Klamath River dam removal is underway, with drawdown of the three largest reservoirs occurring now and physical removal of these dam structures scheduled for this summer. The dams have impacted the river for over a hundred years and dam removal has its own environmental impacts. While fish biologists and water quality scientists are confident that the long-term benefits will outweigh the short-term impacts, a loud group of dam removal antagonists have glommed onto the ‘messy’ part of this massive ecosystem restoration project — temporary increases in suspended sediment and associated impacts to water quality and the recent mortality event of hatchery juvenile salmon— to continue their fight against dam removal.

Luckily, Toz Soto, Senior Fisheries Biologist with the Karuk Tribe, and Dr. Maia Singer, Senior Scientist at Stillwater Sciences, join the show to help sort fact from fiction.

For more information about Klamath Dam removal, check out:

• Lower Klamath Project – Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) | California State Water Resources Control Board
• Klamath Dam Removal Overview Report for the Secretary of the Interior an Assessment of Science and Technical Information, Version 1.1, March 2013 | FWS.gov
• Klamath Dam Removal Studies | U.S. Geological Survey (usgs.gov)
• Klamath River Renewal (klamathrenewal.org)
• Klamath Basin Monitoring Program

Dear Billy,

The last time I remember us together was February 29, 2020, right before the COVID-19 shut down. We ran into each other the night of the Mr. Humboldt pageant, remember? It was late, I came out of Everett’s to get some air and there you were.  I saw you from the back, a light snow was falling from the sky.  Snow in Arcata, I couldn’t believe it, it felt like a sign.  I called your name but you didn’t respond, you never do.  I was overcome with emotion and did the first thing that came to mind, a snowball right to your groin.  You stood there cold and unmoving, hand outstretched like you were reaching for mine, but we never quite connected.  It wasn’t soon after that you were run out of town for your hateful words and bigotry, and to be honest, I was glad to be rid of you.

Imagine my surprise running into you on my work trip this past week in Canton, Ohio.  I remembered you mentioning your ex, Ida, lived there.  I was not expecting to see you outside the courthouse, in that same jacket, the same outstretched hand as if calling to mine.  I was transfixed, gazed upon your eyes, memories of our times together came flooding back; the farmers market, oyster fest, samba parade, arts alive.  Oh, what fun we used to have!  I couldn’t help wondering how you’ve been since we last saw each other.  Your coat looked shinier, your shoulders broader.  Have you been working out? Your plaque’s been updated, your location closer to your family and loved ones.  Have you moved on, as I have tried to do?  Have you found happiness?

Seeing you again has made me realize how much time has passed since we parted ways.  Life has a way of moving forward and people have a way of finding their place.  As we move forward, I hope you have found peace and remember the place of your conception, and ultimate rejection, with the mixed emotions you’ve left many of us with.

Warm Regards,
Your Ex

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In 2016, a Eureka English teacher named Mary Ann Hytken dreamed about being able to offer a new model of adult English language program free of charge to everyone in the community. Hytken founded English Express as a DreamMaker Project of the Ink People that same year, and proceeded to make it happen.

As a dedicated English teacher with years of experience in public school systems, Hytken knew that language learning classes for immigrants were in demand. She also saw a need for citizenship support and connections to places of interest, events and resources in Humboldt County. At the time, there was a decline in local adult English as a Second Language (ESL) programs. Hytken started English Express to answer this need. It was a calculated risk, but the organization’s growth over the past six years has validated her vision.

“We got started in summer of 2016,” Hytken said. “At that time, I was an ESL professor at College of the Redwoods. That summer, the English language program at HSU had folded, and College of the Redwoods had canceled their summer semester ESL classes. My students asked if we could keep scheduling classes through the summer. They said, ‘Please don’t stop. We want to keep learning.’ That was when English Express launched. I had wanted to offer more than what I was able to offer within an academic setting, and it gave me the freedom to do that.

“We started with one English language class in Eureka; we met in the Jefferson Community Center,” Hytken recalled. “There were about a dozen students representing three countries. Since that time, we have served over 500 students, all Humboldt residents, representing 35 countries of origin.”

English Express currently offers free English language classes in Eureka, Rio Dell, at Sun Valley Floral Farms, and online. The program’s free citizenship class, taught by educator Elizabeth Niemeyer, has helped 43 students become new United States citizens to date. All classes offer students a suite of wraparound services and emphasize access to resources. “English Express is more than an English language class, Hytken explained. “It’s a bridge to Humboldt County resources. In some cases, it can be a lifeline. When people move here from other countries, they have to recreate their lives. English Express helps them access resources to do that.”

It can be difficult for educators to optimize resource access for populations in which language barriers are an issue. One challenge, Hytken believes, has to do with many immigrants’ precarious status, their consciousness of vulnerability, and their need to feel safe. She designed English Express with an emphasis on wraparound services “in hopes that students can feel safe reaching out. Not only do we share information and resources on our social media channels and in our classes, but we also have guest speakers come into our program on a regular basis to support our students directly. Students can meet resource providers face-to- face, which generates trust.”

Donations have made it possible for Hytken’s programs to grow. “We received free Chromebooks from the Humboldt Area Foundation when COVID-19 hit. Last month the Robert M. Lochtie Memorial Fund donated another set of Chromebooks so that we can continue to help people access online classes.” Online teaching, which English Express began out of necessity during the pandemic, has helped the program reach many new students since. “We have tripled in size since COVID. Our online classes continue to grow, because many of our students are working full time. They have children in our public schools. And they’re working weekends. So for them, online classes are ideal.”

What makes it all worthwhile for Hytken are moments like one she experienced recently while delivering course materials to a Eureka student who recently immigrated from Afghanistan. “When I delivered the computer to her house, she was literally jumping up and down, smiling with tears in her eyes, the minute I walked in the door with that new computer. She was so deeply appreciative, and wanting so much to learn.”

Hytken believes that her model has been successful because it is student-centered. “I go where the need is, and that’s how English Express got started. It was not a program created in someone’s mind, and then applied to the English language learner community. It was a program that came into being through listening to students, asking what their needs were.” Hytken also credits the relationships she has fostered in the community. “Those who are serving the same population in different ways are verbalizing their appreciation and recognition of what we do. In November 2022, we received a letter of recognition from Senator Mike McGuire. Dr. Jorge Matias, with Providence’s Paso a Paso, recently wrote a testimonial on our behalf. In 2023 I created a collaboration between Humboldt County adult ESL teachers called Teachers Together. College of the Redwoods professors and educators from Eureka Adult School and the Humboldt Literacy project have joined.

We all support each other, and we’re working together to create the most optimal experience for our English language learners. Hopefully, we’ll be able to provide a pipeline for those who have the means and desire to go on to higher education.”

As an advocate for immigrants, Hytken seeks to make others aware of the challenges they face. “People will sometimes say, ‘Gosh, Mary Ann! You’ve served people from 35 countries over the last eight years, but I don’t ever see them out there in the community.’ I try to make people aware of the fact that even if we might not know immigrants personally, our lives and theirs intersect. They’re working long hours in our hospitals, our long term care facilities, our dairies, our fish and oyster factories, flower farms, hotels, the food industry, our schools, our stores. They’re taking care of our landscaping and house cleaning needs. These are our neighbors, and they contribute so much to the well-being of our community and our economy here in Humboldt. I’m just honored to serve them.”

A positive childhood experience with peers from another culture put Hytken on the path to do the work she does today. “I grew up here in Eureka; my children are fifth generation Eurekans. But when I was in fifth grade, one of our next door neighbors sponsored two exchange students from Japan. At first they spoke no English, but that summer, every morning we would play ping-pong on my family’s ping-pong table. And that was really the beginning. It helped me realize that I love building friendships with people from other countries and learning about their cultures. Thirty-five years of teaching later, having taught English as a second language in the United States and overseas, I feel like right now I’m at the top of my game. As life brings new experiences, I see the amazing results of keeping an open mind and seeing how doors open.”

Even though English Express has grown steadily since its inception, funding continues to be a challenge. Following a 2023 change in the program’s funding, Hytken is looking at having to reduce program offerings for the first time. “Of course, we do not want to do this, because the numbers of those we serve continue to increase. So we’re really focused on raising money right now. I’m asking the community to help us continue to be a lifeline and a bridge for our students and their families. If they ever wanted to give a dollar or assist in some other fashion, this is a good time.”

“Our work directly impacts our students’ lives, but it’s only doable with the community’s help. I’m one person of many who are helping to make Humboldt a community for all; that’s what lights me up. This is my little spot on the community stage.”

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To get involved with English Express and learn about current classes, or to help support Hytken’s mission, go to this link.

English Express will be participating in Change 4 Change at Eureka Natural Foods (both Eureka and McKinleyville locations) through March 9. You can support English Express by making purchases at Eureka Natural Foods during this period.

The three-mast schooner Metha Nelson belonged to the Alaska Packers Association for many years after being in the lumber trade along the Pacific coast. It made its last salmon fishing trip to Bristol Bay, Alaska, in 1926. She was of 460 tons and built by Hans Bendixsen at Fairhaven in 1896. During World War II she was a Navy Identification Vessel and ended up as surplus.

My father, Carl Wikander, was a sailing ship captain for many years and never really retired. Not even when sailing ships were retired. He was skipper or mate on tugs or killer whalers until he was 71 years old.

In late 1927, the movie industry leased the Metha Nelson and my father signed on as third mate at 64 years old. On Feb. 20, 1928, the vessel was towed from Alameda to San Pedro by the tug Sea Rover and fitted out with accommodations for a film crew and remodeled for the part it was to play in the movie. The movie was The Sea Wolf with Milton Sills, and patterned after the German raider Count Von Luckner during World War I.

The vessel was disguised as a merchant and would capture other merchant vessels of enemy nations. In the story, the vessel is finally captured by the old Coast Guard Cutter Bear, which has a long history. My father was in charge of maneuvering the vessel according to movie directors’ instructions and at times he had the experience of a “stand-in” for some of the actors. On Oct. 3, 1928, the vessel was towed back to Alameda by the tug Sea Ranger and laid up.

In 1930 she was sold to Fox Film Corp., and involved in another movie with the same crew and this time had an auxiliary diesel engine was installed before being towed South. This movie was called The Seas Beneath with actor George O’Brien. In the story, the vessel was a submarine chaser, going after German subs during World War I, operating in the Mediterranean Sea. It was disguised as a merchant vessel and had a house on the main deck that collapsed exposing a large gun, surprising the enemy.

She was then laid up in San Pedro and later sold for yacht. In 1939 the Metha again appeared in a movie, Rulers of the Sea. Shortly after that she served time in the Navy.

I think everyone will agree that the Metha Nelson, launched in Humboldt Bay had a most distinguished career — in the merchant marine trade, in the fishing industry, in the movies, as a yacht and then the Navy.

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The story above was originally printed in the September-October 1981 issue of the Humboldt Historian, a journal of the Humboldt County Historical Society. It is reprinted here with permission. The Humboldt County Historical Society is a nonprofit organization devoted to archiving, preserving and sharing Humboldt County’s rich history. You can become a member and receive a year’s worth of new issues of The Humboldt Historian at this link.

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ADDITIONAL ENDNOTE:

The Humboldt Historical Society — a truly great local cultural institution and resource — has just launched its 77th Anniversary Membership Drive. Won’t you consider becoming a member?

Here is a press release from the Historical Society:

In March 1947, a group of Humboldt County community members gathered in a series of meetings to discuss the need for a “historical society to promote the preservation of original historical materials… and the establishment of a suitable place for the collection.”

The “suitable place” was a series of temporary locations until 1993 when the estate of Helen Wells Barnum donated the family home on 8th St., in Eureka, to the Society. At one time it was the largest historical society in the state. Now, as the Society celebrates its seventy seventh birthday, it finds that maintaining such a large membership is a challenge. Executive Director Jane Hill notes, “Changing interests, new modes of communication and an aging membership make attracting new members and staying in touch with current members a challenge.”

The community board has taken on the challenge with a campaign to attract new members and by urging current members to introduce “someone new to membership.” Each year the

Historical Society publishes a 48-page quarterly journal, The Humboldt Historian. Filled with vintage photographs, personal recollections, scholarly articles, amusing tidbits and entertaining commentary, this publication is mailed to members as a benefit of membership.

Community members can follow the membership campaign by noting changes in the “campaign thermometer” banner hanging on the H Street side of the Society center – an old-fashioned historical tool for noting progress.

To learn more about the Society, people can visit the website at www.humboldthistory.org.

The bookstore and research center are open to the public at 703 8th St. in Eureka on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 12:30-6:30 p.m.

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Papa & Barkley is merging with Mammoth Distribution, a distribution company headquartered in Los Angeles. The Eureka-based cannabis company is in the process of consolidating its distribution operations with the Southern California company, though the production side of its facilities is expected to stay local for the foreseeable future.

“The cannabis industry has been very tough for several years now,” Michael Kraft, Papa & Barkley’s Compliance and Government Affairs Officer, told the Outpost in a recent phone interview. “We have been looking at potential merger partners for the last year, and one of the things that was really important to us is that the brand carries on [and] that there be a real emphasis on quality. We wanted good humans and we think we’ve found that with Mammoth.”

Papa & Barkley emerged as a prominent player in the local cannabis wellness sector shortly after the company was founded by Adam Grossman and Guy Rocourt in 2016. The company swelled in the ensuing years and expanded its production facilities to the old Kmart building on Broadway and, in partnership with the folks at Humboldt Social, launched Papa & Barkley Social, a locally curated cannabis dispensary, consumption lounge and spa. However, the dispensary closed a few months back.

Mammoth has been involved in the cannabis industry in one way or another since 1996, according to its website. The company carries eight brands, including Papa & Barkley, and distributes cannabis products to more than 600 retail partners across California, Nevada and New York.

“Papa & Barkley is one of the highest quality and authentic brands in the industry,” Wesley Hein, Mammoth’s Head of Brand Initiatives, told the Outpost. “Our values are completely aligned, and we look forward and are honored to expand and grow what they have built.”

Papa & Barkley has already integrated some of its operations with Mammoth, including dispensary deliveries and sales, according to Kraft. “We closed distribution facilities in Los Angeles and Berkeley over the past few months, and those activities have gone to Mammoth. The only real estate that we sit in is here in Eureka,” he said, referring to Papa & Barkley’s two production facilities. “Now our attention is turning to production.”

Papa & Barkley’s production processes are split between its two Eureka facilities. The cannabis extraction process begins at its Second Street facility where staff make freshly pressed rosin and use coconut oil to extract phytonutrients, terpenes and cannabinoids from locally grown cannabis plants, a process known as lipid infusion. The extracts are used for capsules, tinctures, gummies and patches, or blended with beeswax and essential oils to make salves and balms. The final products are sent over the the Kmart facility where they are packaged for distribution.

Asked whether Papa & Barkley plans to move all of its operations out of Humboldt County as a part of the merger, Kraft said it’s too soon to tell. 

“I wouldn’t say it’s accurate – or at least not yet known – whether we’re entirely pulling out of Humboldt County, but clearly some stuff that we do here now is going to move,” he said. “We’re trying to be proactive with our employees and tell them what we know when we know it. … Our vice president of production briefed our employees a little over a week ago and, you know, he told them that we’ll have work for them at least through May 1. Now we know it’s going to be quite a bit beyond that. How far? I don’t know.”

Papa & Barkley currently employs a little less than 40 people, down from about 200 during the company’s heyday. Kraft noted that he probably won’t have a job with the company once the merger is complete, but said he couldn’t speak for the other employees. 

Asked whether Papa & Barkley would continue to source Humboldt-grown cannabis, Kraft said the company would work with Mammoth on product sourcing but offered assurance that the quality of their products would be maintained. “There’s quite a bit of pride in the quality of our products,” he said, recommending the Releaf Balm for anyone with chronic knee problems.

Reached for additional comment on the matter, Humboldt County Economic Development Director Scott Adair said the merger was an “unfortunate” sign of the times.

“Keeping business ownership and employment decisions local is ideal, but we do support mergers when they prevent complete closure and mass layoffs,” Adair wrote in an email to the Outpost. “In some cases, a merger may be the best option to preserve local jobs and livelihoods. The cannabis market has been hit particularly hard and we expect to see more of this type of activity in the future.”

Adair added that the GoHumCo team provides business recovery services and “remains at the ready “to provide rapid response and layoff aversion services to Papa & Barkley and its workers.” 

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Do you really enjoy watching the rain, snow or hail? Well, instead of just standing there in your bathrobe, sipping your coffee and looking out the window, occasionally saying to yourself, “Yup It’s really coming down out there,” you could put your weather observing skills to good use by volunteering for the National Weather Service’s weather observing program! 

The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow network (also known as CoCoRaHS) is in need of more weather observers – volunteers who record and report rainfall levels and other important weather information to the NWS to help the organization better map and predict weather conditions. 

“We do have a fairly good number of observers, but the more the better,” Matthew Kidwell, lead meteorologist for the NWS Forecast Office in Eureka, told the Outpost in a recent phone interview.

CoCoRaHS is a national program that was born in 1998 in response to the devastating flash flood that hit Fort Collins, Colo. in 1997. The program was formed with the goal of better mapping and reporting on intense storms. As more volunteers joined throughout the years, the program grew to include general reports on rain, snow, hail and drought conditions throughout the country. 

But why is this necessary? Doesn’t the NWS have its own weather monitoring tools? Well, Kidwell explained that, while the NWS does have its own rain gauges scattered throughout the region, there is not enough funding to place gauges in every little nook and cranny of the county. Since weather patterns can change drastically across locations, it is really helpful to the NWS to have measurements from as many different location points as possible.   

To become an official citizen weather observer, you’ll need to fill out the form at this link. The next step is to order your official CoCoRaHS rain gauge, which you can find here. The rain gauge cost $35 plus shipping, but it is yours to keep forever. Not into spending the money? Depending on where you are located, you may also be eligible to receive a free rain gauge. Kidwell said that the California Department of Water Resources provided a handful of free gauges, but NWS wants to reserve them for folks who live in the more rural areas, where there aren’t already observers. If you’re a deep rural Humboldtian, and you’ll be able to regularly report your observations, you can apply for the free gauge using this form. 

Once you’ve signed up and received your gauge (oh, and by the way, you do need an official gauge, you can’t just use your own) you can check out the training videos on the CoCoRaHS website to learn how to properly use your gauge. After taking measurements, observers will be able to sign into the website to make their reports. Ideally, Kidwell said, measurements should be reported every morning. Of course, sometimes people go out of town or forget, which is fine. There is also a way to make reports for a five day span or longer, Kidwell said. 

If you live in an area that gets snow, then you’re also asked to measure and report snowfall. You don’t need a gauge for that, and you can also find several training videos on how to measure snowfall on the website. Hail reports are also helpful and in some areas reporters are asked to measure the size of the hail balls. Here in California, the size is not much of a concern, Kidwell said, since we don’t really get large hail here. For our area, observers are asked to report when there is hail, how much it is sticking and how much it is covering the ground, etc. 

If becoming a citizen weather observer sounds intriguing, but you’re still not sure about it, Kidwell wanted to mention that there is no long term commitment. CocoRaHS definitely appreciates the long term volunteers, and the longer data is collected from one location the more helpful it is for identifying weather patterns. But many volunteers only help out for as long as they can, which is why the NWS is always in search of more volunteers. So even if you only want to do it for a little while, that can still be very helpful to the CocoRAHS weather mapping efforts! 

“This widespread coverage gives us a much better understanding of the rain patterns, hail and snow patterns,” Kidwell said. “Now we can go back and see the weather conditions on certain days and we can forecast [the weather] better.”

Press release from St. Bernard’s Academy:

St. Bernard’s Academy is excited to announce that our Women’s Basketball Team will be competing tomorrow at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento for the Division 4 High School State Championship versus Grossmont High School of El Cajon, California. This is the first time in the history of the HDNL that a women’s team will participate at this level. The game will be at 10:00 am.

St. Bernard’s Academy is a Division 6 school by population with an enrollment of 198. We played our season in Division 5, due to competitive equity and then the state seeding committee moved the Crusaders up to Division 4 due to their stellar season and overall state ranking which was helped by the strength of Women’s Basketball competition in the HDNL this year. St. Bernard’s overall record for the season is 29-5.

Tickets may be purchased through TicketMaster: https://www.ticketmaster.com/

The game can be live streamed through NFHS: https://accounts.nfhs.org/

On the journey to the state championship game, the SB women were the #1 seed in NorCal in Division 4. They advanced through victories over the West Campus Warriors (55-39), the Lincoln Mustangs (62-53), and the Foothill Cougars (49-42). On Wednesday night local fans were treated to a celebration of local women’s basketball. St. Bernard’s came out on top 60-54 verse the #2 seed Arcata Tigers for the NorCal Championship in front of a sold-out crowd at College of the Redwoods to advance to the state final.

Grossmont High School from the San Diego Section, Division 1, is a school of 2800 students, playing in Division 4 for the state tournament. Their overall record is 27-8. They are the 4th seed from the southern region.

The history-making team is led by junior Laila Florvilus and senior Madelyn Shanahan. Sensational freshman Samantha Sundberg had key baskets in the last two playoff games to help propel the Crusaders to the state championship game. The whole team is playing some of their best basketball of the season heading into tomorrow’s game. Multi-sport coach, Matt Tomlin, has previously led the Crusaders to State Championships in Football and NorCal championships in football, women’s basketball and baseball and now looks forward to the opportunity to compete in the state championship game.

Catherine Scott, SB Co-Principal stated, “St. Bernard’s is grateful for the support of the HDNL. This whole journey has been a celebration of Humboldt basketball that started in New Orleans and is ending in Sacramento. We are proud to represent Northern California at tomorrow’s game.”

Paul Shanahan, SB President, stated, “I am tremendously proud of our student athletes for their record breaking season and I am very proud of our school community for their wonderful support at all of our games. Our Crusader Crazies have been difference makers.”

St. Bernard’s would like to extend their gratitude to Storer Coachways for donating two 54-passenger buses to transport our students to the game.