It’s easy to get lost on the UCSC campus. Roads meander along the contours of the hills, and often devolve into dirt paths, which may be great for hiking, but are hardly friendly to the underbelly of a car. “It’s more like finding your way around Yosemite than a campus,” says the school’s Director of Transportation Larry Pageler. For all the rest, it is like finding your way to Schrute Farm on The Office: “Turn left at the big tree, take 62 paces, and turn right. If you smell bear droppings you have gone too far.”
Man Shot Dead During Watsonville Robbery
The Fiesta Latino Market on East Beach Street at Beck is a popular spot in Watsonville, often frequented by students from Watsonville High School. On Tuesday night, an armed robber entered the store and demanded money. The owner, Yahya Ahmed, 32, gave him what he asked for, but before the robber left he shot Ahmed dead. Police are now investigating the crime, wondering if it is in any way connected with a shoplifting incident that took place at the 98Cent Discount Store on Freedom Boulevard on Monday.
Santa Cruz Poets, Santa Cruz Inspiration: Ken Weisner
From the Seabright poet, who teaches writing and literature and edits Red Wheelbarrow through De Anza Community College, a piece titled ‘Indian Summer.’
The Exhibitionist: A Tale of Two Murals
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.
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.
