###

In retrospect, the Eureka City Schools Board’s decision last school year to ban new murals on the district’s campuses may have been exactly the motivation needed to inspire members of Eureka High’s various minority clubs. Well, that and the community’s response.

As you may recall, the mural project was the brainchild of student Naomi Doherty, who received a $2,500 grant from the Humboldt Area Foundation and recruited help from clubs representing Eureka High’s BIPOC students, including the Black Student Union, the Native American Club, the Asian and Pacific Islander Club and the Latinx Club.

With guidance from the Ink People Center for the Arts, the EHS students launched an initiative to produce culturally relevant murals, but they encountered some unexpected roadblocks. First, the project was delayed by the COVID pandemic. Then, Doherty was asked to develop official mural-approval procedures for the district, something that had never been required previously. Finally came the school board’s decision to simply scrap mural projects altogether, allegedly in an attempt to avoid controversy.

But the community rallied to the students’ defense, pressuring the school board to reconsider and ultimately overturn its mural ban, which cleared the way for four new murals created by Eureka High’s minority student clubs. The artwork was unveiled last June.

“We couldn’t have had the murals without the community backing us up,” said Jenica Huddleston, a Eureka High junior and co-president of the school’s Asian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Club. “Having something for the cultural clubs and the minority clubs in Eureka High is so important to us.”

Huddleston and her fellow co-president, Sidney Caampued (also a junior), spoke to the Outpost by phone yesterday afternoon. Caampued agreed that the community’s support was inspiring, and she said another member of their club came up with an idea to build on the momentum. The idea was to have “a gala, like a cultural ball as part of the mural project — like an after-party,” Caampued said.

Alas, there wasn’t enough time to organize the event before the mural unveiling, but this year’s AAPI co-presidents held onto the idea, Huddleston said.

“And so me and Sidney were like, ‘We should do something bigger, like a multicultural night market that we hosted so it’s at our high school. And we can invite other clubs and organizations not just from Eureka High.’”

That’s exactly what they’ve organized. The Asian and Pacific Islanders Club will host Eureka High School’s inaugural Multicultural Night Market on Sunday evening in the Jay Willard Gymnasium from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Caampued and Huddleston couldn’t be more excited.

“I feel like it’s just so empowering to see all of the different and diverse communities coming together … and to be able to appreciate and acknowledge the cultural traditions that we have,” Huddleston said.

In addition to performances from Eureka High student clubs, including the K-Pop/Hip Hop Club, the LatinX Club (who will perform baile folklórico) and the YEAH (Youth Educating Against Homophobia) Club, the event will feature demonstrations from Humboldt Taiko, Capoeira Azania and other outside organizations. Plus, there will be close to a dozen food vendors offering everything from homemade egg rolls to esquites, gumbo and more.

The mission of the event, according to a press release written by Caampued and Huddleston, is to do something for underrepresented groups while inviting the community “to experience this event filled with cultural and traditional foods, try new things and watch eye-opening performances.” 

The performances will include a drag show from the YEAH Club, and given the recent political freakouts about drag, both nationally and locally, Caampued said the performance ties into the themes of diversity and inclusivity.

”I really feel like we should start acknowledging that this is something in our culture, this is something in our community, and we need to stand up for it,” she said. “We need to make sure that people know we are with this; we’re not against it. We’re not going to try to hide it anymore. I think that we need to really make more of a stand for our Youth Educating Against Homophobia group because they are part of a community for the new generation.”

Huddleston believes it’s important for the local community to be introduced to new experiences, “which is why I feel like multicultural night is a really big step towards that,” she said. “It’s truly empowering.”

Caampued chimed in: “It’s the first one that we’ve ever done at Eureka High School, so it’s kind of a historical moment.”

And yet she’s already looking to the future. 

“Maybe next year could be even bigger,” she said. “We could invite even more people.”

In the not-too-distant future, if all goes according to plan, bicyclists and pedestrians will be able to traverse Eureka north to south – from Humboldt Bay to the Sequoia Park Zoo – on a dedicated trail.  

Image via the City of Eureka. Click to enlarge.

It’s been a while since we’ve heard about the Bay to Zoo Trail, a project which, as its name suggests, would link the Waterfront Trail at the north end of Eureka to the Sequoia Park Zoo via two miles of Class I bike path and non-motorized facilities through the city. The trail would also connect with Zane Middle School and Washington Elementary to provide a safer route for kids to walk to school.

Eureka’s Open Spaces, Parks and Recreation Commission heard an update on the trail project last week. City staff has taken care of a significant portion of the environmental documentation required for the project, but there’s still a lot of work to do.

“In 2020, the [California] Coastal Conservancy awarded us about $100,000 to do the environmental document … that helps [identify] your areas of sensitive habitat,” Scott Ellsmore, the city’s traffic project manager, explained during last week’s meeting. “It gives you an idea of where you’re working and what you’re doing. It’s an important step in the project because, if you haven’t done it, you’re kind of making some big guesses. … That was a nice checked box that helped us when we went back for the next round of funding.”

At the end of last year, the California Transportation Commission (CTC) approved another $9 million in funding for the project through its Active Transportation Program (ATP), which provides funding for new walking and biking projects for disadvantaged communities across California. To secure the funding, the city has to file a bunch of paperwork with the state. This is what Ellsmore calls “the paperwork phase” of the planning process.

“That process leads us to [around] October 1 when will actually receive the green light to say, ‘Okay, good. You can begin actual work on this project where you can be reimbursed or you can receive funding.’” he said. “We can’t do much right now [because] we don’t actually have funds. We’re just kind of in that planning process.”

Another piece of the project is a proposed roundabout on Myrtle Avenue, near those odd dome-shaped buildings at the McFarlan Street intersection, that would include an enhanced bike lane and create a connection point between neighborhoods.

It’s a little difficult to make out the details in the rendering above, but basically what you’re looking at is Myrtle Avenue going right down the center and McFarlan Street branching off to the left. That solid, dark grey line coming from the right is the proposed route of the trail. It would connect to a sidewalk (the speckled grey paths) surrounding the roundabout and either feed bicyclists into a bike lane on Myrtle Avenue or allow them to cross at the crosswalk to continue on the trail.

“It’s important to remember that these design plans are very preliminary,” Ellsmore said. “There’s a reason we don’t have roundabouts in Eureka. It’s because they require a large footprint and they typically start to encroach on properties. … In this case, we know we have the room and the footprint will work, but the final details are pretty rough. Until we get in there and actually design it, we’re not gonna know what it will look like.”

Once staff is given the green light on the design elements of the entire trail project, they’ll begin the permitting process and initiate conversations with property owners about access agreements and purchasing easements. 

“That is one of the most important things because there’s a lot of folks that are that are interested and concerned about how the trail will affect them,” Ellsmore told the Outpost in a phone interview. “When we’re conceptually trying to figure out trails, we draw a line from the beginning to the end. … And then we start to drop in the property lines and get into more detailed levels of design. Once we have a likely route, we start to reach out to the nearby property owners and see if they’re interested in selling an easement for trail access.”

That process will probably take a couple of years but, once it’s complete, staff will refine the exact route and design of the trail, finalize the plan and put the project out to bid. 

Construction of the trail is expected to cost around $10 million. The city is hoping to break ground in May of 2026.

PREVIOUSLY:

• Calling All Trail Fans! You’re Invited to a Community Meeting on the Proposed ‘Bay to Zoo Trail’
• Millions of State Dollars Headed to Humboldt for New Walking Projects and Biking

###

Ellsmore briefly mentioned Eureka’s C Street Bike Boulevard project during last week’s meeting. The project would implement traffic calming elements and other bicycle and pedestrian safety improvements at busy intersections between Old Town and Harris Street.

“It would be a really, really cool improvement,” he said. “C Street is a pretty low-volume street but it’s also a great direct north-south connection through town. … It would have [curb extensions], improved crossings on some of the busier streets, like rapid flashing beacons, as well as some resurfacing.”

Caltrans earmarked another $2.3 million in ATP funds for the project. The design should be finished by the end of this year. Construction is expected to begin next summer.

###

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

Humboldt County Correctional Deputies recovered over 17 grams of fentanyl from an inmate attempting to smuggle the substance into the facility.

Pole | Booking photo

On March 29, 2023, 30-year-old Halli Lee Pole was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on numerous warrant charges, including multiple charges of possession of a narcotic controlled substance.

Due to these charges and prior instances of Pole attempting to smuggle contraband into the facility, trained correctional deputies utilized the facility’s body scanner to check for illicit substances. Pole was found to be in possession of contraband and was placed in a single holding cell until the large quantity of fentanyl was recovered.

The involved correctional deputies are commended for their diligence and ultimate removal of this dangerous drug from our facility, their actions potentially saving several lives.

Not only is smuggling substances into correctional facilities a crime, it is also incredibly dangerous. It can and has led to death. The Humboldt County Correctional Facility regularly utilizes a body scanner, in addition to other methods, to detect and remove illegal substances from our facility.

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. 

###

When you think of economic development, you probably think of local government begging for capital’s attention, offering kickbacks and perks to big businesses in exchange for investment.

That’s not the kind of economic development Jeff Davis does. As the head of the city’s UPLIFT program, he’s focused on building the economy from the base — its citizenry. 

The other day Davis spoke with the Outpost’s John Kennedy O’Connor about UPLIFT Eureka and the various services it provides. Video above, transcript below.

###

JOHN KENNEDY O’CONNOR:

Well, welcome to another Humboldt Conversation. I’m here today with Jeff Davis, who’s the project manager for economic development with City of Eureka. Jeff, welcome to Humboldt Conversation. Thank you so much for joining us. Uplift Eureka is a program within the Eureka City Community Access Project. What are the goals of this program?

JEFF DAVIS:

Yeah, so the goals for Uplift Eureka are to provide access to quality of life programming to connect community members that are experiencing homelessness with vital services and resources within the community.

O’CONNOR:

Now, there are a number of different programs … tell us first about the job skills training program.

DAVIS:

The job skills training program, it’s a wonderful opportunity for folks to who are interested in unemployment opportunities to get some hands-on training some some work experience uh… and really just uh… it’s a huge confidence booster and it really a resume booster as well.

O’CONNOR:

Well, now we actually talked to Sierra Wood, one of your colleagues, about the Pathway to Payday program that you just completed. That’s been a big success for you guys.

DAVIS:

It’s been a tremendous success. Yeah, we’ve been doing this program since … I think it’s 2015. We started off doing the Pathway to Payday one time per year. And this is based on the demand and the success. Now we do this just about every other month.

O’CONNOR:

Housing assistance is another key part of the program.

DAVIS:

Yeah, so we do operate a rapid rehousing program, and that’s really based on grant funding and funding opportunities. And so, yeah, it’s a rapid rehousing program where we’re able to search for and secure permanent housing for folks that are experiencing homelessness and then provide them with supportive services and help them stabilize and get on their feet. And we’ve had about over 120 folks since 2019 that we were able to successfully house and do this really rapidly. We are great community partners with Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services. We couldn’t have done that without them. And so it’s really a team effort. It’s not just the city going in. The connections with the county and with some local community-based organizations that are just making all the difference.

O’CONNOR:

Now, we’re actually here in the Betty Kwan Chinn Center, and that’s actually one of your partners as well.

DAVIS:

Yeah, so, Betty has been a tremendous partner with the city of Eureka with a lot of our programming, with some emergency shelters. We collaborate for food drives and food distribution events. And so, yeah, Betty has just been has such a huge impact on this community. And we’ve been working with her every step of the way.

O’CONNOR:

I’ve never seen so much peanut butter in my life. Now, also it’s not just about partnerships, because you also have a co-pilot scheme which I thought was very interesting. Explain that for us.

DAVIS:

Okay. Yeah, so the Co-Pilot Program, it’s a program for community volunteers. So we recruit, train, and vet local community members who are interested in helping those out that are in need. We connect them one-on-one. It’s more of like a helping hand to help folks navigate towards services or resources. It could just be someone that you meet with once a week just to talk and someone that’s there for you. We are going to be re-implementing that program very soon. Hopefully next month. We have an Uplift Eureka website, so if you’re interested in the Co-Pilot Program, definitely go to uplifteureka.com. That’s a great place to find information on all of our different programs.

O’CONNOR:

And the copilot system is a volunteer thing. It’s where you really are reaching out to the community to help.

DAVIS:

Yeah, definitely, it’s an opportunity for folks to give back and and you know help those in need. If you see that there’s a problem out there and and if you want to know what you can do about it the Co-Pilot is one opportunity for community members to give back.

O’CONNOR:

And as you say, they can get involved through the website.

DAVIS:

Yeah, the website and there’s information on all our different programs. You can either submit like a comment through the website or there’s some phone numbers if you’re interested in the different programs. There’s specific numbers for each program.

O’CONNOR:

Jeff, it’s a real pleasure to meet you. Uplift Eureka is a really vital part of our community.

DAVIS:

Yeah, it sure is and we have our outreach team. We conduct street-based outreach. We’re out five days a week. We’re usually down at Free Meal conducting these services. And really the outreach is kind of the tip of the spear. They’re the ones that are out there on the streets every day connecting folks with services, providing transportation, and just really building those relationships. And when housing opportunities or employment opportunities are available, our outreach team has just been amazing with connecting folks with those services and resources. And they work very closely with the county and with other organizations too. So yeah, it’s a great program. It’s been going on since about 2018. And we’re just, we work not just outside of the city but within the city too with our CSET team, with the police department, and our new CARE team. It’s just a great collaboration on so many levels. Alright.

O’CONNOR:

We’re actually going to be talking to Officer La France for a Humboldt Conversation next week. We’re looking forward to that. Well, thank you so much for joining us for a Humboldt Conversation. It’s a very exciting project. I’m really glad we had the opportunity to share it with our viewers and learn more about it.

DAVIS:

Thank you so much for this opportunity to get the word out and let more folks know about what the city is doing.

O’CONNOR:

Wish you all the best for the future. Great, thank you. Thanks so much for joining us for another Homework Conversation. We’ll see you again next time.

On a rainy Friday afternoon at Santa Monica High School, ethnic studies teacher Marisa Silvestri introduced her class to the rap song “Kenji.” As singer Mike Shinoda narrated his family’s experiences in the Japanese American incarceration camps of World War II, Silvestri’s class fell silent. After the last bars of music filled the room, the class set to work analyzing the song’s lyrics, agreeing that Shinoda humanized a historical event some students previously knew little about.

Now in her second year of teaching ethnic studies, Silvestri said she has gone through several iterations of her curriculum – and she expects more changes to come in the future. She has studied California’s ethnic studies model curriculum, attended workshops at local universities and sought the advice of ethnic studies teachers from other school districts.

But Silvestri has never received a teaching credential in ethnic studies. Whether that’s important or not is a question California officials are weighing now that the state has become the first in the nation to require that high school students take at least one semester of ethnic studies before graduation.

California needs more ethnic studies teachers, quickly. Under the new law, passed in 2021, high schools must begin offering ethnic studies courses in the 2025-26 school year, and students in the class of 2030 will be the first ones subject to the graduation requirement. As many high schools expand their course offerings ahead of schedule, universities are grappling with how to best prepare the next generation of teachers.

Some advocates and educators have called for the creation of a specific ethnic studies credential authorizing educators to teach the relatively new and politically fraught subject in middle and high schools. They say that without such a credential, the state risks having low-quality classes that can do more harm than good. But others worry that an additional requirement may make it even harder for the schools to find teachers for the subject.

State regulations allow teachers with a social science credential to teach ethnic studies, said Jonathon Howard, government relations manager for California’s Commission on Teacher Credentialing. However, when ethnic studies is combined with other subjects, such as reading or art, teachers from other subject areas are also eligible.

“We have all these teachers who have great hearts, who are really social justice minded, who really want to do ethnic studies because they’re thinking about themselves as, ‘I’m a culturally responsive teacher,’” said Theresa Montaño, a professor of Chicana and Chicano studies at Cal State Northridge. “But that isn’t enough to give you the knowledge you need.”

Ideally, Montaño said, teachers should have an undergraduate degree in ethnic studies, plus an ethnic studies credential that would show them how to translate their expertise into classroom curriculum.

Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo agrees. In February, she introduced legislation requiring the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to begin creating an ethnic studies credential by 2025.

“The social science credential program does not cover ethnic studies sufficiently,” Carrillo, a Democrat from Los Angeles, said by email. “We maintain that at the present time there is no existing credential that sufficiently covers the depth and breadth of the multidisciplinary nature of Ethnic Studies.”

The commission would need authorization from the Legislature to begin developing a new credential, Howard said.

However, some school districts say the current flexibility around teacher requirements has worked to their benefit, allowing them to expand their ethnic studies course offerings ahead of schedule.

“The social science credential program does not cover ethnic studies sufficiently.”
— Asssemblymember wendy Carrillo (D-Los Angeles)

Santa Rosa City Schools has been offering ethnic studies courses since 2020 and currently requires students to take a full year of the subject before graduation. Because several classes, from English to dance, incorporate ethnic studies into the course material, all teachers are eligible to teach the subject, said Tim Zalunardo, the executive director of educational services. He added that this approach makes it easier for the school to recruit teachers who are excited and willing to teach ethnic studies.

“It provides flexibility on both the students and on the school’s course offerings,” Zalunardo said.

A controversial subject

Debates around ethnic studies are nothing new.

Ethnic studies began at San Francisco State University in the late 1960s as students pushed for the creation of classes dedicated to studying the histories and cultures of people of color. As the subject gained momentum – and criticism – across the nation, advocates began to push for its inclusion in K-12 schools.

In 2021, after two years of drafting and heated debate, the State Board of Education adopted an ethnic studies model curriculum that primarily focuses on the untold “histories, cultures, struggles, and contributions” of Black, Latino, Native American and Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Although districts are not required to use the curriculum, it provides schools with guidance on how to implement the subject and offers sample lessons.

Later that year, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the new graduation requirement into law, even as parents and school board members denounced ethnic studies in Orange County and other areas of the state. Future teachers still remain divided on the necessity of the subject.

Christine Soliva, a graduate student in UC Riverside’s teacher education program, said some of her peers critiqued an ethnic studies class they took in the fall, challenging the importance of incorporating an ethnic studies framework into their math or science courses. She added that while she would pursue an ethnic studies credential if it were available, she is unsure if other teacher candidates would be equally receptive.

“It really is just like, are educators willing to take that next step to be able to think outside the box and challenge themselves and their ideals to look at curriculum and content through an ethnic studies lens?” Soliva said.

Former Assemblymember Jose Medina, who authored the legislation requiring ethnic studies in high schools, said he does not believe the controversy around the subject will prevent state leaders from having necessary conversations about how to best prepare teachers.

“I think, despite the controversy, the state will be well prepared to have teachers in place by the time of the requirement,” he said.

But not everyone shares Medina’s optimism.

As hundreds of high schools begin rolling out new courses in the coming years, the state may face a shortage of ethnic studies teachers, said Lange Luntao, the director of external relations at The Education Trust–West, a nonprofit that advocates for educational equity. Ethnic studies graduation requirements are already in effect at some of the state’s large school districts, including Los Angeles Unified, San Diego Unified and Fresno Unified.

“I think one fear is that we’re going to open up enrollment for ethnic studies classes, and not have enough educators who have experience with this content,” he said.

Preparing future teachers

In the absence of an ethnic studies credential, California’s universities have developed a range of programs preparing students for teaching the subject. Some offer classes on ethnic studies teaching methods and curriculum development, while others place students in ethnic studies classrooms to gain firsthand experience.

At UC Riverside, students earning their teaching credential can pursue an ethnic studies pathway made up of elective courses dedicated to ethnic studies teaching methods and curriculum.

Karl Molina, a UC Riverside master’s student earning his social sciences credential through the program, works as a student teacher of high school economics, sociology and government in the Riverside Unified School District. Earlier in the school year, Molina introduced a sociology lesson named after rapper Tupac Shakur’s poem, The Rose That Grew from Concrete. He instructed his students to analyze Shakur’s poem and reflect on how the concepts of social and familial capital applied to their own lives. In discussions, students decided that capital was more than monetary wealth – it included the languages, cultures and aspirations that shaped their lives, Molina said.

“They were really, really into it,” Molina said. “I was really excited to get going and move forward.”

Karl Molina, 25, who teaches sociology with an emphasis on ethnic studies, stands near the classroom where he teaches at Romona High School in Riverside on March 28, 2023. Pablo Unzueta for CalMatters

But as a student teacher, Molina has limited control over the course curriculum and had to cut his lesson short. If he were teaching in an ethnic studies classroom as part of a formal ethnic studies credentialing program, he said, he might have had more freedom to pursue it.

“We’re not indoctrinating these students,” Molina said. “We’re just telling them, ‘You have so much wealth. Here’s where your wealth is, and here’s what it does for you.’”

At San Jose State University, some students already have the opportunity to see ethnic studies taught in real time through an Ethnic Studies Residency Program that places students into an ethnic studies classroom for a full academic year.

In his residency at Evergreen Valley High School, Eduardo Zamora instructs his students to partner up, facing one another in concentric circles. He first asks students to answer a silly icebreaker – example: “Would you rather be in the history books or gossip magazines?” – before moving onto questions about recent lessons. In one instance, he asked students to share one-minute reflections on the documentary Immigration Nation and how it relates to their discussion on Central American migration and racism in the United States. The circles rotate so students talk to a new partner each time.

“They’re moving, they’re talking and it’s educational,” said Zamora, a student in San Jose State University’s teacher education program who is pursuing a social sciences credential.

He said he hopes to bring the same activity into his own ethnic studies classroom one day, adding that his residency has shown him the importance of building community and trust among his students.

“I believe it’s important to have a teacher who wants to teach the class.”
— Jayla Johnson-Lake, sophomore, Santa Monica High School

Yet, while Zamora believes his residency program is preparing him well, he said an ethnic studies credential may be necessary for a widespread rollout of ethnic studies courses. Currently, San Jose State University’s residency program only takes three to four students a year.

“One of the students came up to us saying that our class was very diverse, bringing in perspectives of people of color. And then she mentioned that her history teacher … said it’s easier to teach history just through ‘the normal way,’ I guess the Eurocentric way,” Zamora said. “So I think a specific ethnic studies credential is probably needed.”

Training the current workforce

As universities shape the next generation of ethnic studies teachers, districts are left with the challenge of preparing their current workforce to teach the subject.

In Elk Grove Unified School District, high schools have offered ethnic studies courses since 2020. But Robyn Rodriguez, a parent in the district and former Asian American Studies professor at UC Davis, said she’s concerned that Sacramento-area schools may be placing social studies teachers in ethnic studies classrooms without adequate preparation for the subject.

“You either see very watered down versions of ethnic studies, or ethnic studies being very nominally implemented,” she said.

Rodriguez’s son is only in second grade, but she said she is already supplementing his language arts curriculum with other reading because the texts assigned were not from diverse authors. As for what ethnic studies might look like by the time her son reaches high school, Rodriguez said, “I’m absolutely worried.”

Silvestri, the Santa Monica High School teacher, said she is torn about the necessity of an ethnic studies credential, adding that she would not want it to prevent interested and passionate teachers from teaching the subject. However, she said, the credential could help streamline the professional development opportunities she has needed to seek out independently over the past few years.

The University of California’s California History-Social Science Project works to support people like Silvestri who are teaching ethnic studies for the first time. Dominique Williams, the project’s ethnic studies coordinator, offers workshops educating teachers about the history of ethnic studies instruction and shows them how they can teach historical narratives from new perspectives.

Williams draws on her own experience transitioning from teaching English and social studies to ethnic studies in the Sacramento City Unified School District.

“In hindsight, I think that there is more training that I could have had, that I’m now trying to make sure that teachers are getting as they start their own journeys,” Williams said.

As the debate surrounding ethnic studies teacher preparation continues, Jayla Johnson-Lake, a sophomore at Santa Monica High School, said a passion for teaching is just as important as any credential. Johnson-Lake said Silvestri’s ethnic studies class has surpassed her expectations, introducing her to new facts, such as the details of Japanese internment and how the Black Codes worked to restrict Black people’s rights in the post-Civil War era.

“I believe it’s important to have a teacher who wants to teach the class,” Johnson-Lake said.

###

Tagami is a fellow with the CalMatters College Journalism Network, a collaboration between CalMatters and student journalists from across California. This story and other higher education coverage are supported by the College Futures Foundation.

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

Marianne Pinches was born in Eureka on January 30, 1920 to Darrell McKeehan Lambert and Pearl Wightman Lambert then lived for 103 years until Wednesday March 9, 2023. She was preceded in death by her husband Bill and her son Bill, her sister Virginia (Gil) Moore Adams and her brothers Darrell (Katie) Lambert and Hank (Fran) Lambert. She is survived by her granddaughter Kim Pinches, her great-granddaughter Emma Pinches, her daughter-in-law Shirley Pinches, her ex-daughter-in-law Doralee Smith, her nieces and nephews Hank (Kathy) Lambert, Jr.; Darcy (Andrew) Mouton, Leanne Weber, Karen (Jack) Ehrlich and Deloris (Steve) Jorgenson, as well as a large number of great, great-great, and great-great-great nieces and nephews and loyal friends.

Marianne attended the Eureka Public Schools. Her parents enrolled her in private violin lessons when she was seven. She graduated from Humboldt State University in 1942, and continued to take graduate classes in music at San Jose State, San Francisco State, the San Francisco Conservatory, UOP, and the Oberlin Conservatory in addition to taking graduate classes in education from Southern Oregon College.

Marianne worked as a school teacher for the Willits School District from 1942 to 1943 and the Eureka City School District from 1947 to 1977. Her dual passions for education and music led her to start the string instrument program for the Eureka City Schools in 1954. She continued to teach in that program until her retirement from teaching. She was also a violinist who played with the HSU orchestra for 61 years starting in 1934. She was concertmaster of that orchestra for several years. She was awarded the HSU President’s Service Award for her work with the HSU Symphony, and was also honored as the homecoming queen of HSU on the occasion of the 50th reunion of her graduating class. She was a founding member of the Eureka Symphony, and also played with the Riviera Ensemble and the Eureka String Quartet.

Arrangements are under the direction of Sanders Funeral Home in Eureka. Reverend Cassie Wyland will preside. There will be a public viewing from 2 to 3 p.m. on Friday, April 14 in the Sanders Funeral Home at 1835 E St. in Eureka. The funeral will be on, Saturday April 15 at 11 a.m. in the First Baptist Church at 422 Del Norte St. in Eureka. The burial will follow at Oceanview Cemetery. The reception will be after the burial in the fellowship hall of the First Baptist Church. Pallbearers are: Stefan Vaughn, Ray Jerland, Hank Lambert, Andrew Mouton, Eric Jones and Emma Pinches.

The family wishes to thank the caregivers who assisted Marianne in her own home, at Frye’s Care Home and Hospice of Humboldt.

If you wish to make a donation in memory of Marianne, please consider the Eureka Symphony at www.eurekasymphony.org/support.

###

Eleanor Rosalie Brissette took the creator’s hand March 22, 2023 at St. Joseph Hospital here in Eureka. She passed surrounded by her loved ones by her bedside. She had a big case of pneumonia in her lungs, arthritis all through her body and as of a month ago found cancer forming in her gallbladder.

She was born October 16,1946 in San Francisco to two full-blood Yurok parents, Herman and Esther Quinn. She was the second daughter. Her siblings were her oldest brother Richard W. Quinn, little sister Jacqueline K. Hayden (Quinn) and little brother William C. Quinn and will be happy to see her on the other side.

Eleanor’s parents and other siblings moved back to their homestead at Tully Creek on the Klamath River. Her schooling began at Martin’s Ferry, in a small one-room on the side of the mountain. She attended Hoopa Elementary and graduated from Hoopa High School, class of 1965.

She had big dreams. She always wanted to be a flight attendant but her father and mother wouldn’t let her, but her Uncle Kenny still gave her hope to one day.

She then decided to go to beauty school after high school. Shortly through all planning she met her husband Richard Pete Hayden Sr. She was married and had her first baby girl, Leona M. Hayden. Not long after, she had her first son Richard Pete Hayden Jr. and one more, Forrest A Hayden. In the 1970s Richard Sr. was in a fatal crash and died on the way to the hospital.

Eleanor then moved out of Hoopa to Eureka, where she became a waitress at the Vance bar in Old Town. She later met Edward Brissette and married in 1972. She later had three children, Cynthia Eunice Brissette and her twins, Michelle Lea and Michael Wayne Brissette.

Eleanor struggled with alcohol abuse and took some tries to fight it.

She always had a job or volunteered.

She worked at the Vance bar then at the Fireside Inn hotel as head housekeeper. She worked for NCIDC at the gift shop, working with Keith Taylor and Dolly. She worked in home care for years. Shout to Michel in the brown jacket for always helping her find her best to take care of in her career.

She liked to volunteer at the logging conference, helping the firefighters and doing security at Elders Gathering.

Eleanor was a phenomenal pool player and coached many pool teams over her years. She was the queen of pool. Shout out to bars that let her host games.

Eleanor tried to get all her kids back into ceremony dances. Nothing made her more happy than seeing her family members or grandkids in them. Sometimes she would make them go up really early wherever one was. She really enjoyed the Klamath one. Eleanor’s family had everything before the fire and flood in 1965. It’s where native families should be during summer time. There was a time when it was the party zone. All that had change and it was safe to return and bring your families back. Eleanor was very proud of her nephews getting down, some brought songs back to our family and she got to see regalia her niece made sometimes from the beginning to the end. She was very proud of them. It brought some of her family back to her. Some of her last words were, “I’m not gonna make it to brush dances this year.” Little does she know she gets front-row seats forever. I’m jealous she’s up there with some pretty good singers, especially with all her family.

Eleanor was a gold chain, a beautiful red rose blooming in winter, a 49ers women lover, Elvis music lover for life and a strong Yurok native woman … even if she never saw it, she was.

You were light for so many. Will be missed truly.

She was the aunt and great aunt to Charles Hayden, Herman Quinn, Raymond Hayden, Rhonda Hayden Bigovich & Andy Bigovich,Shannon Quinn, Marilyn Quinn and William Quinn Jr.,Valerie Hayden, Elvira Hayden, Edward Hayden, Pergish Hayden, Russell Hayden, Sean Hayden, Xococ Hayden, Herman Quinn Jr, Brittany, Skyler her twins, Quiloeh,Eli, GeneQuinn, Ava Quinn, Kipoon, Jose, Julia, Lisa bean, Alissa Myers,Austin Fitzgerald ,Tyler Fitzgerald and some I may have missed or gone way too soon.

Her cousin Brinda & Brian, Star, Janice, Millie Ann,Trudi, Bert, Nathan, Lillian III Quinn, Nikkia, cousin Stewart, the Franks and their children, cousin David Norris and many others.

She loved her grandkids in many ways, Joey Montgomery, his children, Richard Pete Hayden the third,Lisa Marie Hayden, her children, Forrest Hayden Jr, Amber Hayden, her children, Mariah Star, Crysta,l her children, Ashley Hayden, her children, Arianna Hayden, Kendal Hayden, Destiny Hayden, Brandon Dortch, Dwane Brissette, Shania Brissette, her babies Cataleyah and Keanu, Michelle Brissette, Daniel Brissette, Danielle Muro, her children, Angel Muro, her son Killian, Michael Brissette Jr, his baby and Nicole Ramirez, her babies Dentalia, Malia and Raylynn.

Her soul and presence will be truly missed.

Big thank you to Eureka transit for getting her work being available since the 1990s and UNIHS pick-up crew, NCIDC for helping her when she had travel out of town for appointments or in need of anything, UNIHS clinic…

I would also like to give big thanks to the staff at St. Joseph hospital, the ER department and ICU unit.

Services will be held at the Sanders funeral home starting with viewing Thursday March 30th, 2023 from 4-6 p.m.

Funeral will be held Friday at 10 a.m., followed by a pot luck starting 2 p.m. at the Best Western Plus Bayshore Inn banquet room.

Asking everyone to wear red in honor of her team, the 49ers, or an Elvis shirt if you have one.

###