Fire Alarm
Facing increased calls, soaring expenses and few volunteers, local fire departments are in trouble By Thadeus Greenson
Cover Story
Fire Alarm
It’s a sunny Monday morning and Humboldt Bay Fire Chief Sean Robertson and Fire Capt. Brandon Harlander are sitting in a nondescript conference room at the department’s main station on C Street, talking to the Journal as a part of a media outreach campaign to spread the word about what they’re describing as a “staffing…
Joe (Joseph) Frank Lewis: 1950 – 2024
Joe (Joseph) Frank Lewis, 73, passed away and went home to be with the Lord on June 8. He was born in Arcata, California, to Joe Lewis, Jr. and Mary (Schuler) Lewis. The family moved to Ferndale in 1954. He attended Assumption Catholic School, then Ferndale Union High School, graduating in 1969. He was drafted…
Resilient Crabs Rally Behind Three Walk-off Wins
Sunday’s game was bigger than the others. A win in this contest would signal the first conference series win of the new era of Crabs baseball, while a loss would mean far more. Despite palpable tension, coach John Bryant sat calmly reading his book, the fifth in a 13-volume series, pregame outside of the dugout.…
Music Tonight: Tuesday, July 2
It’s Taco Tuesday again at Richards’ Goat and the connected Miniplex venue is putting on a NOTAFLOF show headlined by Eugene-to-San Francisco queer honky tonk band Country Risqué, whose tunes sound like the late Gram Parsons MC-ing a drag show set in the world of Robert Altman’s Nashville. Also on board with these Grievous Angels…
Eureka Man Killed in SoHum Crash
A 34-year-old Eureka resident was killed Saturday evening in a motorcycle crash on Redwood Drive north of Redway, according to a California Highway Patrol news release. The CHP release states Raul Villalobos was not wearing a helmet at the time of the 10:35 p.m. crash which a preliminary investigation indicates occurred while the rider was…
Music Tonight: Saturday, June 29
Summer means festival season and although I’ve been a little lax about reporting on all of the grouped-up goings on around here, I can’t miss reporting on this metalworks happening at the Mateel today. The Nor-Cal Headbanger’s Ball will feature 13 bands from the Bay Area and above. Rather than list the entire lineup, I’ll…
Supreme Court Gives Cities in California and Beyond More Power to Crack Down on Homeless Camps
The U.S. Supreme Court today granted cities more power to arrest, cite and fine people who sleep outside in public places — overturning six years of legal protections for homeless residents in California and other western states. In Grants Pass v. Johnson, the court sided with Grants Pass in a 6-3 decision — ruling an…
Court Rejects Zoellner Appeal
The United States’ Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court ruling finding Arcata police had probable cause to arrest Kyle Zoellner on suspicion of murdering David Josiah Lawson, rejecting Zoellner’s claim for damages against the city. The unanimous ruling filed Tuesday rejects all five of Zoellner’s legal arguments, upholding the October 2022…
Music Tonight: Friday, June 28
I’ll toss out three all-ages gigs from McKinleyville to Eureka (in order of time) and you can decide which ones warrant further examinations. At 5 p.m. at Six Rivers Brewery, Oryan Peterson-Jones plays a free set of his world-traveling inspired guitar picking. Two hours later at 7 p.m. at the Outer Space, you will find…
Music Tonight: Thursday, June 27
Longtime Logger Bar regular Kaptain Kirk is providing the musical entertainment at that fine establishment tonight at 8 p.m. I think I’ve walked in on a past performance or two, but my mind isn’t what it used to be, so the only notes I have are free-associative: “cosmic,” “trippy fun” and, most importantly, “free,” in…
Journal Welcomes California Local News Fellows
We are excited to announce the North Coast Journal was recently selected to be a host newsroom for the 2024 California Local News Fellowship, a state-funded initiative to invigorate local journalism, with a focus on underserved communities. In September, we will welcome recent California State University at Los Angeles graduate Anne To, who also served…
‘An Existential Threat’
Editor: Trump is an existential threat to life on earth (Mailbox, June 6). As I write today, on Summer Solstice, 2024, there is a severe heat wave in much of the U.S. A tropical storm has dropped 10 inches of rain on part of Texas, while much of California is baking, dry as a tinderbox and devastated by…
Change of Plea Hearing Set in Fair Embezzlement Case
U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer has scheduled a change of plea hearing for the Humboldt County Fair Association’s former bookkeeper, signaling she may be nearing a plea agreement to resolve the wire fraud charges facing her. Nina Tafarella, who was indicted by a federal grand jury on Oct. 11 and faces five counts of…
Zero the Hero
As far as humiliation rituals go, another debate between two of the oldest and worst men to ever run for president (with four more years of decrepitude stacked on since their previous showdown) seems like something beneath the dignity of most people I know. When Alexis de Tocqueville gave his speech on socialism — he…
‘The Absolute Joy’
Editor: I am so happy the North Coast Journal publishes local poems and this week I was stunned by Garrett Snedaker’s poem “Graduation” (June 20). I loved the wording, the flow and the absolute joy of reading from beginning to end. Dave Rosso, Eureka Related Stories
Salt River Poem
Turkey buzzard guards this delta from fence post perch to where Salt River runs to meet Eel & both snake as one to sea. Who salted that river with her tears? & why did she weep as her gaze turned to where it ran to join the mouth calling itself home singing itself to the…
Ted Hsu: From Science Geek to Tarot Artist
Ted Hsu is not your typical occult artist. While he has dabbled in art his entire life, when it came to choosing a career, he took on a “real” profession: neuroscience. As happens in life, though, we don’t always stay on the path we set out on. The study of tarot can teach us a…
Trinidad Art Night
This town-wide walk includes a variety of live music, artist receptions, face painting, skate ramps, pop-up sales, oyster, cider or wine tastings. Presented by Forbes & Associates: Sarah Corliss, produced by Westhaven Center for the Arts. For more info, call (707) 834-2479 or visit trinidadartnight.com. THE LIGHTHOUSE GRILL 355 Main St. Jeff Stanley, acrylic paintings.…
My Juneteenth Revelation of Embracing Culture in Humboldt
My great-great-granny Momma Martha, my great-granny Madea and my granny Jonnie saw the remnants of slavery, the peak of Jim Crow, witnessed MLK Jr. speak and experienced so many other pivotal Black moments that I’ve only read about in books. Growing up in East Texas, everything granny Jonnie did felt like Black History Month, her…
The Riches of The Poor of New York
Our lives through these past pandemic years have been a little melodramatic — as well as lonely and heart-wrenching at times. It’s also been a disappointing five years since the last Dell’Arte International summer show within the now renamed Baduwa’t Festival in Blue Lake. Performed in a welcome return to vintage DAI comedic style, this…
