Hatton-Hiouchi: A world-class trail 6 miles from town

A mid-air greenway.(The Daily Triplicate/Richard Wiens)

Laura and I had been traipsing around the North Coast for nearly two years, dabbling in old growth here, coastal trails there, sometimes even seeking new scenes in Humboldt and Curry counties. But we had never ventured onto Hatton Trail a mere 6 miles or so from Crescent City.

Perhaps it was because the trail got no write-up in either of the hiking books that have otherwise proven so useful since we moved here from Colorado.

Or maybe it was because the Hatton trailhead is hidden in plain sight right across U.S. Highway 199 from the entrance to Simpson-Reed Grove, a well-known stopping point for travelers seeking quick access to redwood giants erect and fallen. There are usually a few vehicles parked north of the highway, but you can bet most visitors drive on after gaping at the grove without checking out what’s on the other side of the road.

Pictured left of Drager is Guy Towers of the St. George Reef Lighthouse Preservation Society, who donated the photo taken by Steve Corley. Debbie Stover, owner of Del Norte Office Supply, is pictured right. Submitted Photo

Legislation for Light­house Week, which is designated for the second full week of August each year, was sponsored by the Soc­iety and former Assem­blyman Dan Hauser in 1995.

Lucy Aldrich and her grand-prize winner. Submitted Photo

The grand prize (best of show) was also voted on by the judges, however, the public in attendance at Crescent Harbor Gallery added their votes as well. Over 75 votes were cast in all and the runaway winner was the Lucy Aldrich. She titled her entry,  “Let me pick your brains and your eyeballs too.”

Thirty pumpkins were entered in the competition. Other winners and categories included:

Nutritional Services, Sutter Coast Hospital, Fine Art category; Spencer Ansell, Scary; Sylvia Stone, Comical; Jody Johnson, Stencils; Jeremiah Bering, age 11-15; Richard Jungman, Multiple Pumpkins.

After last year’s season ended, community members were asked to evaluate Santa’s Workshop. They brought forward concerns from the community and because of their suggestions, we are changing some of Santa’s Workshop’s guidelines. Parents applying for the program will be asked for their child’s age, sex and interests. Community donors will then have an idea of the actual interests of the child verses a particular item such as an IPod, bicycle or Gameboy.  The range for gifts will be between $20-$40. Children’s interests may include such items as sports, dolls, art, movies, video games, reading or music. Santa’s Workshop will not be gifting or accepting bicycles this year.  We could not fulfill all bicycle requests, and even with a lottery, could not prevent three children in one family receiving bikes, while another child did not. 

It is the intent of the program to help as many children as possible, and while it isn’t possible to fulfill all wishes, we are hoping to give one gift to each child that qualifies.

Each month, Grassroots.org selects one member whose work best fulfills its mission: To serve as a catalyst for positive social change by leveraging modern technologies and best business practices.

Four main criteria are used to evaluate the Web sites: activity, growth, creativity and navigability. With its inviting Web design and effective use of Grassroots.org tools, the Del Norte County Library excelled in each of these categories.

“We want to see other nonprofits succeed and grow because of the services we provide,” said Shane Hankins, executive director of Grassroots.org. “The Del Norte County Web site is a great example of how small communities can utilize technology tools.”

Grassroots.org services let the library create a compelling and effective online community. One of the most valuable services is the World Lingo translation tool, said library manager Linda Kauffman.

“I love World Lingo,” Kauffman said. “We have a large Spanish-speaking population in Del Norte County, so this will make our Web site more accessible to anyone whose first language is Spanish.”

Before Grassroots.org volunteer Phil Schaming designed the Web site, the library paid a premium for limited Web capabilities. Now, the organization has saved enough money on technology tools to purchase a new server.

“That’s reason enough to love Grassroots.org,” Kauffman said. “Society is so tech-oriented now that almost everyone has access to a computer and the Internet. Now our community can ‘see’ us online. It’s just another tool for us to help the people of our community.”

This partnership is the result of a thorough plan by both boards on how to better serve the Humboldt/Del Norte region.  The new organization will dramatically streamline the United Way system in local communities for maximum efficiency, allowing more donor dollars to be spent directly on improving lives and strengthening communities.

With the addition of these counties, United Way of the Wine Country now serves five northern California counties: Sonoma, Mendo­cino, Lake, Humboldt and Del Norte.

United Way has maintained a presence in Humboldt and Del Norte for the past 25 years, but this transition to United Way of the Wine Country is expected to give the local operation a much more robust, impactful presence.

For more information to www.unitedwaywinecountry.org or call Kevin Nyland at 528-4485 ext. 120.