Arcata business owner Esteban Gonzalez of Esteban’s Mexican Restaurant has reportedly died of pneumonia according to a GoFundMe page.

The Mad River Union reports that Gonzalez’s illness was caused by COVID-19.

“This week, downtown Arcata lost one of our wonderful restaurant owners and friends,” the GoFundMe page reads.

Gonzalez, a self-made businessman, got his start in Humboldt County by working three jobs: milking cows, working in a saw mill and washing dishes at the Eel River Brewing Company.

Jefferson Public Radio reported in 2015 that he was eventually able to open his first taco truck in 2000. From there, Gonzalez’s business grew, and in 2012 he opened his Arcata restaurant at 1021 I Street.

“This is a tragic loss for his beloved wife and family, and a shock to those who have loved visiting Esteban’s restaurant and food truck,” the GoFundMe page reads. “Friends and community are welcome to bring cards and flowers to the restaurant in Arcata, and Arcata Main Street is creating this fundraiser to invite anyone who would like to donate in support of Esteban’s family.”

The GoFundMe page, created 11 hours ago, has already surpassed its $5,000 goal.

(AUDIO) Jenny Metz is Holding Up

Subscribe to Humboldt Holding Up on iTunes!

Jenny Metz, joy creator

After spending the past few years establishing the Inn at 2nd and C and Phatsy Kline’s Parlor Lounge as some of Eureka’s most chic destinations for out-and-about revelry, 2020 was the year Eagle House owner Jennifer Metz had designated for “less stress and more success.” Well, you know how that went.

On the first episode of Humboldt Holding Up of 2021, Metz shares with LoCO how she and her staff switched up their game to try and make the most of the past pandemic-plagued year and assures us that Humboldt will party again (as soon as it’s safe to do so). Plus, we learn about her efforts to help reinvigorate Old Town by reimagining the historic Eagle House and she tells us about that time she ended up hiking through the redwoods with Bill Murray while he was a guest at the inn. Be jealous.

Click the player above to hear Metz’s chat with LoCO’s Stephanie McGeary and Andrew Goff and/or scroll our past guests below.

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PREVIOUS GUESTS:

• Absynth Quartet Drummer Mike “Tofu” Schwartz
• HACHR Executive Director Lasara Firefox Allen
• Alchemy Distiller Owner Amy Bohner
• Eureka City Councilmember Kati Moulton
• Eureka City Councilmember Scott Bauer
• Ungraceful Ager Barry Evans
• Arcata City Councilmember Sofia Pereira
• HumBrews Music Booker Laurel Weston
• Eureka City Councilmember Kim Bergel
• Film Commission’s Cassandra Hesseltine and Nate Adams
• Marble Maker Topher Reynolds
• Arcata Playhouse Director Jacqueline Dandeneau
• Humboldt Political Junkie Eric Kirk
• Rio Dell Mayor Debra Garnes
• Second District Supervisor Estelle Fennell
• Arcata Food Aficionado Jada Calypso Brotman
• Body Piercer Jackie Silva
• Dick Taylor Chocolate’s Adam Dick
• FUHS Teachers Mark Thom and Inma Thompson
• Eureka City Manager Miles Slattery
• Savage Henry Co-Founder Chris Durant
• Eureka Street Art Festival Organizer Jenna Catsos
• SCRAP Humboldt Founder Tibora Bea
• Gym Owner Tyler Parr
• Six Rivers Brewery Co-Owner Meredith Maier
• Multicultural Skincare Therapist Levia Love
• Annie’s Cambodian Server and Social Worker Joshua Coppock
• Eureka City Councilmember Austin Allison
• HSU Professor Deidre Pike 
• Pastor Bethany Cseh
• Singer/Songwriter Chris Parreira
• Eureka City Councilmember Leslie Castellano
• Arcata City Councilmember Paul Pitino

This column is prompted by a comment from last week’s riff on “Amen/A-women” (the “pun” that Rep. Emanuel Cleaver used to end the prayer that opened the current session of the US House of Representatives): “Mr. Evans has, in earlier articles, made it clear that he is possibly an agnostic, and probably an atheist.”

Look, we’re all agnostic regarding God, which was the original coinage of the term (a-gnosis, “without knowledge”) by “Darwin’s bulldog” Thomas Huxley in 1869. None of us—from the open-minded Unitarian to the most hard-headed evangelical Christian or devout Sunni—know shit about God, any more than we “know” anything for certain. We could be brains-in-vats/dreaming or hallucinating/pawns in a sim-type computer game/robots convinced we’re free-will agents (like Sean Young’s character in Blade Runner), etc. So of course I’m an agnostic: I have beliefs, not knowledge (including what I just wrote!). So do you.

As for “probably an atheist.” First, it’s a category error (i.e. apples and oranges) to compare agnosticism with atheism—one’s about knowledge, the other’s about belief. And as I’ve written in this column several years ago, my problem with defining something by what it’s not—i.e. an atheist being someone who doesn’t believe in God (or gods)—is that you need to have at least some sense what it is you’re saying you don’t believe in. And there’s the rub. As physicist-bongo player, the late Richard Feynman, explained, having called himself a non-believer: “You describe it, I don’t believe it.” Since I have no idea what the word God (or gods) means, I’d be dishonest to express either belief or disbelief. So no, I’m not an atheist. But neither am I not not-an-atheist.

Let’s look a bit closer at this “negative definition” idea. Dark is defined as the absence of light, death by the absence of life. Similarly chastity (no sex), bachelor (unmarried), vacation (break from work)—we all understand what it is we’re not referring to. But God? Ineffable! As the very readable theologian Karen Armstrong observed, “Some [eminent Jewish, Christian and Muslim theologians and mystics] went so far as to say that it was better to say that God did not exist, because our notion of existence was too limited to apply to God.”

Which brings us, naturally to “Pascal’s Wager.” The 17th century philosopher-mathematician Blaise Pascal wrote that a rational person should at least try to believe in God (use your imagination!) since you were giving up very little, while the up side (eternal life) was enormous. That is, it was a good bet to be a believer. (The ancient Greek philosopher Protagoras may have been the first to so reason.) Which, in the cold hard light of day, is a pretty silly argument. Suppose you end up believing in the wrong god? Suppose God doesn’t accept your “wager”? Or that God—who until that moment thought you were OK—was insulted by your self-serving, phony attempt to believe?

I think I’ll stick with not knowing.

Any new parent can tell you that welcoming an infant into your life is difficult. Though the experience can be incredibly joyful and rewarding, it can also be tiring, stressful, and isolating — and that’s just under normal circumstances! During a global pandemic the adjustment can be beyond overwhelming.

That’s why the Arcata Play Center, part of the city’s recreation division, has put together a series of free outdoor groups for new parents and caregivers with infants up to one year old. Supported through First Five Humboldt — a program dedicated to supporting early childhood development — the outdoor groups aim to provide a way for families to stay connected and healthy during this difficult time.

“Support is so critical, especially in that first year and especially right now when some people don’t have the support of extended family,” Arcata Recreation Supervisor Heather Stevens told the Outpost on Friday.

Before the pandemic, First Five organized many playgroups for children up to five years old, including a group that met three days a week at Arcata’s D Street Community Center. The group was canceled when it was no longer safe to gather indoors and Arcata Recreation wanted to come up with a safe alternative, Stevens said. The new parent outdoor groups meet weekly either on Sundays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays, with each group holding a maximum of five families. Participants follow all safety protocols, such as staying six feet apart and wearing masks. The groups only allow infants one year or younger, to be held in parents’ arms, baby carriers or strollers. It is difficult to keep older children apart, which increases the risk of spreading COVID, Stevens said.

Each meeting begins with some playtime with the little ones on blankets, followed by a guided walk through one of our beautiful local trails. The Sunday and Tuesday groups alternate between the Mal’el Dunes and the Arcata Community Forest and the Wednesday group meets at the Headwaters Reserve Elk River trail. The groups began meeting this month and will continue through the end of March.

The Sunday and Tuesday groups are already full, Stevens said,  but there is still space in the Wednesday group, which meets from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. For more information or to sign up, you can call Stevens at (707) 825-2150.

One of Arcata Play Center’s activity kits for children 3-5.

Whether or not you are able to join, Stevens encourages parents to give her a call, because she is always looking to add more groups as needed. Currently Stevens is working on putting together a Spanish speaking group, she said.

Arcata Play Center is also offering many other resources to help support children and parents during COVID, including free children’s activity kits, virtually guided activities and online workshops and discussions. To find more info on these and other available resources, you can follow the Arcata Play Center on Facebook.

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On this week’s EcoNews Report, guest Carl Segerstron from High Country News joins Gang Green to discuss how Western far-right anti-government extremism contributed to the siege on the U.S. Capitol. From the Sagebrush Rebellion to Cliven Bundy to the Capitol, you can trace the roots of right-wing terrorism, and see how politicians (looking at you, Ronald Reagan) fed the movement by playing into their paranoia.

REQUIRED READING:

“The Washington, D.C., siege has Western roots and consequences,” High Country News, Jan. 8, 2021.

AUDIO:

“The EcoNews Report,” Jan. 16, 2021.

Wow. The Outpost is happy to announce that we received dozens of “Total Request LoCO” submissions in the last week. So far, Humboldters have sent in locally-filmed music videos, live performances, short films, book readings — even a cooking show.

Due to the overwhelming response, we’re going to space these submissions out over a couple of weeks to ensure a steady supply of videos, but we promise to share them all. In the meantime, keep submitting. Other than a few reasonable guidelines (below), TRL submissions can be as creative as you want them to be. Make a how-to, share that old skate video, record a conversation with your 90-year-old grandma. Whatever.

To submit a locally-filmed video, upload it to YouTube and email the link to News@LostCoastOutpost.com with your name, maybe a brief description of your work and “TRL” in the subject line. Please do not submit videos containing any form of violence, racism, illegal activity, pornographic material, bullying or harassment. Also, no advertisements or duplicated submissions please. 

Now enjoy this week’s cavalcade of creatives:

“Jealous Sea” by Linda Faye Carson:

Carson says her live performance is a serenade to “the wild and scenic Smith River and some wild and scenic women.”

(Warning: Sexually Suggestive Content) “A Legend in His Time” - A Film by Tim Rossi:

Rossi describes the film as a story about the trials and tribulations of local Arcata filmmaker Pete Gizz.

“A Very Undercovers Christmas Special” by The Undercovers:

“This year, instead of playing everyone’s Christmas parties, we present you with an online Christmas Party,” the local cover band said. “We have compiled a bunch of our favorite holiday themed songs and sketches for your viewing and listening pleasure.”

“Removed From Paradise” by James Forrest:

“I started doing a sort of one man band thing last year, writing songs and making music and videos to go with them,” Forrest said. “I also play drums in a couple bands locally but this solo stuff has been a good way to spend some quarantine time. Here’s one from the middle of last year.”

“Be My Sequencer” by Hudson Glover:

Hudson is a local artist based out of Eureka. “I am a regular performer at Richard’s Goat, Outerspace, Synapsis, and the Sanctuary,” Hudson said. “[I] could use any extra exposure to continue supporting myself through the pandemic.”

(French onion soup) “2 Cooks in the Kitchen”:

The aptly named Matthew and Kelly Cook share a cooking demo for their French onion soup.

Caledonia Eleanor Henshaw lived 91 years. She was born November 24, 1929 and passed away on January 11, 2021.

My mother, Ellie Henshaw, was an unpredictable woman. Her mood could turn suddenly, and to this day, I can’t say I truly understood the depth of how things effected her. But throughout her life she was unwavering in her generosity, her insistence on justice, and her deep love for nature and animals.

As a young woman, Ellie was trained as a ballet dancer, and had hoped to pursue a career in dancing, but marriage and children interrupted. She never stopped dancing though, and as a child, I would watch her dancing almost every night in the living room, delighting in the sense of freedom it gave her.

In the late 1960s, Ellie Henshaw was a Civil Rights activist, and she taught me at a young age about inequalities and to stand against them. She was fierce against injustice, inequality or, any kind of cruelty toward human or animal, and I watched her on several occasions move the earth with her wrath against the perpetrator. She was a small woman, but utterly fearless.

Freedom and independence were deep values for her and she told me when she was a teenager, she saved up her money so she could buy a used car because she knew the car would give her freedom. She spent hours driving up into the mountains, and one of her favorite places to go was Mt. Tamalpais, near where she grew up in Marin County. This compelling need for her to be alone out in nature is what brought her to the Humboldt County area in 1972. She fell in love with the area, and decided she would finish her education at Humboldt State University. She received her Master’s degree in Psychology and Sociology, and worked for many years at HCAR with the Developmentally Disabled until she was 82 years old. She was tireless! She adored her job, and genuinely loved the clients at HCAR, and some of them I know would often call her at home.

My mother was the kind of woman who gave what she could to anyone, and would stop anywhere and anytime to help someone. As a child, I couldn’t fully appreciate this at all. It was only when I grew up, that I could recognize that she was genuinely endlessly generous. And she had the “old world manners” I don’t often come across anymore. The last time I was with her, we were out buying her a new pair of shoes. She insisted we tip the sales clerk for her time and trouble. The world could certainly use more of her generosity and great sense of service now. I hope I learned well from her.

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