Don Furber (August 24 1946-November 26, 2020) was born in Arcata and lived in Bayside all his life except for 10 years when he lived in Reedport, Oregon on a farm he purchased from his grandparents.

Growing up, he participated in basketball and football during the school year and commercial fished with his parents in the summer. After returning to Bayside, he worked at Almquist Lumber for his material well-being and used the rest of his time for his mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. Fishing, hunting and sailing afforded him experiences of the natural world that always drew him closer to His Creator. Relationships with family and friends were often accompanied by unrestrained laughter or tearful compassion, but always sincere love. And the creative juices that flowed through him found expression in clay, wood, poetry and an occasional invention. Those that knew him well, know that he sang and danced, not only at parties, but in worship of his Heavenly Father.

After retiring, he got to fulfill a lifetime dream of sailing and fishing beyond Big Lagoon and the north coast of California, spending several months in Mexico and then sailing across the Pacific to Tahiti.

Then, on Thanksgiving Day, 2020, amidst political turmoil and pandemic chaos, Don Furber, 74, slipped quietly away to a more peaceful, pain-free place, leaving those who remain here to rejoice for him, knowing that he was full of gratitude for the life he was given and experienced much joy while he was here.

He is missed by many who will now have the opportunity to celebrate his life by sharing memories and/or photos on July 10 at 1 p.m. If you want to share in the festivities, please respond to fishonDon2021@gmail.com.

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Rosetta Darlene Stewart was born in Appleton City, Missouri on November 29, 1939. She passed away while living in Timber Ridge Assisted Living on June 9, 2021, at the age of 81.

Rosetta had a deep love for all of  her children. All who knew Rosetta considered her a Mother figure. She is survived by five of her seven children. Danny, Randy, his wife Veronica, Janice, Misty and Steven. Granddaughters, Connie & Briana. Great grandchildren,  Becky and Corey. She was proceeded in death by two of her children,  Michael and Kimberly and well as her husband, Robert Stewart. 

Rosetta was a loving, kind spirit. She had a love for collecting monkeys and porcelain dolls. A very special thank you to all the caring & helpful staff of Timber Ridge Assisted Living, as well as Humboldt County PACE, where she was a client for many years. 

Due to Covid, a small family celebration of life will be held privately. 

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The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors kicked off Tuesday’s meeting with a procession of speakers offering thank-yous and fare-thee-wells to County Administrative Officer Amy Nilsen, whose last day after five years on the job will be Friday.

“This is like losing a beloved cast member of a TV show,” Board Chair and Fourth District Supervisor Virginia Bass said. 

Nilsen’s tenure with the county lasted more than two decades as she moved up the ranks from medical office assistant through a variety of other positions, culminating in CAO, a job Bass equated to being the CEO of a half-billion-dollar company. She was hired for that top staff position in 2015.

Elishia Hayes, the county’s chief operating officer/assistant county administrative officer, was approved to serve as acting CAO.

State legislators Senator Mike McGuire and Assemblymember Jim Wood both appeared via Zoom to offer praise and gratitude. 

“She has truly devoted herself to this county and devoted her entire adult life to the people of this amazing community,” McGuire said, adding that she’s leaving the county government stronger than she found it.

Wood echoed those sentiments, saying he doesn’t envy the next person to step into her shoes.

Sean Quincey, the county’s deputy CAO, said he couldn’t have asked for a better role model, and he presented a video in which a number of county and state officials appeared — along with a surprise cameo from former Humboldt County CAO Philip Smith-Hanes — to sing Nilsen’s praises. 

First District Supervisor Rex Bohn got choked up when it was his turn to speak. “Amy, thanks,” he concluded. “Thanks for everything.”

Nilsen said she appreciated the sentiments but found the attention “completely embarrassing and a little bit mortifying.” She then encouraged the board to move on, because they had a busy agenda.

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Garberville Veterans Memorial Hall

The vets hall in Garberville, a beloved gathering spot built in 1960, has fallen into a sorry state of disrepair. It has been closed since 2016 due to issues with mold, water infiltration, structural damage, accessibility and proliferation of toxic materials including lead and asbestos.

On Tuesday, Sean Meehan, the county’s deputy director of facilities management with the Department of Public Works, briefed the board on the details of the building damage and offered three options for moving forward. The first was to demolish and reconstruct the building in its entirety, including space for the State Courts at an estimated cost of $4.5 million.

The second option, not recommended by staff, was to restore the building while leaving some structural elements intact, a project with a projected cost of $3.6 million.

The third option — the one the board ultimately settled on — was to demolish the existing building and construct a smaller one without room for the State Courts. 

A group of veterans appeared via Zoom from Garberville. One, Doug Battles, thanked the board for its diligence in inspecting the damage but said the county needs to do a better job at communicating. Another, Jeffrey Hedin, said vets should be allowed to help with building maintenance. Several voiced support for the first and most expensive option, saying it’s important to locals to have court services available. 

During the ensuing board discussion, Fifth District Supervisor Steve Madrone said he fully supports that first option, but Third District Supervisor Mike Wilson asked a variety of questions about the finances of the project, including whether the State Courts would contribute to those expenses. 

Nilsen reminded the board that the county has a contractual agreement to offer space to the courts, though that obligation could be met with mobile buildings such as kiosks. The courts have not provided services in Southern Humboldt in roughly five years, she said, but they’ve expressed a desire to have space available eight hours a day, five days per week.

Second District Supervisor Michelle Bushnell, who has made the vets hall a top priority since she first ran for office, highlighted the importance of the facility to the community but echoed Wilson’s concerns about the added expense of the first option. She wound up making a motion to take option number three, rebuilding a smaller facility without space for the courts, in part because of the complications that would ensue by having to include state architects.

“I think this is a way we can get this building done now,” Bushnell said. “Is it fair? No, it’s not all fair. … But i do think this is what will work the best for all parties involved.”

Bohn seconded the motion, and after some discussion it was passed unanimously.

County reopening

The board then spent a very long time discussing when and how the county should go about fully reopening its various facilities to employees and the public. Should everyone be required to wear masks? Or only those who aren’t vaccinated? Should the county take people’s word on vaccination status? Or require proof?

Human Resources Director Linda Le offered an overview of the latest direction from the state legislature and Cal/OSHA, and she told the board members that they had a number of decisions to make. With risk management in mind, Le recommended a conservative approach, one that would require all employees to wear masks at work, allow many employees to continue working remotely and have the board meetings remain virtual through September.

Sheriff Billy Honsal was among a handful of officials who advocated fewer restrictions. He suggested that department heads who so choose should be allowed to let the public to go maskless as long as they’ve been vaccinated, and taking their word for that status. 

Bohn voiced frustration at Le’s suggestions, including three more months of virtual meetings. He said that with COVID variants afoot and a good chunk of the public still not vaccinated, seems like the pandemic may never be all-the-way over. 

“You’re putting the fear of God in us,” he said. “I don’t know that we need the fear of God. Maybe we just need to trust in Him more.”

Wilson was annoyed for different reasons. “For me maybe the most frustrating part is that 99 percent of what we’re doing is protecting unvaccinated people from other unvaccinated people,” he said, noting that while a few people have medical reasons for not getting vaccinated, the vast majority of those now getting sick and dying have chosen to forgo the shots. “The solution is there,” he said. “This is a completely preventable situation.”

Madrone made a motion to require all county staff to wear masks through September, but that motion died on the vine. 

Wilson, in an effort to move the deliberations forward, then made a motion to allow staff to self-attest to their vaccination status and go mask-free if they’ve fully vaccinated (meaning at least two weeks out from their final shot(s)). Wilson wound up voting against his own motion, and he was joined by Madrone. But the other three supervisors voted yes, and the motion passed.

Next up, the board considered what to require of the public. There was some debate about how trustworthy people are, in terms of being honest about their vaccination status, with Wilson and Madrone urging a requirement for universal masking. However, once again, they were outnumbered. The majority voted to simply post signs outside every department saying those who are fully vaccinated are free to go sans masks. 

The board next voted 3-2 with Bohn and Bushnell dissenting to continue allowing some employees to work remotely. And lastly, on this item, the board voted along those same lines to keep meeting virtually through September — or until new guidance comes down from the state. 

Roundup

A couple of other items worth noting:

• The county’s economic development team has been scrambling in recent months due to the abrupt announcement from the Smart Business Resource Center, a workforce development agency, that it would stop offering its services and terminate all contracts with the county due to late payments and logistical headaches. On Tuesday, Economic Development Director Scott Adair announced that a new community-based coalition, including the county, HSU, College of the Redwoods and other local community organizations, can take over the programs funded via the Workforce Investment Opportunities Act (WIOA). The board gratefully accepted this turn of events with a unanimous vote to pursue that path.
• The board approved the formation of the Samoa Peninsula Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District, a governmental entity comprised of both public and private partners. According to staff, this new entity will help the local community get funding for a wide variety of public capital improvement projects, including facilities to support aquaculture, wind energy and international communication.

The City of Eureka announced on its website today that the Eureka City Council will resume in-person meetings on Tuesday, July 6, after more than a year of meeting virtually over Zoom.

Assistant City Manager/ City Clerk Pam Powell told the Outpost that because the sound system in the city council chambers is in bad need of repairs, the City is currently incapable of holding the meetings both in-person and over Zoom. So, at least at first, all the council members and city staff will need to be physically present for the meetings. Members of the public who are either unable to attend or uncomfortable with attending in-person will still be able to comment by calling in or having Powell call them during the meeting.

Powell said that, using COVID relief funds, the City will be updating and repairing the sound system at the end of August, after which the City will be able to hold hybrid meetings and people will again be able to attend via Zoom. For now, the meetings will still be broadcast live on the City of Eureka’s website and on Cable Channel 10.

Not only will Tuesday’s meeting be the first time the council, city staff and the public have come together in 15 months, it will also be the first time Councilmembers Scott Bauer and Kati Moulton — who were both elected in Nov. 2020 — will attend a meeting in the council chambers.

To welcome Moulton and Bauer to their physical seats, Powell said, the City will hold a swearing-in ceremony for them at the beginning of Tuesday’s meeting, with their friends and family invited to attend.

The Eureka City Council meets on Tuesday, July 6 at 6 p.m. in the council chambers of Eureka City Hall, 531 K Street. An agenda for the upcoming meeting will be released later this week. For those planning to attend in person, masks and physical distancing are required if you are not vaccinated. If you prefer to stay home you will be able to comment by emailing cityclerk@ci.eureka.ca.gov or leaving a voicemail at 707-441-4175.

“The council and staff are really looking forward to being in-person and seeing everyone again,” Powell said.

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Every 10 years, after the Census, California has to redraw the lines that divvy up its vast land and population into discrete political districts – Congressional districts, districts for the state Senate and state Assembly. We do this because the population of the state is ever in flux, as people migrate or die or are born, to ensure that every citizen has equal representation in the Congress or the state legislature.

And every 10 years, as the decennial redistricting effort gets underway, comes the horrible fear – or the beautiful dream! – that Humboldt County, which is not large enough to have its own representative in any of the legislative bodies, will end up lumped in with the red-state Republicans to our east rather than the true blue counties to our south.

It’s never really happened in modern times, but it’s not impossible! The 2020 Census counted 39,538,223 Californians this year. That works out to roughly:

• 494,227 people per State Assembly district
• 760,350 people per House of Representatives district
• 988,455 people per State Senate district

What prevents the line-drawers from just lopping off the top of the state, in various permutations, and just calling it a day? Not much, in theory. Since 2010, the statewide redistricting effort has been in the hands of a citizens commission – the California Citizens Redistricting Commission – that’s made up of a group of volunteers that is politically balanced and randomized to take the power of the gerrymander away from politicians and parties. (Read more about how the commission is formed at this link.)

When the commission sets down to draw the lines, one thing they are required to attempt is to keep “communities of interest” intact. They are supposed to avoid splitting cities or counties into two different legislative districts, to the extent feasible, and the same is true for the “communities of interest” – places that just feel like part of the same place, with the same industries or natural resources or just overall societal tendencies. Think Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, for example, or Modoc and Lassen – if you can keep those together, you probably should.

But “communities of interest” are hard to define. Some Humboldters will feel far more fellow-feeling with residents of San Rafael than they will with residents of Redding, and some vice versa. That’s why the California Citizens Redistricting Commission wants to hear from you! It will be taking testimony from residents of Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Lake, Napa, Sonoma and Trinity counties on Thursday, July 1, from noon to 8 p.m.

Which nearby major population center do you want to district up with, and why? It’s not an academic question. Given that Humboldt is about a third of an Assembly district, a sixth of a Congressional district, or an eighth of a state Senate district, whoever we team up with will have a larger say over Humboldt affairs in the state legislature and Congress than we will.

“If Northwest California is broken up and we are lumped together with our friends from Shasta, Tehama or Siskiyou, our ability to advocate for important environmental issues facing our region would be weakened for the next decade,” says Tom Wheeler, executive director of the Environmental Protection Information Center.

If you have strong feelings about that prospect either way, you probably want to tell the commission why! Press release from the California Citizens Redistricting Commission, with details on how to participate in Thursday’s meeting, below:

On July 1, 2021, the California Citizens Redistricting Commission (Commission) will host a Communities of Interest (COI) virtual hearing to capture North Coast community specific data that will help the Commissioners respect community boundaries when drawing district lines, as is mandated by California’s line drawing criteria.

WHO: California Citizens Redistricting Commission
WHAT: Communities of Interest Input Meeting (North Coast—Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Lake, Napa, Sonoma, Trinity)
WHEN: Thursday, July 1, 2021 from 12:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M.
LIVE: http://videossc.com/CRC/ INFO: https://www.wedrawthelinesca.

When the Commission begins drawing maps using census data, they will need to follow this set of criteria, in this order, as outlined in the California Constitution.

1. Districts must be of nearly equal population to comply with the U.S. Constitution.
2. Districts must comply with the Voting Rights Act to ensure that minorities have a fair opportunity to elect representatives of their choice.
3. Districts must be drawn contiguously, so that all parts of the district are connected to each other.
4. Districts must minimize the division of counties, cities, neighborhoods, and communities of interest to the extent possible.
5. Districts should be geographically compact such that nearby areas of population are not bypassed for more distant populations.
6. Where practicable, each Senate District should consist of two complete and adjacent Assembly Districts, and Board of Equalization districts should consist of ten complete and adjacent State Senate Districts. This is known as nesting.

We can obtain the city and county information from those jurisdictions, but we need the neighborhood and communities of interest information from Californians directly.

During these input meetings, participants will be asked to describe their community and will be encouraged to consider highlighting the following:

1. Begin with your county or city.
2. Mention the street names and significant locations in your neighborhood to help us identify the parameters of your community.
3. What are your shared interests?
4. What brings you together?
5. What is important to your community?
6. Are there nearby areas you want to be in a district with?
7. Nearby areas you don’t want to be in a district with? Why or why not?
8. Has your community come together to advocate for important services, better schools, roads, or health centers in your neighborhood?

Registration is not required to participate in these public input meetings. The call-in number for public input on the day of each event will be (877)853-5247.

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On June 29, 2021, at about 1:50 a.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a residence on the 4100 block of Sunny Circle in Cutten for the report of a car prowler.

Ethan James Maguire | HCSO.

Deputies arrived at the residence and located the suspect, later identified as 37-year-old Ethan James Maguire, being detained by residents outside. According to the residents, Maguire had been discovered sitting inside the residents’ vehicle without permission.

Maguire was found to have an active warrant for his arrest and was taken into custody without incident. During a search of Maguire and an associated backpack, deputies located multiple stolen electronics and miscellaneous property belonging to various victims throughout the Cutten area.

Maguire was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of grand theft (PC 487), possession of stolen property (PC 496(A)) and tampering with an automobile (VC 10852).

Car prowl, also known as theft from vehicles, is a crime of opportunity. An offender makes a decision to break into a vehicle based on a perception that there are items of value inside the vehicle, which makes the potential payoff worth the risk. A car prowl can be completed in a minute or less, and a significant number of these crimes occur between the hours of 10 p.m. and 4 a.m.

Car prowl is one of the easiest crimes to prevent with increased awareness and a change in habits. The following steps will reduce the chances that your vehicle will be targeted:

1. Always lock your vehicle, even if you are home.
2. Keep the interior of your vehicle “showroom” clean. Never leave valuables in plain view. Offenders often break into vehicles for items such as gym bags because they assume there are electronic devices or other items inside.
3. Hide chargers and accessories that indicate a GPS, mobile phone or other devices that support electronics.
4. Remove garage door openers, key cards, and house or work keys from your car.
5. Park your car in a well-lit area. Trim back trees and bushes that block the view of your vehicle from your house.

To report a vehicle burglary, car prowler or related criminal activity, please contact the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251. 

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has identified the victim of last week’s homicide near Orick as 40-year-old Benjamin Scott Thomas of Trinidad.

Thomas’ cause of death has been determined to be a gunshot wound.

This is an ongoing investigation. Information will be released as available and appropriate.

Anyone with information about this case 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.

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PREVIOUSLY:

HOMICIDE INVESTIGATION: Gunshot Victim Dies After Being Dropped Off by Unknown Party at Cal Fire Station Near Orick