Meltdown
What the demise of Eureka Ice tells us about our public health and safety
Cover Story
Meltdown
In January, journalism students from HSU, as part of an investigative reporting class taught by Asst. Professor Marcy Burstiner, set out to understand why public agencies would suddenly shut down a long-standing business central to the North Coast fishing industry. They filed public records requests with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the California Department of…
‘A Crafty Wrestler’
From the Bay City News and CBS Broadcasting we learn that an aircraft piloted by a Whitethorn resident Daniel York became entangled in a vineyard this morning just after taking off from the Healdsburg Airport. York and his passenger, Arthur Gagnier of Oakland, were not hurt. The airplane was. Healdsburg police Sgt. Rick Urteago said…
Amy in the NYT
Amy in the NYT: The New York Times comes out with its long-awaited profile of Humboldt County literary darling Amy Stewart! Stewart — whose new book, Wicked Plants, is a police lineup of the botanical world’s bad boys — provides the NYT writer with some advice about how to murder her husband.
Power Up!
Two hundred grand from the state for Humboldt County energy independence! Hot stuff! Humboldt County has an absolute abundance of green energy potential, and a just-announced grant should go a long way toward making at least some of it a reality. Press release from the Redwood Coast Energy Authority: Local Partnership Wins Grants for a…
Fiore Booked For Fields’ Murder
The surviving half of last week’s dope robbery-turned-shoot-’em-up has been booked for the murder of his partner, local resident David Fields. From the Sheriff’s Office: Brian Cole Fiore was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility last evening after being transported from the Sacramento County Jail. He was booked on two counts of attempted murder,…
First Returns Mirror State
First Returns Mirror State: The first wave of Humboldt county absentees are in, and they pretty much mirror the state results thus far — all the Schwarzenegger/Democrat initiatives get a solid rejection with the exception of 1F, the feelgood stick-it-to-legislature initiative. UPDATE, 9:51 p.m. — First precinct results in — here — essentially no change.
The Swine Bullet Was Dodged
“The risk for contagion posed by this case likely has passed,” said Humboldt County Public Health Officer Ann Lindsay, addressing reporters in what looked like the county’s swine flu war room this afternoon. On the day previous, the county had received confirmation of its first case of the H1N1 influenza, a new variant of the…
Spring Break for ‘Humboldt County’
Spring Break for ‘Humboldt County’: It may not have performed so well domestically, but it will all be worth it for filmmakers Darren Grodsky and Danny Jacobs when they bring Humboldt County to the bubble-filled, Ecstasy-drenched techno cinemas of the Balearic Isles! Humboldt County takes its star turn at the Ibiza Film Festival later this…
Der Schweineflu!
Barack! Humboldt County public health officials are at this moment confirming Humboldt County’s first case of Swine H1N1 flu. There is no cause for alarm, citizens. According to a press release that was embargoed until the exact millisecond of this item’s publication, the victim — and why did I almost write “suspect”? — has already…
Supreme Court “What-Ifs” Ad Absurdum
Supreme Court “What-Ifs” Ad Absurdum: The Swing State Project blog gets a little bit wacky prognosticating President Obama’s next Supreme Court pick — so wacky that it reaches down and touches us!. For instance, what if, contrary to all available intelligence, he picks Interior Secretary Ken Salazar? Well, that might mean that Rep. Mike Thompson…
Eric Heimstadt, In Loving Memory
Photograph (c) Arcata Eye. All rights reserved. Use of the photograph graciously permitted by Terrence McNally. www.arcataphoto.com It was a month ago when we posted news here of the death of medical marijuana advocate Eric Heimstadt. The short note has been among our “most read” since. An official obit came today with word of a…
The Passion of the Chezz
The Passion of the Chezz: The San Diego Union-Tribune provides a pretty entertaining overview of Gov. Schwarzenegger’s newfound passion to crush the California Integrated Waste Management Board into the dirt. Known primarily as a parking place for termed-out legislators who enjoy some pull with party bosses, — or, the U-D notes, to straight-up cronies –…
A History of Troubles at Eureka Ice
March 14, 1994 A failed pipe nipple at Eureka Ice releases 764 lbs. of anhydrous ammonia over 1 1/2 hours. April 4, 1997 A routine inspection finds that workers had been improperly disposing of anhydrous ammonia into an outside floor drain. Feb. 2, 2002 Eureka Ice is evacuated after a strong smell of ammonia and…
It’s Spock O’Clock!
Previews Once again we have but one opening in Humboldt County this weekend — Angels and Demons, yet another film based on a Dan Brown book. (Brown wrote The Da Vinci Code.) Tom Hanks and Ewan McGregor star in this film, which is directed by Ron Howard, who also directed the film version of The…
For Sale: Scotia Inn
For $2.5 million and a couple of bucks, you can own a pretty chunk of history whose interior décor speaks of a more elegantly boastful time — a time when it was OK to be a timber baron, or a logger. And, the more romantic among us might imagine, it is like a leftover industrial…
Keep Off the Grass
Things looked grim for the North Country Fair three years ago when the fair was hijacked by a profit-minded promoter. The Same Old People, the loose-knit volunteer crew that had put on the art, craft and music festival on the Arcata Plaza at the end of each summer since 1974, regrouped and, with support from…
Epic
Mermen guitarist/leader Jim Thomas doesn’t like to tour. He doesn’t even play all that much in Santa Cruz or San Francisco, the coastal cities where he spends most of his time. He has a studio at home, but it’s been a long time since he’s released a record. Thomas says he’s almost done with a…
Enough
Yes, Humboldt County loves its outlaw self-image. We all enjoy doing our thing and flaunting it in The Man’s face. We’re the spiritual home of freaks and rebels and dropouts everywhere, and we like it that way. We’ve got hundreds of square miles of wilderness and four or five of the prettiest, most human towns…
Not Perfect. Good.
Editor: My letter is in direct response to the letter from Sylvia De Rooy of Westhaven (“CASA is Broken,” April 30). I am currently a CASA and have been for three years. I was interviewed for “The CASA” (April 23) and although nothing about my CASA child was revealed during the interview it wasn’t included…
Such a Crazy Story …
Editor: Okay, I’m just going to come right out and say it. What’s with the solid red cover with white words (“The Trial of Charles Hurwitz,” April 30)? Come on. Wasn’t there some picture you could have put on the cover that would have looked better than nothing? Is there some crazy story here or…
Numbers: Roman, East Arabic and Arabic
As for mankind, numbered are their days/Whatever they achieve is but wind. — Babylonian clay tablet Three different styles of writing numbers can be found within half a block of the gazebo in Old Town Eureka. "Regular" numerals — 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 — abound, while the two clocks…
Please Confuse Children
Editor: I’m writing to ask if you’re using the same type of keyboard as I am. I’m thinking you may be missing the 8 on yours. You see, when I hold the shift key and press the 8 an “*” appears on my screen. Perhaps you could look into this. This is one of the…
City of Subdued Excitement
What if a drug existed that gave you energy, inspired you toward happiness, was only addictive in the most positive sense and cost under $20 for a near-lifetime supply? What if all that was true of a particular new CD? Music is just about the cheapest mood-altering substance out there. Let’s say I bought City…
Third Friday McKinleyville Arts Night
1. The Front Gallery and Gifts 1811 Central Av. Alternative country and surf rock music by Guano; “Secret” Larry, performance art. 2. Conscious Home Miller Business Park. Amanita Mollier, silk paintings. 3. Curves Miller Business Park. Mary Martha Saussy, eclectic collection in a variety of media. 4. Eternal Source Glass Art Studio and Bueno Mano…
Country Club
It’s a long time a comin’. For decades, John Doe, cornerstone founding member of the seminal LA punk band X, has hinted at his country roots with songs such as "Poor Girl" and "Burning House of Love" from his days with X. Then there was his side project, The Knitters, with X band members Exene…
tulip
tulip pushed its way thru today (bulbs planted…
Song Sisters
In 1868, Louisa May Alcott created a classic American story that enthralled and inspired generations of (mostly) girls, by writing about aspects of her own life and family — and also by ignoring other aspects. In Little Women, a mother and four sisters are isolated in a small New England town, dreaming their dreams despite…
Last Suppers
Editor’s note: This column/confession, submitted some months ago, was supposed to run in our Mother’s Day edition, but unfortunately was mislaid. We think it’s fine for a week later, and hope you agree. In the early summer of 1998, my brother called from Tucson. Our mother, who was in her mid-90s, had gotten worse. For…
