Residents of the Dominican Oaks Retirement Home didn’t realize that they were living with a war hero. Violet Wierzbicki, an unassuming woman in her nineties, hardly looks the part. But she will soon be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest decoration awarded to an individual who performs an outstanding act of service to the country’s security, prosperity and national interest.
News
Bonny Doon Volunteer Fire and Rescue Gets $10,000 from Lockheed Martin
Yesterday, Lockheed Martin recognized the valiant efforts of local volunteer firefighters to put out the Lockheed blaze by donating $10,000 to the Bonny Doon Volunteer Fire and Rescue.
Smoking Ban Enacted in Santa Cruz
Last night, the city of Santa Cruz enacted a wide-ranging public smoking ban, eliciting cheers from some and jeers from others. The ban covers all of Pacific Avenue and West Cliff Drive, as well as Beach Street between the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, all municipal parks, the Wharf, outside dining areas (including bars and coffee shops), and within 25 feet of any door or window used by the public. The ban was passed unanimously by City Council.
Santa Cruz Seeks Stimulus Funds for Transit
The $787 billion federal stimulus package includes $1.5 billion for transportation infrastructure projects. If everything goes according to plan, the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit Commission will be receiving $71 million of that. The money would be spent on a series of projects intended to reduce energy consumption and improve bureaucratic efficiency. It would also generate more than 300 jobs in the coming year.
Santa Cruz Students Demonstrate for Better Food
Most protests in the news this summer featured angry demonstrators spouting political rhetoric, with some even brandishing weapons. At a protest in San Lorenzo Park yesterday, demonstrators brandished freshly made pasta and plenty of leafy greens. With Congress about to reauthorize its child nutrition program, the demonstrators held an “Eat In” to improve the quality of school food.
Courts to Close One Day A Month
In an effort to save the county $300,000, a county court in Santa Cruz and another in Watsonville will be closed on the third Wednesday of every month beginning Sept. 16.
Santa Cruz Cyclists Light Up The Roads
It’s a simple idea but it solves a major problem. Even when bicycles have a light for night riding, motorists coming toward them from the side often have a hard time noticing them. Three Santa Cruz cyclists found the perfect solution.
The Freelance Mystique
Not every freelancer is bubbling over with entrepreneurial zeal. Some do it because their industry has steadily shaved off staffers and outsourced tasks in order to save money. For others, child care or similar work-life considerations are at the root of the decision to freelance—blurring the line over whether freelancing, with its sporadic pay and other associated brutalities, is a matter of choice or necessity.
Power Surge Leaves Downtown in the Dark
The lights downtown went off for 90 minutes on Saturday night because of a suspected power surge. Some 2,000 customers of PG&E lost electricity in an area extending from Soquel Drive near Dominican Hospital to Pacific Avenue.
Coastal Cities Move Cautiously on Bag Ban
It’s hard to believe that Rwanda, a nation nearly destroyed by civil war 15 years ago, has it over Santa Cruz in the eco-conscious department, but there it is: it and 18 other developing nations have banned plastic bags. We haven’t.
