Press release from Assemblymember Jim Wood’s office:
Assemblymember Jim Wood.
Sacramento, CA –Today, California State Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Salinas) appointed Assemblymember Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg) as Speaker pro Tempore, effective immediately.
“I’m honored and humbled that Speaker Rivas has appointed me Speaker pro Tempore and thrilled to be working closely with Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry in her role as Majority Leader,” said Wood. “I will work hard to do my best work in the Assembly next year so that I may live up to the trust the Speaker has in me. I look forward to working alongside the Speaker to make sure the voices of Californians are heard in Sacramento.”
“Californians want their Assembly to run with efficiency and transparency, and Assemblymember Wood has the experience, temperament and ability to exceed their expectations,” said Speaker Rivas. “Jim is a strong leader who I know will work collaboratively with our caucus to get this body’s important work done.”
Wood has chaired the Assembly Health Committee since 2016. In this role, he has taken on the almost every entity within the industrial health care complex and worked to improve the quality of health care for Californians everywhere.
He took on a leadership role, working closely with Governor Newsom’s administration, to make the Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) a reality one year ago. OHCA will guide the development of policies that will promote affordable, accessible and quality health care for Californians.
Wood has also supported the communities ravaged by wildfires and has fought to protect communities from dangerous wildfires, by improving statewide home-hardening standards and continues to fight for access to affordable insurance options in wildland urban interface areas. In addition, he continues his efforts to expand broadband access to rural communities across the state.
“This new challenge means a lot to me and I look forward to doing what I love, bringing my colleagues together to make the best policy decisions for Californians,” said Wood.
On 11/18/2023, at about 2:15 a.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the
area of the Fields Landing boat ramp south of Eureka for the report of a theft and assault.
Upon arrival, deputies contacted a 45-year-old male victim who reported he had been driven to
the location by a female acquaintance. The victim reported that, upon arrival at the parking lot, a
dark colored pick-up quickly approached them. Two, unknown male suspects, exited that vehicle
and brandished firearms at the male victim while they removed him from his vehicle. The
suspects then removed property from the victim and then fled the area, also taking the victim’s
vehicle.
Through investigation by the deputies, it was determined that the female acquaintance had
participated in the crime. The female was identified as 39-year-old Nicole Stockhoff of Fortuna.
On 11/19/2023, deputies responded to the Fortuna area where they located and arrested
Stockhoff with the assistance of officers from the Fortuna Police Department. Stockhoff was
transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility where she was booked on the felony
charges of carjacking (PC215(A)), robbery (PC211), and conspiracy (PC182(A)(1)).
At this time, the victim’s vehicle is still outstanding. That vehicle is a gray, 2002, Toyota Tundra
with California license plate 27989P2. If anyone sees this vehicle, please do not approach the
vehicle and contact the HCSO or your local law enforcement.
This case is still under investigation.
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.
Anyone in need of a pre-Turkey Day infusion of joy? If so, then feast your eyes on the happy faces and creative costumes featured in today’s Thanksgiving parade organized by Gaining Ground, a day center for adults with developmental disabilities.
The crowd gathered at the gazebo at 11 a.m. and set off on a route up and down 2nd Street. Their mission? “Sharing our Thanksgiving cheer.”
Welp, the rumors are true. Avelo Air confirmed this morning that the carrier will be canceling its direct route between the Humboldt County Airport and Las Vegas’ Harry Reid Airport, effective Jan. 8, 2024.
“We have made the difficult decision to cancel the ACV-Las Vegas route,” Avelo Air spokesperson Courtney Goff wrote in an email to the Outpost. “Customers can still book for Christmas and New Year’s. All customers have been contacted and have been given their options for refunds, rescheduling to before the end date and more.”
The Outpost contacted Cody Roggatz, Humboldt County’s director of aviation, on Tuesday afternoon after we received a few messages about the rumored cancellation from our readers, but he said he had not been informed of the route’s closure.
Avelo canceled direct air service between Humboldt and Sin City in April 2022, just six months after the route was opened. The airline reinstated service five months ago but the route was “not utilized enough,” Goff said, and “future bookings were low.”
What does this mean for the route to Burbank, you ask? Avelo says the direct route is “still going strong,” noting that flights are available for booking through April 2024.
“We are looking at new opportunities and cities to potentially add to ACV in the future,” Goff added. “We are still working closely with our area partners and will continue to be involved in the community to strengthen awareness for future growth opportunities.”
One door closes, another opens, right? Maybe we’ll finally get that direct route to Portland or Seattle that we were teased with last year. One can dream!
[Note: This post has been updated to correct the effective date.]
Protesters calling for a Gaza ceasefire lay children’s shoes outside the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center during the California Democratic Party Convention in Sacramento on Nov. 18, 2023. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters
In the aftermath of the brutal Hamas attack in Israel on Oct. 7, in which 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 taken hostage, California officials swooped into action.
Gov. Gavin Newsom booked a last-minute flight to Israel on his way to China because, his team said, California is home to the largest Arab American population and the second-largest Jewish community in the U.S. In Israel, he met with government officials and the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a Californian being held hostage.
Newsom did not venture into Gaza to meet Palestinians on his trip. While last month the governor’s office committed to sending humanitarian aid to both regions, relief has only been delivered to Israel — 52 pallets of surplus medical and emergency supplies on Nov. 7.
Today the Office of Emergency Services told CalMatters it anticipates that aid could be delivered to Gaza as soon as this week, but that depends on whether and how long the relief corridor remains open — which is more likely if an agreement is reached for at least a temporary pause in fighting. There were reports Tuesday of a potential deal for the release of 50 women and children being held by Hamas over a five-day ceasefire.
Newsom has not held a similar session with Palestinian community leaders, and has made no public statements addressing the growing calls for a Gaza ceasefire from leaders of other countries and international bodies — and from Californians with relatives in Gaza.
After multiple inquiries from CalMatters, the governor’s office on Monday said it expects to “host a formal convening” with Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian leaders “in the coming days.”
While the Legislature is out of session, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle issued statements in support of Israel.Assemblymember Evan Low, a Democrat from Cupertino, noted that the Asian American Pacific Islander caucus stands “in unwavering solidarity with Israel ….Always have. Always will.” On Nov. 7, all 18 members of the Legislative Jewish Caucus sent a sternly worded letter to the leaders of the University of California and California State University urging them to “act to counter the wave of antisemitic incidents sweeping their campuses.”
“We’ve been really deeply warmed by the response from our elected officials across the aisle, across both parties,” said David Bocarsly, executive director of the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California.
He noted that his coalition of Jewish community groups had spent years building relationships with legislators and other communities since forming in 1972. “We’ve seen really strong statements condemning terrorism and supporting Jews and Israelis … And it’s really heartwarming to see so many elected officials show up for us,” he told CalMatters.
While the state’s support of the Jewish community after Oct. 7 is called for, the Palestinian community also deserves attention, say advocacy group leaders and others. They say state elected officials who have decided to step into the fray have done little to represent the needs of Palestinian and Arab constituents.
Pro-Palestine protestors march to the state Capitol calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza war on Nov. 17, 2023. Photo by Rahul Lal for CalMatters
Protesters have rallied at the state Capitol and around California for weeks, but the activism flared this past weekend as they forced the state Democratic Party to shut down its Saturday evening convention programs.
“With every breath, with every step, we’ve expressed our disappointment. We’ve expressed our disappointment for the past six weeks,” said Omar Altamimi, policy and advocacy coordinator for the Sacramento and Central Valley chapter of the Council of American-Islamic Relations.
“Today we gather … to say we will not forget. We won’t forget where you stand now, and that’ll impact our decisions a year from now,” he said at a Friday rally at the Capitol. “Muslims across the nation have vowed to not vote for a single elected official who has failed to call for a ceasefire in the past month-and-a-half. And we’ll hold them to account.”
The civilians killed include the relatives of Californians, who say they haven’t received the same kind of public outreach from state leaders as victims of the Oct. 7 attack.
Basim Elkarra, executive director of the same chapter of the Council of American-Islamic Relations, said he has lost at least 65 members of his family in the war, though that number may be higher since they’ve lost contact with their relatives a week ago, he said.
And Luqman Elbakri, a senior at UC Berkeley who also has family in Oakland and Saratoga, said he found out on Oct. 23 that 22 members of his extended family had been killed in an air strike, including six children under the age of 5. They all lived in the same high-rise building, common in Gaza due to the inability to build outward.
“My family name, ‘Elbakri’ no longer exists in the civil registry in Gaza,” he said.
A boiling point
State leaders have little direct influence over foreign policy, but they can exert some pressure on the federal government. While California Republicans are almost uniformly supporting Israel, Democrats are more divided and advocates are focusing on them since they’re in power.
That’s why, on Nov. 7, 50 Democratic Party delegates sent a letter to Newsom, asking him to publicly support the ceasefire resolution introduced by members of Congress, and to “demand that the United States reassert its leadership role as a negotiator in pursuit of a lasting peace.”
Newsom’s office confirmed receipt of the letter, but did not respond to the delegates, according to Fatima Iqbal-Zubair, chairperson of the Democratic Party’s Progressive Caucus.
But at the California Democratic Party convention this past weekend, it was harder to ignore the demands from protesters and delegates.
They loudly cheered Rep. Barbara Lee of Oakland, who has been the most outspoken in calling for a ceasefire among the leading candidates for U.S. Senate. They interrupted speeches by other candidates. And they broke through security into the convention center Saturday, leading the party to cancel the formal events that evening.
The canceled sessions included meetings of the Latino, Black and Native American caucuses, who said they planned to discuss resolutions calling for a ceasefire. But Norma Alcala, chairperson of the Latino Caucus, said she understood why the protesters needed to make their point.
Protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza interrupted the general session at the California Democratic Party convention in Sacramento on Nov. 18, 2023. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters
Party Chairperson Rusty Hicks, however, called the protests “completely unacceptable,” while the Legislative Jewish Caucus issued statements condemning what it called “anti-Israel protesters.”“We fully support the right to protest loudly and vociferously. But storming through security and shutting down a democratic process — particularly with chants calling for the destruction of Israel and appearing to justify the Hamas attack — is completely unacceptable,” the caucus said in a statement.
The protests included chants and signs with slogans — specifically “from the river to the sea” — that many in the Jewish community view as antisemitic and calling for the annihilation of Israel, though a 2020 declaration signed by hundreds of scholars on antisemitism disputes that interpretation.
But Seth Morrison, a Bay Area resident and spokesperson for Jewish Voice for Peace, pushed back on the party’s response.
“People are dying … and it’s all being done with our tax dollars,” he said. “To have business as usual when our tax dollars are paying to kill children — I’m old enough to have been involved in the Vietnam protests, and it’s the same thing.”
Mahmoud Zahriya, former chairperson of the California Democratic Party’s Arab American Caucus, told CalMatters: “A ceasefire’s now become synonymous with, for some reason, supporting a militia or terrorist group when a ceasefire is supposed to be an end to violence for all people in the region.”
But it wasn’t all protests, or conflict at the convention.
The Progressive Caucus held a panel Friday night with both Arab and Jewish speakers, discussing that prior to the British intervention by the end of World War I, Jewish and Arab communities lived together peacefully — and that the fight for Palestinian freedom doesn’t mean harm to Jews.
“I think we have to hold several truths simultaneously. And we can let our hearts break for all of it. The war crimes committed by Hamas were an unconscionable massacre. And the revenge that Israel is inflicting on all of Gaza is genocide,” said one of the panelists, Penny Rosenwasser, an activist, author and founding board member of Jewish Voice for Peace. “And I want to keep working for a future where every Palestinian and every Israeli life is precious, and all people live in freedom and safety.”
A numbers game?
The imbalance in power and representation may be explained in some numbers: While there are more than 1.2 million Jewish Californians, there are about 715,000 Arab Americans, according to recent estimates.
There are also differences in migration patterns and history.
Marc Dollinger, a professor of Jewish history at San Francisco State University, said in the late 1840s, about 100,000 Central European Jews migrated to the United States, fleeing nationalist movements in Europe and seeking economic opportunities. During the Gold Rush, thousands of them moved west. One of the earliest notable Jewish politicians: Adolph Sutro, mayor of San Francisco from 1895 until 1897.
Their early years were prosperous, according to Dollinger. But nationally, the Jewish community faced persecution in the anti-immigrant movement in the early 1900s and after World War II, pushing them to fight to secure representation.
Historians trace sizable Arab Americans’ immigration into California to the 1900s. But the number of Arab Americans has historically been difficult to track, since there is no “Arab” ethnicity option in the U.S. Census. Starting with the last Census, people could write it in under “white.”
An accurate number on the number of Palestinians is also hard to track since many Palestinians were expelled from their homeland during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war and migrated to Lebanon, Jordan or Syria before coming to the United States. Many people identify simply as Arab, according to Rashad Al-Dabbagh, executive director of the Arab American Civic Council, which seeks to encourage community engagement.
Why that matters: In the 2022 election — despite the state’s large Arab American population, the state of California was not required, based on federal data, to publish voting materials in Arabic. The state did require translations in San Diego County based on its additional calculation, which has a lower population threshold.
But, while it has been difficult for supporters of Palestine to gain traction in the past, the current activism for a ceasefire has grown beyond Middle Eastern and Muslim communities.
Individual cities throughout California have issued resolutions, and support has come from members of the Vietnamese community in Orange County, and Black Lives Matter chapters in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
There’s also some support in the Jewish community. In the last month, the Sacramento and the Bay Area chapters of Jewish Voice for Peace say they’ve seen a large uptick in members. The Sacramento chapter has tripled, according to David Mandel, spokesperson for the group.
But largely, Dollinger said, California’s Jewish community allies with Israel. In part, that’s generational, he said.
“This was a generation that saw Hitler. And this is a generation that witnessed the Holocaust. So when the state of Israel was created in 1948, from that generation’s perspective … this was an absolute necessity,” he said. The next generation, he added, witnessed conflicts that threatened the country, including the Arab-Israeli wars in 1967 and 1973.
Tony Quinn, a longtime political consultant, said while the war is dividing the Democratic Party nationally, Democrats have a larger majority in California and the support of most Jewish voters.
“It could have an effect on some of the congressional races,” he said. “I think the Democrats have high hopes … But if I were a Democrat in Michigan, I’d be really concerned about how this is going to affect the Democrats there.”
The shrinking middle ground
As the Gaza war continues, there have been more calls from the international community for a ceasefire, including from leaders of the United Nations, Amnesty International, OxFam America, and Doctors Without Borders, and the governments of China, Brazil, Ireland, Belgium and Spain. They say that Israel must do more to avoid civilian casualties and not exact “collective punishment” on Palestinians in trying to kill Hamas fighters.
In Washington, D.C.,the number of House members signing a ceasefire resolution has grown from 13 to 43, including eight California lawmakers.
On Monday, Democratic Rep. Doris Matsui of Sacramento issued a call for a “temporary negotiated ceasefire.” “Lasting peace can only be achieved if Hamas’ terrorist infrastructure is dismantled,” she said in a statement. “At the same time, we must exhaust every option to prevent the death of innocent civilians.”
Rep. Eric Swallwell, who represents the East Bay, hasn’t called for a full ceasefire, but he did co-author a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging him to address violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank of Palestine, which is not under Hamas control.
Others are still seeking more of a middle ground, supporting Israel’s war against Hamas while still showing compassion for Palestinian civilians. They’re also calling for the release of about 240 hostages — mostly Israelis, but at least 10 Americans — held by Hamas and other militant groups.
In supporting more humanitarian aid to Gaza, Democratic Rep. Ami Bera of Elk Grove said when he talked to a Palestinian constituent, he heard the “pain, anguish, despair and anger” for a personal loss, and also deep grief from Jewish constituents. Bera said in a video that while he believes in Israel’s right to self-defense, “so do innocent Palestinans have a right to life and peace and dignity.”
Leaders of the Legislature’s Jewish, Black, Latino, Women’s, Native American, Asian American and Pacific Islander and LGBTQ caucuses signed on to an Oct. 26 letter to President Biden urging him to protect all civilians. And the governor announced $30 million to protect synagogues, mosques and other houses of worship in California.
Sen. Scott Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat and co-chairperson of the Jewish Caucus, noted that he has been calling for a “more surgical approach to Hamas as opposed to the more broad-based bombing.” The other co-chairperson, Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, said that while he feels a responsibility to the Jewish community, he also feels “a deep responsibility to serve my Muslim, Palestinian and Arab constituents.”
Still, lawmakers’ efforts to walk the tightrope aren’t cutting it with activists and other members of the Palestinian community.
Outside the state Capitol on Friday, Hatem Bazian, a lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley’s ethnic studies department and a well-known advocate for Palestinians, delivered a talk before a prayer service — and his message was not only for nearly 200 seated on the lawn in front of him, but for politicians.
“Today we are in a different era in terms of political engagement and mobilization,” he said. “If you don’t vote and support the issues we care about, we don’t care about whether you speak Arabic and you say ‘Salam-u-alaikium’ in a decrepit way, or you say you like our food … What I want to see is how you voted. This is not a community that will be taken for granted from now on.”
And if voters don’t find a candidate who meets their demands, they should run for office themselves, Bazian said.
Ola Subeh, a 36-year-old Chino resident who has an aunt in Gaza, echoed the sentiment. She said she’s researching alternatives to Democrats for 2024 — perhaps independent parties, though she knows they don’t stand a real chance.
“We’re going to have to find people who are going to start running for office, and vocalize for them and go out there and do our best to get better people in office who are going to represent our people, who care for humanity, are not one-sided and biased because we’ve always been treated as … like nothing, it’s like we don’t even belong, we don’t exist.”
Keane Chukwuneta, a Democratic delegate, said he sees the issue, fundamentally, as a question of whether representative government works or not.
“I hope that the machinery of the party starts to listen to these voices, because they clearly exist, and they’re not going anywhere,” he said, adding that he’d much rather see organizers work within the Democratic Party to reflect the concerns he and others share.
“That’s not happening,” he said, “and I think that’s why we’re here.”
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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.
Press release from Chris Rogers for Assembly Campaign:
[Ukiah,
CA] - Councilmember and Former Mayor of Santa Rosa Chris Rogers has officially announced his candidacy to succeed Jim Wood as the North Coast’s California State Assemblymember. Speaking from Ukiah, where Rogers spent the day discussing water, housing, and
economic development with local policymakers, Rogers emphasized his public service and his roots in the communities of the North Coast.
“For
as long as I can remember, it has been my mission to serve the community where I was born and raised”, said Rogers. “The North Coast is incredibly unique and our next Assemblymember must know how to roll up their sleeves and deliver for the people they serve.
They need to understand what it takes to rebuild communities devastated by wildfire, and they need to have proven experience on housing, homelessness, and drought. In my time as Mayor and my career working for Senator Mike McGuire in the State Legislature,
I’ve done just that. From the Smith River, CA to Sonoma County, I’ll work hard to be the voice for the people of the North Coast”
Born
and raised in Sonoma County, Rogers’s career in civil service began as a district representative for Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey working on coastline protection. Rogers went on to serve as the Senior District Representative for Senator Mike McGuire and Executive
Director of Sonoma County Conservation Action. First elected in 2016, Rogers’s two terms as Mayor and Councilmember have been marked by commitment, accomplishment, and leading response to disaster. In the aftermath of the 2017 Tubbs Fire, Rogers worked diligently
to rebuild the Coffey Park and Fountain Grove Neighborhoods that were all but destroyed by the wildfire.
“As
Mayor and Councilmember, Chris Rogers had a direct impact on helping the thousands of community members traumatized and displaced by the Tubbs Fire to return home,” said Sonoma County Supervisor Chris Coursey. “Chris Rogers’ leadership made sure our neighborhoods
were rebuilt and that our community really recovered.”
Rogers
brings a proven track record of navigating challenges and delivering for the people he serves. During Rogers’ time as Mayor, he accomplished what hadn’t been achieved in nearly a decade: balancing the budget - and prioritizing the needs of working families,
Rogers expanded access to affordable childcare and launched a first-time home-buyers program for low-income workers.
“Chris
Rogers is a committed and caring leader - and he knows how to get things done,” said former Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey. “When things have gotten tough, he’s proven over and over that he’ll step up and fight for the people he serves.”
In
his time as Mayor, Rogers also championed initiatives that met the needs of veterans, seniors, and youth, by providing no-cost access to public transportation and a groundbreaking first-time home-owners program for low-income workers.
“Our
communities deserve an Assemblymember who shares our roots and knows how to get things done,” emphasized Rogers. “As your Assemblymember, I will fight to make sure Sacramento hears the voice of the hardworking people up and down Highway 1 and 101”
For
more information on Chris Rogers’s campaign or to learn about Chris Rogers’ upcoming events in Sonoma, Mendocino, Humboldt, Del Norte, and Trinity counties, visit
ChrisRogersForAssembly.com.
From left, DHHS Program Manager Aaron Zell hands off canned goods to Redway Baptist Pastor Chris Andrews. | Photo via County of Humboldt.
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Press release from the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services:
Humboldt Housing & Homelessness Coalition (HHHC) members, made up of staff and volunteers from nearly a dozen local service providers, faith-based organizations and government agencies, are planning for emergency weather warming centers for people experiencing homelessness, and volunteers are needed.
The group, which is calling itself the Emergency Weather Community Response Network, meets weekly, is working together to coordinate locations for the upcoming wet and cold days and nights. Currently, the county is being split into regions including McKinleyville/Arcata, Eureka, Eel River/Fortuna, Southern and Eastern Humboldt.
Living outside during prolonged cold and rain can make people more susceptible to chronic illness and in some cases hypothermia, and having a warm, dry place to be is important.
Arcata House Partnership (AHP) Anjali Browning, who serves as the Director of Programs and Services, said extreme weather sheltering is “very staff intensive.”
“We were able to provide 24-hour emergency shelter on 48 nights of life-threatening weather last year,” she said. “Despite the enormous strain of operating on almost twice the number of nights as a normal year, AHP continued providing emergency shelter services to confront the longest stretch of freezing temperatures Humboldt had experienced in decades.”
For every one hour of safety provided, at least four hours of support is needed to operate. Help is needed for:
Staffing facilities
Providing showers
Preparing and serving meals
Transporting guests
Cleaning cots
Mopping floors
Laundering towels and bedding.
Browning said, having sufficient volunteers will be the most crucial factor in determining if AHP can run when the criteria for extreme weather sheltering are met. She said they were only able to operate so many nights last year because of generous donations from the community, dedicated staff and thousands of hours of volunteer support.
Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services Program Manager Aaron Zell, who facilitates the HHHC, said, “This collaborative effort ensures clear communication throughout the county as well as the ability for smaller organizations to get assistance with training and resources so they can help in providing these needed services. The cooperation between the various organizations allows for improved response to these weather events.”
