#17. The Sound of Service: How Julie Fulkerson Harmonizes Politics, Community, and Music

Scott Hammond: Hey, folks. Welcome, and welcome Julie Fulkerson. Hi.

Julie Fulkerson: Thank you.

Scott Hammond: Welcome to the show.

Julie Fulkerson: This is fun. I haven't done this for a while.

Scott Hammond: It's 100% Humboldt.

Julie Fulkerson: Okay.

Scott Hammond: Which you are, right?

Julie Fulkerson: I… Well, I had a couple of little breaks, but I

Scott Hammond: Tell us, tell us your, your story.

Julie Fulkerson: Oh, really?

Scott Hammond: Your birth story.

Julie Fulkerson: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: Up t- up to age 15 only.

[laughs]

Julie Fulkerson: Well, I usually talk about that I

I think of all the possible places, you know, in the world.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Julie Fulkerson: I, I mean, it's just, I did once a count of the sperm

footage of the planet, and what the odds are that anyone would be born right where they are.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Julie Fulkerson: It's,

you know, ridiculous.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: The odds are so slim. And so I feel really grateful that I was

born here, and that I had the family that I had, and that specifically the elementary school education I had, which I think really f- my whole life.

Scott Hammond: So Arcata?

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: Trinity Hospital?

Julie Fulkerson: I was born in Trinity Hospital, but it was not the one that

everybody thinks of. It was right in Arcata, and I think now it's-

Scott Hammond: Where the annex is, was?

Julie Fulkerson: Now it's FO. No. Where the annex was after I was born.

I'm so old-

Scott Hammond: Oh

Julie Fulkerson: … I was born in what was once Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Scott Hammond: Right, the FO corner.

Julie Fulkerson: And then now FO.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: And it burned, I think. And-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Julie Fulkerson: … I had my tonsils out in Trinity Hospital.

Scott Hammond: That was a hospital on that corner where-

Julie Fulkerson: Oh, apparently

Scott Hammond: … I remember the KFC, even that goes back-

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm

Scott Hammond: … a little ways.

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: So my roots are here. Um,

I'll just t- dip back a bit, a generation. My father was born in Bullwinkle-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Julie Fulkerson: … in a lumber camp, and his mother and father both worked, um,

in the camp.

Scott Hammond: In Bullwinkle, Elk River?

Julie Fulkerson: It's, uh, Cornell.

Scott Hammond: Or Cornell.

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: Cornell.

Julie Fulkerson: And he was just a real oddball. Uh, he played the piano

and found a piano, and just the s- story goes on from there, where he ended up going away to college, and he became a pianist and a conductor-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Julie Fulkerson: … and a musician, and that was his whole world.

And he met my mother from Pasadena and-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Julie Fulkerson: … uh, Carmel. So this merger happened between-

Scott Hammond: Ah

Julie Fulkerson: … the two of them, between this very urban sort of city,

world- [laughs]

Scott Hammond: Right

Julie Fulkerson: … with a backwater of Humboldt County,

live in Arcata, which at the time was a 14-hour drive to San

Francisco.

Scott Hammond: Right. Oh, yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: Just to remind everybody that times-

Scott Hammond: That-

Julie Fulkerson: … have really changed

Scott Hammond: … and the highways were small.

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: And the cars were-

Julie Fulkerson: Oh, the-

Scott Hammond: … big

Julie Fulkerson: … well, there was that two-lane road all the way.

Scott Hammond: It was terrible.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: I remember even coming up in '78, the roads were terrible.

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: So he was… Was… Were his… So his folks were lu-

Julie Fulkerson: Yes. His father cut down trees,

I have her cookbook-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Julie Fulkerson: … with things like 32 cups of sugar and

40 cups of flour [laughs] and so on and so forth.

Scott Hammond: A really big batch of pancakes.

Julie Fulkerson: She was cooking in the, um, in the woods in a tent.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Julie Fulkerson: And very resourceful and very practical.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: And I feel like I have all of those roots-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … of sort of practi- practicality-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … and also frugality.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: And I was also born during the Depression, so I, you know,

I'm concerned about how resources are spent.

Scott Hammond: I have you, like, 52 or 3.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah, right. Thank you very much.

Scott Hammond: No? Oh, okay.

Julie Fulkerson: No. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: I, um, yeah,

we lived right by Cornell. We lived right up above on Dow's Prairie, go take the kids on bike rides down to, like, by Al Babbage's farm there. Now, now Matt owns it, I think, get too far beyond the gate 'cause Simpson, you know, had-

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … armed guards, you shall not pass.

Julie Fulkerson: Well, it once it was a complete village with a school

Scott Hammond: They had a whole thing

Julie Fulkerson: … and all the little houses like Scotia-

Scott Hammond: Right

Julie Fulkerson: … or not, not as big as Scotia, but like that model,

everything. There's nothing there now, as I understand it.

Scott Hammond: When… Yeah, that's gone. When did they do that? '70, '60s?

Julie Fulkerson: Uh, it's been a while. Don't ask me any linear-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Julie Fulkerson: … questions.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: Terrible memory.

Scott Hammond: Don't, don't [laughs] linear t-

Julie Fulkerson: Don't do l- linear with me.

Scott Hammond: The, um, I guess they did the same thing for Folk,

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm

Scott Hammond: … in Elk River.

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: That, that was up in, that was still up when I was living here.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: But they… Just vandals and trouble and liability.

Julie Fulkerson: No, I think that's what happened in Cornell,

a village. I mean, people would love to live there now.

Scott Hammond: Beautiful out there.

Julie Fulkerson: Right off Clam Beach.

Scott Hammond: Oh, man. That'd be super pretty.

Julie Fulkerson: And the river. Perfect.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Our neighbors had a view of

They were right next door, and they faced kinda north toward Clam River Beach, and ama- magical. So, so tell me about dad. Where did he go to school?

Julie Fulkerson: Well, he ended up going to Arcata High-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … after Cornell. And, um, one of the, one story that

I love about him is when, because he was a really good pianist at an early age-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … uh, h- by the time he was 12, he could pretty much play anything

he'd heard. So he played all those great-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Julie Fulkerson: … old ballads from the '20s and '30s.

Scott Hammond: Oh, man.

Julie Fulkerson: And a bunch of old geezers from Eureka who were musicians-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … talked his mother into letting him come to

They would drive out there, pick him up, bring him to Old Town.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Julie Fulkerson: And they played in clubs in Old Town.

And he was so young, uh, [clears throat] they made him face the the entire time.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Julie Fulkerson: Uh, he had to pee in a jar. Uh, he-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Julie Fulkerson: … could, could not leave the piano because he

the whole thing going all night, and these other guys-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Julie Fulkerson: … would take breaks, but he couldn't.

And he made so much money, his mother let him do it.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: I mean, it wasn't a lot of money, but it

Scott Hammond: Right

Julie Fulkerson: … you know, as a cook.

So he had a rough and tumble beginning, and, uh, then it all-

Scott Hammond: Old, Old Town would've been a tough

Julie Fulkerson: Oh, there were some wild stories. Uh-huh.

When my mother got here, she used to go with him to dance gigs in has, had some wild stories to tell.

Scott Hammond: Back in the day.

Julie Fulkerson: Back in the day.

Scott Hammond: In the lumber, lumber day.

Julie Fulkerson: Yep.

Scott Hammond: Wow. So where did he go to college

Julie Fulkerson: San Jose State.

Scott Hammond: Oh, how about that?

Julie Fulkerson: And the, the, the story is he looked across the orchestra

cute girl and said-

Scott Hammond: There she is

Julie Fulkerson: … "She's the one."

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Julie Fulkerson: And, uh, she gave up her trajectory to other parts

the country as a cellist and moved up here and had me.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: And, uh, then she was [laughs] she never acted like she

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: And she did a good job of making sure that we left often.

She had been playing in the Carmel Bach Festival, and so-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Julie Fulkerson: … um, we did goFairly well, we went, went every summer for that.

Scott Hammond: And she played?

Julie Fulkerson: And she played. And then my father played also

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: And then, um, she just, she somehow just made sure we left every

and then.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: And in those days, I mean, it, this was really an isolated place

Scott Hammond: So leaving had, was a production.

Julie Fulkerson: It was a big deal.

Scott Hammond: It's not five and a half hours to the city back in

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah. And it was 14.

Scott Hammond: Whoa.

Julie Fulkerson: And of course, I just ride, rode in the backseat and listened to

junky radio. You could barely hear it, and it was always kinda sad most of the time. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: The ra- the radio stations between Leggett

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah, exactly. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: Wait, there isn't any.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah.

But, you know, it was a, was a really good childhood, fortunate. And I went to College Elementary School, and what I like to remind people of even now is, in that school, we were not graded.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: We were encouraged to work together, to solve problems together.

We sat at tables together.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: Uh, something like cheating didn't exist

Scott Hammond: It didn't

Julie Fulkerson: … if you weren't tested, you didn't have to, you know,

ahead of anybody.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Julie Fulkerson: You just were working on it together.

And if you didn't know the answer, you'd ask somebody else, library or look in a book, and-

Scott Hammond: So this is at Humboldt State College.

Julie Fulkerson: That was, yeah. It's, the building is still there.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: And it's, it's been turned into something else.

Scott Hammond: How many grades did you go through this school?

Julie Fulkerson: Eight. There were eight grades.

Scott Hammond: Ah.

Julie Fulkerson: And I missed one. My father had a sabbatical and went to

Manhattan to study at Juilliard when I was in second grade,

here.

Scott Hammond: There's a Manhattan picture over here. You can't see it.

Julie Fulkerson: Yep.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: It's a great picture.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, it is nice. It's cool 'cause, 'cause Nick is cool. Hi,

So, um, I love it. What, what we– I have a similar experience. When I came to Humboldt, we went through a,

Julie Fulkerson: Oh, right.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. First year, uh, it lasted two or three more years.

No tests, no grades. You know, hey, a couple rules. You gotta show up.

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: You gotta participate, gotta speak, you gotta jump in, and,

uh, best, best GE I've ever gotten, 48 units in three quarters.

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: It's like, it was magical, and I think, I wonder

carryover, that progressive education ethos.

Julie Fulkerson: You took the words out of my mouth. I'm sure it was.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: Because it was, it was… You know, I didn't know. I was a kid.

I was in school.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: I didn't realize what other schools were like until I went to Arcata

High.

Scott Hammond: Ah.

Julie Fulkerson: And all of a sudden, we had to have hall passes.

If you had to go to the bathroom, you had to ask permission.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: And you sat in rows, and you got grades and tests and

red marks on your paper, and I was like, "Whoa, what happened?"

Scott Hammond: Where, where am I?

Julie Fulkerson: "This is not a world I know." [laughs]

Scott Hammond: What happened to my world?

Julie Fulkerson: But also between my, uh, eighth grade, last grade, eighth

grade, my parent, my father had another sabbatical, and we went to Vienna for a year.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Julie Fulkerson: So at the time, of course, I was horrified.

I thought I was going to be a freshman at Arcata High. It was really exciting to think that I would go to Arcata High with all

kids.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Julie Fulkerson: And instead, we went to a foreign country where I

language.

Scott Hammond: Dumb old Vienna.

Julie Fulkerson: Yep, I know.

Scott Hammond: Who wants to go there?

Julie Fulkerson: Isn't that something? No kidding.

And the best part, actually, for the starter is we took the Greyhound here, from Eureka,

to New York.

Scott Hammond: Oh, no. It took eight days.

Julie Fulkerson: Uh-huh, at least.

Scott Hammond: [laughs]

Julie Fulkerson: It was day and night.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Julie Fulkerson: And, uh, so that was the first launching of that trip.

Scott Hammond: Was that just for money or 'cause there was flights?

Julie Fulkerson: Oh, because my parents didn't spend money.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Julie Fulkerson: The, the whole… I mean, he was a teacher, and,

they were just really frugal and smart with their money.

So then-

Scott Hammond: That's how people were

Julie Fulkerson: … when we got to New York, we got on a boat, and then we spent

another 10 or 12 days on the Atlantic-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Julie Fulkerson: … and in what my father called steerage

room that had no porthole. And so we were down below the waterline-

Scott Hammond: Right

Julie Fulkerson: … for 12 days. [laughs] We would get up on deck.

It wasn't-

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Julie Fulkerson: But I, you know, as a kid, it was, this was all an adventure.

The bus was an adventure. The boat was an adventure.

Scott Hammond: And that was great. Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: And, uh, at first, I was sort of sad that I wouldn't be with my

you know, would miss that year of school.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Julie Fulkerson: But, uh, then I got to Vienna, and I was just a lot

on my own because my parents were really busy with music. And, uh, they had to do something with me. I had to go somewhere every day.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: So they enrolled me in a dance program,

ballet classes at the Schönbrunn Palace-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Julie Fulkerson: … where I went six days a week,

and took just dance classes.

Scott Hammond: All day.

Julie Fulkerson: It was crazy.

Scott Hammond: Oh.

Julie Fulkerson: Because in Europe at the time, and probably still somewhat true,

get past your basic education, then y- it, you decide or it's determined what direction you could go. So some people-

Scott Hammond: Right

Julie Fulkerson: … become plumbers or road workers-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … or teachers or dancers or musicians, and

I didn't speak German.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: So I guess they figured this was the best alternative for me.

Scott Hammond: Mostly non-verbal dance.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah. Well, and, and the teachers spoke, you know,

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: And it didn't matter, you know,

Scott Hammond: Right.

Julie Fulkerson: So I got one unit of PE-

Scott Hammond: Oh

Julie Fulkerson: … for doing about [laughs] 45 hours a week

exercise.

Scott Hammond: Check, check the box.

Julie Fulkerson: [laughs] And then I had books and assignments that I did-

Scott Hammond: Hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … more or less throughout the year so

sophomore when I got back.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

So-

Julie Fulkerson: So that was pretty innovative

Scott Hammond: … pretty safe city?

Julie Fulkerson: Oh, heavens, yes.

Scott Hammond: To move around in?

Julie Fulkerson: Oh, yeah. Vienna?

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: It, it still is.

Scott Hammond: Probably still is, yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: No, and I was, you know, I was 12, and I, I don't remember

exactly how I figured this out, but from our apartment, bombed out still from World War II, the back half of it was, or the front half was trashed-

Scott Hammond: Hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … and we lived in the back. And I would take a bus, then the subway,

then a streetcar to the Schönbrunn Palace, which was way on the

outskirts.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: So I would, as a kid, I was able to figure

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: You know, there's signs and timetables, and you don't, you know-

Scott Hammond: Right

Julie Fulkerson: … you can figure it out even

Scott Hammond: It's Europe, yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah. It's Europe.

Scott Hammond: That's what I'm told. We're going to the Netherlands,

are just self-explanatory

Julie Fulkerson: You'll have no trouble at all.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: Plus everybody speaks English.

Scott Hammond: Right. We're hoping to go over the German border

are-

Julie Fulkerson: Oh, good

Scott Hammond: … that border the Netherlands and-

Julie Fulkerson: Oh, yeah

Scott Hammond: … maybe get down to Belgium.

Julie Fulkerson: Oh, you'll… Yeah, you'll have a great time.

Scott Hammond: Ber- Berga? Berger? Ber-

Julie Fulkerson: Bergen?

Scott Hammond: Bergen.

Julie Fulkerson: Bergen. Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, it's supposed to be fun.

Julie Fulkerson: Well, you know, any village in Europe

like when people live clustered together-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Julie Fulkerson: … so they save the agricultural land-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … which of course influenced me when I

with land use planning, is-

Scott Hammond: Right

Julie Fulkerson: … how smart that is.

Scott Hammond: Right. 'Cause you served, we'll get to that, but you served on s-

supervisors. Were you not mayor of Arcata for some-

Julie Fulkerson: Yes. Mm-hmm

Scott Hammond: … twice?

Julie Fulkerson: Mm, no, I think… I don't know. Just once I think.

Scott Hammond: Just once?

Julie Fulkerson: I don't know. Don't ask me any specifics. I

Scott Hammond: We're not doing linear today.

Julie Fulkerson: And, and I think we, we might have rote…

I probably was mayor f- two different times.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Julie Fulkerson: And then I was on the Trinidad City Council,

small, and everybody has to be on the council

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: You just kind of rotate in and out. [chuckles]

Scott Hammond: All 15 people.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah. [laughs] It's j- it's getting smaller.

Scott Hammond: Get a turn. [laughs]

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: It's like a military duty.

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm. [laughs] Yep.

Scott Hammond: Tell, so tell me, uh, after you got back, uh,

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: Boy, culture shock again.

Julie Fulkerson: It was a big shock, and I think I never caught up socially.

I think I always felt like I was an outsider.

Scott Hammond: Oh.

Julie Fulkerson: I mean, I, I sort of did. Yeah, I'm pretty good at fitting in

and pretending that I'm okay, but it was-

Scott Hammond: Right. Aren't we all?

Julie Fulkerson: … pretty, yeah, pretty… I mean, I guess that's…

Uh, I did realize even at the time that what high school does is teaches you to follow the rules and to know that there are gonna be expectations-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Julie Fulkerson: … outside of your own.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Julie Fulkerson: You have to show up on time and stay-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Julie Fulkerson: … like a job.

Scott Hammond: The bell rings.

Julie Fulkerson: And s- the, oh, the bells. That was probably one of the most annoying

Scott Hammond: There's bells everywhere out here.

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm.

And I wasn't used to that, and I got used to that, by the rules.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: And I stayed in the lines-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … because I didn't wanna be in trouble,

and I wanted to graduate.

Scott Hammond: So you, you weren't the stoner girl.

You weren't-

Julie Fulkerson: Oh

Scott Hammond: … the, the bad, bad kid.

Julie Fulkerson: No, and you know, just for a little check here,

younger, is when I was in high school, I was not aware of anybody smoking pot.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: It was only in a gr-

many years later at a reunion-

Scott Hammond: Hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … two of the boys in my class, who

you've gotta be kidding me. We were growing-"

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Julie Fulkerson: "… in our basements."

Scott Hammond: Basements. [laughs]

Julie Fulkerson: I had-

Scott Hammond: You didn't know?

Julie Fulkerson: … no idea.

Scott Hammond: Good for you.

Julie Fulkerson: Not a clue.

Scott Hammond: Well, you don't need to know. Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: No, I didn't need to know.

Scott Hammond: So in San Diego where we went to high school, it

within the rules.

Julie Fulkerson: Oh.

Scott Hammond: So we had a, we played a different game of how you

get off campus at lunch and get back and be slick about it and…

Julie Fulkerson: I'm sure there was some of that, but I'm just saying.

[laughs]

Scott Hammond: Don't look too stoned, please.

Julie Fulkerson: I wasn't one of those people. [laughs] I j- as I say,

in trouble. I still don't.

Scott Hammond: That's good. So you mentioned something that's

all kind of feel like an outsider in some, in some circles we, we, we're the imposter.

We're the-

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm

Scott Hammond: … the, uh, poser, the

f- some fake version of ourselves just to I don't know what, whatever need the group heard or… And I s- I guess that's a useful tool, and we can… You know, I could pretend like I'm a podcast host

Julie Fulkerson: Nice.

Scott Hammond: How you doing, everybody? It's me, and

I, I have a map of Humboldt [laughs] and an iWatch.

Julie Fulkerson: I, I don't think that's really it,

pretending to be a podcaster.

Scott Hammond: No, I-

Julie Fulkerson: You are a podcaster

Scott Hammond: … I look for, I look for the authentic me

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And, but, but I think we find ourselves in

I'm going, [tsking] "Uh, these are not my people. What am I doing here in this room of, uh, money or prestige or…" You know, I found myself at, you know, at a restaurant in Eureka going, "I'm a, I'm a fish out of water here. What am I doing here?" And so, and less so,

where you, I guess, you figure it out, and I'm still 11 or 12 inside this 63-year-old body and want to be acceptable and, hey, high five.

So-

Julie Fulkerson: Well, this is… Yeah, we learn. We learn certain social,

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: I'm, I'm sure I've learned a lot. And,

that was probably the toughest time.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: Um, but b- uh, I think what we both have in common

people. I am fascinated by what people think.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: So in a campaign-

Scott Hammond: I love it

Julie Fulkerson: … all I had to do at, in those days was to say to people as I

to door, "What do you think about Arcata?"

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Julie Fulkerson: You know, "What do you like about this place,

didn't ask anybody what they didn't like-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … because that's an obvious, you know, dark hole-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … where people can complain about

But I wanted-

Scott Hammond: Right

Julie Fulkerson: … to find out what they thought

and what ideas they had for new possibilities, and it, that's a trick that works really well anywhere.

Um-

Scott Hammond: Get curious.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: So I'm the first one to say I don't have the answers.

Uh, uh, that's goes back to my elementary school. It's like, well, we-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … got together and figured out the solutions, and to me,

asset.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: Because assuming you know everything [laughs] is really dangerous.

Scott Hammond: Really bad.

Julie Fulkerson: It's much better to think you don't know and find out and

experiment and then-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Julie Fulkerson: … then adjust. Ask more questions.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: It's a cycle.

Scott Hammond: Thank you. We, so we have a saying in our family,

Let's get curious, and we smile-

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm

Scott Hammond: … 'cause we know it's a kind of a byword,

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm

Scott Hammond: … we actually mean it. So these guys on TV, very, "Well, let's…

Hold on. Let's get curious. Let's find out what, what happened here and, and ask Mr. Google, and he'll have some perspective." And so we were in Medford over the weekend at a Mexican restaurant, and the guy had a T-shirt that said, um, Copenhagen 1995, big, bold letters. Googled itIt got curious. And what it was was there was this street uprising of homeless

Julie Fulkerson: Oh

Scott Hammond: … and the government clash, and it was a really big kind of a deal for

country.

Julie Fulkerson: Hmm.

Scott Hammond: And, um, they, they went to war basically, and the

government won again, and they set- they settled out of court or whatever they did. But I thought, "Oh, that… I'm cur- I'm…" So I'm learning to be curious.

Julie Fulkerson: That's great.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. And, and about things I don't like or agree,

I, I… We're… Joni and I are encouraging one another. Let's, let's find out.

Julie Fulkerson: I love that it didn't have to do with a sports competition.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. [laughs]

Julie Fulkerson: I mean, that's what [chuckles] a lot of shirts

Scott Hammond: I'm curious about your-

Julie Fulkerson: … football

Scott Hammond: … your Heineken shirt.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: Did you know I'm going to the Netherlands to see Heineken?

Julie Fulkerson: Well, there you are. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: And Anne Frank.

Julie Fulkerson: Oh, my God, what a combination.

Scott Hammond: Anyway, so.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: So what happened after Arcata High? Did you go to Humboldt?

Julie Fulkerson: I did. My mother had– My mo- my parents were really

amazing. I mean, even though they were both professional musicians, pushed that on me or anything else.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Julie Fulkerson: And, uh, so I just had a lot of choices,

kind of dangerous because, you know, then you have to make decisions for So by the time I got to Humboldt, um, I had no

idea-

Scott Hammond: Hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … what I was,

what I was gonna be when I grew up.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Julie Fulkerson: And when I– At my age, girls were supposed to be a stewardess,

a flight attendant, a stewardess, a teacher, a nurse, or a wife, the… or a secretary. There were really very few choices, appealed to me. I didn't wanna be a teacher because both thought I should do something different.

Um, so when I went to school, I was– It was funny, I was thinking about this this morning. I wanted to get a little head start, before school, I took poli sci, philosophy, and something I've completely forgotten. Oh, economics.

Scott Hammond: Huh.

Julie Fulkerson: Because I thought, "These are three tough subjects,

way, so I have more room for electives." Humboldt, I don't know if this is so true anymore, but you… You had to ta- Well, you were in cluster, so it was a little different. But when I went to school, I had to take a class in every single discipline-

Scott Hammond: Yep

Julie Fulkerson: … to graduate.

Scott Hammond: Plus electives.

Julie Fulkerson: Yes.

Scott Hammond: There's a, the bucket over here.

Julie Fulkerson: And, and your major and your minor.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: So as a student, you go– I mean, I took

debate. I mean, I took things that would never occur to me.

Scott Hammond: It's called liberal arts.

Julie Fulkerson: To… Yes, exactly. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Everything.

Julie Fulkerson: Why would I, why would I take debate or speech

Those are just things that were… Or physics.

Scott Hammond: Who wants to talk?

Julie Fulkerson: You know, this is… No kidding. But then you know what?

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: And so, and then along the way, I

decided for some crazy reason, probably because of that year in Vienna, I focused on German, 'cause it seemed the most challenging to

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … and French and music-

Scott Hammond: Hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … and English. And then literally, this is so strange,

year I was supposed to graduate and I had to have a major-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … they came up with something called a group

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Julie Fulkerson: … which is similar to what you were doing.

Scott Hammond: Kinda write your own ticket, right?

Julie Fulkerson: So I had, I ended up with this cluster major,

and then graduated.

Scott Hammond: 'Cause you had the units to do it with.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah, 'cause I had plenty of units.

They just-

Scott Hammond: You'd have to tie it in to appeal to the-

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … approval.

Julie Fulkerson: They just weren't 80% in what-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Julie Fulkerson: … science or math or-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Julie Fulkerson: … history or anything really.

Scott Hammond: Fulk- Fulkerson here, we're gonna leave this,

Fulkerson Recital Hall, right?

Julie Fulkerson: Yes, he does.

Scott Hammond: Is that okay to mention that?

Julie Fulkerson: It's okay to mention it. He hated that.

Scott Hammond: He did? [laughs]

Julie Fulkerson: No, and I've, I've inherited that.

Scott Hammond: They named the Hammond Trail after me.

It's amazing.

Julie Fulkerson: Are you serious?

Scott Hammond: Totally. Right here.

Julie Fulkerson: You did not.

Scott Hammond: Nope, it runs from McKinleyville at the bridge.

Julie Fulkerson: I know of trails. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: Goes all the way up there.

Julie Fulkerson: Great.

Scott Hammond: Hammond Trail, great-great-grandfather Jedediah Hammond.

Julie Fulkerson: Are you serious?

Scott Hammond: He ran LP.

Julie Fulkerson: You're not making this up?

Scott Hammond: Total bullshit.

Julie Fulkerson: Okay. [laughs] Well, that's a good story then.

Scott Hammond: So, as soon as I go off on

Julie Fulkerson: He's gonna tell that again.

Scott Hammond: "No, you gotta… Dad, ugh." And she'll just start shaking her

I go, "Don't ruin it for me. This is a, this is an amazing story." Anyway, so none of it true.

Julie Fulkerson: No, my father's-

Scott Hammond: It's Hammond Lumber.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah, see, my father's thing was it

with all kinds of really good teachers-

Scott Hammond: Mm. Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … and, and had a- astounding students, and he thought,

Why name something after one person?" And I think of that a lot now. What is that old Redwood Highway now is called Jury Bypass or something?

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Jur-

Julie Fulkerson: Does anybody know who-

Scott Hammond: Jury, yeah

Julie Fulkerson: … Jury is? I mean, maybe his family does.

Scott Hammond: It's probably a ranger.

Julie Fulkerson: But for somebody who's driving through here or comes

to see-

Scott Hammond: Meaningless

Julie Fulkerson: … it's like it would be much better to just

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: And I actually, [chuckles] I just remembered, I argued,

the Arcata City Council, was to vote against naming the ponds after the professors-

Scott Hammond: Oh

Julie Fulkerson: … at Humboldt.

Scott Hammond: Oh, 'cause Frank Klopp is one of them, right?

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm. And they were all wonderful people.

Scott Hammond: Was he a professor, or was he a city-

Julie Fulkerson: No, he was a public works director.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: But-

Scott Hammond: There still is Franklin Klopp, right?

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah. And the rest were all professors,

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Julie Fulkerson: But a lot of, a lot of people worked on that process.

Scott Hammond: Did they pull the names off then?

Julie Fulkerson: No, they did not.

Scott Hammond: Oh.

Julie Fulkerson: I was only one vote.

Scott Hammond: Okay. [laughs]

Julie Fulkerson: And they're still there. But I thought, you know, l-

or environmental names or plants or birds or fish or anything that would have, uh, sort of an educational value for, out for generations-

Scott Hammond: Right

Julie Fulkerson: … would've been my preference. But-

Scott Hammond: Or relevance across the-

Julie Fulkerson: Yep. But I lost that battle.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: And so, uh, things continue to be named after people

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: So I've made it very clear to my friends and loved ones

I don't want anything named after me, not even a bench.

Scott Hammond: Not even a bench?

Julie Fulkerson: No, no benches.

Scott Hammond: We were talking at lunch. Moose Matthews has the rest area on 299.

Julie Fulkerson: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: I go, "He must have been amazing." He goes, "No,

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: I go, "Oh, there's a re- there's a relevant legacy." Um-

Julie Fulkerson: I think a Moose Rest is a good idea.

Scott Hammond: A Mo-Moose? Sure.

Julie Fulkerson: That would make sense to people.

Scott Hammond: If we only had some. [laughs] Um, so what's your

position today? What, what, what have you… Let, let's talk about the timelineWhat have you So you've been city council person, you've been a supervisor, you've done plaza design, retail.

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: Did you teach?

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: Also music?

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm. Well, yeah, when I f- you know, I finally got that degree,

didn't… Then I thought, "Oh, now what do I do with this?" Um, so I took a year off-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … and went to Europe and just hitchhiked and lived a year,

those days of five dollars a day when you could just live on nothing.

Scott Hammond: Cool.

Julie Fulkerson: And that was a great experience. And then when I came back,

to get a job." So I went back and got a teaching credential.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: And then I taught for a while, and I taught in Marin and in Tracy.

Scott Hammond: Huh.

Julie Fulkerson: And then I came back and got a master's in psychology and, uh,

teaching, um, sort of a g- there was sort of a in-school counseling and also out of school. I could work-

Scott Hammond: Right

Julie Fulkerson: … in the, in private, in the community.

Scott Hammond: And that an, an acronym, PSA, PA-

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm

Scott Hammond: … something.

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm. Marriage, family, child at the time it was.

Scott Hammond: Interesting. So did you work in the school system with

Julie Fulkerson: Um, I did some work in the schools,

we put together a, a non-profit counseling organization in called Options.

Scott Hammond: I kind of remember that a little bit.

Julie Fulkerson: So we worked with individuals and groups and families-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … and did a lot of programs, um, eventually a lot of them

around job training and so forth.

Scott Hammond: Kind of random question. Were you part of Manila West Haven Parent

Do you ever-

Julie Fulkerson: No, I wasn't

Scott Hammond: … piece of that?

Julie Fulkerson: No.

Scott Hammond: That was kind of a big deal then.

Julie Fulkerson: The Good People was a very big deal.

Scott Hammond: In the day, right? Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Worked under that in the rec program in Trinidad.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: I took over for Olga Loya.

Julie Fulkerson: Oh, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: Olga. Fabulous Olga.

Scott Hammond: Immediately got two kids injured the first summer. It was amazing.

On my watch, one, one had a tooth knocked out by a mop other one had a, one of those wall bench, uh, uh, lunch benches fall on him. And, uh, I didn't do it, and to find out that the organization didn't have any liability insurance.

[chuckles]

Julie Fulkerson: Oh, dear. Oh my gosh.

Scott Hammond: Wait, we have no insurance. What?

Julie Fulkerson: That's how you find out these horrible like-

Scott Hammond: And then they had to cover all 25 rural rec programs.

Eventually, they, they figured it out. Any other weird other story.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Um-

Julie Fulkerson: No, you know, your question just makes me wanna say too

look… If somebody were to look at my resume, a, a mad scramble.

Scott Hammond: You're all over.

Julie Fulkerson: I'm all over the place. It would be hard to explain. But for me,

They were always, it's always a thread about what are the possibilities for people, uh, how can I encourage them to do what they

wanna do-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … whether it was in counseling or in teaching in the

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: I really did. I could, I could imagine still doing it.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: Um, and all the pro– and my business-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … was I had no plan to own a business.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: That was not what I cared about.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: But I cared about promoting our local arts and manufacturers

and creating jobs that would be fun.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: So that was my, that was my goal.

Scott Hammond: Check a lot of boxes, right?

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah, that was my goal. And the, so being on the council

was similar. It was more about community

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … to solve problems. So for me, there's that thread that

doesn't necessarily make sense on the surface.

Scott Hammond: So you were there with Victor Green in West Chesbro in those days?

Julie Fulkerson: I was.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: And now Victor's our guy at, uh, In-N-Out Burger.

Julie Fulkerson: He is.

Scott Hammond: He's amazing.

Julie Fulkerson: I went down there and visited him.

Scott Hammond: Oh, did you really?

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Oh, cool. Great.

Julie Fulkerson: It was, it was-

Scott Hammond: Did, did he recognize you or anything?

Julie Fulkerson: It was a… Oh, well, I had, um,

members together for an event-

Scott Hammond: Oh, that's fun

Julie Fulkerson: … in Arcata. Oh, and by the way,

I almost forgot about it 'cause it's a linear thing, but it hasn't happened yet. I got all the old supervisors-

Scott Hammond: Oh

Julie Fulkerson: … that I could find to go to dinner

Scott Hammond: I wonder-

Julie Fulkerson: … at the end of this month. So I better start paying attention to the

Scott Hammond: So Bonnie Goul?

Julie Fulkerson: Bonnie Neely.

Scott Hammond: Neely.

Julie Fulkerson: Yes. And you know Wesley and John Wooley and, uh-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Julie Fulkerson: … they're from up and down. Cliff Clendenen and-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Julie Fulkerson: … Eric Hedlund. I mean, the whole– there's 12 of us.

Scott Hammond: Eric Hedlund.

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: How about that?

Julie Fulkerson: Names that some people, if we're gonna get together

[chuckles] and talk about-

Scott Hammond: That'd be fun

Julie Fulkerson: … and Republicans and Democrats.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Julie Fulkerson: You know, they're not, we're not all on the same party line.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: It'll be interesting to see how everybody's doing.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, I see John once in a

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: And I tried to get Anna Sparks, um-

Scott Hammond: Is she living?

Julie Fulkerson: Oh, yeah.

Scott Hammond: I didn't know.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah. She's liv- Well, she was living in Mexico for a number of

Scott Hammond: How about that?

Julie Fulkerson: And, uh-

Scott Hammond: Sweet

Julie Fulkerson: … which I thought was kind of interesting because she was,

sort of All-American-

Scott Hammond: Right

Julie Fulkerson: … gal, and then she left the country.

[chuckles]

Scott Hammond: The food's pretty good.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: [laughs]

Julie Fulkerson: Um, but she's now, I think she's in Oregon or somewhere-

Scott Hammond: Huh

Julie Fulkerson: … up there. Um,

and I see her every now and then at var- We worked together actually in a restaurant in Trinidad-

Scott Hammond: Really?

Julie Fulkerson: … which was really great.

Scott Hammond: Seascape or the other one?

Julie Fulkerson: Yep, Seascape. Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: How about that?

Julie Fulkerson: Yep. That was when I first met Anna and worked with her.

Scott Hammond: Huh.

Julie Fulkerson: And then we were on the board together.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Julie Fulkerson: And, uh, we were both, we were both probably f- the, from

So just as a great example of how we were different politically, but we always traveled together and shared a room together.

Scott Hammond: And were frugal together.

Julie Fulkerson: And s- so we could save the county money.

Scott Hammond: Huh.

Julie Fulkerson: So we didn't each have our own room.

Scott Hammond: I like it.

Julie Fulkerson: Yep.

Scott Hammond: Yep.

Julie Fulkerson: Yep.

Scott Hammond: I love, I love the fact that she's still around.

Um, but she has Anna Sparks Way, by the way, a street-

Julie Fulkerson: She does. Yeah, I know.

Scott Hammond: Just saying.

Julie Fulkerson: Nope.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: You're right.

Scott Hammond: So three things you're proud of. I'm gonna, I mean,

Got, got your resume. It's pretty amazing. We'll come back. But three things that you're really proud of

Julie Fulkerson: That is the weirdest question. I saw that on your list.

Scott Hammond: [laughs]

Julie Fulkerson: I, I think partly because of, you know, my background-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … it's not

a word I use-

Scott Hammond: Maybe proud would be-

Julie Fulkerson: … or think about

Scott Hammond: … re-

Julie Fulkerson: I'm trying to think

Scott Hammond: … rephrase it. Three thing, three things that you like

life.

Julie Fulkerson: Well, I've probably talked about a lot of those

What I'm doing this afternoon is I'm actually playing in a concert.I love playing music.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: I don't like performing.

Scott Hammond: Oh, you have your violin here.

Julie Fulkerson: I do have my violin. I'm not getting it out. But, um…

Scott Hammond: [laughs] Wait. Look, look, folks.

Julie Fulkerson: I know. It's not very far away 'cause it's too hot

But, um, I don't, I don't like to perform, but I love to play music with people.

Scott Hammond: Nice.

Julie Fulkerson: And the really amazing part that happened this, during the pandemic,

was because my garage was already in the process of being into a good room for such things-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … I've been meeting with people for the last

in my garage. I play duets, trios, quartets.

Scott Hammond: I think I heard that.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Somebody said that.

Julie Fulkerson: And we play nearly every day-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Julie Fulkerson: … just for fun. We read different music every day.

There's so much music out there.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: It's not like you have to just stick with one or two things

it.

Scott Hammond: No. Endless, right?

Julie Fulkerson: Which I would probably

just drop out of the group if that were the case. Um, I like the variety, and I-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … like playing with people.

And it's… I see it as doing no harm.

[laughs]

Scott Hammond: Right.

Julie Fulkerson: So I'd say that's something I… If I had to be proud of something,

That would be one of those things.

Scott Hammond: I like that. Kinda like, um,

what's, uh, Daryl Hall and John Oates, the Hall & Oates-

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm

Scott Hammond: … Daryl's Place.

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: You ever seen that?

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: They have a barn up in upstate-

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … somewhere.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And they have people… I, I don't think they just drop in.

It's produced, but pretty amazing some of the,

they play.

Julie Fulkerson: Yep. There's great, there's great little snippets everywhere,

all over the world. This is really common in Europe.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: Chamber music is just what people did.

And when I was a child, my parents had groups in their home-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … to play, so that's not unusual in that regard.

Scott Hammond: So is it open invite to show up in the afternoons or whatever?

Julie Fulkerson: You mean if you were walking by the neighborhood,

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: And during the pandemic when people couldn't really,

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … and recitals, I would let more people know,

garden-

Scott Hammond: That's cool

Julie Fulkerson: … and listen.

Scott Hammond: When you're in Trinidad?

Julie Fulkerson: No. It's in Ar- In Eureka.

Scott Hammond: You're in Eureka. That's right. You live in Eureka.

Julie Fulkerson: I'm in Eureka.

Scott Hammond: That's right.

Julie Fulkerson: I'm not far from here.

Scott Hammond: But you were raised where-

Julie Fulkerson: I was ra-

Scott Hammond: The folks live in Arcata?

Julie Fulkerson: I was born in Arcata, lived there till I was…

Well, actually in high school my parents moved

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: Which was a big deal then.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Julie Fulkerson: It was, [laughs] it wasn't like moving to Vienna,

Scott Hammond: No. Yeah

Julie Fulkerson: … it was a big… It was a 45-minute drive then-

Scott Hammond: Right

Julie Fulkerson: … between Arcata and Trinidad, and it

Scott Hammond: Oh, wow.

Julie Fulkerson: So I left all of my friends in Arcata, and at that time

Arcata had a split session.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: I went to school from 12 to 5-

Scott Hammond: Oh

Julie Fulkerson: … with the kids from McKinleyville,

And the Arcata kids went to school from 7 in the morning to noon.

Scott Hammond: Before there was Mackay.

Julie Fulkerson: So we were separated.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. Wow.

Julie Fulkerson: So I left my friends. So let's talk about feeling like an

So I started with a whole new group of friends.

[laughs]

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: As a-

Scott Hammond: North County g- guys-

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm

Scott Hammond: … and gals.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: I remember they all used to wear shorts to Mackay. They…

When I was a rec- rec, uh, leader and-

Julie Fulkerson: Oh, really? [laughs] They wore shorts? That

Scott Hammond: Everybody in Trinidad, all the cool kids wore shorts-

Julie Fulkerson: Oh

Scott Hammond: … in the winter, and a down vest-

Julie Fulkerson: Hmm

Scott Hammond: … 'cause it's freezing. But you had to have the shorts 'cause you

Cool.

Julie Fulkerson: No. When I was, uh, riding the bus with them, they were,

snakes.

Scott Hammond: Oh.

[laughs]

Julie Fulkerson: So it was like another part of the adjustment.

[laughs]

Scott Hammond: Part of that journey.

Julie Fulkerson: Of riding the bus [laughs] with kids from Orick.

Scott Hammond: So now you're doing concerts, uh, that you've produced.

Well, you, you started the-

Julie Fulkerson: No

Scott Hammond: … Trinidad event, right?

Julie Fulkerson: Oh, the Trinidad Bay Art and Music Festival, yes.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. 'Cause how many years has that run?

Julie Fulkerson: It's about the sixth year.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Julie Fulkerson: And it's, it's based on some of those same

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: One of the things I love about Humboldt County that a lot of people don't

understand, even people who live here-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … and certainly people from the outside,

fabulously talented people we have here.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: We have incredible artists and writers and musicians.

Scott Hammond: Yep.

Julie Fulkerson: And of course now people know Sara Bareilles.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: She was born here-

Scott Hammond: Right

Julie Fulkerson: … and is a mega star.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Julie Fulkerson: Uh, but there are others like Jenny Scheinman

so talented and were raised here-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … that still live here and travel to do gigs elsewhere.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: And the other part that fascinates me

really know about is all of the diverse industry-

Scott Hammond: Oh, yeah

Julie Fulkerson: … that's hidden away because the products

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: People know about Holly Yashi, but does everybody know about Hilliard

Scott Hammond: Tell us more about some of th- your top of mind ones.

Julie Fulkerson: My favorites? Are you kidding me?

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Julie Fulkerson: Well, Hilliard Lamps are stunning,

and casinos-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … throughout the country and outside of the country.

Um, I don't have one. They're kind of pricey.

Scott Hammond: Are they up in Arcata?

Julie Fulkerson: They're in Arcata.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: Uh, s- beautiful glass lamps.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: Of course, most people knew about Yakima, which is-

Scott Hammond: Sure

Julie Fulkerson: … no longer in its same form.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: And Fire and Light.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Julie Fulkerson: And a lot of these were started with in

garages.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Julie Fulkerson: I mean, Holly Yashi and P- Holly and Paul started in a garage.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: And I love that, that, that marriage between sort

of the technology and the arts-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … and the potential for job creation-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … when those two parts come together.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: And we have… I have a list of about 45, uh,

that.

Scott Hammond: Marimba One.

Julie Fulkerson: Marimba One.

Scott Hammond: Steve Cole.

Julie Fulkerson: Number one marimba in the world.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Julie Fulkerson: I mean, those marimbas are in every major symphony.

I'm glad you reminded me of [laughs] that.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: I forgot that. Um,

so it… And we've had banjo p- makers and-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … guitar makers.

Scott Hammond: Wildwood Mu- Wildwood Guitars.

Julie Fulkerson: Wildwood. Mm-hmm. It goes the lis- A lot of jewelers.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: A lot of really talented people, who because they want to live in

Humboldt-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … have had to create their own-

Scott Hammond: Right

Julie Fulkerson: … situation and their own jobs. And I think that's,

why I sometimes think of Manhattan and Arcata as having some similarities.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: If you're gonna live in a place like Manhattan, you have to

fight-To get what you want

Scott Hammond: Right

Julie Fulkerson: And in a different way, but still similarly here in Humboldt, if

you want to stay here and-

Scott Hammond: You're gonna fight

Julie Fulkerson: … you have to really be creative

resourceful.

Scott Hammond: And work your ass off.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And hustle, yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: And you work hard, and you are a problem-solver on-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … the edge of your seat. Marimba One is very successful.

They're still creating new instruments.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: They aren't gonna stop just because they have one success

And that has to be true for people like Holly, and Paul too. They can't just keep making the same jewelry.

Scott Hammond: No.

They have to innovate.

Julie Fulkerson: And we have Hot Nuts, and it just goes on and on.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: Like, this is a so- subject you should actually…

Scott Hammond: What's the cookie guy with, um,

with the chocolate and coconut?

Julie Fulkerson: Oh, y- you mean-

Scott Hammond: It's, uh-

Julie Fulkerson: … the one that's in every market?

Scott Hammond: Everywhere

Julie Fulkerson: … Whole Foods.

Scott Hammond: It's super successful.

Julie Fulkerson: Well, I can't remember this name because they're

Scott Hammond: I'll think about it

Julie Fulkerson: … that everybody has to have.

Scott Hammond: Larrupin dill sauce.

Julie Fulkerson: Oh, Larrupin dill sauce.

Scott Hammond: There we go.

Julie Fulkerson: And, and the-

Scott Hammond: Their barbecue's not bad

Julie Fulkerson: … Tommaso sauce. There's a lot of food industry that's

Scott Hammond: Right.

Julie Fulkerson: A lot of really interesting things.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: I mean, it, any… Basically, I'm one of those people who believes

have an idea that you really believe in and you're committed

to-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … money is not a problem.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Julie Fulkerson: That will not be, that will not-

Scott Hammond: It will follow

Julie Fulkerson: … stop that from happening.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: You can figure this out.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: So I love, that's what I loved about doing the

I used to do a workshop for people who were starting their own business-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … and, uh, finding jobs and things like that.

And because I really believe in the importance of knowing what it is you want, what your goal is-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … and not just agreeing to take anything,

you will save yourself and everybody else a lot of trouble

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Julie Fulkerson: … going for that-

Scott Hammond: I love it

Julie Fulkerson: … and taking the steps to get there.

Scott Hammond: Which is the, the hard work.

Julie Fulkerson: It is the hard work.

Scott Hammond: So I'm gonna ask you your question.

So I, I'm cam- I'm not campaigning, I'm not coming to your door, coming to your microphone door. What, what do you like about Humboldt? You just mentioned a couple-

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … things, but, uh, w- what do you like?

What would you like to s- see, I don't know, change or different, or how do you see the future? And no one has a crystal ball, but maybe you do. I don't know.

Julie Fulkerson: No, I don't.

I'm continually curious about the possibilities, and I'm also a bit cautious-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … because I've seen what's happened in other

Scott Hammond: Mm

Julie Fulkerson: … that have been often destroyed by too much

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: Um, I mentioned Carmel earlier.

Scott Hammond: Mm.

Julie Fulkerson: People from Carmel don't go to Carmel anymore.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Julie Fulkerson: It's-

Scott Hammond: It's too much

Julie Fulkerson: … it's like Disneyland.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: It's-

Scott Hammond: It's overrun

Julie Fulkerson: … it's still kind of an interesting place to

it's, [laughs] it's sort of like whenever I see 10 best places to visit anywhere, I know those are places to never go.

Scott Hammond: Never go. [laughs] That's true.

Julie Fulkerson: Because now, because with so much streaming and-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Julie Fulkerson: … possibility of understanding what those 10

it's like what's happened to Venice and Dubrovnik and-

Scott Hammond: Hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … it's, it's really, to me it's very, or Mendocino, Carmel.

I mean, it's, it's a really mixed bag.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: And what I love about Humboldt is we haven't done that yet.

Scott Hammond: It's not Napa Valley.

Julie Fulkerson: No.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: And we still have messes.

Scott Hammond: Mm.

Julie Fulkerson: And we still have things that don't work.

And we still-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Julie Fulkerson: … have what a lot of people consider,

eyesore for the most part.

Scott Hammond: Mm.

Julie Fulkerson: I mean, how many billboards and

crazy, you know, cyclone fences can you build on a single

road?

Scott Hammond: Up Gearhart's and weird, yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: It's just so uninviting and unappealing,

when I'm being really sarcastic, I think of it as a prophylactic,

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … driving through, if they don't turn off of that-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … they're gonna think this place is-

Scott Hammond: It's what it is

Julie Fulkerson: … no place to stay.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: And so when people come, I'm always saying, "You know,

to, turn to the right or the left."

Scott Hammond: Come into Old Town.

Julie Fulkerson: "Up there, go to Old Town, go through Old Town, get to the bay-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Julie Fulkerson: … or turn inward, and look at the incredible architecture

diversity of the construction-

Scott Hammond: Right

Julie Fulkerson: … over 100 years." There's really

Scott Hammond: Sequoia Park, yeah

Julie Fulkerson: … and Victorians and-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … beautiful landscaping and even the alleys.

I mean, there's really fun, inviting spots in-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Julie Fulkerson: … Eureka and in Humboldt County,

in McKinleyville there's the [laughs] Hammond Trail.

Scott Hammond: Don't forget the Hammond Trail.

Julie Fulkerson: And then there are the beaches, and there's Trinidad

I mean, there's really so many beautiful and we don't wait in line.

Scott Hammond: Rarely.

Julie Fulkerson: Very rarely do we wait in line, and we don't have a problem

parking. There's-

Scott Hammond: Maybe for a concert

Julie Fulkerson: … excess of parking, and maybe for a concert.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: I mean, even for Sara Bareilles, people, what

17,000 people showed up on the waterfront.

Scott Hammond: Just, I walked right, walked right in.

Julie Fulkerson: But people walked. They're smart enough around here to know

your concert, uh, your car right down [laughs] in front of

Scott Hammond: No.

Julie Fulkerson: It's like nuts.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. We walked about a half mile. It was great.

Julie Fulkerson: I mean, people don't drive in Manhattan either.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Julie Fulkerson: So-

Scott Hammond: They walk

Julie Fulkerson: … so yeah, people walk. If it's an exciting place to be-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … people will figure out how to get there,

don't need to park. And so I, I think to, to get back to your question a bit is I think it's important for us not to overlook the natural resources-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … and the diversity of the community

thing is gonna be our saving grace.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Julie Fulkerson: And so it's a little

worrisome when e- like, uh, as an example, when I was on the Arcata City Council, we did nothing to encourage

Scott Hammond: Right. Right.

Julie Fulkerson: Because we can see-

Scott Hammond: 'Cause they were looking, right?

Julie Fulkerson: And we can see what happened in San Francisco.

San Francisco is right now really in deep trouble-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … because they put everything into one

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: And so when those tech industries and those offices-

Scott Hammond: Gone

Julie Fulkerson: … left, now the, it goes, filters right into the restaurants

clothing stores and the other-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Julie Fulkerson: … any kind of store, they are really suffering because there's-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … nobody living there-

Scott Hammond: Right

Julie Fulkerson: … in the core of San Francisco.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Julie Fulkerson: The neighborhoods are still great.'Cause they're diverse.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Julie Fulkerson: Different kinds of people, different markets, different restaurants,

shops.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: So for me, that's a really sober warning-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … to not just think we're gonna be any one

Scott Hammond: It's not just the bay or the port. It's-

Julie Fulkerson: No

Scott Hammond: … not cannabis. We know that.

Julie Fulkerson: No. That certainly was a bad idea.

Scott Hammond: Boom and bust, right?

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: I mean, you could, you, m- most people would've understood

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: [laughs] I used to say, "Really? Are we gonna have a hairdresser

on every corner or a pig farm in every backyard?" You just can't let people just do exactly what they want every inch of the land that remains-

Scott Hammond: Right

Julie Fulkerson: … or you end up with a disaster in the end.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: So that's why we have some regulations,

what's appropriate or not.

Scott Hammond: Sheriff Honsal was here, and he said he, you know,

licensed, and there's, you know, there's some anarchy up in the hills, especially with the environment.

Julie Fulkerson: Well, that, yeah, we know. That's a whole other topic.

Scott Hammond: That's a whole other thing.

Julie Fulkerson: That's a whole other topic.

Scott Hammond: Uh, how about, how about this. Have you, um, if you had to do one

over, what would you do over? Or I, I don't wanna frame it as a regret 'cause that's almost like-

Julie Fulkerson: Oh

Scott Hammond: … too hard of a word, but if you had a, a revision in something

you did, what would you, what would you do different?

Julie Fulkerson: That's another hard question because I either…

If I do have regrets, I think I try to let go of them pretty quickly.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: I've certainly made a lot of mistakes.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Julie Fulkerson: I make mistakes. I still, I probably made several today.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: Do you know we, do you know we make, like,

Scott Hammond: I'm feeling it after a vacation, coming back.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: I'm just-

Julie Fulkerson: It's like-

Scott Hammond: … shattered

Julie Fulkerson: … we're making decisions all the time.

Most of them are so-

Scott Hammond: Crazy

Julie Fulkerson: … small, like whether am I gonna drink a,

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: But,

but a lot of them are bigger, and a lot of them end up being not really

decisions.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: And I'm sure that there are some that I made that were not good.

Oh, I can think of one right now. Okay, I just started taking ballet lessons.

Scott Hammond: Oh.

Julie Fulkerson: That's crazy. I'm loving it.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: And

I have a bit of regret that I stopped doing it.

Scott Hammond: Mm.

Julie Fulkerson: I stopped playing the violin for 20 years 'cause-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Julie Fulkerson: … I was doing politics.

Scott Hammond: [clears throat]

Julie Fulkerson: I don't really have a regret about that because I was doing, I

community work-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Julie Fulkerson: … and that, that was important to me, and I loved it.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: And then I could pick up my violin,

and I wasn't any better, but I wasn't any worse.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: But the thing about dance or anything physical is your body [laughs]

changes.

Scott Hammond: Your body's-

Julie Fulkerson: And so-

Scott Hammond: … totally not cooperating

Julie Fulkerson: … now I'm just trying to figure out how to

and [laughs] without-

Scott Hammond: Stretching the knife

Julie Fulkerson: … without looking like I'm gonna fall over

So it's– I love the class. I have the most amazing teacher, and she actually practices all the things I believe in. She's very encouraging.

She's very-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Julie Fulkerson: … creative. She has really good ideas,

apply to life in general.

Scott Hammond: Nice.

Julie Fulkerson: So I… It's, like, the best time I spend in a teaching

situation than I have probably since elementary school.

Scott Hammond: So is it a workout?

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah. It is.

Scott Hammond: [laughs]

Julie Fulkerson: I, you know, for me it is. It wouldn't be probably for you

Scott Hammond: Oh, it would be.

Julie Fulkerson: But it's a good thing that I'm glad I'm doing it,

So there is that bit of a regret that if I'd kept dancing, [laughs] actually since I was 12, I wouldn't be performing, but I'd-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Julie Fulkerson: … be in better shape.

Scott Hammond: Right. Right. I wish I would've learned Spanish growing

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Took the-

Julie Fulkerson: Oh, well

Scott Hammond: … took the classes 10 times and dipped out

and…

Julie Fulkerson: Well, if you start on the language path,

more French, and I wish-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … I'd learned other languages.

Scott Hammond: Mucho gusto

Julie Fulkerson: … I've been distracted from, by other things.

Scott Hammond: There's the, there's the… So, uh, hey,

a bell. Ready?

Julie Fulkerson: Oh, good. What does that mean? [bell rings] We're done.

Scott Hammond: Bonus round.

Julie Fulkerson: Oh.

Scott Hammond: Ready? This is where I ask you your favorite

You've already kinda outed some of those, but, uh, what's your f- if… And it's, it's tricky 'cause you, you have a lot of relationships, jeopardize that. But if you go out to eat, and it's unlimited budget, where do you go to eat tonight?

Julie Fulkerson: You really wanna know?

Scott Hammond: Heck yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: Well, just off the top of my head,

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Julie Fulkerson: If I could only go one place.

Scott Hammond: Only one.

Where would you go for a drink?

Julie Fulkerson: The Carter.

Scott Hammond: Carter.

Julie Fulkerson: I can-

Scott Hammond: Good call.

Julie Fulkerson: Uh, it's a good place for a conversation.

Scott Hammond: Where would you go for a concert?

Julie Fulkerson: And I love the bartender.

A concert?

Scott Hammond: Oh, do you like Ian?

Julie Fulkerson: Oh my God, Ian Rubens-

Scott Hammond: Is he a-

Julie Fulkerson: … amazing.

Scott Hammond: The bald, the bald-

Julie Fulkerson: You need to talk to him.

Scott Hammond: He's a great guy.

Julie Fulkerson: 'Cause I'd like to learn more about him, and he doesn't s-

[laughs]

Scott Hammond: He, well, he's kinda hard to understand, too.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah. Well.

Scott Hammond: Maybe it's [laughs] maybe it's me.

Julie Fulkerson: I think it's intentional. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: He talks really fast, he goes-

Julie Fulkerson: He talks really fast.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: Yes.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Let's do that, Ian. That sounds great.

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm. That's right.

Scott Hammond: Perfect.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Take care of me.

Julie Fulkerson: No. And you know, I just have to say the,

another hidden resource, believe it or not, is the Marina.

Scott Hammond: Oh, yeah. Cafe Marina or the Marina?

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah. The, the Cafe Marina because you can sit right-

Scott Hammond: Oh my God

Julie Fulkerson: … on the water. Or Gil's. You can sit right on the water.

I mean, how many people know that?

Scott Hammond: Right.

Julie Fulkerson: Just, like, it's minutes away from all of us.

Scott Hammond: Moonst- Moonstone Grill.

Julie Fulkerson: Moonstone. Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Is, but it's a little bit more-

Julie Fulkerson: But the view.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Oh, the view is-

Julie Fulkerson: It's a fancy view

Scott Hammond: … magical.

Julie Fulkerson: Which I think has to do with how we think and see the world.

When you have that infinite view of the Pacific-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … the possibilities are unlimited.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: It's a great metaphor for-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Julie Fulkerson: … possibilities.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. They have a nice happy hour at 4:30

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm

Scott Hammond: … there's 14 seats, and all the Trinidad guys-

Julie Fulkerson: Yep

Scott Hammond: … [laughs] are there first.

But beautiful view.

Julie Fulkerson: Did I answer your question?

Scott Hammond: Yeah, you did. I got some more que-

Julie Fulkerson: First thing in the morning, 5:30 AM, my coffee pot.

Scott Hammond: Your coffee p-

Julie Fulkerson: My espresso. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: If you had to go out for coffee, I don't, I,

Julie Fulkerson: Well, I would say probably my, my most common place to

meet people is Brio.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Julie Fulkerson: Right on the plaza.

Scott Hammond: Delicious, yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: What about a hike? If gotta, gonna go for a hike today,

Julie Fulkerson: Do I just have one?

Scott Hammond: You could do two.

Julie Fulkerson: Well, Hickshari Trail.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: The trail along the bay. Used to be the Arcata Marsh, now

just g- I love to go down to the bay.

Scott Hammond: It goes all the way down to Elk River.

Julie Fulkerson: And Hickshari. And I walk with my partner every single

through the neighborhoods.

Scott Hammond: Nice.

Julie Fulkerson: Every single day.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: Uh, I love walking through the neighborhoods,

Scott Hammond: Oh

Julie Fulkerson: … alleys, fences, architecture. Everybody's getting…

Right now, people are getting new roofs and solar systems.

Scott Hammond: Stuff's happening.

Julie Fulkerson: It's endless.

Scott Hammond: It's not raining.

Julie Fulkerson: No, it's not raining, and people are busy fixing things up.

Scott Hammond: Nice. Nice. So what, if you have a,

if you have a legacy, what would you like it to be? And, and I know it's not-

Julie Fulkerson: A bench

Scott Hammond: … your name, your name on a bench.

Julie Fulkerson: I just, what popped into my head

soup.

Scott Hammond: Ah.

[laughs]

Julie Fulkerson: It's [laughs]

It-

Scott Hammond: Tell me what that one is. I kinda know.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah, it sounds kind of unpleasant, but it's,

I think it goes back to my old, uh, counseling training in, in therapy, but it applies really to everything. It really was great in politics, is that if you have a bit of information or a question that you can throw into the conversation or the mix-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … that's, whatever the dialogue is-

Scott Hammond: Right

Julie Fulkerson: … whoever's listening or paying attention

will not be able to get that out of the soup.

Scott Hammond: Ah.

Julie Fulkerson: You, it doesn't matter if you freeze the soup-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … boil the soup,

add more spices or whatever, the spit is still

in the soup.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Julie Fulkerson: And I love that metaphor because sometimes, like,

one vote out of five, which I was on the board of supes-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … um, I wouldn't have, not necessarily have things go my

way, but I could insert something.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: Ask a question,

state something. Did you know that-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … that people don't walk by parking lots to

They prefer to walk by stores and where there's activity.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: And then, okay, so that's there.

Scott Hammond: You just spit in the soup.

Julie Fulkerson: That's just spitting in the soup.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: And so if I-

Scott Hammond: Plant that seed

Julie Fulkerson: … have anything, I would hope that I've shared [laughs]

with you.

Scott Hammond: I like that.

Julie Fulkerson: Uh, so you can share that with your kids.

And we don't know, we, we, you know, one of the things I know for sure know where any of these ideas come from. We pass them on. I play music that was written over 200 years ago.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Julie Fulkerson: I play on an instrument that's over 100 years old.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Julie Fulkerson: I don't know who played it before me or who will play it after me.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: I know I am this speck, this speck that will

only be here. That's why naming a bench seems so-

Scott Hammond: Right

Julie Fulkerson: … silly.

Um, it's not what's important.

Scott Hammond: It's a pretty quick, quick life we live.

Julie Fulkerson: Making sure the pla- path is there or that the marsh is there

Scott Hammond: So if I promise not to ask you to play the violin, could you pull it out?

Can we look at it?

Julie Fulkerson: You really wanna look at the violin?

Scott Hammond: I'd love to see it.

Julie Fulkerson: It'll make a lot-

Scott Hammond: You said it's 100 years old.

Julie Fulkerson: It'll make a lot of… Well, it looks just like any other violin.

Scott Hammond: Go for it. Are you-

Julie Fulkerson: Are you serious?

Scott Hammond: Would you, would you mind?

Julie Fulkerson: No, I'm happy to-

Scott Hammond: Okay, cool

Julie Fulkerson: … pull out my violin.

Scott Hammond: Maybe she'll actually play it. I, no, wait, I didn't ask. Not gonna ask.

Julie Fulkerson: But look at my case.

Scott Hammond: Look at that case. Woo.

That's fancy. That thing's not gonna get damaged So it's 100 years old?

Julie Fulkerson: Unless you drive over it. Well, my house is 100 years old.

Scott Hammond: Did you ever know Gary Kron that played in the Lighthouse Band?

Julie Fulkerson: No.

Scott Hammond: He was the fiddle player.

Julie Fulkerson: No.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Julie Fulkerson: I don't know. How is anybody gonna see this? Where are we?

Scott Hammond: It's right here.

Julie Fulkerson: I don't even know.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, no, you're-

Julie Fulkerson: Oh, yeah. There we are

Scott Hammond: … you're in camera shot.

Julie Fulkerson: Ta-da.

Scott Hammond: Look, it's a violin.

Julie Fulkerson: This is where it goes.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: Ta-da. Lebo.

Scott Hammond: Very nice.

Julie Fulkerson: You know there's 72 pieces of wood in this?

Scott Hammond: Did not know that.

Julie Fulkerson: Is that the weirdest thing?

Scott Hammond: Oh, it's craftsmanship.

Julie Fulkerson: Even, even I didn't know that until recently when I

Yeah, it's very, it's very elaborate, complicated, and tough. This is tough. It's been around for a long time.

[laughs]

Scott Hammond: It could st- it could stand the time, yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Somebody said violins and boats are interesting 'cause the

curvature of the wood. It has a name that where it's not a s- it's not a

box. It's a, it's a, uh-

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah

Scott Hammond: …

it's a work of art.

Julie Fulkerson: Yep, it is.

Scott Hammond: Very cool.

So going forward, um, mission, passion, focus, what, what's, what's on your docket? I guess you're gonna play some more music But go- going forward beyond that, are you doing any other production of shows or festivals or…?

Julie Fulkerson: At 81, I'm happy to get up every morning.

Scott Hammond: Mm.

Julie Fulkerson: That's, but that's always a good sign.

[laughs]

Scott Hammond: It's good to be.

Julie Fulkerson: When I wake up.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: And I know… Well, one thing I'm looking forward to, this

started doing that I never thought I would do, but a friend of mine, Patsy Gibbons, who's a writer and an editor and a big collector of books-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … met with me a while ago and said I should write every

Scott Hammond: Oh.

Julie Fulkerson: So

I'm one of those people who's sidetracked by emails.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: I do not turn on my computer or look at my emails until I have written.

Scott Hammond: Good.

Julie Fulkerson: So I get up, and I go into a corner of my house,

on a yellow pad with a pen.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: I can't type it or,

or dictate it. She wants me to just write it.

Scott Hammond: Perfect.

Julie Fulkerson: And I thought, "I'm not gonna be able to do this.

I'll get carpal tunnel, and it'll affect my playing." [laughs] truth is, I am now fairly addicted to it.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Julie Fulkerson: I love it. I do it every morning.

Scott Hammond: So whatever just comes to mind, free flow?

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah. And it's, it's actually helped me with this because-

Scott Hammond: I love it

Julie Fulkerson: … I've been thinking about some of these

I started with what I could remember, earliest memories.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: And I'm, right now I'm, uh, I'm into college now.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Julie Fulkerson: So I don't, I have no idea what I'll do with this

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: Um, my coach, Patsy, thinks I'm gonna have it transcribed

I'm, I'm not sure that I would do that. But, um, anyway, it's been good for me to do.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: So I will keep doing that, and I will wake up every morning

I can.

Scott Hammond: I'm inspired 'cause I, I did 105 days of writing.

Julie Fulkerson: Yes.

Scott Hammond: I stopped about

45 days ago.And I haven't picked it up.

Julie Fulkerson: Hmm.

Scott Hammond: I-I've done it sporadically, and, uh,

you know, "You just gotta do it. You just go do it."

Julie Fulkerson: Well, I remember hearing this about, um,

and com- and composers.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: The, the one thing they always say is,

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Yeah. And, and of course my writing turned into

'cause that was the-

Julie Fulkerson: There you go. Yeah

Scott Hammond: … the logical jump for me.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And so far so good. The, um, yeah, it's, it's really interesting.

Yeah, I like, I like writing, and I like to, like to think I write good. And then, and then when you get the coach that says,

light," you go, "Oh, wait, I, I was really proud of that." But I writing's sake.

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: For my own sake. So whether it's ever published, I…

Julie Fulkerson: Well, no, it's really, it's just a good,

Scott Hammond: Yeah. I think it is really good. And the other,

in the morning. Paul DeMarche, the musician.

Julie Fulkerson: There we are, yeah.

Scott Hammond: He goes, "I've done Yoga with Adriene for 20 years,

"Well, he's a cool guy, and if he's, he c- I could do that." And so yoga every morning. And the other thing is taking a walk after every meal.

Julie Fulkerson: That's a good idea.

Scott Hammond: Just go.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Go. Burp, fart.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Deal with it. And, and isn't it the, um, the sugar

[laughs] the su- the sugar ex- It's the, um… How's Miss Joni always tell you? It's, it's where your blood sugar, glucose conversion.

Julie Fulkerson: Oh. Oh, okay.

Scott Hammond: There's, there's a name for it, right?

Julie Fulkerson: Oh, well, I might, I might have to add that to my repertoire.

But I wanna point, I wanna say one thing, because-

Scott Hammond: Please

Julie Fulkerson: … if anybody's listening, the one thing I love is I love

junkers and fixing them up.

Scott Hammond: Mm.

Julie Fulkerson: I've sort of, throughout my life… Uh,

You know, I got it for $300 and-

Scott Hammond: Wow

Julie Fulkerson: … it was, like, you know, a big, big ordeal.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: But because of all the things I said earlier about asking questions

help, I was able to pull it off.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Julie Fulkerson: But right now there's a church,

like this in our community-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … that could be resurrected.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: And there's one in my neighborhood that I would, in my mind,

love to figure out how to buy it and turn it into an art and performance center. Just a small one.

Not a-

Scott Hammond: Where is this at?

Julie Fulkerson: It's, uh, near the water tower,

and it's been vacant for several years.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: And it's got four little units on the side, and it's got a nice garden,

could have a little coffee bistro in there.

Scott Hammond: I know where that is, yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: And then it's got a nice little recital hall.

Scott Hammond: Is that over on I Street or J over that way?

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm. It's between K and L, I think, sort of in there.

Scott Hammond: Huh.

Julie Fulkerson: But it's, like, this perfect opportunity-

Scott Hammond: Beautiful location

Julie Fulkerson: … for a little community center.

And I'm thinking, "Well, maybe I won't do that."

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: But someone out there could.

Scott Hammond: Plant a seed.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Did you just spit in the soup?

Julie Fulkerson: [laughs] Something like that.

Scott Hammond: So [laughs] …

Julie Fulkerson: Something like that.

Scott Hammond: No, I like that. I think that-

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm

Scott Hammond: … that'd be a great development.

Julie Fulkerson: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: So any parting shots? Anything that you wanted to talk about

get to talk about yet? Um…

Julie Fulkerson: It's funny, I just looked down at my notes,

It just said apple seeds on here.

Scott Hammond: Apple seeds.

Julie Fulkerson: Because, um,

this-

Scott Hammond: Oh, I meant to ask you about the apple seeds.

Julie Fulkerson: Yes, you did?

Scott Hammond: Go ahead. [laughs]

Julie Fulkerson: [laughs] Is that

my father came from a heritage in Switzerland of planting apple trees-

Scott Hammond: Hmm

Julie Fulkerson: … and brought, and his family brought that here,

planted trees, including apple trees.

Scott Hammond: Huh.

Julie Fulkerson: And every time somebody got married, had an anniversary or a birthday,

parents gave apple trees.

Scott Hammond: Huh.

Julie Fulkerson: And their argument was, "Everybody has a silver platter

so, but an apple tree, if you plant it-"

Scott Hammond: Just like a little starter?

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah. Or, mm, starter or, you know, a five-year-old tree.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: And then it means you have apples, and then whoever comes after

you has apples.

Scott Hammond: I like it.

Julie Fulkerson: And so I have apples in my yard.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Julie Fulkerson: And apple juice and apple pie and stuff like that.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Julie Fulkerson: And it's like, somebody will have those apples after me.

Scott Hammond: For a long time. Yeah.

Julie Fulkerson: So maybe that's my legacy.

Scott Hammond: I like it.

Julie Fulkerson: Is I've, the apple seeds have come through my whole

into-

Scott Hammond: Great legacy

Julie Fulkerson: … people I don't know.

Scott Hammond: I like it.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. How do you like them apples?

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah. [laughs] There you go.

Scott Hammond: Pretty good. Julie, thanks for being here.

Julie Fulkerson: Good job.

Scott Hammond: Appreciate you.

Julie Fulkerson: Thank you.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. And look forward to following you, uh,

Maybe Joni and I can stop by sometime and-

Julie Fulkerson: Sure

Scott Hammond: … listen in. That would be cool.

Julie Fulkerson: Yeah. Yeah.

Scott Hammond: All right. Appreciate you.

Julie Fulkerson: Thank you.

Scott Hammond: Thanks.