Steven Robert Smith passed away unexpectedly at the age of 69 on July 25, 2024. Steve was born on May 25, 1955, at the old Scotia Hospital. He grew up and lived in Fortuna all of his life. Steven was the eldest son of Robert and Zada Smith.

Steven went to all the Fortuna schools: South Fortuna Elementary, the Old Town School and Fortuna High School where he graduated in 1973. He enjoyed attending his High School reunions and keeping in touch with the many friendships he made over the years. In his High School days, he sported around town in his bright yellow Camaro. He liked to cruise around the Fortuna streets goofing off with friends. One time when he saw a friend driving toward him in the other lane, Steve swerved his car toward him and then quickly back into his own lane. Only then did he realize there was a cop directly behind him who promptly pulled him over and gave him a ticket. Many a Friday and Saturday nights were spent out at Table Bluff or Centerville beaches hanging out with friends.

Most of Steve’s working years was spent in the lumber industry working at various mills in Scotia, Fortuna and Redcrest. Steven had various interests that included birds and wildlife, gardening and being an avid San Francisco Giants fan. He enjoyed his trips to the ballpark and his excursions to the southern Oregon coast. Steven had many cats over the years that he was attached to. He seemed to have a way with them and they only wanted to interact with him.

Steven was preceded in death by his parents Robert Smith, Jr. and Zada Smith, grandparents Robert Smith, Sr and Dora Smith, Warren Schumer and Violet Schumer. He is survived by his sister Suzi Franken, brother-in-law, Arie Franken, his brother Harley Smith and sister-in-law, Kris Smith, his nephew Sander Franken and niece Lisa Franken Lopez along with several cousins. Steven is also survived by his life partner of 11 years Debbie Cumbie.

There will be no formal services. There will be a private burial with family and close friends. Steven will be laid to rest next to his mother and father at Sunrise Cemetery in Fortuna.

Douglas Ernest Brown
November 22, 1962 - July 31, 2024

Douglas Ernest Brown, born on November 22, 1962, to the late Dorthy “Dot” & Frederick “Lil Hodd” Brown in Hoopa Valley Reservation, passed away on July 31, 2024, in his hometown of Hoopa.

A Hoopa Tribal member, as a child Doug enjoyed joking and playing tricks on his siblings. The love he had for them will forever be with them. Soccer was one of his favorite hobbies; also, spending time at the river. As he got older, he joined a men’s and co-ed softball league where he would travel with his friends up and down the West Coast playing in tournaments. Doug cherished being with his closest friends and the adventures they would go on. Always on the go doing something whether it was to lend a helping hand or just pop in to visit his family and friends. The unique relationships he had with all stood out as he acknowledged all of them with his down-to-earth, honest personality.

Doug especially enjoyed spending time at the Browns’ family fishing hole with his good friends, nephews and his brothers, fishing. He was a loving and compassionate individual who cherished his community and dedicated himself to helping others. Doug had a deep passion for fishing, helping elders and spending time with his beloved dogs. He found immense joy in assisting the elders by cutting wood, providing them with fish and tending to their yard work. His selflessness and commitment to serving others were truly remarkable.

Professionally, Douglas excelled in woodworking and had a talent for rebuilding Indian houses. He learned this skill from his father, Fred ‘Lil Hodd,’ and continued the legacy alongside his brother Sylvester ‘Flabs’ Brown. Their work was a source of pride for Douglas, and he considered their accomplishments as one of his greatest contributions.

Douglas is survived by his siblings Sylvester ‘Flabs,’ Oscar ‘OB,’ Katherine ‘Tuni,’ Debra ‘Debbie,’ and Freddy Brown, as well as his numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. He was adored by his nieces and nephews who admired his kindhearted nature and looked up to him with love and respect.

Douglas Ernest Brown our beloved brother, uncle, and friend, will be dearly missed by all who knew him. His selfless acts of kindness and his dedication to his community will forever be remembered and cherished. May his soul find eternal peace. He is preceded in death by his Mom, Dad, brothers Wally, Bluejay and Beetle, and his best friend, his dog, Timber.

Pallbearers Sylvester “Flabs” Brown, Oscar “OB” Brown, Chris Heath Sr., Raldon “Ralph” Brown, Travis Brown, Trevor Brown, Kyle Brown, Oscar Brown Jr., Houston Brown, Ian Moore, Arlen Brown, & Jeremy Alameda.

Honorary Pallbearers: Harry O Campbell, Paul White, Keg Super, Kenny Doolittle, Martin Swenson, JD Gerstner, Denny Kane, Joe Carpenter, Pecos Bill Carpenter, Smitty Branham, Mike Brown, Gordon McCovey, Rowds Robbins, Ronnie Rubs Robbins, Lenny Abbott, Thomas Gootie Masten SR., Bob Campbell, Roger Brown, Roger Sanderson, Super Bibancos, Custer Jackson, Ed Masten, Hank Masten, Arvid Hoaglen, Freddy Brown, Gunga Hescock, Robbie Moon, Doug McCloud, Wes Crawford, Mike McCurdy. We apologize for whom ever we forgot as Doug had so many friends.

The family would like to give a heartfelt thanks to the Colegrove Boys for all that they did.

A grave side service at the Brown’s cemetery, will be held on August 8, 2024 @ 11 a.m. with a reception to follow immediately after at the VFW Hoopa Legion Hall.

This afternoon the Outpost got word, via Facebook, that a scam was being perpetrated on our beloved Humboldt public.

Watch out! the Facebook poster warned. There are children pretending to play the violin in the Winco parking lot, and they’re looking to rip you off! They’re not actually playing the violin! Don’t give them any money!

We immediately piled into the news van and tore across town to blow the lid off these fraud kids. And you know what we discovered?

That Facebook poster was incorrect. The older kid, here, is actually playing the violin, and he rips.

Now, is his little brother actually playing the violin? It’s hard to say. Maybe a little. He hasn’t earned his amplifier yet. But he’s dancing around and adding to the general vibe and he’s studying at the feet of his big bro, and probably in a couple of years he’ll stand out there in the Winco parking lot with a huge Marshall stack and melt all faces within a five-block radius.

LoCO has investigated. These kids are legit and they rule. Case closed.

Brushes down, everyone. Time is up. After seven vibrant years bringing much-needed color to often-neglected sections of the city, the organizers of the Eureka Street Art Festival have decided to quit while they’re ahead, meaning the 2024 edition will be the last in its current form. Ta-da!

“I would like to normalize good things coming to an end in a healthy way,” festival organizer Jenna Catsos told the Outpost while painting her mural on the side of Lima’s Pharmacy. “I think that we often hope that good things will last forever but, in this case, seven years is a really great long time to have done this.”  

ESAF founder and organizer Jenna Catsos

Few Humboldt events leave such a tangible legacy. In its seven years, ESAF has managed to aid in the creation of over 100 murals throughout the city, providing work and experience for artists both local and foreign, some of whom were painting their first major work. Catsos, who, along with her fellow organizers, all volunteered their time to produce the event over its duration, is proud of what they were able to pull off.

“I think we’ve have reignited this excitement for public art in Eureka and hopefully in Humboldt in a broader sense,” she said. Still, she said, staging the festival had grown more difficult over the years, especially raising the funds required for paying artists, purchasing materials and jumping through the various bureaucratic hoops. “We kind of read the room and checked in with ourselves and our own energy levels. We feel like we have had a good run and we are ready to call it quits, at least for now.”   

That is unless some other person or group is feeling ambitious… *nudge, nudge*. Ever wanted to run a small town street art festival? Catsos and her team are open to handing the thing off if others are interested in taking the reins.

“We are happy to share the processes that we’ve created and the strategies that have worked well for us – we are happy to share all of that knowledge because it took us a couple years to figure things out. One of the sadder things about stopping something like this is feeling like, wow, we are a well-oiled machine now. So if folks want to make murals happen in their community in any capacity please reach out. We are happy to to share our artist list, our application process – anything and everything.”

Just know what you’re in for. To make murals happen in a small, rural setting, ESAF organizers have had to get creative over the years, Catsos said. Unlike similar events in larger cities, where corporate sponsors are willing to dole out big bucks to cover big walls, the Eureka-sized version deals in smaller numbers. Generally, it’s property owners who foot the bill, but that often means they also want to be part of the design process. And sometimes the collision of art and commerce gets messy. 

“Getting everyone on board and moving in the same direction has been a uniquely difficult challenge,” Catsos said. “But we’ve figured out how to set boundaries and create procedures that really have worked to streamline this process for us.” 

Well, the process worked fine enough. In its time, the Eureka Street Art Festival managed not only to produce inspiring and welcoming imagery throughout the city, it also spurred discussion and debate around the need for public art and showed people that, if they want, they can change the face of their city through sheer will. And Catsos can’t wait to see what her community opts to put energy toward next.

“I hope that people look at the festival and look at the murals and then turn around and look at their community and what they think that Eureka needs and see this as an inspirational moment to do something great for Eureka. I always love to remind people that we are not a program of the city. I am not a city employee. I am just a lady who lives here, who put my time and energy into doing something that I think would better Eureka. And sometimes we hear people complain: Oh, we shouldn’t be doing murals. We should be doing XYZ instead. And I always say, that’s great, you go do XYZ. There are plenty of things for us to do in this community, and there are plenty of us in this community to do the things, and I hope that people see this as an inspiration to go out and make Eureka better in any way that they see fit. Boom… and stop telling me what to do.”

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And now… a look at your 2024 Eureka Street Art Festival entries:

The roll down doors of the Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center now celebrate the rowing prowess and school colors of Cal Poly Humboldt thanks to Tony Diaz — one of the county’s most prolific muralists — who was assisted, as he often is, by his wife Kalynn Cossolotto.

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Good news! There’s now a redwood forest tucked away in Old Town for when you need it. Just take a quick turn off F Street to find Lucas Thornton’s Opera Alley old growth when you’re feeling the itch for a brief nature escape from Humboldt’s urban core. 

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Nestled amongst the aforementioned trees is a little bonus of sorts. In advance of this year’s festival, Eureka artist Kati Texas took great care refurbishing a landscape painted by the late Larry Laitman. 

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Pulling double duty this year, festival regular Blake Reagan added to his extensive portfolio of Eureka color bombs with a seek-and-ye-shall-find Art Deco flourish atop the Eureka Theater. Also, a side door of the Clarke Museum now celebrates the recent-ish return of Prey-go-neesh to Humboldt’s skies. It’s a con-door! Get it?

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You might feel a slight shrinking phenomenon should you wander by Alder Grove Charter School, where towering mushrooms and berries now grace the wall. Credit goes to festival veteran Mir de Silva, who worked with a pair of local artists working outside their usual mediums, Megan Phillips and Violet Crabtree.

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Artist and Yurok Tribal member Melitta Jackson thinks you’re special enough to warrant some hang time with some friendly otters and condors. Should you need the little mental health boost they promise you can find them on the backside of the Eureka Municipal Auditorium.

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Keep going, growing and glowing at the WIC Parent’s Nutrition Center on Summer Street. Shoppers can now enjoy eternal spring there, thanks to a popping floral design by Sacramento-based muralist Haley Titus.

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Not all murals are vertical! The pavement of the intersection in front of Food For People is now emblazoned by the nonprofit’s logo thanks to local artist Ben Funke’s Rebound program.

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Because we could all do more to be good stewards of the planet we find ourselves plopped upon, the mural on the rear-approach to Eureka Natural Foods reminds you to “Think Global” and “Act Local,” This li’l something to ponder comes courtesy Eureka artist Kay Lopez. Aye aye, Kay! 

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Humboldt has a new drive-thru tree that you might have to visit in the event you drive into something else. Yes, Quality Body Works gets their own redwood treatment thanks to Ben “The Mural Man” Goulart and crew.

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Can colorful ocean views calm your soul? Festival veteran Laci Dane invites you to give it a shot with her bright entry over at the Eureka Center for Spiritual Living on Buhne Street. 

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It is often said that Henderson Center is Eureka’s most up-and-coming neighborhood. Muralist Ellie Gainey has helped strengthen that argument with this soon-to-be-iconic blooming marker on the side of The Discovery Shop.

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You’ll henceforth have company on your journey down the dipped section of Eureka’s S Street, where local muralist Jose Moreno has brought to life Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent deity of the Aztecs.

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Get doubly healed on your next trip to Lima’s Pharmacy on Harrison Street. As you fill your prescription you’ll also be surrounded by the floral designs of festival founder Jenna Catsos (at no extra charge).

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They purposefully never called it a mural festival. In addition to this year’s painted entries, be on the lookout for some new, slimy friends in the form of 16 ceramic “Slugs of Eureka,” which you can find installed on buildings around town. Our new ‘nanner buds come to us courtesy local ceramicists Shannon Sullivan and Jessica Swan. 

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And that’s that. If you somehow need even more public art in your life today, feel free to take a walk down mural memory lane by reliving the Outpost’s visits to previous Eureka Street Art Festivals.

PREVIOUSLY: 

• (PHOTOS) 2023 Eureka Street Art Festival Artsits
• (PHOTOS) 2022 Eureka Street Art Festival Artists
• (PHOTOS) 2021 Eureka Street Art Festival Artists
• (PHOTOS) 2020 Eureka Street Art Festival Artists
• (PHOTOS) 2019 Eureka Street Art Festival Artists

Press release from the City of Eureka:

The City of Eureka has been awarded a $630,000 Prohousing Incentive Program Grant from the California Department of Housing and Community Development for rapid rehousing and homelessness prevention.

These funds will allow Uplift Eureka to continue providing housing opportunities and supportive services to community members experiencing homelessness as well as implement a homelessness prevention program to provide assistance to individuals at-risk of experiencing homelessness. Only local jurisdictions with a “Prohousing Designation” from the State of California were able to apply for the grant program.

When Eureka received the Prohousing Designation in January 2024, the City became one of only thirty-seven California local jurisdictions to have earned the designation (out of 539 Cities and Counties in California). Earning the designation requires a strong, demonstrated commitment to breaking down barriers to much-needed housing production, such as by removing regulatory hurdles, reducing permitting costs, or providing financial subsidies.

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The Eureka City Council on Tuesday took its first look at a draft ordinance that would require property owners to regularly maintain empty buildings to address and prevent blight around the city. 

The Vacant Building Ordinance, if approved, would impose new rules on commercial and residential properties that have been unoccupied for more than 30 days to discourage property owners from allowing empty buildings “to remain vacant indefinitely.” Under the proposed rules, property owners would be required to “actively maintain and monitor” vacant buildings that are not “actively being offered for sale, lease, or rent.” If the building is not maintained for 30 days or more, the owner will be fined $1,000 per month.

There are a few exceptions to the proposed rules. If there is an active permit and the owner is diligently working to “complete the repair, rehabilitation, or demolition” of the building, they’re probably exempt from enforcement. 

Contreras-DeLoach | Screenshot

Councilmember Renee Contreras-DeLoach asked City Attorney Autumn Luna to explain what counts as regular maintenance and appropriate landscaping. “This is not HOA behavior we’re talking about, right?” she asked. “We’re not going to be out there measuring people’s lawns.”

“Absolutely not,” Luna said, adding that she would never ask the city’s code enforcement team to “go out and measure grass.” She acknowledged that people may “quibble about whether their particular lawn is a mess” but said that wasn’t a pressing issue that she was aware of. 

“Not to be too punny, but I don’t want to get in the weeds on the health and safety standard issues,” Luna said, adding that such issues are already addressed in municipal code. “We’re generally talking about places that don’t necessarily look like a dilapidated mess, but they’ve been vacant for a very long time and we’re trying to reach [those] buildings with this ordinance.”  

Asked how staff would sort out citizen complaints about maintenance at vacant sites, Luna said the city’s code enforcement team is trained to identify issues that rise to the level of enforcement. Regardless, property owners and neighbors have “due process” to air out their concerns. “That is baked into every law enforcement action we take,” she said. 

Councilmember G. Mario Fernandez asked how the ordinance would be enforced and if the city would keep a registry of vacant buildings. Luna said the city would maintain some sort of registry “to the extent necessary to enforce this tool.” As for enforcement, the city is hoping property owners will self-report and bring themselves into compliance with the ordinance. However, most code enforcement actions are based on citizen complaints, she said. 

“Code enforcement doesn’t have the time and isn’t generally roving the neighborhoods looking for problems,” Luna said. “They’re responding to concerns from the community when they go out on calls.”

Councilmember and Mayor Pro Tem Leslie Castellano, who filled in for Mayor Kim Bergel at Tuesday’s meeting, reminded the council and the audience that staff was looking for direction on the draft ordinance and a final version would come back in the next month or so.

Speaking during public comment, Scott Pesch, a local commercial real estate broker, expressed concern that the proposed rules would unfairly punish property owners for vandalism and other issues that occur at vacant properties.

“I represent a lot of clients that have commercial buildings that are vacant or are for sale,” he said. “When a vacancy [occurs] there is a kind of crisscross where the homeless are attracted to it because it is vacant and … then their trash is left behind and vandalism occurs. So, you have this crisscross where the city might look to the owner and the owner might look to the city. At the root of the problem is homelessness. Some of it, not all of it.”

Pesch also expressed concern about the proposed fee structure and how it would affect the local real estate market. “Sometimes the economics of the city don’t always warrant that you’re going to have a complete 100% occupancy. You’re going to have vacancies out there,” he said. “I think we’re all working toward the right thing, I just want to be careful with some of this language.”

Following public comment, Luna said a property owner who is struggling to find a renter could still comply with the draft ordinance. 

Luna | Screenshot

“If your concern is penalizing folks who own a vacant building, say a commercial property owner who takes three months to rent … that’s not somebody who would necessarily be in a penalty situation,” she said. “They could still be in compliance with the ordinance. They would, however, be paying a monitoring fee. I just think it’s important to understand the difference between fee and fine in this context.” 

Asked about next steps, Luna recommended that the council table the discussion for the time being to give staff time to address some of the council’s questions. DeLoach made a motion to that effect, which was seconded by Fernandez. 

“I appreciate the discussion and I appreciate all the work put in by staff, but I’m not comfortable with [the ordinance] as written,” DeLoach said. “I think it can be really tricky sometimes for people to fill buildings. … That being said, I do not like that our downtown is suffering and knowing that sometimes people are just using [vacant buildings] as write-offs.”

After a bit of additional discussion, the council approved the motion in a 3-0 vote, with Councilmember Scott Bauer and Councilmember Kati Moulton absent.

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What else happened at last night’s meeting?

• The city council also received a report from OIR Group, the city’s Independent Police Auditor (IPA) regarding the Eureka Police Department’s role in the greater law enforcement response to the recent pro-Palestine protest at Cal Poly Humboldt. OIR Group’s 26-page review offers a detailed account of the April 22 events on campus, along with a list of recommendations for the department. The report was critical of the University Police Department’s leadership in the police response but praised the EPD for being more prepared and equipped than other responding agencies. OIR Group recommended that the city “facilitate a multi-agency debrief to discuss where improvements can be made in future responses.” The council agreed to receive the report.
• Later in the meeting, Fernandez asked the council if it would be interested in reviewing the city’s existing multi-agency response guidelines to address some of the concerns brought up in OIR Group’s report. The council agreed in a 3-0 thumbs up.

Press release from the Eureka Police Department:

On August 6, 2024, at approximately 1:54 pm, Officers from Eureka Police Department responded to a single vehicle rollover collision at I/Henderson Streets.

Upon arrival, officers extricated the driver and began life-saving efforts. Humboldt Bay Fire took over life-saving efforts and the driver was transported to a nearby hospital. However, at the hospital, the driver was declared deceased.

Based on the preliminary investigation, it appears the driver suffered a medical emergency prior to the collision which ultimately resulted in their death.

[CLARIFICATION: Eureka Police Department spokesperson Laura Montagna tells the Outpost that the cause of death remains undetermined pending an autopsy.]

A member of EPD’s Major Injury/Fatal Traffic Investigations Team, EPD Detectives, and Evidence Technicians responded to the scene to conduct the investigation.

The decedent has been identified and the Humboldt County Coroner’s Office is working to notify next of kin.

This is an active investigation and EPD is asking witness to contact Officer Mark Sheldon at 707-441-4060.

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Note: The headline of this post was changed from its original version to more accurately represent the content of the press release.