Katherine Annette Martin, 75, a resident of Fortuna, passed away on January 3, 2023. She was born on March 19, 1947, to Martin B. Marks and Wanda M. Altree and was raised in Scotia along with her brothers, Chris Marks (married to Nancy Marks) of Walla Walla, Washington, who preceded her in death, and Skip Marks (married to Sue Marks) of Meridian, Idaho. She graduated from Fortuna Union High School in 1965.

She was a loving mother, grandmother, and friend who was an avid collector who loved being able to help others in finding things they are looking for as well. Many friends of her kids and grandkids, whom she loved just like her own, also referred to her as Mom or Nana. Many will miss her stories, giving nature, quick wit, sarcasm, and different perspective about life and the world around us.

She was blessed with and survived by three children: Kim Lyons of Salyer, Anthony Martin (married to Tamra Martin) of Grants Pass, Oregon, and Raena Mullan of San Mateo. She had seven grandchildren: Macey Randall (married to Nick Randall) of Eureka, Trevor Mullan of Eureka, Andrew Martin of Bethlehem, Penn., Connor Mullan of San Mateo, Shane Mullan of San Mateo, Sara Martin of Grants Pass, Ore., Sophia Martin of Grants Pass, Ore., and two great-grandchildren: Maya and Emmett Randall of Eureka.

Honoring Katherine’s wishes, she wanted no funeral services. She will be cremated and her ashes scattered in Scotia this summer. A celebration of life will be held on April 15, 2023 at the Royal Crest Mobile Estates Clubhouse in Fortuna at 2 p.m.

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

Note: The following was first published by Courthouse News Service. Reproduced with permission.

On the last day of its monthly meetings Friday, the California Coastal Commission approved a bid by the city of Eureka to ban all new digital signs and billboards.

“I’m just delighted. We think they are really ugly,” said Michele McKeegan, the head of Keep Eureka Beautiful’s tree project, a volunteer community advocacy group that supported the legislation. “They’re ugly. They flash and they’re often garish. People just don’t like them.”

Digital billboard signs are LED displays that can rapidly change the images they project.   

According to the commission’s report on the ordinance, there are seven digital signs along Eureka’s coast, some of which are visible from coastal trails.  

“As digital signage in general can be distracting and visually incompatible with scenic coastal areas, the proposed IP amendment as submitted will ensure that no new digital signs will be developed that could detract from the scenic nature of the waterfront as viewed from scenic public vista points and waterfront walkways,” the report says.

The bill doesn’t ban digital signs and billboards outright, only the construction and installation of new ones.  

McKeegan said the germ of the ordinance originally came out of a committee formed by Eureka’s former community development director, which included local business owners, McKeegan, and others. 

The bill then went to the City Council, which passed a ban on digital signs and billboards from certain parts of the city and regulated the brightness of the signs. Because Eureka is on the Pacific coast and the ordinance would change zoning policy, the California Coastal Commission — the state agency assigned to protect and conserve the state’s coastline — had to sign off. 

Not only did the commission approve Eureka’s ordinance, it asked the city to go farther and enact a complete ban on new digital billboards and signs across the city. The city agreed, passed the amended ordinance and sent it to the commission for approval.  

“What we need are trees in our community, not digital billboards, street trees,” McKeegan said. 

Jennifer Kalt, the executive director of Humboldt Baykeeper, a coastal resources advocacy group, said the signs are also dangerous.

“The digital signs are more of an issue of light pollution and safety hazards, particularly on a quite dangerous stretch of US 101 that lacks pedestrian and cycling features,” Kalt wrote in an emailed statement. “We certainly applaud the city for being proactive about this, although it should have been done years ago.”   

When asked to explain the process the city had to go through to enact the ordinance, Eureka’s City Manager Miles Slattery just laughed. 

“A bureaucratic nightmare is what it is,” Slattery said, adding it can take six months or longer to get zoning or other new ordinances passed and enacted since the coastal commission only meets once a month, and their ordinance might not find its way immediately onto the next agenda. 

Slattery said that while sometimes the views and legislative efforts of the city and the coastal commission — and commission members themselves — clash, especially given the commission’s dual mandates to both protect the coastline and make public access to the coastline easier, the city and most Eurekans wanted the ban. 

“A lot of people don’t like us looking like the Las Vegas Strip,” Slattery said, as opposed to the aesthetic of the old Victorian style houses in the community, even though the digital billboards in town are all for local businesses. 

Slattery said Mike Wilson, the North Coast representative on the commission and a Humboldt County supervisor, was one of the main advocates for the ban. 

During Friday’s meeting, Wilson was the only representative who spoke on the ordinance and thanked Eureka for passing it.

HUMBOLDT TODAY: Cal Poly Humboldt attempts to address recent student housing concerns, the Fortuna Police Department attempts to recruit vengeful ex-lovers into its policing efforts, plus a local tribe hopes to train up an offshore wind workforce. Those stories and more in today’s newscast with John Kennedy O’Connor.

FURTHER READING: 

• Trinidad Rancheria Gets Final Permit to Park the Lighthouse Down by the Pier, Permanently
• Yurok Tribe Announces Offshore Wind Workforce Training Initiative With CR, Cal Poly Humboldt

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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PREVIOUSLY:

• (PHOTOS) LIGHTHOUSE MOVED: Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse Trucked to New, ‘Temporary’ Location

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Press release from the Trinidad Rancheria:

The Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria and the Trinidad Civic Club are pleased to announce that the CA Coastal Commission has unanimously approved the permit amendment to enable the Tribe and Civic Club to develop the current temporary site of the Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse into a permanent fixed location. This development will include elevating the lighthouse on a raised concrete foundation with a total height of 24.5 feet (plus spire), a concrete wall and steel railing, a pedestrian walkway with a concrete pedestal to house the fog bell, two observation benches, a historic anchor, lighting, and utility connections to the existing harbor bathroom building.

The Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse was built in 1949 and is a replica of the 1871 Trinidad Head Lighthouse. The purpose of the Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse is to preserve the original 1871 4th Order

Fresnel coal oil lens and the bronze 1898 Fog Bell—both important maritime navigational aids. The Memorial Lighthouse also serves as a monument commemorating those lost or buried at sea and is an iconic symbol of Humboldt County.

In response to coastal erosion in 2017, on adjacent City of Trinidad land, the Civic Club hired an engineering firm to monitor ground movement and make recommendations. Though no movement of the Lighthouse was detected, a proactive decision was made, to protect the monument and sensitive lands below. On January 10, 2018, in coordination between the Trinidad Rancheria, the Trinidad Civic Club and the Yurok Tribe, the Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse and Bell were moved to the Trinidad Rancheria Harbor properties.

The Trinidad Rancheria and Trinidad Civic Club are excited to proceed with this project and develop the final, permanent location for the Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse and Bell. Signage at the site will read, “Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse, a Monument Preserving Maritime History, Dedicated to Those Lost or Buried at Sea” and in the future, will feature commemorative plaques naming those lost or buried at sea. Trinidad Rancheria owns and operates the Trinidad Harbor businesses, including the pier, boat launch, restaurant, vacation rental, public restrooms, and wastewater treatment plant. Chairman Sundberg indicated, “We are pleased with the Coastal Commission’s staff report and thanked Chair Brownsey for the continued collaboration,” in opening comments at Friday’s hearing.

CEO, Jacque Hostler-Carmesin, reiterated that “Trinidad Rancheria has a proven track record of protecting cultural and natural resources at Trinidad Harbor,” and urged the Commission to approve the application. Civic Club Co-President, Dana Hope, shared the need to honor and respect those lost at sea and thanked the many contributors who have funded the permanent site for the Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse.

PREVIOUSLY:

• North Coast Tribes Advocate for ‘Meaningful, Impactful Partnership’ with Potential Developers Ahead of Tomorrow’s Highly Anticipated Offshore Wind Lease Auction

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Press release from the Yurok Tribe:

The Yurok Tribe is partnering with Cal Poly Humboldt and College of the Redwoods on an initiative to create a local workforce for the proposed development of floating offshore wind projects along California’s North Coast.

This partnership is reflected in Memoranda of Understanding signed with both schools that outline future plans.

“From this day forward, Native Americans will have the opportunity to participate fully in this region’s economic prosperity,” noted Yurok Vice Chairman Frankie Myers. “Education is the key to these opportunities and we are proud to partner with Cal Poly Humboldt and College of the Redwoods to help train our Tribal members and the rest of the North Coast community.”

Both Memoranda acknowledge the need for a skilled workforce to develop offshore energy projects and recognize the barriers to higher education faced by Native Americans.

“I am thrilled to announce our new Memorandum of Understanding with the Yurok Tribe. This partnership represents a significant step forward in our shared commitment to workforce development and providing opportunities for members of the Yurok community to acquire new skills and knowledge, especially in emerging technologies such as offshore energy. I am confident this partnership will be beneficial to our college, the Yurok community, and the greater North Coast Region,” said College of the Redwoods President Keith Flamer.

Last December, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) conducted an auction to the development rights to 130,000 acres of ocean off the Humboldt coast for a floating offshore wind energy project. The project is part of state and federal efforts to dramatically increase renewable energy sources. Similar future projects are being considered off the Del Norte coast. These projects could create thousands of jobs in the area over the next 30 years.

This opportunity comes as Humboldt State completes the transition to Cal Poly Humboldt, with ambitious goals for expanding degree offerings and student enrollment.

“This is an exciting moment to be a Lumberjack,” said Cal Poly President Tom Jackson. “We plan to train the workforce that will lead the North Coast and America towards a new energy future. This creates an urgent need for a new generation of engineers, scientists, business professionals and skilled trades people here on the North Coast. The Yurok Tribe has been doing business here on the North Coast for time immemorial and so they are a natural partner in this endeavor.”

The initiative provides potential floating offshore wind developers with an opportunity to invest in supporting local workforce training. These investments could then serve as a credit towards developers’ fees for the rights to develop the designated wind area 20 miles off the Humboldt Coast.

“Native Americans take great pride in our legacy as stewards of the North Coast,” concluded Vice Chairman Myers. “These agreements help us continue that stewardship but also provide great potential for generational transformation for our young people, providing good paying jobs and economic security for Native Americans in all of California and beyond. The offshore wind goals set by California will require a tremendous increase in skilled labor for many different areas. We want to lead that transition”

Harold Dean Phenix, born October 15, 1949, passed away February 3, 2023 at the age of 73.

Harold is survived by his wife of 53 years, Connie; his daughter Krista DeFraga and husband Gary and daughter Melissa Combs and husband Hank; grandchildren, Joe Valadao (Nicole), Larissa Brodigan (Matt), Bailey and Connor Perry, Ashleigh and Emma DeFraga and Kaitlyn and Taylor Combs; great-grandchildren Eli and Maddie Valadao and Riley Brodigan; his sister Shirley Brooks and husband Dave, as well as numerous nieces, nephews and friends.

Harold is proceeded in death by his mother Aline Sylvester, father Lawrence Phenix, sisters Evelyn, Sharon, Vivian and Barbara, brothers Howard, Jimmy and Randy.

Harold was born in Roseburg, Oregon and moved to Blue Lake at the age of 2. Harold loved Blue Lake and never had the desire to move. He attended Blue Lake Elementary, as well as Arcata High School. He graduated in 1967 from Arcata High.

On February 3, 1967 Harold was at the Lemon Tree in Arcata. This is where he met Connie Rickard. Connie thought his name was Earl, and this gave the family a good laugh for years. Connie and Harold were married on October 17, 1970 and have resided in Blue Lake since.

Harold spent 25 years serving Blue Lake Volunteer Fire Department. He served as a firefighter and later earned the rank of Assistant Chief. He was also the department’s first public information officer.

Harold worked in the lumber industry all his life. His knowledge of lumber and cuts was phenomenal. Harold knew exactly how a machine needed to be set up for the perfect cut. He loved wood working and built many fences, decks and all kinds of items for around his home, as well family and friends homes.

Harold always had a joke or story to tell. He spent years making his friends and family laugh until they cried. He would write everyone poems and the way he came up with words was incredible.

Harold had a huge heart, piercing blue eyes and the most beautiful grey hair. He gave everyone a nickname. It was rare to be called by your name, he called you by your nickname.

Connie and Harold came full circle together. Harold took his last breath on February 3, 2023 with Connie’s cheek in his hand and his daughters by his side.

We will all miss his smile, his jokes, hearing him call us by the little names he had for us. Seeing him standing by a bbq, drinking a cold coors light or planting flowers.

The family would like to thank Hospice of Humboldt for their care and support of Harold, as well as his medical team at UC Davis.

A celebration of life will take place on March 25, 2023 at Blue Lake Fire Dept. at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice of Humboldt, or Blue Lake Fire Department.

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

When Johannes Gutenberg devised a complete system for mechanically printing books in the mid-1400s, he ushered in the Humanitarian Revolution, which embraces the Renaissance and every type of knowledge thereafter. The Catholic church, which — mostly — supported his endeavors (presumably liking the idea of there just being one version of the Latin “Vulgate” Bible, rather than versions that differed slightly from one another, scribal copying not being perfect), might not have been so sympathetic if they could have seen a few decades into the future.

Until Gutenberg, virtually the sole repository of learning in Europe was the Church, and the Bible was by far the most copied book — of course! The copyists were monks working in the scriptora (writing rooms) of monasteries, whose reward for spending years and years hunched over their tables, trying to stay warm month after month, year after year, would have been arthritic fingers and poor eyesight*. (In this life, at least: no doubt they had higher expectations for the life to come.) After Gutenberg, everything changed: books became more available, they were much cheaper than hand-copied volumes, and reading was democratized: more books meant more readers which meant more books…

* Convex spectacles, invented around 1230, would have added years to monks suffering from presbyopia.

The numbers are staggering. Pre-Gutenberg, there were perhaps no more than 30,000 books in all of Europe. By 1500, just 45 years after publication of his beautiful, 1,288-page, two-volume, leather-bound Bible, some 250 print shops in virtually every European country had printed at least 15 million books, all using Gutenberg’s system. (The first press to operate in the Americas was set up in 1539 in Mexico City, while the first in British North America was in Boston, in 1649.)

I wrote earlier that Gutenberg devised a system. His particular genius lay in combining inventions from previous ages, such as:

• The ink he used — a combination of lamp-black (soot), linseed oil and egg white, was already being used by artists of his time.
• His press was based upon wine presses (he was working in Mainz, in the heart of the Rhone wine country), except he had to figure out how to avoid the turning action of presses used in wineries.
• Having been trained as a goldsmith, it’s likely he already knew the required consistency of metal type, a mixture of lead and tin, with a little antimony (from antimony sulfide ore) mixed in to prevent cracking as it cooled.
• Movable metal type had already been figured out by Korean printers over a century earlier. We have copies of the Jikji (a treatise on Soto Buddhism) dating from 1377. Historians are divided on whether Gutenberg was aware of the Korean techniques.
• Historians do, however, credit Gutenberg with the invention of the hand mold, by which single letters could be cast repeatedly by pouring molten metal into a template containing a hand-carved letter, at a rate of perhaps one letter per minute.

It’s hard to overstate just what mechanical printing meant for the world of science, of literature and of the humanities. Once books had been reduced to manageable sizes and prices (thanks to an Italian printer by the name of Aldus Manutius), you could curl up with a book and have essentially a direct mind-to-mind connection with the writer, whether you were reading a novel (think Cervantes’ Don Quixote), the latest discoveries in the heavens (think Galileo’s Starry Messenger), or philosophy (think Descartes’ Discourse on the Method).

Yet the man himself is a near mystery to historians. We’re uncertain when he was born (sometime between 1394 and 1406) although we know where (Mainz, Germany); we don’t know if he married or had children; and we don’t know what he looked like. Most information about his life derives from court records, in particular the case he lost as he was finishing the print run of about 180 Bibles. After being successfully sued for repayment of loans by his main patron, Johann Fust, he was forced to surrender his press and his remaining Bibles. Fust went on to form his own, successful, printing operation, availing himself of the knowledge brought by his foster son (and future son-in-law) Peter Schöffer, who up til then had been Gutenberg’s loyal assistant…while his teacher fades from history.

It was an ignominious end to a genius whose name we associate today with the beginnings of the modern world of knowledge. I plan on raising a glass to Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg just as soon as I’ve finished spellchecking this column.