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UPDATE, TUESDAY MORNING:

“Yes on F” spokesperson Gail Rymer shared the following statement in response to the recent mailers:

All statements printed in a recent YES ON MEASURE F direct mail piece and press release were from recorded testimony given at public Eureka City Council hearings over the past few years. The testimony is the essence of public record. These quotes were selected to illustrate the long-term, ongoing pleas to the council over the need to address housing and parking together, particularly in the context of helping Old Town and Downtown Eureka businesses survive. 

The specific excerpts of testimony quoted – which are publicly available on the city’s website of council meeting recordings – showed members of the public and the business community appealing to the council over agenda items directly related to the city’s ill-advised plans to remove public parking lots and erect new housing structures. 

The Measure F campaign sought to stress the goals of Measure F: to provide housing and to preserve the parking our businesses need to survive.

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UPDATE, SUNDAY MORNING: The final phase of the Yes on F campaign continues to go full troll-mode, as Measure F supporters go into the archive to pull out-of-context quotes from non-supporters of the initiative to hint that they actually are supporters of the initiative … or should be!

This time Roy Gomez, whose candidacy for Third District Supervisor flamed out in spectacular fashion in the spring, wields Facebook to attempt a gotcha! on Eureka Mayor Kim Bergel:

Of course, not all people who live in a place live in that place with a family. Not to be a buzzkill. 

— Hank Sims

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With just three days until Election Day, the “Yes on F - Housing for All” campaign is pulling out all the stops to secure a win at the ballot box. 

In its latest round of glossy mailers, the “Yes on F” campaign used half a dozen out-of-context quotes from disgruntled Old Town and Downtown business owners as apparent endorsements for the ballot measure. However, most of the quotes printed in the mailer are sourced from public comment at a Eureka City Council meeting that took place more than two years ago, long before any version of Measure F had been made public.

Humboldt Bay Coffee Company owner Luci Ramirez took to Instagram and Facebook on Friday to call out the “Yes on F” campaign for using something she said “about a very specific topic … that impacted [her] employees” at a February 2022 Eureka Council meeting for “political gain.”

The “specific topic” Ramirez was referring to did have to do with parking limitations in Old Town, but she said the issue was resolved when the city started offering parking permits for people. “[It’s] been a game changer,” she said. “Employees no longer have to play musical cars every 2 hours.”

Ramirez also said she was “never contacted about the measure” by the “Yes on F” campaign, adding that she would have “never endorsed it.”

The “Yes on F” campaign also used an out-of-context quote from Greg Gehr, executive director of the Northern California Indian Development Council and managing partner for the Carson Block Building Property, in a recent press release. His quote, from another February 2022 city council meeting, states: “[This] will have a devastating effect on the economy, the business services, retail businesses, residents and general public in using the old town and downtown area that we worked so hard to restore,” though it doesn’t specify what “this” is. 

Reached for comment via text message, Gehr told the Outpost that he was on the board of Eureka Main Street at the time and that the group was speaking out against the city’s plans to turn the two parking lots behind Lost Coast Brewery into the EaRTH Center, a mass transit hub and housing development.

Asked whether he supported Measure F, Gehr said, “I can only speak as myself, not as an official representative of the corporation, but I think the tagline that I’ve seen around town really says it all – ‘it’s confusing for a reason.’”

The Outpost emailed “Yes on F” spokesperson Gail Rymer for additional comment on the matter. We’ll update this post if we hear back.

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We’ve got links to our previous Measure F coverage in this post. To read the official arguments for and against the measure, as well as the Eureka city attorney’s impartial analysis, click here. Election Day is Nov. 5.

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PREVIOUSLY:

• Ballot Battles, Lawsuits and a Ticked-Off Millionaire: CalMatters on Eureka’s Parking Lot Wars
• Security National Has Spent $710,645 and Counting on Measure F, the ‘Housing for All’ Initiative
• Eureka City Schools’ Deal With a Mystery Developer for the Jacobs Campus is Dead
• Anonymous AMG Communities Confirms Death of Jacobs Campus Deal, Vows to Try Again After Election Results
• Security National Just Dropped Another $286K Into Measure F, Bringing Its Total Spending to Nearly $1M
• How Will the Collapse of the Jacobs Campus Deal Impact Measure F? It Won’t, Backers Insist.
• What’s Next for the Jacobs Campus? The Eureka City Schools Board of Trustees Will Consider Five Options at Thursday’s Meeting
• Humboldt Progressive Democrats Endorse Candidates in Arcata, Eureka City Council Races, Urge ‘No’ Vote on Measure F
• Measure F Could Wreak Legal and Financial Havoc on Eureka, California Housing Defense Fund Warns
• With $1.15M From Security National, Measure F is Now the Most Expensive Ballot Initiative in Eureka History
• THE ECONEWS REPORT: What If Measure F Passes?
• The Measure F Campaign Called Him a Criminal and a Cheat. He Has a Different Story to Tell.
• GUEST OPINION: It’s Unfair That Media Coverage Doesn’t Note That Measure F Would Easily Solve All of Eureka’s Most Pressing Problems, Including Housing and Parking and the Economy
• How the Measure F Campaign is Going
• Several Dozen ‘Housing for All’ Signs Illegally Places on Telephone Poles Around Town Over the Weekend
• Would Measure F Actually Preserve Eureka’s Downtown Parking? Nope, State Law Would Override It, Staff Says

Should we turn California trees into wood pellets to be burned in foreign power plants? That’s the proposal being brought forward by Golden State Natural Resources (GSNR), a nonprofit organization formed by Rural County Representatives of California and Golden State Finance Authority. GSNR has just released their draft environmental impact report for the project, which proposed two wood pellet factories (one in Lassen County and another in Tuolumne) that will draw biomass from roughly a 100 mile radius around the plant. Those factories will turn woody biomass into pellets, which will be shipped by rail to Stockton where the pellets will be loaded onto ocean-going ships to be delivered, likely to foreign power plants where they will be burned for energy.

What’s Humboldt’s connection? Humboldt County’s own Supervisor Rex Bohn sits on the Board of Directors for GSNR and biomass from Humboldt may end up be turned into wood pellets.

This proposal has drawn concern from environmental groups worried about the greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and impacts to forest health from the project. Nick Joslin of the Mount Shasta Bioregional Ecology Center and Rita Vaughn Frost of the Natural Resources Defense Council join the show to discuss their concerns with the project.

We all take for granted our telephones today, with hardly a thought on how they came into being. Early attempts at transmitting sound resulted in the speaking tube and the tightly stretched string used in the tin-can-type toy telephone.

Many inventors worked on the problem of an electric telephone, and on February 14, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray both filed applications in the U.S. Patent Office describing a similar method of transmitting sounds by means of electricity. A patent was issued to Bell on March 7, 1876, which, after many long and very expensive legal battles, was finally upheld by the Supreme Court. Thus Bell is considered the inventor of the modern telephone.

The telephone as we know it today still operates on the same principle. [Ed. note from 2024: No it doesn’t.] But the telephone instrument in the home and office has changed through many models in the last forty years. By 1893 the Bell patent expired, and all those who wished could make their own telephones, using the principles developed by Bell. However, there were so many variations invented that frequently they did not work when connected on the same line or to the Bell system lines. Private lines had to be maintained privately, which obviously made for problems.

As a small boy I remember that the boy across the street and I stretched a string with tin cans fastened to each end and we thought we had telephones. I don’t remember if they ever worked. I guess we thought they did. I also remember the telephone my folks had when I was very small. It was a magneto type instrument powered by two 1½ volt dry cell batteries inside a wooden oak box on the wall. There were two bells near the top, a receiver hanging on the left side and a mouth piece sticking out about eight inches in the front. A small crank on the right side had to be turned when the receiver was raised and central or operator would ask for the number you wished to call. The operator would ring that number and you would hear all the receivers on the line being raised. The people on the party line could listen in so you avoided telling any thing you did not want heard by all.

One day my family went to visit a relative near a large city and were told that all they had to do was to lift their receiver and the operator would ask for the number (no crank). My folks could hardly believe this newest invention.

Eureka

The Eureka Telephone Exchange was established on April 1, 1884, with a 20- jack board and was located on Second Street between E and F streets. Albert Edward McLarin and his brother, Louis McLarin, were the operators, repairmen and installers, with James F. Coonan as manager. There were fifteen lines connected to the switchboard. It is not known where the first telephone was installed in Eureka. There were five private lines a few years prior to this date. Some of the charter subscribers of the Eureka Exchange were The Bank of Eureka, H.H. Buhne Company, W.M. Burrill, P. Delaney, John U. Haltinner, F.F. Georgeson, Dr. H.G. Gross, L.F. Puter, Dr. T.L. Loofburrow and Denver Sevier.

In 1890 the Sunset Telephone Company, with A.E. McLaren as manager, had about 40 miles of telephone lines. These lines were being improved daily. John Vance had about 30 miles of telephone lines and Z. Russ and Sons controlled about 40 miles of telephone lines.

On April 1, 1890, a 24-hour service was started in the Eureka Exchange and a 50-jack board was added to the switchboard with a total of 27 subscribers. Night service was for doctors and hospitals only. Night calls rang an electric bell at central, the operator, jumped out of bed to answer, stepped on an electric mat, making contact with a gas burner, which lit the office.

On October 1, 1895, Eureka Exchange changed from magneto to express system, using a common battery. When installed, it consisted of a primary gravity type cell composed of an electrode (negative) and a zinc electrode placed in a glass jar immersed in a solution of water and crystals of copper (blue stone). Within a few months these were replaced with storage, lead-acid batteries.

When A.E. McLaren began working for the Sunset Telephone Company in 1890, he dug holes and put up poles. The butts of the poles were burnt and tarred in those days to prevent decay. This work was done where the poles were stored on the south side of Sixth Street between F and G streets, where the Savings and Loan Company is today. They painted the first poles and strung wires.

In order to save poles, they would ask permission to fasten wires to a barn shed or tank tower. Care was taken not to do any damage, because they realized if any damage was done the wire would be ordered taken off. McLaren would work on the poles and lines up to a certain hour, then go out and collect accounts. Clerical work was done at night and some equipment would be taken home Saturdays and repaired.

By 1894 there were 194 telephones serviced by the Eureka Exchange. In 1890 McLaren opened his first office in a back room of the Long Block and on December 1, 1891, he moved to a front room of the Long Block. In November, 1892, the office moved to the Buhne Block, at 217 G Street, upstairs. A new switchboard was installed. On August 1, 1900, the office moved downstairs at 217 G Street to a room formerly occupied by Belcher and Crane Company.

Outside Connections

Realizing the importance of having outside connections, arrangements were made with the following private line owners: Flanigan and Brosman Company line running from their mill in Eureka to Bayside, Harpst and Spring shingle mill between Bayside and Arcata and the Harpst and Spring General Merchandise store in Arcata.

Added later were the Bayside Quarries and O.E. Hansen’s shingle mill at Walkers Point. This line connected with the Arcata Central and the Arcata R.R. Co. was connected to the Arcata Central. They received free switching to Eureka for the use of their lines. A fee was charged to the public for the use of same. This line was connected with the following points; Arcata Wharf, Arcata Depot, P.A. Gaynor, Janes Creek, Warren Creek, Glendale, Blue Lake and Korbel.

The Excelsior Redwood Company line connected with their store and camps. Elk River Mill and Lumber Company, Bucksport Wharf, Elk River Round House, Mr. Wrigley’s residence and mill store. A tariff was charged to points beyond the wharf. The Russ line connected Russ market in Eureka: Slaughter house in Eureka: Fields Landing Market; DeHaven Ranch near Salmon Creek; Singley’s Station; Russ, Early, and Williams Store in Ferndale; Fern Cottage; and Mazeppa Ranch. The Eel River and Eureka Railroad Company line serviced the freight depot, ticket office, freight office, C.L. Rose residence, machine shops. South Bay depot, wharf, and these stations located in south bay: Beatrice, Loleta (then known as Swauger’s), Singleys, Fortuna, Rohnerville, Alton, Junction and Burnells. The Pacific Lumber Company line connected with a three-jack board at Alton. Everyone located outside Eureka, or the public at large was charged a toll to telephone over these lines to Eureka. The receipts were turned over monthly to the Sunset Company.

In September, 1898, a long distance jack was added to the Eureka board in order to take care of the San Francisco Line which was completed during the fair week in September. Mrs. A.E. McLaren had the honor of being the first person to talk by telephone from Eureka to San Francisco. The hookup being made over the way-line to Alton.

The first conversation between New York and San Francisco was made January 25, 1915.

It was 1929 before the President of the United States, Herbert Hoover, had a telephone placed on his desk in the White House.

In October 1895, the Sunset Telephone Company had an agreement with the Eel River and Eureka Railroad to allow Sunset to build a pole line along the rail right-of-way. The line was a 172-pound copper circuit strung on an eight-pin arm. Half the cost was paid by the railroad and they had exclusive use of one half the arm. The poles used in the line cost $1.75 each at the McKay Company yard. The telephone company had use of the road for repairs and the railroad did not charge for the transporting of poles.

In 1892 when this job was done, a single copper circuit to Arcata was built. In September, 1895, this copper line was changed to a No. 12 iron wire strung for a way station. In 1890 Arcata had a central station located in A.F. Duprey’s Drugstore. Communications were then open by telephone to Arcata Wharf, Janes Creek, Warren Creek, Glendale, Blue Lake, Riverside, North Fork and to any of the business houses in Eureka. In 1896 the Sunset Eureka Directory listed Arcata as having nine subscribers. In 1905 Skinner Duprey was still the agent at 9th and H streets with 225 subscribers. Mr. Brownell was an operator.

In 1911, the central moved to the Seidell Apartments, where it remained until the dial conversion. In 1925 Arcata had 548 subscribers. In 1930 Arcata had 652 subscribers. The rapid growth of Arcata and the McKinleyville area necessitated the conversion to dial. On March 17,1956, Arcata Main converted with 2,971 stations and the old office on the plaza was discontinued.

Fortuna

In 1866 Fortuna was known as Slide and then the community decided to change the name to Springville, but the government would not permit this because there was another Springville in California. On June 17, 1888, the name Fortuna was established. During 1880- 1884 the first telephones were installed in Fortuna on a private line of the Eel River Valley Lumber Company, owned by E.J. Dodge Lumber Company. The line connected the mill at Newburg to a three-jack board at Alton Depot. The three-jack board connected with a private line at Russ Aggelers Store in Ferndale and that line had phones at Grizzly Bluff and in Waddington.

In September, 1895, the Sunset Company completed a pole line along the railroad to Fortuna. The first switchboard was placed in the Fortuna Merchandising Store at 11th and Main streets. It had a six-cord position with a hand receiver and the transmitter hung on an arm above the operator.

In 1898 the Pacific Lumber Company gave Sunset a right-of-way along their railroad from Alton, for their long distance line to San Francisco. This line was built through Usai, and finally gave Briceland and Garberville service along with other small communities in the southern part of the county.

In October, 1898, Sunset built its own line to Newburg and in February, 1899, the firm built its own line to Ferndale via East Ferry, Grizzly Bluff and Waddington. A new 12-cord switchboard was installed, with a night alarm so that the night operator was able to sleep.

In July, 1899, Sunset extended its line from Alton to Scotia. In November, 1900, the line was extended from Alton to Hydesville and in 1901 the line from Hydesville to Carlotta was added. In May, 1905, the Sunset directory shows the Fortuna Mercantile Company as agent with 94 subscribers.

By 1895 Sunset Company completed a copper line to Ferndale, relieving the private lines from Eureka. The Russ line was still a private line and there were two circuits serving the Cape Ranch and Ocean House. The Cape Ranch line used batteries and served Bear River as well as Mazeppa. The Ocean House line extended into Petrolia, which was serviced by Citizen’s Utilities. Ferndale subscribers had formed a local company affiliated with the Home Telephone Company, with main offices in San Francisco. It later went bankrupt.

In May, 1903, the Home Telephone Company became the property of Sunset Telephone Company after a meeting of the shareholders who decided to sell out. The price was in the neighborhood of $5,000. The Home Telephone Company had in its system about 150 telephones and practically controlled all of the valley country; its lines running to Fortuna, Alton, Rohnerville, Loleta, Grizzly Bluff, Waddington, Centerville and Cock Robin Island.

The old switchboard, which operated for many years in Ferndale, is at the Clarke Museum, along with several types of telephones, representing the different time periods. This board has 32 jacks, but it handled many more than 32 subscribers because each line serviced up to ten persons in Ferndale. Mrs. Delma Swain said that when she began working for the telephone company in 1924, there were still eight to ten farmer lines connected to the Fortuna Exchange alone. A fee of $5 yearly was charged for each family on a private line. The original fee for joining a private line to the central office was $35. It was later lowered to $20 and the customer paid the yearly fee and maintained the line and equipment.

Loleta

Loleta, once known by the name of Swauger’s, became the 151st telephone exchange in California in 1899. In early 1903 the citizens of Loleta, numbering between 25 and 30, met in the town hall and decided upon the organization of an independent telephone company. E. Erickson was elected president, Bert Van Duzer, secretary, and Robert Dickson, treasurer.

The Independent Telephone Company found out, as did other independent companies, that the telephone business was becoming more and more competitive and telephones more expensive and harder to repair. Thus, this company joined the Sunset Company within two years. E.A. Wells was Sunset agent. The office was located in front of the local drugstore, which later became the post, office. There were five subscribers in the 1899 directory: The Diamond Springs Creamery; Eel River Saloon and Livery Stable, Charles Barri proprietor; Dr. Curtis Falk; The Humboldt Condensed Milk Company; and the Loleta Hotel, N. Jackson Proprietor. Service for Loleta was improved shortly after in 1901 when an iron circuit was installed from Singleys to Eureka.

Hydesville

Hydesville became the 132nd exchange in California at the turn of the 20th century. The telephone exchange was operated in the back part of Beckwith Store. By November, 1900, a line from Alton to Hydesville was completed and the first and only subscriber for many years was Dr. C. Jergensen. It is evident that he used the switchboard for his personal answering service, since there were no other lines. This switchboard also had a swinging transmitter and a hand receiver; it was later moved into private homes.

Rohnerville

Rohnerville, the oldest town in Eel Valley area, was connected by Sunset in 1895. It was listed as the “Outlying Area” in the directories of 1896 and 1899. Four subscribers (no agent mentioned) were the E.B. Loring Drugstore; The Rohn Stables, Frank Austin Proprietor; B.M. McNiell Furniture Company; and Mrs. M. Van Sickle Boarding Stable.

Trinidad

Trinidad, alphabetically the last of the “larger” outlying districts, had one of the oldest, privately owned telephone lines. In the early 1880s, as mentioned previously, the enterprising John Kearns had constructed a line for the Excelsior Redwood Company. In 1898 the Sunset Company completed a copper circuit to relieve that line.

Somewhere during these years, the Sunset installers and linemen earned a couple of nicknames, such as the “Shiners” and the “Sundowners,” apparently the choice of nicknames depended on whether or not the service was deemed satisfactory. However, the names remained popular as long as the Sunset name was used.

One trip, what Dan Villa called a typical day of a toll-line repairman on a trouble-shooting trip to Bridgeville went like like:

First he took the train to Fortuna, then he went to Johnson’s Livery Stable and hired a horse and buggy. He made Carlotta about noon and had lunch at the Carlotta Hotel, then went driving on to Strong’s Station, watered his horse there, and proceeded on to Rodger’s Resort (just a few miles from Bridgeville, short of Swain’s place). He stayed there overnight, and continued the following morning to Bridgeville, clearing up any trouble. He drove back to Strong’s for lunch, arrived in Fortuna late that evening, stayed there overnight and then took the train back to Eureka.

Blue Lake

Blue Lake had been served only by private lines until 1888. Sunset’s public station, first located in Moulton’s Drugstore, which was purchased by C.C. Lasley who apparently insisted that the telephone go with the store.

Old-timers in the area recalled seeing the upright switchboard in the Worthington Store as late as 1905, still in use. There were no seats in front of it, the clerk on duty merely answered a call along with regular work. Customers only received service during store hours. At that time stores remained open 10 hours a day.

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The story above is from the November-December 1988 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.

Michael Fredrick Thompson
December 29, 1962-September 29, 2024

Michael Fredrick Thompson, 61, passed away peacefully at home encircled by the love of his family. He will be remembered with tremendous affection as a loving husband, father, stepdad, uncle and grandpa. He was a one of a kind gentleman. He bravely battled Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer since the fall of 2022. Mike navigated the last two years with courage and class. He was always considerate, kind and truly never complained even though he deeply wanted more time with family, friends and music.

Mike was born in St. Louis Missouri to Lucretia Chairo Thompson and Geoffrey Fredrick Thompson. He was the oldest of 5 siblings. When his father finished his doctorate in chemistry he moved the family to Sunnyvale CA. It was there that Mike made lifelong friends. He roamed the neighborhood and Ortega Park with his pals. His first job was a paper route in his neighborhood. He attended Inverness elementary school and Ortega Jr High in Sunnyvale and then Bellarmine College Preparatory High School in San Jose. He had countless escapades with his friends during his teen years that he recounted with humor. His father’s love of boating and sailing took the family on many summer boating excursions. As a teen, Mike’s love of music became a passion. The music of Camel, King Crimson/Beat, Rush, Genesis, Peter Gabriel (Mike and his dear friend Gianni saw Peter Gabriel perform 4 times together), Pink Floyd, The Beatles and ambient sounds — i.e., Brian Eno — were pivotal for him. He was inspired by musician Tony Levin and bought/self taught his own Chapman Stick when few people even knew what the instrument was. In his homes over the years he designed music rooms that included his beloved U8 touch guitar. His final music room was his absolute favorite.

After high school Mike worked as a bartender while trying to make his musical passion a vocation. He played Bass guitar and Chapman Stick for two bands Arms and Legs and Show and Tell. At the age of 25 he received a bachelor degree from the San Francisco State University Broadcasting Department, specializing in Audio Production.

At the age of 30 Mike graduated from Foothill College in Los Altos Hills and became licensed as a Radiologic Technologist. Mike moved north with his wife Christine Thompson to Eureka where they started a family and he began his career at General Hospital. After a few years he began working at St Joseph Hospital in the Cath Lab. He became the lead tech in interventional radiology, but he was much more than that. He was the heart of the department and its leader for 29 years. His work ethic was tireless. Mike was cherished by his colleagues. He brought a calm and kind demeanor to his practice. He never complained about even the most exhausting/stressful days. He gained knowledge and experience that became invaluable. Mike was a “place of comfort during stressful situations.” His team relied heavily on him and two years later, they still feel his absence at work. He retired due to his cancer diagnosis in September of 2022.

The big loves of Mike’s life were his family. His greatest joy came from being a father to his son Colin and daughters Serena and Kailynn, father in law to their partners Maddy and Matthew, stepfather to Dante and Grandpa to Liam and Owen. He was a proud, protective Dad. He adored being a grandfather to Liam and Owen (Colin and Maddy’s sons). He developed a special bond with Liam as he got to spend one day a week with him for nearly 2 years. He was thrilled to meet baby Owen and see his first three months of growth and development.

Twelve years after his first marriage concluded, he married the love of his life, Eileen Kitinoja. Mike and Eileen squeezed as much love and magic into the last 2 and ½ years as they could.

Mike spent his free time in nature in and all around Humboldt County. He and Eileen had a special fondness for Mendocino weekend getaways. He enjoyed photography and videos. He loved to get lost in his world of arranging ambient sounds with unique looping elements. Design with placement of special effect lights came easily to him. He could create a magical space with attention and ease. He turned a house into a home with love and details. He collected driftwood over the years, creating many beautiful pieces. In July of 2023 there was an installation of his driftwood art at the Redwood Art Association Studio. At this show he also performed his ambient music during Arts Alive.

Mike respected all of the women in his life, “having grown up with three sisters and working in the female dominated profession of health care for 29 years”. He felt protective of his daughter’s rights. He was eager to vote in this presidential election. He looked forward to finally having a female president. He felt excited by the campaign, but unfortunately missed his opportunity to vote.

Mike is missed by all who knew and loved him. He is survived by his loving wife, Eileen Kitinoja, his children Colin (partner Maddy), Serena (partner Matthew) Kailynn and stepson Dante. He is also survived by his grandchildren Liam and Owen, his sister Suzanne (husband Steve, children Kellen, Christian and Casey), his brother Geoff (wife Kim, children Noah and Odessa), his sister Carolyn (husband Brian, children Dominic and Alexa) his sister Ann (husband Jay, children Brooklyn and Aiden) and his dear mother Lucretia Thompson and her dog Charlie. He was predeceased by his father Geoffrey Thompson.

A celebration of Mike’s life will be held on his birthday December 29, 2024 at the Wharfinger building in Eureka from 1-4 p.m.

In honor of Mike please make space in your busy calendar to go for a walk on the beach or walk a local forest trail. Visit the Sequoia Park Zoo or go to Old Town to peruse the music stores. Get a bite to eat at a local restaurant. Catch a sunrise or a sunset. Enjoy all that Humboldt has to offer because any and all of it was special to Mike.

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

Gary Melvin Wahlund was born February 5, 1943 in Eureka. He was the first born of Melvin (Mevie) and Sarah (Luis) Wahlund. He was becoming part of a family with more aunts, uncles and cousins than you can count, as Gary’s grandfather and his brother each had about 14 children. Many of those children were boys so that made for a lot of relatives with the Wahlund name. Before long Gary had four siblings, Jeff, Marcie, Linda and Tina. He grew up when times were simpler with all the kids playing in the streets in his quiet neighborhood and running through the woods nearby. They rode bikes, built forts, played games & ball and had a great time. Several times they went home injured or bleeding, scaring the wits out of their mother, Sarah. They made lifelong friends in their neighborhood and stayed in touch with many right up to the present. He always loved fixing anything that was broken (or not). He told a story that once when he was a kid his Mother caught him taking apart her vacuum cleaner to see how it worked.

Gary and friends spent many days hunting and fishing in local woods and creeks as teenagers. He said he would go duck hunting before school and people that knew his family would pick him up with his shotgun to get him to where he was hunting or back home. Gary’s family moved to Freshwater when he was about 20. He continued to live there till he moved out from home.

When he got old enough to drive, he became interested in cars; working on them, repairing them and building show cars and hot rods. He had several friends, some a few years older, that lived in that built cars. He learned a lot from them about taking an old car and making it into a beautiful show car. One of his best memories was building a beautiful 56 Chevy show car that was his pride and joy and going to car shows and cruising Eureka. The Fresh Freeze was a favorite hangout to meet up with his friends, all in their gorgeous cars. The Eureka Police knew them all and knew their cars. The cops were always on alert for them racing in town or were writing them fix it tickets for some of their custom work. Gary also loved car racing-NASCAR and Sprint car racing. He liked to go to races or watch on TV if he could not go. He had friends that raced or worked around the race tracks. They would meet up after the races and talk all night long.

When Gary graduated from high school he was hired at PG&E after diligently hounding human resources. His dad had said “Get a job, but I don’t want you working in a saw mill”. Gary worked for PG&E at Humboldt Bay power plant, the warehouse and then got on the electric crews. Later he was a line crew foreman and then an electric troubleman until he retired in 1994. Over the years Gary made more friends and knew most everyone in town (or was related to them).

Gary met Wanda Hunter at PG&E and after “going together” for a few years they married in 1992. They lived near Freshwater and bought property out in the hills near Mad River where he could hunt. His dad, Mevie always liked to go and so the three of them spent a lot of time at the cabin. There were friends that had cabins in the area that would stop by and everyone went back and forth for hunting or visits or dinners. He and his friend, Butch Reeves also worked on the 10 miles of dirt road to the cabin with their equipment they had out there. He liked doing that. Gary really enjoyed those years. He always loved friend and family gatherings and the annual Wahlund reunion.

Gary was preceded in death by both of his parents, Mevie and Sarah Wahlund and his stepdaughter, Jennifer Ballew. He is survived by his wife, Wanda Wahlund, his brother Jeff Wahlund, sisters Marcie Parker, Linda Daastol-husband Phil and Tina Emerson-husband Gary; stepson Jason Ballew and 3 step grandchildren. He has many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews that have gone before him and many still remaining in Humboldt County and beyond.

There will be a memorial honoring Gary on November 17 at the Wharfinger Building, Waterfront Drive, Eureka at 1 p.m.

Diane Katherine Goodman, 79, of Eureka, formerly Bayside, went home to be with her Heavenly Father on October 23, 2024. She was a beloved educator, mom, sister and friend whose life goal was to see the best in everyone she knew.

Born on March 22, 1945 in Los Angeles to Fred Fredericks and Diane “Cookie” Fredericks. Her lifelong love of dogs started in Brentwood, her childhood home, with Mike, a terrier mix. She swam competitively, with her brother Jerry. Kathy attended Pacific Palisades HS then Humboldt State College (Cal Poly), where she graduated with a degree in Elementary Education, and met David, to whom she was married for 13 years. They adopted Andrew in 1976. She was so proud of the man Andrew became, and of his service to our country. The bulk of her teaching career was at Jacoby Creek charter school, as a 4th and 5th grade teacher. She said she liked this age because they were still impressionable and not too sassy, yet.

Kathy had many hobbies: gardening, baking, canning the fruits of her labor, watching the eagle cams, her pets, choir, Bible study, reading and puzzles. Her garden in Bayside was her joy with all its roses, fruit trees and other perennials. She worked her yard and planters and was always “tickled” when the blooms started and the fruit was rolling in. Furry friends were constant companions: notably Penny, Pearl and Diva. Kathy loved her church, served in the choir and hosted Bible studies in her home. Exercise classes and working puzzles at Timber Ridge with new friends were on her daily “to do” since moving there in May 2024.

Kathy is predeceased by her parents, Fred and Cookie Fredericks, as well as her son, Andrew Goodman. She is survived by her “big brother” Jerry (Linda), nephew Jonathan (Reaghen) and great niece Emma, ex-husband, David, many friends from church, work and her community, as well as new friends at Timber Ridge. Kathy deeply loved her church family at Arcata Presbyterian and was so grateful for those who came alongside to help with her transition from her home in Bayside to Timber Ridge.

Memorial service: November 23, 1 p.m. at Arcata Presbyterian Church.

Kathy has requested, in lieu of flowers, that donations be made to Arcata Presbyterian Church.

John Nunes, a beloved figure in the Ferndale and Fortuna community, passed away peacefully on the morning of October 20th, 2024, at 10:25 am, walking into a friend’s home with the usual smile on his face, preparing to cheer on his undefeated Minnesota Vikings. He was 67 years old. John was born on August 29th, 1957, to Tony and Velma Nunes and was the sixth of ten children.

A proud Ferndale Wildcat, John excelled in football, track, and basketball. After high school, he carried on his family’s legacy at the Beatrice Dairy, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather as a dairyman. John’s passion for gardening, especially garlic, earned him the affectionate title of “Garlic Guru.” He also enjoyed horseracing and had a knack for picking winners. His wife’s Uncle Frank always said John’s racing tips made the betting machine better than an ATM.

His greatest love was the “littles” in his life. His daughter and stepson, his two cherished “grands,” 24 special nieces and nephews, their spouses and significant others, and his 11 little “greats” brought him immense joy.

John was a loving husband, father, Pop, brother, brother-in-law, uncle, and friend to many. He is survived by his wife, Ginger, daughter Michelle, grandson Faris, stepson Brian (Nikki), and granddaughter Jessi. He is also survived by his siblings: Mike (Jeanine), Steve Ruth), Sheila (Steve); Blake (Johnna), Sherry (Paul); Andrew (Jennifer), Shelly (Lonnie) and brothers-in-law: Tony (Janice) and Richard.

John was preceded in death by his parents, Tony and Velma Nunes, brothers Anthony and David Nunes, mother and father-in-law, Tony and Gerry Leonardo, and sister-in-law Tina.

A Celebration of Life for John will be held on Sunday, November 10th, at 10:25 AM at the Portuguese Hall in Ferndale.