Editor:

Nice job on your informative article on the Lost Coast Brewery expansion. In my opinion, the best thing about Lost Coast Brewery is Duane Flatmo's original artwork!

The Lost Coast Brewery is another fine example about how the community loves and supports small startup companies and then, when they become successful, the owners forget where they came from and turn their backs on the people that supported them.

As a former representative and area training coordinator of the local plumbers and steamfitters union, I spent a great deal of time over the last 20 years promoting Lost Coast beer. I even testified on their behalf at the Eureka Council meetings in support of the project. Unfortunately, when it came time to hire our local workers, owner Barbara Groom chose to bring in out-of-area workers and contractors. Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 290 has spent more than a million dollars (at no cost to the taxpayer) providing the highest quality training in this area and our members have built breweries, as well as large industrial projects, including Intel, Apple and Google facilities. To disregard local workers and companies was shortsighted and irresponsible.

Ms. Groom's negative attitude towards workers and the community has become apparent over the years. Negative actions usually result in long-term repercussions. She also chose a location for her new brewery in close proximity to the City of Eureka Waste Water Treatment Plant, which occasionally, on warm summer days with easterly winds, creates a rather stinky atmosphere for Lost Coast beer creation, consumption and ice cream enjoyment. I for one, will not be supporting any more Eureka taxpayer dollars for the benefit of Ms. Groom and her corporate beer.

Sid Berg, McKinleyville