‘We want a better future'

Dennis Mullins, a labor market specialist for the state Employment Development Department, explains Del Norte County's economic trends from recent data at the Crescent City/Del Norte Chamber of Commerce Economic Summit on Saturday. (The Daily Triplicate/Kelley Atherton).

"Our Place. Our Economy."

Those words reverberated throughout Elk Valley Rancheria's conference room Saturday morning as business leaders gathered to discuss the future of Del Norte.

They also heard several facts some found surprising about Del Norte County's relatively youthful population compared to neighboring Curry County.

The event was the Crescent City/Del Norte County Chamber of Commerce Economic Summit.

Chamber board member Jay Freeman opened the day by explaining that the event's purpose was not to talk about the bad, but the good that is happening.

"We're not laying the blame," Freeman said about the depressed economy. "We want a better future and that is worth celebrating."

The operative word of the day was "our." The chamber has been pushing the idea of collaboration and partnerships.

"We can reduce some of the long-standing social issues that have been holding this community back," Freeman said in reference to issues such as poverty, unemployment, habitual drug use and illiteracy.

The chamber should be a "one-stop shop" for businesses, he continued, but it can only do so much. Freeman said that he has heard time after time that the chamber should recruit businesses to come to Del Norte. However, it can't recruit without the essential infrastructure—broadband, sewer hook-ups and transportation.

Infrastructure improvements are finally being realized, but there is still work to be done in the harbor, he said, which is a goal for this year.

Reweti Wiki, executive director for the chamber, talked about the economic targets of opportunity for the area—tourism and hospitality and philanthropy.

"When people think about philanthropy they think about the Rockefellers," Wiki said. Actually, he said, philanthropy can be as simple as giving fish to a neighbor. "It's really about neighbors helping neighbors and that happens a lot."

Social issues, like poverty and abuse, breed in economically depressed areas.

"That translates into labor market issues," Wiki said.

Younger than our neighbors

Up from Humboldt County, Dennis Mullins, a labor market specialist with the state Employment Development Department, made a Power Point presentation on the county's statistical data. Audience members were audibly shocked at some of the numbers concerning the age of the population.

Del Norte's population is not expected to explode in the next 40 years, Mullins said, growing from nearly 29,000 now to about 35,000.

A common perception concerning jobs is that young adults leave and do not come back. As a result, there are not enough skilled employees.

"Looking at the graph, it doesn't look that way," Mullins said, glancing at a huge bar graph behind him. The largest population group in the county is 25-34 years old, with about 5,000 people. There are only 1,890 retirees 65-74 years old.

By comparison, in the county to the north the population groups are switched—most residents are nearing retirement.

"In Curry County there's a slight difference," Mullins said, switching to a different bar graph that brought gasps from the audience.

"You can throw a dart at any healthcare career and it would fit in Del Norte," Mullins said because of the older Curry County residents coming to see doctors here.

Only 6 percent of Del Norters commute to jobs outside the county, most of them to Curry County, Mullins said. The latest statistics show 733 people commute to jobs in Del Norte.

"There's an idea there for economic development," Mullins said. "Del Norte actually provides jobs for other counties."

A major issue in Del Norte, Mullins explained, is the lack of college education. Seventy-two percent of adults have some college education, but only 11 percent have a college degree. In addition, the unemployment rate is much higher than that of California and surrounding counties at 7.6 percent.

The majority of businesses are small—78.5 percent have less than nine employees.

Learning from others

Kathy Moxon led a roundtable discussion with local business owners, including Tom Kraft from Chimney Kraft, Kevin Hartwick from Cholwell, Benz and Hartwick, and Debbie Stover of Del Norte Office Supply.

Moxon asked questions about how they survived the ups and downs of the business world. All three had self-motivation and were employed as young adults.

A second discussion ensued about the technical aspects of running a business with Stilson Snow from the Northcoast Small Business Development Center, Tim Hoone, Del Norte Workforce Center, Maggie Gainer from Humboldt State University and Sharon Treptow with the Del Norte Economic Development Center (DNEDC).

The four provided tips and the tools necessary to start a business, such as capital, employees and a business plan. For those looking for loans, the DNEDC sometimes loans to those who don't qualify for bank loans. Gainer said the center has close to $1 million available.

One year later

Chamber board members Chris Howard and Brent Hoskinson finished the day with a call to action.

Last year, outsiders spoke at the summit, identifying economic problems and what Del Norters can do to turn things around.

"We needed that third party to slap us around," Howard said.

This year's event featured local entrepreneurs speaking about their successes, and new data to outline issues the community needs to focus on. Action Del Norte, the Chamber's community progress initiative, is almost a year old and there has been some development in that time, plus the Elk Valley Rancheria casino/resort that is one step closer to fruition.

"Things are already happening," Wiki said as the afternoon light spilled through the stained glass roof. "It's too easy to say it's not."

Students from an economics class at Del Norte High School attended the summit. Mathew Kihs, a senior, said he had some problems with Action Del Norte, but after listening to speakers all morning was satisfied with what he was hearing.

Kihs thought that the initiative's purpose was to get more franchises in Crescent City, like Starbucks. It helped to hear about Action Del Norte being involved in more than that.

"I was concerned about what I'd be coming back to," Kihs said, who plans to join the U.S. Coast Guard and then study history and journalism at Humboldt State University. "That it wouldn't be the same place I grew up with and love."

Kihs does want to come back, he'd like to become a history teacher, but wants to see the world first.