Transition
Why the face of Humboldt’s pandemic response is stepping down and what it means for the rest of us
Two New COVID-19 Cases
Humboldt County Public Health confirmed two new COVID-19 cases, bringing September’s total to 93, including 35 new cases, two additional hospitalizations and one death reported this week. The current countywide case total stands at 481 and Humboldt remains in the “moderate” category under the state’s new four-tiered system, but health officials have warned that the region…
Record Heat Followed by Rain? Maybe, Says NWS
Eureka is looking to possibly break a heat record for this date today, according to the National Weather Service, with the office on Woodley Island reading 75 degrees just before 1 p.m. That number ties the record set back in 2009 and 1927, according to a tweet this afternoon. Meanwhile, there is slight chance of…
UPDATE: Carlotta Shooting Investigation Ongoing
UPDATE: The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office reports the gunshot victim is being transported to the hospital but the individual’s condition was not immediately available. An investigation is ongoing. PREVIOUS: At approximately 2:30 p.m., a man called 911 reporting he had been in a shootout with three masked suspects on Hwy 36 near Carlotta. According to…
Crews Still Keeping August Complex Out of Humboldt
The West Zone of the August Complex — which encompasses Humboldt, Mendocino, Trinity and Del Norte counties — stands at 42,171 acres after being downgraded from yesterday’s estimate of more than 55,000 acres. A Virtual Community Meeting is scheduled at 7 p.m. today. Questions can be submitted to the Cal Fire Medocino Facebook: @CALFIREMEU, which…
EPD Searching for ‘Armed and Dangerous’ Bank Robbery Suspects
The Eureka Police Department is investigating a bank robbery that occurred just before 1 p.m. on the 2800 block of F Street, with two suspects sought. According to a Facebook post, the two suspects were described as wearing masks and dark clothing and may have left the scene in a newer model white Ford pickup,…
Humidity Helping Calm Slater Fire
Higher humidity is expected to keep the Slater Fire, which spans from the Oregon border down to Happy Camp, calm today, with moisture levels increasing through the day and rain possible Thursday or Friday, according to today’s update. Highway 199 remains closed from O’Brien south almost to Gasquet. Highway 96 is now open to one-way…
Smoky Conditions Improving in Most Areas
Things are clearing up for the coast but inland areas will continue to see unhealthy air quality due to smoke from wildfires burning across the region, although conditions are improving. The North Coast Unified Air Quality Management District issued the following forecast for the Humboldt County region, with advisories issued for Orleans, Hoopa and Weitchpec:…
Blue-Green Algae Found in Mad River
Public Health and Environmental Health officials are cautioning residents to stay out of the water after cyanobacteria — also known as blue-green alage — was confirmed at three locations on the Mad River. According to a news release, the samples were collected at the Mad River Recreational location commonly known as Sewer Ponds, at Pump…
Red Salmon Complex Update
The Red Salmon Complex is just over 95,000 acres with 18 percent containment as fire crews work to stop its spread north toward Salmon River Road and to keep flames east of the Hoopa Reservation. “Along the southwestern and southern flanks, firefighters improved roads and other natural features to create defensive lines to protect the…
Public Health Confirms Six New COVID-19 Cases, One New Hospitalization
Humboldt County Public Health has confirmed another six COVID-19 cases, making 33 so far this week and 91 to date in September. The county also reported a new hospitalization. The report comes a day after the county announced another COVID-19 death — the county’s sixth to date — and another hospitalization. With wildfires continuing to…
Supes Declare Wildfire Emergency
The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors today declared a local emergency due to the wildfires burning in the region. The August Complex West Zone has prompted evacuation orders and warnings in the Southern Humboldt area as firefighters work to keep the flames out of Humboldt and east of the Eel River. The Red Salmon Complex…
Vehicle Fire on Southbound 101 Near Clam Beach
A Subaru stationwagon is engulfed in flames on southbound Hwy 101 near Clam Beach north of McKinleyville as of 2:55 p.m. Southbound traffic is impacted. Please avoid the area if possible. Please remember that information gathered from initial reports is subject to revision as more facts become available.
ENF Sets Up Donation Bins For Firefighters
Eureka Natural Foods is lending a helping hand to firefighters by setting up an easy to purchase wanted/needed goods display and bins for donations in its stores. “Eureka Natural Foods has set up designated bins for donations for the firefighters. They have asked for yummy snacks, energy drinks, coffee, chapstick, nasal spray and snacks. So…
Emergency Closure Order Extended for CA National Forests
The USDA Forest Service has issued an Emergency Closure Order Extension through Monday, September 21, 2020 for all National Forests in Region 5, which includes Mendocino National Forest, Klamath National Forest, Six Rivers National Forest and Shasta-Trinity National Forest. “We understand this greatly impacts hunting season, which opens Saturday, September 19, 2020. We ask that you please…
Hoopa: No New COVID Cases Today
The Hoopa Valley Tribal Office of Emergency Services COVID-19 Incident Management Team has confirmed no new COVID-19 cases at the K’ima:w Medical Center, leaving the total at 52. Today’s report also states there are no “active” cases and all 52 cases are “recovered.” More information can be found at https://hoopaoes.org.
HSU Lecturer’s Photo on NYT Magazine Cover
If you were clutching the pages of the New York Times Magazine’s education issue this week or racking up screen time reading it online to learn about what’s going on in schools and homes amid the pandemic across the U.S., you might have seen some local photography. The deceptively soothing cover image of a child at…
Some Areas of Air Quality Improve, Others Remain Unhealthy
Coastal areas impacted by wildfire smoke will see improved air quality today and in the coming days with a chance of precipitaion helping things out later this week. Smoke from the Red Salmon and August Fires continues to create ‘unhealthy’ and ‘very unhealthy’ conditions for much of Eastern Humboldt and Trinity County with air quality advisories…
August Complex Still Out of Humboldt
Firefighters are continuing to hold the August Complex out of Humboldt County and will continue working today on keeping the fire east of the Eel River. According to today’s Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services update, evacuations orders and evacuation warnings remain in effect for portions of Southern Humboldt. However, licensed farmers can receive day-passes…
HSU Campus Back Open Today
Humboldt State University is reopening today for on-campus classes after being closed for several days due to air quality concerns, according to a news release. “All face-to-face courses, outdoor activities, virtual instruction and operations will continue as scheduled,” the release states. According to AirNow’s Fire and Smoke Map, Arcata’s current air quality index is 45, or ‘good.’ The…
UPDATE: Slash Pile Fire Burning in Arcata
UPDATE: The Arcata Fire District states the smoldering slash pile on West End Road, which is being allowed to burn down, was still too large to extinguish by water as of 4 p.m. and the situation is being monitored. “Firefighters will continue to check in during this period as well,” the AFD release states. “The…
Day-Passes for Farmers in Fire Zones Available
Starting today, licensed farmers with property in Southern Humboldt’s August Complex evacuation zone can obtain one-day passes from the county Planning and Building Department to check on their crops and livestock. One vehicle per pass will be allowed to visit sites in the evacuation zone between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. The passes will be…
North Coast Co-op: Employee Tested Positive for COVID
The North Coast Co-op posted on Facebook that it learned today that one of its store employees has tested positive for COVID-19. According to the post, the co-op has notified the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services and staff of the positive result. The employee last worked in the Eureka location on Sept.…
Public Health Reports Another COVID-19 Death, 26 New Cases
Humboldt County has recorded another COVID-19 related death, Public Health announced this afternoon in a grim report that also included a new hospitalization and 26 additional cases confirmed since Friday, which seems to push the county past a state threshold and into another tier of restrictions. The death — which the Joint Information Center said…
Deputies Not After Cannabis in Evacuation Zones
A false rumor picking up steam on social media alleges that Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office deputies are serving warrants on marijuana properties in the Island Mountain area where the owners have been evacuated because of the wildfire threatening Humboldt County on its southeastern border with Trinity County. “That is not true. We do have our…
Slater, Devil Fires Continue to Grow
The Slater Fire, which straddles the Oregon-California border and spans south to Happy Camp, and the Devil Fire to the east continued to grow yesterday. The Slater Fire is now estimated to be 131,601 acres and 5 percent contained while the Devil Fire is estimated to be 4,429 acres and is 0 percent contained. The…
Red Salmon Fire Nearly 92,000 Acres
A spot fire in a northeast section of the Red Salmon Complex prompted the evacuation of Forks of Salmon and nearby areas on Sunday, according to this morning’s update, which reports that the spot remains a threat. “Additional lines continue to be built and scouted, while community and structure protection in and around Denny and…
Fires Creating Unhealthy to Hazardous Air
Multiple fires in the region are continuing to create dangerously smoky skies with hazardous to unhealthy conditions for yet another day. An air quality advisory was issued again today for coastal areas from Rio Dell to Trinidad as well as Hoopa, Weitchpec, Willow Creek, Garberville and Redway while an alert was issued for Orleans, which…
Dune Fire South of Manila
Firefighters have located a difficult to find vegetation fire is burning in the area of Peninsula Drive on the peninsula south of Manila and northwest of Eureka. The first report came in about 8:12 this morning.
‘Really Good Fire Fight’ on August Complex
A “really good fire fight” went on in the Ruth area late yesterday, according to the August Complex management team in the morning operations briefing. About 2 p.m. a pyrocumulous cloud formed over the Ruth area and the fire grew about 10,000 acres in the north area. There were several spot fires last night However,…
Live Entertainment Still Canceled
Despite what you might be seeing around the county and online, live shows are still not allowed under our current phase of shelter in place. On Aug. 4, the Humboldt Reopening Certification Team sent an email around to restaurants reminding them of the regulations for outdoor tent dining (one side closed only), face coverings (still required…
SECOND UPDATE: Heightened Fire Conditions Expected for August Complex
UPDATE: The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office issued new evacuation orders for areas south and east of Humboldt County this evening. Read more from Redheaded Blackbelt here. PREVIOUS: The August Complex is continuing to move northeast from the Ruth Valley where firefighters are working to defend home along Ruth Lake Road while on the western edge…
![[UPDATE 1:53 P.M.: HWY 101] Trailer On Fire Near Salmon Creek Exit in SoHum](https://i0.wp.com/www.northcoastjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/vehicle-fire.png?resize=400%2C300&ssl=1)
[UPDATE 1:53 P.M.: HWY 101] Trailer On Fire Near Salmon Creek Exit in SoHum
Multiple agencies are rushing to just north of the Salmon Creek exit near Miranda after a fire broke out in a trailer being pulled by a GMC pickup at 1:09 p.m. According to the CHP, the outside (number 2 lane is blocked) as the trailer contains “a large amount of ammunition. There have been several…
Coast Guard Rescues Two From Boat
The Coast Guard rescued two people aboard a disabled vessel Saturday, approximately 11 miles southwest of Petrolia, according to a U.S. Coast Guard press release. The disabled pleasure craft Wooden Mistress began taking on water as the Coast Guard towed it back to Eureka, prompting the Coast Guard to rescue the crewmembers before the vessel…
Slater and Devil Fires Update, Public Meetings Today
The Slater and Devil Fires continue to spread and remain zero percent contained as of this morning’s update from the U.S. Forest Service. The Devil Fire near Happy Camp is estimated at 4,149 acres and the Slater Fire, which straddles the Californa-Oregon border along Highway 199 northeast of Crescent City, is estimated at 126,333 acres. Evacuation…
Red Salmon Complex Update: ‘Significant Progress’
The Red Salmon Complex in the Klamath, Six Rivers, and Shasta-Trinity national forests within Humboldt, Trinity and Siskiyou counties now stands at 87, 782 acres with 16 percent containment. However, as this morning’s update from the USDA states, progress is being made. “Multiple small victories have been recorded by fire crews in the last several days.…
Unhealthy to Hazardous Air Quality Today
An air quality advisory has been issued today for coastal areas from Rio Dell to Trinidad as well as the Hoopa, Willow Creek, Garberville, and Redway areas while an air quality alert was issued for Orleans and Weitchpec due to smoky conditions. Orleans and Weitchpec are expected to experience mostly hazardous conditions while coastal areas…
Not Invisible: Protest Seeks Justice for Missing, Murdered Native People
Earlier this week, under a Sept. 9 sky tinted orange from nearby fires in front of the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, a crowd of demonstrators gathered to bring awareness to the disproportionate number of missing and murdered Native people in Humboldt County and the greater Emerald Triangle. The gathering was organized by Jesse Armstrong, a…
Slater Fire at Near Happy Camp Remains Zero Percent Contained
After working yesterday to protect structures and utilities from encroaching blazes, fire crews have pivoted toward a larger containment strategy in an effort to tame the Slater Fire that’s straddling the California-Oregon border along Highway 199 northeast of Crescent City. “Along the Slater Fire’s northwest side in Del Norte County, the focus remained on point…
Red Salmon Complex: Progress Made Protecting Hoopa with Blaze Expected to Grow Today
The Red Salmon Complex Fire grew by about 10 percent yesterday but fire crews report “significant progress” in efforts to protect communities — including Hoopa, Willow Creek and Denny — from its spread. The fire now spans 84,880 acres in the Klamath, Six Rivers, and Shasta-Trinity national forests within Humboldt, Trinity and Siskiyou counties and…
Firefighters Still Holding August Complex Fires out of Humboldt
Firefighters kept the Hopkins Fire east of the Main Stem of the Eel River and out of Humboldt County again last night. The fire has once again had a name change. It is now being called the August Complex West Zone, but is still grouped with the August Complex as part of the largest fire…
Advisory: Local Air Quality is ‘Very Unhealthy’
Air quality throughout much of Humboldt County is likely to be considered “very unhealthy” today and people should avoid prolonged exposure or heavy exertion outdoors. The North Coast Unified Air Quality Management District issued a press release this morning noting that the area’s air quality remains severely impacted by fires burning to the north, south…
Evacuation Order Downgraded for Communities South of Highway 36 to Casterlin Road
The evacuation order for communities south of Highway 36 to Casterlin Road (not including all properties on Casterlin Road) has been downgraded to an evacuation warning. Residents who live in this area can start going back home via Highway 36 to Alderpoint Road only but should be ready to evacuate again at a moment’s notice.…
Public Health Announces Another COVID-19 Related Death, Five New Confirmed Cases
Humboldt County Public Health confirmed five new COVID-19 cases today, making 38 for the week and 59 so far this month. The county also announced a fifth local resident has died after being diagnosed with COVID-19. The person was in their 70s, according to the Joint Information Center, and died in the first week of…
Public Health: Make a COVID-19 Safety Plan for Fire Evacuees
Humboldt County Public Health is urging residents and organizations to make a safety plan to limit exposure to COVID-19 when sheltering people evacuating wildfires. “Protecting lives is the first priority in any emergency,” Humboldt County Health Officer Dr. Teresa Frankovich said. “Right now, our communities are facing multiple emergencies, so we have to protect ourselves…
Evacuation Shelter at Bear River Recreation Center
The Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria has set up the Bear River Recreation Center to provide shelter for those evacuating the wildfires. Service will begin today and the shelter is located at 265 Keisner Road, Loleta. The release states that the shelter will have four separate areas for larger families, socially distanced singular…
HSU’s Humboldt Bay Seaweed Farm (VIDEO)
Humboldt State University is overseeing California’s first commercial open-water seaweed farm in Humboldt Bay. “Seaweed farming is an industry that is about 500 years old,” said farm co-designer, HSU Fisheries Biology Associate Professor Rafael Cuevas Uribe. “But this is going to be the first time here in California that somebody’s doing red seaweed at commercial…
Last Night, Firefighters Fought a Battle for the Community of Ruth as They Conducted a Firing Operation on the Hopkins Fire in the Massive August Complex
Last night, south of Ruth Lake in the Six Rivers National Forest a battle took place to save the little town of Ruth and the scattered structures in the area. The team fighting fire with fire was brought together–two Six Rivers Forest Engines 341 and 351, a Cal Fire engine, and a Humboldt Bay Fire…
Northern California Regional Evacuation Shelter Established for Wildfire Evacuees
The Humboldt County Sheriff Office of Emergency Services in coordination with the American Red Cross-Gold Country Region established a Northern California Regional Evacuation Shelter for wildfire evacuees at the Humboldt County Fairgrounds. The Regional Evacuation Shelter is located at 1250 5th St, Ferndale, where evacuees will have access to temporary indoor overnight shelter accommodations, meals,…
New Evacuation Mapping Tool for Hopkins Fire
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services has created an interactive map of Humboldt County in relation to the Hopkins Fire. The interactive map includes road closures, evacuation orders, large animal evacuation centers, temporary evacuation sites and the location of the Hopkins Fire. See the full interactive map below.
Salvation Army Providing Meals for Wildfire Evacuees
The Salvation Army in Northern California is providing meals to those evacuating the wildfires in the region, including evacuees from the August Complex Fire and the Red Salmon Complex fire. The Salvation Army is providing meals to evacuees from the August Complex fire, the Red Salmon Complex fire, North Complex fire and the LNU Complex…
Rio Dell Evacuee Water Station To Remain Open
The city of Rio Dell’s evacuee water station will stay open around the clock for those evacuating the Hopkins Fire throughout the duration of the Humboldt County Sheriff’s evacuation orders. The self‐serve station is located at 675 Wildwood Avenue in Rio Dell, off the Davis Street Exit (Exit 680). Read the full release below.
Hoopa OES Confirms One New COVID-19 Case
The Hoopa Valley Tribal Office of Emergency Services COVID-19 Incident Management Team has confirmed one new COVID-19 cases at the K’ima:w Medical Center, bringing the total to 51 Today’s report also states 3 cases are still “active” and 48 cases are “recovered.” More information can be found at https://hoopaoes.org. Read the full report below.
Huffman to Warren Buffett: ‘Do the Right Thing’ on Klamath Dams
North Coast Congressmember Jared Huffman jointed two of his colleagues today in sending a letter to one of the world’s richest people urging him to move forward an agreement to remove four hydroelectric dams from the ailing Klamath River. The letter comes as the hard fought agreement reached in 2016 to complete what would be…
NCJ Preview: What’s Next for Public Health and the Fragile Economics of Dine-in
Why is Humboldt’s Public Health Officer Teresa Frankovich resigning and what does it mean for the future of the county’s COVID-19 response? We’ll get into that and whether dine-in service is enough to save local restaurants. Hit subscribe for weekly updates on local stories and catch us on Access Humboldt and KZZH.
Red Salmon Complex Expected to Grow, Regional Air Quality Remains ‘Unhealthy’
Fire crews have made progress battling the Red Salmon Complex fires burning east of the Hoopa valley Reservation and north-east of Willow Creek, but warn “the fire is expected to burn until sustained wetting rain extinguishes it.” The fire currently spans 77,848 acres in the Klamath, Six Rivers and Shasta-Trinity national forests within Humboldt, Trinity…
Hopkins Fire Holding East of Main Eel River with Chance of Rain Forecast
UPDATE: The U.S. Forest Service just announced that the fires known as the Elkhorn, Hopkins, Willow, Vinegar and August Complex have all burned together and will be known going forward as the August Complex. For clarity, the large fire complex will be split into three zones: North, South and West. The complex’s West zone is…
HSU to Continue Virtual Instruction for Spring Semester
Just like this year’s Fall semester, all California State Universities will continue virtual instruction into the Spring 2021 semester, including Humboldt State University. HSU’s plan for Spring will include very limited face-to-face instruction in some of the university’s hands-on activities, labs, and field-based experiences. In-person classes are being determined within Academic Affairs and in consultation with…
Fully Engulfed Two-Story Building in Fruitland Ridge
Firefighters responded to a call of an engulfed two-story building in the 500 block of Brown Road in the Fruitland Ridge area near Dyerville Loop Road. UPDATE 4 p.m.: The fire spread to grass, a nearby tree, and a pickup. However, according to the photographer who sent these photos, firefighters still have it “pretty contained.”…
Public Health Confirms Eight New COVID-19 Cases, No New Hospitalizations
Humboldt County Public Health confirmed eight new COVID-19 cases today, a day after the county announced zero new cases for the first time since July 13. Today’s cases make 442 to date, including 33 announced this week and 54 so far this month. The county also reported three new hospitalizations yesterday, which Deputy Health Officer…
Armed Robbery in Eureka
The Eureka Police Department responded to an armed robbery at a check-cashing business on Fifth Street yesterday. According to an employee, a man brandishing a firearm forced his way into the business and ordered the employee to the rear of the business and stole the till from the cash register. He later ran on foot with…
Elkhorn, Hopkins, Vinegar Peak and Willow Basin Fire Now Part of Elkhorn Fire
The Six Rivers National Forest Service announced that the Elkhorn, Hopkins, Vinegar Peak and Willow Basin Fires have merged and now are a part of the Elkhorn Fire. According to the release, the Elkhorn Fire is burning on the Mendocino, Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers National Forests and the increase in acreage and the reduction in…
Road Closures in Alder Point and Bell Springs Roads; Evacuation Site at Fairgrounds
The Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services has announced road closures at Alderpoint Road at Highway 36, Alderpoint Road at Dyerville Loop Road and Bell Springs Road due to the Hopkins fire. “Residents are NOT allowed to re-enter these zones and will be turned around by law enforcement. Residents may use these roads to leave,” the tweet…
Hoopa: No New COVID Cases
The Hoopa Valley Tribal Office of Emergency Services COVID-19 Incident Management Team has confirmed no new COVID-19 cases at the K’ima:w Medical Center, leaving the total at 50. Today’s report also states 4 cases are still “active” and 46 cases are “recovered.” More information can be found at https://hoopaoes.org.
Humboldt County Unhealthy Air Quality PSA
Humboldt County will see unhealthy air quality due to fires surrounding the county states a public service announcement from the North Coast Unified Air Quality Management District (NCUAQMD). An Air Quality ADVISORY was issued today for the communities of Orleans, Weitchpec, Hoopa, Willow Creek, Garberville, and Redway areas. Eureka will see generally unhealthy air quality for…
Red Salmon Complex Fires Continue to Spread, Impact Air Quality
Crews continued to fight the Red Salmon Complex Fire burning east of Hoopa last night, as the fire continued to spread to the southwest into the Trinity Alps and prompted an evacuation order in the town of Denny. “Fire crew efforts will be focused today on direct attack of the fire where possible and safety to…
Fire East of Humboldt Slowed with Cooler Weather
The Hopkins Fire that is burning south of Ruth and causing evacuations in southwestern Trinity, southeastern Humboldt and northern Mendocino slowed its westward rush yesterday. According to maps from imagery taken right before 7 p.m. yesterday, the fire has not yet moved into Humboldt County. However, the fire threatens the communities of Ruth, Zenia, and…
The Disclosure Question
Napa County doesn’t collect data about coronavirus outbreaks in workplaces while nearby Sonoma County does, but won’t identify them because it would compromise the county’s working relationship with employers. Alameda County won’t share outbreak locations to protect privacy and to guard against what one health official called undue stigma. Humboldt County tends toward not releasing…
Transition
Humboldt County Board of Supervisors Chair Estelle Fennell said she didn’t know what to expect when Health Officer Teresa Frankovich called the board into a special update meeting on Sept. 2. These updates — which allow the board to meet privately with those guiding the COVID-19 pandemic response to receive information so long as they…
KSLG’s Black Voices Humboldt PSAs Spotlight Racist Experiences
Radio airwaves can provide a refuge where people feel at ease listening to their favorite music, but they can also carry messages that challenge the way an audience thinks. KSLG program and music director and DJ Sabina Gallier aims to do just that. During commercial breaks at the local radio station, her Black Voices Humboldt…
Hoping to Hang On
When word came Aug. 28 that new tiered state guidelines meant Humboldt restaurants with approved safety plans could offer indoor dining again, Holly Blackwood, co-owner of Sea Grill, was still literally getting the 32-year-old restaurant’s outdoor dining nailed down. In the midst of having sails installed atop the newly installed wooden trellis structure in the…
We Thank You, Doctor
It’s important to remember that Teresa Frankovich never asked for any of this. There’s no indication she ever desired to issue orders that impact people’s lives and livelihoods, nor that she ever wanted to be a fixture on the nightly news. As she has said, people who want those things simply don’t enter public health…
Ghost in the Screenplay
I’M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS. There was a moment, oh, 20 years ago or so, when it seemed like Charlie Kaufman was unstoppable. It was a weird confluence, with the Clinton years and the “independent” cinema boom of the ’90s cohering to provide a financially and intellectual libertine environment wherein a screenwriter, of all things,…
A Bicycle Ride Among the Giants
At 7 a.m. on Sunday, the forest is quiet, the temperature cool, the road sparsely used by cars. This is an ideal time to ride my bicycle on the Avenue of the Giants. Once sunlight starts filtering through the canopy, the asphalt and I are dappled with light. Although I have lived in Humboldt County…
Songs from Synthetic Summer Camp
Every summer has its share of feel-good albums and hits made just for the season. I don’t know when this tradition began but it had to have been during the mid-century upswing era of youth culture and its attendant flood of pop music. I can’t really imagine Mario Lanza or Maria Callas releasing hazy poolside…
Are We the World?
According to Roman writer Ovid, the hunter Narcissus was handsome as all get-out, causing the mountain nymph Echo to fall in love with him. When he rejected her advances (the fool!), she pined away until all that was left was a faint sound — hence our word “echo.” This led to Aphrodite, goddess of revenge,…
Pritchard Field
Ouch! Dang it! That low gate! Then, the wind laughed saying, “Silly man, you will always hit your head, Until you learn to bow.” Richard Parish
Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): “It’s not that some people have willpower and some don’t,” observes author James S. Gordon. “Rather, it’s that some people are ready to change and others are not.” Lucky for you, Aries! Your willpower is even more potent than usual right now, and your willingness to change is growing stronger. And…
