Lost Coast Outpost

OBITUARY: Carol Lee, 1953-2022

LoCO Staff / Monday, Feb. 14, 2022 @ 6:52 a.m. / Obits

On a sunny Saturday afternoon as she visited with a friend in the sunroom at Eureka’s Hospice, Carol said, “I’ve had a good life!” She died Tuesday morning, Feb. 8, 2022, of ovarian cancer peacefully with Jody and Vickie Victorine by her side.

Carol was born on June 2, 1953, in Eureka to Glen and Evelyn Lee of Ferndale. She grew up in the hills above Ferndale, exploring the forests and creeks with her siblings and many cousins. She loved to sit under the willow tree beside the house to read about far-off places she hoped to see someday. Carol’s father built a special room for her out in the family’s garage so she could read and no one would bother her. When airplanes flew overhead, she dreamed of traveling to faraway places. As a small child, she showed an early penchant for reading. When her father finished reading his newspaper, Carol would pick it up carefully, fold it just so, and then proceed to read it. Her Aunt Margie often commented “That Carol is one smart cookie!”

Carol’s formal education began at Ferndale Elementary School and continued at Ferndale High School. At Ferndale High, one of Carol’s tasks was to help the high school counselor. One day, she noticed that a pamphlet from Pepperdine University had been tossed in the wastebasket. She retrieved it, read it and decided she was the type of student they were looking for. She applied for entrance.

After graduation from Ferndale High in 1971, Carol found herself in Southern California as a Pepperdine co-ed. A highlight of life there was her appearance on the game show Card Sharks. She won $10,000, which certainly helped with tuition. Carol also appeared on Jeopardy during her college days. She graduated in 1975 with a Bachelor of Arts Magna Cum Laude degree. She then began the study of law at University of Southern California Law School. She received her Juris Doctorate in 1980 and passed the bar exam on her first try. In 1982 she earned a Master’s Degree from Humboldt State University.

It was then that her childhood dreams of traveling came true. She accepted a job with the small Pacific Nation of Saipan as the legal counsel to its House of Representatives. She was instrumental in developing the island nation’s constitution. While there, she and a group hired a guide to travel to China. Unfortunately, a few days after they arrived, the guide was unable to continue. As all arrangements for the trip had been made and paid, the group, with the guide’s input, decided Carol, the youngest member of the group, should become their leader. She agreed. The trip was a success. Another memorable journey was to the Pacific Island of Guam. Several years later she had her European experience living in Heidelberg, Germany. Carol loved to travel the world revisiting her favorite countries with her mother.

With the travel bug at least partially satisfied, Carol returned to California to accept a position working as a lobbyist in the state capital. She was very proud that her lobbying efforts led to California’s passage of the mandatory helmet law for motorcyclists and their passengers. She also met with national leaders, including several presidents in Washington, D.C., to advise them on issues important to Californians.

Her final position was as CEO of the California Medical Foundation headquartered in Sacramento. She spent 20 years in that position.

Her heart was never far from her real home up Williams Creek in Ferndale. When she was working, she would come home to her cabin every chance she got. On these visits home, she would host family reunions. The aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews plus many others would gather to roast hot dogs and to roast S’mores at Carol’s cabin. She enjoyed taking all the young kids to “root beer” pond to cool off on hot summer days. She loved her family very much. She was quick to lend a hand when someone needed it.

Upon her retirement, Carol returned to Ferndale. She designed a beautiful two-story log house and had it built on the site where her family had lived for many years. Her favorite flowers, daffodils and rhododendrons, dotted the nearby hillsides. Her goal to plant 300 daffodils bulbs every year was accomplished. The old fruit trees blossomed among them as did wildflowers.

For entertainment, Carol drove her mother and Aunt Margie to the nearby Bear River Casino. They’d enjoy dinner as well as test to see if their usual luck would hold. Carol’s luck did hold as she won a car and a 4 x 4 Gator as well as generous slot machine pay-outs.

To keep her mind active, Carol served two terms on the Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury. Her commitment to the betterment of the Ferndale community was shown by her board membership on the Salt River Watershed Council. With her legal background, she was a very valuable member of both groups.

Carol planned to live a long and happy life up Williams Creek Road, but it was not to be. She left these messages to her family and friends:

I hate to leave you all behind, but we’ll meet again one day.

Carol’s final message

Life’s race well run,
Life’s work well done.
Life’s victory won,
Now cometh rest.

— Edward Parker

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.

— Margaret Mead

Carol was preceded in death by her father Glen Lee, her brother Ronnie Lee and many aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Among those surviving her are her loving mother, Evelyn Lee; her sister Cindi Ambrosini and her husband Richard; nieces and nephews Toby Ambrosini, Mandy Dowden and husband Greg, Tyler Ambrosini, Lorilee Ambrosini and Michael Sandford; her great nieces and nephews Abigal Ambrosini, Macy Gomes, Nicholas Gomes and Mylah Ambrosini. Her faithful canine companion “A Dog Named Sue” brought her much love, companionship, and happiness.

Pall bearers will be Tyler Ambrosini, Rocky Crowl, Nicholas Gomes, Jose Ibarra, Robert Wilson and Steve Wilson. Honorary pallbearers are Toby Ambrosini, Hazen Crowl and Jody Victorine.

Carol was especially thankful to her amazing cancer support group who helped her through difficult times.

The family would like to thank the following for their friendship and help during Carol’s illness: Gary Crowl, Rocky Crowl, Steve Wilson, Annie Martin, Shirley Foster, Tracy and Jose Ibarra, John Vernon, Vickie, Jody and Brittney Victorine, Elva Daily and her many doctors and nurses at Redwood Memorial Hospital, Providence St. Joseph Hospital, Stanford University Hospital, and Hospice of Humboldt. A special thanks goes to her little friend Alison Dayton for playing Barbie Dolls, silly games and baking cupcakes with Carol when she needed it the most!

There will be a viewing on Thursday, February 17, 2022, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Goble’s Mortuary in Fortuna.

The graveside services will be on Friday, February 18, 2022, at 2 p.m. at the Ferndale Cemetery.

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

MONDAYS WITH MICHAELE: Drinking Outdoors! What a Concept!

LoCO Staff / Monday, Feb. 14, 2022 @ 6:30 a.m. / Mondays With Michaele

Photos: Matt Filar

Is it too early in the week for wine? Too bad! Michaele is ready to indulge.

This time out, your President of Positivity is making the rounds through Arcata with her good bud Bob Doran. First, the pair swing through the Jacoby’s Storehouse to visit Tommy Hernandez at Homeboldt to pick up a local hat and a t-shirt. Then it’s off to Septentrio Winery for sunshine and drinks with winery owner Tynel Humphreys and Arcata City Councilmembers Meredith Matthews and Sarah Schaefer!

It’s good to be Michaele! Let’s make this week so awesome that last week gets jealous! Ciao Bella!

Hit-and-Run Driver Smashes Into Eureka Storefront, Local Business Owner Says

John Ross Ferrara / Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022 @ 2:15 p.m. / Traffic

Photos of the damage provided by Shumard.

An unknown Super Bowl Sunday driver allegedly plowed into Roy’s Auto Center at approximately 8:30 a.m. near the intersection of 5th and Broadway before fleeing the scene. Roy’s Auto Center owner Trent Shumard told the Outpost that the involved car is believed to be a red Mitsubishi Lancer or a Subaru WRX.

“[The car] spun out and crashed into our offices, causing structural damage to our building,” Shumard said. “Eyewitnesses say that the car proceeded down 5th and turned on E Street.”

Photos of the scene show the building’s glass facade smashed in multiple places. Drivers have reportedly damaged cars on the lot in the past, but Shumard said that this is the first time a car has driven into his building.

“Fortunately we have a tight community of business owners eager to help when incidents like this occur,” he said.

The broken glass has since been cleaned from the sidewalk and the building’s holes are now boarded up.

(AUDIO) HUMBOLDT HOLDING UP: Jesse Wiedel Paints a Fantasy Version of Humboldt That Maybe Hits Too Close To Home

LoCO Staff / Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022 @ 8 a.m. / Humboldt Holding Up

“Ash Can,” a 2022 painting by local artist Jesse Wiedel depicting an act of unlikely heroism in the face of a very-Eureka phenomenon

(AUDIO) Jesse Wiedel is Holding Up

Jesse Wiedel sees the world a little differently. Many of the Eureka-based artist’s paintings depict fantastical scenes featuring free-but-feral humanity that somehow manage to be both bleak and hilarious. Often set in gritty locations that would be familiar to Humboldt eyeballs, his works are like a cracked mirror held up to our corner of the world, offering a cathartic experience to those with the capacity to be amused by a colorful and outlandish version of the breakdown of society. They’re fantasy, but not by much.

Jesse Wiedel

On this episode of Humboldt Holding Up — LoCO’s weekly breakdown of podcasting — we speak with Wiedel about his art and why he’s drawn to the characters he conjures. Click the audio player above (or head on over to Apple Podcasts) to hear Wiedel’s chat with the Outpost’s Stephanie McGeary and Andrew Goff.

If you’re unfamiliar with Wiedel’s art click on over to his website for a nicely catalogued collection of his works. We’ll also include a small sampling of some of his more locally inspired works below.

“The Glory Clouds” (2021)

“Hand of Doom” (2020)

“Area 101” (2020)

“Christ’s Entry Into Humboldt County” (2019)

“The Corsair” (2018)

“Afternoon of the Comet” (2017)

“Liquor and Drugs” (2016)

“The Pale Horse” (2015)

“Whaler’s Inn” (2014)

“Fragile” (2014)

And as always, be sure to scroll the list of past Humboldt Holding Up guests if you’re feeling bored and/or lonely.

PREVIOUS HUMBOLDT HOLDING UP GUESTS:

GROWING OLD UNGRACEFULLY: Wordle Riddle

Barry Evans / Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022 @ 7 a.m. / Growing Old Ungracefully

“Llanddewi Rhydderch last received publicity for a curious reason when it emerged that the Pacific nation of Kiribati had an honorary consulate there.”

— From The Guardian, extolling the highlights of the Welsh village where Josh Wardle, inventor of Wordle, is from.

Along with the eternal questions that keep many of us awake at night — Will I die before Social Security goes broke? What’s the difference between a UFO and a UAP? Is J-Lo’s new movie autobiographical?—comes a new one out of left field, ready to become the debate of the age: Is my first guess four vowels (ADIEU, AUDIO…) or four consonants (CLAMP, GRIPS…)?

Me, I’m a consonant guy. Even if I knew all the vowels, I wouldn’t know what to do with them, they’re too mushy. Consonants, on the other hand, have bite and depth. I’ve been doing the New York Times daily crossword for so long that my heart rate goes up if I’m blessed with a K or (be still my heart) a Q. Or G as the last letter—usually a giveaway for an …ING ending. If all I see is something like A?E?OI?A?, I give up that area and look elsewhere for low-hanging fruit. OTOH, if I get, say, ?D?N??D?L I’m home free, the word practically speaks itself, albeit hoarsely.

In case you’ve been stuck in a cave or on Last Chance Grade for the last few months, Wordle is a nice new daily word game. (I’ve seen “nice attached to it so many times, it goes with the territory now.) Since being unleashed on the world last October, it’s taken off like a…virus? Its inventor, Josh Wardle, is Brooklyn-based Welsh software engineer who wanted to do something, well, nice, for his word-game-playing partner. Wordle is simple to play. You have six chances to guess a mystery five-letter word. With each guess, you get feedback: a gray letter means that letter isn’t in the target word; yellow means it’s in there (perhaps more than once), but not in the position you had; green says, this letter is correct and it’s correctly placed.

Here’s one reason Wordle is so addictive. After four unsuccessful guesses and with barely any information, I was able to deduce the correct word (hence the green tiles in the fifth row) from the remaining letters.

When I said, “unleashed on the world,” I wasn’t kidding. In the few months it’s been around, Wordle has been cloned into over 100 languages, along with such self-explanatory versions as Sweardle, Lewdle and Harry Potter-themed Wizarding Wordle. But what do you do when your language is, say Chinese Mandarin? No problem, apparently. Instead of five “English” letters, Li Zhong, a programmer from Hangzhou, adapted Wordle into chengyu characters. These are “a type of traditional Chinese idiomatic expression, most of which consist of four characters. Chengyu were widely used in Classical Chinese and are still common…today.” (Thanks Wikipedia.) Chengyu Wordle now has nearly 100,000 players.

Traditional chengyu meaning “Break the pots and sink the boats,” referencing the Battle of Julu, 207 BC, when Xiang Yu, after leading his army across the Yellow River, burned his boats to be sure every soldier was ready to die. He won.

The riddle is this: In an age when huge dot.coms are spending years and millions designing new games for online players, how come one guy with a budget of $100/month (for his server) can create a game that three million people worldwide play daily, all in the space of a few months? Some answers:

It’s simple (it takes a minute to learn how to play)
It’s free (even the New York Times, which recently bought the rights to publish Wordle for “a seven-figure sum,” offers it at no cost)
Games are limited, since the “official” Wordle is once a day (although you can play more for practice here if you want)
It’s just the right mix of easy vs. challenging. If it’s too easy for you, switch to “hard mode,” wherein all correct letters in a guess (yellow and green) must be used in your subsequent guesses
It’s communal, in the sense that you can share your result, without spoilers, with your online pals thus:

Got it in four!

Here’s how to get started, at Josh Wardle’s orginal site.

It’s addictive…don’t say I didn’t warn you.

THE ECONEWS REPORT: What’s Next for Eel River Dams?

The EcoNews Report / Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022 @ 10 a.m. / Environment

Cape Horn Dam at Van Arsdale Reservoir. Photo: PG&E.

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On this week’s edition of the Econews Report, Friends of the Eel River discuss developments in the thrilling drama of Eel River dam removal. It’s a story of injustice and opportunity— a 100-year-old water diversion that takes from one watershed to give to another, and the chance to correct the harms by returning salmon and steelhead to excellent cold-water habitat locked behind the dams.

Starring characters like the charismatic Northern California summer steelhead, the most athletic and endangered fish in the watershed; Congressman Huffman, who is working diligently to arrive at a win-win solution; and countless stakeholders all taking part in a process which will see the Eel River become the longest free-flowing river in the state.

AUDIO:

“The EcoNews Report,” Feb. 12, 2022.

REQUIRED READING:

”Action Alert: Ask FERC to Initiate License Surrender for Eel River Dams,” Friends of the Eel.

THE CANNABIS CONVERSATION: Team Building

Jesse Duncan / Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022 @ 7:30 a.m. / Cannabis

Photo by Add Weed on Unsplash.

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I kicked off the farming season last week and began prepping for the year alongside an amazing team. The stakes are high for cannabis farms and other businesses here in Humboldt, and for many of us, this year is the most important of our careers. Team performance will play a deciding factor in who continues in business and who closes their doors.

In the cannabis industry specifically, legalization has fragmented the attention of owners. They can no longer focus primarily on growing and sales. Owners must now navigate compliance, Human Resources, labor laws, marketing in a highly competitive space, environmental protection/remediation and a host of other business issues.

As many farm owners have spent less time in the dirt and more time on these other matters, quality and performance have suffered in some cases. Farms, much like other industries, now have an increased reliance on the performance of their teams. For this reason and in light of challenging market conditions, team building is of paramount importance.

Whether a cannabis business or any other here in Humboldt, attracting and retaining quality people is critical. This column will share my thoughts on the issue and hopefully help you create the team your business needs to thrive.

Honoring and Valuing Employees as Humans

Employees are more than a number or a means to an end. Showing employees you value and appreciate them is critical. Getting to know them as people, creating an atmosphere where they can come to you with life issues, expressing thanks and gratitude and simply spending time with your people creates relationship and a sense of community, while drastically improving commitment, loyalty and performance.

Employees who feel honored and valued tend to go the extra mile as they derive more personal and professional satisfaction from their careers. While maintaining some professional distance from employees can be advisable, treating them with basic human values like dignity, respect and compassion will create a positive work environment that people can excel in. Through seeking to understand and direct employees, rather than dictate to them, relationship can be built and your workforce can thrive.

Provide Adequate Training

Equipping your employees with the training and tools to succeed is also critical to the success of your operation. Even within the same industry, processes and operating procedures can vary significantly between companies. Taking the time to thoroughly and meticulously train employees in your process is of paramount importance.

In cannabis, like in other industries, experienced employees often have existing ideas and an existing approach with regard to workflow. That approach may or may not coincide or jive well with your operational plan, so ensuring all parties are on the same page will help prevent problems, miscommunication and dissatisfaction. Training should also account for the individual learning style of your employees. Some people are visual learners, some are auditory, and others learn best with a hands-on approach. Creating a training protocol incorporating this understanding is more inclusive and will help optimize results.

Accountability and Communication

Whether on the pot farm or in a corporate setting, accountability and communication are vital for your business. Accountability is about being trusted and reliable. Do management and employees do what they are asked and what they say they will do? With greater business complexity and with more delegation of tasks, accountability for all team members becomes increasingly important. If one individual fails to tow the line, negative ramifications for the company can be extreme.

Similarly, open, caring and direct communication within a company is a must. When communication breaks down or is lacking, problems can occur and workflow can suffer. Morale can slip, as can employee performance. Without continuous dialog within your company, opportunities for growth, development, deeper relationship and performance improvements are hampered.

Opportunities for Advancement

Providing opportunities for advancement, or upward mobility among your workforce is another great way to build a high-performance team. When employees know and understand that hard work, commitment, dedication and mastery of skills can lead to more responsibility and higher compensation, they tend to outperform.

While many companies hire management-level positions through human resources or placement agencies, promoting from within can be a more productive strategy. In cannabis, like in other industries, promoting individuals with a strong work ethic, a love and a deep understanding of the company can lead to better results than hiring a strong resume from the outside. As we are seeing in cannabis, folks who were strong executives in other industries have not generally shown the same aptitude in the cannabis space.

Inspiration, Purpose and Meaning

Inspiring employees and providing them a real sense of purpose and meaning can help supercharge the results of your team. Regardless of industry, sharing your mission and vision with employees and empowering them to live those out each and every day creates a sense of ownership and increases job satisfaction.

In my line of work, creating an artisanal, competition-level product that saves and improves lives gives me the motivation to push hard day after day. I find that sharing this with teammates creates the passion, focus and drive necessary to differentiate ourselves in a crowded space. Love and enthusiasm are infectious, as are toxicity and burnout. Employees key in on the energy of management and ownership, so being an inspirational, vibrant member of the team is a must. When owners share their love, passion and values with employees, and rub elbows with them on projects, relationships deepen and performance improves.

Compensation

Fair compensation and, where appropriate, a performance-based bonus system will solidify your team and keep employees happily and gainfully engaged with your company and its projects. When employees see the fruits of their labor transition into a year-end bonus, for example, they are excited to roll into the new year with you and will be less likely to shop jobs.

A well compensated team will display greater loyalty and will be far more willing to go the extra mile for you and the fulfillment of your company’s mission. Conversely, teams who grumble about being undercompensated rarely perform at the highest level.

In cannabis, like in other industries, an engaged, motivated workforce will work harder, take more ownership and radically improve the success of your operation. As the cannabis industry and Humboldt’s economy face near-term uncertainty, now more than ever, is time to honor and value your people. Coming together, working toward shared objectives and striving to be our best each day can help our businesses survive lean times and be well-positioned to capitalize on brighter days ahead.

When times are tough, communication, accountability, community and mutual respect are more important than ever. As we face what looks to be a challenging year, we need to come together, support one another and remember that love, friendship and empathy are powerful motivators. Like it or not, challenging economic times separate winners from losers. Organizations with a clear focus, strong teams, sound business processes and amazing products will survive. Others will not.

I love my lifelong community dearly and am rooting for us all. Let’s go Humboldt!!

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Jesse Duncan is a lifelong Humboldt County resident, a father of six, a retired financial advisor, and a full-time commercial cannabis grower. He is also the creator of NorCal Financial and Cannabis Consulting, a no-cost platform that helps small farmers improve their cultivation, business, and financial skills. Please check out his blog at, his Instagram at jesse_duncann, and connect with him on Linkedin.

OBITUARY: Carol Lee, 1953-2022

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