County Supervisors Restore Critical Social Services

A multitude of health and human service programs will still go under the knife
The social safety net for County residents has been patched in important areas, but gaping holes remain. After sitting through 11 hours of emotional testimony over two weeks, the Board of Supervisors last Thursday agreed to restore $2 million of the $13.8 million in cuts proposed for County health and human services in the 2009 fiscal year budget.

Delaware Project Gets Nod

Commissioners swoon over Redtree proposal
The mixed-use industrial park proposed for 2120 Delaware Avenue seems poised to transform Santa Cruz’s westside in a way not seen since the University set up shop in 1965. The city’s Planning Commission unanimously and enthusiastically approved the project in front of a packed house at its Thursday, June 26 meeting, even as neighbors expressed strong reservations on the impact to local traffic flow and water availability.

Slashed and Burned

County social services on the chopping block
Bonnie Jay is going over the budget in the kitchen of the El Dorado, an eight-room psychiatric treatment center with 16 beds. This is the place where people go after being in lockup treatment centers, jail or Dominican Hospital. It’s clean, but there are some cracks in the linoleum floor that have been patched up.

Save Our Shores Rallies Around Original Cause

Group launches petition in response to call for offshore oil drilling
Laura Kasa, executive director of Save Our Shores, found herself blindsided by President Bush’s June 18 speech asking Congress to lift a 1981 ban on offshore oil drilling. “I thought that battle was over!” she exclaimed two days later over cold drinks at a coffee shop in downtown Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz Councilman Pushes for Free WiFi

Scaled-back plan would cover downtown and Beach Street
Santa Cruz will be taking another step into the 21st century if Tony Madrigal, the city council’s resident technophile, has his way. Madrigal is cooking up plans to blanket the entire downtown corridor and main beach areas with free wireless Internet service in the next couple of years.

Scotts Valley Hops On Styrofoam Bannedwagon

All of Santa Cruz County, minus Watsonville, nixes polystyrene
Sometimes seeing is believing. It only took a short walk down the beach at Ano Nuevo for Scotts Valley City Councilmember Cliff Barrett to become convinced that something must be done to combat polystyrene waste.

Thousands Flee Fast-Moving Trabing Fire

Blaze surpasses size of Martin Fire in first three hours
Extraordinarily high temperatures and dry conditions are fueling a fire reportedly set by a motorist traveling north on Highway 1 on Friday afternoon.

Wedding Belles

A day of gender-neutral nuptials kicks off at the Santa Cruz County Building.
Laura Bell and Eden White were a collective bundle of nerves. As a crush of well-wishers surged down the fifth floor of the county building toward the Redevelopment Agency room, where a rose-festooned gazebo and trays full of cupcakes awaited the county’s first same-sex marriage ceremony under state law, the two stood pressed against the wall. Bell wore a tuxedo and bow tie, White wore a long white dress. Yes, they confirmed, they were nervous. They’d been planning this a long time.