Did anyone ever say to you, “Good night. Sleep tight. Don’t let the bed bugs bite”? You’d better hope so. The infestation of bed bugs, first noticed in New York City, has been making its way across the country, with hot spots in Philadelphia and Columbus, Ohio. “Go West, young bug!” seems to be their motto, and there are already signs of infestations appearing right here in Santa Cruz.
Santa Cruz Fall Arts: Kuumbwa At 35
In 1975 a group of young music lovers, inspired by the local talent and undeterred by their collective inexperience, set about establishing a jazz society. “Ultimately, we wanted to have a home for jazz in Santa Cruz,” says Tim Jackson, one of the society’s founding members. “But we had no money or experience; just had some half-baked ideas.”
Woman’s Sentence Upheld for BB Gun
Back in July, SantaCruz.com reported about the case of Barbara Saldinger, 47, a medical doctor with a degree from Stanford who raises horses as a hobby. Four years ago, Saldinger unwittingly became involved in a major gun rights case. Ironically, the only gun she’s ever owned is a BB gun. Involved in a property dispute with her neighbors, Janette Magoc and Jack Bloxham, she waved a BB gun at Magoc and a friend.
Record-Breaking Temps for Surf City
It was 101 degrees yesterday in Santa Cruz, which is fine if you live in Florida, but this is Northern California, where the weather is always cool and comfortable. In fact, the last time it hit even 90 degrees in town on that date was way back in 1926. Of course, it could be worse. And in fact, it was in Scotts Valley, where the thermometer reached 107, and in Ben Lomond, where it hit 104.
Bruckner Swims Monterey Bay
Patti Bauernfeind tried earlier this week, but the jellyfish proved too much for her. This did not deter Bruckner Chase, 44, a Santa Cruz native with dreams of conquering Monterey Bay. He simply decided to be more prepared. He started his swim from Seabright Beach early Tuesday morning with just a swimsuit and lanolin to protect him from the chilly 55-degree water. The jellyfish did come—but this time Chase was prepared.
Santa Cruz Fall Arts: Autumn Theater
The curtain opens with Isabelle Grossman tweezing her grandmother’s chin stubble. The grand dame has hired a matchmaker, and as the audience will learn, she’s found the perfect man for her beautiful young granddaughter: a pickle cart vendor.
Santa Cruz Fall Arts: Visual Aesthetics
There’ll be no rest for the visual art consumer in and around Santa Cruz County in the upcoming months. Indeed, the remainder of 2010 is packed with great shows and significant artists. The following represents just a fraction of the season’s opportunities.
Santa Cruz Attorney Takes Up Plight of The Homeless
“Damn. I don’t know if the cops are gonna show,” says Ed Frey, looking left to right down Center Street and pulling his tattered blue sleeping bag snug. It’s midnight at Peace Camp 2010 and the 70-year-old activist lawyer is on the steps of City Hall with a dozen homeless people and supporters for Day 44 of an ongoing protest against Santa Cruz’s ban on camping within city limits. Perched in a polyester foldout chair, dressed in wrinkled khaki pants, a straw hat and the same faded orange sweater he had on 10 days earlier when he was arrested for sleeping outside the Santa Cruz County building, Frey fits in with his flock of rebels and malcontents, though many of them barely know him in spite of the fact that he organized Peace Camp 2010.
Santa Cruz Rock Icon Dead at 60
Michael Been may not have been a household name, but his band, The Call, had several major hits in the 1980s, and even had Bono sing backup to him on his song “Let the Day Begin.” Been died at the Pukkelpop Music Festival in Belgium last Thursday. He was attending as sound engineer for his son Robert Been’s band, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.
Cabrillo Students Forced To Live in Cars, Use Food Stamps
The recession is taking its toll on students. Cabrillo College’s Vice President of Student Services Dennis Bailey-Fougnier reports that financial aid requests by students this year have already broken last year’s amount by more than 1,000, and that last year was a record year. He called it a “huge problem,” explaining that “We have students who are living in their cars, or at the beach, as you would in Santa Cruz.”
