#62. From Motocross to Leadership: Ross Creech on Earthquakes, Community, and Humboldt’s Future

Scott Hammond: Hey, Scott Hammond with, uh, 100% Humboldt with my new best friend, Ross Creech.

Ross Creech: Hey there.

Scott Hammond: Welcome, everybody. And, uh, here we are to talk about, uh, the big earthquake of the day. Might as well start there.

Ross Creech: Yeah, that was, that was, uh, some excitement, man.

Ross Creech: Uh, you know, down there we're qu- we're at Quality Body, which we're 15 feet elevation.

Scott Hammond: That's right. You're on the bay.

Ross Creech: Uh, so you know, the, the remarkable thing was is that, that all of a sudden phones start going off and-

Scott Hammond: Oh, yeah

Ross Creech: … you look down and, and, and you're reading earthquake and, and about the time you're figuring out what's going on, the-

Scott Hammond: Right

Ross Creech: … the, the ground started shaking, so.

Scott Hammond: Mine went off. I'm looking at it.

Scott Hammond: I go, "Here it comes."

Ross Creech: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: I go, "This has gotta be a test," right?

Ross Creech: Pretty-

Scott Hammond: My initial two seconds was BS test, and then, and then the whole building starts shaking downtown. I'm going, "Oh, crap."

Ross Creech: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And so-

Ross Creech: I mean, that was a, it was a doozy. It, it, it was… It's amazing, though. It's like how… That it actually worked. You know, like-

Scott Hammond: It actually did work. It gave you a little-

Ross Creech: And-

Scott Hammond: … enough warning to where I… Uh, I hate to admit this, uh, in public, but I, after 65 years of earthquakes, I actually went under the desk.

Ross Creech: Okay. Well, yeah, and you… I think it, I think the-

Scott Hammond: It, it enabled me to do that

Ross Creech: … the message said to do that. It said, like-

Scott Hammond: It actually did

Ross Creech: … stop, drop. It didn't say roll, but uh-

Scott Hammond: It said cover

Ross Creech: … take cover, right?

Scott Hammond: Yeah. So today's December 20- uh, 5th, 2024, and at 10:33 today, there was a s- 7.0, which is way bigger than a 6.9 it turns out, 'cause they're exponential, the Richter scale.

Ross Creech: Yep.

Scott Hammond: And it was right offshore, uh, Rio Dell. And actually there was a… Was there a couple, I think.

Ross Creech: And they, yeah, people were feeling aftershocks, but I think maybe adrenaline for me was going. But what was interesting to me too is it was like- … I've, I've experienced, you know, in Humboldt County and, uh, we've experienced a lot of earthquakes, but this thing, it, it like had this swaying action. It, it-

Scott Hammond: It was really weird, huh?

Ross Creech: It was almost like you're on a boat and-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Ross Creech: … a drunken sailor type of thing, you know?

Scott Hammond: Well, the drunken sailor carried on for like a minute, right?

Ross Creech: Yeah, yeah.

Scott Hammond: It was so weird.

Ross Creech: And you stand out there, and, and we… I don't like to be in our, our front half of our building's a, a few decades old, so I prefer not to be… You know, the back half is, is rel- you know, and then is relatively new, so. But yeah, we don't… Those of us in the front of the building, "Let's go outside. We'd rather be outside." But-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Ross Creech: … we're watching everything moving around and, you know, it was, it was wild. And then, then you get that tsunami alert.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. You know that feeling when you're off of an elevator and you're still kinda

Scott Hammond: moving?

Ross Creech: Yep.

Scott Hammond: That was today, but it was moving.

Ross Creech: But it was actually moving.

Scott Hammond: I'm watching my door going, "Crap, we're still moving here."

Ross Creech: Yeah, our lights were swaying and, uh-

Scott Hammond: Oh, yeah

Ross Creech: … and, "Okay, what do we do now?" And then, then about that time you get the alert for the tsunami, and then-

Scott Hammond: Right

Ross Creech: … at that time you don't know. Tsu- tsunami alert and it's saying, "Get to high ground," and, and is that,

Ross Creech: is that two miles offshore? We didn't, we didn't know it was, it was 30, 40 miles away at that time. You know, so it's-

Scott Hammond: Was it that far?

Ross Creech: I, I… Well, w- how far is Rio Dell? I don't know. Don't know.

Scott Hammond: Rio Dell is, uh, I don't know, 12 miles from Eureka, 15.

Ross Creech: And then it was out in the ocean, so yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, so it probably out there. Yeah, go figure. So yeah, you guys are right in the zone down in the bay.

Ross Creech: We're in the zone, so we-

Scott Hammond: Right over here on my map, you guys are right over there in Eureka. There's… Anyway, so.

Ross Creech: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Just playing.

Ross Creech: We're just south of Costco right there. I mean, we're probably 300 yards from, from the actual water and then, uh, only a few feet up, up above it, so we-

Scott Hammond: So did y'all go to high ground? Did you guys just get in cars-

Ross Creech: Yeah, we-

Scott Hammond: … and get, book out of there?

Ross Creech: We all got in our cars and, uh, I think we, uh, most… A lot of the lights even stayed on and-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Ross Creech: … uh, probably the f- looking back, the funniest part of the story is

Ross Creech: my, my, my dad isn't too involved in the business anymore, but he, he still comes down in the mornings and-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … tells me we're doing it wrong and, uh-

Scott Hammond: Of course. That's what dads do, right?

Ross Creech: You know? Right. And, uh-

Scott Hammond: Come on, man

Ross Creech: … well, he was out walking his dog, and so we get to high ground and, and, "Hey, what are you doing? You all right? Where are you?" And, uh, "So where are you?" "I'm back at the shop." "Dad, there's a tsunami warning. What are you doing?"

Scott Hammond: Oh, Dad went down to the shop?

Ross Creech: And so, uh, y- you know, it's like-

Scott Hammond: He's the only guy in Humboldt

Ross Creech: … like, "What are you, a pirate? You're going down with the ship? Like, what are you doing?"

Scott Hammond: He's the only guy in West Del Norte, in the whole area.

Ross Creech: Exactly. But-

Scott Hammond: What are you doing, man?

Ross Creech: But he's going down with the ship, man, so.

Scott Hammond: That's… Hey.

Ross Creech: Fortunately-

Scott Hammond: Thank, thank goodness there was no wave. Yeah, I, I walked out of my building downtown by the Eureka & Mccranie sign, and I look around, Nick, and it's a freaking Hollywood disaster set. There's cars. It's, it's like honk, honk, honk, and there's-

Ross Creech: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … sirens, and there's clusters of people on every corner where there's, like, no people in the morning. There's like 40, and then we went in the parking lot and it was all the county people.

Scott Hammond: There's maybe 100 people in this parking lot. You know, 'cause they have, in their drills, the county people have to drill to go to certain places. So, um, turns out we're okay. All clear. I haven't heard of any injuries. Have you guys?

Ross Creech: I don't think so, no. Um, at my, my house, my… We're on a well, and it shook and, uh, the water to the house were okay, but the, the, there's a larger pipe coming out for the fire-

Scott Hammond: Oh

Ross Creech: … fire to hook up to.

Scott Hammond: It cracked?

Ross Creech: And it ruptured-

Scott Hammond: Oh

Ross Creech: … clean through and, uh-

Scott Hammond: Oh, wow

Ross Creech: … fortunately the, the, uh, got… There's a nice valve on the front end of that, so.

Scott Hammond: Shut her down.

Ross Creech: Didn't lose all our water out of the well, but that was, that was the mo- the-

Scott Hammond: We had cracks in the roof. We have, uh, stucco, the old plaster-

Ross Creech: Mm-hmm

Scott Hammond: … instead of drywall. There's plaster walls 'cause it's a, it's an antique historical home, the Panocchi Building in Old Town.

Ross Creech: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: In Old Town. Used to be in Old Town. Anyway, uh, we have cracks now,

Scott Hammond: or new ones.

Ross Creech: New ones.

Scott Hammond: And some old ones that have reappeared that were kind of covered up before, but I don't think it's structurally a problem.

Ross Creech: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: We walked around, so.

Ross Creech: Character.

Scott Hammond: Hey, that's the earthquake report from Ross and Scott-

Ross Creech: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … and thanks for coming. Ross Creech, tell us the Ross Creech story. You're, you're 100% Humboldt? Are you born here?

Ross Creech: Yeah, yeah. Uh, Ross Creech, first podcast ever, so, uh, you know, yahoo, uh, excited to be here.

Scott Hammond: Hey, man. Glad to have you.

Ross Creech: And, uh, um, looking at your, your list, you know, and, and kind of, and, and following you a little bit, uh, pretty cool to, you know, you've got quite the, um, Humboldt legends, and it's neat to see the, the story,

Ross Creech: um-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Ross Creech: … but, uh, but yeah, I, I'm born and raised in Humboldt, um-

Scott Hammond: Thank you, by the way.

Ross Creech: Yeah, yeah. I can't, can't help it, but here we are. Uh, but, uh, oh, yeah. Um, but, uh, South Bay Elementary School.

Ross Creech: Um- What's cool about South Bay, um, I think I'm the… I've never met anybody that can say this outside of South Bay that, uh… I think we're within a quarter mile of a animal shelter, a power plant, and a strip club. So that was like-

Scott Hammond: That's a claim to fame.

Ross Creech: So-

Scott Hammond: Former strip club. Th- they're shut down now.

Ross Creech: Yeah, I, I, I believe so. Yeah.

Scott Hammond: They… I think they shut before COVID.

Ross Creech: Uh, yeah, a while back probably.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: But, uh, but yeah, that's always my, you know, uh-

Scott Hammond: And the power plant that was nuclear.

Ross Creech: Was nuclear and, uh-

Scott Hammond: On a f- and built on a fault.

Ross Creech: You know? Yeah, yeah, exactly.

Scott Hammond: Wasn't their fault.

Ross Creech: Yeah. Yeah, exactly.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: And so, um, yeah, and then, uh, s- Zane, Zane and Eureka High and, um, when I was 18, uh, pretty much right out of high school, I, I moved to Sacramento.

Ross Creech: Um, did some time down there. Uh, Nick here, his studio, I noted he had a Sierra College, um, sticker on his, on his

Ross Creech: Ranger.

Scott Hammond: Sierra?

Ross Creech: Yep. So I did, did a couple years down there.

Ross Creech: Uh-

Scott Hammond: Is that a JC in Sac?

Ross Creech: JC in Rocklin.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Okay.

Ross Creech: So East, East Sac. And, um-

Scott Hammond: Did you go to Sierra? Cool.

Ross Creech: Yeah. And, uh, yeah, so we shared war stories earlier, but-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … um, but yeah, I was down there. I was racing dirt bikes at the time. Um, kind of had hopes to… I was at a point where, you know, I had some sponsors, some help.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Ross Creech: You know, I was, I was getting serious with it, and, uh, there's just more opportunities down there. And I-

Scott Hammond: Sure

Ross Creech: … I kind of got to a point where, uh, being down there, I was, I was closer. It was easier to, to, to be involved, but got to that point where I was either gonna start, you know, make… You know, getting, making some pro races and doing that kind of stuff or hurt myself, and I, I landed on my head a few too many times, and, uh-

Scott Hammond: Wow. Are you the guys who do the big, the big jumps?

Ross Creech: Uh-

Scott Hammond: The trick, the tricks?

Ross Creech: … not, not the freestyle stuff. Um, those guys are, those guys are a whole different breed of-

Scott Hammond: Like the monster team. Those guys are-

Ross Creech: Yeah, those guys are wild. Um, those guys… No, I'm not, I'm not going upside down.

Ross Creech: Um-

Scott Hammond: Okay. So you're, you're doing motocross and-

Ross Creech: Motocross, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Got it.

Ross Creech: And, uh, so, so yeah, I, I did that a couple years and like, you know, I got to where I knocked myself loony a couple times and, uh, and, and kind of scared myself.

Ross Creech: I, I-

Scott Hammond: Sure

Ross Creech: … was off, out, knocked out off a triple jump down at, uh, the track was Prairie City, or Hangtown is the famous… Um, but yeah, knocked myself out for, you know, it was-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Ross Creech: … out for five, 10 minutes.

Scott Hammond: Is that out Folsom, El Dorado?

Ross Creech: Correct.

Scott Hammond: Prairie City.

Ross Creech: Yeah, off, off 50.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: The fif- um…

Scott Hammond: Huh.

Ross Creech: And, uh, and that, at that point it was, I kind of hung up the racing boots and-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … I've, I've continued to ride off and on and-

Scott Hammond: Were you married at the time and had kids or just, you know?

Ross Creech: No. No, no. I was-

Scott Hammond: Indes- indestructibly young

Ross Creech: … yeah, yeah, exactly and-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Ross Creech: … dumb and all that good stuff.

Ross Creech: But, uh-

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: Uh, yeah, and then at that point I, I still had good grades through Sierra, and I- … realized I better focus on the, the studies a little bit

Ross Creech: more and-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Ross Creech: 'Cause I di- I wasn't gonna make any money on dirt bikes, so.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: Um, so at that time I, I had a couple friends that had a, a room open up in, um, San Luis Obispo, and I was able to transfer into San Luis Obispo.

Scott Hammond: Sweet.

Ross Creech: Cal Poly.

Scott Hammond: Good school.

Ross Creech: Yeah. Yeah. Had a good, good-

Scott Hammond: What'd you study there?

Ross Creech: Uh, business with a concentration in human resource

Ross Creech: management.

Scott Hammond: Super smart, man.

Ross Creech: General.

Scott Hammond: And great community. I love that community down there.

Ross Creech: Yeah, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Pretty cool.

Ross Creech: Um, yeah, well, half of that was I could never make up my mind, and I knew it was a, a pretty, a pretty general education. And, and also I grew up in a, around a body shop, uh, you know, family business.

Scott Hammond: Which is a bus- business, yeah.

Ross Creech: And, uh, and, and kind of had that, you know, mentality already, so, so mi- and, and it came natural, and I enjoyed it, so.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: Um.

Scott Hammond: Great, great school. Yeah, I always think a business degree is the way to go 'cause how do you, how do you not run into business in real life?

Ross Creech: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: You know?

Ross Creech: Yeah. I mean, there's, uh, a lot of transferable skills in, you know-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … other, other areas and industries and-

Scott Hammond: So did you graduated at SLO?

Ross Creech: Graduated from SLO, Cal Poly SLO.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Ross Creech: The, the Cal Poly, as I call it around here.

Scott Hammond: The…

Ross Creech: Um-

Scott Hammond: Put a couple people that-

Ross Creech: Being, being snobby, I suppose, but, uh-

Scott Hammond: Couple people on the show, still Humboldt State to me.

Ross Creech: Right.

Scott Hammond: Okay, great.

Ross Creech: Yeah, yeah.

Scott Hammond: It's-

Ross Creech: Uh, no, it's great to see what's, what's happening up there in Arcata, uh, as well, at Cal Poly, so.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, starting to pull it together with… Hey, they brought the Beach Boys in a couple months ago.

Ross Creech: There you go.

Scott Hammond: How could that be bad?

Ross Creech: That's an indicator of success, right?

Scott Hammond: That's… We're coming. We're coming up.

Ross Creech: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: So did you come immediately back to the family business after graduating?

Ross Creech: Uh, no. No, and I had, had, didn't have… You know, I, I actually, you know, spent 18 years growing up here, and then I've, I've… didn't move back. It was 15 years I was away.

Scott Hammond: Oh, wow.

Ross Creech: Um, and so, no, and, and, you know, early on it wasn't, wasn't necessarily destined that I was gonna be working at qual-, you know-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Ross Creech: … family business. Um, in fact it was, "Oh, we might give you a job,"

Ross Creech: you know?

Scott Hammond: Yeah. We'll think it, we'll think about it.

Ross Creech: And then over the years that softened a little bit and, um, you know, to where… You know, and, and during that time I, I found myself in… I, I moved to Los Angeles with my now-wife

Ross Creech: and, uh, I went to work for Mission Linen-

Scott Hammond: Oh, wow

Ross Creech: … which there's a location here in Eureka.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Ross Creech: And, uh, went to work for them and eventually worked my way up to where I was running their facility in Santa Maria, California.

Scott Hammond: Oh, cool.

Ross Creech: So I worked out a couple plants in, uh, so- in LA area, and then we found ourselves back in the San Luis Obispo area, and I was running that plant and had about 80 employees and, um-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Ross Creech: … all the headaches that come with-

Scott Hammond: Sure

Ross Creech: … all that stuff, and we were doing seven million pounds worth of, or $7 million worth of laundry a

Ross Creech: year. Uh-

Scott Hammond: Which is a bit of laundry

Ross Creech: … which is crazy.

Scott Hammond: It's quite a load of laundry.

Ross Creech: It's a lot of laundry, man. A lot of dirty money.

Scott Hammond: You should see the size of that washer and dryer.

Ross Creech: Yeah. Yeah. It's a, it's… It was wild.

Ross Creech: Um, uh-

Scott Hammond: So you were based in SLO at that point?

Ross Creech: Um, at-

Scott Hammond: Or Santa Maria

Ross Creech: … Arroyo Grande was-

Scott Hammond: Sure

Ross Creech: … where, where we were living.

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Ross Creech: And, um-

Scott Hammond: I have a sister that has a restaurant there

Ross Creech: Oh, really?

Scott Hammond: Ever eat at the Old Village Grill?

Ross Creech: Oh, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Oh, yeah. Burgers.

Ross Creech: Yep, yep.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: Nice.

Scott Hammond: And now she owns, uh, Pizza Republic out by the airport in SLO.

Ross Creech: Oh, okay. Okay.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, but the Old Village Grill's been there a long time.

Ross Creech: I don't, yeah, I don't, I'd never done the pizza place, but, uh, but Old Village Grill, absolutely. Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Arroyo's cool.

Ross Creech: It's a, it's a cool old kinda, they call it the Village, you know?

Scott Hammond: The Village is really cool, yeah.

Ross Creech: And, uh, yeah, it was, it was a neat place, and that's where our, our kids were both born when we were down there. And-

Scott Hammond: Well, how about the… You ever been to the guitar shop across the street there? It's, this guy's had this g- music shop for like-

Ross Creech: Man, I can't carry a tune in a bucket.

Ross Creech: Uh

Scott Hammond: You went over there shopping for guitars, okay.

Ross Creech: Uh-

Scott Hammond: He's got this historical music shop that's been there for-

Ross Creech: Really?

Scott Hammond: … 80 years or something.

Ross Creech: You know what, now that you're saying that, I, I do, I can visualize it, but yeah,

Ross Creech: I,

Ross Creech: I-

Scott Hammond: He's got like 10,000 guitars. It's just pretty magical for a guitar player. So where did you live in LA?

Ross Creech: Uh, Eagle Rock.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: My wife was living down there. She was editing. So right out of college she was, um, she was already down there. She was an editor for, um, at the ti- or she wasn't an editor at that time, but she was working for Extreme Makeover Home

Ross Creech: Edition-

Scott Hammond: Oh, wow

Ross Creech: … um, as an a- assistant editor I believe at that time. But she, she had a pretty cool career that she-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … was setting up for herself.

Ross Creech: And-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … um, so that's, I went down there to follow her, and, uh, did some time down there. Uh

Scott Hammond: Did some time.

Ross Creech: It's, it's too busy down there for me, man.

Scott Hammond: In the city of Eagle Rock?

Ross Creech: So the Eagle Rock, uh-

Scott Hammond: That used to be a little rough neighborhood back in the day, I think.

Ross Creech: Nah, I think it, uh-

Scott Hammond: It's probably gentrified now

Ross Creech: … it's, yeah, it wasn't too, it's, now it's, yeah, it's, it's flipped.

Ross Creech: I think-

Scott Hammond: Every home's worth a jillion dollars.

Ross Creech: Yeah, yeah.

Scott Hammond: It's, yeah.

Ross Creech: Um, but we were living in a tiny little, I mean, not much bigger than this studio little place down there.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Did you guys meet down there, or it's cool?

Ross Creech: Uh, we met at my cousin's wedding, um, in Park City, Utah-

Scott Hammond: That's funny

Ross Creech: … of all places. Yeah, so-

Scott Hammond: My-

Ross Creech: … uh, and then we stayed in contact long distance

Scott Hammond: My son just met his future whatever she is, uh, at a wedding in Phoenix.

Ross Creech: It, it-

Scott Hammond: So-

Ross Creech: … it happens, man.

Scott Hammond: Hey, Aaron. Hey, Lauren. Yeah. No, it's great.

Ross Creech: But, uh-

Scott Hammond: Awesome

Ross Creech: … but yeah, so I followed her to Los Angeles, and, um, you know, and, and, and she, she got a pretty cool career going. She, she's edited some shows.

Ross Creech: Um, oh, gosh. Deadliest Catch. Um-

Scott Hammond: Sure

Ross Creech: … what's, what's some of the other ones? Uh, Flying Wild Alaska was another one.

Ross Creech: Uh-

Scott Hammond: So Discovery Network stuff?

Ross Creech: Yeah, yeah. And so-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Ross Creech: … so yeah, she, um, and then like I said, I, I took that role at the Santa Maria-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … Mission Linen. Um, and then around that time she, we were pregnant with, uh, our first kid, so, um, so eventually she moved up to-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Ross Creech: … uh, or we moved up to Arroyo Grande. And, um, we were, we were there for, gosh, seven years I think. Five, six.

Ross Creech: Anyway-

Scott Hammond: Nice

Ross Creech: … um, for, for quite a while, and-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … and running the, the laundry plant. And, and didn't have a ton of plan… You know, at that point, um, there was no body shop on the future, you know? It was, we, we've had a pretty good setup.

Ross Creech: But-

Scott Hammond: Dad had his job up there that he did.

Ross Creech: Yeah, yeah. And we were, we were, we were good. Um, but, but as he, you know, they got to a point where they wanted to see a, you know, retirement plan, and-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … um, they were talking about potentially selling it, and that's when it got my attention where, "Okay, all right, let's talk." I, the idea of seeing our, you know, it was, it was my grandpa's business in 1978 started, and then dad-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Ross Creech: … and uncle in the '90s took over.

Ross Creech: And-

Scott Hammond: Succession plan.

Ross Creech: Yeah, and it was like, "Nah."

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: "I can't see a different name on the side of that place."

Scott Hammond: Huh.

Ross Creech: Or, or, you know? So-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Ross Creech: … so that's where we, our talks got a little more serious, and, uh, the recruiting, the recruiting took place-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Ross Creech: … uh, to, to figure out-

Scott Hammond: So they had to sell you the job-

Ross Creech: Uh-

Scott Hammond: … a little bit

Ross Creech: … less me, more my wife. My wife likes warm weather.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Ross Creech: Uh, and so, uh-

Scott Hammond: Hey, it's pretty warm here today

Ross Creech: … ish, yeah.

Scott Hammond: It's-

Ross Creech: So-

Scott Hammond: We were in Bedford over the weekend. It was 35 and ice crystals and fog, and we came up to-

Ross Creech: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … 52, and I'm going-

Ross Creech: 50… Yeah, you're right. You're right

Scott Hammond: … this feels like Arizona.

Ross Creech: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: It's great.

Ross Creech: Yeah. Um, I mean-

Scott Hammond: And there's blue sky and-

Ross Creech: Yeah. And it, and we've had some… You're right. It hasn't been cold. Uh, but she's also the one that will, has a parka, uh, on, you know? So she-

Scott Hammond: 24/7 parka.

Ross Creech: So-

Scott Hammond: No, I understand. Yeah.

Ross Creech: Um, but yeah, we came, and then we made our way back up here, so that was

Ross Creech: 2017. And, uh, and been here ever since.

Scott Hammond: Now she's a bodybuilder, right?

Ross Creech: Yeah. Uh, she's a, yeah, so, um, she's a f- bikini fitness, yeah, uh, essentially bodybuilding.

Scott Hammond: Has she won awards and, and, uh-

Ross Creech: And she's, she's awesome at it

Scott Hammond: … competitions?

Ross Creech: Yeah, so kinda, um, she has won a couple different, um, she's a trophy wife.

Ross Creech: Uh

Scott Hammond: Like, like to hear it.

Ross Creech: I never, I never imagined I'd

Scott Hammond: Cheers to the trophy wives.

Ross Creech: Yeah, right? So funny. Um, but yeah, so she's won, literally won these-

Scott Hammond: That's awesome

Ross Creech: … competitions as a-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Ross Creech: … in bodybuilding.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: And, uh, she's a personal trainer. Uh, shameless plug, Little Mama Fit, uh, uh, on Instagram. But, uh

Scott Hammond: Nice. That's so cool.

Ross Creech: But, but yeah, she-

Scott Hammond: How many kids?

Ross Creech: Um, we have two kids.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: Theo and Ollie. They're 8 and 11 out of Freshwater.

Scott Hammond: Nice.

Ross Creech: And, uh-

Scott Hammond: Our son Mike is 20. He's a lifter, and so we've talked before.

Ross Creech: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And I, I know, um, you gave me a few good ideas or, you know, "Hey, get out of the area.

Scott Hammond: Go compete."

Ross Creech: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And Mike could put up, uh, 455 pounds.

Ross Creech: That's, that's a lot of-

Scott Hammond: That's a lot of, that's a lot of iron

Ross Creech: … yeah. Yeah, that's a lot.

Scott Hammond: And, uh, he holds the record up at HealthSport in Arcata.

Ross Creech: That's amazing.

Scott Hammond: But we'll see. You know, if he keeps vaping, that may, that may change.

Ross Creech: Yeah. That's, that's right. Yeah. That's what, that was the-

Scott Hammond: It's like all the acquired bad habits

Ross Creech: … that is counterproductive to-

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Come on, Micah

Ross Creech: … strength training, I think so.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Pull it together, man.

Ross Creech: But-

Scott Hammond: So you guys came up here and took the j- obviously you took the job.

Ross Creech: Took the job. Uh, made the sale to, to the spouse, and, uh, it's, um, yeah, yeah. And we've, um, we've kinda settled in, and, um, it's been good, man.

Ross Creech: Um, you know, there's, there's always, you know, anytime you move, whether it's across town but especially across the state-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … you know, it's a 10-hour, 10-hour journey I think to get … drive back down that way, but-

Scott Hammond: It's a long drive down

Ross Creech: … so it's, it's a long, you know, uproot and, um, but yeah, it's been, it's been a lot, uh, pretty

Ross Creech: rewarding.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Ross Creech: Um, and, and working back into the family business has been, has been really neat. And-

Scott Hammond: And not everybody does that anymore, yeah.

Ross Creech: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: I think that's cool.

Ross Creech: Yeah. And, um, and you know, it, it, I didn't want to

Ross Creech: … I, I tried to be quiet about me being involved for, for a few years. You know-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Ross Creech: … I wanted it to, you know, we've always, uh, you know, kudos to my parents or my dad, uncle, and grandfather, you know, have always maintained a strong reputation with our business.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Ross Creech: And, uh-

Scott Hammond: Oh, yeah

Ross Creech: … really tried to keep it that way, and, and it-

Scott Hammond: What's the name of that business again?

Ross Creech: It's Quality Body Works.

Scott Hammond: Quality Body Works, man.

Ross Creech: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: On West Del Norte, right?

Ross Creech: Yep. Yep.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, I think it-

Ross Creech: And so-

Scott Hammond: We can shamelessly plug that for, for a little while.

Ross Creech: Well, yeah. Yeah. And, uh-

Scott Hammond: No, you guys are award-winning. It's … I think that's

Scott Hammond: … Local business, man. I, that's the, that's America.

Ross Creech: Yeah. Yeah. And, and, uh, yeah, it's been, it's been good, man. And, and all of these skills that I learned, you know, in a laundry plant, um, in college, and it's, it's been rewarding to bring some of those skills-

Scott Hammond: Sure

Ross Creech: … into, you know, our business that-

Scott Hammond: How many employees do you guys have?

Ross Creech: Uh, I think we're

Ross Creech: … I can't keep track, but, uh, we've got, we've got de- if, count the intern, you know, those guy, um, but I think we're at 23.

Scott Hammond: That's a pretty good size.

Ross Creech: Yeah, yeah, 20,000 square foot facility and-

Scott Hammond: Right, real big.

Ross Creech: And yeah. Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: And so we just got-

Scott Hammond: So as a State Farm agent, you guys are very important to-

Ross Creech: Yep

Scott Hammond: … to what we're about.

Ross Creech: That, that's-

Scott Hammond: You know?

Ross Creech: That's initially how I think we met.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: And, and absolutely we're in the same world and-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Ross Creech: … um, work together and-

Scott Hammond: So, uh, tell me a little bit about the business community while you adjust your mic this way, towards yourself.

Ross Creech: There.

Scott Hammond: There you go. Um-

Ross Creech: Business community. Um, well, I, I serve on the Chamber of Commerce. I'm the, the chairman for the chamber for, um-

Scott Hammond: Is, is it president or chairman?

Ross Creech: I don't, uh, well, you pick.

Ross Creech: I-

Scott Hammond: I guess she … Is Nancy the president?

Scott Hammond: She's-

Ross Creech: She's CEO.

Scott Hammond: She's the CEO, right?

Ross Creech: So I, do I get to choose that title? But I, chair-

Scott Hammond: I think you're some-

Ross Creech: Chairperson?

Scott Hammond: I think you're some sort of president.

Ross Creech: President?

Scott Hammond: Maybe.

Ross Creech: I'll, yeah, yeah.

Scott Hammond: But you, uh-

Ross Creech: I'll take it

Scott Hammond: … you, you yell at people and-

Ross Creech: Uh, no

Scott Hammond: … tell them what to do.

Ross Creech: No, no, I usually take orders.

Scott Hammond: No, you're the chief, chief servant, yeah.

Ross Creech: You know, it's, it's like the lead, follow, or get out of the way, right?

Ross Creech: And, and so-

Scott Hammond: And so you'll be replaced in January?

Scott Hammond: Is it-

Ross Creech: Uh-

Scott Hammond: Is it annual?

Ross Creech: Yeah. We're having some conversations. Um, so I'm, I'm, I serve one more year on the board-

Scott Hammond: Okay

Ross Creech: … and in theory I'd be stepping out of the role.

Ross Creech: But, um, I guess we'll make it official. And Nan- Nancy and I have been talking, and, and Theresa, but, um, but I think I'm gonna do another year, uh, as the, the chair or president or whatever we're calling it.

Scott Hammond: Heard it here first, folks.

Ross Creech: There we go. Um-

Scott Hammond: Breaking news.

Ross Creech: Yeah. And, and ideally I'm stepping down and, and passing it along. Um, but we've, we've really worked on stabilizing some of our committees. Um, and we've got some real rock stars in there-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … uh, chairing our committees.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Ross Creech: Theresa's ready to step into my role.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Ross Creech: Um, but the issue then as we were kind of assessing who we ha- you know, we, we were gonna have a gap at if we … The, the logical people to move into of, say, a vice role, we would've had to then take them out of our committee roles.

Scott Hammond: Oh.

Ross Creech: So I'll, I'll be doing another year as the chair, uh, to give us time to kinda main- just maintain-

Scott Hammond: Solidify the whole thing

Ross Creech: … ex- exactly.

Scott Hammond: So-

Ross Creech: And-

Scott Hammond: Is it normally a one-year term as a chair person?

Ross Creech: They are … Well, on the board it's a three-year, three-year term.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Ross Creech: Uh, and it can be repeated once.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Ross Creech: So six years. Um, and then it's typically a, a one-year term. So you'll vice president-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … and then, uh, president.

Ross Creech: So, so-

Scott Hammond: So Nancy was, is the chamber

Scott Hammond: CEO.

Ross Creech: She's the CEO.

Scott Hammond: One of, one of our first guests, and she's doing amazing stuff with the chamber.

Ross Creech: Yeah, she-

Scott Hammond: Let's talk about that. So she's-

Ross Creech: Chamber

Scott Hammond: … the chamber's the foundation now?

Ross Creech: So yeah, you, you've heard from Nancy. She's a rock star. Um, and so she … We're do- There's a lot of cool stuff. Um, and probably the biggest thing that, that she has brought on or that she has, has, uh, jumped into is, is we created a separate from the chamber but connected to the chamber a foundation, the Redwood Coast Chamber Foundation.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Ross Creech: And that's a 501 [c] [3] , so that allows the chamber to be involved in some funding opportunities, grants, and things like that-

Scott Hammond: Right

Ross Creech: … um, that really open the doors for more collaboration within the business community, the local other chambers-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … in the area. Um, and so it's, it's been, it's been exciting.

Ross Creech: Um, there are a number of programs and, and s- a- and it's really in the last couple years a- and so it's, it's come a long ways and, and we are primed for, you know, positioned very well for growth in the future-

Scott Hammond: That's cool

Ross Creech: … and, and opportunities, being able to seize opportunities. Um, some of the … The thing that is the most exciting to me, the thing that really kinda brought me to the chamber and, and that I, I've always been a, a fan of is the, the workforce development.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Ross Creech: And the chamber foundation has been able to partner, partner with, um, Humboldt County Office of, Office of Education and then the Blue Lake

Ross Creech: Rancheria-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … through some of these partnerships for internships and-

Scott Hammond: Good

Ross Creech: … um-

Scott Hammond: Trades

Ross Creech: … exactly.

Scott Hammond: Yep.

Ross Creech: And able to, you know, access some grant funding to, to employ … You know, to just start building a network. 'Cause what, what's, what I noticed r- e- early on in, in working, you know, ru- uh, part of Quality Body Works was like, man, I need, I need staffing. I need, I need-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Ross Creech: … talent.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: Right? I need people that-

Scott Hammond: Who does it? Yeah

Ross Creech: … and, and it's, it's hard to f- You know, so like where, where are these guys at? And, um, and what, what's interesting is you would ask the questions and, like, oh, Mike at, at CR does that or, or Bill, you know, or, or, or you gotta talk to Jessica over at, at … You know. So there's all these different organizations-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … all doing great things, but, but I've always felt like, man, h- how do we How do you find out about them? How, how do you get-

Scott Hammond: Right

Ross Creech: … the word out? How do you connect them?

Scott Hammond: Right.

Ross Creech: And that's what, what is pretty, pretty cool is, um, I feel like that's, that's one thing that-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … that we're able to do and, and working at. And, and we're, uh, you know, if you're a business owner looking to get involved, that is something that we're always looking for.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Ross Creech: Businesses that can take on internships and training programs and things like that,

Ross Creech: so.

Scott Hammond: Those are awesome.

Ross Creech: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: One of my first jobs was to sell in- internships.

Ross Creech: Oh, really?

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: Sell-

Scott Hammond: I worked for-

Ross Creech: … internships.

Scott Hammond: Well, I didn't sell them. I, I… So I was working for CDA, which we placed, uh, teenagers with, um, Mayan Construction. Roy… What was his last name? I just saw him. Anyway, so these guys would take a, a teen on a job shadowing on a

Scott Hammond: job.

Ross Creech: Okay.

Scott Hammond: And they, "Hey, this is what it's like to be a contractor. This is cool," or, "Hey, I'd rather be a drywaller," whatever.

Ross Creech: Yeah, yeah.

Scott Hammond: So yeah, trades are cool. Yeah, I like that. So, so it brings synergy to that whole, that whole area.

Ross Creech: Yeah, trying to connect dots and-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … and just connect business to education and, you know, if, if we can make it just a little bit better, I mean, heck.

Scott Hammond: Just paid for my 2025, uh, Chamber membership about an hour ago.

Ross Creech: Right on.

Scott Hammond: Click a badge.

Ross Creech: Right on.

Scott Hammond: We're in.

Ross Creech: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: We're all in, baby.

Ross Creech: Glad to have you. I, I, I know we've-

Scott Hammond: Thank you

Ross Creech: … we've maintained, uh, and, and I was talking to Nancy the other day and she said our, our growth number, I mean, our new membership numbers are strong.

Scott Hammond: Good.

Ross Creech: So, that's exciting. And, um, uh, yeah, it's, it's cool. Um, tr- shoot from the hip here. Uh, and she's, Nancy's gonna get mad at me. There's, uh, some of the different, um, programs that, that, the foundation has put together and working-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … on. Um, one, another cool thing that Ca- uh, I'm gonna get my pronunciation wrong. My, the Camera de Comercio, the, uh, working on a, um, a chamber of commerce- a Latin chamber of commerce or-

Scott Hammond: Oh, cool

Ross Creech: … Hispanic chamber of commerce to-

Scott Hammond: Great

Ross Creech: … try to kind of br- further bridge gaps and-

Scott Hammond: Kind of as an adjunct to the Eureka Chamber?

Ross Creech: Exactly.

Scott Hammond: Oh.

Ross Creech: Where, you know, it's, it's where, you know, it could be intimidating, you know? And, and so by having, you know, a separate chamber, uh, but still very involved and connected.

Scott Hammond: I like it.

Ross Creech: Um, yeah, it's, it's exciting, so that's another piece.

Ross Creech: Uh-

Scott Hammond: So a rosy future, plus a new president.

Ross Creech: Ex- yeah.

Scott Hammond: This will be, this will be kind of fun.

Ross Creech: Yeah. Um-

Scott Hammond: Yeah. It could, could, could go well.

Ross Creech: Right. Right.

Scott Hammond: Or maybe not. Yeah.

Ross Creech: We'll see. We'll see.

Scott Hammond: We'll see. Yeah. It's the hurry up we'll see.

Ross Creech: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: So, uh, tell me more about the business, uh, environment that you think we're in. What do you, what do you see as the challenges, opportunities, Ross, in terms of-

Ross Creech: Yeah, um-

Scott Hammond: … Eureka, Hum- Humboldt in general? I mean, there's, cannabis always comes up at this point, but maybe, I don't know. It's, it's gotta be something more than cannabis and food trucks.

Ross Creech: Yeah. Um, uh, there, there are things coming down the pipelines, um, and it'll be interesting to see where they go. Um, so yeah, you mentioned cannabis obviously. I, I think I, I moved up here in the back end of 2017. Legalization happened 2018.

Scott Hammond: Yep.

Ross Creech: So I kinda came in-

Scott Hammond: Where it did a, a-

Ross Creech: And-

Scott Hammond: It, it boomed and busted

Ross Creech: … and watching it-

Scott Hammond: Boomed and busted

Ross Creech: … hit. Yeah, and, and I, you know, uh, on that front, uh, it was, it's always interest- I, it's…

Ross Creech: And I am zero involvement in the, in that industry, so I'm, I'm purely speaking from 40,000 feet. But it just seems like we have been a little slow to the game to, to capitalize on the tourism aspect

Ross Creech: of it.

Scott Hammond: Mm.

Ross Creech: And, and the, the Humboldt County branding piece. You know, we, we are… You know, I've, I've lived all over the state. I've, I've been to some other places in the world.

Ross Creech: And, and-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … you mention Humboldt County-

Ross Creech: … and we're famous. And whether goo- for good or bad, we're famous, uh, for cannabis.

Scott Hammond: I'm laughing. I have a great story.

Ross Creech: Right? Okay. Uh, and, uh, and yeah, so, you know, Napa to wine, Humboldt to cannabis.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Ross Creech: But-

Scott Hammond: Right

Ross Creech: … why, you know, so anyways, it's been-

Scott Hammond: Paso Robles, wine country. Paso

Ross Creech: … Exactly, and it's been six years and, and, you know. But hopefully we can, we can, you know, get there and, and connect some of those dots and, and, uh-

Scott Hammond: It's funny, they've talked about branding Humboldt. I, I suppose there's some branding done, but you don't hear much, at least maybe they don't market it here.

Ross Creech: Yeah. And-

Scott Hammond: So I don't know

Ross Creech: … and again, it's, it's not my wheelhouse. It's just, again, my, my-

Scott Hammond: Sure, sure

Ross Creech: … but, but so, so that's the cannabis piece.

Ross Creech: But, um, Cal Poly's doing some big things. Hopefully we can get some housing to-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … support the numbers that they're looking for. Uh, 'cause it seems like that's the biggest hurdle to, you know… People are, people are interested in Humboldt.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: It's just where do, where do I live?

Scott Hammond: Where would I live?

Ross Creech: And living in a van is not ideal, so.

Scott Hammond: I can't live in the woods.

Ross Creech: And, and so, you know, there's the, there's a whole podcast of, you know, housing conversations-

Scott Hammond: Oh, gosh

Ross Creech: … but we, I don't think we need to. Um, so, so there's Cal Poly. There's, uh, Nordic Aqua Farms. It, it brings some interesting, uh-

Scott Hammond: Sure

Ross Creech: … growth opportunities.

Scott Hammond: And that one's looking really good, right?

Ross Creech: Uh, from what I understand, yeah.

Scott Hammond: More and more like it.

Ross Creech: Things are moving. It's just, you know, um… And I'm, I'm not savvy to the timelines there. And then, uh-

Scott Hammond: How about the wind farm?

Ross Creech: Wind farms? Uh, yeah, same thing. It's, it's gonna be interesting to see what that, what that entails. I know that's a few different components, the harbor development piece-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … and then the actual installation piece, and then the op- the maintenance and operation and-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Ross Creech: … you know, so it's, it's a-

Scott Hammond: It's a long-term deal too, right?

Ross Creech: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: Yeah. And, you know, I, uh, what this… W- do you know what the actual timeline, or what they're

Ross Creech: suspecting?

Scott Hammond: Remember they did the economic summit a few weeks ago, and they were saying

Scott Hammond: well into many years, you know, dec- they didn't quite say decades, but-

Ross Creech: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … it's easy decade

Ross Creech: … out there. Yeah

Scott Hammond: … um, just in terms of the phase. And I, I didn't get, I thought it was kind of a shoo-in and I don't think it is. I mean, I think it'll happen, but I don't know if the manufacturing would be here.

Ross Creech: It-

Scott Hammond: Maybe they would truck that stuff up from wherever.

Ross Creech: Yeah, and there's, uh, there's a, I think a whole, whole bun- you know, and that's all…

Ross Creech: Yeah. Um-

Scott Hammond: I think a lo- a lot of it depends on an economy. If, if there's money and there's low interest rates and there's development, I, I suppose that stuff's all driven by where's our economy, where's our inflation, where's our Whatever all the metrics

Ross Creech: Well, and, and it'll be interesting to see, you know, with the change in administrations, you know, at the federal level what, what that does for this project.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Ross Creech: And, you know, does it still, still move through, or are there gonna be additional hurdles? Or does it-

Scott Hammond: 'Cause they've been accused of being pro oil, and they're not gonna do alternative energy, and, uh, who knows, right?

Ross Creech: Yeah. So it'll be, it'll be interesting. Um, you know, and, and hopeful- I mean, we have, we have so many different valid perspectives here on the coast. Um, but it also creates a lot of challenges with, with moving projects of this scope and magnitude forward, so.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. I like that. Everybody's got a valid perspective. Sometimes they crash, and we don't get any progress again.

Ross Creech: And-

Scott Hammond: So we lost another one. Oh, my God. And, and I just… Drives me crazy 'cause I think there could be positive, clean business that would help families, that would help housing, that would help homelessness, that would help healthcare.

Ross Creech: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: And have that cascade effect. I, I, I think I believe that progress would do that. It's just growing smart, and we say no to every dang thing that comes along. It's just like, "Here, let me shoot myself in the foot again." And I don't shoot myself, I shoot m- your grandkids and mine.

Ross Creech: Yeah, yeah.

Scott Hammond: And it's-

Ross Creech: And, you know-

Scott Hammond: Wow, Scott had an opinion

Ross Creech: … part of the beauty of Humboldt is, is that things move slowly and, and-

Scott Hammond: Sure

Ross Creech: … you know, right? So, you know, we can definitely appreciate that, but you're right. You're right. I mean, if, if, if we're evaluating this from as many angles as we can possibly, you know, and, and gathering all the information, at some point, we gotta move forward.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: And, and whether it's this project or another project, but, um-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … you know, uh, it's, it's… You're right. We gotta be thinking about the next generations, right?

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

Ross Creech: And if, if every action that we're taking is gonna improve today just a little bit-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … it's gonna make tomorrow pretty good for those kids of ours, and-

Scott Hammond: Well said. Yeah

Ross Creech: … and it'll make it good for us too.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: Right?

Scott Hammond: Well said. I like it. So I'm gonna sum up my podcast at 60… You'll be the 62nd, um, um, podcast. So you ready?

Ross Creech: All right.

Scott Hammond: I, I think I just kinda connected all the dots.

Ross Creech: Okay.

Scott Hammond: It, it… I'm checking, looking at Nick to see if I got this right. So cannabis is boom and bust. We got all these cool things that are on the horizon that we go through a project, uh, process, everybody gets heard, and then sometimes we don't do anything. And sometimes, and Bill Bertaine, uh, Bill Bertaine, Bill Barnum, my good friend, the lawyer, he, he came on and said, "Listen, um, unless we get housing figured out, and we get some really good, easy plan- uh, planning department that okays things-

Ross Creech: Mm-hmm

Scott Hammond: … 'cause we're in really deep trouble 'cause you, you can't do this without hous- housing, you can't do it without healthcare. And so our challenges are there, and it seems like the obstructionists among us, uh, after being heard, still wanna be heard some more. And wait a minute, democracy, I think, is us compromising and going forward. Like you just said, we're moving forward together.

Ross Creech: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: So hey, I actually had an opinion on my podcast. There it was. Huh, that felt good.

Ross Creech: Well, and, and the housing piece is it's, it's, whether you're n- houseless or, or a businessman or what, it's important, and it, it has to be a priority.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Ross Creech: Um, because I mean, what was interesting, we did a survey,

Ross Creech: um, at, at the chamber, a survey of business members, right? And, and so this is your, your business people, and housing was one of the h- higher priorities on that list.

Scott Hammond: Boots on the ground people that see it.

Ross Creech: And, and why would that be? Why would that be important to a business? Well, one, it's customers, but, but it's their

Ross Creech: employees.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: You know? How, how many of our employers are struggling to provide products and services for our, our

Ross Creech: community-

Scott Hammond: Yep

Ross Creech: … when they can't get employees because they can't pay them enough that they can

Ross Creech: live-

Scott Hammond: Correct

Ross Creech: … in this area.

Scott Hammond: And we didn't even mention the, the third piece of the guy peeing on their porch.

Ross Creech: And that's-

Scott Hammond: The homeless guy or gal.

Ross Creech: Yep, yeah.

Scott Hammond: And so that, that becomes, um, a reality check. Yeah.

Ross Creech: And that, that's a tough piece to bridge for folks because, you know, you, you, you… That's… You, you have sympathy for, for, you know, what's going on in that person's life.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Absolutely.

Ross Creech: You know? But on the other hand, it is tough to, you know, again, do all those things that you're talking, to provide services at, um…

Ross Creech: So yeah, yeah. That's, it's complex.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: And o- obviously, otherwise, we would've figured it out by now.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. I mean, to solve homelessness on a podcast, that'd be something.

Ross Creech: It would be, right?

Scott Hammond: That, I wish we could do that one. So what do you love about Humboldt?

Ross Creech: Oh, I think it's the community.

Ross Creech: Um-

Scott Hammond: Mm.

Ross Creech: You know, it, it was interesting, like, uh, uh, um, Nick here, we're in his studio. Um, before, before you got in here, we were talking and, um, and it, it is a case in point to Humboldt County. It's like we're, we're all one person away from being either related or knowing each other's-

Scott Hammond: It's true

Ross Creech: … mother's father's uncle. You know, like, we're, we're all so connected.

Scott Hammond: They call it the seven layers of Humboldt County.

Ross Creech: Ex- exactly.

Scott Hammond: Kevin, Kevin Bacon.

Ross Creech: It turns out, um, his mom's teaching at Freshwater School.

Scott Hammond: Turns out you guys are cousins.

Ross Creech: Or not teaching, sorry, but working at Freshwater School.

Scott Hammond: You're cousins.

Ross Creech: Yeah, right? Darn near.

Scott Hammond: Oh, that's so weird.

Ross Creech: And, uh, and so it's, it's that connectivity.

Ross Creech: Um-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Ross Creech: … and-

Scott Hammond: That's real

Ross Creech: … well, and gosh, I, I don't, I didn't come to Humboldt planning to be on a podcast with Scott Hammond. I didn't come to Humboldt to, uh, be the chairman or the president of the Chamber of Commerce. I didn't plan on… And now I'm a incoming board member for, uh, Freshwater School. I didn't plan to do any of these things, but that's, I think, what Humboldt County is. It's, it's small. We're all doing our part, right?

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: And so we do what we can.

Scott Hammond: That's cool.

Ross Creech: And we, we under- you know, there's, there's things that everybody's doing as much as they can.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: And that's, that's, I think we all are, are, are, are trying. And, and so that's what's, that's what's cool about Humboldt is, is it's small enough that we, you gotta be involved.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: Um-

Scott Hammond: Well, they pick guys like us to surf And I think it's all about servant leadership

Ross Creech: I think it says sucker-

Scott Hammond: Yes

Ross Creech: … ghosts or foreheads maybe, right?

Scott Hammond: I wanna go to board meetings.

Ross Creech: No, no, but it, it's, it's a rel- Yeah, and I was thinking, uh, you know, it's like a reluctant, reluctant leadership I guess.

Ross Creech: It's-

Scott Hammond: At times, yeah

Ross Creech: … there's, there's openings. They, you know, and it's, it's, you know, but it's, it's

Ross Creech: important.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: And, and if we can help our community and, and, you know, help, help things move forward, I mean-

Scott Hammond: I like it

Ross Creech: … why not?

Scott Hammond: Yeah, no, I, I like it. And I think my friend Ron Paleggi, who used to own the Tri-City Paper, told me this morning, and we were talking, he goes, "The opportunity is to go serve, to get on a board, get to know some guys on the board at St. Joe's or Ingomar or-

Ross Creech: Mm

Scott Hammond: … Freshwater School District or McKinleyville and where we live and, and go help and get to know people, get connected, and share life together." I go, "That sounds like a good plan. I kinda like that idea."

Ross Creech: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: So, uh, real quick, let's talk about Humboldt Heroes. You guys rebuilt a, uh, a Ford Ranger truck.

Ross Creech: Yes.

Scott Hammond: Uh, I'll actually back it up. So we, once a month, Scott Hammond State Farm, we, we recognize a Humboldt local hero, veteran hero, and we'd never done a, a posthumous, uh, honoring of a hero, then we did it with Kevin Ebert, uh, Navy Seal, amazing guy from Arcata. And I'll let you kinda take it from there then Charlie and Mark, the-

Ross Creech: Yeah, so-

Scott Hammond: … uh, put it together, uh, a prize

Ross Creech: … Kevin's, Kevin's mother, Charlie, uh, of Kinetic

Ross Creech: Coffee-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … ca- um, her, they had a, like, a little delivery Nissan

Ross Creech: Versa, gray, if I recall, 2013. Um- I have a problem, sorry. Uh-

Scott Hammond: Re- remembered as-

Scott Hammond: … as a body shop guy.

Ross Creech: Right. And so, um, so she, their, their little delivery car came in, and it, it was wrecked. It was hit pretty good and ended up being a total loss, and, and it wasn't,

Ross Creech: wasn't-

Scott Hammond: Oh, wow

Ross Creech: … fixed. But we started talking, and, um, and then I've, um… And then in talking with her, we were, we were talking about this, where we had given a car away in the past and, and, uh, and we worked with you on that one. We gave a car to, uh, you know, and, and had a program and,

Ross Creech: and, uh-

Scott Hammond: That's great. You guys did that annually, right?

Ross Creech: Yeah. And we've done it a, a hand- a couple times. And, and so, uh, part of the idea is, is it's a car, um, that we've refurbished and got back

Ross Creech: on the road.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Ross Creech: Uh, but we partner with people like yourself. You, you provided the insurance for, for this-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Ross Creech: … individual that received the car.

Ross Creech: Um-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Ross Creech: … and, um-

Scott Hammond: Did Leon's do something?

Ross Creech: … insurance, Leon's did the oil changes. They did the maintenance, did the safety, you know, and so we-

Scott Hammond: So they got a whole package.

Ross Creech: A whole package. We even had, uh, Redwood Fuels, Shell, uh, they provided a fuel card, a $50 fuel card, uh-

Scott Hammond: Sweet

Ross Creech: … for the entire year, one, once a, you know, so-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … um-

Scott Hammond: That'll buy you a quarter tank of gas here.

Ross Creech: Yeah. Yeah, not much anymore.

Scott Hammond: Just-

Ross Creech: But, uh-

Scott Hammond: Kidding, not kidding

Ross Creech: … but the idea was to- … kinda give somebody a boost-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Ross Creech: … you know, and, and then-

Scott Hammond: So this is somebody that was underprivileged or that had a need.

Ross Creech: Exactly.

Scott Hammond: You know? Yeah.

Ross Creech: And, uh, and so I, I don't know how we got talking with, with Charlie on that subject, but, uh, she, she mentioned that she had a vehicle she would be interested in, in maybe donating to that. And then, uh, darn near hit the floor as she was explaining what, what the project was. It was her son Kevin's, uh, I wanna say a 2000

Ross Creech: Ford Ranger.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: I wanna say it's 2000. But, uh, a red Ford Ranger pickup.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Ross Creech: And-

Scott Hammond: Beautiful truck

Ross Creech: … and it was, it was, uh, it had been sitting-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … for some years, and so it had m- kind of that Humboldt mildew that accumulates over the entire vehicle.

Scott Hammond: Yes. It eats the vehicle.

Ross Creech: And, and yeah, and it was, it was in pretty rough shape. The interior had, uh, I wanna say the headliner inside was hanging down, hit your head. You know, so there was a lot of things it needed. And, but, so she donated that, and that became our, our project to get

Ross Creech: it up to speed and-

Scott Hammond: It was shiny when we gave it away.

Ross Creech: Yeah, yeah. And, and that was, that was a heck of a project.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Ross Creech: And, uh, so we were, we, we were, um, you know, through your Humboldt Heroes, we, we presented it, uh, and-

Scott Hammond: And this guy was so happy to get this truck.

Ross Creech: It was, it was cool.

Scott Hammond: It was cool. Dick, you should've seen it. This guy was just …

Ross Creech: Well, and to be honest, uh-

Scott Hammond: And he need- he needed a truck too, right?

Ross Creech: Yeah. And it, it, it fit his needs, and, and man, it was… I, we haven't been, I haven't been able to get that program back together 'cause I don't know how, you know, how to follow that.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Ross Creech: You know? 'Cause it was, it was so, so man, it, it just-

Scott Hammond: It was so good, we never did it again.

Ross Creech: It just hit, man. It was-

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: And so that was, that was a neat, neat project.

Scott Hammond: It was special.

Ross Creech: And, um, actually, uh, Charlie, uh, Charlie Jordan f- uh, she just a month or so ago updated me, and, and the, the, the gentleman, uh, has taken a job out of state.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Ross Creech: And he felt it was best to, to d- So he's giving, gonna donate the vehicle back, and, and Charlie's gonna use it for her foundation.

Scott Hammond: Oh, that's cool.

Ross Creech: Um, and so they're gonna figure out what to do with it.

Ross Creech: But-

Scott Hammond: Well-

Ross Creech: … essentially, he's, he's been able to move, move forward and, and doing good things, and, and it's gonna-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Ross Creech: … stay, you know, in a good place, so.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: Yeah, fun project.

Scott Hammond: There's so many wins here. It's, it's, so it's kind of back to that idea from five minutes ago, h- how to serve the community. So we honor a vet. We give away a truck. We honor a, a, another veteran, a live veteran and a deceased, and a family and a foundation, and it's a win-win, win-win, win-win, win, and, and everybody's there in, you know, ch- tears of joy, and it's just pretty cool.

Ross Creech: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: It, it hits.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. It, it hits. I like that. I like the way you say that. So hey, the time of the show,

Scott Hammond: where Ross gets to tell us his favorite stuff about Humboldt. Question one. You have an entire day with your wife, say tomorrow, and money's not an object. But you gotta stay in the county, you gotta do something from sunrise to sunset, and you get a day off just to go screw around. What, what do you wanna do? What do you do with your-

Scott Hammond: … with your, with your sweetheart.

Ross Creech: Hmm.

Scott Hammond: What's fun in Humboldt?

Ross Creech: Oh, we're pretty low-key. We like, we, um, we like to get outdoors.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Ross Creech: Um, so probably, we'd probably get up to Trinidad, I'm thinking. We probably w-

Scott Hammond: Oh

Ross Creech: … hike around the, the head maybe.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Ross Creech: Um, maybe we get on a kayak

Ross Creech: in the-

Scott Hammond: That'd be fun. They have it right there

Ross Creech: … in the harbor there.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, they have it right there.

Ross Creech: And then, uh, maybe, maybe some more hiking along the beach there, and at some point w- I know, I know, um, my wife would make sure we have, uh, some steak up at, uh, Larrupin.

Scott Hammond: Nice.

Ross Creech: That would, that would have to be the the up-

Scott Hammond: Yeah, they have some, happen to have some good filets.

Ross Creech: Yep. Um, but more than likely we start that day with, you know, we talked about my bodybuilder w- You know, we would've done some, uh, probably a weightlifting. She's got me … Finally after four or five years, I started listening to her and, and-

Scott Hammond: Are you lifting a little bit?

Ross Creech: I'm on, I'm on her program. She's got me-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Ross Creech: … she's got me on a program and, uh-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Ross Creech: … I've, I've dropped a few LBs and, uh

Scott Hammond: Good.

Scott Hammond: That's good.

Ross Creech: So we probably start the morning with a workout and then we probably get out and, you know, explore Trinidad maybe would be one spot.

Ross Creech: Um-

Scott Hammond: Perfect

Ross Creech: … uh, like to… Or take the kids on a, a bike ride. You know, getting them into mountain biking.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Ross Creech: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: You guys have fresh water so you could ride-

Ross Creech: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … pretty far up the road.

Ross Creech: Uh, we're not too far from, like, Arcata Park. That's been, I've been taking-

Scott Hammond: Okay

Ross Creech: … them up there and, uh-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Ross Creech: … there's a couple of trails that are good, good entry level.

Scott Hammond: There's a lot of parks. Yeah, a lot of park trails up there.

Ross Creech: Yeah. Yeah. And, uh, kids are, yeah, they're into the bikes. Uh, so, uh, there's some bike parks going… The Blue Lake Bike Park, my, my cousin's-

Scott Hammond: Right

Ross Creech: … been pretty involved at the development of that and it's-

Scott Hammond: We walked by that a, a lot this summer.

Ross Creech: Oh, did… Yeah.

Scott Hammond: A couple weeks ago.

Ross Creech: It's, it's all paved now and, uh-

Scott Hammond: Yeah, they have it all covered up so it's kinda gonna be ready for the spring it

Scott Hammond: looks like.

Ross Creech: Yeah. Protecting it from the rains so they can-

Scott Hammond: That's all volunteer work.

Ross Creech: Uh, it, there's, there's a couple guys that are paid to, to make it happen, but, uh, I mean it's a lot of donations, it's a lot of community

Ross Creech: involvement.

Scott Hammond: It looks really cool too.

Ross Creech: Yeah, it's gonna be, it's gonna be really neat.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. That's so nice.

Ross Creech: Um, I mean, it's… Yeah. And, and just speaking from a kinda geeking out on a bike, you know, bike and dirt bike,

Ross Creech: you know-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … it's, I, it's probably gonna be world-class as far as like –

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … you know, what it is i- you know, of all places in Blue Lake.

Ross Creech: But, uh-

Scott Hammond: Interesting

Ross Creech: … it'll, it'll be a pretty neat-

Scott Hammond: And so it's that, it's that level.

Ross Creech: It'll be… You know, there's, there's gonna be some kids coming out of this area. And it, it's so exciting like, uh, like backing up to my dirt bike days. Like when I was a kid we would race, um, down to Phillipsville-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … so in Humboldt.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Ross Creech: And, and it was so, such a cool community environment down there and, and you saw families with kids and, and like-

Scott Hammond: Come out and watch the kids ride all day

Ross Creech: … well, a- and then, and then your, your 12-year-old s- kid has something to, m- you know, he better keep his grades up

Ross Creech: because-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Ross Creech: … he wants to ride. You know, dad's not letting him race if he doesn't-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Ross Creech: … pass his cl- you know?

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: Or like so there's that kinda incentive and motivation.

Scott Hammond: That's a great point.

Ross Creech: And then, and then unfortunately tho- those tracks went away.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Ross Creech: Um, and then it, it's been a, it's a bummer 'cause, uh, I can think of, of a handful of scenarios where, like you saw, you saw what happened when those kids lost. You know, they were my-

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: I'm their it, you know? And, and j- when they lost that incentive-

Scott Hammond: They went back to whatever

Ross Creech: … it went, it went sideways.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: And, and so it's super cool to see today that, man, there's, there's recreation out there where these kids will be able to experience and, and have something to kind of focus their… You know, 'cause not every kid is a, "I'm going to play football or going to play baseball."

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Ross Creech: You know, it, it's not-

Scott Hammond: They're skaters

Ross Creech: … for everybody, right?

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: Exactly. So.

Scott Hammond: Or BMXers.

Ross Creech: And, and this is a way-

Scott Hammond: That's cool

Ross Creech: … you know, like I said, they can, they can really hone in on and, and-

Scott Hammond: I like it

Ross Creech: … focus on a craft.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. And so Blue Lake's gonna be super cool.

Scott Hammond: Next level.

Ross Creech: I think it will. And, and there's trails going in around McKinleyville. Um, what's the… Why am I drawing a blank on, uh, around-

Scott Hammond: There's one right behind McKinleyville on the Simpson property.

Ross Creech: Yeah. And so those-

Scott Hammond: Great green diamond

Ross Creech: … they're starting to connect all those pieces.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: The McKay track is, is look- you know, coming along.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Ross Creech: And, and so it's, it's gonna be really neat to, to, to have all this, you know, outdoor-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Ross Creech: … adventure.

Scott Hammond: And Blue Lake also has the big, um, uh, mountain bike competition back there by

Scott Hammond: the-

Ross Creech: Exactly

Scott Hammond: … the hatchery, right?

Ross Creech: Yeah. Yeah, and those guys are-

Scott Hammond: Every year they have c- several races back there.

Ross Creech: Yeah. And they've been… Yeah. And so there's, there's some awesome mountain biking stuff going on so-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Ross Creech: … it, it, Humboldt is really setting up ni- you know, to where

Ross Creech: it can be a-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … quite the destination for-

Scott Hammond: And that trail system's gonna go out there too through Annie and Mary on the railroad, um, at some point from Arcata all the way up to Blue Lake.

Ross Creech: Talking, uh… Oh, okay.

Scott Hammond: It'll be part, it'll be part of the greater r-

Ross Creech: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … Railroad I think at some point, but there's that, that arm they wanna develop.

Ross Creech: Oh, I, I didn't… Yeah, that'll be amazing.

Scott Hammond: That'll be super cool.

Ross Creech: Yeah, I didn't, I didn't realize that.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. We used to live right by there. I used to cross the, the trestle there that goes over to Fieldbrook when Joni and I were just not married.

Ross Creech: Oh, okay.

Scott Hammond: And it was icy and 30 degrees, and I would cross and it's 100

Scott Hammond: feet down.

Ross Creech: Oh.

Scott Hammond: And you're going, "Eh, I must really be in love."

Ross Creech: Yeah, that… Yeah, no thanks.

Scott Hammond: I'll walk you, I'll walk you back, honey.

Ross Creech: Was it uphill both ways you said?

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Of course, yeah. Is, isn't it always? So, uh, question two. Where do you go for coffee? Who, who's your coffee go-to?

Ross Creech: That's, that's a loaded question, man. There's, there's a lot of good ones.

Ross Creech: Um-

Scott Hammond: There's a lot of good coffee. You could say Kinetic. I mean, we've said that a, well-

Ross Creech: Yeah. Uh, well, we have-

Scott Hammond: They have good coffee. They don't have a store though, do they?

Ross Creech: I had them do some branded coffee. You know, like you can-

Scott Hammond: Oh

Ross Creech: … we, we put a Quality logo on our bags-

Scott Hammond: Sweet. Yeah

Ross Creech: … so we did a, a run of those. That was super cool. And the, the coffee that we had at, it was the Kevin Ebert-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … uh, blend. Um-

Scott Hammond: I remember that, yeah

Ross Creech: … so that was, that was cool, but that's not necessarily where I would go for the coffee. Normally I'm moving around too darn much to sit down and, and-

Scott Hammond: Right

Ross Creech: … um, so you got your, your Jitter Beans.

Ross Creech: Um, Old Town Coffee and Chocolate was always, um-

Scott Hammond: Sure

Ross Creech: … you know, I, I, I love stopping in a fellow chamber member Stu's Brews, um, right there. Um-

Scott Hammond: Where's that?

Ross Creech: They are on, what are my streets? I don't know any streets in Eureka. I just know locations-

Scott Hammond: Isn't that the one on the-

Ross Creech: … landmarks

Scott Hammond: … on Fourth? On Fourth as you, before you do the turn?

Ross Creech: Correct. Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Used to be Bikini-

Ross Creech: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … Coffee.

Ross Creech: Fourth. That was it. Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Fourth.

Ross Creech: I was, "Which street is it?" So Fourth, Fifth, yeah, Fourth.

Scott Hammond: What was that, Bikini Brews? And there'd be women in bikinis serving coffee.

Ross Creech: Yeah, that was-

Scott Hammond: Imagine that

Ross Creech: … before I moved back up here, I believe.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: But, uh-

Scott Hammond: Huh

Ross Creech: … but Stu's Brew, um, yeah, he's doing it, you know. Um, so yeah, uh…

Scott Hammond: Yeah, we have a coffee thing. We have a beer thing. Oh, hey, favorite local beers. I d- I haven't asked that one yet.

Ross Creech: Oh, uh, Six Rivers.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Ross Creech: Yeah, uh, pretty much anything they got up there, but, uh, think of Wild… I don't know if they still have it. It's been a minute. Cutting back on my alcohol consumption a little bit, but, uh-

Scott Hammond: Oh, 'cause you're on our program.

Ross Creech: I'm on the program.

Scott Hammond: You're dropping the LPS.

Ross Creech: On, I'm on the program.

Scott Hammond: You're on the program.

Ross Creech: Um,

Ross Creech: but they-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Ross Creech: … had, like, a jalapeno lager, I think, though, that I enjoyed.

Scott Hammond: I think I remember something like that.

Ross Creech: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: So.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Okay. Question number 17. Uh, burrito truck. Do you, I mean-

Ross Creech: Speedy Taco.

Scott Hammond: Where?

Ross Creech: Speedy Taco.

Scott Hammond: Oh, that's right. They're great.

Ross Creech: Like, the original. Yeah, I just had this conversation.

Ross Creech: It's-

Scott Hammond: Where are they at?

Ross Creech: Um, this one is in the, across from, uh, Eureka Natural Foods in the old, uh, Sportin' or Sportin'

Ross Creech: Cycle.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: In there, and now it's gonna be a dispensary, I guess.

Ross Creech: Um-

Scott Hammond: You mention that. Ano- another one.

Ross Creech: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: How weird.

Ross Creech: But love those guys. Like, they,

Ross Creech: yeah.

Ross Creech: Uh-

Scott Hammond: The dispensaries or the tacos?

Ross Creech: I'm talking about tacos.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Ross Creech: Man, you got me.

Ross Creech: So-

Scott Hammond: I'm talking about tacos

Ross Creech: … so Speedy Taco was, like, the original taco truck in, in Eureka High-

Scott Hammond: He's one of the original guys, yeah

Ross Creech: … at lunchtime, and I'm not gonna tell you when I was there, but it was a few

Ross Creech: years ago.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Ross Creech: That was, like, you blitz out of Eureka High and you're-

Scott Hammond: That was the go-to

Ross Creech: … you're going to Speedy Taco.

Scott Hammond: Really?

Ross Creech: And at that time, it, they, they were in the, uh, Broadway Cinema.

Scott Hammond: That's where I remember them.

Ross Creech: Yeah, and so you're blitzing there to try to beat the other 30 kids- … all trying to get their, uh-

Scott Hammond: From Eureka High down-

Ross Creech: … chicken super burrito

Scott Hammond: … down to Broadway.

Ross Creech: Yeah. And so, so then that, you know, that was the go-to, and then 15 years later, I come back, and I, I was pleased to find that it was the same burrito and darn near the same price, and-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Ross Creech: … and, and so.

Scott Hammond: So back in the day, you probably got a $4 burrito that was just-

Ross Creech: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … maybe, maybe five.

Ross Creech: D- well, they're, yeah, it's still incredibly reasonable-

Scott Hammond: Really? Okay

Ross Creech: … as far as, and they're fast. You know, all, all of those, yeah.

Scott Hammond: You might say they're speedy.

Ross Creech: S- might, you might say.

Scott Hammond: Speedy burrito tacos. No, I lo- I love, there's so many trucks up here, so many bunches of good food. So, uh, what do you wanna see happen in Humboldt? F- and then, then we'll part ways and say, uh, I wanna ask you about your legacy, what you want to be remembered by. But what do you, um, what, what's your future, uh, picture looking like for us?

Ross Creech: Um, I-

Scott Hammond: What would you like to see?

Ross Creech: I hope that we can, we can figure some of these challenges we talked about

Ross Creech: earlier.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Ross Creech: Um, you know, and, and, and productive good development that, that benefits our kids.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Ross Creech: Right? And, and whether that's offshore wind or, or, you know, any of these projects and-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … and, you know, w- if we can help facilitate housing, you know, it-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … how can we make Humboldt a little bit easier to live?

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: How can we make it a little bit better?

Scott Hammond: A little bit better.

Ross Creech: And, and it's those, I think, small steps, you know?

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Ross Creech: Um, you know, and, and not o- let's not overthink it. It, I heard this, and I'll, I'm probably gonna get it wrong, but I just heard it today. Um, but it was, it was how do you, how do you not over… H- how do you move forward when you're, when you're an overanalyzer? And, and the story was, you know, there's a, a h- a horse and a kid, and they're in a forest, and the, the, the kid says, "I can't, I don't know where to go. I, I can't see through the forest."

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Ross Creech: And the pony says, "Can you see your next step?"

Scott Hammond: Huh.

Ross Creech: And, and the boy says, "Yeah, we'll, we'll take that."

Scott Hammond: Huh.

Ross Creech: And so, you know-

Scott Hammond: Good word

Ross Creech: … I, I think it's, I think it's a similar concept for us at, in Humboldt here is, is we got let's, let's just, let's take those steps.

Scott Hammond: Take some steps, yeah. Yeah.

Scott Hammond: I like that. Well, cool. Hey, what are we gonna say at your funeral? What, what do you want us to say, and what's your gravestone look like?

Ross Creech: Oh, man.

Scott Hammond: What's, uh, what do you wanna be remembered for, Russ, Creech?

Ross Creech: Um, I, I, I'm not a sentimental guy in that arena.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Ross Creech: So frankly, I'm not worried about it.

Scott Hammond: Not gonna worry about it.

Ross Creech: But, uh, but I hope just, eh, you know, while I'm living, that people, um, you know, that, that we can en- I can enjoy, people enjoy

Ross Creech: me. Um, you know, if I'm the, the senile old guy that, yeah, you know, even if I can't get a sentence, you know, or whatever, but I, if you enjoy being around me.

Scott Hammond: Nice.

Ross Creech: You know? If I-

Scott Hammond: If I'm entertaining, it'll be great.

Ross Creech: Yeah, I could make you smile, you know, or, or help, you know… Yeah, I, I don't, I don't have these grandiose, like-

Scott Hammond: Sure

Ross Creech: … remember me in the, you know.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: You know, whatever. And like hope-

Scott Hammond: Hope anybody-

Ross Creech: Hopefully, hopefully, we had some good times.

Scott Hammond: There you go.

Ross Creech: And, uh, you know, um-

Scott Hammond: Put my name on the park bench somewhere.

Ross Creech: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: Yeah. And, uh-

Scott Hammond: I like that

Ross Creech: … you know, like I was saying earlier, I'm pr- I'm proud to continue our family

Ross Creech: legacy, uh-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … uh, in our business. And, uh, to-

Scott Hammond: Do you see your, one of your sons maybe coming on board someday?

Ross Creech: Uh-

Scott Hammond: Kinda early, but, you know

Ross Creech: … we'll see. We'll see. Yeah, they, they s- they, I think they're, they're, they're interested. You know, they, they like the idea. They wanna come down to work, and I'm like, "Well, dude, you're eight," and, uh-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Ross Creech: … you know, like-

Scott Hammond: Here's, go pull some weeds.

Ross Creech: Yeah. Um, so yeah, I mean, potentially-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Ross Creech: … uh, if, if they're into it.

Ross Creech: And, um, but, uh, but yeah, that, that would be a cool way, if, if we could

Ross Creech: continue, uh, Quality Body Works thriving into the future.

Ross Creech: That, that-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … for me, might be a bigger, um, legacy than anything that says-

Scott Hammond: I like that

Ross Creech: … on my tombstone, you know-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Ross Creech: … or something like that.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Providing jobs and-

Ross Creech: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … providing for families.

Ross Creech: Yep.

Scott Hammond: I like it. Hey, well, thanks for coming.

Ross Creech: Thank you.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: This was, this was amazing.

Scott Hammond: I got to hang out with the president today. It's pretty cool. Yeah. I'll see you at our mixer at the Oh, the, the me- the Mega Mixer's coming up, right?

Ross Creech: Yeah

Scott Hammond: The big one in January.

Ross Creech: Oh, I didn't even touch on the, the-

Scott Hammond: Yeah, let's, let's get-

Ross Creech: … the Bolt, the Bolt Go- Gala

Scott Hammond: Let's do it.

Ross Creech: Um-

Scott Hammond: Uh, we got time. G- give the, uh-

Ross Creech: Yeah, Chamber, so Chamber, our gala, um, is it January 26th or 27th? One of those days.

Scott Hammond: Sounds right.

Ross Creech: But, uh, but we are gearing up for the Humboldt Gala. Uh, that's c- that's gonna be, uh-

Scott Hammond: It's huge, right? Redwood, Redwood Acres

Ross Creech: … uh, Nancy says it's gonna be our biggest and grandest yet, and it's at Redwood

Ross Creech: Acres.

Scott Hammond: Cool.

Ross Creech: And, um, a continuation if you were there last year. We're l- we're looking to ramp it up even more than that.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: And, uh-

Scott Hammond: That was great last year.

Ross Creech: Yeah, yeah, uh, I- I d- we, it went over, uh, using the two different venues there.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Ross Creech: And, um, yeah, it was, it was a lot of fun, so we're gearing up for that.

Scott Hammond: Nice.

Ross Creech: So keep, you know, if you've got your invitations, Chamber members, you would've already got emails, so be-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … on the lookout for those, and-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Ross Creech: … hope to see you all there.

Scott Hammond: Is there a mixer here, uh, or did we already mix at the last-

Ross Creech: Uh, typically December.

Scott Hammond: First, first f- Thursday of December. Is that today? I guess it would be.

Ross Creech: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: It's tonight, so.

Ross Creech: Um, what was the story? We, we had a m- an is- an issue with our, our location, I believe.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Ross Creech: Um, but I, I'm-

Scott Hammond: Saving it for January.

Ross Creech: Yeah, exactly. Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, wanna double down.

Ross Creech: Yep, yep.

Scott Hammond: That makes sense anyway. McGuire did a good job. He's entertaining guy.

Ross Creech: He's got some energy.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Mr., uh- … Energizer Bunny is somebody called him.

Ross Creech: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Uh, yeah, this guy.

Ross Creech: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: He, and he loves coming up here and doing shticks, like gigs like those.

Ross Creech: Yeah, yeah. He wa- his energy level was, was quite impressive and, um-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Ross Creech: … and, and we had a g- a great m- great involvement, great, um-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Ross Creech: … as far as the auction goes, so.

Scott Hammond: And he cares about Humboldt specifically, I believe.

Ross Creech: It does-

Scott Hammond: I mean-

Ross Creech: … it does seem, yeah.

Scott Hammond: I mean, some of those guys-

Ross Creech: Yeah, it seems like-

Scott Hammond: … down below are there, yeah, I, but he actually seems to invest.

Ross Creech: Yeah, yeah.

Scott Hammond: So that's super cool. Well, Ross, appreciate you, man.

Ross Creech: I- thank you.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Ross Creech: Thanks for having me.

Scott Hammond: Thank you so much. And, hey, uh, quick reminder to you, uh, folks out there, thanks for listening and watching, and, uh, we're on YouTube, we're on Access, uh, Humboldt, so you'll be able to see, uh, you and me on, uh, Access TV. That'll be fun. And then, uh, all the podcast platforms of which, uh, our producer Nick here, we always give him lots of chops 'cause he's done eight million podcast. Actually 200 and how many?

Ross Creech: 208 tomorrow.

Scott Hammond: Two- we're at 208, just-

Ross Creech: 208

Scott Hammond: … two. That's a lot.

Ross Creech: Nice.

Scott Hammond: That's pretty cool.

Ross Creech: Nice.

Scott Hammond: And, uh, we'd just love, love you guys to share, uh, and, uh, subscribe, and, uh, you know, uh, make comments. And, oh, we, we forgot one key thing. Are you ready?

Ross Creech: I'm ready.

Scott Hammond: Drum roll.

Ross Creech: All right.

Scott Hammond: Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages, for our friend Ross Creech, a dark chocolate and brown butter Northerner Blend-

Ross Creech: All right

Scott Hammond: … nibs and sea salt.

Ross Creech: Let's go.

Scott Hammond: Dick Taylor chocolate.

Scott Hammond: Oh, man.

Ross Creech: Dude.

Scott Hammond: Dave's gonna like that.

Ross Creech: These guys are the best.

Scott Hammond: There goes, there goes all the training.

Ross Creech: All right.

Scott Hammond: Ski- ski-

Ross Creech: I'm on a program

Scott Hammond: … skip that beer

Ross Creech: I, I gotta do more cardio, right? Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, I'm on a program. I'm on a chocolate program.

Ross Creech: Heck yeah.

Scott Hammond: All right. Hey, thanks for coming.

Ross Creech: Thank you.

Scott Hammond: All right.

Ross Creech: All right