It is with great sadness and disbelief that we announce the passing of Stephanie Bishop (35) on April 1, 2022 in Corvallis, Oregon.

Stephanie grew up in Fortuna, where she attended Fortuna High School. She was beautiful, and was so smart, she spent most of her post-high school career focusing on education, she loved attending school and expanding her knowledge. She loved to learn so much that she obtained various degrees and certificates throughout her time in college and had big plans for her future.

It is no secret that Stephanie went through difficult periods during her short time on this Earth, but she was so much more than her struggles. She was a beloved daughter, sister, cousin, niece, and friend, but her favorite title, by far, was ‘Mom’. Alexander was her ‘North Star’. She was absolutely devoted to her son; he gave her a new sense of purpose. He was her greatest gift, and most honored accomplishment. Stephanie loved being a mother, she grew into the roll so naturally, you could not doubt she was fated to be his mom. It was the best time in her life; She was happy, healthy, she was not only proud of him, but she was proud of herself for being the mother she always wanted to be. She beamed when she spoke of him and loved to share photos of him, which she kept with her always.

Stephanie was very close to her father. When he passed, he took a piece of her with him. She could not bear the pain of losing him, and with that loss, we lost a part of Stephanie. Although she spent the final portion of her life confined by her fading mental health, she never stopped fighting for her life back. She put her faith in God and never gave up hope that one day she would be able to be the person she knew she was capable of being, not only for herself, but for her family. She put in the work to get better every day, but as strong as she was, the burden was too hard to bear.

But that is not Stephanie’s legacy; she was so much more than her afflictions. She was a bright light, her smile could light up a room, and we treasured that light. She made friends everywhere she went. Her laughter as precious as it was contagious. She was a good person with a huge heart, a loving daughter and attentive mother, an empathetic soul who deeply cared for others. When she was happy, we were all happy and when she struggled, we all struggled with her. That was the hardest part for her — as we worried about her, she worried about us instead.

Stephanie is survived by her son, Alexander, mother, Tamara Bishop, Brother, Ryan (Cassi) Bishop and their children Noah and Sawyer, sister, Lindy (Steve) Murray, and their children Makayla, Riley and Caleb, and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins. Predeceasing her in death was her father, Bill Bishop.

Just as we loved her, we are mourning her loss just as deeply. However, we take comfort in knowing she is now at peace, flying with butterflies and finally reunited with her dad. A celebration of life will be held at St. Bernard’s church on May 14, 2022, at 12 p.m. followed by a reception at Samoa Women’s Club at 1:30 p.m.

###

Our beautiful, generous, intelligent, talented, funny, loving, magical Sarah is gone physically from us. Her spirit will live on forever. Every person lucky enough to know Sarah loved her and she loved you unconditionally. We were all so fortunate and blessed to have this amazing lady in our lives the 41 years that she graced the earth.

Everywhere Sarah went she strived to help people and animals. There are no words to describe how loving she was. Sarah’s message to all: Take care of yourself and each other. Be aware of your body including regular self-breast examinations. If ever something is not right be your own advocate. Never accept “it’s nothing, don’t worry about it.” Also please adopt.

Sarah is survived by her mother, Kathy Butler, her father, Robert Butler (Jan), sister Amy Butler, nephew Gianluca (whom she adored), her partner Bradley Belloni, many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and hundreds, probably thousands, of friends.

Sarah was predeceased by her paternal grandparents Oscar and Opal Butler and aunt Karen Murphy.

Contributions you wish to make would be to your favorite charity, an animal rescue, cancer research or an organization fo- cused on helping cancer patients and survivors. There will be a celebration of Sarah’s life as soon as possible with plenty of notice for people to make travel plans.

Sarah had many interests, too many to list. She was a talented artist and poet. Please enjoy this Sarah original.

“I Ate A Worm”

I saw him lying on the ground.
What a treasure I had found.
He moved around so very fast
A robin saw him and flew right past
But if birds eat worms, fishies too
It must be fine for me or you.
He does not sting or bite or fly
So I thought I’d give my worm a try
I opened my mouth, he was so small
And shoved him in, slime and all
He tasted horrid, but I still chewed
To spit him out would be so rude
I glanced where I found him on my lawn
and swallowed him, then he was gone
I patted my belly, nice and firm
Then realized I’d eaten a worm!!!
(not a personal experience, this is fiction I tell ya)

Hoopa Valley Tribal Police Department: 

On May 4, 2022, Sergeant J. McCovey and Officer N. Flores were patrolling the area behind the Hoopa Fire Department.

While checking that area, the officers located a Ms. Maggie Jones, who was siphoning diesel fuel from one of the trucks.

Ms. Jones was found in possession of a five gallon gas can and a black hose used in syphoning gas from vehicles.

Ms. Jones was positively identified and checked for warrants. She was found clear of warrants and was cited on scene for PC 488 – Petty Theft.

The Hoopa Valley Tribal Police Department wants all residents to be aware and on the lookout for individuals attempting to syphon gas. This has become a more common occurrence in light of recent spikes in gas prices. Please attempt to secure your vehicles as best you can and report any suspicious individuals by calling (530) 625-4202

PREVIOUSLY:

• Measure J: Humboldt County Lodging Alliance Express Outrage Over ‘Misleading’ Transient Occupancy Tax Hike

###

Members of Humboldt County’s arts and culture sector are hopeful that a proposed tourism tax hike would give local artists a much-needed boost after taking a hard hit during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Measure J seeks to increase the transient occupancy tax (TOT) rate in the county’s unincorporated areas from 10 percent to 12 percent while also making the tax applicable to overnight RV parks and private campgrounds. 

If passed, the total TOT would generate nearly $3.1 million annually to fund general county services, such as emergency response, children’s mental health, county road repairs, emergency communications systems, job training, as well as theater and public arts.

Leslie Castellano, Eureka city council representative and executive director of Ink People Center for the Arts, is hopeful that the ballot measure would capture and invest funds that would otherwise leave the area back into the local economy.

“Agencies and organizations at all levels throughout Humboldt County have become more dependent on grants for funding, and these are unpredictable at best,” she told the Outpost. “Through local tax initiatives, we are able to create more stable opportunities for people who live here, and there is more possibility for public input about how funds get spent. …Additionally, the tax can be used to support arts and culture initiatives and provide opportunities for sustainable and creative ways to foster collective well-being.”

The arts and culture sector was hit incredibly hard by the pandemic, Castellano added. The proposed tax hike could present the community with a unique opportunity to support local artists as well as “restore the sense of cultural vitality and well-being that was quieted over the past two years.”

“We are expecting record seasons of tourism in the upcoming years,” she said. “Data has shown that our region is more desirable to travelers after the pandemic because people are seeking places with wide-open outdoor spaces and unique cultural experiences. We are rich in both of those. This is another reason why it makes sense to invest in the arts. People extend their vacations and plan return trips based on the experiences they have while traveling.”

Julie Benbow, executive director of the Humboldt County Visitor’s Bureau, said investing tourism revenue into the arts “is a win-win for residents and visitors.”

“The Bureau is a staunch supporter and promoters of the rich arts and cultural offerings in Humboldt County and visitors love the opportunity to enjoy everything from the murals to theatre and the cultural events,” she said.

Opponents of the measure, including many local hoteliers and members of the Humboldt Lodging Alliance (HLA), worry that it is too soon to enact a tax hike since the tourism industry is just beginning to rebound from the pandemic. Members of the hospitality industry have also raised concerns about how the additional TOT revenue would be spent. (You can read more about the opponents’ perspective here.)

Julie Fulkerson, local business owner and co-producer of the Trinidad Bay Arts and Music Festival, disputed this claim and argued that “coming out of COVID is a good time to initiate the tax.”

“We have not traveled that much for two years and people are eager to go to their favorite places,” Fulkerson told the Outpost. “…People are on the move. The only people who pay the tax are travelers. It is a way to support the services and benefits of this region when people visit here. I pay this tax when I go to Mendocino, Manhattan or Santa Barbara. I expect to and do not complain.”

She added that the visitors pay the tax, not the hotel and motel owners. “They make it sound like it is a burden to them. It is a pass-through to benefit the entire region.”

The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the creation of a TOT workgroup last month to oversee how the funds are spent in an attempt to quell concerns from the HLA.

“I do understand the hoteliers’ desire for the tax monies to benefit cultural activities rather than get lost in the general fund,” Castellano said. “I do think the stakeholder group will help provide more public input into how the funds are spent, and I think it is critical that artists and culture workers have a seat at the table within the workgroup.”

Measure J will appear on the June 7 ballot. More information on the ballot initiative can be found here.

###

Press release from the Eureka Police Department:

Garrett Juchtzer

On May 1, 2022, Officers with the Eureka Police Department and a Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) K9 team served a search warrant at an apartment on the 1000 block of Pine Street to investigate the sale of controlled substances and illegal firearms possession.

Upon arrival, officers detained 39-year-old Garrett Juchtzer and a female at the front door. During a search of the residence, the K9 alerted on an item which appeared to be an explosive device. The HCSO Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team responded to the residence and confirmed the item was a live explosive device.

Occupants of the adjoining apartments were contacted and voluntarily left the area out of precaution. Utilizing an EOD robot, sheriff’s deputies removed the device and safely disposed of it in a secure location.

Once the residence was deemed safe, officers continued with the service of the search warrant, locating drug paraphernalia and a small amount of methamphetamine. Juchtzer was arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility for possession of a destructive device and possession of methamphetamine. The female was detained and released without incident.

The Eureka Police Department would like to thank HCSO and the Sheriff’s EOD team for their assistance in this investigation. Pictures of the device are included. If you see a device that seems suspicious or out of place in your neighborhood, do not touch or move it, but contact your local law enforcement.

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On May 3, 2022, at about 9 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the Mad River Beach/Lanphere Dunes area near Arcata for the report of a lost hiker.

The hiker, a 30-year-old male, contacted the Sheriff’s Emergency Communications Center after becoming lost in the dunes around dusk. Deputies responded to the area and located the man in good health. Deputies escorted the man back to his vehicle without further incident.

As the days get longer and temperatures begin to warm, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office urges the community to take extra precautions when hiking or recreating outdoors. Follow these tips to stay safe:

• Always hike with a group, or at least one other person, and stay together.
• Check the weather forecast before heading out to hike or camp and plan your trip accordingly.
• Know your skill level and physical capabilities-choose trails within your or your group’s ability.
• If doing a day hike, know what time the sun begins to set. Research the trail ahead of time and anticipate how long it will take to hike. Begin hiking early so that you will have plenty of daylight to get back.
• Inform someone of your travel plans-let them know where you are going, your planned route, when you plan to return and emergency numbers to call if you do not return at the scheduled time.
• Bring a charged cell phone with you in case of emergencies, but do not rely on cell service in all areas.
• Bring a flashlight, warm clothes, high energy snacks and water, in case your hike goes longer than expected.
• If you get lost, stop where you are and assess the situation. Try to determine your location. If you are sure you can get yourself out using a map and compass, do so-otherwise stay put.

While the vast majority of California’s school districts lost students during most of this past decade, hundreds of districts — mostly small and rural — have grown, emerging from the height of the pandemic with higher enrollment.

Most districts would welcome an enrollment increase and the per-student state funding boost that usually comes with it. But these growing districts were shortchanged when the state implemented blanket COVID-19 policies protecting districts that lost enrollment during the pandemic.

“The decision to hold districts harmless for declining enrollment came from a well-intended solution,” said Peter Birdsall, president of lobbying firm Education Advocates. “Even at the time, the concern was raised that some districts were growing. ‘Hold harmless’ actually hurt them.”

Because schools are funded on a per-student basis, when attendance drops, so does district revenue. For the 2020-21 school year, the state froze funding for school districts at pre-pandemic levels. So districts that saw enrollment and attendance plummet during the pandemic maintained their funding levels. But those that grew ended up with less money per student.

Education Advocates and the Small School Districts’ Association, an advocacy group representing these districts, estimate that 169 school districts, mostly small and rural, weren’t funded for all their students last school year.

“I think a lot of people look at the statistics and they say, ‘Where are the kids going?’” said Nicole Newman, superintendent at the Wheatland Union High School District, about 40 miles north of Sacramento. “But that’s not the case for every school district.”And while the shortchanged districts are asking the Legislature to make up the difference, key lawmakers appear to be split: Some say the state has an obligation to make these districts whole, but others say the districts should forget about the past and look forward to unprecedented funding headed for all California schools next year.

According to a CalMatters analysis, 189 of the state’s 940 school districts grew between the 2019-20 and the 2020-21 school years. The combined enrollment at those districts is about 10% of California’s total public school enrollment.

“This has never happened in California finance where a district isn’t paid for serving a student,” said Tim Taylor, executive director of the Small Schools Districts’ Association. “I know for a fact that if this had happened to any of the big districts, they would’ve been paid.”

By the end of the 2019-20 school year, Wheatland Union High had about 900 students. The following school year, it grew to 932 students, a 4% increase. Meanwhile, public school enrollment statewide decreased by 3% that first year of the pandemic.

The growth among many small districts reflected the availability of affordable housing, Newman and other district administrators across the state said. Residents from coastal urban areas started buying homes further inland when employers shifted to remote work during the pandemic.

In San Bernardino County, Lucerne Valley Unified School District didn’t budget for growth in the 2020-21 school year. Superintendent Peter Livingston said he submitted a budget to his county office of education that anticipated stable enrollment. He says if he had budgeted for growth, the county wouldn’t have believed him.

“The county would’ve kicked back our budget,” he said. “They would’ve said, ‘Where are these kids coming from?’”

But when the district’s enrollment, excluding charter schools, increased by about 40 students, the district budget was short $460,000, Livingston said. In a typical year, the state usually adjusts funding for growing districts, but because funding was frozen at pre-pandemic levels, Lucerne Valley Unified never got the money. The 840-student district had to hire four additional teachers and pay their salaries with reserve funds.

Newman is still hoping to get the $385,000 dollars her district should have received last year.

“I had to hire three more teachers, and those teachers had to get paid when I didn’t get the funding for those students,” Newman said. “In smaller school districts, that’s a significant amount.”

Newman said she had to dip into the district’s reserve fund to pay for extra staff. In total, Newman estimates that the 169 districts that grew in the last school year are owed $76.7 million — “a speck of water in the bucket for California,” she said.

“All we’re asking for is the funds that were not paid during that anomaly.”
— Shawn Tennenbaum, superintendent at San Benito High School District in Hollister

San Benito High School District in Hollister, about 30 miles east of Monterey Bay, gained 160 students between the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years. It grew by an additional 142 students this year. Since the start of the pandemic, enrollment has increased by nearly 10%.

Superintendent Shawn Tennenbaum estimates the district should have received about $1.2 million more in funding for the 2020-21 school year.

“We need every dollar we can get to support our students,” he said. “All we’re asking for is the funds that were not paid during that anomaly.”

Wheatland Union High has also continued to grow. This school year, the district’s enrollment increased by 14%, to 1,066. Lucerne Valley grew by a hundred students, or about 5%.

At issue is a one-year blip: The state reverted to normal and did pay growing districts the full amount this year, based on real per-student enrollment. Even as school funding will reach another historic high this year, these superintendents still say their schools are still owed for last year’s growth.

“My concern is that it sets a precedent,” Livingston said. “If we don’t fund growth, we’re not supporting students.”

State Assemblymember Kevin McCarty, a Sacramento Democrat who chairs the Assembly’s education finance subcommittee, said districts shouldn’t expect to be reimbursed for any growth in the last school year. Instead, he said, theys should focus on the “bigger picture” of unprecedented public school funding on its way next school year.

The Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates a 3.5% increase, about $4 billion more, in guaranteed K-12 education funding next year thanks to recent increases in state revenues. McCarty said districts are worrying about small dollar amounts when there’s plenty of money heading their way.

“We have more funding for schools than we’ve had in the history of California,” McCarty said. “If you have to dip into your reserves for a year, that’s a small price to pay.”

Asm. Patrick O’Donnell has taken at least $1.7 million from the Labor sector since he was elected to the legislature. That represents 43% of his total campaign contributions.

But Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell, a Long Beach Democrat who chairs the education committee, said districts that grew in enrollment last year “should be made whole” through the state budget. He said the decision to fund schools based on 2019-20 attendance was “made in haste” during the early months of the pandemic.

“We paid more attention to declining enrollment than we have to the few districts that have increased enrollment,” O’Donnell said. “Those districts that have increased enrollment deserve a seat at the table.”

###

CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.