District Attorney Bob Lee is working fast. Just days after Operation Groundhog cracked down on the Sureno Gang operating in Watsonville, four people have been sent to state prison, while another four have been sentenced to time in local jails or various terms of probation. “Gangs are the No. 1 problem we have in this county,” said Lee, explaining his determination to break the Surenos once and for all.
News
Budget Protest Scheduled for the Government Center Today
Santa Cruz County is teetering on the red, and will have to cut $17 million out of its budget this year. Like so many other counties, it is going forward with job cuts. Over 200 county employees could lose their livelihoods, with virtually every department represented, from the Sheriff’s Office to the Probations Department and from Health and Human Services to Child Welfare.
The workers in the departments have had enough. They want the county to cut from the top where, they claim, expenses are bloated. To get their point across, they will be picketing the Government Center, starting at noon today. Some 200 people are expected to show up for the picket.
Police Raid Surenos in Watsonville
After a yearlong investigation, Watsonville police arrested 42 people suspected of being part of the Surenos gang.
The Jugglers Are Coming
Christopher D. Garcia, 19, may be a computer science major by day, but as soon as class is over he takes out his balls, hoops and knives and becomes Draco the Juggler. He is just one of many students in the UCSC Juggling Club. This Friday they will be hosting their annual bash, a three-day juggling extravaganza on a hilltop in the UCSC campus grounds.
Santa Cruz Poets, Santa Cruz Inspiration: Doug McClellan
In this month’s installment of ‘Local Poets, Local Inspiration,’ a poet imagines a mural in honor of Santa Cruz.
Santa Cruz County RTC Buys Railroad
It’s official. The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission is buying a railroad. In a meeting Thursday night, commissioners voted unanimously to spend a total of $19.2 million in state transportation money to buy the tracks from railroad giant Union Pacific and to repair and upgrade them for increased business.
Dems File Lawsuit in Bid to Delay 15th District Race
Three individuals, with support from the California Democratic Party, filed a lawsuit in federal court yesterday seeking to delay the June 22 special election to fill the state senate seat being vacated by newly confirmed Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado.
Ten Questions for Glenn R. Stewart
The director of the Predatory Bird Research Group at UCSC talks about his passion for all things falcon-related and what he’s learned about making change happen.
Santa Cruz to Gangsters: ICE, ICE, Baby
To further its efforts to combat gang violence, the SCPD has partnered with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Unit’s National Gang Unit. According to Police Chief Howard Skerry, “We will tap into all available resources to cub this epidemic.” The joint effort is part of ICE’s Community Shield program to partner with local police authorities to curb gang violence. ICE has already partnered with police in Morgan Hill, Gilroy and Salinas this year, and with the Monterey County Sheriff’s Department.
Peddlers Put Out With Percussionists
There’s an old Chinese proverb that says, “If your enemy wrongs you, buy each of his children a drum.” In Santa Cruz, some local businesses are wondering who the enemy is that they wronged.
Bang! Whang! Whang!
