Press release from the Hoopa Valley Tribe:

In the wake of the tragic loss of Hoopa Tribal member Dylan Moon, which has deeply impacted students and families across the community, members of the Hoopa Valley Tribal Council met directly with high school students to listen, support, and reaffirm their commitment to student safety and well-being.

The purpose of the visit was to provide students with a safe space to share their experiences, voice concerns, and speak openly about the challenges they face both before and after the incident. Tribal leadership also took time to check in with students regarding their sense of safety on campus and within the community.

Vice Chairman Jordan Hailey shared that the visit was initially intended as a check-in with students, but following the tragedy, it became even more important to create space for students to express themselves and be heard.

“The message to our students is simple — we hear you, and we will do whatever we can to address these issues and ensure you have a safe, supportive, and encouraging environment,” Hailey said. “Our children have gone through so much, and it is heartbreaking that they continue to face challenges like this.”

In response to the incident, the Tribe, alongside community partners, has mobilized significant support within the school. Over the past weeks, more than 20 to 30 wellness specialists, counselors, parents, and community members have been present on campus to provide assistance and ensure students have access to resources to help them process the situation.

Tribal leadership emphasized the importance of addressing trauma in a healthy and supportive way to prevent long-term impacts on youth and to promote healing across the community.

The Tribe plans to continue these efforts by increasing the presence of wellness professionals, enhancing school safety measures, and encouraging greater involvement from parents and community members to support students moving forward.

“This moment calls for all of us to step up as a community,” Hailey said. “We must work together to ensure our children are safe, supported, and able to learn in a positive environment. We all have a responsibility to do better for our youth and for the future of our community.”

The Hoopa Valley Tribal Council reaffirmed its commitment to taking meaningful action to support students, strengthen school safety, and ensure that tragedies like this do not happen again.

“Our hearts go out to the family, friends, and all those affected,” Hailey added. “We will continue to stand with our youth and do everything we can to support them during this difficult time.”

The Tribe also honors the life and memory of Dylan Moon and stands with his family during this difficult time.

The Arcata City Council unanimously approved a long-discussed water and wastewater rate increase Wednesday. It also supported the first pass of an ordinance that would legalize cannabis consumption lounges in city limits.

The rate increase is required for costs to replace old infrastructure in the municipal system totaling $36 million over the next five years.

Because wastewater fees will soon shrink, the increase for the average single family home will pencil out to 39% over the five years, or a $54 increase, said Finance Director Tabatha Miller. The rate jumps will begin July 1, 2026, and end fiscal year 2029-30.

Water and wastewater fees are billed together. Water rates will increase by 23% this year, followed by 18% in 2027, 12% in 2028, and 10% in both 2029 and 2030. Possibly larger hikes to wastewater were offset with a grant for the city’s wastewater treatment plant upgrade. Three years of 5% yearly increases would begin in 2028.

Just 70 residents contested the increase in writing, with 2,521 responses required to halt the hike under California law.

Councilmembers repeated their concern of how residents would be affected before voting in favor of the increase. The city’s poverty rate is 27.2%, according to the U.S. Census.

“There wasn’t one person on council or staff that was excited about doing this,” said Councilmember Stacy Atkins-Salazar.

Affordability concerns prompted most of the council to opt for gradual rate increases in one of many recent discussions on the topic.

Councilmember Sarah Schaefer emphasized the city cannot charge rates beyond what is needed to provide services and fix infrastructure.

“It’s landed on our laps because it’s been pushed down the road,” she said.

When asked by Schaefer about setting up a program to help low income people with their bills, Miller said the process isn’t easy.

She said municipalities typically piggyback on PG&E’s California Alternate Rates for Energy program to determine low income discounts. CARE offers discounts for people on public assistance programs, or who make below $42,300 for 1-2 person household.

But about half of Arcata residents qualify for the program, said Miller, so even at a 10% reduction of rates, it would cost the city $550,000 a year.

And she said the city doesn’t have many revenue sources to pay to subsidize the program. The city can’t legally use other people’s rate revenue to pay for it, and using late fees for unpaid bills to subsidize bills is counterintuitive as the people who need the discount are often paying for late fees.

But Miller said they could raise the question again during the city’s budget process. She noted the rates establish the maximum rates, which could be adjusted down if the city’s financial situation changes.

Weed Lounges

The council unanimously approved a new ordinance that creates a permitting pathway for cannabis consumption lounges in Arcata.

The amendments are long-deferred changes to the code that were rehashed after two local businesses recently expressed interest in opening lounges, said city staff.

One interested party was Arcata dispensary Pacific Paradise.

Arcata resident Misha Blacker said the ordinance would be great for the economy and the community by providing “much needed third spaces,” during public comment.  [CORRECTION: This article originally identified Blacker as a co-owner of Pacific Paradise, which he no longer is.]

Michael Bettencourt, a partner of Pacific Paradise, said customers are asking for a place to smoke, and said tourists would be more likely to stay in a city with consumption lounges.

Eureka legalized this kind of business in 2019, and city staff pointed to cities like Ukiah, Sacramento and San Francisco that offer weed smoking lounges.

Jennifer Henson, general manager of Pacific Paradise, said the ordinance would allow a safe space for weed consumption, with many Arcata residents barred from smoking inside their home.

She said tourists staying in hotels often ask her where they can smoke, and she doesn’t have a real answer.

“We usually point them towards the alley and suggest that they keep a low profile,” she said.

The council was eager to approve the amendments.

Atkins-Salazar said she had concerns at first before reading the ordinance, notably provisions for employees and for odors affecting passerby, but said she found these concerns addressed.

The permit would go through the planning commission with an appeal process.

In this draft, the language concerned lounges staying in enclosed areas located in (or attached to) licensed cannabis businesses. Some council members were interested in more explicitly allowing outdoor consumption lounges.

Development Director David Loya said staff are looking into the possibly of explicitly allowing outdoor lounges. He said this would be appropriate for spots like Humboldt’s Premium, where few people are nearby that would be offended by odor.

“The reality is that people are smoking on our sidewalks all over the place,” he said.

The aims include enhancing public safety by providing regulated consumption locations, reducing conflicts from public cannabis smoking and supporting local businesses, according to a staff report.

The amendments would also allow temporary cannabis consumption at events like Cannifest, with smoking previously outlawed in city code.

The ordinance needs to be voted on again before becoming code, which Loya indicated would be at the next meeting.

Condors A0 and A1, in happier times. Video: Yurok Tribe.

PREVIOUSLY:

• MILESTONE! The First North Coast Condors Have Built a Nest in an Old-Growth Redwood, and There Very Well May Be an Egg in It

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Press release from the Yurok Tribe:

The first egg produced by the free‑flying Pacific Northwest condor population appears to be unsuccessful based on an analysis of the birds’ behaviors and flight patterns. However, the data are not conclusive and may remain so for several weeks. Due to the inaccessibility of the nesting area, observation of the parents’ behavior will continue for confirmation.

The reason biologists with the Northern California Condor Restoration Program (NCCRP) suspect the nest has failed is because the prospective parents, condors A0 and A1, have spent an extended period together far from the nest site, at a time when parental care of a potential hatchling would be necessary for the chick to survive. Many things may have gone wrong, ranging from an infertile egg to inadequate incubation chilling the egg, to hatching failure. If the egg failed to hatch, the pair could attempt to reproduce again this spring, a process biologists refer to as recycling, or more likely, they will try again next year. 

“While it is unlikely that a chick will fledge from the initial egg, we remain pleased to have taken this first step towards successful reproduction. We continue to hold a sliver of hope that it happens this year and look forward to future attempts knowing that the time will yet come when we have our first wild-fledged chick flying free in our homeland,” said Yurok Wildlife Department Director Tiana Williams-Claussen.

New condor parents frequently face challenges sustaining their first egg because of limited experience with the complex incubation process. Even if the egg has failed there is reason for optimism, as condor parents are far more likely to produce viable offspring the older and more experienced they become.

“Compared to their first breeding season, the probability of successful incubation is substantially higher during condors’ second season because they learn from their mistakes,” said Chris West, the Northern California Condor Restoration Program Manager and a Yurok Wildlife Department Senior Biologist.

Some condors may initiate nesting at five or six years of age, but first attempts at seven are far more common. It is promising that A0 and A1, two seven-year-old condors, made a solid attempt at breeding. As the oldest birds in the flock, they are leading the way for this most recent addition to the roster of condor release sites.

Program staff first noticed nesting behavior by condors A0 (Ney-gem’ ‘Ne-chween-kah) and A1 (Hlow Hoo-let) in early February, although actual confirmation of an egg was impossible due to the remoteness of the nesting site. A0 would have deposited the egg within a cavity of an old-growth redwood in the Redwood Creek drainage after months of searching for the ideal location.

Free flying since 2022, A0 (studbook 973) and A1 (studbook 969) were among the first condors reintroduced to Northern California. Currently, 23 condors reside in the wild within Yurok ancestral territory. With a goal of establishing a self-sustaining condor flock, NCCRP plans to release at least one group of birds every summer for at least 20 years.

A0 or Ney-gem’ ‘Ne-chween-kah’, which translates to “She carries our prayers”, was the only female in the first released NCCRP cohort. Having hatched at the Oregon Zoo on March 31st of 2019, she is the oldest condor in the flock and was released at the NCCRP site in 2022.

A1, nicknamed ‘Hlow Hoo-let’, which means “At last I (or we) fly!”, is 10 days younger than A0, and hatched on April 10th of 2019 at the Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho.

Condors are slow to reproduce, with females laying only one egg at a time, and usually nesting only every other year. Young condors take months to learn to fly and rely on their parents for more than a year. They do not reach sexual maturity until at least age five.

Most commonly, condors stay paired with mates for successive years, although a new partner will be sought if one dies.

In general, condors begin breeding between six and eight years of age and can live more than 60 years. The next oldest male and female condors under NCCRP management are six-year and one-month-old male A2 (studbook 1010) Nes-kwe-chokw, and four-year and ten-month-old female A7 (studbook 1109) Hey-we-chek’.

Northern California Condor Restoration Program

The Northern California Condor Restoration Program is a partnership between the Yurok Tribe and Redwood National and State Parks (NPS). The program has received funding from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Administration for Native Americans, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Global Conservation Fund, Redwood National Park Foundation, and many small donations from the public. The Yurok Tribe initiated the condor reintroduction project in 2008 as part of a long-term effort to heal the landscape within Yurok ancestral territory, a landscape to which the health and wellbeing of the Yurok people is inextricably connected. The restoration of California condor, prey-go-neesh in the Yurok language, is a vital part of this environmental and cultural revitalization effort. Alongside condor recovery, the Tribe is also undertaking several other wildlife conservation projects as well as implementing large-scale fish habitat restoration throughout the Klamath River, its tributaries, and the surrounding region. 

The NCCRP is part of the California Condor Recovery Program, which is an international multi-entity effort, led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to recover the endangered California condor by establishing robust self-sustaining populations of condors within the historical distribution.

If you’d like to support the Yurok Tribe’s condor restoration work, please visit this link.

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This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.

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The latest clash between California and President Donald Trump over abortion and gender-affirming care could soon leave doctors caught between state and federal law.

Under a bill that may soon pass the Legislature, California medical providers and affiliated businesses could face hefty state fines if they comply with a federal subpoena seeking abortion, gender-affirming or reproductive care information without first notifying the California attorney general, patients and providers.

But delaying responding to the feds could put them at risk of violating federal law, and independent constitutional scholars say the pending law might not survive a legal challenge.

The bill is in response to efforts the Trump administration and conservative states have undertaken to block or criminalize abortion services and care for transgender people.

Under Assembly Bill 1930, any medical provider or business served with any civil, criminal or regulatory inquiry, investigation, subpoena or summons seeking “legally protected health care activity” “shall not comply” unless the provider notifies the state attorney general as well as others involved in the care.

The measure’s author, Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur of Los Angeles, said the impetus for the bill, in part, was a federal subpoena from the Trump administration to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles seeking medical records for youth transgender patients.

“No one should have to fear that seeking lawful medical care in the state of California could put their privacy and their safety at risk,” he told the Assembly Judiciary Committee at a hearing last week.

Lawmakers spent just 17 minutes discussing AB 1930 at its first legislative hearing last week, despite the legal complexities and consequences for California’s patients, doctors, hospitals, insurers, tech companies and others. It passed on a party-line vote, according to the CalMatters Digital Democracy database. It now moves to the Assembly Public Safety Committee where it’s scheduled to be discussed on Tuesday

The Los Angeles hospital was one of 20 medical providers that offered gender-affirming care for minors that received federal subpoenas seeking patients’ medical records. At the time, the U.S. Justice Department said the subpoenas were part of an investigation into “health care fraud” and “false statements.” Some of the families sued to fight the subpoenas. In January, the feds backed off and didn’t receive the records.

Rady Children’s Hospital, which operates facilities in San Diego, Orange and Imperial counties, told CalMatters earlier this year that the U.S. Health and Human Services inspector general was investigating the hospital. The investigation preceded Rady’s decision to halt most gender-affirming services for minors, a decision that is now tied up in multiple court cases.

The measure says that in order for a business or provider to release records, the entity making the legal demand must include an affidavit declaring that the investigation is not related to punishing providers for performing abortions, transgender care or other services protected under California law or that the investigation involves a possible California crime or is an inquiry into “professional discipline.”

The recipient would be required to inform the attorney general’s office within seven days of receiving the legal demand. The attorney general would have an additional 30 days to review the matter before the recipient could comply with the order.

The measure, which is co-sponsored by Attorney General Rob Bonta, would also mandate that the provider notify patients and providers whose records are being sought. Those who break the rules would face civil penalties of up to $15,000 per violation.

Democrats move to protect abortion

California lawmakers have, in recent years, enacted more than a dozen laws designed to shield medical professionals from conservative states and the federal government on abortion and transgender health care.Democrats passed the laws after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and other states began banning or criminalizing abortion. Thirteen states ban abortion and some, most notably Texas, penalize anyone who helps another person get an abortion.

Legislative efforts to protect clinicians and patient medical records have expanded as the Trump administration has increasingly politicized other services like gender-affirming care for minors.

Learn more about legislators mentioned in this story.

California laws prohibit state law enforcement from extraditing medical professionals who may have violated another state’s laws on abortion or gender-affirming care. They also prohibit medical facilities from sharing patient information about those services with out-of-state law enforcement.

LGBTQ+ civil rights group Equality California is the latest bill’s other co-sponsor. Zbur was its executive director before being elected to the Legislature.

Equality California’s legislative director, Craig Pulsipher, told the Judiciary Committee the measure builds “on California’s existing protections to ensure that patients can access health care without fear that their personal information will be weaponized against them.”

Various groups that oppose gender-affirming care are against the measure, as is the California Chamber of Commerce.

In a letter to lawmakers, representatives for the state’s influential business lobby said CalChamber’s members appreciate lawmakers wanting to “help defend businesses facing subpoenas,” and they don’t oppose the bill out of “support for misuse of subpoena powers.”“However, we are concerned that AB 1930 will compel businesses to violate federal law in order to comply with state law,” they wrote.

Layla Jane, a “detransitioner” who sued her health care provider over the gender-reassignment surgery she received as a teen, said the bill would protect doctors from investigations into negligent care and make it harder for patients like her to subpoena for medical records.“This bill shields providers so they can keep chopping up bodies,” she told the committee. “It wraps the doctors, the clinics, the gender industry in a legal blanket and says, ‘You are protected from accountability no matter who you harmed.’ There is no blanket for me.”

Would the bill survive a legal challenge?

Bill Essayli, a former Republican state lawmaker who oversees the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles, said in a statement that Zbur’s measure would be unconstitutional.

“Any effort by California to restrict the federal government’s lawful use of, or compliance with, subpoenas is unlawful and unenforceable under the Supremacy Clause,” Essayli said.

Three independent constitutional scholars who CalMatters asked to review the bill suggested Essayli may have a point.

Under that provision of the U.S. Constitution, states cannot pass laws that run counter to the federal government’s legal authority.

“If there’s a conflict between federal law on the one hand, and state or local (law) on the other, federal law wins out,” said Erwin Chemerinsky, the dean of UC Berkeley School of Law.

Chemerinsky and the other scholars said the measure is unlikely to run into the same legal problems that caused a federal judge to block California’s attempt to ban federal agents from wearing masks. The judge in the mask case ruled that the state had discriminated against the federal government since it exempted state police from the ban.

This proposed measure doesn’t single out the federal government; the bill applies to any entity issuing subpoenas.Still, the scholars said forcing private health care providers and businesses not to respond to a subpoena on a federal deadline could be legally problematic.

“It looks like the federal government could say you’re impeding their law enforcement,” said Leslie Gielow Jacobs, a law professor at University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law.

“Is this impeding federal … objectives?” said Vikram David Amar, a law professor at the UC Davis School of Law. “If so, it would be invalid under Supremacy.”

The California Attorney General’s Office responded to an interview request for Bonta with an unsigned written statement.

“Bills aren’t final when they’re introduced and can change throughout the legislative process,” it read. “Our office will continue to have conversations with stakeholders regarding AB 1930 and will address concerns as appropriate and needed.”

Dennis Louis Costa, 82, of Eureka, passed away on March 27, 2026; just nine months and one day after the passing of his beloved wife, Gina. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, teacher, entrepreneur and friend, and his presence will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

Born in Eureka, Dennis was raised on his family’s ranch in Loleta. Though he was an only child, he was never without family. The Costa family was large and close-knit, and Dennis grew up surrounded by cousins who were more like brothers and sisters. His family was always gathering in each other’s homes, between Blue Lake and then to Fieldbrook, full with a steady rhythm of Sunday dinners, celebrations and gatherings that brought everyone together. These moments were a way of life, shaping in Dennis a deep appreciation for family, connection and tradition that stayed with him throughout his life.

Dennis attended Fortuna High School, graduating in 1961, where he excelled as a student-athlete, playing both baseball and basketball. It was during these years he began dating the love of his life, Gina. After graduating, Dennis moved to San Francisco to attend USF, where he earned his degree in Business Administration. Gina joined him there, and their relationship continued to grow as they built the foundation for a life together.

A chance conversation at a barbecue in Fortuna changed the course of his life. When asked if he would consider returning home to teach, Dennis said yes, and shortly after received a call offering him a position at South Fork High School. That moment marked the beginning of a remarkable 34-year career in education.

Dennis and Gina were married Feb 4, 1967, and had returned to reside in Fortuna to begin their life together. They quickly started a family, welcoming their first child less than a year later. Together, they built a life rooted in love, faith, hard work and community.

Over his 34-year teaching career, Dennis taught business math, economics, typing and coached wrestling. Starting with an emergency credential, he quickly earned his full credential and later completed his master’s degree, at what was then called Humboldt College. He taught at South Fork High School, Fortuna High School, College of the Redwoods evening program, and ultimately finished his career at East High Continuation School, where he found some of his most meaningful and rewarding years.

Dennis was more than a teacher; he was an advocate and a trailblazer. He pushed for change, including advocating for female students to be allowed to wear pants, leading the Interact Club and standing up for teacher rights. It would be difficult to find a student whose life he did not impact in a positive way.

Alongside his teaching career, Dennis had a strong entrepreneurial spirit. He and Gina first ventured into business with “The Playroom,” a bar in Fortuna that served beer and wine. Dennis took pride in being, at the time, the only teacher in California with a beer and wine license, something that raised a few eyebrows but gave him plenty of stories to tell. He especially loved the year the senior class unknowingly chose the outside of the bar as the backdrop for their yearbook photo.

In 1983, Dennis purchased Red Diamond Distributing, growing it from a small operation with two vans into a thriving business with five delivery trucks covering territory from Crescent City to Garberville. After that, in the early 1990s, he launched Costa Distributors, which evolved from home milk delivery into a well-known supplier to local coffee shops, bakeries and restaurants. Through it all, Gina was by his side, managing the books and serving as his partner in every sense of the word.

After Gina’s passing, Dennis poured himself into his work and the relationships he had built, with no intention of slowing down. His dedication never wavered, so much so that even in the ICU, he was focused on his customers and business, coordinating orders and deliveries. His commitment to service and connection was apparent to the very end.

Dennis was deeply proud of his Portuguese heritage and spent years volunteering at the Portuguese celebrations in Ferndale. He and Gina were devoted members of the Catholic Church and dedicated their time to mentoring young couples through the Marriage Encounter program, offering guidance rooted in their own lifelong partnership.

He was also an avid sports fan, with a special love for the San Francisco Giants, as well as the 49ers and Golden State Warriors. Whether in the stands or at home, Dennis could always be found passionately “coaching” from afar, also known as yelling at the TV.

Despite his many commitments, Dennis always made time for his family. Summers were sacred, filled with sunshine and time together that evolved over the years from tents to trailers to a beloved summer home in Willow Creek. These moments created lasting memories that his family will cherish forever.

Dennis lived a life that was never about himself, it was always about others. He gave selflessly to his family, his students, his customers and his community. He wanted the best for everyone around him and worked tirelessly to help them achieve it.

He is survived by his children: Paul (Tammy) of Rocklin, with granddaughters Emily and Kate; Mark (Felicia) of Eureka, with grandchildren Alexa, Nathan, Tawnya and Morgan, and great-granddaughter Violet; Alan (Jaime) of Vista, with grandchildren Nico and Claire; and Stephanie (Scott) Phelps of Eureka, with granddaughter Caitlin. He was preceded in death by his parents, Louis and Virginia Costa, and his wife of 58 years, Gina.

Dennis and Gina shared a lifetime together, they grew up in the same neighborhood, built their lives side by side, raised a family and supported one another in everything they did. After only nine months and one day apart, they are together again.

Please join us for a Memorial Mass, held on Saturday, May 2 at 1 p.m. at St. Bernard’s Catholic Church in Eureka. There will be a reception immediately following in the Parish Hall behind St. Bernard’s Catholic Church, from approximately 2:30-4:30 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to our local Food for People or to Cal Poly Humboldt Girls Basketball Program.

Jim Lauffenburger was born on August 17, 1936 to Raymond and Mary Lauffenburger and raised in Visalia, California. After graduating from Visalia High School, he attended the University of the Pacific School of Pharmacy. In 1960, he married Louise, and after graduation, they moved to Fort Hood, Texas for his military service with the U.S. Army as a Second Lieutenant. 

In 1965, Jim and Louise settled in Fortuna, where he worked as a pharmacist at Green’s Pharmacy. He continued to serve the community as a pharmacist, eventually buying the Green’s Pharmacy location in Fortuna in 1972, which he owned for 20 years before retirement. 

Jim passed away on April 3, 2026 in Fortuna and is buried at Sunrise Cemetery. He is predeceased by his parents and his siblings, Eleanor, Raymond, and Mary. He is survived by his wife Louise. 

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in memory of Jim to the Hospice of Humboldt.

Mary Vess, longtime resident of Eureka, went to be with Jesus on April 8, 2026. She had faced a difficult illness with dignity and grace, and remained sweet and loving, as she always had been, through the very end of her life.

Maria Joao Avila Alexandre (“Nana”) was born in 1940 on one of the Azores islands (Terceira) of Portugal.

After her father died and her mother remarried, the family moved to America in two shifts, separated by three years. Nana, her mother and Nana’s older sister and brother came to America in the first shift, on December 29, 1949. It was a long flight to a strange land and no one in the family spoke English and few they met could speak Portuguese. The plane flew over New York City. They could see the Statue of Liberty. The family disembarked and waited on Ellis Island for two days to be admitted into the United States. Admission was granted on December 31, 1949.

Finally, after travelling the nearly 5,000 miles in all, they arrived in Humboldt County California. The Alexandre family was about to begin their life in America during the second half of the twentieth century, one of the most prosperous times and places to be in human history.

Nana updated her birth name (Maria Joao) to the more “American” “Mary Joan.” She started school in Eureka, while her older siblings went to school in Loleta.

Two years later, on May 7, 1953, Nana became an American citizen.

Nana met Bobby (“Papa”) Vess in Eureka on February 23, 1957. Papa, born in Ft. Worth, Texas, was stationed with the Coast Guard in Samoa on lifeboat duty following three years of sea duty.

Nana finished high school early in January 1959. She and Papa were married March 29, 1959, at St. Bernard Catholic Church in Eureka.

Nana and Papa had their first child, Deborah, just 10 months later, in January 1960. The newlyweds had their second child, Sandy, the same year (December 27, 1960). Irish twins. The youngest, Bryan, was born 15 months later, in April 1962. After having three kids, Nana was still just 21, and Papa had just turned 24. Kids themselves.

Nana and Papa bought their first (and last) house in 1970, on Humboldt Hill.

Nana worked a variety of jobs while the kids were growing, including at local department stores in Eureka and filleting fish for Eureka Fisheries in Fields Landing. Nana eventually obtained her “dream” job in around 1977, when she became a hairdresser. Over the next 40 years, Nana worked in a number of shops around Eureka (La Beau, Adam and Eve, the Hairport), until her retirement in around 2018. Throughout the decades, Nana loved arts and crafts, and was happiest creating something in ceramics classes or in painting classes. She was also an excellent softball player, playing shortstop and adopting the batting stance of the then-popular Joe Morgan.

Nana was always interested in fitness and exercise. She taught aerobics for many years at different gyms in Eureka.

In retirement, exercise continued to be a major part of Nana’s life. She was still riding her exercise bike up until the days before her passing. She also would cut hair for friends, in the home shop, as a way to stay busy and to be useful to others.

As for Nana’s last days: A special thank-you to first responders: Fire station 2 and City Ambulance. Thank you Dr. Don Iverson for your many years of gentleness and dedication towards Nana and her care. Thank you to the amazing health care team at Providence St Joseph Hospital. To the excellent ER Staff: Dr. Eric Gerdes, and Jess, Matt, Adrianna, Kat, and Jess. To MS 2 crew: Thank you Tara, Monica, Nick, Drew, Shu, and Dawn. To all the others who cared for Nana with love and kindness during those very difficult three days: Thank you. We were witness to many wearing the wings of angels.

All Nana’s siblings predeceased her. She is survived by Papa, her three children, daughter-in-law Jora Vess, her five grandchildren — Taylor Parris (married to D.J. Parris), Austin Tompkins, Charles Vess, Juliet Vess, and Emilia Vess — and her two great-grandchildren, Hudson Parris and David Parris.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Mary Vess’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.