The White Lotus Wellness Center is a new Downtown Santa Cruz gem—or at least it will be, someday, once it has a chance to settle in.

The itsy spa has only been open in its new location for a few weeks (it was formerly a one-room operation in Capitola), and is still pretty barebones. It’s located in an unassuming office building near the San Lorenzo River and the interior is sparse and unfinished. The space is more akin to an accounting office than a day spa (for instance, it has carpet flooring instead of wood or stone), but don’t be fooled by the modest façade—the services are relaxing and effective, and the owner, Danielle Kriege, makes it a lovely and special experience for every customer.

SANTA CRUZ > Local 3D modeling company, MakersFactory, wants to breed new innovators

On Wednesday, Feb. 1, MakersFactory, a new printing and modeling company that features state-of-the-art 3D technology, celebrated its ribbon cutting ceremony. The event was officiated by Santa Cruz Mayor Don Lane, Vice Mayor Hilary Bryant, and Councilmember Lynn Robinson.

Chris Yonge and Dave Britton originally founded MakersFactory back in November 2011. The company specializes in providing the Santa Cruz community with the technology necessary to laser cut card and wood, print three-dimensional objects, make vinyl graphics for windows and vehicles, create computer animation, and even build robotic devices.

SCOTTS VALLEY > Local nonprofit hosts upcoming dog adoption event

When volunteers found Rina wandering the streets of the Mexican island Cozumel in September, her paws were severely wounded, her fur was matted and dirty, and she was afflicted with an eye infection and a case of heartworm. Thanks in part to the Santa Cruz-based nonprofit Center for Animal Protection and Education (CAPE), the small dog is now happy, healthy and living with a foster mom in Santa Cruz.

Dominican Hospital’s Mobile Health Clinic serves the Santa Cruz community

It’s the season of sniffles and flu bugs, which is unpleasant enough for those who are sufficiently insured. For members of the community who can’t afford healthcare, it can be a nightmare.

But an alternative exists in form of the Dominican Hospital Mobile Health Clinic, which seeks to serve a rising number of locals who are uninsured or are unable to pay the co-pays required for check-ups and medical treatment.

Local change maker and pro surfer Kyle Thiermann has released another installment in his "Surfing for Change" short video series. In the past, he's looked at important issues like banking locally and plastic pollution (all through the lens of a well-traveled surfer). In this episode, he visits Jeffreys Bay, South Africa, a surf hub where plans for a large nuclear power plant are in the works. "The question isn't 'do poor people need access to energy,' it's whether nuclear is the best way to provide it," he says in the video, which also includes interviews with surf legend Kelly Slater, filmmaker Foster Gamble, and "Rebuild the Dream" founder Van Jones. Check out the video here, or at kylethiermann.com, and stay tuned to Good Times for more on what Thiermann is up to.

Chris Rene welcomed back to Santa Cruz with open arms at ‘Love Life’ event

On Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012—a day that Mayor Don Lane announced would officially be referred to as Chris Rene Day in Santa Cruz—the local hero took the stage of the sold-out Civic Auditorium to celebrate his homecoming and give something back to the drug and alcohol rehabilitation center that made his recent success possible.

The rapper/songwriter and Santa Cruz native is coming off a year that saw him finish in the top three on the first season of FOX’s The X Factor, and enthusiasm for his return was evident in the line of fans that stretched around the block of the auditorium, hours before its doors opened. Many fans carried signs and wore homemade T-shirts featuring words of solidarity for the artist, including his catch phrase, “Love Life.”

Tips for healthy and guilt-free eating out

It’s late January: how are your New Year’s resolutions faring? If you vowed, like many Americans, to eat healthier and maybe shed a few pounds this year, rest assured that you don’t need to hibernate while your friends go out for a bite. Here are some helpful hints that will let you join the party without compromising your resolutions.

SLUG REPORT > Food activism prompts upcoming UC Santa Cruz conference

SLUG REPORT > Collaboration was key to new open sourced surgical robots

“The story about Raven is actually the story about collaboration.”

These words rang out long after my recent interview with Jacob Rosen, an associate professor of computer engineering in the Jack Baskin School of Engineering at UC Santa Cruz. Rosen and his research group have been working alongside Blake Hannaford, director of bio-robotics of the University of Washington (UW), to create Raven II, a robotic surgery system that relies upon Rosen's choice word: collaboration.