Carol DePucci passed away at home in Hydesville on February 6, 2025 at the age of 86. She was born December 26, 1938, in Logan, Montana. She moved to Scotts Mills, Oregon in 1946, with her parents Arthur and Goldie Boyts, brother Tommy and sister Ruth. There she met Richard Parks, and they married in 1956.

She later married Fred DePucci. Many good times were spent at their home in Rio Dell and their place at Ruth Lake.

Carol went to work at the City of Fortuna Police Department in 1971 as a dispatcher/clerk. She was promoted to senior dispatcher/records clerk in 1979. She retired after many years as a dispatcher.

Her many hobbies included reading, crocheting, cooking, camping, boating, swimming and traveling. She especially enjoyed going on cruises.

Carol is survived by her children Arnold and Terri Parks, Robin Robertson, Curtis and Paula Parks, Sherry and Gaylon Rock, Tony and Carolyn DePucci and daughter-in-law Andrea Murillo. Her grandchildren Joe Parks, Jesse Parks and Toni Anello, Kelsie Parks and Nerissa Holt, Renee and Ben Grimes, Nathan and Lindsey Robertson, Carson Parks and his fiancé Britney Johnson, Isaac Parks, Amanda Colegrove, Joshua and Sarah Colegrove. She also leaves behind numerous great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Carol was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur and Goldie Boyts, her brother Tommy Boyts, her sister and brother-in-law Ruth and Earl Nally, her former husband Fred DePucci, and her daughters Terri Renee Parks and Vicky Machado.

Robin would like to give special thanks to all the friends and family that helped take care of Mom in her final years. Including, but not limited to, Jesse Parks, Kelsie Parks, Scott Swain, Wanda, Cathy, Jamie, Monica, Paul and Rick.

Family and friends are invited to attend the graveside service at Sunrise Cemetery in Fortuna on Friday, February 28 at 2 p.m.

There will be a celebration of life following the graveside service at the Monday Club in Fortuna at 3 p.m.

Arrangements are under the care of Goble’s Fortuna Mortuary.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Carol DePucci’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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On Monday afternoon, the Outpost was contacted by a local federal worker asking us to report on employees at Redwood National Park and Six Rivers National Forest who’d been fired over the weekend.

“The Trump/Musk administration sent them termination notices citing their insufficient fitness and qualifications for their positions, which is categorically false,” the tipster reported. “Park operations are officially in jeopardy and it’s going to have significant impacts on the tourism industry, not to mention the health of our public lands.”

Over the past few days, the U.S. Forest Service has fired about 3,400 recent hires while the National Park Service fired about 1,000 workers as part of President Donald Trump’s push to cut federal spending and bureaucracy. The layoffs left some fired workers suddenly without housing and sparked alarm among conservation agencies.

“Allowing parks to hire seasonal staff is essential, but staffing cuts of this magnitude will have devastating consequences for parks and communities,” National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) President Theresa Pierno said in a statement.

Employees were blindsided by the move.

“Today I lost my dream job as a permanent park ranger in the NPS,” Alex Wild reported via Instagram Sunday. “I’m still in shock, and completely devastated. I have dedicated my life to being a public servant, teacher, and advocate for places that we ALL cherish. I have saved lives and put my own life at risk to serve my community.  And today, without any warning, I got a termination email … .”

Wild quoted from the email he received, calling its message, “the biggest slap in the face imaginable.”:

The Department determined that you have failed to demonstrate fitness or qualifications for continued employment because your subject matter knowledge, skills, and abilities do not meet the Department’s current needs, and it is necessary and appropriate to terminate, during the probationary period, your appointment to the position of Park Ranger.

The Outpost’s efforts to get more information from both the National Parks Service and the U.S. Forest Service — including the number of local employees fired, the possible impacts to services, etc. — have not been fruitful. An emailed inquiry sent to Redwood National and State Parks Superintendent Steven Mietz was forwarded to a public information officer, who, in reply, said such questions should be directed to the Pacific West regional office. 

Scott Clemans, the lead public affairs specialist and spokesperson for that office, sent a brief and rather forlorn-sounding reply this afternoon: “We’ll provide that information as soon as we can,” it said. “I don’t know how long it will take before we’re able to get back to you, though.”

Meanwhile, in response to an email to Six Rivers National Forest, Public Affairs Specialist Adrianne Rubiaco directed us to contact the press officer for the USDA Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Region. Our email to that office was answered more than 24 hours later by a USDA spokesperson who provided a statement that has been widely distributed. It says, in part:

[U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke] Rollins fully supports the President’s directive to improve government, eliminate inefficiencies, and strengthen USDA’s many services to the American people. We have a solemn responsibility to be good stewards of the American people’s hard-earned taxpayer dollars and to ensure that every dollar spent goes to serve the people, not the bureaucracy.  

As part of this effort, USDA has made the difficult decision to release about 2,000 probationary, non-firefighting employees from the Forest Service. To be clear, none of these individuals were operational firefighters. Released employees were probationary in status, many of whom were compensated by temporary IRA funding. 

This afternoon we sent a reporter to the Six Rivers National Forest headquarters near the Bayshore Mall. An employee onsite said all inquiries must go through Washington, D.C., headquarters.

Any local federal employees (including the recently fired) willing to share your perspective, anonymously or otherwise, can email the Outpost at news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

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Press release from Mad River Community Hospital:

Arcata, CA – February 19, 2025 – Mad River Community Hospital is pleased to announce the launch of two new service lines aimed at further enhancing the quality of care and access for our community. Beginning this spring, Mad River will offer comprehensive Home Healthcare Services and two Pediatric Outpatient Clinics in McKinleyville and Arcata.

As part of our ongoing commitment to provide compassionate, patient-centered care, these new services are designed to meet the growing needs of our diverse community and ensure that care is accessible, convenient, and tailored to each patient’s unique needs.

Home Healthcare Services: Bringing Care to Your Doorstep

Our Home Healthcare Services will provide patients with a wide range of medical, therapeutic, and support services in the comfort and convenience of their own homes. This new service will include nursing care, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other essential services designed to assist individuals recovering from illness, surgery, or managing chronic conditions.

For more information regarding Home Health, please reach out to 707-826-8420.

Pediatric Outpatient Clinics: Specialized Care for Children

In response to the growing demand for pediatric care in the region, Mad River Community Hospital is also opening Pediatric Outpatient Clinics in McKinleyville and Arcata. The clinics will offer a wide range of services for children from infancy through adolescence, including routine check-ups, immunizations, sick visits, and management of chronic health conditions. Led by experienced pediatricians, the clinics aim to provide families with accessible, high-quality healthcare in a compassionate and child-friendly setting. Weekend and evening appointments may be offered.

For more information regarding our new pediatric clinics, please reach out to 707-825-4979.

This announcement reflects Mad River Community Hospital’s continued dedication to expanding healthcare access and services for its community.

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A few speed limits in Arcata may be lowered to 20 MPH at some point.

The Arcata Transportation Safety committee voted yesterday to establish a subcommittee to look at changing the speed limit from 25 MPH to 20 MPH in areas like senior centers and heavily used hiking trails. 

California Assembly Bill 43, signed into law Oct. 2021, allows local authorities to slow the existing speed limit by five miles an hour by a few methods. If there are a lot of pedestrians, cyclists or vulnerable groups like the elderly or children using the street, the limit can be lowered. Up to 20% of a jurisdiction’s streets can be designated “safety corridors” on higher-risk areas and the speed limit can be lowered. Those methods can only be used after completing a traffic survey, but the speed limit in some “business activity districts” can be set at 20 MPH without one.

The subcommittee is tasked with finding those higher-risk places where it might be worth it to lower the speed limit.

There’s no word on when the limits might be lowered, but seeing as the transportation safety committee has discussed the potential ramifications of AB 43 since it passed two years ago, it’s safe to say it might be a while. 

A passionate plea from the Sequoia Park Zoo:

Before hauling your bamboo to the dump did you know we can accept donations of freshly cut (cut that day) and organic bamboo for Saffron the red panda and other leaf-loving friends?

Ideally bamboo should be at least 3 feet in height and have leaves; please no loose leaves of bare canes.

Bamboo can be donated Tuesdays-Sundays from 10am-3pm ; all donors please check in with the Front Gate - new donors will be asked to fill out a brief form.

For additional questions regarding bamboo donations please call Lindsey at 707-441-4229.

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• There’s a Ticking Time Bomb in the Heart of Orick, and It’s Not Clear Whether Anybody Can Do Anything About It

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Press release from the Humboldt Journalism Project:

Isabella Vanderheiden of the Lost Coast Outpost and Thadeus Greenson of the North Coast Journal have tied for first place in the Humboldt Journalism Project’s 40th Award.

The award is named to underscore its mission of honoring in-depth journalism relevant to those whose income puts them in the lower 40 percent economically in Humboldt County.

Vanderheiden won for “There’s a Ticking Time Bomb in the Heart of Orick, and It’s Not Clear Whether Anybody Can Do Anything About It.” Her piece probed complex issues of flood safety, river ecology, levee maintenance and much more, describing multi-layered conflicts in efforts to protect the struggling community of Orick.

Greenson won for a series of articles, including “Inadvertent Disclosure: Eureka City Schools emails shed light on Jacobs property swap.” His coverage, published in the face of a threatening letter from the school district’s attorney, shed light on the players behind a land deal that was intertwined with Eureka’s Measure F. That ballot measure, which failed in November, would have limited Eureka’s affordable housing plans and protected parking lots instead.

“These articles exemplify what can be done at the local level to ensure government accountability and transparency,” said contest judge Ricardo Sandoval Palos, the PBS Public Editor and a graduate of Cal Poly Humboldt. “These aren’t outlets with large staffs and big investigative budgets, but as intrepid journalists who know their communities, they have thoroughly explored some pretty serious issues.”

This year marks the fourth and final year for 40th Award, which began in 2021. Previous first place winners have included reporting on county redistricting, nursing home failures and health care in Hoopa. Recent honorable mentions included work on police misconduct and mobile home regulations.

The first-place winners each receive $1,500.

The Humboldt Journalism Project, a DreamMaker project of the Ink People, also awards reporting grants for public interest and investigative reporting, and it is exploring other ways to support local media, including student journalism.

More information about the project is available on its DreamMaker page on the Ink People’s website. Inquiries can be sent to journalism@inkpeople.org.

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PREVIOUSLY

• Eureka Apartment Tenants Say They Were Manipulated Into Big Rent Hikes; Landlord Says They Freely Chose to Help Him Make Ends Meet

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Allen Moore. | Photo by Ryan Burns.

Residents of Eureka’s Hillsdale Apartments are standing up for their legal rights after their new landlord allegedly tried to increase their rents by hundreds of dollars per month, in violation of the California Tenant Protection Act. 

Reached earlier today, 80-year-old Allen Moore said he received a phone call this morning from an attorney with Legal Services of Northern California, a nonprofit organization offering free legal assistance to low-income people and other vulnerable populations in 23 counties. 

“They wrote a letter to the landlord saying it’s illegal to raise my rent by 47 percent,” Moore said.

As the Outpost reported earlier this month, the building’s new owner — a corporation called Dwivedi Tower, LLC, owned by 33-year-old real estate investor Anil Dwivedi — recently notified tenants that all existing month-to-month leases would expire on Feb. 28, with new leases starting March 1 at the following fair market rates:

• Studio: $1,065
• One Bedroom: $1,132

For most if not all residents, including disabled and low-income seniors like Moore, these figures represented massive rent hikes of 40-60 percent or more. The California Tenant Protection Act makes it illegal for landlords to increase rent in any 12-month period by more than 5 percent plus the increased the cost of living (following the Consumer Price Index) or 10 percent total, whichever is lower.

In non-metropolitan areas such as Humboldt County, the 2025 CPI increase is 3.8 percent, meaning local rents can’t legally be increased by more than 8.8 percent in any one-year period.

Rebecca Smith, managing attorney at the Eureka office of Legal Services of Northern California, said she’s unable to provide specific information about any client cases being handled by the organization, but she offered more details about tenants’ rights in California. 

Not only does state law limit the amount that landlords can increase rent each year, but California Civil Code 1947.12 says that even if a lease has been signed, it cannot be enforced if its provisions conflict with the Tenant Protection Act. 

That’s what happened to Moore, who said he signed a new lease agreeing to the massive rent hike only after being personally approached by his new landlord, Dwivedi, who presented him with a stack of papers to sign and implied that failure to do so could result in his eviction. (The original notice taped to tenants’ doors said tenants who don’t agree to the new rent amounts “can choose to vacate the property on or before February 28th, 2025.”)

Moore said he learned this morning that attorneys with Legal Services of Northern California notified Dwivedi that he could be subject to fines for violating state law. 

“This month, Legal Aid is going to suggest that I just pay [my former rent amount of] $720 a month for my rent minus the extra I paid for last month,” Moore said.

Asked what that refund will mean to him, he replied, “Oh my gosh, I’ll be able to buy food and gas.” He previously said that the 47 percent rent hike he’d agreed to under duress would likely make him homeless in a matter of months. 

What will the longer-term restrictions on rent increases mean for him?

“Well, it means that I can survive [and] keep my head above water,” he said. “And as long as I’m not retaliated against … I think I’m doing fine.”

Such retaliation is also against the law, Smith said.

“California Civil Code 1942.5 broadly protects tenants from retaliation in the form of evictions, rent increases or any decreases in services by a landlord [responding to] the tenant’s assertion of rights, included their rights under the Tenant Protection Act,” she said.

Refusing to sign an illegal lease is itself an assertion of tenants’ rights, making it unlawful for a landlord to terminate the lease in response, Smith explained.

Other Hillsdale Apartments tenants have asserted their rights, too. Don Swall, an 84-year-old military veteran who’s been diagnosed with terminal liver cancer, told the Outpost that both he and his downstairs neighbor, 68-year-old Vanessa Vachon, sought help from Legal Services of Northern California. They heard back last week.

“Legal Services called both Vanessa and me and let us know that slumlord had agreed to raise our rent only the state allowed amount of 8.8%,” Swall said in an email to the Outpost last week.

Dwivedi did not immediately respond to a voicemail and email seeking comment for this post. We’ll update readers if we hear back from him.

Legal Services of Northern California will host a “Tenants Rights Presentation” on Jan. Feb. 28 from 4-6 p.m. at the Labor Temple in Eureka, located at 840 E Street. Here’s a flyer with that information in both English and Spanish.

Legal Services of Northern California is located at 123 Third Street in Eureka and can be reached via phone at (707) 445-0866.