###

When Gokhan woke up on Monday morning, he was hungover, tired. Readers will remember my old friend was forced to flee Kyiv last week at the start of the Russian invasion. Having arrived safely in Chisanau, the Moldova capital the day before, he and his colleagues spent most of the day at a local friend’s house eating and drinking, and drinking.

As he woke to the new reality, a room he rented on the outskirts of the city, the dull pain in his head, the weariness of sleep deprivation, the disorientation – all of these things were mediated by one deciding factor.

“It felt good being fucking alive!” he recalled.

Indeed, we were in close contact all that dreadful weekend, as the invasion began, and my old friend made hasty plans to leave. The boss at the company where he worked in Kyiv had offices in Chisanau, and had arranged for them to relocate. Knowing that time was of the essence, I’d urged Gokhan to get on the road as soon as possible. The roads going out of the city were traffic-locked, as tens of thousands fled.

Fortunately, he and his boss and others had managed to exit the city and cross over. “Thanks again, man! Your words really did help get me off my ass!” he messaged. I took his gratitude with a shrug. My old friend always was a procrastinator, dear reader, let us all agree that if one cannot be motivated by approaching tanks and bombs, then there is no hope for you.

When I spoke to him early Tuesday, he was still settling in, adjusting to his abrupt new surroundings. They had arrived very early, the city was still dark, and his mindset was not of a tourist but a refugee or survivor, so he hadn’t been all that focused on the scenery.

His room is “fine,” the suburban neighborhood safe enough. Still using a second mobile phone and an app, Gokhan set up a surveillance camera, so that if by chance his room was robbed or someone tries to break in, he can have some kind of evidence. That all seemed a bit alarming to me, but Gokhan assured me that these were just precautions.

According to The New York Times, some 500,000 people had fled Ukraine as of Tuesday, with about 36,000 going to Moldova. The rest fled to Poland, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. I asked if he had seen other Ukrainians, or other Turks for that matter. As a matter of fact, a young Ukrainian guy, 27, was occupying one of the rooms down the hall in his building. The guy had managed to escape his country ahead of the invasion, and Gokhan assumed there were others. No, he hadn’t seen any other Turks so far.

“They probably, like so many others, have been left behind to die,” he glumly concluded.

Knowing that Gokhan understandably needed to catch is breath, and that he had more pressing matters on his mind, I took the liberty to do a bit of research on the city. Chisanau is located in the middle of the country on the banks of the River Bâc, a tributary of the Dniester. According to Wikipedia, the city and surrounding area has a population of 700,000. Chișinău is the most economically prosperous locality in Moldova and its largest transportation hub.

The city center along the river offers a number of museums and monuments, especially to its troubled past as a former Soviet bloc country. There is, for example, the Train of Pain, a monument to the victims of communist mass deportations.

“Yeah, I’ll try to check out some of that,” Gokhan reported. “Let you know what I think and all, whenever I can get around to it.”

At the moment, there were only two things on his mind. The first was work. He wanted to get into the office and try to start drumming up sales, get back in the swing of things. It was difficult for me to imagine mustering the zest required to resume business as usual. The second thing on his mind were worries that the Russians could in the near future decide to invade Moldova next. After all, it’s right across the border from Ukraine. And judging from history, it would be nothing new. The Red Army captured the city of Chisnau in August, 1944. So my friend’s anxieties are not all that farfetched unfortunately.

To lighten the mood, I asked how it felt to be a “semi-refugee.”

“Yeah,” he said, sighing. “It feels amazing!”

###

Over the next few days, we kept in touch as my friend adjusted to his new situation, and the situation just over the border worsened. We watched as the Russians advanced on the cities, taking Kherson on Thursday, and the casualties mounted. By that point, more than 1 million Ukrainians had fled the country.

I asked Gokhan about the people in Chisanau. Were they worried Moldava could be next?

“Ah, the local people are crazy, like all the Balkan nations,” he joked. “Some are worried about an invasion, some not. It’s not a pressing issue at the moment.”

Given the country’s Soviet past, I asked if the country would in fact support the Russians should such an invasion occur. He estimated 70-30 percent, with the majority opposing.

“Are you keeping your options open?” I asked.

“I’d probably head off to Romania if anything happened. But there’s a good chance (the invasion) won’t happen here. The Russians want Odessa, not fucking Chisanau.”

Here in Turkey, there were a few developments as well. While the relaxing of Covid mask requirements came as a much-needed breath of fresh air, few are exactly rejoicing. We have shifted our focus away from the pandemic to new woes – inflation and the war just across the Black Sea to the north.

The government refused to join in putting sanctions on Russia, which came as little surprise here given the big economic ties between the two countries. Instead, the Turkish government is, at least publicly, playing the role of mediator. Since the administration does consider Russia to be at war, the protocols of the Montreux Convention would be enforced, under which Russian ships’ access to the Bosphorus will be restricted.

However, since Putin seems to have already had ships in the Black Sea prior to the invasion, the restrictions are likely to have little effect unless it is a protracted conflict. On a side note, the administrative added that under the convention, vessels seeking to return to their home ports cannot be restricted – a key point, when you consider any Russian vessel passing north through the Bosphorus would technically be “heading home,” and thus allowed passage to the Black Sea anyway. A Russian envoy “greatly appreciated” Turkey’s stance on the strait, according to HaberTurk news agency.

We read of anti-war protests, especially by Ukranians living in the south of Turkey. Here in Istanbul, hundreds gathered outside the Russian Consul-General office on Isktiklal Caddesi, in the heart of the city, to voice their opposition as well.

###

Meanwhile, in Chisanau my old friend is trying to put a positive spin on things. He’s got a room, a job, the basic necessities. Like a lot of other people, his life has been turned upside down, his old world cast ruthlessly aside by the blind march of events.

He recalled the day before the Russians invaded, he bought a pendant bearing the blue and gold national colors from an old woman on the street. The woman was pale and haggard, and in clear despair. Holding on to the pendant now, foxholed in the Moldovan capital, Gokhan reflected on how lucky he was to get out. He wondered about the fate of the old woman in the street, along with so many others.

“I will keep it always as a reminder,” he said, posting a picture on Instagram.

Hopefully, for my friend and so many others, this war will, sooner rather than later, become only a distant memory – but judging from this past week, this thought is merely wishful thinking, and the time for wishful thinking is past. It is a time to be clear-eyed, focused, unsentimental. There will be time to reflect later, but now it is time to keep all eyes on the present, and like my friend Gokhan, be ready at any time for the ground beneath us to shudder yet again.

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James Tressler, a former Lost Coast resident, is a writer and teacher living in Istanbul.

Dorothy “Dot” Andersen passed away on Monday, Feb. 21, 2022, at the age of 93 in Fortuna.

She was born on Oct. 11, 1928, in North Bend, Oregon, to Thomas Jefferson La Casse and Rena Belle Owings La Casse, at Kaiser Hospital. They moved to Central Point, Oregon, when Dorothy was two years old. Grandma Annie Belle Milton Owings moved in with them after her divorce from Grandpa George Preston Owings. Grandma Owings bought a service station on Main Street in Central Point next to Faber’s Market & Dry Goods Store, where Dorothy began working when she was 17 years old.

Dorothy met her first husband, Charles “Hoppy” Hopkins, and married him while he was visiting and working from Baxter Springs, Kansas. They were married for 10 years and had two daughters, Cheryl Lynn and Teresa Kay.

After her divorce, Dorothy married George D. Hill, and together they had one daughter, Tammie Rae. Dorothy followed George and relocated her girls to Rio Dell from Medford, Oregon. George worked for the Pacific Lumber Company and they co-owned the Shamrock Club in Rio Dell. They later divorced and Dorothy met and married her late husband, Herb Andersen, while working at CC Market for Bob and Grace Close. After their re-tirement, Dorothy continued working at CC market for Wally and Sandra Close where they became like family and she eventually worked for 27 years until she retired.

Dorothy and Herb were married for 40 years, until he passed in June of 2010. Over the years together, they loved to travel to Oregon to see her family and vacation at the property they purchased together in Modoc County. The home in Modoc was a favorite in summers and during hunting season.

Dorothy had many interests, including her love for her roses and gladiolas, and watching tv whenever one of her two favorite teams were on, the San Francisco Giants and the San Francisco 49ers. She had a collection of both teams baseball and football cards that she handed down to family. She also loved to crochet, read her bible and novels, write in her journal, or work through a word puzzle from her favorite chair. In her younger years, she loved to bowl and she was a very good bowler, with many friends she met at bowling tournaments from Oregon to California.

A few of her other favorites over the years were visiting the Humboldt County Fair and horse races, going to lunch with her friend Bonnie or a quick trip to the casino.

As the years went on, Dorothy found great friendship and comfort as a member of the Rio Dell Missionary Baptist Church. Her favorite bible verse was Psalm 23.

Dorothy is survived by her three daughters: Cheryl Lynn Land (Ken) of Fortuna, California, Teresa Kay Low (Travis) of Fortuna, California, and Tammie Rae Sarvinski (Greg) of Goodyear, Arizona; 8 grandchildren: Mi-chael Meier of Redding, California, Kenneth Land (Tiffany) of Fortuna, California, Krystal Zimmerman (Dan) of Eureka, California, Lance Tate (Lisa) of Medford, Oregon, Preston Tate of Medford, Oregon, Jesse Sarvinski (Shawn) of Buckeye, Arizona, Jenna Bigham (Mathew) of Buckeye, Arizona, and Joshua Sarvinski of Los Angeles, California; and 7 great grandchildren (Korbin, Konnor, Ashlynn, Braeden, Austin, William, Aleena and Abbigale).

Private graveside services will be held at Woodville Cemetery in Rogue River, Oregon, and a celebration of life will be held at a later date this summer.

We would like to thank our mother’s caregivers at First Choice Care home in Fortuna, California, where she received so much love and personal care for the last two years. The ladies became her friends and they loved her. We would also like to thank the Chaplain and team from Hospice of Humboldt for their care and compassion through this difficult time.

To our mother’s neighbors in Rio Dell, Darrell and Connie Ridenour, we cannot thank you enough for your time and care as you checked on our mom over the years. We are so thankful she had such caring people around her.

Rest in peace mom. We love you.

Prayer for my mom, by Ron Tranmer

Dear God,

I gratefully thank you for giving me my mom,
You must really love me,
‘Cause you gave the best you had.

Watch over her and bless her lord,
 And keep her in your care,
And may she feel my love for her,
Is my humble, heartfelt prayer.

What’s worse than one lawyer? Four.

On this week’s EcoNews, the gang’s nerdy lawyers — Tom, Matt and Scott — are joined by CalPoly Humboldt’s own professor of environmental law, Jennifer Marlow, to talk about the recent oral argument in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency.

Is the court going to jettison Chevron deference in favor of its newly constructed “major questions doctrine” or will we see a return to Lochner-era non-delegation doctrine? Learn what that all means and why it should terrify you on this week’s episode!

AUDIO:

“The EcoNews Report,” March 4, 2022.

REQUIRED READING:

• “In climate-change case, justices grapple with EPA’s role, congressional intent, and their own jurisdiction,” SCOTUSBlog, Feb. 28, 2022.
• ”The Supreme Court appears eager to gut the EPA, but can’t figure out how to do it,” Vox, Feb. 28, 2022.

A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced person. This can be at work, in an educational or professional setting, or simply through a caring relationship. Mentorship refers to the guidance provided by that individual. A mentor shares information and experiences with his or her pupil and allows that individual to leapfrog the trial and error one might otherwise expect when learning about life or mastering a new skill or ability.

I was lucky enough to have a cannabis mentor. A financial client of mine became a good friend through the course of our working together. I have always been an educator at heart and I shared my capital market understanding, investment approach, and financial planning process with him in great detail.

Photo: Jesse Duncan.

Appreciative of the information, he one day shared that after early retirement, he began growing organic cannabis indoors. A couple of years later he purchased a property and began farming full-term plants from seed outdoors. I had always been fascinated with cannabis and had grown a few hobby crops on the hillside in Hydesville in my late teens and early twenties. I expressed an interest in learning how to grow, and because I had shared valuable information, he was willing to do the same.

I was launching my own financial firm and had several months of downtime as I waded through the regulatory process and acquired an Investment Adviser Certification from the State of California. I began helping casually in the indoor garden and occasionally the outdoor garden as well. It was through that relationship that I cloned, staked, bottomed, cored, and leafed a pot plant for the first time. The more I was around the plant the more I wanted to become a grower. It became my dream and my professional aspiration. Fast forward a few years to my mom becoming ill with cancer a second time and I retired to cannabis caregive for her.

I was kicked out of the home for four months as my sugar momma couldn’t tolerate my new career and I came to know loneliness and crippling sadness for the first time. Mom passed away, I was away from my children, including my ten-month-old baby boy and I was devastated. It might sound silly but my pot plants got me through that very dark period. The garden was alive and I was in relationship with it. While working with the plants my sadness and pain would temporarily fade away and I found peace, strength, and hope in them. I began farming commercially the next season, in 2015, and have been in the hills of Humboldt since then.

Anyone who works on my team hears about my mentor at least a dozen times a year – lessons, tidbits of information, reminiscing. I learned a lot from him and will share four concrete lessons I hope you’ll find useful, whether a farmer or not.

Patience

The first is about patience. Patience, by nature, is not my greatest virtue. I’m the guy who paces around while waiting on the microwave! In the context of pot farming my mentor taught me early on that “it’s their time, not yours.” He was referring to letting the plant’s needs, not mine dictate things. For example, water and feed when they need it, not when it’s most convenient for you. Harvest the plants when they are done, not when your bank account is getting low.

In essence, he was teaching me not to force things, to let the natural ebb and flow of the plant’s rhythms guide my efforts. Frankly, that became a valuable life lesson for me. As a high-energy, aspirational person, I can get buzzing around too fast. It’s a great reminder to slow down, be patient, and savor the current moment rather than always focusing on the next thing. I still struggle with the concept of patience on occasion, but now understand it’s a learned skill that we can all possess to some extent. In pot farming, parenting, interpersonal relationships, and business management, patience and the discipline to allow things to unfold naturally and organically are powerful concepts.

Process

The second major teaching was about process. I began growing with very little functional knowledge of the plant’s life cycle: germination or propagation, veg, transition, bloom, and finish. As I gained a functional understanding of the cycle and what environmental conditions and nutrient inputs the plant wanted at different times, my success skyrocketed, as did my ability to scale up the amounts I grew successfully. By having a coherent and consistent farming process that delivered results I could worry less and enjoy the ride more. Through systematic and everyday execution problems were reduced, predictability of outcomes improved, as did my sense of confidence and empowerment.

While spontaneity, creativity, and aptitude for change are attributes I possess and greatly admire, implementing consistent, written processes can radically improve your performance in business. I’ve heard that systems and processes drive enterprise value and my mentor, in his own way, cemented this reality for me.

The power of knowledge and information

When transitioning to commercial outdoor farming from indoor, I had another skill set to master – soil health and vitality. My mentor shared the importance of such and gave me a basic five-part amendment blend one of the local fruit and vegetable coops was using. It consisted of compost, worm castings, trace minerals, oyster shell flour, and magnesium sulfate. Fascinated with this new information I set out on an investigative process to learn more about dirt.

My research led me to soil biology, i.e. mycorrhizal fungi and nitrogen-fixing bacteria as well as numerous other organic amendments like alfalfa meal, kelp meal, guanos, steam bone meal, neem seed meal, palm bunch ash, and several others. With a more robust amendment package, my results skyrocketed again – bigger, heavier, more beautiful buds.

This experience reminded me that knowledge is power and that information is, in many ways, a key to enlightenment, advancement, and success. Whether talking about business or life, seeking new information, new ideas, and new ways of doing things can be a real game-changer.

Not everyone is your friend

This one was hard for me to grasp. I, by nature, am friendly and trusting. I like sharing ideas and experiences with others and have always been a people person. I, despite much evidence to the contrary, have faith in humankind and continue to despite taking a few knocks over the years.

That said, my mentor warned me about haters and thieves. He shared that not everyone would respect what I do for a living and that it was best not to talk about work, no matter how proud I was. I should have listened, at least with respect to my traditional market days! I kept my circle quite small, but not small enough. I experienced a home invasion robbery and have heard a fair handful of people close to me tell me how stupid I am for transitioning to cannabis.

Nonetheless, I march onward. This year I have come out publicly as a cannabis professional and I don’t regret it. I’m proud of what I do and feel more fulfilled in this industry than in any other. This business gives me life and joy. And while my transition to ganja farming has brought a bit of grief and judgment, we only have one life and this is the one I choose.

Whether you are talking about life or business, seeking a mentor is highly recommended and can help shorten the learning curve and help you operate or function at a higher level. This is not about dumpster diving for free information, it’s about forming a caring and productive relationship where both sides win. For those with valuable information to share, becoming a mentor yourself is highly rewarding. Sharing knowledge is love and helping others is life.

All my best to Humboldt and beyond!

###

Jesse Duncan is a lifelong Humboldt County resident, a father of six, a retired financial advisor, and a full-time commercial cannabis grower. He is also the creator of NorCal Financial and Cannabis Consulting, a no-cost platform that helps small farmers improve their cultivation, business, and financial skills. Please check out his blog at, his Instagram at jesse_duncann, and connect with him on Linkedin.

Jonny passed away sometime around the 10th of February. It’s unknown to what caused this to happen but he got his wish and that was to die at his home at Notchko. He is finally with his mother, Vivian Kay McCovey, and his father, John Denton Simpson, and his sister who left him at the age of 9 that he missed every day since Cindy, Simpson. He finally gets to be with his grandma Lillian McCovey Shermon and great-grandma Elsie Grey McCovey. His great-auntie Elsie McCovey Bacon and auntie Bonnie McCovey Green. And his daughter Cindy Simpson and stepson Ben Taggert, who both left this world way too soon. And his best friends/cousins Tony and David Sylvia. And so many more that he cared and loved are with him. I know that they are all up there with him. He is another loved one that is watching over our family giving us the strength to live on.

Jonny was born in Oakland on Sept. 28 1964. He grew up at Notchko and was always riding dirt bikes and horses and at times was a bit wild. Lol. And yes, most of it definitely is true — he told me some crazy stories. I love my dad and I know that he loved me and my brother in his own way. I know he didn’t know how to be a father but I’ll always remember the times that we were happy and getting along, which seems very rare. Those are the times I got to remember we both do, brother. He was a very good friend to everyone that was his friend, and he was loyal. I wish we had more time to have with him. With all of them.

Jonny leaves behind his daughter, Tiannah Simpson, and his son, Sean Simpson; his daughter Cindy’s children, which is his first grandson Troy Green and his only granddaughter, Stella Green, who he never got to meet; his second grandson Pey-Goy Sean John Denton Simpson, who never got a chance to know his grandpa. He has stepkids that he loved but really got to know Sean Taggert and Lynden Sovereign. I know that he thought of them as his blood. There’s Allen Taggert, Lane & LeeAnn & Lance Sovereign. But my dad had numerous kids that he called son and daughter. There’s just way too many to name. When my dad was loving it was great and he knew his family loved him. And his friends too.

At this time there will not be a service, but once figured out and the time found there will be one around Hoopa or Notchko. And one in Eureka — just don’t know when at this moment. I’m sorry and thank you for everyone’s condolences and I’m sorry if you were not mentioned. Just know that I am thinking of you and he is watching over you.

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Even though Kiera Lynn Foley’s body has not been found, Judge Kaleb Cockrum ruled today there is sufficient evidence for Jason Michael Miller to stand trial on a charge of murder.

Cockrum declined to hold Miller to answer on the special allegation of personally and negligently discharging a firearm, a charge that can add as much as a life sentence if a defendant is convicted of murder. The judge said there is not enough evidence — apart from witness statements about what Miller told them— that Foley was shot to death.

Miller.

Defense attorney Andrea Sullivan, in arguments after testimony in Miller’s preliminary hearing ended today, said it’s possible for someone to be convicted of murder without a body, “but you have to have evidence” the person is actually dead.

“If Ms. Foley is indeed dead,” Sullivan argued, “it’s unlikely she was killed at the Laguna Inn.”

Eureka police Officer Timothy Marsolan testified today that two senior detectives and three evidence technicians searched Miller’s room at the inn. They found no physical evidence other than some blood droplets.

“Nothing substantial,” Marsolan said under questioning by Deputy District Attorney Jessica Watson.

Sullivan pointed out there are hundreds of people missing in Humboldt County, and Foley was a transient who had disappeared before.

“I simply don’t believe any persuasive evidence has been shown that Ms. Foley is dead,” she said. Sullivan said witness Crystal Gonzales was not credible when she said she saw Foley’s body in the bathtub in Miller’s room and watched Miller drown Foley’s dog in the toilet.

Gonzales “was actually falling asleep while she was testifying,” Sullivan said.

Deputy District Attorney Roger Rees said Gonzales was tired because she didn’t sleep the previous night, worrying about testifying against a man who traumatized her. Gonzalez said Miller put a gun to her head and forced her into the bathroom to view the decomposing body, with Foley’s terrified little dog sitting on top of it.

Two women testified Miller told them he killed Foley and chopped up her body because he believed she was going to rob him. He confessed to his girlfriend Rose Cooper, and he also told Phyllicia Korn, a fellow tenant at Laguna Inn. Korn said Miller offered to show her the body, and she declined.

According to a man named Gregory Shelton, who went to police in July, Miller said he shot Foley at a beach while he was experiencing a drug-induced manic episode. Miller told Shelton he quickly disposed of both the body and the gun.

“The defendant has admitted to three different people that he killed Ms. Foley,” Rees argued. “Each one said he shot her, which is the basis of the special allegation.”

Rees said it’s true the prosecution needs more evidence than witness statements, and they have it in the form of Gonzales’s testimony about seeing the body. As to whether Foley is actually dead, no-one has seen or heard from her since April of 2021.

Officer Marsolan testified that includes Foley’s three children, one who lives in Virginia with a family member and two who are with their father in Southern Humboldt. Marsolan said Foley “was always very consistent” in keeping in contact with her children.

One friend of Foley’s told the officer she and Foley had spent their August birthdays together for 30 years, “until last year.”

Cockrum, in making his ruling, said Gonzales was obviously under the influence when she was testifying, but he believed what she said about being forced to smell and see the body.

“I do find her to be credible,” the judge said.

Korn testified today that “half a day” before Miller told her about the killing, she saw Miller and Foley together. She recalled Foley was wearing shorts and a tank top and did not seem to be in any distress.

Korn and Cooper had both known Foley for a number of years. Cooper testified Foley, like her, worked as a prostitute. But Korn and Gonzalez did not believe she was.

Korn, also a prostitute, said Foley supported herself by stealing.

“Stealing what?” she was asked.

“Drugs and money.”

Miller’s arraignment is scheduled for March 22.

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PREVIOUSLY:

• MISSING: Humboldt Woman Disappears Under ‘Unknown Circumstances’
  
• MISSING: EPD Seeking Woman Last Seen in Eureka in April
• Already Incarcerated Suspect Arrested for Alleged Murder of Missing Woman Kiera Lynn Foley
• MILLER PRELIM: Witnesses Say Suspect in Eureka Murder Showed Them Victim’s Body, Confessed to Dismembering and Burying Her

Press release from the Department of Health and Human Services:

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) are joining forces to increase availability to mental health assistance for people experiencing a need.

Thanks to a grant from the California Department of Health Care Services, DHHS’s Behavioral Health Branch will be funded to hire six new staff, including two clinicians, two case managers and two peer coaches, to respond to calls with Sheriff’s deputies.

Behavioral Health Senior Program Manager Kelly Johnson said planning and implementation meetings with her staff and the Sheriff’s Office are scheduled to start next week, following confirmation of the nearly $430,000 Behavioral Health Justice Intervention Services Project grant.

She said the six new hires will be broken into two teams that will work four 10-hour shifts each week. “This will be seven days a week, and we’ll be embedded in the Sheriff’s Office and available to respond to any mental health-related calls for service,” Johnson said.

Behavioral Health staff has for years worked closely with Arcata and Eureka police departments through the Mobile Intervention and Services Teams. Known as MIST, the teams work specifically with people who are homeless and need help stabilizing their mental health and securing services and assistance to avoid further problems. The program with the Sheriff’s Office differs in that its focus is on anyone who is experiencing a mental health crisis.

“The idea is the peer coach and case manager can do some follow up and linking to services if needed, whereas the clinician will do more crisis intervention,” Johnson said. “The Behavioral Health team will be available to accompany any law enforcement officer who is working in the Sheriff’s Office.”

Undersheriff Justin Braud said the collaboration is a win-win. “Keeping the peace and protecting the public are the top priorities for the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office,” he said. “Having trained staff from DHHS to help us when dealing with people in crisis will exponentially increase our chances of resolving these incidents safely and connecting people with the services they need. I see no downside to this collaboration and believe it will help us serve our community more effectively.”

Behavioral Health Director Emi Botzler-Rodgers agreed, saying the grant and collaboration between the two departments provides a “tremendous opportunity” for the community. “This grant will help increase opportunities to stabilize individuals in mental health crisis in the community instead of putting them on a hold and bringing them to the hospital or to jail,” she said. “It is the kind of work that our community needs more of and a partnership we hugely value.”