North Coast Journal Reader

  Editor: On Feb. 6, I attended the Fortuna Elementary School District board meeting where the Facilities Use Committee presented its ideas in answer to the request from Redwood Preparatory Charter School to share facilities. (“Charter School Rift,” Jan. 24.) I wonder how many parents knew the meeting had been rescheduled to Wednesday night instead […]

  Editor: Thank you for your article on Stone Lagoon (“By the Breach,” Feb. 14). My morning commute from Arcata to Orick must be the prettiest in the world: Four days a week I drive past Big, Stone and Freshwater Lagoons. In winter, the commute is made in the dark. But this time of year, […]

Editor: I moved to Caspar in 1985. My house was across the street from the Caspar (“R.I.P. Caspar Inn,” Feb. 7). When the wind was right, I could hear the music rockin’ out across the night. I could walk to the Caspar, the neon shimmering through the fog as my beacon — and I must […]

  Editor: With yet another cartoon picking on trash pickers who frequent the alleys of Eureka, I can’t help but wonder if Mr. Mielke has a bit of an obsession about his trash (“Recycling Eureka Style,” Feb. 7). His premise: Eureka residents put out trash which is then picked by those who take “things of […]

  Editor: Thanks to Bob Doran for his feature article on Humboldt County’s luthiers. I’ve been proud of these guys for years. They are well-known internationally, and it’s good to see them get some recognition on their home turf. As the owner of a Eureka music store from 1976-1999, I’ve known Mark Platin, Steve Helgeson, […]

  Editor: There’s no coincidence Humboldt’s luthiers are thriving (“Making Wood Sing,” Feb. 7). Music for generations has been indelibly integrated in Arcata School District’s curriculum. Thanks to Arcata’s voters and the passage of the District’s revenue measures, music and art programs are here to stay and getting stronger. Without a child’s appreciation and understanding […]

  Editor: While we read headlines in the media of people dying in the city streets of Egypt to protest, among other things, the influence of their own religion on their government, we see the mayor of our county’s largest town arrogantly mixing his own religion with city government in the city of Eureka (“Blog […]

  Editor:  In the Jan 31 cover story, “Unspoken Dangers,” the doctors omitted an important and pervasive environmental risk for pregnant women: electromagnetic frequencies from wireless devices. Fetal exposure to cell phones and laptops pose a significant risk that a child will be born with health problems. But don’t take my word for it. A […]

Editor: In Benjamin Fordham’s “Reincarnating the Pulp Mill” story (Jan. 31), his statement, “According to a 1989 Surfrider Foundation lawsuit, the Samoa mill and a second pulp mill … used to dump a combined 40 million gallons of untreated wastewater into the ocean every day,” fails to accurately convey the importance of this history.  The […]

  Editor: The appeal of opening a charter school where innovative teaching is encouraged is understandable (“Charter School Rift,” Jan 24). But proponents of charter schools would do well to take a realistic look at some of the negative effects of charter schools. First of all, charter schools are not required to have any unions, […]

  Editor: Marcy Burstiner expressed interest in why people buy guns (“Recoil,” Media Maven, Jan. 24). For me, owning a gun doesn’t invoke either the mystic sexiness John Bennett describes or the fear that Burstiner posits. It’s more prosaic, more like “Well, yeah, what’s your point?”  Most of my family takes guns for granted. My […]

  Editor: I sincerely hope Betty Chinn’s daycare for the homeless on Seventh and C streets is a great success (“Waiting for Chinn,” Jan. 3). It will provide an opportunity for those who really want to get off the streets and lead a healthy and productive life. “Broken Eureka” needs some major fixin’ and at […]