Lost Coast Outpost

MONDAYS WITH MICHAELE: Arcata Street Dance Comin’ Through

LoCO Staff / Monday, May 3, 2021 @ 6:55 a.m. / Mondays With Michaele

Any week that begins with the combination of a HumBubbles assault and a whimsical dress-up dance parade can’t be that bad, now can it?

That’s right, Michaele is causing a scene again. This time Humboldt’s President of Positivity finds herself in Arcata, where she’s boogieing on down with the town’s resident fairy princess Shoshanna to remind you that ARTS! ARCATA is back, with special arts events occurring on the second weekends of each month in 2021 (with COVID-safe precautions in place, of course).

For example, this coming Sunday, May 9, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., there will be a Downtown Arcata Sunday Art Market featuring local artisans and makers set against the spring-blooming Arcata Plaza. Learn more at Arcata Main Street’s website.

Photo: Matt Filar

Real Estate Giant Reportedly Agrees to Foreclose on Bayshore Mall

John Ross Ferrara / Sunday, May 2, 2021 @ 11:20 a.m. / Economy

Outpost file photo.

Brookfield Property Partners, the real-estate-management company that owns and operates the Bayshore Mall, has agreed to foreclose on the Eureka shopping center, Market Watch reports.

This news comes a month after the real-estate giant announced a $6.5 billion deal to take the company private.

Brookfield Property Partners “agreed to a ‘friendly foreclosure,’ or when a borrower willingly hands back a property to creditors,” the Market Watch article states.

It’s unclear what this news means for the Bayshore Mall’s future. For years, big-box stores have struggled to stay in business at the Palco-Marsh-adjacent property and at malls across the country — a problem that has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Outpost will continue to follow this story as more information becomes available.

GROWING OLD UNGRACEFULLY: The Day the Music Died

Barry Evans / Sunday, May 2, 2021 @ 7 a.m. / Growing Old Ungracefully

A long, long time ago
I can still remember how that music
Used to make me smile.

(American Pie, Don McLean)

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The music died early on the morning on February 3, 1959, midway through the Winter Dance Party tour whose line-up included some of the best rock and roll artists of the day. Headliner Buddy Holly had chartered a four-seater Beechcraft Bonanza to fly him from Clear Lake, Iowa to Fargo, North Dakota, taking along with him J.P Richardson (aka the “Big Bopper”) and Ritchie Valens. Bad weather, a pilot not certified for instrument flying and a new gyro contributed to the 1 a.m. crash in an Iowa cornfield, killing all on board instantly.

Charles Hardin Holley, 1936-1959 (Publicity picture for Brunswick Records, public domain)

I heard about it the next day when, surprisingly, the Daily Telegraph, Britain’s right-wing paper, ran the story on the front page. Don McLean can’t remember if he cried, but I did, it affected me that much. These three guys were my heroes, heck, they were heroes to all us war-babies who’d glommed onto their upbeat music. They were the heart of rock ‘n’ roll! I wonder now, was it that event that inspired all the teen death songs that came out around that time?

There have always been death songs, of course. No opera worth its $99 price of admission lacks a good death or two, both deserved and gratuitous, by gunfire, poison, fire. Lots by stabbing (some self-inflicted). Not to mention consumption. Carmen, Mimi (La Bohème), Brünnhilde (Wagner’s Ring), Don Giovanni, La Wally, Desdemona (Otello), Boris Gudunov, Aida, Violetta (La Traviata), Scarpia (Tosca), Madame Butterfly…it ain’t over ’til the hero or heroine dies.

But for me, nothing beats a good pop music death (“splatter platter”), especially when it happens in the arms of one’s beloved: “Cradled by two loving arms that I’ll die for/One little kiss, and Feleena, goodbye” (El Paso, Marty Robbins); “As their hands touched and their lips met/The raging river pulled them down” (Running Bear, Johnny Preston—written by the Big Bopper); “I held her close/I kissed her our last kiss” (Last Kiss, J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers).

Like the trio above, lovers died in plane crashes (Ebony Eyes, Everly Brothers), but also in cars: stock cars (Tell Laura I Love Her, Ray Peterson); cars stalled on the tracks (Teen Angel, Mark Dinning) (memo to kids: a high school ring isn’t worth dying for); badly-maintained cars “I wasn’t about to/Slam on the brakes cause I/Didn’t have none to start with” (I Want My Baby Back, Jimmy Cross) (closing lyrics not for sensitive souls!); drag race cars (Deadman’s Curve, Jan and Dean); cars crashing head-on (7-11, The Ramones), and on motorbikes (Leader of the Pack, The Shangri-Las) (parodied by Leader of the Laundromat, The Detergents). And don’t forget hanging! (Tom Dooley, The Kingston Trio). What have I missed?

PS: After writing this column, someone pointed me to this comprehensive list of teen death songs that categorizes death by: Cars, Motorcycles, Trains, Surfing, Rivers, Murder, Disease, Drugs, War, Suicide, Guns, Flying, and Other Near Misses. Turns out I’m just an amateur.

Back to real life and death. In addition to Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens (La Bamba) and the Big Boppa (Chantilly Lace), several other young rock ’n’ rollers died in that era, including Sam “King of Soul” Cooke (shot by his manager, deemed “justifiable homicide”), Eddie Cochran (Summertime Blues; died in a car crash), Johnny Ace (who had a string of hits in the early 1950s, but whom I only know because he often toured with R&B great Big Mama Thornton).

Buddy Holly, though, is the one I really miss. Somewhere in this old brain are stored complete lyrics to That’ll Be the Day, It Doesn’t Matter Anymore and Peggy Sue. He influenced just about everyone who came after, from Dylan, the Beatles (whose insect-y name was inspired by Holly’s group the Crickets), Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and Elton John (whose glasses were inspired by Holly’s).

Here’s Buddy Holly and the Crickets on Ed Sullivan, December 1, 1957, before Don and Phil Everly convinced Holly to get horn-rimmed glasses (à la Steve Allen)

None of which even comes close to answering the eternal question: Before throwing himself off, what did Billie Joe MacAllister and “that girl who looked a lot like you” throw off the Tallahatchie Bridge?

(AUDIO) HUMBOLDT HOLDING UP: Can Humboldt Boast the Most Artists Per Capita in the State? Ink People Executive Director Libby Maynard Defends the Popular Claim

LoCO Staff / Sunday, May 2, 2021 @ 7 a.m. / Humboldt Holding Up

Maynard

Listen Local! Subscribe to Humboldt Holding Up on iTunes!

Libby Maynard is Holding Up!

It is often said that Humboldt County has more artists per capita than anywhere in the state, and it is understandable why people believe it. We certainly have a vibrant arts scene. But have you ever wondered where that claim originated?

On this week’s episode of Humboldt Holding Up the Outpost is joined by co-founder and Executive Director of the Ink People Center for the Arts Libby Maynard, who shares the story behind what has become one of Humboldt’s favorite brags. Spoiler! Maynard may have had a little something to do with sprinkling the idea around. In the 42 years since she helped start the Ink People, she has also done a lot more than that to support the arts in our community. Other topics discussed with Maynard include:

How local artists — particularly in the performing arts — have been impacted by COVID
Maynard’s art journey and why she co-founded the Ink People
Ink People’s DreamMaker Program and some of the projects that have thrived throughout the last year — including Black Humboldt, HCBMAA, English Express and Trajectory
Ways the Humboldt Creative Alliance is looking to obtain funding designated for the arts, including a potential countywide tax
Street art: everyone has an opinion!
The critical role the arts will play in the recovery from the pandemic
Libby’s retiring!

So click on the audio player above or head on over to iTunes to hear Maynard’s chat with the LoCO’s Andrew Goff and Stephanie McGeary. And if you feel up for it, scroll through the growing list of past guests below.

PREVIOUS HUMBOLDT HOLDING UP GUESTS:

ECONEWS REPORT: May = Bike Month Humboldt

LoCO Staff / Saturday, May 1, 2021 @ 10 a.m. / Environment

Photo by Kirsten Mills on Unsplash.

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May is Bike Month in Humboldt County and the EcoNews has all of the resources you need to zip around on two wheels. We all know that biking is great for the planet and makes your butt look good, but did you know that it is also totally fun? Dave Ryan and Colin Fiske join the show to discuss this year’s festivities (all of which are COVID-friendly), ways cities can encourage more cyclists, and even how to start cycling as an adult.

AUDIO:

“The EcoNews Report,” May 1, 2021.

REQUIRED READING:

OBITUARY: Robert (Bob) Ernest Laffranchi, 1947-2021

LoCO Staff / Saturday, May 1, 2021 @ 6:56 a.m. / Obits

On an ordinary day, an extraordinary man went to be with the Lord.

Robert (Bob) Laffranchi passed away peacefully at the age of 74 on April 14, 2021 surrounded by his family.

He was born on February 17, 1947 to Severino and Mary Ellen (Giacomini) Laffranchi and grew up on his family dairy farm in Ferndale.

He attended Ferndale High School, graduating in 1965. Bob was very active in Future Farmers of America (FFA) receiving both his State Farmer and American Farmer. He went on to attend Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, where he received his BS in Dairy Science. After leaving the military, we went on to earn his Master’s Degree in Education at Cal Poly.

While attending Cal Poly, Bob joined the ROTC. Upon graduation, he was commissioned into the US Army as a Second Lieutenant. Bob was very proud of his military service to his Country. He was stationed in Thailand during the Vietnam War.

Bob met his wife while attending Cal Poly. They were married August 14, 1971 and would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this August.

Bob went on to teach agriculture at Eureka Senior High School in 1973, teaching for 10 years. During his time there, he coached three National FFA Dairy Judging teams. A student asked him how to make cheese one day which later lead to Bob starting the Loleta Cheese Factory with his wife Carol in Loleta in 1982. It was a true family business, with the family both living above the factory and working in the business.

Loleta Cheese was Bob’s life work. He became a self-taught master cheesemaker. Loleta Cheese Factory became a popular destination in Humbolt County for 37 years. More than 30,000 people visited Loleta Cheese every year. With his wife Carol, they built a beautiful “secret” garden next to the factory store. Bob loved greeting customers and visiting with people from the around the world. He touched so many lives.

He is survived by his wife; Carol Laffranchi; his daughters Michelle Yvonne Laffranchi and Nicole Laffranchi; grandchildren: Alessandro Roberto Moore & Gemma Moore; Mother: Mary Ellen (Giacomini) Laffranchi; Brother Donald Laffranchi (wife Cheryl); Sister Annette Adams; Brother and Sister-in-law; Nancy and Jerry Heyne; Nieces & Nephews: Donnie Laffranchi, Kassie McCall, Tina White, Laurie (Laffranchi) Barnwell, Paula Adams, Jared Heyne, Keith Heyne, & David Heyne

He was preceded in Death by his Father Severino Laffranchi and Grandparents Henry & Rose Giacomini and Peter & Lucia Laffranchi:

A Rosary will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 30, 2021 in Ferndale. A Memorial Service will be held at 10 am on Saturday, May 01, 2021. Both services will be at the Assumption Catholic Church (546 Berding Street, Ferndale). A private service will be held at Saint Mary’s Cemetery in Ferndale where he will be laid to rest next to his Father. Following the services, the family would like to invite people to continue the celebration of life at the Laffranchi Family Ranch.

The family wishes to share a special thank you to the staff at the Jerold Phelps Community Hospital in Garberville and UC San Francisco Medical Center.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Bob Laffranchi’s name to the Ferndale Museum (P.O. Box 431, Ferndale, CA 95536) or the Sequoia Park Zoo (123 Cutten, CA 95534).

He leaves behind an incredible legacy…

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Bob Laffranchi’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.

OBITUARY: Judge John R. Morrison, 1933-2021

LoCO Staff / Saturday, May 1, 2021 @ 6:56 a.m. / Obits

The Honorable Judge John R. Morrison passed away peacefully at home in the loving care of his family on Sunday, April 25, 2021.

John was born on March 15, 1933 in Eureka to Marcus F. and Elizabeth J. Morrison. He was a fourth generation Humboldt County native, a descendent of pioneers who settled in the Bear River Valley near Ferndale in the 1850s.

John attended grade school in Eureka at the Nazareth Convent, followed by two years at Eureka High School (class of 1950) and two years attending school abroad in Switzerland. He went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University and a Juris Doctorate degree from UCLA. Prior to earning his law degree, John served honorably in the Marine Corps during the Korean War. He was always proud to be an American and a Marine.

In 1959, he met and married Beverly Bauer, a Colorado girl. Throughout their 61 years together, John lovingly referred to Beverly as “My Bride.” They made Los Angeles their home and began their family while he was attending law school. The pride and joy of his life were his three children and the families they established. With Beverly by his side, he provided a lifelong foundation of protection, positive encouragement and unconditional love for his family. In turn, he earned their unwavering devotion and respect.

In 1966, they moved to Eureka where he began a long and successful career in law as a respected attorney and judge. He joined the family law practice, working alongside his mother and brother at Morrison & Morrison Attorneys at Law. In 1975 he was assigned to the Garberville Judicial Court, concurrent with an assignment to the California Circuit Court for four years. Following that, he was elected to the Eureka Municipal Court where he developed a reputation for being a tough, fair and compassionate judge. He fostered relationships with people during his tenure as a judge, many who wrote to him expressing their gratitude for the way he changed their lives. He also provided a number of memorable wedding ceremonies over the years. Judge Morrison served a total of 37 years in a role he loved and was passionate about. After retiring, he continued to serve as a visiting judge in courtrooms from Crescent City to Sacramento. For him, it was never enough.

John had a unique gift of connecting with people from all walks of life – the innocent, the guilty, the poor and the privileged, the scholars and the technicians. These friendships were born naturally from his work as well as the wide variety of interests he pursued and engaged in with enthusiasm and zeal. Motorcycle racing, stock car racing, piloting a small plane, bird hunting, wine tasting, world travel, annual trips to Mexico, World War II history, reading, growing tulips, eating oysters, attending the Eureka symphony, and playing the trumpet are among the many pursuits he enjoyed. He was even known to sport a Scottish kilt proudly displaying the Morrison Clan tartan.

John loved the community and gave of himself to a number of organizations. He was the only remaining charter member and past president of the Rotary Club of Southwest Eureka and was a proud member of the Marine Corps League. In earlier years he served on the Humboldt County Air Pollution Control Hearing Board, the Humboldt County Legal Aid Service, Humboldt County Juvenile Justice Commission and Delinquency Prevention Commission, Mayor’s Traffic Safety Committee, Citizens Advisory Committee to College of the Redwoods, and Humboldt Fire District No. 1. Over the years, he was actively involved in the Far West Motorcycle Club, Six Rivers Racing Assn., Redwood Flying Club, Humboldt Trap & Skeet Club, Ducks Unlimited, Redwood Art Assn., Humboldt Light Opera Company, Eureka Symphony, Ingomar Club, and the Calvary Lutheran Church.

He leaves behind a family forever grateful for his steadfast love and guidance. He is survived by his wife Beverly, his children Sharon Hunter (Bill), Andrée Johnson (Tim), and Marc Morrison (Sherri). Grandchildren Casey O’Day, Laurel Anderson (Adam), Clayton Hunter, Luke Scown (Caitlin), Emil Scown (Emily), Cole Scown (Jessica), Elaine Johnson (Ryan), Kelsie Tooley (Josh), Austin Terrell (Molly), and Isabella Grace Morrison. Great Grandchildren Kyle, Ellie, Jacob, Claire, Edward, Cayden, Carter and Callie. His brother James K. Morrison (Gay) and brother-in-law Roger Bauer (Lois). Nieces, nephews and their families Jennith Hoyt (Brett), Terry Mertens (Joe), Marty Loftis (Keith), Jamie Johnson (Brett), Tammy Krening, Teresa Lake (Tracy), Jennifer Garrison (Chad), and Rhett Bauer (Brigette). Cousins Peggy Morrison (Frank), Ani Nelson-Knight and Joel Morrison.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Marc and Elizabeth Morrison, brother Silas Morrison and wife Joyce, and nephew Silas Marc Morrison.

The family extends their thanks to the following people for the support they provided in recent months: Pastor Patricia Higgins and the Calvary Lutheran Church family, Dr. Jack Irvine, Dr. Leo Leer, Mad River Community Hospital Wound Center, Dr. Phillip Alway, Dr. Michael Fratkin, Hospice of Humboldt Chaplain Harry Wells, friend and nurse Carol Howard, dear friends Denise LaPointe and family, great-niece Jolene Hassenfritz.

The family held a private gathering. Due to COVID restrictions, a memorial celebration of John’s life will be announced at a later date.

If you choose, please consider donating in his memory to:

Rotary Club of Southwest Eureka
PO Box 6054
Eureka, CA 95502
www.swrotary.org

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of John Morrison’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.

MONDAYS WITH MICHAELE: Arcata Street Dance Comin’ Through

BOOKED

JUDGED

CHP REPORTS

ELSEWHERE