Give me the restless power of the wind,” wrote lyricist John Hall in an anthem about renewable energy popularized by Peter, Paul and Mary. The phrase evokes sails billowing in the wind, or maybe a cooling breeze on a hot summer’s day. But in reality, wind energy on a scale large enough to power an […]
Elaine Weinreb
Posted inNews
Lack of Water Threatens Trinidad Rancheria Hotel Project
The planned 100-room Trinidad Rancheria hotel at Cher-Ae Heights Casino appears stalled at the state level because of an inability to come up with a definite source of drinking water for the facility. Located on the bluffs of Scenic Drive, a mile south of city limits, the planned hotel is outside of Trinidad’s water service […]
Posted inNews
‘We Were Blindsided:’ Crab Fishing Closure Could Mean Millions in Losses
At the April 9 Humboldt County Board of Supervisors meeting, the security check-in station resembled a metropolitan airport with a long line of people stretched out the courthouse doors and halfway down the stairs to Fifth Street. All seats in the chamber were filled, the space between the chairs and the wall was filled with […]
Posted inNews
Staff Recommends Coastal Commission Object to Trinidad Hotel Project
California Coastal Commission staff issued a highly critical report on the Trinidad Rancheria’s plans for a new hotel on the bluffs of Scenic Drive near Cher-Ae Heights Casino and is recommending the commission object to the project’s tentative approval by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The 28-page document criticized the Rancheria for failing to […]
Posted inNews
Trinidad Rancheria Unveils its Revised Hotel Proposal
The Trinidad Rancheria recently presented its revised concept of a 100-room hotel on the bluffs of Scenic Drive but it aroused little enthusiasm from the residents of Trinidad. David Tyson, CEO of the Trinidad Rancheria Economic Development Corporation (TREDC), gave the presentation during the March 13 meeting of the Trinidad City Council to an audience […]
Posted inNews
Trinidad Rancheria’s Plans to Put the Harbor into Federal Trust Raise Concerns as Key Hearing Nears
In January of 2000, the Trinidad Rancheria purchased the rundown pier in the town harbor, along with nine adjacent parcels of commercial land, including a boat launch, bait shop, vacation rental and the Seascape Restaurant from a private owner. With the help of several state and federal grants, the Rancheria replaced the rotting wood pier […]
Posted inNews
Big Changes Considered for 101 Through Eureka
Few people drive through Eureka for the fun of it. If you approach the town from the north during the morning commute, you’re often greeted by a long line of stalled traffic waiting to get through the intersection at V and Fourth streets. On a bad day, the back-up may begin out on the freeway. […]
Posted inNews
MCSD Taps Barsanti for Board Seat
The McKinleyville Community Services District has a new board member. Last week, the board appointed Shel Barsanti, a certified public accountant who served as auditor for two smaller community services district, to the seat that came open with the resignation of George Wheeler, who stepped down for health reasons. In her letter of application, Barsanti […]
Posted inNews
King Tides Preview Sea Level Rise (Slideshow)
For three days last week, Humboldt Bay was filled to the brim — and then some — by 8-and-a-half-foot king tides. Typical high tides in our section of the coast run 6 to 7 feet. The extra foot or two of water backed up the many sloughs that run into Humboldt Bay, changing pasturelands into […]
Posted inNews
On the Go-Slow
Yielding to massive public pressure, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors backed off from a giant re-zoning effort Jan. 15 and instead adopted a go-slow planning process that could take up to two years to implement. The previous plan, which involved re-zoning thousands of parcels with minimal notice to the public, had evoked hours of […]
Posted inNews
Officials Brace for Sea Level Rise
As sea levels inexorably rise, various public agencies have been working locally to find a defensive strategy to protect vulnerable bottomlands from inundation. This is a challenging enterprise. The cities of Arcata and Eureka, plus more than 10,000 acres of agricultural land, U.S. Highway 101, underground gas lines and electrical power lines are located in […]
Posted inNews
Wheeler Steps Down in McKinleyville, Creating MCSD Vacancy
In 2011, George Wheeler, a McKinleyville resident and Vietnam veteran was horrified to see a neighbor spraying a potent herbicide on the hayfields near his home. As a victim of Agent Orange poisoning, Wheeler did not want his five children exposed to anything that might endanger their health. He quickly found other neighbors were just […]