On the morning of July 30, 2021, Dr. William L. (Bill) Shapeero passed away peacefully at home, as his loving wife was by his side, holding his hand. His daughter, Valerie Carey, and caregiver Alexis McAlister, were near.

Bill had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s almost six years ago. His body gave out before his memory did. Although he forgot many things he remembered each person that came to visit and was always so happy to see them.

Bill was born in Los Angeles on March 17, 1930 to Elias and Lillian Shapeero. He grew up there and went to the Los Angeles Junior College until he entered the army during the Korean War. He was a medic for two years before being honorably discharged. He soon married Joan, whom he spent 32 years with, raising their two sons, Michael and Patrick. Bill met his second wife, Linda, in 1987 and spent the rest of his life with her, adding her children, Valerie, Kenneth and Sara to his family.

After leaving the army, Bill continued his college education, following his true passion for nature, and earning his PhD in Marine Biology at the University of Oregon. He then taught biology at colleges in Washington and Oregon. His final position was as a biology professor at College of the Redwoods, where he taught for 27 years before retiring in 1997. Bill delighted in seeing his past students around and about in the community.

After retiring Bill loved to spend time on his 13-acre property in Wolverton Gulch near Hydesville. This property was his sanctuary. Wolverton Creek ran through it, and he had a very large and deep pond put in. He loved sharing his property with others. Each spring he would spend many hours preparing the land for the Annual Wildflower Walk, where CNPS docents would take small groups from the community around the property to tell them about the many  beautiful wildflowers that were marked there by name. Bill even hosted classes from CR, Fortuna High and nearby elementary schools to come out and have hands-on science lessons at his property.

In his last days, Bill spent much of his time reminiscing. He said he loved teaching at the college level, but his greatest joy came from volunteering in classrooms at the different elementary schools in Humboldt County, where he shared his love for science with the children. He always said he just loved the children and their enthusiasm for learning.  

Another great joy for Bill was his extended family. He enjoyed having everyone over for Thanksgiving dinner. We often had about 30 friends and family members eating, walking on the property and playing games well into the night. His love for family was so great, we recently started an annual campout on the property, where the family would put their tents or trailers up near the pond and camp out for a weekend each summer.

Bill had so much fun with each grandchild. They often requested he tell them his Harry Buzby story one more time!  Morgan and Taylor even had him share it in their classrooms when they were in about 3rd grade. He also told that story to his children as they were growing up.

On September 1, 2020 Bill left his home of 42 years in Wolverton Gulch and moved into an apartment in Eureka to be closer to his family and doctors. It was very sad and difficult for him at first, but he grew to appreciate being able to have friends and family drop in often to visit.

Bill was a very kind, gentle loving man. His biggest regret was that he had to leave the world in such an environmental disaster for his grandchildren.

Thanks to Visiting Angels, hospice, his daughters Val, Sara, and son Pat, Bill was able to stay in his comfortable home surrounded by loving care before he passed. Due to COVID-19, there will be no services. A private family service will take place near Bill’s birthday in March.

Bill is survived by his wife Linda. His brother in law Richard Tolleson. Children, Michael (Emma) Shapeero, Pat Shapeero, Valerie Carey (Thomas Elsea), Sara (Matt) Ockerberg Snyder, Kenneth (Lenore) Ockerberg ,& Hatsumi (Kinichi) Watanabe. His grandchildren, Dhyana Wallace (Kenneth Meth), Jordan Rohanna (Will Burner), Taylor Carey (Andrew McGarry), Morgan Carey, Shasta Ockerberg, Starla Ball, Serenity & River Ockerberg, Emily Shapeero, Mashiro & Mayuki Watanabe, Jacob Snyder and great grandson, Bentley Sloan.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Bill Shapeero’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.

Robert Lee Matlock
October 11th, 1970 – October 18th, 2021

On October 18, 2021 at the age of 51, Robert Lee Matlock stepped into God’s Kingdom after a long battle with congestive heart failure and other health issues.

Robert was born on October 11, 1970 in Eureka to Harry Van Matlock and Nancy Carol Matlock. He attended McKinleyville High School and at the age of 28 on February 20, 1999 married JoAnna Ruth Matlock. Together they had a daughter named Olivia Jean Matlock.

As a child he loved to play baseball and go hunting with his father, Harry. He played baseball for several years and his father coached once as well. His favorite thing to do as a child was getting out into nature. He and his brother Benjamin Jacob Matlock or cousin Karl Matlock or one of his many friends would spend hours at the beach or in the woods together.

In high school he loved auto shop class. He learned many useful skills and developed a passion for cars. This passion lead him to a career in the car industry. He started out washing cars for North Coast Auto and eventually made his way to Service Advisor. A position he held at several different auto shops such as Isaacson Motors and Leon’s Car Care Center. After his tenure at these different shops he began working for Lithia Automotive as a Service Advisor where he remained for over a decade. While he worked at Lithia he made many friendships that lasted him the rest of his life. A dream of his was always to be a Service Manager and for a short time before his health declined he was the Service Manager at BMW of Humboldt Bay. There he had many amazing experiences that he always held on to.

Outside of work he had several hobbies. When he was younger he would go sailing with his brother and loved to ride motorcycles. He was also an amazing cook who always had a dream to open his own restaurant. Though that dream never came to fruition the people in his life were always able to experience his wonderful cooking. Later in life he found a passion for wood working, specifically lathe work. He made beautiful pieces that friends and family have in their possession now. He had a natural talent for lathe work and it showed in each of his pieces. He made everything from salad bowls to gun stocks. He and his family were always so proud of the work he made.

An important part of his life was Free Masonry. He became a third degree mason in Humboldt Lodge #79 after his daughter and wife had joined the organizations related to the Masonic Family. It taught him valuable life lessons that he adhered to each day of his life. It also gave him a second family who loved him like their own brother. He was also a member of The Order of the Eastern Star which is a concordant body of the Free Masons for both men and women. He and his wife and daughter belonged to Camilla Star Chapter No. 63. The people in these organizations and the values taught were always near and dear to his heart.

He is preceded in death by his father Harry Van Matlock. He is survived by his wife JoAnna Ruth Matlock, daughter Olivia Jean Matlock, mother Nancy, and brother Benjamin Jacob Matlock (Christine Matlock).

His memorial service will be held on October 30, 2021 at 2 p.m. for friends and family. It will be held at the Humboldt Masonic Lodge on 517 G Street, Eureka. It will be a potluck, so please bring a dish of your liking.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Robert Matlock’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.

Calvin Leon Benton was born on September 21, 1932, the son of John and Ruth Benton.

On the morning of October 20, 2021, surrounded by family and friends, he left this Earth.

Calvin was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma and relocated several times until his final move to Fortuna. He graduated from Fortuna High School in 1951. He loved sports – in high school, he played football and basketball, but his love was basketball. In 1952, as a senior basketball player, Calvin and his teammates made history when they were undefeated. To this day, that record stands!

Tod Thomas, principal of Toddy Thomas Elementary School, was a mentor in Calvin’s life and significantly assisted him through his elementary and high school years and beyond. Calvin loved him dearly.

In August 1951, Calvin married his high school sweetheart, Mary Anne Branstetter. They raised their four children together in Fortuna.

Calvin loved to hunt and fish, he loved sharing his time at Capetown Ranch. His favorite time at Capetown was shearing time.When they let the sheep go in the evening time he would hear the lambs calling out for their mothers and at nightfall all was quiet.

Calvin worked for the City of Fortuna until his retirement. After retirement, Calvin and Ann loved to travel with family and friends around the United States and wverseas. He loved his flower, and vegetable gardens. Calvin’s life was about commitment. He treasured his wife, children, grandchildren and his faithful dog, Dixie.

Calvin loved to be around family and friends, family gatherings, grandchildren sporting events and life in general. He loved his football – Oklahoma Sooners was his team, he was an avid fan from high school to present, if they lost, you did not talk to him for at least three days. There are a lot of memories of Calvin that family and friends will cherish and never forget. He endured personal loss and great tragedy. He was tough, he was fun and he had a radiating smile.

Calvin will be missed in a way that is hard to express in words. God be with Calvin and Ann, reunited again in heaven.

Calvin is survived by his children Sandra Chase (Dennis), Mike Benton (Joyce), Steve Benton (Debbie), his grandchildren Dennis Chase Jr., Sara Chase Gossi, Jessica Benton Stokesberry, Jason Benton, Tiffany Benton Mikos, Michelle Hayward Quattlebaum, Matthew Hayward, and Johnathan Benton, and 21 great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.

Calvin is preceded in death by his parents, John and Amy “Ruth” Benton, his wife Mary Ann, his son David and his brothers, Glen and Truman Benton.

Funeral services will be held at Goble’s Chapel – 560 12th Street, Fortuna – on Friday, October 29, 2021 at 11 a.m.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Calvin Benton’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.

In a courtroom packed with grieving survivors of the people he killed, 19-year-old Mauricio Eduardo Johnson pleaded guilty today to three counts of first-degree murder and three special allegations of use of a firearm causing death.

Johnson, from his Utah prison. File photo.

Many in the courtroom audience wept as Deputy District Attorney Roger Rees recounted the devastating events of Feb. 9, when Johnson murdered Nikki Dion Metcalf and his fiancee Margarett Lee Moon, both 40, and Moon’s 16-year-old daughter Shelly Moon. All were shot dead in the Moons’ home on Bear River Rancheria.

Johnson is scheduled for sentencing Jan. 21, when he will be given a prison sentence of 150 years to life. The sentencing is expected to last a full day, with numerous people speaking about how the murders have affected their lives.

Rees, reading from a written statement this morning, said “several minors” in the Moon home gave Johnson permission to enter the house that night. At some point Metcalf found Johnson and Shelly Moon together in her bedroom, Rees said, and the two men got into a struggle.

“Mr. Johnson pulled a gun out of his backpack and shot Nikki, then Margarett and then Jane Doe (Shelly Moon),” Rees said.

Johnson reportedly told one person he decided to shoot the girl because he didn’t want witnesses.

Rees acknowledged not all friends and family members of the victims approve of Johnson being allowed to plead guilty. Some hoped for a trial, and that Johnson would be convicted of the special circumstance of committing multiple murders. A special-circumstance conviction means life in prison without possibility of parole.

The district attorney dropped the special circumstance charge in exchange for Johnson’s plea, and with the knowledge that if Johnson is ever granted parole, it will be in the distant future.

In a statement released this afternoon, Rees said it’s possible Johnson could have been convicted at trial and sentenced to life without parole.

“In agreeing to this plea,” he wrote, “the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office considered several factors.”

Among those, he said, was that a trial would require testimony from young people who have suffered a tragedy. Margarett Moon’s two younger children were in the house when their mother and sister were shot. Also considered were the wishes of the victims’ families.

In addition, Rees said, there may be hope for the positive transformation of a person who committed his crimes at the age of 18. Finally, the prosecution took into account likely changes in California law.

As the law stands now, all “youthful offenders” are entitled to a parole hearing in their 25th year, unless they are serving life without parole.

State legislators would like to modify the law so all youthful offenders, regardless of their original sentence, would be given a parole hearing after 25 years.

“The defendant’s agreed-upon sentence would be the maximum sentence he could receive if the law under consideration takes place,” Rees said.

Also, as Rees pointed out, it is extremely difficult to be paroled after a conviction for first-degree murder.

Today in court Johnson was calm as he admitted his crimes, answering “guilty” each time Judge Timothy Canning, reading the charges one by one, asked him for a plea. Hours after the shootings Johnson fled, accompanied by his mother’s boyfriend Von Keener. They were caught and arrested while driving through Utah. Johnson fought extradition to California for several months. Keener agreed to be extradited, and upon his return to Humboldt he was convicted of failure to register as a sex offender. While out of custody and wearing an ankle monitor, Keener removed the monitor and is again a fugitive.

Johnson is represented by attorney Andrea Sullivan. It was Sullivan who offered to have Johnson plead guilty if the special circumstance charge was dismissed.

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The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors today agreed to return to board chambers come the New Year, a move that would bring an end to roughly a year and three-quarters of meeting remotely due to the COVID pandemic. But as you’ll read below, that move may come with a fair share of technological hiccups as the county works to adopt a “hybrid” meeting style, allowing both in-person and remote participation.

As with most recent Board of Supervisors meetings, Tuesday’s was front-loaded with an airing of COVID-19 grievances and conspiracy theory nonsense from the aggressively misinformed. A relatively new trend has callers offering a cursory greeting before pressing play on some pre-recorded diatribe about such topics as Dr. Anthony Fauci, Project Veritas, Israeli vaccination rates and the tyranny of government mandates.

Caroline Connor, a local doctor with nearly 30 years of experience, called in the midst of such comments and dropped a bit of science, encouraging the previous antivax caller to study the reams of available evidence and follow recommendations on getting vaccinated. “It’s the only way we’re going to get out of this,” Dr. Connor said.

The next couple of callers simply doubled down on their misguided arguments, which they attempted to bolster with cherry-picked and misinterpreted evidence. A few callers even found a way to shoehorn their “government overreach” accusations into unrelated matters, including a discussion about unmet transit needs in the county’s unincorporated areas. (It seems that requiring masks on the bus is discriminatory to the mask-intolerant.)

A couple of other public commenters called in to voice frustration over the user-unfriendliness and technical difficulties with the county’s ongoing redistricting process, saying it’s hard to see details on the maps and submit feedback.

One friendly caller, Robie Tenorio, called in to express empathy and admiration for the supervisors, saying, “You guys have been put through the wringer.” She, too, has had issues with the redistricting website.

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County Administrative Officer Elishia Hayes gave a presentation on the “Great Workplace Culture Change Initiative,” a project initiated by former CAO Amy Nilsen in an effort to boost recruitment and improve the agency’s culture and employee morale.

The project to date has involved more than 100 employees working in multiple cohorts and phases to produce this: a “refined cultural statement” that includes such auspicious goals as “treating others with respect” alongside encouraging platitudes like “Many hands make light work.”

The next phase, Hayes said, is to “put into motion a plan of attack, so to speak, to implement the workplace culture and to improve the environment of the county as a major employer in the community.”

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At Second District Supervisor Michelle Bushnell’s prompting, the board embarked on a discussion about when and how to return to meeting inside board chambers. She spoke in favor of doing so ASAP, saying many of her constituents have asked for it.

Clerk of the Board Kathy Hayes explained that this option is currently hamstrung by technological shortcomings. The county has been working with Access Humboldt and its own IT Department to upgrade equipment inside board chambers. The county needs to upgrade its sound system, install new TV monitors and replace outdated “smart boards” if it wants to facilitate “hybrid” meetings — that is, meetings where people can either show up in person or participate via phone or Zoom.

Trouble is, delivery of the necessary equipment has been delayed by COVID-related transportation issues. Hayes said the current best estimate is that the gear might arrive sometime around the first of the year.

The board spent a while discussing the various technical, legal and logistical implications of different scenarios. Bushnell, for example, asked whether some supervisors and staff could come in while others participated remotely. County Counsel Jefferson Billingsley said that might require advance notice and posting of the remote supervisors’ locations.

Third District Supervisor Mike Wilson said he supports the goal of moving toward in-person meetings inside board chambers but said expectations should be tempered by the probability of challenges and complications caused by both tech issues and COVID health and safety protocols. 

Regarding Bushnell’s request, he said, “I’m not running in that direction but I’d like to have us move in that direction.”

CAO Hayes noted that the county’s current COVID numbers would put us into the red tier of the state’s old framework, which corresponds with a recommendation to refrain from large gatherings. But county staff also surveyed neighboring counties and local jurisdictions; most are already holding in-person meetings.

Humboldt County Health Officer Dr. Ian Hoffman said the county is “coming off the worst three months of this entire pandemic,” and while he’s hopeful about the trend, given the county’s declining case counts, he said it would be good to put some “daylight” between that rough patch and a return to chambers.

Bushnell wound up making a motion to have the board return to in-person meetings starting the first Tuesday of 2022, equipment upgrades or no. She later amended the motion to specify that hybrid-style meetings will be initiated as soon as the necessary equipment is up and running. 

The motion was approved unanimously.

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The board’s last item before disappearing into closed session concerned a controversial cannabis cultivation project near Blue Lake that has been discussed several times previously, dating back several years. Here are links to past coverage in case you need a refresher:

PREVIOUSLY

• TODAY in SUPES: Blue Lake Cannabis Farm Supported by Industry Colleagues But Vehemently Opposed by Neighbors
• TODAY in SUPES: Board Crafts Its Audit Committee, Revisits Controversial Weed Project Near Blue Lake

The gist, as we explained in yesterday’s meeting preview, is that applicants Rocci and Laura Costa had agreed to move a planned 10,000 square feet of new cannabis cultivation out of the Blue Lake Community Plan Area to appease neighbors who vehemently objected to the project. However, the Costas have been unable to find a new spot, and with county staff’s blessing today they asked the board to reconsider the relocation condition of approval and allow them to go ahead and grow at the end of Warren Creek Road.

Public comment, unsurprisingly, proved to be a rehash of the same positions voiced in previous meetings, with the Costas arguing that they’ve been the targets of unfair opposition from anti-cannabis NIMBYs while Warren Creek residents argued that the history of problems on the property, along with the issues inherent in cannabis grows, should disqualify the Costas from establishing a grow operation.

Also like last time around, a number of cannabis industry professionals called in to vouch for the good character and integrity of the Costas. Unlike last time, disgruntled neighbors accused the county of reneging on a covenant in which all parties agreed that no weed would be grown on the parcel in question. 

Wilson, in whose district this kerfuffle is playing out, asked staff to clarify exactly what has changed since the board last ruled on the matter. The answer that came back was, essentially, not much. The Costas have simply been unable to find another suitable location for their grow operation, in part because of existing demand prompted by other applicants in the county’s Retirement, Remediation, and Relocation (RRR) Program.

“From my perspective, I don’t see why we would change our position today because the conditions haven’t changed,” Wilson said. He made a motion to deny the request to modify the project’s conditions of approval. In other words, he said that if the Costas still want to start their 10,000 square-foot outdoor grow operation they’ll have to find somewhere else to do it, as previously agreed.

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Press release from Humboldt Bay Fire:

On 10/26/2021 @ 1022hrs, Humboldt Bay Fire was dispatched to a Recreational Vehicle on Fire with a 4-year-old child trapped at 2600 Sixth St in Eureka (Shoreline RV Park). 4 Engines and 1 Battalion Chief responded. Engine 8114 from Station 4, located at Myrtle Ave and West Ave reported black smoke visible from their station upon responding and arrived on scene first within 3 minutes of the call. E8114 reported a fully involved 30 ft. motor home. While preparing to enter the motor home to search for the reported trapped child, neighbors reported the child was already removed from the motor home by neighbors.

The fire was controlled in 10 minutes and the motor home was a total loss with damage estimated at $15,000. The fire originated in the rear bedroom of the Recreational Vehicle and following an investigation, the cause of the fire is undetermined. There were a total of 3 civilian injuries: the child suffered smoke inhalation and 2 adults suffered minor smoke inhalation and cuts to their hands. All 3 were treated on scene by City Ambulance then transport to St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka.

While extinguishing the fire a dog and cat were located inside the burning motor home and both animals were removed by Firefighters. The cat was uninjured and the dog was unresponsive. Firefighters on scene began CPR and administered oxygen to the dog. The Incident Commander contacted the Myrtle Ave Veterinary Clinic and the dog was transported by the Fire Chief and a Firefighter performing CPR to the Veterinary Clinic.

Despite the resuscitative efforts of Firefighters on scene and the staff at the Myrtle AveVeterinary Clinic, the dog did not survive. St. Joseph Hospital Emergency Room Staff contacted the Red Cross to assist the occupants of the motor home with temporary shelter, clothing and other basic needs. Humboldt Bay Fire would like to thank City Ambulance, PG&E, the Emergency Room Staff at St. Joseph Hospital, the Myrtle Ave. Veterinary Clinic and the Emma Zen Foundation for donating animal CPR and Oxygen masks to Fire Departments throughout California.

Humboldt Bay Firefighters are formally trained in pet CPR and all Humboldt Bay Fire apparatus are equipped with pet Oxygen and CPR masks thanks to a continuous donation of masks from the Emma Zen Foundation. For more information please visit the Emma Zen Foundation at https://www.emmazenfoundation.org/.

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On Oct. 26, 2021, at about 8:14 a.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the area of Greenwood Heights Drive near Freshwater for the report of a suspicious male passed out inside of an idling vehicle parked along the roadway.

Deputies arrived on scene and observed the male, 32-year-old Donavan Nathaniel Baltzley, to be in possession of a firearm on his lap. Deputies conducted a felony traffic stop on the vehicle and detained Baltzley without incident. The firearm was recovered and found to be loaded. Upon further investigation, deputies learned that the firearm had been reported lost out of the Myrtletown area on October 19.

During a search of Baltzley’s vehicle, deputies located over 12 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 1.8 grams of heroin and three counterfeit $100 bills. Additionally, deputies located a large amount of cash believed to be associated with the sale of controlled substances. The Humboldt County Drug Task Force responded to the scene and seized the cash pursuant to asset forfeiture proceedings.

Baltzley was arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of possession of a controlled substance (HS 11377(a)), possession of a narcotic controlled substance (HS 11350(a)), possession of a controlled substance for sales (HS 11351), prohibited person in possession of a firearm (PC 29800(a)(1)), prohibited person in possession of ammunition (PC 30305(a)), possession of counterfeit money (PC 476), theft of lost property (PC 485), possession of a controlled substance while armed (HS 11370.1(a)) and violation of probation (PC 1203.2(a)).

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.