November’s Eureka City Council election is shaping up, and it looks like it’s going to be a good one. Last month local educator Kim Bergel announced that she’d be taking on incumbent Mike Newman in Eureka’s Third Ward, and now comes news that Coastie/urban tree planter/Rutabaga Queen Natalie Arroyo will be challenging Chet Albin in the Fifth.

From the brand-new Natalie Arroyo for Eureka City Council Facebook page:

I am running for City Council, and would be honored to have your support and your vote this November. There is so much to love about Eureka, and I want to help sustain what IS working now. I also want to see real progress in the following areas:

• Improving safety for all modes of transportation,
• Small business support and growth,
• Actively supporting closer-knit, safe neighborhoods,
• Improving access to resources for our residents’ health and well-being,
• Using our City’s existing resources effectively and wisely,
• Treating all our residents with dignity and respect,
• Implementing our City’s Strategic Vision fully, which includes informed planning for the future,
• Supporting a clean, healthy natural environment.

I have devoted my adult life to helping people thrive, finding solutions for complex problems, and restoring a balanced relationship with our resources here on California’s incredible north coast. I am a new first-time homeowner and live in Eureka’s 5th ward. My work and volunteer experience includes my current service in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve (stationed right here on Humboldt Bay), over 5 years working for a local non-profit, Redwood Community Action Agency, 2 years of national service as an AmeriCorps member, and current volunteer Board Member service with the Humboldt Trails Council and Salmonid Restoration Federation (a statewide organization in support of healthy watersheds and robust fisheries). I have worked alongside and built strong relationships with local tribes, rural landowners, public agencies, local businesses, and individuals from all walks of life. I am also a local musician, an occasional journalist, a Rutabaga Queen and huge supporter of the Kinetic Grand Championship and all things kinetic, and an advocate for our flourishing local arts scene. I am a proud Puerto Rican American. Some of the reasons I love Eureka are its bountiful natural recreation areas, historic architecture, cultural diversity, endless things to do, delicious local foods and the sense of possibility that reminds me daily that I am an influential part of this community.