Issuu

SERVING DEL NORTE COUNTY SINCE 1879 Crescent City, CA

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2025

www.triplicate.com

Myth of Brother Jonathan Spreading Small Pox Exposed A not-so-new myth is being promulgated on the Brother Jonathan’s reputation. The sidewheel steamer is being accused of being the vessel that transmitted the lethal smallpox virus, in mid-March, 1862, killing thousands of Indigenous people along the Pacific Northwest. This is myth that cannot be accepted, supported or proven. The question begs for answers: Who’s spewing this nonsense and, more importantly, Why? The Brother Jonathan met its demise July 30, 1865 when it struck the uncharted Dragon Rock 160 years ago. During a terrifying gale off the coast of Del Norte County, 244 souls went down with the ship…19 survived the ordeal. The tragedy spurred the challenging construction of the St. George Reef Lighthouse atop Dragon Rock, tediously built over a near decade, 1883-92, along with maritime laws and outrage. Dr. John Lutz, University of Victoria and Dr. Robert Boyd, Portland State University unilaterally made changes in the usually-reliable Wikipedia and

are the duo who’ve besmirched the Brother Jonathan’s reputation and so-called role in spreading the dreaded smallpox virus. Absolutely UNTRUE! Renowned marine author Dennis Powers is poised to set the record straight. Here are a few of the straight arrow facts clarifying the truth: • The Brother Jonathan is NOT responsible for transmitting the Smallpox virus/epidemic which killed some 30,000 indigenous people in British Columbia. The Brother Jonathan was a side-wheel steamer, incorrectly identiﬁed in Wikipedia. • The name Brother Jonathan was not, as reported, a character

personifying the region of New England, but the predecessor of Uncle Sam. • Another myth spread when at first crossing the Nicaraguan isthmus, the passengers did not just “make it to California via another ship,” passengers took one of three Cornelius Vanderbilt-owned steamers to San Francisco situated on the Pacific side of Nicaragua .” Please remember the Panama Canal had not been built until 1905-14. Yet another misguided nontruth, stated the Brother Jonathan “played a small but symbolic role in the history of Oregon” is not accurate. The news to the Pacific Please see EXPOSED Page 4

Courtesy photo, file

Dr. Dennis Powers speaking before the Crescent City Council, last year

Cal Trans Hosts Coffee Forum on Last Chance Grade permanent detour around LCG. The public selected Alternative F, an approximately 6,000 ft.tunnel as the prefered option, selected in June 24. The Tunnel option is targeted for 2039 completion at a cost exceeding $2Billion. To date, there’s no clear pathway to fund Last Chance Grade. Efforts to keep the existing alignment at Last Chance continue. After a steady ﬂow of folks coming in and out of SeaFront Bakery last week, The Triplicate stuck around and asked a powerful question: “Do any of you remember the tragedy at Caldecott Tunnel in the East Bay? The trio of DOT staff and few others expressed blank crickets looks on their faces. The Triplicate recoiled the East Bay tragedy near Midnight, April 7, 1982 in which a vehicle driving under the inﬂuence lost control then struck the tunnel wall and then was struck by a

BY ROGER GITLIN Country Media, Inc

One would think most if not all major questions about the Last Chance Grade Tunnel Project would have been addressed to the public. Not so quickly. Cal Trans Corridor Manager Jamie Matteoli, Project Director Lianna Winkler-Prinz and Public Information Ofﬁcer Myles Cochrane for Humboldt and Del Norte Counties hosted a Coffee Forum at SeaFront Bakery, last Friday morning from 10AM-12 Noon. The Last Chance Grade (LCG) proposes to construct an approximately 1.1 mile Tunnel bypass to the east of the existing of the long-troubled existing road alignment highway for decades. The current highway is unstable and has long be plagued by landslides and seismic activity. U.S. 101 Highway is the only major northsouth route on the North Coast. $125 million has been spent on a band aid approach to ﬁxing LCG. Several options to build a

Courtesy photo

(L-R) Tunnel project leadership team, Lianna Winkler-Prins, Myles Cochran and Jamie Matteoli

Please see CAL TRANS Page 2

Hooper DUI Hit and Run Remains in Felony Status

Courtesy photo, file photo

Courtesy photo, provided by victim Megan Postma

Assistant Del Norte County CAO Randy Hooper 19th late evening event at the Elk Valley Casino where Hooper was questioned about paying his liquor tab. Hooper did in fact pay his bill but casino staff sensed he may have had too much to drink. Staff began to escort Hooper from the Casino, and offered him a taxi to drive him home to Gasquet. Hooper blew a .189 blood / alcohol reading. It was also learned Hooper was reported drinking at Port’O Pints at the Harbor, earlier in the afternoon. Hooper declined the taxi and headed to his vehicle, a white Toyota truck, casino staff in pursuit. According the CHP Report, and with Sheriff’s deputies en route, Hooper sped down the road exceeding the 21mph speed limit toward the round-about, and west on Sand Mine Road to 101 north. The collision occurred when Hooper’s

BY ROGER GITLIN Country Media, Inc.

After an emotional Preliminary Hearing, the DUI Hit and Run charges against Del Norte Assistant Chief Administrative Ofﬁcer Randy Hooper will proceed as a felony case. Hooper was represented by Defense counsel George Mavris. Keith Morris in a special assignment, represented the Attorney-General after the Del Norte District Attorney Katie Micks recused herself due to a conﬂict of interest. Superior Court Judge Karen Olson Dept. oversees the case. Three witnesses delivered testimony during the Preliminary Hearing; the District Attorney Investigator, the CHP and the victim of the Hit and run, Megan Postma. The details of the April

INDEX

Phone Number: (707) 460-8655

Opinion

truck struck the stationary Postma vehicle. Postma counted to 15 one thousand when Hooper began to move. She followed. The CHP considered the accident a hit and run. Unknown to all parties, apparently the Hooper vehicle was disabled with a broken front axle. Questions arose regarding new injuries sustained by Ms. Postma in the April 19th incident. Buoyed by positive character letters from Sheriff Garrett Scott, former Sheriff Dean Wilson (now Supervisor Wilson) and in an effort to mitigate the charges, attorney Mavris attempted to have all felony charges reduced to misdemeanors by a process call paragraph 17b. Judge Olson pondered the Hooper request and decided to decline the request to reduce the charges. The case resumes September 9 at 8:30 in Dept. 1.

WE GOOFED! Several Topics Reported in the Paper Did NOT Take Place BY ROGER GITLIN Country Media, Inc.

In The July 30th edition of the Triplicate, we goofed. No excuses, our wires crisscrossed and The Triplicate published a front page piece about the July 7th meeting of the City Council of Crescent City with the headline, “Crescent City Council Renews Two Local Marijuana Dispensary Operations”. The following actions mentioned in the article never took place: • Discussion before Councilors at City Chambers July 7 on proposed amendments for the Local Coastal Plan . Did not take place. • Discussion on awarding the annual street paving and ADA improvements did not occur. • A report addressing renewal of two annual cannabis

operations did not take place. • Beachfront Phase 2 is near completion and public review sessions are planned; this discussion did not occur. • Grant writing efforts for harbor and affordable housing did not occur. • Discussion on the City Summer recreation program did not happen. • The public comments quoted in the article did not happen. The Triplicate regrets this miscommunication, a rare event indeed. When these matters do appear before the City Council, each will be discussed accurately and in a timely matter. Thank you for excusing our goof. Roger Gitlin, Editor The Triplicate Country Media, Inc.

• Address: 519 Chetco Avenue, Unit 7, Brookings, OR 97415 • Email: Circulation@CountryMedia.net

Community Calendar Classifieds Crossword Answers

Crossword Puzzle