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• God Help Us, We Are Actually Opening the Floor For Election Limericks Once Again

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Pretty quiet on the limerick front this cycle, which we’re not sure how to feel about. Maybe it’s just that the election has been pretty quiet, all things considered, but maybe it’s also because we smacked-talked the county’s limerick-writing ability so much when we opened the floor. Whoops!

In any case, below are your (few) endorsement limericks for the June 2026 primary election.

One week until polls close! Everybody vote, now! If you need to figure out how to do that, the county elections office has you covered at this link.

FIFTH DISTRICT SUPERVISOR

Ms. Burke: for her I must cheer
The choice, it is so crystal clear!
Resource funding and jobs
She’s proven her chops
She’s working for all we hold dear.

— Lisa Dugan

Mary Burke brings exceptional calm
Even when faced with great qualms
She’s decidedly kind
Which is quite hard to find
And builds community with great aplomb.

— Natalie Arroyo

FOR GOVERNOR

Insurance and utilities jump.
Californians are feeling the bump.
Becerra wants to freeze
this budgetary squeeze,
and as AG, he’s fought against Trump.

— Mary Thibodeaux Lentz

FOR STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

While others stayed south in the fray,
Candidate Newman came to Humboldt Bay.
He met students and staff,
Will work on our behalf,
To make schools stronger in every way.

He understood our schools’ plight,
And marveled at Humboldt’s beautiful sight.
So when ballots arrive,
Keep our schools alive,
Help Newman win this fight.

— Jessica Callahan

IN GENERAL

I dread when elections begin.
Don’t think I can take it again.
All the ads and the hype,
Nail-biting and snipe.
Let’s just hope that the best woman wins!

— Teri Huber-Bundros

Public servants show us no deference
Their staffers have few points of reference
When confronted they yelp
How we wish we could help
So let’s register no party preference 

— Emma Brecain

The time has now come to vote
In person or by mail, remote
If you want your say
It’s the very best way
So get up and go grab your coat!

Governor’s not the only thing
You will find this ballot does bring
So sit down a spell
And read it through well
You don’t want to miss anything

— Dottie Simmons

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This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.

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Two of California’s largest courts are testing an AI tool that can draft orders and produce research memos.

Judges so far are using it primarily for civil cases, but documents obtained by CalMatters indicate the possibility of expanded applications in criminal cases, where people’s freedom and access to justice are on the line.

The Los Angeles County Superior Court began a pilot program in February to test a tool created by the company Learned Hand. Other courts may follow, according to Learned Hand founder and chief executive officer Shlomo Klapper.

Learned Hand uses a combination of language models from Anthropic, OpenAI and Google to act as an AI clerk for judges. The company says it tests for bias and accuracy, but it has not yet published results.

In Riverside County, which has a $10,000 agreement with the company to test the program, civil and probate attorneys are primarily using the tool to draft research memos that help judges reach their decisions. It’s typical for research attorneys to assist judges as they review cases.

Los Angeles County Superior Court has a roughly $314,000 contract that includes a roadmap to test the tool’s use in criminal, family and probate divisions. Officials would not describe in detail to CalMatters the criteria they’re using to evaluate whether use of the tool can safely expand to criminal and family courts, where the stakes are often much higher than in civil cases.

One judge who spoke to CalMatters on condition of anonymity due to judicial rules of conduct was alarmed when their colleagues at a recent luncheon said the technology could be used one day to evaluate appeals from people who believe their conviction or sentence was tainted by racial bias. California courts are handling a wave of those claims after lawmakers passed the Racial Justice Act in 2020.

“I think it is outrageous,” said the Los Angeles County Superior Court judge. “AI cannot and never will be able to replace human judgment in evaluating complex social dynamics. Ultimately, that will erode the public’s confidence in the competence and fairness of the judiciary.”

A majority of California’s superior courts now have generative AI use policies, according to documents obtained by CalMatters via public records requests, which they were required to create by the state Judicial Council before using the technology. Roughly a dozen of the 51 courts that have responded to CalMatters’ requests said they are using AI-powered tools from LexisNexis, Thomson Reuters, and Microsoft’s Copilot.

Use of AI in courts has been controversial because of the propensity of AI models to cite falsehoods and to produce sycophantic text. Models from major companies like Google and Anthropic can reduce critical thinking and brain activity, according to a 2025 MIT study.

Language model hallucinations have already made it into the judicial system. Researcher Damien Charlotin has documented hundreds of instances of litigants, lawyers, and judges making mistakes when using AI to do their jobs including nearly 90 cases in state or federal courts based in California since August 2024.

Last fall, a Los Angeles-based lawyer received a historic $10,000 fine for citing cases that don’t exist, and earlier this month the Sacramento Bee reported that use of AI led to errors in four cases handled by prosecutors in Nevada County. Most of these cases involve lawyers or people who are representing themselves in court, but UCLA Law School professors predict that more judges will make AI-fueled mistakes in the future. In recent months, the U.S. Senate investigated federal judges in Mississippi and New Jersey for drafting decisions with generative AI that had serious factual errors.

Klapper, who previously worked as a clerk for a federal appeals court and for surveillance technology company Palantir, said the judiciary needs AI in order to reduce backlogs and increase efficiency.

“Could we hire more people?” he told CalMatters. “Maybe, but it’s not going to keep pace with the exponential increase that’s coming, nor is it going to be able to adequately solve the crisis of today. I think the only solution is to give every single judge and staff attorney their own AI clerk.”

Klapper said he’s aiming to combine the best parts of what human judges can do with the best parts of what machines bring to bear.

“I’m not saying all machines aren’t biased,” he said. “I’m not saying my machine isn’t even biased. I’m saying we can test it and people have tested it. And that is the benefit over humans.”

Generative AI use policies for the Los Angeles and Riverside County superior courts only require disclosure if a motion, decision, or other document is written entirely with generative AI.

Both courts refused to say whether plaintiffs are aware that the tool is being tested on their cases. In a statement to CalMatters, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Superior Court said testing is done on motions that have already been decided, separate from live case environments. However, the contract allows for testing on live cases.

“It is important to note that even with successful evaluation and thorough testing, the Court remains several months, if not years, away from implementing this type of tool,” said the spokesperson.

The contract allows the tool to be used for two critical motions in the criminal division: A motion to suppress, which is designed to determine what type of evidence the prosecution is allowed to present at trial, and motions for post conviction relief, which are filed by people who have already been convicted and want another shot at freedom.

That’s the “greatest concern” for Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman. When he reviewed the contract, he referred to the motions as “two incredibly important motions in the criminal justice system.”

“When you’re dealing with someone’s liberty — as opposed to in the civil setting, which is everything other than liberty — the stakes couldn’t be higher,” said Hochman. “I don’t want to take the chance, particularly in a criminal case, that AI happens to get it wrong. And now someone’s constitutional rights have been infringed. Someone has gone to prison who shouldn’t have, or on the flip side, that somehow someone gets off.”

‘An extremely perilous road’

In Los Angeles, some judges first heard about the new Learned Hand contract during a March presentation by Superior Court Judges Yvette Verastegui and Olivia Rosales. They lead the criminal branch and visit courthouses throughout the county as part of an annual roadshow, where they update judges on court operations, discuss workload and field questions. During a luncheon, Verastegui and Rosales said the tool could be used to assist with Racial Justice Act petitions in the future.

California’s Racial Justice Act allows people to challenge a criminal conviction or sentence that they believe was based upon racial bias. Petitions are filed directly to the court from people in state prison. If a case is found to have merit, the process includes appointing legal counsel, filing briefs and setting evidentiary hearings before a judge would decide whether to grant the petition.

That process could look different with a tool like Learned Hand. Verastegui and Rosales explained that, following an incarcerated person’s petition, the tool could generate tentative decisions for judges to consider in denying or advancing cases to the next stages, according to one judge who attended the luncheon.

“The concern, of course, that I have is that the courts will utilize that as a reference point and then get stuck to that initial analysis,” said the judge. “It’s an extremely perilous road to go down. Putting aside the inaccuracy, which will be a significant concern, it dehumanizes the whole process. It does not treat people as individuals with lived experiences. It essentially reimposes a one-size-fits-all style of justice.”

A second Los Angeles Superior Court judge who spoke with CalMatters on the condition of anonymity remembered the presentation and said they would not trust nor use the tool to summarize a Racial Justice Act petition.

AI can replicate or intensify patterns contained in the data used to make a model, including human biases. Large language models have a history of demonstrating race and gender bias, an analysis of predictive policing tech used by LAPD found racial bias, and an analysis of the risk assessment algorithm COMPAS found that it is more likely to label Black people as at risk of committing crimes after incarceration than white people with a similar record.

Public defenders who spoke with CalMatters echoed those concerns.

Elizabeth Lashley-Haynes, a deputy public defender at the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office, said it would be “highly problematic and bordering on unethical” for a judge to use the tool to review Racial Justice Act petitions, which she described as “incredibly nuanced.”

“They’re like nothing else in the legal system that has ever really been done,” said Lashley-Haynes, who specializes in Racial Justice Act cases. “Words that are used in these cases that have racial undertones or racial meanings are way beyond the realm of anything that artificial intelligence could do.”

In interviews with CalMatters, Klapper and Los Angeles County Superior Court Executive Officer, David Slayton, denied that the court has any plans to use the tool for Racial Justice Act petitions. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Superior Court later confirmed in an email to CalMatters that the contract permits the tool to be used in such a way “but that possibility has not commenced in any way.”

Klapper said if they were to build out a Racial Justice Act module, the tool would need to be evaluated for bias and co-developed with the court.

“The timing very fortuitous, right?” he said. “It’s a very fraught decision, I’m not going to lie…extremely high stakes — a scenario where I understand people might be very concerned. Especially with criminal, I have even more hesitancy, even more guardrails than normal about, because there are liberty interests at stake.”

Extending beyond civil cases

In Los Angeles, six superior court judges and their research attorneys are primarily using the Learned Hand tool to conduct research, summarize motions and assist in drafting tentative rulings, according to Slayton. He says the tool won’t move beyond the civil division “until the court leadership is comfortable.”

“The court is being very deliberate and careful about how we use technology like this,” he said. “So until we evaluate it and determine that it is effective in those areas, we will not extend it to other areas.”

The tool will be evaluated on a quarterly basis to determine its future application, Slayton said, but he did not specify what kind of evaluation that entails. In an email to CalMatters, a spokesperson later said that Learned Hand is evaluated “against the same substantive expectations applied to law clerks and research attorneys: accurate legal research, sound analysis, neutral and judge-ready writing, and reliable work product that supports judicial decision-making.”

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Samantha Jessner, who chairs the Judicial Technology Advisory Committee, said she was unaware of the possibility that the tool could eventually be used outside of the civil division until recently. Judges are not privy to contract negotiations due to certain ethical limitations, she said.

“I think we have a duty and obligation to explore whether or not there is a place for artificial intelligence in what we do as a judicial branch and that’s exactly what this pilot is intended to afford us the opportunity to do,” said Jessner.

Riverside County Superior Court signed an agreement with Learned Hand in February. In emails obtained by CalMatters, Klapper proposed to two Riverside County Superior Court executives, Jason Galkin and Sarah Hodgson, that the court use the tool for a common civil court motion and “then expand quickly once we earn our stripes.” He suggested that Hodgson assemble a list of motions and workflows “that generate the most pain,” citing examples that included the Racial Justice Act.

Roughly two weeks later, Hodgson described the most laborious motions “that want to drive us into retirement,” including discovery motions and attorney fee motions. For criminal cases, the court suggested that Klapper focus on “things with the largest paper records,” citing death penalty habeas petitions and parole revocation.

Since the pilot started, seven civil and probate attorneys have been granted access to the tool. Galkin, the chief executive officer of the Riverside County Superior Court, said they are “kicking the tires on the product” to see what tasks it can do. The tool is not being used to draft tentative rulings, he said.

“We don’t even know if expansion is likely so there is no set criteria for what expansion might look like or thresholds for that because right now, the core question is: Does this help staff and does it advance what they’re trying to do in their roles?” said Galkin.

As testing is underway, attorneys like Hochman say that use of AI is inevitable, but would be better suited for low-level, repetitive and routine tasks.

“It’s the analysis of the case itself, coupled with the conclusions that will be reached, that I’m very hesitant to trust AI at this point — in large part, because I don’t know all of the inputs that AI is using to make its decision. The only thing I’m 100% sure of is that AI didn’t go to law school,” said Hochman.

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Cayla Mihalovich is a California Local News fellow.

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This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.

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We get it, life gets busy. You received your ballot weeks ago and it’s languishing on your pile of mail. But don’t be like the 92% of California voters who haven’t submitted their ballots yet — make plans to vote as soon as you can.

With exactly one week until Election Day and no clear frontrunner in the governor’s race, let’s recap some common election questions to prepare you.

Why are so many people running for governor?

It’s a wide-open field in part because the big names in the Democratic Party — former Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla — passed on running for governor. Democratic voters in early spring appeared to be coalescing behind former Rep. Eric Swalwell, but he withdrew from the race following allegations of sexual misconduct.

Who are the candidates?

• Xavier Becerra, Democrat, former U.S. Health and Human Services secretary and former California attorney general.
• Chad Bianco, Republican, Riverside County Sheriff.
• Steve Hilton, Republican, former Fox News host and former adviser to conservative British Prime Minister David Cameron.
• Matt Mahan, Democrat, mayor of San Jose.
• Katie Porter, Democrat, former U.S. representative representing Orange County.
• Tom Steyer, Democrat, billionaire entrepreneur and former presidential candidate.
• Tony Thurmond, Democrat, state superintendent of public instruction.
• Antonio Villaraigosa, Democrat, former mayor of Los Angeles and former Assembly speaker.

How do I find out more about them?

You can learn more about the top candidates in our voter guide and watch them explain their stances on housing, justice, healthcare and more.

What’s an open primary and why do we have it?

California’s open primary allows the two candidates who receive the most votes to move on to the general election in November, no matter what party they belong to. The state adopted this system after voters approved Proposition 14 in 2010, which allows voters to pick any candidate in a primary, regardless of their own party affiliation.

Prop. 14 proponents argued that this system would compel candidates to court voters across the political spectrum, which would make California less partisan. But critics said it would limit choices for voters, potentially advancing two candidates from the same political party. That’s a real possibility this year because of the sheer number of candidates running for governor and since no one has secured a clear lead.

Who’s ahead in the polls?

The latest Democratic Party poll shows Republican Hilton and Democrat Becerra leading with 22% and 21% respectively, and Steyer in third at 15%.

Is it too late to vote by mail?

It’s not too late, but don’t cut it too close. Mailed ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by election offices within seven days. It’s best to mail your ballot at least five days before June 2 (Thursday) to make sure it’s counted, but if you wait until then, get a hand-stamped postmark from a postal worker inside your local post office.

How can I vote on Election Day?

Besides mailing in your ballot, you can submit your ballot at a drop-off location or vote in-person at the polls from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Find your nearest polling place here and your closest ballot drop-off location here.

When will the ballots be counted?

County elections officials must begin reporting results to the secretary of state on Election Night no more than two hours after they begin tallying votes. Elections officials have 30 days to count ballots and finalize their results to the state, who then has 38 days to certify the results.

What about the other statewide offices?

You can find them all in our voter guide, but check out our explainers that go deeper:

• Superintendent of public instruction
• Lieutenant governor
• Controller
• Secretary of state
• Treasurer
• Insurance commissioner

What the heck is the Board of Equalization?

We know Californians are asking that question. We see it in our pageviews reports. The Board of Equalization is an elected tax board that the state created in 1879. It has narrow authority to oversee property tax collection and has previously been a launching pad to other political offices.

Learn more about the candidates in our voter guide.

Terry Lane Matyshock passed away peacefully and surrounded by his family on May 15, 2026, just a couple of days shy of his 62nd birthday.

Terry was born on May 17, 1964 to Lynette Christensen and Aaron Matyshock of Ferndale.

Terry attended Ferndale Elementary and Ferndale High School, where he was a standout three-sport athlete, earning numerous All-Tournament, All-County and MVP honors throughout his athletic career. He quarterbacked Ferndale to two consecutive NCS championships and set a state record with five interceptions while also playing safety in a single football game. On the basketball court, he averaged over 30 points per game, showcasing the same competitive drive and talent that made him unforgettable. His athletic ability and the memories he created left a lasting impact on everyone who had the privilege to watch him play.

Terry stayed involved in sports his whole life. He coached many Little League baseball and Peewee basketball teams, as well as always being active throughout Andrew’s sporting career. He could often be found at Ferndale sporting events or yelling about the Cardinals.

After high school, he spent a few years attending Chico State before moving back to Humboldt County. In 1986 Terry started working at the Pacific Lumber Company in Scotia, where he was employed for over 20 years. He worked in various sectors including “B” green chain, electrician and operating “B” green chain monorail. After leaving Pacific Lumber Company, Terry worked for Humboldt Creamery.

In 1987 Terry met Cynthia Coleman and in 1989 they welcomed their first child, Ashley Lynette. Terry and Cynthia were married in February of 1990. Terry and Cynthia moved to Scotia in 1991, where they resided for 20 years. In 1992 they welcomed their second and last child Andrew Lane. Terry lived most of his adult life in Scotia and moved back to Ferndale, where he resided until his death.

Terry was preceded in death by his mother Lynette Matyshock, his niece Stevie Matyshock and nephew Kyle Matyshock. He is survived by his children Ashley and Andrew, bonus daughter Erica, ex-wife and friend Cynthia, his brothers Rick and Randy, as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins who he loved very much.

A celebration of life will be held on July 18 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Town Hall in Ferndale. Wearing your best St Louis Cardinals red is optional but encouraged.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Terry Matyshock’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

On May 18th, the Lost Coast Outpost ran a poll entitled “Will Offshore Wind Come Back Into the Conversation Within the Next Ten Years?” About two thirds of respondents answered that they believed that once President Trump left office the conversation would pick back up and we’d “get back to fighting about it amongst ourselves.” The poll was in reference to the Pacific Offshore Wind Summit which was held in Long Beach, California this year. The summit brought together Tribal Nations, state agencies, local governments, nonprofits, offshore wind developers, and related businesses who were all there trying to answer that same question. I attended, along with more than two dozen other Humboldt County locals, to learn more about the offshore wind industry and to bring that knowledge back to my community.

In my role as the Indian Natural Resources, Science and Engineering Program (INRSEP) Coordinator at Cal Poly Humboldt within the COMPASS Department, I strive to instill in Native students at Cal Poly Humboldt the belief that they can weave together cultural knowledge with the professional development knowledge gained in school towards their career pathways. Only by braiding together Traditional Ecological Knowledge and sciences of both Indigenous peoples and the western world can we hope to fix the many diverse environmental and social crises that plague our communities.

Perhaps the most daunting challenge we face is weaning ourselves off fossil fuels in order to curtail climate change. Earth’s last three years were the hottest on record. As a result, ocean heatwaves are becoming a regular occurrence which raises serious concerns about the impacts on marine food webs. Salmon, one of the species most negatively affected by marine heatwaves, are considered relatives by my people in the Nor Rel Muk Wintu Nation and many other North Coast Tribes. Ocean Acidification, another result of burning fossil fuels, is likewise decimating marine ecosystems and impacting important, and delicious, North Coast fisheries like Dungeness Crab. Beyond the environmental impacts of fossil fuels, there are the very real consequences of the constant wars for oil that continue to devastate communities across the globe and cost US taxpayers billions of dollars. Every day that we remain dependent on fossil fuels is another day that we continue to contribute to these problems. Offshore wind has been put forward as part of that solution by the State of California. And I don’t believe we can afford to not seriously consider it. 

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not a believer in by-any-means solutions. The North Coast has been promised miracle industries before. I believe for the offshore wind industry to be successful it needs to learn from the mistakes made by the industries of the past and improve. That means first partnering with Native Nations to ensure that the new industry respects cultural sites, environments, and people. Learn from and listen to Native People about how to responsibly steward the environment. Second, these industries need to prove that they will uplift the communities they are developing in. That means jobs for locals, community benefits agreements, and investments into the broader community. Instead of just sending all that electricity to whoever can pay the most for it, connect it to the local grid to power North Coast hospitals, businesses, and homes. Prove to us that you aren’t going to just extract a resource and move on. 

But I have to say that what I heard and saw at the Pacific Offshore Wind Summit gave me reason to hope. I learned from Sharon Kramer, Ph.D. from H.T. Harvey & Associates how advancements in technology could improve monitoring and mitigation for offshore wind projects. Chris Mikkelsen from the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, and Conservation District spoke passionately about cleaning up a contaminated site on the Bay and working together with Tribal Nations and the local community to build something new. Arne Jacobson from the Schatz Energy Research Center explained how new transmission lines built to the North Coast could help make our electric grid more reliable while reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. Chair Jason Ramos of Blue Lake Rancheria challenged a room full of developers and State agencies to work together with Tribal Nations on workforce and economic development so that Tribal Nations directly benefit from these projects. For a conference meeting in Long Beach, it was voices from the North Coast who most prominently addressed the need for both responsible and timely development of offshore wind.

Many folks I speak to in Humboldt are nervous about this proposed new industry. I guess that’s what the poll meant by “get back to fighting about it amongst ourselves.” But all that means is that people are passionate about protecting this incredible place we are lucky to call home. Good on ‘em! That passion is an asset, not a liability. Doing this right will be a heavy lift but it’s an effort worth undertaking. I know that the North Coast’s Tribal Nations, universities, and environmental ethos make us better equipped to face the challenge of reinventing our nation’s energy system than anywhere else in the world. If we do this right, we can be a model for communities across the globe.

The 2026 Kinetic Grand Championship went off with a siren Saturday at the Arcata Plaza.

Racers showed off human powered sculptures tinkered on for months (or frantically glued together in days) to judges and hundreds of onlookers.

The sculptures underwent safety checks and a brake test, and teams showed off their engineering, art and pageantry to judges wielding clipboards and wearing white lab coats.

Teams sped around the plaza after the traditional noon Goddess siren and began the 50 mile championship that will end Monday in Ferndale.

For the full spectators guide, click here.

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This is a life story of a man who has been in the grocery business in Eureka for 78 years, a man well-known and well-liked by a great many people.

Ernest Burger was born Jan. 15,1898, in Bern, Switzerland, to Johann and Rosina Burger. The couple owned and operated a restaurant in Bern where Rosina enjoyed a reputation as a very fine cook. Johann worked at the restaurant and on the railroad as well. They had four sons: Hans, Ernest, Walter and Herman.

Ernest attended school in his home town in Switzerland. His father bought him a piano and Ernest learned to play music at an early age (at age 96, he can still play, although his eyesight is not quite as good as it used to be). After graduating from high school, Ernest attended a business college in Bern.

A good friend of the family, Rudolph Messerle, lived in Eureka. The grocer wrote to Ernest inviting him to come to America. Messerle was once a neighbor of the Burgers in Switzerland, many years prior to his coming to Eureka. Ernest was anxious to go. He obtained the necessary passports and papers and, in March 1916 at the age of 18, booked passage on a large French passenger liner, the Rochambeau. After many days at sea, they landed in New York harbor. Ernest remembers leaving the ship near the Statue of Liberty. Emigration inspectors interviewed a group of Swiss people on board, whose papers were all in order. The Swiss group was allowed to go ashore, where they stayed overnight.

The following day, Ernest left by train for Oakland, Calif. After about one week’s worth of travel, he arrived at midnight, and decided to wait until the next day to get to San Francisco. He found himself in a very large crowd of people, all unable to speak English, all uncertain as to what to do. Luckily, a woman with the traveler’s bureau noticed Ernest was stymied. She helped by putting him on a streetcar and telling the conductor to let Ernest off at the Y.M.C. A. There he got a room on the top floor, but the next morning he went to the desk and asked the clerk about a Swiss hotel. There happened to be a Swiss man standing nearby and, upon hearing the talk, spoke to Ernest, welcomed him, took him to breakfast and then all around the city in his Model-T Ford. The man showed Ernest the Golden Gate Park and other places of interest. They then went down to the Ferry Building on Embarcadero Street where this man helped arranged for Ernest’s ticket to Eureka. He then took Ernest to his home where they had supper. Afterward this man took Ernest to a movie, then back to the Y.M.C.A. for the night.

The next morning Ernest found a restaurant, where he had something to eat. He then walked down Market Street to the Ferry Building. He got on a ferryboat to Sausalito, where a train would then take him on to Eureka. While on the train, Ernest became acquainted with Harry Boise, owner of the Sweet Pea Dairy Lunch, 305 G St. It was an all-day trip to Eureka and quite dark when they arrived. After waiting around the depot awhile, Messerle showed up, introduced himself to Ernest, then took the young man in his new Buick car to his home at 145 West Clark St. They had supper and, after talking for awhile, Messerie showed Ernest where he could sleep.

The next morning, after breakfast, Messerle told Ernest to come with him to his grocery store, as he had a job for him. The Store was Messerle Waldorff & Marcussen, No. 8, Fifth St. It was located on the southeast corner of Fifth and A streets, and the building is still standing today. Ernest started work and his employer apparently liked him. He signed up at C.J. Craddock’s Eureka Business College, 212 E St., where he attended evening classes. He learned to speak English quite rapidly.

Ernest lived with the Messerles for about a month, when the store owners fixed up two rooms for him upstairs over the store. He was very happy there, but also boarded at Mrs. Jennie Sellers house, 609 E St. Waldorff also boarded there. Later, Jennie Sellers moved to 720 E St., but continued to feed her guests three times a day, seven days a week, for $25 per month.

Ernest primarily delivered groceries around town with a horse and light wagon, but sometimes used a Model-T Ford delivery truck. He also helped with cleanup and clerking. After a few short months, he began going around taking orders from people.

One day Aurelio Rosaia approached Ernest and told him he would pay $60 per month for the young man to do the bookkeeping at his fish market. Messerle was paying Ernest $40 per month. Ernest told Rosaia he would have to ask Messerle first. Messerle told Ernest to take the job, so Ernest went to work for Rosaia at his fish market on the northeast corner of Sixth and F streets, where Partrick’s Candy Store stands today.

Ernest stayed there several months. The workers would dump fish heads and trimmings out the back door in the gulch behind the store, a chore which resulted in an awful odor (the gulch is still there). Ernest finally got fed up with the embarrassing smell of fish, both on himself and on his clothes. He asked Waldorff if he could have his old job back, and he was told he would be welcomed. So back to his old job he went, the first of the month. Ernest stayed there for another three years.

Once again Rosaia came to see Ernest, telling him he needed a bookkeeper at his Diamond Fruit Store, 416 F St.. He offered $125 per month. Ernest accepted and remained there for several years until it closed due to family troubles (along with much fighting amongst family members). Ernest then went to work for Henry Borneman for a few months; Borneman told him he would make him a partner.

In the meantime, Ernest met a young lady, Miss Frances Cabrera, an employee of Daly Brothers. They fell in love and decided to marry.

Ernest and Frances Burger were married Oct. 18,1925.

On Sunday, Oct. 18, 1925, Father Ryan married the couple at St. Bernard’s Church. Soon after, they went to the “big city” of San Francisco for a week’s honeymoon. While there, they purchased furniture for their home Ernest had bought at 2807 J St. When they arrived home, Ernest went down to work at the store, but when he arrived, Borneman told him he no longer had a job there.

That was quite a blow. Ernest told a friend he had no job and wondered what he could do. This man told him to see Frank Heath, the man running the neighborhood store on Harris and California streets; the grocer reportedly wanted to sell the business. Ernest did go and asked Heath if he would sell. Heath said, “Make an offer for the stock.” Ernest made a deal to buy the stock for $2,000, with so much being paid a month. Ernest and Frances went to work and made the store look much better. The couple began to make it pay. After about two years, they later made a deal to purchase the building from its owners, the Dolf family. This deal was made through Bert Pettengill Real Estate.

The upstairs happened to be vacant, so Ernest and his wife got busy, cleaned it up and moved in. Later they sold their home on J Street.

The California streetcar came to the end of its line at Harris Street. The trolley would be “changed around,” then the car would head back downtown. A good many people would wait for the streetcar in front of Ernest’s store; this helped business. Lincoln Elementary School was one block away and, as a result, the couple did a big business with the children: Cracker Jacks, jaw breakers, all-day suckers, licorice whips, chewing gum, marbles, etc.

Several men would come into the store in the mornings to sit around the big old stove, smoke and spin tales of days gone by. One good customer, Joseph L. O’Conner, a carpenter, offered to build Ernest and Frances a new home on a vacant lot adjacent to their store. They accepted the offer and a new home was built. They rented this house out for a few years. During the 1950s, they had the house moved to 2860 C St., where they reside today. They have enlarged the structure and turned it into a beautiful home. The area by the store was made into a parking lot for the customers.

Ernest and Frances opened their store at 6 in the morning and closed it at 10 at night. They worked hard keeping this store open and made many changes to keep up with the times. They also gave credit to most of their customers. Most people paid their bill once a month when they got paid, though some never paid. The couple went through both good and bad times there, and can tell many stories of things that happened over 40 long years. They have seen Harris Street when it was a graveled and dirt road traversed by horses and wagons. Once there were redwood plank sidewalks on one side only.

In 1968 Ernest and his wife decided to retire. They offered their daughter. Rose Ann Hurst, and their youngest son, Tom Burger, the store. The two took over the store and kept it going until 1993. The store building is now rented to a Youths Service Bureau.

The Burgers had four children: Rose Ann, Arthur, John and Tom. They now have 20 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. These off-spring have all done well and made the Burgers very proud.

Ernest has been very active in his church, as well as the St. Vincent DePaul store. He credits his longevity and good health to his active life, his decision not to smoke or pick up other bad habits, and his daily walks of two miles or more, weather permitting.

I am grateful to know such a couple and have them as friends.

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The piece above was printed in the Summer 1994 issue of the Humboldt Historian, a journal of the Humboldt County Historical Society. It is reprinted here with permission. The Humboldt County Historical Society is a nonprofit organization devoted to archiving, preserving and sharing Humboldt County’s rich history. You can become a member and receive a year’s worth of new issues of The Humboldt Historian at this link.