In Loving Memory of Beverly June Westman (Larsen)
June 7, 1931 – June 13, 2025

Beverly June Westman, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, teacher, and friend, passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family. Born on June 7, 1931, Beverly lived a joyful and purpose-filled life rooted in love, service, and gratitude.

She married Harold Westman on June 27, 1954, and together they raised three children: Jeffery (Bobbi), Jennifer (Eric), and Tom (Anna). Beverly was a loving grandmother to Sheila (Wes), Tori (Mike), Gerald, and Thomas (Jessica). She was also a proud great-grandmother to: Kayla, Isaiah, Brooke, Logan, Sierra, and Jamison. Beverly earned her degree in education from Humboldt State University and went on to teach elementary school at Peninsula Union Elementary School in Samoa. After retirement she taught at Glen Paul School in Eureka. Her devotion to her students and passion for teaching left a lasting impact on generations of young learners in Humboldt County.

Beyond the classroom, Beverly was a dedicated community member who volunteered at St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka. She was also an avid horsewoman and active member of the Northern California Horsemen Association and the Back Country Horsemen Association Redwood Unit. Beverly’s deep love for horses led her to ride in the Reno Cattle Drive three times, take part in an Icelandic horse riding event, and enjoy countless other horseback adventures throughout her life with her daughter and friends. At an inspiring 82 years old, Beverly completed the Buffalo Round Up, becoming one of the oldest participants to do so.

Beverly and Harold shared a deep love for adventure, traveling across the United States in their camper, including unforgettable journeys through Canada and all the way up to Alaska.

A graveside service will be held for family and friends. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to the Back Country Horseman of California Redwood Unit, bchredwoodunit@gmail.com or to a local charity of your choosing.

Harold and Beverly were deeply thankful for their life together with family and gave all glory to the Lord for His many blessings. The Westman family also wish to express heartfelt gratitude to the many neighbors and friends who have become like family over the years.

Sincerely, The Westman Family

Graveside Service
Tuesday, June 24, 2025 02:00 PM
Ocean View Cemetery
3975 Broadway St.
Eureka, CA 95503

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Linda Lee Sanders, age 71, passed away peacefully on May 31, 2025, at 5:59 a.m. in Eureka, Born in Modesto, California, she moved to Fortuna at the age of 9, where she spent the rest of her life touching countless hearts.

Linda was a crafty, generous soul who truly lived by the phrase “give the shirt off your back ”— and she often did. She never met a stranger, opening her heart and home to anyone in need. Whether it was picking up hitchhikers and bringing them to Thanksgiving dinner or making friends wherever she went, Linda’s warmth and compassion knew no bounds.

Her laughter, kindness, and fierce spirit brought together a circle of friends so large, it defies counting. She was a light in every room, and her absence will be deeply felt by all who knew her.

Linda is survived by her loving daughter Tonya Sharp, and her sons Dustin Corderio and Kenny Pires, her sisters Debra West , Sandra Allen , and brother Jack Sanders, and stepdaughter Glenda Sowvlen (oden), her seven grandkids and two great-grandkids, countless nieces and nephews . She is also remembered with deep affection by her chosen family and dear friends Tim Bayless, Amanda Koontz, Pam Buckley, Cassie Campbell, Jeanie Olson and so many more.

She is preceded in death by her mother, Faye Sheets, and her brothers Vernon Sanders, Jerry Brennan, and Loren “Peewee” Vanhoorebeke.

A celebration of life will be at Sequoia Park July 20 2025 at 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. Please, if you can, RSVP at lindasmemorial@gmail.com. Its going to be a potluck — have food as well . All who knew and loved Linda are welcome to join in honoring the beautiful legacy she leaves.

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David Leo Phillis,79, passed away peacefully at home in Arcata on March 25, 2025, surrounded by his family. Dave was born in Waterloo, Iowa, moving to Lakewood, California at the age of six where he grew up with his siblings, Janie, Connie, and Mike. After earning a business degree from Long Beach State in 1970, he followed his passions north to Humboldt, enrolling in art and music classes — two lifelong interests.

When Dave took an interest in something, he fully immersed himself. His passions included family, sports, gardening, music, and art. He brought a can-do attitude and an artistic touch to everything he did - be it home renovation, gardening, cooking, photography or the art of simply emptying a paint can.

Dave was known for his unassuming manner and ever-present, wry sense of humor. To be a friend (or even a doctor) of Dave’s, a shared sense of humor was essential.

Sports was an ever-present through-line in Dave’s life, from sandlot baseball and pick-up basketball as a young boy in the 50s, to many years of coaching the youth of Arcata and McKinleyville. In his early Humboldt days, he especially enjoyed playing beer league softball for the North Bay Grease, where he was notoriously christened “Dave the Rave”. His first coaching gig, which was with a women’s softball team (the “Lardettes”), became life-changing when he met Cathy (aka Stretch). They soon married and welcomed two sons, Corey and Morgan. He was a devoted husband and father… a true family man. He coached not only his own kids but a whole generation of Humboldt youth in baseball, soccer, and basketball. He loved the camaraderie of a team and found deep joy in teaching skills that built confidence and character well beyond the playing field.

Dave was a talented gardener nurturing trees from seeds, tending his bonsais and propagating almost all his plants from cuttings. Gardening without fences on Fickle Hill is no easy task as deer, moles, slugs and bears all visit with their own agenda. He waged these battles with the same zeal and lack of success as the gopher-obsessed groundskeeper from Caddyshack.….so yep cursing could occasionally be heard. However, the garden was truly his happy place and source of joy. After a long day of toiling in the garden he loved to feed the birds, watch the squirrels frolic and just relax on the deck admiring the beauty.

Though not a performer Dave was an avid guitarist, playing daily oftentimes for hours on end. After the birth of his granddaughter Kira, he took up songwriting, composing songs for and about her. Nothing pleased him more than watching his grandchildren, Kira and Miles, dance to his strumming. He often remarked that they were the absolute best therapy and that no medicine could provide the lift and happiness that the time spent with them provided.

Amazingly, amidst all his passions Dave did find time for a day job. If you spent time in downtown Arcata, you may remember him from Bubbles, where he spent a 35-year career. There, again, he enjoyed being part of a team. Although he often hid out in the back or at the lab he especially enjoyed it when a customer turned out to be an old friend or full grown, now adult, former little leaguer who stopped in to catch up. His dry wit, curiosity, and steady presence helped keep him connected to the Arcata community.

Dave lived a rich, full life marked by love, laughter, and quiet creativity. He will be remembered for his gentle heart, sharp wit, and unwavering dedication to the people and passions that defined him.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ellis and Faye Phillis, brother Mike Phillis, and sister Connie Yopp. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Cathy Phillis; sister Janie Erwin (Bill); sons Corey Phillis (Alison Collins) and Morgan Phillis; grandchildren Kira and Miles Phillis and numerous nieces and nephews.

He will be deeply missed.

Friends are invited to join us to celebrate Dave’s life at 1 p.m. on July 6th at Septentrio Winery in Arcata.

Press release from the City of Arcata:

You and your four-legged friends are invited to celebrate the completion of the Valley West Dog Park at a Ribbon Cutting ceremony on Wednesday, June 18th!

For many years, the City of Arcata has heard from the community about the need for an off-leash dog park. Now, the Valley West Dog Park has been completed and is ready for action! The park features a fenced area for off-leash dogs, a doggie drinking fountain and a bench/ADA access pad.

To celebrate the completion of Arcata’s new off-leash dog park, a ribbon cutting ceremony will be held on Wednesday, June 18 at 4:30 p.m. All community members are invited to come to the celebration, especially those with a furry friend eager to try out the new space! The park is located at 1340 Hallen Dr. in Arcata.

Funding for the Valley West Dog Park was made possible by the City of Arcata’s General Fund. City Parks staff led the development of the park amenities and equipment while Miller Farms Nursery assisted with the fencing.

On Sunday morning, word came in from multiple sources about a big, weird airplane that had just landed at the California Redwood Coast-Humboldt County Airport in McKinleyville.

Then, this morning, word comes that a bunch of military personnel have been bivouacked at the Wolf Creek Education Center near Orick, which lies on Redwood National Park land. 

These two things are connected.

The plane, we are told, is a C-17 Globemaster III cargo hauler, which belongs to the U.S. Air Force. The military personnel, we have learned, are here — or were here? It’s unclear — to fix up the cabins at Wolf Creek, which are used every year by hundreds of children on class-wide nature campouts during the school year, as part of the military’s “Innovative Readiness Training” program.

Reached this morning at her home base — Dover Air Force Base, in Delaware — Veronica Aceveda, chief of public affairs for the 512th Airlift Wing told the Outpost that her people had in fact just gotten home from their two-week stay at Wolf Creek, during which around 30 Air Force and reserve personnel from Dover and Seymour Johnson AFB spent their time fixing up the cabins and generally improving the grounds.

Leonel Arguello, deputy superintendent of Redwood National and State Parks, describes — and praises! — the work of the 512th Airlift Wing getting Wolf Creek shipshape, via their Facebook page. 

Generally speaking, Aceveda said, these programs — which happen in communities all across the nation — are meant to last all summer, with different companies rotating in and out every two weeks. The 512th left yesterday, and it’s not immediately clear whether anyone has yet come in to replace them, or will be coming in to replace them. It’s an odd but true fact of life, here in Humboldt County, that it’s easier to locate and speak with a public information officer at a military base on the other side of the continent than it is to find and speak with a representative of many locally based federal or state agencies.

When he identified the aircraft for us, Ryan Cooley, Humboldt County’s director of aviation, told the Outpost that it was their understanding that would be some sort of activity associated with the project “bi-weekly, through August.” 

Though her squad’s part of the project is done, Aceveda said she would put us in touch with the people overseeing the entire Redwood National and State Parks/U.S. Military collaboration. We’ll update you when we know more.

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UPDATE: More from Redwood National and State Parks:

We were just made aware of your recent article about the Military in Orick and wanted to share a little more information. The National Park Service (NPS) at Redwood National Park is partnering with the Department of Defense (DOD), Air National Guard, Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) Program to provide infrastructure construction training opportunities to Air Force units at Redwood National and State Parks during the summer of 2025. The IRT program will provide skilled construction trade personnel, temporarily housed at NPS facilities, to assist with infrastructure improvements at the Wolf Creek Education Center, Kuchel Visitor Center and Redwoods Rising restoration areas.

Under NPS partnership with the Yurok Tribe, the Tribe will provide oversight, material, and specialized trades needed to complete these projects as a community partner for this IRT mission. Promoting the U.S. Department of the Interior mission of protecting and managing the Nation’s natural resources and cultural heritage, this partnership between the NPS, the DOD, and the Yurok Tribe, will highlight our ability to collectively train, build, and serve, with lasting benefits for our communities and increased deployment readiness of our military partners.

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PREVIOUSLY:

• In Response to Federal Program Cut, Food for People Receives $50K Pledge to Match Donations Made Through June 6

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Press release from Food For People:

A fundraising challenge launched by two friends of Food for People in response to federal funding cuts has raised more than double the original goal.

Supporters from all over Humboldt County and as far away as Plano, Texas and Seattle, Washington gave a combined $128,500 to the Farmers Fund Challenge including a last-minute contribution of $55,000 from one donor! Combined with the matching funds Food for People has $182,000 to purchase produce from local farmers.

Food for People supporters Melanie Williams and Barbara Goldberg were moved to create the $50,000 challenge after hearing local news about the elimination of the USDA’s Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) cooperative agreement. The federal program provided the food bank about $360,000 per year over the last three years to buy locally grown food from small farmers and other producers.

“The unexpected cut to LFPA was a huge blow for us, and it is harmful for the entire farming community too,” says Carly Robbins, Food for People’s Executive Director. “Many local farms had already planned their growing season around the funds we were contracted to spend, some already have crops in the ground.” Robbins says the overwhelming response from the community will allow Food for People to keep local produce in its pantries and child and senior nutrition programs, although less than under the USDA program.

Last year, the food bank purchased nearly 90,000 pounds of local produce through the LFPA program that equated to nearly $300,000 in local spending. The Locally Delicious Farmers Fund was created in 2010 by a group called The Heirloom Tomatoes. The fund supports purchasing from local farms and producers and giving people who use Food for People’s programs access to more local foods. Today, the fund is managed by Food for People, specifically for the purchase of locally grown and produced foods.

More information about where to find a food pantry in your area and other food distributions or how to support Food for People’s programs as a financial supporter, business sponsor, volunteer or advocate can be found at foodforpeople.org.

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Food for People, the food bank for Humboldt County, distributed 2.4 million pounds of food last year, and its services reach more than 21,000 people monthly. Food for People’s 18 programs include a countywide network of emergency food pantries, food distribution programs for children, seniors and homebound individuals, nutrition education and outreach activities, local food recovery, gleaning and disaster relief, as well as many partnerships throughout the community. For more information, go to www.foodforpeople.org.

Press release from Humboldt Bay Fire:

On Saturday June 14th, 2025 at 23:27 hours, Humboldt Bay Fire was dispatched to a reported structure fire at the 2100 block of Lisa Ct. in the Cutten area. Humboldt Bay Fire responded with three Engines, one Ladder Truck and a Battalion Chief.

Engine 8115 was the first arriving unit and found smoke coming from single story residence. Engine 8115 pulled a hose line and quickly initiated fire attack. Battalion 8105 arrived on scene and assumed Lisa Command, declaring an offensive fire attack.

Incoming units were assigned to establish a water supply from a fire hydrant, perform a search for victims, and provide ventilation. A unit was designated as the Rapid Intervention Crew in case of a firefighter emergency. The fire was located and contained to one bedroom and there was smoke damage throughout the house. Crews performed salvage operations, removing sentimental items from the residence to prevent further damage.

A second alarm was requested for coverage, bringing in units from Samoa Peninsula Fire and Arcata Fire to respond to additional emergencies. City Ambulance was on stand-by at the scene. PG&E was requested to the scene to secure gas and electrical utilities. Humboldt Bay Fire would like to thank all of these agencies for their response.

An investigation was performed to find the cause and origin of the fire. The exact cause of the fire is undetermined but believed to be accidental in nature. There were no civilian or firefighter injures and damage is estimated at $50,000.

No one was home when the fire started, Humboldt Bay Fire would like to remind everyone the importance of discussing with your family what to do if a fire occurs in your home. Working smoke detectors save lives, also have a pre-determined outside meeting place that everyone in your household knows.