Cover Story
Pie in the Sky
Stepping into the Desserts on Us factory off Arcata’s Ericson Way is like landing on a planet whose atmosphere is mainly composed of caramel. And chocolate. The air inside is so thick with the aroma that it might actually have calories, but nobody seems to mind. On one wall is a whiteboard with dates chronicling…
Supes to Gather Public Input on Budget
Looking to cut a projected $2 million in spending next fiscal year, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors will hold a simultaneous meeting at five locations throughout the county next month to gather input from constituents. The board will hold a meeting in each supervisorial district at 6 p.m. on March, with each of the…
Updated: Questions Follow Pleas in Stabbing Case
It looks like the Humboldt County district attorney’s race is hitting stride. In case you missed it, a 35-year-old Arcata man may spend as little as two years in county jail for the stabbing death of an Abruzzi chef late last year and it is becoming somewhat of a campaign issue. Douglas Anderson-Jordet was found…
Catch & Release: The Humboldt Steelheads’ Untold – Until Now! – Story
Daffodils are blooming, the days are lengthening, sporting goods stores are stocking up on jerseys, bats and gloves – yes, baseball is in the air. From T-ball beginners to summer collegiate stunners, dreams of home runs and dramatic outs are mere weeks from manifesting. Except for one team: The Humboldt Steelheads. Ben Horton wants to…
New Pot Banking Guidelines Moot in CA?
Thanks to some recent direction from the Obama administration, banks are now allowed to do business with folks who make their living in the legal marijuana trade. But, maybe not in California. In response to a growing uneasiness with the cannabis cash conundrum, spurred at least in part by the introduction of legal recreational marijuana…
Tonight’s Setlist: Shake off your love-hangover
Moving on from Valentine’s, but keeping the romance and luck going with either the Hot Tuna show (beloved blues rockers at Humboldt Brews, tickets are $40, probably sold out, with a 9 p.m. start time) or the Songwriter Circle of Death with TheBoredAgain, Kyle La Chinga, The Weavetown and Gabe Rose Hell (Humboldt real deal…
Valentunes!
The Journal staff got a sweet musical surprise from the ArMack Orchestra and Madrigal Choir this afternoon when the student musicians and singers stopped by to do a few numbers. Check out the video here. “Stand By Me” was a fave. They’re running all over delivering Valentunes tonight. Feel free to tip if you see…
Bar None
It’s dismaying to hear how many people have not had a steak at the AA. Maybe you’re new in town. Maybe you’re coming out of a no-red-meat phase. Maybe you’re just a little skittish about eating right across from the jail in a dark bar with the letters “AA” over the sign. Understandable. But eating…
Tonight’s Setlist: So Many Ways to Love
Still on the fence about celebrating Valentine’s? Read this week’s Setlist and see if you’re swayed. Once you’ve decided that yes, you will opt-in on love, here’s some options for your celebrating: The Reggae! On the southern end of the county, the Mateel Community Center would like you to celebrate Valentine’s Day at the Black & Red…
Who Wants Humboldt Roller Derby Tickets?
It’s that time again! The NCJ has two pairs of tickets for the upcoming Humboldt Roller Derby bout on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. Your local derby stars, The Redwood Rollers, will be competing against the Oakland Outlaws. You might even call it a “battle of the bays.” Maybe. We’ll see if it catches…
Dry Times
Despite a recent little burst of rain, Humboldt County is deep in the throes of drought. Things aren’t looking up. Here, this and last year’s precipitation at Woodley Island show just how dire things are when compared with the 30-year average — the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s standard of measure. Experts are comparing this…
Conflicting Reports
Editor: I agree that Eureka seems to be perceived as a crime-ridden place. As a regular walker of the Hikshari’ Trail, I was dismayed by Sandra Lingle’s comment (“Conflicting Reports,” Feb. 6) that “all kinds of unsavory activity” occurs there during the week, none of which I’ve witnessed. Yes, there are homeless people there —…
Well, Fudge
Editor: During the past several years, I have noticed the North Coast Journal’s general writing style loosening up, perhaps unconsciously moving in a more casual or “folksy” direction. When I read Jennifer Savage’s recent piece about tipping (“Before You Stiff Your Server,” Feb. 6), with her use of the word “motherfucker,” I had to write.…
Addiction Aches
Editor: I feel like Linda Stansberry just read my mind (“What We Talk About When We Talk About Meth,” Jan. 30). I was just talking to my husband about addictions, whether it be to meth, painkillers, alcohol, even cigarettes, and what it does to your brain chemistry. I’m a first time college student at age…
Viewpoint
Editor: Issue of vandalism aside, isn’t it lovely to have the unimpeded view across our bay? Ann King, Eureka
Suds and Buds
A little tiff is sprouting between the folks at Humboldt Made and the Humboldt Brewing Co. (see Thadeus Greenson’s blog post here). Seems the local group dedicated to branding Humboldt’s wholesome (read: junk food) exports doesn’t like the fact that a corporate mega-brewer from South Carolina is shilling its recently purchased Humboldt Brewing Co. Hemp Ale with…
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 883 H St. “Remembering Marian Coleman,” Marian Coleman, mixed media; Elaine Benjamin, prints; Patricia Sennott, prints; Joy Dellas,…
I’m Vic James!
On a wall in a gallery, there’s no safety net. It’s not like the front of a refrigerator — mom’s soothing words making you feel good about your finger painting. No, no. Once that painting is hung on a white wall, the artist is exposed and vulnerable. Maybe that’s why Jim McVicker, one of Humboldt’s…
Valentine Boozing
Valentine’s Day is underrated as a drinking holiday, particularly if you’re single. It’s no New Year’s or St. Patrick’s, but everybody is either toasting or drowning their sorrows. Sometimes both. If you’re going out to celebrate/brood, Arcata’s Plaza Grill has a pretty enough bar for a date (you don’t want to do hipster-dive-slumming on Valentine’s),…
For Love
And here we find ourselves in a week anchored by Valentine’s Day. Dismissing the holiday as a mawkish, cheesy, Hallmark-exploited ode to cliched ideas about romance is easy — foil-wrapped chocolate hearts abounding in grocery store aisles suggest quantifying passion is both simple and convenient. If you’re not in a relationship, the assault of pink…
Dibs and Digs
Hey McGuinty! I recently ran into a business associate and discovered that she divorced her husband a year ago and has moved a few minutes from my house. She is totally amazing and someone I was attracted to immediately. It was obvious that she was attracted to me too, and she confided in me that…
February Gardening
Though February is usually a cold one, it’s a month filled with hope as we are just starting to see fruit trees, crocus, daffodils and others emerge from dormancy. It’s the perfect time for that primal surge that tells us to wake up and start thinking about the garden again, because there are a few…
Lego Blocked
Reviews THE LEGO MOVIE. My childhood was littered with Legos. They were a constant fixture, as well as a sort of passively administered personality test for pre-adolescents. Some preferred their construction sets impeccably organized, either still in the original packaging or carefully assembled to match the example on the box. Others took a less clinical…
Essence
The irreducible essence of life is distilled in the pattering of rain on leaves, from the evensong of birds at dusk, through an elusive shadow of cloud over a mountain lake, in the pinwheel, phosphorescent dust of the galaxies. When we cleave to the essence, we stop hurting each other; we are humbled by our…
Ben Kelsey: Arcata Founding Father, Trail Builder, Indian Killer
Last summer, when I first encountered the Kelsey National Recreation Trail which runs east-west across the north side of the Marble Mountains, I thought, “I just hope this isn’t the same murdering scoundrel Kelsey who helped found Arcata.” Hope on. The trail is indeed named for Ben Kelsey, one of the leaders of the infamous…
Just Your Type
It falls on a Friday this year, and there’s no avoiding the pink menace. Instead of hiding because you’re single, revel in the fun to be had. Spend the evening with like-minded individuals and who knows? The Humboldt Hookup with Sherae O’Shaughnessy is at Six Rivers Brewery on Friday, Feb. 14 at 8 p.m. with…
Salmon in the Middle
The schools of large adult Chinook salmon swimming back and forth in most pools of the lower Mattole River from November to mid-January offered a powerful testament to both the resilience of these remarkable fish and to the challenges they now face in light of climate change and California’s pernicious drought. Many people still remember…
Cupid’s Crash Kit
We get it. You don’t want to buy into the corporate greeting card monster that is Valentine’s Day. But the truth is, even if you don’t buy a plush bear with a satin heart, it won’t really hurt Hallmark. The industrial holiday gift complex is too big to feel. Your beloved will, however, feel it.…
