Booty and the Barrister
Former City Councilmember Dave Meserve, one of Measure’s F’s proponents, is livid. “Can it be that the Arcata City Council, knowing that 73 percent of the voters cast their ballots for Measure F, will not step up to defend the voice of the people?” he asks. “Can it be that they will force Eureka to bear the brunt of defending the measures in federal court?”
Well, maybe Arcata will eventually step up, join Eureka and put shoulder to wheel. And Meserve has another offer: Costs can be kept to a minimum, he says, because proponents of the initiatives have secured the pro bono services of none other than legendary San Francisco civil rights attorney Dennis Cunningham! You remember Cunningham: In 2002, he spanked the FBI while representing Earth First! organizers Judi Bari and Darryl Cherney in their wrongful arrest/freedom of speech lawsuit. In 2006, he spanked the county of Humboldt and the city of Eureka while representing the Pepper Spray Eight, the young nonviolent protestors whose eyes law enforcement personnel had swabbed with that noxious chemical.
Your correspondent once watched Cunningham work for six weeks straight, and I tell you from experience that you underestimate him at your peril. The city of Arcata is urged to stop dithering and accept this offer toute de suite.
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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 the town dandy
Jan. 13, 2011
The Golden Boy
Dec. 23, 2010
Wish Lists
Dec. 16, 2010
The Train Geeks Return
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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THREE Comments
Comment / By Bruce Anderson / Jan. 19, 2009, 6:14 a.m.
Cunningham? Impressive? Dude! The Bari scammers had to bring in Serra to present the case because Cunningham couldn’t be trusted to do it. The whole show, as you ought to know, Hank, remains some kind of unprecedented cover-up, the case itself being carefully tailored to omit all mention of the event itself and it’s likely perps. An attendent mystery is Susan Faludi’s surrender on her book after putting three or four years into researching it. And, of course, with the proceeds of their great victory Cherney buys a ranch and the Bari heirs get richer. Sweeney built the bomb, Bari knew he did it and everything that followed was a mutually convenient sham.
Comment / By Hank Sims / Jan. 19, 2009, 6:47 a.m.
Hey, all I’m saying is that you can’t argue with results. The Bari case goes in Cunningham’s win column, whatever the ramifications may be outside the courtroom.Comment / By Barbara / Oct. 14, 2009, 10:37 a.m.
Hank, Cunningham and Serra may have a “win” for $4,400,000 (thats Four point four MILLION dollars) in the federal court case, but not one red cent of the money has gone into a reward fund for solution of the 1990 bombing. I loved your coverage of the trial in the Anderson Valley Advertiser, which by the way maintains an online archive of the Bari-Cherney ecoscam at “theAVA DOT com”.