Episode 61 · Chris Mikkelsen · November 23, 2024
Chris Mikkelsen talks about growing up in Humboldt, the work that shaped him, and the path that led him to the Harbor District. He also walks through the bay’s role in local industry, recreation, and the long-term changes now underway along the waterfront.
Watch the conversation
What this episode covers
- Growing up in Cutten, Eureka, and an Italian Catholic family near Humboldt Bay
- Early jobs in car sales, tire service, and commercial retreading
- Mentors and turning points that led to his work at the Harbor District
- The Harbor District’s role in shipping, aquaculture, cleanup, and coastal management
- Offshore wind, the heavy lift marine terminal, and related development on the bay
- Samoa, Fairhaven, South Bay, and other places around Humboldt Bay that are changing now
Listen to 100% Humboldt on
Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Amazon Music · Buzzsprout
Transcript
Read full transcript
Scott Hammond: Ladies and gentlemen, friends and neighbors, welcome to my new, my to my new podcast, 100% Humboldt with your host, Scott Hammond. My new best friend, Chris Mikkelsen.
Scott Hammond: Hey, Chris.
Chris Mikkelsen: I'm your old best friend. What are you talking about?
Scott Hammond: He's my oldest b- one of my old friends. Not that old.
Chris Mikkelsen: Get you for 15 minutes.
Scott Hammond: Man, I've never screwed up my intro like that. It's like I must be nervous.
Chris Mikkelsen: I have that effect on people, Scott.
Scott Hammond: Yeah. You're pretty calm right now, though. Chris, tell us the Chris Mikkelsen story. First of all, your, your job and your duties, and then let's go back to… You, you are 100% Humboldt, right?
Chris Mikkelsen: 100% Humboldt.
Scott Hammond: Nice.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yep.
Scott Hammond: Nice.
Chris Mikkelsen: So currently I'm working as the CEO and executive director of the Humboldt Bay Harbor Recreation and Conservation District. That… It's a ton of fun. Born and raised here.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Gosh, uh, 53 years old, turning 54 soon.
Scott Hammond: Wow, old guy.
Chris Mikkelsen: My, uh, one of my childhood homes was a block off the water in Humboldt Bay. That was my grandparents' home. And, uh, later on my Ziogino's home. Um, you hear the Italian family when I say Ziogino.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: But grew up in a really wonderful, uh, Roman Catholic Italian family here in the community, a, a family of great faith, and, uh, very proud of our cultural heritage.
Scott Hammond: Nice.
Chris Mikkelsen: So, um, feel pretty blessed.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: And so now I'm working on the water all these years later. Um, most of my childhood was in Cutten, though. That's where my parents' home was.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: And, uh, you know, a little kid, played in the woods, burnt Hot Wheel cars up.
Scott Hammond: Cool.
Chris Mikkelsen: Had firecrackers every now and then. I mean, you know, your typical-
Scott Hammond: Wow
Chris Mikkelsen: … shenanigans.
Scott Hammond: Ordnance. Firecrackers.
Chris Mikkelsen: Well, we were reverent with them.
Scott Hammond: Yeah, you gotta be. Don't wanna blow your hand off.
Chris Mikkelsen: So.
Scott Hammond: Yeah. So what schools did you go to?
Chris Mikkelsen: Gosh, uh, Cutten Elementary.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, I took a little try at St. Bernard's. The nuns and I may have had differences of opinions.
Scott Hammond: How so?
Chris Mikkelsen: Well, let's just say that, uh, there was one in particular.
Chris Mikkelsen: And, uh-
Scott Hammond: Just wasn't a fit.
Chris Mikkelsen: Uh, no, three days later I was back in public school.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: So Winship Junior High.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: 1989 Eureka High School graduate.
Scott Hammond: Mm.
Chris Mikkelsen: And, uh, just all Humboldt.
Scott Hammond: And then Eureka High?
Chris Mikkelsen: '85 to '89.
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Chris Mikkelsen: Go Loggers.
Scott Hammond: Go Loggers.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yep.
Scott Hammond: Was that a good football era?
Chris Mikkelsen: You know, when you're my size, you don't get to play a lot of football.
Scott Hammond: Understood.
Chris Mikkelsen: Uh, you know-
Scott Hammond: Yeah
Chris Mikkelsen: … funny part was I went out for basketball, and Coach Bonamini, really nice
Chris Mikkelsen: guy-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … he's looking at the guys, and, uh, this is radio, so nobody can see me, right, or podcast, but I'm gonna use my hands anyways. There was, you know, the 6'4" guy, the 6'3" guy, the 6'2" guy, the 6'1" guy, the 6' guy, and then there was me.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: 3, 3'9".
Scott Hammond: 3'9".
Chris Mikkelsen: And I had a top locker.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, and he was like, "Yep, yep, yep, nope."
Scott Hammond: Nope.
Chris Mikkelsen: And I was like, "What do you mean nope?" And he's like, "Yeah, you're too little." And I was like, "Well, but I can steal the ball." He says, "No, you can't." And I said, "Aren't you the baseball coach?" And he's like, "I am."
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: And I said, "Well, you know, my strike zone's only this big."
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: So, uh, didn't work. Didn't get on the team, but, uh-
Scott Hammond: Nice try
Chris Mikkelsen: … I did date his daughter for a while, so.
Scott Hammond: Separate story. Okay. Did you end up going to Humboldt, uh, after that? Did you do any post high school?
Chris Mikkelsen: I went into the school of Volkswagen.
Chris Mikkelsen: So-
Scott Hammond: That's right, you were a-
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah
Scott Hammond: … Volkswagen guy.
Chris Mikkelsen: I tried college for a while, but, uh, eh, kind of like the nuns, it really wasn't my thing.
Scott Hammond: Yeah. That's right. You were at a Volkswagen dealership.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah. Uh-
Scott Hammond: What was it called?
Chris Mikkelsen: Uh, Redwood Motors.
Scott Hammond: Redwood Motors.
Chris Mikkelsen: And, and then Coastal Imports.
Scott Hammond: That's right.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah. My mom and dad, when I was pretty young, my grandma bought me a Volkswagen.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: And, uh, I washed and waxed that thing every stinking day, so-
Scott Hammond: Right on
Chris Mikkelsen: … they got to know me at the dealership and offered me a job.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: And so I, uh, peddled cars for a while, and then I got to work in the s- auto service business. And-
Scott Hammond: Okay
Chris Mikkelsen: … had a great mentor there, Alan Bobelot, local fella who-
Scott Hammond: Yep
Chris Mikkelsen: … kind of took me under his wing and just helped me out and-
Scott Hammond: Shout out to Alan. Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah, good friend to this day.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: And, uh, funny that, uh, years later I'd become, uh, the, the director of facilities at the Harbor District, and that was Alan's job.
Scott Hammond: Oh, is that right?
Chris Mikkelsen: So, you know, 25, 30 years later there we pass again. Alan was retiring, and I was able to step into his shoes.
Scott Hammond: It's a small world of Humboldt.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yep.
Scott Hammond: Yeah, it's true.
Chris Mikkelsen: Good mentor. He, he taught me a lot in the auto service industry.
Scott Hammond: Oh, yeah. So did you sell cars to start?
Chris Mikkelsen: I did.
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: And you owned a Volks- Did you have a Beetle?
Chris Mikkelsen: I had a Volkswagen Scirocco.
Scott Hammond: Sweet.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah. Not bragging, but it was a pretty hot little car for its day, you know?
Scott Hammond: Those were cool cars.
Chris Mikkelsen: The best part of selling the cars was, you know, I got a deal, deal, deal, deal, a bargain for you. Every hand that goes up, every call that comes in, and we just drop that price five bucks, and-
Scott Hammond: Yeah
Chris Mikkelsen: … they'd just, they'd just show up.
Scott Hammond: And people had money, and they bought cars then.
Chris Mikkelsen: And when it's a bargain, they're always there.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: It… If zero down, $250 a month, people will buy anything.
Scott Hammond: You might know this. My wife Joanie has a '67 Volkswagen Beetle. The kids all restored it.
Chris Mikkelsen: Nice.
Scott Hammond: Our adult kids-
Chris Mikkelsen: I didn't know that
Scott Hammond: … in Oregon. They j- It's beautiful, man. Nick, you should see this thing. It is collectible and gorgeous, and guess who doesn't get to drive it?
Chris Mikkelsen: Well, yeah.
Scott Hammond: This guy.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: If he had more hair, maybe, you know, he'd be-
Scott Hammond: Yeah. Well-
Chris Mikkelsen: It'll only look cool in a Volkswagen with the windows rolled down and your ponytail
Chris Mikkelsen: flaring, so.
Scott Hammond: Yeah. And the hippie stickers on the back. I, I got it. So, uh, from those jobs, so you, you moved into Coastal Auto Mart, which was, uh, Subaru, right?
Chris Mikkelsen: We… I was at the Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, uh, Suzuki, Mitsubishi.
Scott Hammond: That was Randy, right? He was the m- uh, sales manager?
Scott Hammond: Was there-
Chris Mikkelsen: Uh, the sales manager was a guy, he looked like a l- little Oompa Loompa. Uh, his name was Bill Seafort.
Scott Hammond: Okay.
Chris Mikkelsen: Uh, said with love and affection, Bill.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, but-
Scott Hammond: Is he still local?
Chris Mikkelsen: I don't know.
Scott Hammond: Maybe.
Chris Mikkelsen: Uh, hell of a great guy. No, I worked for Bill, and, uh, he was
Chris Mikkelsen: fun, and-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … uh, we just, uh… You know, we had a culture and a good time there.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, actually you hear a lot of stories about the used car business and the new car business. Very polished, very, very professional.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, you know, that's where I got my selling shoes.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um-
Scott Hammond: Okay
Chris Mikkelsen: … everybody gets a pair, and, um, had a lot of fun.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. So then you went over to Firestone, right? You ran the store?
Chris Mikkelsen: I did.
Scott Hammond: Tire store.
Chris Mikkelsen: Uh, Firestone had closed.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: And they wanted to reopen the store. It was reopened as Expert Tire.
Scott Hammond: I got it.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um-
Scott Hammond: Okay, that's right
Chris Mikkelsen: … I think I can still remember. Let's see. Um- Uh, it was about, geez, '91, '92, something like that.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: And I put almost 10 years in there.
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, it was, uh, Expert Tire. Look for the purple and yellow, you know that's us.
Scott Hammond: Yep.
Chris Mikkelsen: Giving you exactly what you need, low, low prices
Chris Mikkelsen: guaranteed.
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Chris Mikkelsen: And, you know, the jingle just went on and on.
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Chris Mikkelsen: Something about friendly service from folks that you know, you know, so.
Scott Hammond: Were they started in Southern Oregon, or were they… Where were they based?
Chris Mikkelsen: Uh, Bridgestone Firestone's a national company. They're out of Cleveland, Ohio.
Scott Hammond: Okay.
Chris Mikkelsen: And rolling-
Scott Hammond: So that was their part of their-
Chris Mikkelsen: Yep, Rolling Meadow, Illinois. We were in a Oregon-based district.
Scott Hammond: Okay.
Chris Mikkelsen: Uh, uh, uh, Portland, Oregon, uh, sometimes Washington, sometimes San Francisco. It moved around. But yeah, I went there and, uh, started selling hoops. That's what we call tires.
Scott Hammond: Hoops.
Chris Mikkelsen: And, uh, do you know who the most likely person to sell you tires is,
Chris Mikkelsen: Scott?
Scott Hammond: Hmm. Your, somebody related to you, your family?
Chris Mikkelsen: The first person who tells you you need them.
Scott Hammond: Ah.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Good one.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah. So-
Scott Hammond: You know where they hide the dead bodies, Chris?
Chris Mikkelsen: Well, that's another show for another day, so.
Scott Hammond: They… There, there is an answer. Page two of Google. Do you wanna know why?
Chris Mikkelsen: I don't.
Scott Hammond: No one ever goes there.
Chris Mikkelsen: Oh, yeah.
Scott Hammond: Yeah. Good one. Ba-dum-bum. So there's, there's a couple jokes.
Chris Mikkelsen: Oh, now I get it.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: Sorry.
Scott Hammond: Yeah. Thank you for, for registering my joke. Also, um, you know, no one's ever sang a jingle or any other si- form of singing on 60 plus podcasts.
Chris Mikkelsen: Well-
Scott Hammond: So thank you.
Chris Mikkelsen: Well, when you have my voice, you just don't sing very often.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: You know?
Scott Hammond: The joke is, could you sing Over the Hill and Far Away, please?
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah, that's probably a better place for me, or, you know, or in the pews on Sunday, one or the other.
Scott Hammond: There you go. That's important singing. So, uh, fast-forward then to your, uh, you, you worked for Kurt Kramer for a while. You were in development.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: After the Carrington Company- … actually went down to-
Scott Hammond: That's right, Carrington
Chris Mikkelsen: … to, to, uh… Or excuse me. After, let me take a step back. You got me, you got me off my, my, my game here. So after, uh, Bridgestone Firestone-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … I went to work for Tom Whiteley and his family-
Scott Hammond: Oh
Chris Mikkelsen: … and learned the commercial tire business, retread business. That was a ton of fun.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, and then, uh, Francis Carrington calls up one day and says, uh, "Hey, I want you to, uh, build a set of retreads for my, my truck." And I'm like, "Why would a man of your stature want retreads?" But-
Scott Hammond: Hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … he did. He wanted them for one of his ranch trucks, and, uh-
Scott Hammond: Huh
Chris Mikkelsen: … one thing about Mr. Carrington, when he said he'll be in to pick up his car at 11:00, you have it ready at 10:00, 'cause he had a different way of telling time than the rest of us. And-
Scott Hammond: Sure
Chris Mikkelsen: … absolutely admired him, wonderful customer, uh, exceptional family.
Scott Hammond: Great reputation.
Chris Mikkelsen: Oh, yeah, just, um, uh, a lot of fun. And he said, uh, uh… I got a phone call, rather, from Betty in his office and said, "Hey, Francis would like you to deliver his truck."
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: And I was like, "Oh, what did we do? We must have left one of the lug nuts n- loose on the wife's car," right?
Scott Hammond: Oh, no.
Chris Mikkelsen: So I was pretty much thinking I'd lost my big account, and pull up to the Carrington Company. I could barely see over the steering wheel of his big Dodge truck, and, uh, there he is in the parking lot waiting for me. So as I stood there on the corner of, uh, 7th and H in a puddle of pee, he puts a big smile on his face, says, "Hey, you ready to do all management and come to work for me? No more sales."
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Chris Mikkelsen: And I says, "Francis, you know what? I'm a tire man. It's in my blood. No, thank you." But he offered me many times, and ultimately I went to work there, and it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Um, from there I met, uh, a number of wonderful people, and my friend Scott Pesh referred me to Kurt Kramer when I wanted to get off the airplane.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Uh, Kurt's, uh, there's people that wanna do the right thing, but they can't quite come to doing it. Kurt does it every time without prompting.
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Chris Mikkelsen: Uh, just a remarkable man. It was an absolute pleasure to work with him, work alongside him-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … um, his wife Kim, and, and the family, and, um-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. She's a sweetheart.
Chris Mikkelsen: Absolutely. And so I just reflect on, on those days, and I had two of the greatest mentors I coulda had.
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Chris Mikkelsen: You know? Um, I feel like I won the ovarian lottery. I had wonderful parents-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … an idyllic childhood, but, uh-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … professionally I, I couldn't have asked for two better people there.
Scott Hammond: So break, break. Uh, hard stop. Ovarian lottery? I've never-
Chris Mikkelsen: That's a Warren Buffett thing
Scott Hammond: … that's, that's a pretty good, uh-
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah
Scott Hammond: … I'm gonna… I think I might, might use that in the right context.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Ovarian, I've won the ovarian lottery.
Chris Mikkelsen: You're born well, you know?
Scott Hammond: It must be my hair.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: That's a good one. So i- it's, fast-forward, then you got on with the Harbor
Scott Hammond: District.
Chris Mikkelsen: I did. Um, so in 2019, um, a friend of mine called and said, "Hey, there's this, uh, position for facilities maintenance at the Harbor District."
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: And I thought, "You know what? I could kick in the clutch a little bit, not, uh, be going 70 hours a week, and, uh, maybe do that. Seems like a ton of fun. I get to work on the water, uh, be around vessels." And, uh, so I said, "Yep, all right. I'll come talk to you." So I went and talked to him, brought my resume along, and,
Chris Mikkelsen: um, couple weeks later I was sitting there at the Harbor District, uh, polishing a shiny new fire boat, managing a crew of, uh, spectacular individuals who
Chris Mikkelsen: work out in-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … the facilities. And, uh, fast-forward, I've been there going on my sixth
Chris Mikkelsen: year.
Scott Hammond: Wow. Good for you. Time flies.
Chris Mikkelsen: Did not intend to be the executive director, but here we are.
Scott Hammond: Remember when you got that job, yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yep.
Scott Hammond: Six years.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yep.
Scott Hammond: I'll be t- I'm just turned 10, so there you go. Time goes by when you're having fun.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah, 10. Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Cool. So who is Chris Mikkelsen, and, and who are you? What, what's your identity? How do you, how do you, uh, see your role in life?
Chris Mikkelsen: Boy, if I think about all the mistakes I've made over the years, I, I think that I'm just, uh, you know, I'm, I'm one of His children.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Uh, absolutely perfect in being imperfect. Um, I think that's probably my greatest trait.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, but I, uh, I evolve to be better, to do better. Um, I am grateful for faith. It's been a huge part of my life.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, I'm grateful for the times in my life where I wasn't, uh, above board, or that that was the one place I could be honest.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, you know, don't lie in your prayers. Heavenly Father knows you better than anyone.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. Don't lie to yourself.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yep. And so I just try to hold to that core value and really keep, um, a different view of things. I try to be kind.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, and, and, and this is the maturity of, of r- of recent years. That h- hasn't always been the Chris.
Chris Mikkelsen: You know?
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: I think I was, um, focused on being funny and the star of the show, and-
Scott Hammond: Sure
Chris Mikkelsen: … um, I'm having a lot more fun kinda being in the background, um, showing a little humility, and, and really understanding, uh, you know, what life's all about.
Scott Hammond: Wow. Good.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, yeah. So you know, forsake the sin, uh, keep your chin up, and try to set a good example for people. We all lie when we go to the grocery store every day. "Hey, buddy. How's it going?"
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: "Fantastic."
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: And, uh-
Scott Hammond: I'm fine
Chris Mikkelsen: … you know, it's not.
Scott Hammond: I'm-
Chris Mikkelsen: It hasn't been the greatest day, and I'm about to drop $75 on one basket of groceries, right?
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: Or one bag of groceries.
Scott Hammond: One bag, yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: And, and then you gotta go home and prepare it all. Oh, and do the dishes. But, uh, you know, bottom line, uh, it, it, it lightens their day, and it's a good thing. It's a good thing to hear. And, and that dialogue over time becomes rapport, and that rapport over time, you find out that there's others out there who are struggling just like, just
Chris Mikkelsen: like we are.
Scott Hammond: Or worse.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Or far worse, yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: And, and that's been a great part. And to be able to vite- to invite people, uh, unto faith and to participate in it, it's been-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … really remarkable. So-
Scott Hammond: Cool
Chris Mikkelsen: … sorry, I didn't mean to make this about God.
Scott Hammond: Good journey. Yeah. God's part of your answer. I got it. So what do you see are issues for… as, as a county? What do you-
Chris Mikkelsen: We don't have any issues
Scott Hammond: … what, what do you Sure we do. What are our challenges? What… As you, as you've grown and lived here 100%, what do you, uh, what do you see us facing off with as a community? And then we'll talk about the harbor a little bit more.
Chris Mikkelsen: Sure, sure. Quickly, so when I worked, uh, years ago, most of the work I did was out of state. So I'd get on the airplane nearly every Monday morning because that was how you, um, did well and were successful was to travel.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: And so it's Friday. You get to get on the airplane, go home to your family, and you're getting up at 5:30 in the morning 'cause you gotta get back to the West Coast. That's 3:30 in the morning our time. And, uh, you get to the… You turn your rental car in. You get to the gate. You get your seat assignment. You're pretty happy. You get your pastry, your coffee, your tea, or your chocolate, you know, whatever your pleasure is, and there you sit. You spend the whole dang day sitting.
Scott Hammond: In the airport.
Chris Mikkelsen: And you're touching dirty surfaces, and you get-
Scott Hammond: Ugh
Chris Mikkelsen: … that airplane ventilation film all over your body.
Scott Hammond: Ugh.
Chris Mikkelsen: And you're cranky, and people are pissed off, and babies-
Scott Hammond: That's what that is
Chris Mikkelsen: … are crying, and-
Scott Hammond: Yeah
Chris Mikkelsen: … you know, the food's cold and terrible if you can even get
Chris Mikkelsen: any. And-
Scott Hammond: Right
Chris Mikkelsen: … son of a gun, now you just got s- a two-hour delay in San Francisco.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: But then it happens. After an hour and 10 minutes of the screws falling out of the panels of vibration in the little Brasilia that brings us all home to Humboldt County, or did for those of us who've been here a while.
Scott Hammond: Sure.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, that plane sits there on the tarmac up in McKinleyville, and they open the airplane door, and that crisp, beautiful ocean air-
Scott Hammond: Oh
Chris Mikkelsen: … just fills the cabin.
Scott Hammond: Good word picture.
Chris Mikkelsen: And it brings everybody to life, and strangers start talking to one another. And then you're there, you know, chatting about your luggage and-
Scott Hammond: Yeah
Chris Mikkelsen: … you know. So, um, it, it-
Scott Hammond: And somebody you love picks you up.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah. It's a remarkable place that we live. Um, and so do we have challenges? I don't know. I've worked enough places in the country and flown around enough, 27 states, that, um, it's pretty remarkable here. And I think if we have a challenge, it's taking for granted what we do have.
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Chris Mikkelsen: We have exceptional leadership in our, our, our cities and our counties and our
Chris Mikkelsen: government.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Uh, we have, um, social service programs that are like none other. We have, um-
Scott Hammond: Yeah
Chris Mikkelsen: … a sheriff who cares about our community and his deputies. I work with them on the water. I can tell you they're absolutely fully committed.
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Chris Mikkelsen: We got our new g- police, chief of police here in Eureka, um, another man who's just-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … he's it.
Scott Hammond: Brian, yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: He's the real deal, and-
Scott Hammond: Brian Stevens
Chris Mikkelsen: … look what's going on in our schools. You know, we've got kids, they're going to college.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, that's pretty exciting. We're opening trade programs, College of the Redwoods. I'm on the CR President's Advisory Council, and it's all about the future.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, uh, that, that's pretty incredible. And our, our kids are fairly safe here.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: We got the best air, the best trees, the best water. Um, so yeah, let's focus on what we do have and not on what we don't have.
Scott Hammond: Yeah. I love it. Not a lot of violent crime when you think of it.
Chris Mikkelsen: Hmm. Mm-hmm.
Scott Hammond: I mean, we, we still have outlier statistics and some nebulous categories, but still.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Yeah, to your point, I think you're right.
Scott Hammond: I… If, if there is a fault, it's that we don't, we're not grateful.
Chris Mikkelsen: And look at the investment people make. You know, you mentioned I had the opportunity to work for the Carrington Company and, and the Cramer family. Uh, you know, look what they're providing in these communities and families like them.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: That level of commitment is second to none, and you're not gonna find that-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … many places.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: So I, I, I'm pretty happy where we're at.
Scott Hammond: I like all that. I, I think you've offered a really, um, an alternative view of reality, which is actually closer to probably what r- I would consider reality, and that is, uh, it ain't a bad place to live or grow kids-
Chris Mikkelsen: Mm-mm
Scott Hammond: … or families.
Chris Mikkelsen: Well, and there's pretty good pizza here too, so.
Scott Hammond: There's good pizza.
Chris Mikkelsen: If you ever wanna grab a slice on a, on a, in a, in a lunch.
Scott Hammond: My son actually works at Live From New York now.
Chris Mikkelsen: Oh, good.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: He goes, he's, is, he's doing his year. He's gonna do a year there. But they all like Big Mike. He has a good time. So t- let's talk, talk about the harbor, man. W- tell us what, what is the mission of your job, and what do you, uh, what value do you bring? And, and tell us the mission of how you see the harbor, its purpose, its, uh, long-term use. Uh, it's, it's arguably the biggest resource that we have,
Scott Hammond: right?
Chris Mikkelsen: Humboldt Bay is the cleanest water in the state. We're the second-largest natural bay. Um, we were a timber and fisheries port, as everybody knows, for an incredible period of time.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, that has almost ceased to e- exist. We do have Green Diamond, which is predecessor to Simpson. Uh, or sc- uh, excuse me, a successor to Simpson, but still part of the, the, the, the Reed family. Um, they're chip- they're shipping chips out of here on a recurring basis. So when those chip ships are in, we put about four million cubic feet of, um-
Scott Hammond: Wow
Chris Mikkelsen: … a specific Um, humidity, size, and, and ship
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, but that's a very big part of what we do.
Scott Hammond: Did that restart for after being gone?
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah. Um, Green Diamond's had it for a number of years now.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: But that's, uh, that's a, that's a big part of the business that we have here.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: We have the opportunity to maybe ship logs in the future.
Scott Hammond: Hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, there's this talk about a, a, a fish farm, and I'm happy to tell you that that is super close. Nordic Aquafarms-
Scott Hammond: Hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … is getting ready to, uh, begin the, the demolition of the former, uh, LP pulp mill-
Scott Hammond: Wow
Chris Mikkelsen: … and, uh, and portions thereof, and then, uh, build a recirculating aquaculture farm. That's brought education into our local community college, and Cal Poly Humboldt, an incredible amount of collaboration.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, and we're working on the heavy lift marine terminal. So right now, the Harbor District in all accounts is probably leading economic development in the county.
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Chris Mikkelsen: And that's not without sustaining support from the County of Humboldt and, um, our cities, um, the colleges, unions-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … our merit workforce. You know, we're blessed in Humboldt County to have an incredible merit shop workforce.
Chris Mikkelsen: And-
Scott Hammond: Tell us what that is
Chris Mikkelsen: … um, those are those of us that come up through the trades, and we learn our trades, and we work in, in, in companies like O&M Industries or Kernan Construction.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, there, there's many others. I don't, I don't wanna drop names.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um-
Scott Hammond: Sure. So jour- kind of a journeyman sort of-
Chris Mikkelsen: Exactly
Scott Hammond: … for the trades
Chris Mikkelsen: And, and then we have our trades academies that are, um, bringing those behind us up.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: And we have a huge investment from unions here in this community.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um-
Scott Hammond: Wow
Chris Mikkelsen: … I've had a lot of experience working with OE3, Operating Engineers Local 3 in particular, and the California Building Trades Council.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Uh, they wanna make investment here. They wanna grow an opportunity for our future and for our children. And, uh, I don't know if folks know this, but, um, you can go through the ranks and, and learn a wonderful skill. You can also go through the opportunity to work with, uh, a union and get an incredible training that way.
Chris Mikkelsen: And so-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … I got the best of both worlds here in that regard. And so the Harbor District's looking to really capitalize on that.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Uh, and, um, let's do some development.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: We also have this great council from our tribal elders and, and our, our, our tribal governments who can mentor us in the proper way to manage Humboldt Bay-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … and the lands surrounding it.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, we- I think it's important to realize that we sit on the ancestral lands of the Wiyot people-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … ancestral waters-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … and the guidance that we receive there and the opportunity to, to council is, is remarkably incredible. And there are a number of local tribes. We have the largest tribal population in the state. Um, that's a big part of it. So as we reflect on the Harbor District and where we're going, those are some of our
Chris Mikkelsen: projects.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: There's some of the people we're working with, some of the guidance, but we also have an aquaculture industry. We grow seaweed. We grow, uh, Manila clams, Kumamoto oysters, Pacific oysters. Um-
Scott Hammond: Wow
Chris Mikkelsen: … there are people that would like to grow scallops.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. Wow.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, so yeah, we have, we have, uh, the largest, uh, nurseries, um, for juvenile product, uh, in the West. And our juvenile shell product-
Scott Hammond: Hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … is welcome anywhere. That's how clean our waters are.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: And that's not the case in other ways. And so we have to be cautious with our development 'cause we need to protect those
Chris Mikkelsen: waters.
Scott Hammond: Sure.
Chris Mikkelsen: We have groups like Baykeeper, now known as Waterkeeper-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … Epic. Um, many years ago, agencies like that, people were a bit suspect at times, but they're wonderful development partners. They want responsible development.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: And when we involve them early and often, we have great outcomes-
Scott Hammond: Wow
Chris Mikkelsen: … um, as are our agencies. So I would say things are pretty good at the Harbor District.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um-
Scott Hammond: Yeah
Chris Mikkelsen: … shout out to our team out there and our commissioners.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um-
Scott Hammond: Nice. Who are the commissioners? Do you wanna name… Or is there enough to name or…?
Chris Mikkelsen: Well, there's five. So our commissioners have the identical footprint of our Board of Supervisors.
Scott Hammond: Oh, really? Okay.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah, so-
Scott Hammond: That's interesting.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah, yeah. Come to a meeting. We meet on the second Thursday of each month, and-
Scott Hammond: Uh-huh
Chris Mikkelsen: … public comment is always welcome.
Scott Hammond: I moderated a pre-election, uh, debate, if you will-
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah
Scott Hammond: … out at Samoa Cookhouse in the Hammond Room-
Chris Mikkelsen: Oh. There you go
Scott Hammond: … located on Humboldt Bay. Oh, let's, let's use the prop, Nick, over this way.
Chris Mikkelsen: Oh, that's a genuine Metzgers map. That's an incredible map.
Scott Hammond: Genuine Metzgers. See if I could Metzger over here.
Chris Mikkelsen: That's like, that's like a real topo with, uh, township and range and quarters.
Scott Hammond: Arcata Bay. Are you over Arcata Bay?
Chris Mikkelsen: Well, we have a jurisdictional authority over all waters of Humboldt Bay, and so the North Bay is the intertidal portion of, of Humboldt Bay.
Scott Hammond: So it's included.
Chris Mikkelsen: Uh-huh.
Scott Hammond: Gotcha. Yeah, that's quite a… That's a big chunk of that map for a, for a water
Scott Hammond: body, right?
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah. It, it's quite hu- it, it, it, it's, it's quite humbling, um, to really reflect on what we're entrusted to manage.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: And we… The amount of responsibility and accountability that goes into it is pretty
Chris Mikkelsen: incredible.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: We run an OSPR program, Oil Spill Prevention and Response. That's probably one of the most common issues that happens on the bay.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: And, uh, you know, snap of the fingers, we're on it. We wanna keep our waters clean, and-
Scott Hammond: Great
Chris Mikkelsen: … this is where people make their living. Um, I, I look at the responsibility we have managing the waters. It was the same, um, many years ago when I was working in housing. You know, we really took exceptional care of the units we managed.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: And we have to understand that that's people's temple. That's where they lay their head at night. And so applying that level of commitment to folks is what we need to do for the 136,000-plus people that live in the county because our responsibility at the Harbor District is to the people of Humboldt County.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: We have a countywide footprint, so…
Scott Hammond: That's not really a political body as such. It's responsible to the entire populace.
Chris Mikkelsen: We are, yes.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, we are, um, elected, or, or rather my board is elected by the people of Humboldt County.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Um, so let's talk about cruise ships and, uh, wind power in that order.
Chris Mikkelsen: Great.
Scott Hammond: Yeah, you got… I mean, you, you have a lot of, a, a multi, um, multiplicity-
Chris Mikkelsen: There's a lot of stuff going on.
Chris Mikkelsen: So-
Scott Hammond: I was gonna say, you-
Chris Mikkelsen: … uh, Mindy in our office, who's our director of administrative services, works with, uh, Swan over at the City of Eureka-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … and, and, and Amanda on cruise ships. If I've forgotten one of you, my apology. I know there's a team there.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, we were a little down on cruise ships this year. Um, cruise ships haven't rebounded fully from the pandemic.
Scott Hammond: Sure.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, but we did have a few the year prior, and I think we've got plus or minus four on target for this coming year.
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Chris Mikkelsen: And, uh, most of what we get here are very unique ships. These are people that are looking to go to very specific destinations to
Chris Mikkelsen: see things.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: They'll wanna go to the Redwood Forest and do a day excursion.
Scott Hammond: Sure.
Chris Mikkelsen: They might wanna go whitewater rafting. There's people that wanna go to the Redwood Forests. And then there's the simpler events where people might wanna take a leisurely stroll around the Victorian assets that we have around our community-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … and perhaps spend a little bit of time on, um, well, the trails around Sequoia Park.
Chris Mikkelsen: So-
Scott Hammond: Or cannabis farm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Well.
Scott Hammond: Is that it? Is that part of this yet?
Chris Mikkelsen: I'm not really a big fan of the cannabis movement, so everyone will have to forgive
Chris Mikkelsen: me.
Scott Hammond: I understand. Yeah. No, we, we forgive it already.
Scott Hammond: Um, we'll just stop right there.
Chris Mikkelsen: Did you wanna talk about windmills?
Scott Hammond: Yes, I do.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Uh, and then I wanna do a comparative of other bays on the West Coast and, and other waterways.
Chris Mikkelsen: I don't wanna trivia, triviana. You know, I don't wanna fail that one.
Scott Hammond: But we're big. I mean, we're, we, we're sizable.
Chris Mikkelsen: We're the second-largest natural bay on, uh, in California.
Scott Hammond: Besides San Francisco Bay.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Wow, that's big.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: San Diego Harbor's pretty b- big itself.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah. We work… We belong to the California Association of Port Authorities, so we work with the other harbors. Um, I'm getting more and more familiar all the time with the San Pedro complex, which is the Port of-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … LA, the Port of Long Beach.
Scott Hammond: Yep.
Chris Mikkelsen: Uh, there's Port of San Diego, the Port in Oxnard or, or, or Port Hueneme. Uh, and then we have, um, Stockton, and then-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … in the Bay Area, we've got, uh, Redwood City-
Scott Hammond: Oakland
Chris Mikkelsen: … Oakland-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … Richmond, San Francisco.
Scott Hammond: Crazy.
Chris Mikkelsen: Of course, the good old Port of Humboldt Bay. And, um, did I forget anybody? I'm looking at all my friends there. I think I got them all.
Scott Hammond: Crescent City doesn't really have a port that they're-
Chris Mikkelsen: They do have a nice harbor.
Scott Hammond: They have a nice harbor.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, and they contribute greatly to f- the fisheries that we consume, in West Coast fisheries. Um, there's some pretty big vessels out of there.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Hey, fun fact for you. Guess who got married at San Pedro Harbor?
Chris Mikkelsen: Scott Hammond, AKA Jake.
Scott Hammond: And Joanie Hammond.
Chris Mikkelsen: Congratulations.
Scott Hammond: 43 and a half years ago.
Chris Mikkelsen: Wow, what a blessing.
Scott Hammond: Yeah, man. I had lo- I had the hair you're, you were talking about.
Chris Mikkelsen: What an incredible blessing.
Scott Hammond: It was great. We got married. It was Ports O' Call Wedding Chapel. It's a little marina village, and they had weddings on the hour, and we just couldn't wait to be married.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: We're super mature, man. 20 and 21? Come on. We had this dialed in, and little did we know what we were up for. So anyway, I love that
Scott Hammond: port.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: We'll go back and walk through there once more.
Chris Mikkelsen: Good folks down there. We've made a lot of great professional friends down there
Chris Mikkelsen: and-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … have, actually have had a couple come up here and visit that, uh, really enjoy Humboldt. And, uh-
Scott Hammond: Wow
Chris Mikkelsen: … I've, I've got somebody from one of the ports coming up very soon, just to bring his wife up here to look around, and I'm very excited to have the opportunity to host him for an afternoon.
Scott Hammond: The fellowship of the port.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: That's cool. So what's, what else is, uh, West Coast? Oregon and Washington, are, are they part of the association too, or is that all West Coast?
Chris Mikkelsen: Well, there's West Coast Ports. So CAPA i- is just California Association of Port
Chris Mikkelsen: Authorities.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: But we communicate with, um, Brookings more from a Coast Guard
Chris Mikkelsen: standpoint.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. Coos Bay.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, Coos Bay, North Bend, absolutely.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: In fact, we share bar pilots. Um, one of our bar pilots here travels to North Bend, Coos Bay.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, fisheries up around the Charleston area, Florence area, uh, Tillamook, and then we get up through the PDX complex, up the Columbia River up into PDX-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … uh, and then, uh, Puget Sound. In fact, I was-
Scott Hammond: Wow
Chris Mikkelsen: … talking to somebody out of Puget Sound just yesterday about-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … how West Coast ports could, uh, collaborate in pretty good ways, especially
Chris Mikkelsen: with-
Scott Hammond: Wow
Chris Mikkelsen: … this continuing, um, offshore wind, uh, development in the lease areas, you know, despite who's president.
Scott Hammond: Hey, big segue to the offshore wind.
Scott Hammond: Way to go.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Tell us about that. Is that… Is… I mean, everybody's talking about it. Hey, big jobs, big, big doings. Is… What's your perspective?
Chris Mikkelsen: Well, um, a pretty intelligent man I used to work for, uh, people would always say, "Hey, what are you doing there? What are you making? What are you building? What's going inside?" And he said, "You know, when we buy these, we never know what they're gonna grow up to be." And I, I like that phrase. It's the commit less, do more phrase. So shout out to you, pal.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, I, I, I gotta say, um, the opportunity is grand. There's no doubt about it.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, everyone knows that, uh, this has been coming for a while-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … and it's, it's with mixed reaction.
Scott Hammond: So let, let's back up. It's a wind farm assembly. We're gonna have a wind farm offshore probably one way or the other, right?
Chris Mikkelsen: Well, let, let's, so let's lay that out. So the Harbor District has jurisdictional, um, authority over the waters from Humboldt Bay. From our, where our jurisdiction ends, three miles out offshore is
Chris Mikkelsen: the-
Scott Hammond: Mm
Chris Mikkelsen: … California State Lands Commission.
Scott Hammond: Oh.
Chris Mikkelsen: And then we get into federal waters.
Scott Hammond: Okay.
Chris Mikkelsen: And, and let's again recognize these are sovereign lands and sovereign waters.
Scott Hammond: Are they all measurable by-
Chris Mikkelsen: Distance, that is correct.
Scott Hammond: Correct. Okay.
Chris Mikkelsen: And so out in the ocean, there's a, a lease area that's, uh, divided up into two, and we have Canopy Wind or RWE.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: And then we have Vineyard Wind who have, um, um, one of those lease areas, and those come from Bureau of Offshore Energy Management, or BOEM.
Scott Hammond: These are two different companies-
Chris Mikkelsen: Correct
Scott Hammond: … or corporations.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yep.
Scott Hammond: Got it.
Chris Mikkelsen: What we're doing is we're developing a heavy lift marine terminal in the Port of Humboldt Bay for the stage and integration of these. So we'll have the little triangular floaters, the tower section, which is the big pole that goes up to the turbine or the nacelle, as it's
Chris Mikkelsen: called.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: And then the blades will be put on there. And so we'll start with one wharf, hopefully develop to two.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Current plan is to develop between 40 and 180 acres.
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Chris Mikkelsen: There's four property owners involved in it, um, including the Harbor District.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Uh, we can lease those lands and sublease them and, and continue to work with those private owners, or they could sell to the district. Um, those are all options, but we wanna make sure that what we enter to is favorable to our neighbors.
Scott Hammond: Sure.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, we are building next to the emerging community of Samoa, so we're very sensitive to the folks that are buying homes there and, and living there, and we're talking with them as well as the developers.
Scott Hammond: So south side of Samoa. Town
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah. A little south, a little east.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yep.
Scott Hammond: Yep.
Chris Mikkelsen: And, um, but that is an industrial area.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: And one of the great things that development like this spurs is there is legacy contaminants that need to be cleaned up from these sites. These are what are known as brownfield sites by EPA standards.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. Do you sell the primary-
Chris Mikkelsen: So the way to get these things cleaned up is, um, development.
Scott Hammond: Okay.
Chris Mikkelsen: And it's… Sure, there's, there's fuels.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, not saying that these are on any particular sites, just simply the examples of things c- be there.
Scott Hammond: Sure.
Chris Mikkelsen: Some we know, some we have to do further studies.
Scott Hammond: Sure.
Chris Mikkelsen: There's TP burners, fuels, chemicals that we use in the operation, glues and adhesives, paints, all of the above.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, so this is great for the health of the people of the peninsula. This is good for the health-
Scott Hammond: Wow
Chris Mikkelsen: … of Humboldt Bay. Then we talk about the jobs and the job creation-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … and the education piece.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: We right now need to be in the sixth and seventh grade classrooms to be pairing, pr- pr- preparing our, uh, children to, uh, step into these
Chris Mikkelsen: jobs.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: That's the amount of time it's gonna take to really get this out there, and that's, uh, where we sit today, and it's ever-emerging.
Scott Hammond: Wow. I like it. It's a big vision. So these, these blades would be… So the whole thing could be manufactured on Humboldt Bay.
Chris Mikkelsen: It would be assembled here.
Scott Hammond: Assembled.
Chris Mikkelsen: So we won't have manufacturing here. Maybe in the long term, and we certainly-
Scott Hammond: Yeah
Chris Mikkelsen: … when you permit a project, you permit for, if you will, the biggest, baddest project. So yes, we've included the opportunity for a quite a volume of manufacturing. But in the beginning, we feel the floater panels will come in here, that's the triangle again, the floater, and have a final assembly done in Humboldt Bay.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Integration of the tower sections, placement of the nacelle, placement of the blades. They would then be po- pulled away from the wharf, brought over to a quality control area to make sure that everything's correct and they function.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: And then they would either be towed out to sea, or they might be in wet storage for a day or two or a week-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … depending on conditions.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: And that would be a repetitive process. And right now, with just the existing lease areas off the shore, we have many, many years of, of, of production availability here. And we believe that even though we have an administration that makes claims about wind now, we can't argue the fact that we have to come up with alternative energy.
Scott Hammond: Sure.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, a, a president can make that proclamation, but doesn't make it true.
Scott Hammond: Right.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, and so we might see things slow down in the, in the near term, but we don't believe so in the long term. And those lease areas that'll expand will be up the coast up into Oregon and
Chris Mikkelsen: beyond.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: And so we're, we're very focused on that, and this is not appearing to be boom and bust. This is appearing to be something that really will work for-
Scott Hammond: Long-term
Chris Mikkelsen: … Humboldt County.
Scott Hammond: 'Cause we've had boom, boom or bust, uh, dotcom, redwood, steel, cannabis, that other thing that boomed and busted.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Yeah. This would be great. That'd be a long term.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah. I mean, I, I look at it this way. I have a son. I'm 53. I have a 10-year-old. Had children late in life. Um, I'm blessed with a 10-year-old, a 15-year-old, and a 20-year-old, and it's, it's absolutely amazing. Finley is 10 years old. Just by my age, I'm gonna miss half his life.
Scott Hammond: Hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: That's hard. That's hard.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: It's incredibly hard.
Chris Mikkelsen: But what an opportunity we have to give him something that's good.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: I hope he has good health.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, people ask me all the time, "Why do you, you know, why do you wanna do this so bad?" Well, let me put it this way. I grew up in the timber industry. My family owned a small lumber mill. In my household of five, I am the only one who's either not being treated for or who hasn't died from
Chris Mikkelsen: cancer.
Scott Hammond: Whoa.
Chris Mikkelsen: Do you think I wanna clean this area up? You're darn right I do.
Scott Hammond: Sure.
Chris Mikkelsen: So when I look at young Finley, it's an absolute testimony. So I, I'm a believer in the project.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: I think it's the right thing to do. It gets our water even cleaner than it is now.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, there's a lot that could happen- … with ships coming in here, and we gotta keep our biosecurity right and keep our waters clean-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … and keep disease out of our water. So we've gotta put all the best management practices in place.
Chris Mikkelsen: But-
Scott Hammond: Yeah
Chris Mikkelsen: … I'm not afraid to say that, that I'm not a believer because I can look in Finley's eyes tonight during bedtime prayers-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … and, uh, I know it's the right thing to do.
Scott Hammond: Right on. So I love that. I lo- I love your narrative. Tell me more about, um, other things happening around the bay. So you got Samoa being redeveloped, Fairhaven.
Chris Mikkelsen: Absolutely.
Scott Hammond: Uh, there's, there's stuff shaking, right?
Chris Mikkelsen: You really wanna keep me talking, my goodness. So let's see here. Well, we got this beautiful town called Samoa. It's an old lumber town.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: You know, Samoa is just a handful of parcels, and now it's, uh, it's
Chris Mikkelsen: homes.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, and there's the chance to develop a lot of new homes there as well. Uh, take a drive out there. Take a look at it. They're doing some-
Scott Hammond: Oh, we've seen that, yeah
Chris Mikkelsen: … some, some good things. And, um, I think, like every development, it has its challenges and its setbacks, but they're keeping their heads down, moving forward-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … and trying to make a good community. Um, we were the recipient of a Clean California grant, so we got $930,870, I believe it was, uh, for a about a two-year program to do initiatives along the Samoa
Chris Mikkelsen: Peninsula. So, um, we did, uh, recurring trash cleanups. We went into neighborhoods, helped people with-
Scott Hammond: Wow
Chris Mikkelsen: … disposal of things that may have been in the yards or nuisance abatement. Did a lot of interpreted science trail and, uh, and signage, trail enhancement, community meetings, visioning. Um, just finished paving a new parking lot out at the Manila
Chris Mikkelsen: Park. Um-
Scott Hammond: Yeah, yeah
Chris Mikkelsen: … and, um, getting ready to get that striped. Uh, thank you to, uh, our friends at Hooven & Company, who were the successful bidders. Uh, Pat and his team and his brothers did a wonderful job-
Scott Hammond: Patrick Hooven
Chris Mikkelsen: … like they always do.
Scott Hammond: Hoovens are great.
Chris Mikkelsen: And, uh, uh, Pat's the real deal. They all are, but I got a, I got a considerable love for Pat. I've worked with him on a few projects. Um, we did that in partnership with Redwood Community Action Agency-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … and what's known as the PCC or the Peninsula Community Collaborative.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, so that, that was a real satisfying experience.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: You cannot imagine the tons and tons and tons and tons of trash that we removed from our beaches.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, along that, there's a new Peninsula Community Services District-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … to provide water and sewer eventually out in, uh, the peninsula. Um, a lot of investment from the Arkley family at the Fairhaven Business Park in cleaning up that area.
Scott Hammond: Correct.
Chris Mikkelsen: The grant allowed us to do some things with the fire department and the services
Chris Mikkelsen: district.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Uh, and then, you know, we have a beautiful
Chris Mikkelsen: … park. Uh, you can launch boats down at the county park into Humboldt Bay. And just south of that, there's a little cove with a wonderful beach-
Scott Hammond: Right
Chris Mikkelsen: … that people, you know, play just like they're out at the ocean, but they're on
Chris Mikkelsen: the bay.
Scott Hammond: It's really safe. It's a real gradual-
Chris Mikkelsen: It, it is. And, um-
Scott Hammond: It's like-
Chris Mikkelsen: … and then of course we have the OHV park, and try to stay out of the Coast Guard, but they're great guys, too.
Scott Hammond: Oh.
Chris Mikkelsen: Obviously working on the water, I get to engage with the US Coast Guard regularly.
Scott Hammond: Oh, they're awesome. Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, and we just had a large give back to the Wiyot people. So there's a property known as the Booby Ranch or the Dog Ranch.
Scott Hammond: Right.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, the Harbor District acquired that, um, immediately deeded it to Friends of the Dunes, who held it in trust for a few years.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Decide if it could go to, um, BLM, or if it could go to the Wiyot tribe. That was the original desired buyer for the tribe-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … or who desired to buy it, I should say.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: So we attended a ceremony last week in which we were able to, uh, partake of Wiyot culture and, um-
Scott Hammond: Heard about that
Chris Mikkelsen: … see a ceremonial signing for the give back of the land.
Scott Hammond: That's great.
Chris Mikkelsen: So.
Scott Hammond: And then you have Ma-Laal Dunes way up at the north by Manila as well, right?
Chris Mikkelsen: Yes.
Scott Hammond: That's all BL- is that BLM?
Chris Mikkelsen: Uh, there is some BLM up there, but Friends of the Dunes has their own, uh,
Chris Mikkelsen: agreements-
Scott Hammond: What a magical-
Chris Mikkelsen: … and programs and, um-
Scott Hammond: … magic trail
Chris Mikkelsen: … uh, Friends of the Dunes is-
Scott Hammond: Ooh
Chris Mikkelsen: … uh, um, uh, they're an agency I don't think gets enough recognition-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … out on the peninsula for what they do and the lands that they manage-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … and the manner in which they, they do it.
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Chris Mikkelsen: So good folks.
Scott Hammond: And so South Bay, we've got Hooked Slough, and the, you could put in a-
Chris Mikkelsen: Wow, you're, you're too f- you're too far south already.
Scott Hammond: We're go- we're going way down here.
Chris Mikkelsen: Have you been out to Boone Point, right behind the, uh, the power plant, so out in King Salmon?
Scott Hammond: I've taken the trail down there.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah. Well, when you're driving into King Salmon and you bend the first corner coming in and now you're headed back south, there's a little, uh, hill you can climb, and there's a lookout up there that's called Boone Point.
Scott Hammond: Oh, wow.
Chris Mikkelsen: And then that beach that's out there, that's available for recreation as are all the trails. That's, um, that's Harbor District asset incidentally.
Scott Hammond: Is that on the way to Gills by the Bay?
Chris Mikkelsen: It is.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah, on your right there to the west side.
Scott Hammond: Yeah, yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah. And, uh-
Scott Hammond: All right. Let's-
Chris Mikkelsen: … you see a lot of people poke- pole fishing out there-
Scott Hammond: Yeah
Chris Mikkelsen: … in the rocks. Um, be careful on those rocks. They, there's some cavities. If you get down inside of there, we're gonna have to rescue you.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: So, uh, be careful. But, uh, nice recreation out there. Um, then we have the Jimmy Smith Boat Launch out in Fields Landing, which,
Chris Mikkelsen: um, um, the, the, the count- that's a county, uh, boat launch facility.
Chris Mikkelsen: And-
Scott Hammond: Was he a supervisor?
Chris Mikkelsen: He was.
Scott Hammond: Jimmy Smith, yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah, yeah. And that's, that's a nice place. Um, um, you know, it takes a lot of management there. We've had a few people that have moved into camp, but, uh, these are great folks that are trying to figure out what, what their next stop is and what they're gonna do. So we treat them with dignity and respect, and they help us take care of the
Chris Mikkelsen: boat launch.
Scott Hammond: Very cool. Chris, is there an old boat out there, too, like a World War II ship that used to be sunk?
Chris Mikkelsen: So there's a sunken vessel down there at one of the private docks, and we're working to see if we can get that out of the tidelands. Um, I think the World War II ship you're talking to, about is called the 1091, and that's out by the Timber Heritage property.
Scott Hammond: Okay.
Chris Mikkelsen: And, and incidentally, on the lands where the Humboldt lift, or the Humboldt Heavy Lift and Marine Terminal will be developed.
Scott Hammond: That's across the bay over by Samoa.
Chris Mikkelsen: That's correct.
Scott Hammond: Got you.
Chris Mikkelsen: Very dedicated, um, group that are trying to restore that and get it to a site where it can become a museum. Um, we'd like to help and support them and sustain-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … them in that effort. Um, whether or not it's possible, we don't currently know, but there are some, some operations underway to, to preserve it or preserve a portion.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: You know.
Scott Hammond: Let's take you further south. On the, on our way down-
Chris Mikkelsen: All right, I'm ready
Scott Hammond: … are, are we ready to go to Hookton yet?
Chris Mikkelsen: So we've got a beautiful boat launch facility. Uh, there it's the Jimmy Smith Boat Launch. Of course, the district has, at the end of Yard Road, um, the only haul-out facility in the region where we have 150-ton marine travel lift.
Scott Hammond: Wow.
Chris Mikkelsen: And then you have some of the finest views anywhere, which is the views down into South Bay, the wildlife area-
Scott Hammond: Imagine
Chris Mikkelsen: … and down to Hookton. Um, on the south spit there, there's also, um, some culturally sensitive areas there, and, uh, there's a, um, a very important, uh, site, uh, for one of the tribes and, um, of course, the overlook at Table
Chris Mikkelsen: Bluff. So-
Scott Hammond: Yeah
Chris Mikkelsen: … I think the South Bay is often forgotten. I'm glad you brought it up.
Scott Hammond: Yeah, yeah. There's a lot down there where the old Lighthouse Ranch was and on the Table Bluff area.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: And if you wanna throw a line in the water, you can catch a leopard shark. It's like ca- a boa constrictor with teeth, but-
Scott Hammond: Yeah. Everybody should have one of those.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Yeah. No, it's… You're right. It's a, it's a incredible resource.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Yeah. So yeah, the South Bay has a lot of, a lot of incredible beauty down there. I love it. So let's head back north for a minute and talk about right, like in Eureka. Talk to me about, um, um, uh, is there gonna be another Sara Bareilles concert where you guys can, uh, help out with that? Do you see more shows?
Chris Mikkelsen: You know, I, I, I'm just not the guy to ask on that, but-
Scott Hammond: What's the property called? Is it-
Chris Mikkelsen: If, if you-
Scott Hammond: Is it-
Chris Mikkelsen: That's the ado- uh, you're talking about the Halverson property?
Scott Hammond: Halverson, yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: What do you see happening with that property?
Chris Mikkelsen: Uh, I think the city is currently working on a plan. So Jeff Ramey at the city, um, I have the pleasure to work with him periodically, and I know they've been meeting with people-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … and there's some plans to redevelop there. Um, there's the former Sam Sacco Amphitheater-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … which was a performing arts area that unfortunately, uh, people have moved into and haven't treated it with the respect and courtesy that it should've been treated with.
Scott Hammond: Sure.
Chris Mikkelsen: But I understand that, uh, his, his family is, uh, working with the city on some, either maybe a slight change of use there or some developments there. I believe there's some planning for a park in that area, recreational-type park.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: And, uh, I think right now-
Scott Hammond: Cool
Chris Mikkelsen: … you've got the Waterfront Trail running right past there, so what a wonderful-
Scott Hammond: Ah
Chris Mikkelsen: … place to recreate.
Scott Hammond: You're reading my mail. I was gonna talk about trails.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah. I don't know anything about Sara Bareilles, but, uh-
Scott Hammond: Yeah
Chris Mikkelsen: … you know, other than she's a pretty good piano player, and I've, I, they've told me she can sing.
Scott Hammond: You were in proximity for the show, right? You guys kind of-
Chris Mikkelsen: I was. We, uh-
Scott Hammond: … staged a lot of it, right?
Chris Mikkelsen: Well, we got a call for help, um, from, um, the Eureka Police Department, and it was an honor to be able to support them. I mean, this is all them. They di- they did it. They just told us what to do. But, uh, yeah, we got to be a little bit o- of a part of that and zone off some of
Chris Mikkelsen: the water-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … and do a little security detail. And I think the best part was, um, when I was able to see all the people setting up chairs on the Embarcadero to look across the water who couldn't get a free ticket-
Scott Hammond: Yeah
Chris Mikkelsen: … and letting them know that those trees that are right above you, well, there's, um- There's birds in those, and- … you might not wanna sit too close underneath those trees, but-
Scott Hammond: Just be careful.
Chris Mikkelsen: We had our, we had our own nice little concert over there, and, uh, it, it was wonderful. Her, uh, her voice carried just fine.
Scott Hammond: She's great. Yeah. We did 4th of July from a boat, uh, at your marina. It was great. My friend Phil Thibodeaux has got a beautiful ship-
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah. Mm
Scott Hammond: … we hung out on his boat, and it was, it was gorgeous. So, hey, it's that time for the show where we quiz Chris. Hey, Chris. Welcome to 100% Humboldt. You, too, can have a Dick Taylor chocolate bar, located on Humboldt Bay, oddly. Second and C, Old Town Eureka. No, First and C. First and E.
Scott Hammond: Gosh.
Chris Mikkelsen: Boy, you'll get yourself really confused there, bud.
Scott Hammond: I really, uh… F- First and C would be Jack's.
Chris Mikkelsen: Is it maybe, is it maybe D?
Scott Hammond: It's, uh, s- they're between D and E.
Chris Mikkelsen: D and E, is it?
Scott Hammond: Yep.
Chris Mikkelsen: You sure on that one?
Scott Hammond: 100% Humboldt.
Chris Mikkelsen: All right. Ring the bell then. You, you finally got one.
Scott Hammond: Okay. I'll be asking the questions. Ready. Number one: you could eat anywhere, where do you go to eat?
Chris Mikkelsen: In Eureka?
Scott Hammond: In Humboldt.
Chris Mikkelsen: Oh. My, my, my home.
Scott Hammond: At home. You're gonna eat at home.
Chris Mikkelsen: Oh, heck yeah.
Scott Hammond: What are you gonna have? Well, that begs, what are you gonna eat?
Chris Mikkelsen: Tonight?
Scott Hammond: No, in your dream, your dream dinner.
Scott Hammond: You can any-
Chris Mikkelsen: Oh, man. That-
Scott Hammond: Price is not an, an option here
Chris Mikkelsen: … that would be, um, no doubt about it, fresh catch out of our local ocean or Humboldt Bay. Uh, sablefish probably be my favorite.
Scott Hammond: Really?
Chris Mikkelsen: It's a nice white fish. Very flaky.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, uh, a local catch, and, uh, if we weren't doing that, maybe it would be Dungeness crab.
Scott Hammond: Ooh, yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: I like the lingcod myself.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah. No, I do, I do wanna give a shout-out to our friends out at Cafe
Chris Mikkelsen: Marina.
Scott Hammond: Sure.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, it's one of the best areas to sit in, in the county. Um, I, people enjoy a nice little lunch or cocktail there.
Scott Hammond: Yep.
Chris Mikkelsen: And, uh, obviously they're, uh, part of what we do out, out on Humboldt Bay, and, um, we have great seafood in town, uh, Sea Grill, Jack's-
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm
Chris Mikkelsen: … and I know there's local fare appearing on these menus now, and that's very
Chris Mikkelsen: exciting.
Scott Hammond: Yeah. No, there's a lot. Uh, question two: where do you go for
Scott Hammond: coffee?
Chris Mikkelsen: Well, um, seeing as that I come from now the Mormon faith, you've, uh, let everybody know that I drink coffee, but that's okay.
Scott Hammond: Oh.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um-
Scott Hammond: Well, I hate to out you, out you like that
Chris Mikkelsen: … I, I will tell you that Dick Taylor has a nice, uh, ni- nice treat there-
Scott Hammond: Oh
Chris Mikkelsen: … a chocolate or some coffee, but, uh-
Scott Hammond: Mm
Chris Mikkelsen: … uh, I like old town, old town coffee and chocolates.
Scott Hammond: Sure. Yeah. Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: There used to be a place Hazbeenz in downtown-
Scott Hammond: Remember that
Chris Mikkelsen: … Eureka.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: Uh, Father Lorin Allen from, uh, St. Bernard's Church, uh, which was my, uh, my childhood church, used to write his sermons there, and it was always fun to visit with him, and there's a rumor that maybe another coffee shop might be starting up there soon.
Scott Hammond: It's at the foot of J or I?
Chris Mikkelsen: Corner of Second and I.
Scott Hammond: Yeah, yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: That's child- my childhood home, so.
Scott Hammond: That was a great coffee joint.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah, so.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: Something might be happening there. Keep your eyes peeled.
Scott Hammond: We'll keep our eyes peeled. Uh, so you get, number three: you get the day off. What are you, what are you gonna do with your day off?
Chris Mikkelsen: Garden in the backyard, man.
Scott Hammond: Really? In this weather?
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah. Kneeling down under those redwood trees, digging in the dirt, uh, there's nothing like it.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: I love to be outside out, out, out in Humboldt County. Uh, if you're not there, get on your bicycle. There's plenty of trails to ride. Go walk the forest. I think most days off, the best thing you can do is get up at 8:00 in the morning, find out where Pack Out Green team is on a Saturday morning-
Scott Hammond: Nice
Chris Mikkelsen: … spend your hour and a half with them, clean it up, get, uh, report building, know a lot of great people. Thank Aaron for what he's doing for our community.
Scott Hammond: Aaron Ostman.
Chris Mikkelsen: And, um, there's incredible volunteers.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Uh, too many to name. There's three in particular I'd love to name, but maybe on a future show when you have me back-
Scott Hammond: Sure
Chris Mikkelsen: … or when I have my show and I have you back.
Scott Hammond: I like your vision. Question number four, and we'll, uh, we'll start to wrap up with this. By the way, you've done very well. Let me, let me just, uh, hand you this on camera.
Chris Mikkelsen: Thank you.
Scott Hammond: Yeah. And you're right, their coffee is magic. It's… My s- my son says it's-
Chris Mikkelsen: How did you know that, uh, I'm a dark chocolate guy?
Scott Hammond: I'm just lucky.
Chris Mikkelsen: Nothing like it.
Scott Hammond: Yeah. Yeah, there's… This is good.
Chris Mikkelsen: Maybe I'll save it. You come by the office, we'll share a cup of coffee, and a little, little snap of that mo- chocolate bar.
Scott Hammond: Oddly, it goes really well with killer red wine.
Chris Mikkelsen: Oh.
Scott Hammond: Yeah. Did I out you again?
Chris Mikkelsen: No.
Scott Hammond: Okay.
Chris Mikkelsen: I don't know what Georges Latour is.
Scott Hammond: I don't have any idea what that is. Um, what do you want, what do you want to say, what do you want to be said at your,
Scott Hammond: your, your celebration of life? What's your tombstone saying? What are we saying when Chris passes? W- what would you like-
Chris Mikkelsen: He was an honorable curse who gave back what he got.
Scott Hammond: Nice.
Chris Mikkelsen: No. Uh, that doesn't sound very-
Scott Hammond: No, that doesn't fit.
Chris Mikkelsen: Yeah.
Scott Hammond: Maybe a little.
Chris Mikkelsen: I don't know. As I said earlier, I'm shifting. I think I was focused on the wrong things for many, many years, and, and, um, I had a chance to reflect on it a few years back, and I, um, I, I, I don't know that it's what I want on my tombstone, but you know, I've, um, I, I, I've faced some things in, in my own life and some, some challenges, and I've, I, I've watched, uh, members that I care for very deeply, um, struggle in, in my own family, and, um, you know, sometimes the way that people affront themselves or they behave is, is not always great. And, um, I think that through faith, through repentance, uh, through forsaking sins, and through the great grace of, of, of, of the sacrifice that's been made for us, uh, we can inherit a perfect body.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, I've, have someone in my life who I love very dearly who suffers with behavioral illness.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: And I've watched them be segregated from nearly everyone, and segregate themselves.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: And, um, I'm always asked, you know, "Why don't you just walk away? Why don't you do that? How do you get through this?" And, and I, all I can say is
Chris Mikkelsen: that if I was in this person's shoes, I, I wouldn't want somebody to walk away from me,
Chris Mikkelsen: and, um-
Scott Hammond: Good work
Chris Mikkelsen: … I, I have a little bit of grace.
Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.
Chris Mikkelsen: Um, but more importantly, I have an absolute testimony that, that, that, that, that, that this person will inherit a perfect body, and they'll be restored in, in every way.
Scott Hammond: Yeah.
Chris Mikkelsen: And I am, I'm looking forward to that.
Scott Hammond: Right. Amen, brother. I like it. Yeah, it's, um, it's, it's for real. Uh, any parting shots? By the way, do you know where the term parting shot came from? I just learned this, Nick. You're gonna love it.
Chris Mikkelsen: You must have learned it from Brian Papst. Isn't he the trivia king?
Scott Hammond: He might be. I don't… Brian, do you know this parting shot? So the Parthenons would retreat on their
Scott Hammond: horses, and people would come after them in the 17th century, and they would, they would appear to be retreating and leaving. They would spin on their horses with their bows, and they would give them a Parthian shot.
Chris Mikkelsen: Hmm.
Scott Hammond: And it was a, uh, devastating to, you know, somebody pursuing them, and they shortened that to parting shot.
Scott Hammond: So not that you have arrows anywhere that I can see. Any parting shots?
Chris Mikkelsen: How about you buy lunch next time?
Scott Hammond: Okay. Yeah, I c- I could. I'd be honored.
Chris Mikkelsen: That, that's not a parting shot, you know?
Scott Hammond: That's just-
Chris Mikkelsen: No
Scott Hammond: … just, just lunch.
Chris Mikkelsen: I'm just grateful. I, I, I, I, I don't have a bone to pick with every- anyone, you know? And no-
Scott Hammond: Good
Chris Mikkelsen: … there's no parting shot to you. I'm grateful for the opportunity.
Scott Hammond: Good.
Chris Mikkelsen: Again, I just, um, j- just, just, just, just show a little grace to others and, and, and, and realize that none of us are perfect.
Chris Mikkelsen: And-
Scott Hammond: Yep
Chris Mikkelsen: … um, when you're in the grocery line, you know, just tell them you are fantastic, even if you aren't.
Scott Hammond: Yep. Yep.
Chris Mikkelsen: Because I, I think if you do that, they just might make it fantastic for you.
Scott Hammond: That's right. My dad said it, "Kindness doesn't cost you anything."
Chris Mikkelsen: Kindness costs nothing.
Scott Hammond: You know, and people, people appreciate it, so it, it's time, it's time for a little kindness and some grace.
Chris Mikkelsen: I learned when I was 47. Took… That's a lot of life lessons there, buddy.
Scott Hammond: That is a lot. Yeah. Good one. Well, thanks, Chris, for being here. Thanks for, uh-
Chris Mikkelsen: Thank you
Scott Hammond: … running the harbor for us. Appreciate it.
Chris Mikkelsen: I thought this was a five-minute interview, you know, so.
Scott Hammond: Yeah, you went a little long. Or somebody did. Thanks again. And by the way, uh, thanks everybody for watching and, and listening. And 100% Humboldt, subscribe on your podcast, on YouTube. Watch us on Access Humboldt. You can see my friend Chris and
Scott Hammond: I. And, um, we, uh, we're th- thankful for people that help us out here. And, uh, come back, and, uh, we'll have a new guest next week.
Chris Mikkelsen: Thank you, Scott.
Scott Hammond: 100% Humboldt.