Irene Guglielmina
February 12, 1935 - March 18, 2023
Ferndale, California

Saturday, March 18, 2023, after a brief illness, Irene Guglielmina, loving wife and mother of two children, passed away peacefully at the age of 88. Irene was born in Ferndale on February 12, 1935, to Ida and Charlie Katri. She was one of four children and grew up in Grizzly Bluff on Lawson Lane. Prior to Grizzly Bluff, the family first settled in Camp Weott, then Loleta.

Ida, while pregnant with Irene, was working in the Ferndale Creamery, and then went into labor. On that day, rains were coming down so heavy that streets began to flood. They couldn’t get to the hospital fast enough, so Irene was born in a home in Ferndale. Irene’s birth certificate read “delayed” because her exact time could not be recorded because of her unique entrance into the world! And her uniqueness carried on through her life. Irene was a strong and amazing woman. She was loved by so many.

Irene shared her birthday with her favorite president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln and was always very proud of that!! So much in fact, that there is a shrine to ole Abraham in her home to this day.

Irene graduated from Ferndale Union High on June 5, 1953. During her Senior year she met a young country cow tester, AKA, “the love of her life, Herb Guglielmina” and married within months on August 9, 1953. Irene and her late husband, Herb, were married for 61 years.

Irene’s happy place was with her family. She helped her husband, Herb, on the ranch, and took care of their home and two children, Glen and Patti.

Irene was in the Ferndale Garden Club for over 30 years. She was President and Chairman of the Fair Booth for the Garden Club many times. She volunteered at the Ferndale Museum for many years, assisted in election voting at the fairgrounds, and was a life-long parishioner at the Assumption Catholic church. Irene and her sister, Josie, would take long walks and were credited and recognized in the town gazette for picking up debris to have cleaner streets! In between all these favorites, she also made flower arrangements on special occasions for family and friends.

Irene always surrounded herself with family and friends. They would gather on a regular basis to host one another’s birthday celebrations, with good food, sparkling wine, and good cheer. She loved to play cards and board games. Irene, the mom, was always sure to remember birthdays. A birthday card was always in the mailbox on if not a day or two early. Her handwritten notes were priceless and wonderful because she carried on a lost tradition that should never be forgotten.

Irene is survived by her two children, Glen (Tami) and Patti (Terry), her three grandchildren, Vincent, Anthony, and Brook, her three step-grandchildren, Francesca, Gianna and Isabella, her sister Josie, brother, Don (Sandy), sisters-in-law, Esther and Mary, brother-in-law, Len (Janice), numerous nieces, nephews, and many extended family members.

Irene will always be remembered for her love of family, her kindness, bubbly personality, and her amazing memory that was sure to enlighten us with Ferndale history and the community members through the years. We could always count on Irene to connect the dots from one person to the other. We will miss you. Thank you for everything you did for us. We love you.

There will be a funeral Mass on Saturday, April 29, at 11 a.m. A reception will immediately follow in the parish hall to celebrate Irene’s life. Everyone is welcome.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Ferndale Museum.

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Richard Gordon Daly, born April 13, 1933, in Salt Lake City, Utah to Elsie Snyder Daly and John Joseph Daly III. Died March 8, 2023, in Eureka.

Richard graduated from the University of Utah with a law degree. He worked as counsel for the Internal Revenue Service in Washington D.C., Seattle, Washington and Los Angeles. Later he would enter private practice in Los Angeles before coming to Humboldt County to open his own law firm, where he worked until retirement in 2018.

Richard was a gentleman and a scholar with a dry sense of humor. He enjoyed entertaining friends and family at parties and was known as the family mixologist when it came to cocktails. He even had a special Martini known as the “Richard’s Martini” he would serve to special guests. He was always present at his grandchildren’s sporting events and ballet performances. He enjoyed traveling with friends and family, however, poor health the past few years made travel difficult. His children and grandchildren were always loved and a source of pride for him.

Richard is preceded in death by his parents, John and Elsie Daly, his brother Jay Daly, his sister June Updegraff, granddaughter Chloe Daly, niece Sharon Daly Fitzgerald, special aunt Ruth Snyder Mundorf and his in-laws, Kenneth and Evelyn Johnson.

Richard is survived by his wife, Marsha K. Daly. His sons, Brett Daly and Douglas Daly (Holly). His stepchildren, Kelly Buckman and Kenneth Kurwitz (Dawnell). His grandchildren, Harrison Daly, Alex Daly, Calvin Daly, Sabien Daly, Finnigan Daly, BrendenMcDonald (Jodi), Ryan McDonald (Samantha), Isabella Buckman, Nathan Kurwitz, Kate Kurwitz, and Jake Kurwitz and his great-granddaughter, Sawyer Lin McDonald. His brother-in-law, Edward Updegraff (Annette). His nephews Garr, Greg and Scott and his niece Dr. Susan Daly Fitzgerald and husband Jay Field.

Special thanks to Joan Nilsen and Nita Vallerga for love, visits and care and to Granada Rehabilitation.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that memorial contributions be made to North Coast Dance, a community where Richard had always been a dear friend and supporter, 425 F Street, Eureka, CA 95501 or contributions may be made in Richard’s name to Ferndale High Athletics,1231 Main Street, Ferndale, CA 95536 where his grandchildren participate.

A celebration of life will be held later in the year.

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Debra Anne Godfrey — wife, soulmate and true love — was suddenly called home to her place in heaven on March 2, 2023.

Debra was born on Feb. 21, 1956 in Berkeley. Debra is survived by her loving husband of 37 years, William (Bill) Godfrey. She met Bill in 1986 where they moved to Santa Cruz. There Debra worked for Thermo Fisher Scientific as a mechanical assembly technician for 19 years. Debra loved and lived in Ben Lomond in the San Lorenzo Valley amongst the redwoods. Debra took up kayaking, and that’s when she learned to be the happiest on the ocean and in the water. Debra loved the ocean so much that she became a Ocean Advocate at Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Debra and her husband relocated to Eureka in 2010, where she worked at the Bear River Resort for 8 years. Debra appreciated to be back near the redwoods, where she admired all of the wildlife. Debra especially enjoyed spending time birdwatching, gardening and walking on all the beaches, redwoods and trails with her husband and constant companion dog, King.

Rest in peace with almighty God, with all the angels in heaven.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Debra Godfrey’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

Press release from the County of Humboldt:

Grape leaf samples taken by the Humboldt County Department of Agriculture have tested positive for Pierce’s disease (PD).

In late September, the Humboldt County Department of Agriculture submitted grape leaf samples to the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) plant pathology lab to be tested for diseases. The samples were taken from domestic and wild grapevines from a small neighborhood located in Willow Creek. 

Three samples tested by CDFA tested positive for PD, which is the first time this disease has been detected in Humboldt County. PD is catastrophic to grapevines as it clogs their water conducting vessels known as xylem. PD is caused by a strain of the bacterium known as Xylella fastidiosa, a C-rated (widespread) pest in California. 

The Department of Agriculture took additional grape leaf samples in the same area in November and a small number of those subsequent samples also tested positive for PD. Due to plant dormancy, the Department of Agriculture will conduct further research and take new samples with the spring bud break.

The Department of Agriculture is committed to protecting Humboldt County’s viticulture industry and continues to work to educate and assist growers in identifying and managing the disease as needed. As such, the Agriculture Department will host a meeting and Q&A session to address concerns surrounding PD. The meeting will be held at the Lower Trinity Ranger District Station, located at 580-CA 96 in Willow Creek, on Thursday, April 13 at 1 p.m. 

Dr. Rodrigo Almeida, Hildebrand-Laumeister Chair in Plant Pathology at UC Berkeley, and an expert on the disease, will be the featured speaker at the meeting. For more information on Dr. Almeida’s work, please visit this link.

Due to space constraints, the meeting is limited to 25 people. Reserving your space in advance is recommended. For more information and to RSVP, please contact David Juliano, Senior Agricultural Inspector, by email at djuliano@co.humboldt.ca.us. 

For more information on Pierce’s disease, please visit the following links — here, and here.

 For more information regarding the Humboldt County Department of Agriculture, visit this link..

HUMBOLDT TODAY: Why do students prefer Arcata High to McKinleyville High? A task force has been commissioned to figure it out; The Yurok Tribe is suing the feds on behalf of salmon; Plus, winter is coming back in a big way. Details on today’s newscast with John Kennedy O’Connor.

FURTHER READING:

• Yurok Tribe and Fishermen’s Associations Sue Feds Over Water Flow Reductions on the Klamath
• Arcata City Council, Planning Commission to Talk Sea Level Rise in Special Joint Session
• Arcata High Keeps Growing and Growing While McKinleyville High’s Student Population Stays the Same, and It’s Starting to Cause Problems at Both Schools
• A California Program to Fix Mobile Home Parks Approved 1 Application in 10 Years. Will a Rebrand Work?

HUMBOLDT TODAY can be viewed on LoCO’s homepage each night starting at 6 p.m.

Want to LISTEN to HUMBOLDT TODAY? Subscribe to the podcast version here.

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Press release from Ridges to Riffles:

San Francisco, CA –  Last week, the Yurok Tribe, with the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA) and the Institute for Fisheries Resources (IFR), sued the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) to ensure enough water will remain in the Klamath River to protect threatened coho salmon and endangered resident killer whales.

In February, BOR reduced Klamath River flows below the mandatory minimum required to preserve extremely at-risk coho salmon stocks. The water reduction will dry up critical habitat for juvenile coho and Chinook or king salmon. Federal fisheries managers are poised to shut down the ocean commercial salmon fishing season in California due to this year’s dismal Chinook salmon forecast on the Klamath River. The Yurok Tribe will be canceling its commercial fishery for the fifth consecutive year to protect fish runs. 

“The flow reduction is unacceptable and unjustifiable given this winter’s heavy rainfall,” said Yurok Vice Chairman Frankie Myers. “Dropping flows below the bare minimum is the nuclear option. We repeatedly asked BOR to take a more measured approach to water management, but they refused to listen. Our only recourse was to petition the court to reverse this terrible decision and protect our most sacred resource.” 

The Yurok Tribe, whose culture and livelihood depend on the Klamath River and its salmon, joined with the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA) and Institute for Fisheries Resources (IFR), two major fishing industry groups, to file the lawsuit to protect the salmon that are the foundation of their members’ ways of life and of the coastal fishing economy.

The lawsuit claims the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) failed to meet its obligation to protect salmon and orcas under the Endangered Species Act and seeks to stop water deliveries for irrigation until the agency complies with minimum water flow requirements for the river required by the ESA to ensure the species’ survival.

Reducing Klamath River flows below the mandatory minimum will damage the rearing habitat of juvenile salmon and dewater salmon redds. The lawsuit aims to force BOR to meet river flows as directed by the salmon Biological Opinion, which is based on the best available science. 

BOR is the federal agency that built and manages the Klamath Irrigation Project to provide irrigation deliveries to 225,000 of agricultural lands that were once wetlands and lakes. The Project was built in the early 20th century.

BOR created the shortfall when it increased water deliveries to agricultural users last year, despite the risk to salmon. Then, BOR claimed there wasn’t enough water in the lake to meet ESA needs this year and dropped river flows 16% below the minimum required by the Endangered Species Act. BOR also failed to consult with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the federal agency tasked with protecting salmon under the ESA, when it decided to violate its plans by going below minimum flows.

“We are deeply disappointed by the BOR’s decision to cut river flows. We just broke ground on the biggest salmon restoration project in history and BOR’s actions threaten to undermine this progress, ” said Amy Cordalis, legal counsel for the Yurok Tribe and a tribal member. “The Klamath River and its salmon are essential to our culture and our way of life. We will not stand idly by while our river and our fish are put at risk.”

Dams currently block salmon from over 400 miles of historical habitat  upstream. The removal of four Klamath River dams and restoration of 38 miles of river between the dams is already underway. Dam removal will restore fish passage, improve water quality, and restore habitat along the river. The project is a collaborative effort between the federal government, the states of California and Oregon, and various stakeholders, including Klamath Basin Tribes, environmental and fishing organizations, and local communities. 

Tragically, however, these restoration efforts could fail if salmon are not protected while the dams are being removed and habitat is being restored. Recent low salmon numbers in the region underscore the importance of maintaining minimum river flows in the Klamath.

“The Bureau of Reclamation is harming salmon and violating the ESA even as West Coast salmon fisheries are closing because of poor Klamath stocks,” said Patti Goldman, senior attorney at Earthjustice, who filed the lawsuit with the Tribe’s Counsel. “Salmon cannot afford another year of mismanagement.” 

“The Bureau of Reclamation is jeopardizing the very existence of ESA-protected salmon throughout the lower river with this illegal water grab,” said PCFFA/IFR Executive Director Glen Spain. “When the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Biologists set the ‘minimum flows necessary to prevent extinction,’ they meant what they said. That minimum has to be the lowest these flows should go – not 16% below that minimum. Minimum means minimum, and it’s simply not optional if these fish are to survive.” 

Very low salmon runs from the Klamath have triggered widespread ocean fisheries closures like we are seeing this year – closing down coastal salmon-dependent communities and costing them hundreds of millions of dollars in economic losses. Both coastal and Tribal in-river salmon fisheries have been closed or severely restricted in most recent years for lack of enough water left in the river to sustain salmon. This illegal Bureau water grab will prevent the fish runs and salmon-based economies from recovering. 

Arcata High School is currently nearly twice the size of McKinleyville High School. Why? One of the main factors is intradistrict transfer students, who live in McKinleyville but attend Arcata High. This has become so significant that the Northern Humboldt Union High School district has established a task force to look into the matter.

The Enrollment Task Force (ETF) met for the first time on February 10, with the stated purpose of “understand[ing] the impact on teaching and learning due to enrollment disparity.” The task force consists of students, parents, staff and members of the administration from both McKinleyville and Arcata.

“The district’s idea [was] to get a whole bunch people together from all different parts of the district and help look at what we can do to make the schools more even, and to see why so many kids are not going to McKinleyville,” Maureen Kiritsy, an Arcata High teacher and member of the task force, said.

The district is divided into two zones of enrollment. High school students who live south of Orick to the Mad River are zoned to attend McKinleyville High, while students who live south of the Mad River to Jacoby Creek (extending into areas like Sunny Brae) are zoned to attend Arcata. If students want to attend a school outside their enrollment zone, they must get an intradistrict transfer.

Thirty-six percent of Arcata High’s population are transfer students – 21 percent intradistrict, and 15 percent interdistrict (from outside of the Northern Humboldt Union High School District entirely). Only a little more than 5 percent of McKinleyville High’s population are transfer students – 3 percent intradistrict and 2.7 percent interdistrict.

Since 2017, Arcata High’s student population increased by 163 students, growing from 889 to 1,052, while McKinleyville High’s population has stayed essentially the same, growing from 555 students to 556.

“I think because the disparity is getting a little more extreme,” said Superintendent Roger Macdonald. “There are issues at both schools that aren’t great for teaching and learning that are happening, and so the board asked me to look into it.”

Too much growth comes with growing pains. The disparity has become a problem for both Arcata High and McKinleyville High. McKinleyville High wants more students, and Arcata High, whose population increased by 46 students this school year, feels overcrowded.

In “Arcata High enrollment and concerns,” from the Pepperbox’s October issue, students and staff reported overcrowding, limited classroom space, larger classes and overtaxed staff.

“Some teachers have to share their classrooms, which never used to happen. Last year I had to share my classroom with another teacher during prep. To clear out of your classroom and not have a place for prep is really hard,” said Kay Wozniak, an Arcata High math teacher. “The impact is there. There’s a shortage of classrooms, for sure.”

Kiritsy explained that part of the Enrollment Task Force’s goal was to figure out what student population is right for Arcata High. They’re looking to find a “sweetspot number,” where all the classes are full but the school isn’t overcrowded.

Many students choose Arcata High because of programs not available at McKinleyville High.

Ohsoo Kwan is an Arcata High sophomore and intradistrict transfer student who lives in McKinleyville.

“I feel like students would get restricted a lot from the policy,” he said, referring to the potential limiting of intradistrict transfers.

Kwan thinks that the freedom intradistrict transfers give students is important, mentioning offerings like Arcata High’s AP Computer Science class.

Kiritsy pointed to similar reasons for the disparity.

“We kind of know a lot of the reasons,” she said. “There are a lot of programs like music and AAI and stuff, but it’s like a catch-22. We have all these great programs because we have more kids. We want to be able to have all those good programs so that kids will want to go there, but there’s not enough kids going there right now so you can’t offer those. It’s like this vicious cycle right? How do we fix that?”

The task force is also analyzing elementary and middle schools in the district and which high schools they feed into as a potential factor in the disparity. Many intradistrict transfer students at Arcata High cite their K-8 school location as the reason for their transfer.

“I’ve always been with Arcata schools,” said Sean Shermer, senior and intradistrict transfer student at Arcata High. “I went to Arcata High because I was already in the district.” Shermer attended Jacoby Creek School. “The educational understanding at JCS was very unique, it wasn’t anything like Morris or anywhere else you could go,” he said.

Shermer sees the ability to transfer to another school in a student’s district as important. Other intradistrict transfer students felt similarly.

“I went to middle school in Arcata,” said sophomore and intradistrict transfer student at Arcata High Cal Tucker, explaining his decision to transfer. “My parents put me and my brother [in Arcata K-8 schools] because they thought we would get a better education.”

Tucker said the idea of going to a high school in McKinleyville after middle school in Arcata would have made the transition difficult.

“If I went to middle school in McKinleyville and then to high school in McKinleyville then it would be fine,” he said. “If I had to go now, it would probably be fine but I would definitely not enjoy it.”

The ETF is looking to interview a variety of students and families to understand why people choose the high schools they do. Macdonald referred to this step of the process as “empathy interviews.” The ETF has compiled data on the percentage of economically disadvantaged students enrolled at both high schools, the percentage of students of color, percentage of special education and the percentage of homeless students at both high schools. McKinleyville High has a significantly higher percentage of economically disadvantaged, POC, and special education students. According to Macdonald the task force will first examine the raw numbers and data regarding intradistrict transfers. The next step will examine the causes of intradistrict transfers, and then the impact of enrollment disparity. The EFT will present their findings to the school board sometime in mid- to late spring.

The school board will then make a decision about a potential policy change. Students currently applying for an intradistrict transfer to attend Arcata High next year have been placed on a waiting list. He said that students and families will be notified late in the spring semester about the ETF’s findings, and whether or not their intradistrict transfer will be approved.

“If the board were to ask me to make any big changes, we’d want those big changes to be made on data, we’d want to understand the issue really well,” Macdonald said.

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Dylan Berman is co-editor in chief of Arcata High’s Pepperbox newspaper.