Cherished state park offers a window into the past and sheds light on energy solutions

“It’s something that you’re never going to see anywhere else, and it’s totally unique,” says Wilder Ranch docent Mike Dalbey. He’s talking about the water-powered tools in the Wilder Ranch State Park, which is home to a 19th century saw mill, lathe, drill bit, coffee grinder, and grindstone—all powered by Pelton Water Wheels.

Wilder Ranch’s water-powered machine shop dates back to the 1890s and is the last one operating in the State of California. Dalbey, who has helped to restore some of the tools himself, says his favorite part is the lichens growing on one of the wheels—something he calls “high technology as the substrate for organic life.”

The Monterey Bay Trout and Salmon Project is back in the water after a few dry years

Following three years of no salmon and no salmon fishing, local fishermen can once again take up their poles on April 3. Among those excited for the opening of salmon season is the Monterey Bay Salmon & Trout Project (MBSTP), which plans to recommence its King Salmon release program after a three-year hiatus.

Founded in 1976, the MBSTP is a non-profit run almost entirely by volunteers (there is only one paid staff member) with the mission of restoring, conserving, and enhancing native Coho salmon and Steelhead populations and their habitats in the greater Monterey Bay area. MBSTP Treasurer Larry Wolf says that the voluntary aspect makes it “an uplifting program,” and he describes the MBSTP as “one of those programs that was instituted because people thought they could do a better job than government could to take care of our local environment.”

The Santa Cruz County jobless rate has risen to a new high of 15 percent—higher than both the state and national averages. How can Santa Cruz begin recovering from this slump?

High unemployment is a severe problem nationally as well as in Santa Cruz. While actions can be taken on the local level to respond to this crisis, changes at the state and national level will have a much greater impact.

Based on how much I like to yap about Batman, I’m sure it’s pretty obvious at this point: I’m a DC guy born and bred. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t completely nerd out when Marvel announces something cool. Take the upcoming Captain America flick for example. Joe Johnston, hot off of helming The Wolfman is currently prepping Cap’s first cinematic outing since 1990 (Yep. Sorry kids, that one counts) and with interest in the property at a fever pitch, the potential for the house of ideas to have another Iron Man size hit on their hands is looking likely.

For contributing to there being no more war.
Josh Brooks
Santa Cruz | Job Hunter

What is environmentalism? Does the word encourage learning about the natural world, or is it more about not building on that vacant lot near my own home?

This issue is playing out again in that undeveloped area between Santa Cruz and Live Oak known as the Arana Gulch greenbelt. It’s a fascinating battle, one that pits environmentalists versus environmentalists—cycling advocates versus those opposed to any development there at all.

Center stage in the drama is the Santa Cruz Tarplant, a native species that’s part of the sunflower family. The inoffensive and endangered plant is the focus of a debate as to whether a bike path connecting Brommer Street to Broadway ought to be built.

I’d like to invite every “housed” person in our community to join me in a “thought experiment.” It’s pretty simple. When you climb into bed tonight, pull the covers over you and look up at the ceiling, pause for a moment and imagine that you are homeless.

Imagine you’re about to go to sleep under a tree or a bridge somewhere … you’re on a piece of damp cardboard with a couple of dirty blankets. You haven’t had a shower in several days (you had one after waiting for a few hours at the homeless center last week). As you try to go to sleep, think about what you’re wearing: the same clothes you wore all day today…and yesterday and the day before. Imagine how safe you are feeling with no walls around you and no door to lock. Imagine that every material thing you have is in a single bag, which you are using as a pillow. Now imagine that it’s starting to rain…and you hear footsteps approaching.

Bleary-eyed at four in the morning, I woke up to the sound of a little boy, crying in his sleep. I stumbled out of my bed, fumbling for my bathrobe. On my way to his bedroom, I ran into multiple doorjambs, trying to be awake enough to care for him, but not too awake that I was up for the rest of the day. I nursed him back to sleep, put him in his crib and climbed into my bed for a few more hours of shut-eye. For months, my son woke up two, three, four, five times a night. Now, at a year old, he is still waking up once a night. Isn’t it funny that after a year of waking up multiple times in a night, that one wake up seems like heaven? I finally feel somewhat rested from what was an exhausting year. I’m hoping that maybe, just maybe, he will sleep through the night before he turns 12.

Good Times introduces a new blog to its website, “Obsessive Beauty”
We’re slightly obsessed with all things chic, fashionable, and beautiful. Be that a gorgeous trench coat from Anthropologie, a pair of Chanel shoes, a bolero shrug from Target, an indie designer’s blouse at Stripe, House of Harlow jewelry at Cameron Marks, beauty  products, fashion magazines, the perfect blow out, well, you get the picture. We’re obsessed. We are Leslie Patrick and Christa Martin. Leslie is a long-time freelance writer for Good Times newspaper. You can learn more about her at lesliepatrick.com. Christa has been the features editor at Good Times for the last 10 years. Learn more about her at christamartin.com. Together, we have spearheaded several fashion issues for the newspaper over the years, and now, instead of Good Times covering beauty and fashion merely once a year, we’ll be gushing about our obsessions several times a month. Obsessive Beauty is an ongoing blog, written by the two of us.

The new owners of the old Sentinel building in Downtown Santa Cruz broke ground on their renovation of the property this morning, Friday, March 19, before a sizeable crowd of interested Cruzans. The iconic building (albeit retro in appearance—and not necessarily in a good way), located on the corner of Cedar and Church Streets, will now be home to Cruzio, Ecology Action and Appenrodt Commercial Properties. Representatives from these companies and from the City of Santa Cruz spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony, where a door was painted to symbolize the commencement of renovations, and interior tours were offered. The building will be “green” following renovations that include installing solar panels on the roof, installing ample bike parking for employees, and using reused, recycled and renewable building materials for all construction purposes. An Ecology Action representative said the effort will be “transforming the classic Santa Cruz landmark into a green and high-tech center for the future.”