Opinion Piece: Train Wrecks and Circuses- You Can’t Make This Up!

By Samuel Strait
October 19, 2025

Well, I’ve had a nice vacation from the fray, and it’s time to get back to work. As you have obviously noticed, my time at the Triplicate came to an end in September, and you will now find my scribbling in the new version of Eye on Del Norte. My thoughts and writings are my own and do not necessarily represent the views of EyeOnDelNorte.com. So, here we go:

As you can see by the title, a lot has happened since my last column on September 17th in the Triplicate. The “losers” at the last election were involved in performance theater along U.S. Highway 101 on Saturday. Something called “No Kings Protest” was an embarrassing display of vulgar language and signs to make themselves feel like the last ten months have been a mirage for such upstanding “adults.” Unfortunately, it wasn’t. Progressive America has taken a pretty fair thrashing thus far in 2025.

The Triplicate, recently purchased by Daniel Schmidt, has published four issues without any news—plenty of “free” advertising and diatribes by Schmidt, yet nothing making the Triplicate a worthy successor as a purveyor of local, newsworthy things in Del Norte County. Of course, just a suggestion—Schmidt could start off his adventures in reporting by describing his arrest for trespassing this past Tuesday, October 14th. Stay tuned here for his upcoming court appearance.

Much of the last couple of months, I have been following the deliberate attempt by two of the Crescent City Harbor District’s commissioners to walk the harbor into insolvency. Dan Schmidt—there’s that name again—and his partner in crime, Annie Nehmer, have dutifully obstructed efforts to turn the harbor into a solvent and financially stable asset for Del Norte County. Legal antics by Ms. Nehmer and members of the public have the Harbor racking up significant legal bills to defend itself against frivolous lawfare—money it can ill afford to spend.

Alongside the harbor’s woes comes yet another of the county’s favorite activities: “putting lipstick on a pig.” Seems the Border Coast Regional Airport Authority (BCRAA) has a weight problem. For the past decade, through four commercial carriers, the Authority suddenly has a “cash flow problem” and needs to borrow $4.8 million from the county to “fix” one runway, buy a fire engine, and repair the perimeter fencing. Looks like the last few years of eighteen-ton jets landing daily at CEC have drawn the attention of the FAA. Only one more runway—$8 million—two taxiways—$10 million—and a new fuel farm to go. Then add the crumbling six-year-old terminal and its legal costs to the mix and an airline making daily flights where few want to go—need I say train wreck anyone? But you say the Authority’s legal counsel, Bob Black, says the airport “is breaking even?”

As with any clown show or train wreck, is there a lesson here? Will anyone step up to right the mess Del Norte County has become? The Board of Supervisors? The City Council? Anybody?

The supervisors seem utterly lost when it comes to anything remotely beneficial for the county’s residents. Put it on the “Consent Calendar.” After all, we need a larger Department of Health and Human Services—it only services 66% of the county’s residents. Clearly not enough. $20 million for a “Mental Health Campus” where DHHS can begin using the “Consent Calendar” to accept contracts from other jurisdictions to house mental health patients in Del Norte County’s future asylum. Economic development, anyone?

The city—I am amused—no hope there. They think Beachfront Park will become Crescent City’s gateway to a destination resort. Is something missing? Oh yes, the destination resort. You just can’t make this stuff up fast enough. The pothole capital of Northern California is destined to become... The City Council’s fevered imagination is a destination resort? I think not.

So, how do you like this little taste of what’s to come? Now that once-a-week publishing is a thing of the past, check here often to see what’s happening in the county along with more penetrating thoughts from yours truly. There you have it, folks—enjoy!

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