Mary Ellen Laffranchi March 6, 1925 – September 24, 2025
Mary Ellen
Laffranchi passed away peacefully on September 24, 2025, at the
remarkable age of 100. She was born in Alton to Henry and Rose
Giacomini, the fifth of eleven children as the eldest daughter.
Mary spent her
early years helping on the family dairy and assisting her mother in
caring for her many siblings. She often said she never had a bed to
herself. She attended grammar school in Alton and later Fortuna High
School.
After
the family moved to Waddington Lane in Ferndale, Mary continued her
education, commuting daily to Fortuna High. She would walk across
Fernbridge and ride the bus to school before eventually transferring
to Ferndale High School.
Following
graduation, Mary worked at the Loleta Creamery during World War II,
earning 50 cents an hour for nine-hour shifts, seven days a week.
During that time,
she began corresponding with a young man from her neighborhood —
Severino Laffranchi — who was serving in the Army Air Corps in
England. When Sev returned in February 1946, they married. Although
he was offered a job with United Airlines in Hawaii, they chose to
settle on his family’s dairy ranch at Guthrie Creek, west of
Ferndale.
Together, Mary
and Sev raised three children — Robert, Donald, and Annette. The
family later moved to Coffee Creek near Ferndale, where they
continued dairy operations. They also continued to operate the
Guthrie Creek ranch, raising beef cattle, with Mary taking charge of
the roundups, chute, and branding.
As her children
grew, Mary became actively involved in their activities, particularly
4-H and FFA. She was a constant presence at county fairs and events —
keeping records, providing transportation, and supporting the success
of all involved.
Around the time
her children graduated from high school, Mary began a career with the
U.S. Postal Service as a rural mail carrier. Starting as a substitute
driver, she eventually became full-time and retired after more than
18 years of service. Eventually, she and Sev retired from dairying
and shifted their focus to beef cattle.
A devoted member
of Assumption Catholic Church in Ferndale, Mary served on the church
council and was active in the Ladies Guild. She contributed to the
annual church bazaar for decades, creating handmade items and running
the beloved Nickel Booth — an event she continued to attend even at
100 years old.
Mary was also a
dedicated member of the American Legion Auxiliary, holding various
positions until the Ferndale chapter merged with the Fortuna branch.
Every September,
Mary and her family made the trip to Reno for the National
Championship Air Races. She was one of the original members of the
Checkered Flag Club and had attended the event annually since 1974.
Mary had a deep
love for travel and visited many places, including Washington,
Oregon, Alabama, and Georgia. She also traveled to Germany to be with
her daughter for the birth of her first granddaughter and later took
a memorable trip to Italy with her son Robert and his family to visit
relatives in the “old country”.
She remained
active in her community and her faith, regularly bringing Communion
to those who couldn’t attend Mass. She especially cherished family
meals—whether pizza with her grandkids or dinner at the casino, she
was happiest surrounded by loved ones.
Mary and family
lived in their Belloni Lane home — famously weathering the 1964
flood, with Christmas presents stacked up the stairs as the water
rose. After Sev passed Mary lived there independently until just last
year, when she moved to Fortuna and into the loving care of the staff
at Sequoia Springs.
She was preceded
in death by her parents, Henry and Rose Giacomini; her beloved
husband of 53 years, Severino Laffranchi; her children Robert and
Annette; her son-in-law Samuel Adams; her seven Giacomini brothers
and their wives; and her sister Lucille.
Mary is survived
by her son Donald and his wife Cheryl, and daughter-in-law Carol
Laffranchi. She leaves behind 8 grandchildren, 12
great-grandchildren, and 8 great-great-grandchildren.
She is also
lovingly remembered by her sisters Leona and Rose and their families,
along with many nieces and nephews.
Services
A rosary
will be held at Assumption Catholic Church in Ferndale on Friday,
October 3, at 7:30 p.m.
A funeral mass
will be celebrated on Saturday, October 4, at 10:30 a.m., followed by
a reception.
Burial will take
place at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Mary Laffranchi’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.
Tammy Lynne (Bellach) Lewis |September 24, 1969 – August 19, 2015
We lost a great part of our family on August 19, 2025. Tammy was
a loving wife, mom, sister, grandma, aunt and friend to many people.
If you knew Tammy you were family.
Tammy was born in Humboldt County and passed at Mad River
Hospital.
Tammy leaves behind the love of her life, Keven Lewis;
daughter Allie Stauffer; granddaughter Kendra Shaddix; sister and
husband Janifer and Ray Filyau; mother-in-law Cecilia Elaine Lewis;
sisters-in-law Sherry Hill and Michelle Shaddix and husband Jonathan;
stepfather Chuck Moore; best friend Candy Thompson; nephews
Tyson Bellach, Maxwell and Fred Elliott; nieces Heather Todd,
Tiffany Bellach, Mary Wescott, and Michaela Hill; aunt and uncle
Patty and Lee Dennis; cousin Penny; and numerous great-nieces and
nephews.
She is in Heaven with her son Dale Elliott; father Dale Bellach;
mom Karen Moore; father-in-law Cecil Ray Lewis; brother-in-law
David Hill; and the rest of her family.
Tammy loved family dinners, decorating and sitting in her
driveway handing out candy around the fire pit with her family for
Halloween, and talking to family.
She loved watching her pride and joy — her granddaughter, Kendra
— playing volleyball, basketball, pitching or catching at her
softball games, and riding horses. She loved to crochet
for her family and friends. Also, she loved working at the
snack bar for McKinleyville Little League, she would give the ball
players a hard time, jokingly.
Celebration of Life is at Pierson Park under the Pavillion from
1-3 p.m. on October 4, 2025, rain or shine. It will be a
potluck so please bring your favorite dish and your favorite drink,
no alcohol please.
Thank you to Ayers Cremation for handling that for us.
Her family would like to send a big thank you to Lynne Hillegeist.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Tammy Lewis’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.
Dennis George Black February
12, 1941 - August 28, 2025
Dennis,
Papa, Big D, was born in Eureka. He grew up on Little Fairfield
Street with his siblings John, Carol Lee and Tim.
He
served in the U.S. Navy aboard the U.S.S. Columbus which at the time
was the newest ship in the U.S. Fleet.
After
his stint in the Navy he returned to Humboldt County to raise his
family. Robert and Richard came along with Kristina soon after.
Dennis spent
most of his working career in the pulp industry with Georgia Pacific
and then Louisiana Pacific. He was a true union man and skilled pipe
fitter and welder for many years.
His
welding
skills helped him find his way into stock car racing. While never a
driver he had the pleasure of working on cars with Denny Myers, Rudy
Zeck and Larry Pries.
Dennis married
his true love Sandra in
1974, and his family grew by three with Sandra’s daughters Edie and
Melissa.
After
all of the kids moved on Dennis and
Sandra moved to Mckinleyville to retire.
Papa
loved hunting, fishing, cribbage and wood working.
Papa
was a proud grandfather of three wonderful grand children,
and a
great-granddaughter.
He very seldom missed a sporting event or school performance.
Dennis was
preceded in death by his wife of nearly 50 years Sandra, his brother
John, sister Carol Lee, brother-in-law
Pete, and nephews
David Black and
Jimmy Pastori.
He
is survived by his children, Edie Fontana Swindell, Rich Black and
his wife Tracy and their children Conner and Kendall and her husband
Will and their daughter Blair, Melissa Fontana Evenson and herDennis George Black
husband James, and Kristina Silberschlag and her daughter Carly.
(Papa
was always proud to tell people the his granddaughter Carly was in
the USAF)
He
is also survived by his younger brother Tim Black and
his wife Kathy, and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. And last
his cherished sweet dog Tillie, who has graciously been adopted by
Melissa and James, and his favorite cribbage partner cousin,
Jeannie.
Services
were performed by Ayers Family Cremation, Eureka.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Dennis Black’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.
Yurok Tribal Chair issued the following comment on the new law:
The passage of AB 263 is a critical step toward protecting the lifeblood of our people — the Klamath River and its salmon. Tribes have fought to protect our water, fish, and culture, and this bill extends the safeguards we need while long-term flow rules are developed. This is real progress for the health of the river and everyone who depends on it.
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Original post:
Shasta flow data gathering. | Photo by Dave Webb.
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Press release from the Environmental Protection Information Center:
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On Friday, Governor Newsom signed into law AB 263 (Rogers), which will work to protect important salmon populations in the Klamath River watershed. The legislation would maintain river flows in two critical Klamath River tributaries, the Scott and Shasta Rivers, while the State Water Resources Board completes long-term flow rules.
Protecting flows in the Scott and Shasta Rivers has long been a priority for the Karuk and Yurok Tribes, who worked with Assemblymember Chris Rogers to develop this legislation. The Scott and Shasta are important tributaries to the Klamath and the salmon runs from these rivers have long supported the indigenous people of the area. Most of the wild Chinook salmon in the Klamath River are born in the Shasta River. The majority of the wild Southern Oregon Northern California Coho salmon left in the wild spend part of their lifecycle in the Scott River. Low flows, a product of over-allocation of water in the watersheds together with a warming climate, threaten coho salmon and other species that depend on cold, clear water from these tributaries. It is fitting that Governor Newsom signed this legislation on California Native American Day.
“Today’s signing of AB 263 is a victory for salmon, rivers, and the communities that depend on them. We thank Assemblymember Rogers for championing this as his first bill and Governor Newsom for recognizing the urgent need to safeguard flows in the Scott and Shasta rivers,” said Amber Jamieson, Water Advocacy Director at the Environmental Protection Information Center. “This law honors Tribal leadership, upholds California’s responsibility to protect endangered salmon, and provides stability for communities as we work toward long-term solutions.”
AB 263 builds on Governor Newsom’s “Salmon Strategy,” a comprehensive system of actions intended to safeguard California’s imperiled salmon runs. Protecting instream flows complements the removal of Klamath River dams, critical investments in watershed restoration, and reopening of more than 400 miles of salmon habitat. Nick Joslin, the Policy and Advocacy Director at Mount Shasta Bioregional Ecology Center, explains, “we know that it will take years for the Klamath River to fully heal from dam removal and we have seen some encouraging signs just one year since the dams have been out.
We need all of the major salmon producing tributaries to remain healthy and habitable and the Scott and Shasta Rivers are the major fish producers in the mid-Klamath. These fish will wander or stray upstream of their natal streams, helping to spread native genetics back into the stock that has been supported by hatcheries.”
“To improve conditions for fish, sufficient flows instream are necessary. Yet lack of enforceable regulations render California’s rivers vulnerable to dewatering,” said Angelina Cook, Restoration Associate with the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance. “AB 263 establishes measurable thresholds which empower agencies to limit excessive water withdrawals. Passage of AB 263 is a significant step to reverse trends toward extinction of a keystone species in the third most productive salmon-bearing river in the contiguous western United States.”
Deke Dickerson and the Whippersnappers, one of this year’s RCMF performers
What started out as the Redwood Dixieland Jazz Festival 35 years ago has
morphed into a multi-faceted American roots music event.
“This is the most diverse line-up we’ve ever had,” RCMF Director Mark Jansen
said. “We have headliners from so many musical genres.”
This is the 33rd year of Eureka festival, which takes place Thursday, Oct. 2
through Sunday, Oct. 5. The festival started off as primarily a dance event
attracting dancers from all over the West Coast. It still focuses on dance music for
swing dancers, but Jansen is proud of the fact that is has “become a musician’s
festival where players collaborate with each other.”
A few years ago Jansen brought acclaimed East Coast blues guitarist Duke
Robillard, the founder of Roomful of Blues, as a soloist instead of with his band.
Jansen convinced him the level of talent was so high that he could form bands to
play with him in a variety of blues and swing styles. He has repeated that with
many other stellar musicians.
“The collaboration is what makes it special,” Jansen said. “The audience sees
acts they’ve never seen before. The musicians get to do the things they love to do
with musicians who they’ve never played with. Duke now considers it the best
roots music festival in the world. He encourages other musicians to play the
event.”
The festival has continued to grow over the years with the sponsorship of many
individuals and companies, particularly the Eureka Lodging Alliance. Jansen said
the city of Eureka is also an invaluable partner.
“We are now the largest draw for a single event in Eureka throughout the year,”
Jansen said. “Hotels and restaurants fill up in the shoulder season, which follows
the summer tourist time.”
Something new for the festival this year are two workshops with extraordinary
guitarists, Redd Volkaert, formerly with Merle Haggard’s band, and Robillard. The
classes are hosted by the Humboldt Folklife Festival in partnership with the
RCMF. They will take place in the Clubhouse in the Eagle House on Saturday,
Oct. 4. Volkaert’s class happens from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Robillard is
featured from 1to 2:15 p.m. For information, go to humboldtfolklife.com.
Jansen ticked off the various musical styles and some of the headliners: The Louisiana Cajun of The Revelers and Michael Doucet with Tom Rigney and Flambeau;
Western swing with the Western Flyers with Volkaert; early New Orleans jazz
with Charlie Halloran; St. Louis vintage jazz with Miss Jubilee; swing bands such
as Jonathan Stout and the Campus 5; New York jazz with the Lovestruck
Balladeers; rockabilly with Deke Dickerson and the Whippersnappers; and blues
with the Cash Box Kings and Mack Mcdonald.
The fest has eight venues spread throughout Eureka including the Eagle House,
the Adorni Center, The Eureka Theater, the Eureka Veterans Hall, the Sequoia
Center, Morris Graves, the Red Lion Inn and a street stage next to the Gazebo on
Saturday night. For information on tickets, schedules and lodging, go to
rcmfest.org.
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Paul DeMark is one of Humboldt’s most prolific and longest-serving drummers. He helps organize the RCMF.
Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka. | File photo.
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We, the undersigned, are medical providers in Humboldt County invested in the care of pregnant people in our community. We want to share a message directly from us regarding the hearing held on Aug. 29, 2025 where Providence Health and Services called into question their duty to follow the California Emergency Services Law (ESL). This law guarantees care for those with a medical complication in pregnancy that results in the pregnancy no longer being able to continue.
Providence legal counsel proposed several unsafe practices during this hearing, including requiring physicians to consult an ethics board prior to providing standard medical care, delaying care until a patient is critically ill (phrased as “certain death of mother or fetus”), or transferring patients in need of urgent care to another facility more than 100 miles away.
As clinicians, we have an ethical and moral obligation to the health and safety of the pregnant person. We do not support delaying care until someone is in mortal danger or sending people away from a facility that is equipped to provide lifesaving care. We stand firmly committed to providing competent, prompt and compassionate care in these critical moments. Someone experiencing a devastating pregnancy complication should not have to worry about politics or religion affecting their care. The only people who should be involved in decisions about pregnancy complications are a patient and their medical provider.
Furthermore, we recognize the systemic classism, racism and misogyny in statements that suggest that care involving a pregnant uterus can wait. It is a medical standard that someone presenting with a critical heart attack receives immediate care. Someone suffering appendicitis or a gallbladder infection would not be told to “wait and see” if they develop sepsis before being offered antibiotics and surgery. To propose that someone suffering a pregnancy complication should wait until they are sufficiently near death before offering medical care violates our oath, our commitment to our patients and our commitment to ourselves.
Our current local hospital leadership continues to reassure us that we have their support in providing appropriate care to our community. We applaud them for this and expect that this will continue. We request ongoing community support to make sure it does.
Our goal in this message is to provide hope and clarity. The narrative in the courtroom does not reflect the standards that we believe in as your providers. We affirm our commitment to using our knowledge and skill to provide you with high quality, safe and compassionate care. We will not be distracted by outsiders, untrained in medical care, when they propose actions that cause mental and physical harm. We are honored to provide care in vulnerable moments. If a devastating complication does arise, we will be by your side to support you. Many of us have also been pregnant and have birthed our children in this community. This is our home. Our duty is to you.
Rachael Adair CNM PMHNP Amy Alfano CNM Ginger Bhatki CNM Carolyn Eldridge LM Sage Fanucchi-Funes CNM Carrie Griffin DO Molly Jacobs FNP Lisa Keller MD Marissa Kummerling MD MPH Beth O’Brien CNM Timothy Paik-Nicely MD Milad Ranjbar MD Rebecca Smith CNM Simon Stampe MD Stephanie Stone CNM Tara Vu MD Casey Weiser MD Melissa Wilcox MD
The 1938 Chevron gas pump that was reported stolen from a home in Arcata on Sunday. | Photo: HCSO
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Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:
On September 28, 2025, at approximately 2:06 p.m., a Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputy was dispatched to the 100 block of Wagon Jack Lane in Arcata to investigate a reported burglary.
The victim reported the theft of two items from their garage:
A fully restored 1938 Chevron gas pump, valued at approximately $3,500 (Pictured below)
An older model Miller brand welding machine, estimated to be valued between $10,000 and $32,000.
The stolen gas pump is a unique, vintage item that may be recognizable if resold or displayed. Deputies are asking anyone who may have encountered such an item in recent months to come forward. This case is especially meaningful as the victim’s late husband had cared deeply for these items. We encourage the public’s help in locating these items to bring justice to the family.
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, referencing case number 202504388.
