SERVING DEL NORTE COUNTY SINCE 1879
www.triplicate.com
FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 2021
Crescent City, CA
Vandal strikes throughout Crescent City By KNOX KERANEN The Triplicate
Businesses, churches, a middle school and the national parks building were all vandalized with spray paint sometime Monday night, or during the early hours of Tuesday morning. Just before 9 a.m., the Del Norte Sheriff’s Office received a call that someone had graffitied the exterior of Grace Lutheran Church, which sits just outside city limits at 188 E Cooper Ave. Twenty minutes later, Crescent City Police responded to a call that another church about a mile away, Saint Joseph Roman Catholic at 319 E St., had also been gratified. The authorities soon discovered similar graffiti all over town.
Crescent Elk Middle School, Seaquake Brewing and Home Depot were also tagged, said Crescent City Police Chief Richard Griffin. The police are reviewing footage from security cameras throughout the city to track down the vandalist, said Griffin. Some of the tags included the number “210,” which leads police to believe that the suspect could be an out-of-towner. That area code serves the greater San Antonio, Texas area. A sign for the Grace Lutheran Church at the corner of Cooper and Meridian had been spray painted over. It read, “Y’all are sheep.” If you have any information regarding the vandalism, contact the Crescent City Police Department at: (707) 464-2133
Photo Knox Keranen
A vandal spray painted over the church sign at Grace Lutheran Church, one of many spots hit Monday night or early Tuesday.
Del Norte cases creep up By ZACK DEMARS The Triplicate
an did leave, and the dog was also able to escape. By that time, the fire had spread to another nearby residence and was also threatening vehicles in the area. While waiting for other first
Del Norte County’s COVID-19 numbers are slowly inching up while health officials announce new additions to the county’s vaccine distribution efforts. “Our case numbers are kind of holding steady, kind of creeping up,” County Health Officer Dr. Warren Rehwaldt told the county’s board of supervisors Tuesday. “This last week, I think we saw a little bit of decline over the prior week, but not in a good place. Not where we’d like it to be.” As of Monday’s data, Del Norte County was reporting 68 cases of the virus in the last 14 days. That put Monday’s total “active” cases at 50 — the highest that figure has been since mid-January. The county also reported two days of two-digit counts of new cases, the first since late February. “I think we’ll probably be holding at Red Tier, but we’re getting close to the point where we could get bumped back down (to Purple Tier), and I would hate to see that happen as I’m sure everyone else would,” Rehwaldt said. An increase in restrictions at the Purple Tier would limit restaurants to outdoor-only operations and hamper other businesses. To get bumped to the Purple Tier, Del Norte County would need to report more than 35 cases a week, or a test positivity rate above 8%, for two consecutive weeks. But in good news, Rehwaldt told supervisors Tuesday the county has additional vaccination options. Safeway is now receiving a small supply of doses of the Moderna vaccine from the county, Rehwaldt said, and the Sutter Coast Community Clinic is also receiving some vaccine supplies from the county. “We decided to go ahead and provide some surplus vaccine that we had to get another site opened up. That is open for (Sutter) patients, also open for the public,” Rehwaldt said. Rehwaldt said the county hopes to expand to more primary care providers for vaccine distribution, as those offices tend to be the most familiar with their own patients and their priority for vaccination. Anyone interested in getting a COVID-19 vaccine can call 707464-0861 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays to get more information or to set up an appointment. Most people with qualifying health conditions are currently eligible to receive a vaccine free of charge. Rehwaldt said the county’s administered around 7,000 doses
Please see FIRE, Page A2
Please see COVID, Page A3
Photo by Knox Keranen
City worker Gilbert Gil scrapes aging white paint from a windowsill—preparing it for a fresh coat.
Crescent City pool prepares for limited reopening KNOX KERANEN The Triplicate
In a town nearly surrounded by water, it’s hard to imagine Crescent City residents have had trouble finding a place to swim. Nevertheless, since the Fred Endert Municipal Pool closed more than a year ago due to both financial issues and a COVID shutdown, that’s been the case. That looks to change, though, when the pool reopens on April 12. Recently hired aquatics supervisor Alissa Garcia said the pool reopening is vital because it provides a versatile space for the community. “It’s fun, it’s recreational, it promotes a healthy lifestyle. And,
who doesn’t have fond memories at a swimming pool?” Said Garcia. In addition to a recreational space, the pool provides a comfortable environment for learning water safety, which is especially important in an area with rough ocean, large lakes and wild rivers, she added. However, the reopening comes with its fair share of COVID restrictions, meaning the pool’s versatility will be temporarily hampered. In fact, the pool can only open for scheduled, individual or family swimming lessons until Del Norte county is moved down from the “substantial” red tier to the lesser “moderate” orange tier. Other restrictions include limited use of
locker rooms, limited class sizes and swim instructors teaching from the pool deck, rather than being in the water with the students. When the county is dropped to the orange tier classification, other programs and activities will open up at the pool, including lap swimming, exercise, aerobics, Master’s Swim Club and physical therapy. Holly Wendt, recreation director of Crescent City, said the pool was able to stay afloat financially through Measure S funds. Measure S is the one-cent sales tax voters strongly approved last November to help fund city services. “The most amazing thing is the community came together and
said this aquatic recreation is very important to them,” said Wendt. As the only indoor pool in the area, many people rely on the swimming lessons provided in Crescent City, she added. “To be able to open it up, and be able to get all of our lifeguards re-certified, and get kids swimming again before summer hits, and get lessons going, is really important,” said Wendt. The class schedule, as well as registration for lessons will come online March 24, and can be found at: www.crescentcity.org/departments/SwimmingPool. Call Alissa Garcia at 707-464-9503 for any questions about the pool.
Deputy hailed as hero after action at fire BY DAVID RUPKALVIS The Triplicate
A Del Norte County sheriff’s deputy is being hailed as a hero after he went into a burning building to help people escape.
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Sheriff Erik Apperson said Deputy Kenny Fahndrich responded to a 911 call of a residential fire in progress. When he arrived, he could see people inside the building that was already on fire. Fahndrich jumped out of his
vehicle and ran into the building, where he found two people near the front door. One occupant left willingly, but a woman inside was refusing to leave until she could find her dog. At Fahndrich’s urging, the wom-
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