A couple months ago, I opened an unexpected package from a parishioner serving now in the Persian Gulf. It was an American flag, folded neatly, an expression of her gratitude. The certificate said she’d flown it in a combat mission over Iraq on Christmas Day, 2009.
Supes Order Review of Plastic Bag Ban
Santa Cruz County lawmakers are one step closer to banning plastic shopping bags from stores. On Tuesday, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors approved a plan to ban plastic shopping bags and impose a 10-cent fee on paper bags. The actual ban, however, may take another year to impose as county leaders ordered a full environmental review of the plan before they enforce it.
Search for Deputy Police Chief Underway
Santa Cruz is looking for a new deputy police chief, and three officers have already applied, even though the new position pays $10,000 less than the last deputy police chief earned.
City Takes Steps to Help Panhandlers … and Residents
One of the most frequent complaints heard about downtown Santa Cruz is that it is being overrun with panhandlers pleading with passersby to spare them some change. At its weekly meeting yesterday, City Council voted in support of a solution to help the indigent while reducing the impact that panhandlers are having on local businesses. It voted to add eight red parking meters labeled “Imagine” to the downtown area for people to drop their change.
To Green A Scene
Random thoughts on making a domicile more eco-friendly.
The Graywater Revolution
Every time Anne Smith washes her kids’ grass-stained sports uniforms, her agapanthus gets watered too. It’s a time-saving, water-conserving trick that may one day become commonplace as more and more people discover the benefits of recycling the household “graywater.
Eco-Artists to Speak at Santa Cruz Design Conference
Something profound happened in the days after Lakshmi Narayan visited the Kala Art Institute in Berkeley a few weeks ago to see an exhibit by ecological artists Helen Mayer Harrison and Newton Harrison. “It stayed with me for days and seeped into my consciousness. I understood it better over a few days’ time,” says Narayan, founder of Awake Media, a Santa Cruz-based web and print design company. “It made you think of yourself as a steward of the planet.”
Body Found in Boulder Creek Elementary
Students were off yesterday at Boulder Creek Elementary School, while police investigated the cause of death of a man in his 30s, who was found on an outdoor, second-story balcony. The man was not a local resident, nor did he have any ties to the school.
Santa Cruz Animal Shelter Offers First Aid for Pets
Santa Cruz County Animal Services is offering a monthly course on first aid for pets at the Animal Shelter in Live Oak. The class, entitled “Who You Gonna Call,” will go over basic treatment for cuts, bites, burns, poisoning, and other common injuries. Organizers
UCSC Students Hit with Fine
UCSC has fined 36 students $944 each for the role they played in the occupation of Kerr Hall last November during the student strike on campus. The occupation of the building is said to have resulted in $34,000 in damages. Additionally, seven of the students were either dismissed or placed on probation for their participation in the event.
