WINEMA THEATER IN SCOTIA, CALIF. PHOTO BY RYAN BURNS
Best Cathedral from the Glory Days of Timber
STAFF PICK
BEST FARMERS MARKET VENDOR (TIE): NEUKOM FAMILY FARM AND LIGHTHOUSE GRILL. PHOTO BY DREW HYLAND
READERS’ PICKS
ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT and RECREATION Best Live-Music Venue
WINNER: Arcata Theatre Lounge RUNNERS UP: Humboldt Brews, Arcata Playhouse
Best Place to Shoot Pool
WINNER: Toby & Jack’s RUNNERS UP: The Logger Bar, Rose’s Billiards
Best Karaoke
Best Place for a Weekend Getaway WINNER: Trinidad RUNNER UP: Benbow Inn
Best Day Trip With Kids
WINNER: Fern Canyon RUNNERS UP: Moonstone Beach, Sequoia Park Zoo
Best Swimming Hole
WINNER: Blue Lake Casino Wave Lounge
WINNER: Swimmer’s Delight RUNNER UP: “Not Telling/It’s A Secret”
Best Band
Best Festival
WINNER: Huckleberry Flint RUNNERS UP: Absynth Quintet, The Trouble, Dr. Squid, Gunsafe
Best Musician
WINNER: North Country Fair RUNNER UP: Oyster Festival
Best Farmers Market Vendor
WINNER: Chris Parreira RUNNERS UP: Buddy Reed, Lyndsey Battle
TIED FOR FIRST: Lighthouse Grill, Neukom Family Farm RUNNER UP: Flora Organica
Best Club DJ
Best Day Hike
WINNER: Pressure Anya
WINNER: Fern Canyon RUNNER UP: Strawberry Rock continued on page 15
At the height of empire, you’ll always find excess (think Caligula). In 1920, the Pacific Lumber Co.’s industrial empire was at the pinnacle of its wealth and power — and Scotia was its capital city. Between 1920 and 1923, the company town’s corporate benefactor erected the Scotia Inn, the Scotia Hospital, the First National Bank of Scotia and the majestic Winema Theatre, a stately hall that incorporates Greek revival and Swiss chalet-style architecture. And it’s built entirely out of old-growth redwood. The acropolis-style columns out front are simply redwood trunks, their fuzzy bark naturally imitating ridged column shafts. Decorative cutouts adorn the eaves on the gable roof. And, like many classic movie houses of the era, a little windowed ticket office sits cheerfully under the awning. Step inside, past the mounted historical knickknacks and the classic posters for High Noon and Creature from the Black Lagoon, and you’ll enter the cavernous auditorium, where oversized redwood cornices and massive ceiling beams hover above you on the vaulted ceiling. Beyond the sloped pathways cutting between theater seats lies the stage with its rippling red velvet curtain. Coming from our cheap, disposable culture, it’s nothing short of breathtaking to find yourself surrounded by such rich redwood and beautiful craftsmanship. Feels like standing in the belly of an inverted Viking ship. Built as a movie house and live theater venue, the space continues to serve as a community gathering spot, hosting everything from concerts (Dick Dale’s coming Nov. 25) to arts-and-craft sales, meetings and buffet dinners. A local group of ladies does morning workouts on the theater floor, projecting exercise DVDs onscreen. Granted, the lumber barons should have shown a bit more reverence for those ancient trees, but hey, at least we have some architectural gems to show for that generation’s efforts. And the Winema Theatre, which narrowly escaped fiery destruction in 1992, may be the crown jewel. — Ryan Burns
northcoastjournal.com • NORTH COAST JOURNAL • THURSDAY, OCT. 31, 2013
13