Bruce
Marshall passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of June
24, 2021 at the age of 83.
Bruce
was born in San Francisco on April 22, 1938. Raised in Sausalito,
California, even in his early years Bruce was known for his
adventurous spirit and enjoyment of outdoor activities, including
fishing, hunting and abalone diving. Bruce also played high school
football. He graduated Tamalpais High School in 1956.
Thereafter,
Bruce relocated in 1958 to attend Humboldt State University. While
attending Humboldt State, Bruce met Carrol Ann Richardson, whom he
would later marry in 1962. During his years in college, Bruce became
a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. He graduated Humboldt
State University with a degree in marine biology.
After
college and serving our nation in the United States Coast Guard,
Bruce became employed by the California Department of Transportation
in Eureka as a right of way agent. During these early years of his
career, Bruce welcomed a son, Jeffrey, and a daughter, Sharon, into
his life in 1968 and 1969, respectively.
As
his career advanced, Bruce left Eureka for San Diego in
1972, and again moved to Yuba City in 1977 before
returning to the Eureka area in 1991. During his time with the
California Department of Transportation, Bruce ultimately rose to the
position of senior right of way agent before retiring in the year
2000. Tragically, later that same year, Carrol passed away.
Though
larger than life in both stature and personality in adulthood, in
addition to his enjoyment of outdoor activities, Bruce was also an
avid stamp collector, an accomplished bridge player, and a member of
the Lost Coast Sea Shell Club.
It
was through that sea shell club membership that Bruce met Karen
Ralston, whom he would later marry in 2003 and to whom he remained
married until his death.
Bruce
was a wonderful husband, father, colleague and friend, who will be
greatly missed by those that knew and loved him.
Bruce
was preceded in death by his first wife, Carrol Ann Marshall. He is
survived by his second wife, Karen Marshall of Eureka; his son,
Jeffrey Marshall of Yuba City; his daughter, Sharon
Collins of Houston, Texas; his granddaughter, Kylie Williams of Yuba
City and her son and Bruce’s great-grandson, Mykah
Gonzales.
A
celebration of Bruce’s life will be held at a time to be announced
later. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be
made to the American Cancer Society, Bruce’s preferred charitable
organization.
###
The obituary above was submitted on behalf ofBruce Marshall’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.
Sunday is the Fourth of July and with severe drought conditions this year, plus people eager to party down as the county opens back up, local law enforcement and fire departments are making a point to remind folks of what NOT to do when shooting off fireworks during this holiday weekend.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s office teamed up with CAL FIRE and First District Supervisor Rex Bohn to make the above video public service announcement on firework safety.
“llegal
fireworks pose a serious threat of both causing injury and igniting
wildfires,” HCSO posted on its Facebook page Thursday, along with the video. “In 2020, 1,966 fireworks-caused fires resulted in over $8
million of property loss. Help protect your community and support our
local non-profits by only using certified Safe and Sane Fireworks this
holiday.”
“Safe and sane” fireworks generally means fireworks that do not fly or explode and, as Bohn reminds us in the video, “that means that bottle rockets, mortars and other projectiles are illegal.”
Even when you are using legal fireworks, make sure that you choose a safe location that is not near dry vegetation, keep water nearby, soak spent fireworks before disposing of them and, of course, don’t let your kids handle fireworks.
Sheriff Honsal also reminds the public to call 911 only to report fires, injuries or other emergencies, not to report the illegal use of fireworks. To report illegal fireworks, call your local law enforcement agency. You can report illegal fireworks to HCSO at 707-445-7251.
“Over the Fourth of July weekend, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office will be out in force, especially in our driest communities, enforcing the safe use of legal fireworks,” Honsal says.
With many people likely planning beach barbecues and picnics this holiday weekend, Friends of the Dunes would like to remind you that it is currently nesting season for the western snowy plover — a local shorebird, considered threatened by the Endangered Species act.
Because plovers nest on open beaches, the birds and their eggs are extremely vulnerable and things like leaving trash around (which attracts predators), letting your dogs run off-leash and setting off loud and scary fireworks can really disrupt and potentially harm these vulnerable creatures.
Here is more info from Friends of the Dunes on how to celebrate this holiday with respect for our feathered friends:
How are you choosing to celebrate Fourth of July this year? Are you
breaking out the cornhole board and BBQ, spending time with friends and
family (safely of course), watching a firework show, or enjoying our
public lands?
If you find yourself celebrating at one of our
North Coast beaches this year, please be aware of its wild residents.
Threatened western snowy plovers, amongst other critters, live and
depend on these beaches. Right now, plovers are in their breeding season
and are focused on creating the next generation of small, feathered
beachgoers.
Fourth of July can be an especially perilous time
for plovers. Use of fireworks and increased human presence on beaches
are serious threats to these birds and their offspring. Fireworks are
known to cause nest, chick, and territory abandonment. This abandonment
leads to increased vulnerability to predators, nest and chick failure,
and impacts to adults’ health. Increased human presence can have these
effects and result in accidental trampling of eggs and chicks if people
(and their dogs and horses) walk through dry sand areas that represent
good plover nesting habitat. If celebrating Fourth of July on
beaches this year, there are some things you can do to ensure plover
adults, eggs, and chicks have the best possible chance of survival:
Fireworks
are not allowed on most public beaches. Check beach-specific firework
regulations before you plan your Fourth of July weekend activities.
Respect all posted signs and/or roped-off areas for the protection of wildlife.
Walk on the wet, hard-packed to avoid nesting habitat.
Do not approach birds or nests.
Avoid prolonged picnicking or sunbathing in plover nesting habitat.
Check and follow beach-specific camping and campfire regulations.
Be
sure to know beach-specific dog rules before you go. If dogs are
permitted, follow the leash rules and don’t allow your dog to play in
dry sand areas where birds are more prone to nest. Never allow your
dog(s) to chase birds.
Do not leave or bury trash or food
scraps on the beach. Garbage attracts predators such as gulls, crows,
ravens and skunks. Please dispose of all trash properly and do not
inadvertently (or intentionally) feed wildlife.
If you’re on a
beach that allows vehicles, drive ‘low and slow’, staying on the
hard-packed sand below the high tide line where plovers forage.
Avoid flying kites or other hovering objects near plover nesting habitat.
To
balance recreational opportunities and wildlife protection along the
Photo: North Coast Field Biologists
North Coast, beach activities may be restricted to certain areas during
the breeding season, March 15- September 15. You can do your part in
protecting adults, chicks, and eggs by knowing and adhering to
location-specific rules and regulations. For more information on the
western snowy plover and YOU, beach rules and regulations, beach access,
and a user-friendly dog guide, explore the following links:
The
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect,
and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the
continuing benefit of the American people. For more information about
our work and the people who make it happen, visit https://www.fws.gov/arcata/ or connect with us via Facebook, YouTube, and Flickr.
The
Bureau of Land Management’s mission is to sustain the health,
diversity, and productivity of public lands for the use and enjoyment of
present and future generations.
Friends of the Dunes is
dedicated to conserving the natural diversity of coastal environments
through community supported education and stewardship programs.
The
California Department of Parks and Recreation’s mission is to provide
for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by
helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity,
protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating
opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation.
Image: Oregon State University, via Wikimedia. Creative Commons license.
###
Only a small genetic
difference separates winter-run and summer-run steelhead, but that
little bit of nucleic acid makes a big difference. Last month, the
California Fish and Game Commission voted to list the North Coast’s
summer steelhead under the California Endangered Species Act.
This week, Gang
Green dives into the difference between these two runs to learn why
preserving summer steelhead may be important in a warming world, why
the fish are teetering on extinction, and some strange hope for a
rebirth of summer steelhead after Scott Dam is removed on the Eel
River.
Extra-special bonus:
if you are also a fish freak who loves tacos, we have just your
event. This weekend, fish biologist Samantha Kannry is hosting a taco
feast at her farm, with all the proceeds going to benefit steelhead
research. Get stuffed on tacos and help forward science? You bet Gang
Green will be there! To find out more, head to
tribresearch.org/events
UPDATE, 4:17 p.m.: After this post was published, the Outpost spoke with the man who neighbors suspect of posting the Craigslist ad. See the bottom of this post for details.
This peacock, known as Azul or Mr. P to those who cared for him, was found dead this week after a Craigslist ad called for him to be eliminated. | Photo by Melissa Glass via Facebook.
###
“The job is simple … “
So began the ad posted to Craigslist on or around June 13. It appeared in the “wanted” section under the title “Someone to get rid of a peacock,” and it specified “by any means necessary.”
The unidentified author of the post complained that the animal had been waking him at dawn with its noisy call. “The bird came here about 4 months ago, no one knows from where, and no one here owns it,” the post claimed.
Included with the listing was a crudely annotated satellite image of McKinleyville’s Azalea Heights neighborhood with detailed instructions on how to locate the animal.
“Please contact me so we can form a strategy to eliminate this bird, and also to agree on how much you will be compensated,” the ad read.
A Facebook post managed to capture the image and title from an ad placed on Craigslist that has since been deleted.
###
On Wednesday, the peacock was found dead, covered in blood with an apparent gunshot wound in its lower breast. The news of his death spread quickly among the small group of neighbors who had loved and cared for the bird over the past few years. Those who’d seen the Craigslist ad immediately suspected who the culprit must be.
Melissa and Mike Glass say the peacock, who they named Azul, adopted them about six years ago when he showed up at their house on Melissa’s birthday. The vibrantly plumed bird kept returning to their property, roosting in nearby trees and coming in close to receive bits of bread.
“He comes for the company but stays for extra treats,” Melissa told the Outpost on Thursday. The bird’s death was so recent that in describing his habits, Melissa and Mike kept switching between past and present tense.
“He taps on our sliding glass window,” Mike said. “We gave him bread.”
Kelsey Radant and her daughter knew the bird, too. They’d often see him when they went to visit Kelsey’s father, Ben, who lives in Azalea Estates, a seniors-only mobile home park just up the road from the Glasses’ property.
“It was a very communal peacock,” Radant said in a phone interview Thursday. “It makes the rounds and says hi to everybody.”
Photo by Melissa Glass.
Radant’s dad and other residents of the mobile home park called the bird Mr. P. Her daughter called him Peony. Several park residents had grown very attached to the bird, including one elderly woman who regularly fed him cookies. “My dad fed him sourdough bread every morning,” Radant said.
Mike Glass said one of the trailer park residents, a woman named Meredith, found the peacock’s body in her yard early Wednesday morning and immediately headed over the the Glasses’ property to tell them the news.
“She ran over and could barely talk,” Mike said. He went over to her place and inspected the area, finding a large amount of blood on the roof and more in the yard where he eventually fell.
“It’s really sad,” Melissa said. “It looks like he was up there for a while.”
Mike inspected the body and found an entry wound but no exit wound. He suspects it was shot with a .22 or other small-caliber gun. “The bird just bled out slowly for a couple hours,” he said.
Remembering the Craigslist post, the Glasses checked to see if it was still online. [CORRECTION: The Glasses learned of the Craigslist post while speaking with neighbors after the bird’s death.] It had been deleted, but on Facebook they found that a friend had linked to the ad days earlier, preserving the title and the satellite image that accompanied it, and they noticed a telling detail in that image: a little blue place marker hovering above one of the houses.
Detail of satellite image from the Craigslist ad.
When you search Google Maps with location services turned on, it automatically places that little blue indicator above your own location. And if you’ve saved your home address on your device, Google Maps will indicate the location with a home icon.
Mike and Melissa Glass knew exactly which house was indicated in that Craigslist ad, and they know who lives there — a man who they’ve had issues with in the past, including arguments about the peacock.
“He knew it’s ours,” Melissa said. The man had approached the Glasses and another neighbor last month to ask if they’d be interested in relocating the peacock.
“We all said no,”Melissa said, though she added that at one point Mike offered some alternate solutions, which the man declined rudely.
The man also reached out to neighbors via email and in person, describing himself as an “animal lover” but seeking a solution to the bird’s morning clamor. If he was indeed the author of the Craigslist post calling for the peacock to be eliminated “by any means necessary,” then he was lying, the Glasses said, because the ad refers to the bird as “a wild peacock” belonging to no one when this man knew full well that the bird had been around for years and was loved by neighbors.
“He’s kind of the community mascot,” Melissa said.
[Note: The Outpost is choosing not to reveal the man’s identity unless and until we can get his side of the story, or if he gets charged with a crime. We managed to reach his former employer Friday morning, and a woman there said she’d text him and have him call. We’ll update this story if we hear back from him.]
Radant came across the Craigslist post last month while browsing the site, which she does regularly, and when she realized the ad was calling for the death of Mr. P she took screenshots and forwarded a link to her dad. On Thursday she said her dad is now very upset.
“He feels really responsible, like he should have done more when [we saw the post] — called the sheriff then,” she said. “We didn’t think anybody would do it, but we were wrong.”
Here’s text from the screenshots Radant took:
Several of the neighbors did call the authorities on Wednesday after the peacock was found dead, but it’s not yet clear what laws were broken, if any.
“It’s a really sticky situation,” Melissa Glass said, “because when [Mike] talked to Fish and Game [meaning the local office of the California Department of Fish & Wildlife], they asked, ‘Was it your pet? Do you have a cage for it?’”
The Glasses do have an enclosure of sorts that the bird used, though it lacks a roof. That was by design. They figured it was safer for Azul to roost in the nearby trees, which he did. “We get bears out here,” Melissa explained.
Peacocks are not protected by the state’s fish and wildlife laws. The CDFW has no regulations regarding trapping, selling or killing them. However, the agency’s website does caution people, “Check with your local animal control as peacocks are domestic animals.”
Mike said he spoke with someone at the sheriff’s dispatch center who also asked if the bird was caged and upon finding out that it wasn’t said, “There’s really nothing we can do.”
But he and other neighbors have pursued the matter, and the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has gotten involved.
“We have a deputy looking into it and will be doing some follow up today,” spokesperson Samantha Karges told the Outpost via email on Friday. “Depending on the facts of the situation, if the peacock was found to indeed be shot, whoever [is] responsible could face charges of discharge of a firearm near a residence and even animal cruelty if the peacock was shot out of malice.”
Melissa isn’t especially hopeful about the killer being brought to justice. “I talked to a deputy last night,” she told the Outpost via email on Friday. “It was discouraging because while he said we may make a case (although he didn’t think strong), he was pretty transparent that it would be a lower priority [given] the backlog of cases … .”
The Glasses also contacted an attorney who told them they could maybe file a civil suit, but it would be limited to monetary damages.
Mike said the incident has left neighbors worried about their other pets. “Like, what if they have a dog that [this neighbor thinks] is too loud?” he said.
Melissa remains distressed about the whole incident. “It is appalling to me that there are no consequences for someone taking a hit out on our pet,” she said. “And the person who lives under that map marker knew very well that it was loved by many.”
Karges said that if anyone has information about this case, they should contact the Sheriff’s Office at 707-445-7251 and reference incident #2106300068.
###
UPDATE: As noted above, shortly after this post was published we managed to get in touch with the man whose house appears to be indicated in the now-deleted Craigslist ad. His name is Ragen Tilzey.
We’d left him a voicemail saying we wanted to ask about the peacock that had been found dead in his neighborhood. When he called us back he asked us to confirm that the peacock was indeed dead. We said yes and asked if that was news to him.
“Yes, it is,” he responded.
We then described the Craigslist ad and told him that neighbors could identify his house in the image. Did he post the ad?
“Well, let me ask you a question,” he replied. “Has a crime been committed?”
We said we didn’t know whether a crime had been committed and again asked if he’d posted the Craigslist ad.
“I’m not answering anything unless you can tell me if a crime has been committed,” Tilzey said.
We explained that the Sheriff’s Office is investigating the matter and said that a crime may have been committed if a firearm was discharged in a residential area.
“I don’t own a firearm,” he responded.
Okay, but the ad appeared to be recruiting someone else to shoot the bird.
“If a crime has been committed then I’m consulting an attorney,” Tilzey said. “I believe that would be prudent.”
We mentioned that neighbors reported having disagreements with him about the peacock in recent months.
“Legally that’s called circumstantial evidence,” Tilzey replied.
He then said we don’t have permission to identify him or quote anything he said. (Reporters don’t need permission to quote people, especially if they’ve identified themselves as reporters.)
We asked a few more questions but he declined to offer more information.
“Again, I’m not answering any questions,” he said. “Thank you for your questions, and I’m hanging up now.”
New Great Redwood Trail signage, with the above design, will be installed in communities along the former railroad line in the coming months, state Sen. Mike McGuire announced.
###
In a press conference this morning, state Sen. Mike McGuire announced that the legislature has included $16.5 million toward the “Great Redwood Trail” — the planned hiking trail along the 300-mile abandoned rail line between San Rafael and Humboldt County — in the upcoming state budget.
McGuire, who sponsored the 2018 legislation that transformed the purpose of the North Coast Railroad Authority, the public agency that managed the disused railroad, said the funding represented a “historic” moment in the effort to transition the right-of-way to a trail system.
“This really is the transformational day that we’ve been talking about for years on end,” McGuire said. “To be able to create the trail network that will connect two parts of the state — from the sparkling waters of Humboldt Bay to the busy bay waters in San Francisco.”
McGuire said that $10 million of the monies budgeted will be spent to develop a master plan for the conversion of the line. The plan will analyze the costs of physically converting the right-of-way to meet transportation needs along various segments of the trail, and of maintaining those lines, in addition to funding outreach to and engaging with landowners along the path of the trail.
The remainder of the budgeted money will be used to fund the legal process of railbanking with the federal Surface Transportation Board, and to improve railroad operations on the very southern end of the line, in Marin and Sonoma counties, where passenger and freight rail operations are expected to continue alongside the new trail.
In addition to announcing the funding, McGuire this morning unveiled the design of signage that will be placed along the trail. He said that signs should be going up in communities along the line later this summer.
Throughout, McGuire acknowledged that the actual construction of the entire length of the trail is still a very long way off. A preliminary study delivered to the legislature last year placed potential costs at somewhere between $1 billion and $5 billion. But as representatives from Marin, Mendocino and Humboldt counties noted in the press conference this morning, parts of the trail that pass through urban centers have already been built, and more are currently under construction.
The Humboldt section of the trail would include Arcata’s trail network, the Eureka Waterfront trail and most of the largest and most costly section of the Great Redwood Trail — the remote and landslide-prone Eel River Canyon between Scotia and Dos Rios.
But McGuire touted the economic benefits of the trail to the North Coast and predicted that it would become a “world-wide destination” for recreational tourists.
“The Great Redwood Trail isn’t just going to be the longest rail-trail in America,” he said. “I look at The Great Redwood Trail as the spine for the North Coast, with numerous trails and other recreational opportunities branching off of it — connecting the coast, connecting state and national parks, connecting our communities in beloved force.”
Humboldt County Office of the District Attorney press release:
On July 1, 2021, a Humboldt County jury found Brandon Matthew Watson, age 29, of Arcata, guilty of one count of first-degree murder for the homicide of Peter “Bo” Triantos and two felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon. The jury also found true the special allegations that Watson personally caused great bodily injury and personally used a deadly weapon.
The case arose from two separate incidents in which Watson approached strangers at a bar, started a fight with them, and ultimately stabbed them. The first incident occurred outside the Pearl in Eureka on February 14, 2016, when Antony Bessellieu-Hill and Brian Edwards were out celebrating Valentine’s Day with their significant others. At a point when the two men were in front of the bar discussing local gang activity, Watson overheard the conversation and aggressively inserted himself into their discussion. Watson claimed to be a gang member and tried to educate the pair on gangs. When they conveyed their lack of interest in Watson’s comments, he responded by punching Mr. Edwards in the face. Mr. Edwards then took Watson to the ground, but bouncers quickly broke up the fight. The bouncers then escorted Mr. Bessellieu-Hill and Mr. Edwards out the back of the bar, with the goal of avoiding further interaction with Watson.
Unfortunately, Watson and others were waiting in the alley behind the bar, and both Mr. Edwards and Mr. Bessellieu-Hill were stabbed multiple times. Fortunately, they both survived their injuries, albeit with severe physical and mental complications.
In the initial investigation of this incident, neither victim could identify that Mr. Watson had a knife. Mr. Bessellieu-Hill indicated that another, unidentified individual had a knife and had initially stabbed him in the abdomen. However, Mr. Bessellieu-Hill was able to testify that Watson was the only person to strike him multiple times in the back, and those strikes were in the same location as the stab wounds in his back. When Watson was cross-examined as to who initially stabbed Mr. Bessellieu-Hill, Watson refused to answer the question despite the Court’s direct order to answer the question. He testified that he “didn’t see how it was relevant” to identify the other person that stabbed Mr. Bessellieu-Hill. Watson admitted to stabbing Mr. Edwards.
The second incident occurred outside the Jam in Arcata on October 25, 2018, when Bo Triantos and Sage Rios were standing in front of the Jam. Watson approached Mr. Rios and began a conversation that involved Watson again claiming to be a gang member. When Mr. Triantos laughed at this claim, Watson punched him in the face. The three fought briefly before being separated, but they continued yelling at each other after the fight.
Video surveillance from local businesses captured the ensuing events. Mr. Triantos walked into an alley in apparent preparation for a fistfight with Watson. However, once in the alley, Watson proceeded to pull out a knife and stab Mr. Triantos multiple times, including a fatal strike to the abdomen. Watson immediately fled the scene.
Eureka Police Department Detective Sgt. (ret.) Kay Howden and Detective (ret.) John Gordon led the investigation into the assault on Mr. Edwards and Mr. Bessellieu-Hill. Arcata Police Department Detectives Luke Scown and Victoria Johnson led the investigation of Mr. Triantos’ death. Their investigations were assisted by numerous officers and evidence technicians with the Eureka and Arcata Police Departments.
Deputy District Attorney Roger C. Rees prosecuted the case with assistance from District Attorney Investigator Braden Brawner, and victim advocates Holly Hensher and Caitlyn LaHaie. Anakalia Sullivan represented Mr. Watson. Judge Lawrence Killoran presided over the month-long jury trial.
Mr. Watson is scheduled for sentencing on August 16, 2021. He faces a maximum of life in prison, with an initial parole eligibility date up to 35 years away. Because he was convicted of murder, Mr. Watson will serve every day of his sentence.
District Attorney Maggie Fleming commented on the trial, “Once again, the willingness of witnesses to come forward created the opportunity to achieve justice - I appreciate their decision to participate. I also appreciate the exceptional efforts of the jury, especially under the unique conditions created by the pandemic.”
