JoAnne Anita Scott (January 18, 1933 – August 8, 2023) entered this world 90 years ago in San Francisco, the eldest of four children born to Anita Charles and Frank Murdock Sr. Her parents met in San Francisco when her mother was in the city working and her father had just arrived in S.F. after graduating from Haskell Indian Boarding School in Kansas. JoAnne’s mother Anita was Yurok and her father Frank was a member of the Sokaogon Chippewa Community of the Mole Lake Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in Wisconsin. Maternal grandparents were Susie Wauteck and Lagoon Charles, Paternal grandparents were Mary Poler and William Murdock.

JoAnne passed away peacefully in her home and was preceded in death by her parents Anita and Frank Murdock Sr., her late husband Wallace Scott, Sr., children Judith Lorentzen, Pamela Myers, Laurence Whitlatch, sister Jean Stanshaw, grandchildren Christie Love Ferris, Garrick Scott, Rebecca McKinnon, Michelle Lorentzen, great-granddaughter Kepcenich Aubrey.

JoAnne is survived by her children Anita Scott, Mary Jo Peets (Larry), Kathy Ferris, Wallace Scott Jr., Wesley Scott Sr., siblings Susie Painter (Matthew), Frank Murdock Jr. (Marjorie), grandchildren Lillian Hostler, Laurence Myers, Kimberly Peets, Travis White, Jessica Fawn Canez, Stanley Ferris Jr., Joseph Ferris, Daniel McDonald Scott, Chvski Jones-Scott, Nantsvn Jones-Scott, Teexeeshe Scott, Haley Scott, Wesley Scott Jr., Nekichwey Scott, Tohtehl Scott, 24 great-grandchildren, 8 great-great-grandchildren.

JoAnne graduated from Eureka High School in 1951 and was given the recognition from her graduating class as being the most athletic female. She was a life-long lover of sports, especially softball which she continued to play into her 60’s with a senior citizen slow-pitch league.

JoAnne was involved in her various interests over the years – art classes, working every voting season for many years as a voting day polling volunteer, volunteered at the Legion Hall in Arcata and McKinleyville, was an active member for many years in the McKinleyville Moose Lodge - her portrait is hanging on the club wall to this day. She loved animals and some of her favorites was Molly the goat, Princess Ratina, Red Baron, Bruce Lee, generations of baby skunks that visited her back porch every year and even the neighbors’ two peacocks who would come visit her front porch regularly because they knew she would feed them grapes.

As a life-long learner who went back to school after most of her children were grown, JoAnne became a Registered Nurse and was able to attend the Nursing Program alongside her daughter Judy. In her retired years JoAnne went back to school again and graduated from Humboldt State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Native American Studies.

The family appreciates the kindness and care received from Dr. Antoinette Martinez and Sandra Trabue, Community Health Representative at United Indian Health Services, and her niece Darla Marshall for always taking the time to celebrate special days, shopping trips and other outings with her Auntie JoAnne.

Pallbearers: Frank Murdock III, Travis White, Stanley Ferris Jr., Joseph Ferris, Nantsvn Jones-Scott, Wesley Scott Jr., Teshy Scott, Cha’Keni White, Ch’Mook McCovey, Whi’Kil McCovey, Matthew “Pride” Painter Jr, Mathew Swanson, Lonnie Dean, Al Kenny Dean, Robert Woods, Bering-C Sienicki, Delmar Allen Jr., Laurance Myers.

Honorary Pallbearers: Frank Murdock Jr., Joseph Murdock, Matthew Painter Sr., Robert McGahuey, Emil Marshall, Lance Lorentzen.

Services will be held on August 15, 2023 at 11 a.m. at Paul’s Chapel in Arcata. JoAnne Scott will be laid to rest at the Trinidad Cemetery and reception will follow at the Trinidad Town Hall.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Joanne Scott’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

Aiko Harada Uyeki passed away at home in the early morning of July 6 at the age of 96. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 71 years, Edwin, who died in October 2022. Despite her diminutive size, she was tough and resilient, surviving childhood hardships, two bouts of breast cancer and numerous challenges throughout her life. She was a joy to the end, with a pure heart and forgiving nature. She truly embodied her name, Aiko, “child of love.”

Aiko was born in Seattle to Jingo and Shizue Harada in 1927, at the Northern Pacific Hotel where her father worked as a clerk. Her parents had immigrated from Kanazawa, Japan, on one of the last ships before the Asian Exclusion Act of 1924. Her family moved to Los Angeles when she was 5 years old. They lived in Boyle Heights until they were incarcerated in 1942 in the Arizona desert, a story paralleling 120,000 other Japanese and Japanese Americans living on the West Coast. After a year and a half, Aiko and her parents were able to leave the Gila River camp for Evanston, Illinois, where her father received sponsorship to work. Her brother, Roy, had already found employment in St. Louis. The boarding house where Aiko’s parents stayed did not allow children, and through a chance encounter on a bus, Aiko moved in with a family in Evanston, working as a “house girl” caring for 3 small children. She graduated from Evanston High and worked as a secretary at the University of Chicago, where she later graduated with a liberal arts degree. It was there that she met her lifelong love, Ed. They were inseparable for 72 years.

Aiko and Ed raised three children, Terry, Bill and Amy, moving from Chicago to Cleveland, eastern Washington and Kansas City following Ed’s career as a scientist and professor. Through the years, Aiko worked as a secretary, job-sharing several jobs with her close friend, Ann Nelson. Later, she became an ESL teacher, which combined her love of English with her empathy for second-language learners. After Ed’s retirement and 30 years in Kansas, Ed and Aiko chose to return to the West Coast, settling in McKinleyville, California, near daughter Amy and her family. Aiko was active as a volunteer at the Mad River Community Hospital gift shop for 20 years; was a member of the McKinleyville Women’s Civic Club; and wrote short stories and remembrances with the Silver Quills writing group. The Humboldt Unitarian Universalist Fellowship was a focal point for spiritual, social, and civic engagement for Aiko and Ed, longtime Unitarians.

Aiko and Ed were devoted and nurturing parents and grandparents to six grandchildren and to all their loved ones through the years, with recognition of – and tender attention paid to – each child’s interests and pursuits.

Like her mother before her, Aiko was a published writer, whose written words simply and succinctly touched and engaged her readers. In the 1980s, she wrote articles published in major newspapers about the Japanese American incarceration during WW2. Her writing made its way into The Sun, a literary magazine, where stories from her life focused on larger themes, such as poverty, being uprooted, and prejudice. Over the years she spoke out against injustices inflicted upon scapegoated communities within, at, and beyond American borders. With her daughter Amy, she edited a poetry book of her mother’s Japanese senryu poems and participated in an exhibit of 4 generations of artwork of her family. A senryu she wrote to her daughter Terry expressed an apt portrayal of how many saw Aiko:

Bamboo woman, bowed
But unbroken by life’s storms,
Now she stands erect.

Aiko’s lasting legacy is the loving kindness she shared with those around her. Her ability to live life simply, but with meaning and concern for others, acts as our moral compass. A celebration of her life and that of her beloved husband, Ed, will take place on November 11, 1 – 3 PM, Azalea Hall, McKinleyville.

The family is grateful for the loving care provided by caregivers in their latter years. In lieu of flowers or gifts, contributions in our parents’ memory may be made to a fund for scholarships for Asian American first generation college students, the Uyeki Scholarship Fund [make check out to Humboldt Area Foundation, 363 Indianola Road, Bayside CA 95524, Uyeki Memorial in subject line, or online at this link.

Those who will miss Ed and Aiko may envision their final departure, the way they often left an event: Ed, in front in the vehicle, impatiently saying: “C’mon, Aik, let’s go!” And imagining the look of delight on his face as she joins him, finally!

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Aiko Uyeki’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

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PREVIOUSLY:

• Local Employers Push Back Against Proposed Labor Agreement for Humboldt Offshore Wind Terminal Project Ahead of Tonight’s Harbor Commission Meeting

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Local contractors and labor union members packed Eureka’s Wharfinger Building Thursday night to give the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District Board of Commissioners their two cents on a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) for the Humboldt Offshore Wind Terminal Project that could guarantee local jobs for years to come.

The PLA outlines the general terms and conditions for labor employment affiliated with the first stages of port development on Humboldt Bay. The agreement has sparked opposition from some local construction companies that run non-union shops as it will require non-union workers to pay toward the union trust fund.

The Harbor District has spent the last year working with members of the Humboldt-Del Norte County Building and Construction Trades Council, the State Building and Construction Trade Council of the State of California, and other local labor representatives to develop the agreement, which is required by federal law. The contractors and subcontractors who are awarded contracts to work on the heavy lift marine terminal will be subject to the provisions of the agreement, including no-strike, no-lock-out clauses to eliminate delays associated with labor unrest. 

“This is an agreement between the district and the labor unions that we’re going to have a smooth labor transition and that there’s going to be no disruption to the workforce,” said Larry Oetker, executive director of the Harbor District. “But in return, there are some hiring stipulations that are included in [the document].”

The agreement details hiring priorities for “disadvantaged workers,” or local residents who, prior to the project, experienced barriers to employment, as noted in section 2.9.

Oetker said district and union representatives agreed to make a couple of small changes to sections 2.9 and 8.8 to address some of the concerns brought forth by the Humboldt Builders Exchange. The proposed amendment changes section 2.9 to note that the “disadvantaged workers” would be “prioritized in the following order for dispatch”:

• Enrolled tribal members or the spouse of an enrolled tribal member of a federally recognized tribe within Humboldt or Del Norte counties,
• Residents of the Samoa Peninsula from Mad River Slough to the North Jetty,
• Veterans,
• Commercial fishermen,
• Individuals who have completed the Building Trades Multi-Craft Core Curriculum Pre-Apprenticeship Program

The Humboldt Builders Exchange, a non-profit construction trade association representing over 300 licensed general contractors and sub-contractors, asked the Harbor District to pull the PLA from the commission’s agenda ahead of Thursday’s meeting to provide more time for public review. The district declined the request due, in part, to an upcoming deadline for a grant application due on Aug. 21.

(Commissioners unanimously approved the grant application – which could bring in as much as $250 million for port development– early on in the meeting. If approved, the grant funds will go toward the initial phases of the port development project.)

Oetker acknowledged that the district wasn’t able to include everything the Humboldt Builders Exchanged had asked for in the PLA but said, “We honestly listened to their concerns and tried to do as much as we [could].”

“We will be coming forward with a number of other agreements over time, and in particular when we bring in the bid documents,” Oetker continued. “It is our intention to also have local contracting preferences in the bid document. And so, you shouldn’t look at this as this is the only opportunity to get items in here. … And as I mentioned in the beginning … we’re talking about transformational change for Humboldt County and we cannot do this alone. We need the county, we need all the other governmental organizations, we need the labor unions, we need the non-union companies, we need the environmental community, we need everybody to help us to do this project and make this change.”

Turning to comments from the commission, Commissioner Stephen Kullmann expressed broad support for the floating offshore wind development and emphasized the importance of acting quickly to address climate change.

“What we are doing here today is really fueling something a lot greater than everything here,” he said. “Along with all the benefits that are gonna come to the local area, we’re doing something huge and we’re doing that together as a community. … This is going to be increased jobs. This is not going to be a net loss of jobs to anybody, whether you’re union or not.”

Similarly, Commissioner Craig Benson called the PLA a “once-in-a-generation opportunity,” and expressed concern that union and non-union people “will fracture over how we divide this pie that benefits all of us.” 

Commission President Greg Dale noted that the PLA “is a necessary evil” required by the federal government to move ahead on federally funded projects and urged attendees to consider the big picture. 

“Construction of the heavy lift marine terminal is going to provide two to three years’ worth of work,” Dale said. “On that terminal, they’re gonna manufacture and assemble large wind turbines for 35 to 50 years and they’re gonna maintain those. This [PLA] is two years of that. I want everybody to understand that what this terminal means to this community is not necessarily all involved in this [PLA]. … We get this work for the next 30 years.”

If the terminal project doesn’t move forward, “they’re gonna go build it in Long Beach,” he said. “And if you don’t think they can do it faster than we can put this one together, you’re absolutely wrong. That’s why this is so urgent to us.”

More than 50 people spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting. The vast majority of speakers – many of whom were union members or representatives – spoke in favor of the agreement.

Jeff Hunerlach, district representative for Operating Engineer’s Local #3, said the PLA would allow union employees currently working out of the area to return home to their families and work in the community. 

Hunerlach

“My wife has been out of the area for over four years and I’m grateful to have her back,” he said. “This is an opportunity where they can come back into this community.”

Speaking to the non-union contractors present, Hunerlach said, “We want to partner with you and we want to help grow your businesses – that’s what this PLA does.”

Jared Mumm, a Santa Rosa-based representative of IBEW Local 551, also spoke in favor of the PLA and the importance of hiring local workers.

“In the competitive bidding process, there is no guarantee that a local contractor gets that work. There’s no guarantee that your neighbors are on those projects,” Mumm said. “Right now here in town, there is a very large facility where there are electricians from Los Angeles taking out every single light on campus and replacing them. It’s good, you’re gonna get nice new bright lights, but there’s not a single local electrician on that project and there’s no PLA to chase them away.”

Several other community members spoke in favor of the PLA, including Connie Stewart, Executive Director of Initiatives at Cal Poly Humboldt, who talked about the university’s role in training the workforce that will be needed for offshore wind development. 

“I just want to say that I’m so happy to have the local-hire language [in the PLA] because all of the signatories on the building trades know I want training programs located in Humboldt County,” she said. “I want them all to bring the training programs back and I don’t want our children to have to drive more than one hour to get trained to be able to work at the port.”

Luis Neuner, an environmental advocate with the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC), also spoke in favor of the agreement, emphasizing that it will “make way for good paying jobs, a strong local economy, a workforce and a port project of quality.” He said the agreement is a step in the right direction and will “establish labor standard that we can all be proud of” but emphasized that this is not the end of the road.

“This cannot be the end of workforce development on this project,” Neuner said. “We need to ensure that local folks who want to get hired, get hired. We must also exhaust all efforts to ensure that our local community, tribal nations and at-risk population stays safe. That will have to happen through additional agreements. It’s not every day unions and enviros see eye to eye on things … but today we do.”

Robert Hemsted, Vice-Chair of the Trinidad Rancheria, said he appreciated the modifications that were made to the PLA but said he was reluctant to offer his full support.

“There’s been a lot of changes in the last week but it’s only been released a week, so it was kind of difficult to give it a thorough review. No one had a real chance to ask questions,” he said. “A little more review time would have been what I would have appreciated, personally. I appreciate you guys reaching out to numerous tribes – the Trinidad Rancheria was not one of them. … But I understand where you guys were and where it’s going.”

Lynette Mullen, an independent contractor hired to advocate on behalf of the Humboldt Builders Exchange, also thanked the district and union reps for making the last-minute changes to the agreement but still felt the PLA was unfair to non-union workers.

Mullen

“Other contractors just wanted the opportunity to put their guys to work without forcing them to join a union,” she said. “If these guys want to join unions, if people are unhappy with the people they’re working for, they can join a union.  They can leave. But I think people are very frustrated that they’re being forced to join a union and pay into the union just because they’re contractors here in Humboldt County.”

Similarly, Chris Albright of O&M Industries said his team “just wanted a fair shake.” He criticized the earlier point made about arguing over dividing the proverbial pie because non-union contractors will only receive one percent of the total dollar value of project work, as stipulated in section 3.4.9. 

“We’re a family-owned business –we’re on our third generation – and we don’t do that by screwing over our employees,” he said. “We have to work really hard. … And our thanks for that is ‘don’t fight over one percent – $250,000 – you’re not at the table.’ … Give us an opportunity next time.”

Following public comment, Commissioner Benson acknowledged the difficult decision at hand, adding that he didn’t know how he would end up voting on the item.

“The PLA checks most – if not all – the boxes,” he said. “I really agree with CORE Hub and the Trinidad Rancheria that we can do better as a commission and that we still need to develop very tangible Community Benefits Agreements. … I also share sadness with Lynette Mullen in that there’s inequity in this agreement for local non-union shops. … The [jobs] are not off the table but they’re limited. So, where does this leave me? … I still don’t know how I’m gonna vote to this moment.”

Commissioner Patrick Higgins said “it’s a good deal,” adding that he planned to vote for it. “I understand these questions and they’re kind of deeply philosophical [as it relates] to the union and non-union, kind of open shop thing, but the law says if we want a $250 million [grant] from the fed, pass a PLA,” he said. “I think this community deserves it.

Commissioner Aaron Newman and President Dale expressed sympathy with local construction workers and acknowledged the difficult decision before the commission but also indicated that they would vote in favor of the PLA.

Commissioner Higgins had made a motion to approve the agreement at the beginning of the discussion, which was seconded by Commissioner Benson. Before voting on the item, Oetker reminded commissioners of the amendment to the motion to allow for the minor modification to the PLA. They agreed to accept the change.

The motion passed 5-0.

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Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? 

If your answer is anything other than “Spongebob Squarepants,” then clearly you have been living under a rock for the last 24 years. Because whether you watched the show or not, nearly everyone knows of the annoyingly optimistic, yellow, square sponge who became a huge sensation after the airing of the Nickelodeon cartoon of the same name, created by marine science educator and one of HSU’s most famous alumni, Stephen Hillenburg. 

Now Humboldt Light Opera Company (HLOC) has brought the local legend’s creation back to Hillenburg’s alma mater, with The Spongebob Musical (book by Kyle Jarrow), which opened at the Van Duzer Theatre on campus last weekend. The show marks not only HLOC’s fiftieth anniversary, but also the company’s first big production in more than five years. 

“It was a lot,” Carol Ryder, artistic managing director for HLOC and director of the Spongebob Musical, told the Outpost in a post-opening weekend interview. “We haven’t done any big shows since 2018…Last year we were going to do a review, but, you know, COVID just started hitting again in the summer. So it wasn’t quite comfortable yet for a bunch of singers to get together. So you know, we just went out there and did it this time.” 

Unlike most local theater companies, HLOC usually only produces one show per year in the summer. Since HLOC operates out of a small studio space in Sunny Brae Center and does not own its own theater, the company rents the Van Duzer for its productions. But in 2018 the university closed the theater for more than a year for seismic retrofitting, making the theater unavailable to HLOC for a 2018 or 2019 summer show. Of course, HLOC also shut down production plans in 2020 due to COVID and this is the company’s first production since. 

Luckily, Ryder said, because HLOC doesn’t operate a full theater, the company has a much lower overhead than some theater companies and was able to save up some money to fund this year’s production. HLOC also makes its revenue through classes and workshops held at its Sunny Brae location, The Space, and was able to continue holding classes (many of them over Zoom) during and since the COVID-19 emergency.

Ryder said that after taking such a long break from its annual summer production, the company wanted to return with a family-friendly musical, but didn’t want to do something too common or traditional. HLOC picked the Spongebob Musical because it is “visually interesting,” Ryder said, and would be a challenge, but not so much of a challenge that it wouldn’t be doable for the small, local company. 

“We really wanted a family musical that was challenging and fun and with characters that would fit some of the performers here,” Ryder said. “We didn’t want to come back with just a traditional musical. We went with something kind of forward-thinking. There’s so much liveliness in the music and it’s music people can relate to in some way. We just thought it would be a good challenge for us.”

Of course, the local connection with the Spongebob creator was also a factor in choosing the play, Ryder said. Prior to his creation of the successful cartoon, Hillenburg attended then Humboldt State University (now Cal Poly Humboldt) where he majored in marine science and minored in art. It’s been said that Hillenburg developed his love for drawing during his time in Humboldt, and many locals have also claimed that Spongebob’s cartoon workplace, the Krusty Krab, was based on our own local Stars Hamburgers; although that rumor has pretty much been debunked. But Hillenburg didn’t forget about Humboldt, and in 2018 he endowed the university with a $135,000 grant to support its marine sciences program, just three months before he passed away from ALS. 

Finding ways to honor the late Hillenburg was something the cast and crew talked about, Ryder said, adding that they tried to find some people in the community who knew him, but weren’t really successful. But the show does include some references to Hillenburg during the pre-show segment, featuring Patchy the Pirate (played by Larry Pitts), who was the live action host for the Spongebob cartoons. 

And Hillenburg isn’t the only connection with Humboldt, as the show also features a song “Poor Pirates,” written by Eureka native Sara Bareilles. Unlike most musicals, Spongebob’s musical score is composed by multiple different artists, including David Bowie, Brian Eno, Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, Panic! At the Disco and the Flaming Lips. The eclectic and energetic music was another big part of why HLOC chose this show, Ryder said, although it did present some additional challenges, with the cast having to learn numbers that were in a lot of different musical styles. 

To give a brief description, without too many spoilers, the Spongebob Musical takes the audience to the home of Spongebob (played by James Gadd), Bikini Bottom. After Spongebob’s good pal, a squirrel from Texas named Sandy Cheeks (Fiona Ryder), discovers that an underwater volcano is going to erupt and destroy Bikini Bottom, all hell breaks loose as the residents of Bikini Bottom are overtaken by doomsday hysteria. The show has some surprisingly relevant themes, with characters arguing over whether or not they “believe the science” and different characters using the panic as an opportunity for their own selfish gains. Mrs. Krabs (Cindy Cress), which is based on the character Mr. Krabs from the show, is only concerned with money, whereas the villains — Sheldon J. Plankton (Casey Vaughn) and his computer girlfriend, Karen (Katri Pitts) — are looking for an opportunity to brainwash the community into buying Plankton’s food. 

Other themes include believing in yourself and the importance of friendship, as Spongebob and his best friend Patrick Star (Tristin Roberts) experience a rift in their relationship that they must overcome. Of course, no Spongebob show would be complete without Squidward Q. Tentacles (Bill Ryder), Spongebob and Patrick’s cranky, clarinet-playing neighbor, who has his own sub-plot of trying to put on his own dream performance and gets his own dazzling tap-dance number. Like most of HLOC’s shows, the musical features a large ensemble (too many people to list here) who range in age from nine to 79, Ryder said. 

Because of the show’s focus on aquatic life, Ryder said, HLOC is donating a portion of the show’s profits to the Humboldt Surfrider Foundation, which is dedicated to the protection of the ocean and beaches. The set for the musical is also made from many recycled materials, Ryder said, including plastic water bottles. HLOC is also sponsoring a Coastal Cleanup day on Saturday, Aug. 13 from 10 a.m. to noon at Baker Beach, which everyone in the community is invited to attend. 

Ryder wanted to say how proud she is of what the cast and crew have accomplished, after just six weeks of rehearsals, and that she is happy that HLOC was able to put on this show for the community, after such a long hiatus. Ryder believes that community theater holds a very important role in Humboldt. 

“It gives an opportunity for people to explore a part of them that is so important,” Ryder said. “So much of society denies that artists are important, and says the artistic side of a person is not valued. It needs to be valued, because that’s who we are, you know, underneath that’s who we are. Being able to express oneself, and seeing people that have the confidence to get up on stage is so important.” 

The Spongebob Musical continues its run at the Van Duzer Theater this weekend and the following weekend. For more information on dates, times and how to purchase tickets, visit HLOC’s website.

Press release from the Humboldt County Department of Public Works:

The County of Humboldt’s Public Works Department began construction of the Humboldt Bay Trail South Project in July. Due to work required for this project, the northern section of eucalyptus trees along U.S. Highway 101 (U.S. 101), located between Eureka and Arcata, will be removed to protect the safety of future trail users.

The trees to be removed are located north of the main entrance to the Brainard Mill site. The trail will bypass the southern section of eucalyptus trees, which will not be affected by this project. Tree removal will commence on Saturday, Aug. 12 requiring the closure of one of the two southbound lanes on U.S. 101.

Background

Completion of the Humboldt Bay Trail between Eureka and Arcata along the Humboldt Bay shoreline has been a regional priority for nearly 25 years. The Humboldt Bay Trail South Project will connect with the Eureka Waterfront Trail near the Target store and the City of Arcata’s existing Humboldt Bay Trail segment which currently ends north of the Bracut Industrial Park. The majority of the Humboldt Bay Trail South segment will be situated between the railroad and U.S. 101, while a 1-mile portion will be placed on top of the levee around the Brainard Mill site. The Green Diamond Resource Company conveyed an easement to the County of Humboldt which allows placement of the trail on the levee.

The project includes widening the railroad prism, major modifications to the Eureka Slough railroad bridge, and construction of three new trail bridges. The project also includes urgent repairs to erosion damage along the railroad and raising the elevation of the railroad between the Brainard Mill site and Bracut Industrial Park to address flood hazards.

Funding for this project has been provided by the California Transportation Commission’s Active Transportation Program, the California State Coastal Conservancy, and Caltrans District 1. The construction contract was awarded to McCullough Construction, Inc. based in Arcata, CA. Construction began in July and will continue until work is suspended for the rainy season. Construction will resume in the spring of 2024 and is expected to be completed by October 2024.

Upon completion of this project, this portion of the trail will add over 4 miles to the Humboldt Bay Trail and deliver a significant advancement of the Great Redwood Trail and the California Coastal Trail by providing a paved, multi-use trail for the community to enjoy.

Eucalyptus Tree Removal

In 2018 a certified arborist completed a risk assessment report of the northern section of eucalyptus trees along U.S. 101 that found the trees are in an advanced state of decline. The risk assessment concluded that the trees exhibit a number of structural weaknesses that can result in failures. Falling dead tree limbs were identified as failures most likely to occur, posing the greatest risk to public safety. The risk assessment found that there is no reasonable method for mitigating the safety risk to future trail users and that the risk of failures would increase over time if the trees were allowed to remain.

Additionally, the eucalyptus trees are not eligible to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places or the California Register of Historic Resources. The trees do not have special rarity or ecological value and do not meet the criteria to be considered an environmentally sensitive habitat area. Impacts to aesthetics and visual character were determined to be less than significant when the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors approved the project’s environmental study.

Bird surveys have confirmed that no active bird nests are currently present within the trees to be removed. As such, McCullough Construction, Inc. will begin removing the northern section of eucalyptus trees on Saturday, Aug. 12. This work will require closing one of the two southbound lanes on U.S. 101 for equipment access. Tree removal will be performed on weekends to reduce traffic impacts. The number of workdays required to remove the trees is uncertain due to the unique access constraints at the work site.

Work for the Humboldt Bay Trail South is happening while work on Caltrans District 1’s Indianola Undercrossing Project takes place. Community members traveling between Eureka and Arcata along U.S. 101 are encouraged to drive in accordance with posted speed limits, comply with all traffic control signs, and be alert for shifting lanes, for the safety of construction workers and members of the public. The County of Humboldt and Caltrans District 1 thank you for your patience while the agencies work to make improvements to the transportation system.

For more information on the Humboldt Bay Trail South project, please visit the county’s Humboldt Bay Trail webpage or call (707) 445-7741.

PREVIOUSLY:

• BYE BYE, EUCALYPTUS? County Staff Recommends Cutting Down Some Trees Along 101 To Complete Humboldt Bay Trail Project; Local Groups Say the Trees Should Stay
• Supervisors Approve Eucalyptus Removal for Bay Trail Project, Though the Trees May Yet be Saved
• Eucalyptus Trees Along 101 Should Come Down Because They’re Decayed and Dying Already, Arborist Tells County
• Now All the Eucalyptus Might Go; Caltrans is Looking at Whether or Not It Might Have to Remove Its Section of Safety Corridor Trees, Too
• Caltrans is Bringing in an Arborist to Assess Health and Safety of Eucalyptus Trees Along 101 Safety Corridor
• HEADS UP: Caltrans Has Started Removing Eucalyptus Along Highway 101 Safety Corridor
• After Coastal Commission Objects, Caltrans Agrees to Short Moratorium on Eucalyptus Removal in the Safety Corridor
• Caltrans Proceeding to Cut Down Some Eucalyptus Trees in the Eureka-Arcata Safety Corridor

Press release from the Trinidad Rancheria:

The Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria (Trinidad Rancheria) is issuing this Press Release to announce that the Tribe will be hosting a Community Information Workshop for the US 101 / Trinidad Area Access Improvements Project. Community members can drop in anytime between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. to view exhibits and ask questions and the detailed schedule is below:

Date:Tuesday August 15, 2023
Time: 6:00 P.M. Presentation,6:30 P.M Exhibit Display Review
Location:The Heights Casino-Bingo Hall,27 Scenic Drive, Trinidad

What is the Project?

The US101/Trinidad Area Access Improvements Project proposes improvements to US101 and local roads to provide safe and sustainable access to Tribal lands and the surrounding communities along Scenic Drive; to relieve projected traffic congestion associated with planned future developments in the Trinidad Area; and to reconnect tribal lands on the east and west sides of US101. The project is being led by the Trinidad Rancheria, in partnership with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).

What Improvements are Being Considered?

The proposed improvements include reconstruction of Scenic Drive to accommodate standard lane and shoulder widths and a pedestrian/bicycle path, improved connectivity to US 101 through reconstruction of the existing Trinidad-Main Street interchange or construction of a new interchange adjacent to the Rancheria, and construction of a pedestrian and bicycle path between Tribal lands on the east and west side of US 101.

What Has Been Done so Far, and What are the Next Steps?

A Project Study Report-Project Development Support (PSR-PDS) was approved by Caltrans and the Trinidad Rancheria in December 2017. This project initiation document evaluated 12 alternatives that addressed safety, accessibility, mobility, and operational issues, as well as reconnection of tribal lands. Currently, a Project Report is being developed that will evaluate those alternatives that meet the purpose and need of the project. Environmental site surveys are being conducted and environmental studies are expected to continue through the end of 2023. Once these studies are complete, a draft environmental document will be prepared, which will be circulated for public review in 2024.

For over a year, the California Community College and the California State University systems have clashed over their respective roles.

The focus of the dispute: Who should be granting bachelor’s degrees?

The Cal State Chancellor’s Office says many community colleges are stepping outside their bounds by proposing bachelor’s programs that duplicate what Cal State campuses already offer. Community colleges disagree.

The issue goes to the core missions of these higher education systems and the boundaries that the state set for them back in 1960.

That’s when California’s Master Plan for Higher Education laid out the roles for each system. For the state’s community colleges, the plan says they were designed to award two-year associate degrees and provide career training, while the Cal State system would offer four-year bachelor’s and master’s degrees and the University of California system would prioritize research and doctoral programs.

Now a new law allows the community college system to approve up to 30 new bachelor’s degree programs each year at any one of the state’s 116 community colleges.

The law, which went into effect last year, has a caveat: Community colleges can only offer bachelor’s degrees in unique fields that no other public four-year campus currently offers. It’s this caveat that is at the root of recent conflicts.

“I understand that CSUs (Cal State University campuses) and UCs may be feeling like community colleges are getting a larger allocation or are stepping into their lane,” said Laura Cantú, vice president of academic affairs for Los Angeles Mission College. “But there’s a reason why California decided that we should allow community colleges to offer some of the baccalaureates (bachelor’s degrees). It’s a way for us to really provide an onramp, a mechanism, for social mobility.”

“I understand that CSUs and UCs may be feeling like community colleges are getting a larger allocation or are stepping into their lane.”
— Laura Cantú, vice president of academic affairs for Los Angeles Mission College

The Cal State Academic Senate has said it’s worried about losing money in the event that community colleges offer more bachelor’s degrees.

In an email to CalMatters, Cal State spokesperson Amy Bentley-Smith said there are opportunities for partnership when duplication concerns arise. Some strategies are already in place, like guaranteed admission to Cal State campuses for community college students and joint degree programs where students attend a community college and a Cal State at the same time, often virtually.

Meanwhile, the Cal State University Chancellor’s Office has thrown its support behind a proposed law authored by Sacramento Democrat Kevin McCarty. While the Cal State system offers a few Ph.D. programs, the bill would grant it the right to approve many more, as long as the programs “do not duplicate University of California doctoral degrees.”

As the bill winds through the statehouse, the UC system has asked for amendments to prevent Cal State campuses from duplicating what it already offers.

Thousands of dollars saved

In a state with over 2.5 million students across the public college and university systems, only a few thousand community college students a year, at most, could benefit from the new bachelor’s degree program.

Still, the few community college students who have enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program on campus say that they are cheaper and more convenient than the nearest Cal State or UC option. A recent report from UCLA shows that’s especially the case for low-income students and students of color.

The Cal State system uses similar arguments to say that it should be allowed to award more doctorate degrees.

Jessa Garcia received a bachelor’s degree in art and multimedia design in 2011, but after losing her job getting furloughed during the COVID-19 pandemic, she said she wanted a more “stable” career and started looking into biology programs near her home in Oceanside, in north San Diego County.

She said she spoke to an admissions representative at Cal State San Marcos, the nearest public four-year university, who told her she was not eligible because she already had a degree. A spokesperson for Cal State San Marcos said the system will begin accepting students like Garcia in fall 2024 when regulations change.

MiraCosta College’s biomanufacturing program was the perfect solution, she said. “MiraCosta is close to me, like less than 10 minutes away,” she said. ”It’s a science-related degree, and it was accessible to someone who already holds a degree.”

By the time she graduates in May, the bachelor’s degree will cost her a total of around $4,000 in tuition, in part because she was able to carry over credits from her earlier degree. Garcia said she already has her eyes set on a few internships where the starting wage is around $25 an hour.

The average bachelor’s degree at a community college costs $10,560, which is “less than half the tuition at even the most affordable public universities,” the Community College Chancellor’s Office states on its site. Community college leaders across the state say these local, low-cost bachelor’s degree programs are the only option for some students and that students who live near a Cal State campus may not get accepted there.

Last year, the Cal State system rejected over 13,000 community college students who applied for transfer between 3,000 and 3,500 eligible community college applicants, Bentley-Smith said.

“We’re an institution that has a high rate of students on federal financial aid,” said Don Miller, vice president of academic affairs at Rio Hondo College, which is located in southeastern Los Angeles County. “They live in the area. They tend to be more focused on the region.”

LA Mission, Rio Hondo stall

This year, Rio Hondo College submitted an application to develop a bachelor’s degree program in popular electronic music, but it is fighting objections about duplication from San Francisco State, San Jose State, San Diego State, Cal State Long Beach and Cal State San Bernardino.

“The majority of our students are not the kind of students who are going to go to SF to get a degree,” he said.

Los Angeles Mission College in Los Angeles on Aug. 10, 2023. Photo by Lauren Justice for CalMatters

At the same time, Los Angeles Mission College submitted an application to offer a bachelor’s degree in biomanufacturing. Part of the logic for the application, said Cantú, was that MiraCosta College, Solano Community College and Moorpark College already had approval from the Cal State system to offer bachelor’s degrees in biomanufacturing as part of earlier application processes.

Further, Nathan Evans, a deputy vice chancellor for the Cal State system, had told one of Cantú’s colleagues in an email that there would be a “minimal amount of additional information” required when “similar proposals” had already been approved.

She submitted the application — more than 100 pages in total — in January. On May 31, she got an email notifying her that the Cal State Chancellor’s Office had flagged the application because some campuses said it duplicated their programs.

While she’s excited about the potential, she said the experience has left her feeling “anxious” and “just a little disappointed,” especially for the potential students. “We talk about wanting to get our community members ready for these high-wage positions. We cannot train the pipeline fast enough.”

Bentley-Smith said it would be “premature” to comment on Cantú’s proposal.

Tensions flare

There must be two rounds of applications every year, according to the law, but last year, the Community College Chancellor’s Office only ran one round of applications, which took more than 15 months.

One of last year’s proposals, a bachelor’s degree in applied fire management from rural Feather River College, remains a sore point for Cal State. The Community College Chancellor’s Office approved the program and is moving ahead, even though Cal State leaders remain opposed.

Senate Education Committee Chairperson Josh Newman, a Brea Democrat, and Assembly Higher Education Chairperson Mike Fong, a Monterey Park Democrat, were concerned that this year’s applications would face the same obstacles as last year. In March, they issued a strongly worded letter to the Community College Chancellor’s Office, asking it to “pause” new bachelor’s degree applications until the two higher education systems could come to an agreement over duplication concerns.

The Community College Chancellor’s Office never took the recommended “pause” and continued to accept applications from its campuses, only to hit the same challenges as before. Half of this year’s 14 applications have been approved, but the remaining seven are delayed over disagreements about duplication.

Last year, the Cal State system rejected over 13,000 community college students who applied for transfer.

The state law requires that the Cal State system provide “supporting evidence” to explain any objection to a community college’s application and gives the two systems 30 days to come to a resolution over any duplication concerns.

But months have passed since the Cal State Chancellor’s Office expressed concern over Cantú’s application and she still doesn’t have any evidence to explain why. In June, the Community College Chancellor’s Office sent Cantú a note, saying that the Cal State system had failed to provide supporting evidence after “repeated requests.”

Still, both sides say that they are handling the application process correctly.

The Cal State Chancellor’s Office says it is abiding by the spirit of the pause that state legislators asked for this spring. The Community College Chancellor’s Office says it is following the state law, which sets the strict timeline of two rounds of applications each year.

Can they ‘move the process forward’?

While there was no pause in applications, the two systems did agree to form a committee that would create new policies in the event of future disagreements. The committee has met three times but has yet to issue any new policy that would resolve future clashes around duplication. In a statement to CalMatters, Bentley-Smith said the committee would meet again in the fall.

“There is no dispute between the systems,” she said, pointing to the ongoing work of the committee.

On July 17, the Community College Chancellor’s Office hired the Research and Planning Group for the California Community Colleges, an independent consulting firm, to evaluate the duplication concerns. Feist said the $17,500 contract is an effort to “move the process forward.” However, Bentley-Smith told CalMatters that the Cal State University system was “not aware” that any independent evaluation firm had been hired.

Darla Cooper, executive director of the Research and Planning Group, said she has spoken to neither the Cal State University Chancellor’s Office nor any of the Cal State campuses that have alleged duplication.

She said her team’s analysis will use “the info that’s available and not opinions.”

On July 17, the Community College Chancellor’s Office hired the Research and Planning Group for the California Community Colleges, an independent consulting firm, to evaluate the duplication concerns. Feist said the contract was “internal” to the Community College Chancellor’s Office.

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For the record: This story was updated to correct Jessa Garcia’s job status and the scope of the work done by the Research and Planning Group for the California Community Colleges. It was also updated to correct the number of community college students the Cal State system rejected for transfer.

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