LaVera Z. Susich passed away on December 12, 2023. LaVera was born February 28, 1930, in Enumclaw, Wash. to William & Wilma Martinelli. She attended J.J. Smith Elementary and Enumclaw High School where she graduated in 1948. She enjoyed being a leader of the yell squad/cheerleader during her junior high and high school years and was voted Class “Cut Up” in her senior year. Her senior quote was “Her heart is young, she will never grow old.” How true! She was raised on the family farm and helped milk cows and drove the hay truck at 14 years old.

After graduation she moved to Eureka and attended Eureka Business School. She met her future husband Frank Susich through their mutual friend, Elio Cortopassi. The two were married on September 28, 1950. For many years they enjoyed dancing at the Angelina Inn and made so many good friends there.

LaVera is survived by her sister Lola Allen, her son Mark Susich (Janine), her daughter Kathi Wingo (Bill) and her daughter Kristina Walker (Blake), as well as 7 Grandchildren; BJ Susich (Ashley), Johnathan Susich, Danica Helgren (Matt), Collin Susich, Trisha Dane (Joshua), Delaney Hilsen (Alexander), Emily Walker. She also had 11 Great-grandchildren: Carter Susich, Rory Susich, Hailey Susich, Samantha Clearwater, Silas Sossaman, Kennedy Winter, Harper Helgren, Jacob Dane, Madison Dane, Taylor Dane, and Colt Dane, along with many nephews, nieces, and cousins.

She began her long career at Daly’s Department Store in Eureka in 1948 and was employed by Daly’s for more than 45 years, working full-time almost continuously until the store closed in 1995. She ended her career there as a Buyer and Department Manager. For many years she enjoyed organizing the bi-yearly Daly’s reunion lunches. She truly enjoyed working with the public and later worked at Costco as a product demonstration representative, where she enjoyed seeing so many friends and acquaintances and had the opportunity to utilize her great customer service skills.

Over the years she enjoyed family camping trips, Sunday picnics at Women’s Club Grove, sewing, painting, embroidery, flower gardening, and tea parties with; Mary Jane Ratjen, Mary Frost, and Vera Poulson. Later in life she enjoyed watching sports, especially football and basketball. Her favorite football team was the Kansas City Chiefs, and her favorite Quarterback was Patrick Mahomes. She was a big fan of Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors too. Throughout the years she attended many local sporting events in support of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

LaVera was a member of Eureka Elks’ Emblem Club and volunteered at the Elks Club for banquet events. She also was a member and volunteer of the Humboldt Hill Grange. When her children were young, she was a member of the PTA and volunteered to organize the Franklin Elementary School Carnival for several years and enjoyed helping in their classroom, and for school classroom events.

She was preceded in death by her parents, William & Wilma Martinelli, her brothers Tom Martinelli & Gary Martinelli, her sister Barbara Stanley. Her husband Frank Susich, her son Greg Susich, her daughter-in-law Mari-Jo Susich, her granddaughter Kelle Sossaman, and her grandson Billy Wingo Jr.

She enjoyed staying in daily contact with her sister Lola and so appreciated her dear friends; Jan Hughes and Al & Mary Jane Ratjen.

Her vibrant personality, quick wit, and truly youthful spirit will be remembered and deeply missed by all who knew and loved her. A private graveside service will be held at Ocean View Cemetery in Eureka. Arrangements are under the care of Sanders Funeral Home in Eureka. A Celebration of Life will be held at the Wharfinger Building, 1 Marina Way, Eureka on July 6, 2024, at 1 p.m. For more information email KathiWingo@aol.com

If you would like to donate in her honor, please consider the American Diabetes Foundation or Hospice of Humboldt.

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Kat was born on December 26,1953 to Donlad and Charlene Roberts. Kat died November 30, 2023. Kat was born and raised in Humboldt County, graduating from McKinleyville High in 1972, Kat had three lifelong friends — Carol, Louise and Gail.

Kat had a zest for life and family. She was very sentimental when it came to family she always had pictures and mementos around the house. Married to William Chapman, they had one child, Zachary Chapman.

Kat was a stay-at-home mom for a while. After the divorce she went to work for several places. One was General Hospital. She was in the business department for many years. Each year General Hospital would have these Christmas parties; if anybody knew Kat she knew how to dress up and have a great time.

Kat fell in love the moment she saw her grandson Riley Chapman right after he was born. She had the smile of a proud Grandma.

She loved her music and photography. She had her Pentax camera … she just had the eye to take great photos. She would enter photos in the Humboldt County Fair.

Kat was an animal lover. She had a few horses and several dogs. Gypsy was an Afghan. She loved that dog. She would drive Gypsy around in her Fiat car with the top down. German shepherd (Haun). The last dog she had was a West Highland terrier named ZZ, He got Kat through some dark times. Oh yes, she had the cats. She loved her Maine Coon cats. She was able to go to a Maine coon cattery in Bangor, Maine.

If anybody knew Kat they know she always wore white shirts or sweatshirts and her Jewelry. She loved her hoops, gold and silver necklaces and bracelets, but it was her sunglasses: This was her signature style. Of course she had the perfume that made a statement.

Kat met Craig Jones after our mother passed away. They shared 18 years together/ He helped Kat through the death of her son, which sent our sister into depression. Craig was there for Kat right to the end of life. He was able to bring her home in the last week of her life. Thank you, Hospice!

Survived by her partner of 18 years Craig Jones, grandson Riley Chapman-Jones, sister Irene, Bob Hayes, Jonathan, Ashlee,(Chris) Jaclyn,(Skyler) brother Don, Yolanta Roberts, Alex and Amanda, brother John and Jacque Roberts, Ben (Krisen), Destiny (Kalvin), sister Arlene, Dan Woody, Jacob,(Judy) Kellie,(Daniel), and numerous cousins, great-nieces, and nephews.

Kat is proceeded in death parents Don and Charlene Roberts and son Zachary Chapman.

Per her wishes no services will be held.

PREVIOUSLY:

• Mystery Item on Tonight’s Eureka City School Agenda Suggests Imminent Action on Jacobs Campus, but the School District Won’t Share Details

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The board of directors of Eureka City Schools unanimously — even rapturously — voted to trade the long-blighted Jacobs Campus to a private developer for another piece of land at its meeting Thursday night.

What land will the district get in return for those eight acres, where the California Highway Patrol had hoped to build a new headquarters?

The district will get 3553 I Street, a tiny home on an 1/8 of an acre lot south of Harris.

That, plus $5.35 million.

Why does the school district want a tiny house way out on I Street? Well, if you believe the resolution approved unanimously by the board tonight, it needs the property for “housing district employees in the future.”

But the $5.35 million was far more to the point at the board of trustees meeting. Trustees and Superintendent Fred Van Vleck — attending his last board meeting — repeatedly referred to how welcome the money would be. Van Vleck in particular referred to the refurbishment of Eureka High’s Albee Stadium, which he said would cost in the neighborhood of $45 million total. He said he expected the district still needed to scrape together around $15 million for the project.

Even leaving aside the I Street house, the private developers who ended up with Jacobs — “AMG Communities-Jacobs,” an LLC registered with the Secretary of State just a few days ago — offered $1.35 million more than the California Highway Patrol’s last bid, Van Vleck said.

But throwing the I Street property into the mix seems to mean that the school board was able to avoid the standard procedure for a government entity wishing to dispose of surplus land. By engaging in a “land exchange,” the board was able to short-circuit the regular surplus land laws, and instead to claim an exemption under California Education Code Section 17536, which allows a school board to “exchange property” with a private party.

The exchange agreement approved by the school board tonight puts the overall value of the Jacobs Campus at $6 million. It values the I Street property at a patently absurd $650,000 — Zillow has it at $372,000 — which, perhaps not coincidentally, is just over 10 percent of the total value of Jacobs. The balance will be paid to the district in cash.

Were it not for the “land swap,” the district would have to continue to follow the onerous “surplus lands” process, which is well outlined in this pamphlet from the law firm of Lozano Smith. Districts have to offer surplus land to other governmental entities first, and follow an involved process of bidding and regulatory notifications and etc. But it can “exchange land” with basically anyone, at any time, with a 2/3 vote of the board.

That vote seemed never in doubt, with one board trustee member calling the deal a “no-brainer.”

“I’m here for the kids,” said board president Mike Duncan. “I’m here to make sure that these kids have a future, so to me — whether it’s $1.7 million with a property, $1.5 [million] or $1.3, it’s still one million-plus or two million more towards everything that we need to get done for these kids.”

Toward the end of the meeting and immediately before the vote, resident Thomas Stewart bemoaned the lack of transparency around the issue. Only today did anyone in the public have any idea that the school district was swerving away from the CHP deal — only at the meeting, really — and he expressed disappointment at the loss of what he believed to be an opportunity to make his neighborhood safer, with the addition of an on-the-ground law enforcement presence.

Duncan advised Stewart to take the issue up with the City of Eureka, which is in charge of policing the town.

The Outpost will have more on this deal — which, in addition to being extraordinary in itself, reshapes the political fight over affordable housing in the downtown area — in the coming days.

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Outpost reporter Stephanie McGeary contributed to this report.

PREVIOUSLY:

• In Surprise Announcement, Jim Wood Says He Will Not Seek Re-election to California Assembly
• California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks, Now an Arcata Resident, Launches Run for State Assembly Seat Being Vacated by Jim Wood
• INTERVIEW: Rusty Hicks, California Democratic Party Chair, on How He ‘Fell in Love’ With the North Coast and Decided to Run for State Assembly

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The race to succeed family dentist and former Healdsburg Mayor Jim Wood as the state Assembly’s Second District representative is crowded, with no fewer than seven candidates qualifying for California’s March primary election ballot.

The endorsement of the incumbent is bound to give one candidate a significant leg up, and this afternoon brings word that Wood has given his nod of approval to none other than California Democratic Party Chair and fairly recent Arcata resident Rusty Hicks. 

For the record, the other six candidates in the race are as follows: 

• Cynthia Click, a former music director at KMUD Community Radio
• Michael Greer, Del Norte Unified School District trustee,  Republican
• Ariel Kelley, mayor of Healdsburg
• Franklin “Frankie” Myers, vice-chairman of the Yurok Tribe
• Chris Rogers, Santa Rosa councilmember
• Ted Williams, Mendocino County mayor supervisor

Here’s the press release from the Rusty Hicks campaign:

Today, Assemblymember Jim Wood, who has served the people of the 2nd Assembly District since 2014, endorsed Rusty Hicks and expressed his confidence in Hicks’ ability to continue the vital work of representing the diverse needs and interests of the district.

“I love my job as your State Assemblymember, and together we’ve made progress on the challenges in our region and our State. After careful consideration, I’ve decided to endorse Rusty Hicks to succeed me in the March 5th Primary Election.” said Assemblymember Jim Wood. “He has the proven leadership skills and integrity we can count on to stand up for our communities and the working families that keep the North Coast moving. Rusty’s experience as an classroom educator, union leader, military veteran, grassroots organizer, and as the Chair of the California Democratic Party show that he brings people together to get things done – and that’s what we need during these turbulent times. I’m proud to endorse Rusty Hicks, and urge you to join me, along with the firefighters, nurses, and working people across the North Coast in supporting him.”

“I am honored and humbled to receive the endorsement of Assemblymember Jim Wood. His unwavering dedication to representing every North Coast community has set a high bar - one I will do my best to live up to. Together, we will work tirelessly to address the pressing challenges facing the 2nd Assembly District and fight for a North Coast that works for all of us.” said Rusty Hicks.

The endorsement from Assemblymember Wood adds to the growing momentum behind Rusty Hicks’ campaign, with support coming from a diverse range of North Coast leaders, local Democratic leaders, and labor unions representing healthcare workers, first responders, and construction workers.

There is a mysterious item on tonight’s agenda for the board of trustees of Eureka City Schools. 

That item — numbered M.33 — carries a long title. It is called:

“Adoption of Resolution 23-24-023 Approving Property Exchange Pursuant to Education Code Section 17536 and Directing District Superintendent, or Designee, to Finalize and Execute the Agreement for Exchange of Real Property”

The staff report for that item — read it here — contains a little bit more information. It is a memo from staff to the school board, asking the board to approve a property swap. The board is asked to trade 674 Allard Avenue — the long-disused Jacobs Campus — for another piece of property.

Which piece of property would the district be trading for? Who would they be trading with? For what purpose?

The district is not saying. The details of the proposed land-swap staff is proposing are contained in a draft contract attached to the staff report — they call it “Exhibit A” — which school district staff say will not be made public until the time of the meeting. 

This morning, the Outpost spoke with Micalyn Harris, the executive assistant to Superintendent Fred Van Vleck, who is scheduled to leave the job at the end of the month. Harris declined to provide the Outpost a copy of “Exhibit A,” on the grounds that the board was also dealing with the question of the Jacobs Campus earlier in the evening, during a closed session item.

Whether or not the board takes action on the staff’s proposed land swap will depend on what happens during that closed session discussion, Harris said.

“Depending on the board’s determination out of those confidential discussions, they may or may not decide to take action,” Harris said. “And if they do decide to have a conversation outside of closed session and take action on that item, those documents will be available for the public.”

One trustee on the Eureka City Schools board told the Outpost that they had received documentation about the proposed land swap, but that they could not discuss it with us, for similar reasons — that it would be discussed earlier, in closed session, and that fact precluded release of information about the deal scheduled to be heard later, in open session.

So the public goes into tonight’s meeting blind about the details. Despite that, the staff report asks the board to approve the property swap at tonight’s meeting. This, at the very least, is an unusual state of affairs in California, which has laws to ensure that the public’s business is conducted in public.

The Jacobs Campus has been much in the news of late, and not only for its squalor. Last year the City of Eureka attempted to purchase the property from the school district in order to build housing, but its bid was rejected. The California Highway Patrol has been in negotiations to buy the site for a new headquarters for well over a year. Most recently, proponents of the pro-parking “Housing for All Initiative” have touted it as an alternate site for housing development, which might theoretically allow for the preservation of downtown parking lots.

The staff report estimates the value of the proposed land swap at $6 million.

The Eureka City Schools Board of Trustees meets at at 5:30 p.m. at district headquarters — 2100 J Street, Eureka.

PREVIOUSLY

• Real-Life Grinch Breaks Into Toys for Tots Warehouse, Drives Off With Truck-Load Full of Christmas Gifts
• HUMBOLDT GRINCH PINCHED? EPD Makes Arrest in Connection With Toys For Tots Caper

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Press release from the Eureka Police Department:

On December 13, 2023 an Agent from the Humboldt County Drug Task Force (HCDTF), who has been actively involved in this investigation, authored a search warrant for several locations in response to the ongoing attempts to locate additional toys stolen from the Toys for Tots storage location.

The search warrants were executed by HCDTF, assisted by Detectives and an Evidence Technician from the Eureka Police Department. During the search of one of the locations, additional stolen toys were located and recovered. Also located was a stolen handgun, ammunition, body armor and two (2) digital scales with narcotic residue.

This is an ongoing investigation and additional charges are expected to be filed once reviewed by the Humboldt County District Attorney’s office.

The Agent who authored the search warrants shared that this theft hit close to home for him. He understands how these generous donations of toys have such a positive impact on the children of our community, and is committed to recovering as many of the toys as we can while bringing those responsible to justice.

Eureka Police Department release: 

We are pleased to share a bittersweet moment for our department, the retirement of Administrative Technician II, Suzie Owsley.

Suzie began her career over 32 years ago starting as a Police Services Officer and has worked in many different positions throughout the department. To say she has been a fundamental part in our operations would be an understatement. Suzie has provided a great deal of support to our goal of providing the best service possible to the citizens of Eureka.

On behalf of a grateful department, we want to congratulate Suzie on her retirement, and wish her well in her future endeavors. Thank you for the years of dedicated and unwavering service you have provided to the City of Eureka, citizens of Eureka, and the men and women of the Eureka Police Department.