It has been six months since the city dissolved the long-standing homeless camp in the Palco Marsh. The fall’s first storm has visited, bringing with it ripping winds and record rain. At least 30 people spent the storm newly housed, thanks to the efforts of Betty Chinn, the city of Eureka and the Humboldt County […]
Marian Brady
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Eureka City Council to Discuss Butane Ordinance, New Homeless Sleeping Area
Two explosive topics are slated to come before the Eureka City Council this evening. City staff has recommended the council adopt an ordinance restricting butane sales within city limits. Butane is often used to make hash or honey oil with sometimes dangerous results, as makeshift laboratories in residential homes have been known to explode. In […]
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Eureka Takes Police Video Fight to the Supreme Court
The city of Eureka is trying to keep its recent appellate court loss from setting a statewide precedent. In July, the First District Court of Appeals rebuffed the city’s effort to block release of a video depicting the arrest of a 14-year-old suspect, ruling that the video — and others like it — could not […]
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Who Gets a Vote in Eureka? Ballot Measure Set For November.
Eureka voters and their representatives appear to be fairly fired up about democracy, although they have a different opinions about how that democracy is best expressed. This was apparent in Tuesday night’s city council meeting, in which the council voted 3-2, with Marian Brady and Melinda Ciarabellini dissenting, to put an item on the November […]
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Council Moves forward with Container Community for the Homeless
After an outpouring of critical public comment, the Eureka City Council opted last night to move forward with a proposal to create a temporary homeless living arrangement in a vacant lot on the corner of Third and Commercial streets. In a 4-1 vote, with Councilmember Linda Ciarabellini dissenting, the council amended its shelter crisis declaration […]
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Shipping Container Homeless Village: Happening. Probably.
A bed, three meals a day and a door that locks: Small luxuries, but still more than many have. This is what the new partnership between the Betty Kwan Chinn Homeless Foundation and the Humboldt Coalition for Property Rights is promising for at least 40 of the currently homeless people living behind the Bayshore Mall, […]
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Camping a Go at Koster Street Parking Lot
On Tuesday, the Eureka City Council voted 3 to 2, with council members Melinda Ciarabellini and Marion Brady dissenting, to allow camping in a city parking lot at Koster and Washington streets. The motion, which was a modified version of the Shelter Crisis Declaration approved by the council on Jan. 19, passed after a an […]
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County and City of Eureka Meet Tomorrow to Discuss Long-Awaited Report
It has taken months for the respective orbits of the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors and the Eureka City Council to align, but tomorrow they will finally sit down to discuss the estimated 844 people who sleep unsheltered in Humboldt County. The majority of those people are in Eureka, which has borne the brunt of […]
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After Bitter Debate, Eureka Declares Shelter Crisis
Public comment was brief, compared to previous meetings on the subject of homelessness. Only around 30 citizens came up to the podium to address the city council about the proposed declaration of a citywide shelter crisis. The declaration, originally proposed by Councilmember Linda Atkins, was reworked by city staff before being put before the council […]
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Eureka City Council Butting Heads With Staff & Each Other on Homelessness
The restless crowd packed into city council chambers Tuesday night gradually filtered out until only the most hardcore civics enthusiasts remained, as the Eureka City Council meeting was extended, then extended again, stretching until 10:30 p.m. The majority of the four-and-a-half-hour meeting was taken up by public comment on two contentious items: whether or not […]
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UPDATE: Eureka City Council Chambers Packed for Budget Drama
UPDATE: A second budget meeting, held last night, explored options to preserve funding for public safety, according to an article in this morning’s Times-Standard. Council Member Melinda Ciarabellini suggested halving funding for Eureka Main Street and the chamber of commerce and cutting funding entirely for such organizations as the Retired Senior Volunteer Program and the […]
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UPDATED: Challenger Looms in Shadows of Eureka Council Race
The City of Eureka has determined that an unnamed would-be challenger to 1st Ward Councilwoman Marian Brady has failed to qualify for the ballot. In a press release, the city cited section 301 of the city charter as the reason the would-be candidate did not qualify. That section reads: “No person shall be eligible for […]