Category: Far North

Pat Merrill died peacefully in the early hours of Sunday, Sept. 22 this year. She had managed to spend time with all of her children and most of her grandchildren in the previous two weeks so she passed surrounded by loving family. Pat had been doing battle with a neuroendocrine tumor on her pancreas since her diagnosis in the summer of 2018. She was the beneficiary of some of the remarkable new treatments being developed in the war against cancer and was able to live almost symptom free until her last round of chemotherapy began late in 2023. The youngest child of a career Army officer, Pat was born in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and grew up in London, England, Grafenwoehr, Germany, Florence, Alabama and Indianapolis, Indiana, finally settling in West Lafayette, Indiana, where she attended high school and Purdue University where she majored in Theater. She made another trip to Europe after college with a girl friend starting in Milan where she picked up a Lambretta scooter at the factory. They then drove it over the Italian Alps and across the continent finishing in London.

Sundays are always nice for matinee performances and the CPH Department of Dance, Music and Theatre is putting on a nice one at 2 p.m. today at Fulkerson Hall. The Mad River Transit Singers are presenting a jazzy, Afro-Brazilian program with a range of tunes written by the likes of Artie Shaw, Jorge Ben and an Afro-Cuban version of Cole Porter’s signature classic “I Get a Kick Out of You.” Tickets are $15 for the general publica, $5 for children and free-ninety-free for any CPH students…

Carl Dean Boyd was born June 2, 1938, to James Earl “Babe” Boyd and Ruth Frances Walker on the Old Boyd Farm in the town of Elba in McLean County, Kentucky. Carl was the second oldest of six boys. His family worked hard for what they had and lived a simple life. When Carl was two years old the family moved to Owensboro in Daviess County, Kentucky. Carl’s first job was delivering newspapers in Owensboro, Kentucky, and he used to ride his bike after school to deliver the local paper to subscribers. Carl was twelve years old when he trusted Christ as his savior, and he was baptized and joined the Crabtree Avenue Baptist Church in Owensboro. He attended Tech High in Owensboro and graduated in 1956. Carl told the story that one day he was in high school working on a project when he heard God’s voice speak to him, telling him that he was going to be a preacher. Right after high school Carl joined the army reserves and was on active duty for six months at Fort Knox, Kentucky. His regiment was

Long time Fortuna businessman, Del Westman has died at 86. Born in Washington State, Del settled in Humboldt County with his family as a young boy. He graduated from Eureka High School, then Humboldt State College, where he obtained a business degree. He owned several businesses in Fortuna, first with his family, then with his wife Elsie, but is known best for his store — Del’s Liquors & Deli — where he made many long lasting friendships. Del loved the outdoors and was an avid hunter and fisherman, and enjoyed taking friends and family out on the ocean in one of his many boats to catch “the big one.” He was a member of the Rotary Club of Fortuna where he was active for many years. He was a member of Ducks Unlimited and also helped found the Peaked Prairie Gun Club. He was preceeded in death by his mother Virginia Longhi, father Vern Westman, brother Dick Westman, sister-in-law Carol Westman, sister-in-law Mary Antongiovanni, nephew Brian Westman and granddaughter Gretchen O’Neil. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Elsie Westman, son Kurt Westman

If you’re in the mood for some Christmas songs from the golden age of crooning by the fireplace, then tonight’s show at 7:30 p.m. at the Old Steeple is just the thing for you. Randy Cordeiro is not only a native Humboldtianite, but a rather well-regarded frontman in his touring Neil Diamond tribute band Super Diamond. Tonight he is going to treat you to a solo acoustic set of tunes from the smoky days of yore, when the likes of Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and Rosemary Clooney teamed up to fill the silver screen with holiday cheer ($20, $18 advance). If it’s something a little more raucous you’re looking for, then head over to Humbrews an hour later, where you can enjoy the West Coast rock ’n’ bluegrass sounds of returning road dawg quintet The Brothers Comatose. This sibling-led act has ripped it up on stages around the globe and made a name itself in the process as a proper heavy duty country grass band. Taylor Rae opens the night ($28, $23 advance)…

On this week’s episode of the NCJ Preview, Arts & Features Editor Jennifer Fumiko-Cahill discusses the highly anticipated Flash Fiction.  News Editor Thadeus Greenson talks breaking news in the Blue Lake City Council race and highlights Digital Editor Kimberly Wear’s story on the Klamath Dam Removal Celebration on Dec. 7 and pedestrian safety in Colin Fiske’s Views piece, “A Pedestrian Review of Eureka’s 4th and 5th Streets Corridor.” Finally Jennifer wraps up with an overview of festive plays happening this month with Mystery and Mirth by Tiggerbouncer Custodio and Doranna Benker Gilkey. Read full stories here Flash Fiction Still Tied: Blue Lake City Council Race Heading to Random Selection Students Watch History Unfold on the Klamath, Dam Removal Celebration Set for Dec. 7 A Pedestrian Review of Eureka’s 4th and 5th Streets Corridor Mystery and Mirth Read all these stories and more at www.northcoastjournal.com …

Bay Area rap superstar and former collaborator and friend of the late, great Mac Dre, Andre Nickatina is back in town for an evening at the Arcata Theatre Lounge. As he is a man who needs little introduction in these parts, I’ll just add that doors are at 7 p.m., and tickets are going for $45, which, with the fees involved with buying online, brings us to the oddly satisfying palindromic number of $53.35. A half hour later at the Arkley Center for the Performing Arts, the Eureka Symphony is putting on its performance of the beloved piece of classical music liturgy, Handel’s Messiah. This is the first of two nights of this program, both featuring professional opera singers Clara Lisle, David Powell, Sara Couden and Kevin Thompson. Prices range from $21-$54, depending on seating, but in my experience, there ain’t a bad seat in the house when our hometown orchestra is playing…

THIRD UPDATE: Preliminary reports indicate very little damage throughout Humboldt County despite the severity of the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that struck about 60 miles west of Petrolia at 10:44 a.m. Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal says the Eel River Valley was impacted worse than other areas of the county, but nothing like the damage caused by the large earthquakes two years ago. Honsal said some road damage has been reported, though all are still passable. Crews assessing damage in Ferndale report some downed power lines and plenty of broken dishes but “surprisingly little” structural damage, according to a member of the emergency response team. Down in Rio Dell, which bore the brunt of the large quakes in December of 2022 and January of 2023, officials report the city’s water and wastewater systems seem OK, though a large crack opened up in Blue Slide Road. A gas leak was also reported at the middle school, and a number of homes have reported water heater damage. Farther north, Eureka Police Chief Brian Stephens says no damage has been reported in the city. North Coast state Sen. Mike

The Alley Cats have taken the “Opera” out of their name tonight because rather than playing at the Speakeasy, they will be hitting the stage for a free gig at the Basement instead. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Speaking of opera and 7:30 p.m., up at Fulkerson Hall you can enjoy a recital and Opera Workshop put on by some of the students at Cal Poly Humboldt. Expect tunes from Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutti and The Magic Flute, along with some more modern fare ($15, $5 for children, free to CPH students with a school ID)…

Sunlight snuck in my well defended window found my face and pried open my eyes but first it lit my tender lids warming them to the day ahead so that I couldn’t resist opening to the powerful light knowing I’d see you soon. Carolyn Lehman…

Tales both tiny and tall Not a lot of wiggle room in a 99-word story. This year’s crop of flash fiction contest entries kept it short, but not always sweet or simple. Chosen once again by yours truly, poet and novelist David Holper, retired children’s librarian JoAnn Bauer, Booklegger owner Jennifer McFadden and retired Booklegger co-owner Nancy Short, the winning author and finalists brought us distilled narratives of every stripe. Dive into their offerings ready to sample the supernatural, melancholy, family bonds, risks, remembrance and maybe murder. Find a cozy chair and a beverage, then settle in for tales ranging from familiar to fantastic. Jennifer Fumiko Cahill Winner The Birth of the First Siren By Harmony Mooney, Eureka The princess escaped the palace with enough to purchase a sailing vessel and small crew for the journey. At sea, a whirlpool captured the ship, and the sailors perished, but the princess became something else. She became part of the shipwreck and part of the sea. Over the years, the princess made that shipwreck her home; ate her fill of mollusks, crustaceans, seaweed and sharks; learned to

“If we can put a man on the moon, why can’t we put a man on the moon?” goes the old joke. Fact is, we probably can put someone on the moon but without the threat of Russia getting there first (as was the case in the 1960s), the motivation just isn’t there anymore. Today, it’s increasingly hard to justify spending ever-increasing hundreds of billions of dollars to return to our nearby rock in space. Back then, the reward — to prove capitalism trumps communism — was apparently worth what were, in retrospect, huge risks. Risks that the space agency is unwilling to take today. Those daring “right stuff” test pilots of the Cold War have been superseded by more regular folks. “Astronauts are not some separate species,” says Scott Pace, director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University, quoted in a recent article in Scientific American. In 1967, when three astronauts died in the Apollo I fire, the program was barely affected, while today a single fatality could doom NASA’s current Artemis back-to-the-moon program, so shaky is its political support. (Actually, most of that

The leaders of the state Legislature have a message for voters: We know you’re frustrated with how expensive California is — and we’re going to fix it.  After a painful election that sparked recriminations and soul-searching among Democrats across the country, state Sen. President Pro Tem Mike McGuire and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas are returning to Sacramento recommitted to addressing the affordability issues that appear to have pushed more voters toward the Republican Party in November.  As a new two-year legislative session kicked off Dec. 2 at the state Capitol, McGuire and Rivas told CalMatters in separate interviews that the priority will be advancing policies that lower the cost of living for working Californians, including by building more housing, making energy cheaper and improving public infrastructure.  “Our only way forward is to acknowledge that we have to do better,” Rivas, a Salinas Democrat, said. “It’s clear — we haven’t done enough.”  Just don’t expect any dramatic changes under the dome. Despite losing a handful of seats, both leaders are adamant that returning Democratic supermajorities signal that voters are still on board with their values, if not always the outcomes

Editor: The incoming president will forget he thought that wind-generated energy causes cancer when Humboldt’s offshore wind supporters dangle this golden opportunity in front of him: free yacht moorings for oligarchs! (Daily, Nov. 7.) Trump loathed electric vehicles until EV-lovin’ oligarch Elon Musk ($315 billion) befriended his presidency. Given that, Trump won’t be able to resist Humboldt’s wind development when it’s designed to benefit his super-wealthy advisors. It only takes the promise of re-purposing the harbor. Oligarch yacht parking can easily be accommodated after the harbor finishes its big build-out for shipping and manufacturing wind-related parts. A yacht big as a turbine blade? No problem. The first mooring reservations will be for his cabinet members. In addition to Musk, Betsy DeVos, Education ($2 billion), Doug Burgum, Interior ($1 billion), Howard Lutnick, Commerce ($1.5 billion), and Linda McMahon, Small Business ($2 billion) will all be validated for free parking. Rob Arkley is on the waiting list. If they don’t already have yachts, they will. Extra yacht parking can also be available on a sliding scale for Trump’s new friends in Russia’s oligarchy. Catering opportunities for mountains

Editor: Three observations in reply to Kathryn Corbett’s letter in your Thursday, Nov. 28 issue (Mailbox). A) How Long, Oh Lord?: Corbett enjoins us to “engage in … recognition of each other as fellow human[s] … and Americans.” Just what does she think we’ve been doing for the last 60 years? How long are we supposed to see the human in self-righteous fascists who reject the humanity of anyone different from themselves? B) America Is Mississippi Now: The MAGA voices are identical to the voices raised 60 years ago in Mississippi. When an all-white jury ruled him innocent, a governor shook the hand of the man who murdered Medgar Evers. A sheriff (Lawrence Rainey) murdered four in Philadelphia, Mississippi, and bragged about it. The wannabe Baptist preachers at Mississippi College chortled in delight over the murder of JFK. Many Mississippians claimed to be Christians, to «believe in» Jesus. «Believe in» is a lie. «Believe in» is the mouth. Believe is what you do. I judge, as the New Testament urges, according to behavior. C) Civil War: Every citizen should learn to think, to distinguish the sound of lies from the sound of truth. If you refuse that duty, you do not deserve the

Editor: Thank you, Thadeus Greenson for your wonderful tribute to Patty Berg (“The Fearless Force,” Nov. 28). You wrote very well about her and shared many wonderful tributes by those who knew her, worked with her and expressed her many contributions to our county and we who live here. Dave Rosso, Eureka…

As the old adage goes, every vote counts, something two candidates locked in a tie for a third open seat on the Blue Lake City Council now know all too well. The final cumulative report from the Nov. 5 election released by the Humboldt County Elections Office on Tuesday shows hopefuls Adelene Jones and Kat Napier locked in a dead heat with 245 votes each. That’s the same total as last week’s post election results, when each gained two additional votes from the previous week’s update, which had them tied at 243 votes. So the question becomes: What happens next in Blue Lake? Under state Elections Code, the answer is “to determine the tie by lot,” meaning the luck of the draw or the drawing of straws or a flip of the coin, basically a means by which each candidate has an equal chance of winning. Humboldt County Registrar of Voters Juan P. Cervantes was not immediately available for comment but in an interview with Lost Coast Outpost last week pointed to the same state Elections Code, which outlines having the outcome determined by a

Multi-instrumentalists, Grammy winners and married duo Mark and Maggie O’Connor bring their bluegrass and beyond virtuosity to the Van Duzer Theatre tonight at 7 p.m., where they will showcase Mark’s holiday vision, An Appalachian Christmas. The title rather says it all but still, there’s a frisson between the players as they trade off instrumental and vocal performances written to evoke the traditions of the mountain fiddle reels married to the sound and spirit of Christmas. This is a fine gig to kick off the yuletide season ($50 general, $15 far balcony)…

The leaders of the state Legislature have a message for voters: We know you’re frustrated with how expensive California is — and we’re going to fix it. After a painful election that sparked recriminations and soul-searching among Democrats across the country, state Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas are returning to Sacramento recommitted to addressing the affordability issues that appear to have pushed more voters toward the Republican Party in November. As a new two-year legislative session kicks off today at the state Capitol, McGuire and Rivas told CalMatters in separate interviews that the priority will be advancing policies that lower the cost of living for working Californians, including by building more housing, making energy cheaper and improving public infrastructure. “Our only way forward is to acknowledge that we have to do better,” Rivas, a Salinas Democrat, said. “It’s clear — we haven’t done enough.” Just don’t expect any dramatic changes under the dome. Despite losing a handful of seats, both leaders are adamant that returning Democratic supermajorities signal that voters are still on board with their values, if not

On a recent field trip to the Klamath River, local school children were able to witness a momentous example of nature’s ability to rebound: salmon spawning in a creek upstream from the former Iron Gate dam after decades of absence. It’s one of many ecological milestones being reached following the largest dam removal project in the nation’s history, with the official completion on Oct. 2 signaling the end of an era and a new beginning for the Klamath River, now flowing free after being released from the stranglehold of the Copco No. 1, Copco No. 2, J.C. Boyle and Iron Gate dams. The November visit to Jenny Creek — part of a collaborative program of the Karuk Tribe, Save California Salmon, the Mid Klamath Watershed Council and education partners — marked the third year of such trips for students attending schools within Siskiyou County and the Klamath-Trinity Joint Unified School District. According to Save California Salmon, “hundreds of middle school and high school students living along the Klamath River” have participated in the program that uses the “river as a platform,” weaving in lessons on

Speaking of free shows, tonight’s offering at the Logger Bar is a near certified burner for those of you into the tried-and-true sonic landscape of the blues power trio. Jesse Mills Band fills out all the spaces in ways that such acts make a habit of doing, with a rock-solid rhythm section holding up some soulful licks and vocals. The music gets going at 9 p.m. and, as I have mentioned before, this is one of those pairings of venue and band that can’t be beat.