Cover Story
Masterpiece
It was an atypical meeting, with the police chief sitting across from the defendant in the chief’s office. The captain in charge of patrol sat nearby as the two, in kind, measured tones, discussed the matter at hand. Six days earlier, the chief’s officers had arrested the 57-year-old defendant — Christopher “Blaze” Boyle — shortly…
Time Travel Via Witchcraft
As its four engines rev up, the Nine O Nine, a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, blows a plume of black smoke across the tarmac at Buchanan Field Airport in Concord. During World War II, hardy B-17s — stories abound of the planes landing with blown out engines and destroyed stabilizers — were heavily deployed but this one…
Sessions Fights to Fight Legal Weed
Lost in all the reports of his testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee was news that last month U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions asked Congress to give him broad authority to crack down on medical marijuana cultivators and distributors acting in accordance with state laws. On May 1, Sessions penned a letter to congressional leaders…
Music Tonight – Wednesday, June 14
Local guitar wizard Piet Dalmolen returns to the Mad River Brewery at 6 p.m. to dazzle with his solo guitar and looping skills. I recently got to chat with Rico and Justin of Silver Hammer who mentioned that they got Piet to sit in with the band at a recent casino show, so it’s safe…
Officials Announce Lawson Reward, Face Charging ‘Conundrum’
The reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever fatally stabbed David Josiah Lawson on April 15 has swollen to $21,000, the city of Arcata recently announced. Meanwhile, Arcata Police Chief Tom Chapman said the investigation remains ongoing some five weeks after Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Dale Reinholtsen dismissed a murder…
Music Tonight – Tuesday, June 13
Mad River Brewery employee band The Dusters (sans Crop, I’m told) will be playing covers and instrumentals at — you guessed it — the Mad River Brewery Tap Room at 6 p.m. this evening, and for free. Humboldt Brews welcomes Hawaii-based reggae musician Mike Love at 9:30 p.m. Beginning as a classical pianist as a…
Judge Marilyn Miles to Retire in July
The Humboldt County Superior Court announced today that Judge Marilyn Miles will be stepping down July 31. That will once again leave local courtrooms short on staffing just a few weeks after newly appointed Judge Greg Elvine-Kreis, who officially starts June 19, takes over the seat vacated by Bruce Watson following his retirement in January…
Music Tonight – Monday, June 12
Although not exactly a live music show in the normal sense in the context of this column, I can’t help but spread the word about Humboldt Brews tonight screening a live performance of Pink Floyd live at the KQED studios in San Francisco back in 1970. I remember buying a VHS copy of this performance…
Music Tonight – Saturday, June 10
Although I live in Blue Lake, I hadn’t heard much of the “Blue Lake 2017 Summer Kickoff Event” happening at Perigot Park this afternoon. However, I’m happy to hear that local father/son x2 rock band Doug Fir & the 2x4s will be playing at 1 p.m. I believe it’s a free gig, and one that…
HSU Axes Pepsi Contract
Humboldt State University President Lisa Rossbacher has decided to sever the school’s ties with PepsiCo after some students came forward opposing its ongoing 40-year relationship with the multi-billion-dollar company. Under the contract, PepsiCo gave HSU about $58,000 in sponsorship funds for athletic scholarships and scoreboard maintenance in exchange for “pouring rights” guaranteeing Pepsi 80 percent…
Art & Wine in the Park
Keep the good times flowing at Rotary Club of Fortuna’s Art & Wine in the Park on Sunday, June 11 from noon to 4 p.m. at Rohner Park (free admission, $25, $20 advance for tasting glasses). Sample local and regional wine from more than 20 wineries, browse the arts and crafts market, listen to tunes…
You’re the Puppet
If you’re a fantasy nerd, you may have heard about the 10-episode The Dark Crystal prequel coming to Netflix. No? It’s happening. To tide us over until its release date (no word yet, but production starts sometime this fall), or if you haven’t seen Jim Henson’s 1982 classic children’s fantasy film, your chance — like…
Redwood Coast Up in Smoke BBQ Competition
Where there’s smoke … there’s somethin’ tasty on the grill. Follow your nose to Blue Lake Casino for the Redwood Coast Up in Smoke BBQ Competition this Saturday, June 10 from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ($35, $25 ages 13-17, $10 ages 6-12, free for kids 5 and under). Taste samples from local breweries and…
Music Tonight – Friday, June 9
Arts! Arcata is in full swing tonight and perhaps before you make it down to the plaza, you can catch some swingin’ tunes courtesy of Lizzy and the Moonbeams at the Mad River Brewery at 6 p.m. Then perhaps you can hit up Arcata to check out the local art up and the various talented…
Roller Derby 10-year Anniversary Bout
Aw, Humboldt Roller Derby is turning 10! Celebrate with the teams at the Roller Derby 10-year Anniversary Bout on Saturday, June 10 at 6 p.m. at Redwood Acres Fairgrounds ($15, $12 advance, free for kids 10 and under). After the double-header, say thanks for a decade of fun by buying ’em a drink at the…
Fatal Collision on SR 36 is 15th of 2017
The death of Wende Dolores Carroll, a 58-year-old Bridgeville resident, marks the county’s 15th traffic fatality of the year. Carroll was driving westbound on State Route 36 at 10:58 a.m. yesterday when her pickup crossed into the eastbound lane and she overcorrected, leaving the road and colliding with a redwood tree. The California Highway Patrol…
Music Tonight – Thursday, June 8
Electric-acoustic “mayhem” are on the bill this evening at the Mad River Brewery Tap room in Blue Lake at 6 p.m. Returning to the outdoor stage is Kaptain Kirk’s Kosmic Koncoction, which will be jamming the eclectic tunes free of charge. Three hours later, David Dondero — whom NPR hailed as one of “the best…
Planes, Trucks and Stock Cars
Got a preferred mode of transport? Are you a wing man/woman or a gear head? Whatever floats your boat, you’ve got opportunities this week to see some pretty fly planes, tricked-out trucks and super stocks. Things get a little over the top when the TRAXXAS Monster Truck Destruction Tour bounces into Ferndale for shows on…
Enemy of the People
Editor: Another day, another story. Soon we’ll find the story not credible/fake news/no source/or just never happened. For well over a year, we’ve heard about the Russian “collusion” with the Trump administration. The FBI, the CIA, the NSA, even Sen. Feinstein, all stated there is nothing to the Russia/Trump “collusion” story: no evidence, no wrong…
‘Futile’
Editor: Recently I and others attended an open meeting of the Humboldt Human Rights Commission to discuss the ongoing great need to secure safe (open) shelter and permanent and appropriate low-cost housing for all the homeless citizens wishing it (“Swept,” June 1). I came prepared, not to argue the problem, but to bring forth common…
Neighbors Successfully Sue the Squireses
Residents along a stretch of G Street say they had one main goal in mind when they grouped together to take Eureka’s most notorious landlords to court: They wanted their neighborhood back. Conditions at two buildings owned by Floyd and Betty Squires on the street had continued to deteriorate, becoming magnets for drug activity and…
Home-court Advantage
Get your shovel ready — the days of buried cannabis cash may soon come to an end. Congress is set to consider a bipartisan amendment that would allow federally regulated banks to do business with marijuana companies without fear of regulators cracking down. The amendment, authored by Florida Republican Matt Gaetz and Democrat Darren Soto,…
Medical Community Needs to Engage on Cannabis Regulation
The California Bureau of Marijuana Control recently held in Eureka the first of four state-wide hearings scheduled to receive local and regional input on draft regulations for medical marijuana it issued at the end of April. The 45-day comment period ends June 13. Following the enactment of the Medical Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act in…
Hum Plate Roundup
Mussel Bound Put away your clam diggers — domoic acid has put the local clam digging party on hold and mid-calf pants are hard to pull off anyway. But this is not to say shellfish is off the table. In fact, let’s take a moment to appreciate the other mollusks that are so often overshadowed…
Sculpture Garden Variety
Viewing Subjective Realities at the Sanctuary Arcata feels like passing through a wind tunnel time machine. All major 20th-century sculptural tropes come at you at once, revenants with their wires crossed and their channels remixed. Erin Flyer’s neo-primitivist wood relief recalls the shapes Gauguin carved above his hut in the Marquesas; it sits across from…
HumBug: Dragon Hunting
On a recent stroll along my favorite section of the Van Duzen River, I saw about a dozen dragonflies of at least five species. I was able to get close enough to get photos of three individuals. Two of those were species I’d never seen before, the spot winged glider and the grappletail. The latter…
Arts! Arcata
Arts! Arcata is Arcata Main Street’s monthly celebration of visual and performing arts, held at locations in Arcata. Visit www.facebook.com/artsarcata for more information or call 822-4500. ARCATA ARTISANS 883 H St. “Sgt. Pepper & Friends,” Elaine Benjamin and Betsy Roberts, works in paper, pyrography, mixed media, lighting and metals. ARCATA EXCHANGE 813 H St. Barbara…
Who Run the World?
Reviews WONDER WOMAN. As much as we shouldn’t have to be talking about gender or gender inequality anymore, recent events support the notion that we do. Plodding progress continues to be made but the threat of a systemic course reversal looms. As we plunge blindly into the middle of the 21st century, humanity ought to…
Kicking Off Summer
Thursday Electric-acoustic “mayhem” are on the bill this evening at the Mad River Brewery Tap room in Blue Lake at 6 p.m. Returning to the outdoor stage is Kaptain Kirk’s Kosmic Koncoction, which will be jamming the eclectic tunes free of charge. Three hours later, David Dondero — whom NPR hailed as one of “the…
Old Books
My Shakespeare has no spine — O, ’twas a brave old book, but too many times hefted, crack’d open, it tore away, nor is it back today. My Iliad has no face — but lies uncovered, like the rubble of the ancient city, to the elements, to time and rampaging Greeks. My Bukowski butt-ends, backless, like a…
