Category: Far North

Dust swirls in the air at a cement factory on the outskirts of Redding as mud-caked tires travel along a wide conveyor belt. The tires are carried up 90 feet into a smoldering-hot incinerator, where they’re used as fuel for firing a kiln.  The massive, 2,700-degree kiln at the Martin Marietta, Inc. plant churns more than 2,500 metric tons of pulverized limestone and other materials daily to produce clinker, the jagged lumps of rock that are used to make cement. The factory needs a constant and steady supply of fuel to sustain its 24-hour operations. Although the burning tires supply some fuel to fire up the kiln, about 80 percent still comes from fossil fuels, including high-polluting coal.  As a high-carbon and energy-intensive product, manufacturing cement, the key ingredient in concrete, takes a heavy toll on the climate. The Redding factory emitted about 282,000 tons of carbon dioxide in 2020 — equivalent to about 55,000 gas-powered cars. Under pressure from state lawmakers, California’s cement industry is gradually taking steps to reduce its carbon footprint. But experts say the industry is one of the most difficult

Week of June 23, 2022 ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries actor Marilu Henner has an unusual condition: hyperthymesia. She can remember in detail voluminous amounts of past events. For instance, she vividly recalls being at the Superdome in New Orleans on September 15, 1978, where she and her actor friends watched a boxing match between Leon Spinks and Muhammad Ali. You probably don’t have hyperthymesia, Aries, but I invite you to approximate that state. Now is an excellent time to engage in a leisurely review of your life story, beginning with your earliest memories. Why? It will strengthen your foundation, nurture your roots, and bolster your stability. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Poet Elizabeth Bishop noted that many of us are “addicted to the gigantic.” We live in a “mostly huge and roaring, glaring world.” As a counterbalance, she wished for “small works of art, short poems, short pieces of music, intimate, low-voiced, and delicate things.” That’s the spirit I recommend to you in the coming weeks, Taurus. You will be best served by consorting with subtle, unostentatious, elegant influences. Enjoy graceful details and quiet wonders

It wasn’t quite hot enough to cook an oyster, but the sun shone bright over the rebooted and relocated Arcata Bay Oyster Festival in the Creamery District on Saturday, June 25. The all-day event with vendors, food stalls and live music performances followed a kick-off event the night before and required a $15 ticket for entry. The crowds showed up in festival finery and braved long, long lines for food and beer, some retreating to the big tent or whatever shade they could find along the edges of the field. The grassy dancing area by the music stage was popular, as were the giant bubbles drifting around the kids’ zone. Photographer Mark Larson’s slideshow below captures some of the color and flavor of the day. …

Hundreds protested at the Humboldt County Courthouse and the Arcata Plaza in the hours and days following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Until Friday, the 1973 landmark ruling that instilled a constitutional right to abortion, a decision now left to individual states, had been widely considered settled legal precedent. While safe and legal access to the procedure remains protected in California, the decision threatens “the right to safe and accessible abortion for millions of people nationwide” and will result “in over half our country’s states moving to wipe out abortion access,” according to Planned Parenthood Northern California. Carol Scher, who was at Friday’s protest with Clergy for Choice, said she felt overturning Roe v. Wade was “outrageous.” “I can’t believe they will give an 18-year-old an A.R. 15 and they will take away women’s right over their own bodies,” she said. “It’s not about life, it’s about power over women.” Cynthia Packar, a retired registered nurse who’s lived in the area since the 1970s, said she, like a lot of women in attendance, remember “what it was like before abortion

Hundreds descended on the Humboldt County Courthouse yesterday following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Until now, the 1973 landmark ruling that instilled a constitutional right to abortion, a decision now left to individual states, had been widely considered settled legal precedent. While safe and legal access to the procedure remains protected in California, the decision threatens “the right to safe and accessible abortion for millions of people nationwide” and will result “in over half our country’s states moving to wipe out abortion access,” according to Planned Parenthood Northern California. Carol Scher, who was at Friday’s protest with Clergy for Choice, said she felt the overturning Roe v. Wade was “outrageous.” “I can’t believe they will give an 18-year-old an A.R. 15 and they will take away women’s right over their own bodies,” she said. “It’s not about life, it’s about power over women.” Cynthia Packar, a retired registered nurse who’s lived in the area since the 1970s, said she, like a lot of women in attendance, remember “what it was like before abortion was available – the women women dying

This week we’re looking at how the Yurok Tribe’s efforts to bring the California condor back to the skies above Humboldt is a cultural, ecological victory with a long road ahead. Mushroom enthusiasts will be happy to hear about this week’s recipe for stuffed and steamed morels, for a foraged dim sum dish. We’ll touch on weekend fun like the Arcata Bay Oyster Festival and cool tours of the Lanphere Dunes, as well as a rundown of the previous week’s Outer Roominations outdoor installation event in Loleta. Hit subscribe for weekly updates on stories from around Humboldt County.  …

The Humboldt County Elections Office released its third post-election update today, with Natalie Arroyo continuing to strengthen her lead in the Fourth District race to succeed Supervisor Virginia Bass. In the latest tally, Arroyo nudged up to 53.9 percent of the vote, followed by Mike Newman at 32.39 percent and Kim Bergel at 13.65 percent, keeping her above the needed threshold of more than 50 percent to avoid a runoff in November. Meanwhile, the race to become the county’s next clerk recorder and registrar of voters stayed pretty much the same, with Tiffany Hunt Nielsen at 44.8 percent of the vote compared to Juan Pablo Cervantes’ 43.37 percent, meaning the two are all but certain to head back to the ballot box in fall. The remainder of the races continue to reflect Election Night results, with challenger Cheryl Dillingham getting an overwhelming nod to take over as auditor-controller and district attorney hopeful Stacey Eads , Fifth District Supervisor Steve Madrone, judicial candidate Steven Steward and Arcata City Council candidate Alex Stillman all maintaining their healthy leads. The Elections Office will continue to post results every

Two local rallies are planned in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision today to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark ruling that instilled the legal right to abortion, which remains protected in California. A community protest will take place at 5 p.m. today at the Humboldt County Courthouse and another is scheduled for Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., on the Arcata Plaza. A statement on tonight’s rally from Planned Parenthood Northern California states the decision threatens “the right to safe and accessible abortion for millions of people nationwide” and will result “in over half our country’s states moving to wipe out abortion access.” “This would disproportionately harm people who already face systemic discrimination and have limited health care access,” the statement reads. “With Roe v. Wade overturned, 26 states have promised to quickly move to ban abortion. Some of these states will move to restrict, ban and/or criminalize abortion immediately. The U. S Supreme Court may have failed to protect our rights, but we are not without power to fight back.” Local representatives also weighed in on ruling that sets aside

UPDATE: Two local rallies are planned in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision today to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark ruling that instilled the legal right to abortion. The first takes place at 5 p.m. today at the Humboldt County Courthouse and the second on Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., on the Arcata Plaza. PREVIOUS: The constitutional right to abortion in the United States is no more. Today the U.S. Supreme Court struck down its landmark Roe v. Wade precedent in a 5-4 decision, ending nearly 50 years of guaranteed abortion access for American women. The historic ruling has been expected since early May, when a draft of the opinion was leaked, and was widely anticipated long before that as conservative justices tilted the court. The fight over abortion rights now returns to the states, where it played out five decades ago, with the procedure immediately set to become nearly or entirely illegal in almost half of them and several more bans likely to follow. California is moving in the opposite direction, ramping up legal protections for abortion providers

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued one of its most significant gun law rulings in more than a decade, tossing out New York state’s tight restrictions on who can carry a concealed gun in public. Gun rights activists are celebrating the 6-3 decision, while advocates for stricter gun laws decry it. Both agree that California’s similar law may be next to be challenged. The ruling likely marks the most dramatic expansion of gun rights in the United States since 2008, when the Supreme Court clarified for the first time that the Second Amendment’s right “to keep and bear” firearms applies to individual citizens, not just state militia members. But that ruling only affirmed the right for “self-defense within the home,” leaving states with wide discretion over whether and how to restrict guns elsewhere. This ruling brings that constitutional right outside the home. Most states either issue concealed carry licenses upon request or do not require licenses at all. But in eight states, applicants are required to show a compelling need before being granted permission to tote around a concealed firearm. Until today’s ruling, New York

June 25, 6-9 p.m. Venues through town will feature a variety of art and music; activities include a skate park, games and face painting. At the end of the evening, Westhaven Center for the Arts presents a blues event from 8 to 10 p.m. with Jenni and David and the Sweet Soul Band. Dance floor and refreshments available (sliding scale $5-$20). Masks strongly recommended. For info, call (707) 834-2479. Hosted by Westhaven Center for the Arts and Community Arts Trinidad. www.trinidadarts.com. Trinidad Arts Night continues every last Saturday of the month through September. Activities will vary. HEADIES PIZZA AND POUR 359 Main St. Michael Armas, photography. THE LIGHTHOUSE GRILL 355 Main St. Susan Mayclin Stephenson, oil on canvas, prints and notecards; Jeff Stanley, prints and note cards. MOONSTONE CROSSING 529 Trinity St. Barbara Caldwell, paintings. SAUNDERS PLAZA EAST: Music by Absynth. Face painting by Jade Bamboo. TRINIDAD ART CENTER 426 Trinity St. Westhaven Center for the Arts presents Kathy Reid’s “Wheat Weaving” and continues the retrospective of paintings by Ann Anderson: “Forty Years of Watercolor.” Music by Bruce Taylor. TRINIDAD ART GALLERY 490 Trinity St.

On May 14, cycling to Santa Cruz, I stopped at the park in Felton, tilted my face up to drink, at the edge of the grass. A car door shut, a tall, broad-shouldered man in a blue shirt, his skin polished bronze, black hair in a braid down his back, held a bulldog wearing a harness vest, its legs limp, like a marionette’s, unable to carry its weight. “Is he recovering?” A full-faced, half-sorrowed smile flooded the man’s eyes, crinkled his face like wind wrinkles sand. “No, he’s old, has trouble walking, but loves people, so I bring him to the park. He sits and watches, is happy.” Children carrying glittered gift bags and balloons streamed by, calling each other, their voices castanets. As the dog was pulling him towards the park’s heart, the man beamed, nodded his goodbye, made the sky bluer, the light sharper. My country is where the man with the bulldog lives. His smile was sweet, like white grapes when I’m tired and thirsty, warm, like the air at noon after the sun has cleared the coastal fog. I should have

Local bounty for a Chinese-style delicacy Spring is here and seasonal mushrooms are popping up everywhere, including morels, some of my favorites. I first tried these tasty mushrooms not too long ago. Once I found out how pricey they could be, l knew why I had never heard of them before. I had to look up what they’re called in Chinese: “lamb tripe” because of their crinkly appearance. A friend of mine who dislikes lamb even thinks morels smell like lamb. Well, more for me! I absolutely love the texture and flavor, and have learned a lot about its health benefits. These meaty, earthy, sweet and nutty wonders of nature contain the highest amount of vitamin D among edible mushrooms. They are rich in potassium, zinc and iron. Many Chinese people believe it helps with digestion, strengthens the immune system, combats fatigue and improves quality of sleep. We are lucky to live on the North Coast, where morels grow in abundance. During the spring, you can find them at the North Coast Co-op stores and farmers markets, call your mushroom hunter friends or go out

Jurors call for office of tribal affairs, new facilities, more affordable housing Just a couple weeks after creating a swirl of controversy by releasing a sharply critical report of incumbent Auditor-Controller Karen Paz Dominguez just days before the June 7 election, the Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury quietly dropped three reports in the span of about an hour on June 17. The reports focus on the topics of elder abuse and housing insecurity for seniors, a look at the county’s efforts to comply with state mandates related to Child Welfare Services and the Grand Jury’s annual evaluation of county correctional and mental health facilities. The result of months of interviews, investigations and site inspections, the reports include a host of findings and recommendations, urging the county to invest in new facilities, set aside emergency shelter and permanent housing for its growing senior population and create an independent Office of Tribal Affairs to advise county departments and the Board of Supervisors. Here’s a quick look at each report, its findings and recommendations. Silver Tsunami Warning: Safeguarding Our Seniors Humboldt County’s current population is about 136,000 and

The Valet and Spiderhead Not for nothing, I haven’t been to the theater in a while. It seemed like springtime had us on a roll, both in terms of plague abatement and promising new movie releases. But the complex network of circumstance — viral, political, artistic and financial — that lately serves to harsh the collective mellow has now reached an apparent state of stasis: international resting bored face. The dinosaurs, literal and figurative, have been trotted back out (though Top Gun: Maverick had me gleefully eating crow) and it just doesn’t feel exciting. Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis looms, brightly colored and tone-deaf as can be. Dr. Strange in the Corridor of the What-Have-You (did I get that right?) is still rattling around. Lightyear is likely better than suspect but I’ll probably never know. After years of resurgent hope for the state of cinema art and the movie industry at large, when mid-budget experiments, genre pictures and workmanlike entertainments seemed to be regaining their footing, we’ve been left with precious little to show for all the would-be progress. Admittedly, this is a transitional time and the

Halibut continues to be the focal point out of both Eureka and Trinidad after another week of sizzling action. Eureka charter and sport boats fishing a few miles on each side of the entrance in 250 to 300 feet of water reported quick limits. The Trinidad boats have done equally as good straight out of the harbor. And it’s looking like the only thing that will slow down the onslaught is if you can’t get to the fishing grounds. And that’s exactly what happened when the wind picked up Sunday. But that could be a blessing in disguise. The 38,740-pound quota has the potential to get chewed up quickly with the fleet consistently putting halibut in the box. Best case scenario would be for the quota to last at least through July when the salmon season opens back up Aug. 1. And the way our weather pattern is shaping up, the wind may just see to it. Through June 12, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has projected 5,473 pounds have been caught. To track the quota, visit https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Pacific-Halibut#31670772-in-season-tracking. Weekend marine forecast Gusty conditions

Prey-go-neesh returns to Yurok Country On March 25, a California condor landed on the North Coast. Unlike his predecessors, the bird known as No. 746 didn’t travel on thermals, using his massive, nearly 10-foot wingspan to soar across the landscape. Instead, the 7-year-old adult male came by plane from an Idaho breeding facility to mentor a new generation of condors as part of a Yurok Tribe-led program to return the endangered species to the northern reaches of its former territory. For Yurok Tribe Wildlife Department Director Tiana Williams-Claussen, his arrival was profound in ways that even surprised her. “I think we’d all been looking forward to this day, this event when we bring up these birds that would eventually be released, but it was this mentor bird who first hit me really hard,” she says. “He’s just a visitor with us, he’s not going to be released because he’s actually got really important genetics, so he’s going to be going back to one of the breeding facilities to contribute once he’s done teaching our young whippersnappers how to be down here, but he was literally

Editor: Re: Alan Sandborn’s appeal for civility (Mailbox, June 16), commenting on Jennifer Fumiko Cahill’s expletive-laden commentary (“It Might Be Time to Get Totally Motherfucking Unhinged,” June 2), most times, I’d agree with him. Sometimes though — and the Uvalde shooting is one time — civility just doesn’t cut it.  Barry Evans, Eureka Editor: In the June 16 North Coast Journal Mailbox Alan Sanborn offers a lecture on etiquette, pointing out that the mass murder of schoolchildren is no excuse for foul language. I must have missed the alternative. Gordon Inkeles, Bayside…

It’s that time of the solstice when days start to get shorter and Journal readers get to sharpen their brains with Ye Olde Puzzle Edition. Check back in next week’s issue for the answers. Let’s start with an easy one: The mistake Pedal to the metal A car goes 30 mph for 1 mile. How fast must it go in the next mile to average 60 mph for the entire 2-mile trip? Four fours This one can be savored, like a crossword. Write equations with four 4s to make the numbers 0-13, using the standard arithmetical symbols + – × ÷ √ ( ) . and ! (where 5! = 5 × 4 × 3 × 2 × 1). Bonus for doing them in more than one way. (Remember the PEMDAS order: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division, left to right; Addition and Subtraction, left to right.) So, for instance, 18 = 44 × .4 + .4; while 100 = 4! × 4 + √4 + √4 Special Words What’s special about the words “job,” “polish” and (unless you’re a Brit), “herb?” Arc-square For geometry buffs.