2008 Woodie Awards
Wave to tourists and warn wrong-doers, Plaza Cam is back
Live camera keeps silent eye over the Plaza
Derek Lactaoen
Issue date: 4/9/08 Section: Community
Give a wink, give a nod, give a smile, or give a wave. The Arcata Plaza has its Webcam back and it is streaming online at this moment.
Perched on the northwest corner of the square at 9th and H streets on top of the Stillman Building, the camera streams footage all day, every day, at a rate of three to five frames per second.
Alex Stillman, the camera's sponsor, had the camera installed early in March. "I've been working on it for about three years, getting all the details worked out, the physical logistics and stuff like that," she said.
Stillman, owner of the building and also a member of the city council, has two vacation rentals in her building as part of Arcata Stay, a network of locations throughout the city that offer vacation rentals.
Stillman said that after the camera was taken down from the Jacoby Storehouse about five years ago, she wanted to bring the camera back for a number of reasons.
"I just remember how fun the old camera was, and now I guess we're so much more technologically advanced, I wanted to bring it back," Stillman said.
Stillman's daughter inspired her when she used live cameras to check road conditions along a highway to Lake Tahoe for a ski trip.
Now, Stillman said, her camera can give people thinking about Arcata Stay a view from the balcony they would have, but it also gives people a chance to communicate with family and friends that they would normally not be able to see.
"The other day one of the parks employees was out there and he called his dad and told him that he can go onto the website to see him work since he only gets to see him about once a year," Stillman said.
People visiting the Arcata Plaza had different reactions to the webcam. A man named "Sketch Ball" said that he disliked the idea of being filmed 24 hours a day. "It's not a zoo, it's a village. And if you're going to film me, can you at least pay me for it?" he said.
But others saw the camera's value for travel purposes. Dan Blei, a junior exchange student from the University of New Hampshire majoring in psychology, said that he would use the camera to check up on the Plaza when he returns to New Hampshire after this semester but would rather come visit it and his friends to get the full effect.
Perched on the northwest corner of the square at 9th and H streets on top of the Stillman Building, the camera streams footage all day, every day, at a rate of three to five frames per second.
Alex Stillman, the camera's sponsor, had the camera installed early in March. "I've been working on it for about three years, getting all the details worked out, the physical logistics and stuff like that," she said.
Stillman, owner of the building and also a member of the city council, has two vacation rentals in her building as part of Arcata Stay, a network of locations throughout the city that offer vacation rentals.
Stillman said that after the camera was taken down from the Jacoby Storehouse about five years ago, she wanted to bring the camera back for a number of reasons.
"I just remember how fun the old camera was, and now I guess we're so much more technologically advanced, I wanted to bring it back," Stillman said.
Stillman's daughter inspired her when she used live cameras to check road conditions along a highway to Lake Tahoe for a ski trip.
Now, Stillman said, her camera can give people thinking about Arcata Stay a view from the balcony they would have, but it also gives people a chance to communicate with family and friends that they would normally not be able to see.
"The other day one of the parks employees was out there and he called his dad and told him that he can go onto the website to see him work since he only gets to see him about once a year," Stillman said.
People visiting the Arcata Plaza had different reactions to the webcam. A man named "Sketch Ball" said that he disliked the idea of being filmed 24 hours a day. "It's not a zoo, it's a village. And if you're going to film me, can you at least pay me for it?" he said.
But others saw the camera's value for travel purposes. Dan Blei, a junior exchange student from the University of New Hampshire majoring in psychology, said that he would use the camera to check up on the Plaza when he returns to New Hampshire after this semester but would rather come visit it and his friends to get the full effect.
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