Feature Archives

The Beach Flats Community Garden has had its ups and downs over the years, constantly reminded that the land is leased, rather than owned, that at any point the land might be taken back. This year, the threat of eviction is a bit more real. The City has created a new garden plot, maybe one twentieth the size of the Community Garden, and has asked the gardeners to give up their keys and stop planting.

In early March, Finnish filmmaker Hannu Hyvönen came to Santa Cruz to participate in the EarthVision International Environmental Film Festival. While visiting Santa Cruz, Hannu recorded a video interview with Owl, a tree-sitter at UCSC's Science Hill. On March 13th, Uncle Dennis spoke with Owl and fellow treesitter Stitches during an Earth First! Radio Special broadcast on Free Radio Santa Cruz.

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.

On January 24th, 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.

Cruz Molina, one of two UCSC freshman targeted for supporting anti-expansion protests, was scheduled to have a student hearing on March 13th at the UCSC Inn in Santa Cruz. Supporters of Cruz say he is being scapegoated and that the UC is trying to hold him responsible for all past, present and future actions of the tree-sit protest. Without explanation, UCSC canceled the hearing.

On March 10th, Judge Paul Burdick of the Santa Cruz County Superior Court ruled that the University of California's lawsuit was an attack on the first amendment rights of at least two tree sit supporters. A motion to strike from the lawsuit tree sit Media Support person Jennifer Charles and tree sit supporter Oliver Schmid was granted. Because the case involved the first amendment, the University will be asked to pay Charles' and Schmid's lawyers fees, on top of the money spent serving the injunction and on the University's own lawyers.

Science Hill tree-sit organizers and supporters write, "As you may have heard, on February 24th, some kind of protest took place at the home of a UCSC researcher who experiments on animals. Hyped-up news articles and administrative messages on campus have led some people to associate this protest with the Tree-Sit on Science Hill. We wish to take this opportunity to make it clear that the tree-sit is NOT affiliated."