“And the seasons they go ‘round and ‘round/ And the painted ponies go up and down/ We’re captive on the carousel of time/ We can’t return we can only look behind…”
Articles by Danny Wool
Capitola to Debate New Skateboarding Rules
When it meets tonight, Capitola City Council will be discussing the rules for skateboarding and bicycling within Capitola Village. Behind the discussion is an accident that occurred earlier this month. A local 17-year-old came barreling down the Cliff Drive hill in the direction of the Stockton Avenue bridge at 20 miles per hour, just as Maryanne Slettehaugh, 83, was crossing the street. Though the teen jumped off the skateboard, he still flew into Sletterhaugh, who was knocked down and killed.
Rise in Homelessness A Sign of The Times
With unemployment at 11.6 percent in Santa Cruz County and a dearth of affordable housing, the number of homeless people living in Santa Cruz has increased by 22 percent over the past two years. Official numbers say that there are 2,771 homeless people now living in the city, compared to 2,265 in 2009, the last time a poll was taken. About half of all the homeless people live in the city of Santa Cruz. Scotts Valley, which had no homeless people in 2009, now has 13.
City Gives First Nod to Ocean Street Plan
City Council voted unanimously last night to send its Draft Ocean Street Area Plan for an environmental review. The decision came amid some confusion, however, with Mayor Ryan Coonerty pointing to differences between Council members and residents as to what the plan actually entails. He would like to see greater involvement by the local population, which will be directly affected by the plan, and called for a series of workshops between residents and city officials to hammer out the final details.
Reimagining Ocean Street
Some 3 million people visit Santa Cruz every year, and the first thing they see is Ocean Street. When City Council meets Tuesday at 7pm, they’ll discuss plans to make that first encounter as memorable as possible—and in a good way.
New Arrests in Bryan Stow Beating
Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa announced that two new suspects were arrested on Thursday in connection with the Bryan Stow beating incident at Dodger Stadium. The arrests came just one day before another suspect, Giovanni Ramirez, was exonerated and released.
Silas Kipruto Wins Wharf to Wharf
It took just 26 minutes, 56 seconds for Silas Kipruto of Kenya to run from the Santa Cruz Wharf to the Wharf in Capitola.
County to Tackle Plastic Bags Again
Santa Cruz County is considered to be one of the most environmentally conscious counties in the state. It is, therefore, surprising to many that it has not yet banned plastic bags, like San Francisco and San Jose have already done (San Jose’s ban is scheduled to go into effect in January).
LA Supes Increase Award for Info on Stowe Attack
Bryan Stowe has been in a medically induced coma since he was attacked at Dodger Stadium this spring. Though police have since arrested Giovanni Ramirez, they say that there is insufficient evidence to charge him, so the LA County Board of Supervisors upped its ante. It is now offering $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the people involved in the assault. The total reward being offered now stands at $225,000.
New Live Oak School Goes Green
The Green Acres Elementary School in Live Oak is about to become home to the first completely green educational facility in the county.
