Editor: My visceral reactions to the story about two horses with broken legs after participating in the “Outlaw Rodeo” were first rage and then grief. When will the people of Humboldt County and the officials of Humboldt County (the so-called overseers of county-owned property like the Humboldt County Fairgrounds) have had their fill of torturing […]
Letters + Opinion
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Civilian Oversight Needed
Editor: Humboldt needs a sheriff’s civilian review board. California law provides for the right for all communities to have robust civilian review boards for their sheriff’s department. The Sheriff’s Office has broad-based power over the jail, law enforcement, coroner’s office, animal control and drug task forces, employs almost 350 people, and is a part of […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Worthy Read
Editor: Our representative in the U.S. Congress, Jared Huffman, has just released a vitally important new book: No Prophets: The Fight to Save Democracy from Christian Nationalism. Remember Project 2025? It is happening right now. Huffman’s book clearly explains this vastly underappreciated threat that is facing our nation. I hope that this book will be […]
Posted inMailbox
Changing Course
It has long been observed, “Life teaches us how it should have been lived” and two seemingly unrelated stories in the NCJ are illustrative. Longtime resident, fisherman and boat builder Ken Bates’ life experiences provide a seminal warning against building the Samoa Heavy Lift Terminal serving future industrial development, (“Oysters, Wildlife and Reindustrialization of Humboldt […]
Posted inViews
Oysters, Wildlife and the Reindustrialization of Humboldt Bay
On Aug. 14, the Humboldt County Fair hosts Shell-ebration, celebrating all things related to oysters in Humboldt Bay. And there is much to salute. Our region produces most of the oysters consumed in California and a very high percentage of the shellfish seed — some 470 million baby shellfish in 2024 — grown out on […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
‘Duh’
Editor: Rumble Over the Redwoods.Idiotic.Climate change.Duh. Dan Levinson, McKinleyville
Posted inCorrection
Corrections
A photo caption in last week’s cover story (“Folk in the Fresh Air,” July 30, 2026), misidentified bass player Christopher Lange Brannon. The Journal regrets the error. Due to receiving outdated information from Eureka Main Street, the wrong listings for Arts Alive ran in the July 30 edition. The Journal regrets the error.
Posted inLetters + Opinion
‘Shout-out’
Editor: At a time when all the news about government seems so bleak, this is a shout-out to an organization that demonstrated efficient and empathetic service. That organization is: Eureka DMV! I recently had two occasions where I needed to go the DMV. The first was having to remove my late husband’s name from my […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
‘Commitment to a Dream’
Editor: Your lead article about the Arcata Playhouse was greatly appreciated (“20 Years at the Playhouse,” July 23, 2026). And it rightfully centered on Jacqueline and David. Their work and their commitment to a dream has been tireless. I have to admit, when they started the project I was doubtful that they could bring it […]
Posted inCorrection
Correction
Humboldt Crabs photos taken by Erik Frazer in the July 9 issue (“Tempers Flare, Benches Clear, Crabs Prevail”) were misattributed. The Journal regrets the error.
Posted inLetters + Opinion
‘Nothing Good to Say’
Thank you for the excellent Views article on Amazon in Humboldt County (“Amazon’s Negative Impact by the Numbers,” July 9, 2026). To those who want the sourced data on Amazon’s impact to local communities, read this article. It provides the sources. There is nothing good to say about the impact to our community that Amazon […]
Posted inViews
Amazon’s Negative Impact by the Numbers
The impact Amazon’s proposed distribution center in McKinleyville would have is being debated in person and online. I suggest we avail ourselves of whatever knowledge we can find, with a critical eye to its sources. We learn by listening to each other, sharing resources, reading studies and also paying attention to what other communities’ experiences tell […]