Press release from the California Highway Patrol:

On March 27, 2024 at approximately 1241 hours, CHP Humboldt Communications Center received a report of an overturned vehicle on Northbound US-101, near the Humboldt Hill Road offramp. Emergency personnel responded to the scene and located a 1998 Nissan Pathfinder had overturned and subsequently come to rest on its wheels. The driver, 79-year-old Dennis Katri of Eureka, had unfortunately sustained fatal injuries as a result of the crash and appears to have been the only occupant of the vehicle at the time of the crash. A preliminary investigation indicates that, for unknown reasons, Mr. Katri allowed the Pathfinder to travel into the center median prior to traveling back on to the road and overturning. Impairment is not considered to have been a factor.

The California Highway Patrol extends its sincere condolences to the family and thanks all responding agencies for their assistance in managing the scene. The CHP Humboldt Area office is continuing its investigation and asks anyone who may have additional information to contact the California Highway Patrol at 707-822-5981.

Press release from Humboldt Bay Fire:

Late in the evening of March 27th at approximately 11:50 pm, Humboldt Bay Fire responded to a structure fire in an apartment building on the 400 block of L St. in Eureka. Three engines, one truck, two Chief Officers, and one Fire Support Volunteer responded.

The Battalion Chief arrived to find heavy fire coming from a window on the second floor of a 3-story apartment with multiple occupants still inside the building. A second alarm and second ambulance were requested, drawing two more engines to the scene and for station coverage. The first-arriving engine immediately located a victim in a 2nd floor window who was trapped in his apartment. The victim was quickly rescued through the window utilizing a ground ladder. Additional crews knocked down the fire in the fire apartment window from the exterior and made entry, locating three additional victims who were sheltering in place inside their apartments on the second floor. Firefighters assisted the three residents out of the building rescues and cleared the floor of any remaining occupants. The residents did suffer some smoke inhalation but reported no injuries and refused treatment.

The fire was controlled within 20 minutes with crews containing the fire to the original apartment. Quick actions by arriving crews prevented the fire from spreading to additional apartments, rescue the trapped victims, and ensure all occupants were safely out of the building and accounted for. Incident Commanders worked with the property owner and PG&E to isolate and restore utilities back to the building.

There were no firefighter or civilian injuries. Unfortunately, one pet was found deceased Smoke Alarms Save Lives. inside the fire apartment and another pet is still missing. 12 apartments were deemed uninhabitable due to fire, smoke and water damage, displacing approximately 20 tenants. Red Cross was brought in to provide the tenants with temporary housing and living needs. Damage to the building, valued at $5 million, is estimated at approximately $500,000. After investigation, the fire was determined to be caused by improper discarding of burnt aroma materials.

Humboldt Bay Fire reminds all occupants to soak any aroma materials, such as incense sticks, in water before discarding them and ensure you have working smoke alarms in all bedrooms and hallways. Early detection can save lives.

Humboldt Bay Fire would like to thank City Ambulance, Eureka PD, Red Cross, Arcata Fire and Samoa Fire for their assistance on this incident, and in providing station coverage.

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It is with profound sadness and a shattered heart that we announce the passing of loving wife, mother, friend, and soulmate Erin Diana Jarvis-Nessier. Our princess passed on January 2, 2024, peacefully cradled within the arms of her husband, may God rest her soul. Her son, Beau, was also present, outside amongst her beloved forest.

Erin wore many earthly hats, but even on the darkest of days she never lost her resounding faith. Like the warrior she was, Erin fought her own battles with the same tenacity and personal drive she exhibited in every other area of her life, encompassed with immeasurable love and strength.

Erin was born in Redwood City, California, to parents Elwood and Sylvia Jarvis, on April 23, 1960. After graduating college, she succeeded in a plethora of professions. From full charge bookkeeper and office manager, to certified advanced veterinary technician and surgical assistant- she even spent time training police K-9s for several Bay Area and state law enforcement agencies. Erin was raised under the wing of her brother, Kevin Jarvis, who painstakingly took the time to teach her how to play a guitar. Erin was a wonderful musician, also blessed with a beautiful voice.

Up until being diagnosed with inoperable terminal cancer, Erin energetically swam several miles per day in an open water facility for her own enjoyment. She also rode her beautiful horse Rio, always trailed by her loving doggies Manley and Zipper. Nobody can sit a horse quite like Erin Jarvis. Nobody. She had a genuine love for all animals, especially rescues such as her beloved canines.

Erin will be remembered far into the future as the sole custodian of her forest. Her forest companions were her German Shepherds, Great Pyrenees, and the two ravens whom she had mastered the ability to communicate with. Erin was an avid nature enthusiast, as all those who knew her can attest. Erin brought with her a piercing light of love and warmth for all to share within. She had envisioned opening up her forest to kids of all ages, wanting to create an environment in which to teach the mysteries of coastal forests and the survival skills she had mastered.

Our princess’s difficult six-year battle with cancer and the staggering physical and mental challenge of her diagnoses with breast, spinal, and liver cancer is now through. Erin is now forever home with our Heavenly Father. Throughout this upsetting period of constant pain, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments, it was still not uncommon to find Erin wandering the trails throughout her forest, marking damaged trees for removal or treatment.

Erin was at home on her John Deere 6320, just as capable on the machine as she was at being the prettiest girl at the symphony. Being a country girl was a way of life for Erin. She was also a champion for those in need, carrying a special place in her heart for those going without. She knew how to make people laugh at themselves, even total strangers. Erin’s life reflected everything that was good, right, and true. Our little Irish Girl time and time again advocated for her little family, as they weathered many unforeseen challenges, disappointments, and times of sadness. She just as openly embraced the victories, giving each of her loved ones undivided attention without hesitation. Erin’s devotion was unconditional.

So dearly missed will be her many nicknames for her husband, Robert. But the memories of these names (Handsome Head, Weedhopper, Pokémon), still warm our hearts. Erin was Robert’s greatest joy, strength, his greatest blessing in life — taken too soon. Erin’s last words, delivered to her husband, were, “I love you so much.”

In this time of immense grief and sorrow, we are so grateful for the outpouring of love from friends, family, and everyone else in the community that has reached out and offered their support. Erin gave us all many cherished memories, a gift that will endure long after she has left this world. Erin firmly believed that we live in a compromised world. But she also believed the world was a place of profound beauty, wonder, adventure, and true compassion. Above all else, Erin carried an unwavering belief in the written word and promises of our Heavenly Father. Our lives will never ever be the same without Erin Diana Jarvis-Nessier.

Erin is survived by her Handsome-Head husband Robert, her loving son Beau Jarvis, brother Kevin Jarvis, and many nieces, nephews, and good friends.

Our family would like to express our deep thanks to the following persons and institutions for caring so deeply for our Little Irish Princess. A gracious heartfelt thanks to the Hospice of Humboldt, Dr. Connie Basch, Dr. Dosten MacDonald, Sandy and Barb from the oncology suite, Laurie Ervin and Ray, Rob and Sheri Gurney, Dr. Tony Anagnoston, Dr. Abdali and Dr Crabtreee, Dr. Elie Richa, Dr Howard Fellows, Dincy Corning, Keith Wininger of Wininger Farms, Travis Harmon, Josh and Leath Maveety, Mike Osborne, Dr. Marshall of UCSF Oncology, Andrew Livolsis, Pastor Dennis Murray, Jim and Ida Lowe, and Katie and Miriam Wheeler. We know there are many, many to thank for custodianship of Erin during this journey not listed. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

An outdoor celebration of life planned, regardless of weather, for April 20, 2024, noonish to lights out. The celebration may include spreading of ashes, light trail work, and the planting of redwoods, accompanied by love, fellowship, and good vibes. A favorite dish or beverage is welcome. You can contact Robert via email at opuskahn49@gmail.com. Ayers Family Cremations is handling all funeral arrangements. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Sequoia Humane Society or another charity of your choosing will honor Erin’s memory. God Bless you all.

“We Shall Pass this way on Earth but once. If there is any kindness we can show, or good art we can do, let us do it now, for we will never pass this way again.” -Stephen Greer

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Erin Jarvis’ loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.

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Ferndale native, humanitarian and famously charismatic food-eater Guy Fieri, already known as “The Mayor of Flavortown” and one-time “Mayor of Spicy Wings,” will soon add a third mayorships to his roster: On April 5, he’ll be crowned the honorary mayor of his own hometown. 

The official proclamation, signed by actual Ferndale Mayor Randall Cady, reads as follows:

PROCLAMATION

Declaring

APRIL 5th

Guy Fieri Day

WHEREAS: Guy Fieri, who grew up in the city of Ferndale, is a celebrated chef, restauranteur, best-selling author and Emmy Award winning TV host.

WHEREAS: Mr. Fieri has always had a special connection to Ferndale since he started his very own pretzel cart at the age of 10.

WHEREAS: Mr. Fieri has continued to give back to our community through serving thousands of meals to hospital workers and firefighters as well as co-creating the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund.

WHEREAS: Mr. Fieri has become famously known as the Mayor of Flavortown.

WHEREAS: The City of Ferndale will always have a special place in our hearts for Mr. Fieri.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, RANDALL CADY, as Mayor, and on behalf of the City Council of the City of Ferndale, proclaim April 5, 2024, and every April 5” thereafter, Guy Fieri Day and on this day, the title of Honorary Mayor. We thank Guy for his positive impact on the City.

Given under my hand and the seal of the City of Ferndale, California on this 15 day of February 2024.

Here’s an Instagram post from the Ferndale Chamber of Commerce making the announcement:

Congrats, Guy!

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Several North Coast tribes have announced their official opposition to the floating offshore wind project slated for the North Coast, citing “grave concerns” about potential risks to marine ecosystems and the sustainability of industrial-scale renewable energy projects.

But does that mean that tribes are walking away from negotiations? And what impact does tribal opposition have on the future of offshore wind?

“This Was Not an Easy Decision”

The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), the largest national organization of American Indian and Alaskan Native tribal governments, last month passed a resolution urging the Biden Administration to “halt all scoping and permitting for offshore wind projects until completion of a comprehensive and transparent procedure adequately protecting tribal environmental and sovereign interests is developed and implemented.” 

This statement was quickly echoed by the Yurok Tribe, the Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria and the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation, whose tribal councils voted to formally oppose offshore wind development on the North Coast. The Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria Tribal Council approved a similar resolution just a few days ago.

The Resighini Tribe of Yurok People has also expressed concern about potential “cultural and environmental impacts” associated with the proposed project but has not taken an official position as of yet. “The current leases are within the Tribe’s unceded, ancestral waters and the Tribe prioritizes Tribal stewardship and marine protection,” according to a statement shared by the Tribe. 

[UPDATE: Shortly after publication, the Outpost received an email from the Resighini Tribe of Yurok People announcing the Tribal Council’s recent decision to formally oppose offshore wind development “until those serious concerns can be addressed.”]

If the project is approved in the years to come, the Humboldt Wind Energy Area (WEA), located approximately 20 miles west of Eureka, could host hundreds of floating wind turbines across 200 square miles of deep ocean waters. 

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Congressman Jared Huffman are visiting Humboldt County this week to meet with local tribes and hear their concerns, according to a recent report from the North Coast Journal.

“I’m very concerned about this issue, and I need to visit with the tribes and hear a little more about their position and its implications,” Huffman told the Outpost in a recent phone interview. “I don’t think anyone wants to see offshore wind or any other project run roughshod over tribal interest – that is the last thing I would support. I have been very supportive of this project because I believe it can be done in a way that’s quite positive for the entire community, including the tribes.”

Asked whether tribal opposition to offshore wind development could halt the proposed project, Huffman said, “I don’t know if it would stop it, but it certainly complicates the tribal consultation process and other aspects moving forward.”

“I really want to hear them out, and I want to see how I can lean in to make sure that the federal government, the wind developers and everyone else does a better job in their tribal consultations,” Huffman continued. “I’d like to find out what the tribes might be able to get out of these projects. … There are some community and tribal benefits on the front end through the auction proceeds, but longer term – in terms of royalties – there are not. We need to fix that for the long haul so that communities and tribes have an incentive to partner in these offshore wind projects.”

The Yurok Tribe held a two-day offshore wind summit in Eureka earlier this year to discuss all aspects of the proposed development and the importance of including indigenous communities throughout the planning process. Representatives from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), U.S. Department of Energy, Vineyard Offshore and Canopy Offshore Wind were in attendance, along with several tribal leaders from the East Coast who described their experiences in working with regulatory agencies and developers on an offshore wind project located off the coast of mainland Massachusettes.

Yurok Vice Chairman Frankie Myers said the “powerful testimony” shared by members of the Mashantucket Western Pequot Tribe, the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) and the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe influenced the Yurok Tribe’s decision to oppose offshore wind.

“This was not an easy decision for the Tribe,” Myers told the Outpost in a recent phone interview. “We have tried to be open and neutral about our position for offshore wind because we as a collective community don’t have a really clear picture of what it’s going to look like, but we have a responsibility to our membership. … I think our decision ultimately came down to just not having enough information.”

Myers | Photo: Isabella Vanderheiden

Myers acknowledged the importance of moving away from fossil fuels to address growing concerns surrounding climate change but said the North Coast does not need another extractive industry.

“Sometimes I feel like I’m taking crazy pills. Like, how many times do we have to have this conversation … and expect that we’re going to have a different outcome?” Myers asked. “We know climate change is having an impact right now and we know it’s going to get worse. … We may be able to move away from burning fossil fuels but if the industrialized offshore development ends up destroying our ocean ecosystem, then where do we sit? We don’t know 100 percent that that’s going to happen, but … we know for certain that there will be impacts. We can’t destroy our world to protect our world.”

That being said, Myers emphasized that tribal leaders “aren’t gonna go bury our heads in the sand” and will continue to participate in future discussions with regulators and developers.

“This isn’t a victory for us,” he added. “I think our members were happy that we took a stance in opposition, but no one thinks that stopping offshore wind is a victory. We know we have to do something, that we have to find an alternative energy source that allows us to move away from fossil fuels because of the impacts that we’re seeing within our communities.”

Regulators Call for “Meaningful Dialogue”

Reached for additional comment on the matter, BOEM spokesperson John Romero offered assurance that the federal government has “taken coordinated actions to incorporate indigenous knowledge and tribal input into [its] decision-making process.” 

“BOEM is committed to upholding our tribal trust responsibilities and fostering working relationships based on trust and meaningful consultation and we are always working to improve the consultation process to engage Tribes in a respectful way,” Romero wrote in an emailed response to our inquiry. “We are interested in discussing how Tribes envision improvements to the process.”

The offshore wind leases auctioned off in December 2022 include several conditions and stipulations requiring developers to make communications plans with tribal nations. The lease agreement also includes a five percent credit for developers who committed to Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs) with tribes, communities and stakeholder groups “whose use of the lease areas or use of the resources harvested from the lease areas is expected to be impacted by offshore wind development.” The agreement includes a five percent general CBA as well.

Romero also pointed to several studies conducted through BOEM’s Environmental Studies Program, including tribal cultural landscape assessments and an Archaeological and Biological Assessment of Submerged Landforms off the Pacific Coast.

“It is important to BOEM that we consider any potential impacts to Tribes,” Romeo said. “We will continue to consult and engage with Tribes throughout the process and remain committed to exploring improvements to the process along the way.”

Similarly, the developers – Canopy Offshore Wind and Vineyard Offshore – underscored the importance of “meaningful” collaboration with tribal nations throughout the planning process.

“From the very beginning of our work in California, we recognized the importance of meaningful dialogue and building relationships with Tribal Nations, through engagement with Tribal Councils, leaders, and members,” according to a statement shared by Vineyard Offshore Spokesperson Andrew Doba. “We’re honored to have engaged in early conversations and look forward to continuing those discussions moving forward.”

Ciara Emery, Canopy Offshore Wind’s local government and stakeholder engagement manager, added that the company is “open to many forms of collaboration” with tribal nations, including partnerships. However, it is still very early in the development process, which is likely to extend over the next decade, she said. 

“[W]e want to take the time to build these relationships,” Emery wrote in an emailed response to the Outpost. “The Canopy team has had dozens of meetings with tribal nations up and down the coast and is eager to continue listening and exploring ideas to foster mutually beneficial outcomes. … There is time to continue important conversations, respond to feedback and deepen collaboration.”

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PREVIOUSLY:

• At a Two-Day Conference in Eureka This Week, North Coast Tribes Advocate for ‘Meaningful Engagement’ With Offshore Wind Developers, Federal Regulators
• Yurok Tribal Council Votes to Formally Oppose Floating Offshore Wind Energy Projects Along the North Coast
• Bear River Tribal Council Joins Yurok in Formally Opposing Offshore Wind Development Along the North Coast
• Trinidad Rancheria Becomes Latest Tribal Entitiy to Register Opposition to Offshore Wind

Powerful tribal casinos and their rivals in California’s multi-billion dollar gambling industry are fighting an epic battle in the Legislature this year. Millions of dollars in tax revenues for local cities hang in the balance.

Pending legislation would let California’s tribes sue their competitors, private card clubs, over their claim that card rooms are violating the tribes’ exclusive rights to Las Vegas-style gambling.

Card rooms have responded with an enormous lobbying blitz. The Hawaiian Gardens Casino in Los Angeles County spent a staggering $9.1 million on lobbying last year, the second highest amount reported to state regulators. Only the international oil giant, Chevron Corp., spent more.

“If you’re going to attack us and try to take away what we’ve had for decades, then we’ve got to fight back,” said Keith Sharp, the card room’s general counsel. “And so we’re going to spend the money that we need to spend. I mean it’s about survival at this point.”

Cities also have a lot at stake with the card rooms. San Jose officials told legislators they could hire 80 police officers if they could add 30 more tables to their local card rooms. Nearly two thirds of the budget for the city of Hawaiian Gardens and almost half for the city of Commerce, also in Los Angeles County, come from local card rooms.

“Those games, we’re very dependent on here in the city,” said Commerce Mayor Hugo Argumedo. “They provide many of the programs and services that we offer to the residents in our community.”

The legislation, Senate Bill 549, is backed primarily by a group of Native American tribes that run major casinos. The tribes are among the most influential and biggest spending lobbies in Sacramento. Since 2014, California’s candidates for state office have received about $23.5 million from tribes. That’s more than double what oil companies have given the state’s politicians during the same years.

The state’s card room industry, by comparison, has donated about $3.8 million during the same timeframe.

A group of tribes contend the 80 or so privately-owned gambling halls are illegally offering games such as blackjack, baccarat and pai gow poker, and by doing so, they’ve for years been stealing hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue from historically disenfranchised tribal communities across California.

“It’s not about killing card rooms. It’s not about killing cities. It’s about protecting what’s ours,” Tuari Bigknife, the attorney general for the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, told CalMatters. His tribe operates a large casino in San Diego County.

SB 549 is pending before the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee, which handles gambling legislation. A hearing hasn’t been scheduled, but those following the bill say it will be heard later in April or in May.

Card rooms frame the issue as a David vs. Goliath fight, since their annual earnings are barely 10% of what tribal governments make from gambling at their 70 tribal casinos. The card rooms also have influential allies in local governments officials who say their cities could go bankrupt if their local gambling hall loses this legislative fight.

When the pandemic shut down gaming in Hawaiian Gardens, the city was forced to lay off much of its staff and cut services. Mayor Victor Farfan said it was a sign of what would happen if the card room was no longer able to play the disputed games.

“We’re very, very limited in what we can do,” Farfan said in an interview with CalMatters at Hawaiian Gardens City Hall, the card room visible from the parking lot. “And so we’re fortunate enough to have a revenue source that we do today.”

Mayor Victor Farfan at Hawaiian Gardens City Hall in Hawaiian Gardens on March 14, 2024. Photo by Ted Soqui for CalMatters

Tribes, however, argue there are other ways for cities to raise money without infringing on tribes’ gambling rights that California voters enshrined into the state’s constitution.

“They can tax; they can issue bonds; they can do lots of things,” said Bigknife, the attorney general for the Viejas tribe. “All this does is shut down illegal revenue.”

Gold Rush gambling rules fuel conflict

The gambling dispute has roots in the Gold Rush, a time when unscrupulous gambling halls were fleecing miners. In response, the young Legislature prohibited gambling halls from offering games like the kind in Las Vegas where casinos are the “house” and take bets directly.

That prohibition lasted until 2000, when voters approved an initiative that gave tribes the right to negotiate compacts with the state to host certain house-banked casino games.

No one disputes that the privately owned card rooms can offer poker, since players bet against each other. The dispute behind SB 549 involves traditionally house-banked card games, especially blackjack, the most lucrative of the disputed games.

Under the California constitution, the card rooms can’t accept wagers from customers. The card clubs get around the prohibition by contracting with third-party companies that serve the role as the “house” or the “bank.” These third-party employees typically sit at card tables next to the card room employees who deal cards to players. The third-party employee plays no part of the game except to collect players’ bets and pay out winnings. The dealers must periodically offer the opportunity for the players to act as the bank. Almost every customer declines. The card clubs collect fees from each game.

First: A blackjack training game demonstration at Gardens Casino. Last: The outside of the Gardens Casino. Hawaiian Gardens on March 14, 2024. Photos by Ted Soqui for CalMatters.

The gambling halls say their business model has been approved by state regulators.

“Every game that (the tribes are) saying is illegal right now, every single one of them has been explicitly approved individually in every card room in the state of California,” Ed Manning, a lobbyist for the card room industry, told lawmakers last summer at the bill’s first hearing.

Tribal casinos, however, call the card room business model an illegal sham, and they have been pleading with state regulators, voters and now lawmakers to end it.

The tribes have repeatedly urged the California Justice Department to step in and prohibit the disputed games. The past three attorneys general have discussed various regulations, but so far none have resolved the politically fraught issue.

Current Attorney General Rob Bonta last year proposed a new set of rules that card rooms say could make it difficult to keep playing the disputed games and tribes say don’t go far enough. The proposed regulations are pending at the department’s Bureau of Gambling Control without a schedule for consideration.

Meanwhile, card rooms and tribal governments have been donating heavily to Bonta since he took office in 2021. Since then the card room industry has donated at least $287,000. Tribes have given at least $222,000, according to OpenSecrets. Bonta said he is considering a campaign for governor in 2026.

Tribes seek standing to sue competitors

Getting no satisfaction from regulators, the tribes tried to sue card rooms for unfair business practices. But California’s courts have ruled that because the tribes are sovereign governments, they don’t have standing to sue under that particular statute.

The tribes next turned to voters. In 2022, the tribes put Proposition 26 on the ballot. The initiative, mainly about sports betting, contained a provision that would have allowed anyone, including tribal members, to file a lawsuit if they believed state gambling laws were being violated and the Department of Justice declined to act.

Voters overwhelmingly rejected the measure after more than $170 million was spent trying to sway them.

Now, the tribes want lawmakers to give them a brief window to sue card rooms to settle their dispute. SB 549 explicitly prohibits the tribes from seeking monetary damages, penalties or attorney’s fees from card rooms. It would only let a court decide whether the gambling halls’ business model is legal.

The tribes contend that if the card rooms are operating legally, they have nothing to fear.

“The card rooms should relish the opportunity to defeat the tribes on this issue and to prove up the legality of what they’re doing,” Bigknife, the Viejas attorney general, told lawmakers at the hearing last summer.

Sharp, the general counsel for the Hawaiian Gardens Casino, said the bigger worry is that if SB 549 passes, the courts would become the de facto gambling regulator. It could force card room operators to seek a court’s permission for any new game they’d like to play or any time they’d want to modify the hundreds of games they already play, he said.

“We’ll be tied up in court forever, so the lawyers will make money,” Sharp said. “That may be the (tribes’) other strategy: … Grind the card rooms down ultimately with legal fees.”

Plus, the card rooms argue that if the tribes are given standing to sue them, it wouldn’t cut both ways. As sovereign governments, the tribes couldn’t be sued by the card rooms.

Bipartisan support for California gambling bill

SB 549 is authored by Fullerton Democratic Sen. Josh Newman, and it has nine co-authors including prominent Democrats, Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, the Assembly’s majority leader, and former Senate President Toni Atkins. The bill’s Republican co-authors include Senator Scott Wilk and Assemblymember Marie Waldron, both former minority leaders in their chambers.

Despite the support for the tribes from some of the Legislature’s most influential members, it’s anyone’s guess whether the bill ends up making it to the governor’s desk. This gambling dispute doesn’t break down along partisan, regional or ideological lines. How lawmakers vote will most likely depend on whether they have a major card room or a tribal casino in their district.

Meanwhile, both sides have been spending millions of dollars to influence lawmakers.

Atkins’ campaign, for instance, has received at least $215,000 from tribes since 2014.

“SB 549 allows tribes to bring their concerns about possible infringement of their constitutional rights to the courts, where this issue can be addressed by an impartial judicial system,” Atkins told CalMatters in an emailed statement. “After a history fraught with injustice, allowing tribes access to the courts to get an answer is a step worth taking.”

The tribes also have been major backers of causes important to prominent Democrats, including Gov. Gavin Newsom. For instance, the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria contributed $1.5 million to the campaign for the Newsom-championed Proposition 1 mental health bond, which barely passed in the March primary election. That tribe also donated $750,000 to help Newsom defeat the 2021 campaign to recall him.

By comparison, card rooms and their affiliated businesses have only donated at least $229,250 to Newsom since 2014.

But money isn’t the only way the gambling interests are trying to sway legislators.

Card rooms and unions pressure Newman

It was a sunny day in December when a bus stopped at Sen. Newman’s Fullerton district office. Dozens of protestors stepped off, wearing small red and white stickers on their chests, made to look like nametags.

“Hi. My name is Newman,” they read. “I support wealthy tribal casinos over my constituents’ jobs.”

Shavon Moore-Cage, a member of AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees), a municipal employee union, was among the more than 100 people who attended the rally that day.

She said the protesters wanted to send a message to Newman about his “job-killing” bill that would harm the local gambling hall whose tax revenues bankroll her employer, the city of Hawaiian Gardens.“We ruined his day, hopefully,” she said as she grinned in a recent interview. Newman didn’t respond to repeated requests for comment from CalMatters.

Shavon Moore-Cage, a member of AFSCME Local 36, at Hawaiian Gardens City Hall in Hawaiian Gardens on March 14, 2024. Photo by Ted Soqui for CalMatters

Newman is one of the state’s most vulnerable Democrats. He was successfully recalled in 2018 before regaining his seat two years later. Newman just spent months fending off a primary challenge from four novice Democratic candidates with possible ties to the gambling dispute.

A local chapter of AFSCME gave more than $700,000 to the four challengers. The statewide union is an opponent of Newman’s casino bill. Janice O’Malley, a lobbyist representing AFSCME’s statewide political efforts in Sacramento, didn’t respond to requests for comment.

But Moore-Cage said her union, AFSCME Local 36, didn’t back the four candidates. Newman told Politico he believes the election challenge was payback over a separate fight about University of California workers.

Newman’s colleagues have noticed the pressure he’s been under, regardless of whether the card room dispute played a role in AFSCME’s decision to back Newman’s primary challengers.

“I feel sorry for Newman,” said Assembly member Aguiar-Curry, the principal coauthor of SB 549. “For God sakes.”

She said Newman’s gambling bill has some of her colleagues “worried about their campaigns.”

Still, she said it’s time to pass SB 549 and move the dispute between the tribal casinos and the gambling halls to the courts. “Let’s just get this done,” Aguiar-Curry said, “and, as they say, have a brass backbone, legislators.”

Aguiar-Curry’s district, which stretches west of Sacramento to Napa and north to Lake County, is home to Cache Creek Casino Resort, run by the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, one of the anti-card room tribes.

“Illegal activities at card rooms in our region have led to annual losses of $13 million to our gaming operation, Cache Creek Casino Resort,” Anthony Roberts, chairman of the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, told CalMatters in a statement. “These activities violate our rights and impact our ability to serve our people, employees and local governmental partners.”

The Yocha Dehe tribe is a prominent political spender, having donated at least $2.6 million to statewide political campaigns since 2014. Aguiar-Curry’s reelection campaign has received $37,700 from the tribe.

The tribe recently attacked Democratic Sen. Bill Dodd of Napa, whose district overlaps Aguiar-Curry’s, over his role in the card room dispute.

Tribe attacks Sen. Dodd

In 2022, Dodd cast a deciding “no” vote that killed a bill the Yocha Dehe and other tribes wanted that would have temporarily extended an expiring moratorium that kept new card rooms from opening.

Dodd told his colleagues at the time that a longer-term card room moratorium was needed. He jokingly called the never-ending moratorium debates “the Continuing Employment Act for Lobbyists.”

“I’m sorry to say that, but you know what? We shouldn’t have to hear this every two or three years and be subject to these fights,” he told the committee.

The Yocha Dehe tribe was furious at Dodd, since without the moratorium in place, new competing card rooms could potentially enter the market. Plus, the tribe was still smarting over a failed constitutional amendment Dodd introduced in 2019, which would have legalized sports betting via computers and cell phones. The amendment also would have clarified that card rooms had a right to offer their disputed games.Early last year, the tribe sent out mailers to Dodd’s constituents, accusing him of being too friendly to card rooms. They also put up a billboard on J Street not far from the Capitol in Sacramento.

“After $94,000 in political contributions from card rooms, Bill Dodd made it easier for card rooms to expand and open in Napa,” the billboard read.

In response, Dodd sent a video to his colleagues in the Legislature. Standing in front of the billboard, he said the tribe “impugned my character and misled the public on my positions.”“This was put forward by special interests and sleazy lobbyists,” he said in the video. “You know, I’ve never liked bullies, and I never let bullies win. Cache Creek Casino and their lobbyist, Kevin Sloat, don’t respect legislators. They don’t respect the facts or the rules.”

State Sen. Bill Dodd speaks during the first day of session at the state Capitol in Sacramento on Jan. 3, 2024. Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters

Sloat declined to comment, referring to the tribe’s emailed statement to CalMatters. It didn’t address the tribe’s dispute with Dodd.

In the end, Dodd co-authored legislation last year that prohibits new card rooms from opening in California for another 20 years. It had support from most card rooms and tribes. The warring gambling factions may not agree on which games card rooms should be allowed to offer, but both sides can agree that they don’t want any new gambling halls cutting into their revenues.

The Yocha Dehe tribe was a notable exception. The tribe testified that it opposed the bill because it allowed some smaller existing card rooms to expand the number of what it contends are illegal gaming tables. (Aguiar-Curry, the tribe’s close ally, cast the lone “no” vote in the Assembly.)

Dodd’s fight with the tribe could play a critical role in deciding the fate of the pending bill that would give tribes standing to sue card rooms, should SB 549 pass the Assembly.He chairs the Senate’s Governmental Organization Committee, and he can decide whether to grant the bill a hearing. Dodd declined to comment for this story.

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

Doris Jean “Gramma DoDo” Sandin, Stout, Hamilton, DeLong passed away peacefully on March 17, 2024, at her home in Fortuna, at the age of 93, with daughter Bonnie and granddaughter Sara by her side.

Doris was born on August 12, 1930, in Santa Paula, joining sister Mary Lucille as the two daughters of George and Mary Sandin. At an early age, her family moved north to Sebastopol. In 1940, the family moved to Fortuna where her father had built a house on Drake Hill Road. She attended the Rohnerville Elementary School graduating in 1944, then graduated from Fortuna Union High School in 1948. During this time she was nicknamed “DoDo” by her friends and classmates as a substitute for “Doris”. She enjoyed her pets, whether bottle-feeding the lamb or riding “Ferdinand” the family’s very gentle bull. As a teen, she worked during summers at the Weymouth Inn, located then across the summer bridge from the base of Drake Hill Road where it meets the Eel River.

Upon graduation, Doris had the opportunity to move to Los Angeles, when she was invited to live with and work for her Uncle Matthew McCurdy, a well-known and respected dentist in the Los Angeles area. As fate would have it, one of his dental patients was a handsome young man named Clifford. As she often said, her mother had told her to look for a man that was tall (as she was not, to give her kids a chance), had good teeth, and didn’t smoke or drink. Well, he scored so well on the first two and was so handsome she thought she could overlook the last. Here in Los Angeles, she continued her vocal lessons at the Hollywood School of Music, singing with the Hollywood Methodist Church Choir as a soloist.

Doris and Cliff Stout married Sept. 4, 1949, and lived in Culver City. Nine months later they delivered to this world their first bundle of joy, Bonnie Lynne, in June 1950. Two years later came Sandra Lee in June 1952, followed by Jan Franklin in 1955. In August of 1955, Doris and Cliff loaded up a car, trailer and 3 little ones and drove the arduous journey to Fortuna, to start anew in Doris’s hometown. Cliff and George built a studio apartment above George’s garage and they set up housekeeping. In this 750 s.f. “cottage” the five slept on sleeper sofas and a Murphy-style wall bed, while having the occasional square dance party with their Methodist Adult Fellowship friends.

Doris’s parents gifted them an acre of property next to theirs and Cliff set about saving money to build a house, while first working on the mill pond at the local veneer plant where George maintained the steam plant, and then getting a job at the Fernbridge Creamery as a route driver. Five years after arriving in Fortuna, Doris and Cliff moved into their new red custom home with the gambrel styled roof at 2508 Drake Hill Road, in 1960.

Those years were punctuated with:

• all the kids walking ¾ mile (uphill both ways, thru the snow) to Toddy Thomas School

• Doris, Cliff and three kiddos on stage while singing folk songs for the seemingly random Methodist Church or Grange Hall function.

• The Dec. 1964 flood, with boats being launched into the floodwaters from the bottom of Drake Hill Road.

• Celebrating George and Mary’s 40th anniversary.

• Grieving the loss of her mother Mary.

• Doris becoming the choir director for the Methodist Church.

• Yearly FUMC campouts at Pamplin Grove.

• The yearly family vacations to LA to visit Cliff’s mother Viva and his siblings, and the visit to see Uncle Matt and Aunt Mill McCurdy.

• Doris developing her wedding cake decorating business, which then grew into a full catering business.

Doris and Cliff divorced in 1971, so to supplement the catering business she found a job working for Bartow’s Jewelers. This was followed by a job with Al and Jan Gray at their carpet store.

Doris also joined a “Parents without Partners” group, which is where she met the retired Lt. Colonel Wallace (Wally) Hamilton, her soon-to-be next husband. They married in Feb 1973 and enjoyed 20 years together, when Wally showed her the world with trips to China, Europe, Great Britain, and multiple trips to Hawaii. Wally built a successful real estate business, and they purchased their home on Cypress Loop with expansive views of Fortuna and the Eel River Valley, where Doris continued to live until her passing.

After Wally’s sudden passing in 1993, Doris was alone again, until her dear friends the Drakes conspired to connect her with their widower neighbor, Phil DeLong. Doris and Phil hit it off and married in 1997, enjoying 16 years together with Doris falling in love with Phil’s adult children, Martha, Ruth and Phillip.

Doris’s legacy of love, laughter, kindness, generosity and creativity will be forever remembered by her family and friends, as well as the many thrift stores in Fortuna that she could not pass by without stopping to see “what’s new.” And she dearly loved her jokes, both telling and hearing them, preferably G-rated.

Doris was truly a dynamo known for her drive, gumption, creativity, and joy, earning her the nickname “the Energizer Bunny.” Her secret? Black tea, every day, all day, for most of her life. For her 91st birthday, Doris chose to jump out of a perfectly functioning airplane, earning the nickname “Skydancer” and taking 6 family and friends along with her. For her 92nd she zip-lined Fremont Street in Las Vegas (later saying “boring”). For her 93rd birthday, she was blessed with a motorcycle ride by friend Matt Coleman… and you couldn’t have wiped the smile off her face.

Doris had a fulfilling career as a dental assistant, wife, mother, Ultimate Cake Baker and Decorator, Caterer, and Choir Director. She was a dedicated member of the Fortuna United Methodist Church for over 75 years where she sang in the choir, then directed the choir for 35 years after her mother’s passing. Doris was a proud member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and was very proud of her Scottish heritage, participating in many local Scottish functions.

In her free time, Doris enjoyed entertaining and hosting gatherings, participating in DAR activities, and playing the piano for Senior Care facilities. Doris was well known for hosting her FUHS classmates’ yearly gatherings, even as the class dwindled in size.

She is survived by her daughter Bonnie Ankiewicz, grandchildren Amber Ankiewicz & husband Phillip Hastings, Adam and wife Jessica Ankiewicz, Lori Wellborn; daughter Sandra Lee, grandchildren Traci Carillo, Taryn & husband Damon Smith, Zane and wife Jessica VanZelf; son Jan & wife Cindy Stout, grandchildren Sara, Laurel & husband Kurt Stitser, Andrew & wife Jamie Stout; niece Rosalyn Ratto; as well as stepchildren Wallace Hamilton Jr., Martha DeLong and daughters Eleanore and Ruth, and Philip & wife Cheryl DeLong and children Philip, Tanya and Anna. Doris has 17 great-grandchildren: Axle and Adalynn Ankiewicz; Stephanie & Joshua Carrillo; Daniel & Hailey Hastings; Lemac Lewis-Robinson, Gisele & Leola Smith; Addyson and Emilia Stout; Bodhi and Isla Stitser; Madison Kreger, Alexis, Vaida & Declan VanZelf; and one great-great-grandson, Oliver Kreger.

Doris was preceded in death by her parents George and Mary E. Sandin, sister Mary Lucille Jones (and husband Clifton Jones), nephew Kent Jones, husbands Wallace L. Hamilton and Philip J. DeLong, stepson Donald Hamilton, stepdaughter Ruth Delong Black, and son-in-law John Campbell. She is now joining many very close friends: Evelyn McCombs Deike, Earline Hurd Ferris, Molly Cunningham, Virginia Anderson, Joy Shepard, Peggy Lau, Roy Curless, and so many more friends and classmates that she loved so dearly.

Doris will be missed by her family, but her long life will live on in the memories we have and share, comforted by the knowledge that she is no longer in pain and enjoying herself in Heaven. The family would like to thank Dr. Greg Barkdull for his excellent care, and the Providence Radiation Oncology team and Hospice of Humboldt, especially Bridget, Itzel, Steve and Terry for their compassion and support during her last few months.

We all want to give a special thanks to dear friends Karen Parlato, Carol Foley, Carol Kinser, Launie McCombs and Dr. George & Sylvia Jutila for their constant support, visitation and care for Doris, especially during her difficult last days. And the ability of daughter Bonnie to stay with Doris as her primary caregiver during the last nine months has been a true blessing.

A Celebration of Doris’s life will be held at the Fortuna United Methodist Church, 922 N Street, Fortuna, on May 4, 2024 @ 1 p.m. Inurnment will follow on a later date at Ocean View Cemetery in Eureka.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Doris DeLong’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.