Normally, if you have any banking to do on a Sunday night, you head over to the nearest ATM machine, and make your deposit or withdrawal. That’s more or less what happened outside the Wells Fargo bank on River Street on Sunday night, except that as the driver was helping a passenger in, his foot slipped off the brake pedal and hit the gas pedal.
News
Another Homicide in Santa Cruz
A 41-year-old woman was killed in the early hours of Saturday. Police say her live-in boyfriend is to blame. The killing marks an increase in the number of homicides in the city resulting from domestic violence as well.
Teen, Not Ghost, Responsible for Haunted House Mischief
The new Haunted Castle at the Boardwalk ground to a stop yesterday when a tablecloth used in one of the sets suddenly appeared on the tracks. The incident caused two of the cars to crash, resulting in about $5,000 worth of damages. The good news is that it wasn’t a ghost haunting the Haunted House.
Happy Furlough Friday
County offices will be closed today as part of an effort to reduce spending. The county’s budget called for one Friday furlough per month. The furlough does not affect county parks or child services, and both the DA’s office and the County Recorder’s office will offer reduced services.
Sleep Out Protest in Nineteenth Day
Homeless activists are in day 19 of their protest against the city’s sleeping ban ordinance. Every night for the past two and a half weeks, about 30 people unroll their bedrolls on the steps of the county courthouse for their slumber party protest. They have no plans on stopping, either. Not only do they want the ordinance repealed, they are also demanding amnesty for all tickets issued since the law was first enacted, back in 1979.
New Directing Talent for Shakespeare Santa Cruz
As Shakespeare Santa Cruz’s 2010 festival season draws near, Obie Award-winner Pam MacKinnon is overseeing the repertory company’s production of Othello (Aug. 3-29). Santa Cruz is the latest stop in this young director’s career, which has taken her all around the country, from New York to Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company to Hartford Stage in Connecticut and many others. A frequent collaborator with playwright Edward Albee, she has directed several of his plays, including the world premieres of At Home at the Zoo and Occupant.
School Food Not Reaching Students
One day Chef Jamie Smith walked into a classroom and asked the students what they had for breakfast. He says that 50 to 60 percent said nothing, while one student said that he had Skittles. While studies show that eating healthy meals helps students learn better, kids in Santa Cruz aren’t eating well at all, despite everything the district has done to encourage healthier meals. Smith, an award-winning chef, was hired by the school district to provide nutritious meals for students, with support from state and federal subsidies, but kids are not taking advantage of the food available to them. Even with healthier, tastier meals, fewer students are having a hearty cafeteria breakfast or lunch.
Another Shark Sighting Off Capitola Beach
A surfer in Capitola says that he saw a large shark swimming in a zigzag pattern just a few feet away from him. Paul Johnson said it happened after 10am Wednesday morning, about 200 yards offshore. The predator, which he described as “a gray torpedo silhouette in the water,” came within just a few feet of him. Upon returning safely to shore, he reported the incident to local authorities, who posted shark warning signs along the beach. Not everyone saw them, though, and the beach was still crowded with swimmers and surfers, many of them unaware of the danger.
Lifeguards Back on the Job
Santa Cruz lifeguards rescued as many as six people this past weekend along Santa Cruz beaches. The survivors have more than just the lifeguards to be thankful for. Most of these lifeguards faced layoffs because of budget cuts to state parks. A local group, Friends of State Parks, decided that this was unconscionable and decided to raise the money themselves to pay the lifeguards’ salaries for the last two months of the season.
blackbird Singing at Cabrillo Music Fest
Of the many things violinist Matt Albert is looking forward to when he returns for his eighth year in the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra—seeing his host family, running on West Cliff, tomato season at the farmers market—one of the most thrilling is the chance to play again with festival musical director Marin Alsop.
