Cal Poly Humboldt students face repression after sit-in

Arcata, CA – Students at Cal Poly Humboldt are speaking out after a series of protests led to a sweeping crackdown by the university administration.

The protests began on February 20 when students held a sit-in demanding that the university divest from Israel and investments connected to war, adopt a real sanctuary campus policy protecting immigrant students from ICE, and publicly support striking Teamsters workers across the California State University system. The action forced administrators to agree to hold a public forum where students could present their demands.

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https://fightbacknews.org/articles/cal-poly-humboldt-students-face-repression-after-sit-in

Look at the consistency between these two signs that hang on either side of the room at Don’s Donuts in Arcata, CA. That’s just solid brush work.

I believe they were painted by Jerry Cates who was painting signs in Eureka as early as 1956 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-times-standard-cates-for-signs-licen/189375966/ and opened his own Arcata business in 1961 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-times-standard-jerry-cates-signs-add/189376010/.

I’ll bet these beauties were made in the 1960s or ’70s. Props to all past and current owners for keeping them on the wall.

#SignPainting #Signs #Lettering #ArcataCA

So yesterday, a block of downtown Arcata, CA burned to the ground taking several businesses and upstairs residences with it. It was ten minutes north of where I live.

https://lostcoastoutpost.com/2026/jan/2/updating-huge-fire-downtown-arcata/

Ironically, many of the occupants had just moved in—a new gaming store called Dandar's had just relocated there a couple months ago and had a growing, devoted community.

A local public transit bus driver had just moved in a month ago and was notified while they were on a route.

Yet another couple had just completed moving in all their belongings *that very day* and were sitting in their new living room with their two cats when they smelled smoke.

Northtown Books had just become their own employee-owned bookstore after forty years and were excited about the future.

Nothing survived.

Arcata is a lovely old Victorian-styled town, home of Cal Poly Humboldt, fiercely liberal, and sometimes derided by outsiders as a "Hippie Mayberry". But the people there love each other, and there’s a history of openness and acceptance. And the quaint shop where I have some of my greeting cards was literally across the street.

The businesses have insurance, I’d think, but will have to start completely over. The employees are without jobs. And the residents literally lost everything...

If you can find it in your hearts to help, here’s a linktree to all the current fundraiser drives:

https://linktr.ee/gayfish

#MutualAid #MutualAidRequest #ArcataCA #RedwoodCoast #NorCal #Bookstore #Gaming

Good Day Shop in Arcata, CA just moved to a new space, and I have greeting cards available there!

https://www.gooddayhumboldt.com/

Vid by Chris Reynoso!

#ArtistLife #IndieArtist #GiftShop #Storefront #ArcataCA #RedwoodEmpire

#California: Need Help Fixing Your Broken Stuff? Volunteers at the #HumboldtCounty #RepairCafé in #ArcataCA Will (Most Likely) Fix It for Free!

by Isabella Vanderheiden / Wednesday, March 26

"You know that broken lamp that’s been sitting in the corner of your garage for the last decade? You know, the one with the busted pull chain and persnickety cord your college roommate gave you? Yeah, that one. Do you think it might be time to get that thing fixed?

"What if I told you there is a place you can go to have your lamps rewired, your vintage denim mended, your bicycle tires patched, your weed wackers restrung and your great-grandmother’s heirloom necklace soldered — all for free?

"Sounds too good to be true, right? Not so! On Sunday, April 6, volunteers and staff with Arcata’s Recreation Division will host the first Humboldt Repair Café, a free event at the Arcata Community Center where people can take their broken stuff (electronics, clothing, jewelry, furniture, crockery, small appliances, etc.) to be repaired by local fixers. If you can carry it, chances are, they can fix it.

"'The rule is it has to be small enough that you can carry it in by yourself,' volunteer coordinator Wendy Ring told the Outpost. 'We won’t be able to take in refrigerators and things like that. We’ll have a retired electrician to work with smaller electrical appliances. We also have some IT specialists to help people with their computers. We have experts at putting fancy patches on clothes and another person for bicycle repairs. This is our first Repair Café, but we have quite a variety of people!'

"The upcoming event is part of an international movement, which originated in Amsterdam in 2009, to combat '#ThrowawayCulture,' promote #sustainability and teach people practical repair skills. 'We just bring our skills and fix stuff together,' Ring said.

"'The Repair Café movement is trying to change consumer culture and say, ‘No, we can’t just throw things away because they don’t just disappear,’ she continued. 'This is a way of making the things that we have last longer and teaching people how to fix things by watching our volunteers as they’re doing repairs. It’s also community building, which is something that we really need right now.'

"While the event is free, volunteers may request a donation if they need extra materials for repair. In some cases, it may take volunteers a little longer to diagnose the issue and get the parts needed for the fix.

"'If we don’t have the part on hand, we may ask you to come back next month,' Ring said, adding that she hopes to host the event once a month. 'Sometimes, it’s going to be a multi-step repair. We do have some people who have 3D printers who will be able to make parts for people. … We’ll also have little handbells around, and when a repair is made, we’ll ring the bell and have a mini celebration.'

"Asked what she would be taking to the Repair Café, Ring said she has a Kindle that needs fixing, some clothes her dog has chewed on and a jacket with a broken zipper. 'I put a collection of beautiful beach pebbles in my jacket pocket, and I’ve never been able to unzip it,' she said. 'That was a year ago. I can sew a little bit, but I can’t do zippers!'

"Cullen Groom, recreation supervisor for the City of Arcata’s environmental services department, is helping to support the program on behalf of the city, which is allowing the Repair Café to use the community center’s senior room free of charge."

FMI: https://lostcoastoutpost.com/2025/mar/26/repair-cafe/
#RepairCafesCalifornia #SolarPunkSunday #RepairCafes #RepairReuseRecycle #BuildingCommunity