Government officials are still working hard to cut community violence in the City of Watsonville, but they have recently been given a helping hand. The governor’s office is providing the city with $382,639 over two years to help them tackle the problem of gang violence head on. The city has partnered with the Pajaro Valley Unified School District, Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance, and Santa Cruz County Office of Education. Together, they hope to increase prevention among youths, as well as felony and weapon related arrests. They also aim reduce gang motivated arrests by 15 percent and middle school alcohol consumption by 35 percent.

Special for the Good Times Newsweekly
Forum Thursday to explore the issue.
Live Oak Elementary School, Thursday, March 18 at 6:15

Despite the fact that we’re in a so-called “El Niño” year, drought, population growth and fear of saltwater intrusion continue to impact water supply in Santa Cruz County.

To address supply concerns, the Santa Cruz Water Department and Soquel Creek Water District are seriously considering a plan to build a desalination plant, to serve Santa Cruz and Live Oak residents in dry years, and Soquel District customers in all other years. Soquel District wants to reduce pumping from the aquifer, which they report is in danger of seawater contamination from over-pumping.

For those of you who've been anxious to hear any word on what DC has in store on the cinematic horizon past 2010, this past week was a godsend. "The Dark Knight" helmer Christopher Nolan finally broke his silence and talked everything from the status of Batman 3 to a potential approach to the Superman franchise (!?).

Here are some of the more revealing snippets from Nolan's recent interview over at the L.A. times:

In case you haven’t already heard, longtime local pot-stirrer Robert Norse was granted a re-hearing of the City of Santa Cruz vs. Norse case when an 11-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco announced Friday, March 12 that they will grant another look. Norse originally filed suit in 2002 for unnecessary arrest following his removal from a city council meeting for making a silent Nazi salute to then-Mayor Christopher Krohn. The case was dismissed by a federal judge, whose decision was backed up by a three-judge panel at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals last November. A video of Norse’s 2002 council meeting arrest is available on YouTube.

When the Vet’s Hall closed in January, the yoga world scattered and teachers booked classes all over town.  It was a slight inconvenience but I made it to a lot of classes and discovered some studios I hadn’t known.  Out of this inconvenience a new studio, yet unnamed, has been born.  Just off Ocean Street, on 215 Washburn, Gina Marinelli has reborn her garage into a yoga studio, primarily to house Michael McEvoy’s generally loyal students. The floor is soft bamboo. Hooks with ropes line the side of the studio for stretching that feels like heaven, usually. There is no website yet, but you can check out Michael’s (www.pranichathayoga.com) for his schedule. Others may rent the space for yoga or other creative endeavors.

How to book a show at the Cypress Lounge
If you hear opportunity knocking, it’s probably the Cypress Lounge at the door. Recently bestowed the coveted full entertainment permit from our fair city, the growing venue is poised to start hitting its live music stride.

Committed to booking local bands first, the Cypress Lounge can help bands crack the eternal Catch-22 of needing a track record to play more established venues, but not having anywhere to establish a track record in the first place.

UCSC faculty takes UCSC administration head on in a recent letter to the community

Fifty faculty members have signed an open letter to the UC Santa Cruz campus community in support of the strike and protest that happened on March 4. Notable faculty signatures include those of History Professor Dana Frank, American Studies Chair Eric Porter, and Kresge College Provost Juan Poblete. Last week’s protest and strike effectively shut down the base of campus preventing most workers, teachers, and students from going to work or class.

“It is true that the demonstration successfully stopped ‘business as usual’ on the UCSC campus,” the letter says. “While this may have represented an inconvenience for some, it perhaps bears repeating that no significant social change occurs without some inconvenience.”

Twelve UC Santa Cruz students from the school’s CALPIRG (California Public Interest Research Group) chapter will meet with Senator Diane Feinstein on Friday, March 12 at her San Francisco office to tell their healthcare horror

stories. They will present her with a 5 foot tall “Get Well Soon” card filled with over 200 stories from individuals who have felt the wrath of an unjust healthcare system. In a March 8 press release, the group said, “UCSC

students have been greatly affected by the lack of health care reform and are tired on inaction in Washington D.C. It is critical that legislators hear from their student constituents on this issue which usually thought of as an issue affecting primarily the elderly and those with families.”

So its finally come to this. Anyone who's been keeping up with the fallout after DC's Final Crisis wrapped up back in 2008 has seen some less than subtle changes in Gotham City. The murder of Bruce Wayne at the hands of his old pal Darkseid forced Dick Grayson (the original Robin) to step in and don the cape and cowl. Being forced to team up with a noob boy wonder with a not exactly bright and shiny past has led to more than a few disagreements between these caped crusaders. And now the tension is being taken to the next level.

Batman and Robin are about to get it on and not in the way you're thinking.