On Sunday, May 9th, 2021, Francine Dezzie Tuft Peterson, loving wife and mother, passed away peacefully at the age of 78. 

Francine was born on August 22nd, 1942, in Salt Lake City, UT to Frank and Dezzie Tuft.  She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Utah and later went on to achieve a Master of Arts degree in directing and musical theater.  Francine began her professional career at the Social Services office as an administrator in Eureka, CA.  In 1973, Francine, along with others, was one of the founders of The Humboldt Light Opera Company.  They all worked tirelessly to provide the residents of Humboldt County a performing arts experience.  In 1984 Francine was hired by Loyola University in New Orleans as the Opera Theatre director.  Francine quickly created the Loyola Opera Theatre program designed to train undergraduate and graduate singers to be effective vocal and acting performers in musical theatre, opera, and operetta.  During her tenure at Loyola, she produced and directed 11 operas, nine musical comedies, six scene recitals, fouroperettas, and two special projects. 

For the last 30+ years, Francine has worked as a Feng Shui Practitioner and Certified Sacred Place Practitioner.  On November 5th, 1966, she married David Humphrey Peterson and together they raised one son Darron.

Francine had a remarkable talent and passion for Feng Shui.  She brought an ancient practice to life in the modern world, in a way only Francine could. Her clients never experienced a situation too challenging for her dynamic method of practice. Her spirituality as well as her experience as a director, assisted in changing and transforming many people’s lives.  Coupled with her passion for rhododendrons, hydrangeas, and beautiful flowers, Francine created a peaceful, serene, and tranquil home in Kneeland, CA where she and David spent nearly 50 years together. 

Francine was preceded in death by her loving husband, David, her sister Joan, and her parents Frank and Dezzie.  She is survived by her son, Darron, his two children Alexandria and Lance, as well as nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life for her and David will be held on July 17th, 2021, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints located at 1660 Heartwood Drive, McKinleyville, CA at 12:00 p.m.

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

Congressman Jared Huffman joins Gang Green to talk about this legislative session. Top of his mind, as always, is his public lands bill—the “Northwest California Wilderness, Recreation, and Working Forests Act”—which packs together new Wilderness designations with fuel breaks, trespass cannabis clean up, new trails and visitor centers and more. Sen. Padilla has taken up the bill in the Senate and is proving to be an effective advocate. 

Also on the docket is dam removal on both the Eel and Klamath Rivers, protections for forage fish in the Magnuson Stevens, and the long problem of Trump’s judiciary for the environment. Listen in!

AUDIO:

“The EcoNews Report,” June 26, 2021.

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During a special meeting on Thursday evening — the last attended by resigning Mayor and Councilmember Sofia Pereira — the Arcata City Council unanimously voted to fill Pereira’s seat by appointment, rather than hold a special election to fill the vacancy.

The biggest reason behind the council’s decision is money. For the public to elect a new councilmember, the item would have been placed on the ballot for the next general election, Nov. 2.  With no other Arcata issues on the ballot, Arcata City Manager Karen Diemer said during Thursday’s meeting, the cost would run somewhere between $50,000 and $75,000 to hold the special election. With the City of Arcata still recovering from the economic impacts of the pandemic and very little money to spare in its budget, the council felt that the city could really not afford to call a special election.

The other factor is timing. Several of the council members mentioned that they would rather not go without a fifth council member between now and November. Also, Pereia’s term expires in November, 2022, which also makes it seem a little less worth it to hold a special election to fill a seat for one year.

“I’m always for giving people as much of an opportunity to vote as possible, but in this case I think the appointment is the way to go,” Brett Watson, now interim Arcata Mayor,  said during the meeting.

Watson, previously serving as vice-mayor, will step in, at least temporarily, as mayor. The council will decide during its July 14 meeting how to assign the mayor and vice-mayor roles for the remainder of the year.

As for the appointment process, community members who are interested in the council position will need to go through some of the same steps as if they were running for election. To be considered, the person must verify that they are over 18 and are an Arcata resident. They will then need to gather 20 valid signatures and submit a statement. The council will then interview each applicant and decide who to appoint. Members of the public and city staff will be able to submit questions for the council to ask the applicants, but council will have the final say on who is selected.

Per California government code, the council needs to fill the seat within 60 days, which gives a deadline of August 24. So, the process will need to happen somewhat quickly. The City of Arcata sent out a press release on Friday afternoon, saying that those interesting in the council position will need to make an appointment to pick up the paperwork by June 28. The deadline to submit application materials is July 19.

As a part of the meeting, the council also officially accepted Pereira’s resignation. First elected in 2014, Pereira was serving her second term on the Arcata City Council. Pereira will continue to serve her community in her new position as Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services’ Director of Public Health.

“It’s been really a privilege to work with all of you and I’m really excited to see what you build over the next several years,” Pereira said to the council before she exited Thursday’s meeting. “I’ve said this before, but the city is really in incredible hands with you all. I appreciate your service to our community, your dedication and the different perspectives that you bring. I’ll just get to work with you in a different role. I’m looking forward to that.”

Interested in becoming an Arcata City Councilmember? Scroll down to the end of this post for more from the City of Arcata.

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Earlier in the meeting the council also unanimously adopted the City’s 2021-22 budget, which projects both good and bad financial news for Arcata.

The good news is that the city tax revenues have remained in pretty good standing, with sales tax revenue estimated to increase by 12% from the previous year, transaction and use tax (TUT) by 23% and transient occupancy tax (TOT) is expected to see an 18% increase from 2020-21. Fee increases on water and wastewater have also contributed to city revenue, though most of those funds will go toward upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant.

But there are also increased expenditures, with other major projects, increases in personnel costs and insurance rates on the horizon. In order to stay in the black,  the city did have to maintain some of the cuts made last year to survive the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the most controversial of last year’s budget cuts was the over $750,000 reduction in funding to the Arcata Police Department. Though the department does see a large increase in funding in this fiscal year, six of the police department positions will remain frozen, including two police officers and one overhire office.

Councilmember Emily Grace Goldstein said that she did a lot of campaigning during the election on the idea that the city should take money out of the police budget and funnel it to other community services and asked what the council’s goals are when it comes to this plan.

In general, the other council members felt that the city should not make any more cuts to the police budget. Watson said that the vast majority of the feedback he gets from the public is that people want more police, adding that the department has the “bare minimum of officers right now.”

Councilmember Stacy Atkins-Salazar agreed that the city should not make any more reductions to the police department, adding that she would like to have seen the police budget reinstated to what it was, or see the city expand other community services to “bolster a sense of safety in our community.”

Pereira also felt that the police department budget should remain as it is, at least until the city has come up with alternative services to receive that funding. “How I look at it is,  if we’re going to take money away from something, then what are we building?” Pereira said during Thursday’s meeting. “Right now we’ve had to scrape things together to have a budget that’s in the black. I would want to use these next couple of years to build something that is worthy of that investment. I don’t think we’re there yet.”

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City of Arcata press release:

The Arcata City Council will be appointing a replacement for Sofia Pereira, who stepped down from her seat on the Council to take on a new role as Humboldt County’s Director of Public Health.

The appointment must take place within 60 days of Pereira’s departure on Friday, June 25, and the new Council member will serve out the remainder of her term of office, through November of 2022.

The City Council adopts laws and sets policies to guide the City Manager and City staff in City operations. City Council members attend two regular meetings on the first and third Wednesday of each month in addition to other special meetings and study sessions, and various other monthly meetings of various regional partners.

Qualifications for individuals who wish to be considered for a seat on the Arcata City Council include that they must be at least 18 years old, must live within Arcata city limits, and are registered to vote at their Arcata residence address. Applicants must also obtain at least 20, but no more than 30, nomination signatures of registered voters who reside with Arcata city limits and are registered to vote at their Arcata residence

Those who wish to be considered for the opening may make an in-person or zoom appointment to receive application materials, beginning at 11 a.m. on Monday, June 28. Application information is available online at www.cityofarcata.org, however candidates must demonstrate residency and receive the actual nomination form from the City to be considered.

To make a 15-30 minute appointment please call (707) 825-2103 or (707) 822-5953 or email bdory@cityofarcata.org. Complete application materials must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Monday, July 19.

Once applications are received, nomination signatures will be verified and candidate statements will become available for public review. A City Council Candidate Forum will be scheduled to interview the applicants who qualify.

More information regarding the candidate interviews and methods for the public to provide input into the process will be released shortly. The new Councilmember is expected to be sworn in at the beginning of the August 18 Council meeting.

Please email bdory@cityofarcata.org or call (707) 822-5953 with questions regarding the appointment process. For more information and updates, visit cityofarcata.org.

California renters, who are still struggling to pay the rent even as the pandemic wanes, will be shielded from eviction through Sept. 30, under a last-minute deal announced today by Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders.

The agreement, which more fully opens up $5.2 billion to pay full back rent and rent going forward, could become law as soon as Monday if approved by the Assembly and Senate. Newsom said he is eager to sign the bill before the existing protections expire on June 30.

In statements, Newsom and legislative leaders who negotiated the new protections said they would keep families from falling through the safety net as California reopens from COVID-19 and the economy recovers. “This proposal avoids a massive eviction cliff, allowing us to keep tenants in their homes and get landlords the financial support they need,” said Assembly Housing Chairperson David Chiu, a San Francisco Democrat who put together the initial moratorium.

While advocacy groups representing tenants and landlords said they were shut out of the negotiations — similar to the last two rounds of negotiations — both sides managed to get some key provisions they wanted. Here are some key components of Assembly Bill 832:

What would this mean for tenants?

Tenants would have a defense in court should their landlord evict them over non-payment of rent through Sept. 30. They still have to submit a declaration saying they are unable to make full rent, and pay at least 25% of their monthly rent between Sept. 1, 2020 and June 2021, or in bulk, by Sept. 30, to avoid eviction.

“If you are served with a 15-day notice and do not provide the declaration form to your landlord before the 15-day notice expires, you could be evicted,” the bill says.

Additional documentation, such as a bank statement proving a decrease in income, could be required in cases where a landlord has proof the tenant makes over a certain income.

Tenants will still need to abide by their lease in order to avoid eviction for reasons other than non-payment of rent.

Evictions over non-payment of rent could resume on Oct. 1, but people who make less than 80% of the area median income and were financially affected by COVID would have another six months to apply for rental assistance funds.

If the rent relief application goes through, the eviction process will be blocked, and landlords will be able to receive compensation for missed back rent. If the tenant is ineligible, however, the proceeding will continue.

Lupe Arreola, executive director of Tenants Together, said while the additional legal protections sound good in theory, they may not work in real life. “We’re saying that’s wishful thinking. We’re saying that’s not going to happen.”

So what about the money? The bill says tenants, as well as their landlords, will be able to apply for 100% of back rent and up to three months of forward rent. Previously, without landlord approval, a tenant was eligible for only 25% of missed rental payments.

That was a key ask from tenant advocates, and a source of worry for landlords, who said the provision would be abused. Tenants who receive rental assistance will acknowledge under penalty of perjury they will use the money to pay missed rent.

If the landlord still tries to evict the tenant over non-payment of rent, the court will be able to check whether the tenant received state dollars. If they paid the full amount to the landlord, the eviction will be blocked.

The bill also shields evictions over non-payment of rent from appearing on a tenant’s record, which hampers the ability to rent in the future.

Who is eligible for relief?

The tenant’s household income must be at or below 80% of the area median income during 2020 or 2021. Those income brackets vary by region. Tenants with an income below 50% will be prioritized. Assistance is available to tenants regardless of their immigration status.

Local jurisdictions distributing rental relief might have different rules, however; during the last round of funds in Los Angeles, for example, a two-person household couldn’t make more than $45,050.

The bill expands eligibility to tenants who may have moved out of their home during the pandemic, who were not covered previously. They can now apply for back rent owed to a previous landlord.

What does this deal mean for landlords?

Landlords will be unable to evict tenants over non-payment of rent through Sept. 30. To file an eviction lawsuit after that, the landlord must provide evidence to the court they applied for rental assistance. The case can only proceed if the tenant does not complete their application or qualify for aid.

Landlord groups, which hoped the protections would not be further extended, are frustrated by this provision.

“While there is some recognition of this distress in the deal by providing 100% in rent assistance and requirements for the tenants to use the funds to pay rent, we are very concerned as to when this moratorium will actually end,” Christine LaMarca, president of the California Rental Housing Association, which represents more than 20,000 landlords, said in a statement.

Landlords will still be able to evict tenants for a substantial remodel only if that is necessary to comply with health and safety standards, and if the owner of the property is selling it to a buyer who intends to occupy the property. They cannot, for example, sell to someone who intends to rent out the place.

Those restrictions might be tighter in certain localities, like Los Angeles, which passed a local moratorium earlier this week. But under the bill, other cities would not be able to enact stricter rules through March 2022, a provision supported by the California Apartment Association.

Landlords would be able to apply for 100% of back and forward rent. The previous law said a landlord could apply for 80% of missed rent payments and would have to forgive the remaining 20%; the new bill means that even those who applied for only partial refund will be receiving the missing funds.

If both a landlord and a tenant applied for funds, the money will go directly to the landlord. It will only go to the tenant if the landlord declines to participate in the program.

But the California Apartment Association said the state’s moratorium extension, and the federal extension through July announced Thursday, would not be necessary if the rent relief money was getting out to landlords and tenants.

“It is frustrating that the state of California and numerous local governments have not quickly disbursed funds to those in need, especially to mom-and-pop rental housing providers who have not seen any rent payments yet must still pay the mortgage, insurance, taxes, maintenance and other expenses,” association President Tom Bannon said in a statement.

What about the money?

The protections are tied to dollars; and lots of them. The state approved an additional $2.6 billion of rental assistance, plus an existing $2.6 billion, all from federal relief funding. That’s $5.2 billion available to cover the missed back rent and up to three months of forward rent.

An analysis by PolicyLink, an Oakland-based research group, suggests that about 758,000 households in California are behind on rent and owe a total of $3.5 billion.

“The linchpin in all of this is the billions of dollars we have from the federal government. We have got to urgently fix whatever has slowed the flow of that money to a trickle.”

Brian Augusta, California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation

That money has gone out at a snail’s pace. While billions have been available since January, the state has distributed from its pot only $61.6 million in relief to a little more than 5,000 households so far.

“The linchpin in all of this is the billions of dollars we have from the federal government,” Brian Augusta, legislative advocate for the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, told CalMatters. “We have got to urgently fix whatever has slowed the flow of that money to a trickle.”

And to accelerate the rent relief rollout, the deal includes deadlines. According to Senate Democrats, the proposal says that state agencies, cities and counties that received the first $2.6 billion round in January 2021 must spend it all by Sept. 30, 2022. They have to spend the full second round of $2.6 billion by Sept. 30, 2025.

That all means that while tenants will be protected from eviction, the full amount of rent relief doesn’t have to reach tenants or landlords for several years. But to protect from evictions, tenants must apply for the funds as soon as possible.

Several cities, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, have reported demand for rental assistance far outweighed availability. The bill says that unspent funds will be redirected to those places with the highest need.

The bill also grants larger cities and counties the ability to administer their own rental funds, instead of having to rely on the state to administer a portion of those. That was a major request from local governments.

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

On Tuesday, June 22nd, 2021, Charron “Sonny” Davis passed away peacefully at home with his loved ones by his side.

Sonny was born on July 12th, 1941 to Madeline Davis and Shan Davis in Somes Bar, California. He married his soulmate, Kathleen Davis, in 1963 and is now on his way to be with her in the faraway land.

Sonny is survived by his sons Mike Davis (Kim) and Davey Davis (Misty); Grandchildren Louise Davis, Branden Davis, Forrest Davis (Theo), Shan Davis (Andie), Jake Davis (Brionna), Sam Davis, Frank Davis (Priscilla), Maddie Davis, Rilen Davis and Ivan Davis; Great grandchildren Ashten Davis, Laura Mae Davis, Evelyn Davis, Caroline Davis, Jacob Davis, Thalia Davis, Michael Adolin Davis, and many beloved nieces, nephews and friends.

Sonny comes from a long line of basket weavers and medicine people from the Katimiin and Ti’i areas. He was from the old people, and was a connection for all Karuk people to learn story and language. Being a true Karuk, some of his medicine was being a good human and an inspiration for all his children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, nephews and nieces, cousins, and our Karuk communities. Part of his medicine legacy is being a renowned language teacher/leader where he has touched, and will touch, an immeasurable amount of lives and continue to lead Karuk people for generations.

Sonny was an avid Nascar fan, specifically loving The Intimidator and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. In his youth he was a Pit Boss for a crew on the quarter-mile dirt track circuit in Oregon and California. Sonny had fruitful careers as a logger, a carpenter and a concrete finisher. In his later years Sonny served his people by being elected to the Karuk Tribal council for over 15 years. He will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved him.

Pall Bearers: Forrest Davis, Shan Davis, Jake Davis, Sam Davis, Frank Davis and Rilen Davis. Honorary Pall Bearers: Mike Davis, Davey Davis, Branden Davis, Ivan Davis, Charles Houston, Carey Thom, Joe Calvery, Scott Bernal, Jeremy Bernal, Clayton Wallace, Irwin Davis Sr., Irwin Davis Jr., Kenny Faddis, Tommy Faddis, Patrick Bell, Bill Ince, and Lester Aubrey.

Services will be held at the family cemetery in Ti Bar, on Sunday, June 27 at 11 a.m. There will be a potluck at the lower flat following the services.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Charron “Sonny” Davis’ loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.

Cynthia Gail Petersen passed away peacefully on Saturday, December 26, 2020, in her home after a long and courageous battle with cancer.

A life-long resident of the Eel River Valley, Cynthia graduated from Fortuna Union High School in 1965, attended the Eureka Business College and married her high school sweetheart, Chris Petersen in July 1968. Together they had three children and owned a family dairy in Loleta, California. She was a member of the Loleta School Board and was part of the group that started a girl’s softball league in Fortuna.

Cynthia worked for the County of Humboldt in both the Probation Department and the Auditor/Controller’s Office for almost 25 years before her retirement in September, 2012. She was a member of the Christ Lutheran Church in Fortuna. She was also a Past Matron of the Ferndale Chapter #23, Order of the Eastern Star, for which she was a 47 year member.

Cynthia loved to travel, host parties and spend time with her family. Some of her favorite trips were to Denmark to visit family. She was very artistic and enjoyed drawing and working on different craft projects.

Cynthia is preceded in death by her parents, Harold Colt (Cohen) and Bethel Curtis Kibler, and her beloved brother Bruce Cohen.

She is survived by her loving husband of 52 years David “Chris” Petersen, Children Robin Coon (Don), Christian Petersen (Dannielle), and Johanna Helzer (Andy). Grandchildren JD and Jason Coon; Abbi (Justin), Isabelle, David and Maddie Petersen and step-grandson Devin Helzer.

A memorial service will be held at Christ Lutheran Church at 2132 Smith Lane in Fortuna on Saturday June 26, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in memory of Cynthia to the Loleta Volunteer Fire Department P.O. Box 766 Loleta, CA. 95551, or the VFW in Fortuna 2420 Acacia Fortuna, CA. 95540.

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

A horned puffin has parked itself in Trinidad harbor over the last few days, and Humboldt’s bird-loving population is very excited over the once-in-a-lifetime local sighting. 

Belonging to the Alcidae family, horned puffins are black and white birds with large, vibrant yellow and orange beaks. Small horn-like spikes above their eyes, along with their tendency to nest on cliffs rather than underground burrows, set horned puffins apart from the other three species of puffin. 

With a migration range from north of Alaska to Washington, horned puffins travel far distances, but rarely this far. Kayak Trinidad owner Jason Self posted about the puffin sighting on his business’s Facebook page.

“As soon as word got out, bird lovers descended on Trinidad with their spotting scopes and we started getting messages from folks in Redding and Sacramento who were literally hopping in their cars to get here as quick as they could to see it,” Self told the Outpost in an email. “People have told us they’ve been trying to spot one for 30 and 40 years and this was their first sighting. I guess it’s a big deal for bird nerds!”

Check out our local puffin evidence, courtesy Nick Butterfield, below.

Video by Nick Butterfield