Darcy Ellen Baker, age 60, passed away in Eureka in February 2023. She was born in Reno, Nevada and grew up in Downieville, California. She moved around until she found home in Eureka with her son Kristopher Wharff.

Darcy was a loving, caring and friendly mother, sister, auntie, grandmother and friend. She enjoyed watching her grandchildren (Kaden, Bella and Tyson) do practically anything. She loved their company and the stories they would tell her. Her world revolved around them.

Darcy enjoyed spending time with family and her grandpets (Molly, Freya and Sassy). She loved traveling to attend country concerts. Her favorite time of year was summertime so she could spend time in the sun with her grandkids.

Darcy spent most of her life working as a housekeeper for different hotels until she found her job at Granada Rehabilitation Center. She absolutely loved her job at Granada. She loved her residents — she enjoyed helping them as much as she could — and met her great friend, Miki, who worked with her.

Darcy is survived by her son Kristopher Wharff (Brittany); sister Lori Walsh, nieces Emily Dorigoni (Berto) and Amanda Dorigoni (Jon); nephew Michael Dorigoni (Sandra); and grandchildren Kaden, Bella and Tyson.

She was preceded in death by her father, Eugene Foster, and her mother, Mildred Potter.

Darcy loved to tell stories about her childhood and where she grew up. She loved to laugh and play/tell jokes. Darcy is loved and will be dearly missed by family, extended family and friends.

Forever in our hearts.

###

HUMBOLDT TODAY: About UNdam time, that is. We have the details as historic work on the Klamath River is set to get underway. Plus, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office make an arrest in a 2018 murder case. And California is simultaneously posting good employment numbers and lifting water restrictions. Dare we say it’s a good news day on today’s newscast with John Kennedy O’Connor? Maybe! 

FURTHER READING:

• State Lifts Target for 15% Water Conservation
• Sheriff’s Office Makes Arrest in 2018 Dinsmore Homicide
• Ground Has Been Broken on Klamath River Restoration, the World’s Largest-Ever Dam-Removal Project
• Redwood Curtain Theatre Will Soon Close Its Doors, After 15 Years On Eureka Waterfront

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.

###

With the Sierra Nevada smothered in snow, large swaths of the Central Valley underwater and many Californians weary of water, state officials announced today that they are lifting some drought-related provisions on water use.

“Our water supply conditions have improved markedly,” said Secretary of Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot.

The state is rescinding its request for voluntary 15% water conservation statewide, which was issued in July 2021, and instead, Crowfoot said, shifting to an approach of making conservation a “way of life.”

“We need to maintain our vigilance,” he said. “It’s not about going back to normal anymore. It’s really adjusting to a new normal.”

Some of the state’s emergency provisions were ended and some were left in place. Wasteful uses of water, such as hosing down sidewalks and watering ornamental grass on commercial property, remain banned, according to state officials.

The state, however, is ending its requirement that local water agencies implement Level 2 drought contingency plans, which are locally written water use regulations — such as limits on watering lawns — that are invoked during water shortages.

In total, 81 drought-related provisions were enacted since April 2021. Just 33 remain in place, said Gov. Gavin Newsom at a press briefing today.

State officials also announced today a large increase in the amounts of water that local suppliers will get from the State Water Project, increasing from 35% announced last month to 75% of requested supplies. The water is provided to 750,000 acres of farmland and 27 million people, mostly in Southern California.

The announcements come as some of the state’s reservoirs near capacity, with some of the state’s largest expected to fill by late spring. And the snowpack of the Sierra Nevada, nearing record levels in the southern portion of the range, continues to grow.

When Newsom issued his voluntary conservation target almost two years ago, many water experts said Newsom should have made it mandatory, as former Gov. Jerry Brown did during the previous drought. They also criticized him for failing to reduce use by farmers, who consume 80% of the state’s delivered water supply.

State officials say even though the 15% target was voluntary, it worked. However, the data does not back that up: Californians used 6% less water from July 2021 through December 2022 compared to 2020 — falling far short of Newsom’s 15% goal.

Heather Cooley, director of research at the Pacific Institute, an Oakland water supply thinktank, said California must not relax its ethos of water conservation.

In spite of wet weather, the state’s largest water supply — its groundwater basins — remain depleted.

“Even though reservoirs are recovering, groundwater aquifers remain depleted. The Colorado River — a major water source for Southern California — is also facing a massive deficit,” Cooley said. “The reality is we don’t have water to waste in California. We need to continue investing in water efficiency to prepare for a hotter, drier future and more intense droughts.”

Mike McNutt, spokesperson for the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District in Los Angeles County, said the retraction of the conservation target “sends the wrong message” to the public.

“Why put out messaging that says something different, that says, ‘You can conserve if you want to, but you don’t need to’?” said McNutt, whose district serving 75,000 people is totally reliant on water from the state aqueduct.

“The next drought is certainly just around the corner,” he added.

Californians did cut their average water use by 600,000 acre-feet in almost two years. That’s almost two-thirds the volume of Folsom Reservoir and enough water to serve 1.2 million households in a year.

Crowfoot stressed that the drought is not over, noting that drought status “is not a completely binary situation.” In some parts of the state, drought conditions have dramatically eased, but not in others. Crowfoot said the Klamath River basin and the region of Southern California that relies on Colorado River water continue to face “acute water shortages.”

Thousands of households lack drinking water due to depleted groundwater basins , which have been overdrafted for decades and experts agree they will not rebound in a single rainy winter.

Joaquin Esquivel, chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, said the hope is that cities “are not just rebounding” to old ways of water use.

“Conservation remains a priority,” Crowfoot added.

Michael Anderson, a climatologist with the California Department of Water Resources, said snowpack is at 278% of normal, with another storm system expected to hit the North Coast and move inland and south from there, starting Monday. The system, he said, will relatively cold storm originating in the Gulf of Alaska, unlike some recent blasts of tropical moisture. This means it will drop more snow in the mountains.

“Not massive accumulations, but could be locally heavy,” he said.

###

CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

###

PREVIOUSLY: 

• Sheriff’s Office Investigating Homicide in Dinsmore; Man Found Shot Inside Car on Highway 36
• Highway 36 Homicide Victim Identified; Sheriff’s Office Still Investigating

###

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

An arrest has been made in the 2018 homicide of Anthony Joseph Calderone.

On March 22, 2023, 38-year-old Matthew Gabriel Susmilch was arrested on a Ramey Warrant at the Mendocino County Jail, where he was also booked on unrelated warrant charges out of Mendocino County.

Susmilch’s arrest comes after a four-year investigation into the shooting death. Calderone was located deceased in the early morning hours of December 7, 2018, inside a vehicle in the area of State Highway 36 near mile marker 43.  

Susmilch was booked on charges of felon in possession of a firearm and murder. He will be transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility for prosecution at a later date.

Anyone with information about this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.

Ingesting extremely small amounts of psychedelics, commonly called “microdosing,” has become increasingly popular among those seeking improved wellness from psilocybin-containing mushrooms.

Once hyped as a practice to increase creativity and problem solving by engineers in Silicon Valley, microdosing psilocybin mushrooms has gained traction as a possible solution to ease mental health issues. Multiple journal articles report studies on microdosing psilocybin mushrooms that show health benefits such as decreased anxiety, depression and pain.

The practice of microdosing can minimize the psychoactive effects of the mushrooms. By ingesting a small, controlled amount, the user avoids the psychedelic aspects.

Danielle Daniel, owner of Microdosing Humboldt, worked with Decriminalize Nature Humboldt to petition for the decriminalization of entheogens in the city of Arcata. Entheogens are psychoactive substances obtained from fungi, plants or secretions of animals. In October of 2021 the Arcata City Council voted unanimously to decriminalize entheogenic plants and fungi.

“Decriminalization is the lowest police priority,” Daniel said. “You cannot sell it; you are not protected if on school grounds or if under 21. You are protected to gift, like what I do. I just charge for my time,” said Daniel.

Daniel, a graduate of the master’s program in sociology, wrote a thesis on psilocybin mushrooms while at Cal Poly Humboldt, conducting 18 interviews.

“I was learning so much about microdosing through the people I was interviewing, I decided to try it out myself,” said Daniel. “After a month of microdosing, I noticed significant reductions in anxiety.”

Molly Swartwout has a history with microdosing psilocybin mushrooms, experimenting with the practice while in college and, presently, with the guidance of a local microdosing coach.

“I have a history of PTSD and anxiety,” said Swartwout. “This is one of the least invasive and lowest side-effect ways. Through the many different things that I’ve tried, it’s also been the most effective.”

Daniel cautions that it is crucial to be consistent and know the strength of the psilocybin mushrooms. There are suggested protocols to adhere to. Psilocybin mushrooms have varying potency, and one must determine their tolerance to not feel any psychoactive effects.

“I suggest start low — less is more,” said Daniel. “If it is a little bit too high, it’s going to increase anxiety and make you unfocused. What a microdose does is it enhances concentration and focus, decreases anxiety and brings you into the present moment.”

Small side effects like headaches or nausea may occur for some individuals. Daniel suggests magnesium to help headaches and eating a light meal before to avoid nausea. Daniel cautions that chocolate and lemon may increase the potency. It is advised that those seeking to microdose do so with the support of their medical care team.

“What it is doing in your brain is it is connecting neurons, creating more neurons and creating plasticity in your brain,” said Daniel. “In the anxious and depressed brain, we don’t have as many neurons connecting and that’s how it is helping to heal your brain.”

A standard dosage protocol for microdosing is three days on with four days off – or, to microdose every other day, Daniel suggests.

“Having the protocol and the specific dosage laid out for me already prepared every time is so helpful,” Swartwout said. “Having someone to help me talk through what is the best way to be intentional about using the medicine, really has made a huge difference.”

The Neuroscience Behind Microdosing

Roy King, a retired associate professor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford, lectures at local events about neurobiology, neurosciences and psychedelic psychotherapy.

“I have an interest in the neurosciences of alternative ways of working with people who have treatment-resistant depression and PTSD, or severe anxiety disorders,” said King.

King spoke of the importance for randomized and longitudinal scientific studies on the usage of psilocybin mushrooms and entheogens for health.

In 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration designated psilocybin a breakthrough therapy for treating drug-resistant depression and major depressive disorder, which allowed people to conduct scientific research. Research hospitals and institutions like John Hopkins University, University of California Los Angeles and the Department of Veterans Affairs are currently exploring the potential of using psilocybin to treat patients with mental health conditions and alleviate pain.

King suggests integration of positive habits like changing your lifestyle, eating healthy food and meditation during the period after microdosing.

“Here in Humboldt, were blessed with such beautiful nature,” said King. “Going on nature walks are critical for the integration phase to help with the anxiety and depression.”

The scientific research is still pending on the medical effectiveness of microdosing psilocybin containing mushrooms, however those who partake in the trend speak of improved wellness and a growing fondness for the magic mushrooms.

###

Maranda Vargas is a journalism student at Cal Poly Humboldt.

Frank Aaron Henry, Jr. — Sonny Boy, Brother, Frank, Frankie, Spank, “D”, Tank —  whatever name you called him, he was a true friend. Frank was a much-loved son, brother, father, uncle, nephew, grandson and cousin.

Frank was a proud Yurok man who cared deeply for his family and friends. He lived his life the best way that he knew how. He didn’t sit around feeling sorry for himself and was always busy. In Wautec, he tried to keep an eye on his kooch, he always helped his Uncle Johnny with making sure he had enough wood on his porch, feeding Virg’s dogs when he was away, and always walking somewhere with the dogs, sister and brother. If you wanted to know where Frank was, all you had to do was look for those two dogs, they followed him everywhere.

Frank loved his job that he held since 2019 working for the Yurok Tribe with the restoration crew in Redding, Hornbrook, Orick, wherever they were, Frank enjoyed it. He was very proud of the work he was taking part in, and I could hear it in his voice when he would tell me his stories about what he was doing when he was working. Josh, Ona, Becca, Ben and crew, just know that he truly enjoyed working with you.

Frank really liked going play volleyball in Nixon these past few years … even if it meant listening to Phil razz him all night long. Phil loved to spike on Frank. When Frank would finally get a block in, the team would get especially loud, “ooooh, take that, Phil.”

He loved getting together with family to celebrate birthdays and just enjoyed everyone being together, trips to Vegas and wherever else his mama would drag him to. His Thursday trips to the Nugget with Rafael when he was in Nevada.

Frank was especially proud of his kids, Isaiah and Kaydence. He definitely thought they were the best of him, even when he thought he wasn’t the best of him at all times. He loved them with a grateful heart.

Frank was the younger brother of Bud, older brother of Lena, Kayla and Kayce. He accepted all of them for who they were and are and was happy for them. If he had any regrets, he never talked about them. Just know that if he thought of you as a friend, he had a lifelong loyalty to you.

Frank is survived by his son, Isaiah Hersey-Henry, and his daughter, Kaydence McCullough. He loved them both with all of his heart.

Frank Aaron Henry, Jr. was born in the early morning on March 6, 1983 and he left us on March 17, 2023. He leaves behind his broken-hearted mama, Jeraldine Magee, his father, Frank Henry, his one and only brother, Bud Henry, his 3 sisters, Lena, Kayla and Kayce Henry. His sister-in-law Louisa, brothers-in-law, Greg and Billy, and his Aunties and Uncles, Jeannette & Kenny, Jill, Jacki & Gus, Julia, Valerie, Vicky & Casey, Madeline, and Tanya. His cousins, Michelle and Mark Mix, Jillie Mix, Kage & Joseph Bain, Bert, Hannah & Holly Snyder, Ronald, Brian & Brandon Richards, Keta, Tashina, Vernon, & Charley, Jennifer, Shawna & Lisa, Sonny, Luci & Tanya.

Frank was proud to be an uncle and he loved his nieces and nephews. He thought it was pretty funny that he had a mini-me, Kenek Poe. He was immensely proud of his nephew Brandon Henry, who he was in the Marines, as that was a dream of Frank’s when he was young. Frank’s nieces and nephews are Brandon Henry, Louisa Henry, SyLenna, Dauwin and Kenek Poe, Ava and Gabe Salas, and his great-nephew, Andrew Henry.

Frank is survived by his two grandmothers, Darlene Magee and Kathleen Henry, and numerous relatives and friends.

Frank was preceded in death by his grandfathers, Gerald Magee and Elliott Henry, his uncle’s Mark Mix and Eldred Norris, his cousins, Ron, Kirks and To-Tehl.

I love you, son, and I will miss you for the rest of my life. You were loved and you will be missed by your family!

Services for Frank Henry Jr., will be at Paul’s Chapel on Saturday, March 25, 2023 at 11 a.m. Bring your best dish and story for eats after the service at Awok Bonnie Green Building in Eureka from 2-5 p.m.

Frank was a good-hearted person; he always thought the best of people and lived his life like that. He never held a grudge, and he truly loved his family and friends. When he would hear about someone passing or something happening, he would say “I’m going to say prayers.” When he had something and others did not, he would share, always. People took advantage of that. They didn’t care that he was the only person who wasn’t judging them, and so to all of those people in Hoopa, the drug dealers, the losers who prey on people for their next fix, you know who you are, you took away this son, brother, father, uncle, nephew, cousin, loved friend, from the people who loved him. I hope you all rot in jail or hell, I don’t care which.

###

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

HUMBOLDT TODAY: Did you think we were done with winter? Guess again! We’ve got the latest on what Humboldt’s sky is offering up. Plus, a local woman is appointed to a prestigious state commission, and the Crescent City Council is still trying to deal with youth vaping. Those stories and more on today’s newscast with John Kennedy O’Connor.

FURTHER READING: 

• CONVERSATIONS: Offshore Wind’s Long Game, With Matthew Marshall of the Redwood Coast Energy Authority
• California Workers Can’t Get Timely Hearings on Wage Theft Claims. State Orders Audit.
• Sheriff’s Office Ask for Public’s Help Seeking Out Missing McKinleyville Man

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.