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PREVIOUSLY:

• In Coast Central Credit Union’s First Competitive Board Election in Nine Years, a Slate of New Candidates Aims to Boost Member Involvement
• Incumbents Win Re-Election to Coast Central Credit Union Board, Along With One Newcomer
• For the Second Year Running, Coast Central Credit Union Board Election Sees Challenger Focused on Transparency, Greater Member Involvement

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Press release from Carrie Peyton-Dahlberg:

In the wake of a complaint to state regulators, Coast Central Credit Union recently posted on its website the vote counts from the last two annual elections for its board of directors.

“This is a huge step, coming after months of refusing to disclose these numbers, and I commend the credit union and its board for releasing the vote tallies,” said Carrie Peyton-Dahlberg, who brought the complaint to the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation.

According to the Coast Central website, January 2023 vote tallies for the board of directors were:

• Kelly Walsh: 1,545 votes (54.5%), elected to a 3-year term
• Rees Hughes: 1,359 votes (47.9%), elected to a 3-year term
• John Gladding: 1,271 votes (44.8%), elected to a 3-year term
• James Kloor: 1,141 votes (40.2%), not elected
• Maricela Aceves Wexler: 1,103 votes (38.9%), not elected
• Kassidy Banducci:1,010 votes (35.6%), not elected
• Dane Valadao: 848 votes (29.9%), not elected

According to Coast Central’s website, January 2024 vote tallies were:

Volunteer Board of Directors

• Matt Wakefield: 1,641 votes (73.1%), elected to a 3-year term
• Terry Anne Meierding: 1,600 votes (71.3%), elected to a 3-year term
• Ron Rudebock: 1,520 votes (67.7%), elected to a 3-year term
• Dane Valadao: 1,346 votes (60.0%), elected to a 1-year term for the remainder of a 2023 retiree’s term
• Carrie Peyton-Dahlberg: 1,174 votes (52.3%), not elected

Volunteer Supervisory Committee

• Paula Mushrush: 1,881 votes (83.8%), elected to a 3-year term

Ron Rudebock, chair of Coast Central’s board of directors, explained the credit union’s change of heart in a formal response to the state, which was addressed to Peyton-Dahlberg but emailed to the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation.

“In response to members requests at the annual meeting and in the spirit of enhanced transparency and goodwill, we have taken the additional step of posting the vote totals from the previous year on our website,” Rudebock wrote. “We hope this action demonstrates our commitment to transparency and our dedication to addressing the concerns of our members.”

For more than a year, James Sessa, president/CEO of the member-owned credit union, declined multiple requests from past candidates, their supporters and members of the media to release the 2023 numbers. Among those who asked, and were turned down, were James Kloor, who ran for the credit union board of directors on the “Members Voice” ticket in January 2023, and Peyton-Dahlberg, who ran for the board of directors in January 2024.

In addition, during a question period after the Coast Central Credit Union annual meeting in February 2024, several member-owners asked for more detailed election results, including listing the actual votes received by each candidate, rather than just providing the names of winners. However, Sessa countered that Coast Central does not release vote tallies because it wants all elected board members to be seen as being on equal footing, no matter how many votes they received.

The day after that meeting, on Feb. 23, Peyton-Dahlberg filed her complaint with the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, asking the state to require that the vote totals be released.

The state notified Peyton-Dahlberg on March 15 via Rudebock’s letter that the vote counts are now released.

The vote totals themselves, rather than just the names of winners, were important for several reasons, Peyton-Dahlberg wrote in her complaint to the state. First, if the tally had been very close, it would have raised questions about how Coast Central handled its procedures for disqualifying votes based on signature discrepancies. Second, the board of directors needed that hard data on how member-owners viewed different candidates and their ideas.

A subcommittee of the board considered both Wexler and Valadao, among others, for appointment to several board vacancies that arose later in 2023. They appointed Valadao even though he received 255 fewer votes than Wexler, who ran on the “Members Voice” slate. They also appointed Wakefield and Meierding, passing up two other opportunities to appoint Wexler.

In her complaint to the state, Peyton-Dahlberg argued that making these appointments without knowing the vote totals of all applicants violated the board’s duty to act in the best interests of its member-owners. That issue was not addressed by the state. In his letter, Rudebock wrote that the appointment subcommittee relies on “a comprehensive understanding of the qualifications and contributions of each candidate and the talent gaps within the board to make informed decisions, rather than solely on the number of votes they received.”

With Coast Central’s written response, the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation has now closed the file on Peyton-Dahlberg’s complaint. It explained: “Please understand that this does not mean your concerns do not have merit. The DFPI provides a service by requiring its licensees to respond to consumer complaints in writing. But, in general, the DFPI cannot intervene on behalf of individual consumers in any particular case. The Department brings consumer protection actions when we find patterns of deception, misrepresentation or unfair business practices of statewide interest.”

The department regulates credit unions and other financial service providers, and Peyton-Dahlberg encouraged anyone having consumer issues with their bank or credit union to turn to it as a possible resource.

She also urged Coast Central member-owners to use their comment cards to ask for further progress, such as publicly announcing board vacancies, revising board election rules so they don’t hinder election outreach, and changing the board appointment process so that future vacancies can be filled in a way that is more representative of community demographics.

“Coast Central is moving in a good direction, including releasing these numbers, putting 2024 election reminders in each branch and making sure that its ballots were sent in clearly labeled envelopes,” Peyton-Dahlberg said. “All of these are big improvements over the January 2023 election, and I hope this is starting a new trend.

 “Bit by bit, if member-owners stay involved, we can encourage Coast Central to move further down this path of listening to the people who own it,” she said. 

Press release from Humboldt Bay Fire:

On 3/18/2024 @ approximately 03:20 Humboldt Bay Fire responded to a reported house on fire on Surfside Drive in the Humboldt Hill area of Eureka. Humboldt Bay Fire responded with 1 Chief Officer, 3 Fire Engines and 1 Fire Truck for a total of 14 professional fire service personnel.

The first fire crew arrived on scene and reported a fire burning in the home. Units quickly went to work to simultaneously search for trapped occupants, remove smoke from the residence, and extinguish the fire. The fire was extinguished in about 45 minutes. It took approximately 2 hours to stabilize the entire incident. After the fire was extinguished Humboldt Bay Fire Department investigators began to determine the cause of the fire, which is still under investigation at this time. PG&E responded and removed the utility hazards.

Total estimated property value saved is $400,000. Damage is estimated at $175,000, and there was no civilian or firefighter injuries.

Humboldt Bay Fire would like to remind everyone that overloading a home with belongings can lead to significant fire danger. This can cause difficulty evacuating in an emergency and if there is a fire it can cause very heavy smoke and flame conditions making an already dangerous problem worse.

Press release from the Fortuna Police Department:

Chief Day!

On Friday, March 15, 2024, Fortuna Police Chief Casey J. Day graduated as a member of the 289th session of the FBI National Academy. The graduation took place at the National Academy in Quantico, Virginia on March 15, 2024. Chief Day is the first executive from the Fortuna Police Department to ever complete this prestigious program. Nationally, fewer than one percent of officers have the opportunity to attend the program.

Internationally known for its academic excellence, the National Academy offers ten weeks of advanced communication, leadership, and fitness training. Participants must have proven records as professionals within their agencies to attend. On average, these officers have 21 years of law enforcement experience and usually return to their agencies to serve in executive-level positions. Chief Day has been the Chief of Police in Fortuna since July of 2020.

The 289th session consisted of one-hundred and ninety-seven law enforcement officers who graduated on Friday from the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. The 289th session of the National Academy consisted of men and women from 47 states and the District of Columbia. The class included members of law enforcement agencies from 23 countries, four military organizations, and five federal civilian organizations. Quote from Chief Day: “It was an honor to be selected and to attend the 289th session of the National Academy”. “I want to thank my wife Amber and my family for the overwhelming support while I was away”.

“I also want to thank the members of the Fortuna Police Employees Association, my command staff, City Manager Merritt Perry and the Fortuna City Council for their unwavering support while I attended the National Academy”. The National Academy is one of the finest leadership institutions in the world and I will always be grateful for the opportunity to attend”.

Bio Chief Day:

Casey is the 18th Chief of Police for the Fortuna Police Department. Casey has a Masters Degree from Arizona State University in Criminal Justice and a Bachelors Degree in Organizational Leadership from Simpson University. Casey is a graduate of the POST Management Course and POST Executive Development Course and is also a graduate of the prestigious POST Command College. Casey is the Region 1 Representative for the California Police Chief’s Association Board of Directors and served as the immediate past President for the Law Enforcement Chief’s Association of Humboldt. Casey is a United States Marine Corps veteran and served domestically and abroad.

About Fortuna Police:

The Fortuna Police Department is a full service municipal police department serving the City of Fortuna, which is located in the Eel River Valley region of Humboldt County California.

About the FBI National Academy:

FBI Academy instructors, special agents, and other staff with advanced degrees provide the training; many instructors are recognized internationally in their fields. Since 1972, National Academy students have been able to earn undergraduate and graduate credits from the University of Virginia, which accredits many of the courses offered. A total of 54,985 graduates have completed the FBI National Academy since it began in 1935. The National Academy is held at the FBI Training Academy in Quantico, the same facility where the FBI trains its new special agents and intelligence analysts.

Annette Marie Adams
June 23, 1949 – March 15, 2024
74 years old
Ferndale, California

Annette Marie Adams, a beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, and dear friend, passed away peacefully on March 15, 2024, at the age of 74, in Ferndale.

Born on June 23, 1949, in Scotia, Annette was the daughter of Mary Ellen Laffranchi and the late Severino Laffranchi. She grew up alongside her brothers, Robert and Donald Laffranchi, in a loving and large family.

Annette is survived by her mother, Mary Ellen Laffranchi, her brother, Donald Laffranchi, as well as her children: Kassie McCall, Tina White, Paula Dickerson, and James Adams, along with their spouses: Rodney McCall, Paul White, Maggie Adams, Danny Dickerson, Jeremy Farley, and Sean Hamilton. Annette’s legacy continues through her grandchildren: Jordan Kortus and husband Ben, Wyatt McCall and wife McKenzie, Myranda Hamilton, Madison Adams, Austin White, and Emma McCall, Samiro Adams, and Taviano Adams as well as her great- grandchildren: Cooper, Reign, Jackson, Ramiri, Walker, Baker (to arrive in June), and another great-grandchild on the way. She is also survived by her sisters-in-law: Cheryl and Carol Laffranchi and her nieces and nephews: Donald Laffranchi, Lauri Laffranchi, Michelle Laffranchi, and Nicole Laffranchi.Annette was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Samuel Adams, her father, Severino Laffranchi, and her brother, Robert Laffranchi.

Annette attended California Polytechnic State University, in San Luis Obispo and had a deep love for flowers. She found joy in tending to her flower gardens and decorating the Church of the Assumption with flowers for holidays. Annette’s generous spirit was evident in her love for hosting family reunions and events, where she cherished spending time with her large family and extensive network of friends. Over the years, Annette enjoyed raising her children at home, working for Home Depot Corporate office in Atlanta, Georgia, and spending over twenty years employed with C Crane in Fortuna, where she developed a work family that she treasured over the years.

Throughout her life, Annette’s kindness and compassion touched the lives of all who knew her. She lived in Ferndale most of her life but also had the opportunity to live in Germany, Texas, and Georgia.

Annette’s memory will forever be cherished by her family and friends. She leaves behind a legacy of love, generosity, and warmth that will continue to inspire those who were fortunate enough to know her.This obituary was created in celebration of Annette’s life by her children.

A viewing and rosary will be held for Annette on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Church of the Assumption in Ferndale at 7:15 p.m.

A celebration of Annette’s life will be held at The Church of the Assumption in Ferndale on Saturday, March 23, 2024, at 9 a.m. with a graveside service and reception to follow.

Annette had a love of flowers, however, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Church of the Assumption in Ferndale in Annette’s honor.

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

“All new thinking is about loss/In this it resembles all the old thinking.”

— Robert Hass, Meditation at Lagunitas

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So much of my, and perhaps your, experience of life centers around loss and absence. Aging is the loss of youth, sickness the loss of health, homeless the loss of home, hunger and thirst the absence of food and drink, divorce the loss of a stable relationship, dementia the loss of sanity, dark and silence the absence of light and sound, death the absence of life…

In my experience, loss feels much more important than gain: Louisa and I have a game we play, when one of us finds something that was lost — keys, phone, library book. “Are you are as happy to have found it as you were unhappy when it was lost?” we ask the other. No, never. Loss is so much more intense! Loss is visceral — I can feel it in my body when my phone goes missing. But when I find it, it’s just, “Oh good, move on.”

It’s said that we only really appreciate someone by their absence. That was sure the case with “losing” both parents: regrets at not having this or that conversation, asking them questions that I’ll never know the answer to, wishing I’d said this or that I hadn’t said that. (For instance, they both lived through the depression, which was as catastrophic in Britain as it was in the US, if not more so. I wish I’d asked my Mum and Dad about their experience in the thirties.) Is that why we, at least as a society, fret about death? The loss of this body (presumably, unless death conquers all, including the First Law of Thermodynamics), the loss of memories (Second Law), the loss of sensation, of sunrises and sunsets, aroma of coffee, rain, stars at night?

I don’t hold with those who cling to the forlorn hope that death isn’t a loss at all, but a gaining of many good things in a blissful hereafter. Nor would I want that. The ancient Greeks, facing the approaching loss of life, were more down to Earth about their prospects; their hereafter was dull, dreary and boring as hell. Not Hell, though. Hades wasn’t a place of punishment, and (at least in their early mythology) saints and sinners shared the same fate: Your essence/psyche departed from your corpse, and there you were, rich man, poor man, beggar man and thief, stuck for ever in the gloom.

So, loss: Intrinsic to life and death. Alexander Graham Bell said that, when one door closes, another opens. Which, to this realist, sounds like sour grapes. Better to spend a few minutes or years fully grieving one’s loss than carrying on stoically and optimistically. And to remember, we feel loss acutely for good reason, because there were and are lessons to be learned in life. We’d never learn if we didn’t feel the pain/guilt/remorse which accompanies loss. And, if all else fails, there’s always Janis singing Kris Kristofferson: Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose…

We lost Janis, who joined the 27 Club (along with Brian, Jimi, Jim, Kurt and Amy) in 1970. That’s one loss I still grieve.

Jean Carolyn Johnston Lawry — longtime bookstore manager and proud mother, grandmother, sister, and auntie — passed away at her home in Eureka on February 20, 2024. She was 81.

The middle child of Wayne and Virginia (Mullin) Johnston, Jean was born January 17, 1943, in Oakland. Along with her older siblings Bill Johnston and Judy Johnston Giannini, the family moved to Eureka in 1945, where Jean was later blessed with two more siblings - Helyn Johnston and Wayne (Corky) Johnston.

Following in the footsteps of her big sister, Jean attended St. Bernard’s High School in Eureka, graduating in 1961. It was at St. Bernard’s where she first met Neal Tierney (Class of ‘59). The two married in 1963 and had three children together - Jennifer, David, and Michael. Although the marriage ultimately ended, Jean and Neal remained friends throughout their lives.

In her early twenties, Jean worked for a few years as a teller at Bank of America in Eureka. Soon, however, her true calling became too strong to ignore, and she went to work in the family business — Fireplace Bookshop, located at the old Eureka Mall where Winco, Michael’s, and CVS Pharmacy are today. Jean helped her parents run the store very successfully for many years, eventually taking over as owner in 1990. For decades, Fireplace Bookshop had been renowned for its impressive inventory (30,000 titles spanning 50 categories) and excellent customer service. Jean was great with people, and it showed in her work and the many friendships she made over the years. Unfortunately, amid the rising challenges of competing with the national bookstore chains that had come to Eureka (not to mention a little startup online bookstore called Amazon), Fireplace Bookshop was forced to shut its doors in 1996.

It was during this period of her life that Jean met Richard (Rick) Lawry, and the two were married in 1990. Jean remained close to the Lawry family, even after the marriage ended several years later.

After closing the bookstore, Jean was undeterred from her lifelong love of books. She was soon hired by the College of the Redwoods bookstore in 1997 as a Bookstore Assistant, and she worked in this capacity for 10 years before landing a promotion to Bookstore Manager in 2007. Reporting to the Vice President of Business Services, Jean brought her considerable business and interpersonal skills to the manager role for five years before retiring in 2012. Jean often reflected on how much she enjoyed working with the students, faculty, and administration at College of the Redwoods.

In retirement, Jean had more time to devote to the things that she loved the most in life: reading, tending to her beautiful flower gardens, watching birds feast in the feeders that she always kept well-stocked, and spending time with her family. She was a proud and involved grandmother who rarely missed a ball game, recital, or performance, and after-school pickups and hangouts at Grammy’s house were a common (and fun) occurrence.

Family meant the world to Jean, and some of her fondest memories were the family gatherings at Gigi and Papa’s (as her parents were known to their grandchildren), where Papa would play the piano and everyone would sing songs, or when she was a child and Papa’s sister Auntie Beryl would pull up to the house at Christmas in a car jam-packed with the most exquisitely wrapped packages for Jean and her siblings. It gave Jean unending joy to pass on the history and Irish heritage of the Johnston and Mullin families through storytelling - usually leaving the listener doubled over in laughter! Even if a story had been told a hundred times before (and sometimes it had), you always wanted to hear it again, the way Jean told it.

Throughout her life, Jean also found great enjoyment in following the San Francisco pro sports teams, especially the Giants and the 49ers. And if you stopped by Jean’s place on a summer afternoon, it was not unusual to hear the quiet, soothing sounds of golf coming from the television, just as it had during the many summers spent at the Johnston family cabins in Petrolia or Willow Creek over the years.

Jean was a huge music lover, with Barbara Streisand, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Dave Brubeck, and the Kingston Trio among her favorite performers. As a young lady, she would listen to these artists on the radio in one of the several “cool” cars that she drove, whether it be the MG (with the top down), the Volkswagen Beetle, or the ‘57 Thunderbird. Jean also dabbled in modeling for local advertisers in her younger years.

Those of us who were fortunate enough to know Jean will always remember the joy that she brought to our lives through laughter, celebration, music, and the love that she held in her heart for her family and friends - the same love that they held in their hearts for her. She was one of one… as Irish as the day is long… and a beautiful soul we will never forget.

Jean was preceded in death by her parents, Wayne and Virginia Johnston, her brother Bill Johnston, and her sister Judy Giannini. She is survived by her daughter, Jennifer Tierney of Roseburg, OR; her sons David (Kristin) Tierney of Eureka, and Michael (Lizette) Tierney of Arcata; her grandsons Jacob Tierney of Sacramento, Jordan Tierney of Santa Rosa, and Wiyot Tierney, Santiago Tierney, and Patrick Tierney, all of Arcata; her sister and best friend Helyn Johnston of Eureka; her brother Corky Johnston (Vida Holguin) of Manhattan Beach, CA; her brother-in-law Nick Giannini of Eureka; her nephews John Giannini of Lake Havasu City, AZ, Matt (Linda) Giannini of Citrus Heights, CA, Tom Johnston of Carlsbad, CA, and Drew Johnston of Lebanon, OR; her nieces Felicia (Mark) Costa of Eureka, Sarah Johnston of Hollywood, Carrie DeBonis of Woodstock, MD, Jessica Johnston (Jessemin Sage) of Portland, OR, Virginia “Gina” Johnston (Keola Delatori) of Redondo Beach, CA, and Kathryn “Katie” Johnston (Michael Masenga) of Gardena, CA; and 14 great nieces and nephews.

Jean, Mom, Grammy, Auntie, sister, friend… until we meet again, may the road rise to meet you, and may the wind be ever at your back.

A memorial mass will be held at 3 p.m. on Friday April 12 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Eureka. All family, friends, acquaintances are welcome, and all are invited to wear a touch of green in celebration of Jean’s Irish heritage. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, a donation be made to the charity of one’s choice.

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

Spice up your life by checking out the spectacular dunes of Humboldt County! Just like the shifting sands of Arrakis in the iconic Dune series, these sandy landscapes are home to unique and fragile ecosystems, adapted over millennia, which were once at threat from exploitation. And who are the Fremen that protect our dunes from OHVs, invasive species, and other threats? Meet Suzie Fortner, the new executive director of Friends of the Dunes. Suzie and outgoing executive director Mike Cipra join the show to discuss the restoration and education work of the Friends and why our Dunes are worth fighting for!

Need some gear? Check out the annual Get Outside Gear Sale on April 6 (open for members starting at 11am-noon and the general public 12-6pm). Or donate your own used gear! *No Stillsuits, used helmets, weapons, skis, snowboards, moldy/rusty items, and other similar items.

Want more? Meet the original Muad’Dib of the dunes, Hortense Lanphere.