Who can forget the grand finale of Disney’s Mary Poppins, “Let’s Go Fly a Kite.” Certainly not the people at Santa Cruz’s Joby Energy. They’re flying their kites to the highest height, up through the atmosphere, up where the air is clear … and the wind blows. Unlike the All-American Rejects, they won’t leave “When the Wind Blows.” They’ll be sending their wind turbines way up, 2,000 feet in fact, in order to generate electricity.
News
Watsonville School Introduces iPad
Stephen Sharp, headmaster of the Monte Vista Christian School in Watsonville, has a dream. He wants to cut down on the cost of books that the school lays out each year. He also has a plan. Buy brand new iPads instead of books, and then rent digital copies of the books for the students at a fraction of the cost. This way, he claims, the iPads will pay for themselves in about a year.
Farmers Market Newcomers
A few of the goodies to look forward to at the newly expanded downtown market.
The Farmers Market Share
On Earth Day, regulars of the Santa Cruz Downtown Farmers Market wandered into a dazzling feast of new sights and smells. On tree-shaded aisles occupied the previous week by parked cars, the aromas of rotisserie chicken and hot pizza mingled while shave-ice vendors hawked the flavors of the tropics. Next to an array of colorful dishware by master ceramicist Mattie Leeds, the knife sharpener in his thick apron joked with visitors. The strains of bluegrass by Harmony Grits drifted off the new stage, background to the hiss of the Lulu Carpenter’s espresso machine and the chatter at information booths and the fishmonger’s. And anchoring it all, of course, were three aisles of farm-fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers, the bustling heart of the market.
Santa Cruz Writer Recalls Kent State Shootings
It was the evening of April 30, 1970, a Thursday. In the middle of a film festival that had been going on all week, someone from the projection room interrupted with the announcement, “We’ve just learned that Nixon has sent troops into Cambodia.” The atmosphere of the auditorium had been quite the party, so the seriousness with which the statement was made didn’t register. We’d been acting like kids, throwing popcorn and paper airplanes, applauding, hissing and booing, and shouting out comments. The film we were watching, Bambi Meets Godzilla, had sent our already high spirits over the top.
Police Rethinking Gang Member Profile
Two young friends, Tyler Tenorio and Carl Reimer, were the high-profile victims of gang violence in Santa Cruz.
Police Investigating Gang Connection in Teen Shooting
Police are still investigating the fatal shooting at Grandview Park on Friday night that left 19-year-old Carl Reimer dead.
Vagos, Hells Angels Fighting over Santa Cruz
As if Santa Cruz didn’t have enough gang problems, two rival motorcycle gangs, Vagos and Hells Angels, could be in the middle of a turf war over the city.
UCSC Adds Four More to Prestigious Academy
UCSC was once able to boast that 20 of its faculty members belonged to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a prestigious independent policy research center whose elected members consist of the cream of American academics, arts, business, and public affairs. Four more professors will be joining them in a class that includes Christiane Amanpour, Francis Ford Coppola, John Lithgow, Mike Leigh, Steve Martin and Denzel Washington.
Teen Shot Dead in Santa Cruz
Carl Reimer was an avid surfer who had finally managed to do the “backside 360” trick he had been practicing for months.
