One GT reporter shares a first-hand account of Saturday night’s riotous events
My Saturday night started peacefully enough—studying at a cafe, and later deciding to take a walk with a friend. Around 11 p.m., as we returned to Pacific Avenue from our stroll to the Wharf, we heard the murmurs of a crowd and went to see what the commotion was about. The first thing I saw was a shattered shop window next to Lulu Carpenter’s, and two guys in sweatshirts pulling a mannequin out through the broken glass, smiles on their faces. On Lulu’s outside patio, a grown man in a business shirt and tie was seated in a chair, clutching his face and crying. A shard of glass, it appeared, had hit him in the eye and roughly 30 people were gathered around watching while someone poured milk over his face in an attempt to expel the glass.

John Laird, a Santa Cruz Democrat, former Santa Cruz Mayor and former Assemblymember for the 27th District, announced his bid for the State Senate 15th District on Monday, May 3 at Rio Del Mar Beach. Abel Maldonado (R), who formerly held the seat, resigned April 27 after being appointed to Lieutenant Governor. In his speech, Laird maintained his commitments to opposing offshore drilling, restoring California’s public education system, and protecting state parks. Laird also criticized Governor Schwarzenegger’s plans to hold a special election on June 22, which will cost taxpayers $2.5 million, an amount which, according to Laird ,“would save the job of 24 teachers.”

Many days have passed since several hundred May Day marchers took over Pacific Avenue. A few of them flaunted their own anarchist ideals, smashing storefront windows, tagging downtown walls with phrases like “Destroy What Destroys,” and even setting fire to the Caffe Pergolesi porch. Boarded-up windows are now seen throughout downtown, as police

continue their investigation into who was responsible for the vandalism. Earlier this week, the FBI was called in to investigate. Was it an act of true anarchy? Or was it unnecessary violence? What took the police almost an hour to respond? Continue to send us your thoughts at [email protected]

Assemblyman Monning discusses state affairs at Town Hall meeting
With local unemployment hovering around 15 percent and social and educational services being cut left and right, Assemblyman Bill Monning stood in front of a crowded Town Hall meeting Thursday, April 30 and delivered the news that the hard times are not over. “The wave that has hit California that we call the Recession is rooted in the worst economic collapse since the Great Depression,” he said, “and we are still trying to find our way out of that.”

Monning went on to attribute many of the problems that California faces to the difficulties in raising revenue and passing the budget, both of which require a two-third vote in the assembly and senate (California is the only state with a two-third requirement for both passing budgets and raising revenue). This means that when the state found itself with an unforeseen deficit of 35 percent last year, (that’s $60 billion less than expected in 18 months) spending couldn’t be adjusted or revenue raised—and before you knew it California was handing out IOU’s to its employees.

On Friday, May 7, the City of Santa Cruz will be opening a new bike and pedestrian path connecting the San Lorenzo River trail system to the Tannery Arts Center and Harvey West area. The 700-foot section, which goes under the overpass of Highway 1, is an extension of the existing pedestrian/bike path that runs along the levees of the San Lorenzo River from the Monterey Bay. Those feeling daring enough to brave the bike lane of Highway 9 will now be able to ride continuously from Henry Cowell State Park to the mouth of the San Lorenzo River near the Boardwalk. For the rest of us, the new path creates a safe way to cross Highway 1 and expands access areas for bikes and pedestrians within Santa Cruz.

Finding a job in today’s world can seem futile, but there is one burgeoning industry that has real promise: let’s just call it “going green.” Just ask the folks behind Soquel High School’s Mechanical, Engineering and Construction (MEC) Academy, which was recently awarded a grant by the California Department of Education to continue offering its students specialized learning experiences that prep them for entering green tech, construction, engineering and more. Props to them for preparing the leaders of the future for the industry of the future.

UCSC’s McHenry Library remains closed after fire
UC Santa Cruz’s McHenry Library may soon have a projected reopen date after a fire last Thursday night forced its closure. University Librarian Ginny Steel says that they should know by Friday, April 20, what that date will be.

McHenry Library, which originally opened in 1965 as one of the very first buildings on campus, houses UCSC’s arts, humanities, and social sciences collections. It has been undergoing renovation since 2005 to make it seismically sound and to accommodate growing collections and a growing student population. The fire, which officials believe was triggered by an overheated electrical cord being used to charge batteries for power tools, took place in the original building, under renovation and unoccupied at the time—which is pretty lucky, says Steel.

Just days before the article “Eating For the Environment” came out in Good Times, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a nonbinding resolution making the city meatless on Mondays. The latest of people and places to join the growing Meatless Monday movement, San Francisco can’t force its residents to forgo meat, but they do hope to raise awareness on the environmental benefits of eating less of it through their decision. Will Santa Cruz be next?