It’s 10am and Thomas Hickenbottom, one of the founding fathers of Santa Cruz surfing, is showcasing lattices of berries and fruit trees laden with the summer’s bounty in the Eden he has helped to create around his Westside home. Breathing deeply, he presses the stoma that has replaced the vocal chords he lost to cancer and whispers excitedly about the fundraiser being held in his honor on Saturday, July 21.
Clouds Downtown to Reopen as Cajun Restaurant
Once upon a time there was Sea Cloud, a dreamy, waterfront restaurant and saloon that helped us all ride the wave of the economic Happy Hour several decades ago. And then there was Clouds, Lou and Kristi Caviglia’s gift to downtown diners and cocktail fans. Wow, it’s hard to believe that Clouds has been with us for almost two decades, but all good things must change.
Where are the Santa Cruz Food Trucks?
When Fran Grayson’s friend was looking to sell a shiny chrome truck, Grayson thought it might be time to make the purchase herself and open up a restaurant on wheels. Grayson’s is one of just a small handful of food trucks in town, most of which—like Cruz n Gourmet, Raymond’s Catering and Babaloo—go to UCSC but don’t make stops in town proper.
Letters to the Editor: July 18-24
Banjo-playing comedian Richard Stockton shows some love for a live radio music show. Other readers chime in about the state of our weekly cartoons.
Santa Cruz Fringe Festival
We’ve made it our mission to see as many Fringe Festival shows as possible and will be bringing you constantly updated reviews, observations and warnings to help you achieve the ultimate Santa Cruz Fringe Festival experience.
Our Fringe Festival Picks
This Friday marks the first day of the ten-day long Santa Cruz Fringe Festival, a celebration of offbeat, anything-goes artistic performance. All week the artists have been preparing their shows for performance and generally fluttering around town in a haze of excitement and stage makeup. Santa Cruz Weekly was able to sneak preview some of the 42 shows and noticed several buzz-worthy performers we can’t wait to see in full Fringe regalia.
Boulder Creek Bluegrass Fest
If the multiplicity of venues and festivals from the Boardwalk to Boulder Creek are anything to go by, Santa Cruz loves it some music. So when a beloved festival like the Brookdale Bluegrass Festival needed a helping hand (read: a new venue) after the Brookdale Lodge became… let’s call it indisposed, the Boulder Creek community rushed to its aid. This year, the revitalized Boulder Creek Bluegrass and Old Timey Festival is a smorgasbord of fiery finger-pickin’ spread out over three days and multiple locations.
Fallen Hero Stands Tall
Looking across the diamond from field level, it seemed as if Aubrey Huff appeared out of nowhere. Walking toward the dugout from the outfield, the 35-year-old veteran and 2010 World Series champion passed a dozen young players who, when he joined the San Jose Giants on a rehab assignment a few hours earlier, had become his teammates. They continued to stretch and goof around, the way all ballplayers do before a game, and he just walked by. Not just a man among boys, it looked like he was in another dimension, a different world.
Lompico Water Board Irked by Rogue Rep
What happens when an elected official—acting alone—says thanks but no thanks to tens of thousands of dollars for his financially struggling district to study an issue that a) is hugely important to that district and b) he vehemently opposes?
Center for Sustainable Change Wins Big Grant
What if you could change your life as quickly as you can change your mind? That idea is the driving force at the Center for Sustainable Change, a local nonprofit agency. Its work in low-income communities has caught the attention of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, which recently awarded the organization a $100,000 grant.
