Press release from the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services:

As we go into the long weekend, local Environmental and Public Health officials are reminding residents to keep an eye out for cyanobacteria while recreating at area rivers and lakes. This reminder comes after algal blooms were recently detected by North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board staff in the South Fork of the Eel River at Richardson’s Grove, Cook’s Valley and in Miranda. 

Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, can be present in any fresh water body, and looks like dark green, blue-green, black, orange or brown scum, foam or mats on the riverbed or floating on the water. Cyanobacteria can produce harmful compounds, such as toxins and taste and odor compounds, that cause health risks to humans and animals. Warm water and abundant nutrients can cause cyanobacteria to grow more rapidly than usual causing “blooms.” These blooms are termed “harmful algal blooms.” 

In previous years, cyanobacteria has been confirmed in water bodies within Humboldt and surrounding counties, including the Mad River, South Fork Eel River, Van Duzen River, Trinity River, Big Lagoon, Stone Lagoon, Clear Lake and Lake Pillsbury. It is difficult to test and monitor the many lakes and miles of our local rivers. Most blooms in California contain harmless green algae, but it is important to stay safe and avoid contact.

While most cyanobacteria do not affect animals or people, some are capable of producing toxins that can be harmful to animals and humans. Dogs and children are most likely to be affected because of their smaller body size and tendency to stay in the water for longer periods of time.

Officials recommend the following guidelines for recreational users of freshwater areas:

• Keep children, pets and livestock from swimming in or drinking water containing algal scums or mats. 
• Adults should also avoid wading and swimming in water containing algal blooms. Try not to swallow or inhale water spray in an algal bloom area. 
• If no algal scums or mats are visible, you should still carefully watch young children and warn them not to swallow any water. 
• Fish should be consumed only after removing the guts and liver and rinsing fillets in tap water. 
• Never drink, cook with or wash dishes with water from rivers, streams or lakes. 
• Get medical attention immediately if you think that you, your pet or livestock might have been poisoned by cyanobacteria toxins. Be sure to tell the doctor or veterinarian about possible contact with cyanobacteria or algal blooms. 
• Join or support one of the many watershed and river organizations. 

To learn more about cyanobacteria and harmful algal blooms, visit the state of California’s website at www.mywaterquality.ca.gov/habs/index.html.

To report a bloom, e-mail CyanoHAB.Reports@waterboards.ca.gov or call 844-729-6466 (toll free). Blooms can also be reported via the “bloomWatch” app which is available for free download on iTunes or Google play.

For information on conditions in Humboldt County, contact the Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services, Division of Environmental Health at 707-445-6215 or 800-963-9241. Photos of suspected blooms can also be emailed to envhealth@co.humboldt.ca.us.

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PREVIOUSLY: Old Town’s Soon-to-Open Rooftop Restaurant Will House Local Chef Joe Tan’s Latest Sushi and Sake Bar

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We found out earlier this week that a sushi and sake bar will occupy the swanky rooftop restaurant space in the new building at the corner of Second and E streets in Eureka, but many of our readers have wondered, understandably so: What will the space actually look like?

“I’m curious how they will create [a] comfortable rooftop setting in a location with [a] much colder and wetter climate than other rooftop bars and restaurants I’ve been to in the past,” quipped one of our more thoughtful Facebook commenters. “I love the idea and the possibility of Humboldt having a new trendy and unique option to enjoy.”

Joe Tan, the owner of the incoming sushi bar, was kind enough to share some digital renderings of the new restaurant, as well as the apartments and offices below, created by Garrett McSorley of McSorley Architecture in McKinvleyville.

Keep scrolling to see the whole space! And click on the photos to enlarge.

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Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

Russell John Brittan Booking Photo | Humboldt County Correctional Facility

On Aug. 31, 2023, at about 7:21 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the Clam Beach northern parking lot for the report of an assault.

Deputies contacted a 56-year-old male victim who had sustained moderate injuries as a result of being pepper sprayed and physically assaulted. According to the victim, a male unknown to him, later identified as 33-year-old Russell John Brittan, approached the victim in the parking lot and attacked him unprovoked. Brittan then fled.

Deputies located Brittan walking in the area of Clam Beach Drive. He was taken into custody without incident. During a search of Brittan, deputies located the pepper spray canister.

Brittan was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of use of tear gas (PC 22810(e)(1)), assault (PC 240) and battery (PC 242).

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

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PREVIOUSLY: Crowley Wind Services Vice President Jeff Andreini is Out, as Allegations of Sexual Misconduct Among Company Management Pile Up

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Following yesterday’s news that Crowley Wind Services Vice-President Jeffrey Andreini is no longer with the company, the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District shared a letter with the Outpost emphasizing the district’s commitment to working with local tribes and the broader community to uphold “the highest ethical standards” for the district and its partners.

The letter (which is copied below) states that the Harbor District “takes the allegations of sexual harassment very seriously” and underscores the district’s commitment to “fairness and protection for the most vulnerable in our community.”

The letter quotes from a recent report – “How to Protect Native Women, Girls, and People in Humboldt & Del Norte County as Offshore Wind Enters the Region: MMIP Prevention Planning and Recommendations” – and states the district’s intent to commit to the recommendations listed in the document.

However, the letter does not mention the district’s partnership with Crowley.

Reached for additional comment this morning, Larry Oetker, executive director of the Harbor District, confirmed that the district will continue its partnership with Crowley. Oetker noted that the mega grant application the district recently sent to the federal government included language that would allow the district to go through a new selection process “if the current negotiations are not successful.”

“Following a competitive proposal process conducted in 2022, the District has entered into an ‘Exclusive Right to Negotiate’ with Crowley Wind Services,” according to the statement, referencing the terminal on the Samoa Peninsula that the company hopes to build to service the offshore wind industry.

“If the current negotiations are not successful to the satisfaction of the District and the overall community, then the District will go through a new competitive process to select a new contract operator. If the current negotiations are successful to the satisfaction of the District and the overall community, then the District will enter into a lease with Crowley.”

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Letter from the Harbor District:

The Harbor District takes the allegations of sexual harassment very seriously and hold the safety and well-being of our community paramount. As a governmental organization we have a public trust responsibility to our community, employees, and visitors. The public expects that the District and all of our contractors will conduct their operations to the highest ethical standards.

The District, along with our federal, State, and local partners, have established ambitious goals to develop the offshore wind resources off our North Coast. As a result of this development, it is projected that over the next twenty plus years, our region will experience billions of dollars of investment directly offshore and to modernize our aging port infrastructure. This investment will largely be coming from multinational companies that have thousands of employees spread throughout the world. The District, County, Tribal Governments, and community have made it clear that we will not sell out our community for money!

The District is not only planning for the most technologically advanced and greenest port possible, but also is committed that it is built and operated in a way that respects and benefits all members of our community and addresses historical inequities. Any partner that we have in this endeavor must clearly demonstrate an organizational structure of fairness and protection for the most vulnerable in our community, and we will work with all members of our community to ensure that this is the case.

As stated in the June 21, 2023, report by the Yurok Tribal Court titled: How to Protect Native Women, Girls, and People in Humboldt & Del Norte County as Offshore Wind Enters the Region: MMIP Prevention Planning and Recommendations: “As offshore wind development occurs in the Northern Coast of California, concerns have grown about the safety of Native women, girls, and people in the region. Given the historical and present day crisis of sex trafficking and Missing and Murdered Indigenous people in California and the United States, special attention, prevention planning, and agreements are needed to ensure the safety of Native people in the region.”

“This memo examines how to prevent MMIP and sex trafficking during a development boom, based on research of best practices as well as discussion with key advocates in the MMIP policy space. From the research, we can conclude that there must be a strong, comprehensive community benefit agreement in place between local Tribes and the corporations profiting from development.1 The community benefit agreements must be multi-faceted, covering prevention, education, and response. This includes agreements with the community as well as agreements to adopt and implement critical corporate policies. There must be (1) agreement to hold pre-development impact assessment meetings with Native communities to hear from and share information with Native communities; (2) agreement that the company hold ongoing and regular meetings with Native Communities to share and receive information; Page 2 of 2 (3) agreement to conduct extensive background checks on all employees, to the full extent permitted under law to reduce the chances of people with sex offenses coming to the region to prey on Native women, girls and people; (4) agreement to monitor and ensure safety in employee housing; (5) agreement to ensure that Tribal people and vulnerable populations living on/near port development site have access to transportation; (6) agreement to tag company and worker vehicles so that all new cars and drivers in the region can be properly identified; (7) agreement to conduct employee training on Native people and the culture of local Tribes as well training on preventing human trafficking; (8) agreement to coordinate with and support stronger law enforcement in the region; (9) agreement to support victim services and social services programs to respond to any increase in crime and victimization; (10) agreement to source employees locally and to invest in local workforce development.

The community benefit agreement should also mandate that the company have or adopt corporate policies to prevent MMIP and trafficking. This includes adopting (1) a best practice compact from the United Nations or World Bank, (2) policies that ensure board oversight of community relations, human rights, and social performance, (3) a strong code of conduct for all employees, (4) a mandate that corporate partners and contractors are in compliance with all of the same policies and (5) strong whistleblower protections.”

The District holds our responsibility to the community very seriously and we are committed to working with the Tribes, community and industry to implement the recommendations outlined in the report.

Respectfully Submitted:

Larry Oetker

Executive Director

Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, and Conservation District

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DOCUMENT: How to Protect Native Women, Girls, and People in Humboldt & Del Norte County as Offshore Wind Enters the Region: MMIP Prevention Planning and Recommendations

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Used to be that you could only ride the bus on Amtrak’s San Joaquins Route 7, which hits 18 stops between Cal Poly Humboldt and beautiful downtown Martinez, if you had also purchased a segment of train travel as part of your trip.

No more! 

Thanks to some state legislation (SB 742) passed in 2019 and collaboration with local stakeholders, bus-only tickets are now available between all 18 stops along Route 7.

Here’s a press release from Amtrak San Joaquins with more info:

Riders traveling on Amtrak’s San Joaquins Route 7, the Thruway Bus route extending from the Martinez Amtrak Station to Arcata (Cal Poly Humboldt) and encompassing a total of 18 stops, can now purchase bus-only tickets for all city pairs along the route. This recent expansion of service significantly broadens the scope and connectivity of the bus top pairs previously available on Route 7.

This expansion along Route 7, which was approved by the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA) Board of Directors at the July 21 meeting, represents the latest step in Amtrak San Joaquins’ efforts to provide a comprehensive transportation alternative to travelers in communities throughout the state, beyond where the train can service.

Historically, travelers on all Thruway Bus routes were required to have a segment of train travel as part of their overall trip to travel on the Thruway Bus. However, state legislation, SB 742 authored by Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica), was passed in 2019 to remove the requirement for intercity passenger rail/thruway bus services to sell companion rail tickets as a condition of the sale. As such, following extensive planning coordination, in 2021 after the impacts of the pandemic had eased, SJJPA opened parts of the Amtrak San Joaquins Route 7 as well as Routes 1c, 10, 18, and 19 for bus-only sales.

“We are pleased to now be at the point where we can expand connectivity along Route 7 to its fullest extent,” said Pat Hume, Chair for the SJJPA. “Fully opening Route 7 is a result of extensive collaboration with local stakeholders and regional transit providers and is a part of our ongoing effort to make Amtrak San Joaquins a comprehensive transportation solution for communities statewide.”

Making Amtrak’s Thruway bus routes available to non-rail riders brings several benefits including:

1. Improved access to transit for priority and underserved communities.
2. Reduction in greenhouse gas and air pollution emissions by diverting trips that would have previously been taken by an automobile.
3. Reduced car trips on some of the state’s most congested freeways.
4. Better utilization of current transit infrastructure.
5. Increased revenues for the state at virtually no additional cost.

The bus-only ticketing options and fares are now available in the following locations:

1. Route 7: Martinez - Napa - Santa Rosa – Humboldt State University - Arcata
2. Route 1C: Bakersfield - Van Nuys - West Los Angeles/UCLA - Santa Monica
3. Route 10: Santa Barbara - Bakersfield - Barstow - Las Vegas
4. Route 15: Merced – Yosemite & Fresno – Yosemite (seasonal)
5. Route 18: Hanford - Lemoore - San Luis Obispo - Santa Maria
6. Route 19: Bakersfield - Pasadena - Riverside - San Bernadino

NOTICE OF CORRECTION, OCT. 9:

Back on Aug. 31, 2023, the Outpost published a story about the sudden departure of Jeff Andreini, an executive with Crowley Wind Services who had led efforts to develop a port facility serving the offshore wind industry at the Port of Humboldt Bay.

We recently received a letter from a representative of Mr. Andreini. This letter expressed concern that our story might have led a reader to conclusions that the story never intended to convey.

We are happy to unambiguously assert the following:

· Jeff Andreini was not, and is not, involved in, nor was he responsible for, incidents of sex trafficking. 

· Jeff Andreini was not involved in, nor did he play a role in, the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people.

· Yurok Tribal Chairman Joe James was not referring to Jeff Andreini’s conduct when he wrote about that crisis in an Aug. 30 Times-Standard op-ed column, which called upon the Harbor District to reconsider its port development agreement with Crowley. 

We unequivocally retract anything within the Outpost’s Aug. 31, 2023, article that states or implies anything to the contrary. 

Gordon Clatworthy | Image via Facebook

We have a race in the First District. 

One week after incumbent Supervisor Rex Bohn launched his campaign for a fourth term on the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors, digital creator/film producer Gordon Clatworthy has thrown his hat in the ring. 

A political unknown here in Humboldt, Clatworthy filed his Form 501 candidate intention statement with the elections office yesterday, and early this morning he posted a lengthy statement on Facebook outlining some of his key platform positions. 

We reached Clatworthy by phone briefly this morning. He was on his way to San Francisco, he said, and the reception was a bit spotty. Before the connection started skipping out he told us that he’s been considering running for public office for a while now.

“When I moved into my house, Rex was already one of the supervisors,” Clatworthy said. “I’ve just slowly been watching kind of the madness unfurl as it goes. This time he was running unopposed so I was like, I can’t let that happen.”

He said the First District should have somebody who represents what he believes to be the majority of Humboldt County. He noted that one in five residents live below the poverty line.

“There’s just a lot of government overreach right now,” he said. “I want to kind of make the county work for people.”

At that point, the phone reception got spotty, so we agreed to connect later in the day for a longer conversation.

In the meantime, here’s the statement Clatworthy posted to Facebook at 1:39 a.m. today:

TLDR: Clean roads, clean streets, clean energy, less gentrification, more representation and be kind to each other.

For those wondering, I have filed a 501 statement to run for 1st district supervisor against Rex Bohn.

I just want to talk about the problems and solutions.

As people suffer some of the worst inflation it begins to hit the lower and middle classes hardest. Many people are suffering in this county, people able to be in compliance with grows are found needing to build roads in places the county couldn’t and this is going to cause livelihoods that are already stretched thin to quickly be at odds with law enforcement if compliance doesn’t happen. For a supervisor that has almost 13.1M sq ft of permitted grows in his district this seems odd as the county doesn’t want to give exemptions or draw back the HCRI [Humboldt Cannabis Reform Initiative]- A plan that changes fundamentally the general plan of Humboldt County instead pushing forward with limiting licenses so that eventually only the wealthy few can be allowed to grow here. I stand with the Humboldt County Growers Alliance in saying that the HCRI is terrible for the established growers that are here now, that are our neighbors, that are our family, and that are members of the community that bring tax money to our county that helps provide the roads we drive on and the building of much needed housing.

This is also exasperating [sic] the homelessness crisis of which there are as of 2022 1,309 unsheltered people including Veterans like myself, Students, and people with addiction and mental health needs. By the census there are also almost 1 in 5 people in Humboldt county living below the poverty line. Those people aren’t getting heard with the current supervisor. Most of the issues we face can treated with the building of low income housing, something that The Humboldt County Housing Trust Fund and Homelessness Committee have made clear in multiple studies and of the buildings the county has put forward funds toward less than 5% of the needed low income housing has been allocated to be built, and even that is threatened with initiatives masqueraded as housing, one can blame it on being a problem for Eureka voters but the number of housing units that could be built won’t be enough to help even half of the population that needs it. It shouldn’t be decided by voters in more and more contested areas, we need housing now! It is an emergency and it is being ignored. I will do whatever it takes to help solve this crisis that will only get worse as people come here to take refuge from climate change.

When people are able to get homes they should be allowed to use their home as they see fit, using the power of the county supervisor position to limit the people who may be able to scrape by and begin setting up limited rentals, people including teachers and people housing parents of students that come for a week to see their child graduate or help them move during a time when most hotels are crowded or being used to house those who have lost their homes in fires. The people have a right to use their own homes without requiring paying the county for licensing their home as a business. We don’t require month to month renters to do so, and if it is such a problem in one neighborhood they should just start an HOA [home-owners’ association], the government doesn’t need to micromanage every aspect of people’s lives. Research shows that Air BnB and other short term rental agencies are dwindling, people are choosing to use other ways to stay in an area. We don’t need to litigate people’s rights to property.

That brings me to wind. There is an energy company attempting to build windmills offshore, this is better than when they tried to build on sacred grounds. Wind and other renewable energy sources are a big part of fixing the damage caused by climate change, according to a recent study sulfur rich fuel used by very large shipping vessels have been helping negate some effects of the climate change by seeding clouds over the ocean and reflecting back the sun’s rays. Renewable energy is great! It’s wonderful that California requires all new buildings to have at least some solar installed. However, driving down the price of renewables is what happens when there’s parts of the day that get more power than others. What Humboldt County needs is a power storage plant that can sell energy back during peak times when solar and wind aren’t producing. That’s the best way forward without compromising our bay.

As our bay needs so much work, shipping from overseas costs the same as shipping something just one mile by truck. When San Francisco and Los Angeles had so many boats backed up trying to deliver cargo premiums were getting paid, money this county couldn’t receive due to our own dilapidated docks and inability to attract shipping. Our bay is the jewel of our county but it is being treated like the eyesore it is. Let’s work together to make it work for us, it can create jobs, bring cheaper prices for goods, and revitalize our economy! (plus who wouldn’t want to sell some weed from a boat in LA? Why can’t we make that happen?)

I know technology is advancing, yet somehow we still have people in the county using paper time sheets? We definitely need to find ways to make the Auditor-Controller’s Office work more efficiently as a supervisor should but no one seemed to step up when the county lost more than 2.3 million dollars during an audit. Say what you will but we needed supervisors to come in and help work together to solve this issue. Healthcare is another underdeveloped area that could use tax dollars to help beef up the nonprofit sector and get help for the people who love here so they don’t have to drive hours for a basic checkup or wait in overcrowded urgent care or emergency rooms.

This brings me to Rex, it seems like everyday there’s some more news about some embarrassing thing he’s done or said, some apology about disparaging remarks made toward members of our community. As a comedian myself I know the importance of punching up, not down. As a supervisor you need to understand that how you act towards others reflects on how people see their government working for them. Public service is a public trust and that is something I don’t believe he feels when he interacts with the public, so I fear how he must act when he is outside the purview of the Humboldt County voter.

Now I want to say that though you may not agree with me on every issue, if you show me a study that would refute my findings I will keep an open mind. I can change my mind, I can work as a team. I was a logistics officer in the Coast Guard, I’ve had training with both leadership and management, and I’ve lived by the motto that public service is a public trust and that we should elect fair people that we can believe in. In the coming months I am going to reach out more to others in the district who may need help and want to talk to someone who will listen. My E-mail address is clatworthy.gordon@gmail.com please reach out if you feel that you need to, I will try and post responses here as I can.

Thank you for taking the time to read over this,

-Gordon Clatworthy
running for 1st district supervisor, Humboldt County California