Cover Story
Taken Away: How an Arcata mom is working to rebuild what was lost during an immigration detention
Claudia Portillo is back in her Arcata home but it doesn’t feel like the same one she left behind. And what seems like it should be a happy ending is instead just the beginning for the young mother and her four daughters, who are working their way back to a semblance of how things used…
Dulce Open in Eureka
For those of you who’ve been watching the glacial transformation of the space at 415 Seventh St. in Eureka, waiting for Mity Nice, then Fat Cat to open, surprise! It’s Dulce Bistro. Dulce’s manager Antonio Lopez says there were plans to open a restaurant elsewhere when the Mity Nice/Fat Cat team decamped and this spot…
Local Firefighters Helping to Battle Devastating Wildfires
Local firefighters have joined thousands of others from around the state to battle a series of wildfires raging to the south and east of Humboldt County that combined have burned more than 200,000 acres and taken at least six lives. Currently, 32 firefighters from nine Humboldt County agencies are assisting suppression efforts, contributing personnel and…
Cruising Down Memory Lane
For three days at to the end of the July, car enthusiasts load up and cruise down to Fortuna, driving classics rich with heritage. Driver’s come from as close as Blue Lake and as far as Santa Rosa, Oregon and beyond to show off their wheels at the 29th Annual Fortuna Redwood AutoXpo. Check out…
UPDATED: Man Found Dead Near Humboldt Hill 101 Exit
UPDATE: The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has identified the deceased as 18-year-old Hunter Allen, of Eureka. PREVIOUSLY: A young man was found dead early this morning on U.S. Highway 101 near Eureka, according to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office. Public information officer Samantha Karges said the office was called out to the scene just north…
Music Tonight: Wednesday, August 1
I must say that as a compiler of shows and humble scribe of bands, I really give my honest admiration to bands that lay out the unpretentious, unvarnished truth on their online bios. Bless them, every one. The Miracle Show is one such group, its Facebook page bearing the succinct and perfect line “5 dudes…
Hail, August
OK, here we go. This Setlist week sees the transfer of days from one Roman emperor’s month to another’s. From the hot and chaotic days of Julius Caesar’s July to the more august days of — well — August, the month of a much longer-lived Caesar. History, namesakes, birthdays, gemstones and zodiacal creatures aside, there…
Beware of Snowshoers (and Getting High in the Backcountry)
With the national legalization of recreational cannabis looming, one of Canada’s largest search and rescue outfits is warning that weed and the backcountry are a dangerous combination. “We regularly respond to calls for those who are well prepared, do everything right, are completely sober and still get into trouble,” Curtis Jones wrote on Vancouver’s North…
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Be extra polite and deferential. Cultivate an exaggerated respect for the status quo. Spend an inordinate amount of time watching dumb TV shows while eating junk food. Make sure you’re exposed to as little natural light and fresh air as possible. JUST KIDDING! I lied! Ignore everything I just said! Here’s…
County of Humboldt, Please End the Madness in Ferndale
In a few weeks, the fairgrounds in Ferndale will be awash with the smell of fry oil and children’s gleeful screams as the 122nd annual Humboldt County Fair gets underway. Meanwhile, the Humboldt County Fair Association — the nonprofit that runs the fair — and the county of Humboldt have been meeting behind closed doors…
Supes Approve Bay Trail EIR, Eucalyptus Removal but Leave Possibility of Saving the Trees
The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously today, with Supervisor Rex Bohn absent, to approve an environmental impact report for the completion of the Humboldt Bay Trail that includes the removal of 219 eucalyptus trees along U.S. Highway 101. But the board’s decision also included a provision to have county staff hire a certified…
Music Tonight: Tuesday, July 31
Wandering away from music for a moment, I’d like to tongue-in-cheek suggest for your Tuesday evening what I can only say will certainly be a unique experience for anyone who, in the words of Hunter S. Thompson, “buys the ticket and takes the ride.” Humboldt Republican Women presents an advance screening of the film Death…
Grainy Photos from the Sand Sculpture Festival
The 23rd annual Sand Sculpture Festival sponsored by Friends of the Dunes took place on Saturday under cool overcast skies at a new location on the beach at the Samoa Drag Strip (easy access and lots of parking). Fifteen artist teams and a few other freelancers showed up to have fun creating amazing sand sculptures…
After Several Arrests, Logging Protest Planned for Thursday
A group of environmental activists is planning a protest Thursday in front of the Humboldt Redwood Co.’s Scotia office with the hopes of preventing planned logging activities in the Mattole River watershed. The protest comes a week after several people were arrested on Humboldt Redwood Co. land in the Rainbow Ridge area of the Mattole…
Music Tonight: Monday, July 30
Punkish Los Angeles band Hip Priest finds itself on the base of the Hollywood Hills of Arcata tonight, specifically Blondies at the foot of California Avenue, specifically at the hour of 8 p.m. Joining these transplants will be local punk rock burners Dead Drift and pop-garage trio The Tweeners (price TBA).
HumBug: Beetles and Weevils and Dragonflies
A recent walk along the Van Duzen River yielded a couple of interesting things. The only dragonfly I saw was a flame skimmer (Libellula saturata). This is the brightest orange dragonfly I know. I rarely see this species; I suspect they travel through my area just stopping to catch a quick bite. I felt something…
Westhaven Wild Blackberry Festival
Sweet on pie? Make hay to the Westhaven Wild Blackberry Festival on Sunday, July 29 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at Westhaven Fire Hall (free entry). This day of music and merriment benefits the Westhaven VFD and features live bands, arts and crafts booths, barbecue, beer/wine, kids’ activities, fire department tours and more. Get there early.…
Music Tonight: Sunday, July 29
didi is a loud pop trio from Columbus, Ohio, doing the ancient summer ritual of touring DIY spaces cross-country. Tonight at the Outer Space, you will find didi along with Bay Area punk act Try the Pie and local darlings Blood Honey performing their parts in the unbroken continuum of live music of which we,…
Sand Sculpture Festival
Friends of the Dunes’ annual Sand Sculpture Festival packs ’em in Saturday, July 28 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at — a new location this year — Samoa Drag Strip (spectators free). Watch teams in gritty competition for cash prizes (awarded at 1 p.m.) with best viewing time from noon to 2 p.m. Proceeds…
For the Kids
Looking for fun for the whole family this weekend? Clear your Saturday because the whole dang city of Eureka’s got you covered and there’s a rocking all-day music/food fundraiser going down in Blue Lake’s Perigot Park. Saturday, July 28 is Get Out and Play Day and Eureka Community Services has lined up free events all…
Music Tonight: Saturday, July 28
The Sanctuary’s artist in residence is Oakland’s Eva Restad, the central performer and creative force behind The Church of Color and Light. Tonight at 8 p.m. at the Sanc’, Church of C and L presents a performance of the ritual piece “IRRA” ($5-$20 sliding scale). Accompanying music will be provided by local sound-scaper Oryan Peterson-Jones,…
Huffman Introduces Massive Public Lands Bill
North Coast Congressman Jared Huffman introduced sweeping public lands legislation today aimed at guarding communities against wildfires and protecting public lands. The introduction comes about a year after Huffman held community meetings throughout the rural stretches of his district, which allowed him to incorporate input and feedback from a variety of stakeholders, including tourism organizations…
As Carr Fire Threatens Redding, 299 Remains Closed, Smoke Advisories Issued
The Carr Fire continues to rage in Shasta County and has forced widespread evacuations in Redding. The fire, sparked July 23 by the mechanical failure of a vehicle near State Route 299 and Carr Powerhouse Road in Whiskeytown, now spans more than 44,000 acres and is only 3 percent contained. It has killed two people…
Roll on the Mattole
Another volunteer fire department benefit gets underway at Roll on the Mattole, Saturday, July 28, from noon to midnight at Mattole Grange ($25, $20 seniors, kids 12 and under free w/adult). Enjoy fireman’s games, live music, food, beverages, arts and crafts vendors and a KidZone at this benefit for Honeydew Volunteer Fire Co.
Bobby Socks and Blue Jeans
Hot damn, Fortuna. We’ve barely cooled our bootheels from last week’s rodeo action and, for the second weekend in a row, you’ve got serious horsepower coming to town. Trade churros and chaps for Chevys and capris and meet up on Main Street for a weekend of nostalgia at the Fortuna Redwood AutoXpo, July 27-29 (free…
Music Tonight: Friday, July 27
Humboldt’s best kaleidoscopic jam group Absynth Quartet is playing a free one tonight at the Logger Bar at 9 p.m. Expect a fun and sweaty shindig on the raddest dancefloor east of the pump station. Oakland’s post-punk goth lurkers The Ink Bats come to the Alibi tonight at 11 p.m. for a dark and weird…
Crabs vs. Ringtails and Rooting for the Other Guy
Tuesday night’s game was one of the cruelest shellackings I have ever seen in any sport. The Redding Ringtails, obstructed by the Carr fire currently ravaging the Whiskeytown area, were only able to field nine of their own players. They picked up a 10th body, a young man from Eureka High School known to the…
Lawmakers’ Intervention Prevents Four-Month DMV Closure
North Coast lawmakers announced this afternoon that they have prevented — or at least postponed — a months-long closure of the Eureka Department of Motor Vehicles office that was slated to begin in August. State Sen. Mike McGuire and Assemblymember Jim Wood sent out a joint press release saying they were informed of the DMV’s…
Music Tonight: Thursday, July 26
Eureka’s free summer concert series continues at 6 p.m. on Madaket Plaza on the foot of C Street. This evening’s artist will be Chico’s wandering pop-history band of brothers and a sister, Decades. Expect a lively walk down the last 70-plus years of popular music delivered via top notch players.
Tripping
Reviews SORRY TO BOTHER YOU. I woke up thinking about this movie, which proves hard to forget. It leaves tracers behind the eyes, like staring at a too-bright neon light in a too-dark, too-late barroom, vestiges of its vibrant, driving, pointed, flawed, ugly, beautiful, street-style visual poetry. It’s appropriate for the directorial debut of Boots Riley,…
‘Yearning for the Bubble’
Editor: Your article, “A Deluge of Expletives” (July 19), was more than upsetting — what happened to our beloved Humboldt County? Have we fallen to the level of our current POTUS from the trickle down effect? How does a democracy survive when disagreements cannot be rationally discussed without fear of reprisal? It must be my…
‘Football Needs to Die a Natural Death’
Editor: I played football in eighth, ninth and 10th grades. It hurt. A lot. I suffered at least one concussion, probably several, not to mention the pounding of internal organs and the violent twisting of spine and limbs. In coverage of HSU football’s demise (NCJ Daily, July 19), I have so far seen no mention…
How Much to Believe
Editor: Because President Trump met one-on-one with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, there is no actual record of their discussions. However, Trump did assure us afterward that there was a denuclearization process in place and we should be able to “sleep well tonight.” But over a month has passed and Trump recently referred to…
A Song for Wednesday Morning
Seinfeld said you’re not a cat Bathing top down’s where it’s at Wash hair and face, scrub the pits Don’t forget the naughty bits Grab some breakfast, cup of Joe Kiss my wife before I go Measure life with coffee spoons But I play some classic tunes Out the garage, pass the bay Moo at…
In the Wake of Helsinki, NorCal Lawmakers Introduce Vetting Bills
The days following President Donald Trump’s widely criticized July 16 joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin saw a flurry of sternly worded statements and blustery interviews, but little action. Two North Coast lawmakers, however, seized the opportunity to announce legislation aimed at bringing greater transparency to presidential elections. Standing behind a podium in…
Word Girl
Amy Dixon, the protagonist of Carlene Meredith Cogliati’s To Durchhalten, loves words — their shape on a page and their sound, which she can almost taste on her tongue. She collects words not only for their intrinsic value and usefulness in expressing her feelings, but also to bolster her Spelling Bee prowess. So on the…
Why the ADA Still Needs Protecting
In 1990, President George H. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), giving people with disabilities assurance they would no longer be excluded from society based on their disability. The ADA was an “act to establish a clear and comprehensive prohibition of discrimination on the basis of disability.” The ADA has been in effect…
No Sauce Required
In 1989, a young John Chaffin, fresh out of the Marine Corps, had a life-changing beef roast made by his father — nothing fancy, just cooked low and slow. He’s been chasing that deep, meaty flavor in the kitchen, the grill and the smoker ever since. If you’ve ever snagged the coveted job of carving…
The Roots of Homeopathy
Sometimes topics for this column fall, unbidden, into my lap. Such was the case during our recent trip to Romania, where we’d booked a room in the heart of old Sibiu on Strada Samuel Brukenthal. The name rang a bell for me, not because of Brukenthal’s 13-year stint as governor of Transylvania — thanks to…
