Rick was born in San Jose, lived much of his young life in Colorado, later moving back to California. He lived in Anaheim, then Crescent City. Since 1995, Rick called Fortuna home. He was taken suddenly from us after a brief illness.
Rick was a kindhearted, hardworking, man. He loved a good practical joke, as long as he was the prankster. He had friends all over this country because he was a long-haul truck driver. He was proud of his Cherokee heritage, was an accomplished drummer, and loved watching endless YouTube videos of some of his favorite musicians, studying especially the drummers of his favorite bands. He was described by all who knew or met him as “a good man.” He was a believer in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, recently recommitting his life to the Lord.
As mentioned, Rick was a long-haul truck driver, taught as a young guy by his Uncle Joe and his father, Dennis. He worked for a few companies — Snoozie Shavings, Parkway Feed, Kendal Trucking, Davis Trucking — but since 2009 with Combined Transport in Medford. Rick was so proud to work for this company, to belong to Team Combined. He achieved many safety accommodations, and in 2014, named Driver of the Year where he was described by his employer “as an outstanding example of Team Combined, always willing to help out when needed, and with a great attitude 100% of the time!”
Rick had nothing but good to say about anyone who knew and loved him. He was very proud of his mother and his sisters, and all his nieces and nephews. He loved all his brother-in-laws, his special uncles, and aunts. He had numerous friends and co-workers who he spoke so highly of. I appreciate all the love and support of every one of them, brothers in the Lord Ivan Beckendorf, “Pyro Bob,” and “Big Jack.” His special trucker friends, supervisors and employers John Best, Mike Stevens, and Chris Clark. Those of you who have taken time to talk to me on the phone will never know how much it meant to me. I knew you all because of all the things Rick ever spoke about you.
Rick was also a lover of all things canine. He had three loyal truck driving companions through the years — Judy, Andy and Oso. Oso remained at Rick’s side 24 hours a day and was with him to the very end.
Rick is survived by his wife of 28 years, Rita, his mother Louise, sisters Leah, Becky, Angie and Kim. Special Uncle Jim and Aunt Carla and Uncles Burk and Joe, numerous nephews and niece, step-son Jason, his daughter Samantha and grandchildren. Rick loved and was so proud of you all.
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The obituary above was submitted by Rich Hefley’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
Michael Lawrence Astorino was born on September 28, 1944. He grew up in Manhattan Beach, California. He was preceded in death by his father, Lawrence Astorino and his mother, Patricia Astorino. He is survived by his brother, Lee Astorino.
Mike passed away from a massive heart attack in Eureka on June 28, 2022.
As a young man Mike enjoyed riding his bike on the Strand and surfing. He had some cool sports cars too! His first job was a typesetter for The Daily Breeze. He was also in the Naval Air Reserves. He was the co-pilot and loved to fly! After he left the Naval Reserve, he became a long haul truck driver and had routes all over the United States. Mike left the trucking company and became a produce manager at a large produce company in Manhattan Beach where he worked for many years. He left that job and moved to Eureka where he and his brother Lee operated a business adventure for a time.
For the last 30 years he worked as a handyman and painter for Mike and Rose Retzloff and many other people. He also loved to decorate for all the holidays. You could see our houses lit up from blocks away!
Mike was a loyal, trustworthy, independent friend. He was always reliable for starting and completing projects for everyone.
I, Joan Bladow, am writing this a memory of my best friend. He has lived on my property for the last 30 years. Every morning he would come and take our dog for a walk which was good for him and her!
He was very independent but was always there when you needed him.
We miss him a lot. He was dearly beloved!
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The obituary above was submitted by Mike Astorino’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
The Arcata Ridge Trail | Images from the City of Arcata
Good things are on the horizon for Arcata! On Friday afternoon, the City of Arcata sent out announcements about big developments in several ongoing park and trail projects in the city, including construction of the final segment of the Arcata Ridge Trail.
The City has been working to complete the Arcata Ridge Trail – a five mile long trail planned to run all the way from Buttermilk Lane to West End Road, connecting the Sunny Brae and Arcata Community Forests – for years. The final segment, which includes the Fickle Hill Crossing, was a little difficult to approve because it runs near several private properties and the property owners had issues with the proposed trail. A group of residents even sued the City over the proposed trial, saying that it would impact their water supply.
But despite some community concerns, the Arcata City Council approved the final segment last year. The City says it has now finally obtained all the necessary permits, has finalized the designs and hired a contractor and construction will commence at the end of August.
Read more in this City of Arcata press release:
The City of Arcata is excited to announce that construction of the final segment of the Arcata Ridge Trail and Fickle Hill Crossing will commence in late August 2022. The City has obtained all necessary permits, completed final designs for the project and secured a contractor for the crossing of Fickle Hill Road. The City has contracted with GR Sundberg Inc. to construct the final road crossing, and City crews will complete the final trail segment through the Sunny Brae Forest.
The completion of the Arcata Ridge Trail has been a City and community priority for many years. The Fickle Hill crossing will not serve as a trailhead but rather a vital connection along this four-mile trail between West End Road and Margaret Lane in Sunny Brae. Parking or temporary stopping of vehicles near the Fickle Hill crossing will not be permitted. There is sufficient parking near the West End Road and Margaret Lane trailheads to accommodate Arcata Ridge Trail users. There are also trailheads on Diamond Drive and California Drive to access the Arcata Ridge Trail at a higher elevation.
Community members are asked to be patient during construction and not bypass trail closure notices. The Arcata Ridge Trail on the north side of Fickle Hill Road will be periodically closed during construction and due to private property on both sides of the Arcata Ridge Trail, no detours will be provided to connect trail users to Fickle Hill Road. Residents are advised to plan their hikes accordingly.
Work will last approximately one month, weather permitting. Portions of the work will require temporary one-lane closures on Fickle Hill Road. Traffic control and flaggers will be in place to help mitigate disruptions in the roadway. Although delays are expected to be minimal, members of the community are encouraged to follow all safety directions. Construction will take place Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m and the project is scheduled to be completed by early October.
If problems are encountered with this project, please contact GR Sundberg at 707-825-6565 or the City of Arcata at 707-825-2151. Updates on construction progress and project plans can be viewed at cityofarcata.org.
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Rendering new of Shay Park equipment
In other exciting news, the City announced that construction has begun on Phase II of the Shay Park Improvement Project, which will include the addition of some challenging fitness equipment (the City says it might be good for “aspiring Ninja Warriors”.)
Other Shay Park improvements include the addition of table tennis, a drinking fountain and benches. A new basketball court was already added to the park and last year local nonprofit group REBOUND also helped spruce up the court with the addition of a colorful mural.
Here is more info from the City of Arcata:
Aspiring Ninja Warrior participants will soon have an outdoor fitness
area in Arcata to improve their skills. Phase Two of the Shay Park Improvement Project has commenced,
and the improvements include challenging fitness equipment such as a cargo net, ledge hanger, unstable
bridge and plyometrics machines. In addition to fitness equipment, there will be table tennis, drinking
fountain and benches.These improvements will help Shay Park become a more vibrant center for the
surrounding neighborhoods.
The City of Arcata has contracted with Hooven & Co. and Ross Recreation for Phase Two. Construction
began on Monday, August 22 at Shay Park off Foster Avenue. Work will last approximately one month,
weather permitting. Traffic delays are expected to be minimal, however, members of the community are
encouraged to follow all safety directions. Construction will take place Monday through Friday from 8
a.m. to 5 p.m. and the project is scheduled to be completed by September 30.
Funding for Phase Two of Shay Park was made possible by an Infill Infrastructure Grant (IIG) through the
City of Arcata Community Development Department.
If problems are encountered with this project, please contact Hooven & Co. directly at 707-839-1291
or the City of Arcata at 707-825-2151. Updates on construction progress and project plans can be
viewed at cityofarcata.org.
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Finally, the City also announced that it was selected to receive $812,949 in grant funding to improve Carlson Park in Valley West. Funds will be used to construct a multi-age ADA accessible playground, a special event area with picnic tables and BBQs and a new restroom.
The City was also recently awarded $612,000 from the Wildlife Conservation Board to improve the trails and river access at Carlson Park. You can read more about the Carlson Park plans in this recent Outpost article.
Read more from the City of Arcata here:
The City of Arcata will receive a $812,949 grant to improve Carlson Park in the
Valley West neighborhood. Enhancing Carlson Park and improving opportunities in Valley West are among the
Arcata City Council’s priority projects in 2022.
The California State Parks approved the City of Arcata for the grant award through the Rural Recreation and
Tourism and Regional Parks Program, which funds new recreation opportunities within rural communities to
support health-related and economic goals. The program is funded by Proposition 68 (2018 Bond Act), which
provided $46.2 million in grant funds this round. 12 projects were selected out of 80 proposals received.
Funds will be used to construct a multi-age playground, including pieces that allow for universal accessibility, a
special event area with picnic tables and BBQs, and a new restroom. Trails throughout Carlson Park will be
renovated and new landscaping with native, drought-tolerant species will be added. Earlier this year the City was
also awarded $691,000 from the Wildlife Conservation Board to improve nature and river access at Carlson Park,
which will renovate the trail system, create an ADA river lookout trail and observation deck, a parking lot,
bilingual interpretive signage, multipurpose court/boat staging area, and two access points to the Mad River.
The development of Carlson Park will provide numerous benefits to the residents of Arcata and surrounding
communities, tourists, and the natural environment. The Park’s proximity to the Valley West neighborhood will
provide nearby families and individuals with accessible and affordable recreation opportunities within walking
and biking distance from their homes.
“I am super excited for a safe neighborhood park to be built just a short walk away for families that have lived in
Valley West for decades,” says Lucy Salazar, Cumbre Humboldt President.
The City of Arcata would like to thank
all community members who have participated in Valley West and Carlson Park community engagement activities
over the years. Their vision and support were vital to the success of the grant application. The City would also like
to thank the California State Parks for their financial assistance in bringing the community’s dreams to a reality.
For a list of all grant recipients visit https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=28439. For information on Carlson Park,
contact the Environmental Services Department by email at eservices@cityofarcata.org or call (707) 822-8184.
To many of the tourists drawn to its historic, colorful Main Street, Ferndale seems like a town frozen in time. But your Lost Coast Outpost can confirm that time does indeed pass in the Cream City. Oh yes. And for the past 100 years they’ve had a handsome and mostly reliable clock to prove it.
On Friday, Ferndale’s citizens and city leaders gathered to celebrate the 13-and-a-half-foot clock that’s adorned Main Street since 1922 when local jewelry store owner Fritz Mathes installed it in front of his shop. Speeches were made. Cookies were consumed. Even Ferndale’s most famous son Guy Fieri made the scene to express his admiration for both town and timepiece.
“This is a great day,” Fieri told the gathered crowd. “I love hearing the history about the clock. It’s such an important part [of town] to us. We always knew to keep time from it. I knew I was late all the time when I would look at the clock.”
Nadene Bass, shares some of the clock’s history, noting that it is one of only four of its kind still known to exist
There were times when one might’ve questioned whether the clock would reach this historic milestone. It’s endured a lot of abuse over the years, according to Nadene Bass, the president of the Ferndale Museum, who offered the crowd a timeline of the town timekeeper’s brushes with near death. We’ll sum up the clock’s trials, quickly:
1954: The clock was knocked over when a delivery truck left their door open and it caught it. It was repaired and was back up and running four months later.
1969: Vandals fired upon the clock destroying the face on one side and damaging the hands. Local watchmaker Chris Mathes would dutifully repair it.
1979: Another vehicle vs. clock collision. Glass was broken and the face and cast iron bezel were damaged. Again, Ferndale rallied to the clock’s aid and it was repaired. On the day it began ticking again students from the elementary school gathered to play music for it.
1988: Chris Mathes sold his jewelry store and transferred responsibility for the clock’s upkeep to the Ferndale Museum.
2020: The clock stopped and remained non-operational for two years. In May 2022, out-of-towner David Lippold inquired to a local shopkeeper about the broken clock’s status. One thing led to another, and David and his brother John ultimately took on the task of repairing the clock. They were able to get it up and running again in July of this year.
Tick on, old clock. You made it. May you remind the citizens of Ferndale of their tardiness for another hundred years.
To commemorate this important day, the Outpost snapped a few photos and rolled some video. We share that now.
Ferndale Chamber of Commerce President Janet Carney thanks everyone for their attendance
A Guy in the crowd
Ferndale Mayor Don Hindley on the clock’s previous two years of inactivity: “The clock kept perfect time… twice a day.”
Guy Fieri, Food Network star and Ferndale native: “It’s so great to see the clock back and everyone’s participation.”
Fieri greets John Lippold, left, and David Lippold, center, who recently fixed Ferndale’s clock after two timeless years.
Fritz Mathes’ descendent Ralph Mathes
Fritz Mathes’ 94-year-old daughter Gloria Dinsmore
After nearly two decades of painstaking negotiations and political turbulence, the largest river restoration project in American history is set to begin early next year.
This morning, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) staff released the long-awaited Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for license surrender, decommissioning and removal of four dams – Copco No. 1, Copco No. 2, J.C. Boyle and Iron Gate – on the Lower Klamath River, a move that would restore over 400 miles of critical salmon spawning habitat in the Klamath Basin.
The 1,242-page document contains FERC staff’s evaluation of the environmental, cultural and economic impacts associated with dam removal. In short, staff agree that dam removal is the best path forward.
“Project removal and implementation of mitigation measures proposed in management plans would protect environmental resources, restore project lands, minimize adverse effects, maximize benefits to protected fish, and restore the landscape of the areas that are currently impounded within the project reach to a more natural state,” according to the FEIS abstract. “Commission staff recommends approval of the proposed license surrender, decommissioning and removal of the project with staff additional recommendations and mandatory conditions.”
FERC commissioners will issue a final ruling on dam removal later this year. If everything goes according to plan, dam removal will begin in early 2023.
“This is amazing,” Craig Tucker, a natural resources consultant for the Karuk Tribe, told the Outpost this afternoon. “The tribal communities along the river have fought tooth and nail for two decades to get to this point. The river is struggling and the fisheries are struggling. This is the single biggest action we can take to reverse the trends of salmon decline and put the Klamath River on the road to recovery.”
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Press release:
Washington, DC –Today the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) released a final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) which recommends the removal of the lower four Klamath River Dams.
“We can see the light at the end of the dam removal tunnel,” said Karuk Chairman Russell ‘Buster’ Attebery. “I am so proud of everyone in our river communities that have worked so hard for the past 20 years to realize our vision of river restoration.”
“We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the Tribal People and our allies who made this moment possible,” continued Yurok Vice Chairman Frankie Myers. “We would not be here without their relentless advocacy.”
In addition to responding to and addressing comments on the Draft EIS, the FEIS evaluates all of the benefits and impacts of the proposed dam removal project. According to the FEIS, “Commission staff recommends approval of the proposed license surrender, decommissioning and removal of the [dam] project…” The document goes on to state, “The proposed action would result in benefits to water quality, aquatic resources, fisheries, and terrestrial resources used by all Tribes. These benefits would aid in the continuation and restoration of Tribal practices and traditions that have been adversely affected [by the dams].”
“It has been more than a century since our people have seen c’iyaals (salmon) in our rivers and streams, so FERC’s quick pace completing the comprehensive review of dam removals will be sweet news for our community,” said Klamath Tribes’ Chairman Clayton Dumont. The five FERC commissioners will consider the final FERC staff recommendations of the FEIS when they issue a final ruling on dam removal later this year. “We appreciate the effort by FERC to complete the comprehensive review of dam removal in such a timely manner,” noted Amy Cordalis, Principal and Attorney, Ridges to Riffles Indigenous Conservation Group and Yurok tribal member and fisherwoman.
“Dam removal is a prerequisite for restoring and revitalizing the Klamath Basin,” explains Brian Johnson, California Director for Trout Unlimited. “It’s the single greatest thing we can do to restore Klamath fisheries, bolster localeconomies, and improve water quality.” The FEIS comes almost exactly 20 years after a massive fish kill that left over 60,000 adult salmon rotting along the banks of the Klamath River in September of 2002. Today’s Klamath River salmon returns are less than 5% of their historical abundance with some runs extirpated from the system. Dams deny salmon access to hundreds of miles of historical habitat, degrade water quality, and foster the spread of fish diseases.
According to Cordalis, “This paves the way for the largest river restoration project in history to begin in 2023. This critical regulatory step is necessary for the United States to honor its legal obligations and uphold its trust responsibility to Klamath River Tribes.”
Klamath Dam removal will also lead to major salmon fisheries improvements providing hundreds of new jobs to coastal salmon-dependent commercial fishing communities. Glen Spain of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA), the U.S. west coast’s largest organization of commercial fishing families noted: “Klamath dam removal will restore salmon access to more than 240 stream-miles of once fully occupied but now blocked habitat, improve river conditions enormously and nearly double the Klamath salmon runs that many coastal communities depend upon for their livelihoods.”
Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:
On Aug. 26, 2022, at about 2:14 a.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies conducted a suspicious vehicle investigation on a vehicle that had parked in the HCSO Eureka Main Station paved lot, blocking a patrol vehicle from exiting.
Deputies contacted the male driver, 55-year-old Mark Steven Franks. During his interactions with deputies, Franks displayed behavior often associated with individuals under a controlled substance or experiencing a behavioral health emergency. Deputies requested the assistance of a traffic officer with the Eureka Police Department (EPD) to conduct an in-field sobriety evaluation. While waiting for officers to arrive, Franks shifted his vehicle into reverse and rapidly accelerated, nearly striking deputies. One deputy sustained minor injuries as a result.
Franks then led deputies and EPD officers on a vehicle pursuit through Eureka. During the pursuit, spike strips were deployed twice. Despite the spike strips successfully deflating the vehicle’s tires, Franks continued to evade law enforcement in the vehicle. In the area of Broadway Street at West Clark Street, Franks’ vehicle collided with three EPD patrol cars and one HCSO patrol car, causing minor collision damage. No peace officers were injured as a result of the collisions.
Following the collisions, Franks’ vehicle came to a stop and after several minutes of negotiation, Franks peacefully surrendered to law enforcement.
Franks was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm (PC 245(a)(1)), evading a peace officer (VC 2800.2) and resisting a peace officer (PC 148(a)(1)).
Anyone with information about this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.
Rendering showing example of potential building design in the Gateway Area | Images: screenshots from Building and Massing Presentation video on City’s YouTube channel.
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If you’ve been following LoCO’s coverage of Arcata’s controversial Gateway Area Plan, then you know that earlier this week the Arcata City Council and Planning Commission held a big joint study session to go over some crucial aspects of the plan. For weeks, LoCO had been promoting it as a pivotal Gateway Area Plan meeting.
Following the study session, the Outpost listened to the recording (only audio had been posted) and attempted to write up a coherent summary, which proved to be difficult. The session was sometimes hard to follow and seemed to produce few tangible results. We reached out to city staff for some clarification on what would happen next, but didn’t hear back.
On Friday morning, David Loya – community development director for the City of Arcata – returned our call and explained what he was able to extract from the study session and what the community can expect to see over the next few weeks regarding the Gateway Plan.
“We did not get a definitive direction,” Loya told the Outpost in a phone conversation Friday morning. “But what we did get was a very robust conversation which highlighted several issues…We know what the issues are, and we know what the issues aren’t.”
In case you are not super familiar with Arcata’s Gateway Area Plan, it’s an infill strategy that aims to rezone 138 acres of land in and around the Creamery District to facilitate the development of high density housing to accommodate the city’s population growth over the next couple of decades. In addition to rezoning some underutilized properties to allow for housing, the plan also proposes changes to transportation infrastructure and increases in the city’s maximum building heights to accommodate the growth. City staff and planners have divided the Gateway area into four sub-areas, each with a different proposed maximum building height: eight stories in the Barrel District, seven stories in the Gateway Hub, six stories in the Gateway Corridor and five stories in the Gateway Neighborhood. (Take a look at the draft Gateway Area Plan here.)
Map showing gateway sub-areas and the proposed maximum building heights
Proposed building heights has been the most controversial aspect of the plan, with some community members and planning commissioners pushing for a maximum of four stories across the whole Gateway Area. During Tuesday’s study session, the commissioners and councilmembers took a straw poll to gauge their feelings on proposed building heights in each sub-area. The results of the first poll showed an almost even split between eight and four stories. But, Loya pointed out, the second poll showed about 60 percent of the councilmembers and commissioners in favor of eight stories.
As far as the other three sub-areas, Loya said that was a little less clear. But what was very clear, he said, is that the Council is very ready for the Planning Commission to make an official recommendation on maximum height for all of the sub-areas. This question will be posed to the Planning Commission at its next meeting on Sept. 13, Loya said.
The other thing that was made very clear during Tuesday’s study session is that the council would like the Transportation and Safety Committee to reconsider its recommendation against the proposed L Street Couplet, which would turn L Street into a one-way street going southbound and a portion of K Street into a one-way Street going northbound. Previously the committee recommended that the council not approve this proposal. But after receiving a presentation from GHD Engineering during Tuesday’s session, the council felt that this proposal was worth reconsidering.
When asked exactly what made the council think the committee might change its recommendation, Loya said he didn’t know. But he did say he “didn’t think the committee was going to change its mind.” Either way, Loya is hoping the Transportation and Safety Committee will discuss the couplet at its next meeting in September.
If the committee and the Planning Commission both give a clear recommendation to the council, then Loya feels the Gateway Area Plan process will be on track. The goal is for staff to come out with a second draft of the plan by the end of September. That plan can then be used for conducting feasibility studies and will go through the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) review process, before a final plan can be adopted.
As always, Loya encourages the public to participate in this process as much as possible. You can email your questions and concerns to dloya@cityofarcata.org or comdev@cityofarcata.org.
The Arcata Planning Commission will discuss the plan at its regular meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 13. When the agenda is posted you will be able to view it here.
