Some fathers may grumble at the standard ties and cheap aftershave they inevitably receive as part of their Fathers Day gifts. What some fathers really want is a bagpipe and kilt, or better yet, a sword! Thankfully, they can get that in Santa Cruz at the annual Scottish Renaissance Fair, which was held this Sunday at the County Fairgrounds. In fact, so many lairds and ladies showed up for a beer and a wee bit of minstrelry that the event reports record attendance this year.
Old McDonald Had A Partner …
Brokeback Mountain broke the taboo against gay cowboys. UCSC is about to break the taboo against gay farmers. This Saturday, the school will host its second annual Queer Farmer Field Day at the campus’s 25-acre farm. Its goal is to raise awareness of the queer farmer community and to promote sustainable agriculture as an employment opportunity for the GLBT community.
Gangs Push Back Against Crackdown
It hasn’t been an easy month for the gangs of Santa Cruz. The SCPD has enlisted the help of federal agencies, including ICE, to combat increasing gang violence, and this week, two men were arrested in connection with the murder of 16-year-old Tyler Tenorio last October. Now, police fear, some gang members are pushing back, distributing fliers calling for “hood unity” in the face of “neo-Nazi gangs,” as the police and federal agents are referred to.
School Board Approves $55.7 Million Budget
It took longer than expected, but the Santa Cruz City School Board managed to produce a balanced budget in time to present it to the Office of Education. The $55.7 million budget cut $5.4 million, with concessions by virtually all parties involved included to make up the difference. In practical terms, it means that the school year will be one week shorter next year and adult education programs will be very sparse. In order to help, school administrators agreed to take nine days of furlough during the school year and to postpone some maintenance issues in the schools.
Another Arrest in Tenorio Murder
Yesterday SantaCruz.com reported that Pascal Reyes, 21, was arrested for his role in the murder of high school student Tyler Tenorio last October.
The Gulf Died for Your (Our) Sins
Today is day “n” of the BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, where “n” equals the number of sins committed in service of our bottomless appetite for fossil-based energy; “n” equals the number of organisms killed by the careless spewing of petroleum toxins across the globe and through every biome on the planet; “n” equals the number of organisms killed by the heedless construction of entire civilizations based on and powered by petroleum; “n” equals the number of acres of living earth ripped asunder and covered with asphalt for roads, parking lots, megalopolis; “n” equals the number of mountaintops blasted out across the landscape in the search for fuel, of tailings piled up in toxic mounds and rainbow lakes of waste left to leech into our lives, into all life.
USCS Professors Elected to the California Academy of Sciences
Four UCSC professors have been chosen to join the California Academy of Sciences in recognition for their work.
Gregory S. Gilbert, Professor of Environmental Studies, is also the Director of the Santa Cruz-Watsonville Inquiry-Based Learning in Environmental Sciences, a partnership between UCSC and Watsonville High School, designed to promote science education in the county.
City Mulls Closing Libraries for Months
If an agreement is not reached between the city and the union representing library employees, the Santa Cruz city council is prepared to close all but one of the city’s libraries for two to three months to save $667,102—about 16 percent of the city’s current deficit. The employees are members of the SEIU.
Arrest Made in Tyler Tenorio Murder
Pasqual Reyes, 21, was arrested on Tuesday for his role in the murder of high school student Tyler Tenorio last October.
The Infuriating Cell Phone Racket
Anyone who isn’t already angry with AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint—the four national wireless providers that reportedly control 90 percent of the U.S. market—might consider this ridiculous news. One of the most outrageous cell phone scams is really very simple simple: Charge customers for being forced to listen to 15 seconds of unnecessary voicemail instructions reminding them how to leave a message after the beep.
