Supervising the Second
What is at stake for the rest of the county? In truth, probably not much. The 2009-2010 Board of Supervisors is already in place, but for this one seat, and there is not much of an ideological divide. Conservatives from around Humboldt Bay are overwhelmingly supportive of Johanna Rodoni, but even if she prevails they are unlikely to get their way. In any politically charged matter that comes up, the left-liberal side of the aisle will almost always be able to cobble together a three-vote majority out of the coming board. Conservatives would nearly always be comfortable with Rodoni’s stances. They are often comfortable with Supervisor Jill Geist’s, and sometimes with Supervisor Jimmy Smith’s. But rare is the issue in which they could get all three to vote together. Certainly not on the general plan.
But policy-setting, the actual business of vote-taking, is like the glacier of county government — it’s the 10 percent that lies above water. What Second District citizens will really be choosing is someone who they expect to take their calls, to work behind the scenes, to offer support and assistance through the confusing tangle of Humboldt County bureaucracy, to take their concerns seriously, to amass political capital and expend it on their behalf. And when your world is changing so quickly, that’s not an easy thing to quantify.
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on the cover
Railroad!
Proposed lines ‘set rich blood a-tingling’ in early 1900s
Some Other Proposed North Coast Railroads
Choo-choo Fantasies
Exposing this east-west rail nonsense
seven-o-heaven
Undeterred Will
Will chides Andrew for lack of attention to detail and makes plans for his inevitable victory.
Recent on the cover
May 17
Ring of Fire
Sun and moon will perform a rare pas de deux in Humboldt skies on Sunday
May 10
District Soup
Racing for the top county seat in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd districts
May 3
A Place in the Woods
As park closure deadline nears, a scramble to save what we can
Today
44th Annual Kinetic Grand Championship Race
STAFF PICK / events, art, outdoors, sports, for kids, free / 9 a.m.-6 p.m. A 3-day, 42-mile kinetic sculpture race over land, sand, mud and water! LeMans start at the Noon Whistle on the Arcata Plaza. Follow the race through Manila, Eureka and into Ferndale on Memorial Day for the Glorious Finish. kineticgrandchampionship.com. 889-3024.
Flow 2012 Fashion Show
STAFF PICK / events / 8 p.m. Arcata Theatre Lounge, 1036 G St. Student designed and produced clothing. Fundraiser for Arcata Arts Institute. $35/$25 students. artsinstitute.net. 822-1220.
Woodside Preschool's Rummage/Bake Sale
events / 8 a.m.-noon. Woodside Preschool, 900 Hodgson St, Eureka. www.woodsidepreschool.com. 445-9132.
Lanphere Dunes Restoration
STAFF PICK / outdoors / 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Meet at Pacific Union School. Help remove non-native invasives at the Lanphere Dunes Unit of the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Tools and gloves provided, wear work clothes and bring water. Carpool to the protected site. 444-1397.
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FOUR Comments
Comment / By Local Dem / Oct. 16, 2008, 9:26 a.m.
Most Fortunans don’t know about Clif’s radical politics. He hasn’t been involved.
Comment / By Julia / Oct. 16, 2008, 5:40 p.m.
correction:
Estelle was the former news director of Redway’s KMUD, a community radio station.
Comment / By Hank Sims / Oct. 16, 2008, 5:50 p.m.
Goddamn it, how many times am I going to do that?
Thanks, Julia.
Comment / By Charlie Bean / Oct. 24, 2008, 4:53 p.m.
As I see it, both the second and fifth Districts need better representation. Unless you are in a community on, or very near the coast you have poor representation.
These two Districts are two spread out with communities that are often forgotten, or the excuse of: “The population is here, so this is where the money goes.”
These two Districts might be better off redivided and there be seven Supervisors.