He studied marine biology at UCSC and now works in the military, keeping his hair as long as the army allows. He’s seen much of the United States due to his job, but thinks there’s something really special about Santa Cruz. Parkour teacher, recent college graduate, and army sergeant Nico Moe defends West Cliff drive and dishes on what he loves about homemade fried rice and quesadillas.
Santa Cruz Poets, Santa Cruz Inspiration: Robin Lysne
In this week’s installment of “Santa Cruz Poets, Santa Cruz Inspiration,” two poems from the local poet, author and Mills College creative writing student.
Skating Away at The Palladium
A derby girl in leopard-print stockings and black leather skates with white stripes flies around the rink, zephyrous, daring anyone to outskate her. A couple of girlfriends skate together, jumping, doing 180s, laughing every time either of them falls down. An older man orbiting the disco ball in the center of the rink cuts elegant figure eights. My friends Meghan and Wyatt make a dream team in camel suede skates: she floats backwards in loose circles in a long floral dress and he rolls around the rink in a vintage denim jacket, hands clasped behind his back.
PLATED: Spice of Life
Clever idea, having a zip code for a wine label. That’s just what Terroir 95470 is, a spin-off 2006 Sauvignon Blanc Redwood Valley, produced by Chance Creek Vineyard. A lovely creation weighing in at a perfect 13.5 percent alcohol and made from organic grapes, this is an astonishing bit of oeno-expertise for a mere $8.99 a bottle (thank you, New Leaf).
Nick Gallant Uncovered
Last week, video game publisher Activision announced that it’s bringing down the ax on the Guitar Hero series. For the gaming world, it’s the end of an era—in six short years, the original Guitar Hero and its many sequels became the third-largest video game franchise in history. They revolutionized the very notion of what hit video games could be, turning color-coded button-pushing into a rock-star fantasy for the 21st century and selling 25 million games in the process.
PLATED: Meat of The Matter
Butcher Chris LaVeque—posing above with his lipstick-red vintage saw—and crew are putting the finishing touches on the gleaming interior of El Salchichero, slated to burst forth with handcrafted charcuterie next Friday, Feb. 11. Vowing to cater to “all your meat needs,” sausage maestro LaVeque revealed his starting line-up. “Fresh and smoked sausages, all seasonal.
The Defender: Jackson Browne’s Anti-Plastic Campaign
The ocean may seem endless, but plastic is forever. So appears the world to singer and songwriter Jackson Browne, who, while gearing up for a tour that kicks off Feb. 23 at the Civic Auditorium, has keyed in aggressively to one of the most urgent environmental issues that our planet faces: plastic contamination.
Libraries Spared … for Now
At a meeting Monday night of the Joint Powers Board of the city-county library system, the panel voted unanimously to postpone a vote on closing libraries until more information could be collected. Prior to the vote, the board was divided over whether to shut down local branches in order to cover a $6 million deficit. They also noted that they were responding to extensive community opposition to the proposed closures. Of the 42 speakers at last night’s public meeting, only two board members supported closing branches: the author of the proposal and an employee who faces salary cuts or even potential job loss. Most library employees favor closing some branches.
Where Are the Records?
Californians Aware is a nonprofit agency that audits state agencies to determine how well they respond to requests for public records. It recently audited universities throughout the state and gave a failing grade to the UC system, noting the particularly poor response from UC-Santa Cruz. UCSC received a 40 out of a possible 100 points, which is a fail by any standard. In contrast, San Jose State University received an A+. CSU schools averaged an 86, while UC schools averaged a 46, with UC Berkeley coming in on top with a 70.
Police Nab Three of County’s Most Wanted
Just three weeks ago, the police began handing out their most wanted lists to local media outlets. It has paid off. Two people have been arrested and one decided it wasn’t worth running and surrendered peacefully to the police of her own volition.
