Category Archives: Crescent City

Kamchatka Tsunami May Have Caused More Damage to Crescent City Harbor Than Thought, Assessment Continues

Thumbnail photo: Crescent City Harbor and Pacific Power staff assess damage done to H Dock from a series of tsunami surges spawned by an 8.8 earthquake near the Kamchatka Peninsula. | Photo by Heather Polen.

Crescent City Harbormaster Mike Rademaker said a series of tsunami surges that swept into the inner boat basin may have caused “closer to $1 million” in damage on Wednesday.

H Dock bore the brunt of the energy, Rademaker said, but the concrete structure of the docks are “mostly still in good shape.”

“The metal connecting plates are sheared all over,” he said via text message just after noon on Wednesday, “and the 1.5 inch electric cabling will have to be completely replaced.”

Continue reading Kamchatka Tsunami May Have Caused More Damage to Crescent City Harbor Than Thought, Assessment Continues

Del Norte County Weathers Tsunami With Minimal Damage; CCHD’s H Dock Did Its Job, Harbormaster Says

Thumbnail photo: The National Weather Service noted surge of 3.6 feet at about 4 a.m. Wednesday, enough to generate minor coastal flooding and inundation. | Image courtesy of the National Weather Service

The Crescent City Harbor District’s sacrificial dock did its job, taking the brunt of the energy spawned by a series of tsunami surges that arrived early Wednesday morning.

No injuries were reported from the tsunami, which occurred following a magnitude 8.8 earthquake off the east coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, Harbormaster Mike Rademaker said during a community briefing at about 8 a.m. Wednesday. But H Dock sustained significant damage.

“At approximately 2:40 a.m. we noticed a surge of water several feet in height,” he said. “That caused the decking of H Dock to lift along its pilings. As the water level rose, the decking lodged on the pilings and was eventually submerged, [which] resulted in major structural failure and the complete separation of the dock.” 

Continue reading Del Norte County Weathers Tsunami With Minimal Damage; CCHD’s H Dock Did Its Job, Harbormaster Says

US Army Corps To Install New Warning Signs, Gate on the Crescent City Jetty

Thumbnail photo by Amanda Dockter

If it wasn’t already obvious that the Crescent City jetty isn’t the safest place to explore, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to double down on that message.

But it won’t be through allowing local law enforcement to issue citations, City Manager Eric Wier said Tuesday.

“There were some concerns with the implementation of citations with it being Army Corps property and [in the] sheriff’s jurisdiction,” he told Redwood Voice Community News. “The thought was let’s try to make it as safe as we can and then we’ll see what other avenues are needed.”

Continue reading US Army Corps To Install New Warning Signs, Gate on the Crescent City Jetty

Crescent City Officials Say $2 Million Grant Will Complete Tolowa Interpretive Trail

Thumbnail photo: A $2 million grant from the Mellon Foundation will allow Crescent City to finish the Tolowa Interpretive Trail, city officials said Wednesday. | Screenshot

Crescent City received a $2 million grant that officials say will extend the Tolowa Cultural Trail in Beachfront Park to Battery Point where many Tolowa were imprisoned in the 1850s.

Councilors unanimously accepted the grant from the Mellon Foundation at a special meeting Wednesday. They also approved an agreement with T.B. Penick & Sons Inc. to install lithomosaic basket patterns at the entrance to the visitor center and as a welcome to the Tolowa Cultural Trail.

T.B. Penick & Sons will also create a special lithomosaic pebble pattern at the Tolowa Cultural Trail welcome station, City Manager Eric Wier said.

Continue reading Crescent City Officials Say $2 Million Grant Will Complete Tolowa Interpretive Trail

Crescent City Fire Celebrates 125 Years; Council Approves Reserve Officer Program; Beach Fires Revisited

Thumbnail photo: Crescent City Fire and Rescue held its annual Fourth of July water ball tournament on Friday. | Photo courtesy of Crescent City Fire and Rescue

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

Crescent City Fire & Rescue’s 125th anniversary: 

After his dad, Rich Wier, accepted a proclamation from the mayor commemorating the local fire department’s 125 years of service, City Manager Eric Wier urged people to take a look through the fire station windows.

“You’ll be able to see some of this legacy,” Wier said. “You’ll be able to see the pictures of the chiefs on the wall and there’s only six — six in 125 years. You’ll be able to see an old fire pump that actually has the two handles where you had the firemen on either side pumping from a cistern. We’re talking 1900 protecting this community. It really says a lot when you say the heart and soul of this is the volunteers.”

Continue reading Crescent City Fire Celebrates 125 Years; Council Approves Reserve Officer Program; Beach Fires Revisited

Crescent City Starts Search For Local HR Professional

Crescent City councilors backed a proposal to recruit local human resources professionals rather than continuing to rely on a third-party consultant after their city manager called the current arrangement effective but not ideal.

The city has had a contract with a Sacramento-based human resources provider following a resignation in December 2023, City Manager Eric Wier said. While that provider was able to meet the city’s HR needs, Wier said the distance proved challenging.

“HR does so many different functions for us as a city,” he said. “Employee relations and having the employees have the ability to go to that person and ask questions about the various HR topics that they might have and having that relationship is very important.”

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Crescent City Uses Local Contractor To Replace Swimming Pool Roof

Thumbnail photo courtesy of Andrew Goff

Crescent City is turning to Red Sky Roofing to fix the seagull problem at the Fred Endert Municipal Pool.

Four month after Public Works Director Dave Yeager told them that the birds had poked hundreds of pinholes in the roof, councilors unanimously approved a contract with the Crescent City-based business to replace it. According to Yeager, Red Sky will replace the asphalt roof that was installed about a decade ago with a steel seam roof “so we don’t have this problem in 10 years.”

“Hopefully it should last 30 to 50 years,” Yeager told councilors on Monday. “It’s the same material that’s on the Cultural Center [and] it’s the same on the wastewater treatment plant.”

Continue reading Crescent City Uses Local Contractor To Replace Swimming Pool Roof

CCPD Investigating Human Remains Found Near Cooper Hill To Rule Out Homicide

An investigation is underway to rule out homicide after human remains were found near Cooper Avenue and J Street in Crescent City on Wednesday.

Crescent City Police Chief Richard Griffin said the body of a male subject was found about 200 feet into the brush toward the cemetery. The subject had been wearing a hospital bracelet, Griffin said. Officers are working with the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office Coroner to identify the individual, Griffin told Redwood Voice Community News.

There was also evidence that animals had disturbed the body, Griffin said.

Continue reading CCPD Investigating Human Remains Found Near Cooper Hill To Rule Out Homicide

Crescent City Fire, Police Chiefs Discuss Independence Day Game Plan

Crescent City Fire Chief Kevin Carey said his department will be the eyes for law enforcement as the community seeks to curtail illegal fireworks this Fourth of July.

Speaking to the City Council via Zoom on Monday, Carey said he expects to have 25 volunteers and five of his battalion chiefs on duty. The fire department will divide its efforts into north, central and south divisions and plan with the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office, Crescent City Police Department and Del Norte Ambulance in case there are any large emergencies.

“We will be out and about doing patrols and following up on reports and smoke incidents,” Carey said. “And we’ll be reporting that to the PD and deputies as we need to do so we can produce a more safe Fourth of July in our area.”

Continue reading Crescent City Fire, Police Chiefs Discuss Independence Day Game Plan

Crescent City Expands Downtown Masterplan Project Despite Federal Grant Uncertainty

Thumbnail photo: Don Arambula, of the urban design and architect firm Crandall Arambula, gave councilors an idea of what a master plan for Downtown Crescent City might look like. | Screenshot

Crescent City leaders are expanding the scope of a downtown master plan project to include work at Lighthouse Cove RV Park, though the federal grant they’re relying on for the endeavor is currently in limbo.

Crescent City was conditionally awarded $186,000 in Economic Development Administration grant dollars, but can’t move forward with the project assuming that it’ll get those funds, City Manager Eric Wier said Monday.

However, the city can use its contribution for the EDA grant to proceed with the master plan, Wier said. 

“If EDA comes through in the next several months as we’re working on that, then our grant match still counts and we just get the EDA funding and we can continue to move forward,” he said. “Worst case scenario is EDA comes back and says, ‘We’re sorry that money’s no longer available.’ At that point in time our grant match doesn’t count as a grant match anymore. It would be us putting forward economic development dollars to pay for phase one.”

Continue reading Crescent City Expands Downtown Masterplan Project Despite Federal Grant Uncertainty