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CATEGORY

Community

A reply to “Thankful to be a community partner” by Dr. Tom Jackson, Cal Poly Humboldt

Original article from September 4, 2022 ------- Dr. Tom Jackson has been the President of Cal Poly Humboldt since May, 2019. He writes a twice-a-month letter published in the Eureka Times-Standard. Dr. Jackson may be "thankful to be a community partner" but many people here in Arcata do not see Cal Poly Humboldt as being a community "partner" at all.

UC Berkeley lawsuit decisions may affect Arcata too

Did UC Berkeley bring in more students than they'd promised? How much should the University contribute to infrastructure costs? And -- is any of this applicable to Cal Poly Humboldt and Arcata ?

The Great Redwood Trail draft Master Plan is here

The Great Redwood Trail is a planned 307-mile long trail system that starts in Blue Lake and runs though Humboldt, Trinity, Mendocino, Sonoma, Marin, and San Francisco counties -- all the way to San Francisco. One hundred miles of the trail is in Humboldt County, and about 11 miles of the trail in the southwest corner of Trinity County. You can view the draft Master Plan for the Great Redwood Trail draft master plan here.

Many Arcatans today worry that our city is losing its identity

Reading time: 3 to 6 minutes -- Many Arcatans today worry that our city is losing its identity. Yet the core of that identity is not based on who among us owns a home and which of us may never own a home, or our background or our ethnicity. It is the ideals we share, the good we hold in common. -- From an essay by Robert Reich.

Arcata’s Racial Equity outreach for the General Plan update is a sham

Reading time: 6 minutes -- Arcata's attempt at inclusion with the General Plan Update produced a report based on exactly 13 non-white people. This is shameful -- and doubly shameful that it is seen as acceptable. What in the world kind of "inclusion" is this? Couldn't there be additional outreach here?

What if Gateway apartments had rooftop gardens?

Photos and text: 4 minutes -- What would Gateway density be like if every building had a flat roof with outside patio space -- and an outdoor garden? What would that feel like for the tenants? What message would Arcata be sending to the world -- about who we are and what's important to us?

The September 25, 2023, Gateway Open House meeting – Comments from the public

Reading time: 10 minutes -- These are the comments that the public submitted at the Sept 25 open house meeting. Typed out and separated by categories, to make it easier for you to read.

“Gateway Housing” Open House meeting: September 25th, 4 to 6 p.m.

The City of Arcata is holding an open house on “Gateway Housing” at the D Street Neighborhood Center, on the university side of 101 at 13th & D.  This will be on Monday afternoon, September 25th, from 4 to 6 p.m. If you are not able to attend that meeting , you can enter your comments here on Arcata1.com.

Enter your Comments on the Gateway Area Plan

Enter your Comments on the Gateway Area Plan -- Arcata is holding an open house on "Gateway Housing" on September 25th, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the D Street Neighborhood Center. There will be a comment box there for you to submit your views, suggestions, and ideas. OR ENTER YOUR COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS, VIEWPOINTS, AND IDEAS HERE. Thank you !

Dr. Wendy Ring: The Scotia Biomass power plant operation needs to be shut down

Presentation from Dr. Wendy Ring on the carbon emissions, pollution, and health hazards of the Scotia biomass-burning electrical power plant. 21 minute video plus 15-minutes reading material.

Arcata Fire District Director: Eric Loudenslager – August 4, 2022

Eric Loudenslager, Board of Directors member of the Arcata Fire Protection District, weighs in on some of the challenges of the Gateway Plan, and some requests for information and involvement.

Four Decision-Making Styles: Analytical, Directive, Conceptual, and Behavioral

Reading time: 5 minutes -- The Plan is not just about just creating housing. The Plan needs to be about Community. These are are PEOPLE-ORIENTED NEEDS that are part of the promises of the Gateway Plan, but not likely to occur unless we actually take some action.

Couplet on L? The L Street Pathway as we know it and love it will cease to exist

The City wants to destroy a quiet strolling pathway so that car and truck traffic will be split between L Street and K Street. Meanwhile, cities all over the world are attempting to get rid of car traffic in favor of walkable public spaces. A "Plan B" has been promised since January, 2022. An inadequate discussion of alternatives finally emerged in August 2023, over a year and a half later.

Vandalismo en Sanctuary Garden – Centro del Pueblo habla con el Ayuntamiento de Arcata

More than 60 members of our community came to City Hall on Wednesday, June 7th, for the Arcata City Council meeting. Many people, including Centro del Pueblo Executive Director Brenda Perez, spoke to the Council. Over the past three years, the Sanctuary Gardens has been vandalized one dozen times. The people of Arcata are asking the City Council  to do something.

Sanctuary Garden vandalism – Centro del Pueblo speaks to the Arcata City Council

More than 60 members of our community came to City Hall on Wednesday, June 7th, for the Arcata City Council meeting. Many people, including Centro del Pueblo Executive Director Brenda Perez, spoke to the Council. Over the past three years, the Sanctuary Gardens has been vandalized one dozen times. The people of Arcata are asking the City Council  to do something.

Opinion: Who Should We Honor on Memorial Day?

The cost of war is not borne solely by soldiers on the field of battle and that for too many, the field of battle is unavoidable. In Iraq nearly half a million civilians died in the war and the eight-year American occupation. **** These civilians did not volunteer. They did not sign up nor were they drafted. And yet they died just the same. Their families mourn just as deeply. How should we remember them? Can we make space in our hearts for them, too, this Memorial Day?

Creamery District meeting – May 16, 2023 – What the People want – Updated May 21

IMAGES OF NOTES from the neighborhood Creamery District meeting on May 16, 2023. There were people present who thought that this would be an open discussion about how the Gateway Plan might affect the Creamery District. Specifically, people wanted to discuss the question of the L Street Corridor Linear Park. David Loya told the group that the Linear Park was not one of the topics on that evening's list of topics to be discussed. Over 1/3rd of the people present walked out.

What People Wrote – at the May 16th Creamery meeting

WITH TRANSCRIPTIONS OF THE NOTES. ** Why was this "open discussion" meeting so controlled? In his introduction David Loya made clear what he was there to discuss. What the people there wanted to talk about apparently was not of large importance.

David Loya Trashes the Creamery Discussion – May 16, 2023

The Planning Commissioners asked for a meeting with the Creamery community. At the time, Community Development Director David Loya agreed. But when the meeting occurred, it was not what the Commissioners had requested. As we have seen so many times, Director Loya did what he wanted to do. And once again Director Loya disregarded the expressed wishes of the Planning Commission -- and disregarded input from our community.

Creamery District Gathering – Wednesday – May 10th – 5:30 p.m.

Businesses, Residents, Workers, and Visitors ** Come with questions, thoughts, and recommendations regarding the future L Street Linear Park and its enhancement for the Creamery District -- and for the entire Community. ** Wednesday, May 10th ** 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. ** The Playhouse Theater in the Creamery Building ** 1251 9th Street (9th & L ) in Arcata.

How to contact Arcata’s City Councilmembers & Planning Commissioners — and how you can speak at a meeting

How to contact Arcata's City Councilmembers & Planning Commissioners, and how to attend a City Council or Planning Commission meeting -- in person, via YouTube, via Zoom, or on the phone.

Former Arcata Mayor Susan Ornelas says: Let’s create opportunities for Home Ownership

Susan Ornelas served on Arcata's City Council for eleven consecutive years, from 2008 through March, 2020. She was Mayor of Arcata in 2011 and 2017. Among Susan's concerns for the future of Arcata's citizens is the difficulty for younger people to buy a home. "We know when people own a home in a town, they are more likely to volunteer for City boards, school boards, PTAs, as sports coaches for their kids, etc. Home ownership helps to create the kind of town we all want to live in!"

Planning Commissioner Matt Simmons calls Arcata neighborhoods “segregated”

Why did new Planning Commissioner use the word "segregated" when describing existing Arcata neighborhoods? Was his purpose to inflame the discussion? To add confusion to the conversation? -- Unless what Matt Simmons means is racial segregation, there is no valid use of this word -- other than to create controversy.

City Council selects two new Planning Commissioners – January 4, 2023

Videos and discussion of the City Council's process of selecting two new Planning Commissioners. Choosing a new Planning Commissioner for Arcata is an important task. The ideas and opinions and visions that are promoted (or withheld) by the two new Planning Commissioners in the discussions on the Gateway Area Plan will have the potential to change the look and feel of Arcata for the next 50 or 100 years. 

Mad River Union and Northcoast Journal readers — This is your page

A special page for readers of the Mad River Union and the Northcoast Journal -- and a great place for all readers to learn more about the Gateway Plan. This page will be changed and updated regularly. Come back for more!

The L Street Pathway

The L Street pathway could be a community jewel in the heart of the Gateway area. The City wants it to be a high-traffic road, taking all the southbound car and truck volume from Alliance Road to Samoa Boulevard.

Survey says Home Ownership is what’s desired — in a big way

The August 16, 2022, survey shows "Home Ownership" of supreme importance to the 50-or-so participants during the two minutes of voting. What's the possibility of actual, enforceable Home Ownership Opportunities to be written into the Gateway Plan? Very likely to be Zero.

8th and 9th Streets: Where’s the parking?

8th & 9th Streets are proposed as one-way streets with bike lanes. That sounds good. But it comes with a 30% reduction of parking on those streets. That sounds bad.

Are you a Bicyclist? Some questions for you.

New proposed bike lanes for K & L Streets and for 8th & 9th Streets. Could we do without a K Street bike lane and instead keep L Street bikeable, walkable, and protected from vehicle traffic?

Does Building Luxury Condos Create More Affordable Housing?

This article is a re-print of the article of the same name in the July 25/August 1, 2022, issue of The Nation. It is...

Cal Poly: Craftsman Dorms

At the site of the Craftman's Mall, Cal Poly Humboldt plans to put in dorms for 1,050 students. Is that good? Well, 5,500 dorm beds are needed.

A possible 6-story design for Arcata

Here's a 6-story building that could work in Arcata, with some modifications. Originally proposed for Santa Cruz, it incorporates many of the design elements and features people here have said are important.

Quimby Act Dreams — How do we get parks in Gateway?

The "plan" for human-access parks in the Arcata Gateway area is woefully inadequate. To make the Gateway area livable for thousands of people, we need real parks.

Homelessness 85 years ago: How can you keep on moving?

Ry Cooder from his second album "Into the Purple Valley," 1972. The song is a Depression Era late-1930s song, in protest to California's "No More Migration" laws. Also here is the Sis Cunningham version from 1976,

Global warming: What, me worry ?

Global warming, from a frog's point of view, perhaps.

Woody Guthrie sings the truth

Woody Guthrie's song "Pretty Boy Floyd" contains the famous verse: "Yes, as through this world I've wandered, I've seen lots of funny men; Some will rob you with a six-gun, And some with a fountain pen."

Mad River Union readers — This is your page

A special page for readers of the Mad River Union -- and a great place for all readers to learn more about the Gateway Plan. This page will be changed and updated regularly. Come back for more!

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