Yesterday news organizations reported that the recent health report for California counties noted that the prevalence of liquor stores per 10,000 people in Santa Cruz County is twice as high as in any of the neighboring counties.
Dinner Train Project Threatened
The proposed dinner train between Santa Cruz and Davenport could be in trouble. The original plan was to use state funding to purchase the train tracks and add hiking and bicycle paths along the tracks. Any planned passenger service would be postponed until some future date.
Vanishing Fog Threatens Redwoods
Love it (on a still Saturday morning) or hate it (while racing up Highway 17 late for work), fog is a crucial part of life in Central California. Now a new study on coastal fog by researchers at the University of California-Berkeley has shown a significant decrease in the iconic Northern California weather phenomenon. That’s potentially very bad news for our friends the redwoods, which get an estimated 30-40 percent of their moisture from fog.
The Ukelele or the Grateful Dead
When you think about the Santa Cruz music scene, the first thing that should come to mind is probably the Grateful Dead. After all, UCSC is home to the most important Dead archive in the world. But a Canadian filmmaker found another musical phenomenon that makes Santa Cruz tower above the rest: the ukulele. Perhaps it indicates close ties with Hawaii. After all, another SC icon, surfing, is also associated with that state and Santa Cruz.
Santa Cruz County Good ‘n’ Healthy
Santa Cruz County ranked 8th in a survey of the healthiest places to live in California.
Ten Questions for Robyn McIntyre
What do you do for a living?
I’m a writer/artist/social media enthusiast with an interest in a lot of things. I write three blogs and am anticipating the position of Director of Miscellany for a new start-up currently being funded.
Governor’s Gas Tax Flip Is Trouble
In January, as part of an effort to tackle the budget deficit, Gov. Schwarzenegger proposed eliminating California’s 6 percent gasoline sales tax and replacing it with a 10.8 cents per gallon excise tax. While that might seem like good news for consumers, it comes at a high price.
Through The Cellar Door
The New York Times Magazine traced the origins of the words “cellar door,” which, it turns out, is considered an exceedingly beautiful pair of words. Local poet Stephen Kessler, however, isn’t convinced.
Callers Keep Police Busy
The SCPD is reporting that the number of calls it received in 2009 was the most ever for a single year—85,774, or 1.5 calls for every resident.
State Budget Woes Take Toll on Highway Improvements
Improving existing infrastructures is listed as top priority by everyone in government, from the president to the governor to the mayor.
