Your Thursday Newspaper 8/20/2026 — Fort Bragg faces small‑claims demand over unpaid plumbing bill + State Parks sued in odd sewer‑pipe case near Jack Peters Creek + Nothing new on the fence; City and Caltrans still working the fix + Old LP mill story
**Editor’s Note — Before we start, one piece of advice for the year for anyone who knows me or loves the news: DON’T donate to any local news site or buy advertising — at least until January. Think. Use your critical thinking skills about media. Ask who owns it, what their agenda and ethics are, how it’s funded, and what it’s actually doing for the community.
Right now, most of the outlets asking you for money don’t need it nearly as much as they say they do. Hold your wallet, sharpen your questions, and then decide.**
YELLOWJACKET ALERT
Big news from a trio of sixth graders at the CV Starr dog park on Wednesday: they jogged over to warn us about a yellowjacket nest behind the center — and they were right. Two of them said the first day of school was more fun than expected; the third made a face that said otherwise.
I’m sure John Smith and his crews can handle the yellowjackets. I have a real hate for them. I don’t hate much on earth, but ticks, yellowjackets, and invasive Himalayan blackberries make the list. It goes back to sixth grade, when I stepped on a nest in the woods and was stung more than 30 times. You don’t forget that.
Yellowjackets kill honeybees and are flat‑out dangerous to have near your house or CV Starr. In the woods, leave them alone — a nest is basically apple pie for a bear. But near people, they need to go. I’ve taken out dozens using only ammonia and can help if you find a nest on your property.
STATE PARKS SUED OVER JACK PETERS SEWER LINE, PROPERTY OWNER WANTS TIE-IN
The owners — and a would‑be buyer — of one of Mendocino’s most spectacular oceanfront residential properties have sued California State Parks after discovering something buried beneath the land when the potential buyer decided to look deeper. Literally.
A working sewer pipe. According to the lawsuit, the owners had no idea a State Parks sewer line had been running under their property for roughly 50 years. The pipe still carries sewage from Russian Gulch to the pumping station on the Mendocino Headlands.
The local family and the prospective buyer filed suit after uncovering the pipe on their oceanfront parcel just past the north end of the Jack Peters Creek Bridge, directly across Road 500 from the entrance to the State Parks Headquarters.
They’re seeking $2 million in damages and/or an agreement allowing them to tie their own sewage into the line — a pipe with a history as strange as its location.
In the 1970s, a special agreement was struck with State Parks that allowed the Mendocino City Community Services District to extend its sewer treatment system to serve Russian Gulch State Park and what would later become Mendocino Headlands State Park. Neither park was inside MCCSD boundaries then — or now. At the time, the Headlands were still owned by a timber company.
The early 1970s were one of the most politically active eras in Mendocino history. A serious incorporation effort was underway. Preservation was a dominant theme, far stronger than today, with Beacon discussions about protecting habitat for lingcod and shorebirds. The Surfwood subdivision was created in that period. State Parks’ plan to convert the old Great Depression camp at Russian Gulch into its headquarters was a major local issue. Many residents pushed to preserve everything north of Jack Peters Creek as parkland and wildlife habitat, but most of it ultimately became private development — while the Headlands preservation effort became a spectacular success.
That’s the backdrop: a decades‑old agreement, a politically charged era, and a sewer line laid during a time when boundaries, ownership, and long‑term planning were all in flux.
Odd, yes indeed. But it gets much weirder.
The suit claims a county permit in the 1970s authorized a sewage line running adjacent to Highway 1 from Russian Gulch State Park, beneath Jack Peters Creek Bridge, and on to the lift station on Heeser Drive in what is now Mendocino Headlands State Park, then to an existing MCCSD treatment facility next to the Headlands.
But according to the plaintiffs, the line was instead installed underground beneath both Highway 1 and County Road 500D, running directly west from Russian Gulch State Park. They say it continued all the way to the north end of the Jack Peters Creek Bridge, where the pipe can be seen crossing. That route would place the line through another private property whose owner is not part of the lawsuit.
The complaint states:
“This unpermitted installation resulted in continuing trespass to the (Kidwell Trust) property. This was undiscovered until recent times when plaintiffs sought to obtain a coastal development permit (for the property they were then or are now selling).”
The suit further argues:
“This continuing trespass has created a major impediment to parcel development due to Mendocino County rules as to the domestic water well and distance from septic fields, and may render the parcel unable to be developed with a single‑family residence, as allowed under the existing county code.”
The plaintiffs say they attempted to resolve the matter with State Parks and filed a claim in October 2025, which they contend was ignored. A survey was completed at State Parks’ request last year, but the owners say they have heard nothing since.
Their filing concludes:
“This matter is ripe for adjudication, and the plaintiffs have exhausted all efforts to try to achieve a formal resolution outside of litigation, but have been largely or completely ignored by State Parks and State Parks legal staff.”
WHAT THE PLAINTIFFS WANT
The suit argues that by laying the pipe where it is, State Parks effectively made itself a utility provider — and that one possible fix is allowing the parcel to tie its own sewage into the line.
As the complaint states:
“Defendant also has a duty to allow lateral access to the sewage system … as a de facto public utility and provider of sewage waste disposal for any members of the public that are able to construct a lateral construction of this line and obtain consent of the Mendocino City Community Services District.”
Filed July 31, the suit seeks at least $2 million for what the plaintiffs describe as partial or total devaluation of the oceanfront parcel.
Edward Powers signed the suit on behalf of himself and the owners. He is the prospective buyer who discovered the pipe and holds an option on the land. County records list Alaina Fern Blue of Sacramento as the owner; in the lawsuit she appears as Fern Shepard, trustee of the Kidwell Trust. Other partners are family trusts or individuals who have authorized Shepard to act as their agent. Their attorney is Rodney Jones of Mendocino.
In April, MCCSD issued a conditional “will‑serve” letter for 11520 Road 500D, allowing the owners to pursue approvals from LAFCO and State Parks. It’s unclear whether this Kidwell Trust is connected to the historic Kidwell family known around Big River.
The first court appearance is set for Dec. 4 before Judge Ann Moorman — a case‑management hearing with no expected public developments.
**Editor’s Note — It seems hard to believe this pipe could have been buried without the owners knowing. The community was highly active in that area in the 1970s, and any project involving trenching across Highway 1 should have drawn attention. Yet we found no reference to the work in Mendocino Beacon issues from that era. And surely someone, somewhere, would have a record of a utility line placed across private property.
Opening a sewer pipe to add new users would raise an interesting permitting question — and might prompt others to request the same access. But if there is no proof the owners were ever informed, this solution may end up being the only practical one. Just our take.**
FORT BRAGG WOMAN TAKES CITY TO SMALL CLAIMS OVER PLUMBING INVOICE — CITY ARGUES OVERPAYMENT STEMMED FROM BROADBAND CONTRACTOR’S SEWER‑PIPE BREACH
Debora Hewus of McPherson Street in Fort Bragg has sued the City of Fort Bragg in small claims court, with a hearing set for Sept. 10 before Judge Patrick Pekin — in Ukiah, not at the Fort Bragg courthouse. Everyone, including the city and Hewus, has to make the drive. The tale is real life, like a case Judge Judy would have had the perfect verdict for.
The case shows how hard the city fights claims, even when an invoice exists and there’s no dispute that damage was caused by a city contractor. We know Deb well and consider her one of the most reliable sources around; we didn’t realize it was her case until after we had already dug it up. We also know the city to be straightforward with us. Everyone gets their day in court.
Here’s what Deb told us:
“I had sewage backup into my rental house. No, it didn’t flood. Tenants called me. It was Sunday at noon on Thanksgiving week and only one plumber answered their phone, so I hired him at an ‘emergency rate’ of $550/hr.
He worked for 5 hours with snake/camera/signal sensor trying to clear the blockage, which totally stopped in the lateral drain in the alley (50 feet from the house). That’s a city pipe. He marked the spot and contacted the city Monday morning to dig it up and fix it. I was there with him the whole time, so I know he was working and not wasting time or padding the bill.
The city workers came out and dug up a different spot than he had marked. Said they ‘didn’t find a problem’ but replaced some pipe anyway”
Tenants came home after work Monday and drains were still backing up. Kitchen, bathtub, and toilet.
Called the plumber again Tuesday morning; he came back out. He ran the camera and sensor again — the blockage was still exactly where he had marked the day before. So he dug down by hand, four feet, exposed the pipe, and marked it precisely where the sensor pinged so the city couldn’t miss it. Another three hours of work.
City crews arrived later Tuesday, dug up the lateral drain pipe, and exposed the spot where the city line had been center‑punched by the subcontractor laying fiber‑optic cable in the alley. They didn’t have the supplies to fix it, so they returned Wednesday — the day before Thanksgiving — finished the repair, and the drains finally worked again.
The plumber sent his bill and documentation. Deb paid it and submitted her claim to the city for reimbursement.
According to Deb, the city first told her the rate she paid was higher than the average for local plumbers and said they would work with the plumber on a resolution. When they couldn’t reach him, they asked her to help get in touch. Then they told her he had revised his invoices for them and agreed to reimburse her the difference — and asked her to sign a settlement and release the city from further liability. But now she said no reimbursement has appeared.
Deb wrote to the city attorney, asking for reimbursement or she would file in small claims. The city tried again to discuss a settlement, but when she asked for communications in writing, they sent a denial letter.
They offered a settlement of $1,150.
I paid $4440. (to the plumber)
I have dates, pictures, and invoices.
My position is that the problem was urgent, I had no duty or responsibility to get multiple quotes for the work done and the City is responsible to reimburse me at the rate I paid. I think I’ll win!”
So small claims it is… Sept 10, 1:30pm. Ukiah.
We will report back what happened! If it werent three hours of driving we would go cover it.
WHY ARE PEOPLE ANGRY AT OTHER PEOPLE FOR PROTESTING THE FENCE? THE PEOPLE WHO OWN AND CREATED THE FENCE ARE WORKING TO FIX IT!
In our first article a week ago, we talked to Caltrans, the City of Fort Bragg, the Coastal Commission, and the Skunk Train about the fence. Every one of those parties gave thoughtful answers. All acknowledged that a mistake appears to have been made, although we don’t know by whom.
Yet a sizeable portion of the public is furious on their behalf. People are angry that anyone is opposing a view‑blocking fence. Why? It’s the entrance to Fort Bragg, and it appears somebody simply made a mistake.
The City of Fort Bragg issued a press release that continues to say exactly what they told us from the start. Other media outlets claiming the city “only gave in after pressure” are late to the story. Not so.
A new press release titled “City Works With Caltrans to Modify Highway 1 Fence Following Community Concerns” has now been posted on the city’s website.
August 19th, 2026, Fort Bragg, CA – The City of Fort Bragg has heard the community’s concerns regarding the new wooden fencing installed along Main Street/Highway 1 south of Cypress Street, including concerns about its height, appearance, and impact on views of the Noyo Headlands and the ocean.
The fencing is part of Caltrans’ Fort Bragg sidewalk and Americans with Disabilities Act improvement project. It replaced an existing fence that was removed to accommodate sidewalk widening and accessibility improvements. The fence and its associated construction costs are components of Caltrans’ broader project contract and are not a separate City construction project.
WHAT IS HAPPENING AT THE OLD LP PLANT SOUTH OF TOWN? MANY OF YOU HAVE ASKED US AND WANTED A STORY
The story on the old LP property — the toxic plume, the unpermitted fire‑training facility, and everything tied to it — is big, and it’s in the works. Stand by; it’s coming soon.
Mendolocal.com did a thorough piece; have a read. As always, if you have information you want included in the news, write us at frankhartzell@gmail.com. It is, after all, the story of us — and we welcome your input.
What Belongs on a Contaminated Mill Site in the Middle of a Neighborhood?
