California will have to build public charging stations at an unprecedented — and some experts say unrealistic — pace to meet the needs of the 7 million electric cars expected on its roads in less than seven years.

The sheer scale of the buildout has alarmed many experts and lawmakers, who fear that the state won’t be prepared as Californians purchase more electric cars.

A million public chargers are needed in California by the end of 2030, according to the state’s projections — almost 10 times more than the number available to drivers in December. To meet that target, 129,000 new stations — more than seven times the current pace — must be built every year for the next seven years. Then the pace would have to accelerate again to reach a target of 2.1 million chargers in 2035.

A robust network of public chargers — akin to the state’s more than 8,000 gas stations — is essential to ensure that drivers will have the confidence to purchase electric vehicles over the next several years.

“It is very unlikely that we will hit our goals, and to be completely frank, the EV goals are a noble aspiration, but unrealistic,” said Stanford professor Bruce Cain, who co-authored a policy briefing detailing California’s electric vehicle charging problems. “This is a wakeup call that we address potential institutional and policy obstacles more seriously before we commit blindly.”

Under California’s landmark electric car mandate, a pillar of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s climate change agenda, 68% of all new 2030 model cars sold in the state must be zero emissions, increasing to 100% for 2035, when 15 million electric cars are expected in California.

“We’re going to look really silly if we are telling people that they can only buy electric vehicles, and we don’t have the charging infrastructure to support that,” said Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, a Democrat from Encino who introduced a package of unsuccessful bills last year aimed at expanding access to car chargers.

“We are way behind where we need to be,” Gabriel told CalMatters.

Big obstacles stand in the way of amping up the pace of new charging stations in public places. California will need billions of dollars in state, federal and private investments, streamlined city and county permitting processes, major power grid upgrades and accelerated efforts by utilities to connect chargers to the grid.

State officials also are tasked with ensuring that charging stations are available statewide, in rural and less-affluent areas where private companies are reluctant to invest, and that they are reliable and functioning whenever drivers pull up.

In Pacific Gas & Electric’s vast service area, home to 40% of all Californians, electric car purchases are moving twice as fast as the buildout of charging stations, said Lydia Krefta, the utility’s director of clean energy transportation. Californians now own more than 1.5 million battery-powered cars.

Patty Monahan, who’s on the Energy Commission, the state agency responsible for funding and guiding the ramp-up, told CalMatters that she is confident that California can build the chargers its residents need in time.

The agency’s estimate of the current chargers is likely an undercount, she said. In addition, fast-charging stations could play a bigger role than initially projected, meaning hundreds of thousands of fewer chargers might be needed. Also, as the ranges and charging speeds on cars improve, there may be less demand for public chargers.

“California has a history of defying the odds,” Monahan said. “We have a history of advancing clean cars, clean energy, writ-large. We have naysayers left and right saying you can’t do it, and then we do it.”

Barriers to private investments: an uncertain market

On a September day last year, Monahan spoke behind a podium in the parking lot of a Bay Area grocery store. A row of newly constructed car chargers rose behind her.

“Let’s celebrate for a moment,” she said.

California had met its goal of 10,000 fast electric chargers statewide — two years ahead of a target set in 2018.

Fast chargers like the new ones at the grocery store are increasingly seen as critical to meeting the needs of drivers. They can power a car to 80% in 20 minutes to an hour, while the typical charger in use today, a slower Level 2, takes from four to 10 hours.

But installing and operating fast chargers is an expensive business — one that doesn’t easily turn a profit.

Nationwide each fast charger can cost up to $117,000, according to a 2023 study. And in California, it could be even more — between $122,000 and $440,000 each, according to a separate study, although the Energy Commission said the range was $110,000 to $125,000 for one of its programs.

Most of America’s publicly traded charger companies have been forced to seek more financing, lay off workers and slow their network build outs, analysts said. EVgo, for instance, has seen its share price crater, as has ChargePoint, which specializes in selling the slower, Level 2 hardware.

California stands apart from other states — it has by far the most chargers and electric car sales, and more incentives and policies encouraging them.

Tesla, America’s top-selling electric car manufacturer, dominates fast-charging in both California and the U.S. — but the company didn’t get into the business to sell charges to drivers; it got into the charger business to sell its electric cars. Initially Tesla Superchargers were exclusive to its drivers, but starting this year other EV drivers can use them after Tesla provided ports to Ford and other automakers.

Tesla’s manufacturing prowess, supply chain dominance and decade-plus of experience with fast chargers have given it an edge over competitors — a coterie of unprofitable, publicly traded startups, as well as private companies that often benefit from public subsidies, according to analysts.

“All the automakers joined forces with their biggest competitor,” said Loren McDonald, chief executive of the consulting firm EVAdoption. “If that doesn’t tell you how bad fast-charging networks and infrastructure were, I don’t know what else does.”

Now Tesla is showing uncertainty about the future of its charging business amid slumping car sales, and eliminated nearly its entire 500-member Supercharger team in April. Then chief executive Elon Musk said in May that he would spend $500 million to expand the network and hired back some fired workers.

In California, Electrify America, a privately held company, was created by Volkswagen as a settlement for cheating on emissions tests for its gas-powered cars. The company is spending $800 million on California chargers, building a robust network of 260 stations, with more than half in low-income communities, including the state’s worst charging desert, Imperial County.

The problem is Electrify America was ranked dead last in a consumer survey last year, and its chargers have been plagued by reliability problems and customer complaints. The California Air Resources Board in January directed Electrify America to “strive to achieve charger reliability consistent with the state of the industry.” A company spokesperson said the dissatisfaction showed “an industry in its growth trajectory.” There are signs of improvement, based on consumer data from the first three months of this year.

Startups continue to jump into the charging business, with the number of companies offering fast chargers growing from 14 in 2020 to 41 in 2024, EVAdoption said. Seven carmakers formed a $1 billion venture to build a 30,000-charger network in North America. And gas stations such as Circle K are offering more charging because electric car customers spend more time shopping while waiting for their rides to juice up.

But the realization that charging is a costly business has set in on Wall Street, and that doesn’t seem likely to change anytime soon. “Can public EV fast-charging stations be profitable in the United States?” the consultancy McKinsey & Company asked.

“The fervor, the excitement from the investor base, has definitely dwindled quite a bit, given the prospects that EV adoption in the U.S. is going to be slower, revenue growth is really slower, the path to profitability is going to be slower, and they might need more capital than everyone originally expected,” said Christopher Dendrinos, a financial analyst who covers electric car charging companies for the investment bank RBC Capital Markets.

The stakes are high for California when it comes to encouraging investments in expensive fast chargers: If 63,000 additional ones were built, California might need 402,000 fewer slower Level 2 chargers in 2030, according to an alternative forecast by the Energy Commission.

Billions of public dollars: Will it be enough?

Nationwide $53 billion to $127 billion in private investments and public funding is needed by 2030 to build chargers for about 33 million electric cars, according to a federal estimate. Of that, about half would be for public chargers.

Congress and the Biden administration have set aside $5 billion for a national network of fast chargers. So far only 33 in eight locations have been built, but more than 14,000 others are in the works, according to the Federal Highway Administration. California’s share of the federal money totals $384 million; about 500 fast chargers will be built with an initial $40.5 million, said Energy Commission spokesperson Lindsay Buckley.

In addition, the state has spent $584 million to build more than 33,000 electric car chargers through its Clean Transportation Program, funded by fees drivers pay when they register cars. The Legislature extended that program for an additional decade last year.

Jesus Gonzalez, 25, Los Angeles

Housing: Rented houseCar model: Mustang Mach-ECharging usage: Public chargers only

Gonzalez lives in the dense Lincoln Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles. He bought his electric car when his older, gas-powered car started giving him problems in 2022.Gonzalez soon realized charging his car was more complicated than he had anticipated. He initially relied on fast chargers, utilizing the free kilowatts provided by Electrify America with his car purchase. Those credits lasted him only a couple months.These days he drives 10 to 15 minutes to the nearest Electrify America station, uses a free fast charger run by his local utility or a couple of nearby slower Level 2 chargers.“At first, the time spent charging was okay,” he said. But these days, “there are longer lines. So instead of just having to wait 20 minutes charging, you have to wait maybe 30 minutes for all the cars that are charging to clear up, and then the time for you to charge your car. I think that’s the biggest pain point.”

Newsom has committed to spending $1 billion through 2028 on chargers with his “California Climate Commitment,” Buckley said. But this year Newsom and the Legislature trimmed $167 million from the charger budget as the state faces a record deficit. A lobbyist for the Electric Vehicle Charging Association said “the state pullback sends a very challenging message” to the industry.

California’s commitment to charger funding is “solid,” despite the cuts, Buckley said. They have not yet estimated the total investment needed in California to meet the targets.

But Ted Lamm, a UC Berkeley Law researcher who studies electric car infrastructure, said the magnitude of building what California needs in coming years likely dwarfs the public funding available.

State and federal programs will “only fund a fraction,” and the state needs to spend that money on lower-income communities, he said.

Another possible funding source is California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, which is expected to be revised in November. The program requires carbon-intensive fuel companies to pay for cleaner-burning transportation. Utilities get credits and use that money to pay for chargers, rebates to car buyers and grid improvements, said Laura Renger, executive director of the California Electric Transportation Coalition, which represents utilities.

“I think with that, we would have enough money,” Renger said. She said the program’s overhaul could help utilities invest “billions” in chargers and other electric car programs over the next two decades.

Backlogged local permits and grid delays

One of the biggest barriers to more chargers isn’t money. It’s that cities and counties are slow to approve plans for the vast number of stations needed.

State officials only have so much political power to compel local jurisdictions to do what they want — a reality made abundantly clear by the housing crisis, for instance. California relies on grants and persuasion to accomplish its goals, and the slow buildout of chargers shows how those strategies can fall short, said Stanford’s Cain.

“The locals cannot be compelled by regulatory agencies to make land and resources available for what the state wants to achieve,” Cain said.

The same obstacles have marked the state’s broader effort to electrify California and switch to clean energy. Local opposition and environmental reviews sometimes hold up large solar projects and transmission projects for years.

California has created a “culture of regulation that emphasizes the need to be extra careful and extra perfect, but this takes an incredible amount of time,” Steve Bohlen, senior director of government affairs at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, said last month at the inaugural hearing of the state Assembly’s Select Committee on Permitting Reform.

“We’re moving into a period of rapid change, and so perfect can’t be the enemy of the good.”

Chargers aren’t as complicated as large-scale solar or offshore wind projects. But most chargers installed in public spaces do need a land-use or encroachment permit, among other approvals. California has passed laws requiring local jurisdictions to streamline permits for chargers. What’s more, the Governor’s Office of Business Development now grades cities and counties using a scorecard and maintains a map displaying who has, or hasn’t, made life easier for car charger builders. But these strategies only go so far.

“It doesn’t matter how many requirements you put on (local governments),” Lamm said. “If they just don’t have the time in the day to do it … it’s going to sit in the backlog, because that’s how it works.”

The delays have consequences. Getting a station permitted in California, on average, takes 26% longer than the national average, Electrify America reported. Designing and constructing a station in California can cost on average 37% more than in other states because of delays in permitting and grid connections. A utility on average takes 17 weeks after work is completed to connect chargers to the grid, Electric America said.

Powering large charging projects often requires grid upgrades, which can take a year or more for approval, said Chanel Parson, a director at Southern California Edison. Supply chain issues also make getting the right equipment a challenge.

Andrew Krulewitz, 37, Oakland

Housing: Single family homeCar model: Hyundai Ioniq 6Charging usage: Home chargers and public chargers

When he lived in San Francisco, Krulewtiz had access to a Tesla through his job, and relied entirely on Level 2 chargers near his home, one of which was free.“I had no parking, I parked on the street, and I had to find places to charge,” he said. He would also use Tesla’s fast-charging Supercharger network. “When talking about infrastructure, it’s (Tesla) Supercharging and everybody else.”He later moved to Oakland and drove an electric Fiat. He now owns a home, but when he lived in an apartment, he had to run a cord from his apartment building onto the street where he parked his car.A Level 1 charger, like those found in many homes, adds about 4 miles of driving range per hour of charge. “I think Level 1 is a totally unsung solution to most people’s needs, but it’s not ideal if you need to charge every night,” he said.“It used to be that public charging was more expensive than home charging, and now that has flipped — home charging can be more expensive than public charging.”

Edison, which has a 10-year plan to meet expected demand, has asked the utilities commission for approval to upgrade the grid where it anticipates high charging demand.

“Every EV charging infrastructure project is a major construction project,” Parson said. “There are a number of variables that influence how long it takes to complete the project.”

Impatient with broken chargers, bad service

Inspired to help the nation reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, Zach Schiff-Abrams of Los Angeles bought a Genesis GV60. As a renter, he has relied on public charging, primarily using Electrify America stations — and that’s been his biggest problem about owning an electric car.

Charging speeds have been inconsistent, he said, with half-hour sessions providing only a 15 to 30% charge, and he often encounters broken chargers.

“I believe in electrical, so I’m really actually trying to be a responsible consumer,” Schiff-Abrams said. “I want to report them when they’re down, but the customer service is horrible.”

For years, the reliability of charging networks has been a well-documented problem. Only 73% of fast chargers in the San Francisco Bay Area were functional in a 2022 study. The growth of the EV market has put increasing strain on public charging stations, a consumer survey found.

In January, the California Air Resources Board approved a final $200 million spending plan for Electrify America — but not before board chair Liane Randolph scolded its CEO.

Randolph — arguably one of America’s top climate regulators — told CEO Robert Barrosa about an exchange she had with his company’s customer service line after finding a broken charger at a station along Interstate-5.

“It didn’t work,” Randolph said during the board meeting. “Called the customer service line, waited like 10-ish minutes. …(The charger) was showing operable on the app and the guy goes, ‘oh, my data is showing me that it has not had a successful charge in three days.’”

“These issues are not easy,” Barrosa responded. “Our head is not in the sand,” he told board members earlier. “We are listening to customers.”

But Randolph, addressing journalists at a conference in Philadelphia, pushed back against the idea that because the transition to electric vehicles is happening gradually that it’s a failure. Many people will rely on charging at home or work, and batteries are becoming more efficient.

“The infrastructure is continuing to be rolled out at a rapid pace,” Randolph said. “It doesn’t all have to be perfect instantly. It’s a process. And it’s a process that’s continuing to move.”

Data journalists Erica Yee and Arfa Momin contributed to this report.

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

John Dallas Davis II passed away on July 9, 2024 in his home in Litchfield Park, Arizona surrounded by his family.

John was born on August 8, 1942 to Ralph and Lillian Davis in the old Trinity Hospital in Arcata, California. He grew up on 11th Street in Arcata, California where many cars were reconfigured and much shenanigans were had with his many buddies. Two of which (future brother-in-law) Ronnie Tweedy and Robert Goodrich who are friends to this day.

John and Laurel said their lives truly began when they met by chance on the beach in 1959. They were married on May 5, 1962 in Arcata Ca. They went to the World’s Fair in Seattle WA for their honeymoon where John neglected to purchase cotton candy for his beautiful new bride. She forgave him on their 62nd wedding anniversary that they just celebrated this May.

John started as a volunteer for the Arcata Fire Department and then eventually became Assistant Chief. He retired 34 years later in 1997. During his time with the fire department, he mentored many of the younger generations, four of whom became Chiefs themselves.  They will be forever grateful for his stern guidance. The lives he touched through his service to his community are too many to count. 

Family meant everything to John, and he and Laurel raised their family in Arcata, CA and lived there until shortly after his retirement in 1997 when they moved to Arizona.

Even after death John is thinking of others as he has donated his body to science in the hope that doctors and scientists can learn and help others. His wish is that there be no service so that people won’t be sad. Instead raise a glass and make a toast, maybe remember some of his wisdom or shenanigans.

Post-research, John’s remains will be cremated and interred in Ocean View Cemetery. 

“Our love is like a golden chain, a rare and cherished token that links our hearts together in a bond that can’t be broken. Each length stands for some happy thought, some cherished memory, of all the things we two have shared that means so much to me!”

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

Thong Xayavong is a remarkable man who touched so many lives. Born on August 14, 1961, in Laos, Thong’s journey was one of courage, resilience, and an unyielding spirit. He served alongside the US Army during the Vietnam War, also known as the Silent War, displaying incredible bravery and dedication. He assisted and helped the Lao community to strive for greatness.

We will remember a man who lived life to its fullest. Our father was a man who cherished every moment and person in his life. His love, his laughter, and his wisdom will be deeply missed. His wisdom was a guiding light in our lives. It wasn’t just in the profound things he said, but also in the simple, everyday actions that taught us the most valuable lessons. He showed us the importance of kindness, the strength in vulnerability, and the beauty of living a life filled with purpose and passion. He possessed a green thumb, transforming gardens into vibrant havens of beauty and tranquility. His love for adventure was boundless, and he embraced every moment with an open heart and an unfiltered honesty that endeared him to all who knew him.

His laughter, a sound we hold dear, may have faded into memory, but its echo will continue to fill our lives with joy. His wisdom, like an eternal flame, will light our way through the darkest of times. And his love, a boundless and profound force, will forever be a foundation upon which we build our lives. Thong’s presence lit up every room, and his laughter was infectious. He lived authentically, never holding back, and his adventurous spirit will forever be a guiding light for us all. As we say goodbye, we take comfort in knowing that his spirit lives on through us. We will honor his legacy by living our lives to the fullest, just as he did, cherishing every moment and every person we encounter. We will carry his love and laughter in our hearts always, allowing them to inspire and guide us.

To our father, thank you for the indelible mark you have left on our lives. You may have left this earthly realm, but your spirit will always be with us. Rest in peace, knowing that you were, and always will be, deeply loved and profoundly missed.

Thong was preceded in death by his beloved daughter, Kongmany Xayavong. He is survived by the love of his life, his devoted wife, Ouneheun ‘Hon” Xayavong, and his children, Linda, Mena, and Jessica Xayavong, Toni and Paige Xayavong, Keo and Dang Mannorind, Christina Thompson, Khampa Khamvongsa, and a cherished grandfather to Anthony ‘Tito’ Thompson-Xayavong, Bianca Marie Contreras-Xayavong, Nikolai Xayavong, and Kailynn Xayavong. His Sister and her kids, Chan Siphavong, Ngeun ‘Candy’, Bounleuam ‘Bo’, and Anna Siphavong, Phong and Khampoun Xayavong, and family. His legacy lives on through his children and grandchildren, who carry forward his spirit and values. Rest in peace, knowing your spirit will forever remain in our hearts. Thank You to all who have taken time from their busy lives to help our family.

Everyone is invited to his funeral service, which will be on July 17th, 2024 at 8:30 AM at Sanders Funeral 1835 E St, Eureka, CA 95501. Following a Buddhist Ceremony at his home 3263 Cleveland Street, Eureka CA 95503, We will celebrate a life well-lived.

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

Brenda Catherine Daly Zwiefelhofer was born in San Francisco on June 5th, 1947, and passed away on June 5th, 2024, after a short battle with cancer. 

Brenda was adopted at just two days old by Con and Barbara Daly. She attended St. Bernard’s Elementary and High School until the age of 17, and then finished her senior year at the Dominican in San Rafael, California. After high school, Brenda attended the University of Oregon to earn her teaching credential. While she was home on summer break and cruising the Eureka strip with friends, Brenda met the man of her dreams; Jerry Zwiefelhofer. 

She was so smitten with him that she returned to Eureka and finished her teaching credential at Humboldt State University where she would go on to lead a successful teaching career of 28 years, touching hundreds of children’s lives.

In 1971 she married Gerald Zwiefelhofer and they quickly settled down in Eureka and had two children. Wendy Marie was born in 1973 and Michael Anthony followed in 1975. Together, Brenda and Jerry would spend much of their early years building the house of their dreams which they would live in until her passing. 

After retirement, Brenda found a variety of ways to keep herself busy. She became a Mary Kay representative, she volunteered at St. Joseph’s Hospital in the gift shop, she helped count donation money at church, she read news stories for the blind on the radio, and read the homily for the congregation at Sacred Heart Church. Brenda was very involved with the church and particularly enjoyed planning and participating in the annual Cursillo.  

One of her greatest loves was her two grandchildren: Liam and Julian. She spent the early part of their lives helping to take care of them, shuttle them to activities, as well as volunteer in their classrooms. 

Brenda was a wildly artistic soul, and she expressed her artistic side through many activities from painting with pastels to performing in both song and dance.  She had a love of music and sang with the Humboldt Choral for years. As a lifelong piano player, she volunteered her time after retirement to play for the elementary school children’s choir. She never lost her zest for learning and continued to learn new languages, first Russian and lastly Spanish. 

In 1994, Brenda and Jerry became a host family for a Russian exchange student named Natasha where they also forged a close relationship with Natasha’s parents from afar. This relationship brought about two trips to Russia, a solo trip to attend Natasha’s wedding and a second trip to share the experience with Jerry.

Brenda and Jerry loved finding new adventures. They attended the Jazz Festival faithfully, even traveling to Medford and Sacramento. They were season ticket holders for the 49ers for over 30 years as well as loyal fans of North Coast Repertory and Ferndale Repertory Theatre. They would routinely travel down to San Francisco for the Ballet and the Symphony.

In her later years, her passion was both traveling and donating her free time.  She belonged to both the American Business Women’s  Association (ABWA) as well as the California Retired Teachers Association (CalRTA) and was a huge supporter of “Relay for Life” for well over 20 years, raising thousands of dollars for cancer research.  When she wasn’t volunteering her time, her and Jerry were gallivanting all over the world from cruise ships to food tours across Italy. 

Brenda is survived by her loving husband Jerry, her daughter Wendy and her husband Eric, her son Michael, her grandchildren Liam and Julian, her sister Vicky Hatherill, her brother Randy Moschetti, plus numerous special nieces and nephews whom she loved dearly. She also had the privilege of meeting her sister Constance Segan later in life, as well having a chance to talk on the phone to her brothers Robert and Richard. 

A “Celebration of Life” is planned for Brenda on Saturday, August 3rd at 1pm at Sacred Heart Church with a reception to follow in the parish center. All are invited and welcome to come celebrate her amazing life. 

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

Arloa passed away on May 18th, surrounded by love, and ready to embark on her next adventure.

Arloa was born on March 1 st , 1932, to Ray and Alice (True) Sprengle in Pueblo, Colorado. She attended primary and high school in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The summer before college, she worked as a switchboard operator, prior to pursuing a degree in Art and Fashion at Colorado Women’s College. Arloa was an incredibly talented artist and seamstress.

Arloa married Charles (Chuck) Kupilik Jr in August of 1953. She attended the University of Colorado Boulder where she was a member of the Tri Delta sorority, and graduated in 1954 with a degree in Art. After graduating, Chuck got a job working with the US Forest Service. This took them and their tiny trailer to many beautiful sites in Colorado. This is where Arloa honed her fly fishing skills; she loved to catch and cook the fish. In the fall of 1958, they moved back to Steamboat Springs. They had three children, Tony, Lynn, and Van. She was very active in Little Toots, 4-H, Winter Carnival, and the Buddy Werner League. Arloa loved nature and spending her time outdoors, camping with her family. Arloa was a wonderful listener and friend, who always put others before herself. Arloa had an excellent sense of humor. Arloa was always a few steps ahead of the times. She had an organic garden in the 70’s, she made tofu and yogurt before anyone knew what it was. She was wonderful.

In 1976, the family moved to Laramie, WY where Arloa earned her Real Estate license. In the early 80’s, she and Chuck relocated to Eureka, California where she obtained her Real Estate Brokers license. She and Chuck enjoyed camping and exploring Bluff Creek and Fish Lake.

In the ‘90s, they moved to Loveland, CO. She and Chuck volunteered and became certified Master Naturalists, spending countless hours in the Pawnee National Grasslands. She loved it there. The Literacy Project was important to her. Arloa taught a variety of students. She was proud of them all and committed three years to each student.

In 2012, Arloa moved to Salyer, California. She had a lovely yard and was an avid gardener. She volunteered wherever she felt needed. She was happy to be a part of Dream Quest, a youth organization in Willow Creek, CA, and was proud of the programs they offer. Arloa cherished and saved every letter anyone ever wrote her. Her favorite color was blue, she read Ayn Rand, and loved Robert Frost. She was stubborn when it counted. Her favorite bird was the Magpie, her favorite wildflower was the Fringed Gentian, and she also really loved daisies.

Arloa was predeceased by her parents Ray and Alice Sprengle, her husband Charles Kupilik, Jr, and grandson Riley Bilzing. Arloa is survived by her brother Jack Sprengle of Steamboat Springs, CO, and sister Linda Robinson (Stuart) of San Diego, CA. Her children Charles (Tony) Kupilik III (Lianne), Lynn Murphy (Dave), and Van Kupilik. Grandsons Charles (Charlie) Kupilik IV (Ashlee), Kristopher Kupilik, Shane Kupilik (Kayla), Taron Bilzing (Maggie), Wolfgang Bilzing (Emily), and Ryele Kupilik. Great granddaughter Arloa Kupilik and great grandson Matthias Kupilik.

We had her here with us for a very long time. She will be dearly missed.

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

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The North Coast’s photogenic population of Roosevelt elk will soon get a little help crossing the road thanks to a high-tech detection-and-warning system along Hwy. 101 near Stone Lagoon. 

The project, which was granted a permit waiver on Thursday by the California Coastal Commission, will create a network of approximately 25 very-high-frequency (VHF) transceivers on wooden poles along the highway.

Those devices will be triggered in real time by any tracking-collar-wearing elk who wander within 150 feet of the them. (The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has spent years capturing and GPS-collaring the massive Cervus canadensis roosevelti here on the North Coast for research purposes.)

For technical reasons, these Changeable Message Signs (CMS) really don’t photograph well. | Photo via the Coastal Commission.

When an elk enters the range of the sensors, it will set off a series of flashing LED warning lights and a pair of those changeable message signs (right) along the freeway, alerting drivers that elk may be on or near the roadway.

“These signs will be installed at both ends of a one-mile stretch of highway with the Stone Lagoon Red Schoolhouse at its center,” Caltrans Public Information Officer Myles Cochrane told the Outpost via email.

Caltrans also plans to install up to three new vehicle speed recorders along that stretch of road.

Adult Roosevelt bulls can weigh more than 1,000 pounds, and the local herd that lives near Stone Lagoon frequently crosses the freeway, which has led to collisions with vehicles, causing injuries and elk deaths. This area of highway has the highest concentration of elk crossings in coastal Humboldt and Del Norte counties, and it was ranked as the highest priority in Caltrans’ District 1 area for addressing roadkill in a large mammal-vehicle collision study.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) developed this project following a collaborative study with CDFW and Cal Poly Humboldt. 

It’s the first project of its kind in California, according to Caltrans. Data collected prior to and after installation — measuring efficacy, reliability and reproducibility — will be analyzed by Cal Poly Humboldt to determine whether similar systems should be installed elsewhere in the state to help decrease wildlife-vehicle collisions.

The project is near the Yurok Tribe-operated Chah-pekw O’ Ket’-toh “Stone Lagoon” Visitor Center,  the first tribally operated visitor center in the California State Park system. According to a Coastal Commission staff report, Caltrans has been in close consultation with the tribe on the project. “The proposed improvements have been sited and designed such that the project will not impact tribal cultural resources,” the report says.

Caltrans hopes to have the system up and running by next year.

“We anticipate advertising for project contractors by February or March 2025, with construction slated for April or May 2025,” Cochrane said. “Our goal is to have the full system operational by next summer.”

Construction should take about two weeks, and during that time the Dry Lagoon public parking area may be unavailable. 

“It’s important to note this is a research project,” Cochrane said. “Based on its success, Caltrans may keep the detection system in place or take other measures to reduce wildlife collisions.”

The following is a press release from Arcata City Councilmember Alex Stillman’s campaign. It is the third such announcement to come out in the past week following releases from Stillman’s fellow councilmembers Stacy Atkins-Salazar and Sarah Schaefer, who are also running for re-election in November.

A fourth candidate, newcomer Genevieve Serna, has also announced her intent to vie for one of the three seats up this cycle. The Outpost has an interview with her scheduled next week:

Press release from Alex Stillman:

Arcata City Councilwoman Alex Stillman recently announced that she is running for re-election to the Arcata City Council in the election to be held November 5, 2024.

In 1972, Alex Stillman was the first woman elected to the Arcata City Council. As a member of that council for eight years, and mayor for four, she helped create the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, the county’s first bus system and the Arcata Community Forest. They passed a General Plan that protected Arcata’s open space and agricultural lands, and established the Aldergrove Industrial Park to incubate small businesses. These projects have helped define and serve Arcata is to this day. 

“I love Arcata! I have since I moved here in 1970 to attend college as an older student, and then raised my children here. I just fell in love with Arcata’s small-town atmosphere and how people were willing to jump in to work on projects to improve things. It is a wonderful quality that makes Arcata a great place to live,” said Stillman. “I also adore all the beautiful historic buildings and have worked hard to protect and save them.”
 
Stillman was re-elected to the city council in 2006 and 2010, and served for eight years. Those councils accomplished several large projects which made the Arcata Marsh, agricultural lands and wetlands more resilient relative to sea level rise, built a public restroom near the Plaza, and established Carlson Park to provide new housing and recreation opportunities for the Valley West area of Arcata. During that time, Alex represented Arcata on the Humboldt Transit Authority and championed increasing public transit routes and bike lanes, and served on the Redwood Region Economic Development Commission and  the Headwaters Fund Board to further economic development.
Stillman was re-elected to the city council for a two-year term in 2022, and serves as Vice-Mayor. 

“I am running for re-election because I want to continue working to create more housing, especially affordable housing. I want to continue the work we are doing to make Arcata more pedestrian and bike friendly, with more trails and increased public safety. With a new city manager coming, a General Plan update in the final stages and a tight state budget cycle, I can help provide continuity and smooth transitions,” said Stillman. 

Stillman currently represents Arcata on the Humboldt Transit Authority and advocates passionately for expanding public transit and increasing ridership. She participates in the Countywide Housing Consortium and works closely with the Arcata House Partnership which serves the houseless community. Alex serves as the sole municipal representative on the Governing Board of the North Coast Unified Air Quality Management District, and she is Chair of the Humboldt County Aviation Committee which works to attract new airlines to Humboldt County. 

“Dating back to when we served together on the city council and created the Arcata Marsh Project, the Sustainable Community Forest, and the Arcata & Mad River Transit, I have always admired Alex‘s deep engagement in our community. Her willingness to run for another city council term offers us her ability to be a bridge between our rich history, and the challenges Arcata faces today and in the future. Arcata is in good hands with Alex on the city council,” said Wesley Chesbro, former Arcata City Councilmember and State Senator. 

Local architect Joyce Plath says, “Alex contributes wisdom, integrity and the energy to get things done. I wholeheartedly support her re-election to the Arcata City Council.”

“The Arcata we enjoy today — our marsh, community redwood park, trails, preserved agricultural lands and an appropriately accessible and scaled freeway — is a result of courageous and visionary planning implemented decades ago. Alex was a key architect in those initiatives, the very things we cherish today. I can’t think of a better person to help Arcata craft the next chapter in our towns’ growth. Alex will ensure we keep a firm and informed hand on our past as we develop our next courageous visions for Arcata,” said Arcata resident Laura Middlemiss.

Sunny Brae resident Robin Hashem says, “Alex Stillman has the most energy, focus and desire to help people of anyone I’ve known. I believe her to have a sincere interest in the future of Arcata as a place for action-oriented forward thinkers that appreciate what our North Coast has to offer everyone, as well as a good place for our families to grow. She will always challenge people to examine the issues at hand with a clear eye and will provide a much needed balanced perspective on Arcata’s past and the future to come, a perspective hard won with her many years of service to Arcata.”

Along with her city council duties, Alex plays an active role in many other areas of our community, including serving as president of the Historic Sites Society of Arcata, chair of Godwit Days Migratory Bird Festival, chair of the Fire Arts Center and a volunteer at the Arcata Marsh.

“When I served on the council in the 1970’s, I would often think about my children and future grandchildren when I made decisions. Now, those grandchildren are grown, and some things, especially our hurting climate, are urgent,” said Stillman. “I want to continue to do all I can to help our community grow in a way that provides housing for all income levels, preserves our open space and agricultural lands, has lots of opportunities for active recreation, and maintains our unique and wonderful character.”