2002 - What was it to you? (a year in review) By Matt Kapko Eye Correspondent The Arcata Eye 01-07-2003 January 1 A citizen group files a lawsuit against Blue Lake landowner Manuel Morais over his attempts to block public access to the Mad River Levee. January 8 The presence of graffiti, also known as “the newspaper of the street,” goes on the decline in Arcata primarily due to a city program to paint over or remove the “tags” as soon as possible. Discussions begin on plans for a cell phone antenna tower in the Arcata Bottoms. January 15 The Arcata Planning Commission recommends that plans for a 150-foot tall cell tower be denied, as it goes against Arcata’s 2020 General Plan, which caps cell tower height at 30 feet. District Attorney Terry Farmer announces plans to run for re-election. January 22 The 61-year-old veteran Times-Standard reporter and avid bird watcher, David Riley Anderson, dies on Jan. 14. He is remembered for his larger-than-life heart and professional ability in journalism. Much to the disappointment of the Sunny Brae-Arcata Neighborhood Alliance (SANA), a Timber Harvest Plan for 171 acres of forest in the hills east of Sunny Brae is approved. January 29 A four-person fatal collision at the Indianola Cutoff in Bayside prompts a meeting at the Bayside Grange to address the dangers of cross-traffic movements in the U.S. Highway 101 corridor. Arcata's Committee on Democracy and Corporations (CDC) drafts a zoning ordinance amendment that would freeze the number of chain restaurants in Arcata to its current nine. A major vehicle accident on U.S. Highway 101 claims the life of Bayside resident, Ronald Brown, 58. Brown was driving northbound on the 101 when Eureka resident, Jack Charlson, 74, and one of his passengers, Roberta Charlson, 49, died at the scene. Herbert Charlson, 27, a third passenger, was taken to St. Joseph Hospital where he later dies from head injuries. February 5 The Spare Change theater group’s plans to perform at Arcata High School (AHS) are shot down by the school’s principal, Bob Wallace. With three of its seven members being AHS seniors, the group attempts to educate peers on sexually transmitted diseases. Wallace contends that the group’s performance trivializes the subject matter, while the group claims its use of humor is strategically designed to better reach the audience. February 12 Arcata City Council decides to have the Parks and Recreation Committee designate drinking zones in parks, as to limit or ban alcohol consumption in the City’s parks. Arcata City Council decides the 150-foot tall cell tower slated for the Arcata Bottoms will do more harm than good to the aura of Arcata. February 19 Dozens of parents and students attend a meeting of the Northern Humboldt Union High School District Board of Trustees to show overwhelming support for the Spare Change Theatre troupe. The City’s Parks and Recreation Committee meets to define alcohol-allowed zones in Redwood Park. Blue Lake discusses options for delivering water and sewer services to the Blue Lake Casino as construction and traffic impacts are mulled over. February 26 An HSU administrative revolution gets underway as four candidates are announced for the position of president after Alistair McCrone’s retirement. City and HSU file arguments for BSS Building case. March 5 The Arcata Planning Commission informally hints at approval of the CDC’s drafted zoning ordinance amendment that would limit the proliferation of chain or “formula” restaurants. AHS Principal Bob Wallace approves the return of Spare Change. Blue Lake City Councilmember Alex Ricca fires off embezzlement allegations against City Manager Duane Rigge when discussing this year’s audit. Management of the annual Kinetic Sculpture Race moves into non-profit hands. Filmmaker, author and activist Michael Moore makes an appearance to a full house at the Van Duzer Theater at HSU. A $500 raven sculpture created by local sculptor Mori Shultz is stolen for the third time. City Council loans the Arcata Economic Development Corporation $194,000 to repay debts. March 12 Paul Gallegos defeats incumbent District Attorney Terry Farmer. California legislature approves $878,000 for new protections for Jacoby Creek and Gannon Slough. March 19 The Arcata Planning Commission approves a resolution to recommend that the City cap the number of chain restaurants in Arcata. California State University Board of Trustees selects Rollin Richmond to replace retiring President Alistair McCrone. The battle between City and HSU over the BSS Building goes to trial. Blue Lake City Councilmember Alex Ricca is censured for alleging that City Manager Duane Rigge was embezzling city funds and calling his fellow councilmembers “dupes.” Parks and Rec recommends that drinking should be banned throughout Redwood Park, reversing previous plans to make a zone where alcohol consumption would be allowed. Accused former HSU Director of University Advancement John Sterns is diagnosed as “schizoid affective disorder,” says his attorney. March 26 HSU’s planned Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSS) Building goes to trial in Humboldt County Superior Court as the City of Arcata argues its case against HSU’s proposed plans for the building. City Council approves a $350,000 loan to help with 64-unit development, Courtyards of Arcata. Arcata Theatre looks poised to bring live music back to Arcata’s nightlife. New HSU President Rollin Richmond makes rounds in Arcata and HSU, getting acquainted with his new home. April 2 The annual Easter egg hunt fills the Plaza with sugar-crazed kids reveling in glee. The City prepares for court battle over its decision to remove billboards within city limits along U.S. Highway 101. April 9 It is reported that Sierra Pacific’s sawmill grounds on the Mad River Slough west of Arcata city limits are heavily tainted with pentachlorophenol (PCP), tetrachlorophenol (TCP) and dioxins. Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI) announces an agreement to transfer 171 acres of redwood forest from SPI into public possession – canceling previous plans for logging. Arcata’s legal attempts to force new environmental studies on HSU’s planned BSS Building fail in court. Convicted child molester, Timothy Hanley, aka “Planet Mchanic,” is back in the Pink House after charges that he repeatedly submitted false information when registering as a convicted sex offender. April 16 The county's Planning Department asks its Planning Commission to deny the proposed cell tower for the Bottoms if a full Environmental Impact Report is not included in the plans. John Sterns, HSU’s former director of university advancement, pleads guilty to all nine counts of felonies, among which he faked $15 million in donations to HSU and stole $65,000-$70,000. A 36-foot long gray whale washes ashore in McKinleyville as HSU hurriedly sent out a team to perform an autopsy. April 23 Another public hearing on the proposed chain restaurant cap ends with a majority of councilmembers showing support for the proposal. City makes plans to purchase 341 acres in the Jacoby Creek watershed to add to City-owned forestlands. Mad River Community Hospital lays off 49 employees to keep afloat in its worsening financial situation. HSU student Andrew Ellsmore returns to Arcata after a short trip to China to protest the persecution of the Falun Gong. April 30 Services are held for Larry Valadao, a 33-year-old Arcata Police officer killed on April 19 in a motorcycle accident on Highway 36. Pacific Lumber (PL) President Robert Manne tells county supervisors that forest defenders have "boldly proclaimed themselves as eco-terrorists." Manne even urges supervisors to pursue funding for protest policing under the anti-terrorist Homeland Security Act. May 7 The primary election for the Fifth District ends with two candidates: Jill Geist and Ben Shepherd, with Geist receiving 51 more votes than Shepherd. The City Council is evenly divided over the drafted "Proclamation Recognizing the City of Arcata’s Dedication to Peaceful Solutions," and calls for alterations to be made. The scheduled reopening of the Arcata Theatre is cancelled when the City denies a dance permit. May 14 The Arcata Volunteer Fire Department purchases a new ladder truck for $650,000 plus interest. A Christian-based prayer that begins with each county Board of Supervisors’ meeting is challenged. Pacific Lumber President Robert Manne reverses earlier allegations that activists protesting old-growth logging have "boldly proclaimed themselves as eco-terrorists," but reiterates that Earth First! members "show a disregard and disrespect for the law." City Council moves to ban smoking in City parks that have playground equipment and plans to ban booze in the Arcata Community Forest. May 21 A City Council meeting almost assures council support for a chain restaurant cap with four of the council’s five members in approval. Northcoast Environmental Center purchases lot where Marino’s Club once was to make way for a bigger, better building. May 28 Initial groundwater tests at the SPI Arcata mill show that the spread of chemicals is limited, and hasn’t radiated to the Mad River Slough or into Humboldt Bay. Blue Lake and the Blue Lake Rancheria come to agreement on terms of water and sewer services to the casino that also releases the city from liability if its waste treatment plant, adjacent to the casino, emits odors toward the casino. An Arcata man dies in a travel trailer fire. New playground equipment is installed at Perigot Park in Blue Lake after the outdated, splintering equipment is removed. June 4 The Humboldt Crabs’ season opener ends in a 5-2 loss. A research engineer at HSU’s Schatz Energy Center tells the Arcata Waste Reduction Task Force that running discarded foodstuffs through a biofuel-producing digester would be more efficient. June 11 The City Council sends State Sen. Wes Chesbro a letter that outlines its opposition to the proposed BSS Building site at HSU. After months of debate and swaying opinions among the City Council, the council votes 3-to-2 to cap chain restaurants at nine. After purchasing the wetlands and pastures bordering U.S. Highway 101 for wildlife habitat, the City Council decide to remove all eight billboards that line the highway south of Samoa Boulevard. City Councilmember Robert Noble announces he will not seek re-election in November. The City’s water and sewer rates are raised eight percent. The annual Northcoast Gay Pride Parade and Celebration marched down H Street to the Plaza. June 18 The California legislature approves the $30 million budget for construction of the BSS Building at HSU. Just three days before the annual OysterFest, a North Coast Journal story raises the possibility that cancer-causing dioxin originating from the Sierra Pacific Industries lumber mill along the Mad River Slough could be entering that waterway and end up in the oysters that grow in Humboldt Bay. Festival organizers and vendors lash out at the Journal. The Arcata Theatre goes up for sale again, with a price tag of $485,000. June 25 Blues singer Lisa Ann Thomas, 32, is shot and killed Friday afternoon at her Sunny Brae home by Donald Peeler, 38, a longtime male associate. Peeler then turned the gun on himself and perished hours later. The City Council votes 4-1 to continue its struggle to force new environmental studies of HSU’s planned BSS Building. Former HSU Director John Sterns receives a one-year sentence and has to make restitution of $123,995.57 for nine counts of forgery, intentionally falsifying government records and theft by false pretenses. July 2 In its attempts to reduce the food waste that the City sends to landfills, a task force is seeking to develop an experimental compost program. The City pleads for an extension of a state deadline on cutting landfill loads. The engineers spearheading plans for a cell tower in the Bottoms consider cutting its height in half, to 75 feet and choosing another site in attempts to avoid the need for an Environmental Impact Report. Pacific Gas & Electric announces plans to commence an undergrounding project throughout Arcata’s central business district in April. July 9 Crescent City-based Hambro Forest Products resumed the operation of the former Louisiana-Pacific plant on West End Road. After agreeing to a small salary increase, Arcata employees are troubled to learn that management workers got raises of up to 20 percent. Blue Lake City Councilmembers Alex Ricca and Sherman Schapiro announce plans to run for re-election. July 16 HSU President Rollin Richmond meets with neighbors of the proposed location for HSU’s BSS Building. Arcata musician Nathan Kaplan, former drummer for blues legend Buddy Brown, confirms he made a bid on the Arcata Theatre and says that escrow is underway. The Arcata Co-op lays off 16 of its employees. A wildfire in the Bottoms scorches a quarter acre of dry grass. Blue Lake City Council and residents clash with the new Blue Lake Casino and its traffic impacts on the city. Casino and Rancheria officials contend that it is following all agreements with the city and is doing more for the city than is legally required. The City purchases the Foodworks headquarters building and recovers its controversial debts. July 23 Sunnybrae/Arcata Neighborhood Alliance (SANA) initiates a fund raising campaign to help with the city’s purchase of the 171 acres previously slated for logging. The City drops its lawsuit against HSU over the BSS Building, after HSU President Rollin Richmond met with individual councilmembers and members of the community, offering reassurances that he would re-examine the project and look for ways to ameliorate community concerns. July 30 Independently owned Mad River Community Hospital maintains that it is not being sold and is seeking partnerships to rebound from a financial slump. One year after the Fire of 2001 that wiped out Marino’s Club, the Northcoast Environmental Center and Arcata Paint, the NEC breaks ground on a new NEC facility and is completing purchase of the adjacent Marino’s parcel for $150,000. Arcata’s Yakima Products (a car rack company) restructures its Arcata operation. The Blue Lake Rancheria receives a federal grant to purchase a bus and waits for city approval and funds to begin operation from Blue Lake to Arcata. A $30,000-plus cost and schedule problems cause the Crabs, just back from a victorious All-American Invitational Baseball Tournament to forego its invite to the National Baseball Congress World Series in Wichita, Kansas. Elizabeth Conner and Jim Test jointly announce their candidacies for Arcata City Council. August 6 Destructive attacks on trees spread to Westwood and Shay parks with another dozen trees chopped by unknown vandals. The Blue Lake Rancheria files a lawsuit against Blue Lake over its adopted Mitigated Negative Declaration, pertaining to the city’s agreement with the Rancheria to provide water and sewer services to the casino. August 13 Blue Lake Police Department drops to just two officers after two others resign. The Arcata Endeavor, a non-profit, converts food and grocery contributions from dozens of area merchants into hot meals for the needy. Arcata resident Douglas Newman, 52, is arrested on charges of committing lewd acts with a child. California Highway Patrol officer, Capt. Mike Vertar, 52, who served as the commander for the Northern Humboldt CHP office located on Samoa Boulevard dies after being diagnosed with leukemia on Valentine’s Day. August 20 The City's Planning Commission delivers a unanimous recommendation to disallow the annexation of 42 acres in the Bottoms, after hearing plans for the Janes Creek Farm Co-Housing project. The Blue Lake public transit system is approved by the City Council. Arcata resident and Ferndale High computer and business teacher, Doug Newman, is held on $2 million bail for 30 counts of committing forced lewd acts with a child. The City indefinitely postpones its project to add sidewalks and bike lanes to Old Arcata Road. Six of the seven individuals who filed papers to run for Arcata City Council qualified for the ballot. Jack Golden failed to qualify as 11 of the 30 signatures on his nominating petition had discrepancies, leaving him one signature short of the 20 required. August 27 The Committee on Democracy and Corporations prepares to gather public input about imposing a cap on chain or formula retail stores. Proposed co-housing project for the Bottoms is debated by council, ending with calls for the project to look outside of farmland areas. September 3 A request to cut five acres of second growth redwoods on Grotzman Road leaves City planning officials grasping for clearer policies on tree removal. Women in Black, a loose network of women committed to peace with justice and opposed to war and other forms of violence, gather weekly in silence on Fridays at 5 p.m., wearing all black. September 10 HSU President Rollin Richmond explores plans to re-design and relocate the BSS Building, possibly encroaching on Campus Center for Appropriate Technology’s grounds. The Blue Lake Rancheria drops its lawsuit against Blue Lake after the two parties agreed to a “reservation of rights” agreement. September 17 The Arcata Foundation drops the Bebop and Brew – Arcata's May jazz and beer tasting festival – after three years without profits. A public forum is held in Blue Lake to better inform the community of plans to develop an interim trail along the Arcata & Mad River rail line (affectionately known as the Annie & Mary). County Sheriff Dennis Lewis resigns from his post rather than serving out his second term as Sheriff-elect Gary Philp is expected to be sworn in. September 24 The Arcata Police Department was awarded a $63,000 grant from the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control agency to help stem alcohol abuse. Just a few weeks after the beginning of the fall semester, five HSU students are hospitalized for alcohol overdoses. October 1 The City Council accepts a change in plans for the new housing development; Courtyards of Arcata’s planned solar heating, allowing a less expensive hot water heating system instead. October 8 Liquor license for Mazzotti’s restaurant is approved. Arcata's Waste Reduction Task Force concludes that the City's curbside recycling program is "dysfunctional," incomplete and likely to be killed. HSU President Rollin Richmond briefs City Council on his plans for HSU. Town meeting in Blue Lake is held to discuss updates to the town’s plan. October 15 An anti-war protest of 89 Arcata High School students culminated at Humboldt State University with some students leaving the AHS campus without permissions against warnings by administrators. A town hall meeting is held to gauge and discuss community concerns with a war on Iraq. October 22 Arcata City Council adopts a resolution opposing a U.S. military action against Iraq. The Arcata City Council declares that that Louisiana Pacific Company should start cleaning up the sawdust it illegally dumped in the north fork of Janes Creek. Subway Sandwiches is robbed at gunpoint. October 29 The City Council considers making Eighth and Ninth streets one-way thoroughfares in the downtown area and other street reconfigurations that would allow for the widening of sidewalks on H Street. The Planning Commission hears plans for a proposal to put four medical offices, including four second-story residential units, at the corner of Valley East Boulevard and Hallen Drive. Blue Lake City Clerk Karen Nessler sustained major injuries after being involved in a major vehicle accident on U.S. Highway 101, which killed her husband, William, 66. The Blue Lake Planning Commission meets for its first of a series of meetings to discuss the city’s annexation plans. November 5 Parish Earl Pike, 37, is arrested after being named as the suspect in six robberies: four in Arcata, one in Eureka and one in McKinleyville. He’s later convicted. Arcata’s real estate boom gains statewide exposure in a Los Angeles Times story which dubs Arcata the “epicenter of the price quake.” David Paul Grinsell, 54, owner of Valley West’s Liquor Still, is served a search warrant and arrested for possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana for sale, cultivation and the transportation of marijuana for sale. After the announced resignation of Blue Lake City Manager Duane Rigge and City Clerk Karen Nessler’s major vehicle accident, City Councilmember Brian Julian is named Clerk pro-tem and the council discusses plans for Rigge’s replacement. Future plans for the site of the defunct Little Lakes Industries are discussed at a public meeting at the Arcata Community Center. November 12 Dave Meserve and Elizabeth Conner are elected to the City Council and Mayor Jim Test is deposed. In Blue Lake: incumbent/City Councilmember Sherman Schapiro clearly wins his re-election as Marlene Smith narrowly holds an eight-vote lead over Jean Lynch. November 19 Arcata resident John Woods, 55, is found dead in his Roberts Way home and his son, Benjamin Vincent Woods, 17, is named as suspect. Another dozen trees are found bashed by an unknown vandal. Engineers of a cell tower proposed for the Bottoms redesign it to 70 feet, appearing as an antique water tower located behind the abandoned Simpson lumber mill building. November 26 Arcata resident Benjamin Vincent Woods, 17, is arrested and charged with his father's murder after being found in a remote area of Siskiyou County. State approves $2.6 million in state park bonds funds for two wildlife protection projects along Humboldt County’s Jacoby Creek. A four-year long controversy stemming from the public’s desire for access to the Mad River Levee is resolved, giving the public access from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset. December 3 Manila residents voice resentment with the increased traffic on State Route 255 after the lowered speed limit on U.S. Highway 101 from its recently created “safety corridor.” A 14 year old is arrested after graffiti attack on Sunny Brae Center. The passage of Proposition 47 stymies the much improved dialogue between HSU and the City regarding options to redesign the BSS Building. The proposition provides funding for the building’s previous design of five stories – exactly what residents and the City had been so adamantly opposed to. December 10 Arcata’s Transportation Safety Committee encourages Humboldt State University students to walk or use bicycles rather than drive short distances – and the school’s administration agrees, but is still looking at ways to increase parking availability. December 17 The City tackles plans to increase housing by 643 dwelling units by the year 2008, hoping to increase lower-priced homes and rentals. December 24 Arcata City Council and Planning Commission discuss options over adding new housing units within city limits, but will the City have to sacrifice some of its open space? The City signs a 10-year garbage service and curbside recycling contract with Arcata Garbage. December 31 Janes Creek spills over onto Arcata streets, flooding numerous parts of the City, leaving some residents opting for canoes as alternative modes of transportation. A Christmas morning fire in Glendale, between Arcata and Blue Lake, claims the lives of three children: Faustino Medina, 8, Hoyce Medina, 6, and Rico Medina, 5. Power grid failures and blackouts leave many on the North Coast without power. Home