#105. Becky Giacomini: Rodeos to Hospitals: How One Community Builder Powers the Eel River Valley

What makes a small town strong? For Becky Giacomini, it starts with ranch gates, school doors, and hospital halls—and a promise to show up. We dive into Becky’s journey from Southern California to the Eel River Valley, where she met her husband at a rodeo, grew potatoes into chips, raised a family, and spent 30 years in education before stepping into community leadership full time.

We talk about the cultural fabric of Fortuna, Ferndale, and Rio Dell—how dairy and cattle families fuel youth programs, FFA chapters, and the fair’s sale day. Becky breaks down why Humboldt’s ag roots matter to everyone, not just ranchers: they form a resilient network that keeps kids engaged, supports local businesses, and rallies neighbors when floods and fires hit. She shares a powerful mentorship lesson from the late Don Brown—enjoy the beauty here, bring the check not the casserole, and leave a legacy that lasts—and how that advice still guides her work.

Healthcare sits center stage as Becky explains Women for Wellness, a member-led giving circle that funds critical equipment and education for Redwood Memorial and St. Joseph. It’s philanthropy with results, turning pooled donations into bedside improvements that touch thousands. We round out the conversation with Humboldt favorites—Centerville Beach, Russ Park, Seagrill, Benbow—and a candid look at FOMO, JOMO, and the boundaries that keep volunteers energized.

If you care about rural community building, local healthcare, and the grit behind small-town resilience, this conversation will stick with you. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves Humboldt, and leave a review to help others find the show. Then tell us: where will you show up this week?

Transcript

Meet Becky And Humboldt Roots

SPEAKER_03 0:30

Welcome to the 100% Humboldt Podcast with your new best friend, Scott Hammond, and my new best friend, Becky Giacomini. Hi, J Hi Becky.

SPEAKER_00 0:37

Hi, Scott. Best friend. I like that.

SPEAKER_03 0:39

New best friend. Oh, sorry.

SPEAKER_00 0:41

New.

SPEAKER_03 0:41

We'll see. We'll see.

SPEAKER_00 0:42

Yeah, at the end. We'll see if we're new best or friends.

SPEAKER_03 0:46

So, Becky, tell us your story. Where'd you come from? What's your deal? Where are you going? And I know Southern California. You said Claremont, right?

SPEAKER_00 0:53

Yes. I grew up in Southern California in great little community. Claremont has six colleges. Great growing up. You know everybody, one high school, just a couple elementary schools. And that was my thing. And um, yeah, so that's where I my my dad worked for one of the worked for all six colleges. He was in the chancery office.

SPEAKER_01 1:14

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:15

He was a fundraiser. So I guess maybe that's kind of my thing as I go along.

SPEAKER_03 1:20

You are a fundraiser.

SPEAKER_00 1:21

I yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:22

Amongst other things.

SPEAKER_00 1:22

Amongst everything else. Yep. Yep. So um yeah. So then I went to the real Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Oh, come now. Yes, O come now. I can say that.

SPEAKER_03 1:33

Pomona was a is a Cal Poly.

SPEAKER_00 1:35

Yes, but mmm, you have to go away to go to college, you know.

SPEAKER_03 1:38

So that would not be away from Claire Mont.

SPEAKER_00 1:41

So is Clairebott sit up on the hill kind of like No, it's in the foothills of San Bernino.

unknown 1:45

Oh.

SPEAKER_03 1:46

Mount Baldi, that's over that way. Yeah. So farther farther than Glendora and Rancho Cucabunga?

SPEAKER_00 1:51

Yeah. In between those two. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. And there was, you know, now it's all freeways and yeah. It's all LA according to my husband. So yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:00

It is LA and it overlooks um the Ontario Airport. Yes. That whole part. Right, right. It was all AG, right? Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_00 2:07

It was all ag orange groves, lemon groves, all that. Now it's freeways and houses and more freeways. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_03 2:13

So Jody's sister, Dana, lives there in Glendora. Okay. We got to go to the is it Huntington Park?

SPEAKER_00 2:18

Oh, yes. Pasadena and all that area.

SPEAKER_03 2:21

Oh, San Marino.

SPEAKER_00 2:23

Yes, yes. You know, the Rose Parade, all that area.

SPEAKER_03 2:27

And the houses are just those little$10 million dumps.

SPEAKER_00 2:32

Well, they don't call them dumps, but they're tiny.

SPEAKER_03 2:35

Oh, the houses are beautiful. So we got uh turned around going going back from OHI and alternate route up to Altadena to see the devastation. It was just so hardcore to see the the the loss.

SPEAKER_00 2:50

Yeah. Yeah. Well, over the hill Palisades is where my family lived. We lost our family home. My cousin lost his. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:58

So what what got you to Humboldt?

Southern California To Cal Poly

SPEAKER_00 3:00

Well, I met this guy. He um was way out of college, way older than me, I like to say that. But I was uh I was rooming with his brother's girlfriend. So he came and he's a Cow Poly alum and he came down um to go to a rodeo. And we met at a rodeo. My very first rodeo in the Valley.

SPEAKER_03 3:22

In slow.

SPEAKER_00 3:23

Well, I we went over to Carruthers, which I don't know if you know where that is. Friends know Carruthers. I've heard of Carruthers. So that's where we met. But I was going to school and he had already moved back to Humboldt and was working here.

SPEAKER_03 3:38

So he was a Cal Poly alum, too?

SPEAKER_00 3:40

Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 3:40

His name is Walt.

SPEAKER_00 3:41

I think his name is Walt. Is it Walt?

SPEAKER_03 3:43

Is it the same? Oh, same guy.

SPEAKER_00 3:44

Yeah, same guy.

SPEAKER_03 3:46

Hey Walt.

SPEAKER_00 3:47

Hey Walt So, yes, that's where we met. And then I slowly made my way up to Humboldt, went to CR, and then I went to Humboldt State. Well that's what it was, Humboldt State. Just kept going to school after we got married.

SPEAKER_03 4:00

What did you study?

SPEAKER_00 4:01

I was studying um at Cal Poly, um food processing, egg. Okay. But didn't really know I was gonna m be marrying an egg cowboy. Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_03 4:11

And uh guys are still dating at that time? Yep. Courting, put whatever that Yeah, cording.

SPEAKER_00 4:17

That he says that. So that's elephant. Courting works, so Courting's got a good ring. Yeah. So humbled it was. And uh we jumped right into um egg um the egg community. We grew potatoes when we first got married. He was growing potatoes at the time for Granny Grew's potatoes. Sure. Yeah. We made potato chips.

SPEAKER_03 4:37

Remember the chips? Yep.

SPEAKER_00 4:38

That's what we did.

SPEAKER_03 4:39

SoCal Company, I think.

SPEAKER_00 4:41

Yes. And then um, yeah, we did that for a few years and then uh left um he was in partner with his dad doing potatoes. And so then we ended that and then we moved to Oregon for five years.

SPEAKER_03 4:53

Where'd you grow taters, Riadell?

SPEAKER_00 4:55

Um everywhere, all over Humboldt County. Lolita, Shively, Elk River.

SPEAKER_03 5:01

I think McKinleyville had tatters and carrots for a long time. Yes, they did. The millers grew carrots and other.

SPEAKER_00 5:09

Oh really? Yeah. Wow. Those were the days.

SPEAKER_03 5:11

Where'd you move to Oregon? As they say, Oregon.

SPEAKER_00 5:14

Oregon. We went to Pendleton, Oregon.

SPEAKER_03 5:16

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 5:17

And uh Walt went back to teaching because he did teach at Eureka High School, AG, before we got married. So then we moved to um Eastern Oregon, and he taught at Blue Mountain Community College, and we lived there for five years.

SPEAKER_03 5:30

And is that in Pendleton?

SPEAKER_00 5:31

Pendleton. Yeah. Great, great rodeo there, too. So and he was also rodeo cowboy then at the time.

SPEAKER_03 5:38

Wow, Walt.

SPEAKER_00 5:39

Yeah, I know.

SPEAKER_03 5:40

Man, the myth of legend.

SPEAKER_00 5:42

Something like that.

SPEAKER_03 5:43

How's Walt today? Is he doing okay?

SPEAKER_00 5:44

He's doing good, yes.

SPEAKER_03 5:45

Is he? He seems like a nice guy.

SPEAKER_00 5:48

Yeah, I've I've stayed with them, you know, all these years, so I guess so.

SPEAKER_03 5:52

You you and I married up.

SPEAKER_00 5:54

Oh, so oh so.

SPEAKER_03 5:56

Hi, Joni.

SPEAKER_00 5:57

Hi, Walt.

SPEAKER_03 5:59

So um I'll ask the the difficult questions right out of the gate. So who are you and what do you want?

SPEAKER_00 6:06

Who am I? What do I want? I mean what I want out of life for? Yeah. Yeah. Well, I've done lots of interesting things. Um mom, wife. Uh I worked for 30 years in the school district in Tortuna. Oh, that's right.

SPEAKER_03 6:21

Did you teach or no?

SPEAKER_00 6:23

I started in the library and then I moved, as they say, the dark side and I was in administration.

SPEAKER_03 6:29

Uh-oh.

SPEAKER_00 6:30

So yeah, it was all good. But um lots of changes in education, which I saw over 30 years. And but it was a great, great thing to do. Love the kids. I'm still volunteering in in the classrooms because I missed that part.

SPEAKER_02 6:43

Yeah.

Meeting Walt And Finding Humboldt

SPEAKER_00 6:43

Yeah. So retired and been busier than ever. Um along with that was juggling the ranch. And uh, you know, when you marry a cowboy, the wife works in town.

SPEAKER_03 6:55

Right.

SPEAKER_00 6:55

Mostly for the benefits.

SPEAKER_03 6:57

Right. Good call.

SPEAKER_00 6:59

Yeah, of course.

SPEAKER_03 7:00

So that's Fortuna Elementary District. Okay, gotcha. You know what was cool? I worked at St. Mary's for a year. Oh. I was a rec major at Humboldt. Okay. And worked at a uh a year, and I was half-time Dows Prairie Elementary and halftime at St. Mary's in, you know, different, very different gig. But it's so cool to see Dino Richmond and all the kids that were little kids who are now parents and grandparents even. And to go, oh, that generational thing is cool.

SPEAKER_00 7:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:28

No, no, I just out of high school. I could be twelve or thirteen too.

SPEAKER_00 7:41

Yeah, no, I love it when people come up, Mrs. Jacquemini, do you remember me? So cool. Yeah. Which most of the time I say, you gotta tell me who you are. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:50

That's fine.

SPEAKER_00 7:50

Yeah, no, it's fine. But now I'm seeing their kids.

SPEAKER_03 7:53

Yeah. Or the other line that Joni and I say is uh Hey, hey, you how are ya? Every once in a while I'll get a name. Yeah, I know. Yeah. I remember you. Bill. It's Bob. Bob.

SPEAKER_00 8:08

I don't even say a name anymore. I just say, oh, how are ya?

SPEAKER_03 8:12

I I just I don't know. Was it drugs or kids or age? Yes.

SPEAKER_00 8:16

All of the above.

SPEAKER_03 8:17

So uh you and well got married then and had and moved and then had kids back here.

SPEAKER_00 8:22

I have two daughters, yes. So yeah.

SPEAKER_03 8:24

Are you a grandma?

SPEAKER_00 8:25

I am a grandma times four.

SPEAKER_03 8:26

Wow. Are they all here?

SPEAKER_00 8:28

Uh no, unfortunately. Um oldest one is teaching school down out of um Oxnard area. Went to the real Cal Poly. That's where she met her fiance. Nice.

unknown 8:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:39

It's cool. Yeah. It's a great school. Yeah. Yeah. My oldest daughter and her husband went to Cow Poly, so it's kind of a family thing.

SPEAKER_02 8:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:47

Yeah. So our oldest daughter and her husband live in Fort Um Fortuna. And they are running a dairy in Ferndale. Oh, very cool. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 8:55

Joni has a sister in Slow that runs Pizza Republic. Oh. Interesting. We go down and it's it's a cool well, they live in Paso, but that's just a what a neat area that is.

SPEAKER_00 9:05

Aaron Ross Powell, that whole area has changed a lot since down there, but it's uh it's a great we call it the banana belt of California.

SPEAKER_03 9:12

That is nice down there. The banana belt of up here is what, Brookings?

SPEAKER_00 9:17

Maybe.

SPEAKER_03 9:18

Of Oregon. Oregon. Up in Oregon.

SPEAKER_00 9:21

So you guys came back and had kids and started ranching and we worked for the McBride family and ran cattle at um what is now the refuge, wildlife refuge. And we lived there for a number of years.

SPEAKER_03 9:34

Down in Hookton, down that way. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:36

Okay. Wow. Yeah. So we ran cattle on both sides of the freeway and and um and uh and then out at Bear River also.

SPEAKER_03 9:44

So you know what's his name?

SPEAKER_00 9:45

Oh, you know who's what's his name?

SPEAKER_03 9:47

The rancher.

SPEAKER_00 9:48

Many ranchers.

SPEAKER_03 9:49

He's he's down by Swiss Hall. It's Teresa's dad. Really? His name is he's Norwegian.

SPEAKER_00 9:55

Uh what Collins? Which one?

SPEAKER_03 9:58

Uh uh button.

SPEAKER_00 10:01

Yeah, okay. It'll come to you.

SPEAKER_03 10:02

Oh yeah. So he's uh right by Swiss Hall, lots of dairy cattle, amazing dude. Um I just had it and I lost it. So I'll think of it in a minute. But he's tough, tough old bird. Broke both of his heel bones bucking hay and kept bucking until the night came and he um dear. He crawled in and she took him to St. Joe's or wherever and got those talus bones prepared. Yeah. He's just the nicest guy. I'll come back with that name.

SPEAKER_00 10:33

I can't wait.

SPEAKER_03 10:33

Yeah. Stick around. I want to tell my Don Brown story though.

SPEAKER_00 10:37

Oh, please. So love Don Brown. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 10:40

Don Brown was a State Farm legend at Fortuna. I realized he he he really wasn't there that many years.

SPEAKER_00 10:46

No, he wasn't, but boy, did he make a mark. Yeah. Fortuna.

SPEAKER_03 10:49

I think he was involved with more things than maybe you were.

SPEAKER_00 10:51

Um yep. And he started a lot of things that are still going.

SPEAKER_03 10:54

That's cool.

SPEAKER_00 10:54

He had a great mark.

SPEAKER_03 10:55

Yeah. So I came in uh to State Farm. Oh, look, Scott Hammond State Farm. Like a good neighbor. I never really promote this till just now.

SPEAKER_00 11:04

Aaron Ross Powell Do you always have that on?

SPEAKER_03 11:06

I wear it to bed.

SPEAKER_00 11:08

Oh well. I'm glad you're so proud of it. Or proud of State Farm. Which we are State Farm members.

SPEAKER_03 11:17

I hope not. There was a guy in the speaking industry that had my name is Scott.

SPEAKER_00 11:21

Oh, really?

SPEAKER_03 11:21

One of those name tags tattooed. But I digress.

SPEAKER_00 11:25

Oh yes, you did. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 11:26

Keep going. Severely. So Don Brown was a uh a legend, as you know. So as a young Padawan learner at 53, came into this game pretty late. I uh showed up at his doorstep with my sport coat.

SPEAKER_00 11:40

Mm-hmm.

Potatoes, Ranching, And Oregon Detour

SPEAKER_03 11:40

And I'm ready to go with my satchel. And he goes, Hey Scott, you know, his Texas get go in my apartment and there's some shorts and some flops in there. We're gonna go kayaking. I go, Yes, sir. And I uh got the garb and dumped my satchel, and he had these two beautiful cherry wood kayaks that he had built, right? Oh yeah on a Subaru. Yep. And he goes, Come on, Scott. And we got in there and we went to Hookton where you ranched. And um it was the Zen uh training with the Padawan master after months and months of testing and all the left brain or right brain, whatever part of that brain was, and he goes, just enjoy the day. He goes, Scott, you know, enjoy this beautiful Humboldt County and make time for it because you're in the middle of everything. Number two, when you come to a uh uh uh end-of-life service, I want you to be the guy that brings the check, not the casserole. And I said, Yes, sir. And he goes, and then do something meaningful that still goes like uh, you know, a community-involved event like Humboldt Heroes that we talked about at Nick here. And um leave a legacy, man. And I go, dude, what a what a memorable afternoon. And I always wanted to repay and and reciprocate, and then he died. So I maybe I'll get to do it later.

SPEAKER_00 13:02

Yes, you will.

SPEAKER_03 13:03

And he was Don Brown, the Bible book salesman at Baylor. He'd go, hear that? He'd go door to door selling Bibles.

SPEAKER_02 13:11

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 13:11

And Baylor's full of rich kids, oil kids, and here's this Poe boy selling Bibles. And I go, but he's brilliant. He had the library, well read.

SPEAKER_00 13:21

Oh, yes.

SPEAKER_03 13:21

Anyway, enough. Let's go back to you.

SPEAKER_00 13:23

Well, let's I gotta tell you, Don Don was uh one of a million, and we went kayaking with him. He put together a trip down the eel. Oh and uh, you know, Walt and I ventured out in a canoe. I'm surprised we're still alive, but it was the best trip, and that was a Don.

SPEAKER_03 13:41

I love it.

SPEAKER_00 13:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 13:42

I love it. So let's t take us on a journey through the Eel River Valley. Just kind of your sense of the culture and the history and where we're at. And then I want to ask you about specifics about your involvement in the Foundation, Women for Wellness. There must be a million dairy and beef group. I mean, I I know a little bit about the hunts. They're part of that beef association. What's it called?

SPEAKER_00 14:04

Well, it depends on which hunts, but yes, cattlemen and cattle women.

SPEAKER_03 14:07

Right.

SPEAKER_00 14:08

Yes, we were very in you know involved. Both Walt and I were presidents of both of our organizations, and and uh the egg community is pretty tight and all over the county, obviously, but Ill River Valley.

SPEAKER_03 14:19

Let me set it up for us real quick. By the way, if you're just joining us, Scott Hammond 100% humble with my amazing new best friend, Becky Jaccomini, from the Ill River Valley, which I'm about to show people on my handy-dandy Scott Hammond Humboldt County map. Nick must put it up every week just for us. So if you look down there where the 101 is, the Earl River Valley's South Eureka, and go Google it or Chat GPT. And come visit. And come visit because it's kind of it's very cool. It's very cool. And Fortuna's the friendly city. So tell us about your neck of the woods.

SPEAKER_00 14:51

Okay. Well, I'm pretty involved with even when I was uh working, involved in the community of Fortuna. I don't live there. We lived in Lolita for 30 years and we moved to Riadel to find more sunshine. And um, but Fortuna's always home. So involved with the chamber, which does a lot of things in the community, um, really connected with um the hospital, Redwood Memorial, which we uh all call our hospital because it is and uh we need it in our community, and uh it's not just Fortune, it's obviously East and South and um My doctor's down there and we live in McKinleyville. Well, wow, there you go.

SPEAKER_03 15:31

So hey Dr. Hain. Oh, he's Dan Haine.

SPEAKER_00 15:34

He's great. And he decided to stay in Humboldt, part of our residency program.

SPEAKER_03 15:39

Really great guy, super understated and it's a long drive from McKinleyville, but hey.

SPEAKER_00 15:43

Hey, you get to hang out with that's right.

SPEAKER_03 15:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:46

Anyway, so that's kind of uh my passion is the hospital. I was on the community board for both hospitals for 10 years and on the foundation board on and off. And um, and we need to support our hospital, our docs, our and a lot of our people that work at the hospitals are our friends and neighbors.

SPEAKER_01 16:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:03

And so pretty passionate about that. So always having a fundraiser or two, you know, for the for whatever we're doing and uh not just the hospital but other other things.

SPEAKER_03 16:15

So you're a hospital. I like it. Yeah. That's I we had our first born Jacob was born at Railway Memorial with Anderson and Johansson.

SPEAKER_00 16:24

Oh yes. Oh yes.

SPEAKER_03 16:25

Was that Dr. Johansson at the last fundraiser?

SPEAKER_00 16:28

No, that was Dr. Anderson.

Education Career And Community Ties

SPEAKER_03 16:29

That was Anderson, sorry.

SPEAKER_00 16:30

Yep. Yep.

SPEAKER_03 16:31

Johansson, has he passed?

SPEAKER_00 16:32

Nope. But they moved over to, I think, like Marysville over in the Valley.

SPEAKER_03 16:37

Pretty funny guys.

SPEAKER_00 16:38

Both oh they were quite the Oh, they were the pair.

SPEAKER_03 16:40

They must have delivered a million babies in Homeland.

SPEAKER_00 16:43

Pretty darn close in Redwood, yeah. Yeah. Between yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:46

Oh, they were great guys.

SPEAKER_00 16:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:48

History. So if if I've never been to Ill River Valley, tell us about the community, the culture, the ranching, the people.

SPEAKER_00 16:55

Well, Ill River Valley. I think you know, obviously, the ranching slash dairy community is very strong. It's changed over the years. And um but they they support their own and they support the community. They're always doing something. Their kids are involved in things, they're growing um the kids' love of agriculture. The FFA programs are super strong in Fortuna, Purndale, well, all over the county. Oh yeah. So the sale goes wonderful every year the at during fair time in August. And um and the community just supports the kids because they're doing something worthwhile and learning about agriculture and hoping that, you know, maybe they'll stay, which has been tough. You know, a lot of the kids do leave, but um sometimes they come back.

SPEAKER_03 17:46

Sometimes they do.

SPEAKER_00 17:47

I know.

SPEAKER_03 17:48

Our kids come back and they smell the air. They go, Dad, there's no air like Humboldt County.

SPEAKER_00 17:52

Yeah, I know.

SPEAKER_03 17:53

It's just the freshest. They're actually proven correct because the most pure air as tested in America is um offshore of Trinidad.

SPEAKER_00 18:06

Really?

SPEAKER_03 18:07

That north breeze comes in from Alaska and it's uh in the view.

SPEAKER_00 18:11

How can you not?

SPEAKER_03 18:12

You might say it's pretty cool.

SPEAKER_00 18:15

It is pretty cool.

SPEAKER_03 18:16

We live in McKillyville on the bluffs. It's pretty cool.

SPEAKER_00 18:18

Yeah. Yeah, very cool. Well, like Ferndale.

SPEAKER_03 18:21

So the culture of Ill River Valley is different from a lot of and the same, but from other parts. You guys have the ag in place, you got the fairgrounds, sports is big, families real big. And um I like that. I like the fact that it seems I don't know, more I d I don't know about normal America. I guess as you juxtapose Arcada to that, I guess you could say it's much more traditional.

SPEAKER_00 18:48

Aaron Ross Powell True. You know, I say all our communities are different. We always say we're not like Eureka when you talk about Fortuna. Different culture, different, you know, people want to be in Fortuna for weather and just a smaller vibe. Aaron Ross Powell And then there's Ferndale. Then there's Ferndale.

SPEAKER_03 19:05

Odd cousin out w out west there a little bit.

SPEAKER_00 19:10

But you know, people flock to Ferndale too. You know, they have that vibe, that small town vibe that, you know, people look out for each other and schools are good.

SPEAKER_03 19:19

And it's always have a good time. Go to the steeple to concerts. And it's great. And and I I think they're glad when everybody goes home.

SPEAKER_00 19:29

Aaron Ross Powell, I think they are. They like their quietness, but they also like you to come visit. It's cool.

SPEAKER_03 19:33

Oh, it's beautiful.

SPEAKER_00 19:34

Yeah. Was just there just about 20 minutes ago.

SPEAKER_03 19:38

So really fun. And and then east of you, you got Grizzly Creek and the Van Duzen. See where it it runs over there, folks?

SPEAKER_00 19:45

There it is. There it is.

SPEAKER_03 19:46

The Van Duzen. I can hear it running from here. Yeah, really. I mean, out 36 to Ruth. I mean, it's like hmm.

SPEAKER_00 19:52

Yeah, when people come to visit, it's just like, where do you find the sun? Well, drive five minutes east and then, you know, we're talking. Okay. Yeah, you'll be fine.

SPEAKER_03 20:00

Or Loud of Hydesville, you'll get there. Yeah. So what do you like and dislike about the Humboldt and down your way?

SPEAKER_00 20:09

Aaron Powell You know, um I don't really. But I I had a hard time adjusting when I first moved up to Humboldt, but that was in the 70s. And so that's a different era.

SPEAKER_01 20:20

Right.

SPEAKER_00 20:20

And um I would never uh move back to Southern California or the Bay Area. I like the smaller small pace, uh less traffic. Um Um just the beauty and uh when people ask about it, it's just that you know you get used to and plus the weather has definitely changed from the 70s. Yes, so much better.

SPEAKER_03 20:40

So much better. Don't tell me.

SPEAKER_00 20:41

Shh, don't we didn't say that. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 20:43

It's raining like crazy. Uh never stopped. You should fly in and spend money, but don't stay. Yeah, please.

SPEAKER_00 20:49

Move on.

SPEAKER_03 20:50

Yeah. It's it's you know, our cunt our county is shrinking. It's actually that's actually pretty close.

SPEAKER_00 20:57

Yeah, that's true. That's true.

SPEAKER_03 20:59

Um, but we don't give up.

SPEAKER_00 21:01

We don't give up.

SPEAKER_03 21:02

Yeah, we might grow a percent.

unknown 21:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 21:04

Which is fine. I and I think that's shifting. I think a lot of people are coming from Soquel and the Bay Area and going, oh, I just sold for two million million, I could buy for a million and what? Retire? Yes. Live.

SPEAKER_00 21:17

Enjoy this. Yes. Yeah. We do get that.

SPEAKER_03 21:20

Aaron Ross Powell So uh what are you I I should ask what are you not involved in? I won't ask that. So what what are your what are your pet um involvements and committees and stuff? Uh you mentioned the Redwood Memorial, of course.

SPEAKER_00 21:32

Right.

SPEAKER_03 21:32

Trevor Burrus And Chambers has a great history in Fortuna. They do.

SPEAKER_00 21:36

Ever evolving and it's uh it's fun because you meet people and new businesses, new contacts. Monday club. We meet there.

SPEAKER_03 21:43

That's is does the chamber own the building or how the city owns that one. Okay. But they supply it to the chamber to Right.

SPEAKER_00 21:49

So we can do monthly um meetings, lunch meetings we used to do weekly, but it just it was difficult to keep that pace. But once a month is great. We have different speakers, different things that are going on. Monthly Monday. But we switched to Tuesday in the Monday Club. Got that? Okay, good. Yeah. I don't know why they switched to Tuesdays, but they did. So but the the board is real engaged and it's a younger board, which you know, we need uh the younger business people to be involved if they want to keep the community going. And so um always working on something.

SPEAKER_03 22:25

My friend David Reed. Hi, David. Hi, David.

SPEAKER_00 22:28

Yes, he was. Yes, he was.

Don Brown’s Mentorship And Legacy

SPEAKER_03 22:31

He and I both sold advertising at the same time. Uh I was at this little Remember newspapers? You could read them. Newspapers. Oh, really? Yes. Well I was a shopper, Tri-City Weekly, from the Lighthouse Ranch, and Gospel Outreach. I remember that. And the we were our own paper and against David at his daily time standard.

SPEAKER_00 22:51

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_03 22:52

Anyway, it allows you.

SPEAKER_00 22:53

Those were the days.

SPEAKER_03 22:54

Yeah. So yeah, you remember uh Gospel Outreach Lighthouse Ranch.

SPEAKER_00 22:58

Definitely.

SPEAKER_03 22:58

I know it's the BLM thing.

SPEAKER_00 23:00

Yep. That all changed. But yeah.

SPEAKER_03 23:02

So is the Lolida N Lolita resident. Were you there when the ranch was going in the nineties?

SPEAKER_00 23:11

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_03 23:11

Okay.

unknown 23:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 23:12

So you do about all those weirdos.

SPEAKER_00 23:15

Well, different, you know.

SPEAKER_03 23:17

You're so judicious.

SPEAKER_00 23:19

That's all right. That's what makes everything kind of swirl together.

SPEAKER_03 23:22

They were Jesus freaks. They were cult members, perhaps, but different.

SPEAKER_00 23:27

That was that life. Yeah. That was that life.

SPEAKER_03 23:29

Yeah, hardworking, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:31

Yeah. So we So you do advertising, okay.

SPEAKER_03 23:34

Yeah, 20 years with Ron Pellegi.

SPEAKER_00 23:37

I remember Ron.

SPEAKER_03 23:38

Also Italian. Hey Ronnie, what's up? So we want to get Ron on the show. He lives in Auburn now, but he would have a Humboldt 100% Humboldt story. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_00 23:47

He would.

SPEAKER_03 23:48

From Philly to the ranch to um you know the success story that was the Tri-City that sold at the time standard. But yeah, David and I knew or I'm bringing it back to David. David David. Coming back to Fortuna quick.

SPEAKER_00 24:00

Well, yes. I kind of followed around dev David from you know the F bid and then you know doing all the different things at the zoo for a bit and out yay for food for people. Yeah, he's doing really good there. Trevor Burrus, yeah. No, he is. It's a good spot for him.

SPEAKER_03 24:13

Yeah. He had he and Carly on the show. They were super guests. Hi, David. Hi, David.

SPEAKER_00 24:18

Hi, Carly.

SPEAKER_03 24:19

Carly and David. We're done saying hi to everyone here.

SPEAKER_00 24:22

Trevor Burrus, Jr. Well, we want them to feel included.

SPEAKER_03 24:25

So hey, uh lucky for you, we had the part of the show where I'm going to bring it forward where you could win a fabulous prize, not a copy of my book, not a quality body shop business card. See it kind of shameless. Did you catch the shameless plug? I would have set it right there so you could see it good.

SPEAKER_00 24:42

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_03 24:43

But we'll start you with the beautiful and rare Scott Hammond State Farm Emery Board. Wow. Keep those nails shiny and beautiful. But you don't get that yet. We're going to ring the bell and give you the quiz. Ready?

SPEAKER_00 24:59

Oh, quiz one.

SPEAKER_03 25:00

Are you ready? This is for all the the nickels here. So Nickels.

SPEAKER_00 25:04

I thought it was an emery board. Well, there's might be other things in the bed. I'm listening. Wait, okay. That one's empty. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 25:13

So you have a full day to do whatever you want to do in Humboldt County, nine to nine with with Walt. What do you where do you do? Where do you go? What's fun for you?

SPEAKER_00 25:21

For me and not for him, but you know, I love going to the beach.

SPEAKER_03 25:26

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 25:26

That's my SoCal thing.

SPEAKER_03 25:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:28

SoCal thing. What beach do you like? Well, Centerville, if you know the road's open and cable bluff, easy. Love that one. Yeah. Easy to get down to. I would spend some time at or I would be taking a hike, probably the mountain, somewhere close. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 25:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:49

Anything outside.

SPEAKER_03 25:50

Lots of hikes.

SPEAKER_00 25:51

Lots of hikes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 25:52

And a lot of hikes. You know that hiking group for Fortuna, they're a wild bunch.

SPEAKER_00 25:55

Tell me about it. I the one that started it, I could hardly keep up with her. She's 80 plus now. Right. She did uh they've done so many hikes. They just celebrated.

SPEAKER_02 26:04

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00 26:05

How many can't remember. But mini hikes. And uh so I don't usually catch theirs, but I do have my own hiking group that all ladies, yes. There's seven of us.

SPEAKER_03 26:15

And where do you guys hike?

SPEAKER_00 26:17

Oh, we've been to a lot of the national parks. Um through in Sweden, too. So we've yeah, you know, we're international.

SPEAKER_03 26:23

So do you guys have a day? We get around a lot. So you have a day where you uh a set day where you guys hike?

SPEAKER_00 26:29

No. Well, I mean, we take a big trip every year and we plan a year in advance, but when we get together, it's you know, sometimes we'll go up to Trinidad or Trinity or Humboldt State. Oh sorry, Cal Poly Humboldt above there.

SPEAKER_03 26:41

So funny you would correct that because it's an ongoing theme.

SPEAKER_00 26:45

I know it is. I should just stay with Humboldt State. That's what I know.

SPEAKER_03 26:48

Everybody knows Humboldt. Hey, we went to Humboldt. I I got a degree from Humboldt State. Was it Cal Poly?

SPEAKER_00 26:53

No, it was not.

SPEAKER_03 26:53

Yeah. And some would say it's still not a poly. From slow, you slow folks. Slow pokes.

SPEAKER_00 27:00

Yeah. That's bad. Oh, and then back to Ferndale, Russ Park. If you have not hiked Russ Park. Jody just hiked that. That is a that's a jewel. That's a fun one.

SPEAKER_03 27:09

And the name of the pond up top?

SPEAKER_00 27:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 27:12

Her name is Zip Zeppa uh yes.

SPEAKER_00 27:14

Seppora. Zapora. Uh Sapora. Russ. Yes, it goes way back.

SPEAKER_03 27:19

Sapora. No, Zipporah. There's an old might be a Bible name.

SPEAKER_00 27:22

Oh, I'm sure. Yeah. It's all part of that. Jody loves it.

Culture Of The Eel River Valley

SPEAKER_03 27:25

It's really whimsical. There's little they have like little troll things set up in a tree.

SPEAKER_00 27:31

Have you not done it, obviously? Done it once. Okay. Okay. Okay. And they're adding some new trails, so it's very nice. Yeah. And they have some trail stewards that really take care of it.

SPEAKER_03 27:40

Trevor Burrus, Jr.: What's the other park in Ferndale at the end, the um where the ball fields are?

SPEAKER_00 27:44

Oh, Fireman's Park. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 27:47

Met a guy there one day with Joni and my daughter, and he turned me onto his e-bike, he and his buddy, and he goes, Can I I go, can I try it? He goes, sure. And he ended up selling me that e same e-bike a month later.

SPEAKER_00 27:59

See, friendly Ferndale.

SPEAKER_03 28:00

Super cool. He's from Fortuna, though.

SPEAKER_00 28:02

But that's all right. He was impressed.

SPEAKER_03 28:06

Oh. With a Swiss name or Swedish.

unknown 28:09

Oh.

SPEAKER_00 28:09

Or somebody. Stephen Abis.

SPEAKER_03 28:11

Nope.

SPEAKER_00 28:13

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_03 28:15

What was your name again? I think he's having a moment. I have two more names I gotta get to you. One is The Rancher by Swiss Hall. Yeah, you do. Terrible, man. He's such a great guy.

SPEAKER_00 28:25

Are you related to him?

SPEAKER_03 28:27

Not that I know of. Oh, okay. But I am Norwegian.

SPEAKER_00 28:29

Ooh, okay. So is Walt. Walt's On the other side. Yeah. He's a Norwegian. His mom was Norwegian.

SPEAKER_03 28:34

My dad used to call them Scandihoovians.

SPEAKER_00 28:36

Ook. Don't get started on that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 28:38

Yeah, they're a whole other deal. All right. Hey, question number two. So you would hike. And those Fortuna hiker, that group? Crazy.

SPEAKER_00 28:46

They are. But they go all over. They do ranch land. We've done some a ranch hike out there.

SPEAKER_03 28:51

They get permissions on properties, right?

SPEAKER_00 28:53

I know they do.

SPEAKER_03 28:54

Yeah, Joni's been on a number. Yeah. And by the way, if they say eight o'clock, they do not wait for you. No, they already left.

SPEAKER_00 29:01

Yeah. It's like wait. They start 15, 20 minutes early on when they're parking. Yeah. I know.

SPEAKER_03 29:06

So Reese Hughes is part of I Reese.

SPEAKER_00 29:08

Do you know Reese? Oh, you know.

SPEAKER_03 29:10

You know everybody. You don't know the joke is you don't know everybody. You know every other buddy.

SPEAKER_00 29:14

Uh every other body.

SPEAKER_03 29:16

Which is still a lot. That is a lot. Hey, question number two. What's uh what's enriching to you and what is soul crushing?

SPEAKER_00 29:24

Hmm.

SPEAKER_02 29:25

That's interesting.

SPEAKER_03 29:25

What fills up your cup and what dumps it out quicker than anything?

SPEAKER_00 29:30

I kind of think um obviously soul what fills my cup is to be able to do some kind of a service to for others. You know, that's why I volunteer for a lot of different events or organizations. And um so uh you know, there's always something perkin that I'm working on. Now soul crushing.

SPEAKER_02 29:50

Hmm.

SPEAKER_00 29:51

Don't know. Energy-wise, I I don't like to think about that, I guess. Just keep moving.

SPEAKER_03 29:59

Denial. More than a river.

SPEAKER_00 30:01

Oh much. More than a river, yes. More than that river. Yeah. I like that.

SPEAKER_03 30:05

Okay, that's fair.

SPEAKER_00 30:06

Okay. Um getting close to the emerald win. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 30:09

You're making progress. Gosh, I I'm eyeing it. This is a good thing.

SPEAKER_00 30:14

Yeah, it is. With a cover.

SPEAKER_03 30:15

Question number three. You get to go out to dinner anywhere you want. I'm buying. Where are you going?

SPEAKER_00 30:21

Well, I'm I'm going to dinner in about a half hour. Do you want to go to Seagrail with me? You want to pay? I like Seagrail. So I don't go there very often.

SPEAKER_03 30:29

You haven't won the contest yet. Okay. So so seagrail would be a choice. That would be a good choice. Seagill's delicious.

SPEAKER_00 30:36

Yes, it is.

SPEAKER_03 30:37

They used to have the killer salad bar.

SPEAKER_00 30:39

Oh, I know.

SPEAKER_03 30:39

It was all fresh. I know. Don't start.

SPEAKER_00 30:42

I know.

SPEAKER_03 30:43

I know.

SPEAKER_00 30:43

And they also sold Harris Ranch beef, which we sold our cattle to. So maybe that's why I like Seagrill. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 30:51

I bet the beef was delicious. Was? Yeah. Let's go get beef at the Seagrill.

SPEAKER_00 30:56

Okay. We did.

SPEAKER_03 30:58

I guess you could surf it turn.

SPEAKER_00 30:59

Well, yes, you could, or just a salad bar and beef.

SPEAKER_03 31:03

Yeah. Gosh, I haven't eaten there in years.

SPEAKER_00 31:06

I haven't either.

SPEAKER_03 31:06

We used to have lunch there every Tuesday with the B and I networking group.

SPEAKER_00 31:10

Right, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 31:11

And that was, you know. And then do you take it for granted? It's like we used to eat at Ibruzzi all the time in Arcade. We had all this trade and we'd go, oh, we're gonna go to Abruzzi again.

SPEAKER_00 31:21

Again. I know.

SPEAKER_03 31:22

And now I'd give my right arm to go to Abritsi. It's amazing. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:27

I know. He was great. Yeah. Sweetheart. Oh. Along with Bill Chino. What a duo they were.

SPEAKER_03 31:33

Yeah. Oh, dynamic. Nobody nobody more fun. So uh Seagrill is your final answer.

SPEAKER_00 31:38

Trevor Burrus Well, it could be. Can I have three or four?

SPEAKER_03 31:40

Go.

SPEAKER_00 31:41

Oh, okay. Benbo.

SPEAKER_03 31:43

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00 31:43

Do a little trip and yep, fun.

SPEAKER_03 31:45

Benbo in. Let's show everybody where Benbo is. It's way down. Toward the bottom.

SPEAKER_00 31:50

Bottom.

SPEAKER_03 31:50

Yes. On 101.

SPEAKER_00 31:51

Yeah, way down there.

SPEAKER_03 31:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:53

Yeah. Beautiful dining room.

SPEAKER_03 31:55

And warm sometimes.

SPEAKER_00 31:56

Very warm. And you could sit outside in the warm on the patio.

SPEAKER_03 32:00

Very refreshing down there.

SPEAKER_00 32:01

Mm-hmm. It is. It is. And I will throw in Ferndale with Ivan Ho. Oh, okay. Maybe the old Ivan Ho um way back when because it was kind of the place.

SPEAKER_03 32:13

Were they famous for ravioli or something? Oh some Italian dish?

SPEAKER_00 32:17

Yeah. Well, they were great on lots of great beef. And they and they didn't know Was it Harris Ranch beef? No, I don't think so. But it was okay. But it was it was delicious. It was delicious. They did a great polenta, you know, really tiny stuff. Polenta, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 32:34

Wow.

unknown 32:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:36

You know, the old time. But it and and what makes it fun is because you always see somebody or five or ten people you know. Right. And it may be have been a while. Yeah. It's kind of a social. Was Parlato's party. Oh yes. Parlato for sure. Yeah. That was that was kind of the gathering spot for after the rodeo and after any event or after the auction yard after on Wednesdays. And there again, you knew everybody that when you walked in.

SPEAKER_03 33:01

So good job. You have done so fabulous.

SPEAKER_00 33:04

Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 33:04

Um I want to hear about some more uh committees and stuff, and I want to hear about the rodeo. But first, I as you know, I like to make a good presentation.

SPEAKER_00 33:11

Oh, okay. There it comes.

SPEAKER_03 33:13

Are you ready?

SPEAKER_00 33:13

Yeah, I'm so. I am waiting.

Why People Stay And Return

SPEAKER_03 33:15

You don't have one of these where you live, but you have one down the street. A Dutch Brothers card from our friends at Dutch Brothers. Oh, Eureka, Eureka, and Arcada. Yes. Is there three? I don't know. I think there is three. I know. Um congrats, you've done so well. Oh, and the Scott Hammond State Farm Emery Board. Look at how they fit together.

SPEAKER_00 33:33

Oh, they're so cute. How nice.

SPEAKER_03 33:35

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 33:36

Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_03 33:37

Thank you for participating in our uh weekly quiz here. 100% humble podcast with my new best friend, Becky Jack Amini, for just joining us. So I don't know why I'm whispering all of this.

SPEAKER_00 33:48

I don't know. It am I supposed to be whispering?

SPEAKER_03 33:51

No, you can talk regularly. Okay, good. I'll make it weird here. If you don't mind. I had a I had a job interview when I uh worked for Cox Cable and suddenly I gotta tell the show.

SPEAKER_00 34:02

How many jobs have you had? Okay.

SPEAKER_03 34:05

TriCity for twenty years and Cox Cable for Settling for 10. Oh, and this job. I've had three.

SPEAKER_00 34:11

Okay, you've had three.

SPEAKER_03 34:12

Not bad for a guy 87 years old. He's conducting the interview and I'm I'm like I'm I'm like you, I'm getting excited, I'm driving. You know, uh let me just tell you about me and I have this amazing history and let me Hey Brent and he goes, excuse me, Scott. He goes, I'll conduct the interview if you don't mind. And I said And I listened myself into a pretty good ten-year job.

SPEAKER_00 34:42

Well, there you go. You learned? Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_03 34:46

Sometimes, Scott.

SPEAKER_00 34:50

See, that's what you were supposed to do is be learning. That's right. That's right.

SPEAKER_03 34:55

So uh rodeo committee, you you've probably been part of the how many 110 rodeos?

SPEAKER_00 35:01

Yeah, did uh what year is it? I don't know. It's 104 this year. I think it's five or whatever. Yeah, yep. So I think we're up to that. But well competed not all those years, but it seemed like it.

SPEAKER_03 35:12

But you know, is he on the the the chair or the the committee?

SPEAKER_00 35:15

No, he's not on the committee. He was a participant, but you know, he you show up and you know. Yeah, whatever. But no, they have a very strong rodeo board. Oh yeah. And um they've been doing it for years and and uh and now obviously it's a week-long event, so it's not just the rodeo on Saturday and Sunday. Yeah, so now it's Friday night. Now they've added a concert and but they've rolled with the years and and as you should, and added some things, took some things away. But yeah.

SPEAKER_03 35:43

Do you see me smiling right now? Yeah, yeah. I I have the rancher's name at my Swiss hall.

SPEAKER_00 35:47

Oh, hurry, tell me before you forget it again.

SPEAKER_03 35:50

I won't forget Wait, what is it? Kurt. Kurt?

SPEAKER_00 35:53

Oh, Hogerson. Hogerson. Yes, yes. Yeah. Their kids are great. They're all yeah. In fact, some of their kids great at yeah.

SPEAKER_03 36:02

Hi, Teresa.

SPEAKER_00 36:03

Hi Oh, yes.

SPEAKER_03 36:04

Yeah, Teresa's our good friend. She lives up the street from us on Dallas Prairie.

SPEAKER_00 36:07

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 36:08

Which is in McKinleyville, which is in California.

SPEAKER_00 36:11

Is it still on that map or is it off that map?

SPEAKER_03 36:13

Thought you'd never ask.

SPEAKER_00 36:16

Where is it?

SPEAKER_03 36:17

It's to the north of Eureka and Arceta.

SPEAKER_00 36:19

Yes. But it's very nice, but it's a long ways from Rio Dell to say that a long ways for you.

SPEAKER_03 36:24

Well, I mean, if we're in LA, this is not a big drive. 55 minutes would be a commute. Oh, that would. But that yeah. No, it most of the time. Well, unless you're in lights in Eureka. Yeah. Let's get started on that.

SPEAKER_00 36:38

Let's not because you might want not want to hear what I have to say.

unknown 36:42

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 36:43

Fair enough.

SPEAKER_00 36:44

Fair enough. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 36:45

So uh are you are you in the farm bureau?

SPEAKER_00 36:48

Well, we're members, yes. Yes. So we participate. I I'm still very involved with cattle women, who is kind of an arm of Farm Bureau, which we do things, yes.

SPEAKER_03 36:57

You guys are big.

SPEAKER_00 36:58

Yeah, you know. Cattle women. Well, my husband was president of cattlemen way back when.

SPEAKER_03 37:02

Same with Larry Ford and all the guys from the All the Guys, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:05

Cattlemen is all, you know, uh humble, but you know, you just all the ranchers kind of take their turn to be president and get the younger ones involved.

SPEAKER_03 37:15

Were you Rotarian too?

SPEAKER_00 37:16

My husband is, so now I'm kind of part of that. But I was Kowantis for many years. Cool. President Fortuna. And so yes. Kawanis is great. Yeah, it's a great organization. There is one in Fortuna, but no, I just support them. But yeah. So Humboldt Sponsors is a huge one that I'm very involved with.

SPEAKER_03 37:36

Tell us about sponsors. What do they do?

Chambers, Service Clubs, And Sponsors

SPEAKER_00 37:38

Sponsors is a group of uh probably about 40 active members and um total about 400 with associate members. Wow. We raise money and give out grants to um everything kid-wise. Right. Camperships, playground equipment, all all sorts of things. And so the grant period is right now. So last year we gave out 102,000, and we have ov uh went over three million for all the years we've been doing it. So just a small group of ladies.

SPEAKER_03 38:08

Aaron Powell And then there's the big is it the McLean? McLean? McLean. And they're in Fortuna.

SPEAKER_00 38:15

They are in Fortuna.

SPEAKER_03 38:15

Is that a ranching family or they just giant foundation?

SPEAKER_00 38:19

They um Mr. McLean, Grace and Mel owned uh Ill River um logging. Okay. Yeah. So they had that, and that's yeah. No children, so they wanted to give back to the community and start a foundation.

SPEAKER_03 38:31

Aaron Ross Powell Wow. Did you know the PL folks too?

SPEAKER_00 38:34

Um yeah.

SPEAKER_03 38:34

What's their last name?

SPEAKER_00 38:36

Well, we had the Murphys.

SPEAKER_03 38:37

Murphy's.

SPEAKER_00 38:38

Yes, and the Campbells and Murphy's. Yeah. Yeah. So they were all legend. Legend. Yeah. The whole Palco thing was a legend. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 38:48

Sustainable lumber town, could you imagine?

SPEAKER_00 38:50

I can't imagine. But hearing the stories is kind of cool.

SPEAKER_03 38:53

Yeah. It's sad to see that kind of the the way things go, but that's kind of history.

SPEAKER_00 38:59

Welcome to America. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 39:02

You can play by the rules. It's still anyway. Another story.

SPEAKER_00 39:05

Another story.

SPEAKER_03 39:05

Another story for another day.

SPEAKER_00 39:07

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 39:07

You know what I don't like?

SPEAKER_00 39:09

Do tell. I can tell you're going to tell me.

SPEAKER_03 39:13

I have a like I must be getting old because I have a list of things I don't like. Oh but one thing I don't like is people that show up at meetings and get heard and then won't sit down after they got heard. And then get voted down and then are still not heard and still want to be heard. So you've been heard. Take a seat. It's good.

SPEAKER_02 39:31

Yeah, thank you for your comments.

SPEAKER_03 39:33

The d democracy continues and everybody had a voice and the board voted and um You won. Because you got to talk and participate. We supported you.

SPEAKER_00 39:45

Yes, we did. I don't know. Something must be mmm buzzing.

SPEAKER_03 39:51

Yeah. You know, I think there's some things that bug us once in a while, and it's okay to vent them and and maybe maybe we should do this at home with Joni.

unknown 39:58

Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_00 39:58

You're at least you're sitting down and not standing up.

SPEAKER_03 40:00

Well, let me tell you one more I got. Cremudgeon.

SPEAKER_00 40:03

That's all right.

SPEAKER_03 40:04

It's nice to have thoughts. Tell us more about women and wellness. I don't know if it's I perceive it might be a little bit super special for you, but I know you're very involved. Joni's involved in what do the women in wellness do as part of St. Joseph Providence?

SPEAKER_00 40:21

Trevor Burrus So what it started uh three or four years ago, just in um starting it with just kind of a thought. Somebody um heard that they had done something like This is at the Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital and started it and we came up with our name, Women for Wellness. And it's a group of ladies. Gentlemen can join too. So you join. There's guys, there's dudes. Yeah, I think we have a couple.

SPEAKER_03 40:46

I've come to a couple functions, but I didn't join.

SPEAKER_00 40:49

Well, you could join. We'll take your money.

SPEAKER_03 40:50

Do I get the Hollyash earrings?

SPEAKER_00 40:52

No, no earrings. We'll put one in your nose. But oh, that's very nice. Thinking about it. Oh god. It's humble, man. Yeah, I know. It's a wonderful thought that we're everyone donates$1,000 for the year. That money is pooled. And then the the members get to decide how that money is spent. And it is for the hospitals, both St. Joe's and Redwood. And um so we find projects or capital items that are needed in each different uh department. And um we fund those things. So a lot most of the times it's um equipment, sometimes it's education. Um and then we have through the year, we have um socials with um education wrapped into it for learning about health for women. And what's what what's happening in our community that you know women need to know about, or what kind of questions do you have on health issues? Aaron Ross Powell, Jr. I think it's a super cool network. Oh, it is. It is, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 41:53

Is Aaron still involved? Uh-huh. Yeah. Hi, Aaron.

SPEAKER_00 41:56

Hi, Erin.

SPEAKER_03 41:57

She's super duper.

SPEAKER_00 41:58

Yeah. No, she's taking it and run with it, so it's great.

SPEAKER_03 42:00

Aaron Ross Powell You guys just throw really nice get-togethers. It's not the usual let's go to Blue Lake or some tent and have an auction. Hey, Rex, love you. But I've done that. How many Rex auctions have you been through personally? Many.

SPEAKER_00 42:17

Many, many. As my husband says, Have we done this this week? I mean, there's there's many. But as there again, the community comes together and it just always amazes me. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_03 42:27

I like yours because you guys have had a creative angle at the fundraiser. I'm sure you've done the Rex auction and the four the silog and all the dinner and the tri-tip. It's great. We all want to help and support. But you guys, you know, you did the one out at the uh botanical gardens. Trevor Burrus, Jr. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 42:45

That was very fun with with education wrapped around a beautiful area and a little social.

SPEAKER_03 42:51

Go talk to people and meet. Yep. Rub elbows. Yep. Yep. So I want to get to the core of who you are, real quick, if I may. Yes. With your permission. So I get the fact that you you serve and you support. What drives that? What do you think of the top three things that give you the love and the time and the resource and the grace to go out and and pour out your life for people?

Rodeo Week And Ranch Life

SPEAKER_00 43:16

Well, I think about it a lot because people comment on the many things that I do, which, you know, I I love all the things I do. If I didn't, I, you know, would step back. But I think it's just a kind of a great feeling to be able to serve and and enjoy. I'm I'm very social. I love being around people. I like all the different aspects of any group I'm with. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_03 43:37

So it's energizing.

SPEAKER_00 43:39

It is energizing. Yeah. And um, you know, it's kind of you just never know who you're gonna meet, what kind of a um atmosphere it's gonna be. And yeah, I always look for that. I don't want to turn down things because you know, you might miss something, might miss meeting somebody that you know.

SPEAKER_03 43:56

FOMO, fear of missing.

SPEAKER_00 43:57

Oh, yeah. My kids say that all the time.

SPEAKER_03 43:59

Yeah. You didn't go to that thing. It was amazing. Yeah. The one concert we didn't go to, Bruce Coburn downtown. It was amazing. They said he Jenny Scheiman played it. It was awesome. It was the whole thing. And it's like, ah crap, FOMO.

SPEAKER_00 44:12

Yeah, I know. My kids like to say Jomo, joy of missing out.

SPEAKER_03 44:18

They're not like me. So they're reclusive.

SPEAKER_00 44:20

Not too bad, but they're they look at me as well.

SPEAKER_03 44:23

The joy of missing out.

SPEAKER_00 44:24

Yeah, I know. That's a new one, right?

SPEAKER_03 44:25

Whoa. I think Joni's going to use that one on me.

SPEAKER_00 44:28

I have stepped back a bit, but you know, you never know. It's fun.

SPEAKER_03 44:32

So Jody and I step back. Uh we call it Quiet Night In. Oh.

SPEAKER_02 44:35

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_03 44:36

It involves cozies, which is sweats and just sloppy hoodies. It involves delicious salad and uh kicking back in the living room and Cedar Citizen TV programming. Aaron Ross Powell Whoa, senior And it's quiet in our house and it's kind of like oh we're not doing it's what did you call Jomo? Joy of missing out. That's a new one. I've got a can I coin that one? Oh, you so can. I like that. That's a good one. So um you love connecting with people. You're a connector.

SPEAKER_00 45:11

Mm-hmm. I missed it, you know. I at work, you know, you're around a lot of people and and it's constant. It's go, go, go, and it's every day's different. I I guess I missed that with retiring, but um I still was active then. But I, you know, just kind of switched gears as you know, took on a couple other things, let some things go. I love it. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 45:33

So do you, man.

SPEAKER_00 45:34

Yeah, it's all good.

SPEAKER_03 45:34

Aaron Powell, what else drives that? Anything else? I think it must be um This is like our therapy session.

SPEAKER_00 45:40

I know it is. I've been thinking, you know, I was I was at home today, I saw a picture of my dad uh uh on a picture frame and and he was like me, you know, loved the social. He was uh in he was the mayor of our town and and he was a fundraiser, and I'm thinking, hmm.

SPEAKER_03 45:57

What was his name?

SPEAKER_00 45:58

Ken. Ken Byer.

SPEAKER_03 45:59

Everybody knew Ken.

SPEAKER_00 46:00

Everybody knew Ken. Ken from Claremont. Yes, Ken from Claremont. Yes. That's cool. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 46:04

So this is like sixties?

SPEAKER_00 46:06

Yeah, it was. Yeah. Growing up.

SPEAKER_03 46:08

So it was a small enough community you could be. Yeah. It wasn't LA like we know it today.

SPEAKER_00 46:13

Definitely not. Great community in a couple of years.

SPEAKER_03 46:15

Couldn't do that quite today, probably.

unknown 46:16

Probably not.

SPEAKER_00 46:17

No, don't think so.

SPEAKER_03 46:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 46:18

Which is okay. Those were good years. Yeah. Kind of interesting years.

SPEAKER_03 46:21

And I've learned to respect that that I'm outgoing. I want to go to the bougie club and hang out and say hi and high five because FOMO.

SPEAKER_02 46:29

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 46:30

And Joni's very content going, you know what? If just the four of us having dinner somewhere at somebody's house or not. Uh it's all good. Aaron Powell That's Balt too. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 46:40

Small groups. Yeah. Small groups.

SPEAKER_03 46:42

It's good. I I'm I'm learning to respect that. The the the weirdos are I respect them.

SPEAKER_00 46:49

Aaron Ross Powell Me too. I've learned after all these years. Yeah, it's they think we're the weirdos. I know. That's all right. Yeah. He's he's stuck with me all these years and he'd just kind of go, you you go. It's fine.

SPEAKER_03 47:00

That's fine. We call that divide and conquer. Aaron Ross Powell Ah, true, true. Yeah. And we had to do that a lot with nine kids. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 47:07

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 47:07

Do a lot of dividing, a lot of conquering separately.

SPEAKER_00 47:10

Trevor Burrus Maybe juggle. You figured that out.

SPEAKER_03 47:12

I don't I don't want to do that anymore. I don't have to do that.

SPEAKER_00 47:15

You don't have to do that, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 47:16

So that's the beauty of retirement. Very true. I call it next season. My business coach is, hey, we're going in next season.

SPEAKER_00 47:22

Next season, huh?

SPEAKER_03 47:23

Retirement, not really not retirement is like, are you going to golf now five days a week, Scott? I hell no. Are you going over the hill in pasture with the other people? No.

SPEAKER_00 47:39

You pick and choose.

SPEAKER_03 47:40

Yeah. Yeah. And so yeah. And I think there's you you do pick and choose, and that's legit. So uh last question of the day. Oh, here it comes. And your legacy. What are we going to say at your uh your celebration of life, Becky Jacobinian? What little quote is on your tombstone, maybe that would resonate with you.

SPEAKER_00 48:03

I showed up.

SPEAKER_03 48:04

Ooh.

SPEAKER_00 48:06

Um I think and I've heard that from other and I just think it's important. If if you take something on, you show up and you, you know, do what you can and enjoy it and um know that uh you do the best you can and but uh show up. It shows you know you're connected.

SPEAKER_03 48:23

I love it. Showing up, man. Um Joni's dad lived in Torrance in LA.

SPEAKER_02 48:29

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_03 48:30

My dad lived in Oceanside and then in Seattle later. But both of those guys showed up. And they and there is something to the showing up of the act of showing up.

SPEAKER_00 48:41

Mm-hmm. Exactly.

SPEAKER_03 48:42

I mean, you gotta talk.

SPEAKER_00 48:43

Yeah, you yeah, you gotta be there. But yeah.

SPEAKER_03 48:46

I want to shake a hand, high-five somebody, and uh be pleasant. But I think that support of just uh Jody's dad put it well, he goes, you know, I I show up for these events, these occasions my dad called them nice occasions.

SPEAKER_00 49:00

Nice occasions. Oh, that's a good one.

SPEAKER_03 49:02

Homeschool graduation, Roanert Park. And it's Roaner Park. Roanert is a town, which is south of there. Yes, way south. But Roanert Park sits in Fortuna, which is right there. Yes. And so he would come to these gr little homeschool graduations that they would do. Yeah. And um both of them, and they would just take joy in being part of that piece. And and it's funny how um we remember those that come and show up and support and are legitimately and genuinely there to be there and to love and support and kindness and um I expect some grace and some faith are behind what you do too. That's probably that kind of that love thing.

SPEAKER_02 49:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 49:47

Yeah, I love that.

SPEAKER_02 49:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 49:49

Good on you.

SPEAKER_02 49:50

Well, thanks.

SPEAKER_03 49:51

So uh w what what are we gonna say at so you you showed up on the Tombstone. What else do we want us to what what else can you prompt us to what to say at your funeral?

SPEAKER_00 50:00

Is it coming soon? No, hopefully not. Hopefully not. Oh gosh, I don't know. Um Yeah, she loved well. Good. Showed up and loved well. I love it.

SPEAKER_03 50:11

Yeah, I think showing up is really big. Showing up's key. Um anything you want to add?

SPEAKER_00 50:16

No, but this was very fun. And uh, you know, Humboldt's a great place to raise kids and and live, and there's always something, and it's uh yeah, it's good. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 50:27

And for all the downside, the the upside are the people.

SPEAKER_00 50:30

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 50:31

Like you and I.

SPEAKER_00 50:31

Yeah.

unknown 50:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 50:32

Yay.

SPEAKER_03 50:33

And um and Nick. Hey Nick, what's up?

SPEAKER_00 50:36

Is he still there? Oh, I hear.

SPEAKER_03 50:38

I hear oh there he is.

SPEAKER_00 50:39

Oh, there he is.

SPEAKER_03 50:40

And then um And then the natural beauty.

SPEAKER_00 50:43

Yeah, oh exactly. I mean, it's what a place.

SPEAKER_03 50:45

Somebody said the original God's country. Not God's country. OG OG Really the OG. That's another one. I've got JoMo, now we've got OG. OG God's country. I I love that.

SPEAKER_00 50:58

It's a great one. Yeah. Wasn't quite sure when I moved up here 55 years ago, but you know.

SPEAKER_03 51:03

You're starting to s settle in a little bit.

SPEAKER_00 51:05

I think so, finally. Yeah. It took a long time. It's acquired too. Just a minute.

SPEAKER_03 51:09

I think we discovered it during COVID. We just go to uh uh Scenic Drive by Camel Rock in Tr Tr Trinidad and pull the van up, bring out the Dick Taylor chocolate, perhaps uh some adult beverage. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 51:23

And just I was so glad I lived here during those years. Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_03 51:27

And we were the sun would set and it it would refract off the the ocean and be about 70 degrees.

unknown 51:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 51:33

This is crazy. And then it would go down and would and then it would snow.

SPEAKER_00 51:38

That's humble. Wait five minutes. Have your layers. Many layers.

SPEAKER_03 51:43

What a pleasure having you.

SPEAKER_00 51:44

Well, thank you. Thanks for asking. This was fun. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 51:47

And I'm gonna sign off with saying this is uh your your new best friend, Scott Hammond. Or maybe not. Maybe I'm your old best friend. Maybe I'm just the host of the 100% humble podcast. In which case, you can support us by uh you can donate uh time, you can donate, I don't know how you donate time. You can donate money and stuff, because we can actually do that on our website, uh hundredhumbold.com. We're on all the podcast platforms, which there are many in the universe. Uh, we are on YouTube for you YouTubers. And we're on Access Humboldt TV, and they're amazing. Yes, they are. Don't forget to support them as well. And uh see you next week with another amazing mover shaker difference maker on a hundred percent Humboldt podcast with your host, Scott Hammond, and my new best friend. Well, she won't be there next week. Becky Jacobe. Say goodbye, Becky.

SPEAKER_00 52:41

Bye, thank you.

SPEAKER_03 52:42

Bye, thank you.