When you look at your November California ballot this year you will see 11 propositions for your consideration, including two (prop. 30 and 38) to fund shortfalls in education, a repeal of the death penalty (prop. 34), a reform of the Three-strikes law (prop. 36), and a measure that would require labeling of genetically engineered foods (prop. 37). On Monday, September 24 at 7 p.m., the League of Women Voters of Humboldt County (LWVHC) has scheduled a live presentation, "The Pros and Cons of the Ballot Propositions," to be held at the Fortuna City Council Chambers, located at 621 - 11th Street in Fortuna. The community is invited to attend this free event. For more information on this event, contact the LWVHC at 444-9252 or visit on-line at: lwvhc.org. The "Pros and Cons" Booklet can be downloaded from the "Additional Resources" below.

The list below is from the California Secretary of State website and contains a .pdf file with the Summary Analysis for each of the propositions. Below that list are listings of additional resources to help you become informed about these ballot measures. This resource page is a work in progress so check back occasionally for new information. Click here for a Resource Page on the CANDIDATES.

Click on the linked text to see or download a pdf file with the Summary Analysis for each of the propositions:

• Proposition 30 - Temporary Taxes to Fund Education. Guaranteed Local Public Safety Funding. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.
• Proposition 31 - State Budget. State and Local Government. Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute.
• Proposition 32 - Political Contributions by Payroll Deduction. Contributions to Candidates. Initiative Statute.
• Proposition 33 - Auto Insurance Companies. Prices Based on Driver's History of Insurance Coverage. Initiative Statute.
• Proposition 34 - Death Penalty. Initiative Statute.
• Proposition 35 - Human Trafficking. Penalties. Initiative Statute.
• Proposition 36 - Three Strikes Law. Repeat Felony Offenders. Penalties. Initiative Statute.
• Proposition 37 - Genetically Engineered Foods. Labeling. Initiative Statute.
• Proposition 38 - Tax to Fund Education and Early Childhood Programs. Initiative Statute.
• Proposition 39 - Tax Treatment for Multistate Businesses. Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Funding. Initiative Statute.
• Proposition 40 - State RedistrictingSenate Districts. Referendum.

Additional resources:

California Secretary of State website
California on Ballotpedia
"Pros and Cons" booklet prepared by the League of Women Voters
Video of Voter Education Forum on Propositions 30 and 38

According to KMUD News Coordinator, Cyntia Elkins:       
"Sudden oak death was discovered for the first time in the Mattole River last year, and it has now been detected in an additional tributary of the watershed.  Scientists conducted water samples in the watershed earlier this year.  It was found in the mainstem at Whitethorn and Mattole Canyon Creek last year.  Results this year show it is also present in Grindstone Creek, and is affecting both the east and west forks of Mattole Canyon Creek.  Stream sampling uses leaves in the water that will become infected if the pathogen is present.  It’s a way to detect sudden oak death before it can be visibly seen affecting trees.  Dr. Dave Rizzo is a professor of plant pathology at U.C. Davis.  He was on the team of people that collected the first isolates that pinned sudden oak death on phytophtora ramorum.  That was back in 2000."  

Use the player below to hear or download an interview with Professor Rizzo talking about stream monitoring efforts in the Mattole and the Van Duzen watersheds.This story was aired on KMUD Local News, Sept. 19, 2012, by Cynthia Elkins.

Additional Links:
A paper co-authored by Dr, Rizzo
SOD Management Guidelines
http://www.suddenoakdeath.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudden_oak_death

    According to Cynthia Elkins, KMUD News Coordinator:

"Community members successfully raised enough funds for a music program at Redway Elementary School for this school year, but communication and scheduling problems mean it won't be happening this semester.  The administration had a big turnover during the summer, and information on the program reportedly was not conveyed to the new principle and superintendent.  Saundra Schmollinger is a long-time volunteer in the music program, helping her husband Paul run the program at both South Fork High and Redway Elementary.  She says they just found out last month that the program wasn't going to be happening this semester."

Use the player below to hear or download the audio clip from the story aired by Cynthia Elkins on the Sept. 18, 2012 edition of the KMUD Local News:

According to as Press Release from the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office, dated Sept. 18, 2012:
The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office has identified the second suspect, in the case described in the original press release below, as David Robert Bullwinkle, 31 years old of Manila. Bullwinkle is wanted for attempted murder and mayhem. Anyone with knowledge of his location is requested to contact the Sheriff’s Office.The victim in this case is still recovering from his injuries at a local hospital.

Anyone with information for the Sheriffs Office regarding this case is requested to contact Detective Rich Schlesiger at 707-268-3642 or the Sheriff’s office at 707-445-7251.

Photo of wanted suspect, David Robert Bullwinkle:

Photo of Travis Morgan Jr.who is already in custody:

Original Press Release:
On 09-13-2012, approximately 10:45 p.m. the Sheriffs Office was notified of a stabbing which just occurred in the 1900 block of Peninsula Drive, Manila. The victim was reported to be at a neighbor’s home on the doorstep. Deputies responded to the scene along with medical personnel. The victim was rushed to a local hospital by ambulance. When deputies arrived they met with the 38 year old male victim, from McKinleyville. The victim had cuts on various parts of his body including a deep abdominal wound.

Deputies interviewed the victim at the local hospital where he was being treated for his injuries. The victim told deputies he was visiting his girlfriend when suspect Travis Morgan, 27 years old from Manila entered the residence with another male suspect. Morgan and the other male then began punching him, stabbing him and striking him with a machete. Morgan is the brother of the victim’s girlfriend and lives in the same residence. .

At 11:30 p.m. Morgan showed up at a local hospital. Eureka Police stood by with Morgan until deputies could arrive. Morgan was being treated for minor injuries sustained during the altercation with the victim. Morgan spoke with the deputies and claimed self defense.

After Morgan was treated he was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of attempted murder, mayhem and violation of probation. His bail is set at $500,000.00. Detectives are actively working on this case. Photographs of Morgan, and the name and photograph of the second suspect are not being released at this time for investigative reasons.

As of this morning the victim was in a local hospital being treated for his injuries and was in surgery.

According to a Press Release from the City of Arcata:
In honor of National Pollution Prevention Week, wildlife disease ecologist Mourad Gabriel will give a presentation entitled “Silent Forests: Impacts from Poisons Associated with Illegal Marijuana Cultivation on our Public and Tribal Lands” at the Arcata Marsh Interpretive Center on Thursday, September 27 at 7 p.m. The Interpretive Center is located at 569 South G Street in Arcata.

Gabriel and his colleagues are finding an alarming rate of rat poisoning deaths in fishers, a near-endangered member of the weasel family that live in some of the most remote forests in California. He and his colleagues are concerned about how pesticides and rodenticides used by illegal marijuana growers on remote public, private and tribal lands are affecting both the forest watersheds and the entire forest food chain, from rodents to carnivores like martens, spotted owls and the Sierra Nevada red fox.

Mourad Gabriel completed both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees focusing on wildlife diseases at Humboldt State University. While completing his M.S., he co-founded MGW Biological, an environmental consulting firm, as well as Integral Ecology Research Center, a non-profit scientific research organization where he is the president and senior ecologist. Gabriel is completing his Ph.D. this fall at the University of California Davis in comparative pathology and has authored several scientific manuscripts focusing on infectious and non-infectious diseases affecting wildlife of conservation concern. He lives in Northwestern California where he and his wife, also an ecologist, try to spend as much time as possible enjoying our public lands.

Seating is for this talk is limited so please call (707) 826-2359 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for reservations and information.

Gabriel’s talk will be videotaped and aired at a later date on Suddenlink/Access Humboldt Channel 10 and will be available for on-demand viewing online at: www.cityofarcata.org.

U.C. Davis wildlife disease ecologist Mourad Gabriel with pesticides found at an illegal marijuana cultivation site in a secluded forest area. Rat poisons are often used to protect young marijuana plants in remote illegal marijuana grow sites. The poisons are killing different animals in the forest food chain, many of which are already nearing endangered status.

U.C. Davis researcher Mourad Gabriel with one of his research subjects, a Pacific fisher. Fishers, a weasel-like forest carnivore, are being found with alarmingly high levels of rat poisons and pesticides in their bodies. These increasingly rare animals live deep in forests and are exposed to pesticides used by illegal marijuana growers.

A Pacific fisher in its natural element. Fishers and other animals in the forest and watershed food chain are unintended casualties of illegal pot farming. (Photo courtesy of Rebecca Green, Hoopa Tribe.)

According to a Press Release from the Trinity County Sheriff's Office, dated Sept. 14, 2012:
On September 7, 2012 officers with the Trinity County Narcotics Task Force, United States Forest Service, CERT Team 1, NSMIT eradicated a clandestine marijuana grow on the National Forest in Trinity County. Approximately 7,300 growing marijuana pants were seized along with approximately 500 pounds of processed marijuana. The cultivation site located was returned to its natural state. All camps, garbage, water lines and any other items located were removed via helicopter. Subjects were located in the marijuana cultivation site and a foot chase ensued. Two Hispanic male adults (Aristeo Ambriz Equihua DOB: 09/03/1951, Livingston, CA and Andres Valenzueua Reyes DOB: 07/14/1982, Mexico), were arrested and charged with:11358 H&S – Plant/Cultivate/Etc Marijuana/Hasish, 11359 H&S – Possess Marijuana/Hashish for sale, 182 PC – Conspiracy to commit crime. Both are being held on $30,000.00 bail.

The photos below show show Aristeo Ambriz Equihua (left) and Andres Valenzueua Reyes (right)

According to a recent News Release from the California Regional Water Quality Control Board:
Due to its potential health risks, federal, state, and tribal agencies are urging swimmers, boaters and recreational users to avoid contact with blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) now blooming in the Klamath River, downstream of Iron Gate Dam, in Northern California.  Water in the Klamath River from Iron Gate Dam to Turwar in Humboldt County has exceeded public health criteria; these areas have been posted with health advisories warning against human and animal contact with the water.  Recent monitoring indicates that levels of cyanobacteria downstream of Turwar are also increasing (but are currently below the state’s action levels); water users are encouraged to use caution, and check most recent sampling results on the Klamath Blue-Green algae Tracker (see link below) for all locations along the River.  Monitoring along the River is being conducted weekly and this advisory will be revised as conditions change.
 
Cyanobacteria (Microcystis aeruginosa) cell counts at several locations in the Klamath River downstream of Iron Gate Dam exceeded the public health advisory threshold during recent public health monitoring.  Based upon earlier monitoring results, Iron Gate and Copco Reservoirs wereposted with health advisories in July.  California agencies including the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), CA Department of Public Health, as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Yurok and Karuk Tribes urge residents and recreational water users to use caution or avoid getting in the water near these blooms.  Public health monitoring for the Klamath River from Link River Dam in Oregon to the estuary in California (including Copco and Iron Gate Reservoirs) is conducted collaboratively by the United States Bureau of Reclamation, PacifiCorp, the Karuk Tribe, the Yurok Tribe, and the CA North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board and United States Environmental Protection Agency.
 
“As blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) can pose health risks, especially to children and pets, we urge people to be careful where they swim,” said Matt St. John, Executive Officer of the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board.  “We recommend that people and their pets avoid contact with the blooms, and particularly avoid swallowing or inhaling water spray in an algal bloom area."
 
The algal blooms appear as very green water, and blue-green, white or brown foam, scum or mats floating on the water.  Recreational exposure to toxic blue-green algae can cause eye irritation, allergic skin rash, mouth ulcer, vomiting, diarrhea, and cold and flu-like symptoms.  Liver failure, nerve damage and death have occurred in rare situations where large amounts of contaminated water were directly ingested.
 
“This is a situation that anyone who comes into contact with water in algal bloom areas should be aware of.  Vacationers and the public should adjust their activities accordingly”, said Mr. St. John.
 
The Statewide Guidance on Harmful Algal Blooms recommends the following:

• Avoid wading and swimming in water containing visible blooms or water containing algae, scums or mats.
• If no algae, scums or mats are visible, you should still carefully watch young children and warn them not to swallow the water.
• Do not drink, cook or wash dishes with untreated surface water under any circumstances; common water purification techniques (e.g., camping filters, tablets) may not remove toxins.
• People should limit or avoid eating fish.  If fish are consumed, remove guts and liver, and rinse meat in clean drinking water.
• Take care that pets and livestock do not drink the water or swim through heavy algae, scums or mats, nor lick their fur after going in the water.  Rinse pets in clean drinking water to remove algae from fur.
• Get medical treatment immediately if you think that you, your pet, or your livestock might have been poisoned by blue-green algae toxins.  Be sure to alert the medical professional to the possible contact with blue-green algae.

With proper precautions to avoid water contact, people can still visit Klamath River and enjoy camping, hiking, biking, canoeing, picnicking, or other recreational activities, excluding direct contact with the waters impacted by algal blooms.

For more information, please visit:

California Department of Public Health:
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/healthinfo/environhealth/water/Pages/Bluegreenalgae.aspx

State Water Resources Control Board
http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/bluegreen_algae/

CA Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment:
http://oehha.ca.gov/ecotox/microcystins.html

Klamath Blue-Green Algae Tracker
http://www.kbmp.net/blue-green-algae-tracker
 
US Environmental Protection Agency
http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/standards/criteria/nutrients/cyanohabs.cfm
 
Siskiyou County Public Health Department:
(530) 841-2100