Thumbnail: Pictured (from left to right) Curtis Bartley, Braydan Johnson, Colton Schaad, Alex Osborne, James Gensaw Jr.
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Written and submitted by John Pritchett.
A fifth member of the powerhouse Del Norte High wrestling program has signed a college letter of intent to continue his grappling career.
Colton Schaad announced this week he will wrestle at the University of Jamestown, a NCAA Division II school located in North Dakota. This follows a standout career at Del Norte High, where he won a North Coast Section championship as a junior and finished third this past season.
Thumbnail photo: A Coos Bay boat builder has offered the most “realistic concrete plan” for offering ship yard services at the Crescent City Harbor since Fashion Blacksmith closed its doors last year, Harbormaster Mike Rademaker said | Photo by Gavin Val Alstine
Crescent City Harbormaster Mike Rademaker said he’s found a boat builder who could potentially fill the void Fashion Blacksmith left behind when it closed following a legal dispute with the port last year.
Rademaker told commissioners on Wednesday that he’s spent a lot of time with Cory Gottschalk, a boat builder currently operating out of Coos Bay, Oregon. Gottschalk has plied his trade in New Zealand, Australia, Washington and Alaska, and has agreed to “be our principal operator of the boatyard,” the harbormaster said.
Though Gottschalk demonstrated his expertise and has a good reputation, the Harbor District still needs to go through a vetting process before it enters into a contract with the boat builder, Rademaker said. This will involve further reference and credit checks, he said.
Dozens of constituents cornered Assemblyman Chris Rogers in what would have been an otherwise cozy nook of the Familia Cafe last week.
They were packed so tightly that even gaining entry to the building proved to be a challenge, let alone getting close enough to hear the assemblyman’s responses to the crowd’s questions. Fortunately, Field Rep. Heidi McHugh asked the crowd to give others a chance to come forward, rescuing those who could hear little more than the murmuring crowd and bustle of a working cafe.
Rogers, former councilmember, and, for a time, the mayor of Santa Rosa, was elected to the California State Assembly’s 2nd district last year. His district covers Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Sonoma, and Trinity counties.
Jay Trost and Patrick Hollinger once again deferred to Brad Alcorn when it came to selecting his replacement on the Curry County Board of Commissioners.
Alcorn abstained from voting, but his colleagues appointed his pick — Gold Beach resident Lynn Coker — to the Board after agreeing with Alcorn that the commissioner position is, for now anyway, a full-time job.
“When you look at the totality of all of the people who have applied, the candidate that rises to the top is clearly Lynn Coker,” Alcorn said Wednesday, “and I would be very comfortable knowing that he stepped into my role and took my place.”
On Wednesday, April 9th, the Del Norte Child Abuse Prevention Council (CAPC) gathered community members at the Family Resource Center for a candlelight vigil and flag-raising ceremony. The ceremony was focused on honoring the lives of those affected by child abuse, remembering those lost, and raising awareness of prevention efforts within the community. It also marked the beginning of Child Abuse Awareness month.
The ceremony started off with the introduction of council members, and opening remarks followed by the lighting of candles symbolizing the past, present, and future of child abuse prevention. Members of the audience were handed electric tea candles before two local youths took the stage to read a short speech while the real candles were lit. Next was the raising of the Children’s Memorial Flag by the Crescent City Police Department Explorers, accompanied by a moment of silence. The original flag was designed by a 16 year old student from Alameda County. According to the CAPC Facebook page, “The Children’s Memorial Flag honors each lost child and serves as a symbol for the protection of children and young people from all forms of violence.”
Del Norte County supervisors gave Crescent City the financial boost it needs to proceed with a project to underground most of the utility lines at its southern gateway.
Four members of the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday authorized the transfer of $2.4 million in Rule20 work credits the county has with Pacific Power to the city before they expire in about six weeks.
“Improvements to the city are improvements to the county,” District 2 Supervisor Valerie Starkey told City Manager Eric Wier, who went before the Board with City Attorney Martha Rice to provide a brief overview of the city’s plans for using those work credits. “We don’t have a current project earmarked for this and so I’m very much for this and hope that you meet the deadline.”
Thumbnail: Del Norte County supervisors Valerie Starkey and Dean Wilson join the former Crescent City Council at a groundbreaking ceremony of the new Battery Point Apartments in September 2024. | Photo by Jessica Cejnar Andrews
Among the items discussed at Monday’s Crescent City Council meeting:
Opposition to Housing Bill: Though nearly 300 new housing units are being constructed in Crescent City, the City Council opposed a bill the League of California Cities says streamlines development at the expense of local environmental and public review.
Assembly Bill 647 would allow for up to eight housing units — only one of which would be set aside for affordable housing — on lots housing single-family homes, City Manager Eric Wier said, citing the nonprofit organization that advocates for local municipalities.
Introduced by Los Angeles-area assemblyman Mark Gonzalez in February, the legislation would supersede “a lot of our planning ordinances,” Wier said, and would allow those housing units to be developed without review by the Planning Commission or the City Council.
Digital Event Flyer for the “Community Office Hours” event.
Chris Rogers was elected to represent California’s 2nd Assembly district last year. This Northern California district is sparsely populated in comparison to other Californian regions, meaning there is only one representative tasked with covering Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Trinity, and Sonoma counties. This poses a stark contrast relative to the twenty-seven representatives afforded to Los Angeles County.
As such, Rogers has quite a bit of ground to cover during his week “off” to consult with his constituents. Not just geographically, but ideologically. These five counties embody wildly different cultural values and economic realities – not only from the rest of California, but from each other.
In addition to attending the Crescent City-Del Norte County Chamber of Commerce Economic Summit, Rogers hosted “community office hours” at Paragon Coffee House on Wednesday. The event drew 20 to 30 of his constituents, young and old, who gathered around the assemblyman’s table in a small corner of the cafe.
Brookings Mayor Isaac Hodges declined his appointment as Brad Alcorn’s replacement on the Curry County Board of Commissioners, the county announced Friday.
In a letter to the Board of Commissioners — and provided to Redwood Voice Community News by Brookings City Council President Andy Martin — Hodges said he would be unable to fulfill the responsibilities of county commissioner “due to my personal and professional obligations.”
“I believe it is in the best interest of the county to respectfully decline the appointment,” Hodges wrote. “I sincerely apologize for the additional work and time this decision has caused.”
On Friday, Martin said praised the work his colleague and the entire City Council has done to foster transparency and openness in the City of Brookings. There have been few closed executive sessions since the community’s new city manager, Tim Rundel, was hired, Martin said, and more city businesses and workshops have been open to the public.
“Isaac brings institutional knowledge about Brookings to the Council and a common sense approach to local governance,” Martin said. “We will continue to be fortunate to have him as our mayor.”
The new deadline to apply for the county commissioner position is 5 p.m. Tuesday. Those who had submitted applications previously will be considered for the post and don’t need to submit a new position.
The Board will conduct interviews and make a decision at a special meeting at 1 p.m. Wednesday.
Those who are interested in applying for the position can visit the county’s website or visit the Board of Commissioners Office in person at 94235 Moore Street in Gold Beach.
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Brad Alcorn essentially chose his predecessor on Tuesday, though he didn’t vote.
Praising the way he approached a shoplifting incident involving the now-former city manager that eventually led to City Council recalls about a year and a half ago, Alcorn recommended Brookings Mayor Isaac Hodges to take on the role of Curry County commissioner.
Before making his recommendation, however, Alcorn said he doesn’t have a personal relationship with Hodges, though they have interacted with each other in their capacity as elected officials. Alcorn said Hodges also reached out to him after he submitted his application for the commissioner seat.
“It was very in depth and it was very detailed and the questions Isaac was asking me were pretty deep questions about our issues,” Alcorn said of their conversation. “I could sense in our conversation your desire to move things forward and continue to progress [on] the positive things we’ve been able to impact here. And, man, did you do your homework and research, and I applaud you for that
Thumbnail photo courtesy of the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office. Above: The DNSO is asking residents in the vicinity of the 1400 block of West Macken for assistance in seeking a person-of-interest connected with a suspected arson.
The Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office is seeking a person-of-interest connected with a suspected arson that took place at a home on the 1400 block of West Macken Avenue in Crescent City at about noon Wednesday.
The fire has rendered the home uninhabitable, Undersheriff Devon Perry told Redwood Voice Community News on Thursday. The DNSO is currently building a case and is seeking information about an individual who was wearing dark colored clothing and was seen on video surveillance leaving the area, though Perry said he was unable to release further details about the subject.
“A neighbor saw smoke coming out from underneath the residence, contacted the tenant of that residence and discovered there was a fire going on underneath,” Perry said. “The fire department was contacted and upon arrival requested deputy assistance for suspected arson.”
