DELL’ARTE’S BADUWA’T FESTIVAL PREVIEW PAGES B1/2
Mad River
Union MadRiverUnion.com
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HUMCO COVID COUNT Monday, June 28
TESTS CASES RECOVERED HOSPITALIZED DEATHS VAX DOSES PARTLY VAXXED FULLY
97,526
4,554
4,386
208
50
128,430
7.02%
45.89%
O ysters Y es !
Planco looks at phased option for Bottoms grow Kevin L. Hoover Mad River Union
ARCATA BOTTOM/EUREKA – The Board of Supervisors last week sent advocates of a proposed 8-acre industrial cannabis grow on the Arcata Bottom back to the drawing board. They’re to return for a re-hearing with new odor control and downsizing options plus possible phase-in of a larger grow, possibly starting with just one or two acres. A multi-hour hearing on Tuesday, June 22, saw an appeal of the Planning Commission’s April 22 approval of the Arcata Land Co.’s Conditional Use Permit application for the grow. The appeal alleged false information and faulty analyses in the project application and staff reports, concern over water use, energy usage, traffic, odor impacts and more. The appellants, generally associated with the citizens’ group Team 27th, insist that an EIR be required for the project. GROW PAGE A5
FEST SUCCESS Arcata Main Street’s Oyster Festival Express swarmed numerous local venues with bivalve gobblers enjoying the liberation of reopening, as others enjoyed the event online. Top left, Shoshanna and the Creamery District are all a-whirl. Top right, OysterFest judges at Café Brio. Below left, dedicated public servant Mike Wilson enjoys the “Most Creative Oyster” made by Ryan Clair who was sponsored by Septentrio Winery – a raw oyster wrapped in butter lettuce like a sandwich with sorrel blossom, pickled mustard seeds and pickled onion. Below middle, an oyster dish by South G Kitchen at Redwood Curtain Brewery. Below right, Meadow Blue-Bell Lo performed a Oyster themed commedia comedy skit with a friend between sets on the Pub Stage. arcatamainstreet.com Top left photo by Moonlight Macumber | Union; top right photo by Mike Wilson; photos below by Bob Doran | Union
Planco considers two new Bottoms cell towers Mad River Union
ARCATA BOTTOM – The county Planning Commission will hear applications for two new cell phone towers for the Arcata Bottom at its Thursday, July 1, 6 p.m. hearing. Tower 1 is proposed by PWM, Inc., requiring a Conditional Use Permit for a 100-foot tall freestanding lattice tower to carry up to four different carriers, occupying about 3,000 sq. ft. The site is owned by Shirley Butler, and is zoned Agricultural Exclusive (AE) TOWERS PAGE A5
STEALTHY This faux water tower is similar to one of the two proposed cell antennas, and would house multiple carriers. Via County of Humboldt
Reopening offers tenuous normality as cases rise Daniel Mintz
Mad River Union
HUMBOLDT – The state’s June 15 reopening has restored a sense of normality but the pandemic’s end is not in sight and the county’s health officer has said a recent rise in COVID-19 cases may continue. During a June 22 COVID update to the Board of Supervisors, Health Officer Dr. Ian Hoffman reported that COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have risen. Hoffman told supervisors that just prior to reopening, the county’s case rate saw “drops to lows that we hadn’t seen in many months.”
Applications open for council seat Mad River Union
ARCATA – The Arcata City Council will appoint a replacement for Sofia Pereira, who resigned her seat on the council to serve as county director of Public Health. The decision was made at a special council meeting last Thursday, after City Manager Karen Diemer reported that the cost of a special election to select a successor could cost as much as $70,000. Under the Arcata Municipal Code, the appointment must take place within 60 days of Pereira’s Friday, June 25 departure. The new councilmember will serve out the remainder of her term of office, through
November of 2022. A city press release outlined requirements and responsibilities: The City Council adopts laws and sets policies to guide the city manager and city staff in city operations. Councilmembers attend two regular meetings on the first and third Wednesday of each month in addition to other special meetings and study sessions, and various other monthly meetings of various regional partners. Qualifications for individuals who wish to be considered for a seat on the Arcata City Council include that they must be at COUNCIL PAGE A5
HUMBOLDT COUNTY’S CLEAR CHOICE SINCE 1986
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But the lull didn’t last long and Hoffman said the hike in cases – combined with increased social activity – suggest that “we might see another increase in cases over the coming weeks or months.” The county’s case rate hit a low of about three cases per 100,000 residents and at the time of the meeting it had increased to five per 100,000. The testing positivity rate rose from three percent to six percent. Hoffman said 13 people were in hospital care with COVID-19. With the combination of the lifting of public health mandates and an incomplete vaccination rate, “A bump in
cases is to be expected,” he continued. The rising case rate and hospitalizations were flagged by Supervisor Mike Wilson, who warned residents against going unvaccinated. “Thirteen hospitalizations currently – that is just so significant,” he said. “Every one of those people were unvaccinated and they were infected by other people who were unvaccinated.” Persistent pandemic The future of the pandemic is uncertain, as drops in U.S. case rates are offset by surges in other countries. And the virus continues to evolve COVID PAGE A5