For the last five years, the building has fascinated locals with its confusing mix of beaux arts and Greco-Roman architecture, its breaktaking views and, most controversially, its 62,000 square feet of vacant space.
Articles by Jacob Pierce
Can the Great Morgani Force Rule Changes Downtown?
Frank Lima almost didn’t leave his condo Sunday Feb. 16 to perform on Pacific Avenue, because he’d already enjoyed a nice afternoon busking the day before. It takes Lima, a 71-year-old mustached ex-stock broker, up to an hour to turn into the Great Morgani—an accordionist dressed head to toe in lycra, velvet and flamboyant colors.…
Foodie File: Sanderlings Restaurant
Mario Garcia began as a dishwasher at Sanderlings eight years ago and rose to line cook. He’s now a sous chef for the restaurant at Seascape Resort, which is staying open during renovations to gear up for the summer. SCW: What have you eaten today? MARIO GARCIA: When I got in, one of the chefs…
“Great Morgani” Retires Due to Downtown Ordinances
Frank “Great Morgani” Lima, a street-performance staple in Downtown Santa Cruz for the last 17 years, has announced he will be retiring from playing his accordion in outrageous outfits on Pacific Avenue because of downtown ordinances that regulate performing.
Crackdown on Solar Spooks Local Companies
A looming crackdown on solar panel installations gave local solar companies a bit of a scare to start off the New Year.
The Santa Cruz County planning department told companies like Solar Technologies and Allterra Solar they would have stop installing “Class C” solar panels on rooftops, and switch instead to “Class A” and “B” systems, which it turns out aren’t commercially feasible yet for residences.
Bob Lamonica Relishes Underdog Role in Supe Race
By every possible definition of the term, Bob Lamonica is the underdog in this year’s supervisor race. His opponent, Ryan Coonerty, has secured just about every possible endorsement, and is trouncing him in fundraising. Most people, it’s safe to say, consider Coonerty’s victory a foregone conclusion.
Burrito Power Rankings:2014 Edition
What makes a great burrito?
A good tortilla is important, as is the quality of everything wrapped inside. But there’s really no template or scorecard for this stuff.
Foodie File: Café Gratitude
When the 36-year-old chef at the all-vegan, all-organic Café Gratitude chows down on a greasy, meaty dish he really likes, he stops and says to himself, “Yeah, I can do that.”
Foodie File: Rocky’s Café
Amanda Franks started at Rocky’s Café on Highway 9 as a server at age 15. Seven years later, she’s managing the Felton restaurant in the mornings before going to class at Cabrillo College, where she studies business.
What’s Wrong With the City’s Bike Program?
Casey Monahan, last year’s Santa Cruz youth mayor, owes his job in part to the Bike Church and the free bicycle distribution program, which the nonprofit operated though the spring of 2012.
“Every day I got to work and school and here on a bike that I got through the bicycle distribution program for youth,” Monahan said in the Santa Cruz City Council chambers last month, as councilmembers weighed the future of the program.
