news story / By North Coast Journal Staff

Best Of Humboldt — Staff Picks

BEST PERSON

Her work is invisible to most because the people she helps are invisible: those sleeping on the street, living beyond the borders of mainstream society. Betty Chin tirelessly helps the homeless, serving them coffee and food every morning in association with St. Vincent de Paul, and filling their day-to-day needs by bringing them clothes, toiletries, phone cards — whatever they need. When the weather turns cold, she’s there with blankets and sleeping bags; when school-time comes for homeless kids, she’s there with backpacks. She’s been doing this for over 20 years, basically on her own, gathering donations when she can through her Blue Angel Project for the Homeless web site, but most important, giving of herself — her time and energy — without thought of return.

Her latest project, something she calls “Restoring Dignity One Shower at a Time,” was inspired by the death of a wheelchair-bound man who drowned in the bay while trying to clean himself. Her simple goal: Install showers at the St. Vincent de Paul facility so that those with no bathrooms can bathe. There’s a Spaghetti Dinner Benefit for the project coming up Saturday, Oct. 17, at St. Bernard’s Parish Hall in Eureka with pasta and desserts, music, a raffle, silent and live auctions, all for a great cause: helping a good person help others. For details on the benefit and on Betty’s life and work, check out www.bettysblueangel.com.

— Bob Doran

BEST SPORTS REVIVAL

If popularity serves as an indicator, Humboldt Roller Derby can claim success. In the few years since the organization skated into existence, they’ve managed to sell out just about every bout in Redwood Acres’ Francesci Hall arena and whup plenty of bigger-city teams. In addition to their ever-increasing legion of fans, they’ve inspired members of the Crab Grass Band to take up the derby cause.

Humboldt Roller Derby sports their own cheer squad and now has enough members to make up three teams: the fluidly powerful North Betty Jettys, the bone-crunching Widow Makers and the irresistible force known as the Redwood Rollers. But while the derby girls may feed off the frenzy of the crowd, a greater relationship than voyeur-exhibitionist is at work. Each woman serves as an athletic goddess, a veritable Artemis on wheels, and we are their worshiping supplicants. To see a bout is to witness muscular thighs and biceps glistening with sweat, to marvel at the speed and agility on display, to feel every thrust toward victory as if it were your own. Humboldt Roller Derby makes us proud.

— Jennifer Savage

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