Well I finally saw a doctor after 35 years. And, I’m healthy.
Larry Smith
Felton | Unemployed
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High Voltage
Proposed power line revitalization irks South County residents
A draft environmental impact report is under way for a proposed power line project that initially was determined as not needing one.
Neighbors worry the plan by Pacific Gas & Electric to replace its aging infrastructure between Watsonville and Aptos with more reliable power lines will mar the rural nature of the area and blight the view.
PG&E has proposed an additional circuit connecting the Green Valley Substation outside Watsonville to the Rob Roy Station. Doing so involves converting more than seven miles of single-circuit high voltage power line into a double-circuit by replacing existing wood transmission poles with new tubular steel poles. It also includes constructing a new 1.7-mile-long single circuit power line along Cox Road and Freedom Boulevard, including the installation of four new seek poles and the replacement of existing wood poles of about 39 feet with new ones that are 89 feet in height. From Green Valley Road to Cox Road, 100-foot steel poles will be installed, and a new 1.7-mile segment will be added down Cox, Day Valley and McDonald roads and Freedom Boulevard.
Assemblymember Mark Stone
Legislation you recently introduced would change the way mobile home owners can sell their homes. What is the purpose of this bill?
In the Monterey Bay Area and throughout our state, mobile homes offer an affordable avenue to home ownership for many buyers, especially for seniors and fixed-income families. In fact, more than 700,000 people live in California’s 4,734 mobile home parks. However, a mobile home owner whose home is located in a mobile home park does not own the land the unit sits on, and he or she must pay rent and fees for the land and any community spaces. In order to sell a mobile home located in a park, potential buyers must be approved by park management. Home owners trying to sell their home are therefore reliant on park management to approve the buyer so that the sale can be completed. Park management are not limited in the number of potential buyers they can reject, which places pressure on home owners to find a buyer that qualifies under the standards set in place by park management. Most standards are not set or regulated by the state and can vary widely from park to park. As a result, responsible and trustworthy potential buyers can be unfairly turned away.
The Story of O
Still room for surprises in this year’s Oscar race
Don’t look now, but it’s time for the “O” word—and I do mean Oscars. The Academy Awards will be a little late this year, postponed to this Sunday, March 2, so as not to, er, compete with the Olympics, giving oddsmakers, Oscar party revelers, and other prognosticators a little extra time to try to predict the winners.
This isn’t nearly as precarious, or as much fun, as it used to be. These days, by the time the Oscars roll around, the other showbiz organizations—Golden Globes, BAFTAs, the industry craft guilds, the Pampered Pooch Hollywood Dogwalkers Association (OK, I made up that last one)—have already handed out their awards, so there are already clear front-runners in several categories. Still, you can always count on the Academy for a few weirdsmobile selections, just to prove how unpredictable its voters are.
Film, Times & Events: Week of Feb. 27
Films This Week
Check out the movies playing around town.
With: Reviews,
Movie Times click here.
Santa Cruz area movie theaters >
California’s Drought Requires Immediate Conservation Measures
Citing a record dry 2013 and a current snowpack that is 20 percent of normal, Gov. Brown has declared an official State of Emergency regarding California’s drought. The declaration allows state officials to assist farmers and communities that are economically impacted by dry conditions and ensures that the state can respond if Californians face drinking water shortages. Additionally, state water officials will have the flexibility to manage water supply throughout California and state agencies have been directed to initiate immediate conservation measures.
Water, Water, Water
Savor every drop. Despite forecasts for rain, California remains in a state of drought emergency. Officials weigh on the steps being made to generate solutions
California is running out of water.
It’s rare to go anywhere within recent weeks without hearing Chicken Little-like proclamations about the state’s dwindling water supplies. While much of the East Coast and the Midwest has been pounded with snowfall this winter, California has struggled with what experts say is the least amount of rainfall in more than 150 years. The state is now in its third year of severe drought, the worst on record.
Chef Versus Chef
Regional Occupational Program holds student culinary showcase and local chef challenge
In a competition that brings to mind television’s Iron Chef, Andrea Mollenauer, local chef and instructor of the Regional Occupational Program’s (ROP) culinary arts classes, will face off against her assistant instructor, Chef Christopher Stephenson, at the Museum of Art & History in Downtown Santa Cruz. The event will raise money for the ROP and give her students an opportunity to sharpen and showcase their cooking knowledge.
Vino Tabi Winery
Petit Sirah 2011
Katie Fox, winemaker at Vino Tabi, was showcasing her wines recently at an impressive six-course winemaker’s dinner at Lago di Como Restaurant in Santa Cruz. Not only was the food outstanding, but also the wines poured that evening were superb.
The 2011 Petit Sirah, Santa Cruz Mountains ($28) was featured with Nodino di vitello alla crèma di Gorgonzola—a veal chop served with a Gorgonzola and cream sauce—and a perfect pairing.
Wide-Eyed Wonders
Dr. Dog seeks out surprises on latest album
Generally speaking, when it comes time for a band to make an album, they have an idea of what they want it to sound like. They might noodle around in the studio a bit, but for the most part, there is little doubt about the direction they plan to go in. Rockers Dr. Dog, however, took a totally different approach with their most recent album, B Room.
“Normally, we have a stack of demos that everyone sifts through and a lot of times those demos are pretty fleshed out with full arrangements,” says Scott McMicken, the band’s lead guitarist and vocalist. “But this time, we didn’t put any songs on the table. We played, we wrote, and we hung out. We played, we wrote, and we hung out some more, and we recorded pretty much all of it that way.”
How have you been affected by healthcare reform, if at all?
Well I finally saw a doctor after 35 years. And, I'm healthy. Larry Smith Felton | Unemployed So, I'm a nurse practitioner and our office is cash only and we're having more patients come to us because of high deductibles. Ramona Smith Santa Cruz | Nurse Practitioner ...
High Voltage
Proposed power line revitalization irks South County residents A draft environmental impact report is under way for a proposed power line project that initially was determined as not needing one. Neighbors worry the plan by Pacific Gas & Electric to replace its aging infrastructure between Watsonville and Aptos with more reliable power lines will mar the rural nature of...
Assemblymember Mark Stone
Legislation you recently introduced would change the way mobile home owners can sell their homes. What is the purpose of this bill? In the Monterey Bay Area and throughout our state, mobile homes offer an affordable avenue to home ownership for many buyers, especially for seniors and fixed-income families. In fact, more than 700,000 people live in California’s 4,734...
The Story of O
Still room for surprises in this year's Oscar race Don't look now, but it's time for the "O" word—and I do mean Oscars. The Academy Awards will be a little late this year, postponed to this Sunday, March 2, so as not to, er, compete with the Olympics, giving oddsmakers, Oscar party revelers, and other prognosticators a little extra...
Film, Times & Events: Week of Feb. 27
Films This WeekCheck out the movies playing around town.With: Reviews, Movie Times click here.Santa Cruz area movie theaters > ....... New This Week NON-STOP The seatbelt sign is off for Liam Neeson as an air marshall on a commercial transatlantic flight trying to outwit an evildoer who's picking off passengers one by one until his ransom...
California’s Drought Requires Immediate Conservation Measures
Citing a record dry 2013 and a current snowpack that is 20 percent of normal, Gov. Brown has declared an official State of Emergency regarding California’s drought. The declaration allows state officials to assist farmers and communities that are economically impacted by dry conditions and ensures that the state can respond if Californians face drinking water shortages. Additionally, state...
Water, Water, Water
Savor every drop. Despite forecasts for rain, California remains in a state of drought emergency. Officials weigh on the steps being made to generate solutions California is running out of water. It’s rare to go anywhere within recent weeks without hearing Chicken Little-like proclamations about the state’s dwindling water supplies. While much of the East Coast and the...
Chef Versus Chef
Regional Occupational Program holds student culinary showcase and local chef challenge In a competition that brings to mind television’s Iron Chef, Andrea Mollenauer, local chef and instructor of the Regional Occupational Program’s (ROP) culinary arts classes, will face off against her assistant instructor, Chef Christopher Stephenson, at the Museum of Art & History in Downtown Santa Cruz. The event...
Vino Tabi Winery
Petit Sirah 2011 Katie Fox, winemaker at Vino Tabi, was showcasing her wines recently at an impressive six-course winemaker’s dinner at Lago di Como Restaurant in Santa Cruz. Not only was the food outstanding, but also the wines poured that evening were superb. The 2011 Petit Sirah, Santa Cruz Mountains ($28) was featured with Nodino di vitello alla crèma...
Wide-Eyed Wonders
Dr. Dog seeks out surprises on latest album Generally speaking, when it comes time for a band to make an album, they have an idea of what they want it to sound like. They might noodle around in the studio a bit, but for the most part, there is little doubt about the direction they plan to go in....