Incoming Eureka City Schools Superintendent Gary Storts, third from left, stands with board members. (Eureka City Schools/Contributed)
A new executive director has been appointed to the zoo fund
The Sequoia Park Zoo Foundation announced this week that Alegria Sita will now serve as its executive director.
Sita is a longtime local business owner and nonprofit leader.
“On behalf of the City of Eureka and the Sequoia Park Zoo, I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to Alegria Sita, who has assumed the position of executive director of the philanthropic Sequoia Park Zoo Foundation,” said zoo director Jim Campbell-Spikler. prepared a statement. “I have enjoyed getting to know Alegria over the years as a member of the Foundation’s volunteer board, and I am excited to continue the long history of successful collaboration and innovation between our organizations.”
Sita received her bachelor’s degree in youth advocacy from Cal Poly Humboldt. She spent her early professional career working in Humboldt County schools and the nonprofit sector, developing programs, projects and events that promote youth empowerment.
Sita is a 25-year-old Humboldt County resident who lives in Eureka with her daughter.
“My daughter Jamila and I were lucky to make and share lifelong memories at the neighborhood zoo, which holds a special place in our hearts. It is an honor to accept this opportunity to contribute to the long-term vision and legacy of Sequoia Park Zoo as the foundation’s executive director,” he said.
Good Relations celebrates 40 years, new location
Good Relations, an Old Town store, celebrates its 40th year and 329 Second St. is marking its move to a new location, the company announced in a news release Friday.
According to information, this move has been in the planning stage for two years.
Originally founded as a house party company in the early 1980s, Good Relations has been a fixture in Old Town since the early 90s. Since starting with a small 250-square-foot store inside Jacoby’s Storehouse in Arcata, owner and founder Melinda Myers and her team have provided adult sex education, lingerie and boudoir accessories including sizing to generations of customers.
In the new store, the Myers deco-inspired interior highlights a range of underwear and sexual health products, the report said.
Good Relationships was recently nominated as a top boutique in the US by leading industry publication AVN.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for December 1 at 11 a.m. and multiple grand opening events for the new location will continue through December 3. Good Relationships will produce $20,000 over the weekend. In addition, food and beverages will be offered during the December Arts Alive!
Storts takes the helm at Eureka City Schools
The Eureka City Schools Board of Education appointed Gary Storts as the new superintendent of Eureka City Schools earlier this month.
In August 2023, the board began a search for the superintendent position and received application packets from many qualified applicants throughout the state and nation. Ultimately, the Board selected Storts to serve as the district’s Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services beginning in November 2021.
“I feel so blessed to be able to give back to the community that helped shape me into the person I am today,” Storts said in a prepared statement. “Serving as superintendent of Eureka City Schools is both an honor and a responsibility that I take very seriously.”
The Chairman of the Board appreciated the work of Storts.
“We are excited to have Gary accept the role of superintendent, he is extremely capable and enthusiastic,” board president Mike Duncan said in a statement. “The selection process for this critical role was thorough and thoughtful, reflecting the board’s commitment to finding the right leader to build on the success of our district. We believe Gary is the right leader for Eureka City Schools.
Storts outlined his top priorities, focusing on early literacy, building a sense of belonging on campus and preparing students for future business success.
“Investing in early literacy is key to building a strong foundation for our students. In addition, I am dedicated to creating an environment where each student feels a sense of belonging and is complimented for their unique strengths. We aim to create an inclusive community that develops the potential of each individual,” he said.
$11K grant will help fund SoHum communications
The Lower Mattole Fire Safety Council, which serves residents of the remote Mattole Valley, Petrolia and Honeydew, received an $11,000 grant from the Humboldt Area Foundation and the Wild Rivers Community Foundation to purchase radios and communications equipment to improve communication between neighbors and first responders during emergencies such as wildfires got it. Floods and earthquakes, non-profit organizations announced in a news release.
The grant will be used to purchase powerful two-way radios, repeaters, solar arrays, batteries, cables and antennas, as well as labor costs associated with coordinating and programming the equipment.
“It’s critical when funding, power or phones go out,” said Sarah Vroom, executive director of the Mattole Recovery Council, which coordinates the fire safety council. “This will allow our neighborhood coordinators to better communicate with each other, communicate with neighbors and more easily reach outside emergencies.”
The grant will be used to add to and upgrade the communities’ existing communications equipment, which was established more than a year ago through a partnership with numerous volunteer fire departments, fundraisers and contributions from Coastal Central Credit Union.