Hundreds of scientists working for the state of California to protect water supplies, respond to oil spills, study wildlife and track foodborne outbreaks marched in Sacramento yesterday in what’s being called the first-ever strike by state civil servants.

Yesterday was the first day of a three-day “Defiance for Science” rolling strike by more than 4,000 rank-and-file state scientists, who are seeking to close pay gaps with their counterparts in local, federal and other parts of state government.

“This is something that needed to happen. And it’s unfortunate that the state put us in this position,” recently-elected union president Jacqueline Tcak, 29, a state scientist who works on water quality in the Central Coast, said over the din of chants and rattles. “We want equal pay for equal work.”

Many of the workers picketing at the headquarters of the California Environmental Protection Agency carried signs reminding Californians what they do behind-the-scenes: “I am a scientist and I give you safe food,” read one. “No science? No salmon!” Others called for the Newsom administration to “Smash the sexist gender pay gap!”

The strike comes after more than three years of negotiations between the California Department of Human Resources and the California Association of Professional Scientists union, which represents about 5,600 hundred state scientists, including about 4,600 that are subject to collective bargaining, according to union spokesperson Jon Ortiz. Their contract expired in 2020.

Last week, the California Department of Human Resources filed an Unfair Practice Charge with the Public Employment Relations Board, seeking to quash the strike, according to a document shared with CalMatters.

“These antics smack of an illegal pressure tactic,” the human resources department said in the charge, calling the strike unlawful “because the evidence shows it is actually an economic strike for the sole purpose of placing undue pressure on the state at the bargaining table.”

The governor’s office routed CalMatters’ questions to the human resources department. Camille Travis, the department’s deputy director of communications, said the state will continue to bargain in good faith and work with the union to reach a fair agreement.

She said the state “has taken steps to ensure that service to the public continues with as little disruption as possible” during the strike.

“The state views the strike activity with disappointment,” Travis said. “(The union) sought mediation and then called for a three-day rolling strike before mediation concluded.”

Workers carry signs during the scientists’ union strike. Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters

In 2020, members of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s cabinet warned the human resources agency that scientists in their agencies were dramatically underpaid. Environmental scientists, in particular, earned less than the market average that year, though other positions earned more.

One of the union’s major concerns is that scientists make considerably less than engineers, even though they both require specialized expertise and education and at times do similar work.

Full-time, rank-and-file state scientists on average earned about $83,586 in 2020, 27% less than state engineers, who earned an average of $114,012, according to a state assessment published last year. About half of state scientists are women, while more than three-quarters of state engineers are men. (No other gender options were included in the state’s data.)

At the strike, scientists working for state water agencies, the public health department, pesticide regulators and more described the economic pressures they face in their daily lives.

Union president Tcak teared up when she recounted having to ask her boyfriend for help to buy a plane ticket to visit her father with cancer.

“I’m 29 years old, I thought that I would be past that. And it’s embarrassing,” she said.

Christina Burdi, who assesses how water use in California affects vulnerable species and ecosystems, works as a dog walker on the side so she can afford to live in Sacramento.

Molly Shea, center, a scientist with the California Department of Fish and Game, joined the picket line. Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters

One state scientist who asked that her name not be used because she was concerned about retaliation said with her current pay, she can’t afford childcare for her kids as she juggles parenting and work for the state’s pesticide regulators, despite her PhD. She also said the lack of a fully-paid family leave program meant she was back at work part-time on a Monday, after giving birth on a Friday.

Kaylynn Newhart, an environmental scientist who has worked for the state for more than 30 years and hopes to retire soon, said she lives paycheck-to-paycheck and doubts she’ll be able to stay in California after she retires.

“It’s definitely made it impossible to have that ‘American dream’,” said Newhart, who monitors water for pesticide contamination.

Many were concerned about going three days without pay during the strike because they cannot use vacation time or sick leave, according to Ortiz.

“We worry about what we’re gonna buy for groceries,” said Brandon Adcock, who investigates foodborne illness outbreaks and contamination at a state agency.

Some carried babies on shoulders or pushed them sleeping through the din in strollers as marching workers chanted: “Lead with science, it’s not too late!”

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

Bernadette Cheyne, 74, passed away surrounded by her loved ones on Oct, 30 after a brief battle with brain cancer.

Bernadette was born on June 12, 1949, in Menomonie, Wisconsin, to dairy farmer Ronald Buss Sr. and New Zealand immigrant Laurie White. Bernadette was blessed with a passion for theatre - she acted in many productions at the local playhouse while growing up. After attending Northwestern University she traveled to Alaska. While in Alaska, she married, had two daughters, created life-long friendships and completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Theater at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Following her passion for acting, she and her two daughters moved to Austin, Texas where she completed her Master’s Degree in Fine Arts.

With her Master’s Degree in hand, Bernadette became a professor at Humboldt State University (HSU) in Arcata, where she taught classes in acting, directing, vocal production, dialects and theatre history/theory/criticism. During her 20+ years at HSU, Bernadette was a valued professor, Chair of the Theatre Film and Dance Department, member of the Statewide Senates, worked in multiple capacities with the California State Summer School for the Arts, and was the Vice-Chair of the California State University Board of Trustees. She retired as Professor Emerita in 2013.

As an actor and teacher of acting, Bernadette attained both regional and national prominence as cited in two Kennedy Center awards that recognized her extraordinary contributions to the teaching and producing of theatre.

After retirement, Bernadette stayed active within the California State University Emeritus & Retired Faculty & Staff Association, mentored children in the CASA program and became involved with the Humboldt County Grand Jury as a juror, foreperson, and then trainer. She also continued to act and direct at Redwood Curtain Theater.

Bernadette was preceded in death by her parents, Laurie White and Ronald Buss Sr., beloved husband Ivan Hess, and sister, Rosemary Buss. She is survived by her siblings, Ronald Buss Jr. and Duane Buss; two daughters, Ariana Chapanar (spouse Jene Chapanar) and Niesje Walton (spouse Keith Walton Jr.) and step-son Jed Hess (spouse Janeen Hess); grandchildren, Alexis Walton, Cheryl Walton, Kenneth Walton, Chase Hess, Amber Tatro, Gage Karr, Brandon Evans and the many people whose lives she touched in important and memorable ways.

Family, friends, and acquaintances are invited to celebrate the life of Bernadette Cheyne on Dec. 2, 2023, 12-4 p.m. at the Moonstone Beach House – formerly Merryman’s Beach House – located at 122 Moonstone Beach Rd, Trinidad, CA. Many delicious refreshments will be served and stories will be shared. Please RSVP to celebratebernadette@gmail.com.

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“Let me tell you something…!” followed by a very important life lesson, was the trademark saying from the man we called Pop & Poppa, to most who called him Boxy, and to those very special few that called him The Box.

Robert Helge Johnson was reunited with his beautiful bride, Irene, on November 8, 2023. He’s currently sweeping her off her feet as they dance to Kenney Rogers “Through the Years,” with his parents, Helge & Margaret Johnson, and his loving sisters, Dorothy (Betty) Waterman and Joanne Nord, nearby. Along with his admiring family, many close friends that passed before him are up on their feet, and in true Boxy style he has them all dancing. To keep the love, laughter and dancing going here on Earth, he is survived by his older brother, Edward Johnson, and has left his legacy to his three sons, three daughters-in-law, two daughters and two sons-in-law, 13 grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and a bonus of innumerable friends.

Boxy was many things in his life. Besides being a remarkable husband, father, grandfather and friend, he was a corporal Army veteran and a barge captain/superintendent.

Some may wonder where he got his nickname “Boxy.” Robert is of 100% Swedish descent and if you ask his brother, he would say its short for “Boxhead.” But as years passed, Robert was known for always standing up for the “little guy.” Whether it was in Germany or on the docks in the states, it didn’t matter the color or creed, if someone was hurting another human being unjustly, Robert stepped in and provided a “1-2” life lesson to the oppressor — and because of those moments he will always be remembered as Boxy!

Pop was adamant about not having a celebration of life but if you knew him, he loved to BBQ, so we’re having a Boxy’s BBQ November 18 at 1 p.m. Come with stories, come with a zest for life, come with your dancing shoes and come with love in your heart for the man we called Pop/Boxy/The Box!

PREVIOUSLY: 

• Sheriff’s Office Seeks Public Help Locating Two People Missing From Property Near Willow Creek
• Trinity County Issues Arrest Warrant for Missing Man Last Seen Near Willow Creek a Month Ago, Sheriff’s Office Says

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Burrow | File photo

Deputies from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office in Southern Oregon have arrested Tyler Thomas Burrow, a fugitive who, in late September, was reported missing along with his ex-girlfriend, Bailey Faye Aralene Blunt.

Roughly a month after their disappearance, the Trinity County Sheriff’s Office issued a warrant for Burrow’s arrest for assault with a deadly weapon. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office said at the time that the warrant was not connected to the disappearance of Blunt, though they also asked for anyone with information on her whereabouts to contact them.

A Facebook page dedicated to finding Blunt has been keeping close tabs on the case, and in early October the page published a “Missing” poster with more detailed information on her situation. It said that the last contact with Blunt came on Sept. 22 when she texted a friend asking for help “because Tyler was drunk and pulled a gun on her.”

The poster continued, “Tyler surfaced between 6-8 PM in Bailey’s truck w/ Bailey’s dog Hank. Tyler drove to a friends trailer park home where Bailey’s truck remained parked for 36 hours. On 9/24/23, 4:42 AM a Redding, CA license plate reader detected Bailey’s truck. It was later detected at 11:58 PM in Medford, Oregon.”

Here’s the full poster, which includes phone numbers for the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and an anonymous tip line from the Nor-Cal Alliance for the Missing:

According to Lisa Music, reporting for Redheaded Blackbelt, Burrow’s apprehension came after a tip from a hunter who spotted “an established encampment” in the tiny community of Trail, Ore., 24 miles north of Medford. Blunt’s pickup had been spotted there late last month, the post says.

“In light of this recent development, the planned search for Bailey has been called off,” Music reports. “[Steffany] Baroni [Blunt’s sister] said the family is now hopeful investigators will be able to get Burrow to give up the location of her sister’s remains, convinced that her sister’s ex-boyfriend killed Bailey before fleeing the area.”

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Below is a statement from the Jackson County (Oregon) Sheriff’s Office:

Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) Patrol deputies tracked down and arrested a fugitive wanted out of California yesterday.

JCSO Patrol located and arrested Tyler Thomas Burrow, 24, on a Trinity County, California fugitive Warrant around 2:35 p.m. in a remote forest camp northeast of Trail. He is lodged at the Jackson County Jail awaiting extradition back to California.

Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office detectives are in Jackson County doing follow-up investigations. There is no more information for release at this time. Further information will come from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office.

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Press release from the Humboldt County Drug Task Force:

On November 13th, 2023, Humboldt County Drug Task Force Agents, and Officers with the Fortuna Police Department (FoPD) served a multi-location search warrant at a hotel room located in the 800 block of Main Street in Fortuna, a residence in the 1000 block of Holly Lane in Fortuna and a storage unit in the 1000 block of Airport Road in Fortuna.

Also listed on the search warrant were Richard Travis BAILEY (55 years old from Fortuna) and Karissa Charlotte HUSE (29 years old from Fortuna). BAILEY and HUSE had been identified by HCDTF Agents as trafficking narcotics throughout Humboldt County.

Upon their arrival at the hotel room, Agents located Karissa HUSE. HUSE was detained without incident. Agents searched the room and located approximately 3.1 grams of fentanyl, 1.8 grams of methamphetamine, 6.2 grams of heroin, and 240 grams of lactose (a cutting agent commonly used with fentanyl). 

Agents then travelled to the 1000 block of Holly Lane where Richard BAILEY was located and detained without incident. Inside the residence, Agents located a methamphetamine pipe with methamphetamine residue on it, drug paraphernalia, and 34 firearms.

Two of the firearms were stolen, four of the firearms were assault rifles banned under California law, and one firearm was non-serialized, aka: a “Ghost Gun”.

Nothing of evidentiary value was located at the storage unit on Airport Road.

BAILEY and HUSE were transported to the Humboldt County Jail where they were booked for the following charges:

BAILEY:

• 11370.1 HS: Possession of a firearm while possessing narcotics.
• PC30605: Possession of an assault weapon
• PC33215: Possession of a short-barreled rifle or shotgun 

HUSE:

• HS11351: Possession of narcotics for the purpose of sales
• HS11366: Operating/Maintaining a Drug House

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

Press release from the Yurok Tribe:

The Yurok Tribe recently received a $5 million grant from the Clean California Local Grant Project (CCLGP) for five projects that will dramatically elevate the quality of life on the Yurok Reservation.

The state funds will be used to construct new recreation and transportation infrastructure from Requa to Wautec.

“This is a huge win for the Yurok Tribe. I would like to thank CCLGP for investing in the future of the Yurok people. I would also like to thank our Transportation and Planning Department for pursuing the competitive funds,” said Joseph L. James, the Chairman of the Yurok Tribe. “These projects will positively impact the lives of all reservation residents, and especially our children, for many years to come.”

At the Requa Resort, the Tribe will be building a day-use area with picnic tables, custom-made benches and a beautiful walking path from the campground to the edge of the Klamath River. The path and resort as a whole will be landscaped with plants and trees. The existing bathrooms will be completely renovated with new fixtures, paint and partitions. There are plans to add external, park-style refuse receptacles with bear locks too. Additionally, a fence will be installed in between the resort and boat dock to ensure a quiet atmosphere at the ideally located resort.

In the Old Klamath Townsite, the Tribe is going to replace the playground at the baseball field with a brand-new children’s play area surrounded by a safety barrier. The baseball diamond will be recontoured and drainage pipes will be buried underground to better manage water runoff. The project also calls for the installation of the following: new dugouts, bleachers, picnic tables, benches and a chain-link perimeter around the ball field.

Near the Morek Won Village, a new Park and Ride facility will be built for Yurok Transit bus riders and local residents. The facility will include a fenced playground with picnic tables, benches and a shade canopy. The Park and Ride will also offer the following amenities: parking spaces, a new bus shelter, water bottle filling station and recycling bins.

Next to the Wautec Fire House, the Tribe will build a new playground in the footprint of the former play area. A new restroom facility will be constructed for Yurok Transit riders and those enjoying the playground. The CCLGP funds will be invested in the full restoration of the basketball court. Murals will be painted on the court as well. A shade area with picnic tables and benches will be built on the same property. To tie it all together, a fence adorned with traditional art will be placed around the playground and basketball court.

Last but not least, the Tribe aims to install picnic tables, benches and concrete-based fencing at the Sregon Orchard. Sregon residents will be able to relax after working in the orchard and/or simply visit the site to enjoy the view of the Klamath River.

The Yurok Tribe’s Transportation Department partnered with the Yurok Planning and Community Development Department to secure the competitive grant. Together, these projects will provide numerous opportunities for local families to spend quality time outdoors.

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PREVIOUSLY: Food Hub Pilot Program to Enhance Access to Local Produce, Build Better Connections Between Farmers and Buyers

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The folks at the North Coast Growers’ Association are constantly dreaming up new ways to make fresh, local produce more accessible to people in our community. The NCGA’s latest venture – Harvest Hub – connects farmers with wholesale buyers in an online farmers’ market setting to make Humboldt-produced products more readily accessible to local restaurants, schools and tribal communities.

Here’s how it works: Wholesale buyers simply log onto the Harvest Hub’s online store to place their orders at the beginning of the week (between Monday afternoon and Wednesday morning) and deliveries go out the following week on Monday or Tuesday, depending on where you’re located. 

The idea is to simplify the food delivery process by utilizing a single, centralized location to distribute food throughout the county, according to Megan Kenney, NCGA’s director of cooperative distribution. Buyers interact with just one point of contact and receive one invoice rather than having to organize purchases and deliveries with multiple farmers throughout the week.

“Before the food hub, wholesale buyers would have to go to the farmers’ market and kind of talk to everyone to develop relationships with individual farmers,” Kenney explained. “You know, you’re calling five different farmers every week to put your orders in and, on the other side, the farmers have to situate all of their orders. … Instead of getting five different $100 invoices, the farmers sell directly to us so they only have to write one invoice and make one delivery. Then we deliver everything that was ordered to that restaurant and bring them a single invoice. It’s really just streamlining the process for both the buyers and the farmers.”

The online store features goods from more than two dozen local producers, whose stock varies from season to season. Looking for apples? There are several varieties available from Clendenen’s Cider Works, Fiesty Dog Orchard and Luna Farms. Persimmons? McIntosh Farms has you covered. The Harvest Hub also carries Humboldt Grassfed Beef and other meat products from several local producers. 

“If you’re just looking for broccoli, you can specifically search for ‘broccoli’ and find all of our farmers who are providing broccoli that week and what their prices are,” Kenney explained. “You’re also able to search by producer. If there’s a specific farmer who you know or you just really love their quality, you can search specifically for them and see everything that one farmer is growing. We’ve also got a ‘Meet the Producers’ page where you can learn more about their different growing practices. You know, are they organic? Are they regenerative? Do they use no-till practices? Some people get into detail about what motivates them to farm and some people’s [profiles] are just more basic.”

The concept for a local food hub came about shortly after the NCGA launched its Harvest Box program during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program’s success inspired the NCGA and other local stakeholders, including the Humboldt Food Policy Council and UC Cooperative Extension, to look for new ways to support Humboldt-based food producers and make it easier for farms and wholesale buyers to do business together.

The NCGA introduced its Harvest Hub pilot program in August 2022 while working closely with Food for People on its Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement pilot program, which is a USDA-funded effort to connect state and tribal governments to underserved producers. The NCGA started small, working with a few local restaurants and the Jefferson Community Center before branching out to local schools and tribes. 

In October 2022, the NCGA found the perfect location for its brick-and-mortar food hub: an old cannabis processing facility on West End Road in Arcata.

“We had been looking at a warehouse in Eureka, and it was fine but it didn’t have cold storage,” Kenney said. “After the article came out [in the Outpost], I got a call from Iron Side Metalworks – one of our farmers’ market community friends – and they said, ‘Hey, we’ve got a food hub for you!’ We went out to West End Road to check it out and it turns out that cannabis and food have sort of the same sort of storage needs. It was just about a perfect match for us.”

Kenney and her team spent the next year getting the place up to snuff and, just last week, the NCGA and the chambers of North Humboldt co-hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the food hub’s official launch. The NCGA currently sources Humboldt-grown produce for numerous wholesale buyers on the North Coast, including the Blue Lake Rancheria, the Yurok Tribe, the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation and 18 local schools in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties.

When asked what’s next for the food hub, Kenney said she’s currently working out an agreement with Cal Poly Humboldt to bring more locally-produced food to campus dining facilities. 

“We just had a couple of their chefs come out to the food hub the other day to take a tour and talk about what it looks like to switch some of their procurement locally,” she said. “They got to go in and look at some of the food from our farmers and they were just pulling these heads of lettuces out saying, ‘Oh, beautiful! I can’t wait until this is the produce that we’re getting.’ It’s so cool to see someone from a large institution like Cal Poly [Humboldt] get so excited about our farmers’ produce.”

NCGA staff will host a workshop at the Harvest Hub (5720 West End Road, Building 2, in Arcata) on Dec. 7 to go over the basics of wholesale produce distribution for buyers and producers, as well as financial projections for determining wholesale prices in the coming year. 

“This workshop, which could be an annual workshop that we run, is sort of geared towards beginner farmers who are just doing direct sales or maybe they’re doing a small amount of wholesale,” Kenney said. “The idea is to give them the tools that they need to incorporate more wholesale into their business if they want to.”

More information about Harvest Hub and upcoming workshops can be found here.

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