Point Arena, California

Infobox Settlement
official_name = City of Point Arena, California
settlement_type = City


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mapsize = 250x200px
map_caption = Location of Point Arena, California


mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_name1 = California
subdivision_name2 = Mendocino
government_type =
leader_title =
leader_name =
established_date =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 3.5
area_land_km2 = 3.5
area_water_km2 = 0.0
area_total_sq_mi = 1.4
area_land_sq_mi = 1.4
area_water_sq_mi = 0.0
elevation_m = 36
elevation_ft = 118
latd = 38 |latm = 54 |lats = 47 |latNS = N
longd = 123 |longm = 41 |longs = 43 |longEW = W
population_as_of = 2000
population_total = 474
population_density_km2 = 134.6
timezone = PST
utc_offset = -8
timezone_DST = PDT
utc_offset_DST = -7
latitude = 38°54'47" N
longitude = 123°41'43" W
website = http://www.cityofpointarena.com/
postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 95468
area_code = 707
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 06-57876
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 1659411
footnotes =

Point Arena is a small coastal city in Mendocino County, California, United States. The population was 474 at the 2000 census, making it one of the smallest incorporated cities in the state. Its main street comprises part of State Route 1, California's coastal artery. Along with a number of other Mendocino County coastal communities, Point Arena is associated with the hippy and subsequent counterculture groups. Its reported economy is largely geared toward servicing the summertime tourist industry.

Geography and environment

The city of Point Arena is located at coor dms|38|54|47|N|123|41|43|W|city (38.913118, -123.695342)GR|1. It is in USPS ZIP code 95468.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.5 km²), all of it land.

The city itself is built around a small natural harbor, and is located about a mile (1.5 km) south of the actual Point Arena, a narrow peninsula jutting around 1/2 mile (800 m) into the Pacific Ocean. This is the location of the Point Arena Lighthouse, at 115 feet (34.5m) the tallest lighthouse on the West coast of the United States. The lighthouse is also the closest location on the mainland (excluding Alaska) to Honolulu, Hawaii at a distance of 2,045 nautical miles (2,353 statute miles) or 3,787 kilometers.

The city has two high schools: the Point Arena High School and the Pacific Community Charter School. Students are allowed to cross-enroll and take courses at both schools, granting Point Arena students a broad curriculum to choose from. Although due to limited teaching staff many of the top students are left without options. The choice of the charter school has helped to keep in Point Arena many students who formerly commuted to Mendocino to attend its high school. Several feeder schools bring students through grammar school before sending them to Point Arena High School or the Charter School, meaning that the schools draw from a large pool of students in southern Mendocino County. The sports teams have lost much of their previous skill, partly due to apathy on the students part as well as failing grades.

Sound levels in Point Arena are relatively quiet, with many locations at night-time dominated by natural sounds such as those of the surf. The firm of Earth Metrics Inc., who prepared the "Noise Element of the Point Arena General Plan", found that, even considering the presence of logging trucks on main city streets, composite sound levels rarely exceed 55 Leq [ [http://www.cityofpointarena.com/General%20Plan-LCP/General%20Plan/08-Noise%20TR.pdf "Noise Element of the Point Arena General Plan ", Earth Metrics Inc] ] . The maximum acceptable sound level specified in that General Plan Element is 60 Leq for residential areas.

Geology

The San Andreas Fault runs out to sea at Point Arena. The 1906 earthquake was strongly felt at Point Arena and caused moderate damage.

The Point Arena Mountain Beaver

The Point Arena area is home to an endangered species of rodent known as the Point Arena Mountain Beaver ("Aplodontia rufa nigra"). According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the habitat for this sub-species of Mountain Beaver lies only within a 24 square mile area around Point Arena. The biggest threat to the PAMB is loss of habitat, and it was officially listed as an endangered species on December 12 1991. Much local folklore revolves around this mysterious creature. [ [http://www.fws.gov/arcata/es/mammals/mtnBeaver/mtnbeaver.html Point Arena Mountain Beaver Species Profile ] ]

History

The first European to record Point Arena was Spaniard Bartolomé Ferrelo in 1543, who named it "Cabo de Fortunas" (Spanish for "cape of fortunes"). The cape was renamed to "Punta Delgado" (narrow point) in 1775 by lieutenant Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra (commander of the schooner "Sonora"), part of a royal expedition chartered by the government of Mexico to map the north coast of Alta California. Later the point, and the small harbor town south of it, were called "Barra de Arena" (i.e. sandbar) and finally "Point Arena" (literally "sand point").

The Point Arena area is also home to the Point Arena Cable Station, although the station is technically located in nearby Manchester. Built in 1956 by AT&T, the cable station serves as the eastern terminus of several undersea cables, including the JUSCN and connections to Hawaii and Canada. [ [http://www.privateline.com/cablestation/index.html Privateline.com: Cable Station Life ] ] [ [http://www.springerlink.com/content/t774625064867178/ SpringerLink - Journal Article ] ] [ [http://www.thecentraloffice.com/Microwave/NMW/PARNCA/PARNCA01.htm Point Arena Cable Station ] ] In 2002, AT&T applied for a permit from the EPA to connect an existing fiber optic conduit to the cable station, since further construction would cause incidental damage to the habitat of the endangered Point Arena Mountain Beaver. [ [http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-SPECIES/2002/August/Day-26/e21603.htm Incidental Take Permit and Habitat Conservation Plan for AT&T Corporation| Federal Register Environmental Documents | USEPA ] ]

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 474 people, 191 households, and 109 families residing in the city. The population density was 348.5 people per square mile (134.6/km²). There were 218 housing units at an average density of 160.3/sq mi (61.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 73.63% White, 1.05% African American, 3.80% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 18.78% from other races, and 2.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 28.48% of the population.

There were 191 households out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.3% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.9% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.30.

In the city the population was spread out with 32.9% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 110.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,083, and the median income for a family was $32,885. Males had a median income of $21,042 versus $15,000 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,591. About 24.1% of families and 26.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.0% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

In the state legislature Point Arena is located in the 2nd Senate District, represented by Democrat Pat Wiggins, and in the 1st Assembly District, represented by Democrat Patty Berg. Federally, Point Arena is located in California's 1st congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +10 [cite web | title = Will Gerrymandered Districts Stem the Wave of Voter Unrest? | publisher = Campaign Legal Center Blog | url=http://www.clcblog.org/blog_item-85.html | accessdate = 2007-10-20] and is represented by Democrat Mike Thompson.

References

External links

* [http://www.bbryanpreserve.com Endangered Zebra and African Antelope Preserve]
* [http://www.coastguardhouse.com/beachmap.html Beach Hikes near Point Arena]
* [http://www.coastguardhouse.com Coast Guard House Historic Inn, former U.S. Life Saving Station]
* [http://www.pointarenalighthouse.com/default.html Point Arena lighthouse]
* [http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=437 Manchester State Beach]
* [http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=446 Schooner Gulch State Beach]
* [http://www.pierfishing.com/pier_of_the_month/pt_arena.html Article about pier fishing at the Point Arena Pier]
* USGS [http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=14&x=138&y=1346&z=10&w=2 topographic map] and [http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?t=1&s=14&x=138&y=1346&z=10&w=2 aerial photo] of Point Arena
* [http://mendosearch.com/cityinfo-city_name-Point%20Arena.htm Point Arena, CA Travel Information]