Uncharted Waters
The demise of the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement fosters hope, fear and anger.
Cover Story
Uncharted Waters
The Klamath River watershed means many things to many people. That’s a big part of the problem. To the native tribes near the river’s mouth, it means culture and survival, its waters having provided fishing grounds for salmon and steelhead that have sustained tribal members for countless generations. For farmers surrounding Upper Klamath Lake, near…
After Bitter Debate, Eureka Declares Shelter Crisis
Public comment was brief, compared to previous meetings on the subject of homelessness. Only around 30 citizens came up to the podium to address the city council about the proposed declaration of a citywide shelter crisis. The declaration, originally proposed by Councilmember Linda Atkins, was reworked by city staff before being put before the council…
Valhalla, Y’all
It takes someone with a sterling set of spurs to tackle the swirling mythology and convoluted story line of Richard Wagner’s 19-hour opera Der Ring des Nibelungen and turn it into a two-hour comedy set in modern-day Texas featuring Valkyries, Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders and a dancing avocado. Well, someone did it — or at least…
Will the Lassics Lupine Survive?
You’re forgiven if this is the first time you’ve seen the Lassics lupine. The rare flower exists in less than four acres on Earth, on two small, alpine plots in southern Humboldt and Trinity counties. Climate change has dwindled the flower’s individual population to fewer than 60, scientists believe, prompting the Center for Biological Diversity to…
City Files Final Brief in Dash Cam Case
The police dash camera video depicting Eureka police officers’ Dec. 6, 2012 arrest of a juvenile suspect is a confidential personnel record and can only be disclosed through a strict process that governs such records, the city of Eureka argued in a brief submitted to the California court of appeals last week. The city is…
More Rain Comin’
Dry out while you can. Meteorologist Scott Carroll with the National Weather Service’s Woodley Island outpost tells the Journal that, after a weekend dowsing, more rain is expected to move into the area tomorrow evening and early Thursday, with heavy rains expected Thursday night and through the day Friday. The county got a heavy dose…
City Council, Harbor District, Make Moves on Homelessness
As the Eureka City Council prepares to once again discuss declaring a city-wide shelter crisis on Tuesday, the Humboldt Bay Harbor District has moved forward with a plan to reinstall Porta-Potties near the PalCo Marsh. District Chairman Richard Marks, who spearheaded installation of Porta-Potties in the Bayshore Mall’s north parking lot last July, said that…
HumBug: Illumination
Despite tipping over every rock and lifting every piece of peeling bark on my property over the years, I have yet to find a scorpion. So, for the last few evenings, when I take my dogs out I’ve carried a black light flashlight. Scorpions are known to fluoresce under UV, which is a curious thing…
As Supes Move Closer to Marijuana Ordinance, the Planning Commission Expresses Outrage
A new outdoor medical marijuana draft ordinance has been released in advance of next week’s board of supervisors meeting, and it contains the stiffer restrictions on canopy sizes and cultivation in timber lands that supervisors have asked for since their review began at the beginning of the year. It’s a turn away from some of…
Eureka Natural Foods Eyes McKinleyville Opening in May
Eureka Natural Foods is moving forward with its plans to open a McKinleyville store, just not as quickly as the company had hoped. Eureka Natural Foods owner Rick Littlefield said the project hit some snags obtaining a building permit from the Humboldt County Planning Department, which set things back a couple of months. But, with…
Another Hero
Mad Max: Fury Road, George Miller’s gorgeous, long-awaited (20 years in the making) fourth film in the Mad Max franchise, rips across the big screen at the Arcata Theater Lounge on Jan. 15 at 8 p.m. ($5). Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron star as two rebels on the run from a madman in a vast,…
Local Harm Reduction Team Becomes Authorized Naloxone Distributor
The Humboldt Area Center for Harm Reduction (HACHR) took a step toward helping reduce local overdose and infection rates yesterday, as a physician has agreed to carry a prescription for Naloxone and bulk syringes. HACHR would not disclose the name of the physician, but spokesperson Michelle Ellis said they were lucky to find someone who…
McKinleyville Arts Night
A celebration of local art and artists with music, food and fun. McKinleyville Arts Night is open for all McKinleyville businesses to display the work of local artists on the third Friday of the month. Call 834-6460 or visit www.mckinleyvilleartsnight.com for more information. CALIFORNIA REDWOOD COAST AIRPORT 3561 Boeing Ave. View artwork by Humboldt County…
New Sources Needed
Editor: It would appear that the NCJ views Craig Tucker as their go-to guy on KBRA issues. Tucker has long been the KBRA’s chief apologist and fan. He has never missed an opportunity to sell the KBRA to anyone who would listen and, to hear him tell it, the KBRA can do no wrong. That…
A Bad Taste
Editor: I ignored Ms. [Barbara] Groom’s use of out of town plumbers for the new brewery, so-so beer and food at the Lost Coast brewpub, but screwing Dwane Flatmo? (“When the Shark Bites,” Dec. 24, 2015.) Fucking unacceptable!! Dave Ellis, Eureka
Pot Parasites
Editor: Noticed a full page ad in the last issue, which was from a dispensary, touting the many benefits of medical marijuana (Jan. 7). Nowhere in the ad was there any mention of the side effects of this. First, is the arrival, in the thousands, of the dreaded Pot Parasite, a very poor addition to…
Going Postal
You might be curious to learn that the United States Postal Service has decided to invest its dwindling resources into having a local employee page through the Journal every week. This came to our attention over the past week, when we received a few calls from the local post office warning us that the postal…
More Swag, Less Schwag
“I’m not sure brand dilution can get any worse than it has up to now,” says Chrystal Ortiz, marketing and branding coordinator for True Humboldt. True Humboldt, a co-op of local cannabis farmers, is one of several organizations trying to turn the region into a brand and realign that brand with values that will sell.…
DIY Wine Tour
Sure, the hours boasting daylight are still short – but that’s no reason to stay hunkered down in nesting mode. This is a fine time of year for a DIY Humboldt County wine tasting. The tourists have mostly faded away, making for quicker service and a more leisurely experience. If nothing else, this is a…
Getting Out
As many of you parents know, finding the time to make it out to live music shows can be just as difficult as staying awake/sober until the 9 p.m. start time. This isn’t completely exclusive to the breeders in our community, but applicable to all of us at the mercy of aging. Young and underemployed?…
Pantoum for France
“All is forgiven,” that’s what the cartoon said, though murder is a sin, and seventeen are dead. That’s what the cartoon said, and the prophet shed a tear for seventeen are dead— yet the living show no fear. Yes, the prophet shed a tear there on the front page, for the living show no fear:…
The Sticking Point
A newly approved spending bill that partially lifts the ban on federal funding to support needle-exchange programs may make 2016 the turning point for those trying to combat infectious disease in Humboldt County. The ban, originally lifted by the Obama administration in 2009 but reinstated by a Republican-controlled Congress in 2011, prevented federal money from…
Laniakea
In my unrepresentative poll, it seems all of us who grew up in the 1950s used to expand our addresses way beyond local streets and towns as children. For instance, I lived at 27 Northdown Close, Maidstone, Kent, England, Europe, Earth, Solar System, Milky Way, Universe. Do today’s kids still do this? If so, they’ll…
The Opportunists
Reviews THE BIG SHORT. Adam McKay is best known as a comedy writer and director. His tenure as head writer at Saturday Night Live opened the door for a younger, edgier sensibility, simultaneously establishing a bond between McKay and Will Ferrell that would produce some contemporary classics (Anchorman, Step Brothers). McKay is also something of…
KonMari in the Garden
For anyone who has read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, the KonMari method will need no introduction. For those who haven’t, this soft-spoken Japanese woman and her clear, simple way of dealing with excess clutter has inspired people around the world to clear out anything in the home that doesn’t “spark…
