Cutting Edge Tree Service to donate Redwood Trees for Humboldt Green Week

McKinleyville-based Cutting Edge Tree Service and Solutions, located in McKinleyville, CA will be donating 300 native Redwood trees to be given out to community members for Humboldt Green Week which is being held all over at various events in the county from April 13 -21. Owner Erik Tjossem is a certified arborist.

“As a certified arborist, and a forestry major I am very conscious of trees and the environment,” said Tjossem. “ We do remove trees as a part of our services and donating these trees to be replanted is our way of preserving our natural resources and riches for future generations.”

Earlier this year, Cutting Edge Tree Services and Solutions donated time at the Sequoia Park Zoo and helped do some removal of trees for a new exhibit. For more information on Cutting Edge Tree Service, visit http://www.cuttingedgetreeservice707.com

Steve Bagley and owner Eric Tjossem.

Mel Schuler remembered-Kick off reception held April Arts Alive

John Chiv/For the Times-Standard

A reception and the official kick-off to open the Melvin Schuler Court Gallery to the public will be held during the Eureka Arts Alive in April.

Schuler, an internationally renowned sculptor and co-founder of the Humboldt State University arts department, died last May.

While there are many places outside Humboldt County where one can see some of Schuler's work publicly, the only place locally that the public can view larger pieces from part of his personal collection is in the gallery created by Dan and Jayne Ollivier.

Located on the second floor in the Gross building, which is located on the corner of 5th and F streets, the gallery will be open to the public five days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. following the April Arts Alive event.
The Olliviers, who've known Schuler since 2000, invited the sculptor to be part of an art show to introduce the new Gross building. In 2011, Dan Ollivier approached Schuler to buy some of his sculptures. He said his personal favorite is “Thor,” which initiated a conversation about a permanent gallery for Schuler.

”I wanted a great artist in a great building,” Ollivier said. “Mel's sculpture has enormous presence. Mel would say to me, 'If it sings to you, it is a great work of art.”

”Mel was a very private man,” Ollivier added. “While many knew of him and his art, only his friends and those closest to him knew the man.”

A native Californian, Schuler graduated from the California College of Arts and Crafts and began his teaching career in 1947 at HSU. He was professor emeritus when he died. The national collection of Fine Arts at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and Kirk and Michael Douglas' private collections are just two examples of how highly regarded Schuler was in the art world, according to Ollivier.

While working as an art professor, Schuler developed a form of sculpture characterized by tall, irregular, solemnly monumental columns in elegantly carved and finished black walnut. Sometimes they were clustered and partly enclosed in racks, and gave a suggestion of archaic runes and totems. It was in the 1970s that Schuler originated his large abstract sculptures using old growth redwood carved into abstract forms clad in copper and fastened with bronze nails.

While internationally acclaimed, Schuler chose to make Humboldt County his home, and he shared it for 33 years with his partner Edward Oliver, who still resides here. "He chose to live here because he was happiest here,” Oliver said. “He was at his creative best here.”
Even though they had a condo in San Francisco and traveled extensively, they always returned back to Humboldt County  "There is a lot of influence he drew from local work, and Reese Bullen is one of the people he respected a lot,” Oliver said.

Oliver reiterated that Schuler was a very private person. What many people don't know, because it was not something that Schuler chose share with anyone but his closest friends, was that he painted. The walls of his Arcata home are adorned by his paintings, and all throughout his home is art from his trips to Africa and India -- and his signature sculptures.

Oliver said Schuler loved to travel, and they took at least one trip a year. But, they always returned to Humboldt. "He built our house,” Oliver said. “One of the hardest things I had to do was the week before he passed away when I drove him back from our condo because he wanted to be at home.”

For more information on the Melvin Schuler Court Gallery, please contact Dan or Jayne Ollivier at 444-9056.

This photo was taken by Jayne Ollivier. These sculptures can be viewed by the public on the second floor of the Gross building in Eureka.

Owner bets it all on Surfside Burger Shack

By John Chiv/For the Times-Standard

Surfside Burger Shack, located on 445 5th St. in Eureka, will celebrate its fifth anniversary in November 2013. “Good ingredients, good service and no gimmicks,” is the secret to his business' success, according to owner Chad Smith. “We have run a successful business during the hardest recession since the 1990s.”

Smith started out by working at Harley Davidson because he could not get a job as a teacher. He previously owned Kelly O' Brien's pub which he sold in 2006 and is now the Red Fox Tavern. His next business venture was Surfside Burger Shack. He started to go into business for himself because “everything else is secondary when it comes to my wife and kids. I wanted to provide financial security for them. My riches are my gorgeous wife and beautiful children.”

Smith does not advertise. All of his business comes from word of mouth and support from the schools and community. He donates to schools and community organizations. “We never talk badly about another business. We just let our product speak for itself.”

All food served at the Surfside Burger Shack is freshly prepared. “Our food is not microwaved,” said Smith. “Everything from grass-fed beef to the organic salad mix to the fries is freshly prepared.” Smith is also proud that they are a zero waste facility. “Our oil is recycled by Footprint recycling. All trash is a part of the Waste to Watts program. Patrons can bus their own items to recyclables.”

Even though they serve burgers and fries. Smith says the food is nutritional because of the fresh, good quality ingredients like the protein from grass-fed beef. He does not put up pictures of food because he believes in a realistic perspective and wants his customers to base their opinion on how the food tastes and looks.

When he wanted to open Surfside, Smith knew he wanted no corporate involvement. He wanted to focus on the product and decorate the eatery with things he enjoys and provide a family atmosphere and a local business. “I wanted to go after the largest demographic. With burgers and pizza, people will spend $10 for a meal instead of trying something new.”

Another secret to his success is that he believes “you can't grow your business behind a grill. I pay my staff well and I treat them like I trust them. Everyone is required to take two days off in a row and take the day off for their birthday.”

”I pay them $10 an hour plus tips,” said Smith. “I would pay them more if I could but I am doing my best in this economy and keeping them employed.”

Smith said when he wanted to open Surfside Burger Shack, he could not get a business loan. “Even with a co-signer and life insurance policy, I could not get a loan.”

So he self-financed. “I maxed out my credit cards and got my business running by effectively using my business and community connections,” Smith said.

For more information on Surfside Burger Shack , call 268-1295.

Party goes private: Chiyomi's Cuppa Tea Club to reopen

John Chiv/for the Times-Standard

Mad Hatter's Tea Party, located on 521 E St. in Eureka, temporarily closed for renovations in December 2012. They will officially re-open on March 14 as Chiyomi's Cuppa Tea Club.

Aside from a name change and new décor, the major change is that the Tea Club is a members-only establishment. “When it originally opened, it was more of a casual tea café. Now it is a membership club with a more personalized experience,” said owner Chiyomi Thompson. “We are still keeping the Alice in Wonderland theme, but Alice is all grown up now.”

A select group of former customers will get to preview the new club through Sunday by invitation only as its first group of members.

Chiyomi and Russ Thompson opened Mad Hatter's Tea Party in 1989. Back then, Chiyomi Thompson picked a neutral color and décor for the establishment, because she did not want to make it too “feminine.” Now the club is more of a French-style lounge with divans, chandeliers, individual serving tables and a fireplace.

In addition to tea and Chiyomi Thompson's scones and finger sandwiches, there will be soup and hors d'oeuvres. There will be opera and concert music playing in the background. The club offers 150 different kinds of tea. She makes all the scones and food. The tea is served in china cups because that makes a difference in how it tastes. For those who would like to buy tea in bulk, that option is still available.

Chiyomi Thompson has beena one-woman operation, from prep to cooking and serving. Her husband Russ is her moral support and biggest fan. They moved to Eureka 15 years ago from Los Angeles and knew no one. When they first opened, they were listed on a bulletin board on television but since then, they have not needed to advertise -- all their business developed from word of mouth.

Chiyomi Thompson's heritage is Japanese. “I grew up drinking tea,” she said. “Tea is a big part of Asian culture. In Japan, there is a religious aspect to tea. A sacred feel, depending on the tea served, like in Japanese tea ceremony.”

Serving tea in many cultures is “like welcoming a friend to your home,” said Chiyomi Thompson. “For me, this is more of a hobby and also to make a little bit of money. You cannot get rich on a place like this; to do that it has to be more like a coffeehouse. Customers tell me that they can see it's not all about money but about my love for tea.”

The membership fee is $35 a month with guests for $10 per visit. That includes tea and food, a scone workshop, individual tea blending and a discount on the scone of the month club. Members can cancel membership at any time by phone. The waiting list for memberships is limited because the space can only hold so many people at one time. For more information, call 445-3712 or visit www.madhattersteahouse.com

John Chiv is a freelance news and feature writer and local business consultant. John has a local blog,johnchiv.blogspot.com, and can be reached at 707-832-9990.