Feature Archives

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. 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.

On May 8th, Eric McDavid was sentenced to 235 months. He was convicted in February of 2008 of "conspiracy to damage or destroy government property by means of fire or explosives." The "conspiracy" was fabricated by "Anna," an FBI informant who was paid over $65,000 to entrap him. Now that the sentencing is over, Eric will be able to start the appeals process. In the near future, Eric will likely be sent to a federal facility recommended to be close to his family. His supporters are hopeful that the move will bring many improvements in his overall standard of living.

May 7th marks the 6th month anniversary of the tree-sit on Science Hill at UC Santa Cruz, and of the two-month ground occupation which was born in torn fencing and broken police lines. There will be a gathering at 8pm underneath the tree-sit for an open-ended collective celebration. The tree-sit has been a continuous act of resistance against the University's expansion plans, including a Biomedical Sciences Facility at the site of the tree-sit and the development of over 120 acres of Upper Campus' redwood and chaparral.

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. 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.

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 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.

At 9:45 in the morning of March 31st, a large force of Yolo County Sheriffs stormed the buildings at D-Q University, battering their way into the hallway of the large dorm with guns drawn, and arresting 18 students, community supporters, and elders. In a similar incident on February 20th, Sheriff's deputies came onto the sovereign campus and arrested three students. The students arrested on February 20th have their court date on Wednesday, April 2nd at 7:30am at the Woodland Courthouse and they have put out a call for supporters to attend. The court date for the 18 people arrested on March 31st is not yet known.