Category Archives: CC Harbor

Articles, CC Harbor, Community News, Infrastructure, Local Government

Harbor’s Latest Development Plan Includes Tree-Lined Thoroughfares, Plazas And, Eventually, An Amphitheater

April 11, 2025 Jessica Cejnar Andrews Leave a comment

_{Photo by Paul Critz}

Chris Williams unveiled a future Crescent City Harbor he says will draw people in and provide economic benefit for everyone in the area.

Williams, planning director for Irvine-based TCA Architects, imagined a tree-lined Starfish Way as the port’s main thoroughfare featuring breweries, wine tasting and places to rent kayaks or charter whale watching tours. There were grand entrances, plazas with restaurants and retailers, a concert venue at Whaler Island and bungalows for rent near two expanded RV parks.

But frequent public commenter Sandy Moreno pointed out that the Crescent Harbor Vision Plan that Williams presented to the Board of Commissioners on Wednesday was the latest in a series of attempts to develop the harbor over the past two decades.

“We are a population of 7,000 people,” Moreno said. “And I don’t know what our poverty level is, but I think there are some very wealthy places in our area, but there are a lot of poor places in our area. We are reliant on tourism and, because nine months out of the year we don’t have tourism, I wonder how feasible this plan is really.”

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Articles, CC Harbor, Community News, Local Government

Rademaker Continues To Captain The Crescent City Harbor Ship, Gets A Raise

April 11, 2025 Jessica Cejnar Andrews Leave a comment

_{Thumbnail photo by Amanda Dockter}

Mike Rademaker will continue as Crescent City’s harbormaster for at least another three months.

Four members of the Harbor District Board of Commissioners approved a three-month contract with Rademaker. Vice Chair Annie Nehmer dissented, later telling Redwood Voice Community News that the agreement included a raise despite commissioners’ not being fully aware of the port’s current financial situation.

“It is my concern with everything,” she said. “We haven’t been presented with financials in over a month. And when presented with financials, we haven’t been presented with a semi-annual budget.”

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Articles, CC Harbor, Community News, Law, Local Government

Though He’ll Enforce State Law, Sheriff Advises Harbor District To Hold Off On Administrative Fines For Illegal Fireworks This Year

March 28, 2025 Jessica Cejnar Andrews Leave a comment

_{Thumbnail: Illegal fireworks on South Beach rivaled professional display Crescent City put on near the North Jetty in this July 4, 2018 photo | Photo by Jessica Cejnar Andrews}

Crescent City Harbor commissioners on Wednesday broke off pursuit of an agreement with the county enabling them to levy fines aimed at curtailing illegal fireworks within their jurisdiction, taking advice from their harbormaster and, through him, the Del Norte County Sheriff.

Sheriff Garrett Scott said his deputies and officers from other agencies will still enforce state law prohibiting fireworks that explode, go into the air and move erratically on the ground this Independence Day. This includes citing and arresting anyone selling, displaying or possessing illegal fireworks in violation of the California Penal Code as well as confiscating dangerous fireworks.

He said he also wanted to see how his office handles enforcing Del Norte County’s new fireworks ordinance, which was established in October and also includes a fee structure.

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Articles, CC Harbor, Community News, Local Government

Harbor Commissioners Green Light County Collaboration Over Fireworks

March 13, 2025 Jessica Cejnar Andrews Leave a comment

_{Thumbnail photo by Jessica Cejnar Andrews}

(Updated at 3:05 p.m. Thursday to correct the date of the Harbor District’s most recent meeting. Commissioners met on Wednesday.)

Eight months after a fireworks explosion sent 14 people to the hospital, Crescent City Harbor commissioners took official steps to try to curb the bedlam that spills over into their jurisdiction every Independence Day.

After learning that Del Norte County wouldn’t enforce its fireworks ordinance within the Harbor District without a memorandum of understanding, three commissioners approved a resolution ~~Tuesday~~ Wednesday authorizing the proposed agreement. But instead of calling for a ban on all fireworks, they decided that the safe and sane variety should be allowed in the marina while requiring a $5 fee for parking at the harbor.

Commissioners Dan Schmidt and Gerhard Weber voted against the proposed resolution.

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Articles, CC Harbor, Community News, Crescent City

Instead of Establishing Their Own Regulations, Crescent City Harbor Plans To Ask County to Modify Its Fireworks Ordinance

February 21, 2025 Jessica Cejnar Andrews Leave a comment

_{Thumbnail photo by Jessica Cejnar Andrews}

Though he anticipates room for improvement, Del Norte County Sheriff Garrett Scott says there will be enhanced law enforcement on patrol to avoid a repeat of last year’s explosion that sent 14 people to the hospital.

But while Scott and a committee of other local officials continue to prepare for this year’s Independence Day festivities, the Crescent City Harbor commissioners have decided they don’t have the resources to enforce their own fireworks regulations.

Though Harbormaster Mike Rademaker submitted a draft ordinance modeled on the State Fireworks Law to the Harbor District Board, commissioners on Tuesday directed staff to ask Del Norte County officials to modify the ordinance they’ve had on the books since October.

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Articles, CC Harbor, Community News, Infrastructure

Trump’s Freeze on EPA Grants Forces Crescent City Harbor Officials To Pursue Other Funding Options For Boatyard

February 20, 2025 Jessica Cejnar Andrews Leave a comment

_{The Crescent City Harbor District was pursuing an EPA Climate Change grant to revitalize its boatyard following Fashion Blacksmith’s departure. | Photo by Gavin Van Alstine}

Crescent City Harbor commissioners say revitalizing the port’s boatyard is still among their top priorities, though the federal grant they hoped to use for the project isn’t likely to arrive.

The Crescent City Harbor District had applied for a $20 million Environmental Protection Agency Climate Change grant. Officials planned to use $13 million of those funds to pay for dredging, new equipment and boat haul-out and pier improvements.

Other proposed uses included securing a long-term source of ice for the fishing fleet and hiring new staff to spearhead construction projects at the harbor.

But, due to a Trump administration decision, that EPA grant program will likely end, Mike Bahr, CEO of Community System Solutions told commissioners on Tuesday.

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Articles, CC Harbor, Community News

Harbor District Will Consider Fireworks Regulations

February 17, 2025 Jessica Cejnar Andrews Leave a comment

_{Photo by Jessica Cejnar Andrews}

A new set of Crescent City Harbor commissioners on Tuesday will discuss a fireworks ordinance that proposes the same fines Del Norte County adopted in a similar ordinance last year.

The proposed regulations regarding fireworks come after 14 people, including a 3-year-old boy, were injured in an explosion that took place on South Beach last Fourth of July.

According to the Harbor District’s staff report, the ordinance follows a model ordinance the California State Fire Marshal issued. Adopting the ordinance will allow the Harbor District to regulate the possession, sale, use, storage and display of fireworks within its jurisdiction.

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Articles, CC Harbor, Community News, Economy

Ocean Gold Seafood Gets Hoist Lease, Promises To Reopen Crescent City Ice Plant

February 17, 2025 Jessica Cejnar Andrews Leave a comment

_{Photo by Paul Critz}

Crescent City Harbor commissioners are holding a Westport, Washington-based seafood buyer to its promise to reopen the ice plant Pacific Seafood shuttered in October.

The Harbor District last week entered into lease agreements with Ocean Gold Seafoods to operate hoists on Citizens Dock and to produce ice locally. If the company fails to reopen the plant within six months, the Harbor District will consider that a default of its lease, Interim Harbormaster Mike Rademaker told Redwood Voice Community News on Feb. 10.

“This gives us the confidence the commitment will be fulfilled,” he said via email. “Restoring essential ice production is critical to maintaining the quality of our local seafood as it reaches the marketplace.”

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Articles, CC Harbor, Community News, Economy

CCHD Court Washington-Based Seafood Buyers Though Space On Citizens Dock Is Limited

January 28, 2025 Jessica Cejnar Andrews Leave a comment

_{Thumbnail: Crescent City Harbor commissioners are working with two seafood buyers who hope to lease hoists on Citizens Dock. | Photo courtesy of the Crescent City Harbor District}

Crescent City Harbor commissioners are hoping to accommodate two Washington-based seafood buyers who submitted competing letters of intent to take over hoists Global Quality Foods had operated on Citizens Dock.

Commissioner Rick Shepherd, a long-time commercial fisherman, told representatives with Fathom Seafoods, of Tacoma, and Ocean Gold Seafoods, of Westport, that he hoped they could split the two hoists Global Quality Foods once operated.

“That would be the ultimate,” he said last week. “And it would only be for this winter and maybe next winter and the winter after next. Then you would [have] a permanent hoist with trucks being able to go right up to it. A state-of-the-art hoist on land instead of out on the dock.”

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Articles, CC Harbor, Community News, Infrastructure

CCHD Commissioners Allow Pacific Seafood To Keep Hoist, Building Leases Despite Ice Plant Controversy

January 28, 2025 Jessica Cejnar Andrews Leave a comment

_{Thumbnail: Harbor Commissioners last week decided against terminating hoist and building leases with Pacific Seafood despite the company’s decision in October to cease operating the ice plant. | Photo by Paul Critz}

Though they terminated one buyer’s lease due to delinquent rent, Crescent City Harbor commissioners decided against doing the same for Pacific Seafood despite their harbormaster’s concerns with the way they’ve conducted business lately.

In his staff report, Harbormaster Mike Rademaker had recommended terminating the processor’s building and hoist leases due to delinquent rent. At a Harbor District meeting last week, he said Pacific Seafood submitted a $43,000 check, thereby “curing the default,” but he still had concerns.

For one thing, the harbormaster said, the processor isn’t using one of the three hoists it leases. There’s a stipulation in their hoist lease with the Harbor District that 14-days of non-use could be viewed as breaching their contract. Rademaker also brought up Pacific Seafood’s decision in October to cease operating the ice plant at the end of Citizens Dock. The processor pulled their equipment out of the building in November.

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