James ‘Jim’ G. Widdoes passed away
peacefully on Monday, November 9, 2020 at the age of 83, surrounded by
his children. Jim was born May 13, 1937 in Los Angeles.
Jim was adopted
when he was a year old by Earle and Florence Widdoes and was raised
on a farm in Forestville, California. He graduated from Analy High School in
1956 and attended Santa Rosa Junior College as a Music Major. He is
a graduate of the San Francisco College of Mortuary Science in 1961.
Jim has been
active in the funeral profession since 1958. He was co-owner and manager of Goble’s Fortuna Mortuary since 1970 until Max Goble’s
death in 2004, when he became partners with his son Marc and
son-in-law Tom Howe until retirement and the sale of the mortuary in
2014.
Jim was a member
of the Fortuna Methodist Church and a 39-year member and past president
of the Fortuna Kiwanis Club. Many will remember him working at the
Kiwanis and 4-H Spaghetti Feed fund raiser for over 30 years. He
was active with the Cub Scouts as Scout Leader of Pack 47. He served
as a board member and treasurer for the Fortuna Christmas Music
Festival for 25 years and Jim sung for many organizations and events
throughout Humboldt County.
Jim was also very
active in the Masonic Family. He joined the Eel River Lodge #147 in
1962. Was a member of Scottish Rite, Valley of Santa Rosa and
started the Valley of Northern California, Fortuna in 2004. He also
belonged to the Aahmes Shrine and organized the Redwood Shrine Club
‘Joker Clown Unit’. Many may know him as “Putter the Clown”.
A member of Rohnerville-Redwood Chapter #76, Fortuna Order of the
Eastern Star. He also had been active with Job’s Daughter, Rainbow
for Girls and DeMolay.
He is preceded in
death by his beloved wife of 57 years, Elaine. He is survived by his four children — Shari Lynn Widdoes Howe (Tom Howe), Richard Walter
Widdoes, Kimberly Gayle Widdoes, and Marc James Widdoes (Jaclyn). He
also had 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Friends and
family are invited to the viewing/visitation on Wednesday, November
18, 2020 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Goble’s Fortuna Mortuary, 560
12th St, Fortuna. Funeral service will be on
Thursday, November 19, 2020 at 2:00 p.m., also at Goble’s. A private
family burial will take place at Sunrise Cemetery, Fortuna. In lieu
of flowers memorial contributions can be made in memory of Jim, to
the Valley of Northern California Scottish Rite for the future
Childhood Language Center, P.O. box 51, Fortuna, CA 95540, or to the
Redwood Shrine Clube for Shriner’s Hospital Transportation Fund,
251 Bayside Road, Arcata, CA 95521 or to your favorite charity.
###
The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Jim Widdoes’ loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.
Batten down! We’re gettin’ some rain tonight and tomorrow, according to forecasts from our good friends and yours at the local National Weather Service office on Woodley Island.
This’ll be the first good rain of the season, so be ready for slick roads. The first rains of the year always loosen up the accumulated grit and grime, and a higher-than-usual number of crashes is all but guaranteed.
Forecast discussion from the National Weather Service:
A strong storm system is forecast to move across the
region during Friday. Widespread beneficial rainfall will be
likely, along with gusty south winds and mountain snow. Additional
periods of rain will be possible through the weekend into early to
middle portions of next week.
DISCUSSION
A strong upper-level westerly jet was evident in
water vapor imagery early Thursday afternoon. A shortwave trough
embedded within the jet over the Gulf of Alaska is forecast to
move across coastal WA/OR during the next 24 hours. As that takes
place, the southern extent of a zone of strong ascent will spread
across NWRN CA late tonight through Friday afternoon, with
associated rainfall developing along the Del Norte and Humboldt
coasts by 4-7 AM Friday…Trinity County by 7-10 AM…and
Mendocino and Lake Counties by 10 AM-1 PM.
Rainfall totals by
Friday afternoon are forecast to range from 1 to 2 inches along
west facing ridges in Del Norte and Humboldt Counties, to around
0.5-1.0 inch in the vicinity of Humboldt Bay, as well as Trinity
and Mendocino Counties. Lower amounts from 0.25 to 0.75 inch are
expected in Lake County.
A coastal barrier jet is also forecast to develop ahead of an
approaching frontal boundary Friday morning and afternoon. That
jet will favor southerly winds gusting to 50 mph across exposed
coastal areas and ridges…including Crescent City. A wind
advisory has been issued as a result. In addition, south winds
over the Central Valley will encounter the Trinity Alps Friday
morning and afternoon, which will aid in upslope cooling over the
mountains resulting in snow levels locally lowering to 4000 feet.
Snowfall totals from 4 to 6 inches will be possible at Scott
Mountain Summit, with locally higher amounts expected across the
surrounding mountains. Reference the latest winter weather
advisory for additional information.
A special message from the Eureka Police Department:
It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our EPD K9 Vex. Vex passed
on Nov. 7, 2020 with his loving family by his side. On behalf of all of us at the
Eureka Police Department, thank you to the La France Family and thank you Vex for
your dedicated service and commitment to keeping Eureka safer! Vex will always have a
very special place in many hearts.
The definition of a working dog is “a dog of suitable breed or training kept for its
practical use, rather than as a pet or for showing.” The Belgian Malinois “have a great
deal of stamina and truly enjoy working. They are intelligent and very active dogs that
excel at many tasks.” Patrol K9s are used to locate and assist in the apprehension of
serious and violent criminal offenders.
With his handler, Sgt. La France, Vex served the Eureka Police Department as a Patrol
K9 from August 2010 to April 2019. He was deployed 754 times and assisted in the
arrest of 146 suspects, 94% of which chose to surrender with just the sight of Vex. Vex
was not only a force multiplier but also an expert in de-escalation. During his years of
service, he showed a strength of character and continued working despite falling
through a ceiling, being violently assaulted, and being injured on other occasions.
Larger than life, Vex always made his presence known whether he was searching for a
suspect or if someone simply walked by his car. While working, Vex didn’t need
commands. Once he was placed on leash, he knew his job and knew it well. When he
was needed to search, he knew to move towards odor. When needed to cover a
suspect being taken into custody, he was relentless, laser focused and deafening. When searching, he led from the front. When in the back of the patrol car, he watched
officers’ six. If a violent suspect needed to be captured, he was always willing and
capable.
The bond between handler and K9 is like no other. This was very true for Sgt. La
France and Vex. They spent endless hours on walks and training together. Vex often
vacationed with his family as well and spent adventures in downtown San Francisco and
Phoenix, AZ. Each daily event with was teamwork and Sgt. La France and Vex could
read each other. Vex appeared to tell when his handler’s pulse and heart rate elevated,
he knew when a priority call was coming in, and his handler could tell a suspect was
near based on Vex’s leash pressure, the position of Vex’s ears, eyes, and nose.
Even with his intensity and controlled ferocity, Vex had a soft side; he provided
emotional support to his handler during emotionally draining calls. At times, when Sgt.
La France returned to his patrol car, holding back tears, Vex would extend his muzzle
through his patrol car’s cage. Vex was a good listener as many one-sided conversations
were had within their patrol car.
Memories of Vex are not only scattered across the City of Eureka, but throughout
almost all parts of Humboldt County. Vex was loved by his family, respected by those
he worked with, and feared by those who desired to harm members of our community.
Vex, you will be missed by most! Thank you for your service. Rest easy.
# # #
Please join LoCO in remembering some of Vex’s greatest hits:
CORRECTION: Kudos to eagle-eyed commenter Ross Rowley (hi, Ross!) who notes that this film is certainly incorrectly dated. Rowley notes that Arcata Exchage was not open in 1968 — true — and another commenter says that he sees a ‘70s-model Camaro in here. (Emailer Jeff Russell also noticed the Arcata Exchange anachronism.)
Most obviously, though — and this is the Outpost’s personal biggest D’oh! — the freeway bypass through the center of town was not built until 1976. So we’re looking at late ‘70s here, probably.
Still fun!
###
We’ve all been through a lot of change in the last year and sometimes it’s comforting to be reminded that some things manage to stay the same — especially in Arcata, as you will see in this video “Arcata, California and Humboldt State College,” shot on eight-millimeter film in 1968some time ago, but definitely later than 1968 and shared on Vimeo by Mark Pahuta.
OK, so maybe a few things have changed — the name of Humboldt State University, for one. There are also some other observable differences between the film and modern-day Arcata. Like: the McKinley Statue is no longer at the center of the Plaza, and once-popular dive Marino’s burned down many years ago. The cars and clothes are quite different too, of course.
Screenshot from the video
But you will also notice that the facades of many iconic Arcata
buildings — such as Arcata Liquors, Everett’s, Toby and Jacks, the
Alibi and Fourth Street Market — have changed relatively little in the last five decades. Though the name has changed many times, much of the HSU campus also looks similar to today. The film even includes some shots of the still-standing McKinleyville totem pole, which was first installed in 1962.
Whether you enjoy focusing on what is different or what is the same, this video is just good fun for all!
And if you just can’t get enough of Arcata-then-and-now imagery, you might want to check out this fun project previously posted on LoCO:
Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:
Bruce Bussell
On Nov. 11, 2020, at about 6:35 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the 200 block of Heck Creek Road in Hoopa to assist the Hoopa Valley Tribal Police Department with the report of arson.
Deputies arrived on scene and observed the underside of the residence smoldering. Deputies made contact with two female victims, who had reportedly been attempting to put out the fire.
The victims told deputies that the suspect, 32-year-old Bruce Kenuh Bussell, arrived outside the residence uninvited. Bussell was reportedly restricted from being at the residence due to prior incidents. The victims, who were inside at the time, heard noises coming from outside the residence. Through a window, the victims reportedly observed Bussell set fire to the home and then flee. The victims contacted 9-1-1 and began putting out the fire. No one was injured during this incident.
While deputies were on scene investigating, Bussell returned to the residence and was taken into custody.
Bussell was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of attempted murder (PC 664/187(a)), arson of an inhabited structure (PC 451(b)), throwing a substance at a vehicle (VC 23110(B)), vandalism (PC 594(B)(1)) and possession of a controlled substance (HS 11377(A)).
Anyone with information about this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.
Last year’s Eureka High boys’ basketball squad, pre-pandemic. File photo.
###
Local student athletes are eager to hit courts and tracks next month
when the Humboldt-Del Norte League cross country and basketball
seasons are scheduled to start. But as student athletes have known
since sports were canceled last spring, nothing is normal these days
— especially sports, given all the physical contact and heavy
breathing that tends to accompany them. Getting to play is contingent
on permission from the California Department of Public Health, which
has been sort of noncommittal lately regarding athletics. Because the
CDPH hasn’t green-lighted games or released accompanying safety
guidelines, local athletes and coaches are engaged in a waiting game
more than anything else.
A
lot of people are frustrated with the stagnant status of sports in
California, especially given that some neighboring states are in the
clear to play. “We’re just waiting. Everybody’s waiting,”
Mike Benbow, the athletic director at Fortuna High School, told the
Outpost recently. “We are like on pins and needles wanting
some sort of information, and the state’s been quiet and it hasn’t
said anything. High school sports are very very low on their agenda.”
California
Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly addressed school
sports briefly during a COVID update on Tuesday. “We are, and I
said it before, close. These are not easy guidances to put together.
There’s not just the competition issue, but there’s the
conditioning issue,” Ghaly said, adding that traveling for games
would be risky for entire communities. “Soon, but not quite today,
that guidance will be out.” Ghaly said he’s heard from “close
to thousands” of concerned parents and coaches, and is interested
in releasing guidelines soon.
To
be clear, it’s games specifically that the state hasn’t
yet OK’d. The most recent sports-related guidance
released by the California Department of Public Health
is from August, and although it prohibits all indoor and outdoor
sporting events (unless players are restricted to a stable cohort and
can maintain six-foot distance from each other at all times),
conditioning and training is permitted, provided social distancing is
possible and enforced. Those guidelines also ask that equipment is
disinfected between each student if shared, and masks are worn at all
times unless it’s an outdoor high-exertion activity.
A
few local schools are conditioning under those guidelines. At Fortuna
High, student athletes are conditioning in basketball, soccer and
cross country. But for most sports, it’s not at all like practice.
Basketball conditioning, for instance, is just a few students, masked
and socially distanced, shooting their own ball at their own hoop. At
Fortuna High, which is offering in-person instruction to students who
opt in, only students who are attending in-person are allowed to
participate in conditioning.
“If
you’re worried about COVID, which you know is a real thing and it’s
scary and everything else, but the numbers are super low for the
[high school] age group,” Benbow said. “I believe that if you’re
going to compete with sports, I mean that’s going to put you more at
risk than being in a classroom, and the classroom comes first.”
Benbow said he hasn’t heard any COVID-related concerns from parents
or students in terms of sports.
The
road to approving games trickles down from state to local agencies
and bounces between health and athletic boards. If and when
California approves participation in school sports, the Humboldt
County Department of Health will need to sign off too before schools
can move ahead with practices and games. Meanwhile, the clearance
will also wind through California’s athletics hierarchy, beginning
with the California Interscholastic Federation, which governs high
school sports in California and unilaterally cancelled school sports
this fall. The CIF rules over many sections — in our case, the North
Coast Section — which oversee individual leagues that are
responsible for organizing calendars and some protocols. Here, the
Humboldt-Del Norte League established their calendar and protocols
for COVID-altered sports months ago. Their plan outlines a four-phase
approach for returning to play, which begins with distanced
conditioning in phase one and ends with full athletic participation
in phase four, with exceptions for high-risk students.
Jack
Lakin, HDNL commissioner, has been told that the California
Interscholastic Federation and California Department of Public Health
have discussed the framework for state-wide sports guidelines, and
might even have a protocol document prepared. Even if those
guidelines do exist, no one has seen them. Lakin speculated that
California probably isn’t releasing guidelines because of the
state’s tier system, in which Humboldt is currently one of only six
counties in the “minimal” spread tier, while Del Norte is in the
“moderate” tier. Even though spread risk might be relatively low
here, it’s higher in other parts of California, and Lakin guessed
that the state is wary of allowing sports in counties with higher
spread. Just in the last two weeks, cases in California have
increased by 38 percent.
“With
that significant change the last 14 days, you can see why the state
would be hesitant to put out any guidelines [for the resumption of
high school sports],” Lakin said. “Two weeks ago, there was a
belief that the CDPH was going to make an announcement last week. And
then every day that goes by that doesn’t happen indicates that
they’re having reservations about doing that.”
The
Los Angeles Unified School District announced a couple of weeks ago
that their first seasons, which were scheduled to kick off in
December, will be postponed until at least January, even if the state
does give that area clearance. Lakin took that decision as an
indication that sports won’t be opening any time soon, regardless
of location.
If
California does give clearance, Lakin assumes that there would be
limitations based on the tier system. “My guess would be that what
tier a county is in might dictate what sports they’re able to offer,
whether it be low-risk or high-risk on that continuum [of high- to
low-contact sports].” Lakin supposes that the state might give
clearance to counties in the minimal and and moderate tiers only,
which would be encouraging news for HDNL athletes.
The
HDNL calendar, which is divided into three eight- or nine-week
seasons, deviates from the general North Coast Section model, which
has allotted two seasons rather than three. For HDNL-participating
teams, season one will include basketball and cross country, season
two will include football, volleyball and soccer and the last season
will include baseball, softball, tennis, golf, and track and field.
The
three-season calendar will allow multi-sport student athletes to
participate in more sports if they want to. Schedules with other
leagues won’t match up for the first two seasons, and so games will
be limited to inter-league contests only, but that’s a good thing
— it will decrease virus spread risk and will reduce travel costs,
given already-tight budgets. For the final and busiest season, teams
might get to venture out of the league for North Coast Section spring
championships, if all schools and local health agencies agree. The
HDNL also specified with their plans that if a sport must stop
mid-season due to health concerns, it cannot restart again.
But
all of this rides on the assumption that the CDPH will approve
California sports at all, and the HDNL will be forced to postpone or
cancel the first season if the CDPH doesn’t send updates soon.
Lakin said that there’s “no clear answer” to how the HDNL would
adapt if the cross country and basketball seasons can’t start as
planned. There are a few factors that would go into those plans,
Lakin said, including whether leagues are provided with any kind of
tentative timeline, and if certain, riskier sports aren’t approved.
A
few school boards around the county have already committed to
participating in the HDNL seasons, even though it’s unclear whether
practices and games will be permitted come December 7, when the
eight-week cross country and basketball seasons are meant to begin.
In addition to Fortuna, Eureka City Schools, Hoopa Valley High School
and the Northern Humboldt Union High School District (which includes
Arcata and McKinleyville high schools) have voted to participate.
Discussion about HDNL participation is on agendas for board meetings
tonight at the Southern Humboldt Unified School District and Ferndale
Unified School District.
In
addition to sports themselves being totally uprooted by COVID, the
festivities that surround them have to be reimagined, too. For
instance, Dustin Dutra, McKinleyville High’s assistant principal,
told the NoHum board on Tuesday night that the district plans to
livestream games so that fans don’t miss out.
Missing
out is a big concern weighing on Humboldt’s coaches. “We’re just
hoping that we get some seasons under [students’] belts, and our
seniors now, we hope they get an experience,” Benbow said, adding
that athletics help teens develop skills in teamwork and positive
attitudes towards competition. “The bottom line is to be together
and to do the things they love to do, like play sports.”
Specifics,
at this point, are impossible to nail down. “That fits the theme
for living in the age of COVID,” Lakin said over the phone.
“Uncertainty has affected every aspect of our lives. And the high
school athletics are no different.”
Today at 9:25 a.m., officers of the Eureka Police Department were dispatched
to a hotel located at the 800 block of W. Wabash Ave. for a reported assault that had just
occurred. The Reporting Party (RP) stated that a male had just been witnessed assaulting a
female. Descriptions of the involved parties were also provided by the RP.
Michael Caleb Reed.
Upon arrival, officers located the involved parties. The male was seated in a black Chevrolet
Impala. Officers attempted to detain the male as part of the assault investigation, but the male
refused to comply with commands or exit the vehicle. The male then fled the scene in the
Chevrolet Impala. Officers pursued the suspect southbound on Broadway. When the pursuit
reached the intersection of Broadway and West Henderson Street, the suspect and lead
pursuing EPD vehicle made it through the intersection, however the second pursuing EPD
vehicle was involved in a collision with an uninvolved motorist.
Due to the collision, the initial pursuing EPD vehicle discontinued the pursuit of the suspect
vehicle and returned to the scene of the collision to render aid to the involved parties. The
suspect vehicle continued southbound on US Highway 101.
Emergency medical personnel were summoned to the scene to aid both the uninvolved
motorist and the officer. Both parties were ultimately transported to St. Joseph Hospital’s
Emergency Room for treatment. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) also responded to the
scene to assume primary investigative responsibility for the collision.
The suspect’s Chevrolet Impala was soon located in Fortuna by Humboldt County Sheriff’s
Office (HCSO) deputies. The suspect once again fled in the Impala. A pursuit was initiated
and the suspect led HCSO deputies and CHP officers throughout the Fortuna and Loleta areas
and then southbound on Highway 101. The suspect drove in a reckless manner with highway
speeds reported to be in excess of 100 MPH. The suspect’s vehicle was ultimately disabled
with the use of a spike strip just south of Scotia. The suspect was quickly taken into custody
without further incident by Sheriff’s deputies and CHP officers assisted by law enforcement
from other agencies.
A Eureka Police Department Detective has since conducted interviews of the victim and
witnesses, along with connecting the victim with resources to assist her with her abusive
situation.
The suspect was identified as Michael Caleb Reed (35-years-old). Reed was determined to be
on active parole out of Bakersfield, CA. Reed was booked into the Humboldt County
Correctional Facility (HCCF) on charges of domestic violence, evading arrest, felony evading
causing injury, resisting arrest and parole violation. Additional charges may also be added as
the investigation continues. Reed is not eligible for bail due to his parole status.
The uninvolved motorist was examined and treated at the emergency room for her injuries.
The Eureka Police Department extends our best wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured
driver and her family. The injured EPD officer, Camaron Hooks, sustained moderate to major
injuries as a result of the collision. Due to the nature of his injuries, he was flown this
afternoon to an out of the area trauma hospital for further treatment. Officer Hooks is in stable
condition awaiting surgery. We are releasing his name to the public with his family’s
permission.
EPD Chief Steve Watson: “On behalf of Officer Hooks’ family and the Eureka Police
Department, thank you for the many expressions of support and concern for his welfare that
have poured in today from members of our community. Please keep Camaron and his family
in your thoughts and prayers. We would also like to thank all the local law enforcement,
emergency medical, and Humboldt Bay Fire Department personnel who assisted during this
incident. This includes the St. Joseph Hospital Emergency Department staff who took such
great care of Officer Hooks while he was in their care. Camaron loves this community and his job as a police officer tremendously. His EPD family
already misses his booming voice, infectious positivity, and big smile, and we look forward to
his return to duty following what we hope will be a swift and sure recovery.”
It is still early in the investigation and further updates will be released as appropriate. Anyone
with information regarding this incident is urged to call Detective Harpham at (707) 441-4305.
