Press release from the Eureka Police Department:

Eureka Police Department’s K9 Bolo will receive a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. K9 Bolo’s vest is sponsored by Butch and Shelly Cooper of Colorado Springs, CO and will be embroidered with the sentiment “Gifted by Butch and Shelly Cooper”. Delivery is expected within eight to ten weeks.

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., established in 2009, is a 501(c)(3) charity whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States. This potentially lifesaving body armor for four-legged K9 officers is U.S. made, custom fitted, and NIJ certified. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. has provided over 5,379 vests to K9s in all 50 states at a value of $6.9 million, made possible by both private and corporate donations.

The program is open to U.S. dogs that are at least 20 months old and actively employed and certified with law enforcement or related agencies. K9s with expired vests are also eligible to participate. There are an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States.

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. accepts tax-deductible contributions in any amount, while a single donation of $985 will sponsor one vest. Each vest has a value of $1800.00, weighs an average of 4-5 lb., and comes with a five-year warranty. For more information, or to learn about volunteer opportunities, please call 508-824-6978. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provides information, lists events, and accepts donations at www.vik9s.org, or you may mail your contribution to P.O. Box 9, East Taunton, MA 02718.

A law that classifies human trafficking of a minor for the purposes of a commercial sex act as a “serious felony” will take effect Jan. 1, less than six months after debate around the bill roiled the Capitol.

Under current law, human trafficking of a minor for purposes of commercial sex incurs a sentence of up to 12 years in prison. If the crime involves force, fear, fraud, deceit, coercion, violence, duress, menace, or threat of unlawful injury to the victim or to another person, the sentence is 15 years to life. If the person is convicted of inflicting great bodily harm on the victim while trafficking them, a judge can add up to 10 years to a prison sentence.

Under the new law, people convicted of commercial child sex trafficking would face longer prison terms and potential life sentences.

Lawmakers from both parties had made numerous previous attempts to reclassify the crime as a serious felony, which makes a conviction of the crime a strike under California’s three-strikes law. In 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2017 and three times in 2021, legislators tried and failed to reclassify child sex trafficking as a serious felony.

In July, the latest legislative effort from Sen. Shannon Grove, a Bakersfield Republican, seemed destined for the same fate in an Assembly committee.

But after the bill failed in committee, debate spilled onto social media and a three-day maelstrom ensued. A Democratic legislator who originally voted against the bill reported getting death threats. One of the bill’s Republican supporters in the Legislature accused its opponents of supporting pedophilia.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, at a press conference, expressed dismay at the committee vote. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, a Salinas Democrat, also said he was “very much engaged” in trying to move the bill forward.

Within two days, the bill was back for a rehearing in the Assembly Public Safety Committee, and this time it passed.

“Human trafficking is a sick crime,” Newsom said in a written statement he signed the law in September. With this new law, California is going further to protect kids. I’m grateful for the leadership of Sen. Grove, Speaker Rivas, and (Senate president) Pro Tem Atkins in spearheading this bipartisan effort to make our communities and children safer.”

Those who originally opposed the bill at the committee said it would overwhelmingly target low-level traffickers who may be trafficking victims themselves.

They also argued that research shows longer sentences have very little effect on crime deterrence, and the harshest penalties would be disproportionately levied on people of color.

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

To bring more attention and resources to missing Black youth, a new law that establishes “Ebony Alerts” takes effect Jan. 1. The California Highway Patrol has the authority to activate this new emergency alert system, which notifies the public of missing Black youth and women ages 12 to 25.

The first-in-the-nation law works similar to other emergency alerts for specific individuals, including Feather Alerts for missing indigenous people and Silver Alerts for senior citizens. When activated, the highway patrol can disseminate information about the victim and urge the public to be on the lookout through electronic highway signs. Broadcast outlets including radio and television stations, as well as social media networks, are also “encouraged to, but not required to” circulate Ebony Alerts.

Law enforcement can consider other factors in addition to the victim’s age when issuing an Ebony Alert. This includes if the person has a mental or physical disability, if the person may be a victim of human trafficking and if the person “has gone missing under unexplained or suspicious circumstances.”

The Ebony Alert system is based on the Amber Alert System, or America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response. It’s named for Amber Hagerman, a 9-year-old girl who was kidnapped and murdered in Arlington, Texas in 1996. The alert system did not reach full nationwide adoption until 2005, when Hawaii joined. Since then, technological advancements, such as integration with Google and Facebook platforms have expanded the reach of Amber alerts. As of Sept. 30, 2023, the alert system has assisted in recovering 1,146 missing children in the U.S.

In 2022, the National Crime Information Center reported more than 140,000 Black children age 17 and younger went missing for at least some period, including more than 77,000 girls. This accounted for about 39% of missing children in the U.S. that year, despite the fact that the Black or African American population makes up only 12.4% of all people living in the U.S.

The Black and Missing Foundation also reports that missing minority children are often initially classified as “runaways” — which prevents them from being eligible for an Amber Alert — and minority adults who go missing are often associated with “criminal involvement,” including gangs and drugs.

In response to these statistics, Sen. Steven Bradford, a Democrat from Gardena, authored the bill to establish Ebony Alerts. Describing the law as “bold and needed action,” Bradford said in a press statement how Black children and young women are “disproportionately represented” on missing persons lists.

“This is heartbreaking and painful for so many families and a public crisis for our entire state,” he said. “The Ebony Alert can change this.”

The measure passed with no votes in opposition, and Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the law in October. The highway patrol did flag concerns, however, about the public becoming “desensitized” to emergency alerts if they are more frequently activated.

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

People convicted of distributing fentanyl will face stiffer criminal penalties in the coming year under a new law shaped by rising overdose deaths.

The law increases the penalty for selling or distributing more than one kilogram of fentanyl by an automatic addition of three years to the original sentence.

The penalties continue to increase with weight, topping out at an additional 25 years for trafficking in weights exceeding 80 kilograms. Addiction experts warn the law could have deadly consequences if the “threat of police involvement and harsh prison sentences” makes someone reluctant to help an overdose victim by calling emergency responders.

The bill passed the Senate unanimously in September. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed it in October, along with several treatment-focused fentanyl bills.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that can be fatal in small doses when taken on its own. Heroin and cocaine dealers have also sometimes laced products with fentanyl – which is cheaper than either drug – leading to accidental overdoses by people who unwittingly ingest it. Now, fentanyl is the most common drug causing fatal overdoses in California.

Tehama County District Attorney Matt Rogers told Redding television station KRCR-TV that the bill “will give us a better deterrent factor for those who are thinking about trafficking and fentanyl.”

​​“My hope is that it would deter people from selling fentanyl, that it would keep it out of our community – out of every community, but especially ours,” Rogers said. “It would keep it off the highways and off the streets, and we would see a reduction in fentanyl cases, as well as fentanyl overdose deaths.”

The bill, authored by Assemblymember Carlos Villapudua, a Stockton Democrat, moved through the Legislature even though other efforts to increase criminal penalties for fentanyl failed.

“If there are not consequences, there will be repeat supply available,” Assemblymember Jim Patterson, a Fresno Republican and author of one of the rejected bills, said after an April hearing on fentanyl bills in the Legislature.

Law enforcement groups, including the California Association of Highway Patrolmen, generally supported the new law. They said increased penalties will deter traffickers.

Those who opposed the bill, including the California Public Defenders Association, said increasing penalties does little to deter people from using or selling drugs, including fentanyl.

“Relying on ever increasing penalties for drug offenses has been extensively researched, and we can therefore make some educated predictions about the outcome of bills like AB 701,” the public defenders association wrote in opposition to the bill.

“It would not reduce the distribution of fentanyl nor would it prevent overdoses; it would reduce neither the supply of drugs or the demand for them; and worse, it could actually discourage effective methods of dealing with the opioid crisis.”

The public defenders association went on to say that the distinction between users and low-level dealers is too blurred to make a difference – they argue that most small dealers are also users, and sell drugs to support their addiction.

The bill goes into effect on Jan. 1.

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

Our one-of-a-kind father, grandfather, and great grandfather Dr. John “Jack” Lee Yarnall III died December 6th in Eureka at the age of 91. His lifelong independent spirit remained throughout his last days.

Jack was born January 27, 1932 to John and Daisy Yarnall in White Plains, New York. He was their first son, followed by his brother James. His childhood was filled with a mix of urban living and outdoor adventures. He spent time with his mom’s family in Washington, D.C. and recalled special trips into Manhattan to visit his dad’s office in Midtown. His dad frequently took his boys on fly fishing trips, including a pivotal one to Poe Valley, Pennsylvania, which led his parents to purchase property in the valley that remains in the family today. Until his final years, Jack felt closest to his parents and brother at the cabin in Poe Valley.

Seeking independence and more outdoor adventures, Jack headed west after high school enrolling at the University of Montana in 1949. There he met fellow student and the love of his life, Maureen Fulmor, who he married in 1953. He graduated with a degree in Forestry and followed his ROTC Air Force commitment to flight training in Bryan, Texas. While in Bryan, he and Maureen welcomed their first son Jeffrey in 1954. Twin boys James and John, were born in 1956 while he was stationed at Malmstrom AFB in Great Falls, Montana. His Air Force career included helicopter training which led to an assignment in Labrador, Canada where was stationed at Goose Bay as a helicopter pilot.

After leaving the Air Force, Jack re-enrolled at the University of Montana in a masters program. When not studying, Jack worked for Johnson Flying Service as a pilot. He dropped smokejumpers and fire retardant on wildfires throughout the Western US. His duties included aerial spraying of forest lands in the Spring. He continued working fire seasons until the 1970s as his side job - partially for the money but also because it gave him lots of time in the air. He remained proud of his “smokejumper days” which perfectly combined his forestry degree and love of flying.

In 1962 Jack enrolled in the Marine Biology PhD program at Stanford University and moved his family to Palo Alto. He described the program as “the government’s answer to SPUTNIK, which was to get as many of us into science as possible.” He seized the opportunity and developed a love for science and the ocean that remained through his life. A move to Pacific Grove in 1964, led him to discover diving and he spent hours underwater. His studies took him on a research vessel through Latin America, as the Head Dive Officer where he learned the helpful phrase, “donde estan las cervezas?” He took his family to Hawaii for a summer in 1968 where he conducted octopus research. He ultimately completed his thesis on the functional anatomy and feeding behavior of nudibranchs. While he received an outstanding education focused on invertebrate marine biology, he was a renaissance man. All fields of study were worthy and all scholarship was appreciated. That intense curiosity, near photographic memory and love of learning were present his entire life. Being an older graduate student led Jack to “adopt” many fellow students. He and Maureen held parties and their home became the hub for many in themarine biology program. He spoke more of the friends they made during this period of his life than he did his formal education.

In 1969, Jack accepted a tenure-track position in the Biology Department at Humboldt State University. He and his family moved to Freshwater, and Jack remained in the department until he retired in 1993. While at Humboldt, Jack taught many courses, his favorite being invertebrate zoology, and had a genuine love for teaching, especially if it meant getting undergraduate students into the field. He held annual mussel feeds in his yard for his students and loved getting them wet, whether it was at the marine lab in Trinidad, in the pond in his backyard, or “warming up in the nuclear plant runoff” in Humboldt Bay after digging specimens in the bay mud. He was a teacher at heart and said that the favorite thing about his time at Humboldt was, “the memories of seeing students—the light go on in their eyes when they finally grasped something or made something work.” Jack served as the department chair for Biology and was also active on the California State University Academic Senate for many years. He was most proud of his time as an Executive Committee member of the Senate and his time as a “campus politician.”

While not teaching, Jack continued to fly. He had a glider which he launched with the help of his boys and a homemade winch. Later, his red-and-white-striped hot air balloon, the “Candy Striper,” became a fixture in Humboldt County skies. He formed fast friendships - or at least understandings - with many Ferndale dairy farmers who owned the fields he used to land his balloon. His tethered balloon visits to his grandkids’ elementary schools made a lasting impression on hundreds of kids. His love for flying machines never wavered and even when he stopped piloting them himself he visited flight museums, and peppered family with questions about their commercial flights and routes.

Jack loved college athletics, particularly Humboldt State Athletics. He was the faculty athletics representative for the NCAA and to HSU’s conference. He appreciated student athletes who “succeeded academically and also performed.” He and Maureen endowed a scholarship to support outstanding athlete-scholars. He had a fondness for womens’ sports and attended crew races, volleyball games, cross-country meets, and softball games in addition to basketball and football. For many years he was the official scorekeeper for basketball games at HSU. While he kept meticulous score, he was also beloved for the bags of “monster cookies” that he baked and brought to the home team.

His love of athletics transitioned into supporting his granddaughters in their endeavors. He ran the morning swimming carpool, picking up teenage girls from their houses, waiting while they swam from 5:30 to 7 a.m., then dropping them off at school - with an occasional stop for ice cream pints. He brought a homemade megaphone to high school cross-country meets and hosted spur of the moment team sleepovers at his house. He was a fervent cheerleader and the gift of his memory extended past his scholarship and into personal best times and heat and lane assignments.In his retirement Jack volunteered and donated his resources generously. He loved the Humboldt County Jazz Festival and volunteered to drive the bands. He was a volunteer for Big Brothers Big Sisters. He drove seniors to medical appointments well into his own senior years. He served on the Humboldt County Grand Jury. The HSU athletics auction was a marked event on his calendar and his family always wondered what he would come home with each year.

He spent every summer of his retired life at his second home, in Poe Valley, Pennsylvania, where he developed another community of friends. He rode motorcycles on trails, spent time with tractors and chainsaws, attended auctions, made strawberry jam, invested in a brewery, and loved the connection that the place provided him with his parents and an earlier time in his life.

Those who knew Jack knew his smile, his booming voice, and the mischievous twinkle in his eye. “It’s easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission,” was one of his favored mantras as was, “there’s always room for dessert.” Jack loved beautiful things - nautilus, literature, sea shells, sunrises, blown-glass, well-scooped ice cream, theater, jewelry, trees, and especially Maureen. He marveled at the perfection found in nature - not just the obviously beautiful, but the wonders of coevolution and anatomy. Bivalve dissections were a frequent event for children at family dinners and he appreciated the art of a well-cooked meal paired with good wine. Jack loved a party and he loved a show. For years he harvested and shoved the largest possible Christmas tree into his living room, held upright with a block and tackle. The tree was always surrounded by his model trains, which were passed to him from his father. It was a right of passage for kids and grandkids when they were allowed to drive them. He hosted epic neighborhood Halloween parties with cauldrons of cider, bon fires, and flaming balls thrown by trebuchet. New Year’s Eve was marked with a huge fireworks display to which all were welcome. Throughout his life he and Maureen loved to host. Their home was home to any who needed one. His log house and the Freshwater property were a source of pride, the heart of family celebrations, and a comfort to him through his last days.

Jack lived a large life full of conviction and he loved in the same way. Friends were held close and he knew few boundaries in sharing, asking for help, and giving advice. He was predeceased by his brother James as well as his wife Maureen, who died just 7 weeks before him. He is survived by his sons Jeffrey (Dona) of Tualatin, Oregon, John (Kris) of Silverton, Oregon, and James (Brenda) of Eureka. His grandchildren Jason, Julie, Kaitlin (Shikhin), Megan (Will), Michael (Linsday), and Luke, as well as his great-grandchildren Joshua, Jacob, Ava, James, Madeline, and Samira. Also by “adopted” family, the Rummels, the VanderMolens and Bob Sanderson.

The family wishes to thank Hospice of Humboldt for the exceptional care Jack received in his final week. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Freshwater Grange #499 or to the Jack and Maureen Yarnall scholarship for athletes in the Biology department at Cal Poly Humboldt. A celebration of life is planned for the spring and will be announced at a later date.

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Herman “Shack” Duane Sherman Jr.
February 6, 1935 to December 23, 2023

Our beloved Father, Herman “Shack” Sherman Jr., passed in the morning of Saturday December 23, 2023 at his home in Hoopa surrounded by his children and grandchildren. He was 88 years young. He was born in Arcata and spent his early years in Hoopa, Arcata, Blue Lake and Leggett. He followed his father in falling giant redwoods, but Hoopa was always home.

Herman “Shack,” and his wife, Patricia Bussell Sherman, of 60 years, raised their three children, Jill, Duane and Lesley, on the Hoopa Indian Reservation. Herman proudly served in the United States Army and was a recognized sharp shooter.

Herman lived by his motto of being of service to his tribe and community. As an elected Tribal Councilmember for many years during the 70s Herman worked on some of the most important legislation in Hoopa’s history. Herman also served as an elected School Board Member of the Klamath Trinity Joint Unified School District. The Sherman home was a scene of “Politics and Coffee” with tribal chairmen, councilmembers and local community leaders coming and going after discussing issues of the day. Herman’s father, Herman Sr. came to live with the family. Herman’s children felt privileged to learn tribal history and politics at the knee of their father and grandfather.

Herman’s love for the lord and savior is well known and respected by many. He served on the North Coast Baptist Association and a proud member of the Eureka Lions Club as well as a member of the American Legion Post. Herman was also proud to have met and spoken with Govenor Ronald Regan (later President) on tribal affairs for the State of California. Herman was also the first Indian Child Welfare Response Coordinator and served as the first Indian Child Welfare Commission.

Herman is preceded in death by his wife, Patricia and granddaughter Cashkoa; his parents Herman Sr. and Libby Abe Sherman, brothers Reginald Davis Sr. and Arnold (Jim) Davis, sister Phyllis Orcutt and her baby boy; sisters-in-law Wilma Mattingly, Deanna Whitehurst brothers-in-laws Clem “Mush” Bussell, and infant Donald Dean; brother-in-laws George Mattingly; sister-in-law Theresa Bussell; nephews Michael Rowe, Raymond Davis, Reginald Davis Jr., Ronnie Dean Davis, Jr., Rick Davis and niece Karen Taylor; Herman first cousins who were like siblings preceded him: Wilma Bell Scott, Elsie Gardner Ricklefs, Lula Gardner Hostler, Wilma Harding, Dorothy Smith, Mildred Nixon, Tug Davis, Jug Davis, Jack Scott, Frank Scott and Lula Gardner-Hostler.

Herman is survived his children, Jill Sherman-Warne and her husband Jim; Duane Sherman Sr and his wife, Kayla and Lesley Sherman-Hunt and her husband Tim and his youngest GG Sherman and adopted sister Meme; and sister-in-law Darlene Mesunas and husband Jim and sister-in law Ethel Davis Allen. Herman is also survived by his grandchildren; Troy Fletcher Jr., Cody Fletcher, Josh Sherman, Phylecia Sherman, Duane Sherman Jr., Tashone Rice, Briaunna Sherman, Tyler Hunt, John Yu and Jerry Yu; His great grandchildren: Cody Fletcher Jr., Hazel Fletcher, Raayoy Fletcher, Dane Sherman, Reagan and Celeste Sherman, and Vienna Coscoe . His nieces and nephews, Arnold Davis and Connie, Stevie Jarnaghan and husband Joe, Elizabeth Davis, Robyn Reed and husband Ron, Raylene Davis, Beverly Cole, Theita and husband Wayne Callagan, Vicki Mattingly, George Mattingly, Fred Mattingly, Timothy Bussell Sr, Gordon Bussell, and Anita Bussell, Eliane Jones and husband Alan, John Gutierrez, Yvonne Jackson and husband Roger, Walter Whitehurst Jr and Leonard “Spam” Ferris. Shack was especially close to several of his great nieces and nephews; Farrah and Louie Gamino, Nicole Ferris, Melissa and Curtis Kane, Joe Davis and Kayla. He has numerous great-nieces and nephews when was pleased to know and love. Grandpa Shack will be dearly missed by family and friends.

At 18, Herman joined the U.S. Army with boot camp in Fort Campbell Kentucky and was stationed at Fort Hood Texas, interestingly serving with Elvis Presley. Growing up hunting Shack easily earned recognition as a sharp shooter. While in the service he became the lead cook. Anyone who served with him would tell you he was up for a good bar fight or two. Once he left the service he came home and married his wife Patricia, the love of his life. Shack and Patricia loved family and maybe this was because they were both the youngest (babies) of their families, so they took in their niece Yvonne Rowe and nephew, Fred Mattingly, during their high school years. The home was always filled with nieces and nephews coming and going.

Herman became a strong man of faith and determined he would rather hold the hands of his children than that of beer cans. This changed him drastically and his focus became his church. This didn’t mean that his hunting days were over. Trips to Oregon to stay at Clare’s Camp with the family enjoying days of hunting. Sometimes his children had to share the back of the truck with a hitchhiking buck. It was always amazing how many bucks would be hitchhiking late at night. Shack was also known to pick up any hitchhiker, much to his kid’s dismay, as they had to share the backseat. During the Hoopa Fish Wars Shack remained calm during the arrest of his son Duane and his father Herman Sr as they were arrested not once but twice for simply engaging in their traditional subsistence practice. Those were hard times that pitted tribal members who were law enforcement agents against their own people.

Having survived serving on the tribal council, the Fish Wars, Herman became the proud owner of “Sherman’s” restaurant, which meant long nights for him and his kids. Following his time as a restaurant owner he became the first Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) program officer for the State of California. This work formed the foundation of ICWA in California. Herman and his nephew Johnny G. were always good to be building one thing or another. When not building something for his wife, he could be counted on to be hunting with Johnny G. Later he enjoyed the fresh crab delivered to him by Johnny G. Family friend Andy Sadis was always a regular to watch football games on Sundays. Herman always enjoyed pancake Sunday and was a staunch 49er fan! Herman was always full of fun! When visiting San Diego he won the big shrimp-eating contest between him and his son-in-law Jimmy. He loved joking with family and friends. He also loved scary movies on Friday nights he, Lesley, Tim, Tashone, Tyler and Kaylee would watch two or three scary movies in an evening. As Herman had more difficulties, Tim, his son-in-law held a special place. Never failed — when Tim would help Shack in the shower he would make sure Tim got sprayed a few times.

Herman loved to eat. The first time Duane’s wife Kayla cooked up homemade dumplings he ate 24! This was almost as much as his 13 homemade tamales made by family friend Helen. Coffee is a family staple and he counted on every morning (afternoon) Lesley would have his hot coffee and raisin toast ready.

Herman and his wife believed that anytime the church doors were open the family should be inside on the pews. Shack led the family spent many a night cleaning the church. Herman loved preparing an occasional sermon as Deacon of the First Baptist Church it was responsibility he enjoyed and studied hard to provide. He could be counted on to pray with church members and visit those who were sick or in need. When Herman was struck down at 49 with a massive stroke and heart attack doctors said he would not make it through the night and if he lived he would be a vegetable. His wife knew this was not his end and God also had other plans. His wife and children moved to Menlo Park to be near his rehabilitation center living in a tent and then camper. Herman struggled to learn to walk and feed himself. He rejoiced that God ensured he still lived even though he was paralyzed on his right side and was left with aphasia.

Even without his powerful voice, Herman could make his point and let you know what was on his mind. To the very end Herman made his wishes known to his children. He continued to be concerned for the tribe and tribal budget asking that work continue to honor him and not to stop for his funeral.

Pallbearers

• Troy Fletcher Jr
• Cody Fletcher Jr
• Duane Sherman Jr.
• Tashone Rice
• Tyler Hunt
• John Yu
• Jerry Yu
• Joe Davis
• Lonnie Ferris
• Louie Gamino
• Junior Davis
• Curtis Kane
• Allen Kane
• Mike Peters
• Valin Davis Sr
• Arnie Davis
• William Davis
• Joe Jarnaghan Jr.
• Aaron Williams
• Talon Williams
• Joseph Lewis
• Jason Reed
• Jerome Reed
• Ronnie Reed
• Charlie Reed
• Ryan Reed
• Jonah Davis
• Timothy Bussell Jr.
• Clarence Bussell
• Scooter Bussell
• Isaac Bussell
• Bruce Bussell
• William Lee
• Joshua Sherman
• Sebastian Ferris
• Lorenzo Ferris
• Damon Scott
• Billy Maloney
• Roger Surber
• Demetrius Villegas

Honorary Pallbearers

• Tim Hunt Jr
• Jim Warne
• Andy Sadis
• Arnold Davis
• Joe Jarnaghan Sr.
• Johnny Guiterrez
• George Mattingly
• Fred Mattingly
• Tim Bussell Sr.
• Gordon Bussell
• David Masten
• Jim Mesunas

VIEWING:

December 28, 2023 at 4 p.m.
Paul’s Chapel
1070 H Street
Arcata, California

SERVICES:
December 29, 2023 at 1 p.m.
Hoopa Neighborhood Facilities
Highway 96
Hoopa, California

GRAVESIDE:
December 29, 2023 at 2:30 p.m.
Hoopa Cemetery
Highway 96
Hoopa, California

Officiant: Duane Sherman Sr.
Prayer: Gordon Bussell & Carlson “Jamie” Kane
Program by: Farrah Ferris-Gamino
Music: Josh Stevens
Remembrance: Open

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For nearly two decades, Judith “Judy” Surber has witnessed the devastating impact of the opioid crisis on the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation. 

As the manager of the Ki’ma:w Medical Center’s medication-assisted treatment (MAT) program, Surber has seen her community grapple with the insidious grip of opioid addiction, an affliction that began with the introduction of OxyContin in the mid-2000s and has since progressed to rampant use of fentanyl. Members of her own family were no exception, with her husband, two of her children and even her teenage grandaughter falling victim to opioids. 

Earlier this year, Surber collaborated with Justin Maxon, an internationally recognized local photographer and lecturer at Cal Poly Humboldt, to tell her story in a New York Times opinion piece, “Addiction Ravaged My Family and Tribe. I’m Fighting to Get Them Back.” That story was recently selected as one of the best stories of the year by the Pulitzer Center, which provided a chunk of grant funding for the project.

“It was actually a big surprise,” Surber told the Outpost in a recent phone interview. “I don’t know why, but I looked online for something and [an email] popped up. I kind of breezed through it, and then I looked again and saw that [my story] was picked as one of the top stories of 2023 that their staff picks every year. … I was ecstatic.”

Surber has written about opioid addiction in the Hoopa Valley for a number of years. Her first book, Reservation High, a work of realistic fiction, tells the story of a young woman’s journey through addiction and, eventually, recovery.

“I wanted a character that people would like so much that they could feel empathy for her, despite her addiction,” Surber said. “I think I did a good job at it because anybody who read it at that time would say, ‘Wow, I didn’t know that that’s what my sister or my brother was going through and now I see what they’re dealing with every day.’ So in that sense, it did its job.”

When she wrote Reservation High “things were really bad,” Surber said. Her husband, who died in 2019, and her two sons, Roger and Cory, were struggling with opioid addiction. During that time, she “lost jewelry, cameras and anything else that could be traded or hocked” for OxyContin or heroin. “Our lives became a series of crises that quickly became our norm,” she wrote. “We lived in survival mode.” 

Years later in 2022, her teenage granddaughter overdosed three times on fentanyl. “I fought hard to get her into a treatment center with a Native program but was turned away by two Indian Health Service youth residential treatment centers, which said that she needed a higher level of care,” Surber wrote. In my heart, I knew that the next overdose might be her last.”

Despite her family’s ongoing struggle, Surber said she “never bought into the idea of tough love” as a means of helping another person – let alone her own children – overcome addiction. Instead, she is a proponent of unconditional love. 

“I tried tough love – it didn’t work,” she said. “I’ve had better success by just loving my kids unconditionally. There are ways that you can love them and still support them without supporting the addiction. I want them – I want everyone – to know that recovery is there, but also that relapse can happen. We need to normalize that and take the shame out of it because it is a part of the growth process. If someone relapses, we need to help them get right back on the wagon and on their way to recovery.”

One of Surber’s main objectives in her work with the Ki’ma:w Medical Center and as a storyteller is to reduce the stigma that surrounds addiction. 

“I look at it as a medical issue, not as a moral failing, not as a character flaw,” she said. “We want to blame people and not look at it as a disease. I’ve never used drugs in my life, yet I get beat up by a lot of people over my grown son’s addiction as though I’ve done something wrong that has caused his addiction. If my child developed cancer or diabetes, they wouldn’t look at me and say ‘Oh, the mother or father caused [it].’ We always want to blame somebody else when it comes to addiction.”

Similarly, Maxon uses his camera to portray “people as full human beings” rather than reducing their lived experience to their addiction. He intentionally photographed Surber, a dear friend of his, and her family with the “hope that people can relate and connect more with their story.”

“The way that mainstream media has covered the opioid crisis … is usually very hyperbolic and it often blames the victim,” he said. “When you photograph people in these very difficult positions without showing the full range of their human experience it’s like almost saying, ‘Look at these people! Look what they’ve done to their lives!’ … A huge percentage of [the coverage] is either a needle in the arm or an overdose or a drug arrest. There’s no nuance to the conversation.”

Maxon grew up here in Humboldt, splitting his time between his father’s home in Hoopa and his mother’s in Eureka. When he became addicted to opioids as a teenager, his stepfather “tried the tough love approach” and wanted to kick him out of the house if he didn’t stay clean, but his mother opted for a different strategy.

“My mom said, ‘No, we have to embrace him and we need to find some solutions that will work for him.’ And that worked,” Maxon said. “If you kick your child out of the house, you no longer have any influence over what happens to them. You know they won’t be coming home at night to a safe place.”

Maxon first connected with Surber in 2018 while working on a story about her husband and brother-in-law for the Washington Post. “I felt an instant kinship with Judy,” he said. “When we first met, there was so much stigma swirling around both of our lived experiences and we had no judgment toward each other. I honestly felt like I could be myself around her, and that’s a rare thing to have with a person. She’s like family to me.”

Since her story was published in November, Surber has received messages of praise and support from all around the world.

“I’ve gotten messages from all over the United States, as well as France, Greece, and a lot of indigenous sisters in Canada have been offering the support,” she said. “Some [of the messages] are from people who are working in the field who’ve said, ‘I never looked at addiction like that. This has made me rethink all my negativity towards it.’ Nobody has written to me about anything except extremely positive stuff.”

When asked how her sons are doing, Surber said her son Roger has been clean for four months, but he and his wife are struggling to find housing in the area. Her son Cory continues to struggle with addiction. 

“My other son lives between Santa Rosa and the Tenderloin [in San Francisco]. He’s living on the street,” she said, her voice wavering with emotion. “He just doesn’t see himself being able to get clean – he thinks it’s beyond him. He thinks he is too far gone even though he has seen his brother doing it. … I just keep praying and offering help and ways to support him. It’s really hard to watch. I have a lot of sleepless nights, truthfully.”

As described in her story, Surber is still fighting to regain custody of her grandchildren, who were taken out of her home and put into foster care in Crescent City after their parents lost custody of them earlier this year. 

“I haven’t done anything wrong and the kids have always been very safe and protected with me,” she said. “I drive up to see them every two weeks. It’ll be one year since they were taken and I never thought it would go to this extreme.”

Surber is going to sign a contract with a New York City-based publishing company in the coming weeks in anticipation of her next book, The Broken Ones. She and Maxon are hoping to collaborate on a similar project in the near future.

You can find the full text of Surber’s opinion piece and more of Maxon’s photos at this link.