‘There was no misunderstanding’

From the July 21, 2010 edition. To read all of the articles in the McKinleyville Press, subscribe today or purchase a newspaper from a rack or retail location.

By Elaine Weinreb
Press Staff Writer

Tom Head, the owner of Coastal Tree Service, told the McKinleyville Press in an interview that landowner Sharon Pennisi was very clear in her instructions when she hired him to improve her ocean view by clearing trees and brush from a hillside below her Wagner Street residence.
The land she had hired him to clear was not her property, nor that of her husband, Trinidad Planning Commissioner Sam Pennisi, although Head insists that he did not know that.
The land belongs to the City of Trinidad, and is part of an archaeological preserve, jointly managed by the State Coastal Conservancy, the Yurok Tribe, the Tsurai Ancestral Society, and the city.
The hillside, which is just above the archaeological site of the ancient Tsurai Village, is already plagued with erosion problems, which will not be helped by the clearcut.
“She led me to believe that was her property,” Head said. “She said she had talked to the city, and it was ok, and she wanted me to start as soon as possible.”
Head apparently did not realize that Pennisi had already considered hiring a previous contractor, Professional Tree Service, but had changed her mind when that company’s owner inquired about the legal status of the property at Trinidad Town Hall.
Head said that Pennisi told him that she had talked to the City Clerk, and that he had said it was all right to use the vehicle-restricted trail to bring his equipment onto the site.
City Clerk Gabriel Adams emphatically denied this allegation.
“That is one thousand percent, absolutely incorrect,” he said.
“We don’t even allow a bicycle on that trail,” he said. “There is absolutely no way we would ever allow somebody to drive a truck and a chipper onto that trail. I told that to the previous guy, who asked about it.”
Adams observed that a prominent sign at the entrance to the trail, stating that vehicles were forbidden, had been illicitly removed.
“That sign wasn’t just bolted on; it was welded into place,” he said. “You would have needed machinery to remove it. But it wasn’t removed until after the cutting had taken place.”
Sharon Pennisi previously told the McKinleyville Press that she was not home when the cut occurred, and that it was all due to a misunderstanding.
“There was no misunderstanding,” Head stated. “She was home for part of the time during the second day we were there. I kept going back up the hill to her porch, to check in with her, and make sure we were doing what she wanted. I must have talked to her six or eight times during that day. She said that she was happy, and that we were her saviors.”
“She kept telling me to go further down the hillside. When I wouldn’t go down any further, she said, ‘Get the stuff up on the sides,’ Head said.
“She did not have any brush on her property other than what she told us to cut. For her to say it was a misunderstanding! You can look at their property, and you can see that there’s no brush on it,” Head said.
Head said that he had left the site to bring his crew some water, when City Manager Steve Albright appeared, and told the crew members to stop working. Head said that he was called, immediately returned to the site, and stopped the job at once.

DOG OWNERS BEWARE!

From the Humboldt County Dept. of Health:

BLUE-GREEN ALGAE WARNING

Officials with the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services are warning recreational users of the South Fork Eel and Van Duzen Rivers, Big Lagoon, and all other fresh water bodies to avoid contact with algae this summer.

They are aware of 11 dog deaths which may have been caused by blue-green algae poisoning since 2001.  The dogs died shortly after swimming in Big Lagoon, the South Fork Eel River and the Van Duzen River.  Two dogs died last year on the South Fork Eel and Van Duzen Rivers.

A nerve toxin associated with blue-green algae was found in the stomachs of the dogs that died on the South Fork Eel River in 2001. The same toxin was found in water samples from the South Fork Eel and Van Duzen Rivers last summer.  This toxin is the most likely cause of the dog deaths on these rivers.  Dogs are more vulnerable than people because they may swallow the poison when they lick their fur.  The onset of symptoms can be rapid; dogs have died within 30 minutes to one hour after leaving the water.

Blue green algae blooms that produce a liver toxin also have been documented in Klamath River reservoirs and the lower river.

Blue-green algae can be present in any fresh water body.  It looks like green, blue-green, white or brown scum, foam or mats floating on the water.  Usually it does not affect animals or people. However, warm water and abundant nutrients can cause blue-green algae to grow more rapidly than usual. These floating algal masses or “blooms” can produce natural toxins that are very potent.  Because of their smaller body size and tendency to stay in the water, dogs and children are most likely to be affected.

Potential symptoms in dogs following exposure to blue green algae toxins can include lethargy, difficulty breathing, salivation, vomiting, urination, diarrhea, or convulsions.  People can experience eye irritation, skin rash, mouth ulcers, vomiting, diarrhea, and cold or flu-like symptoms.

DHHS officials recommend the following guidelines for recreational users of all freshwater areas in Humboldt County:

• Keep children, pets and livestock from swimming in or drinking water containing algal scums or mats.
• Adults should also avoid wading and swimming in water containing algal blooms.  Try not to swallow or inhale water spray in an algal bloom area.
• If no algal scums or mats are visible, you should still carefully watch young children and warn them not to swallow any water.
• Fish should be consumed only after removing the guts and liver and rinsing fillets in tap water.
• Never drink, cook with or wash dishes with water from rivers, streams or lakes.
• Get medical attention immediately if you think that you, your pet, or livestock might have been poisoned by blue-green algae toxins.  Be sure to tell the doctor about possible contact with blue-green algae.

Human activities can have a big effect on nutrient and water flows in rivers, streams or lakes. Phosphorous and nitrogen found in fertilizers, animal waste, and human waste can stimulate blooms. Excessive water diversions can increase water temperatures and reduce flows.  People can take the following measures to prevent algal blooms in our waters:

• Be very conservative with the use of water, fertilizers and pesticides on your lawn, garden or agricultural operation.
• Recycle any “spent” soil that has been used for intensive growing by tilling it back into gardens.  Or protect it from rainfall to avoid nutrient runoff.
• Plant or maintain native plants around banks.  These plants help filter water and don’t require fertilizers.
• Pump and maintain your septic system every three to four years.
• Prevent surface water runoff from agricultural and livestock areas.
• Prevent erosion around construction and logging operations.

Please contact the Humboldt County DHHS Division of Environmental Health, at

(707) 445-6215 or 1-800-963-9241 for further information.  The California Department of Public Health website also has more details: www.cdph.ca.gov/healthinfo/environhealth/water/Pages/bluegreenalgae.aspx.

-###-