Pot Charges Hang Over Reelection Effort

A member of the community services district board in this tiny, windswept North Coast town is running for reelection this week while under federal indictment for allegedly growing a massive crop of marijuana.

The indictment came after Timothy Andrew Dellas was found at a sophisticated indoor pot farm in Briceland, in southern Humboldt County, with more than 5,600 plants and 20 one-pound bags of packaged marijuana, according to the county Sheriff’s Department.

Dellas, 47, was indicted in July on two counts of manufacturing marijuana and possessing it with intent to distribute. He pleaded not guilty, and has not spoken publicly about the case. If he is convicted, he could face 10 years to life in prison and a maximum fine of $4 million on each count.

“It’s a major commercial grow,” Sheriff’s Sgt. Wayne Hanson said. “It’s a major case.”

Dellas, a full-time student at Humboldt State University, is due to appear in U.S. District Court in San Francisco on Monday, the day before the election.

“I’ve been here 25 years, and I think that my record as a community member and as a citizen speaks for itself,” he said. “I’m happy to let the voters decide.”

Reaction to the candidate’s criminal indictment has been mixed in this town of 1,000 residents just north of Eureka on the peninsula between Humboldt Bay and the Pacific Ocean. Some say Dellas should step aside until his case is decided. Others say the marijuana charges won’t be a consideration when they vote.

The Manila Community Services District provides water, sewer and recreational services for residents with a $588,000 annual budget. Dellas has served on its board for the last six years and is one of four candidates running for one of the three open seats.

Dellas, a former handyman who also has served as the district’s general manager, has his share of supporters.

“He’s been a very fair board member -- open-minded, respectful to the community, very concerned about having a balanced budget,” said Dendra Dengler, 55, another candidate for the board.

But Sharon Fennell, whose husband, Michael, also is an incumbent candidate, said Dellas should quit the race.

“Decorum almost dictates that you step aside until the charges have cleared,” she said.

Others appear to be taking the charges in stride, and they note that he is innocent until proved guilty.

“It isn’t an issue for me,” said fellow board member Nancy Ihara, who is running unopposed for a two-year seat on the board. She said she would base her votes for candidates on “what’s best for Manila.”

Other issues seem far more important to Manila residents. The community has seen a large infusion of much-needed public funds over the years from the Coastal Conservancy and the Environmental Protection Agency, among others. The money has secured coastal access and parkland, converted the former elementary school into a community center and built an award-winning, marsh-based sewage system that uses no chemicals.

But critics of the community services district say improvements have not come as quickly as they should have, given the cash flow. And charges have been flying for years about corruption, cronyism and mismanagement.

Other problems were highlighted in an independent report commissioned last summer by the district and written by mediation consultant Elizabeth Watson.

She wrote that there was a serious lack of supervision of both children and staff members at the community center, which is run by the district. She noted the ongoing conflict between the community center staff and the water and sewer portion of the district.

And she said center workers had not properly tracked the many grants received for its programs.

The community center, with a budget of $42,000 last year, ran up a $12,000 deficit. It has yet to repay the district.

“It’s vitally important to rein in those deficit budgets so we don’t threaten the entire program here,” said Fennell, the other incumbent, who is considered a progressive.

Dellas himself said there were no “hot-button issues” in the race. There was “nothing really noteworthy” to correct, but he would support fiscal responsibility and oversight, he said.

The fourth candidate, landscaper Violet Glass, said she was behind Dellas 100%. “He’s awesome,” she said. “He’s got a good head on his shoulders. Very intelligent.”

As for the charges, she said, “I think he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”