Emergency Powers

Emergency Powers

When A Town Loses Its Bookstore

Deric Mendes's avatar
Deric Mendes
Jan 07, 2026
∙ Paid
Northtown Books, Arcata, CA. Photo: Mark McKenna

Friday, Jan. 2, a fire broke out at the 800 block of 10th Street in Arcata, California. Seven local businesses, apartments, and an art studio were destroyed. Half of the block is now gone. One of the businesses was Northtown Books, a sixty-year staple of the community. I worked there for eight years. It g…

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