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McK may acquire community forest

From the Jan. 11, 2012 edition of the McK Press

By Jack Durham
Press Editor

McKinleyville may get its own community forest, complete with old growth Sitka spruce, trails and ocean views.
The McKinleyville Community Services District has applied for state grant funds to purchase the property, located adjacent to the Beau Pre Heights subdivision on the hillside east of the Beau Pre Golf Course in McKinleyville.
“It’s awesome,” said MCSD Parks and Recreation Director Jason Sehon about the forest. There are towering old-growth Sitka spruce, existing trails, ocean views, a wetland and wildlife.
The property is owned by Danco, the developer of the Beau Pre subdivision. According to Sehon, the Department of Fish and Game is requiring that Danco preserve the 60-acre site, which is off limits to housing development and logging.
The MCSD has applied for a grant to purchase the forest through the state’s Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006, better known as Prop. 84. The $5.388 billion bond fund includes $500 million for parks and nature education.
The only hitch with the MCSD’s grant application, Sehon noted, is that the district also applied for a Prop. 84 grant to purchase park property near School Road and Washington Avenue in McKinleyville (See story, page 1). That grant may get a higher ranking by the state, making the success of the forest grant application uncertain.
However, even if this grant application is unsuccessful, the district may still be able to acquire the property by negotiating with Danco for a possible donation.
If the MCSD does acquire the forest, it won’t be able to selectively log it like the City of Arcata does with the Arcata Community Forest. According to the City of Arcata’s website, the Arcata Community Forest is comprised of 2,134 acres. Arcata has a forest management plan which allows limited, eco-groovy logging.
“Timber harvest revenue funds forest operations, habitat restoration and management of the forest for recreational uses,” states the city’s website.
If McKinleyville obtains the Beau Pre forest, the MCSD would probably form an open space maintenance zone. The 80 parcels in the adjacent Beau Pre Heights subdivision, which has yet to be developed, would be assessed a monthly fee on their water bills. That money would be used by the MCSD to maintain the trails and pick up trash.
Access to the forest would most likely be from Norton Road. A small parking lot would be developed, although the exact details have yet to be worked out.

New park may open in McKinleyville by spring

From the Jan. 11 edition of the McKinleyville Press

school property design aerial with dimensionsBy Jack Durham
Press Editor

Sometime this spring, McKinleyville will have a new park on the south side of town.
The McKinleyville Community Services District Board of Directors voted unanimously at a special meeting Thursday, Jan. 5 to purchase three acres at the corner of School Road and Washington Avenue.
The MCSD will pay the McKinleyville Union School District $128,894 for the undeveloped site. The MCSD will most likely pay for the property using money from its general fund, A grant application with the state is pending. If the MCSD wins the grant, it would reimburse itself, thereby obtaining the acreage without any cost to the district.
After the MCSD completes a lot line adjustment with the County of Humboldt and escrow closes, work can begin on opening the property for public use. The MCSD is hoping this can happen in the spring.
MCSD Parks and Recreation Director Jason Sehon said that the first order of business is to “clear all invasive plants” including Scotch broom. The MCSD does not intend to cut down any trees, but it does need to clear the property enough so that its mower can be used about three times a year to keep the grass down, Sehon said.
The MCSD will need to consult with the County of Humboldt to determine the best location for a small parking lot, he said. Two potential “access points” have been identified – one off Washington Avenue just south of Dena Drive, the other at the south end of Oakdale Drive.
There are no immediate plans for any major recreation facilities at the park.
“I suspect natural trails will start” as people begin walking around the property, Sehon said.
There’s a possibility that the park could substantially grow and be tied into other park facilities in nearby subdivisions.
The three acres is part of a 10.3-acre parcel that’s being sold by the school district, which bought the property years ago for a campus. Later it discovered that an earthquake fault crossed the property, making it unsuitable for a new school.
The MCSD has applied for a separate state grant to purchase the remaining 7.3 acres from school district.
MCSD Manager Norman Shopay said that if the MCSD obtains a grant for the 7.3 acres, it would have to open up new property negotiations with the school district.
Both the Furtado and Santos subdivisions, under construction downhill and west of the new park, will include small park areas and trails. They may be linked to the MCSD park.
The developers of both those subdivisions will end up paying about “a couple hundred thousand dollars” in Quimby Funds, which would be available to the MCSD for park development.
The Quimby Act requires developers to provide park facilities in their subdivisions, or pay Quimby fees in lie of providing parks. There’s a formula for how large the park facilities should be based upon the number of residents in the subdivision. In the case of the Furtado and Santos subdivisions, the developers will provide a combination of facilities and fees.
Sehon said that plans for the new park will ultimately be brought before the MCSD’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee and the MCSD Board of Directors.

Fictitious Business Name Statements in Humboldt County, Calif.

So you’re starting a new business and discover that you need to file something called a Fictitious Business Name Statement. Or maybe you have an existing business and you’re trying to open a new bank account and learn that you need to file a FBNS.

We can help. The McKinleyville Press prints Fictitious Business Name Statements for a flat fee of $40.

It doesn’t matter whether your business is located in McKinleyville, Trinidad, Eureka, Ferndale, Garberville, Arcata, Fieldbrook, Blue Lake, Fortuna, King Salmon, Orick, etc. If your business is in Humboldt County, and you need to file a Fictitious Business Name Statement, you can do so in the McKinleyville Press.

Here’s what you do: First, you go the the Humboldt County Clerk. Fill out the paperwork and get it stamped and dated.

Then bring us the pink copy. You can mail it to McKinleyville Press, P.O. Box 2593, McKinleyville, CA 95519. Or you can fax it to (707) 839-0795. Or you can drop it off at 1660 Central Avenue, Suite F, McKinleyville, CA 95519. If we’re not in the office, feel free to slide it under our door or use the drop box outside. You can also scan your FBNS and email to news@mckinleyvillepress.com. You can pre-pay or we can send you a bill. Once we get your FBNS, we’ll print it for four consecutive weeks. After four weeks, we’ll send an affidavit to the Humboldt County Clerk’s Office proving that it was printed. We’ll also send a copy to you for your records.

Questions? Call (707) 839-0795

Click here for a link to our contact page.

Where to buy the McKinleyville Press

Here is a list of all the places where you can buy the McKinleyville Press from either a retail outlet or a newspaper rack. When we have more time we’ll try to make a fancy shmancy interactive Google map with bells and whistles. In the meantime…

Where to buy the McKinleyville Press
(From north to south)

Trinidad

Murphy’s Market
Trinidad Chevron

McKinleyville

Arcata-Eureka Airport
Holiday Inn Express
Beau Pre Golf Course
Freeway 76 Station
Renner
76 Station at Central & Reasor
McKinleyville Post Office
McKinleyville Safeway
Niveen’s
McKinleyville Senior Center
McKinleyville Round Table Pizza
Central Sandwich
Blake’s Books
Central Market
Luzmilla’s
Carmela’s
McKinleyville Press
Shell Station
Ray’s Food Place (inside and outside)
Big Kmart
Roger’s Market
Six Rivers Brewery

Fieldbrook

Fieldbrook Family Market

Arcata

Village Pantry
Ray’s Food Place
Mad River Community Hospital
Wildberries
Arcata Co-op
Arcata Post Office
CVS
Murphy’s Market

Eureka

Eureka Co-op
Humboldt County Courthouse