Here are excerpts from the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office call logs for Feb. 1–Feb. 5.

Friday, Feb. 1

• At 9:25 a.m. a search warrant executed on the 600 block of Fernwood Lane.

• At 2:20 p.m. a report of juveniles pouring gas on the ground and attempting to ignite it at Park City Suprette.

Saturday, Feb. 2

• At 4:52 a report of a hit and run at Walmart.

Sunday, Feb. 3

• At 8:52 a.m. a report of a death on the 2400 block of Nickel Avenue.

• At 5:39 p.m. a report of a stolen vehicle located on the 100 block of Klamath Beach Road.

Here are excerpts from the Crescent City Police Department call logs for Feb. 1–Feb. 5. 

Saturday, Feb. 2

• At 1:20 p.m. a person arrested for public intoxication on the 300 block of M Street.

• At 6:05 p.m. a person was arrested for public intoxication on the 200 block of M Street.

Sunday, Feb. 3

• At 12:00 p.m. a report of a stainless steel table stolen from Pizza Hut.

• At 6:34 p.m. a report of a theft at Rite Aid on the 500 block of M Street.

Monday, Feb. 4

• At 12:48 a.m. a report of a vehicle hitting a parked car on the 400 block of C Street.

• At 5:30 p.m. a report of a motor vehicle accident near 10th and J streets.

Before firefighters arrive, a bystander turns a garden hose on the flames shooting out of the garage Sunday afternoon. Photo courtesy of Ted Scott

“I didn’t see anybody, and all I saw was flames coming from the garage,” said Scott.

He began beating on the front door of the house screaming, “Hey, your garage is on fire.”

Residents of the house, including two young girls, quickly evacuated, Scott said. The primary resident of the house is Raymond Downs.

“They didn’t have a clue their garage was on fire,” said Scott.

By that time, flames were towering 20 feet over the garage, he said.

“It was roaring out of the front of the garage. That’s when I knew it was over with,” said Scott. “It’s a good thing the wind wasn’t blowing or it would have been really bad.”

He yelled for people to get the keys to an SUV in the driveway, and another man ran to the vehicle’s front door to check if it was unlocked so they could possibly put it in neutral and roll it away. The doors were locked.

A hose connected to another house was used to try to douse the flames threatening the SUV, but the heat was too intense for the stream to keep the fire at bay.

Humboldt facility airs coho concerns for Rowdy Creek

Rowdy Creek Fish Hatchery and two other state-operated North Coast hatcheries could face lawsuits from an Arcata-based environmental organization if changes aren’t made to their management plans.

Last November and December, Rowdy Creek, Mad River and Trinity River fish hatcheries received notices of intent to sue from the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC), a Humboldt nonprofit organization, due to potential effects that EPIC said hatchery-released fish could have on the region’s wild coho salmon, listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. 

The required 60-day period has passed since the management of Rowdy Creek (privately operated) and Mad River (operated by California Department of Fish and Wildlife) received  notice letters on Nov. 30, meaning that EPIC now has the ability to sue under the Endangered Species Act.

“We’re interested in speaking to all the people involved in running these operations in order to come to a solution rather than to have it drag out in courts,” said Andrew  Orahoske, EPIC’s conservation director, in a telephone interview. As of Monday, EPIC had not heard from representatives of any of the three hatcheries, Orahoske said.

Rowdy Creek representatives could not be reached for comment Monday.

The notice letters state that hatchery-raised chinook salmon and steelhead trout prey on wild juvenile coho, transmit diseases and compete for food and habitat — examples of “incidental take,” according to the EPIC.

Prokop

Steve Prokop, who is currently superintendent at Kalaupapa National Historical Park in Hawaii, will assume his Crescent City position in early April for the co-operatively managed Redwood National and State Parks.  Jeff Bomke is the sector manager of the three state parks within the partnership.

“I’m really excited about it,” Prokop said in a telephone interview this week. “I look at it as a real adventure and an opportunity to make a difference with one of the most beautiful resources in California,  and it’s an honor for me to be part of a team to take care of such a special place.”

A native of New Haven, Conn., Prokop started working for the National Park Service in 1976  as a lifeguard at Gateway National Recreation Area in New Jersey and Golden Gate National Recreation Area during the summers while he attended college at the University of Connecticut.  

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in marketing in 1978, Prokop was hired as a permanent park ranger/lifeguard at Golden Gate National Recreation Area.  He served in many capacities there from 1978 through 2001, including supervisory park ranger and deputy chief ranger.  In 1993 he received a master’s degree in public administration from San Francisco State University.

Prokop regulary enjoys long distance ocean swimming, including a competition 2.5 miles long. Now that’s he’s leaving Hawaii’s warm waters, “I’ll just have to get a wetsuit,” he said.

Prokop’s tenure at Kalaupapa National Historical Park, which is considered a sacred site by Hawaiian natives, might prove useful in Redwood Parks, where part of the job involves constant sensitivity to sacred tribal sites and co-management of resources with the Yurok Tribe and others.

There is a vacancy on the Del Norte Local Agency Formation Commission for a voting member from the public through January 2016.

The commission is an independent agency that reviews the establishment of boundaries and authorized services for numerous local agencies including fire and community services districts.

Those interested in serving on the commission must be a resident of Del Norte County, able to attend regular meetings and not be officers or employees of the county, city or special district within the county, according to a LAFCo press release. The public member is a public official and is required to file a standard financial disclosure statement annually with the California Fair Political Practices Commission.

Interested persons must complete an application form and submit a resume by Feb. 20 detailing applicable experience and service. Applications can be

Del Norte Triplicate / Bryant Anderson Tea Party Patriots co-founder Jenny Beth Martin visited with Del Norte branch members as she kicked off a state tour Wednesday.

“It’s interesting that that happens when there are people who are dependent on the government in that way, but what I find most intriguing is even though it’s a smaller area people still want to be able to be successful and they want to branch out on their own and to do things and to take care of themselves and not be dependent on the government,” Martin said.

She thinks the rural conservative streak runs especially strong in places like Del Norte, where most of the land is publicly owned.

“I think that’s probably why you see so many people voting Republican; rather than being for big government they’re voting for smaller government. They see the impact when you have so much government control and government ownership that can impact the community.”

A look at closing briefs; Alexander’s fate hangs in balance

Closing arguments filed recently in Del Norte County District Attorney Jon Alexander’s State Bar trial are a study in contrast.

The DA’s 62-page brief contends the prosecution failed to prove its charges and had discriminated against him by filing them in the first place.

The Bar’s 37-page brief contends that, based on the evidence presented during the October trial in San Francisco, Alexander should be convicted and disbarred for repeated unethical acts.

The decision is now in the hands of Judge Lucy Armendariz, who must render a verdict by April 11.

The charges stem from a $14,000 loan given to a probation officer when Alexander was a public defender, receiving a $6,000 loan from a defense attorney, and discussing a case with a defendant without her lawyer present.

Here is a closer look at some of the contentions in the closing arguments of the DA and the State Bar:

Good weather is helping to prevent crab boat congestion

After several unexpected delays put reconstruction of Crescent City Harbor’s inner boat basin  behind schedule, the project’s lead contractor brought in more managerial staff  Thursday in order to stay on schedule for the second half of the project.

Before more pilings can be installed, Dutra Construction must wait until June 1, a work window imposed by the California Coastal Commission due to potential impacts to salmonids and marine mammals near the harbor.

“As soon as the window opens we’re forecasting to be under quite an intense construction season and with that level of intensity we’re bringing in additional resources to finish the project,” said Harry Stewart, president and chief operating officer of Dutra, by phone Friday. Stewart said the additional supervisors have been assigned to the project because of the amount of work left to do, not due to poor performance.

Elk Valley Rancheria has announced the results of its recent Tribal Council election.

Dale Miller was re-elected to another four-year term as council chairman.

Michael R. Mattz and Christina Jones were also re-elected for four-year terms, while Richard Warner and Jennifer Akins were elected to join the council.

Continuing to serve on the council are John D. Green, Stacy McClaflin, LaWanda Quinnell and Earl Green, Jr.

Mattz will serve as vice-chairman, Quinnell as secretary and McClaflin as treasurer.

“It is an honor to be elected to serve our membership in any capacity,” Miller said in a rancheria press release. “I am humbled and consider it a privilege serving Elk Valley Rancheria.”

The rancheria has 74 eligible voters.