Editor: The last editions of the North Coast Journal (NCJ) capture the contradictions in Humboldt County when it comes to climate change. Readers who are paying attention to environmental politics will note the contrast between the awareness of climate change articulated in Jen Savage’s excellent article about sea level rise in the Dec. 11 edition […]
Letter Writer
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Posted inLifelines
Michael Edward Miranda Sr.
1949 – 2025 We are saddened to share the passing of Michael Edward Miranda Sr. who died unexpectedly, at his home in Myrtle Point, Oregon on November 16, 2025. He was the second of 12 children born to John and Joyce Miranda at Scotia Hospital on September 27, 1949. Most of his childhood was spent […]
Posted inLifelines
Glenn Edward Martella
1942 to 2025 Glenn Edward Martella was born on January 10, 1942, in Ferndale, California. A lifelong resident of Ferndale, Glenn was woven into the heart and history of the town he loved. Sporting a cowboy hat with red poppies and a toothpick tucked in the brim, he was instantly recognizable — a character and […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Deadline Extended to Support Eel River Dam Removal
PG&E has submitted an application to surrender its license for the Potter Valley Project (PVP), and to remove the two defunct dams in the Eel River headwaters. This is a smart economic move, as the project has not generated electricity for over four years, and what was produced over the last 20 years was less […]
Posted inObituaries
Martha Peabody Traphagen
April 21, 1943 – November 23, 2025 Martha Peabody Traphagen passed away the evening of November 23, 2025. She was under the care Hospice of Humboldt and residing in Caring Companions Rest Home in Eureka, CA. Martha was born April 21, 1943 in Pasadena; CA. When she was 12, her mother also fondly known as […]
Posted inObituaries
Chris Frolking
1949-2025 Chris died at his beloved home on Barry Ridge in Kneeland, California with me, his partner of 48 years, at his side. Chris lived with dementia for about the last 7 years. Gradually he saw his connection to life slipping away, his passion for the natural world, his art, his music, his love of […]
Posted inNews
Thrown Under the Bus
Humboldt schools inch closer to rescuing mental health funds slashed by Trump This story was originally published by EdSource. Sign up for their daily newsletter. California school districts were bracing for their mental health grants to be cut at the end of the month, but a recent court ruling could force the Trump administration to temporarily release […]
Posted inLifelines
Lynn Kausen Smith
May 22, 1941 to November 20, 2025 Margaret Lynn Kausen Smith passed away November 20, 2025 at the age of 84 in Redding with her family by her side. She was born May 22, 1941 in Eureka. Lynn attended Ferndale Elementary School then graduated from Ferndale High School and Humboldt State University. She lived in […]
Posted inLifelines
Stephen Howard Emmes
April 7, 1949-October 17, 2025 Stephen (Steve) Emmes loving husband, loyal son, talented artist, woodworker and active community member died at his home in Olga on Orcas Island. Steve is survived by his wife, Lynn Marie Emmes, brother Ken, and children Emery and Merry. Born in Pasadena California, Steve was the oldest of two sons […]
Posted inMailbox
‘Not Impressed’
Editor: The four contenders for governor, detailed in the CalMatters article (“They Want to Be California’s Next Governor. Here’s What They’d Do About Health Care, Nov. 20), range in age from 57 to 72. Katie Porter, who didn’t answer CalMatters’ questions, is 51. Other non-respondents were Chad Bianco who is soon to be 59, and […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
‘Something of Our Lives’
Editor: I often think about the fact that I’m the extremely unlikely product of an unbroken, four-billion-year-long chain of survival and reproduction. What are the odds? Sometimes I’m wracked with guilt by the fact that, partly by luck but mostly by choice, I’ve broken that chain. Mr. Evans (“The Lure of Immortality,” Nov. 20) points […]
Posted inObituaries
Gordon Schatz
Gordon Schatz was born and raised in Tacoma Washington, and he married his high school sweetheart Karen Lyle in 1964. They then moved to Hollywood, where he obtained a BA degree in Photography from Art Center College of Design. He operated his own advertising photography studio until the family relocated to Humboldt County in 1975, […]