HUMBOLDT TODAY: Students in Eureka have a new welcoming space to tend to their mental health; California is attempting to battle Fentanyl on several fronts; plus, your weekend weather, happenings and more in today’s online newscast with John Kennedy O’Connor.

FURTHER READING: 

• CONVERSATIONS: Rodney Oien on the North Coast’s Toddler Services Infrastructure
• Crescent City Woman Tried to Smuggle Two Ounces of Fentanyl Into Jail, Del Norte Sheriff Says
• Del Norte County Pursues $8 Million State Grant For ‘Resiliency’ Upgrades to Veterans Memorial Hall, Rec Department Gym

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Map showing the existing and additional bus service and other project elements that will be funded with $17.5 million | Images from HTA grant proposal

As you likely know, the state of California is doing its dangdest to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and a big part of the state’s climate plan includes reducing the number of gas-powered vehicles on the roads. To help make that happen, the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) has been providing funding to help improve public transportation access and convert transit vehicles to electric power across the state. 

And the Humboldt Transit Authority (HTA) has received a lot of said grant money over the last year, including a recent $17.5 million Transportation and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) grant, which will go toward deploying 10 battery electric vehicles, extending existing transit routes, building a new transit center in Crescent City and creating a new hydrogen fuel cell electric coach that can be used for long-distance transportation. 

The grant application was a partnership between HTA, Redwood Coast Transit and the Yurok Tribe, which have all been working together to try to improve transportation connections between Humboldt and Del Norte Counties and tribal lands. The project will add four battery electric buses to the Yurok Tribal Transit Service, including the Tribe’s dial-a-ride service available to tribal members in the Klamath area. The electric vehicles will also be used to revive the Klamath Trinity Non-Emergency Transit service, which offers a bus route between Orleans and Willow Creek. 

Natalie Arroyo, county supervisor and chair of the HTA board, told the Outpost that working on these forms of microtransit – small-scale public transit that falls somewhere between rideshare service and traditional bus service – is a good way to address the needs of our most rural areas, where public transportation is really needed to help residents reach jobs, grocery stores or medical services, but there aren’t enough daily riders to support regular bus routes.

“Working with the Yurok Tribe has been a fantastic opportunity,” Arroyo said in a recent phone interview. “I think we’ll have more opportunities to look at how microtransit works for communities throughout the North Coast. Because in many ways, traditional forms of transit don’t serve spread out, rural communities quite as well.” 

route between Orleans and Willow Creek

In addition to those four buses, the funding will also be used to add six electric cutaway buses to the existing Redwood Coast Transit (RCT) route between Arcata and Crescent City and the route will be extended south to Eureka. Currently, to get between Crescent City and Eureka, riders have to transfer to a different bus line in Arcata.  Eventually, the route will connect to the Eureka Regional Transit & Housing (EaRTH) Center, a mass transit hub planned to be built on Third Street between G and H streets in Eureka. Construction of the center, which will also be partly funded by CalSTA grants, is still in the planning stages and is expected to be completed by 2026. 

The recent $17.5 million grant will also go toward the construction of a Del Norte County transit center in Crescent City, which is proposed for a publicly owned, 1.75-acre lot located at K and Front Streets. According to the agencies’ grant proposal, the site is ideal for several reasons, including that it is very near the Crescent City Library, the Redwood National and State Parks Information Center and the Cultural Center and the coastal trail.  In addition to providing a center for the RCT vehicles, the transit center could also serve as a place for Redwood State and National Parks to provide shuttle service to and from locations within the parks. 

Lastly, the funding will go toward supporting HTA’s efforts to work with a bus manufacturer to design and pilot a prototype over-the-road hydrogen fuel cell electric coach that is capable of traveling long distances.

Greg Pratt, HTA general manager, told the Outpost that HTA is currently working with bus company New Flyer, which created the hydrogen fuel cell electric buses HTA has been adding to its fleet over the past few years. Pratt said that New Flyer is working to increase their vehicle’s hydrogen storage capacity, to achieve a minimum range of 400 miles. The hope is for these coaches (buses with a raised passenger area with luggage storage underneath) to be used to operate a route between Eureka and Ukiah. 

As far as how long it will take for the prototype to be built and be available for use on the road, Pratt said it will probably take a couple of years. Adding the electric battery buses to the existing routes will probably take about nine months because of the way the bidding process works. But in the meantime, diesel buses will be added to provide the extended service – between Orleans and Willow Creek, and between Crescent City and Eureka – temporarily. The route extension between Eureka and Crescent City will probably be added within a couple of months, Pratt said. 

“Eureka and Crescent City are two of the bigger cities in our area and a lot of people want to travel in between,” Pratt said. “The need is there now.” 

All of the changes are a part of the efforts to increase connectivity between bus and train routes throughout Northern California and the entire state and to eventually transition to entirely zero-emission transit vehicles to meet the state’s goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent by 2045. And though there’s still a long way to go, Pratt and Arroyo said that these steps to help reduce people’s reliance on cars and other gas-powered vehicles are helping us get there. 

“Surface transportation is one of the biggest impacts to our climate, making up more than 50 percent of emissions in most communities,” Arroyo said. “If people can use transit more easily, even occasionally, that can make a difference.”

There are few things more essential to a thriving community than high-quality public transit. A good transit system increases equity by ensuring that all members of the community can access jobs, schools, parks, shops and services, conveniently and with dignity, regardless of income or physical ability. It improves public health by increasing access to medical care and healthy food, and because most transit riders walk or bike to and from the transit stop. It improves safety, because transit is about 10 times safer than traveling by car. It improves the economy, with every $1 invested in transit yielding $4 in economic benefits. It provides precious free time for reading, daydreaming, or watching the scenery - but also a social space where people from different walks of life can interact in those serendipitous exchanges that are the heart of any community. Not least, riding transit generates a fraction of the climate pollution of driving a car, so every new rider helps protect the community from the storms, floods, and fires of the climate crisis.

If you’ve never ridden the bus in Humboldt County, I highly recommend that you give it a try. If you have, then you know the many joys of getting where you want to go without having to get behind the wheel of a car. But you also know the difficulties and frustrations that can be involved in getting to the nearest bus stop, waiting for the next bus to come, and planning carefully to ensure you don’t get stranded by missing the last bus of the day.

The Humboldt Transit Authority and other local transit operators do an admirable job of providing service under challenging conditions. For example, much of the region is developed at low densities that can’t provide the demand for frequent bus service, and much of our housing is separated from jobs and services by relatively long distances. These are things we need to work on, and are some of the many reasons to support affordable infill housing development.

But if we want better public transit any time soon, there’s another factor that can’t be ignored: funding. The majority of funding for our local transit system comes from state and federal government sources, and almost all of the rest comes from riders’ fares. Our local governments provide almost none of their own discretionary funds to support public transit. We’ll never have truly high-quality transit, with all of the benefits, if we don’t invest some of our local dollars.

The good news is that Humboldt County is already considering putting a transportation sales tax on the 2024 ballot. It’s crucially important that, if it passes, some of the money goes to supporting public transit improvements - things like more frequent buses, late-night and weekend service, and even on-demand service for lower-density areas. Recognizing the need for local transit investment, organizations including the Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities (CRTP), Redwood Coalition for Climate and Environmental Responsibility (RCCER), Northcoast Environmental Center, Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC), and 350 Humboldt all support including transit funding in any transportation ballot measure, and will oppose any measure that doesn’t include that commitment.

Another good option for transit funding is parking meters. Parking meters may not be very popular with drivers, but a modern smart meter system in a downtown area can actually make it easier to find a parking space and even stimulate business by increasing turnover, all while generating money to support better alternatives to driving.

Humboldt County deserves a high-quality public transit system, with all the economic, social, environmental, health and safety benefits that come from having one. We’ve got a pretty good system already, but with strong local support it could be truly great. Let’s invest in the future of our communities. Let’s invest in public transit.

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Colin Fiske is executive director of the Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities.

Do you have a tiny baby somewhere around your house? Well, guess what — that thing is gonna be toddling soon! That’s going to cause huge problems! It’s going to be almost as much of an alteration to your habits as bringing the baby into your household in the first place!

The time to start preparing is now. And to that end, we welcome Rodney Oien of Northcoast Children’s Services to a Humboldt Conversation. Oien is here to tell us about all the help that his organization can provide to you in the very next crisis that you, the young parent, are just about to experience any day now. Believe me, you’re going to need it!

Video above, rough transcript below.

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JOHN KENNEDY O’CONNOR:

And welcome to another Humboldt Conversation. I’m really pleased to say I’m here today with Rodney Oien, who is the Executive Director of Northcoast Children’s Services. Rodney, nice to see you again and thank you for joining us for a Humboldt Conversation. Now, tell us what North Coast Services actually do.

RODNEY OIEN:

Yeah, so we provide Head Start, Early Head Start and state preschool programs as well as year-round child care programs for families of children 0-5 with income-based program. So Head Start and Early Head Start are federally funded. Primarily we provide preschool services, but we also work with families in acquiring community services, social services, health, dental, medical and mental health services to support them and their children at the beginning of their life.

O’CONNOR:

And what is the requirement to actually participate in this?

OIEN:

Yeah, so depending there’s we have both state and federal programs. So for the federal programs, it’s based primarily on the federal income guidelines.

O’CONNOR:

So families have to be below that…

OIEN:

We are allowed to have a certain percentage of families who are above that So we do have some over income slots and then the state programs have to qualify for our traditional preschool programs They have to meet the state income eligibility guidelines and for the full day, full year child care program. They have to also meet a work requirement or something. They have to have a need for care. So that could be their work. They’re going to school. They’re incapacitated. Those kinds of things

O’CONNOR:

Okay, and so how do people actually become part of the program? What do they need to do?

OIEN:

Yeah, so they start by applying and you can do that online at ncsheadstart.org. You can come into our offices. We’ve started now putting QR codes on our applications so that people can do that and apply online. It makes the process easier. Then there’s an eligibility determination. You know, and some things are categorically eligible. So if someone’s receiving CalFresh, they’re categorically eligible for the Head Start program now. There’s a little bit of an interview process that happens. So someone from our enrollment and recruitment team would connect with you and kind of, you know, make sure we have all the paperwork and documentation to show you’re eligible. And then you’d be put on our wait list. And you know, then we select families from that and we have some ranking priorities like homeless and foster youth first. There’s different criteria that we use to determine who gets into open slots.

O’CONNOR:

And so there is a limit on how many children you can have at any one time? 

OIEN:

Yeah. So our center base, our three year old programs, our class sizes, those three to four year old, they’re 16 children in a classroom. And so sometimes we can go a little over that depending on the need and the community and the families that we’re working with. But yeah, we serve 344 children in Head Start, 198 in Early Head Start, and another 80 in state standalone programs. 

O’CONNOR:

Now we are here today actually at the Arcata office, but there are actually multiple offices around.

OIEN:

Yeah, we go from the southern end of Humboldt County and Redway is our furthest south location. We go all the way up to Crescent City and Del Norte County as well as east out to Willow Creek and Orleans.

O’CONNOR:

And I think you’ve just opened a new facility in McKinleyville?

OIEN:

No, we’re working on a new facility in Eureka, but we do have a few facilities in McKinleyville, one on Hiller Road and one at the Morris Elementary School campus.

O’CONNOR:

And how can people, do you need any sort of volunteer help? Do you need fundraising, et cetera? How can people become involved with the service? 

OIEN:

Yes, absolutely, we’re always looking for volunteers and fundraising. We’re working on some ways for people to be able to donate more easily. Currently, donations are by check, but we’re working on doing PayPal and credit cards so that people can do that more easily online.

O’CONNOR:

We were talking to your colleague, Christy, for a Humboldt Conversation. You’ve got the Rock Search coming up. But any other fundraising events coming up in the future?

OIEN:

Yeah, so every year in the fall, at the beginning of the first Saturday in October, we do our Pastels on the Plaza, where we come here to Arcata. You know, businesses sponsor a square and they either have an artist that they pair with it or that we have artists who are looking for businesses to pair with and we pair them up that way. It’s a great community event. You know, farmers markets going on.

O’CONNOR:

It’s wonderful, and in fact that’s when you and I first met last year and I came along to see it. I mean it was, because that was my first year here, and it was beautiful. But it seems such a shame that they all get one.

OIEN:

Yeah, I know it is, but we do you know we do keep we take pictures of them with a professional photographer.

O’CONNOR:

And so the businesses get that so that they can use it for advertising.

OIEN:

Yeah, it’s a great event we do.

O’CONNOR:

Well, we’ll talk to you further, closer to the time I hope, and we’ll certainly be there for that. Rodney, it’s great to see you again, thank you so much for joining us for a Humboldt Conversation.

OIEN:

Well, thank you, it’s a pleasure to be here. I appreciate it.

O’CONNOR:

And thank you for joining us for a Humboldt Conversation, and join us for the next one very soon.

Donell McCanless passed away at age 96 on April 17, 2023, at her home on the family dairy surrounded by her family. She is survived by her three sons and their wives/partners, Jack McCanless (Nina), Kurt and Judy McCanless and David and Debbie McCanless, seven grandchildren Randy McCanless (Ashley), Tami McCanless (Theresa), Jason McCanless, Beckie McCanless, Kenny McCanless, Lucas McCanless (Nichole), and Katie Chisam (Matt), and eight great grandchildren Korbin McCanless, Tatum McCanless (and her mother Dana McDonald), Tanner & Tinnley Pidgeon, Grady & Miles Chisam, and Hunter & Wiley McCanless.

She is also survived by her very special friends: Jackie Amos, Lucille Scilacci, Mary Enos, and Karin King.

She is preceded in death by her husband Jack McCanless, parents Claude and Ruth Hunter, twin brothers Elias Don Hunter, and William Austin Hunter, brother Dean Hunter, grandson James McCanless and daughter-in-law Marian Qualls

Donell was born September 22, 1926. Her mother instilled in her the importance of education from a very young age. She spent her life pursuing her own education and building the knowledge of others. She attended Petrolia High School until her senior year where she attended and graduated from Mountain View High School while living with a cousin in Mountain View. She married Jack McCanless on July 15, 1946, in Oakland, CA while attending the University of California at Berkeley. She graduated from U.C. Berkeley in 1948 before she, Jack and their first son, Jack Jr. moved back to Ferndale. A few years later, once all her sons were in school, she continued her education at Humboldt State and got her teaching credential. Her first teaching job was at Price Creek Elementary (Grades 1 through 8). Donell was a substitute teacher at many local elementary schools and established her own preschool in her home. Lastly, she taught Special Education for many years at Ferndale Elementary, retiring after 40+ years teaching in 1994.

During WWII, she wrote to many service men she grew up with in Petrolia who were overseas, knitted scarves for the Red Cross and worked on a drydock as a welder in 1944. Donell was a life member of the Ladies’ Auxillary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars for over 75 years, a volunteer/historian for the Ferndale Museum for 45 years, and a member of the Ferndale Garden Club for 49 years, just recently making a trip to Petrolia (along with her good friends, Mary and Karin) to help start a new Garden Club. But, this amazing lady was perhaps most well known in Ferndale for her talents in spinning wool and her many knitted creations, from hats, sweaters and slippers to stuffed kittens and chickens, items most adored by her own great grandchildren. One of her proudest projects was the spinning of llama wool from an entire pack of llamas. Donell came by the art of spinning naturally, at a young age, and was taught by her grandmother, Lucy Hunter. Donell never met her great grandmother, but she learned that she had spun wool from a spinning wheel to make yarn many years before. Being the lifelong student that she was, she enrolled in a class to learn how to do just that. She was a much loved and proud member of the Humboldt Handweavers and Spinners Guild. She was one of the founding members of the well known and loved “The Folks” Craft Fair, where she met customers from all over the world, many who later became friends. This craft fair has continued for over 50 years.

Donell was a regular participant and blue ribbon winner for her baking, gardening and knitted creations at the Humboldt County Fair, and on one or two occasions won the prize for most blue ribbons overall. One year, she and her mother both entered apple pies, and when Donell came out the winner she joked that her mother likely wasn’t too pleased about it. She was also quite the historian, she loved the Ferndale Museum, and took pride in her many contributions of stories and historical artifacts.

Donell loved having her family close by, and was proud of the growth and success of her family members. She enjoyed supporting the many sporting events which her grandchildren and great grandchildren played, including soccer, basketball, football, baseball, softball and rodeo. When asked what she was most proud of, Donell mentioned her own graduation from U.C. Berkeley as well as seeing several of her grandchildren graduate from college, and one graduate from the California Highway Patrol Academy.

Donell was always curious. She delighted in meeting new people and learning their stories. She had many penpals around the world over the years, and loved to share stories of the people she met and corresponded with. Donell was always game for adventure, and took so much joy from trips she got to take with her sons, their families, and her grandchildren.

Donell was the cornerstone and matriarch of her family, and a pillar of the Ferndale community. She will be remembered as a fiercely independent woman, who lived a story of her own willful creation. To quote her dear friend Buck Miner, “If all the world could be like Donell, well it sure would be a wonderful spot to enjoy.”

A heartfelt thank you goes out to Beckie (granddaughter) and Mary Enos for their special TLC they provided to our Mom, Grandma, Great Grandma and friend, especially in her final days. We will remember this always. This grand lady was so loved and will be remembered by too many to count. Donell left her mark on this world, and gave each of us many stories to share and countless memories to treasure. Hers was a storybook life, with a storybook ending. She lived it her way.

Donell will be laid to rest at a private family burial service at the Ferndale Cemetery. There will be a celebration to honor her remarkable life on May 13, 2023 from 1 to 4 p.m. at The Ferndale Community Center. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Ferndale Museum or to your favorite charity.

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Art Ramsey — beloved husband, proud father, and super-proud grandpa (Papa Art) — passed away April 17, 2023 of complications of diabetes.

Art was born February 13, 1947 to Arthur and Alice Ramsey growing up in Blue Lake. He attended Blue Lake Elementary School and then Arcata High School. After Graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. Although his tour of duty was during the Vietnam Conflict era, Art was lucky enough to have been stationed in Hawaii for his entire four-year tour on the Admiral’s Gig.

After which, happy to be home for a short while, Art traveled to Alaska for about a year where he worked in a logging camp. Winter set in, logging-stopped, Art returned home. With influence and help from his father. He was hired as a logger for Simpson Timber Co. in Korbel where he worked for 30 years. Semi-retired, Art was able to work for the Blue Lake Casino for about five years.

As a member of the Blue Lake Rancheria, Art served as a councilmember for 30 years. He loved camping, hunting, fishing, gambling at various casinos, watching his grandsons participate in sports, and reading a good book.

His wife of 48 years, Lynette (Costa), his son Zac Ramsey, daughter-in-law Rachel, and grandchildren Lukas, Easton, and little Gracie (Gracelynn) mourn his loss but are relieved that his pain and distress is over. He will be missed every day.

Art is also survived by his sisters, Dona Mueller in Hawaii, Arla Ramsey in Blue Lake and brother David Ramsey in McKinleyville as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Art is preceded in death by his parents, Arthur and Alice Ramsey as well as sister June Ramsey. His beautiful young nieces Kindred Lewis, Savannah Kindred and Kira Norton.

A celebration of Art’s life is planned for June 3, 2023 at Blue Lake Casino’s Sapphire Palace, 12 p.m.-4 p.m.

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Wendell Lee Bott III, born on April 29, 1951 to Catherine Arlene Waldron and Wendell A. Bott in Enterprise, Oregon, passed away peacefully of COPD just shy of his 72 birthday on Saturday, April 22, 2023, in his home, surrounded by his family, in Fortuna.

Wendell served his country in the Army during the Vietnam War. He had many occupations in his lifetime but is most remembered for his many years working as a lumber and mill worker, most recently Palco Lumber Company, CM Rentals and Bott Family Lawn Care. Wendell was a family man; a loving father and grandfather, he deeply loved and cared for all of his children and grandchildren.

Wendell enjoyed cars and was very knowledgeable and mechanical. Wendell will be remembered for his sense of humor and his strength. Wendell will be remembered for his affection and his “love taps.” Taking care of things and people was Wendell’s gift to the world. He will be loved and missed by all of his family and friends. Wendell gave many memories to each of us that made us feel special.

He was preceded in death by his mother and father, his brother Jay Baker, and one bonus daughter, Jessica D’Vorak.

Wendell was survived by his sister, Terri Hagen, his wife Angela Jean Bott, his oldest daughter Jackie Lynn Carrillo, his daughter Deedee Arlene Bott, his son Wendell Lee Bott lV, his stepson Gary Thurston, his stepdaughter Christi Warren, his twin daughters Kimberly Zachary and Tiffany Garcia, his bonus daughter Samantha Perez, his son Eduardo Hernandez, his daughter Angel Warren, his daughter Treesa D’Nae Bott, his adopted daughter Geraldine Dawn Bott-Thurston, and his youngest son MichaelCharles Bott-Thurston who was also adopted. He was also survived by nine grandchildren: Trisha Burris, Kayla Hansen, Wendell Bott V, Antonio Hernandez, Kimberlynn Carrillo, Juno Garcia, Ezra Zachary, Sawyer Garcia, and Evelynn Zachary. Wendell had one great-grandchild, Addison Burris.