According to the latest survey by the Public Policy Institute of California, the Golden State is in an awfully foul mood going into 2010 and the upcoming election season. Two out of every three of those polled said California is headed for “bad economic times” in the next 12 months, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has a very low approval rating of 30 percent. The legislature is even worse off, earning a scant 18 percent approval, just shy of the all–time record low of 17 percent. Poll respondents were also very gloomy about the legislators’ ability to work together in 2010—65 percent say they will not.
County Names New Planning Director
Kathleen Molloy Previsich will replace outgoing director Tom Burns at the helm of the Santa Cruz County Planning Department on March 1.
2009 Crime Statistics for Watsonville
Watsonville’s newly minted police chief, Manny Solano, presented the Watsonville city council with a statistical synopsis of crime in 2009.
Free H1N1 Vaccine Clinics to Open in Watsonville
Santa Cruz County Public Health officials will be offering two free evening walk-in clinics for H1N1 influenza vaccination in Watsonville on February 2 and 4.
Fight over Rent Control Could Head Back to Court
Yesterday the County’s Board of Supervisors rejected a request by Paul Goldstone, owner of the Alimur Mobile Home Park, that he be allowed to sell of individual plots that are currently rent-controlled.
There’s More Water, but Is It Enough?
It’s been raining for eight straight days, and many of the dried up riverbeds across the county have suddenly come to life again.
Santa Cruz City Council Tackles Booze and Dope
At the Santa Cruz City Council meeting on Wednesday, city leaders vowed to crack down on problem bars and extend a limit on pot clubs.
Santa Cruz Medi-Pot Collective Settles With Feds
The morning of Friday, Jan. 22 was a long time coming for Michael Corral. As he walked up to the doors of the federal courthouse in downtown San Jose, members of the Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana, the collective he helped found in Santa Cruz in 1996, were slowly gathering outside the glass doors. Some leaned on canes and walkers. One member had a seeing–eye dog, another a wheelchair.
“It’s a draw. They didn’t win, we didn’t win,” Corral said. “This has gone on so long, it was time for it to end.”
The Bike Dojo: Taking Santa Cruz For A Ride
Rob Mylls is a stocky, wisecracking 42-year-old who is most often found behind a set of carbon fiber handlebars. Last July, after his boss at Hewlett-Packard said goodbye with a handshake and a pink slip, Mylls decided to skip the job hunt to chase a dream. The result is the Bike Dojo, “A Cycling Community.” And for anyone who joins, Mylls and his partner Delfina Gimeno promise a year-round ticket to gorgeous scenery, better fitness and maybe even some new friends. With slide show.
No Plane Crash in Santa Cruz Mountains
For two days, rescuers combed the Santa Cruz Mountains, looking for a downed plane and its pilot. On Monday, the FAA announced that the report of a crash was “not credible.”
