The aggregate value of crops in Santa Cruz was $491.64 million in 2009, $6.3 million more than in 2008. Among the top crops was strawberries, which brought in $172.58 million, over $12 million more than the $160.38 million they earned in 2008. Though the value of the raspberry crop dropped by about $1.5 million to $104.27, other berries, including blueberries, olallieberries and currants, climbed from $21.08 million to $29.34 million.
Nightly Arrests at Homeless Demonstration Nab Child Molester
Every night since the homeless protest moved to the front of City Hall, SCPD officers have been visiting the site, ticketing some participants and arresting others. Among those ticketed Monday night was Mark Greer, a 29-year-old convicted child molester. The following morning Officer Ron Inoyue noticed that Greer was at the protest, so he had him arrested. Greer was booked in the County Jail under a false name, but when he was fingerprinted, his identity became apparent. He is a registered sex offender from San Luis Obispo, who is supposed to register with the police each month, but has failed to do so since June. He has five warrants for his arrest in San Luis Obispo.
Blakeslee Takes Maldonado’s Seat
The Republican Party maintained its strength in the state legislature in yesterday’s election, with Sam Blakeslee defeating Democrat John Laird for the District 15 Senate seat held by Abel Maldonado. Democrats had counted on a Laird victory bringing them one seat short of the two-thirds majority needed to pass budget legislation. Although Democrats are a majority in the district, accounting for 41 percent of registered voters, the seat has been held by the minority Republicans since 1996. With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Blakeslee received 48.8 percent of the vote, while Laird’s received 44.1 percent.
Internet And Porn Addictions: Dual Diagnosis
Ask Stephen L. Braveman what most of the patients he treats for pornography and sex addiction have in common and he’ll tell you that, in about 85 percent of the cases, they’re also addicted to the Internet.
Internet Addiction: The Next Depression?
In 1995, in an effort to parody the way the American Psychiatric Association’s hugely influential Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders medicalizes every excessive behavior, psychiatrist Ivan Goldberg introduced on his website the concept of “Internet Addiction Disorder.” Last summer Ben Alexander, a 19-year-old college student obsessed with the online multiplayer game World of Warcraft, was profiled by CBS News, NPR, the Associated Press and countless other media outlets because of his status as client No. 1 at reSTART, the first residential treatment center in America for individuals trying to get themselves clean from Azeroth, iPhones, and all the other digital narcotics of our age.
Santa Cruz Nonprofit Fights Platforms And Plastics
How, exactly, do major household appliances make their way to Santa Cruz County beaches and riverbanks? Why did volunteers find 35 percent more cigarette butts on last September’s Annual Coastal Cleanup Day compared with the year before? Who dumps tires in the river anyway, or batteries or tampons or toys?
Election Today Could Seal Fate of Budget
Voters will be going to the polls today in Santa Cruz County—as well as parts of Santa Clara, Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties—to decide who will replace Abel Maldonado, recently appointed Lieutenant Governor. The seat is being contested by Democrat John Laird, Republican Sam Blakeslee, Independent Jim Fitzgerald and Libertarian Mark Hinkle.
Santa Cruz Bows Out Of AMGEN 2011
Despite the success of this year’s AMGEN stop in Santa Cruz, Mayor Mike Rotkin has decided that the city can no longer afford to host the cycling event, and has withdrawn from having it pass through Santa Cruz in 2011. “It’s a great event, we love to see it happen, we just don’t have the staff time to make it happen,” said Rotkin.
New Judge Takes Bench Early in Santa Cruz
When John Gallagher was elected to fill the seat of retiring Judge Michael Barton, it was assumed he would begin his duties on Jan. 1. Instead he will begin his duties this morning at Department 2 of the misdemeanor courtroom at the Santa Cruz County Superior courthouse. Gallagher has already received the Governor’s nod, and will be sworn in by presiding judge Jeff Almquist this morning. By this afternoon, he will already be doing his part to reduce the load on the county court system. Nevertheless, his formal swearing-in ceremony will have to wait until December.
Buying Bras in Capitola
It seems like only yesterday that “Burn the bra” was all the rage on Bay Area campuses. My, how times have changed. On Saturday in Capitola, the chant was “Buy the bra,” at Soroptimist International’s fifth annual “Bras For A Cause” auction.
