Cover Stories
Summer of Fun!
Nothing to do this summer? No way! Humboldt County has a wealth of organized summer activities for young people. Get out there and enjoy this Summer of Fun! Many of these activities require pre-registration and scholarships may be available – call for details. General & Multi Activities ARCATA CAMP COMBO. Description: Register for mornings at…
Summer Festival Guide 2013
Yes, festy time is upon us once again, bringing music in meadows and frolics out in the sun. In recent years the “summer” festival season has grown to include spring. In fact, a major new entry in the growing mega-fest market is this weekend. We’ll get to that one, but first we look at our…
Study Says Weed Can Fight Diabetes, Make You Thinner
Can firing up a joint help prevent diabetes? Are stoners skinnier than non-stoners? A new scientific study suggests that, yeah, dude. Tooootally. Regular marijuana smokers have better blood sugar control, which can reduce their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, according to a new study from the American Journal of Medicine. Not only that, but…
Enviro Lawsuits Against NCRA Dismissed
A pair of lawsuits against the North Coast Railroad Authority have been dismissed by a Marin County judge, who ruled that federal law has precedence over state environmental regulations when it comes to railroad operations. Friends of the Eel River and Californians for Alternatives to Toxics (CATs) filed separate suits against the NCRA two years…
Sail Away
photo by Bob Doran Jason Hodel Driving into work the other morning I was in no mood for the news on all the public radio stations, too much war and trouble. I pushed the button for some “radio without the rules” and found commercials. The pirate station was off the air, too early for pirates…
Blues Fest Fades on Stormy Monday
“They call it stormy Monday, but Tuesday’s just as bad.” So said blues great T-Bone Walker. For local blues fans, Monday’s news was definitely bad. It’s off. No Blues by the Bay this coming Labor Day weekend. When we put out the Summer of Fun Summer Festival Guide last week, we reported that the local…
Manhunt Continues for Shasta County Triple Homicide Suspect
Nearly a week into the manhunt for triple-homicide suspect Shane Franklin Miller and still no sign of him since his gold Dodge pickup was spotted near the mouth of the Mattole last Wednesday. There are now more than 70 law enforcement officers searching the Mattole Valley, the King Range Conservation area and nearby communities. They’re…
Pelican Bay Named One of America’s 10 Worst Prisons
The notorious supermax to our north landed at number six on Mother Jones’ list of the 10 worst prisons in the country. The magazine has done some of the best reporting on our country’s prison system over the last couple of years, including this disturbing investigative piece on Pelican Bay from former hostage Shane Bauer.…
Go, Burns!
The Journal’s Ryan Burns is first in investigative reporting, first in local government coverage and first in writing, says the California Newspaper Association’s Better Newspapers Contest. And our whole staff comes in second in breaking news coverage, for our June 2012 election edition. The honors, for weekly papers in our size category from all over…
Mountain lion killed after attacking a ranger and his dog
An off-duty park ranger and his dog were attacked by a mountain lion Thursday evening at Crescent Beach just south of Crescent City. The ranger was fishing on the beach around 7:30 p.m. when he saw a lion chasing his dog, according to a National Park Service press release. When the ranger started yelling, the…
Mapping #hate
Humboldt State University professor Monica Stephens and her undergraduate students just released an interactive map showing where hate speech pops up on Twitter around the U.S. Students searched a year’s worth of geocoded tweets — more than 150,000 — that contained certain “hate words” and individually ranked them positive, negative or neutral, depending on context.…
Local Tribes Stage Protest at HSU
Local Native American tribe leaders have organized a protest at the Humboldt State University quad today, and they accuse the school’s president, Rollin Richmond, of trying to eliminate key support services for their community. In a press release issued this morning, Yurok Chairman Thomas O’Rourke Sr. said Richmond is ignoring recommendations from a working group…
Paul Taylor’s Dancers Deliver, then Disappoint
Despite Paul Taylor’s importance as a choreographer and the superhuman talent of his dancers, for some time he hadn’t been my favorite among 20th century modern dance masters. During Musical Offering, the ambitious opening dance at the Van Duzer on Tuesday evening, I became a born-again fan. This contemporary tribal dance revolves around a clan’s…
Every Mom’s Kinetic Dream
All children have asked themselves, “How do I show my mom how much I love her while simultaneously gaining a better knowledge of physics?” To the great relief of children and mothers everywhere, The Kinetic Universe and the Rutabaga Royal Family have supplied an answer. On Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 12, the Eureka Waterfront Amphitheater…
Second Friday Arts! Arcata
Arts! Arcata is Arcata Main Street’s monthly celebration of visual and performing arts, held at more than 30 participating locations in Arcata. Visit www.artsarcata.com for even more information about the event or call (707) 822-4500. ABRUZZI 780 Seventh St. Live music. ARCATA ARTISANS COOPERATIVE 883 H St. Alex Connell jewely, John Wesa screen prints, Jim…
Headwaters: The Redwoods in our Backyard
“On March 1, 1999, the Headwaters Forest and surrounding lands … were acquired from private owners,” reads the Bureau of Land Management information booklet, which you can pick up in the Headwaters Forest Reserve parking lot. What a tale of intrigue, greed and violence that brief statement omits! It all started with a hostile takeover…
My Name is Mud
Reviews MUD. Jeff Nichols has read too many middle school novels, and it shows. His most recent venture into the realm of writing and directing, Mud, is a two-hour display of cheap drama and sickeningly thick foreshadowing, with an ending that doesn’t come soon enough. I’m in the minority with my opinion of Mud; most…
Talk and Listen That Stress Away
Editor: I greatly appreciated Jennifer Savage’s well-conceived Count-Your-Blessings piece (“Five Things to Know Before You Despair of Goodness in the World,” April 25), which inspired this: One great source of stress shared by many is the fear and consequential anger experienced during the act of driving. The loss of life, limb and treasure which may follow…
Let’s Talk Water Tanks
Editor: Local “garden supply” stores have had some wink-wink, nudge-nudge ads in the past, but the one from Bayside Garden Supply (promoting water tank sales with the caption “Don’t Piss Them Off!”) was really offensive, not for the implied urination image, but the overt message: “Don’t let your fish-hugging neighbors narc you out!” It not…
Skilled Labor Needs CR
Editor: I am saddened to hear that so many programs are being terminated at College of the Redwoods (“Re-Imagining CR,” April 11). Community colleges are here to give us an affordable option to progress in our skills and knowledge. For 17 years the Historic Preservation and Restoration Technology (HPRT) program has taught: the value and…
Now You’re Pushing It
For the last year, I’ve been writing about plants that you can grow in a cocktail garden and use as flavorings and garnishes in drinks. We’ve run through the basics — flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetables — and I’ve saved the best for last. Here are a few of the trickier and more obscure plants…
Dodge Ram®
For people who like to find a beautiful beach and then drive on it.
Dodge Swam
The new aquatic wundervehicle.
Bridging the Divide
Just off Jacoby Creek Road in Bayside is a one-lane, rust-red, wooden covered bridge that stretches 60 feet across narrow Jacoby Creek — the only entrance and exit to a small neighborhood. The bridge, built of fir and redwood in 1967, evokes an earlier time, but its future is up in the air. Humboldt County…
How Many Degrees?
You’ve probably heard of the six degrees of separation friend-of-a-friend theory (and the six degrees of Kevin Bacon game). Essentially it says that we’re all a few steps away from direct social connection. I’d say the digital/social networking era is shrinking that number in many ways, but that’s a discussion for another day. In Humboldt’s…
Trillium Falls
Sunlight slants through redwoods, beckons me to leave my stony unforgiving, to hike this winding path. Big-leaf maples stretch moss-draped arms, Pacific wrens trill spring songs. The trail leads past white trillium so rain-soaked they’ve turned glassy, past stippled stamens of skunk cabbage upright in bright yellow blossoms. Crossing slatted bridges, each footfall farther from…
Imaginary Realms
The house is still at just after 5 o’clock in the morning. A single light illuminates the studio, streaming out the large windows and casting a soft glow on a koi pond whose inhabitants are sleepily tucked under rocks and moss. Soft pinks and warm oranges of dawn are just peeking around the edges of…
Get Primed for It
Back in 1984 — with a head full of the sounds of Frank Zappa and Pink Floyd — bassist Les Claypool started fooling around with a drum machine and a few different band mates. He was trying to make a baby out of the musical DNA of James Brown and Eddie Van Halen with a…
