It is with the deepest depths of sorrow that we announce the death of our mother, Lillian Ann Brown (Fidler). Our beloved mother passed away June 30, 2024 at St Joseph Hospital in Eureka. Lillian was born to Irma Elaine Miller and Stuart Miles Steele, on August 1, 1949 in San Francisco. They moved around and eventually settled and she grew up in Humboldt County.

Mom was truly a beautiful soul whose loss will impact us all a lifetime. Mom was a little rowdy in her younger years, heck her whole life really. She was funny, quick witted, and a true gem in all our collection. She reminded me of the song watch out boy, she’ll chew you up!

Mom’s greatest love was her family, friends and friends who became family. Mom’s full time job was praying and being a mom, grandma, great-grandma, aunt, cousin and friend. She gave her life and time to us selflessly. She made her rounds to all our houses to just visit or to help out. I’m quite sure mom has attended more births than anyone. She loved all the babies to heaven and back.

In her spare time she loved collecting coins (taking all your change to look through it), rock hunting, yard selling, gambling, gardening, scratching lotto, free piles (or get hit if you didn’t stop), watching bones, Castle, NCIS (until they took Ziva off) Long Island, Medium and most recently Chicago Fire and PD and Grey’s Anatomy.

Lillian is survived by her sisters Gene Thomas and Martha Wolf; her daughters Mary Brown-Chapman, Lamoyne Brown, Julie Mccain, Amanda Morrison (Rick Morrison), Amber Sanchez (Donald LeVaugh), Heather Fleming (Tony Lewis) and Rachel Fleming; her sons Richard Brown (Dawn Petty) Stuart Sanchez, Dennis Fleming (Natalie O’kelley) and Brady Fleming (Emerley Fleming); her grandchildren Ryan Lee Chapman, Maynard Chapman, Robyn Sherman, Crystal Sanchez, Ronald Sanchez (Maria Rodriguez), Walter Sanchez (Mallory Legace), Silverio Sanchez, Gregory Shelton, Mark Shelton, Morgan Shelton, Terri Sanchez, Silverio Sanchez, Brittany Sanchez ,Raymond Sanchez, Jimmy Warden, Heather Morrison, Duke Morrison, Michael Morrison, Allen Preslar III, Kayleigh Preslar (Travis Woods), DJ LeVaugh, Jacey LeVaugh, Steven Corbera, Troy Fleming, Lillian Lewis, Anthony Lewis, Scotty Snead Jr, Linda Snead, Rachel Snead, Lindsey Fleming, Garrett Brashear, Damien Brown, Richie Brown, Colton Sanchez-Scripter, Sharmel Palmer, Raelynn Fleming, Dennis Fleming III, Mylah Fleming, Amya Fleming, Elizabeth Andersen, Emerson Fleming, Elliott Fleming, Irma Fleming; her great-grandchildren Julius Chapman, Khaliyah Sherman, Khloe Graham, Lu Graham, Kayden Fidler, Diego Sanchez, Maya Sanchez, Hunter Redhat, River Redhat, Damen Carlson, Breana Sanchez Raeana Sanchez, Carl Sanchez, Destiny Sanchez, Justen Tritchler, Sophia Shelton, Kenny Nevers, Silverio Sanchez Jr, Clarence Sanchez, Eriana Sanchez, John Steele, Isabella Renfer, Jordan Renfer Jr, Bow Renfer, KIng Sanchez, Ember Sanchez, Enzley Helmer, Ryan Helmer Jr, Jeffrey Helmer, Avery Morrison, Haylie Asher, Joanne Morrison, Sophia Morrison, Jonathan Glass, Kayley Glass, Maddison Morrsion; and many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.

She was preceded into death by her loving mother Irma Steele; her father Stuart Steele; her brothers John Fidler, Butch Hixon and David Lawson; her grandsons Lewis Sanchez and Brady Fleming Jr, and so much more family and friends.

Her funeral is July 10 at 1:30 p.m. at Goble’s Mortuary — 560 12th St. Fortuna.

Everyone is welcome to join us at her service. If you’d like to send flowers to Goble’s or bring the day of the funeral.

Melody Rae “Mel” Mackill-Luzzi passed on Thursday, May 30, 2024. She was born to Robert Bruce and Grace Luton in Humboldt County in 1951.

She battled leukemia for more than a decade and was a fierce supporter of her friends and family. Her family BBQs were a well-loved highlight for the Fourth of July, and her warm voice greeting you on a phone call lightened every day.

Mel raised her two sons, Michael Mackill and Gordon Mackill (April) between Humboldt county and Kamloops, B.C, Canada. Mel’s older son, Michael, introduced Mel to her husband, Ray Luzzi, in Eureka. Their love story includes 25 years together, many trips to Reno for the Hot August Nights car show and festival, owning and operating their unique boutique store (The Blue Goose), and spans across Humboldt and Mendocino counties.

Gordon has remarked many times that he has never seen his mother’s natural hair color — she was known for a custom fiery shade of red that matched her passion for living with love and purpose.

She and her sisters Harmony (children Chris and Misty), Holly (daughters Randi Jo and Rebecca), and Tami (daughters Lyndsey and Lacie) were raised in the redwoods. Mel was an active and excited member of her home community as both a hairdresser and at her checkout line at the local Safeway market.

Mel was preceded in death by her parents (Robert Bruce Luton and Grace E. Luton) and her sons’ father (Frank C. Mackill).

Mel’s family and close friends will be celebrating her life privately. In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family asks you to consider a donation to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in her memory.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Mel Mackill-Luzzi’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.

Dear Christian friends,

While I am deeply grateful for your friendship and our sibling-hood, I feel I must warn you about what I see in our country regarding Christian Nationalism. There is a sinister influence taking place in our churches and this country and it’s affected us Christians the most. Like black mold slowly growing in the forgotten corner of your damp rental, we didn’t notice until it seemed too late. We felt it — the wheeze, the itchy skin, the headache, the red eyes and stuffy nose and lethargy. We chalked it up to the crud or allergies, all the while the mold spread behind bed frames, dressers and end tables. It sunk into the walls, infecting the drywall. But one day after your landlord came to visit, the mold disappeared. Behind a fresh coat of paint, it seemed locked away and you could get back to life. Some of your symptoms even dissipated. Every month or so your landlord showed back up and threw another coat on your walls but no matter how much paint covered the mold, it was still there growing stronger.

The quest for power and control has long dominated our Churches, blaspheming the name of Jesus. This sinister force has seduced many pastors and Church leaders for generations, whispering convincing words like, “Take and eat. You’ve earned it. You deserve it. No one will know. You’re in charge. You’re God’s best.” The Church is the vulnerable gathered, the wounded held, the forgotten included, the poor, lonely, hungry, desperate brought in to belong and be reminded they are loved. But when pastors and leaders are seduced by power and control, the Church becomes a den of robbers and a safe-house for thieves, stealing Jesus from the most vulnerable. And no matter how many coats of paint are used to hide and cover up this insidious evil, it’s been leaking out and collaborating with other forms of power and control.

The term “Christian” was first a negative slur, like it was embarrassing to be known as “Little Christs,” but those first followers of the Way of Jesus weren’t intimidated by the insults. They wore it as a badge of honor as they continued meeting together, sharing their property, food and resources with each other, while they blessed and loved their neighbors, forgave their enemies, lived a non-violent life, walked with humility while learning from their mistakes (while my glasses are sometimes rosy, I know there were severe disagreements and quests for power then, too). The way of Jesus is at the bottom of society where power and control suffocates. The way of Jesus is working for justice and loving mercy, and walking humbly with God. It’s bravely telling the hard truth of our desire for power and control and declaring we don’t want to live like that anymore and to admit we need help. The way of Jesus is gratitude, joy, peace and love.

Instead what I’m seeing are “Christian” leaders coming alongside power and control, parroting the whispered tempting words they’ve been discipled in from a voice saying, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.” (Luke 4:6-7) Basically, “I, as a powerful and influential Church leader, will give you all my followers and members if you help move our country into forced Biblical ways.”

I’m not sure if there was a cart or horse, and I’m no historian, but this marriage between politics and religion is more insidious and powerful than I thought was possible. Christian nationalism is a movement of evil that many people have been seduced by and it’s the most vulnerable in our society that will be negatively affected by it. (Google Project 2025). You might feel safe because you have the privilege of moving out of the mold-infested house. But much of the country is not people of privilege, and painting over the poison while saying this is what’s best for you will eventually kill our country. I am convinced that unless our religion is moving this country into greater ways of love for the least, humble empathy in our interactions, and love for our enemies, we are walking away from Jesus and towards satan.

Christian friends, may we bravely look closely and honestly at the ways we’ve been seduced and used by power. May we hold our leaders accountable without fear of repercussion. And may we fall on our knees in repentance and start over in Love.

With Christ’s sacrificial love,

Pastor Bethany Nass Cseh

In his book, now nearly 30 years old, Darwin’s Dangerous Idea, the philosopher Daniel Dennett (who died last April) claimed that evolution by natural selection deserves the prize for “the single best idea anyone has ever had.” It’s a formidable declaration, but I’ve never heard a worthy counter-claim. 

Just to remind anyone who might be a tad rusty on their high school biology classes, what we’re talking about here — evolution — is the result of random genetic mutations in the process of passing the genome (the genetic information carried in the egg or sperm) from one generation to the next. Some small fraction of these mutations are beneficial in that the members of a species that possess them are better adapted to the environment in which they’re born than their sibs. This gives them the edge in terms of survival and — more importantly — reproduction, over those that didn’t get that mutation. So a useful mutation gets passed along.

We humans, together with earthworms and E.coli and redwoods and fungi — all living creatures — came from the same grand (times a billion or so) parent. Every member of every species (two million classified ones, plus uncountable others) alive today is the end point of an unbroken chain of successful ancestors going back nearly four billion years, where “success” means they reproduced. These bodies of ours? We’re just the vehicles that genes employ in their quest for immortality.

For me, what makes this spectacular process so hard to appreciate are the change-points. At what point did my great (x 100 million) grandmother, who looked like an early fish, turn into an amphibian; thence into a shrew-like mammal; and when did that creature morph into an ape; which then, at some point, evolved into someone like Lucy (3 million-year-old Australopithecus); who became — at what point? — human. Someone who, suitably attired, would look like any one of us strolling down Second Street on a Sunday morning.

Trick questions. There were no “points.” Pick, at random, any member of this long, unbroken chain of creatures. Now check out their parents and their immediate offspring. Notice something? They all look about the same. Evolution is gradual, meaning it’s imperceptible from one generation to the next. (A possible exception: Diligent observers of birds on the Galapagos Islands believe they have actually seen evolution in action as a result of rapid changes in their environment.)

The evolutionist Richard Dawkins has a thought experiment on these lines, outlined in his recent book The Magic of Reality (written “for young people” — my kind of book!). He asks me, the reader, to imagine a photograph of one of my parents, say my mother. On that photo, I place a photo of my mother’s mother. On top of that, a photo of her mother…and on and on, a mountain of photos, each photo sitting between a mother and a daughter. All the way back to nearly 400 million years ago. (Allowing an average of four years between generations, that’s 100 million photos, a pile as high as three Mount Everest’s stacked on top of one another.) The last photo in your series is, as I said, a fish, given the name Tiktaalik. 

That’s my, and your, long ago ancestor, from about 375 million years ago. Tiktaalik was a fish which, over time, evolved wrists and ankles enabling it to use its fins as feet, crawling up from the water to dry land. Tiktaalik (or its close cousin) is the ancestor, not just of humans, but of all non-fish vertebrates. 

But — this is the take-home message — there never was a point at which you could say, this generation is fish and this next generation, amphibian: the changes from one generation to the next were too subtle. Similarly, from ape to human, an ape never gave birth to a human. It was all very (very!) gradual. But that’s all it took, thanks to the magic of evolution.

Millions of tiny changes over aeons of time gets you from Tiktaalik to you and me. 

Hoo boy! It’s another absurdly hot day in Humboldt County.

Our friends at the National Weather Service’s local HQ on Woodley Island have issued an excessive heat warning for the interior regions of the county due to “dangerously hot” conditions brought on by this hellish heat wave. Southern Humboldt communities will see temperatures up around 110º for the rest of the weekend. Temperatures are expected to exceed 115º in Hoopa, Ruth, and Willow Creek. 

Humboldt’s coastal communities are (thankfully) far off from triple digits, but that doesn’t mean they’re not breaking records! The NWS recorded a high of 75º at Woodley Island on Friday, surpassing the previous record of 70º for July 5, set in 1983. 

If you’re thinking about taking a trip to the river to cool off, please be extra careful around cold water. It might be hot as hell on shore, but many local rivers are still running around 60º or colder.

“At these temperatures, cold water shock can occur making it difficult to use the muscles needed to keep your head above water or to swim safely to shore,” according to the NWS. “Keeping this information in you mind, you can still safely enjoy the rivers on this hot weekend. Find pools with slow-moving water and avoid entering fast-moving water, even if it seems shallow. Wear a life jacket for river activities.”

Stay safe out there, Humboldt!

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Chevron deference is no more. What’s “Chevron deference,” you ask? Well, it was the backbone of our federal administrative state. Congress often passes laws that are vague or are capable of multiple interpretations. In Chevron, decided in 1984, the Supreme Court said that where a law is vague, the agency gets deference to its interpretation of that law in issuing regulations. In other words, regulations were likely to withstand legal challenges because federal courts were directed to respect the opinions of federal agencies. The Supreme Court recently overturned Chevron, saying that agencies should not be afforded deference but rather it is courts to decide what laws mean.

So what does that mean? CHAOS.

Your legal eagles on the EcoNews, Tom, Matt, Melodie, and Scott, break down the decisions and discuss the ramifications on this week’s episode.

The spring of 1895 brought a trio of festivals to Northern California. These celebrations were dubbed “Floral Fiestas” in newspaper accounts of the day.

Santa Rosa played host to the first Floral Fiesta, followed by Healdsburg in mid-May 1895. Apparently Eurekans were also caught up in the spirit of the festivities and organized their own “Sequoia Carnival” for July 18, 19 and 20. This festival ultimately outshone its counterparts to the south.

In mid-June, the town started gearing up for the festival with the announcement of the contest for Queen Sequoia. Ballots appeared daily in the Humboldt Times, eight per issue, and everyone was urged to write in a candidate for Queen as many times as they pleased. The final tally of votes confirms that the citizenry did indeed have their favorites and exercised their right to vote often and aggressively, many with gold coin and check book.

This small metal badge, approximately 1.5 inches in diameter, featured a photo of Queen Sequoia. Photos via the Humboldt Historian.

Saturday, July 14, at 8 p.m. saw the closing time for voting. The astounding number of 146,210 votes had been cast for the top three contenders for Queen Sequoia. It took some time to count the votes and when the results were exhibited to the crowd of over 2,000 assembled, the prolonged cheering could be heard for blocks. The final tally: Elma Haight 68,655; Ella Mathews 67,860; Annie Evans 9,695.

Elma Haight of Rohnerville was crowned Queen Sequoia and reigned over the festivities; and what festivities they were: parades, bicycle races, a firemen’s tournament, visiting dignitaries and more. Contestants for the various games arrived all week long. Bicycle racers came from San Francisco, San Jose, and the interior. The Humboldt Times reported this: “the grandest aggregation of crack wheelmen ever gathered in Northern California.” Fire apparatus was arriving on steamers, including the famous Pilot Hose Cart No. 3 from Santa Cruz, for the Hose Cart Races. Merchants were decking out their buildings and streets with redwood boughs, and taxidermist Charles Fiebig arranged his display of over 200 native Humboldt birds at Second and E Streets. This collection was reputed to be the finest in the state.

The booming of a cannon ushered in the first day of the Sequoia Carnival. Trainloads of people traveled in from the north, south, and inland towns. At noon the coronation of Queen Sequoia commenced at the plaza comer of Sixth & F Streets, then on to the parade under military escort. Participants included the militia and the city’s entire fire department of six companies, with flower- covered steamers, trucks and carts. Nearly all fraternal and social organizations from Eureka and surrounding towns participated, and 61 floats representing all the leading businesses and industries of the city were on hand. The parade was the largest ever witnessed in Northern California and took three hours to wind its way through the business district. The evening of the first day of the Sequoia Carnival featured a “grand water fete” on the bay, with the water covered with steamers, barges, launches, and row and sail boats illuminated with lanterns, exploding rockets and Roman candles.

The second day of the festivities again began with trainloads of visitors arriving and by 10 a.m. the streets were thickly crowded. The highlight of the morning was the firemen’s tournament. Besides the Santa Cruz racing cart entry, Eureka Engine Companies No. 1, 2, and 3 and Hook and Ladder Co. No. 1 participated. The course was F Street between Second and Fourth. The teams started at Fourth Street, taking the hydrant at Third and breaking and putting on pipe at Second Street, equivalent to running 600 feet and laying 300 feet of hose. Engine Co. No. 3 made the first run and had a stream in the air in 40.5 seconds. Hook and father, who owned a music store. Ladder Co. No. 1 had trouble connecting the pipe and took 71 seconds to complete the task. Engine Co. No. 1 took the cart and made the run and had water in 40 seconds. Last came Engine Co. No.2, holders of the Eureka Fire Department’s gold medal. Their appearance brought a burst of cheers from the large crowd, and they didn’t disappoint their admirers. They streaked down the course in 36.5 seconds, breaking all records.

The afternoon of day two included an open air concert, excursions to points of interest around the city and on the bay, and an exhibition by the U.S. Lifesaving Crew. The evening brought attention to Armory Hall, where Queen Sequoia and her attendants greeted a capacity crowd of over one thousand. First, the prize awards were given to the top parade entrants. The top prize of $15 was won by Arcata Sanitarium; other float winners included H.H. Buhne & Co., Z. Russ & Sons Meat Market, A. Rosaia, American Fish Market, Eureka Hardware Co., and The White House. After the prizes were distributed, the grand march commenced, accompanied by music from the 18-piece carnival orchestra. By 11 p.m. the grand ball was underway and lasted well into the morning hours.

The third and final day of the reign of Queen Sequoia was devoted to field sports and the cyclers. By previous arrangement all business houses closed at 1 p.m. and South Park race track became the center of attraction. The Humboldt Times reported that “people came on foot, on bicycles, on horse cars and in carriages, and it seemed as if every private and livery rig in the city was present. The three grandstands were filled to overflowing with ladies, while the men were packed in the enclosure below like sardines in a box.” Over four thousand spectators were estimated on the scene.

The cyclers were world class competitors and inspired spirited wagering among the crowd. Foot races were interspersed with the cycling events and purses for all races were generous, including fine silver watches, unset diamonds, bicycle suits, a diamond locket, a fine fishing rod and reel, a Marlin rifle, a pearl handled razor and suits of clothes. No records were set but there were some hot finishes. The evening brought a return of the crowd to Second and F Streets, where people gathered for the Illuminated Bicycle Parade, the closing feature of the carnival. Every bicycle was trimmed with ribbon and bunting, with some adding Japanese lanterns, red lights, and Roman candles. Of the 125 Bicycle Parade entrants, thirty were women who “were mostly dressed in white, and bloomers were the exception, the greater number of ladies wearing conventional short skirts.” Prizes were awarded to the best illuminated and best decorated bicycles.

When the wheelmen’s parade had passed, the immense crowd retreated once again to Armory Hall for the farewell reception. Surrounded by her faithful subjects. Queen Sequoia laid aside her crown and became once again Miss Elma Haight. With the abdication of Queen Sequoia, the Sequoia Carnival of 1895 came to a close. The city had never seen an event of such magnitude, and it is doubtful Eureka will ever again experience the all-out revelry of those three summer days 100 years ago.

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The story above was originally printed in the Spring 1997 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.