PREVIOUSLY:

• Man Connected to Suspicious Death in Kneeland Evades Law Enforcement By Fleeing Into the Arcata Community Forest After Pursuit In Victim’s Car, Sheriff’s Office Says

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Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

Medeiros.

The death of a Kneeland woman has been deemed a homicide following a forensic autopsy Thursday.

Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office investigators have identified 27-year-old Austin Michael Medeiros of Warwick, Rhode Island as the suspect in this case, and have obtained a warrant for his arrest in connection to this homicide.

Medeiros is described as a white male adult, approximately 5 feet 6 inches tall, 125 pounds, with long brown/blonde hair and hazel eyes. He is also believed to have an unknown face tattoo underneath an eye. Current investigative information indicates that Medeiros may be enroute to Mendocino County. Community members are cautioned against providing transportation to hitchhikers anywhere in our county. If you see Medeiros, do not approach him, but call 911 immediately.

The decedent has been identified as 28-year-old Emily Rose May Lobba. Lobba’s cause of death is being withheld to protect the integrity of the investigation.

This case remains under investigation. More information will be released when available and appropriate.

Anyone with information regarding Medeiro’s current whereabouts or intended destination is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.

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As consumers, advocates and others prioritize their fight to lower prescription drug costs, insulin is usually first in line.

Now, momentum to curb rising insulin costs seems to be building, with policymakers at the state and federal levels rolling out proposals seeking to provide diabetics some long-awaited financial relief. The questions now: What will materialize and how soon?

This week in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration said it is moving forward with a first-in-the-nation plan to manufacture and distribute more affordable versions of insulin under its generic label, dubbed Cal Rx.

As part of that plan, the administration wants to spend $100 million in this year’s budget. Of that, $50 million to develop low-cost insulin with the help of a drug manufacturer. The other half would be used to set up an in-state insulin manufacturing facility, as outlined in a budget proposal by the state’s Department of Health Care Access and Information.

NEW: CA will explore ways to contract and manufacture our own insulin to reduce costs.

Insulin should not drain your bank account.

— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) January 10, 2022

The initiative is unique for a state, and it comes as Congress debates its own insulin cost measures, including limiting what people pay out of pocket to $35 a month.

Meanwhile, the state Legislature is considering its own bill that would cap what Californians pay at the pharmacy counter. And one California county, looking to provide its residents more immediate relief, is piloting a grant program for residents struggling to afford their insulin.

In California, 3.2 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes and many of them rely on insulin to survive. Insulin is a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels. Prolonged periods of elevated sugar levels can damage organs. An additional 10.3 million Californians are estimated to be prediabetic.

“Dealing with diabetes is already extremely stressful. Providing some financial relief for people, it would make a huge difference.”
— Annemarie Gibson, San Diego mother of two children with diabetes

The stories of people who have to ration their insulin because they can’t afford their prescriptions are commonplace. Between 2012 and 2016, the price of insulin doubled, prompting higher out-of-pocket costs for diabetics, according to the Health Care Cost Institute. Today a 10-milliliter vial of insulin can go for anywhere from $170 to $400, depending on the type and brand. A person usually needs two to three vials a month, and some may need more.

Some people’s prescriptions come in the form of insulin pens. A package of five pens can go for as much as $700. What consumers pay for their insulin will largely depend on their health insurance.

Annemarie Gibson, of San Diego, for example, pays $200 a month for her two sons’ insulin — $100 per kid. But first, she has to meet a $2,900 per-person yearly deductible before coverage kicks in. She said that with the medication, insulin pumps and glucose monitors, they meet their deductible early in the year. Her sons, 12 and 14, have Type 1 diabetes and use the drug Humalog.

For 10 years Gibson has watched the cost of insulin go up. She has also seen legislators enthusiastically roll out proposals to reduce costs, only to have those plans fizzle out.

Still, she is optimistic that her sons will never have to worry about unaffordable insulin prescriptions when they become adults. The projects and proposals currently in play, she said, give her some hope something can actually get done in the next few years.

“Dealing with diabetes is already extremely stressful. Providing some financial relief for people, it would make a huge difference,” Gibson said.

State to make its own insulin

In 2020, Newsom signed into law a bill that directed the state to seek partnerships with drug manufacturers to develop generics and biosimilars for a number of drugs — but plans have been slow to roll out and it’s unclear which other drugs will be prioritized. Insulin will be the first to be tested.

Insulin is a biologic drug, meaning it’s made from living cells. Medications that copy a brand-name biologic are called biosimilars. Like generics, they tend to be more affordable.

The state has yet to identify a drug manufacturer to partner with, but a Newsom administration official said this could happen in the next few months. The state’s insulin would be available to all Californians, publicly and privately insured, as well as to the uninsured. It’s unclear how soon this insulin could hit the market, but it would likely be at least a couple of years, an administration official said.

The goal is to provide “Californians with access to insulin products that are a fraction of the $300 per vial prices charged by insulin manufacturers in the U.S.,” the administration’s budget request reads.

Whether Newsom’s biosimilar initiative will result in significant savings for consumers is a maybe, some researchers say.

Drug manufacturing isn’t the only source of the problem, said Karen Van Nuys, executive director of the Value of Life Sciences Innovation Project at the University of Southern California’s Schaeffer Center. She said policy makers seeking solutions should be looking at all the players involved in the supply chain: from drug manufacturers to wholesalers, pharmacies, insurers and pharmacy benefit managers, which are companies that negotiate prices with drugmakers and pharmacies on behalf of an insurer. All entities profit and contribute to the final price, she said.

In a study published last fall, Van Nuys and her team found that while insulin prices have increased, what drug companies pocket has been decreasing over time and what middlemen take has been increasing.

“There’s a bunch of stuff that’s happening in the middle, between what the patient pays and what the manufacturer gets,” Van Nuys said. “More than half of what we spend on insulin goes to intermediaries.”

The state’s plans to manufacture biosimilar insulin could help consumers to some extent, she said, but work also needs to be done to address the costs in other parts of the distribution process.

Insurance companies calling for drug price reforms are also looking for their own ways to get involved in the manufacturing of insulin.

Blue Shield of California, for one, last month announced it is taking part in an initiative led by Civica Rx, a Utah-based nonprofit drug manufacturer, to produce insulin that would cost patients $30 or less per vial. Mark Seeling, a Blue Shield spokesperson, said that among hundreds of prescription drug classes, insulins are in the top 10 in terms of what the company spends in pharmacy coverage.

According to Civica Rx, its insulin could be available starting in 2024, following approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

“More than half of what we spend on insulin goes to intermediaries.”
— Karen van Nuys, executive director of the Value of Life Sciences Innovation Project at USC’s Schaeffer Center

Because it could be years before any of these plans come to fruition, local governments are also looking for their own ways to provide some immediate relief to residents. Santa Clara County recently began a $1 million needs-based grant program for people who use insulin, as well as asthma inhalers and epinephrine injections (EPI pens).

Narinder Singh, pharmacy director for Santa Clara County, said that the MedAssist program could result in fewer people skipping or rationing their medications, and greater adherence means fewer sick days and visits to the emergency room. The county expects 1,000 people to sign up in the coming months.

“It’s a very small local effort — a million dollars in a community like this is a very small piece of it, but it’s a step in the right direction,” Singh said. “If we can all start building momentum on this…we can make a huge difference.”

Cost-sharing caps at play

Insulin affordability has been the focus of recent discussions at the federal level. The U.S. House recently passed the Affordable Insulin Now Act, which would cap what people with insurance pay out of pocket to $35 a month. The Senate has yet to vote on the measure, and is working on its own proposals.

The $35 cap was also part of President Joe Biden’s stalled Build Back Better Plan — the president referenced it in this year’s State of the Union speech, sharing the story of Joshua Davis, a 13-year-old with Type 1 diabetes who was present at the event.

A cost-sharing cap gets to the problem on the insurance side; it provides consumers consistency and relief at the pharmacy counter. But experts say it doesn’t lower the actual price of insulin and would not benefit people without insurance. The California Department of Health Access and Information also makes this point in its budget request.

Capping costs would provide financial relief to at least 1 in 5 insulin users, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Limits on out-of-pocket costs have become popular in recent years. At least 15 states have passed their own laws limiting insulin copays — from $100 for a 30-day supply in Colorado to $25 in New Mexico. New York, Illinois and Washington also have their own copay caps.

Similar efforts have failed in California in the past, but Senate Bill 473 by Sen. Pat Bates, a Laguna Niguel Republican, that would also cap copays at $35 per prescription per month is currently pending in the Assembly.

At least 15 states have passed their own laws limiting insulin copays — from $100 for a 30-day supply in Colorado to $25 in New Mexico.

Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian, a Democrat from North Hollywood, was the author of two bills in recent years looking to cap copays and eliminate deductibles for insulin prescriptions. Last year, his bill on deductibles was held up in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

“It wasn’t held because there isn’t support for it in the Senate. It was held because there are games being played” that ultimately hurt patients, he said.

“If the federal government does something, fantastic, but I feel embarrassed that a state like California didn’t jump in front of it,” Nazarian said.

Such bills usually also face strong industry opposition. In their pushback to price caps, such as the ones presented by Nazarian and Bates, health insurers have argued that California-regulated health insurance plans already limit a person’s share of prescription drugs to $250 to $500 for a 30-day supply. They say further reducing out-of-pocket costs for insulin does nothing to bring down the unit price of the drug.

“Tell that to a single mother or father trying to make ends meet,” Nazarian said.

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CalMatters COVID and health care coverage is supported by grants from the Blue Shield of California Foundation, the California Health Care Foundation and the California Wellness Foundation. CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

Rolla Lee Stuck
August 3, 1936 - April 5, 2022

Lee Stuck passed away peacefully. He was surrounded by his family and loved ones. Lee was born in Liberty, Arizona, to Rolla Crammer and Pearl Jane Piguet/Stuck. They moved the family to Fortuna in 1948. Lee graduated from Fortuna High School in 1955, and soon after got a job as a mechanic working for Tanferani Ford Motors. He continued his education taking courses in the local police academy until graduating and taking a position with the Fortuna Police department in 1962. While serving on the department’s Drug Task Force, he and his partner accomplished the agency’s first official drug bust. Lee also served as detective during his service and retired in 1978. After his retirement, he decided to take on another adventure serving the City of Fortuna as a mechanic. He also added to his service to his community by heading out everytime he heard the siren for the Fortuna Volunteer Fire department. He also helped with Bingo and other fundraising events.

Lee’s passion in life was serving his community. Serving others meant the world to him. Every branch of service held a special place in his heart. All who have met and gotten to know Lee have become family to him. He was a man full of wisdom, great stories, and a great teacher. He would go out of his way to help anyone in need.

After his retirement, Lee and Judy enjoyed taking off across the country in their motorhome to see the country, including two trips to Alaska and several to Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Arizona. They enjoyed yearly family reunion outings to the Lakeplace near Clearlake. They also enjoyed several cruises in their traveling adventures.

Lee is survived by his wife of 42 years, Judith; his children, Eugene Stuck, (Debbie), Rhonda Brown, (Dave), David Miller, Dana Burt, (Daryl), Diedra , (John), Jerry Stuck, (Erica), Leanne Garlinghouse, (Bill), Tom Grant, (Jean), Denise Williams, (John), and Kimberly Santsche. He is also survived by his brother Roy Dale Stuck, (Maria). He has numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; siblings; Alfred, Richard, Hazel, Grace, Irene, Jane, and John, and wives; Willa Mae and Dorvia; and a granddaughter Heather.

Lee loved spending time with his grandkids, teaching them and instilling in them the importance of being honest, hardworking, kind and respectful. He spent a lot of time at the Marion Center for Rehabilitation, getting therapy after his stroke. He became especially close to Mark and Sharon and was very grateful to them for all of their care and help. He really loved them always mentioning how they were like family to him.

Lee had great caregivers for the last few years of his life. He really appreciated and thought the world of each of them.

In his last few years of life, Lee was still serving his community. Lee had been working collaboratively with the Fortuna Police Chief to honor one of his former law enforcement partners. Lee had previously worked with former Fortuna Police Officer Ray Mills, who was killed in the line of duty in 1967. In lieu of flowers, Lee’s family is asking those who are willing to donate to the Fortuna Police Employee’s Foundation to help with the costs associated with the Ray Mills memorial project. Donations can be made in person at the Fortuna Police Department or mailed to 621 11th Street, Fortuna, CA, 95540.

The services will be held on Monday, April 11, 2022, at Goble’s Mortuary, in Fortuna. There will be viewing starting at 4:00 pm, with a service at 5:30 pm. There will be a graveside service, on Tuesday, April 12, 2022, starting at 10:00 am with a police escort up to Sunrise Cemetery. Please join us in honoring this beloved man.

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The obituary above was submitted by Lee Stuck’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

Arlen Luther Charles Sr., age 85, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 at his home with his family by his side in Klamath.

Arlen was born on July 14, 1936 at Waukell Flat on the Yurok Reservation in Klamath, California to Ada Waukell Charles and Robert Charles. Arlen was a full-blood Yurok, and very proud of it. He attended school at Stanford University. He worked throughout the departments in the Yurok Tribe, helped re-build the site at Welh-kwel Village Brush Dance pit, and was a supervisor during cultural digs. He had a hard work ethic and loved to stay busy. He worked many years for the Yurok Indian Housing Authority when he retired in January 2017.

Arlen lived throughout California from Oakland, to Ukiah, and Klamath, where he raised his children. Arlen was a very devoted father, grandfather, brother, and uncle. He loved the Klamath River and our Waukell Village. He loved fishing, cooking fish on the sticks, making redwood sticks, and making eel hooks. He always had a smile on his face and stayed positive. He had the biggest heart, always wanted to help where he could. He had a passion for reading novels and doing his crossword puzzles. He loved learning new things. Arlen loved cruising, enjoying the scenery, and going on his daily walks. Arlen would always be the first one at the cookout, to start his fire for the fish. He always had an open door for his family and friends. Arlen dedicated his time to his family and shared his knowledge with others. His family was everything to him, he loved everyone.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ada Waukell Charles and Robert Charles, his siblings: Pauline Charles, Larry Charles, and JoAnne Moore, and other family members that include Delray Bates, Jack Scott, Taos Proctor, Angel De Los Santos, Byron Scott, Manuel “Scooner” Frease, Darren Bates, Jessie Donahue, Dimitri Steele, Margaret Martinez, Arthur Bates, Nemechay Bates-Lopez, Brenda Snyder.

Those who left to cherish his memory include his children: Arlen Charles Jr. (Glenna), Terry Evans (Joe), Ronald “RT” Jones, Cassandra Charles (Chay-gee); his grandchildren: Jessica Cedillo (Raphael), Micah Evans, Stacie Evenson (Jacob), Nikita Gorman, Shanah, Re’lee, Kylie and, Henry James Jr., Noah, Melissa Charles, Dominic Story, Sienna, Darrius, Rayvonna Sylvia; His great grandchildren: Darren deLeon-Evans, Kyran, Requa, Sregon, Adalynn, Silvino, and Arlen Cedillo, Kyah, Palyn, Vandelee, and Micah Evans Jr., Louis, Aliyanna, Cameron Evenson and Oliver Daily, Aiden Gorman-Martinez and Hunter Gorman-Thompson, and Shaylene James, Samuel Jones, and Ronald Jones Jr.

His siblings: Jeannette Eberhardt, Lloyd Charles, and Fern Bates (Bruce). His nieces and nephews: David Charles, Crystal Charles, James “Jimbo” Proctor Sr., John “JP” Proctor, Judy Watson, Jolleanne Brittain, Richard Bates Sr., Ronald Bates Sr., Michelle Rainer, Allen, Vicky, and Lisa Bates, Dawn, Aiyana and Awenita Charles, Mary Ellen Jolly, Merle and Rose’el Stevenson, John Donahue. His great nieces and nephews: Richard Nelson Sr., Ross Nelson, Rollie Nelson, James Proctor Jr., Juanita and Jamie Proctor, Andrea Bates, Jay, Lance, Rishondra, and Richard Bates Jr., Ronald Jr., Alicia, and Mark Bates, Jessica Escalera, Annette Frease, Angela Frease, Teresa Hernandez, Joe Bates, Sasha Mitchell. Keith Ray Jr., Robert Ray Sr., Ben Ray Sr., Ryan Ray Sr., and Coty Bates. There are very many more family members that are not in the list but will always cherish his memory.

Arlen will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and all who knew him.

Family and friends are invited to visitation that will be held at his home at 109 Maple Road, Klamath, CA 95548 on Friday, April 8, 2022 on 4 pm. Funeral services will be held at 12 p.m. on Saturday, April 9, 2022 at the Aawok Ada Waukell Charles Building in Klamath, California 95548. His final boat ride will be at 2 pm. Final resting place will be at Waukell Cemetery in Klamath, California 95548 at 4 p.m.. Dinner to follow at 5 p.m. at the Aawok Ada Waukell Charles Building.

Betty was born on July 24, 1936 to John and Maude Winkle in Sheridan, Arkansas. She was the middle child out of three daughters, She passed away peacefully at home with her family by her side on March 18, 2022. She was a loving, caring and devoted Mother and grandmother.

She worked very hard her entire life to provide for her two sons. She loved to cook and did so for many years at a few local restaurants such as The Red Pepper, The Alibi and also The Red Lion. Later in life she opened her own home as a private nursing home to care for several different people. She took great pride in doing so and became very close to a few.

Betty was always outside pulling weeds in her yard and chasing the gophers from her garden. She loved planting vegetables and flowers. Her passion has always been her beloved birds. She had an aviary in her backyard that at one point was filled with parakeets and that turned into having larger birds. Her favorite was an African Grey named Kitty, and then a couple more named Pirate and Pompii. And also a sweet Blue and gold Macaw named Cody. They were her lifelong companions and have all went to an amazing home.

Betty is proceeded in death by her eldest sister Nona Ludwig of McKinleyville, her youngest sister Juanita Colpitts of McKinleyville and both of her parents John and Maude Winkle.

Betty is survived by her eldest son Michael Moore (Sheryl), her youngest son Randy Moore and wife Terri, and her grandchildren Shane Moore (Denise), Trisha Perkins (Trampas), Jeremy Moore and Johnny Moore. Also her great grandchildren Tyler Moore (Justine), Brody Perkins, Teanna Perkins, Kinslee Perkins, Taya Moore, Kaden Moore, Shaylin Moore, Mya Moore and Jacob Moore. She also had one great great grandchild Braylon Moore. As well as numerous nephews and nieces.

Our family would like to thank her best friends and neighbors, that quickly became family, David and Beth Erquhart. They cared for her as if she was their own mother. Also her good friends Margaret and Vicky Findahl-Burnett. And I would like to give a very special thank you to those that helped make her wishes possible by helping me take care of her at home until the very end. Without the help of Caren Gleaton, Terri Moore and Natasha Nicholas, and the wonderful people at Hospice of Humboldt, it wouldn’t have been possible. Thank you so very much!

There will be no services held per Betty’s request. She will be greatly missed by many.

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The obituary above was submitted by Betty Moore’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

After a long and fulfilled life of 93 years, our mother, Delores Marie Harris passed away in her home with family by her side on March 21, 2022.

The youngest of seven children of Clarence and Ofena Cooper, mom was born on November 2, 1928 in Mineral, Washington. Later the family lived on the coast in the small town of Moclips, Washington. In high school mom met the love of her life, Orren Henry Harris and after dad returned from the service, they were married on June 24, 1946. They resided in Washington for a while and ultimately found their way to Eureka where they lived and raised their three sons, Bill, Jim and Rick and foster son, Kim Lawson.

Mom was busy raising us boys in her younger years but after Bill enlisted in the US Army, Jim was in High School and Rick in Junior High, mom decided she wanted to go to work. She became a Teachers Aide and worked in the City Schools at Zane and Eureka High helping countless kids find their way through the education process for over 21 years. She often claimed that “the aide did the teaching, and the teacher assisted the aide.” Many children became successful because of mom’s commitment to their education.

Along with her teaching profession mom was highly involved with the American Business Women’s Association acting as Board Member and President even after her retirement. She was quite active in the community, and she must have had some aspiration for acting with different roles in the Call it Wild performances including the role of Mrs. Johnson in the Harper Valley PTA. Outside of work and the responsibilities of ABWA, there was golf. Dad played every weekend, often with us boys and mom decided she would take up the game. Of course, she became pretty good at the sport and boasting more holes-in one than the rest of her family combined. She leaves us still holding the record. Like everything else in her pursuits, she became active with the Women’s Golf Association organizing and playing in many tournaments around the county. And like holes-in-ones, she was recognized very often in the Times Standard for her standings in the tournaments, and many of those in the top spot. In retirement, she and dad traveled with golfing friends to play various courses including a trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C. Needless to say, Delores Harris was an inspirational woman who made a difference in the lives of many along her way through life. While we will all miss her greatly, we remain proud and thankful for all she did for our family.

Mom is preceded in death by her parents, her six siblings, husband Orren Harris, grandsons Billy Harris and Ryan Harris. She is survived by her children Bill (Sue) Harris, Jim Harris and Rick (Lisa) Harris. Foster son Kim Lawson, grandchildren Allen Harris, Jim Harris Jr., Bryan Harris, Kassidy Banducci, Adam Harris, Jenna Harris, and Samantha Walker. Great grandchildren Tyler Harris, Marley Harris, Riley Harris, Noah Walker, Elliot Banducci, Hunter Harris, Brody Harris, Grant Banducci and Madison Forbes.

A special thanks to the care givers of Hospice of Humboldt for comforting mom in her final days. Mom’s wish was to be in her home when that time came. Thanks to son, Jim Harris and granddaughter Samantha Walker, that wish was granted for the past 3½ years.

The family will be gathering privately to celebrate the life of Delores at her home where many family gatherings took place for the past 50 years.

PREVIOUSLY:

• Live in Valley West? Here’s Your Chance to Decide How $15,000 Will Be Spent on Improving Your Neighborhood
• Murals, Fruit Trees and an Outdoor Market May Be Coming to Valley West; Arcata City Council Will Vote on Eight Proposed Projects to Improve the Neighborhood

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Valley West is getting a long-overdue makeover that will included the addition of murals, fruit trees, a new picnic bench and multiple community events and activities, after the Arcata City Council approved a list of eight proposed Valley West improvement projects presented during the Wednesday night council meeting. 

The projects were brought forward by Comunidad Unidad del Norte de Arcata (CUNA) — a project of local nonprofit Cooperation Humboldt — that has been partnering with the City of Arcata to improve the Valley West neighborhood through community connectivity and beautification. 

The eight projects — which include planting fruit trees in Valley West Park, adding a picnic bench and grill to the Hallen basketball court, adding murals to the park and to the court, holding weekend dance classes, weekend theater classes for kids and monthly teen meetups — were selected by Valley West residents through a participatory budgeting process facilitated by CUNA. After gathering community feedback and brainstorming, CUNA developed a list of 12 project proposals. Valley West residents were then given the opportunity to vote on the projects at both an in-person event and online.

The list of Valley West projects selected, in order of highest number of votes

Kimberly White, a coordinator for CUNA, told the council that of the 12 proposals, Valley West residents showed the most support for planting fruit trees in the park. The second most popular was the addition of a picnic bench and grill near the Hallen basketball court and the other top choice was to hold a tianguis (artisan/ flea market). The Valley West residents showed a lot of interest in community activities too, White said, with the addition of weekend dance classes getting a lot of votes, as well as the addition of monthly teen meetups — which will include bowling nights, movie nights and other activities the teens show interest in.

“Our youth out here [in Valley West] — their night on the town is cruising the aisles of Ray’s Food Place,” White said during her presentation to the council. 

The projects will be funded by $15,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, allocated by the city to support Valley West improvements. CUNA estimated the cost of all eight project to go slight over budget, a total of $15,400. In the report presented to the council, CUNA outlined plans to cover the additional $400 by fundraising or dipping into the group’s supply budget. But the council agreed, with permission from Arcata City Manager Karen Diemer, that the City could cover the $400, if necessary.

The council’s decision to approve the projects was unanimous, with Councilmembers Meredith Matthews, Sarah Schaefer and Stacy Atkins-Salazar all expressing enthusiastic support for CUNA’s efforts. Councilmember Brett Watson was absent.

“In city government you usually don’t see $15,000 going very far,” Mayor Atkins-Salazar said during the meeting. “It’s really impressive the ideas and what they’ve come up with to make that amount of money really make a difference in the neighborhood,”