Kuumbwa Jazz: Looking Behind to Move Straight-Ahead
The Kuumbwa Jazz Center is my neighbor, but we’re not very close. We barely know each other, and I wouldn’t go to them first if I needed flour or an egg. However, Kuumbwa gives me gifts every other evening. When I’m making dinner in the...
Santa Cruz County Debates New Main Jail
Santa Cruz County’s Main Jail was at capacity the day it opened in 1981. In years since, the jail has been so overcrowded, that at times, it has housed over 500 incarcerated individuals – despite only having beds for 319. Problems including overcrowding, maintenance failures,...
Oversized Vehicle Ordinance Set for Enforcement in Winter of 2023
After going through multiple commissions, appeals and changes, the Oversized Vehicle Ordinance (OVO) is set to be enforced winter 2023 on a one-year pilot program. The ordinance will prohibit overnight parking of vehicles larger than 20 feet in length and eight feet in height on...
Crisis Now: Santa Cruz County’s Road to Mental Health Crisis Response
[Content warning: This article includes mentions of mental health struggles, self-harm, and suicide.] During her time working as a mental health crisis responder in Santa Cruz County, Danielle Long has responded to a wide variety of situations. The transition from call to call can be...
Santa Cruz Open Studios Offers a Peek into an Artist’s Universe
On a brisk, sunny Sunday afternoon, Maylene Rasmussen’s garage bustled with visitors. Rich, textured lacquer paintings — mostly of women — glimmered from every available surface. Rasmussen stood to the side, chatting with attendees and fielding questions. The paintings weren’t the only attraction. In the...
The Legacy of the Tabby Cat: Santa Cruz Says Goodbye to Cafe and Organizing Space
On May 21, customers lined up at the Tabby Cat Cafe for its final day of operation. Changes are brewing as it prepares for new ownership.
Pogonip Encampment Braces for City Sweep
Sunlight poured in through the oak trees. A small group of inhabitants sat and talked next to Highway 9, passing cigarettes and a lighter back and forth. It’s an ordinary Friday morning in the Pogonip encampment. The encampment is distinctive: living spaces, mostly made up...
Earth Day 2023: Walking Out To Go Green
“Where would you start if you wanted to change the world?” Voices amplified by bullhorns, organizers repeated this question as they gathered at UC Santa Cruz’s main entrance. Holding signs and bottles of water, they marched to San Lorenzo Park. About 50 demonstrators convened at...
Grounded in Community: Terra & Self takes on Pacific Avenue
Kenné Johnson-Scianna remembers not knowing how to take care of her skin at an early age. It wasn’t until she was hired by Lush that she learned personalized self-care. After seeing the rise of small businesses during the pandemic, she wanted to share that knowledge...
Feeding Hungry Ghosts: a History of Santa Cruz Chinatowns
For every Chinatown still standing, there are dozens that have been bled dry and paved over. We move on from this history, because we’ve been told it doesn’t do anyone much good to dwell on ghosts. But the ghosts of Santa Cruz’s Chinatowns follow me...