All posts by Jessica Cejnar Andrews

Articles, Elections, Health, Infrastructure

Huffman Discuses Government Shutdown, ICE, Healthcare With Del Norters

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Thumbnail photo and videos by Heather Polen

“This is not a normal time,” Del Norte County’s representative in Congress told his constituents on Sunday.

On the fourth day of a federal government shutdown, U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman began a town hall meeting in Crescent City by addressing who he felt was responsible for 10 months of chaos. Yet it wasn’t only President Donald Trump’s tariffs, executive orders and military deployment to Los Angeles, Portland and other American cities Huffman was referring to.

“We’ve never seen so many of these executive orders from any president in history, and my colleagues in this Congress are comfortable with that,” he said. “They’re pretty comfortable with just yielding their Article 1 independent branch of government authority over to the president.”

Continue reading Huffman Discuses Government Shutdown, ICE, Healthcare With Del Norters →
Articles, Elections

Prop 50 Voting Starts; Those Casting Ballots By Mail Should Send Them Early, Del Norte County Clerk-Recorder Says

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Thumbnail photo: Under new proposed Congressional District boundaries, Del Norte County would share a representative with Shasta, Siskiyou and Modoc counties, which are currently in District 1. | Photo courtesy of the Senate Election and Constitutional Amendments Committee.

Voters wanting to weigh in on Proposition 50 — California’s attempt to counter a Texas mid-decade redistricting proposal — shouldn’t wait until Election Day to mail in their ballot, County Clerk Recorder Alissia Northrup says.

Since Del Norte is more than 50 miles away from California’s six U.S. Postal Service processing facilities, ballots may not be postmarked until after Nov. 4. Northrup and her staff can’t count ballots that aren’t postmarked on or before Election Day.

“We just want to get the word out to people,” she told Redwood Voice Community News on Monday. “Because they’re not going to be upset at the post office, they’re going to be upset at us.”

Continue reading Prop 50 Voting Starts; Those Casting Ballots By Mail Should Send Them Early, Del Norte County Clerk-Recorder Says →
Articles, Community News

Camp Barry Needs A New Home; Del Norte Animal Rescue Starts GoFundMe

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Thumbnail photo courtesy of Camp Barry’s GoFundMe page

If Del Norte County had a Noah, it would be Rhonda Barry, Gloria Bobertz says.

From ducks and chickens to dogs and cats, Barry, who operates Camp Barry with her son Matt, “is about the animals,” Bobertz told Redwood Voice Community News. But with the organization’s landlords looking to sell the property, Camp Barry will need to find a new ark soon.

“It’s going to be a huge loss if they can’t find a place,” said Bobertz, whose dog Cash was one of the first litters Camp Barry took in about seven years ago. “The Dogs of Del Norte County, or the dog pound here, yes they give the dogs shelter and they try to find them homes, but they don’t go the extra mile with the dog and make sure that dog is well rounded and adjusted to go live a new life.”

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Articles, Curry, Local Government

Curry County Commissioners Says Spectrum Agreement Will Increase Public Meeting Access

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Thumbnail photo by Ken Lund via Wikimedia Commons. Creative Commons License

Lynn Coker evoked Abbott and Costello before he and his colleague Patrick Hollinger approved a $6,335 agreement between Curry County and Spectrum Business on Wednesday.

Coker, who was appointed to the Board of Commissioners earlier this year, said he hoped the agreement, which will allow Curry County to televise its public meetings, will help residents better navigate local government.

“They attend these meetings, they listen and they read the news and they’re not quite sure who’s on first and why there’s a first base in the first place,” he said. “What’s the difference between the work a legislator does, like a Court Boyce, and the work the county does? Those kinds of things can be addressed in an educational format using our Spectrum education channels.”

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Articles, Curry, Local Government

Curry County DA Announces Resignation; Joshua Spansail Says His Last Day is Nov. 17

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Thumbnail photo: Curry County District Attorney Joshua Spansail announces his resignation to the Board of Commissioners on Wednesday. | screenshot

Curry County’s district attorney announced his resignation on Wednesday, telling the Board of Commissioners that he made the “bittersweet decision” for his family’s sake and his last day will be Nov. 17.

“I’ve been here going on 10 years now either as a deputy DA or the elected DA, but this is a family decision,” Joshua Spansail told commissioners Lynn Coker and Patrick Hollinger. “I have just had my third child and my wife and I made the decision that with a growing family and aging parents, it’s time to get closer to them, so we are going to be moving on.”

Board Chairman Jay Trost was absent.

Continue reading Curry County DA Announces Resignation; Joshua Spansail Says His Last Day is Nov. 17 →
Articles, CC Harbor, Local Government

Former Fashion Blacksmith Owner Airs Concerns About Boat Yard Assessment, Outlines History With Crescent City Harbor

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Thumbnail photo: Former Fashion Blacksmith building at the Crescent City Harbor. | File photo by Gavin Van Alstine

More than a year after he closed his doors, Fashion Blacksmith owner Ted Long said there were data gaps in a recent environmental assessment the Crescent City Harbor District had commissioned of the site.

Long also questioned the need for a structural inspection of the boat yard building itself. He told commissioners on Sept. 24 that a 60-page report detailing the findings of a civil engineer he hired in 2022 was included as an exhibit in an arbitration that led to a settlement agreement between the two parties.

“All of these exhibits from our arbitration are on file with BBK and Del Norte Superior Court,” Long said, referring to the Harbor District’s former legal counsel, Best, Best and Krieger. “They are in fact public record. In good faith and to save scarce dollars for the Harbor District, even if it’s grant money, and for immediate access to current Board members, I would be willing to share the three exhibits from Western Wood Structures exactly as they were filed in the arbitration record. This includes the full 60-page inspection report and the proposed repair plan with all the estimates.”

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Articles, Community News, Crescent City, Just For Fun

Start Your Engines: Sea Cruise Rolls Into Town Friday, Saturday

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Thumbnail photo by Paul Critz

Bayside resident Alan Billinger took home the Best of Show and Best Paint for his 1940 Mercury convertible at last year’s Sea Cruise Car Show. | Photo courtesy of the Crescent City-Del Norte County Chamber of Commerce

Those looking for a quiet stroll along the water with shorebirds for company should steer clear of Crescent City on Saturday.

Hundreds of hot rods, rat rods, muscle cars, trucks, Mustangs, Corvettes and motorcycles will dot Beachfront Park and at noon, they’ll wake up.

“We’re going to let the town know we’re here,” Crescent City-Del Norte County Executive Director Cindy Vosburg said. “You’ll have 200 to 300 vehicles start at once, revving their engines.”

The Rumble at Noon is a new feature of the 34th annual Sea Cruise Outdoor Car Show. Del Norte’s tribute to chrome, rubber and community starts with the Show & Shine and a sanctioned two-way cruise on Friday in Downtown Crescent City.

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Articles, Curry, Local Government

Internal Investigation Clears Curry County Operations Director of Misconduct Against Assessor; Wegner Says ‘It’s Not Over’

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Wegner | Courtesy of LinkedIn

An independent investigation found no evidence that Curry County Director of Operations Ted Fitzgerald engaged in gender discrimination, harassment or retaliation against County Assessor and Tax Collector Kylie Wegner.

Even so, Wegner’s tort claim notice, sent to the Board of Commissioners on April 8, puts them on notice that she could take further legal action against the county and against Fitzgerald individually. On Monday — after the county announced the findings of the investigation — Wegner said she’s yet not at liberty to say what her next steps will be, but told Redwood Voice Community News that “it’s not over.”

“They are not denying they read these things that (Fitzgerald) sent me and they are saying they don’t have an issue with those types of messages being sent to an elected official,” she said. “Don’t I deserve respect? No employee or elected official should have to work in an environment like that.”

Continue reading Internal Investigation Clears Curry County Operations Director of Misconduct Against Assessor; Wegner Says ‘It’s Not Over’ →
Articles, CC Harbor, Elections, Local Government

Gitlin Unveils Recall Petitions Against Harbor Commissioners Schmidt, Nehmer; Special Recall Election Could Cost CCHD Up To $130,000, Del Norte Clerk-Recorder Says

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Thumbnail photo: Roger Gitlin, former Del Norte Triplicate editor, speaks at a Crescent City Council meeting in June. | Screenshot

Former Del Norte Triplicate editor Roger Gitlin announced that he has begun the process to recall Crescent City Harbor commissioners Dan Schmidt and Annie Nehmer, though he’s not sure if the recall election will take place next June or November.

Gitlin announced his intentions before Nehmer and her colleagues Rick Shepherd and Gerhard Weber on Wednesday. He accused Nehmer of costing the Harbor District about $55,000 in legal fees and Schmidt of trying to persuade the Board of Commissioners to give his brother an executive role at the port.

“These breaches undermine the district’s ability to protect taxpayer funds in litigation and have collectively eroded public trust in (Schmidt’s) capacity to fulfill his duty,” Gitlin said. “Collectively they warrant recall. I have begun the process and will be seeking the intention to recall both of these commissioners in the foreseeable future.”

Continue reading Gitlin Unveils Recall Petitions Against Harbor Commissioners Schmidt, Nehmer; Special Recall Election Could Cost CCHD Up To $130,000, Del Norte Clerk-Recorder Says →
Articles, CC Harbor, Infrastructure

(Updated) CCHD Officials Negotiating Lower Loan Payment With USDA, Say Docks Need To Be Insured

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Thumbnail photo by Gavin Van Alstine

Updated at 1:52 p.m. to correct an error about the Harbor District’s loan status with the USDA. According to CCHD financial advisor Sandy Moreno, the agency has 120 days to make a loan payment to the agency or it runs the risk of defaulting on the loan.

Crescent City Harbor’s financial advisor said the agency has 120 days to make a loan payment to the U.S. Department of Agriculture or it runs the risk of defaulting on its loan.

Crescent City Harbor’s financial advisor said the agency has 120 days to reinstate property insurance for its inner boat basin or its loan with the U.S. Department of Agriculture will be considered delinquent.

Reporting to the Harbor District Board following a meeting with USDA officials last week, Sandy Moreno said she and Harbormaster Mike Rademaker hope to get the district’s loan payments reduced, which would improve cash flow. 

But if the marina isn’t insured within 120 days doesn’t make a payment within four months, the USDA will accelerate the claim to the U.S. Department of Treasury “for action,” Moreno told commissioners Wednesday.

Continue reading (Updated) CCHD Officials Negotiating Lower Loan Payment With USDA, Say Docks Need To Be Insured →