Gordon Jerry Nitsch, a longtime resident of Coalinga, California, died at his home on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. He was 89 years old.
Gordon was born in Boelus, Nebraska to Rudolph and Eunice Young Nitsch. In 1937, the family moved to California and settled in Cutten. From the age of four he told everyone he wanted to be a truck driver.
He attended the local grade and high school where he was active in the band program playing a trombone. It was at Eureka High School where he met the love of his life, Janet Still. Gordon and Janet sat next to each other in band. When there was a test involved, Gordon would play her part. They both held up their trombones at the same time, Gordon would play, and Janet would just pretend to play.
He graduated from high school in 1952 and in 1954 Janet and he were married. They moved into a small house in Cutten that Gordon and his father had built.
His first job was for Precision Lumber Company as a truck driver, but in 1958, he was drafted and entered the US Army. After basic training, he was sent by ship to serve in Germany. Speaking of ships, he disliked the voyage so much that he very rarely ever set foot on a small boat, let alone a large ship , for the rest of his life. Janet followed him soon after to Germany. He spent his entire enlistment in Germany, and he and Janet traveled the continent when Gordon could take time off from his duties.
After they return from Germany and his release from the Army , he began working for Precision Lumber Company in Eureka again. Soon after the birth of their first son in 1960, (Gerald) Jerry, he was given the opportunity to move to Coalinga to oversee the companies trucking interest of hauling asbestos ore from the local mines to the mills in the nearby mountains. Their second son (Ronald), Ron was born in 1964 in Coalinga.
After the mining closed in the early 1980s, and after 33 years with Precision Lumber Company, he went to work for a local oil contractor, Bud’s Equipment as a truck driver.
In 1989 he lost Janet to cancer. He worked at Bud’s until his retirement.
In retirement, he enjoyed working in his yard, visiting with close neighbors, and spending time with his family. He was always willing to listen to any person‘s problems and give them some advice if he thought it would help. Gordon was a fun person to be around, and he had a loud, wonderful laugh. When he told stories of the past, there was always a grin on his face and a twinkle in his eyes .
He will be missed.
Gordon survived by his brother Doug and sister-in-law, Doris, and sons Jerry and Ron; daughter -in-law Andrea, and grandchildren, Lauren, and Andrew . He is also survived by nieces, Barbara Valdriz and Sue Bradbury.
Graveside services will be held in Eureka at Ocean View Cemetery on June 11, 2024 at 1:30 p.m.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Gordon Nitsch’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.
On 6/06/2024 at 11:41pm Humboldt Bay Fire responded to a reported Commercial
Structure Fire at the 600 block of E Street in Eureka. Humboldt Bay Fire responded with
1 Chief Officer, 3 Engines and 1 Truck for a total of 13 fire service personnel.
Additionally, 1 volunteer Fire Support personnel responded and provided traffic control.
The first unit (Truck 8181) arrived on scene in minutes and reported smoke coming from
the eves of the commercial structure and split the crew, two crew members went interior
and two went onto the roof. A quick size up of the structure was completed and the
location of the fire was identified. Battalion Chief 8103 arrived on scene and established
Incident Command (IC). The second arriving unit was assigned to search. The next
arriving unit was assigned to fire attack and were working for the interior crew.
The
fourth arriving unit was assigned to RIC (Rapid Intervention Crew).
A Second Alarm was requested by the IC, that brought 1 additional Engine from Arcata
Fire, and 1 Chief Officer from HBF to the scene. 1 Engine for coverage was also
requested from Samoa Fire. The fire was controlled in 10 minutes and there were no
occupants in the structure upon the arrival of the first fire apparatus.
Humboldt Bay Fire remained on scene for an additional 2 hours to completely extinguish
the fire and conduct a cause and origin investigation of the fire. The cause of the fire was
determined to be accidental in nature. PG&E arrived on scene and disconnected the
electrical and gas service to the structure. There were no civilian or Firefighter injuries
and the value of the property is estimated at $1,500,000.00 and damage from the fire is
estimated at $75,000.
Smoke Alarms Save Lives.
Humboldt Bay Fire would like to thank PG&E, Arcata Fire, Samoa Peninsula Fire, and
EPD for their assistance on scene and providing coverage to other emergency calls
during this incident.
On Thursday June 6, 2024, at 7:13pm, The Arcata Police Department responded to an injury traffic collision in the 2000 block of Eleventh Street. A stolen silver Infinity SUV, driven by 28-year-old Sienna Jordan Gebro, was traveling at a high rate of speed northbound on eleventh street, prior to colliding with a parked box truck.
Gebro sustained life threatening injuries and was transported to the hospital where she is expected to survive. Charges are pending for driving while under the influence and possession of a stolen vehicle.
The Arcata Police Department requests anyone who witnessed the collision to contact the APD Investigations Unit at 707-822-2424.
# # #
On Friday June 7, 2024, at 2:19am, The Arcata Police Department responded to a single vehicle fatal traffic collision in the 1800 block of Old Arcata Road. A silver Toyota minivan was traveling southbound on Old Arcata Road and left the roadway at a high rate of speed. The van traveled across Jacoby Creek Road striking multiple traffic features and a power pole, which resulted in a loss of power to the area. The van struck the Bayside Grange and became lodged inside.
The driver, who was the only occupant of the van, was rescued from the vehicle by arriving officers. Life saving efforts were attempted, but the driver succumbed to their injuries and was pronounced deceased by medical staff at the scene. The release of the driver’s identity is pending notification of next of kin. Drugs and alcohol are considered a factor in this collision.
As of the time of this press release, efforts to safely extricate the vehicle from the structure are under way.
The Arcata Police Department requests anyone who witnessed the collision to contact the APD Investigations Unit at 707-822-2424.
Help is on the way as we tread through great tribulation. Press release from the County of Humboldt:
Supplied graphic.
The
County of Humboldt’s Economic Development Division will partner
with global engineering and advisory consultancy, Xodus
Group,
to work on a critical project to assess and map the local and
regional workforce, supply chain needs and upcoming opportunities
within the emerging offshore wind industry.
Xodus
will undertake a sector gap analysis and opportunity assessment at a
local and regional level, actively engaging interested parties to set
out capabilities, analyze the broader offshore wind landscape and
inform understanding.
By
assessing relevant groups across the local, regional and national
offshore wind sector, a comprehensive database of interested parties
will be developed, paving the way for engagement through a
combination of in person and virtual interviews and surveys. These
learning sessions will inform key areas of interest in the study,
highlighting needs as well as opportunities and actively engaging key
contributors to describe local and regional capabilities.
“We
need to gain a fuller understanding of the workforce and business
resources our region has to offer the offshore wind sector and the
opportunities this new industry presents. We hope to identify where
we can meet those needs and opportunities, and where the gaps are,”
said Humboldt County Economic Development Director Scott Adair. “This
project will help ensure that Humboldt County workers and businesses
can fully participate in this emerging industry. We are really
looking forward to beginning this work with Xodus and our local
partners.”
“The
ultimate goal of this project is to develop a roadmap of strategic
actions that prioritizes initiatives for supply chain and workforce
development in the region, driven by in-depth community engagement, ”
said Hillary Bright, US, VP of Renewables at Xodus. “By drawing
on lessons from existing programs, the roadmap will identify and
examine key parameters for effective and equitable implementation in
Humboldt County and the greater Redwood Coast region.”
This
collaborative effort between County of Humboldt and Xodus highlights
a shared commitment to responsible offshore wind development that
centers on community and input from those with vested interest. By
leveraging the expertise of both parties, this partnership will drive
economic growth and foster a resilient future for Humboldt County.
The tennis/pickleball courts at Arcata’s Larson Park. | Photo via the City of Arcata.
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Trinidad resident Angie Harder was left with bruises, a sore back, an eye injury and a nasty headache following a violent attack Wednesday evening when she tried to save a teenager from getting pummeled by a group of bullies, she told the Outpost in a phone interview.
Harder, 53, and her husband, 55, were playing pickleball at Arcata’s Larson Park when they saw a group of six or eight loud teenagers gathered in a tight circle on a nearby knoll.
“Some kid’s getting beat up in the circle,” she said. “He was on the ground with another kid on top of him, just belting him in the head and body – punching and punching and punching.”
None of the other adults on the pickleball courts immediately responded, she said, but Harder said she didn’t hesitate.
“I run over there – this poor kid’s being beat to death,” she said.
Followed by her husband, an off-duty state law enforcement officer, Harder yelled at the teens to stop or else she’d call the cops. Based on her own experience as a kid in the 1980s, she expected that the young assailants would disperse once adults intervened. Instead, the juveniles stood their ground and yelled at them, shouting things like, “Get out of here! This is the way this is gonna get handled! We don’t need the cops!”
Several of the teen onlookers were filming the beating with their phones. Harder was shaken by the brutality, seeing the lone victim lying listless on the ground as his attacker continued his assault.
“The abject terror that was in this kid’s eyes, I’ll never forget it as long as I live,” she said. “He couldn’t even move. He was not trying to defend himself as this kid straddled him, just punching and punching.”
She said her husband moved in and grabbed the assailant, which set off a melee. A teen girl grabbed Harder by the bun in her hair, snapping her neck backwards. Her husband then tried to pull the girl off his wife. “Then it was on,” Harder said.
She described three more teen girls “jumping” her and knocking her to the ground, where they proceeded to kick and punch her body and head. Then one of the girls bashed Harder in the head with a bottle of Gatorade, according to her account. When we interviewed her Thursday morning, she’d just gotten out of her doctor’s office, where she was informed that she’d suffered damage to one eye, among other injuries.
During the attack, she managed to stagger to her feet. “I was out of my mind – total fight or flight,” she said.
The altercation wasn’t over. The teens turned their antagonism toward Harder and her husband, surrounding them and yelling, she said. Some of them taunted her husband, saying he couldn’t hit them because they’re underage. She said he wondered how true that was, whether he’d lose his job if he was trying to defend himself or his wife.
“We’re staggering around. And they didn’t leave! They were screaming, ‘We fucking told you guys this is what would happen.’ I’ve never been in a fight in my 53 years, but I thought we were going again. … I said, ‘I’m calling the cops,’ and they said, ‘Go ahead! I’ll fucking kick your ass again!’”
She managed to retreat to a nearby parking lot to call 9-1-1. While she was on the phone she noticed that the original victim had managed to get away, which she considers a silver lining.
By the time officers from the Arcata Police Department showed up, most of the teens had dispersed, but three or so returned to the scene, she said, one of whom, a teen girl, was detained.
“She was belligerent and screaming,” she said. “They had to put her in the vehicle to detain her. She tried to kick the window out.”
Reached by phone Thursday, Arcata Police Detective Sgt. Keith Altizer said officers were dispatched to the scene at approximately 5:22 p.m., and while they did not locate an active fight, they spoke with the witnesses who tried to intervene and were assaulted in turn.
Sgt. Altizer would not confirm whether this was Harder and her husband, nor did he provide any further information what happened except to say that people were detained but no arrests were made.
“All I can say right now is that it’s currently being investigated,” he said. “We understand that there was a video – or multiple [videos] – that we would love to see.”
Sgt. Altizer asked for anyone who sees the videos, perhaps posted to social media, to forward it to the Arcata Police Department. Anyone with further information about the incident is also asked to report it via phone (707-822-2428) or online.
Harder hopes that witnesses may have more information.
”Of the 30 people standing in the pickleball courts, did anybody take a video? Did anyone know any of the kids involved? Who’s the kid, the original victim?” she asked, sounding frustrated. “Also, for the pickleball community: Hello! What are you doing?”
She wonders why none of them called the cops or tried to help intervene. And she hopes that someone – parents or a teacher, maybe – notices the underage victim’s injuries or sees footage of the attack and asks questions so that the assailants can be held accountable.
[CORRECTION: This post originally misspelled Angie Harder’s name. The Outpost regrets the error.]
On Saturday, mushroom-themed works of art will sprout up in about a dozen locations between McKinleyville and Garberville as a part of the global art scavenger hunt, the Game of Shrooms. The international event, started by artist Daniel “Attaboy” Seifert in 2019, draws thousands of participants every year.
Photo: Same Sunset Design
How does it work? Starting just after midnight, contributing artists will hide their original, mushroom-themed creations in secret spots all around the world and leave a clue on social media for fungi hunters. If you’re lucky enough to find one of these mushrooms, take a picture and tag or message the artist on social media so they know their piece has been found. Participants are kindly asked to limit themselves to one work per artist.
McKinleyville-based jeweler Alicia Smith, the artist behind Same Sunset Design, will hide a pair of mushroom earrings somewhere on the Arcata Plaza.
“This is my first year doing Game of Shrooms,” Smith told the Outpost. “I heard about the game through Instagram. It seems like a really fun worldwide event so I’m excited to be a part of it this year … and hopefully for years to come!”
Check out the map above to find hiding spots near you. If you click on the mushroom, it will take you to the artist’s Instagram account where they will post their clue.
A
new international partnership was formalized earlier this week among
Charles Darwin University in Australia and three organizations on the
North Coast — Blue Lake Rancheria, Cal Poly Humboldt, and College of
the Redwoods.
The
new Memorandum of Understanding is the result of multiple years of
discussion. It was signed Tuesday during a week-long visit to the
area by a delegation from Charles Darwin University.
The
agreement calls for ongoing cooperation and projects that support a
variety of goals, including opportunities for students and staff to
study, research, and work internationally; exchange of academic
materials or information; exchange of information and ideas among
First Nations communities; joint research and researcher exchange;
cooperation in conferences, workshops, and symposiums; commerce
exchange opportunities; and other agreed-upon opportunities.
Charles
Darwin University is a remote institution in the Northern Territory
of Australia, and it also has campuses throughout the country. The
Northern Territory makes up about one-sixth of Australia. It is home
to just 1% of the population, of whom 30% are First Nations
Peoples.
CDU and the North Coast organizations initially
began discussing a potential partnership related to development of
the new undersea cable that will connect the areas with high-speed
internet.
After more focused discussions, and a visit to
CDU by a North Coast delegation, it became clear that there was a
shared interest and expertise in multiple areas. These include
traditional indigenous knowledge, tribal governance and economic
development, wildfire management, environmental sustainability,
renewable energy, rural healthcare, and rural education at all
levels.
The delegation from CDU is meeting with experts
and visiting sites throughout the region this week, with a focus on
identifying specific initial projects to pursue as part of the
partnership. They are being hosted by Blue Lake Rancheria.
