Electricity Out For 730 Westhaven and Trinidad Residents

Residents are in the dark between Trinidad and Westhaven this morning. I spoke to Brittney at PG&E and she said that there were about 730 residents currently in the dark.  She said that there was a PG&E "Trouble Man" in the area checking lines to see what the problem is.  She said after he checks the lines, if there is no sign of  a downed power line or branches or other objects shorting out the lines, he should be able to re-energize the lines soon.  If a real repair problem is found, a repair crew will be dispatched to the area to fix it.

UPDATE: Power was restored to at least some residents at about 11:50 AM today.  I am still waiting for a return call from PG&E to see what the cause of the outage was. 

UPDATE 2:  12:15 pm PG&E has found a downed tree on one of the lines.  Power is still out to about 460 customers in the area.  A crew is heading to the downed tree to remove it and restore power.

When It Comes To Getting VA Benefits, Where You Live Matters

If you’re a Northern California veteran who has waited a year for a decision on a war-related disability claim, you might consider a move to South Dakota – where the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs typically responds in less than half the time.

Returning home from Afghanistan to New York, Los Angeles, Chicago or Atlanta? Veterans who live in Lincoln, Neb., and Fargo, N.D., get their benefits faster.

More at California Watch

California Beats Texas In Job Growth, Even With Higher Taxes

The largest economy in the country has finally started to create jobs.  California has lagged behind many states when it comes to jobs growth during the "Great Bush Recession" and Republicans have used our state as a punching bag and an example of what happens when you have consumer protections and higher taxes.

Image Source

Texas has no income tax, almost no pollution controls or laws, is super business friendly and is bigger in land mass than California.  For months they have bragged about the growth there and how great things have been during the economic downturn or "Great Bush Recession".  Texas has lured many a California company to the business friendly lone star state with lower taxes and almost no anti business regulations.  What has that gotten Texas?  A lot of jobs in a very polluted state.

Enter California.  For the past two months, California has out paced Texas in jobs growth.  That's right, when Texas lures a California company to leave the state, Californian's just create more companies.  California has long led the way for business growth but many of them leave due to better business climates in other states and countries. Problem is, those other states and countries are not California.  You can have more money and live or do business in an undesirable place or you can be in California.  You can't take the beaches, rivers, mountains, or even Hollywood with you when you go. Those things stay here. It all comes down to whether you want to be a rich person in a poor state or if you would rather be a poorer person in a rich state.  California is rich in so many things.  We are just starting to get our fiscal house in order and as we do, expect growth and prosperity.  Not the bubble growth that comes from Bankster scams or unsustainable growth from temporary military contracts or other non sustainable businesses, but real growth.  It is slow and sometimes it is hard but it is ours to be a part of.

Lets grow this state and show the rest of the country what a sustainable growth model looks like. We can do it green too!

Nice Moon, Here's To What's Left Of Summer

The moon had that Autumn look this evening.

I hope we still get some more summer though. It was nice today with almost no clouds or other obstructions in the sky, except for the above mentioned moon. 

Mad River Summer Fest Tomorrow

The 4th Annual Mad River Summer Fest it tomorrow and this year there is a new location.  The first 3 successful festivals were held at the pump station west of Blue Lake but they have out grown that location.  The new location is no longer right on the river and has moved to Christie's Pumpkin Patch on the north side of Hwy. 299 in Blue Lake. There will be plenty of room for more vendors and parking.

There will be music by Woven Roots, The Miracle Show, Missing Link DJ's, The Trouble, Speakeasy Saints, Silver Hammer, The Grass Band and Silent Giants.

There will also be a petting zoo, a homebrew beer contest, a straw maze, local food, art, local brews, disc golf and raffles.

The festival goes from 8 am to 10 pm.  For more info. call 707-616-8190

No Audio For Rex Bohn On Talk Shop

Photo from .KINS106.3.com Web site

Newly elected and appointed Humboldt County Supervisor, Rex Bohn was on local radio station KINS FM   on the local show "Talk Shop" hosted by "Mover of Mountains", Brian Papstein. I got the link from an aggregater  or what ever you call one of those customized internet crawlers, at the North Coast Journal but when I clicked it, I could find no way to play any audio. It took me to the KINS web page like it was supposed to but there was no player.  I was sad because Rex Bohn is the brand new guy on the Board of Supervisors and I wanted to hear what he and Brian had to say.

Maybe there is late night editing going on or a glitch,  or there was something said that I missed that had to be pulled. Either way there is no audio to click on. I hope they get it fixed.

http://www.kins1063.com/talk-shop-081512-rex-bohn-humboldt-county-supervisor/
 Update:  It took them until today to get the player at the link but you can now hear Rex Bohn at the above link.

Walmart Not Handing Over Documents For Congressional Bribery Investigation Despite Pleas

From The Huffington Post

After sending three angry letters to Walmart, two congressional committees are now threatening to use the most dangerous weapon they have in their arsenal -- releasing an "investigative report" on the company.

On Tuesday afternoon in another letter, Reps. Cummings and Waxman offered Walmart a "final opportunity" to provide documents and witnesses for their investigation into allegations that Walmart bribed Mexican officials. But whether this letter will have sharper teeth than its predecessors is unclear. So far, Walmart has not produced the requested documents, according to letter.

Read more here.

3 Arcata City Council Members Run Unopposed In November Elections

Photo Source

3 City Council members in Arcata Ca.  are running unopposed in the November 2012 elections. Council woman Susan Ornelas, Vice Mayor Shane Brinton and Mayor Michael Winkler will be on the ballot unopposed because their challengers failed to gain enough signatures to qualify.  Kevin Hoover of the Arcata Eye broke the news that Valerie Rose-Campbell, Mark Sailors and Jolian Kangas did not get the 20 required signatures to qualify for the ballot. 

Evidently folks are just fine with the way things are going in Arcata.  

There was one person that should have qualified by getting 20 real votes, the "Super Fan" that joins J.B. Mathers, host of local am radio show North Coast Game Night.  North Coast Game Night is the mostly sports show on ESPN Radio 1340 AM on Monday's and Thursday's starting usually at 4 pm. The Super Fan Gary Batini, who is a regular on the show. He was challenged by J.B. on the air to be a conservative voice in the  mostly progressive bastion that is known as Arcata Ca. He refused to run, perhaps because it would mean that he could not do the radio show every week with J.B. and Tag due to election rules. Or it could be that the conservative  agenda is not one that most people on the west coast, much less in Arcata, are ready to support. 

If a numbers genius like Gary Batini won't take a shot at pushing the conservative agenda in Arcata by simply getting on the ballot to show some opposition to the current leadership than who can?

Gary Batini is so smart that he predicted the exact number of Olympic Medals the U.S. would win this year.  If he can't take on the establishment, what are the rest of us to do?

Disclaimer: I work with J.B. Mathers and am sometimes involved with co-producing North Coast Game Night.  I was not given any extra cool gifts, real estate, cash, cars, free gas for life, free gas for a day, but my connections were good enough for me to get a free t-shirt. Not one that said Gary for Council but ESPN.  Perhaps it is better this way. The shirt doesn't expire. Still a Gary for Arcata would have been more fun than write-ins. 

Fog Turns To Sun And Construction Continues in Trinidad

The fog turned to sun in Trinidad today and with it a gloomy Monday became wonderful day for workers and tourists alike.  

The town is undergoing construction from the new Gateway Project to the new Library and restaurant makeover.  New street lights are designed to point light down to the sidewalks and not up into the sky.  This makes for better star gazing and less light pollution.  The new sidewalks offer better handicap access at intersections. 

The section adjacent to the southbound exit where the Women in Black stand has been landscaped with a sidewalk all the way around it.  The library and what was Cashie's Catch Cafe soon to be The Lighthouse Grille are both taking shape. The new Lighthouse Grille will have added indoor dining that has been needed since the building was built. There is even a new house being constructed just across the freeway which can be seen from downtown.  

Trinidad Gas Prices $4.42+9/10 Per Gallon And Up

Trinidad California 8-11-2012

Martin Cotton Day Concert Old Town 4 pm Today

Bill Holmes will be playing a free concert in honor of Martin Cotton the second.  Martin Cotton was beaten by Eureka Police and died in their custody.

The free acoustic performance will be at the Clarke Plaza at 3rd and E St in Old Town Eureka starting at 4 pm today and is scheduled to run until 6 pm. 

Here is more on Martin Cotton

My Favorite Gaia Festival Picture

3 lovely ladies heading to the bowl from the campground at Gaia 2012.  The original was dark and of course  a bit blurry but after some enhancement, it looks like a painting.

Gaia Festival Eve 2012

Tomorrow is the start of the 2012 Gaia Festival.  The weather is expected to offer triple digits for the venue at Black Oak Ranch just north of Laytonville Ca.  The three day festival has its own campground and 5 stages of live entertainment.  This years bands include David Lindely and Michael Franti. There will be speakers, a kids area, workshops and presentations, organic & sustainable products, organic food and if things go like last year, there will be actual dishes at the food court.  Yes, real stainless steel flat ware and dishwasher safe plastic plates and cups. There is a dish station where everything gets washed and redistributed to the food vendors.  This cuts down on a lot of waste. There are also showers and a creek, take your pick.  Below are some pictures from last year.