GRANT RUFUS WELTY
Chicago, Dec. 8, 1943 — Arcata, Dec. 26, 2022

On December 26, 2022, in the arms of his sons Luke and Nate, with the love and thoughts from the panoply of those he touched, Grant Rufus Welty departed this mortal coil to join the countless friends already waiting to welcome him to his next home..

Grant was preceded in passing by his father, Leamon “T. Texas Tom” Welty. His mother, Selma “Sally” Welty and his brother James “Jimmy” Welty. He is survived by his daughter, Christina Lynn Welty, stepdaughter Michelle Welty, granddaughter Lauren Styffe and great-grandson Jordan, as well as his son Luke A. Welty and stepson Nathaniel “Nate” Irvine.

Although Grant was born in Chicago, he was raised primarily in St. Louis MO and traveled extensively in his youth & throughout his life with many ribald & sketchy adventures to relate he lived the majority of his last 45 years, here in Humboldt County, which he dearly loved.

Every person who met Grant will have a special story about the time they shared.

Grant naturally made everyone feel recognized, respected, welcome and special. That was his gift.

One of the most caring and humble people you could hope to meet and those who did understand the gravity of the loss of Grant Welty.

His presence caused intoxication
Passion so fierce, a conflagration
This king who never sought a throne.
Often his enlightened conversation
Brought clouded minds to elevation
An angel, no longer shackled to this stone
His boundless heart a celebration
Endless cause for jubilation
When near his sphere, you never felt alone
Selflessness, knew only caring
Give you the shirt that he was wearing
Unhesitant to share his home
Blessed by the virtues he was bearing
Love for all kind was he declaring
Now high above hear trumpets blaring
Earned Heaven’s comfort, path’s been shown…

He created art that will last generations, and so he will live eternally through his images.

He made music that brought harmony in so many ways.

He taught me and so many others, in ways great and small.

The man was a giant and will be dearly missed.

A Remembrance/Memorial gathering will be held 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Samoa Women’s Club, 115 Rideout Ave. Samoa on Sunday, February 26th, 2023. Doors open at 12 noon, close at 8 p.m. Informal refreshments / potluck. (Taco Bar plus any refreshments you choose to bring.) For more information or to volunteer your help please text Michelle (707-223-3322) or Kelly (575-202-2169).

On December 24, 2022 Gary Joel Cudney passed away at St Joseph’s Hospital.

Gary was born April 17, 1956 at General Hospital to Fred and Mary Cudney. As a child he liked to spend his time climbing trees and fishing on the pier. He attended Eureka High School where he enjoyed his friends and the FFA. Upon graduation, he served in the United States Air Force.

After the Air Force, he served as a firefighter before moving to the medical field as an LVN for over three decades. He loved his Oakland Raiders and his Harley Davidson motorcycle.

He is survived by his five brothers and three sisters, his four remaining children, and 10 grandchildren. May he rest in peace in Heaven with his mother and father and his first-born child, Joel Christopher Cudney.

A funeral mass and celebration of life will be held later this spring.

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

December 5, 1957 - January 18, 2023 at 9:20 a.m.

Becky Lynn Lilly peacefully passed at the age of 66 in Eureka. She was a loving wife, mother and grandmother who will be deeply missed.

Becky loved to cook, garden and be outdoors hunting or fishing with her family while living in Scotia when her children were voung. Beckv would also volunteer at Scotia Elementary. Later in life she moved to Fortuna, where she was a stay-at-home mom who loved her children, neighbors and pets. Becky was very social and could talk to just about anyone.

Becky was preceded by her parents Douglas and Thelma Dickson; brothers Mike, Harold, and David Dickson; and her daughter, Katrina Marie Amber Lilly.

She is survived by her husband Oscar Lilly, sister Barbie and her two children Justin Lilly, married to Jessica Lilly, and Sierra Valadao, married to Virgil Valadao, as well as eight grandchildren: Zack, Larissa, Shiley, Mataya, Zayden, Dominick, Nakota, and Bryce.

The viewing will take place January 20, at Ayres Family Cremation in Eureka at 11 a.m.

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

UPDATE, Friday, 3:30 p.m.: Assistant Police Chief Bryan Stephens tells the Outpost that the pedestrian is hospitalized, but is in stable condition. 

There were no indications that the driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and the driver was not arrested. The investigation is ongoing.

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Original post: Traffic on Broadway is impacted after the driver of a vehicle struck a pedestrian near the intersection of Henderson Street a few minutes ago. 

A reader of the Outpost, on the scene, says that the victim is breathing but is clearly badly injured. First responders are currently attempting to care for the patient.

The driver of the vehicle, who spoke with a witness, said that the pedestrian “came out of nowhere.”

Avoid the area if you can. Traffic is down to one lane in either direction.

We’ll have more on this tomorrow.

FURTHER READING:

• Yurok Tribe Nets Big State Grant to Build Youth Center in Weitchpec
• County Chief Financial Officer Tabatha Miller Leaving for Finance Director Job With the City of Arcata
• Jury Finds Fortuna Man Guilty of Sexual Assault of a Child

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Here’s a question: Should California decriminalize “natural” psychedelic drugs for individuals 21 years and older?

The Eureka City Council pondered that question during this week’s regular meeting and discussed the ins and outs of Senate Bill 58 –  a state initiative that seeks to decriminalize the possession and personal use of certain psychedelic drugs, including psilocybin (magic mushrooms), psilocin, Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), mescaline (excluding peyote) and ibogaine. The initiative criticizes the criminalization of psychedelics and highlights the potential therapeutic and medical benefits of such substances.

Several California cities have already decriminalized “natural” psychedelics, including Oakland, San Francisco and Santa Cruz. Similarly, the Arcata City Council voted to decriminalize the use of entheogenic plants and fungi in the city in October 2021.

Councilmember Scott Bauer, who initiated the action item and asked fellow councilmembers to consider a letter of support for SB 58, emphasized the “real, definitive medical benefits” associated with illegal psychedelic substances. 

“At one time cannabis was illegal and we’ve come to see it for a lot of people as a medicine,” he said during Tuesday’s meeting. “There are substances like Ibogaine … that really help people with opioid abuse [and] can actually help them get out of that vicious cycle. DMT and psilocybin [have been] proven effective for people with PTSD. They can help our veterans get out of serious depression and anxiety. … I don’t think kids should be using it. I think a lot of these substances should be used under medical supervision.”

Councilmember G. Mario Fernandez thanked Bauer for bringing the item forward and expressed his support for the state measure. “I appreciate whoever put this letter together calling out specifically the War on Drugs,” he said. “I may have used the phrase ‘catastrophic failure’ but I appreciate what’s been put in here so far.”

Councilmember Renee Contreras de Loach acknowledged the pros and cons of the bill, specifically the chance of someone having a “bad trip” while under the influence of psychedelics and “sending any kind of message to the youth.”

“Some of [those effects are] permanent but that’s something that happens with pharmaceuticals as well,” she said. “I think the other thing is decriminalization [versus] legalization. … This is not legalization. This is decriminalization, which is an entirely different thing that’s more about not directing resources towards persecution of individuals or not directing law enforcement [in] that direction.”

Councilmember Leslie Castellano also expressed her support for the bill. She acknowledged concerns surrounding the misuse of psychedelics but emphasized that there would be “many precautions in place as we’ve seen with other substances.”

Councilmember Kati Moulton added that decriminalization of psychedelics would provide an opportunity “for people to talk about these substances and their uses, and talk about ways to engage with them safely.”

Several members of Decriminalize Nature Humboldt – the group that initiated the decriminalization of entheogenic plants and fungi in Arcata – spoke in favor of the bill during public comment.

“I’ve been in continuous recovery from addiction for 13 years,” said Jen Bruce, one of the founding members of Decriminalize Nature Humboldt. “I went the traditional route [for recovery] and it worked great, but I was still struggling with so many of the disorders that you hear these medicines treat. … I had the resources to leave the country and go to Mexico for an Ibogaine treatment five years into my recovery and it changed my life.”

Bayside resident Karen Brooks acknowledged the medical and therapeutic benefits associated with psychedelics but urged the council to proceed with caution.

“This is definitely an emerging therapy … but gosh, we are just at the beginning of this treatment protocol,” she said. “I think there needs to be more discussions and experts in the field really kind of educating all of us about these therapies before we just go jumping in because we don’t know what the unintended consequences are. This is not necessarily one size fits all. … These are powerful drugs and they need to be used wisely and properly.”

After a bit of discussion, Moulton made a motion to approve staff’s recommendation and direct Mayor Bergel to sign the letter of support for the bill, which was seconded by Castellano. The motion passed in a unanimous 5-0 vote.

You can read the letter of support for SB 58 here.

Complete Streets

The council also took a look at the “Complete Streets” policy proposal, which aims to make our streets safer for all people who use them, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities. 

“This is not a new concept, especially not new for the City [of Eureka],” said City Transportation Engineer Scott Ellsmore. “I don’t see this policy as a change so much as a way to highlight what we currently do. … This policy shows the city’s commitment to the safety of all modes of transportation.”

The policy would codify the city’s commitment to the safety of all residents by setting planning, design and building standards to better accommodate all methods of transportation. “A Complete Streets Policy specifies how a community will plan, design, and maintain streets so that they are safe for users of all ages and abilities,” the staff report stated. “A strong policy begins transforming a community’s practices, processes, and plans to achieve the desired goal.”

Speaking on behalf of the Eureka Transportation Safety Commission, Phillip Beaudry and Caroline Griffth said the policy would “formalize a lot of the work that’s already happening in Eureka.”

“We’re working to build a city that works for all of the transportation systems, that works for all of its users,” Griffith said. “Adopting a Complete Streets policy is not only good for community safety, it’s also one of the goals of the 2040 General Plan that has been adopted.”

Councilmember Moulton emphasized the importance of creating more bike-friendly routes for commuters, noting that a lot of people refrain from walking or biking to work “because it’s dangerous” and the infrastructure simply isn’t there. “I believe we will see those folks who are eager to get out of their cars … when it’s safer to do so,” she said.

After a bit more conversation, the council unanimously approved the item in a 5-0 vote.

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The council also went through its annual ritual of appointing one another to various boards, committees and commissions. It wasn’t a particularly exciting process, but important nonetheless. If you’d like to check it out, click this link and skip ahead to the 02:22:00 mark.

After fighting a felony embezzlement charge for more than five years, Carmen Marie England agreed this morning to pay back nearly $50,000 stolen from the North Coast Journal while she worked there as an office manager and bookkeeper.

As part of a plea agreement approved by Judge Kelly Neel, England promised to repay $15,000 within 30 days and then make monthly $400 installments until the $48,836.97 is paid off. The 62-year-old Willow Creek resident will also pay interest at 10 percent.

The felony embezzlement count was not dismissed but will be re-assessed in two years. Providing England has abided by her agreement, the charge may then be dismissed.

England pleaded guilty instead to a misdemeanor charge of trespassing. Deputy District Attorney Roger Rees and Deputy Public Defender Wade Orbelian negotiated all morning to come up with a deal that satisfied all parties.

“It was a charge we could agree on,” Rees said outside court. “She was on North Coast Journal property and engaging in activities that are not legal.” Former NCJ owners Judy Hodgson and Carolyn Fernandez were in court this morning to observe the likely end of a very long case. Including the investigation phase, it’s been going on about eight years.

“We are somewhat satisfied with Carmen’s plea of guilty today,” Hodgson told the judge. “We would have preferred that she plead guilty to embezzlement upfront.” Hodgson said some people have questioned why the NCJ has persisted with the case for so many years. It’s because she has seen embezzlement harm or even destroy small businesses, Hodgson said.

“The reason we have been so dogged in pursuing this is to take her (England) out of circulation and as a warning to others (businesses),” she said.

England is prohibited from working in any kind of money management or bookkeeping. She told the judge she is now employed full-time during the week and occasionally on weekends. England wasn’t asked about her work duties.

In addition to paying restitution, she will be on probation for one year and must perform 60 hours of community service. Rees had asked that she either serve 15 days in jail or the equivalent in community service.

At her preliminary hearing, England testified she had never stolen from NCJ. Until today, she had been prepared to go to trial on the embezzlement charge. Judge Neel noted England has finally acknowledged her crime.

“You wouldn’t agree to pay back almost $50,000 if you weren’t taking responsibility,” Neel said.

England’s husband has accompanied her to all her many court appearances.

PREVIOUSLY:

• Former North Coast Journal Office Manager Pleads Not Guilty to Embezzlement Charges
• Who Stole Money From the North Coast Journal? Judge Delays Hearing So Prosecutor Can Examine Accountant’s Analysis
• NCJ EMBEZZLEMENT CASE: Defense Attorney Claims a Dozen or More People Could Have Stolen the Newspaper’s Money, But the Accused Former Bookkeeper Did Not
• Accused Bookkeeper Takes the Stand in North Coast Journal Embezzlement Hearing
• Bookkeeper Held to Answer in North Coast Journal Embezzlement Case, But the Case May Not Make it to Trial
• Settlement Talks Fail, and Accused North Coast Journal Bookkeeper Will Stand Trial for Embezzlement
• NCJ EMBEZZLEMENT CASE: No Evidence That Money Stopped Disappearing After the Accused Quit, Defense Attorney Claims