Douglas Alan James, born December 10, 1965, passed away on July 3, 2024, surrounded by his family in Eureka.
Douglas, born #10 into a large family, was the baby. He would always say, “Mom was saving the best for last.”
He is survived by his brother Darrell “Joe” Sherman; sisters Diane “Susie” Wilson, Alzada “Sandy” Duncan; children, Aaron Bennett, Corey Cole, Teresa McGinnis, Angela King, Isabella James, Angeleah James, Carol Lowe; grandchildren, Donovan Bennett, Shaya Robinson, Kiara McGinnis, Mikaela James-Wheeler, Chayce McGinnis, Shane James, Jeremy Houston Jr., Rachel Houston, Volinda Houston, Isaiah James, Octavia Lowe; great-grandchildren, Nora Bennett, Haley Bennett, Annika Bennett. He is also survived by numerous cousins, nieces, nephews and friends, too many to name.
He is preceded in death by his mother, Beverly Jean James (Moorehead); fathers, Melvin “Red” James Sr., Cecil “Smokey” Sherman Sr.; brothers Duane “Pete” Sherman, Robert Sherman, Dennis Sherman Sr., Cecil “Sharky” Sherman Jr., Melvin “YoYo” James Jr.; sisters Diane Sherman, Shirley Sherman, Donna Sherman, Pamela James, Patty James; nieces Stacy Lynn Sherman, Debra Albers (Sherman); great-nephew Alex Lopez.
Douglas, an avid Raiders fan, enjoyed going to their games and collecting Raiders memorabilia, including several Raiders and Raiderettes tattoos. He would always bet his money on the Raiders, no matter the season. His loyalty was impeccable. A true RAIDER 4 LIFE. For this reason, Douglas’ children would like to ask that you wear something with the Raiders team logo or their colors, silver and black
Douglas, a Wiyot Tribal Member, grew up on the Table Bluff Rez in Loleta and the Tolowa Rez in Smith River. He attended Loleta Elementary School and Fortuna Union High School.
Douglas held several different jobs, including bucking hay, fisheries, Fidgelands potatoes, Stanhurst Bulb Farm and as a comedian.
Douglas had a great sense of humor. He was always laughing and joking, making people laugh. He also had a big heart and always had his door open for anyone who needed help, a place to stay, something to eat, and, back in the day, a place to party, drink, listen to music, and play games: cards, dice, dominoes, darts, horseshoes. He played them all “victoriously!” Beating him rarely happened.
All are welcome and invited to come and share Douglas’ celebration of life beginning on July 13, 2024. His graveside services will be held at 1 p.m. in the Sunset Memorial Park, located at 3975 Broadway, Eureka. This will be followed by Douglas’ celebration of life potluck held at Bear River Tish Non Community Center, located at 266 Keisner Road, Loleta. Come share your stories and memories of Douglas with us.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Douglas James’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.
Cal Poly Humboldt President Tom Jackson, Jr. will be stepping away from his current position next month. His departure caps a five-year tenure that saw a dramatic re-shaping of the University, including new academic programs and a historic state investment of new funding as part of the change to a polytechnic.
President Jackson informed CSU Chancellor Mildred García and colleagues of his decision earlier today. He has been consulting with the CSU Chancellor’s Office to ensure an orderly transition since early spring semester. An Interim President will be appointed shortly, and the CSU will carry out a national search for President Jackson’s replacement within the next year.
“Cal Poly Humboldt is an amazing place with special people. I have had the privilege to work alongside scientists and future scientists, teachers and future teachers, artists and future artists, engineers and future engineers, and leaders and future leaders. Like many of you, I wake up every day and remember what a gift I have been given: to have the opportunity to inspire and lead others. Your work makes a positive difference for our students. Please never forget that,” says Jackson.
President Jackson plans to transition into an ongoing role at Cal Poly Humboldt, retreating to his tenured professorship working with the College of Professional Studies and the College of Extended Education & Global Engagement.
President Jackson has had a career in higher education spanning nearly 40 years, the last decade as President of Cal Poly Humboldt and, prior to that, Black Hills State University in South Dakota. He served 18 years as both a Dean and a Vice President at a number of institutions. From the beginning of his time at Humboldt, President Jackson encouraged the University to raise its sights, to innovate and lead, to find the good in people, and to always focus on providing a positive and meaningful educational experience for students, including improving the residential experiences for students moving to the North Coast.
His visionary leadership resulted in one of the most significant transformative efforts in the institution’s history. The conversion to a polytechnic, along with the historic state investment of $458 million to help bring the plans to reality, will have a positive impact on the campus and community for generations to come. Within just a few years, Cal Poly Humboldt has added nine new bachelor’s degrees and a new master’s degree, and is building a new residence hall project that will house nearly 1,000 students. Construction is poised to begin on a new Engineering & Technology Building, which will be the signature new academic facility of the polytechnic effort. Polytechnic funding and other efforts have also supported acquisition of new properties, a state-of-the art replacement for the Coral Sea research vessel, and updates to campus labs. Additional new academic programs will be added over the next six years, including those in the engineering and health care fields. A new facility to support sustainability efforts and additional campus housing are also in the works.
President Jackson has led a significant expansion of outreach by the University including a new brand that showcases academic excellence and opportunities for student engagement. He has led growth in important funding in support of students. This has included a doubling of the amount of research grants and contracts to more than $67 million annually, one of the highest in the 23-campus CSU system. The University has also seen record levels of support from alumni and others. It recently completed its first comprehensive fundraising campaign, Boldly Rising, with more than 10,000 donors giving well over the campaign goal of $50 million to support scholarships, academic programs, and other campus priorities.
Budget and enrollment have been a focus throughout President Jackson’s tenure, as the University had experienced a number of years of declining enrollment and resources. The campus successfully balanced budgets after climbing out of a substantial $25 million deficit. Overall enrollment has turned around, and is about to enter its third straight year of growth, even as many campuses throughout the nation struggle with declines. Overall applications by new students have reached record levels. In addition, a variety of efforts have led to more students staying in school and strong increases in graduation rates.
Community outreach and engagement has been a major priority for President Jackson. He has built trust and launched partnerships with the region’s Tribal Nations, which he cites as “generational work” and among his most important successes. He has also worked closely with President Keith Flamer and the College of the Redwoods to forge a model relationship between a two-year and a four-year institution. Both President Jackson and President Flamer are proud military veterans and have strongly supported veteran students.
President Jackson spent significant time and energy with outreach to regional government leaders at all levels as well as community organizations, including Chambers of Commerce. He has involved the University in important community development efforts, including wind power and the undersea high-speed internet cable–with a focus on educational needs, grants, and partnerships. In all of these community efforts, the goal was to engage individuals across campus in order to build deeper and broader connections.
An area of emphasis throughout President Jackson’s career has been international education. He believes international competency will someday be considered as important as digital competency for college graduates, and frequently speaks of Humboldt’s potential for creating a “model global community.” Successes in this area include implementing the International Service Learning Program, with offerings in both the Philippines and Mexico. In addition, the University recently signed an expansive new agreement to cooperate on research and more with Charles Darwin University in Australia, Blue Lake Rancheria, and College of the Redwoods. Cal Poly Humboldt will continue its international engagement with Cebu Technological University and Cebu Normal University, both located in the Philippines.
Among the new programs launched in the last five years was a first-of-its-kind bachelor’s degree program at Pelican Bay State Prison, which is a partnership with College of the Redwoods and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. President Jackson oversaw the launch of Fall commencement ceremonies so that more students and families would have a chance to participate in the important rite of passage, and then went a step further and added a regional commencement ceremony in the Los Angeles area. As a result of many efforts in facilities, academics, research and more, Cal Poly Humboldt achieved its highest ever rating on STARS (The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System), which is used by hundreds of colleges and universities nationwide to measure their sustainability efforts. Humboldt’s Gold rating and overall score is the second highest among CSU campuses.
There have also been many successes within Athletics, an important area to President Jackson, who himself was a student athlete. He was known to seek input from the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, who often had highly balanced and engaged students representing the first-year to graduate levels. During his tenure, the Athletics program earned two national championships in Men’s Rugby and Women’s Rowing, improved academic performance, and added additional sports, including men’s wrestling and men’s and women’s rodeo. He sought out opportunities to know the student-athletes and their parents. His goal was to travel to at least one away event per team, per season, to spend time with students and their families.
President Jackson led Cal Poly Humboldt through a number of crises. Very shortly after he began, there were two multi-day power outages, followed closely by the Covid pandemic which struck halfway through his first year. Rather than retrench, he encouraged the campus to continue pursuing its aspirations and to prepare for opportunities to grow and support the region.
Over the past five years, President Flamer and President Jackson have shared the biweekly Times-Standard column College Matters. They have authored more than 100 articles each. The two presidents have also shared a KHSU talk radio show called, “Talk Humboldt with Keith and Tom.” Together they have interviewed dozens of local business and community leaders on subjects related to the North Coast. These were strategies used to share important information with the community.
Leading the campus during these transformational times has been the pinnacle of President Jackson’s long career in higher education. Even so, he has remained steadfast in his commitment to his family, balancing the heavy demands of leadership with time and attention given to his surviving daughter and spouse. The Jacksons lost their 22-year old son in a car accident in 2020.
In a letter to CSU Chancellor García outlining his plans, President Jackson highlighted the transformation underway on campus as well as some of the personal reasons guiding his decision. “As a President within the CSU, I have had 22 other close colleagues that matter greatly. Working beside them has helped this campus immensely when needed most.”
“I am a dad at heart,” he wrote. “I come to work every day to provide for my family while trying to make a difference in the lives of others. It was the desire to serve and help others that led me to this profession. Today, I find great joy in being the passenger in a small plane that my daughter is piloting. It was almost 22 years ago that I was the one flying and she was the nine-month-old sleeping beside me in the plane’s cabin.”
“We do the very best we can every day, trusting the faculty, staff, and students to do the same,” Jackson says. “In the end, it remains about the students. And what has been most rewarding are the many students who have graduated over the last five years. Nothing replaces the smiles of a student and the applause and excitement from their family as their student crosses the stage to receive their diploma. That is what it is all about.”
The former Jacobs Middle School campus at 674 Allard Avenue in Eureka. | File photo.
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Today was supposed to be the day that Eureka City Schools finalized a deal with the shadowy corporation AMG Communities - Jacobs, LLC, to swap the district’s former Jacobs Middle School campus for a small residential property at 3553 I Street in Eureka plus $5.35 million — a “land exchange” agreement valued at $6 million.
But at a special meeting last night, the district’s Board of Trustees approved a second amendment to the agreement, extending escrow until next month.
“The District is working with our surveyor to finalize the remaining details and plans to submit documents to the City of Eureka sometime next week, with a close of escrow by our next regularly scheduled Board meeting on August 8th,” the district’s executive assistant in the superintendent’s office, Micalyn Harris, told the Outpost in an email.
This represents the third delay in closing the deal following an initial feasibility period that was mutually extended to Feb. 26 and then an amended agreement approved by the board back in April. It has now been nearly seven months since the surprise announcement of the deal at a Dec. 14, 2023, board meeting.
According to the agenda for last night’s meeting, this second extension is necessary “to allow the Developer to cure certain conditions at 3553 I Street which were raised by the District, and to allow the District to complete the surveying and subdivision process to facilitate the conveyance of the Jacobs site.”
As noted in previous reporting, the interests behind AMG Communities have repeatedly refused to identify themselves except to insist that Security National founder Rob Arkley is not among them.
A website established by the company says it is backed by “a small investment firm that holds interests in real estate and businesses,” though a spokesperson told the North Coast Journal back in January that the company is “a private group of small individual and family investors focused on the single purpose for which it was formed — acquiring the former Jacobs Middle School site.”
While AMG Communities has provided the district with a $100,000 deposit, the text of the agreement says that this money “shall promptly” be returned if the deal doesn’t close by Aug. 9, unless both parties agree in writing to extend escrow yet again. (A $35,000 deposit that AMG put down on the I Street property is non-refundable.)
AMG Communities says on its website that while the 8.6-acre Jacobs property “is large enough to support a mix of housing and some neighborhood-serving commercial uses,” it also acknowledges that no “firm plans” have been developed yet.
The City of Eureka has several multi-story housing projects in various stages of development as part of a years-long plan to convert underused municipal parking lots into affordable apartments. Security National, meanwhile, is financing both a political group (Citizens for a Better Eureka) and a ballot measure (the “Housing for All and Downtown Vitality Initiative”) aimed at stymying those developments and preserving the downtown parking lots.
On July 10, 2024 at about 10:49 PM a Fortuna Police Department Officer patrolling the 1000 block of Loni Drive in Fortuna located an occupied suspicious parked vehicle, which was quickly determined to be a reported stolen vehicle. As officers investigated the occupant was identified as, Christopher Johnson (age 39) of McKinleyville.
As a result of the officers investigation Christopher Johnson was found in possession of over an ounce of
methamphetamine and over four grams of fentanyl packaged for sales and distribution.
Christopher Johnson was taken into custody on multiple felony charges and the stolen vehicle was returned to
the owner.
Christopher Johnson was transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility where he was booked on the
following charges.
California Penal Code Section 496D(A), Possession of a stolen vehicle
Health and Safety Code Section 11351, Possession of narcotics for sale
Health and Safety Code Section 11378, Possession of narcotics
Health and Safety Code Section 11352(A), Transportation of narcotics
Health and Safety Code Section 11379(A), Transportation of controlled substance
California Penal Code Section 1203.2(A), Violation of probation
The Fortuna Police Department commends the involved officers for their professionalism and dedication in
safely apprehending the suspect committing these crimes.
The Lena Reed McCovey Community Center, on the grounds of the Pulikla Tribe of Yurok People.
Press release from the Pulikla Tribe of Yurok People:
The Tribe formerly known as
Resighini Rancheria has a new name. On May 8th
Tribal Citizens
voted to amend the Tribe’s Constitution and change the name of the
Tribe to the Pulikla Tribe of Yurok People. This official change
occurred through a Secretarial Election conducted by the Bureau of
Indian Affairs with collaboration from the Tribe. The Tribe has been
working to change the name since 2019 and the new name signifies the
deep connection the Tribe has to ancestral lands, the Klamath river,
cultural traditions, and identity.
Pulikla
translates to “down river people,” which is the traditional
name of people that reside or descend from the villages along the
lower Klamath River.
“A
name has a spiritual connotation to it. That’s why it’s important
that we pick our own name,” said Chairperson Fawn C. Murphy. “Our
new name reflects a generational change and a reclamation of who we
are as Yurok people. ‘Resighini’ was a name given to us by the
Federal Government and did not reflect who we are. We picked a name
that has meaning to us, connection to culture, and connection to
place. It is a beautiful thing, and it makes me happy to hear people
say our new name. We are, and always have been, Yurok people. Now our
name reflects that.”
The
Pulikla entered into an unratified Treaty in 1851 with the federal
government and are part of the original Klamath River Reservation of
1855. In 1938, land was purchased on the lower Klamath River by the
federal government from Augustus Ressighini. The intent of the land
purchase was to provide a place for Tribal people residing along the
Klamath River and on the coast in Del Norte and Humboldt Counties.
Several Yurok families moved to this land to take up residence, and
in 1939 the Resighini Rancheria was formally proclaimed an Indian
Reservation. Tribal Citizens of the Pulikla Tribe of Yurok People
have been living on the land ever since.
“Pulikla
is a traditional name of where our people come from. With this name
change, we will no longer be seen by others as people that came here
from somewhere else. We are from the Klamath River and have always
been on the Klamath River. This name personifies that connection
since time immemorial and the pride and responsibility we feel as
Yurok people,” said Council Member Spa-ghe Dowd.
The
official name change will be published in the Federal Register in
January of 2025. In the meantime, the Tribe will work internally to
make necessary adjustments, and with Local, State and Federal
agencies and other partners to ensure a smooth transition.
About
the Pulikla Tribe of Yurok People.
Tribal
Citizens of the Pulikla Tribe of Yurok People have remained on the
lands and waters where our ancestors have survived since noohl
hee-kon (the
beginning). The
Tribe is governed by a Tribal Council made up of five elected Tribal
Citizens. The Tribe’s reservation is located just upstream from the
mouth of the Klamath river and its ancestral area extends along the
Pacific Ocean coastline from the northern boundary of Damnation
Creek, south to Little River; from the mouth of the Klamath River,
upstream to Slate Creek; and extends west to include the Pacific
Ocean.
On Wednesday, July 10 at 2:12 P.M. the Arcata Fire District was dispatched
to a traffic collision on West End Road at the HWY 101 overcrossing.
First responding units arrived to find a single vehicle that had collided with one of the bridge
pillars.
The engine company extricated the single occupant of the vehicle out of the passenger’s
side, as the driver’s side had been impacted heavily, with part of the engine encroaching
into the driver’s legroom area.
The driver was extricated from the vehicle and care was transferred to Arcata/Mad River
Ambulance personnel. The patient was then transported to the hospital for moderate
injuries.
The cause of the accident is unknown and under investigation by Arcata Police.
We would like to thank our mutual aid partners Arcata/Mad River Ambulance and Arcata
Police for their assistance during this incident.
Crash two:
On Wednesday, July 10 at 5:44 P.M. the Arcata Fire District was dispatched
to a traffic collision involving two vehicles on K street at 6th Street.
First responding units arrived to find one vehicle overturned that had collided with an
unoccupied parked vehicle.
The driver of the overturned vehicle was extricated from the vehicle by firefighters,
transported to a local hospital for treatment of significant injuries.
The cause of the accident is unknown and being investigated by Arcata Police.
We would like to send our thanks to mutual aid partners Arcata/Mad River Ambulance and
Arcata Police, and to remind citizens to use caution while driving at any time of day.
Stay alert, stay focused and stay safe.
A fast-moving wildfire has burned an estimated 80 acres of grass and oak woodland along Alderpoint Road a little over a mile northeast of Garberville as of Thursday morning.
The Point Fire has resulted in an evacuation order for a zone containing an estimated 160 residents. An additional 205 residents live in an adjacent zone under evacuation warning.
Residents in the red zone are currently under Evacuation Order.
The location of the Point Fire | Cal Fire
At this time, Cal Fire’s website lists the Point Fire as being 10% contained. Alderpoint Road is currently closed around the fire while crews work to stop the blaze’s forward progress. The fire’s activity seems maybe less aggressive than it did when it broke out Wednesday evening, still Cal Fire says there is hard work ahead.
“Forecasted winds and poor relative humidity recovery pose additional risks to the containment lines,” Cal Fire said. “There has been a significant augmentation of air and ground resources to combat the fire, with continued efforts to construct and improve control lines.”
We will update as additional information becomes available.
More info from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:
Yesterday evening at approximately 5:46 p.m., the Point Fire ignited east of Garberville on Alderpoint Rd.
Due to the Point Fire, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has issued an Evacuation Order for the following zone:
Zone HUM-E220-A (North of Wallan Rd., south of Alderpoint Rd., east of Wallan Rd., Alderpoint Rd. and west of Alderpoint Rd., Clark Rd.)
Residents who are already evacuated this zone are not permitted to return to their residences. Any residents remaining in this zone should evacuate immediately. There are road closures in place on Alderpoint Rd. at Sawmill Rd. and on Alderpoint Rd. at Wallan Rd. Residents are advised to take Highway 101 North as an evacuation route.
Due to positive developments in fire behavior and the hard work of firefighters from Humboldt County, the Evacuation Order for the following zone has been downgraded to an Evacuation Warning:
Zone HUM-E220-B (North of Alderpoint Rd., Timber Ln., south of Anita Dr., east of US 101 South and west of Wallan Rd.)
Residents of zone HUM-E220-B may return home with caution. Please note that road closures remain at Alderpoint Rd. and Wallan Rd. in this zone to prevent access to zone HUM-E220-A, which is currently under an Evacuation Order. Stay alert for outstanding dangers upon return including debris in roadways, gas leaks, hot embers and emergency response traffic. Residents should remain ready to evacuate again at a moment’s notice if conditions deteriorate.
An Evacuation Warning has been issued for the following zone:
Zone HUM-E201-A (North of Alderpoint Rd., Anita Dr., south of Skyway Rd., east of US 101 South and west of Maw Drive Rd., Alderpoint Rd.)
Residents should continue to prepare for potential evacuations, including gathering personal supplies and overnight accommodations. More information will follow if an Evacuation Order is issued.
Point Fire Information Line
Community members in need of evacuation information and those with questions related to the Point Fire and its impacts on Humboldt County should call 707-268-2500. Please do not call 9-1-1 unless you are experiencing an immediate emergency.
Community members residing in areas under the evacuation order should travel away from wildfire activity and take Highway 101 North. There are road closures in place on Alderpoint Rd. at Sawmill Rd. and on Alderpoint Rd. at Wallan Rd.
Emergency Shelter
The American Red Cross has established an Emergency Shelter at South Fork High School, located at 6831 Avenue of the Giants in Miranda. Water and information will be available at this site. This site will be open today, Thursday, July 11, until 1 p.m.
Sign Up for Humboldt Alert
Humboldt County residents are encouraged to sign up for Humboldt Alert to receive local emergency notifications, including information regarding evacuations and emergency sheltering in the event of a wildfire or other emergency incident. Residents can sign up by going to humboldtgov.org/alert.
For more information regarding the Point Fire, current impact and evacuation areas, please go to humboldtsheriff.org/emergency, visit @HumCoOES on Facebook and Twitter, or call 707-268-2500.
