Feature Archives

Advisory writes: Over 4,500 copies of the following handbill were distributed on July 3rd and 4th in tourist areas of Santa Cruz. They were placed under windshield wipers of cars in city lots, hotels, and resturants, on light poles, change machines, and distributed by hand. Areas covered included Beach Boardwalk, Wharf, Depot Park, Downtown, West Cliff, Seabright areas, Mission Street, and Ocean Street. The handbills were created to bring to the surface the simering tensions between the business interests and the rest of the citizens of this town.

Jeremy Underhill writes: The serene isolation and beauty of Arana Gulch is threatened by two miles of eight foot wide paved trails and a suspension bridge over Hagemann Gulch. As one of Santa Cruz's last untouched wilderness areas we need to keep it free of roads! It is a beautiful escape from our modern suburban lives and can be easily accessed by anyone. Bikes can be easily ridden through right now and bike paths if needed could be put through the already developed harbor adjacent to Arana Gulch. It does not cause any biker more than five minutes inconvienence to save this undeveloped land. Also the native endangered Tarplant is threatened by this development.

Come to the City Council meeting on Tuesday, July 11th at 7:00pm at City Council Chambers 809 Center St. Read more

Teachers and students are starting a community garden on an unused parcel of land on the otherwise barren Radcliff Elementary School campus in downtown Watsonville, CA. Beds have been dug, and the garden is almost ready to be planted, once a sufficient amount of resources have been gathered. While school administrators have been consulted about the garden, it has yet to receive any official financial assistance.

Organizers who have been following the recent tragic eviction of the South Central Farm in Los Angeles see the establishment of this new garden as a continuation of a common effort towards community self-reliance and getting back in touch with the land beneath our feet. In light of this weekend's call for action in solidarity with the South Central Farmers facing eviction (July 7-10), Teachers For Class War! are requesting donations of tools, soil, seeds, and other supplies to assist in the creation of a valuable community resource. Read the list of needed supplies

On July 3rd, fiesta mysteriosa hosted Santa Cruz's 2nd Annual Old Time American Flag Burn at Seabright Beach. The celebration was a B.Y.O.F. event. Before the burning and melting of more than a dozen American flags, people gathered around the fire pit to share their personal feelings and beliefs about burning American flags. It is legal to burn American flags, however the burning of US currency is illegal. Dollar bills, powerful symbols of global capitalism, were also burned, despite the illegality of the act.

Josh Sonnenfeld writes: As I read through the articles, stories and remembrances of former UC Santa Cruz Chancellor Denice D. Denton, I feel like I’m meeting her for the first time. I’m meeting the role model and mentor of women in science and engineering. I’m meeting the first openly queer woman to lead a major research university. I’m meeting the person who publicly challenged Harvard’s sexist President. I’m meeting the woman I, and most in the Santa Cruz community, never got the chance to know.

On July 5th, the new Santa Cruz Police Department policy on spying went into effect. Under the new rules, even if you are engaged in constitutionally protected first amendment activities, Santa Cruz police will still be able to videotape you inside or outside of your home, audio record you, listen to your phone calls, look at the mail you are receiving, read your email, make notes about your organization, tail you, monitor your website, subscribe to your email lists, and examine your membership lists. A parade and protest of the new policy took place on July 5th starting at the Santa Cruz police station.

Critical Mass is a monthly, community bike ride to celebrate cycling and to assert cyclists' right to the road. Critical Mass has no leaders, and no central organization, it's an unorganized coincidence. A movement of bicycles in the streets. Show up to the clocktower in downtown Santa Cruz the last Friday of each month at 5pm with your favorite human powered transportation for a celebration of life and bicycles! Bring all of your friends and family for a wonderful ride around Santa Cruz. Critical Mass leaves at 5:30pm. Read more

Audio: Santa Cruz Critical Mass PSA

Photos from 2006 Santa Cruz Critical Mass Bike Rides: February, April and May