statewide California news
This week we’re diving into the annual Gift Guide and the joys of shopping local. We’ve also got a profile on the late Patty Berg, a legend in our State Assembly and Humboldt County. Finally, we’ve narrowed down the Thanksgiving sandwiches to our top three favorites. Hit subscribe for weekly updates on local stories. …
Local blues master Buddy Reed is playing a solo gig at the Kaptain’s Quarters tonight at 8 p.m. He might not be accompanied by his backing band Th’ Rip It Ups but I guarantee ripping licks will still be on the menu. If you are feeling like making some noise of your own, the Miniplex is hosting a Black Friday karaoke night at 9 p.m., with an emphasis on post-punk, goth, dark and new wave music. Both of these gigs are free, which is my way of saying a quiet slur towards the notion of spending big bucks on this ugliest of make-believe, market-indexed consumer holidays. Make a special monetary dispensation for refreshments and tips for the staff and entertainers, though. I’m not a man married to purity tests…
Friends, colleagues reflect on the life and legacy of Patty Berg As those who knew Patty Berg best take time to reflect on her life and legacy in the wake of her Nov. 19 death at the age of 82, they call her many things. The term “trailblazer” comes up repeatedly, as they note Berg’s role as Humboldt County’s first sex-ed instructor, the founding executive director of the Area 1 Agency on Aging, her repeatedly introducing and championing California’s first assisted suicide bill and her co-founding the Redwood Coast Jazz Festival. Connie Stewart, who served as Berg’s local field rep when she represented the North Coast in the California state Assembly, recalls that a local paper dubbed her the “energizer bunny” for her seemingly tireless work ethic and long hours, noting that when they worked together, she’d often get calls at 6 a.m. “just to check in.” But Stewart said she preferred the nickname “honey badger,” because Berg was “fearless.” They call her a “feminist,” noting her work supporting Six Rivers Planned Parenthood in its infancy, helping launch a local chapter of the National Organization
How can it be That after the wind rushes Through the trees Flinging branches into the air Like frenzied dervishes And hail pounds the deck While water courses through gutters And rushes downhill like the mighty Mississippi That the morning breaks Serene and crystalline Tree branches shimmering In the dawn The grassy hillside glimmering and green Air fresh and clean and pure The sun a different shade of bright And the world is new and welcoming again Jean Munsee…
Editor: Great news about our North Coast California condor A9 again flying free following weeks of intensive medical treatment at the Sequoia Park Zoo due to a potentially lethal case of lead poisoning, though scary news about eight other condors with elevated lead levels during a recent exam (“Another Close Condor Call,” Nov. 21). We can only hope this will be a wake-up call for North Coast hunters to stop using lead ammunition. In a related backstory on research into the dangers of lead poisoning of local California condors, I saw turkey vulture with tag No. 80 again at the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary on Nov. 8. First trapped and tagged on July 13, 2011, in Korbel, this turkey vulture was an average-sized adult in good condition, but for a little lead. “No. 80 did have high enough blood lead at the time that we considered them to have been exposed to a point source of lead. Based on other research done on vultures, it most likely came from lead ammunition fragments found in scavenged carcasses,” said Chris West, program manager of the Yurok
Recently, I watched a documentary that depicted the Serengeti’s famous wildebeest migration as the animals forded a river in Tanzania. The wildebeests are reluctant to cross the river because of the huge crocodiles waiting to catch and eat them. While the majority safely make the crossing, a significant number are killed. We, too, have a perilous yearly migration here in coastal Humboldt (though thankfully without the blood and guts of the Serengeti). First, replace the crocodile-rich rivers with our roads, and substitute the ravenous crocodiles with our car tires. Then, in place of the wildebeests, picture fuzzy black-and-russet woolly bears. And there you have it, a wildebeest migration in miniature. Well, to me, anyway, it’s very similar. Why do woolly bears cross roads and streets every fall? This annual insect migration is undertaken by moth larvae (aka caterpillars) in the family Erebidae, which includes tiger moths. Locally, the banded woolly bear, which is the caterpillar of the Isabella tiger moth, is quite common. While the banded woolly bear is active all summer, grazing on many different herbaceous plants, it becomes most visible in the fall
Editor: I appreciate the column that Jennifer Fumiko Cahill wrote for the Nov. 21 NCJ (“Food Will Not Bring Us Together”). It is good to be reminded of the different life experiences of those we know and admire. However, I would like to differ with your advice to fellow Americans to not sit at the table and break bread with those whom we may differ with politically. This is a perilous time for the United States, and another Civil War is indeed a possibility. Is it not better to engage in acts that enable a recognition of each other as fellow human beings and Americans, rather than to fan the flames of hurt and anger engendered by the differences between ourselves and others we may come across? Kathryn Corbett, Eureka…
Editor: Festive foods, drinks and a myriad of holiday events come now. For example, December Arts Alive on Saturday, Dec. 7 from 6 to 9 p.m. (Calendar, Nov. 21). “Cheers” to holidays means planning ahead if drinking. A responsible driver can get folded like a pretzel after hit by a drunken one. A drunken driver hit me in 1992 when I was 16. Years of medical care and therapy in San Jose, San Ramon, Stockton and Tracy followed. I have problems hearing, talking and walking. After 30-plus years, I have adapted to this depressing change. Taking U.S. 101 to go to and from a holiday party? Do not let your night of drinking turn into a nightmare: Don’t drive drunk. Before celebrating, make sure you have a sober driver to take you home. If tapped to be the designated driver, do not drink alcohol. Take that role seriously. Lori Martin, Tracy…
The Humboldt County Elections Office issued another round of results today, adding 2,166 votes to the tally, with 65,093 votes counted to date, which represents nearly 77 percent of registered voters. The elections office notes: “This is the final election report prior to the certification of the election.” According to the Elections Office, a total of 446 potential ballots remain outstanding, though all those may not be deemed valid. Those include 53 provisional ballots and 393 vote-by-mail ballots. All ballots cast at voting centers have been counted. “All valid vote-by-mail ballots will be counted regardless of the outcome or closeness of any race if they were postmarked by Tuesday, Nov. 5 and were received by Tuesday, Nov. 12,” a release with the updated results states. “The Official Election Results will be published at certification on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. There will be no report published on Friday, Nov. 29.” The updated results don’t change much, but still leave two candidates tied for the third of three seats up on the Blue Lake City Council after each gained an additional two votes. Here’s a rundown of the
Another free option for your jazz fix happens a day later in the week and a few hours earlier in the day. The Logger Bar is hosting Jazz Bros today at 4 p.m. and, although I haven’t had the chance to check out this gig yet, the name really kind of says it all. If I miss this week’s installment and it turns out to be something far different than what I expected, please feel free to report back.
Another Tuesday night in the Northern 707, another chance to catch some jazz courtesy of the Opera Alley Cats at the Speakeasy at 7 p.m. It’s a free gig but bring some scratch for my buddy Brian and the rest of the boys in the band. Tip your bartenders, too, please.
Cal Poly Humboldt students are currently enrolling for their spring classes and for the second time since he resigned his presidency to retreat into a tenured professor position, Tom Jackson Jr. is not listed on the schedule as teaching any courses. Jackson, who brought his tumultuous and controversial five-year tenure as the university’s president to a close over the summer, is now one of the university’s highest paid professors under a retreat clause written into the contract he signed when making a lateral move to leave his presidency at Black Hills State University in South Dakota to helm what was then Humboldt State University. But what exactly Jackson, who lists no teaching experience on his resume, will be doing in his new role has remained largely unclear, with the press release announcing his resignation saying only that he would be retreating to a “tenured professorship working with the College of Professional Studies and the College of Extended Education and Global Engagement.” The Journal first enquired about Jackson’s new role in July and was told the university was “still working through the final details” and didn’t
The Humboldt Committee for Peace and Justice is putting on a walk and vigil for the victims of the ongoing collective punishment, ethnic cleansing and genocide in Palestine. People of conscience are encouraged to gather at the foot of D street at 11 a.m., where they will then peacefully walk to the Old Town Gazebo Plaza for a nonviolent gathering of reflection. “Participants are encouraged to dress in black to observe the solemnity of the event,” which will last until 1 p.m. At 4 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church, tenor David Powell and pianist John Chernoff will be performing Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Songs of Travel and Aaron Copland’s Old American Songs, a fine pairing of both performers and program pieces. There is a suggested donation of $20.
Amy, our beautiful and loving wife, mother, daughter, sister, sister-in-law, auntie and friend of many passed on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, at the age of 46 due to a motorcycle accident during the Annual United Bikers of Northern California Veterans ride with Jessie Suelzle (who also passed) from the Fortuna Veterans Memorial Building to the cemetery in Eureka for a ceremony honoring our Veterans and fallen soldiers. Amy graduated from Ferndale High School in 1997 and furthered her education at Fredrick and Charles Beauty College, graduating on July 14, 2000. Her career began at The Inn Salon in Ferndale located behind the Village Inn. She spent the rest of her career doing what she loved, making her Eel River Valley clients feel special and beautiful. She always said her greatest accomplishment in life was her son Dane, whom she extremely loved and protected with all she had. She was head-strong and bubbly, the one who always kept our family laughing. She had the biggest heart and went out of her way to do anything for anyone. She loved hard and was loved by so many.
Speaking of the Sanctuary, James Zeller and friends will be putting on a special seasonal jazz show over at the Arcata Playhouse this evening at 6:20 p.m. called Leaves and Sleeves: Songs of Autumn. There will be two sets, the first being the thematic one and a second running after a short break with a looser vibe. The door is $15-$30 sliding scale. Come mingle and jingle and mark the passage of time. Which brings me to tonight’s other event. Time, I mean, and its inexorable crawl forwards as perceived by the creatures in our dimensional latitude. It has now been 10 years since the opening of Richards’ Goat and the Miniplex, and the good folks over there are putting on a nice free shebang to celebrate. DJ Pandemonium Jones will be spinning wax for the dancing types, there will be some drink and beer specials, and T-shirts, a first for the beloved bar/tearoom/venue, will be available for purchase. The bar opens at 6 p.m. but I would expect things to start grooving by 9 p.m.…
The Humboldt County Elections Office has issued its first post election report, adding 8,186 votes to the tally, with 62,927 votes counted thus far, representing about 74.26 percent of registered voters. The updated results don’t change much, but they do leave two candidates in a dead heat for the third of three seats up on the Blue Lake City Council. There are, however, more votes left to count. According to the Elections Office, a total of 2,431 potential ballots remain outstanding, though all those may not be deemed valid. Specifically, the office reports it has 2,004 provisional ballots that still need to be processed, as well as 393 vote-by-mail ballots and another 34 cast at voting centers. Here’s a rundown of the results so far in the races for city council, open seats on the Humboldt Bay Harbor and Conservation District and local ballots measures. Arcata City Council (three seats) Stacy Atkins-Salazar — 4,492 votes (25.75 percent) Gregory Daggett — 1,323 votes (7.58 percent) Shea Love Freedomhowler — 933 votes (5.35 percent) Dana Quillman — 627 votes (3.59 percent) Sarah Schaefer — 3,615 votes (23.37
On this week’s episode of the NCJ Preview , News Editor Thadeus Greenson discusses the North Coast Journal cover story Bitten, by Erica Kate Terence Steinbring. Jennifer Fumiko-Cahill talks about protecting yourself from the drama that comes with Thanksgiving in her story Food Will Not Bring Us Together . Finally, Greenson wraps up the episode with a heart-warming story by Kimberly Wear, who covers the Wiyot Tribe celebrating the return of Digawututklh. Read the full stories here! Bitten Food Will Not Bring Us Together Wiyot Tribe Celebrates the Return of Digawututklh Read all these stories and more at northcoastjournal.com. …
Evacuation orders issued yesterday for sections of the Eel River Valley have been downgraded but several zones remain under evacuation warnings, including areas around the Van Duzen and Mad rivers, due to flooding. In a storm update today, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office cautioned residents that they should “remain cautious and prepared to leave again quickly if conditions worsen.” “Stay alert for potential hazards when returning to your residence or property, including debris and/or water on roadways,” the release states. Find the areas under evacuation warnings as well as other storm-related information, including where to find sand bags and the location of emergency shelters and warming centers, in the update here. An evacuation center opened Thursday at the Fortuna Firemen’s Pavilion will close at 1 p.m. today, according to the sheriff’s office. State Route 211 is open as of this morning and, the sheriff’s office states “based on forecast projections, access to Ferndale is not anticipated to be impacted at this time.” Moderate flooding in the Eel River delta is expected to continue through tonight, with a flood warning in effect until Saturday afternoon, according
A man found dead Nov. 2 at an abandoned Blue Lake power plant has been identified as Jason Quinton Miller, officials said today. According to a Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office news release, an autopsy confirmed the 50 year old’s death was caused by “electrocution with extensive thermal burns, [a] terminal fall from heights and chronic methamphetamine abuse.” Miller had been living in a Blue Lake encampment, according to the sheriff’s office. “At the time of his death, Miller was trespassing on city of Blue Lake property and appeared to be stealing copper wire from a live power line,” the release states. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539. …
The Sanctuary is hosting a North Indian vocal concert in the Dhrupad tradition, a style that is as old as it gets for classical Hindustani vocal music. Dr. Sumeet Anand is the evening’s vocalist and will be accompanied by Amol Ghode on the pakhawaj, a two-headed, cylindrical drum. Tabla soloist Colby Beers will be opening the show at 7 p.m. The cost is $20 (cash only), but you can get a package deal if you want to attend Dr. Anand’s Dhrupad workshop on Saturday at the Outer Space at 10 a.m. Both events will run you $60 if tickets are purchased by Nov. 21, otherwise, the workshop alone is a $50-$75 sliding scale. For all inquiries and reservations, feel free to text (707) 499-9699. Enjoy. PLEASE NOTE: The North Indian vocal concert has been moved to Synapsis Nova, 1675 Union St, Eureka…
UPDATE: The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has issued evacuation orders and warnings for sections of the Eel River area. Find the areas and further information here. For those who need to evacuate, the HCSO states: “The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services in coordination with the Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services and the American Red Cross-Gold Country Region today established an Evacuation Center for those impacted by the storm. The Evacuation Center is located the Fortuna Firemen’s Pavilion, located at 9 Park St. Fortuna … . The center will be open today, Thursday, Nov. 21 at 4 p.m. while community needs are assessed. PREVIOUS: The Eel River at Fernbridge is expected to hit major flood stage Friday, while the Van Duzen and Mad rivers are slated to reach minor flood stages, with a flood warning in effect until 4 p.m. Saturday. But that’s not all the storm has in store, according to the Eureka office of the Nation Weather Service. “Strong and damaging southerly winds are forecast to develop tonight,” a NWS social media post states. “Wind gusts from 45 to
