Local progs mobilize to celebrate Earth Day in record numbers

The Humboldt Mirror hotline was annoyingly abuzz Sunday and early into Monday morning with information about weird Earth Day happenings around the area. According to an independent analysis, there were more than a few interesting and provocative 2012 Earth Day activities in and around Humboldt County this year. Let’s suffice it to say that tree-hugging was sooooooo 1980s. This year it was all about…

Photo credit to Prime Buyer's Report.

1) Open mouth kissing a tree (with a little heavy petting.)  Whoooooo hooooooo!

2) Growing marijuana by eco-groovy rechargeable battery-powered lights.

3) Converting to Amish Mennonites and churning some tasty vegan Pennsylvanian-style gluten-free butter.

4) Transforming Kim Starr to an alternative energy source. Because even the Progs can’t stand that crazy bitch.

5) Erecting interpretive signage and having docent-lead tours through the 386 homeless camps in the Palco Marsh in Eureka.

Garr Nielsen: The gift that keeps on giving

Another in the string of lawsuits spawned by the brief but eventful tenure of former Eureka Police Chief Garr Nielsen as been settled. EPD staffer Suzie Owsley has agreed to drop her harassment suit against the city in exchange for $150,000 cash plus an estimated $50,000 in leave accruals she used during the year she was out on stress leave. The cash portion of the settlement will be paid by the city’s insurer. As the Times-Standard article notes, Nielsen’s suit against the city is still pending. Awesome!

This week in stupid

On this gray Easter morning, we review the week that was.

• First up, and this one comes with a major shocker alert: Someone in a double-wide was selling meth. Film at 11.
• Also hard to believe: The owner of a store that sells marijuana to people is suspected of selling marijuana to people. Thank goodness the District Attorney’s Office is helping out with that one.
• Finally–one of the most genuinely obtuse people in Humboldt County has redefined stupid, along with some other words she didn’t understand too well in the first place: Patty Clary, director of Californians for Alternatives to Toxins, defined “democracy in action” as “a clear and accurate description of how building a modern roadbed in Richardson Grove can harm precious and rare environmental resources that belong to us all.” Maybe one person’s “democracy” is another’s regulatory tyranny, but whatever. We remain hopeful that the enviros’ collective intelligence may someday rise from the dead.

Errant priorities leave Arcata area with two supervisors, Fortuna with none

Danger, danger. My campaign is tanking.

With an impending election just around the corner, it’s painfully clear that incumbent 2nd District Supervisor Clif Clendenen’s fundraising for his re-election campaign hasn’t yet taken off with any sort of urgency. A recent Times-Standard article reveals Fortuna’s cider king has spanged a little more than $13,000 during the most recent fundraising disclosure filing period. His challenger Estelle Fennell has raked in more than triple that with $47,000. That doesn’t bode well for the Clifster.

It’s also worth noting that Clendenen’s lack of any competitive monetary support this election go around from his 2nd District voters may very well be linked to his unfortunate choice to focus on issues important to fellow 3rd District Supervisor Mark Lovelace.

While steadfastly honoring his campaign pledge to maintain a pulse during his tenure in office since his election in 2008, it’s unclear what exactly Clif has done in the past 3 years for his own district.

Looking at today’s board agenda, Clif seemed incapable of mustering a single special presentation to steal valuable mic time from his fellow supervisors to let voters know there’s anything he cares about. Or pretends to care about. Fourth District Supervisor Virginia Bass was able to give the nod to “Library Week,” proclaim April as “Sexual Assault Awareness Month,” and even teamed with 1st District Jimmy Smith to recognize April as “National County Government Month.”

Perhaps signaling an end of his political value to Lovelace, Clif couldn’t even bandwagon his way onto Mark’s special  presentation recognizing April as “Grange Month.” Unfortunately for Clendenen there won’t be a runoff in November, so he wont be able to take full advantage of National Apple Month in October.