Cover Story
Main and Loleta
A person can stand on a corner in downtown Loleta — tiny Loleta, population not quite 800 — and never want for conversation. Even on a Tuesday. A sweltering day — fog chased off and the hot blue sky gone fuzzy orange at the edges with smoke drifting in from burning mountains. At the corner…
From the Hum: The Bills you’re happy to see
Hope you’re ready for some midweek action because The Bills play the Arcata Playhouse tonight and tomorrow. This brilliant quintet hails from the West Coast of Canada, where they’ve won multiple music awards and fans devoted to what’s described as “innovative interpretations of traditional tunes.” Think instrumental expertise, opulent vocal arrangements, boisterous live performances and…
From the Hum: Shoes and shows
If you read The Hum in print or online this week, you know it’s all about the shoes. We had to have some way to help you choose your Saturday night… Post-apocalpytic folk genius Boots caked with farm dirt? Then it’s John Craigie at the Arcata Playhouse for you. Excellent choice. Craigie has shared various…
EPA funds Klamath Restoration
The Yurok Tribe got $1.3 million from the Environmental Protection Agency this week to continue its work on wetland restoration and pollution control on a long stretch of the Klamath River. From the EPA: SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announces it has awarded a $1.3 million grant under its Performance Partnership…
Update w/ Photos: Discovery of Artillery Shuts Down Old Town
Update from Eureka Police Department Sgt. Steve Watson: On 9/17/13, at about 8:00 AM, Eureka Police Department officers were dispatched to a construction site along the waterfront between H and I Streets after construction workers reported uncovering two World War II era artillery shells. The shells were located in separate dirt piles within the construction…
Arkley vs. Bridges: Two Perspectives on How to Treat the Needy
The Bible has a lot to say about helping the needy, but we doubt that even the Holy Ghost saw this day coming. Good people of Humboldt County, we urge you to lock your doors, board up your windows and hide your canned food — because it looks like the meek got tired of waiting…
‘Let’s Have Intercourse’ – An Etymological Mystery
In this week’s cover story on the not-so-sleepy town of Loleta, Heidi Walters recalls the town’s late-19th century days as a railroad depot known as Swauger’s Station. “The townspeople,” reports Walters, “changed the name in 1897 to Loleta — a Wiyot term, lo-le-tah, meaning “pleasant place at the end of the water.” Ah, how sweet and…
Update: Eureka Manager Bill Panos Submits Resignation
Update: Panos issued a addressing his resignation, writing in it, “I have enjoyed working with the Council and senior leadership team. The City of Eureka has embarked on a new strategy with a reenergized organization.” Previously: Bill Panos — who was hired as Eureka’s city manager last November — has submitted a letter of resignation,…
Pie in the Sky
Sure, Walk the Line was nominated for five Oscars, but wouldn’t it be even better with pie? Ever hear Johnny Cash’s “Pie in the Sky?” A nice, big piece of pie (with black coffee) is the perfect accompaniment to the music of the Man in Black. Get it one piece at a time at the…
Coastal Commission Gives Conditional Go-Ahead to Caltrans’ 101 Corridor Project
Going against its own staff’s recommendation, the California Coastal Commission this evening voted 9-1 to give a conditional federal consistency determination (translation: a go-ahead) to Caltrans’ proposed project for the 101 corridor between Arcata and Eureka. And that’s not all: The “conditional” part of the approval means that Caltrans will have to address a number…
Old School Art
If you’re looking for some art but can’t wait for Arts! Arcata tomorrow night, you could head over to Humboldt State University for the opening of “HSU Art Department: Then.” The exhibit, over in the Reese Bullen Gallery, features work from faculty who go back all the way to 1914 and taught up to 1966.…
Sympathy for the Leakers
Hey, look! Greg King, longtime environmental activist and current executive director of the Siskiyou Land Conservancy, has a letter in the Mailbox section of this week’s New Yorker magazine. In the letter, King comments on Steve Coll’s article about the persecution of New York Times journalist James Risen, Edward Snowden and Julian Assange. Read the…
A Moveable Feast
Tragically, the lure of delicately battered fish and chips might keep one from trying the mashed potato cone ($5) at the Lighthouse Grill. There you are at the edge of the sea, salt air, outdoor seating — can you really order a land-locked menu item? Yes. Yes, you can. This is not some state fair…
Two Crossbows Found Near Murder Site
Sheriff’s Office investigators found two crossbows near the site of the Sept. 8 attack on the Samoa peninsula, which left one man dead and another injured. Phoenix Triton King, whose 21st birthday is today, was arrested for the crime on Monday, along with an unidentified 16-year-old girl. Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:…
Revived
Editor: This past weekend was a marvelous display of community, friendship, music, talent, hard work, dedication and the tireless efforts of Jackie Dandeneau and David Ferney, who created the Arcata Playhouse and have expanded all that is good for the community to give us the Creamery District Arts Festival (“Reviving a Neighborhood,” Aug. 15). The…
Keep Co-op Cheap
Editor: Several letters have addressed the North Coast Co-op labor grievances but we should not forget that the Co-op was founded by shoppers, not investors, and its first priority is to serve the needs of consumers (“Co-op Conflict,” Aug. 1). Many consumers are attracted to this idea and want to shop Co-op but the stores…
Correction
Last week’s cover story, “Building a Better Corridor,” said Eureka had hired GHD to study trail routes. The firm was actually hired by the county and the Humboldt Coalition of Governments. And a clarification: Neither the Northcoast Environmental Center nor Humboldt Baykeeper have endorsed a specific design alternative.
Bay Trail Update No. 7
What a wild roller coaster ride this past week for those of us who support the Bay Trail, a proposed bicycle-and-pedestrian path along the bay between Arcata and Eureka. First, the Arcata City Council changed its position on the Caltrans 101 Safety Corridor Project, which comes before the California Coastal Commission in Eureka Thursday, from…
At Age 3, a Detour
My journey into parenthood has been strange and trying, but absolutely fulfilling. From infancy, my daughter, Ivy Pearl, was remarkably quiet and detached. In retrospect, this was not just good karma for my difficult pregnancy. As she grew older, she would have meltdowns if she was wet or dirty. At an age when most toddlers…
Back in the World
I write the Hum on Sundays. But hearing of the crossbow killing and subsequent manhunt in the dunes near my house, instead of writing up music haps, I locked my doors and called my neighbors. But the next day, sunshine lit up the outside world, laughter emanated over fences and the day progressed with all…
Can It, You!
There’s no way to sugarcoat this: Canning can be a long, hot and occasionally frustrating process, especially if you’re new at it. But is it worth it? I don’t know, how do you feel about having a rainbow of local fruits and vegetables all arrayed in vintage glass jars lining your shelves, fruits and vegetables…
Antique Light
He’s been obsessing over it for half an hour. Standing motionlessly under a lightproof shroud, Vaughn Hutchins peers through his wooden, 100-year-old Empire State No. 1 view camera, tinkering with tiny changes and contemplating every compositional detail. The accordion folds protruding from his cloak keep the lens at just the right distance from the antique…
Second Friday Arts! Arcata
Arts! Arcata is Arcata Main Street’s monthly celebration of visual and performing arts, held at more than 30 participating locations in Arcata. Visit www.artsarcata.com for even more information about the event or call (707) 822-4500. ARCATA ARTISANS COOPERATIVE 883 H St. Vaughn Hutchins, photographs; Joyce Jonte, paintings; Loryn White, ceramics. Wine sales to benefit the…
Drive, She Said
In writing specific plays, contemporary American playwright Steven Deitz has been inspired by Chekhov, Ibsen, P.G. Wodehouse and Arthur Conan Doyle. For his 2008 play Becky’s New Car, now on stage at Redwood Curtain in Eureka, he appears to have been inspired by Oprah. Or is it a coincidence that one character gives away lots…
Honeydew’s Hangout
For decades Honeydew has been a one-stop town: one stop sign, one school and one store. At the height of the logging boom in the 1950s there was a community center, a church and a service station, but for as long as many locals can remember, the only site for congregation has been Honeydew’s general…
Happiness? Forget it
Happiness is as elusive as ever, even in this republic, one of whose foundation documents prioritizes our right to pursue happiness. While our standard of living (along with the average size of our homes) has doubled since the 1950s, the number of us claiming to be “very happy” in polls like the Harris Happiness Index…
Humboldt Growers’ Bad Reputation
On last week’s episode of “Cannabis Consciousness,” a monthly marijuana program on KMUD, guest host Kevin Jodrey posed a heartfelt and faintly anguished question: How can Humboldt County’s more conscientious marijuana cultivators — the innovators, the old-timers and the small-timers, people who care about the environment and their community — how can these folks get…
Spectacular
THE SPECTACULAR NOW. This film brought me closer to a public emotional outburst than any movie I have ever seen. I tend not to get too misty-eyed in public, but director James Ponsoldt’s heartbreaking, careful meditation on love, loss and adolescent identity hits all the right notes. Sutter Keely (Miles Teller), a supremely easygoing high…
Scandalous Sonnet-gate
Everywhere you go, it’s Peyton Place, Blushing maids poise their fans as screens Over crimson cheeks, hot from the chase Of stolen moments; bawdy scenes That yet hold no candle to the State The Union’s in — the mayor’s wearing shades And slipping out the back door for a date Or some dictation — motorcades…
Corridor Concerns
Editor: Your article on the 101 safety corridor improvement project (“Building a Better Corridor,” Sept. 5) was very informative. Thank you. I’m writing on behalf of myself and five other Manila and Bayside residents. Many of us are concerned about the impact this project may have on our community. Presently there are drivers who use…
Hunting Season
The Kinetic Paranormal Society could get a Kickstarter fund going for their entry in the 2014 Kinetic Grand Championship, or they could do the far more Kinetic-esque thing and raise cash with a big, crazy scavenger hunt all over the county. Yeah, they’re doing the second thing. Prepare yourself for BOGGLEBANG. From Sept. 14-22, teams…
Saddle Up
Editor: Finally Arcata welcomes back the greenest vehicle ever known to man (“Blog Jammin’,” Sept. 5). Something that does not need to be manufactured in a foreign country, run on batteries or gas or tossed in the landfill. Now we are just going to need a designated horse lane. Get those stinky cars off the…
Call of the Mild: Learning to Hunt My Own Dinner
In the first few pages of Lily Raff McCaulou’s memoir, Call of the Mild: Learning to Hunt my Own Dinner, she quotes the opening line from the cover letter she sent to prospective employers in Oregon, Idaho, and Montana while living in New York City: “I’m not just a city slicker looking for a Western…
Gimme Shelter
Editor: Bravo to Mr. Steve Parr. He wrote the letter that I wanted to (“Mailbox,” Sept. 5). The more I learn about this story the more I feel the system abandoned the man that had to make the desperate decision to leave his brother’s dogs when he moved back east. Humboldt Animal Shelter needs to…
Feel the Rainbow!
Ditch your gloomy black threads, people, and throw on some color for the glitter-bomb that is the 21st Humboldt Pride Parade & Festival. It’s been a big year, what with Prop 8 and DoMA taking a dirt nap, and organizers are giving a shout-out to family, friends and supporters with this year’s theme: “The Year…
