Del Norte Democrats

08/25/2026

Please join us! More info & sign up at https://mobilize.us/s/bxVZR7

08/24/2026

Now help me remember, who are the deficit hawks???

08/21/2026

In My View by Kevin Hendrick
41st DAA Needs New Directors to Make a Quorum
Published Del Norte Triplicate 8/20/26

Last week I commented on the 41st District Agricultural Association (41st DAA) failure to meet at regular and predictable times. This week I will provide a partial explanation for why this is occurring. It is not enough to complain about a problem; it is also important to try to solve it.

I understand from a conversation with Kim Floyd, CEO of the 41st DAA, that the Board of Directors has three vacancies. They are allowed a total of nine Directors but only have six. They are required to have a quorum of five Directors to do business, which is challenging with only six Directors available.

I have helped get new members appointed but historically it has been difficult to fill all the Director positions on the Board. The Governor makes the appointments for the 41st DAA along with many other Boards and Commissions. Sometimes you must be a squeaky wheel to get his attention.

The Governor’s website still lists three Directors that are no longer on the Board. I sent an email to the Governor’s Appointment Secretary to ask that they update this list to show that there are, in fact, three vacancies. This is the first step before proposing new members.

The Del Norte County Democratic Party has voted to help find new Directors. We are looking for Democrats who can help us correct the restrictions on free speech that the current Board adopted, but more importantly find people who can commit to attending meetings and helping the District succeed.

We have no beef with the current Directors and are not advocating they be replaced. We encourage them to continue with the added benefit of three more Directors to share the load. The 41st DAA Board is a working board, and each member has a specific set of skills that should complement one another.

When there is a problem with a government agency it seems like some people’s first response is anger. Unfortunately, every board occasionally is subjected to abuse by members of the public. This has led to a trend where fewer people are willing to serve on elected or appointed boards.

For example, no one filed to run for the First District School Board position. This is the district which was represented for many years by Don McArthur. We thank Don for his service to our children and our community. He was an extraordinary School Board member, and his shoes will be hard to fill.

When addressing a local agency board, I encourage you to be polite. These people are mostly volunteers doing the best they can. Before speaking, read about the subject so you know what you are talking about. Clearly state your position. If you have a concern or disagreement, suggest a solution.

The government is not separate from “we the people.” Officials are elected or appointed to represent our interests, but they do this better when members of the public responsibly and respectfully participate in the process. Everyone has a right to speak for three minutes near the start of every government meeting.

The next regular meeting of the 41st DAA should be on Tuesday, August 25 at 5PM. Go to dnfair.org to confirm this. Find the menu (upper right). Click “ABOUT” and then “41st DAA” to find their agendas.

If you have an interest in serving on the 41st DAA Board of Directors or if you have any questions, please contact the Del Norte Democrats. [email protected]

UPDATE
After this column was submitted for publication, the 41st DAA has updated their website.

“Due to quorum requirements, all meeting agendas will be posted at least 10 days prior to the scheduled meeting in accordance with the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act. If a quorum of five (5) Board members is not present, the meeting will be canceled and rescheduled for a later date.”

Track their website for agenda notifications.
dnfair.org >> Menu (top right) >> ABOUT >> 41st DAA

08/15/2026

Have to wonder about the folks who are Type 2...

08/14/2026

In My View by Kevin Hendrick
41st District Agricultural Association is a State Agency
Published Del Norte Triplicate 8/13/26

I just spent 4 days at the County Fair volunteering in the Democratic Party booth. It is impressive every year to see a small army of volunteers, paid staff and Board members work together to pull this off. Kudos to Kim and the crew. I have an issue to resolve with the District, but I do wish them future successes.

On June 25 I wrote a column, “Unfair Free Speech Policy” about a new policy adopted on April 21 by the 41st District Agricultural Association (41st DAA) Board of Directors (Fair Board) that restricts free speech and parking on the Fairgrounds. This is State owned property and the 41st DAA is a State agency.

Since finding out about this policy change, I have been paying attention to their meeting schedule so that I could attend a Fair Board meeting to initiate a discussion of my concerns. This has proven to be more challenging than I anticipated. They cancelled their June meeting and held their July meeting early.

Their website says they meet at 5PM on the 4th Tuesday of every month. I looked at agendas going back to January 2025 and found that in only three months did they meet on the correct day. In 8 months out of 19 they did not have any meetings.

The 41st DAA Board of Directors posted an agenda notice that they would be meeting at 8am on every day of the fair (August 6-9). I went to their meeting room on August 6 at 8am. The room was open, the lights were on, but nobody was home. I waited 30 minutes and then left.

If they were there, this is part of what I would have said to them.

“On behalf of the Del Norte County Democratic Party I want to register our disagreement with the "Free-Speech Expression Policy" that you adopted on April 21.”

“Today I am requesting three things: 1) Schedule a regular meeting on August 25 at 5 PM, 2) Include on the agenda a discussion and possible action to revisit this policy, and 3) Appoint an ad hoc citizens advisory committee to meet with, review this policy and propose revisions.”

“We intend to be polite and diplomatic with the hope that you will keep an open mind to consider our concerns. We are also committed to trying to address any concerns that you have that drove this policy change.”

“I respect you all and I know you are doing your best in difficult circumstances. Sometimes mistakes happen. But when you make a mistake, you should be open to correcting it.”

This is what I would have said to the Board of Directors and staff if they had been there. I will try to find another time when I can attend their meeting, but I have spoken individually to a few Directors who thought it would be fair to meet and work this out. All we are saying is give speech a chance.

As a State Agency, the 41st DAA has an obligation to follow state rules regarding advance notice of regular meetings where the public can engage in their process. In the good old days, they could do whatever they wanted. Those days are gone. It’s time to start acting like a true state government agency.

If an agency does not meet when they say they will meet, they deprive the public of their right to participate in decision making. All government agencies do better when they can hear feedback from constituents. Having predictable meeting days and times is a reasonable expectation. This can be fixed.

If you support free speech, please encourage the District Directors Kara Miller, John Pritchett, Rich Taylor, Kim Haban, Vanessa Nunes and Jeffrey Molnar to support the 3 remedial actions listed above. You can leave a message through Kim Floyd CEO, 41st District Agricultural Association. [email protected]

If you have questions, contact the Del Norte Democrats. [email protected]

08/12/2026

The 2028 Democratic president should put this nomination at the top of their list!

08/12/2026

This kind of 'courage' is rarely seen in a 'leader'...

08/08/2026

08/06/2026

In My View by Kevin Hendrick
No More Offshore Oil
Published Del Norte Triplicate 8/6/26

If you are reading my column, I assume that you also read other sources of news. I contribute to the Del Norte Triplicate because we need a newspaper that covers local news. I also rely on stories by Jessica Cejnar Andrews who reports on local government meetings for Redwood Voice, an online newspaper.

It was an article in Redwood Voice that alerted me to the local discussion on whether to take an active role in opposing offshore oil development near the coast of Del Norte County. This is an important conversation to have and now is the time to have it.

I read in the Los Angeles Times that on July 20, California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit asking the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to strike down what he called an “unlawful” permit issued by the Trump Administration to Sable Offshore Corp.

In March 2026, Sable restarted the use of its pipelines and offshore oil rigs off the Santa Barbara coastline, after the U.S. Department of Energy invoked the Defense Production Act to supersede state laws after months of clashes between Sable and state regulators.

The pipelines in question are contentious because they include infrastructure that had sat idle since 2015, when a corroded section of one of the pipelines burst, resulting in one of the state’s worst oil spills.

I have witnessed the results of oil spills when I lived in Los Angeles, and it is not a pretty sight. Popular beaches were covered in sticky black tar balls and seafood was tainted by the oil. These are important lessons to remember and valid reasons to oppose oil rigs and pipelines off our coast.

According to Redwood Voice, our Board of Supervisors were reacting to a June 26 notice that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is seeking stakeholder input regarding offshore oil production, pipeline maintenance, desalination projects, undersea cables and spaceport infrastructure.
On July 14, Supervisor Starkey proposed submitting a letter opposing offshore oil. Following discussion, the Board unanimously directed staff to draft a letter, explaining the negative impacts offshore drilling would have on Del Norte County, and return for subsequent consideration of the Board.

On July 28, the Supervisors (3-2) approved sending a very diplomatic letter to NOAA expressing concerns about developing oil off our coast. (Starkey, Wilson and Borges – YES / Short and Howard – NO)

The letter states, “The Board is concerned that new or expanded offshore oil drilling off the Northern California coast would pose significant risks to Del Norte County... An oil spill or other operational incident could result in severe and lasting harm to fisheries, coastal businesses, tourism, and the natural resources upon which the community depends.”

Fundamentally this boils down to respect for local rule. The federal government should not override state and local government objections. We must take a stand and speak out to preserve our pristine environment and conserve the vital fisheries on which our local economy is built.

The public is invited to participate in this evaluation of the California Coastal Management Program.

NOAA has scheduled two virtual public meetings on August 11 and August 12 from 2 – 5 PM. To provide comments and/or register for the NOAA hearings go to federalregister.gov and search for the NOAA public notice on “Evaluation of the California Coastal Management Program.”

The registration deadline is August 10. Comments must be received by August 22.

08/01/2026

Have to knock this one out. It feeds on freedom!