Wide Open
North Coast Open Studios lets the world in By Jennifer Fumiko Cahill Photos by Mark Larson
Cover Story
Wide Open
With one weekend down, the 25th North Coast Open Studios (annual but for the two years cut off by COVID-19), a free, self-guided tour of local artists’ and artisans’ workspaces, wraps up Saturday, June 14, and Sunday, June 15. A DreamMaker project of the Ink People, this year’s roster boasts 154 participating creators. Coordinator Monica…
Music Tonight: Saturday, June 21
It’s the second and final night of the mini-music fest Thrash and Destroy at RampArt Skatepark in honor of international skate weekend, so if you missed last night’s “Thrash Metal Fest” offering at 7 p.m., you can still enjoy tonight’s “Punker Parade” at the same time, featuring performances by locals Racket and Imperial Destructo, along…
Music Tonight: Friday, June 20
Legendary singer/songwriter Jonathan Richman will be strumming his stuff at the Arcata Playhouse tonight at 8 p.m. He will be joined by longtime drummer Tommy Larkins, to tap into a back catalogue that stretches 50 years into the past, starting at a time when his group The Modern Lovers were changing the way people thought…
Music Tonight: Thursday, June 19
Jamaican singer Barrington Levy has been a dancehall sensation since his teen years in the late ’70s and early ’80s. Since then, his music has evolved to include more traditional reggae and Rastafarian themes, without losing the crowd-pleasing propulsion of his earlier work. Now in his early 60s, he remains a worldwide live draw for…
Crabs Roll and We Ain’t Talking Sushi
A sign of a good baseball team is the ability to win in a bunch of different ways, a quality the Humboldt Crabs have shown this summer. They’ve had two walk-off wins, one in extra innings. They’ve had two wins by at least 14 runs. They have been down 5-0 before even coming to the…
David Leo Phillis, 1946-2025
David Leo Phillis, 79, passed away peacefully at home in Arcata on March 25, 2025, surrounded by his family. Dave was born in Waterloo, Iowa, moving to Lakewood, California at the age of six where he grew up with his siblings, Janie, Connie, and Mike. After earning a business degree from Long Beach State in…
James T. Carr – “Brother James” — Aug. 7, 1946 – Dec. 29, 2024
It is with heavy hearts that we say goodbye to our dear friend and beloved musician, James Carr. We are bereft, but can take some comfort in knowing that he is free of the pain and illness that plagued him in his later years. James was born in New York, but his musical travels took…
Ben Hurd, Whose Christmas Tree Farm Was a Holiday Tradition for Many, Dies at 93
Ben Hurd, who along with his namesake Christmas tree farm was an integral part of cherished holiday memories for generations of local families, has died. He was 93. According to an announcement on the farm’s Facebook page, Hurd passed away peacefully on the morning of June 12. “He was determined to stay in his home…
Laura “Virginia” Say Walker: 1944-2025
On Jan. 18,2025, a beautiful soul left our Earthly realm. My mom, best friend and biggest fan, Virginia Walker. She lived a vibrant country life and raised a strong, loving family. Virginia started out life as a self-proclaimed “mill brat” born in Garberville on June 9, 1944, to Frankie “Pearl” Say and Johnnie Say. Mom…
Open Studios, More on the Bear River Shooting and Providence Suits
This week we’re peeking into artists’ workspaces during North Coast Open Studios. We’ve also got news about efforts to get vital abortion care for St. Joseph Hospital patients, as well as what we know about the shooting at Bear River Recreation Center. And finally, our first look at the new Humboldt Dockside Market. Hit subscribe…
Sheriff’s Office Identifies Deputy Who Shot Bear River Suspect
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has identified the deputy who fatally shot a suspect allegedly charging him with a knife on June 5 as Cpl. Bradford Anderson, a nine-year veteran of the office. Anderson remains on paid administrative leave, as is standard protocol, according to a press release. The other deputy at the scene did…
‘Unacceptable’
Editor: Simply put, the council/city manager form of government in California intent is that the council and city manager work together as a team (“Rancor, Recalls and a Resignation,” June 5). The council carries out the will of the majority via the staff work of the city subject matter experts and the various commissions. The city…
Waste, Fraud and Abuse, Indeed
Editor: Who has huge expensive military parades? Only the dictators of China, Russia and North Korea — not democracies who spend their $83 million on improving the lives of service members, their families and veterans (Mailbox, June 5)! That’s pure waste. It is fraud to pretend the parade is to celebrate the birth of the…
Midsummer Puzzles
OK, its not quite Midsummer, which (for obscure reasons) is the name given to the start of summer, i.e. the Summer Solstice, this year Friday, June 20, 7:42 p.m. PDT. So it’s time for our annual puzzle edition. (You can find the answers on page 37.) 1. What’s a six-letter word containing three Y’s? 2.…
Crab Season Closing to Protect Whales from Entanglement
The North Coast’s commercial Dungeness crab season is officially closing on June 20 at 6 p.m. after a risk assessment was conducted by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) Director Charlton H. Bonham on June 13. A confirmed entanglement of a juvenile humpback whale with two different sets of crab fishing gear was…
Correction
The article in the June 5, 2025, edition of the North Coast Journal headlined “Rancor, Recalls and a Resignation” included inaccurate information regarding when Blue Lake City Councilmember Elise Scafani was elected. She was elected in 2022. The Journal regrets the error.
Midsummer Puzzles ANSWERS
1. Syzygy. (Astronomically, a syzygy is when three bodies align, for instance the sun, Earth and moon during eclipses.) 2. French. You’re in Île de l’Est, one of the French Crozet Islands. (If you want to be pedantic, since the island is uninhabited, the correct answer is none.) 3. Letter F: 4. Toss your quarter,…
Bigger Surge of Law Enforcement and Military Coming to LA as Newsom, Trump Feud Escalates
Editor’s note: This article was originally published by LAist on June 10 at laist.com/news/federal-agents-immigration-raids-across-la. Protesters have confronted authorities in Los Angeles, Paramount and neighboring Compton since Friday over raids conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. On Monday, tensions continued to rise — between protesters and authorities, and between federal and local officials over how…
The Battle for Los Angeles
I don’t watch much TV, certainly not the news. This isn’t a pretentious flex, but more of a generational effect: The TV I grew up with either doesn’t exist anymore or I have grown out of it, as on-the-ground social media reporting and alternative news sources are far more reliable than what the cable companies…
Humboldt Dockside Market Sells Out of Fish in 30 Minutes
Despite reported poor weather over the past few weeks, the Humboldt Dockside Market debuted in Eureka’s Madaket Plaza on Saturday, June 7, at 9 a.m., selling out of fish within the first 30 minutes. Megan Kenney, director of the North Coast Growers Association’s Harvest Hub, said the market opened with fewer fishers participating than expected…
The Return of Mosquitoes and the Bucket of Doom™
Spring has sprung, and the copious rains we received this past winter and early spring are showing themselves in the lush growth of grass, trees, shrubs and (dramatic pause) mosquitoes. I don’t know about your yard/garden/place, but I have to either slather myself with mosquito repellent or wear some netting before stepping outside, especially early…
If It Ain’t Broke, Lean In
THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME. I always seem to preface discussions of Wes Anderson’s work with some sort of disclaimer or caveat. It’s as if I feel a need to justify — mostly to myself — my continuing fascination with his canon, and to acknowledge that, as a fan, I am still conflicted by some abiding, defining…
‘Little Concern’
Editor: Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst took heat at a town hall meeting recently while defending the Medicaid cuts in Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” (“Feds Impact in Humboldt,” May 29). Out of frustration, she resorted to saying, “We all are going to die,” which is clearly a true statement. Unfortunately, for the many who face…
