Citing public safety concerns, two state agencies on Tuesday suspended driverless car company Cruise’s licenses to test and deploy its vehicles, and its ability to carry passengers, immediately grounding its fleet of about 150 robotaxis in San Francisco.

The Department of Motor Vehicles was the first to say it had immediately suspended the General Motors-owned company’s licenses to test and deploy its fully autonomous vehicles. In response to CalMatters’ request for comment on the DMV’s move, the California Public Utilities Commission said it has also suspended Cruise’s ability to carry passengers in driverless vehicles.

Cruise, founded in San Francisco in 2013, conducted its first driverless ride in the city in 2020. It opened a fully driverless taxi service to the public in San Francisco in early 2022, in which riders can summon vehicles like they would on a ride-hailing app. That service was only available at night until this August, when the public utilities commission approved 24/7 operations.

The DMV’s suspension notices, seen by CalMatters, show that the agency based its suspensions on an Oct. 2 incident in San Francisco in which a Cruise autonomous vehicle dragged a pedestrian who had been hit by a different vehicle right beforehand. The vehicle that first hit the woman was driven by a human who fled the scene and has not been arrested, according to various media reports.

In its notices to Cruise, the DMV notes that the next day, the company showed representatives of the DMV and the California Highway Patrol video from the vehicle’s cameras that ended with the autonomous vehicle stopping after it braked when the pedestrian fell into its path after being hit by another vehicle. But the DMV also said it was not made aware that the Cruise vehicle then tried to pull over while the pedestrian was underneath it.

“The department only learned of the AV’s subsequent movement via discussion with another government agency,” the suspension notice says. DMV spokesperson Anita Gore told CalMatters that agency was the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which last week opened its own investigation into Cruise over four safety incidents, including the Oct. 2 incident.

The DMV said in its notices that the agency then requested the additional footage from Cruise, and received it Oct. 13.

“When there is an unreasonable risk to public safety, the DMV can immediately suspend or revoke permits,” the DMV said in a news release, which also said Cruise’s suspension is partly based on a state regulation related to the following: “The manufacturer has misrepresented any information related to safety of the autonomous technology of its vehicles.”

Cruise spokesperson Hannah Lindow said Tuesday the company disputes the DMV’s contention that it did not initially show DMV representatives the full video.

“We had a meeting with the DMV on 10/3, in which we showed them the complete video multiple times,” Lindow said in an email. “They later requested a copy of the video shown on 10/3, which we provided to them.”

The DMV said in an email that it “stands by the facts contained in the order of suspension.”

Cruise also released a statement on its website in which it said it shared the full video with the officials. It also provided a description of the incident, which reads in part: “The AV detected a collision, bringing the vehicle to a stop; then attempted to pull over to avoid causing further road safety issues, pulling the individual forward approximately 20 feet.”

The company said in that statement that it plans to include the incident in future simulation tests “to allow the vehicle to better determine if it should pull over safely or stay in place.”

Cruise now has five days to request a hearing about the DMV’s suspension of its deployment license, and 60 days to request a hearing about the suspension of its driverless-testing permit.

The public utilities commission, which has also now suspended Cruise’s ability to carry passengers in the agency’s autonomous vehicle deployment and driverless pilot programs, is carrying out its own investigations into Cruise, spokesperson Terrie Prosper said.

Though the DMV and the commission coordinate on regulation of autonomous vehicles and will continue to do so, the suspension decisions were made separately, Prosper said.

The suspensions do not affect Cruise’s ability to test its vehicles with safety drivers, according to the DMV. The public utilities commission suspension, however, does affect the company’s ability to carry passengers even with a safety driver.

The commission’s suspension comes after it voted in early August to allow Cruise and another autonomous vehicle company, Waymo, to expand their ability to charge for robotaxi service in San Francisco at all hours. A week after that approved expansion, the DMV ordered Cruise to cut its 300-vehicle fleet in half as the agency investigated incidents involving the company’s autonomous vehicles, including a crash involving a fire truck.

In mid-August, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu filed motions to stay the public utilities commission’s decision, citing “poor AV performance creating safety hazards and interfering with first responder operations, public transit, street construction workers, and the flow of traffic,” and said his office would also seek a rehearing. The application for the rehearing is pending, Prosper said.

Also Tuesday, labor leaders and others gathered in Los Angeles to protest Alphabet-owned Waymo’s unveiling of a test of its so-far free robotaxi service in Santa Monica and Venice last week, and a planned expansion by the company elsewhere in the area next month. They expressed concerns about safety, with some of them citing collisions involving self-driving vehicles in San Francisco, and the possible elimination of jobs.

In addition, Los Angeles City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez plans to introduce a motion Wednesday, calling for the L.A. city attorney to join San Francisco in urging the public utilities commission to adopt more “common-sense regulations” on self-driving cars, said Nick Barnes-Baptista, a spokesperson for the councilmember.

“We should not be putting lives at risk by allowing our city to be a test subject for the tech industry,” Soto-Martinez said in an emailed statement.

Waymo spokesperson Sandy Karp said the company encourages people “to learn more about the positive impacts Waymo’s autonomous ride hailing is having on safety, accessibility and sustainability.”

Regulation of driverless vehicles has been a hot topic in California. Earlier this year, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have regulated self-driving trucks, saying in his veto message that it was “unnecessary for the regulation and oversight of heavy-duty autonomous vehicle technology in California, as existing law provides sufficient authority to create the appropriate regulatory framework.

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

It was well past 8 a.m. by the time Elisa Arquieta finished dropping off her daughter at middle school and her younger two children at her university’s child care center. Only after dropping them off did she realize it was also well past the opening of fall class registration for her and the rest of her Cal State Long Beach classmates.

Arquieta eventually logged on to her student portal to find the final two classes required for her degree completely booked. As a fourth year student and with no other choice but to waitlist the courses, Arquieta became nervous, wondering how this would affect her graduation date.

“I was just like, ‘Ah, but I kind of need these,’” Arquieta said.

Student parents like Arquieta have long been an underserved population in higher education despite more than 200,000 college students in California having dependents. Nationally, 1 in 5 college students have dependents.

To address their specific needs, Assemblymember Marc Berman, a Menlo Park Democrat, authored Assembly Bill 2881, which was signed into law in September 2022. The law stipulates that all campuses across California’s three public higher education systems provide priority registration for student parents by July 1, 2023 and maintain a website listing resources for them by Feb. 1, 2023.

“This bill would remove barriers that inhibit academic success and degree attainment for student parents, bring greater attention to their needs, and in doing so, uplift their children as well,” Berman said via email.

Although the law took effect this year, most California student parents will have to wait for priority registration. While all 10 University of California campuses offered priority registration for student parents prior to this fall, both the California State University and California Community College systems failed to meet the deadline. They cited a lack of data on the number of eligible students and a lack of time to implement the necessary software. However, advocates and campus coordinators are optimistic the law will formalize and ease data collection, allowing schools to better serve these students’ needs.

All three public systems in California lacked a comprehensive method of regular data collection on student parents and their needs on each individual campus prior to the law.

In 2019 Larissa Mercado-López, a Fresno State professor of women’s, gender and sexuality studies, led the first effort in California public higher education to count the number of student parents on her campus. According to Mercado-López, 350 pregnant or parenting students self-identified as part of the 2022 fall survey — a figure she called a likely undercount.

Like other public campuses in California, Fresno State relied on numbers from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid prior to the release of Mercado-López’s annual survey. However, given some students become a parent after applying for financial aid and with only 70% of students nationally filling out the FAFSA, Mercado-López said universities should routinely collect their own data on student parent populations and their needs.

The law will now require campuses to collect that data. The California Community Colleges added a question to its application this past summer to identify student parents eligible for priority registration. The California State University added an option to students’ registration portals for student parents to certify their eligibility. At the UC, student parents must self-identify with their campus by filling out a form to alert the registrar of their priority registration eligibility.

“It kind of indirectly addresses that invisibility issue or awareness,” said Afet Dundar, senior research director at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research in Washington, D.C. “So that’s the good part in terms of the resources and website.”

Data collected by campuses can help them better assist student parents by connecting them to government programs like CalWORKS, Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children that are designed to provide financial assistance and other resources. All campuses in the UC and California Community Colleges systems successfully created or updated a website of resources for student parents to comply with the law. With the exception of CSU Bakersfield, CSU Los Angeles, CSU Maritime Academy and San Francisco State University, all other CSU campuses also created the resource pages for this fall.

Data captured from FAFSA and the California Dream Act application for the 2018-19 academic year found 72% of student parents in California intended to enroll at a community college, according to the UC Davis School of Education. In 2018, 145,061 student parents were enrolled at community colleges, while 24,023 were enrolled in the CSU system and 2,975 were enrolled in the UC system.

“This is about gender and racial equity, really, when we talk about student parents.”
— Afet Dundar, senior research director at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research in Washington, D.C.

Research on the racial demographics of student parents entering community college in 2016 in California found 48% of student parents were Latino, 25% were white, 13% were Black and 14% were Asian or “other,” according to a report from UC Davis. The same report found 77% of the state’s student parents were female while 33% were male.

Women of color are the majority of the student parent population and about one-third are student-fathers, according to Dundar.

“This is about gender and racial equity, really, when we talk about student parents,” Dundar said. “There are additional considerations because our student debt report showed [students of color] are more likely to take on debt. It has nothing to do with race. It has everything to do with their lack of intergenerational wealth.”

Pregnant or parenting students face a unique set of barriers in higher education: affordability, child care, family-friendly housing and transportation. These barriers result in 52% of student parents nationwide leaving school without their degree despite investing as much as six years in their undergraduate education, according to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research.

“We’re talking about non-traditional students here and trying to fit them into a traditional four-year university mold is really difficult,” said Liz Reed, CSU systemwide assistant director of enrollment management technology.

Katie Dyer at Fresno State College on Oct. 16, 2023.Dyer is a student at Fresno State College and a parent. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local

Katie Dyer works part time as an office manager at a hydrogeology firm, parenting 10-and 12-year-old kids while double majoring in philosophy of religion and women and gender sexuality studies at Fresno State. Like many student parents, Dyer’s higher education journey began at her local community college. In 2018 Dyer began taking night classes at Fresno City College, saying she “wanted more and better — and that was not going to happen without an education.”

Around 44% of student parents nationally are balancing a full-time job with their parental and educational responsibilities, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Having so much on their plate leads to what researchers call “time poverty,” in which student parents’ obligations leave them with little time to complete coursework and maintain mental and physical health.

Over the course of their undergraduate education, Dyer navigated a divorce, child care during a pandemic, and homeschooling.

“Every semester there is a point where I feel like I’m gonna completely fall apart every single time and it’s just because there’s a lot,” Dyer said. “I think the important part for me with being a student who has kids is that you include your kids in what you’re doing. We talk about what they’re learning, we talk about what I’m learning, we do our homework together.”

“You know that you can’t fail and you can’t stop because you’ve got these two little cheerleaders just standing there ready to celebrate everything with you.”
— Katie Dyer, student parent at Fresno State

Dyer, like many other student parents, attributes her motivation to attain her bachelor’s degree to her children.

“They know I’m graduating in May and they’re so excited about it,” Dyer said. “You know that you can’t fail and you can’t stop because you’ve got these two little cheerleaders just standing there ready to celebrate everything with you.”

For Arquieta, part of her stress turned to celebration when was able to get off the waitlist for her classes, putting her back on track to hit her graduation date and leaving her with one less challenge to overcome.

“Luckily, I was able to get it,” Arquieta said. “But it was just like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m gonna have to wait and I’m gonna have to figure this out.’”

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Iyer and Mendez-Padilla are fellows with the CalMatters College Journalism Network, a collaboration between CalMatters and student journalists from across California. This story and other higher education coverage are supported by the College Futures Foundation.

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

Alexander Alpha Leen
June 1, 1962 - Oct. 17, 2023

Alex Leen was a kind, loving person who enjoyed entertaining people. Alex told amazing stories of fiction and his childhood. He loved the outdoors, camping, gold, panning, fishing, swimming, barbecuing and spending time in the redwoods. He loved to sing, especially around a bonfire, while camping or just relaxing at home. Alex was a jack of all trades who did auto body work, carpentry, lawn care and winemaking.

Alex was born in Eureka and spent the majority of his life in Humboldt County.

Alex married his wife, Leah Fike, on October 9, 1980. His first daughter Amy James was born on April 5, 1981. Alex and Leah moved to oil city Louisiana where he worked in the oil fields. On January 23, 1986, was the birth of his second daughter, Joanna Leen, in Shreveport, Louisiana. After moving back to Humboldt, County, the birth of his third daughter, Daisy Leen occurred in Eureka California on May 19, 1991. Alex grew to know the Lord and would speak to people about him at every possible opportunity.

Alex was a gypsy of Armenian and Argentinian heritage. He prided himself in Christmas traditions, family, tales and songs, as well as many stories.

Alex‘s wife Leah passed away in June 2018. He spent the last years of his life with stage four kidney failure, having to get dialysis three times a week. He struggled physically and dealt with a lot of pain. The family is comforted, knowing that Alex is resting Resting peacefully pain-free and is reunited with his wife, granddaughter, Jamie Leen, past relatives and being embraced by the Lord.

Alexander Alpha Leen passed away on Tuesday, October 17, 2023 from heart failure. he is survived by his daughters, Amy James, Joanna Leen, and Daisymae Leen. His grandchildren, Hannah Bingham-Leen, Noah, Bingham-Leen, Michael Leen, Isaiah Leen, Nathaniel Leen, and Sequoyah Quilantan. His sisters, Jackie, Mona and Tisha, along with a myriad of nieces, nephews and cousins. Alex is preceded in death by his granddaughter, Jamie Leen, brothers, Anthony, Dovie, Senior, Tambi, Bambi (China), and Jeff. His sisters, Tima, Melody, Wanda, Jackie, and Paris. His parents, Mary Custa and Nick Lee.

Alexander will be greatly missed and remembered by many. His impact on people will carry on for many years. May the Lord embrace you and guide you on your spiritual journey. We love you daddy, God bless you.

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During today’s meeting, First District Supervisor Rex Bohn faced criticism from fellow board members for including a handgun in Humboldt County’s auction basket at a recent meeting of the Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) Board of Directors. 

The issue was brought up during the board’s discussion on the county’s current appointments to that board. Second District Supervisor Michelle Bushnell quickly made a motion to keep the appointments as is, with Bohn serving as the primary delegate and herself as the alternate.

Wilson | Screenshot

But Third District Supervisor Mike Wilson said he had recently received a few phone calls from concerned individuals regarding the contents of Humboldt County’s auction basket at RCRC’s annual County Basket Drawing and Auction, which was held in Monterey County on Sept. 21. Each of the participating counties were asked to donate a basket to the auction, worth at least $200, featuring items that are representative of the county.

Humboldt County’s basket, assembled by Bohn, included a Traeger Grill, custom redwood benches, a YETI Cooler, $500 of Humboldt Grass-Fed Beef, a box of Humboldt Made treats and … a Smith & Wesson 9mm Cerakote handgun.

Wilson said he had received a number of phone calls from people who were concerned about the firearm being included in the county’s basket. There’s also a post about it on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter, which has garnered over 760 views in the last 24 hours.

“So now people are talking about Humboldt County being purveyors of guns at a time when, you know, the biggest killer of kids is guns [and] suicide by gun is on the rise,” Wilson said. 

Clerk of the board Tracy D’Amico was hesitant to allow Wilson to continue the conversation without the consent of County Counsel Scott Miles, noting that “it’s not related to the agenda.” Miles said the conversation could continue, “but it must relate to the actual activities that took place in the capacity of the members’ delegacy to RCRC,” he said.

Wilson emphasized that the conversation was relevant to the discussion because it concerned the appointment of a board member who would represent the entire county on a state level.

“We’re promoting firearms and the distribution of firearms,” he said. “It’s not a party favor, and it’s not a door prize, right? It’s a firearm. It’s for the purpose of killing, or shooting people. I mean, that’s, like, generally why they’re developed, right? That’s what their point is. … It’s hard for me to accept that Humboldt County is a purveyor of that in our statewide organizations.”

Bohn sarcastically referred to himself as “a merchant of death,” noting his history in selling guns and cases of wine and liquor at various auctions. 

“If you want me to promise I’ll never sell another gun, I’ll do that,” Bohn said. “I’ve been a licensed hunter since I was 10 years old. I have never seen or bought a gun because you buy [them] to kill people. We can inflame that all we want. But, I mean, I know it’s an election year, let’s dirty up everything else as much as we can.”

Bohn said he had actually won a shotgun at a raffle and decided to trade it in for a pistol to donate to the basket. He emphasized that the gun and the transaction were completely legal, noting that under California law requires a 10-day waiting period before a firearm can be released to its new owner.

“This isn’t the first time I’ve had a gun in my basket,” he said. “And it’s not the first time that a gun in another county’s basket has been there. So the timing of this is … wonderful.”

Fourth District Supervisor Natalie Arroyo pushed back on Bohn’s implication that the timing of the conversation had to do with Bohn’s reelection campaign, noting that the “timing of this has to do with the appointment that we’re making or considering.” Arroyo suggested that the board should postpone the appointment to provide “time to reflect.”

D’Amico said the board would have to make a decision on the matter in the next couple of weeks, prior to the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) meeting in mid-November. 

Arroyo | Screenshot

“I think handguns, in particular, is something that raises a lot of emotional questions … and policy questions around, you know, what we choose to represent us and how we want to be represented and by whom on a statewide level,” Arroyo said. “This isn’t about an individual’s character or anything, it’s just a question of what we as a board think is an appropriate representation of us. I don’t really know what deferring it would accomplish other than just a chance to take a deep breath and think about what makes the most sense.”

Bushnell asked what kind of direction Arroyo and Wilson were looking for, and whether their qualms were about the contents of the basket or the county’s representation with RCRC.

“I can say that I have attended almost all RCRC meetings since I’ve been elected and Supervisor Bohn does a very good job,” she said. “If you are questioning his representation on RCRC and how he represents the county, that’s one thing. If you’re questioning what he put in the basket, then let’s talk about that.”

Wilson admitted that it was “a bit dramatic of myself to say that a 9mm handgun is just made for killing people,” adding that it can also be used for self-defense and target practice.

“But what I’m getting at is that we try so hard to remove these from our streets,” he said. “We try so hard to secure these items so that they [cannot] create danger to our children and people in our community. They are so often used in crime, that it is a concern. … Mass shootings are a thing that are happening all the time, and this isn’t a hunting rifle.”

Fifth District Supervisor and Board Chair Steve Madrone, who appeared via Zoom during today’s meeting, said he had heard “interesting” comments about the county’s baskets at previous RCRC meetings. 

“Many of them thought that our basket was just way over the top,” he said. “One person said to me, ‘Well, you know, all of the rules, or most of the rules that have been set around these baskets have occurred due to Supervisor Bohn’s inclusion of a gun, and at one point cannabis products, et cetera.’”

“And a dog,” Bohn quipped.

Madrone felt the county should choose a representative who would “represent the interests of the county in a good light.” He added that he was “disturbed” that Bohn did not seem to see “the inappropriateness” of his actions.

“It also has concerned me that you have a shotgun … or a rifle, something on the wall in your office,” Madrone continued. “And I don’t know if you keep ammunition or not, but it seems highly inappropriate to me to have a gun in the courthouse in your office.”

Madrone’s comments were interrupted by county counsel, who asked Madrone to stay on topic. Bohn interjected to say that the firing pin has been removed from the gun in his office, rendering it inoperable.

Bushnell said she would like to return to her motion but suspected that it wouldn’t receive support from the rest of the board.

Wilson suggested a reversal of the positions, meaning Bohn would take on the alternate position with RCRC and Bushnell would serve as the primary delegate. 

“I would be willing to do that,” he said. “Otherwise, I really do need to sit on this for a bit because I don’t have all the information. … I want to say, I do really appreciate Supervisor Bohn’s efforts in wanting to promote charities as best he can. I feel like the goal of being the best at that might overtake some decision-making that I would question.”

Bohn offered a second to Wilson’s motion, noting that the county didn’t belong to the RCRC before he joined the board. 

“I served 11 years, I’ve missed one meeting,” he said. “I remember the statement that ‘elections have consequences’ and no matter how this is painted  – and I can see how it’s being painted – hopefully you guys find someone to run against me and you can paint this against me too in the next six weeks. You better hurry.”

Bohn paused for a moment as if he was going to say something and shook his head. “I’m not gonna say it, you guys. I’m just not gonna say it.”

A few folks came out to bat for Bohn during the public comment portion of the discussion. Connie Stewart, Director of Initiatives for Cal Poly Humboldt, praised Bohn’s leadership, both on the Board of Supervisors and on the RCRC board of directors. 

“I was at that auction and it was not the only weapon-related auction item that evening,” Stewart said. “There was also a squirrel shootout at a ranch that happened that evening. So, this event tends to be and this board tends to be very rural. I actually make a joke that Rex is actually quite liberal in this group of people.”

Humboldt County resident Craig Johnson said he wasn’t going to call into public comment but was having “a really hard time” seeing Bohn “being dragged through the mud like this.” 

“He puts forth so much effort and time to our community and really represents a solid cross-section of our community,” he said. “We don’t all live in the same space and believe the same beliefs and I believe, in my opinion, Supervisor Bohn presents a cross-section of our community. What he did was not an issue [from] my standpoint. As he said, the firearm would be transferred through the legal channels so that is, again, the choice of the winner of that firearm to go through that process.”

Following public comment, Wilson and Arroyo seemed to backpedal a bit. Wilson felt as though everyone’s perspectives had been heard throughout the discussion and said he would be willing to go back to the original motion to appoint Bohn as the delegate with Bushnell as an alternate. Arroyo agreed.

Wilson rescinded his motion and seconded the motion Bushnell had made at the beginning of the meeting.

Bohn acknowledged that the RCRC “does have a policy suggesting no guns,” but decided to auction the gun anyway. A July 10, 2023 email from the RCRC President and CEO Patrick Blacklock that was shared with the Outpost notes that “firearms, cannabis, and live animals are no longer permitted” at the auction.

Before voting on the item Bushnell asked if she could do the basket in the future.

“Yeah, you can do the basket,” Bohn said. “Trust me, I don’t want to do the basket anymore.”

The motion passed in a unanimous 5-0 vote.

Press release from Academy of the Redwoods:

Alejandra Ramirez Peralta, a dedicated and accomplished 11th grade student at the Academy of the Redwoods, has been selected by the State Board of Education (SBE) Ad-Hoc Screening Committee as one of 12 semifinalists to move forward in the highly competitive selection process for the esteemed 2024-25 California State Board of Education Student Member position.

Alejandra’s outstanding academic record, leadership qualities, and commitment to educational excellence have garnered her this distinguished honor. Her passion for education and dedication to advocate for her peers make her an exceptional candidate for this role.

The next phase of the selection process will take place at the annual Student Advisory Board on Education (SABE) conference, scheduled from November 5 through November 8, 2023, in Sacramento. This event is sponsored by the California Association of School Councils (CASC) and serves as a platform for the brightest student leaders across the state to convene and discuss pressing educational matters.

During the conference, Alejandra will have the opportunity to present her vision and aspirations for the role of Student Board member to the student delegates in attendance. This presentation will be a crucial aspect of her candidacy, as the delegates will vote to select six finalists from the pool of talented candidates.

Following this, the six candidates will undergo interviews with the State Board of Education Screening Committee on Tuesday, November 7. From this group, three finalists will emerge and be recommended to the full State Board of Education for approval at its meeting on Wednesday, November 8.

Once approved, the names of the three finalists will be forwarded to the Governor’s office for consideration. The Governor will carefully evaluate the candidates and ultimately select one student to serve on the State Board of Education for the 2024-25 academic school year.

The Academy of the Redwoods community congratulates Alejandra on this well-deserved recognition and wishes her the best of luck in the upcoming stages of the selection process.

For further information about the SABE Conference, please visit: https://www.casc.net/sabe

The dumb future is now! A Tesla Cybertruck was spotted tooling around the county in the last couple days — see above for the reader-submitted clip of the cubist machine zooming its way toward Rio Dell. 

Update your brain! New shapes are coming for your roadways! 

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our dear sister and friend, Margaret “Peggy” Ellen Andrews, saxophonist/musician, on October 19, 2023 from a valiant struggle with brain cancer.

Peggy was born on July 10, 1953 in New Britain, Connecticut, to Robert and Ronnie Andrews. From early on, she was precocious, creative, inquisitive and an inherently bright child. An avid book reader with a vivid imagination who absorbed stories and information like a sponge. She made friends easily throughout the years and managed to keep those connections thriving despite the many changes that occurred in her life.

Peggy graduated in 1971 from Woodrow Wilson Senior High School in Middletown, Conn. and spent several years in Connecticut before moving out west to the Bay Area, where she began her journey as a self-taught saxophonist. She eventually settled in Southern Humboldt County in Northern California, and for over 40 years she lived on Duty Ridge Rd, better known as “the hill,” in Ettersburg. It is here where she finally found a sense of belonging, community and happiness while also developing deep sustaining long-term friendships.

During this time, she continued to expand upon her musical career which included performing in numerous local area bands and in different genres: Orchestre Sabrosita, Las Malandras, The Razers, Moo Moo & the Creamers, Mud, Sweat & Tears, Rod Deal & the Ideals, Bluethorn, and The Garberville Town Band and she also did some composing and coproducing for Bluethorn. Some of her fondest memories were of the live iconic early 1990’s performances with The Ideals during Reggae On The River which can still be viewed online. She also spent some time tutoring band students locally. Personally, her real interest in music was jazz. She found such joy in its melodies and complex compositions. It spoke to her in ways that other genres could not and became a cornerstone of her musical identity.

For several years, Peggy had attended Jazz Camp West in the Bay Area where she’d spend a week rubbing elbows with, learning from, and collaborating with many other skilled musicians while she further honed her craft.

Peggy had a decades long loving relationship with KMUD Community Radio having been involved from the beginning of its inception. She was a radio programmer, and was a successful fund raiser believing strongly in its mission of community service. For more than 25 years she hosted a monthly eclectic jazz program and amassed a devoted following of listeners. Peggy was known for exposing her audience to different and sometimes more obscure artists and delighted in audience feedback she’d receive on program choices.

She was an accomplished gardener and successfully grew just about every vegetable you could think of. In addition, she grew flowers and particularly loved sun flowers and lavender. People from all over were often drawn to her – she was engaging because of her great sense of humor, her relentless interest in and caring of others, and her unique ability to connect with all she met on a real personal level. Being around her somehow allowed your inner child to emerge, and boy was it fun … Peggy was someone you always remembered and who made a distinct and lasting impression. She lived her life on her own terms, (recently dubbed “Queen Of Free” by her brother Chris which tickled her) was rebellious by nature and was generous to a fault. No matter what came her way, she remained lovingly and fiercely devoted to her family and her many friends, and was deeply emotionally available on many levels. Besides that, no one else could give a bigger and better bear hug.

For many years, Peggy made annual week plus trips to the east coast to visit family and friends. During this time, she would stay with her mother which further strengthened their understanding of one another and their unique bond. During the last two visits she ever made, Peggy spent some time caring for her mother. She eagerly and proudly filled that role with both kindness and empathy. Throughout the years, she always remained close and connected to her family and her east coast friends in spite of the physical distance.

She was a passionate animal lover for her entire life and was quite knowledgeable about many animals. She deeply loved all her pets which over the many years included cats, dogs, monkeys, an iguana, birds, turtles and tropical fish. During her life on the hill, she was a consummate champion of the downtrodden and as a result, several homeless cats and at least one dog sought her out sensing a kindred spirit and most of them eventually became part of her family. She was a nature lover and believed strongly in protecting the environment. She was self-taught on technology easily navigating computers and she even built a computer. Very independent to the core, she worked on car engines and systems. She demonstrated remarkable resiliency and determination in spite of all the many hardships she endured. Although we can’t imagine a world without her, she made an indelible mark by helping us see the goodness in and around us. We will always think of her as that impressionable and whimsical person who loved robots, science fiction, video games, Shark Week and could belt out a melody on her saxophone like nobody’s business. We will miss her eternal optimism and her perpetual childlike wonder of the universe.

Predeceased by her parents, Peggy is survived by three siblings: Christopher Andrews of Manchester, Conn.; Laura Colker (Hank) of Pittsburgh, Penn.; Eric Andrews (Jeannie) of Sherman. Conn.; her beloved three cats Windsor, Thomas and Henry; countless loving friends, and several cousins.

A special thank you to UCSF Department of Neurology, Eureka Rehab and Wellness, and Jerold Phelps Skilled Nursing Facility for your kindness, compassion and care during the last months of Peggy’s life. We also want to thank Paula Bartholomy who was a tireless and loving advocate and close friend throughout Peggy’s illness and life. In addition, we’d like to thank her many other friends for their love, visits and all kinds of support during this time – you know who you are. We are so grateful to all of you. Peggy spent her remaining days trying to regain strength, connecting with family and friends while she also earlier on had developed newly acquired insatiable appetites for both chocolate and mashed potatoes. Her final days were peaceful.

A celebration party of Peggy’s life will be planned in the community by her devoted friends in the future. Details will be announced when known.

Donations in Peggy’s memory can be made to:

KMUD Community Radio Inc, PO Box 135, 1144 Redway Dr, Redway, CA, 95560 or Miranda’s Rescue, 1603 Sandy Prairie Rd, Fortuna, CA 95540.

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