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What if the bravest moment isn’t the day you celebrate sobriety, but the day you walk through the door to detox? We sit with Jamaica Bartz, executive director of Waterfront Recovery Services in Eureka, to unpack what medical detox looks like, why alcohol withdrawal can be more dangerous than people realize, and how trauma-informed care changes outcomes. Jamaica’s not speaking from a distance. She started using at 15, cycled through jail and warrants, and hit a point where meth wasn’t a party—it was maintenance. Her turnaround is honest, messy, and deeply human.

We break down the nuts and bolts of treatment: screenings, individualized protocols from nurses and a physician, and 24/7 monitoring that makes the first days safer and more bearable. From there, most clients move into 30, 60, or 90 days of residential treatment to rebuild routines, learn relapse prevention, and reconnect with genuine community. We also talk straight about fentanyl: uneven potency, xylazine contamination, and why “safer” methods like smoking can still be fatal. Harm reduction isn’t a slogan; it’s life-saving literacy paired with medical care and clear boundaries.

The heart of this conversation lives in identity and small beginnings. Jamaica shares how trauma sits beneath many addictions, why group therapy and outside referrals matter, and how everyday joys—movies, quiet nights, volunteering with youth—can replace the high with something steadier. If you want to support, Waterfront needs hands and hearts to help maintain sober living homes—painting, siding, and practical upgrades that keep people stable after treatment. Ready to hear a no-bullshit, big-hearted guide to recovery in Humboldt? Press play, then subscribe, share, and leave a review to help more people find real help and real hope.

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About 100% Humboldt with Scott Hammond

Humboldt County CA USA is the home of some of the most iconoclastic, genuine, and interesting folks in the world.

We are getting curious about the movers, shakers, and difference makers in Humboldt County CA-Home of the giant redwoods, 6 Rivers, and the vast Pacific Ocean.

We will discover what makes people live/evolve in the beautiful, diverse, isolated, and ever-changing North Coast of California 100%!

Listen in and learn what it is to be 100% Humboldt!

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What makes a small town strong? For Becky Giacomini, it starts with ranch gates, school doors, and hospital halls—and a promise to show up. We dive into Becky’s journey from Southern California to the Eel River Valley, where she met her husband at a rodeo, grew potatoes into chips, raised a family, and spent 30 years in education before stepping into community leadership full time.

We talk about the cultural fabric of Fortuna, Ferndale, and Rio Dell—how dairy and cattle families fuel youth programs, FFA chapters, and the fair’s sale day. Becky breaks down why Humboldt’s ag roots matter to everyone, not just ranchers: they form a resilient network that keeps kids engaged, supports local businesses, and rallies neighbors when floods and fires hit. She shares a powerful mentorship lesson from the late Don Brown—enjoy the beauty here, bring the check not the casserole, and leave a legacy that lasts—and how that advice still guides her work.

Healthcare sits center stage as Becky explains Women for Wellness, a member-led giving circle that funds critical equipment and education for Redwood Memorial and St. Joseph. It’s philanthropy with results, turning pooled donations into bedside improvements that touch thousands. We round out the conversation with Humboldt favorites—Centerville Beach, Russ Park, Seagrill, Benbow—and a candid look at FOMO, JOMO, and the boundaries that keep volunteers energized.

If you care about rural community building, local healthcare, and the grit behind small-town resilience, this conversation will stick with you. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves Humboldt, and leave a review to help others find the show. Then tell us: where will you show up this week?

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About 100% Humboldt with Scott Hammond

Humboldt County CA USA is the home of some of the most iconoclastic, genuine, and interesting folks in the world.

We are getting curious about the movers, shakers, and difference makers in Humboldt County CA-Home of the giant redwoods, 6 Rivers, and the vast Pacific Ocean.

We will discover what makes people live/evolve in the beautiful, diverse, isolated, and ever-changing North Coast of California 100%!

Listen in and learn what it is to be 100% Humboldt!

Find us on You Tube, Linked In, Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok!

Send us a text

A bottle pops, and so does a life story. Rosa Dixon joins us to share how a childhood on a Tennessee commune shaped her instinct to collaborate, how New York City sharpened her operator’s edge, and how a frightening misdiagnosis led her to build Raised Gluten Free—now a national brand with 18 products in 7,500 retailers. From pies at the farmer’s market to private label partnerships with Walmart and Sprouts and a recent Target launch, Rosa breaks down the unglamorous math of scaling food: distribution hubs, shared kitchens, and community support that makes the difference between a hopeful idea and a healthy company.

We also go deep on Humboldt Made—what it actually does for local makers, why Friday Night Markets fund the mission, and how storytelling inside grocery stores helps shoppers discover the people behind beloved products. With new Headwaters backing, we’re taking a Humboldt row to Natural Products Expo West, putting Maka Pierogies, Jersey Guy Scoop, Nomolina Pesto, and Shroom Shots in front of the buyers who can change a company’s trajectory. Rosa explains how to prepare for trade shows, turn a single email into a regional launch, and keep wins circulating here at home.

Then crisis hits close to home. The Arcata fire destroyed seven businesses and threatened the historic downtown. Within 48 hours, more than 50 community leaders aligned on roles, relief, and fundraising—PG&E pledged $50,000, banks and the university followed, and a committee is forming to assess needs and distribute funds. We lay out simple ways to help: show up for the porch-party fundraiser weekend, spend with neighboring shops, and lean into the Choose Humboldt app and articles that make supporting local easy and fun. Along the way, Rosa shares a personal health reset—losing 70 pounds, lifting heavy, and finding daily discipline—and the legacy she hopes to leave: wake up trying to help, support, and love.

If this resonates, share the episode with a friend, subscribe for more Humboldt maker stories, and leave a quick review to help others find the show.

Support the show

About 100% Humboldt with Scott Hammond

Humboldt County CA USA is the home of some of the most iconoclastic, genuine, and interesting folks in the world.

We are getting curious about the movers, shakers, and difference makers in Humboldt County CA-Home of the giant redwoods, 6 Rivers, and the vast Pacific Ocean.

We will discover what makes people live/evolve in the beautiful, diverse, isolated, and ever-changing North Coast of California 100%!

Listen in and learn what it is to be 100% Humboldt!

Find us on You Tube, Linked In, Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok!

Send us a text

Ever wonder who keeps local voices on the air when big media moves on and broadband eats cable? We sit down with Access Humboldt’s executive director, Christina Jeffers, to explore how a PEG station—public, education, and government—safeguards free speech, broadcasts full civic meetings without edits, and gives anyone in the community the tools to make radio and TV. Christina’s story is a ride: theater and stunt acting in Los Angeles, a decade in an ER, bold creative development in Sacramento, and now leading a small but mighty team that treats transparency and storytelling as public goods.

We dig into what Access Humboldt actually does—five cable channels, a low-power FM station, and a programming approach that elevates citizen creators alongside government coverage—and why it matters more as algorithms shrink attention spans and national outlets chase hot takes. Christina explains the money puzzle: franchise fees were designed to compensate the public when cable used shared rights-of-way, but as telecoms shifted services to “broadband,” funding eroded. The stakes are concrete: fewer resources for distance learning, fewer hands to staff meetings, and fewer doors for new creators to walk through. And yet, the solution is close to home—local support, smarter partnerships, and programs like Boltfest, a year-round short film incubator that takes ten-page scripts to a real red carpet.

Along the way, we talk identity, belonging, and why self-expression fights isolation. Christina’s Burning Man stories aren’t about shock; they’re about permission and generosity—the same spirit she brings to Access Humboldt. If you care about open government, rural education access, or seeing your neighbors on screen instead of in the comments, this conversation will give you a map and a reason to act.

Subscribe, share with a friend who loves local media, and leave a review to help more people find the show. Want to keep community media alive? Donate, volunteer, or pitch a show idea—then tell us what you’d make first.

Support the show

About 100% Humboldt with Scott Hammond

Humboldt County CA USA is the home of some of the most iconoclastic, genuine, and interesting folks in the world.

We are getting curious about the movers, shakers, and difference makers in Humboldt County CA-Home of the giant redwoods, 6 Rivers, and the vast Pacific Ocean.

We will discover what makes people live/evolve in the beautiful, diverse, isolated, and ever-changing North Coast of California 100%!

Listen in and learn what it is to be 100% Humboldt!

Find us on You Tube, Linked In, Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok!

Send us a text

What if the safest street is also the one that moves the most people with the least stress? That’s the question we chase with CRTP’s executive director, Colin Fiske , as we unpack how Humboldt can move beyond car-only thinking and build streets that actually serve the way we live. From Arcata’s trail links to Eureka’s most dangerous corridors, we connect policy, culture, and design into a practical roadmap for change.

We start with the wins: the Annie and Mary Trail segment tying Cal Poly Humboldt to Arcata, Bay Trail momentum, and the promise of the Great Redwood Trail from Eureka to College of the Redwoods. Then we get into the systems thinking. Protected bike lanes don’t just help cyclists; they reduce car crashes. Real bike boulevards slow and thin traffic so families feel safe. Walk audits expose blind spots on Fourth, Fifth, and Broadway, where most serious injuries cluster. And when callers demand more lanes, we talk induced demand—why congestion returns—and its lesser-known counterpart, traffic evaporation, which helps road diets and roundabouts work.

Culture counts, too. “Motonormativity” shows how we give cars a moral pass we’d never grant elsewhere. Helmets help, but the lasting fix is street design that prevents crashes. Equity threads through everything: kids, elders, and low-income neighbors bear the brunt of fast arterials. The answer is closer homes, jobs, and services—think downtown housing over a transit center—plus a connected network so no trip requires braving a hostile block. Quick-build pilots with paint and posts prove ideas fast and make long-term projects smarter.

If you care about safer crossings, reliable buses, protected lanes, and lively downtowns, you’ll find concrete steps and local examples you can act on today. Listen, share with a neighbor, and tell us: which street should get a road diet or protected lane next? If you’re enjoying the show, follow, rate, and leave a review—your feedback helps more people find conversations that move communities forward.

Support the show

About 100% Humboldt with Scott Hammond

Humboldt County CA USA is the home of some of the most iconoclastic, genuine, and interesting folks in the world.

We are getting curious about the movers, shakers, and difference makers in Humboldt County CA-Home of the giant redwoods, 6 Rivers, and the vast Pacific Ocean.

We will discover what makes people live/evolve in the beautiful, diverse, isolated, and ever-changing North Coast of California 100%!

Listen in and learn what it is to be 100% Humboldt!

Find us on You Tube, Linked In, Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok!

Send us a text

A 115-year-old ferry shouldn’t be the heartbeat of a modern waterfront—but the Madaket is exactly that. We sit down with fifth-generation Humboldter and tug captain Leroy Zerlang to chart how a tiny passenger boat outlived an entire ferry fleet, helped launch maritime careers, and still carries school kids at the same price set decades ago. From cabinet shop to wheelhouse, Leroy’s path is a tour of Humboldt Bay’s grit, humor, and stubborn devotion to its working water.

We dive into the Madaket’s rebuild after the Coast Guard said “fix it or retire,” the hands-on shipwright work that stretched from six months to two years, and why the boat’s continuous certification since 1910 makes it a rarity on the West Coast. Then we widen the lens: harbor cruises that reach the old Arcata Long Wharf, oysters and wildlife in Arcata Bay, the quiet power of the Skywalk and Carson Mansion on visitors, and a simple truth—tourists love this place. So why no bayfront hotels, few waterfront restaurants, and not enough space where the view can pay the bills? Leroy lays out a clear plan: invest in hospitality where it belongs—on the water—and build a destination Maritime Museum in historic Samoa.

The working side matters just as much. Fishing’s been battered by closures and uncertainty, and boats are leaving. The fix is practical: ice, cold storage, repair space, reliable docks, and respect for the people who keep the waterfront alive. Along the way, we relive shipwrecks you can still see at minus tide, and the improbable rescue of the Golden Rule, a peace boat restored after years in Leroy’s yard that sailed to Hawaii and back. It all points to a shared vision Bonnie Gool championed: make the bay our front door, not our back door.

If you care about Humboldt’s future, this conversation brings the map and the compass. Subscribe, share with a bay-loving friend, and leave a review with the one change you’d make first for our waterfront.

Support the show

About 100% Humboldt with Scott Hammond

Humboldt County CA USA is the home of some of the most iconoclastic, genuine, and interesting folks in the world.

We are getting curious about the movers, shakers, and difference makers in Humboldt County CA-Home of the giant redwoods, 6 Rivers, and the vast Pacific Ocean.

We will discover what makes people live/evolve in the beautiful, diverse, isolated, and ever-changing North Coast of California 100%!

Listen in and learn what it is to be 100% Humboldt!

Find us on You Tube, Linked In, Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok!

Send us a text

A statue that seemed to smile on its way home. A hidden cabin that vanished overnight. A police log so human it reads like a short story. Our 100th milestone conversation with editor Kevin Hoover is a tour through Arcata’s past, present, and near future—told by someone who has walked every street, sat through the 7 a.m. meetings, and printed the town’s heartbeat onto shrinking pages week after week.

We dig into how Cal Poly Humboldt is reshaping the region, from a $5.05 million purchase of Sun Valley Floral Farms to the ripple effects on housing, small business, and a bolder 15‑minute town vision for Arcata and McKinleyville. Kevin weighs promise against pressure, naming the culture and capital a campus brings while calling for planning that keeps neighborhoods livable, walkable, and resilient. Climate change raises the stakes as sea levels press toward the bay’s edge, and a new data center and undersea cables force fresh questions about digital infrastructure, local benefit, and trust.

Along the way, Kevin shares the craft and chaos of building a paper from scratch, the ethics behind a beloved police blotter, and why profiles of “regular exceptional” people still matter more than any viral clip. We trade notes on the stages and makers that make Arcata hum—from CenterArts trios that fill a room like orchestras to Playhouse Arts’ role in knitting a district from creativity—and we get personal about best days, worst days, and the music he’s composing late at night in Logic Pro.

If you care about local news, city planning, sea level rise, university growth, or simply how a town tells its truth, this one’s for you. Press play, then tell us what story surprised you most. If you enjoy the show, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review so more curious neighbors can find us.

Support the show

About 100% Humboldt with Scott Hammond

Humboldt County CA USA is the home of some of the most iconoclastic, genuine, and interesting folks in the world.

We are getting curious about the movers, shakers, and difference makers in Humboldt County CA-Home of the giant redwoods, 6 Rivers, and the vast Pacific Ocean.

We will discover what makes people live/evolve in the beautiful, diverse, isolated, and ever-changing North Coast of California 100%!

Listen in and learn what it is to be 100% Humboldt!

Find us on You Tube, Linked In, Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok!

Send us a text

What does it take to make wood sing? We sit down with Marimba One founder Ron Samuels to follow the arc from a Humboldt State spark to an Arcata workshop that supplies universities, symphonies, and soloists worldwide. Ron shares how an early encounter with African-style marimba led to years of hands-on experimenting, nights in woodshops, and the hard-earned knowledge of how to tune a bar so that overtones line up, resonators breathe, and a melody stays clear even when the room is alive.

We dig into the craft behind the music: arches carved into the underside of bars to shape harmonics, resonators adjusted with precision plugs to balance warmth and brightness, and modern tooling—custom extrusions, injection-molded interfaces, and CNC machining—used not to mass-produce, but to stabilize frames and protect tone. Ron breaks down the differences between marimba, vibraphone, and xylophone, and how thoughtful engineering can make an eight-foot, 300-pound instrument feel responsive under the mallets. Along the way, we swap listening notes, from Bach’s cello suites on marimba to jazz vibes and a Rolling Stones classic that quietly features the instrument you didn’t know you knew.

The conversation turns to sustainability with a breakthrough: a synthetic alternative that finally sounds like true rosewood. After years of R&D, player tests, and careful sourcing, the team unveiled material that keeps lines articulate without the harsh ring that plagues other substitutes. It’s conservation through acoustics, a practical path for schools, ensembles, and touring artists who need consistency and conscience. Grounded in Humboldt County’s creative network—engineers from Yakima days, artists, and builders—Ron’s shop also invests locally with school tours and concerts at the Arcata Playhouse.

If you love craft, sound design, and the human stories behind great instruments, this one’s for you. Hit play, subscribe for more conversations with builder-founders and artists, and leave a review telling us your favorite marimba recording or the question you want us to ask Ron next.

Support the show

About 100% Humboldt with Scott Hammond

Humboldt County CA USA is the home of some of the most iconoclastic, genuine, and interesting folks in the world.

We are getting curious about the movers, shakers, and difference makers in Humboldt County CA-Home of the giant redwoods, 6 Rivers, and the vast Pacific Ocean.

We will discover what makes people live/evolve in the beautiful, diverse, isolated, and ever-changing North Coast of California 100%!

Listen in and learn what it is to be 100% Humboldt!

Find us on You Tube, Linked In, Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok!

Send us a text

Roses blooming in February changed everything. That’s how Dr. Keith Flamer knew College of the Redwoods would be home—a place where Marine Corps grit and Jesuit heart could fuse into a people-first campus that serves Humboldt with purpose. In a wide-ranging conversation, we trace his path from Chicago’s west side and brand management at Kraft to graduate work at Gonzaga and two decades leading CR through change with transparency, humor, and resolve.

We dive into the big pivot shaping community colleges: meaningful careers that don’t require four-year debt. Dr. Flamer lays out why CR’s future is anchored in healthcare pathways and skilled trades—nursing, allied health, welding, construction technology, aquaculture, and climate resilience. These programs move students into well-paying jobs faster, strengthen the regional workforce, and create stackable on-ramps for first-generation learners and working adults. Along the way, we talk student housing, a new PE and field house, upgraded athletics, creative arts improvements, and the Del Norte healthcare education center—projects designed to turn access into persistence and graduation.

Policy and funding challenges are real, but they’re met with open books and decisive collaboration. Dr. Flamer walks us through balancing budgets without cutting opportunity, building partnerships with local industry and elected leaders, and keeping equity, inclusion, and community engagement at the center. Post-pandemic lessons—flexible online learning, tele-services, smarter scheduling—are now tools for long-term success. And beneath it all is a personal ethic: love people first. That’s the leadership that connects CR to Humboldt’s fabric, sends students seamlessly to Cal Poly Humboldt when it fits, and holds space for respectful disagreement as the community grows.

Come for the story, stay for the playbook: practical steps to build programs that pay, campuses that belong to their neighbors, and a legacy defined by service. If this conversation resonates, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway—we read every word.

Support the show

About 100% Humboldt with Scott Hammond

Humboldt County CA USA is the home of some of the most iconoclastic, genuine, and interesting folks in the world.

We are getting curious about the movers, shakers, and difference makers in Humboldt County CA-Home of the giant redwoods, 6 Rivers, and the vast Pacific Ocean.

We will discover what makes people live/evolve in the beautiful, diverse, isolated, and ever-changing North Coast of California 100%!

Listen in and learn what it is to be 100% Humboldt!

Find us on You Tube, Linked In, Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok!

Send us a text

Some conversations change how you see your neighbors. This one does. We sit with longtime educator and advocate Nezzie Wade to explore why Humboldt County’s per-capita homelessness ranks among the highest in the country and what can actually move the needle: community-first design, small-scale villages, safe parking, and dignity-forward services that meet people where they are.

Nezzie's story threads from Catholic schooling and decades of teaching sociology to co-founding Affordable Homeless Housing Alternatives (AHA). Along the way, she lays out a clear diagnosis: California’s housing targets are chronically underbuilt; income thresholds exclude those in crisis; and institutional models struggle to support people who’ve been surviving outside for years. The alternative is both humble and powerful—mutual aid as infrastructure. Think tiny house villages that function like neighborhoods, with roles and support baked in, not imposed. Think safe sheltering that invites participation and grows stability.

We also spotlight AHHA’s mobile shower program: a custom trailer with ADA access that’s delivered more than 7,000 hot showers and services to 16,000+ guests across Eureka, Arcata, and McKinleyville. It’s a blueprint for practical compassion—hygiene, food, clothing, and referrals—built on local donations and grit, not red tape. Nezzie makes a direct ask: partners with land near transit, donors willing to seed operations and simple utilities, and listeners ready to help turn proven concepts into living spaces.

If you care about Humboldt, housing, or humane policy, this conversation gives you facts, context, and a path to act. Subscribe, share with a friend who cares about solutions, and leave a review with one idea you’d support locally—land, funding, or time. Your voice helps build the village.

Support the show

About 100% Humboldt with Scott Hammond

Humboldt County CA USA is the home of some of the most iconoclastic, genuine, and interesting folks in the world.

We are getting curious about the movers, shakers, and difference makers in Humboldt County CA-Home of the giant redwoods, 6 Rivers, and the vast Pacific Ocean.

We will discover what makes people live/evolve in the beautiful, diverse, isolated, and ever-changing North Coast of California 100%!

Listen in and learn what it is to be 100% Humboldt!

Find us on You Tube, Linked In, Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok!