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Humboldt State Normal School opened its doors on April 6, 1914 after a short but intense battle for the location of the school between the cities of Arcata and Eureka. The battle was fought in the meeting rooms of the board of trustees and more publicly in the local press. After three months of political maneuvering, intense press coverage, and caustic editorials, Arcata won the battle and the school opened in the Arcata Grammar School. Joy Gastman’s political cartoon postcard After the Battle depicts the major figures and backstory of the battle. This essay will examine how the caricatures in the cartoon portrayed the site selection process, controversy, and the roles played by the individuals involved.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a normal school was an institution for the training of primary school teachers. Isolated on the California North Coast, potential Humboldt County teachers had to travel to normal schools in San Francisco, San Jose, Chico, or farther afield. In 1911, the Humboldt Chamber of Commerce began efforts to bring a normal school to Humboldt. In the promotion of the legislation, a location for the school was purposely not specified. While many assumed the school would be located in Eureka, it was felt that a greater proportion of the County would support the efforts if a location was not named. Legislation creating the school was signed by progressive Governor Hiram Johnson on June 16, 1913. The location of the school was yet to be determined.

The legislation created a seven-person board of trustees charged with opening the school. Governor Johnson and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Edward Hyatt were appointed to the board as ex officio members. Johnson also appointed five local trustees, including three from Eureka: Dr. William E. Cook, a dentist and president of the Eureka City board of education; Henry J. Bridges, manager of the Eureka Ice Company; and Charlotte Gale, president of the Eureka High School Parent Teachers Association. From Arcata, Johnson appointed Reese M. Wiley, editor of the Arcata Union newspaper, and from Fortuna, Edward W. Haight, president of the Bank of Fortuna. These local members of the board were to administer the process of opening the school, including selecting a location. Eureka was the county seat and had the largest population, so, along with a three-person local majority on the board, they assumed the school would be located there. How, then, was Arcata able to wrest the location of the school from Eureka?

Haight and Wiley: “Congratulations”

Trustees Haight and Wiley are portrayed shaking hands celebrating their victory. A minority on the board, they had managed to secure the location for Arcata. The first round of the battle that would result in locating the school in Arcata occurred at the November 13, 1913 Board of Trustees meeting. Prior to the meeting, board secretary Charlotte Gale had notified local chambers of commerce that the board would be choosing a site for the school at that meeting.

Requirements for proposals included a written two-year lease of a building for college use free of charge. Arcata did not accept the assumption that the school would be located in Eureka and came to the meeting with a complete written proposal. Arcata’s proposal included a free two-year lease of the Pleasant Hill school, an offer of free land for future expansion, and twelve thousand dollars in community-raised funds. Fortuna offered twenty acres of land and the choice of using an existing building or constructing new. Eureka’s offer included a lease of Winship school and an “indeterminate sum of money.” Crucially, Eureka’s offer was verbal and was therefore deemed inadmissible. When the vote was taken, Eureka trustee Charlotte Gale sided with Haight and Wiley and Arcata won by a vote of three to two.

This was only the first round of the battle. With the assistance of Eureka attorney Lawrence F. Puter, the Eureka trustees appealed to state Attorney General U.S. Webb. Eureka argued, and Webb concurred, that the November 13 meeting had been illegal. As members of the board, Governor Johnson and Superintendent Hyatt had not been notified of the meeting as required. Webb ruled that since the meeting was illegal, all actions taken were invalid, including the selection of the location. Webb later added that a quorum of four was required for the board to conduct business. Webb’s rulings negated the earlier decision for Arcata and his ruling on a quorum set the stage for Arcata’s eventual victory.

Following Webb’s ruling, it became apparent that Gale would reverse course and vote for Eureka. On December 5, prior to that evening’s scheduled board of trustees meeting, Haight and Wiley visited Gale at her home to try and secure her vote for Arcata. Their attempt to retain her vote was unsuccessful, Gale saying she would exercise her “free judgment.” Haight and Wiley then told Gale they would not attend that evening’s meeting. With only the three Eureka Trustees in attendance the board lacked a quorum and could not conduct business. Wiley and Haight continued to boycott meetings on December 12, 19, 24, 29, and January 2. By refusing to attend the meetings, they prevented the Eureka trustees from reversing the earlier vote and “stealing” the location from Arcata.

The last round of the battle occurred in Sacramento. Wiley and Haight called for a meeting of the full board, including Governor Johnson and Superintendent Hyatt, on January 31, 1914 in the Governor’s office in Sacramento. The three Eureka trustees claimed the meeting was illegal and did not attend. After this meeting, the Governor telegrammed the three Eureka trustees, calling for a meeting of the full board in his office on February 4. At this meeting, Johnson and Hyatt joined with Wiley and Haight in voting for Arcata, deciding the matter in a vote of four to three. Arcata had prevailed in the end, as symbolized by Haight and Wiley shaking hands after their boycotting strategy turned out to be a success.

Charlotte Gale: “What Will the Harvest Be?”

Depicted as a farmer eyeing her crop, Charlotte Gale’s vote for Arcata at the November 13 board of trustees meeting would indeed bear a rich harvest. Why did she vote for Arcata? She had expressed support for locating the school in Eureka both before and after that meeting.

There are several possible answers, starting with the fact that Eureka’s offer was inadmissible. If she thought a decision had to be made that night, then Arcata’s offer was both legal and the best. Why not then vote to delay the decision, allowing Eureka to submit a written proposal? It may be that she thought a delay would be unfair to those who had submitted proper proposals.

Gale had a great deal of personal investment in the administrative process and was probably frustrated with Eureka’s poor performance. She had worked with Wiley to develop the board’s constitution and bylaws. She spent several weeks traveling to other normal schools in the state “gathering data upon the organization and matters appertaining to the starting of schools, courses of study, etc.” She had sent out the notice of the requirement for a written lease and knew that Cook was aware of the requirement. She had even worked with Bridges to secure a written lease for Eureka, but Cook said a written lease was not required. After all of her work, Eureka’s poor performance may have made it easier for her to reject her hometown’s first proposal and vote for Arcata.

Dr. William Cook: “Normal School Graft”

As an example of a political cartoon attempting to predict or shape future events, Dr. Cook is portrayed as being kicked out of Eureka City Hall by the Eureka voters, an inaccurate prediction of his future. Cook played a big role in securing the normal school for Humboldt. In 1912, he had chaired two local committees promoting the school. He had regularly traveled to Sacramento in support of the legislation. The Humboldt Standard even credits Cook with drafting the legislation itself, a questionable claim as others were most likely involved. His long-term commitment to the school, as well as his position on the Board of Trustees, makes Eureka’s oral proposal blunder all the more inexplicable.

There was good reason for Eureka’s dissatisfaction with Cook’s performance. In a public apology printed in the November 16, 1913 Humboldt Times, Cook acknowledges Gale and Bridge’s attempt to secure a written lease for a building in Eureka and his erroneous advice that an oral proposal was sufficient.

Why were Cook and the city of Eureka so ill-prepared? Jerry Willis, author of a 1959 history of Humboldt State College, gives two possible explanations. First, Cook may have believed the Eureka Trustees were united and would vote to delay the vote until Eureka prepared a written proposal. Secondly, Willis proposed a more personal, and financial, reason for Cook’s actions and a possible reference to “Normal School Graft” on Gastman’s cartoon. Cook might have been attempting to purchase land that he could resell to the school. As the purchase had not been finalized, Cook may have wanted to delay the vote until the purchase was final. Regardless of his reasons, Cook was the person most responsible for Eureka’s poor performance.

Gastman’s prediction that the Eureka voters would oust Cook does not appear to be accurate. A year later, he was still on the normal school board of trustees and was still President of the Eureka board of education.

Larry F. Puter: “I won’t fight any more Mr. Police”

James Coonan: “This Place Don’t Seem Like Home”

Eureka attorneys Larry Puter and James Coonan are depicted as being censured either by a police officer, in Puter’s case, or by symbolically hurled bricks in Coonan’s. The decision for Arcata at the November 13, 1913 board of trustees meeting sparked an editorial war-of-words. The Eureka papers attacked Wiley and Haight for failing to perform their duty and attend meetings and the Arcata Union and Fortuna’s Humboldt Beacon accused Eureka of attempting to “steal” the location from Arcata. Puter and Coonan were prominent in these editorials supporting Eureka and criticizing Arcata. After Eureka’s first defeat, Puter assisted the Eureka trustees in preparing their appeal to Attorney General Webb. Later, he drafted a resolution sent to the Governor calling for the removal of Haight and Wiley, claiming they “persistently [violated] every principle of trust imposed upon them by law” and that they “betrayed their duty” by boycotting the meetings.

Coonan was also vocal in his criticism of Arcata and of Haight and Wiley. He participated in an editorial exchange with the Arcata Chamber of Commerce with letters printed in the December 16, 23, and 26, 1913 editions of the Humboldt Times including saying that Wiley and Haight “violated their oaths of office by willfully absenting themselves from the meetings.” Arcata fired back throwing “verbal bricks” (as symbolized in Gastman’s cartoon) via letters to the Times on December 18, 23, and 24. Arcata accuses Coonan of using “misleading and very erroneous points” and even participating in “rank fraud.” Final resolution of the school’s location ended the editorial battle with Gastman’s portrayal the Eureka lawyers being reprimanded either by a police officer in Puter’s case or by Coonan taking shelter from Arcata’s verbal bricks.

Henry Bridges: “My It Has Been Hot Lately”

Eureka trustee Henry Bridges is shown cooling off, symbolically sitting on a block of ice and drinking ice water, an allusion to both the reduction of tensions following the end of the controversy and a play on his position as manager of the Eureka Ice Company. Other than his support for Eureka, his role in the affair had been relatively low key. His low profile and association with the ice company makes him a good symbol for the reduction of tensions. After the successful February 4, 1914 meeting in

Sacramento, things did rapidly cool off, with Eureka supporting the normal school in Arcata. The Humboldt Times wrote, “there is but one thing for every loyal citizen of Humboldt County to do — help in every way to make [the school] a success…. Eureka is with you.” On February 17, at a reconvened meeting of the local board of trustees in Arcata, it was the Eureka trustees Cook and Bridges who moved and seconded the resolution to locate the school in Arcata. From there, staff was hired, the building prepared, and on April 6 the school opened with an enrollment of 61 students. The battle was over and the story of Humboldt State Normal School began.

Nelson Van Matre: “Success”

Nelson Van Matre, first dean of Humboldt State Normal School, is depicted looking at the normal school in Arcata with “success” printed on the walkway leading to the school’s front door. Van Matre, formerly superintendent of Eureka schools, had been the pick of the board from early in the process. As early as the ill-fated November 13, 1913 meeting, Van Matre had been named as the dean, an appointment subsequently annulled by Attorney General Webb along with the site location. However he remained the only choice of the board and was officially appointed at the February 17, 1914 meeting. Van Matre served as president of the school until 1924.

During his tenure, the school survived the stress of the early years at the Arcata Grammar School and of the First World War. In 1916, he relocated the school to temporary buildings on the donated Preston property. In 1921, he managed the reorganization by the state and the name change to Humboldt State Teachers College, and in 1922 constructed Founders Hall, the first permanent building.

In Conclusion

Joy Gastman’s “After the Battle” political cartoon postcard portrays the backstory of how Humboldt State Normal School (and ultimately Cal Poly Humboldt) came to be located in Arcata.

The heart of the story lies in two questions: Why was Eureka so unprepared for the critical November 16, 1913 board of trustees meeting, and why did Eureka trustee Charlotte Gale vote for Arcata at that meeting? While there were possible nefarious reasons, the most likely reason Eureka came to the meeting without a legal proposal was arrogance.

They thought they had the location won and put very little effort into their proposal. This also leads to the answer of why Gale voted for Arcata. She took her position on the board seriously enough to travel to other normal schools on a fact-finding trip. She was aware that Eureka knew of the requirement for a written lease and had even been thwarted in her effort to secure one. When Eureka had such a poor presentation, one can see why her frustration manifested in her vote for Arcata.

Regardless, Arcata clearly had the better offer. Today, we can thank Gale for her vote that evening, the harvest of which has been a growing and successful educational institution, ultimately resulting in Cal Poly Humboldt.

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From the author: This article is the result of my interests in history and postcard collecting. In retirement, I’ve been taking history courses at College of the Redwoods and Cal Poly Humboldt. A class last Spring taught by former HCHS President Thomas Mays gave me the opportunity to dig into the story behind the postcard, which I had obtained a few years earlier, and write the research paper that resulted in this article. Many thanks to Professor Mays, the HCHS archives, the special collections department at Cal Poly Humboldt, and Humboldt Historian editor Wendy Platt Hill for their assistance with this project.

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The story above was originally printed in the Spring 2023 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.

David Lee Sams was born on May 18, 1931, in Portland to Lee and Marguerite Sams and passed peacefully on February 10, 2024, surrounded by his sons, at Alder Bay Assisted Living in Eureka. He lived in Humboldt County for the past 60+ years, primarily in Ferndale followed by Eureka.

After graduating from University of Oregon in 1953, dad volunteered for the draft; prior to leaving, he married Janice Hollister, a union that would last until Janice’s passing in 2022. After spending a year in Korea, dad returned to the University of Oregon and obtained his teaching credential.

His first job was at Douglas High School in Winston, Oregon, where he reports “learning a lot.” With Janice seeking to leave the area, Dad secured a teaching position in Ferndale, and began teaching there in 1961, a career that lasted some 25 years. He taught arts, crafts, geography, mechanical drawing and even some math. He taught night school for seniors in a program that didn’t last long. Son Steve reports that he didn’t give any leniency to his sons while in school – “Mechanical drawing was the hardest B+ I ever earned in high school.” Dad was very active as a small-town teacher, involved with every graduating class and class advisor to many different years’ students; he retired from teaching at Ferndale High School in 1986. He was very involved with the Ferndale Art Festival prior to and when it turned into the Kinetic Sculpture Race as well as Our Saviors Lutheran Church and various automobile clubs

Upon retirement, dad continued his hobby of collecting those things that caught his fancy, from treadle sewing machines to Columbia River post cards to Roseville Pottery to automobile license plates to cars to automobile accessories – and much more. He always had the neatest and most organized collections. He was a good pinochle partner and trained many a cribbage player.

Preceding dad in death are his wife, Janice, and his son, Patrick. He is survived by Jerry (Carrie, and grandchildren Emily/Jonah, Lucas/Ashley; Phil (Lani, and grandchildren Kelly/Tyler and David/Ariel; and Steve (Elaine, and grandchildren Matthew and Stephanie/Tristan. He is also survived by two great-grandchildren, Jude and Maya.

A Memorial Service is planned for Saturday, March 23, 2024 at 1 p.m. at Our Saviors Lutheran Church, in Ferndale. All of dad’s friends and former students are invited to attend. Mom and Dad truly enjoyed living at Alder Bay for the last few years of their lives and we thank this facility for the care and companionship provided. The family would also like to thank Hospice of Humboldt for their compassionate care and support in the final few months of dad’s life; he would be proud of any donations made on his behalf to Hospice of Humboldt.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of David Sams’ loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.

Richard Metsig died peacefully in his home on February 27 in Scotia at the age of 56.

Rick is survived by his wife, Wendy; his four children, Sara, Stephen, Andrew (Emily) and Alyssa; father, John Metsig; step-mother, Gail Douglas Metsig; siblings Nicole Metsig Silver (Bryan), Lauren Metsig Goerschler (Kyle), Lisa Kelly and brother Michael McCabe.

He is preceded in death by his mother, Dawn Fischer of Colorado, and brother Bryan Metsig of Illinois.

Rick was born on December 30, 1967 in Arlington Heights, Illinois to John Metsig and Dawn Tucker. He graduated from Canyon High School in Santa Clarita, California in 1986 and began further studies at College of the Siskiyous in 1988 in Weed, where he met his wife Sylvia Goldau, whom he married in 1990.

In 1989, Rick began working in the equipment rental industry, in which he would build a lifelong career as a branch manager.

Wendy adopted Sadie, a rescue pit bull, and despite initial hesitance, Rick fell in love with Sadie and the three became inseparable. Rick and Wendy married in June of 2017.

Rick is remembered as a fair, honest, and caring individual who loved his family unconditionally. He consistently demonstrated personal integrity, a strong work ethic, and passion for the Christian faith. He was a skilled musician and an active and devout member of the First Baptist Church of Fortuna.

A memorial service is planned with only close family members present. The family would like to thank the congregation of the First Baptist Church of Fortuna for their support. Please send donations to the Richard A. Metsig Memorial Fund at the First Baptist Church of Fortuna to help support other families experiencing life challenges.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Rick Metsig’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.

PREVIOUSLY:

• NoHum School Board Votes to ‘Dismiss’ Arcata High School Principal; Teachers and Community Members Shocked

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A few moments ago, Arcata High Principal Ron Perry — whose contract was not renewed at the last meeting of the Northern Humboldt Union High School District — sent out the following message to the school community:

On Tuesday, the Board of Trustees approved my reassignment to a teaching position in the District for the next year.

When I arrived in this role nearly two years ago, I set forth the goal of fostering a culture of respect and kindness and a place where students are inspired to achieve.

Over the past few days, the kind words and expressions of gratitude have lifted me and reminded me that AHS is on its way to embodying the culture described in our goals. Though I will not return as Principal of AHS in the fall, I will be honored to remain part of the Northern Humboldt team. This past week has illustrated to me the strength of our bonds. United, I am certain we can achieve any goal we set for ourselves. I look forward to working with our entire community to inspire students this spring and finish the year strong.

With this in mind, I am asking our collective student body to embrace the challenge of working together with teachers and staff to reflect the goal stated in our AHS mission statement, “empowering students to reach their full potential.” So, in the coming weeks and months, I am asking students to make the most of their learning opportunities by arriving to classes on time and engaging in learning every minute of each class period.

As for me, I plan to focus on the students of AHS as well as the team of teachers and staff who make it all work. I have said in the past, “Together, we can accomplish more.” I have repeatedly challenged our students to be “Tigers on the RISE.” With this in mind, I am determined to work together to foster a respectful and safe learning community where engaged students are inspired to achieve.

Wishing you all the very best. It is great to be a Tiger.

The building has been sitting pretty much ready to go since late last year. But with delays with its licensing, the Open Door Community Health Center on Foster and Sunset in Arcata has still not been able to open its doors to patients. 

Well, we don’t know about all of you, but the Outpost couldn’t wait any longer! We had to know what was going on behind the sparkly, new facade of this new center that everyone has been hearing about for years. Luckily, Cheyenne Spetzler – senior vice president of development for Open Door – was kind enough to take us on a tour of the facility, which she said she can’t wait to finally have open. 

“It was really ready for public occupancy in November,” Spetzler told the Outpost at the new facility on Friday morning. “We’re really frustrated. We just never imagined it would take this long.” 

Spetzler in front of the new space

Last we checked in, Open Door planned to have the new center open in January, with the goal of moving all operations from the other Open Door centers in Arcata – North Country Clinic and Open Door on 10th Street – to the new facility. Staff was confident in the estimated timeline and informed patients that appointments were moving to the new facility. When staff realized that the licensing would not go through in time, they contacted all of the patients to let them know that they would need to visit the old sites, which caused some confusion, Spetzler said. 

Though it’s difficult to say exactly when the licensing will be approved, Spetzler now feels pretty confident that the new facility will be able to open by this May. Once the space has opened, patients will be able to enjoy a brand new building, with a lot more space than the other two clinics, more exam rooms, balconies with lovely views, a big community space with a kitchen and – something at least some Arcata folks will be excited about – ample parking! 

When patients walk in the door, they will immediately encounter the large registration area. This will be used for checking in new patients, filling out financial paperwork and such, Spetzler said. Once patients are established, they will go straight to checking in at one of the center’s four “pods” – each with their own dedicated medical team. 

The center has four pods, each given its own plant name – Fern, Spruce, Oak and Madrone – and each outfitted with its own reception desk, waiting area and three exam rooms. Spetzler said that each provider will be assigned to a different pod. 

The center has the capacity to accommodate 12 providers, Spetzler said, but recruitment hasn’t exactly been easy. It’s hard for her to say how many providers the new center will employ by the time it opens, and recruitment is ongoing. But Open Door is expecting to be able to increase visits by more than 600 annually. This does mean that the clinic will be able to add some patients on the waiting list, and Spetzler is hoping that Open Door will be able to add more new patients in the future. 

In addition to more exam rooms and check-in areas, the new facility also has a large community space that can be reserved for meetings, workshops or other events. The space has a large kitchen, with a pass-through window, for cooking and catering, and a large adjoining balcony. 

Open Door’s Teen Clinic – a drop-in clinic that provides free, confidential health care, education, and counseling for patients up to 20 years old – will also move to the new center and has its own dedicated room, with a separate entrance for teen patients. 

The facility includes a lot of new features to benefit staff too, including a small onsite gym, showers, lots of break spaces and two dedicated lactation rooms for breastfeeding. 

Spetzler said that the new center was designed “with flow in mind,” meaning that the floor plan allows for “maximum access” for both patients and staff, without patients or staff getting in each other’s way. The whole backside of the building is meant for staff access, while the front section is for the patients and the common areas have more than one entrance – one for staff and one for patients. 

Opening the new facility has been a long road. Planning started more than five years ago, and after COVID delayed construction and the licensing approval delayed the opening date, Spetzler is very ready to have the new Open Door Community Health Center up and running as soon as possible. Especially since Spetzler, who has been a part of Open Door since her husband became executive director in 1977, is planning to retire in June. 

“This is my last project,” Spetzler said. “I’m retiring in June, so I need to make sure it’s open before I leave.” 

Scroll down for more pics of the soon-to-be open Open Door Community Health Center below.

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Travis Schneider’s permitting woes continue.

More than eight months after the local developer agreed to tear down his partially built, permit-violating family dream mansion in the Walker Point subdivision northeast of Eureka, the California Coastal Commission today found “substantial issues” with the county-approved demolition and remediation plan and took over jurisdiction of the project.

In a hearing that lasted only about two and a half minutes, commission staff explained that Humboldt County had authorized the demolition and removal of Schneider’s half-built 21,000-square-foot residential structure, along with a driveway and retaining walls, plus removal of 15,000 cubic yards of fill material that was illegally trucked onto the property.

To recap how we got here, Schneider was only permitted to build an 8,000-square-foot home on a pair of parcels overlooking the Fay Slough Wildlife Area. The county issued a stop-work order in December of 2021 in response to unauthorized grading and ground disturbance in prohibited areas with known sensitive resources.

Further investigation revealed a host of permit violations: Not only was the framed-up residential structure more than two and a half times larger than permitted, but it had been built in a location that didn’t match the final site plans. A corner of the house extended into a 100-foot setback from an environmentally sensitive habitat area (ESHA).

Schneider had also lain down an un-permitted temporary access road within designated wetland buffer areas, and he’d used heavy equipment to conduct major vegetation removal within protected wetlands and other environmentally sensitive areas.

Despite subsequent efforts to resolve the permit violations — including consultations with the Wiyot Tribe, the Blue Lake Rancheria and the Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria regarding a designated archeological site on the property — county staff determined that there was simply no way for the residence to be permitted.

Last April, Schneider, who has since moved out of state with his family, agreed to apply for modifications to his Coastal Development Permit so he could tear down the home and remediate the property to its pre-construction condition. He also sought a lot-line adjustment and agreed to convey one of the two redrawn parcels to a land-holding agency for the benefit of the three Wiyot-area tribes.

After consulting with the tribes and Coastal Commission staff, the county granted the permit modification request, subject to various conditions.

However, in today’s brief Coastal Commission hearing, agency staff argued that the plan doesn’t adequately protect archaeological and tribal cultural resources or the nearby ESHA. Staff further suggested that the demolition and remediation plan raises substantial issues with the California Coastal Act and Humboldt County’s Local Coastal Plan.

Finally, staff recommended that the Coastal Commission take over jurisdiction of the Coastal Development Permit application.

Meanwhile, professional cultural resources consultant Janet P. Eidsness submitted a letter on behalf of the Wiyot Tribe urging the commission to determine that there are substantial issues with the county-approved plan and requesting a number of new conditions, including a requirement for more participation from tribes and consultation with a qualified cultural resources manager.

After staff’s brief presentation, Commission Chair Caryl Hart asked her colleagues whether three or more of them wished to dispute the finding of “substantial issues” with the permit. No one piped up, so Hart announced that substantial issues had been found.

The Coastal Commission will hold a new hearing about Coastal Development Permit permit at a later date.

PREVIOUSLY:

• Heated Meeting Sparks Accusations of Dishonesty and Discrimination, Opening Rift Between Tribes and Humboldt County Planning Commission
• Despite Silence From Tribes, Mega-Home Builder Optimistic Ahead of Tonight’s Continued Planning Commission Hearing to Address Permit Violation Fallout
• After Rebukes and Apologies for Bongio’s ‘Disrespectful’ Comments, Planning Commission Defers Decision on Mega-Home Permits
• County Supes to Consider Censure of Planning Commission Chair Alan Bongio for Inappropriate Conduct
• Bohn Makes the Motion, Supes Unanimously Censure Bongio for Racist Remarks, Move to Remove Him as Chair of Planning Commission
• A Tour Through the Half-Built Dream Mansion of Travis Schneider, Who Remains Hopeful Amid Mounting Permit Problems
• Alan Bongio, Embattled Humboldt County Planning Commissioner, Resigns
• Planning Commission Set to Rescind Permit for Controversial Schneider Home as Developer Prepares to Tear it Down, Remediate Damage to Property
• Schneider Offers Emotional Apology as Planning Commission Approves Tear-Down of His Permit-Violating, Half-Built Family Dream Home

Press release from the County Administrative Office:

Avelo Airlines has announced expanded air service between the California Redwood Coast-Humboldt County Airport (ACV) and the Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) to meet the growing demand for travel between these vibrant destinations.

Beginning Sunday, June 9, Avelo Airlines will operate five flights a week between Humboldt County and the Los Angeles area. Expanded flights are scheduled to run through August on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, catering to the needs of travelers, including residents, business professionals, students and visitors. Travelers can book their flights now at aveloair.com.

Enhanced air service comes as a result of the strong support for airline travel to Southern California from the Humboldt County community since Avelo began service at ACV in May 2021. With the additional Avelo flights, ACV will have more seats available this summer to/from the Los Angeles area than ever before in the airport’s history. 

“We are thankful to our residents for supporting service to the Los Angeles area and thrilled Avelo is expanding its service to Humboldt County,” said Cody Roggatz, Director of Aviation for the County of Humboldt. “The increased frequency of flights and added seat capacity signify Avelo’s commitment to meeting the evolving needs of travelers and fostering connectivity for our region. We appreciate Humboldt continuing to Fly ACV.”

To book a flight on Avelo Airlines, visit aveloair.com. For more information on the California Redwood Coast-Humboldt County Airport, please visit FlyACV.com.