Drew Spencer Rotermund, 77, passed away on Tuesday, January 16, 2024 at his home in Bayside.

Drew was born on September 10, 1946, in Akron, Ohio to Rod and Marian (Deitz) Rotermund. He was a 1964 graduate of Eureka Senior High School, and afterwards served in the US Army Reserves from 1966 to 1972. Drew’s lifelong dream was to serve in law enforcement, and in 1970 he realized that dream by joining the Alaska State Troopers. His career with AST spanned 24 years and encompassed postings all across the state of Alaska. Drew’s legacy in law enforcement lives on through his role in the development of programs such as “Shoot-Don’t-Shoot” and “Arraignment by Television,” versions of which still survive to present day.

Of all Drew’s career accomplishments, his proudest moments were those spent as an instructor at the AST Academy in Sitka. Drew loved teaching and took pride in each student’s advancement.

He retired as First Sergeant in 1994, and shortly after returned to Humboldt County. Drew spent 11 years living on his mountain property in the Dinsmore area, where he enjoyed a peaceful life of chopping firewood, reading and a good crossword puzzle. Drew eventually moved back to Bayside, where he spent the final years of his life. His family and friends will remember and miss his humor, his counsel and the way he left a room.

Drew is survived by his son Brett (Dani’) and granddaughter Gina; nephew Ryan (Jennifer) Moore and niece Darby; and sister Kay and nieces Cecily and Emily. Services are being planned by the family.

Wilma May Pfingsten was born on March 29,1946 in Casper, Wyoming to Carl and Norma Weber. She grew up in Wyoming and moved to Arcata as an adult. Here she met the love of her life Jim Pfingsten, and a short time later they married. They were together for more than 53 years. They had a beautiful family of three children, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren which they loved with all their hearts.

Wilma spent most of her adult life living among the ancient redwoods in northern California, raising a family and loving her church. She was a longtime member of the Trinity Baptist Church, where she taught Sunday school with her best friend for many years, sang in the choir and served food to those in need at the church Pantry Food Bank. Wilma was an animal lover, so she made sure that the Pantry was always stocked with dog food. She also had two dachshunds named Coco and Abbey which were always by her side.

After retiring from Mad River Adult day, Wilma enjoyed a life of traveling and camping with her family. Wilma and her husband Jim spent every summer camping at the R-Ranch with their ranch family, playing card games and living life to the fullest. Wilma never met a stranger that she couldn’t chat with or share her contagious laugh. She was a kind and loving woman who was dearly beloved by everyone. She gave everything to her family, friends and faith. They were the center of her world. 

We would like to thank everyone who cared for and came to visit her in the last few months of her life. We would especially like to thank the staff of Seaview Rehabilitation and Wellness Center for their devoted and loving care of our mother.

You’re welcome to join us for her Celebration of Life on Saturday, March 9 at 1 p.m. at the Trinity Baptist Church in Arcata. In lieu of flowers, we request donations to be made to the Trinity Baptist Church Pantry.

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The obituary above was submitted by Wilma Pfingsten’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

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Today’s was a rather brief meeting of the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors, by recent historical standards, and a couple of the meatiest matters discussed centered on informational reports rather than action items.

That said, a lot of ground was covered, with many of the issues bound to come up again in the near or middle-distance future.

Let’s get to the summary.

Humboldt’s lousy road conditions

Mattson

At the request of Second District Supervisor Michelle Bushnell, the board heard an update from Public Works Director Tom Mattson on the sorry state of paved roads in our unincorporated areas.

Mattson outlined an array of challenges above and beyond pavement management, including outdated equipment, storm damage repairs, culvert replacement and more.

The county’s current Pavement Conditions Index, a scale of zero through 100 that indicates road conditions, stands at a paltry 49, “which is in the poor range, which is bad news,” Mattson said. He explained that the lower the number, the higher a county’s road maintenance costs.

The county’s pavement management budget of roughly $2 million per year has not been enough to maintain status quo on the county’s 900 miles of paved roads, especially with all the storm damage repairs necessary these past two years, Mattson said.

After his presentation, Fifth District Supervisor Steve Madrone noted that self-help counties – those that increase sales taxes to fund transportation-related projects – are often able to leverage other sources of funding from the state and federal governments. Such a tax would require approval from two-thirds of the electorate.

“Of course, all this [discussion] is sort of a precursor to our efforts to put a ballot measure on in November,” Madrone said.

Bushnell said she gets lots of complaints about roads in her district that have slipped out following storms. Mattson said that, depending on the road, it can take three years to get approval for construction of repairs, and even that’s only possible if there’s money to complete the work.

“The money may not be reimbursed from the federal government for 10 or 15 years; that’s the $8 million hole I’m sitting on right now,” Mattson said.

“The community thinks that we should just throw a bunch of money at it and we could fix all the roads,” Bushnell said.

Mattson replied that the county is not set up to do full-scale road construction and, in fact, is limited by state law on how much maintenance work it can perform. Instead, the county often contracts out for larger projects.

The board received Mattson’s report and unanimously agreed to file it. No further action was taken on the matter.

Upcoming free health care clinic

Early in the meeting, the board heard a presentation from a couple of folks with the nonprofit organization California CareForce, which organizes no-cost health care clinics throughout California, including an upcoming clinic in Eureka.

That clinic, which will be held at the Adorni Center from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 12 and 13, will offer free medical, dental and vision services without asking patients for documentation of immigration status, residency or proof of insurance, employment or income.

Dr. Tom Lewis, a “mostly retired” dentist, said that after a fulfilling career he wanted to give back to the community and help meet the needs of the estimated one-third to one-half of Californians who lack adequate access to health care. He’s been working with California CareForce, and having worked in Humboldt County, he wanted to bring one of the organization’s free clinics to Eureka.

They’ve already raised about half of the $800,000 budget needed to see an estimated 700-800 patients during the local clinic.

Appearing via Zoom, CareForce Executive Director Cyndi Ankiewicz said the primary services being offered will include dental treatments, such as fillings, extractions, dental hygiene and X-rays, and vision screening, including testing and eyeglasses made on-site.

“We also do basic medical screenings, like blood glucose levels, and also blood pressure” and taking a brief medical history, Ankiewicz said. “In addition to that, we like to try to get what we call ‘wraparound services’ or ‘ancillary services,’ like mammography, completely free chiropractic care [and] acupuncture care.” 

For more information on the upcoming clinic, you can access and download an informational flier by clicking here. The organization is still looking for volunteers to help run the clinic, food donations, medical supplies and signage.

Ankiewicz repeated this key bit: “All of our services are provided at absolutely no cost to the patients.” Good deal.

Tobacco retailer rules

Pereira

In another item brought forward by Bushnell, the board revisited the county’s Comprehensive Tobacco Retailer Licensing Ordinance, which it approved last summer. 

Bushnell said several owners of small businesses in her district contacted her to complain about a provision of the ordinance mandating that tobacco products or advertisements “shall not be placed or displayed within five (5) feet of candy, snacks, or non-alcoholic beverages.”

She also wanted the board to further discuss the possibility of adding a section to the ordinance that would ban the sale of nitrous oxide canisters at tobacco distribution retailers, a topic Bushnell raised earlier this year. A third topic of discussion concerned a provision that prohibits coupons or discounts on tobacco products.

Public Health Director Sofia Pereira reminded the board that the ordinance is intended to reduce the use of tobacco by young people, and the county is currently processing new permit applications for the 56 licensed retailers in its jurisdiction.

Pereira said the provisions in the ordinance are based on extensive research on improving health outcomes.

First District Supervisor and Board Chair Rex Bohn said he couldn’t find any tobacco retailers who were contacted about the ordinance before implementation, and with a pack of cigarettes costing $13.50 per pack, small retailers often want to cut the price on packs or on specialty products that don’t sell. He also said the “sin tax” on cigarettes is extremely high.

Pereira said the county did send a letter to all retailers in December of 2022 and every single retailer was visited by the county’s educational team, but she said staff could explore exemptions to the no-discount policy for items like specialty cigars or pipe tobacco.

Bushnell said she doesn’t think the letters to retailers were widely read, and she voiced concern about spreading the message that retailers are failing to follow the law by checking driver’s licenses to verify customers are old enough to buy tobacco products. 

Pereira said staff wants to bring an amendment in the future that would require all tobacco products, including cigars and specialty products, to be placed behind the counter or in a locked case, making them inaccessible to customers without help from a salesperson.

Bohn again expressed hesitation, saying people still have the right to smoke, and he’d like to meet retailers in the middle so they can still do business. Bushnell said local businesses are already checking IDs.

Pereira said that while she hears their concerns, her department will continue to bring forward what they believe to be best practice for public health. Madrone and Fourth District Supervisor Natalie Arroyo thanked Pereira and her department colleagues for their work, with Arroyo saying she thinks the ordinance will ultimately serve the collective good.

Third District Supervisor Mike Wilson asked about the matter of nitrous oxide canisters, aka Whippits, and Pereira said her department has reduced staff capacity to address that while they’re working on implementing the tobacco ordinance. Staff has compiled some resources and reached out to Senator McGuire’s office but will need more time to craft a policy, she said.

The board accepted the report without directing staff to make any changes to the tobacco ordinance.

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Odds and ends:

• The board ratified a certificate of recognition for Edmund Michael (Mike) Belmont, a local tree service worker who responded to a request for backup from the Rio Dell Volunteer Fire Department regarding a man stuck in a tree. Belmont scaled a 150-foot tree, only to discover that the man had committed suicide. “Mike was instrumental in the effort to lower the victim to the ground by guiding the victim through the limbs and branches while ground staff lowered the rescue system. This heroic, selfless act was above and beyond the call of duty,” the unanimously approved certificate says. 
• The board also ratified a retirement resolution for former Fifth District Humboldt County Supervisor Jill Duffy following a decade of employment as executive director of the Humboldt Waste Management Authority. Eric Keller-Heckman, the organization’s new executive director, said, “No amount of words can put into perspective the impact that she had not only on HWMA as an organization, but their staff in general.”
• While proclaiming February Black History Month, the board recognized Florence Parks of North Coast Big Brothers Big Sisters as an exceptional community member, noting that”her contributions have been a positive, and much needed, influence on all who have been fortunate enough to interact with her.”
• During the public comment period on matters that weren’t on the day’s agenda, a series of speakers urged people to vote against Proposition 1 next Tuesday (or whenever they might submit their ballots). The measure, backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, would authorize $6.38 billion in bonds to build mental health treatment facilities and provide housing for the homeless. But speakers at today’s meeting said it would “destroy a person’s right to self determination” through involuntary commitment, largely targeting already marginalized communities.

Press release from the Eureka Police Department:

The Eureka Police Department along with agents of the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) conducted minor decoy operations resulting in no citations for selling alcohol to minors on February 19, 2024. The actions were the result of a Minor Decoy operation in which minors under the direct supervision of department agents, attempted to purchase alcohol from 11 retail licensees in Eureka.

Clerk who sell to a minor face a minimum fine of $250, and 24 to 32 hours of community service for a first violation. In addition, ABC may take administrative action against the alcoholic beverage license of the business where alcohol was sold to a minor. That may include a fine, suspension, or the permanent revocation of the license.

“Conducting these operations helps us increase public safety as well as reduce underage drinking.” said Chief Brian Stephens.

“Businesses should always check IDs before selling alcohol,” said ABC Director Joseph McCullough. “Preventing access to people not old enough to legally purchase alcohol improves safety on our roadways and in our communities.”

Statistics have shown that young people under the age of 21 have a much higher risk of being involved in a crash than older drivers. About 25 percent of fatal crashes involve underage drinking according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Minor Decoy operations have been conducted by local law enforcement throughout the state since the 1980s. When the program first began, the violation rate of retail establishments selling to minors was as high as 40 to 50 percent. When conducted on a routine basis, the rate has dropped to below 10 percent in some cities. In 1994, the California Supreme Court ruled unanimously that use of minor decoys is a valid legal tool of law enforcement to make sure that licensees are complying with the law.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from ABC through the department’s Alcohol Policing Partnership (APP) program.

UPDATE, 3:10 p.m.: The Sheriff’s Office wrote media outlets a few minutes ago to say the original name they had for this suspect — Alexander Sarkozy — was wrong. Actually, a spokesperson wrote, his name is Nicholas Alexander Sarkozy.

We sat there dumbfounded for a minute, then wrote back: Nicholas Sarkozy? Like the former president of France?

The Sheriff’s Office press person wrote back: His name is Nicholas Alexander Sarkozy.

This did not sit right, so I did my own research.

On the one hand, I discovered that there was no person named Nicholas Sarkozy in booking logs that night. There was, on the other hand, a person named Nicholas Santiago arrested at that time by a Sheriff’s Office deputy on charges of drunk in public and use of a taser.

On the other hand, this site does have a record of a person named “Nicholas Alexander Sarkozy” with a picture that looks very like the picture below.  However, that site notes that, among other things, this person had been charged with giving a false name to police.

I asked again whether the Sheriff’s Office could be certain that this person was named Nicholas Sarkozy, the same unusual name that belongs to a recent president of the Republic of France, given that the person was recorded as being booked under the name of “Nicholas Santiago.”

The Sheriff’s Office spokesperson replied: “He was identified by the jail staff as Nicholas Alexander Sarkozy.” Which I guess I take to mean: They later identified him as Nicholas Sarkozy, and he does in fact wear that improbable name. Whatever.

Also — and we did not catch this at the time — the Brass Rail is in Redway, not Garberville, as the Sheriff’s Office corrected a second ago.

— Ed.

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ORIGINAL POST:

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On Feb. 24, 2024, at about 2:24 a.m., a Humboldt County Sheriff’s Deputy was dispatched to the Brass Rail Bar and Grill located at 3188 Redwood Dr. in Garberville Redway for the report of a disturbance with a person being shot in the hand with a taser.

Upon arrival, the deputy contacted several witnesses who reported a subject, later identified as 38-year-old Nicholas Alexander Sarkozy [See above — Ed.], started a verbal confrontation with the 44-year-old victim outside the bar and fired a taser at the victim striking him in the hand.  The victim sustained a puncture wound from one of the taser probes and was treated by medical personnel on scene and released. 

Alexander Sarkozy was arrested for assault with a stun gun (PC 244.5(b)), public intoxication (PC 647(f)) and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility. 

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. 

Humboldt County Drug Task Force press release:

On February 27th, 2024, Humboldt County Drug Task Force (HCDTF) Agents with assistance from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), served a search warrant on Maximo ESPITIA (63 years old from Eureka). HCDTF Agents observed ESPITIA travel from Humboldt County to Modesto, California. Upon ESPITIA’s return to Humboldt County, Agents conducted a traffic stop on his vehicle. HCSO Deputy McKenzie and his K9 partner Rex conducted an open-air sniff on the vehicle. K9 Rex alerted to the vehicle indicating drugs were present.  

Inside the vehicle, Agents located Maximo ESPITIA and over two and a half pounds of methamphetamine.

Maximo ESPITIA was transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility where he was booked on the following charges:

• HS11378- Possession of a Controlled Substance
• HS11379(A)- Transportation of a Controlled Substances for Sales
• HS11379(B)- Transportation of a Controlled Substance through Non-Contiguous Counties 

Anyone with information related to this investigation or other narcotics related crimes is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Drug Task Force at 707-267-9976.

PREVIOUSLY:

• Eureka Man Arrested With a Pound of Meth Stashed Inside Car Door After Month-Long Investigation, Drug Task Force Says
  
• Drug Task Force Serves Warrants on Multiple Eureka Residences, Arrests Four on Meth Charges

Map showing area for Humboldt Bay Trail Planning Study: Eureka to College of the Redwoods | Image provided by Carol Vander Meer

It was a big day when construction finally began on the Humboldt Bay Trail south – the long-planned portion of the Bay Trail that will connect Eureka and Arcata. But this big step doesn’t mean the work is done, and the county is already busy laying the groundwork for the next extension of the trail, which would run between Eureka and College of the Redwoods. 

Carol Vander Meer, projects coordinator for the Redwood Community Action Agency (RCAA), which is helping coordinate public outreach efforts for the trail effort, said that the county is conducting a planning study for the potential trail area using funding provided by CalTrans. As a part of that study, planners are holding a public input meeting tonight to inform people about the proposed project and gather feedback from nearby property owners, CR students and other folks who would be impacted by the trail. 

“This is a really exciting opportunity to better connect the community to an important resource – College of the Redwoods,” Vander Meer told the Outpost in a phone interview Monday afternoon. “Having another option will help improve access for students without vehicles… and having more options for non-motorized transit improves health, reduces vehicle miles and reduces greenhouse gasses.” 

With the project still in the planning study phase, there aren’t currently any designs for the potential trail, but Vander Meer said that the dream is to construct roughly four miles of paved, multi-use trail starting at the end of the Hikshari’ Trail (the southernmost segment of the Humboldt Bay Trail) near Herrick Avenue, and ending at CR campus.

Like other segments of the Bay Trail, the CR leg would be constructed along portions of the former railroad, something made possible by the passage of Sen. Mike McGuire’s Great Redwood Trail Act, which eviscerated the North Coast Railroad Authority and facilitated the conversion of defunct railroad lines into a massive trail network. If McGuire’s dream is realized, the Great Redwood Trail will eventually consist of 320 miles of paved trail connecting the San Francisco Bay to Humboldt Bay and beyond. 

Of course, building the section of trail that would connect to CR will not be without its challenges. One big consideration, Vander Meer said, is that this section of the trail would need to cross Highway 101 to be able to connect to the college, which is on the east side of the highway. Vander Meer said that this is definitely possible and that planners are looking at “some key connectivity places” that need to be addressed. One of the goals of the input meeting, Vander Meer said, is to identify points where the crossing would be possible and gauge how the community feels about it. 

Another big consideration for building the trail, Vander Meer said, is how it would impact other properties in the area. The project would likely require construction near South Bay Elementary and Middle School, which might cause concern for some. Vander Meer said that outreach efforts will include things like holding a pop-up event at South Bay schools to show the public how the project will impact the school. The trail would also run through some culturally and environmentally sensitive areas, and Vander Meer said that a community advisory committee has been formed for the project and includes representatives from the Wiyot Tribe, as well as the Humboldt Bay Wildlife Refuge. 

After holding this community meeting, planners will work on the initial designs, before obtaining funding for the design completion and construction. Vander Meer said that if all goes well construction on the trail could begin in three to five years, but she admits that is a hopeful prediction and that, as we know from the Bay Trail, building trails can take a very long time.  

If you have strong feelings about this proposed trail, or just want to learn more about the project, you’ll want to attend the Community Input Workshop on Tuesday, Feb. 27 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Agricultural Center Conference Room – 5630 South Broadway, Eureka.