Jane Cowling Bennett Ford of Fieldbrook passed away in her home at the age of 77 on June 14, 2023. She was born in Bennington on January 28, 1946. 

Jane grew up on a farm in Sandgate, Vermont, and even though her family moved to Garden Grove, California when she was eight years old, she always spoke fondly of her formative years there. Seeking a change of scenery, Jane moved north to Humboldt County as soon as she finished high school and enrolled at Humboldt State University. There she received a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts with a minor in Physical Education. Jane loved Humboldt County so much that she convinced her family to relocate to Ferndale, where they purchased The Shaw House as their family home.

After college Jane found herself working as a flight attendant for American Airlines, spending a year in New York City and then landing in San Francisco, where she settled for a number of years. When she wasn’t working, she was using her airline perks to travel the world to places such as Bali, New Zealand, Greece, and the United Kingdom; following a lifelong passion for travel and adventure.

Jane found her way back to Humboldt in her late 20s and discovered her passion for gardening that would stick with her for the rest of her life. Jane was a master gardener and transformed many a barren landscape into an oasis of hedges and rock lined garden beds, filled with an array of beautiful flowers, fruit trees and berries. 

In her 30s, Jane met her first husband (Jerry Peterson) and started a family, settling in Arcata where she lovingly raised her three children. Around the same time she also pursued her passion for helping people and spent many years volunteering at Hospice. It wasn’t until her 40s (once her kids were in school) that she could finish pursuing a Masters Degree in Psychology at Humboldt State University, eventually becoming a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.

Jane spent many years enjoying her practice and caring for her family. In the summers, Jane and her second husband (John Schmidt) would load the kids and luggage into a big van and embark on month-long road trips around the country, sharing her adventurous spirit with the rest of her family.

Jane’s dedication to helping and caring for others was evident throughout her life. She always said her work as a Marriage and Family Therapist was fulfilling and rewarding because she was able to provide support and care to members of her community. In her personal life Jane’s favorite hobbies were making chocolates and gardening. Both were talents she was always happy to share with others. She delighted friends and family with her extensive assortment of chocolates during the holidays and for the rest of the year invited others to share in the beauty of her garden oasis that she spent countless hours sculpting and caring for.

In her later years, Jane found joy indulging in her love for reading, taking bike rides around Fieldbrook, tending her garden, caring for her cats and chickens, and spending time with her neighborhood friends.

Jane is survived by her three children, Emily Ford-Peterson, Lauren (Matthew Lyles) Ford-Peterson, and Jonathan Ford-Peterson; her granddaughter Amelia Lyles; her brothers,

Tom (Lori) Ford and Tim (Sheila) Ford; her nieces and nephews, Brian Viall, Gary (Debbie) Viall, Sharon (Mark) Viall Drown, Sara Ford (Mike) Cortes, Greg (Dena) Ford; her many great nieces and nephews, and great-great nieces and nephews, as well as her close friends and neighbors.

Jane is preceded in death by her parents Frank Ford and Jeannette Owens Ford, her sister Dora Ford, her sister-in-law Catherine Ford, and her niece Renee Ford.

Jane Ford will be remembered for her boundless love for gardening, her witty spirit, her calm and compassionate nature, and her contributions to her community. Her memory will forever remain in the hearts of those who knew and loved her.

Jane’s life will be celebrated at her family home in Fieldbrook on Saturday, August 12. For more information contact lfordpete@gmail.com.

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The vacant lot directly next to Greenview Market on 11th Street and Janes Road will likey be home to a new apartment building and two businesses, after the Arcata Planning Commission approved the design review for the proposed project during its Tuesday night meeting. 

Opponents of the project — many of whom spoke at the meeting — could still appeal the decision to the Arcata City Council.

The project, submitted by local ​​company North Star Development LLC, will include the construction of three two-story buildings, one that will face 11th Street and hold two commercial spaces, and two that will hold a combined 22 two-bedroom apartments. Design plans also include the addition of 23 parking spaces, 18 bike parking spaces and the addition of landscaping that will include native species and drought tolerant plants. 

Delo Freitas, a senior planner for the City of Arcata, began by giving the commission some background on the project, mentioning that for many years the site was home to the United Creamery plant, but has been vacant since the 1950s. A development was proposed for the site in 1992, but was not approved by the Planning Commission. Because the site is already zoned for mixed-use development, Freitas said, there are no zoning restrictions for the proposed project. 

Freitas also spoke to a rumor going around that one of the commercial spaces was going to be a tavern, something she said many neighbors were concerned about. Freitas said that the applicant confirmed with her that there are no plans for a tavern, adding that a tavern does not fall under the currently permissible uses on the site and would require applying for an additional use permit. 

But even without the prospect of a bar moving in, many residents of the neighborhood were not very happy about the proposed project.  More than a dozen community members – many of whom live and/or own property on Daniels Street, directly behind the proposed development – spoke up during the meeting, urging the commission to not approve the project as proposed, citing concerns over increased noise, traffic, parking and the height of the buildings. 

Christine Perry, a resident and homeowner on Daniels Street, voiced her concerns over the development increasing traffic and noise, and said that having a two-story building right against her property would compromise her privacy and safety, by allowing people to see right into her yard and home. She also had concerns about increased criminal activity in the neighborhood with the addition of up to 44 new residents. 

“With more people and businesses, more crime follows,” Perry said during the meeting, asking that the applicants alter the design to have fewer units and one-story buildings instead. “Should this complex be developed as proposed it would permanently ruin my quality of life, and that is unacceptable.” 

Another property owner on Daniels Street, Thomas Guy, said that the two-story buildings would cause excessive shading of the neighboring one-story houses and affect people’s solar panels, and said that the development will have a “massive impact” on water, traffic and parking in the neighborhood. 

Design showing the site plan

Some members of the community and members of the commission also voiced concerns over a section of the property that was being left vacant in the design plan. Project applicant Kyle Boughton said that the space was being left open to allow for additional development in the future. 

Commissioner Judith Mayer was not a fan of this explanation, and said that although it’s not formally required, she would prefer to see the applicants submit a “phased proposal” that indicates what exactly they plan to build in the future. 

Although several members of the Planning Commission said that they understood the neighbors’ concerns, most of the commission members felt that the need for more housing in Arcata far outweighed any of those issues. 

“Arcata has committed to strategic infill,” Commissioner Scott Davies said during the meeting, “and I don’t see how we’re possibly able to do that without impacting neighbors.” 

Ultimately the Planning Commission voted 4-1 to approve the proposed project, with Mayer dissenting. 

“I came in here planning to vote for this project,” Mayer said of her dissenting vote. “I’ve changed my mind. I think the principle of hedging on a parcel so that you can take advantage of changed standards in the very near future and not providing us with a phased proposal is not something I will vote for.”

Press release from the Eureka Police Department:

On July 25, 2023, at about 10:30 p.m., Officers with the Eureka Police Department responded to the 200 block of Dollison St. for the report that a man had threatened suicide, stated he had a firearm, and left in a vehicle while appearing to be under the influence.

Minutes later, officers located the vehicle near 6th and E Streets and began to follow it. The driver then stopped the vehicle in the roadway near 3rd and K Streets. While officers were preparing to approach, a single gun shot was heard coming from the vehicle. The driver fled and stopped again near 5th and N Streets. Roads were shut down in the area while announcements were made attempting to get the male to exit the vehicle.

After several minutes, the male fled in the vehicle towards HWY 255 and the Samoa Bridges. Officers pursued while CHP successfully deployed a spike strip near the Mad River Slough Bridge. The driver continued towards Arcata driving with blown out tires. Once in Arcata, the driver collided with an uninvolved occupied vehicle. No injuries were reported. The male ultimately came to a stop near the 2100 block of Frederick St. in Arcata and exited the vehicle with a rifle. Officers gave commands and the male eventually threw the rifle and began to run towards a house. An EPD Sergeant deployed his taser and the male was taken into custody without further incident.

The 61-year-old male was found to be suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound which is suspected to have occurred when the shot was heard near 3rd and K Streets in Eureka. The male was transported to the hospital by ambulance. Due to the medical nature of this incident, the male’s name is not being released at this time.

Charges for reckless evasion, felon in possession of a firearm, and prohibited person in possession of ammunition will be referred to the District Attorney’s Office for review. The Eureka Police Department would like to thank all of the agencies who assisted with this incident.

City of Eureka release: 

By request of the Mayor and order of the City Manager, all flags at City facilities will be flown at half- staff on Thursday, July 27th in honor of Leon Thomas Warmuth, founder of Leon’s Car Care Center in Eureka. Leon Warmuth passed away last week in Eureka. Leon Warmuth was a self-made business owner in Eureka and contributed generously to the City of Eureka.

Mayor Bergel stated, “Leon was a great asset to the City of Eureka and his humor and love for our City will be missed. Eureka is a better place because of Leon and the Warmuth family.”

Flags will remain at half-staff through Thursday. The Mayor, Council, and City of Eureka staff extends our deepest condolences to the Warmuth family.

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Maybe you’ve seen them in Arcata. Maybe you’ve seen them in Fortuna. But this weekend will be your first chance to see them in Eureka. We’re talking about the Flynn Creek Circus, a circus company based out of Mendocino County that is bringing the big top to the Eureka waterfront for the first time ever this weekend. 

“We’re thrilled to be here,” Blaze Birge, co-owner of Flynn Creek Circus, told the Outpost while the crew was setting up the tent near Madaket Plaza Tuesday afternoon. “It’s such a beautiful location. It’s just beautiful on the water.” 

Blaze Birge chats with the Outpost

Born in 2002 in the tiny Mendocino town of Comptche, the Flynn Creek Circus has been touring around California and Oregon since 2014 under the leadership of Birge and her husband, David Jones. The theme of this year’s tour is “Desert Myth,” which Birge said centers around the plot of a nomad wandering through the desert and features most of the things you’d expect to find under a circus big top, including magic, acrobatics, contortionists and more. 

In addition to this being the first year that Flynn Creek Circus is appearing in Eureka, Birge said that the circus is welcoming some new acts this year, including from three different Ukrainian performers. 

One of those performers, Anastasiia Popsulys, a 19-year-old Ukrainian contortionist, is traveling with Flynn Creek Circus for her first time this year, and it is also her first time doing a tour in the U.S. Originally from Kharkiv, Popsulys moved to Kiev, where she studied at the Academy of Circus and Variety Arts for three years. 

With the situation worsening in Ukraine, Popsulys was forced to leave her home and managed to leave the country for Berlin just four days before war broke out. With her family still in Kharkiv, Popsulys said it has been difficult to be so far away, and that she feels worried for her loved ones. She tries to talk to family as much as possible, but it is not always easy when she is on the road. 

“This is hard to have family in Ukraine,” Popsulys told the Outpost during the circus set up near Madaket Plaza on Tuesday. “Everyday I’m thinking about them a lot.”  

Anastasiia Popsulys

While studying at the academy in Kiev, Popsulys met her boyfriend, Maxim Voronin, a magician who is also traveling with Flynn Creek Circus. Voronin’s father, Yevgeniy Voronin, is a world renowned magician and his mother was a contortionist, so Voronin grew up in the circus community. He began traveling the world with his parents when he was just three months old and has learned some of his skills from other famous magicians including Penn & Teller and David Copperfield. “The magic community is very small,” Voronin said. 

Veronin, who is now 20 years old, was actually born in San Francisco, though his family is from Ukraine and he has spent a lot of time there. Voronin has been performing for years, appearing on such big stages as the Magic Castle in Los Angeles, Teatro ZinZanni in Seattle and has opened his own show “History of Magic” in Ukraine. Voronin has really been enjoying working with the Flynn Creek Circus, he said, but it is also difficult for him, having many friends and performers he has worked with living in war-torn Ukraine. 

“It’s very difficult to help them from a distance and we’re doing our best, as much as we can in these hard times,” Voronin said. 

Maxim Voronin

Aside from being worried about their loved ones in Ukraine, Popsulys and Voronin both said that they’re having a great time touring with Flynn Creek Circus and are very excited to be in Eureka, which they said is “very beautiful.” Popsulys said probably her favorite part about being here is being near the ocean, which is a completely new experience for her. Popsulys had never seen the ocean until she came to California to join Flynn Creek and got her first look at the Pacific from the beautiful Mendocino coast. 

“I’m so excited being here and traveling a whole lot,” Popsulys told the Outpost. “I really like my work. I appreciate this time.” 

Birge said that she and the whole crew are pretty happy to be back on the North Coast, after traveling through California during a heat wave. The circus was just in Santa Rosa, where it was “boiling hot,” Birge said, and she is so relieved to be on Eureka’s waterfront, where it is much cooler. 

The main challenge of performing at this location, Birge said, has been getting the tent base into the very hard ground. But even though it took a little extra time and some elbow grease, the crew managed to get everything in place and the classic white and red striped big top is now fully upright in front of Humboldt Bay. Birge said that there is no separate setup crew for the circus and that the performers are also in charge of setting up and breaking down the contraptions.

“The show operates in a very Old World way,” Birge said. “The show is very contemporary, but the lifestyle [and] the business model is very ‘old circus.’” 

Flynn Creek Circus will be dazzling Eureka on Thursday, July 27 through Sunday, July 30. Most of the performances are meant for the whole family, but there are two “adults only” 21 and up shows on Friday and Saturday night. Visit this link for the full show schedule and to purchase tickets. You can also buy tickets at the ticket booth setup near the circus tent.

Press release from the Yurok Tribe:

With a heavy heart, the Yurok Tribe announces that salmon will not be served at the 59th Annual Klamath Salmon Festival because the Klamath River’s forecasted fish run is one of the lowest on record.

“This decision reflects our sacred responsibility to take care of the Klamath River’s fish stocks. In addition to not catching fish for the festival, we are not going to harvest any salmon this year to protect the overall fish population,” said Joseph L. James, the Chairman of the Yurok Tribe. “The festival is still happening and we are doing everything possible to make it the most memorable event yet. I encourage everyone to come out to support local vendors and have a good time with family and friends.”

The family-friendly event is happening on Saturday, August 19 on Klamath Boulevard in Klamath, CA. The 59th Annual Klamath Salmon Festival theme is “Celebrating Dam Removal and the Healing of the Klamath River.” This year’s festival includes the following components: cultural and basket-weaving demonstrations, a parade, Stick Game and Softball Tournaments, kids’ activities, Ney-puey 5k Run/Walk, an axe-throwing competition, a petting zoo, Rez Chopped, delicious food and quality gift items made by more than 100 local vendors and live music by Object Heavy. Object Heavy offers a unique fusion of vintage style hard hitting soul with modern funk and gospel influences. The Ney-puey 5k Run/Walk begins at 8:00am.

The Color Run/Fun Walk starts at 9:30am. The event proper starts at 10am with a parade down Klamath Boulevard in Klamath. The Abalone Grill and Redwood Casino open at 10am too. The Salmon Festival typically draws around 3,500 attendees. To date, 10 food vendors have signed up for the festival. The Tribe is seeking additional food vendors to ensure attendees are able to acquire lunch without having to wait too long in line.

Here is why there is no salmon at the event:

Chinook salmon runs are in decline on the Klamath River and throughout the West Coast. The precipitous downturn of the Klamath’s once prolific salmon population is linked to a combination of factors, including: dams, habitat loss, excessive water diversions, disease outbreaks, fish passage barriers on tributaries, water quality issues and environmental damage caused by past logging and mining operations.

Last week, the Yurok Tribe opted to cancel the 2023 subsistence and commercial fisheries as a conservation measure. Since 2015, the Tribe has closed the commercial fishery every year, except one, to preserve fish runs. During all but one of the last eight years, the Tribe’s extremely limited subsistence harvests also did not come close to satisfying the needs of the Yurok people. In many years, the subsistence quotas amounted to less than one fish per member of the Tribe. The extended closure has negatively affected the Tribe in multiple ways. Many Yurok families depend on the fishery to make ends meet and keep nutritious food on the table. The closest grocery store is a one to three-hour trip from the reservation’s population centers. There are less obvious impacts too, such as the loss of family time spent on the river participating in a traditional custom.

Despite the downturn of the s salmon runs, there is genuine cause for optimism. Construction crews are currently dismantling four dams on the Klamath River in what will be the largest salmon restoration project in world history. By the end of 2024, the Klamath will flow free for the first time in more than a century and salmon will have access to approximately 400 miles of previously blocked salmon spawning habitat. The Yurok Tribe’s Fisheries Department and Yurok Tribe Construction Corporation are involved in multiple aspects of the dam removal project.

In addition to dam removal, meaningful habitat restoration work is happening in the Klamath’s bigger tributaries, which serve as spawning grounds for adult salmon and nurseries for baby fish. For example, the Yurok Fisheries Department and Yurok Construction Corporation, along with the Trinity River Restoration Program and Hoopa Valley Tribe, are currently implementing a large-scale restoration project on the Trinity River, the Klamath’s largest tributary. Located in the footprint of a former mining operation, the collaborative restoration project will increase critical floodplain habitat during early juvenile salmon rearing by more than 50% within a 40-mile segment of the Trinity. More projects like the Oregon Gulch initiative are needed to bring the Klamath Basin back into balance.

*The Klamath Salmon Festival is a pet-free event.

Premiums for health insurance sold through the state marketplace will increase by nearly 10% next year, the highest rate hike since 2018, Covered California officials announced Tuesday.

The projected 9.6% hike is the result of a “complicated time for health care,” Covered California Executive Director Jessica Altman said during a media briefing, but many Californians will be shielded from the increases as a result of federal and state financial assistance.

About 90% of enrollees qualify for some type of federal or state financial aid and 20% will see no change in their monthly premium, officials said. About 1.6 million Californians turn to the marketplace for health insurance, which offers plans that cost as little as $10 a month.

The rate increase, however, represents the return of a troubling trend: runaway health care costs, experts said.

“We’re seeing even larger increases in the private market. It’s worrisome,” said Anthony Wright, executive director of Health Access California, a consumer advocate group. “Individual consumers need health coverage and they need help now.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, an influx of $3 billion from the federal government helped dampen the effect of rising health care costs in California. Covered California premium increases held below 2% between 2020 and 2022.

The federal government extended assistance for two more years, but the 2024 increase reflects post-pandemic inflationary pressures, such as higher drug costs, more people going to see the doctor, labor shortages and wage costs, Altman said.

The rate hikes vary by region, with more than one-third of enrollees potentially experiencing a double-digit increase, according to state data. Those who live in Mono, Inyo and Imperial counties may see the largest price increase at 15.8% compared to last year. Those same counties also experienced the largest increase last year.

“We’re glad that Covered California has federal and state subsidies to provide immediate help now, but we do need policy makers to double down on containing the costs of health care long-term,” Wright said. “This is a clarion call for the overall cost of health care going forward.”

Covered California waives deductibles for many

Last week, the Covered California board voted to implement a plan that will make coverage more affordable for about 650,000 enrollees by eliminating their deductibles for the coming year.

The vote capped a drawn-out budget battle between Gov. Gavin Newsom, legislators and health care consumer advocates who have criticized Newsom for repeatedly moving money intended for health care subsidies into the state’s general fund.

Under the plan, deductibles will be eliminated for individuals earning as much as $33,975 annually and families earning up to $69,375 annually. Previously, people with those plans paid deductibles of up to $5,400. The new plan also significantly reduces out-of-pocket copays for doctor visits and prescription drugs.

“Despite the rate increase, Californians who enroll in health care coverage through Covered California will benefit from the greatest level of financial support ever offered…as we head into 2024,” Altman said.

‘Hefty’ health insurance increase

Christine Eibner, a senior economist with the RAND Corporation, a research and policy think tank, called the state’s projected premium increase “hefty.”

“There will be some sliver of people who will have to pay the full cost,” Eibner said. “A lot of people are protected so maybe they don’t care, but who is paying? Ultimately it’s the taxpayer.”

A significant number of people who are no longer eligible for Medi-Cal, the state’s public insurance program for very low-income individuals, also are expected to enroll in Covered California, which could drive future cost increases.

“That population is relatively expensive,” Eibner said. “People who are lower income have more health care issues, and bringing them into the market may lead to higher premiums.”

The state paused checking people for Medi-Cal eligibility during the federal COVID-19 public health emergency, but about 225,000 Californians have been kicked off since the state resumed monthly reviews this year. Covered California’s enrollment period runs from November through the end of January.

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Supported by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), which works to ensure that people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. Visit www.chcf.org to learn more.

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