Rhoda was born on November 10, 1935, in Newark, New Jersey, to Joseph and Anna (Goldis) Schactman. She and her older brother, Barry, grew up there spending many memorable summers at Bradley Beach. Anna worked in a bakery, while Joseph was a long-distance truck driver. Rhoda attended Weequahic High School and was a passionate baseball fan, frequently taking the long bus ride to watch her beloved Brooklyn Dodgers. At age 14, she became president of the Jackie Robinson Fan Club and proudly collected many photos with her idol. In 1950, when The Jackie Robinson Story premiered, Rhoda had the honor of riding on the parade float next to him. After high school, Rhoda trained as a nurse’s aide, but the emerging beatnik scene in New York City called to her musical and artistic spirit. A devoted jazz lover, she often went out to see and mingle with legends like Miles Davis, Billie Holiday and Charlie Parker. 

While working summers in the Catskills, Rhoda met and married Barry Bartels. Together, they had a daughter, Jennifer. In the mid-1960s they divorced, and Rhoda and Jennifer moved to California. She gravitated toward the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco, where her beatnik roots blended easily into the rising hippie culture. She encouraged many East Coast friends to join her in Northern California, including her longtime love, Charlie Provino. In 1969, while living at the Red House in Forest Knolls, Rhoda welcomed her second daughter, Rosychan.

Rhoda was a lifelong spiritual seeker and an avid reader. She practiced tai chi in Panhandle Park in the Haight for many years, she studied tarot, astrology, and Transcendental Meditation. In the early 1970s, as part of the back-to-the-land movement, Rhoda and Charlie bought property in rural Humboldt County and became farmers, living off the land in their rustic home in Harris.

Always a traveler at heart, Rhoda — with her youngest daughter in tow — spent much of the late 1970s and 1980s on a series of adventures. Her journeys included several years on The Farm, a commune in Tennessee; two stints living in Ibiza, Spain; and travels through Morocco, Jamaica, Belize, Guatemala, Amsterdam, Portugal, India and countless trips to Mexico. Despite her many travels, Rhoda always considered Humboldt her true home, where she lived a self-sufficient, off-the-grid lifestyle and faced adversity with grit and resilience. She survived CAMP in 1984 — and had the T-shirt to prove it. During the 1990s and 2000s, Rhoda blended her love of music and travel by spending winters in San Blas, Nayarit, Mexico, where she brought her keyboard and guitar to perform in local restaurants. Her sets featured jazz standards, blues, Beatles classics, and favorites by Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin.

At 64, Rhoda took up martial arts, studying with Dragon Heart Tang Soo Do and earning her black belt at 68. She went on to win awards in her age group at competitions in Costa Rica and became a favorite of Grandmaster Shin. While farming remained Rhoda’s passionate vocation, her compassionate heart and healing spirit also led her to study Thai Massage in Thailand, and in 2006, she became a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). Rhoda lived life fully — and on her own terms. She was adventurous, brave, generous and blessed with a wickedly sharp sense of humor. Whenever she tossed out a one-liner, there was a twinkle in her eye.

In her later years, Rhoda — affectionately known as Bubbe — was lovingly cared for in Arcata by her youngest daughter, Rosy, and her great-granddaughter, Alia. There, she enjoyed many sweet years filled with music, books, storytelling and laughter. Rhoda passed peacefully with her children by her side on March 3, 2025

Rhoda is survived by her daughters, Jennifer Kurtz and Rosy Provino; her surrogate daughter Melissa (Didi) Hall; her niece, Amy Schactman; her beloved grandchildren, Julian Kurtz, Paulina Agrawal, and Karina Provino; and her great-grandchildren, Alia Provino and Anaya Agrawal. 

The family extends heartfelt thanks to Hospice of Humboldt, as well as all the friends and caregivers who lent their support.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Rhoda Bartel’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

Marcie Ann Wahlund-Parker
August 15, 1948 -May 21, 2025

Marcie Ann Wahlund was born to Melvin and Sarah Wahlund on August 15, 1948. She joined her two older brothers, Gary and Jeff, and would soon be blessed with two younger sisters, Linda and Tina. Marcie spent her younger years growing up in the infamous Frank Street neighborhood where the childhood memories and countless stories and adventures have been shared and enjoyed by many. Later the family moved to their home in Freshwater where there would be decades of family gatherings and memories. Marcie’s heart was full knowing a new generation will carve out their own memories in a home that was very special to her.

Marcie welcomed her daughter Anjanette Marie in 1964. That would be the start of an inseparable connection and bond that even death cannot break. They relied on each other for everything, whether it was asking for a recipe yet again, advice on what to wear, or offering comfort in sorrow and celebrating joy. It was not uncommon for the two to be on the phone every evening just sharing the normal happenings of the day. They were truly the very best of friends.

After finishing high school, Marcie chose the career path of cosmetology. Throughout her career, she developed enduring relationships with both her colleagues and clients, many of whom became lifelong friends. Marcie was the consummate professional, took extreme pride in her work and was very well respected throughout her forty years in the field.

Marcie was a very artistic and talented woman, although she would most likely argue that. Whether it be sewing Angie’s school outfits when she was little to reupholstering furnishings and decorating her home with beautiful fabrics. She could take a piece of destroyed antique furniture and restore it to its original beauty, a hobby that resulted in many beautiful pieces. Her natural talent for decorating was evident in every home she lived in, she had quite the eye for it.

She had quite the green thumb as well which over the years would lead her to spend more and more time tending to her lovely garden. It was her peaceful place on sunny days where she would happily spend hours. She was always so disappointed when the fog would roll in or the wind would come up, forcing her back inside. Her artistic side shone brightly when everything was in bloom.

Although her days at Ruth Lake weren’t as frequent as they once were, she. loved getting up to her cabin as often as she could where she could tinker around and just enjoy the peacefulness and the beauty of the surroundings. She would lovingly refer to it as “her little patch of dirt”. The photograph of Marcie you are viewing today was taken during her final visit there. Thanks, Brother Jeff, for capturing this special moment.

Marcie was proceeded in death by her parents, Melvin and Sarah Wahlund, her husband Kenneth Parker and most very recently her older brother Gary “Gigs” Wahlund — a loss that had a very profound impact on her.

She leaves behind her loving daughter Angie Wahlund Hauzer and her husband Ross and her two adored grandsons, Brenden and Brooks Hauzer. Brenden and his former wife, Megan, added two amazing great-grandsons, Tynen and Ryan, to the family, while Brooks and his wife, Jenny, brought to her life two beautiful great-granddaughters, Aubree and Emma.

Her remaining siblings who have suffered through immeasurable loss in such a short period of time — Jeff Wahlund, Linda Daastol and her husband Phil, Tina Emerson and her husband Gary, and her sister-in-law Wanda Wahlund. She was the very proud “Aunt Marce” to Stephanie, Scott, Shane, Aaron, Ryan, Shaney and Keith as well as all the families and lives they’ve created. Marcie leaves behind a very dear person in her life, Dennis Nilsen.

She will be sorely missed by her Wahlund/Walund and Luis family cousins and so many dear friends.

Join us in celebrating a life well lived on Sunday, June 22 at 2 p.m. at the Elks Lodge, Eureka.

The family would like to thank Dr. Trieu, who did everything in his power to save our Marcie. And to the beyond wonderful nurses in the ICU of St. Joseph’s for the compassionate and respectful care they gave her.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Marcie Ann Wahlund-Parker loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

Ronald Floyd Gulbransen was born in Eureka on August 18, 1954 and passed away unexpectedly at his home in McKinleyville on April 30, 2025 at the age of 70.

Ron lived in Humboldt County his whole life and held many jobs over the years. His last 30+ years were spent driving a log truck, until he was forced to medically retire seven years ago.

Ron’s #1 passion was his cars. He was a Ford Man through and through. If he wasn’t out in his garage working on his cars you would often find him out racing them at Samoa Drag Strip.

Ron was preceded in death by his father, Floyd Gulbransen, and his mother, Regina Gulbransen.

Ron leaves behind his loving partner Jerri Amos; his children Aaron Gulbransen, Geoff Gulbransen, Lynnette and Cory Hicks and Valisha Robbins; his brothers Steve Vandemeer, Olin Gulbransen and Carl Gulbransen; his sister-in-law Janice Stevens and her husband George; and many grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Ron was also survived by many friends he was close to, some all the way back to grammar school, from his time as a mechanic, his street sweeping business, his three decades racing at Samoa Dragstrip and his many years driving truck. We wish we could name you all but we don’t want to leave anyone out. Ron is very loved and will be greatly missed by many.

Ron will be interred at a private ceremony with his parents in Trinidad.

A celebration of life is being planned and will be held soon.

Arrangements were made with Ayers Family Cremation.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Ron Gulbransen’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

Stephen V. Shields, age 74, passed away on May 21, 2025 at St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka, with Loretta by his side. Born Aug. 15, 1950 in Eureka to Bob and Gladys Shields. He attended Freshwater Elementary School, Hydesville Elementary and Fortuna High School.

At Fortuna High School, Steve was an outstanding athlete, especially in football. In 1967, Steve was all-county for the football team that was made up of all seniors and each received the H-DN star, which marks him as a member of the only officially recognized all-star team for the Humboldt Del Norte CIF league.

Steve served in the Army in Vietnam for two years. After returning home, it was time to work. He started his career in the timber industry working at Louisiana Pacific, Eel River Sawmills, Palco and Humboldt Redwood Company. He mastered all equipment. Being a loader operator was his favorite.

Steve was a sports fanatic, especially football, baseball, basketball, NASCAR, boxing, MMA and more. If you didn’t know the answer to any sports question, just ask Steve, and they did. He was more than happy to share his knowledge to all that asked and some who didn’t.

Loretta and Steve made many trips to San Francisco to watch the Giants and A’s even though he was a Detroit Tigers fan. Stops were made at local sports bars to catch the action of all the games he didn’t want to miss. There was never a “Dull Moment” but well worth it. Steve was a 49ers forever fan. He wore the complete gear on game day. He would watch it with the guys and raise the roof off the house when the refs made the wrong call. He was in his element watching the Niners, win or lose, as long as he could watch the game and root them on with a cold coors in his hand. His favorite comment was “Just sit down and enjoy the ride.”

Steve and Loretta enjoyed trips to Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Bahamas, Jamaica, Hawaii, Reno and Tahoe.

He is survived by his partner of 43 years, Loretta Olsen; son, Jason Shields of Eureka; sister-in-law Cindy Olsen of Eureka; sister Jean Shields of Milwaukie, Oregon; sister, Ruth Darby of Pleasaton; brother Rob Shields of Portland, Oregon; and his cat Tripper. He was preceded in death by his parents and cats Jackie O, Scotty, CB and Elsie. Private services to be held by the family. Donations may be made to your favorite charity in Steve’s honor.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Stephen Shields’ loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

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

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The California Supreme Court heard arguments today in a case that could be pivotal to the spread of rooftop solar panels in California.

Environmental and consumer advocacy groups are seeking to reverse a 2022 decision by state regulators to slash by around 75% the rates paid to compensate customers with solar installations for the excess energy they generate. The move, intended to shield non-solar customers from unfair cost burdens, sent solar hookups plummeting.

Three environmental groups bringing the case — the Center for Biological Diversity, The Protect our Communities Foundation, and the Environmental Working Group — argue that the California Public Utilities Commission didn’t properly consider benefits to customers and disadvantaged communities when it changed the program. The commission argued the policy strikes a balance between affordability for all customers and encouraging renewable energy choices.

The court’s decision is expected within about a month.

At the hearing, a representative of the three groups, Malinda Dickenson, said the commission “excludes reliability and resiliency benefits” in its decision, including “millions of customer generation facilities providing power on hot summer days and preventing blackouts.”

The compensation program, known as “net energy metering,” was meant to incentivize renewable energy in the state by offsetting the significant cost to install solar panels onto the roofs of homes. Under the program, solar customers served by the state’s three large investor-owned utilities — Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas & Electric — sell back energy they do not use, saving the utility from having to purchase that power elsewhere.

At issue is how much these customers are paid for this excess energy. Prior versions of the program – “NEM 1.0” and “NEM 2.0” – allowed customers to receive the retail rate for the excess energy, which is the price the electric companies charge other customers when they go on to sell it. The current program, “NEM 3.0,” instead gives customers the “avoided cost,” which is how much the utility saved by not buying that energy somewhere else.

The program was changed after utilities argued to regulators that it created a “cost shift,” causing customers without solar to pay an unfair share of maintenance costs for the electrical system. The utility commission’s decision to change the program currently only applies to customers who installed solar panels after mid-April 2023; customers who were connected under the two prior iterations will continue to receive the retail rate for the length of their 20-year contract.

The change caused an uproar from the rooftop solar industry, ratepayers, and renewable energy groups. The groups bringing the lawsuit initially asked the utility commission to rehear the issue and were denied. A state appeals court then sided with the utilities commission, before the groups brought the case to the high court.

During court arguments, the environmental groups played down the concept of shifting costs, calling it a “red herring.”

But the utility commission argued that the cost shift is real. And while the state statute enabling the net metering program requires a cost-benefit analysis, a specific methodology to do so isn’t laid out.

“The commission made a factual finding in its proceedings that the former [net metering] system was unsustainable because of the burden that it was placing on customers without solar,” said attorney Mica Moore, who represented the utilities commission. “It’s hard to see what the commission could have done to address that issue if it had been required to compensate homeowners for every quantifiable benefit for solar.”

The current program has had a meaningful effect on the state’s rooftop solar sector. Industry groups anticipated about 17,000 job losses the first year. State data showed 82% fewer solar customers requesting connections in 2023 than the year prior. And recent industry reports show new rooftop solar installations have gone down by as much as 45% since April 2023.

The decline in solar panel installations may make it harder for the state to achieve its mandated goal of using 100% carbon-free energy by 2045; solar is expected to account for more than half of that.

In the background is another potential sea change for the program. The California Assembly this week passed a bill seeking to change existing contracts for solar customers in a way that would reduce the number of customers receiving old, higher rates for their surplus solar power. Under the current program, when customers install solar panels and participate in net metering, they are guaranteed the rate they sign up under (the so-called “avoided cost rate”) for about 20 years. Should the solar user sell their home, the new owner would continue to receive the rate the previous homeowner signed up for.

If passed in its current form, the bill would stop this, preventing anyone who buys a home that’s already part of the net metering program from keeping an older rate. This is meant to help control costs, according to the text of the bill, but advocates say the move will harm ratepayers.

“If lawmakers are serious about controlling energy costs, they should address the real problem: runaway utility spending,” Brad Heavner, executive director of the California Solar & Storage Association, said in a statement. “Instead they seem more interested in protecting utility profits and blaming solar users.”

From the California Department of Fish and Wildlife:

Salmon anglers, grab your gear! After two years of closure, the recreational ocean salmon fishery will open statewide for two days on June 7-8, 2025.

While forecasts of ocean abundance for Sacramento and Klamath fall Chinook are lower than average in 2025, anglers may still have a good chance of successfully catching salmon given strong returns of other California Chinook stocks last fall.

“We’re looking forward to hearing reports from anglers returning with salmon this weekend. Hopefully there will be smiles on faces after a day on the water and fresh fish for summer barbeques,” said California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Program Manager Marci Yaremko.

In response to low overall chinook abundance and the need to minimize take of certain stocks of concern, CDFW will limit total recreational Chinook harvest in 2025 by implementing statewide harvest guidelines in each of the summer and fall seasons and managing the catch limits in-season. A statewide 7,000 Chinook salmon summer harvest guideline is in place for a series of potential short seasons scheduled between June and August. If the harvest guideline is not reached in the June 7-8 opening weekend, the summer season will reopen statewide July 5-6, July 31-August 3, and August 25-31, or until the harvest guideline is reached.

The fall fishery will reopen in some regions under a separate 7,500 Chinook salmon harvest guideline. The San Francisco Subarea (Point Reyes, 37°59‘44” N Latitude, to Pigeon Point, 37°11’ N Latitude) is scheduled to open September 4-7, September 29-30, October 1-5, and October 27-31. The Monterey Subarea (Pigeon Point, 37°11’ N Latitude, to Point Sur, 36°18’ N Latitude) is scheduled to open September 4-7, and September 29-30. The scheduled fall season dates will close once the 7,500 Chinook fall harvest guideline is reached.

Given the 2-year ocean salmon fishery closure and the short duration of this fishing period, angler participation is expected to be high. Anglers should prepare for crowds and long wait times at public launch ramps and marinas and consider travel, parking, and launch ramp conditions when finalizing plans. CDFW reminds anglers to prepare their gear and test equipment ahead of time, and to check marine forecasts, ocean conditions, and regulations before hitting the water.

CDFW appreciates anglers’ cooperation with dockside monitoring activities over the 2-day season. Field staff will meet vessels returning to launch and dock sites to collect catch and effort information and coded wire tag data that is essential to managing California’s salmon fisheries. CDFW will be collecting heads from salmon with a clipped adipose fin, which contain coded wire tags that have information about the salmon’s hatchery of origin, release strategy, brood year, and run type. Anglers should be aware they are required by law to relinquish the head of any adipose fin-clipped salmon upon request by a CDFW representative, per California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 1.73.

The minimum size limit is 20 inches total length. The daily bag limit is two Chinook salmon per day. No more than two daily bag limits may be possessed when on land. On a vessel in ocean waters, no person shall possess or bring ashore more than one daily bag limit. All salmon must be brought ashore prior to the end of any open season. Retention of coho (silver salmon) is prohibited in all ocean fisheries off California; information on how to distinguish coho from Chinook salmon can be found here. While salmon fishing north of Point Conception, anglers are required to use barbless hooks, and once salmon are aboard, barbed hooks may not be used to target other species. Anglers are encouraged to visit the Ocean Salmon Project’s webpage for details and complete regulatory information, or call the Ocean Salmon Regulations Hotline at (800)-662-9825. Federal Regulations for ocean salmon fisheries were published in 90 Federal Register 20810 on May 16, 2025, and went into effect May 16, 2025.

Press release from the Humboldt-Del Norte Film Commission:

The 2025 Forest Moon Festival wrapped with galactic success this past weekend, attracting fans, families, and Star Wars enthusiasts from across the country to California’s iconic redwood coast. This year’s celebration not only featured stellar programming and special guests — it also earned a spot in People Magazine’s special edition, “Reasons to Love California,” ranked #4 for the article “Its Parks Play Planets in Star Wars,” spotlighting the festival as a unique annual tribute to the Return of the Jedi filming locations.

With over 60 vendors, including artisans from as far as Oakland, and attendees representing more than 15 U.S. states — from Hawaii to Florida and Connecticut to Texas — the festival’s reach and impact continue to grow exponentially.

Special guest highlights included:

• Rebel Force Radio’s Jimmy Mac and Jason Swank, the hosts of the #1 Star Wars podcast, conducted interviews with notable individuals like Dan Phillips (former Hulu CEO and a Cal Poly graduate), Assemblymember Chris Rogers, and local supervisors Starkey and Arroyo at multiple locations throughout the coast.

• Kyle Newman, acclaimed Hollywood director, New York Times bestselling author, and Star Wars ambassador, appeared for a screening of Fanboys followed by a live Q&A and multiple fan meet-and-greets.

• Kevin and Tracy Thompson, with Kevin known for playing over 20 Ewoks and performing stunt work in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, delighted fans with stories.

The celebration was brought to life thanks to passionate fans, Lucasfilm approved costumers traveling from across the U.S., and strong regional support from key community partners and sponsors:

County of Humboldt (Measure J), Humboldt Lodging Alliance, Del Norte County, City of Crescent City, Fortuna Parks and Recreation, Southern Humboldt Chamber & Visitor Center, North Coast Growers Association, City of Eureka Community Services, Sequoia Park Zoo, The Eureka Theater, PG&E, Humboldt Sponsors, and Kyber Cave.

The Humboldt-Del Norte Film Commission continues to lead the event with a dedicated core team: Cassandra Hesseltine (Founder & Executive Producer), Anibal Polanco, J Clark, Creative Producers Tracy Boyd & Tiffany Miller, along with Photographer Mark McKenna, Videographer Tex Kelly, and an incredible team of volunteers spanning the Redwood Coast.

The Forest Moon Exhibit at the Redwood Coast Museum of Cinema in Eureka, CA will remain open throughout the summer.

For more information regarding the festival, visit forestmoonfestival.org or follow @forestmoonfestival on social media.