Plus Letters to the Editor
It’s there. We see it. But how much do we really know about it or the people who live there? I’m talking about the Santa Cruz Harbor. It’s one of Santa Cruz County’s most “unique” neighborhoods, and this week, writer Caitlin Sullivan explores some of its intriguing nuances and the people who reside there. Sullivan also updates us on the aftermath of the March tsunami. Which Harbor residents are still in a state of flux? Dive into the full report.
Meanwhile, in News this week, the spotlight is also on life on the water—in the water, actually. The commercial fishing industry is a vital part of life in this area but over the years, there’s been a shift. What’s behind the industry’s decline? Learn more about what a difference a decade can make. And from sea, we go to land—what’s going on with the downhill biking craze? And why are some locals miffed?
On the entertainment front, the big buzz is on Cabrillo Stage and “The Full Monty.” Opening night was a festive outing. Make that wild and robust. This has to be one of the company’s best productions to date. Lisa Jensen reviews the musical this week. Get your tickets. And have fun—it’s a memorable ride.
In other news, take note of First Friday this week. Every month, this festive outing attracts locals and visitors. If you’ve ever attended this grand art tour—all around Downtown Santa Cruz. the East and Westside, and up onto RIver Street—then you already know that good times are ahead. Find out more about the event. And check out the First Friday Art Tour App.
In the meantime, feel free to spread some of your own creativity around town this week. Never hurts.
Until next time …
Greg Archer | Editor-in-Chief
Letters to the Editor
Apps and the City
“To err is human,” the saying goes, “but to really foul things up you need a computer.” If the City of Santa Cruz wants to create an app to guide people through its procedure for starting a business, fine. But it had better know what the procedure actually is before unleashing the programmers. Otherwise, the app will be worse than useless.
So start the process now. City manager, tell your people to flowchart the actual, end-to-end process for getting all necessary permits, with all the the decision points, loops, and processes. And publish the average length of time needed for each step in the process. Present this to the community at large for comments; I’ll bet you’ll get a lot of hard questions. Modify the procedure accordingly.
Then, and only then, bring in the programmers. Automating something bad never did a lick of good. You want to perfect the process, then automate it.
Get cracking.
Jim Blackview
Santa Cruz
Smokin’ Issue
Now that Santa Cruz has finally enacted a ban on smoking in most public areas, it is high time that the city council seriously consider a much-needed ban on farting. Not a day goes by that some inconsiderate person doesn’t impose the results of their own poor dietary habits on my nostrils.
How can any civilized society allow its citizens to so wantonly afflict the innocent with the noxious fumes resulting from some hastily consumed meal of hard-boiled eggs, asparagus and lentil soup? What about the children? The health-consequences of unrestrained inhalation of such foul gases haven’t even been completely studied. How can we allow this reckless behavior to continue in the the face of such
uncertainty?
Don’t people understand that when they decide to cut one loose they are making a grave decision regarding my own heath? Only the threat of some serious jail time can protect us from what may be the greatest danger to public health still allowed under the law. Isn’t the primary role of government to protect us from our own stupidity? The time to act is now.
E Classic
Santa Cruz
Best Online Comments
On ‘Learning To Adapt’ by Eliizabeth Limbach
The wildlife of my Riverside, Santa Cruz neighborhood of the late ’70s is long gone. And in the rural Monterey County neighborhood where I’ve lived since, wildlife has been booted from habitat by developments on the Hwy 68/Monterey-Salinas corridor—e.g., when Monterra was built, wild boar migrated to my garden, mountain lion to the trees along my lane. What a concept—to plan for wildlife migration with a new kind of corridor.
Mari Lynch
Unfortunately, “The remarkable and sad thing about the book,” he says, “is that almost nothing has changed—I could write that book today and it wouldn’t be very different.” This holds true for most things in this area. We can only hope that one day, this will be a history book and not a current events book.
Logan
On ‘The State of the City’ by Eliizabeth Limbach
The city misspends money on crap, like a $250,000 dumpster, while asking city workers to give up more and more of their already low wages. Politicians need to set their priorities straight.
Eliseo Pinto
Holiday Deadlines
GT offices will be closed Monday, July 4. Offices will re-open at 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 5. The following deadlines are in effect for the July 7 issue:
Display and Classified Display advertising deadlines are 3 p.m., Thursday June 30; Classified advertising deadline is 11 am, Friday, July 1.
