Martha Janelle Cringle Buss passed away peacefully on Sunday, June 15, 2025 at St. Joseph Hospital.

Martha was born on January 11, 1938 in Terra Bella, California, after her family left Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl. At age 8, she moved with her family to Humboldt County and lived, as many did at the time, in the Eureka federal housing project (where the Eureka Mall now sits). She formed many lifelong friendships in that neighborhood.

Martha went to Lincoln Elementary School and was a proud member of the self-titled “Lincoln Legends.” Martha joked about being tone deaf and unable to carry a tune. In second grade, she and her friend Rich Ames sang so poorly that they were removed from class and made to sing in front of the principal so that they did not bring the entire class down. While Rich went on to become a beautiful singer, often performing at weddings and various events in the community, Martha remained forever musically challenged.

Martha was also an active member of Eureka High School’s Class of ’56. Martha was a driving force in the class’s Eureka reunions, held every five years, and rarely missed the 56ers’ annual mini reunions in Reno. In addition to class reunion activities, Martha was often seen at the Adorni Center as part of the Light and Lively exercise group and at monthly luncheons of the Red Hat group.

Martha married Robert (Bob) Buss in 1961. They celebrated 50 years of marriage before his passing in 2011. Together Bob and Martha raised two daughters and owned several local businesses before they retired in the late 80’s. Martha was a devoted mother and staunch supporter of her girls. She alternated “room mother” duties between the two during their elementary school years and was the cookie coordinator for their Girls Scout troops. Martha even overcame her terror of snakes to be “grub worm,” the organizer of all the food at Girl Scout summer camp. Martha was an avid gardener growing every imaginable vegetable, canning, pickling and baking her way through the summer harvest. Many will miss her gifts of garlic dill pickles and fresh rhubarb!

There was no adventure that Martha shied away from, she was game to try anything! Martha eagerly embraced adventure and experiences shared with friends and family were always her favorite! Martha and her best friend Shirley Moore travelled to Ireland and the Caribbean, in addition to the mischief they shared here in Humboldt. Martha loved travelling with her daughters on “girl trips” to the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, Washington D.C., and more. She loved roller coasters, tried snow skiing at 50, paragliding at 78, and skydiving at 83. Her fearlessness and zest for life served her well. This was never more apparent than when she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2013. Her doctors told her she had a 3-5% chance of surviving five years. But Martha told them “I will be one of those 3-5%!” As she predicted, Martha defied the odds, passing away just days before the 12th anniversary of her diagnosis. She would want everyone to know that pancreatic cancer did not kill her! Through her experience Martha became an advocate for people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the local community and was a supporter of the PanCan network. Martha spent her last three+ years enjoying road trips and casino outings with her beau Leroy Murrell.

Martha is survived by her daughters Denise Berry of Anchorage, Alaska and Kathi (Paul) Gutierrez of Tumwater, Washington; her grandchildren Thomas (Jenn) and Ross (Alexandria) Berry and Paige and Chad Gutierrez; and her great grandchildren Jacob, Kaydence, Maxton and Coleman Berry. Martha also leaves behind 4 of her 7 siblings, Shirley Bock, Nancy Pelascini, Ben Cringle and Sandy (Steve) Benson, as well as countless nieces and nephews, including her niece Marsha Jones with whom she had a special relationship. Martha also leaves behind her truest friend Shirley Moore and her loving boyfriend Leroy Murrell.

Martha’s daughters would like to thank the St. Joseph Hospital staff for their care and kindness to our mother.

Friends and family are invited to a celebration of Martha’s life on August 27, 2025, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Old Growth Cellars in Eureka. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Humboldt Botanical Gardens or the Sequoia Park Zoo – both of which were very special to Martha.

Donald M Brown, 94, born in Los Angeles, with twin brother Darrell, on July 6, 1931, to Roy Sr. and Lelah Brown.

His middle initial, M, was named after his mother’s midwife, Mrs. Marceille. Don was one of seven children who preceded him: Roy Jr., Leland, Betty, Darrell, Vince, and one other at birth.

Donald graduated from Fremont High School in Oakland in 1950. After graduating, he was drafted into the Army (1951–1953) with honors. Throughout his career, he worked in a machine shop making fire hose equipment in Oakland, then moved and worked in Eureka for Ernest Daw, W.P. Fuller, and did tile work with his brothers and father. He later worked at GP/LP beginning in 1969, until his retirement in 1996.

On Christmas night in 1953, he met the love of his life, Shirley Bugenig, at a dance. They married in 1955, lived in Eureka a few years, and bought a house in Arcata where daughters Carrie and Connie were born. They later moved and bought a house in McKinleyville to settle their roots.

Don enjoyed golfing with his buddies, taking trips, always took pride in working in his yard, and loved feeding and watching hummingbirds, ducking out of their way while feeding them. When Shirley broke her hip, she called him her nurse. It was okay at that time, but she would get irritated with him for helping too much. She had a stroke in 2012, and he was devastated. He tried taking care of others so they wouldn’t take care of him.

Don re-met Julie Thompson, which took some of his pain away. Once again, he traveled and cared for her until her passing in 2018. During that time, he became a member of The Presbyterian Redeemer Church in Fortuna, under predeceased Pastor Lance Anderson and current Pastor Tom Culbert. He gained many more friends there. This gave him a new job as an Uber driver for some of his friends.

Don is survived by his daughters: Carrie Gragert (Gordan) and Connie Fisher (Joe); three grandsons: Joey Martin, Mike Martin; and was preceded in death by Brady Gragert. Don also has many nieces and nephews — especially George Brown of Arcata and Janet Brown of Spokane Valley — for always being there for him and supporting his daughter Connie. He is also survived by Julie’s family and grandchildren.

Friends and family are invited to a service at Goble’s Funeral Home in Fortuna on August 6 at 1 p.m., with prior viewing before the service. Then on August 7 at 2 p.m., words will be spoken as he reunites with Shirley at Sunset Memorial Park Mausoleum Crypt in Eureka.

Continually, his words were: “I have lived a full and happy life.”

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About two dozen protestors swarmed a special meeting of the Arcata City Council today to protest supposed sweeps of homeless encampments, lambasting city officials and council members and forcing the rescheduling of another city council meeting.

The original meeting, a special city council session to consider awarding a contract to an organization called “Civic Possible” to help them update their Economic Strategic Plan, ended in chaos near the end of the half-hour long meeting when the demonstrators weren’t allowed to address the council on the topic of homeless encampments. Activists shouted down city representatives and questioned their motives, accusing the city officials that they did not care about the homeless and were restricting their freedom of speech by not allowing them to speak.

Council members can’t deliberate on anything that isn’t already on the agenda, and during special city council meetings, public comment is taken at the beginning instead of at the end like a normal city council meeting. In an interview with the Outpost conducted after the meeting ended, City Manager Merritt Perry theorized that that change led to a misunderstanding that helped lead to the outbursts.

Also contributing to the incident was a remark from a Civic Possible representative, who said that he had been working to “eliminate homelessness.” Perry guessed that the crowd thought he meant he wanted to “eliminate the homeless” instead.

“I think the crowd — I don’t think they understood the intent of the speaker,” Perry said.

After a 10-minute recess, Mayor Alex Stillman allowed for open two-minute public comments on any subject, and dozens of people took the opportunity to  decry the state of Arcata’s homeless population and insult dead-eyed, silent city officials.

“Each and every single one of you is a fucking loser,” one anonymous public commenter said. “… I hope none of you ever sleep at night and you’re haunted for the rest of your fucking life.”

“You’re putting people under arrest?” another said. “How fucking dare you! That is disgusting, that is disturbing, that is unjust!”

People in the crowd chanted “stop the sweeps” while the council attempted to continue the meeting. Both Perry and Director of Community Development David Loya separately attempted to compromise with some of the demonstrators, saying they’d be happy to talk with them after the meeting, but the activists shouted over them both times.

The city council did end up awarding the contract to Civic Possible. The city council study session with the Arcata Fire District that was supposed to follow technically started, but adjourned before any action had been taken.

Perry denied that Arcata was sweeping homeless encampments.

The issue at the heart of the protestor’s worries is a private plot of land near O Street and Samoa Boulevard. Perry said that the landowner had asked law enforcement to enforce trespassing laws, and the city was not destroying any homeless camps on public property. 

Perry said the council had done a lot to help Arcata’s homeless, naming various low-income housing projects they’d greenlit, shelters they’ve supported, and rental assistance and mobile home improvement programs.

“You can’t really yell somebody into doing what you want them to do,” Perry said. “I don’t think that’s the way it works. I think it has to be a two-way conversation focused on solutions and not shaming or yelling at somebody and forcing them to do what you want. And I think that’s the area we have to work on, is ‘How can we be more constructive about finding solutions, and what should those solutions look like?’”

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PREVIOUSLY: Blue Lake City Council Set to Hire Former County Supervisor Jill Duffy as New Interim City Manager

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At a brief special meeting Tuesday evening, the Blue Lake City Council unanimously agreed to hire former two-term Humboldt County Supervisor Jill Duffy as the city’s new acting city manager.

Duffy, who has also served as executive director of the Humboldt Waste Management Authority and general manager of the Humboldt County Fair Association, agreed to step into her new role the following morning, meaning she’s already on the job today.

The council — minus member Michelle Lewis-Lusso, who was absent — sang Duffy’s praises ahead of the vote. Councimember Kat Napier said she had spoken with Duffy extensively and was thoroughly impressed with her qualifications and experience.

“She has a vast knowledge on how government works, and also, I found, above all else, integrity. And that is something that I think we will all value here … ,” Napier said. “However you feel about the council, I think that Jill Duffy stepping forward is something that serves all of Blue Lake.”

Fellow councilmember Elise Scafani and Mayor John Sawatzky made similar comments, with the latter saying Duffy “has filled many, many roles and dealt with many, many different situations throughout our local Humboldt County community.”

Duffy herself came to the lectern and said that, as someone who was enjoying her retirement, she had some trepidation about taking the position. But she feels the city has made “some remarkable progress” since she lived in town (Duffy now lives in Fortuna).

However, in a nod to the city’s tumultuous political atmosphere of late, Duffy said Blue Lake “needs a little, you know, stabilizing” as it works with SoCal marketing agency Tripepi Smith to recruit good candidates for the permanent city manager position.

“It’s really important that some of the turmoil kind of calm so that it becomes attractive to people to want to apply,” Duffy said.

Duffy rejoins the workforce as a CalPERS retired annuitant, which means her employment with the city comes with certain restrictions, including working no more than 40 hours per week, on average. She told the council that she intends to stick with that, even with the requirements of frequent public meetings.

Dani Burkhart, who had served as acting city manager since the city parted ways with longtime City Manager Amanda “Mandy” Mager in May, will return to her position as finance manager, according to the staff report.

Brown Act Issues

While Duffy’s hiring wasn’t official until the council cast its votes last night, the public proceedings appeared largely ceremonial, a formality necessary only to finalize a decision that had already been made, according to David Loy, legal director for the nonprofit First Amendment Coalition.

As noted in our story from yesterday, the Blue Lake City Council met in closed session last week to discuss a “public employee appointment,” among other matters. California’s open meetings law, the Ralph M. Brown Act, requires local government bodies to report any actions taken in closed session. But the Blue Lake City Council did not report anything after its July 22 meeting. When asked about the meeting afterward, Mayor Sawatzky reiterated that no reportable actions had been taken.

And yet the staff report prepared for yesterday’s meeting “all but admits — or implies — that they made the decision [to hire Duffy] already,” Loy said in a phone interview ahead of last night’s meeting. 

Specifically, Loy pointed out that not only was Duffy’s employment agreement fully drafted and ready for signatures, but the staff report says the council “has decided to appoint an experienced public administrator” and that Duffy “has agreed to serve” as interim city manager [emphasis added]. The logical conclusion, he said, is that those decisions were made during the July 22 closed session hearing but not reported to the public, as required by law.

Speaking to the Outpost on Tuesday afternoon, Loy said, “It’s very telling to me that, as of today’s agenda report, [the council] admitted they’ve already made the decision to appoint [Duffy], which means they had to have had a collective conversation and vote, or consensus, before today.”

The Brown Act defines a government action broadly, he explained. (You can find that definition in the state’s legal code.) “It’s not merely a formal finalization of the employment contract. And bear in mind, the Brown Act has to be construed broadly in favor of transparency.”

This marks the third time since April that Blue Lake’s government has been accused of violating California’s open meetings law. Legal experts said the city appeared to violate the Brown Act when parting ways with Mager in May and again later that month in approving her separation agreement, as reported by former North Coast Journal News Editor Thadeus Greenson.

When contacted by Greenson, City Attorney Ryan Plotz of Eureka’s Mitchell Law Firm stood by his position that no reportable action had been taken in the former instance, and he declined to comment on the latter because it was a personnel matter. 

Local resident and former Blue Lake councilmember Alex Ricca, who is involved in an effort to recall Sawatzky, Scafani and Napier, subsequently sent a “cure and correct” demand letter, directing the city to address these apparent violations of law. Plotz determined that the allegations “lack legal merit,” as reported by Times-Standard reporter Sage Alexander.

[Side note: Ricca has been accused publicly of threatening to kill Sawatzky. In a nine-minute audio recording sent anonymously to the Outpost, Ricca can be heard admitting saying such a thing, though he describes the outburst as “rhetorical hyperbole” uttered in the heat of the moment. Ricca adds that he is chagrined by his behavior and repeatedly apologizes to Sawatzky.

In a July 8 email, Sawatzky said, “I can confirm I have reported two separate incidents of what I perceived as threats and intimidation to the sheriffs department by Mr. Ricca.” Sawatzky added that he requested paperwork for a restraining order but the forms are “cumbersome” and he had not yet completed them.

Here’s the recording: Ricca and Sawatzky

The Outpost emailed Ricca seeking comment on the recording but has yet to hear back from him. End of side note.]

Asked to respond to this latest alleged violation of the Brown Act, Plotz told the Outpost via email on Tuesday that while the city council had interviewed Duffy and there was mutual interest, “nothing is approved or final until the Council approves in open session.”

Loy responded, “I guess I hear that, and I respectfully disagree.”

He said other government agencies in the state have taken that same position, and while he’s not aware of any case law that applies directly to such instances, he said, “I don’t buy the argument.”

He reiterated that the term “action taken” means “a collective decision made by a majority of the members of a legislative body,” not merely the formal finalizing of that decision by having “every piece of paper wordsmithed and signed.”

Here’s video of last night’s meeting:

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A pedestrian was struck and killed by a Humboldt Transit Authority bus in the Valley West neighborhood of Arcata Tuesday evening. 

Officers with the Arcata Police Department and other emergency personnel responded to the intersection of Giuntoli Lane and Valley West Boulevard after receiving a call at 6:35 p.m., according to APD Lt. Luke Scown.

Bus passengers were directed to offload following the incident. Three witnesses told the Outpost that the victim was an adult man who appeared to throw himself in front of the bus.

Scown said the victim has been identified, but that identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Kamala Harris will not run for California governor, ending months of feverish speculation and raising fresh questions about the next chapter of her political career.

The former vice president — a California native who rose to prominence as attorney general and U.S. senator for the state — announced today that she would skip next year’s open gubernatorial race. Though she did not confirm other plans, the decision leaves open the possibility that Harris will make another bid for the White House in 2028.

“I love this state, its people and its promise. It is my home. But after deep reflection, I’ve decided that I will not run for Governor in this election,” Harris wrote in a statement posted on social media. “I look forward to getting back out and listening to the American people, helping elect Democrats across the nation who will fight fearlessly, and sharing more details in the months ahead about my own plans.”

Conjecture about what Harris would do next began almost immediately after she lost the November election to President Donald Trump. The 60-year-old Harris is still relatively young in political terms, and her flashy 107-day drive for the presidency, after then-President Joe Biden dropped out, reignited public interest in a figure who had been pushed to the margins in Washington, D.C.

Many observers came to see the California governorship as a natural landing spot. Harris previously passed on the office to run for U.S. Senate in 2016, averting a showdown with future Gov. Gavin Newsom and setting off her rapid ascent in national politics. With Newsom terming out next year, the 2026 gubernatorial race is wide open, and California’s outsized role in the political discourse still provides its governor with a stage that can reach far beyond the state.

But seeking the office would have almost certainly forestalled a campaign in the next presidential election, which will kick into overdrive in early 2027, just as California’s new governor is taking office.

And despite returning to the state, where she lives in the upscale Los Angeles neighborhood of Brentwood, Harris appeared in recent months to be more interested in cultivating her place in the national spotlight. She publicly dipped back into politics in April with a speech at a fundraiser in San Francisco, where she warned that Trump was fomenting a constitutional crisis and called on Democrats to stand together to fight back against his dismantling of American values.

“They are counting on the notion that if they make some people afraid, it will have a chilling effect on others,” Harris said at the time. “But what they have overlooked is that fear is not the only thing that’s contagious. Courage is contagious.”

The crowded field of California gubernatorial candidates is no doubt breathing a sigh of relief at the news. Harris’ near-universal awareness with voters and nationwide fundraising network would have made her the immediate frontrunner in the race and likely sent many of her fellow Democrats scurrying for the exit.

Early public polling is spotty, but an April survey from Inside California Politics and Emerson College found that 31% of voters supported a theoretical Harris campaign, while no other contender exceeded single digits.

They include former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former state Controller Betty Yee, former state Senate leader Toni Atkins, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and timeshare magnate Stephen Cloobeck.

Former Fox News host Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco are the most prominent Republicans in the field.

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

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Raised in a family of dedicated civil servants, Siena Parrish has always been drawn to the public service sector. After moving from Sonoma County to Humboldt last year, Parrish took a part-time gig at the Eureka Visitor’s Center, where she joined a group of like-minded locals who care deeply for this foggy little place we call home. 

“This kind of work is what I grew up wanting to do,” Parrish told the Outpost as she plucked a bit of litter from the ground and plopped it into an orange five-gallon bucket during a recent community clean-up. “I think community is as good as how you treat those who need it the most, and the fact that we have so many small business owners and city employees who take the time to [volunteer] and are clearly passionate about what they do is what makes Eureka really special for me.”

Parrish is one of the Old Town Stewards, a small but mighty team of city employees and volunteers working to “promote goodwill and hospitality” in Eureka through beautification projects, community outreach and engagement. Modeled after successful ambassador programs in other cities, including Arcata, the City of Eureka launched its Old Town Stewards Volunteer Program last summer to provide residents and visitors with a friendly, knowledgeable presence around town. 

The group, led by Uplift Eureka’s Social Services Coordinator Hannah Ozanian, meets at Clarke Plaza every Wednesday to pick up trash and tidy up planters around Old Town. When they’re not sweeping up cigarette butts and wrangling loose wood chips, you can find the stewards chatting with locals or sharing tidbits of Humboldt history with visitors. 

“We are community liaisons trying to provide local resources, whether that’s directions to the Carson Mansion for a tourist from out of town, or whether it’s directions to the Eureka Rescue Mission for someone who’s unhoused,” Ozanian told the Outpost during last week’s clean-up. “Our main focus on Wednesdays is to do a deep clean of Clarke Plaza, and then we move out around Old Town toward the gazebo. If we can keep an area clean, that’s a hospitable thing to do for everyone, right?”

The idea is to make Eureka a better place for everyone, whether that be local business owners or unhoused community members, Ozanian said.

A couple of times a week — usually Tuesdays and Thursdays — the stewards host the Connections Club, a community-building coloring circle at St. Vincent de Paul’s dining facility. There, attendees can tap into their creative side or use the materials to write letters or greeting cards to loved ones. 

“I look at outreach as [a way to] connect with people, and I love the Connections Club,” said Kimberly Keisling, a local realtor and one of the Old Town Stewards. “The people who are perceived as being unhoused belong here as much as we do. Sometimes they just need a smile and a conversation, you know? Maybe if we can connect and develop a relationship, we can kind of guide them to the resources that are available here.”

For Omar Abi, a steward and local business owner, the Connections Club is an opportunity to make a positive impact and meet new people. “It keeps me grateful,” he told the Outpost. “And it gives me a chance to connect with people on an interpersonal level that I normally wouldn’t have interactions with otherwise.”

Before assuming stewardly duties, each volunteer undergoes comprehensive training and orientation sessions in city policies, de-escalation techniques, safety protocols and local resources. The stewards also get a crash course on the history of Old Town and its various attractions. 

Each volunteer brings their own area of expertise to the table. Roy Marin, a 40-year Eureka resident and retired school bus driver, is the group’s history buff.

“I’ve watched Old Town evolve from way back in the late ‘70s when [the city] was really talking about tearing it down,” Marin said. “I like taking people on little spontaneous walks around Old Town and pointing out, for example, the spot down the boardwalk where you can look and see a perfect view of the Carson Mansion. And I encourage them to walk over to it and explore!”

Marin said he’s been working on a motto for the stewards: “‘Promote, protect, preserve’, or something like that.”

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If you think you’ve got what it takes to become an Old Town Steward, they’re always looking for new folks to join the team. You can find an interest form at this link or email oldtownstewards@eurekaca.gov.

And if you’re hankerin’ for a little bit of barbecue at some point today, you’ll want to pop by the Block Party BBQ at St. Vincent de Paul’s dining facility (35 W. Third Street in Eureka) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Details here.