###

Press release from Congressman Huffman’s office:

San Rafael, CA – Today, U.S. Representative Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) announced that tribes in Northern California have received $88 million in funding from the Department of Energy’s Grid Resilience and Innovative Partnerships (GRIP) program to transform one of the state’s least reliable electrical circuits into a highly resilient renewable energy system.
 
“The current system providing energy to the tribes in Humboldt is woefully inadequate, and these tribes deserve better,” said Rep. Huffman. “Our district and tribes are once again paving the way for rural and underserved communities. Thanks to our partnership between tribal leaders, private entities, and Cal Poly Humboldt, the energy grid is going to get a long-overdue, state-of-the-art update. This project will significantly advance tribal energy sovereignty – all while improving reliability, climate resilience, jobs equity, and clean energy innovation.”
 
The 142 mile-long “Hoopa 1101” distribution circuit provides electricity to three tribes in eastern Humboldt County – the Hoopa, Yurok, and Karuk Tribes – who jointly experience some of the most frequent and longest duration outages in California. These three tribes are collaborating with the Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe, located along the Baduwa’t River in coastal Humboldt, the Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA), Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), and the Schatz Energy Research Center at Cal Poly Humboldt, to co-develop nested microgrid solutions.
 
In July, Rep. Huffman wrote to the Department of Energy to advocate for this project to receive federal funding, saying: “This project in the rural north of my congressional district brings together four tribes and other partners to build critical infrastructure in highly vulnerable and underserved communities that need reliable and decarbonized energy systems.”
 
The Hoopa 1011 circuit serves 2,200 customers but is one of the least reliable circuits in California. It experiences 100 hours of blackout annually and has no capacity for new development. Blue Lake Rancheria, the Hoopa Valley Tribe, Karuk Tribe, Yurok Tribe, Redwood Coast Energy Authority, Pacific Gas & Electric Company, and the Schatz Energy Research Center will work together on the TERAS project to build microgrids on the circuit with 24/7/365 reliability and more than 20 MW of new renewable energy capacity. The project is cost effective compared to the $1 billion cost to underground and harden the Hoopa 1011 circuit through conventional means.
 
As Chairman Russell “Buster” Attebery of the Karuk Tribe said, “More often than not, the disadvantaged community of Panamnik (Orleans) is faced with power grid blackouts and shortage of resources due to its remote location. Microgrid energy will not only empower our tribal sovereignty, but provide the safeguards needed to survive along the river. Our people will no longer fear losing their food or vital medical resources, like vaccines, as we have in the past. TERAS is a great example of tribes working together in accomplishing good for their people; we are proud to be a part of this collaborative.”
 
Yurok Tribe Chairman Joseph L. James said, “This project dramatically improves energy resiliency on our reservation and represents a major step toward our goal of energy sovereignty. I would like to thank the DOE for the award and our fellow tribes, RCEA, and the Schatz Energy Research Center for working with us to develop a resilient network of tribally owned microgrids to power our homes, schools, government buildings, businesses, and community centers.”
 
“The Hoopa Valley Tribe is deeply honored to be a part of the Department of Energy’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) program along with our esteemed project partners. The Hoopa Valley Tribe has always been a steward of our natural resources, and this award enables us to further our efforts in ensuring tribal energy sovereignty and environmental protection for our community. We look forward to leveraging this opportunity to build a resilient and sustainable energy future for our tribe and beyond,” said Linnea Jackson, General Manager of the Hoopa Valley Public Utilities District.

###

Christian Figueroa isn’t jumping on the Kamala Harris bandwagon. He doesn’t need to: The San Gabriel Valley native has been on board ever since her first presidential campaign sparked his passion for politics when he was 13.

“To say it had an impact on me is definitely an understatement,” Figueroa said, recalling his trip to Los Angeles Southwest College in 2019 to hear the then-U.S. senator speak. “My life is politics. I feel like I sleep, eat and breathe politics.”

Even for young people who aren’t as politically aware, the presidential race — particularly Harris, who officially secured the Democratic nomination this week — has been front and center in the social feeds of young voters through memes and other fan edits featuring her speeches and signature laugh.

Democrats are hoping, whether it’s because of her record or the good vibes online, that young voters will turn out at higher rates and boost Democrats in competitive House races, including in California.

Besides voting for president for the first time, Figueroa, a 19-year-old Stanford student, is trying to do his part by working as an organizer with Youth Save Democracy and as one of the youngest California delegates to the Democratic National Convention later this month, when Harris formally accepts the nomination.

This week, Harris is barnstorming battleground states alongside her new running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a favorite of progressives and young voters. Walz went viral for using “weird” to describe former President Donald Trump and his vice presidential pick, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio.

Figueroa says that and other Harris memes can only help: “Whether excitement will get you across the line in November or not, certainly from my perspective, it is fueling a lot of the donations, fueling the volunteer base and fueling the grassroots efforts across the country.”

Young voters more excited by Harris than Biden

Since President Joe Biden dropped out and endorsed Harris on July 21, analysts and young people interviewed by CalMatters agree, the vibe has shifted. Renewed enthusiasm online is one measure.

Another barometer: Polling conducted in the days after Biden’s stunning withdrawal from the race found 72% of registered voters 18 to 29 said they were either “very likely” or “almost certain” to vote in the presidential election. That’s up from 64% in a poll earlier in July.

But perhaps more important, particularly for down ballot candidates, is the flood of donations. Last week, the Harris campaign announced it raised $310 million during July.

Before Biden’s withdrawal, many Democrats worried about the down ballot impacts of an unenthusiastic party base, particularly among young voters.

While the Harris campaign may be flush with cash, it is short on time to reintroduce her to Democratic and undecided voters, with less than 90 days before Nov. 5.

“I think all of the momentum and activities that we’ve been seeing can grab the attention of young people, maybe get them to give her a chance. She still has to have the goods.”
— Mindy Romero, founder and director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at USC

What’s helping is young people creating viral social content — for free. In recent weeks, coconut emojis, Brat green tinted fancams and “Veep” memes have cast the vice president as a relatable, quirky leader for voters who get their news mostly from their social feeds.

For those not as much in the know, the coconuts are a nod to a viral line from one of Harris’ speeches (“You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?”), Brat green is the color of British artist Charli XCX’s viral “Brat” album and “Veep” is the HBO comedy starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

“They’re effective for what she’s trying to do, which is create some initial excitement and get some dollar donors in,” said Martin Bertao, chairperson of the California College Republicans and a 19-year-old UC Berkeley student voting in his first presidential election.

Celebrities with followings among young voters are also supporting Harris in ways they were not backing Biden. Appearances by artists like Megan Thee Stallion and Quavo at Harris’ Georgia rally last week were an attempt to portray her as young, vigorous and fun, said Mindy Romero, founder and director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the University of Southern California.

“I think all of the momentum and activities that we’ve been seeing can grab the attention of young people, maybe get them to give her a chance,” said Romero.

But she stressed that Harris must still lay out a policy platform that young people can believe in: “She still has to have the goods.”

Why young people don’t vote

In California and across the country, those between the ages of 18 and 24, have historically voted at a far lower rate than every other age group.

In the 2020 presidential election, turnout among voters 18 to 29 spiked 11 percentage points to 50%, which was key in helping Biden defeat incumbent Donald Trump. But that was still significantly lower than the 66% turnout for all voters. In California, just 47% of eligible young voters cast ballots, compared to 67% of the entire eligible population.

Nationally, reasons for lower participation include young people’s tendency to move a lot, having class on Election Day and some states not accepting student IDs as a form of identification for voter registration.

But another cause is that young voters may not know their influence, said Andrea Hailey, CEO of Vote.org, a get-out-the-vote technology platform.

“Young people are the largest voting bloc in America when they decide to show up, and they have an incredible amount of power, and can really change power dynamics in the United States if they use their voice,” Hailey told CalMatters.

Students register to vote at Sacramento State University in Sacramento on Oct. 20, 2022. Photos by Rahul Lal, CalMatters

There are 41 million Gen Z eligible voters, including 8 million who turned 18 since the 2022 primary elections, equating to about a fifth of the electorate.

The Harris campaign is relying on young voters, who tend to lean more liberal regardless of party affiliation, to boost her campaign in swing states.

Vote.org announced that it saw the largest-ever surge in voter registration in the 10 days after Biden’s announcement. In California, there were 11,583 new Vote.org registrations — 80% of people were between 18 and 34 years of age.

Before that, the biggest spike was in September, when Taylor Swift posted a link to Vote.org on her Instagram story.

“It’s going to give us an edge in tapping into first-time voters, independents and folks that were otherwise going to stay home,” Hailey said of the shakeup at the top of the Democratic ticket.

Which issues do young voters care about?

Harris must still convince California’s young voters, many of them further left than the national party, that she can deliver a progressive agenda on issues they care about.

“One of the key things that sticks out to me is how Harris has been tough on oil and gas corporations in her career,” said Ariela Lara, 18, who lives in the Bay Area and works as an organizer with the Sunrise Movement, an advocacy group on climate action.

Lara said she wants to see Harris go further than Biden on climate issues and commit to declaring a national climate emergency, embrace a “Green New Deal” and end approvals for new oil and gas projects. As vice president, Harris largely agreed with Biden and touted the climate investments made by the Inflation Reduction Act. During her time as California attorney general, she sued automotive and gas companies for environmental violations.

“With her just like getting so much support from young people, there’s also a level where that support comes with expectations,” Lara said.

Olivia Johnson, a 19-year-old studying mass communication at Cal State LA, said that Harris’ stance on gun regulations is important to her: “Her campaign’s been teaching me a lot of things about policies and how they’ve been affecting us — especially gun laws because mass shootings are very scary.”

Johnson said she’s also energized by Harris’ stances on abortion and healthcare, and that she feels better about her first vote in a presidential election than when Biden was the nominee.

“I know a lot of people who had health issues like breast cancer, miscarriages and abortions,” she said. “Having access to health care is really important to me, especially as a lot of people I grew up around are low-income and rely on Medicare.”

“Obviously, Kamala being a younger candidate for the Democrats, it’s definitely going to energize more Gen Z of that typical liberal vote that was considering not coming out.”
— Martin Bertao, chairperson of the California College Republicans

Harris’ generally slight policy differences with Biden could help her with young voters, according to Dean Bonner, a research fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California. The war in Gaza is one example where taking a different tone than Biden could win her support from young people passionate about seeing an end to the violence.

Harris was notably absent when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Congress last month. Then after urging him to pursue a ceasefire during a White House meeting, Harris said she would “not be silent” about the suffering of Palestinians.

Beyond policy, Bonner said that the history Harris could make as the first woman, Asian and woman of color to be president is likely to bring out young people.

“I do think that Harris has fundamentally changed what’s going to happen with the younger folks in this election,” he said.

Will young voters decide the House?

California is solidly Democratic in presidential elections, so Gen Z voters could have a bigger impact further down the ballot, particularly in a half-dozen key U.S. House races.

In 2022, Republicans swung three seats to help the GOP take control of the House. In the 13th District centered on Modesto, Republican John Duarte beat Democrat Adam Gray by just 564 votes — and the youth turnout was only 23%. The pair have a rematch in November, and the results could be different if more young voters show up.

“Obviously, Kamala being a younger candidate for the Democrats, it’s definitely going to energize more Gen Z of that typical liberal vote that was considering not coming out,” said Bertao, the California College Republicans chairman. His organization will be working to bring out young conservatives, particularly conservative leaning Gen Z men, to support Duarte.

Duane Dichiara, a campaign strategist for Duarte, said he isn’t concerned about the potential increase in young voters. “My guess is that in working class districts like CA-13, younger voters are going to be even more inclined to vote Republican because working class people across the board are voting more Republican,” he said.

In each of the other five battleground districts, registered Gen Z voters would have been enough to flip the races, according to data from the Center for Inclusive Democracy.

According to some recent polling, Harris is leading Trump by 18 percentage points among young voters 18-29. When Biden was the nominee, he trailed Trump by 8 percentage points among the same age group. With the top of the ticket generally driving turnout in presidential election years, if large numbers of young people come out to support Harris, it may push other Democrats across the finish line as well.

“You can do everything right, but if the top of the ticket isn’t there, the political climate isn’t there, a lot of voters will stay at home,” said Giovanni Chavez, president of California Young Democrats.

Now, he said, “a lot of these swing district candidates are filled with hope.”

###

CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

Steven Robert Smith passed away unexpectedly at the age of 69 on July 25, 2024. Steve was born on May 25, 1955, at the old Scotia Hospital. He grew up and lived in Fortuna all of his life. Steven was the eldest son of Robert and Zada Smith.

Steven went to all the Fortuna schools: South Fortuna Elementary, the Old Town School and Fortuna High School where he graduated in 1973. He enjoyed attending his High School reunions and keeping in touch with the many friendships he made over the years. In his High School days, he sported around town in his bright yellow Camaro. He liked to cruise around the Fortuna streets goofing off with friends. One time when he saw a friend driving toward him in the other lane, Steve swerved his car toward him and then quickly back into his own lane. Only then did he realize there was a cop directly behind him who promptly pulled him over and gave him a ticket. Many a Friday and Saturday nights were spent out at Table Bluff or Centerville beaches hanging out with friends.

Most of Steve’s working years was spent in the lumber industry working at various mills in Scotia, Fortuna and Redcrest. Steven had various interests that included birds and wildlife, gardening and being an avid San Francisco Giants fan. He enjoyed his trips to the ballpark and his excursions to the southern Oregon coast. Steven had many cats over the years that he was attached to. He seemed to have a way with them and they only wanted to interact with him.

Steven was preceded in death by his parents Robert Smith, Jr. and Zada Smith, grandparents Robert Smith, Sr and Dora Smith, Warren Schumer and Violet Schumer. He is survived by his sister Suzi Franken, brother-in-law, Arie Franken, his brother Harley Smith and sister-in-law, Kris Smith, his nephew Sander Franken and niece Lisa Franken Lopez along with several cousins. Steven is also survived by his life partner of 11 years Debbie Cumbie.

There will be no formal services. There will be a private burial with family and close friends. Steven will be laid to rest next to his mother and father at Sunrise Cemetery in Fortuna.

Douglas Ernest Brown
November 22, 1962 - July 31, 2024

Douglas Ernest Brown, born on November 22, 1962, to the late Dorthy “Dot” & Frederick “Lil Hodd” Brown in Hoopa Valley Reservation, passed away on July 31, 2024, in his hometown of Hoopa.

A Hoopa Tribal member, as a child Doug enjoyed joking and playing tricks on his siblings. The love he had for them will forever be with them. Soccer was one of his favorite hobbies; also, spending time at the river. As he got older, he joined a men’s and co-ed softball league where he would travel with his friends up and down the West Coast playing in tournaments. Doug cherished being with his closest friends and the adventures they would go on. Always on the go doing something whether it was to lend a helping hand or just pop in to visit his family and friends. The unique relationships he had with all stood out as he acknowledged all of them with his down-to-earth, honest personality.

Doug especially enjoyed spending time at the Browns’ family fishing hole with his good friends, nephews and his brothers, fishing. He was a loving and compassionate individual who cherished his community and dedicated himself to helping others. Doug had a deep passion for fishing, helping elders and spending time with his beloved dogs. He found immense joy in assisting the elders by cutting wood, providing them with fish and tending to their yard work. His selflessness and commitment to serving others were truly remarkable.

Professionally, Douglas excelled in woodworking and had a talent for rebuilding Indian houses. He learned this skill from his father, Fred ‘Lil Hodd,’ and continued the legacy alongside his brother Sylvester ‘Flabs’ Brown. Their work was a source of pride for Douglas, and he considered their accomplishments as one of his greatest contributions.

Douglas is survived by his siblings Sylvester ‘Flabs,’ Oscar ‘OB,’ Katherine ‘Tuni,’ Debra ‘Debbie,’ and Freddy Brown, as well as his numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. He was adored by his nieces and nephews who admired his kindhearted nature and looked up to him with love and respect.

Douglas Ernest Brown our beloved brother, uncle, and friend, will be dearly missed by all who knew him. His selfless acts of kindness and his dedication to his community will forever be remembered and cherished. May his soul find eternal peace. He is preceded in death by his Mom, Dad, brothers Wally, Bluejay and Beetle, and his best friend, his dog, Timber.

Pallbearers Sylvester “Flabs” Brown, Oscar “OB” Brown, Chris Heath Sr., Raldon “Ralph” Brown, Travis Brown, Trevor Brown, Kyle Brown, Oscar Brown Jr., Houston Brown, Ian Moore, Arlen Brown, & Jeremy Alameda.

Honorary Pallbearers: Harry O Campbell, Paul White, Keg Super, Kenny Doolittle, Martin Swenson, JD Gerstner, Denny Kane, Joe Carpenter, Pecos Bill Carpenter, Smitty Branham, Mike Brown, Gordon McCovey, Rowds Robbins, Ronnie Rubs Robbins, Lenny Abbott, Thomas Gootie Masten SR., Bob Campbell, Roger Brown, Roger Sanderson, Super Bibancos, Custer Jackson, Ed Masten, Hank Masten, Arvid Hoaglen, Freddy Brown, Gunga Hescock, Robbie Moon, Doug McCloud, Wes Crawford, Mike McCurdy. We apologize for whom ever we forgot as Doug had so many friends.

The family would like to give a heartfelt thanks to the Colegrove Boys for all that they did.

A grave side service at the Brown’s cemetery, will be held on August 8, 2024 @ 11 a.m. with a reception to follow immediately after at the VFW Hoopa Legion Hall.

This afternoon the Outpost got word, via Facebook, that a scam was being perpetrated on our beloved Humboldt public.

Watch out! the Facebook poster warned. There are children pretending to play the violin in the Winco parking lot, and they’re looking to rip you off! They’re not actually playing the violin! Don’t give them any money!

We immediately piled into the news van and tore across town to blow the lid off these fraud kids. And you know what we discovered?

That Facebook poster was incorrect. The older kid, here, is actually playing the violin, and he rips.

Now, is his little brother actually playing the violin? It’s hard to say. Maybe a little. He hasn’t earned his amplifier yet. But he’s dancing around and adding to the general vibe and he’s studying at the feet of his big bro, and probably in a couple of years he’ll stand out there in the Winco parking lot with a huge Marshall stack and melt all faces within a five-block radius.

LoCO has investigated. These kids are legit and they rule. Case closed.

Brushes down, everyone. Time is up. After seven vibrant years bringing much-needed color to often-neglected sections of the city, the organizers of the Eureka Street Art Festival have decided to quit while they’re ahead, meaning the 2024 edition will be the last in its current form. Ta-da!

“I would like to normalize good things coming to an end in a healthy way,” festival organizer Jenna Catsos told the Outpost while painting her mural on the side of Lima’s Pharmacy. “I think that we often hope that good things will last forever but, in this case, seven years is a really great long time to have done this.”  

ESAF founder and organizer Jenna Catsos

Few Humboldt events leave such a tangible legacy. In its seven years, ESAF has managed to aid in the creation of over 100 murals throughout the city, providing work and experience for artists both local and foreign, some of whom were painting their first major work. Catsos, who, along with her fellow organizers, all volunteered their time to produce the event over its duration, is proud of what they were able to pull off.

“I think we’ve have reignited this excitement for public art in Eureka and hopefully in Humboldt in a broader sense,” she said. Still, she said, staging the festival had grown more difficult over the years, especially raising the funds required for paying artists, purchasing materials and jumping through the various bureaucratic hoops. “We kind of read the room and checked in with ourselves and our own energy levels. We feel like we have had a good run and we are ready to call it quits, at least for now.”   

That is unless some other person or group is feeling ambitious… *nudge, nudge*. Ever wanted to run a small town street art festival? Catsos and her team are open to handing the thing off if others are interested in taking the reins.

“We are happy to share the processes that we’ve created and the strategies that have worked well for us – we are happy to share all of that knowledge because it took us a couple years to figure things out. One of the sadder things about stopping something like this is feeling like, wow, we are a well-oiled machine now. So if folks want to make murals happen in their community in any capacity please reach out. We are happy to to share our artist list, our application process – anything and everything.”

Just know what you’re in for. To make murals happen in a small, rural setting, ESAF organizers have had to get creative over the years, Catsos said. Unlike similar events in larger cities, where corporate sponsors are willing to dole out big bucks to cover big walls, the Eureka-sized version deals in smaller numbers. Generally, it’s property owners who foot the bill, but that often means they also want to be part of the design process. And sometimes the collision of art and commerce gets messy. 

“Getting everyone on board and moving in the same direction has been a uniquely difficult challenge,” Catsos said. “But we’ve figured out how to set boundaries and create procedures that really have worked to streamline this process for us.” 

Well, the process worked fine enough. In its time, the Eureka Street Art Festival managed not only to produce inspiring and welcoming imagery throughout the city, it also spurred discussion and debate around the need for public art and showed people that, if they want, they can change the face of their city through sheer will. And Catsos can’t wait to see what her community opts to put energy toward next.

“I hope that people look at the festival and look at the murals and then turn around and look at their community and what they think that Eureka needs and see this as an inspirational moment to do something great for Eureka. I always love to remind people that we are not a program of the city. I am not a city employee. I am just a lady who lives here, who put my time and energy into doing something that I think would better Eureka. And sometimes we hear people complain: Oh, we shouldn’t be doing murals. We should be doing XYZ instead. And I always say, that’s great, you go do XYZ. There are plenty of things for us to do in this community, and there are plenty of us in this community to do the things, and I hope that people see this as an inspiration to go out and make Eureka better in any way that they see fit. Boom… and stop telling me what to do.”

###

And now… a look at your 2024 Eureka Street Art Festival entries:

The roll down doors of the Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center now celebrate the rowing prowess and school colors of Cal Poly Humboldt thanks to Tony Diaz — one of the county’s most prolific muralists — who was assisted, as he often is, by his wife Kalynn Cossolotto.

###

Good news! There’s now a redwood forest tucked away in Old Town for when you need it. Just take a quick turn off F Street to find Lucas Thornton’s Opera Alley old growth when you’re feeling the itch for a brief nature escape from Humboldt’s urban core. 

###

Nestled amongst the aforementioned trees is a little bonus of sorts. In advance of this year’s festival, Eureka artist Kati Texas took great care refurbishing a landscape painted by the late Larry Laitman. 

###

Pulling double duty this year, festival regular Blake Reagan added to his extensive portfolio of Eureka color bombs with a seek-and-ye-shall-find Art Deco flourish atop the Eureka Theater. Also, a side door of the Clarke Museum now celebrates the recent-ish return of Prey-go-neesh to Humboldt’s skies. It’s a con-door! Get it?

###

You might feel a slight shrinking phenomenon should you wander by Alder Grove Charter School, where towering mushrooms and berries now grace the wall. Credit goes to festival veteran Mir de Silva, who worked with a pair of local artists working outside their usual mediums, Megan Phillips and Violet Crabtree.

###

Artist and Yurok Tribal member Melitta Jackson thinks you’re special enough to warrant some hang time with some friendly otters and condors. Should you need the little mental health boost they promise you can find them on the backside of the Eureka Municipal Auditorium.

###

Keep going, growing and glowing at the WIC Parent’s Nutrition Center on Summer Street. Shoppers can now enjoy eternal spring there, thanks to a popping floral design by Sacramento-based muralist Haley Titus.

###

Not all murals are vertical! The pavement of the intersection in front of Food For People is now emblazoned by the nonprofit’s logo thanks to local artist Ben Funke’s Rebound program.

###

Because we could all do more to be good stewards of the planet we find ourselves plopped upon, the mural on the rear-approach to Eureka Natural Foods reminds you to “Think Global” and “Act Local,” This li’l something to ponder comes courtesy Eureka artist Kay Lopez. Aye aye, Kay! 

###

Humboldt has a new drive-thru tree that you might have to visit in the event you drive into something else. Yes, Quality Body Works gets their own redwood treatment thanks to Ben “The Mural Man” Goulart and crew.

###

Can colorful ocean views calm your soul? Festival veteran Laci Dane invites you to give it a shot with her bright entry over at the Eureka Center for Spiritual Living on Buhne Street. 

###

It is often said that Henderson Center is Eureka’s most up-and-coming neighborhood. Muralist Ellie Gainey has helped strengthen that argument with this soon-to-be-iconic blooming marker on the side of The Discovery Shop.

###

You’ll henceforth have company on your journey down the dipped section of Eureka’s S Street, where local muralist Jose Moreno has brought to life Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent deity of the Aztecs.

###

Get doubly healed on your next trip to Lima’s Pharmacy on Harrison Street. As you fill your prescription you’ll also be surrounded by the floral designs of festival founder Jenna Catsos (at no extra charge).

###

They purposefully never called it a mural festival. In addition to this year’s painted entries, be on the lookout for some new, slimy friends in the form of 16 ceramic “Slugs of Eureka,” which you can find installed on buildings around town. Our new ‘nanner buds come to us courtesy local ceramicists Shannon Sullivan and Jessica Swan. 

###

And that’s that. If you somehow need even more public art in your life today, feel free to take a walk down mural memory lane by reliving the Outpost’s visits to previous Eureka Street Art Festivals.

PREVIOUSLY: 

• (PHOTOS) 2023 Eureka Street Art Festival Artsits
• (PHOTOS) 2022 Eureka Street Art Festival Artists
• (PHOTOS) 2021 Eureka Street Art Festival Artists
• (PHOTOS) 2020 Eureka Street Art Festival Artists
• (PHOTOS) 2019 Eureka Street Art Festival Artists

Press release from the City of Eureka:

The City of Eureka has been awarded a $630,000 Prohousing Incentive Program Grant from the California Department of Housing and Community Development for rapid rehousing and homelessness prevention.

These funds will allow Uplift Eureka to continue providing housing opportunities and supportive services to community members experiencing homelessness as well as implement a homelessness prevention program to provide assistance to individuals at-risk of experiencing homelessness. Only local jurisdictions with a “Prohousing Designation” from the State of California were able to apply for the grant program.

When Eureka received the Prohousing Designation in January 2024, the City became one of only thirty-seven California local jurisdictions to have earned the designation (out of 539 Cities and Counties in California). Earning the designation requires a strong, demonstrated commitment to breaking down barriers to much-needed housing production, such as by removing regulatory hurdles, reducing permitting costs, or providing financial subsidies.