FRESH DIRT > Good Times visits Occupy Wall Street in New York

The mood at Zuccotti Park on Thursday, Nov. 3 was contemplative and somewhat somber. I checked out the Occupy Wall Street protest while on a recent trip to New York, and was struck by how surreal the whole thing was. Organized chaos might be the best way to describe it. Powerful organized chaos.

The park is packed—not a square foot of empty space, it seemed—and looks like an impenetrable sea of tents and tarps. Each tent, pushed up against more tents on all sides, has a piece of paper tacked on that lists whether the tent is being occupied, and by how many people. The tent city is punctuated by service stations—a makeshift cafeteria, medic tent, press booth, library, and so on. Small groups of people are scattered throughout, playing guitars, giving interviews, passing out flyers, requesting donations, and engaging in discussions about everything from the dangers of fracking to the Bradley Manning case. A large group of high school students on a field trip snake their way through the maze, their teacher leading the way. A few dozen people sit in meditative silence around The Tree of Life, a small London Plane tree that has become a spiritual center for the protestors. An altar of candles, prayer flags, offerings, and pictures envelops the tree.

FRESH DIRT > Dogs join the ranks at Occupy Santa Cruz

Dogs have become a common sight at Occupy demonstrations all over the country, and Santa Cruz is no exception. As the number of supporters in front of the Santa Cruz Courthouse has grown, so too has the canine population at the tent encampment in San Lorenzo Park.

Watsonville - RV’s Computers Inc in Watsonville is ringing in its 13th anniversary year with a giveaway to benefit the community. The contest is open to nonprofits in Santa Cruz, Monterey, or San Benito County, and will award one lucky organization with $1,300 in computer equipment and IT support. To enter, nonprofits must provide 13 reasons why they are in need of IT support and computer equipment, and a photo of their staff. Submissions will be accepted Nov. 15-Dec. 15, with the winner announced on Dec. 19. All questions and submissions should be sent to [email protected] Good luck!

FRESH DIRT > Occupy Santa Cruz protestors get creative

The scene outside of the Chase Bank on 41st Avenue in Capitola is a familiar one these days. As customers rushed in and out of the branch on Friday, Nov. 4, Occupy Santa Cruz protestors tried to communicate their message of frustration and a call for change. But the protestors have shown a departure from their usual tactics with a public display of performance art.

The protestors sound like the ones posted up at cities around the country: they cry out against so-called “big banks” and perceived corporate greed. But in Santa Cruz, Occupy protestors are getting creative with their message.

FRESH DIRT > GT checks in with local nonprofit The Clean Oceans Project

The oceans are polluted with plastic, and at least one local group is trying to do something about it. The Clean Oceans Project (TCOP) aims to make our plastic-filled waterways a thing of the past by creating a market for the waste. Using technology that seems right out of a science-fiction movie, TCOP hopes to equip ships with the power to convert plastic into petroleum right at sea.

FRESH DIRT > Jeffrey Smith pushes for GMO labeling

FRESH DIRT > On Wednesday, Oct. 19, local community leaders and elected officials promoted green job creation at the Live Oak Family Resource Center, which recently became the 10,000th LEED-certified commercial building in the nation. Labor and environmental activists, as well as members of the community, also gathered at the resource center to celebrate the work that has been done and to drum up support for future endeavors.

SLUG REPORT > UC Santa Cruz professor publishes West Nile findings

West Nile Virus came to the United States in 1999, originally appearing in New York and quickly spreading throughout North, South, and Central America. The reason for the  quick spread of the disease has been attributed to the fact that the virus harbors itself in mosquitoes and birds, two species that humans have a surprising amount of contact with. In many cases, the increase of deaths in the local bird population is a large indicator of West Nile within a community.

"I really tried to capture something more than just 'Join the rally, everyone come march!'" local filmmaker Jesse Clark, 24, says about his Occupy Santa Cruz video. "[I wanted to ask] 'Well, what are we marching for?'" Clark shot the video at the group's Wednesday, Oct. 12 "Corporate Ball"-themed march on Downtown Santa Cruz. The local protests, which are an offshoot of the Occupy Wall Street movement, resonated with Clark, who showed his support by making the video. "This is my way of applying my skill set to the issue," he says. For others looking to make a statement, Clark points to the upcoming "Transfer Day" on Saturday, Nov. 5.