Cover Story
Lao New Year
Just after 9 in the morning on April 21 in the Humboldt Grange parking lot, a handful of people are unloading covered foil trays from cars as a low droning of voices drifts from the sound system inside. While the food is spirited to the kitchen, one of a trio of Buddhist monks on stage,…
Crab Sandwich with a View
When the day opens up with blue skies, warm breezes and sunshine on the calm waters of Humboldt Bay, nothing could be better than heading out to King Salmon, where kayakers are paddling in the waves, and making a hard turn into the parking lot of Gill’s By the Bay (77 Halibut Ave.). There you…
SoHum Pot Raid: $3 Million Seized, 8.5K Plants Destroyed
A joint operation by the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife at four Southern Humboldt locations last week resulted in the eradication of nearly 8,500 plants, the destruction of about 1,500 pounds of processed pot and the seizure of more than $3 million in cash. According to a news…
Police: Slain Fortuna Woman Was Intervening in Kidnapping
A Fortuna woman who was killed Sunday was shot while trying to stop Ronald Allen Crossland, a convicted felon with a long criminal history that included domestic violence, from kidnapping another woman, police said today. According to a brief follow-up statement from the Eureka Police Department, Sharral “Sherry” McDonald had “no prior association” with Crossland…
Live Art on E Street
Artist Jonathan DeSoto has his headphones on, so don’t feel like you have to honk in support. He’s under a pop-up tent against the morning mist, painting the first of two utility boxes on E Street in Eureka as part of the Eureka Box Art! program, beautifying grim utility boxes with public art sponsored by…
Music Tonight: Wednesday, May 9
Local guitar slinger and all-around ace Piet Dalmolen plays a free solo set at The Mad River Brewery’s tasting room at 6 p.m. Do you enjoy drinking something refreshing whilst listening to a local master work the six-string magic better than almost anyone else here or abroad? Then fill in the blanks and park yourself…
UPDATE: Health Officials: New HIV Cases Cause of Concern
UPDATE: County health officials released additional information today about a spike in new locally acquired HIV cases that appear to be related. Of the eight people diagnosed so far this year, five are believed to be linked. The public health investigation is ongoing and that number is expected to change. Another 13 cases that came to…
Supes Pass Cannabis Ordinance 2.0
After hours of discussion, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted this afternoon to pass its new commercial cannabis land use ordinance. The ordinance got four “yes” votes but Third District Supervisor Mike Wilson didn’t support it, though it’s unclear if he voted against it or abstained. (It seemed like he said he abstained from…
Suspect Eureka Shooter Had Extensive Criminal Record
The man suspected of fatally shooting a woman in Eureka on May 6 before turning the gun on himself hours later in a Fortuna trailer park had an extensive criminal record that included several stints in prison, according to state corrections officials and local law enforcement. Ronald Allen Crossland, 52, is believed to have shot…
Music Tonight: Tuesday, May 8
It’s another Dancehall Night at The Jam at 10 p.m., where $5 will get you in the door for all of the groovy offbeat guitars and one drop rhythms your body desires. Sources suggest there will be melodic basslines as well.
Coroner’s Office Hopes This T-Shirt Will Lead to Man’s ID
The Humboldt County Coroner’s Office is looking for information about a T-shirt in the hopes that it will lead to the identification of a man whose body was found on Centerville Beach in late February. The black shirt had white lettering that read: “HumboldtANARCHO, STATE FREE- HATE FREE – FIGHT BIGOTRY.” The man’s severely decomposed…
UPDATE: EPD IDs Victim of Sunday’s Fatal Shooting
UPDATE: The Eureka Police Department has identified the victim of Sunday’s fatal shooting as Fortuna resident Sharral Lynne McDonald. She was 60. According to the press release, the suspected shooter Ronald Allen Crossland, 52, who was later found dead in Fortuna of what police are describing as an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, knew McDonald, but…
Music Tonight: Monday, May 7
The Miniplex hosts an aural circus of esoterica and electronics tonight at 9 p.m. Lucy and Lucille, the digital side project of K Records’ Ruby Fray, blends dissonance and harmony into a looped sound that evokes a sort of smoky nostalgia which plays well to the soundtrack crowd, of which I count myself a citizen,…
Arcata Sets Meeting on McKinley’s Removal
While those in favor of putting the future of President William McKinley’s statue before voters continue to gather signatures to place the issue on the ballot, a scoping meeting — one of the first steps in the monument’s removal — is scheduled for May 17. The Arcata City Council voted 4-1 in February to take…
HumBug: A 10-year Mystery
About 10 years ago I found a round black beetle about the size of a large pea in my dog’s water bowl. I could tell right away it was a scarab. A closer inspection revealed it had an impressive horn on the tip of its nose. Although I wasn’t actively collecting, it was impressive, it…
Music Tonight: Sunday, May 6
There’s punk rock royalty rolling through our modest streets as hardcore innovators MDC hits the Outer Space tonight for a triumphant return to the 707 at 6:30 p.m. ($15, $12 advance). In tow from Saitama, Japan, will be punk/thrash crossover act FLiPOUT A.A. with local support by Unholy Orifice, Dead Drift and the inimitable SLOP.…
Music Tonight: Saturday, May 5
The Clarke Museum is putting on a Cinco de Mayo block party at 6 p.m. The free event is a child-friendly celebration of Mexican culture with refreshments for purchase and music by Angel Vargas as well as Wynsome Winds. Later on, lots of old-timey sounds flood the town of Arcata tonight. At the Sanctuary, the…
‘Diversity Day’ Coming to the Arcata Plaza
The Arcata Plaza will look a bit different for tomorrow’s farmers market. Diversity Day, the culminating event of the We Are Your Community project, will take over the plaza’s southwest corner with the aim of raising awareness about the diversity of people living on the North Coast. Erin Youngblood-Smith and Amy Mathieson, a pair of…
Cinco de Mayo Block Party
The Clarke Museum is hosting a Cinco de Mayo Block Party during May’s Arts Alive Saturday, May 5 from 6 to 9 p.m. (free). Chomp on Indian tacos, sip fresh sangria and margaritas, and bring the kids for facepainting. Live music in Clarke Plaza by Angel Vargas and by Wynsome Winds inside the museum.
Wildflower Show and Native Plant Sale
California Native Plant Society’s Wildflower Show and Native Plant Sale is in full bloom this weekend starting Friday, May 4 from 1 to 5 p.m. and continuing Saturday, May 5 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, May 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Jefferson Community Center (free). View native wildflowers at…
Oyster Festival Kick-off Party
Can’t wait for June? Warm up at the Oyster Festival Kick-off Party on Saturday, May 5 from 5 to 10 p.m. at the Arcata Veterans Hall ($25). Enjoy fresh oysters, Cypress Grove and Redwood Hill Farms cheeses, and breads from Brio Breadworks, plus margaritas, craft cocktails, beer, wine and music by Ruby & Ari Guillette,…
Music Tonight: Friday, May 4
There are many good local bands out tonight so your Friday is anything but bare this week, woven as it is with rich threads from our regional tapestry. At the Fieldbrook Market and Eatery at 7:30 p.m. you will find a free show by Jim Lahman. Roots and folk-informed trio Kingfoot plays a free one…
Brew at the Zoo (It’s a Wild, Wild Life)
Party animals, gather your flock. Brew @ the Zoo is here again on Saturday, May 5 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Sequoia Park Zoo. The popular beer-walk fundraiser returns with tastings from 20 local and regional breweries, music, food, flamingos and fun ($75 VIP, $40, $35 zoo members, $15 designated drivers). Have a brewski…
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 ADORNI CENTER 1011 Waterfront Drive. Paul Rickard, water colors; Barbara Saul, acrylic paintings; Mark Lazzarotto; oil paintings. AMERICAN INDIAN ART AND GIFT SHOP 245 F St.…
Vote Madrone!
Editor: What do political signs reveal about a candidate? Compare Steve Madrone and incumbent Ryan Sundberg running for Fifth District supervisor. Much can be learned about a candidate’s supporters by the energy and creativity going into political signs, and by their placement. Notice the wonderful hand-painted plywood signs around McKinleyville, Trinidad and Blue Lake supporting…
It’s Not Over ‘Til It’s Over
Editor: Relief over Mercer-Fraser Co.’s withdrawal of its permit for a marijuana refinery near the Mad River water wells may be premature and praise for Ryan Sundberg’s “behind-the-scenes” assistance, by himself and others (“Mercer-Fraser Co. Withdraws Controversial Glendale Site Plans,” posted online April 18), unwarranted. Mercer applied for the permit in 2015, and this Board of…
Vote Sundberg!
Editor: Operating Engineers Local #3 District 40 is fortunate to have Ryan Sundberg as our Fifth District supervisor and our political action committee has voted to endorse him in the upcoming 2018 election. Ryan recognizes the value of union jobs and works hard to support and promote them. As a member of the California Coastal Commission,…
A Teachable Moment
Editor: The dispute over the President McKinley statue has been a teaching moment. Who knew so much about him before the published letters over the removal of his statue! He was an abolitionist, said to have been a compassionate man, and fought against racial and religious bigotry. His assassination in 1901 is the reason his…
Supes Fundraising: Madrone closes gap in Fifth, Bass steamrolls in Fourth
If we judge by campaign fundraising alone, it seems the race to become Humboldt County’s next Fifth District supervisor has become a dead heat. While incumbent Ryan Sundberg finished the last reporting period with a 10-fold fundraising advantage over his challenger, Steve Madrone, the tides turned with the latest filings in the race, which show…
The Shape of Zoophilia
The Shape of Water, an Oscar-winning romance between a latter-day Creature from the Black Lagoon and a mute cleaning lady, can be summed up in a word: bestiality. The stuff of countless jokes, Puritan laws and erotic art, bestiality comes with its own morality playbook and taboos. Like prostitution (supposedly the oldest profession), bestiality was…
Fooling the Eye
As director of the ceramics program at Humboldt State University for more than 20 years, Keith Schneider has introduced multiple generations of students to techniques of shaping, throwing and firing clay. Most of his ceramic pieces involve elements that are thrown on a wheel, in addition to pieces that are molded by hand or slab-built.…
‘Dismal’
Editor: This letter is written in response to “Elections Matter” found in the April 26 NCJ Mailbox section. I particularly took note of the statement regarding the 4-1 voting block that now occupies our county board of supervisors seats. For those who do not understand who or what composes this voting block, I offer a…
Ad Infinitum
Reviews AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR. Why a superhero movie, of all things, should need to start from a screenplay of Dickensian bulk — teeming with characters and settings but lacking the wit, vitality, sense of time and place, and joy of language that made that author’s work significant and occasionally enjoyable — continues to elude me.…
‘Totally Incompatible’
Editor: Ocean West residents recently learned that Dollar General plans to build a convenience store on Murray Road and McKinleyville Avenue, across from McKinleyville High School (“So Many Questions,” April 26). Because the land is zoned Neighborhood Commercial, we were told by County Supervisor Ryan Sundberg that there is nothing the county can do to…
Let’s See the Receipts
Editor: A question for Barry Evans (“Frigate Birds,” April 19): How was it possible to discover that Frigate birds, flying for weeks without touching land or water, sleep alternatively with one half and then the other half of their brains? You also mentioned their diet of flying fish, but I have observed their spectacular talents at…
‘Sorely Missed’
Editor: Regarding your April 19 story “Exit Interview with Bill Damiano” and, also, your previous article about reformed folks (“The Graduates,” April 5). When Bill Damiano, Humboldt County chief probation officer retires, I suspect he will be sorely missed. His support and compassionate concern for probationers is the correct attitude. Second chances are necessary for…
North Coast Open Studios 2018
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Buyer Beware
Editor: “Trickle-down economics” still thrives in Humboldt County. One incumbent supervisor made the ludicrous claim that there’s a shortage in large homes needed to attract professionals. (“Supervisors Square Off,” April 26). “Professionals” from the development industry, (calling themselves “job creators”), overstocked Humboldt County’s inventory of big homes during the housing fraud and collapse of the 1980s…
Driving Change
Editor: Thank you for honoring Earth Day by reaching out to the folks who are best placed to give eco-friendly advice to the public — the hard-working staff of our local environmental agencies and nonprofits (“A Listicle to Save the World,” April 19). There’s a good reason that many of the responses you got from…
Music Tonight: Thursday, May 3
The bawdy musical comedy variety artform called burlesque has undergone many mutations over the years but the modern American format seems to be more or less a ribald song and dance striptease send-up of popular institutions. Tonight at Humbrews, the Rag Doll Revue presents Rag Doll High, a presumably blue and adult take on the…
Hay Fever Breaks Out at HSU
The Bliss family at the center of Noel Coward’s Hay Fever, now playing at Humboldt State University’s Gist Hall Theatre, is the epitome of English eccentricity and over-the-top-ness. Judith (Susan Abbey) is the matriarch, a retired stage actress and leading lady in her own drama. She is alternately jealous of and disappointed by her bratty,…
Tourism Bureau Takes ‘Separate but Equal’ Approach to Cannabis Businesses
As they sat huddled around banquet tables arranged in a U shape, tensely nibbling the remnants of a catered lunch in the conference room of Eureka’s Red Lion Hotel, the Eureka-Humboldt Visitors Bureau Board of Directors voted last week to welcome cannabis businesses into their midst and to use them to market the county to…
Trinidad Art Night
MOONSTONE CROSSING 529 Trinity St. Oil paintings by Rick Tolley. Music by The Mad River Rounders. NED SIMMON’S GALLERY 380 Janis Court (Trinidad Coastal Land Trust) Photography contest premiere, multiple local artists. SAUNDERS PARK (start of Patrick’s Point Drive) Fire Dancing by Circus of the Elements! 8:45. Music powered by Six River Solar portable power.…
Game for Indonesian Vegetable Scramble
When people learn I am a food writer, sooner or later, they ask me about writing a cookbook: Have I done it or thought about doing it or am I doing it now? Until recently, the answer has been “no” on all counts. A cookbook is a lot more than a collection of recipes and…
A Little History, a Little Dancing
On May 5, 1862, the badly outnumbered Mexican army won an unlikely victory against the invading French during the Battle of Puebla. The significance of the short-lived victory took shape in the following year as the French established themselves as rulers with the capture of Mexico City. In a rallying sign of solidarity as far…
Feeling Judgy
Editor: Lawrence Killoran is endorsed by the same lawyers who created a court system that rewards criminals and punishes the rest of us. Killoran is endorsed by the same lawyers who fought to keep our perjury judges. Killoran was nominated and is being vetted by our governor for appointment. Killoran is running simply to prevent…
Back in Time
Ring in spring with the crafty folks at Blue Ox Millworks during the May Day Artisan Festival on Saturday, May 5 and Sunday, May 6 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ($12, $8 ages 9-15, free for kids 8 and under). It’s a weekend of history, music, food and fun, harkening back to simpler times.…
