Saving the Sea Otter
Feds find reintroduction into Northern California possible but more research needed
Cover Story
Saving the Sea Otter
On rare occasions, a sea otter makes an appearance on the North Coast. Locally extinct since around the turn of the 20th century, the last confirmed sighting was in 2015, when one was filmed frolicking in Humboldt Bay. In less fortunate cases, remains of two sea otters were separately discovered washed up on area beaches…
St. Patrick’s Day Celebration at the Logger Bar
There are numerous St. Patrick’s Day celebrations happening across the county (check this week’s calendar and Setlist), but we’re highlighting this one because it’s full-kilt Irish fun! Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at the Logger Bar on Friday, March 17 from 5 p.m. to close (free) — and wish Michael Fields congrats on the one-year anniversary…
Fun Irish Shindig to Benefit the Temperance Hall
Enjoy An Evening of Irish Music and Humor, a benefit to support the repairs, site improvements and beautification of the 130-year-old Temperance Hall at the corner of Old Arcata and Jacoby Creek Roads, happening Friday, March 17, from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at the Temperance Hall ($20, $18 online advance). This shindig should be a…
Music Tonight: Thursday, March 16
Philadelphia is famous for creating a lot of funk and R ‘n’ B musicians, particularly in the genre of “blue-eyed soul,” epitomized by native sons Hall and Oates. One band carrying on that laidback tradition of pop and rock merged with a basic backbeat and funky syncopation is G. Love and Special Sauce, a veteran…
Photos: Hollywood Glamour at the Eureka Theater
The Humboldt-Del Norte Film Commission’s eighth annual Oscars Red Carpet Gala hosted Humboldt’s boldest looks of the weekend. Timeless, classic Hollywood silhouettes were in. From the Dior-inspired fit-and-flare dress to the Rochas mermaid gown, the fits of the evening displayed bold beading, high slits, deep forest greens, metallics and sequins. Impressive brocade blazers were a…
No California Salmon: Fishery to be Shut Down This Year
Most summer mornings at first light, Jared Davis is a few miles west of the Golden Gate Bridge, motoring his charter fishing boat Salty Lady over the Pacific Ocean. His eyes sweep the horizon, looking for diving birds, but mostly he watches the screen of his dashboard fish-finder for schools of anchovies — a sure…
Music Tonight: Wednesday, March 15
Andy Frasco & the U.N. are a Los Angeles funk and blues powerhouse whose performances are deliberately chaotic and goofy. Sort of like a mix between Eric André, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, and some of the dumb/humorous elements of early Kid Rock that evaporated when reactionary politics replaced his self-awareness. It’s a spectacle,…
Court Upholds California Prop. 22 in Big Win for Gig Firms Like Lyft and Uber
In the winding story of California’s gig worker laws, another chapter has come to a close. Justices in a California court of appeals ruled Monday that Proposition 22 — a 2020 ballot measure that allowed Uber, Lyft, and other platforms to classify their workers as independent contractors rather than employees – is largely constitutional, but…
Eel River Crosses Flood Threshold, Record Rain Recorded
It’s official, rainfall totals recorded at the National Weather Service’s Woodley Inland office yesterday set a new record for the date at 1.54 inches, breaking the previous record of 1.28 inches set in 1980 and again in 2012. Meanwhile, a flood warning remains in effect for the Eel River, which hit flood stage early this…
Music Tonight: Tuesday, March 14
The Russian piano prodigy Alexander Malofeev comes to Fulkerson Hall for a 6 p.m. recital. Expect nothing short of virtuosity from this kid, who is a world-ranked musician of the finest caliber. I am unsure of what tonight’s program will include but I can say with confidence that the pieces will be played with technical…
Eel River Expected to Pass Flood Stage, Livestock Owners Advised to Protect Animals in Low-Lying Areas
A flood warning has been issued for the Eel River Valley from late tonight into early Wednesday afternoon and a special action statement has been issued that advises taking steps to protect livestock in low-lying areas, according to the Eureka office of the National Weather Service. The California Nevada River Forecast Center is predicting the…
Free Textbooks? It Could Soon be a Reality at California’s Community Colleges
For the last decade Teague O’Shea has been in and out of college. Now, at 42 years old, he is trying again. Furthering his education was important to O’Shea, who had been working as an apprentice electrician for his local water district, but the rising cost of college made him question its worth. “California is…
Music Tonight: Monday, March 13
With St. Patrick’s Day on Friday and spring coming in a week, I am cautiously optimistic about seeing an end to the frequent dead night or two that the winter brings to the local music scene. Another good sign is that tonight features an installment of Metal Mondays over at Savage Henry at 7 p.m.…
Music Tonight: Sunday, March 12
The Bach On! ensemble throws its final concert of the season at Christ Episcopal Church in Eureka today at 4 p.m. This talented roster of musicians presents a free performance whose program includes Bach’s Violin Concerto in A minor and Telemann’s Viola Concerto in G major.
Time to Spring Forward on Sunday
It’s time to spring the clocks forward an hour, with daylight saving time arriving at 2 a.m. Sunday, which means darker mornings and losing an hour of sleep. And, once again, Congress is taking up whether to end what many see as an antiquated practice of changing back and forth each fall and spring that results…
Music Tonight: Saturday, March 11
Tom Boylan, aka Holus Bolus is rolling through town again, where he will set up his one-man, looped acoustic guitar and percussion show at Redwood Curtain Brewery in Arcata at 6 p.m. for the beer drinkers to enjoy. This is a free gig but it’s always nice to tip a traveling bard. Later on at…
Yurok Tribe Hires MMIP Investigator
Julia Oliveira, a Wyandotte Tribe citizen with 25 years of local law enforcement experience, most recently leading the Blue Lake Rancheria Tribal Police Department, is breaking new ground after being hired by the Yurok Tribe to become the first investigator in California fully dedicated to investigating Missing and Murdered Indigenous People cases. “I applied for…
Seed, Plant and Scion Exchange at Arcata Community Center
Gardeners all over the county are ready for this cold and snowy winter to blow over and be gone. They’re ready for sunshine, soil and seeds of spring! Helping them get ready for those glorious days ahead is the Humboldt Permaculture Guild and its Seed, Plant & Scion Exchange, happening Saturday, March 11, from 11…
Music Tonight: Friday, March 10
Speaking of Canada, there’s another native son from that land coming through the Thing (833 H St.) in Arcata tonight at 7 p.m. Shane Koyczan is a spoken word poet who has done the (near) impossible and cracked open a touring career out of his poetry, built largely on the back of his breakthrough piece…
NCJ Preview: Otters, Cows, a Dark Theater and the Ritz
This week we’re talking about the possible return of sea otters to the North Coast, a countywide look at mental health services, help for hungry cows and more. We’re also checking out local theater and an iconic restaurant location reopening. Hit subscribe for weekly roundups of local stories.
The Ornithologist
Fed by a series of winter storms, the local park’s seasonal pond has made its annual reappearance and now dozens of ducks, alerted by their innate pond-recognition software, have descended to take up residence. I pause on my daily walk to observe them going about their ducky business, gliding and head-dunking and quacking in entertainingly…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Repressed feelings and dormant passions are rising to the surface. I bet they will soon be rattling your brain and illuminating your heart, unleashing a soothing turbulence of uncanny glee. Will you get crazy and wise enough to coax the Great Mystery into blessing you with an inspirational revelation or two?…
A ‘Robust’ Conversation
Over the course of nearly three hours on March 4, as a panel of county and city officials discussed mental health services, a number of themes emerged: Humboldt County is brimming with trauma but has limited resources to address it amid a legal framework that gives all but the very sickest among us power over…
A Burrowing Owl Pops Up
Until a year ago, I had never seen a burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia). I wasn’t even aware we had this species locally — I thought they only lived in the desert. But that all changed in February of 2022 out in the dunes next to the Pacific Ocean. Out walking on a sunny morning, my…
Fortuna Police Warn of Skimming Scam, Seek Public’s Help Cracking Case
Fortuna police are warning of a potential skimming scam aimed at accessing credit and debit card information. They are also seeking help identifying a suspect in the case. The case’s roots stretch back to October of 2021, according to Lt. Matt Eberhardt, when the department got a cluster of debit or credit card fraud reports…
Ocean and River Salmon Closures Likely in 2023
If the forecasts from last Wednesday’s salmon information meeting are accurate, Chinook salmon are going to be few and far between this year. It will also likely result in a complete ocean closure to Chinook fishing state-wide in an effort to protect stocks. Currently, the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) is meeting in Seattle to…
Beautiful Era
I have probably mentioned here before that I like going for walks, often at odd hours to avoid other people. This isn’t out of any misanthropic impulse, but to stay out of the way of traffic, which is the pedestrian’s natural enemy. They aren’t long walks, either, I just need a space and time where…
Creed III’s Decision Victory
CREED III. With his directorial debut, Michael B. Jordan has made the subtly momentous decision to render this (presumably last) chapter in the Rocky saga as a statement: This is decidedly not a Rocky movie. Sure, Balboa’s shadow flits at the edges of things, he being the somewhat unwitting progenitor of the whole works. And,…
The Ritz Again
The Ritz Building on Third and F streets in Eureka bears a plaque marking it — the former Ritz and Star Cigar Store — as a historic landmark. It’s a local Art Moderne icon from 1946, its smooth lines carved out seven years after its architectural cousin the Eureka Theater opened up the street. But…
Re: CPH
Editor: If Cal Poly wants to build huge buildings, then it can build a state-of-the-art fire station, complete with the expensive state-of-the-art firefighting equipment (Cartoon, Feb. 2). Sue Hart, Eureka Editor: California is lost in its housing problem, but there are solutions. The current dilemma facing CPH students is embedded in that quagmire. The VA…
Arts! Arcata
Celebrate the visual and performing arts in Downtown Arcata during Second Friday Arts! Arcata with a lively night market of local art displayed in our downtown stores. More information can be found at ArcataMainStreet.com. ARCATA ARTISANS 883 H St. Carolyn Jones, fiber arts. Michael Edwards, jewelry. ARCATA PLAYHOUSE 1251 Ninth St. The Zero to Fierce…
Whither that Foam?
Editor: Reading Mike Kelly’s Foam Club in the Feb. 23 issue of the NCJ brought back memories of my days in graduate school at the University of Minnesota in the 1970s. The Minneapolis campus is divided into two parts by the Mississippi River with a pedestrian bridge connecting them. Springtime annually, what appeared to be…
By the Horns
Friday night at Redwood Curtain Theatre, we had our first glimpse of the fiery passion between Professor Wooley and her student Jeanette Marks as played by Natasha White and Caroline Needham in Bull in a China Shop. The lovers exited the stage in perfect synchronicity with a complete blackout. The anticipation built in the audience…
‘Just Wow!’
Editor: After reading no less than three articles in the Feb 9 NCJ, I was absolutely taken aback when I turned to page 25 and noticed the Heart of Humboldt ad at the bottom of the page! Talk about perpetuating the objectifying and sexually harassing climate! Just wow! Maybe the advertising editor needs to attend…
Put the Earth … Alongside?
Editor: I wonder if a separate flagpole for the earth flag might be a good compromise. Though I don’t support the flag initiative in Arcata, I do support the people having the final say via their vote. I think that is what Solomon would do. It seems rather unambiguously illegal, and supporters said they had…
In ‘His’ Home
Editor: Arcata House Partnership newest program, “The Grove,” has been going well creating 60 affordable supported housing apartments. We have had many wonderful and successful cases since opening in October. In February we did have one of our residents pass away and move on to the next level of existence. The loss of anyone is…
‘Important and Relevant’
Editor: On behalf of its steering committee, I write to say the Humboldt Asians and Pacific Islanders in Solidarity (HAPI) commends the North Coast Journal for publishing Alex Service’s important and relevant story of our local history (“Between Prejudice and Profit: The post-expulsion saga of the Chinese workers at the Eel River Cannery,” Feb. 16).…
‘Let’s Not Freak Out’
Editor: Drag is not synonymous with trans (Mailbox, March 2). Drag is also not synonymous with burlesque or nudity (on the contrary, drag typically involves elaborate outfits/costumes). I didn’t know much about the history of drag, but there’s this thing called the Internet and, though containing a lot of misinformation, it’s not hard to find…
