The Eureka City Council on Tuesday narrowly approved a $2.34 million contract with local firm RAO Construction Co. to build the “C Street Bicycle Boulevard” project, which aims to enhance cycling infrastructure between Old Town and Henderson Center. The bid award was approved in a 3-2 vote, with councilmembers Renee Contreras-DeLoach and G. Mario Fernandez dissenting over concerns about community outreach and engagement.
The project, funded through a Caltrans Active Transportation Grant (ATP), will alter the configuration of C Street between Waterfront Drive and Harris Street to deter drivers from using it as a north-south corridor and make the road safer for cyclists. Once the project is complete, two-way traffic will be diverted off of C Street at four intersections (Seventh, Fourteenth, Buhne and Harris streets).
“Local vehicular traffic will continue to have access anywhere along the corridor, though they may have to go ‘around the block’ to get to [their] destination on C Street,” the staff report states. “Bicycle and pedestrian traffic, however, will remain two-way.”
The project design also includes 11 “enhanced” pedestrian crossings at high-volume intersections that feature concrete bulb-outs, rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs), signage, striping, pavement markers and planters.
City Engineer Jesse Willor said the project came about in 2020 when staff started working on the Eureka Bike Plan, which aims to make the city navigable for bikes. “It wouldn’t necessarily reduce access to anybody living along the street,” Willor said. “It’s more [of an effort] to inhibit people [from] using C Street as a cut-through street to get from one side of town to the other … and really allow for that street to be a way for cyclists to … get across town without having to navigate as much traffic.”
During the public comment portion of the meeting, Eureka resident Jessica Rebholtz expressed concern about the community engagement process, asserting that “not once has anyone on C Street been notified of this project.”
Rebholtz | Screenshot
“There was no flyer, no mailer, no community meeting,” Rebholtz said, adding that the city could have saved money on a physical mailer by including information about the project in residents’ water bills. “Additionally, I [would] like to better understand the logic behind selecting C Street. … B Street already has flashing lights on Buhne. Why not pick B Street? Why C Street? It makes no sense to me. … I can guarantee you, no one on C Street actually knows this is happening, so it’s being tucked away.”
As Councilmember Leslie Castellano would note later in the meeting (see below), there have, in fact been several public meetings on this issue.
Eureka resident Brett Gronemeyer spoke in favor of the project and underscored the importance of expanding bike facilities to enhance connectivity throughout the city and accommodate cyclists who aren’t comfortable riding through high-traffic areas.
“A high-quality bicycle facility like this one adds a needed north-south bike route roughly halfway between the H and I street couplet and Broadway,” he said. “It’s good to have [an assortment] of different bike facilities in the city because not everybody is confident when they’re riding … with a lot of traffic, and this would create a nice, quiet corridor for cyclists. I think the residents would also appreciate having less traffic and [fewer] vehicles speeding down their street that this project will bring with the volume and speed management features it’s going to contain.”
Shortly after public comment, Fernandez made a motion to postpone the council’s decision until its June 17 meeting, but the motion died lacking a second. Asked why he felt compelled to postpone the decision, Fernandez said he was “generally supportive of these type of projects,” but took issue with the community outreach process.
“As city government … we do what’s necessary, we do what’s required, but that community outreach is an ongoing process, and I don’t feel that we’ve done that in this situation,” Fernandez said, adding that, if postponement were granted, he would vote in favor of the project.
Castellano made a motion to approve the bid award, which was seconded by Councilmember Kati Moulton.
Before voting on the matter, Contreras-DeLoach explained why she planned to vote against it, echoing previous concerns about the public outreach process and the financial impact of the project. “It’s more of a budget thing for me,” she said. “I see this as nice and beautiful, but not necessary.”
Castellano said she could understand concerns around public input, but reminded her peers that the debate at hand was not whether the project should be approved, but whether the council should approve a bid award for its construction.
Castellano | Screenshot
“We’ve already approved [this project] through numerous public meetings,” she said. “I have attended at least two public meetings, and I understand that sometimes people miss something — I miss things too, and I’m frustrated by it — but also I just want to speak to the fact that this really is for awarding construction through a process that we’ve already approved on council. … This is grant-funded, and I think delaying the process will only bog down [the] government process for something that we’ve all [agreed] with for years.”
Speaking to the broader issue of community outreach, Slattery said staff could bring back a proposal that would set additional parameters for the public notification process.
After a bit of additional discussion, the council voted 3-2, with Contreras-DeLoach and Fernandez dissenting, to approve the $2.34 million bid award to RAO Construction Co. Detailed schematics for the project can be found at this link.
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Other notable bits from last night’s meeting:
During a special budget study session with the city’s Finance Advisory Committee, Finance Director Lane Millar went over the projected budget for the 2025-26 Fiscal Year. Staff is anticipating a nearly $400,000 deficit in the city’s General Fund, but Millar emphasized that that figure would likely change before the fiscal year is closed. “If you look at our financial statements, we tend to budget conservatively, meaning that we typically show worst-case scenarios,” he said. “If there are surprises, those surprises are improvements, not things that have gone in the other direction.” The council accepted the report but did not take any action on the item.
The council also approved letters of support for two bills making their way through the state legislature. AB 609 would exempt environmentally friendly housing projects from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to streamline the permitting process for new housing developments. SB 79 would set state standards for transit-oriented zoning to encourage the development of multi-family housing around transit hubs. The letter for AB 609 received unanimous support from the council. The letter for SB 79 was approved in a 3-2 vote, with councilmembers Scott Bauer and Contreras-DeLoach dissenting.
Click “play” on the video below to watch the full meeting.
Eureka City Schools (ECS) is pleased to announce that our Summer Community Meals program will return in 2025 with expanded access to service.
Starting June 23, 2025, and continuing through July 31, 2025, children 18 years of age and younger can access free nutritious meals Monday through Friday from several designated sites, spanning from Eureka to Rio Dell. There is no service for any location on July 4, 2025.
On-Site Meal Service
Meals must be eaten at the location where they are served. The following schools will be open for on site lunch service:
Alice Birney Elementary 717 South Avenue, Eureka Hours: 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Eureka High School 1915 J Street, Eureka Hours: 12:15 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Grab-and-Go Summer Meals
Meals picked up from these two sites listed below do not need to be eaten on-site and may be taken to go. Meals can pick up meals to take home from the following locations between 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.:
2292 Newburg Road, Fortuna
50 Center Street, Rio Dell
The ECS Summer Community Meals program provides an opportunity to continue a child’s physical and social development while providing nutritious meals during vacation periods from school. Eureka City Schools takesfood insecurity very seriously and understands how much good nutrition is essential for not only learning in school but for a child’s overall growth and development. Having consistent access to healthy food can stabilize energy, promote strong bones and teeth, improve mental health, help to maintain a healthy weight, prevent chronic diseases, and even reduce anxiety and give a child confidence.
Our participation in this federally-funded program through the U.S. Department of Agriculture helps children stay connected to their community and return to school ready to learn.
If you have any questions, please contact Food Services at (707) 441-2501. The Summer Community Meals Menu and other Food Services information is posted at www.ecsnutritionservices.com.
Blue Lake City Council (facing the camera, from left): Kat Napier, Michelle Lewis-Lusso, Mayor John Sawatzky and Mayor Pro-Tem Elise Scafani. Council Member Chris Firor was absent.
The Blue Lake City Council last night approved a plan to bring the city back into compliance with state housing law by the end of February 2026, and now they’re hoping state authorities will be okay with that timeline.
Blue Lake has been out of compliance with state housing law for nearly six years, as the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) politely reminded former City Manager Mandy Mager via a letter last month.
Like all local government jurisdictions in the state, Blue Lake is required to regularly update its housing element to plan for its share of California’s projected population growth, known as its Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA). In Blue Lake’s case, it needs to submit plans for accommodating up to 34 new dwelling units in the coming years.
A housing element update has been completed and approved by the Blue Lake Planning Commission, and it was brought before the council for adoption last month. However, a new council majority, which narrowly won election in November, is possessed of a robust skepticism about the way the city has been run in recent years. Since being seated in January, this cohort has been closely scrutinizing past work and upending procedures in a DOGE-like shakeup of the municipal government.
This trio of council members — which includes Mayor John Sawatzky, Mayor Pro-Tem Elise Scafani and Kat Napier — are now facing a recall initiative mounted by residents in the wake of the unceremonious ouster of Mager earlier this month. (They were personally served notices of recall earlier in the meeting.)
Critics accused Mager of green-lighting various development projects — including a controversial mixed-use Danco project in the Powers Creek District — without sufficient public participation. (Mager’s supporters dispute such allegations while applauding her planning efforts.)
Last month’s HCD letter to the city warns that continued non-compliance with state housing law could have serious ramifications, including a lawsuit from the Attorney General, financial penalties of up to $100,000 per month, additional fines of up to $50,000 per month and even the loss of local control over when and where very low- to moderate-income housing and emergency shelters are built, via a mechanism called the “Builder’s Remedy.”
At last night’s meeting, City Planner Gary Reese walked the council through a draft response to HCD, which includes an outline of the tasks that still need to be completed. He said it’s up to the council to set target completion dates for the two big-ticket items on that to-do list:
adopting the latest (6th cycle) housing element update and submitting it to HCD, and
completing state-required rezoning
Napier voiced hesitation about the environmental review for this process. While an initial study conducted for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) concluded that there will be no significant environmental impacts from adopting a housing element update, Napier suggested that there should be more analysis of the cumulative effects of various proposed projects in the city.
“It doesn’t seem like we’ve looked at the full picture,” she said, noting a number of projects in various stages of development, such as housing, a sports recreation center, an RV park, a battery storage facility, a new amphitheater and a bike park.
Reese said the level of environmental analysis Napier is looking for might be typical of more robust and comprehensive planning efforts, like a full General Plan Update, but it’s beyond the scope of what’s usually done for a housing element update. Some of the projects she mentioned are still in the conceptual stage and thus not considered “reasonably foreseeable” for housing element purposes.
Napier defended the approach of pumping the brakes for the sake of increased scrutiny. She said asking questions about the housing element doesn’t mean somebody is against affordable housing; it’s about due diligence.
“To me, now is the time to ask those questions,” she said. “Now is the time to have more scrutiny rather than after the fact and have to live with regret.”
During the public comment period, former mayor Adelene Jones — who lost re-election to Napier by random chance following an exact tie at the ballot box — urged the council to move quickly to adopt the update, saying the city needs affordable housing and lamenting the fact that she and her former council colleagues hadn’t approved the update long ago.
Other public speakers, including Lisa Hoover, Beckie Thornton Raygoza and Lori Ponte, voiced support for the slow and deliberate approach and thanked the new council members for their efforts.
Council Member Michelle Lewis-Lusso, who’s a holdover from the previous council, proposed a timeline with a completion date of Dec. 31, but Scafani and Napier both said the city should take more time. [CORRECTION: Lewis-Lusso was elected in November.]
“I am of the mind to go with a much more cautious timeline,” Napier said. She went on to suggest that she had questions about a geotechnical study and suggested that perhaps it should be sent out for peer review. Napier also said the next few months should be focused on budget matters.
At that point, Interim City Manager Dani Burkhart spoke up.
“While I love that we want to be thorough and do our research, we also need to remember that we pay subject matter experts to be that, and you do not have thousands of hours to dedicate to becoming subject matter experts in every single policy that comes before you for consideration,” Burkhart said.
She suggested that the council needs to prioritize efficiency, adding, “Your conversation about the budget will become moot if we are fined into oblivion.”
Scafani later made a motion to submit the updated housing element to the state by the end of the year and aim to complete the required rezoning no later than Feb. 28, 2026.
Asked for his take on that plan, Reese said the city could get pushback from the state for such continued delays. However, the motion passed unanimously.
The crowd for Tuesday’s meeting was standing-room only. | Photos by Ryan Burns.
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.
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Port of Long Beach | Don Ramey Logan, CC BY-SA 4.0
California’s port traffic is beginning to look worse now, under the effects of President Donald Trump’s fickle tariff policy, than it did at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The vessel calls, or cancellations, that we’re seeing today (are) starting to exceed the number that we saw in COVID-19,” Mario Cordero, chief executive of the Port of Long Beach, said in an interview with CalMatters in early May.
At Port of Los Angeles, Executive Director Gene Seroka said during a media briefing last week that the port expected 80 ships to arrive in May, but 17 have been canceled. By comparison, last year through May there were a total of 12 cancellations. There are 10 cancellations for June already, he added.
Farther north, the Port of Oakland saw a 15% month-over-month drop in container activity in April, spokesperson Matt Davis said. It was the first significant decline this year, as tariffs went into effect.
The challenges presented by Trump’s tariffs are “not like COVID,” said Martha Miller, executive director of the California Association of Port Authorities, at a business roundtable last week. The unpredictability of Trump’s edicts means there won’t be a surge of cargo, she said; many businesses are waiting to act, including to order goods for import.
Data for the state’s three biggest ports confirm that jobs are dwindling for longshore workers up and down the state. The numbers of gangs — teams of varied sizes that work to handle cargo — at each of the ports have declined in the past few weeks, and have dropped year over year. Besides the numbers of containers at the ports, gang numbers are another indicator of the amount of work available.
Gary Herrera is president of the International Longshore Workers Union Local 13, which represents port workers in both Long Beach and Los Angeles.
Part-time workers are not getting any hours right now, Herrera said during a media briefing with Long Beach officials. He told CalMatters that full-time workers — who get first dibs on jobs — may not be getting 40 hours a week, either. Herrera was also speaking on behalf of a couple of other locals; altogether they represent about 9,000 full-time and 6,000 part-time port workers.
As the tariff dramadrags on, the impact will be felt by other workers along the supply chain, from truck drivers to the staff at warehouses to rail workers and those who work in retail. If and when people don’t have enough work or lose their jobs, their communities and local economies will suffer, port officials and workers say.
“We live and we work in our community,” Herrera said during a recent media briefing with Long Beach officials. “We spend in our community.”
Luisa Gratz is the president of International Longshore Workers Union Local 26, which represents most of the security on the docks in Los Angeles and Long Beach. The port security workers — who drive other longshore workers from parking lots to the ships, among other things — told CalMatters that her constituents are also struggling.
“When there’s no work for longshoremen, there’s very little work for us except gate monitoring,” she said. “It’s heartbreaking. It’s putting people out of work.”
Truckers are also feeling the squeeze from the tariffs.
Eric Tate is secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 848, which represents about 8,000 truck drivers in Southern California. He said truckers, especially part-timers who aren’t guaranteed any hours, are seeing less work, though he did say truckers saw a bit of a pickup in work after Trump temporarily reduced tariffs on China.
“We’re trying to gear up and quickly move stuff around,” he said in an interview with CalMatters. “We’re trying to save Christmas.”
He said the continued uncertainty means many truck drivers are barely working 40 hours a week. Some shipper drivers, who transport cargo off ships to ease congestion on ports, may be working one to two days a week, Tate said. “When there’s no ship, there’s no congestion,” he added.
But in the Bay Area, the Port of Oakland is seeing a possible pickup in activity in June — as of last week, the planned canceled ships for that month have been reduced from 12 to five, port spokesperson Davis said.
The decline in cargo traffic at the ports could change depending on how different industries and businesses respond to an agreement the Trump administration reached with China on May 12, which lowers the tax on imports from China from 145% to 30% for 90 days.
The volatility is a problem
Besides a decline in imports from places such as China, the ports are handling fewer exports from the state’s agricultural industry, thanks to retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods. Stephanie Magnien Rockwell, chief of staff at the Port of Los Angeles, said in mid-May that California farmers are taking a hit.
“One of our greatest exports are soybeans to China,” she said at a hearing held by State Treasurer Fiona Ma about tariffs. “(But) Brazil, in the month of March, exported more soybeans to China than they have in their entire history.”
The U.S. trade war with China has an outsize effect on California ports: Chinese goods have accounted for 40% of the imports at the Port of Los Angeles, 63% at the Port of Long Beach and 45% at the Port of Oakland.
Despite the temporary deal with China, the lack of clarity is a problem — and tariffs remain high, officials, business owners and others say. Continued changes in the costs of goods make it hard for businesses to plan. And only certain size businesses may be able to afford to take a leap and order goods from overseas now.
“We can’t generalize here, because of those 125,000 importing companies (whose) goods come through the Port of Los Angeles,” Seroka said to CalMatters. “But safe to say, if there was a little bit of a shortage on stock, or if some felt that the 30% average tariff might go higher, sure, people jump back in.”
But the uncertainty persists, Seroka said. Case in point: On May 23, Trump complained about not being able to reach a deal with Europe on tariffs and threatened a 50% tariff on European goods — which he said over the weekend would be delayed to July 9. He also threatened a 25% tariff on iPhones unless Apple begins to make the devices in the United States.
A big deal
Long-term, the stakes are high and wide-ranging. Port of Long Beach CEO Cordero said a 10% decline in cargo could mean a 10% decline in jobs. “If you use a round figure of a million jobs stemming from the port operations, that’s a 100,000 job reduction,” he told CalMatters.
His port supports jobs worth tens of billions of dollars in income in the five surrounding counties, according to a report recently released by the port. The report estimates that in 2023, port activity contributed $84.4 billion in local, state and federal taxes. Those were taxes paid by individuals and businesses, said Kimberly Ritter-Martinez, the port’s manager of economics and funding, during the Long Beach media briefing.
“When workers and business owners earn income from working at the port or as one of our suppliers, they spend those dollars on groceries, entertainment, travel… and all of that activity supports the broader economy,” she said.
Jessie Viola Desadier (Summers) passed away on May 15th, 2025 surrounded by family at Mad River Community Hospital.
Jessie was born on April 30th, 1943, in Santa Rosa, CA to Ray and Viola Summers. Shortly after she was born the family relocated to Samoa, Calif., where Jessie would spend her childhood. Jessie was a middle child of 7. As a young child one of her fondest memories was when she and her siblings would ride the ferry to Eureka from Samoa to watch movies at the local theater before the bridge was constructed in 1971. She also loved playing on the log decks in the area.
She later attended Arcata High School. After high school she was blessed with two sons, Rodney Summers and Mark Maillie. She spent some time working at Weatherby’s, a restaurant, as a dishwasher. After working at Weatherby’s, she spent 10 years working at Crestwood Manor as a beloved nurse’s aide, but later settled on becoming a homemaker after her first grandchild was born.
In her spare time Jessie enjoyed traveling and visiting family. One of her favorite trips she ever took was a cruise to Alaska. She often told stories of her adventures there. She also enjoyed crafting and camping with her friends Ardith and Stacey.
Jessie was always known for also having the newest and coolest video games. Many of her grandchildren recall the hours of playing video games at her house. When she wasn’t spending time with her grandchildren, she also enjoyed gardening. Her garden was always full of plants and well maintained.
What her whole family remembers most about Jessie was her love for her cats. The last two cats she had, Regina and Slinky, were her best friends. She often took care of all the cats in any neighborhood she lived in.
Jessie is preceded in death by her parents Ray and Viola Summers, sisters Beth Harrison and Paulina Shipman, brothers Larry and Lester Summers, and son Mark Maillie.
Jessie is survived by son Rodney Summers, brothers Danny and Doug Summers, sister-in-law Leilani Summers, daughter-in-law Shirley Maillie, grandchildren Kelly Summers (Danielle), Stephanie Summers, Kyle Summers, Max Maillie (Catrina), Rex Maillie, Lindsey Ingraham (Grady), and great-grandchildren Cameron Hubbard, Olivia Summers, Tristian Reynolds and Jaxson Maillie.
The family would like to give a special thank you to the Arcata Fire Department and Mad River Ambulance for their prompt responses over the years, and their kindness and understanding. We would also like to thank Mad River hospital for making her comfortable and their kindness to the family during a very difficult time.
A celebration of life will be held at Pierson Park in McKinleyville on July 12th from 1-3 pm. We will provide hog dogs, hamburgers, and drinks. Please bring a chair, side dish, and a story about Jessie you would like to share.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Jessie Viola Desadier’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
Kathleen Marie Fraser was born on August 7, 1956, in the historic town of Scotia, California, to Ernest Earl Fraser and Charlotte Grace Richmond. She lived her early years in Hydesville, California, until the age of 17, when she moved to Jefferson, Oregon, and got married.
At 21, she welcomed her first daughter, Michelle Dawn Hartzell. Less than a year later, Kathleen and baby Michelle returned to Hydesville, where she remained living for the rest of her life. At 30, Kathleen began working as a cashier at Murrish Market in her small-town of Hydesville.
During this time, she remarried and gave birth to her son, Jon Ernest Burns, followed two years later by her youngest daughter, Kayla Danielle Burns. Kathleen later joined the staff at Hydesville School as a teacher’s aide while her younger children attended school there. Like her children, Kathleen attended school herself and was the first person in her family to earn a college degree. Setting a good example for her children was a top priority. As a single mother, she proudly completed her degree in Computer Science.
Around the age of 46, she made a career change and spent the next decade as a cashier at Ace Hardware in Fortuna, California.
Kathleen found her greatest joy in her family, especially her five beloved grandchildren: Isaac Jon Guzman, Jolissa Grace Guzman, Brody Jon Kenneth Warnow, Karson Charles Ernest Warnow, and Kyrie Grace Warnow, who affectionately called her “Nana.”
At 58, Kathleen was diagnosed with breast cancer. Through strength and resilience, she beat it and spent the next ten years cherishing every moment with her loved ones. When the cancer returned, she fought with unwavering courage until her passing at the age of 68.
She is preceded in death by her beloved son Jon Ernest Burns, her father Ernest Earl Fraser, her best friend Ruth Sanders, and numerous extended family members who passed before her.
Kathleen is lovingly remembered by her mother Charlotte Fraser; daughters Michelle Hartzell and Kayla Warnow (Brian Warnow); her grandchildren Isaac, Jolissa, Brody, Karson, and Kyrie; her cousin and best friend Carlotta Heflin; and a wide circle of cousins, friends, and extended family.
Kathleen’s kindness, strength, and unwavering love leave a lasting legacy in the hearts of all who knew her.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Kathleen Marie Fraser’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Etelvina Mateus, age 90, a beloved wife, mother and grandmother. Etelvina passed on April 16, 2025 in her home.
Etelvina was born in Ponta da Faja Grande on December 9, 1934, to parents Jose and Eliza Furtado where she was one of eight children. Etelvina immigrated to the United States in 1966 with husband Joao (to whom she was married for 50 years) and daughter Maria where they created their new lives in Arcata.
Etelvina embraced God’s word and prayed daily for her family, friends and everyone else. She was a strong independent woman who enjoyed time with family and friends, gardening, cooking, baking, knitting, word seek puzzles and watching EWTN. But most of all, Etelvina loved her grandsons Jaime and Jeremy. They were truly the joy of her life.
Etelvina is survived by her daughter Maria (Jim) Cacho, grandsons Jaime Cacho, Jeremy (Amy) Cacho, brother Antonio (Judite) Valadao, sisters Ines Furtado and Ema Freitas, brother in law Tony Furtado along with many nieces and nephews in California, Massachusetts and Flores, Azores.
She was preceded in death by her loving husband Joao Mateus, parents Jose and Eliza Furtado, brother Jose Valadao and sisters Maria Fraga, Teresa Silveira and Lucy Furtado, nephews Larry Valadao and Gabriel Furtado.
Services will be held June 11, 2025 at St. Mary’s Church at 11:00 AM with internment immediately following at Greenwood Cemetary.
A special thank you to Antonio and Judite Valadao along with Elizabeth Long for the care and many acts of kindness in her later years. You were there when she needed you most. To you and all of the other family and friends that were helpful and a part of her life, we are forever grateful.
She will be greatly missed by all that knew her.
In lieu of flowers we ask that donations be made to St. Mary’s Church or the charity of your choice.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Etelvina Mateus’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
