Santa Cruz County received a pummeling this weekend, with rain and high winds knocking down power cables and causing mudslides to block roads. The mountain areas got 3 inches between Saturday evening and Sunday evening alone. “The ground is saturated with water. The winds started blowing so trees are falling everywhere,” says Wil Wingert of the Aptos Fire Department. He says that the department is “a little overwhelmed” by the number of calls reporting downed cables in Aptos and throughout the county. He encourages local residents to be patient and most importantly, to be mindful of safety measures until the wires can be cleared and power can be restored.
News
New Water Supply for Pajaro Valley?
Last year Barry Nelson of the National Resources Defense Council gave Californians a dire warning: “Look at a map of California and you will see that every major watershed has been tapped. We have hit—or passed—peak water on each of these rivers.” While it may seem ironic to say so as the Central Coast braces for a brutal rainstorm, peak water, much like peak oil, is a serious threat to California and the affluent way of life we lead here. Nelson continues: “Interestingly, this is not a controversial idea within California’s business and urban water communities. Although they may not yet use the term peak water, they are already planning for its reality.”
Body Found in State Park
Sheriff’s deputies have confirmed the identity of a man found dead in Big Basin Redwoods State Park on Thursday near Berry Creek Falls.
I’m Dreaming of A Wet Christmas
Gwyneth Paltrow and the gang from “Glee” could have been singing about the Bay Area and not some town in suburban Ohio. While the Midwest is digging out from being slammed with pre-Christmas snow, the California Coast is bracing for a full week of rain culminating in a wet—not white—Christmas this year. The two storms headed our way could bring as much as 10 inches of rain to the region, with 2 to 5 inches of rain and 30 to 45 mph gusts of wind tomorrow alone. Santa Cruz and Big Sur are expected to be particularly hard hit.
The Blind Boys In Santa Cruz
A legendary group in its own time, the Blind Boys of Alabama are a globetrotting gospel ensemble that has won numerous awards, from Grammys and lifetime achievement recognition to an Obie and induction into the Gospel Hall of Fame. But back in 1939 at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind in Talladega, Al., the idea of being career musicians was a notion that was just starting to simmer in the minds of a few young boys.
Man Who Left Suspicious Package Identified
Prosecutors are brushing up on their Bible stories now that the SCPD has identified the man who left a suspicious package outside District Attorney Bob Lee’s home.
Robert Norse Wins A New Trial
More than eight and a half years after Robert Norse was ejected from a City Council meeting for giving a Nazi salute, a federal appeals court in San Francisco has ordered a new trial. This offers the homeless activist a new chance to sue then-Mayor Christopher Krohn and City Council for violating his right to free speech, or in Norse’s case, free salute.
Books Not Bombs
The bomb squad was out in force on Tuesday morning after District Attorney Bob Lee reported that a suspicious package was left on his car, which was parked in his driveway on Chilverton Street. Eight adjacent homes were evacuated and a number of nearby streets were closed to traffic as investigators from the sheriff’s office investigated the gift-wrapped package, which was left in a plastic bag. It took two hours before the bomb squad could confirm that the object was actually a book.
Changing Of The Guard
Mike Rotkin received a standing ovation at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. After serving the city for six terms (a total of 26 years, including five as mayor), he was termed out of office. His replacement is Councilmember Ryan Coonerty, who was invested at the meeting. Standing before the City Council and an audience of family and well-wishers, Coonerty said, “My goal, our goal, this year is to give you certainty that if you give that precious gift, Santa Cruz will be a better, stronger community.”
Last-Minute Gift Guide: Internet Radio
While streaming video, portable music players and music-enabled tablets and laptops seem to be getting all the love these days, the humble successors to table radios and alarm clocks have quietly (and sometimes not so quietly) taken up residence in homes. With prices for good entry-level units selling for $100 and change, plug-and-play Wi-Fi radio provides value and simplicity that deserves a close look.
