Cover Story
Humbuggery in Humboldt, Part 1
“We have been told that Eureka is the best town for fakirs on the coast and it is a ‘good thing’ as any first-class fakir will testify who has tried it.” — The Daily Standard, March 8, 1900 Though technology has evolved, human nature has not. Like today’s confidence men and women, scammers of Humboldt’s…
The Pan Piper
A few weeks ago, I wrote an intro here about a dawn chorus of birds I heard while camping. I titled that column “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn” after a famous chapter from The Wind in the Willows, in which the pagan god Pan appears as a benevolent shepherd of animals to help the…
A Dream Realized at Powers Creek Brewery
I’m sitting across a bar table from Dylan Schatz, chief cook and kettle washer at Powers Creek Brewery. He’s recounting a time he talked his way into some event at the revered and now lamented Anchor Brewing Co. He told his host about the bottling line he worked on at Mad River Brewing Co., which…
Old Town’s Festivities for the 250th
Old Town was full of July 4 revelers during Eureka Main Street’s holiday street fair on Saturday. Folks wound through vendor booths, information tables and food stalls, and tapped toes and danced to the music on spread out stages. The gazebo served as a backdrop to dancers and bagpipers alike as performances peppered the afternoon.…
Tempers Flare, Benches Clear, Crabs Prevail
After a dominating week launched the Humboldt Crabs baseball team into first place, the crustaceans welcomed the Bay Area Force into town for two non-conference games before a pivotal series with the Solano Mudcats. In game one, the Crabs, who are down a few starters, got creative again attacking the Force with an array of…
Saturnian Drone: Dragonfly at Titan
As we saw last week, Titan’s surface is a tapestry of abundant carbon-rich chemistry, a delicious target for curious Earthlings to explore. The challenges are immense, including temperatures that make Minnesotan winters look positively tropical, a 90-minute-long communication gap with Earth, sand-like dunes ready to bog down wheeled vehicles and surface sunlight one thousandth the…
Amazon’s Negative Impact by the Numbers
The impact Amazon’s proposed distribution center in McKinleyville would have is being debated in person and online. I suggest we avail ourselves of whatever knowledge we can find, with a critical eye to its sources. We learn by listening to each other, sharing resources, reading studies and also paying attention to what other communities’ experiences tell…
‘Shelter of Last Resort’
Editor: What everyone seems to have overlooked, is the fact that Miranda’s Rescue is the shelter of last resort. Shelters that cannot find homes for their dogs send them to Miranda’s. After that, where can Miranda send them? Let’s face it, who (apart from the homeless) would adopt a pit bull? I myself adopted a…
‘Prevent Suffering Before it Begins’
Editor: The gruesome revelations of dogs being shot and buried in mass graves at Miranda’s Rescue have understandably sparked outrage and heartbreak. Every one of those dogs was a life that mattered — a creature that deserved a loving home and a better future. Unfortunately, Miranda’s Rescue is not unique. Stories of rescues gone bad…
Beyond Reason
Hydrogen enlightenedAll we can possibly see, When nothing created everything. As I plod along now decipheringAll the clueless information One thing is clear: Somehow we are all a part ofSomething wonderful forever… I can live with that! — Kirk Gothier
