(VIDEO) Eureka Mayor Susan Seaman’s Friday Address

This is a press release from the City of Eureka:

Hello. I’m Mayor Susan Seaman.  As I’ve mentioned in my previous communications, the City of Eureka is working diligently to support the health and well-being of our citizens, our community, and our economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the past few weeks, many of you have been asking what you can do to help. This is a disaster of great magnitude and it is progressing in a way that makes many people feel especially helpless.

But, there are some simple, but incredibly important things, we can all be doing.

1. You’ve heard it before: shelter in place. Don’t go out unless you absolutely have to. While essential work may be required and occasional grocery store trips may be unavoidable, don’t let yourself slip into complacency. Every trip outside of your home and every interpersonal interaction outside of your household dramatically increases the potential for this illness to spread. I’m sure you know by now that even if you aren’t sick, you could be a carrier and unknowingly spread the illness. As this situation progresses and the challenges of staying in place become even more arduous, please continue to do so. You really truly are saving lives.

1. If you do go out, wear a mask. The latest CDC guidance recommends that each of us take steps to cover our face when we are forced to move around in public environments. Put aside your fears of looking silly, strap on the most effective mask you can access even if it’s just a bandanna, and let’s work together to do everything we can to limit the spread of COVID-19 in our community.

1. This is a big one, and it’s REALLY important to our community.  If you haven’t done so, yet, please take the 2020 Census. It only takes a few minutes and your response will impact the funding and resources needed to support our local health clinics, fire departments, schools, and many other fundamental areas that support our quality of life in our community. It is estimated that each person counted brings about $2,000 to the community – so every single person counts!

In Humboldt County, many residences do not have direct mail delivery.  Traditionally, census field workers would visit those households, as well as those that have not yet completed their census forms. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 shelter in place

order, census field work has been postponed.

That makes participation more critical than ever. If Humboldt County isn’t counted properly, we could face decreased funding for schools, health care, and state and federal grants that our community will need during recovery.

If you haven’t yet received and completed your census form, please take a few minutes to tackle this today.

You can take the Census online, at 2020census.gov, or by calling 844-330-2020.

If you want to track our community’s engagement with the census, there is a cool visualization tool available online at publictableau.com.  (https://tabsoft.co/3e8bb4Y)

And, even in this critical time, it’s important that we find ways to celebrate and honor the people that make Eureka special.  I’d like to share two events that are happening this month.

Next week, April 11 – 17th, is the Week of the Young Child. As part of the Children’s Initiative adopted by the City last December, we committed to a plan to create a supportive community for children and families. A pandemic certainly doesn’t change that.

In partnership with several local childcare and educational institutions, we will be offering online encouragement each day of the week – look for our messages with #EurekaWOYC or visit us at “Eureka Honors Week of the Young Child” on Facebook or Instagram.

April is also Arts, Culture, and Creativity Month in California, created to celebrate, inspire and recognize the impact that the creative sectors have on our community.  In challenging times, art can help us cope by providing creative outlets to de-stress, build community, and connect with others.

This would be a great time to visit inkpeople.org to learn more about our own art community. You can read profiles about many of our local artists, learn about the variety of art programs available in our community – and there’s even help for local artists who are struggling through this crisis, made possible by people like you who have donated to the cause. This is a great time to create art for our own well-being, but – for those who can afford it – it’s also the perfect time to buy art online or donate to your favorite art organization.

Finally, I wanted to provide an update related to how the City and County are supporting our community members that are experiencing homelessness.

Humboldt County has received over $600,000 in state assistance that will be deployed in the direction of homeless services.  This includes providing motel rooms for homeless community members who are being tested, or test positive, for COVID-19.  Accordingly, the County has ramped up their efforts to provide COVID-19 screening during Free Meal for symptomatic community members.

Additionally, some of the funding provided by the state will be used for more portable restrooms and hand washing stations – to supplement those that have already been deployed – to ensure safe access to restrooms for everyone in our community.

Again, I’m Mayor Susan Seaman, and I appreciate your attention to this message, and to your commitment to doing everything you can to protect our community.  Be safe, stay healthy, be patient with yourself and kind to your neighbors and family. And, be counted. We’ll talk again soon.