Last month there were seven Zipcars in Santa Cruz. Now there are 13. The service, which allows members to rent a car cheaply on an hourly basis, is already having an impact, reducing the amount that people drive locally, while eliminating the costs and pressures of owning a vehicle.
News
UCSC Professor Tackles Feminicide South of the Border
When we think about crimes against women, we usually think of the oppressive Taliban regime in Afghanistan or the mass rape of women in the Congo. We seldom think that the phenomenon is taking place much closer to home—in fact, right across the border. UCSC professor Rosa-Linda Fregoso aims at changing that perception. In Terrorizing Women: Feminicide in the Americas, a new book which she co-edited, she tackles the problem in Ciudad Juarez, right across the border in Texas. More than 1,000 women have been murdered there since 1993.
Santa Cruz’s Big Green Gem
It’s an old joke about our state’s consumptive culture that California’s architects can design parking lots that put others to shame. In the case of the newly remodeled Sentinel Building, it’s true, but the joke is on the person who made it. Bio-swale troughs surround the parking lot to metabolize runoff oil, covered bicycle parking and onsite showers are set up for pedal-powered commuters and electric vehicle charging stations wait to be installed—just the start of a long list of sustainable features at the recently re-designed downtown building. With slide show.
Two March for Repeal of DADT
Veterans from across the Bay Area gathered in San Jose yesterday to mark Veterans Day. Two veterans were conspicuously absent. Jason Knight and Jeffrey Kongslie Correa both studied at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, then served their country overseas. But Knight, a Hebrew linguist, was later discharged—twice—from the U.S. Navy under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Correa, who studied Arabic and spent six years in the Air Force, decided not to reenlist because of the discriminatory policy. He is now co-owner of the Vino Cruz wine shop in Santa Cruz. On Thursday the two walked from the gates of the Presidio in Monterey all the way to Santa Cruz to protest the law that prevents openly gay and lesbian men and women from serving in the military. Knight is one of 12,000 men and women who’ve been discharged from the military since 1994 because they are gay, even though the country is fighting two wars—and even though many servicemen and women are now their their third tour of duty overseas because of a shortage of soldiers.
Banana Slug String Jubilee
Guitarist “Airy” Larry Graff estimates the Banana Slug String Band has played to more than a million pairs of ears across the United States and the Caribbean. The ears hover at three feet and have an 8pm bedtime, but for nigh on 25 years the unbridled enthusiasm of children has been radiating out of the cafeterias and auditoriums that serve as Banana Slug String Band venues like a heat wave.
Michele Norris At Bookshop Santa Cruz
Silence is not what Michele Norris is known for. Quite the opposite, in fact—listeners of NPR’s All Things Considered will recognize the smooth timbre of the host’s voice before she even finishes her introductory “…and I’m Michele Norris.” Silence, though, is the topic she’ll address when she appears at Bookshop Santa Cruz on Sunday to read from and sign copies of her newest book The Grace of Silence.
Local Biz Gets Call From Veep
The recent election has shown that plenty of people across the country are upset about the stimulus bill. Not everyone, though. Some people are actually grateful for the opportunity it gave them to grow their business, even in a recession. Zach Davis and Kendra Baker, owners of Santa Cruz’s new Penny Ice Creamery, are among them. They even made a brief Youtube video thanking the President, Vice President, Senators Feinstein and Boxer and Representative Farr for giving them the support they need to get their new business off the ground. They even listed all the people they employed to make their dream of world-class ice cream made from scratch a reality.
Bike Rage In The Park
On Wednesday, police say that cyclist Eric Lamb began shouting obscenities at two young children who were playing in his way while he was riding through San Lorenzo Park. He then allegedly swerved intentionally to hit them, striking a 3-year-old with his bike.
City Councilmember Gets Community Service
After City CouncilmemberTony Madrigal failed to appear for his original court date, a judge sentenced him to three days in jail and a $774 fine for reckless driving. Madrigal was stopped by a CHP officer for driving erratically in his Prius. According to police, he was driving north on Highway 1 near Mar Monte when another driver called 911 to report him. He was not speeding or driving drunk, police say; instead he was texting and typing on his laptop while driving, which was causing him to swerve between lanes and endanger other drivers.
Educating Palates at Cabrillo
Utterly calm and collected, chef Mike Wille introduced a series of winemakers to assembled diners out on the back lawn of the Sesnon House a few weeks ago. Gathered at long tables draped in white linen, the guests were about to embark on a five-course culinary journey accompanied by wines from the viticulturists of Surf City Vintners. And every bite was the handiwork of student chefs.
