>> COMING UP ON "HEADLINE >> SUPPORT FOR "HEADLINE HUMBOLDT"IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU.

>> COMING UP ON "HEADLINE HUMBOLDT," THE EUREKA CITY COUNCIL LEARNS HOW ITS MUNICIPAL ZONING CODE WAS ORIGINALLY MEANT AS A WAY TO KEEP RACES SEGREGATED.

ALSO, WE INTERVIEW KMUD NEWS DIRECTOR LAUREN SCHMITT ON HER RECENT COVERAGE OF TWO HORSE DEATHS AT THE HUMBOLDT COUNTY FAIR RACETRACK AND HOW SHE LEARNED THOSE DEATHS WERE PREVENTABLE.

COMING UP NOW ON "HEADLINE HUMBOLDT".

LIVE CC BY ABERDEEN CAPTIONING 800-688-6621 WWW.ABERCAP.COM FROM THE TOP OF HUMBOLDT HILL, THIS IS "HEADLINE HUMBOLDT."

I'M JAMES FAULK.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

THE LEGACY OF A TROUBLED AND DISCRIMINATORY PAST IS ALL AROUND US.

WE'RE BROADCASTING FROM THE LAND THAT WAS TAKEN FROM THE WIYOT TRIBE, AND THE ENTIRE NORTH AMERICAN CONTINENT WAS STOLEN FROM NATIVE AMERICANS WHO WERE ALREADY SUFFERING AND DYING DUE TO THE DISEASES WE BROUGHT OVER FROM EUROPE AND BEYOND.

IN VIRTUALLY EVERY SEGMENT OF SOCIETY, EVERY CORNER WE CONSIDER, THERE ARE REMNANTS OF AN UNEQUAL AND OVERTLY RACIST LOCAL AND NATIONAL HISTORY.

THESE OLD WOUNDS OFTEN LINGER LONGER THAN WE REALIZE, CONTINUING TO DAMAGE BOTH THE ORIGINAL PERPETRATING CLASS AND THE INTENDED VICTIMS.

THIS WEEK, IN A QUIET HEARING AT EUREKA CITY HALL, THE CITY COUNCIL HEARD A FAIRLY LENGTHY REPORT ON ZONING.

MERE MENTION OF THAT WORD CAUSES MOST PEOPLE'S EYES TO GLAZE OVER, THEIR BRAINS TO SEIZE UP, TONGUES TO LOLL.

SUFFICE IT TO SAY, CITY PLANNING IS NOT THE STUFF OF ADVENTURE NOVELS OR HIGH-OCTANE ACTION FILMS.

YET THOSE ZONING RULES AND CLASSIFICATIONS HAVE A PROFOUND IMPACT ON HOW WE LIVE, ON HOW WE CAN EVEN THINK ABOUT LIVING, BECAUSE THEY SHAPE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND LIVING SPACES, GIVING FORM TO THE DAILY EXCHANGE OF GOODS AND SERVICES.

AT THIS HEARING, COUNCIL HEARD THE DISQUIETING STORY OF HOW MUCH OF THE ZONING LAW WE STILL USE TODAY AROSE MORE THAN A CENTURY AGO OUT OF A DESIRE TO KEEP WHITE NEIGHBORHOODS WHITE AND EXCLUDE THE GROWING NUMBER OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS WHO WERE THEN FLEEING THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES.

EVEN AFTER THAT KIND OF SOCIAL ENGINEERING WAS OUTLAWED, THE RULES STILL STOOD, AND CONTINUED TO HAVE A TOXIC IMPACT ON COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

IN ORDER TO FIX MANY OF THE INEQUITIES THAT CONTINUE TO PLAGUE THIS NATION AND ITS PEOPLE, WE NEED TO RETHINK HOW WE ESTABLISH AND RUN OUR COMMUNITIES, AND START WITH A FRESH LOOK AT THE RULES BEHIND WHO LIVES WHERE AND WHY.

OUR INTERVIEW TODAY IS WITH LAUREN SCHMITT, NEWS DIRECTOR FROM LOCAL PUBLIC RADIO STATION KMUD.

SHE'S DONE AMAZING WORK RECENTLY ON TWO PREVENTABLE HORSE DEATHS AT THE HUMBOLDT COUNTY FAIR RACING GROUNDS AND ON EXPLORING WHAT THOSE DEATHS REVEAL ABOUT THE CULTURE AND CONDITION OF THAT SPORT.

BUT FIRST, THE NEWS.

TWO HUMBOLDT COUNTY RESIDENTS HAVE OFFICIALLY BEEN CHARGED IN FEDERAL COURT FOR TAKING PART IN THE JANUARY 6, 2021, INSURRECTION AT THE U.S. CAPITOL BUILDING.

KRISTEN CUNNINGHAM, KNOWN AS KRIS, AND STACEY URHAMMER, A COUPLE, WERE CHARGED WITH ENTERING AND REMAINING IN A RESTRICTED BUILDING, WITH DOING THE SAME IN A CAPITOL BUILDING, WITH DISORDERLY AND DISRUPTIVE CONDUCT IN A RESTRICTED AREA, AND WITH PARADING OR PICKETING ILLEGALLY IN A CAPITOL BUILDING.

THE TWO WERE SPOTTED REPEATEDLY IN SURVEILLANCE VIDEO FROM THE DAY.

OVERALL, THEY SPENT A TOTAL OF 40 MINUTES IN THE BUILDING.

ACCORDING TO BAY AREA TV STATION KBVU, CUNNINGHAM, 53, AND URHAMMER, 54, WERE TURNED INTO THE F.B.I.

IN 2021 BY A TIPSTER WHO KNEW THEM.

INSTAGRAM MESSAGES BETWEEN THE TWO WERE FOUND WHERE URHAMMER INDICATES IT WAS HER IDEA TO ATTEND, WHILE CUNNINGHAM JOINED IN TO PROTECT HER.

THE MAXIMUM PENALTIES FOR EACH OF THOSE FIRST TWO CHARGES INCLUDE IMPRISONMENT FOR UP TO A YEAR, PROBATION FOR UP TO FIVE YEARS, AND A FINE OF UP TO $100,000.

THE SECOND TWO CHARGES EACH HAVE A MAXIMUM PENALTY OF SIX MONTHS IN PRISON, FIVE YEARS OF PROBATION AND $5,000 FINES.

ACKNOWLEDGING THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE ENORMOUS POWER TO SHAPE PEOPLE'S LIVES THROUGH ZONING RULES AND OTHER TYPES OF CITY PLANNING, THE CITY COUNCIL THIS WEEK HEARD HOW EUREKA DEVELOPED THE WAY IT HAS, AND HOW IT MIGHT CHANGE IN THE FUTURE.

THE COUNCIL THIS WEEK HEARD FROM URBAN DESIGN CONSULTANT AND UCLA PROFESSOR GUARAV SRIVISTARA, WHO OUTLINED IN DETAIL HOW THE PRIMARY PLANNING CLASSIFICATIONS USED BY CITIES TODAY, INCLUDING EUREKA, HAVE ROOTS IN PREJUDICE AND SEGREGATION.

THE R1 ZONES DESIGNATION STANDS FOR RESIDENTIAL, BUT IT MAY AS WELL STAND FOR RACISM.

>> PLANNING, AS WE KNOW TODAY, ESPECIALLY SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIALS ONLY ORIGINALLY EMERGED FROM POLICY OBJECTIVES THAT WERE INTENTIONALLY RACIST AND SEGREGATIONIST.

A GOOD PLACE TO START THAT DISCUSSION IS WITH THE GREAT MIGRATION OF THE EARLY 20th CENTURY.

THIS WAS THE MIGRATION THAT SAW BLACK FAMILIES FROM PRIMARILY THE AMERICAN SOUTH MIGRATE TO CITY CITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.

IT IS AN HISTORICAL MARKER IN THE AMERICAN CITY.

BETWEEN 1950 AND 1970, 6 MILLION BLACK AMERICANS MOVED OUT THE SOUTH TO CITIES IN THE EAST, MIDWEST AND THE WEST.

THE CITIES THEY IMMIGRATED TO WERE IN THE WEST.

THE REACTION WAS ESSENTIALLY A BACKLASH AGAINST DIFFERENTLY COLORED AMERICANS COMING TO RESIDE IN THEIR CITIES.

A POLICY OBJECTIVE OF CITY ELITES THEN WAS TO SEGREGATE THE NEW COMMERCE FROM THE PREDOMINANTLY WHITE NEIGHBORHOODS OF THESE CITIES.

THIS POLICY OBJECTIVE WAS IMPLEMENTED THROUGH VERY EXPLICITLY RACIAL ZONING.

SO 100 YEARS AGO, CITIES LIKE BALTIMORE, ST. LOUIS, JUST TWO EXAMPLES ON THIS SLIDE, WERE ABLE TO UTILIZE EXPLICITLY RACIAL LANGUAGE IN THE MUNICIPAL COLD TO CRAFT ORDINANCES TO ENFORCE SEGREGATION.

I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT IT IS NO ACCIDENT THAT THE EXPLOSION OF ZONING ORDINANCES AND THE EMERGENCE OF PLANNING AS A PROFESSION IN THE EARLY 1900s COINCIDED WITH THE EARLY YEARS OF THE GREAT MIGRATION.

CITIES AT THAT TIME STILL HAD THE SAME POLICY OBJECTIVES.

THEY FOUND WORK AROUNDS ON HOW TO ACHIEVE THE SEGREGATIONIST OBJECTIVES.

ATLANTA IN 1922 IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHAT CITIES EMPLOYED TO ACHIEVE SEGREGATIONIST ATTEMPTS AND OF R1 ZONING.

IT IS SHORT HAND FOR SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL HOMES ONLY.

THE CITY OF ATLANTA IN 1922 CREATED A PLAN THAT SHOWS THE DIRECT LINKAGE BETWEEN RACIAL SEGREGATION TO THE R1 ZONES THAT ON SENSIBLY WERE RACE NEUTRAL THAT WE CONTINUE TO USE.

THE USE OF CLASS AND INCOME AS A PROXY FOR SEGREGATIONIST POLICY OBJECTIVES AND CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND, YES, INCLUDING EUREKA, USE THE SYSTEM OF R1 ZONE AND THEY ARE ALMOST OBLIVIOUS HOW IT CAME ABOUT AND WHAT ITS INTENT WAS.

>> SRIVISTARA POINTED OUT THAT THE CITY OF EUREKA ITSELF PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF RULES THAT TARGETED MINORITY POPULATIONS AND MADE IT HARDER TO DEVELOP LOW-INCOME HOUSING PROJECTS.

>> IN OUR RESEARCH WE FULL COUNT HOW THE CITY OF EUREKA PLAYED IN THIS.

CALIFORNIA VOTERS APPROVED PROP 10, NOW ENSHRINED OF ARTICLE 34 OF THE STATE CONSTITUTION.

ARTICLE 34 STATES, WHICH IS STILL IN PLACE TODAY, IS THAT IF A PUBLIC ENTITY PROPOSED TO DEVELOP LOW-INCOME HOUSING IN ANY JURISDICTION AND THAT PROPOSAL HAS TO STILL BE APPROVED BY THE VOTERS OF THAT JURISDICTION.

IT WAS TO CREATE BARRIERS TO LOW-INCOME HOUSING IN CITIES ACROSS CALIFORNIA.

IT STEMMED FROM A 1949 PROPOSAL IN EUREKA TO DEVELOP 500 UNITS OF LOW-INCOME HOUSING BY THE EUREKA HOUSING AUTHORITY.

LOCAL OPPOSITION THEN LATER BECOME A STAKEHOLDER ISSUE AND THIS MADE TOYOTA THE BALLOT AND APPROVED BY CALIFORNIA VOTERS BY A SLIM MARGIN AND IT IS STILL IN PLACE.

>> IN CONTEMPLATING WHAT COMES NEXT FOR EUREKA AND OTHER CITIES LOOKING TO SHED THE LEGACY OF THIS PROBLEMATIC HISTORY, SRIVISTARA SAID THE CITY MAY HAVE TO CONSIDER RESURRECTING NOW OBSOLETE ZONING CLASSIFICATIONS THAT ALLOW FOR MORE CREATIVE AND INCLUSIVE USES OF PROPERTY.

THE OLD RACIST RULE OF ONE FAMILY HOME FOR EACH DEVELOPING LOT, OR R1 ZONING, WILL HAVE TO BE RETHOUGHT.

>> GIVEN THE BAGGAGE THAT R1 CARRIES, WHAT POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE TO CONSIDER.

WE KNOW THAT EUREKA HAS VERY UNIQUE HISTORIC BUILDING STOCK OF SMALL-SCALE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT.

IT IS COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS -- THIS WAS BUILT IN EUREKA IN THE 1800s AND 1900s.

BEFORE 1953 AND 1966, THAT KIND OF DEVELOPMENT HAS NOT BEEN SEEN SINCE '66 BECAUSE OF BURDENSOME REGULATIONS AND BARRIERS TO DEVELOPMENT.

WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT GIVEN THE EXPERIENCE AND PROACTIVE EFFORTS OF OTHER CITIES WHO WANT TO GET ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY, SOMEWHERE ON THE ROAD AHEAD THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO RELEGALIZE HOUSING TYPES THAT EXISTED NATURALLY IN THE CITY OF EUREKA THAT WERE SBEG INTEGRAL TO ORIGIN STORY AND IT IS A DISCUSSION WE ARE HAPPY TO PARTICIPATE IN AND I'M SURE THE COMMUNITY WOULD ALSO LIKE THAT.

# >> WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK AFTER THIS SHORT BREAK.

>> JOIN US FOR LEONARDO DA VINCI DAY ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28th, AT THE HUMBOLDT COUNTY LIBRARY.

ENJOY A FUN, FAMILY-FRIENDLY EVENT WITH HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS INSPIRED BY DA VINCI, PRESENTED BY KEET-TV, THE KIWANAS CLUB AND THE LIBRARY.

YOU CAN REGISTER AT KEET.ORG.

>> THIS TRAVEL MOMENT IS MADE POSSIBLE BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

STAY TUNED FOR MORE INFORMATION.

>> JOINING US NOW IN STUDIO IS LAUREN SCHMITT, KMUD NEWS DIRECTOR.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU.

THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

>> SO IT IS MY PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU HERE.

KMUD IS OUR SISTER PUBLIC BROADCASTING STATION AND WE HAVEN'T HAD YOU GUYS ON OUR SHOW BEFORE.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING IN.

WE ARE KIND OF DOING A LITTLE BIT OF A PARTNERSHIP.

SO I APPRECIATE THAT, ALTHOUGH ALL THIS WORK IS YOURS.

LET ME BE CLEAR.

YOU HAVE RECENTLY BEEN REPORTING A STORY WHERE THERE WERE TWO HORSE DEATHS AT THE FERN DALE HORSE RACING TRACK.

IT WAS DETERMINED THROUGH THE AUTHORITIES THAT OVERSEE THAT OPERATION THAT THOSE DEATHS WERE LIKELY PREVENTABLE.

LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW YOU FIRST HEARD ABOUT THIS STORY AND AS WE SPOKE BEFORE, YOU UNRAVELED A NARRATIVE THAT IS COMPELLING.

>> I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO RAY HAMMEL.

>> I KNOW RAY.

>> HE STATED THIS YEAR AT THE FERN DALE TRACKS FUN TURNED TO TRAGEDY WHEN TWO HORSES WOULD BE EUTHANIZED DUE TO INJURIES SUSTAINED IN THESE RACES.

OF COURSE, THAT IS GOING PIQUE ANYONE'S INTEREST SO I DECIDED TO TRY TO FIND OUT MORE.

RAY CITED A PRESS RELEASE AND I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THAT PRESS RELEASE DID NOT COME FROM THE FERNDALE FAIRGROUNDS, THE CALIFORNIA HORSE RACING BOARD, IT CAME FROM THIS ACTIST GROUP CALLED KILL RACING, NOT HORSES.

THEY ACTUALLY SHARED A BUNCH OF KNOWLEDGE WITH ME, BUT THERE'S SO MUCH MORE TO THIS STORY.

SO WE REACHED OUT TO THE CALIFORNIA HORSE RACING BOARD AND THEIR SPOKESPERSON, MIKE MARTIN, HE WAS A WONDERFUL RESOURCE ON THIS PIECE.

WE SPOKE AT LENGTH AND REALLY ANY TIME THERE IS EQUINE ATHLETE THAT IS EUTHANIZED DUE TO AN INJURY AT THE TRACK THEY DESCRIBE IT.

THERE ARE DIFFERENT CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.

A LOT OF TIMES THEY ARE MULTIFACTORIAL.

>> MM-HMM.

>> TWO HORSES WERE KILLED.

>> ARCTIC FIRE AND VISUAL DISPLAY, IN TWO SEPARATE RACES.

>> CORRECT.

WHEN I SPOKE WITH THE CALIFORNIA HORSE RACING BOARD THEY ZEROED IN ON VISUAL DISPLAY.

HE WAS A 12-YEAR-OLD QUARTER HORSE RACING AT THE FERNDALE FAIR >> AS WE DISCUSSED, QUARTER HORSES RACE BUT NOT THE THOROUGHBREDS WE THINK OF AS THE BIG STARS OF HORSE RACING.

>> EXACTLY.

FOLKS WHO ARE LIKE ME UNFAMILIAR WITH HORSE RACING AND HORSE CULTURE, RACING A 12-YEAR-OLD HORSE IS REALLY JUST SHOCKING.

>> YEAH.

>> TO HEAR THEIR RESPONSE, HONESTLY, THEY WERE REALLY DISAPPOINTED THAT WAS ALLOWED TO HAPPEN.

IT KIND OF SLIPPED THROUGH THE CRACKS.

THE CALIFORNIA HORSE RACING BOARD REGULATES RACING IN THE STATE, BUT COUNTY FAIR RACETRACKS ARE SLIGHTLY LESS REGULATED.

>> YEAH.

>> IN COMMERCIAL RACING THERE ARE RULES AND REGULATIONS.

A 12-YEAR-OLD HORSE WOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN RACING.

>> IT WOULDN'T BE ALLOWED AT A NORMAL TRACK.

>> CORRECT.

>> WE SET OUR OWN RULES AT FAIR RACING GROUNDS AND SOMETIMES THINGS LIKE THAT GO.

>> TODAY ACTUALLY AT THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE CALIFORNIA HORSE RACING BOARD THEY ARE GOING BE DISCUSSING THIS AND TRYING TO PASS NEW RULES TO ENSURE THIS PREVENTABLE DEATH WOULDN'T HAPPEN.

ESTABLISHED AN AGE LIMIT 8 YEARS OLD OR 9 YEARS OLD.

I TRIED TO TUNE IN BEFORE COMING IN HERE AND THEIR FEED DROPPED DUE TO TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES.

THAT REPORT FROM KMUD WILL BE COMING FORWARD.

>> CHECK IT OUT AS YOU SHOULD WITH ALL OF HER WORK.

THESE WERE MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES?

>> VISUAL DISPLAY WAS THE 55th HORSE DEATH IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

>> THAT IS 55 DEATHS AND YOU TOLD ME THAT NUMBER HAS GONE UP.

>> THAT WAS WITHIN A 34-WEEK PERIOD WHEN THE HORSE RACING SEASON STARTED.

CHECKING TODAY BEFORE COMING ON AIR WITH YOU THAT IS 59.

59 DEATHS WITHIN A 36-WEEK PERIOD.

>> THAT SEEMS LIKE A HIGH NUMBER.

HOW WOULD THAT COMPARE TO A NORMAL YEAR?

>> I'M GLAD YOU ASKED, RIGHT?

BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN A 55% REDUCTION IN HORSE FATALITIES, AGAIN, ASSOCIATED WITH RACING SINCE NEW RULES HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED.

THOSE RULES STARTED TO REALLY, THE HORSE RACING BOARD REALLY BEGAN HAVING A MISSION MORE FOCUSED ON SAFEGUARDING HORSES THAN ECONOMIC FACTORS WHEN IT COMES TO HORSE RACING.

>> MILK IT FOR MONEY, RIGHT?

>> QUICK SIDE NOTE, IN 2019, 20 HORSES DIED WITHIN ONE MEET AT A SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TRACK AND IT REALLY SPARKED OUTRAGE.

>> RIGHTFULLY SO.

>> SO THE GOVERNOR RECOGNIZING THAT CHANGE NEEDED TO OCCUR APPOINTED DR. GREGORY FERRERO.

>> WORKFORCE HOUSING -- WHO WAS A VETERINARIAN FOR OVER 50 YEARS >> AND A HORSE VET.

HE HAS DEEP TIES AND LOVE -- >> FOR HORSES AND WANTS TO PROTECT THEM.

>> THAT WAS IN 2019.

WHEN I LOOKED AT HIS FIRST MESSAGE IN ANNUAL REPORT AS CHAIRMAN HE WAS UPSET.

HE WAS EXTREMELY UPSET AND SAID, ON A NORMAL YEAR THE CHAIRMAN WOULD BE GIVING AN UPDATE ON HOW MUCH MONEY WE'VE MADE AND WHAT WE ARE GOING PROJECT INTO THE FUTURE, BUT HE EXPLICITLY STATED THIS IS NOT A NORMAL YEAR AND CHANGE NEEDS TO HAPPEN AND LISTED A WHOLE SLEW OF REGULATIONS HE WAS GOING BEGIN TO IMPLEMENT TO SAFEGUARD HORSES.

AND NOW, I MEAN, IF YOU WORK -- LOOK AT THE WEBSITE FOR THE CALIFORNIA HORSE RACING BOARD, THE MISSION IS CLEAR, TO SAFEGUARD HORSE LIVES.

>> BUT WE STILL HAVE 55, 59 DEATHS THIS YEAR.

>> EXACTLY.

>> AND THAT IS AN IMPROVEMENT.

SO THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM.

>> SO I WILL NOTE -- SO SINCE 1994, WE'VE SEEN 24 HORSE DEATHS AT THE FERNDALE FAIR ALONE.

WE ARE A LOCAL NEWS OUTLET SO I WANTED TO HYPER FOCUS ON THE LOCAL NUMBERS VERSUS STATEWIDE, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WE REALLY ONLY HAD PEOPLE TRACKING HORSE FATALITIES SINCE THE '90s.

YOU CAN FIND ANNUAL REPORTS ALL THE WAY BACK TO 1938.

THIS INDUSTRY IS ALMOST 100 YEARS OLD, IT WAS ONLY UNTIL THE 90, 30 YEARS AGO, THEY STARTED KEEPING TRACK OF THE NUMBERS AND METRICS OF FATALITIES WE SEE ON TRACKS.

>> THERE HAS BEEN OVER 100 YEARS OF RACING, WHO KNOWS HOW MANY HORSES DIED BEFORE WE STARTED COUNTING THOSE FIGURES.

YOU TALKED ABOUT THE PRESSURES BROUGHT TO BARE AND MAKING THE DECISIONS TO RACE THESE HORSES.

A COUPLE OF FACTORS SHOULD HAVE MADE THEM NOT RACE THAT DAY.

ONE WAS THE AGE.

THERE WAS ANOTHER ISSUE, RIGHT?

>> THERE WAS.

SO GOING BACK TO THAT DEVASTATING YEAR, 2019, THAT WAS IN SANTA ANITA.

WE SAW 20 HORSES DIE IN ONE MEET, RIGHT?

THIS STRETCH OF RACING AT THIS ONE PARTICULAR TRACK WITHIN A FEW WEEKS, RIGHT?

>> YEAH.

>> I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT WAS THE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR, RIGHT?

WHAT CAUSED THIS SPIKE?

LOOKING AT OUR NUMBERINGS SPECIFICALLY AT FERNDALE, THIS WAS ONE OF THE DEADLIEST YEARS ON RECORD.

THE DEADLIEST YEAR WE EVER SAW WAS IN 2000 AND THREE HORSES DIED.

SOMETIMES -- 24 IN TOTAL.

SOMETIMES YEARS THERE ARE STRETCHES WITHOUT FATALITIES.

THIS HAD BEEN ONE OF THE DEADLIEST YEARS WE HAD SEEN IN A WHILE.

I BELIEVE IT WAS THE YEAR PRIOR TO RYAN BURNS DID A GREAT STORY, A HORSE WAS INJURED AND HAD TO BE EUTHANIZED ON THE TRACK.

REALLY UPSETTING MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE WHO KIND OF SWORE OFF PARTICIPATING.

>> YEAH.

>> BUT, AGAIN, WHAT HAPPENED AT THAT SANTA ANITA TRACK AND WHY, YOU KNOW, CAN THIS GIVE US INSIGHT TO WHY WE HAVE SEEN A RECENT SPIKE IN LOCAL FATALITIES.

ARCTIC FIRE, A 6-YEAR-OLD MARE WHAT HAPPENED TO HER.

MIKE MARTIN WAS GETTING AT ME, YOU ARE ASKING THE WRONG QUESTIONS AND HUNG UP ON ME.

BLESS HIS HEART.

IT GOT ME THINKING WHAT ARE THE RIGHT QUESTIONS?

WHAT DO WE NEED TO FIND OUT?

I CONTACTED RAY POLL LACK OF THE POLLACK REPORT, HE HAS COVERED HORSE RACING FOR OVER 30 YEARS.

SURELY HE KNOWS.

THAT 2019 MAJOR SPIKES IN FATALITIES WERE ASSOCIATED WITH INCLEMENT WEATHER AND HORSES RACING IN INCLEMENT WEATHER WHICH SPARKED, ONCE AGAIN, THESE NEW RULES.

IT GOT ME THINKING OPEN DAY OF THE FERNDALE RACES WAS WHEN WE SAW THAT RECORD-BREAKING RAIN.

1.19 INCHES.

THAT WAS IN EUREKA.

SO GIVE OUR TAKE FOR FERNDALE.

FERNDALE LIKELY SAW MORE.

>> YEAH.

>> BEING IN ITS RANGE SO CLOSE TO THE KING RANGE >> YEAH.

ABSOLUTELY.

>> SO 1.19, THAT IS AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF RAIN.

WHEN I LOOKED TO THE CALIFORNIA HORSE RACING BOARD'S INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY AND IT EXPLICITLY STATES THAT THERE SHOULDN'T BE RACING OR EVEN JOGGING ALLOWED FOR 24 HOURS WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS IS PREDICTED AND/OR OCCURRING.

>> WOW.

NOW ARE THEY BOUND BY THOSE RULES AND POLICIES BECAUSE THEY ARE A COUNTY FAIR IT IS LIKE TWIZ ADVISORY?

HOW IS THAT -- THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE BOUND BY IT.

>> THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE GOING BE DISCUSSING AT TODAY'S BOARD.

AT ALAMEDA, NOT ONLY DID WE SEE THE SPIKE AT THE FERNDALE COUNTY FAIR.

ANOTHER COUNTY FAIR OCCURRED RIGHT BEFORE FERNDALE'S THAT SAW SIX HORSE DEATHS.

THESE ARE COUNTY FAIRS.

AND IT HAS REALLY GOTTEN THE ATTENTION OF THE CALIFORNIA HORSE RACING BOARD TO SAY THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE OVERSIGHT, MORE REGULATION, RIGHT?

AND GOING BACK TO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT PRESSURE THAT MAY HAVE BEEN PUT ON FERNDALE, THIS WAS ONE OF THE ONLY YEARS WE DIDN'T SEE OVERLAPPING RACES AT THIS TRACK.

>> THEY WERE THE ONLY RACE GOING ON AT THAT TIME SO THEY WERE THE CENTER OF ATTENTION FROM BETTORS ALL OVER THE STATE.

>> IF FOLKS ARE FAMILIAR, THE HORSE RACING INDUSTRY IS WORTH OVER $2.5 BILLION.

SO THIS IS, YOU KNOW, IMPORTANT TO CALIFORNIA'S ECONOMY, TO TOURISM.

>> YEAH.

>> AND HORSE RACE BETTING IS THE ONLY LEGAL FORM OF GAMBLING SANCTIONED BY THE STATE, OF COURSE, BARRING SOVEREIGN NATIONS AND WHAT OCCURS ON THEN.

>> YEAH.

SO WHEN YOU MENTIONED TO ME BEFORE THE SHOW THE ONLY OTHER TIME FERNDALE HAD A YEAR WHERE IT WASN'T COMPETING WITH ANOTHER RACETRACK THAT THE MONEY IT MADE WAS THROUGH THE ROOF.

>> IT WAS $10.8 MILLION.

>> WHICH IS A LOT MORE, 100 AND SOMETHING PERCENT -- >> 113% MORE THAN 2009 THAT HAD OVERLAPPING RACES.

SPECIFICALLY OVERLAPPING WITH THE FIELDS IN THE BAY AREA.

GOLDEN GATE FIELDS.

THEY ACTUALLY CLOSED AFTER AN 87-YEAR RUN BECAUSE IT JUST WASN'T -- IT WASN'T PENCILING OUT FINANCIALLY.

THEY WERE SETTING PURSE SCHEDULES HIGHER THAN WHAT WAS BEING WAGERED, IF YOU WILL.

>> SO THEY WERE LOSING MONEY OVER TIME.

>> SO THEY CLOSED IT.

THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR SINCE 2010 WE SAW THAT NONOVERLAPPING RACES.

SO THERE WAS A LOT OF ECONOMIC PRESSURE ON FERNDALE TO HAVE A GREAT MEET.

>> YEAH.

CASH IN A LITTLE BIT ON ALL OF THAT OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE LIKE YOU MENTIONED ALL THE BETTORS WERE PLACING THEIR ATTENTIONS ON FERNDALE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 15 YEARS.

>> OF COURSE, I DON'T WANT TO ASSUME PEOPLE TURNED A BLIND EYE TO REGULATION, BUT IT IS DIFFICULT WHEN YOU REACH OUT TO THE ENTITY TO TRY TO FIND INFORMATION AND THEY DON'T RESPOND.

>> YOU ASKED, YOU MENTIONED SEVERAL QUESTIONS YOU PUT PAST THEM AND YOU GOT DEAD AIR.

THERE WAS NO RESPONSE.

>> UNFORTUNATELY.

UNFORTUNATELY.

>> SO WE'VE ONLY GOT A COUPLE OF MINUTESES LEFT.

TIME FLYING WHEN YOU ARE HAVING FUN.

WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP FOR THIS STORY?

I KNOW YOU ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS AND KEEP FOLLOWING WHAT IS YOUR NEXT MOVE, DO YOU THINK?

>> I ALSO WANT TO BE CLEAR.

I DON'T WANT TO PROJECT MY OWN FEELINGS ABOUT HORSE RACING IN THIS STORY, IN THIS PIECE.

I THINK THE FACTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES AND THE PUBLIC AND THE LEGISLATURE SHOULD DECIDE HOW TO MOVE FORWARD.

>> YEAH.

>> RACING IS A BIG PART OF CALIFORNIA CULTURE.

IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN, BUT THERE IS DEFINITELY A DAWNING OF A NEW AGE WHERE WE ARE SEEING LESS INTEREST IN IT.

AND THERE IS NOT A LOT OF ATTENTION ON IT SO MAYBE SOME THINGS ARE SLIPPING THROUGH THE CRACKS.

WITH THIS STORY THERE ARE DEFINITELY MORE QUESTIONS THAN I FEEL LIKE I EVEN HAVE ANSWERS.

AGAIN TODAY THE CALIFORNIA HORSE RACING BOARD HELD ITS REGULAR MEETING.

I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO REPORTING ON THAT SO STAY TUNED TO SEE WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THAT.

AGAIN, WE ARE EXPECTED TO SEE DR. GREGORY FERRERO ISSUE NEW RULES AS A RESULT OF WHAT OCCURRED IN FERNDALE.

>> WE WERE TALKING BEFORE THE SHOW ABOUT COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS.

A PERSON RACING A HORSE, THEY RACE AND FALL DOWN, REHABILITATING A HORSE IS AN EXPENSIVE PROPOSITION.

IT SEEMS TO ME THAT SHOULDN'T BE BASED ENTIRELY ON PROFIT OR LOSS WHETHER OR NOT THESE HORSES WHO WORKED THEIR ENTIRE CAREERS TO MAKE PEOPLE MONEY ARE EUTHANIZED.

MAYBE THERE COULD BE A COLLECTIVE PURSE FOR WHEN A HORSE GETS INJURED RATHER THAN SHOOTING THEM IN THE HEAD.

>> THEY WERE EUTHANIZED.

>> THEY DIDN'T DO THAT.

IT IS NOT FUNNY, BUT -- >> IT GOES TO THE SCHOOL OF THOUGHT BETWEEN DOCTORS.

SOME DOCTORS WILL SAY IT IS ETHICAL TO REHABILITATE, WATER THERAPY.

THERE'S A BIG MOVEMENT WITH THAT ACTUALLY.

>> YEAH.

>> INSTEAD OF EUTHANIZING A HORSE.

THERE ARE OTHER DOCTORS WHO DISAGREE.

I'M NOT A VET.

>> YEAH.

>> SO I WILL LEAVE THAT UP TO THE PROFESSIONALS >> YEAH.

ABSOLUTELY.

I DEEPLY APPRECIATE YOU COMING IN AND SHARING THIS STORY.

WELL DONE, WELL REPORTED.

I PARTICULARLY LOVE THE NARRATIVE OF YOU GETTING ON TO THE STORY SAND FOLLOWING IT AND ENCOUNTERING PEOPLE WHO HANG UP ON YOU AND PERSEVERE IN FANTASTIC JOURNALISM JOB.

>> A LOT OF TIMES THEY SAY JOURNALISM IS NONLINEAR.

THIS STORY WAS A JOURNEY AND INVESTIGATION AND FOLKS LISTEN TO THE PIECE, WE TAKE YOU ON THAT JOURNEY.

GIVE IT A LISTEN.

>> KMUD.ORG.

>> YOU WILL FIND IT ALL THERE.

>> I ENCOURAGE YOU TO SUPPORT KMUD LIKE KEET BECAUSE THEY ARE REAL PEOPLE DOING REAL WORK FOR THIS COMMUNITY.

THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

>> THAT'S IT FOR THIS WEEK.

UNLESS YOU'VE BEEN BURIED IN THE SALT MINES, YOU'VE SEEN THIS WEEK THAT THE QUESTION OF UFOs AND POTENTIALLY EVEN NON-HUMAN INTELLIGENCE HAS BEEN A MAJOR NATIONAL CONVERSATION THIS PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.

FORMER DEFENSE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL LUE ELIZONDO HAS PUBLISHED A MEMOIR AND IT MAKES A NUMBER OF STARTLING ASSERTIONS.

IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS TOPIC, OR EVEN CONSIDER A WIDE RANGE OF RELATED ONTOLOGICAL QUESTIONS ABOUT HUMANITY, LIFE ON EARTH, AND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE, GIVE OUR PODCAST A FOLLOW.

YOU CAN FIND IT ON ALL OF YOUR PODCAST APPS OR BY VISITING YOUTUBE.COM/@NEONGALACTIC.

STAY TUNED, STAY INFORMED.