Cover Story
Flash Fiction 2018
Got time for a tale? Just a quickie? Sure you do, especially if it’s only 99 words. This year contributors spun miniature yarns rife with family drama, internal battles, faith, space travel and, as always, murder. (Why so murder-y, Humboldt?) All that wrapped up in tight nuggets of text you could cover with one hand,…
SoHum Wildlife Photographer Discovers Body in Eel River
Wildlife photographer and County Line Wild blogger, Talia Rose, discovered a body this morning about 9 a.m. as she was out searching for images of wild creatures to capture. Talia Rose, who does freelance work for Redheaded Blackbelt, was near the bridge over the Eel River on State Route 271 when she spotted large wild…
Several Crashes Across the Eureka Area Today
There have been at least three car crashes in the Eureka area in the last hour. Two vehicles collided at the intersection of Buhne and J Streets about 12:19 p.m., according to the scanner. An ambulance was responding. There is one way controlled traffic on Buhne. J Street is closed to through traffic. Meanwhile, two…
Final County Elections Results: Tax Passes in Rio Dell
Perhaps national elections expert David Wasserman spoke too soon about Humboldt, or maybe he just rattled some cages. (See previous post here.) The Humboldt County Elections Office released its final post-election update at 10:51 a.m. today. While the vast majority of races remain unchanged, one notably flipped. Measure J, a renewal of Rio Dell’s 1…
Expert: Humboldt Has More Uncounted Ballots Than Any County in U.S.
Does Humboldt County have the most ballots remaining uncounted of any county in the nation? One national elections expert thinks so. David Wasserman, the house editor for The Cook Political Report and a frequent contributor to FiveThirtyEight, tweeted last night: “I think it was @DKElections that used to describe slow-vote counting election offices as “taking…
Grandmother Found Dying on Eureka Street
About 7:15 a.m. Monday, a Native American woman was found unresponsive off an alleyway near the 1700 block of Fourth Street in Eureka. Though an officer administered CPR to the woman, Debra Jealous of Him, she was later pronounced dead. Jealous of Him, who most recently lived on the streets of Eureka, had earlier lived…
Eureka Considers Moving Forward with Indian Island Transfer
The Eureka City Council is slated tonight to decide whether to move forward with transferring ownership of Indian Island back to the Wiyot Tribe. The city’s planning commission voted unanimously last month to find that the 202 acres of land the city owns on Indian Island are not required for “current or future public use”…
Arcata Police: 1 Arrested After Shooting Incident
A man in his 20s was shot in Arcata this morning following a “verbal altercation” between two groups of residents at an apartment complex on Heather Lane, according to an Arcata Police Department release. He suffered “non-life threatening” injuries and was taken to the hospital. Read earlier Journal coverage here. After police received word that…
DA: Lawson Review Will Likely Take Another 4-6 Weeks
Humboldt County District Attorney Maggie Fleming says her office will need another month to six weeks to complete its review of the David Josiah Lawson homicide investigation to determine what — if any — charges are appropriate in the case. The Arcata Police Department completed its investigation into Lawson’s April 15, 2017, stabbing death and…
Update: Badly Injured Boy Flown Out of the Area
A 4- or 5-year-old boy from the Hoopa area was taken by helicopter to an out-of-the-area hospital after receiving major injuries today in what appears to be an accident involving “some sort of firework,” according to Samantha Karges, public information specialist with the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office. “About 12:45 p.m. we received a call from Grasshopper…
Morning Lockdown at Arcata High Lifted
Arcata High School was put on precautionary lockdown this morning following an incident on nearby Heather Avenue near Foster Avenue that began around 8:10 a.m. One person received a gunshot wound to the leg, according to an initial report on the scanner. The suspect who was in a red Chevy pickup with two others was…
Eureka Man ID’d as Person Found Dead in Burning Van, Daughter Says
The body found in a burning van Nov. 24 in a pullout a few miles west of Leggett on U.S. Highway 1 has been identified as missing Eureka man, Frank Pinckney, his daughter Jasmine Barreto said today. He was 58. “They matched dental records and confirmed,” she told Redheaded Blackbelt. “I was notified Thursday.” A…
HumBug: Seasons Change, Bugs Change
Following up on last week’s post of photos of the American rubyspot (Hetaerina americana) male, I decided to try to get a better shot of the wings. Relying on the fact that this species is extremely territorial, I found him in exactly the same spot. This time I got closer and waited until he flew…
HumSport: Your Week in Sports Photos
Local photographer Jose Quezada has launched a pair of new websites, HumSport and HumLook, showcasing the work of local photographers. Photographers will be uploading galleries of photos on both sites regularly, showcasing their best images of local sports, cultural events and landscapes. High-resolution downloads of the images are also available for $5 apiece. The Journal…
Main Street Merriment
Fa-la-la-la-la-low your heart to Ferndale this weekend. The quaint Victorian Village dresses up in its holiday best and turns up the small-town charm during Ferndale Hospitality Night, Friday, Nov. 30 from 5 to 9 p.m. Stroll the streets, making your way in and out of the shops as merchants serve up free hot cocoa, cookies…
The Pipes are Blowing
Tubas and bodhrans, Tchaikovsky and strings — these are a few of our favorite things. North Coasters, we’re in for a treat with several seasonal serenades to get us in the spirit. Do you hear what I hear? Eureka Symphony’s holiday concert heralds the yuletide offerings with The Trumpet Shall Sound Friday, Nov. 30 and…
Humboldt Artisans Craft and Music Festival
No holiday season is complete without a trip to the Humboldt Artisans Craft and Music Festival Friday, Nov. 30 through Sunday, Dec. 2 at Redwood Acres Fairgrounds ($3 all weekend, free w/a toy donation). Browse more than 100 booths of handmade gifts by North Coast artisans and craftspeople. Enjoy live music and entertainment each day,…
North Coast Night Lights: Milky Way over South Fork Eel River — Painting with Light
The word “photography” literally means “light painting” and there is something about taking that idea and actually adding my own strokes of light that appeals to me. Nighttime gives me the opportunity to make images that are illuminated in ways we don’t usually see, whether from moonlight, artificial ambient light sources or light that I…
HumLook: Birds, Sunsets and Samba
Local photographer Jose Quezada has launched a pair of new websites, HumSport and HumLook, showcasing the work of a team of local photographers. Photographers will be uploading galleries of photos on both sites regularly, showcasing their best images of local sports, cultural events and landscapes. High-resolution downloads of the images are also available for $5 apiece.…
A Victorian Christmas at the Blue Ox
Share in the fun and activities at the Blue Ox Historic Village during A Victorian Christmas, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2-9 p.m. (price TBA). See craftsman demos, enjoy tasty food and drinks, and discover just the perfect gift among quality, handcrafted wares. Bring the little ones to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Candlelight Walk in the Redwoods
Embark on a magical ranger-guided walk through towering ancient redwoods lit by 400 luminaries at the Candlelight Walk in the Redwoods, Friday, Nov. 30 at 5 p.m. at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park Visitors Center ($10, children under 12 free). The Saturday walk is sold out but, as of press time, tickets are still available…
Music Tonight: Thursday, Nov. 29
War Möth, Lord Ellis, and Blackplate open up a night of pure homegrown rock and roll tonight at The Jam at 9 p.m. ($5). Join in the heavy thumping fun, enjoy the $3 pint night, and revel in pre-record release glory of Blackplate’s finery.
The Basket and the Blade
I have reiterated tendencies, certain go-to forms,” Robert Benson said. “It’s like with any artist: You get caught up in your own style. With me, it’s the tension between angles and curves.” The trope has been evident “forever” in art made by Indigenous people of far northwestern California, as Benson, a Tsnung’we elder, observed. In…
Paradise
For Rick Park, in memoriam: a vilanelle The Earth looks on with burning eyes As into chaos, death and dark Her children break from Paradise While hungry planes transect the skies Her heedless children speed and park The Earth looks on with burning eyes As prophets mew their futile cries In empty theatres, spurned and…
Arts Alive!
Presented by Eureka Main Street. Opening receptions for artists, exhibits and performances are held the first Saturday of each month. For more information, call 442-9054 or go to www.eurekamainstreet.org 707 BAR (formerly Steve and Dave’s) First and C streets. Music by Dr. Squid. A TASTE OF BIM 613 Third St. Maggie Draper, paintings. ADORNI CENTER…
‘Thank You’
Editor: Thank you so much for placing on the cover of your Nov. 8, 2018, edition the human rights issue of “#WeWillNotBeErased.” The article was fair and very informative. It made me feel proud to be trans and to be represented in your well-thought-of literary Journal. Jesse James Doty, Eureka Related Stories
On the Wing
Damsels in fall The unseasonably warm and dry weather seems to be allowing some species of insects to linger later in the year than I’ve seen before. Among them are two damselflies. I checked my archives and this is the latest date in the year I’ve ever noted either the rubyspot or California spreadwing (Archilestes…
Narcissism Revisited
Editor: You may recall that the Narcissistic Personality Disorder derives its name from the myth of Narcissus who fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water (Mailbox, Nov. 15). But NPD is no myth. Signs and symptoms include a grandiose sense of self-importance; delusions of grandeur; need for constant praise and…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Every year the bird known as the Arctic tern experiences two summers and enjoys more daylight than any other animal. That’s because it regularly makes a long-distance journey from the Arctic to the Antarctic and back again. Let’s designate this hardy traveler as your inspirational creature for the next eleven months.…
‘The Left’s Perversion’
Editor: The Left makes everything political; divide as much as possible. But In-and-Out burgers? Much of the article (“In-N-Out in the Planning,” Oct. 13) dealt with the Christian owners and their donations to like minded people/organizations. Yeah. OK. So? I guess some in NCJ’s readership needs to know a business owner’s religion and how he…
Go Green
Editor: In the 1930s United States, facing economic crisis caused by banker speculation and labor unions under attack, our economy was saved by great Federal jobs programs — G.I. Bill, TVA and the New Deal safety net programs. We need a Green New Deal to create millions of green jobs, move our country off fossil…
Voter Turndown
Editor: The Nov. 15, 2018, NCJ article titled “Humboldt Sees Huge Turnout” contains a significant error. According to the U.S. Census’ most recent population estimates as of July 1, 2017, there were 110,771 voting-age residents in Humboldt County (probably hundreds more today that have turned 18). Therefore, the Humboldt County Registrar of Voters’ count of…
Correction
A story headlined “I Am These People” in the Nov. 15, 2018, edition of the North Coast Journal misspelled the names of Shan Davis and Elizabeth Case. The Journal regrets the errors. Related Stories
Settling Debts
Reviews WIDOWS. When an artist arrives at a mastery of his or her form, the resulting work sometimes also highlights the masterful efforts of fellow contributors. This is truer in cinema than in most other media, of course, founded as it is on necessary collaboration. Some directors would deny this, perhaps arguing that their role…
It’s a Mad, Mad World Out There
Steamships and railroads ushered in an era of mad adventuring in the 19th century, so it’s no surprise that Phileas Fogg, a gentleman of means, decides to circumnavigate the globe. The difference is that Fogg, a member of London’s progressive Reform Club, has been challenged by the club’s president to complete his journey in no…
Hum Plate Roundup
Waffling in Rio Dell Pull up to the Root 101 Nursery (770 Wildwood Ave., Rio Dell) and instead of soil you may smell waffles. Tucked in the corner of the shop is the Wildwood Waffles counter, behind which steams a trio of busy waffle irons. Puffed, crisp and moist inside, the waffles come straight off…
The New Zealand Invaders
About the last thing Northern California needs right now is another environmental crisis, especially one that affects the already beleaguered salmon population. Consequently, scientists were not happy to learn that New Zealand mudsnails, which have the unpleasant habit of taking out the algae at the bottom of the aquatic food chain, have invaded local waterways.…
Poetic
Editor: I thought this poem (“Life Coaching from an Ancient Redwood,” Nov. 15) was the finest you’ve run in a long time. Cecelia Holland, Fortuna Related Stories
Canada Comes Knocking for Cannabis
Canadian companies are starting to show a lot of interest in North Coast cannabis. On Nov. 27, Vancouver-based Chemistree Technology Inc. announced that it has entered into a “strategic partnership” with an unnamed cannabis processing company based in Arcata. In a press release, the company announced that the partnership will see Chemistree loan the processor…
Residents Only: Eureka’s First True Ward Election
When Eureka voters were preparing two years ago to vote on whether to change course on how they selected council members, they were meet with divergent views on what such a shift would mean to the city. Those opposed to the ultimately successful Measure P predicted that a “true ward” system would severely curtail who…
Animal Instincts
I am writing this in my living room on my couch with a large Italian mastiff snoring like a Sardinian sow pig behind me. She doesn’t mean any offense and, in fact, Grinza is a sweet dog, stinkiness notwithstanding. She’s better company than most people, if I am being honest. I mention her because she…
