Articles, Crescent City, Infrastructure, Local Government

Crescent City Council Recap, July 6, 2026

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Thumbnail image: Crescent City Police Chief Richard Griffin administers the oath of office to new officers Chase Gardener and Mai Thao on Monday. Above: An Oct. 13, 2025 storm resulted in significant damage to the third floor of the Cultural Center, according to the public works director. | Screenshots

Councilman Steve Shamblin was absent. Among the items discussed at Monday’s Crescent City Council meeting:

Cultural Center project: City Manager Eric Wier assured councilors that Harley Munger, of Piece by Piece Pottery, has already provided replacements for the tile mosaic murals that had graced the wall in front of the Crescent City Cultural Center.

“They had all of the original designs,” Wier said during a presentation marking the start of a project to improve ADA access to the Cultural Center. “They have refired all of those tile pieces. We have the murals and so it’s just a matter of figuring out where exactly they go in this new design. Most likely they’ll go on the inside of the porte-cochere as that gets revamped. That’s going to be a space that needs to have some art and culture and different things like that.”

The project involves replacing 24 steps that had led to the facility with eight steps and two ramps leading to an entrance plaza from Play and Front streets.

Continue reading Crescent City Council Recap, July 6, 2026 →
Articles, Community News, Economy, Local Government

Though most opposed stricter regulations, Crescent City Councilors call for audit to make sure vacation rental owners are paying their taxes

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Though the city planner said most of Crescent City’s vacation rentals were concentrated on Pebble Beach Drive, Candace Tinkler brought up Gainard Street to illustrate the need for stricter regulations.

According to the mayor pro tem, “every single house that has gone up for sale is flipped” into a short-term rental and there are only “one or maybe two long-term neighbors.” 

But her argument that vacation rentals are changing the character of Crescent City’s neighborhoods didn’t land with her colleagues Monday. One, Councilor Jason Greenough, said there are already laws on the books that address many of her concerns. He also disputed her statement regarding Gainard Street.

Continue reading Though most opposed stricter regulations, Crescent City Councilors call for audit to make sure vacation rental owners are paying their taxes →
Articles, Emergencies

Del Norte County man’s hand is amputated after explosion at Point St. George; girlfriend says they found shiny ball-shaped object in the sand

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Thumbnail photo: Jason Turner is at U.C. Davis Medical Center in Sacramento where he is being treated for injuries sustained after an object exploded in his hand at Point St. George on Sunday. | Photo courtesy of Pamala Ganfield

A Del Norte County man is at a Sacramento hospital after a fireworks explosion on the beach at Point St. George led to the amputation of his left hand. 

Jason Turner was walking the beach with his girlfriend, Pamala Ganfield, on Sunday, putting a few spent fireworks into a pile when they saw a shiny object in the sand. Ganfield said it looked like a bouncy ball with an opening at the end and a nail sticking out of it.

“He went to pick it up — I told him no — and boom, that was it,” Ganfield told Redwood Voice Community News on Tuesday. “I couldn’t see. I couldn’t hear. It sounded like a bomb. I looked over and my boyfriend was on the ground bleeding and his hand was opened up like a banana.”

Continue reading Del Norte County man’s hand is amputated after explosion at Point St. George; girlfriend says they found shiny ball-shaped object in the sand →
Articles, Emergencies

Firework Explosion Seriously Injures Beach-goer at Point St. George Day After ‘Mild’ Holiday

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Though the Del Norte County sheriff called the holiday pretty mild compared to previous Independence Days, his deputies are investigating an explosion that sent one man to the hospital the day after.

The explosion occurred at Point St. George at about 3:50 p.m. Sunday, Del Norte County Undersheriff Devin Perry told Redwood Voice Community News. A couple visiting the beach had been walking along the sand picking up a few spent fireworks and found what appeared to be a silver ball with a screw sticking out of it.

“The female said as soon as the male picked it up it exploded,” Perry said. “There were significant injuries to his hand. He was taken to Sutter and then they (flew) him out to a higher level of care.”

Continue reading Firework Explosion Seriously Injures Beach-goer at Point St. George Day After ‘Mild’ Holiday →
Articles, CC Harbor, Infrastructure, Transportation

CCHD Commissioners Drag Feet On Key Citizens Dock Project-Related Appointments; Project Grants Manager Says Work Won’t Slow

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Thumbnail photo by Jessica Cejnar Andrews

Despite selecting a project manager and a grant manager for the Citizens Dock rebuild and seawall replacement last week, Crescent City Harbor commissioners delayed approving the contract that would allow them to start work.

CCHD Board Chairman Rick Shepherd asked his colleagues to wait until the district’s next regular meeting to consider the contracts between Kimley-Horn and Community System Solutions. 

At a special meeting Friday, Shepherd said he felt the public didn’t have sufficient time to review the proposed agreements. Though he and his colleagues decided to award the grant manager contract to Fair Oaks-based Community System Solutions, Shepherd still had questions about the firm’s role in the overall project.

“There’s still a gray area between grant manager and finance director and having another accountant in between that. That needs to be explained to me,” he said.

Continue reading CCHD Commissioners Drag Feet On Key Citizens Dock Project-Related Appointments; Project Grants Manager Says Work Won’t Slow →
Articles, Community News, Crescent City, Economy, Housing, Infrastructure, Local Government

Crescent City Starts Public Outreach On Second Phase Of Downtown Plan Next Week

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Thumbnail photo: Early concept art of the Redwood Downtown, a mixed-use building that includes residential units planned for 3rd and J streets in Downtown Crescent City. Housing is one of the key components of the city’s Downtown Specific Plan. | Image Courtesy of the City of Crescent City

Don Arambula thinks of Whitefish, Montana as an example of the downtown Crescent City could have in about 20 years.

The Rocky Mountain community, population 7,751 as of the 2020 U.S. Census, is about the same size as Crescent City. It’s isolated, a gateway to a national park and, similar to Crescent City, was “kind of struggling.” 

Arambula, principal planner and urban designer for Portland-based Crandall Arambula PC, said the downtown masterplan his firm developed for Whitefish is comparable to Crescent City’s Downtown Specific Masterplan. 

Continue reading Crescent City Starts Public Outreach On Second Phase Of Downtown Plan Next Week →
Articles, CC Harbor, Crescent City, Economy, Local Government

‘By Spring, You Will Not Recognize This Place’; CCHD Board Approves RV Park Lease With Developer Daniel Dahan

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Thumbnail photo: Bayside RV Park is one of two RV parks that the Crescent City Harbor District is looking to lease to Daniel Dahan, investment manager for BSD Property Management. | Photo by Jessica Cejnar Andrews

Before Crescent City Harbor commissioners approved leasing Redwood Harbor Village to him, Daniel Dahan outlined a timeline that included upgrading the electric system, redoing the parking lot and bringing in homes on wheels.

It will take several months, the developer said, adding that winter rains will likely make installing the septic system impossible. Eight to 10 months will pass before the revitalized RV park is ready to accept visitors, but, Dahan said, his investors are committed to making it a success.

“I promise you that by this spring, you will not recognize this place,” he told commissioners at their meeting June 24.

Continue reading ‘By Spring, You Will Not Recognize This Place’; CCHD Board Approves RV Park Lease With Developer Daniel Dahan →
Articles, CC Harbor, Local Government

Local Activist To Proceed With Harbor Fundraiser Despite Objections From Its Fiscal Officer And One Of Its Commissioners

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Thumbnail photo: Alicia Williams plans to raise money to help the Crescent City Harbor District with its U.S. Department of Agriculture loan by selling items that come from the district’s gift shop and that were donated by other local businesses. | Photo courtesy of Alicia Williams

Two days after he abstained from a vote that gave Alicia Williams the official green light to organize a fundraiser for the Crescent City Harbor District, Commissioner Dan Schmidt aired a series of concerns about her efforts.

Some of his complaints were aimed at the self-described activist and community builder herself who, Schmidt said, frequently attacks the harbor and its commissioners and staff as well as members of the public. She also goes beyond the three minutes allowed for public comment, Schmidt said.

“We can’t seem to shut her up,” he said at a special meeting Friday, prompting Williams to call him a misogynist pig.

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Arts & Culture, Community News, Crescent City

Art Scene: Art in Public Places, Community Drum Circle

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Here are this week’s Arts Notes from the Del Norte Association of Cultural Awareness (DNACA):

  • On display until July 9: As part of its Art in Public Places Program, DNACA presents Flora, Fauna and Omah– a collection of mixed media art by artist Jim Hooper. View his collection at the Del Norte County Courthouse, 450 H St. in Crescent City. The courthouse is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
  • On display until July 9: DNACA presents A Solo Exhibit by Georgia Cockerham at the Del Norte County Airport, 1650 Dale Rupert Rd. in Crescent City. The author and artist’s collection of watercolor artwork can be viewed on the second-floor mezzanine of the airport. 
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Articles, Education, Infrastructure

DNUSD Faces Daunting Task Of Updating Surveillance System Hardware, Software Amid Skyrocketing Tech Costs

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Thumbnail photo courtesy of DNUSD Communications Director Michael Hawkins

Ryan Bahten summed up a setback to Del Norte Unified School District’s new system for monitoring emergencies in real time using its surveillance cameras with one word: RAMageddon.

DNUSD’s Information Network Services director said that in order for the district’s new ActiveNet system to work efficiently, the network video recorders at each school site need replacing. But the current skyrocketing costs in memory chips — driven, Bahten says, by the prevalence of artificial intelligence — means that won’t be cheap.

“Dell, as an example, will only give us a quote for six days on a server because every six days they expect pricing increases,” Bahten told trustees Thursday, describing 30-to-50% increases in technology costs month over month. “Right now, today, if I was to buy an NVR, we’re probably looking at anywhere from $35,000 to $40,000 per unit for that one box. But, unfortunately, we’re at a point where what we have is failing out there for our security camera hardware.”

Continue reading DNUSD Faces Daunting Task Of Updating Surveillance System Hardware, Software Amid Skyrocketing Tech Costs →

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