It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Eric Michael Matilton, of Hoopa, CA. He passed away with his family by his side on December 2, 2023, at the age of 38.
Eric was born on March 21, 1985, to Clyde Jr. and Jeanine Matilton. Eric leaves behind his loving wife, Carrie “Shells” Ames, along with his three sons: Eric Jr., Kaydon and Cam Matilton, and step-daughter Lillian Neuroth.
Eric is also survived by his siblings: Billy (Naomi) Matilton; their children Jacob and Josie, Tara Matilton; her children Kiera and Jaylee; Quentin (Tescheanche) Matilton, their children Jett and Quinn; Jerrett Matilton, Christina Carpenter, her children Ryan & K’idiwisch’e; and Shirley Matilton.
Uncles and Aunts include Tis-mil (Shannon) Matilton, Ernie (Francene) Marshall, Bradley Marshall, Steve Matilton, Kevin Matilton, Tammie & Tommie Evenson, Sheryl and Teresa Matilton; his grandmother Erma Marshall; nieces and nephews Ryan Ames, Rianna, kionna and Jesse Bain; and Peyton Dean, along with numerous cousins and extended family and his fur baby Tek. Eric also leaves behind his long-time childhood friend Johnny Blake.
Eric is preceded in death by his grandparents Clyde Sr. and Lynette Matilton, Vernon “Snooks” Marshall, Nella Evans Johnson, and Elsie Smith.
Eric was a proud member of the Hoopa Valley Tribe, was born and raised on the beautiful Hoopa Reservation. He attended Hoopa Elementary and graduated from Hoopa Valley High School in 2003. Eric participated in youth & high school football and was very involved in the Hupa Language.
Eric was a devoted husband and father. His children were the center of his world. Eric’s light was always brighter when he was participating in activities with his sons. He truly enjoyed cutting wood, fishing, hunting, taking photographs and carving with his sons.
Eric was also a faithful San Francisco 49er fan. Whether it was in the heart of the Bay or surrounded by family and friends in his parents living room, Eric was always there rooting for his team. He, his father and brothers shared many memories that will forever last a lifetime.
Eric was most known for his kind and gentle nature. His smile warmed your heart and his character lit up a room. He was always doing kind gestures to make his family smile. His caring demeanor also showed in his love for animals, as he was always taking in stray dogs and cats.
Pallbearers include: Billy, Quentin, Jerrett, Ryan, Tis-mil, and Kyle Matilton, David Schnoor, Johnny Blake and Bronson Lewis. Honorary Pallbearers include: Eric Jr., Kaydon, Cam, Jacob, Steve, Kevin, Jett and Page Matilton.
Services will be held on Friday, December 8th at 1pm at Tish Tang Campground with a reception following at the Hoopa Fire Hall. In lieu of flowers, please donate to a local animal shelter or rescue mission or consider becoming an organ donor.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Eric Matilton’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.
Dorothy Joyce Lyman Mather died on November 26, 2023 in Arcata. She
was born in Grand Island, Nebraska on October 30, 1930.
She and her parents
Ralph and Dorothy Lyman came to Arcata in 1936. She was a graduate of
Arcata Union High School and San Jose State University, where she was
a member of Gamma Phi Beta sorority. After graduation, she returned
to Arcata and worked as executive secretary to Robert Matthews at A.
Brizard, Inc. until her marriage to Deane Mather in 1952, when she
became a full-time homemaker.
Joyce held various
offices and served on the executive boards of Humboldt Sponsors,
Jacoby Creek P.T.A. and Arcata and Eureka Republican Women’s Clubs.
She was a member of RN chapter of P.E.O., Arcata chapter Order of
Eastern Star, Baywood Golf and Country Club and Arcata First
Presbyterian Church.
Her greatest joy in life was being with her family. She liked to play
bridge, and belonged to several bridge clubs. She also liked to
travel, especially exploring the culture, sights and foods of France.
Joyce was
predeceased by her husband Deane Burdett Mather, her parents Ralph
and Dorothy Lyman, and brother Richard Fulton Lyman.
She is survived by
her children Karen Schrage, Debra Mather, Terri Morris and Michael
Mather; son-in-law Gary Schrage, son-in-law Clair Morris,
daughter-in-law Deanna Mather; grandchildren Tiffany Mashburn, Trevor
Schrage, Timothy Koch, Ashlyn Mather, Ellise Mather, Max Mather and
Reid Mather; great-grandchildren Kaylin and Jace Mashburn.
At her request,
there will be no services.
Memorial donations
may be made to Humboldt Sponsors, P.E.O., or the donor’s favorite
charity.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Joyce Mather’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.
The Little Caesar’s at 898 Main Street, Fortuna is actually opening soon! | Photo: Stephanie McGeary
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If you’re one of the many people who has been wondering when the heck the Little Caesar’s that’s been sitting, looking fully ready to go, on Main Street in Fortuna is actually going to open, then you will be excited to know that the pizza chain location is slated to open its doors at the beginning of 2024.
Many of you are likely saying to yourself, “Who gives a shit?” and that is perfectly understandable. After all, Fortuna does have several pizza places already – local favorite Paul’s Live From New York, and chains Round Table and Mountain Mike’s. Does anyone even care whether or not another pizza chain is opening in Fortuna?
Well, yes. They do.
People have been questioning the status of the Little Caesar’s (also often incorrectly spelled Ceasar’s or Cesar’s) in the Friendly City for more than two years now, with people frequently posting questions or comments about it on the Fortuna Happenings Facebook group.
Then, late last year, it seemed like the query had finally been answered, when the Fortuna Little Caesar’s finally opened its doors!
But the restaurant only stayed open very briefly, then closed again without explanation, leaving the community again puzzled.
At some point the topic started to become a bit of a running joke, with people asking about when the pizza chain would open and others often responding that it would open “next Tuesday.” And whenever the pizza chain chatter had died down for a bit, someone would inevitably post about it again to rouse the online community.
In fact, the posts about the Little Caesar’s became so prevalent that, just recently, the group admin decided that enough was enough, began removing posts about the business and suggested that people start their own Facebook group if they wanted to keep discussing it.
“As far as admin is concerned, the group has spoken, and the Little Cesar’s [sic] joke has run its course on this page,” a group admin posted to the Fortuna Happenings page on Nov. 10. “Until there is new and credible information regarding this business, admin will continue to to remove posts about Little Cesar’s [sic] that are only clogging up the feed on this group…My suggestion is, if you’re particularly fond of this subject, start your own FB page and invite people to continue to complain about it there…”
It didn’t take long for the Little Caesar’s die-hards to take the admin up on their suggestion and later that very day a new Facebook group, “Fortuna Little Caesars ‘when will they open’” was born.
Well, now it looks like Fortuna Happenings might have to start allowing Little Caesar’s posts again, because the Outpost has some new and credible information about the business. To get to the bottom of this pizza mystery, we made a trip to Fortuna City Hall and learned that a new owner, Gurbrinder Sandhu, had recently taken over the business and had filed a business license with the City.
Reached by phone on Friday afternoon, Sandhu confirmed that he has been in the process of purchasing the Little Ceasar’s for about two months. He couldn’t say much about why the previous owners decided to sell, but did say they were having “some family issues,” which may have contributed to the location not being open.
Sandhu’s franchise business, GM Fast Food Inc., owns and operates eight other Little Caesar’s locations throughout California, he said, adding that he is very excited about opening the shop in Fortuna.
Because the business is already completely built, has all of the necessary permits in place and has already passed inspections, Sandhu said that taking over the restaurant has been a relatively simple process and that everything is “pretty much ready to go.”
The plan, which Sandhu feels confident about, is to open the doors just after the new year, on Jan. 9.
“Pizza, pizza,” he added. “It’s coming.”
Oh, and in case you were wondering, Jan. 9 is, in fact, a Tuesday.
Video of today’s press conference at McKinleyville High today.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and allied agencies believe they are “extremely” close to identifying suspects in the rash of threats leveled at McKinleyville High School over the last two weeks.
That’s according to Lt. Kyle Holt, the head of the Sheriff’s Office’s Major Crimes Division, who spoke at a press conference at the entrance to McKinleyville High a few moments ago.
Though Holt said he could not give many specifics about the nature of the investigation, he did say that search warrants are being filed in conjunction with their “exhaustive” investigation, which is being conducted with the help of the FBI.
“What I can tell you is that all of the threats that we’ve received in the last two weeks were received via telephone,” Holt said. “The source of those telephone calls are using sophisticated technology to try to conceal their identity and their location.”
Parents at the press conference expressed their frustration to Holt and Northern Humboldt Union High School District Superintendent Roger Macdonald. Some, after two stressful weeks, broke out in tears as they spoke.
One father bemoaned the lack of specific details about the nature of the threats, saying that it made it impossible for him to decide whether he should allow his child to come to school or not. He added that he’s keeping his daughter home for the time being. And though Holt promised to continue to swiftly respond to all future threats, one mother wondered why there wasn’t an officer assigned to be physically on campus, instead of just patrolling the perimeter in their vehicle.
Though he said he didn’t have any figures at hand, Macdonald said that there has been a decline in attendance over the last couple of weeks, though he said only a couple of families have questioned whether or not their child could continue at McKinleyville High.
“I think most people recognize this is a short-term situation,” he said.
The full press conference can be viewed in the video above.
Superintendent Roger Macdonald. Photos: Andrew Goff.
Release from the Office of California State Senator Mike McGuire:
McGuire’s Holiday Food Drive Smashes All Records, Collects A Staggering 14 Tons of Food and $52,000 (and Still Counting)
Partnering with Six Local High Schools, KHUM and Food For People, Community Rallies For Those in Need
In an overwhelming show of generosity, the community dug deep yesterday to help thousands of neighbors in need at the 8th annual Humboldt Holiday Food Drive, collecting a staggering 30,000 pounds of food and more than $52,000—all in support of the life-changing work of Food for People, Humboldt’s Food Bank.
Senate President Designee Mike McGuire has teamed up with Food For People, KHUM radio and six local high schools for the annual Humboldt Holiday Food Drive for eight years in a row.
With $52,000 going to Food for People—and donations still coming in—this year’s Food Drive raised 50% more than last year, alongside a whopping 29,650 pounds of food to keep Food for People’s pantry stocked through May. This is an amazing feat and it’s become the largest Food Drive in Humboldt County.
“Just Wow! You are amazing, Humboldt! In a year where Food for People is seeing record demand, neighbors stepped up like never before to help the hungriest,” said Senator McGuire. “We owe huge gratitude to the hard-working high school students of Humboldt County and generous Humboldt neighbors who delivered the biggest haul we’ve ever seen in the history of the Food Drive. Words can’t describe our gratitude. We are sincerely grateful for this outpouring of support and generosity.”
Last year, Food for People distributed over 2 million pounds of food to low-income households in every corner of Humboldt. The need is especially great for thousands of kids. A quarter of those served by Food for People are children who depend on others to have enough to eat.
In addition to the community donations, majority of the non-perishable food was collected by thousands of dedicated high school students from six local high schools: Ferndale, Fortuna, St. Bernard’s, Eureka, McKinleyville and Arcata.
St. Bernard’s collected the most food this year with an eye-popping 12,683 pounds for Food For People. They will receive the coveted Golden Can Award and a $750 check from Senator McGuire for their efforts to be used towards their next school dance.
McKinleyville High School worked harder than ever to raise $3,060, the most of any school, and will also take home the Golden Can Award and a $750 check from Senator McGuire.
“We have never seen anything like the Humboldt Holiday Food Drive. The outpouring of support is truly amazing and we are so grateful! The food and funds collected during this event will make a tremendous impact on our friends and neighbors experiencing food insecurity and hunger this winter. We are exceptionally grateful to Senator McGuire, his incredible team, our amazing student leaders for their creative, compassionate, and thoughtful leadership to help people in our community experiencing hunger,” said Carly Robbins, Executive Director of Food for People.
Lost Coast Communications General Manager Nicole Bondurant, Senator Mike McGuire, Food for People Executive Director Carly Robbins, and KHUM DJ Greta Stockwell
The Eureka Police Department today released the names of the two officers involved in the shooting death of 31-year-old Cutten man Matthew Williams, an incident that followed a pursuit and altercation in Old Town on Nov. 26.
The pair are K9 officers, Jeremy Sollom and Nick Jones. According to EPD, Sollom has over seven years of law enforcement experience while Jones has over four years.
“This is an active and ongoing investigation and additional information will be released in
accordance with state law,” EPD said in a brief release announcing the involved officers.
Read previous coverage of the incident at the links below.
Press release from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife:
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is continuing the temporary recreational crab trap restriction from the Sonoma/Mendocino county line to Lopez Point, Monterey County, (Fishing Zones 3 and 4) due to the presence of humpback whales and the potential for entanglement of humpback whales and leatherback sea turtles with trap gear. The recreational trap restriction will be in effect until at least the next risk assessment. The temporary trap restriction currently in effect in Fishing Zone 1 (Cape Mendocino to the Oregon state line) will be lifted at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, at which time the use of recreational crab traps in Fishing Zones 1, 2, 5 and 6 will be allowed. A Fleet Advisory remains in effect for the recreational fishery for all Fishing Zones (1-6). CDFW reminds recreational crabbers that take of Dungeness crab by other methods, including hoop nets and crab snares, is allowed during a temporary trap restriction. CDFW also encourages recreational crabbers to implement best practices, as described in the Best Practices Guide.
The commercial Dungeness crab fishery in all Fishing Zones (1-6) will remain delayed due to high numbers of humpback whales and a recent confirmed entanglement of a leatherback sea turtle in commercial Dungeness crab fishing gear lost in a previous season.
CDFW anticipates the next risk assessment will take place on or around Dec. 21, 2023, at which time Director Charlton H. Bonham will re-evaluate available data to inform the potential for a commercial fishery opener and modification of the recreational trap restriction. For more information related to the risk assessment process, please visit CDFW’s Whale Safe Fisheries page. For more information on the Dungeness crab fishery, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/crab.
