The Debt Divide
How homeowners sink while some Rob Arkley companies use bankruptcy to weather the storm
Cover Story
The Debt Divide
Since the local housing market peaked in March 2006, more than 700 homes have been foreclosed on in Humboldt County. That’s about 25 foreclosures for every 1,000 single-family detached homes. Their owners almost invariably paid way too much, thanks to a real estate market that was speeding toward a cliff without seat-belts. Wall Street gimmicks…
Big Rain, So Far
We’re jumping the rain gun here, offering up some preliminary stats about this lasher of a storm. But first a note about the photo: Yes, it’s King Salmon and no, nobody’s surprised about a little/lot of flooding in that low-lying, ‘tween-the-track-and-the-bay fisherman’s burg. Especially, says Jason Anderson at the Woodley Island office of the National…
Access Humboldt Goes Dark
They had to use the Internet to do so, but Access Humboldt announced last night that it’s joining Wikipedia and others in the SOPA strike by going dark from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. today. Here’s the official announcement: Access Humboldt is participating in action to highlight US legislation that threatens commercial censorship of the…
Neighhhhhh, they say
About 80 equestrian trail advocates “flash mobbed at Clam Beach today,” reports Uri Driscoll. They parked about 35 horse trailers alongside the frontage road between U.S. 101 and Clam Beach/Little River State Beach, and then assembled on foot in front of them with sign boards and a petition. They demanded that Redwood State Park listen…
Wal-Mart Welcome
Editor: In regards to the feelings about Wal-Mart by some people here (“Mailbox,” Dec. 29) my sister has worked for Wal-Mart for over 10 years and is a manager. I have been in several Wal-Marts over the years, and many of the people who work in them were very satisfied to work there. The stores…
Quid Pro Quo
What happens if I lock myself out? What…
Plant Lovin’
Editor: After “Drugs in Disguise” by Liza Lester (Nov. 10), and “Bad Bugs, No Drugs?” by Barry Evans (Dec. 29), I would like to share some thoughts. Plant medicine is an integral and helpful part of the lifestyles of most of humanity today. We could also include “modern medicine” users if we note that a…
Curiosity en Route
The successful launch of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity last Nov. 26 represents a quantum leap in furthering our exploration of the Red Planet. The one-ton rover is about 10 feet long, about the size and weight of a Mini Cooper. That’s huge compared with the most recent Mars rovers Spirit’s and Opportunity, each of…
Arts! Arcata
Second Friday 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 822-4500. 1. 3 Foods Café 835 J St. Live music from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. 2. Abruzzi 780 Seventh St. Live…
Hot Toddies
A friend of mine has been on a grueling book tour to promote her new novel. One night in early December, after she’d been on the road for weeks, she posted a note on Facebook that she’d developed a scratchy throat on the road and had done the only sensible thing: called room service and…
The Kids Eat It Up: The Best of Robert Pollard 2010-2011
Age has hardly slowed down the hyper-prolific nature of artist and songwriter Robert Pollard, the 54-year-old leader of Guided By Voices. After disbanding the legendary indie group in 2004, he reunited with the “classic” mid-‘90s GBV line-up for a brief 2010-11 tour and recorded a batch of new songs, Let’s Go Eat the Factory, due…
To the Letter
An antique iron press with an enormous black wheel anchors the back room of artist Elaine Benjamin’s Blue Chair Press studio, formerly home to the Blue Lake Advocate. The place also came with the oak counter where she greets me, wearing a pair of round tortoise glasses. Obsolete objects are all around, including a row…
CalFrustrated
Back in 2007, when Daniele Nelson was just 18 and struggling to get by on her own, a friend urged her to try to get on food stamps. “It was a pain going down there and supplying documents,” Nelson recalled. She had to get fingerprinted, and bring a photo ID, her Social Security card,…
Walkabout Wow
Editor: Heidi Walters piece “Aldaron’s Walkabout” (Jan. 5) was one of the best visually descriptive pieces I’ve ever read in the Journal, with the exception of one word substituted for fecal matter. It made you feel like you were walking/paddling right along with the author and her subject, Aldaron Laird, on his 105 mile trek around Humboldt…
Two Wolves
At the heart of the Los Angelino rock band Los Lobos is the songwriting team of guitarist/vocalist David Hidalgo and lyricist/multi-instrumentalist Louie Perez, friends who have been crafting tunes together for around 40 years. Both grew up in East L.A. — Perez in a household where his mother played ranchero music on the radio and…
Breathe Easy
Listen, Humboldtians. As you may have heard, yes, The Peking Acrobats will be gracing the stage at HSU’s Van Duzer Theatre on Tuesday, Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. Yes, these are the acrobats that were in Ocean’s Eleven. Yes, as always, death-defying feats will be in ample supply. Yes, the Seattle Times described them by…
Secret Agent Man
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY. Like his 2008 film Let The Right One In, Swedish director Tomas Alfredson’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is beautifully composed and photographed. Permeated with an air of impending doom, this film is fully realized and completely effective, if at times painfully slow. Tinker is adapted from the John le Carré novel,…
Something for Everybody
The Friday night cocktail party sounded promising: After a day of talking alt. weekly biz with peers at a conference in Portland, several Oregon wineries and some vodka company were hosting an open bar. It got better when the entertainment came marching in, literally. Flanked by costumed stiltwalkers, March Fourth Marching Band arrived with drummers…
Guru Marcy
Editor: If I wasn’t already worshiping Jesus, I would be tempted to worship Marcy Burstiner (“Publish or Perish,” Jan. 5), or at least hire her as a personal guru. She has captured the social and communicative universe as we know it, diagnosed its ills, and delivered a pointed and powerful prescription for all of us.…
Arise, O Sleeper!
Seven-O-Heaven awakes from their winter hibernation and gets up to speed
