Thousands of Humboldt residents rely on the Humboldt Transit Authority to get around. And for a rural transit agency, they do a really good job. But there are gaps, both in locations (good luck getting to Ferndale) and times (sorry if you want to take the bus on a Sunday). And there are other improvements (like more frequent buses) that are needed to make the bus more convenient and attract more riders. To get better bus service, Humboldt Transit Authority needs more money.

Humboldt County voters approved Measure O last election. Among the promises of Measure O was funding for transit. The Board of Supervisors will meet in the near future to decide exactly how much will go to transit, and transit advocates are working to make sure they keep their promises. Colin Fiske of the Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities joins the show to advocate for at least 20% of Measure O funds to go to support public transit.

If you’d like, you can your Supervisors to let them know that you support Measure O funds going to transit:

• Rex Bohn: rbohn@co.humboldt.ca.us
  
• Michelle Bushnell: mbushnell@co.humboldt.ca.us
• Mike Wilson: mike.wilson@co.humboldt.ca.us
  
• Natalie Arroyo: narroyo@co.humboldt.ca.us
• Steve Madrone: smadrone@co.humboldt.ca.us

Once again, Highway 36 has been closed for emergency work this morning, in roughly the same place that was affected by slides last month.

At the moment, the Caltrans information system is forecasting that is will be opened again by midnight, but these forecasts are extremely variable. If you see a stop sign on 36 in the map above, it’s still closed. Otherwise, it is open.

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For nearly 50 years the Big Four Inn was one of Humboldt County’s favorite places to dine and enjoy an evening of dancing and refreshments. Maria and Victor Evangelisti began serving homemade Italian dinners, Tuscan style, in the first Big Four at Trinidad in 1922. They later moved to more imposing quarters in a huge cream-colored Tudor style building on the northern outskirts of Arcata. In the early 1970s the Inn closed, but there are still many Humboldt County residents who can reminisce about the days when “you could dine, dance, and enjoy the refreshments and have an awfully hard time spending even $5.00.”

The story of the Big Four Inn began early in 1911 with the arrival in America of Maria Giuntoli and her father Pellegrino from the tiny Italian village of Torrichio in the northern province of Tuscany.

Mary’s first sighting of America came just a few days before her seventeenth birthday. She remembers that it was a welcome relief to see land after a week spent in cramped third class quarters tossing about in the turbulent Atlantic seas. Pellegrino and Maria had boarded the ship in the French port of Le Havre on January 4. The passage fee of $500 was paid by Adolpho Giuntoli, Pellegrino’s oldest son, a resident of California.

The ship ploughed through heavy seas for four days and on the fifth day Pellegrino carried his seasick daughter on deck into the thin sunshine so she could stretch out on a bench and smell the fresh sea air. By the time they reached New York harbor, Maria was grateful to transfer to a smaller boat and finally to lie on a cot which did not pitch and sway day and night. At first she was relieved to be inside the huge stone buildings of Ellis Island. Along with hundreds of immigrant women who could not communicate because of lack of a common language, she shared an enormous dormitory and a daily pattern began to emerge. They washed, went to meals, and some came and went with regularity as they were processed in and out by the immigration authorities. Men and women were separated upon arrival and they slept and ate in separate areas.

The days passed slowly for Maria. She regained her strength and began to wonder why she was being detained and what had become of her father.

As the days passed she began to suspect she was in prison and would never see her father again. Unable to make herself understood, she resolved she must find her father by herself. Each day she scanned the faces as the men and women filed in and out of the dining hall at mealtime, hoping to get a glimpse of her father. One day she spotted him, broke though the lines and ran to him flinging her arms around him in a joyous embrace. Although the attendants tried to separate them, Maria clung to her father and refused to let go. As their voices raised in anger and frustration, a man stepped forward and identified himself in Italian as an attorney. Acting as a go-between he learned from the authorities that Maria and Pellegrino were being detained because they had not filled out all of the required papers for entry into the country.

A telegram was dispatched to Adolpho Giuntoli in California and when the response was received by immigration officials the father and daughter were set to appear in court to testify to the validity of the papers they had signed. In spite of their affidavits, the immigration officials found it hard to believe that Maria was a farm girl headed for her brother’s ranch in Northern California. She was attractive with pale skin, dark eyes and hair, and gracefully slim, tapering fingers that looked out of place for a peasant girl.

With the testimony verified and papers in order, they boarded a ferry and then rode the streetcar through New York to the railroad station. At the station they purchased a basket of food for one dollar which was to last them the week-long 3,000 mile train ride across the country. When they had settled into their seats Maria opened the basket to prepare lunch. She was dismayed to find two loaves of bread, two sticks of rancid bologna, and two strange-looking pies. She tried one pie and found it too sweet to eat and when she cut into the second pie she says it appeared to be “full of bugs.” She threw the spoiled food away, learning in later years that what she thought were bugs were raisins.

Before leaving home, Maria had made two pounds of her favorite cookies, biscotti, a dry nut-filled confection. For several days she and her father munched the cookies and supplemented their meager meals with apples and oranges purchased from a vendor on board the train. About mid-week a friendly passenger invited them off the train for a meal at a stop for fuel and they began to learn the routine of train travel.

As the train moved westward, Maria reflected on the circumstances which had caused her and her father to leave home. A conflict had arisen between the patriarch and a son’s wife. Pellegrino had written of the problem to his son in California, who in turn urged his father to come to America. He had promised work for Maria and a place for them to reside.

Tall, with a classic profile and sweeping white moustaches and snowy white hair, Pellegrino was a tenant farmer. His wife had died when Maria, the youngest, was just six years old and he supported his seven children on the small earnings of his farm. All of the children worked in the fields with their father, Maria walking behind her brothers and sisters gleaning ripened wheat stalks when she was old enough to follow.

When they arrived at the Oakland terminal, Maria and Pellegrino boarded the San Francisco Bay Ferry. Adolpho was waiting for them at the Ferry Building and they remained in San Francisco for a week resting and purchasing new clothing before boarding the steamer for the overnight journey to Eureka harbor.

When Maria arrived at her brother’s home in Bayside she showed little sign of having suffered from the journey. At 17 years of age, she was eager to be of service to her family knowing that she would be safe in their care.

A Change in Plans

The day after her arrival, Maria’s sister-in-law Armeda led her into the yard, pointed to several large tubs of laundry, and declared “This is the way we do it in America.” Maria accepted her tasks without complaint, washing overalls and union suits until her hands were nearly raw. She worked in the family garden and waited tables and made beds in the boarding house. When it came time to receive her monthly pay, her sister-in-law handed it over to her and then took it back saying, “You don’t need it, I’m giving it to my daughter.” Since she seemed to have little use for the money, Maria acquiesced and went on about her work.

Deferring to her sister-in-law’s status and age, Maria continued to perform her chores. As she grew more at ease with the boarding house clientele, she would occasionally entertain by singing a few songs from the old country and she became quite an asset to her brother’s business. It was not until the Fall of 1912 when she met Vittorio Evangelisti that her life took an unexpected turn. Vic, as he was known, had come to Humboldt from San Francisco, where he had worked as a bricklayer during the rebuilding following the 1906 earthquake. His trade had taken him up the Delta toward Sacramento and then on to Humboldt where many Italians had gone seeking work in the lumber industry and on the railroads.

Vittorio and Maria Evangelisti, newlyweds. 1914.

When they met, Vic and Maria shook hands formally. She says she later told her brother Livio, “When our eyes met— Zing!—I know I had found a husband.” Of medium height, not much taller than Maria, Vic impressed her as a serious and dependable man. After a few months of courting under the watchful eye of her brother, Vic asked Maria if she would accept his marriage proposal. Together they went to Adolpho to ask his permission and were astonished when he angrily banished Maria from his home and threw her suitcase on the front porch. Although she was not completely aware of the arrangements of her passage it was clear that Adolpho felt she owed him a longer period of work in repayment of the debt. Pellegrino came for her and joined him and Livio and Sandy at their hotel in Blue Lake.

Maria and Vic were married on August 19, 1914, in St. Bernard’s Catholic Church in Eureka by Father Ryan. After their marriage they returned to Blue Lake, where they worked for Livio and Sandy in the Star Hotel for over a year. They carefully saved their combined salaries of $40 a month. During this time Maria formed an affectionate bond with her two sisters-in-law, Mary and Artemesia, who taught her English and involved her in the life of the small community of Italians at Blue Lake.

When they had saved enough to be financially independent, Mary and Vic moved to a tiny three-room cottage near the Bayside school on Jacoby Creek Road. On June 15, 1915, daughter Elba was born at the Arcata hospital, and Victorine was born at home on November 23,1918. Vic was working on the railroad and in addition to caring for her babies, Maria took in washing and cooked meals for seven railroad men. Shortly after Vicki’s birth in 1918 Maria was stricken with the flu and had to be hospitalized. Vic placed the children with friends and within days he yielded to the flu epidemic that was sweeping the country. After five weeks of hospitalization, their nest egg of $2,200 was wiped out and they resolved to start again.

With a steady income from Vic’s job and her boarders, the nest egg began to grow and the couple began discussing the idea of establishing a business of their own. Maria says she gradually began to see that “If I could cook for all those men, I could do it in my own restaurant.” Vic agreed and they began looking for an opportunity.

Story of the Big Four

In 1922, Maria and Vic formed a partnership with Nick Giannini of Eureka. They bought Rocco’s Place, located half a block from the Trinidad Hotel overlooking the harbor and Trinidad Head. The business florished and by 1923 Maria and Vic decided to strike out on their own. They rented a building from retired justice of the peace Tom Tighe which was located on Main Street in Trinidad next to the new three-lane Highway 101. The building was formerly the Trinidad Town Hall and had been moved from its site downtown near the Catholic Church to the highway lot.

Judge Tighe, drawing on his interest as a railroad buff, suggested the couple hang a railroad lantern on the porch and call the establishment “The Big Four” after the railroad barons of the Gilded Age — Huntington, Stanford, Crocker and Hopkins.

The Big Four became successful almost immediately, drawing its patrons from the Crannell mills and the whaling station. With energy and creativity Maria and Vic planned a hearty seven-course meal of high quality — simple food, prepared and offered at a reasonable price. The original menu varied little over the years. It began with a plate of antipasto, or appetizers. This was followed by baskets of French bread and a steaming tureen of rich broth which the customers ladled into individual bowls and sprinkled thickly with freshly grated cheese. Next came platters heaped with Maria’s specialty: homemade ravioli smothered in a delicately seasoned tomato sauce. The main course featured richly browned chicken roasted with herbs, deep fried apple fritters or zucchini and salad. For dessert, guests could try the spumoni ice cream, Maria’s homemade biscotti, and coffee and liquors.

Maria dominated her kitchen with high energy, while the two girls served in the dining room. Vic greeted the public acting as host and sometimes served homemade wine, despite prohibition.

In 1925 the family was compelled to leave Humboldt County because Vic had accumulated three violations of the Federal statutes prohibiting the sale of liquor. Although his establishment was enjoyed by the county’s leading citizens, who seemed to ignore the law, Vic was guilty and the family made plans to move to San Francisco until the matter was cleared.

Another resident of Humboldt County, Pellegrino, was preparing to leave. Pressured by a law he did not comprehend, Pellegrino sought to return home to Italy “where he could sit down at his own table and enjoy a glass of wine without feeling guilty.”

There was a period in 1925 when Vic and Mary left Humboldt County to live in San Francisco. While there, they operated the Redwood Inn.

In San Francisco Vic negotiated for a business on Grant Avenue which he named “The Redwood Inn.” Always able to adapt, Maria put the children in school in North Beach’s Italian community and the family remained there until 1928.

When they returned to Humboldt, Vic and Maria resumed the operation of the Big Four at Trinidad. As his business expanded, Vic started planning for a larger Big Four. He located property north of the Arcata city limits on Highway 101 and contacted Eureka architect Frank Georgeson with his ideas for floor plan and design. The Ed Lax Construction Company of Eureka contracted to build the 4,000-square foot English Tudor style inn, and the new Big Four opened in April of 1934. The building cost $12,500 to construct and an additional $12,000 was spent with A. Brizard’s for industrial fixtures and with Duck Brothers for additional furnishings. In addition to the large kitchen there was a central dance hall, 10 roomy booths, a large cocktail lounge, and a banquet room seating about 100. The building had an attached three-bedroom apartment for the family.

By now the restaurant was popular and attracted customers from the county. In spite of the Depression, the seven-course meal was still offered for 75 cents on weekdays and $1 on Sundays. Elba and Vicki waited on tables and helped in the kitchen as needed and niece Arminda Giuntoli and several young women from the Italian community lent a hand on busy weekends.

A few weeks after the opening of the new Big Four Maria was burned severely while lighting the gas jet in the steam table. “I felt like I was frying inside,” she said of the fiery mishap. “I think it was bad luck to move into the Big Four on a Friday.” She still uses the old country superstition to explain the misfortune. After several weeks at the hospital she was back in the kitchen, moving familiarly about in the heat and confusion of food, orders and people.

In 1948 Vic welcomed his brother Guido and wife Mary into the partnership. After 10 years of hard work and an ever-increasing clientele the couple was beginning to tire. Mary had had another accident in the kitchen, slipping on the tile floor and injuring her back, and Vic’s health was beginning to suffer from the steady grind of long days and infrequent vacations. In 1945 they decided to retire and sold their interest in the business to Guido. By this time both daughters had married: Vicki to Alfred Massagli of San Francisco and Elba to Sumner Kirby of Freshwater.

During the difficult transition from business to retired life the older couple resided with Elba and Sumner in Eureka for a few months. Maria busied herself with the household and her two granddaughters and occasionally Vic would join his son-in-law tending bar at the Club DeLuxe, which the Kirbys had opened in 1938.

Within a few months Maria and Vic began to feel restless and when Livio, Maria’s brother, proposed going into business in Garberville, they agreed. In 1946 the partnership opened the Village Inn, and as soon as Maria resumed cooking the crowds flocked to the restaurant on the main street of the small Southern Humboldt town. On a summer evening it was a common sight to see a jovial crowd waiting patiently in line in front of the Village Inn for one of Maria’s dinners. The menu remained virtually the same, although they raised prices to $1.25. By 1948 Vic’s health was again slipping and they sold the business to a Mr. Retzloff of Eureka.

When they left Garberville they decided to search for a home in the Bay Area so that Vic could obtain the medical care he required. They eventually located a large three-story residence in Kentfield in Marin County, which they planned to convert into two comfortable flats.

In the spring of 1952 Maria and Vic began planning a trip back to the old country. A few days before their scheduled departure they drove in Vic’s shiny grey Oldsmobile South across the Golden Gate Bridge to pick up their passports. Maria noticed that Vic was not looking well and later that day on the return trip home he pulled the car over to the curb, was stricken by a massive heart attack, and within several hours had died in a San Francisco hospital, Following a Catholic funeral he was interred at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in San Rafael.

Alone now, Maria began to look forward to family gatherings and it was not uncommon for 15-20 to gather for a birthday, holiday or Sunday dinner at the Kentfield home. Maria prepared for these occasions as carefully as she had ever done while in business. Now she set her tables with crisp linen, china, and carefully polished silver and crystal. For days prior to a celebration she moved with determination through shopping and cooking tasks until she had produced a feast of memorable proportions.

A year passed and in May of 1953 Maria declared that “If I don’t go now, I’ll never do it.” Passport in hand, she departed on a jet from San Francisco International Airport on her very first airplane ride, bound for Rome. She remained in Italy for five months traveling with her niece Laura, the daughter of her elder sister Gianina. She spent a month on the Italian Riviera, and traveled to the major cities of Europe, declaring her satisfaction with the comment that she had finally seen all the places she’d missed as a child. With characteristic generosity she showered her relatives with gifts and hosted large parties. When she returned home with shopping bags full of gifts and began reminiscing about the journey, she recalled with astonishment that her family in Italy had scarcely allowed her to lift a finger. As always, her modesty seemed to prevent her from placing undue significance on her own importance.

These days Maria spends her leisure tending a small garden in summer, entertaining friends and relatives, and involving herself in the activities of children, grandchildren and great- grandchildren. At 87, Maria still moves briskly about her kitchen tinkering with new recipes and gadgets and preparing old favorites. She visits Humboldt County frequently but resides permanently with Vicki and Al in a large comfortable home in rural setting in Novato.

When she looks back at the old days in Trinidad and Arcata, her busy hands pause a moment and she laughs at her own joke: “I suppose I have made enough raviolis in my lifetime to pave the highway all the way from Humboldt County to New York — well — maybe to Italy, if that’s possible!”

Epilogue

The Big Four Inn remained in the hands of Guido Evangelisti and his family. Over the years their three daughters, Dolores, Gianina, and Joanne, helped in the restaurant. Guide died in 1963 and Mary continued to operate the business with the help of Dolores and her husband Phil Citti until highway expansion in the 1970s forced closure. In 1972 the building was razed to make way for a new six-lane freeway, thus ending the history of a once-familiar landmark in Humboldt County’s social life.

In Loving Memory of Rose Marie Retzloff
July 3, 1954 – March 26, 2025

Rose Marie Retzloff passed away in Reno, Nevada on March 26, 2025, at the age of 70. Complications arose after a successful open-heart surgery, leading to the end of her vibrant life. Rose was born on July 3, 1954, in Eureka, and made front page news as the first baby born in the new wing of the General Hospital. She grew up in Eureka, attending Marshall and Franklin Elementary Schools, Winship Junior High, and Eureka High School, graduating in 1972. She went on to put herself through College of the Redwoods, earning her degree in 1974.

From a young age, Rose learned the values of hard work, organization and money management while working at her mother’s store, Handee Market. These values remained central to her life. She was preceded in death by her mother Nellie Baker Peterson, father Nels Sterling Peterson (The Land Man), mother-in-law Mitzi L. Retzloff, father-in-law Jack L. Retzloff, her beloved first son Justin Retzloff, dear friend Dorthy Davidson, and many other cherished relatives and friends. Rose leaves behind her devoted husband of 48 years, Michael Retzloff, loving children Chelsea Retzloff and Sean Retzloff, daughter-in-law Mandy Retzloff, and two beloved grandchildren, Estelle Retzloff and Isla Maria Rose Retzloff. She also leaves behind countless loving relatives and lifelong friends.

Rose was a true people person — always ready to lend a hand, plan a celebration, or take off on a travel adventure with friends. She rarely argued, always aimed for harmony, and helped others relentlessly. She had a special gift for making others feel loved and cared for. Rose was always there to volunteer her time when she saw the need arise. Helping people is one thing she did relentlessly.

Her greatest joy and focus were her family — especially her children and grandchildren. She poured her heart into their lives, ensuring they were supported, celebrated, and encouraged to pursue their own passions. When her children were growing up Rose attended to their every need, made sure they did well in school, and let them pursue interests and hobbies they wanted rather than choosing for them. Every birthday party, Christmas and holiday was a festive, well-planned affair implemented by Rose. We have hundreds of photographs that we revisit to remember those great times. We are so thankful for Rose’s decorating and organizing skills that made each of those events so thrilling and fun. Rose’s gift-giving skills were unmatched. If she found out someone wanted or needed something, she would take it upon herself to provide that gift with great thought and care.

As her children became active in sports, Rose participated willingly and grew to love those sports. The family became a unit as they attended many sporting events like martial arts, volleyball, baseball, football, basketball, and dance recitals. In addition to never missing her children’s sporting and dance events, Rose became an avid fan of the San Francisco Giants, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Golden State Warriors.

Throughout her life, Rose was an avid outdoorswoman. She was a great water skier, snow skier, camper, hiker, fisher, swimmer, rafter, catamaran sailor, paddle boarder, boater, and even kite-sailed on a trip to the Virgin Islands. She and Mike often hiked up and down remote Sierra Nevada mountains in search of mountain streams to fly fish when they were young. Rose sometimes caught bigger and more fish than Mike! She liked to gamble within reason. She was a good blackjack player and experienced craps player but she played slot machines more as she got older.

Rose was an extraordinary cook and presented all dishes like she was a chef in a restaurant, taking great care to make servings look as delicious as they were. She was also an excellent seamstress, gardener, artist, interior decorator, and collector of dishware. She was a natural businesswoman. Her bookkeeping skills were second to none and her money management skills were impeccable. She was an excellent property manager and had a knack for finding good tenants, whom she treated well, and kept all rental properties in top shape. She was an excellent investor in securities. Rose had a green thumb and was a gardener for life. Her backyards are filled with succulents, trees, flowers, ferns, and flowering plants. For many years she and the family harvested fruits and vegetables from large gardens at the family summer homes in Willow Creek and Redway. She learned how to safely can excess harvest for feeding the family beyond the peak season.

She loved to travel, especially to remote islands in the Caribbean Sea, the Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans. Rose often said those islands provided a special solace to her and she could really relax and enjoy life when she was at any of them. She loved the arts and proudly followed Chelsea’s dance performances with Shen Wei Dance Arts to New York City around the world. Rose was an avid supporter of theater and musicals, attending productions like Wicked, Waitress: The Musical, Phantom of the Opera, and Mamma Mia! multiple times.

Rose was very proud of her son Sean who is a top salesman for commercial retail properties in northern Nevada, Lake Tahoe, California and other states. Sean worked for the Carrington Company for 5 years and as a paid intern for Security National Servicing Corporation in Eureka. Her grandchildren were her pride and joy and she tried to spend as much time with them as possible. She was always buying outfits and educational toys and books for them on every holiday occasion. Playing with them, feeding them, babysitting them was always a part of her plans. Her priority was to have as much fun with them as possible.

Rose will be greatly missed. A Celebration of Life will be held on May 4, 2025, at 2 p.m. at the Eureka Elks Lodge at 445 Herrick Ave, Eureka, CA 95503. Please try to RSVP to: Retzloffstreams@gmail.com if you plan to attend the celebration of life.

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

In Loving Memory of Phillip Melford Mattz
January 29, 1936 – April 7, 2025

Phillip Mattz was born in Hoopa to Manuel and Pauline Mattz. He was a Hoopa Tribal Member and a Descendant of the Tolowa Nation and raised on the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation. He graduated from High School in 1954, and went on to attend Humboldt State University for three years. Phill met the love of his life, Betty Ann, during the 1964 flood when she came to Hoopa as a nurse to help with the disaster. In March of 1966 they married in Reno, NV. Together they had two sons, Tony and Victor.

For 55 years Phill worked as a logging truck driver, until his retirement. His truck was regularly seen parked on the corner of Loop Road during the many family BBQ’s. He always had a few nieces and nephews climbing around in the truck pretending to drive.

Phill was passionate about his faith, proud to be a born again christian. He was active in the Hoopa Baptist Church, often driving the church van around the valley picking up numerous kids for Sunday school. He also enjoyed meeting up after church to share lunch with his family at the Valley Inn or Laura’s Kitchen.

The majority of his life was spent tending cattle at the family ranch on Bald Hill. For many years he drove cattle up the summit with his father Manuel to let the cattle range for the summer. Spending many nights camping at Bear Hole and Andy’s Camp, the camp his grandfather Anderson Mesket established.

He experienced no greater joy than watching his only grandson play football. Sports were a big part of Phil’s life continually attending his niece and nephews sporting events throughout the years. He played football at HSU along with a small group of other young Hoopa men. Phil was known to drive fast muscle cars in his day. The kind you could hear coming before you saw them. He was particularly proud of his Red Corvette convertible.

Salmon was one of his favorite foods. He’d eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. His wife would say “please don’t bring any more fish,” he would reply, “Betty Ann, you don’t have to eat it.”

Phill was a man of generosity, always there to share a meal, a good laugh, scripture or a prayer. He rarely made a request, but when he did, it was for a fresh apple pie, his favorite.

He is survived by his son Victor, grandson Manuel, daughter-in-law Earlene Mattz, his sisters Margaret “Maggie” Dickson and Marian Mattz, niece Leslie Jackson, niece Mary Nelson (Greg), niece Linda Blake (Warren Sr.), niece Pamela Mattz, niece Shelly Carpenter, nephew JW Mooney (Leslie), nephew James Mooney (Faith), niece Lisa Thoreson (Ron), nephew Mike Davis (Karen), special cousin Lavina Bowers, great nieces and nephews: Lila, Amee, Kim, Sarah, O’s, Sam, Margaret Mary, Harwood, Leslie, Jordonna, Warren Jr., Hannah, Jordan, Devin, Rachel, Clayton and many numerous Mattz and Hostler nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in Death by his wife Betty Ann, son Tony; brother Manuel “Skeezix” Mattz Jr., sister Lisette Davis, his parents Manuel and Pauline Mesket Mattz; his maternal grandparents Anderson Mesket and Marian Marie Hostler Charley; his paternal grandparents Manuel and Agnes Tom Mattz; brother-in-law Arthur Dickson; and nephew Joseph Moon; special cousins: Hilton “Tokes” Hostler Sr., Robert “Bob” Hostler and Raymond & Marvin Mattz.

Pallbearers:

Victor Mattz, Manuel Mattz, Harold O’s Campbell, Sam Campbell, Harwood Starritt, Leslie Starritt, Jed Morris, Sam Jones and Stevie Hostler.

Honorary Pallbearers:

Andrew Dunlap, Eric Matilton Jr., Elias Carpenter-Hess, Ralphy Peters, Lucas Garcia, Lucas Joseph Garcia, JW Mooney, Jordan Mooney, Devin Mooney, Warren Anawalt Sr., Warren Anawalt Jr., James Mooney, Harry O Campbell, Mike Hostler, Donny Mattz, Kenny Mattz, Victor Dobrec, Willie Hostler, Jasper Hostler, Aiden Mendes, Greg Nelson, George Moon, Junior Moon, Junkie Gray, Walter “Bud” Gray, Arthur Jones, Pecos Carpenter, Jason Pacheco, Jesse James, Willy Hoglan, Clarence Hostler, Michael Robertson, and Carl “Sweeny” Colegrove.

We apologize if anyone’s name was not mentioned, he enjoyed the company of many friends and family throughout his life and loved you all.

Graveside services were held in Hoopa, at the Hostler Family Cemetery at Hostler Field, on Friday, April 11, 2025 at 1 p.m. Reception followed at the Hoopa Trading Post.

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

Sandra Beatty was born to Orville Beatty and Mildred Waterhouse in September of 1943. She was their fifth child. Sandra had a total of seven siblings. Her two brothers and five sisters were her best friends and whole world. She attended Eureka highschool and in Eureka is where she met the love of her life, Calvin.

They married in 1961 and had three children over the course of their lifelong marriage. While Calvin spent his career as a merchant marine Sandra single handedly raised her children and attended College of the Redwoods nursing program in the early 1970s. Her nursing career was spent in the OB ward at General Hospital and in the office of Dr. Schmidt, of Eureka.

While in the nursing program she met her life long friend, fellow student, Frances Cortopassi. The two played Scrabble on a regular basis over the years and both could be found most times at Harbor Lanes on numerous bowling leagues. Sandra’s mother bowled as well, so HB certainly was a large community of friends.

At home she was a lifelong artist filling stacks of sketchbooks and painting still life depictions of her pets and rose garden. She curated her rose garden in her backyard of Long Street where she hosted huge family gatherings, holidays and birthdays for many decades.

It was at Long Street that she opened The Cox Family Care Home hand in hand with Redwood Coast Regional Center (RCRC) and Humboldt Community Access and Resource Center (HCAR). Her passion was caring for and teaching life skills in a home environment to community members with developmental disabilities helping them to lead more independent lives. She loved those that spent time in her home and celebrated every victory with each one.

In retirement she and Calvin toured the Country visiting their siblings and grandchildren along the way. Hers was a life well lived and well loved.

Sandra is survived by her brother Tom Waterhouse and wife Maureen, her Sister Judy Cox, her children Erik Cox and Amy Cox (Robert) along with her grandchildren Arielle, Brigid, Fillip, Samantha and Zack. She is mourned by numerous nieces, nephews, neighborhood kids and family friends that adored Aunt Sandy.

A memorial service in her honor will be held on May 3, at 11 a.m., at Wier’s Mortuary, 408 G Street, Crescent City. All are welcome.

In lieu of sending flowers please consider making a donation in her name to HCAR which is a non profit organization. Their website is hcarcenter.org. Donations can be made under the “support HCAR” heading. Consider becoming a member and supporting local community. Donations can also be mailed to their address at

1707 E Street, Ste 2
Eureka, California

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

Arcatians who pay for water! At some point in the future, probably around January, you may see your water rates go up — but your total water-related bills will likely stay about the same.

It’s a little convoluted, but basically it stems from a recently approved $12 million steel waterline replacement project that would fix 33,600 lateral feet of old water main, hundreds of valves and laterals, and 700 meter boxes. 

However, the city needs to loan $3.5 million of its own money from the wastewater fund into the water fund to pay for the project, and this is where things get strange. According to Arcata Finance Director Tabatha Miller, cities aren’t allowed to “gift” money from one fund into another. It violates the general accounting principles that guide government accounting, and the State Controller’s Office hates it when cities do that.

So to ensure that the wastewater fund is still well-funded and can still function the way it’s supposed to, the city has to repay the “loan” from the wastewater fund with interest tacked on. That initial $3.5 million will become $4.35 million with the interest added. To pay off the interest, the city may raise water rates 9%. 

That’s a long process that involves finishing some research on the rate itself, presenting the results to city council, informing rate-payers about the potential increase, and holding a public hearing on the issue. The earliest it may happen is January of 2026.

Don’t fear. Miller said the city council has directed the city to do whatever possible to keep the rates low, which could include lowering wastewater fees or charging a lower rate to lower-income customers. It’s unlikely that the total you’re paying for your bills will change too much.