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COVER
STORY | PUBLISHER
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HUM | CALENDAR
Oct. 28, 2004
T H E
W E E K L Y W R A P |
WATERMARK MOVING
TO PORTLAND: WaterMark, the Arcata
company whose brands include Yakima, announced Tuesday that it
was moving its corporate headquarters to Portland, Ore., during
the first part of 2005, and taking 70 of its 147 Arcata employees
with it. Sixty-five workers will stay in Arcata, and between
10 and 15 positions will be eliminated, the company said in a
written statement. "It became clear that we needed to relocate
some of our operations in order to attract the top talent that
is essential to meet our goals," said CEO Jim Clark.
BALLOON TRACK STUDY
AXED: In a reversal of its previous,
long-standing policy, the Eureka City Council voted 4-1 last
week to kill efforts to develop a master plan for the vacant
Balloon Track, a 34-acre parcel on the edge of the downtown and
Old Town neighborhoods. Earlier this year, the council had applied
for and received a $45,000 grant from the Headwaters Fund to
finance a community-wide effort to find consensus on the best
uses of the land. That money will have to be returned. Councilmember
Chris Kerrigan, the sole holdout on the vote, later said he was
"puzzled" by the council's reversal -- just a few weeks
ago, he said, the council had listed the Balloon Track plan as
one of its top priorities for the coming year. Five years ago,
Wal-Mart had looked into putting one of its superstores on the
site; Assemblymember Patty Berg, one of the leaders of the successful
fight against Wal-Mart, likewise declared herself mystified by
the council's decision last week. "I don't like the community
being shut out of the process," she said. "So I would
like to know why [the council] did it."
ALCOHOL NOT CAUSE
OF CRASH: Results from a blood
alcohol test have confirmed that the driver in a fatal collision
was not drunk, but further chemical drug tests have yet to be
completed, the California Highway Patrol said. Deann Hash, 43,
of Eureka, was driving her Ford Explorer westbound on Greenwood
Heights Road in Kneeland last Tuesday morning when she ran off
the road at 35 miles per hour and crashed into a log, killing
her 6-year-old daughter, Katie Alisha Hash, who was in a car
seat, and injuring her other daughter, 8, and herself. The CHP
said that Hash appeared to be intoxicated and was taken into
custody on suspicion of driving under the influence. Drug test
results are expected in a couple of weeks, the CHP said. Hash
is not in custody.
ANOTHER CHILD KILLED:
A 6-year-old from Eureka was killed
Saturday in a car accident near Klamath, and the driver who caused
the crash is in jail for allegedly driving under the influence,
the California Highway Patrol said. On Oct. 23, Joei Sanches,
28, of Eureka, was driving northbound on U.S. Highway 101 with
her 6-year-old, Elizabeth Sanches, and 1-year-old, Ethan Sanches,
when their Ford Explorer was hit by a Jeep Wrangler driven by
Jeffery Sibley, 48, of Fallon, Nev., according to the CHP. Sibley
was traveling southbound when he swerved into the northbound
lane, striking the Sanches' car. Elizabeth Sanches was pronounced
dead on the scene and Joei Sanches, Ethan Sanches and Sibley
were taken to the hospital for injuries. Sibley was arrested
and remains in custody.
TREE SNAGS DEBATE:
Westhaven residents are rallying
to save a redwood tree that they say is a unique community landmark.
The dead redwood, called "eye of the needle snag" for
the sewing needlelike hole in the upper part of its trunk, stands
on Westhaven Drive next to power lines, something the Pacific
Gas and Electric Company says is a hazard. At the urging of the
California Department of Forestry, PG&E has been planning
for close to a year to cut the tree down. Earlier this month
the conflict came to a head when a pajama-clad neighbor stopped
a contractor from removing the tree one early morning. Susan
Morton of Westhaven, said that the tree is sturdy and not a threat
to the power lines. PG&E spokesman Lloyd Coker said that
the snag is in the company's right of way, and were it to fall
against the lines, it could start a fire or leave 600 people
without electricity. Meanwhile, 5th District Supervisor Jill
Geist has weighed in on the debate, saying that the tree is in
the coastal development zone and therefore, the power company
must have a permit to cut down the snag.
WEST NILE TALLY: Mosquito season officially ended Oct. 10, but
the Department of Public Health is continuing to test dead birds
for West Nile virus. Humboldt County Vector Officer Brent Whitener
reports that to date 13 birds were infected in Humboldt County
out of 45 birds tested; results from five of those birds have
not yet been received. No cases of human or horse contraction
were found in the county, but human infection got closer to county
lines last week when a Lake County person tested positive for
the virus. Whitener said that surveillance of the virus will
continue at least until Nov. 1. The county requests that citizens
finding a dead bird call 877-WNV-BIRD (877-968-2473) to file
a report.
RICHMOND NAMED
SCIENCE FELLOW: HSU President Rollin
Richmond was recently inducted as a Fellow by the California
Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. Richmond, a geneticist,
was awarded for his research in genetics and evolution. The academy
is the fourth largest natural history museum in the world and
has acknowledged the contributions of 300 scientists. Richmond
was one of 15 new members inducted on Oct. 12. He was nominated
by a former professor at San Diego State University.
LIBRARY SHUT DOWN:
The Humboldt County Library and
its branch libraries will be closed this week, and will reopen
Nov. 2. The library, which has struggled under severe budget
cuts, shuts its doors for one week every quarter to save money.
Staff will not be paid for the time off. Anyone who has books
due this week will not be charged overdue fines while the library
is closed.
CHANGE YOUR BATTERIES:
To ensure that residents have working
fire alarms, the Fortuna Police Department will check smoke detectors
at residents' homes and replace old batteries, free of charge.
Those who do not have a smoke alarm can get one for free, installed
by police. Call the FPD at 725-7550.
Water board:
continuity versus new blood
by
HANK SIMS
Last year, the Humboldt Bay
Municipal Water District rocketed to the forefront of public
consciousness when an entrepreneur offered to buy excess water
out of the Mad River, bag it up in massive plastic containers
and tug it down to Southern California by sea.
The outcry over the proposal
effectively torpedoed the idea, but this election season is showing
that public interest in the workings of the previously obscure
agency has remained. For the first time in recent memory, two
incumbents on the district's board of directors are being contested
by active, energetic challengers.
In the first division, which
covers most of Eureka, nine-year incumbent Vern Cooney is facing
opposition from activist Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap. Meanwhile, McKinleyville
minister Javan Reid is challenging 12-year incumbent Harold Hunt,
a rancher, in the Water Board's second division, which includes
McKinleyville and surrounding areas.
A former chief of the Eureka
Fire Department, Cooney, 67, jokes that with only nine years
on the board he has for some time been its "junior member."
Nevertheless, he feels that he has enough tenure to say that
the district has historically been one of the most well managed
municipal water utilities around.
However, Cooney said that he
is concerned about declining industrial use of water in the district.
In the district's first days, 80 percent of its costs were borne
by its industrial customers -- the two pulp mills on the Samoa
Peninsula. Now, with only one mill still in operation, that has
fallen to 45 percent. If the financially troubled Stockton Pacific
mill were to go under, municipal customers would be forced to
assume the entire costs for the district's operations.
"Right now, it's not the
water bag issue," he said. "This is the big issue."
Cooney said that he did not
have an immediate solution to the problem, but believed that
the district should continue to try to market its current 20-million-gallon-per-day
water surplus, and believed that his experience managing budgets
could work in the district's favor.
Sopoci-Belknap, 25, is an active
member of the Green Party and the director of Democracy Unlimited
of Humboldt County, a Eureka-based activist organization. According
to its mission statement, the goal of Democracy Unlimited is
to "[educate] citizens about the illegitimate seizure of
our authority to govern ourselves."
In a recent interview, Sopoci-Belknap
said that she decided to run in order to bring her experience
studying international law and trade agreements to the board.
She said that the board lacked experience in such matters during
the water bag debate -- and that with water scarcity becoming
an increasing problem worldwide, such issues would become increasingly
important.
If elected, she pledged to bring
the community to the table when it comes time to discuss future
deals involving the district's excess water capacity.
"That's one of the things
that we, as a community, need to decide," she said. "Is
it more important to have cheap water? Or is it more important
to maintain local control of our water? Or is there some win-win
solution?"
Sopoci-Belknap said that she
didn't propose to answer these questions -- instead, she said,
she would engage in public outreach and try to form a community-wide
planning effort to develop solutions.
In the second division, the
77-year-old Hunt is campaigning on a platform of continuity --
he said that the district has done an excellent job of assuring
that the public has a steady supply of clean, relatively cheap
water.
"We've got a heck of a
good board, and I think they watch out for the public's interest
just about as good as anybody," he said. He noted the new
$10 million water treatment facility northeast of Arcata the
board recently brought on-line.
Hunt said that the district
recently demonstrated its high level of professional competence
when it quickly fixed a serious leak in one of its main water
lines in the Arcata area. He agreed that the board needed to
try to find new ways to market its water, but said that he opposed
the water bag proposal.
"If something comes along
that is really, really worth considering, one way or another
it will get before the public," he said. "But personally,
I was not in favor of the water bag."
A minister and former member
of the McKinleyville Community Services District's board of directors,
Javan Reid, 60, said that he has been interested in California
water issues for decades. He said that the Humboldt Bay Municipal
Water District is somewhat unique in that it has the sole responsibility
for maintaining an entire watershed -- that of the Mad River,
from which the district receives all its water.
Reid said that he would like
to see the district take a more active role in the ecological
management of the Mad watershed.
"I would like to see the
district take the lead in managing the river for water quality
and fisheries habitat," he said. "This district is
in an ideal position to work with the Department of Fish and
Wildlife, the HSU Fisheries department, the Coastal Commission
-- all those are ideal relationships that could be developed
soon."
Reid said that he, too, opposed
the water bag idea, and supported the idea of attracting clean
industry to the region through use of the district's surplus
water. But he said that current residential water rates were
not at a crisis level -- water here is still much more affordable
than in other parts of the state, he said.
"The water is pretty cheap,"
he said. "When I was on the CSD, the cheapest thing on our
budget was the water. Sure, I think we need to seek anything
we can to share the cost among users. But I don't think people
should think the water is expensive."
A third candidate in the second
division race -- fisheries biologist Randy Turner -- has dropped
out, in order not to split votes between himself and the other
challenger. He has formally endorsed Reid, who he said shares
many of his values and ideas.
ALSO OF INTEREST:
Feb. 6, 2003: COVER STORY:
Is the water bag proposal a trojan horse?
Measure L: County
depending on sales tax hike
by
HANK SIMS
Sheriff Gary Philp and District
Attorney Paul Gallegos both made grim presentations to the Board
of Supervisors Tuesday. They talked about how their departments'
abilities to carry out their mandated duties to serve and protect
the citizenry have been imperiled by two years of drastically
reduced budgets.
They both said they feared what
would happen if future cuts are required next year. "Reduced
staffing levels will impact public safety and the safety of our
officers," Philp said. "Our past reductions have cut
us to the bone."
Though they didn't address the
topic directly, it was clear that they were there to speak in
support of Measure L, the controversial 1 percent countywide
sales tax increase on Tuesday's ballot.
If passed, Measure L would raise
the sales tax to a total of 8.25 percent throughout the county
-- except in Trinidad, where the rate would be 9.25 percent.
It would automatically expire in 2009 unless the electorate voted
to restore it. The measure contains provisions that would prevent
any of the revenues from the tax being taken away by the state.
Half of the revenues generated by the measure -- about $12 million
annually, according to forecasts -- will go into the county general
fund. The other half would be split among the county's seven
incorporated cities.
To hear most local elected officials
tell it, the measure is a last-gasp effort to prevent severe
cutbacks in county services such as law enforcement, the library
and the county's health care initiatives for the poor and indigent.
Over the past few years, the
state budget crisis has taken a toll on county services. A general
hiring freeze has left hundreds of county jobs unfilled in order
to make ends meet.
Third District Supervisor John
Woolley said that with the increasing costs of medical and workers'
compensation insurance, the county's budget is looking at even
greater cuts in the future.
"If Measure L does not
pass and we face still significant increases, all these things
will have to come up and we'll face much deeper cuts," Woolley
said. "If we don't have Measure L to help us, local government
just becomes that much more destabilized."
To make matters worse, the county
is currently operating almost entirely without cash reserves.
The county had a $2.4 million reserve fund in June; all but $100,000
of it was spent in order to balance this year's budget.
Leo Sears, president of the
Humboldt Taxpayers' League, has been one of the measure's strongest
critics. He has charged that county government has not done enough
to tighten its belt in the wake of the state budget crisis. In
particular, he said last week, the county has refused to consider
discontinuing its "benefit allowance" packages for
elected officials and management employees, has continued to
allow most of its employees to work a 37.5-hour week and has
dropped its support of Proposition 65, which would have stopped
the state from taking funds from local government.
"This, to me, is unconscionable
on the part of the cities and counties," Sears said. "They
give more to the state on the one hand and ask for more from
us on the other hand."
But Woolley said that none of
those solutions are as simple as they may appear, and they don't
do enough to close the expected budget shortfall. The 37.5-hour
work week is a matter of contracts developed through negotiations
with employee unions, he said -- something that can't simply
be changed overnight. Likewise, the "benefit allowance"
-- which costs the county some $800,000 -- is often written into
the county's contracts with its management employees.
"[Proposition] 65 was going
to have a great deal of opposition, in part from state school
administrators, that would have made it problematic," he
said, adding that a substitute measure agreed to by Gov. Schwarzenegger
-- Proposition 1A -- would offer some, but not all, of the protections
of 65.
Sears also opposes the provision
of the measure which would split the funds between the county
and the city, as he said that the crises in the cities are not
nearly as severe as those faced by county government. He said
that both Eureka and Fortuna have loaned money to their redevelopment
agencies -- money which could be recalled to those cities' general
funds whenever they need it.
He added that it would have
been "a hell of a lot more honest" for the county to
propose a half-cent increase in sales tax for its own purposes,
and then allowed any city with budget problems to put its own
measure forward.
Woolley said that he was not
involved in drafting the language of the measure, but that the
county had a long-standing history of cooperation among governmental
bodies.
"To say that the cities
have not lost resources is not being very real," he said.
"There have been plenty of reports about their loss of services."
Campaign
cash:
Measure L foes fail to report,
backers fueled by anti- Wal-Mart money
by
HANK SIMS
With the election only a few
days away, a controversy has broken out surrounding the campaign
against Measure L, the 1 percent sales tax increase, and campaign
finance papers in the Yes on L camp reveal an unusual funding
scheme involving money from the 1999 anti-Wal-Mart fight.
The Humboldt County Taxpayer's
League has mounted a high-profile ad campaign against the measure
-- including print and billboard ads -- which has cost the league
around $20,000 to date, according to Leo Sears, league president.
However, it has not filed any financial disclosure statements
with the county election office -- an apparent violation of California
election law.
Sears said that before the league
took on the campaign, an attorney -- whom he declined to name
-- told him that as a 501(c)4 organization, the league is exempt
from campaign finance regulations.
Robert Stern, president of the
Los Angeles-based Center for Governmental Studies and the former
general counsel of the Fair Political Practices Commission, said
on Monday that this argument doesn't hold water.
"If any group is saying
`vote yes' or `vote no' on a ballot measure, and spending $1,000
or more, they should be filing their expenditures," Stern
said. "It's real clear."
At Tuesday's meeting of the
Board of Supervisors, Supervisor Bonnie Neely -- a vocal proponent
of Measure L -- took the Taxpayers' League to task for hiding
its donor list from public scrutiny. She said that with ethics
in government and politics a growing issue in the county, it
was disturbing to see the league bending campaign finance law.
"[The public] is continuously
asking us to play by the rules," she said. "Here we
have accusations and claims being made by an organization that
is not playing by the rules."
Neely went on to quote from
a publication entitled "How to Defeat Local Sales Taxes,"
which is published on the Web site of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers
Association, an organization founded by the author of 1978's
Proposition 13. The publication recommends that local groups
form opposition committees to oppose local sales tax measures
and notes that "campaign filing obligations will generally
be incurred if $1,000 or more is received or spent in a calendar
year."
Sears declined to voluntarily
name the donors who had given money to the league on behalf of
the campaign, except to say that they were all members of the
league. As regards election law, he said, the league will stick
by the advice its attorney gave it until he hears differently
from the state.
"If they tell us something
different, we'll do something different," he said.
Meanwhile, according to disclosure
forms filed with the county elections office, the Yes on Measure
L campaign -- which has taken out print, radio and television
ads -- is being financed entirely by money left over from the
fight against a Eureka Wal-Mart five years ago.
On Oct. 14, the Think Twice
Committee, which was formed in order to oppose 1999's pro-Wal-Mart
Measure J, wrote a $13,240 check to the Yes on Measure L campaign.
The money represented the entirety of the funds left over from
the No on Measure J campaign, which have been sitting in a bank
account since 1999.
Neely, who, along with soon-to-be
Assemblymember Patty Berg, was one of the co-chairs of the Think
Twice Committee, said on Tuesday that she had authorized the
use of the remaining Think Twice funds to promote Measure L.
"We felt that this would
do the greatest good for the community -- would have the greatest
impact on the delivery of services," she said.
Among the last donors to the
Think Twice Committee were the Pacific Lumber Co. ($1,000), the
Simpson Resource Company ($1,000), the Democratic Central Committee
($500) and a San Francisco chapter of the United Food and Commercial
Workers' Union ($5,000). As these were the last donors to Think
Twice, it is essentially their money -- donated to oppose Wal-Mart
-- which is being used to support Measure L.
Chuck Center, PALCO director
of government relations, said that the company has not taken
a stand on Measure L, and could not comment on the use of its
anti-Wal-Mart donations without further study.
Stern said that such transfers
of funds are legal under California law.
Arcata City
Council
Candidates 2004
by
BOB DORAN
More than one of the 10 candidates
running for three seats on the Arcata City Council described
the upcoming election as "a crossroads" for the council
-- but that's an exaggeration.
It's true that the departure
of veteran council members Connie Stewart and "Bad"
Bob Ornelas, coupled with the surprise resignation of Elizabeth
Conner, necessitates an infusion of new blood, but with one exception,
none of the candidates is suggesting a change of course for the
decidedly progressive city.
The choice for Arcata's voters
in the nonpartisan race is more along the lines of choosing which
flavor of progressive they prefer. For the most part the candidates
agree that creative solutions must be found to seemingly insurmountable
problems, like the conflict between transients and shoppers on
the plaza. Everyone wants to see more affordable housing, but
without sacrificing precious open space.
This is a race where even the
centrist candidate is slightly left of center. The sole incumbent,
Michael Machi, wants to "continue on as a voice of
moderation" on the council, and it's likely that he will
appeal to the conservative side of Arcata, although he is not
particularly conservative -- he notes that he "wants to
see Bush out of office as much as anyone else on the council."
The challengers include activists
of various stripes. Fresh HSU grad Harmony Groves comes
off as the eco-grooviest of the lot. A car-less bicycle rider
who earns her living selling solar panels, she fought a successful
battle to save the student run recycling program on campus.
Lawyer Greg Allen is
a Green Party activist who, among other things, helped craft
the city's Prop. 215 medical marijuana guidelines, and more recently
introduced an Arcata anti-GMO ordinance currently under consideration.
He is also the author of several civil liberties initiatives
now in circulation, including one that would set up a police
review board and one that would do away with the law requiring
dance permits.
Other Greens in the race include
Paul Pitino, whose claim to fame is a successful fight
against the Janes Creek West subdivision, and Jhym "Fhyre"
Phoenix, a self-described "visionary" who counts
the creation of a local barter program, the Community Currency
Project, among his accomplishments.
Veterans for Peace activist
Jim Sorter, an Arcata High grad, points to his years of
experience as a school administrator as indicative of an ability
to balance budgets and serve as a mediator for diverse groups.
Rob Amerman, who works for the campus public radio station,
KHSU, paints himself as an insider with knowledge gained through
experience working in the City Manager's office and as station
manager for the city's now-defunct Arcata Community Access Television,
a position that often put him at odds with that station's vociferous
supporters.
Amerman's tenure at ACAT made
him a chief target of the campaign's loose cannon, Nicolas
Bravo, an HSU student who spiced things up at candidate forums
with charges that city government is awash with corruption. At
one point in the campaign Bravo publicly apologized "for
all the negativity I've been spewing." On Tuesday, he abruptly
resigned from the race, then later that day said he was back
in.
It should be noted that the
race also included a couple of stealth candidates who did not
campaign actively. Brooke "Christine" McClure,
a CR art student who described her run as "performance art,"
skipped all of the forums. Mark Owens, owner/operator
of a new candy store on the plaza, at least had a good excuse:
He was left homeless by a fire this summer.
Too hard to chose three from
the pool? Don't worry; you'll soon have a second chance, as will
any unsuccessful candidate. Nominations for the March election
to fill Conner's vacant seat open Nov. 15. Watch for round two
as spring approaches.
Staff writer Helen Sanderson
contributed to this report.
GREG ALLEN
Attorney
Age: 51
Green
6 years in Arcata
Neighborhood: Lower Fickle Hill
Website: www.gregoryallen.net
Background:
Master's from Stanford, JD from Univ. of Illinois. Practicing
lawyer 26 years, 24 in Calif. Chairman Palo Alto Ballet Inc.
1986-87. Board member ACLU, chair of Arcatans for Freedom and
Safety, Arcata Medical Patients Steering and Legal Committee
and Green Party of Humboldt County.
Signature issues: Protecting
our civil liberties, preserving our quality of life through managed
growth, and bringing high paying jobs to Arcata.
Why should we vote for you? I'm a person motivated by duty, honor, my love
for Arcata and our people. I have the skills, motivation, drive,
persistence and integrity to accomplish my goals. I pledge to
act with a sense of duty, propriety, heart and honor.
Halloween costume: Sometimes I wear lederhosen.
|
ROB AMERMAN
Administrative asst./KHSU-FM
Age: 30
No party
6 years in Arcata
Neighborhood: Greenview
Background:
B.S. in History/Politics from Drexel Univ., Philadelphia. Worked
for city of Arcata in City Manager's office, Finance Dept. and
Recreation Division. Former station manager for Arcata Community
Access Television. Volunteer on Committee on Democracy and Corporations
and the Nuclear Weapons Free Zone Commission.
Signature issues: Cox
Cable refranchising, which could allow Arcata and the rest of
the county to develop new franchise agreements that would include
the creation of a Community Media Center; designated community
access cable channels for the public, for educational institutions
and for local governments.
Why should we vote for you? The combination of my experience and progressive
politics will enable me to work with my fellow council members
to make Arcata a better place to live through affordable housing,
sustainable development, and environmental protection.
Halloween costume: Aquaman (the 1970s comic book hero).
|
NICHOLAS BRAVO
HSU student, entrepreneur
Age: 30.
No party
4 years in Arcata
Neighborhood: Near HSU campus
Background: HSU student majoring in Theater and Religious
Studies.
Signature issues: Stagnation
is killing Arcata, the complaints are many, the solutions provided
are few.
Why should we vote for you? I represent freedom, economic prosperity, dynamic
action, power, justice and truth. The choice is yours, and while
I appreciate and respect the power of the people, I realize that
many simply want to vote in establishment sheep whom they can
impotently rebel against, thus continuing the state of stagnation
and misery.
Halloween costume: A black cat with beautiful black feathery wings
and long, twisting horns reaching towards the sky.
|
HARMONY GROVES
Solar salesperson
Age: 26
Green
2.5 years in Arcata
Neighborhood: Sunny Brae
Website: www.harmonyinarcata.com
Background: BA in Political Science from HSU. Worked on
successful campaign to save campus recycling. Bicycling advocate.
Intern and fund-raiser organizer for Redwood Peace and Justice
Center. Worked cleaning beaches with Heal the Bay.
Signature issues: I
am interested in developing the Land Use Codes to ensure that
the General Plan is implemented effectively (including affordable
housing and infill).
Why should we vote for you? I am professional and approachable. I always explain
why I make a decision. I am reliable and capable of being on
City Council and creating balance within the council. I have
the time, energy and commitment that the city of Arcata needs
from its representatives.
Halloween costume: Harmony Smurf (with a trumpet)
|
MICHAEL J.
MACHI
City Council member,
woodworker, landlord
Age: 54
No party
31 years in Arcata.
Neighborhood: Northtown
Background: Incumbent, elected 2000; BA in Geography and
teaching credential from HSU; veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard,
served as bookkeeper and budget preparer for the U.S.C.G. Station
Monterey. "I attended almost every Arcata City Council meeting
from 1997 to 2000, before I was elected onto the Council."
Signature issues: A
much more open and respectful city government is needed in Arcata,
so that all of Arcata's diverse political viewpoints are welcomed
into the governmental processes and all the stakeholders are
heard before important decisions are made.
Why should we vote for you? Because I have broad knowledge of Arcata government;
I am hard working, open-minded, respectful, reliable, fair, non-partisan
and always striving for good governmental process; I will bring
needed balance, experience, continuity and leadership to the
Council.
Halloween costume: A big, old huggie bear.
|
BROOKE McCLURE
College of the Redwoods student/artist
Age: 21
No party
3 years in Arcata
Neighborhood: Westwood
Background: Volunteer for Raven Project.
Signature issues: Promoting
diversity and fair representation on the City Council. Besides
being a young, queer woman, I have a lot of different experiences
that enable me to listen to different people.
Why should we vote for you? Because old people like me, I listen to young
kids, I love my mom, and I'm not Darth Vader.
Halloween costume: Hollowed out TV on my head
|
MARK OWENS
Business owner, Grandma B's Fudge
Age: 34
Democrat
10 years in Arcata
Neighborhood: Downtown
Background: Former kindergarten and community college
teacher. Studied in England at Cambridge Univ. Master's in teaching
writing from HSU.
Signature issues: Helping
to create a long-term sustainable economy that pays living wage
jobs. Making the Arcata Plaza a safe, healthy and happy place
to shop or play.
Why should we vote for you? I will listen to the concerns and opinions of people
and take them seriously. I have the extra time needed to do the
job right and the education to make informed decisions. Vote
for me, and I promise to do my best job and keep Arcata's progressive
political tradition alive.
Halloween costume: Cat in the Hat
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JHYM PAH-TAH-WAH
"FHYRE" PHOENIX
Fund-raiser/grantwriter
Age: 51
Green
On and off in Arcata since 1996, steadily since 2000.
Neighborhood: Northtown.
Background: Master's in Human Services Administration
(though he declined to list which college). Past executive director
of three nonprofit organizations.
Signature issues: Raising
new funds for the city of Arcata without raising taxes or permit
fees.
Why should we vote for you? I have been a community activist for 37 years,
as a proponent for women's rights, children's education, housing
the homeless, ending war, environmental preservation, better
jobs, etc. I love Arcata and want to use my education, skills,
experiences and creativity to keep it the progressive city that
it is.
Halloween costume:
Zorro.
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PAUL PITINO
Self-employed landscaper
Age: 58
Green
11 years in Arcata
Neighborhood: SOSA
(South of Samoa)
Website: www.paulpitino.arcata.org
Background: Degree in engineering and bilingual teaching
credential from Cal State Los Angeles. Former union shop steward
and business agent; served on Ukiah Solar Access Committee, current
vice-chair city of Arcata Transportation Safety Committee. Led
successful challenge to the Janes Creek West Development in the
Arcata Bottom.
Signature issues: I
would like to focus on things that serve all citizens of Arcata,
like a public restroom in downtown.
Why should we vote for you? I have been an involved and active citizen since
I moved here. I was limited to single issues for many years,
being a single dad with three sons. Now that they are grown,
I am able to devote time to the council and have the practice
to be effective.
Halloween costume: "I would dress up like one of my four older
sisters."
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JAMES M. SORTER
Retired educator
Age: 63
Green
55 years in Arcata
Neighborhood: Sunny Brae
Background: Humboldt State University graduate with credentials
in teaching and administration. Taught for 19 years, served as
superintendent of Peninsula School District 14 years, retired
June 2003.
Signature issues: I
want to work on helping to create a safe, friendly environment
for all of our citizens, houseless as well as other members of
our community.
Why should we vote for you? I have lived in Arcata long enough to know the
problems we face as a community. Utilizing skills gained from
my former occupation I can serve as a conduit, bringing the many
divergent groups which inhabit this city together, where everyone
is heard and diverse opinions are valued.
Halloween costume: No comment
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