A million apologies for the light posting today, but we’ve been a-gearing up for tonight’s big Upstage Live show with the John Butler Trio. Join us, won’t you? Video at the link, plus live audio at 104.3/104.7 FM, or streaming at khum.com.

In the meantime, you guys caught Mike Dronkers’ wrenching interview with HSU Biology Professor Dawn Goley on the Klamath Whale, didn’t you? Good.

###

So the Board of Supervisors decided to go with Redistricting Option 2A yesterday, which came as something of a surprise both to myself and to the LoCO readership. Somehow the board found 2A the “least radical” of the plans, despite the fact that it rips Scotia from Rio Dell/Fortuna. Like many readers, and like many of the SoHummers who testified at the meeting, I think that yoking SoHum to Cutten in a new First District actually makes much more intuitive sense.

But the board gave County Clerk Recorder Carloyn Crnich some homework yesterday, most of which involved smoothing out 2A’s rough spots. Specifically, they’re asking for revisions to three particular line boundaries. The committee drawing these drafts will have to do one of two things to accomplish this: Either accept a greater degree of population disparity between the districts than exists in the current draft, or move other lines to accomodate the changes that the board is looking for. Crnich is scheduled to report back to the board on Sept. 13.

Let’s take a look at the areas that the board wants redrawn.

WEOTT

A lot of people testified that they want to see Weott remain in the same district as Garberville, Redway and etc. Weott is part of the Southern Humboldt Unified School District, and while the vocal “Keep SoHum Whole” contingent was pleased that Shelter Cove isn’t going to be split off into the first, as originally planned, they were greatly dismayed that 2A took away their Weott.

So the board wants to see Weott put back into the pink, which would make it of a district with SoHum and Fortuna. At the same time, Scotia and Stafford and etc. would be made of a district not with Fortuna but with Cutten.

Go figure.

MAD RIVER

Both Supervisor Mark Lovelace (blue) and Supervisor Ryan Sundberg (tan) expressed hope that the somewhat janky border between their territory around Blue Lake could be smoothed out. Wouldn’t it be possible to make either Hwy 299 or the Mad River the boundary? We shall see.

EUREKA

UPDATE: See correction.

Now, this one is a bit of a puzzler. See that clean line down Harris? Without really explaining itself, the board requested that Crnich look into whether that could be dirtied up a bit. A cynic might think that the board was looking to throw a bone to Rex Bohn, a declared candidate for next year’s election for First District Supervisor. As it stands, here, Bohn Manor is moved out of the green and into the yellow. So what can we do about that? the board asks. 

That’s what a cynic might say.

###

Hey! Activist Norman Solomon, candidate in our brand-spanking-new Congressional district, is making a serious run, here! Release the Spicoli!

Former North Bay resident Sean Penn will return to the area next week for joint appearances with progressive Democratic candidate Norman Solomon, who is running for Congress in the new coastal district that stretches from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border.

The Oscar-winning actor and director has been immersed in humanitarian aid work in Haiti since a devastating earthquake struck that country in January 2010.

In December 2002, three months before the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Penn and Solomon went to Baghdad together in an effort to encourage alternatives to war. Speaking alongside Solomon at a news conference in the Iraqi capital, Penn told journalists: “I sit with you here today in the hopes that any of us present may contribute in any way to a peaceful resolution to the conflict at hand.” (For a recent magazine article with background information, click here.)

Solomon — a policy researcher, author and political activist — is an outspoken critic of Washington’s failure to create jobs, protect the environment and give priority to education, healthcare and retirement security. He is running as an independent progressive Democrat for an open seat in the new congressional district that includes Marin County and western Sonoma County as well as the North Coast counties of Mendocino, Humboldt, Del Norte and Trinity.

Now in his third consecutive term as a member of the California Democratic Party’s state central committee, Solomon is national co-chair of Healthcare Not Warfare. He was elected as an Obama delegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

Details about Penn’s upcoming appearances with Solomon on the campaign trail will be posted on the campaign website, SolomonForCongress.com.