Judy Ann Cole
Oct. 16, 1947 - Sept. 9, 2025

Judy was born to Fred and Loraine Roberts in Henryetta, Oklahoma. She spent the majority of her life in Eureka California attending local schools and she was a graduate of Fredrick and Charles Beauty Collage. Her passion and talents in life was her family, cooking, gardening, sewing and home decor. Family gatherings were a highlight of her life. Her and her husband Donn recently celebrated fifty five years of marriage raising three wonderful kids in their Freshwater Valley home. Her primary focus in life was her home and family and she was blessed with five beautiful grandchildren and recently celebrated the arrival of four great-grandchildren. She was a loving wife and mother and we will miss her dearly.                               

Judy was preceded in death by her parents, father-in-law and mother-in-law Milton and Gladys Cole, her Brothers Noble and Larry, sisters Wanda, Bonnie and Betty. 

She is survived by her husband Donn, son Shawn (Melissa), daughter Shana (Kevin), son Donnie (Charlotte), grandson Tyler Anderson (Shelby), granddaughter Haily Allen (Lucky), grandson Jack Cole (Karina), granddaughter Samantha Cole, and granddaughter Jadyn Cole, great-granddaughter Lillian Anderson, great-grandson Curtis Anderson, great-grandson Bennett Allen, great-granddaughter Elizabeth Cole. Judy’s brother-in-law and sister-in-law Jan and Mick Miller. nephew Graham Miller, (Loughlin) and their children Keeva and Keelan, nephew Andrew Miller, niece Carol Parker (David), niece Bobby Beaver (Terry), nephew David Pritchet, nephews Mark, Michael, and Tim McManis.                 

Our family would like to thank Hospice of Humboldt and especially the nurses and staff at the Ida Emmerson Hospice House for the amazing care that Judy received there as well as making this journey as painless as could be for her family and friends. If you care to make a donation Hospice of Humboldt is an amazing organization and we are very fortunate to have them in our community. 

Press release from the Humboldt County Republican Party:

One of the basic principle that underlies the American spirit is the freedom to speak our mind and state our beliefs without fear of reprisal. That is what Charlie Kirk did so well. He was able to have a dialogue and discussion with people who did not agree with him. It is tragic that his voice was silenced. The Humboldt County Republican Party stands for the principles of free speech without reprisal and the right of all citizens to take part in the national debate without fear. Let us remember Charlie Kirk and his bravery as we do our part as citizens of a free nation.

God Bless America.

Press release from the Humboldt County Democratic Central Committee:

As Humboldt County Democrats, we fundamentally and categorically disagree with Charlie Kirk’s ideology and rhetoric — however, we unequivocally abhor violence as a tool to silence dissent. 

Our condolences are with Charlie Kirk’s family — his two children and wife. Our empathy is with those who witnessed a murder at Utah Valley University.

The abilities to express oneself freely, and peaceably assemble and act are cornerstones of our democracy. No one in this country, in this day and age, should be a victim of gun violence. 

We must be and act as our better selves.

LoCO saw a fox run across the road the other day and the sight brought us a brief moment of joy. It had been a bit since we’d seen one of those crafty li’l guys — too long, honestly — and it got us thinking about all the other Humboldt wildlife we’ve ogled over the years.

Hopefully, you’ve spent some time in Humboldt’s great outdoors and have had your share of (non-scary) encounters with our forest critters. But how many of our IRL Pokemon have your eyeballs collected? Below is the (complete?) list of our county’s (mostly) bigger-than-a-breadbox mammalia. Have you completed your personal mind zoo? Check your work!

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This story — by reporters Yue Stella Yu and Alejandra Reyes-Velarde — was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.

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In June, California Democrats rushed to significantly roll back the state’s landmark environmental law to clear the path for land development.

Environmental justice advocates weren’t happy. Because of changes signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, certain developments now are exempt from environmental reviews, which advocates fear will cut out tribal community feedback, threaten endangered species and lead to more pollution for some of the state’s most at-risk residents. Facing backlash, Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire promised a fix.

“That is an issue that we’re going to need to continue to focus on in the weeks and months to come before we leave this session in September,” McGuire told his fellow senators in June.

He’s now run out of time. With just hours until the legislative session ends, Gov. Gavin Newsom, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and McGuire have not agreed on how to meaningfully address those environmental concerns, punting the discussion to the fall.

“This is a complex policy issue and we must get [it] right for Californians,” said Nick Miller, a spokesperson for Rivas, when asked why the talks stalled. “Our assessment is it needs to go through a public process with input and discussion.”

The differences laid bare the growing rift between the pro-development Assembly, which has pushed to cut red tape to build more housing faster, and the Senate, which has been more skeptical about private development without labor and environmental protections.

The lack of progress has angered environmental justice advocates and lawmakers, who said the leaders failed to make good on their promises.

“To say that the trust has broken is, I think, is a little bit of an understatement,” said Assemblymember Liz Ortega, a Hayward Democrat who was among 35 lawmakers to urge legislative leaders to fix the law in August. “Several of us have asked to have this fixed, and we were told that it was going to get fixed, and now we’re here and we’re told that it’s not.”

This week, California leaders negotiated and released a budget-related bill to implement the June updates with minimal changes. But the Senate’s budget committee shelved the bill Wednesday amid senators’ criticism that it didn’t go far enough to regulate pollution, and environmental groups called the bill “premature and harmful.”

‘To say that the trust has broken is, I think, is a little bit of an understatement.’
— Assemblymember Liz Ortega, a Hayward Democrat

In a symbolic move, Senate leaders announced Wednesday a separate, last-minute measure to reinstate environmental review requirements for some high-polluting manufacturing plants within 300 feet of homes and schools, despite knowing it did not have time to pass this year.

“We thought it was really important for the public to see that when we made that commitment, we meant it. That we were not just talking about it,” said Senate Budget Committee Chair Scott Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat and a major champion of the environmental review exemptions and housing construction.

“We would prefer to do it now,” he added. “But we need a three-party agreement to do anything.”

That going-nowhere proposal did not satisfy environmental groups. High-polluting plants have the potential to harm residents far beyond 300 feet, which amounts to half a city block, said Asha Sharma, state policy manager for Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability.

Adding to the chaos, Assemblymember Damon Connolly, a San Rafael Democrat, on Friday introduced an uber-last-minute measure that largely reflected what environmental groups say they want. The proposal would restore environmental scrutiny for projects like hotels and resorts, developments on habitats for protected species and most advanced manufacturing plants.

That proposal could not be voted on until next year.

Polluting facilities pose a ‘massive problem’

The June update exempts “advanced manufacturing” facilities such as hydrogen production facilities, plastic recycling facilities and lithium mining sites from environmental reviews as long as they are located in industrial zones and not on protected lands.

In the months after, several advanced manufacturing projects have been proposed, including facilities on the San Bruno Mountain and in Solano County.

Environmental justice groups say restoring environmental reviews for projects like these is a priority, because those facilities are some of the most hazardous and polluting facilities and are often located near low-income communities of color. The environmental review process is typically the only chance residents get to voice concerns about developments near their homes, Sharma said.

Some lawmakers said that’s why they won’t vote this week for the budget bill to allocate money to implement the June reform. Sen. Ben Allen, an El Segundo Democrat on the budget committee, called the manufacturing exemptions “incredibly expansive” and a “massive problem.”

“Most of us thought: ‘Why would we possibly want to vote for this bill … when the commitments in terms of cleanup legislation haven’t been met?” he told CalMatters.

Frustrations grow over last-minute dealmaking

Talks to tighten environmental regulations stalled amid the governor and legislative leaders’ fast-moving secret negotiations on major energy and climate deals this week, a common occurrence near the end of the legislative session.

The stifled effort contrasts how quickly California’s top Democrats scaled back the environmental rules in June. The governor at the time threatened to reject the state budget if the deal did not come through. The rollback was tucked into budget trailer bills — a tool leaders have increasingly used to rush major policies through with little public scrutiny.

“That is so ironic, because apparently it was totally fine to jam everyone on an exemption for advanced manufacturing … but God forbid you rush a cleanup bill,” Delfino said.

The rushed nature of the June deal, critics say, is why a “cleanup” is necessary.

“It was rammed down everyone’s throats,” Allen said. “It’s probably why we feel the need to push back on this particular issue because … this was a particularly aggressive and out-of-whack set of changes.”

“I continue to be extremely disappointed with anyone who takes advantage of this notion that delay gives leverage,” said Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, a Torrance Democrat who said he didn’t cast a vote on the June rollback because of the manufacturing exemptions. “It prevents us from having a more open, transparent and democratic process to fully debate these important policy proposals.”

Even those who did vote for the rollback argue for more limits placed on manufacturing. Assemblymember David Alvarez, a Chula Vista Democrat, said he grew up next to a manufacturing plant and suffers from asthma to this day.

“It needs to be addressed immediately. …We are not in the 1970s and ‘80s anymore,” he said in a hearing Thursday.

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Parking near Cal Poly Humboldt has become an even bigger headache for students since the newly built Hinarr Hu Moulik dorms welcomed more than 500 residents at the start of the fall semester. With another 400 students expected to arrive in Spring 2026 — and only 328 parking spots available on site — university officials are moving forward with plans to build a long-term student parking lot in the Arcata Bottoms.

Some Arcata residents are not very happy at the prospect of a big, new paved parking lot at the other end of Foster Avenue, a mile away from campus.

The Foster Campus Connectivity Project would add 212 long-term parking spaces to the university’s parking supply by converting the lower four acres of a vacant 16.7-acre site at 2000 Foster Ave. into a paved lot with a shuttle station, bus shelter and bicycle storage, according to the Initial Study/Proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) for the project. The campus shuttle service would transfer students from the parking lot to campus every 15 minutes, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Regular shuttle service would not be available over the weekends, with exceptions for some campus events.

Construction is expected to begin in the spring and wrap up in September 2026, depending on the length of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review process.

Why build a parking lot way out in the Arcata Bottoms? In short, there isn’t much vacant or developable land around campus, and finding new space has become a critical component of the polytechnic transformation that launched in 2021.

In 2022, the California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees, on behalf of Cal Poly Humboldt, purchased the Foster Ave. property for $5.4 million from a group of business partners that included Danco owner Dan Johnson and Sun Valley Farms CEO Lane DeVries. At that time, the university didn’t have any specific plans for the site, noting in a somewhat vague statement that the land would be used to “support any number of institutional priorities” and “play a vital role in efforts to provide a positive, meaningful educational experience for students.”

Expanding the parking supply has been at the top of the university’s list for years. A 2018 parking study, conducted by Walker Consultants, determined the university’s parking lots are “saturated” with “peak occupancy of parking spaces on the main campus close to 100 percent.” The Humboldt State University 2004 Master Plan identified a property east of campus, near Union and 17th streets, as a potential site for a multi-level parking structure that could house up to 1,000 vehicles, but the university never purchased the property.

University officials are optimistic that the Foster Campus Connectivity Project will alleviate the parking shortage, even though it’s one mile away from campus. 

“We know that proximity matters and that’s been a big focus of the Foster Campus,” Mike Fisher, acting vice president of administration and finance, wrote in an emailed response to the Outpost. “It’s just over a mile from campus and will be served by the University shuttle service with regular routes to and from the main campus as well as Hinarr Hu Moulik. … The Foster Campus will also feature secure and sheltered bike parking and will expand the bike rental program we already run with the City of Arcata. Together, these steps are designed to make the ‘last mile’ between Foster and campus easier, more sustainable, and more convenient.”

Fisher added that the new shuttle service between campus and the Hinarr Hu Moulik dorms has been “well received” by students so far, with ridership continuing to increase. 

The proposed parking lot is just one component of the university’s long-term vision for the so-called Foster Avenue District. The 2025 Campus Physical Plan, which has yet to be adopted, envisions the 16.7-acre site as a hub for athletics, with three “state-of-the-art” sports fields, an indoor athletics complex, “upper division” housing and a pond.

A quick aside: The 2025 Campus Physical Plan is really something! It outlines the university’s development priorities for the next 20-plus years, which include enhanced academic facilities and expanded green spaces to promote a “vibrant campus culture that fosters connectivity and well-being.” The ambitious plan reimagines B Street, which runs through the center of campus, as a pedestrian corridor. The plan also references the Arcata Cap — a seemingly far-fetched plan to build five acres of new land above Highway 101 between 14th and 17th to accommodate housing and other community resources — which would connect the campus to downtown Arcata.

Still, Fisher emphasized that the plan has yet to be adopted. As such, it wasn’t used as the basis for the IS/MND for the Foster Ave. parking lot.

“The Campus Physical Plan is intended as a long-term framework — a vision for how the University might grow over the next 10-20 years,” Fisher explained. “The rendering [of the Foster Ave. District referenced in the plan] reflects possibilities, not active projects, and it’s designed to be flexible based on factors like budget, enrollment, and community needs. At this time, there are no plans to begin developing the remaining space.”

The Notice of Intent for the IS/MND determined that the Foster Ave. project “would not have a significant adverse effect on the environment” as long as mitigation measures for “aesthetic resources, air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, noise, and tribal cultural resources” are implemented. 

However, some residents feel an environmental impact report (EIR) should be required to assess the full scale of the project. Greg King, a resident of Arcata and executive director of the Siskiyou Land Conservancy, said the proposed parking lot “will result in significant, cumulative, adverse ecological impacts on the biological resources of the Arcata Bottoms … .”

“The university’s proposal to pave a wide swath of the Arcata Bottoms for a student parking lot is a threat to public safety, traffic, and the agricultural and ecological integrity of the Bottoms,” King wrote in a letter to the university shared with the Outpost. “The proposal demonstrates a clear lack of vision and creativity on behalf of the University, and once again foists upon the larger Arcata Community the many problems associated with the University’s desired expansion.”

King felt the parking garage proposal outlined in the 2004 Campus Plan “is the solution” to the university’s parking woes. He cautioned against “paving over wide swaths of greater Arcata” to meet parking demands.

“[W]e are here to support sound and empathetic proposals for [Cal Poly Humboldt’s] expansion in Arcata,” he continued. “This parking lot idea is not at all sound, and the only empathy it demonstrates is for the University’s desire to engage the easiest solutions to complex problems no matter the many negative impacts of these solutions on the greater Arcata community.”

The public comment period for the IS/MND ended on Monday. Now, the university will address comments made on the document and make necessary adjustments for approval. If everything goes according to plan, the university will break ground on the parking lot next spring. 

Asked what Cal Poly Humboldt is doing to address immediate parking concerns in the neighborhood surrounding the Hinarr Hu Moulik dorms, Fisher said the university is “actively working with the City of Arcata to find workable solutions.”

“The one-permit-per-space system at Hinarr Hu Moulik was designed so that residents know upfront whether they’ll have a guaranteed space in the lot or not,” Fisher said. “This transparency helps students make informed decisions about whether to bring a vehicle. Students without a permit can instead purchase a resident parking permit for the main campus and are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the University’s shuttle service, which runs between Hinarr Hu Moulik (and in the future, the Foster campus) and the main campus seven days a week.”

“These measures are designed to help manage capacity while also providing students with reliable transportation alternatives,” he continued. “We remain committed to working closely with both our students and the City of Arcata to minimize impacts.”

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DOCUMENTS:

• IS/MND for Foster Campus Connectivity Project
• 2025 Campus Physical Plan

June 12, 1987 to August 19, 2025. Ayla was a twin but unfortunately,  her twin was lost before birth, but I do think her personality had the shining light that both would have brought to this world.  This is what made her so loving and so kind to others, always willing to help out and give her time no matter what.  Her personality was a big light in a lot of people’s dark places. Even when she had her own, she never let go of her sweet kind and loving ways. Ayla lived a short life but it was definitely full. Her wit, charm, laughter and just plain silliness could make anyone smile. All the years watching her grow and become the beautiful and loving mother to her two full-time kids, and a mother for her other boys who she loved and cherished with all her heart, made me love her even more. Her charm was what brought many people her way, Ayla had a way to brighten a dark room, her brash and sometimes hard ways were just who she was. We were every bit alike in so many ways but could butt heads really good. Ayla was such a wonderful and bright woman, bringing friends together every year at her Gemini party and always making sure they had a good time.

Ayla graduated from McKinleyville High continuation in 2005. By the time she was 19 her first son, Tobias Dal Porto, was born. At the age of 21 she had her second son, Guyier Gin. In 2011, her daughter Payten-Rae Brinkman came into our lives, then nine years later Mateo Cloud Brinkman, our little sweetie, was born, her last baby.  She became a wonderful and loving partner to Richard Brinkman, who she cherished and loved with all her heart, 15 years and two babies and Richard was always there.

Ayla spent the last several years volunteering for security at Reggae on the River, when it was in southern Humboldt, Kate Wolf and the Arcata Oyster Festival which was her last volunteer job in June of this year. She loved and always cherished her time and friends she had made going to these events. After my daughter’s passing, I found out that she had a lot of friends, so many more that held her dear just like her family.

Ayla is survived by her partner Richard Brinkman, her daughter Payten-Rae Brinkman, her sons, Richard Mateo Brinkman, Tobias Dal Porto, Guyier Gin, her mother Beckie Thornton Raygoza, her second dad Ramon Raygoza, her siblings Zarron Ramsey (Christa Daley), Virginia Ramsey, Trish Frick, Gus Raygoza (Michelle Murphy), Julian Raygoza and Terressa Bailey. Her nieces and nephew, Ryan and Rosalee Ramsey and Julianna Raygoza. Also survived by her father and second mom David and Rebecca Ramsey, and her aunt Arla Ramsey.

 Also survived by so many cousins and friends, but to her sisters at heart Brandi Fullbright, Velda Caylor, Ashley Watters and Ashley Taylor and so many others, this mom thanks you all for being there for her.

Ayla was preceded in death by her maternal grandmother Eileen Woodard, her great-grandma Lavena Pectol Howard, grandparents Raymond and Elizabeth Thornton. Her paternal grandparents Art Ramsey and Virginia Anker, her uncle Arthur Ramsey and her aunt June Ramsey.

A celebration of life will be held on Sunday, November 9, 2025 at the Mad River Grange in Blue Lake from 1 to 4.  

Fly high my sweet Angel, till we meet again. 

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Lynette Matyshock passed away early in the morning of August 21, 2025, eleven days shy of her 82nd birthday.

She had spent the day before visiting with Linda Sovndal, who had driven north from Sebastopol with her husband, Karl Smith, to say goodbye to her lifelong friend.

It was a good day.

“Lynette and I were friends from birth,” Linda says. “Two little farm girls born 29 days apart — I’m the elder — into Danish families in rural Ferndale in the summer of 1943. Our lifelong friendship embraced three-hour phone conversations filled with endless laughter. My family tells me my giggling with Lynette was unlike any other laughter, coming from a place in my soul where she and I shared our kindred spirit, our ‘friends forever’ bond.”

Lynette was the first child of Harry and Evelyn (Hansen) Christensen; when she was born, on September 1, 1943, Harry was working for dairyman Alex Aggeler at Willowbrook Dairy in east Ferndale. Harry was soon to have his own dairy on Church Lane in Waddington.

Lynette (and, born four years later, her brother Marv) attended Coffee Creek School. Classes went through the sixth grade. For junior high, she took the bus into town to attend Ferndale Elementary, from which she graduated in 1957. She quickly became a major figure in the Ferndale High School class of ’61 (then, with 52 students, the largest class to pass through the Ferndale school system).

She excelled at everything in which she took an interest and ignored the rest. As a freshman she was tapped (in a co-appointment with Linda Sovndal) to be the eventual co-editor of the Tomahawk. She joined the clarinet section of the school band and was selected three times for the Humboldt County Honor Band. She excelled academically, graduating as a Life Member of the California Scholarship Federation (CSF), and excelled as well in the professional classes, including typing—key for a woman to get a job in those years—and bookkeeping. She was a long-time participant on the Danish Dancers team coached by Erla Chance. It was the Danish Dancers who gave her perhaps the biggest and happiest surprise of her life: a “sweet sixteen” birthday party—dinner and dancing, held at the town home of her uncle, Clarence Hansen.

In the fall of 1961, she married Aaron Matyshock. Three years later, when Lynette was 20, and Rick and Terry, the elder two of her three sons, were toddlers, her mother Evelyn, 48, died of cancer. It was a loss that never healed.

A few years after the birth of her third son, Randy, it was necessary for Lynette to join the work force. A very smart woman with no work experience outside the home, she parlayed her FUHS business skills into a career with what was then called Pacific Coast Farm Credit (it merged with American AgCredit on September 1, 1999 — Lynette’s birthday, a coincidence that did not escape her). In the mid-‘00s, after nearly 25 years in the world of agricultural finance, she retired from paid employment—and then spent the next decade fully engrossed in what she loved: watching her grandchildren play sports, gardening, beautifying her home, and shopping.

She also spent those years giving back to her beloved community. She became a docent at the Ferndale Museum, and then a board member, and then the co-chair for five years of Sweet Memories dessert auctions—for which the museum named her Volunteer of the Year in 2016. She served on the board of directors of the Ferndale Cemetery, and she kept up her Danish connections as a 60-year-plus member of the Fjelddronning (“Mountain Queen”) Lodge #131, Danish Sisterhood in America. She became an active member of the Village Club.

And then, she agreed to showcase her landscaping on the Ferndale Garden Club tour.

Her son Rick rolls his eyes. “Not a rock could be out of place!” he said. And it wasn’t. Her “backyard” where her large garden stretched to the edges of the pastures off Ferndale’s frequently flooded Frog Alley was — after months of reaching for perfection — a paradise of fountains and flowers and color.

She loved her garden, and she loved her home. And, to a professional level, she loved to shop, often on a near-daily basis with her enthusiastic colleague, Edna Borges.

Lynette’s well-trained shopper’s eye also brought her a large measure of regional fame, as she became the powerful voice of annual Christmas shopping advice that featured Ferndale’s Main Street businesses in yearly seasonal spreads in the Ferndale Enterprise.

Her shopping partner, writer Wendy Lestina, introduced 2008’s shopping guide with this explanation of the selection process: “All the items below are unanimous decisions. We reach these decisions applying skills of logic and aesthetic debate, and then I give in.”

Giving in to Lynette was always rewarded with lively conversation and much laughter. We’re all unique, but Lynette was more unique — if you listen, you’ll hear her agree — “You got that right!”

Lynette is survived by her sons Rick (Stacy), Terry, and Randy (Misty); her brother Marv Christensen (Nancy); her sister-in-law, Gloria Chambers; her grandchildren: Andrew, Ashley (Eugene), Kayla, Tyler (Gaby), Rylan (Cara), Cheyenne (Robert), Kendra & Maddux; and great-granddaughter, Blayke. She was predeceased by two grandchildren, Kyle and Stevie Matyshock.

A celebration of Lynette’s life will be held on Saturday, September 27, at 2 p.m. at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church on Shaw Avenue in Ferndale, her home church, where she was baptized, confirmed, and married. A reception in the church social hall will follow the service.

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