‘A Special Place’
Conservation groups work to preserve and protect land across the North Coast
Cover Stories
Standing with Strawberry Rock
If you’ve ever hiked the 1.5 miles up to Strawberry Rock near Trinidad, scaled the onshore sea stack and felt the ocean wind on your cheeks as you surveyed the panoramic view, looking down from atop the forest canopy to the ocean below, you were probably trespassing. That’s long been the sticking point of one…
Collaboration for Conservation
The city of Arcata and Humboldt State University are on the cusp of closing escrow on a land purchase aimed at simultaneously preserving forest land in the Jacoby Creek watershed and opening up new learning opportunities for students from eight departments. The purchase of 884 acres of forest land east of campus — tucked between…
50K Acres and Counting
It’s been a banner year for the Northcoast Regional Land Trust. Just under two decades old, in 2018 the organization with headquarters tucked away in a small building off Samoa Boulevard has doubled the amount of land under conservation easements coordinated by the nonprofit. That means large swaths of acreage from the coast to the…
Protecting the Titans
Perhaps one of the few things looming larger than the ancient redwoods known as the Grove of Titans is the legend that sprung up around them following the trees’ “discovery” two decades ago. Catapulted into a eco-celebrity status after the finding was chronicled in the book The Wild Trees, visiting the grove nestled in Jedediah…
Red Sauce for the Blues
Pity those whose otherwise broadening travels render them unable to enjoy American immigrant iterations of their ancestral cuisines. I think of my old classmate returning from a semester in Rome, heartbroken from an affair and recoiling from the messy red spaghetti and glass shakers of parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes that seemed to him…
Before the $4.7 Billion Baby Powder Verdict, There Was One in Humboldt
By now, you’ve probably heard about Reuters’ investigative bombshell showing that Johnson & Johnson knew for decades that its baby powder contained asbestos while the company publicly insisted on the “safety and purity” of its iconic product. If this is news to you, check out the story here, which relies on scores of interviews and…
Local Healthcare Company Focus of WaPo Story
In case you missed it, The Washington Post recently put a spotlight on local palliative care company ResolutionCare. The Post’s story, which published Dec. 15, uses the story of Hoopa brothers-in-law Gordon Surber and Mark Hailey — both of whom have been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease — to explore the impact of palliative…
HumBug: Millipede by the Millimeter
I didn’t intend to spend all night working on a single photograph but a Eurasian millipede (Ophyiulus pilosus) trapped in a measuring cup was an opportunity to try some equipment in a new way. Instead of using the computer-controlled StackRail to move the focus point, I set it up to travel along the critter, acquiring…
A Hostage For 5 Years, Former HSU Professor Alann Steen Dies
Alann Steen, a former Humboldt State University journalism professor who was catapulted into the international spotlight when he was held hostage in Beirut for nearly five years, has died. He was 79. Steen, who also earned double master’s degrees at HSU after a six-year stint in the U.S. Marines Corps, which included being briefly deployed…
Major Leak Causing Water Woes in Miranda
Miranda residents are being asked to conserve water this morning due to a leak impacted the system. Some re sidents are without water. “Miranda Community Water District is fixing a major leak south of town,” said Kathy Eldridge, Water District board member. “It is a 6-inch main line that broke. … The town needs to…
UPDATE: 1 Arrested, 1 Sought After SWAT Standoff South of Laytonville
UPDATE: One man was arrested while a second suspect is still on the loose after the stand-off with the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office last night. PREVIOUSLY: U.S. Highway 101 was shut down in both directions tonight as law enforcement responded to a suspect vehicle that may have been involved in a home invasion near Island…
Dungeness Crab Season Shelved Again
Those waiting with bated breath for some locally caught crab have some more waiting to do, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced this afternoon. The already delayed opening of the commercial Dungeness crab season has been pushed back to Jan. 15 after quality tests scheduled to take place this week had to be…
Christmas ‘Crackers
Pass the bowl. There are a few more nuts to crack before the December dance season concludes, friends. And what would the holidays be without lords a-leaping and ladies dancing in beautiful, bright costumes? Catch Clara and all the swirling, twirling treats and toys in The Sundance Ballet Company’s Nutcracker taking place Saturday, Dec. 22…
Elf at ATL
The Elf’s not on the shelf right now but on the screen, when the syrupy sweet Christmas comedy Elf (2003) arrives for one night only (much like Santa) on Sunday, Dec. 23 at 6 p.m. at Arcata Theatre Lounge ($5). Watch Will Ferrell as Buddy, a human raised at the North Pole by Santa and…
Music Tonight: Friday, Dec. 21
Ledward “Led” Kaapana is a black sands, big island, Native Hawaiian player of the kika ki ho ‘alu, the majestic Hawaiian slack key guitar. Along with his frequent California collaborator Fran Guidry, he will be appearing tonight at The Old Steeple at 7:30 p.m. I consider this type of Hawaiian music to be one of…
Falk Booksigning
Curious about the town whose remnants linger (and mayyybe are haunted) in the Headwaters Forest Reserve? Local author Julie Clark will be at Booklegger to sign copies of her new book Falk: Company Lumber Town of the American West. Book on Friday, Dec. 21 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. (free). Clark is also the ranger…
Humboldt Ice Rink Returns
If you haven’t been to the Humboldt Ice Rink, now’s the perfect time. It will be open in its new location in Belotti Hall at Humboldt County Fairgrounds through Jan. 9, when it closes up for the season. For just $12 for adults and $8 for kids, you can have all the fun and follies…
Music Tonight: Thursday, Dec. 20
The Jam has a nice line-up of fun and original old-timey bands tonight at 9 p.m. ($5). Belles of the Levee play a mix of pre-World War II jazz tunes written for low-lit parlors, celestial dance halls and granges alike, while Dead Bird Son is a bluegrass hybrid band that walks on gilded splinters down…
Liberation through Cultivation
As the cultivation of cannabis transitions from illegal backwoods growing to a multi-million-dollar industry, some wonder: 1. Can we slow, if not stop, the inevitable corporate takeover of weed? 2. Can cannabis be cultivated in a way that is beneficial both for the earth and for the people who have historically produced it? According to…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Consumer Reports says that between 1975 and 2008, the average number of products for sale in a supermarket rose from about 9,000 to nearly 47,000. The glut is holding steady. Years ago you selected from among three or four brands of soup and shampoo. Nowadays you may be faced with twenty…
Sticking to the Story
The Mule Reviews THE MULE. Because he works so much — with no indication of flagging now — Clint Eastwood’s name comes up a lot in this column. I’ll spare everyone the dull recitation of his recent resume and simply say I’ve found his directorial output of the last decade equally confounding and revelatory. There…
Eight Tree Myths
I recently — and rashly — accepted an invitation to co-teach a class on trees, bowing to the old saw about learning by teaching. Fortunately, my co-teachers kept me honest and I was able to capitalize on my ignorance. Turned out some of my “facts” weren’t. Like the following: Wood from “hardwood” trees is always…
A Burning Question
Editor, I am always glad to read Barry Evans’ columns — as much for his writing skill as for his insight and subject matter. I was amused by a moment in his last offering (“Physics’ Beautiful Crisis,” Dec. 6). It concerned one of science’s “biggest questions:” How can we explain ‘fine tuning,’ whereby if the…
Not My Wall
Editor: The debate Tuesday between Trump, Pelosi and Schumer shows why election by majority vote rather than electoral college is so important. Trump continually tries to defend his positions by saying, “It’s what the American people want,” but no, it’s demonstrably not what the American people want, for most of the American people didn’t even…
The Kids Are Alright
Editor: The article in the Dec. 13, 2018, edition, “The Housing Games,” is another excellent example of real news and it is so important to see real journalism being given to us by journalism students such as the Humboldt State University Investigative Reporting students. It is extremely important that real news continues and especially important…
Egrets in a Pasture
gray on gray in morning white on green at noon glowing coral in the gloaming gone by night so many egrets in the pasture now as winter nears feeding together still slow steps sudden spear staving hunger indifferent in their scattered flock swallowing frogs and gophers or picking maggots from the dung looking…
Confusion Reigns as Supes Punt Zoning Changes into New Year
Shortly after the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors convenes in the New Year, it will face a massive and controversial package of zoning changes that will bring new land use designations to almost 500,000 acres throughout the county, after board discussions on the matter stalled Dec. 11. That meeting saw more than 50 members of…
Cannabis Pageantry
It’s been dubbed the Academy Awards of Cannabis, only instead of a red carpet there was a leaf blower modified to blow pot smoke in attendees’ faces. Yes, with much fanfare, the first post-recreational legalization Emerald Cup took place last weekend at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds and Humboldt County represented. Hard. But to read reporting…
Homeless for Christmas
The daily trudging around town, trying to scrounge up the money to get what I need for the day, generally begins when I leave the Mission around 7 a.m., no matter the weather. Around here it can change in an instant and you’re suddenly and completely soaked to the skin, the wind whipping cruelly through…
Around the World, One Pot at a Time
Half the population of Humboldt has worked at Ramone’s Bakery and Cafe at some point in their life, myself included. I worked as line cook, caterer and the occasional cookie decorator during holiday seasons. The schedule was flexible and co-workers were family; they could be annoying and have issues but you loved them nonetheless. And…
Christmases Merry, White and Blue
That juggernaut called the holidays has arrived and so, whether we like it or not, most of the bounty of our evening’s public pleasures have been displaced in its rampaging wake. Many of you are out of town and/or neck-deep in some family indulgence, which might seem somewhere between a chore and a court order.…
