Ecology Action and cyclists around the county are gearing up for fall Bike to Work Day with 15 public breakfast sites from Santa Cruz from Watsonville to Santa Cruz. Some sites even offer basic bike maintenance, acupuncture and massages.
Articles by Jacob Pierce
Candidates Talking About River Levees
The San Lorenzo River levees are notorious for their beer cans, cigarette butts and remnants of leftover encampments. But with the election approaching and public safety issues on voters’ minds, the levees have Santa Cruz City Council candidates brainstorming about creative ways to remove these stigmas and shore up the bastion of natural beauty.
Tannery Arts Center Debuts New Studios
The Santa Cruz County Visitors Council recently showed journalists around the Tannery’s second phase, a series of work studios that opened earlier this year. The Tannery’s first phase, a group of subsidized housing units, finished in 2009, and a third phase, a performing arts studio, is in the fundraising stages.
Chris Rene Releases New EP
Standing on the sidewalk in downtown Santa Cruz, Chris Rene could not possibly look more fly. The Santa Cruz native, who next week releases his first EP since his third place finish on The X Factor, is sporting a zip-up sweatshirt, leather jacket, chain wallet, an America flag belt buckle and “bullet crystal” necklaces—metal artillery shells with power crystals on the inside.
New GMO Study Bolsters Prop. 37 Supporters
The pro-Prop. 37 camp, which has a strong base in Santa Cruz, has some new ammunition in support of their cause, even as polls show them cruising to victory in their effort to mandate labeling of genetically modified food.
Santa Cruz’s Best Burritos
When I first moved to Santa Cruz for school, I remember looking out my parents’ car window and deciding to try to eat at every single Santa Cruz taqueria in search of the town’s best burrito. Even as a Southern California native, I was amazed by the high per capita ratio of burrito places to everything else.
Six years later, I’ve been to at least two dozen burrito places around the county, taking pointers from friends and Internet clues. Finally, I’m ready to name my favorites.
Aptos Neighbors Worry About Safeway Growth
If Safeway goes through with plans to nearly double its Aptos store’s size, Rodney Hoffer says the possible megamarket-to-be would look “real nice.” The most recent sketches show brown wooden timbers and stilts to give the one-stop shopping destination somewhat of a mountain-cabin atmosphere. “At least it’s it not going to look like a box like the one on 41st Avenue,” says Hoffer, owner of Ace Hardware, currently in the Rancho Del Mar complex, which Safeway bought this year.
Canon Takes First in ‘Diaper Derby’
In the moments before the Santa Cruz County Fair’s third annual Diaper Derby, Loretta Estrada wanted to make sure everyone understood the competition rules. “You can coax them with the bottle, shake the rattle—I don’t care what you do,” fair board member Estrada told the nine families preparing for the big race. “But if your baby stands up, it will be disqualified!”
Letters to the Editor: Sep 12-18
What is the true cost of Santa Cruz’s favorite monthly art event? Our readers write in about homeless issues, bike distributions and First Friday.
Council Candidates Weigh in on Downtown
A year ago, retail expert Bob Gibbs came to Santa Cruz and finished an economic development study. According to his analysis, making Pacific Avenue a two-way street would boost sales 30 percent and bring in new businesses to fill vacancies downtown. This year, the controversial two-way Pacific Avenue concept is still on the table, and the plan might not see a council vote until after the election.
