DEATH OF TRAVEL JOURNAL WEBMASTER SHOCKS FRIENDS

I knew Mel was in pain and suffered from bouts of depression -- he had told me so. But I had no idea how much. He also told me that he was looking forward to working on his Master's Degree in Psychology. He graduated with honors from Humboldt State University in May 2001 with a B.A. in journalism, and was the webmaster of the premier edition of the Humboldt Travel Journal.

The first time I met Mel was about six years ago, working on the school newspaper at the College of the Redwoods in Eureka. He chose journalism because he wanted to make a difference -- and he did.

While at CR he was actively involved in the upgrading of the disabled services on the campus. He carried this mission with him to HSU and, as a result of his determination, ramps were added to a number of buildings, including the Bret Harte house, which houses the journalism department. Without the ramp, Mel had no access.

Another one of his passions was the disarmament of nuclear weapons. Hunt took his background as a project engineer and program manager in the aerospace industry, including several years as a senior electronic research and development technician on the Apollo moon-shot team, and built his own successful company, Hunt Precision Products.

In 1978, Hunt was asked to supply parts for a guidance system of a nuclear-capable weapon for Boeing. He refused, and soon after lost his legs in a railroad accident during a nuclear-weapons protest.

"I just couldn't justify the contradiction between our society's declaration of peace on the one hand and the constant preparation for nuclear war on the other," said Hunt. He believed that the only way to avoid a nuclear disaster was to disarm and destroy nuclear weapons.

His activism continued when he joined the Arcata Nuclear Free Zone commission in 1998. Michael Stowell of Arcata served on the commission with Hunt.

"He was a mover who was never satisfied with the status quo and always looked for another approach," said Stowell. They also worked together in a fight to save Arcata Community Access Television. "We eventually saved the station -- Mel was right in the thick of it. He was very intelligent."

"I always enjoyed working with him," said Dave Meserve of the Redwood Peace and Justice Center in Arcata. "He was the Web Master for ANFZ and did a great job. I had a lot of respect for him."

Hunt was also the Web Master and editor-in-chief for the Humboldt State Online Travel Journal, beginning with the charter issue in the spring of 2001. We worked together choosing photos for stories. He bought the software program Borders to use for the photos. He took pride to make sure the borders of the photos matched the theme of the story. It was a lot of work, but he took the extra effort to get it just right. The Travel Journal ended up getting an award for one of the best online publications in the Western United States, as a result of Hunt's dedication and diligence.

"Mel's work is what made the difference in our winning the award," said HSU journalism professor George Estrada, advisor of the student-run travel journal. "His artistry was superb, his vision was striking."

Hunt enjoyed travel and, prior to his accident, enjoyed taking trips on his BMW motorcycle. When recalling a trip to Montana and Glacier National Park, Mel said the following:

"The BMW was a great way to travel, and the openness and freedom from being closed--in was euphoric. I felt as free as a bird flying close to the ground with nothing surrounding me to interfere with the view. It seemed everything in this natural paradise was close enough to reach out and touch. Rich fragrances assaulted my senses, at once flowers, then hay, then paint drying in a local auto body shop as I passed Myrtle Creek. The rich sensual experience was a kaleidoscope of impressions, indelibly etched on my mind."

I believe that Mel is now in a beautiful paradise, free of pain and illness, traveling to places as "free as a bird."