Japhy’s Soup and Noodles, the widely beloved soup joint on G street in Arcata, will close its doors for good this Thursday after 25 years of service. 

The restaurant announced its closure Tuesday morning on its Instagram page. 

“We want to express our sincere gratitude for choosing Japhy’s for over 25 years. We appreciate your patronage and value you as our customers,” the post said. “This Thursday will be our last day, as we are closing our doors for good. We hope to see you this week.” 

The Outpost dropped by during a very busy lunch rush today to get the scoop. The manager didn’t want to do an interview, but we did catch a couple folks on their way in and out of the restaurant. 

Eric Johnson, a regular at Japhy’s, was sad to hear the news.

“It’s a bummer. I remember when they first opened, I was skeptic of a little soup place like this, and it turned out to be really good,” Johnson said. “I would come here all the time because it’s really good, healthy food, and affordable.”

Suzy Haggerty, sitting outside waiting for an order of the Thai chicken curry, said Japhy’s will be missed. “We’ve been coming since they opened. We’re super sad – that’s why we’re here today. We just found out and came here.” 

Haggerty noted that the restaurant’s mural and artwork will be missed as well, if it’s removed. The artist, Thao le Khac, painted the bountiful vegetable garden on one of the dining room’s walls shortly after the restaurant first opened.

Jahpy’s opened its doors in 1998 and switched ownership a few years ago. With gratitude, Johnson said that the new owners didn’t change much with the transfer. “I was stoked that somebody took it over, and they kept it the way it was,” he said. 

If you want one last noodle bowl or a helping of that famous curry, Japhy’s will be open through Thursday. Their hours are 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m.

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As the International Criminal Court pursues arrest warrants for senior figures in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors took its own action this morning, passing a resolution that calls for an “immediate and permanent ceasefire” in the Middle East as well as “mutual exchange of all hostages” and “respect for international law.” 

The wording of the resolution was borrowed from the City of Arcata, where the city council passed a re-worded statement in March after declining to even vote on an earlier iteration that included language specifically calling out Israel for its actions, such as the “collective punishment” of Palestinians.

The matter drew passionate public outcry at more than one meeting, and the version that was ultimately passed was drafted with help from extensive community outreach and participation.

Today, Fifth District Supervisor Steve Madrone, who brought the matter forward for the board’s consideration, spoke in generalized terms about conflict in the Middle East, saying that while the resolution will likely have very little impact on international events, he believes it’s important for the board to at least make a statement.

“This isn’t trying to take sides or to stir up any controversy or problem,” he continued. “It’s simply a statement of peace.”

If Madrone was hoping to leave the specific atrocities of the war in the subtext, public commenters proved more than willing to address them head-on. 

Trinidad resident John Webb, for example, said that while Humboldt may be a tiny and remote community far from the conflict, “My taxes go to buy the bombs that are dropped on the civilian population of Gaza.”

Arcata resident Joanne McGarry, a regular advocate for the environment protections, said, “[I]t’s really, really important to those of us who really want peace in the world that our representatives respect that and and help us move in that direction.” She suggested that the title of the resolution should specifically mention the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Eureka resident Shannon Townsend-Bettis brought an infant-sized body bag to the dais. It has “CHILDREN OF GAZA” written across it and something inside (a doll, presumably) to make it look more convincing. She said that, through social media, the world is witnessing “an industrial slaughter of children” that’s unlikely to end soon because that would be “in contradiction with U.S. foreign policy.” She thanked the board for bringing the resolution forward and urged them to pass it.

Not all public speakers were in favor, however. Luta Belcher, a man who identified himself as a lifelong resident of Humboldt County and “a Hebrew” who briefly lived in Israel, spoke about the history of the region, including the rise to power of Hamas.

“Israel should be commended for its virtue in the way it’s executed this, not condemned,” Belcher said. “Our peace proposal doesn’t mention the return of the hostages that were taken, including American citizens. These people just want the bodies of their relatives, for crying out loud.” 

When the matter came back to the board, Third District Supervisor Mike Wilson made a motion to pass the resolution, and Madrone seconded that motion.

Fourth District Supervisor Natalie Arroyo noted the long and complex history of the region, saying she’s working to educate herself on the pertinent issues. She noted that there’s “a lot of pain and frustration” in the community.

“I don’t think this [resolution] fully captures the full breadth of people’s perspectives or feelings about it, but I believe it’s a fairly content-neutral but important statement to make.”

Second District Supervisor Michelle Bushnell disagreed, saying that while she supports “the peace statement,” she thinks the resolution “doesn’t capture everything.”

“Like Supervisor Arroyo said, there’s a lot of history and a lot to know and a lot to learn,” Bushnell said.

First District Supervisor Rex Bohn described the resolution as “benign” to the point of being virtually without substance.

“There isn’t anything you can stick your fork into on this,” he said. He later described the resolution as “tapioca” and scoffed at the notion that either Hamas or Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu will care about it. But he went on to vote for it on the grounds that it might make somebody out there “feel more comfortable that they’ve done their part.”

Arroyo, Madrone and Wilson also voted “yes,” and thus the motion passed 4-0-1, with Bushnell abstaining.

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DOCUMENT: Resolution for Peace in Response to the Middle East Crisis

Press release from the Eureka Police Department:

The Eureka Police Department along with agents of the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) conducted minor decoy operations resulting in two citations for selling alcohol to minors on May 14, 2024. The actions were the result of a Minor Decoy operation in which minors under the direct supervision of department agents, attempted to purchase alcohol from 19 retail licensees in Eureka.

Clerks who sell to a minor face a minimum fine of $250, and 24 to 32 hours of community service for a first violation. In addition, ABC may take administrative action against the alcoholic beverage license of the business where alcohol was sold to a minor. That may include a fine, suspension, or the permanent revocation of the license.

“Conducting these operations helps us increase public safety as well as reduce underage drinking.” said Chief Brian Stephens.

“Businesses should always check IDs before selling alcohol,” said ABC Director Joseph McCullough. “Preventing access to people not old enough to legally purchase alcohol improves safety on our roadways and in our communities.”

Statistics have shown that young people under the age of 21 have a much higher risk of being involved in a crash than older drivers. About 25 percent of fatal crashes involve underage drinking according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Minor Decoy operations have been conducted by local law enforcement throughout the state since the 1980s. When the program first began, the violation rate of retail establishments selling to minors was as high as 40 to 50 percent. When conducted on a routine basis, the rate has dropped to below 10 percent in some cities. In 1994, the California Supreme Court ruled unanimously that use of minor decoys is a valid legal tool of law enforcement to make sure that licensees are complying with the law.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from ABC through the department’s Alcohol Policing Partnership (APP) program.

Schoolyards are hot and getting hotter, but only a tiny fraction of California’s grade school students can play in the shade.

Researchers and advocates are pushing the state to allocate money for green schoolyards, which can include trees, grass or gardens in place of the flat asphalt or rubber play surfaces at most schools.

With the help of more than $121 million in state grants, 164 schools already are on their way to either designing or building green schoolyards. Many more applied for the school greening grants, with requests totaling more than $350 million for projects they hoped to build.

The high applicant numbers highlight growing demand for greenery at schools as the climate gets hotter. But with California’s Green Schoolyards program depleted and a state general budget deficit of $56 billion over the next two fiscal years, where will the money for green school projects come from?

Some environmental groups are pushing for a proposed climate bond that would include $350 million for the green schoolyards program. They also are pushing for a $1 billion carve-out in a proposed $14-$15 billion school infrastructure bond that could go before voters this November.

Students from International Community Elementary and Think College Now Elementary play during recess in Oakland on April 29, 2024. Advocates say millions of children lack outdoor shade at California’s public schools. Photo by Laure Andrillon for CalMatters

“It is well known that our K-12 schoolyards, play structures and campuses are among the most dangerous climate liabilities currently facing the state — principally due to the deadly heat and flood potential our kids are being exposed to now,” environment groups wrote in a letter to authors of two school infrastructure bond proposals, Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, a Democrat from Torrance, and state Sen. Steve Glazer, a Democrat from Orinda.

Muratsuchi told CalMatters he is reluctant to dictate how schools should use bond money.

“I’m aware of their request, but we have many other requests to consider,” he said, such as funds for heating and air conditioning systems and solar energy on campuses. “But those priorities will be defined by local school districts.”

Students need outdoor shade

On a typical 90-degree day under full sun, grass can reach 95 degrees, while asphalt can hit 150 and rubber surfaced play areas can reach 165 degrees, according to research by the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation.

Forget 90 degrees; other research predicts much of the country is on track for more than double the usual number of 100-degree days by midcentury. Fresno already averages 33 days of 100+ degrees each year, Sacramento has 19 and Riverside has 14, federal weather data shows.

Unrelenting sun and high heat are bad for kids, the Luskin Center says: “Playing outside in the heat can lead to dehydration, headaches, heat stroke and other health impacts.”

Shade from trees is one of the best ways to cool things down, the researchers said, because it can reduce heat exposure to children by as much as 70 degrees.

But most of California’s schools lack tree canopy, and the trees that do exist on campuses are often around the perimeter, where students can’t access their shade during recess.

Green Schoolyards America, a nonprofit dedicated to building more green space on campuses, recently conducted a study of the tree canopy shading the state’s more than 10,000 public schools.

It found that an average of 6.4% of the school areas students access are covered by tree shade. More than 2.5 million students attend schools with less than 5% tree canopy in student areas.

That’s a far cry from what urban forestry and climate experts recommend. They say there needs to be enough trees to cover 30% of every city. Driven by that goal, Green Schoolyards America is pushing for ways to plant trees to cover at least 30% of each school area used by children during the day.

So far only 29,452 California students have that level of tree canopy, out of nearly 6 million students.

The schoolyard at the César E. Chávez Education Center in Oakland, prior to the creation of a ‘living schoolyard’. Advocates say most of California’s public schools lack trees or other outdoor shade sources, leaving millions of students vulnerable to heat and sun. Photo by Angela DeCenzo, Trust For Public Land

“This is a long-term infrastructure problem,” said Sharon Gamson Danks, chief executive of Green Schoolyards America.

“It’s not building a little garden in the corner. It’s actual infrastructure, on par with highway building. It’s an investment, and we want children to not be overlooked in preparing for climate and protecting their health.”

Most greening projects on school campuses include more trees, but they can also include mulch, grassy fields to replace asphalt, and wooden play and learning structures, said Šárka Volejníková, the Trust for Public Land’s program director for Bay Area parks.

The difference green space makes

At the César E. Chávez Education Center in Oakland, students — many from low income families — used to play on a yard that was 90% asphalt. The school is surrounded by freeways and industrial factories, and students suffer with high asthma rates, said Eleanor Marsh, the school’s former principal.

“In lower income areas the schools have more concrete,” Marsh said. “That is just the reality. And in higher income areas, kids have more natural play structures that have been fundraised for by PTA’s. It becomes an equity issue around mental health and access to core academics.”

The school received a $1.2 million grant from the California Natural Resources Agency’s Urban Greening program and worked with the Trust for Public Land in 2020 to completely renovate the schoolyard, adding more greenery, trees and play structures that would be cooler and more academically enriching.

Students were part of the process, taking the temperature of the asphalt and rubber playground and recommending alternatives.

First: José Luis Rodriguez teaches fifth-grade students about gardening. Groups want more outdoor shade at schools. Last: Students plant succulents at the César E. Chávez Education Center’s living schoolyard in Oakland on April 29, 2024. Photos by Laure Andrillon for CalMatters

Now students take outdoor gardening classes and play and run through their new “river” made with bricks, which doubles as a stormwater runoff system on rainy days.

There’s no lack of enthusiasm for greening projects among educators, said Marsh, now principal at San Pedro Elementary School in San Rafael.

“Every public school in California is up against huge budget cuts,” she said. “There is no money at the school site level to improve the physical space for students. So we are really relying on support from the state.”

Where the money could come from

The time to dedicate more funding to green schoolyards is now, said Manny Gonez, director of policy initiatives for the Beverly Hills environmental group TreePeople.

The latest proposals for a climate bond, which would be paid off over many years, includes an ask for $150 million for an urban greening grant, which doesn’t exclusively fund school greening programs but has in the past. TreePeople also supports the request for $1 billion in the proposed school infrastructure bond.

“Ultimately the priorities for school facilities funding should be driven by educators and not by the environmental lobby.”
— Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, Democrat from Torrance

Traditionally school bonds are for new school construction or renovation. School districts can apply for the state bond funds for projects and must provide local matching funds. There is money set aside for financially strapped districts that can’t provide as much of a local match.

“This is a small down payment to really scale up the work that the state has been doing with these 164 schools,” Gonez said, referring to schools that already have green schoolyard grants.

The Trust for Public Land wants money set aside for green schoolyard projects and for the most needy schools to get priority, said Juan Altamirano, the group’s director of government affairs.

Earmarking the funds in the proposed school bond would boost support for the measure overall, Altamirano said. California voters — even those without children — support more green schoolyards, an April survey of 800 voters by the Trust for Public Land showed.

Some legislators were noncommittal when discussing the request.

Muratsuchi said he has been an environmental champion in the Legislature and understands the need for more green school funding. But in this case, it’s not up to him to define that as a priority in the school infrastructure bond.

“Ultimately the priorities for school facilities funding should be driven by educators and not by the environmental lobby,” he said.

Students in International Community Elementary and Think College Now Elementary play soccer during recess on an unpaved surface at the César E. Chávez Education Center’s living schoolyard in Oakland, California, on April 29th, 2024. Unpaved surfaces let water filter into the ground and reduce air temperature. Groups also want more outdoor shade at schools. Photo by Laure Andrillon for CalMatters

Glazer denied Calmatters’ request for an interview, saying he is not directly involved in the decision making of this issue.

California already has committed to increasing the tree canopy on schoolyards on paper, but how that will happen is unclear.

In the state’s Nature-Based Solutions Climate Targets published in April, officials said the state would prioritize greening schoolyards through its School Facility Program, “ensuring greening schoolyards is not just a consideration but an integral expectation when local educational agencies undertake new school construction projects and modernization projects.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office did not answer questions about plans to fund greening school projects. Alex Stack, a Newsom spokesperson, said “No other governor has done as much as Gov. Newsom to protect people from extreme heat.”

Stacks said the green schoolyard grants already allocated are part of Newsom’s 2022 Extreme Heat Action Plan, funded by $52.3 billion in the California Climate Commitment budget.

Newsom cut the climate budget, and other parts of the budget, by more than 7% in his May revised proposal.

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The CalMatters Ideas Festival takes place June 5-6! Find out more and get your tickets at this link.

CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

Sara Jacy Guffey was born in Arcata on July 30, 1992 to Derek & Sharon (Sherry) Guffey. Sara grew up in McKinleyville and during her childhood she spent countless hours with her grandparents and aunt, uncle and cousins. Her Grandma Dee Dee and Papa Tom operated an assisted living care home for the elderly, where Sara would spend many hours mingling and bonding with the elderly ladies. Later in life Sara would say that she believed this time spent with the ladies at the care home resulted in her love of working with the elderly. She also spent many hours with her Grandma Reen and Papa Dan. We didn’t know it at the time, but she inherited much of her sewing & crocheting talent from her Grandma Reen. Childhood time spent with Auntie Diane, Uncle Randy and older cousins Rye Rye and Kyle were filled with sports and goofing with the cousins who were made to “let her have it” or “let her win.”

In grade school Sara’s closest friends were Gopika La Barge and Beatrice Cafe. Sara attended McKinleyville High School, where she made two very close lifelong friends, Mathew Woodke and Laura Erhard. After graduating high school Sara lived out of state for less than a year, then returned to McKinleyville. Once she was back Sara reconnected with family then began working a few different jobs including in home care, then as a nurse’s aid in convalescent homes. Sara then enrolled in the LVN program at College of the Redwoods, earned her Associate Degree LVN, passed her state exam and worked at Seaview Rehabilitation as a LVN Charge Nurse.

In the spring of 2020 at the age of 28 Sara purchased a home in McKinleyville where she lived with her partner Ben and his son Azmedaeus. In September Sara gave birth to her daughter Tilly, which she named after her great-grandmother Matilda (Tilly) Andrada, whom she shared a very special bond with. Sara worked and continued her education, then enrolled in the RN bridge program at CR which she began in the spring of 2023.

Sara loved being with family and she and Tilly would often spend the day at her parents home in McKinleyville. In the fall of 2023 when her parents, Grandma Dee Dee and brother Cole moved to Arizona, Sara (and Tilly) would replace those visits with nearly daily phone calls & facetime chats. Sara also routinely called her aunt’s and would talk for hours at a time with them. Sara had planned to complete the nursing program, take her state exam followed by a trip to Arizona where she hoped to move. Sara was only two weeks short of completing her RN schooling, but all together earned the following degrees at College of the Redwoods; Liberal Art Degree in Science Exploration, Associate Degree LVN, Associate Degree LVN/Paramedic to RN Mobility.

Sara was a proud, loving and devoted mother and leaves behind her beautiful three-year daughter Tilly; her parents Derek & Sherry Guffey; brother Cole Guffey; grandmother Delores “Dee Dee” Page. She also leaves behind her Auntie Diane Baxter (Randy), aunt Alice Tully (William), cousin Ryan Baxter (Tessa), cousin Kyle Baxter (Chelsey), great-aunt Evelyn Page (Gary), great-aunt Patricia Holtgrewe (Kenneth), great-aunt Debra Andrada (Cliff Bell) as well as many 1st and 2nd cousins. She also leaves behind her partner Benjamin Hungness and his son Azmedaeus Hungness.

She was preceded in death by her great-grandma Matilda “Tilly” Andrada, great-grandfather Anthony Andrada, grandfather Thomas Page, grandmother Maureen Guffey and grandfather Carl Dan Guffey.

Sara we hope you are at peace and surrounded by those that preceded you and love you.

A Celebration of Life will be held for Sara at 2 p.m., June 8, 2024 at the Moose Lodge, 1791 Sutter Rd, McKinleyville, CA, 95519. If you can bring a potluck dish it will be appreciated, however your presence is what’s most valued.

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

Our fun-loving, creative, and heart-felt friend passed on May 13, 2024 surrounded by loved ones in her home after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. Marcy moved to Humboldt County in 1980 and as a single-mother put herself through Humboldt State College for her BA in Social Work and received her Masters of Social Work degree in 1991 from Sacramento State College. She worked for local non-profits before landing a position at College of the Redwoods (CR) as an EOPS counselor. Marcy had a positive impact on countless students at CR. She was a beloved counselor and innovative in her approach. She was instrumental in creating a special support program for former foster youth and the formerly incarcerated. She retired in 2016 after 20 years.

Her greatest passions were gardening and creating art of all kinds. Her home garden is a mix of random pieces of art and flowering plants. She enjoyed woodworking, pottery, glass-blowing, mosaics, felting, crocheting, and watercolor paints. It was an adventure for her to shop garage sales to see what treasures she could bring home to renovate. She enjoyed traveling to warm places such as Belize and Maui to snorkel with turtles and exotic fish. Most of all, she treasured her dog companions over the last 50 years, leaving behind sweet Maisey.

She has a wide circle of friends who will miss her humor and listening skills. She is survived by her brother, Jon Foster (Colleen), niece Karin Dix (Eric), nephew Chris Foster (Evangelic), her son Ron Diltz (Julie), and granddaughter Dyanna Diltz. Marcy was blessed to have a very special relationship with Travis Arnold who became a loving kinship son and friend to her over the last 12 years.

Please consider donating to a local animal rescue foundation (https://www.cafanimals.org/) A Celebration of Life will be held TBD. Contact Suzi Hendry suzhyq@suddenlink.net.

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

It is with sadness that the family of Fran (Clark) Neufeld announce her peaceful passing on May 2, 2024, at the age of 86. Fran spent her last days in peace at the Humboldt Hospice House in Eureka, which was bittersweet, as she was a loyal volunteer for over 20 years with Hospice in Ukiah. She was with her family, surrounded by nature and Redwood trees.

Fran was born in San Rafael and graduated from Petaluma High, class of 1955. During her life she lived many places (San Francisco, San Mateo, Cotati, Days Creek (Oregon), Potter Valley), finally settling in the Ukiah area with her family, where she lived most of her life.

Fran worked for many years at Bank of America as a teller where she met her lifelong friend, Yvonne Brown, as well as many other special friends. She later moved onto the Ukiah Senior Center where she found her passion for assisting the elderly, which led her to work for Area Agency on Aging where she was an Ombudsman. She was honored to help seniors and their families navigate the difficulties of end-of-life care. She was passionate about Hospice. She was exceptionally kind, loving and gentle with dying patients and their loved ones, knowing just how to bring peace and love into those moments when needed.

She loved spending time at the beach, searching for shells, listening to, and watching the waves. She called it her therapy. She also loved bird watching, which led her to volunteer at the Bird Rescue Center in Santa Rosa. Her favorite story to tell was when she captured an eagle with an injured wing and was able to release it once it was rehabilitated.

Fran was preceded in death by her husbands Dick Clark III and Roland Neufeld. She is survived by her children Dick Clark (Connie), Grant Clark (Theresa), and Ahna Hubner (Troy), as well as her sister Patricia Roux. She (Mimi/Gram) is survived by numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, and nephews, as well as her close friends, Yvonne Brown, Diane Hunt, and Eddie Palmerin.

Graveside services will be held at a later date. Frans living wish was to support Hospice in any way; please consider donating in her name, in lieu of flowers, as to carry on her legacy of dedication to a wonderful organization close to her heart.