James (Jim) Troy Snead Jr. passed away at the age of 90 on April 24, 2023 at his home in Eureka.

Jim was born in San Francisco on July 25, 1932. After high school, he enlisted in the National Guard and then the US Air Force. After his honorable discharge from the military, he worked for Western Electric Phone Company for 33 years. He retired from the phone company and a few years later started working at KIEM TV part-time. After his retirement from KIEM TV, he spent time traveling the United States and many different countries including Panama, Canada, Scotland and Morocco. When home he liked to spend his time puttering in his garage, golfing, fishing and camping. He also made a point to attend as many sports events, musical recitals, graduations and more for his grandchildren. He loved that his grandchildren & great grandchildren called him “GGPa.” He was a fan of the San Francisco 49ers and Giants and he watched many games on TV and in-person.

Jim thought of himself as a comedian and was famous in the family for his sayings like “If the rain keeps up, it won’t come down.” If someone asked him how he was feeling, his answer would always be “with my fingers.”

One of the highlights of his life was being part of one of the Honor Flights to Washington DC. Above all else, Jim felt the Lord blessed him with his loving family and friends and never hesitated to tell his family. He gave great hugs and was always ready to help everyone.

Jim’s family wants to extend a special thanks to Hospice and to the doctors and staff at the Veterans Department in Eureka for their amazing help and compassion in the final days of his life.

He is survived by his loving partner, Frances Argo, daughters Dawn Snead & Diane Morrison (Larry), daughter-in-law Debbie Snead, six grandchildren, Rodney Morrison (Becky), Ryan Morrison, Janel Person (Ron), Craig Mitchell Jr., Carrie Snead (Jeff) and Jamison Snead. He is also survived by eight great grandchildren; James Morrison, Seth Morrison, Alan Morrison, Dominic Person, Zaniyah Person, Aurora Mitchell, Jade Mitchell and Neo Rosen-Mitchell. He is also survived by other special people in his life; Fran’s children and grandchildren, Sarah & Pam Rosen-Mitchell and his little doggy companion Mr. Bixby.

Jim was preceded in death by his first wife, Janet Snead & his second wife, Mary Ruth Snead, his sons, James Patrick (Bimbo) Snead and James Troy Snead III, his father James Troy Snead Sr, his mother, Evelyn Snead, his sister, Dorothy Snead and his best friend, Sid Riddle

A celebration of Jim’s life will be announced at a later date via friends, family & Facebook.

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Duane Rickie (Rick) Lewis of Rio Dell passed away March 4, 2023. He was born to Richard and Roberta Lewis on June 21, 1953, in Arcata. He was the youngest of five children, having four older brothers and one older sister.

He graduated from McKinleyville High School, which is also where he met his wife, Teresa Dore. They were married in 1974 and had two daughters. They first raised their girls in Orick, close to Teresa’s parents and their family hometown. On the weekends, they would often drive to McKinleyville for Lewis gatherings, gaining numerous stories that have been told numerous times and will hopefully continue to be. Rick worked for Arcata Redwood for many years. The family moved to Fortuna in 1985 when Rick obtained a position with Pacific Lumber Company.

Our dad was not only our mentor, but our playmate. We looked forward to him coming home every day, especially during the summer months in Orick. He would often take us fishing, teaching us both at young ages to bait a hook and cast, (although I doubt either of us are capable now-unless it’s like riding a bike). Speaking of which, bike riding was a definite past time which we did often together. One of us never learned to use our bike brakes and would crash into the mobile home to stop. He would do damage control to prevent her from being in trouble with our mom. He loved the outdoors, nature and all of the animals in it.

Rick worked at Pacific Lumber Company in many different positions, starting with pulling green chain and ending with loader operator. He received the nickname “Bobber” while pushing logs on the pond. He enjoyed playing softball and basketball on one of the PL company teams each year.

Our dad was a giver. He gave and did for many, including his in-laws in their final years. We have seen many obituaries that say, “they would have taken their shirt off their back for anyone”, and our father is among that category of humans.

He is survived by his children Jackie (Joe) Eldridge, Monica Pitts, his grandchildren Mackenzie Eldridge, Madison Eldridge, and Hallie Pitts, his brothers David (Sue) Lewis, Donald (Karen) Lewis, Dennis (Kathy) Lewis and sister Diane Grimes. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents Richard and Roberta Lewis, and his wife Teresa (Dore) Lewis.

His ashes will be spread with the love of his life, Teresa. No funeral services will be held.

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On Sunday, January 22, 2023, Leroy Rakestraw, loving husband, father, and papa of many passed away at the age of 86.

Leroy was born May 18,1936 in Eureka to Harry and Dorothy Rakestraw. He graduated from Eureka High School in Eureka. He had many passions in life. After he joined the Air Force and served his time in Arizona he got married to Betty Scott and they had a child, Pamela.

While he worked as a logger for most of his life, he pursued a college education graduating from Humboldt State College. He taught school for a while, then went back to logging. In 1974 he married his second wife, Cynthia. He then became a stepdad to four children. He then pursued the mission of becoming a Presbyterian minister and he obtained that, ministering at the Presbyterian Church in Orick.

After the children were raised they took up foster parenting. They became foster parents to many children. The ones that held the closest part in their heart were Albert and Barbara Mills, who they cared for as their own children. He also played a big part in the raising of his granddaughter Lacey. He had many hobbies, running and cycling, he participated in various marathons. He was cycling up until his last year of life. His other skills were woodworking, a mechanic and music.

Leroy was preceded in death by his wife Cynthia, his brother Herbert Brooks, his parents Harry and Dorothy Rakestaw, his granddaughter Shannon Ordonez, and his grandson Nicholas Sellars.

Leroy is survived by his brother Bob Rakestraw (Barbara), his sister in law Joanne Lewis (Richard),his brother in law John Panter, and numerous nieces and nephews. Leroy is survived by his daughter Pamela Rakestraw, His stepchildren, Lura Dickey (Stanley), Debbie Williams, Bobbie Williams (Allen)and Patrick Williams.

Leroy had many grandchildren: Rolland and Audrey, Ryan and Michaela, Eric and Kelly Dickey, Roseanne and Jessie Ordonez, Christine and Angela Williams, John, Jeff and Chloe Williams, Shelby and Chris, Lacey Readen, Brannon Hennings, Annabelle Mills, Aiden and Allen Chilcott, and Claudio Mills.

Lots of great grandchildren: Juan, Jasmine, Deborah, and Robert Esconbido, Theresia, Lucas, Natalie, Alexis, Karter,America, Kennedy, Corinne Dickey, Rylynn and Colton Lane, Kai and Kobe Yang,Koen Wolf, Thalia,Cyndi, Alicia, Tino and Cattleya Ordonez, Zachery Crain and Ariana Martinez.

Great-Great-Grandchildren: Camelia, Cartier and Kylo. He was known as Papa by all of his grandchildren.

We will be having a Celebration of Life on May 20, 2023 at Moonstone Beach House, Westhaven,12-3 p.m.

The family would like to extend a very special thank you to Wier’s Mortuary.

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Press release from Security National:

The Citizens for a Better Eureka coalition filed a second lawsuit against the City of Eureka today. Like the initial suit filed April 6, 2023, in California Superior Court, the petitioners are asking the court to stop the city from further actions on the public parking lot located at 5th and D, in Eureka. The city approved moving forward with seeking proposals from interested companies to develop the public parking lot into low- and very-low-income apartments at their meeting April 4. 2023.

The more than 50 members of the coalition claim the city failed to meet the requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to properly assess the environmental impacts of the housing development proposed for the site. It is the city’s responsibility to comply with CEQA and analyze appropriately the impacts on pedestrian and public safety, air quality, neighborhood compatibility, and traffic.

The City of Eureka is planning to eliminate about 640 public parking spaces from the downtown area and put in low- and very-low-income housing. There is no plan to provide parking for visitors, tourists, shoppers, and downtown workers. In addition, the new housing developments will not provide parking for the residents of the apartment buildings.

The Citizens for a Better Eureka support the development of housing but not at the expense of local businesses and the waterfront. Taking away more than 600 parking spaces will limit access to downtown shops, restaurants, and businesses – the very heart of the downtown culture and environment. These parking lots are critical to keeping customers, tourists, and employees coming downtown. Alternative sites, such as the former Jacobs Middle School property, are much better suited for community housing, the coalition believes.

The Citizens for a Better Eureka is a coalition of concerned residents and business owners seeking to have the City of Eureka step back from turning downtown parking lots into low- and very-low-income housing developments. CBE is asking the city officials to work collaboratively with business owners, special interest groups, and residents on a sustainable downtown redevelopment plan and consider other viable options for housing developments.

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DOCUMENT: Petition and Complaint, Citizens for a Better Eureka v. City of Eureka

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PREVIOUSLY:

• Arkley Threatens Lawsuits, Referendum, Recall Drive Over City of Eureka’s Plans to Convert Parking Lots to Housing
• ‘Furious’ Rob Arkley Says He’s Moving Security National HQ Out of Eureka After Clashing With City Staff About Development Priorities
• New Group — ‘Citizens for a Better Eureka’ — Says It Will Sue Eureka Over Downtown Housing Development
• Eureka City Council Approves Surplus Designation for Vacant Lots by the Boardwalk Despite Lawsuit Threats, Paving the Way for Affordable Housing and Mixed-Use Development Along the Waterfront
• Here is the Housing Development/Parking Lot Lawsuit Served on the City of Eureka Today
• Local Environmental Groups Call ‘Bullshit’ on Lawsuit Seeking to Stop Development on Eureka Parking Lots

HUMBOLDT TODAY: A disabled Cal Poly Humboldt student has filed a class action lawsuit against CSU; the City of Eureka needs you to choose between a squid, a harbor seal, and a pelican; plus, another local sea creature was rescued by some do-gooders this week. Those stories and more in today’s online newscast with John Kennedy O’Connor.

FURTHER READING: 

• What’s YOUR Vision for Eureka? Community Members Are Invited to Attend an Upcoming Strategic Visioning Workshop
• Disabled Cal Poly Humboldt Student Files Class Action Suit Against University and Entire CSU System Over Accessibility Issues
• Grace Marton Memorial Park is Getting a Waterfront-Themed Playground in the Coming Months and the City of Eureka Wants to Hear Your Thoughts on Its Design
• Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation Commemorate Missing and Murdered Indigenous Day With Awareness Walk
• Crescent City Councilors Urge Staff to Get Input From Business Owners On TRL Ordinance; One Member Calls Discussion A ‘Waste of Time’

HUMBOLDT TODAY can be viewed on LoCO’s homepage each night starting at 6 p.m.

Want to LISTEN to HUMBOLDT TODAY? Subscribe to the podcast version here.

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Do you live in Eureka and have thoughts on the city’s goals and priorities? Or perhaps you have a vision for a project that would benefit Eureka residents? Do you have opinions? Comments? Concerns?

You’ll have a chance to share your thoughts with Mayor Kim Bergel, members of the Eureka City Council and city staff during two upcoming workshops focused on setting and implementing the city’s goals for the next few years.

The city develops a Strategic Visioning Plan every two or three years to assist the city in addressing future challenges and to give the public an opportunity to provide feedback on the city’s priorities, said City Manager Miles Slattery.

“Basically, we’ll be exploring what the community sees as priorities for the next two to five years,” Slattery told the Outpost. “We’re working with Berké Brown, one of the consultants who worked with us on the city’s diversity, equity and inclusion work. He will be leading the strategic visioning process. … We’re hoping to get as much participation as possible.”

The workshops will begin with a public comment period, which will be followed by a brainstorming and breakout group session. During the city’s last strategic visioning session, this process involved lots of sticky notes on a whiteboard, Slattery said.

“We basically developed a laundry list of goals and priorities and then looked at different factors to determine whether there was adequate funding or if there’s enough staffing to do whatever is being proposed,” he said. “If there’s enough staffing and if there’s adequate funding and the resources to do it, then that stays on the board.”

Once the visioning process is complete, city staff will synthesize the information and create initiatives to meet the community’s goals.

The workshops will take place at 9 a.m. on Friday and Saturday at Humboldt Bay Fire’s training center at 3030 L Street in Eureka. Public comment will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Friday and 9:30 a.m. on Saturday. And yes, there will be snacks.

More information can be found here.

California hospitals in financial trouble will soon be able to apply for interest-free state loans, although key questions about the selection process aren’t yet resolved.

The Legislature on Thursday approved a bill that will allocate a one-time sum of $150 million from the general fund to aid hospitals that are facing severe financial distress and are at risk of closure, or that have closed but have a plan to reopen. The loans would have to be paid back within six years, although loans may be forgiven for hospitals that meet certain requirements. Gov. Gavin Newsom needs to sign the bill to enact the program.

Legislators and hospital administrators have acknowledged a loan program is only a stop-gap for a number of hospitals that for months have warned of their precarious fiscal situations. Legislators fast-tracked action following the closure of Madera Community Hospital at the start of this year, which left this San Joaquin Valley county of 160,000 people without a local emergency room.

Since then, another hospital, Beverly Hospital in the city of Montebello, has filed for bankruptcy.

“This bill, this money, will keep them (Beverly Hospital) open long enough to be able to perhaps sell, regroup, whatever, but they will keep their doors open,” Sen. Bob Archuleta, a Cerritos Democrat whose district includes Montebello, said on the Senate floor.

Loans under the new program would be available to nonprofit and public hospitals. Those that most likely need and could benefit are independent and rural hospitals, some of which were struggling even prior to the pandemic, and have had a difficult time managing cash flow after they stopped receiving federal COVID relief funds. Hospitals that apply will have to demonstrate need and viability to the California Department of Health Care Access and Information, which will oversee the program in conjunction with the state’s health department and the California Health Facilities Finance Authority, a financing program within the State Treasurer’s Office.

“This bill, this money, will keep them (Beverly Hospital) open long enough to be able to perhaps sell, regroup, whatever, but they will keep their doors open.”
— State Sen. Bob Archuleta, Democrat from Cerritos

It’s not clear exactly how many hospitals could qualify and how much each will get, according to officials from the state Department of Finance who testified in a budget committee hearing earlier this week. That will be determined by the agencies in charge, who will have to create eligibility criteria for these loans.

In hearings leading to Thursday’s vote, lawmakers asked why the state wasn’t conducting its own analysis of hospitals’ current situation so that the Legislature knows exactly which hospitals are in immediate need of relief.

“We don’t know how many hospitals, we don’t know which hospitals. We don’t know which areas those hospitals are (in), we don’t know anything. And now we’re asked to approve $150 million to be doled out without access to plans, without access to the finances that would give us the evidence to feel comfortable with this,” said Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, a Los Angeles Democrat, during a Senate budget committee hearing on Tuesday.

Much of the information available to legislators has come from the California Hospital Association, whose job is to lobby on behalf of hospitals. According to a report commissioned by the association, 1 in 5 hospitals is at risk of closure, and half of California’s hospitals are losing money. The report did not list which hospitals are in immediate danger. The association has also not identified facilities, noting that when a hospital announces its financial troubles it can prematurely begin to lose workers and patients.

But aside from the now defunct Madera Community Hospital, at least seven other hospitals have publicly spoken about their financial troubles, either through Op-Ed pieces, news reports, notices on their website or communication to their staff. These include: Kaweah Health Medical Center in Visalia, El Centro Regional Medical Center in Imperial County, Beverly Hospital in Montebello, MLK Jr. Community Hospital in Los Angeles, Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital in Hollister, Sierra View Medical Center in Porterville and Mad River Community Hospital in Humboldt County.

“The hospital closure in Madera and other looming closures would be catastrophic in both rural and urban communities.”
— State Sen. Anna Caballero, Democrat from Merced

During this week’s hearings, legislators also questioned how the state came up with the $150 million figure, given that the state does not yet know how many hospitals need a loan or would qualify.

“One hundred fifty million is something that we believe we can absorb at this time,” said Erika Li, with the state’s Department of Finance, during Tuesday’s budget hearing. “Trying to address an issue during fiscal constraints is always difficult because you’re always balancing lots of priorities.”

With eyes on the upcoming fiscal year, the California Hospital Association has asked the state for $1.5 billion in one-time relief, a tough request in a deficit year. But Senate Democrats are in support, proposing that hospitals get $400 million annually for four years that would come with requirements and conditions, according to their budget proposal that is to be finalized this summer.

A spokesperson for the California Hospital Association said the loan program is welcome news and promising for hospitals on the financial brink, but more state support is necessary. Specifically, the association has been advocating to increase reimbursements for services provided to patients covered by Medi-Cal, the health insurance program for low-income people, which covers about 15 million people in the state.

“Beyond this short-term relief, a sustainable and systemic solution will be needed to protect care for Medi-Cal patients throughout the state for years to come,” said Jan Emerson-Shea, a spokesperson for the California Hospital Association. “As California continues to reel from the long-lasting and negative impacts COVID-19 has wrought on the state’s health care system, the work must continue if we are to preserve critical hospital services in all communities.

Seeking longer-term relief, Sen. Anna Caballero, a Merced Democrat whose district includes Madera, is also pushing separate legislation that calls for the state to renew a tax on managed care organizations that expired last year. That money would be used to increase Medi-Cal payments to hospitals and other providers, helping hospitals that disproportionately serve low-income patients.

“Ensuring that our hospitals remain open and able to serve patients has been priority number one for me this year. The hospital closure in Madera and other looming closures would be catastrophic in both rural and urban communities,” Caballero said in a statement following Thursday’s vote. “To ensure proper oversight of public funds, I will continue to seek more transparency and frankly more accountability on hospital operations to ensure California preserves health care access for all.”

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