Feature Archives

Homeless musicians Anna Richardson and Miguel de Leon face 15 days in jail, 240 hours of community service, and fines of thousands of dollars for violating a court order banning them from sleeping at night after 11pm (the City's Sleeping Ban) in the downtown area of Santa Cruz. A contempt of court hearing is being held on Friday, March 19th at 9am, three months before the formal hearing on a permanent injunction.

Roger Mentch, founding member of The Hemporium, a Santa Cruz County medical marijuana collective located in Felton, has been met with more resistance. Santa Clara County recently incarcerated Mentch, as well as Laura Eldridge, a disabled patient. Mentch spent five months behind bars at Elmwood Jail in Milpitas. He has been out of state custody since August 2009, and his next court date is scheduled on Friday, March 19th in San Jose. Mentch argues that he has been the victim of entrapment by local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.

On March 27th, a birthday party was held to celebrate 15 years of Free Radio Santa Cruz. The party took place at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in downtown Santa Cruz. The night featured local musicians and brought together past and present station programmers, as well as other community members. In addition to the local musicians, Tom Lodge, a pirate radio legend and pioneer from England, spoke of the great days of Radio Caroline, which allowed for the British Invasion. Free Radio Santa Cruz can be picked up at 101.1 FM in most of Santa Cruz, and online at freakradio.org.

Santa Cruz Water Department and Soquel Creek Water District have embarked on a plan for a desalination plant, a highly energy intensive way to increase the water supply. The greenhouse gases that such a plant would produce have inspired opposition. A forum on Thursday, March 18th at Live Oak Elementary School features Bill Kocher from the Santa Cruz Water Department and Debbie Cook, former mayor of Huntington Beach, and author of "Desalination, Energy Down the Drain."

The 6th International Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) is taking place across the globe from from March 1st to the 14th. Since it was first launched in 2005, IAW has grown to become one of the most important global events in the Palestine solidarity calendar. Last year, more than 40 cities around the world participated in the week's activities, which took place in the wake of Israel's brutal assault against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. IAW continues to grow with new cities joining this year.

For over three years, a community has resisted the development of a massive coal-fired power plant in the Navajo Nation called Desert Rock, blockading roads and occupying a permanent campsite. On March 17th, Elouise Brown, president of the Doodá Desert Rock committee, will launch an 11-day tour of California to speak about the dangers posed by the coal industry, the exploitation of indigenous land by energy companies, and the ongoing struggle to stop development of Desert Rock.

On Tuesday, March 9th, the Santa Cruz City Council voted 6-0 to support a recommendation from the city staff which bans the opening of an additional medical marijuana dispensary in Santa Cruz. This was the first reading of the vote and there will be a second vote in two weeks to finalize the ruling. Under the new ordinance, the two existing medical marijuana dispensaries will be permitted to operate a cultivation facility up to 3,000 square feet, which must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).