As a gringo here in the middle of Mexico, I notice things that I assume mexicanos take for granted. Like:

• Courtesy in long distance autobúses. They feel more like business-class airplane travel than actual buses and are piloted, that is, driven, by guys in suits, freshly-ironed white shirts, black ties and polished black shoes who usually welcome us on board once everyone is seated, before closing the door between us and the driver’s compartment.
• Water in most Mexican towns and cities comes in two flavors: treated (via garafones, five-gallon plastic bottles delivered to your door); and untreated, delivered by pipes to your tinaco (water tank on the roof) for showers, toilet flushing, washing up and everything else. (SO much more efficient than expensively treating water for, say, fighting a fire!)

• Local buses are loud! Not just the diesel motors, but—often—the speakers are belting out non-stop mariachi (—sounding to this uneducated gringo’s ears like endless variations of “You are My Sunshine,” with trumpets).
• Cell phone run out of minutes? No problem. Go to your local Oxxo (like 7-11 but more ubiquitous), give them your cell number and 200 pesos (ten bucks). Moments later, you’re set for another month.
• If I sneeze while waking down a sidewalk, someone will inevitably shout ¡Salud! from across the way. If we’re eating at a restaurant, folks leaving wish us Buen provecho as they pass by.
• Years ago, we were in the process of buying our 200-year old house, meeting with the several sellers (it was complicated) and the notario, the real-estate lawyer. At some point, I asked, “Whom do you represent? The sellers or the buyers?” Deadpan, he said, “I represent the house.” The deal went through seamlessly.
• Joven. That’s what shopkeepers and barristas always call me. I love it.
• Watch your step! Sidewalks have a habit of ending in drop-offs. Serious drop-offs, three feet, six feet, ten feet. No rail, no warning, they just stop and Bam! You are warned.

• Topes (not to be confused with totopos = chips) are Mexico’s answer to drivers who ignore maximum speed signs, i.e. everyone. They are serious speed bumps that welcome you into every town and village, often unmarked. Hit them at 30 or 40 mph, and there go your shocks. Topes are one of several reasons to avoid driving at night in the country.
• We sometimes had a Friday evening beer with our albaniles (workers) after they’d put in a long and hard week remodeling our place. Here, one’s family is the usual conversation icebreaker (as opposed to the weather in Britain, and what you do for a living al norte). “How many primos (first cousins) do you have?” I’d ask. No sé…¿Setenta? ¿Ochenta? (I’m not sure, 70? 80?) Then they’d ask how many I have. “Uno,” I’d reply. Concerned looks all round. Pobrecito (poor little one), they’d murmur.

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On this week’s EcoNews Report, we travel to California’s Central Valley to explore the elaborate plumbing that connects North Coast rivers to the Central Valley and the impact of this massive diversion system has on local fish populations.

In December, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland reversed a Trump-era decision that got Central Valley irrigrators off the hook for habitat restoration costs. Chris Shutes of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance and Glen Spain of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Association lay out the sordid history of the Central Valley Project. 

If you find yourself walking down Third Street in Old Town Eureka in the afternoon, you might get lucky and see a vintage letterpress in action. You will not be able to tell, but this thing is loud, repetitive and fun to watch.

It’s an old piece of machinery with a small motor mounted on its side that allows for quick motion and even faster printing. Using a mounted linocut, or carved linoleum block, ink is rolled onto its surface and it is then pressed onto paper or fabric to produce a print. As the ink roller lifts, a human replaces the paper over and over in a rhythmic motion. It simultaneously seems rigorous and delicate when you see the designs make it onto a sheet.

If you care to walk in the building you will see there is paper everywhere, organized in various ways that only the people involved will know where things are. In the middle is Lynn M Jones, 44, the woman who makes all of this go.

Lynn Jones. Photo courtesy JMT.

Jones, owner of Just My Type Letterpress Paperie and Lynn-oleum, built an institution in Humboldt. She operates a card and gift store, designs and manufactures a line of wholesale goods, prints the letterpress portion of the packaging for Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate, and creates original, limited edition linocut art.

Originally from the East Bay, Jones came to the lost coast as a student and soccer player for Cal Poly Humboldt in 1996. As part of the Arts department, her emphasis was in graphic design. Before long, a field trip to Oakland that led to an internship with David Lance Goines carved her path going forward.

“He taught me how to use the letterpress and how to carve linoleum blocks,” Jones said. “I was hooked.”

After she graduated in 2000, she worked for Goines for a year. After the September 11th attack, people stopped buying art and Goines could not keep her Jones employed. But Goines allowed Jones to use his machines so that she could pursue her own projects. Then in 2003, Jones officially filed for her first business license for Just My Type Letterpress Paperie. Most of the work she did at that time was in the form of wedding invitations and business cards – strictly custom work, all done by hand.

“It was always sitting with clients and hashing every little detail,” Jones said.

Jones continued her work after returning to Humboldt County and before long the old Lambert McKeehan Inc. Print Shop was closing. Jones was asked if she wanted dibs on anything they were selling. She bought everything she could use and set up a print shop in South G street Arcata.

“Facebook didn’t exist and it was hard to get the word out,” Jones said. “The idea was to be a limited edition artist. So that business slowed to a stop after three years.”

That is when Jones decided that it was the perfect opportunity to take a break and start having children. She took a six-year hiatus and sold the things that she thought would never use again. What she did not sell, she kept tucked away in a storage unit. As a steady income while she reared her two children, Jones took on a part-time to eventually full-time gig for the North Coast Journal as a graphic designer.

While on hiatus, the owners of Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate bought a garage-sized print shop from a person in the Bay Area. Jones taught them how to use the letterpress and they did their printing out of a garage for five years. As they ramped up in 2015, Jones offered to do the printing for them for a year.

“You spend a lot of time thinking when you’re working the press,” Jones said. “I remember thinking ‘If they pay me a little more, I can open up shop elsewhere.’”

Then in 2016, a retail space in the Carson Block Building at the corner of Third and F became available, and she took it with a coworker. This time, Just My Type began to pick up in ways they had not before. She found a press refurbisher in Fremont that sold her the letterpress she now uses daily. She specifically purchased this machine because it allows her to use linoleum blocks that were larger than regular printing paper. She can print up to 18” x 24” poster-sized designs.

With that machine, Jones took over printing the designs on the envelopes of Dick Taylor chocolate bars, and has been doing that work for the last six years. In 2022, Jones printed roughly 500,000 impressions for them. Just to give you an idea, one specific letterpress is used every afternoon for three hours. A person can reasonably print a design on one thousand envelopes in an hour, depending on the complexity of the design. Possibly 40 minutes, on a good day.

Another reason Jones prints on one particular manual letterpress is because of the paper being used. Next time you eat one of those chocolates, consider the thickness of the envelopes. An automatic paper feeding machine will have a hard time cycling through them and there can be more room for error.

Leading up to 2019, Jones began printing and selling wholesale items, and she needed more space. A dress shop left an F Street retail space vacant and in May 2020, Jones moved her whole operation there. Only to find out a year and a half later that she needed even more space, she managed to expand by connecting the F Street and Third Street spaces.

“One of the presses couldn’t fit through the door of the retail space so we needed both,” Jones said.

With her wholesale items reaching over 100 stores as far as Maine, Jones joined the Greeting Card Association (GCA) and dove headfirst into a whole new world. She found out about the Louie Awards and began submitting her designs.

“The Louie Awards are like the Oscars of the greeting card world,” Jones said. “And I’ve won a few.”

Her first win was in a new category called “Trends and Events.” She created the card long before she joined the GCA. It was a customer who suggested it “They tried to bury us, they didn’t know we were seeds.”

“The image popped into my head. I sketched it, carved it, and printed it on seeded paper,” Jones said. “The hook of it is, if you soak the card overnight and plant it, flowers will grow.

Nowadays, Jones has a seemingly endless stream of projects coming in and out.

If you have not already seen, Jones has made a beautifully detailed collection of 12 Eureka Victorians linocuts. She took pictures of each building then sketched them in her sketchbook. She then hand-carved the linoleum blocks, hand-printed them on her vintage letterpress, and hand-painted them.

You cannot buy the originals but she does sell them in card form, poster size, and stickers on the Just My Type Letterpress website.

One of Jones’ machines in action.

HUMBOLDT TODAY: A former bookkeeper agrees to repay $50k she embezzled from a local business, an ATV accident claims the life of a man in SoHum, another pedestrian is struck on Broadway, and more in today’s newscast with John Kennedy O’Connor.

FURTHER READING: 

• (UPDATE) Bad Vehicle v. Pedestrian Crash on Broadway
• Former North Coast Journal Bookkeeper Agrees to Pay Back $50k as Part of Embezzlement Plea Agreement
• 76-Year-Old Alderpoint Man Killed in ATV Crash
• Sneaker Wave Warning in Effect Tonight and Tomorrow! Keep Your Distance and Never Turn Your Back on the Ocean

Press release from the California Highway Patrol:

On January 19, 2023 at approximately 1320 hours, the driver was operating his 2013 Polaris Ranger on private property north of Alderpoint Road just west of Alderpoint. For reason still under investigation, the driver lost control of the Polaris and it overturned down an embankment. Subsequently, the driver was ejected from the Polaris and the Polaris came to rest on top of him and he succumbed to his injuries on scene.

The identity of the driver is being withheld pending the notification of the next of kin by the Humboldt County Coroner.

The California Highway Patrol, Cal Fire, City Ambulance of Eureka, and Alderpoint Fire Department all responded to the scene. This collision remains under investigation by the California Highway Patrol - Garberville Area.

On November 15, 2022, we lost Ellen Krohn at the age of 73.

“Mimi” as those close to her called her — and they were many — was formally Mary Ellen Krohn, born Mary Ellen Coffey in Connecticut on January 20, 1949. She spent her early life on the East Coast and her high school years in the suburbs of Chicago, where she met her husband Hal and had two children, Susie and Jake.

To find a life more closely suited to their personalities and family goals, Hal and Ellen would pack two vans in 1978 and adventure out to California, where they settled in Fortuna. Following her passion for education, Ellen worked in the Fortuna and Humboldt County schools in many capacities over the years while earning her English degree and teaching credential at Humboldt State University. She taught mostly 6th grade in Fortuna for 25 years before finally retiring in 2014. So many kids she taught felt like she propelled them in their journey through school and felt her effort deeply and positively.

Ellen’s daughter Susie had two kids, Kai and Bryan, whom Mimi doted on with as much passion as she could muster. Susie developed breast cancer and passed away in July of 2008 at the age of 39. A devastating loss. Her son Jake met his girlfriend Jess and her son Miles in 2018. Mimi and Miles had time to bond and get close in the four years before she passed. Kai and Bryan have wonderful partners in Shirine and Ali. Mimi felt so lucky and happy to see her son and grandsons find love and begin to start families.

Mimi lived a warm and love-filled life. She and Hal ran a deeply welcoming house in which all felt comfortable any time of day or night, announced or unannounced. They were surrogate parents to any kid who could use the surplus of love they had to give. Multiple kids moved into the house for periods of time when they felt like they needed a place to get their feet on the ground. We all learned how to play music in the backyard shop and she and Hal drove us all to shows and came to every one they could over many years. Everyone felt the unconditional support from Ellen and Hal.

All throughout her life Ellen was very social and involved. From organizing Grange dances in the 1980s with music and potlucks to volunteering at the library in her retirement. Always at a political march. Always petitioning and volunteering to write for a cause. Always standing up for justice. In retirement she picked up the ukulele and played with different groups of friends. She was very proud of that and so happy and intrigued to be involved in that side of music after so fervently supporting the music of her husband and children and grandchildren for so many years. She took art classes and was always excited to attend the classes to see her friends as well as to show us all her progress. She took up birdwatching. Always a fan of nature, especially the ocean, she loved to get outside and walk and learn about birds and flowers.

Mimi loved to hang out. To chat and laugh, or sit quietly and just be, just soak up the life that others exuded. She just loved people. And people loved her. She was a presence without being a presence. Quietly but robustly and genuinely validating those around her, making everyone feel they mattered, and they could do anything they wanted. That’s who she was as a parent, a friend, a teacher, and even an acquaintance.

Ellen developed kidney disease in the early 2000s. She had many hospital visits and surgeries, related and unrelated over two decades. Throughout all this she endured with nearly no complaints and a smile on her face. Mimi didn’t need much. She was so content with her life and felt grateful throughout.

Ellen is survived by her husband, Hal, her son Jake, her grandsons Bryan and Kai and Miles, and siblings Kate, Dave, Steven, and Meg and their families.

A celebration of life will be held in the spring, and we’ll welcome all who knew her. Date to be determined.

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

Steven Alan Burres, first child of three, born to Don and Gladys Burres on May 21, 1956, went home to the Lord on January 15, 2023.

Steve went to South Bay Elementary School, where he met lifelong friend Alan Burns, and went to Jacobs Junior High School where he met what became a group of tight-knit friends that deemed themselves the “Alley Gang” — Jerry Alley, David Alley, Orlan Larson, Darrel Crocket, Phillip Sanchez, Paul McKnight, Regio Salas, Matias Salas and Jake Mosely, just to name a few. A group of kids that mastered how to have fun and, truth be told, they made memories that will now remain legends to their families and loved ones.

Steve was a Eureka High School Alumni, class of 1973.

Steve was extremely gifted at any hobby or sport in which he participated.

He worked in the construction industry for many years, mainly doing sheetrock finishing. He was very good at his job and was sought after by many employers who knew his talent. One notable job that he worked on was the Vance Hotel renovation.

He discovered that he was a talented woodworker when he decided he needed a coffee table. He went to second-hand stores and purchased hand tools and a table saw. He went to the library and checked out books on furniture making. Then he went dumpster diving behind cabinet shops and got beautiful scraps of wood, some of them exotic, which he used to make his coffee table. That led to more pieces of furniture and beautiful wood jewelry boxes and CD storage racks for friends and family.

He bowled on leagues at Harbor Lanes & Broadway Lanes. He participated in several tournaments. Throughout most of his bowling years, he carried a book average of 190 or more.

He participated in baseball leagues and tournaments. He was also known to be as good a golfer as he was a bowler.

Steve was also a lover of music and played the drums very well. He and his friends had many jam sessions over the years.

Steve was also a quiet man and an adventurer. He liked quiet solitude and enjoyed nature and backpacking which lead him to venture off alone to places like the Grand Canyon.

His love of nature led to many hours fishing in rivers or out hunting ducks. It was his alone time, his quiet time, and where he found peace.

His best partner in life was his cherished dog, Stu, who loved him unconditionally and who could always be found by his side.

Steve was a huge help and support to his family with the care of his father in later years.

Spending time making chocolate chip cookies, playing the drums or going off on some adventure with nature were some of his favorite moments with his grandson Javante, who was the love of his life.

Steve leaves behind his mother, Gladys Burres; his daughter, Katie Burres; his grandson, Javante Burres Achane (Allison Hannah); great grandchildren, Aubree and Javante Jr.; granddaughter, Jamya Spears; brother, Gary Burres (Roxie) and sister, Jennifer Goodner (Dan); several nieces and nephews and grandnieces and grandnephews.

He was preceded in death by his father, Don Burres, and his dog, Stu.

Services will be held on Saturday, January 28, 2023 at Sanders Funeral Home, 1835 E Street, Eureka, at 11 a.m. Afterwards, there will be a short graveside ceremony at Ocean View’s Camellia Garden, and then a celebration of life will follow at The Pink Lady, 202 M Street, Eureka.