The Disappearing Railroad Blues
With its eroding line and financial woes, is it time to part ways with the North Coast Railroad Authority?
Cover Story
The Disappearing Railroad Blues
Getting trains into Humboldt County has never been easy. The common shorthand for our region’s isolation is “behind the redwood curtain,” but those fuzzy-barked spires were never a barrier for rails. In fact, the lucrative lumber from logged old growths is what attracted railroad companies here in the first place. No, it’s the ground beneath…
Arkley Center Announces Closure
The Arkley Center for the Performing Arts, the downtown Eureka fixture of dance and symphony, announced it will close for an indefinite period of time. Theater manager Carly Robbins confirmed that the news was handed down from Security National — Rob Arkley’s real estate and investment company — last week, but said any further information…
Parents of Murder Victim: ‘Her Light Will Always Shine’
In the midst of grief over the death of their 18-year-old daughter Christina, Stewart and Tina Schwarz of Eureka are trying to find solace and inspiration from her memory. Despite the sudden and tragic loss, her mom said, “Her light will always shine.” Tina Schwarz said her daughter embraced life and encouraged others to do…
What Happened To Bob Doran (Updated)
Update 5/28: Bob was transferred last week from Santa Rosa Memorial to the General Hospital campus of St. Joseph Hospital. His wife, Amy, said Tuesday he’s receiving intensive physical and speech therapy and that he’s “getting a little bit better every day.” To send your regards to Bob, go to his Facebook page. Update 5/19:…
Meet the Rat Poison Rep Who’s Super-Concerned About Your Health
You may have heard that the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution urging local businesses to stop selling rodenticides. (The poisonous chemicals, which are often used in outdoor marijuana grows, have been killing Pacific Fishers and poisoning dozens of other wildlife species locally.) But did you see this? A man…
![Kai the “Hatchet-wielding Hitchhiker” Wanted for Murder [Updated]](https://i0.wp.com/www.northcoastjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/kai.webp?resize=400%2C300&ssl=1)
Kai the “Hatchet-wielding Hitchhiker” Wanted for Murder [Updated]
Update: Kai has been arrested, the Associated Press reports. The “homefree” hitchhiker known as Kai (real name Caleb Lawrence McGillvary) is reportedly wanted for murder in New Jersey. According to news reports McGillvary is being sought in connection with the death of 73-year-old New Jersey attorney Joseph Galfy Jr. McGillvary, who lists his home as…
Essential Arts
Editor: What CR is doing simply does not make sense (“Re-Imagining CR,” April 11). I understand that financially times are tough and that schools are being asked to focus on the basics, but if you are struggling for funds wouldn’t it be more reasonable to keep the program that profits the school? If money is…
Creative Cover!
Editor: We were excited to see graphic artist Lynn Jones’ creative reuse of materials for the North Coast Journal’s “Summer of Fun” (May 9) issue! Our mission at SCRAP Humboldt, the county’s first nonprofit creative reuse center, is to inspire creative reuse and environmentally sustainable behavior by providing educational programs and affordable materials to the…
Railroad? How about a Highway to Hawaii?
Editor: Regarding your article on a railroad feasibility study (“Views,” May 2: “Yes” or “No”), the study is a waste of money because railroad costs are far out of reach, on the order of tens to hundreds of millions of dollars. Where would this money possibly come from?! For the last 30 or more years, including…
Black and White or in Color?
As the multi-talented saxophonist/electronica artist/clothing designer Chris Noonan put it, “It’s that time of year again.” It’s HSU’s graduation weekend for one thing, which sort of means the beginning of summer, signaling a definite shift in the local student population. Actually, Noonan meant it’s time for another Black and White Ball, Saturday night at the…
Much Ado about Nothing
Why is there something rather than nothing? That question — pioneering psychologist William James dubbed it “the darkest in all philosophy” — feels to me a bit like “what’s north of the North Pole?” It’s a trick question because of its insinuation that an explanation is called for because “nothing” is normal and “something” demands…
Creepy Characters and Clowns
This coming weekend, May 16-18, graduating Master of Fine Arts students at Dell’Arte International School present the culmination of their thesis projects: the second and final weekend of three plays which they devised and perform. It’s the end of a process that involved weekly presentations to their academic advisers, writing a statement of purpose and…
McKinleyville Arts Night
McKinleyville Arts Night is presented on the third Friday of the month by members of the McKinleyville business community and is open for all McKinleyville businesses to display the work of local artists. Receptions for artists, exhibits and/or performances are from 6-8 p.m. on the third Friday of each month. Call (707) 834-6460 or visit…
DVDs to Discover or Revisit
With the 2013 summer blockbuster season about to ramp up, you may be looking for a way to escape the Fast & Furious (Star) Trek into Iron Man Darkness Part III. Fortunately there are DVDs, popcorn and couches at home. For something completely different, you may even want to venture back into the less predictable,…
Gatsby on Blast
Reviews THE GREAT GATSBY. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Gatsby is a near-perfect novel, one of the indispensable works of 20th century American art. This movie from Baz Luhrmann (Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge), on the other hand, seems like it was adapted from a ninth-grader’s term paper on the book. Fitzgerald captured a distinct place in…
Five Things To Know Before You Name Your Child or Dog
1. Porch test: Make a list of potential pup names. Open your front door. Step outside. Holler out the first one on the list. Holler it again. How’s that feel? Do it one more time. If you find yourself cringing that you just shouted “Mr. Scritchie!” at the neighborhood multiple times, cross it off the…
The Clam Whisperer
On a recent late April morning, in the hazy half light of dawn, I found myself wearing rubber boots, burdened by several layers of clothing and a shovel, and marching awkwardly through soft sand of the fore dunes to the ocean. There were hundreds of us, bulky and burdened, in a surreal trudge toward the…
To a Friend as Graduation Nears
Remember the silly things. Not just the profound ones: discovering yourself, plotting a course through the wild and uncharted waters of your life. Remember floundering on a makeshift raft in the middle of a pond and scaring the turtles. Remember microwaving pine cones just to watch them open up. Remember staying up late making…
Don’t End With Fear
Editor: Thank you, North Coast Journal. With the publication of “Choosing Death” (April 25) you have done the community a great service. Fear of death is one of the major compulsions underpinning religions and other superstitions which try to ameliorate fear by providing exculpatory alternatives. On the other hand, Josephine Johnson’s exemplary article does that for the…
Women and Song
Humboldt’s got some strong women, some fierce women, some powerful women, some outrageous women, but even so, our badass women don’t always get the recognition that they’re due. Trinidad musician Maria Bartlett noticed that lack of recognition in our music scene, and so she did something about it. Bartlett launched a monthly women-only performance series…
Let It Commence
Graduation: that final, traditional hurdle between a priceless education and decades of paying off student loans. It’s the magical time of year when justifiably proud parents struggle to understand exactly what the deal is with Arcata, while their matriculated children try to understand exactly what the deal is with their parents. On Saturday, May 18,…
