reelection campaign. Can you start off by introducing yourself to the folks who don’t know you or aren’t familiar with Eureka politics?

Moulton: Hi! My name is Katie Moulton, I’m a Eureka City Council representative of Second Ward and I am running for reelection. I’m a non-profit administrator and I run a small business here in Old Town. I moved here in my early adulthood when I was 23 and I’ve been serving this community ever since I landed. I started off with youth outreach and working with at-risk teenagers. I’ve also worked in small business development and different nonprofits to serve our community.

LoCO: Before we get into your reelection campaign, can you tell me what inspired you to run for the Eureka City Council back in 2020?

Moulton: Oh, what a great question! [Before I ran], I had absolutely no interest at all in local politics and didn’t know much about it. Three days before the first shelter-in-place order was issued, I basically took my dream job at Scrap Humboldt, a creative reuse company, and I was immediately put on furlough. The Portland office asked me to shut it down and just strip it to the bones. So, I was at the end of that process when my friend and colleague, Leslie Castellano, who represents Ward 1 on the city council, asked me if I had ever considered going into politics and I said no. You know, earlier that week I had yelled at a lady in the co-op for being really rude to the clerk, so maybe not a good idea, right? But then she showed me the candidate declaration from the person who was running to represent my ward …

LoCO: Which candidate?

Moulton: Dot Jager-Wentworth, and I didn’t like the way she was talking about our neighbors. I’ve been serving this community – these kids and these families, through different programs – for decades. I have a lot of respect for the strength that comes from diversity and variety, and I felt like she was talking about my neighbors like they were the problem. So, feeling defensive about these people who I like and respect, and having just gotten my dream job and lost it, I was in a vulnerable moment and I decided to go ahead and try.

It’s been an interesting ride and a fast education with a steep learning curve. When I was elected, I realized how much good I can do. You know, I’m not here helping one or two people at a time … [on the city council] I have this chance to directly help all of the folks in my ward and to also steer Eureka in a direction that’s going to help our entire community.

LoCO: Can you talk about some of the obstacles and major issues you encountered in your first term on the city council? And what were some of your major accomplishments?

Image: City of Eureka

Moulton: Well, at first – because I didn’t really know the big picture – it was all about helping people directly. You know, somebody would call me because I’m the human they know how to get a hold of and I would help them solve the problem. For example, we were getting property owners to clean up problem houses in the neighborhood, we were finding and towing abandoned vehicles, we were getting city money to pay for lighting a parking lot – a lot of little, specific things. … Then, as I started getting into the bigger picture, I started to see more systemic challenges. 

Eureka has gone through a big shift in the last decade. There was a big turn in Eureka’s government just a few years before I came aboard. We’re moving toward building our economy from the ground up and we’re moving away from the days when the good ol’ boys were in charge, just helping out their friends instead of the whole community. I don’t know if I would have been able to join a council that was going in a direction I didn’t believe in, especially without political experience. 

As far as specific challenges, you know, sometimes there’s stuff going on that you just can’t help. There are problems that the city can’t touch or can’t help. There might be an issue where the root of the problem is with county or state law. Maybe we can mitigate the effects, but then you’re treating symptoms and not the disease. That’s probably the biggest challenge – wanting to use the power and communal work of government to help people but there’s nothing in that situation we can actually help. 

Do you want to hear about some happy stuff, too?

LoCO: Please, tell me about some accomplishments of your first term.

Moulton: A big thing that I was able to start when I joined the city council was initiating the process of creating a real citizen oversight board for the Eureka Police Department after the texting scandal. I wanted to find out what an oversight board thought about it [and whether] it was a systemic problem or just one group of people, or a couple of people, who were really bad actors.

LoCO: Before you continue, can you describe the level of oversight at EPD before the Community Oversight on Police Practices (COPP) board came into play?

Moulton: That’s the thing – I wanted to see what our citizen oversight board thought about it and found out that there wasn’t one. We had our Chief’s Advisory Board, which was basically a messaging group chosen by the chief of police that helped communicate what the police were doing out to the community, but they didn’t have oversight. They didn’t review anybody. They were just there to help translate between police officers and regular citizens. 

When I started the process, I called on the staff to create an ordinance and a proposal for how it might work. We looked at some cities similar in size and scale to Eureka to learn more about their successes and failures, and they came back with some really good ideas. We worked through it and, eventually, we have what is now called the COPP board. It is an independent board made up of citizens and one former police officer who’s there to provide a professional perspective from law enforcement. Not only are they looking at complaints, but they are reviewing practices. You know, digging through the rule books and digging through how EPD does things. They are also mandated to meet regularly with community groups that represent people in our community who are often underserved – or occasionally disserved – by law enforcement, such as Black Humboldt, Queer Humboldt, or tribal governments. I think it’s been really effective.

I engaged with the COPP board most recently after the occupation at the university. EPD ended up on the front line of that situation and as I watched the whole thing live on the internet, what I saw was a dangerous situation where EPD went head to head in a confined space where they couldn’t get out and the protesters couldn’t get out. … I saw the serious potential there for someone – for multiple people – to get hurt. I asked the COPP board to review the footage and engage with the city’s Independent Police Auditor and they wrote up a big report on it and made some serious recommendations. One of those recommendations determined that EPD was the most trained unit on the scene … and, ultimately, the recommendation then was for EPD to start doing trainings with other local law enforcement agencies. …

LoCO: As you know, one of the most pressing issues facing Eureka voters – especially folks in the Ward 2 – in this year’s election is Measure F, the “Eureka Housing for All and Downtown Vitality” initiative, which seeks to block the city’s current plans to build new housing on 21 city-owned parking lots and rezone the former Jacobs Middle School campus for “hundreds of units of housing for working- and middle-income families.” You have been very outspoken about your opposition to Measure F. Can you explain why?

Moulton: The Jacobs Campus has been a problem in the neighborhood for years. I think the folks around there are sick of being treated like pawns in this bigger political game. There are a lot of possibilities and a lot of desires for what [the neighborhood] would like to see there, and then there’s the developers, the school district, the California Highway Patrol – all these different interests. I think the people of the Second Ward just want a spot at the table, and I feel like it’s my job to keep them at the table.

… One of the reasons I oppose Measure F is because it says it’s going to build housing by zoning part of [the Jacobs Campus] for high-density housing. What it really does is it rezones the site for a laundry list of things and removes the public part of that process. If somebody wants to go in and buy eight acres of land in the middle of a neighborhood, they have to come to [the city council] and ask. They have to bring us a plan. They have to say, “Here’s what we want to do, what do you think about it?” and then they have to listen to us. That’s part of what local government does to maintain the character of a neighborhood and to maintain public health. And by putting a zoning overlay over Jacobs – as stipulated in Measure F – cuts that part of the process out and makes it so anybody who owns that property can do a huge variety of things there, and they don’t have to ask for [the city’s] permission.

LoCO: You touched on this a moment ago, but can you talk a little bit more about the neighborhood’s priorities? What do the people who actually live in the Second Ward want to see happen at the Jacobs Campus?

Moulton: The answer to that question has shifted over the last four years. When I was first elected, I met with the South Eureka Neighborhood Alliance (SENA), the group that really advocated for the building to come down because it was this huge blight in the neighborhood. You know, a lot of calls for service, it was being lit on fire all the time – people saw it as a huge problem. So, when the [SENA] went out and did a survey [in 2019] to find out what people wanted to see there. When they said, “Would you like to see the CHP come in?” a lot of people were like, “God, yes! Bring us some cops.” 

It’s calmer now that the building has been demolished, and I think people can look at this blank space and imagine what they would like to see there. When I talk to people now, people want housing. Even the weirdly tilted Measure F survey asked people and they said they want housing. I believe that’s what people want because it’s in the middle of the neighborhood. Maybe some neighborhood commercial, like a little coffee shop or some retail stuff, but they want to see things that fit in between a row of single-family homes and an elementary school. … Ultimately, Eureka City Schools owns the property, and they both want and need to sell it. I meet with the school district regularly to coordinate efforts for facilities sharing with the city and stuff like that, but the Jacobs Campus always comes up. They want to sell to the CHP. Well, they want to do something and they need the money. They don’t want to continue holding this blighted property that’s causing problems in the neighborhood.

LoCO: The City of Eureka and the CHP were first in line to express interest in the property. The city dropped out of negotiations two years ago, right?

Moulton: Yeah. And when I first joined the city council, I was in favor of the city [buying the property] even though it would have been a corp yard, which is way more industrial. At least then it would be a public thing and we would have had some control over what it would look like. The City of Eureka has to listen to the citizens, right? The CHP does not have to listen to the citizenry. I’ve met with them though and they say they want to fit in with the community and that they want to be a benefit for the neighborhood that they’re in. They don’t want to cause problems and they say they will meet with us to figure out ways to mitigate traffic and aesthetic impacts to the extent possible.

… So, the city dropped out and CHP has continued on. Then, “AMG Communities - Jacobs” was invented out of thin air and came in with a miraculous [$5.35 million] offer to buy the property. Understandably, the school board was quite dazzled by this amount of money that they could use to benefit students because they needed the money. However, when AMG kept asking to have the escrow kicked out further and further and further … the school board was like, “Come on, we really close a deal here,” and they decided to stop kicking the can down the road and went back to the CHP. …

LoCO: So what happens to the Jacobs Campus if Measure F passes? What happens if negotiations are ongoing and the school district still owns the property? What happens if the school district decides to go with CHP?

Moulton: If Measure F is passed … a city-level zoning overlay would have no effect on the CHP’s plans or the school district plans for the [Jacobs Campus]. No effect at all. The only thing that Measure F can do at Jacobs is upzone [the site] to create massive possibilities without public input. So, if a private developer were to go and buy it in the future, they would have a blank check for whatever they wanted to do.

LoCO: If Measure F passes, what will that mean for the City of Eureka? Would it affect the city’s “pro-housing” designation? Could the state intervene or prevent the ballot measure from being implemented?

Moulton: Well, I am not a legal expert, but we do have one on staff. What would happen if Measure F passes? First, everybody and their sister would sue [the city] because we would be out of compliance with state law. There are certain requirements in Measure F that specifically contradict all of these California laws that are there to encourage affordable housing.

LoCO: Can you specify which aspects of Measure F contradict state law?

Moulton: Measure F mandates that if something is going to be built on one of those public pieces of land where there is currently a parking lot, it can only be either parking or high-density residential housing that maintains the same level of parking. In perpetuity, or up until someone else comes along with more than a million dollars to put up a ballot initiative that can’t be undone. 

… Under Measure F, you have to create additional parking for the people who would live in these buildings. … Say, you have a lot that has 27 parking spaces on it. Now you’re going to put a building there and you’re going to [maintain those] 27 parking spaces and you’re going to build more parking for the people that live there. Now you’re looking at a building that has a two-story parking garage at the bottom, adding millions to construction costs that the developer can never recoup. Essentially, it’s a way to make sure that building can’t possibly go through.

Going back to the state law, there are density bonuses and parking requirements that are in place that [the city] can’t get out of. If somebody is going to build and it’s going to have a certain amount of affordable or low-income housing, then we can’t reject it. We can’t use subjective standards. We can’t require over a certain amount of parking. If we if something is “affordable” or if it’s directed at a certain income level, we can’t say “You have to build parking with that.” Just that piece of Measure F is against state law. The state could come after us and the California [Department of Housing and Community Development] come after us. I’m not sure exactly how all that would play out, but I would imagine the city would be subject to fines.

Eureka is in good standing [with the state] right now. We are creatively and effectively coming up with ways to fit more housing into our built-out little city. The Housing Element of our General Plan got us a “pro-housing” designation, and there aren’t a lot of those throughout the state. We would lose that designation, which would lose us access to millions of dollars of grants. We would have to stop projects that are already in process, money that the city has already won we would have to give back. And that’s not just money for affordable housing, it’s money to improve public transportation. Every one of these potential developments comes with money for public transportation because most of these developments come with less parking.

… If you concentrate more folks downtown and in Old Town where they are living and working and buying a grocery and going to parties, then there’s less need for them to have a car. That way, people who don’t want a car can survive. … We’re trying to make it possible for people who want to ride a bike or walk around town to be able to do that and have equal access to public spaces. If you want to drive a car, drive a car. …

LoCO: I think we could talk about the finer points of Measure F and parking all day, but I’d also like to ask you about another focal point of your platform: decreasing crime and poverty in Eureka. What are some of the things the city is currently doing to address these issues in our community and how would you further those efforts in your second term?

Moulton: Let’s start with the state and nationwide epidemic of homelessness, people who are suffering on the streets for a huge variety of reasons and are likely dealing with incredibly complex problems. These are people who have been displaced from other places. These are teenagers who’ve been kicked out of their hometown for being gay. These are families who were one paycheck away from losing their rental. There are also people who are hard to house because they’re suffering from addiction. The city is approaching that issue in as many different ways as it can and coming at it from a lot of different sides. I can’t take credit for a lot of the creative solutions the city has come up with, but I can say “Yes, let’s keep doing that.” And, fortunately, I am one of the people that gets to vote on the budget and determine how some of that money is spent.

EPD has the [Community Safety Engagement Team] CSET, whose job is to go and talk to the houseless population and they know them by name. I recently had somebody fall down on the sidewalk in front of my business, and I called CSET and they knew this person. They knew why they were resistant to housing and resistant to treatment. They knew that they went into treatment and then relapsed because relapse is part of recovery. … CSET will also help arrange transportation for people to get to another state. If you’ve got a family in Arkansas that’s going to support you, [they can] figure out a way to get you back there. We’re not just sticking people on a bus and sending them somewhere, we make a connection first to make sure they have somewhere to go and someone to help take care of them. We also have Uplift Eureka and the Pathway to Payday program that links people with potential employers who want to hire people who really need a hand. … The city’s supporting and helping to coordinate all of those efforts, and I’m very happy to keep helping. …

LoCO: We’ve talked at length about the Jacobs Campus. Are there any other ward-specific issues you’d like to bring to the council in your second term?

Moulton: I think the problems in Ward 2 are problems everywhere. Ward 2 is the most diverse part of the community. We have the most kids in elementary school, the most working families and the most first-time homebuyers, so we need protections from gentrification. We need more homebuyers. We need more affordable housing for renters. We need more protections for renters, and that will come with more affordable housing.

LoCO: The Eureka City Council deals with its fair share of hostile and belligerent public commenters. I gotta ask, do you regret calling one of those individuals an asshole while on the dais?

Moulton: *Sighs* Not my proudest moment. I do want to say, though, that I didn’t call him a name because he was being belligerent. When people come in and they want to shout at power, they want to express their discontent with the general state of things, in a way, I feel like that’s part of us being useful. We can provide that pressure release or that outlet for someone so that they can say what they need to say. … I hesitate to explain why I said what I said because I don’t want to excuse that. My job is to add perspective to the conversation and to increase the amount of information and conversation that is happening … to help other people make informed decisions. Calling someone a name does not help that. It lowers the discourse. 

… At that moment, I was frustrated because [the city council] had just received a presentation about all the various ways that the ethics of city government are ensured, all of the different ways that accountability and transparency are enshrined in law and all the different ways that citizens and journalists are able to see that transparency and hold us accountable. … So, this commenter came up, claiming to be a journalist… with a predetermined opinion about what was going on, completely ignoring the half an hour of conversation and rich information that had just been presented to him … and he asked the rhetorical question: “Who will keep leaders accountable?” And I said, “You, a-hole.” You’re acting like a journalist, it’s your job. … And it wasn’t that I was insulted on my behalf, I was offended that he would pretend to be a journalist – which is so incredibly valuable – and pretending to do that while doing the opposite of that job.

Still, my response was not OK and I apologized immediately, and again as soon as it was my turn to talk. I’m not proud of it.

LoCO: Is there anything else you’d like to add regarding your re-election campaign? Closing thoughts?

Moulton: Well, we’ve covered quite a number of topics here. … I guess I would just say, I’m a working mom, I love my neighborhood, I have deep roots in this community and I have done nothing but serve this community since the day I got here. I would like to keep doing that on the Eureka City Council.

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You can learn more about Moulton’s campaign at this link. Check out the links below if you’d like to learn more about the other candidates running for Eureka City Council. And keep an eye out for our interview with Ward 2 candidate Kenny Carswell next week.

Election Day is Nov. 5, folks.

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PREVIOUSLY:

• LoCO INTERVIEW: Eureka City Council Candidate Thavisak ‘Lucky’ Syphanthong Talks About His Journey From Laos to America, Tells Us Why He Decided to Run, and Takes a Stand on Measure F
• LoCO INTERVIEW: Scott Bauer, Eureka’s Fourth Ward City Council Rep, on His Reelection Campaign and the Importance of Community Resilience

Despite defections from several members of the Democratic majority, the state Senate today advanced Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to address gasoline price spikes, placing it on the brink of becoming law.

The Senate passed Assembly Bill X2-1 — which would require oil refineries to maintain additional inventory that they can draw from during maintenance periods to sustain a steady supply for drivers — on a 23-9 vote. Final approval, sending the measure to Newsom for his signature, is expected Monday in the Assembly, which passed a previous version last week.

The vote was not guaranteed. Newsom first pushed the Legislature to consider his proposal before the end of the regular legislative session in August, but the Assembly balked and the governor ordered a special session. Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire, a Healdsburg Democrat, initially refused to call his members back to Sacramento, then softened under pressure from Newsom.

The governor celebrated in a statement today that “Californians are one step closer to getting the protections they need against Big Oil’s price spikes.”

But between absences, abstentions and opposition, eight Senate Democrats — more than a quarter of the caucus — did not vote for his bill, hinting at a lingering uneasiness even among Newsom’s allies. The oil industry and Republicans have been sharply critical of the proposal, which they argue would actually drive up prices at the pump by artificially limiting supply as refiners build up reserves.

Catherine Reheis-Boyd, president and CEO of the Western States Petroleum Association, in a statement criticized the governor for “pushing an extremist agenda that isn’t about lowering gas prices — it’s about intentionally raising them so Californians drive less.”

One Democrat, Sen. Melissa Hurtado of Bakersfield, joined Republicans in voting against the measure, while another, Sen. Richard Roth of Riverside, abstained. Though some of the six absent members might have supported the bill, several are in competitive elections this fall and appeared to be trying to avoid taking a position that could be used against by opponents.

Shortly before the floor session, Sen. Dave Min, an Irvine Democrat who is running for a swing congressional seat, released a statement announcing that he would not participate in the vote.

“We should be looking to investigate and address why California gas prices are higher than they should be, including the mystery surcharge that penalizes our drivers,” Min said. “However, opponents of ABX2-1 have raised serious concerns about whether the specific policy proposals in this bill will accomplish those goals and also whether this legislation may have counterproductive impacts.”

McGuire dismissed the notion that Democrats might be nervous about supporting the inventory mandate for refineries.

“Lowering gas prices is never bad policy,” McGuire told reporters. “That’s what this bill will do.”

Some prominent experts agree that the approach could dampen the gas price spikes that California regularly experiences during seasonal refinery maintenance. The state estimates that drivers could save as much as $2 billion annually.

But labor unions representing refinery workers, a key political ally for Democrats, have also lobbied heavily against it because they fear state regulations would prioritize economic considerations over their safety and could establish requirements that refineries are unable to meet, forcing them to shut down and eliminating jobs.

As the Senate met this morning, labor representatives sat alongside lobbyists for the oil industry in the back of the chamber, observing the proceedings.

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

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Press release from the Yurok Tribe:

Building on the success of the winter planting, the Yurok Tribe’s Fisheries Department Revegetation Crew initiated phase two of a massive revegetation project along the recently undammed segment of river this week as salmon migrate to the Upper Klamath Basin for the first time in more than a century.

The Yurok Revegetation Crew, under contract with Resource Environmental Solutions, is hand sowing millions of native plant seeds in the former J.C. Boyle Reservoir, where a band of lush flora lines the now free-flowing river. Custom curated by Yurok Fisheries Department Senior Riparian Biologist Joshua Chenoweth, the planting includes specialized blends of dozens of mutually beneficial native plant species that flourished along the Upper Klamath before the dams and colonization.

“On the first morning, we saw an otter, eagles and waterfowl on the river’s edge. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a few salmon move through there soon,” said longtime Yurok Revegetation Crew member Ben Hunsucker, a Yurok citizen. “I know our ancestors are proud of the work we are doing on behalf of the river.”

The primary goal of the years-long revegetation effort is to establish interconnected biologically diverse ecosystems that support strong salmon, steelhead and Pacific lamprey populations. The project is already yielding positive results. Much of the reservoir reach is covered in soil-stabilizing vegetation, now dormant because it’s the dry season. Hand sown this winter, countless native flowers bloomed from March to October, enticing pollinators to recolonize the area. The seam of green vegetation next to the river is humming with insects that serve as a primary food source for juvenile salmon, steelhead and resident trout. Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana), ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii) saplings are digging deep roots as are perennial bunchgrasses like Blue wildrye (Elymus glaucus).

“I’m happy with the volume and diversity of healthy plants that we are seeing right now. It bodes well for the future,” said Chenoweth, who led the post dam removal revegetation work on the Elwha River before spending five years planning the Klamath project.

On October 2, the in-river portion of the Klamath dam removal project concluded. Largely responsible for a 95 percent decline in the river’s salmon stocks, the dams blocked 400 miles of historic fish habitat, degraded water quality and increased the prevalence of deadly fish pathogens. The Yurok Tribe and many other tribes in the Klamath Basin spent decades fighting for the removal of the dams and the restoration of the river. Last Thursday, fisheries researchers detected the first salmon to travel above the former Iron Gate dam site.

More good news for the Klamath

The Yurok Tribe recently received $18 million from NOAA for the Upper Klamath River Tributary Post Dam Removal Salmonid Restoration Project. Focused on stream reaches outside of the reservoir footprints, the project seeks to restore Shovel Creek and sections of other tributaries between Jenny Creek in California and Spencer Creek in Oregon. The Yurok Tribe-led project will create approximately 150 acres of optimal fish and wildlife habitat through fish passage improvements, floodplain reconnection, side channel construction and stream habitat diversification. Currently, the Yurok Fisheries Department is working with four upper basin tribes and two conservation organizations to design the five-year undertaking.

The tributary restoration project will complement the ongoing revegetation initiative in the reservoir reach. In January, the Yurok revegetation team planted more than 16,000 pounds of native grass, herb and forb seed mixes throughout the reservoir reach. The crew also manually planted 76,000 trees, shrubs and bunch grass plugs, 25,000 acorns and 2,500 narrowleaf milkweed starts. This spring, the reservoir erupted into a sea of wildflowers. In fact, certain plant species like Yellow Gum Plant (Grindella camporum) are presently blooming alongside baby pine trees above the J.C. Boyle dam site. Many more seeds, trees, shrubs and grasses will be planted next spring.

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Yurok Fisheries Department

The Yurok Fisheries Department employs more biologists than any other agency in California aside from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. With nearly 100 employees, the department is comprised of the following six major Programs: Harvest Management Program (engages in all aspects of fishery harvest management and monitors the Yurok fishery); Lower Klamath Program (conducts research, monitoring, and restoration of fisheries resources in the Lower Klamath River Sub-basin); Trinity River Program (conducts research, monitoring, and restoration of Trinity River fishery resources); Klamath River Program (conducts research and monitoring throughout the watershed with a focus on informing water management and policy); Technical Services Program (provides data collection and analyses, designs and implements large scale restoration projects throughout the region); Water Policy Program (provides analyses and information to Tribal leadership regarding all aspects of Klamath Basin water policy and water management issues).

Dante’ Blade Rhoades, the youngest son of the late Apryl LaVonne McKinnon and Arthur “Danny” Daniel Rhoades, Jr., born on October 14, 1999, in Eureka, left his earthly home and joined his heavenly family and his Lord on Saturday, September 21, 2024. He is the grandchild of Pamela Risling of Hoopa and the late Rodney “Rocky” McKinnon, Sr. of Hoopa (maternal), and Linda Smith Rhoades of Hoopa and Arthur Rhoades, Sr. of Pitt River (paternal).

Dante’ was a proud Hoopa Tribal Member who lived most of his life in Hoopa with his loving grandmother Pamela Risling. He was also a descendant of the Karuk, Yurok and Pit River tribes. Dante’ learned his cultural practices. Attended ceremony and learned his local flora and fauna.

He attended Hoopa High School for three years and graduated from Matel High School. While at Hoopa High, Dante enjoyed weight training and football. This is where he bonded with his lifelong best (cousins)friends; Jared and Ryan Matilton, Tomas Mosier and Zane Grant, Juan Trujillo, Shannon Albers. And we can’t forget playing opposite Hoopa: John Dakota McGinnis, his best friend and cousin. These young men always maintained a special place in his heart, and close relationships through life

Dante’ attended American River College in Sacramento, Ca, for two years, concentrating on fulfilling his associate’s degree. He took his love for fitness with him, working out weight training and learning martial arts. He took his love for football as well only, “fantasy football.”

One of Dante’s favorite things was spending time with his elders, learning the history of his family and of his tribe, and just enjoying a good conversation about politics and current events. He really enjoyed long rides with Gramma Pam, Uncle Dale and Great Uncle Mahlon: he became a family historian and learned the locations of all the special places of family memories. He was greatly appreciated and adored for his interest and time

He is preceded in death by his beloved mother Apryl LaVonne McKinnon, Father Arthur Daniel “Danny” Rhoades, Jr., brothers Erroll Daniel and Mark “Marky’o” Rhoades, Grandfather Rodney “Rocky” McKinnon, Sr., grandfather Arthur Rhoades, Sr., grandmother Linda Smith Rhoades (David “Davey” Drake, Jr.), and his great grandparents: Barbara Marshall Risling and Anthony Risling, Sr., Hoyt and Dorothy Davis, Neil McKinnon and Germain Smith, Arthur Daniel Rhoades Sr. and uncle Willie Nelson.

He left behind his loving grandmother Pamela Risling, his big brother Phillip Reed, his sister Trista LaVonne Rhoades, and brothers; Arthur Daniel “Shy” Rhoades, III., and Dusty Rhoades. His Nieces; Weysey Reed, Apryl LaVonne Mitchell, Akira Reed, Miliani Reed, and Tori Rhoades. Nephews; Edward Mitchell, Jr. and Dwayne Reed. His Uncles; Rodney McKinnon, Jr., and Erik McKinnon. His Aunts; Shawn Moore Meyers, Erryn McKinnon, Heather Rose McCovey and Kassi McKinnon, and numerous cousins.

Dante’ was a very private person, so the family will be holding a private gravesite service on Friday, October 11, 2024: followed by breaking of the bread with the family at the First Baptist Church at 2 p.m. Any side dishes or desserts can be dropped at the Church or with either Nikki Risling or Pamela Risling.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Dante’ Rhoades’ loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

Raymond “Adam” Edeline born February 11,1979 to parents Chester and Alexis Edeline, passed away on September 5, 2024, at the age of 45. 

Born and raised in Eureka, Adam attended Cutten Elementary School, Winship Middle School and graduated from Eureka High School in 1998. During high school Adam had the chance to work on a local ranch, something that stuck with him and he greatly appreciated having had the opportunity to do. After high school Adam worked for a family member doing electric tool repair and then went on to log in Trinity and Humboldt counties. Adam loved logging and being in the woods. He quickly went from setting chokers in the hole to running yarder and clearing cut blocks. When logging slowed, Adam went on to work for Mendes Supply, where he was fortunate enough to work for and alongside two of his closest friends. Adam took great pride in his job and all the friends he made during his time at Mendes.

Adam loved being outdoors. From a young age he participated in Boy Scouts, becoming an Eagle Scout. His love for the outdoors didn’t end with the scouts. Adam loved to hunt, fish, shoot and hike. He was an avid firearm enthusiast and collector. He loved to go shooting with friends and test out whatever new firearm he had recently added to his collection. He could often be found at local antique or secondhand stores, checking out what was new and if there was something he had to add to his safe.

Adam had many interests and a range of skills. There wasn’t a tool he couldn’t fix, saw he wouldn’t run or piece of equipment he’d shy away from operating. He had several hobbies, almost all of which included some sort of hands-on work or chance to learn something new. Anything Adam truly applied himself to became a passion of sorts. Those around him were never surprised by his ever-changing interests and knowledge.

Adam was a very social man. You always knew when he entered a room. He had charm and personality that drew people to him. He had a large group of friends from many different parts of his life. Relationships and friendships were very important to him. Adam left an impact on everyone who had the pleasure to know him and will be greatly missed.

Throughout his entire life Adam maintained a very close relationship with his parents. His mother, Alexis, was his best friend. She was always by his side through thick and thin. Every day, Adam would drop off his beloved dog Marvin with his mom before work. He loved getting to see her twice a day. Adam knew how lucky he was to have his mom’s unconditional love and support.

Adam was close to his father, Chet, as well. Chet was a driving force in his life and Adam always knew he could look to his dad for advice and guidance. Chet loved Shelter Cove and everything the ocean had to offer. Adam spent a lot of time in “The Cove” with Chet, family and friends fishing, and passing the time in good company. Adam looked after and cared for his dad during his final years and battle with cancer. Chet’s passing left a big void in Adam’s heart.

Adam was preceded in death by his father, Chester Edeline.

Adam is survived by his mother, Alexis Edeline; brother, Joshua Edeline, nieces Taylor and Rayne Edeline; brother William Roberson, wife Savannah and nephew Liam Roberson; step-sister Trinity Ponnay, husband Anthony and their children Irely, Brailey and Grayson; uncle, Mike Carroll; aunts, Cynthia Carroll, Suzy Edeline and Seil Stanbrough; his cherished dog Marvin, many cousins and extended family members Bryan Hauan, Sydney Taylor;  Jeff Meyer, Paul Bilock and their families; as well as a large group of friends, far too many to list but all individually appreciated.

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On Wednesday afternoon, about 100 of Humboldt’s movers and shakers gathered at the Sequoia Conference Center for the Greater Eureka Chamber of Commerce’s 2024 Economic Forecast, an annual event focused on the local economy and emerging industries.

Turns out, there’s a lot going on here in Humboldt! The offshore wind industry is looking to build a massive floating wind farm off the coast of Eureka; the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District is drawing up plans for a heavy lift marine terminal that would support offshore wind development; Nordic Aquafarms is wrapping up the permitting process for its land-based fish farm on the Samoa Peninsula; and the Blue Lake Rancheria is moving forward with yet another microgrid project.

Gregg Foster, executive director of the Redwood Region Economic Development Commission (RREDC), led a four-person panel discussion focused on emerging industries and the future of the local economy. He emphasized how far the county has come in the last 40 years, following the decline of “traditional industries” and the subsequent “period of rapid disinvestment.”

“There were some solutions that came out of that, such as investing in infrastructure to make us ready for the next wave, whether that be broadband, the airport, the Harbor District, or whatever else,” Foster said. “It’s refreshing to come to a conference like this where we’re looking at all these opportunities that are in front of us … and hearing directly from the businesses who are actually making commitments, who are actually spending money, who are actually bullish on their future here in Humboldt County.”

Brenda Chandler, U.S. CEO of Nordic Aquafarms, said the Norway-based company has all but wrapped up the permitting process for its onshore fish farm and is shifting its focus to site clean-up at the Harbor District-owned Redwood Marine Terminal II property.

“As most folks know, the very first step is site clean-up. There’s more work that needs to be done in terms of the site itself,” Chandler said. “We also need to get a better understanding of the subsurface and the network of pipes that exists below the surface. … By the beginning of the year, we’re hoping the site will be ready to begin demolition”

If everything goes according to plan, Nordic will begin construction in late 2026 or early 2027. Once that’s done, the company will enter a commissioning phase. “There’s a fairly lengthy commissioning process as we’re starting up the farm, which will probably carry over into 2028,” Chandler said. “Those are just general terms, and there’s a number of things that still need to fall into place. We’re looking to the future, but we’re sort of taking it one day at a time.”

To bring the project to life, Nordic will have to hire a workforce with a broad range of skills. They’ll need aquaculture experts, biologists, farmers, mechanical and technical engineers, salespeople and a variety of collaborators. “We will have a microcosm of an entire industry available here,” she continued. “There’s a lot of opportunity that is going to surround the farm. … It’s still a few months away, but we’re getting ready to turn this corner and really start outwardly engaging.”

The offshore wind industry is still several years behind Nordic. Erik Peckar, Vineyard Offshore’s West Coast director of external affairs, said the company is currently focused on getting to know the community and establishing local partnerships.

“Before I moved to the West Coast, I spent the better part of the last 13 years advocating for my community on Martha’s Vineyard … to bring investments into the local community and to help folks get trained for local jobs,” he said. “We want to make sure that we’re building partnerships with folks in the community … and we want to invest in the community. I don’t think it’s a secret that there’ll be tens of millions of dollars invested into these local communities. … We want to work with folks to build partnerships to make sure that that money is spent in a responsible manner.”

There will be thousands of wide-ranging jobs available in the coming years and decades, Peckar said. They’ll need folks to help construct the heavy lift marine terminal on the Samoa Peninsula and assemble the massive turbines that will be towed out to sea. And when construction wraps up, they’ll need a lot of other folks to maintain the turbines.

“The more that we can train locally here, the more that we can invest locally here and, I think the better off we are,” Peckar said. “That’s not to say that there won’t be folks coming from out of town to come work on these jobs – just being frank – but we want to build a local workforce.”

Chris Mikkelson, executive director of the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District, talked a bit about the district’s role in offshore wind development and expressed enthusiastic support the project and the opportunities it would bring for locals.

“I didn’t come from a family that wanted to save the planet or the environment,” Mikkelson said. “I came from a family that wanted to log trees, ship lumber and get filthy rich … We have an opportunity to create better opportunities in our community and for our children.”

Jason Ramos, CEO of business operations at the Blue Lake Rancheria, said the Tribe is hard at work on the Toma Resilience Campus, a training and innovation center that, once complete, will provide the four-county region with classrooms for emergency preparedness training, a “business incubator,” a commercial kitchen and a variety of other uses. Ramos said the Tribe is currently focused on the business incubation component of the project and will be seeking local business partnerships.

The Blue Lake Rancheria is also working with the Hoopa Valley Tribe, Karuk Tribe, Yurok Tribe, Redwood Coast Energy Authority, Pacific Gas & Electric Company and the Schatz Energy Research Center at Cal Poly Humboldt on the Tribal Energy Resilience and Sovereignty (TERAS) project. The TERAS project seeks to advance climate resilience and clean energy innovation in tribal communities throughout the North Coast.

“We’ve got to move forward,” Ramos said. “We have to move forward with job training and business innovation. We have to do something new.”

[DISCLOSURE: The Blue Lake Rancheria is a minority owner of the Outpost’s parent company, Lost Coast Communications, Inc.]

Offshore wind development faces one major obstacle: California’s aging electrical grid. State lawmakers are pushing legislation forward that aims to streamline wind and solar energy projects, but there’s still a long way to go.

During the Q&A period at Wednesday’s event, Humboldt Sheriff Billy Honsal expressed “major concerns” about offshore wind development efforts. 

“I don’t know if we’re ready, as far as the infrastructure goes,” Honsal said. “Workforce development, housing – all those things are major concerns. We’re already struggling with the professional industries that are already here, such as Cal Poly Humboldt and Providence … I would love to be able to support you all in what you’re doing but we also have to come up with a plan to make your projects in our county a success.”

Peckar thanked Honsal for bringing up his concerns and emphasized that Vineyard Offshore wants to get a “full picture” of the community’s concerns to make “the best decisions we can in investing in this community.”

Unfortunately, the keynote speaker couldn’t make it to the event. Robert Eyler, renowned economics forecaster and professor of economics at Sonoma State University, got stuck on an Arcata-bound plane due to weather conditions and had to head back to the San Francisco airport.

Nancy Olson, CEO of the Greater Eureka Chamber of Commerce, assured her membership that Eyler would provide an economic forecast for Eureka at a future meeting. Stay tuned!