#28. Tales of Growth and Resilience: Scott Binder’s Reflections from Humboldt’s Redwood Embrace

Scott Hammond: Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages, welcome Scott

Binder to the 100% Humboldt podcast. Hi, Scott.

Scott Binder: Hey.

Scott Hammond: Good to see you.

Scott Binder: Good to see you, Scott.

Scott Hammond: So we were reminiscing before the show.

Uh, Scott and I go back when I was this ad salesman up in Arcata, California, and you worked for Jim at Blue Max Pizza.

Scott Binder: Yeah, we were on the plaza for, um, um,

We were right next to studios of KXGO Radio.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: Right on the plaza, so there was a lot of activity,

fun. It was a lot of fun.

Scott Hammond: In Arcata.

Scott Binder: It was a great place to work.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. And that kind of speaks to, uh, y-

You, you were born and raised here?

Scott Binder: Um, I was born in Eureka at the old General

Scott Hammond: Wow

Scott Binder: … in, in the wing that now houses Sempervirens.

Scott Hammond: Oh, [laughs] that's so appropriate.

Scott Binder: So-

Scott Hammond: So-

Scott Binder: How appropriate is that?

Scott Hammond: [laughs] That's a good one.

Scott Binder: [laughs] Yeah, it makes a good story.

Scott Hammond: Sempervirens is, by the way, the kind of the mental hospital.

It's a psych, psych ward, I guess.

Scott Binder: Yeah, it's a lockdown facility.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, that's better, better said. So tell us,

Tell us

your b- you know, beginning and middle and now.

Scott Binder: Beginning and middle and now. Okay. I was, uh…

Of course, we, we, uh, hit the beginning. I was born in Eureka. My parents lived, at the time, in Crescent City. About the time my mother went into delivery, with, uh, her mother, my, my, uh, grandmother and grandfather.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Binder: And, um, they had me, then moved back up to Crescent City.

My dad was a Gypo logger, and he had a logging show up in, uh, up in the Smith River area at the time. And, um, we were there approximately thr- approximately three or four months with me as an infant. My parents rented a house right on Pebble Beach Drive-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Binder: … um, overlooking the ocean, right on the cliff.

Scott Hammond: This is-

Scott Binder: The house was actually on stilts.

Scott Hammond: This is the other Pebble Beach. [laughs]

Scott Binder: The other Pebble Beach. Pebble Beach Drive in, in-

Scott Hammond: Crescent City

Scott Binder: … Crescent City.

Scott Hammond: [laughs]

Scott Binder: Right. And here comes n- the, the big

tsunami and, uh-

Scott Hammond: Right

Scott Binder: … all that, and the, the 1964 storm.

Scott Hammond: That was a big storm that year.

Scott Binder: It was a big storm that year.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: And anyway, it scared the hell out of my mother.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: So she immediately packed me up and moved home.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Scott Binder: Trinidad.

Scott Hammond: Go figure.

Scott Binder: Okay. So I lived from about age four months to

around, um, four to five years in Trinidad.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Scott Binder: Uh, in-

Scott Hammond: Beautiful town.

Scott Binder: Yeah, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Trinidad, California. I'm gonna show you on the map.

I'm gonna show our, our listener, watchers. Trinidad right here, big whaling harbor. Probably, um, the most amazing place on the north coast. We, we rediscovered it during COVID, and that's our… Joni and I take a picnic up there.

Scott Binder: Yeah. I take-

Scott Hammond: Sometimes I-

Scott Binder: I took my kayak out of, uh, the boat launch there quite a,

Scott Hammond: Oh, it's beautiful.

Scott Binder: Yeah, it is. It's wonderful.

Scott Hammond: It's beautiful. So how was it growing up in Humboldt County?

Did you go to Mac, M- McKinleyville High?

Scott Binder: Anyway, yeah, I went for my first, uh, first half of the

school year for my kindergarten year in Trinidad, and then we moved to a house overlooking Clam Beach on Patrick Creek Drive.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Scott Binder: And I spent, uh… I, uh, s- enrolled in Dows

Prairie School, and I was in Dows Prairie School for the second half of my kindergarten through sixth grade, transferred to McKinleyville Middle School or McKinleyville Elementary School, MES-

Scott Hammond: Right

Scott Binder: … which is what it was back then, for seventh and eighth.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Scott Binder: And then I went to Adventist School in Fortuna for grades

nine and 10.

Scott Hammond: How about that? Okay.

Scott Binder: Yeah, that was a heck of a commute. I…

It, uh, took approximately two and a half hours each way because the school bus weaved around everywhere-

Scott Hammond: Oh, no

Scott Binder: … picked up all the students between

So I did my homework on the bus.

Scott Hammond: Huh.

Scott Binder: And so when I got home-

Scott Hammond: [laughs]

Scott Binder: … you know, I, you know, I had a lot… I had my free time.

Scott Hammond: So that's the old Fortuna Academy.

Scott Binder: The old Fortuna Junior Academy. I believe it's still there.

Scott Hammond: Funny story. Uh, you don't know this about me,

I was a, uh, long-haired, feral hippie child, uh, smoking gobs of marijuana at 14 or 15 and [knocking] who's at the door? It's, it's an old Adventist man named Roy Guess, who's, who shows up and he's got a free Bible. He goes, "Scott, I've, that you ordered. You mailed it away, Good News for Modern Man." And I said, "Uh, could you come back later?" 'Cause it's Smoke's coming out, the whole thing. And, uh, it's comedic. And he goes, "I would like to come back next Tuesday, 14 Tuesdays, we studied really, some really solid parts of the Bible. It wasn't all Adventist, you know, Sabbath, but he, uh, he made a difference in a young knucklehead. And I said yes to… He goes, "If you go, you go 13, 14 weeks, I'm gonna give you the free leather white Bible." I go, "There's nothing wrong with that. I'm just a broke kid in the, in the hood." And, um, without going on too long, I ended up getting baptized to my mother, my Lutheran mother's chagrin. She doesn't like that much, but she came on a Saturday. And, um, it wasn't too long thereafter where I, wasn't quite a fit, and I, um, I, I fell for a young Greek girl in Chula Vista. Whole other story, but my Adventist common ground with you,

Hey.

Scott Binder: That's the greatest story.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. So what happened after the, um-

Scott Binder: Anyway. Yeah

Scott Hammond: … uh, the junior high?

Scott Binder: After, after junior high, well, that…

Well, junior high is seventh and eighth, and then ninth and tenth was the first, um, two years of, uh, my… Well, ninth grade, I went… Actually, it was seven- it was seven- it was, uh, ninth grade and tenth grade-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Binder: … at, uh, Fortuna Junior Academy, and then I did

one semester of my junior year up at Milo Adventist Academy in Days Creek, Oregon-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Scott Binder: … which is a little east of Canyonville.

Scott Hammond: Is that a live-in deal?

Scott Binder: Near Roseburg. Huh?

Scott Hammond: Is that a live-in deal where you live-

Scott Binder: Oh, yeah. I lived in a dorm.

Scott Hammond: On the camp- Okay.

Scott Binder: Well, anyway, yeah, I didn't get along very well up there at

Scott Hammond: Yeah, I could… Yeah, I would totally understand that.

So today, uh, your cl- claimed, one of your claim to fame is you're an MCSD… Are you the president of the board up at

Scott Binder: I assume the board presidency on Ja- on January

1st, and, um-

Scott Hammond: Nick, we have the president with usThat's awe-

And for you, you folks out there in, uh, in, uh, Iowa, uh, McKinleyville sits right up here in, uh, a little north of Humboldt Bay. Here's Eureka, the county seat, I live in McKinleyville.

Scott Binder: Okay.

Scott Hammond: You live in McKinleyville.

Scott Binder: I do.

Scott Hammond: And you have a big heart for McKinleyville.

Scott Binder: I do.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: Well, you know, I was… You know, it, it's my home.

I've spent, uh, you know, almost my whole life there.

Scott Hammond: [chuckles]

Scott Binder: Um,

I, uh, after I got out of high school, I went straight into the Air Force, and I did a tour in the Air Force, and I came back, and I lived in Eureka for, uh, six months, Arcata for probably close to 10 years.

Scott Hammond: How about that?

Scott Binder: And then my wife and I bought a house in, uh, in, uh,

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Binder: … in 2001. Brand new house.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Scott Binder: I'm still there.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: Can't afford to move.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. [chuckles] Who can?

Scott Binder: [chuckles] Right.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Scott Binder: Um, but anyway, yeah,

I, uh, I spent a career in, in the restaurant industry. I worked for Blue Max Pizza, of course, and, uh,

I, uh, ended up, uh, being a manager after a while. We, we did move down to 11th and K, down by Earl Miranda's, uh-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Binder: … insurance agency.

Scott Hammond: That's here in Arc- Arcata, right over here. Anyway.

Scott Binder: Yeah, and K Hill Shell.

Scott Hammond: What a great guy Earl was.

Scott Binder: Yeah, Earl and, Earl and Power-

Scott Hammond: What a nice man

Scott Binder: … were great. I… You know, and Brett, he's, he's a great, great guy,

Scott Hammond: Old time Arcata insurance guy.

Scott Binder: Old time insurance guy, uh, fire department captain.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: The whole bit. He, you know, volunteered for the Arcata Fire District

time.

Scott Hammond: So when I started as a State Farm agent, um, he came in to say

how proud he was of me. And-

Scott Binder: Hey, that's awesome

Scott Hammond: … you know, he was already retired and, and I go, "Man,

years." And he came by, and he, he made a special trip to come in and, hi, and, um, he noticed a, an article I'd written in Time-Standard about Ron Pellegi, who was the owner of the Tri-City Paper-

Scott Binder: Sure

Scott Hammond: … that I worked at, so that's how I knew Earl.

Scott Binder: Uh-huh.

Scott Hammond: And he came by. You know, what a class-

Scott Binder: And my brother

Scott Hammond: … and your brother. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, Brian.

So we have a lot of con- so connection 'cause Br- Brian worked together.

Scott Binder: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: And then I couldn't quite throw a stone from my house on Dow's

the end two years, but we, it wasn't that far away.

Scott Binder: No. We, we were, oh, probably, you know, three or four miles away

as, as, as the bird flies.

Scott Hammond: Maybe less, yeah. It was right there.

That's such a beautiful part of McKinleyville.

Scott Binder: Oh, it is. It's great.

Scott Hammond: So let's talk about McKinleyville. So do you wanna…

It, so restaurant career, and then you've done-

Scott Binder: Okay

Scott Hammond: … IT work as well?

Scott Binder: Well, yeah, I did that. Um, in, um,

we were liv- my, my wife and I were living in Arcata. I had just, uh, bought a mobile home out in Valley West, and we'd just got together, Christina and I.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Binder: For those of you on the internet who know me,

Scott Hammond: It's Miss Kay. She's amazing. We were in-

Scott Binder: Miss Kay

Scott Hammond: … Toastmasters together.

Scott Binder: Huh?

Scott Hammond: She and I were in Toastmasters, giving speeches together.

Scott Binder: Right. Yeah, she was, yeah, and she was president of Toastmasters.

Scott Hammond: She was. She was a great speaker.

Scott Binder: Yeah, she is a great speaker.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: Lovely lady.

Scott Hammond: Yep.

Scott Binder: Anyway, yeah.

Scott Hammond: You married up.

Scott Binder: Oh, I married up.

Scott Hammond: Way up.

Scott Binder: We were, we were married in 1997. Our first date

1995.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Scott Binder: Uh, last week we celebrated our 29th dating

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Binder: … I consider to be our real anniversary

together s- um, constantly ever since that

first date.

Scott Hammond: Awesome.

Scott Binder: So-

Scott Hammond: That's wonderful

Scott Binder: … okay. And anyway, yeah,

in, um, in 199- in 1997 we were

married.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Binder: And, uh, by that time we had, uh, decided that we were, we needed

to get a house [chuckles] . And so we moved to McKinleyville.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Binder: I had, uh,

stopped working in, uh, in the, in the pizza business-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Scott Binder: … in 19,

in 199f- mm, let me see. What, what year was it? 1996.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Binder: February of 1996 I went to work for a man named Jim Eli, who

owned-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Binder: … Varsity Ice Cream Company.

Scott Hammond: Right, right.

Scott Binder: Another old, old school Arcata-

Scott Hammond: That's right. Yeah

Scott Binder: … company.

Scott Hammond: So you were a Dreyer's Ice Cream guy.

Scott Binder: I was Dreyer's Ice Cream guy.

Scott Hammond: Man, what great ice cream.

Scott Binder: Yeah, but I was mainly known as the Humboldt Creamery

Klamath Trinity Valley, Willow Creek, Hoopa, Orleans,

Somes Bar.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Scott Binder: I went out to Burnt Ranch. I serviced Burnt Ranch School.

I served all the schools. And I was there for nearly 23 years.

Scott Hammond: I'm chomping at the bit to point at my map right now. You ready?

Scott Binder: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: So Blue Lake-

Scott Binder: Let's see if you can stab it

Scott Hammond: … I, I've never gone this far off the map, so,

me.

Scott Binder: Okay.

Scott Hammond: Um, Salyer,

Willow Creek, Hoopa Reservation way up here. So Humboldt County's pretty remote, a- as you know, on that route.

Scott Binder: Humboldt County's very remote.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Binder: And, um, your map won't show Trinity County,

also serviced-

Scott Hammond: Sure

Scott Binder: … and Lower Siskiyou County. Somes Bar's right up at the top there,

can see it.

Scott Hammond: Let me see. I'm gonna find it.

Scott Binder: Okay. It's up there at the end,

Scott Hammond: Orleans, Somes Bar.

Scott Binder: County line. Yep.

Scott Hammond: Right up in the corner.

Scott Binder: Right. It's a, it's about 200 yards, uh, northeast.

The store is 200 yards northeast of the county line.

Scott Hammond: Wow, that's a long drive [laughs] .

Scott Binder: Yeah, it's a long drive. It's about an hour-

Scott Hammond: It's a long way

Scott Binder: … an hour and 45 minutes from Somes Bar back to the

Eureka.

Scott Hammond: I'm excited about two things, map-

Scott Binder: In my Peterbilt

Scott Hammond: … maps [laughs] and geography and ice cream.

S-

Scott Binder: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … I kinda get a little excited here.

Scott Binder: No.

Scott Hammond: So y- so you were the ice cream man.

Scott Binder: I was. I was the ice cream man.

Scott Hammond: Van Halen song. Yeah.

Scott Binder: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: So you brought all the ice cream to the hot areas 'cause in

gets quite warm.

Scott Binder: Oh, absolutely. And I started super early in the morning.

Scott Hammond: Yep.

Scott Binder: You know, I got up at 1:00 a.m. sometimes.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Scott Binder: I still get up at, uh, 3:45 a.m. each morning.

Scott Hammond: You're an early bird. I know you post-

Scott Binder: I'm very much early bird

Scott Hammond: … post early, yeah.

Scott Binder: Yeah, I-

Scott Hammond: Nothing wrong with that. Early bird gets the worm.

Scott Binder: No, nothing wrong with that. And that means I can, you know, I,

things that, that I want to do before the world wakes

dinging.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Scott Binder: I get in my prayer and meditation first thing.

Scott Hammond: That's good.

Scott Binder: And then I get online, and I start answering questions.

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Binder: I always have a lot of texts that come in during the night,

messages-

Scott Hammond: Sure

Scott Binder: … people asking me things

and start helping people.

Scott Hammond: So around the McKinleyville Community Services District sort of

community stuff?

Scott Binder: General community questions.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: Generally. You know, I, I've been on Facebook so long, and I've,

uh, I, I post prolifically.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Binder: And, uh, people have come to,

to, to recognize that if you have a question and, about McKinleyville or pretty much anything, um, um, Humboldt County-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Binder: … whatever, ask me. I'll probably know-

Scott Hammond: I'll let… Yeah

Scott Binder: … and if I don't know, I know who knows.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. May I pay you a compliment?

Scott Binder: Yes.

Scott Hammond: You are straight up with people

without, without any, uh, v- virile, if I'm using the word right. There's no nastiness to you. It's straight up. It's logical. It's fair. When I hear, when I read your post or your responses, and Joni and I have commented on this. Joni's my wife of 42 years, as you-

Scott Binder: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … you know Joni.

Scott Binder: I know Joni.

Scott Hammond: The eggs are starting to produce, by the way. The chickens

Scott Binder: Awesome.

Scott Hammond: More on that later.

Scott Binder: We'll get you some cartons.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. ADD's kicking in, so.

Scott Binder: We have a bag of them in the garage for you guys.

Scott Hammond: Okay, cool. Yeah. So,

uh, we, we like your posts and, and the fact that you have this, um, I would even call it a persona online. I think it's just you, and, and it's, it's straightforward, and I, I've never attended an MCST Community Services District meeting, but I can only imagine that you conduct that business in the same

spirit.

Scott Binder: Well, I've only been president, uh, for-

Scott Hammond: A couple days. [laughs]

Scott Binder: … a couple day- I've only done one meeting,

conducted, and, um, I didn't screw it up.

Scott Hammond: Good. Didn't crash. [laughs] Just the meeting did not crash.

[laughs]

Scott Binder: No. I, I run a lot of meetings anyway.

I, I was appointed to the Measure Z Committee county by, uh, Supervisor Madrone.

Scott Hammond: And the Z Measure, ex- explain that to our listeners.

Scott Binder: Okay. Measure Z is a half cent sales tax that's

countywide that pays for public service-

Scott Hammond: Okay

Scott Binder: … enhancements, um, sheriff's positions, um,

county roads, um, debris disposal-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Binder: … and that type of thing.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Scott Binder: And, and notably, uh, the Hoopa Ambulance.

Scott Hammond: How about the-

Scott Binder: The Kamau Medical Centers, we, we heavily support.

Scott Hammond: Okay. Yeah. So let, let's walk this back for a quick second.

Scott Binder: Okay.

Scott Hammond: So McKinleyville, in essence, is

probably as big as Arcata without Cal Poly student presence, right? What is it? Is it roughly the same?

Scott Binder: Okay. In terms of population?

Scott Hammond: Population.

Scott Binder: Okay. The McKinleyville, uh, census-designated place, the McKinleyville

CDP, which is the zip code 95519-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Binder: … is an area bigger than 95521.

Scott Hammond: Okay. And, and yet we're not incorporated yet.

Scott Binder: Yet we're not incorporated.

Scott Hammond: And we're gonna get there in a minute.

But I wanna hear about your involvement in the community the last 20 years, because you've been, you've been on that, that McKinleyville, uh, uh… I, I don't even know the name of the That's how involved I am, 'cause I've been a working stiff for 40 But Joni's, Joni's really wanting to get involved with Is it the future, um, uh, the visioning committee that, that it's talking about?

Scott Binder: No, it's the… You're talking about the McKinleyville

Committee-

Scott Hammond: Yes, sir

Scott Binder: … um, colloquially known as the McMAC.

Scott Hammond: McMAC, that's it.

Scott Binder: I've attended a lot of meetings. I am on the committee as an

alternate. I have participated, but I haven't-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Binder: … participated as a full member.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Binder: And, uh-

Scott Hammond: And they're kind of steering the, a future or having,

for, uh, guiding us into a, a glorious future.

Scott Binder: Right. The, they're re- revisiting the idea of,

uh, of incorporation-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Binder: … right now, and they're putting together funding and

planning for an initial feasibility study-

Scott Hammond: Gotcha

Scott Binder: … to see if, uh, the num- see if the numbers work.

Scott Hammond: Right. And this is in cooperation with Cal Poly Humboldt.

Scott Binder: Right. This, um, Dr. Joshua Zehner, who w- who they're working

with up at Cal Poly-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Binder: … has, uh, already conducted some studies.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Scott Binder: And, um, they're pointing toward…

He was pointing it toward it being, uh, being feasible for McKinleyville to incorporate when compared to other cities not in the Humboldt County area that have, that have done so successfully.

Scott Hammond: Gotcha. So you've got, uh, formerly HSU, now

Cal Poly.

Scott Binder: Right.

Scott Hammond: It's kind of a running joke on the podcast, [laughs] the,

as Prince, the, the, the university formerly known as Humboldt

State. So-

Scott Binder: You know, I got used to the name change just as fast

2024.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Okay.

Scott Binder: You know, I… It's, uh, Cal Poly Humboldt now.

Scott Hammond: It's Cal Poly, yeah. Yeah. It's, so-

Scott Binder: Of course, I'm not an alumnus.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, okay. What did, uh-

Scott Binder: Me either

Scott Hammond: … so, so question for you then is, is this

resource to do this kind of feasibility study, 'cause he's bringing the, the, the, the university, uh, kids, staff, money,

tech-

Scott Binder: Okay

Scott Hammond: … technology to-

Scott Binder: He is, but it has to be done by a third party.

Scott Hammond: Ah.

Scott Binder: It has to be done by a neutral party

and, uh, a, a business whose sole business is to conduct these type of studies. It, it's gonna cost several thousand dollars,

with a-

Scott Hammond: I gotcha. So it's-

Scott Binder: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … a little more complex than-

Scott Binder: Right

Scott Hammond: … what it might seem.

Scott Binder: But anyway, the McMAC committee has a, a subcommittee

that they have, uh, put in place called the McKinleyville Incorporation, um, Exploratory Subcommittee, the MEESC.

Scott Hammond: [laughs] And that too-

Scott Binder: They, they love, they love their acronyms.

Scott Hammond: That's kind of an acronym too. [laughs]

Scott Binder: Yeah, it's the most silly acronym I've ever-

Scott Hammond: It's a long one

Scott Binder: … uh, I've ever heard. But anyway, it's comprised of, uh, of

members of the, of the McMAC, and there's some, uh, members at large from the public. Uh, Jesse Miles from the Chamber of Commerce-

Scott Hammond: Sure. He's great

Scott Binder: … participates. Um, Dr., Dr.-

Scott Hammond: Hey, Jesse, shout out

Scott Binder: Dr. Zender

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Binder: And, um, they, they have their own, their, their own,

uh, subcommittee, and they're the, they're the, the, the group who is pursuing the incorporation-

Scott Hammond: Gotcha

Scott Binder: … under the leadership of, uh, the committee chair, Lisa Dugan.

Scott Hammond: So what's your, what's your guess in the next

10 years? Do you think, think it'll happen?

Scott Binder: I don't think it'll happen, no.

Scott Hammond: Do you think, you think it'll happen someday?

Scott Binder: It'll happen someday if the, if we

can ever get some, some sales tax revenue into McKinleyville.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Binder: You go down the street, you see all these empty businesses.

We, um, I don't even think that the Chevrolet de- dealership is there anymore. I think that-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Binder: … they're gone.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: Okay. We need a, a sales tax base.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Binder: Now, of course, Life Plan Humboldt and We Are Up-

Scott Hammond: Yep

Scott Binder: … the two, uh, housing developments that are, uh-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Binder: … that are being, um, put, put up, they're going to, I mean,

contribute to that sales tax base.

Scott Hammond: They've been on the show, both Mary and Dr. Anne.

Scott Binder: Yeah, I saw them yesterday at the State of

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: That we had-

Scott Hammond: How did that go by the way?

Scott Binder: … at City Hall. It went great.

Scott Hammond: Good.

Scott Binder: It went great. There were, there was, um, uh, Mary and Anne-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Binder: … both from there, and Lisa Dugan f- spoke from the

McMac, Cody Rogets from the Humboldt County, uh, Department of Aviation.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Scott Binder: He runs the, the airport.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Scott Binder: And, um, Pat Kaspari, the MCSD general manager.

Scott Hammond: Gotcha.

Scott Binder: And they both presented. Uh, Lisa presented on the incorporation

and of course the, the, the two housing ladies presented on, on their, their developments.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Scott Binder: Cody on the future of the airport and the improvements being made.

He's got $50 million to spend-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Scott Binder: … um, for, uh, for runway improvements-

Scott Hammond: Hmm

Scott Binder: … uh,

um, fly- the, they're, the, the IFR improvement, uh, they're, m- and, uh, may-

Scott Hammond: Is that the technology that-

Scott Binder: Yeah, the technology that lets them fly in without being able

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Binder: … the,

the-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Binder: … the instru- instrument flight ru- rules.

Scott Hammond: And the history of the, the airport,

so darn foggy.

Scott Binder: Yeah, absolutely. It was started-

Scott Hammond: On occasion

Scott Binder: … by the Navy.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: For-

Scott Hammond: Oh, it was Navy. I never knew that

Scott Binder: … for, for learning how to fly in the fog.

It was originally a nav- a naval installation.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. And if any of you have flown in

know that you might miss a flight every once in a while 'cause it's, they either don't get here or they can't get out.

Scott Binder: Yep. Last time I flew back into Arcata, we

Sacramento. This was a couple-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Binder: … of weeks ago. And, um, we got fuel-

Scott Hammond: Oh

Scott Binder: … and then we were able to come back to Arcata.

It had cleared enough for us to land.

Scott Hammond: Oh, that's pretty good.

Scott Binder: So yeah, we, we s- dodged a bullet there.

Scott Hammond: I remember they were, they were gonna cancel the flight in San

Scott Binder: Right.

Scott Hammond: And I called up my daughter Abby. I said, "Abby,

Look, look outside." She goes, "Dad, it's, it's completely clear." I go, "Thank you." [laughs] We're right next to

Scott Binder: Uh-huh.

Scott Hammond: [laughs] So I go… And so they let us on, but yeah,

quite an airport. It… We're right by there, so you're,

either.

Scott Binder: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: So you hear it.

Scott Binder: I'm, I'm not far away, but you're directly across from it.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Depending which way the wind blows,

Scott Binder: Oh, they-

Scott Hammond: The stereo

Scott Binder: … if they ta- if they take off, uh, to the south, they,

over the top of my house.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, you would hear them.

Scott Binder: I live right off a railroad.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. So-

Scott Binder: They, they make that turn and go out over the ocean to get in their,

their lane in the air.

Scott Hammond: Right. So it, it's a pretty well-run outfit, I think,

Is that your opinion?

Scott Binder: Oh, I, I think so.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: Other than the fog and the, the, you know, chance of getting-

Scott Hammond: Right

Scott Binder: … getting fogged out.

Scott Hammond: Right. So McKinleyville has a lot going for it.

It's got beaches, it's got oceans, it's got a, a regional airport. We just don't have a lot of retail or manufacturing yet, but, uh, some of that stuff?

Scott Binder: Uh, we are zoned for some of that stuff, but-

Scott Hammond: Right

Scott Binder: … uh, mainly I think that we're, we're zoned, we're

being zoned for housing.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Scott Binder: You know, we've always been known as a bedroom

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: And, um,

the county is using us as a, a, uh, a place to fulfill their share of the, the housing that the, that Sacramento says that we have-

Scott Hammond: They mandate it, right

Scott Binder: … that we have to… Yeah, the housing mandate.

Scott Hammond: Interesting.

Scott Binder: You know?

Scott Hammond: So who's… Are those, are there those that fight

say, "Hey, why are you sticking all this development

Scott Binder: Oh, there are those who, who fight it.

They, uh, there, there are people who want to fight urban

build up.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Scott Binder: And they're very much into, to what's called

form-based code.

Scott Hammond: Uh-huh.

Scott Binder: And that's what we're seeing at the Gateway Project in Arcata right

They're, uh, you know, major proponents.

Scott Hammond: Is it going up-

Scott Binder: They're-

Scott Hammond: … or are they building?

Scott Binder: Building up.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: And, um, making very high density housing.

Scott Hammond: Well, that's what the new dorms are gonna be,

Right off the 101 there-

Scott Binder: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … at Cal Poly.

Scott Binder: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. So, uh, who else is on the board with you at-

Scott Binder: Okay. On the board at the MCSD, there's,

uh, there's, uh, Director, uh, Greg Orsini-

Scott Hammond: Sure

Scott Binder: … who's a former general manager there,

and, um, Dennis Mayo-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Binder: … local rancher. There's Jim Beightman.

He's a, a retired educator and professor.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Binder: And there's David Couch, who's recently retired from the city of

Arcata.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Binder: He was, uh, a wastewater treatment plant operator,

supervisor.

Scott Hammond: Do these guys all play nice in the sandbox generally speaking?

Scott Binder: We have a wonderful board.

Scott Hammond: That's great.

Scott Binder: We get along real well. Um, we're somewhat

ideologically different.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Binder: But we're all very fair with one another, and we, we use our

reasoning power, and, and we, uh, we cooperate.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. Love it.

Scott Binder: And we-And for all five of them, we want the

best for McKinleyville's and their, and you know-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Binder: … the citizens that live there.

Scott Hammond: I think it's a very well-run board and, and, and agency.

Scott Binder: You know, the fact that hardly anybody ever comes to our

says both good and bad.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Binder: You know, the bad is that we want people to participate.

We wanna hear the community voice.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: We want them as part of our decision-making process, but the fact

that they aren't there means that we're doing our job effectively.

Scott Hammond: Good point.

Scott Binder: We're not causing controversy.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Binder: We're very, very transparent.

You know, I, I run my, my little campaign, if you wanna call it a campaign, on transparency and on sticking to our mission-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Binder: … which is providing safe, effective, and financially,

you know, fiscally responsible-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Binder: … water, wastewater, um, streetlights-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Binder: … uh, library services, and parks and recreation to our community.

Scott Hammond: It's pretty diverse, so you're kinda city hall.

Scott Binder: Um, we're the closest thing to city hall

Scott Hammond: Which means that you are Mr. Mayor.

Scott Binder: I am.

Scott Hammond: De facto mayor of

McKinleyville with us here today.

Scott Binder: You know what's funny is on, uh,

lot of people has referred to me as the mayor of McKinleyville.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: Almost as much as Jeri Eves.

Scott Hammond: Mm. [laughs] If you knew Jeri, that's

funny. Um-

Scott Binder: That is funny

Scott Hammond: … it used to be, what's her name? She

Scott Binder: Um, who?

Scott Hammond: Uh, she, she passed away a couple years ago.

Um, oh, uh, I'll think of her name here in a minute, senior center.

Um-

Scott Binder: Oh, Eleanor Sullivan.

Scott Hammond: Thank you. Mayor Sullivan.

Scott Binder: Gramps.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: What a sweetheart she was.

Scott Binder: Now, another thing I wanna mention is

McKinleyville Senior Center.

Scott Hammond: Wow, okay.

Scott Binder: When I was elected to the board of directors, you know, in

2021, um, board members were named as li- a- as a… One board member was named as a liaison to the

Scott Hammond: Mm.

Scott Binder: I'm, uh, from our board to the McKinleyville Senior

was chosen to, uh, fill that position.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Binder: I started going to their board meetings, and I started participating with

them, asking, asking questions, asking-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Binder: … financial questions and looking at-

Scott Hammond: Sure

Scott Binder: … their books and all that, and I'm a numbers guy.

Scott Hammond: Nice.

Scott Binder: And, um, I guess it spooked the last director

Scott Hammond: Huh.

Scott Binder: And one day he just didn't show up,

Scott Hammond: Let's audit the books, folks.

Scott Binder: And so they had a hir- they had a… They assembled a hiring

committee.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Binder: And I was asked if I would like to, uh, to lead their

center.

Scott Hammond: Very nice.

Scott Binder: And I was unemployed at the time other than doing, um,

some independent contracting-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Scott Binder: … with, uh, with, uh, computers.

Like you'd mentioned, I, I do that, too.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: But I don't talk a lot about that because I can't.

[laughs]

Scott Hammond: Yeah, no, I understand. So I wanna talk about you for a minute

Humboldt County as it relates to North County, McKinleyville.

Scott Binder: Okay.

Scott Hammond: Uh, past, present, future, but I, I, e- I almost have to ask about

the future. Do you, do you see a, a political aspiration? I, I, I don't, I don't think you're as ambitious as I… as the negative side of that, but said, "Hey, why don't you do this?" Would you, something like that if the, the opportunity was there?

Scott Binder: Well,

couple y-

Scott Hammond: Is that too direct?

Scott Binder: Um,

no, I th- I think that this is the pinnacle of my political career.

Scott Hammond: Okay. [laughs]

Scott Binder: I don't wanna, I don't wanna get into politics to make a

Scott Hammond: Right.

Scott Binder: I wanna… I'm into politics, if you wanna even call it politics,

difference.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: To help people.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: You know, my whole life is helping people.

Scott Hammond: So there's-

Scott Binder: Just like I, just like I led off with.

You know, I woke up this morning at, uh, at 3:45, 4:00 a.m., did my prayer and meditation, and then I got on the computer and started answering people's questions.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Scott Binder: Helping people, and I do that all day-

Scott Hammond: That's wonderful. That's great

Scott Binder: … in one way or another.

Scott Hammond: You know, there's a saying,

"Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and

wise."

Scott Binder: Okay.

Scott Hammond: And I, I really like that one, and that's, that's our old buddy…

Everybody'll know this if it's, you know, any age. It's old Ben Franklin, but-

Scott Binder: Mm-hmm

Scott Hammond: … it's… There's so much truth in that. And,

Get in the office early before everybody else does. Uh, come in early and stay late and get the job done.

Scott Binder: Well, like, like I, uh, originally said,

you know, getting my stuff done before the world

dinging.

Scott Hammond: Yep. Yep. Oh, yeah.

Scott Binder: So-

Scott Hammond: So what do, what do you see, um… What do you see as our past

our future for the county? What, what would you w- how would you quantify the past and the present, and what would you like to see for the future, just generally speaking, Scott?

Scott Binder: Okay. Well, I, I really don't know.

I just wanna be happy.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Binder: You know, I'd just like to see everybody get along.

You know, we've become so fractured.

Scott Hammond: Oh, yeah.

Scott Binder: You know, people, uh, identify politically now

rather than… Their whole i- their identity is wrapped up in their

politics-

Scott Hammond: Right

Scott Binder: … or some sort of ism that they have or, or, or are

against. And their i- their i- ideal, their ideals are become part of their identity rather than their-

Scott Hammond: Well said

Scott Binder: … their humanity being their,

Scott Hammond: Brilliantly said. Yeah. What do you think the key

Scott Binder: Um-

Scott Hammond: How do you stay-

Scott Binder: I, I can't, I can't speak for anyone else.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Scott Binder: But the key for me doing that is to, uh, you know, be very

conscious of, of my spirit, being spirit-led rather than self-led.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Binder: For so many years, I was selfish and self-centered, and I th-

was myself, and I was afraid of losing what I had.

Scott Hammond: Oh, yeah?

Scott Binder: And I was afraid that I wouldn't get what I wanted.

Scott Hammond: Ah.

Scott Binder: And, um, it led me down a dark path where my

solution was alcohol.

Scott Hammond: Tell us more.

Scott Binder: Okay.

I, uh, I started drinking when I was in the Air Force.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Binder: And I found out very, very quickly that if I took some

drinks, you know, one or two beers, I couldn't stop-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Binder: … you know, until there was no more supply or I got cut off.

And, um, not, not long after that, I found that I had to drink every day.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: So I developed alcoholism very quickly, and I-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Scott Binder: … battled that for, for quite a while, for nearly thir-

nearly 35 years.

Scott Hammond: Wow, and you've been sober now how long?

Scott Binder: I've been sober a little over five years now.

Scott Hammond: Attaboy.

Scott Binder: And I ran into a group of people who helped me out and taught me

how to, how to quit drinking on a spiritual basis.

Scott Hammond: Nice.

Scott Binder: And so I'm very much spirit led. I'm not self led.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Binder: My goal and, my goal every day, living

one day at a time, is to be of service to others.

Scott Hammond: Amen. Yeah. Good word. Is that AA?

Scott Binder: I can't say.

Scott Hammond: Can't say [laughs] can't say that.

So I have a simil- so it turns out we have a lot more similar know. I, um, at 17, 18, 19, my partying career continued.

Scott Binder: Oh.

Scott Hammond: Of course, coming to Humboldt

this is the weed, was the weed and is the weed capital of a lot of the

earth.

Scott Binder: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: But so, counterintuitive, I got sober, but my father drug me to all

these AA meetings all over north San Diego County. He was a, he sold insurance on Camp Pendleton Marine And we, he lived in Oceanside, and I would visit him, to, to meeting after meeting after meeting, drunks, man? These guys, why can't they handle their alcohol, Nick? What, I, what's happening here?" And I can, of course I can hold it. I can drink a lot of Heineken and pull it together here and, and little did I know that I developed a problem.

And so, uh, he- his influence very quietly, it was zero pressure, zero

lectures, was a, a difference maker. And Joanie and I were sober for 30, 30-plus years.

And, uh-

Scott Binder: Great

Scott Hammond: … thanks, Dad. It was awesome. Thank you.

And, uh, so you bet, so the program has been good. Whatever program we won't name has been great for you.

Scott Binder: Oh, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Yeah, no, you're, uh, you're, uh, uh, you were good.

You were great then, but now it's like sobriety. What, what has it done for you in terms of just

lifestyle?

Scott Binder: You, you mean as far as, well, phys- physically-

Scott Hammond: Anyth- anything related to-

Scott Binder: Physically, I can remember things.

Scott Hammond: Ah. That's important [laughs] .

Scott Binder: And things like that. But anyway, yeah, it, it's, it's more of a

spiritual journey than anything-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Binder: … else.

Scott Hammond: I like that. Early morning prayer and meditation.

Scott Binder: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Is there any reason why we wouldn't do that?

Scott Binder: Ego.

Scott Hammond: E- ego is-

Scott Binder: I can do this myself.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. That's right.

Scott Binder: Well, I tried that for how many years,

Scott Hammond: Yeah, how's that working for you? Yeah.

Scott Binder: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: Uh, Joanie's father, Tom, was, he battled alcoholism his whole life, and

he died, uh, three years ago at 81, and he, uh, he said, "Your…" And he would go to all the meetings, so he had all the sayings. "Your ego is not your amigo."

Scott Binder: [laughs] That's a good one.

Scott Hammond: [laughs] I like that. And the other one was, "Nick, never go,

never go into your mind alone. It's a dangerous place." And I thought, "Yeah, that's pretty good, Tom." So he had all that AA culture that he, uh, downloaded and struggled his whole life, uh, against that beast. And, uh, anyway, different story, different guy. So what would you like to see for the county going forward? Uh, y- people getting along and the division, the fragmentation.

Scott Binder: Okay. Well, I'd like to see, um, the industry being develo- developed

that not only pays a living wage-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Binder: … but is also Earth-friendly.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Scott Binder: You know, we don't need to kill the Earth in order

Scott Hammond: No, that's true.

Scott Binder: Right? And I just, I just wanna see people get along better,

don't see it getting any better.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: You know, we've become so fractured,

into their particular brand of politics.

Scott Hammond: Their isms, I like that.

Scott Binder: And their isms.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, a lot of isms out there.

Scott Binder: There are a lot of isms, and there's more-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Binder: … more being created every day.

Scott Hammond: Right. Yeah, when-

Scott Binder: But anyway, uh-

Scott Hammond: I'd like to source that, where that comes from, but that's another,

podcast. Uh, what do you see for, uh, you see homelessness in McKinleyville, of course.

Scott Binder: I do see homelessness, and that's a dire-

of mental health care in California.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Binder: And I can just speak for the state of California.

I know that the governor's spent an incredible amount of money on mental care just as of late.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Scott Binder: And, uh, you know, we have yet to see that effect

here in, in Humboldt, and I don't think effect in anywhere, you know, San Francisco, Los Angeles. You know, they're-

Scott Hammond: Sure

Scott Binder: … you know, um, it's, uh, the, the mental, mental health care,

the lack of mental health care-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Binder: … is driving most of the problems we see,

abuse to, uh, to homelessness to crime.

Scott Hammond: To crime, yeah.

And we have a great, great sheriff's department,

Scott Binder: And we do have a great sheriff.

Scott Hammond: They seem to be doing a great job where we're at.

Scott Binder: Yeah. We do with, uh, with the staff that they have-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Binder: … and, um, with, uh, the legislative

latitude that they have-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Binder: … which is, uh, pretty much crippled by, by Sacramento

and the voters.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And I think Sheriff Honsal's done a great

Scott Binder: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Best… He was on the show. He did, he's… What a great guy.

Scott Binder: I watched his podcast.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. He's a sweet, sweet guy. I liked what he said.

Scott Binder: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And Larry Doss said something that I think bears, bears, uh,

now it doesn't quite relate, but it will in a minute. He said that, "Humboldt's got grit." And I like, I like the, it's an old-fashioned word, grit. It's like gumption.

Scott Binder: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: It's like there's a l- there's still a bit of grit here.

Scott Binder: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And maybe, maybe that'll, that'll help us as well.

Scott Binder: Well, you can take the knocks

of it.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. That's the idea. Uh, so we have, we have

homelessness. How about a housing crisis? What do we, what do you see on that, on that horizon? What are you hearing f-

Scott Binder: Well, we're, we're building, and, um-You know,

in, in McKinleyville, I'm not sure if we're gonna be able to solve housing or not. It's gonna, it's gonna take an economic change.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: You know, mortgage rates are way too high for anybody to buy right

The, the, the hou- the price of housing and the wages are so disparate-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Binder: … that, uh, you know, kids, you know,

when I bought my house in 2001, it, you know, barely over 20 years.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: You know, we-

Scott Hammond: Oh, you guys bought it for a song. Yeah

Scott Binder: … yeah, we bought it for a song.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: You know, and then now, you know, it's nearly tripled in cost.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: And wages aren't keeping up with inflation.

Scott Hammond: Right. And try to sell it, and then go live somewhere,

live somewhere.

Scott Binder: Um, well, we can't afford to move.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. You'd have to go to Tennessee

Scott Binder: Yeah, and that's a no-go with the wife.

Scott Hammond: That's [laughs] that dog don't hunt.

Scott Binder: No. Besides, I've, I've already s- I've already committed to

McKinleyville. I'm, I'm not going anywhere.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Let's go down memory lane for a minute.

Uh, would you be willing to talk about a few McKinleyville? I'll start with Opie.

Scott Binder: Oh, sure.

Scott Hammond: I thought Opie was a, a nice man.

Scott Binder: Coffee's always on.

Scott Hammond: Coffee, coffee's always on. He re- he was this, a car salesman

wanted to have his own new car dealership.

Scott Binder: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: He had a used car dealership.

Scott Binder: Yeah. Didn't he work for Iver Isakson?

Scott Hammond: He did. He did. And then he, uh, they, he had a little dealership in,

or ran Fortuna, but he came up, he bought that land and, and opened Opie's Fine Cars, where-

Scott Binder: Uh-huh

Scott Hammond: … what's the coffee? It's always what?

Scott Binder: The coffee is always on.

Scott Hammond: Always on. Come on down. And he was, uh, he was delightful.

Who-

Scott Binder: Yeah, Opie was a great guy

Scott Hammond: … who else do you remember from,

touched you in any way?

Scott Binder: Who I remember from the past?

Well, Ed Estes, for one.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Scott Binder: He was a great history teacher. I liked my teachers.

Ed, Ed Estes was a great teacher. Um, Dean Chesbro at the high school was a, was a great, uh, counselor. His wife was my fourth-grade teacher at Dows

Chesbro.

Scott Hammond: Were they related to… Oh, I do her, yeah.

Scott Binder: No.

Scott Hammond: Okay. Different… Same name?

Scott Binder: Uh, different spelling.

Scott Hammond: Different spelling. Okay, gotcha.

I remember Dick and Don Miller, I mean, the Miller brothers, who owned Miller Farms giant nursery in McKinleyville, and-

Scott Binder: Mm-hmm

Scott Hammond: … uh, you know, big difference makers. Em-

Scott Binder: They did.

Scott Hammond: And they, they inherited it from their papa, right?

Scott Binder: Henrietta Hartman.

Scott Hammond: Ah, there's one. [laughs]

Scott Binder: There's one. My first, my first legal job.

Scott Hammond: Tell us the, tell us the story about Henrietta.

Scott Binder: Oh.

Scott Hammond: She was the Annie Oakley of Dows Prairie.

Sh- this lady, she was our neighbor.

Scott Binder: I can tell you an Annie Oakley story.

Scott Hammond: Carried a gun in the c- in the pickup.

[laughs]

Scott Binder: Carried a gun in the pickup, had a shotgun filled with rock salt.

Scott Hammond: Oh, yeah.

Scott Binder: That she carried on her tractor. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: Right.

Scott Binder: Yeah. Anyway, um, I lived on Patrick Creek Drive.

Scott Hammond: So you would've known her, yeah.

Scott Binder: And, and her property is in back of Patrick Creek Drive,

Dows Prairie Road.

Scott Hammond: First day we moved in-

Scott Binder: Suburban

Scott Hammond: … she pulled up in her pickup, she looks up,

gruff, kinda dirty lady. She goes, "You got any dogs?" And I go, "No, ma'am, just kids." She goes, "Good, 'cause I shoot dogs. [laughs] They eat my sheep." [laughs] And I go, I go, "Honey, come, come, come and meet the nice lady." And she,

she, she became a friend in later years, and she softened, and, you know, God and time and, and life really, um, mellowed her, and she was quite the sweetheart.

Scott Binder: Uh-huh. Yeah. I, yeah, I worked for her pulling bulbs-

Scott Hammond: Oh, you'd know, yeah

Scott Binder: … at the end of Woody Road, just…

Well, she lived right there at Woody Road at

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Binder: And, um, at her bulb farm on, uh, on Murray.

Scott Hammond: She had a lot of acres back in the day, I bet.

Scott Binder: She did, the daffodil farms.

Scott Hammond: How about that?

Scott Binder: Yeah, she, she had dif- different places.

Scott Hammond: Now, she would be a historical figure for

McKinleyville historically was, uh, bulbs and, and was it carrots and potatoes and other kind of crops?

Scott Binder: Yeah. Yeah, crops, cabbage, and this type of thing.

Scott Hammond: Cabbage.

Scott Binder: Um, you know, the Hewitt, Hewitt Ranch.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Scott Binder: Hewitt, Hewitt Farm out there on Azalia, and-

Scott Hammond: Sure

Scott Binder: … you know, they grew a lot of produce.

Cor- Badgers guards by the airport and-

Scott Hammond: Did you ever know the flower guy, Leslie Woodruff-

Scott Binder: No

Scott Hammond: … that, that developed the Stargazer lily?

Scott Binder: I've heard a lot of his stories.

Scott Hammond: That Lane DeVries, uh, uh, he, I guess he bought the patent, and then

Sun Valley Bulbs has made it a legend.

Scott Binder: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: But-

Scott Binder: I've, I've heard a lot of stories about him,

Scott Hammond: Interesting guy

Scott Binder: … I post- I posted a,

a lily not too long ago on Facebook, and somebody brought

his name up.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: And, you know, we did, talked, talked a lot about him.

Scott Hammond: He's an interesting dude. He, um, real gruff, real, real rough,

McKinleyville rough hands, and, uh, my father wanted to meet him. He was a flower freak, and he came in from Oceanside and took him over to Leslie's house, and he was sick. He was sick in bed, and he, he, they still waved us in, and-

Scott Binder: Mm

Scott Hammond: … "Come on in to meet, meet Leslie.

This is my dad." And his daughter-

Scott Binder: Mm

Scott Hammond: … was

li- they, she lived there. And, and, uh, I'll never forget, my dad was very tender, recovered alcoholic, and was unafraid, and he, he gave him a peck on the forehead, and he prayed for him. And, and it was just a… I go, "Wow, man. Dad, that's, that's beautiful. What a, what a nice gesture," uh, you know, man to man a- and with respect, and he loved, he loved the man's wo- life work, which was, uh… You kids out there, go find a Stargazer lily today you'll know what I'm talking about.

Scott Binder: [laughs] All right.

Scott Hammond: Anybody else come to, uh, your mind?

Scott Binder: Oh, I was just thinking of some of the people

I knew a lot of the firemen for whatever reason.

Scott Hammond: How about that?

Scott Binder: Jere, Jere Buck comes to mind-

Scott Hammond: Huh

Scott Binder: … not only because he was a member of the fire district.

Scott Hammond: Buck.

Scott Binder: Jer Buck

Scott Hammond: Uh-huh

Scott Binder: But he was also the vice principal at the elementary school-

Scott Hammond: Okay

Scott Binder: … that I went to. And I used to hang out at the fire

Scott Hammond: Huh

Scott Binder: … because when I was in ninth and 10th grade the school bus

me off from, from Fortuna Junior Academy at CR a lot so I could go in and play on their computers.

Scott Hammond: Ah, early nerd.

Scott Binder: Right. I was-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Binder: … a very, very early nerd.

Scott Hammond: Adapted.

Scott Binder: Playing, playing on their mainframes,

off the Humboldt transit bus, and it would drop me off in downtown McKinleyville. Of course, there wasn't a bus stop at Clam Beach.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Scott Binder: Um, so, uh, and I would go over to the fire department

to get back into town-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Binder: … after wherever he was working-

Scott Hammond: Sure

Scott Binder: … that day, and, um, the firemen let me sit there-

Scott Hammond: How about that

Scott Binder: … in their fire station and wait for Dad, you know, 'cause it was

warm and I was safe.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Scott Binder: And so I got to know all the firemen. Ordel Murphy.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Scott Binder: Fireman, um-

Scott Hammond: Famous

Scott Binder: … um, Bill Hover.

Scott Hammond: Uh-huh. Do you know Frank Tosti, the-

Scott Binder: Frank Tosti, of course.

Scott Hammond: He's my nextdoor neighbor.

Scott Binder: Okay. Yeah.

Scott Hammond: What a nice man.

Scott Binder: Yeah, Frank and Sari. I…

She taught at, taught eighth grade-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Binder: … at, uh, the elementary school when I was there.

Scott Hammond: That's right.

Scott Binder: And, uh, yeah.

Scott Hammond: I think a lot of-

Scott Binder: Yeah, I got into computers really early.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Binder: And, uh, you know, I've been into, into computers ever since.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Binder: You know, I, I ran a, ran my own bulletin board system

in-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Scott Binder: … Arcata, dial-up BBSs.

Scott Hammond: Oh, I remember those, yeah.

Scott Binder: Yeah, that was fun, and then I, you know, got into, to,

um, like, Facebook real early.

Scott Hammond: Right. So you run-

Scott Binder: But

Scott Hammond: … you run the thing every morning, the, uh-

Scott Binder: Right. Uh-

Scott Hammond: … the Today in… What's it called?

The Pho-

Scott Binder: Humboldt County On Alert.

Scott Hammond: On Alert. Yeah, and every… Gosh, and I look at that thing-

Scott Binder: That's my group. I was actually given

that group, um, some, some years before she had given it to me, perhaps six years ago s- six or seven years ago.

Scott Hammond: Pre-COVID then, yeah.

Scott Binder: Right. It was well pre-COVID.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: It was, um, gosh, it must have been, um, 20- 2016,

2017 when she gave me the group. It had 3,000 or 4,000, you know, pretty, pretty rough people who weren't very respectful, and I turned the group around

into a-

Scott Hammond: Good

Scott Binder: … yeah, Facebook group that was about service, and that

was a, it was about disseminating information.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Scott Binder: And, uh-

Scott Hammond: And what… Do you have the other one, that Today in,

Is that… Are those two-

Scott Binder: Oh, the Daily Inspirational Photo.

I-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Binder: … started that the day of the governor's

lockdown, when he said that we had to stay home.

Scott Hammond: How about that? [laughs]

Scott Binder: And because if we're gonna stay home every day,

We, you know, we need to be aware of the beauty of

Scott Hammond: Yep.

Scott Binder: And so people share some of the beauty of Humboldt.

Scott Hammond: A lot of it.

Scott Binder: A lot of it. And I kept doing this day after day.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: You know, show us your p- show us your pictures. Show…

You know, because, you know, if w- if we can't get outside to see these

Scott Hammond: Uh-huh

Scott Binder: … you know, we need, we need to experience this beauty.

Scott Hammond: So if I wanna become a member of that…

I already am, but if, if-

Scott Binder: You already are

Scott Hammond: … uh, so if somebody…

I love it. I mean, the photos, especially with the technology today, this camera could take world-class pictures of a world-class place and put them up on, on Facebook by 7:00 AM.

Scott Binder: We see it every day.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. It's full… I, I look at that, I marvel.

I go, "How long [laughs] how long is this thread?" So-

Scott Binder: You're right. Technology has made everyone an expert

Scott Hammond: That's right.

Scott Binder: Especially if they know how to edit their pictures.

Scott Hammond: That's, that's absolutely true. So I look at

this, there's something…" You hit a note. So, These are two sites. Do you have a, a third that, that you monitor or, or, or, or curate?

Scott Binder: Um, I run an artisan pizza site.

Scott Hammond: Well, there [laughs] that's a, that's a…

What are the three, what are the three names again? Give it, give them to us one more time.

Scott Binder: Well, Artisan Pizza is one. Um, Humboldt County On Alert.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Binder: That's my group. I'm also an admin on McKinleyville

Community Watch, and I've been there for a long, long time.

Scott Hammond: And then what was the other one? This Day in Humboldt

Scott Binder: Oh, the Photo? It's just, that's just a photo thread on Humboldt

On Alert.

Scott Hammond: Okay. Okay. Yeah. So you, you oversee that and,

uh, I guess monitor and th- throw spammers out or whatever, a, a Facebook guy-

Scott Binder: We pretty much, we cleaned that group up a long time ago.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: There's three, three other, uh, volunteers who, uh, who

help administrate that group.

Scott Hammond: Gotcha.

Scott Binder: And troublemakers don't, don't stay.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Unlike-

Scott Binder: It's, it's known as a very respectful group.

Scott Hammond: That's good.

Scott Binder: And that's why it's so large. It's the largest Facebook group of its

kind in the North State-

Scott Hammond: Wow. How about that?

Scott Binder: … with, uh, nearly 36,000 members now.

Scott Hammond: Wow, that's really something

Scott Binder: … just a, just a help group.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. And then the antithesis of

threads of, of lunacy.

Scott Binder: Oh, its threads of lunacy with no-

Scott Hammond: Just-

Scott Binder: … with, uh, just-

Scott Hammond: Trolls

Scott Binder: … well, LoCO's has a very selective censorship.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: And, um, Kim Kemp's site, Red Headed Black Belt, she,

she very rarely ever censors, so all views go there.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And they're both, uh, I guess they

both have their own journey. Um-

Scott Binder: Maybe

Scott Hammond: … but yeah, no, I'm really glad that you, you do

I look at some of them, I go, "How did they get that picture? That's a beautiful ocean wave," you know, in the morning.

You know-

Scott Binder: Mm

Scott Hammond: … snow on the beach. You never see that picture.

Scott Binder: No, hardly ever.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. So, uh, thank you for doing that.

So, uh, who is Scott Binder?

Scott Binder: In terms of what?

Scott Hammond: Just generally. Who, who, who are you and w- uh, uh, I…

So, so Joni's father, recovering alcoholic, had two questions I'm gonna ask you. So one of them is who, who are you and, and what do you want? And you've kind of stated some of this already, but I'll let you maybe take another run, run at that. Who-

Scott Binder: Okay

Scott Hammond: … who is Scott Binder? Binder-

Scott Binder: I'm, I'm just, I'm just a regular guy who, um,

life-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Binder: … and wants to see other people happy.And is

just along for the journey.

Scott Hammond: Nice.

Scott Binder: I have no real aspiration other than to be happy and to

help other people be happy.

Scott Hammond: That's an agenda, a good one. [laughs]

Scott Binder: It's a lot of work.

Scott Hammond: It's, [laughs] it's hard being me.

[laughs]

Scott Binder: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, no, it's, it, it's a worthy effort.

Scott Binder: Yeah, but I could… Well, I mean, I just,

Scott Hammond: Yeah. So what are your favorite…

If, if I were to ask you some favorite what's your, uh… You're a pizza guy, so you're an artisan pizza… Art- artisanal, is that the right word?

Scott Binder: Yeah, artis-

Scott Hammond: That, that could-

Scott Binder: Artisanal pizza, homemade pizza maker.

Scott Hammond: Oh, man.

Scott Binder: I have a propane-fired pizza oven in my backyard.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. And you… I've seen some pies come…

At least, I've never had one, but I, I've seen the pictures.

Um, where would you go to have a good pie in Humboldt?

Scott Binder: My house.

Scott Hammond: Besides your hou- [laughs] You go the… Not that pl- Nah,

Scott Binder: You know, Scott, the truth is, is that I don't go out for pizza.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Scott Binder: I've, I've heard that, uh,

the Live From New York makes a good product, but it's not wood-fired.

Scott Hammond: It's a pretty good pi- product, yeah.

Scott Binder: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: All that pizza.

Scott Binder: There's a, there's a, there's a,

what I've heard is good wood-fired pizza.

Scott Hammond: Okay. I think I know what you're talking about.

Scott Binder: And they, they enjoy a good reputation.

But I couldn't personally tell you because I don't… I've never had their product.

Scott Hammond: You're busy making one at home.

Scott Binder: Yeah, absolutely. I make one a week.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Yeah, I've seen, I've seen some of your meals. They're,

What's your favorite Humboldt County spot?

Scott Binder: My favorite Humboldt County spot?

Scott Hammond: If, if you were just to take Miss K and l- We're,

somewhere, where would you, where would you journey off to?

Scott Binder: Arcata Community Forest, the Ridge Trail, trails eight and nine.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Scott Binder: And your wife knows this.

Scott Hammond: Oh, yeah. No, she, [laughs] she was there today.

[laughs]

Scott Binder: That's why she knows.

Scott Hammond: Yesterday. No, actually, they went down to Bull Creek yesterday.

Scott Binder: Oh, did they?

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Let me show you where it is on the map.

Scott Binder: Okay. I know where Bull Creek is.

Scott Hammond: I'm, I'm pretty… It's, I don't even know where it is offhand.

Oh, it's down in here toward, toward Weot up by Grasshopper Peak.

Scott Binder: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: They were down there with all the…

I called, with, we affectionately call them the old,

farts, uh, hiking group.

Scott Binder: Oh, okay.

Scott Hammond: They're faster than al- anybody you know.

Scott Binder: Yeah, the only reason I know where that is

member of a radio club who had, uh, has radio gear up on Grasshopper.

Scott Hammond: Okay, so you know where that is? Yeah.

Scott Binder: I do.

Scott Hammond: Gotcha.

Um, any, any regrets in your life?

Scott Binder: Well, if, if I were to say I've had any regrets,

selfish of me to say because God planned out my life the way that He wanted it to go.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Binder: And so, no, if I said I had any regrets, it would be,

against God's will for me.

Scott Hammond: That's a good, good answer. I love it.

I like that answer. What, what do you want it to say on your could, you could write it or pre-write it? So just the essence of it, what would you, what would you have, have them write on that?

Scott Binder: I've never thought of that.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: I've never thought about dying.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. [laughs] That's… Really, ever?

Scott Binder: Not really.

Scott Hammond: Okay. Good. Sorry to introduce that.

[laughs]

Scott Binder: I know.

I know I'm-

Scott Hammond: Maybe not. Maybe that's a great thing

Scott Binder: … I know I'm, I know I'm going to sometime,

know. I don't get to choose what day I die.

Scott Hammond: Good point.

Scott Binder: Um,

I don't have an obituary written.

Scott Hammond: That's good. Okay.

Scott Binder: Although I know some people who do, however, but-

Scott Hammond: Some of us pre-write them, yeah. People are hardcore.

Scott Binder: Yeah. But I-

Scott Hammond: Well, let's talk about death for a while.

[laughs] It's like, it's like we've not gone here yet, so.

Scott Binder: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Of all people, you would, you would play it, play it straight up.

So, um, the other thing that Joni's dad said, coming into this podcast today so much, is, "Nobody gets out of here alive." [laughs]

Scott Binder: That's right.

Scott Hammond: Like, [laughs] like an old crime s- crime show.

Scott Binder: Yeah. There are the only things that we know for sure.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: Death and taxes.

Scott Hammond: No, I like that, though. You, you don't control the day or the time, and

m- and maybe for some of us, we don't see it coming. That's, that's probably okay rather than five lingering cancer, which-

Scott Binder: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … we've all seen, and it's unpleasant.

Scott Binder: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: That's true.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. You know, terrible. So, um,

yeah. Uh, tombstone quote. I'm not gonna let you off

Anything?

Scott Binder: I don't know.

Scott Hammond: I don't know. May… That might be a good one. I don't know.

Scott Binder: Happy in sobriety, maybe.

Scott Hammond: There you go. Okay. That's good. I'm so glad

It's so cool. I know, um, it doesn't… Sobriety's not, uh, something people talk about a lot 'cause You know, Tom came to our house, and I said, "Tom," Joni's dad-

Scott Binder: Mm.

Scott Hammond: "We're having a barbecue this week, and every, you know, Matt

a- adult kids are here. Everybody's gonna have a couple of beers. Is that, uh, is that okay with you? Is that gonna blow your mind?" He goes, most of America has one or two drinks every night."

Scott Binder: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: He goes, "If I have one or two, I wake up 11 days later."

Scott Binder: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: [laughs] He goes, "I can't handle it.

Please, you know, have, have a beer, whatever you wanna have, but I'm not gonna partake if you don't mind." And I said, "Of course I don't."

Scott Binder: Yeah, that's my opinion, too. You know, when I f-

um, you know, my ev- you know, people were on pins and needles, you know, about drinking around me because, um-

Scott Hammond: Sure

Scott Binder: … my, uh, family in town, they like to have beer and, and wine with

their dinners-

Scott Hammond: Sure

Scott Binder: … and stuff, and they're very uncomfortable.

Scott Hammond: Mm.

Scott Binder: They thought for sure if, you know, it would trigger me

But no. No, it doesn't.

Scott Hammond: I think it stems from respect, right, and care, and the, people don't-

Scott Binder: It does

Scott Hammond: … make it weird.

Scott Binder: But I've also made it very clear that it, that,

you know, I'm, I'm the one with the problem.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: You don't have the problem.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: You can enjoy this. I can't, and that's okay.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: Give me a Coke.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, that, nothing wrong with that.

Scott Binder: I'll be happy.

Scott Hammond: And some people have a developing problem with their drinking,

they may or may not see it, but that was their journey, you know? And I, um-My dad, uh, you know, instilled in me a lot of stuff early on that was really, um, you know, his personal responsibility. I think you're a big– You haven't said those words yet, but I, I know that you're all about personal whether or not you're serving the community or commenting on Facebook.

And I think-

Scott Binder: Well, I was, I was taught, uh, ethics by my dad by

example.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Binder: So.

Scott Hammond: And accountability. We're all accountable.

Scott Binder: We are all accountable.

Scott Hammond: Whether we know it or not.

Scott Binder: Along with honesty.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. And honesty. I think those are all stellar,

know, sobriety, um, you know, n-not a bad deal and, and probably underplayed. And although they, they say the, uh, the non-alcoholic beer is, is not only m- uh, not a resurgence, it's a whole new wave. It's th-that people are, are dri- you know, they want the beer hit without the beer

alcohol hit.

Scott Binder: Well, you know what? Non-alcoholics…

Non-alcoholic beer is for non-alcoholics.

Scott Hammond: There you go. [laughs]

Scott Binder: So we'll just let them go ahead and drink that,

water.

Scott Hammond: And your Coke.

Scott Binder: And my Coke and all the coffee I drink.

Scott Hammond: Funny, Jodi's dad, one more time, uh, hey, Tom,

you. You're on the show today. He drank Cokes. He got sober, and he would… Jodi would pick up s- I go, our fridge?" She goes, "My dad's coming to town." "Oh, okay." He's the only guy. He would never touch coffee. He goes, "How do you put that in your body? Coffee? That's awful. What are you talking about?"

Scott Binder: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: And I go, "Look at you chugging,

[laughs] chugging a six-pack of Coke. Who's talking here?"

Scott Binder: I don't do Starbucks at all. You know-

Scott Hammond: Oh, God.

Scott Binder: I can't justify spending-

Scott Hammond: Oh my gosh

Scott Binder: … you know, four or five bucks for a coffee.

Scott Hammond: There was a day it was a treat and a therapy, and now it's,

well go get a roasted chicken for four ninety-nine at, at Costco and eat for a week than, you know, a, a small mocha for five bucks. It's just, it doesn't add up.

Scott Binder: Oh, you bet.

Scott Hammond: Anyway, any parting shots? Anyth-anything else about you,

Humboldt?

Scott Binder: No. I'm just glad to, I'm just g- frankly,

Scott Hammond: There you… That's-

Scott Binder: You know? And, and I'm here, and I'm participating, and, um,

I'm having a real fun day.

Scott Hammond: Nice. Give us those web- those Facebook sites one more time with

folks wanted to come on and, and follow them, and do, like a couple of questions?

Scott Binder: Humboldt County On Alert.

Scott Hammond: On Humboldt County On Alert.

Scott Binder: Yes.

Scott Hammond: That's on Facebook.

Scott Binder: Yeah. That's the, that's the one.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Binder: The only vetting is, is that you be a local person.

Scott Hammond: Okay. Good enough. Well, Scott Binder,

Hum- Humboldt podcast.

Scott Binder: You bet. Thank you for having me.

Scott Hammond: All right. We'll see you soon. Thanks again.

Scott Binder: Okay.