Upward Bound No More
After 33 years, Humboldt vets lose college prep program
Cover Story
Upward Bound No More
When the noon whistle goes off in Arcata, most people just think it’s time for lunch. But for James Frasche-Russell, a 26-year-old army veteran majoring in computer science and math at Humboldt State University, the whistle brings back bad memories. "It really freaked me out, because that was the get-into-your-bunkers-we’re-being-bombed alarm in Iraq," he says.…
Job Shop
Hey, remember "term limits"? That was the quaint little theory proposed and approved by California voters back in 1990. The idea was that the business of government would be wrested from sharpies and placed in the hands of a new breed of "citizen-legislator." These wholesome, Jimmy Stewart-esque superhumans would rise from the tilled soil to…
Go Straight to ‘Sideways’
For a magazine piece on the trials and tribulations of young aspiring artists in New York, I once talked to many actors and others in the theatre in different stages of their careers about their beginning years. A lot of people have had crappy jobs, but actors probably have more than most, partly because they…
Roadside Attraction
Driving to Labor Day destinations amid traffic and road construction can really try one’s patience. So just imagine the lucky drivers who unknowingly happened upon the Four Corners Bake Sale in Whale Gulch last weekend. Instead of rounding the bend and finding more dizziness-inducing roads, they found a welcoming committee of Whale Gulch locals offering…
The Weather at CR
Fog hangs like drapery around the outer edges of the campus. The commons is filled with anxious, confident and confused people milling about. It is the first day of classes at College of the Redwoods, and somehow things seem a bit more organized. Registration lines in the Administration Building are being managed (better than emergency…
Witching Water
— for Jane and David Mister Pogue rode…
Why do pelicans fly so close to the water?
This photograph by Ron LeValley shows a pelican gliding just above the surface of Humboldt Bay. It is not doing so to spy fish, which is better achieved at a higher altitude, but to take advantage of the so-called "ground effect," also experienced by pilots as they approach a runway. Let us first consider a…
Blues, Rags & Hollers: The Koerner, Ray & Glover Story
"To me … folk music has always been the blues." — Dave "Snaker" Ray You need look no further than that quote from guitarist Dave "Snaker" Ray to identify the ethos that formed the foundation of seminal acoustic folk-blues trio Koerner, Ray & Glover. The Minnesota-based threesome, rounded out by fellow 12-stringer "Spider" John Koerner…
Collected Poems
On a recent brief flight from Monterey to San Francisco, a woman who sat next to me noticed me reading Lynda Hull’s Collected Poems and asked what Hull’s poems were about. "Her poems are not really about anything in particular, yet they are about everything," I answered. "Her strength is her description and use of…
Natural
If this record was your first exposure to the Mekons, you’d be forgiven for thinking they were some obscure British folk combo, not one of the original punk bands of 1977, still plugging away after 30 years. The Mekons were contrarians from the start — their first single, "Never Been In a Riot" was a…
Do You Get It? Minimalist art at Piante
It’s that awkward time of the month again when everyone is in transition, taking down their old shows and getting ready to put up the next one. I want to tell you about what’s new and exciting, but I won’t be able to see the shows myself until after this article goes to press. So,…
Showtime
Last month, I was in New York and I stopped by my publisher’s office to have a chat with my editor. While we were talking, my editor’s boss walked in and told me that she would be in Northern California in September. I asked her if she would like to stop by while she was…
Kill Me Now
PREVIEWS Continuing what Hollywood does frequently if not always effectively, the remake of the 1957 film of the same title 3:10 to Yuma opens Friday, Sept. 7. Based on the short story by Elmore Leonard, now well known for his tongue-in-cheek thrillers, the film tells the story of rancher Dan Evans (Christian Bale replacing Van…
It’s Official!
Whereas*, Humboldt County is renowned for its local dairies, grass-fed beef and fresh fruits and vegetables, and recognized as an emerging center for local family-owned farms in the United States; and* Whereas*, family farmers are a cornerstone of our communities — trusted providers of nutritious food and stewards of our precious natural resources; and* ……
Long Live the King
It was around 60 years ago when young guitar player Riley B. King left his farm job in Indianola, Miss., for the bright lights of Memphis, Tenn. Living at first with his cousin, the bluesman Bukka White, he made an impression quickly and landed a spot on harmonica great Sonny Boy Williamson’s radio show. Later…
The Big Picture
Open any sports page in just about any newspaper and you get a great rundown on what’s happening with teams from around the state and nation. But that’s not the case for news. The local papers here tend to give you a smattering of somewhat relevant local news, one or two of the biggest national…
