The Triplicate, Cresent City CA News

Obituary Policy

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Big Dig about to start

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:23:59 +0100

Channel will be busy with project and crab vessels After nine years, the Army Corps of Engineers is about to once again dredge Crescent City Harbor’s Federal Channel. It is long overdue. Siltation has filled in the access channel to depths of less than 3 feet in some spots. For some boats, low or minus-tides almost always guarantee hitting bottom in the access channel, forcing fishermen to stay docked or at sea until it’s safe to move. As important and long awaited as dredging of the federal channel has been, the fact that it is beginning just before the Dec. 1 start of commercial crab season has local officials expecting a busy harbor in the next couple months. “I would rather have had the dredge come at a different time,” said Harbormaster Richard Young. “But our choice was dredging now, or no dredging this year. It’s just time to get it done.” The channel is the only route crabbing vessels can use to go between the harbor and the sea, so the dredge will be operating around the clock in a very busy area, Young said. “The channel is not that wide, but the dredge will be working on one side or another so boats will be able to pass,” Young said. “They will be sinking the pipe to keep the area as clear as possible.” “The dredge isn’t fixed in place, it can move,” Young said. “The most important thing is that crab boats maintain communication with the dredge. The crew knows to be aware.” Young said that he has been in close contact with Pat Royce, the representative of AHTNA Engineering, the firm that received the corps’ contract for dredging Crescent City’s federal channel. “I’ve talked extensively with Pat and told him what to be aware of,” Young said. “They understand how important both crab season and dredging are for the area.” Young said that the dredge, operated by Nehalem River Dredging, will begin running Saturday and will dredge around the clock until the job is done.

Human foot found inside shoe on sand

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:18:17 +0100

Kayakers make grisly Whaler Island discovery A human foot has been found inside a shoe in the sand at Whaler Island by kayakers, the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday. No other remains were found, said sheriff’s Commander Tim Athey. The right foot found Sunday did not appear to have been forcefully removed from the leg, he said. Nearby kayakers noticed a shoe sticking up from the sand. They paddled to the shore to inspect the brown leather, mid-top lace-up shoe and discovered the foot inside. Athey said authorities combed the surrounding area to see if they could locate any other body parts. It was unknown whether the foot belonged to a male or a female. The foot was sent to Oakland for DNA testing, and the results will be fed into a missing person database. Athey said the deputy coroner made contact with the several police agencies to determine if they knew of a missing person the foot might have belonged to. Since 2007, seven feet in running shoes have been located along shores in the Richmond area of British Columbia area, and so far only one body has been identified as being the origin of one of the feet, according to Associated Press articles. When a human body is submerged in the ocean, feet and other extremities often detach naturally, experts said.

Obituary: Joan Yvette Oquist (Aug. 8 1937 - Nov. 11, 2009)

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:05:51 +0100

Obituary: Frank Straw (Jan. 14, 1926 - Nov. 17, 2009)

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:04:34 +0100

Death Notices November 20, 2009

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:02:47 +0100

• Phyllis Grace Porter

Police Logs November 20, 2009

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:00:35 +0100

Letters to the Editor November 20, 2009

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:58:04 +0100

Pages of History: The origin of Wonder Stumps

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:54:03 +0100

From pages of the Del Norte Triplicate, November 1959. Many years ago, a roaring fire swept over the forested area a few miles north and west of Crescent City. The furious blaze leaped through dry underbrush and topped out in the giant redwood trees. For days, the fire burned, wiping out centuries-old forest monarchs, driving animals from their once green domain. Each redwood became a gigantic torch. In a holocaust of sparks, the forest regents crashed to the blackened earth as the fire consumed them. Their ashes turned to charred dust and then disappeared as the fire ebbed and died. For a long time, the dead hills and valleys lay waste. Then, slowly, green shoots burst through the ground and in a few short years, the forest began the long task of self-restoration. Great snaggy stumps point tortured fingers toward the sky as if to call man’s attention to their silent agony. Twisted and gnarled redwood, now silvery white with dead age, became the skeletal spires of forgotten cathedrals. These are Del Norte’s Wonder Stumps, grim in death, yet still bearing a stoic majesty. Each Wonder Stump stands alone, a desolate, but still proud monument to the grandeur of the redwoods. Burglar helps himself

Warrior Memories: Warrior boys basketball coach Scott Alexander

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:51:17 +0100

The Del Norte High Warrior football season has just ended and basketball is about to start. A short time ago I had the pleasure of sitting down with Scott Alexander and got to know this classy young man that now leads the Warrior boys varsity basketball program. Alexander is starting his second season as head coach. Scott is a 1992 graduate of Redding Christian High School in Redding. He played basketball and baseball for four years. After high school graduation he attended Baptist College in Missouri, where he continued his basketball career. After leaving college he returned to Redding, where he coached basketball at his old high school as a varsity assistant for two years. In 1999, Scott moved to Crescent City, where he became youth pastor of the Smith River Baptist Church. Scott’s sister was a senior at Del Norte at the time and introduced Scott to Kurt Burrows, who was the Warriors varsity head coach at the time. He let coach Burrows know he was interested in coaching and Kurt took him on as a varsity assistant for the next three years.

AA Gold squad gears up for title game

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:49:43 +0100

Takes on fellow DNYF team on Sunday in Arcata This is no ordinary game for the Del Norte Youth Football Double A Gold team. Far from it. The undefeated squad is playing for the Double A Six Rivers Youth Football title on Sunday at the Redwood Bowl at Humboldt State University in Arcata. What makes this situation unique is that they are facing the undefeated DNYF Double A Blue team. It is the first time ever that two local programs have faced each other for a division title in youth football. Head coach Danny Forkner admits that this is quite a one-of-a-kind situation that these 11-and 12-year-olds are facing. Here they are undefeated and one game away from their goal of winning a title and across the field will be their friends and classmates. Forkner said that while he knows there will be some smack talk at school, he has emphasized to his team to always be respectful of their opponents and to understand that they are all friends, schoolmates and neighbors.

Cypress removal begins

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:15:37 +0100

OPENING FAREWELL The beginning of the end for the prominent row of cypress trees in front of the county courthouse starts Wednesday as workers begin cutting out the tops of the trees, right and below left. Full removal operations could begin as soon as Monday, and take about 10 days to complete. The resulting wood, lower right, will go to various charities. The California Administrative Office of the Courts ordered the removal after arborists cited the trees' poor health and falling branches.

5 arrested in burglary-ring case

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:13:07 +0100

A burglary ring responsible for a string of recent property crimes may have been busted up last weekend, authorities said. Five people were arrested in a chain-reaction of incidents after authorities responded to a reported burglary in progress on Spruce Street. Two of the suspects were apprehended inside the house. “The investigation really started with a rash of property crimes,” said sheriff’s Detective Bob Barber. “Between Nov. 1 and Nov. 11, there were 34 reported residential burglaries and 22 vehicle burglaries. That’s in just 10 days.” Teresa Gokey, 32, and Krystal Evans, aka Krystal Thompson, 28, were arrested at the Spruce Street residence, Barber said. Both are Del Norte County residents. “Most of law enforcement knows Krystal as Krystal Thompson,” he said. “Both have prior prison time.” A series of leads led to the subsequent arrests of Uldericco Benavides, 32, John Mernice Gassaway, 53, and his nephew John Timothy Gassaway, 31. All three men are residents of Del Norte County. The Gassaways and Benavides were arrested on suspicion of receiving and possessing stolen property; Gokey and Thompson were arrested on suspicion of first-degree burglary.

Sparks fly over harbor health care

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:11:42 +0100

3 commissioners want to enhance their insurance Crescent City Harbor Commission members may soon be spending more of the harbor’s money on their own insurance coverage. In a 3-2 vote after sometimes testy exchanges, commissioners directed staff to explore increasing insurance coverage for themselves Tuesday night at the behest of Chairman Jack Reese. Reese said he placed the issue on Tuesday’s agenda because he thought he had dental coverage until he found out otherwise during an office visit. “We should get the same benefits as all the other staff,” Reese said. “We don’t get life, dental and vision, and considering the amount we get paid, and the amount we do, I think we deserve the same benefits as other employees.” Commissioners are paid approximately $320 per month. The proposed increase would expand commissioners’ current medical insurance coverage to include dental, vision and life insurance, and would provide them the same amount of coverage as full-time harbor employees.

Wal-Mart foes miss another deadline

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:09:46 +0100

County, company seek case dismissal For the second time, a local group’s legal challenge of Wal-Mart’s planned expansion into a 24-hour Supercenter could be thrown out because of a missed deadline. The expansion would almost double the size of the current store on Washington Boulevard to include groceries and more merchandise. The Crescent Heritage Coalition filed a lawsuit last year against Del Norte County and Wal-Mart over concerns about the environmental and economic impacts of the expansion. Del Norte County Superior Court Judge William Follett recently ruled in favor of the county and Wal-Mart. The group’s lawyer, Brett Jolley of Herum and Crabtree Attorneys in Stockton, filed a notice of appeal on Nov. 10 — no reasons were included. The coalition’s previous attorney had missed an earlier deadline. An appeal must be filed within 60 days of notification of a judge’s ruling.

Coastal Voices Guest Editorial: Don’t sign Council recall petitions

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:07:28 +0100

We have a silent majority in our community who will speak very loudly at the polls when election time comes. Better yet, this silent majority will have the opportunity to speak volumes — about the travesty a small group of marauders in our midst are attempting in an effort to plunder democracy — by stopping a special election attempt at the city level. Refuse to sign the petition for a recall on two City Council members, Kathryn Murray and Charles Slert. Who is this silent majority? It is you, the good citizens of Crescent City. The people who pay taxes, take your children to school, sports activities, go to work every day, and give to your community in a hundred different ways.

Letters to the Editor November 19, 2009

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:05:48 +0100

Local youth squad seeks title

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:02:14 +0100

DNYF A White team faces South Fork for title on Sunday in Arcata Youth football is quite popular here in Del Norte County. So popular, in fact, that for the first time in Del Norte Youth Football history there were six youth teams this season. This included three teams in single A, the youngest division. This group consists of kids mainly from 8 to 10 years old with a few 11-year-olds that weigh under 70 pounds also taking part. “It’s growing,” A White team head coach Jesse Puente said about DNYF, adding that he has kids who are one year away from being able to play who come up to him and say, “Hey coach, I’ll be ready to play next year.” This season the A White squad was added to meet the demand. The team has come together in such a way that it has made it all the way to the Six Rivers Youth Football title game in the A division. On Sunday they face undefeated South Fork. The White squad, which ended the regular season 6-2, was the No. 3 seed in the playoffs. They won their first round playoff game and the next week upset the No. 2 seeded Redwood Knights 13-7 last Sunday in Crescent City to earn the right to play for the championship.

Death Notices November 18, 2009

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

• John F. Welch

Obituary: Margaret Winifred Mitchell (Sept. 18, 1911 - Nov. 12, 2009)

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100