In response to an Outpost question asking which specific comments County Administrative Officer Elishia Hayes interpreted as a violent threat, the county issued the following statement, attributed to Hayes:
Again, I will not repeat his specific comments, but your story yesterday made the same connection we made to potential violence. And judging by the reaction and clear change in peoples’ behavior in the crowd when the comments turned to shooting people, it appeared that others in the chamber made that connection as well. I will also say that the term “hate speech” was used yesterday to reference the statements that were perceived to potentially elicit a violent response towards others, and particularly towards vulnerable populations.
###
Frequent public commenter Charles Wilson speaking last month at a Eureka City Council meeting, during which he argued (facetiously, we hope) that because the county flew a Pride flag outside the county courthouse in June, it should also fly this flag of his own choosing. | Screenshot.
###
A public commenter made some outrageous and bigoted comments during Tuesday’s meeting of the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors, comments that were offensive enough to earn a rebuke from Chair and Fifth District Supervisor Steve Madrone and, shortly thereafter, an all-staff email from the county administrative officer.
“Charles, this is — this is crossing over into hate speech, and it’s inappropriate and not allowed,” Madrone said, cutting the man off before he’d used his allotted three minutes of speaking time.
The man speaking (via Zoom) was Charles Wilson, an eccentric old man who, with his wife, Genevieve, spouted bizarre anti-vax conspiracy theories at local public meetings throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and who has since pivoted to expressing anti-transgender sentiments.
We won’t reproduce his full comments here, but suffice to say he referred to the LGBTQ+ community as “the alphabet people” and alleged that by flying the Pride flag outside the courthouse in June, the county was expressing support for “child mutilation and the elimination of women’s right to privacy and security.”
Wilson also referred to a flag design that he takes to weekly protests outside the county courthouse. (He recently displayed it for the camera at a Eureka City Council meeting, as seen in the photo above.)
Madrone later addressed his reasoning for cutting Wilson off mid-speech, speaking generally to meeting attendees and online viewers:
And just to be clear, when you cross over into hate speech against individuals or groups, that is simply not allowed. Yes, freedom of speech is a wonderful thing, but it requires respect of each other and not making personal attacks against individuals or groups that cross over into the hate speech category. So that is why I stopped the commenter.
According to David Loy, legal director for the nonprofit First Amendment Coalition, Madrone’s interpretation of free speech is flawed.
“There is no so-called ‘hate speech’ exception to the First Amendment,” Loy said when reached by phone this afternoon. “The First Amendment does not allow the government to silence or censor speech, certainly, because of its viewpoint, even if some people might find that speech hateful.”
That’s not to condone the comments Wilson made, Loy said. He explained that Madrone would have been well within his own free speech rights to express strong disagreement with Wilson’s remarks, or to say the county does not approve of such discrimination.
“But the First Amendment does not allow the government — or the presiding member of the board — to cut someone off and deprive them of their time at the podium simply because they don’t like what the person is saying or disagree with it or find it hateful,” Loy said. “It may be hateful, but that’s not an exception to the First Amendment.”
Addressing a similar incident at a recent Shasta County Board of Supervisors meeting — where a county resident deployed the n-word — Loy told news website Shasta Scoutthat before removing someone from a public meeting, a board chair must first warn the individual and give them an opportunity to stop disrupting the meeting.
During the lunch break for today’s Board of Supervisors meeting, County Administrative Officer Elishia Hayes issued an all-staff email addressing this morning’s incident.
“At the Board of Supervisor’s [sic] meeting today a public commenter was evoking [sic] their 1st Amendment right, and it went too far,” Hayes wrote. “The comments made crossed the line into hate speech, and Chair Madrone was immediately asked to cut the commenter off.”
Hayes went on to say that she wanted to recognize the impacts that such speech has on county staff and the community. She referenced the county’s ongoing efforts to advance Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work, led by Human Resources Director Zachary O’Hanen and Project Manager Jeremy Clark.
“I assure you that as long as we remain in these roles, we will not allow issues
such as these to go unnoticed,” Hayes wrote. “We will continue to shine a light on harmful behaviors and will do everything we can to make sure that all county
employees can come to work as their true and authentic selves.”
Such comments fall within Hayes’s own rights to free speech, just as the raising the Pride flag outside county buildings represents a protected expression of the county’s own viewpoint, according to Loy.
“If the chair or the board disagree with what someone is saying or wish to disavow or condemn it, they’re free to do so once that person’s time at the podium is done,” Loy said.
However, Hayes’s all-staff email went on to say this:
“I hope members of our community realize that hate speech will not be tolerated in future meetings … .”
That, Loy reiterated, is going too far.
“Again, this is not to approve or disapprove of any particular viewpoint,” he said, “but from a First Amendment standpoint, members of the public have their free speech right to state their viewpoint. And that viewpoint may be hateful to some — or many.”
Not all speech is allowed, of course. The American Library Association, which addresses censorship matters, notes on its website that while there’s no legal definition of “hate speech,” some comments do cross a line:
“Under current First Amendment jurisprudence, hate speech can only be criminalized when it directly incites imminent criminal activity or consists of specific threats of violence targeted against a person or group.” Evidently, Hayes believes Wilson’s comments crossed that line.
In response to emailed questions, she sent a statement saying that Wilson’s comments were cut off after she (Hayes) perceived a threat of violence.
“[T]he commenter talked favorably about being able to shoot people who were disliked by the majority, and taken in context with the other comments he made, I perceived that to be a statement that could elicit a violent response towards certain populations within our own community … ,” Hayes wrote.
She appears to be referring, there, to the tail end of Wilson’s rambling comments, which bordered on incoherent. Before being cut off by Madrone, Wilson said this (or something very close to it): “Women have the right to not have a penis in the shower, and when I volunteered for the Army, I was told by the government that I had to shoot people that the government didn’t like.”
Is that what Hayes viewed as a threat? We don’t know for sure. Her emailed statement arrived at 5 p.m., the end of business hours for the county. We sent a reply asking exactly which portion of Wilson’s comments she viewed as a violent threat. We’ll update this post when we hear back.
In the meantime, here’s her full statement:
The Board of Supervisors values the Constitution and a person’s First Amendment Right to free speech. The Board also is required to conduct an orderly meeting, and the Board Chair is responsible for ensuring that a person’s right to speak do not infringe on the rights and the protections of others. While all members of our community have the right to free speech, it does have a very real impact on residents and staff, particularly when it veers into discussions of violence. At no point should threats of physical violence ever enter the arena of discussions around public policy, even during public comment. It was important to recognize that.
Mr. Wilson’s comments were limited pursuant to Gov Code Section 54957.95, the Rules of the Humboldt Board of Supervisors, and the Board’s Meeting Disruption Response Guidelines.
I will not repeat his full statement, but the commenter talked favorably about being able to shoot people who were disliked by the majority, and taken in context with the other comments he made I perceived that to be a statement that could elicit a violent response towards certain populations within our own community, and at that point I recommended the public comment be halted. In the future, public commenters will be warned prior to having their comment period limited in such fashion.
The county supports the right to free speech, and at the same time it will steadfastly support ensuring that residents are safe. Safe to be their authentic selves – in Board Chambers, in the workplace and in our community.
###
UPDATE, Aug. 23, 11 a.m.:
Here is video from yesterday’s meeting, cued up to Charles Wilson’s comments, which start at the 45:22 mark:
Screenshot of Tuesday’s Humboldt County Board of Supervisors meeting.
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During today’s meeting, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors took a look at proposed modifications to Project Trellis, the county’s cannabis-focused economic development and local equity program, to address some of the state’s concerns surrounding eligibility criteria.
The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, known as GO-Biz, recently amended some of the rules surrounding the state’s Cannabis Equity Grant (CEG) Program making it more difficult for rural jurisdictions like Humboldt to qualify and apply for state funding.
A few months back, GO-Biz sent a letter to the County Administrative Office regarding the eligibility of Project Trellis. After reviewing the program, GO-Biz staff identified “eligibility criteria that appear to be overly inclusive/inconsistent with the California Cannabis Equity Act and/or may violate the Equal Protection Clauses of the U.S. and California Constitutions” and informed county staff that the program would require modifications before applications could be submitted for CEG in Fall 2023.
The letter notes that the intent of the California Cannabis Equity Act is to “ensure that persons most harmed by cannabis criminalization and poverty be offered assistance to enter the multibillion-dollar cannabis industry.” That includes individuals who have been disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs and “persons convicted of a cannabis offense” who often “have a more difficult time entering the newly created adult-use cannabis industry due, in part, to a lack of access to capital, business space, technical support, and regulatory compliance assistance.”
GO-Biz requested the following modifications to the local equity program:
Removal of current Humboldt County residency requirement;
Removal of language restricting businesses to be located within the county;
Addition of residency requirement of at least 5 years during the period between 1971 and 2016;
Increase of business ownership interest from 20 percent to 51 percent.
Staff presented the Board of Supervisors with three recommendations: modify the existing program, execute the $1.2 million grant award from 2022 and apply for funding in the fall, as previously planned; modify the program, execute the 2022 award and refrain from seeking future funding; finalize the previous awards and leave the program as is.
“Presently, we have an award in process from the state, which, if we are to expend that award and make payments out to qualified equity licensees, we will need to comply with the number of changes in requirements to eligibility requirements [that] have been required by [GO-Biz],” Scott Adair, the county’s Economic Development Director, explained. “We have been in contact with state representatives at a staff level to talk about these changes and how they will impact our program and [there is] an understanding that it will have an adverse impact on several equity licensees.”
Second District Supervisor Michelle Bushnell acknowledged that the county will “obviously need to accept the [state’s] recommendations” and asked staff if there was still time to negotiate the proposed modifications without hurting the existing program.
Bushnell
“While I think it’s very important that we do accept, that we allow for Economic Development to write a letter back questioning, you know, that this doesn’t really seem like a one-size-fits-all for a rural county – especially for Humboldt – and see if we can get a response,” Bushnell said.
“We can reply and still adhere to the new requirements, as set forth by the state,” Adair said. “I should note that we have had dialogue with the state on a staff-to-staff level; they’re very aware of our concerns and how the new changes to the program are impacting rural communities in a much different way than they’re impacting urban communities.”
Third District Supervisor Mike Wilson asked staff to explain “what it is that makes this [program] less advantageous for rural communities.”
When the program started, local jurisdictions were able to determine what best suited their qualified candidates, said Humboldt County Economic Development Coordinator Peggy Murphy. Recent changes have made it more difficult for rural communities to continue to administer cannabis equity programs.
“[GO-Biz] is now reviewing all jurisdictions’ programs and it looks like they are trying to create a one-size-fits-all,” Murphy continued. “That’s where we end up falling into a category where it’s more suited to urban jurisdictions than necessarily rural. Our biggest concerns, at this point, are the removal of our residency requirement, which means that we could be funding someone that lives in another state or county. Additionally, it has removed most of the language restricting that the businesses [must] be located in Humboldt County.”
“Co-ops are the only way the small farmer is going to survive,” First District Supervisor Rex Bohn said. “Co-ops allow those people to centrally locate and … they work for the small farmer because it’s a matter of scale.”
Fourth District Supervisor Natalie Arroyo agreed.
“I do think it makes sense to really, really take the opportunity to articulate in that letter how the current state rollout of legalization has been really impactful for small cannabis operations, and to describe how the co-op model is really the future for a lot of the folks here in Humboldt County and many people have embraced that,” Arroyo said. “That may be something that they’re not hearing from [other] people as much.”
Speaking during the public comment, John Casali, owner and operator of Huckleberry Hill Farms, said he was unable to qualify for the state’s equity program. This is despite the fact that he served eight years of a ten-year sentence for illegally growing cannabis in the 1990s. “It should be just a real simple process, I would imagine, to look at my conviction and put a check on a box and then I would save $5,000 [on my license fee].”
Ross Gordon, Policy Director for the Humboldt County Growers Alliance, highlighted the same issue.
Gordon
“Anything we can do as a county to facilitate those local equity verifications to make sure people qualify for that state program, from our perspective, should be a really high priority,” Gordon said. “Any investment that the county is making right now to keep this program moving forward, continue to improve it, continue to be a stakeholder working with the state to make sure it’s effective as possible. It’s going to pay really long-term dividends for the county and for equity operators.”
Following public comment, Bushnell made a motion to approve the first option – to modify the program, execute the 2022 grant award and apply for funding in fall 2023 – with an additional recommendation to direct staff to send a letter to GO-Biz regarding some of the recommendations.
Arroyo said she would second the motion but asked if the letter would come back to the board for approval before it was sent to GO-Biz. Staff initially said the letter could come back on the board’s consent calendar, but after a bit of additional discussion surrounding the Sept. 30 deadline to execute the agreement to accept the 2022 grant award with new conditions, Arroyo and Bushnell agreed to review and approve the letter themselves.
Before voting on the matter, Wilson emphasized that he, like Bushnell, also grew up in Southern Humboldt in the 1980s and he acknowledged that “there were a lot of impacts associated with that in that community.” But, he said, the “brunt of the impact was in urban landscapes and on BIPOC people.”
“That is really the emphasis of what the state was trying to address with relationship to these impacts of cannabis prohibition,” Wilson continued. “That doesn’t say that we didn’t have big impacts and we don’t have our own communal PTSD around that, but we have to remember where the brunt of that episode really came down.”
After a bit of additional discussion, the board approved staff’s recommendation in a 4-1 vote, with Wilson dissenting.
###
Other notable bits from today’s meeting:
The Board of Supervisors also considered a request from the county’s Human Resources Department to covert from an Interagency Merit System (IMS) to an Approved Local Merit System (LMS) for Merit System Services positions, which includes the Department of Health & Human Services’ Social Services Branch and the North Coast Regional Department of Child Support Services. Human Resouces Director Zach O’Hanen said the state had recently modified its IMS to require one competitive examination per recruitment, making the recruitment process much more difficult for two extremely understaffed departments. Ryan Bishop, deputy Director of Social Services, said his department has 91 vacancies “an we have tried everything to recruit.” The board approved staff’s request in a unanimous 5-0 vote.
The board also received a report on the McKinleyville Multimodal Connectivity Project, which aims to enhance walking and bicycle infrastructure between McKinleyville and community destinations to the south around Humboldt Bay. The board accepted the report and asked Public Works staff to take its findings into account when prioritizing future infrastructure projects in and around McKinleyville.
The board also approved two additional grant applications for watershed restoration projects totaling $39,109. The remaining $247,899 in the Friends of the Eel River Mitigation and Remediation Grant Fund will go to the Department of Public Works to address the list of pre-approved high-priority road improvement projects that will reduce sediment delivery.
California Incident Management Team 2 is in command of the Six Rivers National Forest (SRF) 2023 Lightning Complex which includes the following 12 fires. Total estimated acreage for the SRF Lightning Complex is 5,441.2 acres.
# # #
Lost Fire, Aug. 22
Redwood National and State Parks Area
Lost - Full suppression tactics continue on the Lost Fire, estimated at 529 acres on Redwood National and State Parks lands. The fire is located in the Lost Man Creek watershed west of Holter Ridge Road and south of the Lost Man Creek Trail/Geneva Road. Crews are working to prevent the fire from entering old growth forest. Other fires in the area have been contained. CAL FIRE and Green Diamond Resource Company are collaborating with suppression efforts on the Lost Fire.
Devil 12 acres contained and in patrol status. Glenn .1 acre contained and in patrol status.
Lone Pine Fire, Aug. 22
Hoopa Area
Lone Pine - Located south of Hoopa in the Horse Linto Creek watershed east of the Trinity River and across the river from Tish Tang Campground and Sugar Bowl Ranch, fire size is estimated at 1,678 acres. Crews are pushing the fire toward the mainstem Trinity River into a planned backing alignment while holding and monitoring current lines. Crews are beginning mop up activities.
Pearch Fire, Aug. 22
Orleans Area
Pearch - East of Orleans is estimated at 981 acres, has resumed a backing alignment after making a northeast run towards Somes Mountain. The fire pushed toward north fork Boise Creek, staying south of Pearch Creek and north of South Fork Pearch Creek. The Orleans pumphouse has been prepped with structure wrap. Structure protection personnel are assessing and preparing homes in the Pearch Creek neighborhood.
Pearch Fire Evacuation Warning:
Orleans
Zone HUM-E009 (Southeast of the Klamath River in Orleans) Zone HUM-E008-B (Community of Orleans, west of Klamath River. East of Crawford Creek, including Orleans proper). Hwy 96 and Red Cap Road along the east bank of Klamath River, south from Salmon River, east to Orleans Mountain. Approximately 243 residents live in these 2 zones.
Somes Bar
Zone SIS-1701: NORTH of Monte Creek Road, SOUTH OF Camp Three Road, EAST OF Camp
Three Road, WEST OF Wooley Creek Trailhead. Anyone in these areas should be prepared for potential evacuations, including personal supplies and overnight accommodations. Be ready to go at a moment’s notice.
Iron - Located above Ti-Bar Wildland Fire Station, this fire has been contained at 17 acres.
Hancock - Located in the Wooley Creek area, staffed by a crew of ten smoke jumpers.
Mosquito Fire, Aug. 22
Mosquito - Near the Bluff Creek area north of Mosquito Lake is estimated at 1,061 acres. The fire remains north of Forest Road 11N19 and west of Forest Road 12N12. Two engines, one water tender, one dozer, and one division are on site. Smoke jumpers are also on site. Crews are constructing containment lines.
The following fires are currently unstaffed due to limited resources. Additional resources are on order.
Bluff #1 - 828 acres
Blue Creek - .1 acre
Blue Creek 2 - 318 acres
Let er-Buck - 34 acres
Weather Marine stratus in the morning will start to burn off approximately at 2:00pm. Skies will clear in the afternoon, bringing slightly warmer temperatures and drier conditions. Northeastern drainage winds in the morning will become north westly through the day. Gusts up to 17mph on ridgelines and exposed terrain. Expect highs in the mid to high 70s.
Due to fire activity in the area, Lost Man Trail from the trailhead on Bald Hills Road to the gate at the Lost Man Picnic Area is closed. Lost Man Road will remain open from Hwy 101 to the Lost Man Picnic Area.
Press release from the South Fork Complex Incident Management Team:
Current Situation:
People and Equipment:
3-9
Fire: 1,430 acres with 0% containment 522 personnel,
crews, engines, dozers, water tenders
Pilot
Fire: 879 acres with 10% containment and air support
Pelllitreau
Fire: 3.4 acres with 100% containment
Sulphur
Fire: 26 acres with 95% containment
20%
overall containment for the Complex
###
Crews
continued to construct indirect dozer line on the southern perimeter
of the 3-9
Fire.
Resources will continue to assess Pilot Creek and the road system on
the southwestern area of the 3-9 fire area to improve the road system
coming up to the Dan East Trail. Yesterday firefighters looked for
opportunities to directly fight the fire on the east side and were
still working on a 30-acre slop-over from Sunday night. They’ll
continue to improve dozer and handlines up to the fire’s edge.
Firefighters will go direct when safe to do so in the Bear Creek area
in effort to stop the fire’s progression to the north. Crews will
continue to improve dozer line areas in anticipation of any movement
that could move east towards Hyampom.
Pilot
Fire
crews
continue to secure and mop up the western and southern portions. The
northern portion of the fire cooled down with yesterday’s moisture,
allowing dozers to improve current lines. Crews have been successful
with the handline around Grouse Creek, on the eastern portion of the
fire line. Some challenges on the east side include steep terrain and
roll out as firefighters continue to go direct. Operational plans for
today continue to secure and mop up the perimeter of the Pilot Fire
and continue to construct direct handline on the northeast side to
secure the edges. Dead and standing timber may roll down and leave
spot fires. Fuels are wet from yesterday’s rain, but will be drying
out over the next several days which could increase fire behavior.
The
Pellitreau
fire
is 100% contained and the Sulfur
firehas
95% containment. Crews will continue to mop up the area and monitor
and patrol to ensure fire remains within the containment lines. Most
equipment has been pulled from these fires to assist the Pilot and
3-9 Fires.
Please
note:
With
Inciweb being unstable throughout the country, a
Facebook page has been established for this fire.
We are able to update this page more quickly: SouthForkComplex
Weather
and Fire Behavior
Residual moisture from post-Tropical Cyclone Hilary will continue
widely scattered showers and possible thunderstorms this morning.
Rain showers will likely end by mid-morning today, clearing to partly
sunny this afternoon. A warming and drying trend begins on Wednesday
extending into Thursday. The fires did not receive as much
precipitation as other communities near the fires.
Community
Meeting on Tuesday:
A
community meeting is being held today, Tuesday, August
22nd at 6:00 pm.
The meeting will be held at the at the Veteran’s Hall - VFW Post
9546 located at: 9201
CA-3, Hayfork, CA.
This meeting will be in-person.
Evacuation
Warning:
These
remain in effect. Please continue to check the Trinity County
Wildfire and Evacuation site for up-to-date status and locations:
Trinity
County Wildfire and Evacuation Map
At least one of the new bears at the Sequoia Park Zoo is seemingly willing to put maximum effort into helping you get a cute snap.
Local youngster Austin Bergstrom is not yet as tall as the railing at the zoo’s bear enclosure, yet was still able to pose with with one of the newly arrived ursids thanks to their climbing prowess. Not sure if that’s Noni or Tule. Present the case for your theories in the comments below.
Anyway, may this harmless/adorable LoCO post give you the fuel to bear your Tuesday.
It is with heavy hearts that we mark the passing of our friend and family member, Tad. Tad was a well-known and easily recognizable resident of Eureka and Arcata, who in years past could be seen flying down Broadway Street on a longboard, being pulled by his dog who wore a harness ringing with sleigh bells. In more recent years, he was well known and loved in his role as keeper of the plantings he created to beautify the area around the Arcata Creamery.
Tad was born in Lubbock, Texas, on October 8, 1957. He graduated in 1975 from Moon Valley High School in Phoenix, Arizona. He later joined the Army and was stationed in Germany. He worked several jobs in his early adulthood, but his favorite job was raising his daughter, Courtnie. He spoke often and with great fondness of the time he spent parenting.
In later years, Tad traveled the country. He had tales of learning to hike farther and farther into the desert alone, and of the connection he felt there with Spirit. After many roads, Tad arrived in Humboldt County to get involved in local activism. He is remembered for the love that he brought when he advocated for the forests, Vets for Peace, Food Not Bombs, and for the rights and dignity of all people. He brought a spirit of joy to the struggle against oppression. Tad was especially vocal in his defense of those without money or means, leading with compassion and working both inside and outside the legal system for justice.
Tad was a prolific reader and an insightful writer, sharing his thoughts in a local zine, The Plazoid, and online on the Plazoid blog. In conversation, Tad could display his vast array of knowledge across a wide variety of subjects, always seen through the lens of unconditional love and compassion.
Tad was known for attending Humboldt County Board of Supervisors meetings, and giving public comment on agenda items. Once, when speaking against the county’s involvement with a juvenile work camp, he was dragged from the meeting by police, receiving injuries. When charged with resisting arrest, he fought the charges by taking the case to trial and representing himself. He received a guilty verdict, and during a month in jail, Tad maintained a hunger strike that had a groundswell of popular support. Never one to back down when in the right, after being released from jail he appealed his case and won.
Tad spent well over a decade as groundskeeper of the Arcata Creamery property. While there, he created and maintained colorful plantings using plants, soil, and containers that had been discarded by others. He was a person who could look at cast-off items and see their beauty and usefulness. Always ready to lend a hand with any sort of project, he exemplified the ability to see a need and to work to fill it.
Tad was a deeply kind man, yet did not suffer fools gladly. He was vocal about what he perceived as the shortcomings of government, organized religion, capitalism, and the status quo. He didn’t set out to offend, but wasn’t afraid to do so. His great intelligence was balanced by a great capacity for love. We will miss his kindness, his wit, and his advice. He was a moral compass for those around him. He will be remembered as someone with a deep connection to Spirit, and with a strong belief that people need to work together, in love, for the benefit of the planet, humankind, and all beings.
Tad is predeceased by his beloved dogs, Grizz and Giles. He is survived by his daughter, Courtnie, and his grandchildren Erol, Laurelia, and Sher, of Texas; by his dog, Dude; and by a large number of friends.
A celebration of Tad’s life will be held on Saturday, September 2, 2023, beginning at 2 p.m., at the Creamery in Arcata. Donations will be accepted to defray final expenses. We invite all who loved him to come and bring items for the memorial table, snacks to share, and memories of Tad.
###
The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Tad Robinson’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
On June 9, 2023, Jack Mason, 88 of Arcata, passed away at home with his beloved fur
friend, Jeb at his side. Our family will forever miss his big grin, funny jokes, teasing and
words of wisdom. He will be missed dearly by not only his family but his many friends.
Jack was born on November 26, 1934 to Warren Mason and Bertha McClain Mason
who named him John Warren Mason but never called him anything but Jack from that
day on. Jack grew up in Fieldbrook and attended Fieldbrook School and then Arcata
High School (Class of ‘52).
At a picnic at Ivan and Elizabeth Wymore’s ranch, he met Helen Wymore and they
became great friends. The friendship would blossom into much more and the two would
marry on September 14, 1952, right after high school graduation. They would live in
Fieldbrook in the house Jack grew up in for the first few years. In August 1953 their
family would grow with the birth of Donna, then Diane followed in 1955, Jackie in 1956
and John in 1960.
Jack began his career with Mason Logging working with his dad and brothers logging
near Redwood Creek, later he would work for the Weyhauser Mill in Arcata. He told
great stories about his experiences at both jobs, the cast of characters he met there
giving him stories for years to come.
In 1963 he and Helen bought a small dairy on the Arcata Bottoms (yes, The Bottoms,
he was definitely sure of that!). Mason dairy started with a herd of 24 cows and 10
yearlings. In those early years he continued to work nights at the mill while Helen milked
the cows at night. Eventually the dairy would expand its herd size and production so he
could retire from the mill. Jack worked 365 days a year for many years. Every activity
outside of the ranch revolved around milking time. He loved the dairy, especially the
summers when there would be lots of activity with hay hauling and getting the animals
ready for local fairs. He loved to tease and joke with the guys hired to help with hauling
the hay. Once his son, John, became a partner with him he was able to turn some of the
daily chores over to him, Jack enjoyed stepping back and helping when needed. He
loved to sit at his barn and visit with neighbors as they drove by, always sharing what he
learned from one with the next to pass by. Another favorite pastime was coffee with his
buddies at V & N Burger Bar. Linda would open the Burger Bar early just for the group
of coffee drinkers for many years and when she tired of it her husband, Jim Roseman
opened it for them. Later the group would end up at The Pantry, where Jack loved to
tease and joke with Tephi, his favorite waitress. When The Pantry in Arcata closed and
the staff moved to the Pantry in Eureka he was lost and sad not to hang out with the
group. Fortunately, for him his friend, Harry, started swinging by the ranch and picking
him up several times a week and driving him to Eureka.
One of his favorite hobbies was growing and tending to a beautiful vegetable garden
each year. He loved to take the grandchildren and later his great-grandchildren into the
garden to eat fresh peas. With the birth of his first grandson, Brian, in 1976, Jack would
become “Popo” to the next generation. All of his family and friends loved to eat the
wonderful vegetables he grew. Although he liked to cook and was a very good cook
after Helen passed in 2017 he didn’t cook as much. Lucky for him his friend, Scully,
would deliver many delicious meals and baked goods each week for the past five years.
His daughters, Jackie and Donna also visited almost daily to drop off something for
dinner, a batch of his favorite cookies or pet food. His daughter Diane would come to
help with the housework and a visit to hear the latest happenings around the ranch.
Along with Jeb, his beloved dog, Popo cared for many stray barn kitties, chickens,
ducks, goats, sheep, pigs, and even a flock of geese over the years. They always had
a clever name, and an even more clever nick-name. His natural sense of humanity and
goodness was evident with the way he cared for all life-forms.
Jack didn’t like to leave the ranch much, but he would accompany Helen on trips to visit
relatives or bus trips to Reno. He was not a gambler but Helen was and he would take
her winnings and hide them so she couldn’t put them back into the machine. One of
their last adventures together was to visit his grandson Justin and his wife Ashley at
their home in Missouri. After her death, his travels remained local, but the outings
always seemed like a big to-do. He would have dinner in Fortuna with Donna, Krissy,
Brian and their families or Thanksgiving at Emily’s in McKinleyville. During the COVID
years his grandson Dustin would bring his boys for the Holidays and Popo’s birthday.
He enjoyed these times very much, having his family around him and enjoying great
meals together. He was always in charge of the turkey!
His family would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all of the people who stopped by
to visit with Jack throughout the years. Your presence brought him so much joy, nothing
made him happier than telling an off-color joke and seeing the response it generated.
He worked hard his entire life without complaining and set a wonderful example for his
family to follow. His legacy will be the land he cared for so diligently for 60 years, that
has now evolved into his grandson Jeffrey’s pumpkin patch, Huddie’s Harvest.
Jack was predeceased by his wife of 60 years, Helen, his parents, Warren and Bertha
(McClain) Mason, his in-laws, Ivan and Elizabeth (Miller) Wymore. He was also
preceded in death by his son in-law, Richard Schirmann, his siblings, Ruth (Ford),Jim,
Dave and Tim Mason, brother in-law Bill Greenwood, a nephew Gary Wayne Adams,
his brother in-law Don Kempf and sister in-law, Doris (Wymore), nephews Dean and
Duane Kempf.He is survived by his sister, Charlotte Greenwood and his brother, Gary Lee, his
sister-in-law Alice and his four children, Donna (Del), Diane, Jackie and John (Karin)
Mason. He also leaves behind his seven grandchildren whom he loved to tease and
joke with, Brian Corning (Cindy), Krissy Mora (Joe), Devon Johnson, Dustin Della, Emily
Valadao (Dane), Justin Mason (Ashley) and Jeff Mason. They will forever remember
their Popo for his fried potatoes and bacon breakfasts. He loved them all dearly and
looked forward to their visits so he could continue to tease them and their children…his
great-grandchildren, Coltyn, Kaydance and Gage Corning, Cooper and CJ Fish,
Brayden Della, Bella, Mekenzie, Oriana and Mason Mora, Jane Mason and Jack, Blake,
George and Cruz Valadao.
On September 16, 2023 at 1 pm in the afternoon there will be a Celebration of Jack’s
life at the ranch (Mason Dairy) 3364 Foster Avenue, Arcata. Everyone is welcome
to join us in the pumpkin patch to share memories and celebrate a life well lived.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Jack Mason
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of William Price’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
