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Tortillas sold in California are going to have a new ingredient, one that’s intended to help nurture healthy infants.

Starting Jan. 1, a new law will take effect requiring most tortillas and corn masa products sold in the state to contain folic acid, a vitamin that’s important to infant health.

Latinas in California are far less likely than other women to get enough folic acid early in pregnancy — a gap that can lead to life-altering birth defects.

State data show that, between 2017 and 2019 – the latest years for which state data is available – about 28% of Latinas reported taking folic acid the month before becoming pregnant. White women took the vitamin at a higher rate, with 46% of them reporting consuming folic acid, according to the California Department of Public Health.

This puts Latinas at higher risk of having a baby born with neural tube defects — defects of the brain and spinal cord. Some examples of that are conditions like spina bifida and anencephaly.

Research has shown that folic acid can reduce birth defects by up to 70%. That’s why it’s found in prenatal vitamins. But because women may not find out they are pregnant until weeks or months after, public health has long recommended that folic acid also be added to staple foods.

In 1998, the U.S. required manufacturers to fortify certain grain products with folic acid, such as pasta, rice, and cereals, to help women of reproductive age get the necessary amounts. Since that rule took effect, the rate of babies born with neural tube defects dropped by about a third, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But even with the addition to these foods, birth defect rates among babies born to Latinas have been consistently higher. In search of a more culturally appropriate addition, in 2016, the federal government allowed makers of corn masa to add folic acid to their foods – but didn’t require it.

Joaquin Arambula, a Democrat from Fresno, who authored the law said leaving folic acid out of corn masa products, used in many Latino staple foods, was a “real oversight.”

Now, with the implementation of Assembly Bill 1830, California is the first state to require folic acid in corn masa products. The law requires manufacturers that do business in the state to add 0.7 milligrams of folic acid to every pound of flour and to list the addition in their nutrition labels. The law makes exemptions for small batch producers like restaurants and markets that might make their own tortillas from scratch.

Months after California’s law was signed, Alabama passed its own version. Its law goes into effect in June 2026.

Some large manufacturers have already been adding folic acid to their products for years. Gruma, the parent company of Mission Foods, said it started fortifying its foods back in 2016, when the federal government first allowed it. A company spokesperson said Gruma “has a longstanding commitment to supporting legislative fortification initiatives” and supports the new laws in California and Alabama.

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Supported by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), which works to ensure that people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. Visit www.chcf.org to learn more.

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California lawmakers made major changes to the state’s car-buying rules this year, including a controversial rewrite of the state law that allows buyers to get their money back if they are sold a defective vehicle and a right to return a used vehicle within three days.

After an intense lobbying push this year from automobile companies, dealers and consumer groups, more legislative battles over California vehicle purchases could follow in 2026. Sky-high car prices show no signs of falling, and a Republican-led Congress and the Trump administration have sought to thwart Newsom’s goal of having 100% of new cars sold in California be zero-emission by 2035.

Sen. Ben Allen, a Democrat representing the El Segundo area, said he expects California’s Democratic-controlled Legislature will likely push back against national Republicans’ attack on California’s vehicle policies in some form next year, though he said it wasn’t yet clear how.

“We’re very committed to this path, so stay tuned, but clean air is a priority for our state,” said Allen, who chairs the Senate’s Select Committee on Transitioning to a Zero-Emission Energy Future.

In the meantime, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Allen’s Senate Bill 766, creating a first-in-the-nation policy that allows a buyer to return a used vehicle for a full refund within three days if the purchase price was less than $50,000. Dealers can charge a restocking fee.

The law, which takes effect in October, also contains other protections for buyers intended to prevent them from getting suckered.

Car dealers will have to tell a potential buyer — including in advertisements and initial written communications — the actual price of a vehicle instead of an unrealistic advertised price. Potential buyers will also have to be informed of the full financing costs and lease terms.

The law also prohibits dealers from charging for add-ons that have no benefit to the buyer, such as free oil changes for electric vehicles — which don’t need oil changes.“That is a huge deal,” said Rosemary Shahan of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, which championed the bill. “It’s historic. It’s going to make cars more affordable.”

Allen said he came up with the idea for the bill after shopping for a used car in 2024. He said he wanted to see what it was like trying to buy a used car in California and didn’t tell the various dealerships he visited that he was a state senator.“I was kind of shocked by the hustle and the extent to which prices were quoted online and that ended up not really being truthful,” he said.He ended up buying a 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E, an electric vehicle.

Newsom blocked document fee increase

Most bills take effect immediately the year after they are signed, but lawmakers delayed the implementation of Allen’s bill until October to give dealers time to change their paperwork, amend their contracts and change their signs to meet the new law’s requirements.

Brian Maas, president of the California New Car Dealers Association, said the law should make buying a used car more transparent and easier for consumers.

“The bill certainly is a net positive in terms of more transparency about the total price and advertising,” he said.

But he said the new law “clearly imposed more responsibility on dealers,” which is why Maas said his group was extremely frustrated Newsom vetoed its bill that would have allowed dealers to raise document-processing fees by $175.

Senate Bill 791 would have raised the fees dealers can charge to process Department of Motor Vehicles and other paperwork from the current cap of $85 to up to 1% of the purchase price, capped at $260.

Maas said dealers were frustrated by Newsom’s veto message which said the fee increase wasn’t necessary because the state had imposed “no new state requirements” on car dealers.

Maas said it was “especially frustrating that the veto message somewhat cavalierly said there are no new state requirements when the governor signed just such requirements a week earlier.”

Before the veto, SB 791 passed the Legislature overwhelmingly and with bipartisan support. The California New Car Dealers Association has donated at least $3 million to legislators since 2015, according to the Digital Democracy database.

Maas said there are so many forms car buyers must fill out, almost all of them stemming from a law the Legislature passed, they’re getting to be like click-through agreements on websites that everyone just agrees to without actually reading.

“You shove form after form after form in front of consumers,” he said. “Consumers just tune it out, turn it off, and say, ‘You know what? I just want to know what my monthly payment is, what’s the interest rate, what the total price of the car is. And then let’s go. Why do I have to sit in here for a half hour or an hour and fill out all these forms?’ ”

Consumers face a watered-down lemon law

Newsom also signed Senate Bill 26, a bill that allows car manufacturers to opt out of changes to the state’s lemon law that gives consumers a right to get their money back if they buy a defective vehicle — sometimes referred to as a “lemon.”

The result is that California car buyers have different legal protections under the state’s lemon law depending on which brand they buy.

The bill Newsom signed was in response to a law lawmakers hastily passed at the end of the 2024 legislative session, watering down the state’s 55-year-old landmark lemon law. Some auto companies, namely GM and Ford, were being sued so often for allegedly selling so many lemons that state courts were clogged with lawsuits.

The companies and some attorney groups persuaded lawmakers and Newsom to pass legislation in 2024 that shrank the length of time a car buyer could sue under the lemon law to just six years instead of the entire life of a vehicle’s warranty

Last year’s legislation also puts more onus on car owners to initiate claims, not auto companies.

But other companies that don’t get sued as often for selling defective vehicles, such as Toyota and Honda, opposed the rule change. Those companies said the new law didn’t give them time to prepare their best defense

Newsom ended up reluctantly signing the 2024 bill, but he urged the Legislature to come back with a new bill in 2025 that would allow companies to opt out of the changes. SB 26 passed overwhelmingly and Newsom signed it.

Meanwhile, several car companies, including Ford and GM and dozens of RV and motorcycle manufacturers, opted in to the 2024 law this year.

Toyota and Honda, as expected, did not.

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While most of us gather with family in the warmth of our homes this holiday season, it’s worth remembering that many local residents aren’t so fortunate. And that’s where some of our region’s most cherished nonprofits step in.

The Eureka Rescue Mission’s annual Christmas Eve meal service is currently underway, as of the time this was published. It’s scheduled to run from noon until 2 p.m. The Mission is located at 110 2nd Street in Eureka.

For tomorrow, Christmas Day, St. Vincent de Paul is offering “a yummy, hot, nutritious meal” from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Longtime volunteer Marylee Price tells the Outpost that volunteers have stepped up to help prepare the meal, and Santa himself is expected to hand out gifts. St. Vinnie’s “Free Meal” is hosted at 35 West 3rd Street in Eureka.

A few miles north, Arcata House Partnership has its warming center in effect today from 1 - 4 p.m. In addition to providing a warm and dry place to stay, the center offers hot meals, warm beverages and expanded annex services. 

On Christmas Day, AHP will offer soup, sweets and dry socks via window service at its “One Stop” annex, 501 9th Street in Arcata. And the warming center will be back in action on Friday from 1 - 4 p.m.

Meanwhile, the good folks at Humboldt Soup’s On have gone fully mobile for the winter, delivering food and other resources directly to encampments and places the unhoused frequent in and around Arcata. Executive Director Jan Carr tells us, “We are feeding sixty people (and their dogs) each day.” That’s the max capacity for the organization. “Wish we could feed more.” Carr said.

If our readers are aware of any other services offered to needy folks this Christmas, please email us so we can add it to this post: news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

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Enjoy this sunshine while you can, Humboldt! We’re in for another round of wind and rain tonight.

Last night’s windstorm knocked out power for thousands of folks across the county, but, as far as we can tell, didn’t leave much damage behind. Pretty remarkable given that the National Weather Service recorded a wind gust of 109 mph (!!!) at Cape Mendocino last night, and gusts between 70 and 84 mph throughout the King Range.

As of this writing, 800-plus Southern Humboldt residents are still without power near Miranda, Petrolia and Whitethorn due to reported storm damage. PG&E crews are either en route or already working on repairs. You can find updates here.

The NWS has issued another “High Wind Watch” for Humboldt, Del Norte and Mendocino counties tonight. Our friends down in SoHum can expect southeast winds between 25 and 35 mph, with gusts up to 85 mph possible. It should be a little calmer up north around Humboldt Bay.

“Damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines,” the NWS warns. “Widespread power outages are possible. Travel could be difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles. Wind gusts will be particularly strong along windward ridges and exposed coastal headlands. There is an increased risk of tree branches and other debris on roadways.”

Rain is expected to return to the region around 8 p.m. There’s a “Flood Advisory” in effect for low-lying, flood-prone areas around Humboldt Bay, and a “Flood Watch” is in place for the rest of the county til 10 p.m. Friday. 

“Additional rounds of heavy rain expected through Friday night,” according to NWS. “An additional 3-6, locally up to 9 inches of total rain is possible through Friday. There will be breaks in the heavy precipitation, but heavy rain falling on already saturated ground will promote flooding impacts.”

As always, you’ll want to be a little extra cautious out there and avoid driving through flooded roads. Highway 36 is closed at Carlotta due to flooding, with no estimated time of reopening. [UPDATE, 12:07 p.m.: Open again!] Several county roads remain closed due to flood damage. 

Stay safe out there, Humboldt!

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UPDATE, 3 p.m.: The Humboldt County Department of Public Works shares the following update on county roads:

The following roads are flooded:

• Howard Heights
• Cannibal Island Rd .10 mile from Eel River to end of road
• Graham Rd 
• Zanes Rd
• Berta Rd
• Old Arcata Rd between Graham Rd and Jacoby
• Creek Rd
• Ambrosini Lane
• Rose Ave
• Fernbridge Dr Northbound Lane 

The following roads are closed:

• Port Kenyon is closed between Market and California
• Hookton Rd is closed between Tompkins Hill Rd and Highway 101 due to the flooding.
• Hookton Rd and Eel River Dr intersection closed due to flooding
• Mad River Rd is closed at P.M. 2.75 (Tye City) due to flooding
• Goble between Fulmor and Hwy 211
• Camp Weott at Dillon
• Glendale Drive - 100 feet northwest of Liscom Hill Rd closed due to flooding
• Redwood Dr from Evergreen Rd to Bear Canyon Rd closed due to a slide
• Fernbridge Dr Northbound Lane closed to the bridge due to flooding
• Coffee Creek is closed due to flooding from P.M. 1.00 to 1.25
• Meridian Road closed between P.M. .5 to .9
• Wilder Ridge Rd at P.M. 6.9 closed due to flooding
• Crannell Rd is closed at Dows Prairie Rd due to flooding
• Waddington Rd from Pleasant Point Rd to Substation Rd
• Goble Lane from Fulmor to Hwy 211 closed
  Nissen Rd from Goble Lane to the end closed
• Dillon Rd
• Sage Rd from Goble to the end
• Goble between Dillon Rd and Nissen Rd

Drive Safely. Road conditions will be updated as soon as they become available.

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When Megan Meo, 36, and her husband decided to start a family, they knew they wanted two kids. They didn’t know they would have to endure multiple rounds of fertility treatment, causing much heartache and draining away thousands of dollars.

“It’s strange when my body isn’t working to do a thing it was made for,” Meo said. ”It hurts me at my core.”

Meo is among roughly 9 million Californians who will benefit from a new law requiring some insurers to pay for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility. On Jan. 1, large group health insurers in California — from employers with at least 100 workers — will be required to begin covering fertility preservation and in vitro fertilization services.

The law also redefines infertility in state statute, eliminating an exemption that prevented same-sex couples or single people from receiving fertility benefits.

The law does not apply to people who get their insurance through religious employers, federally regulated plans or Medi-Cal. Last month, a settlement in a class action lawsuit led by a Santa Clara couple required Aetna to extend fertility benefits to LGBTQ couples nationwide.

Advocates expect small group insurers will soon be required to offer the same coverage through a separate regulatory process that awaits federal approval. Once federal officials approve that process, most Californians with employer-sponsored health insurance should receive the benefit, said Sen. Caroline Menjivar, the law’s author and a Democrat from Van Nuys.

“I am so proud of this bill. I want this bill on my tombstone,” Menjivar said. “This impacts so many people from single people to heterosexual couples.”

Menjivar, who is lesbian, said the new law strikes a personal chord. For her to have children, she would have to rely on fertility treatments – and insurance companies have often excluded LGBTQ individuals from coverage for these services. One of her friends spent more than $20,000 on fertility treatments to have three children, she said.

“This brings into the fold a lot of people,” Menjivar said, tearing up. “I get emotional because I know these people. I know what this looked like for my friends.”

High cost prevents people from using IVF

In vitro fertilization, or IVF, commonly helps people struggling to conceive. About 9% of men and 11% of women of reproductive age struggle with infertility in the U.S. During a cycle of IVF, doctors retrieve eggs from the ovaries and fertilize them with sperm in a lab. The resultant embryos can then be transferred to the uterus.

The process, while simple sounding, can take months or even years before a successful pregnancy. It is also expensive. A 2010 survey on the cost for infertility treatment among 400 Northern California women found the average payment for one cycle of IVF was $24,000. The average cost for a successful pregnancy, which can take multiple cycles, was $61,000. Health care costs have grown since then.

Before insurance coverage kicked in, Meo’s fertility clinic told her one round of IVF would cost between $30,000 and $39,000.

“The idea of spending $40,000 on something that might not work was really scary,” she said. She and her husband have been trying to start a family for two years. Her infertility is partially related to uterine scarring left by a previous miscarriage. Insurance coverage lessens the emotional and financial burden for them, Meo said.

Alise Powell, director of government affairs with RESOLVE: The National Fertility Association, said cost is the No.1 barrier preventing people from accessing care. Congress has on multiple occasions shot down legislative efforts to require health insurers to cover fertility services, most recently in 2024. California is the 15th state to mandate coverage for state-regulated plans.

“Infertility is a disease and it should be covered by insurance like any other disease or ailment people have,” Powell said.

Jamie Falls, 44, has been trying to get pregnant for 11 years. She and her husband, who had an unsuccessful vasectomy reversal, took out a loan to afford the $13,000 it cost for one round of IVF in 2020. The procedure didn’t work. They’ve been saving since then to try another round.

Insurance coverage offers some relief, Falls said, but after trying for so long it almost seems too good to be true.

“I wouldn’t wish this journey on anybody. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through (but) I can’t picture myself not being a mom,” Falls said.

Health insurers who opposed the law before it was enacted have said it will raise overall insurance costs, pinching small businesses and people who buy individual policies.

Infertility often unexplained

Many people who struggle to conceive don’t know why they are unable to do so. Studies indicate around 30% are diagnosed with unexplained infertility.

It’s a frustrating diagnosis, said Sarah Jolly, 39, who has been trying to conceive with her husband for five years. Tests to check her ovarian reserve, hormone levels and ensure there were no blockages came back normal. The couple even sought out a urologist who specializes in male infertility to run tests on Jolly’s husband only for everything to return clean.

The couple has tried intrauterine insemination — a process where sperm is inserted directly into the uterus while a woman is ovulating — three times without a pregnancy.

Jolly said she and her husband are keeping IVF on the table as a last resort, but she doesn’t want to go through with a procedure without knowing what it’s treating.

Recently, after seeking out another specialist, Jolly learned that she had endometriosis, a chronic condition that can cause adhesions, scarring and inflammation around the reproductive organs. Multiple doctors had previously told Jolly endometriosis had nothing to do with her infertility, she said, but the specialist told her it was a common – and treatable – reason.

Studies suggest between 30% to 50% of women with endometriosis are infertile, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

Jolly said throughout this process she has felt unheard and undervalued, constantly having to advocate for more testing and more answers. Insurance also refused to pay for any of her fertility tests or appointments, but covered her husband’s visit to the urologist.

“I’ve gotten a lot of comments societally, even from a lot of men, like ‘You should have kids. It’s the biggest privilege.’ But our society also doesn’t support women and getting the health care they need to be able to achieve that,” Jolly said. “It feels like a punch in the face that I wasn’t expecting. I really thought it would be a much more supportive process medically.”

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Supported by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), which works to ensure that people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. Visit www.chcf.org to learn more.

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What’s good for Riverside County is good for the whole state: After a pilot to automatically admit high school students into the California State University system in the Inland Empire county took off last fall, lawmakers this year passed a law to greenlight a similar program statewide next fall.

Leaders at the California State University last year launched the pilot to attract more students to the university system and to steer some to campuses that have been struggling with enrollment declines.

The pilot worked like this: University officials and high schools in Riverside County pored over student course completion and grade data to identify every county high school senior who was eligible for admission to the 10 of 22 Cal State campuses chosen for the pilot. Then the students received a brochure in the mail last fall before the Nov. 30 submission deadline, plus digital correspondence, telling them they were provisionally admitted as long as they submitted an application to one or more Cal State campuses, even those not in the pilot, and maintained their high school grades.

Starting next fall, all students in California will be eligible for the automatic admissions program, which will expand the roster of participating Cal State campuses to 16. Cal State will release more information on the program’s implementation in February, its website says.

In justifying the expanded program during a legislative hearing, bill author Sen. Christopher Cabaldon, a Democrat from Napa, said college should be as seamless a transition from high school as it is for students finishing one grade and advancing to the next. “It’s entirely an invention of us, the gap between 12th grade and college. … The same gap does not exist between elementary school and junior high or junior high and high school.”

The legislation, Senate Bill 640, passed without any opposition and was signed into law by the governor. The program doesn’t mean students can enter any major at the campuses they pick. Some majors may require students to show higher high school grades or tougher courses if those programs have fewer openings than student demand. For Californians, the standard minimum GPA for entry is 2.5 in a series of college-preperatory courses.

Students will also be free to apply to the six other over-enrolled Cal State campuses, though admission isn’t guaranteed. Those are Fullerton, Long Beach, Pomona, San Diego, San Jose and San Luis Obispo.

What the Riverside pilot did

High school counselors told CalMatters that the Riverside County pilot encouraged students who never considered attending a university to follow through with the automatic admissions process. Counselors also reached out to some students who were a class or two short of meeting the requirements for Cal State admission to take those, encouraging more students to apply to college who otherwise wouldn’t have. Younger students who were off the college-course taking track might be emboldened to enroll in those tougher high school courses knowing automatic admission is in the cards, the counselors said.

Silvia Morales, a senior at Heritage High School, a public Riverside County high school, got an automatic admissions letter last fall. “I was pretty set on going to community college and then transferring, because I felt like I wasn’t ready for the four-year commitment to a college,” she said. She eventually submitted her forms, encouraged by her high school counselor.

Following the Riverside pilot, Cal State campuses saw roughly 1,500 more applicants and 1,400 more admitted students in 2025 compared to 2024, though just 136 more students enrolled.

The data for Riverside County reviewed by CalMatters suggests that more applicants and admitted students through an automatic admissions policy doesn’t translate into more enrolled students. Colleges closely follow their “yield rates” — the percentage of admitted students who ultimately enroll. In 2024, the Cal State yield rate for Riverside County was about a third. But in 2025, it declined by a few percentage points, meaning a lower share of admitted students selected any Cal State campus.

This suggests that the system will have to work harder to convert admitted students into ones who actually enroll, said Iwunze Ugo, a research fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California, particularly with students who would not have applied were it not for the automatic admissions program.

Automatic admissions doesn’t mean automatic enrollment

While admission to a college overcomes a major hurdle to eventually enrolling, there are numerous steps necessary before students sit down for their first college course. Accepted students must submit additional grades, put down a deposit, complete registration forms and actually show up for the fall term. Students who were less engaged in the college-going culture are more likely to “melt” during the process between acceptance and enrollment, some studies show, though researchers say this can be reversed with additional outreach to students at risk of not enrolling.

And even with an automatic admissions program, students must still register online and complete the application, which many students under the Riverside pilot didn’t do. Cal State sent out more than 17,000 automatic admissions notices to students, and just under 12,000 formally applied to at least one Cal State campus. Those who didn’t apply may have chosen another option, such as the often more selective University of California, private campuses, community colleges, or no college at all.

“I think that’ll be incumbent on the CSU to pick up some of that slack and encourage students admitted through this path to go through the rest of the process and ultimately end up at a CSU campus,” Ugo said.

Cal State officials also recognize this. “Students who apply independently tend to have stronger self-directed interest, and therefore stronger intent to enroll,” said April Grommo, a senior Cal State official who oversees enrollment management. More direct engagement with students admitted through this program will be necessary, she said.

Some campuses with a recent history of declining enrollment got a tiny pick-up from the pilot. San Francisco State saw 311 more applications from Riverside County in 2025 than in 2024. That translated to 11 more enrolled students, a review of Cal State data shows.

A statewide program may steer more students to attend campuses with enrollment woes, even if the “yield rate” declines. That’s because if the rate of new students enrolling doesn’t rise as quickly as the number of students admitted, the yield rate drops.

Under the expanded statewide program, Grommo said the system anticipates “enrollment growth as well, but not necessarily at the same rate as applicStudents walk through campus at Cal State San Marcos on May 6, 2025. Photo by Adriana Heldiz, CalMatters ations and admits,” she added.

And as the economy shows signs of decay, the prospect of a college degree may compel more high schoolers on the fence to attend Cal State; system data show students from there earn a typical salary of $71,000 five years after graduating with a bachelor’s degree. Postsecondary enrollment tends to rise as the number of available jobs decreases, a social science phenomenon in which employers are more selective about who they hire, compelling many job-seekers to hit the books to show they’re more trained.

Of course, souring economies often result in less public funding for colleges as state budgets are beleaguered, which may lead to fewer professors and staff for a growing cadre of students. “But I think generally, having more students is not a problem,” Ugo said.

Eureka lost one of its treasured residents on Nov. 22nd with the passing of 105-year-old Olga Dahl. She was a highly regarded educator and artist.

Born on Third Street in Eureka, Olga often shared stories of growing up in Old Town, when it was a bustling hub of immigrants, saloons, bordellos and street carts. Neighbors shared the bounty from their backyard gardens. Grapes, which came to town on the train, became homemade wine. The young men who worked in the local card rooms and lived at her mother Antonia’s boarding house taught Olga card games (she played Solitaire every day and even kept score), how to play the latest tunes on the piano, and showed her the current dance steps. They became a lifelong love.

Childhood was a difficult time for Olga She lost her father, Joseph, when she was four, and suffered a chronic illness that kept her out of school for months. But with the support of her mother and her Catholic faith, her determination didn’t falter. Art and being a teacher were her beacons. After graduating from Eureka High (and singing in a trio with a local band), she attended Humboldt State until she was accepted at California College Of Arts and Crafts in Oakland. Her teaching credential from Berkeley paved the way for her to get a great position at a lumber town, Westwood, east of Redding. But her taste of big city life (museums, seeing Diego Rivera working at the 1939 World Fair on Treasure Island) brought her back to Eureka, where she ended up marrying James Simpson. They would often go down to San Francisco to visit his sister, Virginia, and see the sights. Mariana, their daughter, was born in 1951, just a month after they moved into their new home, which Olga designed. Unfortunately, Jim passed away within a few years, leaving her adrift.

When Mariana was four, Olga began teaching home economics and a few art classes. She eventually became head of the art department. Her distinctive Volvo sports car, stylish fashion sense and unique hairstyle (The Bun) made her stand out. Teaching was in her soul, and after retiring she mentored and supervised young student teachers. As a docent, she brought art to schools throughout the county, sharing her love and enthusiasm, inspiring all she met. Former students would often stop her in stores, sharing their memories and expressing their thanks. That uplifted her spirits. Because for her, it was always about the kids.

In 1957 Olga married Clarence Dahl, a gentle man who always had a good story to tell or an odd joke to share. On Sunday afternoons they would pile into the station wagon and drive out in the country with a picnic. Then came camping (Forest Glen was a favorite) and fishing and hiking. When Mari left for college, Olga and Clarence started taking trips abroad, eventually hitting almost every continent. Olga got to finally see, in person, many of the works of art she had loved for years. They were together until Clarence passed in 2006.

Olga always knew how to have a good time. She loved dancing, singing and having small dinner parties. She was also well known for her 5 o’clock martinis. Neighbors and friends enjoyed showing up for some conversation and a cocktail. Her innate sense of fashion and design could turn anything into an art project, whether it was her clothing, cooking, flower arranging or just making a sandwich12:06:08. She had a knack for making things better.

After her 100th birthday (with a memorable drive-by parade), she met Jan Rowen, who got together a team of caregivers for her. They soon ended up with Olga living at Jan’s home, making a lap for all the animals, puttering in the garden and folding all the laundry or “straightening things up” around the house. She even voted in the 2024 Presidential Election (just had to vote for a woman) and made a few headlines of her own (because of her age).

This last year was spent with Elibe Noriega and family at their home in Cutten. She loved sitting and looking out the big windows at the beautiful forest, listening to the girls talking and waiting for the wonderful food. To be with a family again was a big blessing for her. We are forever grateful for their loving care of Olga.

(Donations can be made in Olga’s name to any of the local animal rescue/shelter or SNAP programs.)