City council candidates run from one forum to the ‘Next’
Eight candidates, three council seats, and a zillion forums are the makings for a busy election season. In the last few weeks, the Santa Cruz City Council hopefuls have been making the rounds at a variety of community forums aimed at getting to know them better. The roster of candidates includes incumbent Lynn Robinson, who is running for reelection, Transportation and Public Works Commissioner David Terrazas, who ran for the council in 2008, retired firefighter Ron Pomerantz, Planning Commissioner David Foster, grant writer Steve Pleich, insurance salesman Kevin Moon (the outspoken Republican of the group), real estate agent Hilary Bryant and nonprofit worker Gus Ceballos.

Plan to create a Santa Cruz currency takes hold
Thanks to the efforts of one local organization, Santa Cruzans may soon find themselves in possession of a unique local dollar.

The organization in question, New Earth Exchange, hopes to create a network of currency that would promote sustainable local businesses. In addition to New Earth Exchange, Transition Santa Cruz and Transition San Lorenzo Valley are official sponsors of the program. The yet-to-be-named program would band together a group of local businesses that would exchange credits in an attempt to create a network not dependent upon the flailing contemporary U.S. economy and the domination of large corporate retailers.

These local businesses would be bound by a system of mutual exchanges and benefits for the customers, according to Langdon Roberts, New Earth Exchange organizer and the director of the Center for Transformative Neurological Physiology. “The economy is very complex and the design is really not that efficient,” says Roberts. “But it’s the best people have been able to come up with, at least until now.”

In lieu of state funding, one volunteer program aims to keep the streets safe from dirty needles
Last September, the Downtown Santa Cruz community was dealt a firm blow when the Santa Cruz AIDS Project’s Drop-In Center fell prey to state budget cuts and was forced to close its doors.

For 10 years the center provided a safe-haven for many in the community—whether they had fallen on hard times, needed shelter from the elements, or were dealing with serious drug addictions. The center also dispersed information on drug rehabilitation and medical treatments, as well as administered a syringe exchange program (SEP). Now, with such a noticeable void left in the community, volunteer groups have been scrambling to provide the lost services. One such group is Street Outreach Supporters (S.O.S.).

The ride is back, revamped and family-friendly
Rain or shine, the Surf City AIDS Ride wants you to get your bicycle out. The annual tour-de-Cruz bicycle extravaganza returns on Oct. 3 as a full-fledged family affair, revamped to accommodate riders of varying skill levels.

The Surf City AIDS Ride began 10 years ago as the Century Ride, and is currently in its fifth year under the direction of the Santa Cruz AIDS Project (SCAP). Traditionally, it has commenced at Cabrillo College, but this year the riders will gather at the centrally located San Lorenzo Park on Dakota Avenue in Downtown Santa Cruz. Organizers say the change in the starting location will make the ride more accessible to Santa Cruz residents. Furthermore, they have plans for the park to provide a spacious and scenic venue for an all-day event. While the bicyclists endure the trek of 12, 30, 60, or 100 miles along the coast and through Santa Cruz and its neighboring counties, their cheerleaders will get to enjoy the luxury of homegrown entertainment: the park will be filled with comestibles provided by vendors, family-friendly games, and live local music. Ride organizers are encouraging all members of the community to partake in the festivities. 

Proposition 23 would suspend Assembly Bill (AB) 32, which helped establish California’s clean energy goals.  Who is behind Proposition 23, and what are your thoughts on it?

Two Texas oil companies are spending millions to push Proposition 23, a deceptive ballot measure that would eliminate California clean energy and air pollution control standards.

Four years ago, with support from business, labor, environmental and health organizations, California enacted AB 32, to hold polluters accountable for their actions and require them to reduce air pollution emissions that threaten human health and contribute to global climate change. This law, building on decades of state clean energy policies, has positioned California at the forefront of the clean technology industry, sparking innovation and clean energy businesses that are creating hundreds of new jobs. 

Santa Cruz embraces the potential of reusing water
Where does the water go after you wash your hands, take a shower or do a load of laundry? Until recently, it all went to sewer lines that funneled to water treatment plants. But California has amended its greywater regulation with the adoption of Title 24, Part five, Chapter 16A for California Plumbing code in January, making it easier to reuse water for gardens and landscaping.

Greywater consists of all wastewater other than food and toilet waste (which is called “black water”) and, with a few adjustments, it can be used to water and irrigate residential properties, thereby reducing water usage and easing the strain on water treatment plants.

New bus service caters to bicyclists at Nisene Marks
With the Nov. 2 vote on Proposition 21, The State Parks and Wildlife Conservation Trust Fund Act right around the corner, tree huggers throughout California are doing their part to protect the future of Mother Nature.

After working in construction for 29 years, 53-year-old Santa Cruz local Dave Smith recently decided to renew his connection with Nisene Marks State Park. The adventure enthusiast created a part-time job for himself that would allow him to ride his mountain bike five times a week.

Last Year it was protests over health care and overflowing town halls. What's the feeling on the street NOW? What issues are pressing on the Central Coast?
This has been an exciting year, there's no question about that. Health care topped the agenda, but it wasn't the only thing that caught the public's attention.

The year got started with a continuation of new projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, designed to inject much-needed capital into our struggling economy.

Free Radio Santa Cruz returns after brief displacement
It’s not easy being free. There’s bound to be someone who will want you to pay for it. Or tell you how to express your freedom.

One local experiment in freedom has resounded on Santa Cruz airwaves 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the past 15 years. But on Tuesday, Aug. 3, the experiment—known as Free Radio Santa Cruz (FRSC) 101.1 FM—went off the air and left a gap in independent local broadcasting. However, the silence didn’t last long: the underground station recently found a new transmitter location and is, as of this week, back on the air.  

Cancellation of Cabrillo’s Chinese language program causes a stir
Budget cuts: two of the most dreaded words in current economic times and, unfortunately, also two of the most common. With the state’s deficit at a staggering $19.1 billion, funding for social programs has been hacked away, leaving schools and communities to deal with the brunt of the blow.

For most of the Golden State’s public schools, this means having to cut many needed and desired courses. Cabrillo Community College is no exception.