3rd UPDATE: With the final election night report in and 100 percent of county precincts reporting, the fates of most local ballot measures appear set and Measure K has pulled ahead in the final election night tally. Here’s the latest on the measures: Measure H, which would impose a 10 percent transient occupancy tax in […]
President William McKinley
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Election Night Final Report: Arcata Incumbents Ahead, McKinley Statue Measure Continues Downward Slide
ELECTION NIGHT FINAL UPDATE: Incumbents Sofia Pereira and Brett Watson maintain their leads to continue serving on the Arcata City Council over challenger Valerie Rose-Campbell, taking 43.58 percent and 36.14 percent of the vote, respectively, in the three-person race. Meanwhile, the ballot bid to keep the statue of President William McKinley on the plaza continues its […]
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McKinley Statue Vandalized
The statue of President William McKinley was doused overnight or early this morning with some sort of liquid that left a greenish patina discoloration down the front and back of the figure. The Mad River Union reports the vandalism was discovered by a city worker and has been reported to the Arcata Police Department. The […]
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Arcata Sets Meeting on McKinley’s Removal
While those in favor of putting the future of President William McKinley’s statue before voters continue to gather signatures to place the issue on the ballot, a scoping meeting — one of the first steps in the monument’s removal — is scheduled for May 17. The Arcata City Council voted 4-1 in February to take […]
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From a Shaky Start to an Uncertain Future
Today marks the 112th anniversary of the Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, a magnitude-7.9, which still ranks as one of “the most significant of all time,” according to the U.S. Geological Survey. While more than 200 miles away, Humboldt County also shook that day with enough force to cause significant damage in the area. It […]
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McKinley Statue Debate Making the Media Rounds
The pending removal of President William McKinley’s statue from the Arcata Plaza was thrust in the national spotlight this week after a Los Angeles Times story placed the council’s decision at the forefront of a growing push to take down symbols seen as celebrating the systematic atrocities committed against Native peoples. The article published Sunday […]
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Residents Start Process to Put McKinley Statue on the Ballot
OK, OK, OK, maybe the controversy over President William McKinley’s statue on the Arcata Plaza will go to a vote after all. Two Arcata residents, David LaRue and Stanton Reynolds, filed paperwork with the city earlier this week to begin collecting signatures for a ballot initiative to prohibit “the modification and/or destruction” of the statue […]
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Long Road to Nowhere on McKinley Vote
“What the fuck? It’s been four fucking hours,” a frustrated audience member exclaimed incredulously at the end of Wednesday’s Arcata City Council meeting. “Why did you do this?” The remarks were directed squarely at Councilmember Susan Ornelas, who had just dropped her second President William McKinley’s statue bombshell in as many weeks. “At this point, […]
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McKinley Removal Process Continues Without a Vote
The removal of President William McKinley’s statue appears to be back on track. After nearly four hours of public comment at Wednesday’s meeting, Arcata Councilmember Susan Ornelas announced she was rescinding her suggestion to put the question of where the bronze work should stand – with one of the potential options being plaza center – […]
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Arcata Council Considers Putting McKinley to a Citywide Vote
The Arcata City Council will consider Wednesday whether to move forward with some form of an advisory vote on the future of President William McKinley’s statue after voting last month to remove the bronze tribute from the plaza. With a large crowd expected to turn out for the discussion, city officials decided they were going […]
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Another Twist in the McKinley Statue Saga
So, remember two weeks ago, when the Arcata City Council voted 4-1 to take down the statue of President William McKinley? Well, things just got a bit more complicated. Now it appears the statue’s situation might go to some sort of vote after all — one of the options staff had recommended in the first […]
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Update: Offending Plaza Plaque Removed
The Jacoby Building plaque has been removed from its place on the plaza two weeks after the Arcata City Council voted unanimously that a replacement was needed. City Manager Karen Diemer said crews were able to remove the marker that denotes the structure’s status as a California Registered Historic Landmark, which includes the affronting wording […]