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Two experienced cyclists have been killed on Mission Street in Santa Cruz in the last year. According to People Power, Santa Cruz County's advocate for human-powered transportation, both of these deaths could have been avoided had the City designed the street six years ago with bike lanes. People Power also asserts that both deaths could have been avoided if the cyclists had felt safe riding in the middle of the right hand lane.
According to California Vehicle Code Section 21202, cyclists may use the full right lane when the lane "is too narrow for a bicycle to safely ride to the side of a motor vehicle." Two deaths occurred while cyclists were riding along the curb.
On Tuesday, May 13th, bicyclists will converge at the Santa Cruz Clock Tower at 6pm for a group ride taking up the right lane of Mission Street, and eventually ending at the City Council meeting to ask that "BIKE MAY USE FULL LANE" signs be posted on Mission Street. Read More
Santa Cruz Bicyclist Christopher Rock Killed at Intersection of Bay and Mission (4/8/08) || Cyclist killed by truck at Mission and Bay in Santa Cruz (8/7/07)
Cyclists Allowed (Use of Full Lane) || 21st Annual Santa Cruz County Bike Week: May 10 – 17
On April 24th and 25th, Centolia Maldonado Vasquez and Bernardo Ramirez Bautista, Oaxaca-based members of the Binational Front of Indigenous Organizations, gave presentations in Greenfield and at UC Santa Cruz on indigenous Mexican migration to the U.S. and its impact in the communities of origin, the current political situation in Oaxaca, the role of women in the movement for social justice in Oaxaca, and current challenges of indigenous governing community institutions in Oaxaca.
On July 15th, 2007, a man on a bicycle came up to street artist, Jason Paschal's protest table near O'Neill's Surf Shop on Pacific Avenue, said “O'Neill's been here longer than you have. Get the fuck out of Santa Cruz, Nigger!” and spat in his face. Paschal briefly pursued the man on foot, before placing a 911 call to report the assault. Police arrived and arrested Paschal instead. Nine months later, in Commissioner Stephen Siegel's court, all charges against Paschal were dropped. Read More
Jason Paschal comments, "Indymedia is doing this community a public service by publishing that a local judge was removed from my case for making an illegal ruling that violates California law. Do you think it should be kept quiet? Do you think that it should be swept under the rug that a Superior Court Judge, Tom Kelly, was sanctioned and had my case removed from his docket for making an unconstitutional decision?" Read More
On April 8th, around noon, cyclist Christopher Evan Rock was killed at the intersection of Mission and Bay Streets in Santa Cruz. That is two deaths and one major injury at that intersection within the last year, due to a street design and a culture of driving that does not allow for the existence of cyclists. Less than 10 years ago, Caltrans widened Mission Street to four lanes and refused to put in bike lanes.
In a memorial bike ride the next day, approximately 100 people dressed in black rode up Mission St. from the clocktower to the intersection of Bay and Mission. After John Myslin's death last summer, People Power worked with the City Council to put up signs on Mission St. that advise cyclists and drivers that cyclists are encouraged to use the full right lane. This is perfectly legal according to California Vehicle Code (which states that bicyclists can use the full right-hand lane when a lane is too narrow for "a bicycle and vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane") and was approved by the City Council. Read More
 PeaceTalks: Micah Posner Of People Power On Death of Bicyclist On Mission St. and Protest
The second public meeting to save the Beach Flats Community Garden took place on April 3rd. At the meeting, the gardeners put forward a bilingual plan for the garden to be managed by the gardeners. Reyna Ruiz of the Beach Flats Community Center said that the plan was something that she could work with and present to the Santa Cruz City Parks and Recreation as well as the Seaside Company which claims ownership over the land. The gardeners asked Brent, a supportive neighbor of the garden, to accompany Reyna when she presents the plan to the Santa Cruz City Parks and Recreation Department.
A third public meeting will take place at the Beach Flats Community Garden on Monday, April 7th, at 5pm to continue discussing the future of the garden.  Read More and View Photos
A groundbreaking independent report prepared by the Environment and Human Rights Advisory outlines 23 international human rights that may be violated by the aerial spraying program conducted by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) for the Light Brown Apple Moth. These are in addition to other potential violations of US and California constitutions and state statutes.
The potential liabilities to the CDFA are vast, including: Potential litigation through the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, a court of the Organization of American States;
Potentially costly legal actions brought against CDFA for aerial application of pheromones or pesticides as a violation of human rights; and possible legal action under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
“This report validates concerns being voiced by residents of all nine targeted counties about the violation of our safety, our rights and the environment." - Lori Cioffi, CASS spokesperson
  Read More and Watch Video | Moving Because of LBAM Spray - California’s Refugee Problem | California Alliance to Stop the Spray | Previous Coverage
On March 15th, activists and community members protested the war in Iraq, environmental racism and global warming by blockading the Chevron oil refinery in Richmond, CA.
A coalition which includes health, environmental and anti-war organizers had called for people to shut down the Chevron refinery for the day of Saturday, March 15th in support of community efforts to stop Chevron from expanding its Richmond refinery. An expansion will increase pollution and cause asthma, cancer and rising death rates in surrounding communities. 25 activists were arrested for taking part in the blockade.
The US Government is planning to poison more than two million people, in California, using an untested biological "pesticide" this summer. The chemical to be sprayed is classified by the EPA as a "pesticide" and the plan is to douse cities with a chemical designed to stick to everything it touches for 90 days or longer.
This application is not a one-time event, but will continue every 1-3 months for as long as five years. The pesticide to be sprayed is not designed to harm the light brown apple moths that it was designed to combat, but merely to confuse its mating habits. While harmless to moths, the pesticide has been documented to harm humans.
On January 24th, 2008, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Chuck Conner announced the availability of $74.5 million in emergency funding to combat the light brown apple moth (LBAM) "infestation" in California. President Bush's recent budget proposal sent to Congress sets aside $330 Million to eradicate plant pests, like the LBAM. It is unprecedented to design a long term plan to spray chemicals on people, which are untested for safety. Read More
see also: BioChem Spray Maker & Owner visits Monterey 3/13 Rally || CCOF Modifies Stance on Light Brown Apple Moth Treatment Program || A Clear and Present Danger || Previous Coverage on Indybay
Laurel Carlsen, a passionate fighter for social justice, has learned that she has Hotchkins Lymphoma, a type of cancer, and will have to undergo nearly a year of chemotherapy. She is currently uninsured and will be unable to work during her treatment. Laurel graduated from UCSC in 2007 where she majored in Community Studies. She focused her field study on organizing workers at Walmart and was active in defending undocumented workers and many other social justice issues.
She was involved in a number of communal living and cooperative projects in Santa Cruz before she moved to Palmer, Alaska to be with her mother and sister. There, she found employment that put her compassion to work, obtaining jobs caring for developmentally disabled adults and working with battered women. Laurel’s whole life has been dedicated to caring for others and now her friends want to create a widespread culture of mutual aid in Santa Cruz, starting with a series of fundraisers to support Laurel. Read More
Local and national media are reporting on the recall of 143 million pounds of meat from a southern California slaughterhouse. More than 70 school districts and social service agencies in the Central Valley ended up with some of that meat. But, the issue of contaminated meat might be a lot more problematic and local than we have been told.
On February 21st, Critical Resistance presented Gender, Health Care and the Prison Industrial Complex, at the Louden Nelson Community Center in Santa Cruz. This forum was the second in a series of monthly events that focus on different aspects of the prison industrial complex. The evening featured speakers from Justice Now, Critical Resistance and Santa Cruz AIDS Project.
Carissa Phelps was 12 years old when she was forced into prostitution on the mean streets of Fresno. Carissa was already on her own when, as she says, "I ended up on Parkway Drive (near Roeding Park and highway 99) because a friend's uncle saw me walking on the street. I didn’t have anywhere to go. He picked me up and asked if I wanted a ride. I didn’t really need a ride, but I got in anyway because I needed a warm place."
Carissa’s mom had taken her to Juvenile Hall as an "out of control" youth. After spending the night in the lobby, she was put into a group home for troubled youth, but soon ran away. Eventually she started living with the families of friends, paying for her stay by cleaning house and watching younger children. She did not attend school. Carissa said her friend's uncle "put his arm around me and said ‘I’m going to take care of you and you’re going to take care of me.’ He drove me to a Johnny Quick market and bought me a hot dog and a coke. I was terrified of him, I knew he was a drug dealer and I knew all of these things that made me afraid of him, but I thought I had to follow along. I was 12 years old and just a baby. I was happy to eat something."
Carissa Phelps has returned to Fresno to put a spotlight on the sexual exploitation of youth, which she says is still happening today. Telling her story is a part of the process. After getting a bite to eat, Carissa was taken to the Villa Motel. She says "it was really easy to be abused. All I was looking for was love and attention." But, she says she was not naive. She knew why this 40 year old drug dealing, uncle of a friend had taken her to the motel. "I tried to get out of the window in the bathroom, but it was too small. I then had sex with him, it was the worst experience of my life.
Photos and Story
Modesto Anarcho writes, "Modesto Anarcho #6 is out now and ready for download and distribution! This issue is packed full of insurrectionary class struggle analysis about what's going on in the California Central Valley area. Included within are extensive direct action and repression reports, poetry, news about ongoing struggles and happenings, a report back from the Feral Visions gathering, an in depth look at the recent Modesto dumpster dive ban, an article detailing the resistance to development at Jesse Morrow Mountain in Fresno, and much more!"
Perched in the stairwell of the UCSC extension building, Santa Cruz police officer Auldridge was filming the drum circle and Food Not Bombs at the Farmers' Market on January 30th, presumably with regards to the new "15 minute parking lot rule." The filming was interrupted when a man began waving a "Don't Tread On Me" flag in front of the camera. After being blocked by the flag for several minutes and being observed by a growing crowd, the officer left the building and waved to the camera.
The Santa Cruz Municipal Code Chapter 9.64 concerns the use of public parking lots and garages and was later amended to apply to all downtown public lots, and went into affect in mid-November, 2007. The law prohibits any person from staying in a parking garage or lot for more than 15 minutes and then only if you're parking or retrieving your car or bike. If you're disabled and can prove it, you have 30 minutes.
Tim Rumford, a disabled activist, says, "This may seem like a small thing, but to me it is not. I would bet a wooden nickel that most disabled advocacy groups will support the ending of this law. I believe one angle at stopping this law would be to contact all the Disability Rights Organizations and explain how a disabled person can't sit in their own car and rest on public property. With enough pressure form such groups, the talking heads that rule this City would not want the bad publicity and would cave with enough pressure." Read More
Previous Coverage of the Parking Lot Trespass Law: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
On Saturday January 26th, Bay Area activists protested at Senator Feinstien's home to commemorate the World Social Forum's Day of Action by demanding the Human Right to Housing in New Orleans. Demonstrators targeted Senator Feinstein due to her ambivalence on Senate Bill 1668, the "Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act of 2007," which would allocate funding for housing in New Orleans and guarantee one for one replacement of any destroyed public housing units.
The community of Santa Cruz won a victory on January 23rd in Parking Lot #4, the lot at Cathcart and Cedar. There under the two tall trees, the weekly drum circle bounced back from last week's police intimidation. Last week cops with ticketbooks dispersed the drummers, Food Not Bombs, and anyone loafing, loitering, or lingering with warnings of $100+ fines.
11:30AM Wednesday May 21
Save Our City Rally
7PM Wednesday May 21
The Ride Of Silence
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