Sneak Peek at 3.23.11 issue

This photo is titled “Wingman.”

This is your weekly Sneak Peek at the coming issue. If you want to read these articles, purchase a copy today or subscribe. You can now subscribe online with a credit card via Pay Pal.

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Here’s just some of what’s in this week’s paper:

• McKinleyville moves toward local control. That’s right – McKinleyville may take control of its own land use planning. It may also throw a monkey wrench into the county’s General Plan update.

• Measure B passes. This is a big deal. It means that McKinleyville has money to continue operating its Parks & Recreation Department for the next 20 years. It also means that the town can buy land for new parks, build a teen center, etc.

• Seems like everyone agrees that one of the biggest threats to Snowy Plovers are ravens and crows. So how does a plastic fence at Clam Beach protect plovers? And how come nothing is being done to control the plover’s main predators. This gets discussed in this week’s paper.

• Nonagenarians honored at McK Sr. Center.

• Federal and state agencies want more input when it comes to the issuing of permits by the county.

• It’s baaccckkkkkk! Code Enforcement.

• Special meeting Wednesday to discuss parks in McKinleyville.

• Al and Sarie Toste receive the McK Chamber’s annual Azalea Award. (A very deserving couple indeed – Jack)

• Gardening Inspiration with John Frederick. Also, there’s a big sale at Miller Farms and there are guest speakers.

• Hank Sims, formerly the “Town Dandy” in the North Coast Journal, opines about railroads and trails in his new column “Lost Coast Outpost.”

• Stop the presses! Local gadfly David Elsebusch loves the VA’s form of socialized medicine. Seriously. He’s used the system and raves about it. He makes a good case for it.

• Geoff Spenceley writes about modern-day McCarthyism, and the bad old days when he experienced McCarthyism.

• As usual, we have a crossword puzzle.

• Take a hike with the Sierra Club

• “Meet the Authors” even in Trinidad on Saturday.

• Supervisor Sundberg to hold town hall meeting for folks in the Westhaven/Trinidad area.

• There’s a really cute dog named Max who needs to be adopted.

• The Sheriff’s Log features your typical troublemakers, idiots, etc.

There’s much more in this week’s paper, so check it out.

Also, you can now buy McKinleyville Totem Pole postcards by clicking here. These are really cool!

Raising a sunken vessel in Crescent City

Raising a sunken vessel. Click here: http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=1172532

Crescent City Tsunami Update

From the U.S. Coast Guard:

CRESCENT CITY TSUNAMI OPERATIONS CENTER NEWS RELEASE

Location: Crescent City Inner Basin Harbor, Crescent City, California

Cause: Tsunami following 9.0 earthquake in Japan (March 11)

Operational Update:

Responders have removed approximately 800 cubic yards of debris from the inner boat basin.
Monday’s salvage operations include continued work on sunken vessels, removal of damaged docks and the repositioning of vessels in the inner boat basin.
The Unified Command is working with the Crescent City Harbor Master and vessel owners to reposition and remove boats as needed. Operations are focused on the cleanup of the inner boat basin. Vessel owners who need to use the public boat lift are asked to leave their vessels in the water if they are in a safe place.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Global Diving and Salvage have completed their survey of the harbor using sonar technology. The information collected from the survey will allow the Unified Command to take appropriate actions to clean-up the harbor and make it safe for mariners to transit.
The Unified Command is preparing the harbor for the arrival of a heavy-lift crane barge to remove heavy debris. Pilings and dock fragments will be removed. Also, vessels will be refloated, repositioned and rigged for removal.
There are 85 responders working to remove environmental and navigational hazards from the Crescent City Harbor.
One of many goals is to move vessels to E Dock, so the owners can access them more easily.
Approximately 1,500-feet of hard and absorbent boom has been deployed to contain sources of sheen in the inner harbor and to mitigate harmful effects on the environment.
Underwater assessments continue to confirm the location of sunken vessels. Two contracted dive teams are assisting in the response efforts.
The Unified Command remains focused on using local resources whenever possible.
MEDIA ALERT:

To gain access to the operations area, please check in at the Media trailer. Please come equipped with hardhat, reflective vest, steel-toed shoes and eye protection. Media tours of operations will be available from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

Damage:

47 vessels afloat but with some level of damage
15 sunken vessels
1 vessel removed
1 vessel grounded at mouth of Elk River
Large debris including rocks, logs, and vessel debris is scattered about inner harbor and shore
Navigable waters status unknown; boaters should use extreme caution transiting the area
Significant damage to moorings and docks
Closures or restrictions:

Harbor access is restricted for public safety, but boat owners have some access to their vessels and property. Personal flotation devices (PFDs) are required on all docks.
Harbor is closed to the public at night, from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. until further notice.
To prevent crabs and other seafood from being contaminated and unmarketable, commercial fishermen are advised of the following protocol:
o Do not run circulation pumps on approach to or within entire Crescent City Harbor area
o Do not pull crab pots or other traps up through water if a visible sheen is present.
Safety zone in place for Crescent Harbor; no vessel movement without consent of USCG.
Between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., C, D, E, and F docks are open to owners of vessels within the boomed off area. Vessel owners should contact Coast Guard Auxiliary members at the Harbor Office to schedule a visit. For emergencies only, owners wishing to access their vessels outside of that time frame may contact the Coast Guard. Requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Harbor operations:

Crescent City Harbor asks affected boat owners to contact the harbor at 707-464-6174 ext. 22 to provide the following information:

Boat name
Official number/vin
Fuel capacity
Actual fuel onboard
All contact information
Wildlife: No observed wildlife impacts at this time. Assessment will continue

Crews deployed: US Coast Guard, California Department of Fish and Game (DFG), Harbor District Personnel and oil spill response organizations.

Information numbers:

Crescent City Harbor boat owners contact 707-464-6174 ext. 22
Report oil 1-800-852-7550
Report Injured Wildlife 1-877-823-6926

160 Ft. Above McKinleyville This Morning

More storms coming

Looks like we’ll get a break this evening and tomorrow. Then rain will continue.

Raw weather “discussion” from the National Weather Service in Eureka:

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EUREKA CA
410 AM PDT MON MAR 21 2011

.SYNOPSIS…THE WET AND COLD PATTERN WILL CONTINUE TODAY AS A STORM
SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. THERE WILL BE A BRIEF BREAK TONIGHT
AND DURING THE DAY TUESDAY. THE WET PATTERN RETURNS TUESDAY NIGHT AS
THE FIRST OF TWO LARGE STORM SYSTEMS APPROACHES.

&&

.DISCUSSION…THE PERSISTENT COMPLEX LOW JUST OFF THE COAST
WILL MOVE INLAND TODAY. DISTURBANCES ROTATING AROUND THE LOW WILL
CONTINUE TO GENERATE RAIN SHOWERS AND SNOW SHOWERS. AMOUNTS THOUGH
LOOK TO BE LIGHTER THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT AND ONLY LOOKING FOR 1-2
INCHES OF SNOW SO HAVE DROPPED SNOW ADVISORY. THERE WILL BE A BRIEF
BREAK IN THE PRECIPITATION LATE TONIGHT THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY
AFTERNOON AS A WEAK SHORT WAVE RIDGE MOVES ACROSS THE REGION.

LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON ANOTHER STRONG LOW MOVES IN FROM THE
NORTHWEST. THE PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED WITH THIS LOW IS EXPECTED TO
START IN MENDOCINO COUNTY LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND THEN SPREAD
NORTHWARD OVERNIGHT. THIS SYSTEM WILL AGAIN BE COLD WITH THE SNOW
LEVEL NEAR 3000 FEET. THE LOW IS TAPPING INTO PWATS OF ABOUT 0.5
INCHES WHICH IS ABOUT TYPICAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR BUT 700MB WINDS
NEAR 40KT SO GOOD MOISTURE FLUX. ALSO SFC LOW NEAR 998 MB ROTATES
TO ABOUT 170 NM WEST OF CAPE MENDOCINO BY 06Z WED PRODUCING UPSLOPE
LOW LEVEL EAST WINDS INTO EASTERN TRINITY AND MENDOCINO COUNTIES.
CONTINUED THE WATCH BUT STARTED IN A LITTLE EARLIER AT 02Z WED WITH
START OF UPSLOPE WINDS. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WITH THIS STORM IN THE 7 TO
12 INCH RANGE WITH RAINFALL AMOUNTS 0.5 TO 1.5 INCHES. RIGHT ON ITS
HEELS AND FOLLOWING THE SAME TRACK IS YET ANOTHER LOW DROPPING OFF
THE COAST THUR. SINCE THERE IS VERY LITTLE BREAK IN BETWEEN THESE
TWO SYSTEMS…I EXTENDED THE WATCH OUT UNTIL THUR EVE. TOTAL
ACCUMULATIONS FOR BOTH SYSTEMS WILL RANGE FROM 8 TO 20 INCHES
WITH HIGHER AMOUNTS OF SNOW IN EASTERN TRINITY AND MENDO COUNTIES IN
UPSLOPE FLOW. SNOW LEVELS STILL NEAR 3000 FT. RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN
THE 1-2.5 INCH RANGE.

MODEL DIFFERENCE SHOWING UP FOR LATE IN THE WEEK AND WEEKEND AS BOTH
GFS AND GEM SHOW S/W RIDGE BUILDING IN LATE FRI WHILE EC HAS ANOTHER
LOW APPROACHING. ALL MODELS CONSISTENT WITH ANOTHER UPPER LOW MOVING
INTO THE GOA LATER INTO THE WEEKEND THOUGH TIMING IS DIFFERENT. GFS
AND GEM SIMILAR IN BRING WARM FRONTAL RAINS LATE SAT AND THEN COLD
FRONT THRU SUN. GIVEN THE UNCERTAINTY…LEFT 50-60 PERCENT POPS.
DEAN