Remote Surveillance Trailer in Eureka, CA

Photos: City of Eureka.

Press release from the City of Eureka:

On Saturday, September 13, 2025 the community celebrated the grand opening of Da’ Yas “Where the Cypress Are” Park located between Buhne St. and W. Henderson St. and between California St. and Union St. The event, hosted by the City of Eureka Community Services Department, featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony, community painted mural, free ice cream, scavenger hunt, games, sports demonstrations, and free bike valet.

The four-acre neighborhood park received a $6.4 million grant from California State Parks, Prop 68 Statewide Parks Program, Round 3. Prior to improvements, the space was largely undeveloped, the condition had visibly deteriorated, and was lacking basic amenities needed to serve the community. The revitalized park now features a custom egret and watershed themed all-inclusive playground, multi-use sports courts, new parking and restrooms, fitness equipment, accessible pathways, grass play area for volleyball and soccer, new plaza on Union St. as well as upgrades to Jacob Haney Ball Field.

Park History

Previously named 20/30 Park, the City of Eureka opened the park in 1953 through the assistance, both financially and physically of the Twenty-Thirty Club of Eureka. Though no longer active in Eureka, the Twenty-Thirty club functioned as a service club for 20-30-year-old men. The park we know today is a direct result of their past investments in supporting city parks and we celebrate their history and impact on our community.

Visionary Planning

The thoughtful park design includes features for all abilities and can be attributed to the brilliant creative minds at Melton Design Group (MDG), the landscape architects behind this project. Based out of Chico, CA, MDG worked with the community to transform a blank slate into a community asset that beautifully blends artful form and functionality. Every design element was intentional, from curving pathways to connect all aspects of the park to sight lines for parents that allow clear visibility whether children are on the little league field or on the playground, and inclusive access to play pieces such as wheel devices being able to roll directly onto the playground structure. Custom made by Landscape Structures for this park project, the egret playground is one of a kind and does not exist anywhere else in the world. The egret emerged as the park’s central symbol, reflecting its widespread presence in the local environment. This careful attention to detail and innovation not only creates a visually appealing park, but also ensures it serves the diverse needs of the community for years to come.

A local community member said, “This park is a wonderful addition to our neighborhood. We are grateful to be able to be within walking distance to the park. It is ADA accessible for my son and all the other kiddos with special healthcare needs. We have been four times in the past week. It was needed for our neighborhood. There are a lot of grateful families, thank you!”

Renaming With the park slated to receive major improvements, an opportunity was provided to consult the community about the park’s identity. The first renaming survey shared information about the origin of the park and its current name. A majority of respondents supported renaming the park. Survey respondents were also provided the opportunity to suggest possible names. The majority of the respondents expressed a desire for the park to have a Wiyot name. In consultation with the Wiyot Tribe, a list of possible park names was provided translated into Soulatluk. The final renaming decision was placed in the hands of Eureka’s residents. By survey, the community chose Da’ Yas Park - “Where the Cypress Are”.

A New Era

The park welcomed over 1,000 visitors from the community during the Grand Opening party. HumBubbles, a group of local volunteers, brought a magical touch to the park with bubbles. Local muralist, Mir De Silva, led a collaborative paint-by-number mural on the restroom, allowing community members to leave their mark by painting their own section. The Coalition for Responsible Transportation, offered a free bike valet service to ensure all who biked to the park had a safe place to leave their bike. Local sports leagues, Humboldt Soccer and Humboldt Hockey, performed sports demonstrations of futsal and roller hockey on the multi-sport court attracting many enthusiastic spectators.

Robin Praszker, Project Manager, said, “This unprecedented level of investment in our city parks system marks a transformative moment for both the immediate neighborhood and the broader community. Da’ Yas is more than just a park, this is a space for community and connection.”

Tucked among the redwoods of Humboldt County you’ll find the little city of Eureka, California—five hours north of San Francisco, and another seven hours south of Portland, Oregon. Here on the wild northern coast is home to Witness Coffee Roasters, a new coffee company from a former Stumptown employee who set off on his own during the pandemic. Let’s learn more.

As told to Sprudge by Bozant Katzakian.

For those who aren’t familiar, will you tell us about your company?

We’re a 100% plant-based cafe located in Eureka, CA. Witness Coffee Roasters was founded in the summer of 2020 with a simple but meaningful belief: coffee is an invitation to presence. Each cup offers a pause—to witness ourselves, one another, and the world without distraction or judgment.

While we’re not currently roasting in-house, we’re actively looking for a space to bring that part of the vision back to life.

Our founder, Bozant, has been working in specialty coffee since 2015, with experience at Stumptown in both Los Angeles and Chicago. During the pandemic, he began roasting in Topanga, CA, and in 2021, left the LA area in search of a place to open a cafe. After a few years and a handful of detours, he found the right space, tucked among the redwoods of Humboldt County.

Can you tell us a bit about the new space?

The space had been a cafe for nearly 30 years, but it needed a lot of cleaning when we took it over. A full remodel or building something from the ground up wasn’t financially feasible, so we looked for a place we could refresh with some serious cleaning and a thoughtful facelift.

We spent about a month deep cleaning before moving on to sanding, painting, and transforming the atmosphere into something that feels like “dark academia” or a cozy, moody library. It’s designed to be a place where people can hang out, study, socialize, and even put on a record if they’d like.

In the back, there’s a small kitchen where we prepare a simple menu. Due to limited ventilation, we stick to a curated selection of countertop appliances to keep things running smoothly.

What’s your approach to coffee?

We approach coffee from two angles.

First, we focus on simplicity and precision—highlighting the quality of the beans through consistent extraction. Whether it’s drip, single-origin espresso, or pour-over, we aim to let each coffee shine. We’re especially excited by new and experimental processing methods that introduce unexpected flavors and experiences.

The second part of our approach draws from mixology. Bozant spent nearly five years bartending at cocktail-forward bars in New York City, and that background shapes how we think about coffee drinks. While we appreciate a classic vanilla latte, we’re more interested in pushing boundaries—exploring flavor, balance, and technique. You’ll see that in a few of our offerings, like house-made oleo-saccharums, the use of bitters, and a handcrafted orgeat currently in development.

Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?

We use a Mavam Mach 2 on bar, Mazzer espresso grinders, FETCO twin brewer and Ditting for our large brewer.

How is your project considering sustainability?

Sustainability is central to everything we do. Whenever possible, we choose compostable products—and when compostables aren’t available or feasible, we opt for recyclable alternatives, even as the reliability of plastic recycling remains uncertain.

We source our coffee from roasters like Push x Pull and Futura. Futura, in particular, partners directly with farms and invests in soil regeneration efforts, aligning with our values around sustainability and long-term environmental health.

Most importantly, we’re a 100% plant-based cafe. It’s arguably the most impactful choice we make. Plenty of people are ready to attend a climate rally—but fewer are willing to skip the dairy or drink their coffee black. We’re here to show that sustainability can be both intentional and enjoyable.

What’s your hopeful target opening date/month?

We opened March 17th, 2025

Are you working with craftspeople, architects, and/or creatives that you’d like to mention?

A lot of hands helped bring this space to life.

My partner, Ashley Lane, played a huge role—not only in the deep cleaning, sanding, and painting, but also in shaping the overall aesthetic and atmosphere of the cafe.

Oliver Colomy, our head chef, took broad menu concepts and turned them into fully realized dishes, refining and finalizing the recipes along the way.

Mike Fasano added character to the space through his artwork, painting the exterior and creating detailed window illustrations.

Ryan Douglass of Bye Bye Design crafted our logo and typeface, giving the cafe its visual identity.

And of course, we’re grateful to our coffee partners, who provide us with incredible beans and inspiration—Push x Pull (Portland, OR), Futura (Portland, OR), Timeless (Oakland, CA), and Fogline (Arcata, CA). None of this would exist without their contributions.

Lastly, we want to thank our customers and the local community. Your support, curiosity, and encouragement have made all the difference. Whether you’re stopping by for a quick cup or spending hours tucked into a corner with a book, you’re the reason this space feels alive. We’re so grateful to be here with you.

Thank you!

Thank you!

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Wow, it’s been nearly two years since the official corporate announcement that moistened the saliva glands of countless local fast food aficionados: Eureka is getting a Habit Burger & Grill.

Oh. Em. Gee!

While LoCO commenters nobly rushed to the defense of our treasured local burger joints, the debauched appetites of our less civic-minded residents would not be denied. Their excitement was as palpable as a sesame seed bun. But as the Habit-less weeks turned to months, forlorn rumors began to surface: Has Habit Burger backed out? Why has it forsaken us?!

Fear not: The home of the Double Char — recently rechristened as USA Today‘s No. 1 best fast food burger — is still headed our way.

A Eureka location recently materialized on the corporate website, complete with an “Apply Now” button for job seekers, as noted by one of the culinary connoisseurs over on the “Humboldt Foodies” Facebook group (where dreams of Humboldt Olive Gardens and Cheesecake Factories go perennially unfulfilled).

A message sent to Habit’s corporate headquarters requesting an official opening date was not returned by the time this post was published.

Meanwhile, for those who steadfastly keep your dining dollars local, a business called 707 Smash Burgers recently announced its upcoming opening at 1604 Fourth Street in Eureka, the green-hued former home of Gallagher’s and Shenanigans Pizza.

Promising fish & chips, loaded fries and a wide array of “exotic cereal milkshakes” alongside “the best smash burgers you’ve ever had,” the company is eyeballing an opening date of Aug. 30 with plans to stay open as late as 3 a.m.

We’ve reached out via phone and social media for more information. Stay tuned, burger fans.