Dead are the days when Arcata’s fabled “Tavern Row” stood proud on the plaza, a line of bars with only a liquor store at the end of the street to break up the pattern. Of that original row, only Everett’s remains, the others out of business, some by choice, some by force. 

Last year, the Jam was one of the last holdouts to go, towards its end plagued by a seedy reputation and a frequent police prescence. But in its place is now the Wild Hare Tavern, a drink, food and music venue scrubbed clean of its predecessor’s sins, a totally blank slate. 

“It wasn’t, in my opinion, someplace I’d want my kids to hang out in,” Wild Hare Tavern owner Angela Robershotte told the Outpost.

Robershotte opened the bar in late December after six weeks of backbreaking labor went into redecorating and fixing flooring and repairing appliances and dealing with the health department and clearing out decades of detritus. It was a process that yielded little except boxes of moldy pasta, but did turn up an old vinyl recording of an album one of the original Jambalaya’s owners recorded, with handwritten liner notes and classic ‘70s cartoon styling on the front. 

Getting the bar going is brutal work. Robershotte started by working 10 hours a day to get the place moving, then 12, followed by 14, now up to 16 hours of work a day. She hasn’t had the time yet to take down her Christmas tree. 

“You just get a nap in when you can,” Robershotte said with a very short laugh.

She’s worked in Arcata’s bar scene for 30 years, starting with the now-defunct Sidelines sports bar. Robershotte has worked for many of Arcata’s dens of iniquity at some point or another, taking time off occasionally to raise her kids. Toby and Jack’s, Abruzzi, Everett’s, and most recently the Basement were all employers. 

In 2024, Robershotte decided the time was right to go into business for herself. 

“I had two jobs, and three jobs, and I was working 65 hours a week between my regular job and the Basement,” Robershotte said. “And I just said, ‘You know what? If I’m going to work 65 hours a week, it might as well be something that I want to do.’”

She feels the work has been worth it so far, even though she hadn’t been able to cook for herself or her son at home since Christmas until last week. The only things left are minor touch-ups. 

The Wild Hare Tavern, as it currently stands, sits in a nebulous vortex. It has no brand yet, outside of being “that place where the Jam used to be.” Though Robershotte has complete freedom to create that identity, giving it a new one is hard, especially because Jam had been around for so long. Even the name doesn’t have much of a story to it, outside of Robershotte’s idea to own a bar being a bit of a “wild hare”, a crazy plan. There isn’t one set group of people yet that hound the Tavern, no stereotypes to assign to it. Robershotte doesn’t see that as a weakness, however; she’s not trying to pander to any one group of people. She doesn’t want her bar to be exclusive to any one particular demographic. 

Robershotte’s trying to give everyone a reason to check the Tavern out. She’s had a wide variety of bands and DJs perform, though at the start it was hard to find musicians on short notice. A self-described people pleaser after decades working in the service industry, she’s open to suggestions. There’s something different every night, but she made it clear there will never be a karaoke night — partially because everyone does karaoke, but mostly because she hates it. 

“It’s always a few super, super drunk people that are over-served,” Robershotte said. “That’s too much. I feel like there’s not a safe limit at some points. And then there’s a large group of people that really want to be good, and so they don’t drink at all. And then there’s people who come just to check it out, such a weird group of daredevils, and people that can’t sing, but want to perform, it’s just — I’m not interested.”

Not all of the Jam’s DNA has been extracted. Robershotte managed to find and install the Jambalaya’s original mahogany bar, replacing the Jam’s concrete. It was separated into three pieces in a barn and covered with ancient chewed gum before its resuscitation; now it sits shiny, the centerpiece of a clean place to get a drink, which is exactly what Robershotte wanted it to be. 

“I want my business to be a wide demographic place where people want to be, and be successful at that,” Robershotte said. “Maybe be the go-to place for people that want to jump around on a Friday night and feel safe in their space and be silly.”

PREVIOUSLY:

• The Eureka Burger King Will Be Closed for a Little Bit Due to Sewage Problems, According to Restaurant Inspectors

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One month ago, the Eureka Burger King was shut down by the local Public Health Division, seeing as how their toilets kept backing up into the restaurant.

That problem was temporarily fixed, and the drive-thru was allowed to reopen.

Vintage.

Today, the hammer falls.

In a letter dated today, Benjamin Dolf, the county’s supervising environmental health specialist, makes liberal use of capital letters and italics when he informs Eureka Restaurant LLC, the company that runs the BK, that their permit to operate is again rescinded, effective immediately.

”Liquid wastes shall be disposed of through the APPROVED PLUMBING SYSTEM and shall discharge into the public sewerage or into an APPROVED private sewage disposal system,” Dolf writes, citing state health codes.

What brought this about today? Why now? According to Dolf’s letter — which you can find here — this week the city of Eureka went and inspected the BK’s sewer lateral and determined that it is just not up to the task of ferrying sewage between the restaurant and the public “sewerage” (which is a fun word).

Therefore, Burger King is again shuttered and it’s gonna be a big job to get it open again. Your Impossible Whopper just got more impossible still.

RELATED: 

• POLL! Let’s Remember the Good Times! What Was Your Favorite Menu Item at Eureka’s Sewage-Cursed Burger King?

Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office press release: 

On Dec. 7 at about 8:20 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the 2300 block of Redwood Dr. near Redway for the report of an armed robbery that had occurred about an hour prior.

The victim reported that multiple masked males entered and ransacked the residence before leaving in the victim’s vehicle with cash, cell phone, and personal items including a valuable knife collection and flat screen television. A “be on the lookout” (BOLO) was issued for suspects and the Nissan Frontier that was stolen from the residence.

On Dec. 10, deputies located and recovered the stolen vehicle on the 1000 block of Hallen Dr., Arcata. Detectives carried out a search warrant of the stolen vehicle and cell phone records of one of the suspects, Dauwin Poe. Details shared in text messages and photos from Poe revealed corroborated items that were connected to the Dec. 7 robbery.

Three suspects involved in the robbery—Dauwin Poe (19, of McKinleyville), Cotc Lincoln (38, of Hoopa), and Joseph Lenhart (25, of McKinleyville)—have been identified and were charged in relation to the home invasion robbery. The suspects were already in custody on numerous charges involving gun violence, criminal threats, conspiracy, and other felony charges. 

This case is still under investigation.

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.

Press release from the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services:

This poor kid is Wikipedia’s Face of Pertussis.Image: Centers for Disease Control.

Local public health officials are stressing the importance of getting vaccinated for pertussis and flu after seeing a recent increase in cases.

Since November 2024, 30 cases of pertussis have been diagnosed locally in people between ages 3 and 70 years old, with most occurring in people 16 and younger.

The highly contagious respiratory illness, also known as whooping cough, typically begins with cold-like symptoms and sometimes a mild cough or fever before progressing to severe coughing fits which can include uncontrollable, violent coughing and can make it difficult to breathe, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Babies with pertussis may not cough, but may gag and gasp instead, as well as have a symptom known as “apnea,” which is a pause in their breathing pattern.

The whooping cough vaccine, known as DTaP, is a combination vaccine that protects against diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough. The three-dose series can be given to babies at 2, 4 and 6 months old with two booster doses at 15 to 18 months and 4 to 6 years old.

According to the CDC, pertussis is a cyclical bacterial infection that peaks every three to five years. Immunity, whether from getting the vaccine or from having the disease, typically wears off within five years, leaving previously immune children susceptible again by adolescence.

A booster shot is recommended for anyone over 11 years old who has not yet received one.

The illness can be especially dangerous for infants and young children and pregnant people are encouraged to get vaccinated during pregnancy, so they can pass on antibodies which help protect infants from pertussis until they are old enough to be vaccinated.

Locally, 14 cases were reported in 2024 (eight of which were in the last two months of the year), and only one was reported in 2023. The last local outbreak was in 2019, where Humboldt County saw 12 cases (including confirmed, suspected and probable cases).

Additionally, local hospitals are noting an uptick in people coming into the emergency department with the flu. In the past 10 days, they’re reporting 20 to 30 cases a day. Health officials are encouraging people to get their flu vaccine if they haven’t yet.

For additional information about pertussis, visit the California Department of Public Health website, talk to your medical provider or phone the Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services Communicable Disease Program at 707-268-2182. To make an appointment for a vaccine, contact your health care provider or call the Public Health Clinic at 707-268-2108.

PREVIOUSLY: 

• Arrests Made Related to Last Month’s Shooting Incidents in Arcata and Hoopa

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Press release from the Eureka Police Department:

On December 28, 2024, Eureka Police officers were dispatched to the vicinity of 3rd and A Streets for a report of a shooting that had occurred near this location. Two citizens were reported to have been shot at, but were uninjured. Stray rounds from the shooting struck an occupied tent located in the area, however no persons were struck by the gunfire.

Patrol Officers on scene, collected evidence, interviewed witnesses, and identified locations with potential video surveillance of the incident. The investigation was then transferred to the Criminal Investigations Unit.

During the follow-up investigation, it was determined the shooting was likely related to two additional shootings, one occurring in McKinleyville and another on the Hoopa Reservation around the same time period. EPD Detectives worked in collaboration with the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and identified Dauwin Poe, (19 years old from McKinleyville), as a person of interest in the shooting. As the investigation progressed, EPD Detectives developed evidence and were able to identify Poe as the shooter in the Eureka shooting.

On February 6, 2025, EPD Detectives responded to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility where Poe was in custody on separate charges. EPD Detectives booked Poe on charges of attempted murder, assault with a firearm and shooting into an occupied structure.

This is still an active investigation and the Eureka Police Department is asking anyone with information about this incident to contact Detective Sergeant Crnich at 707-441-4300.

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On Tuesday, the Eureka City Council approved a $1.4 million budget request to begin site work for the Eureka Operations Complex, a new maintenance facility and corporation yard slated for an undeveloped lot at the southern end of town, behind Lost Coast Brewery’s brewing facilities on Highway 101. The budget allocation will provide the funding needed to get the 5.6-acre site prepped for construction, which is expected to begin once the rain lets up. 

The city will move its existing corp yard – the site where it stores and repairs fleet vehicles and other equipment – from its current location at 945 W. 14th Street to the new site, which was purchased from the owners of the Ocean View Cemetery in November 2023. The site plans have been modified to streamline the layout and reduce the overall cost of the project by about $10 million.

“We’re now proposing a one-building scenario,” said Katie Marsolan, a special projects manager in the Public Works Department. “We’re no longer running utilities to two separate structures. … We’re no longer building exterior siding on both and roofing on both. We’re really trying to stretch our dollar as far as possible.”

Construction will be broken into phases to give staff time to secure the rest of the funding needed for the project. Pre-construction services, including site development, grading, constructing underground utilities and building foundations, will begin in just a few months. The remaining construction will take place in 2026. 

“We have set a budget of $21 million,” Marsolan said. “We’re looking at a … $7 million target for the site development, $11 million toward the buildings and upright structures at this site, and then $3 million for all those design services, support services and utility connections. … To produce those construction documents and to get us from here to there, we are requesting $1.4 million.”

Councilmember Kati Moulton asked if the design plans included a buffer to reduce potential noise impacts from loud tools that could interfere with services at the cemetery next door. Marsolan said the city has made a commitment to create a noise buffer as a part of its purchase agreement with Ocean View.

“It might be a buffer with a landscape screen or with fencing, or it might be the way we actually organize the vehicles at the site,” she explained. “We’re still working towards that … and thinking about the grading of the site and how the buildings are positioned.”

“Thank you, I just wanted to make sure that as we’re trying to save money on the project, we’re still trying to also be good neighbors,” Moulton said.

Councilmember Leslie Castellano asked how much money the city would save on the redesign of the project. Marsolan said the previous two-building design would have cost the city nearly $30 million. “Now we’re down close to $20 million, [but] we’re still trying to shave here and there and everywhere.”

During the public comment portion of the meeting, one woman asked about the proximity of the wash bay to the adjacent property and whether the wastewater would drain onto the nearby land. The city’s stormwater permit requires the city to properly dispose of wastewater, Marsolan said. Ideally, the city would have a Vac-Con truck come in and suck up all the muddy water. 

“A Vac-Con truck is a really fancy vacuum truck [that] sucks up wet material, and it would come into this site and unload those wet, heavy materials,” she said. “Those are all separated at the site and it all goes into a containment process and a treatment process.”

After a bit of additional discussion, the Castellano made a motion to approve the $1.4 million budget allocation, which was seconded by Councilmember G. Mario Fernandez.

The motion passed in a unanimous 5-0 vote. 

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As seen earlier today on Humboldt Roads. Humboldt County Public Works release below:

Grizzly Bluff Road, near the intersection of Crosby Road, in the city of Ferndale, has developed a sinkhole due to a deteriorated culvert.

The Ferndale road crew is actively working to address the situation, while the Sign Shop installs proper traffic signage to ensure driver safety. A contractor will also be on-site today to assess and begin repairs.

The road is currently reduced to one-way controlled traffic. Please drive cautiously.