For Immediate Release

As you may have seen in the news, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation has succumbed to political pressure and changed their funding guidelines to exclude Planned Parenthood.  Although Six Rivers Planned Parenthood in Eureka does not receive funding from Komen, this decision is of great concern to all of us.

Planned Parenthood health centers are a significant provider of breast cancer screenings and education across the country.  Last year at Six Rivers Planned Parenthood we provided over 2,000 clinical breast exams and referred 100 patients out for screening mammograms.  In addition, we are available to assist patients with enrolling in funding programs that help pay for mammograms including the Cancer Detection Program (CDP) and FamilyPACT.  Education and early detection are critical to preventive health care.

Just today, we had a woman visit our health center to donate in honor of her mother, Jane McPherson Banks, who died of breast cancer thirty years ago at the age of sixty one.   She was deeply disappointed that Komen, a charity she has supported for many years in memory of her mother, has made the decision to cease funding Planned Parenthood affiliates and knew her mother would be as well.  She is not alone.

In these tough economic times, more women than ever need access to essential health care services like lifesaving breast cancer screenings.  Many of our patients here at Six Rivers Planned Parenthood, and at Planned Parenthood affiliates across the country, utilize Planned Parenthood for essential breast and cervical cancer screenings.  For many it is the only health care they get all year.  One of our patients shared recently that Six Rivers Planned Parenthood “is there for me for yearly breast cancer checks, for birth control, for pap smears, for infections. Without Planned Parenthood’s sliding scale fee, I would be unable to afford these services…in fact, I am unable to afford ANY other health care, as of late. My yearly visits to Planned Parenthood are the only preventive health care services I usually receive.”

We share a common goal with the Komen Foundation – advancing women’s health – and we’re focused squarely on that goal.  We would like nothing more than for the Komen Foundation to reconsider and recommit to what has been a great partnership for women who need and receive breast health services.  Politics should never get in the way of women’s health care – whether it is access to birth control or breast cancer screenings.  The real victims of this decision are the thousands of women who rely on these lifesaving services.

If you would like to donate to Six Rivers Planned Parenthood, visit plannedparenthood.org/srpp and click “Donate Locally Online” or call 442-2961.

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Participants in the Arcata Children’s Center School Age program. Photo courtesy Diana Herrera

Jessica Callahan

Special to the Eye

ARCATA – Arcata Rooney McKinleyville Children’s Center (ARMCC) closed its school-age program on Jan. 31. The school-age program provided after-school, vacation and summer care to children in Arcata.

ARMCC is an Arcata-based non-profit that has been providing preschool and school-age care for low-income and full-pay families for more than 30 years.

The after-school program opened as an extension of the Arcata Children’s Center preschool program in 1978. Between 1978 and 1989, Arcata School-Age program operated programs at all three Arcata Elementary School District schools.

In 1989, after a collaboration with the City of Arcata and the AESD, the Arcata Children’s Center School-Age Program moved to portable classrooms on the Bloomfield property.

Most of the children who attend the school-age program came from Sunset and Bloomfield elementary schools.

The program served 60 to 65 children between two classrooms in a typical year. When Bloomfield Elementary closed in 2006, it took a toll on the program.

Without a school on-site, students now had to be transported by parents or school buses. Enrollment began to suffer, but was surviving due to the need for subsidized care. Since many of the after-school programs at elementary programs were full pay, Arcata School-Age program was still able to provide a sliding fee scale to low income families although full pay families were also enrolled.

As the state economy faltered, ARMCC suffered as state subsidized child care was significantly cut. Cuts meant less money coming in; yet insurance, employee cost and everything else increased. To make things worse, ARMCC was hit hard repeatedly the last few years when the budget was not signed on time.

During that time, programs like ARMCC are not given their money from the state, forcing the programs to deplete reserve funds and take out loans to keep the doors open. ARMCC fund-raised, sold assets and applied for grants in an effort to keep their head above water but none have been enough to cover the cuts.

Facing a $15,000 deficit, the board voted to close the school-age program in an effort to reduce costs and try to keep the Arcata and McKinleyville pre-school centers open.

The closure of the Arcata School-Age program leaves only one low cost afterschool option for Arcata. Arcata Elementary School offers a subsized after school program but during the breaks and summer they are available on a fee basis and families who previously qualified for subsidized care are unlikely to be able to afford the fee.

Theresa Johnson, whose grandchild was enrolled in the ARMCC school-age program, is not sure what she is going to do. The fee for the after-school program at Pacific Union is more than she can afford.

Her only option right now is to cut back her work hours and hope to get a voucher through Changing Tides that will help her pay for after-school care.

There are few other child care centers that offer subsidized or sliding fee child care in Arcata.

HSU Children’s Center, which gets additional funding from the university and is also only available to HSU students, staff or faculty. North Coast Children’s Services has additional funding from federal Head Start.

Even with the support of these other sources, HSU Children’s Center and North Coast Children’s Services are suffering and have been forced to make drastic cuts to their programs.

Children of the Redwoods, which is the only other state subsized program in Arcata other than ARMCC and HSU (which is only for HSU-associated people) had to cut its program to a half-day during the school year only due to state budget cuts. So it is not a viable child care option for most working families.

ARMCC, which is a small nonprofit without an anchor to a larger funding source is facing desperate times. Yet the need for child care is still there.

The Arcata Children’s Center is almost fully enrolled but the proposed cuts to child care are devastating.

These cuts to child care, as they are proposed, will destroy subsidized child care in Humboldt county. Child care is an essential infrastructure allowing parents to be part of the workforce. A loss of subsidized child care would not break but sever the backbone of our community.

Local nonprofit child care needs support just as much as our local businesses. Of course they need money but more than that, they need their community. Board members, grant writers, and fundraisers are always needed.

Purchasing raffle tickets or supporting their fundraising brings in money these programs need and helps keep the doors open.

Jessica Callahan serves on the board of ARMCC and on the Local Child Care Planning Council, though this piece reflects her personal views.

• Write a letter or email to your representatives expressing your support for child care subsidies

• Allow employees flexible scheduling to accommodate child care schedules

• Offer space to a child care provider at low or no cost

• Streamline requirements for permitting child care centers and homes

• Offer child care benefits to employees such as reimbursements/vouchers or flexible spending accounts

• Adopt a center or Family Child Care Home

• Speak to as many people as you can about the importance of child care as part of the economic infrastructure of our county

• Visit your elected official’s office at the local, state and federal level

• Inform your local Board of Supervisors and state representatives that child care is a priority for you

• Talk about issues facing young children with others who share your concern

• Learn about important legislative bills and other current policies that affect children and families

• Understand how the budget process works

• Participate in local, state or federal activities related to improving access, quality and affordability of child care

• Join Parent Voices or a local advocacy group and make your voice heard.

• VOTE – keep aware of elections of local Boards of Supervisors, state Senate and Assemblymember, as well as federal officials.

Find out if they support family-friendly policies and vote accordingly.

ss.ca.gov/elections/votereg1.html

• Encourage local officials to support local initiatives that support parents and providers

• Volunteer and speak up with and for Parent Voices or other children’s advocacy organizations

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The NCRC’s Food Pantry is our food box program available once/month per USDA criteria for low-income local households. We averaged 248 boxes per month in 2011. Food for People, (707) 445-3166, has been covering for the NCRC by providing food box distribution on Tuesdays at the Arcata Presbyterian Church.

Every afternoon along with our food box distribution we also offer gleaning of bread, fruits and vegetables donated by area merchants. We saw over 30 people per day come in for supplemental food in 2011. This service is available to our homeless and housed community, but currently is unavailable until we are able to reopen.

All of our program participants have access to daily meals and the community meal is offered two days/week. Some 8,500 hot, nutritious meals were served in the last half of 2011.

The service center has had showers and laundry service since its inception. We do a lot to keep people clean and healthy. Over 2200 showers were taken in 2011.

Not overlooking the importance of being clean, access to showers helps stem the tide of skin ailments that would otherwise occur. Over 900 loads of laundry were washed by and for our program participants.

We also distribute toothpaste and toothbrushes to the needy. Over 500 pairs of new socks were given out last year as foot care is one of the greatest needs to those who are without shelter. Murphy’s Sunny Brae just donated over 60 pairs of socks, several knitted caps and 15 packages of new underwear. We are planning on distributing these in the very near future.

Utilizing existing programs as a tool, we give clients the opportunity to learn new skills and gain dignity by providing services to others. This voluntary, hands-on participation imparts a sense of personal empowerment and helps individuals attain the personal tools necessary to improve their own life circumstances.

When given an opportunity to be useful, mental health often improves and the desire to abuse substances decreases. This is Back to Basics, our integrated program which was averaging around 50 people per year moving into employment.

NCRC provides a host facility for Homeless Court, a Superior Court service that provides a way for homeless individuals to “pay” for their minor infractions through community service. This program helps promote our value of healthy self-reliance. The Arcata Presbyterian Church served as the location this month. It is our hope that the next Homeless Court in March will return to the NCRC.

The NCRC has contracted with the County to provide transportation assistance for individuals and families that have verifiable shelter and/or employment in a location outside of Humboldt County. We also try to provide transportation for our clients to get to and from their local appointments.

One of our most successful programs is our Extreme Weather Shelter. We are eager to get this program going again. It requires a financially healthy organization. This is second on our priority list to restore. Food service is our first priority.

The NCRC has worked very hard at developing services and programs that are a hand up and not just a hand out.

Ways to help: Financial contributions are always welcome and can be mailed to NCRC, 501 Ninth St., Arcata, CA 95521. If interested in serving in any capacity, please e-mail ncrcsupport@gmail.com

Derk and Wendy Schulze are board members of the NCRC. In their spare time Derk pastors Sunny Brae Church and Wendy helps children learn to read.

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Nightmare mosaic photo from a raid on private land in the King Range National Conservation Area. Photo courtesy Brad Job

I’ve been fascinated by water and the organisms that live in it since I was a child. When three years of sea duty made me fall in love with the ocean, I decided to pursue a degree from HSU in Environmental Resources Engineering, which I completed in 1993.

Since then, my career has focused on water quality and water resources. For the past 10 years I have had the honor and privilege of being part of a team of professionals that steward some of our nations’ most spectacular public land. In this occupation I have also been witness to many environmental sins that have occurred as a result of marijuana cultivation.

As a pragmatic environmentalist, it is not my job to deride marijuana or its use. But, similar to the environmental effects of logging, the problem is not necessarily that one grows pot, it’s about how one grows pot.

Regardless of how one feels about marijuana and its legal status, anybody that understands just a little about aquatic ecosystems has to admit that widespread cultivation has bad consequences for fish. It degrades the quality of our rivers and streams, which to me, are the core of what makes northwest California special.

In reference to one of last week’s cover stories about illegal excavation and un-engineered fill (‘Shocking’ environmental damage from outdoor grows, Eye, Jan. 18) I can attest that the additional input of sediment eroded from grow-related excavations permanently damages habitat for imperiled salmon and trout populations and undoes the benefits of millions of dollars’ worth of watershed restoration work.

However, increased sedimentation is not the only or necessarily the worst environmental consequence of rapacious pot growing out in the hills.

The giant hunk of failing fill is located on private land right above Bear Creek where it exits the King Range NCA could not be in a worse spot as far as fish habitat goes (notice the clear creek in the upper right corner).

Recent research has shown that 80 to 90 percent of the nitrogen in coastal watersheds historically came from the ocean, much of it in the form of return runs of salmon and steelhead. However, dwindling fish populations and environmentally oblivious pot growers have turned that dynamic on its head.

Now, growers dump hundreds of tons of excess fertilizer into these watersheds annually. The most obvious consequence of fertilizer overuse is increased algal growth, which is most likely why toxic concentrations of blue-green algae have been observed in the Eel River in recent summers. Excessive algal growth kills fish and the organisms that they feed upon.

In addition, outdoor grows frequently discharge rodenticides, insecticides and fungicides into the environment; divert springs and creeks for long distances; and leave vast quantities of trash and black poly-pipe behind.

And then there are the diesel dope grows. These operations often improperly and illegally store large quantities of diesel in plastic tanks that are prone to failure. And those that do use metal tanks almost never have secondary containment and often have leaks and spills.

A pile of dumped cannabis root balls, surely laden with fertilizers and other soil amendments, cascades down the banks of Liscom Slough into sensitive marine habitat last week. Photo courtesy Ted Halstead

It is worth noting that fuel distributors that dispense fuel into such tanks are also committing a felony. If anyone wants to observe the environmental consequences of petroleum spills in aquatic ecosystems, they need only to travel to an urban stream to witness the reduced abundance and diversity of invertebrate species, which are the base of most aquatic food webs.

Then consider the water diversions, air and noise pollution from inefficient generators, and the random dumping of fertilizer-laden potting soil. And I can hardly bear to ponder the sad irony of burning fossil fuel to make light to grow plants in a manner that is literally 99 percent inefficient, all while it is warm and sunny outside.

As long as the marijuana status quo and large profit margins remain, it appears inevitable that some of the worst crimes at marijuana gardens will be environmental ones.

The citizen’s suit provision in the Clean Water Act might be a big enough hammer to change some landowners’ behavior if a motivated team of attorneys and environmental scientists were to respond to a specific incident.

However, the sad fact remains that the underground economy is creating really bad consequences for the increasingly fragile ecology of our rivers and streams. But, if this letter makes only one grower reduce their fertilizer and agricultural chemical use or cause less erosion, the time it took to write it will have been well spent.

Sincerely,

Brad Job, P.E.

Environmental Engineer

Arcata

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Mayor Michael Winkler

Mayor Michael Winkler

Special to the Eye

Welcome HSU Students!

You have made a great choice in coming up to HSU in Arcata to go to school.

Back in 1997, I myself came here as a returning student to pursue a degree in Environmental Resources Engineering. Arcata is unique. It offers an unrivaled combination of natural beauty, a friendly small-town atmosphere, an active cultural and arts community and a spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship.

The hub of Arcata is the Arcata Plaza, a traditional town square dating back to the 1850s. The Plaza is where our many festivals happen. These include the North Country Fair, the Oyster Festival, Pastels on the Plaza and the Kinetic Sculpture Race and the All Species Parade. During most of the year the Plaza hosts the Arcata Farmers’ Market with some of the best locally grown food anywhere in the USA and music by local musicians. It is a true festival every week.

We have a very lively local arts scene with our monthly Arts Arcata hosted by local businesses, open studios twice a year, the North Country Fair and a wide variety of local galleries and studios. For younger people the City of Arcata sponsors the Arts in the Afternoon program.

For classic movies and live music close to the Plaza we have the restored Arcata Theater Lounge. Slightly west of the Plaza is the Arcata Playhouse which hosts live theater and music.

Protecting our local and global environment is very important in Arcata. We have a variety of local groups that you can get involved in including the Northcoast Environmental Center, Baykeeper, Green Wheels, the Humboldt Trails Council, Friends of the Marsh (FOAM) and the Jacoby Creek Land Trust, to name only a few. Volunteering with any of these great local organizations not only helps you protect the environment but helps you gain the valuable experience that employers so highly value.

There are also excellent opportunities to develop your business skills not only through your classes, but also through taking the first steps to develop your own business. If you have a great idea for a business the Economic Fuel Contest offers prizes of up to $25,000 in seed money to start your own business.

There are many great outdoor recreational opportunities in our area. Within walking or bicycling distance we have beautiful redwood forests, restored marshes, Arcata Bay, Lanphere Dunes and the Pacific Ocean. Whether your preference is mountain biking, hiking, birding or surfing all of these are available close by.

We may not have all the variety of San Francisco or Los Angeles, but we have a wide variety of restaurants and fresh local foods.

Respect is a two-way street. We respect you as newcomers to our area, but we also expect you to respect us and the town and local environment that we so highly value. On New Year’s and Halloween and on weekends having a good time is great, but you need to respect your neighbors and not leave a mess for someone else to clean up.

In Arcata we are avid recyclers and do our best to minimize our impact on the local environment. Cars have their place, but I encourage all of you to walk, bike skateboard or take the bus (using your Jack Pass, included in your tuition) whenever you can.  Best of all and lowest cost would be not to have a car at all.

I hope all of you have a very meaningful, fun and rewarding experience in Arcata and that many of you choose to make this your permanent home.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about anything that I mentioned in this article or any other questions about Arcata city government – e-mail me at mwinkler@cityofarcata.org.

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Today in the county, we have some existing traditional public school campuses in need of renovation. However, this column is going to focus on new and existing charter schools, and the difficult task they have of finding a place to call home.

First, a few facts on charter schools. A charter school is a publicly funded school that is not subject to some of the rules, regulations and codes that apply to traditional public schools. Charter schools often have a certain niche that draws a particular population of students.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, as of 2008-2009, there were 4,700 charter schools operating in 40 states and serving 1.4 million students. In the past two decades at least 22 new public charter schools have been born in Humboldt County, and as the trend shows, a number of new schools are on the way.

So, when a new school is born, how does it find a home?

Unfortunately, it’s not like the old days when you just pick a plot of land and build the vision.  Today you have education codes, zoning regulations, building codes – all of which vary depending where you’re at. It often costs thousands of dollars in studies, consultants, and permit application fees before you can start building.

Every charter school has its own “facility” story. The school I work with, Northcoast Preparatory and Performing Arts Academy, has had its own struggle with securing a site. Even though our school has existed for over a decade and has had success in providing a high quality education, we have never had a facility that suits our needs. Our facility history has been one of bouncing from a house, to an old restaurant, to a church, to a Masonic Temple, to another church.

We have become masters of “making do.” All the while, we have worked hard to secure a site and build a facility of our own. We have dreamed and envisioned what this site would look like, and yet many obstacles and complications still stand in our way. I am certain we will someday fulfill our vision, but it should never, ever take this long and be this difficult.

Let’s go over some of the barriers that charter schools face when trying to design and build a new facility or renovate an existing one.

First, the sponsoring school district is supposed to bear some responsibility in helping the charter school find a good site and facility. In 2000, voters in California passed Proposition 39, which requires school districts to provide charter schools with facilities that are “reasonably equivalent” to other schools in the district. This often is not followed through on.

In all fairness to school districts, they often don’t have the funding or resources themselves to provide such facilities to the charter schools they sponsor. Most charter schools are on their own to find and fund a site and facility.

While support from the sponsoring school district is an important factor in a charter school’s success in finding a facility, perhaps more crucial is support from local governments. Even if a charter school finds a suitable site, it will be subject to local zoning ordinances and building codes.

Under California law, a charter school’s governing board does have the authority to exempt itself from certain local zoning restrictions. Still, the school must obtain a permit from planning and building departments before breaking any ground.

The permitting process can include but is not limited to biological, geologic, soil, archaeological and traffic studies that cost thousands of dollars to conduct. Then, thousands more are spent to have a consultant produce a report that explains how the school will mitigate any negative impacts. Then a few thousand dollars more are spent to apply to the local governing body for a permit.

If you’re lucky, the permit is granted. Then, thousands more are spent following through on all the mitigations you’ve promised to make – and all of this before you even start on the facility itself!

Unless a charter school has foundational support, or some wealthy benefactors, it will be a long and hard road before any dreams of a high quality facility come to fruition. The school itself simply cannot afford such costs.

It is not my intention here to be dismissive of safety concerns and building standards. What I am saying is that charter schools don’t have the money and resources to meet these standards.

Here’s another way to think about it. There was a major landslide this past March that shut down Highway 101 just north of Garberville. Naturally, it was urgent to get the road back open and crews jumped on the scene, worked day and night, and within five days the highway was reopened to traffic both directions. Throughout the summer and fall, crews continued to work to stabilize the slide, and this November the work was completed. The cost was $8 million.

What I’m proposing is that we respond to our school’s facility needs the same way we would respond to a highway-blocking landslide. When a school needs an adequate facility, it should be considered an urgent matter that is given whatever funding is required and is handled without delay. The opening of a road is critical to our local economy. The benefits of a healthy school are immeasurable.

Admittedly, this turned out to be a really a difficult column to write and I am left with more questions than answers. Who is responsible for funding facilities for new schools? What are reasonable safety regulations for these new schools? Is it fair to charge a school the fees that are required for building permits when the work they are doing is a public service?

I invite local educators, parents, students and community members interested in solutions for improving our children’s education to begin a local dialogue. Further, this column has only scratched the surface in regards to the story of schools and what they go through to provide high quality facilities.

Therefore, I am interested in collecting stories from schools regarding their plights to renovate or build new facilities to be posted on my soon to arrive blog site that will be available for all to read. Contact me or send your stories to andrewmfree@hotmail.com.

Andrew Freeman is a teacher at Northcoast Preparatory Academy.

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To recap: On Dec. 1 four trustees gathered to interview four candidates who applied to fill a vacant board seat. Under the Ralph M. Brown Act, an agenda must be posted for such a meeting. That didn’t happen.

This resulted in the public being excluded from a meeting that involved an important topic – the leadership of our local high schools.

So how did this happen? It appears that it was simply a clerical error. The person responsible for posting the agenda either forgot to do so, or didn’t know that the meeting was subject to the Brown Act. There’s no evidence of any malice or that a covert agenda was at play.

Some sympathy is in order for the hard-working office staffers working under a mountain of paperwork in the educational bureaucracy.

But what about the four board members who attended the illegal meeting? Why didn’t they notice the lack of an agenda? Did they ever notice the public’s absence, or think about how the citizens might want to question the board candidates themselves? Apparently not.

So what should the board do now? How can it remedy its mistake? Here are two suggestions for the board:

1. Hit the books and do some homework regarding the requirements of the Brown Act. Perhaps a short training session at a board meeting would be helpful.

2. Come up with a policy addressing procedures for interviewing future board candidates. Besides following state law and posting an agenda, the board should include citizens in the actual process of asking questions and interviewing the candidates.

Jack Durham is editor and publisher of the McKinleyville Press.

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Regardless, the fresh start that the New Year brings, beckons us to at least make a go of it, right? Right.

Maybe you’ve wanted to lose a few pounds, eat better, live healthier, finally quit that nasty smoking habit, or cut back on the beers. Perhaps you want to learn to play the guitar, spend more time with your partner, get yourself and your life more organized, or volunteer for a worthy cause.

2012 could also be the year to get your finances in order. Sure, it’s not the sexiest resolution out there. It’s not as obvious as fitting into a size 2. It won’t clean out the junk from that back bedroom closet. And money management won’t teach you how to play an awesome lick on bass guitar, but it may just turn your life around.

Sure, our New Years’ resolutions are sometimes broken, but if you want to make “financial prosperity” your resolution this year, here are some tips for trying to do just that:

Take a look at your credit report. You want to know where you’ve been in order to know where to go in the future. Your financial history is there in your report and you can get one from each of the three credit bureaus, for free, once every year at annualcreditreport.com.

To get your score you’ll need to pay a small amount to purchase it, but it will be worth it to see what it is that any creditors, lenders, and employers are seeing. You can also contact your local credit counseling agency for a credit report review.

If you’ve got mounting debt, start paying it down. This will take a lot of discipline because this means that first you’ll have to stop using the credit cards. You might need to cut them up, lock them away or bury them in the back yard.

The earlier you start dealing with debt, the quicker you’ll stop living beyond your means.

Pay yourself first. Each month try to sock away 10 percent of your pay into some kind of savings. Having a “rainy day fund” is essential for any unexpected expenses in 2012. You may need to trick yourself into saving.

Put your saving plan on autopilot. Set up an automatic deposit into your 401K or 403b plans at work or through a mutual fund. Give yourself rewards for saving money. Use free websites like mint.com that help you take a look at the big picture.

Create a spending plan. Begin by tracking your spending habits and then make decisions about how you want to make changes. Get the buy-in of everyone in your household and come up with a monthly plan that you can all strive to stick to.

You will also want to evaluate along the way and continue to find ways to ultimately save some money.

Investigate a refinance or loan modification on your mortgage – interest rates are extremely low right now and you could potentially save yourself a few hundred dollars each month if you are eligible to change the terms of your loan. Contact your lender, mortgage broker, or friendly, local credit counseling agency to inquire.

Take advantage of a tax refund: Use any money that you are anticipating getting back next year wisely. Pay off credit card debt. Make an extra payment (or two) on your mortgage. Invest in your retirement or a 529 college savings plan for your kids.

Maintain your home or vehicle—finally replace the leaky faucet in the bathroom or get new tires for the family car.

By February you may have fallen off the bandwagon with your diet. Maybe you’ll succumb to buying another pack of cigs. Hey, guitar wasn’t really the right instrument for you anyway. But wouldn’t it be nice to have your money in check for 2012?

Here’s to the best intentions and the plans that really can come true!

Kerri Cook works with members of the community on their spending plans and offers money management advice at Consumer Credit Counseling Service of the North Coast (CCCS), an accredited non-profit organization in Arcata. cccsnojuggle.org, facebook.com/CCCSoftheNorthCoast

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Historical societies are not something new in order to get a grip on the past, but have been in effect hundreds of years. Amanda Laugensen, a keeper of history, informs that “The first historical societies were established in the wake of the American Revolution and were tied to the need to memorialize and institutionalize the memory of the revolution and the making of the American nation” (Laugesen 14). These societies started collecting information and data for their records from what was happening at the time to help insure that the future would still be aware of what had happened in America, shaping us into who we are today. This built a sense of nationalism and collectiveness in the existing states, which would later expand.

After the Civil War, people started to expand Westward, carving new territories, and a notion of a new United States (Laugesen 15). “For many of these newer communities of the West, historical societies were one of the few cultural institutions and were seen as providing a means to promoting culture and “civilization” in rough-and-ready frontier communities” (Laugesen 15). Historical societies went on to help establish a sense of community and understanding of togetherness.

Today, historical societies continue this mission. They have recorded, organized, and kept safe the millions of documents of birth and death records, photographs, and stories to create an overall American memory. Between museum and historical library records, just about every insight and fact known about our past has been accumulated and put into written form Richard Brown, co-author of The Making of Memory… illustrates historical libraries often as “the storing, and ordering place of the collective memory of [a particular] nation or people(s)” (Brown 17). These play a role in securing and shaping our “historical consciousness and identity” (Laugesen 13).

Because of our collective past, our communities are able to exist and function. Although historical societies inform people of dates, facts, and stories, that is not all they are about. Another big part of what it means to be a historical society, and why we should care, is their notion of spreading knowledge in a way so it is meaningful to you, as an individual and as part of the community.

We are all part of our own history, in search of finding out where we came from and who we are. In this modern day, according to Hayden White, author or “The Historical Event,” we are always in a quest to seek group identity as to “belonging to history” and “having a history” (White 9). Few people like the idea of coming out of thin air, out of nothingness. We are naturally social beings, having others around us in order to survive and remain content. By digging into our local histories and understanding our roots, we can have a better idea of who we are as a community.

Not everyone is blessed with the sublime knowledge of life, the universe and everything. Very few of us even have a compiled genealogical book passed down to us in order to get to know our roots, yet roots seem to be very important to people. Knowing where you are grounded and keeping in touch with your roots gives you a better understanding of yourself in knowing what you are made of. We like to keep in touch with family and old friends because having them from our past is a comfort in our present and future. Security is a reassuring feeling, even better when you get that not only from your household and friendships, but also from your community.

According to the Humboldt Historical Society website, their purpose is to “further an understanding and appreciation of all peoples, places, events, and activities of Humboldt County and related areas. Toward this end, they focus on acquiring, preserving, interpreting, creating, and sharing historical information, and by educating and assisting others to do the same” (“About Us”). This is what a historical society is all about.

Locally, we have the Historical Society Office on Eighth and H streets in Eureka, as well as numerous museums in the surrounding cities within the whole of Humboldt County. Getting involved is also easier than you may think. In order to branch out and support any local historical society, you can volunteer for them, go to museums, attend fundraisers, become an annual member or subscribe to newsletters, which in Humboldt’s case, is the quarterly magazine, the Humboldt Historian. This is a premier publication that is a great way to help out revenues, as well as learn about local history for your own knowledge and to expand and share with others. Even with funds from subscribers, historical societies still struggle without help from the government.

Although governments may name historical sites as such, if that site cannot generate enough funds to keep the electricity on, grounds trimmed, and property taxes paid, the government will have no choice but to build something that would get them more money on that valuable piece of property. The Humboldt Historical Society is a non-profit organization, and therefore does not receive any government funding, unlike most people think.

Most historical societies and museums have a difficult time keeping afloat. Robert Palmrose, past president and current board member of the Humboldt County Historical Society, says “The biggest thing with most organizations is trying to find funds. You get what you can, when you can, where you can.”

In Ventura County, California, at the Stagecoach Inn Museum where I volunteered, we would barely have five tours on some weekends. I found this surprising because of how amazing was the grandeur of the grounds, inn, and schoolhouse. Nearly nobody even knew of its hidden existence within the city. To the few people who volunteered and visited, it was like another home, everyone a big family, but the rest of the community was excluded because of their unawareness.

Not a lot of people in their teenage or younger adult years volunteer, leaving most of it up to passionate older retirees and curious younger kids. This makes sense due to the fact that volunteers are not paid, and so these age groups do not have as much of a need for financial backing than most adults. Volunteering as a seventeen year old, I found myself both far above the average kid age and even further below the older adult age.

Volunteering is a great and rewarding way to get involved. Palmrose reiterates that “volunteerism is the thing that keeps them [non-profit organizations] going… [He said there is] always a need to help them out with anything that needs to be done.” Although it does not grant you a monetary opportunity, it does help out with giving you a sense that you are doing something to better your community and yourself. By teaching the local people, and tourists, you are reaching out the branches of community to incorporate everyone to be part of the same tree. Amanda Kemp, writer in the New Directions for Adults and Continuing Education journal, claims that “When [local histories are] investigated critically and with creativity, learners can work together to understand the more complete picture of their community” (Kemp 46).

This knowledge and understanding is all thanks to your roots, or ancestry, which started growing in the first place in order to expand into a collective consciousness of the area. Even if your family did not directly contribute to history or is in the “books,” you are still welcomed to be interested and curious about what has happened to make this society sustainable. Working for a museum can help to better educate and expand your knowledge, as well as give you a sense of belonging. We are all part of our community as we grow and learn together.

Every community is a tree that is grown upon layers of branches and personal connections. If the world is made up of forests of these communities, it is the roots where it all began. These roots are close links to who we are as people and where we came form. By supporting your local historical society, you can learn more about what brought you to be where you are, as well as your community.

A rewarding way to help your historical society is to simply volunteer. We are all in this community together, but many of us do not know how we even got here, or why we gathered in the first place. By finding out more about your local history, you can build a better understanding of who you are in relation to your community. Nobody grew out of thin air, so remember and appreciate your roots!

 Works Cited

Brown, Richard Harvey and Beth Davis. “ The Making of Memory: The Politics of Archives, Libraries, and Museums in the Construction of National Consciousness.” History of the Human Sciences, 11.4 (1998): 17.

“About Us” Humboldthistory.org. Web. 10 Oct. 2011. humboldthistory.org/aboutus

Kemp, Amanda, and Marilyn McKinley Parrish. “(Re)membering: Excavating and Performing Uncommon Narratives Found in Archives and Historical Societies.” New Directions for Adult & Continuing Education, 127 (2010): 45.

Laugesen, Amanda. “Keeper of Histories: The State Historical Society of Wisconsin Library and Its Cultural Work, 1860-1910.” Libraries & Culture, 39.1 (2004): 13.

Palmrose, Robert. Telephone Interview. 16 Oct. 2011.

White, Hayden. “The Historical Event.” Differences: A Journal of Feminist Cultural Studies, 19.2 (2008): 9

Sorelle Fluke is a Humboldt State University student who wrote this paper for an English class.

Contact the Humboldt County Historical Society at (707) 445-4342, humboldthistory.org. Contact the Historical Sites Society of Arcata at (707) 822-4722, arcatahistory.org.

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Bryan Osper’s death leaves a huge hole in the heart of Arcata. An old guy like myself can spend a lot of time bemoaning how things are not what they used to be. For me, meeting Bryan was an antidote to all that.

Bryan was every bit the Jerry Martien, the Marla Joy, the Joan Schirle, the Tim McKay, the Jim McVicker, the (you supply the name) that lifts us as a community.He was a consummate artist. He wasn’t just a musician, he was music.

Bryan’s talent was undeniable, but more important, his dedication was total. His relentless work came from his obvious joy. He was humble enough to play with anyone and to learn from everyone.

Bryan had an openness – beyond style or genre, beyond competition and false ambition. He had the sensitivity to honor every musician he played with.

And, no matter what kind of instrument or music he was playing, he gave each tune its own room to breathe.

For me, for some reason, Bryan was a reaffirmation of hope and beauty in a world that doesn’t always nurture those virtues. An affirmation that, yes, the idea of integrity hasn’t been lost on a younger generation.

I have to be content now that I was one of the lucky ones to have heard that sweet voice and stood enraptured watching music flow through his fingers. His slightly self-effacing smile will linger in Arcata for a long time.

And to Bryan’s parents and Eugene and Niko – thank you.

Alan Sanborn

Arcata

Thanksgiving thanks

Thank you so much for your coverage of the Community Thanksgiving Meal in yesterday’s paper. You really captured the entire event with the great pictures and text.

This kind of coverage will help us to get more people aware of the meal and hopefully get more volunteers next year as well.

I’m wondering if anyone will specifically volunteer to do dishwashing next year!!!

Thanks again,

Alicia Abell, Chair

Community Thanksgiving Meal, Arcata

Too good to be true

I am a Humboldt County artist. Getting wider exposure for my work is difficult so I rely on a website. I recently received an email from someone who visited my website and wanted to purchase a sculpture. We exchanged numerous emails and I suspected this was probably a scam.

Here is how the scam works:

An email arrives exhibiting very poor grammar and sentence structure. Wanting to believe the sale is the real deal, I thought perhaps English wasn’t his first language? The “scammer” requested a price, said he will take it and would send a cashier’s check for the purchase of the art plus enough to cover shipping. He wrote he will arrange for shipping. He instructs me to take the extra amount he sends to pay the shipper who will contact me. The shipper will let me know where to send payment.

I corresponded with him for weeks hoping it was a real sale ($1,500 sale is a nice ego stroke!) but I had a nagging suspicion that this was too good to be true. It was. The cashier’s check arrived yesterday. It was sort of official looking but the dollar amount didn’t make any sense ($3,900!).

On closer inspection the check appeared altered, the mailing envelope came with no return address or postal mark and bore a British stamp plus a par avion sticker (trying to make it look like it was foreign).

I took the check to the issuing bank (in this case Wells Fargo) who is sending it to their fraud department. I spoke to a Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputy who advised… since I hadn’t sent either the art or money that I wasn’t technically a victim. She said the scam style was classic. I asked what I could do to catch the scammer? She said the perpetrator rarely gets caught. She suggested I spread the word so others might not get taken.

I plan to e-mail The Scammer and tell him the cops are after him. Shame on him!

If something sounds too good to be true it probably is…

Barbara Dolan-Wilkinson

McKinleyville

Cool it, Krishna

The recent online article by S. Adelman titled “Krishna vs. the hicks” smacks of insitutional racism, classissm and oppression. To computer one of the most liberal collegiate campuses and the peoples that come to study at it to “hicks” could be no further from the truth.

Mr. Adelman, please stop using your privilege in this society to launch bombs at your publicly appointed school administrators. You would think your article would be welcome in the American South, or even in Israel, but not in Humboldt County.

I’m sorry, but there are many community oriented, public spaces that your organization can use; and guess what, out there, you don’t need and executive staff. Stop grandstanding and get back to your roots. Know your history.

Remember as the late Howard Zinn, Boston born, bombadier, historian, activist, argued, “you can’t be neutral on a moving train. Take your academic elite discursive sleights somewhere else.

I welcome yours, and anyone elses for that matter, response in the public sphere on issues of classism, racism, and institutionalized patriarchy; round one is now closed.

Tobin W. Steiskal

Fortuna

Every little breeze seems to whisper gadebitolozucuhu

Hi! I will be very pleased if you answer me:)

I am very young unmarried girl want to meet alone with just a single man.

To create a relationship more than friendship. About myself, I tell you all that interest you …

Write me I’ll wait for your letter.

gadebitolozucuhu

The Internet

Holiday handicapped neglect

Yesterday, December 15, a handicapped employee of Wing Inflatables was on his way home from Wing when is wheelchair battery locked and stopped the wheelchair in the crosswalk at Fifth and H streets.

Because the chair came to an abrupt stop our employee, Earl Haga, was thrust forward and slumped in his chair unable to sit back up. We are not sure how long he sat there but we do know that several cars drove around him without stopping to help.

Earl was finally able to reach his cell phone and call to Wing for assistance. Another of our employees ran to Fifth and H and was able to get Earl on his way.

All of us at Wing were heartbroken that our employee and friend was left in this situation for any length of time.

Shame on all those who drove by him and probably assumed he was drunk or drugged or just passed out in his chair. Cheers to our employee Donald Snowton, who came to Earl’s aid.

Reminder to all those who drove by: things are not always as they seem.

 Sincerely,

Addie Segura, Director of Materials

Wing Inflatables, Inc.

Arcata

What’s wrong with everybody?

What’s wrong with everybody ?

I’ve never seen such a gaggle of tax-money sucking boneheads running for president, – with Ron Paul standing head and shoulders above them all as the only one who actually knows what he’s doing and what our country and Constitution are all about and has a record in Congress of realistically and absolutely supporting our country and U.S. Constitution and national independence and getting us out of no-win foreign and war entanglements that are dragging America down into an abyss of no return.

The obvious solution is to put people like Ron Paul in office, and band together as true Americans into everyday patriotic action organizations like The John Birch Society (JBS.org) and work 365 days a year regularly for the preservation of our country and Christian Western Civilization NOW, while we still can, and restore the economy to boot.

GET ACTIVE !

Sincerely,

Ed Nemechek 

Landers

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