Harbor Commissioners try to help Devil's Playground "Poo Lagoon!"

My fellow Humboldt Bay Harbor Commissioners unanimously endorsed the portable B & B  toilets behind the Bayshore Mall to help stall the human waste at the Devil’s Playground “Poo Lagoon!” We had requested our Executive Director Jack Crider to work with the city of Eureka for appropriate cites and this only took a few days. The concern for the Harbor escalated when Eureka Police Chief Andy Mills identified how much waste was being produced per day near the bay there. Estimates of 50 gallons of urine and 400 pounds of waste feces per day which equals a Biohazard truck load a month essentially being dumped in the bay! I called Andy about our project and he endorsed the concept and hoped there would not be vandalism. If that happens, then we will have to pull the toilets. But for now there will be two.

Lady-Fame. A fishing tragedy or triumph in Humboldt Bay.

If you lived in Humboldt County in the late 60’s and early 70’s, the book Lady-Fame is a must. Many familiar scenarios come forward and history repeats itself to many of us native Humboldt County residents. Times that were way more simple, but complex as far as the maturation process. Hard to explain, but when you read and touch the characters of this book, it is impossible not to reach back into your own memories and stories of the streets of Eureka. And actually there are multiple storylines that seemed to be shortened that were relevant and building that were cut too short by the time the end of the book comes and actually attacks you and begs for more.  Fiction or non? Doesn’t matter.

THIS BOOK IS NOT A ROMP! Pace yourself. There are many intricate situations that deal with multi personalities and scenarios that actually need to be envisioned at your own personal level.  There is a sophisticated level that makes this book a higher level read. (Think Carl Hiaasen reaching for Tom Wolfe or Wally Lamb level complication.)

From BAZAR to CR Baseball to the Major Leagues. What Happened?

I have always worked. When I was 7 years old we lived in Petaluma due to an untimely divorce of my parents. We were broker than broke. I ended up working at a rabbit farm for produce. When we moved back to Cutten, Linda Rodriguez and I would pick any types of berries or cherries and plums and go door to door and sell. At about 12 and living in Myrtletown I sold either the Times or Standard on the streets of Eureka in between fishing off of Lazio's for Perch and Jack Smelt to sell. Then I had a paper route before going to work at Duck's market at 15. At 16 I worked my first union job at Bazar. I loved my job and would have probably retired from there but they closed in 1978. So I went to work at Transamerica. A job I really did not enjoy. So I went back to school at College of the Redwoods to play baseball.

Again, I have always worked which left me little opportunity for High School scholastic athletics. I played Babe Ruth and JV Baseball at St. Bernard's but didn't have the time for sports my Junior and Senior years at Eureka High. Luckily I was able to play Joe DiMaggio League which allowed players done with Babe Ruth to play until 18 years old. I was a pretty good pitcher who absolutely loved to throw.

So I survived the cuts and was honored to be part of the 1979 College of the Redwoods baseball team. Co/champions of the Golden Valley Conference. I must have led the conference in chasing down foul balls. It was all right for me. I just wanted to be part of the team. And we had a good one.

Above that I remember: Front row from left to right, Can't Remember (CR), Tim Earhart, David Stone, Fred Gomes, Mark Suchanek, The Softball King, Steve Ross. Second row, #25 CR, Kieth Ambrosini, Troy Freeman, Mike Robinson, CR, John Wilkinson, Dave Reynolds, Coach Tom Giacomini. 3rd Row, Manager Jorgenson, Byron Busik, Jerry Johnson, Stacey Morgan, Mike Spini, CR, CR. CR.

I had a GPA of 3.71 for 17 units on the team and was on the Dean's list. That summer of 79' I started working in the mills on the Samoa Peninsula. Never to be heard from again..............

Slumoa low life strike again! Freaking sandweller thieves!

My #75 rental garage in Samoa violated.

Ripped the lock off very vunerable door.

 



Some slimeball stole tubs of various tools, circular saw. Left Virginia Bass and Richard Marks campaign signs. Also have had many months of recycles "reused" without our approval. They come through our gate and help themselves. So how many of these little events not worth reporting are happening in Humboldt County?

 

Memorial Day 2015. Thanks Mike and Dad!

My brother Mike and Major James Marks. At my wedding in 1978. Not too many pictures of my dad with any of us five Marks' family members through my mom. My dad served in World War II and in Korea. My brothers James and Roy served in Korea also. Roy and my brother Mike were poisoned by Agent Orange in Vietnam in the early 70's.

My family has a rich history of war participation. All the way back to the Revolutionary War and beyond.

Harbor Fork Lift swiped! $1,000 reward for it's return! Damn thieves!

Whoever is the culprit knew alot about this subject. They had to break through 3 locks leading into the Redwood Dock Warehouse below the Cookhouse. They were cognisant of the camera positions and went through the back Warehouse gate. Most likely they used a truck and trailer. Help us find and receive a thousand buck! What is becoming of this county!

North Coast Rail Authority meeting 5/13/15. Billboards and Locomotives to be removed.

The North Coast Rail Authority (NCRA) voted unanimously to send Cal Trans and Outfront media respectfully requesting the removal of 5 billboards between Arcata and Eureka. A letter was sent off in 2010 by the NCRA but pretty much ignored and Cal Trans requested the revisit. There were no people at the meeting supporting the signs.

Dane Grytness from Security National updated the status on the Locomotive removal on the balloon tract and offered to fix and renovate the abandoned rail office. All 10 items on their property will be refurbished elsewhere or scraped. Lots of positive things to fix the blight problem will be addressed within the next few months!

Humboldt Redwood is starting negotiations with the NCRA to remove or cover up rail on their sawmill property to make safer working conditions. They have offered to relieve some of our debt to them and promise to help with the reconstruction if rail returns in the future.

Top 5 Best Restaurant Burger in Humboldt County re-visited....again



Seems like I have to update this almost yearly.

5. Mike's drive-up: Old and familiar. You know what you will get…..with chili of course.  Real Malts.

4. Adel's: Don’t think I have ever been disappointed. Either San Francisco burger on Sourdough, or burger with an egg.

3. Cafe Nooner: Even though fancy almost to the point of fo-fo, really nice.  

2. Arcata Pizza: Out and out Burger might be best secret in county.

1. AA Bar and Grill: Has the best consistent Burger you will find with old time bar type atmosphere.

Yes, I know about Tony's, No Brand Burger Stand, Surfside, Pantry, Kristina's and even the Marina. One man's view.

Just Jewelry sale going on now! At Eureka Womens Club until 5pm! 5/2/15

Humboldt Domestic Violence Services has a Jewelry sale going on today at the Eureka Women's Club until 5pm! Come get early X-Mas presents for loved ones! Special thanks to CCVH Women's Alliance for their hands on help for the event!

Whale Entanglements up. But why?

Yesterday I attended the monthly Humboldt Fisherman's Marketing Association (HFMA) board meeting that had a few items that concerned the  Humboldt Bay Harbor. The discussion was lively and very interesting. There were 30 whale entanglement episodes off west coast waters in 2014 and so far in 2015 there has been 20. There has been around 200 since 2000. The upswing in entanglements is quite the quandary since there is less crab pots on a whole in the years since 2000.

What was really fascinating to me was the amount of encounters that the local fishermen have with these animals. They talked about whales using the lines to try to shake barnacles off their bodies and one fisherman talked of having pots destroyed by whales using them also to try to shake the barnacles. The fishermen also observed that the whales are not doing their regular migration patterns but are hanging around areas prolonged. There has also been a anomaly of "strange animals" in the water where they are not normally. Such as the big squid run close to Humboldt this last year.

HFMA is going to create a working group to study this issue more closely.

Other items discussed at the meeting was new zoning descriptions for the Woodley Island Marina and the new Fish Market that will be going in business soon. There was also the subject of gear storage possibilities at Berth 1 and possible future oyster themed restaurant. An RV park or Motel on the Marina was also briefly discussed.

TS fires "Get Fuzzy" for unicorn cartoon? Come on!

Yes, I will admit that I read the daily funnies. Pearls before Swine is my favorite but I also love "Get Fuzzy." Why did the TS change to "Phoebe and Her Unicorn?" Is this another move out of Chico?

Everyone loves a Parade! This Sunday in Myrtletown will be a first!

Humboldt Greenweek celebration this Sunday! Lots of green subjects and music to boot! At Redwood Acres!

CCVH Women's Alliance has meetings!

Believe it or not, women in Cannabis are not always treated as equals. This women's alliance was formed for women to gather and address their issues on small farm concerns and Cannabis related topics in general. Women should be treated as equals in all respects!

Please share with other women in Humboldt County that might be interested.

CCVH: Love us or hate us we get stuff done!

While still moving forward on a sensible Cannabis Land use ordinance for Humboldt County, the CCVH crew has been busy raising funds for possible signature collection if we use the Initiative process of moving forward. But how can you marginalize an organization that is on the front page of the Mad River Union concerning possible Cannabis industrial park in Arcata, and at the same time on the front page of  the Time Standard and feature story on KIEM Channel 3 reporting that two members of the California Tax Board, Fiona Ma and George Runner and their staff were escorted by CCVH to Cannabis farms with the  Drug Policy Alliance (Who are creating the statewide ballot Initiative for the state in 2016) and participated in groundbreaking dialogue about how to create revenue from Cannabis.

Things are happening so quickly and the non-profit CCVH board has worked so hard to get us where we, as representatives of the Small Cannabis Farmers, are being listened to by the major policy creators. I have taken some criticism in my role as Executive Director of this organization, but I am so proud of the accomplishments so far and people can not ignore the fact of many farmers are already getting permits that will help the environment. And who can argue that?  

Calling all volunteers! Need a good cause?

Humboldt Domestic Violence Services (HDVS) is looking for new board members. I am sure everyone has either family or friend experience in Domestic Violence. I would like to request your help in this important organization. Call 444-9255 and ask for Brenda Bishop and request an application to the board. We sure could use the help!

What's in a Nickname? Do you have any?

Most people I know have some sort of nickname that people bestow on them and some are funny. I have had a few placed on me over the years. Here are some and there history.

"Tooter": My oldest sister Kathy was said to be the first to start using this name on me. Don't know why. But it stuck to me to the point that all of my family and all who knew me (even teachers!) used this name exclusively. Most my immediate family still use this to this day! When we moved to Myrtletown when I was 11 years of age and I went to Lafayette school I purposely told everyone my name was "Richard". No more "Tooter the Turtle has lost his girdle!"

"Pooh Bear": Rick Mitchell was to blame for this. I was then 12. Some bastardisation of his walking around saying "I don't Care Bear!" and stolen by the Sugar Pops Bear. Still have some old timers from Myrtletown call me this. Makes me smile to this day.

"Dick": My co-worker Cap from Duck's market started calling me this for a few years. Luckily it did not catch on.

"Awesome": Brenda Hogan my co-worker at Louisiana Pacific came up with this. I think it was because I used the phrase alot in the early 80's. It held for a nearly a decade.

"Skid or Skidney": My workout partner and co-conspirator Ron Conley branded me with this. Married to "Stretch" of course. Came up with some great quotes for my 1998 Supervisor campaign; "You always get, what you always got, when you keep voting for the same old lot!"

Miscellaneous: "Mad Bomber" for basketball. "1978 Home Run Champ!" (It never happened but younger players in tournaments joke about this for the last 15 years at least.) And many derogatory names I won't mention.

Epic Hoopa Meeting on Cannabis March 10th!

There is an open public meeting on “Cannabis Agricultural Planning” being held at the Hoopa Community Center on March 10^th at 6pm. It will have a Pot Luck for everyone in the valley.  Some of the topics will cover California’s 215 laws, Humboldt County current cannabis regulations and proposed new permit ordinance, National trends, Best practices and how to address environmental concerns and potentially establishing a Cannabis Collective.

But the hot button topic should be the Repeal of Title 34 Campaign.  

In 1999 the Hoopa tribe created an ordinance called Title 34 which banned; “The open and notorious cultivation of marijuana within the exterior boundaries of the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation under the guise of permissive use in light of the Compassionate Use Act of 1996 is unacceptable and endangers the general welfare, health, and safety of residents of the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation.”

With the Department of Justice decision to allow tribes to farm Cannabis with the blessing of the Feds, this is a great time for the Hoopa Community to take advantage of situation where cannabis is legitimized and the positive medical affects can be actualized.

 It should be a very interesting meeting nonetheless.

Press biased against Cannabis? Apologies to Will Houston.

Very interesting on what the Times Standard, North Coast Journal, The Lost Coast Outpost and local television stations deem worthy of covering. (Not blaming the Mad River Union yet. I don't get that paper until next Wednesday.) Yesterday the California Cannabis Voice Humboldt team showed up in force and packed the afternoon session of the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors while presenting a power point presentation concerning the need to regulate cannabis.

Why very little press? Got me. The TS did a short clip on the morning session headlined "Groundwater, Cannabis" The written story had no reference of Cannabis in the article! Read for yourself.  Our item has been on the agenda for an ample time. I spoke too soon! Will Houston of the Times Standard did a great story today!

When is the last time that chambers have been over-filled for an afternoon session? I can safely say, without the subject being a popular person retiring from the county, not very often.

Our presentation was a reality based synapse of the positive potential of having a written ordinance that protects small farms in Humboldt County and creates revenue for the General Fund shortfalls. . The presentation also outlines our concerns of trespass grows, water diversions and pesticides.

Seriously, if this were another meth, weapon, cash bust that included cannabis, all the media players would be there. Just kind of surprised that a agenda item of interest that generated a packed Board of Supervisors chambers would be ignored.

Humboldt County Cannabis topic at BOS meeting tomorrow 2/24/15 1:30pm!

The California Cannabis Voice Humboldt (CCVH) will be presenting a power point discussion at the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors chambers tomorrow 2/24/15 at 1:30pm. Let your voice be heard!

North Coast Rail Authority (NCRA) update. Billboards & Locomotives down, Trail, Parks and THA up.

I had two NCRA sub committee meetings this past week and varied topics. Just thought I would update.  

The first item of the week concerning Property Committee business was a licensing agreement with the Loleta Community Chamber to build a Loleta Park Project on NCRA property in the Rail Corridor. The NCRA property committee unanimously agreed to endorse the project to the NCRA board as a whole. Emily Sinkhorn from the Redwood Community Action Agency and Loleta Community Service District Marcus Drumm gave details to the exciting project for Loleta.

The second item was concerning a billboard on NCRA property. The sign itself is owned by Geoff Wills and he respectfully requested reconsideration or at least a “trade” of sign placement somewhere else along the rail corridor, even to maybe another county.  He agreed to remove the sign and 2 others close by at the request of the other signs owners.  

The third item was a licensing agreement with the City of Arcata for the Rails With Trails Project.  Doby Class and Netra Khatri from Arcata Public Works updated the project and the Properties committee unanimously voted to move this licensing agreement forward to the NCRA Directors . This project will start in April! Only a few months away!

On Thursday I chaired the Trial Ad Hoc Committee and two items were before us. The first was a City of Eureka Abatement notice sent to CUE, VI LLC (Security National) to remove all locomotive engines on their property. The City said they would remove and dispose and charge the land owners. Security National representative Dane Grytness was present to explain his research and his willingness to entertain all resolutions to the issue. North Western Pacific Co. (NWPco.)  President John Williams had three different solutions to the issue. 1. Hide them somewhere else. 2. Move them. 3. Put a decorative fence around them. The City of Arcata volunteered to dismantle as scrap. The board will discuss this item at a later date.

The last item was to allow NWPco. to do the inspections for the “Speeder” train excursions. We voted unanimously to endorse this item to the full board.

The next NCRA meeting will be February 11^th at 10:30pm in Healdsburg, California.