FDC-couch

today

8:30 a.m. Audubon Society Field Trip See Event Description

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9 a.m. Arcata Farmers' Market Arcata Plaza

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9:30 a.m. Discovery Walk: Unknown Waterfront See Event Description

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9:30 a.m. Manila Dunes Restoration Manila Community Center

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10 a.m. Manila Dunes Guided Walk Manila Community Center

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10 a.m. Library Book Sale Humboldt County Library

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10 a.m. Dia de los Muertos and Mexican Folk Art Sale Private Eureka home

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10 a.m. Final Arcata Farmer's Market Arcata Farmers' Market (off the plaza)

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11 a.m. Donlin Foreman Dance Workshop Dell'Arte

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2 p.m. Humboldt Coastal Nature Center Draft Trails Plan Walk Stamps House

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5 p.m. Bati Zado and Show Redwood Raks World Dance Studio

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6 p.m. The Tumbleweeds Chapala Cafe

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6 p.m. Ali Chaudhary (jazz duo) Libation

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6:30 p.m. Not Evil, Just Wrong Humboldt Area Foundation

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7 p.m. Guitar Stan (country) Old Town Coffee & Chocolates

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8 p.m. Guitar Orchestra of Barcelona Arkley Center for the Performing Arts

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8 p.m. Stones in His Pockets Arcata Playhouse

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8 p.m. A Christmas Carol North Coast Repertory Theater

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8 p.m. Donna Landry Swing Dance Moose Lodge

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8 p.m. North Coast Wind Ensemble Fulkerson Recital Hall at HSU

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8:30 p.m. The Last Minute Men (international) Cafe Mokka

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9 p.m. Ian McFeron Band (folk rock) Six Rivers Brewery

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9 p.m. The Michael Paul Band WAVE @ blue lake casino

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9 p.m. The Generatorz (classic rock) Central Station Cocktail Lounge

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9 p.m. Taxi Bear River Casino

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9 p.m. VJ Itchie Fingaz Pearl Lounge

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9 p.m. Jack Ruby Presents + Blue Street + Acufunkture (DIY rock) Jambalaya

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9 p.m. 2nd Annual Scorpio Bash The Red Fox Tavern

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10 p.m. Music by DJ Sidelines

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10 p.m. DJ Icy Hot Aunty Mo's Lounge

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10 p.m. Jemimah Puddleduck (rock) Humboldt Brews

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10 p.m. White Manna + Midday Veil + The King Salmon Duo (rock) Jambalaya

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11 p.m. Radio Moscow (psychadelic blues) + Mosquito Bandito (one-man surf/garage) The Alibi Lounge and Restaurant

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previous columns

May 14, 2009

Don't get your hopes up...

Cartoon by Joel Mielke

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May 7, 2009

Muscle Cars 101

Cartoon by Joel Mielke

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April 30, 2009

Humboldt County Haiku

Cartoon by Joel Mielke

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Farm Unfriendly

By North Coast Journal Readers

Editor:

I read with interest Bob Doran’s article regarding the City of Arcata’s regulation and financial abuse of such venerable events as the North Country Fair, and truly empathize with Matthew Cook and the Same Old People’s predicament (“Keep Off the Grass,” May 14). But I wonder why the Journal chose to spotlight an event that occurs just once a year when these same political pressures are brought to bear on other events, including one that occurs on Arcata’s Plaza weekly, seven months of the year for the last 31 years?

As a vendor at the Farmers’ Market for the last 22 years, I’ve noticed the Market’s treatment by the city has been traditionally one-sided and patently unfair. The city’s micromanagement began a decade ago, when City Manager Dan Hauser decided to squeeze the farmers into all but the last foot of the sidewalk, and then totally retreat to the street the following year. As vendors were backed into the street, the City feared a problem with traffic safety, necessitating the Market pay as much as $5,000 per year for traffic cone removal. This was paid on top of other new or increasing fees levied by the City, eg. nearly a grand for city permits and nearly five grand for portapotties per year. The seller’s permit for each vendor was doubled, and then doubled again, until every vendor now pays the same business license fee that the Plaza storefronts pay, even though the farmers only sell for five hours one day a week for seven months, and some vendors only sell a few days in any year!

Other insults came as more profitable events (to the city coffers) came along, causing the city no problem in edging the Farmers Market off the Plaza entirely. During the first year of the Oyster Festival, it could only be held by being added to the Farmers’ Market use permit, yet now the Market has been pushed off the Plaza by the same event it originally sponsored!

The most recent assault by the City came from Police Chief Randy Mendosa, now also serving as city manager. In years past, when customers of a handful of Main Street businesses abandoned their illegally parked vehicles early Saturday mornings, farmers could call tow trucks to haul the cars away for impound so the farmers could sell their weekly product. Beginning last fall, Chief Mendosa decreed that this was no longer legal, and despite the posting of signs every few feet, farmers who wanted to sell in the space they had paid licenses for would have to tow any vehicle at their own expense and could not be reimbursed by fees or fines. Meanwhile, the city collects $200 per ticket!

This early in the season, there have been as many as five vehicles a Saturday towed at $100 each. Given the number of cars towed last season, this new policy will cost the Market $7,000/year. I know
of no other jurisdiction that has such reluctance to impound illegally parked cars in areas with such prominent signage. It seems fairness is seldom a guiding force for politically correct Arcata.

When each of these policies added new burdens to the Farmers’ Market, the city turned a deaf ear to the pain they were inflicting and could offer no mitigation. Because of this, some farmers even consider moving the Market to a different venue (and a couple of local property owners have shown interest). In that way, the City of Arcata could save their precious parking spaces, benches and grass for the street people, their avocations and their music every Saturday. Imagine that, citizens of Arcata, and consider whether you want your city to tax, fee and regulate every local tradition out of existence.

Bob Filbey, Blue Lake

Sweet Spot: Bob Filbey wins a Bon Boniere sundae for sending our favorite letter of the week.

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