The Humboldt Herald

An uppity editorial penned by Eureka Reporter editor Glenn Franco Simmons has gone mysteriously missing, as noted by Anonymous 5:00. The URL shows only the date and title, but in place of the body appears to be a teasing smiley face.

As noted on The Humboldt Herald, the offending opinion piece accused hybrid car drivers of being “do-gooders who swab themselves in a hallelujah haze that exemplifies their allegiance to the Church of Environmentalism (i.e. Greenism), but the truth is, they have their own sinful natures.”

Not everyone is such a chest-pounder about gas guzzling rigs as shown by this letter written in response to Simmons’ smug rant.

And since we’re like so sure that all Arkley projects exemplify the height of environmental consciousness and smart growth, it stands to reason that the snotty OpEd was quietly removed.

On the other hand, it could simply be a case of a web page getting “lost, unlinked, unattributed, misatrributed[sic], whatever,” as suggested by Anon 5:49.

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 6:28 PM 16 comments

An incident in Sebastopol that left a knife-wielding 16 year-old dead after police shot him will sound eerily familiar to Humboldt County residents who dealt with a similar situation last October.

Jeremiah Chass was shot in his parents’ driveway after they called for help when Chass held his younger brother in the back of the family minivan. The younger brother escaped before shots were fired. Chass’ had been resistant to his parents’ attempt to get him a mental health evaluation.

Chass' parents believe the police escalated an already "hot situation."

Former SR City Councilwoman Marsha Vas Dupre said "[t]he time is right [for a civilian review board], but it's long overdue. I just don't want to see any more harm come to people who really need mental health intervention, let alone putting our law enforcement in harm's way."

Mayor Bob Blanchard disagrees:

“Any chief would be placing his job, his reputation and his career on the line to cover up an officer’s malfeasance. It just doesn’t make sense in today’s world,” the Santa Rosa mayor said. “Because the truth is always going to ooze out.”

The Santa Rosa Press Democrat has given extensive coverage since the March 12 shooting.

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 9:50 AM 17 comments

Although the court has yet to decide where the Pacific Lumber bankruptcy case will be heard - Texas or California - lawyers will gather in a Corpus Christi courtroom this morning to argue whether PALCO and its subsidiaries are a single-asset entity.

The Times-Standard is offering the hearing via conference call to the public. Hearing starts at 8am.

T-S reporter John Driscoll, who’s been covering the bankruptcy, was interviewed by Hank Sims on the weekly Humboldt Review radio show last night to discuss the hearing.

The bondholders – a group of investors including some big name Wall Street types – are asking the court to rule the subsidiaries are a single asset entity. If they prevail, they may be able to foreclose on the property, taking control away from parent company Maxxam.

Sims and Driscoll discussed the fact that no decision has been made as to venue, yet the Texas court is going ahead with more hearings. One could guess the court intends to keep the bankruptcy proceedings on Maxxam’s turf.

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 7:32 AM 3 comments

Maybe they’re inspired by the recent strike at the Mendocino courthouse. Or perhaps it’s the inability to pay student loans. But our neighbor to the North is struggling with the same issue confronting Deputy District Attorneys in Humboldt and Mendocino Counties – not enough pay. One former DDA even tended bar on the side, but still couldn’t make the money to support himself and pay school-related debts.

A high turnover rate and reputation as a training ground is the result of low pay for deputy district attorneys and investigators at the Del Norte District Attorney's Office.

"It means that I'm a training office," Del Norte District Attorney Mike Riese said. "It's hard to retain and attract applicants to the county."

The story in today’s Triplicate is a reflection of what we hear about the Humboldt DA’s office. The NorCal counties are a nice place to live, but terrible place to be paid as a deputy DA.

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 8:33 AM 2 comments

Since when does Rob Arkley’s HELP consultant, Kay Backer, live in Eureka? In local news items* she’s been described as HELP’s “Sacramento consultant.” But now Arkley’s paper, The Eureka Reporter, is running an editorial that lists her residence as “Eureka.”

To make matters more hypocritical, the by-line says:

Kay Backer is a consultant to HELP [the Humboldt Economic and Land Plan], a coalition of local residents who support efforts to promote jobs and housing for Humboldt families.

Perhaps Backer is so concerned about “local residents” that she decided to become one. But we must presume it was a lucrative move (the kind unavailable to the rest of us schleps), enticing enough to draw her away from the strip malls and cookie cutter development of Sacramento.

But if her efforts prevail in turning Humboldt into the sprawling monstrosity that has devoured much of the rest of California...Oh think of the money!! Surely it will be worth the sacrifice.
______________

*Pages contain several short articles. Use Ctrl+F+“Backer” or scroll down to find references.

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 9:24 AM 14 comments

This blogger would like to echo the editorial in today’s Times-Standard regarding District Attorney’s failure to wrap-up the case stemming from the April 14, 2006 shooting of Eureka resident Cheri Moore.

In two weeks the first anniversary of the shooting will be upon us. It was a day that turned Eureka upside-down after the EPD SWAT team busted down the door of a mentally distressed woman’s apartment and shot her multiple times.

It is unfair to Moore’s family, the police involved, and the community to let this case gather dust. If DA Paul Gallegos is not going to hand it over to the state Attorney General as many have recommended, he needs to make the decision to either file charges or close the case.

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 8:41 AM 17 comments

There is a great post on the Save Ancient Forests blog about a scary experience in the woods:

When I got to my shelter I dropped my pack and took off my jacket to cool down. That’s when I heard voices coming from the next ridge over. My first thought was, ‘Did they see my light?’

I couldn’t see any light coming from their direction. I wanted to cook my dinner of catfish but didn’t want these folks to know I was there.

Then the shouting started, “We’re surrounded! Load the 57 magnum!” followed by a person imitating gunfire. “I’m too young to die, I’ve got family back home” Brbrbrbrbrbr “Tell my family I love’em Johnny!” Bbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr.

Read the whole story.

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 8:04 AM 2 comments

While the Times-Standard continues to struggle with how (or whether) to manage reader comments on their website, a similar conversation is happening in other parts of the internets.

Just in case you’re ready to dismiss nasty comments as part of our own rural Wild West, get a load of these examples.

A tech blogger named Kathy Sierra has become the target of a frightening campaign that’s gone beyond your typical troll lewdness. She’s been threatened repeatedly with violent and sexual threats and as a consequence cancelled a speaking engagement at an event in her field. As Pandagon points out the threats have effectively silenced Sierra.

In another case recently reported on by the SF Chronicle, a student named Olivia had to change schools more than once and is now being home schooled after other children created a website called “Olivia Haters.”

When it comes to discussion on how to deal with your generic blog troll, there are many blogs and message boards to peruse. Locally there’s this, this, this and this. (UPDATE: and this).

Outside Humboldt, checkout PunkAssBlog’s recent post on trolls and how they deal with them.

UPDATE: The Chronicle reports on the threats against tech blogger Kathy Sierra.

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 3:13 PM 33 comments

A road building project on Eureka’s most controversial piece of real estate was halted Friday after an inspection from the Coastal Commission found operations went beyond an allowed “maintenance” project.

According to a press release from Citizens for Real Economic Growth (CREG), the road builders hired by Security National were “found operating within Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Areas (ESHA’s) and in at least one case, appeared to have pushed a road directly through a known wetland area.”

“We appreciate that this blatant disregard for environmental protection and public safety has been arrested in its tracks,” said Larry Evans of CREG. “I’m just sorry it took three days to sort this out while damage was being done. Apparently Security National saw the [permit] exemption as ‘open season’ to begin their big box mall project.”

Documents detailing sensitive areas and the work to be done were sparse, according to the press release.

“This meager paper trail demonstrates a lack of due consideration by the city in granting the exemption,” said Evans. “Unfortunately this type of fly-by-night compliance with the rule of law just reinforces the appearance of special treatment for wealthy developers to the detriment of everyday people.”

Last week the Eureka Reporter proudly proclaimed the “road maintenance” was to enhance public safety and protect neighboring properties. However, one should never underestimate the extreme skepticism that is appropriate when rich developers and big box enthusiasts do anything under the banner of “safety,” even when they call it a “fundamental priority.”

Look for more on this issue at the next Eureka City Council meeting on April 3.

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 6:41 PM 33 comments

Looking back at Maxxam propaganda

While we wait (and wait) for a Texas court to decide venue for PALCO bankruptcy proceedings, let’s flash back to a deceptive ad campaign. “Hindsight is always 20/20,” as the saying goes. How do these ads look from the mountain top of bankruptcy and phone booth-gate?

The brainchild of Maxxam spin doctors, the six swanky ads were dubbed “Myths of the Forest” and each one ran multiple times in February – March 2004, an era straddling the failed DA recall election on March 2.

Each ad began with a goofy premise that mischaracterized resident complaints:

Anti-timber activists are spinning modern day myths as part of their obsessive campaign against PALCO -- like the story that the company was a victim of a hostile takeover back in the 80's, stolen by a terrible corporate mogul who raided the workers' pension fund and took all the money back to his castle.

Calling critics “anti-timber activists” is misleading - as if those who oppose Hurricane Maxxam are anti-logging. And it’s not so much a castle as a high rise.

The crooked deciders at PALCO-Maxxam say anything to justify the unjustifiable, even if it requires them to contradict themselves in short succession.

For example, one “myth” appearing in the Feb. 25, 2004 T-S stated “No greedy mogul scooped up money and carried it back to his castle. In fact, most of the money earned in Humboldt County stays in Humboldt County. How can that be? It's called sustainable forestry.” But less than a year later, PALCO financial officer Gary Clark told the LA Times "[w]e are running out of logs."

Now that bankruptcy has been declared the clearcut profiteers claim Texas is the “nerve center” of PALCO operations. That's a 180° from the last twenty years when Maxxam hid behind PALCO’s pre-Maxxam reputation. But since the “greedy moguls” want to hog the bankruptcy in a friendly backyard courtroom their high octane Texas attorneys sing a different lullaby.

These ads are an example of the Hurwitzian “myths” swallowed by our elected representatives who sat like stumps while damage to Maxxam's downstream neighbors increased and other long-term sociological impacts unfolded.

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More quotes from “Myths of the Forest” propaganda series:

“wild tales of an evil troll stealing bags of money and taking them back to his cave in Houston.”

“lurid tales of a scary vampire sucking the life blood out of the village.

“wild tales of some horrible beast that ravages the land, defiles the water, and murders fish in their beds.”

“likening the company to a fierce creature that lays waste to the forests with its mighty axe."

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 7:47 AM 27 comments

After finance writer Scott Burns detailed his personal grievances with Home Depot, thousands of responses were posted on the internet. Customers and employees pounded their keyboards in a shared rebuff against the orange big box for years of crappy behavior we’ve come to expect from giant corporations.

Burns’ reaction to his column’s splash ran in today’s daily Dallas News:

Read the whole article here.

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 5:23 PM 21 comments

The cover story in this week's North Coast Journal gives a glimpse into Scotia’s past. Featuring interviews with residents of the company-owned town conducted by Ellen Land-Weber in early 1990, it's clear that concerns over company practices were not the sole domain of environmentalists. Workers and their families saw clearcutting (as instituted by Maxxam) as a threat to both jobs and the environment.

The introduction to the interviews, written by NCJ editor Hank Sims, describes the winds that were a’blowin in early 1990, adding “For the first time, residents of Scotia began to worry.”

However, worry had blossomed into palpable expression years before, as shown by this full-page ad from the November 17, 1985 Times-Standard. It was signed by some 335 Pacific Lumber employees.

Click the image to read.

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 10:44 PM 21 comments

California sells digits for 6 bucks a pop

For four years, the Secretary of State ran a website offering Californians’ Social Security Numbers, addresses and signatures. For the price of lunch anyone could obtain information that would allow them to open accounts in your name.

"It's not the result of hacking or Internet fishing. It happens every single day as a result of standard government policy," said State Assemblyman Dave Jones.

More.

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 10:19 AM 6 comments

When reading comments, it can be difficult to distinguish whether the writer is being facetious or straightforward. Such was the experience with a recent letter-to-the-editor on military General Peter Pace’s comments that homosexuality is “immoral.”

The writer expressed outrage, whether real or sarcastic, over Dubya’s failure to rigorously defend Pace in the face of criticism over his homophobia:

That our so-called “Christian” president can so cavalierly abandon the very principles of his faith and be silent when his direct representative is attacked shows ... what a weakling and poltroon he is. He is an embarrassment to his country and his faith! He is not a man of honor, which his moral superior General Pace is.

Compare this weakling with General Eisenhower. Do you think he would have stood by silently when the topmost general in the U.S. is pilloried by secular humanists and perverts?

Rare is the voice decrying Bush for not being homophobic enough.

Pace’s generic bigotry aside, a bigger issue was discussed yesterday on the Peter B. Collins radio show. While the insecure General gets his sphincter in a pucker over gay soldiers, there’s nary a peep over rape committed against female soldier by male soldiers among US troops.

A 2004 study of Vietnam and all wars since found 71% of women soldiers seeking help for Post Traumatic Stress had been sexually assaulted by fellow soldiers.

One woman who served in Iraq with the National Guard said she carried a knife at all times. "The knife wasn't for the Iraqis," she said. "It was for the guys on my own side."

The NY Times Magazine offers in-depth coverage on the military’s rape-permissive culture, as does Salon and Democracy Now!. But don’t miss Twisty’s take which is always right on.

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 11:18 AM 99 comments

A Boston woman hired Home Depot to resurface kitchen cabinets thinking the large chain store would screen workers more carefully than a smaller business. But dang if a rapist didn’t show up to the single woman’s condo sent by Home Depot and stinking of alcohol.

"I asked for a kitchen, and I never thought I was going to get a sex offender," she told ABC news.

WCVB-TV in Boston reports that HD sent the man “despite the fact he's a convicted sex offender with a lengthy criminal history, and he is not a licensed contractor.”

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 7:24 PM 63 comments

Rebel attorney Tony Serra, who was part of the legal team that successfully represented Judi Bari and Darryl Cherney against the FBI and Oakland police, is free from prison after serving ten months for tax evasion. To celebrate, Serra is suing the government for paying him dirt poor wages - 19 cents an hour - to water gardens during his sentence. Such low wages "perpetuates, from my perspective, slave labor'' Serra said.

More.

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 9:13 PM 67 comments

Upon first glance, it appears the letter to the editor from David Young is a serious suggestion that we turn low-tide mudflats into a playground for snowmobiles to boost the local economy. Young describes the flats as “unutilized or underutilized” – an oft-used false characterization indicating some human-centric dude is angry over a piece of Earth insufficiently littered with candy wrappers and tire tracks.

Thankfully, Mr. Young is using the art of sarcasm to make a point. He envisions Humboldt’s future thusly:

The reference to Hurwitz is appropriate. His debt-driven logging practices generously contribute tons of mud to Humboldt Bay.

Indeed.

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Speaking of HELP, several of its supporters went to the planning commission meeting last Thursday to support the Arkley vision of McMansions sprawling throughout the Humboldt hillsides.

One young man spoke during the public comment period and admitted he’d been asked to come to the meeting to “be a warm body” in the audience. Ha! As if the Tom Herman’s pro-sprawl planning commission needs to be convinced. But at least the man admitted the “warm body” approach.

Kinda reminds of Election Day, when all those warm bodies were running around in “Marina Center” sweatshirts.

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 9:07 AM 58 comments

You’ve been waiting, watching and wondering if the Times-Standard would respond to pumped up accusations leveled at the paper by its cross-town rival, the Eureka Reporter.

Today, the wait is over. In its sometimes-weekly “Toasts and Roasts” column, the T-S takes aim. This week’s Roast goes to...

*drum roll*

To the Editorial Board of The Eureka Reporter. Next time, count to 10 and take deep breaths.

Woo-hoo!

falling confetti...balloons...cheers, tears, hugs and kisses.

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 9:20 AM 53 comments

You’ve probably heard of bloggers getting scrappy with traditional media over slanted (or missing) coverage, but it’s rare for daily papers to extol the virtue of blogs.

Not today. The Eureka Reporter brings attention to a lesser-known blog started by the City of Fortuna. Readers can discuss the birthing pangs of Fortuna’s general plan on the blog’s comment section. The ER editorial board praises the blog as “one of the most democratic methods of getting [Fortuna residents’] voices heard.”

But an even bigger news fish - known as the LA Times – takes a deeper look at the power of blogs and bloggers to track and compile information that can lead to National scandals.

The Times reports that blogs Talking Points Memo and TPM Muckraker were first to track firings of US attorneys by the Bush administration last December. With the help of their 100,000 readers, the bloggers sniffed out a story which has lead to Republicans and Democrats (including Mike Thompson) to call for the head of Attorney General Alberto Gonzalas.

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 11:15 AM 16 comments

A Captain with the Multnomah County (OR) Sheriff's Office has been unanimously chosen to head the Eureka Police Department.

An article penned by Nielsen for Police Chief Magazine indicates similar values with some in this community who would like police officers to receive a college education before getting a gun and badge.

Eureka City Councilman Larry Glass: Nielsen is a “level headed, well educated, thoughtful person.”

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 9:55 PM 23 comments

Just when you thought those defenders of ethics at the Eureka Reporter had successfully rooted out all foul play, North Coast Journal editor Hank Sims goes and admits he, too, listened to teleconference calls in the presence of Humboldt Watershed Council president Mark Lovelace.

In their rush to cover-up shoddy reporting, the ER editorial board accused Times-Standard reporter John Driscoll of receiving a “gift” from HWC in the form of the $24/hr. "listen-only" teleconference. Only it turns out HWC didn’t pay for the call. Once again, the ER tripped over the facts and landed face down in a pile of eggs.

Did the ER ever ask Hank how he listened to a teleconference originating out of a Corpus Christi courtroom? He first reported the stiff price in a February 22 column. Weren’t ER editors curious about how their reporters could get in on the action? Have they called Hank since lobbing accusations at the Times-Standard to see if he should be targeted for hypocritical finger-pointing? Or did they give him a pass for reporting the embarrassing faux pas committed by Humboldt DA Paul Gallegos?

With Hank's admission, perhaps the imaginary scandal will die down. After all, we're still waiting for the outcome of the hearings in question: whether Pacific Lumber's bankruptcy proceedings will occur in Texas or California.

Until then, readers can take comfort that ER editor Glenn Franco Simmons has learned from his mistake.

CORRECTION: Hank did not listen to the teleconference calls with Mark Lovelace, but with another third party who paid for the call. The Humboldt Herald regrets the error.

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 2:50 PM 35 comments

But Arkley editors aren’t ruled by Arkley.

Pinky swear!

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 8:51 AM 32 comments

Glenn Franco Simmons
Nathan Rushton
The Eureka Reporter
215 4^th Street
Eureka, CA 95501

Re: CourtCall and Journalistic Ethics

Dear Glenn and Nathan,

I was surprised to read your editorial on Saturday, regarding the apparently egregious breach of journalistic ethics posed by the presence of the Times-Standard’s John Driscoll at a ‘listening session’ for the Pacific Lumber bankruptcy hearings. I had spoken to Nathan about the arrangement on Thursday, but he expressed no ethical indignation about the issue. Rather, he merely seemed curious as to why he had not been invited too.

I explained to Nathan that the invitation to John Driscoll arose out of conversation in the course of John’s constant, in-depth coverage of the PL story. I would likely have invited Nathan, too, had he and I spoken, but such conversation was hampered by the Eureka Reporter’s relative absence on this critically important story. I was certainly pleased to hear that the Reporter was planning to step up its coverage, and I assured Nathan that he would be welcome to join us in any future listening sessions. In fairness, Nathan reflected much of this in his own column on Sunday.

The Times-Standard and the North Coast Journal have both written some excellent investigative reports on the details of this case while, so far, the Reporter has merely relayed the days events. With this editorial, the Eureka Reporter seems to have chosen to investigate the investigators, rather to investigate the story itself. Even in that the Reporter has erred, getting two critical facts wrong.

For one, the cost of the CourtCall service was paid by the Redwood Forest Foundation Inc, not HWC, though I did make the arrangements. Thus the assertion that this was in some way a ‘gift’ from the Humboldt Watershed Council is simply incorrect.

For two, neither the Humboldt Watershed Council, nor RFFI, nor anyone else in the room was a party to these proceedings. We were on a ‘listen only’ line because we were not participants, but rather observers, as would be any other member of the general public. This is fundamentally different from listening-in with Palco, or with an attorney for one of the parties.

Though HWC is not a party, we do have a deep interest in the outcome of this process, as should anyone in Humboldt County . The bankruptcy of Pacific Lumber Company is a huge story, and how this issue is resolved will have a significant impact on Humboldt County’s future. Through this process, we have the opportunity to finally put 22 years of division and culture war behind us, and to focus on developing a truly sustainable Pacific Lumber Company that our community can once again be proud of.

Organizing this CourtCall listening session was a part of HWC’s ongoing efforts to make this bankruptcy process as accessible and understandable as possible to the broader Humboldt County community. That same goal was the reason that HWC and others sponsored the Bankruptcy 101 workshop, which was attended by over 100 PL workers, retirees, their families and other members of the Fortuna and Rio Dell communities. It must be pointed out that the Eureka Reporter neither attended nor reported on that workshop.

For weeks I have been working to arrange a venue where anyone in Humboldt County could listen in to the bankruptcy proceedings. I have been in touch with the folks at CourtCall to try to arrange for the hearings to be streamed live on the web, which is something they have never done before. I have explored arrangements to provide a public listening venue in Fortuna. Significantly, I also provided Nathan with the necessary information on how to sign up for the CourtCall service.

What is particularly disappointing to me is that I had spent a significant part of my day Friday working on establishing a better, more public listening venue, and I believe that I have finally been able to make an arrangement that would allow any member of the public to join in. I spoke to both John Driscoll and Hank Sims about their respective papers’ interest in helping to fund this effort along with the Humboldt Watershed Council and others. I called Nathan on Friday and left him a message asking if the Eureka Reporter would like to join in this group effort, too. How disappointing, then, to read the Reporter’s divisive editorial the very next morning.

It is in everyone’s interest to work together, to share information, and to focus on providing a service to our community. I hope that the Eureka Reporter’s inaccurate and divisive editorial hasn’t soured the various partners who would be necessary to make this public service possible.

Sincerely,

Mark Lovelace, President
Humboldt Watershed Council

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 8:59 AM 34 comments

While overwhelming opposition to the Iraq war falls on deaf White House ears, evidence of catastrophic aftermath continues to mount. Wounded soldiers are denied the care they need and families of service members crumble under the hell of PTSD. Causalities aren’t limited to the war dead, but to the soldiers who survived and the loved ones striving to cope with wounds that will never heal.

The photo is this year’s winner of the World Press Photo competition. See more of the photographers work here.

Alternet: 60,000 Marriages Broken by Iraq, Including Mine

Salon: Army Ordering Injured Troops to Go to Iraq

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 5:57 PM 29 comments

The Times-Standard dives into the current lawsuit facing Humboldt County by the innocuous-sounding group “Humboldt Sunshine.” Reporter James Faulk writes the “battle over Humboldt County's housing element has been brewing over the past two years, with two different pro-development entities taking up the fight in succession.” The other group referred to here is "HELP," or the Humboldt Economic and Land Plan.

But are they different? The name “Rob Arkley” doesn’t appear anywhere in the article despite being the force and cash behind “the two different pro-development entities.”

Perhaps it’s Humboldt’s definition of “separate but equal.”

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 11:20 AM 20 comments

The Eureka Reporter editorial board has its panties in a bunch over allegations that Times-Standard reporter John Driscoll listened to court proceedings in the PALCO bankruptcy case via teleconference on the Humboldt Watershed Council’s dime.

According to the ER:

The ER points out they’re paying their own way to listen to the hearings. And thank gosh for that. Their coverage has improved since they decided it might be important enough to get some first hand information.

This was, of course, after the Bankruptcy 101 forum which the ER didn’t bother to attend.

This blogger will be interested to hear the T-S reaction to these charges.

However, the ER should heed some caution before getting too ethic-er than thou. The editors complain:

First, Driscoll covers a wide range of “environmental issues” that have nothing to do with Pacific Lumber. Maybe that’s a head-scratcher for the Eureka Reporter.

Second, have these guys ever read their own coverage of PALCO? It's been, in a word, terrible. The freakin’ fire department had to be called to stop the gushing in one such article, which got even funnier when two days later the CEO and spokesperson left the sinking ship. But hey, at least it opened doors for ex-ER reporter Andrea Arnot to step in as PALCO’s new talking head.

The ER has received preferential treatment from PALCO for some time, like receiving press releases that somehow don’t get sent to the T-S. It makes a reader wonder about objectivity.

But anyway, this is amusing. Really.

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 10:29 PM 55 comments

You gotta love these guys. Love them the way you love so many pompous self-righteous asses who preach do-what-I-say-not-as-I-do.

Congratulations, Newt! You’ve joined a stellar list that includes Mark Foley, Jimmy Swaggert, Bob Livingston, Ted Haggard, Henry Hyde, Jim Baker, hundreds of Catholic priests, and many other Republicans of ill-repute.

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 10:32 AM 57 comments

Two Chief Financial Officers – one for PALCO and one for Maxxam – testified in Texas yesterday at a hearing that will ultimately decide whether PALCO bankruptcy proceedings will be moved to the timber co.’s home turf of California or stay in Maxxam’s hood.

It appears from both reports (there’s an informative little gem in both the Times-Standard and the Eureka Reporter) Maxxam had its eye on a Texas bankruptcy venue when founding its “phone booth” office for the allegedly bunk subsidiary “Scotia Development” in Corpus Christi, TX. All other PALCO-related subsidiaries are in California.

The T-S reports “Maxxam CFO Emily Madison said that venue was a reason -- not the sole reason -- for forming the subsidiary.”

The ER quotes Madison as saying venue “was a consideration, but not the reason.”

Madison’s testimony is further proof that PALCO honchos lied to its laid-off workers about forthcoming severance packages.

More shamelessness was displayed by PALCO CFO Gary Clark who was asked which venue would be more convenient for said laid-off workers. He side-stepped the question by saying “It is not convenient to go to either place.” He probably meant it’s more convenient for him and the other fat cats if they don’t have to face lied-to workers in a California courtroom.

And finally, we have an answer to a question that came up at the Bankruptcy 101 forum – why would creditors in California ask the court to keep the proceedings in Texas?

The answer, of course, is Frank Bacik, longtime PALCO lawyer and new vice president. Bacik has a history of manufacturing testimony for PALCO biologists and others to support the Maxxam agenda.

Bacik said “there was a ‘script’ describing how to seek the support of friendly creditors” and that a “talking points memo” was accidentally passed out.

Given what some of these creditors told the media, the “talking points” were usual Bacik garbage. There is zero chance that "EPIC and politicians" will turn PALCO’s 200,000 acres "into a park." But the notion is a great way to scare timber workers, so out came the “script.”

The hearing continues today.

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 9:07 AM 6 comments

TNT is a live call-in show. Studio: 707-826-4805 or 1-800-640-5911

KHSR-FM 91.9 Crescent City-Brookings | 89.1 FM Ferndale-Fortuna | 89.7 FM Garberville | 99.7 FM Willow Creek

http://www.khsu.org/listen_live

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 12:04 PM 47 comments

But our neighbor to the South confronts similar issues, and prosecutors and public defenders are on strike outside the courthouse. According to the Press Democrat, “[t]hirty-one other employees - half of the courthouse staff - refused to cross early-morning picket lines, forcing court officials to consolidate hearings and postpone some proceedings.”

Although entry-level prosecutors in Mendocino earn more than their counterparts in Humboldt, top-level Humboldt DAs make the bigger bucks.

Sound familiar?

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 7:39 AM 8 comments

Good news!

After some gentle prodding to publish letters online, the T-S is going in the right direction. Thumbs up!

The Humboldt Herald has long opined that Letters to the Editor should be featured on the Times-Standard website. It was with great joy that this blogger discovered the new feature late this afternoon.

However, there remains one final (well, probably not final) request for the webmasters on 6^th Street. Commit to a course of action on whether you will publish weekly op-eds under the “Opinions” banner or under the writer’s name in the side column.

That way, when it’s revealed that the Bully Pulpit draws inspiration from the same fount as the Humboldt Herald, this blogger won’t have to wait a day and a half to find out.

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 6:25 PM 15 comments

While the local newspaper war rages on, news junkies receive the benefit (or confusion) of separate reports on news making events.

Take the Tuesday court hearing held in Corpus Christi, TX regarding the battle to move the PALCO bankruptcy proceedings to California. The Times-Standard reported the arguments for and against the move after a reporter (presumably John Driscoll) “listened in by teleconference.”

In contrast to the T-S article, the Eureka Reporter gave a confusing account based on second-hand information. Reporter Nathan Rushton reported that “the trial” began Tuesday morning, which he said marked the beginning of the reorganization under Chapter 11.

To most laypeople, a “trial” is something involving a jury or judge deciding the facts of a case and then rendering a verdict. That’s not what’s happening here. If Rushton had attended the Bankruptcy 101 forum in Fortuna last Friday, he would know that the reorganization will take 1-2 years. The main decision to come from current hearings is where future court proceedings will take place.

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Does anyone care about the details of this long process? HSU journalism Prof. Marcy Burstner, in a recent critique of news coverage of HumCo court proceedings said “a reader often doesn't need more than the initial story and a clear definitive wrap-up when it is over.” Of course, the “initial story” in this case is decades long, and the process of the PALCO reorganization will affect hundreds of Humboldt County residents.

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For many years, the PALCO PR machine has taken great strides to distance Pacific Lumber from its Texas string-pullers.

So it’s interesting to read that decisions about the company are made in Texas. The T-S reported that an attorney arguing to keep the court proceedings in the Lone Star State said “[t]he right thing is to have this case [in Texas] where the financial decision-makers are.” This may be the first time a lawyer has argued that such decisions are made outside Scotia.

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 11:53 AM 9 comments

CONCORD - City leaders turned down a proposed 24-hour Wal-Mart store in North Concord by a vote of 3-2 late Tuesday night.

Mayor Mark Peterson and Vice Mayor Bill Shinn voted in favor of the complex. They noted it would have been the first shopping center of its kind in North Concord, something they argued was needed on the sparsely developed industrial site sitting between Highways 4 and 242.

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 11:22 AM 7 comments

Who do you dig?

In today’s world, “fair and balanced” may be the mother of meaningless terms. When Bill O’Reilly yells at guests to “shut up,” or the Eureka Reporter fawns over preferred citizens (or corporations), “fair and balanced” is to news what yellow squirty stuff is to cheese. Yet many readers are infused with the notion that journalists (or even bloggers) will be “fair and balanced” when putting fingers to keyboard.

As previously noted, the first US newspapers dismissed any notion of “fair and balanced.” The founding fathers were “prolific media commentators capable of great works of political philosophy as well as ribald jests and character assassination.”

Such “ribald jests” have gained local popularity in the last year, not just blog-wise but from real journalists gainfully employed by the Times-Standard and North Coast Journal. James Faulk writes the Bully Pulpit and Hank Sims the Town Dandy. Each journolo takes weekly shots – and the occasional low-blow - similar to their blogging brethren.

That’s what happened in last week’s Town Dandy on the subject of Maxxam’s exploited timber workers. A new Humboldt blog offers a deeper analysis here.

Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinion. You might, for example, fancy a factually-challenged cyber-stalker over an articulate expert, but hey, that’s your right. Just don’t go flashing your “professional media” credentials to bolster your “big, dumb yap.”

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 11:35 AM 44 comments

Big-box retailer Home Depot tumbled from Fortune Magazine’s top 20 most admired companies following a year marked with falling stocks, undercover exposés, and a portly pay-out for outgoing CEO Bob Nardelli.

Personal finance writer Scott Burns suggests there may be “a much bigger reason that Home Depot has become a troubled and unloved company.”

A giant big box with crappy service and unhappy employees fails to conjure an image of “progress.” Perhaps if we embrace thoughtless mediocrity there will be less disappointment if the Home Depot on the bay comes to pass.

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 12:46 AM 42 comments

Here in the duel-daily-paper region of Humboldt County, newshounds are guaranteed to have slow news days. But paper-pushers try to make it worth your 50¢ (or your pocket lint, depending).

Nevertheless, the record for stupidity (and paper wastefulness) hit a new low Friday when the Eureka Reporter illustrated a silly fluff story with no less than 100 little identical photos of Eureka City Councilman Larry Glass.

The article’s author (and the editor, too) was simply fascinated that there are other men in these United States with the name Larry Glass. Can you believe it? Other American men with the first name Larry? And the last name Glass? Well I’ll be.

Folks, let me tell you something. The Google is an amazing tool. You punch in whatever keyword your heart desires and out comes a formidable gaggle of information.

So without further ado, let this blogger introduce you to the Virginia Bass Federation, the “Hackman” Jeff Leonard, rapper Mike Jones, journalist Bonnie Neely, saxophonist Jill Geist, organist Jimmy Smith, photographer Paul Gallegos, and radio personality John Wooley.

Maybe the photo overdose is some kind of payback. After all, Mrs. Eureka Reporter did once upon a time accuse Mr. Glass of punching her family “in the nose” by distributing a harmless sticker. Only the lord can guess what Arkley’s publisher was thinking.

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 3:19 PM 29 comments

The October 23, 2006 shooting of 16 year-old Eureka resident Christopher Burgess by Eureka Police Officer Terry Liles will not result in charges against the officer.

Earlier:

EPD Chief Holds Conference on Shooting I A Protest and a Petition I The Courageous and the Uncomfortable I Concerned Citizens Pack Eureka City Council Chambers I Crappy People I Burgess High on Methamphetamine at Time of Shooting I Latest EPD Report on Burgess

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 10:26 AM 17 comments

Extra chairs and a microphone for the featured guest were scavenged at the Fortuna River Lodge Friday night to accommodate a crowd worried about suspended pensions, future logging, and a complicated legal proceeding that controls the future of the Pacific Lumber Company.

Bankruptcy attorney Peter Clapp offered general information about bankruptcy law and answered questions for about 120 attendees. Many questions centered on money PALCO owes creditors, including worker’s pensions.

Far from going out of business, Clapp said PALCO will maintain “business as usual” under Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Operations continue as before but non-ordinary transactions such as land sales require court approval.

The goal of Chapter 11 is reorganization of the company’s business plan, Clapp said, which will be voted on by creditors. Pacific Lumber will be under authority of the bankruptcy court until a new business plan is approved by the court, which could take 1-2 years.

Clapp said there are two key issues involved in the PALCO bankruptcy. The first is determining the value of harvestable timber on PALCO land. The second is feasibility - the sustainable rate of harvest.

Clapp, who teaches at the John F. Kennedy School of Law, said Maxxam can maintain control over the company if the value of company assets exceed claims owed by PALCO. It’s up to the court to decide the value, Clapp said.

The forum headed into OT as Clapp answered questions submitted by the audience on 3x5 note cards*. Chapter 11 bankruptcy gives an “honest debtor a fresh start,” Clapp said. He laughed when a note card asked for the “definition of an honest debtor.” Clapp said it would be decided by the court.

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 12:52 AM 22 comments

Ten years ago today environmental and labor activist Judi Bari succumbed to cancer. A celebration to remember her life and work will be held tonight at the Albion School in Albion.

Judi was a pioneer in working to bridge timber workers and environmentalists at a time when corporate timber bosses hired slimy propagandists Hill & Knowlton to whip up hatred within the community. Judi was also a target of COINTELPRO operatives who smeared Judi and Darryl Cherney as “terrorists” in the mainstream press after a car bomb nearly killed them. Bari and Cherney were vindicated when a 2002 jury awarded them $4.4 million in a lawsuit against the FBI and Oakland police.

Divisions persist in Humboldt County while looters at Maxxam count their millions. The only local winners in the dismantling of Pacific Lumber have been high-level management and their attorneys who share the vision of he-who-has-the-gold-rules.

It seems ironic that on this sad anniversary while friends gather over the death of Judi Bari timber workers and other affected citizens will gather over the bankruptcy of Pacific Lumber.

permalink I posted by Heraldo Riviera @ 10:24 AM 22 comments