Scotia
Amid the death rattles of one of America’s last company towns, local historian Jerry Rohde looks back An excerpt from Both Sides of the Bluff History of Humboldt County Places
Cover Story
Scotia
Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt from local historian Jerry Rohde’s recently released book, Both Sides of the Bluff: History of Humboldt County Places. An extensively researched chronicle more than a decade in the making, Rohde’s book is filled with interesting material, from tales of murder and massacre to ingenuity and perserverence. Given our…
You Got Thrilled
The dead hordes came to life all over Arcata this afternoon. Students from Sunny Brae Middle School collapsed in Murphy’s Market, the plaza and Adult Day Health Care of Mad River, only to be risen again by the King of Pop’s “Thriller.” Scroll on for more pics of the gripping yearly dance performance, courtesy of…
Tour the Brew: Lost Coast’s New Facility
Congressman Jarad Huffman was in town last weekend for a fundraiser and tours that included one of the brand new, up and running, $27 million Lost Coast Brewery facility on the very south end of Eureka. The huge new building (which has not been without its controversy) will replace the brewery’s current production line, and…
Fundraise the Roof
On the rooftop of an old two story colonial revival house in Eureka, missing shingles threaten the preservation of Humboldt County’s history. During a late September rain, water spills over the building’s unique barrel-roofed dormer and trickles down toward a recessed second story balcony of the Gross-Wells-Barnum House, the current home of the Humboldt County…
‘Days of Action’ Sparks Protests
As protesters march and rally across the nation in solidarity with Ferguson, Missouri, about 20 people gathered in the Arcata plaza last week to protest police brutality. They held signs and demanded an investigation into the Sept. 18 killing of 22-year-old Thomas “Tommy” McClain by a Eureka police officer. McClain was shot when Eureka police…
AT&T Blames ‘Fiber Issue” for Blackout
Scores of AT&T customers found themselves cut off from the rest of the digital world Monday afternoon, as the company experienced what it described cryptically as a “fiber issue.” The outage hit early Monday afternoon and lasted until the evening, leaving AT&T cell phone, Internet and U-verse customers without service. Some poor souls who rely…
Lanterns in the Elements
Folks braved the elements last night and migrated toward the banks of the Mad River, where the Four on the Floor Theatre’s Elemental pageant was in full swing. Stilt walkers, shadow puppets and paper lanterns were there to delight, and the fun continues today with fun and games at the (indoor) Mad River Grange from…
Stormy Weather
Enjoy this afternoon’s balminess while it lasts: starting tonight it’s gonna get a lot colder, wetter and windier. The National Weather Service is predicting up to a couple of inches of rain through the weekend and gusts along the coast of up to 45 miles per hour. Gusts in exposed areas, like Kneeland, could get…
Truck-stop Truck
Toni’s Thai truck is no more. Its cook has returned to Thailand, leaving us bereft of green curry and jasmine rice on wheels. The shiny red truck has been transformed into the Redwood Local, parked at Seventh and I Street in Arcata. Embrace the change and the meta-weirdness of truck stop fare from a truck.…
A Big Stick
With law enforcement raids and private paramilitary security agencies running through Humboldt’s hills enough to strike fear in the hearts of marijuana growers, one of California’s previously benign regulatory agencies will soon attempt to make a splash in the marijuana world. The State Water Resources Control Board is due to begin an aggressive civil enforcement…
Vote This Way
Editor: Once again our civic/county leaders inform us that our homes, families and our lives will not be safe if Measure Z is not passed. Government always has and always will do a very poor job spending our money. We’ve all heard the stories of government waste and lack of common sense. More money thrown…
Baking Beauties
Cosmetically challenged,” read the politically correct sign on a case of apples I saw at a farmers market a few years ago. I applaud the farmer for promoting the blemished or not-perfect-enough, but I would like to propose something bolder: I hereby launch the campaign to focus on those apples’ virtues, labeling them with names…
Correction:
The article “$12/hr” in the Oct. 16 edition of the Journal misattributed a quote. “McDonald’s should not be a career choice. If you make it a career, I think you’ve kind of failed,” should have been attributed to Jessica Champ, Emily Tobin’s co-worker at Promises Bridal and Formal Wear.
Lessons from the Hunks Show
On Friday, Oct. 17, the Hunks Show and its platoon of ripped dancers descended on the Bear River Casino ballroom for “America’s hottest ladies night out.” The Journal was there. Here is what we learned. There are rules. But not many. On the same night at the Tip Top Club, a man checked our IDs,…
Prepping for Midterms
Midterm elections are such a yawn, right? Well, this one actually has a few hot-button issues you may care about. GMOs and $12 an hour for hamburger flippers? I was taught in journalism school that newspapers should have an opinion about the news they cover. In Humboldt County that means pissing off half your readers…
Skeleton Crews
Reviews THE BOOK OF LIFE. Guillermo del Toro as executive producer, a talented cast and a unique visual style had me convinced that this could be more than just another animated feature. Even if del Toro’s trademark darkness and gravity aren’t fully present in The Book of Life, his insistence on visual invention and his…
A Brave Adventure
At its heart, Coraline is a story about things that are not what they are, so it’s fitting that in its adaptation for the stage it becomes a musical that is not quite a musical and a story about a child that is not really geared toward children. The show challenges expectations (it doesn’t even…
Forever Young
Oh, Humboldt! I’m in love with live music all over again. We’ve had a long relationship, bands playing shows and I, but you know how it is — sometimes you feel like you’ve done everything there is to do, comfortable with what you like and sure about what you don’t, quietly missing the spark of…
Websites
Chompers and I sit quietly, On my south facing porch Built the turn of last century. He must be British, Waiting so patiently, Constantly judging. His ancestors probably Came by Yankee Clipper Intending to dominate, Skulking in the cargo bay. He certainly is a presence Basking in the sun, Lying in…
Viacom Zaps Suddenlink
If you are a Suddenlink cable subscriber, on Oct. 1 you lost your MTV and can’t get your news from the Daily Show’s Jon Stewart anymore. Instead you’ve now got Oprah and Glenn Beck. What the heck? Bottom line, this program shift is fallout from a much larger corporate battle playing out across the nation. Our…
Bankrupt
A local blogger cast the first stone, reporting that Kim Bergel, a candidate to represent Eureka’s Ward 3 on the city council, filed for bankruptcy a couple of years ago. The post, which came from an endorser of Bergel’s election foe, incumbent Mike Newman, questioned whether someone with so many unpaid bills could be trusted…
Raise-worthy?
Editor: I was disappointed in the article “$12/hr” (Oct. 16) about Measure R. There are a number of problems with it. People have asked that instead of just saying no to come up with a better plan, so the following are my thoughts on a much better plan that would not cause the job losses…
Nose-picking Menace
Editor: The article on the booger flicking leading to loss of control involving a motor vehicle sent me into a tail-spinning flashback (“Don’t Pick and Drive,” Oct. 16). It reminded me why I am so opposed to Eureka Police Chief Andrew Mills’ vendetta to label bicycle riders on sidewalks as law breakers. In this age…
Treat or Trick?
Editor: Just picked up the latest North Coast Journal, just as I have done since Judy Hodgson first launched the paper many years ago. But this time, just before Halloween, out pops a business stuffer all about marijuana from Wonderland Nursery (Oct. 16). It features marijuana candies in the form of gum drops, lollipops, fruit…
Hold Officer Accountable
Editor: Thadeus Greenson’s incredibly speculative article “Unanswered” (Oct. 9) focuses on what the victim of the shooting could or should have done differently, rather than how the trained Eureka Police Department officers could have prevented the killing of a 22 year-old person in our community. Additionally, what troubles me is not the lack of answers…
More GMO Letters
Editor: The Journal’s coverage of the proposed ban of GMOs in Humboldt (Oct. 2) missed a big beat when the science quoted represented only the pro-GMO side. Then it was headlined “Fear vs Hope,” promoting the idea that it’s fear driving the anti-GMO movement. More accurately the headline would be “Big Huge Giant Money vs.…
The Orange and the Black
There are two kinds of people: those who haven’t gotten their costumes sorted and can’t believe it’s nearly Halloween, and those who have been ready for weeks and are chomping at their plastic fangs to get this party started. For the latter, suit up. Halloween festivities start early for the kiddies on Saturday, Oct. 25.…
Harvest Gold
If your idea of celebrating fall is a drive-thru pumpkin spice latte, you need to step up your game. Enter the seasonal spectacle of Blue Lake Harvest Days. On Friday, Oct. 24 at 6:45 p.m. in the Blue Lake Business Park, join Four on the Floor Theatre’s Elemental pageant with its gorgeous paper lanterns, stilt…
Think Kink
So it turns out the latex-clad founders of the Impropriety Society have packed up their playthings and joined the exodus to Portland. Is our county to be left adrift in a sea of vanilla? Not while a few dedicated kinksters yet remain. What Would Nawdy Do Productions is bringing its bag of tricks to the…
