MediaNews Group, publisher of the Santa Cruz Sentinel and the San Jose Mercury News, has announced it plans to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
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Local Trial Could Set Gay Rights Precedent
All eyes are on the Proposition 8 trial taking place in San Francisco, but another, local trial could also have a major impact on gay rights in the state. At stake is the fate of two infants, Max and Levi Smith-Quale, and who should have custody over them.
Santa Cruz County Preps for Flooding
El Nino storm conditions will harass the county for most of the coming week, and local officials are concerned. They are warning residents to take precautions to avoid flooding and mudslides, and have published a list of locations where local residents can get sandbag supplies.
Bogus Grade on Smoking Has Santa Cruz Leaders Miffed
The Sentinel reports that the American Lung Association gave Santa Cruz another “D” in its annual Tobacco Report Card, even though in 2009 the city passed a ban on smoking downtown and on the beach. The unimproved score has irked Santa Cruz city officials, who used the 2008 “D” grade as justification for the ban.
Santa Cruz’s Spendy Solar Program
As Santa Cruz’s much-trumpeted Renewable Energy Assessment District inches closer to implementation, its fate increasingly seems tied to the 9 percent interest rate participants would pay to join. The program, dubbed CaliforniaFIRST and administered by the quasi–public organization California Communities, would let homeowners purchase alternative energy systems like solar panels with loans financed by the sale of “special district”-issued bonds. The plan targets homeowners that lack enough home equity or good credit to qualify for a bank-issued loan.
Notes From Classical’s Underground
It’s nothing like the rest of Remy Le Boeuf’s work. Here in his hometown, the 23-year-old sax player is best known as one half of the formidable jazz duo formed with his twin brother, pianist Pascal. That work has been hailed by the New York Times as reaching for “the gleaming cosmopolitanism of our present era.” But during his jazz studies at the Manhattan School of Music, which awarded him bachelors and masters degrees, Remy had a little side thing with classical composition. This Friday, his piece The Third Elegy, a contemplative, Eastward-looking number for cello, violin, bass clarinet and vibraphone, receives its world premiere as part of the New Music Works concert Night of the Emerging Composers.
Prop 8 Trial Focuses on Economics, Mental Health
In the courtroom yesterday proponents of gay marriage pointed to the loss of revenue resulting from Proposition 8.
Arana Gulch Project Clears Hurdle
Yesterday, Santa Cruz County’s Regional Transportation Commission approved giving $1.1 million to pave a path for pedestrians and cyclists across Arana Gulch.
“Fight the Budget Cuts!” School Boards Urged
At a meeting of the California School Board Association Region 9 last night, educators were urged to fight the impending cuts to school budgets rather than simply comply with them. Region 9 encompasses Santa Cruz, San Benito, Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties. “Tell your stories to your local legislator, talk about the pain local communities are feeling,” said Chris Ungar, Director of the Region.
Chinese Engineers Tour Santa Cruz Wastewater Facilities
One of the greatest challenges facing China is a dearth of fresh water for its burgeoning population.
