Lost Coast Outpost

MONDAYS WITH MICHAELE: That Old Pinching Feeling

LoCO Staff / Monday, Aug. 9, 2021 @ 7:15 a.m. / Mondays With Michaele

Finally… play ball! This week Michaele salutes the Humboldt Crabs, who swung at the curve ball COVID threw at them and for a few games this shortened season managed to remind us a little bit of what normal Humboldt life used to be like as we again root, root, rooted for our hometown heroes. Bless those boys of summer!

Recently, your President of Positivity was lucky enough to meet and greet 17-year-old Crabs player Jack Nilsson, who came to Arcata all the way from Placer County to don the red and blue this season. Yes, yes. We know what you’re really wondering: Who would win in a pushup contest between Jack and Michaele? There is one easy way to find out. You know what to do.

Anyway, thanks for enduring a weird season for our summer enjoyment, Crabbies! Ciao Bella!

Photo: Matt Filar

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Perhaps You’d Like to Explore Previous Mondays With Michaele For Some Reason!

(AUDIO) HUMBOLDT HOLDING UP: Lucas Thornton and Blake Reagan are Going to Paint a Really Big Mural on the Courthouse This Week

LoCO Staff / Sunday, Aug. 8, 2021 @ 7:15 a.m. / Humboldt Holding Up

Art gods willing, you’ll soon be driving past this a lot | GoFundMe

(AUDIO) Blake and Lucas are Holdin’ Up

Back to bummer. This past week felt somewhat similar to the beginning of the pandemic — a grim sort of déjà vu. A wave of local event cancelations hit Humboldt as public officials and citizens attempted to wrap their brains around surging COVID case numbers. Here we go again!

But just like last summer, one annual event is proceeding since, by its nature, it doesn’t require its participants or attendees to cluster together or be indoors at a time when social distancing is again recommended. The fourth annual Eureka Street Art Festival officially kicked off yesterday and some entries are already emerging from downtown walls. At a time when we could all use some cheer, Eureka has a colorful week in store.

Arguably this year’s highest profile mural will grace the gargantuan I Street-facing wall of the Humboldt County Courthouse. And on this week’s edition of Humboldt Holding Up — LoCO’s always artsy, sometimes fartsy podcast — we speak with Blake Reagan and Lucas Thornton who plan to spend the week perched high in a lift painting to life a design that has already befuddled a county supervisor or two. Art, man! What even is it?! What is it for!?

Luke and Blake prepare to ascend into the art heavens

Activate the audio player above or click on over to Apple Podcasts to hear Blake and Luke chat it up about murals with LoCO‘s Andrew Goff and Stephanie McGeary and be sure to scroll previous Humboldt Holding Up guests below.

Listen Local! Subscribe to Humboldt Holding Up on iTunes!

GROWING OLD UNGRACEFULLY: Hope: The Last Evil?

Barry Evans / Sunday, Aug. 8, 2021 @ 7 a.m. / Growing Old Ungracefully

In our families, the end of July and beginning of August is birthday season, meaning that I find myself writing emails and Facebook messages “hoping this coming year will be wonderful for you,” perhaps alluding to the past COVID-laden year (as if it were over!), recognizing it’s been tough for all of us.

Am I being unkind, sending “hope” messages? Hesiod, the ancient Greek farmer-poet (born around 750 BC), thought so. He was the first to record the old tale of Pandora’s jar (not a box—the word was pithos, or urn) that contained a passel of evils and “countless plagues” including sickness and death. (Curiously, Pandora means “having all gifts.”) They had been put in there by Zeus, king of the gods, as revenge on mankind for Prometheus’ theft of fire from heaven. Zeus gave the evil-laden jar to Epithemeus, whose sister, Pandora, couldn’t contain her curiosity…and opened the jar when it was left in her care. (Helen, Eve, Pandora…always a woman screwing things up???)

Should she or shouldn’t she? Lawrence Alma-Tadema’s (1836–1912) watercolor of an ambivalent Pandora. (Public domain)

One “evil” remained after the others were released: Hope (elpis), who had hidden under the rim of the jar, thus leading to nearly three thousand years of philosophical speculation about the meaning of the story. Was the jar a prison or a pantry? Was Hope, always personified as female, trapped inside so humans could be kept safe from her? Or was she kept close to home, in the pantry as it were, to torment us forever?

Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche thought the latter: “…now man has the lucky jar in his house forever and thinks the world of the treasure. It is at his service; he reaches for it when he fancies it [taking] the remaining evil for the greatest worldly good—it is hope.” (Nietzsche pauses to light another cigarette; he was a chain smoker.) “For Zeus did not want man to throw his life away, no matter how much the other evils might torment him, but rather to go on letting himself be tormented anew. To that end, he gives man hope. In truth, it is the most evil of evils because it prolongs man’s torment.”

That was 100 years ago. Here’s a more up-to-date take on the story, from Swiss-British author Alain de Botton: “…we are usually cast into gloom not so much by negativity as by hope. It is hope—with regard to our careers, our love lives, our children, our politicians and our planet—that that is primarily to blame for angering and embittering us.” For anyone in this country who might have missed his take-no-prisoners approach, he goes on: “…secular Americans, perhaps the most anxious and disappointed people on earth, for their nation infuses them with the most extreme hopes about what they may be able to achieve in their working lives and relationships.”

So much for me “hoping” my relatives will enjoy the fruits of all their hard work up until now, with “the best year ever” (how often have I written that phrase?), starting with this year’s birthday? Would it be more honest to write them, “If I tell you this is going to be a great year, I’m sowing the seeds of disappointment. Sometimes it will be great, other times it’ll suck. Such is life. Get over it.”?

Nope, can’t do that. I live in hope, my genes love hope. We are born into the world with hope firmly ensconced in our brains and bodies. I plan hoping for the best, not the worst. Our ancestors hoped they would come back to camp with a dead something—protein!—on their shoulders. I hope I’ll be able to travel freely again; I don’t hope for a full return to masks and lock-down.

Like many wise sayings, this one, attributed to the mythical Buddha (who said so many wise things, Facebook can barely keep up), works for me: Make plans, but hold them lightly.

Behold ‘Hairy Garcia’: New Eureka Mural Combines Two Beloved Legends

Stephanie McGeary / Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021 @ 6:03 p.m. / Art

“Hairy Garcia” mural on 4th and A Streets in Eureka | Photos: Stephanie McGeary

Many artists were painting and sweating in the Eureka sunshine Saturday afternoon, the official first day of the fourth annual Eureka Street Art Festival. And while the section of town around Highway 101 (Fourth and Fifth streets) between A and I was mostly filled with unfinished murals, one new piece — on the corner of Fourth and A, next to Dick Taylor Chocolates — is already complete and attracting a bit of attention.

The mural — painted by Arcata artist Julia Morgan — depicts a large creature that is quite clearly a cross between Jerry Garcia and Bigfoot, smiling and playing the guitar in the redwood forest.

“I have to give complete credit of the idea to my fiancé, Grayson,” Morgan told the Outpost, while standing next to her piece. Initially, Morgan said, she wanted to paint her fiancé as Bigfoot, but it just didn’t look right. “So we decided to go with someone more universally beloved. And he’s a mythical character — both the Jerry and the Bigfoot. It kind of plays to people who are super Deadheads…who believe that Jerry never died and he’s just in the woods, playing guitar.”

Julia Morgan and Grayson Fordyce next to their work

To be clear, the Bigfoot Jerry mural is not actually a part of the Eureka Street Art Festival and was not approved by the festival or the City of Eureka. Morgan designed and is painting another mural — her official contribution to the festival — on the Fourth Street facing side of the building. With permission from the business owners (the building houses a soon-to-open cannabis distribution company named Kuda) Morgan painted the finished mural over the last few days. Morgan said she has always been bothered by that blank wall and was happy to get the chance to paint something there.

Like so many pieces of public art in our community, Morgan’s mural has already sparked a bit of controversy. On Friday, a photo of the mural was shared on the “Humboldt County, California in pictures, old and new” Facebook page, and comments — both positive and negative — began rolling in almost immediately.

“Why did she make Jerry Garcia look like a Bigfoot? I don’t like it,” one person commented.

“She is honoring Bigfoot. I like it,” another commenter responded.

One commenter even gave the mural a clever name — “Hairy Garcia” — which Morgan said she absolutely loved and could not believe she hadn’t thought of herself. Morgan has now decided that is officially what she’s calling her creation, she said.

Of course the truly devoted Deadheads could not resist pointing out the inaccuracies in Morgan’s depiction of Garcia. “Awesome but he needs that middle finger nub to be more authentic,” wrote one commenter.

Morgan said that a few people have commented on how the mural fails to capture that Garcia was missing his right middle finger. Morgan admits that she was a little rushed and overlooked that detail. Of course, Morgan also mentioned, that is not really Jerry Garcia, but a combination of Garcia and Bigfoot. She added that she does appreciate the fans sharing their knowledge.

“There’s definitely been a lot of uproar about his middle finger not being short enough,” Morgan said. “And I’m like, ‘I respect that.’”

ECONEWS REPORT: It’s Coastal Cleanup Time

LoCO Staff / Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021 @ 10 a.m. / Environment

Folks, it’s that time of year again! Time for Coastal Cleanup Month!

This week, Northcoast Environmental Center coastal programs coordinator Ivy Munnerlyn and co-director Caroline Griffith join us to talk about the tradition of beach cleanups on the North Coast — did you know that this worldwide event started at the NEC? — and how the event has shifted in response to COVID.

This year promises to bring all the great elements of the last few years together for an event packed with citizen science, coastal stewardship and fun prizes. Tune in to learn more about this iconic event and why picking up trash is more than just beautification. Then grab your family and friends and head to your favorite beach, park, street or trail and start collecting data.

Learn more about Coastal Cleanup Month 2021 and how to participate at: https://www.yournec.org/coastalcleanupmonth

AUDIO:

“The EcoNews Report,” Aug. 7, 2021.

Struggling to Pay Your Bills Due to COVID? You Might Be Eligible for the City of Eureka’s Utility Assistance Program

Stephanie McGeary / Friday, Aug. 6, 2021 @ 2:16 p.m. / COVID-19 and Humboldt

Photo by Doris Morgan on Unsplash.

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With case numbers again on the rise, it’s clear that Humboldt County has more COVID-related hardship ahead, and many residents will likely need financial assistance to help make ends meet as they suffer lost wages or other financial impacts brought on by the pandemic.

But the good news is that there are still financial assistance programs available to help. If you live in Eureka and are struggling to pay your bills because of COVID, you may be eligible to apply for the city’s Utility Assistance Program, which provides money to help cover unpaid water/ sewer, power or garbage bills.

Using COVID relief funds from the state’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), the City of Eureka launched the program in April. At first the City could provide to $250 in assistance per month for two months. Now, Kristen Raymond — housing coordinator for the City of Eureka — says that with more state funding available, the program is able to provide up to $600 per month for three months to help cover people’s utility bills. And though that may sound like way more than enough to cover monthly utilities, Raymond says that some people are still struggling to catch up from months of late payments.

“Once we started getting applications in, we realized that some people were so far behind that $250 wouldn’t even make a dent in [their bills],” Raymond told the Outpost in a recent phone interview. “People were doing this juggling act, paying off little amounts at a time. ”

Though the pandemic has prompted the City of Eureka and many agencies to place a moratorium on service shutoff for non-payment, this only delays the issue and people are expected to pay that money eventually. With this assistance, recipients can get caught up, instead of getting deeper and deeper in debt.

So, how does it work? To be eligible for the program you must live in Eureka city limits and have suffered a loss in income due to the pandemic. For many people that means they either lost their job, had to stay home to care for a sick family member, or with their children because of school closures. But Raymond wanted to point out that these are not the only scenarios that make you eligible for assistance. Many people also lost a secondary source of income, like mowing people’s lawns or driving deliveries. The loss in income does not need to be from your primary employment, Raymond said.

Since the funding is only to be used specifically for paying utilities, you also need to provide copies of the utility bills you are struggling to pay. Once you are approved, the City will pay the amount you owe directly to the agency, such as PG&E. The program can only be used to cover essential utilities, including water/ sewer, garbage or gas/electricity. Raymond said that there was consideration to pay for internet — which has also become pretty essential — but it was a little complicated, since many people’s internet service is bundled with cable, which is not a service that can be covered by the program.

After the City launched the program, employees reached out to people with overdue water bills to let them know about the financial assistance available to them. Raymond said that some people have applied, but there is still a great deal of funding available and the City would like to see more people utilize this program, especially as we will likely see more people be financially impacted by COVID moving forward.

Although this program only can assist with utility bills, Raymond did want to make sure the public is informed about financial assistance to help cover rent — something she says a lot of people ask her about. Previously the City of Eureka was offering a rent and mortgage assistance program, but all the funds have been distributed and the program is no longer operational. For those struggling to pay rent, there is still assistance available through California’s Housing is Key Program. You can find more information on how to apply here.

To apply for Eureka’s Utility Assistance Program, you will need to fill out this application and bring it or mail it to the City of Eureka’s Finance and Housing department — 531 K Street, Eureka CA 95501 — or email it to utilityassistance@ci.eureka.ca.gov.

You can email for more information, or call Kristen Raymond at 707-441-4209.

Ready or Not, Ray Christie is Going to Trial in October

Rhonda Parker / Friday, Aug. 6, 2021 @ 12:49 p.m. / Courts

Photos: HCSO, Andrew Goff.

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Ready or not, Arcata rancher Ray Christie’s second trial is coming in October.

This morning Judge Kaleb Cockrum, who was abruptly handed the case by Judge Christopher Wilson, denied a defense request to delay the trial on animal cruelty charges until January. Co-counsel Ken Bareilles is now the attorney of record, although he hasn’t been involved in Christie’s defense for a couple of years, and he was told to be ready for trial on Oct. 4.

Bareilles tried his best to convince Cockrum to set the trial early next year, saying he hasn’t stayed familiar with the case because all the work was being done by co-counsel John Cogorno.

“I didn’t want to go to court and sit there and try to stay awake,” Bareilles explained.

Christie fired Cogorno last week, leaving Bareilles in charge of his defense. On Wednesday Judge Wilson, furious, told Christie and Bareilles to show up this morning with a lawyer who was ready to go to trial. Bareilles told Cockrum he contacted six local attorneys. One of them hasn’t responded and the rest said no.

Bareilles said he has represented Christie for 10 years, including when he had “that rooster thing.” (Christie was once charged with cockfighting.)

He would love to try the current case, Bareilles said, but there’s no way he can be prepared before January. For one thing, jurors need to know about a lot more “than just what a couple witnesses say.”

Bareilles said a jury must understand ranching, must understand how the cattle auction works, must understand why Christie buys cattle in poor condition and tries to nurse them back to health.

“I can guarantee … I will be prepared to go to trial the first part of January,” Bareilles pledged, noting that Christie is entitled to a proper defense.

As it is, he said, he has a pile of documents two feet high in his office, all of them authored by Cogorno and none of them read by him. Cogorno recently filed a motion for new trial that Bareilles hasn’t read. Cogorno was planning to call several new witnesses who didn’t testify at the first trial, and Bareilles has no idea who they are.

Also, Bareilles said, he has a logging business he needs to focus on, with contractual obligations to fulfill. Cockrum reminded him that as an attorney his professional duty is to put that work first

At one point Christie tried to speak to the judge, but wasn’t allowed. He had a whispered conversation with Bareilles, who then told Cockrum Christie “is concerned, very concerned,” that Bareilles can’t be prepared by October.

Deputy District Attorney Steven Steward, prosecuting the case along with Deputy District Attorney David Moutrie, opposed Bareilles’s motion to continue on a case already more than three years old. The first trial was a year ago, with the jury deadlocking on the four felony counts that are being retried.

“We need to move forward,” Steward said. He said the trial transcript is available for Bareilles to review, and the prosecution will be presenting the same witnesses who testified during the first trial.

Cockrum, in denying the motion to continue, told Bareilles “you’re an honorable man and an honorable attorney, but you’re in a pickle.”

“Clearly you are unprepared for trial, and it’s a problem.”

At the same time, the judge said, Bareilles remains the attorney of record.

“You’re going to have to make this case a priority over other aspects of your life,” Cockrum said.

Bareilles also has to decide whether to pursue a motion for new trial that Cogorno filed before he was fired. If Bareilles does not withdraw the motion it will be argued on Sept. 20, the same day as the trial confirmation hearing.

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