She was born to Fletcher and Gladys Franklin in San Francisco.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Lynn and great-grandson Jacoby. She is survived by her husband, Ralph; son, Kenneth; grandchildren Kathryn (Shawn), Stephanie (Jose) and Benjamin; great-grandchildren Alexa, Raymond Otis,Ava, Amanda, Zuri and King.
She worked for Eureka City Schools for 37 years (Franklin and Lafayette schools ). She retired in 1999.
I would like to thank all who reached out to give support, especially our niece Laura, who was there full time. Also Claire and Bernie, Colette, Tom and Carrie, who did all-nighters. I also greatly thank Hospice for all their support and kindness.
Leila requested no services. In lieu of flowers we suggest a gift to Hospice of Humboldt.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Leila Schnyder’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
Kenneth Eldon Fraser (Kenny) was born October 26, 1945 and passed away in the early morning of October 14, 2022, only 12 days before his 77th birthday.
He was a Humboldt native and lived most of his life in Blue Lake on Liscom Hill on the family’s ranch.
He was preceded in death by his mother Marie Fraser, his father Bruce Fraser, his sister Margorie Burgess, and his brother Robert Fraser. He is survived by his brother (Bill) William Fraser (DaVita), his nephew Darren Moug (Julie), his niece Bobbie Marie Paz and nephew Billy Bob Fraser, and numerous family and friends.
Services will be held at Paul’s Chapel 1070 H Street, Arcata, on Saturday, October 22, 2022 at 11 a.m. Viewing from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Interment will be at Arcata Greenwood Cemetery directly after service. Please donate to Hospice of Humboldt or your favorite charity.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Kenny Fraser’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:
On October 14, 2022, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office was notified of an alleged juvenile sexual assault in the McKinleyville area. A press release was subsequently issued notifying the community about this case and soliciting information. Since the initial report, Sheriff’s detectives have conducted an in-depth investigation into this case. During this investigation, it was revealed that the allegations were not as reported. There is no perceived threat to the community related to this investigation.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office takes allegations of sexual assault seriously and is committed to the timely and thorough investigation of all sex crimes. If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, you are encouraged to contact law enforcement right away.
Additional support and resources available for sexual assault survivors include:
North Coast Rape Crisis Team 24-Hour Hotline: 707-445-2881, www.ncrct.org
Abandoned tracks between Eureka and Arcata, which may someday become a non-motorized link of the Great Redwood Trail. | File photo by Andrew Goff.
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Press release from Sen. Mike McGuire’s office:
Late Thursday, the Federal Surface Transportation Board soundly rejected the Mendocino Railway (MR) Company’s bid to take over 13 miles of the Great Redwood Trail. This massive move by federal regulators paves the way for one of the most important steps yet for the Great Redwood Trail – protecting and preserving 175 miles of rail line forever through the rail banking process. This will allow the Great Redwood Trail to begin breaking ground on these miles of line and ensure the former rail right of way remains in public ownership in perpetuity.
Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire issued the following statement on the action:
“This is a momentous day for the future of the North Coast and the Great Redwood Trail. With this proposal soundly rejected by the federal government, I’m thrilled that we’ll once and for all start moving dirt and getting large swaths of the Great Redwood Trail built,” McGuire said. “The STB was extremely clear and concise in their decision, and we are grateful for all of the work they have put into making the Trail a reality. Obviously, we’ll be on the look-out for any potential Hail Mary attempts to appeal and we’ll be at the ready to beat them back in the coming few weeks.”
The Surface Transportation Board stated in the ruling: “Because MR has not demonstrated financial responsibility, MR’s OFA will be rejected and the OFA process concluded.”
The timing could not be better. Senator McGuire is hosting a Town Hall this coming Monday, October 24th to review the process for the Great Redwood Trail Master Plan. The public is encouraged to join and be a part of the online event. Some of the nation’s top trail designers and experts will be participating in this much anticipated kickoff.
Caryl Hart, Chair of the Great Redwood Trail Agency, said: “Thursday’s clear and definitive ruling is yet another victory in the progress of the Great Redwood Trail. This has been a long process, but an outstanding result and a definitive win. I can’t thank our legal team enough – they have done an outstanding job of showing why the Trail is so important to the Golden State and North Coast. We’re all excited to kick off the Trail master plan this coming Monday evening!”
Frances Evelyn French was born to Henry and Bernice Combs of by Craigsville, Minnesota on June 5, 1945. She went on to her heavenly reward on Sept. 4, 2022, surrounded by those who loved her dearly.
She is preceded in death by her daughter, Raylou Mary Chill, her parents and her husband Robert King French. Frances is survived by her sons, Roy Allen Chill, Patrick and Jayna Chill of Roseburg, Oregon, Michael and Stephanie Houseworth of Eureka; her grandchildren, Cameron Chill of Eureka, Jessica Chill of Daly City, Raylou and Brian Wisecup of Roseburg, Oregon, Brenden Houseworth, Braxton and Adrianna Houseworth and Brenae Houseworth, all of Eureka; and her great-grandchildren, Aurora Chill of Eureka, Temperance Wisecup of Roseburg, and Brielle Houseworth of Eureka.
Frances was raised in Humboldt County. As a single mother, she held various job positions to support her family. She found the Lord at the age of 45 and He became the love of her life. She later remarried Robert French, they were married 9 years before he went on to be with the Lord. Frances continued in the faith serving her local assembly and putting all her love and devotion to her Jesus and her family. She was a friend, prayer partner, encourager, people lover, mother and grandmother. She faced many health conditions with positivity, kept the faith and finished her course! She will be deeply missed by all.
Services will be held at 11 a.m. on October 29 at 1060 Hoover Street in Eureka.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Frances French’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
On Wednesday, October 19, 2022 at approximately 7:00 P.M., Fortuna Police received a report from school officials of a threat to students at Fortuna Union High School. The initial threat was received via Snapchat, and specifically stated that a shooting would occur at Fortuna Union High School on Thursday, October 20, 2022 at 12:45 P.M. An additional threat was also received via Snapchat threatening the Eel River Community School campus in Fortuna.
Fortuna Police coordinated with school administrators and local allied agencies to provide safety and security on the school campuses throughout the day. An investigative team, comprised of Fortuna and Eureka Detectives was also dedicated to the timely identification of the person responsible for posting the threats.
The investigative team, developed information identifying a 16-year old female who was responsible for posting the threats. The 16-year old was located and taken into custody at approximately 3:00 P.M. and was booked into the Humboldt County Juvenile Hall for making Criminal Threats. The identity of the 16-year old suspect is not being released due to her status as a juvenile.
The Fortuna Police Department would like to recognize and thank our allied agency partners for their timely response and assistance. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Eureka Police Department, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, California Highway Patrol, Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office, Rio Dell Police Department, Cal-Fire Law Enforcement and Fortuna Volunteer Fire Department all assisted with this incident.
The Fortuna Police Department, Fortuna High School, Eel River Community School and local law enforcement remain committed to the ongoing safety of our schools and students.
If you operate an AirBnB or VRBO rental in Arcata, or are thinking about opening one up, you should know that during Wednesday night’s Arcata City Council meeting the council requested a few changes to the city’s Short Stay Vacation Rental Ordinance.
Council adopted that ordinance last year, and it placed a few stricter regulations on how vacation rentals are permitted and operated and capping the number of vacation rental units permitted in the city at 100. Since passing the ordinance, the council has requested that staff do some additional outreach and research to see if any changes needed to be made.
One of the biggest concerns brought up by operators of vacation rentals in Arcata, Community Development Director David Loya told the council, was the requirement that operators publicly display their phone number. When the ordinance was first passed, it required that there be a phone number visibly posted on vacation rentals, so that community members could call with concerns or complaints about the renters. Many owners of vacation rentals felt that it was unfair to ask them to do this, but not other property owners who rent to people. The council understood the concern and unanimously agreed to remove the requirement to post a phone number from the ordinance.
The other big change the council made was eliminating an exemption for long-term tenancy, which allowed vacation rentals on the same property as long-term rentals to not be counted as part of the city’s 100-unit cap. All vacation rentals still need a permit, but if a property is exempt, the operator can still obtain a permit even if more than 100 permits have already been issued. Under the change, it would no longer be possible for, say, an owner of an apartment building that rents some of the units to long-term tenants and some of the units as short-term vacation rentals.
There was also some discussion of removing the owner-occupied exemption, which allows vacation rentals where the owner lives on the same property to operate outside of the cap. But ultimately, the council decided to keep allowing owner-occupied rentals to be exempt, because it benefits people who live locally who use vacation rentals to supplement their income.
The final change the council made to the ordinance was adding an exemption for historic landmarks. So if a property is registered as a historic landmark, the owner can get a permit and operate a vacation rental there, even if the city has hit the 100-unit cap.
To be clear, Arcata is already past the 100-unit cap currently, with about 130 vacation rental units being operated in the city. All of those folks who are currently operating a vacation rental are grandfathered in, so the changes to the ordinance will not affect them. But, as that number dwindles, the city will limit the number of permits it issues moving forward.
There was also a lot of discussion about limiting the number of permits that a single owner/operator can have. Ultimately, the council asked that staff tell the council if some people are taking a lot of permits and to revisit the issue if it seems to become a problem.
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In other business, the council introduced a resolution regulating sidewalk vending on city property and right-of-ways, to ensure that the city is in compliance with SB 946 – which was passed in 2018 to decriminalize sidewalk vending.
Arcata’s draft resolution prohibits sidewalk vending on roadways or median strips, within 30 feet of an intersection, within 20 feet of a driveway and within 20 feet of a fire hydrant, electrical box or other emergency facility. The resolution allows sidewalk vending in parks, but not on the lawn or landscaped areas.
During the meeting, Emily Sinkhorn, environmental services director for the city, explained to the council that the resolution only applies to people selling food, beverages, or goods either directly off of their person or from a non-motorized cart. The resolution does not apply to food trucks. It also does not apply to special event vendors, which obtain their vending permits through a different process.
The resolution also specifies that vendors who aren’t permitted through a special event, cannot operate within 200 feet of the event – including the Arcata Farmers’ Market, the North Country Fair and more.
The vending permits are proposed to cost just $10. The cost will be officially determined when the council adopts the city’s master fee schedule. The resolution is not yet official and will return for adoption, probably in December.
Councilmember Alex Stillman was grateful for the regulation of sidewalk vending, which she feels does have an impact on the town’s brick and mortar businesses.
“We have a lot of brick and mortar businesses and they feel like they’re paying their fair share, they’re paying their interest, they’re paying their taxes, they’re paying their rent, et cetera. And then they have someone show up on their corner or next to their doorway selling pants…I’m thinking its a disruption to some of our businesses who are paying their fair way. ”
