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If you live in one of the neighborhoods surrounding Eureka High School, you’ve probably seen staff with Vero Fiber Networks, a Colorado-based internet service provider, installing bundles of multi-colored cable that will, eventually, make up the city’s new fiber-optic network. Once the project is complete, thousands of Eureka residents will have access to some of the fastest broadband internet available in Humboldt County.

At last night’s Eureka City Council meeting, Vero Communications Relations Specialist Alida Nicklas shared a progress report on the first phase of construction, which broke ground at Hodgson and L streets in early October. The first phase of construction will provide fiber internet access to Zane Middle School, Alice Birney and Eureka High, as well as several local businesses and community organizations throughout Eureka. 

“The entire project will span about 12 months, but for now you can find us on H, I, M, [and] N streets,” Nicklas said. “You can also see us throughout Buhne, Carson, Hayes and Henderson Center. … The way we’re moving through these areas is in our own ‘zones’, which equal roughly to about 300 homes each.”

The second phase of construction will focus on communities surrounding Eureka, including Cutten, Myrtletown and Pine Hill. 

Eventually, Vero plans to extend its fiber-optic infrastructure to more than 500 homes and businesses in Indianola, Fairhaven, Manila and Samoa. The company was recently awarded a $4.4 million grant from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for the $6.3 million project. 

Nicklas also highlighted Vero’s Heroes Program, which offers a monthly discount for EMTs, firefighters, police, nurses and teachers. “We do that because we absolutely want to connect these people [to affordable broadband services],” she said. “We know they’re hard at work – especially in this more rural region where we really, really need them – and so we really like to give back to the community in that way.”

Following the presentation, Councilmember Renee Contreras-DeLoach asked if Vero had plans to bring broadband infrastructure to multi-unit households around Eureka. Vero is looking into it, Nicklas said, but there are a few extra steps involved.

“[T]here are so many multi-unit households and apartment complexes [in Eureka] and with that, we’ll have to gain a right of entry, which is a different process,” she said. A “right of entry” refers to a legal permit, usually obtained through a property owner or landlord, that allows a telecom provider to access a property to install and maintain internet services. “But we’re looking into that and trying to provide apartments with [internet] as well.” 

If you’re interested in Vero’s services, you can look up your address at this link. Vero tracks the search data, and if there’s an uptick in searches for a specific area it could determine where they build next, Nicklas said.

“It’s good to see some more options coming in,” said Councilmember Kati Moulton. “Knowing we have more options in the market makes things better for consumers.”

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A recording of last night’s meeting can be found here.

PREVIOUSLY:

• Final Election Night Report! With Perhaps Half the Vote Counted, the Status Quo Looks Like a Lock in Eureka

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The following message was sent to the Outpost by the ‘Housing For All Coalition’:

The collective voice of all supporters of Measure F, who want a vibrant future for our community, will continue our efforts to protect small businesses and support needed family-friendly housing in Eureka. 

This campaign brought together a broad coalition of people who sincerely believe the City’s plans to eliminate public parking lots will force local businesses to close their doors, cost essential jobs, and harm our historic Old Town and Downtown. 

We are committed to working with the community on efforts to protect and uplift Eureka’s economic vitality while meeting housing needs.

While Republicans celebrated a red wave nationally, California voters affirmed the state’s solid blue politics with Democratic candidates seeing strong returns for state and federal office.

As the prospect of a second Donald Trump presidency loomed large over California, the state elected a new U.S. senator in Adam Schiff. A Burbank Democrat, Schiff made a national name for himself in the U.S. House by leading the prosecution of Trump’s first impeachment and for his key role investigating the Jan. 6th storming of the Capitol.

Democrats were also leading the most contested races to represent California in Congress, and they were leading in races that would expand their supermajority in the state Legislature, making the state well positioned to lead the resistance to a second Trump presidency.

But California’s voters were hesitant to fully embracing a progressive agenda. They soundly passed a ballot initiative to raise criminal sentences, a measure Gov. Gavin Newsom and the progressive wing of the Legislature had opposed. They once again rejected a ballot initiative that would have permitted an expansion of rent control.

And they also ousted a progressive prosecutor in Los Angeles County, the state’s largest.

“It’s just one of these things where the allegiance to Democratic candidates and supporting Democratic candidates doesn’t always mean an allegiance to every progressive cause,” said Paul Mitchell, an election analyst.

News outlets called Democrat Kamala Harris the winner of the state’s electoral votes the moment polls closed at 8 p.m., and also swiftly called the race to claim the U.S. Senate seat long held by Democrat Dianne Feinstein. Schiff cruised to victory against Steve Garvey, a former L.A. Dodgers star seeking to become the first Republican elected statewide in 18 years. Schiff won a six-year term to replace Sen. Laphonza Butler, who decided not to run for reelection after she was appointed by Newsom to replace Feinstein, who died last year.

Democrats took early leads in four of six contested Congressional races, key seats that could keep Democrats in control of that chamber and act as a bulwark against Trump.

The Associated Press still hasn’t called who controls the House of Representatives , and it could take days or more to determine the victors in several of those contested races, particularly in California.

On ballot measures, voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 36, which progressives opposed, that increases sentences for certain crimes and partial vote totals show them rejecting progressive-sponsored Prop. 6 that would prohibit forced labor in prisons. Prop. 33, which would expand rent control, failed.

Prop. 32, which would raise the minimum wage, was too close to call, as were several other statewide propositions.

Meanwhile, Democrats were leading their Republican opponents in three contested Legislative seats, which would expand the supermajority they need to raise taxes or put initiatives on the ballot without a single Republican vote.

But should early vote totals hold, Mike Gatto, a former Democratic state lawmaker from Los Angeles, cautioned members of his party not to consider it an edict from the California electorate to embrace far-left policies in response to Trump’s return to office.Gatto noted that California’s voters appear to have signaled through the state’s ballot initiatives a more moderate platform. Taken with the national election results, Gatto said California’s elected Democrats should be mindful of appearing too liberal.

“I think it would be wise for California Democrats to try to moderate the agenda a little bit,” Gatto said.

In Los Angeles County, voters chose Nathan Hochman — a former federal prosecutor who ran for state Attorney General as a Republican in 2022 — to replace incumbent District Attorney George Gascón, a progressive.

Some experts say the votes show California has more nuanced political views than its national reputation as a liberal bastion suggests.

Christian Grose, professor of political science at University of Southern California, saw the mixed bag as fairly typical for California.

“The state in general seems like it’s still going Democratic, and might swing the U.S. House to the Democrats,” he said, “while also supporting policies sometimes that are a little bit more conservative and a little bit more liberal.”

One note of caution about overnight California election results: For some of the closest races, it may be weeks before we know the final outcome. Though this has stoked mistrust among voters, the reasons are not nefarious.

Since 2020, California has mailed a ballot to every registered voter — a convenience that requires additional verification by local elections officials when it’s returned, including authenticating the signature and checking that the voter has not already cast a ballot in another jurisdiction before counting it. The counting takes significantly more manual labor, as workers must open the envelopes, extract the ballots, align them for counting machines and duplicate any damaged ballots that cannot be read.

California accepts ballots that arrive up to seven days late, as long as they are postmarked by election day, and give voters an opportunity to fix missing or mismatched signatures. These delays are deliberate, to minimize the number of legitimate voters disqualified for procedural reasons and ensure a secure and accurate count.

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CalMatters Capitol reporter Alexei Koseff contributed to this story.

CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

Press release from the California Highway Patrol:

On November 6, 2024, at approximately 3:17 AM, the California Highway Patrol Humboldt Area received a call of an injured male, lying within the southbound lanes of US-101, at the Greenlaw Vista Point (just north of Jordan Creek). Officers responded to the scene and located an adult male, identified as 23-year-old Max Wolfe of Fortuna, suffering from major injuries consistent with having been hit by a vehicle. Mr. Wolfe was transported by emergency medical personnel to Providence St. Joseph Hospital for treatment of his injuries.

The California Highway Patrol is continuing its investigation and is asking for the public’s help in identifying the involved vehicle. Anyone that may have information related to this investigation should call the Humboldt Area CHP Office at 707-822-5981 or the CHP Humboldt Communication Center’s non-emergency line at 707-268-2000. You can also email Humboldt_Area@chp.ca.gov with any information.

Claudia Darlene Brundin
Oct. 10, 1945 — Oct. 30, 2024

Claudia was born in Arcata to Oscar Eric Brundin Sr. and Margaret Annie Champion Brundin. At only 4 pounds she was a miracle baby. She was also affectionately known as “Sister” and “Auntie.”

Claudia lived in Blue Lake most of her life, lived on family property that is on the Blue Lake Rancheria. She loved animals — she will be greatly missed by her dog Betsy and parrot Brat. Betsy would look forward to the daily trip to the Riptide Café where Auntie got a hot mocha and Betsy got a treat.

Claudia had a really rough last year — with fluid buildup in her body, weakness, asthma and COPD.

She worked many jobs before starting at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Eureka. She went on to be Head of Housekeeping, working there for 34 years. Also during those years she worked tirelessly for the Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe. As chairperson she was involved in all aspects of the planning and building of Blue Lake Casino and Hotel and worked as the Director of Housekeeping for the Casino and Hotel.

Auntie was the Secretary for the Blue Lake Rancheria Tribal council and then Tribal Chairperson starting in 1994. She was part of the founding members for the Blue Lake Rancheria. She was very proud of the accomplishments of the Rancheria.

She had many interests – collecting stamps, making and painting ceramics, crocheting, collecting coats, movie theatre popcorn, basket weaving and Christmas. Claudia loved taking trips first with her parents to get out of doing chores. She took many trips with Penny Stephenson and her father Robert (good friends). On trips that her dad drove – he wouldn’t let her open the windows or stop for the restroom … or get out of the car to see the cousins or anything else.

Diane Holliday was a huge part of Auntie’s life. Diane came to live with the family when she was 18 years old and never left. Diane was our honorary aunt. They had many adventures together from driving cars that would break down to trying to ride canoes down the Russian River and losing everything – including wallets and glasses. Trips with Arla Ramsey who would walk everywhere very fast and the hotels were terrible but they were the cheapest.

There were lots and lots of trips to Disneyland with all of the nieces and nephews. Other favorite destinations were Washington D.C., Las Vegas and Reno. Dorothy McKinnon was her partner in crime at the casinos.

Auntie spent many years caring for her mother, Margaret. Auntie also liked to bake. The AT& T repairman was at our house once and, pointing to Auntie’s house, he said “That is where the cream puff lady lives.”

Auntie loved taking care of us kids. Rusty and Jody spent a lot of time here when they were young. She just loved all of us kids. The great nephews were the beasty boys. Auntie and Aunt Diane would take us to the movie theatre often – we just loved it. They would show up at our house on Christmas morning at dark thirty (they had to work) and wake us up to be able to share Christmas with us.

She would occasionally call and start the conversation with “You know how I hate to complain” and then she would let you know what was bugging her – usually that Jeopardy was moved or not on - then she would laugh and laugh!

“Hello cutie” was another salutation.

She spent most of her life taking care of others. It was a privilege to be able to take care of her the last couple of years. A big thank you to Charise for being there and taking care of Auntie especially over the last 3-4 months. We loved her so much. We will all miss her. She leaves a big hole in our family and our hearts.

Claudia leaves behind numerous family and friends including:

Brother – Howard “Mike” Brundin and Nikki, Aunt Martha Losh, Cousins – Lois Crawford, Linda Ainger, Rosemary Graves, Vern Losh(Teresa), Vanessa Freeland, Melissa McCann, Carrie and Kristi Hoerauf

Nieces and Nephews – Charise Shackelford, Audrey (David) Baldosser, Jody (Kristy) Brundin, Rusty McMorrow . Great nephews – Gabe Shackelford, Mike ( Kelsay) Shackelford, Jace Baldosser and Fiancé Ana Avila, Nathan Baldosser, Andrew and Sean Brundin ,Shanna Morrill, Tanya Ganfield, Amber Burgess, Ron and David Ainger

Friends too numerous to name – but a few, Jacqueline Perez, Julie Soper, Linda Daggs, Chong Pyon, Maria Trip, Arla Ramsey

The Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe has been a great part of her life. Thank you for being there for her all of these years.

Preceded by: parents Oscar Eric Brundin Sr. Margaret Annie Brundin (Champion), Brothers- Butch and David Brundin, Aunt Norma Hoerauf (Roger), Aunt Cora Harris, Aunt Irene Wilson, Uncle Vern Losh, Best friend- Diane Holliday

A celebration of life will be held at the Sapphire Palace at the Blue Lake Casino at 1 o’clock on Wednesday, November 20, 2024.

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

Our beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother Bettie Anne Rutan died quietly in her home in Eureka on October 4, 2024. She maintained her love of family, profound sense of gratitude, and poise through her final days. Her deep faith filled her with hope and an abiding peace.

Bettie was born on December 3,1934 in Roanoke, Alabama to Naomi and Lamon Bailey. She spent her early years in rural Alabama. Her earliest memories included adventures following her adored older brother, Pete, and attempts to contain her mischievous baby brother, Tom. When she was 11 years old, her family decided to leave their small town in Alabama and move to Petrolia, where her maternal aunt and uncle lived. Bettie often recalled the train trip west, her young head full of dreams about living in sunny California. She laughed about her disappointment upon arriving at the family’s ranch in Petrolia, where it rained every day for six weeks straight.

When her father went to work for the Hammond Lumber Company, she moved with her family to Crannell. After a partial year at Little River Elementary School, Bettie was enrolled in Arcata High School, even though she was only 12 years old. She graduated at age16 and spent a year in Tujunga, California with a paternal aunt and uncle. She enrolled in community college and enjoyed great times with her cousin Maddox and friends. Bettie fondly recalled the sweet smell of orange groves which stretched for miles at that time around Los Angeles. Bettie returned to Humboldt County where she met Kenneth Cringle. They married in 1954. The large, loving Cringle clan became her family and she cherished those relationships to her last days. The addition of their daughters Brenda, Pamela and Daphne brought great joy to Bettie; children, especially babies, were one of her passions. Her greatest sorrow came with the loss of their 5 week old infant son, Kenneth Randall.

She married her second husband, JR O’Connell in 1964. They enjoyed many camping adventures with the girls, she expertly prepared the bounty of fish and game he brought home, and cheered for him as he raced stock cars at Redwood Acres. She even entered and won races herself!

Bettie began her work career in Arcata at a log scaling station in the early 1950s and recalled with pride working on one of the first computers in Humboldt County — it filled an entire room. She entered data using a card punch system. In the 1960s Bettie re-entered the workforce as an employee of the State of California, first for the Employment Development Department and later as a bookkeeper for CalTrans.

In 1979, Bettie married Don Rutan. She often said that she “finally got it right” as they enjoyed 29 years of adventure. Most of those years they lived in the Sacramento area where Don worked. They bought a property that had a pool, a large vegetable garden, and a horse pasture and barn. Their grandkids learned to swim in the pool, rode bareback on their horses, and developed a love for the taste of fresh tomatoes and corn from the garden. Nana and Papa’s home is central in every grandkids childhood memories. Those years of simple pleasures with family were some of Bettie’s happiest.Bettie’s green thumb was well known. Don took pride in her ability to grow anything, inside or out. He treasured her quick wit and remarkable memory. An animal lover to the end, she enjoyed many pets throughout her life and there was almost always a special dog by her side. She was an amazing cook. Her southern roots were often recognizable in flaky biscuits, homemade creamed corn and large bowls of gravy common at her table. None of these culinary delights included a recipe so daughters had to watch carefully to learn the secrets. Music was a constant in her life and she loved to dance, especially with Don. They attended numerous jazz festivals over the years but their favorite was the Redwood Coast Dixieland Jazz Festival in Eureka.

Bettie was a lifelong sports fan, knowing team players, stats, and standings. She and Don created and shared memories taking the grandkids to sporting events, as well as watching all of them compete in various sports. While each season or different grandchild brought interest in different games or competitions, none compared with baseball. Bettie’s love of the game began as a young girl at her Dad’s side, listening to the Brooklyn Dodgers. In her adult years the Giants were her team through good and bad. Her baseball card collection was enormous and well-cataloged. Naming her final doggie companion Buster Posey was not a surprise to those who knew her devotion.

Bettie and Don enjoyed many travels - driving across the country, Sacramento to Florida, cruising through the Panama Canal, sunsets in Tahiti, Barbados, and several Hawaiian islands, parasailing in the Bahamas, climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge and always the many drives to visit their children’s homes for holidays, celebrations and grandkid time.

Her enthusiasm for travel did not diminish after she lost Don. She took a cruise to Alaska with Pam, enjoyed a road trip on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail with her daughters, and visited Kaitlin and the memorials in D.C. In 2013 Jim’s Mom, 80 year old Maureen, bought a week long stay for two at a safari lodge in South Africa. She immediately invited 79 year old Bettie to be her traveling companion. Brenda and Jim felt compelled to be guides. The trip evolved into a three week adventure that included four countries, numerous game drives, and Victoria Falls.

In 2006 Bettie and Don decided to retire to Eureka, where they both lived the rest of their lives. They loved their house in Eureka and the community and family to which they returned. Bettie loved her greenhouse, her flowers, and the times that she could gather children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren in her home. She always had bowls of candy, toys for kids, and hot coffee ready for visitors.

Bettie was preceded in death by her son Randy, her husband Don, and brothers Pete and Tom. She is survived by her three daughters: Brenda Yarnall (James, who she called “my boy”), Pamela McNaughton (Peter), and Daphne Aguilar, her grandchildren: Brent Gaylord (Bekah), Kaitlin Yarnall (Shikhin), Ryan Gaylord, Morgan Aguilar, and Megan Yarnall (Will), and her great-grandchildren: Romeo, Alina, Douglas, Sophie, Cylus, Carter, Neila, Isla, James, Madeline, and Samira. Also her sisters-in-law, Barbara Bailey and Sharon Bailey.The family would like to express special appreciation and thanks to Amanda James, Bettie’s primary care provider, but most of all her friend, advocate, and long-time supporter, and to John Mastroni for his compassionate and dedicated care. We are also grateful to the caregivers who allowed Bettie to remain in her home. Thank you Elibe for dancing with Mom, loving her so well, sharing your faith, and for your valued professional care and advice. Thank you Alisa for loving Posey, caring for Mom’s beloved flowers, feeding the birds where she could watch them and for all the deviled eggs. Thank you Kathy for always honoring Mom’s dignity and for being with her to the end. Thank you Michael and Gina for your vigilance and thoughtful deeds.

Hospice of Humboldt and Mom’s care team provided comfort for her and for family in her final months. Special thanks to Debbie, Bridgit, Itzel, and Julie Mastroni, for love and advice. A memorial service will be held on December 6 at Eureka Wharfinger Bay Room at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Sequoia Park Zoo, Humboldt Botanical Garden or Hospice of Humboldt.

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

On Oct 9, Robert “Ralf” Henry died from a heart attack while riding his beloved electric bike in Eureka.

Ralf was born in Yokohama Japan on July 18, 1963. He grew up in Walnut Creek with his sister Kate and brother Doug. He lost his Merchant Marine father early in life and was forever fascinated with reading about war history. As a teenager, he began working at Tokyo Chicken and learned a profession he loved.

In about 1985 Ralf moved to Humboldt County. He enjoyed cooking at Parlato’s restaurant in Fortuna for many years. His favorite thing was grilling teriyaki chicken for his friends. He also enjoyed Grateful Dead shows.

Ralf treasured his grandfatherly relationship with Kai Ishii whom he knew from birth and his good buddy Max Fournier. Robert Henry was a gentle soul. He lived many more years than his doctors predicted. He was a generous and loyal friend.

An informal memorial for family and friends will be held next July 18 (his birthday) at Table Bluff South Spit.