Steve Tyler love James Durbin. So do J Lo and Santa Cruz Mayor Ryan Coonerty. In fact, City Council will be passing a resolution tonight in support of Durbin as he battles off all the other contenders on his way to stardom. Attending the session will be some of the people who helped James along the road to success, including Mary Lundberg of Kids on Broadway and Lindsay Chester from All About Theatre.
Articles by Danny Wool
Rock Slide In Scotts Valley
Officially it may be spring, but Scotts Valley is still reeling from the latest effects of a stormy winter. A 200-foot rock slide that occurred at 2pm on Monday afternoon blocked Nelson Road and left dozens of homes inaccessible to rescue vehicles.
‘Big One’ Prediction Prompts Planning in Santa Cruz
Jim Berkland is considered to be a crank by many of his former colleagues. The retired geologist has gone on record several times predicting possible earthquakes in California. “I’ve predicted hundreds, including all 23 in the Bay Area since 1974,” he says. The problem, he says, is that officials are wary of him. He claims he was told not to make any more predictions, since they could cause mass panic. In 1989, he was suspended for two months from the US Geological Survey, ostensibly for predicting a major earthquake.
Good News, Bad News for Santa Cruz Harbor
Cleanup continued at Santa Cruz Harbor over the weekend, right in time for National Tsunami Awareness & Preparedness Week, which begins today. Limited access was granted briefly to the harbor, though this was rescinded on Friday almost as soon as it was granted due to the high waves and stormy weather. Cleanup efforts slowed to a crawl, hindered by the inclement conditions.
Durbin Still In The Game
It seemed like a no-brainer, but there was a moment of tension last night when American Idol host Ryan Seacrest called up three contestants, among them James Durbin, and told the other two that they were safe. That could only mean one thing. Durbin’s safety was in jeopardy! But no, it was a silly little mind game by the producers and Durbin was declared safe as well. We’re onto your tricks, Seacrest.
Local Students Win Technology Award
Four students from Santa Cruz County will be among the 25 honored at this year’s National Center for Women and Information Technology awards. The awards are handed out to female students to encourage them to pursue careers in computer science. The prizes include $250, a camera and a visit to the Google campus. The students and their schools will also receive a plaque honoring their achievement.
Attempt to Stamp Witchcraft Fails
It was a lovely day at the Sacred Grove, a store that specializes in, according to a sign in the store, “Witchcraft wares and magical supplies, potion brews and unique gifts” (eye of newt for Christmas is certainly a unique gift). They doubled, they doubled, they toiled, then came trouble, and not in the person of Lord Voldemort, either. This time the local qwiccamart was invaded by 41-year-old Kelly Piper, who took offense at the sign, marked with a black pentagram. He grabbed the sign and took off in a black Isuzu.
It’s A Twofer for James
Last night James Durbin fans got a special treat. Durbin sang not one but two songs on the American Idol episode devoted to songs from the year you were born. Now, given the tender age of the Idol contestants, it should come as no surprise that this was no trip down memory lane. I have underwear older than most of those songs. Still, it was a chance for James et al to go back to kinder, simpler times. Most of all it was a chance to see those embarrassing photos of James in his cowboy suit and that adorable video of him playing with his doll—the video that his mother takes so much pride in, even if James, not so much. Mothers can be so embarrassing.
Accusations of Anti-Semitism Too Common
The other day I reported on allegations of anti-Semitism being investigated at UCSC. The Department of Education (not the Department of Justice) has an Office for Civil Rights, which decided to look into a complaint made by a lecturer, Tammi Rossman-Benjamin, which can be traced back to an incident that actually occurred three years ago, in 2007. Ms. Rossman-Benjamin contends that at a conference that took place on campus that year, “Speakers claimed that Zionism was an illegitimate ideology and argued for the elimination of the Jewish state.” She immediately went on to define that conference as “unscholarly, political, and anti-Semitic.” As I wrote in my own news blurb, she went on to claim that “no other group on campus has been subjected to ‘such hostile and demonizing criticism’ as Jewish students.”
DNA Links Suspect to 2008 Rape Case
At 6am on March 19, 2008, a man accosted the barista of the Kind Grind Coffee Shop at the harbor as she was opening up for money business. Holding a knife to her throat, he led her to the kitchen, where he raped her. When he was done, he took her to a walk-in refrigerator, forced her inside and barricaded the door. Three years later, the case may have been solved, according to the Sentinel.
