Cover Stories
The Creepy Carson
As the haunted holiday approaches and our thoughts turn to creepy wonders, things that go bump in the night and pillow cases full of candy corn harvested by the kids, one might be startled to know that a real scary celebrity resides in our midst, hidden in plain sight in Eureka on a hill overlooking…
Here There Be Ghosts?
Do ghouls reside at 143 M Street? Given its status as the poster child of haunted house art, the Carson Mansion seems a likely place to find resident ghosts, no? Well, no and yes. First the “No” theory. The house doesn’t have tragic stories attributed to it — understandable, considering that its builder, William Carson,…
Spook Tube
The green-gabled mansion haunts numerous frightening online flicks, replete with eerie music, strange camera angles, and thunder and lightning. Here’s a sample. Haunted House — CameraMap http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fanc3kyBnuA Best Horror Music Ever #3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKwQ_Vhg4P0 Haunted House 3D Visualization http://vimeo.com/11502735 Spooky Halloween E-card http://tinyurl.com/halloween31
Did Not Shirk Work
Harvey G. Harper in his office at Harper Motors earlier this year. He died Tuesday night.
12,960 Ballots Left to Count
… according to Humboldt County Clerk-Recorder Carolyn Crnich. That gives Patrick Cleary and other candidates still hanging on by a thread a tiny bit more cause to hope.
County’s Drug-Induced Death Rate Highest in the State
Here’s a challenge for this week’s newly elected politicians: Humboldt County has the highest drug-induced death rate in the state, according to a new study by the California Center for Rural Policy.
A Lesson for Progressives
[… or, “How to Win an Election.” Journal contributor John Osborn’s thoughts below. — Ed.] The first reaction that came to mind after the initial absentee ballot results trickled in last night was this: It would suck to be Linda Atkins right now. That reaction didn’t change as the night rolled on. The moderate-conservative sweep across…
In the Fifth
It wasn’t all that early when we hit the election night parties in the Fifth District, but only the mail-in absentee ballots were in. It was neck and neck, less than 100 votes separated candidates Patrick Cleary and Ryan Sundberg. Both were in McKinleyville with supporters: Cleary at Six Rivers Brewery, Sundberg across town at…
Elections — Who’s Still Alive?
We’re still waiting to get through to the Elections Office, but several campaigns are reporting that there are 10,000 late absentee and provisional ballots left to be counted. This roughly jibes with what we’ve seen in the past. In the June primary, when turnout was much lower, there were 6,556 votes counted after the polls…
FINAL REPORT
Gallegos holds on, conservatives sweep all else. Or does Cleary still have a fighting chance in the Fifth?
THIRD REPORT
NOTE! This report includes all Eureka precincts but one. FOURTH DISTRICT SUPERVISOR Bass 56.21% Neely 43.10% FIFTH DISTRICT SUPERVISOR Cleary 48.47% Sundberg 51.24% ASSESSOR Rodoni 40.53% Wilson 59.25% DA Gallegos 45.82% Jackson 53.97% EUREKA MAYOR Jager 51.95% LaVallee 43.09% Spalding 4.65% EUREKA FIRST WARD Glass 42.44% Brady 57.31% EUREKA THIRD WARD Kuhnel 42.18% Newman 43.72%…
SECOND REPORT
54 of 134 precincts reporting FOURTH DISTRICT SUPERVISOR Bass — 57.57% Neely — 41.75% FIFTH DISTRICT SUPERVISOR Cleary — 48.47% Sundberg — 51.24% ASSESSOR Rodoni — 41.05% Wilson — 58.76% DA Gallegos — 44.37% Jackson — 55.44% EUREKA MAYOR Jager — 53.27% LaVallee — 41.72% Spalding 4.67% EUREKA FIRST WARD Glass — 41.09% Brady –…
Scenes from the Election
The Humboldt County Election Office was slammed at the lunch hour. Citizens were dropping off ballots as the phones rang and rang, while a beefed-up elections staff scurried from place to place carrying sheafs of papers. County Clerk-Recorder Carolyn Crnich was down in the basement with the tabulation equipment, fiddling with a computer in preparation…
Elections Boss Predicts Long Night
According to Journal contributor Jennifer Savage, Elections Chief Carolyn Crnich is saying that it’s going to be a long night. The two-page ballot is a bear to scan, and turnout appears to have been crazy high. Prop. 19 is failing.
FIRST RESULTS
Yes, absentee results skew conservative, but these are bad, bad numbers for progressives. Cleary excepted. DA Gallegos: 41.6% Jackson: 58.2% FOURTH DISTRICT Bass: 64.1% Neely: 35.1% FIFTH DISTRICT Cleary: 48.5% Sundberg: 51.2% ASSESSOR Wilson: 57.8% Rodoni: 42.1% EUREKA MAYOR Jager: 59.23% LaVallee: 35.49% EUREKA WARD ONE Glass: 35.74% Brady: 64.04% EUREKA WARD THREE Newman: 48.18%…
Pierson Drops Another $13,000 on Election Day
$4,000 each for Glass and Kuhnel; $5,000 for Cleary. PDF here.
Strong Youth Turnout in Arcata
Polling places across Arcata are reporting higher than anticipated turnout this afternoon, as steady streams of young voters make their way to the polls. Phrases used by a number of poll workers included, “strong and steady,” “higher than usual,” and “surprising.” Off-year, non-presidential elections like this one are often a yawn for most registered voters,…
I Facebook-Friended Richard Salzman into a State of Terror, and I Am Sorry
Journal contributor Terrence McNally writes: I, Terrence McNally, recognizing that by several legal definitions I am a total jerkwad, hereby offer my apology to District Attorney Paul Gallegos’ political operative, Richard Salzman. Facebook friend-request terror victim Richard Salzman. When I received a phone call from Arcata Police Department Officer Altizer today, Nov. 2, telling me that…
Last-minute Electioneering
Here it is, folks — Election Day! After months of candidate forums, campaign commercials, mud-slinging, posturing and promises, it’s time to exercise the greatest power afforded you by the government of these United States of America: scribbling ball-point ink inside tiny rectangular boxes. (Here’s how not to do it.) Smells like freedom. Candidates and their…
Poor Amy Stewart on Prop. 19
The November installment of North Coast Almanack — famous writer Amy Stewart’s popular and utile guide to gardening, alcohol and alcoholic gardeners — won’t be published until tomorrow. We give you a preview today. Nov. 1: Tomorrow [today] you will be asked to make a very interesting decision. The appeal of taking an illegal operation and bringing…
Waves: Big
How big is a 20-foot swell? Taller than the average two-story house, over three times the size of the average man. Big enough to sweep you away forever if you should be so silly as to go near the ocean today. As of 6:53 a.m., the local swell was running 20 feet at 21 seconds…
Election Predictions!
It’s that time of year again — time for predictions, the fun part of election season! We’ll all be back tomorrow night to live-blog the holy hell out of the election night parties as the results pour in, but the blather begins now. I’ve given up hectoring people, but I will issue a friendly reminder.…
Oh my God, look at those dragons
Early this morning, at the ungodly hour of 4:30, we were standing in front of the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas, waiting for a cab, when a young gentleman appeared, looking slightly disheveled from a night of pre-Halloween partying. He was in his stocking feet, carrying one Timberland boot in his hand. “Where’s your other…
Samoa Stumphouse
With only two days until the election, and polls showing your lead widening against opponent Meg Whitman, c’mon Jerry, do you really need to make that out-of-the-way trek up to Humboldt County? Really? For whatever reason, Jerry Brown did. At 8 a.m. Sunday morning, around 150 presumed supporters of the California gubernatorial candidate sardine-packed themselves…
The Joy of Squash
My parents don’t really feel squash. They don’t despise it; it just doesn’t provoke any vehement response. I don’t understand their reaction; if my father can spend days finding the right ratio of duck fat to butter for frying potatoes, and my mother giggles like a school girl at the sight of sweet potato French…
Stage Hands
Conrad Bishop and Elizabeth Fuller don’t just work with puppets, they think about them. They say as much in the notes for their new Independent Eye show now on tour, Hands Up! which played two nights last week at Dell’Arte: “The show tonight is with puppets, and in a sense it’s about puppets.” Because puppets…
Improve Your Predicament
Let’s face facts: Humboldt County will never boast big city appeal. Shocking, I know. But if you’re looking to have your senses assaulted by limitless shopping, dining and/or cutting-edge American culture, you’re in the wrong redwood-isolated corner of the state, hombre. Pros? Shorter lines. Cons? No In-N-Out Burger. Be strong. It takes a unique resolve…
Madness at the Lab
A week and a day before they launch their sixth annual Haunted Kinetic Sculpture Lab of Horrors, there was much to do. While chaos seemingly reigned, the warehouse/workshop in Arcata’s industrial zone was starting to take shape. Sheets of plywood, most of it painted black, had turned the large room into a maze leading to…
The Sweetest Holiday
You can only ride the Halloween sexy train for so long, people. You have kids now. Time to put away the sexy nurse, sexy fireman, sexy lobster (etc.) costumes. It’s about them now. But after years of immersing your self in carnal lust — as opposed to cute, innocent candy lust — where can you…
Eastwood’s Dead
Previews SAW 3D: THE FINAL CHAPTER. The gruesome horror franchise comes to an end Halloween weekend with yet another deadly puzzle from the Jigsaw Killer (Tobin Bell). Various victims and accomplices return. Sawing ensues. Director Kevin Greutert has the distinction of having worked on all six previous Saw movies as editor or director. 91m. Rated…
Fourth Down
With the possible exception of the race for District Attorney, nothing on the local Nov. 2 ballot is as hard-fought as the battle between Eureka Mayor Virginia Bass and six-term incumbent Fourth District Supervisor Bonnie Neely — and nothing has higher stakes. From a political point of view, Neely’s ouster would remove from office the…
Hallowed
Got one of those exponential Fw: Fw: Fw: e-mails the other day. It claims, “An interesting fact about October 2010: This October has five Fridays, five Saturdays and five Sundays, all in one month. It happens once in 823 years…” Then it goes on to insist that this bogus factoid must be forwarded to eight…
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart presents Earth (The Book) A Visitor’s Guide to the Human Race
A mock textbook for aliens discovering the remaining vestiges of a planet left in ruin by its now extinct inhabitants, Earth (The Book), presents a definitive guide to our species, planet and what was once our way of life. Jon Stewart and the witty team of writers at The Daily Show step away from politics…
Gettin’ Ugly
It’s an election-cycle ritual as predictable as the arrival of sample ballots: In the final weeks, things will get ugly. Dueling campaigns — or their swiftboating supporters — will let loose with character assassinations, accusations and innuendo. The closer the race, the more vehement the attacks. By that barometer, we’ve got a nail-biter on our…
Lift
Oakland-based drummer, percussionist and composer Scott Amendola belongs to an elite group of contemporary musicians who have paved new avenues for contemporary music and jazz. Amendola’s strength is his constant inventiveness and improvisational skill, or adding subtle touches within the deep pocket of unrelenting groove. The list of musicians he has played and collaborated with…
Naval Battle
Two major decisions this week could very well greenlight the Department of the Navy’s plans to expand training exercises, try out new weapons systems and enhance training capabilities within its Northwest Training Range Complex, a vast range of ocean and airspace off the coasts of Washington, Oregon and Northern California, and some land and airspace…
Nuke News
After only 13 years of nuclear power generation, PG&E shut down the Humboldt Bay nuclear reactor in 1976 due to seismic concerns. Two years ago, contractors at the site loaded five dry storage casks (photo) with the remaining hot (radioactive) spent fuel rods. “Dry” here means the rods are surrounded by inert helium gas, as…
The Vote in the Hills
Time moves more slowly up in the hills around northern and eastern Humboldt County, and political campaigns run more quietly. The race between businessman Patrick Cleary and insurance agent and tribal leader Ryan Sundberg to replace incumbent Supervisor Jill Duffy has been conducted at a far softer pitch than the race that’s centered around urban…
Jackson? Not Me
Editor: I want to report another false Allison Jackson endorsement. An advertisement in both the Times-Standard and the North Coast Journal incorrectly and inappropriately listed me as an endorser of Ms. Jackson. The false ad may have also been included in other papers. Not only do I not endorse Ms. Jackson at this time, I…
Help is Here
Editor: Thank you for “Chloe’s Legacy” (Oct 14). Tragically, transgender people often endure harassment and discrimination as well as suffering high rates of depression and suicide. Hopefully articles like this one and the bravery of Chloe’s parents in telling her story will inspire us all to be more open-minded, compassionate and better advocates in creating…
Money Savaged
Editor: I was happy to see one local newspaper finally raise its eyebrows at the dumping of business establishment cash into the local campaigns of candidates of a certain political stripe (“Interested Parties,” Oct. 14). It’s a disturbing, local version of what’s happening at the national and state levels where billionaires, the U.S. Chamber of…
Tracks
For every two steps, four paws pressed sand….
A Pinko Greenie Speaks
Editor: A few thoughts regarding the Happy Camp article, if you please. The offered definition of an environmental extremist: person who wants the United States National Forest to remain in its natural state for all citizens to enjoy and to benefit from the clean water, air and wildlife produced. My definition of redneck ranchers who…
