ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, November 23, 1996 TAG: 9611250142
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-10 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: ARCATA, CALIF.
SOURCE: MARTHA IRVINE ASSOCIATED PRESS
THE `WHITE CITY BY THE BAY' is the first U.S. community to give the
pro-environment party control of City Hall.
``It's almost unthinkable that such a thing happened. But it did,'' said
Robin Arkley, a 50-year resident and retired sawmill owner. He and his wife,
Lois, identify themselves as two of the remaining conservatives in this
coastal town of 16,000 nestled amid redwood forests and green pastures 300
miles north of San Francisco.
In the 1950s, the area had more than 40 lumber mills, and timber workers
easily outnumbered students at Humboldt State University, the town's compact
liberal arts college. But most of the mills have since closed, largely because
of environmentalists' efforts to protect owls and salmon.
Nowadays, students and faculty make up more than half the population in a
town now known for its funky VW vans and bicycle commuters, its big composting
and recycling effort and its pot-smoking ``hemp'' festivals.
Over the years, Arcata pushed unsuccessfully to allow bikes on freeways. It
declared itself a sanctuary for conscientious objectors to the Gulf War in
1991. And it's now battling to preserve a nearby stand of ancient redwoods
from timber-industry chainsaws.
On Election Day, two Greens won office, joining incumbent Jason
Kirkpatrick, 28, a food co-op employee, for a majority on the five-member City
Council.
The rise of the Greens with their far-left, German-born philosophy is
unsettling to some members of Arcata's old guard.
``It'd scare you to death. You've got anarchists and socialists in this
town,'' said Nancy Barnes, a 32-year resident who is planning to move because
of the outcome of the election.
Arkley said he's put up with ``hippie kids'' from San Francisco, Los
Angeles and elsewhere. Now, he said, those kids are running things.
The Greens want to strengthen the economy by attracting businesses that
don't use local resources like fish or timber; relieve homelessness; build a
teen center and skateboard park; and institute campaign spending limits.
They want the city to grow most of its own food, fix up housing instead of
building new homes and add bike lanes to all streets to get people to leave
their cars at home.
The Greens are hoping to make their victory in Arcata the start of a
trend.
"Bad" Bob Ornelas make up a Green Party majority on the five-member
Arcata City Council.
KEYWORDS: 2DA
LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. Jason Kirkpatrick (from left), Jennifer Hanan and
by CNB