The safety of our customers and the communities we serve is PG&E’s most important responsibility. PG&E is working with first responders as they fight the Monument and McFarland Fires in Trinity County. Crews are working to restore power safely and as quickly as possible to approx. 241 customers located in Willow Creek, Burnt Ranch and Salyer areas in Humboldt and Trinity Counties. The Monument Fire originally impacted electric service to 1,308 customers in those areas. There are currently no power outages in Mendocino County related to these fires.
PG&E has de-energized electric transmission lines in the area and proactively switched the power source from the grid to the local power plant, the Humboldt Bay Generating Station (HBGS). Approx. 747 customers in the Low Gap area of Southern Trinity County are also currently on temporary generation after PG&E proactively de-energized the line feeding the Low Gap substation along Highway 36, due to the McFarland Fire.
Known as “islanding,” the re-configuring of the HBGS allows portions of Humboldt County and the Northern tip of Mendocino County to be separated from the larger grid and energized exclusively from HBGS when transmission sources that import, export and stabilize power to nearby areas are impacted.
By doing this, we are able to ensure sustained service to approximately 67,000 customers who might otherwise be impacted due to the fire threat near transmission lines that serve cities and towns in Humboldt and Northern Mendocino Counties (including Eureka, Arcata, McKinleyville, Fortuna and some tribal communities).
This action is similar to what PG&E did last fire season during some Public Safety Power Shutoff events to maintain service for customers in that area. (NOTE: THIS IS NOT A PSPS). You can see a map of the islanding capabilities here: Humbolt-Bay-Generating-Station-Island-Fact-Sheet.pdf (pge.com)
PG&E Safety and Infrastructure Protect Team (SIPT) crews have also been pre-treating utility poles in advance of the fires. To protect equipment from the McFarland Fire, PG&E SIPT has pretreated a total of 209 transmission and distribution wooden poles. To protect equipment from the Monument Fire, to date, PG&E SIPT has pretreated a total of 30 distribution and transmission assets in the communities around Del Loma, Willow Creek and Big Bar.
We thank our customers for their patience.
In addition, the public can view smoke of the two fires from PG&E’s Hayfork2 camera and two other PG&E HD Wildfire Cameras. We are installing 135 high-definition cameras in high fire-threat areas this year as we continue to build toward our goal of 600 total by 2022. When we reach our 2022 goal, we will have the ability to see more than 90% of the high fire-risk areas we serve. Our Wildfire Safety Operations Center staff use the cameras to monitor and respond to wildfires.
After months of build-up, California voters got their first prime-time glimpse at the major candidates vying to become governor in the upcoming recall election.
Some of them, anyway.
In the first — and conceivably only — debate before ballots begin hitting mailboxes later this month, Gov. Gavin Newsom, the focal point of the Sept. 14 election, sat out Wednesday night’s event.
So did his top-polling potential replacement, conservative radio host Larry Elder, who spent the evening at a Bakersfield fundraiser instead. His spokesperson warned that a “circular firing squad” among Republicans would only help Newsom.
The candidate with the most name recognition wasn’t even on the same continent: Caitlyn Jenner is taking a break from the California campaign trail to shoot the reality TV show “Big Brother VIP” in Australia.
The four took to the debate stage at a distinctly Republican setting: the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in north Orange County. It’s a venue that served as a reminder of how far the California Republican Party — once a producer of presidents, U.S. senators and legislative power brokers — has fallen in recent decades.
But the stately debate hall also offered a reminder of the power the four Republicans on the stage hope to reclaim. A recent spate of polls suggests that while Newsom is still supported by a majority of registered voters, recall backers appear far more likely to vote. That enthusiasm gap could transform what many pundits predicted would be an easy win for Newsom into something relatively rare in California politics: A competitive statewide race for governor.
Or at least that’s the hope of those seeking to oust Newsom and the candidates. Here are four takeaways from the 90-minute debate, hosted by FOX 11 in Los Angeles.
Consensus on COVID
Few issues united the four Republicans on stage like their disdain for public health mandates.
“I happen to have great faith in the ability of people to make decisions of their own,” said Ose, who spoke with the technical knowledge of a longtime lawmaker and, at times, a table-pounding indignation. “Instead of giving people mandates, we need to give them options.”
Kiley denounced the “hoopla” of the lotteries the governor rolled out to entice vaccine-wary Californians to get inoculated and warned of the “steps we’re taking towards mandates and passports.”
This week, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city would require proof of vaccination for restaurant diners, gym goers and visitors to other indoor public-facing businesses. That’s a first in the nation, though Los Angeles is considering its own requirement.
Despite being infected with COVID early on in the pandemic, Cox said he opposed the governor’s recent action to coax health care workers to get vaccinated. He also asserted that people who have already contracted the disease don’t need the vaccine, contrary to guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Faulconer, who has long distinguished himself across California GOP-dom as a relative moderate, stressed that he and his entire family had been vaccinated and he encouraged everyone who hasn’t been to get the jab, too. But encouragement is as far as the state should go.
“I do not favor mandates, I favor education,” he said. “You’re not going to mandate your way out of the coronavirus.”
Evidently, that wasn’t quite far enough for co-moderator Hugh Hewitt, a conservative commentator, who asked Faulconer whether he would outright ban schools from requiring students to wear masks.
“I will look into doing it, 100%,” said Faulconer without unequivocally saying that he would.
Is this a Fox News primary?
For months, recall proponents and the candidates hoping to replace Newsom have dismissed the notion, regularly peddled by the governor and his allies, that the recall is a purely partisan effort.
“What Gavin Newsom wants to do is make this all about Republicans or Donald Trump,” bemoaned Faulconer.
But over the course of the 90-minute debate, viewers could be forgiven for mistaking the ostensibly nonpartisan campaign for a Republican primary.
Alongside FOX 11 anchors Christine Devine and Elex Michaelson, the debate was moderated by Hewitt and Trump national security advisor Robert C. O’Brien. The latter two steered the conversation toward favorite conservative hot-button issues that aren’t as relevant in California. Those included the teaching of “critical race theory” in schools, the role of Mexican drug cartels in fomenting the country’s opioid crisis and the various crimes of the Chinese Communist Party.
For their part, the four candidates mostly played along, touting their conservative bonafides.
Cox, piggybacking on the former president’s signature policy goal, said that a wall needs to be built across the entire southern border. Ose denounced the Chinese government’s alleged thievery of American intellectual property.
Faulconer did promote his reputation as a Republican mayor able to work with a Democratic-majority city council in San Diego. But he, too, denounced the threat posed by the “woke crowd,” called for a repeal of a recent expansion of the state Medicaid program to low-income undocumented immigrants 50 and older and accused Newsom of supporting the “defund the police movement” (he doesn’t).
That tenor of the debate may reflect the electorate being fought for by the four Republicans at the debate. Recent polling has shown that though a slim majority of registered voters do not support the recall, Republicans are much more enthusiastic about voting. And with a ballot with two questions — one on whether Newsom should be recalled and the next on who ought to replace him if a majority votes “yes” on the first — the governor’s supporters are more likely to say they plan to vote “no” on the first and skip the second.
That would leave a much more Fox-friendly crop of voters to pick Newsom’s replacement should he be ousted.
Winners and losers
Democratic Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez got an unexpected shout-out when Ose called her “the most powerful politician in the legislative branch” and said that if elected, he’d meet with her and try to figure out how to work together. A one-time labor leader from San Diego, Gonzalez has pushed a pro-union agenda since she was elected in 2013. She wrote the controversial state law limiting companies’ ability to hire independent contractors and wields significant power as chairperson of the appropriations committee.
“Nothing like a straight talking, unapologetically progressive Latina to scare some Republicans,” she wrote. “Don’t worry boys, I’m all in for @GavinNewsom and plan to continue to work with him to push my working class, all families agenda. #NoOnRecall”
Single-family zoning got lots of love, as the candidates vowed to oppose attempts to build more housing by allowing apartments in neighborhoods now zoned for single-family homes. The issue has been a contentious one in the Legislature in recent years, with bills stalling amid bipartisan resistance.
“When we see some of these pieces of legislation that want to eliminate single-family zoning in California, that’s wrong,” Faulconer said. “I will veto that.”
Yet everyone on stage seemed to agree that California needs more homes, that housing is too expensive — and that too many people here are living on the streets.
After other candidates spoke in generalities about the need for more water for agriculture to flourish, Ose chimed in with a stern tone:
“There’s one farmer in this race. One. That’s me,” he said. “My sisters and I raise 1000 acres of rice, so water is not theoretical to me.”
On the other hand, the Chinese Communist Party took some punches from candidates after a moderator asked about reports that it’s taken intellectual property and is trying to influence American universities.
“We’re not shooting bullets yet, but we are at war with China,” Ose said.
Cox called it “an unaccountable party that controls that country, that feels it’s got to control dissent. It censors its people, it tries to control the economy.”
And then, drawing laughs, he added: “In other words, it’s kind of like Sacramento.”
Nose hair was not on our debate bingo card. But there it was, as the event drew to a close. In a moment of levity, a moderator asked Cox what’s something embarrassing that his kids would say about him? He replied, perhaps a bit too honestly:
Missing from the action
Many issues that dominate discussion in the Democratic-controlled state Capitol barely garnered a mention during the debate. Climate change? Preschool and child care? The pandemic’s uneven impact on women and communities of color?
The candidates, all white men, said little that seemed targeted at appealing to California’s diverse electorate. They didn’t mention Latino voters — even though a new poll shows Latinos favoring the recall — and slammed policies Newsom has embraced to help immigrant families.
“We have done way too much in terms of expanding benefits that almost no other state has done,” said Kiley, who often spoke frenetically. “In this last budget, there were unprecedented benefits Medicaid given to undocumented immigrants in California.”
While Newsom has made a habit of talking about mothers, teachers and nurses in many of his public remarks — he’s also touted repealing taxes on diapers and menstrual products — the GOP candidates seemed to avoid explicit attempts to win over female voters.
Also missing from the debate: Any pointed criticism of Elder, who is actually leading all of them in the polls. Or a dig at Newsom for dining maskless at the French Laundry for a lobbyist’s birthday party; though a moderator mentioned it briefly at the very end, candidates, surprisingly, never brought up the controversy that energized the recall effort.
###
CALmatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.
Dad passed with
love and light surrounding him in the arms of his family on July 29,
2021 at St. Joseph Hospital in the ICU.
Dad was born in
1945 to Erma (Smith) and Darrel Beckstead in California.
He was the loving
patriarch of a close knit family. A wonderful husband, father,
grandfather, father-in-law, brother, uncle and friend. Always
available to talk about anything and gave the shirt on his back to
anyone. Hardworking, honest, proud, stubborn as s***, inventive,
creative, loving, jovial, sensitive and loyal. Dad was a rare
combination of the best qualities anyone could ask for.
Dad was always a
great storyteller, advice giver, and listener. Dad would often tell
stories of his life experiences, his childhood, his parents, growing
up with his sister Carolyn, his dirt bike riding out in the desert,
his trips with his family to national parks and his visits with his
beloved grandpa on the farm up in Idaho. He loved spending time with
his family and friends. He loved to have get togethers with family
and friends at the house, put on talent shows and have birthday
parties when I was a kid. His laughs were contagious. His eyes would
twinkle. His kind heart, spirit and ability to build anything was
probably the closest thing to a living Santa Claus. Beard and all.
Dad was a master
craftsman who started to build things with his father at a young age
and continued on until his death. He built three harpsicords, the houses
we live in, cabinets, sculptures, lamps, decks, fences, brickwork and
too many wonderful things to list. His shop was always filled with
sawdust piles waiting to be played in, and his tools were always
organized in their proper spots. Like his father, Dad was the
photographer and video recorder of the family and captured many
precious memories as well as documenting his creations. We are
blessed with the gift that we can look back on those memories and
things he built.
In 2010, Dad had
a massive stroke that affected his speech. Causing expressive and
receptive aphasia, it was difficult for him to speak and sometimes
understand what others were saying. Many friends stopped coming by
and calling after that and it made Dad very depressed. Dad went out
less and became more of a homebody. He was very proud of his family
and always expressed how much he loved us and that we were his world.
He was ours. He was not always comprehensible with his words, but he
could usually get the message of what he was trying to say with his
expressive hands, or writing things down. Common words we will love
to remember are, “Beautiful”, “Zero”, “Terrible”, “Little
Kid” (what he called his cat Stan), “I Like You”, “Love You”,
“Good Boy” (what he would say to all of us when he was thankful or
happy), “Perfect”, “Thank You” (with thumbs up), “All I
Have, One Day”.
Music was always
a huge part of our household. Whether it was playing music in the
house, the car or on an instrument. Dad started playing trombone at
the age of 7 and continued on practicing everyday filling the
surrounding forest with his music until his stroke. Over the years
growing up he added to his musical repertoire and learned how to play
euphonium, guitar and piano. He participated in many local music
groups, such as Five for the Fun of It, Tuba Christmas, CR Band, HSU
Wind Ensemble, and Humboldt Light Opera. I have many fond memories of
watching Dad play at many performances including the Eureka Inn at
Christmas and the Christmas Crafts Fair at Redwood Acres. He picked
up playing trombone again for a short time the past couple of years
to play with his granddaughter Jasmin and it was really nice to hear
the house filled with his music again. Prior to when COVID began, Dad
had also picked up playing guitar again and loved playing with his
friend Brooks every week. COVID hit, we went on lockdown and his
beloved cat Two died. He never played guitar again.
Dad loved riding
and restoring vintage motorcycles. Building go-carts with his Dad as
a kid and working on motorcycles at Mason Motors in Pasadena,
motorcycles became a lifelong love and passion. Triumph motorcycles
were his favorite. He opened up a Triumph dealership in Arcata called
Satisfied Cycle where he sold new Triumphs but also restored and
repaired many other brands. Riding safely was always a priority and
Dad always said, “You dress to crash” and always wore full gear
no matter the temperature and would often shake his head at the
riders who wore sandals and shorts. He rode throughout the backroads
of Humboldt County for many years until his stroke. Mom and I enjoyed
many rides on the back. Often riding up through Kneeland the smell of madrone would fill the air. A smell that doesn’t often travel to
our house. Two days after he passed, I was working on writing this
obituary. I mentioned the rides and the smell of the madrones. The
next morning, the smell of madrone was in the air.
Post-stroke, the
lawnmower became his motorcycle. Dad loved keeping the yard looking
its best. He enjoyed mowing as well as riding the mower up and down
the lane just for the fun of it. Dad always kept busy with yardwork,
household chores or tinkering on projects in his shop.
Dad was a Trekkie
as well as loving to watch Pawn Stars, American Pickers and all of
the classic car auctions or shows, anything to do with farming or
tractors and animals. We enjoyed many family movie nights with Dad, who never tired of watching the real-life version of The Lion King.
Several times
over the years, Dad told us he would randomly stop by the CHP in
Arcata just to tell them “thank you” for what they do. He wanted
to let them know they were appreciated for their difficult work.
Dad’s favorite
place to eat was Stars in Arcata. Known as a regular before COVID
hit, enjoying an Ortega cheeseburger, fries and two diet cokes no
ice. Due to his stroke and difficulty talking, he had a pad of paper
with his order on it ready for any new employee who didn’t know him
yet. He would often comment “beautiful” or “perfect” with an
“ok” hand sign to describe how good the food was. Mom and I want
to thank the staff and the owners Arron and Jen for all of their
special attention they gave Dad over the years. He loved all of you.
Dad was always
proud to tell the story how he overcame being taught to be racist. He
was taught by the church he attended growing up that God blackened
the skin of people because they were sinners/bad. Dad was playing
music in junior high and met a classmate with darker skin than his
and found out how wonderful he was and realized that the church was
wrong. It was a great life lesson that Dad passed on to always think
for yourself. To appreciate people and cultures different than you.
To experience, learn and explore firsthand, to expand your mind.
Dad loved being a
grandpa. The kids were his sunshine. He was always coming over to the
house to see the kids and vice versa. The kids were lucky enough to
be old enough to have wonderful memories and spend every day with
their grandpa. Jasmin and Jaden told Dad every night. “Best
grandpa in the whole wide universe!”
Dad loved the
outdoors and Humboldt County. Dad moved up here in 1971 and he felt
this was the most beautiful place in the world. He loved to walk the
Arcata Marsh and visit the beach and state parks in his more mobile
years. Prior to meeting Mom he used to live up in McKinleyville and
used to walk his dog Ollie down to Clam Beach every day. Even though
he was raised in LA, he always was a country man at heart. He went so
far as to living off the land far up in Kneeland beyond the airport
with no electricity. He would tell stories of owning horses and
having run-ins with wildlife like porcupines, scorpions and rattle
snakes. He grew lonely of living so far out, describing he would go
to the movies in town just to be around people and decided to move
closer to town 3.5 miles up Kneeland. Mom and Dad both grew up in
Pasadena, had never met, and were living within a half mile of each
other on Kneeland. Dad had seen Mom out jogging frequently on the
road past his house and he had told his sister Carolyn of a pretty
blonde girl he was too shy to talk to. Mom broke the ice one October
day in 1981 when she saw him putting his trombone in his car for band
practice. The place he was renting had several trees bursting with
apples. Mom stopped jogging and asked what he was going to do with
all of those apples. Dad had never been late for band practice and
stayed and talked to Mom. Mom had a voice in her head as she jogged
away that she had just met the man she was going to marry. Mom joked
with Dad the next day when they talked for six hours that she felt
she had known him all her life and he asked her to marry him. She
shook it off playfully and Dad officially proposed with a song he
wrote for her called “Love Sparkling Clear” two weeks later and they
were married six months later. They have been married for 39 years.
In retrospect, we
believe Dad knew he didn’t have much longer to live. He would give
his favorite pictures and sculptures to us for birthdays and
holidays. While he was still down at UCSF before we brought him back
to St. Josephs, Mom found a song he had left open on his music stand.
Love Forever
Lives On by John Carr
Down in the
village each day A widow works
hard for her pay A lady alone Her children all
grown She visits the
grave where her dear lover lay
He worked at the
mill far away And thought of
his Rose every day She gave him her
love He thanked God
above His life was so
suddenly taken away
Love forever
lives on A love together
so strong One heart still
lives The other still
gives Memories that
linger and carry her on
There in the
cottage she stays Molding her pots
out of clay Her faith
stronger grows There’s one
thing she knows Some day they
will meet in a world far away
I and the family
would like to give a special thank you to our St. Joseph family.
Everyone who looked after and took care of Dad and all of us during
these difficult and heart-wrenching weeks. There are too many people
to name individually and I don’t want to leave anyone out, but you
know who you are. Dad and all of us know that he received the best
care and there are no questions that everything was done to save him.
We feel your love and we cannot say thank you enough for wrapping
your arms around us as we grieve our tremendous loss. Thank you Dr.
Einterez, Dr. Tovian, Dr. Oliver, Dr. Sugiura, Amber Hoffman FNP, Dr.
Walker, Dr. Stein and Dr. Arcidi for all of your care for Dad and our
family. You never gave up hope Dr. Arcidi and we appreciate it with
all of our hearts. Dr. Trieu, Dad and all of us are giving you two
thumbs up with his big smiles and as he said, “I just love you.”
We love and are grateful for your care for Dad.
Dad always put
his family first. An attentive father who wanted to be involved in
everything. A much loved story often told time and time again was
describing his enthusiasm of being a new parent and his
disappointment he couldn’t breastfeed. He was very insistent that
it was only fair that he was the one who got to feed me my first
solid food of bananas. Dad was always present for everything growing
up. From school performances and swim practices, to coming into my
classes in elementary school with his musical instruments to expose
other children to music. As a teenager he always made sure that I had
gas in my tank and checked on my oil every weekend up until several
years ago. Dad would come by my places of employment regularly to
meet my co-workers and see where I worked first hand. When I became a
nurse at St. Joseph Hospital he always wanted to see where I worked
but he couldn’t shadow me or see what I and my colleagues do for
the patients. When he had an outpatient procedure in CVU in May he
requested as he was discharged if we could wheel him by my unit so he
could finally see where I worked. He had such big smiles to see the
unit where I work and meet some of my lovely co-workers. Little did
he know he would get the full tour of the ED, OR, PCU, ICU, cath lab,
Radiology….pretty much the whole hospital very soon. Although it
was a difficult four weeks, Mom and I know that there was a part of
him that was happy to meet so many of my wonderful colleagues and see
the hospital where I work for himself. He appreciated all of you and
all of the work you do to save lives every day.
Survived by the
love of his life of 39 years his wife Janet. His daughters Johanna
Nicoll and Jen Beckstead-Chavez. Son-in-law Juan Chavez.
Grandchildren Jasmin and Jaden. His 18-year-old orange tabby Stanley.
Sister Carolyn Miller, nieces Debbie, Cindy, Shirley and their
children and grandchildren. His brother from another mother Lee
Marks. Chosen family Lynn and Kurt Evers-Hellmich, their children
Jason and Sierra, and Kurt’s sister Karen and her husband Carlo,
Skip and Karla Austin and their children Jodie and Mike.
Out of respect for the men and women who risk their lives everyday on
the front lines, in the hospital and out in the community who are
battling COVID, Dad would not want a memorial. Please wear a mask and
protect my Mom, my kids, my co-workers and yourselves.
We are waiting to
receive Dad’s ashes from Ayres Family Cremation and will spread his
ashes when Johanna is able to join us.
In lieu of
flowers, please consider donating blood or an act of kindness towards
a stranger to pay it forward. As Dad used to say in his aphasic way
using hand gestures, “open my eyes (in the morning), look around,
(I have) one more day.” That’s all we have. One more day.
###
The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Douglas Beckstead’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.
NORMA JEAN WYNNE (BLOOM) August 21, 1931- June 9, 2021
In
the evening of June 9, as Norma was resting in the presence of her
daughter Sherry Munsell Hawks and granddaughter Missy Munsell, she
slipped from our hands into the hands of Jesus and into Gloryland.
Norma had been
ill for the past six months and Hospice of Humboldt took such loving
care of her.
Norma was born
August 21, 1931 in Vallejo to Adrian Tennyson Bloom and Mabel Agnes
(Kronke) Bloom. At the time Adrian was working at the C& H Sugar
Mill in Crockett. The family later moved to Albany, Calif., when her
father began working as a researcher at Standard Oil in Richmond.
Norma grew up in Albany and attended Cornell Elementary and graduated
from Albany High in 1949.
She worked for
Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. in San Francisco for two years. During
this time her mother would ride the bus over and they would enjoy
plays and movies together before coming home. They were best friends
and did everything together as her father worked nights.
About this time
her friend asked her to start writing to a pen pal, a Sergeant in the
Air Force stationed in Alaska. So she did. His name was John Carl
Wynne from Fort Worth, Texas. Norma then began working at Federal
Land Bank in Berkeley. Not too much later she decided to go to San
Jose Bible College. During her first semester, Sgt, J.C.Wynne came to
visit from Alaska and proposed! Norma left school and went back to
the bank until they were married on June 10, 1953.
After a honeymoon
in Yosemite, there was a move to Denver, where he was stationed at
Lowry Air Force Base. In 1954, their daughter Janet Ruth was born. In
true fashion of being in the service, in 1955, it was time to move
again. This time Norma was getting to see Wichita Falls, Texas at
Shepherds AFB.
After one short year they are off once more. This
time it’s for a boat ride across the pond to Denham, England for a
two-year stay. This took some adapting. It was wet, dark, cold, she
had to translate a few words. She also had a lot of enjoyment and met
so many very close friends who helped her through those two years.
She did have something else to keep her busy beside Janet being two,
she now had a newborn daughter, Sherry Jean.
At the end of two
years, John was a Master Sargent and worked in computers. He would
have to stay behind, but in October of 1957 as Norma was once again
expecting, she traveled back to Albany and to her parents with two
little ones and expecting another in two months. What a brave soul.
In January of 1958 Jay Adrian was born. After John came home , he
decided to leave the service and got a job in computers with
Chevrolet in Oakland. This was the family’s new home. The girls
started school and Jay was the baby for a couple of years. But as the
story goes, Norma was going to have another little one. In 1960,
James Keith was added to the family. Quite the little troop. Norma
kept them all together and looking neat and tidy. She entertained,
always attended church and taught Sunday School.
The Chevrolet
plant closed and a new General Motors Plant was being built in
Fremont, so the family picked out a spot , had a home built, packed
their belongings and moved to their new home. Along with the home
came a new baby one month later. In July 1963, David Joseph joined
the clan.
When David
started school, Norma began working in the school cafeteria. This is
something she continued to do for 13 years – moving up to
managerial positions, even going to college to improve herself.
In 1968, John and
Norma separated. The children continued in school and loved living in
Fremont. Adrian and Mabel moved to Fremont to be closer to the
family. They all loved spending time together. They went to church
together and the kids loved to spend the night with them.
As the children
moved out, grandchildren began arriving and she loved each one of
them. Some she was fortunate enough to have live with her and watch
grow. Sarah and Jared were there often. Rebecca was born while living
with her grandma. Timothy and Melissa were both born in Humboldt
County but Norma traveled north sometimes with her parents to visit.
She also flew to Missouri and Kansas to see Joey, Kaidence, Joe Jo
Eddie and Dexter before she quit traveling. Later Adrian and Mabel
moved in with Norma and they helped each other out. After her parents
passed away, Norma decided it was time to leave Fremont and move
closer to her daughter Sherry Munsell Hawks in Weott. So she found a
nice home in Fortuna in 2002. She was very happy here and glad she
made the move. She and Sherry were very close and did many things
together, spent many hours at each others homes. She loved the
activities out at the ranch, watching the deer making apple cider,
gathering nuts enjoying their dog and always her great granddaughter
Amaya who was frequently there. They talked daily on the phone.
Norma
was a hard worker. Aafter she worked for Fremont Unified School
District, she worked as secretarial for Randy’s Ranch Hand Meats
for 16 years and Weight Watchers for two years.
Norma was
preceded in death by her parents Adrian and Mabel Bloom, her oldest
son Jay Adrian, youngest son, David Joseph and great-grandson Joseph
Butterbean Rutter.
She is survived
by daughter Janet Zuckerman her husband Dan of Las Vegas, daughter
Sherry Munsell Hawks her husband Rick of Weott, Ca., James Wynne wife
Teri of Eudora,Kansas. She also leaves 8 grandchildren Sarah
Vecchionacce, Jared Haizlip, Joseph Brand Timothy Munsell, Andy
Zuckerman, Melissa Munsell, Rebecca Rutter, Jenifer Wynne. Also 9
great grandchildren,
Amaya,Kaidence, Naomi, Gabriel, Eddie,
Dexter, Trey, Lily,Jackson.
She also leaves her childhood best
friend, Antonette ( Toni) Durante. They stayed in close contact by
phone or letters. They loved each other deeply. Toni will always be
part of our family.
She was a long
time member of Fremont Church of Christ prior to moving to Fortuna,
then became a member of Eureka Church of Christ. She had many
wonderful friends there. They came to be with her while she was
homebound, called and sent many lovely card to cheer her and were
supportive to her family as well.
She was also a
charter member of Fortuna Senior Services and served on the board of
directors for three years. She had so many friends from there,
especially Jeanne Rollins.
Services were
handled by Goble’s Mortuary in Fortuna and they did a beautiful
job. Viewing was held and a graveside service was held on June 15,
2021 at Sunrise Cemetery in Fortuna. It was officiated by her
minister Frank Riley of Eureka Church of Christ.
A memorial will
be held at the Eureka Church of Christ on August 21, 2021, from 11:30
a.m. to 2 p.m. Food will be served, bring a picture or a story.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Norma Wynne’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.
San Jose State practicing at Redwood Bowl. | Photos provided by HSU
The honorary Humboldt-San Jose State Spartans football team is back in town and was planning to hold a team scrimmage for the public at Redwood Bowl on Saturday. However, those plans were canceled today due to the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in Humboldt County.
The team — which spent a few weeks practicing in Redwood Bowl last year due to COVID-19 restrictions in Santa Clara County — has been welcomed back by HSU while San Jose State hosts the Women’s Tennis Association’s Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic.
San Jose State had a successful season after training at Redwood Bowl last year. The team went undefeated before being rousted by the Ball State Cardinals 34-14 in the Arizona Bowl.
“Last year’s experience was very positive for the San Jose State University football program and, according to the team, was the foundation for the Spartans’ Mountain West championship season,” HSU spokesperson Grant Scott-Goforth told the Outpost.
To shows its gratitude, the team added a Humboldt State logo to the back of its helmets last season.
Like last year, the team has been asked to operate within a bubble to avoid the spread of COVID-19. However — unlike last year — the players, coaches and staff have reportedly all been vaccinated.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for the Spartans to prepare for their season in the beautiful Redwood Bowl,” HSU’s new Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Campus Recreation Cooper Jones was quoted as sayin in a press release. “We’re glad to assist San Jose State as they kick off the 2021 season with Fall camp in Arcata. After last year’s safe visit, and a very successful season for SJSU, we are happy to invite them back and support the team this semester.”
The team has been in town since July 28, and will return home to San Jose on Sunday.
Dr. Ian Hoffman in this afternoon’s Zoom-based press conference.
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In a press conference this afternoon, Dr. Ian Hoffman — Humboldt County’s public health officer — said that he will soon sign an order reinstituting a universal masking order in the county.
“We are announcing today a return to universal masking for Humboldt County,” Hoffman said. “I will be putting in a health order in the coming days that will go into effect at 12:01 am on Saturday, August 7th. This will be in effect for all people vaccinated and unvaccinated, and all public settings — indoor, and including outdoor, crowded, public settings and public events.”
At least 20 California counties have returned to mandatory masking after the latest surge in COVID cases and increased hospitalization rates, both driven by the rise of the virus’ Delta variant.
Hoffman said the county will announce this afternoon that 82 new cases have been confirmed today — the highest-single day rise in COVID cases since the beginning of the pandemic. Meanwhile, COVID-related hospital occupancy recently surged to 23 at Providence Health, which is higher than the last peak in January. An otherwise healthy man in his 30s was killed by the disease earlier this week.
Dr. Roberta Luskin-Hawk — CEO of the local Providence Health Care group, which runs St. Joe’s and Redwood Memorial — said that the young man who died was otherwise healthy, and that his passing has hit the nursing staff at the hospital hard.
“According to the ICU nurses, who were quite distraught — he had no usual underlying diseases, no immunodeficiency, nothing else — and despite their best efforts, [he] died,” Luskin-Hawk said.
Both doctors continued to urge vaccination as the quickest and surest route out of the current crisis. Though vaccinated people may sometimes — more rarely — contract the virus and spread it to others, vaccination is very strongly protective against severe disease and death.
“Vaccination is the key to ending this pandemic,” Hoffman said. “We need to get vaccination rates up in order to get out of this.”
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CORRECTION: The post originally got its hospitalization numbers a bit mixed up. They’ve since been corrected.
Here’s the correct way to say it: A figure we cited — 23 patients hospitalized simultaneously recently — was offered by Dr. Luskin-Hawk at the press conference, and applies to Providence Health only. There were more than 23 people hospitalized simultaneously countywide back in January, and — according to Dr. Hoffman — there have been more than that hospitalized simultaneously, countywide, in recent weeks.
We seem to again be losing our fun things, Humboldt. Following a number of other local event cancelations, including Eureka’s returning Friday Night Market and the North Coast Journal“Best Of” party, the life-lovin’ folks at the Humboldt Folklife Society have made the call to not go ahead with the Buddy Brown Blues Festival which was scheduled to take place this Saturday in Blue Lake. The festival is canceled. The blues remain.
The news comes on the same day that county public health officials announced a new sweeping masking order following a local surge in COVID-19 case numbers.
You can read the announcement from the Humboldt Folklife Society below:
Out of concerns for public safety, and in response to the recent request from the Public Health Department to postpone large public events, the Humboldt Folklife Society regretfully has decided to postpone the Buddy Brown Blues Festival, which was to be held on Saturday, August 7, 2021, Perigot Park, Blue Lake. Humboldt County has recently seen a surge in Covid cases, and the Folklife Society would want to host the festival under the best of circumstances, when the infection rate is lower. We are grateful to the many volunteers who were planning on coming, and to the musicians who were looking forward to performing in front of a live audience, and to blues music lovers who must wait until the infection rate is lower.
Deep appreciation to our Festival sponsors, Green Diamond Resource Company, Pierson’s, KHUM - KWPT The Point, Lost Coast Brewery, and Low and Slow BBQ. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait a whole year to do this again!
