Some restaurants have Illuminati element?

I work with a guy who would bring in biscuits and gravy from McDonald's. Each time I went there I would not see it on the menu. He told me I had to ask for it. I finally did and they did have it, but not on the menu. Huh? Why would they do that? I also noticed that you can special order burgers at the IN-N-OUT Burger. You have to ask to "monster" your order or some such. Not on the menu again. Is there other places that have secret codes to get special food ordered?

"Take me out to the Ball Game!" Fund raiser at Samoa Gym.

This Sunday at the Samoa gym will be the, "Take me out to the Ball Game!" Fund Raiser The Eureka Reporter . Tito Fuentes will be on hand for the event, and there will be a gourmet linguine clam dinner, music and auction. And for only $10! That is dirt cheap entertainment. Proceeds will help renovate the Samoa Ball Field. Mary Beth Wolford is coordinating this event. Call Robin or Mary Beth at 443-2731 for tickets!

I hope someone will consider an Artificial Turf Surface for the Samoa Ball Park. Artificial Turf Astro Turf starting at $1.00 sq ft. How many square feet do you think is there? There is just too much sand out in the outfield to ever have a good grass field. Or it will always take way too much water to keep it green. The fields at Big League Dreams in Redding are played on year around and they have almost as much rainfall as us annually.

Northern Humboldt Union High School District Board Debate.

A pretty good crowd showed up to the debate hosted by the League of Women voters in Mckinleyville. It was not televised or broadcast on radio. There were 30 questions. So let me give my unbiased opinion on who won the debate. Robin. Oh c'mon, you knew I would say that. All kidding aside, these are 4 great candidates, and the NHUHSD is very fortunate to have a choice of people who all would do a good job. Robin and Greg Young had a difference about board protocol as far as coming to consensus before meetings, which of course is not good policy and should be taken care of at the actual meetings. Robin felt it was dangerously close to a violation of the Brown Act. But overall the candidates were well informed and professional.

Today's TS had a story about Wes Chesbro endorsing Robin Marks for school board. Pretty cool. This is a volunteer position that Robin has been eyeing for a few years. She has been waiting for incumbents to bow out and thought the time was right to try for a position.

Sign wars- Dan Collen has won hands down so far. The acronym on his signs for the NHUHSD is lacking one "H" but who is looking? Ross Miller has special signs for Arcata with a Tiger theme and signs for Mckinleyville with a Panther. Very clever. I sure hope we do not see some halloween prank of people in Arcata switching signs in Mckinleyville some night. Wink-wink. But I wonder how the parents of the district's sponsored Six Rivers Charter High School Pirates feel about those signs? Greg Young does not have signs out there as far as I know.

Harbor District debate.

If any of you watched the KEET debate tonight, you will have to agree with some of my observations: Patrick Higgins is the most polished, articulate of all the candidates. Charles is passionate, but does not deal in reality. Curless seemed to be informed but stoic. Carlos Quilez was nervous at the start but then picked up as subject matter became relevant. Steve Morris was impressive at the start until he decided to attack Quilez. Very well put together by the League of Women Voters.

Humboldt's Finest wins Redding Tournament!

I was so fortunate to play for Blue Lake Casino/Humboldt's Finest softball at Big League Dreams - Sport Parks After a weekend of playing 10 games, we beat Lowdown 17-4 from Bend Oregon, to win the championship of the Halloween Scream Tournament. We had beat Twisted from Oroville15-7 to reach the championship. I was probably one of the oldest players in the tournament and was just happy to have a championship shirt and stuff. Brandon Miller and Hana Borden were co-MVPs. Chris Pence played a great Short Stop and Pitcher Jason Mullaney stepped up big time.

There were hundreds of people at either the soccer, hockey, baseball or softball fields this weekend at Redding. Too bad we can not come up with something like this to bring people to Humboldt.

Democrat Of The Year. (DOTY)

What a well put together event. I was part of the set-up committee and was amazed at the orchestrated gathering of volunteers. (Great job by Way and Means chair Jamie O'Donnell and crew!) And what a great crowd showed up! Chesbro, Berg, Wiggins, Neely, Smith, Glass and other who's who in local politics. It was a festive, positive event overall. Except..........

Anti Abortion protesters showed up. My guess is because we were honoring Tina Mackenzie, the CEO of Six River Planned Parenthood. (Smart me) I am also against abortion...as a form of birth control. But I also believe it is the CHOICE of the woman involved. I can not stress enough the need for sex education! Without the education, what do you have? Ignorant teenagers playing roulette with their bodies in hope they won't get pregnant.

Tina was so humble in accepting her award. She kept referring to others. Sign of a good leader, giving credit to her support base. Reporter

Pete McCloskey as Democratic keynote speaker? Wow! Pete McCloskey Leaves Republican Party He could have conveyed in better fashion publicly why he converted to the Democratic Party. If he made one more reference of his good pal Cheney or his good pal Bush, I would not have been able to eat my meal! (Well, you know how I am with food, and the Hurricane Kate dinner was way good! Awesome!)

Just a really solid event. Good job by Milt Boyd and the Humboldt County Democratic Central Committee.

Roger Rodoni in Local Solutions Crosshairs?

Looks like that is going to be the case if I was to guess. Poll seeks out priority issues for 2nd District I wonder who will be the candidate of choice? If Local Solutions are going to maneuver their troops in the race for 2nd District Supervisor, I see Rodoni serving out his last term.

Election Roundup. Robin gets some press.

The TS did a clip on Robin's campaign. Election Roundup Her website is at Robin Marks and more information can be found at Smart Voter. Voter Information If you would like a yard sign let me know.

Humboldt County Election office Operating Procedures could do better.

Hey, I just got my sample ballot..........One week after I have voted absentee. How can this happen? The election office sends your absentee ballot first class and at the same time sends your sample ballot third class. Why? Got me. Why not send out the sample ballot a week earlier so they both end up some where closer together time wise? Just saying.

I hate that Friggin Samoa bridge!

Had a car today decide to try to pass a truck on a double yellow line on the last section of the bridge on the peninsula side. Or maybe they were just not paying attention. They came right at me head on and swerved back in their lane at the last second. I was hugging the rail to the right. Thought that was going to be it.

I can't tell you how many close calls I have had over the years on that bridge. Just a few weeks ago a I was in the middle lane at 4th and R and a truck with a container for pulp was in the far right lane. I followed traffic. The truck took off and was trying to pass before the merge at 3rd street and he kept on passing cars and was trying to pass me and I had nowhere to go. He literally drove on the side walk where the bus stop before he slid behind me. I slowed to a crawl.

I really think one quick cure for one traffic problem would be to put a sign at 3rd and R saying both ways, "no left turn." Seems reasonable to me and would do wonders for traffic flow through there.

I got the Phonebanking Blues. And other campaign nuts and bolts.

Robin's campaign for Northern Humboldt Union High School Board has been phone banking for awhile now. Tonight I had a list for Trinidad absentee voters. It was kind of weird. Lots of numbers the phone just rang and rang with no answer. Most of the time you will have a recording, fax machine or busy signal. And some of the people who did answer were not interested in talking. Most of the time I have more positive than bad. Today was not that great. I did calls for Bayside last week and the calls were positive. For anybody out there who have done phonebanking on a political campaign or a charity calling, you know what a thankless job this can be. But it needs to be done to get the message out.

What do you people out there feel would be a good starting lead in for a phone call for either a candidate or a charity? When we are calling we start with, "Hello my name is ____ and I am a volunteer for the Robin for Northern Humboldt Union High School Board. Have you heard of Robin?" The majority of people are positive. Some are not. "How did you get my phone number?" When you try to explain it is common knowledge through their voter registration, the conversation has usually gone south by then.

Robin's signs have been popping up around Northern Humboldt. We ordered them from "big daddy's" out of Florida. They are a union shop that does great work quickly. UNION SIGNS
Robin has been endorsed by most local labor organizations. Of course our household is staunch union advocates with Robin's father being a union mill worker, and her grandfather a past business representative for the union. We were raised and have benefited from being organized.

Robin has been taken out of her comfort zone in this campaign. For those of you who know her, she is a humble quite type who just so happens to be married to an extrovert. Phonebanking and Meet and Greets are really hard for her. She has had eyes on this position for years and has been waiting for the right time when incumbents were stepping down. She has nothing against the other candidates and did not want to campaign against anyone. But here we are.

I have known Dan Collen for years and I think he is a good guy. I also know Ross Miller. I have played Basketball against him for years and he also a good guy whom I have never had problems with. He is a local business person with a good Arcata Tiger athletic background. I have not met Greg Young.

I am hoping that the voters of Northern Humboldt will look at the information in their sample ballots and make an educated decision on their choice in this race. Robin has been a past school board member and president for 5 years and has worked in administration for a school district for years. I think her knowledge sets her apart from the other candidates. But I am prejudice of course. All this for a volunteer trustee position. Politics in Humboldt County are sure hard core nowadays.

Rails or Trails again. And then some.

KPIX cbs channel 5 did a few stories on our area and other places in Northern California concerning the rail. video1 & This

I would like to see the railroad back in service for a few reasons: economic and environmental.

Economic-Many jobs would be created loading box cars with product here in Humboldt County. It is labor intensive work that would supply more manufacturing workers loading Pulp, Particleboard, Lumber, Gravel, Beer, Cattle etc.

Environmental- Each rail car of pulp leaving Humboldt takes 4 trucks off the road. (And by the way, no trucks hauling containers of pulp out of Humboldt are local) Less wear and tear on our highways, plus the safety benefit of getting those trucks off our 101 highway.

I would not like to see the railroad back in service for a few reasons: economic and environmental.

Economic- The price tag may be nearly how many million to have a serviceable rail? Can anybody agree? 60 Million? Is that just way too high? Or low? What is the possible price tag of another canyon disaster? Will private investors help or is this all on the public dole?

Environmental-What about the affect on the Eel River from future slides? (And they have and will happen!) Is it worth the risk? This process will have potential for diesel and oil spills on pristine waters. None of this will benefit public transportation.

As far as rails and trails? I would like to see us move forward with a plan to build a usable trail around the bay for bike and hike, leaving the future rail potential as a consideration for the trail. An excursion rail for bay travel would be great for tourists. Why wait for a potential nothing when we could have usable something?

Robin Marks for School Board Rummage sale. Post sale.

Do you know how many people show up to this stuff? It was Crazy in the morning! We had alot of wares to sell. (We sold out of Hot Dogs pretty early.) Thanks to all who donated toward this cause. We didn't make thousands, but we did make hundreds so it was all good. There was a huge rummage sale at Redwood Acres also the same day. Big Thanks to Steve and Diane Harris, Maggie Herblin, Patti Stammer, Susan Brinton, Elizabeth Farnsworth, Nick and Sharon Mitchell, Arcata Countertops and of course Operating Engineers local 3. We have stuff left over for a future sale for the Humboldt Domestic Violence Services in the future.

Robin and I were able to finish up and hustle over to Mike Thompson's Bounty by the Bay at the Adorni. Kind of a high end hottsy totsy type event. Different vineyards and beer distributors gave out samples. Food was supplied by different restaurants. It was a different forum than his old gatherings but it was good. But I miss the old Eureka Inn gatherings. I guess I am a traditionalist.

Humboldt Bay Commissioner candidates debate at Samoa Cookhouse.

(I was going to post this earlier, but we have Suddenlyunlinked service out on the peninsula, so I am using old fashion dial-up AOL. Again. Wah!)

The Citizens for Port Development hosted a debate/Question answer session for four of the candidates for the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District (HBHRCD) on October 3 at the Samoa Cookhouse. Participants were Carlos Quilez and Roy Curless from Division 2 and Pat Higgins and Charles Ollivier from Division 5.

Opening Statements:

Ollivier: “Slow.” (The process) That is why he said he is running. He added that he didn’t need to get in to particulars because we (attendees) had already all heard it before. Charles said again that the process is slow. “It is called money, without it you can’t get anywhere.” He says his work has been about jobs. He explained how the Simpson closure had really hurt the bay. “In the past we had Industrial and private interest that did not want Multi use docks.” “But we can bring it (jobs) back, we have the ingredients.” He also pointed out that we can service 85% of the ships in service with our current dredging practices.

Curless: He notes that he has been in office for 16 years and would like to continue with current projects. He mentioned his work in Shelter Cove with the breakwater and the need for upgrades. He would like to see continued improvements in recreation focusing on Kayak and fishing. Mr. Curless talked of plans to have Kayak and parking access at the foot of Park Street in Myrtletown. He closed in explaining that the HBHRCD works as a committee.

Higgins: Talked of his experience as a retail business owner, fisheries professional and Watershed consultant. He explained how the ebb and flow of our economy is directly linked to fishing. Mr. Higgins also spoke of his experience on many advisory committees. As far as the bay he said, “I would like to see the Bay restored and the Aquaculture protected.” He would like to integrate Commerce, Recreation and Conservation. He wants healthy trails and transparent government.

Quilez: “I have no bragging rights (length of residence), I choose this community.” He would like to make this area better through revitalization of processes at a reasonable pace. He would like to see transparent government and better focus on trails and commuting. His goal is to see a healthy available bay. Mr. Quilez talked of his experience in administration at San Jose State College and his bringing modern management skills to the table. He would like to see strategic planning with cost analysis using timelines and benchmarks. “We need to move in steps and have accountability.”

Question #1- Where does the HBHRCD funding come from and what reserves are available to help?

Quilez: “Taxpayers and fees.”

Higgins: The commission was created in 1973 through self taxing as core funding. Grants, agencies, business and commerce were also pointed out.

Curless: “The state took away funds, but we picked up $500,000 through the Redwood dock.”

Ollivier: “There is a big difference in private and public. The Feds and State are needed for a $150,000,000 project to get us to 40% operational capacity.” “We are the last port to be developed and we are the second largest bay in California.” He explained that they (HBHRCD) only have a 2.1 million dollar budget and are last deep water port in need of help. “The rest of the ports (on the coast) are at 100% of working capacity.” He brought out a study of Prince Rupert port development as one to emulate possibly.

Question #2- What is the time frame for development and what type of economic projects do you see?

Higgins: “The Bay District documents protect the core industries.”

Curless: “Evergreen provides good jobs.” He explained the need to help the oyster commerce.

Ollivier: Explained how goods should be 80% by truck and the rest by barge and how we are 200 nautical miles from other working ports. “We have 1,800 acres of space on the peninsula.” He outlined possible jobs from container business in the form of electricians, carpenters and mechanics. “Is $10 an hour living wages?”

Quilez: He wanted to know what the question was again and was confused on the others answers not being focused on the topic. “We need viable transportation for goods.” He felt our lack of population is a factor in the shipping/rail equation. “We can not blindly follow the North Coast Rail Authority (NCRA) as a Harbor Commission.”

Question #3- What is Eel grass and its affect on the bay?

Curless: “Oysters eat the grass and some species are important for fish and some we need to get rid of.”

Ollivier: “There is more now than ever.”

Carlos: “Necessary for fish.”

Higgins: “Our covering is the biggest in California. We can lose some of that while dredging further down then necessary.”

Question #4- On rail Revitalization.

Ollivier: “The NCRA was created in 1987 and the CTC needs that element.” He added, “The rail will be back!” Charles then pointed out that most damage was done south of Willits.

Quilez: “When municipalities are sued it is not a good scenario.” (The NCRA is currently being sued.) “The public process needs to be open.” He accused the NCRA of mismanagement and said they needed timelines.

Higgins: Said this subject was close to his heart, as he had spent time on the rails as a child. “It will cost 650 million just to fix the canyon.” The added, “And those studies are a decade old with no studies challenging those numbers.” He said he would like to see light rail around the bay.

Curless: “This (subject) has been beat to death, it’s time to move on.”

Question 5- On retention of funding for the 2 current bar pilots.

Higgins: Favors continuance and says they are needed. He would check out the cost effectiveness.

Quilez: “This is more complicated than yes or no.” He would like to check out the cost effectiveness and study the situation. He thinks the pilots might be underutilized.

Curless: “We have to have them.” He pointed out that the bar was dangerous and the pilots are paid the best price they (HBHRCD) could get.

Ollivier: “Nothing funny about being a pilot, it is treacherous!” He added, “The Port would be shut down without them!”

Question 6- What are your thoughts of the Brown Act violation of the NCRA?

Ollivier: “No comment.” (In fairness it must be noted that Charles is a member of the board of directors of the NCRA and has counsel to not comment on this issue.)

Quilez: “This is an attack on public trust.” He felt there was no open process and that the public needs all information.

Higgins: He would like an open process. “There were clear violations.”

Curless: “I agree with Pat (Higgins).”

Humboldt Domestic Violence Services (HDVS) recognition of 30 years of service. Connie Stewart impersonates Rex Bohn.

Patricia Sampson brought up one fact that was amazing about the HDVS: They have successfully covered help phone lines 24 hours a day 7 days a week for 30 years! Wow, that is doing service beyond even reason. Robin and I are board members for the HDVS and have been impressed with a community of workers and volunteers it takes to make this program work.

Proclamations were made by the City of Eureka through Virginia Bass. The County by Bonnie Neely. And the state by Patty Berg and Patricia Wiggins through Connie Stewart. They were all awesome in their presentations.

Connie Stewart took over the events fund raising silent auction on her own when things lagged. She went and started limits and pushed people to push auction prices forward. It was a great night for the HDVS. Connie was animated and challenged the audience and they responded with bids. Thanks Connie.

Virginia Bass is new Director of Public Relations at Evergreen.

Just heard about this last night at work. Kind of surprised me. Guess I am out of the loop. Seems like a good choice. Rex must be too busy.

Robin Marks for School Board Rummage Sale.

Robin's campaign will be hosting a Rummage sale at 1213 5th St (Operating Engineers local 3) in Eureka this Saturday Oct. 6th from 10am-4pm. There will be hot dogs and cokes for sale. All proceeds go toward a grass roots effort on behalf of Robin's run at Northern Humboldt High School District Board election November 6th. If you have any rummage type items you would like to donate, or if you are interested in doing phone banking, please call Robin at 445-3432.