The Top 10 Stories of 2009

on the cover / By North Coast Journal Staff

(Dec. 24, 2009) 1. Klamath Settlement

About a decade ago, it would be impossible to imagine the agreement that was announced in October. In 2001, you had farmers in the Klamath Basin going rogue, tearing away at the locks that held water from their crops. You had Dick Cheney taking a personal interest in their plight, reaching into his bureaucratic bag of tricks to curry the farmers’ favor. And as a consequence, you had blacklisted fisheries scientists, their reports reversed, and up to 70,000 adult salmon dead on the banks the following year. The fishermen, the farmers, the tribes, the environmentalists — all up and down the Klamath River, the largest and sickest in the region, there was plenty of hate and recrimination to spare.

GALLERY >

Then something miraculous happened. Everyone sat down together, and, for years and years, attempted to work things out on their own. Even the energy giant PacifiCorps, owners of four dirty hydropower dams downstream of the farmers, was eventually brought into the fold. And this year, the groups that held out announced the final bit of a compromise solution that would result in the removal of the hydropower dams, a more equitable and sane system for the distribution of water resources, conservation assistance for the farmers, and a million other matters pertaining to the health and wellbeing of this extremely complicated ecosystem. The parties developed a framework over that time — the settlement agreement — and now they’ll be working to make it happen.

But not everyone made it to the finish line. Did downstream interests compromise too much? The Hoopa Valley Tribe and some enviro groups think so. A rejectionist coalition called “Klamath Conservation Partners,”which is centered locally around the Northcoast Environmental Center, charges, among other things, that the agreement’s extended timeline for dam removal is too long. The conservation partners have drafted alternative legislation that, if passed, would mandate that the dams would start to come down in 2012. How politically viable is this? Without support from upstream farmers and PacifiCorps … not very.

The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors will hold a hearing on the subject next month, right before it takes the all-but-inevitable step of signing on in support the settlement. From there, the battle transfers to the states of California and Oregon and the federal government, all of which will have to pass legislation to get the ball rolling. California’s voters will be obliged to weigh in next year, too — California’s share of dam removal costs are written into Gov. Schwarzenegger’s omnibus water bond measure, which the legislature has placed on the ballot. Tying up Klamath restoration with politically charged issues like the Peripheral Canal is obviously less than ideal — but as with all matters Klamath, there’s the perfect solution and the possible solution.

— Hank Sims

2. Creamgate

The bizarre saga of The Fall of Humboldt Creamery was easily the least expected, most confusing collapse of a local business in years. It began in February with word from Len Mayer, who had just stepped in as the company’s interim CEO. He said longtime CEO Rich Ghilarducci had up and vanished while away on a business trip. “We can’t get hold of him, we can’t contact him, and he says [by lawyer-delivered letter] there’s something wrong with the finances,” Mayer said.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 NEXT PAGE >SHARE

21 Comments

Comment / By Jeff Muskrat / Dec. 24, 2009, 9:50 a.m.

“Then, in quick succession, a couple of questionable PR expenditures. It turned out that the county economic development staff had, with questionable authority, diverted some Fund grant monies into a PR campaign around the politically controversial Richardson Grove realignment project, leading project opponents to howl. And then the Fund gave $44,000 to a $100,000 effort to film some Humboldt County promotional videos for dissemination on YouTube. ”

Not just politically controversial, Hank. Economically controversial as well.

The Richardson Grove Improvement Project(RIP) is a project designed to RIP a hole in the Redwood Curtain for Big Box stores and development sprawl.

The NCJ is dependent upon local business advertisement revenue. I cannot imagine Wal-Mart utilizing the NCJ for advertisements….

You, Hank, made it clear that you were in support of the RIP, even before the Hole in the Headwaters Fund fiasco. http://saverichardsongrove.blogspot.com/2009/04/town-dandy-eats-humboldt-pie.html

Don’t shoot yourself in the foot…

Comment / By Thirdeye / Dec. 24, 2009, 1:51 p.m.

“…there’s the perfect solution and the possible solution.”

Well said. And holding up the “perfect solution” as an excuse to destroy the possible solution is what Humboldt County environmentalists are all about.

Comment / By muskrat lies / Dec. 26, 2009, 7:32 p.m.

Jeff is a liar. Small businesses are more impacted by the lack of a fix to this area of highway than any big boxes ever will be.

Jeff is a liar, because he has been told this over and over, yet continues to try and use the Walmart Bogeyman as a way to try and build opposition to the project.

The FACTS are that big box stores like Target, Costco and others can afford to offload from the STAA trucks to smaller ones in Ukiah, while it is a huge financial detriment to the smaller, locally owned business that Muskrat pretends to defend.

Jeff has been shown that a certified arborist from Berkley, of all places, has signed off on the project.

Fix the road. Save lives.

Comment / By Anon.r.mous / Dec. 28, 2009, 12:18 p.m.

Who would have thought that CR would be having issues and STAA trucks would still have problems in Humboldt County. Has any new big boxes opened since Humboldt County was opened to STAA trucks two years ago?

Comment / By Hank Sims / Dec. 28, 2009, 12:35 p.m.

Goddamn. Those are Anon.r.mous’s issues, all right.

HE IS RISEN?

Comment / By Anon.r.mous / Dec. 28, 2009, 12:57 p.m.

Never died Hank.

And shouldn’t that be Anon.r.mous’ issues?

Comment / By Hank Sims / Dec. 28, 2009, 3:20 p.m.

You’re a regular Joe Hill.

Comment / By Jeff Muskrat / Dec. 29, 2009, 8:05 p.m.

“3. muskrat lies:

Dec. 26, 7:32 p.m.

Jeff is a liar. Small businesses are more impacted by the lack of a fix to this area of highway than any big boxes ever will be.

Jeff is a liar, because he has been told this over and over, yet continues to try and use the Walmart Bogeyman as a way to try and build opposition to the project.

Jeff has been shown that a certified arborist from Berkley, of all places, has signed off on the project.

Fix the road. Save lives.”

Your straw man argument does nothing to support your convictions.

Those who have lived out of the area and watched their hometown overrun by Big Boxes, corporate slavery, empty storefronts of former mom and pop’s as well as rampant drugs, gangs and abandoned homes due to property value declination know better. It is a fact that the citizens of Eureka stood up and fought Wal-Mart, and won. Same with Home Depot…

Local businesses don’t support the project due to the fact that no one up here wants cheap plastic crap from China. They understand their customers needs and desires. We are not yet forced to shop at a Big Box for lack of a quality alternative.

Arborists prune, limb ,and cut down trees. The only rare time that they work with roots is with a stump grinder. A dendrologist is much better qualified to understand the root systems of trees. It is common knowledge that cutting roots affects the tree. Where is your disconnect from this reality?

Probably between your brain and your wallet…

Comment / By muskrat lies / Dec. 30, 2009, 8:43 a.m.

Jeff still dodges the absolute FACT that there already big box stores up here such as Target, Costco and others.

Stopping the road realignment will not be a deterrent to a Walmart or a Home Depot. That’s why his argument is a Straw Man.

Jeff does not speak for loclly owned small business owners who are in favor of this project; to say that local business owners are against the project is a falsehood.

Fix the road. Save lives.

Comment / By Jeff Muskrat / Jan. 1, 1:09 p.m.

“Stopping the road realignment will not be a deterrent to a Walmart or a Home Depot. That’s why his argument is a Straw Man.”

The straw man fallacy occurs in the following pattern:

Person A has position X.
Person B disregards certain key points of X and instead presents the superficially-similar position Y. Thus, Y is a resulting distorted version of X and can be set up in several ways, including:
Presenting a misrepresentation of the opponent’s position and then refuting it, thus giving the appearance that the opponent’s actual position has been refuted.[1]
Quoting an opponent’s words out of context — i.e. choosing quotations which are intentionally misrepresentative of the opponent’s actual intentions (see contextomy and quote mining).[2]
Presenting someone who defends a position poorly as the defender, then refuting that person’s arguments - thus giving the appearance that every upholder of that position (and thus the position itself) has been defeated.[1]
Inventing a fictitious persona with actions or beliefs which are then criticized, implying that the person represents a group of whom the speaker is critical.
Oversimplifying an opponent’s argument, then attacking this oversimplified version.
Person B attacks position Y, concluding that X is false/incorrect/flawed. This sort of “reasoning” is fallacious, because attacking a distorted version of a position fails to constitute an attack on the actual position.

Fix the education system. Save minds…

Comment / By Muskrat Lies / Jan. 1, 8:20 p.m.

Jeff,

Your straw man is that fixing the road will somehow prevent big box stores from relocating.

You have stated that time and time again as a reason for not fixing the road. Walmart and Home Depot are continuously mentioned by YOU.

Problem is, as mentioned time and time again, the Road in its present condition does NOT prevent big box stores from delivering their goods.

Once again - COSTCO, KMART, TARGET, as well as Safeway, Winco and other large chains make their way up to us just fine.

You are in a clear minority here, Jeff. The road needs to be fixed. It’s too f*cking dangerous.

Fix the Road. Save lives. (Your mind is beyond saving).

Comment / By Muskrat Lies / Jan. 1, 8:21 p.m.

First sentence above should read:

Your straw man is that NOT fixing the road will somehow prevent big box stores from relocating.

Comment / By Muskrat Lies / Jan. 1, 8:25 p.m.

From Jeff Muskrat on 12/24: “The Richardson Grove Improvement Project(RIP) is a project designed to RIP a hole in the Redwood Curtain for Big Box stores and development sprawl.”

Jeff, that’s your very first statement in this thread. There, my furry friend, is your straw man, in your own words. Thanks for going to wikipedi or wherever to print the definition of strawman, but you have just been pwned.

As I have stated, big boxes are already here; try and find another argument.

Comment / By Jeff Muskrat / Jan. 2, 8:59 p.m.

“Once again - COSTCO, KMART, TARGET, as well as Safeway, Winco and other large chains make their way up to us just fine. ”

Then why the necessity for the project? Let’s save that $10 million for something worthy…

As for safety: “Large trucks - including tractor-trailers, single-unit trucks, and certain heavy cargo vans with gross weight of more than 10,000 pounds - account for a disproportionate share of traffic deaths based on miles traveled. The fatal crash rate for large trucks is 2.4 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled - more than 50 percent greater than the rate for all vehicles on the roads. People in passenger vehicles are especially vulnerable in collisions with large trucks because of the great difference in weight between cars and large tucks. In two-vehicle crashes involving passenger vehicles and large trucks, 98 percent of the fatalities were occupants of the passenger vehicle. Overweight trucks are even more dangerous than trucks that stay within the current federal weight limits. Overweight trucks not only take longer to brake and are more prone to roll over in crashes, but they also damage roads and bridges at rapidly increasing rates even when slightly overloaded.”

http://www.saferoads.org/dangers-large-trucks

But wait, there’s more…

Comment / By Jeff Muskrat / Jan. 2, 9:06 p.m.

“In addition to wrecking roads and bridges, allowing heavier and longer trucks would mean more fuel consumption and a move away from energy efficiency at a time when reducing fuel use and global warming emissions is a national imperative.

“We need to make transportation choices that cut back on fuel waste and reduce emissions, or we will all pay a steep price,” said Carl Pope, Executive Director of the Sierra Club. “Bigger trucks would mean more fuel wasted and more global warming emissions at a time when all Americans are realizing we need to go in the exact opposite direction. ”

“This is about highway safety and protecting our environment,” said James P. Hoffa, General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. “Teamsters are the safest drivers on the road and know the risks of bigger trucks. Heavier or longer trucks are harder to handle, putting lives at risk, damaging the highway infrastructure and consuming more fuel.” http://www.bluegreenalliance.org/home

No straw man in here. Never attacked your character or over-simplified your position, nor have I distorted your position. Your alias “Muskrat lies” on this post is a Straw Man in itself.

Fix the attention deficit. Save time…

Comment / By Muskrat Lies / Jan. 3, 1:19 p.m.

Once again - COSTCO, KMART, TARGET, as well as Safeway, Winco and other large chains make their way up to us just fine.

Jeff Replies:

“Then why the necessity for the project? Let’s save that $10 million for something worthy… ”

Because, doofus YOU are the only one (other than other loons like Sylvia Derooy) making the argument that fixing the road will open the door to big box stores.

Once again (with feeling):

From Jeff Muskrat on 12/24: “The Richardson Grove Improvement Project(RIP) is a project designed to RIP a hole in the Redwood Curtain for Big Box stores and development sprawl.”

Do you like having circular arguments with YOURSELF, Jeff?

I, and many others want the road fixed for a variety of reasons, the biggest for me being road safety.

It will also be a boon for local small business owners.

Comment / By Jeff Muskrat / Jan. 4, 10:54 a.m.

Maybe you missed it:

“Large trucks - including tractor-trailers, single-unit trucks, and certain heavy cargo vans with gross weight of more than 10,000 pounds - account for a disproportionate share of traffic deaths based on miles traveled. The fatal crash rate for large trucks is 2.4 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled - more than 50 percent greater than the rate for all vehicles on the roads. People in passenger vehicles are especially vulnerable in collisions with large trucks because of the great difference in weight between cars and large tucks. In two-vehicle crashes involving passenger vehicles and large trucks, 98 percent of the fatalities were occupants of the passenger vehicle. Overweight trucks are even more dangerous than trucks that stay within the current federal weight limits. Overweight trucks not only take longer to brake and are more prone to roll over in crashes, but they also damage roads and bridges at rapidly increasing rates even when slightly overloaded.”

http://www.saferoads.org/dangers-large-trucks

Comment / By Jeff Muskrat / Jan. 4, 10:57 a.m.

Let’s all not forget, there are multiple sides to the issue.

Cal-trans wants to spend 10 million dollars of our tax money to widen a two mile section of scenic Hwy 101 through Richardson Grove State Park.($10,000,000)

That’s 5 million dollars a mile.

Through a State Park.

Without wildlife surveys.

The Richardson Grove Improvement Project(RIP) proposes to terminate 87 trees.

The RIP also proposes to cut, fill and pave the roots of 30 Ancient Redwoods that line Redwood Highway 101.

The Cal-trans environmental impact report even acknowledges that the RIP may have a significant impact to the trees and natural surroundings.

The location for the project IS the famous “Redwood Curtain”, where these millennial Redwood Giants can be seen and enjoyed by drivers as they enter the Coastal Redwood section of Scenic Highway 101.

Just recently, the California Department of Transportation(DOT) reported to the State Police Cyber Crime Division that they were “under attack by hostile forces”. They were referring to the 5,100 petition emails sent by the Center for Biological Diversity for their Save Richardson Grove campaign.

Can you guess what the cyber crime division’s response was? That the DOT “was suffering from an acute case of citizen involvement, to which there is no cure”.(Read more at: http://saverichardsongrove.blogspot.com/

Proof positive that WE CAN ALL STOP THIS UNNECESSARY PROJECT TOGETHER! Sign the petition now: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2167/t/5243/p/dia/action/public/index.sjs?action_KEY=1629

Comment / By Anon.r.mous / Jan. 4, 7:18 p.m.

Muskrat is posting crap. About 4000 people each year are killed in large truck (class 8) accidents, over 80% of those accidents where caused by the smaller car or pickup. 54000 people die each year on the roads in which no large truck can be blamed.

Also the newer trucks get better mileage than your beloved Pruis in tons freight moved per gallon. You do understand that some states already allow heavier trucks, and even longer trucks? 120,000 pounds and 57 foot long trailers. Some states even allow two full sized trailers to be towed behind the same power unit.

One of these states is Nevada, who’s roads are in better shape than California, while even allowing for harder weather and heavier trucks. So your lies from Saferoads® are busted.

Comment / By Jeff Muskrat / Jan. 4, 9:55 p.m.

I’m not dissing Nevada, but they allow a lot of controversial things, such as prostitution and gambling.

Instead of gambling with our lives, Cal-trans should back off on the RIP: from:http://www.bluegreenalliance.org/

“The facts are clear: heavier trucks would be dirtier and would unnecessarily contribute to air pollution and global warming,” said David Foster, Executive Director of the Blue Green Alliance. “The Safe Highways and Infrastructure Preservation Act will help prevent truck weights and lengths from increasing while taking action to improve the environment and make America more energy secure.”

These national labor and environmental organizations are working to debunk the arguments of major corporate interests claiming bigger trucks would mean fewer trucks on the road and reduced fuel use. The Teamsters and the Sierra Club said bigger trucks will mean greater challenges for truck drivers and motorists, more fuel squandered and more pollution and global warming emissions.

Today, laws limiting triple trailers and other so-called “longer combination vehicles” apply only to the 46,000 mile Interstate Highway system. The Safe Highways and Infrastructure Preservation Act would apply this standard to the full 160,000 mile NHS, which would save millions of gallons of fuel and billions of taxpayer dollars because limiting truck weight would reduce wear and tear on infrastructure, mainly bridges.

In addition to wrecking roads and bridges, allowing heavier and longer trucks would mean more fuel consumption and a move away from energy efficiency at a time when reducing fuel use and global warming emissions is a national imperative.

Comment / By Anon.r.mous / Jan. 5, 5:27 a.m.

Nice lies.

Anyone care to show me how more trips = cleaner trucks? Here is a hint, it doesn’t.

But as always, we aren’t talking about getting heavier trucks into Humboldt. 80,000 pounds is 80,000 pounds.

→ post a comment

on the cover

Railroad!

Proposed lines ‘set rich blood a-tingling’ in early 1900s

Some Other Proposed North Coast Railroads

Choo-choo Fantasies

Exposing this east-west rail nonsense

editor

We're Not Stenographers

news story

the town dandy

media maven

savage money

mielke

Ernie Bushmiller's Arcata

seven-o-heaven

Undeterred Will

Will chides Andrew for lack of attention to detail and makes plans for his inevitable victory.

mailbox

Pick Clendenen

Likin' Lovelace

The Fightin' 1st

And for Congress ...

Park Jobs Matter

Dog Do's N Don't's

Early Deadlines

Recent on the cover

May 17

Ring of Fire

Sun and moon will perform a rare pas de deux in Humboldt skies on Sunday

May 10

District Soup

Racing for the top county seat in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd districts

May 3

A Place in the Woods

As park closure deadline nears, a scramble to save what we can

Today

44th Annual Kinetic Grand Championship Race

STAFF PICK / events, art, outdoors, sports, for kids, free / 9 a.m.-6 p.m. A 3-day, 42-mile kinetic sculpture race over land, sand, mud and water! LeMans start at the Noon Whistle on the Arcata Plaza. Follow the race through Manila, Eureka and into Ferndale on Memorial Day for the Glorious Finish. kineticgrandchampionship.com. 889-3024.

Flow 2012 Fashion Show

STAFF PICK / events / 8 p.m. Arcata Theatre Lounge, 1036 G St. Student designed and produced clothing. Fundraiser for Arcata Arts Institute. $35/$25 students. artsinstitute.net. 822-1220.

Woodside Preschool's Rummage/Bake Sale

events / 8 a.m.-noon. Woodside Preschool, 900 Hodgson St, Eureka. www.woodsidepreschool.com. 445-9132.

Lanphere Dunes Restoration

STAFF PICK / outdoors / 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Meet at Pacific Union School. Help remove non-native invasives at the Lanphere Dunes Unit of the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Tools and gloves provided, wear work clothes and bring water. Carpool to the protected site. 444-1397.