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Julie Oakley of Pinkerton Security inspects a vehicle at Arcata-Eureka Airport. This inspection is part of the new 24-hour security measures adopted by the airport in the wake of the September 11 attacks. photo by Mary Cruse
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by Mary Cruse
Imagine that all of the residents of southern Humboldt County simply vanished in just a matter of hours. From south of Fortuna to the Mendocino County line, the scattered towns of Scotia, Rio Dell, Miranda, Redway and Garberville would be ghost towns. That would be about the equivalent to the number of lives that were taken on September 11 – in New York, at the Pentagon, and in Pennsylvania. We will probably never know the exact number.
One of the tragic losses was that of Humboldt County resident Richard Guagagno. He was on United Airlines Flight 93 from Newark, N. J., en route to San Francisco after visiting family. The refuge manager for the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Arcata was headed home when his plans were brutally interrupted in the outskirts of Pittsburgh, Penn. The new 3,700 square-foot headquarters for the refuge, which was his “vision and a dream,” will be named in honor of Richard Guagagno at an opening later this year.
Next to Arcata is the county seat of Eureka, which is 281 miles north of San Francisco, 409 miles south of Portland, Ore., and about 3,300 miles west of New York, City. Although this rural county of 126,000 isn’t geographically close to New York or D.C. or Pittsburgh, the emotional impact, the compassion of the people and the extenuating consequences brought its residents closer together in spirit and in action.
In addition to sadness and grieving, a new sense of unity rippled across the country following the events of that indelible day. Soon after the first plane crashed into the World Trade Center, people throughout the county rallied donations to the American Red Cross, the Northern California Community Blood Bank and even sock donations to the Salvation Army.
“I was awakened at 7:15 a.m. by a phone call from a colleague telling me what was happening in New York,” said Marvin Musick, the director of disaster services for the Humboldt County Chapter of the American Red Cross. “When I checked my pager, I already had eight calls from people in the community. Some of them were from doctors, EMTs and construction workers. They wanted to know what they could do to help and how they could get to New York. We also received calls from retailers, like Costco, Long’s, Rite Aid and Applebee’s all asking how they could help. Soon we had donation partnerships with retailers throughout the county.”
Donations could be made at cash registers whether or not making a purchase.
“The people in Humboldt County are always quick to give, even when it isn’t in their own neighborhood,” said Musick.
In the past two months, donations have ranged from small children offering a handful of allowance money, a payroll-deduction match of $8,382 at Sun Valley Floral Farms of Arcata, to $30,000 from C. Crane Company in Fortuna. More than $50,000 was donated in the first week and $80,000 total in the first month from residents and corporations throughout the poverty-level county.
The Northern California Blood Bank also had an excellent response. By 10:45 a.m. on September 11 the center’s donor room in Eureka was “jammed,” as Tom Schallart, blood bank administrator, put it. By 3 p.m., more than 200 people stopped in to donate blood. There was also a blood mobile at the HSU campus in Arcata that was mobbed by students and staff.
HSU students also participated in a campus forum that began at noon. It was an outlet for students, faculty and staff to share feelings, to cry and to tell of loved ones they were worried about. Classes throughout the CSU System were cancelled shortly after 10:30 a.m. as a result of a directive from Chancellor Charles Reed in Long Beach. His office called HSU President Alistair McCrone, whose staff then contacted all of the departments and offices.
“We are extremely confident that the CSU system and Humboldt State specifically are prepared to respond in an emergency situation,” said HSU senior communications and marketing officer J. Michael Slinker, Ed.D. “We are fortunate to have many dedicated people and a good, solid emergency-management plan.”
Others are confident that Humboldt County is a good place to be right now.
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“We are extremely confident that the CSU system and Humboldt State specifically are prepared to respond in an emergency situation.”
— J. Michael Slinker, Ed.D., HSU senior communications and marketing officer
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A good sign is that the terrorist action didn’t keep people away who were planning on coming here, unless they were flying.
Tony Smithers, the marketing director of the local Convention and Visitors Bureau, said, “Our figures are actually up compared to the same time last year.”
One week after the attack, the California Outdoor Writers Association held its state meeting in Eureka as planned, with about 60 attendees who drove from as far away as Chula Vista, Calif., near San Diego.
“We promote Humboldt County as a reasonable driving destination, so we won’t change the way we market to visitors,” said Smithers.
Smithers said he was confident that the peaceful rural surroundings here will actually be more appealing, even though flying into the area has always been a concern because of fog and delays.
The airport has more than fog to be concerned about now. As with every other airport across the nation and beyond, security is the most pressing concern. The Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) mandated all airports to ban any parking within 300 feet of the terminal. This may not seem like a problem, but at a small airport such as the Arcata-Eureka Airport, this would eliminate almost all of the parking spaces. After extensive negotiations and pleas, airport manager Don Horton got the ban reduced to 150 feet. That still eliminates 60 long-term parking spots, as well as 80 spots for rental cars.
The penalty for curbside parking is a $50 fine and a $200 towing charge. At least one uniformed deputy is present at the airport at all times to screen passengers and luggage. Sheriff Dennis Lewis said that it is a strain on the department because between retirements and difficulty recruiting, the department is spread a little thin.
The Sheriff’s Citizens on Patrol (S.C.O.P.E.) unit is assiting. There are about 100 members in the county who volunteer five to 25 hours per week. They are the eyes, ears and voice (they have direct radio communications with dispatch at all times) of the county sheriff’s department. Before September 11 their job at the airport was to write tickets. Now they are a constant presence within the airport terminal.
“We are here to help. But we will not take any jobs away,” S.C.O.P.E. Sgt. Dave Christian said.
Another constant presence at the airport is Pinkerton Security Services of Eureka, which will cause a slight delay. The 24-hour security service will be searching all automobiles entering the airport. It usually takes a minute or two, depending on traffic and the size of the vehicle. The search begins with a long-handled mirror used to view the underbelly of the vehicle followed by an inspection of the trunk and interior, if necessary.
“Most people are understanding about it. But there have been a handful of people who complain. The neater the car is, the faster the inspection. If there is a lot of stuff then we have to look through it and that takes more time,” commented security officer Judy Oakley.
Businesses at the airport, such as National Car Rental, the Silver Lining restaurant and the airport gift shop, are feeling a financial hit and their owners hope they get a rent decrease, or some form of relief, to ease the burden. It is estimated that these businesses lost thousands of dollars during the three days the airport closed and have incurred additional loses due to fewer travelers.
Fewer flights add to the list of changes. United Airlines will no longer be flying from the Arcata-Eureka Airport to Portland, Ore. They also had to cut one flight to San Francisco. A spokeswoman for Sky West Airlines, which provides some of United’s commuter flights, said the cuts are a direct response to the terrorist attacks. Horizon Air also cut one of their flights from Arcata-Eureka to Portland that continued on to Seattle.
Travel agents are seeing a definite slowdown, but are encouraged that the special low airfares and regained consumer confidence will help boost their business. That is, as long as people stay healthy. As long as bioterrorism doesn’t strike.
There has never been a cause of anthrax in Humboldt County according to the records at the County Health Department. But then, anthrax wasn’t on the reported disease list until 1990. According to the state health department, there has never been a recorded case in California.
An increased number of people are calling the health department with questions pertaining to the increased number of cases of anthrax. Other biological agents such as plague, botulinum, brucellosis, cholera and smallpox have also been discussed. Beginning in mid-October, the department will log questions and calls that come in to its office so it can better monitor the community concerns.
“The most common questions are about anthrax and its symptoms. Also, people want to know how effective gas masks are,” said Jeff Arnold, manager of the county’s health and services department public health branch. “Gas masks aren’t practical and may not work. The main thing is for people to contact their physician or primary care giver if they have symptoms or if there are any suspicions of contact.”
Bioterrorism is a criminal offense, so the health department’s responsibility is to investigate any cases reported to them by physicians and to determine any links. The physicians must report any of the 88 diseases on the list of reportable diseases so that a thorough investigation can take place. The case is also placed in the hands of the appropriate law enforcement agency.
Law enforcement along the coastline and in the waters is under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Coast Guard, which closed off beach access near Samoa from Sept. 14 to Sept. 25 due to security concerns. The 87-foot-cutter Barracuda has been patrolling along the coast from the Oregon border to San Francisco Bay, but will return home to Eureka when a new boat arrives in San Francisco. It will then continue patroling south to Punta Gorda.
“We are at the highest stage of alert since World War II. Because of this and the situation at hand, we have a whole new laundry list of things to be on the look-out for,” said Barracuda Skipper Tom Johnson, “But I’m not at liberty to discuss them.”
The new cases of anthrax are making the word “suspicious” a common term in all agencies. It is especially familiar in mailroom circles. Postal workers will be watching for suspicious packages that may pass through their offices, especially if anyone looks or acts suspicious.
“We offer employees the option to wear gloves and dust masks if they want. Now more people are choosing to wear them,” said Eureka Post Master Buck Hoffman.
“We have always looked for suspicious packages in the past. Now we will look closer at anything that is wrapped funny, smells odd or appears to have powder in it. We do have employees trained in hazardous materials control. But, if something were beyond our expertise, we would notify the postal inspector and take if from there.”
Because of concerns, many locations across the country are purportedly selling out of gas masks, water purification kits and protective chemical body suits.
“There is definitely an increase in requests for gas masks and water purification kits since the attack,” said Lou Watt of the surplus store Picky Picky Picky in Eureka.
“We’re out of masks right now, even though I tell people that it won’t help in most cases. But they buy them anyway. I think people want anything that may possibly help in case something happens.”
Most experts are saying the same thing, including Dan Rather, whose assistant contracted cutaneous anthrax soon after opening Rather’s mail. “Fear is the enemy’s greatest weapon, so don’t respond in fear.”
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