Alvera Faye (Ames) Houston was born to her devoted parents, Elenor and Howard Ames, on December 31, 1946. After a remarkable and fulfilling life, she began her journey home on December 17, 2024. She was a member of the Hoopa Valley Tribe, as well as Yurok and Karuk decent. Alvera was a nurturing mother, adoring grandmother, cherished sister, and beloved auntie, cousin, and friend. Known for her heart of gold, she radiated warmth and positivity, leaving a lasting impression on everyone fortunate enough to know her. Her loving spirit and contagious joy touched countless lives, making her an irreplaceable figure in her family and community.

From an early age, Alvera loved attending the ceremonies of the Hupa, Yurok, and Karuk tribes. Her parents instilled traditional values and teachings in her from the beginning. Her father, Howard, was a well-known singer and dancer, which meant that Alvera was surrounded by songs and stories while growing up. As she got older, Alvera made it a point to continue attending the ceremonies, proudly wearing her beautiful basket cap.

Alvera was a nurturing and devoted mother and grandmother, whose heart overflowed with unconditional love for her family. With unwavering support, she was a constant presence in the lives of her three beloved sons — Clifford, Roger Jr. and Craig. Her three boys, along with her cherished grandchildren, were the light of her life, bringing her immense joy and fulfillment. Alvera would often embark on special journeys to places like Hoopa and Redding, celebrating the significant milestones of her family’s lives. Whether it was a joyful birthday party, an exciting game, a proud graduation, or a joyous baby shower, she made it a point to be there, pouring her heart into every occasion. Thoughtful and attentive, she always ensured that each grandchild, as well as her nieces and nephews, received a special card or gift, showing her deep affection and thoughtfulness. Her gestures were more than just gifts; they were expressions of her love, creating lasting memories that would be cherished for years to come.

Alvera was a dedicated member of the Kimaw Medical Center team for many years, pouring her heart and soul into her work. She found joy in her role, and the relationships she grew with her colleagues and patients were treasures she held dear. Standing at just 5’3”, Alvera had a striking presence, particularly when she slipped into her favorite turquoise high-heeled cowboy boots. The distinct sound of her footsteps echoed through the halls, a blend of confidence and charisma that welcomed anyone who encountered her. Her years of service were marked by countless memories of compassion and commitment, as she tirelessly supported both the patients and the community she loved so much.

Alvera is preceded in death by her parents, Elenor and Howard Ames; her son Craig Houston; her grandson Clifford Houston Jr.; her siblings, Muggins, Clarence, Viola; great nephew Norman Lewis Jr., and her best friend, Leona “Chicken” Lenti.

Alvera was survived by her sons Clifford and Roger Houston (Tina); her grandchildren Lola, Natalie, Craig, Tyler, Logan, Ivan (Marcella), Samatha, Pamela, Kimberly; Sister Marcellene Norton; good friends Nancy “berries” Radenius, and Etika Davis; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, friends that all held a special place in her heart.

Pallbearers: Tyler, Logan and Craig Houston, Ivan Schreder, Howard, Clarence (CJ) and Matthew Lewis, Ralph Peters III, Dana, Damien, Sherman, Cheyenne Norton.

Honorary Pallbearers: Roger and Clifford Houston, Loren, Kenneth and Jack Norton, Clarence Lewis Sr., Norman Lewis Sr., Bronson Lewis Sr., Virgil Pole, Sr., Virgil Jr., Aaron, Amos, and Nathan Pole, Carlo Miguelena Sr., Leonard “Spam” Ferris, Mike, Boyd, and Deacon Ferris, Michael Gabriel, Dominic Obie, Everett Colegrove Sr., Carl Colegrove Sr.,

Alvera’s love, humor, and warmth touched us all, and it’s hard to imagine our days without her vibrant spirit. We carry her memory in our hearts, and though she may no longer be with us, her legacy of kindness will continue to inspire us. Please forgive us if we forgot to include anyone — Vera truly had a space in her heart for everyone she met, and her impact on our lives will never be forgotten.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on December 27, 2024, at the Neighborhood Facilities (NF) building in Hoopa.

Burial will follow at the Hoopa Tribal Cemetery on Highway 96.

A food reception will be held at the Hoopa Firehouse.

The family is thankful for the generosity and support received during this challenging time.

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

Nathalie Giacomini was born to Manuel and Julia Viegas in Rio Dell, California on November 20, 1930. On December 17, 2024 she passed peacefully at Redwood Memorial Hospital in Fortuna. She was a life-long resident of Humboldt County.

Nathalie was the daughter of Portuguese immigrants. She once told us that when she began elementary school, she could not speak English because they had only spoken Portuguese in her home. It was a difficult transition for her to begin school in, what was to her, a foreign language. During those years, while growing up in the tightly knit Portuguese and Italian community of Rio Dell, there were many days when she and her friends would gather to talk, laugh and gossip on the front porch of her parents’ home. Their home was located on the busy Main Street of Rio Dell which at that time, was Highway 101. It was definitely a central meeting place. In high school, she focused on business classes. Her first job was in the office at Bertain’s Laundry in Scotia. Later, she worked for a company in Eureka performing data entry.

One fine day, while serving as a bridesmaid in Liz and Harold Giacomini’s wedding, she met the love of her life. He was Harold’s brother, Ernest. She reported being very attracted to the handsome young man whose hobby was piloting airplanes. They married on August 27, 1950.

In 1951, Ernie was drafted to serve in the US Army. His bride joined him in Monterey,California while he took his basic training. While there with her husband, Nathalie learned that she was pregnant with their first child, Cecilia. She returned to her parents home to wait for the baby‘s birth and be near her doctor. The couple was reunited when Ernie drove from Monterey to be present to welcome his firstborn in December of 1951. Unfortunately, soon after, he was shipped out to the war in Korea. Nathalie remained in the Rio Dell home with her parents and her younger sister, Alda. It was a difficult time for her, as a young woman, to have a new baby and her husband fighting in a war thousands of miles away.

Fortunately, Ernie returned safely from Korea and they were able to begin their new life together. The couple rented a dairy ranch in Alton and raised their family of three children Cecilia, Paul and Fred there. The life of a dairyman and his wife is not an easy one. The cows had to be milked twice a day, every single day, and Nathalie was standing by with hot meals and baked goods. She was known for her lasagna and pies, in particular. Most of the transportation and care of the children was her responsibility as well. Occasionally on those times when Ernie was sick, she could be found feeding the baby calves or trying to help in other ways.

On the heels of surviving polio, while pregnant with Paul in 1954, Mother Nature had her way with the ranch when, in 1955, the Eel River flooded and their home filled with over fve feet of water. Fortunately, the family was evacuated by row boat.

Ernie and Nathalie were a strong couple with a great deal of faith. They overcame these obstacles and pursued their desire to own their own dairy and home. Once the opportunity arose for them to buy their ranch in Ferndale, they jumped at the chance. Their dairy farm, which they moved to in 1963, sat at the foot of the hillside along Grizzly Bluff Road.

Once relocated into their new home, they set about trying to make it a profitable dairy. It was there that Nathalie learned to sew and quilt, and added those skills to her love of reading and gardening. She always had a meal ready for Ernie as well as any hired men, hay, haulers or milk testers who happen to be working on the ranch. Also, as her mother aged, Nathalie attended to her and helped her in many ways.

Curiosity was one of her qualities. She recently asked for the gift of a world map so that she could put it on her wall and identify the places that she read about. At one point, while she was in her 80s she referred to social media and stated “I feel left out.” She was introduced to an iPad and magically, her world was expanded by the use of Google and following her family through social media.

Over the years, she continued to care deeply and be concerned for her adult children. She was a loving mother and a kind person who will be greatly missed. She opened her arms to her grandchildren and great grandchildren and took immense pleasure in being with them and following them in their activities. To this day, her great-grandchildren speak with fondness of the many bowls of her homemade chicken soup that she provided them

The love between Ernie and Nathalie was always evident. They showed all of us the importance of love, commitment, loyalty and obvious affection. Hopefully, he is still telling her jokes and making her laugh.

Nathalie is survived by her three children, Cecilia, (Ted Mason), Paul Giacomini and Fred Giacomini ( Rebecca). Her grandchildren, Teresa Dreise (Matt), Mikaela Giacomini (Sean) and Taylor Giacomini (Tristine), Stefanie Enright (Trevor), Brooke Quinlan (Michael) and Rob Mason. She has six great-grandchildren, Quinn and Evan Dreise, Talula Wright, Aidan Enright and Cassidy and Iris Quinlan. Her sister, Alda Nordstrom, sisters in law Elsie Giacomini, Mary Ellen Giacomini Laffranchi, Rose Giacomini Beall and Leona Giacomini Vertrees and many nieces and nephews

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Ernest, and her son-in-law Ken Hallum.

Because of the loving care our mother received at Redwood Memorial Hospital our family suggests memorial donations be made to The Redwood Memorial Hospital Foundation, 2700 Dolbeer St, Eureka, CA 95501 or to the charity of your choice.

A funeral mass will be held at Assumption Church in Ferndale on Saturday, February 1 at 10:30 a.m. A celebration of her life with lunch will follow at the parish hall after the service.

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

On October 15, 2024, cherished husband, father, and grandfather, Michael “Mike” William Griffith, passed away suddenly in his Eureka home.

Mike was born on July 12, 1948, to parents Rose and William “Bill” Griffith. A hard worker from the start, Mike helped his father build their family home while he was in elementary school. In high school, Mike worked at the Eureka Fishery where he met the love of his life, Barbara. Following graduation from Eureka High School, Mike joined the U.S. Navy. He and Barbara were married a year later. A proud veteran, Mike served 22 years in the Navy, attaining the rank of Master Chief before his retirement. Mike returned to Eureka and began working at Pinkerton, providing security at the pulp mill. A few years later he began working at the pulp mill and continued to do so until the mill closed.

Mike was well-known throughout Eureka for the nine-mile walks he took each morning. Leaving home before dawn, he made his way randomly throughout town, enjoying conversations and making friends along the way. His community mattered to him greatly. The most treasured part of Mike’s life was his family. We knew him to be proud and stubborn, loving and kind, loyal and devoted. He would do anything for us including solo deployments to Alameda and Texas during his time in the Navy so that his daughter would not have to move to yet another school. In his later years, Mike’s greatest joy came from the time he spent with his grandchildren.

Whether it was talking military history with Matthew or playing devil’s advocate so that he could argue with Maya, he lit up when they were around. He often remarked that being a teacher was the most honorable profession you could have, which is why it delighted him that both his daughter and granddaughter went on to do just that. Though he was strong-willed and opinionated at times, his loving nature toward his family and community are the traits we will remember the most. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Mike was preceded in death by his parents Rose and Bill, and is survived by his wife of 55 years, Barbara, his daughter Laura, son-in-law Raymond, and their children, Maya and Matthew. He is also survived by his sisters Pat and Katie and his brother, “Little Mike.”

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

Gloria Wilma Laam
September 6, 1925 – December 14, 2024

Gloria Wilma Laam of McKinleyville passed peacefully on December 14, 2025 at Mad River Community Hospital in Arcata. She was a resident of Humboldt County since 1961, after she and her husband John H. Laam Sr. relocated there from Klamath, in Del Norte County.

She made her career as a bookkeeper for several companies in Humboldt County until her retirement in 1990.

She is preceded in death by her husband John, daughters Helen P. Milligan (E. Dan), Shane R. Laam, and Son John H. Laam (Sharle).

She is survived by grandchildren Dan E. Milligan (Debbie), Cyndi R. Hedrick, Brandon L. Milligan (Leanna), Bryan P. Hampson (Kate), Shawn H. Meador (Erin).

Additionally, she is survived by great-grandchildren Daniel J. Milligan (Layne), Cody L. Milligan (Dylann), Aimee W. Ormiston (Brendan), Broden Hampson, Rusty Hampson, Christian Moorman-Meador (Emily), Ethan Meador (Kassidy), Macy Wade (Yancy), Morgan Krumm (Xavier) and Cole Hedrick.

Furthermore, she is survived by great-great-grandchildren Daniel A. Milligan, Colton L. Milligan, Declan Meador, Delilah Meador, Delaney Meador, Charlotte Wade, and Whitney Krumm.

Gloria will be laid to rest next to her husband at the Gridley-Biggs Cemetery in Gridley, California on January 3, 2025. A graveside service will begin at 1 p.m.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Gloria Laam’s 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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The Siren’s Song Tavern, Old Town Eureka’s only all-ages live music and entertainment venue, which doubles as a bar serving craft beers and ciders, finds itself in turbulent waters after learning that its lease will not be renewed.

Reached via phone, owner Liza Sibley said she’s actively searching for a new location while trying to negotiate for more time in the current spot, at 325 Second Street. 

“We’re trying to stay in Old Town or downtown,” Sibley said. 

When she was first informed that the lease wouldn’t be renewed, Sibley was told that she needed to have everything cleared out of the brick-and-mortar storefront by January 1, she said, though that date has since been moved to January 15. She believes that the business’s current three-year lease doesn’t actually expire until the end of April 2025 but said a miscommunication with the rental management agency led to the short eviction notice. So far she’s been unable to get the landlord or the rental agency to agree to a later move-out date. 

The Siren’s Song is located on the ground floor of the 116-year-old Healy Brothers Building, a Eureka historic landmark that formerly housed such fondly remembered businesses as Lazio’s Restaurant and the Old Town Bar and Grill. 

The three-story building was slated for demolition after suffering extensive damage in the large earthquake that struck Eureka on Jan. 9, 2010, but local developer Kurt Kramer agreed to purchase it, and after extensive renovations, including a seismic retrofit, it reopened almost two and a half years later. 

Reached by phone last week, Kramer was reluctant to discuss the reasons behind the decision not to renew Siren’s Song lease, except to say that there have been “operational issues” that proved too difficult to resolve.

“We’re in the business of renting places, so we very rarely want to see tenants leave,” he said. “But if they’re not behaving and operating properly, we just move on. We just can’t do it.”

Kramer said he does not yet have a new tenant lined up for the space.

Sibley, meanwhile, said she’s had a couple of leads on possible spots to relocate but nothing lined up just yet. The business launched a GoFundMe campaign in hopes of raising enough to cover relocation expenses and, ideally, improvements. In the week or so since the campaign launched, however, it has raised just a fraction of the target amount.

Sibley took ownership of the business in May of 2022, purchasing it from former owner JD Pegg, who clashed with public health officials during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

For Sibley, the most valuable thing about The Siren’s Song is its service as a venue for live entertainment at a time when such spots seem to be disappearing. Humboldt County has a small number of all-ages venues, in particular, she said.

”Savage Henry [Comedy Club] has some music,” she said. “Arcata has Outer Space, but they have no alcohol. … A lot of venues have closed since I became involved.”

The Siren’s Song hosts open mic nights and a wide variety of bands, including metal, punk, indie rock and more. “I’ve tried not to pigeonhole it,” Sibley said. In a sense, the draft beers and cider are secondary to the value of the performance space.

“If I have to move I want to, because I don’t think Humboldt can afford to lose another music venue,” Sibley said. “The alcohol sales is how we make our money to stay open, but I do primarily think of it as a music venue.”

The Siren’s Song will remain open at least through New Year’s Eve, when local band Image Pit will perform as part of a benefit show for the business. Sibley said she appreciates any support the community can provide.

“Even if you show support by coming to shows or buying a drink, everything is appreciated,” she said. “We’re doing our best to stay open as long as we can and, if we find a place, to make [the transition] as seamless as possible.”

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On Dec. 20 at about 9:30 p.m., a Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputy was on patrol in the area of 5^th St. and K St. in Eureka. The deputy observed a male subject riding a bicycle and pushing a second bicycle after dark without any visible lights or reflectors and conducted a traffic stop. 

The deputy contacted the male, identified as Steven Waggoner, 24, of Blue Lake, who was confirmed to be on probation for a felony burglary conviction and petty theft. The deputy searched Waggoner pursuant to probation terms and located 3.73g of methamphetamine and a pipe with white residue and black tar in his pockets. In a backpack Waggoner was carrying, the deputy located sandwich bags with 19g of psilocybin mushrooms and 5.8oz of marijuana, a revolver firearm, and multiple rounds of ammunition. 

Waggoner was subsequently arrested without incident and taken to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility (HCCF) to be booked for the following charges:

• Possession of a controlled substance while armed with a loaded firearm—HS 11370.1(a)
• Possession of a controlled substance (mushrooms)—HS 11350 (a)
• Possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamines)—HS 11377 (a)
• Possession of unlawful drug paraphernalia—HS 11364 (a)
• Violation of probation—PC 1203.2(a)
• Felon/prohibited person in possession of a firearm— PC 29800 (a)(1)
• Felon/prohibited person in possession of ammunition— PC 35305 (a)(1)

Anyone with information about this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.

Receive HCSO news straight to your phone or email. Subscribe to news alerts at humboldtsheriff.org/subscribe.

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On Dec. 20 at about 7 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the 6800 block of Harrison Ave. in Fields Landing for the report of a disturbance that included screaming and honking coming from a vehicle. Deputies arrived and received a report that Sara Maltzman, 39, of Fields Landing, had just stolen a vehicle from that location.

A deputy located Maltzman driving the stolen vehicle along Civic Ave. in the Fields Landing area at about 7:45 p.m. and followed the vehicle to the residence on Harrison Ave.  Maltzman fled into a residence at that location. Deputies followed Maltzman inside and attempted to take her into custody, giving commands for Maltzman to exit, which Maltzman ignored. Deputies were eventually able to secure her in handcuffs and placed Maltzman under arrest. 

Maltzman was searched incident to arrest, and deputies located live ammunition in her pocket, which she is prohibited from possessing due to being the restrained party in a restraining order.

Maltzman was taken to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility (HCCF) and booked for the following charges:

• Take vehicle without owner’s consent—VC 10851(a)
• Obstruct/resister a public officer—PC 148(a)(1)
• Violation of a protective court order—PC 273.6(a)

Anyone with information about this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.