Once upon a time it was the Lost Weekend, an infamous and much-loved Santa Cruz Mountain hangout. Transformed into a winemaking facility two decades ago, the rustic spot has been home to Ryan Beauregard’s winery for the past two years. The vintages produced there include deeply textured syrahs, merlots and pinot noirs as well as complex chardonnays and supple sauvignon blancs. They bear the names of storied vineyards like Meyley and Bald Mountain. At this immensely beautiful setting three miles from the ocean, Beauregard Tasting Room currently offers tastes of a dozen house wines, scenic picnicking and a chance to see what the fourth generation of this winegrowing family is up to.
News
In About-Face, Judge Hands Victory to Hotel Backers
In a surprise decision, Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Paul Burdick ruled that the Santa Cruz City Council explored sufficient alternative options when it approved a plan to demolish the historic La Bahia Apartments to make way for a four-star hotel.
Road Repairs for Pacific Avenue
Using $1 million in federal stimulus funding, Santa Cruz is repaving Pacific Avenue from Water Street to Depot Park.
Faculty Dissent at UCSC
The faculty of UCSC is up in arms about the administration’s decision to fine six students $944 each for the role they played in the occupation of Kerr Hall last November.
Metheny Clatters into Santa Cruz
Pat Metheny is jazz’s eternal teenager, forever fiddling with knobs and effects, playing as many noodling notes as possible and tonight, on Easter Sunday, calling at 11:30pm to talk about his new project, the musical equivalent of the ultimate remote-control car.
Good News for SCCS Teachers
The Santa Cruz City Schools Board of Trustees approved a special retirement package for 41 teachers. The new package allows for younger teachers to keep their jobs in the local school system. As a result of the decision, 26 teachers who had received layoff notices were immediately rehired and nine adult education teachers received 50 percent of their original hours. The Board can now tackle other pressing issues intended to reduce its $5 million deficit.
Santa Cruz Second-Best Rec City in U.S.
Relocate America may not consider Santa Cruz one of the country’s 10 best places to live, but it does consider it an outstanding place to take some time off. It took the much-vaunted number two spot on the list of “Top Ten Recreation Cities,” right behind Boulder, Colorado and the only city in California to make the list.
Growing Numb to Costs of Afghanistan War
Playwright Lillian Hellman once said: “I cannot and will not cut my conscience to fit this year’s fashions.”
The statement was in a letter to the House Un-American Activities Committee. The year was 1952. We tell ourselves that the McCarthy era was vastly different than our own—but what about the political fashions of 2010?
Film Looks at Teenage Alcoholism from Teens’ Perspective
Santa Cruz Neighbors, a local community group, is expanding its reach beyond the threat of gang violence in the city. It is starting to address teenage alcoholism, and it’s using local teens to get its message across. On Tuesday, about 100 people of all ages filled the community room at the Santa Cruz Police Department to watch “Wasted,” a 15-minute short film about the problem of underage drinking. It was no Reefer Madness. It was a film by teens about teens and how they are becoming increasingly susceptible to alcohol and drug abuse.
Local Students Gather for 4/20 Event
About 1,000 students gathered at Porter Meadow on the UCSC campus yesterday to mark 4/20 with bongs and brownies. It was about half the crowd that attended last year’s event. Comedy Central was there, filming a new episode for its program, “This Show Will Get You High.” Conspicuously absent were the anti-marijuana activists who showed up last year. Perhaps they had a change of heart, or perhaps they were afraid of getting caught in the cloud of smoke that rose from the Meadow at exactly 4:20 pm.
