Feature Archives

In what is rapidly becoming a homespun Santa Cruz New Year’s tradition, the Last Night DIY Parade and Street Party took over the streets on New Year’s for the forth continuous year. This year the do-it-yourself, grassroots celebration returned with a parade, street party, entertainment, and performers taking over downtown for an evening of DIY adventure and entertainment.

From the open publishing newswire: "I received some unsettling news yesterday that Shakespeare Santa Cruz - the country's fifth largest Shakespeare festival - will close its door forever on December 22nd unless they raise $300,000. If this sounds last minute, it is because they themselves found out only a couple of days ago that UC Santa Cruz will take away their place on campus unless they can come up with those funds. SSC has been a part of the Santa Cruz and Theatre communities for 28 years during which time it has not only produced some magnificent work, but it has also helped to enrich the education of many of UC Santa Cruz's theatre students..."

Santa Cruz, CA -- Over four hundred days ago, a handful of activists climbed up into the trees on Science Hill as a symbol of resistance to the University of California's plan to destroy 120 acres of campus forest. On December 13th at approximately 8:00am, the tree sit drew to a close as police seized control of Science Hill, arresting one tree sitter. Later, a tree cutting company hired by the university cut down a grove of 100 year old redwood trees to make way for construction of a Biomedical building.

From the open publishing newswire: "Last night rocks were thrown through the windows of 2 Bank of Americas and another ATM location. We did this because the uprising of our comrades in Greece, England, Moscow and elsewhere will not go without a response. People here are killed by cops, screwed by banks, and we will revolt with just as much fury."

Valerie Paget and Tracie Jones, a Pasedena couple affected by the passage of Proposition 8, are on a march through California to demonstrate their conviction that the California Supreme Court should revoke Prop 8. They are marching from West Hollywood Park to the California Supreme Court in San Francisco. In coordination with Rick Jacobs of the Courage Campaign, they will deliver a petition to revoke Prop 8 that has been signed by over 250,000 people.

At the Santa Cruz City Council meeting on December 9th at 3:00pm, the Beach Flats Community Center, Harvey West Pool, Museum of Natural History and Surfing Museum were cut from the city budget. In light of the current fiscal crisis the city faces, closures of these facilities and reduction in the employee workforce are scheduled for February, 2009.

On December 6th at the Resource Center for Nonviolence (515 Broadway) in Santa Cruz, Indybay volunteers from around the Bay Area facilitated an orientation to Indybay.org and the global Indymedia network. Volunteers demonstrated how to publish text, photos, audio and video, and much more, including how stories get made into center column features.