What started out as a long discussion over housing the homeless suddenly turned into a bloody mess, thanks to the Internet. Helbard Alkhassadeh, a photographer and the man behind the site StabSantaCruz.com, penned a post this month about possible sanctuary camps called “Santa Cruz Is About to Make a Horrible Mistake.” The word “about” is a...

County health officials warn about the threat of West Nile virus “Mosquitoes are more than just a nuisance,” says county vector control manager Paul Binding. “They’re the most dangerous animal on the planet.” As proof, he gestures to an infographic on his office wall from Mosquito Awareness Week last April. Each year on average, 10 people...

Four more candidates enter the 2014 Santa Cruz City Council race Like the city of Santa Cruz itself, the many candidates running in the city council race are unique and elude definition. For one, Cynthia Chase, a social worker, former probation officer and recent addition to the candidate roster, wants to make it clear she won’t...

The duo behind the Santa Cruz Challenge explain their philosophy of fitness Thirty minutes of exercise a day can be one of the hardest activities to incorporate into an already busy routine—even when we know that a daily sweat is the only thing standing between us and our healthiest, happiest selves. But if anybody knows how...

Santa Cruz native Joe Sib goes from one-man punk show to stand-up Since growing up in Santa  Cruz, Joe Sib has become  something of a punk rock Renaissance man. He flirted with fame in the early ’90s with the L.A. band Wax. In 1994, he co-founded the indie label SideOneDummy, which became a massive success after...

Emily Freed’s sensuous salts, plus spirits and salmon We now have two new favorite salts on our table, keeping company with the usual Bretagne and pink Himalayan varieties. One blends parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme with kosher salt, another, called “Spice It Up Salt,” includes the kick of cayenne and smoked paprika. Under the handsome retro...

This vivacious cherry-pink Rosé is a simply beautiful summer wine. Full of bright aromas of strawberries, watermelon and a smidgen of apricot, the Muns Vineyard Rosé of Pinot Noir, 2013 (around $20) has an enticing fragrant nose to appreciate before you get to the first lovely taste of bright fruit flavors. Crisp and dry, it’s a...

Santa Cruz just received a high ranking among California counties. But it may be hiding some of the biggest health dangers facing our area Santa Cruz County is a mecca for the health conscious, the active and the energetic. Our oceanic backyard, 29 miles of beaches and redwood forests surround our working lives with a virtual...

Films This WeekCheck out the movies playing around town.With: Reviews, Movie Times click here.Santa Cruz area movie theaters > ....... New This Week AND SO IT GOES Michael Douglas and Diane Keaton star in this autumnal rom-com from director Rob Reiner. He plays a crusty, misanthropic realtor suddenly saddled with taking care of a granddaughter he...

The rainbow lady was spin dancing on the corner and jazz was blaring onto the sidewalks of the Cooper House.Felice SeversonSanta Cruz | Librarian         In 1969-’70, the Catalyst was on Front Street, and it was such a great place to go and hang and chill. And when we could do fireworks on...