It’s 1962 and her indispensable can of Aquanet is just the first of a long list of things Tracy Turnblad is ready to shake up. The overweight teen dreams of dancing on the local television station’s Corny Collins Show, a dream she sets about turning into reality while navigating racial conflict, raging hormones and generational tension as easily as she dodges the flashers and rats on the streets of her native Baltimore.
News
New Arrests in Bryan Stow Beating
Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa announced that two new suspects were arrested on Thursday in connection with the Bryan Stow beating incident at Dodger Stadium. The arrests came just one day before another suspect, Giovanni Ramirez, was exonerated and released.
Silas Kipruto Wins Wharf to Wharf
It took just 26 minutes, 56 seconds for Silas Kipruto of Kenya to run from the Santa Cruz Wharf to the Wharf in Capitola.
Young Paddleboarders Cross Bay
A crew of junior guards by the name of Team Grom stood out at this year’s Bay Crossing, a 28.5-mile paddle race that is usually dominated by broad-shouldered men. Team Grom included the youngest paddlers ever to participate in the three-year-old race: Ben Coffey, 13; Turner Roll, 16; Paul Steinberg, 22 and the only female in the race, Mckenzie Smith, 15. They took turns every 10 to 30 minutes paddling a 12 -foot stock board across Monterey Bay, where every so often people get called out of the water because a great white gets spotted and where whales the size of trucks linger.
County to Tackle Plastic Bags Again
Santa Cruz County is considered to be one of the most environmentally conscious counties in the state. It is, therefore, surprising to many that it has not yet banned plastic bags, like San Francisco and San Jose have already done (San Jose’s ban is scheduled to go into effect in January).
LA Supes Increase Award for Info on Stowe Attack
Bryan Stowe has been in a medically induced coma since he was attacked at Dodger Stadium this spring. Though police have since arrested Giovanni Ramirez, they say that there is insufficient evidence to charge him, so the LA County Board of Supervisors upped its ante. It is now offering $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the people involved in the assault. The total reward being offered now stands at $225,000.
Ten Questions for J. Todd Adams
The actor, who won over audiences last year with his portrayal of the stoner Costard in Shakespeare Santa Cruz’s Love’s Labor’s Lost, will play Aramis in the SSC production of The Three Musketeers and Hotspur in Henry IV, Part 1.
Bull Market, Bear Market
Awash with monuments, landmarks and statues, Santa Cruz is no slouch when it comes to celebrating its rich cultural history. But one of the most endearing (and forgotten corners) of our past has been sadly overlooked. Until now. Fortunately, a historical society has stepped forward to right this error. Last month, “El Viceroy Marques de Branciforte Chapter 1797” dedicated a monument and bronze plaque to commemorate a bull and bear fighting ring once located where San Lorenzo Park now exists.
PLATED: Savoring Summer
This month’s issue of GQ features an article on Santa Cruz as one of the world’s top surfing spots. The piece also mentions where to eat while you’re on your surfin’ safari and includes local favorites La Posta, Tacos Moreno and Manresa in Los Gatos. The issue also features a big spread on Bay Area dining, mentioning the organic strawberries grown at Swanton Berry Farm as absolutely the top of the food chain. We knew that.
The Book of Crumb
Fans of Robert Crumb were expecting a takedown job when the former Northern Californian and the world’s most famous underground cartoonist announced his project to illustrate Genesis, the first book of the Bible.
