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As the Trinidad Rancheria slowly but surely works toward securing a source of water for the multi-story Hyatt hotel it wants to build next to The Heights Casino, the City of Trinidad will take a fresh look at whether or not to upgrade its own municipal water supply from that same source — a mainline extension from the Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District (HBMWD).

The Rancheria is currently working on a draft feasibility study analyzing the potential connection to an extended HBMWD mainline. Trinidad residents, meanwhile, have been divided, sometimes bitterly, over the question of whether the city needs a more reliable and voluminous water supply. 

Since the mid-1970s, the city has gotten its water from the Luffenholtz Creek watershed, which at times has been barely sufficient to meet demand. During the drought years of 2018-2021, for example, Trinidad had to implement emergency conservation measures amid a series of water shortages, which were exacerbated by leaks in the city’s aging infrastructure. 

The Rancheria, meanwhile, struggled for years to identify a water supply sufficient to support development, including the 100-room hotel it hopes to build on a bluff overlooking the Pacific. After being rebuffed by the City of Trinidad in 2020, the Rancheria turned to the HBMWD, requesting government-to-government consultation on a mainline extension.

The City of Trinidad was invited to participate in a feasibility study, through which it could explore the possibility of getting its own water through that pipeline. But the prospect proved highly controversial among local residents, with opponents, including Fifth District Supervisor Steve Madrone, arguing that a pipeline connection would pave the way for future development that could spoil the region’s rural charm.

In 2021, at a meeting where most public commenters voiced opposition to the pipeline, the Trinidad City Council decided not to join that feasibility study, via a 3-2 vote. 

But now, more than four years later, city leaders plan to ask residents to reconsider that decision. Reached by phone on Wednesday, Trinidad City Clerk Gabriel Adams confirmed that the agenda for next Tuesday’s city council meeting will include a discussion item about the pipeline engineering study.

Trinidad residents were recently notified via a message printed on the back of all customers’ water bills:

The Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District has suggested the City of Trinidad join the discussion with urgency as the Trinidad Rancheria’s water service connection project is rapidly moving forward.

The agenda discussion background will touch on the history of  the Trinidad Water System and the Luffenholtz Creek watershed, including a variety of reports and studies analyzing the reliability of the watershed, lessons learned during the 2020 drought, increasing vulnerabilities of small water system operations, the complete drawdown of the Water Fund reserves, and the need for raising rates to match needs of funding the system.

The Council will be asked to provide staff with direction on whether to participate in the engineering study to gain a deeper understanding of the pros and cons of the proposal.

A local community group called the Humboldt Alliance for Responsible Planning (HARP), which has long opposed both the Rancheria’s hotel project and a municipal connection to the HBMWD mainline, recently sent a letter urging neighbors to oppose the proposition. The letter warns that a pipeline connection “would induce substantial growth and development in the greater Trinidad area,” including the hotel project, while potentially increasing costs and creating environmental concerns.

The water district’s new general manager, Michiko Mares, told the Outpost on Thursday that there are still many opportunities for public review and participation. Once the engineering analysis is completed, the HBMWD, as lead agency on the project, would begin environmental design and review, a process that would require approval from the Humboldt Local Agency Formation Commission, or LAFCo. 

The Trinidad Rancheria’s chief executive officer, Jacque Hostler-Carmesin, said the Rancheria would welcome the city’s participation, if that’s what residents and councilmembers choose to pursue.

“It should be a very interesting conversation,” Hostler-Carmesin said regarding next week’s meeting. “The Rancheria has communicated with the mayor and the city council that we’d be happy to work with them. We believe it’s a great project, and we would welcome working with the City. But it’s definitely up to the City Council and constituents on how they move forward.”

The Trinidad City Council meeting will be held at the Town Hall, 409 Trinity Street, starting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 8. Public comments can be submitted anytime beforehand, in person or electronically by email to cityclerk@trinidad.ca.gov, or at the meeting via Zoom or in person. See here for more details. 

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• Take a Look at the Big Proposed Trinidad Casino Hotel; Concerned Community Members Schedule Meeting to Gin Up Public Comment
• Trinidad Rancheria Will Give a Presentation on Casino Hotel Project at City Council Meeting Tonight
• Coastal Commission Gives Green Light to 100-Room Hotel on Trinidad Rancheria … as Long as the Tribe Can Find a Reliable Water Supply
• City Pumps Brakes on Trinidad Rancheria’s Request for Water; Will Draft Policy Before Continuing Formal Negotiations Over New Hotel Development
• Trinidad Rancheria Asks for Pipeline Extension to Get Water Via Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District
• Trinidad Council Opts Not to Join Feasibility Study for a Pipeline Extension from Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District
• Trinidad Rancheria’s Proposed Hyatt Hotel Project Dealt Setback as Appeals Court Issues Tentative Ruling Finding Insufficient Evidence of Adequate Fire Protection Services
• Appeals Court Rejects Coastal Commission’s Approval of Trinidad Rancheria’s Planned Hyatt Hotel Project

Release from the Office of Congressman Jared Huffman:

Today, Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) released the following statement after the House passed the Republican Budget Bill:

“Republicans just rammed through one of the most destructive bills in memory. The Republican Budget Bill is a big betrayal, a full-blown catastrophe for the American people.

This is what it looks like when a government turns its back on the people it’s supposed to serve. Millions of Americans will lose their healthcare and food assistance. Families will pay more on their power bills. Millions of acres of public lands will now be thrown open to reckless mining, logging, and drilling. Meanwhile, communities already reeling from wildfires, floods, and climate disasters will be abandoned, left defenseless as Republicans gut the very programs meant to protect them.

And as Republicans sabotage American clean energy, they are surrendering to China, abandoning our global leadership and sacrificing thousands of American clean energy jobs to our biggest global competitor.

And what’s worse? Republicans are proud of it. They’re celebrating a bill that steals from working families to bankroll billionaire tax breaks and handouts to fossil fuel CEOs.

As America prepares to celebrate Independence Day, Republicans are passing a Declaration of Dependence on costly, planet-wrecking fossil fuels. As families fire up the grills at Fourth of July barbecues tomorrow, the GOP will be lighting a match and torching our clean energy future.

Once again, Republicans and President Trump have made it painfully clear: when forced to choose between their billionaire donors and Americans, they’ll betray and sell us out every time.”

Background

President Trump and House Republicans are committing a staggering betrayal of the American people — gutting environmental protections, massively expanding drilling, mining and logging on our public lands, and torching America’s clean energy future to bankroll corporate polluters and billionaires.

What’s Inside This Scam of a Bill

• Opens the floodgates to reckless drilling and mining across millions of acres of public lands and along America’s coasts, including some of the most culturally and ecologically important places in the country.
  Jacks up Americans’ electricity bills by putting up roadblocks for clean energy projects while lavishing even more giveaways on polluters.
• Supercharges reckless oil, gas, and coal development while gutting safeguards for clean air and water — putting families, especially in frontline and Tribal communities, at greater risk of asthma, cancer, and toxic pollution.
• Reduces forest policy to a reckless logging free-for-all, ignoring science, weakening wildfire prevention, and putting ecosystems and communities at risk.
• Rescinds funding to protect communities from climate disasters, defunding programs that help communities build resilience to floods, fires and other climate-related disasters.

This article was updated on July 3 at 1:05 p.m. to include comments from a 50501 organizer.

A web of overlapping interests, people, and organizations is making it hard to know for sure who will be hosting Independence Day protests outside the Eureka courthouse tomorrow.

A June 29 Reddit post by a 50501 organizer who goes by “R. Chaos” says there isn’t a 50501-affiliated protest scheduled for tomorrow’s Independence Day, but a search on the 50501 website does turn up a result — which, apparently, is an unrelated event called “Free America.” The next official 50501 protest will be July 17.

The post claims it’s not a protest (instead, it’s a “a day of community out reach and events…A day for people to have block parties, banner drops, dance protest and more”), but the 50501 listing says it is, in fact, a demonstration.

“This is a peaceful protest,” the event listing reads. “Bring signs but stay on the sidewalk. Hydrate and wear a hat. Do not engage with counter protesters or hecklers.” Fourteen people have RSVP’d for the event on the website.

Reached by phone, R. Chaos specified that it’s a day focused on mutual aid and community.

“James M.”, the account that posted the Free America event, has not responded to a request for comment.

Further mucking things up are two NextDoor posts from a “Karen Mast” of Sequoia Park in Eureka, who said she would be organizing her own protest from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. outside the courthouse. 

“Any one is welcome to join us; this is just a spur of the moment PROTEST!” Mast said. “IF anyone is telling you otherwise do not listen to them, I will be there, it just takes one person to set an action in motion, one person to start a voice to be heard.”

Mast has not responded to a request for comment. 

R. Chaos also said they were happy to see any protests happening tomorrow and said there was no enmity between them and any other organizers.

“Any rallies happening are amazing,” Chaos said. “No one protest is better than the other. No one protest no more important than the other.”

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Press release from the Yurok Tribe:

Today, the Yurok Telecommunications Corporation (YTEL) celebrates the official launch of four tribal broadband connectivity projects that dramatically increase internet access and improve communications infrastructure in one of the most digitally disadvantaged parts of California.

Together, the complementary projects will bring affordable high-speed broadband to more than 2,000 locations, including homes, businesses and anchor institutions, such as schools, healthcare facilities and public safety agencies. Covering approximately 150 square miles, the four broadband connectivity projects span from Orick northward to Crescent City, Orick to Weitchpec and Weitchpec to Wautec, where internet and cellular services are virtually nonexistent. This monumental undertaking will produce more than 200 local jobs over the next few years.

“These projects are an expression of tribal self-determination and a desire to build the future that our community deserves,” says Joseph L. James, the Chairman of the Yurok Tribe. “We sincerely thank all of our partners for investing in the Yurok Tribal Council’s vision to provide local families, businesses and future generations the tools they need to prosper.”

Currently, internet access on the reservation is either unavailable or severely limited. These four projects will make high-speed broadband available on the entire reservation and in nearby communities. Many residents within the project area will receive first-time access to internet services.

“Rural communities deserve the same access to opportunity as anywhere else. We are proud to play a part in leveling the playing field when to comes to education, healthcare, and economic growth in Yurok Country,” says YTEL’s CEO Jon Walton.

The first project, funded by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, includes the installation of 62 miles of fiber optic cable from Crescent City to Orick as well as spurs extending from the main line to Requa and Klamath Glen. YTEL is also building a brand-new customer service center in Orick to support the community’s telecommunications needs.

To augment the fiber optic backbone, Yurok Telecom is constructing nine towers equipped with commercial-grade wireless infrastructure. The towers will be placed at the following locations: Requa, Klamath Glen, Wautec, Notchko, Orick, two sites in Weitchpec, Miner’s Creek and Tulley Creek.

The second project is the collaborative Karuk Fiber IRU, formerly the Klamath River Rural Broadband Initiative (KRRBI), a Karuk Tribe-led endeavor. The Karuk Fiber IRU consists of the installation of fiber optic cable from Orleans to Orick. The Yurok Tribe and Karuk Tribe will jointly own and manage the broadband infrastructure. The fiber will connect to the Yurok project in Orick.

The third project delivers high-speed internet connections or last-mile fiber directly to households, tribal offices, and medical facilities across the reservation and surrounding area. This transformative undertaking will increase access to telehealth, online learning and much more. For example, on the upper half of the reservation, there are minimal cellular or landline phone services. High-speed internet will enable residents to place calls over Wi-Fi, ensuring access to emergency services.

In July 2024, the California Department of Technology (CDT) signed a fiber lease agreement with Yurok Telecommunications Corporation (YTEL). Under this agreement, YTEL will lease 47 miles of dark middle-mile fiber infrastructure or unused fiber, extending from Orick to Crescent City, enabling the state’s Middle Mile Broadband Network (MMBN) to serve the Yurok community and beyond.

YTEL will retain full ownership of the fiber leased to CDT, creating a new revenue stream for YTEL. YTEL also gains access to lower-cost materials through CDT’s procurement channels, reducing project expenses and increasing sustainability. The collaboration with CDT is a model of government-to-government partnership, showing how Tribal nations can lead in infrastructure development while benefiting from state-level support.

This past year, the YTEL installation team, led by Operations Manager Hunter Myers and Certified Telecommunication Specialist Justin Osburne, acquired all the skills and qualifications required to teach Yurok citizens how to perform tower maintenance and fiber technology deployment.

The CPUC and NTIA-funded projects both have substantial training components, enabling YTEL to aid Yurok citizens in obtaining the certifications necessary to install and sustain fiber systems.

In addition to creating jobs, the project will strengthen the tribal and local economies over the long term. Upon completion of the four projects, YTEL will offer cost-effective broadband and interconnection services to residents, businesses, public institutions and other organizations. The corporation will also lease space on the towers for commercial and government telecommunications equipment.

“This broadband connectivity initiative is not only transformational for us — it benefits every local entrepreneur, student and prospective employee in our region,” concluded Chairman James.

California Democrats were split on a proposal that would have extended an eviction grace period for tenants who fall behind on their rent. It’s the latest setback for progressive lawmakers seeking renter protections.

Sen. Aisha Wahab implored her colleagues to think of hospitalized patients and struggling families as she pitched a proposal to give tenants a full two weeks to pay their past due rent before their landlords could start the eviction process.

“This is a very small ask from the state of California,” Wahab, a Democrat representing the Fremont area, recently told her fellow lawmakers. “(It’s) very small to allow people 14 days to either ask for family members and loved ones to give them money to stay housed, to ask their cities or any of the other nonprofits that help people with rental assistance stay housed, or to even be able to wait for their check.”

Despite Wahab’s pleas, her Senate Bill 436 failed to advance out of the Assembly Judiciary Committee last week.

It was the latest example of progressive Democrats’ struggles to add protections for California’s 17 million renters, despite lawmakers otherwise taking aggressive steps this year to address the state’s housing and homelessness crises.

Just this week, after a decade of failed efforts, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation to reform the state’s signature environmental law to stop activists from using it to block housing construction. The proposal easily passed the Senate and Assembly, despite angering the state’s influential environmental groups.

But when it comes to giving tenants more power and easing some of the nation’s highest rents, California voters and the 120 senators and Assembly members who represent them have largely balked.

Last fall, California voters decisively shot down a rent-control initiative that would have allowed local governments to block landlords from raising rents. A more aggressive rent-control measure never received a hearing this spring in the Assembly Judiciary Committee, even though it was authored by San Jose Assemblymember Ash Kalra, the committee chair.

Another bill to limit fees landlords can charge tenants on top of monthly rent was held until at least next year, despite the author being San Francisco Assemblymember Matt Haney, the chair of the Assembly Housing Committee.

The stalled bills were a remarkable display of how difficult it is for lawmakers to pass rental protection measures since committee chairs usually are influential. Wahab chairs the Senate Housing Committee.

Her measure, which would have extended the start of the past due eviction process from three days to two weeks, is the latest setback for the Legislature’s 10-person legislative Renters’ Caucus, which counts Wahab and Haney as members.

Renter protections divide Democrats

What makes the death of Wahab’s bill especially unusual is that it happened during a committee hearing in public view and featured Democrats joining Republicans to shoot it down. As CalMatters reported, most legislation killed in the California Legislature dies quietly behind the scenes, without a vote. It’s also rare for Democrats to vote “no” on a fellow Democrat’s bill.

The Assembly Judiciary Committee’s debate highlighted the tensions between the Democratic supermajority’s progressive and more moderate members on rental protections.

Downey Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco, an attorney, said she used to represent landlords in eviction proceedings, and said the current three-day rule is just the start of an “eviction process can easily take two months, three months, four months.”

“I worry about these mom and pop landlords,” she said. “I worry about these seniors who are going to have a hardship because they rely on this money for their expenses, for their mortgage, for whatever they need. And we’re putting them in a very bad situation.”

Kalra, the committee’s chair, is also an attorney, but he saw things from the renter’s point of view.

“They’re renters because a lot of those in the previous generations were able to buy homes 30, 40, 50-plus years ago that are completely unaffordable now,” he said. “Was that their fault (previous generations) were able to do that? Absolutely not. Is it their fault that they now can rent those properties out for a handsome sum? Absolutely not, but that’s the reality of the situation we’re in.”

Noting that Consumer Affairs recently ranked California as one of the worst states for renters, he said the proposed extra 11 days “actually allows the problem to be resolved before you even get to that (eviction) process, which is to everyone’s benefit.”

Landlord advocacy groups and other critics of the bills also note that California already has among the strongest state renter protection laws in the country.

Landlords and bankers spend big

The bill needed seven votes to pass. It got six. Kalra voted for the measure, joining five other Democrats on the committee, including Isaac Bryan of Culver City and Alex Lee of Milpitas, both members of the renters caucus.

Pacheco cast a “no” vote, one of only seven times she’s done so in 2,271 voting opportunities so far this year, according to the Digital Democracy database.

The three Republicans on the committee also voted “no.” Two Democrats, Diane Papan of San Mateo, and John Harabedian of Pasadena, didn’t vote, which counts the same as voting no.

People place old furniture outside of Sala Burton Manor in San Francisco on March 3, 2025. The apartment building in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco is where Bradford Berger and his partner are fighting eviction after their landlord declined to accept rental assistance funds. Photo by Estefany Gonzalez for CalMatters

The death of the eviction relief measure also points to the David vs. Goliath-sized discrepancies in the political spending between renters’ and landlords’ advocates.

The bill’s supporters included around two dozen legal aid, social services and renters’ advocacy organizations, but those groups have spent next to nothing on state politics, according to the Digital Democracy database.

Opposing the bill were some of the state’s biggest political spenders from the business industry, including the California Chamber of Commerce and various landlord, banking and building associations. In total, those groups have given at least $13.7 million to legislators since 2015.

Wahab said in a written statement that landlords’ “money still speaks the loudest,” despite tenant advocates who represent millions.“Companies that benefit from keeping protections weak for tenants have billions of dollars to fund an army of lobbyists in the Capitol every single day,” she said. “That same machine mobilizes at the drop of a hat to pump millions into elections – even in districts during the legislative process – to scare and intimidate policymakers into voting their way, shaping the playing field long before a bill even gets a hearing.”

During the hearing, Kalra urged his colleagues to remember that just because renters are less politically active than landlords, lawmakers should not forget their plight.

“They don’t show up to your community coffees; they don’t have time to send letters in,” he told his committee moments before its members killed Wahab’s bill. “They’re trying to survive, and I think we need to also have that in the front of our mind as we consider these kinds of policies.”

The legislative session hasn’t been a complete bust for tenant-minded lawmakers – or for Wahab. Her Senate Bill 681, which includes new tax credits for renters, was tucked into a budget-related housing bill the governor signed Monday.

The advocates pushing for Wahab’s eviction relief measure also hope it comes back later this session, which is a possibility – albeit a slim one – since members of the judiciary committee voted to grant the proposal “reconsideration,” meaning it can be resurrected later if lawmakers choose. They almost never do.

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Thomas Gerrity, data scientist and product manager for Digital Democracy, and Ben Christopher, housing reporter, contributed to this story.

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

Tamah Shawn Sutfin, born on February 14, 1966, in Fortuna, California, passed away peacefully on June 17, 2025, in Eureka, California. She is now joyfully celebrating her homecoming in the presence of her Lord and Savior.

Tamah was the beloved daughter of James and Donna Sutfin, their special Valentine, born on February 14th. She spent her early childhood in Stafford, California, before moving to Dinsmore, California where she graduated from Southern Trinity High School in 1982.

Tamah spent her early years working as an in-home caregiver for the elderly and as a waitress. As a single mother, she held a variety of small jobs to support herself and daughter.  Later in life, she became a security officer at the mill in Fortuna, a role that eventually led her to pursue a career with the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department as a correctional officer.

At the Humboldt County Jail, Tamah served in the women’s dorm, where she became affectionately known as “Mama Sutfin” to her colleagues and inmates alike. She was known for her compassion and belief that people are not defined by their mistakes. Tamah was a steady source of encouragement, always striving to help the women in her care make positive changes in their lives. Her work there was not just a job; it was a calling that she embraced wholeheartedly until health issues led to her early retirement.

In retirement, Tamah’s nurturing spirit found a new purpose in animal welfare. She devoted herself to feeding and caring for feral cat colonies, ensuring they were spayed, neutered, and safely returned. She also supported dog rescues and was always ready to open her heart and home to any animal in need. Her deep bond with animals began in childhood and remained central throughout her life, often going without, ensuring her animals never would.

Tamah is survived by her partner, Jason Barr; her daughter, Shawna Sutfin (Douglas); her grandson, Marley Sutfin; her sister, Roxana Sutfin Rogers (Steven); and many cousins, nieces, and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, James and Donna, and her brothers, James Jr. and Philip.

In keeping with her wishes, no formal services will be held. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Tamah’s honor to the Humboldt Spay and Neuter Network, 2606 Myrtle Avenue, Eureka, CA 95501.

The family extends heartfelt thanks to all who faithfully prayed for Tamah over the past year. Your love, support, and prayers brought her great comfort and peace. You are deeply appreciated.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Tamah Sutfin’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.

Christine Louise LaTorra passed away June 12, 2025. She was born November 28, 1952 to John Salvador LaTorra and Thelma Jean Genzoli. She lived her entire life in the same house in Blue Lake. 

She was preceded in death by John LaTorra, Thelma Genzoli, brothers Charles (Fred) Hames Jr and Ernie Hames. She is survived by her nieces and nephews Lori Hames (Horacio), John Hames (Trish), Kelly Walls (Patrick) and Kevin Hames; great nieces and nephews Justin Payton; Lacey, Audrey and Riley Hames; Kaitlyn, Gracen and Laurel Walls; Tabytha, Pandora and Ezra Hames, along with her sister-in-law Kathi Hames.

Chris attended Blue Lake Elementary School, Arcata High School (class of 1970) and Humboldt State University where she received her Masters in Science. After college Chris started working at the United State Postal Service where she retired after 33 years.

Chris enjoyed motorcycles, Grateful Dead, Perry Mason and watching sports. People will always remember her for her long conversations and knowledge she would share. She will be deeply missed by her friends, family, and postal friends as well as her cat Herbie.  

Per Chris’s request there will be no services.  Donations can be made to Blue Lake Fire Department.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Chris LaTorra’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.