Elsie Francis Moore peacefully passed away on June 19, 2021, in her home in Eureka at the age of 99.

Elsie was born to two Finnish immigrants, Laura (Salminen) and Frank Lampi in Eureka in 1921 and grew up commercial fishing with her father out of Eureka on the F/V Elsie. Elsie, an only child, spent her young days riding Arabian horses bareback and exploring the California coast on her own. She went to elementary school at Jefferson Elementary in Eureka with other Finnish kids in the neighborhood and was known to bet fellow male classmates that she could beat them running in a race for candy. She always won those races. She was also an accomplished young ballet dancer and was asked to train at a studio in San Francisco, in which her parents unfortunately declined. This may have been her biggest regret in life, however watching her great-granddaughters flourish in dance themselves may have helped to make up for it.

In her 20s, Elsie moved to San Francisco, where she lived her best young adult life working at department stores as a hand model, and as a keypunch operator. She met a striking Italian man, Victor La Rocca, on a trip to New Orleans with friends. She married him at the age of 30 shortly thereafter and soon welcomed their only and beloved daughter, Linda, in 1953. They setup life in Eureka and lived in a renovated Victorian home in which Elsie lived until her death.

Victor passed away from a tragic accident in 1966 and Elsie never thought she would find love again. To her surprise, she met and fell madly in love with longtime Eureka resident Franny Moore. They soon married and joined their families, bringing his children, Nancy, Rusty, Tom and Bob Moore into the mix. Elsie also became a Humboldt County Court clerk for the Superior Court of California and worked and retired from there after more than 20 years of public service.

Elsie spent many of her retired days with her granddaughter - passing down her Finnish baking skills, love of art, and a few naughty Finnish words here and there. She also spent quite a bit of time traveling overseas with her best friend since kindergarten and fellow Suomi buddy, Laila Ayers. In addition, she was a volunteer at the Humboldt County Library and was frequently seen in the weight room and fitness classes at the Adorni Recreation Center until she was 90 years young.

Despite the many hardships Elsie traversed throughout her life, she was always known as a kind, caring, hardworking, and determined individual (AKA sisu) with the most extraordinary dance moves known to man (her best move was the camel walk – Google it), spectacular fashion sense, and gifted artistry. Her only daughter, Linda, and only granddaughter, Kellii (Schurb) Wood were her world, and she did everything possible to make the best lives for them possible. Elsie was also very close to her stepdaughter, Nancy Moore, who lived and cared for her until her passing. Elsie was known to see the best in even the most difficult of people and never gave up hope for those struggling in their lives. She was a dynamic female mentor to her granddaughter and two great-granddaughters, Kaija and Mia Wood. Her amazing, strong female influence and Finnish grit is a gift to them that will carry on in her family for generations to come.

Elsie leaves her daughter, Linda La Rocca; stepdaughter, Nancy Moore; granddaughter, Kellii (Schurb) Wood and husband Karsten Wood; and great-granddaughters Kaija and Mia Wood. Elsie was preceded in death by her husbands, Victor La Rocca and Francis Moore.

Elsie asked for no funeral or memorial service but was instead adamant about her cremated remains being distributed in the Pacific Ocean by her granddaughter, Kellii and her husband, Karsten, from his commercial fishing boat in Alaska.

In lieu of flowers or other gifts, Elsie would just want everyone in this world to be kind to others (very much including animals), give to those in need if you have the ability to do so, and have respect for one and other because life is too short to be any other way…and please, do it in her good name. And although she lived a long and healthy life, she is and forever will be greatly missed by her family. Minä rakastan sinua, Nana.

###

Our heavenly father called his daughter, Janice Hartman, home on June 25, 2021. She passed away peacefully at Especially You assisted living in Eureka. I want to thank Amanda and all the staff for their love and care, and for letting Aunty be Aunty

She was Born in Visalia, Calif. on January 10, 1952, to Harold and Viola Hartman. She enjoyed 69 years on this beautiful planet. The whole family moved to Rohnerville in 1963, where she was a resident of Humboldt County for most of her life.

Janice attended school in the Rohnerville school district and graduated from Fortuna Union High school in 1970. The family lived in Perras Court, where many lifelong friends were made, Janice and Elizabeth Byford Pitek were very close throughout many decades and many other families that moved in/out of the court over approximately 40 years.

After high school she attended Humboldt State university where she studied wocial work and sociology. She wanted to help people as much as she could. Due to an illness she was unable to complete her classes.

After healing and gaining her strength back, she went to work for the Fillmans at Johnny’s Cookhouse, where she continued to make numerous lifelong friends that meant everything to her, and she dearly loved — Her “Frubbins” Lesley Williams Frazer Smith.

While working at Johnny’s, her niece Stacey came to live with her in 1978 at the age of 12, with her nephew James joining them in 1980 at the age of 14, so all of a sudden she had her hands full.

After Johnny’s Cookhouse, she took a little time off, then became a caregiver. Janice provided so much love and care for many elderly people over the years, falling in love with all of them.

After retiring, she enjoyed spending her time shopping, playing games on the computer … learning how to use the computer, and cooking. Janice love to read, and spent several hours outside on the patio reading her latest book, probably Stephen King. She also had a nice vegetable garden and planted many succulents around the house. Janice also loved spending time with family, friends and her beloved dogs, Bubbie, Ruby, and Jay-dog.

Janice had a heart of gold and maintained her courage, independence, strength, and perseverance until the day she went to her heavenly home.

Janice was preceded in death by her parents, Harold and Viola, her brother Duane, sister Shirley, brother Lloyd, and little brother Jimmie Ray.

Janice will carry on through this life survived by her uncle and aunt Ken and Margie Hartman and family, numerous cousins and sister-in-law Jill Hartman. She is also living on through her nephews, James Graham, Mike Rodriguez (Becky), Brett Hartman (Sherry) and Shawn Hartman; great-nephews Marshall Hartman, Legend and Reign Graham, and great-nephew Anguel Ramirez; her nieces Stacey Graham, Sarah Hartman, and great-nieces Teresa Graham, Chloe Rodriguez, and two great-nieces Tallula W. and Alayleana “Elaine” Menedz.

Donations may be made in her name to Wounded Warrior project at woundedwarriorproject.org for San Antonio, Texas.

We will have a celebration of her life on June 18, 2022. Place and time to be determined later. Please contact Stacey Graham in June if you would like to be there.

Janice will be missed beyond measure, she touched so many hearts, and she was/is a bit of a prankster at heart. She was funny, smart, and beautiful, kind, and loved everyone dearly. We must go on and be happy throughout life as we carry her memories with us, because, that’s what she wanted.

###

###

This was the first year that Tim Jackson, aka DJ Tiny, from Atlanta, Ga. participated in Scooter Cannonball — a biennial scooter race across the United States — and Jackson was thrilled to have made it across the finish line, which this year was located on Truesdale Street in Eureka, just outside of Shamus T. Bones.

“I’m so elated,” Jackson told the Outpost, as he stood beside his scooter parked at the edge of Humboldt Bay. “I feel so accomplished. Just riding the scooter brings so much joy.”

And finishing the race had been no easy feat. Starting in Bar Harbor, Maine, on July 12, participants had 10 days to complete the ride across the country to Eureka. Riders would start and end each day at a predetermined location, traveling along a common route, and were awarded points for hitting checkpoints along the way. On average, the participants rode 425 miles a day. To keep on schedule, Jackson said, he wouldn’t stop for meals and would usually only stop once to use the bathroom. Many of the participants would start their day about 5 a.m.

“DJ Tiny,” at the finish line by Humboldt Bay

These diehard scooterists rode all the way across the country, sometimes through extreme weather and heat. Many riders dropped out of the race because of the difficulty, others because of injury or mechanical problems. Though Jackson made it across the finish line, even he was not riding the the scooter he started with. On day three he had an accident and his scooter suffered severe damage. So he bought a new one and just kept on going.

“[The hardest part] is probably the endurance — of the machine and of yourself — making sure you get enough rest and maintain your machine,” Jackson said.

Scooter Cannonball has been held every two years since 2004 (this year’s event was rescheduled from 2020, due to the pandemic) and has seen somewhere between 40 and 100 participants for each race. The route is completely different each year, starting and ending in a different coastal city. When riders hit checkpoints, they submit photos or GPS information to the event’s app. Information was regularly updated on the event’s website and viewers could track the riders’ location on an online map.

This year’s route was particularly difficult, event organizer Dave Bednarski told the Outpost. It had a couple of especially long days — the longest ride was 527 miles — and longer portions of unpaved road than many of the past races. Bednarski has been an organizer for the past two races and has been a participant since 2008. He said that a higher percentage of riders had to drop out this year than is usual. Of the 73 scooterists who showed up at the starting line, only about 35 were on track to make it to Eureka as of Wednesday afternoon. And of those, only about 25 were still scoring in the event, he said.

Bednarski said that a couple of the riders dropped out because of broken ribs and others because of damage to their scooters. A support truck travels behind the riders, picking up those who can’t go on and driving them to the next city. Whenever possible, the scooters are repaired at the stopping point each night so that riders can continue on the next day.

“That’s always the goal,” Bednarski said, “to get them back on the road.”

One of the big challenges of this year’s race had also been weather. The race started on the east coast at the tail end of Hurricane Elsa and participants rode through dust storms and thunderstorms. Riders came into Eureka on Wednesday from Fernley, Nev., and the race had to be rerouted because of the wildfires burning in eastern California.

Bednarski said that arriving in the sunny yet cool weather of Eureka was a treat. The riders were also warmly welcomed at the finish line with a party hosted by Shamus T. Bones, and a few local scooter enthusiasts also came out to greet the racers. One of the reasons Eureka was selected for this year’s end point is because it has a robust scooter community, Bednarski said, specifically mentioning the Slugrockets Scooter Club.

And the support that exists within the scooter community is part of what made Scooter Cannonball such a special experience. Although the event is highly competitive, both Bednarski and Jackson said, there is also a great deal of camaraderie and respect among the riders.

“I’m the only person of color competing this year and it didn’t matter — everyone treated me like family,” Jackson told the Outpost. “When you’re part of the scooter culture, you’re family.”

Scroll down for more photos at the Scooter Cannonball finish line.

More than most, Loleta resident Yohana Castillo, 36, has experienced unexpected and tremendous loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the past eight months, she has lost four people. First her cousin, Esteban Gonzalez, of Esteban’s Mexican restaurant in Arcata, died of complications from the disease. Then another cousin, followed by a distant family member in Mexico City and, finally, her neighbor.

Seeing the effects the virus had on her family and wanting to protect their 4-year-old son and 10-year- old daughter, Castillo and her husband decided to get vaccinated.

“Now that I’m vaccinated, I feel safer going out, seeing my family,” she told the Journal in Spanish. Since receiving her vaccination, Castillo has been on a quest to help as many people in her community get vaccinated by making sure they understand what the protection can do. She was able to help the rest of her family get their vaccines.

“I don’t want anyone to go through what I went through,” she said. “I want everyone to have the opportunity to feel safe the way I feel safe.”

Castillo likes to be involved in her daughter’s school activities and met True North Organizing Network Organizing Director Julia Lerma through a virtual event. They began talking about their lives and Castillo’s recent losses when Lerma told her about True North’s planned efforts to help the county’s Latinx population get vaccinated. Castillo jumped on board and quickly became a volunteer organizer for the Eureka-based nonprofit.

Humboldt’s Latinx population is still lagging behind in vaccination rates despite seeing disproportionate rates of infection. As of July 15, about 45 percent of Humboldt County’s Latinx population had received at least one dose of the vaccine compared to about 50 percent of the county’s non-Hispanic/Latinx population. Meanwhile, residents identifying as Hispanic and Latinx continue to make up 23 percent of the county’s positive COVID cases despite making up only 12 percent of the county’s population. Statewide, roughly 43 percent of the Latinx population has received at least one dose of the vaccine compared to 53 percent of the population overall, while Latinx residents account for 56 percent of COVID-19 cases despite making up 39 percent of the population, according to the California Department of Public Health.

Local efforts to reach the Latinx community with COVID-19 safety and vaccination information have been challenging, as has been the case statewide and nationally. Many Hispanic and Latinx Humboldt County residents have reported finding it challenging to find accurate information in Spanish, though public health has staffed its COVID-19 information line with Spanish speakers and has translated COVID information and social media posts hoping to reach non-English speakers.

There are a variety of reasons vaccine hesitancy may be more pervasive in the Hispanic and Latinx population than other demographics.

“Compared to White adults, larger shares of unvaccinated Hispanic adults say they are concerned about missing work due to vaccine side effects, that they might have to pay out of pocket for the vaccine (despite it being free), not being able to get the vaccine from a trusted place, or having difficulty traveling to a vaccination site,” states a recent report from the Kaiser Family Foundation. “Among Hispanic adults, the shares expressing many of these concerns are even greater among those with lower incomes, the uninsured, and those who are potentially undocumented.”

Humboldt County Health Officer Ian Hoffman has repeatedly said offering local employees time off to get vaccinated and even sick leave if they experience side effects would reduce barriers locally, though it’s unclear how many businesses are doing it.

True North, meanwhile, has worked to get translated health and safety information to Humboldt’s Latinx community, while also working with the vaccine hesitant and creating more comfortable environments for Latinx community members to get vaccinated in. And so the idea of the family friendly vaccine fair was born and the nonprofit started planning a festive event that would feel distinctly different than the mass vaccination clinics being organized by public health.

Before the fair, Castillo and True North spent time canvassing in Latinx communities at churches, mercados and neighborhoods, posting Spanish-language flyers about the vaccine fair with phone numbers — including her own — for those hesitant about the COVID vaccine to call for more information. Castillo told those who called about her story why she decided to get the vaccine and her experience getting her shot.

“They’re afraid of getting a reaction,” Castillo said. “We have a group of three people working to talk to people and I haven’t heard a different concern but that they’re all afraid to get a bad reaction to the vaccine. So, we always tell them to talk to their doctor — sometimes they begin to tell me what (medical conditions) they have, and I can’t answer that, but we give them the information we can.”

The day of the vaccine clinic last month was unusually warm and drizzly. In front of the COVID-19 vaccine clinic at College of the Redwoods gymnasium, Castillo and True North’s team of volunteer organizers set up a sound system for music and tables, one for snacks filled with pan dulce, water and juice, another with kids’ activities, like coloring books and markers, and a third for people to get raffle tickets and free tacos.

The rain didn’t dampen Castillo’s helpful demeanor. She was wearing a mask but smiled with her eyes as she greeted those walking up to the gym, asking them first in Spanish if they were there for their vaccination, then directing them to where they needed to go. If they didn’t speak Spanish, she used the bit of English she knows to direct them. But she was there primarily as a first point of contact for those who only speak Spanish, letting them know there were people there to speak to them in their language. At one point, she held a bundle of balloons that she passed out to kids.

She said she felt happy and emotional at the fair, pointing out that while the fair drew in some folks to get vaccinated, others showed up to get their shots totally unaware of the accompanying activities and free tacos.

Adding to the festive, inviting atmosphere was Jorge Matias, who works for St. Joseph Health and whom True North invited to put on a Zumba lesson. With an energetic charm, Matias got people dancing.

According to the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services, a total of 109 people were vaccinated during the June 13 fair, 27 of them walk-ins. In comparison, the week of July 12 saw Public Health’s mobile team vaccinate a total of 97 people at the Humboldt Crabs game and clinics in Rio Dell, Fortuna and Samoa, according to a July 13 COVID update to the board of supervisors.

Public health officials have also said that even registering for a vaccine appointment can pose another barrier for those wanting to get their vaccinations.

During an April meeting with LatinoNet, Hoffman said Public Health’s goal is to ensure vaccine equity for the Latinx community and to guarantee that any Latinx resident seeking a COVID-19 vaccine feels comfortable and confident before, during and after their appointment, which is what True North was able to accomplish with its vaccine fair.

“People really enjoyed the event,” Castillo said. “They felt comfortable and like they were with family, and at ease because there were people there who spoke Spanish.”

True North held another vaccine clinic in Arcata similar to the one at the College of the Redwoods, with raffles, free food and Zumba, but won’t stop there. True North will hold more vaccine fairs in Fortuna and Eureka, continuing with the nonprofit’s mission of making sure everyone has an opportunity to get vaccinated in a setting that makes them comfortable, no matter the distance. Castillo, for one, is excited.

“I think [the future vaccine fairs] will go very well and we’ll be successful because we really want all people to get vaccinated and feel safer at work and at school, with their family and the simple fact of going outside,” Castillo said.

###

Iridian Casarez (she/her) is a staff writer at the North Coast Journal. Reach her at 442-1400, extension 317, or iridian@northcoastjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @IridianCasarez.

The Community Voices Coalition is a project funded by Humboldt Area Foundation and Wild Rivers Community Foundation to support local journalism. This story was produced by the North Coast Journal newsroom with full editorial independence and control.

Since former Arcata City Councilmember Sofia Pereira resigned from her council position, many have wondered: who will be the next capable citizen to serve out the remainder of Pereira’s term? Well, the deadline for interested citizens to file the application paperwork has come and gone and you will soon have your answer, Arcata.

Arcata City Clerk Bridget Dory confirmed with the Outpost last night that, of the 14 people who took interest in the appointment, seven applicants have officially qualified. Among them are former councilmember Paul Pitino, who was defeated in the last city council election; Arcata Planning Commission member Kimberly White; who was also defeated in the last election; former Arcata councilmember Elizabeth Conner and Meredith Klein, a board of directors member for the Arcata Chamber of Commerce.

Here is the full list of qualifying candidates who be considered for the seat:

• Katelyn Bourne
• Elizabeth Conner
• Meredith Klein
• Humnath Panta
• Bennett Perrault
• Paul Pitino
• Kimberley White

These seven folks will be interviewed during a candidate forum on Wednesday, July 28 at 6 p.m. in the Arcata City Council chambers. The forum will also be available to watch virtually on Zoom.  Although the appointment is ultimately up to the council, you can be involved in the interview process by submitting the questions you would like the council to ask the candidates! You can submit your question by filling out this short online form.

The next Arcata City Council person is expected to be sworn in at the beginning of the Wednesday, August 18 City Council meeting.

CORRECTION: DERP. Thank you to the reader who pointed out that we blew this by attributing the demand for tribute to the Biden administration. In point of fact, and as we should have gathered, this is a Congressional deal. The Outpost regrets the error. — Ed.

###

U.S. Forest Service press release:

EUREKA, Calif., July 21, 2021— After a multi-month search covering hundreds of square acres and thousands of feet in elevation, the 2021 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree from the Six Rivers National Forest has been selected – “Sugar Bear.”

Six candidate trees were identified and presented virtually to Architect of the Capitol staff, with each tree receiving unique nicknames connected to the state animal of California, the bear.

Taking top honors, “Sugar Bear,” an 84-foot white fir located within the Mad River Ranger District, will grace the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol this holiday season.

“Selecting a tree to adorn the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol comes with a unique set of challenges in any given year, but especially with this being the second year the search and selection has been conducted virtually,” said Jim Kaufmann, Director of Capitol Grounds and Arboretum at the Architect of the Capitol. “Thanks to drone footage, comprehensive photos, compelling narration, and detailed notes and measurements, we were able to select a majestic white fir that very well represents the Six Rivers National Forest and the great state of California.”

The People’s Tree will be harvested from the Mad River Ranger District, which was most recently impacted by the largest recorded wildfire in California history – the 2020 August Complex Fire. Nearly 160,000 acres, or a little over 50 percent of the total district, was destroyed and burned by fire associated with the August Complex last year.

“Given the recent challenges and hardships our community faced in 2020, we are honored the People’s Tree will be harvested from our district,” said Kristen Lark, district ranger for the Mad River Ranger District. “This tree signifies the fortitude and resilience of this community and we are excited to share in the joy and hope of this project as it makes its journey to Washington, D.C.”

The tree will be harvested in late October before making its journey throughout the state of California and cross-country to Washington, D.C., arriving at the U.S. Capitol in late November.

The Architect of the Capitol’s team will decorate the tree with thousands of handcrafted ornaments from the people of California. The tree will be lit in early December 2021 by the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in as a time-honored tradition in its 51-year partnership with the U.S. Forest Service.

Non-profit project partner Choose Outdoors and a host of partners, sponsors, and volunteers are contributing funding and in-kind support of this project and its theme, “Six Rivers, Many Peoples, One Tree.”

“We could not be more grateful for our shared partnerships and engaged community partners and look forward to representing them on a national stage with the representation of this beautiful, local white fir tree,” said Ted O. McArthur, forest supervisor for the Six Rivers National Forest.

About the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree

The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree initiative is a 50-year tradition in which one of our 155 national forests provides a tree for the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol for the holiday season. The project is made possible with support from partners including non-profit Choose Outdoors along with cash and in-kind contributions from companies large and small as well as volunteers locally and across America.

Partners supporting the 2021 journey include Kenworth Truck Company, System Transport, ABC Sacramento, Spireon, Inc., Hale Truck and Trailer, Visit California, PG&E, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Alaska Airlines, Coast Central Credit Union, Great West Casualty Company, Truckload Carriers Association, Meritor, Inc., Mountain F. Enterprises, Inc., Society of American Foresters, Green Diamond, Mendocino and Humboldt Redwood Company, Sierra Pacific Industries, BT Metals, LexisNexis VitalChek Network, Inc., Bergco, The Forest Foundation, National Press Club, Humboldt Craft Spirits, Humboldt Marketplace, Bass Pro Shops, Chicobag, and more.

We invite you to follow the #USCapitolChristmasTree2021 project through one of our accounts:

• Facebook: USCapitolChristmasTree
• Twitter: @USCapitolTree
• Instagram: @USCapitolChristmasTree
• #ManyPeoplesOneTree

To learn more about the history of the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, please visit https://www.aoc.gov/what-we-do/programs-ceremonies/capitol-christmas-tree. Follow along at www.uscapitolchristmastree.com.

Map of the proposed site plan for the trailers on the Crowley site | Image from city staff presentation

The Betty Kwan Chinn Foundation is one step closer to creating another community housing development to help struggling folks in Eureka. During its Tuesday night meeting, the Eureka City Council took the next step needed to develop the vacant Crowley property on Hilfiker Lane into a transitional housing site — a project the City has been working on for over three years.

The project was proposed when PG&E agreed to donate 12 trailers to Chinn’s foundation to be converted into modular housing units. The trailers were placed on the Crowley site and have been sitting vacant for years, while the City worked through all the necessary steps to allow a housing development on the site, including changing the property’s zoning.

On Tuesday night the Council voted unanimously (4-0, with Councilmember Scott Bauer absent) to adopt the Coastal Development Permit needed for the site, which is located in the coastal zone. The permit will now go to the Coastal Commission for a 10-day appeal period. If no one files an appeal, the permit will be final and the project can move forward.

Once completed, the project will be able to house up to 40 people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Of the 12 trailers, six will be converted such that each will contain two living quarters with a shared kitchen and bathroom. The other six trailers will be combined into one larger structure that will be able to hold up to 28 people, and will include a shared kitchen, bathroom and an office space for an onsite caretaker from the Betty Chinn Foundation. The development will be transitional housing, meaning residents will pay rent and be able to build their rental history.

The trailers are currently located on the north end of the property, but will be moved to a location slightly further south, between the Humboldt Bay Fire Training Facility and the Elk River Wastewater Treatment Plant. The site will need to be paved, and plumbing and electrical will be installed, connecting to the utilities running along Hilfiker Lane. The project will also include the installation of fencing around the housing perimeter and the installation of a new drainage swale.

Image showing the sewer line, fencing and drainage swale for the site

Kristen Goetz, principal planner for the City of Eureka gave a presentation on the project, addressing some of the coastal hazards associated with the site’s location near the Humboldt Bay. Because of projected sea level rise, the Coastal Development Permit will expire after 30 years, at which point, a reevaluation of the site will be necessary. The housing development will also need to be elevated 1.5 to 2.5 feet above flood level and will require a site-specific tsunami evacuation plan, Goetz said.

To minimize environmental impacts, the project will have limitations on landscaping and lighting, Goetz said, and there will be construction phase requirements in place to ensure that the project doesn’t disturb nesting birds, or cause erosion or runoff. The project also includes a 30-foot buffer from all pocket wetlands, a minimum 100-foot buffer from extensive wetlands and a 60 to 80-foot buffer from the Elk River salt marsh habitat.

A couple of community members spoke during the meeting, expressing concern over the project’s potential impact on the wetlands and its proximity to the Hikshari Trail. One commenter read a letter submitted by Anne White, who could not attend the meeting.

“This project wholly ignores the Coastal Act,” she read from White’s letter. “It will destroy wildlife and their habitat. The project will degrade aesthetics and impact public use of the bay…The Crowley site should be zoned for open spaces.”

Several members of the council explained that the City has very limited space that is suitable for housing and that a lot of work went into identifying and zoning the Crowley property for this project. Addressing the view of the property from the Hikshari Trail, Councilmember Natalie Arroyo said that she felt this project would drastically improve the aesthetics of the industrial property.

Before making a motion to approve the Coastal Development Permit, Councilmember Leslie Castellano commented that this project is absolutely necessary for the City to meet its housing needs and urged the community to be more supportive of housing development projects.

“I really think that — through this particular project, but on a wider level as well — it’s time to step up,” Castellano said during the meeting. “I appreciate that the City is really ready and willing to work on this and that members of council have voiced their support. I think this is an invitation to ask for larger support from the community for housing in general and for this project.”

###

PREVIOUSLY

• (VIDEO) Eureka Considering New Transitional Housing Facility Off the Hikshari Trail, on City Property; Chinn Would Run ‘Betty’s PG&E Village’
• New Betty Chinn Transitional Housing on the Eureka City Council Agenda Tomorrow; Trailer Village Could Open Near Hikshari Trail
• Trailers Off the Table: City Abruptly Yanks New Betty Chinn Project From Tonight’s Agenda
• Remember Those Trailers PG&E Donated to Eureka for Transitional Housing? After a False Start, the City’s Gearing Up Again to Get Them Occupied
• EUREKA CITY COUNCIL: The City May Make a Few Zoning Changes, Including to the Site Which Holds Betty’s PG&E Trailers
• Eureka City Council Discusses Efforts to Address Homelessness During COVID-19 Crisis
• Eureka City Council Advances Ordinance Banning Camping In Parks, Near Trails and In Several Business Districts
• Eureka City Council Set to Finalize Agreement With Needle-Exchange Program, Clear Remaining Red Tape on Betty Chinn Trailer Village off South Broadway
• Eureka City Council Poised to Finalize Permitting for Betty Chinn Trailer Village Near Hikshari Trail; Project Could Be Completed Soon, Unless Someone Files an Appeal