Traffic heading south on W Street from Chester. | Submitted
The contentious Dolbeer/W Street couplet project is dead … for now.
The City of Eureka sent out a news release this afternoon (more on that below) to announce that the project, which aims to change the current configuration of Dolbeer and W streets to one-way traffic, will not move forward.
“Striping to continue with two-way traffic in the same configuration that now exists will begin in the next several days,” according to the news release. “The City of Eureka is committed to creating safe streets for all modes of transportation and as directed by Council, this project may be re-considered at a future date.”
If you recall, the couplet project seeks to transition Dolbeer and W streets to one-way traffic. The two-lane roads currently run parallel to each other, one block apart, with traffic rolling past the Sequoia Park Zoo and Washington Elementary School. During the couplet demo that was conducted in August, staff reduced W Street to one lane heading southbound and Dolbeer to one lane heading northbound. Hemlock Street, which forms a sort of horseshoe connecting the two, was also restricted to one lane with vehicles going west to east.
W Street | Screenshot
Dolbeer Street | Screenshot
Wait, didn’t the council vote against the item last month?
Yes, it did. However, during last week’s regular meeting, Councilmember Kim Bergel asked if the council would be willing to discuss the item once more. Bergel initially received four thumbs up from her fellow council members but lost one when Councilmember Leslie Castellano realized the discussion would take place on Oct. 18, which she felt was too soon to adequately address the community’s concerns with the project. The remaining members agreed to discuss the item on Oct. 18.
The Eureka City Schools District Board of Trustees was incensed.
After catching wind of the council’s decision to reagendize the item, the school district made a last-minute modification to their regular agenda to discuss the project. Ironically, the board’s Oct. 6 agenda contained a resolution thanking the City of Eureka and the council for denying the project proposal.
“Where did this project [originate]?” board representative Susan Johnson asked City Manager Miles Slattery during the meeting. “From all of the surveys that you’ve done, it clearly isn’t something that the community wants.”
City staff believe the couplet project would alleviate pedestrian safety concerns in the area as well as enhance connectivity between Cutten and Eureka to make the whole area more bike-friendly. However, out of 934 people surveyed after the one-way traffic experiment, only 14.3 percent of respondents were in favor of a permanent realignment of Dolbeer and W streets. Less than 10 percent of respondents said they felt safer with the one-way traffic orientation. (More survey results can be found at this link.)
While some folks surveyed complained that the one-way alignment led to traffic jams and increased travel time, the school board’s chief concern surrounded student safety in the drop-off zone.
“You’re putting so many people at risk,” board representative Jessica Rebholtz said to Slattery. “I know when you have a study that you have recommendations … and you have the discretion to do what you’re going to do, but I feel like you are abusing discretion. You are overreaching.”
Slattery maintained that the decision would ultimately be made by the city council, adding that the council “goes against [staff’s] recommendations all the time.” He also insisted that, according to the traffic study conducted by TJKM Traffic Consultants, the proposed one-way alignment would be safer than it is now.
“Based on the experts that do this – which is TJKM, as well as our traffic engineer, as well as our city engineer who has the responsibility of stamping these plans – they feel that this is the safest option.”
But the school board insisted that the project proposal put children at risk. After about 45 minutes of heated discussion, the board unanimously voted to “adamantly oppose” the project.
“We are certainly very opposed to this,” Superintendent Fred Van Vleck told the Outpost in a follow-up interview. “Besides the issue with the drop off areas, the 175% increase in traffic on Dolbeer, the 300% increase in traffic on Chester, [there] is going to be a delay in emergency vehicles. So if you take for instance Glen Paul, which is a school for students with disabilities – some of whom are medically fragile – and you increase the amount of time it takes for an ambulance to make it to the site … that could be life-altering for some of those students.”
Van Vleck added that the school district “just doesn’t understand why this is such an important issue” to the city “when the downside of it is so much higher than the upside.”
Reached for additional comment this afternoon, Slattery told the Outpost that he felt as though last week’s board meeting had gotten out of hand, calling the board’s response “unfortunate and unexpected.”
“It’s clearly gone to the realm of politics as opposed to the actual project and I think it’s taken away from the intent of the project,” he said. “Seeing as it is silly season with politics right now, it really took on a life of its own and took away from the merits of the project. We didn’t want it to be put forward in that environment.”
However, Slattery said the city hopes to move forward with some form of the project in the future.
“Almost every road project, whether it’s painting, adding additional vehicle lanes or adding bike lanes or anything like that, there are always going to be naysayers,” he said. “I will reiterate that the city is committed to projects like this and this decision does not mean that similar projects like this won’t move forward. It will be coming back.”
Press release from the City of Eureka:
At the October 4th meeting, Council directed staff to agendize the Dolbeer and W Street One-Way Couplet for possible action to change the current configuration of the streets to one-way. Further instructions requested that staff work with Eureka City Schools with project details and then to schedule a Council meeting at staff’s discretion in the future.
Per Section 30.01(D) of the Eureka Municipal Code, “the City Clerk in consultation with the City Manager, shall prepare an agenda to be presented to the Council”. Through the City Manager, the Dolbeer and W Street One-Way Couplet will not be included on the agenda for the October 18th meeting or considered during a special meeting. The decision made on September 27, 2022 to not approve the one-way couplet will go forward. Striping to continue with two-way traffic in the same configuration that now exists will begin in the next several days.
The City of Eureka is committed to creating safe streets for all modes of transportation and as directed by Council, this project may be re-considered at a future date.
Thank you to the many community members who reached out over the last several weeks to express their interest in this project.
County Planning will be recommending zoning changes in the coming months to accommodate Tiny House Villages. In order to generate meaningful recommendations, we are seeking community input. We invite all community members to complete the survey.
Optimum Timing: This survey can be completed at any time, but input is most impactful at the beginning of the process, between now and October 15, 2022.
We are seeking input about the following topics:
Types of structures
Best Village locations
Village setting
Village Community characteristics
Land ownership preferences
Obstacles to building Tiny House Villages
You can choose among answers provided or write in answers. The survey has 10 questions, and takes about 10-15 minutes to complete. Thank you for taking time to share your thoughts on this topic.
On Tuesday October 11th , 2022, the Humboldt County Drug Task Force (HCDTF), with the assistance of
the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) conducted a probation search at a residence on Redwood
Grove Rd. in Hoopa. The residents, Jazzy Colegrove (30 years old) and Rocky Robbins (20 years old)
had been reported by multiple people as selling fentanyl in and around the Hoopa Valley. Colegrove was
on felony probation and had an active felony warrant for her arrest. Robbins was on two counts of felony
probation.
Agents were able to detain Colegrove and Robbins without incident inside their home. During a search of
their residence agents located approx. 1.5 ounces of fentanyl, three digital scales, and packaging
materials. Colegrove was arrested for her warrant and both suspects were booked in the Humboldt
County Jail for the below listed charges:
11351 H&S Possession of fentanyl for sale
11366 H&S Operating or maintaining a drug house
1203.2 PC Probation Violation
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.
The
referendum
will decide whether to overturn a 2020 law that prohibits the sale of
some flavored tobacco products. A “yes” vote upholds the current
law; a “no” vote would strike down the law and allow the sale of
flavored tobacco products.
The
outcome of Prop. 31 would impact
the state budget
because if the law is upheld the state could lose as much as $100
million in annual tobacco tax revenue from the sale of flavored
tobacco.
WHY
IS IT ON THE BALLOT?
In
2020, the Democratic-controlled Legislature passed and Gov. Gavin
Newsom signed a law to ban the sale of certain flavored tobacco
products — including those made to taste like cotton candy, honey
and mango — as well as menthol cigarettes, both in stores and in
vending machines.
The
ban includes flavored cigarettes, e-cigarettes, pods for vape pens,
tank-based systems and chewing tobacco. The law does not affect
premium handmade cigars, loose leaf tobacco and hookah tobacco sold
by certain hookah tobacco retailers and used at the store.
The
law was intended to keep flavored tobacco away from kids and teens,
who report in high numbers that they often started smoking with a
flavored product. According to Tobacco Free Kids, youth smokers 12 to
17 use menthol cigarettes more than other age groups. At least 60
cities and counties across California have already banned the sale of
some flavored tobacco products and menthol cigarettes.
The
law has not gone into effect yet because tobacco companies funded and
qualified this referendum.
ARGUMENTS FOR:
Supporters
of Prop. 31
say the law prohibiting the sale of flavored tobacco products will
protect youth because 80% of kids who use tobacco start with a
flavored product. This law would prevent companies from targeting
kids and teens with advertising for flavored products.
Advocates
of the law also say it will help lower smoking rates, especially
among people of color, who experience higher rates of smoking-related
illnesses. Some African American groups say the tobacco industry has
targeted their community for decades.
Opponents
say the flavored tobacco ban is unnecessary because there are already
laws on the books prohibiting the sale of all tobacco products to
minors. They argue that banning flavored tobacco products infringes
on the rights of adults who use the products and say a prohibition
would increase underground markets and lead to more crime.
They
also say this law is discriminatory against adults who use flavored
tobacco to help them quit smoking, and especially against African
Americans who favor menthol cigarettes.
RHCP perform in London earlier this year. They will perform in Hoopa on Wednesday | Wikimedia
[Ed. note: This story first appeared on Two Rivers Tribune here.]
If your chili pepper harvest wasn’t quite what you hoped for this year, don’t worry, a bumper crop is about to come in, and they are red hot!
Rumors that the rock band, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, will hold a surprise free concert in Hoopa were confirmed last Friday when the band’s stage crew began setting up at Hoopa Valley High School.
Long-time Tour Manager Gage Freeman said the band was interested in playing to a Native American community. “It’s something they’ve never done,” Freeman said. “There are not a lot of big rock bands rolling through here, right? It’s a unique place in California and I have a connection to Humboldt. I thought Hoopa is the place to do this so we’re making it happen.”
Freeman, an LA native who attended Humboldt State in the 1980s and promoted punk shows here throughout the 1990s, reached out to school administrators last Spring to begin planning. His love for the area led him to eventually purchase a vacation home in Humboldt.
On Monday, Hoopa High Principal Maggie Peters announced the closed concert to students during their Indigenous People’s Day Assembly. Permission slips went home with each student and ground rules were discussed. If they want a taste of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, they should attend school and return their slip on time–and refrain from getting suspended.
“We are very lucky to have a very high profile, multi-platinum rock band, whose lead singer also happens to be Native American, want to come and perform for our school and our community,” Peters said during the assembly. “That’s really amazing.” The crowd cheered and thanked all of the school administrators, past and present, who made the event possible.
The permission slip expressed the exclusivity of the event. “No additional wristbands are available for friends and family to attend the event,” it said. Due to the closed nature of the event, the TRT will not publish the exact date and time here until the event is underway. Of the 900 wristbands given out to the community, a little under half were reserved for students and faculty.
The permission slip also said that teachers and other school faculty in attendance are not responsible for chaperoning students. Event security and law enforcement will be in attendance to perform those duties. Students should also arrange for a ride home immediately following the event.
The concert in Hoopa is sandwiched between two much larger concerts for the Red Hot Chili Peppers as they complete their 2022 Global Stadium Tour. At the same time that the band’s crew prepared for the concert in Hoopa, the Red Hot Chili Peppers were in Austin, Texas gearing up for the concert there. After playing in Hoopa, they will return to Texas to headline Austin City Limits on October 16. After a brief hiatus from touring, they play in Auckland, New Zealand on January 21, 2023.
A film crew traveling with the band told the Two Rivers Tribune that they will be shooting footage for a short documentary and will conduct interviews with various people in the Hoopa Valley over the next several days as well as participate in a cultural exchange.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers have performed small surprise concerts like this one at other schools in the past, such as their 2018 Halloween performance at a school in Calabasas, California. Band member Flea also received national media attention in 2021 when he attended a wedding ceremony and pow wow on the Fort Berthold Reservation, home of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arika Nation, in New Town, North Dakota.
As for gigs in Humboldt, they’ve come a long way since they played their early punky funk sound wearing only their socks at the Mateel Community Center in Redway in the 1980s. Fans have watched the group struggle through addiction in their earlier years. Many of their songs were inspired by that struggle and the redemption that would follow. Freeman said they are bringing their message of resiliency and overcoming addiction with them to Hoopa, as they do everywhere they go.
“I’m getting excited just thinking about it,” Freeman said.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers have been recording more than twice as long as their Hoopa High audience has been alive—about 39 years. They are the most successful band in the history of alternative rock with over 120 million records sold worldwide. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 and have won six Grammy Awards. The band also released a #1 album this April Unlimited Love and are releasing their second studio album this year on October 14 Return of the Dream Canteen. For the handful of students who may not know who the Red Hot Chili Peppers are, a deep dive into the band’s history will likely be interspersed in class curriculum on Wednesday.
“Start googling and learning some lyrics,” Peters said. “[The day of the concert] will be Red Hot Chili Peppers Knowledge Day. Start learning some songs!”
Posting about the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Social Media? Be sure to use the hashtags #RedHotChiliPeppersHoopa and #RHCPHoopa
Here they are in the 80’s playing at the Mateel in Redway with only socks on
The Chili Peppers are currently touring in support of their soon-to-be-released album Return of the Dream Canteen, their second new release of just this year. The album contains the first single “Tippa My Tongue,” the video of which you can watch below.
When the City of Eureka announced a few weeks ago that one of Humboldt’s favorite homegrown stars — musician, writer and actor Sara Bareilles — would be playing a free concert in Halvorsen Park on Oct. 16, it was no surprise that all the tickets were quickly snatched up. Like, really, really quickly! Less than three hours after the concert was announced, the roughly 11,000 free tickets made available online had all been claimed.
But there’s no way everyone who claimed a ticket (or six, which was the highest number someone could reserve) will actually be able to attend, right? If you are one of the folks who enthusiastically snatched tickets before remembering that you’ll actually be out of town, or you reserved more than you actually need, the City of Eureka requests that you return those tickets you won’t use, so that the many people on the waitlist will have a chance to see the show.
If you reserved a ticket, you likely got the following email from the City:
Thank you for reserving tickets to the upcoming Sara Bareilles community concert at Halvorsen Park. We are looking forward to seeing you on October 16th!
Because community reaction to this event has been enthusiastic and all available tickets were reserved quickly, we do have a large waitlist of community members who are still hoping to attend. If your plans have changed or you no longer need all the tickets you originally reserved, please consider releasing your extras so that concert organizers can make those spots available to community members who are currently on the waitlist.
Eligible waitlist participants will be notified of additional capacity as space allows.
Thank you for your kind consideration. We look forward to seeing you soon!
So, maybe you have already followed the link to the form and changed your reservation. But if you didn’t receive the email, or you read the email and then quickly forgot about it, then please fill out the form now and free up the tickets that you won’t use so that a sad Sara B. fan can become a happy one! Thanks!
At 12:16 P.M. on Monday October 10th 2022, Humboldt Bay Fire units, including three engines, a ladder truck, and two duty chiefs were dispatched to a reported structure fire in
a residential structure at the 6100 block of Beechwood Drive in Eureka. The first
responding engine reported seeing smoke from the roof and eves of the structure, and set
up for an interior fire attack.
The second arriving unit established a water supply. Next arriving units were assigned
interior fire attack and ventilation. One Samoa engine was on scene but released for
coverage.
After a half hour, a primary and secondary interior search indicated an all clear. With the
fire knocked down, HBF units began overhaul operations. Crews began to get released at
approximately 1 p.m.
PG&E was notified and disconnected gas and power to the building. HCSO was called to
the scene to assist with investigation of an issue not related to the fire. After
investigation it was determined there was no need for further law enforcement action and
the HCSO was released. After a thorough investigation it was determined that the cause
of the fire was undetermined.
Damage was estimated at $35,000. There were no injuries to civilian or fire personnel on
scene. Humboldt Bay Fire would like to thank its allied partners for their assistance with
coverage during this incident. Samoa Fire District, and Arcata Fire District helped to
ensure the safety of the HBF community while our resources were committed. Also we
would like to thank PG&E, HCSO, and City Ambulance.
