Hoailona doesn’t have many relatives, but he does have plenty of friends. He is one of a just 1,100 monk seals in the world today, and with that population declining by 4 percent every year, the species, now deemed critically endangered, could soon become extinct.
The Best of Overheard at the Record Store’
“Dude, the new Whitesnake kicks ass. It seriously kicks ass, bro.”
“Sir, I know what a train is. Please stop.”
“I smoke outside. I don’t care about my lungs but I don’t want to ruin my records.”
Grahm Inducted into Winegrowers Hall of Fame
Randall Grahm, the founder of Bonny Doon Vineyard, has raised an “ungodly” number of grape varieties since he first established his vineyard in 1983. He’s also worked in a variety of styles, though today he is probably best known for his Rhone blends. On Saturday he was inducted into the Culinary Institute of America’s Vintners Hall of Fame in recognition of over one-quarter century of contributions to the California wine industry. These go “go well beyond what any one person could hope to accomplish in a lifetime,” said the chair of the nominating committee, W. Blake Gray.
County’s Buzzing With Bees
Vegetable gardening is enjoying a comeback across the country, thanks in large part to First Lady Michelle Obama. More and more people are also starting to raise chickens too. And then there is beekeeping—the perfect way for backyard farmers to pollinate their crops and stock up on honey. It’s a popular hobby across Santa Cruz County, but most people are doing it illegally. The problem is the permit. Not only do these cost $1,000, but applicants must also inform their neighbors and participate in a public hearing before the zoning commission. Then the results of the hearing can be appealed to City Council.
Renaissance Man at the Rio
From prisoner and exile to pioneering pop star and government minister, Gilberto Gil’s musical career has taken him on an extraordinary ride. Since the mid-1960s, when he helped launch the psychedelic Tropicalia art movement, Gil has been at the center of Brazil’s teeming music scene as a composer, bandleader and iconic performer. Often referred to as South America’s John Lennon, Gil defies comparisons to artists in the Anglosphere.
Dogs One Step Closer to Returning to Downtown
The Downtown Association’s board voted 8-1 yesterday to allow dog owners to bring their pets downtown over a six-month trial period. The decision is the first step in lifting a 34-year ban on dog on Pacific Avenue and the surrounding area. The Board’s recommendation included a number of stipulations, including a ban on dogs after dark, a ban on panhandling with dogs, and a requirement that leashes be between three and five feet long. In addition, no more than three dogs will be allowed in close proximity to one another.
Santa Cruz Composting Program Saved
Santa Cruz County will be keeping its composting program, despite the steep costs involved. For the past three years, the county has been composting food scraps from more than 50 local schools, hospitals, and restaurants. The amount of discarded food collected totals about 100 tons per month, which would otherwise go into the Buena Vista Landfill.
Kessler’s Santa Cruz Tale
The photograph on the cover of The Mental Traveler is an extreme close-up of a young white man of indeterminate age, thick black beard and moustache bristly and unkempt, forehead knotted, head bowed toward the camera. He appears consumed by his thoughts, overcome by deep emotion, his forehead ready to burst.
Pogonip Rangers in Danger
A standard-issue Santa Cruz park ranger uniform comes with a forest green shirt and slacks, hiking boots, a wide-brimmed hat and a tool belt containing a Leatherman multi-tool, a flashlight, a notepad, a two-way radio and a can of pepper spray. Nowhere in any pocket, holster or clip is a device designed to assist a ranger in a gunfight. So when Rangers Brian Watson and Gar Eidam stumbled onto an illegal campsite in the Pogonip last month and found $850 worth of heroin and a loaded .357 magnum handgun, they radioed in for help from the Santa Cruz Police Parks Unit. With slideshow.
Police Raid Watsonville Stores for Contraband
Khalil Rahim didn’t know there was gang violence in Watsonville, because he lives in San Jose. At least that’s what he told the police, after they raided his discount cigarette store and confiscated brass knuckles and switchblades.
