Barbara May Hillman, 63 of Orleans, passed away on March 13, 2024 surrounded by family. She was a loving spouse to Rowdy Hillman and a devoted mother to Amanda Karanopoulos, Tabitha Frain and Rowdy Bear Hillman. Barbara adored her grandchildren, Max, Emma, Nico, Shasta, Ophelia, Judy, Lavender, Jasmine, Heinrich, Noah, and cherished her sister Lori Sallady. She was preceded in death by her brother Robert Blair, Jr, her mother Ethel Blair, and her father Robert Blair, Sr.

Barbara was known for her passion for painting and gardening, which brought her immense joy throughout her life. Her creativity and green thumb were evident to all who knew her. She found solace and beauty in her artwork and the flourishing plants in her garden.

A memorial service to honor Barbara’s life will be held at Gasquet Bible Church on May 4 from 1 to 5 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family suggest you plant a plant of your choice in Barbara’s memory that will always remind you of her.

Barbara May Hillman will be deeply missed by her family and friends, but her legacy of love and creativity will continue to live on in the hearts of those who knew her.

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

PREVIOUSLY: Sheriff’s Office Issues Statement on Fortuna Teen Who Went Missing and Presumably Drowned While Attempting to Rescue a Girl in the Trinity Last Week

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Members of the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue team will resume search efforts for 19-year-old Fortuna resident Joseph Viveiros Dawson on Wednesday morning, nearly 10 days after he was swept away in the Trinity River, near Tish Tang Campground.

Joseph Viveiros Dawson.

Witnesses say Viveiros jumped into the fast-moving waters of the Trinity River just before 4 p.m. on Monday, April 22, in an attempt to rescue one of his friends from drowning. The teenage girl was able to make it to a rock across the river, according to a press release from the HCSO. A second person who had also jumped in to save her was struggling to hold onto a tree down the river.

A nearby fisherman saw what was going on and brought his boat over to rescue the two individuals. He took his boat down the river to look for Viveiros, but he was nowhere to be found.

“I got a call from Joseph’s girlfriend saying he was in the water. She said he went under and they didn’t see him again,” Daisy Viveiros, Joseph’s mother, told the Outpost in a recent phone interview. “He was there hanging out with three or four of his friends. They just went to chill by the river for the day – they weren’t going swimming or anything because the river is so fast right now. … I just keep searching and praying that we find him. I just want him to come back.”

HCSO and numerous other law enforcement agencies were dispatched to the scene and immediately began search and rescue efforts. A CHP helicopter was sent over to help in the search, but it was diverted to assist law enforcement in the burgeoning protest at Cal Poly Humboldt.

[CLARIFICATION: Cal Poly Humboldt spokesperson Aileen Yoo contacted the Outpost to note that the CHP “offered helicopter support to the university after the helicopter had completed its operation” on Monday evening.]

“[The] Cal Poly protest [was] taking away officers and resources we needed for the search and rescue,” Myriah Viveiros, Joseph’s aunt, told the Outpost. “Meanwhile, we’ve had family, friends, fishermen and communities from Hoopa to Klamath helping [in the] search.” 

HCSO spokesperson Joshua McCall admitted that the protest had “impacted [the] availability of [HCSO] personnel to conduct” continued search efforts, but said HCSO and the Hoopa Tribal Police Department will resume search efforts on Wednesday morning.

Daisy and Myriah Viveiros both expressed their gratitude to community members – especially members of the Hoopa Valley, Karuk and Yurok tribes – who have helped assist in the search thus far.

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If you’ve driven 101 South through Eureka in recent years, chances are good that at least some part of your brain took note of the big metal crab perched with raised claws behind the cyclone fence, there, at the elbow where Fourth Street becomes Broadway.

That’s the Dungeness in question, pictured above, and it now belongs to the City of Eureka.

The sculpture, which has yet to be named, made its municipal debut in Saturday’s Rhododendron Parade, strapped to a flatbed trailer and hauled along the route by a city-owned utility truck. But expect to see it hauled out for future events, too, such as local concerts, Friday Night Markets and other occasions.

“We saw it as a good opportunity to have something recognizable for the community, a good thing for branding, ” said Eureka City Manager Miles Slattery. He said the sculpture, which will live in the city’s corporation yard and be hauled out for special appearances, is an example of placemaking, an art installation that highlights our local assets while providing a backdrop for selfies and group photos.

The metal-framed critter was created in 2018 by artist Dan McCauley, who sculpted it using sheet metal from an old travel trailer and tubing left over from a Southern Humboldt cannabis grow, according to Eureka Public Works Director Brian Gerving.

McCauley attached the thing – carapace, legs and all – atop the chassis of a modified Ford Ranger so he could take it to the Black Rock Desert of Nevada for the annual Burning Man festival, according to Eureka Assistant City Manager Pam Powell. Afterward, though, he didn’t have much use for it.

”When he wanted to sell it, we were approached about purchasing it for our city mascot, which was kind of cool,” Powell explained.

Slattery was initially skeptical of the idea – that is, until he clapped eyes on El Pulpo Mecanico, the giant, fire-belching robotic octopus created by local artist Duane Flatmo, also for deployment at Burning Man. And so, with the blessing of the city’s marketing firm, Eddy Alexander, and support from staff, the city paid roughly $13,000 to purchase the sculpture and modify it for its own purposes.

As the crab was being set up for a brief display and photo op this afternoon at Madaket Plaza, on the Eureka waterfront, Gerving reached up and extended the small front claws, which swivel around two metal rods.

“I didn’t realize those folded out,” Powell remarked with a smile.

There’s just one problem with the city’s adopted mascot, according to staff: It (he? she? they?) needs a name!

A few ideas have been floated – for example, Crabby Patty, Louie, Crusty Rusty and Silvie the Crab.

But we at the Outpost figured it would be best to turn it over to you, our beloved readers, for your own suggestions.

So! If you have a proposed moniker for the city’s dapper new Dungeness, drop it in the comment section below. Readers can then vote for your favorite nominees. The Outpost may use some of the top suggestions for a future LoCO Pollz entry, and the City of Eureka will naturally agree with our collective wisdom (we assume).

Get to namin’!

Joint press release from Assemblymember Jim Wood and Senate president pro tem Mike McGuire:

This has been an extremely challenging week in Humboldt. Protesting peacefully in America is a fundamental, Constitutional right – it’s what our nation is about and, let’s be candid, protesting is part of the fabric of the North Coast.

That said, there is a clear line and it starts and stops with destruction of school property, vandalism, and antisemitic hate speech.

Last night, law enforcement moved to secure buildings and disperse individuals who remained on campus. No injuries were reported and the situation ended peacefully. With damage to the school estimated to be over $1 million, law enforcement will remain on campus in the coming days to ensure our campus community remains safe for all.

Let’s be clear – it’s going to take time to heal. Trust is earned, and it is going to take all sides coming together to have the difficult conversations needed to move forward. Cal Poly Humboldt must be a campus where all faiths and students of all backgrounds feel safe, respected, and included. This has not been the case for Humboldt’s Jewish students and others over the past week.

As protests continue in other parts of the state and nation, it’s important to remember that reasonable ideas don’t have to be in conflict – we can call for hostages to be immediately released and mourn every single one of the thousands of innocent lives lost; we can condemn violent actions and call for peace in the region. We’re stronger as a community when we learn from our differences and where we’ve been, and move forward together.

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Just hours after police descended on the Cal Poly Humboldt campus to forcibly clear a week-long demonstration and occupation, Gaza protesters have gathered outside the Humboldt County Courthouse to chant, hold signs and wave flags in support of Palestine.

Three counter-protesters set up across the street, waving an American flag and an Israeli flag. 

Many passing motorists offered lightly tapping honks of support while others shouted insults out their window or pumped their fists in support of the counter-protesters on the other curb. 

We’ll update this post if anything noteworthy develops.

Press release from the Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury:

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury has released the first report of their 2023-2024 term, entitled: “Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office: Is a Lack of Oversight Due to a Lack of Foresight?” (PDF link here.)

Oversight is constructive, not punitive. Oversight strengthens the professionalism of law enforcement. By creating a secondary public review of alleged misconduct or the handling of critical incidents, the people of Humboldt County can gain a clearer view of important events that affect all of us.

Civilian oversight of elected offices such as the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office promotes good management, fiscal responsibility, transparency, and accountability without interfering with the Sheriff’s Office’s enforcement and investigative functions.

The turn of this century brought renewed attention to law enforcement. Community groups have advocated for police accountability, and incidents captured on video have widely circulated on social media, leading local governments to seek reforms in law enforcement. The President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing has recommended that local jurisdictions establish civilian oversight for law enforcement. A civilian oversight board enhances transparency and accountability and gives the community a voice.

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury recommends that the Board of Supervisors establish a civilian oversight board to review, report on, and make recommendations in support of law enforcement, and an office of inspector general to provide an independent professional assessment of critical incidents and advice regarding law enforcement policies and practices.

If you want to serve your community in a unique way that could improve local government this is your opportunity. Applications to serve on the Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury can be found at this link. Additional information provided by the Civil Grand Jurors Association of California can be found at this link.

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Press release from the Cal Poly Humboldt Chapter of the California Faculty Association:

CFA Humboldt Condemns the arrest of students and faculty in response to Solidarity with Palestine protest on Cal Poly Humboldt Campus

The Cal Poly Humboldt Chapter of the California Faculty Association (CFA), a labor union that represents teaching, counseling, library, and coaching faculty of the California State University System, condemn last night’s actions of Cal Poly Humboldt (CPH) Administration as yet another dangerous escalation of their response to a peaceful campus demonstration.

Just after 9:30pm, Monday, April 29th, a multi-agency force of law enforcement descended on campus. For over 5 hours law enforcement threatened the use of chemical agents and kinetic projectiles via loudspeaker to disperse the crowd gathered on the quad. At approximately 3:30am law enforcement began to arrest peaceful student and faculty protesters sitting in a circle. At least one member of the press was arrested. 

CFA Humboldt strongly condemns the use of law enforcement to clear the quad. Over the course of the last week, student protesters have continued to ask for negotiations with CPH administration, in order to have a peaceful resolution to the protest. These are the actions of conscientious individuals working to end a genocide, not the actions of criminals as President Jackson and Sherriff Honsal repeatedly called the student-protestors.

University communications describe this morning’s law enforcement action as “necessary to restore order and to address the lawlessness and dangerous conditions that had developed,” though, the only danger was that imposed by the threat of police action. The statement further minimized the students’ brave actions to bring light to ongoing genocide by calling the sit-in a criminal activity and not free-expression or protest.

As these protests grow in number across the United States and across the world, underscoring the collective will and power of student organizing, one truth included in the statement is that administration feared this protest would encourage more students to think of the university as their own. Even now, there is a hard closure in place and residents on campus are directed to “NOT walk across campus.”

The environment of fear that the threat of police violence created has reverberated across campus and continues even now. All students were afraid to move freely about the campus, not because of protestors, but because of the threat of police action, including arrest. The alert to shelter in place that went out at 3:00 and 4:06am stressed that due to a level of increased criminal activity, it was dangerous to be on campus. But the protesters did the same thing they had been doing for a week: making signs, sharing music, praying, chanting in support of Palestine. The only difference this time was the impending police action – that is what made campus dangerous in the early hours of this morning. 

CFA Humboldt demand the following:

• Immediate release of all students and faculty arrested last night.
• Immediately reinstate any students suspended due to participation in the protests
• No academic sanctions for participants of the protest over the last week. 
• Barriers to Campus need to be immediately removed and campus needs to be reopened.  All members of the university community need access to campus.
• President Jackson must release a statement calling for a immediate ceasefire, taking note of College of the Redwoods President Keith Flamer’s statement to President Joe Biden
• Accountability from administration whose negotiations with students led students to believe there would be meaningful action on their conscientious demands 

The actions over the last week by CPH administration have eroded the trust of faculty, staff, students, and the larger Humboldt community. The campus community cannot begin to heal until our demands are met. 

In union, 

CFA Humboldt Executive Board