Articles, Economy

Bang for more buck: July 4th fireworks price is up due to tariffs, Chamber director says

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Thumbnail photo courtesy of the Crescent City-Del Norte County Chamber of Commerce

To some Del Norters, President Trump’s tariffs may be a political talking point, but a representative of the local visitors bureau says they’ve made this year’s July 4th fireworks more expensive.

The price tag for the community’s fireworks increased to $39,800 from last year’s costs of $36,000, according to Crescent City-Del Norte County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Cindy Vosburg. She declined to mention the president’s name, but said after he began implementing tariffs last spring, she contacted Pyro Spectaculars, the family-owned San Francisco-based company that’s created the local professional display for the past 25 years.

“For many years it was $30,000 and then three years ago they had to increase their prices,” Vosburg told Redwood Voice Community News, adding that the cost rose to about $36,000. “But then this year, it was a 10% increase because of the tariffs.”

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Articles, Infrastructure, Local Government

Del Norte County Board of Supervisors Recap, March 10, 2026

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Among the items discussed at Tuesday’s Del Norte County Board of Supervisors meeting:

Funding for EOC: 

Del Norte County staff plans to seek $2 million in fiscal year 2027 Congressionally Directed Spending money to establish an emergency operations center, Assistant County Administrative Officer Randy Hooper said.

County staff is looking at converting the manual arts building near the Flynn Administrative Center, according to Hooper, and would renovate the former gymnasium into a “hardened purpose-built EOC.” It would also house the Del Norte County Office of Emergency Services as well as be a “public safety answering point” or dispatch center, according to Hooper’s staff report.

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Articles, Elections, Local Government

Del Norte Election Lineup Set For June Primary

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Thumbnail image by Dwight Burdette via Wikimedia Commons. Creative Commons license.

Del Norte County voters will cast a ballot for two contested local races on June 2.

Incumbents Chris Howard and Joey Borges will each face challenges to their District 3 and District 4 seats on the Board of Supervisors, County Clerk-Recorder Alissia Northrup told Redwood Voice Community News.

The deadline to submit election paperwork was 5 p.m. Friday.

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Articles, Crescent City, Infrastructure, Local Government

Crescent City Planning Commissioner Says She Was Barred From Commenting On Housing Development

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Above: A 14-unit townhouse development is under construction on 708 J Street in Crescent City. | Image courtesy of the City of Crescent City.
Thumbnail: Crescent City Planning Commissioner Shawna Hyatt spoke before the City Council on March 2. | Screenshot

A Crescent City planning commissioner whose home and business are near Sam Schauerman’s 14-unit townhouse development says she was barred from making public comment at a recent meeting.

Shawna Hyatt is accusing city staff of directly swaying the outcome of a Planning Commission decision on Feb. 12 approving the architectural design review of the townhouse development at 708 J Street. 

She said that City Attorney Martha Rice emailed her after the meeting, stating that she was in error and apologizing. But Hyatt says what occurred isn’t an isolated incident.

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Articles, Community News

Crescent City, Del Norte Preparing For ‘Pause’ In CDBG Program; Funding Supports CASA, Senior Nutrition, Pacific Pantry

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Thumbnail image: Marina MacNeil and Dominique Richcreek, staff members at Pacific Pantry, visited Smith River in this photo from September 2024 with the pantry’s mobile market. Pacific Pantry is supported through CDBG funding from the city. | Photo by Jessica Cejnar Andrews

Though her organization’s main funding source, the Community Development Block Grant, is set to pause for two years, Christine Slette said she’s not totally freaking out.

With a year and a half left of its 2024 allotment, Court Appointed Special Advocates of Del Norte may be OK, its executive director told Redwood Voice Community News on Thursday. But if CASA is unable to renew its application in 2026, the number of foster youth its volunteers work with will decrease, Slette said.

“It feels like we have to spend more time fundraising and doing grant management than we do serving the children,” she said. “It’s frustrating. But we have such an amazing community (that) always steps up and helps us through tough times. But it’s a strain and it’s so unfortunate.”

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Articles, Community News, Crime

Former Airport Director’s Home Burgled Before His Family’s Cross-Country Move

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Thumbnail image courtesy of GoFundMe

Updated at 7:33 p.m. Friday to remove the address.

Ryan Cooley has begun a new chapter in his career, but he hopes his friends and former neighbors can help right a wrong that occurred just before he and his family left Del Norte County.

Cooley, the former Border Coast Regional Airport Authority director, said the home he and his family rented on Joaquin Street was burgled. The perpetrators forced open a sliding glass door and made off with everything they were going to take to their new home in Keene, New Hampshire.

“Specifically clothes, laptops, birth certificates that were in our safe, our marriage license, a longboard (and) cash that was in the safe for vehicle delivery. Even toothbrushes and razors,” Cooley told Redwood Voice Community News via text message on Thursday.

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Articles, Crescent City, Local Government

Crescent City Council Recap, March 2, 2026

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Thumbnail photo courtesy of Andrew Goff

Among the items discussed at Monday’s Crescent City Council meeting.

Swimming Pool Score Board:

Recreation Director Kelly Feola looked to Medford’s Rogue X aqua center to show Crescent City Councilors what the new LED display will look like at the Fred Endert Municipal Pool.

With the Crescent City Swim Club spearheading the purchase, the new Colorado Timing System and digital score board will enable them to hold professional meets, Feola said. She also envisioned using the display for movie nights and, potentially, a Del Norte High School swim club. 

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Articles, Crescent City, Infrastructure, Local Government

(UPDATED) Crescent City’s Sewer Plant Needs $50 Million Upgrade, City Manager Says

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Thumbnail: Crescent City has five, up to 10, years to bring its wastewater treatment plant up to date, City Manager Eric Wier said. | Photo by James Brooks

Updated at 10 a.m. Thursday to make some corrections. Crescent City hasn’t been under a cease and desist order since 2011 and it didn’t receive a cease and desist order in August, though it was fined. City Manager Eric Wier also said that the rotating biological contactors aren’t able to meet the stricter NPDES standards on total Coliform.

Crescent City Manager Eric Wier blamed aging infrastructure and stricter pollutant discharge limits for the $228,000 fine the cease and desist order the sewer plant received last August.

But he differed from a member of the public who argued that the city’s 76 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit violations were due to new connections.

The sewer plant can meet new NPDES permit requirements governing total Coliform bacteria limits during dry weather, the city manager told Councilors on Monday. When it storms, however, the plant’s rotating biological contactors — equipment installed in the 1970s — are overwhelmed can’t produce effluent that complies with those stricter standards, he said.

Continue reading (UPDATED) Crescent City’s Sewer Plant Needs $50 Million Upgrade, City Manager Says →
Articles, Education, Infrastructure, Local Government

DNUSD Board Wary Of $5 million SitelogIQ Solar Array Proposal, Urge Superintendent To Pursue Financing Options For Discussion

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Thumbnail photo: SitelogIQ says a solar array near Bess Maxwell Elementary School could offset energy costs for six Del Norte Unified School District facilities. | Image courtesy of SitelogIQ

Local education officials expressed misgivings about a SitelogIQ proposal to install a solar array near Bess Maxwell Elementary School.

They didn’t shoot the proposal down. But they raised concerns about the $5 million price tag, especially after Del Norte County Unified School District Superintendent Jeff Harris said without a $1 million federal rebate, “it makes zero sense to move forward.”

After SitelogIQ representatives outlined their proposal at a Jan. 22 study session, the Board of Trustees had asked Harris to return with potential financing options. On Thursday, the superintendent said the firm had options for the school district that they wanted to discuss, but he wasn’t sure what they were yet. 

Continue reading DNUSD Board Wary Of $5 million SitelogIQ Solar Array Proposal, Urge Superintendent To Pursue Financing Options For Discussion →
Community News

Del Norte Unified School District Recap, Feb. 26, 2026

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Thumbnail photo courtesy of Michael Hawkins. Video by James Brooks

Among the items discussed at Thursday’s Del Norte County Unified School District meeting.

Sign Policy: Parent volunteers at Smith River Elementary School thanked administrators for coming out with a clear policy for installing “non-standard artwork and signage” at DNUSD campuses.

Lauryn Cortez, who is on the school’s parent Local Organizing Committee, said the committee has been working to install a land acknowledgment at the school since April 2025. She thanked Superintendent Jeff Harris and Assistant Superintendent of Education Services Tom Kissinger for being willing to work with her and leaders Amanda O’Connell and Sarah Campbell.

Continue reading Del Norte Unified School District Recap, Feb. 26, 2026 →

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