Our dear Alice Flocchini died Saturday morning, July 12, at 102 years of age. Alice was born on April 2, 1923 in Roanoke Virginia to Charles and Ruth McIntosh. One of eight children, she was raised in Jacksonville, Florida from the age of one. She graduated from Immaculate Conception high school in 1942 and from St. Vincent School of Nursing in 1946.

Alice and Eugene Flocchini were married in 1946 and as newlyweds moved to Humboldt County. Alice began her career at Trinity Hospital in Arcata, administered by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange. She always told the story of not having a uniform for the first few days, and the Sisters had her wear two hospital gowns, back to back. Alice had already passed her boards in Florida and she and a friend travelled by bus to San Francisco to take and pass the California Registered Nurse Board Examination. She worked for two years as a registered nurse at the Hospital, then moved on to become an “office nurse” at several practices in Arcata until she retired at the age of seventy-six.

Eugene and Alice purchased their home in Bayside in 1958 and welcomed their son and daughter, David and Ruth, into their family. As a family they entertained frequently and had great parties with their friends and extended family. Alice always participated and volunteered as a member of St. Mary Parish in Arcata. Following her retirement she became even more committed to serving her parish community. Each morning she opened the church and assisted in preparing for the mass until age 99. She continued to be present at mass each morning until January 2025. Alice was especially proud of having been chairperson of the finance committee during the construction of St. Mary Church 1994/1996. She volunteered to become the coordinator of the parish Scrip program. At 101 she still drove to local businesses to purchase Scrip, forming endearing relationships at every stop.Alice enjoyed traveling, playing golf, reading and computer work. (in her spare time) In the past few years many hours were spent playing solitaire and corresponding with friends and relatives. She loved sharing email jokes from friends. Most of all, her greatest pleasure was being with her children and grandchildren.

It is difficult to capture such an endearing and wonderfully loving and complex human being. She had an Irish twinkle in her eye and a wry wit to match.

Alice was a devoted mother, friend, community member and so generous with her time and talent; and supported her church and local charities.

Predeceased by her husband of 38 years, Eugene Flocchini, her parents, Charles and Ruth McIntosh, four brothers and three sisters. Alice is survived by her son, David Flocchini, her daughter, Ruth Flocchini-Edwards and son-in-law, Steven Edwards; grandchildren, Joshua Edwards, Jessica Edwards-Payne and her husband Matt Payne. Alice wanted to make certain that her nieces, nephews and cousins were also remembered. She knew there were too many to mention by name.

A vigil/rosary service will be on Friday, July 25, 2025, 7 p.m. at St. Mary Church, 1690 Janes Road, Arcata and the funeral mass will be at 11 a.m. on July 26, 2025 at St. Mary Church. A reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Mary Church, Betty Chinn Foundation, Food For People or a charity of your choice.

Andrew Louis Sicard
August 2, 1963-July 8, 2025

When he was little, Andy’s mother, father, or older siblings would rock him to sleep, singing a French lullaby which roughly translated to “Sleep, sleep, go to sleep, close your pretty eyes and sleep…”

Andrew Sicard closed his pretty eyes a final time on Tuesday, July 8, 2025. He was comfortably at home in his favorite chair, SF Giants blanket draped over his lap, one of his favorite sisters was by his side, and Jimmy Buffett songs played softly in the background, a peaceful, perfect passing.

Eureka-native Andrew Louis Sicard came into this world August 2, 1963—the sixth child of Robert Maurice Sicard, Sr. and Rita Joan Miller Sicard. He was blessed with the gift of four older sisters and one older brother who gruffly tried to balance out the sister effect. Andy’s childhood days were filled with Henderson Center-adjacent activities. He and his buddies explored the endless physics lessons of wheeled vehicles vs. Buhne Hill, or they’d run up to Larry’s Liquor Store to stare at the scandalous jungle adventure and gun magazines on the lowest shelf, and sometimes steal the redeemable coupons out of Good Housekeeping magazine to cash in at Cannam’s Market for Lemonheads. His G.I. Joe action figure dioramas, usually displayed about waist-level as you entered the back door were a constant source of entertainment, although a few tableaus featuring disheveled Barbie did alarm his mother.

Andy’s dad, a rabid L.A.Dodger’s fan (for which he has still not been forgiven by at least two of his children) taught Andy how a good catcher signals his pitcher so he wouldn’t shake him off. He taught him how, if you could master a split-finger fastball, you could throw any pitch with confidence. Andrew’s love of baseball stayed with him his entire life—playing, watching, cheering.

He was friendly in an immediate way, and you knew it was safe to return his friendship. He was never known to manipulate any situation to benefit himself more and anyone else less. His young world was an even playing field, and if anyone stumbled, he would be right there, brushing them off and giving them a hand up.

He was proud, but never boastful. He was handsome but rarely vain (except maybe about his hair.) He was athletic but only for the joy he brought to the game and the joy he gleaned from Being on the Team. His Eureka High School years cemented friendships and crushes that endured for decades. His teen-age self was described as “every guy wanted to be his friend and every girl wanted to date him.” Andrew’s curiosity took him on some early adventures,: Commercial fishing in Alaska, Club Med and Martinique with the boys, road trips, hunting expeditions, and many late-night escapades to which we were not privy. Then one night, a happy celebration with his best buddies ended unjustly in a horrific auto accident, which altered his life’s trajectory in a most cruel fashion.

The outlook was dire. Hope against hope, Andy’s family and friends took shifts at the hospital, nudging him back to consciousness. Kramers, Rotherhams, Emil, Patty Sue, David, and so, so many others. And they stayed close through the years of rehabilitation, counseling, surgeries, all the highs and lows. Andy’s family, friends, and acquaintances rallied around him, and that sustained him, then healed him. Then welcomed him home—the broken boy who learned to walk and talk and care for himself again. Then fully live the best life he could.

Living independently near his childhood home, Andy befriended and was befriended by neighbors, passers-by, meter readers, dog catchers, mail and delivery persons and maybe more than one surprised Jehovah Witness who converted to Andyism after an hour in his company.

Andy’s not-so-secret power was his ability to find joy. Every. Single. Day. Not even the traumatic brain injury that ended the life he had hoped for could fully extinguish his spark of joy. His life was filled with friendships old and new. He loved dining out and many local restauranteurs and bartenders were always happy to see him. He welcomed his nephews and nieces, and the children of his friends, as part of his inner circle, although inner circle is a misnomer because Andy’s circle radiated outward and outward to include all those on the periphery of his orbit.

His ratio of joy vs. despair was tipped again by a diagnosis of cancer. “Oh, thank God,” he would say, “I was worried it was my gall bladder. But it’s just cancer.” Typically, he used humor as a shield. He vowed to fight, and win.

Sisters, friends, neighbors (with a capital N) again found themselves in shifts, assisting and nudging Andy along this new path. Through every chemo treatment, every MRI, every invasive test, every excruciating waiting period to get the next results and prognosis, Andy managed to find joy. Out in the Waiting Room you could hear peals of laughter pouring out of Oncology, or Hematology or Imaging. Technicians, nurses, physicians, all belly laughing and Andy in the midst of it.

His dreams were deferred; his hopes unmet, Andrew found a way to live as fully as he could. His deepest sadness would have decimated a lesser man; a lesser human. But Andrew is-was a Force of Nature. And a Force of Nurture. And a Force all his own. And we got to be part it.

Andy was preceded in death by his parents Robert M. Sicard, Sr. and Rita J. Sicard, and his brother Robert M. Sicard, Jr. and both sets of grandparents. He is survived by his sisters Teresa Porter (John) of Benbow, Ca; Jeanine Sicard-Ross (Pat Blair) of Petersburg, AK; Suzanne Sicard (Tim Wing) of Ferndale, Ca; Monique Sicard-Johnston of Eureka, CA., brother-in-law Chris Johnston; nieces Annalia Porter and Leah Johnston; nephews Tyler Henderson, Samuel Henderson, Drew Ross, Adam Johnston, and Luke Sicard; grandnieces Chloe White Henderson and Sophie Henderson, and grandnephew Remy Ross; and numerous cousins on both coasts.

Our deepest appreciation and admiration are extended to Brian and Jennifer Nolen, the Kavich Family, Sue and John, Lynn, Cindy and Carli, Providence and Santa Rosa Oncology teams, and all of Andy’s loving friends who stayed close all these years, especially the FOFB.*

On Saturday, August 2, 2025, the family invites friends and loved ones to celebrate the life of Andy at his birthday party to be held at the Adorni Center on the waterfront in Eureka, CA. The family will be arriving via the Madaket after a private ceremony at sea at approximately 1:30 p.m. but join us anytime between 1:00-4:00 p.m. Hors d’oeuvres, beverages and music will be provided. Bring your best Andy stories. We suggest that your party attire include S. F. Giants gear and/or Parrothead florals.

Donations in Andrew’s name can be made to the Humboldt Maritime Museum, Hospice of Humboldt, or the charity of your choice.

Andy had been an avid diver in his youth, and he spent enough time on the ocean to heed the words of the esteemed American poet/philosopher James William Buffett:

Bubbles up.
They will point you towards home
No matter how deep or how far you roam
They will show you the surface
The plot and the purpose
So, when the journey gets long
Just know that you are loved
There’s a light up above
And joy, there is always enough
Bubbles up.

*Friends of Fat Bastard

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We are in the final stages of the continental baseball tour, and before we get to the ballpark grand finale in Seattle, we will focus next week on National Parks in the northwest. This week we will rank the top ballpark cuisine items from the first 29 ballparks and give an update on the guessing game challenge from Week One.

We’ll start with a recap of what we look for at the ballparks when we peruse the concession areas. First, something already identified by others as the best thing offered. Second, some kind of unusual take on traditional ballpark food. Finally, something that is available to everyone at the park. Food in preferred seating areas does not count. Food in an on-site, sit-down restaurant does not count unless there is a to-go option. This is not the final Top 20 list because we have yet to be in Seattle. Mostly, previous food descriptions will be gleaned from Weeks 1-11 with occasional additional remarks. Some of you will rejoice that a salad even makes an appearance. Prepare to be spellbound!

Best Ballpark Cuisine

No. 20: Dugout Dill Pizza – Minnesota Twins / Target Field

If someone is willing to stand in 100-degree heat for 90 minutes to get a slice at the state fair, it deserves a spot in the semifinal rankings. Pickles on pizza. It’s offered at Pizza Luce on the second level of Target Field. The sauce is a creamy ranch dill sauce instead of traditional tomato-based sauce. There are two layers of mozzarella cheese and large pickle chips. We have it on good authority that it is good, briny, garlicky and cheesy – a Minnesota cult classic.

PREVIOUSLY:

All dispatches from the Sprint can be found at this link.

No. 19: Crab Mac – Baltimore Orioles / Camden Yards

Stuggy’s offers the Crab Mac dish (mac and cheese covered with crab and Old Bay seasoning). The generous portions of both crab and mac and cheese hit the spot! As I was walking to a table to consume it, a fan stopped me to ask, “Where did you get that?!” It is impressive in both appearance and taste.

No. 18: Bobby Flay Blue Bacon Burger- New York Yankees / Yankee Stadium

The Bobby Blue Bacon Burger presented some simple ingredients: blue cheese, bacon, lettuce and tomato. It did not disappoint! It was fresh with the perfect amount of blue cheese and bacon to complement each other. Other options are the Crunchburger (potato chips produce the crunch), Bacon Crunchburger, and Bobby’s Veggie Burger.

No. 17: Manny’s Loaded Pierogi or Mac and Cheese – Pittsburgh Pirates / PNC Park

Manny’s does not hold back on the serving size. The heaping portions of house-smoked pork or house-smoked chicken aren’t measured when loaded onto your pierogi or mac and cheese. They keep putting it on until you can see only meat. Cheese and onions are at the ready if you want them, but if you want coleslaw to top it off (recommended), you will need to make a special request. It’s a big serving that will surely satisfy ­– a solid extra-base hit.

No. 16: Braised Brisket Bowl – NY Mets / Citi Field

From Fieldtrip - an eclectic mix of brisket, cucumber, yogurt, jollof rice, scallion, and sweet plantains. This delicious concoction is from Harlem chef JJ Johnson, a James Beard Award finalist, who has a Caribbean rice bowl mini-chain. This one may not be there anymore – it was part of the Coca-Cola Corner where vendors rotate.

No. 15: Bam Bam Turkey Leg - Cleveland Guardians / Progressive Field

The turkey legs have been given the nickname “Bam Bam Turkey Legs” by the food staff because they are reminiscent of what you might see in a Fred Flintstone cartoon. It’s a smoked turkey leg drumstick glazed with barbecue sauce and served with an Alabama white barbecue sauce. They prepare up to 100 of them each game and sometimes sell out. “I’ve always been a turkey leg fan,” said Gonzo Garcia who makes a point to get one when he comes to a Guardians game. “They put a great barbecue sauce on it. It’s juicy and messy. Grab a lot of napkins. It’s a lot of meat. It’s all you need to get. One and done.” Gonzo let me have the first bite of his. Thumbs up!

No. 14: Homestand Burger - Minnesota Twins / Target Field

Truly on Deck at Target Field puts together a new specialty hamburger for each homestand, and for this homestand the burger included two 4 oz. beef patties, candied bacon, sweet and spicy fig aioli, and aurgula cheese on a brioche bun. I’m a big fan of the double-double at In-N-Out Burger, and I am a recent convert to the Double Deluxe at Culver’s. As good as those burgers are, this Homestand Burger was in a totally different class. Lisa rated highly the Bobby Flay burger at Yankee Stadium, and she also liked this one better. The key was the sweet and spicy fig aioli. It tied everything together, giving a lasting comfort with every bite. And it comes with a salad! If any of you ballpark food nay-sayers decides to do a ballpark tour rating all the ballpark salads, you would have to rate this one highly because it comes with a Homestand Burger.

No. 13: Haluski Cannonballs - Pittsburgh Pirates / PNC Park

The Cannonballs are about the size of a racquetball ball and come three to an order. (For those who are unfamiliar with racquetball, that’s bigger than a golf ball but smaller than a billiard ball.) They are fried and contain kielbasa, egg noodles, bacon, sauteed cabbage, cheddar cheese and herb crema. “It’s cheesier than I expected,” said Pittsburgh fan Grace Polivka. “There is a good amount of kielbasa but not so much that it is overpowering. It’s fried but it’s not greasy.” It has a good balance of flavors. The serving of three was surprisingly filling.

No. 12: Brat Sampler - Minnesota Twins / Target Field

Kramarczuk’s Sausage Company has been part of the Minneapolis food scene for 60 years. In the sampler you get two half brats of three varieties – Polish sausage, bratwurst, and cheddar sausage – with plenty of caramelized onions and sauerkraut. It was filling enough that we couldn’t try any other food even if we wanted to. These were tailgate-worthy brats. Fresh, grilled and mighty tasty. Who’d have thunk that Minnesota would outshine Milwaukee in the brat department? My theory is the tailgate brats in Milwaukee are so good, the stadium has given up trying to outdo them.

No. 11: Burnt Ends Cheesesteak – Philadelphia Phillies / Citizens Bank Park

Bull’s BBQ offers a Burnt Ends Cheesesteak that the Redinger family (Phillies fans Jim and son Brad) highly recommend. “I’ve been going to Bull’s since the stadium opened (in 2004),” Jim said. “Everything there is really at a different level.” Bull’s is named for proprietor Greg “The Bull” Luzinski, a former Phillies player who was on the 1980 championship team. Luzinski comes to the games and has a booth near his BBQ concessions stand where fans can talk with him and ask for autographs. After my purchase of the Burnt Ends Cheesesteak, I asked Luzinski what I should put on it. “Don’t put nothin’ on it,” he advised. I didn’t, and it was indeed delicious.

No. 10: ’92 Crab Cake – Baltimore Orioles / Camden Yards

Baltimore Seafood House offers the ’92 Crab Cake as its featured signature entrée. Now, that’s a crab cake! The crab patty is thicker than any hamburger patty I’ve ever seen. It’s served on a brioche bun with creole mustard tartar sauce and topped with lettuce and tomato. Definitely real crab. And the sauce brings a little heat.

No. 9: Jerk Chicken & Mango Wrap - Detroit Tigers / Comerica Park

It consists of oven-roasted jerk chicken, peach mango salsa, no sugar added BBQ sauce, pepper jack cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, fresh mango slices, and onions wrapped in Swiss chard. It was fresh and tangy with some heat. Breadless also offers Turkey Avocado or Spicy Falafel wraps and a rice bowl with chicken.

No. 8: Baja Lobster Roll With Hot Link – San Diego Padres / Petco Park

It’s a long roll with lobster salad with a hot link stuffed inside. “I had it (without the hot link) the last time I was at a game,” said Padres fan Jose Batallia. “It was very good. But it needed a little something.” The hot link is that “little something” that pushes this lobster roll ahead of the many we have seen at other parks.

No. 7: Loaded Brisket Mac N Cheese Bowl – Atlanta Braves / Truist Park

The Mac & Cheese Bowl is a generous serving of baked mac & cheese smothered with smoked brisket. There are a few green chilis mixed in, and the whole thing is drizzled with queso and barbecue sauce. Good to the last bite!

No. 6: Crazy Crab’z Sandwich – San Francisco Giants / Oracle Park

Three words vault the Giants ballpark cuisine into the upper echelon: Crazy Crab’z Sandwich. It’s not cheap but it’s fantastic. It’s lump crab meat with fresh tomatoes grilled on sourdough bread. You’ll find it in the centerfield food kiosk. “The Crazy Crab’z sandwich is 100 percent worth it,” said Anna Sargent, a Giants fan we met at Oracle Park. “I don’t even look at the price. I get It every time I come to a game.” For those who do look at the price – it’s $25.

No. 5: Loaded Brisket & Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese – Milwaukee Brewers / American Family Field

The preparation for this loaded mac and cheese dish is different than any of the other stadiums we have been to. The cooked macaroni is plain at first, then mixed with melted cheese after the order is placed. This is placed in the serving dish, then topped with either shredded buffalo chicken or shredded beef brisket (we chose both). Cheddar cheese is spread on top, followed by bread crumbs. Then the entire concoction is placed in a toaster oven. This melts the top cheese, toasts the breadcrumbs, and provides an oven-hot dish. Totally anti-grab-and-go. The best loaded mac and cheese anywhere.

No. 4: Seaside Market Burgundy Pepper Tri-Tip Nachos – San Diego Padres / Petco Park

You can’t go wrong with the Seaside Market Tri Tip Nachos,” said Padres fan Craig Degraff. “They are super good. People will travel 25 miles to Cardiff just to get (Seaside Market’s) tri tip.” The marinated burgundy pepper tri tip is laid on top of a bed of nachos covered in Diego Queso. Then it’s covered with BBQ sauce, sour cream and green onions. We tried it and it was indeed worth an additional 25-mile trip if necessary.

No. 3: Sweet and Sour Fried Pork – Minnesota Twins / Target Field

Eathan Ishmael, one of the Truly on Deck’s chefs at Target Field, said the key to the dish is its simplicity. “There are so few ingredients, but it is so good,” he said. “Crunchy on the outside, soft in the middle. And presented really well.” Besides the crispy fried pork butt, ingredients include cabbage slaw, cucumbers, pickled carrots, and an amazing sweet-and-sour sauce by Vinai that pulls it all together. Absolutely loved this.

This is the world’s best chicken sando.

No. 2: Chicken and Waffle Sandwich – Houston Astros / Daikin Park

Crispy fried chicken breast, pepper jack cheese, bacon onion jam, honey chipotle aioli, and two Belgium-style waffles with a generous pouring of maple syrup. Best chicken sandwich ever. You will find it at the Fry-4-3 locations in the 200 and 400 levels of the park.

No. 1: Filthy Mac Fries – Arizona Diamondbacks / Chase Field

Whoever invented this deserves some kind of award. It is Cajun-spiced fries, covered with white cheddar mac, more cheddar cheese, topped with pork belly bacon, cola BBQ sauce, crispy onion rings, slaw and scallions. It was a flavor explosion. Each bite offered something different from the previous one. The crispy onion rings were reminiscent of what was served at O.H.’s Town House in Eureka back in the day. It is quite possibly the perfect ballpark food.

Best Hot Dogs

No. 7: Bacon Wrapped Dog – St. Louis Cardinals / Busch Stadium

The bacon-wrapped hot dog can be purchased already doused in sauteed onions, peppers, sauerkraut and mustard, or you can build your own. Cardinal fan Mike Fernandez explained why he was a repeat customer for this concoction. “The crispy bacon tastes really good with the hot dog,” he said. But, really, does crispy bacon taste bad with anything?

No. 6: Crab Mac Dog – Baltimore Orioles / Camden Yards

Stuggy’s has a Crab Mac Dog (jumbo lump crab, mac and cheese and Old Bay seasoning on an all-beef hot dog). It’s an alternative take to the Crab Mac, adding an additional flavor profile of the hot dog, but with less crab and mac.

No. 5: Slider Dog – Cleveland Guardians / Progressive Field

An all-beef hot dog with Froot Loops, pimento mac and cheese and bacon. This is surprisingly good. Where Bobby Flay has added potato chips to add crunch to his hamburgers, Happy Dog has found its secret ingredient to add sweetness and crunch to its hot dog – Froot Loops. It’s a crazy combination that really works. It makes you wonder how many breakfast cereals did they try before settling on Froot Loops?

No. 4: Sonoran Dog – Arizona Diamondbacks / Chase Field

A footlong Nathan, wrapped in pork belly bacon, topped with ranch beans, pico de gallo, mustard and mayo – all of it piled high and served on a toasted New England roll. Lots of flavor.

No. 3: Pepper’s Red Dog – Atlanta Braves / Truist Park

An all-beef hot dog with turkey chili, cheddar and jack cheese, onions, garlic aioli and spicy mustard. That’s one flavorful hot dog! Pepper’s offers many gourmet hot dogs and has its own restaurant in downtown Atlanta where they were voted “best hot dog in Atlanta.”

No. 2: Dog of the North – Milwaukee Brewers / American Family Field

Dog of the North includes apple kraut, yellow mustard, secret stadium sauce, jalapeno mayo, chopped bacon and Bavarian sprinkles. What are Bavarian sprinkles, you ask? The executive chef of the ballpark, Loren Rue, says they give off a “very Germanic, herb profile.” Apple kraut is the key ingredient as it is savory and sweet with the combination of sauerkraut and apples. Everything works in this hot dog. Delicious.

No. 1: Mac Daddy Dog – Houston Astros / Daikin Park

A footlong angus beef frank loaded with chopped brisket, mac & cheese, dill pickles and barbecue sauce. Tough to beat this one.

Guessing Game Challenge Update

Number of home team wins? 1. Less than 15. 2. 15. 3. More than 15.

After 29 games, the home team has won 15 times. The correct answer will be either No. 2 or No. 3, depending on how things go in Seattle on August 1.

Will there be a complete game? 1. Yes. 2. No.

We did see a complete game in Colorado. The correct answer is No. 1.

Average attendance? 1. Under 29,000. 2. 29,000 to 31,000. 3. More than 31,000

The average attendance after 29 games is 28,777. Seattle will have to have at least 35,500 in attendance to bring the number past 29,000.

Average Time of Game? 1. Under 2:35. 2. 2:35 to 2:40. 3. More than 2:40.

The average time of game after 29 games is 2:38. It is not going to budge much no matter what happens in Seattle. No. 2 will be the correct answer.

License Plates for all 50 states and at least 5 provinces? 1. In first 75 days. 2. In last 25 days. 3. Not at all.

We have seen 49 states at least twice in the first 75 days, with the addition of Washington DC and Foreign Diplomat plates. Still one state outstanding. We have seen six of the 10 Canadian provinces, fulfilling that goal. The answer will be either No. 2 or No. 3. I fear the closest thing we will get to a Hawaii plate is the commemorative plate posted in the Avenue of Flags at Mount Rushmore.

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

Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office press release:

On the morning of July 19, 2025, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) patrol deputies executed a search warrant at a residence in the 400 block of Blue Lake Boulevard, Blue Lake, following an extensive investigation prompted by multiple community reports of suspected drug  trafficking. 

During the operation, deputies interrupted an active drug transaction and detained several  individuals. The search yielded substantial evidence confirming that the resident, John Edward Hames, 44, of Blue Lake, was engaged in the sale of methamphetamine and fentanyl.

Authorities  seized approximately 40.49 grams of methamphetamine and 35.23 grams of fentanyl, a highly  potent opioid. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), as little as 2 milligrams of  fentanyl can be lethal, meaning the seized fentanyl equates to over 17,000 potentially deadly  doses. 

Hames was arrested and charged with violations of Health and Safety Code sections 11351  (possession for sale of a controlled substance) and 11378 (possession for sale of  methamphetamine). He was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility. 

This operation is a testament to HCSO’s dedication to problem-oriented policing and to helping  keep our streets free of deadly fentanyl and other narcotics. The HCSO remains dedicated to  ensuring the safety and well-being of Humboldt County residents. 

Anyone with information about this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the  Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707)  268-2539.

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To reach 100% renewable energy, we will need to store large amounts of energy generated from “intermittent” sources — things like solar or wind that only produce power sometimes. Large-scale industrial battery storage is one way to store this energy. But a recent fire at the Moss Landing battery facility in Monterey County has some folks concerned. A recent battery proposal in Blue Lake, for example, was met with some skepticism.

On Wednesday, July 23, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., the Redwood Coast Energy Authority, in collaboration with the Schatz Energy Research Center, is hosting a free public workshop on grid-supporting battery energy storage at the D Street Neighborhood Center (1301 D Street, Arcata). The event will feature a presentation and panel discussion that explores how large-scale utility battery storage works, its role in supporting California’s grid, and how storage projects can differ in purpose, safety, size and benefits.

Richard Engel of the Redwood Coast Energy Authority joins this week’s show to give a preview of how batteries feature into the Redwood Coast Energy Authority’s work to transition our energy away from fossil fuels.

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Fortune had smiled on him for sixty-six years. He had been blessed with a large family of twelve children, prospered by the time he was thirty-one years later in the timber industry, and moved to California in 1903 to supervise his latest half-million-dollar land acquisition. He knew how to organize and manage; he designed his mill and its surrounding community with the latest technology and most modern conveniences in mind. But the vision Henry Neff Anderson had for his model mill town, Andersonia, did not anticipate the disaster that befell him shortly before opening day, and it certainly did not include the bad luck that has plagued his mill throughout this century.

Pap Anderson. Photos via the Humboldt Historian.

Henry Neff “Pap” Anderson was born on August 2, 1839, in Altoona, Pennsylvania. He was the fourth of at least five children. (Five appear on the census in 1850 and 1860, but other children also appear in later records.)

Pap was reared on a farm in rural Allegheny Township, which his family had owned since the early 1800s, and he lived much of his early life in Altoona. He served in the Civil War along with his older brother Samuel, and later in the Pennsylvania Militia. After the Civil War and while still in his prime, he was self-employed as a contractor and miller in Pennsylvania’s timber industry. With the high prices lumber acquired during the 1860s and 1870s and Pap’s sharp business acumen, he became a “self-made man.” By the time of the 1870 census he had over $14,000 in real estate and personal wealth, married Sara Counsman and fathered five children. One of the businesses he helped found and manage was the Citizen Steam Grist Mill, which he ran until 1874.

When timber became scarce in Pennsylvania and national consumption remained high. Pap set his sights on Michigan’s lumber frontier and in 1878, moved his growing family to Greenville. He built the first sawmill in Basslake, Michigan, with James Louder, and also the Anderson Graffin sawmill in West Troy, which allowed him to substantially increase his family’s wealth over the next twenty years.

Pap soon followed others to yet another timber frontier when the Michigan white pine woods began to diminish. The “tall and uncut” in Grays Harbor, Washington, and a mill up for auction there beckoned. In 1898, Pap and Albert W. Middleton, his son-in-law, successfully bid for the Weatherwax Mill in Aberdeen, which they jointly owned and operated under the name of Anderson & Middleton Lumber Company. The Anderson and Middleton families became “irremovable fixtures” in the Grays Harbor area, and Pap’s wealth continued to increase.

The capital from his companies, along with his business savvy, allowed him to make decisions that later put him in a position with other lumbermen to invest over $500,000 in Andersonia and the surrounding areas of southern Humboldt and northern Mendocino counties.

Andersonia.

Bear Harbor

Some twenty years earlier in Redwood Country, events occurred that eventually would lead Pap to California and, ultimately, to his death. But his was neither the first nor the last tragedy linked to this area. Bear Harbor, situated midway between Eureka and Fort Bragg along the Northern California coast, saw timber development as early as 1882. C. C. Milton began building a wharf there to facilitate the shipping of tanbark and railroad ties. He drowned at nearby Rockport before construction could be completed.

Bear Harbor.

The wharf stood in disuse until 1885 when Dr. W. A. McCormack finished it and added a chute that permitted schooners to load or unload directly from the site.

By the late 1890s, new markets were opening up for American lumber. In a diminished role as controller of exports and determiner of consumption, San Francisco took a backseat to Japan, Australia, South Africa and others, as timber barons along the West Coast sought and found new markets for their produce. The United States saw a dwindling need for its timber with the completion of the transcontinental railroads, and many lumber companies joined forces, forming cooperatives to control prices and production in an oft-futile attempt to stave off bankruptcy. Such was the case when Mr. Weiler and Calvin Stewart bought out McCormack’s business in 1890, and two years later, they, along with a group of Humboldt County men from the Union Lumber and the Eel River Valley Lumber companies, acquired 12,000 acres of timber east of Bear Harbor.

They planned to build a railroad into the interior for logging purposes and ordered a Gypsy (Engine No. One) from the Marschutz and Cantrell Company in San Francisco. On July 26, 1893, the Bear Harbor Lumber Company (BHLC) was formed. By 1896, ten miles of track led from the incline east of Bear Harbor into Moody, where Lew Moody had constructed a hotel and saloon. On September 8, 1896, BHLC incorporated the Bear Harbor and Eel River Railroad (BH&ERR), and in 1898, a Baldwin (Engine No. Two) was ordered and a route was surveyed to run east to the South Fork of the Eel River and then north to Garberville. But misfortune came between success and investors again. In 1899, a tidal wave destroyed the wharf at Bear Harbor and construction by the company came to a halt. Money ran out.

Pap Steps In

Word soon reached Washington and Pap Anderson that a timber company with a small rail line had gone bankrupt. Pap had previously bought and restored another bankrupt company (the Weatherwax Mill in Aberdeen) and would do so again. To increase the milling capacity of his two mills in Grays Harbor, Pap purchased 10,000 acres of redwood on November 1, 1902, and later annexed an additional 5,000 acres, located in southern Humboldt and northern Mendocino counties along Indian Creek, a tributary between the South Fork of the Eel River and Bear Harbor in Northern California. Anderson, Middleton and the McPherson brothers, also of Grays Harbor, then joined with Tom Pollard, Calvin Stewart, and Mr. Dodge to form the Southern Humboldt Lumber Company (SHLC) five days later on November 6. Pap was appointed president, Stewart vice president, Pollard secretary, and son-in-law Middleton, as in Michigan and Washington, assumed the role of treasurer. By June of the following year, the SHLC was ready to buy out the Bear Harbor Lumber Company along with the Bear Harbor and Eel River Railroad.

The SHLC intended to log its 15,000 acres and transport the lumber first to Moody and then on to Bear Harbor via an elaborate system of yarding, floating, and portage. The company itself had no plans to mill the lumber. Instead, they commissioned the Pollard Steamship Company of San Francisco to transport the timber from Bear Harbor to Grays Harbor for milling.

But the long-term design was to connect their tracks to the railroad line being built from the Bay Area northwards, which was planned to pass Andersonia along the South Fork of the Eel River and carry the lumber and tanbark to southern mills and tanneries. This was the main reason they built their railroad using standard gauge: the engines and rail had to be the same gauge as the proposed railroad coming from the south. Ultimately, this would lead to the demise, or at least a drastic reduction in use, of the wharf and incline at Bear Harbor.

By mid-1903. Pollard, Dodge, and Stewart allowed Anderson, Middleton and the McPherson brothers to buy them out when Pap announced his plans to build a modern mill at the junction of the South Fork of the Eel River and Indian Creek: Camp 10. Pap wanted to mill his own lumber and build his own town, which he would call Andersonia. Pap Anderson was visionary: shipping timber via steamships and smaller schooners was soon to be a thing of the past as railroad companies offered bonuses and shipping rates too good to pass up. Pap would be prepared with his standard gauge railway and high-grade, clear timber that was much sought after from Humboldt and northern Mendocino counties.

A Mill and a Town

Pap Anderson had his engineers survey the site, and then he designed not only a modern mill, but a modern community resplendent with gardens and orchards for the loggers, mill workers, and their families. He spared no expense. He ordered six state-of-the-art boilers, two Allis-Chalmers band saws, a 116-ton flywheel driven by two 1,100-horsepower twin engines and other innovative sawmill equipment. Almost 200 workers were recruited from Michigan, Grays Harbor, and locally to build the mill, finish the rail line into Andersonia, dam Indian Creek to create a millpond, and log half a billion feet of standing timber in anticipation of start-up.

By late October 1905, everything was coming together. The dam was built and the millpond was stocked to capacity with logs totaling twenty million board feet. More timber was felled to replenish the millpond once milling began. With the tunnel and bridges finished, the Moody to Andersonia portion of the rail line gave the company over seventeen miles of track from Bear Harbor to the new mill.

The shabby tents that had marked Camp 10 were gradually replaced with smart cabins. And Pap had built a large two-story house for his new bride, Miss Cora Patterson.

Tragedy Occurs

Last-minute preparations were made for Dedication Day of what would be a model mill for California and the Pacific Northwest. Pap, in great anticipation, walked his rounds. He was most interested in adjustments the engineers had to make to a support joist in one of the roofs. As a piece of machinery was being moved into place, workers had found the opening too narrow for the apparatus to fit. They were installing a new beam when Pap came in to watch. Humboldt Standard newspaper articles from that time give a sampling of the disaster that befell Henry Neff Anderson.

November 1, 1905: “October 28th. A telephone message was received late this afternoon from Andersonia for Dr. Rossier to come at once to that town as Mr. Anderson had received an injury from a piece of timber falling on him.”

November 10, 1905: “A telephone message was received yesterday morning of the death of H.M. (sic) Anderson, president of the Southern Humboldt Lumber Company at Andersonia, who died from injuries received at his mill October 28th. After the operation on his head, relieving the pressure on the brain, he rallied for a short time, but his age, being a man well advanced in years, was a retard to his recovery, and the call from the Great Beyond came at 7 o’clock, November 7th. Mr. Anderson will be greatly missed from Mendocino County and Andersonia, the town named in his honor. He started life a poor man, but by perseverance and energy he gained a competence and at his death was one of the multimillionaires of the state, making the principal part of his holdings in timber. He owned vast tracts of timber in Michigan and California. He was president of the Southern Humboldt Lumber Co. for a number of years before his death. The large sawmill being built at Andersonia was one of his possessions. Mr. Anderson leaves to mourn his death a wife and several grown children.”

And with those last reported words, the bad luck of Pap’s dream mill was sealed. Litigation followed between his children, who were all from his first marriage, and his young second wife, Cora. The Southern Humboldt Lumber Company lost the right to transact business for the Bear Harbor Lumber Company and Bear Harbor and Eel River Railroad when the franchise tax came due and was not paid during the litigation. Work was all but stopped at Andersonia while needed parts and machinery were delayed from San Francisco and repairs were slowed on the wharf, which had sustained damage during a severe storm in March 1906.

The Big One

A second disaster struck the mill shortly after Pap’s death: The earthquake of April 18, 1906. Shortly before the earthquake, a potential buyer, Mr. Trumbull, inquired about purchasing the mill for his son. He made an offer that was accepted by both parties in the estate litigation, but on the trip to San Francisco to finalize the deed transfer, the earthquake changed Mr. Trumbull’s mind about California, and he backed out of the deal.

The physical damage caused by the earthquake also took a heavy toll at Andersonia and Moody. Work, which had been excruciatingly slow due to downtime spent waiting for parts, was slowed even further by repairs that had to be made to earthquake-damaged buildings. Restoration to the mill only ran into the hundreds of dollars, but when estimates were made to mend damage done to the millpond, work halted. Thousands of additional dollars would be needed to fix the dam, and money was becoming scarce. Litigation, coupled with earthquake damage, crippled any chance for the mill to operate.

Not only did the earthquake ruin the rail line, mill, and the dam at the millpond, it burned the South Fork survey plans that the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway had commissioned. There were two proposed routes from the Bay Area to Northern California: both reached Longvale in Mendocino County, but then took divergent routes north. Pap and his associates had hoped the company would choose the more accessible and resource-filled route along the South Fork of the Eel River — directly past Andersonia. The fire resulting from the earthquake destroyed the plans that showed the South Fork route, and the company did not commission its replacement. Instead, they chose the route whose survey plans survived, along the main branch of the Eel River, much farther inland.

A Second Chance?

Without milling a single piece of lumber, the SHLC could not afford to rebuild the wharf or to lay track east to the Eel River and the main rail line. This final punch closed Andersonia, forcing loggers, carpenters, machinists, and their families to move away.

A few years later, another buyer, Mr. Hicks, made a bid for Andersonia. He believed the mill could be made operational with some retrofitting and updating. The first cut of timber still lay in the millpond and on the forest floor, and almost all the equipment remained on site. The prospective buyer made his way to San Francisco to finalize the deed transfer. Once again, bad luck kept Andersonia from fulfilling its promise to Pap. While in San Francisco, Mr. Hicks committed suicide in his hotel room.

For a time, nothing happened. A few pieces of equipment were sold to other mills seeking to upgrade their machinery. Then the winter of 1925-26 brought heavy rains. The dam, weakened by the 1906 earthquake, finally gave way, and the timber that had spent twenty years in the millpond stampeded down the South Fork of the Eel. (Some men, hoping to salvage good timber, tried to net the logs as they stormed their way to the ocean. Their nets were ripped to shreds as the logs shot past. Some of the timber was salvaged from the river shores as it hung up in natural snags and more was salvaged on the ocean shore, but most was swept out to sea.) That same season, with its torrential rains, saw the washout of some of the tracks, which stranded the two engines stored in the enginehouse in Moody. But even with its future looking so forlorn, Andersonia still attracted dreamers.

And they, too, were Andersons.

In 1940, Samuel Miles Anderson Sr., Pap’s oldest surviving son, brought his three sons and their families from Aberdeen, Washington. The estate had filed a claim to recover the property, paid the back taxes for years past, and planned a smaller version of the first mill to be built. Timber remained from the original cut that had been left lying on the forest floor since 1905. Estimates placed the salvageable timber at about 400,000 board feet. The Andersons established the Indian Creek Lumber Company, and the three brothers, Reginald, Harold, and Sam Jr., all worked in some capacity at the new mill. Reginald supervised the entire operation, Harold managed the woods, and Sam Jr. took charge of maintenance. At long last, Pap’s dream seemed close to coming true. But Andersonia would not remain successful for long. Descendants of the men who sold their holdings to Pap in 1903 filed a lawsuit to regain control of the mill, and that, coupled with nationwide timber industry problems resulting from World War II, led to a shutdown in the late 1940s. Once again, the mill stood silent.

In 1950, Thomas Dimmick reached an agreement with the Anderson family. He would run the mill and log the surrounding area for the Andersons. Under Dimmick’s guidance and with outside supervision from the Anderson family, the mill operated until 1972, when the second-growth timber had been logged and milled. But timber is not the only treasure left at Andersonia.

What Remains

The remote location, destruction of the tracks from the earthquake in 1906, the floods of 1925-26, and the passage of time had aided in the partial preservation of the two steam engines. The Baldwin (Engine No. Two), which had remained at the mill site’s storage building, was being renovated surreptitiously when vandals were discovered, and some of the engine was recovered. However, the combination of brass smelting from World War I and loss due to the vandals meant too many pieces were lost irrevocably for Engine No. 2 to be restored. She now “piecefully” rests in the Northern Counties Logging Interpretive Association’s (NCLIA) storage facility.

The Gypsy, however, has made a miraculous comeback. In 1977, Pap’s great-grandson, R. Grant Anderson Jr. and Rogan Coombs, along with an entourage of other locomotive enthusiasts, rescued the Gypsy. After spending nearly fifty-two years in the enginehouse outside of Moody, she was removed piece by piece from the enginehouse to be restored. Later, the Anderson family donated the engine to the State of California, and it came to rest at Fort Humboldt’s logging museum in Eureka. Since being restored by the NCLIA to near-new condition, she has the proud distinction of being the only operating Gypsy in the world.

Time has not been kind to Andersonia. Other than the large teepee burner rusting near the river, there are no longer signs that two mills once stood above the banks. But buildings spanning ninety years still rest on the site. A newer office building erected by Sam Jr. remains tenaciously upright in tribute to his hopes for continuing the family dream. Sam followed in his grandfather’s stylish steps when he built the office: no fewer than eight sixteen-by-sixteen-inch beams grace the porch. Across Indian Creek, Pap’s two-story bridal gift to Cora still stands, though even a slight tremor could prove fatal.

Time has given the forest a chance to regrow. Now Andersonia waits quietly, even expectantly, amid an ocean of sorrel washing upon banks of Scotch broom. Mint scents the air above little heads of mushrooms pecking out in the fields. Primitive horsetails stand like sentinels watching four blue spruce scream their planted presence around the old office. And a lonely old apple tree sits overgrown and blooming, seemingly oblivious to its striking attendance against its backdrop of timber, mature and ready for harvest. The surroundings seem a surreal backdrop to one of the most tragic stories told of lumber barons in the 19th century. Many men made fortunes along the same path; Pennsylvania, Michigan, and along the Pacific Coast, including Asa Simpson, founder of one of the more famous lumber companies.

Pap’s story is tragic in its promise unfulfilled: the mill was without its great leader for the all-time peak of lumber consumption in this country in 1907. How great would our memory be of Henry Neff Anderson if a piece of timber hadn’t taken out this timber baron? Today, hardly anyone outside his family knows of Henry Neff “Pap” Anderson. The memories are only slightly more vivid in Grays Harbor, Washington, where he made his most lasting economic and social impact on the community. In southern Humboldt and northern Mendocino counties, there will always and only be the legacy of being the place where he met an untimely death and left deserted the most promising of Pacific Coast mills.

For his family, there is a permanent legacy with some of Pap’s land now in the King Range and Sinkyone Wilderness. But, with the recent passing of one of the heirs of the remaining Andersonia land, once again, a question hangs over the area. Will the mill and timber finally be sold out of the family? Who, if anyone, will become heir to Pap’s dream?

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About the Author: Lorraine Michaels is a 1999 graduate of Humboldt State University, majoring in social science education. The story printed here is excerpted from her third-place entry in the Charles R. Barnum Humboldt History Competition.

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The story above was originally printed in the Winter 1999 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.

Diana Lee Harralson (Dee), beloved mother, grandmother, and friend to so many, passed away peacefully on June 22nd 2025. She was a fierce, loyal, and loving woman to everyone in family and her community and she will be missed so very much by her family and friends.

Dee was born to Melvin and Dorothy Price on September 24th, 1949 in Monterey Park California. Although she had brief moments living in Chicago and Nevada, Diana was a true Californian through and through. She was the loving mother to Krysta Hill, Kendra Harralson, and Kevin Harralson. She was truly an amazing grandma to all her grandchildren, Sierra Hill, Sydney Harralson-Pease, Brendon Harralson, Katelyn Hill, Madison Harralson, Sadie Robledo, and Astrid Bonner. She had so many near and dear people for so long of her life including, her daughter in law Charlie Myrick, who she always claimed as her own, best friends Bobbie Biederman and Lori Thomsen Coyle, and her beloved neighbor Miss Marsha. Dee had lived in Rio Dell for the last 30 years of her life and her absence will be felt by her community and her many dear friends she made over the years.

In 1995, Dee chose to pack up her family and move. She simply looked at a map of her cherished state and pointed to Humboldt County and said “that sounds good,” only for it to become one of her most favorite places in the world. The beauty, the wildlife, the redwoods, and the bluffs drew her in and that’s when she claimed her new home for her and her family. It was ideal for a free spirited, nature loving hippie lady like Dee. When her family started growing, Dee was there to help every step of the way, always being around for her children no matter what and Grandma was the go-to babysitter in our family. She had visits with her daughter Kendra every single day, and her grandkids were constantly stopping by to deliver a sweet treat or whatever else she needed. Her grandchildren have sweet, cherished memories of spending so many laughfilled days together at Grandma’s house. Probably getting into a shenanigan or two, usually led by Grandma herself, there was never a boring moment. She was a huge part in helping to raise and shape her grandchildren, teaching them important values of always sticking up for what you believe in, showing loyalty to loved ones and friends, and ALWAYS being there for people when they needed it. She was always just a phone call away and was the best listener and unpaid therapist we could have asked for.

Dee was an avid lover of animals and had many cats throughout her years, all rescued or adopted, and all named some version of Baby Kitty. She had several books on local birds and wildlife and loved to point them out and share some facts whenever she would see one in the wild. Some of her favorite birds were the egret, the many hummingbird visitors she had everyday, and any Owl she could spot or hear. Her small house was often compared to a jungle with her wide variety of plants taking over. She had so many of her beloved plants, and succulents, and could easily tell you about any type of flower you asked her about. Her bookshelves were full of nature books about plants and wildlife. Every Sunday you could guarantee there was a NASCAR race on her TV, and her walls were filled with posters of her favorite drivers. And of course she was a fan of both the San Francisco 49ers and Giants. Her infamous greeting was always a peace sign and a smile. Her favorite things to wear were a tie dyed t-shirt and her many crystal bracelets and jewelry.

She was preceded in death by her first son, baby Joseph, who passed as an infant, her second son Kevin Harralson, and her parents. Dee will be missed beyond measure and words cannot describe the grief that her loss brings to her family. Her guidance, love, strength, smile, and laughter will be forever cherished and even more missed every single day. Her celebration of life will be held at the Rio Dell fire hall on August 16th. We strongly encourage everyone who plans on attending to wear their favorite tie dye item in honor of Dee. In lieu of flowers, if you feel inclined to, we ask you to please make a small donation in the name of Diana Harralson to any of the following local charities: Miranda’s Rescue or Humboldt County Animal Shelter, Hospice of Humboldt, or St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Grammy, you will be missed more than words can say and we will do our best to live in your honor and memory and remember what you taught us over all these years, every single day. Until we meet again, peace and love ❤️

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