It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we announce the passing of a beloved husband, father, brother, son, uncle and grandfather. Homer (Pete) William Baker was born on May 3, 1940, and peacefully departed from this world in his home on December 22, 2024. He will be profoundly missed.

Pete’s journey began in Michigan, where he was the third youngest of eight siblings. In 1943, at the age of three, his family relocated to Humboldt, setting the stage for a life filled with hard work and dedication.

As a young man he found employment at Sierra Pacific, where he dedicated many years of service. A workplace accident led to the loss of parts of three fingers, yet Pete embraced humor, regaling listeners with fantastical tales of how he sustained his injuries — from encounters with bears and sharks to mischievous dogs. He retired from Sierra Pacific in 2007.

In the course of his life, Pete fathered a son and daughter with his first wife. However, it was in 1983 that he met Rose, the love of his life. They married in 1984 and soon bought property on Humboldt Hill, where together built a warm and welcoming log cabin that became a sanctuary for family and friends. Pete joined Rose on her foster care journey during the build of their cabin. Together they opened their hearts and home, where to this day they have fostered over 500 children, alongside adopting six children of their own. Their log cabin became a haven where anyone who entered felt embraced by love and kindness, often becoming a cherished place for former foster children to return to for holidays and special occasions.

Tragedy struck in 1988 when Rose’s son, Glenn, was diagnosed with cancer. He fought hard to beat the cancer with a smile on his face, ultimately it took his life at the young age of 19. After their tragic loss, Rose and Pete dedicated their lives to the foster care system and to being a resource for foster parents locally, and nationally.

Pete cherished the simple pleasures in life: dancing with Rose, camping adventures with his trailer, mowing the lawn, reading Louis L’Amour novels, and watching classic westerns. Above all, the love he held for his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren is what drove him.

Pete is survived by countless family and friends, too numerous to list.

In accordance with his wishes, Pete will be cremated. A celebration of his life will be held on January 11, 2025, at 11 a.m. at Life House Church, located at 2743 Hubbard Lane in Eureka. All who wish to honor Pete’s memory are invited to attend. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to either Youth Ability Inc. or Parents in Training Inc., PO Box 6644, Eureka, CA 95502.

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

Pat died on December 20, 2024, after a long bout with heart, kidney, and diabetes problems.

She was born on April 1, 1944, in Camden, New Jersey. Her parents were Florence Martha Robinson (nee Tufnell) and Samuel Robinson. Pat attended grade school in Camden, New Jersey, before moving to California with her parents after high school.

In California, she attended and graduated from Long Beach State with a degree in Russian history and education. In addition, she took several graduate classes. During her time at Long Beach State, she met her future husband, Ron, and they finally got together and married in 1984 after literally chasing each other around the world for 20 years. After graduation, she taught in the Rossmoor School system before later taking a position for nine years with the Department of Defense overseas school system. She taught first in the Philippines for a year, then in Germany for a year, followed by a year in Turkey. Then, to change things, she taught in the inner city schools in Washington D.C. for a year before going to Spain to teach for four years. She returned from Spain to care for her mother until she died in Southern California, after which she taught as a resource teacher in the Long Beach School District.

In 1984, she married Dr. Ronald Chaney and moved to Arcata, where he was a professor at Humboldt State University.

Never to stay quiet for long, she joined the Westhaven Women’s Club and eventually became its president. During this time, she also taught at Morris Elementary School in McKinleyville as a resource teacher while being a member of six different garden clubs. For several years, she was a co-presenter on a KINS cooking show.

Over her life, she traveled to 69 other countries. With her husband, she made four academic trips to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and one to Tibet as guests of their governments. In 1989, she was in Shanghai during the Tiananmen Square protest in the PRC. In addition, together, they made many return trips to Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Pat was an avid gardener, book reader, gourmet cook, party giver, and bridge player. She loved her dogs, Gretchen and Lucky Ducky. In her spare time, she also arranged flowers for the Eureka Symphony. Her last bridge game was held the day before she died unexpectedly. Pat is survived by her sister, Arlene Kemeny, and her husband, Jack; her niece, Lisa Fody; her husband, Ed Fody; their daughter, Samantha; and son Chris. She is also survived by her husband, Ron Chaney, of 40 years old. She will be terribly missed. You left us too soon. A memorial service will be held at Paul’s Chapel on January 18, 2025, at 1 p.m.

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

Gary Arthur Cook
May 6, 1935 - December 11, 2024

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our father/daddy Gary. He passed away on December 11th in the care of Granada Rehabilitation & Wellness Center in Eureka.

Our father was born on May 6, 1935 at the Scotia Hospital to Arthur and Frances (Still) Cook. He was an only child and adored by his parents.

He was a company man with the Pacific Lumber Company, first in the mill then into the main office, where he eventually worked as the personnel director. He was an integral part of the annual PL Christmas Party for the children of all employees. We could hardly wait to pick out our gift and receive our jar of candy — one of the special contributions that our company-owned town (Scotia) provided for our families throughout the years.

Our father enjoyed family time at his parents home in Miranda when we were growing up. The car doors would open and the 4 of us kids would just run to play: rope swings, hammocks, shop, feed the chipmunks, pick huckleberries, hike to have an ice cold cup of spring water in the creek and we will never forget meals on the outdoor patio.

We would also go as a family to watch my brother Jon race motocross. Always an adventure for us, great family time and memories.

Dad was a lifelong 49er and Giants fan. We had the honor of taking him to many games. He and mom would love to ride the ferry to San Francisco to watch the Giants. Dad enjoyed golfing. He was a member at Redwood Empire Golf and Country Club in Fortuna.

After retirement dad would enjoy having coffee with his friends, including Angelo Bettiga, one of his dear friends from our days in Scotia growing up.

He attended Scotia Elementary School, Fortuna High School and San Jose State. Our father worked in his early years at Pacific Bell Phone Company and finished his career with The Pacific Lumber Company for over 30 years.

Our father was married to our mom Marie for almost 67 years, he was preceded in death by our mom who passed away on February 26, 2023. They were married at the Scotia Catholic Church on November 24, 1957. They moved to San Jose where they had their children and met their lifelong friends and Ohana — the Carvalho and Rodrigues Family. Our parents cherished all of their friendships very much and treated them as family.

Thank you to the following for the compassion they showed to our father. Granada Rehabilitation & Wellness and St. Joseph’s Hospital.

Gary was preceded in death by his adoring parents Art and Frances Cook, his father and mother in law Albert and Emma Abare. His loving dog Missy and lifetime friend Fred Depucci. He leaves behind his daughter Maryanne (Harry), sons Jon (Kim), Mike and Tom (Lisa). Four grandchildren: Kristy (Adam), Lexy, Nathanael, Austin. Great-grandson Beau.

In lieu of flowers you can donate to the Humane Society for our father’s love of dogs.

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

Press release from Humboldt Bay Fire:

At approximately 3:30 am on Friday January 3rd, Humboldt Bay Fire (HBF) was dispatched to a reported structure fire at the 1000 block of 4th Street with reported victims trapped. HBF responded with a first alarm assignment consisting of two fire engines, one ladder truck, and a Battalion Chief.

The Battalion Chief arrived on scene first and reported smoke visible from the building, and requested more assistance from neighboring Fire Departments, activating a second and third alarm. Truck 8181 arrived on scene, entered the burning building and rescued two critical burn victims that were both treated by HBF paramedics at the scene then transported to St. Joseph Hospital via City Ambulance. E8115 and E8112 arrived on scene and assisted with fire attack. The rest of the structure was confirmed to have no other trapped victims. Fire control was achieved in approximately 20 minutes. PG&E responded and secured all utilities to the structure.

The pre-fire value of the structure was approximately $565,000 with estimated fire loss totaling $50,000. During the initial removal of the victims, 3 of our fire personnel sustained minor burn injuries. One was treated at scene by HBF paramedics and two were later treated at St. Joseph. Additionally, 4 other civilian burn victims, who were not at scene upon our arrival, arrived at St. Josephs Hospital with burn injuries from this incident.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation with the assistance from EPD due to suspicious circumstances. This is an active and ongoing investigation and anyone with information is asked to call EPD’s Criminal Investigation Unit at 707-441-4300.

Humboldt Bay Fire would like to thank our mutual aid partners from City Ambulance, Arcata Fire, Samoa Fire, Fortuna Fire along with the Eureka Police Department and PG&E who all assisted directly with the incident or provided coverage for the rest of the emergency calls in our area while the fire was being mitigated.

Humboldt Bay Fire would like to remind everyone that if you see smoke immediately call 9-1-1. Prompt activation of the 9-1-1 system will ensure quick response for emergency services.

On Sunday, Dec. 29, the world suddenly lost a beloved 100-year-old ex-President of the United States.

How do we, as a nation, deal with an event of this magnitude? Perhaps we bravely muddle through with our lives for a couple of weeks, until such time as we can set aside a full day to contemplate the man and his deeds, and in doing so shed some of the trauma we have been carrying deep inside ourselves since we got that terrible news.

On Tuesday, the Humboldt Board of Supervisors will consider giving county employees an extra paid holiday to do just that. President Joe Biden has declared Thursday, Jan. 9, a national day of mourning for his predecessor — a fellow one-term president representing the Democratic Party — and Board Chair Michelle Bushnell has brought forward a proposal to make that day a paid day off for county employees.

“President Carter was the thirty-ninth President serving the United States from Jan. 20, 1977 to Jan. 20, 1981,” notes the staff report on Bushnell’s proposal. (Minor correction: Actually, Carter was the first and only person to serve as president of the United States during this time.)

The staff report continues:

President Carter is remembered as a man of character and compassion. He was a heroic champion of global peace and human rights. Under his presidency, the Department of Education and the Department of Energy were created. Carter is also remembered for his critical work on nuclear nonproliferation with the signing of the Panama Canal treaties and the 1978 Camp David Accords. After his presidency, he continued as a global leader who advocated for peace and fundamental human rights for all.

Did you know that the Panama Canal Treaties and the Camp David Accords did so much to advance the cause of nuclear non-proliferation? Yet another reason to mourn.

Assuming the Board of Supervisors does the humane thing and gives the county’s approximately 2,500 public employees a paid holiday to recover from the shock of Carter’s passing, how might they most productively spend that time, so as to get back to providing taxpayer-funded services with whole hearts and maximum efficiency?

In his proclamation, President Biden has a suggestion:

I call on the American people to assemble on that day in their respective places of worship, there to pay homage to the memory of President James Earl Carter, Jr. I invite the people of the world who share our grief to join us in this solemn observance.

This will undoubtedly happen. So don’t expect to find a parking spot at church on Thursday.

The Board of Supervisors meets at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 7, in the Supervisors’ Chambers on the first floor of the Humboldt County Courthouse (825 Fifth Street, Eureka).

Press release from the Humboldt County Superior Court:

April Van Dyke | Image via campaign website.

April A. Van Dyke was elected to the position of Superior Court Judge, County of Humboldt, in March 2024. She will be sworn in on January 3, 2025, and will begin her judicial duties in a family law assignment.

Ms. Van Dyke has worked in public defense for 14 years. After graduating from McGeorge School of Law, she devoted her career to advocating for those who could not afford an attorney. She acquired extensive trial and litigation experience throughout her career, some of which was spent as a public defender in San Joaquin County. In 2019, she moved to Humboldt County where she continued her dedication to public service as Deputy Conflict Counsel, prior to becoming a solo practitioner.

During her years of devotion to public service, Ms. Van Dyke worked on the California Public Defenders Association Legislative Committee for over two years. She also drafted SB923 which was codified in Penal Code §859.7.

Presiding Judge Kelly L. Neel stated that, “The Court is pleased to welcome Ms. April Van Dyke to the Humboldt County Superior Court bench. We look forward to continuing our commitments to our community and have every confidence that Judge-Elect April Van Dyke shares our dedication to the same.”

“I am deeply honored and incredibly grateful to Humboldt County for granting me the opportunity to serve as a Superior Court Judge. This is a responsibility I take on with great humility and a steadfast commitment to upholding the integrity that this position demands and deserves,” stated Ms. Van Dyke.

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Humboldt winter is in full effect! This onslaught of rain has flooded and closed numerous roads across the county, prompting Eureka’s National Weather Service (NWS) office to issue a flood advisory for folks living along the coast and other flood-prone areas of Humboldt County. 

“Showers and possibly thunderstorms are expected to move through much of the area this afternoon,” according to the NWS. “Small hail, gusty winds and locally heavy rainfall are expected with the stronger storms.”

Flooding has closed State Route 254 (Avenue of the Giants) between Holmes Flat and Barkdull roads, near Pepperwood. There is no estimated time of reopening, according to Caltrans District 1. Check out the Caltrans Quickmap for current road conditions.

Several county-maintained roads have been closed in response to the deluge. The Humboldt County Department of Public Works provided the following list of flooded roads:

• Old Arcata Road between Graham Road and Jacoby Creek Road
• Berta Road
• Mitchell Road at Browns Road
• Freshwater Road at Howard Heights Road
• Freshwater Road at 1/2 mile west of Howard Heights Road
• Howard Heights Road
• Pine Hill Road between Elk River and Meyers Avenue
• Little Hookton between Tompkins Hill Road and Highway 101
• Walnut Drive at Redwood Street (one lane flooded)

The following roads are closed:

• Mad River Road at Tyee City
• Chemise Mountain Road
• Coffee Creek Road
• Eel River Road at Hookton Road
• Telegraph Road at the water treatment plant
• Jack Shaw Road Bridge

Folks living on Titlow Hill can expect two inches of new snow today. The road is open to the towers but all vehicles should carry chains, according to Public Works.

More information on county road conditions can be found at this link.