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TUESDAY January 14, 2020

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District: teachers can’t strike yet By Jessica Goddard Staff Writer

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el Norte County teachers spent Friday afternoon drenched by rain as they walked the sidewalk in front of the Del Norte County Fairgrounds and waved signs declaring “Stronger Together.” Passing cars honked and drivers yelled in support. Friday’s demonstration came in anticipation of a possible teachers’ strike. However, Del Norte Unified School District officials say the teachers can’t legally

strike at this point. “While negotiations are still going on, while the district is still negotiating in good faith, unions aren’t supposed to strike until the district gives its last, best and final offer,” said the district’s director of communications and outreach, Michael Hawkins. Over 90% of the teacher association’s members voted Dec. 18 in favor of a strike, should one become necessary. If they union doesn’t agree to the district’s final contract offer after a state factfind-

er’s report is released Jan 14, the teachers say they’ll strike. Previously, Del Norte Teachers Association president Marshall Jones told The Triplicate the teachers could strike on Jan 15. But, the district’s Hawkins said, three factors stand in the way of that strike. The teachers first must wait for the factfinder’s report to be released, which is scheduled for Tuesday, and then for the district to make a final contract offer.

More Strike on Page A3

Late last Friday afternoon, Del Norte teachers stood in front of the county fairgrounds demonstrating with signs asking for higher pay and fair negotiations with the school district. Photo by Jessica Goddard.

Sticky paws right from her home

Sun’s out

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own a Crescent City residential street, the aroma of fresh-baked brownies and baklava waft through the air. In the early-morning hours, Mary Corcovelos-Mullin is prepping bakery orders while her four children sleep. Welcome to a typical day at Sticky Paws Baking Company. Mary Corcovelos-Mullin opened the bakery with her mother, Venita Corcovelos, late last fall, combining her two great loves – baking and family. Mary does the baking, Venita handles the finances. “I’ve been told for a while, you know, ‘You should go into business,’ but it’s scary when you have children, to take that first step,” said Corcovelow-Mullin. “Now I’ve taken the step and hopefully I can take many, many more.” Sticky Paws is not your typical bakery; it’s a cottage food operation: The county issues a permit for people to sell low-risk, non-refrigerated food made from their home. Instead of baking out of an industrial kitchen, Sticky Paws is run entirely out of Corcovelos-Mullin’s home. Prior to starting Sticky Paws, she was employed by the County of Del Norte. Her mother watched the four children during the day. But this summer, she found out her mother’s breast cancer had returned. So, Corcovelos-Mullin left her job at the county to be available to help her mother and to watch her children. However, she still needed an income to support her family. That’s how the home-based bakery got started. “I needed a job to support my family (and to) be able to help [my mother],” she said. “I was like, ‘I’m good at baking. I enjoy baking. It’s my passion.’ And (her mother) was like, ‘Well let’s see what we can do with it.’” From her home, Mary bakes a variety of items that include salted caramel More Bakery on Page A2

The Crescent City harbormaster’s offices, facilities, maintenance yards, the boat docks, RV parks, restaurants and future electric vehicle charging stations will be powered by solar energy for the next 25 years. Photos by Jessica Goddard.

Crescent City Harbor to be solar-powered by June T

he Crescent City Harbor District should be solar-powered by June 30 … a year and a half later than originally intended. If American Diversified Energy LLC, with which the harbor district had contracted, fails to complete the project by that date, it will be assessed a $350,000 penalty. Meeting Jan. 7, harbor commissioners reviewed and edited an amendment to the solar energy power purchase and licensing agreement. As soon as all parties

Mary Corcovelos-Mullin looks through her grandmother’s recipes. Photo by Jessica Goddard.

INDEX Crosswords................................................ A5 Crossword Answers ................................... A8 Calendar.................................................... A5 Classifieds.................................................. A6

By Jessica Goddard Staff Writer

sign that document, the solar project’s construction will finally begin. The Crescent City Harbor District initially contracted with Renewable Energy Capital LLC in 2018 after seeing finished solar project the company had installed for the Humboldt Bay Harbor District. But Renewable Energy already had a full list of projects. So, the project was given to American Diversified. That company was supposed to commence construction on the solar-power plan in the summer of 2018, to be completed by that December. But American Diversified subsequently asked that the deadline be pushed

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WEDNESDAY

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back to December 31, 2019. Even at that, the project has languished. Why? “No one really said anything, but we think they just ran into cashflow problems, they had extended themselves too much,” said Crescent City Harbormaster Charlie Helms. “We don’t really know.” So, Alex Lemus of Renewable Energy stepped in to help manage and ensure the project would get finished. “When he saw that it wasn’t happening, I think it really just, it really was an ethical thing More Harbor on Page A2

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