Author Archives: JTimmons

Happy Easter? Bah, Humbug!

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***Here’s an oldie but a goodie in the holiday spirit.***

Easter is my least-favorite holiday.  At Christmas you get good chocolate and lots of presents.  At Easter you get Peeps. No comparison.

As a kid growing up in Eureka, I was subjected to all kinds of barbaric treatment by well-meaning family members. I HAD to have a new coat, made from scratch by a lady on “A” Street, Audrey Hansen and her mother. Anyone remember them? Every coat involved two or three fittings all of which involved repeatedly being stuck with pins. These days we’d call it child abuse. The ladies were still in business when I was in sixth grade and had to have a Tiger Lily costume for the Christmas Pageant. More pins.

My normal hair wouldn’t do for Easter, either. My grandmother would march me down to Daly’s to have my hair permed. Remember that salon on the mezzanine level?  The sulphurous fumes from the frying hair filled the whole store.  Ah, the good old days.

Like it or not, Easter is a big holiday for retail spending. The National Retail Federation tells us each of us will spend $140 on Easter this year.  I’m not even close. I bought some Reese’s and a Paas egg coloring kit.  Don’t ask.  Our Easter Dinner will be a pork roast rescued from the freezer. I like to slow-cook them so that the house smells good for hours.  

That NRF article includes some fascinating data on how people plan to spend the holiday. almost half of you will be in church.  Which is good.  I don’t go myself, but I definitely  approve of church. Almost a third of you will be surfing the web on Easter, maybe doing some online buying. I asked the friendly staff at Partrick’s the other day about their holiday sales and they reported that while their big days are Christmas and Valentine’s,  Easter comes in a close third,  representing maybe 15% of yearly revenues. That’s pretty much the same as on the national level.  

So Happy Easter, everyone.  Support your local candy store and don’t make your kids get their hair fried. And go to the Zoo. It’ll make you feel good.

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Craig’s List Ads That No One Will Respond To

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Here, without comment,  are genuine “Housing Wanted” ads that have appeared within the past year on our local Craig’s List. They are transcribed exactly as they appeared.  Enjoy!

“Need free space for band practice.”

“Looking for room for couple with two toddlers and a dog. Must have hi-speed internet for  our business and space for homeschooling kids. Also RV parking.  Can pay $300.”

“Chill dude looking to settle in Humboldt. Will have to work for rent since I don’t have any cash. “

“Homeless student entrepuner (sic) with four dogs, two ponies.”

“Fun couple seeks room.”

“I wanna live with couscous(sic), real farmers.”

“WANTED: HOUSE FOR PARTY”

“I’m 20 turning 21 this year and have experience working with people but my life revolves around bud. “

“Viking Pagan needs place to live.”

“Occultist seeks new magickal (sic) space.”

“looking for a house to rent for 2-3 weeks till my rental house comes available. i have a small dog, trained, also i will have two house guests for the next 6 days till they fly home. need a place by tomorrow.”

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A New Way To Fly?

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An interesting development is reported by the Sacramento Business News.  Surf Air, a private membership airline headquartered in Santa Monica and flying out of the old McClellan AFB,  is flying round-trips between Santa Rosa, Hawthorne and San Carlos beginning next month, and will add service between Monterey and Hawthorne and San Carlos in July.  On August 24,  they’ll begin round-trips between McClellan and Hawthorne, San Carlos and Santa Barbara. Then in November they’re adding service between Palm Springs and Burbank and Oakland.

A private airline? Affordable?? Well, maybe.  Surf Air’s customers pay a flat monthly fee starting at $1750 for membership and unlimited flights.  If you’re doomed to fly more than three or four times a month, it starts looking downright reasonable.  Add in the sheer pleasure of not having to deal with the major airlines and…well, I’d sure like to try it.

In another development, Pen Air, which is supposed to start service beween Crescent City and Portland later this year, is making nice with the Redding airport folks and has been heard to say they are interested in flying out of AVC.  We’ll see. Stay tuned. 

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The RCMF 2014

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Before the memories have faded, I wanted to say something about the Redwood Coast Music Festival,  formerly the Jazz Festival,  that wrapped up a couple of weeks ago. This year we had the added pleasure of being able to show out-of-town friends why Humboldt is so special. 

The headliners were a mixed bag. Dana Fuchs was very theatrical, very talented but left us cold. Curtis Delgado,  on the other hand, was a complete knockout, and I can’t believe I’d never heard of the guy. He has several songs on You Tube. Other knockouts included the Au Brothers and Miskha Lake, both from New Orleans. 

Then there were the dancers. Ah, the dancers.  How do they learn that stuff? And the kids!  If I had learned to dance like that as a kid…You look around and there are a few faces missing from last year. But there are always the kids.  And there will always be more. 

The Music Festival is expected to raise $300,000 for local causes this year. What a wonderful way to spend a Spring weekend1  See you next year.

It’s Back?!! OH’S is Coming BACK?

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I hadn’t realized it, but according  to a Facebook page there are folks in our community who have been longing for the return of OH’s Town House, Virginia Bass’ steakhouse which closed in 2008. I felt  bad when it closed, because I had always intended to eat there.  Guess I didn’t want it bad enough to actually GO there. In those days,  I was pretty uninterested in steak. Then I discovered the AA and since then I’ve only eaten AA steaks.  I don’t know how they get that char to be so perfect but they are a hard act to follow, if anyone is really interested in opening up another meat palace here.

The thing is,  Virginia and her hubby-in-the-middle Matt Owen are using the Facebook page (bringohsback) and postcards, who knows what else, to float the idea that our 4th District Supervisor is seriously interested in reopening the restaurant that failed so recently. What’s changed?  Other than a few more folks going vegan every week.  Virginia squeaked by challenger Chris Kerrigan to retain her seat in 2014 so she won’t have to face another election for three more years. 

Well, here’s a theory.  The Facebook page shows a thousand “likes”.  That ain’t the same as a thousand investors. I claim the whole idea of bringing back OH’s is spurious and is intended to keep alive the notion that Virginia is a friend to business.  She ran on a platform of bringing in more jobs to the community, and , since she hasn’t done that,  and since she is an honorable person , perhaps she thinks that the only way to bring jobs to the community is to revive OH’s.  I’ll eat my hat if OH’s reopens.  I’ll also try one of their steaks.  Really!!

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No Silver Lining

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I was surprised,  as was airport management, apparently,  to hear that the Silver Lining restaurant at the Humboldt County Redwoods whatever airport is closed. That’s a big step backward for the folks who have been promoting the airport and while I don’t think many flyers would cancel a flight because their destination didn’t have a coffee shop, it still doesn’t say much for the infrastructure we offer our visitors.

According to the NCJ,  an attempt will be made to find another operator.  That might be difficult.  Most airport restaurants overlook a busy runway where diners can observe takeoffs and landings more often than four times a day. Maybe the County should contract with Dell’ Arte or Access Humboldt or someone else who can produce a light show to resemble a busy airport. At least it would LOOK like the return of normalcy. Stay tuned. 

Radio Shack Closing

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…at Bayshore Mall.  The other stores in the County (Arcata, Fortuna, Myrtle Avenue) will remain open for the time being while radio Shack closes thousands of its locations. The staff at the Mall was very helpful when I asked why Fortuna and Myrtle weren’t answering their phones. It’s because they help live customers over phone calls- don’t you wish everyone did that?-and the stores don’t have answering machines. Yup, that’s right.  They sell them, but don’t have one . The liquidation of the Mall location is well along and is the only store closing I’ve ever heard of that’s being advertised on Craig’s List. Entrepreneurs, check it out. They may have something you can use. 

Henderson Center is Hoppin’

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…and we don’t just mean celebrating Easter. Here’s a summary of recent events in my favorite part of town.

Little Japan, which used to be on 4th Street across from where Liu’s used to be, is open for business at their new home on F Street next to the BofA. Harvey says they are yet to have a full-on grand opening but they’e already had the Chamber ribbon cutting and a cash mob. The new store is gorgeous and well-stocked.   I bought some miso and realized how much I had missed this store as I tucked into my soup with the March winds blowing outside. No website, but they do have a Facebook page.

Next door, in the old pharmacy are signs indicating a Eureka Planning Commission hearing concerning four parking places in the adjacent lot. The parking is for a Chinese restaurant named Zoe,  which will  be a welcome addition to the neighborhood.  Converting  a drugstore to a restaurant is expensive so this is a massive investment for someone. 

Another massive investment is contemplated for the space now occupied by Glow, a facial and nails salon that has taken its operation to an appointment-only model. A gentleman from Fortuna has advertised his intention to open the Diver Bar and Grille in the Glow space but the fictitious business name statement was filed back in December and it doesn’t look like much is happening.  Stay tuned. And if you figure out the difference between a ‘grille’ and a ‘grill”,  kindly inform me. 

Lastly, the space vacated by the short-lived Caribbean Picnic operation is now occupied by Nourish Bistro and Catering  which has a website up although it’s awfully heard to read. They will have their grand opening tomorrow,  Friday,  at 10am, and according to the Times they will be serving beverages and appetizers so there’s a chance to sample their wares.  Wish I could make it. 

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