What does it take to become a Kinetic Grand Champion? Heck, what does it take to even compete in the grueling but glorious three-day Arcata-to-Ferndale art race?
In the months leading up to the Memorial Day weekend marathon, kinetic teams meet up every couple weeks to hone their artistic vision, pick out costumes, fine-tune dance moves and prepare their human-powered machines for the upcoming 40-mile race over land, sand, mud and water.
To get a better idea of what the months of preparation entail, self-taught documentarian Ray Olson embedded himself with mPROM2 on their journey to the finish line for the 2025 Kinetic Grand Championship.
In this three-part edition of Humboldt Outdoors, Olson joins mPROM2 two months before the race, just as the team solidifies plans for its ‘80s prom theme and stretch limousine machine. He then follows the team through bicycle chain mishaps, numerous dance practices, and lots and lots of pedaling.
“You never know what’s gonna happen, but I trust in the universe, and the Kinetic Universe usually grants us some good times,” CJ, the team’s “peon coordinator,” said on the eve of the race. “It’s all going to work out.”
I don’t want to spoil it for you, but mPROM2 actually fared quite well in the 2025 race, securing several coveted awards. Check out the videos linked above and below to see for yourself!
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This year’s Kinetic Grand Championship kicks off at the Arcata Plaza at noon(ish) on Saturday, May 23 and ends in Ferndale on Monday, May 25. If you wanna get in on the action a little early, be sure to attend the Rutabaga Ball at the Eureka Theater at 6 p.m. Saturday, May 16.
On December 3, 2023, the Eureka Police Department (EPD) Criminal Investigations Unit was contacted by the
Arcata Police Department to assist with a missing person investigation. EPD Detectives responded and assisted
with the investigation. During the course of the investigation, Detectives learned that a juvenile had not been
seen by family members for an extended period of time and it was believed the child was possibly deceased,
with their death being concealed by the child’s mother, Nichole Thorpe.
On December 4, 2023, EPD Detectives, in conjunction with the Humboldt County Search and Rescue Team, the
Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office, and Cal Poly Humboldt personnel, conducted a search in a remote
area near Blue Lake. During the search, human remains were located. Subsequent DNA testing confirmed the
remains belonged to the missing child.
Via Redkey Indiana Police Department.
Following an extensive investigation, an arrest warrant was issued for Nichole Thorpe on April 9, 2026, for
charges including homicide, child endangerment, and welfare fraud. EPD Detectives worked in conjunction
with the U.S. Marshall’s Office and local agencies in Indiana to locate Thorpe. Thorpe was subsequently
located in Indiana and taken into custody on the warrant pending extradition to Humboldt County.
If anyone has information regarding this case, please contact Detective Sergeant Cory Crnich at (707) 441-
4300.
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When you’re leading the polls, everyone takes their shots. Xavier Becerra found that out Thursday night as six gubernatorial rivals ganged up on him in the final debate before California’s primary — attacking everything from his ethics to his ideas to his choice of political consultants.
It was their last chance to make a personal appeal to California voters ahead of the June 2 election to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom.
While the San Francisco debate was calmer than the brawls in the last few meet-ups, everyone’s target was the Democratic frontrunner Becerra.
These are five takeaways:
Becerra was the one to beat …
Opponents piled on with anything that might stick, from his acceptance of a campaign contribution from Chevron to his failure to answer questions at a housing forum last week to fraud in the hospice system while Becerra was secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the Biden administration.
But the Becerra weakness du jour was the guilty plea earlier Thursday of his former political strategist Dana Williamson, who admitted to conspiring with Becerra’s former longtime chief of staff to steal money from his campaign account.
Opponents were unified in their skepticism about Becerra’s repeated claims that he wasn’t involved. Despite the plea deal that did not accuse him, Democratic rival Katie Porter went so far as to say he could still be implicated in the case.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, a moderate backed by tech leaders, went out of his way to call Becerra the “embodiment of the status quo” in Sacramento.
Once lagging in polls and fundraising, Becerra has surged since ex-Rep. Eric Swalwell dropped out in early April over sexual assault allegations, offering Democratic voters a familiar face who’s held public office for decades and who frequently talks about fighting with Trump.
… and he made the most of it
Becerra appeared pleased with the attention.
“This is what happens when you take the lead in the polls,” he said. “They all come at you.”
Republican frontrunner Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host, quickly jumped in to correct him: Hilton is leading, per some polls. (Accounting for margins of error, both candidates are essentially tied.)
But Becerra used the moment to try to shut the door on the Williamson scandal, touting a statement from the prosecutor’s office Thursday saying that “no candidate running for governor has been implicated” in the case.
Earlier in the week, he refused to answer when a reporter asked if he was sure Williamson couldn’t connect him to the case. Asked Thursday if he could guarantee the case wouldn’t be a “distraction” if he advances to November, he responded, “I can.”
Mahan looks to separate from Republicans
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan has made a name for himself as a moderate Democrat willing to take on his own party. That has included his early support for Prop. 36, the tough-on-crime ballot measure that Newsom and the party opposed in 2024 but which voters passed overwhelmingly, and his campaign proposals to tie pay to performance in the public sector that rankle organized labor.
But on TV in a state where Democrats vastly outnumber Republicans and Trump is anathema, he sought to clarify that he’s not a Republican.
“I’m going to offer something different,” he said. “Not MAGA and not more of the same.”
Mahan appeared to relish his spats with Hilton, taking care to point out Hilton’s association with Trump and his former employer, Fox News. Mahan criticized the Republican’s plan to expand California suburbs by building on undeveloped land as likely to drive up carbon emissions, and aattackded hiover rumors he was pushed out of British Prime Minister David Cameron’s government.
“I attacked the extremes on both sides,” Mahan said after the debate.
Mahan was the only Democrat not to say on stage that he would support any of the other Democrats if they advanced to November and he didn’t, instead naming fellow moderate former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, because “mayors get things done.”
Later, he wavered, first saying “it depends” when asked if he would support another Democrat, clarifying, “I would vote for a fellow Democrat against a Republican.”
Everyone but Hilton would restrict chatbots
When moderators asked a lightning-round “yes or no” question on whether the state should more strictly regulate artificial intelligence chatbots that interact with children, the candidates appeared united across party lines.
Democrats in the state Capitol this year are already pursuing stricter chatbot regulations after advocates decried a law Newsom signed last year as too weak. Steyer promoted his brother’s influential work on the topic.
In contrast, Hilton hesitated, then refused to answer yes or no, saying “it’s not as simple as that” and expressing a desire not to over-regulate the industry.
“It’s not the right way to discuss a very important and serious issue,” he said as opponents and moderators tried to pin him down. “It causes problems that are unintended.”
Hilton moved to California from the United Kingdom to Silicon Valley in 2012 to join his wife Rachel Whetstone, a prominent tech executive.
Republicans boost each other
Even before the moderators asked the candidates who else they would support if they didn’t make it onto the November ballot, the two Republicans were already practically high-fiving.
In previous debates, interviews and TV ads the two have attacked each other, but by Thursday they were often referencing each other’s points.
With numerous Democrats competing for liberal support, Hilton has consistently led in the polls. While he and Bianco have previously declined to specifically endorse the other, the only realistic way for a Republican to win in blue California is for both Republicans to come in Nos. 1 and 2 and shut Democrats out of the general election.
The emergency room at Madera Community Hospital on March 18, 2025. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local
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A $25 million grant to cash-strapped hospitals became law less than a week after it was introduced — so fast that it caught some hospitals, their advocates, and even some lawmakers, off guard.
It also left a litany of unanswered questions: who came up with the narrow criteria, how many hospitals would qualify and whether the funding will be enough to prevent hospital closures in the near term.
Assembly Bill 108, signed into law last week, will provide grants to public and nonprofit hospitals that meet several criteria, including having less than 10 days of cash on hand and having more than half of their patients on government-funded insurance programs or uninsured. The goal is to tide eligible hospitals over until July 1, when the new fiscal year begins, said Sen. John Laird, a Santa Cruz Democrat who chairs the Senate Budget Committee and championed the funding bill.
The measure, put in print on May 4, flew through both legislative chambers in just three days before Gov. Gavin Newsom signed it within hours. By Monday, the program was up and running and hospitals had just a week to apply. The Department of Health Care Access and Information will announce recipients May 26.
“It is a rare occurrence for bills to go from the starting block to the finish line in just a few days,” said veteran lobbyist and Capitol watcher Chris Micheli, who said the speed reflects the urgent need of hospitals and a consensus among leaders.
Hospital leaders interested in applying said they were pleased the Legislature acted so quickly, though some are scrambling to meet the application deadline after learning about it just a week ago.
Laird told CalMatters that he knows of two to three hospitals that will likely qualify but declined to name them, arguing that doing so could scare off vendors and hospital staff.
When pressed, he acknowledged that potential recipients include Watsonville Community Hospital in his own district.
“This bill comes at a completely inopportune time in the budget process, and the time was not dictated by us,” Laird said during a budget hearing last Tuesday. “It was dictated by a few hospitals going under.”
The criteria are so narrow and the bill moved in such an “expedited fashion” that it seems tailored to the needs of a specific hospital, said Assembly Budget Committee Vice Chair David Tangipa, a Fresno Republican, who voted for the bill nonetheless.
“It says 10 days. Why not put it at 30 days?” he said. “They needed to make sure that even though it appears to be a general fund that all of these other hospitals could apply for, that probably only one hospital met all of those qualifications.”
Neither Laird nor the finance department staff was able to explain how they came up with the criteria, including why they picked 10 days — instead of any other number — of cash on hand to indicate a dire enough financial situation. Hospital administrators said the typical goal is at least 90 days of cash on hand.
The ambiguity frustrated some state lawmakers, who repeatedly pressed for clarity during the budget hearing. Sen. Chris Cabaldon, a Napa Democrat, called the lack of answers “profoundly disturbing.”
“It’s been one long ‘I said what I said’ hearing,” he said. Still, he voted for it.
Others lamented that the criteria, especially the 10-day threshold, should have been expanded to allow more hospitals to compete for the funding.
“Right now, it’s far too narrow, and really by this time the hospital has gone over the cliff,” Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, a Los Angeles Democrat, told CalMatters in an interview. She, too, voted for it. “We want to figure out who’s standing on the cliff, who’s a few feet from the cliffs, who’s a mile from the cliff.”
The $25 million grant comes as hospitals across California, particularly in rural areas, say they are at risk of dropping services or shutting their doors due to rising labor costs and federal Medi-Cal funding cuts.
The funding woes sparked calls for renewed funding for the state’s Distressed Hospital Loan Program, which in 2023 gave 16 financially distressed hospitals nearly $300 million. Of those, 15 have asked for more time to repay the debt, and nine of them have also applied for loan forgiveness, according to the California Health Facilities Financing Authority.
The California Hospital Association, which represents nearly 400 hospitals, is sponsoring a bill to put another $300 million into the loan program. Senate Democrats proposed $200 million in funding in mid-April but have not specified if the dollars would be a loan or a grant.
Newsom proposed up to $50 million toward hospitals in “immediate and significant financial distress” in 2026-27 in his budget revision Thursday.
A few hospitals plan to apply
Watsonville Community Hospital, which has publicly shared its financial struggles, reported having 8 days of cash on hand in the last quarter of 2025, according to the most recent financial records collected by the state. The hospital received an $8.3 million state loan in 2023 as part of the distressed hospital program lawmakers passed that year. When asked about the hospital, Laird said the hospital is “quite likely” to be eligible.
“This is critically important for the hospital as we navigate fiscal challenges brought on by funding delays and cutbacks at the federal level,” hospital spokesperson Jennifer Murray said in an email.
Hospitals in the Central Valley and rural Southern California also could benefit from the grant, according to Laird.
Madera Community Hospital told CalMatters it intends to apply for a slice of the grant money. The hospital reopened its doors in March 2025 after closing at the start of 2023. American Advanced Management, the company that took over the hospital, received $57 million from the state to reopen it. State data show the hospital ended 2025 with two days of cash on hand.
Delays in reimbursements and low patient volume in its outpatient clinics are contributing to Madera Community’s slower-than-expected recovery, said Matthew Beehler, a spokesperson for the hospital. He said Madera Community is still working on contracting with some insurers and is not yet receiving funds from the Hospital Quality Assurance Fee, a state-federal supplemental payment program for hospitals that serve a high number of Medi-Cal and uninsured patients. State data show that in 2022, before the hospital closed, it relied on more than $16 million in supplemental payments.
The $57 million from the state, Beehler said, helped cover the hospital’s first six months of operations. Beyond that, American Advanced Management has covered the shortfalls.
“I think that we are headed towards the path of real sustainability for the hospital,” Beehler said. “It just takes time to have all that sort of reach its state of equilibrium.”
In the Eastern Sierra, Dr. Kevin Flanigan, CEO of the Southern Inyo Healthcare District, said he, too, plans to apply for the state’s emergency grant. He said his hospital needs about $1 million to get through 2026. However, he does not know if his hospital will qualify given the 10 days of cash on hand criteria. He said Southern Inyo’s cash balance fluctuates anywhere between 18 to 20 days of cash to 8 to 10 days — grim in either case.
If his hospital doesn’t qualify for a grant? “Then God willing, we find money elsewhere. If not, we begin the process of closing certain things,” Flanigan said. Southern Inyo is a small hospital, with only four acute care beds, 30 skilled nursing beds and an outpatient clinic; there isn’t much to cut from, he said.
“We are clearly one of the most precarious hospitals in the state.”
Unanswered questions
Laird told CalMatters he is confident the $25 million will be enough to save hospitals facing the most imminent threat of closure.
But it’s unclear how he and the finance department arrived at the dollar amount. Department of Finance spokesperson H.D. Palmer said the figure represents the administration’s “best assessment of potential funding needs” and is partly based on the Distressed Hospital Loan Program, which gave 16 hospitals an average of $19 million each to keep them afloat for several years.
Laird said the amount was based on the number of hospitals legislators “informally” think would be eligible. Whatever is left untapped by June 30 would revert back to the state, he said, and legislators could add more funding if it runs out.
“It is what we think is necessary now,” Laird said.
The Department of Health Care Access and Information collects and publishes financial data from hospitals quarterly, but that data lags. Which hospitals qualify for the grant will depend largely on their self-reported finances as of April 15, the department said.
Many state lawmakers want more answers, too. Sen. Shannon Grove, a Bakersfield Republican, grilled finance department staff over the bill details.
“How long is this lifeline going to last? Is it even going to save the people who are in the 10-day timeframe?” she asked.
“That is the intent,” said Lupe Manriquez of the Department of Finance.
“I know it’s the intent. Is it going to save them?” Grove pressed.
“That’s the goal,” Manriquez answered.
Cabaldon told the staff he wouldn’t even bother asking about the criteria because “I already know what the answer is going to be.”
“It is incumbent on this committee to be able to have real answers to the questions that are posed about the why and the evidence,” Cabaldon said. “We are not having a conversation. We are asking questions of fulfilling our constitutional role in this process and getting zero answers.”
Palmer called the heat on his staff “undignified sniping and sarcasm,” noting that the bill originated from the same legislative chamber that’s now questioning it.
“They asked for our assistance in the expedited consideration of the bill outside of the regular budget process — and we complied and cooperated,” Palmer said in an email. “If members were either unable or unwilling to do some basic homework on their own bill that they wanted to be put on a fast track, then that’s a question that’s better posed to them — not us.”
How long a lifeline?
But throwing money at hospitals to keep them afloat is not the answer, some lawmakers argued.
“We can’t just keep giving $25 million handouts over 10 days where a hospital is looking to close,” Smallwood-Cuevas said, noting that President Donald Trump’s H.R. 1, which sharply reduces federal spending on Medicaid, could devastate hospitals.
“What is the state doing to identify and support vulnerable safety net hospitals before they reach the point of fiscal crisis? That is an answer I want to hear.”
Some hospital administrators also called for longer-term solutions. Katherine Burnworth, board president of the Imperial Valley Healthcare District, which oversees Imperial County’s two hospitals, told CalMatters that while she appreciates state action, $25 million statewide “is a drop in the bucket compared to the scale of the problem.”
“That may help a small number of hospitals avoid a near-term emergency, but it does not address the ongoing instability that communities like ours live with year after year,” Burnworth said.
While acknowledging the importance of emergency grants, Republicans on the committee argued that California has shortchanged hospitals’ Medi-Cal reimbursements. The California Hospital Association estimates that hospitals are reimbursed 74 cents for each dollar they spend on Medi-Cal patients. Hospitals that see a high share of Medi-Cal patients do get supplemental payments to help offset some of the gaps in reimbursement.
The GOP lawmakers also said that some state regulations, such as a minimum wage hike for health care workers and the requirement that all hospitals comply with new seismic safety requirements by 2030, will burden hospitals with high costs.
“We are throwing Band-Aids on everything, when really we need to just get together and fix the issues of what are the unfunded state mandates that are on our hospitals right now,” Tangipa said.
Paul Michael Wilson was born in Richland, Missouri on April 16, 1948. He and his parents moved to Eureka when he was two years old.
Paul is preceded in death by his grandmother, Myrtle Lea Salsman; his parents, Paul and Louise Wilson; and his brothers, Kevin Wilson and Doug Wilson.
He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Vickie Wilson; his son Steven Wilson; and daughter Christa Ives. Grandchildren include Rebekah Gorman (Jay), Kayla Hogue (Chris), Caleb Ives, Jeremiah Ives (Gracie), and Isaiah Ives. He also has one great-grandson, Kareem Brian Gorman, and a baby brother for Kareem due in September of this year. Paul enjoyed and loved his family very much.
He is also survived by his brother Ron Wilson (Lynn) of Reno and sisters Connie McKay and Kelly Ward (Rodney) of Eureka, along with many cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Paul was a devoted husband and a great provider for his family. He was one of the most generous people we have ever known. He took pride in his home and yard, always keeping up with his chores. He also loved his many sweet dogs over the years.
Paul was an avid classic car enthusiast, winning many awards for his 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback car. Every day you could find him in the garage polishing on his classic car! When ever a cruise night came up in accordance with the car shows He would turn up the Beach Boys and enjoy the cruise and all the thumbs up he would receive!!
He also enjoyed playing softball on a league with a lot of his family members over the years. He played for the City of Eureka and Nelson Floor, to name a few. He will be remembered slamming many home runs and out-of-the-park balls!
He enjoyed camping with his family very much! His favorite place was Richardson’s Grove State Park where swimming, hiking, sleeping under the stars and campfires were enjoyed much of the summer! We love the memories we can share of such fun times!! Also, many picnics at Williams Grove State Park with all of the family over the years.
Paul worked for Stantons Market as a box boy and shelf stocker as a teenager, Georgia Pacific and Lousiana Pacific, City of Arcata, then the City of Eureka, as a laborer in the Public Works Department, where he was cross-trained in the street, sewer and water Departments. He retired in July 2010 after working there for 32 years.
Paul attended and served in two different churches over the years. Paul and Vickie both attended Redwood Christian Center for many years. He was an usher, greeter and janitor there. Paul and Vickie celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary by a renewing of their vows at this church surrounded by loving family and friends. They also attended Faith Center where he ushered each week. He and his wife were also in the play “Heaven’s Gates / Hell’s Flames” several years ago. He enjoyed the experience very much! He played a guard.
Paul loved wearing his dashing cowboy hat, cowboy boots, and of course, his leather jacket or his well-worn Levi jacket. We will miss him so very much. He passed away with his loving family by his side on Sunday, May 3, 2026. He went from this life unto Glory which is promised to all those who believe. He is with Jesus Christ, his blessed Lord and Savior. There is no more crying, pain or sorrow there… We will see you again dear husband, father, grandfather and friend.
Private graveside services will be held this coming week. Arrangements being made through Sanders Funeral Home. We would like to especially thank Hospice for all their help and kindness during this very difficult season.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Paul Wilson’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
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The Trump administration is suspending $1.1 billion in Medicaid funding from California’s home health program over fraud concerns, a move that state health officials and health advocates say could harm hundreds of thousands of seniors and people with disabilities.
At the center of the dispute is California’s In-home Supportive Services, or IHSS, which helps about 900,000 older Californians and people with disabilities with daily activities so they can remain in their homes instead of institutional settings.
Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, called it the “largest deferral we’ve ever made” at a Wednesday press conference. He said California is an outlier – its home health spending is growing at twice the rate of other states – and that the federal government will withhold Medicaid funds until the state can convincingly explain why.
The suspension is part of the administration’s stated crackdown on Medicaid and Medicare fraud. Though Oz’s agency has raised concerns about “integrity” in California’s home health program, it has provided no supporting evidence, California health officials said.
State Medicaid director Tyler Sadwith said in a press release the program’s growth has been intentional. He attributed it to three factors: a larger caseload, higher hourly wages for home health workers, and more hours logged as workers serve more people with greater needs.
Between 2023 and 2025, caseload increased 17.5%, and the average hourly wage for home health workers grew from $19 to $21 according to the Department of Health Care Services, which oversees the state’s Medicaid program, better known here as Medi-Cal.
Gov. Gavin Newsom, speaking at his budget presentation Thursday, argued the expansion should be celebrated not punished. In-home health services cost about $30,000 per person annually, Newsom said. Skilled nursing facilities can cost four to five times that.
State health officials said they have a strong oversight system to weed out fraud in the home health care system, including “annual assessments, electronic timesheets, verification tools, and coordinated state-county review processes.”
In addition to the $1.1 billion deferral on home health, the federal government is withholding another $200 million tied to administrative claims the state said it expected and is working to resolve.
The federal freeze of California funding follows a similar action in Minnesota in February, when the federal administration suspended $259 million in Medicaid payments. Minnesota sued to block it.
During Wednesday’s press conference, Vice President JD Vance – who oversees the administration’s fraud task force – accused California, New York and Hawaii of not doing enough to combat Medicaid fraud. “This is why we’re taking this action,” Vance said. “We want California to get more serious about this fraud.”
California has been a focus in the Trump administration’s anti-fraud efforts, with hospice care at the center of investigations. Vance and Oz also announced a six-month nationwide moratorium on Wednesday – barring new hospice providers from enrolling in Medicare. California has imposed a similar pause on new hospice licenses.
State health officials say home health patients will continue to have uninterrupted services. But advocates and unions representing caregivers are concerned about the uncertain timeline for the release of federal funds – and what a prolonged freeze could mean for clients.
As part of the program, Medicaid pays caregivers to help people with daily tasks like bathing, cooking, grocery shopping, and going to medical appointments.
“Clearly, the most vulnerable citizens in California need this program,” said Doug Moore, executive director of United Domestic Workers, which represents caregivers. “There are people who are elderly, there are children, there are people with disabilities. Don’t put innocent people in the middle of this.
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Supported by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), which works to ensure that people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. Visit www.chcf.org to learn more.
A stretch of alley to the right would bear Duane Flatmo’s name, who painted the iconic mural “Tribute to Architecture and
Performing Arts.” Photo: Andrew Goff, 2020.
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One block of a Eureka alleyway is a step closer to carrying the name of beloved local artist Duane Flatmo.
The Eureka Planning Commission unanimously approved a proposal to name part of a downtown alley after Flatmo last night. Next up, the proposal will be considered by the city council.
“Duane Flatmo has left his mark on this city. I believe we should claim him as the local treasure that he is officially, and put his name on something in the heart of Eureka,” Eureka Councilmember Kati Moulton, who proposed this naming, told the commission.
The alley section is bounded by F and G Streets. From this corridor, tucked between 4th and 5th Streets, Eurekans can gaze upon Flatmo’s gargantuan mural on the west side of the Arkley Center for the Performing Arts, or his depiction of alley cats hanging out on the south side of the building.
The stars represent Flatmo’s murals near the alley. Site plan: Eureka planning department.
Another section of the alley is named Charlie Moon Way, “but is one block to the west and will not be impacted,” according to the city staff report.
Moulton pointed to the mark Flatmo has made with his art and mentorship of local artists. She said he’s represented Eureka “across our country and on the world stage.”
The move by the commission, which is basically a recommendation for the city council to approve it, didn’t come with much discussion. In response to one comment letter apparently concerned about naming stuff for living people, commissioner Deborah Dukes said “I think it’s a great idea to honor people while they’re still around to enjoy it.”
Eureka’s Open Space, Parks and Recreation Commission previously voted in support of this proposal.
Late last year, a similar pitch to rename Snug Alley after the artist was yanked following some historical research.
Also at the meeting, the commission unanimously agreed that Humboldt County’s plan to turn the former K-Mart to a “One-Stop Permitting Center” was consistent with the general plan. Cristin Kenyon, Eureka’s development services director, told the commission that a week or two ago, the county asked the city to exhume this request, which was put on pause after negotiations to purchase the property along U.S. 101 took a hiatus.
