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Those are among the hundreds of proposals California lawmakers swiftly rejected Friday under the banner of cost savings, as they cited the state’s $12 billion budget deficit — a worsening figure due to the threat of unprecedented federal funding cuts and California’s ballooning spending on health care for low-income residents.

“We are in (a) very difficult budget environment this year, so consequently many good bills are going to fall by the wayside today,” said Assembly Appropriations Committee Chair Buffy Wicks, an Oakland Democrat, before beginning that chamber’s hearing.

“We are not in a year where we can be expanding programs, developing new offices, new agencies, new departments, and expanding our footprints.”

The Friday procedure is known as the “suspense file” — the state Legislature’s most secretive and fast-paced biannual hearing, where the chairs of the Assembly and Senate Appropriations committees quickly shoot down pricey proposals with little explanation, often acting more aggressively during years of budget woes.

The suspense files are where the appropriations committees send bills that would cost the state at least $50,000 in the Senate and $150,000 in the Assembly. The process was originally a way for lawmakers to consider policy proposals that cost the state money together by balancing them against each other.

But the well-accepted open secret in Sacramento is that it’s also an opportunity for lawmakers to quietly kill controversial bills, appease powerful special interests or just winnow down the number of bills they’ll have to debate on the floor. Lawmakers decide ahead of time, in secret, whether to pass the bills to the full Senate or Assembly, or to withhold them. The public hearings are a rapid-fire announcement of the decisions.

On Friday, the Senate Appropriations Committee axed 29% of the 432 bills on its list, although it kept a handful of those alive to work on next year. That’s more aggressive trimming than the committee did last May.

“The state is facing a significant budget deficit and with that in mind, the committee had to make difficult choices on a number of bills to reduce costs,” said Senate Appropriations Chairperson Anna Caballero, a Merced Democrat, before the hearing. She opened the hearing with a defense of the arcane proceedings, explaining that the results would be posted online, but rushed out to catch a flight after the meeting without discussing her approach with reporters.

The Assembly Appropriations Committee killed 35% of the 666 measures on its suspense file, similar to last year. Lawmakers had been warned to keep the cost of their proposals down, Wicks said.

“We stressed heavily to members as they were putting together their legislative package this year to be very mindful of cost,” she told reporters.

The state’s fiscal future is anything but certain: As federal threats loom, Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier this month rolled out a $322 billion spending plan that included significant cuts to Medi-Cal, the state’s health care system for low-income Californians, and a 3% cut to public universities.

Health care expansions on the chopping block

On Friday, some Assembly measures that would have expanded health care services for Californians met their fate. That includes Wicks’ own proposal seeking federal approval to qualify some housing services as Medi-Cal benefits, a $40 million endeavor that Newsom previously vetoed. The committee also killed a proposal to allow more Medi-Cal enrollees to receive home-based care and another that would have allowed higher-earning immigrants in the country illegally to purchase insurance plans on Covered California, the state-run health care marketplace.

Assemblymembers meet during a suspense file hearing at the Capitol Annex Swing Space in Sacramento on May 23, 2025. Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters

In the Senate, lawmakers shelved a proposal by Sen. Catherine Blakespear to impose campaign contribution limits on candidates for judicial office and school board races, which the influential California Teachers Association opposed. They axed Sen. Henry Stern’s proposal to expand the state’s contentious new mental health program CARE Courts to include defendants with bipolar disorder I, and Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil’s bill to address mountain lion interactions that has pitted rural communities against animal rights and wildlife conservation advocates.

The Senate Appropriations Committee also killed two Republican tough-on-crime proposals, showing the limits of Democrats’ recent shift slightly rightward on crime. Until Friday, it had been surprisingly smooth sailing this year for Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones’ bill to block sex offenders from being released from prison through the state’s elderly parole program, and Sen. Kelly Seyarto’s bill to increase penalties for selling or giving fentanyl to minors.

The law enforcement-backed bills were opposed by criminal justice reform advocates, who still hold sway with the majority party and often argue it would be too costly for the state to imprison more people.

In a statement, Jones, a San Diego Republican, called the suspense file process “anti-democratic” and accused Democrats of “silencing the voices of victims and the public.”

Some measures are now postponed until next year. That includes two Assembly measures seeking tighter regulations on ticket sales for sports and musical events, amid fierce opposition from ticketing platforms such as Stubhub and from local chambers of commerce. The measures would restrict when those platforms can resell tickets, strengthen the disclosure of ticket information and require venues to accept proof of purchase as tickets.

Assm. Isaac Bryan, a Culver City Democrat who authored one of the measures, said Wicks never articulated her concerns with his proposal, even though Wicks told reporters Friday her staff had been in touch with Bryan’s office. “There was never an attempt to discuss the bill,” which led him to believe her concerns had been alleviated, Bryan said in a statement.

Lawmakers also pushed off some issues to be debated further during budget negotiations between the Legislature and Newsom. That process will accelerate in the coming weeks before a mid-June deadline to pass a balanced budget.

Newsom’s film tax credit pushed to budget talk

They stripped out language in both Assembly and Senate bills to more than double the state’s film tax credit to $750 million. Newsom has pushed hard for the tax credit expansion to help the ailing Los Angeles industry and keep production in state, and he’s included the money in his budget proposals which lawmakers will debate separately.

Assemblymember Rick Zbur, a Los Angeles Democrat who authored the Assembly version of the measure, said the committee move was merely a technical one to separate budget allocations from policy changes.

“The increase in the size of the program will happen in the budget,” Zbur said. “I’m not that nervous about it.”

But to others, the move indicated that some lawmakers remain skeptical of spending so much on the program. Sen. Ben Allen, an El Segundo Democrat who sponsored the Senate bill to boost the tax credits, said he was “certainly disappointed.”

“It’s something we are going to push back against as budget negotiations begin to heat up,” he said in a statement.

An ambitious and highly technical proposal by Sen. Scott Wiener reining in the landmark California Environmental Quality Act to make it harder for opponents of development to sue to block housing projects also will be debated in the budget process.

In the Senate Appropriations Committee, lawmakers passed the bill but Caballero said they would continue negotiating it to help the state meet its housing needs “without compromising environmental protections.”

We passed the one-third mark with two more baseball parks visited this week, our 10th and 11th of the trip: Tampa and Miami.

Game #10: Astros versus Rays at George Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, May 19

Imagine your vacation house survived a hurricane and a neighbor who you don’t even like needed to rent it for the summer after his house was severely damaged by the hurricane. That’s the Tampa Bay Rays situation for 2025 (and beyond?). Hurricane Milton damaged the roof of Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg last year, rendering the stadium unusable. In April the city agreed to spend $22.5 million to fix the roof. For this year the Rays made a deal with the Yankees to use Steinbrenner Field in Tampa – the spring training home of the Bronx Bombers.

Spill one out for The Mick. Photos by Trepiak unless otherwise noted.

At the start of this season, much of the Yankee signage remained, creating what one usher called “a house divided.” Fans walked into the stadium with a prominent “NY” logo just above the “Home of the Rays” sign. Fortunately, that’s all been cleaned up but the Yankee plaques honoring all the retired numbers remain outside the main stadium entrance. Can it really feel like you’re at home with the Yankees of the past watching your every move? Maybe that’s why the Rays have a losing record at home.

Game atmosphere: Positive

Steinbrenner Field was designed to give Yankee fans a great spring training experience. The dimensions of the park are the same as Yankee Stadium, and the seats are up close and personal. You can see inside the dugout from the Field Box Seats. “You’re closer to the action,” said Ryan Rondeau, a member of the Rays Tech Team. “There is not a bad seat in the house. Of course, the heat sucks in Florida. And we’ve had two rain delays this season.” The heat and rain were non-factors in Tropicana Field where the retractable roof kept the field dry and the temperature a cozy 72 degrees.

It was 87 degrees at first pitch with humidity at 65 percent. “It’s too hot for anything right now except for sitting on the couch,” said one fan. A local newscaster gave the game forecast on the big scoreboard just before game time. “There is not much of a cooling influence,” he said, noting it would stay in the 80s the entire game. But we can’t fault the Rays for the hand they’ve been dealt. (Hurry up and fix that roof!) Steinbrenner Field has a Major League feel, albeit a Mini-Me version of an MLB park.

The Rays make good and frequent use of the fireworks feature of the scoreboard, blasting them twice during the national anthem and after home runs by Rays players. … Raymond the mascot is more active than most of the mascots we’ve seen so far – no small challenge with the heat and humidity. He roamed the stands for fan selfies, participated in an on-field race with two others mascots between innings, and performed various antics from the top of the dugout.

Fans cheered their Rays at every opportunity, but truly came to life every time Jose Altuve of the Astros came to the plate. Or, as he should be called in Tampa, Jose Al-BOO-ve. It seems the Rays fans are still ticked off about the whole 2017 cheating episode that enabled the Astros to steal a World Championship. Their loud displeasure was especially interesting since the Rays did not even make the playoffs that year. Altuve is the only position player still on the Astros from the 2017 team. The boos turned to cheers every time as Altuve went oh-for-four. The Astros got plenty of cheers, too, as about 20 percent of the crowd were Houston fans.

Ballpark cuisine: Neutral

The food at Steinbrenner Field is served hot and tastes good. There just isn’t anything beyond normal baseball fare. No specialty items. The closest thing to a specialty item is the Burst Burger (known as the Aaron Judge 99 Burger during spring training). It’s a half pound of beef with all the fixings for a filling experience. A local pizza place, Colony Grill Pizza, has been around since 1935 and dishes up high quality thin-crust slices with its signature “hot oil” topping. And there is the usual assortment of sausages, hot dogs, chicken tenders, nachos, burgers, sliders, tacos and barbecue sandwiches. The right field and left field corners each feature an air-conditioned area where food and drink can be purchased. Or in the Field Box Seats, for $200 or more per ticket, you can fetch the inclusive food and drink in a private area underneath the stands or have it brought to you. And you have a place to retreat to if there is a pesky rain delay.

Club hospitality: Positive

Hurray for people who want to help! We felt like we had family working in the Rays Communication Department. At first there was a misfire because the person in charge of credentials in 2024 is longer with the team. But then we were assigned to Tabitha Labrato who took great care of us, providing credentials good for being on the field during batting practice, and issuing great game seats – 11 rows up from the field just off home plate on the first base side.

Game details: Astros win 4-3. Attendance 10,046. Time of game: 2:32.

Helpful tips: No outside food or beverages, but they do allow you to bring in empty plastic bottles that can be filled at the (tepid) water stations throughout the park. (It’s almost 90 degrees – how about some refrigeration units for the water stations?) Bags must be clear, and they say no purse bigger than 5”x7” but aren’t sticklers about it like other parks.

You don’t see that every day: The lineup for the Astros featured their three outfielders batting 7-8-9. The outfield position used to be where most of the team’s power hitters played. Think Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr. or Barry Bonds.

Game #11: Cubs versus Marlins at LoanDepot Park in Miami, May 21

Miami is at the bottom of the National League East standings. Same for 2024. Somehow they managed to finish third in 2023 and make the playoffs as a wild card team. Then the Marlins made some administrative changes and have been free-falling ever since. Low attendance has plagued them after the 2023 season. They are averaging less than 14,000 fans per game this year, and had just over 14,000 fans per game last year. It is trending in the wrong direction!

Game atmosphere: Neutral

This game was the oddest one so far. LoanDepot seats 37,000 but there were less than 7,500 in attendance. Of those 7,500 – more than 75 percent were Cubs fans. Any attempt to get Marlin fan involvement going through videos, music, mascots or PA announcements fell flat because all the Cubs fans ignored it. The game itself was a good one – tied at 1-1 after the first inning. It stayed that way - with plenty of good pitching and defense - until the Cubs scored in the eighth inning. … The PA system was LOUD between innings with music hitting the 82.7 decibel level. Maybe because there weren’t many fans to absorb the sound? … There were at least six Marlin fans at the game, seated two rows behind us. Six boys around 19 years old, one with a booming voice and five that snickered through the game, egging him on with his occasional loud exclamation about nothing. I know the decibel level of the music because I downloaded an app during the game to measure the decibel level of the loud-mouthed fan (80 decibels!). His shouted comments weren’t particularly witty and usually had nothing to do with baseball. It seems there is a fine line between wit and nitwit. For instance, when Michael Busch of the Cubs was batting, Mr. Loud Mouth shouted, “Your dad wasn’t a very good president.” Then, after a pause, “Neither was your grandfather!” About midway through the game, we finally figured out there were about 30,000 empty seats to choose from to move away from the bombastic boor.

The crowd came to life with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. That’s when all the Cubs fans stood up and cheered, anticipating the final out of the game. … The stadium has a retractable roof so the Florida heat was not an issue. … Clear panels cover much of the left field side of the field, showcasing a view of the downtown Miami skyline. … They have drinking fountains but no drink stations.

Ballpark cuisine: Neutral

It is mostly standard baseball fare with a couple of exceptions. CAO Bakery & Café offers Cuban food with Fritas (Cuban cheeseburgers), Croquetas (ham and cheese sandwiches) and Arroz Con Pollo Bites (shredded chicken in a rice ball stuffed with mozzarella cheese). Of the three, only the Pollo Bites truly satisfied with its tasty combination. Beis Bowl is a food cart where you build your own bowl with a variety of grains and protein to choose from- similar to what you would find at Chipotle. There is also a Kosher Grill serving up mostly hot dogs. Pepsi sponsors a great family value package for Wednesday and Sunday games called “4 for $44.” Forty-four dollars gets you four tickets to the game, four hot dogs, four sodas and four small popcorns. The seats our way out in the Home Run Porch hinterland, but a great value nonetheless. … There is also an all-you-can eat section (Legends Level in Sections 201-204) with unlimited hot dogs, chili dogs, nachos with cheese, chili nachos, cheeseburgers, popcorn, peanuts, cookies and non-alcoholic drinks. All for $66 per person. To buy these tickets you have to navigate the Single Game Ticket Offers on the team website, find the All-You-Can-Eat Seats under Value Offers, then click “Buy Now” for the game of your choice.

Club hospitality: Positive

The team provided parking and tickets between home plate and the first base dugout.

Game details: Cubs win 2-1. Attendance 7,482. Time of game: 2:36.

Helpful tips: Only clear bags are permitted besides a small purse (6”x 8” maximum). Unopened plastic water bottles are allowed. Musical instruments are not only allowed but encouraged as the team tries to manifest a “fiesta” atmosphere – although we didn’t see any instruments and heard only one cowbell in the stands. Several parking garages are nearby for as little as $15.

You don’t see that every day: A bobblehead “museum” representing all 30 teams is featured in a large glass-enclosed, two-sided display case in the outfield plaza area. There are more than 600 bobbleheads featuring players, mascots and broadcasters.

Bonus: New Orleans

No MLB park. No National Park. But New Orleans is between Texas and Florida so it was definitely worth a visit. We had our best experience of New Orleans (pronounced New-OR-lins by locals, as if it’s one word) before we got there. We stayed with friends in Louisiana west of New Orleans and enjoyed a Crawfish Boil, homemade pralines, beignets and Boudin before we headed east on Interstate-10.

Dat dere’s a mess o’ CRAW-feeee-ish.

A quick tour of Cajun cuisine: You need about five pounds of crawfish per person for a crawfish boil, since each crawfish yields only its tail for meat – about the size of the tip of a child’s pinky. Getting to that tail-meat is an art by itself. … Beignets (pronounced ben-yayz) are a French-style, deep-fried pastry. … Pralines (pronounced praa-leenz) are a nut confection made with pecans or almonds coated with caramelized sugar. … Boudin (pronounced boo-da, with the “da” like “dan” without the “n”) is a sausage link, sometimes with smoked pork and pepper jack cheese.

New Orleans, still in recovery-mode since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, in spite of that continues to feature a robust music, culinary and party scene. Driving and parking in New Orleans is a challenge, so instead park for free near the edge of the city limits by the streetcar line. The streetcar will take you right to the French Quarter. It’s only $3 for an all-day pass on the streetcar – 80 cents for seniors. The culinary-party connections are everywhere, including restaurants such as “Voodoo Chicken and Daquiris” and another one promoting its pizza and daquiris. One passerby summed up the scene with, “It’s always happy hour in New Orleans.” The restaurant where we dined featured live music (a horn-playing soul singer) where we enjoyed the gumbo and fried shrimp po’boy.

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Tom Trepiak is the former sports information director at Humboldt State and a member of the Cal Poly Humboldt Athletics Hall of Fame.

Where can you hear a your neighbor’s heavy metal show one minute, a different neighbor’s current affairs talk show a minute later, only to find something a couple hours later that you didn’t even know you wanted but is now your favorite thing in the world? 

On community radio, of course!

Recently, Neroli Devaney, the brains behind Humboldt Hot Air — a community radio station in Arcata — joined KSLG DJ Rhi Marie to talk about the glories and headaches of running a low-power FM station, about what makes community radio different than other forms of media, and about the continuing work she and her colleagues are doing to make KHHA an ever-truer “voice of the community.”

People in the Humboldt Bay area can find Humboldt Hot Air at 94.7 on the FM dial, and the station streams online at humboldthotair.org.

Transcript and audio below.

My one claim to fame growing up in Eureka was the title of Humboldt County’s Miss Dog Tag. Other girls, dressed in one-piece swim suits and high heels, told of their dreams of a better world as they competed for the title of Miss Humboldt County, a preliminary to the Miss California Contest, which could even lead to the National Miss America Pageant with Bert Parks as master of ceremonies.

But not I.

For three summers, from 1951 through 1953, my title was Miss Dog Tag of Humboldt County. How did I come to claim such a title?

In 1951, after four years of marriage, I was divorced and on my own. To my relief, my mother insisted I move in with her. We agreed that I would pay her fifty dollars a month for room and board. I was earning $300 a month in my new position teaching upper grades at Rolph Elementary School in Fairhaven. Since I had more college credits than the primary grade teacher, I was paid an additional five dollars a month to be principal of the school. This job involved making out attendance records for the county each month, ordering school supplies, putting them away in the school storeroom, and taking inventory of supplies at the beginning and end of each school year. I loved my teaching position at Rolph School and felt that it was my school. Janice Lansing taught the primary grades the first year I was there, Winnie Hill the next, and Glenna Davis the following two years.

Although there was a workmen’s ferry from the docks in Eureka to Mutual Plywood, a mill adjacent to the Rolph School, there was no bridge across the bay from Eureka to Samoa and Fairhaven in the 1950s. I had to drive all the way around the bay to get to school. World War II had not been over long in 1951. Factories were still gearing up to civilian needs. I worried that any car that had survived four years of wartime use, plus nearly six years post-war use, would not be reliable, so I put a down payment on a new 1951 baby blue Ford sedan. My car payments were $90 a month. At that time, beginning teachers in Humboldt County schools were paid only for the months that school was in session. This left me with no income for the three summer months.

I doubled the car payments so I would not lose my car during the summer. By the time I made double car payments, paid my mother for room and board, bought gas that ran $20 a month, paid my dentist $10 a month, and shopped for necessary things like shampoo, I had five dollars a month left to do with as I pleased. Even if I saved every spare dollar, it would not be enough to tide me over the summer. I needed a summer job.

An opportunity for temporary work turned up in the County Clerk’s office at the court house. Fred J. Moore, Jr., the County Clerk, offered to stop by my mother’s house at 1521 Sixth Street in Eureka, and interview me. Fred was a brother of Franny Moore, tbe football coach at Arcata High School, and also a brother of Herb Moore, an Arcata physician who, during one rainy winter while I attended Humboldt State College, had removed my infected tonsils for a fee of fifty dollars. Fred Moore was a medium-sized man with sandy- colored hair. He sat on my mother’s flowered chintz-covered sofa while she served coftee in her best Haviland china cups. After chatting awhile. Fred J. Moore offered me the job of selling dog licenses during the summer at the legal minimum wage of fifty cents an hour.

The old courthouse took up one city block and stood like a wedding cake frosted in pale yellow butter-cream icing, surrounded by lawns, shrubs, trees, and paths. Broad staircases rose from Fourth and Fifth Streets to the second fioor, where the county offices were located. The old courthouse looked to me like a courthouse should look, with a clock tower that served as a landmark, even if it did not always tell the correct time.

Each morning, I climbed the broad Fifth Street staircase of the old courthouse. Tall, double doors opened into a high-ceilinged hallway. The County Clerk’s office was the ñrst one on the left and took up one quarter of the second floor. The tall door to this office was wrapped with grooved, milled, straight-vertical-grain redwood molding, stained and varnished dark hrown, as were all the other windows and doors in the court house. Emma Cox Alcala was the County Recorder, with an office across the hall on the east side of the building. Judges’ chambers, courtrooms and court reporter offices were on the third floor.

Inside the County Clerk’s office, a forty-inch-high railing ran from the door to the counter, a distance of about ten feet, with a small gate near the counter. My little desk stood just in front of this gate inside the railing. A small sign sitting on top of the railing to one side of my desk announced “DOG LICENSES.” On the back of this sign, someone had written my name and “Miss Dog Tag 1951.” I sat at my desk facing the door, and the first things people saw when they walked into the County Clerk’s offices were the dog license sign and my smile.

Filing cabinets reached from floor to ceiling on the west wall between the tall windows of the County Clerk’s office. Clerks had to use a ladder that ran along a railing to reach the higher file drawers. Heavy wooden desks stood behind the counter the length of the room. Fred’s desk was centered between the windows. situated so that he could see everyone who came in or out of the office, but he rarely sat still at this desk. He was always busy.

Gigantic legal ledgers, so huge I don’t know if I could have picked them up, were stored under the counter. Beulah Wahlund, who became my good friend while I worked there, is a petite person, but she was able to handle these mighty ledgers, in which the entries were hand-written, and to help people with legal matters. Beulah said the heavy ledgers stored under the counter on rollers instead of shelves, which made it easier to slide them in and out out.

Others in the County Clerk’s Office at that time were Merlyn Allen, Barbara Anderson, Helen Tierney, Rose Vossberg and Elizabeth Griffin. Sam Glenn and Dorothea Martell were courtroom clerks who spent some of their time in the County Clerk’s office and the rest of their time in the courtrooms. Court was very formal in those days, and Sam and Dorothea always wore suits when they had to appear in court, although Dorothea might take her jacket off when she came back into the County Clerk’s office.

Two judges sat in the Humboldt County Court House during this period: Delos A. Mace and Carl L. Christiansen, Jr. There were only two female attorneys in Humboldt County then: Grace Dempster in Fortuna and Elizabeth Morrison in Eureka. A very colorful attorney, Blaine McGowan, wore western suits, cowboy boots and a Stetson hat; but ofcourse he did not wear the hat in court. Former Senator Irwin T. Quinn, Collis Mahon (Fortuna), George Corbett, Chester Monette, Jeremiah R. Scott, Sr., Arthur W Hill. rested Francis B. Mathews, and many others were attorneys in the 1950s. Beulah Wahlund remembers Jeremiah Scott, Sr. as a wonderful old gentleman who sometimes had a story to tell the clerks. He always started out with: “When I was a dashing young lieutenant…” She did not remember any of his stories, but did remember his resounding voice that could be heard in the second floor hallway when he was trying a case in one of the courtrooms on the third floor.

Fred J. Moore was a brilliant man who had a virtual “kingdom” in that he ran all the areas connected with the County Clerk’s office from this one room in the courthouse. Marriage licenses were issued, passport applications accepted, naturalization papers processed for new citizens, and dog licenses issued. Fictitious Names Statements and Articles of Incorporation were also filed in the County Clerk’s office. In addition, Fred was in charge of the election department. He had several extra telephones installed on election days, and the County Clerk employees worked through the evening and night receiving calls from precincts as they tallied the results. Reporters from local newspapers and for KIEM radio hustled in and out, keeping tabs on the election.

The County Clerk’s office maintained all the court records and prepared the court calendars for civil, prohate, criminal, juvenile courts, and for adoptions. Fred used a color- coded system for files: blue for civil cases, brown for probate, green for juvenile, yellow for criminal and red for adoptions. Adoptions were closed files. Fred J. Moore also served as ex officio clerk to the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors. Fred told his staff, “The record must speak for itself.” If someone made a mistake, they could not change the record or date of filing, but they could correct it if a document should have been filed at an earlier date by using the term nunc pro tune—”now for then.” Beulah remembers that when she first went to work at the County Clerk’s otfice, Fred scolded her day for straightening his desk. Although it looked to her like his desk needed to be organized, he knew exactly where everything was in clutter, and did not appreciate anyone moving things around.

My job at the County Clerk’s office began as soon as school closed in June, but requests for dog tags merely trickled in until the deadline of July I approached. I spent most of my first days helping recount ballots for an election, the results of which had been questioned. Two women had been hired to do this work. Fred asked me to help them at their table when there were no dog tags to issue. As a schoolteacher, used to checking papers every day after school or in the evening when I got home, I had learned to be swift and accurate. Right away, I earned a one 25-cent-an-hour raise. I also unwittingly earned the animosity of these women. After a few days I realized the that because I worked so much faster than they did, I made their job last a shorter length of time. Although I was helping to get the work done, the amount of money they were able to earn decreased. I felt relieved wben the county deadline of July 1 for dog tags grew closer, and I became busy at my own tittle desk near the door.

This page from the 1946 Registry of Dogs, a large leather-bound ledger on file at the Historical Society, indicates some of the popular pet names of the era. The Snoopy on line two is not a namesake of the famous quadruped, who did not appear until 1950. Click to enlarge.

We were allowed a fifteen-minute break every morning and afternoon, and an hour for lunch. Our lunchroom was a narrow back room that ran the width of the main room and had one tall window. This storage room contained a coffee pot, some chairs, our lunches and snacks, as well as shelves of office supplies reaching to the ceiling, accessed by a ladder running on an overhead track. Beulah and I brought bits of embroidery to work on while we sat by the light of the tall, narrow window and talked during our fifteen- minute breaks.

The summer of 1953 was my last summer as Miss Dog Tag. The following winter, the 1954 earthquake bit just after twelve oclock noon on December 21. Most of the staff had gone to lunch, but Beulah was standing at the counter with Fred Moore. Sam Merryman, a county supervisor, was leaving the office and had gotten as far as the door that had a glass transom over it. As Sam stood in the doorway, Beulah expected the glass to fall out of the transom onto him. She tried to move around the counter, to warn him, but with each step the floor came up to her foot, so she just hung on to the counter. Luckily, the glass transom did not fall. Behind Beulah, the metal file drawers full of heavy files were moving in and out. Above her head, suspended by bars, the fluorescent ceiling lights swayed crazily, scattering plaster over everything. She expected the lights to fall on her, but they stayed suspended, hanging in a lopsided fashion. Beulah, a young newlywed, feared that she was going down in a heap of rubble and that her husband, Tom, would never know what had happened to her.

That earthquake proved that the building was unsafe. It would have been very costly, and maybe impossible, to shore it up to meet new earthquake codes. It was a shame to have to tear down the old court house after seventy years (its cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1884), even though it was altogether too small for the needs of Humboldt County in the mid-twentieth century. The County Clerk’s office had to be temporarily moved to the Veterans Memorial Building. Later, many of the records were transferred to the Recorder’s office. The Post Office now takes passport applications, and the County Agricultural Department handles dog licenses and animal control. (The city of Eureka has its own dog license department.)

I will always have fond memories of the three summers when I “reigned” as Miss Dog Tag of Humboldt County. To have been able to work in the historical Victorian courthouse with the dedicated people of the County Clerk’s office was a special time for me. In addition, I found a lifetime friend in Beulah Wahlund. Although we have not been able to stay in close contact, for I moved away from Humboldt County, we have kept in touch through Christmas cards all this time—fifty-seven years. I could not have written this account of working at the old court house selling dog licenses without her help.

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The story above is from the Winter 2008 issue of the Humboldt Historian, a journal of the Humboldt County Historical Society. It is reprinted here with permission. The Humboldt County Historical Society is a nonprofit organization devoted to archiving, preserving and sharing Humboldt County’s rich history. You can become a member and receive a year’s worth of new issues of The Humboldt Historian at this link.

Born December 27, 1964, to Norman and Jean Satterlee of Fort Seward, Kim entered the world during the historic 1964 Humboldt County flood. From the beginning, she made her presence known — and made her older sister, Tami Satterlee-Boughner, the proud big sister she had always dreamed of being.

Kim was raised on her family’s beef cattle ranch in Fort Seward, where she attended Casterlin Elementary School and made lifelong friends. In 1974, the family spent a year in Talkeetna, Alaska, where Kim attended 5th grade. That year became one of her most treasured memories — filled with dogsledding adventures, moose chases on the way to the bus stop, and snow cave escapades with her sister and cousins. She fondly shared these stories throughout her life.

Returning to California, Kim completed 6th grade at Redway Elementary and went on to graduate from South Fork High School in 1983. She served as class president, was a passionate volleyball player, and kept stats for the varsity football team. After high school, she attended Santa Rosa Junior College alongside her cousin, Lisa Maher.

Kim’s entrepreneurial spirit led her to open her first business, Just Kids, a children’s boutique in Old Town Eureka. It was her pride and joy, known for its charming fashion shows that often featured her nephew and little cousins. Later, she opened Body Quest, a health and tanning salon that reflected her love for helping others and promoting well-being.

In 1989, Kim married Larry Wyatt. They welcomed their first child, Brett Norman John Wyatt, on March 31, 1992. He was the light of her life. Three years later, on November 18, 1994, she gave birth to twin daughters, Courtney Jean Wyatt and Whitney Tami Wyatt, whom she adored just as deeply.

The family settled in Carlotta in the mid-1990s, where Kim became a teacher’s aide at Cuddeback Elementary to be closely involved in her children’s education. As her kids moved on to high school, Kim began working as a court clerk at the Humboldt County Courthouse, where she formed deep bonds with her work “family.” She took great pride in dressing up each day and showcasing her flair for style.

In 2015, Kim married Timothy Hackett, and in him, she found her soulmate. Together, they shared a deep and joyful love, enjoying adventures like hunting, fishing, camping, skydiving, and traveling — especially to Mexico. Their life was full of laughter, ease, and a shared zest for making the most of every moment. Kim also had a deep love for sports, especially her beloved Golden State Warriors.

Among Kim’s many great accomplishments, her most cherished was becoming a grandmother. Her grandson, Charlie Jean Wyatt-Stewart — her daughter Whitney’s son — was born in 2018. Kim was overjoyed to be a grandma and treasured every moment with Charlie. Playing outside with him, snuggling and watching movies, and going on trips to the zoo were among her happiest memories.

Kim had a special love for animals — each one held a unique place in her heart. She especially enjoyed caring for her chickens, looking forward every day to letting them roam freely around the property, watching them scratch the earth and forage for food. She found joy in collecting their eggs and loved sharing them with family and friends.

For as long as she could remember, Kim had dreamed of having a “weenie dog.” That dream finally came true in May 2024 when Bob, a sweet, dappled dachshund, came into her life — a little bundle of joy she had always hoped for. Alongside Bob and her beloved black lab, Mylee, Kim’s deep love for animals was a beautiful part of who she was.

Kim was preceded in death by her beloved mother, Jean Satterlee.

She is lovingly remembered by her husband, Tim Hackett; her son, Brett Wyatt (Steffanee Anderson); her daughters, Courtney Wyatt (Zach Zerlang) and Whitney Wyatt (Dominic Santino); and her beloved grandson, Charlie Wyatt-Stewart. She is also survived by her father, Norman Satterlee; her sister, Tami Satterlee-Boughner (Bret Boughner); her nephew, Matthew Boughner (Derek Baca); her father-in-law, George Hackett, and mother-in-law, Barbra Hackett; her stepson, Colton Hackett (Brittany Hoalton); and many cherished aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends.

The family extends their heartfelt gratitude to Hospice of Humboldt — especially Karen and Bridgette — as well as Nancy and Betsy, Kim’s private caregivers, who supported her and honored her final wishes with grace and compassion.

Kim passed away peacefully at home on May 17, 2025, surrounded by her family and pets, just as she wished. She faced an 18-month battle with pancreatic cancer with extraordinary strength, never giving up. Her spirit, love, and courage will forever live on.

A celebration of life will be held at Hydesville Community Church on July 12 at 11 a.m. Immediately following the service, a reception will be held in Kim’s honor at the Carlotta Grange. In celebration of Kim’s love for vibrant fashion, the family kindly encourages attendees to wear leopard print, purple, or other bold, colorful attire.

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

Jeffery William Davis passed away March 2025. Jeff was born on June 25,1951 in Eureka, to William and Betty Lou Davis, where he grew up with his sister and 2 brothers. Jeff attended Marshall Elementary, Eureka Junior High and graduated from Eureka High in 1969. Jeff played little league and the trombone in high school. Betty introduced Jeff to golfing at an early age. You could always find him at the Eureka Municipal Golf course with his white German Shepard, Duchess. As Jeff golfed, Duchess would scour the bushes and retrieve the hooked and shanked balls by other golfers, giving Jeff plenty of balls to play with. Jeff continued to play golf throughout his life till his back no longer allowed it.

During the summers he loved going to “the cabin” in Willow Creek, playing golf in the morning with his brother in laws and friends. Then coming home and snorkeling up and down the Trinity River with his shoes inside his fins. In his later years he enjoyed his annual boys golf week in southern Oregon or over in the valley. Everybody always remembers Jeff’s footwork as he was teeing off or hitting the ball. The stance was never quite right, and he would not hit the ball until it was!!

Another favorite thing Jeff loved to do was drive fast and playing the music loud while singing along.

Jeff had many good friends from high school and college. They gave themselves the name of the Wednesday Night Gang. Every Wednesday night they would get together, party and partake in many mischievous things. This produced lifelong friendships that helped shape them for the future.

Jeff worked at the GP sawmill while putting himself through College of Redwoods and then Humboldt State, graduating in 1974 with a degree in Speech Therapy. As most young people, he didn’t use his degree right away. He tried his hand at construction, picture framing, warehouse manager and a brakeman for the Northwestern Pacific Railroad. During this time, Jeff married and welcomed two children into the world, Joshua and Sarah.

Jeff met Harry Carlson while working at Arcata Redwood. They became great friends and Harry taught Jeff how to build cabinets and furniture resulting in his love of woodworking. Jeff helped build his next 2 homes, doing all the trim and cabinets himself as well as some of the construction. He did beautiful work and was very proud of the homes.

Jeff went back to college and earned his master’s degree in Speech Therapy and began working with elderly stroke patients at the convalescent hospitals. He found he liked working with the adults much better than with kids and had found his calling. He was very personable and good at what he did, all the patients loved him.

Eventually Jeff went back and earned his administrative credential which led to his management of the Pacific and Granda Convalescent Hospitals. He and a partner then bought the Crescent City Convalescent Hospital which he ran until his retirement in 2017

After his retirement Jeff needed a kidney transplant and found that his stepson was a match. Joey never hesitated when considering giving Jeff the gift of life. Joey loved him as if he was his dad and was glad to do so. Joey died tragically in a car accident August 2024.

Jeff was preceded in death by his parents William and Betty Lou Davis, his stepson Joey Villareal and his niece, Melissa Carroll Comer. Jeff leaves his children Joshua Davis and Sarah Davis-Hall (Greg); his grandchildren Anya, Taylor and Wyatt; his sister Denise Davis- Carroll, (Warren); brothers Michael Davis (Annette) and Martin Davis (Jan). He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews.

There will be a celebration of life for Jeff at his daughter’s house , 1858 O Street, Eureka, CA on June 7, 2025 from 1 to 4.