If you were born in Humboldt County and find yourself there in your 20s, gazing out the window of your workplace at carefree wayfarers passing a joint in the alley, it’s easy to wonder if there’s more to life than this. Have I been too risk-averse? There are adventures to be had beyond the Shire. Surely there’s a better way to see the world than pretending to like Phish. So maybe one day you leave like a classic song, pedal to the metal, engine roaring in a Springsteen fury. Never look back, baby! But if you do, beware. Years later, if that view was out the window of Northtown Books, as mine was, you’ll often wonder if you were looking the wrong way.

Portrait of the author as a young change-maker.

For eight years, I had the privilege to work at Northtown Books. I still don’t know why Dante hired me. Besides being able to count back change, I’m pretty sure I flunked the pre-interview quiz. I was intimidated by all the books filled with more knowledge than I could ever cram into my skull. With the job came a kind of local prestige I didn’t deserve. Over time, I learned more from that carefully curated library than I did in the halls of academia. I never would have met my wife if it weren’t for Northtown. What I gained from Northtown Books followed me to the war-torn edges of Syria, the steps of the U.N. and into the lectures I later gave. It gave me the eye through which my camera now clicks.

I’m grateful for the life I’ve had since moving away, but I regularly dream of being back at that counter. I miss them all: the freshmen looking for 1984, asking where to find “1983”; the city clerk collecting books about cats; the backyard gardener seeking the right time of year to plant peas; the children who grew up shopping there and now bring their own kids; the hippies and punks; poets and artists; the woman with dementia making her weekly call to ask if we have any books on Howard Hughes; the Pelican Bay detainee who sent a thank you letter because a book taught him to forgive; the well-known local author secretly addicted to Game of Thrones novels, saying, “The writing is awful! But I never know when someone’s gonna die”; the Marxists and entrepreneurs; historians and conspiracy nuts; spiritualists and atheists; the guy who can’t remember the book’s title or author, or what it’s even about, but is confident the cover is blue; even the man on my first day who asked if we had Michael Savage’s Liberalism is a Mental Disorder — and when I said no, he calmly replied, “faggot.”

Most of all, I miss working with Monika, Dante and Jay. They’re my friends and mentors, each possessing unique knowledge honed through decades of dedication to the art of bibliophilia. Monika is an expert in young adult literature. She’s also the first person to put The Heart is a Lonely Hunter in my hands and soul. We spent hours browsing cookbooks and taking notes, though I could never bake a pie as good as hers for Northtown’s Pie Nights. Dante introduced me to everything from noir classics like Double Indemnity to the dark, mordant humor of Great Granny Webster and the artistry of Leigh Bowery. He also showed me that to truly scare trick-or-treaters, don’t wear anything they might recognize. Jay turned me on to John Kennedy Toole’s A Confederacy of Dunces, Thomas Pynchon, Cormac McCarthy and Lydia Millet. He also schooled me on albums as we engaged in fraternal debates at all the Plaza’s record stores. These experiences are not unique to me.

For decades, along with other wonderful staff members, Northtown Books has humbly served its community. You can tell a lot about people from the books on their shelves. The crew at Northtown knows a lot about you and has helped many learn more about themselves. Amazon may deliver a book to your doorstep in 24 hours, but it will never bring a community together like Northtown Books.

The recent fire has been devastating. My heart goes out to everyone directly impacted by this tragedy and to a town in mourning. There is a dark, ancient symbolism in the burning of books—a reminder that our collective memory is more fragile than we care to admit. In an era where misinformation is abundant and community feels scarce, the loss of a vital institution like Northtown is a gut punch. I don’t know what the future holds for Northtown Books. What I do know is that I’m not the protagonist in this story — the bookstore is. I hope that, after fearing the worst, when this page is turned, the next chapter begins… “Dantès, although stunned and almost suffocated…”

If you would like to support Northtown Books, you can purchase books to be shipped to your home from their website at northtownbooks.com or donate at giveahand.com

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Deric Mendes
Substack: Emergency-Powers.com
Insta: @dericmendes

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As California legislators return to Sacramento and prepare to tackle a budget deficit, all eyes are on new Senate President Pro Tem Monique Limón of Santa Barbara and what tone she sets for her chamber.

Limón, 46, a progressive backed by labor unions and the first Latina to lead the Senate, will face arguably her greatest legislative challenge yet as she and her diverse caucus grapple with a daunting projected $18 billion state budget deficit and historic federal funding cuts from the Trump administration.

While Limón has yet to announce any cost-cutting strategies or impose any limits on lawmakers introducing bills that require new money, the scarcity of funds will likely force the new leader to focus on a few key priorities, a premise she resisted in a recent interview with CalMatters.

“Our caucus will continue to prioritize issues that our communities prioritize,” Limón said, rattling off a laundry list of policy areas including access to health care, cost of living, education, housing affordability and child care. The new Senate leader also emphasized the importance of finding policy solutions that are “encompassing of our caucus — that reflect 58 counties, 483 cities.”

But how she’ll do that, while keeping the budget under control, remains to be seen.

For Limón, who has developed a reputation as an egalitarian consensus builder who wants everyone to feel heard, whittling down those priorities will test her ability to say “no” as the caucus tries to both rein in spending and fund programs that help vulnerable Californians.

She told reporters at the Capitol on Monday that she expects senators to understand that “spending big is not something that is within our means at this moment” and said she would reiterate that message at their first caucus meeting.

Colleagues past and present give her their vote of confidence to lead the chamber through a difficult budget year.

“She’s a good person to have in place when there’s a challenge,” said Kate Parker, who served alongside Limón on the Santa Barbara school board, including as president. “Obviously the budget is going to be horrendous, and she’s somebody that I would really trust to move the state forward in a really difficult time.”

From school board to Senate leader

Limón points to her nine-year tenure in the Legislature and relationships with legislative colleagues as the foundation for her inevitably tough conversations about how to prioritize a mountain of pressing issues.

The new Senate leader is best known for pursuing pay transparency legislation, consumer protections such as shielding medical debt from credit reports, and efforts to regulate the oil industry. She authored a 2022 law that requires setbacks around new oil and gas wells and steps to protect residents who live near old wells, and pushed for an unsuccessful 2021 bill to ban oil fracking. Gov. Gavin Newsom later ordered the ban.

State Sen. President Pro Tem Monique Limón during a press conference with fellow California Democrats at the Capitol Annex Swing Space in Sacramento on Aug. 18, 2025. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

In the Assembly she chaired the Banking and Finance committee and until recently led the Senate committee on natural resources and water. Under two former Senate leaders, Toni Atkins and Mike McGuire, Limón was second-in-command as majority leader for Senate Democrats and helped craft legislative strategy.

Limón was elected pro tem in June after joining forces with supporters of Sen. Angelique Ashby, a Sacramento Democrat also seeking the role, to amass a majority of the caucus and shut down a competing bid from Sen. Lena Gonzalez of Long Beach. The power jockeying came amid a chaotic week as a federal standoff over immigration enforcement exploded in Los Angeles and the Legislature scrambled to finalize a budget. Limón has since named Ashby as her majority leader.

Prior to running for the Legislature, Limón served six years on the board of trustees for the Santa Barbara Unified School District, the public school system she attended before she immersed herself in public service and policy studies at UC Berkeley and later, graduated from Columbia University with a master’s degree in education.

Her first election for public office came in 2009 when Limón ran for an open spot on the Santa Barbara school board. Former board president Kate Parker, who overlapped with Limón during the now-senator’s six-year tenure, said she had never heard of Limón before the election and was even a bit skeptical about her leadership ability.

“It was kind of out of left field that she was running, and she didn’t have a kid in the district,” said Parker. “She seemed so young to me at the time. You know, I think she was probably like 30 or something. And I just wasn’t sure if she had the experience to be a strong leader in the district.”

But from their first meeting, Limón impressed Parker with her ability to listen to all sides and draw consensus from a group with a wide range of opinions.

“She was really good at crafting productive compromise,” Parker said. “She had a policy of meeting with anybody that wanted to talk to her.”

Limón has been tight-lipped about how she’ll steer the caucus through budget negotiations. But Parker said Limón is no stranger to difficult spending discussions. Nearly every year they served together, the school board faced budget challenges.

“Her guiding principle, in that context, was always putting the student first,” Parker said, adding that Limón always tried to keep funding cuts as far away from the classroom as possible.

“I imagine that at the state level, you’ll find that she has guiding principles as well that help with her decision-making process,” Parker said. “It’s not random, it’s not piece by piece. It’s systematic.”

Limón has yet to divulge precisely what those guiding principles will be for the Senate under her leadership. In an interview with CalMatters, she declined to identify any specific legislative measures that the caucus would prioritize.

But she hasn’t ruled anything out, either. When asked specifically whether her caucus should consider raising taxes or cutting state services, Limón didn’t reject either idea, both considered politically radioactive options.

“Everything’s on the table until we choose, or make a decision that it shouldn’t be on the table,” Limón said. “But having a deliberative and thoughtful conversation about the options in front of us doesn’t mean that we necessarily move forward with all options. It just means that you consider them.”

No bad blood with McGuire

Limón’s reputation as a collaborator and consensus builder contrasts starkly with that of her predecessor, McGuire, who some members, staff and lobbyists have privately called a micromanager.

During last year’s eleventh-hour negotiations over reauthorizing the state’s cap-and-trade program, McGuire reportedly kept the Senate’s draft bill language under lock and key and refused to let members take copies with them to review with staff, instead requiring them to come in person to view the text and banning photos. Advocates said they felt iced out of discussions and had little to no opportunity to give input.

“We are hopeful that this change in leadership means the beginning of a new and more transparent process,” said Asha Sharma, state policy manager for the Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability.

Frustrations boiled over in a September budget subcommittee hearing when lawmakers debated a budget bill that contained more than $85 million in earmarks for projects in McGuire’s northern coastal district. That power play prompted Democratic Napa Sen. Chris Cabaldon to quip in front of the whole committee, “There are more than just a handful of disadvantaged communities, plus the North Coast, in California.”

Limón has tried to tamp down any criticism of her predecessor.

State Sen. Monique Limón prior to being sworn in as Senate president pro tem in the Senate chambers at the state Capitol in Sacramento on Jan. 5, 2026. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters/Pool

“There was never a moment that this was a comparison of leadership,” Limón insisted. “At the end of the day, this is really about what the caucus wants, the direction the caucus wants to go, the experiences that the caucus feels are needed at this moment in time.”

Limón led the Senate’s working group on the reauthorization of the state’s cap and trade program, a fight at the heart of negotiations on a climate and energy policy deal that dragged out the final days of last year’s legislative session.

Her greatest challenge, said Sen. John Laird, a Santa Cruz Democrat and fellow member of the working group who she has named as her budget chair, was bridging the gaps between members who wanted to maintain the existing cap-and-trade program largely as-is and the climate hawks, who wanted to ditch some of the concessions former Gov. Jerry Brown gave to polluting industries to win votes during the last reauthorization.

“That was a real test because that was like riding a f-ing bronco,” Laird said. “And yet she worked hard to hold the Senate together. She worked hard to understand what individuals really wanted. And a lot of what we desired was part of the final results because of her work.”

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For years, California schools have pushed to change the way the state pays for K-12 education: by basing funding on enrollment, instead of attendance. That’s the way 45 other states do it, and it would mean an extra $6 billion annually in school coffers.

But such a move might cause more harm than good in the long run, because linking funding to enrollment means schools have little incentive to lure students to class every day, according to a report released Tuesday by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office. Without that incentive, attendance would drop, and students would suffer.

If the Legislature wants to boost school funding, analysts argued, it should use the existing attendance-based model and funnel more money to schools with high numbers of low-income students, students in foster care and English learners.

When it comes to attendance, money talks, the report noted. For more than a century, California has funded schools based on average daily attendance – how many students show up every day. In the 1980s and ’90s, the state started to look at alternatives. A pilot study from that time period showed that attendance at high schools rose 5.4% and attendance at elementary schools rose 3.1% when those schools had a financial incentive to boost attendance.

This is not the time to ease up on attendance matters, the report said. Although attendance has improved somewhat since campuses closed during the pandemic, it remains well below pre-COVID-19 levels. In 2019, nearly 96% of students showed up to school every day. The number dropped to about 90% during COVID-19, when most schools switched to remote learning, but still remains about 2 percentage points below its previous high.

Attendance is tied to a host of student success measurements. Students with strong attendance tend to have higher test scores, higher levels of reading proficiency and higher graduation rates.

“It’s a thoughtful analysis that weighs the pros and cons,” said Hedy Chang, president of the nonprofit research and advocacy organization Attendance Works. “For some districts there might be benefits to a funding switch, but it also helps when districts have a concrete incentive for encouraging kids to show up.”

True cost of educating kids

Schools have long asked the Legislature to change the funding formula, which they say doesn’t cover the actual costs of educating students, especially those with high needs. The issue came up repeatedly at a recent conference of the California School Boards Association, and there’s been at least one recent bill that addressed the issue.

The bill, by former Sen. Anthony Portantino, a Democrat from the La Cañada Flintridge area, initially called for a change to the funding formula, but the final version merely asked the Legislative Analyst’s Office to study the issue. The bill passed in 2024.

A 2022 report by Policy Analysis for California Education also noted the risks of removing schools’ financial incentive to prioritize attendance. But it also said that increasing school funding overall would give districts more stability.

Enrollment is a better funding metric because schools have to plan for the number of students who sign up, not the number who show up, said Troy Flint, spokesman for the California School Boards Association.

He also noted that schools with higher rates of absenteeism also tend to have higher numbers of students who need extra help, such as English learners, migrant students and low-income students. Tying funding to daily attendance — which in some districts is as low as 60% — brings less money to those schools, ultimately hurting the students who need the most assistance, he said.

“It just compounds the problem, creating a vicious cycle,” Flint said.

To really boost attendance, schools need extra funding to serve those students.

Switching to an enrollment-based funding model would increase K-12 funding by more than $6 billion, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office. Currently, schools receive about $15,000 annually per student through the state’s main funding mechanism, the Local Control Funding Formula, with an additional $7,000 coming from the federal government, block grants, lottery money, special education funds and other sources. Overall, California spent more than $100 billion on schools last year, according to the Legislative Analyst.

Motivated by money?

Flint’s group also questioned whether schools are solely motivated by money to entice students to class.

“Most people in education desperately want kids in class every day,” Flint said. “These are some of the most dedicated, motivated people I’ve met, and they care greatly about students’ welfare.”

Josh Schultz, superintendent of the Napa County Office of Education, agreed. Napa schools that are funded through attendance actually have lower attendance than schools that are considered “basic aid,” and funded through local property taxes. Both types of schools have high numbers of English learners and migrant students.

“I can understand the logic (of the LAO’s assertion) but I don’t know if it bears out in reality, at least here,” Schultz said. “Both kinds of schools see great value in having kids show up to school every day.”

Candace Miller, born June 20, 1947, to Martha and Guido Canclini, passed away peacefully on December 25, 2025, after being diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia in 2020. Candy spent her entire life in Humboldt County, attending grade school at Jacoby Creek School and graduating from Arcata High School in 1965.

She had many fond memories of her early days growing up in Sunnybrae, where she met some of her lifelong friends. She was a cheerleader at Arcata High School and was named Homecoming Queen in 1964. Many people will remember seeing Candy working alongside her parents at the Plaza Shoe Shop, located on the Arcata Plaza.

After high school, Candy attended College of the Redwoods, where she enrolled in as many art classes as she could. She had a passion for the arts and remained an artist her entire life. She began her artistic journey as a fiber artist, always loving texture and form, and grew increasingly excited by turning small knots into large sculptural wall hangings, otherwise known as macramé. She was also an active member of the Arcata Chamber of Commerce.

In 1967, she married Robert Miller, and together they welcomed their son, Tad Miller, in 1970. They lived in Jacoby Creek, just down the road from Candy’s parents. They later divorced in 1987, but remained friends until Robert’s death in 2020.

In 1979, Candy noticed an advertisement for “Fimo” clay in a magazine and decided to try this so-called “new” clay. She purchased several blocks at a local art supply store and immediately loved that it came in vibrant colors, was inexpensive, and traveled well. Many will remember that she began by making whimsical little lizard pins to wear. Encouraged to enter them in a local craft fair, she made 24 lizards—and sold every one. From that little “lizard beginning,” she went on to create thousands of brooches, earrings, necklaces, and buttons. She covered tin boxes with polymer clay, made clay collages, and ended her career sculpting. Candy could always be seen at holiday art fairs with her beautiful display of Fimo jewelry. She was a longtime member of the Arcata Artisans, where her jewelry was displayed for all to enjoy. Over the years, she experienced many proud moments, receiving numerous awards for her work.

Candy truly loved living on the Arcata Plaza. She enjoyed walks around town, frequenting the farmers markets, and especially looked forward to her walks at the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary. She was a longtime employee at Murphy’s in Sunnybrae, where she was often seen at Register 1. She enjoyed meeting families, watching their children grow, and being a helpful hand in any way she could.

Candy’s fondest memories were the many weekends spent at the family cabin on the South Fork of the Trinity River. There, she enjoyed days by the river—moving and skipping rocks, building paths, and sharing long conversations on the deck overlooking the water with family and friends. After the arrival of her two granddaughters, Sydney and Grace, she took on the yearly planning of elaborate Easter egg hunts for everyone to enjoy. In her spare time, Candy loved teaching Sydney and Grace how to make Fimo clay art and supporting them in all their endeavors.Candy was preceded in death by her parents, Guido and Martha Canclini. She is survived by her brother, Peter Canclini; her son, Tad Miller; daughter-in-law, Kelly Miller; and her two grandchildren, Sydney Hill (Miller) and her husband, Brock Hill, and Grace Miller.

A memorial service for Candy will be held on Saturday, January 17, at 11 a.m. at the Baywood Country Club. All are welcome. The family would also like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the staff at Renaissance of Timber Ridge in McKinleyville for the care and love shown to Candy. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Humboldt Historical Society or Miranda’s Rescue.

Thomas Emil Eggel of 357 Regli Lane, Ferndale, passed away on December 11, 2025 on his brother’s Ferndale ranch on Crosby Lane. He was 79.

Tom was born to Olga and Emil Eggel on May 9, 1946 in Arcata. He was raised in Klamath, Orick and Arcata. He graduated from Arcata High School in 1964 and was drafted into the military in 1965. After serving, he went to work in the Arcata Plywood plant until it closed its doors. Tom moved to Ferndale in the early 1980s to start a dairy ranch, which he maintained until 1989. He then went to work for Eel River Disposal in Fortuna until he retired.

After retirement, Tom enjoyed his time working on the ranch property he inherited from his uncle Ed Regli. He spent many days and hours improving the roads and the family campsite on the property that he loved so much.

Tom is survived by his wife Lucia and stepsons, Zanden, Hero and Prince in addition to his son L.T. with his deceased wife Lovelyn. He also is survived by his first wife, Charlotte Palmer, their children Tony (Shannon) Eggel and Annette Eggel (James) Carpenter and grandson Calvin Carpenter, along with several nieces and nephews, and his brother Robert Eggel.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Jim Eggel, sister Kay Eggel Schekla, sister Mary Eggel Pelasini and his second wife Lovelyn Delogosa.

There will be a memorial mass held on January 10, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. at Assumption Catholic Church at 546 Berding in Ferndale, with a potluck gathering in the church hall following the service.

Paul Calvin Windham, MD, passed into eternal rest on December 13, 2025, at the age of 76, following a courageous two-year battle with cancer.

The pile of rubble sitting on the corner of 10th and H streets in Arcata probably won’t be going anywhere tomorrow.

The Jan. 2 fire that destroyed seven local businesses and displaced about as many people reduced half a city block to a steaming pile of brick and timber. None of it has been cleaned up yet. Arcata’s city manager, Merritt Perry, told the Outpost during a phone call today that the property owner, their insurers, and the city are working together to clean the site up as quickly as possible. Though cleanup is the owner’s responsibility, he said Arcata would do “whatever we can” to support them, such as accelerating permit approvals and following up with outside entities. 

Perry said the city will meet soon with the owner and their insurance agents to figure out a cleanup plan and timeline. The owner will need to assess the kinds of debris on-site and may need a certified hazardous materials contractor to haul it away.

The fire also likely damaged the environment; to what extent is unknown. Ash and the chemicals released by burning buildings is toxic enough on its own, but the fire also burned the paint section of Hensel’s Ace Hardware, and some of it was probably washed down storm drains and into Humboldt Bay when the firefighting crews were trying to put the fire out. The runoff could negatively impact the bay and other aquatic wildlife habitats. 

Arcata Director of Community Services Emily Sinkhorn told the Outpost that they were monitoring water quality at drains around the burned lot and had also installed devices that stop water from entering. Staff are also keeping an eye on creeks downstream for fire debris. 

A city spokesperson said that they were partnering with outside agencies like California’s water quality and toxic substances boards, California’s Environmental Protection Agency and the North Coast Unified Air Management Quality District.

Because neither Arcata nor Humboldt County has the resources to accurately measure and mitigate the effects, the sheriff’s office declared a local state of emergency yesterday, allowing them to request funding from the state of California. How much they’ll need is unknown.

The spokesperson said there would be a special city council meeting at 8 a.m. this Friday on Zoom with more details about the fire and cleanup. The agenda isn’t public yet. 

“The thing I would like to emphasize is that we’re not just ignoring it,” Perry said. “We’re taking a very active approach, and that’s why we did the emergency declaration — to bring the resources in that we need to assess and mitigate any contamination.”