Local governments ramp up outreach to mentally ill

Some people are too troubled to help themselves. This scenario played out tragically when a homeless man with a history of mental illness murdered local business owner Shannon Collins near Downtown Santa Cruz in early May. The incident pushed the perpetually simmering topic of homeless issues to the front of Santa Cruz politics, with groups including Take Back Santa Cruz demanding the city do something about what they see as an unaddressed safety issue.

180/180 campaign aims to address the price of homelessness

Of an estimated 2,700 homeless people living on the streets of Santa Cruz County, just 10 to 15 percent of them—the “medically vulnerable”—account for 70 percent of the costs incurred by countywide services.

The newly implemented 180/180 campaign aims to save lives and money by permanently housing that population.

The city gets closer to approving its 2013 budget

The fact that the city’s budget dealings in recent weeks have been met by little upset may be a sign of increasing economic stability.

The Santa Cruz City Council unanimously approved to resolve last-minute changes to its Fiscal Year 2013 Budget at its June 26 meeting—the last opportunity for changes to be made or questions answered about the proposed budget, which they have been in deliberation about for months. The council also moved to vote on the final version at its July 10 meeting.

All of this talk about the proposal to convert Pacific Avenue into a two-way street got us wondering what you, the general public, think of the idea. City officials seem to be onboard with the plan, which was the brainchild of urban retail expert Robert Gibbs, and you can read what some downtown business owners think in the article that begins on page 6. But what do you think? To find out, we ran a poll on our website, gtweekly.com, from Tuesday, June 12 through Thursday, June 21. The survey was simple, reading “I believe the street layout of Pacific Avenue should be …” with the following options to choose from: two-way for traffic; one-way the whole way; a pedestrian mall; left as is; and “other.” 

Business owners offer feedback on two-way traffic proposal

Business owners and employees working along Pacific Avenue seem largely open minded about implementing a new traffic conversion that would simplify travel in and around Downtown Santa Cruz—and thereby increase sales at their stores. Those interviewed by Good Times suggested changes ranging from implementing two-way traffic along the length of the strip—as was proposed by urban retail expert Robert Gibbs—and making it one-way from north to south, to eliminating cars altogether to create a pedestrian shopping zone, converting only side streets into two-ways, and simply improving signage.

Nationally known civil rights attorney talks politics and progressive litigation

Attorney Daniel Sheehan played a significant role in more landmark 20th century court cases than most people could even name—from Watergate, the Pentagon Papers and the Greensboro Massacre to Three-Mile Island, Iran-Contra, the Karen Silkwood case, and more. The Harvard-trained constitutional lawyer now works on other high-impact cases from his Santa Cruz-based nonprofit the Romero Institute.

The logic behind one expert’s recommendation that Pacific Avenue traffic go both ways

The Santa Cruz Downtown Commission is once again pushing forward a proposal made last year by urban retail expert Robert Gibbs to convert Pacific Avenue into a two-way street—a change he claims would make downtown easier to navigate and cause sales to increase dramatically.

Residents welcome the idea of a basketball arena and crowds

Seth Horn is looking forward to the Golden State Warriors Development League team playing at 140 Front St., about a block from his house on Spruce Street in Santa Cruz. He feels that the cause of many issues he sees in the neighborhood is that there is neither enough foot traffic nor attention paid to the area between Beach and Laurel streets.

A guide to the candidates

With the June 5 primary election around the corner, the race for the county Board of Supervisors, state offices, and congressional seats are heating up. Whether or not you have already made up your mind about who you will be casting a vote for at the ballot box, we hope you will take a gander at the candidates’ responses to four important questions below.

County Clerk Gail Pellerin on navigating the 2012 primary

Gail Pellerin has the best job in Santa Cruz County—or at least that’s how she feels about her post as Santa Cruz County Clerk, which she has been doing for more than a decade. After paying her way through a four-year degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Pellerin worked at newspapers and on the radio, but found herself longing to be more directly involved in the governmental decision-making processes.

“I remember covering board meetings sometimes and thinking, ‘Why don’t they just do this?’” she says. “So I started working for a member of the state assembly’s office and ended up working in Sacramento for the Speaker’s Office of Majority Services when Willie Brown was speaker. Working for him, I got a great education on how the state is run, the budget, the challenges, and I ran several campaigns.”