Eric
“Gunner” Cunningham passed unexpectedly and far too soon on
May 5, 2025, in Fortuna, at the age of 45.
Eric
is survived by his mother, Laura (Tom) Oliver, and his stepmom, Holly
Cunningham; his sisters, Erin Squire and Kristin (Rob) DeCou; and
their children, Magnus Squire, Hudson DeCou, and Kalea DeCou. He is
preceded in death by his beloved father, Henry “Clay”
Cunningham.
Born
in Fortuna, Eric was a lifelong 49ers fan who loved cooking for his
family, hunting with his father, and had a particularly green thumb.
In his early teens, Eric was a HAM radio enthusiast. After graduating
from high school, Eric attended Wyoming Technical Institute. When he
returned home, he worked as a diesel mechanic and became an avid
bodybuilder who competed in competitions across the Pacific
Northwest.
A
celebration of life is scheduled for Saturday, May 17, 2025, 12:30-2
p.m., at 229 Church Street, Loleta. All who knew and loved Eric are
welcome to attend and are invited to bring a dish to share.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Eric Cunningham’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
It is with profound sorrow that we announce the passing of Grace Fridley on April 9, 2025. Grace was born on February 19, 1954, to the late Ernest and Lill Hoffman. She was a proud, loving, and devoted wife to her surviving husband, Tom Fridley. Known to many as “The Fiery Redhead,” Grace lit up every room she entered and warmed the hearts of all those she knew.
Grace grew up in Eureka and graduated from high school there in 1972. She was a beacon of resilience, intelligence and wit, setting an admirable example for others in her community. She left an indelible mark on every person she met, and her memory will continue to inspire everyone who knew her.
Grace had an adventurous spirit, and one of her favorite recreational activities was long-distance motorcycle touring with her loving husband, Tom. The two shared countless journeys, creating unforgettable memories along the way. Their spirited adventures on the open road expressed their shared fervor for life. They were not merely husband and wife, but true companions in every sense.
Grace Fridley was an incredibly bright and fiery soul whose impact on our lives cannot be overstated. She will be sorely missed, and her memory will linger in the hearts of those she touched. Her absence leaves a void that cannot be filled, but her zest for life, fiery personality, and enduring love will forever remind us of the remarkable woman she was.
Grace was preceded in death by her mother, father, and brother Art Hillman.
She is survived by her sisters Darlene Rolfsness and Helen Smith, and brother John Hoffman.
Her very best long-Time friend Diana Jefferson had been such a great help and companion through the years from high school to Grace’s passing.
A celebration of life for Grace will be held on June 7th at the Moose Lodge, located at 4328 Campton Rd. in Eureka, at 2 p.m.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Grace Fridley loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
Don Bullard passed away
peacefully at home in Eureka on April 13, 2025. He was 82
years old.
Don was an avid sports
enthusiast. He played tennis and golf, earning trophies of
achievement in both sports. He was also an avid football fan,
especially the Dallas Cowboys. He collected John Wayne memorabilia,
Tarzan books, and mini helmets from all the football teams but he had
a huge collection of memorabilia from the Dallas Cowboys. He enjoyed
reading and outdoor activities. He also loved watching good movies
with friends.
Born in Oklahoma, Don lived most
of his life in Humboldt County. After returning from his service in
the US Army, he worked for Pinkerton and then the Humboldt County
Transportation Company. After his retirement he enjoyed spending his
time with friends. He especially loved his games of poker with his
dear friends of many years.
His loving sister, Patricia
DeMarzi and her husband, Curtis, predeceased Don. His niece Lisa,
his nephew Robert, and step-niece Corinne survive him. His family
and long-time friends will miss Don dearly.
Based on Don’s request, no
services will be held. Donations in his honor may be sent to your
favorite charity.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Don Bullard’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
The vacant Jacobs Campus in Eureka. | File photo: Andrew Goff
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UPDATE: The Eureka City Schools Board of Trustees voted to approve the resolution and move ahead with the waiver process.
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Original post: The Jacobs Campus is back on the agenda.
At tonight’s meeting, the Eureka City Schools Board of Trustees will hold a public hearing to discuss the future of the long-disused Jacobs Middle School Campus. The board will consider a waiver that, if approved by the State Board of Education, would give the district “maximum flexibility” in selecting a potential developer for the blighted site.
The waiver would allow the district to sidestep a bit of Education Code that “restricts the District’s flexibility in negotiating price, payments, and other terms that may yield greater economic and other benefits to the District than a sealed bid process,” the proposed waiver states.
“The District will work closely with consultants to ensure that the process by which the Property is sold is fair, open, and competitive,” the proposed waiver continues. “The process the District will use will be designed to get the best result for the District, the schools, and the community. … With a waiver of the requirement that sealed proposals be received, and that the highest bidder be awarded the contract, the District will be able to sell the Property to the party that presents the most favorable proposal to the District.”
As many of our readers will recall, last year, the Jacobs Campus was at the center of a controversial land exchange agreement between the school district and AMG Communities - Jacobs, LLC, the anonymous private developer who had promised nearly $6 million for the eight-acre site. Eight months after the deal was struck, the Board of Trustees backed out of the deal, voting unanimously to reject AMG Communities’ fourth request to extend the escrow deadline.
Reached for additional comment, Eureka City Schools Assistant Superintendent Paul Zielger confirmed that the district is still in “ongoing” negotiations with the California Department of General Services, the entity representing the CHP, but said the district is “exploring avenues for a possible sale of the former Jacobs Middle School site in the event it is unable to reach an agreement” with the state.
Asked if the proposed action is an indication that the district is looking for a developer that would build more neighborhood-friendly features (mixed-use housing, communal amenities, etc.), Ziegler reiterated that the waiver would provide another option for the district if negotiations don’t pan out.
“The waiver would permit the District to partner with someone that will be most acceptable to the Board, the community, and consistent with the District’s educational purposes, rather than being locked into selling to whomever presents the highest offer,” Ziegler wrote in an emailed response to the Outpost. “Since the property is adjacent to our elementary site, we want to ensure the appropriateness of any potential new neighbor.”
The Eureka City Schools Board of Trustees will meet for its regular meeting at 5:30 p.m. at the District Office – 2100 J Street in Eureka. The agenda packet can be found here.
On May 7, 2025, deputies with the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Marijuana Enforcement Team (MET) served a search warrant(s) to investigate illegal cannabis cultivation at a residence located in the 100 block of Riverview Ln., Redway. The parcel(s) did not possess the required county permit and state license to cultivate cannabis commercially.
During the service of the warrant(s), deputies eradicated approximately 5,081 growing cannabis plants. Deputies seized and destroyed over 877.75 pounds of cannabis bud. Deputies also located and seized 9.5 grams LSD tabs, 16.6 grams liquid LSD, 22.3 grams psilocybin mushrooms, 71.8 grams suspected ketamine, un-serialized ar15 rifle, un-serialized pistol, and approximately $21,100 US currency.
Asha Fellion, 40 years old, of Redway, was arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on the following charges: H&S 11358, Cultivation of Marijuana; H&S 11359, Possession of Marijuana for sale; H&S 11366.5, maintaining a drug house; PC 182, Conspiracy; H&S 11350, Possess a controlled narcotic; H&S 11351, Narcotics for sale; LC 226.6, Failure to provide an itemized paycheck to employee.
Teerawan Meekam, 45 years old, of Redway, was arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on the following charges: H&S 11358, Cultivation of Marijuana; H&S 11359, Possession of Marijuana for sale; H&S 11366.5, maintaining a drug house; PC 182, Conspiracy; LC 226.6, Failure to provide an itemized paycheck to employee; LC 1199(b), Failure to pay minimum wage.
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.
Blue Lake residents gathered at Perigot Park Wednesday evening to mount a recall effort against three city council members. | Photos by Andrew Goff.
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A group of concerned Blue Lake residents gathered in the evening sun at Perigot Park last night to launch a citizen recall effort against three of the town’s city council members, who they believe to be responsible for ousting City Manager Amanda “Mandy” Mager during a closed session meeting on Tuesday.
The council did not announce any official action when it came out of closed session and employees yesterday refused to answer direct questions about Mager’s employment status. Early this afternoon, Blue Lake Finance Manager Dani Burkhart emailed the following statement:
City Manager Amanda “Mandy” Mager and the City Council have mutually decided to end their relationship effective May 9, 2025. The City Council expresses its sincere gratitude to Mandy for her nine-plus years of dedicated service to and leadership of the City of Blue Lake, and the Council wishes her the best in all her future endeavors. An interim City Manager will be appointed while the City conducts a comprehensive recruitment process.
“Please note: The City has no further comment as this is a personnel matter,” Burkhart added in her email.
Last night, as happy children squealed and barbecue smoke wafted across the people seated on picnic tables, Blue Lakers gathered to discuss a plan of action. Politics in this tiny city (pop. 1,172) have grown increasingly rancorous in recent years. Mager’s supporters describe her as the city’s most effective manager in years, if not ever, citing her progressive planning for housing and economic development and various municipal improvement endeavors.
Mager’s critics, meanwhile, allege that she ignored and suppressed public participation while she conspired, deep state-style, with insiders and private developers to accomplish her own agenda. A proposed mixed-use project from Danco has been particularly controversial, and the newly seated council majority recently refused to adopt the city’s updated housing element, risking fines and enforcement actions from the state.
The latest in a series of letters to the city from the California Department of Housing and Community Development notes that the city is out of compliance with housing element law and warns that noncompliance can lead to ineligibility for state funds, a lawsuit from the Attorney General, financial penalties of up to $100,000 per month, additional fines of up to $50,000 per month and, if noncompliance continues, the loss of local control over when and where very low- to moderate-income housing and emergency shelters are built, via a mechanism called the “Builder’s Remedy.” [Click here to download that letter.]
The town’s political tensions were evident at last night’s gathering. A couple of people opposed to the meeting’s aims interjected and confronted attendees, leading to some tense stand-offs.
Blue Lake resident Dave Ponte (left) confronts former City Councilmember Alexander Ricca as ex-mayor Adelene Jones tries to intervene.
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Charis Bowman, a former city employee, kicked off the meeting by remarking that many in the community do not approve of the council’s recent actions toward Mager.
“This is my first time stepping in, actually, to a role of … actively fighting for fairness, and what I think happened last night was not fair,” Bowman said.
Ex-mayor Adelene Jones, who lost her recent re-election bid via coin flip, interjected to say the plan should be to target Mayor John Sawatzky, Mayor Pro Tem Elise Scafani and Councilmember Kat Napier — all critics of Mager — in their recall efforts.
“Why? Why?” asked Lori Ponte, a Blue Lake resident who has spoken critically of Mager at recent public meetings. As angry cross-talk erupted, Ponte said she wanted confirmation that Mager has indeed been fired.
A woman named Elissa Rosado offered to answer that. “I’m not asking you!” Ponte replied. But Rosado continued, identifying herself as Mager’s best friend and saying she was indeed terminated and given four months’ severance. Another person said her termination had been verified by a city employee, and Mager is no longer allowed to enter City Hall.
“I work at City Hall,” another person said. “Mandy is no longer there.”
City employees later questioned directly by the Outpost declined to say anything on the record.
Ricca reading a draft letter to Blue Lake City Hall introducing the recall effort.
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The city’s official claim of a mutual decision seems unlikely to dissuade the recall effort. In the park last night, former Blue Lake City Councilmember Alex Ricca read aloud a draft letter for submission to City Hall explaining the justification for the three-pronged recall effort.
The letter alleges that, after voting in closed session to fire Mager, Sawatzky, Scafani and Napier then “ordered her to vacate her office immediately.” It also accuses the trio of failing to report the council’s closed session action as required by California’s open meetings law, the Ralph M. Brown Act. And it cites the three councilmembers’ vote not to adopt the updated housing element.
“We need to save ourselves from the political, financial, civic and social consequences of the three aforementioned City Council members’ ill-advised decision,” the letter reads.
Steve Spain.
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Resident Steve Spain passed around a sign-up sheet for supporters, and as loose dogs weaved their way through the crowd’s legs, he explained some of the requirements for a recall election. More than 40 people had put their names and contact info on the sign-up sheet before the meeting broke up.
Lori Ponte and her husband, Dave, elaborated on their opposition to a recall after the meeting. Dave Ponte said the attendees should have verified that Mager had been fired before taking action and added, “There are a lot of questions about how the city has been managed the last couple of years.”
Lori said, “I think it’s unfortunate that we’re doing this instead of trying to come together and find a solution.”
Lori Ponte (right) holds a copy of the draft letter while engaging in debate with meeting attendees.
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As the meeting was winding down, some attendees spotted Sawatzky and Scafani Napier huddled in discussion with a few other folks at the outskirts of the crowd. As I approached and introduced myself, Scafani Napier vamoosed in the opposite direction, and others wandered away, leaving only me and Sawatzky behind. [CORRECTION: This post initially misidentified Napier as Scafani, as evidenced by the strikethroughs. The Outpost regrets the error.]
When I asked if he could confirm that Mager was no longer employed by the city, he took a step backwards, raised his hands in a defensive gesture and glanced toward the retreating figure of Scafani Napier.
“I can’t, uh, we’re not commenting on that,” he said.
I reminded him that the Brown Act requires California legislative bodies to report any actions taken in closed session.
“Sorry, guy. I apologize,” he said. He then asked for my name and contact information, and after an awkward silence he said, “Yeah. How’s your life?”
I said it was going alright, though I was confused about why nobody was willing to confirm or deny that Mager was still employed by the city. Again, Sawatzky took a step back and raised his hands.
“I don’t want to talk to the press right now,” he said. “I apologize.”
Meeting attendee Eric Hall holds a handmade recall sign.
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Reached by the Outpost, Humboldt County Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters Juan Pablo Cervantes said he has serious concerns about Blue Lake’s ability to manage a recall election without a city manager or a city clerk. (The city is in the process of recruiting candidates for the latter position.)
“They’re a pivotal, functional part of this [recall] process,” Cervantes said. “I imagine that, if the city council is interested, they will be requesting support from the county on it.”
He explained that each recall election must be its own separate thing. “That means separate Notices of Intention, separate petitions, and separate rounds of signature gathering and verification,” he explained in a follow-up email. “If all qualify, one election could be held with separate recall questions for each official.”
The first step is for one or more registered voters to serve a Notice of Intention to Recall for each of the three targeted councilmembers, accompanied by a 200-word-or-less statement of the reason for recall and at least 30 signatures from local registered voters. The notice must be served to the city clerk (again, a position that’s currently vacant in Blue Lake) and published in a local paper.
Another requirement for the recall is that proponents must gather valid, verifiable signatures from at least 30 percent of the city’s registered voters, which amounts to somewhere around 252, according to Cervantes. The city clerk submits those to the county’s Elections Office, and if the signature threshold is met then the city council must call an election within 14 days. That election must then be held between 88 and 125 days after it’s called, or up to 180 days later if it lines up with a regularly scheduled election.
Does that mean the recall could happen this November? It’s possible, Cervantes said, but since this is an off year, elections-wise, there likely won’t be countywide ballots printed in Humboldt County, in which case Blue Lake wouldn’t save money by consolidating its recall with a county election.
A recall election would likely cost the City of Blue Lake between $9,000 and $12,000, Cervantes said, adding that his estimate factors in the tariff-driven rise in paper costs.
The Outpost was unable to reach Mager for comment.
These Airbnb’s are probably up-to-date with the city. Check ‘em out! A screenshot of some Arcata Airbnbs.
Last night’s Arcata city council meeting was light on substance, though city councilmembers did contemplate buying software to catch operators of short-stay vacation rentals (such as Airbnb and VRBO) who don’t have a permit or aren’t paying tax.
They also decided to let around 20 operators without a permit keep renting out rooms.
Arcata’s short-stay vacation rental (SSVR) rules work like this: there are 100 total permits available for those who wish to operate an Airbnb or a VRBO rental, unless the owner lives on the property, it’s historical, or it’s only rented out less than 30 days a year. If the SSVR falls into any of those three categories, it needs a different SSVR permit. Arcata can give out an unlimited number of these exempt permits.
About 2% of Arcata’s housing is an SSVR, and 99 of the non-exempt permits are being used. There are another 55 SSVRs with an exempt permit.
SSVR owners also need a business license and have to pay the Transient Occupancy Tax to the city.
But not everyone plays by the rules, and there are an unknown number of SSVRs out there that don’t have either kind of permit and aren’t paying the TOT. David Loya, Arcata’s director of community development, told the council he gets sales calls occasionally trying to sell the city software that crawls rental websites, cross-references them with TOT and permit rolls, and spits out a list of illegal SSVRs.
City councilmembers did not make a decision on buying software one way or the other, but all of them seemed warm to the idea. If they did decide to purchase it, the fee to get a permit would likely be bumped up a bit to fund it.
Loya didn’t anticipate any pushback by current SSVR renters — anyone operating one illegally is cutting into the legal operators’ business.
Currently, the only way Arcata enforces these laws is if someone complains about an illegal SSVR. The city doesn’t have the staff and the time to hunt them down.
The city council also decided to let 20 SSVRs, who had been paying the TOT but didn’t have a permit, keep operating. Loya wasn’t sure how that had happened, but he said he assumed they simply didn’t know they needed one and the city never told them.
Councilmembers Kimberley White and Meredith Matthews said they were inclined to let them keep renting rooms out because of the lack of hotels outside of the Valley West area.
“I would like to see our money stay here in Arcata instead of sending to other outside cities’ jurisdictions,” White said. “I want them to spend money in Arcata. I want them to stay in Arcata. And however we can do that [is good].”
