• A League of Her Own

    In 1992 a movie directed by Penny Marshall, starring Tom Hanks, Geena Davis and Lori Petty hit the big screen. Since, “A League of Their Own,” debuted I have always watched it with the memory of a family doctor we had while growing up. “What would Dr. Wagner think about this movie?” I nearly always manage…

  • Josiah Gregg

    Josiah Gregg is generally credited with the rediscovery of Humboldt Bay and authoring the book: “Commerce of the Prairies.”  However he should also be given credit for establishing the first overland route that led to Del Norte County. Gregg died on February 25, 1850, from injuries received after falling from his horse. The location of his grave…

  • World Bank

    When I was a youngster there was only one “World Bank,” I ever had to worry about. It sat on a shelf in my bedroom, where I deposited pennies I found on the play ground, sidewalk, floor or wherever. Don’t you wish things were still that simple? I sure do.

  • Between Lake Earl and Dead Lake

    There’s a small body of water called Dead Lake, jus’ southeast of Del Norte High School. Sadly, I became acquainted with this body of water when skipping school. All I had to do was go west on Washington and turn right just before McNamara Air Field and head northerly a few hundred feet and I’d…

  • Spirit Amid the Trees

    As a youngster, I was vaguely aware of the political undercurrent that was taking shape in Klamath. I only knew what I did because I would lay awake listening to the conversations of those who came to my folks house for a later dinner and drinks. Many of the people who came by were Native…

  • Tolowa Creation

    In fourth grade our class was introduced to the history of California. I wasn’t as interested in the state’s history as much as I was the local history of the northern most part of the state. Fortunately I grew up when there were still enough tribal elders around and willing to share their people’s history.…

  • Lost Coast of Del Norte

    Long before personal computers, the Internet and blogging, I used to write little one page thoughts about that which interested me. In the mid-90s, I collected up as many of these little vignettes as possible with the hope of publishing them one day in booklet form, entitling it: “Lost Coast of Del Norte.” Instead, what follows…

  • Arizona Sand

    While the bride was away for a family reunion in San Diego, I decided to take matters into my hands and paint the living room — or at least one wall of it. This has been something I’ve been trying to get her on board with for nearly two years. The color I selected is…

  • Secrets of a Stuffed Dog

    After bragging about how old my stuffed toy dog was, I eventually brought it to work to show it off.  One of the people who I showed it to was my friend, Kay, who jus’ happened to stop by the station. She managed to talk me into letting her take it home to show to…

  • A Good Human

    En route home from work, I turned from Glendale onto Rock near Baldini’s, when I saw a small rabbit dragging itself across the roadway and into the gutter. I knew at that moment I had to stop and do something. Grabbing a pair of work gloves from the cab of my truck, I quickly but…