Letters To The Editor – September 28, 2010
The why and what of Q
On Nov. 2, Measure Q will be on the ballot, with the aim of modernizing, repairing and upgrading schools in the Northern Humboldt Union High School District.
This is a general obligation bond that comes from tax on all taxable properties within the district, and will cost the average homeowner approximately $3 per month.
This investment in our community benefits not only the current students in the district, but will also help attract young families to the area who will want to know they are joining a community that prioritizes education.
Proposed projects the measure will cover include updating electrical systems, classrooms, libraries, media centers and shop areas. It would also support construction of a performing arts center and better athletic fields and facilities. And it will improve safety, accessibility and energy efficiency.
I am in favor of this measure not only because I want the best for my children and the children of this community, but also because I want to see our community continue to prosper into the future.
I believe in order to do so, we need to visibly support our teachers and students and show the next generation of Humboldt County Residents that in addition to the area’s stunning beauty, the outstanding teachers, and the hard working and talented students, we also have up-to-date, excellent, competitive school facilities.
Jennifer Heidmann
Atthys Gage
Arcata
The Sisters’ stellar start
Last Friday night’s Bat ‘N Rouge Benefit was a great success from this onlooker’s perspective. I have not yet heard the final donation amount, however my guess is it’s impressive.
Attendance was packed, spirits were high from both the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, and Downtown Brown beer kegs.
Matching monetary donation, cupcakes, martini party, buy a run, go play in drag too, and more were all offered up for the crowd’s enthusiastic take.
As I strolled home that evening alongside my partner, an unconscious or maybe old familiar prejudice crept into my thoughts.
The Drag Queen ball game was a blast, but do I greet Drag Queens in the same open-hearted fashion on a day to day basis?
Probably not, pointing to the stellar ingenuity of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence in finding a way to promote their cause, as they help others achieve theirs.
It’s a simple concept really. Too bad I didn’t know about this in high school, it could’ve made those years much more bearable for me and many of my fellow peers.
Imagine, intellectual nerd types fundraising for the football team, or social rejects fundraising for cheerleaders to attend cheer camp?
Yeah, something’s a little one-sided here, or is it just humbling? I don’t know, however, it’s a great start.
I really hope when this trail opens, the first invited to walk will be the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, as the rest of us follow their lead =).
Jeannie Kessel
Arcata
Welcome to my editing nightmare
Subject: a page a day keeps the ignorance away .
hello my name is Michael Faris. I am 19 years old, writing is my passion.
i would really appreciate it if you would allow me to publish a peice of my writing into the Arcata eye.
please this will be a evermeaningful opprotunity for me.
The Arcata eye entertains me, i would like to take the chance to entertain your other readers as well, with a different form of writing? please let me know.
Brenna Matt
The Internet
A standstill sampler
Good afternoon, My name is Lauren. I would like to know if I can possibly send your company some samples and quotes for business cards, fliers, stationary and all other printing needs that you may have?
Sincerely,
Lauren Medianne
Executive Sales Rep, Boca Raton Florida
The Internet
Good qualities, or not
Hey,dear.
If you need Apple iPhone ,Blackberry, Sony laptop ,Nokia ,TV,Motorcycle,I introduce you visit. I bought some from them, good qualities with good price.
greeting ! 4–7
Ryan Roberts
The Internet
Exploiting tragedy
I saw yet another letter from Ken Quigley, the grieving father who’s daughter was killed by a drunk driver. You can just feel his pain. When the driver was sentenced to 14 years 8 months, Mr. Quigley said on TV, “No sentence would have been good enough.”
Quigley refers to his daughter’s “murderer,” but under the law, (as his brother, an EPD officer could explain), murder requires proving intent or “malice aforethought.” Anything less is “manslaughter.” If you look it up, gross vehicular manslaughter is punishable by imprisonment for four, six or 10 years.
In this case, the DA’s Office was able to pressure the defendant to plead Guilty, take a 14-year sentence plus, waive his right of appeal. This would be considered a victory by any prosecutor (with the exception of one who was attempting to defeat the incumbent DA).
I do not blame Ken Quigley or his family for lashing out at DA Paul Gallegos and I understand Allison Jackson’s willingness to exploit this tragedy for her own political gain. The Quigley family tragedy, however, takes nothing away from the very solid record Gallegos and his team have amassed. Gallegos is experienced and tested and will have my vote of confidence in November.
Mark Grimes, Republican
Eureka
Airport answers needed
Thanks to Greta Montagne for going public with her recent experience traveling by air into our community. Two of my family members had similar experiences recently and I think we all need a better explanation of why this work required all independent landing systems shut down and/or why earlier notification was not made public.
Returning from an overseas flight, one family member’s flight was diverted to Redding where United Express hired a bus to bring passengers back to the coast. Other than the time lost, he at least got home in the early morning hours. Another family member had a similar diversion more recently. This time there was literally no Horizon official at the Redding airport and only the fact that there were two vans which accommodated those left on the ground made their coast return possible. It cost each of them $125. Each van rental was just over $1,000! So, Greta’s suggestion was taken. Airlines are not responsible for not landing or cancelled flights when the weather is the cause. Nor are they responsible for accommodations or other transport.
Why don’t all of us who experienced such disruption ask our County Supervisor (Third district, mlovelace@co.humboldt.ca.us) to look into this matter and make public the findings?
Sara Turner
Arcata
I Block thanks
The 25th annual I Block Party was a great success. We raised a record amount of money to fund scholarships, clean water projects and more in the community of Camoapa, Nicaragua, Arcata’s sister city! The I Block Party is genuinely a community effort and would truly not be possible without the widespread support of local businesses, musicians, artists and volunteers.
On behalf of the Arcata-Camoapa Sister City Project, we extend our deep gratitude to the following businesses that sponsored the 2010 I Block Party: Arcata Eye, Arcata Pizza & Deli, Arcata Scoop, Bug Press, Finnish Country Sauna & Tubs, Fish Brothers, Jan Dooley, DC, KHUM / KSLG / KWPT / KXGO, Los Bagels, Northcoast Co-op, Pacific Watershed Associates, Inc., Revolution Bicycle Repair, Stars Hamburgers, Tomás Jewelry, Umpqua Bank, Wildwood Music.
We would also like to thank the bands that generously donated their time, energy and talent to give life to the event: Lost Coast Marimbas, Ani Quartet, Berel Alexander Ensemble and the Singing Nettles.
We would like to recognize and honor the collective effort of the following businesses, organizations and people that provided donations or services: 3 Foods Café, Abruzzi/Plaza Grill/Moonstone Grill, Adventure’s Edge, Agustín Amaro, Allison McGonagle, Arcata Exchange, Arcata Fire Department, Arcata Garbage Co., Arcata Main Street, Arcata Parks and Recreation, Arcata Picture Framing, ArcataPhoto, B&B Portable Toilets, Belle Starr, Bien Padre, Big Pete’s New York Pizzeria, Bigfoot Cactus, Bless My Soul Café, Bubbles, Café Brio, Caravan of Dreams, Carlisle Douglas, Carmela’s Mexican Restaurant, CenterArts, Clendenen’s Cider Works, Coca-Cola Bottling Co. , Desserts on Us, Engineers Without Borders, Fire Arts Center, Flying Blue Dog Nursery, G Farm, Garden Gate, Global Village, Gallery, Heart Bead, Hensel’s Ace Hardware, Holly Yashi, Humboldt Beer Distributors, Humboldt Brews, Humbrews, Imagine Unlimited, Ingrid’s Garden Therapy, Jogg’n Shoppe, Kokatat, La Dolce Video, La Trattoria, Larrupin Café, Linda Parkinson, Lluvia Winery, Lost Coast Brewhouse, Luke’s Joint, Mad River Brewing Co., Inc., Marisela Wassenaar, Matthew Filar, Maureen McGarry, Meer Image, Mission Uniform and Linen Services, Mountain Home Farm, Murphy’s Market & Deli, Natural Selection, Northtown Books, Om Shala Yoga, OrderWithin, Pacific Rim Noodle House, Pan Arts Network, Peggy Loudon, Pierce Family Farm, Plaza Design, Premiere Meats, Public Works department of Arcata, R.H. Cooper, Ramone’s Bakery, Redwood Curtain Brewing Company, Redwood Roots Farm, Redwood Yogurt, Renata’s Creperie, Rex Dippre, Richard Quenzer, Robert Goodman Winery, Rocking Horse, Sacred Grounds Organic Coffee, Sierra Nevada, Sushi Spot, Tarik Jassar, Terra Pearson, Tofu Shop Specialty Foods Inc., Tomo Japanese Restaurant, Trinidad Electric, Wildberries Marketplace, Wildflower Café & Bakery and Willow Creek Farms.
And lastly, we owe deep gratitude to the many people who volunteer their time leading up to and on the day of the I Block Party. Dennis Rael has helped bring the I Block Party to life for the past 25 years and the Los Bagels staff work closely with the Sister City project to pull off this event every year.
The Arcata-Camoapa Sister City Project meets the second Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m. in the Arcata Library Conference Room. These meetings are open to anyone who would like to attend.
Sincerely,
Tessa Pitré and Cheyenne Montalbin
2010 I Block Party Coordinators
Zoo thanks
As the summer comes to a close and students are back in school, those of us who provide summer programs for local youth have time to take a breath and reflect on our summer classes, as well as the generous support and donations of local community members such as Humboldt Sponsors.
This year, Sequoia Park Zoo launched its fifth season of Summer Zoofari Adventures. This season was our most successful ever with the arrival of our new Red pandas and the birth of a Chilean flamingo chick.
Once again, I am amazed at the rich diversity in our youth and their ability to explore, learn something new, and be open to meeting new friends.
I am also amazed and grateful for the generosity of Humboldt Sponsors for providing scholarship funds for many of our participants. These scholarships provide low-income and in-need youth with the chance to experience positive learning and exploration in a structured environment. Experiences such as these help build self-esteem, leadership and integrity—important building blocks for a happy child.
There are so many children in our community that need and benefit from resources such as scholarships to summer camps. I commend Humboldt Sponsors for making youth a priority and contributing to our summer program scholarship fund.
Best regards,
Amber Neilson, Zoo Education Coordinator
Eureka
Reinstate chivalry
There was a tradition in the Old West whereby some famous outlaws would avoid violence and not take wedding rings, etc., from victims in stage, and other hold-ups in a tradition of chivalrous banditry. This even emerged to some extent in more modern times in the hold-ups in the 1930s, and even into more recent times with the tradition in commercial truck hijacking where care was taken, as a “public relations” policy (they didn’t want truckers to have a compelling reason to arm themselves) not to harm the truck drivers themselves.
I’m afraid, however, that unfortunately these policies have fallen by the wayside in recent decades as crime has followed an increasingly vicious trend, which I feel should be be corrected by reinstating chivalry as a policy for perpetrators to avoid causing death or suffering.
After all, it’s only the professional thing to do.
Ed Nemechek
Adelanto
A helpful media article
Subject: Re: hey dude
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Almafromlh
The Internet
Measure Q builds community
On November 2 the voters of Northern Humboldt Union High School District have anopportunity to support Measure Q. This is the first bond measure ever attempted by the district in its 116-year history. Poor state funding (46th in the U.S.) has finally made the issuance of a bond a necessity.
This money is to be apportioned equally between Arcata and McKinleyville High Schools for facility updates. Electrical wiring and plumbing need repair, classroom technology needs updating, athletic facilities need modernization. Music students need adequate practice and performance areas.
Good schools form the basis of a strong community economy. Good schools maintainproperty values. If Measure Q passes, the cost to the property owner will be approximately $19/year for each $100,000 of assessed property value.
Support our community. Vote Yes on Measure Q.
John VanSpeybroeck
Nancy VanSpeybroeck
Arcata
Measure Q a slush fund
Measure Q, the Northern Humboldt Union School District school bond measure, begins by saying “To improve the quality of education…” at a cost of $25.8 million with no money used for teachers salaries. I agree with the position of the Humboldt Taxpayer’s League that states “Overall there are insufficient descriptions, specifics or cost breakdowns of the projects for voters to make an informed decision on this bond issue. Vote No on Measure Q.” The Board of the school district is asking voters to give them a blank check to spend $25.8 million without having any commitment on specific projects for voters to make considered judgment on the needs therefor. None of the potential projects can be shown to “improve the quality of education,” including $8.26 million for a community performing arts center in Arcata, artificial turf for a cost of $9,912.842 and bleacher replacement for $2,615,646.
The letter appearing in the Arcata Eye of Sept. 1 from Rachael Presser Barnett, an employee of the school district, vaguely refers to “tools and facilities” for “educational exposure” and sports fields. She, and other zealots can be expected to deluge the opinion pages to attempt to convince voters to approve a virtual “slush fund.” Voters should tell the District to go back to the drawing board, come up with specific projects and their costs and come back to the voters in the next election cycle.
Zachary Zwerding, in a letter also appearing in the Eye on September 1, states “In addition, there will be community oversight regarding project selection and implementation.” The “independent citizens’ oversight committee” required by the California Education Code has no authority over project selection or implementation. The only function of the committee is to, after the fact, determine that bond proceeds are expended only on school facilities and not administration or teachers. The Oversight Committee does not have the ability to even question the amounts spent on projects. This is the discretion and responsibility of the Board and Superintendent to choose the projects, which has not been done.
Voters should be careful what they vote for because the money they pay for taxes that will be assessed in this bond for 35 years may not be used in the way they expect. There are lots of disappointed school bond facility voters in Fortuna, Eureka, and McKinleyville, not to mention the huge College of the Redwoods bond.
David Elsebusch
McKinleyville
Jackson will steal freedom
On DA candidate Allison Jackson’s own website and in her ad in the Senior News, she says that her message to the cops is if “you bust ’em, we won’t let ’em go.” This seems to confirm the accusation by supporters of the incumbent DA Paul Gallegos, that Ms. Jackson’s judicial philosophy is, “if you’ve been arrested, then you must be guilty” and that her reputation to go to any means necessary to prove whatever the cops accuse someone of having done is one she intends to not only continue but to institute as policy in her office.
When I grew up, I was taught in America, if you were detained by the authorities, you were presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This is the basis of what made the U.S. different then countries where people were not free, be they military dictatorships like Pinochet’s Chile where once you were arrested, you would simply be “disappeared,” or so called Communist regimes like Stalin’s Soviet Union, where if you were so unfortunate to be accused of a crime, you might spend your life in a gulag. In neither case were you given the presumption of innocence. If the cops pick you up, you are presumed guilty and you can pretty much expect that they “won’t let go.”
We hear a lot these days about freedom, liberty and justice in America, but on what are these principles based? They are based on our legal justice system, with all of the rules that the prosecution must follow before the state has the right to take away your freedom and incarcerate you. So before you lose your freedom, the state has the burden to prove you’ve broken a law, a law made by our representatives in the legislature, which is to say, made by the people. Remember that stuff about “We the People?”
Well, if you put an overzealous prosecutor in power, either as an Attorney General or as District Attorney, you are risking the loss of the fundamental freedoms that America was founded on. We’ve seen it happen before many times, even here in America, but certainly in other countries that are less free then we are. Let’s not let it happen in Humboldt County. Re-elect District Attorney Paul Gallegos and expect the DA’s office to always strive for justice, not vengeance, and to only incarcerate the guilty.
Christopher Judd
Eureka
End blatant discrimination
Being a genealogy buff, I was drawn into watching the television show, Who Do You Think You Are? episode last night about Emmitt Smith’s ancestry.
What disturbed me the most was when it was pointed out to Emmitt that purebred horses in the United States can be tracked back all the way to the 1600s in England; but, Smith’s family cannot be tracked back that far because the records stopped at the slavery point about 200 years ago. It was discussed how slaves were treated as property and were “bred”. It was disgusting to hear about this barbaric time in our country’s history.
However, it infuriates me that even with the horrific slavery in his ancestry, Mr. Smith (with the help of genealogists) was able to trace back his family for 200 years! He even traveled to Africa and visited the area his family’s African DNA was believed to have originated from. Why does that make me angry? Because I can’t even go back in my family history to find my biological father. Why? Simply because I was adopted. The only record of me on Ancestry.com is a one line entry on the California Birth Index. It then appears that I cease to exist. My birth name belongs to a ghost now. My descendants will not be able to trace back our family tree past me. It stops with me. My branch was severed from the family tree.
Sealed/amended birth certificates are modern-day sales receipts for adoptive parents that assure them that our (adoptees) family histories, nationalities and cultures are irrelevant. We are legally transformed into living “blank canvasses or slates” during the adoption process and then have new identities painted onto us. We are issued fake (amended) birth certificates with new names and new parents listed on them.
It is 2010. I want the truthful documentation of my birth unsealed NOW. Ownership of human beings did not cease to exist when slavery was abolished. Emmitt Smith seemed to be under the impression that people are not treated like chattel anymore in the United States. He couldn’t be more wrong. The horses that recently raced at the Humboldt County Fair have pedigrees, but the adopted PEOPLE in this county, state, country do not.
This injustice and blatant discrimination against fellow human beings continues in the “land of the free” because the non-adopted majority has refused to take a stand against it.
Sincerely,
Mara Rigge
Trinidad
Lantern Ceremony thanks
Arcata’s Lantern Ceremony on August 14, remembering the victims of U.S. atomic weaponry in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, touched me deeply. The program included poetry, singing, the story of one young survivor of Hiroshima and haiku she wrote in her elder years. The beautiful, multi-colored lanterns glowed against the twilight as they floated serenely across Klopp Lake. Their presence invited peace well beyond the 80-some in attendance.
I’d like to express my personal gratitude to those who made the event come together so seamlessly: Maggie Shaffer, Karen Diemer and Toby Griggs, especially; the rest of the coordinating committee: Shiho Brannick and Kimiko Ringwald provided cultural perspective on the ceremony and donated paper for the laterns, Gail Coonen also donated paper, John McAlinn gave us a sense of history, Karin Salzmann, and Dylan Diemer. Those in the program itself: Mayor Alex Stillman emceed; Father Eric Freed told us of his meeting the survivor and recited her haiku in both Japanese and English; Kona Orlandi and Natalia Nelson read their own poems; John McAlinn read a piece by Porter Chaffee; singing were the Raging Grannies and McKinleyville Choir; Ann Anderson graced us with a solo in Japanese, and Guy and Cindy Kutner led the group in singalongs during the lantern launching. Thanks also to all those who made lanterns, who staffed the lantern-making area, and to the set-up and clean-up crews.
Although all the previous ceremonies had been hosted by the City of Arcata’s Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Commission, this year’s was created by a city-community collaboration, uniting many people from several peace organizations: Humboldt County Buddhist Peace Fellowship, Unitarian Universalist Social Action Committee, Vets for Peace, GI Rights Hotline, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, and Humboldt Friends Meeting (Quakers). I hope this successful event is a harbinger of more peace-making to come within and beyond Arcata’s borders.
In appreciation,
Sara Sunstein
Arcata
The nutty professor
Attention:
In view of the 1 weeks Research program my group of 4-man team is coming to carry out within your location, i wish to apply for the hiring of a boat with your company.
It should be a boat of between 6 to 8 persons capacity size and the booking should be in October – 2010 as stated below:
Date of booking: 25th – 31st October,2010.
Number of boat: 1
Number of person: 4 persons
Type of boat: Either Sailing Boat or Motor boat
Size of boat: Boat of at least 6 persons’ capacity
Get back to me on the booking details with the confirmation of total cost of booking for the period.
Note: We shall also need a skipper.
Regards,
Prof. Benjamin Wigham
Climatologist/Marine Ecologist
Chief Director of the Centre
for Climatic Research(CCR)
Newcastle University, Newcastle
How to handle scammers
Dear Professor Wigham,
This is the second time you have contacted our company with this request. We are still unable to supply you with any motor other than your own abductor muscles.
We are “Kayak Zak’s.” Uh, that’s “Kayak,” as in KAYAK, as in a paddle boat, as in a type of canoe.
Contact the Haida people in Queen Charlotte City, BC for a “kayak” to hold more than three persons. They have built dugout war canoes for centuries in the Pacific Northwest.
Otherwise please contact an actual charter company and not an outfitter.
Enjoy our area in October. We have many fine breweries.
Happy researching.
Marna Powell, owner
Kayak Zak’s, kayakzak.com
“MORE FUN IS MORE GOOD!”
Orick
Why vote yes on Q?
I am writing this letter to ask everyone to vote yes on Measure Q.
Why, you ask?
1. So AHS and MHS can have the tools and facilities needed for our children to get the educational exposure that is required to have a successful college education experience.
2. So our communities can have the proper sports fields and not only for the students attending the schools but the general public for instance, the youth sports, Football, Baseball, Softball, and Basketball, all of these organizations use the schools now, but are limited because of the conditions.
Last but not least… 3. The busineses in the community. The district will be able to rent the facilities in the summer months for Football, Soccer, and Basketball, to out of the area schools and programs. The athletic programs hold summer camps here because of the cool weather. These groups bring in upwards of 200 to 500 individuals during a week that spend money in our community.
There are many benefits to measure Q and the entire community will see the positive effects from the changes. Please stay focused on the positive aspects of the bond and not the negative individuals, and negative comments that they make. If you read any of the past printed articles of the individuals who are apposed to the bond, you will find that the are against any change at all in our community.
Please join me, my friends, and my family, in support of the Northern Humboldt Union High School District Bond Measure “Q.”
Thank You!
Rachel Presser Barnett
McKinleyville
A good idea all around
Current and future students of Arcata and McKinleyville High Schools need our help. Measure Q is a bond proposal that will be on the November ballot. It is designed to help the district replace antiquated electrical systems, improve energy efficiency, upgrade computers and make important health and safety improvements on both campuses.
The NHUSD Board is committed to considering funding projects equally at both Arcata and McKinleyville High. In addition, there will be community oversight regarding project selection and implementation.
The NHUSD is the largest high school district in the state never to have asked for a bond. This is because the district has had an outstanding record of marshalling precious resources to keep these two schools at the top of their game. Unfortunately, because of the ongoing economic crisis in the state, Arcata and McKinleyville High are not going to be able to keep up without help from the voters. In fact, the district is being fiscally prudent by seeking $19.00 per $100,000 assessed as opposed to the maximum $30 per $100,000 that most districts ask for.
Finally, NHUSD wants to use local contractors on projects funded by Measure Q. This will be a boost to our local economy.
Please vote yes on Measure Q.
Zachary Zwerdling
Arcata
Bumbling bungling airport
Hi, I believe you ran a story (or maybe it was simply the announcement) a couple weeks ago regarding the runway closures at the airport. I think it newsworthy to report further on the impact to travellers it is having. Coupled with the dense fog causing flight cancellations with the smaller prop planes, the ticket agents said only two Alaska/Horizon jet flights per week are making it in, and that is a late-night flight, making any flight cancellation extremely distressful for travellers unaware of the difficulties of reaching our humble island county via air.
I was just travelling with my two kids on Wednesday and was forced to buy a $79 hotel room because Avis and Budget were completely out of cars. Avis was charging $350 anyway, for one way to Arcata, an exorbitant price bordering on extortion in my opinion. I would sooner hitchhike home, with all my luggage and two small kids. The Redding airport closes around midnight and doesn’t allow people to spend the night there, besides, the next flight to Arcata isn’t until 10:30 p.m. the next night, United or Alaska. Alaska and Horizon just merged and the employees were not only practically halved in numbers but further, the ones remaining lost all their benefits. United, at least, hires a bus to drive their planeloads to Arcata.
Yes, I was gambling that the larger Alaska jet would be able to land using their instruments, and should have used my laptop to check the weather at ACV and made a better decision (to rent a car when I was in SFO and drive home), but since I had the tickets, I figured on trying my luck. Others on my flight were completely unaware of ANY possibility of cancellation, and were having to call friends in places like Garberville to come pick them up!
I don’t understand why the equipment is being turned off most nights due to construction, and I further think either the airlines or the airport should be doing a much better job at warning travellers of this potential circumstance. Here is where the Eye could help, by running regular “updates” on construction progress or just simply report on the fact that on average only two flights per week are making it into ACV due to fog and the navigation equipment being turned off.
Somehow the word needs to get out better. Redding hotels and car rental agencies are making out like bandits this month and I would love to think there’s some collusion going on with the airport manager. Does the current bumbling bungling airport manager have anything to do with this? Because most highways manage to still allow traffic to proceed when construction is going on, they might only have one lane, but it’s important to keep traffic moving. Why do they have to turn the navigational equipment off, especially for the late-night flights which are stranding travellers in (gasp) REDDING?
(Some enterprising Humboldt resident or college student needs to buy, rent or borrow a 15 person van and start running shuttles on 299 between REDD and ACV, they could easily charge $100 per person, and it is a necessary service right now while construction at ACV is going on. Maybe a story in the Eye on this current snafu would inspire someone to take advantage of providing this service, and many travellers would be extremely grateful.)
Thanks for considering doing further investigation! and thanks for the black bear alert on the front page. This paper continues to be invaluable to living in Arcata.
Greta Montagne
Bayside
Driven away by marijuana
Yes I was born in Eureka, (1936) but I spent my growing up years in “good” old Arcata Went to Arcata Grammar School (Stuart Elementary) and Arcata High.
Dad worked at the old Barrel Factory, and both Mom and Dad passed away there. We as a family loved Arcata. I went in the Marine Corps from there and returned later to work. Left to make a living in aerospace engineering. However, Arcata was always the place I wanted to return to and to finish out my life.
Sadly that is no longer the case!! Cause? The growing acceptance of Pot, Weed, Mary Jane, Blow, etc.
When I was young my folks smoked and so I smoked, Dad drank, I was an alcoholic (in my younger years). We do pick up things from our parents, good and bad.
But lets not add to it. I was able to defeat all of the bad habits/addictions, however not all people can. Marijuana was illegal, in California, then it was decided that so many people are sick and it would help them recover, “so let’s make medical marijuana legal.” Ya, that sure helped!! Remember when a few sick people needed Marijuana? Obviously 50 percent of the people in Humboldt County are sick. One thing it will help (maybe) the California debt, tax it high! Well maybe, if it is not mainly bought from Mexican cartels!
We know that making marijuana OK for medical use will not lead to anyone else using it. Wait what is this new vote and court case about just making it plain old legal!
What next in Arcata, Cocaine, Heroin, Tar, etc. By all means lets make all of this stuff legal, we do not have enough drunks/idiots on the roads and at work. We all know that
the children should be “high” in class. No! There is a big difference between a kid having a cigarette at recess, than smoking a joint and being “high” the rest of the day!!
We have all heard that line “well prohibition didn’t work”. No it did not. Why!! Simply because you took something that was common everywhere, home, the corner bar, and said that you cannot go to the bar anymore! How many Westerns have you seen where there was not a Saloon in the movie! They took something that was part of our culture and made it illegal, is there any wonder that it failed. However Pot was legal till the 30’s and I never saw Roy Rogers or Gene Autrey smoking pot and when I was in school none of the kids smoked a “joint”.
It is also obvious that the present laws on growing, selling, etc. are not enforced by the State, County, or City. So why have any laws period!!
The adults in the community should care about our youth, but it is obvious that in Arcata they do not!
Would I want to move back to Arcata and have a Grow house next door or across the St. NO Way!!
I have my home up for sale, have bought a new place in Cavalier, N.D. My wife and I have bought our burial plots there.
Yes they grow things there, Wheat and Corn, and they are quite conservative, no debt!!
I loved Arcata for 74 years, but I think the romance is over, however I like the Arcata Eye and will continue taking it.
Bob Thomas
Powell, Tennessee
God’s budget: $14.4M
Dear Beloved in Christ,
I am Mrs. Elizabeth Smith an aging widow suffering from long time illness. I have some funds I inherited from my late husband, the sum of US$14,400,000.00 and I needed a very honest and God fearing Christian that will use the fund for God’s work, I found your e-mail address from the Internet and decided to contact you. Please if you would be able to use the funds for the Lord’s work, kindly reply for further details.
Yours in the Lord,
Mrs. Elizabeth Smith
The Internet
