PREVIOUSLY

• Local Educator Colby Smart Announces Independent Campaign for Congress in California’s New Second District; Will Challenge Jared Huffman on Next Year’s Ballot

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Barely two months after launching his campaign to unseat District 2 Rep. Jared Huffman in the U.S. House of Representatives, Dr. Colby Smart, deputy superintendent at the Humboldt County Office of Education, today announced his withdrawal from the race. 

He issued the following message via social media:

Withdrawal from the Race – January 14, 2026

Dear Friends and Supporters,

After deep reflection, I have made the difficult decision to withdraw from the race for Congress in California’s new District 2.

I am profoundly grateful to every supporter, volunteer, and community member I have had the privilege of engaging with. Traveling and meeting people throughout rural Northern California reminded me why this region matters so deeply to our state and our nation. 

However, the reality of this moment is that I am unable to devote the time and energy necessary to build the momentum this important race deserves. My responsibilities as Deputy Superintendent, combined with my commitment to my family, deserve my full presence. Despite working late evenings, early mornings, and weekends, I cannot continue this campaign in a way that meets the standard of leadership our district deserves. To my donors, your financial support has meant the world to me, and I will be returning all donations.

District 2 needs thoughtful, holistic representation now more than ever. The divisive conditions in our nation, amplified by Proposition 50, have made it clear that people across this district deserve leadership that listens, bridges divides, and represents everyone, regardless of party affiliation. That belief remains at the core of who I am and the work I will continue to do.

I sincerely wish the candidates for District 2 the very best in their campaigns. Our region deserves serious, compassionate leadership, and I hope this race produces exactly that. I am especially hopeful that our District’s current incumbent will use this opportunity to lean into visiting, communicating, and building trust with all people in the redrawn District 2 boundaries especially in Shasta, Siskiyou, and Modoc counties. Representation matters, especially in our fractured political environment. Despite deep political division, I continue to believe that working people have more in common than we realize and I am very optimistic about our collective future.

Thank you again for your trust, your encouragement, and the extraordinary opportunity to serve and learn from the people of rural Northern California. 

With gratitude and respect,

- Colby

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Thousands of prisoners in California go before the Board of Parole Hearings each year in hopes of a chance at freedom. It’s a daunting situation that deals in high stakes for all involved.

Parole commissioners must follow legal standards while balancing questions of rehabilitation, public safety and the lasting harms caused by the crime. Convicted offenders must try to present themselves truthfully — warts and all — as their custody files and psychological risk assessments are openly discussed. Victims and prosecutors attend hearings, usually to argue against someone’s parole. Every so often, they advocate for the incarcerated person’s release.

Other than the governor’s veto power, the commissioners’ findings are generally the last buffer against a former criminal being released. Commissioners go through extensive training and take great care in their decisions of whether someone is suitable for parole, as evidenced by a recidivism rate of less than 3% — meaning 97% of prisoners paroled never reoffend. Less than 1% return for crimes involving violence against another person.

Over the last decade or so, California expanded parole opportunities for people convicted of crimes during their youth and for older prisoners. The annual number of parole hearings steadily increased — from 5,226 in 2018 to 9,017 in 2022, before plateauing at about 8,000 in 2023 and remaining there. The state’s prison population also dropped significantly during those years, from 128,000 in 2018 to about 90,000 today.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has tried to shift its model of incarceration to focus on release from incarceration and re-entering society. Offering young prisoners better opportunities early in their incarceration can help them avoid the pitfalls of drug use, violence and gang activity in prison. Older prisoners generally tend to “age out” of their previous criminal behavior.

By incentivizing rehabilitative programming, substance abuse treatment and higher education, the system now aspires to help offenders work productively toward personal growth and self-improvement.

But at the same time, even with seemingly much more opportunity and incentives, the success rate for prisoners to be found suitable for parole has gradually declined — from 39% in 2018 to roughly 35% for 2019 through 2021 to below 25% in 2025.

CalMatters talked to parole experts to try and understand the dynamics behind the numbers. No one could point to any one reason for the significant decline in parole suitability rates; the experts instead said the downward turn can be attributed to many different factors.

Here’s what we learned:

Some older prisoners struggle at hearings

Many elderly California prisoners with life sentences began their terms decades ago when parole opportunities were scarce. They logically believed they had no hope of ever being paroled. Many were stuck at remote prisons that lacked access to rehabilitative programs. Now they face significant challenges to fully grasp and articulate evidence of personal transformation that parole commissioners require, such as insight, remorse and accountability.

“The number of people who are now elderly parole-eligible is going up in a significant way,” said Lilli Paratore, director of legal services for UnCommon Law, an organization that represents dozens of parole candidates each year at no cost to the prisoners. “In 2013, only 19% of hearings were 60-plus, but now 32% of hearings are people who are 60-plus, and of course that just mirrors the aging prison population.”

About 19,000 prisoners are 55 or older, according to the state budget proposal Gov. Gavin Newsom released this month.

And as these older prisoners continue to age, their mental and physical health can deteriorate and adversely impact their ability to present themselves to the parole board. Instead of becoming better prepared over time, repeated parole denials just leave them feeling more and more frustrated, confused and discouraged.

Less urgency from some young offenders

The stakes are not nearly the same for offenders without a life sentence who committed crimes while under age 26. Expanded parole opportunities now allow them to go before the board after 15 years. Unlike lifers, they know they have a pre-determined release date. Getting denied parole might mean waiting another five or 10 years to go home, rather than potentially never being found suitable to be set free.

Additionally, younger people may not make the best use of those first 15 years behind bars to pursue rehabilitation. Some do, but many falter before figuring themselves out. They tend to view their parole hearing as a chance to serve a reduced sentence, rather than their only chance at freedom.

In contrast, youthful offenders serving life sentences get their first chance at parole after serving a minimum of either 20, or more usually, 25 years. That naturally allows them more time to mature and prepare themselves for a hearing. They appreciate their parole opportunities in ways non-lifers just can’t, because their sentences are open-ended.

High bar for sex offenders

Sex crimes generate the most scrutiny at parole hearings and raise the most psychological red flags. Because these crimes are so difficult to speak about openly in group discussion — particularly within incarcerated communities — few rehabilitative programs are designed to address the specific triggers, causative factors and flawed belief systems underlying these offenses.

“There’s so many different types of people who commit sex crimes for a large variety of reasons and successful programming for those folks has to be tailored to that specific issue,” said former Board of Parole Hearings Executive Officer Jennifer Shaffer. “So you’ll have, for instance, sadists, people who actually get physically turned on by torturing people. That’s very different from somebody who has anger issues and expresses them through basically sexually dominating somebody.”

Because it’s much harder for sexual offenders to demonstrate to the parole board the necessary personal insight and transformation, parole commissioners are less likely to clear these offenders as no longer an “unreasonable risk to public safety.”

Part of the problem is that it’s more difficult for sexual offenders to clear a psychological risk assessment. “As horrible as this sounds, they may have at some point equated pain with sexual arousal — and breaking that connection is really difficult and takes a lot of very intense programming,” said Shaffer.

A prisoner’s digital footprint

Parole commissioners look through a person’s entire dossier days before their hearing and are tasked with interpreting all the facts within it through the lens of public safety. Any piece of information — such as visitor logs, write-ups, personal expenses and more — might be deemed pertinent.

“In the last few years, the world of information the board is looking at is growing — even though that information isn’t necessarily related to violence risk,” said Paratore. “They’re looking more and more at (unemployment) fraud and restitution avoidance. They’re looking at medical records. They’re looking at confidential information more and more.

“What they think they need to consider has just grown without any guardrails and resulting in more people being denied parole because the board does not know how to properly interpret that information. This is especially true of medical records.”

California began providing free electronic tablets to its incarcerated population in 2021, which ensures that all phone calls and text messages are now digitally monitored and ripe for analysis and search by artificial intelligence. Those types of detailed records can easily be highlighted now and made available to parole commissioners.

For example, more focus can be paid to how prisoners get outside money placed into their institutional trust accounts, and how they go about paying for canteen and other services. In the aftermath of COVID relief and the huge rash of fraudulent unemployment claims statewide, some incarcerated individuals’ trust account activity came into question. The extra level of scrutiny drew unwanted attention to other forms of potential misconduct.

Restitution fraud

Criminal courts can order large amounts of restitution when a person is convicted, usually separated into court fees and victims services fees. Prisoners who owe restitution will always have 50% deducted from any wages or incoming money until the debt is paid off. If a person works in the kitchen for $80 a month, they get to keep $40. Same thing if their family sends them $200. They’ll receive $100 to spend.

Particularly for lifers convicted of violent crimes, restitution can be quite high and seemingly impossible to finish paying through these 50% deducted installments. To avoid losing half their spending money, some prisoners will direct their families and friends to deposit money into other people’s accounts who do not owe restitution. The prisoners will agree to a much lower deduction fee amongst themselves, usually 20%, and hold onto more spending money for canteen.

But such under-the-table transactions now leave more of a digital footprint.Parole commissioners want to see a person show remorse and demonstrate awareness into the impact of their crime on the victims. It’s a bad look for that same individual to be seen participating in restitution avoidance to save themselves money.

“The restitution issue is the only thing I can think of to really explain the decline in the grant rate,” said Vanessa Nelson-Sloane, Director of Life Support Alliance, an advocacy group for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated lifers. “Sometimes when they pass a new law, a new population comes into the parole cycle, but there’s been no new laws recently that would make any difference in the considerations.

“I am so sure that this is it because that’s all I hear about from people who are getting denied — restitution, restitution, restitution.”

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CalMatters data reporter Jeremia Kimelman contributed to this story. Joe Garcia is a California Local News fellow.

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California lawmakers showed historic enthusiasm for the abundance movement last year as they passed sweeping housing laws that roll back landmark environmental reviews for most urban developments and allow denser housing near transit — ambitious endeavors that would have gotten nowhere just a few years ago.

This year, housing advocates are trying to seize the moment again, particularly in the last year in office for the pro-building Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Just days after returning to work, state lawmakers are already advancing a $10 billion bond that stalled last year to pay for new and existing affordable homes. The proposal, Senate Bill 417, cleared the Senate Housing Committee by an 8-1 vote last week and heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee next week. Lawmakers are seeking to put the measure on the June primary ballot, which would require the governor to sign it into law by Jan. 22.

“Those homes don’t build themselves, and it’s time to finish the job,” said Sen. Chris Cabaldon, a Napa Democrat who authored the legislation, during a hearing last week. “To unlock the full promise of these reforms requires cash. It requires sufficient capital, as it always has, to move these affordable housing projects from approval and permitting to construct.”

The bond measure would allocate $7 billion toward the state’s Multifamily Housing Program, which issues low-interest loans to build and maintain permanent and transitional rental housing for lower-income households. It also includes $2 billion for wildfire prevention, rental assistance and affordable housing for low-income tenants and farmworkers, as well as $1 billion in low-income first-time home buyer assistance, including help with down payments.

The committee also approved a separate bond proposal to pay for housing for homeless youths, although lawmakers are looking to combine the bond measures. Sen. Caroline Menjivar, a Van Nuys Democrat who authored the proposal, said she’d “couch surfed” at age 19 when she became unhoused for a year and half. The money would help reduce homelessness by offering relief earlier in people’s lives, she said.

“This is an investment that is really going to help us save money down the line,” she said.

Homes under construction in the Dixon Trail neighborhood of Escondido on April 24, 2025. Photo by Adriana Heldiz, CalMatters

The legislative appetite for housing bonds indicates another good year for pro-abundance advocates. They’ve already got the ear of the governor, who declared himself an ally of the “Yes In My Back Yard” movement by signing a flurry of bills last year to fast-track housing production, which the governor touted in his State of the State address last week.

This year, the governor said, the Legislature should focus on reducing the cost of construction, “utilizing new building methods and technology” and passing “worker-centered reforms that bring our brothers and sisters in labor along with us.”

In February, Sen. Jesse Arreguín of Oakland, a renter who’s big on fast-tracking housing construction, will take the helm of the Senate Housing Committee. He will replace Sen. Aisha Wahab, a fellow renter and Fremont Democrat who has long criticized new construction without protection for low-income tenants.

Bill to curb rent increase dies again

But efforts to champion tenant protections hit a major snag Tuesday when a controversial rent control proposal died in the Assembly Judiciary Committee. Assembly Bill 1157, introduced last year to further restrict how much landlords can raise the rent each year, failed to get enough votes Tuesday despite being authored by the committee chair, Democratic Assemblymember Ash Kalra of San Jose.

The bill, sponsored by the tenant rights group Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, would have tied the annual rent increase rate to the Consumer Price Index, which measures inflation, and capped it for most rental homes at 5%, instead of 10% under current state law. As a compromise, Kalra narrowed the bill on Tuesday to exclude single-family home tenants from the proposed rental relief in hopes of securing passage. Individual landlords of single-family homes aren’t subject to rent control under state law.

“Tenants need a permanent solution, not a temporary fix,” Kalra said during Tuesday’s hearing. “If we don’t act with urgency to help our tenants in crisis, we are going to continue to contribute to the risk of homelessness.”

The proposal stalled last year amid strong headwinds from a coalition of landlords and realtors led by the California Apartments Association. They argued Tuesday that the measure would discourage investment in rental housing and squeeze small landlords. Voters have rejected past rent control ballot measures, such as Proposition 10 in 2018 and Proposition 33 in 2024.

The measure needed seven votes to advance but only got four, all from Democrats. All three Republican committee members voted against the bill. Five other Democrats — assemblymembers Rick Zbur of Los Angeles, Blanca Pacheco of Downey, Diane Papan of San Mateo, Catherine Stefani of San Francisco and Rebecca Bauer-Kahan of San Ramon — did not cast a vote, which effectively counts as a no vote.

“That shows the power and influence of moneyed interests.”
— Assemblymember Ash Kalra, a Democrat who represents San Jose

Some of them, such as Zbur and Bauer-Kahan, expressed concerns during the hearing that the proposed law could hurt landlords. Rent hikes are caused by the state’s housing shortage, they argued, and the Legislature should instead focus on building more housing.

Echoing similar concerns, Stefani’s spokesperson, Daniel Herzstein, said in a statement that a lower rent cap would risk squeezing landlords who already face rising costs. Pacheco was unsure how the bill would affect mom-and-pop property owners, said her spokesperson Alina Evans. Papan’s office did not immediately return a CalMatters’ request for comment.

Lidya Morales, a 53-year-old single mom from San Diego with three kids, said her monthly rent increased from $1,300 in 2022 to $2,000 last year. She works at three different hotels to afford it, she said. Without the proposed rental relief, she said she fears getting priced out.

“I don’t want to live in my car with my kids,” she said.

Following the bill’s defeat, hundreds of tenants affiliated with ACCE broke into chants in protest. “Housing is a human right!” Some yelled. Others screamed “shame” at the near-empty committee dais after most lawmakers ducked out after the vote.

Kalra told CalMatters that the bill failed because “we are listening to these wealthy landowners and apartment owners and not those that are literally struggling.”

“I think that shows the power and influence of moneyed interests,” he said.

Taming unintended consequences

Apart from unveiling ambitious proposals, state lawmakers this year must also figure out how to clean up after new housing policies like Senate Bill 79, a controversial law authored by Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco that overrides local zoning restrictions to allow apartment buildings up to seven stories near major transit stations in metro areas.

Lawmakers passed the law narrowly last year after it went through 13 rounds of amendments to quell criticism from a coalition of interest groups and state lawmakers, who sought more stringent environmental reviews, labor protections, affordable units and local control.

But critics say the resulting law still has unintended consequences.

Mobile home park residents in the Bay Area who live close to transit lines say the law makes them vulnerable to displacement by allowing their parks to be redeveloped into apartment complexes, a loophole that Wiener himself acknowledged.

Gail Rubino, a resident at the El Dorado Mobile Home Park in Sunnyvale, said at least 36 parks in six of the state’s most populous counties will be affected by the new law. If all were allowed to be redeveloped, more than 5,400 people would be displaced, she estimates. A new bill from Wahab, whose district includes many of the parks, seeks to shield mobile home parks from redevelopment into transit-oriented housing.

“This lack of protection threatens existing affordable housing stock that SB 79 seeks to increase,” Rubino told lawmakers last week.

SB79 has caused confusion among local officials, who say the law is so vague that they cannot even agree on which counties it applies to. While Wiener has said it’s his intent to apply the new law to eight of the state’s most urban counties, local government associations insist only four fit the bill. Some local government agencies say they are afraid to adopt new zoning maps without clear guidance, worried it would result in litigation.

Wiener said he will introduce new legislation later this year to clarify how counties should implement the new law.

Stephanie Farmer Witzel, 73, of Arcata, passed away on January 6, 2026, surrounded by family and loved ones. She is survived by her husband, Bill Witzel; her son, Thomas Witzel; her daughter-in-law, Tayler Rutter; her grandson, Benjamin Witzel; and her siblings, Terry Farmer and Michele Tomlin.

Stephanie was born on April 12, 1952, in Sacramento, to Roberta and Ronald Farmer. She was the second of three children, growing up alongside her older brother Terry and younger sister Michele. She spent her early years in Sacramento and later attended Humboldt State University, where she first fell in love with the natural beauty of Humboldt County. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources, a passion that stayed with her throughout her life and ultimately led to her becoming a Master Gardener.

Stephanie later pursued her CPA, building a distinguished career as an accountant. She worked with organizations including the California Cut Flower Commission, the County of Humboldt and eventually served as Chief Financial Officer of Dell’Arte International, where her intelligence, integrity and work ethic were deeply respected.

Only six months after they met in Sacramento, Stephanie and Bill were married in 1982. They adopted Thomas in 1994, and looking for a change of pace and a more family-friendly place to raise a child, Stephanie, Bill and young Thomas moved to Humboldt County in 1997 — a place Stephanie already loved and quickly made her home. Almost immediately, she became deeply involved in the local community. Beyond serving on the Boards of Directors for Dell’Arte, Friends of the Dunes and as a Deacon at Arcata Presbyterian Church, Stephanie volunteered countless hours with numerous local organizations. As her husband Bill often said, Stephanie had a “spring-loaded arm” — she was always the first to volunteer, to help, to organize and to lead.

Stephanie was kind, caring, generous and, above all, tenacious. She never met a challenge she didn’t believe she could solve, a cause she didn’t want to fight for, or a stranger who wasn’t a friend within 10 minutes. She loved the outdoors, new experiences and squeezing every ounce of joy from life. Stephanie was never content to sit still - she continually sought out new challenges, enrolling in weaving, dance and painting classes; traveling to new countries; attending new events; and always pushing her horizons into new territory.

Above all else, Stephanie cherished her family. She was an anchor for her extended family, ensuring that connections were never lost and that no one drifted too far away. She fiercely loved her immediate family - she was a devoted wife to Bill, a loving and supportive mother to Thomas and a joyful, doting “Tutu” to her grandson Benjamin. Her love was returned to her many times over. Stephanie’s warmth, energy and unwavering commitment to the people and places she loved will be deeply missed by all who knew her.

The family will be holding a memorial and celebration of life for Stephanie on Saturday, January 24, 2026, at 2 p.m. at the Arcata Presbyterian Church (670 11th Street, Arcata). All are welcome, and we encourage guests to bring baked goods or finger foods to share at the reception.

The family is also planning an additional celebration of life in the summertime, allowing far-flung friends and family more time to plan travel and gather in Humboldt. More details will be shared as they are finalized.

In lieu of flowers, we invite you to make a donation in Stephanie’s honor to a cause she deeply believed in. Links are provided below for Dell’Arte International and the Arcata Presbyterian Church, two organizations that meant a great deal to Steph and that she would have loved to continue supporting.

• Dell’Arte
• Arcata Presbyterian Church

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Stephanie Witzel’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

Alan Ramon Walters, born May 20, 1968, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on December 8, 2025, in Eureka, at the age of 57. His friends lovingly nicknamed him “Big Al — The original Ayatollah of Indianola”

Alan was born in Oregon and moved to Eureka when he was one year old. He spent nearly his entire life here. He attended local schools, including Freshwater Elementary School, Winship Junior High School and Eureka Senior High School, graduating with the EHS Class of 1986.

Alan worked in construction prior to becoming an insulator. He was proud of the work he did alongside respected local contractors, including Clyde and Wayne Belcher, Joe Wilwerding, Greg Scott and Paul Allen. His career as an insulator began at Myrtletown Insulation, continued on to DC Insulation and later with JNG Insulation Pros, where he was employed at the time of his passing. Occasionally, he worked for his friend Rick Williams insulating and sometimes spent his weekends working on insulation projects when help was needed. A hard worker, Alan was admired and respected by his co-workers and throughout the community.

Alan’s greatest joy and proudest moments in life came from his twin sons Miles and Reese. He loved them more than words could express. They were his greatest strength and most enduring legacy.

Alan loved spending time after work at various local businesses, enjoying a beer with friends, telling jokes, and sharing stories. He was a loyal fan of the San Francisco Giants and the San Francisco 49ers, enjoyed bowling, and was a member of several local bowling teams in recent years. He loved music, especially Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. He also loved to BBQ. Many are saddened and grieving his sudden loss. He was always happy to see you and could always make you laugh and feel good.

Alan is survived by his wife, MaryAnn Walters; his sons, Reese T. Walters and Miles C. Walters; his stepson, Brian W. Mack; and his step-granddaughter, Alyssa J. Mack.

He is also survived by his loving mother Obdulia Romero De Walters; his brothers William G. Walters Jr. (whose wife April Walters preceded him in death; and Jeff A. Walters and wife Lisa; his sister Lisa M. Hall and husband Bryon. He is preceded in death by his loving father William G. Walters Sr.

Alan is lovingly remembered by his Nephew Devin Walters; his Nieces Stacy Walters and spouse; Paige Walters and spouse; Marissa Hall; and Marlee Hall; Alexis Coker and spouse; as well as his Great-Nieces and Great Nephews; cousins and extended family.

He is remembered by many special friends, Chris Namanny, Darren Savio, Jason Lennox, Danny Bell and many others. Special mention David Cameron (who preceded him in death).

A small, personal family moment was held at Ayres Family Cremation in Eureka for his cremation. No public remembrance has been planned.

Cards, condolences etc may be sent to: 3656 Old Arcata Road Space 32, Eureka, CA, 95503.

Alan’s work ethic, humor and ability to connect with people left a lasting impression on all that knew him.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Alan Walters’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

On the first day of the new year, our beloved mother, Ona Darlene O’Neal, peacefully crossed over into heaven, reuniting with family who had gone before her. After a brief illness, she slipped away quietly, surrounded by her loving family.

Ona was born on December 18, 1933, in Skaggs Holler, southwest Missouri, as the fourth of five children to Frank and Lilly Jewell Stephens. During her early childhood, her parents gathered their children and took a train from Missouri to California, settling in Loleta where relatives had found work at the local creamery. The family lived above the old cheese factory in Loleta, moved to Fortuna, and eventually settled in Rio Dell. Ona attended Rio Dell School and graduated from Fortuna Union High School in 1951, where she played trumpet in the marching band.

Throughout her youth, Ona was active in the Rio Dell Assembly of God church. She was musically gifted, playing the piano, organ, trumpet, and accordion, singing in the choir, and teaching Sunday school. She also worked as a telephone operator in Rio Dell.

On December 4, 1954, Ona married Robert O’Neal, the love of her life. Bob was employed at the Pacific Lumber Company, where Ona also began her career, working together in the shipping department’s Bungalow. The couple welcomed their first son, Michael, in November 1956 and made their home in Scotia. Their second son, Gary, was born in September 1960 in Fortuna. The family later moved to a house Bob built in Rio Dell, where they lived until 1971 before returning to Scotia, remaining there until Ona’s retirement in 1993.

Ona’s retirement years took her to Fortuna and Indian Island in Eureka. She traveled back to Missouri and enjoyed several cruises with her good friend Kathy Holt. In 2002, she moved to Michigan to live with her son Gary and his family.

Michelle’s Tribute to G-Buzz

To me, she was more than Ona Darlene — she was Granny Fuzz, G-Buzz, G-Fuzz, and one of the strongest women I have known. She taught me to walk with purpose, appreciate beauty, and show up in the world unapologetically. She inspired my love for jewelry, sparkle, and elegance, and never left the house without her signature purple lipstick and perfectly teased hair. She was bold, glamorous, and unforgettable.

G-Buzz always had a story to share and made everyone feel special. Her musical talent was remarkable — she could play almost anything by ear and made the piano sing, even without reading music. Through her music, faith, and way of living, she taught me about resilience, devotion, and the power of self-assurance.

During her time in Fountain, Michigan, living with my dad Gary and mom Diana O’Neal, she became a cherished part of the community. She was dedicated to the Sugar Grove Baptist Church, playing piano and occasionally leading the choir. She made many friends at the Scottsville Senior Center and was deeply involved in my life and my brother Drew’s — attending our school events, cheering us on, and always making us feel loved and supported.

Ona loved to travel and made friends everywhere she went, always remembering names and bringing back gifts as tokens of her affection. She was faith-filled, fierce, funny, stylish, and endlessly loving, living fully and loving deeply, leaving a lasting impression on all who knew her. I am forever grateful for her presence in my life and the lessons she taught me about strength, beauty, music, and unwavering love. I will always carry her with me.

In 2017, Ona returned to Humboldt County, where her son Mike had also relocated. She lived with Mike and Connie, remained active in her church, and enjoyed her time with friends at the local McDonald’s “Round Table.” In 2024, following a fall at home, Ona moved first to Seaview for rehabilitation — where her cousin and nurse, Deidre, cared for her with remarkable kindness. After a short stay at Frye’s Care Home, she moved to First Choice Care Home in Fortuna, where Linda Taylor and her team provided attentive care. The family is grateful for everyone who went the extra mile for Ona.

Ona was preceded in death by her husband Robert, parents Frank and Lilly Jewell Stephens, brothers Harold, James “Bill,” and Kenny Stephens, her sister Lorraine Waters, nephew Kerry Waters, and daughter-in-law Wanda O’Neal. She is survived by her sons Michael (Connie) and Gary (DeeDee); grandchildren Sean O’Neal (Terra), Shannan Jacobson (Ben), Michelle Runk (Joe), Drew O’Neal (Sheena); and great-grandchildren Devlin (Isabelle), Zayne (Meleah), Griffyn, Hunter (Noah), Ellie, Whittaker, Livy Sue Ona, and Carson. Ona also leaves behind her dear friend Jean Nichols.

Many friends called or visited Ona, and their presence meant the world to her.

A graveside service will be held on January 17 at noon at Sunrise Cemetery, followed immediately by a Celebration of Life at the Scotia Fire Hall. For those wishing to honor Ona’s memory, donations may be made to any local library.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Ona O’Neal’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

PREVIOUSLY

• Fortuna Mobile Home Rent Moratorium Passes
• Owners of the Royal Crest Mobile Estates Ask Fortuna’s City Council to Kill the Proposed Rent Stabilization Ordinance
• Owners of Royal Crest Mobile Home Parks Say Rent Increase Moratorium Could Lead to Litigation
• Faced with Losing Their Homes, Some Fortuna Mobile Home Owners will Petition the City Council for a Rent Stabilization Ordinance

Negotiations over Fortuna’s efforts to cap mobile home rent increases might be ending soon, but some advocates say the protections don’t go far enough.

Since mid-2025, mobile home owners in the Royal Crest mobile home park have been fighting for regulations that would limit how much and how often the park owner can raise their rents. (The owners of mobile homes don’t usually own the land in the park it sits on.) Fortuna’s city council declared a moratorium on rent increases in September, and floated a draft Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) at a recent city council meeting. It offers many asked-for guardrails, like annual rent increases hitched to inflation and limiting when landlords can void their tenant’s leases. But some members of the advocacy group Save Our Seniors (SOS) are criticizing the draft for leaving open some loopholes. 

“A weak ordinance would fail the very mobile home owners it is meant to protect,” reads an SOS statement sent to the Outpost. “There are critical deficiencies in the draft language that could allow park owners to bypass protections, impose excessive increases, or retaliate through service reductions.”

The RSO tethers the amount the owners of Royal Crest can raise the rent to the Consumer Price Index, a handy shorthand for inflation. If the CPI rises 2% in a year, then the landlord can raise their monthly rent 2% at the start of the next year. However, if inflation rises drastically, so could the rent. In 2022, for instance, the dollar inflated over 8%. The SOS wants the law to cap annual increases at 3% or at the amount the CPI rose, whichever was lower. 

The RSO that governs mobile home rent in unincorporated Humboldt County allows park owners to increase their rents annually at the rate of the CPI. Currently in Fortuna, park owners can raise the rent as much as they like every 90 days.

Another point of contention is allowing park owners to raise rents whenever the houses are sold; there’s currently not a provision stopping landlords from jacking up rents on the next home owner whenever someone moves. The SOS prefers that landlords be banned from raising the rent more than 3% on the next owner every time a home is sold.

Turnover rates at the park aren’t steady. SOS spokesman Ricardo Tallamente, 71, told the Outpost that houses mainly turned over when residents died or couldn’t afford the rent any longer. 

If a park owner sinks money into improving their park’s infrastructure, they’re allowed to petition Fortuna for permission to raise the rent. The SOS also quibbles with Fortuna’s plan to appoint someone to determine when that’s OK and say someone from California’s Office of Administrative Hearings should do the work. (Check out the SOS’s other complaints here.)

Tallamente and his wife moved to Royal Crest in 2021 after long careers in Bay Area tech.  They’re insulated from the monetary pressures squeezing out other residents, but have seen plenty of other residents move.

In 2015, residents were charged about $450 monthly. It’s now $875. For some of the seniors living on pensions or fixed incomes, who have to plan their budgets years in advance, slowing the increases is crucial. The rent freeze ends in late April, and park residents are eager to get the RSO enacted before then. 

Fortuna City Manager Amy Nilsen told the Outpost she couldn’t comment on the proposed changes until the public comment period closes on Jan. 30, and said that they’d be “reviewed and considered with attention to legal requirements and Fortuna’s administrative capacity to implement them.”

Much of the existing laws on RSOs focus on making sure property owners are fairly compensated for their work, but Tallamente said he wasn’t interested in prioritizing that.

“It’s all about affordability,” Tallamente said. “We don’t really care what the property owner thinks at this point.”

SOS leader Hilary Mosher was unavailable for comment. A request for comment from a lawyer representing the owners of Royal Crest was not returned. We’ll update this article when it is.