Remodeled space to open up this fall
Humboldt Sentinel
1/21/09
By Sentinel Staff
ARCATA -- The Humboldt State University Library has begun construction of an Internet café, the second phase of a project to upgrade the library’s technology.
Scheduled to open this fall, the Internet café will be in the library’s southeast corner, in back of the first floor main lobby just west of the circulation desk. The remodeled food-friendly space will feature Internet docking tables, data ports, a cluster of electrical outlets, suitable tables and chairs, diner-style booth seating, a coffee stand, food services and vending machines.
Concurrently, the Library’s Learning Commons of 24 computer workstations put into operation in March, 2008 will undergo a major expansion from its first floor site with space for students in nearly 60 offices in the basement, left vacant after many faculty transferred to the new Behavioral and Social Sciences Building in 2007.
Library faculty have already begun moving downstairs, where students will have access to new spaces for study, multimedia presentations and collaboration; an exercise room equipped with treadmills and Stairmasters; and a ‘quiet’ area for students who prefer traditional forms of study. Eventually some of these spaces will be equipped as smart classrooms.
“On a residential campus like ours, the Library is a hub and a home away from home, not only for resident students, but also for out-of-state and international students,” said Dr. Ray Wang, Interim Dean of the Library.
“The Internet café, the presentation and collaboration spaces, the exercise room all make sense as a convenient and inviting place where students, faculty and staff can decompress, relax,” continued Wang. “I believe these new assets will play a big role in retention. Today’s students expect their university to have an Internet Café, they consider it a given.”
The Learning Commons initiative, funded in part by $5,000 from University Advancement’s Parent and Family Fund, is designed to foster independent research and centralize academic support services. It provides near-instant access to the computer help desk, math tutoring, media distribution and a full roster of HSU centers: Learning, advising, testing, university writing and the Student Disability Resource Center, which will be making its new home in the Library basement quarters.
This pooling of resources will expand with a rising number of campus partners in the next several years, Wang said.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Redwood ACLU Holds Local Election Reform Forum
Keynote speaker Steve Chessin to discuss choice voting
Humboldt Sentinel
1/21/09
By Sentinel Staff
EUREKA -- Redwood ACLU’s Jan. 28 forum is headlined by election reform advocate Steve Chessin, who will talk about efforts to change the California electoral system.
“We’re very proud to be able to provide this forum featuring such a prominent statewide advocate of choice voting, which would greatly improve the functioning of our local and state elections.” said Redwood ACLU chair Christina Allbright. “It’s about time our community leaders sat down in the same room to discuss what positive steps can be taken to reform our election process in ways which conform with our constitutional values.”
Steve Chessin is the President of Californians for Electoral Reform, a statewide organization pushing for choice voting, which lets voters to rank candidates by order of preference. Choice voting has been used in San Francisco city elections for several years.
Chessin, a software engineer from Mountain View, is also a member of the Democratic Party state executive board. The forum’s panel, however, features local speakers from across the political spectrum, including:
Carolyn Crnich, the Clerk-Recorder of Humboldt County, will discuss the Humboldt Transparency Project and the recent decision to move away from the Diebold/Premiere vote-counting system for local elections.
Patrick Higgins, a Humboldt Harbor Commissioner and an advocate of the California Clean Money Campaign, will review efforts to establish public financing of election campaigns.
Chris Crawford, a Eureka Chamber of Commerce board member and the organizer of “No on Measure T,” will present his proposal for campaign contribution limits on private financing of local election campaigns.
Greg Allen, a founding member of the Humboldt County Election Advisory Committee and the Vice Chair of the Redwood ACLU, will provide an overview of the use, and misuse, of the local ballot initiative process and his idea to provide prior legal review of ballot measures before they are presented to voters.
Dave Ogden, the founder of the Eureka Civic Association and the Chair of the Eureka Finance Advisory Committee, will look at reform of Eureka’s Ward system to make it a “true” ward system where only residents of a particular ward would vote on that ward’s City Council member.
“The Redwood ACLU has an important role to play in improving this process, not only as a public service, but to make sure that election reform measures we do support are given a fair hearing, instead of being tainted by the immature and unprofessional conduct associated with recent campaigns,” Allen said. “We have a real duty, a professional responsibility to do it right.”
For information, call the Redwood ACLU at 707-442-4419 or visit redwoodaclu.blogspot.com.
Humboldt Sentinel
1/21/09
By Sentinel Staff
EUREKA -- Redwood ACLU’s Jan. 28 forum is headlined by election reform advocate Steve Chessin, who will talk about efforts to change the California electoral system.
“We’re very proud to be able to provide this forum featuring such a prominent statewide advocate of choice voting, which would greatly improve the functioning of our local and state elections.” said Redwood ACLU chair Christina Allbright. “It’s about time our community leaders sat down in the same room to discuss what positive steps can be taken to reform our election process in ways which conform with our constitutional values.”
Steve Chessin is the President of Californians for Electoral Reform, a statewide organization pushing for choice voting, which lets voters to rank candidates by order of preference. Choice voting has been used in San Francisco city elections for several years.
Chessin, a software engineer from Mountain View, is also a member of the Democratic Party state executive board. The forum’s panel, however, features local speakers from across the political spectrum, including:
Carolyn Crnich, the Clerk-Recorder of Humboldt County, will discuss the Humboldt Transparency Project and the recent decision to move away from the Diebold/Premiere vote-counting system for local elections.
Patrick Higgins, a Humboldt Harbor Commissioner and an advocate of the California Clean Money Campaign, will review efforts to establish public financing of election campaigns.
Chris Crawford, a Eureka Chamber of Commerce board member and the organizer of “No on Measure T,” will present his proposal for campaign contribution limits on private financing of local election campaigns.
Greg Allen, a founding member of the Humboldt County Election Advisory Committee and the Vice Chair of the Redwood ACLU, will provide an overview of the use, and misuse, of the local ballot initiative process and his idea to provide prior legal review of ballot measures before they are presented to voters.
Dave Ogden, the founder of the Eureka Civic Association and the Chair of the Eureka Finance Advisory Committee, will look at reform of Eureka’s Ward system to make it a “true” ward system where only residents of a particular ward would vote on that ward’s City Council member.
“The Redwood ACLU has an important role to play in improving this process, not only as a public service, but to make sure that election reform measures we do support are given a fair hearing, instead of being tainted by the immature and unprofessional conduct associated with recent campaigns,” Allen said. “We have a real duty, a professional responsibility to do it right.”
For information, call the Redwood ACLU at 707-442-4419 or visit redwoodaclu.blogspot.com.
Friday, January 9, 2009
HSU Alum Named Associate Chief Of Forest Service
Hank Kashdan previously served as USFS budget director
Humboldt Sentinel
1/9/08
By Sentinel Staff
ARCATA -- Humboldt State University alumnus Hank Kashdan (’73) has been named associate chief for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service based in Washington, D.C.
“Hank brings 35 years of operational and natural resource management experience from all levels of the agency to this position,” department chief Abigail Kimbell said. “He has been a key figure in our efforts to address a new safety culture, managerial discipline and centralized services, as well as reinvigoration of our Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers.”
Kashdan, who became a senior executive in 2001 when he was appointed Forest Service budget director, said he welcomed “the challenges of the future as we work the crucial decisions and demands on natural resources.”
The Humboldt State alumnus earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1973 and has served in a variety of positions at the Forest Service, including assistant director in law enforcement and national forest administrative officer.
Kashdan was assigned to duty stations in California, Oregon, Washington State, Arizona, Idaho and Montana before his transfer to Washington, D.C., in 1993.
Humboldt Sentinel
1/9/08
By Sentinel Staff
ARCATA -- Humboldt State University alumnus Hank Kashdan (’73) has been named associate chief for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service based in Washington, D.C.
“Hank brings 35 years of operational and natural resource management experience from all levels of the agency to this position,” department chief Abigail Kimbell said. “He has been a key figure in our efforts to address a new safety culture, managerial discipline and centralized services, as well as reinvigoration of our Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers.”
Kashdan, who became a senior executive in 2001 when he was appointed Forest Service budget director, said he welcomed “the challenges of the future as we work the crucial decisions and demands on natural resources.”
The Humboldt State alumnus earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1973 and has served in a variety of positions at the Forest Service, including assistant director in law enforcement and national forest administrative officer.
Kashdan was assigned to duty stations in California, Oregon, Washington State, Arizona, Idaho and Montana before his transfer to Washington, D.C., in 1993.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Legislators Seek Ban On Recreational Gold Mining
Suction dredge mining seen as harmful to salmon fishing
Humboldt Sentinel
1/8/09
By Charles Douglas
SACRAMENTO -- Local legislators lined up with Native American and environmental groups this week in support of emergency restrictions on recreational gold mining along the Klamath River and its tributaries.
While such a ban wouldn’t quite end the practice of panning for gold on the riverbanks, the practice of suction dredging -- the use of fossil-fuel-powered engines on floating pontoons to vacuum hose the bottom of the river – is widely seen as making watercourses murky and unfit for salmon spawning.
The North Coast’s assemblymember, Wes Chesbro (Dem. – Arcata) and state senator, Pat Wiggins (Dem. – Santa Rosa) co-signed a letter with several other legislators to the California Department of Fish and Game and the State Water Resources Control Board demanding the imposition of ad-hoc regulations.
“California is currently facing precipitous declines in its once-thriving populations of native salmon, steelhead and wild trout,” the letter stated. “Therefore, all ocean fishing for salmon was banned in 2008 and is likely to be similarly prohibited in 2009. We see no rationale or basis for allowing the regulatory status quo to remain in place for in-stream mining activities that DFG already acknowledges is harming fish…”
DFG is more than 18 months behind schedule in completing a regulatory overhaul required by a court order issued in December 2006, and is just now starting the process. New environmental standards will not be issued until 2011 at the earliest, according to a release from Wiggins spokesperson David Miller.
In addition to Wiggins and Chesbro, other signatories to the letter sent Monday were Senator Fran Pavley (Dem. - Agoura Hills), chair of the Senate Natural Resources Committee; Senator Lois Wolk (Dem. - Davis); and Assemblymember Jared Huffman (Dem. - San Rafael), chair of the Assembly Water Parks and Wildlife Committee. Wiggins also chairs the Joint Legislative Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture.
Environmentally-leaning elected officials weren’t the originators of the emergency regulations proposal, however; late last month, the Karuk Tribe and three environmental organizations filed a petition with DFG director Donald Koch seeking particular time restrictions on dredging during the July 1 through Sept. 15 spawning season in the Klamath River watershed. Their petition also sought to tack on absolute restrictions on dredging along the Feather River, North Fork American River, Rubicon River, and smaller creeks in the northern Sierra Nevada mountain range.
The Karuk, along with California Trout, Friends of the North Fork and the Sierra Fund, cite federal studies noting a 73% decline in returning coho salmon adults in 2008, compared to just three years before.
“An April 2008 report released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration finds that the lack of demonstrably viable coho populations, lack of redundancy in viable populations, and substantial gaps in coho distribution, all ‘strongly indicate that (the coho) is currently in danger of extinction,’ their petition stated. “This dramatic and recent decline constitutes an emergency situation.”
The vacuums used by suction dredgers drags sediment from the bottom of the river, then passes the stream bed through a sluice box where heavier gold particles can settle into a series of riffles. The rest of the gravel and potentially toxic sediment is simply dumped back into the river. Depending on size, location and density of these machines, the machines can turn a clear running mountain stream or river segment into a murky watercourse unfit for survival of spawning salmon or their young, according to Wiggins.
“California is suffering from an historical collapse of vital fisheries,” she said. “The alarming decline in once-thriving populations of native salmon, steelhead and wild trout which forced government regulators to close the fishing season last spring may likely occur again in 2009.”
“This crisis has caused tremendous hardships for fishermen, their families and the North Coast economy. We must do everything we can to protect the fisheries which are essential to their survival, especially in today’s depressed economic environment.”
DFG was previously obligated, under the 2006 settlement of a previous lawsuit brought by the Karuk Tribe, to complete an environmental review and overhaul of suction dredge regulations. However, July 1 of last year came, and went, without state authorities meeting this deadline, despite the ongoing violation of the Fish and Game Code relating to the taking of threatened fish species.
The environmental groups involved also claim DFG is allowing violations of the federal Clean Water Act due to the lack of permitting for dredging activities, possibly providing grounds for a further lawsuit entangling an already embattled state agency.
Humboldt Sentinel
1/8/09
By Charles Douglas
SACRAMENTO -- Local legislators lined up with Native American and environmental groups this week in support of emergency restrictions on recreational gold mining along the Klamath River and its tributaries.
While such a ban wouldn’t quite end the practice of panning for gold on the riverbanks, the practice of suction dredging -- the use of fossil-fuel-powered engines on floating pontoons to vacuum hose the bottom of the river – is widely seen as making watercourses murky and unfit for salmon spawning.
The North Coast’s assemblymember, Wes Chesbro (Dem. – Arcata) and state senator, Pat Wiggins (Dem. – Santa Rosa) co-signed a letter with several other legislators to the California Department of Fish and Game and the State Water Resources Control Board demanding the imposition of ad-hoc regulations.
“California is currently facing precipitous declines in its once-thriving populations of native salmon, steelhead and wild trout,” the letter stated. “Therefore, all ocean fishing for salmon was banned in 2008 and is likely to be similarly prohibited in 2009. We see no rationale or basis for allowing the regulatory status quo to remain in place for in-stream mining activities that DFG already acknowledges is harming fish…”
DFG is more than 18 months behind schedule in completing a regulatory overhaul required by a court order issued in December 2006, and is just now starting the process. New environmental standards will not be issued until 2011 at the earliest, according to a release from Wiggins spokesperson David Miller.
In addition to Wiggins and Chesbro, other signatories to the letter sent Monday were Senator Fran Pavley (Dem. - Agoura Hills), chair of the Senate Natural Resources Committee; Senator Lois Wolk (Dem. - Davis); and Assemblymember Jared Huffman (Dem. - San Rafael), chair of the Assembly Water Parks and Wildlife Committee. Wiggins also chairs the Joint Legislative Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture.
Environmentally-leaning elected officials weren’t the originators of the emergency regulations proposal, however; late last month, the Karuk Tribe and three environmental organizations filed a petition with DFG director Donald Koch seeking particular time restrictions on dredging during the July 1 through Sept. 15 spawning season in the Klamath River watershed. Their petition also sought to tack on absolute restrictions on dredging along the Feather River, North Fork American River, Rubicon River, and smaller creeks in the northern Sierra Nevada mountain range.
The Karuk, along with California Trout, Friends of the North Fork and the Sierra Fund, cite federal studies noting a 73% decline in returning coho salmon adults in 2008, compared to just three years before.
“An April 2008 report released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration finds that the lack of demonstrably viable coho populations, lack of redundancy in viable populations, and substantial gaps in coho distribution, all ‘strongly indicate that (the coho) is currently in danger of extinction,’ their petition stated. “This dramatic and recent decline constitutes an emergency situation.”
The vacuums used by suction dredgers drags sediment from the bottom of the river, then passes the stream bed through a sluice box where heavier gold particles can settle into a series of riffles. The rest of the gravel and potentially toxic sediment is simply dumped back into the river. Depending on size, location and density of these machines, the machines can turn a clear running mountain stream or river segment into a murky watercourse unfit for survival of spawning salmon or their young, according to Wiggins.
“California is suffering from an historical collapse of vital fisheries,” she said. “The alarming decline in once-thriving populations of native salmon, steelhead and wild trout which forced government regulators to close the fishing season last spring may likely occur again in 2009.”
“This crisis has caused tremendous hardships for fishermen, their families and the North Coast economy. We must do everything we can to protect the fisheries which are essential to their survival, especially in today’s depressed economic environment.”
DFG was previously obligated, under the 2006 settlement of a previous lawsuit brought by the Karuk Tribe, to complete an environmental review and overhaul of suction dredge regulations. However, July 1 of last year came, and went, without state authorities meeting this deadline, despite the ongoing violation of the Fish and Game Code relating to the taking of threatened fish species.
The environmental groups involved also claim DFG is allowing violations of the federal Clean Water Act due to the lack of permitting for dredging activities, possibly providing grounds for a further lawsuit entangling an already embattled state agency.
The Difficulty Of Being An Informed American
Function of the “mainstream media” to sell products and to brainwash
Humboldt Sentinel
1/8/09
By Paul Craig Roberts
The American print and TV media have never been very good. These days they are horrible. If people intend to be informed, they must turn to foreign news broadcasts, to Internet sites, to foreign newspapers available on the Internet, or to alternative newspapers that are springing up in various cities. A person who sits in front of Murdoch’s Fox “News” or CNN or who reads the New York Times is simply being brainwashed with propaganda.
Before conservatives nod their heads in agreement, I’m not referring to “the liberal media.” I mean the propaganda that issues from the US government and the Israel Lobby.
It was neoconservative Bush regime propaganda fed to America through Judith Miller and the New York Times and through Murdoch’s Fox “News” that convinced Americans that they were in danger from a small secular Arab country half way around the globe called Iraq. It was the American media that convinced Americans that getting rid of dangerous “weapons of mass destruction,” weapons that did not exist in Iraq, would be a cakewalk paid for by Iraqi oil revenues.
It is the same propagandistic American print and TV media that have rationalized Bush’s illegal invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan based on seven years of lies and deception.
It is the same media that today provides only Israeli propaganda as “coverage” of the Israeli war crimes in Gaza.
It was the New York Times that spiked for one year the leaked information from the National Security Agency that the Bush regime, in violation of US law, was illegally spying on Americans without warrants. The “liberal” New York Times agreed to suppress the story so that Bush would not face reelection under the cloud of his outlaw behavior.
Conservatives think the Washington Post is “liberal media” despite the fact that the editorial and commentary pages are controlled by neocons and their sympathizers.
During the run up to wars and during wars, the American press has always been a propagandist for the government. The only exceptions occurred during the later phases of the Vietnam War and the Contra-Sandinista conflict in Central America. Karen de Young and some others tried to honestly cover the Contras and Sandinistas and were demonized by “patriots” taken in by the government’s lies.
Conservatives still blame the “liberal” media for losing the Vietnam War, when in fact all the media did was to provide some truthful reports that opened some American eyes.
When the truth cuts against the position of the US government, conservatives see it as “liberal.”
When propaganda supports the government’s lies, conservatives see it as “patriotic.”
However, any resemblance to independent reporting disappeared from the American media when the Democratic regime of President Clinton allowed Murdoch and a small handful of moguls to concentrate the American media in a few corporate hands. That was the end of American reporting.
Journalists disappeared from media management and were replaced by corporate advertising executives with an eye not to offend any source of advertising revenue, and certainly not to offend the government, which controls the broadcast licenses that comprise the value of the mega-companies. Today reporters write the stories that their masters want to hear, or they are out. The function of editors is to make certain that no uncomfortable information reaches the public.
The public is slowly catching on, and the print media is dying. The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and Los Angeles Times are all on the ropes. Americans are still subjected to Fox “News” and CNN propaganda piped into airport waiting rooms, doctors’ offices, and exercise centers.
People ask me where they can get reliable information. I tell them that their goal cannot be reached without their commitment of time.
People who have access to television services that provide English language foreign broadcasts, such as Iran’s Press TV, Russia Today, or Al Jazeera, can get get news and insights from those parts of the world demonized by the US media.
The BBC World Service still reports facts while covering itself by providing the views of the US, UK, and Israeli governments.
Both the Asia Times and Israeli newspapers, such as Haaretz can be read online in English. There are other such newspapers, and all of them provide information that Americans will never see in their own media. Any American newspaper that was as truthful about the Israeli government as Haaretz would be closed down.
The only US print source with which I am familiar in which some honest reporting can be found on a regular basis is the McClatchy papers.
Americans addicted to print media must turn to alternative newspapers, which tend to be weekly or bi-weekly. However, the news and commentary provided are often superb..
Alternative newspapers are often the children of people motivated by a sense of justice and the love of truth. Such people have become an endangered species in the American “mainstream media.” The free press Americans have today is online and in the alternative media.
The function of the “mainstream media” is to sell products and to brainwash the audience for the government and interest groups. By subscribing to it, Americans support their own brainwashing.
Paul Craig Roberts, a former associate editor and columnist for the Wall Street Journal, columnist for Business Week, and columnist for the Scripps Howard Newspapers, was the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury under Ronald Reagan.
Humboldt Sentinel
1/8/09
By Paul Craig Roberts
The American print and TV media have never been very good. These days they are horrible. If people intend to be informed, they must turn to foreign news broadcasts, to Internet sites, to foreign newspapers available on the Internet, or to alternative newspapers that are springing up in various cities. A person who sits in front of Murdoch’s Fox “News” or CNN or who reads the New York Times is simply being brainwashed with propaganda.
Before conservatives nod their heads in agreement, I’m not referring to “the liberal media.” I mean the propaganda that issues from the US government and the Israel Lobby.
It was neoconservative Bush regime propaganda fed to America through Judith Miller and the New York Times and through Murdoch’s Fox “News” that convinced Americans that they were in danger from a small secular Arab country half way around the globe called Iraq. It was the American media that convinced Americans that getting rid of dangerous “weapons of mass destruction,” weapons that did not exist in Iraq, would be a cakewalk paid for by Iraqi oil revenues.
It is the same propagandistic American print and TV media that have rationalized Bush’s illegal invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan based on seven years of lies and deception.
It is the same media that today provides only Israeli propaganda as “coverage” of the Israeli war crimes in Gaza.
It was the New York Times that spiked for one year the leaked information from the National Security Agency that the Bush regime, in violation of US law, was illegally spying on Americans without warrants. The “liberal” New York Times agreed to suppress the story so that Bush would not face reelection under the cloud of his outlaw behavior.
Conservatives think the Washington Post is “liberal media” despite the fact that the editorial and commentary pages are controlled by neocons and their sympathizers.
During the run up to wars and during wars, the American press has always been a propagandist for the government. The only exceptions occurred during the later phases of the Vietnam War and the Contra-Sandinista conflict in Central America. Karen de Young and some others tried to honestly cover the Contras and Sandinistas and were demonized by “patriots” taken in by the government’s lies.
Conservatives still blame the “liberal” media for losing the Vietnam War, when in fact all the media did was to provide some truthful reports that opened some American eyes.
When the truth cuts against the position of the US government, conservatives see it as “liberal.”
When propaganda supports the government’s lies, conservatives see it as “patriotic.”
However, any resemblance to independent reporting disappeared from the American media when the Democratic regime of President Clinton allowed Murdoch and a small handful of moguls to concentrate the American media in a few corporate hands. That was the end of American reporting.
Journalists disappeared from media management and were replaced by corporate advertising executives with an eye not to offend any source of advertising revenue, and certainly not to offend the government, which controls the broadcast licenses that comprise the value of the mega-companies. Today reporters write the stories that their masters want to hear, or they are out. The function of editors is to make certain that no uncomfortable information reaches the public.
The public is slowly catching on, and the print media is dying. The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and Los Angeles Times are all on the ropes. Americans are still subjected to Fox “News” and CNN propaganda piped into airport waiting rooms, doctors’ offices, and exercise centers.
People ask me where they can get reliable information. I tell them that their goal cannot be reached without their commitment of time.
People who have access to television services that provide English language foreign broadcasts, such as Iran’s Press TV, Russia Today, or Al Jazeera, can get get news and insights from those parts of the world demonized by the US media.
The BBC World Service still reports facts while covering itself by providing the views of the US, UK, and Israeli governments.
Both the Asia Times and Israeli newspapers, such as Haaretz can be read online in English. There are other such newspapers, and all of them provide information that Americans will never see in their own media. Any American newspaper that was as truthful about the Israeli government as Haaretz would be closed down.
The only US print source with which I am familiar in which some honest reporting can be found on a regular basis is the McClatchy papers.
Americans addicted to print media must turn to alternative newspapers, which tend to be weekly or bi-weekly. However, the news and commentary provided are often superb..
Alternative newspapers are often the children of people motivated by a sense of justice and the love of truth. Such people have become an endangered species in the American “mainstream media.” The free press Americans have today is online and in the alternative media.
The function of the “mainstream media” is to sell products and to brainwash the audience for the government and interest groups. By subscribing to it, Americans support their own brainwashing.
Paul Craig Roberts, a former associate editor and columnist for the Wall Street Journal, columnist for Business Week, and columnist for the Scripps Howard Newspapers, was the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury under Ronald Reagan.
Redwood Tsunami Group Honored For Innovation
Tri-county interagency effort lauded for disaster mitigation efforts
Humboldt Sentinel
1/8/09
By Paul Mann
ARCATA -- The Redwood Coast Tsunami Work Group, a tri-county interagency body that includes Humboldt State University and advances mitigation of coastal earthquake and tsunami hazards, has received an award for excellence in innovation from a regional earthquake consortium headquartered in Sacramento.
Lauded by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services for introducing “live code” tsunami testing in Humboldt County in March of last year, the Redwood Coast Tsunami Group will be honored by the Western States Seismic Policy Council at its annual conference in February in Salt Lake City.
Dr. Lori Dengler, chair of HSU’s Department of Geology and Director of the University’s Earthquake Education Center, will attend the conference and accept the award on behalf of the group, which represents Humboldt, Del Norte and Mendocino Counties. Formed in 1996, its membership is drawn from local, state and federal agencies as well as relief organizations, coastal land managers and businesses. The current chairs are Troy Nicolini of the National Weather Service in Eureka and Vicki Ozaki of Redwood National Park.
“Humboldt State has played a major role in the creation, maintenance and projects of the Redwood Coast Tsunami Work Group, but its success is as an ad hoc interagency organization,” Dengler said.
James Goltz, Earthquake and Tsunami Program Manager in the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, said the Humboldt County test in March was of great importance because it exercised the last link in the tsunami warning system. “The test was a complete success and virtually our entire approach was vetted through the Redwood Coast Tsunami Work Group. We plan to continue ‘live code’ tests in 2009 and incorporate two additional counties, Del Norte and Mendocino, in addition to Humboldt,” he said. The Redwood group will continue as the main vehicle for the tests in conjunction with the Emergency Alert System, which is activated using the same code and resulting messages that would be used in a real earthquake or tsunami.
Goltz also praised the Redwood organization for its educational materials, including “Living on Shaky Ground,” tsunami inundation maps, county fair exhibits and preparedness workshops.
The Western States Seismic Policy Council promotes initiatives to reduce earthquake losses, in partnership with emergency management, geological surveys and seismic council and commissions at the state level. A non-profit organization, it comprises geologists and emergency managers from 13 states, three U.S. territories, a Canadian province and a Canadian territory. They include California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alaska and Yukon.
The seismic council typically honors five to eight outstanding mitigation programs or projects each year, Dengler said, and the Redwood Coast Tsunami Work Group was nominated for the innovation award by HSU alum and former Humboldt County Third District Supervisor John Woolley (’67, ’68).
Humboldt Sentinel
1/8/09
By Paul Mann
ARCATA -- The Redwood Coast Tsunami Work Group, a tri-county interagency body that includes Humboldt State University and advances mitigation of coastal earthquake and tsunami hazards, has received an award for excellence in innovation from a regional earthquake consortium headquartered in Sacramento.
Lauded by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services for introducing “live code” tsunami testing in Humboldt County in March of last year, the Redwood Coast Tsunami Group will be honored by the Western States Seismic Policy Council at its annual conference in February in Salt Lake City.
Dr. Lori Dengler, chair of HSU’s Department of Geology and Director of the University’s Earthquake Education Center, will attend the conference and accept the award on behalf of the group, which represents Humboldt, Del Norte and Mendocino Counties. Formed in 1996, its membership is drawn from local, state and federal agencies as well as relief organizations, coastal land managers and businesses. The current chairs are Troy Nicolini of the National Weather Service in Eureka and Vicki Ozaki of Redwood National Park.
“Humboldt State has played a major role in the creation, maintenance and projects of the Redwood Coast Tsunami Work Group, but its success is as an ad hoc interagency organization,” Dengler said.
James Goltz, Earthquake and Tsunami Program Manager in the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, said the Humboldt County test in March was of great importance because it exercised the last link in the tsunami warning system. “The test was a complete success and virtually our entire approach was vetted through the Redwood Coast Tsunami Work Group. We plan to continue ‘live code’ tests in 2009 and incorporate two additional counties, Del Norte and Mendocino, in addition to Humboldt,” he said. The Redwood group will continue as the main vehicle for the tests in conjunction with the Emergency Alert System, which is activated using the same code and resulting messages that would be used in a real earthquake or tsunami.
Goltz also praised the Redwood organization for its educational materials, including “Living on Shaky Ground,” tsunami inundation maps, county fair exhibits and preparedness workshops.
The Western States Seismic Policy Council promotes initiatives to reduce earthquake losses, in partnership with emergency management, geological surveys and seismic council and commissions at the state level. A non-profit organization, it comprises geologists and emergency managers from 13 states, three U.S. territories, a Canadian province and a Canadian territory. They include California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alaska and Yukon.
The seismic council typically honors five to eight outstanding mitigation programs or projects each year, Dengler said, and the Redwood Coast Tsunami Work Group was nominated for the innovation award by HSU alum and former Humboldt County Third District Supervisor John Woolley (’67, ’68).
Arcata Police Captain Completes FBI Academy
Investigative, management and fitness training part of federal program
Humboldt Sentinel
1/8/09
By Sentinel Staff
ARCATA -- Foreign troops, federal agents and police from every state in the nation were part of the most recent National Academy Program of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, including the second-in-command of the Arcata Police Department.
Captain Tom Chapman was one of 256 graduates on Dec. 12 from the 235th class of the academy, held at the FBI Training Center at Quantico, Virginia. According to the APD release, FBI director Robert Mueller was the principal speaker at the ceremony.
A total of 42,204 graduates now represent the FBI National Academy since it began in 1935, approximately 24,692 of whom are still active in law enforcement work. It offers 11 weeks of advanced investigative, management, and fitness training, with participants selected for their proven records as professionals within their agencies. Training for the program is provided by FBI Academy instructional staff, special agents, and other staff members holding advanced degrees, many of whom are recognized internationally in their fields of expertise.
Captain Chapman described the program as academically and physically challenging. He is looking forward to bringing the latest in forensic and investigative techniques to Arcata, according to a released statement.
“It was an honor to represent Arcata at the National Academy,” Chapman stated.
Chapman, with the APD since 1994, was promoted to Sergeant in 2000, Lieutenant in 2003 and finally Captain in 2004.
Humboldt Sentinel
1/8/09
By Sentinel Staff
ARCATA -- Foreign troops, federal agents and police from every state in the nation were part of the most recent National Academy Program of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, including the second-in-command of the Arcata Police Department.
Captain Tom Chapman was one of 256 graduates on Dec. 12 from the 235th class of the academy, held at the FBI Training Center at Quantico, Virginia. According to the APD release, FBI director Robert Mueller was the principal speaker at the ceremony.
A total of 42,204 graduates now represent the FBI National Academy since it began in 1935, approximately 24,692 of whom are still active in law enforcement work. It offers 11 weeks of advanced investigative, management, and fitness training, with participants selected for their proven records as professionals within their agencies. Training for the program is provided by FBI Academy instructional staff, special agents, and other staff members holding advanced degrees, many of whom are recognized internationally in their fields of expertise.
Captain Chapman described the program as academically and physically challenging. He is looking forward to bringing the latest in forensic and investigative techniques to Arcata, according to a released statement.
“It was an honor to represent Arcata at the National Academy,” Chapman stated.
Chapman, with the APD since 1994, was promoted to Sergeant in 2000, Lieutenant in 2003 and finally Captain in 2004.
Fellowships Available At State Capitol
State will hire 18 new staffers by May for full-time positions
Humboldt Sentinel
1/8/09
By Sentinel Staff
SACRAMENTO -- Despite an unparalleled state budget crisis and the handing out of IOUs instead of state tax rebates, the California Legislature is still hiring.
State senator Pat Wiggins (Dem. – Santa Rosa) announced Tuesday that she was now accepting applications for the 2009-2010 California Senate Fellows program, with 18 spots available for local college graduates to gain on-the-job experience at the State Capitol.
“Being a Fellow provides an excellent opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge of the legislative process,” Wiggins stated in a release. “Whether your career goals are in the public or private sector, the Senate Fellows program provides valuable training.”
Former Senate Fellows include current members of Congress and the California Legislature, judges, and numerous other elected officials and community leaders. Current Wiggins legislative aide Ana Rodriguez is a former Fellow.
Fellows are assigned to the personal or committee staff of a Senator and also participate in academic seminars with Senators, senior staff, journalists, lobbyists and state government officials. Fellows are paid a stipend of $1,972 per month plus health, vision, and dental benefits.
Wiggins said Fellows experience the broad range of activities conducted in busy Senate offices which includes researching public policy issues, helping develop legislative proposals, analyzing and staffing legislation, assisting with constituent inquiries and casework, participating in meetings as the Senator’s representative, writing press releases and speeches, and performing other delegated tasks. A five-week orientation at the beginning of the program provides background on state government, the legislative process, and major policy issues.
Anyone who will be at least 20 years of age and a graduate of a four-year college or university by Sept. 1, 2009, is eligible to apply. There is no preferred major. Individuals with advanced degrees and those in mid-career are encouraged to apply.
Applications may be requested by calling the Fellows program office at (916) 278-7693, or through Senator Wiggins’ capitol office at (916) 651-4002 or Humboldt County district office (707) 445-6508.
Applications and brochures are also available on the Senate’s Web site (www.sen.ca.gov/ftp/sen/fellows/_home/) and the program Web site (www.csus.edu/calst/senate).
The deadline for submitting applications is February 25, 2009. Eighteen Fellows will be selected in May after an initial screening of applications and a subsequent panel interview of finalists.
Humboldt Sentinel
1/8/09
By Sentinel Staff
SACRAMENTO -- Despite an unparalleled state budget crisis and the handing out of IOUs instead of state tax rebates, the California Legislature is still hiring.
State senator Pat Wiggins (Dem. – Santa Rosa) announced Tuesday that she was now accepting applications for the 2009-2010 California Senate Fellows program, with 18 spots available for local college graduates to gain on-the-job experience at the State Capitol.
“Being a Fellow provides an excellent opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge of the legislative process,” Wiggins stated in a release. “Whether your career goals are in the public or private sector, the Senate Fellows program provides valuable training.”
Former Senate Fellows include current members of Congress and the California Legislature, judges, and numerous other elected officials and community leaders. Current Wiggins legislative aide Ana Rodriguez is a former Fellow.
Fellows are assigned to the personal or committee staff of a Senator and also participate in academic seminars with Senators, senior staff, journalists, lobbyists and state government officials. Fellows are paid a stipend of $1,972 per month plus health, vision, and dental benefits.
Wiggins said Fellows experience the broad range of activities conducted in busy Senate offices which includes researching public policy issues, helping develop legislative proposals, analyzing and staffing legislation, assisting with constituent inquiries and casework, participating in meetings as the Senator’s representative, writing press releases and speeches, and performing other delegated tasks. A five-week orientation at the beginning of the program provides background on state government, the legislative process, and major policy issues.
Anyone who will be at least 20 years of age and a graduate of a four-year college or university by Sept. 1, 2009, is eligible to apply. There is no preferred major. Individuals with advanced degrees and those in mid-career are encouraged to apply.
Applications may be requested by calling the Fellows program office at (916) 278-7693, or through Senator Wiggins’ capitol office at (916) 651-4002 or Humboldt County district office (707) 445-6508.
Applications and brochures are also available on the Senate’s Web site (www.sen.ca.gov/ftp/sen/fellows/_home/) and the program Web site (www.csus.edu/calst/senate).
The deadline for submitting applications is February 25, 2009. Eighteen Fellows will be selected in May after an initial screening of applications and a subsequent panel interview of finalists.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
HSU Welcomes Market Research Requests
Reports produced by business students now available to area companies
Humboldt Sentinel
1/7/09
By Paul Mann
ARCATA -- Humboldt State University’s School of Business welcomes proposals from area companies and clients interested in obtaining marketing research reports prepared by students in the school’s marketing research class, taught by Dr. Nancy Vizenor of the School of Business and Director of the Institute for Entrepreneurship Education.
Proposals are due Wednesday, Jan. 14, and can be submitted via email to Dr. Vizenor at nancy.vizenor@humboldt.edu. A brief summary of research needs, one or two paragraphs, is sufficient. Costs, including copying and binding of the final report, will be about $200.00.
Notification will be made February 6 of projects chosen.
Humboldt Sentinel
1/7/09
By Paul Mann
ARCATA -- Humboldt State University’s School of Business welcomes proposals from area companies and clients interested in obtaining marketing research reports prepared by students in the school’s marketing research class, taught by Dr. Nancy Vizenor of the School of Business and Director of the Institute for Entrepreneurship Education.
Proposals are due Wednesday, Jan. 14, and can be submitted via email to Dr. Vizenor at nancy.vizenor@humboldt.edu. A brief summary of research needs, one or two paragraphs, is sufficient. Costs, including copying and binding of the final report, will be about $200.00.
Notification will be made February 6 of projects chosen.
Fortuna Conducting On-Street Parking Sweep
Grace period ends Jan. 31 for vehicles stored on public property
Humboldt Sentinel
1/7/09
By Sentinel Staff
FORTUNA -- The free ride for local residents who store their vehicles on city streets is coming to an end at the end of this month.
Fortuna Police Department officials announced Monday that this January would constitute a final grace period for autos, trucks, recreational vehicles, trailers and boats stored on city streets and alleys.
Under long-standing state law, people are prohibited from abandoning their vehicle on public property without government consent. Fortuna, like virtually all other local governments, prohibits public parking beyond a 72 hour limit on roadways without particularly specified parking limits.
The City of Fortuna is conducting a month-long education campaign of press releases, public announcements and the issuance of courtesy notices on identified vehicles, requesting vehicle owners to find other parking locations on private property.
“Tagging and enforcing Fortuna Municipal Code and California Vehicle Code sections will begin after the thirty day grace period,” Fortuna Police Department spokesperson Robin Paul stated in a release.
Any questions or comments regarding the 72 hour parking limitations should be directed to Paul at (707) 725-1423.
Humboldt Sentinel
1/7/09
By Sentinel Staff
FORTUNA -- The free ride for local residents who store their vehicles on city streets is coming to an end at the end of this month.
Fortuna Police Department officials announced Monday that this January would constitute a final grace period for autos, trucks, recreational vehicles, trailers and boats stored on city streets and alleys.
Under long-standing state law, people are prohibited from abandoning their vehicle on public property without government consent. Fortuna, like virtually all other local governments, prohibits public parking beyond a 72 hour limit on roadways without particularly specified parking limits.
The City of Fortuna is conducting a month-long education campaign of press releases, public announcements and the issuance of courtesy notices on identified vehicles, requesting vehicle owners to find other parking locations on private property.
“Tagging and enforcing Fortuna Municipal Code and California Vehicle Code sections will begin after the thirty day grace period,” Fortuna Police Department spokesperson Robin Paul stated in a release.
Any questions or comments regarding the 72 hour parking limitations should be directed to Paul at (707) 725-1423.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Thompson Moves To Restore Drilling Ban
Congressman concerned with non-renewal of moratorium by Democratic Congress
Humboldt Sentinel
1/6/09
By Sentinel Staff
WASHINGTON -- The failure of the 110th Congress to maintain the moratorium against new off-shore oil drilling activities off the California coast has been met by a bill to restore the drilling ban on the first day of the 111th Congress today.
Congressman Mike Thompson (Dem – St. Helena) introduced the Northern California Ocean and Coastal Protection Act, which would permanently prohibit oil and gas drilling off the coasts of Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte Counties along Northern California’s outer continental shelf.
“For the economic and biological health of our country, it’s critical that we permanently protect this unique area from the environmental hazards of off-shore drilling,” Thompson stated in the first release of his sixth term in office. “Unfortunately in the last Congress drilling became a political drama, rather than a policy debate. My legislation is one aspect of a broader campaign to restore sensible, science based policy and ensure the health of our oceans for generations.”
The last session of Congress, controlled by the same Democrat majority Thompson is a member of, chose not to renew the moratorium on new off-shore drilling activities which had been in place since 1982. This would leave the North Coast susceptible to drilling in as little as three years, according to Thompson.
“Our coastline is home to one of the four most important upwellings in the world, which together support 20 percent of the ocean’s fish,” he stated. “Drilling on the North Coast doesn’t make sense, either from an economic standpoint or an environmental perspective. By permanently banning drilling, we can provide our coast with the protection it needs, regardless of who is in charge in Washington.”
Upwelling regions are coastal areas that support extremely abundant and productive marine life. This is because an upwelling brings cold, nutrient-rich waters up from the ocean depths that, when combined with sunlight, enhance seaweed and phytoplankton growth. The seaweed and phytoplankton provide energy for some of the most productive ecosystems in the world, including many of the world’s most important fisheries, such as the North Coast fisheries.
Drilling for gas and oil off the Northern Coast of California could cause serious harm to the unique and productive ecosystem and abundant marine life found off the coast, including the fish many local North Coast economies depend on, according to the Congressman.
Humboldt Sentinel
1/6/09
By Sentinel Staff
WASHINGTON -- The failure of the 110th Congress to maintain the moratorium against new off-shore oil drilling activities off the California coast has been met by a bill to restore the drilling ban on the first day of the 111th Congress today.
Congressman Mike Thompson (Dem – St. Helena) introduced the Northern California Ocean and Coastal Protection Act, which would permanently prohibit oil and gas drilling off the coasts of Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte Counties along Northern California’s outer continental shelf.
“For the economic and biological health of our country, it’s critical that we permanently protect this unique area from the environmental hazards of off-shore drilling,” Thompson stated in the first release of his sixth term in office. “Unfortunately in the last Congress drilling became a political drama, rather than a policy debate. My legislation is one aspect of a broader campaign to restore sensible, science based policy and ensure the health of our oceans for generations.”
The last session of Congress, controlled by the same Democrat majority Thompson is a member of, chose not to renew the moratorium on new off-shore drilling activities which had been in place since 1982. This would leave the North Coast susceptible to drilling in as little as three years, according to Thompson.
“Our coastline is home to one of the four most important upwellings in the world, which together support 20 percent of the ocean’s fish,” he stated. “Drilling on the North Coast doesn’t make sense, either from an economic standpoint or an environmental perspective. By permanently banning drilling, we can provide our coast with the protection it needs, regardless of who is in charge in Washington.”
Upwelling regions are coastal areas that support extremely abundant and productive marine life. This is because an upwelling brings cold, nutrient-rich waters up from the ocean depths that, when combined with sunlight, enhance seaweed and phytoplankton growth. The seaweed and phytoplankton provide energy for some of the most productive ecosystems in the world, including many of the world’s most important fisheries, such as the North Coast fisheries.
Drilling for gas and oil off the Northern Coast of California could cause serious harm to the unique and productive ecosystem and abundant marine life found off the coast, including the fish many local North Coast economies depend on, according to the Congressman.
Art For Social Change Coming To Campus
Proposals due Jan. 26 for knowledge and skill-sharing workshops
Humboldt Sentinel
1/6/09
By Paul Mann
ARCATA – Humboldt State University’s MultiCultural Center welcomes workshop proposals through Monday, Jan. 26, for the 2009 Social Justice Summit, “Art for Social Change: Discovering the Art in Your Activism, Discovering the Activism in Your Art,” March 6-7 in the Kate Buchanan Room.
The center has divided the interactive workshops into two segments: “Knowledge Sharing” (90 minutes) and Skill Sharing (90 minutes or three hours). Candidate subjects for Knowledge Sharing include immigration issues, integrating social justice into the academic curriculum, the ‘decolonization’ of education, strategies for community social change and the dismantling of privilege. Skill Sharing involves artists and activists who teach practical lessons in film making, community organizing, murals, poetry, guerilla theater, and silk screening and stenciling, among others.
Workshop proposals can be submitted online at http://studentaffairs.humboldt.edu/multicultural/summit/index.php.
Co-coordinators of the 15th annual summit (formerly known as the Diversity Conference) are Ranjan Hatch (rdh4@humboldt.edu) and Saqib Keval (sak34@humboldt.edu).
Registration fees are $15.00 for students and $45.00 general. Summit participants can register for a one-unit course in Ethnic Studies (ES 480, CRN 21926), Women’s Studies (WS 480, CRN 24283) and Sociology (SOC 494, CRN 24794).
For more information, dial the MultiCultural Center’s Mona Mazzotti at (707) 826-3369 or email her at mmazzotti@humboldt.edu.
The MultiCultural Center is a student-initiated program to foster understanding of diversity and multi-ethnic perspectives. It is located in the Balabanis House on the south side of the University Library.
Humboldt Sentinel
1/6/09
By Paul Mann
ARCATA – Humboldt State University’s MultiCultural Center welcomes workshop proposals through Monday, Jan. 26, for the 2009 Social Justice Summit, “Art for Social Change: Discovering the Art in Your Activism, Discovering the Activism in Your Art,” March 6-7 in the Kate Buchanan Room.
The center has divided the interactive workshops into two segments: “Knowledge Sharing” (90 minutes) and Skill Sharing (90 minutes or three hours). Candidate subjects for Knowledge Sharing include immigration issues, integrating social justice into the academic curriculum, the ‘decolonization’ of education, strategies for community social change and the dismantling of privilege. Skill Sharing involves artists and activists who teach practical lessons in film making, community organizing, murals, poetry, guerilla theater, and silk screening and stenciling, among others.
Workshop proposals can be submitted online at http://studentaffairs.humboldt.edu/multicultural/summit/index.php.
Co-coordinators of the 15th annual summit (formerly known as the Diversity Conference) are Ranjan Hatch (rdh4@humboldt.edu) and Saqib Keval (sak34@humboldt.edu).
Registration fees are $15.00 for students and $45.00 general. Summit participants can register for a one-unit course in Ethnic Studies (ES 480, CRN 21926), Women’s Studies (WS 480, CRN 24283) and Sociology (SOC 494, CRN 24794).
For more information, dial the MultiCultural Center’s Mona Mazzotti at (707) 826-3369 or email her at mmazzotti@humboldt.edu.
The MultiCultural Center is a student-initiated program to foster understanding of diversity and multi-ethnic perspectives. It is located in the Balabanis House on the south side of the University Library.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Supervisors Choose New Chair, Vice Chair Tomorrow
Speed limits coming for Briceland Road and Shelter Cove Road
Humboldt Sentinel
1/5/09
By Sentinel Staff
EUREKA -- Having seated their newly elected members today, Supervisors hold their first full session of the year tomorrow morning, when they will elect new leadership for 2009.
Jill Geist, who legally changed her name to Jill Duffy as of Jan. 1, served as chair for the last year. She is likely to hand the reigns over to either long-time supervisor Bonnie Neely or re-elected supervisor Jimmy Smith.
On the Board of Supervisors after their successful campaigns last year were Fortuna business owner Clif Clendenen of the Second District and Arcata environmental lobbyist Mark Lovelace of the Third District. They each took their oath, along with Smith, before a packed audience of supporters at the courthouse today.
Supervisors are set to finalize the setting of 35 mile-per-hour speed limits for Briceland Thorne Road and Shelter Cove, covering essentially all the roadway between Shelter Cove and Redway. Local residents have long complained about hazardous conditions on this rural connector, and a recent traffic survey recommended this move.
Humboldt Sentinel
1/5/09
By Sentinel Staff
EUREKA -- Having seated their newly elected members today, Supervisors hold their first full session of the year tomorrow morning, when they will elect new leadership for 2009.
Jill Geist, who legally changed her name to Jill Duffy as of Jan. 1, served as chair for the last year. She is likely to hand the reigns over to either long-time supervisor Bonnie Neely or re-elected supervisor Jimmy Smith.
On the Board of Supervisors after their successful campaigns last year were Fortuna business owner Clif Clendenen of the Second District and Arcata environmental lobbyist Mark Lovelace of the Third District. They each took their oath, along with Smith, before a packed audience of supporters at the courthouse today.
Supervisors are set to finalize the setting of 35 mile-per-hour speed limits for Briceland Thorne Road and Shelter Cove, covering essentially all the roadway between Shelter Cove and Redway. Local residents have long complained about hazardous conditions on this rural connector, and a recent traffic survey recommended this move.
Senior Run Over, Trapped Under Vehicle In Accident
Grisly scene in Northtown, with 69-year-old man suffering major injuries
Humboldt Sentinel
1/5/09
By Sentinel Staff
ARCATA -- A vehicle-versus-pedestrian collision in Northtown this morning resulted in grievous injury to an unidentified senior citizen.
At about 11:30 a.m., Arcata Police Department and Arcata Fire Department officials responded to the intersection of Seventeenth and H Street, along with Arcata Ambulence personnel. They found a man partially trapped under the vehicle which struck him, and upon extricating him, his major injuries were stabilized on scene and he was transported to Mad River Community Hospital. Due to his injuries, he was airlifted later today to Mercy Hospital in Redding, according to a statement by APD sergeant Dave Brown.
“This incident appears to be a tragic accident,” he stated. “…no charges are anticipated.”
Officers from the California Highway Patrol assisted in the investigation. The vehicle driver, a minor, was not injured in the collision, and following the investigation, he was released to his parents at the scene.
The APD encouraged all drivers, riders and pedestrians to use caution in situations where others may be using the roadway, and special attention should be paid during rainy weather.
Humboldt Sentinel
1/5/09
By Sentinel Staff
ARCATA -- A vehicle-versus-pedestrian collision in Northtown this morning resulted in grievous injury to an unidentified senior citizen.
At about 11:30 a.m., Arcata Police Department and Arcata Fire Department officials responded to the intersection of Seventeenth and H Street, along with Arcata Ambulence personnel. They found a man partially trapped under the vehicle which struck him, and upon extricating him, his major injuries were stabilized on scene and he was transported to Mad River Community Hospital. Due to his injuries, he was airlifted later today to Mercy Hospital in Redding, according to a statement by APD sergeant Dave Brown.
“This incident appears to be a tragic accident,” he stated. “…no charges are anticipated.”
Officers from the California Highway Patrol assisted in the investigation. The vehicle driver, a minor, was not injured in the collision, and following the investigation, he was released to his parents at the scene.
The APD encouraged all drivers, riders and pedestrians to use caution in situations where others may be using the roadway, and special attention should be paid during rainy weather.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Sick Fox Shot By Police
Fox was showing signs of having rabies
Humboldt Sentinel
1/4/09
By Sentinel Staff
ARCATA -- Police officers answering a report of a sick Fox near Buttermilk Lane and Beverly Drive at about 10 a.m. Saturday followed it to a nearby yard. Since the fox was clearly ill and showing signs of having rabies, the officers shot it to limit risk to people and animals in the area.
Since early fall, Arcata police officers have shot sick foxes in about six similar incidents; several times the foxes have been aggressive. All but one have been encountered in the Sunny Brae and Bayside sections of Arcata; several others have been shot by Bayside residents.
Sunny Brae and Bayside residents as well as people in other areas of Arcata are urged to use caution when encountering foxes under any circumstances.
Feeding pets outside can bring foxes to your yard; take food bowls in at night. Make sure to light dark yards before entering them and use caution when investigating strange noises in your yard at night.
Any fox sightings and encounters should be reported to the Arcata Police Department. For information call Sgt. Dave Brown or the on-duty watch commander at (707) 822-2428.
Humboldt Sentinel
1/4/09
By Sentinel Staff
ARCATA -- Police officers answering a report of a sick Fox near Buttermilk Lane and Beverly Drive at about 10 a.m. Saturday followed it to a nearby yard. Since the fox was clearly ill and showing signs of having rabies, the officers shot it to limit risk to people and animals in the area.
Since early fall, Arcata police officers have shot sick foxes in about six similar incidents; several times the foxes have been aggressive. All but one have been encountered in the Sunny Brae and Bayside sections of Arcata; several others have been shot by Bayside residents.
Sunny Brae and Bayside residents as well as people in other areas of Arcata are urged to use caution when encountering foxes under any circumstances.
Feeding pets outside can bring foxes to your yard; take food bowls in at night. Make sure to light dark yards before entering them and use caution when investigating strange noises in your yard at night.
Any fox sightings and encounters should be reported to the Arcata Police Department. For information call Sgt. Dave Brown or the on-duty watch commander at (707) 822-2428.
Reward Offered For Graffiti Damage
Incident likely to have occurred around midnight on New Year’s
Humboldt Sentinel
1/4/09
By Sentinel Staff
ARCATA -- The Arcata Police Department is offering a $500 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of those responsible for damaging a statue and ATM machine on New Year’s Eve.
Early on New Year’s Day, Arcata police officers discovered someone spray-painted graffiti on the statue of President William McKinley during New Year’s Eve celebrations, probably at about midnight, when several thousand people were on the Plaza.
About the same time, the Washington Mutual Bank ATM at the Jacoby’s Storehouse was also spray-painted with graffiti, presumably by the same vandals.
Anyone with information about the vandalism can call Sgt. Dave Brown or the on-duty watch commander (707) 822-2428.
Humboldt Sentinel
1/4/09
By Sentinel Staff
ARCATA -- The Arcata Police Department is offering a $500 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of those responsible for damaging a statue and ATM machine on New Year’s Eve.
Early on New Year’s Day, Arcata police officers discovered someone spray-painted graffiti on the statue of President William McKinley during New Year’s Eve celebrations, probably at about midnight, when several thousand people were on the Plaza.
About the same time, the Washington Mutual Bank ATM at the Jacoby’s Storehouse was also spray-painted with graffiti, presumably by the same vandals.
Anyone with information about the vandalism can call Sgt. Dave Brown or the on-duty watch commander (707) 822-2428.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Community Forest Manual Features Arcata
Step-by-step advice given on long-term management and stewardship
Humboldt Sentinel
1/3/09
By Sentinel Staff
ARCATA -- The Arcata Community Forest is profiled in “Acquiring and Managing a Community Owned Forest: A Manual for Communities,” a guide for communities interested in establishing a community-owned forest.
“There is a tremendous interest around the country in establishing and utilizing community forests in strategies for regional conservation and community and economic development,” says Mark Andre, Arcata’s Environmental Services director. “We are pleased to be featured in the manual.”
The manual includes step-by-step advice on getting started, engaging the broader community, financing acquisition, and long-term management and stewardship, as well as an extensive, annotated list of additional resources. It can be downloaded free at www.communitiescommittee.org/index.html.
Humboldt Sentinel
1/3/09
By Sentinel Staff
ARCATA -- The Arcata Community Forest is profiled in “Acquiring and Managing a Community Owned Forest: A Manual for Communities,” a guide for communities interested in establishing a community-owned forest.
“There is a tremendous interest around the country in establishing and utilizing community forests in strategies for regional conservation and community and economic development,” says Mark Andre, Arcata’s Environmental Services director. “We are pleased to be featured in the manual.”
The manual includes step-by-step advice on getting started, engaging the broader community, financing acquisition, and long-term management and stewardship, as well as an extensive, annotated list of additional resources. It can be downloaded free at www.communitiescommittee.org/index.html.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Jacoby Creek Forming Youth Board
Land Trust looks to involve ages 16-24 in design of nature hike
Humboldt Sentinel
1/2/08
By Sentinel Staff
The Jacoby Creek Land Trust (JCLT) is forming a youth advisory board to help design a treasure hunt and nature hike at the Kokte Ranch, 2182 Old Arcata Rd.in Bayside.
JCLT hopes to weave ideas and activities of local young people, 16-24 years old, into fun activity. Getting involved in these projects is an excellent opportunity to earn community service and volunteer time, or to build up resumes and college applications. There may be other projects young people can assist with as well.
Ornelas happens to be a newly elected Councilmember in Arcata, but her involvement as a co-founder of the land trust well precedes her career in politics.
For information call Susan Ornelas at (707) 822-0900 or e-mail jclandtrust@yahoo.com.
Humboldt Sentinel
1/2/08
By Sentinel Staff
The Jacoby Creek Land Trust (JCLT) is forming a youth advisory board to help design a treasure hunt and nature hike at the Kokte Ranch, 2182 Old Arcata Rd.in Bayside.
JCLT hopes to weave ideas and activities of local young people, 16-24 years old, into fun activity. Getting involved in these projects is an excellent opportunity to earn community service and volunteer time, or to build up resumes and college applications. There may be other projects young people can assist with as well.
Ornelas happens to be a newly elected Councilmember in Arcata, but her involvement as a co-founder of the land trust well precedes her career in politics.
For information call Susan Ornelas at (707) 822-0900 or e-mail jclandtrust@yahoo.com.
Eureka Considers Relaxing Card Room Rules
Move seen as leveling playing field with Indian casinos
Humboldt Sentinel
1/2/09
By Charles Douglas
EUREKA -- In an apparent move to bolster Eureka’s tourism and entertainment sectors in the emerging economic depression, the City Council is set to consider the removal of rules pertaining to gambling-lite facilities known as card rooms at their meeting Tuesday.
The move was spurred by a letter penned by Thomas Bruner, the owner of T & T Gaming, LLC of Eureka. He specifically requested amendments to the Eureka Municipal Code to remove limits on the hours of operation and the requirement to provide on-site private security. Current rules, Bruner claims, create an unfair business environment for city card rooms as they must compete with local Indian casinos.
Card rooms are already strictly regulated by state law to preclude the presence of many gambling devices, as well as games where the bets are made against the house. Casinos in Blue Lake, Trinidad and Loleta operate under state Indian gaming compacts as authorized by federal law -- and are operated by sovereign tribes.
Current rules prohibit the operation of any card room within Eureka during the hours of 2 a.m. and 10 a.m., weekend mornings excepted. With the nod of city attorney Sheryl Schaffner and after consultation with police chief Garr Nielsen, staff is recommending amendments which would eliminate the morning hour limits and remove the permanent on-site security guard requirement with a regulation necessitating Eureka Police Department approval of an electronic security and surveillance system.
Green Building Program debate
Although no action is contemplated in an otherwise light agenda for Jan. 6, Eureka officials are sure to make their preferences known on a request from the Redwood Coast Energy Authority for the city to begin participation in a volunteer-driven Green Building Program.
Hurdles already foreseen to the project, which would involve all local cities in a joint effort administered by the RCEA, revolve chiefly around funding questions. Staff admit as much to Council in their report, stating that the project will depend largely on the successful acquisition of grant funding to get off the ground.
Green building, according to the RCEA, is a “whole systems approach” to the design, construction and operation of buildings that reduces their demand for energy and water by encouraging conservation, reducing waste, increasing efficiency, making buildings more durable and promoting human health. City staff suggest convening a “Green Team” across various departments to review current policies and match them to a Green Building Code of voluntary standards produced at the state level.
In other news
Officials are almost certain to adopt a contract upgrading the Eureka Fire Department public address system, at a cost estimated at $48,000. Councilmembers are also likely to vote to waive permit fees associated with the Dixieland Jazz Festival coming up in March.
Humboldt Sentinel
1/2/09
By Charles Douglas
EUREKA -- In an apparent move to bolster Eureka’s tourism and entertainment sectors in the emerging economic depression, the City Council is set to consider the removal of rules pertaining to gambling-lite facilities known as card rooms at their meeting Tuesday.
The move was spurred by a letter penned by Thomas Bruner, the owner of T & T Gaming, LLC of Eureka. He specifically requested amendments to the Eureka Municipal Code to remove limits on the hours of operation and the requirement to provide on-site private security. Current rules, Bruner claims, create an unfair business environment for city card rooms as they must compete with local Indian casinos.
Card rooms are already strictly regulated by state law to preclude the presence of many gambling devices, as well as games where the bets are made against the house. Casinos in Blue Lake, Trinidad and Loleta operate under state Indian gaming compacts as authorized by federal law -- and are operated by sovereign tribes.
Current rules prohibit the operation of any card room within Eureka during the hours of 2 a.m. and 10 a.m., weekend mornings excepted. With the nod of city attorney Sheryl Schaffner and after consultation with police chief Garr Nielsen, staff is recommending amendments which would eliminate the morning hour limits and remove the permanent on-site security guard requirement with a regulation necessitating Eureka Police Department approval of an electronic security and surveillance system.
Green Building Program debate
Although no action is contemplated in an otherwise light agenda for Jan. 6, Eureka officials are sure to make their preferences known on a request from the Redwood Coast Energy Authority for the city to begin participation in a volunteer-driven Green Building Program.
Hurdles already foreseen to the project, which would involve all local cities in a joint effort administered by the RCEA, revolve chiefly around funding questions. Staff admit as much to Council in their report, stating that the project will depend largely on the successful acquisition of grant funding to get off the ground.
Green building, according to the RCEA, is a “whole systems approach” to the design, construction and operation of buildings that reduces their demand for energy and water by encouraging conservation, reducing waste, increasing efficiency, making buildings more durable and promoting human health. City staff suggest convening a “Green Team” across various departments to review current policies and match them to a Green Building Code of voluntary standards produced at the state level.
In other news
Officials are almost certain to adopt a contract upgrading the Eureka Fire Department public address system, at a cost estimated at $48,000. Councilmembers are also likely to vote to waive permit fees associated with the Dixieland Jazz Festival coming up in March.
Potentially Toxic Release Contained
Car accident takes down three PG&E poles, causes discharge
Humboldt Sentinel
1/2/09
By Sentinel Staff
ARCATA -- A car accident took down three Pacific Gas & Electric utility poles, downing power and cable lines and causing the discharge of transformer oil, according to a release from county Health and Human Services officials today.
Yesterday’s incident was on Seventh Street between J and K Street, near Amerigas Propane in downtown Arcata.
The oil, which may contain carcinogenic PCBs, was cleaned up quickly by PG&E workers, who also collected a sample to send to Ukiah for analysis. Results are not expected until next week, although environmental health division spokesperson Melissa Martel assured local residents in a statement that storm drains were not impacted, nor were large propane tanks in the vicinity.
Voter-approved Proposition 65 requires county officials to notify local communities of the potential release of toxins into the environment. For more information, contact Environmental Health at (707) 445-6251.
Humboldt Sentinel
1/2/09
By Sentinel Staff
ARCATA -- A car accident took down three Pacific Gas & Electric utility poles, downing power and cable lines and causing the discharge of transformer oil, according to a release from county Health and Human Services officials today.
Yesterday’s incident was on Seventh Street between J and K Street, near Amerigas Propane in downtown Arcata.
The oil, which may contain carcinogenic PCBs, was cleaned up quickly by PG&E workers, who also collected a sample to send to Ukiah for analysis. Results are not expected until next week, although environmental health division spokesperson Melissa Martel assured local residents in a statement that storm drains were not impacted, nor were large propane tanks in the vicinity.
Voter-approved Proposition 65 requires county officials to notify local communities of the potential release of toxins into the environment. For more information, contact Environmental Health at (707) 445-6251.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Seven Outlets Caught In Underage Booze Sales Sweep
Valerie Martinez arrested for furnishing alcohol to a minor, drug possession
Humboldt Sentinel
1/1/09
By Sentinel Staff
EUREKA -- Local law enforcement busied themselves on New Year’s Eve with one last compliance check on local businesses, with 26% flunking the test by selling alcohol to decoys under the age of 21.
“The Eureka Police Department would like to commend the twenty local licensees/businesses that were in compliance and prevented the sale of alcohol to a minor,” sergeant Steve Watson stated in an EPD release.
The seven people who did sell alcohol between 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. yesterday to underage decoys face a fine of up to $250.00, and/or 24 to 32 hours of community service for a first violation. In addition, the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control may take administrative action against the business’s liquor license. That may include a fine, a suspension of the liquor license, or the permanent revocation of the license.
The businesses subject to penalties include Asia Oriental Market, California Market, Circle K/Union 76 on Sixth Street, Lao Oriental Market, Patriot Gasoline on Fourth Street, Patriot Gasoline on the 4100 block of Broadway and Union 76 on Broadway.
During the operation, a decoy also solicited four adults outside local licensed establishments to get them to furnish alcohol. Of the four, one Eureka woman, 49-year-old Valerie Martinez, was arrested for furnishing alcohol to a minor. Martinez was also subsequently found to be in possession of a controlled substance, and was transported to the county jail on charges of drug possession and probation violation.
The EPD listed these businesses as licensed establishments which refused to furnish alcohol to a decoy: Bonomini’s Market, Broadway 76, Chevron on Broadway, Courthouse Market, C&V Market, Handee Market, Harris and K Market, Harris Street Market on West Harris, Longs Drugs on Myrtle Avenue, N&S Liquors, Patriot Gasoline on the 1700 block of Broadway, Pat’s Market, Performance Fuels, Rite Aid on Harris Street, Shell Gasoline on the 2100 block of Fourth Street, Shell Gasoline on the 1300 block of Fifth Street, Shell Gasoline on the 1400 block of Myrtle Avenue and Stop and Shop Market.
Humboldt Sentinel
1/1/09
By Sentinel Staff
EUREKA -- Local law enforcement busied themselves on New Year’s Eve with one last compliance check on local businesses, with 26% flunking the test by selling alcohol to decoys under the age of 21.
“The Eureka Police Department would like to commend the twenty local licensees/businesses that were in compliance and prevented the sale of alcohol to a minor,” sergeant Steve Watson stated in an EPD release.
The seven people who did sell alcohol between 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. yesterday to underage decoys face a fine of up to $250.00, and/or 24 to 32 hours of community service for a first violation. In addition, the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control may take administrative action against the business’s liquor license. That may include a fine, a suspension of the liquor license, or the permanent revocation of the license.
The businesses subject to penalties include Asia Oriental Market, California Market, Circle K/Union 76 on Sixth Street, Lao Oriental Market, Patriot Gasoline on Fourth Street, Patriot Gasoline on the 4100 block of Broadway and Union 76 on Broadway.
During the operation, a decoy also solicited four adults outside local licensed establishments to get them to furnish alcohol. Of the four, one Eureka woman, 49-year-old Valerie Martinez, was arrested for furnishing alcohol to a minor. Martinez was also subsequently found to be in possession of a controlled substance, and was transported to the county jail on charges of drug possession and probation violation.
The EPD listed these businesses as licensed establishments which refused to furnish alcohol to a decoy: Bonomini’s Market, Broadway 76, Chevron on Broadway, Courthouse Market, C&V Market, Handee Market, Harris and K Market, Harris Street Market on West Harris, Longs Drugs on Myrtle Avenue, N&S Liquors, Patriot Gasoline on the 1700 block of Broadway, Pat’s Market, Performance Fuels, Rite Aid on Harris Street, Shell Gasoline on the 2100 block of Fourth Street, Shell Gasoline on the 1300 block of Fifth Street, Shell Gasoline on the 1400 block of Myrtle Avenue and Stop and Shop Market.
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