As we mentioned earlier today, Highway 36 having a little tantrum again. An active slide has resulted in the full closure of the roadway just west of Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park and, as of this writing, there is no estimated time of reopening. 

From Caltrans:

Route 36 remains fully closed east of Swimmer’s Delight in Humboldt County due to an active slide.

Early estimates indicate traffic may not resume for days, but we’ll keep you updated when there’s more information.

To give you some idea of what we’re dealing with, Caltrans sends along the video above of road crews quickly moving their bodies away from slide activity as trees come crashing down behind them. 

Yeah, it’s gonna be a while, travelers. 

###

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.

###

Any Californian can purchase naloxone, an opioid overdose reversal medication, directly from the state at a discounted price, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office announced Monday.

The medication is available online for $24 for a two-pack of the nasal spray, roughly half the market price of the drug. Previously, the discount was available only to government organizations and businesses.

“Life-saving medications shouldn’t come with a life-altering price tag. CalRx is about making essential drugs like naloxone affordable and accessible for all — not the privileged few,” Newsom said in a statement. CalRx is a Newsom initiative to bring down the cost of prescription drugs.

California has spent more than $1 billion fighting the opioid epidemic, which killed more than 8,900 people last year, according to preliminary data from the state health department. That represents a 13% increase in deaths from 2023.

The Naloxone Distribution Project and Access Initiative is part of the strategy to stop overdoses, which began spiking in 2019 as fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid, infused the market. The rate of fentanyl-related overdose deaths began declining last year, according to state data.

More than 6 million naloxone kits have been distributed to local governments and organizations since 2018, according to state data. About 355,000 overdoses have been reversed.

In 2024, Newsom’s office announced a new supplier for the state initiative, Amneal Pharmaceuticals, which agreed to sell the steeply discounted drug to California. Days prior, Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a $273-million multistate settlement with the New Jersey-based company over its alleged failure to report suspicious opioid orders that contributed to the country’s epidemic.

“By getting this lower price, we are making the financial savings and able to use our dollars to buy more product, which of course is ultimately very much about saving lives,” said Elizabeth Landsberg, director of the Department of Health Care Access and Information, last year.

Naloxone is one of two current efforts by the state to make generic drugs more affordable under Newsom’s effort to lower the costs of pharmaceuticals. California has a $50-million contract to manufacture generic insulins for CalRx. That project is more than a year behind schedule.

###

Supported by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), which works to ensure that people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. Visit www.chcf.org to learn more.

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.

###

With more than 187,000 people sleeping on California’s streets and in its shelters, the state’s homeless services industry is struggling to hire enough qualified workers to help them.

Last year, Santa Monica College set out to fix that: It heralded the state’s first-ever community college program aimed at training the next generation of homeless service workers. But the program has fallen victim to many of the same challenges that have long stymied progress on homelessness in California, including unreliable funding, high attrition rates and political turmoil.

In fact, it’s not clear if the much-needed program will persist.

“We know the value added when somebody is adequately trained before they’re deployed,” said Vanessa Rios, a senior advisor for workforce development with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, which funds the community college program. “It would be a disservice to our system should we not fund and support this effort. Where the dollars (will) come from, I don’t know.”

It’s the front-line jobs, where staff interact face-to-face with unhoused clients, that often are the most difficult for agencies to fill or keep filled. That includes doing outreach in encampments, staffing homeless shelters, and working as a case manager trying to find permanent housing for clients.

More than 8,000 people worked in the homeless services sector in Los Angeles County in 2022, a report by consulting firm KPMG and United Way of Greater Los Angeles found. But the county still had more than 1,300 open positions and would need more than 2,200 workers on top of that — so, more than 11,500 altogether — to meet the needs of Los Angeles County’s homeless population.

Even compared to other major U.S. cities such as Atlanta, Chicago or Houston, homeless service workers in Los Angeles have a higher turnover rate, according to a more recent KPMG report.

It’s an issue all over the state. Most nonprofits that provide homeless services in California can’t help everyone who asks, in part because they struggle to recruit and retain staff, according to a 2024 study by the UC Berkeley Terner Center for Housing Innovation.

The new community college program was supposed to fill those holes by giving students the specific skills they need to succeed in homeless services. But amid perennial state budget uncertainty and questions about the region’s homeless services, Rios couldn’t say if her team will be able to fund another round of students at Santa Monica College.

The state’s Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention fund initially supported the program with roughly $750,000. That fund is the main source of flexible money that California cities and counties use to combat homelessness. Once the $750,000 runs out, it’s not clear whether it will be renewed. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget, released in January, did not include any new money for Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention, although the Legislature could still add some.

That uncertainty is a major problem. For years, nonprofits, cities and counties have said a lack of consistent state funding hampers their ability to fight homelessness. While Newsom has poured billions into the cause, it has largely been in one-time grants — not the predictable, ongoing funding that service providers say they need in order to plan long-term programs.

At the same time, the agency that funds the community college program is in crisis. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority — a joint agency of the city and county of LA — has all but imploded. Earlier this month, the LA County Board of Supervisors voted to pull its money out of the joint agency, following a scathing audit of its work. Three days later, the head of the agency said she would resign. Now, the city is considering pulling out as well.

Santa Monica College in Santa Monica on April 16, 2025. Santa Monica College launched a new Homeless Service Work Certificate Program last year in partnership with Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. Photo by Alisha Jucevic for CalMatters

“We’re hopeful that we’re able to secure funding in the future,” said Patricia Ramos, dean of academic affairs for Santa Monica College. “But nothing is guaranteed.”

Rios said her team is looking for additional money to support the college program, including from the state and philanthropic partners. If the community college program does continue, it wouldn’t accept another class of students until spring of 2026.

‘Can I do this?’

When Tamyra Simpson saw a LinkedIn advertisement about the Santa Monica College program, she thought it was “too good to be true.”

Growing up, her grandmother, a substance use counselor, would pick up Simpson at her childhood home in Pasadena and travel to Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles, where they’d serve food to homeless people on Thanksgiving.

“The women in my family, they’ve always been service-oriented,” she said.

Simpson works as a nanny in the wealthy Los Feliz neighborhood near downtown Los Angeles, but said her goal is to eventually work in homeless services.

She was one of about 70 people who applied for admission into the inaugural Santa Monica College homelessness services program, and one of just 27 students who were ultimately selected, said Steven Sedky, who oversees the program. Students take multiple courses over the span of two semesters, where they learn about the history of homeless services, effective practices to help homeless clients, and even strategies to avoid burnout. The program culminates in a paid internship at a relevant nonprofit or agency in Los Angeles County.

Tamyra Simpson at Santa Monica College in Santa Monica on April 16, 2025. Simpson is part of a new Homeless Service Work Certificate Program launched at Santa Monica College last year in partnership with Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. Photo by Alisha Jucevic for CalMatters

Only about half of the students are left, Sedky said — an attrition rate “much higher than we initially anticipated.”

Students dropped out for a variety of reasons, he said. One student lost housing, while other students struggled with the commute to class, which includes in-person meetings on Wednesdays.

On Wednesday mornings, Simpson starts her nanny job at 7 am. Then, around 8 am, she begins the hour drive to Santa Monica. If traffic is bad, it can take up to an hour and a half. After class, a little after noon, she drives back to Los Feliz and works another five hours as a nanny.

“I really ask myself, ‘Can I do this?’” she said. “But there’s so much value in this program, this experience. I don’t think I would have changed anything if I could.”

After she graduates in June, she’ll face a job market rife with its own challenges. An entry-level position at LA-based homeless services nonprofit The People Concern, for example, typically pays between $21 and $25 an hour, said CEO John Maceri. Simpson said she makes about twice that much working as a nanny.

“LA is an expensive place to live,” Maceri said. “It’s hard to survive.”

“This sector does not pay livable wages unless you’re in senior management,” said Celina Alvarez, executive director of Housing Works. She helped create the Santa Monica College program and teaches a class there. “We’ve got to do better by (the workers). They are first responders. They don’t even have access to mental health support, considering they experience and witness a tremendous amount of human suffering on a daily basis.”

Alvarez said between 10 and 15 of the 73 total jobs at her organization are vacant.

At The People Concern, which will host two Santa Monica College students as interns, about 85 jobs are open — about 10% of their total positions. Once the interns complete the program, Maceri said his organization would be happy to hire them.

“The quality of the work is only as good as the quality of the people doing the work,” he said. “And we need more folks in the homelessness response system workforce.”

A difficult job

Low pay isn’t the only thing that makes people wary of jumping into a career in homeless services. The work is extremely grueling and difficult. Burnout is common. A lack of resources makes everything worse. Workers can try their best to help someone, but if there are no shelter beds or housing available, they can’t do much. That can be very frustrating, Maceri said.

“Sometimes people have a fantasy of what the work is like, and then get into it and realize ‘Oh, this is different than what I thought,’” he said. “I think most people want to help, but the intensity of the work day in and day out is a lot to handle.”

A lack of adequate training makes it even harder, as workers may not know how to respond to the specific challenges they encounter in the field. Alvarez gave an example of a newly hired case manager at her organization: The case manager went to a client’s house to pick up the client for a psychiatric appointment. Before they left, the client injected themself with an unknown substance. The big-hearted case manager didn’t know what the client had injected but took them to their appointment anyway — a dangerous move that could have ended with the client becoming aggressive or even overdosing in the caseworker’s car, Alvarez said.

Existing degree programs don’t train workers for the realities of what they’ll face in the field, such as navigating the bureaucracy of hospitals and nursing homes, or how to reunite a homeless individual with family, Rios said.

The program also tries to prepare students for burnout, by providing counselors who debrief with students after they go out in the field, and teach them techniques to cope with what they see.

Loma Linda University campus on April 22, 2024. Photo by Jules Hotz for CalMatters

But there are some intractable problems this training program can’t fix.

For social workers, who have a master’s degree, it’s more lucrative to work as a therapist in private practice. Even other low-paying industries, such as child welfare, offer special grants or fellowships. In Los Angeles, the county’s decision to gut the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority makes it even harder for graduates to imagine this industry as a stable career choice.

Still, as a current student, Simpson is hopeful that the community college program will continue.

“As an inaugural cohort, there are going to be missteps. We’re essentially the guinea pigs,” she said. “At its core, it’s an incredible opportunity.”

She said she’s well-aware of the pay cut that an entry-level job in homeless services might require, and that she’s willing to keep her full-time nanny position as long as it takes to find other work.

Given the number of job vacancies, it’s unlikely that she’ll wait very long.

###

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.

###

President Donald Trump has promised to keep special education intact, even as he dismantles the federal department that has overseen it for nearly a half century. But some experts and parents in California fear Trump’s policies will imperil the program on multiple fronts, and undoing decades of progress for disabled students.

“Students in special education are equally as important as students who aren’t, but that hasn’t always been the case. The disability community has fought hard for where we are now,” said Gina Gandolfi, a former special education teacher in San Bernardino County whose 10-year-old son has Down syndrome. “What if those services are taken away? Kids with disabilities will go back to being second-class students.”

Last month, Trump said he’s moving special education from the Department of Education, which he’s described as wasteful and inefficient, to the Department of Health and Human Services, under the direction of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Enforcement of special education laws would likely move to the Justice Department. Although the laws surrounding special education wouldn’t change, there’s likely to be disruptions as the program moves to a new department, especially one not focused on education and that’s undergoing a 20% reduction in its workforce.

More than 40 disability rights groups sent a strongly worded letter to Congress in early April imploring members to preserve special education funding, keep the program in the Department of Education and leave the department intact. The authors said the plan to move special education to Health and Human Services is “short-sighted, insulting and unacceptable.”

Trump has not announced cuts to special education funding, and Congress left its funding intact in the most recently passed budget. But at the same time, Trump has threatened to cut school funding to states — including California — that defy his orders to eliminate diversity programs or scrap protections for transgender students. The federal government currently covers about 10% of California’s total cost for special education.

Beyond school funding, Republicans in Congress are debating cuts to Medicaid, which would have a deep impact on services for students with disabilities and their families. School districts use Medicaid to help pay for speech and occupational therapy and mental health services for students with disabilities. In addition, parents with disabled children rely on California’s regional centers — funded in part by Medicaid — for diagnoses, in-home visits, equipment like wheelchairs and walkers and other services.

Impacts on special education services

Cuts to any of those programs would have a cascading effect that would upend the disability community, said Kristin Wright, former director of special education for California and currently the executive director of prevention, intervention and inclusive practices at the Sacramento County Office of Education.

For example, if families lose services from a Medicaid-funded agency such as a regional center, they may have to quit working to care for their disabled child. That could potentially catapult a family into poverty.

“It’s a fragile ecosystem,” Wright said. “These programs have evolved together. When you pull any one strand away, it affects everything else.”

Wright fears that the changes would set special education back decades. Until the 1970s, when the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act passed, many children with disabilities didn’t attend school at all. And for many years, they were often in separate classrooms, segregated from their classmates without disabilities. Now, in California, most students with disabilities spend the majority of their time in general education classes, with the assistance of aides and other supports, where they tend to do better academically and socially.

“We’ve come so far, moving away from pathologizing people and using a medical model of disability toward a social model, where disability is seen as a natural part of the human condition,” Wright said. “This feels like we’re backpedaling. As a society, we’re going to have to decide what we care about, and how committed we are to educating every student.”

Nathan Gandolfi, 10, in his bedroom in Highland on April 16, 2025. Photo by Kyle Grillot for CalMatters

About 14% of K-12 students in California are enrolled in special education, with disabilities ranging from mild learning disorders to severe autism or traumatic brain injuries.

Typically, students receive extra services from therapists, aides and special education teachers, which can be costly. California spent about $13 billion on special education last year, with about 10% coming from the federal government. That doesn’t include money that schools get from Medicaid. If Medicaid is cut, schools would have to find the money elsewhere.

Effects on schools

Ginese Quann is a special education director for the El Dorado County Office of Education and oversees the Special Education Local Plan Area, a cost-sharing consortium for 464 California charter schools. Quann said she’s not overly worried about the federal changes — yet.

Special education funding has always been in flux, she said, and the state has its own systems for monitoring and enforcing the program. Even if the federal government cuts its enforcement of special education laws, she said, parents will still be able to file complaints with the state.

She’s less sure about the transition to the Department of Health and Human Services. Even in a best-case scenario, there’s likely to be some disruptions in payments or services, she said. In a worst-case scenario, the program will be overseen by people with little expertise in how to educate students with disabilities.

The best she can do, Quann said, is to “try and cushion schools from changes at the federal level, so ideally there’s no impact on students. I see this as our biggest challenge right now.”

Awards, toys and stimulation devices sit on a dresser in the bedroom of 10-year-old Nathan Gandolfi, in Highland on April 16, 2025. Photo by Kyle Grillot for CalMatters

But even minor disruptions could be damaging for schools that rely on a smooth-running special education system. One of those schools is the Hanna Academy, a small nonprofit boarding school in Sonoma County that contracts with school districts to serve students with acute behavioral challenges. Federal changes to special education could have lasting effects on students, and jeopardize students’ and staff safety, said principal Courtney Jackson.

The academy, which opened in 1945, serves about 50 students from around California. The students receive extensive therapy, vocational training and academic and life-skills classes, delivered in small groups with numerous teachers and aides who can intervene when students have meltdowns or violent outbursts.

Budget cuts will likely mean fewer adults in classrooms, which could endanger students as well as staff. It also means students won’t get the individual attention they need and their progress will almost certainly drop off, Jackson said.

“We’re dealing with the most delicate population in education. When you start removing services in a careless manner, without a backup plan, it just causes chaos,” Jackson said. “The damage will be so deep, it could take years to fix and be far more expensive.”

Future of special education law

Special education has traditionally had bipartisan support, with champions in both parties. The Trump administration has promised to leave special education unscathed, but that would require continued funding, said Rorie Fitzpatrick, vice president for K-12 systems at the nonprofit research and consulting firm WestEd.

“The biggest concern is the future of IDEA,” Fitzpatrick said, referring to the 1975 legislation that created special education. “Students with disabilities have a right to a free, appropriate public education under the law. But you need well-trained staff and funding to make that happen. If you cut that funding, you’re gutting IDEA by default.”

Gandolfi, whose son has Down syndrome, said special education has made a world of difference for her son, Nathan, a fourth grader in Redlands Unified. He loves his friends in his general education classroom, and gets extra services like speech and occupational therapy, one-to-one classroom support and academic help through special education. Through the local regional center, he attends classes in swimming, drumming and social skills, as well as camps. He loves hip hop dance, movies, singing and his two younger siblings.

“He’s living his best life. He’s full of joy. He looks forward to school every day,” Gandolfi said. “We want him to have a long, purposeful, meaningful life, and having the support of special ed makes that possible.”

Bill died peacefully in his sleep next to his wife Susan, after a four year journey with lung cancer. Bill was born in Elmira, N.Y. to Arthur Scott Welliver and Ann S. Clute. Sadly, his mom died young. His father later married Nancy Beecher, who was a second mom to Bill and nine siblings. He grew up in a large grey house on Hoffman St. in Elmira, N.Y. It brimmed with love, commotion, good food, discipline and a family dog named Duchess.

Bill adored his big family and reveled in talking about their escapades, meals, milk machine, and Nancy’s attempts to control ten kids. Seneca Lake was a huge part of the family’s life. It was there he learned to sail, water-ski, and spent many happy hours boating. He loved scuba diving in the deep cold water. When he wasn’t in the water, he was learning about tools and construction from his dad.

His dad’s sudden death while he was in college was a heavy blow. Soon after he left Elmira for Texas and was married long enough to have two children. The young family returned to Elmira where he began a residential construction company. Although the marriage was short-lived, his children; Hayley, Austin and step-son Reagan were the joys of his life. His face always lit up when he talked about his children.

Subsequently, he met his wife Susan in an evening business class. She hired him to side her house in PA. Unfortunately, as he and his crew cut into the siding they were swarmed with bees. The bee story became their personal rom-com. In telling their story they’d end with “and that’s how we became honeys.” Bees became their personal symbol. They laughed about the stories that brought them together and considered each other best friends and soul mates.

Eventually, he worked for his brother’s company, Welliver Inc. on large commercial projects. Bill thrived on supervising the construction of schools and universities such as Cornell University and the Clemens Center Theater. He loved the work and those he worked with. Bill felt rooted to the area through generations on both his father’s and mother’s sides.

As a result, Bill and Susan expected to remain in Elmira. However a visit to his sister Esther and their niece Tashina changed their destiny. They fell in love with the people, weather and culture of Eureka, California. They were drawn to the dynamic ocean and the arts.

Upon deciding to move, Bill applied for his California Contractor’s license. He established Welliver-Construction in 2005. He was proud to continue the Welliver lineage of general contractors that began in 1898. Influenced by his father, he became part of the community and volunteered often. He enjoyed being a board member on Humboldt Builders Exchange. Through his company he donated ramps to Tri County Independent Living. It was meaningful to him to see disabled individuals have easy access to their homes. His friends would often participate which made the projects fun as well as rewarding.

Bill valued friendship. He thought of his Eureka friends as a second family. They enjoyed spending time together and knew they could count on each other. They watched sports, went to local races, airshows and went boating or fishing.

His favorite sports were NASCAR and football. Racing fascinated him since boyhood when he watched racing in Watkins Glen. He jumped at the opportunity to work as a tire changer for Team 34, a Busch Grand National Team. His passion for things he loved was so great it carried others along. For instance, many years later, his 91 year old mother-in-law watched racing with him, cheering wildly.

It was a bond he shared with his brother. While at Seneca Lake with Susan for a family reunion, Scott invited them to an event in honor of Richard Childress of RCR racing. Although it turned out to be the last summer he was at the lake it was one of their happiest. Bill and Susan gathered with sixty-two immediate relatives. The family presented Bill with a beautiful prayer quilt during a ceremony presided over by his sister Reverend Betsy Sentigar. Bill was deeply touched. Before returning home, Bill and his oldest friend, Jim drove through the lush green hills of the Finger Lakes looking for NY State’s best corn. They cooked it at his brother’s house, watching the lake, moon and stars through the trees.

Bill felt fortunate to live the life he wanted, to spend time with people he cared about; and to have time to say what needed to be said. One might consider his wife Susan a caregiver at the end of his life. In reality, she was the fence supporting his blooming vine. His extraordinary view of life filled her with awe. She dwelt in his light and learned to see the radiance he saw. His generous spirit and fearlessness exemplified what Joseph Campbell called “inner value” - “the rapture that is associated with being alive”.

Bill was predeceased by Arthur S. Welliver, Sr., Anne Clute Welliver Nancy Hollands Welliver (step-mother) Is survived by: Wife: Susan Bloch-Welliver Children: Hayley Anne Welliver (Ed) W. Austin Welliver, Reagan A. Rubin (step-son)| Siblings: Arthur Scott Welliver, Jr. (Lori), Lynn Welliver Gagnon (David) Dr. Pamela Beecher Prince (James), Mimi Welliver Petrillose (Bob) Amanda Beecher Eubanks (Jim King), Rev. Betsy Welliver Sentigar (John) Jane Welliver Bauer (Linwood), Judith Anne Welliver Esther Welliver (Paul)

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to – Food for People: https://www.foodforpeople.org/ 307 W 14th St, Eureka, CA 95501 Phone: (707) 445-3166

Or the lung cancer research foundation https://www.lcrf.org

###

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

Donald Lee Quintrell, age 90, passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 27, 2025, in Eureka. He was born in Eureka on August 20, 1934, to Edgar Quintrell and Elizabeth Andrews. He attended Eureka City Schools and after graduating from Eureka Senior High School went to work for the Division of Highways (CalTrans). In 1957 he was drafted into the United States Army and was honorably discharged in 1959. He completed his service in the reserves in 1963. After returning to Eureka in 1959, he returned to work at Caltrans and would go on to have a total of 39 years of service at CalTrans, retiring in 1993.

In 1957, he married Nancy Anderson, which began their 67 years together. Nancy passed away last year on July 25, 2024. Over the years they welcomed two sons, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He enjoyed and supported his sons in their activities, including many hours volunteering for the Cutten-Ridgewood Recreation Association, by grooming the baseball fields at Cutten School, helping to survey the property, creating a new baseball field layout at the school and setting up the fireworks booth. He particularly enjoyed building his own boat, a Pelican model, which came in a kit, and he would take his sons out on Big Lagoon and Humboldt Bay.

The family would enjoy many years of RV camping at Cabana Holiday, which later became Redwood River Resort, and the Deerhorn Lodge in Phillipsville. Don would make sure the trailer was ready to go every year. Having things ready and in good repair was Don’s joy. He would spend all the hours he could puttering around the house, garage and yard keeping things in good shape and keeping up with Nancy’s to-do list. His patience was limitless, and his kindness was something that all good men should emulate.

Don is survived by his sons, Dean Quintrell (Laurie) and Gary Quintrell (Heidi); his grandchildren, Alyssa Peper (Charley), Natalie Martin (James), Sarah Renner (Justin) and Kathryn Baker (Ben); and great-grandchildren Logan, Ella and Peyton. He is also survived by many other close family members and friends. Some have said that Don was a father figure to them, and for that they will be forever grateful.

A private family graveside service will be held in the future. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Eureka First United Methodist Church Endowment Fund. Checks can be sent to Eureka First UMC, 520 Del Norte St., Eureka, CA 95501. Note Endowment Fund on the memo line.

###

The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Don Quintrell’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 a heavy heart we announce the passing of our beloved Thomas (Tucky) Long on April 16, 2025, at home surrounded by his family and Hospice care singing his favorite Elvis Presley song, “I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You.”

Tucky was born on May 28, 1942 to William Fraser Long & Anita Boyce Long in Eureka. His Grandma Boyce used to sing “Little Tommy Tucker Sings For His Supper” to him and over time he became “Tucky”!

As the youngest of four boys, he spent many summers at Ft Seward, Dos Rios and Island Mountain “walking the tracks” each evening with his brothers and father and playing Cowboys & Indians. He always wanted to be Roy Rogers but his older brothers said there were already too many Roy Rogers, so, he never got to be Roy Rogers. Now, he’s Roy Rogers in the sky!

Tucky graduated from St Bernard Catholic High Class of 1960 where he excelled in football and basketball. He never would have graduated without the help from Madeline Sabella & Georgia Wahl. Following his three older brothers, his first job was at EP Ray Mobile Station at Wabash & B. After numerous ambitious attempts, he was hired by PG&E in Eureka where he worked for 35 years as the head of the Map Drafting Department, retiring in 1995. Based on his knowledge and expertise, after retirement he was called back to work several times. He enjoyed his PG&E friends so much.

In 1962, through a mutual friend, Dennis McManus he was encouraged to cash his paycheck at BofA with Tahni Myers, who he bravely asked out for a date and the rest is history…They were married soon after at St Bernard Catholic Church in Eureka.

In 1964, the real love of his life, Tracy Jill Mary (TJ) Long was born, building their family with such love. That love & pride increased a thousand times over with the births of his two very precious granddaughters, Whitney & Bailey!

Family was very important to Tucky who, being a new Dad, welcomed his two teenage sisters-in-law into their family and became an important father figure to them, a position he took on with love that lasted the rest of his life. He and Tahni never missed a game or a competition, not just for their grandchildren, but for their many nieces and nephews.

Over the years he coached his daughter’s baseball team with Patrick Folkins & Jack Macdonald for Cutten Ridgewood League. In the 1970’s he worked on the pit crews for stock car racers Denny Myers #8 and Ed Tanferani #71 – the ‘real’ years of racing! He followed Nascar Racing and his favorite driver was Bill Elliott #9. He was an avid SF 49er fan throughout his life, holding season tickets, attending many games, sharing his passion with his family, and was able to get into the locker rooms several times.

His Happy Place - around 1975, Tucky & Tahni got a campsite at Chezem Ranch in the Redwood Creek area. Soon after, Larry & Vicki Sallady also got a campsite and thus began the Larry “The Goose” and Tucky “Longarm” wood cutting expeditions, joined soon by Paul Marold. Good times were had by all. Redwood Creek was enjoyed by every member of Tucky’s extended family, who all remember these days on the river as the best times of their lives. From skipping rocks, inner tube wars, building the dam, and OH the dance floor…

Tucky was a member of the Crusader Athletic Board at St. Bernard High School, Harbor Lanes Bowling League, San Francisco 49er Club & Electrical Engineering & Scientist of California, and the Vista Del Mar Crazy Whalers Softball Team, what fun!

Many who knew Tucky know he struggled with MS for 40+ years, and he had the strongest constitution of anyone we know. He was a supporting “Poppy” and Uncle attending so many special events and games over the span of many years, even when he was not feeling well or even ‘just out of the hospital’, always with a smile and a hug to give!

He was predeceased by his parents William & Anita Long, paternal grandparents William & Christine Long, maternal grandparents Constance & Beryl Boyce, brother Bill Long, Aunts Agnes Chabot, Pat Braafladt, Vera, Uncles Meryl & Beryl Boyce, nephew Jerry Long, cousin Jerry Felt, mother-in-law Bettye Giegnas, special friends Larry Sallady, Karl Brazil, Dave Del Grande, Dennis McManus, Paul & Jean Marold.

Tucky is survived by his wife Tahni Myers Long, daughter (TJ) Tracy Walters, son-in-law Rob Walters, granddaughters Whitney Oliva (Peaches) Walters, Bailey Mariah (Stinky) Walters, brothers Jim (Pat) Long, Jerry (Nema) Long, sister-in-law Dee Long, sisters-in-law Lyndy (Gary) Cunningham, Debbie (Dave) McCanless, nieces & nephews Bill (Debbie), David (Lorie) & Terry Long, Kathy (Greg) Rasmussen, Shari (Alan) Borges, Robbie (Brandi) Cunningham, Melissa (Ryan) Bode, Kenny McCanless, Katie (Matt) Chisam. Great nieces & nephews Lindsey, Tyler & Travis Long, Ross, Ryan Long, Tiffany, Courtney, Bethany, Ben, Stephanie & Hailey Rasmussen, Brittany & Ashley Borges, Kristen Long, Great nieces & nephews Hayden, Rogan & Macy Bode, Chase & Blythe Cunningham, Grady & Miles Chisam, and many other great nieces & nephews from out of the area. Cousins Donna, Patty, Robin, Janice Felt, Chris, the Dickinson family from Arcata/Bayside & Las Vegas, special “big sis” DeeAnne Masino, special friends Vicki Sallady & family, Pat & Sheila Folkins & family, Dennis Grinsell, Ken & Linda Bareilles, Ed Tanferani, Warren & Licia Fowler and so many others too numerous to mention.

The family would like to extend special thanks to Hospice of Humboldt, Dr. John Gambin, Dr, Donald Iverson, Dr. Michael Palmer, Dr, Henry Trieu, Laura Hall and Dr. Charlie Knoll, City Ambulance Crews, Humboldt Bay Fire – Lift Assist Crews, the Emergency Department staff at St. Joseph Hospital, main lobby Security staff who were especially kind to me at St. Joseph Hospital, Providence Home Health, General Hospital Rehab Staff/Granada Rehab Staff led by Dr. Charlie Knoll. The Cutten Chalet family, Adels family and so very special, our Angel God sent to our door to care for Tucky with such love and kindness until the very end – Melissa Brock. In his final days he was surrounded by family, visited by friends and per his wish, kept comfortably at home by his loving wife Tahni and caregivers. Tucky will be remembered as a class act, with both a staunch stubborn streak, and an exceptional, unshakable love for his family and friends.

Please come share in celebrating his life and your stories with us at a Celebration of Life on Monday, April 28, 2025, from 3-6 at the Eureka Elks Lodge, Herrick Ave in Eureka.

In lieu of flowers please consider donating to Hospice of Humboldt, 3327 Timber Fall Ct, Eureka, CA 95503, National MS Society, P.O. Box 91891, Washington, DC 20090-1891 or a charity of your choice.

###

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