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At a special meeting on Tuesday, the Eureka City Schools (ECS) Board of Trustees will interview five applicants looking to fill a vacant seat for Trustee Area 2. One of the people vying for the position is Eureka City Council Ward 4 candidate Thavisak “Lucky” Syphanthong.

Eureka City Schools’ Trustee Area 2 is the big green section on this map. Click to enlarge.| Image: ECS

Being an avid local volunteer with two teenagers attending schools in the district, it’s no surprise Syphanthong applied for the vacant seat. However, he can’t hold both offices at once. Doing so would conflict with California Government Code § 1099 which “restricts the ability of public officials to hold two different public offices simultaneously if the offices have overlapping and conflicting public duties.”

In an email exchange included in next week’s agenda packet – linked here – Micalyn Harris, executive assistant in the Eureka City Schools’ Superintendent’s Office, said she had discussed the matter with ECS Superintendent Gary Storts and the district’s legal counsel and advised Syphanthong to rescind his application.

“Unfortunately, our Legal Counsel was advised that we should not move you through the possible Trustee 2 appointment process, due to the conflict between the two positions,” the Sept. 25 email states. “He [legal counsel] has advised that since you are mostly through the electoral process for the City Council seat, and cannot take your name off the November ballot if appointed, it would be better to let that process play out without the complication of a conflicting school district appointment.”

“We value your contributions within our community and specifically within Eureka City Schools,” Harris added. “It’s always nice to speak to someone whose reputation precedes them, as is true in your case, as you are well-known and admired within our community.”

In the email exchange, the district’s legal counsel cited the same section of Government Code mentioned above, including a passage stating that “an office is incompatible with another office if one of them has supervisory, auditory, removal, or veto power over the other.” 

“The Attorney General has concluded on numerous occasions that the offices of a school district trustee and a city councilman are incompatible if the two political entities have territory in common,” the email states. “This is quite obvious here, given that your District’s name is the ‘Eureka City Schools,’ and likely the territory of the City and the District are either congruent, or that the territory of one of them is entirely within the other’s territory.”

In a follow-up email to the district, Syphanthong said he would be more than willing to recuse himself from “any decisions having to do with the Eureka City Schools and vice versa” if elected to the city council. Syphanthong emphasized that “there is no guarantee” he will win the election, noting that this is his first time running for office and his opponent Scott Bauer “is still very popular among voters.”

“Couldn’t I still continue with your application process and if I am elected to City Council in November, I would vacate the Trustee Area 2 seat so there would be no conflict of interest?” Syphanthong’s Sept. 25 email states. “But if I were not elected to City Council, then I would be able to accept the Trustee Area 2 seat? I would hate to not get either seats in November when I know I would be one of the best candidates for the Trustee Area 2 seat.”

Harris did not address Syphanthong’s questions in her response but said the school board president and clerk would review the email exchange and let him know how he should proceed. 

Reached for additional comment, Syphanthong told the Outpost he has an extensive history of volunteering for local school districts, including the Cutten-Ridgewood PTA and ECS Citizens’ Oversight Committee. “The opportunity came up so I thought I’d throw my hat in the ring,” he said. “I want to make the school district a better place for not just my kids but all of the kids in Eureka.”

Syphanthong said he would be willing to step down from the school board if he were to win the upcoming city council election but reiterated that his opponent “is still very popular” among Fourth Ward voters.

“Who’s to say that I’m going to win or not,” he said. “I didn’t want to miss the boat on this opportunity.”

There are four additional applicants for Trustee Area 2, including elementary school teacher Tamika Bighead, Yurok Tribe Planner Cynthia Bones, local business owner Wendy Davis and retired school administrator Jan Schmidt.

Former ECS Board Trustee Mike Duncan vacated his position on the board last month before the end of his term. ECS trustees serve four-year terms and may be re-elected to successive terms.

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The ECS Board of Trustees will meet at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 22 at the Board of Education for Eureka City Schools – 2100 J Street in Eureka. Click here for the agenda.

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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
• Eureka City Schools Announces Vacancy on Its Board of Trustees

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From the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife:

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – On October 16, a fall-run Chinook salmon was identified by ODFW’s fish biologists in a tributary to the Klamath River above the former J.C. Boyle Dam, becoming the first anadromous fish to return to the Klamath Basin in Oregon since 1912 when the first of four hydroelectric dams was constructed, blocking migration.

The salmon and others likely traveled about 230 miles from the Pacific ocean to reach the tributary only months after four Klamath River dams were removed to ensure fish passage from California to Oregon.

“This is an exciting and historic development in the Klamath Basin that demonstrates the resiliency of salmon and steelhead,” said ODFW Director Debbie Colbert. “It also inspires us to continue restoration work in the upper basin. I want to thank everyone that has contributed to this effort over the last two decades.”

“The return of our relatives the c’iyaal’s is overwhelming for our tribe. This is what our members worked for and believed in for so many decades,” said Roberta Frost, Klamath Tribes Secretary. “I want to honor that work and thank them for their persistence in the face of what felt like an unmovable obstacle. The salmon are just like our tribal people, and they know where home is and returned as soon as they were able,” added Frost.

“c’iyaal’s are culture carriers,” said Natalie Ball, Klamath Tribes Council Woman. “I’m excited for their return home and for us to be in relation with them again.”

Fish biologists have been surveying the Klamath River and tributaries since dam removal as part of the agency’s responsibility to monitor the repopulation of anadromous fish species to the basin in collaboration with The Klamath Tribes.

Mark Hereford, ODFW’s Klamath Fisheries Reintroduction Project Leader, was part of the survey team that identified the fall-run Chinook. His team was ecstatic when they saw the first salmon.

“We saw a large fish the day before rise to surface in the Klamath River, but we only saw a dorsal fin,” said Hereford. “I thought, was that a salmon or maybe it was a very large rainbow trout?” Once the team returned on Oct. 16 and 17, they were able to confirm that salmon were in the tributary.

ODFW, The Klamath Tribes and other partners have been working together on this historic restoration project to monitor Chinook salmon, coho salmon, steelhead, and Pacific lamprey once they are able to repopulate habitat above the dams.

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Press release from the Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA):

Eureka, Calif., October 18, 2024 - Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA), is pleased to share the selection of Beth Burks as the next Executive Director. This significant leadership addition comes just after RCEA celebrated its 20th anniversary, marking two decades of providing sustainable energy initiatives, customer-centered programs, and the advancement of renewable resources for Humboldt County.

With more than 18 years of local planning experience in both the public and private sectors on housing, energy, and transportation-related projects, Burks brings a wealth of expertise to this role. During four years as the Executive Director of the Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCAOG), Burks oversaw the update of the Regional Transportation Plan including the adoption of the Safe and Sustainable Transportation Targets and completed two cycles of the Regional Transportation Improvement Plan that brought nearly $20 million in transportation improvements to our region. She also secured grants supporting infill affordable housing, micro-transit, and other initiatives that supported mode shift to active transportation, transit, and transitioning to zero-emission vehicles.

Sarah Schaefer, chair of the RCEA Board of Directors, said Burks brings strong organizational leadership and a clear vision to Redwood Coast Energy Authority.

“With deep local knowledge and a broad strategic perspective, her experience in energy issues, policy, and both public and private sectors make her an ideal fit to lead the organization,” Schaefer said. “Beth is proactive, values communication and transparency, and is committed to amplifying community voices across Humboldt County drawing on her existing relationships and community connections.”

Burks will start her new role in early 2025.

“I am honored to be stepping in to lead the phenomenal team at Redwood Coast Energy Authority. With a strong commitment to sustainability and innovation, I look forward to working with the RCEA Board, staff, and our community to further RCEA’s mission,” Burks said. Burks replaces Interim Executive Director, Eileen Verbeck, who is excited to return to her original role of Deputy Executive Director.

For more information, community members are encouraged to email info@redwoodenergy.org or call (707) 269- 1700.

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PREVIOUSLY: Matthew Marshall to Leave Redwood Coast Energy Authority After 13 Years as Executive Director

Voters began seeing dueling ads last month in one of California’s most contested congressional districts — a rematch between former Democratic Assemblymember Rudy Salas and GOP Rep. David Valadao.

Only a sliver of those ads were paid for by their own campaigns.

The candidates have each released a 30-second spot, touting their farming roots and their pledge to represent working families. But in far more TV ads, funded by other political groups, they are portrayed as out of touch with the working class and cast in gloomy monotone color.

Outside political organizations, independent from candidates’ campaigns, are buying airtime and driving the spending war between Democratic and Republican candidates in five of California’s tightest congressional races, campaign finance records show.

In those close contests from the Central Valley to Southern California, outside groups spent a total of $71 million as of Thursday — almost twice the amount candidates themselves have spent this election, according to data from OpenSecrets, a Washington, D.C.-based campaign finance watchdog group.

That money war highlights the importance of California to control of the U.S. House, even though the state is overall safely Democratic, said Jack Pitney, a politics professor at Claremont McKenna College.

“The path to the speakership runs through California,” Pitney said.

The spending blitz comes as Republicans try to fend off Democratic challengers and defend their eight-seat House majority. Both GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries campaigned for swing district candidates in California this week.

But in six of the most competitive California districts, Republicans were outraised by Democrats by almost 300% between July and September, according to the latest federal campaign finance filings.

Salas, for example, raised $1.8 million from individuals and political committees, while Valadao raised just $727,000, records show. In another competitive Central Valley seat, Democratic businessman Adam Gray raised $2.3 million while incumbent GOP Rep. John Duarte raised just shy of $500,000.

Democratic congressional candidate Rudy Salas speaks to a crowd of volunteers at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in Bakersfield on Oct. 15, 2022. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local

Similarly, in southern California’s 27th, 41st and 47th congressional districts, Democrats more than doubled Republicans’ fundraising for the third quarter. In Orange County’s 45th District, Derek Tran — a Democratic workers rights advocate — raised almost $2 million, while GOP Rep. Michelle Steel reported raising $1.3 million, including $1 million from herself.

That shows the waning influence of former GOP House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield and the rise of California’s Democratic Reps. Peter Aguilar and Ted Lieu as chairperson and vice chairperson of the House Democratic Caucus, respectively, said Democratic strategist Garry South.

“These are the seats that Democrats are going to have to flip … if they are going to take back the House,” he said.

But fundraising by candidates is only part of the money game.

Congressional Leadership Fund, a juggernaut Republican political action committee tied to House Speaker Johnson, plans to spend a total $40 million in California’s battleground districts — more than in any other state, a spokesperson confirmed to CalMatters.

“California remains an essential battleground for holding the House majority, which is why we’ve made such substantial and comprehensive investments in the state,” Dan Conston, president of the group, said in a statement.

House Majority PAC, its Democratic counterpart, has also booked more than $40 million in ads across the state, according to press secretary Alisha Heng.

“House Democrats are well-positioned and have the momentum, and we will flip the House blue and elect Hakeem Jeffries as Speaker in November,” she said in a statement.

A similar rivalry is playing out between the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee, the campaign arms of House Democrats and Republicans.

As of last week, the House Democratic campaign had spent $6.3 million airing ads in California’s Central Valley districts and has since launched a mobile billboard campaign across 27 swing districts nationwide — including six in California — to target the conservative “Project 2025” policy playbook.

“Our California challengers are lapping the competition in fundraising and meeting voters where they are,” Dan Gottlieb, spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said in a statement.

Its GOP counterpart had spent $4 million as of last week running ads in four districts in the Central Valley and northern Los Angeles County, according to federal campaign finance filings.

“California House Republicans built strong fundraising totals this cycle, our message is resonating with voters and we have significant investments to reach voters in the final stretch,” said spokesperson Ben Petersen.

“The path to the speakership runs through California.”
— Jack Pitney, a politics professor at Claremont McKenna College

Others are also jumping into the fray.

America PAC, a pro-Donald Trump super PAC created by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, has spent $3 million boosting Republicans in three California House races — more than any other state, according to data from OpenSecrets. And cryptocurrency-linked super PACs have also invested millions of dollars supporting Republican incumbents in three swing districts in California: $2.8 million for Steel, $1.3 million for Valadao, and $1 million for Rep. Mike Garcia, POLITICO reported.

The ad blitzes by outside groups, however, aren’t always as cost-effective as candidates’ own spending, experts say. Non-candidate political groups must pay higher ad rates — sometimes in California’s most expensive TV markets, they noted.

“You talk about advertising in L.A., one week of television for a super PAC buy for a congressional race can be $2.5 million,” said GOP consultant Jon Fleischman.

And attack ads funded by outside organizations could be so negative that they risk turning voters off, strategists say.

“Voters don’t read the fine print. They don’t read the disclaimers on the ads,” South said. “All of that negative advertising is basically attributed by the voters to the candidate, not to some outside PAC they’ve never heard of.”

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

Confused about Proposition 33? You’re not alone. A recent poll shows the ballot measure to give local governments more ability to limit rent increases is running neck and neck, with nearly a third of voters undecided.

Prop. 33 would repeal a state law known as the Costa Hawkins Rental Housing Act that prevents local governments from controlling rent on single-family homes, homes built after 1995 (or earlier in some cases), and when tenants move out. If it passes, local governments could create whatever measures they want to limit annual rent increases, and the state couldn’t intervene.

Tenant advocates largely support Prop. 33. Landlords are bankrolling the campaign against it. Democratic officials are split: Some side with tenants on the importance of keeping rents down on existing homes. Others are more focused on increasing overall housing supply, and want to make sure homes are profitable for developers to build and landlords to operate.

You wouldn’t necessarily know all this from the attack ads airing on TV and mailers fluttering into Californians’ mailboxes. Both sides say they stand for affordable housing, and some of the arguments have included a few head-scratching claims. We fact-checked some of those claims, so you don’t have to.

Claim: Prop. 33 would repeal more than 100 state housing laws, including affordable housing requirements and eviction protections.

Ken Rosen, a UC Berkeley business school professor, makes this claim in a No on 33 video ad. Opponents of Proposition 33 argue that it would give cities who don’t want to build housing a way to undercut new development: by mandating rents so low that developers couldn’t afford to build. They say that could make it hard to enforce recent state laws aimed at addressing the housing crisis, such as the “builder’s remedy” that relaxes zoning rules in cities whose housing plans haven’t been approved by the state.

“A city would be able to create the economic conditions to basically ignore those laws and requirements,” says Nathan Click, a spokesperson for the No on 33 campaign.

But that’s not the same as repealing those laws. And California courts have held that rent control policies are unconstitutional if they don’t allow landlords to earn “a just and reasonable return on their property” — meaning any city that tries to force landlords to charge obviously unfeasible rents, such as $1 per month, could face legal challenges.

Verdict: False.

Claim: Prop. 33 could create over 500 local rent boards

A No on 33 mailer makes this claim, pointing out that the rent boards would have the “power to regulate single-family homes, add fees to housing, and even dictate what you can charge to rent out your own home.”

There are just under 500 cities in California, and all of them could theoretically create rent boards to regulate local rents, whether or not Prop. 33 passes. Under Prop. 33, those boards would be able to cap rent increases on single-family homes, potentially affecting income for both corporate and mom-and-pop landlords. Rent boards can charge landlords fees to cover their operating costs — in San Francisco, for example, it’s $59 per unit — but current law already allows them to do that and would not change under Prop. 33.

Verdict: Mostly true.

Claim: ‘Rent control is an American tradition for over 100 years.’

This, from a Yes on 33 video featuring actor Blair Underwood, is pretty accurate. “Fair rent” committees sprang up in dozens of United States cities in the early 1920s, and rent control became widespread during World War II, helping drive an increase in homeownership. However, more than 30 states have since passed laws banning local rent control. In the states that do allow some form of rent regulation — including California and New York — more than 200 local governments have passed measures limiting how much landlords can charge, according to the National Apartment Association.

Verdict: Mostly true.

Claim: Prop. 33 would repeal the strongest rent control law in the nation

No on 33 campaign ads make this claim, saying the proposition would erase California’s “progress on housing” by getting rid of a law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Newsom signed a law in 2019 that caps rent increases in California at 5% plus the rate of inflation, or a maximum of 10%. (The No campaign, staffed by the governor’s longtime advisor, Click, lists Newsom as an endorser.)

Prop. 33 doesn’t repeal this law, which is set to expire in 2030. It would, however, add this sentence to state law: “The state may not limit the right of any city, county, or city and county to maintain, enact, or expand residential rent control.”

Proponents say cities need this flexibility to keep annual rent increases below 10%, a rate they say still puts a big burden on tenants. Opponents argue that cities could also use this freedom to allow rents to soar higher than the state cap. But legal experts disagree about whether Prop. 33 might actually allow that: Deepika Sharma, housing clinic director at the University of Southern California’s Gould School of Law, said the rent cap “is not preempted by overturning Costa Hawkins,” while UC Davis law professor Chris Elmendorf said the proposition could create “a lot of legal murk about how conflicts would be resolved.”

Verdict: Mostly false.

Claim: ‘Stanford and UC experts agree Prop.33 will make the housing crisis worse’

This claim comes from a No on 33 audio ad. The chair of UC Berkeley’s Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics, Ken Rosen, appears in a No on 33 ad and has argued that Costa Hawkins needs to be preserved or construction will slow and landlords will pull rental units off the market. This echoes the view of many economists at California’s elite universities and elsewhere that rent control reduces rental supply, a view that’s backed by some empirical studies.

But other economics and policy researchers — particularly those who believe in a stronger role for government in solving social problems — see rent control as part of the solution to housing insecurity.

“Rent regulations support those who need it most, including those who are not being adequately and safely served by the current set of regulations that provide landlords substantial market power in the housing market,” wrote 32 economists from universities including UC Santa Barbara last year, urging the Biden administration to regulate rents in buildings with federally backed mortgages.

Verdict: Somewhat misleading.

Claim: ‘Prop. 33 (eliminates) existing protections for seniors and veterans’

This claim from a No on 33 video ad is not true. Prop. 33 doesn’t contain any language about seniors and veterans, and the law it would repeal, Costa Hawkins, doesn’t either.

Verdict: False.

Claim: Homelessness in California is up nearly 40% since 2019

This Yes on 33 video ad overstates the crisis. There are nearly 186,000 homeless Californians, according to a CalMatters analysis of the latest federally mandated census, up from about 151,000 in 2019. That’s an increase of about 23%.

Verdict: False.

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

Surrounded by her family, Mary Rosebrook passed away peacefully on October 2, 2024, at her home in Arcata.

Born to John and Bridie Murphy in Chicago on Jan. 7, 1940, she was the first daughter and third born in a family that would eventually total eight children. Moving from the midwest to Lakeview, Oregon brought the Murphy clan closer to family. From age seven, Mary spent her childhood surrounded by her seven siblings; Bart, Pat, Tom, Joan, John, Richard and Una. Upon graduating from Lakeview High School in 1958, she received the Daly Fund Award, an academic scholarship for excellence. Furthering her studies at Oregon State University as an English major, she joined the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority and was an active member of the Thespian Club.

Home for a summer break and working at the Circle J.M. Drive-In led to a meeting with Donald Rosebrook. Falling in love, they were married on November 28, 1959. Mary and Don went on to have four children and as Don worked for Safeway in Southern Oregon, they moved quite a few times. They spent several years in the Roseburg area, where Mary was a special education classroom aide. She was a wonderful vocalist and guitar player and as a member of a group known as the Happy Sounds, she shared that love of music with the community. She also was a master at solving puzzles, playing them daily. Her love of reading added to her amazing knowledge of vocabulary and continued to bring her joy later in life. 

Eventually, a move to California brought the family to Arcata in the 1970s, where they worked to establish a grocery store in the Westwood area. Mary was instrumental in the upbringing of her grandchildren who have many fond memories. Her love of the outdoors led the grandchildren on fishing adventures, harvesting potatoes, planting flowers, growing gardens, and looking for the elusive four-leaf clovers. A visit to Gobby’s house, a nickname given by her oldest grandson Shane, was filled with discovering treasures for arts and crafts, learning to knit and crochet, sewing blankets from old jeans, baking mini apple pies, making jam, and of course word puzzles. Her love of music continued and she would often hum a modern song to the kids until they guessed the title of her new favorite song. Her patience and ability to make each grandchild feel seen, heard, and special is without measure.  

The family would like to make a special thank you to Joan and Tim, Megan and Janette for their support while Mary was in the hospital and when she came home.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Don Rosebrook, her daughter Shelly Goodrich, her sister Una Swanson, brother-in-law Bill, and her parents John and Bridie Murphy.

Mary leaves behind her children; Debra Rosebrook (Doug Davis), Don Rosebrook, and Susan Reeser (Bryan), and multiple grandchildren; Shane, Casey, and Cole Goodrich, Mae Mazza (Levi), Grace Rosebrook, and Brook and Jake Reeser. Her surviving siblings include; Bart Murphy, Pat (Sharon) Murphy, Tom Murphy, Joan (Tim) Pruhliere, John (Wanda) Murphy, and Richard (Kim) Murphy. Additionally, she leaves behind many wonderful nieces and nephews. 

Services will be held at St Mary’s Church, on October 26, at 11 a.m. A graveside service will be held at Greenwood Cemetery in Arcata.

Donations can be made in place of flowers to the Bernard Daly Educational Fund, P.O. Box 328, Lakeview, OR 97630, or the Friends of Life Animal Rescue, P.O. Box 962, Eureka, CA 95502

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

Cal Poly Humboldt officials held a groundbreaking ceremony today for the campus’ brand new Engineering and Technology Building. 

Three stories high and 76,000 square feet, the mass-timber behemoth will cost $100 million to build. Funds come from the $458 million grant the university got in 2021 to become a polytechnic. It will open in summer of 2026 and is being built by the nationwide Swinerton construction company. 

The building, located where the Campus Events Field once lay, will house classrooms for the engineering and computer science departments, as well as 15 different labs, a wood shop and a machine shop. It’s the first major teaching space construction on campus since 2008. 

“You could be building a part for a robot one day,” said Associate Vice President Michael Fisher, “and a frame for a clay model another day.”

Speakers at the event made it clear that it was a project that had taken thousands of hours of collaboration to come to completion. Provost Jenn Capps said she had done 150-200 presentations a year on the building. 

“This building is symbolic not only of the transformation of Humboldt State University into Cal Poly Humboldt,” interim president Michael Spagna said, “but also of the transformation of the entire region.”

PREVIOUSLY:

• New, Swank, $100 Million Engineering Building Approved for Cal Poly Humboldt Campus, Administration Says