Last year, local small business owner Raelina Krikston ran for Arcata City Council on a pro-housing, pro-renters’ rights platform. She ended up third out of six candidates running for two open seats, finishing behind an incumbent and a longtime member of the city’s planning commission.

Shortly after the election, Krikston and her partner were evicted from their home in the Westwood Garden Apartments, after leading a fight against the owners of the complex, who had been looking to expand the number of buildings and housing units available on the property. (The City Council had approved the expansion, with a couple of concessions.)

No doubt the experience of being evicted informs Krikston’s current work with Renters United Humboldt, a tenant’s union that’s looking to organize local renters and make sure they’re aware of their rights.

Recently, Krikston took some time to have a Humboldt Conversation with the Outpost’s John Kennedy O’Connor about Renters United Humboldt and the problem with being a renter in Humboldt County. Video above, conversation below.

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JOHN KENNEDY O’CONNOR:

Welcome to another Humboldt Conversation. I’m here today with Raelina Krikston. We’re actually in her beautiful studio. Raelina recently ran for office for the Arcata City Council. During that time she made housing one of her priorities if she was to be elected. And since then, Raelina, or rather at the time, you have actually created a new organisation.

RAELINA KRIKSTON:

I have, yeah, and thank you so much for the opportunity to talk about Renters United Humboldt. So Renters United Humboldt, or RUH, as we’re starting to call it, is an organization of tenants and small landlords that is focused on bringing more equity to the relationship between tenants and landlords, as well as pushing through more tenant protections, as well as protections for landlords as well.

So when you look at the state of affairs in our housing crisis, it’s such a multifaceted issue that we need a lot of tools that aren’t yet available to us. And I’ve heard some pushback to the idea of having a tenant union, that renters have so many rights. But the way that I like to think about it is, yes, there are rights, but if we think of these like objects on a shelf, and it’s a really high shelf, if you’re down, it’s a bit unobtainable to access those rights and reach them. So the place of a tenant’s union is really like a ladder to help tenants not only know about their rights, but also access them as well. So I think that’s a really good point.

O’CONNOR:

How are you attracting people to join the union and how much success have you had so far?

KRIKSTON:

Quite a bit. So it’s been a grassroots movement so far and for better or for worse, my own personal publicity has helped to spread the word a little bit more. We have just a simple website up right now and have been gathering people on a monthly basis. Our first meeting was with LSNC or Legal Services of Northern California. We did a Know Your Rights session and this was a really broad conversation about renters’ rights in general.

So just a brief overview. Because we don’t have specific rights in Arcata, Eureka, and Humboldt in general, our protections are under AB 1482. And so this is a statewide policy that was enacted in 2020, which gives us blanket protections such as your rent can’t be increased more than 10 percent. Other laws around eviction proceedings, as well as some other blanket protections that were being pushed for. But our argument is that it doesn’t go far enough. What we’re seeing right now in Humboldt with the gross expansion of population and with the housing shortage already, is we will be seeing a mass exodus of many of the people who make this place as special as it is.

And so first and foremost, we have to establish protections for those people. And that could look like a number of different ways. But some of the things that we’re most focused on in the beginning is pushing for more protections for evictions. I don’t want to say loopholes, but there’s a lack of protections when it comes to evictions, such as if your landlord wants to make remodels. Well, that’s fine. And I’m sure there’s instances where that’s definitely necessary, especially if you have longstanding tenants. However, there aren’t any checks and balances in place to verify whether or not, OK, does the landlord have permits to do these remodels? Are they actually necessary? And are they done after the tenant has been evicted?

So in many instances, while it’s, let’s say, illegal to evict someone for renovations, not do the renovations and just move someone else in, nobody’s checking that. And even if they were, to hold someone accountable in that aspect really relies on the individual to personally pursue a lawsuit. And so in my own experience, I see a very large gap also in terms of what protections are available, what resources are available, and depending on your income level, how you’re able to access those. Legal Services of Northern California, for instance, is a really excellent tool, but it’s only available for the most vulnerable population. And so there’s this wide gap, which we see time and time again in different instances where you’re too poor to be rich and not, yeah, too rich to be poor, I guess, is the term.

O’CONNOR:

Yes, no, I understand.

KRIKSTON:

Yeah, it’s a big leap to have a budget for a lawyer for just about anyone. And so, yeah, there’s a lot of, like I said, it’s a multifaceted issue, but to bring it back to some of our immediate focuses is creating more accountability for evictions, for instance, limiting the amount of rent that can be increased between tenants. So there’s a protection if you’re a current tenant, but let’s say I move out, you move into what used to be my apartment. Well, you could see a 200% increase the way that things are now, and that’s quote unquote, following the market.

And so our goal is to bring in more of a socially minded, I guess, parameters around housing in general. And for something that is a basic human right, we shouldn’t let the free market decide. So other than limits on increases between tenants, more accountability for evictions, we’d also like to see more progress be made around rent ceilings for landlords with over 20 units. And so this is one of the first steps that we can make to helping as many people as we can, first and foremost, but also targeting landlords that already have economies of scale in their favor to create more equitable housing solutions. Now, these are all questions that we’ve been asking for a long time. And we’ve been asking for a long time. And we’ve been asking for a long time.

O’CONNOR:

These were all things that you advocated when you were running for office for Arcata and I think really, we’ve talked about this before, you’re now seeing that by forming this union, by forming this alliance, you now have a better opportunity to implement these things than perhaps you would have done in an elected capacity. Thanks for that.

KRIKSTON:

Correct. This gives me a more focused outlet. So, I mean, to answer your question from before, we have had an overwhelming response for people interested not only in leadership, but also joining the membership. So over 200 people so far have joined together just in the past couple of months in, I think it was January, where we kind of first put out the call. It was unintentional, an unintentional launch, but I think it was good timing all around. And so I’m really excited to share some of the progress that we’ve made. And I’ll definitely check back in with you guys, but there’s some things I can’t talk about yet. Fair enough. But…

O’CONNOR:

And how do people reach you?

KRIKSTON:

So, rentersunitedhumboldt.com is the best point of contact. That’s our splash page website right now. There’s a form where you can get in touch, get on our mailing list. We’ll be having our next leadership meeting on May 21st. So, if you are interested in leadership in any kind of capacity, whether it’s grant writing, organization, things like that, we do have a grant writer on staff now and we’re coming together. But these are all really good skills and ultimately, you know, if you just want to be part of this movement, that’s, you know, that’s who we’re looking for.

Because ultimately, you know, there’s a majority of renters in Humboldt County. And even if you look at home ownership, the majority of homeowners own more than one home. So, in order to help create a more equitable future, it’s starting with creating more protections and more equality and a better relationship between landlords and tenants. Because at the end of the day, you know, we’re all in the same boat. We’re all human beings and if we can come together to help each other succeed and create a more resilient and sustainable community, we’ll see the benefit of that across the board.

O’CONNOR:

I definitely agree. Well, Raelina, it’s always good to see you. It’s great to hear your passions. Congratulations on starting this organisation. I hope it’s a success for you.

KRIKSTON:

Oh, thank you so much.

O’CONNOR:

Thank you for joining us for a Humboldt Conversation. Thank you for joining us and we’ll join us again soon for another Humboldt Conversation on the Outpost.

California’s trucking industry is bracing for state regulators this week to enact unprecedented rules that would ban sales of new diesel big rigs by 2036 and convert large companies’ existing trucks to zero emissions by 2042.

“The amount of chaos and dysfunction that is going to be created by this rule will be like nothing we’ve ever seen before,” said Chris Shimoda, senior vice president of the California Trucking Association, an industry trade group. “The likelihood that it is going to fail pretty spectacularly is very high. It’s very unfortunate.”

The state Air Resources Board will hold a public hearing on its proposed regulation on Thursday, then is expected to vote on Friday.

The proposal aims to clean up noxious diesel exhaust and greenhouse gases spewed by big rigs, garbage trucks, delivery trucks and other large vehicles by converting them to models powered by electricity or hydrogen.

Trucking companies and local government officials call the deadlines in the rule unachievable. They say the new technology still has major drawbacks, including the high cost of electric trucks and their low vehicle range. The state also has not yet developed a charging network to support electric trucks, and the existing chargers can take hours to recharge, industry officials say.

A worldwide first, California’s rules would transform how goods are transported throughout the state, adding millions of new, pollution-free trucks on the roads. The state currently has very few large, zero-emission vehicles: only 1,943 in California — and nearly all of them are buses.

Unveiled last September, the air board’s proposal would set aggressive timelines for the purchase and manufacture of zero-emission medium and heavy-duty trucks. The move is considered a critical part of California’s strategy to clean up its severe smog, switch to clean energy, end its reliance on fossil fuels and become carbon neutral by 2045.

Under the proposal, in 2036, 100% of new sales of medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks must be zero emissions in California, scaling up from phased-in timelines that vary by the type of truck. The rules also would force companies that operate 50 or more trucks to gradually convert their fleets into electric or hydrogen models, reaching 100% zero-emissions by 2042, with these timelines also based on the type of truck.

The earliest requirements would be for drayage trucks, which carry cargo to and from the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland and cause severe air pollution in nearby communities. All of them must be converted to electric models by 2035, and new sales beginning in 2024 must be zero emissions.

The state requirements to switch existing truck fleets to zero emissions by 2042 would apply to “high-priority fleets,” which are owned or operated by companies with 50 or more trucks or $50 million or more in annual revenue, and to federal trucks.

Included are all vehicles weighing 8,500 lbs or more, as well as package delivery vehicles, including U.S. Postal Service, FedEx, UPS and Amazon fleets.

The proposal builds on a previous state clean trucks regulation, enacted in 2020, that mandated the number of zero-emission trucks that manufacturers must sell from 2024 through 2035.

California’s truck rules are “going to have significantly positive implications for both air quality and for pushing the market forward,” said Sam Wilson, a senior vehicles analyst in the clean transportation program at the environmental group Union of Concerned Scientists.

Still, he said the air board “missed an opportunity” to strengthen the rule, by failing to set stricter requirements for fleets with fewer than 50 trucks.

“We want to be mindful of the concerns of those who are regulated, but we also know that we have health benefits that we need to achieve. Getting that balance is a really critical part.”
— Air Resources Board Executive Officer Steven Cliff

Trucking companies and local governments say fundamental changes are needed in California to help them meet the proposed timelines to stop buying new diesel trucks and phase out their existing diesels.

Large trucks are more difficult and expensive to convert to electric models than cars because of their size, weight and long distances that they’re driven.

But air board officials said they are confident that the truck market can adjust in time to speed the transition to electric models.

“All of the provisions are intended to address those concerns that stakeholders brought forward, including needing to move more aggressively in some areas and needing to provide flexibility in others,” said Air Resources Board Executive Officer Steven Cliff.

“We want to be mindful of the concerns of those who are regulated, but we also know that we have health benefits that we need to achieve. Getting that balance is a really critical part of the overall approach,” he said.

The proposed rule could put about 510,000 carbon-free medium and heavy-duty vehicles on California’s roads in 2035, increasing to 1.2 million in 2045 and about 1.7 million in 2050, according to the air board.

The trucks that would be affected by the new rule make up just 7% of the vehicles on California’s roads — about 1.8 million out of 30 million. But they are the single largest source of air pollution from vehicles, representing about 70% of smog-forming nitrogen oxides and 80% of carcinogenic diesel soot, according to the air board.

Communities near ports, warehouses ‘suffer a lot’

Truck emissions hang heavy in the air in much of the Inland Empire, Los Angeles County and the Central Valley, where many disadvantaged and low-income residents like Ada Trujillo live. Trujillo is a 42-year-old Guatemalan immigrant who has lived in San Bernardino for more than 20 years. The region is home to explosive growth of warehouses, where air pollution comes from idling trucks that transport goods.

Trujillo said diesel pollution has been increasingly causing health problems for her family. She doesn’t allow her children to play outside for long periods of time due to the headaches, eye and skin allergies, nose bleeds and breathing problems that they experience.

Diesel exhaust is one of the most harmful air pollutants, since it is a known cause of cancer, and it contains fine particles that can trigger heart attacks and asthma.

Trujillo said in Spanish that her children “do suffer a lot,” adding that “as a mother, it worries me. We live close to these warehouses and we keep seeing more of them in our communities.”

California has been cutting emissions from diesel and gas-powered vehicles for decades. The new proposal comes less than nine months after California enacted another far-reaching mandate that bans sales of gas-powered cars by 2035.

California often prides itself on being a leader in setting stringent vehicle standards that other states follow. Six other states adopted the 2020 California trucks rule, with Colorado and Maryland being the most recent states to enact them, just this week.

“If the rule moves forward…you are going to see a lot of the same problems that we had during the pandemic. It’s a supply chain crisis of our own making.”
— Chris Shimoda, California Trucking Association

The trucking industry said unresolved issues could pose serious challenges for an already strained supply chain and the state’s economy.

“If the rule moves forward and is implemented the way that it’s written today, you are going to see a lot of the same problems that we had during the pandemic, but we created the problem,” Shimoda of the California Trucking Association said. “It’s a supply chain crisis of our own making.”

The air board staff earlier this year made some minor changes in their proposal for garbage truck operators who raised concerns at a public hearing in October. They issued a revised version of the proposal in March that delays electrification phase-in dates for fleets that run on biogas captured from landfills, wastewater facilities and compost.

But the most significant change in the proposal actually toughened the rules after an appeal by environmental justice advocates: The original proposal required 100% zero-emission truck sales in 2040; the air board staff accelerated it by four years at the request of some board members.

Local governments call the deadlines ‘impossible’

It’s not just the trucking industry that is vehemently opposed. Local governments are opposed, too, since they own truck fleets. With some exceptions, half of the specified truck purchases for public agencies must be zero emissions by 2024, ramping up to 100% by 2027. Some exemptions apply if there are a lack of available models.

In a letter to the air board, the League of California Cities, California State Association of Counties and the California Special Districts Association said the air board is “overlooking some important realities” and that fulfilling the timeline would be “impossible.”

The coalition of local officials is urging the board to delay the rule’s deadline by four years, adopt more exemptions and impose price caps on the electric models to keep them more affordable.

The local leaders wrote that the proposal “ignores existing market realities and the time needed to develop and ramp up an infrastructural system that can support an electrified fleet of essential vehicles.”

“The vehicles don’t exist, the infrastructure does not exist, grid reliability is sketchy, there’s nothing to protect public agencies from price gouging, and no one seems willing to discuss where the money will come from — other than raising rates on consumers,” their letter said.

The rule banning diesel and gasoline truck sales would not apply to emergency vehicles like ambulances and fire trucks.

“The vehicles don’t exist, the infrastructure does not exist, grid reliability is sketchy, there’s nothing to protect public agencies from price gouging.”
— League of California Cities, State Association of Counties and California Special Districts Association in a letter to the air board

Some entrepreneurs are hoping to ramp up construction ion truck charging stations in time to meet the timeline.

The technology exists, it’s just a matter of getting it ready, said Scott Fisher, a senior vice president at Voltera, a company developing medium and heavy-duty truck charging stations.

To help bring some costs down for trucking companies, Voltera and similar companies have been developing new business models where they build the charging stations, and own and operate them so the trucking companies do not have to make those investments, he said.

“We’re mindful of the challenges in terms of fleets complying with this rule and we think we have a way to help,” he said. “The fleet basically doesn’t have to spend the money… They get this charging infrastructure as a service, which is more of an operational month-to-month cost rather than an upfront capital investment.”

Companies and other fleet owners affected by the rule could choose to comply in two ways: They could only purchase zero-emission vehicles beginning in 2024 while retiring diesel trucks at the end of their useful life. Or they could phase in zero-emission trucks as a percentage of their fleet, starting with 10% of delivery trucks and other types that are the easiest to electrify in 2025, then ramping up to 100% between 2035 and 2042.

The requirements for converting fleets would not apply to smaller companies unless they were using a larger company’s trucks.

Air board officials plan to create a future rule for smaller operators with fleets under 50 vehicles, according to Tony Brasil, chief of the air board’s transportation and technology branch.

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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

Garrett James Sturdivant
March 15, 1980 - April 21, 2023

Garrett left our earthly presence way too soon. He loved and enjoyed his family, both the one he was born into and the group of friends known as the Thic Family. He was one of a kind and like his older brother, Rick, who passed away a few years ago, he did march to his own drum. The difference is that Thic Man was leading the band.

He wasn’t able to pursue his music interests for awhile because of his breathing problems, but his legacy lives on with the many people he met and encouraged over the years. His own shows were always well attended and enjoyed by all. He loved to perform.

Garrett was seriously ill as a baby but he fought hard and became a happy, healthy, rambunctious kid.

Everyone whose life he touched will keep him in their hearts.

He leaves behind his father, Del Sturdivant; his mother, Julie Wilks; and his brother Brian Sturdivant. He also has aunts, uncles, cousins, a nephew and a special niece in California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho who mourn his loss. He also left his treasured companion, his cat Rainbow, who shared his world.

He is leaving a void in our lives but he left many fun and happy memories to remember him by. Gone but not forgotten.

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Carolyn Oletia Lee
January 3, 1975- April 2, 2023

Carolyn was a lifelong resident of Humboldt and surrounding areas, proud member of the Mono Tribe in Big Sandy, Calif. She was always the life of the party, and she never met a stranger. She enjoyed many hobbies in her free time. She was always at the beach and spent a lot of time outdoors. She was a free-spirit person who ran to the beat of her own drum. She loved her family, friends and her fur babies, talking to anyone who knew her and had a great story about her.

She lived in Eureka and Orleans.

Preceded by Sherrill Esteves and Donnie Barber

Carolyn is survived by her sister, Crystal Huffman and her brothe,r Eric Barber Sr.; her nieces and nephews, Brianna Huffman, Alvretta Huffman, Kendall Huffman, Brittney Harvey, and Eric Barber Jr.

Loved by many family and friends: John Huffman, Linwood Jackson, Kathy Jackson, Harris Jackson, Jennie and George Wilson, Kenneth Jackson, Steven Petty, Angela Swain, Allen Chappell, Edward Esteves, Susie Barber, Johnny Barber, Sirrena Harvey, Brenden Harvey, Brian Rhodes, Doug Reynolds.

Celebration of life is to be held at a later date.

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HUMBOLDT TODAY: Bodycam footage shows a local detective successfully performing CPR on an infant; a large local cannabis farm is liquidating its assets; plus, we’re sprucing up Arcata’s Redwood Park! Those stories and more in today’s online newscast with John Kennedy O’Connor.

FURTHER READING: 

• Stolen Gun, Illegal Drugs and Burglary Tool Found During McK Traffic Stop, Sheriff’s Office Says
• Motorcycle Chase Near Hoopa Results in Meth Arrest and Also the Discovery That the Motorcycle Was Stolen, Sheriff’s Office Says
• Body Cam Footage Shows Sheriff’s Detective Saving an Infant’s Life by Administering CPR
• Several Days of Sunshine and Warmth are Forecast for Humboldt County, and We’ve Sure as Hell Earned Them

HUMBOLDT TODAY can be viewed on LoCO’s homepage each night starting at 6 p.m.

Want to LISTEN to HUMBOLDT TODAY? Subscribe to the podcast version here.

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Have you always dreamed of creating a giant, interactive art installation in Eureka? Or maybe you have a vision for a performance art piece or an extravagant costume, but you just don’t have the means to execute it? Well, now is the to make your art dream come true, because there’s a new festival coming to town and the City of Eureka is giving away lots o’ grant money to fund your wacky project. 

The newly created event is called Festival of Dreams – a collaboration between the North Coast Repertory Theatre (NCRT), Ink People Center for the Arts and the City of Eureka. The festival will happen in two parts: an outdoor event Aug. 18 through 20 that will take place at Halvorsen Park and around Old Town, and an indoor festival on Oct. 5 through 8, that will be held throughout multiple different Eureka venues. And to make this new festival even more exciting, the City has made more than $40,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant money available to fund local artists who want to participate. 

“We’re excited to create a festival that has mystery and playfulness to it,” Calder Johnson, artistic managing director for NCRT, told the Outpost. “We want to promote the idea that art is something to be explored, played with and experienced, rather than just observed.” 

Johnson said that he and Leslie Castellano, Eureka City Council member and executive director of the Ink People, have both wanted to hold some kind of interactive art festival here for years. The Ink People and NCRT collaborated on an event last summer called the Parade of Dreams, where community members were invited to dress up in costumes inspired by their dreams. The festival is based on the same idea of people making their dreams come to life, Johnson said, which is why they chose the name Festival of Dreams. The event will also kick off with another parade, which will take place in Old Town on Friday, Aug. 18. 

Johnson said he and Castellano were also inspired by interactive art spaces in other cities, particularly Meow Wolf — an immersive art and entertainment space built out of an abandoned bowling alley in Santa Fe. Johnson thinks Meow Wolf is a great example of how artists can really utilize space and how the public can experience art in an unexpected way. “It’s like Burning Man meets the Exploratorium,” Johnson said. 

The Festival of Dreams will accept a variety of art projects — including large-scale outdoor art installations, smaller installations, performance art, music and even costumes for the parade — and grant awards range anywhere from $100 to $4,000 per project. Applicants are also encouraged to partner with local businesses to create art and events inside different businesses, including window displays, performances inside or outside the business, music shows and after parties. These grants will require matching funds from the venue or business owner.  

The theme for the inaugural festival is “Secrets of Wigi,” and will center around the beauty and resources provided by Humboldt Bay (Wigi). Johnson said that it’s a loose theme, meant to serve as inspiration for the artists and that submissions do not necessarily have to reflect the theme. 

Johnson said the organizers will respond to people’s submissions as quickly as possible to let them know if they have been approved, if the organizers have questions or suggestions on how to make the project work within the confines of the festival and the grant budget. Johnson also wanted to mention that the organizers strongly encourage applications from BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+ and youth artists. 

Once the submissions have been selected, there will be an artist meeting on June 2 to help guide the creation process. There will also be other meetings and festival announcements between now and August, so stay tuned. Since announcing the festival and grant availability on Monday, Johnson said he has received a lot of positive community feedback and multiple applications have already come in. As the word spreads and the deadline nears, he can’t wait to see what other ideas people cook up for the festival. 

“I’m excited to see what people come up with,” Johnson said. “It’s just going to be a loving celebration of expression and creativity.” 

You can find more info, check out the proposal guidelines and submit your grant application here. The application deadline is May 19.

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On April 24, 2023, at about 11:11 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies on patrol in the McKinleyville area conducted a traffic stop for a vehicle code violation in the area of Central Avenue and Norton Road.

Deputies contacted two occupants of the vehicle, the driver, 34-year-old Vincent Charles McKenney and passenger 31-year-old Tyler Shane Goodwin. Deputies learned that McKenney was driving with an expired license and was on formal probation. Deputies conducted a search of the vehicle pursuant to the terms of McKenney’s probation. During a search of the vehicle, deputies located an unsecured loaded, stolen firearm, approximately 1.2 grams of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

Based upon deputies’ investigation, the firearm was determined to have been in Goodwin’s possession. During a search of Goodwin incident to arrest, deputies located shaved keys and a small amount of suspected fentanyl.

McKenney was arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of possession of a controlled substance (HS 11377(a)), possession of a controlled substance paraphernalia (HS 11364(a)), violation of probation (PC 1203.2(a)(2)) and driving without a license (VC 12500(a)).

Goodwin was arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle (PC 25400(a)(1)), felon in possession of a firearm (PC 29800(a)(1)), carrying a loaded firearm in a public place (PC 25850(a)), possession of stolen property (PC 496(a)), possession of a controlled substance while armed (HS 11370.1(a)) and possession of burglary tools (PC 466).

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.