All posts by Monique Camarena

Articles, Community News, Crescent City, Health

Del Norte Open Door Community Health Center Showcases New State-of-the-Art Mobile Clinic

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Thumbnail, video, and photos by Redwood Voice Reporter Aisling Bludworth.

Del Norte Open Door Community Health Center showcased their new state-of-the-art Mobile Clinic to the community at an open house on February 12th.

With a history of mobile services spanning over 50 years, Open Door’s newest addition is providing outreach in Del Norte County, with a current focus on the homeless community. Funded through the Health Resources and Services Administration-American Rescue Plan Act grant, anyone is able to walk into this mobile clinic and receive medical care.

Continue reading Del Norte Open Door Community Health Center Showcases New State-of-the-Art Mobile Clinic →
Articles, Community News, Local Government

Crescent City Council Moves Forward with Preferred 2025 Downtown Farmers & Artisans Market Location

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Thumbnail photo courtesy of Del Norte & Tribal Lands Community Food Council.

The Wednesday farmers market will be under new management and in a new home when the season starts this June.

Crescent City councilors gave their blessing to the Del Norte and Tribal Lands Community Food Council to move the Downtown Farmers & Artisans Market to the old Bank of America parking lot at 2nd and H streets for the 2025 season.

“I just want to encourage everybody that in the Bank of America parking lot, there is great potential, great growth for that farmers market,” said Cristina’s Mexican Restaurant owner Claudia Hooper, who was a neighbor to its previous 3rd and K street location. “And an opportunity for a lot of people, who we don’t necessarily think of, that will be able to use that farmers market.”

During the start of its 2024 season, the downtown market, then operated by the Downtown Divas, was set up at the parking lot adjacent to the Del Norte County Library at Front and K streets. But due to the active construction along Front Street, the Divas determined it could no longer continue in that location, according to the city staff report. 

Continue reading Crescent City Council Moves Forward with Preferred 2025 Downtown Farmers & Artisans Market Location →
Articles, Arts & Culture, Crescent City

Roadside Art Collection Remains in Safekeeping with the City of Crescent City

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Inside the former Bank of America building on H Street in Crescent City resides an abundant collection of abstract mixed media paintings and sculptures by Ukrainian artist Val Polyanin. In 2022, the city became responsible for over 900 pieces of Polyanin’s art. Polyanin donated his collection to the city for safekeeping after rising rent costs forced him to abandon his roadside gallery alongside U.S. 101 south of town.

After debating whether or not to accept the donation, city councilors eventually agreed to allocate $10,000 out of their economic development fund toward obtaining his collection and curating the exhibit.

In May of 2023, the city held a grand opening for this exhibit, aptly named “Safekeeping,” for “First Friday”. These events, organized in conjunction with the Downtown Divas, are designed to draw traffic to local businesses in the downtown area and stimulate economic activity.

Redwood Voice Youth Media had initially been enlisted by the city to produce a short documentary film to be played on loop at this art exhibit. This video detailed Val Polyanin’s background, journey to America, and passion for artistic freedom.

Continue reading Roadside Art Collection Remains in Safekeeping with the City of Crescent City →
Articles, Crescent City

Beyond Waste Salvage Yard/Gabriel Machinery Catches Fire

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On Tuesday morning, at around 8:30am, a fire broke out at the location of the Beyond Waste Salvage Yard/Gabriel Machinery, on the 2600 Block of Lake Earl Drive at the north end of Crescent City. 

The fire was started just outside of the building on its southeast side, according to a conversation with Battalion Chief of Crescent City Fire & Rescue Darrin Short.

Continue reading Beyond Waste Salvage Yard/Gabriel Machinery Catches Fire →
Arts & Culture, In Media Res, Just For Fun, Videos

My Experience at Meadowlark Comic Con 2024!

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On the last weekend of July, fans of all things pop culture made their way to Meadowlark Comic Con in sunny Medford, OR! Redwood Voice’s Monique Camarena was on the ground to experience MLCC herself, and find out why others fans like her enjoy events like these. See if you can name all the cosplays in the video!

To find out more about the vendors, guests, and fun at Meadowlark Comic Con, visit https://www.meadowlarkcomiccon.com/

The same people who run MLCC are also putting on Ani-Medford, which is coming up on September 21-22, 2024! To find out all the details, visit https://www.ani-medford.com/

Here’s Monique’s recap of last year’s Ani-Medford!

Arts & Culture, Crescent City, Just For Fun, Videos

The Fun Was With Me At FOREST MOON FESTIVAL 2024!

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On the last weekend of May, Humboldt and Del Norte Counties got their lightsabers, Leia buns, and Baby Yoda ears out for the Forest Moon Festival! In its 2nd year running, this festival was all about celebrating the history between our Redwoods and the Endor scenes from the finale of the OG Star Wars trilogy, Return of the Jedi, and getting to show off some geekiness here and there too!

Redwood Voice’s Monique Camarena was on the ground to see what was going on at this Endor-inspired event, and find out why this movie makes Crescent City feel a little more special!

To find out more about the Forest Moon Festival, visit https://forestmoonfestival.org/index.html

Some photos used in this video are from the Crescent City CA-City Hall & Forest Moon Festival Facebook pages. Check them out!
– https://www.facebook.com/CrescentCityCA
– https://www.facebook.com/ForestMoonFestival

Environment, Videos

Klamath Promise Neighborhood: Seed to Supper Workshop Series

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On March 21, the Del Norte and Adjacent Tribal Lands Community Food Council hosted the first class of their Seed to Supper Workshop Series. Through this in-person class, a handy guidebook, and 2 hands-on classes held at the Crescent City Food Forest, participants learn about each step of the vegetable gardening process in a matter of 6 weeks!

This workshop was taught by both Master Gardener Angela Gray and DNATL Community Food Council Program Manager Iya Mahan, who invited gardeners of all shades of thumb into the Family Resource Center of the Redwoods to go through Chapter 1 of the guidebook.

Redwood Voice’s Monique Camarena and Ethan Caudill-DeRego covered the first class of the series!

Thank you Iya and Angela for talking to us throughout the KPN Celebration week! To find out what the Community Food Council is doing next, visit: https://www.dnatlfood.com/

To learn from the Seed to Supper Workshop online, you can find all the resources on: https://www.dnatlfood.com/seed-to-supper-resources.html

Other resources that Angela mentioned:

Just For Fun

He’s Going the Extra Mile for Mental Health! – Q&A with A Walking Testimony

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It’s not everyday that someone takes on a challenge for an important cause. But when they do, the world becomes inspired and is happy that it followed that person’s journey!

After years in and out of prison and addiction, Kyndal Ray Edwards (aka A Walking Testimony) was moved to change his lifestyle, and go on a journey-walking across America for mental health awareness and recovery.

This is Redwood Voice’s Monique Camarena here. While Kyndal was passing through, I got to ask him about his experiences so far, and from those experiences, what youth, specifically, could do to recover from addiction and help their mental health.

A Walking Testimony’s Social Medias:

Community News

E.P.I.C. and Del Norte’s Listening Session on Poverty

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Poverty in California has many facets, some institutional, some historical, but what poverty essentially is, is the lack of something, something important and vital. Poverty in Del Norte County means the lack of access. Access to affordable housing, childcare, healthcare, and healthier food options. And like the rest of California, not everyone cares about the people who are affected by this lack.

But there are others who care deeply. Here’s Redwood Voice’s Monique Camarena’s report on EPIC, a non-profit organization who aims to End Poverty In California, and what they discussed at a listening session held in Crescent City.

Check out EPIC here:
• https://endpovertyinca.org/
• https://www.facebook.com/EndPovertyCA/

Big thank you to EPIC for letting us interview them, and True North Organizing Network for inviting us to the Listening Session on Poverty earlier in September!

Community News

All About the WILD RIVERS FILM FESTIVAL 2023

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A very special event is coming to Brookings, Oregon this week! Grab some popcorn and take a seat at the first annual Wild Rivers Film Festival, from August 17 to the 20th! Redwood Voice’s Monique Camarena asked Sue Wright, a board member of the Wild Rivers Film Festival, about what you can watch, what to expect, and why independent cinema made in our area is so important!

For the full schedule of film showings, visit https://www.wildriversfilmfestival.com/