Re-elect
SERVING DEL NORTE COUNTY SINCE 1879
LORI COWAN
Del Norte County Supervisor LET’S KEEP MOVING FORWARD! Paid for by Cowan for DNC supervisor district 2, 2020 ID #1420947
www.triplicate.com
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2020
Crescent City, CA
County receives new COVID guidance By David Hayes The Triplicate
After weathering a flurry of new COVID-19 cases in Del Norte County, the public health officer shared some good news last week regarding new guidelines and testing for the coronavirus. Dr. Warren Rehwaldt told county supervisors at their Oct. 13 meeting he didn’t think the 21 new confirmed COVID-19 cases would be disastrous to Del Norte’s status tier status on the state’s Blueprint for Safer Economy. Del Norte County currently
sits on the second least restrictive Tier 3 and would have to experience at least 14 new cases for two consecutive weeks to be moved to a more restrictive tier, Rehwaldt said. As of Oct. 20, the county COVID-19 tracking website indicated no new confirmed cases, just seven active cases and zero hospitalizations. “I’m not too alarmed by it. We just need to be watchful moving forward, especially the next couple of months,” Rehwaldt said. “Every little thing we can do to slow the transmission will make a difference in the end.” A new arrow in the county’s
quiver to strike at the coronavirus is the BiNaxNOW antigen test approved by the federal government. Rehwaldt said the test has been shipping to states and, working through the its partnership with the United Indian Health Service and Humboldt County, could be making a debut at nursing homes on a trial basis in the next few weeks. “The nice thing about this test is it doesn’t require any electronic device to accompany it. It’s the equivalent of a home pregnancy test — put swab in after collecting sample then wait for color change,” Rehwaldt said. “But it is less precise and a little
prone to false results. But we’re pleased it’s coming our way.” He added county residents will still be able to get free Verily testing Mondays and Tuesdays at Del Norte High School and Wednesdays at Redwood Hotel and Casino in Klamath through the end of the month and probably through the end of their contract, which expires at the end of November. In other news Rehwaldt was happy to share, Del Norte County received new guidance on gatherings from California Department of Public Health (CDPH). He said the new guidance allows for three households
to gather together in one setting, while still asking participants to use face masks, good hygiene and other good common sense suggestions. “It’s a good step in the right direction,” Rehwaldt said. “It doesn’t address a lot of issues in our part of the state — inclement weather much of the year — but will help people with some planning, especially with holidays coming up.” Rehwaldt did speak of holidays, specifically Halloween, late last week in a letter to the community. He said the CDPH does not
Please see Covid, Page A8
Yurok Tribe receives $2.2 million in Homekey funds By David Hayes The Triplicate
relatively close to U.S. 101 on 197, we don’t know how it will behave in California. This pathogen has always provided some tricks — it’s difficult to predict,” she said. The tree disease also had also been found in Monterey, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Solano, Napa, Marin, Sonoma, Lake, Mendocino, Humboldt and Trinity counties. Valachovic worked with a team of scientists, including Del Norte Agricultural Department and the California Oak Mortality
The Yurok Tribe was one of the beneficiaries in the state’s latest round of Homekey funds released Oct. 16. Governor Gavin Newsom announced the release of $30.7 million in the fifth round of awards for Homekey, California’s program to purchase and rehabilitate housing — including hotels, motels, vacant apartment buildings and other properties — and convert them into permanent, long-term housing for people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. In addition to the Yurok Tribe, the most recent round of Homekey awards also went to the cities of San Luis Obispo and Los Angeles in projects totaling 210 units. Newsom made the announcement during a digital roundtable discussion where he was joined by state, tribal and local leaders focusing on the impact Homekey has had in rural communities across the state. The state has now provided all available Homekey funding to local jurisdictions, ahead of schedule. To date, more than $627 million has been awarded to 45 applicants and 71 projects totaling 4,646 units. In July, Del Norte County received $2.4 million to purchase and convert the Coastal Inn & Suites in Crescent City into transitional homeless housing. According to Newsom’s office, the average per-unit cost to Homekey is $135,000 – well below the average cost in California to build new housing units. His administration is working with the Legislature to make an additional $200 million in Coronavirus Relief Funding available for Homekey. “When it comes to homelessness no community is immune, no person is untouched and while the issue is widely thought to affect only our urban centers, the truth is that it occurs in rural areas, small towns and remote parts of our state,” said Newsom. “Through Homekey, we are making historic investments that will have lasting impacts in our big cities, but also our small towns and tribal communities. These investments are helping thousands of Californians vulnerable to COVID-19 exposure get access to permanent, supportive housing.” The Yurok Tribe was awarded $2.2 million to acquire 18 units to provide permanent supportive housing with priority given to Native Americans in Humboldt County, where, according to Yurok Tribe Chairman Joseph James, Native Americans rep-
Please see Oak, Page A8
Please see Funds, Page A8
File photo by David Hayes
Wear your costume and bring your camera to California Highway Patrol’s 2nd Annual Trunk or Treat Oct. 31.
Organizations pulling off tricks to keep this Halloween a safe treat ground every six feet so social distancing is respected. Gonzalez said participating organizations will be following Del Norte County Public Health Officer Dr. Warren Rehwaldt’s recommendation to offer prepackaged candy to give it time to air out any potential virus exposure. She said there will be returning trunks and displays from local law enforcement agencies, including the Crescent City police and fire departments, the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office, the Fort Dick Fire Department, Del Norte Ambulance, Cal Ore Reach Ambulance, Pelican Bay Honor Guard, the U.S. Army the Yurok Tribe and more. Plus there will be participating organizations from SeaQuake and Walgreens to Les Schwab and Tractor Supply. Gonzalez “guestimated” be-
By David Hayes The Triplicate
In a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has cancelled many events due to safety concerns, several organizations are still finding ways to host a safe Halloween event for the community. Here’s a look at events going on around the region for all ages. California Highway Patrol’s 2nd Annual Trunk or Treat Get all the ghosts and goblins in the family decked out in their best costume and head out to the California Highway Patrol’s 2nd Annual Trunk or Treat Oct. 31, from 2-4 p.m. Located in the CHP parking lot at 1630 Summer Lane, CHP Officer Brandy Gonzalez said they’re taking every precaution to make this a fun event for everyone. “We’re following different guidelines this year, opening the parking lot differently, restruc-
File photo by David Hayes
Wear your costume and bring your camera to California Highway Patrol’s 2nd Annual Trunk or Treat Oct. 31. turing it to limited spacing, with participants entering one way, exiting another way, keeping one-way traffic the entire route,” Gonzalez said.
Caltrans is helping to sectioning off each participating “trunk,” officers will be on hand to guide participants through, with clear markings on the
Road. The pathogen is a water mold that can kill oaks and tanoaks, threaten wildlife habitat and cause fire risk. It was introduced to California on nursery stock from an unknown location in 1995, according to a sudden oak death economic impact study in February 2019. Valachovic said the European strain of the sudden oak death pathogen is potentially detrimental to the region’s conifer species. “As it’s exhibited in the United Kingdom, where they grow many commercial conifer
species by plantation, including several species that are native to Northern California, they’ve seen pretty substantial mortality,” Valachovic explained. “It’s also known to cause damage to at least smaller diameter Douglas fir trees and we’re watching to try to learn more about what it might do to some of our other conifer species.” As a result of the presence of the sudden oak death, Valachovic said Del Norte County has been added to a list of other California counties with additional quarantine regulations. “Where we’ve confirmed it is
Please see Halloween, Page A8
Virulent strain of sudden oak death confirmed By David Hayes The Triplicate
A year after scientists first investigated a possible outbreak of sudden oak death on trees in Del Norte County, they confirmed last week the first-ever presence of a more aggressive form of the strain. Yana Valachovic, UC Cooperative Extension Humboldt-Del Norte County Director, reported to the Del Norte County Supervisors at their Oct. 13 meeting about the discovery of the European strain of the pathogen near Little Mill Creek of North Bank
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Occasional morning rain and drizzle Brookings Comfort Index™
TONIGHT Mainly clear
69
54
7
7
SAT TODAY
68 46
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62 41
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62 40 Coos Bay
SUN MON
70/56
HIGH LOW HIGH LOW
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Friday Saturday Sunday 6:45 AM 7:55 AM 8:50 AM Elkton 11:54 AM 12:47 AM Elkton1:5278/55 AM Elkton 78/55 78/55 5:29 PM 6:51 PM 8:09 PM Coos Bay PM -- -- -- Coos -- Bay 1:22 2:36 PM 70/56
Occasional morning Mostly sunny and Nice of sunny and Mostly sunny and Mostly sunny and Nice with plenty of Mostlysunny sunny and Occasional morning Mostly Nice with plenty of with plenty Mostly Sunny and pleasant Sunny and pleasant sunshine Mainly clear Mainly clear Sunny and pleasant pleasant pleasant comfortable rain and drizzlerain and drizzle sunshine pleasant sunshine comfortable comfortable Coquille 73/55 Brookings Brookings 7 10 10 10 10 Comfort 10 10 Comfort Index™ 7 Index™ 7 10 7 10 10 Bandon 10 10 67/55
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69 7054 54 54 72 71 54 55 72
5470 74
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5471
55 71
5574
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83/58
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73/55
54
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67/55
Bandon
67/55
Coquille
73/55
83/58
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83/58
$1.50