Two new murals have materialized in Santa Cruz to swell the ranks of the officially blessed public imagery that bejewels the streetscape. The real sparkler is almost hidden on the far wall of the parking lot at 1111 Soquel Avenue. This half-block-long untitled work is a riot of 3,224 individually designed glass mosaic squares. Integrating this disparate collection of imagery is a strong overall design using a limited but vivid palette of black, white, red and blue grout to create dynamic interplay of cubist shapes.
News
Tony Madrigal in Hot Water
City Councilman Tony Madrigal could find himself in hot water. On Aug. 30, a Highway Patrol officer stopped Madrigal for driving erratically in his Prius. According to police, he was driving north on Highway 1 near Mar Monte and Freedom Boulevard when another driver called 911 to report him. He was not speeding or driving drunk, police say; instead he was texting and typing on his laptop while driving.
The Prop 25 Divide
Of all the state initiatives on the November ballot, Proposition 25 is the one measure that both proponents and opponents agree may well transform California politics. What they disagree on is whether that transformation would be a miracle or a disaster.
Local Steelhead Population Exceeds Expectations
In 1997, the steelhead population of the San Lorenzo River was listed as threatened. This year, scientists studying the fish have found more young smolts than they have ever seen before. Chris Berry, who manages water resources for the city, says that at one point they raised so many fish that it was impossible to count them all before they had to be released.
Vets Group: No Meals for the Needy This Year
This weekend the Huffington Post reported that the nation’s 400 biggest charities are taking a hit because of the recession, with giving down 11 percent last year. Among the groups suffering most are such familiar organizations as the United Way and the Salvation Army, while SantaCruz.com reported just last year that “Poverty is up; giving is down,” as the city attempted to organize food drives to help the needy celebrate Thanksgiving.
Local Salesman Sued by 3M
Pradeep Mohan believes that he is caught in “a wasteful, paper-intensive battle” with “a bullying corporate giant.” The Santa Cruz resident operates a small garage-based business selling stethoscopes over the Internet. His chief competitor is 3M, a $23 billion dollar corporate giant best known for its scotch tape. 3M also dominates the stethoscope market in the United States.
Coastal Commission Kills Arana Gulch Bike Path
The long-awaited decision has finally arrived. Arana Gulch will remain as it is. The 68-acre preserve will not be crisscrossed by a network of walking paths and bike trails, as transportation activists and city officials had hoped. In other words, there will be no bicycle path connecting the city of Santa Cruz with the community of Live Oak.
UCSC Employees At Health Care Crossroads
UCSC has eliminated a discounted health care plan for its employees, and staff are now being forced to choose between a cheaper plan that excludes physicians under the Sutter Health Network and an inclusive plan that is 150 percent more costly. Some 60 percent of the employees are affected. They are now faced with a dilemma: switch plans or switch physicians.
School District Tackles Disparities
There’s no doubt that there is inequality in California’s schools. Some serve wealthy communities and have plenty of money and parental involvement to give already affluent kids a top-notch education. Others serve more impoverished communities, where parents are unable to help out or make donations to fund extra-curricular activities. Often, as in Santa Cruz, the two types of schools exist side by side in the same school district.
PRFF: Catalyzed By Katrina
Many immigrants to the United States have had the experience of not understanding that they were really and truly American until that moment when someone suggested otherwise. Such a moment might be seen at the end of Leo Chiang’s documentary A Village Called Versailles, one of the highlights of this year’s Pacific Rim Film Festival, which kicks of Friday and offers free films through next Wednesday.
