Business briefs | Eureka schools have new super; Good Relations marks 40 years – Times-Standard
Incoming superintendent of Eureka City Schools Gary Storts, third from the left, stands with members of the governing board. (Eureka City Schools/Contributed)
Zoo foundation has a new executive director
The Sequoia Park Zoo Foundation announced this week that Alegria Sita will now serve as its executive director.
Sita is a long-time local business owner and nonprofit executive.
“On behalf of the city of Eureka and Sequoia Park Zoo, I would like to extend a heartfelt welcome to Alegria Sita as she steps into the executive director role at the philanthropic Sequoia Park Zoo Foundation,” zoo director Jim Campbell-Spickler said in a prepared statement. “I have enjoyed getting to know Alegria during her years of service as a volunteer board member of the Foundation, and I am excited to continue the long history of successful collaboration and innovation between our organizations.”
Sita received her bachelor of arts in youth advocacy from Cal Poly Humboldt. She spent her early professional career working throughout Humboldt County schools and within the nonprofit sector, developing programs, projects, and events fostering youth empowerment, the news release stated.
Sita is a Humboldt County resident of 25 years and lives in Eureka with her daughter.
“My daughter, Jamilah, and I are fortunate to make and share lifelong memories at our neighborhood zoo which holds a special place in our hearts. It is an honor to accept this opportunity to contribute to the long-term vision and legacy of Sequoia Park Zoo as executive director of the Foundation,” she said in a news release.
Good Relations celebrates 40 years, new spot
Good Relations, an Old Town shop, is celebrating it’s 40th year in business and a move to a new location at 329 Second St., the company announced in a news release Friday.
The move has been in the planning stages for two years, according to the release.
Originally established as a home party company in the early 1980s, Good Relations has been a fixture in Old Town since the early ’90s. From their start with a tiny 250-square-foot store inside Jacoby’s Storehouse in Arcata, owner and founder Melinda Myers and her team provided adult sex education, size-inclusive lingerie, and boudoir accessories to multiple generations of customers.
In the new store, Myers deco-inspired interior highlights a range of lingerie and sexual health products, the news release said.
Good Relations was recently nominated as Best Boutique in the U.S. by the industry-leading publication, AVN.
Multiple grand opening events for the new location are planned starting Dec. 1 at 11 a.m. with a ribbon-cutting celebration and running through Dec. 3. Good Relations will give away $20,000 in merchandise during the weekend. Additionally, there will be food and drinks offered during the December Arts Alive!
Storts takes the reins at Eureka City Schools
The Eureka City Schools Board of Education appointed Gary Storts as the new superintendent for Eureka City Schools earlier this month, the district announced in a news release Friday.
In August 2023, the board began a search for the superintendent position and received application packets from many qualified applicants across the state and country. Ultimately, the Board selected Storts who has been serving as the district’s Assistant Superintendent of Education Services since November 2021.
“I feel extremely blessed to be able to give back to the community who helped shape me into the person I am today,” Storts said in a prepared statement. “Serving as the superintendent of Eureka City Schools is both an honor and a responsibility that I take very seriously.”
The board president lauded Storts work.
“We are excited that Gary has accepted the role of superintendent, a position he is extremely qualified for and passionate about,” board president Mike Duncan said in the release. “The selection process for this critical role has been thorough and thoughtful, reflecting the board’s commitment to finding the right leader to build upon our district’s successes. We believe Gary is the right leader for Eureka City Schools.”
Storts has outlined his top priorities, emphasizing a strong focus on early literacy, creating a sense of belonging on campus, and preparing students for future success in the workforce.
“Investing in early literacy is fundamental to building a strong foundation for our students. Additionally, I am dedicated to fostering an environment where every student feels a sense of belonging and is celebrated for their unique strengths. We aim to create an inclusive community that nurtures the potential of each individual,” he said.
$11K grant will help fund SoHum communications
The Lower Mattole Fire Safety Council serving residents of the remote Mattole Valley, Petrolia and Honeydew received a $11,000 grant from Humboldt Area Foundation and Wild Rivers Community Foundation to purchase radios and communications equipment to improve communications between neighbors and first responders during emergencies such as wildfires, floods, and earthquakes, the nonprofits announced in a news release.
The grant will be used to purchase powerful two-way radios, repeaters, solar arrays, batteries, cables, and antennae, plus labor costs associated with the coordination and programming of equipment.
“This funding is crucial for when the power or the phones go out, which happens a lot,” Sarah Vroom, executive director of the Mattole Restoration Council, which coordinates the fire safety council, said in a news release. “This will allow our neighborhood coordinators to better contact each other, check in with neighbors, and reach outside emergency responders easier.”
The grant will be used to supplement and improve the communities’ existing communications equipment, established more than a year ago via collaboration with multiple volunteer fire departments, fundraisers, and contributions from Coast Central Credit Union.