Published in cooperation between time2play.com and Good Times
With its dynamic culture and spirit of innovation, California has had a long, intriguing love affair with gambling. Given that California is the most populous state in the U.S., with prominent cities like Santa Cruz, this means an extremely thriving industry from tribal casinos all the way to card rooms.
But is online gambling legal in this state? The article will outline when online gambling became legal in California and the nuances of its legality.
A Brief History of California Gaming
Gaming has taken a very long journey in California, starting with the Gold Rush-era mining towns where saloons ran non-stop games of chance. Over time, it provided a more systematic approach to handle gambling. In the mid-20th century, horse racing and other forms of gambling were explicitly legalized, as well as charitable bingo. With the passage of the IGRA, the 1980s and 1990s saw the expansion of tribal casinos.
Despite these developments, California has been wary of jumping aboard the online gambling bandwagon, concentrating most of its efforts on land-based gambling.
The Current Status of Online Gambling in California
Today, online gambling is not specifically declared legal in California, and nothing has been done to give it a regulatory framework. Put simply, the state neither regulates nor licenses online gambling providers.
That grey area has prompted Californians to participate in online gambling through sites that are based out of state. In fact, everything from poker and slots to even sports bets, every kind of player can find their match with these online websites in California.
The Drive for Legalization of Online Gambling
Efforts to legalize and regulate online gambling have been ongoing in California, now for more than 10 years. Much of this has aimed at online poker since it is a very popular game with active followings in the state. Bills have been presented for the establishment of a legal framework pertaining to online poker and other online gambling games, but there have been disagreements among stakeholders that so far have stalled progress in the process.
Tribal casinos, card rooms, and racetracks are the most powerful players that make up California’s gambling industry, often with competing interests, as where tribal casinos want exclusivity to provide online gambling services, others like card rooms and racetracks want to be included.
Sports Betting: A Gateway to Online Gambling
In 2018, the United States Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, opening the door for all states to legalize sports betting. Many saw this as a chance to modernize California’s gambling laws, maybe even including online gambling.
In 2022, Californian voters had a chance to weigh in with two different propositions related to sports betting: Proposition 26 and Proposition 27. While Prop 26 involved in-person wagering at tribal casinos and several racetracks, Prop 27 aimed to legalize online sports wagering. Neither proposition received sufficient approval, and it is very unclear what the future might hold with regard to online gaming.
Why Hasn’t Online Gambling been Legalized Yet?
Several factors can be identified to explain why California is a bit late in legalizing online gambling:
Diverse Interests: Competing priorities among tribal casinos, card rooms, and racetracks deadlock the legislation.
Taxation and Revenue Sharing: Online gambling progress has been very slow to get moving due to disagreement over how the taxes of online gambling revenues would be divided.
Public Opinion: While many Californians have nothing against gambling, some of them voice their concern about the consequences for social and economic life which will happen if online gambling is finally legalized.
What Does the Future Hold?
All delays notwithstanding, the push toward making online gambling legal in California seems unabated. According to industry experts, once in place with the right legislature and alignment of stakeholders’ positions, California may eventually open its doors to legalizing online gaming and create a regulated market in place of illegal or poorly regulated sites, ensuring not only player protection but large revenues for the state where several international operators would be interested.
Until that day comes, the residents who would like to gamble online will continue to go to offshore sites, which are safe and entertaining. It’s best to do prior research and have some level of knowledge on which casinos are best suited to you and your playing style, which is when you can use sites like https://time2play.com/ that provide information and compare not just casinos, but games, bonuses, payment methods and much more.
Conclusion
Though not legalized, online gambling in California does hold immense potential for business in the industry once challenges to its legislation are cleared. In the meantime, Californians will have to settle for the intricacies of how the system currently works: seeking offshore gaming platforms that will satisfy their gaming needs.
With ever-changing discourses on online gaming, Californians can continue to hold onto hope for the time when their state eventually goes the way of embracing its gambling industry in its transition into cyberspace. Meanwhile, awareness and good choices provide a safe and fun way to enjoy online gambling.
Published in cooperation between AskGamblers.com and Good Times
California’s casino gaming culture has a distinct and colorful way of playing poker, because the essence of the game is connected to a long history of card playing and casino entertainment. The Golden State, which is the home of a lot of well-known world-class cardrooms and poker tournaments, still remains to be a poker fan’s paradise. The availability of live poker games and the increase of social and sweepstake poker sites prove the fact that the pastime is loved by all of California.
A Historical Haven for Poker
California’s poker legacy goes a long way back. In the early 20th century, cardrooms gained legal status for the first time, and were the most convenient and practical way to play the game. By the 1930s, the cities of Emeryville and Gardena started being known for poker, and it was about this time that the poker scene originally took off, as around the same time these cardroom casinos began to set up, thus the poker culture of the state was created. The golden age brought players from other countries with top-tier strategies in poker, and even after it went away, the state of California remained the dominant poker paradise.
California poker history has been increased through its role as the home of some of the world’s best gambling events, such as in poker tour stops in the Californian World February up to April 2017, those being on the World Poker Tour (WPT) and the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit. As a result, tournaments have been the key to the success of California as a place for poker for both professional and recreational players.
The Role of Cardrooms and Tribal Casinos
More than 100 licensed cardrooms and about 70 tribal casinos are operated in California. There also are specialized poker areas in many of the facilities as poker culture is quite popular in the state. Notable places include The Commerce Casino & Hotel in Los Angeles which is the world’s largest poker destination and The Bicycle Hotel & Casino, which is famous for its high-stakes matches.
With different poker options, such as the Gardens Casino for versatility and Hollywood Park and Hustler Casino to see lively game spots, the poker scene is made more vibrant. Local as well as travelling cash gaming enthusiasts can visit the Tribal resorts: Pechanga Resort, Thunder Valley, and Morongo which run cash games and tournaments—providing a gamut of diverse experiences and creating a lively poker community around the state.
No-Limit Hold’em and Beyond
No-limit Texas hold’em is the most popular poker form in California—also, worldwide. With its direct instructions and a harmonious mixture of skill and accidental events, this game is one of the most likeable among fans. Other poker games, such as Pot-Limit Omaha, Seven-Card Stud, and Omaha Hi-Lo, are also very popular in cardrooms and casinos beside the live poker games usually offered.
And new varieties such as Crazy Pineapple and other poker games like pieces of poker and Ultimate Texas Hold’em have a growing following in casinos.
The Online Poker Void
While it is known for its strong poker traditions, California still lacks the legalization of online poker for real money due to the persistent political disagreements between gaming tribes, cardrooms and lawmakers. Alongside the no-limit hold’em and Crazy Pineapple competitions popular on these platforms, social gaming and sweepstakes platforms like Global Poker also operate successfully.
In that regard, these platforms, using virtual currencies, succeeded in unifying a lively and extensive community, thereby filling the gap for poker enthusiasts across California.
Poker Tournaments: A Major Draw
California’s poker tournaments are a significant factor in the game’s enduring popularity. Be it a day in local poker rooms or high-profile events such as the WSOP Circuit, these competitions involve people at all levels of proficiency.
For example, there are such major events as WPT L.A. Poker Classic at Commerce Casino and WPT Rolling Thunder at Thunder Valley Casino. Not only do they have huge prize pools but they also demonstrate poker skills of California worldwide.
The Future of Poker in California
California’s poker culture blossoms at its vibrant cardrooms, tribal casinos, and the bustling social gaming platforms. Even though the legal status of California online poker is hard to predict, the popularity of the game has not declined. This is owed to the state’s long poker tradition, the provision of new and exciting game formats, and a very passionate community who have cemented its status as a world leader in poker.
CITY OF SANTA CRUZ TO HOST WHARF RE-OPENING CEREMONY ON JANUARY 4 SANTA CRUZ, CA — The City of Santa Cruz is happy to announce the re-opening of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf on Saturday, January 4. This date marks the formal re-opening of the Wharf and many of its businesses to the public since its closure on Dec. 23, 2024, when the end of the Wharf collapsed into the ocean. Please note that the portion of the Wharf affected by the collapse will remain closed. To celebrate this momentous occasion, the City will host a re-opening ceremony at 10 a.m. at the Wharf Stage Area (see attached map). The ceremony is open to the public and will feature statements from City of Santa Cruz leadership. Staff will be available after the ceremony to answer questions from the media. The ceremony will also be live-streamed on the City’s Facebook page. The Wharf has been deemed safe to reopen based on a recently completed sonar and engineering assessment.“Wharf contractor Power Engineering Construction worked with Pioneer for an ocean sonar scan to locate their heavy equipment that fell into the ocean on December 23,” said Santa Cruz City Manager Matt Huffaker. “The three heavy equipment items have been successfully located. A skiff washed up on the beach and is secured, and the crane and a skid steer are currently in the ocean at a safe distance from the wharf and will be tagged tomorrow with a buoy to alert others of the locations.”
The U.S. Coast Guard also reviewed the sonar scans and Pioneer’s findings.
“This sonar scan shows the 35T RT crane, pile driving hammer, and leads,” said Marine Safety Specialist Response Francis Schiano, United States Coast Guard, Sector San Francisco Incident Management Division. “The crane was located approximately 160 feet southeast of the collapsed face of the Wharf, which is a safe distance away.
The crane is stuck at this time and not moving around.” The engineering assessment was completed by Moffatt and Nichol. “Moffat and Nichol did not observe any damage to the Wharf’s structural capacity beyond the area affected by storm damage and noted that it has the same strength it did before the storm,” said Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation Director Tony Elliot.
“Bents (substructures) 169, 170 and 171 do have some damage, and this is the narrower part that remains at the very end of the Wharf and is closed off.” “The community’s response to the wharf collapse on Dec. 23 is a testament to our City’s perseverance and resilience,” said City Council Member Scott Newsome.
“Seeing city staff, residents, and business owners come together to quickly recover from this incident is a beautiful example of what keeps Santa Cruz strong.” The businesses along the wharf are ready to re-open and welcome the community back. “We understand that Wharf business owners are eager to resume operations for the public,” said City of Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley.
“Please join us at the re-opening ceremony to support our local businesses during these challenging times. Together, let’s keep Santa Cruz businesses strong.” Vehicle traffic will not be permitted to go beyond Marini’s Candies on Saturday, January 4, 2025. This means cars will turn around at the East Parking Lot. Access to Stagnaro’s will be pedestrian only. As work continues on the wharf, the City will update the community to provide information on the project’s progress. For more information, follow the City of Santa Cruz on Facebook and Instagram. ###
It can be ethereal to walk in the redwoods in the fog, to feel a Middle Earth majesty that seems too perfect for this world. But as we endure the shortest and darkest days of the year, sometimes Seasonal Affective Disorder can dampen the dance in a dark redwood forest.
As the decrease in light throws my circadian rhythm off, lowers my serotonin level and I fall into a downward spiral of I-could-of-should-of-would-of remorse, I was so depressed I decided to end it all. I sat in my garage while running my electric car. Nothing. The whole week was one big failure.
In my case, maybe it’s time to talk to someone, but if you find yourself carrying the weight of dark winter clouds on your shoulders, I find an effective fix is to walk my SAD vibes off in an open space.
Even as black clouds fall on me, the quickest way I know to increase my serotonin level is to walk, preferably where I can see into the distance. It doesn’t take long for dark thoughts to start grooving to the rhythm of feet. Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine and arguably the first hippie, said, “If you feel bad, take a walk. If you still feel bad, take another one.”
Dr. Lily Yan, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Michigan State University, talks about how to deal with dark-sky depression: “Simply going outside can improve your mood… an excursion will boost your mental health.”
I’m singin’ in the rain, just singin’ in the rain What a glorious feeling, I’m happy again
When you’re depressed, these are the most obnoxious lyrics in the English language. I understand that Gene Kelly was singing about being in love, but my point is he moved, he danced and swung around a light pole, and that must have helped.
What does movement do for your head? Increases blood flow to the brain. Bingo. The best thing we can do for our mental health is flood our brain with oxygenated blood. It ramps up serotonin, assists neuroplasticity and gives you the head room to process your thoughts, to be with them, self-reflect.
Still Crazy? Work Harder.
If I’m on a walk to quiet my maniacal brain and my mind continues to chatter chaotic, negative thoughts, that just means I’m not working hard enough. If I pick up the pace, elevate my heart rate and deepen my breathing, I reach a degree of physical difficulty that stops my brain and stops the flow of troublesome words.
If I hit my stride hard enough, my brain shuts down and I can focus on the task at hand, pushing against gravity. I can’t even remember the bullshit that was banging around in my head. I’m only lining up the bones for the next step, emptying the lungs for the next breath. I can see clearly now; it feels like I’ve gotten my brain cells down to a number I can manage.
Get Back, Honky Cat
It’s a gas to walk around town, swinging around lamp posts, enjoying what’s in the store windows and particularly digging when we see our self-reflection in the glass. (“When I suck my cheeks in, I could pass for a mannequin.”) It turns out that walking in nature is mentally healthier than walking in cities. Researchers report hiking in nature helps decrease negative, obsessive thoughts.
If our stunning redwood forests are too dark and damp for your mood, where do you walk? In south Santa Cruz County, there are miles of trails along the sloughs between Watsonville and the ocean.
Walking the Watsonville Slough
It’s a Monday; I’m gloomy and choose the easiest slough to get to. I pull into the Ramsay Park parking lot on Harkins Slough Road. I see a 1968 Volkswagen Bus that has a message written on its side:
With climate change we become frogs in a pot of water on the stove. The older frogs say, “That the boiling water thing is the younger generation’s problem, but for now, the rising heat just helps with the arthritis.”
For the sake of this column, I check out the park restrooms and can report that the new facilities are first rate and clean as a whistle (although Henry David Thoreau suggested that hiking is an opportunity to water selected plants along the way). I cross Harkins Slough Road from the Ramsay Park parking lot and enter the trail that runs along Watsonville Slough. It starts out as broken pavement, but wheelchairs would do fine here.
The trail runs between housing developments and Watsonville Slough. While portions of the slough look like a drainage ditch, it is the backbone of the system that drains all of the sloughs. PHOTO: Richard Stockton
Depression Flies Away
I poke along, barely lifting my feet, lost in brooding. The trail veers close to the slough and I’m startled by two huge white pelicans that take off from the water. Their enormous wings lift them high above the slough and then they stretch them out and glide away.
I look them up on my phone; they are American white pelicans, flying from Alaska to Mexico for the winter and need the fresh waters of the Watsonville sloughs to rest, feed and have their young. The website reports that about a third of all bird species depend on wetlands.
I see a small duck with green and blue feathers on its wings take off, a stunning creature. It is a blue-winged teal and as it flies, it shows a powder-blue patch on its upper wing. When I start walking again, I try to resume my dark ruminations but can’t get the birds out of my mind. I know something was bothering me, what was I thinking about?
Walking the wetlands got me through a tough week. I got kicked out of my yoga class for misinterpreting the pose “half-moon.” I pumped hard on the trail until my brain cleared and I thought, “It’s no big deal, I have had more derrière show when I was a plumber.”
A volunteer docent points out invasive species like Scotch broom and and non-invasive plant species like pickleweed (it reportedly tastes like a pickle). Scotch broom was introduced during the Gold Rush era and has taken over much of the area. The tulles in the foreground are native, and were used by the Awaswas to make boats. PHOTO: Richard Stockton
What Is a Slough, Anyway?
If you do hike one of the Watsonville slough trails, know that the sloughs you are walking beside are remarkable, unique bodies of water. It’s where freshwater meets the sea. Bryan Largay, the Land Trust Santa Cruz County director, told me that a slough is a name for tidal freshwater—a freshwater area that has tides.
I thought tides came from the ocean.
Largay says that there’s some flow of freshwater that pushes the ocean water away. “And yet enough of the influence of the ocean is felt to make the tides seen further inland.” Largay says, “Sometimes, not enough water flows down the Pajaro River and then the ocean’s tides have an impact way upstream. There are both freshwater and saltwater tides.”
How to get there: There are slough trails all over the area. Today’s walk was along the Watsonville Slough. Drive to the south end of Ramsay Park, 1301 Main St., Watsonville. Park in the lot and then walk south across Harkins Slough Road to the trailhead, right next to the Ramsay Park Tennis Courts. For other amazing slough hikes, AllTrails.com can get you to Elkhorn Slough, Struve Slough, Harkins Slough. I love them all.
Santa Cruz is blessed with a trinity of stellar coffeehouses provided by Christian communities, serving a variety of inviting neighborhoods—east, west and downtown.
Each sits next to its sponsoring church and serves the wider community in a welcoming way with no agenda or proselytizing.
The Abbey at Vintage Faith Church is the oldest of our local three—originally opened in 2006 to serve Sunday churchgoers. Tucked in a neighborhood of historic Victorians where Downtown meets the Westside, it was originally called the Brickhouse before getting a new look and new name in 2008.
An art, music and coffee lounge, the Abbey provides a monastic-looking environment with hardwood floors and a high-beamed ceiling, well suited for studying, reading or web-surfing. Heavy, armless wooden chairs and several sofas offer comfortable seating for patrons of all sizes, with tables for two, four and ten.
Baristas set their own playlists, so music might be coffeehouse folk one day and eclectic indie on another. An outdoor patio, half covered and half open, offers sun and fresh air in all weather. A piano graces one corner, available to play upon request. Artists and artisans display their work for sale on walls and tables.
Macarons and honey cake are from Sugar Bakery. A kitchen offers avocado toast, a panini “Breakfast Sando,” and chicken pesto or Cuban sandwiches. Syrups are made in-house, including osmanthus, with a peachy-floral flavor.
Specialties include the Honey Badger, a honey and cinnamon latte, and Secret Garden—jasmine tea with milk and honey rose syrup.
House coffee is a special blend from 11th Hour, with pour-over offerings from 11th Hour and Stumptown.
Shrine and Loft Coffee are at opposite ends of Santa Cruz, but close in spirit: bright, airy and contemporary, with pleasing views of nearby nature. The newbies both opened during the pandemic.
SHRINE CLUB The interior at Shrine Coffee is intimate and cheerful. PHOTO: Tarmo Hannula
Shrine Coffee at Shrine of St. Joseph on West Cliff Drive is unique in Santa Cruz for the beauty of its surroundings and tasteful Christian decor in a modern setting. Enjoy a view of the Bay from a spacious patio complete with a Baroque-style fountain, or take a stroll in the tree-shaded garden, among statues and flowers.
Shrine’s interior is intimate and cheerful. A sofa and easy chairs face a flaming fireplace, welcoming on cold mornings by the sea. A wall-sized digital picture frame displays paintings by the Renaissance masters, and comfy armless chairs surround a beautifully polished driftwood table for 10.
Count your blessings over an Our Frother—oatmilk with honey and cinnamon. Enjoy a Summer Fog, an iced black tea with vanilla syrup and Earl Grey cold-foam—or the current special, a lavender honey latte. Shrine sources coffee from Cat and Cloud, and pastries from Bees Knees Bakery in Moss Landing.
BREWS & FOOD Located at Twin Lakes Church, Loft is open until 2pm. PHOTO: Tarmo Hannula
Loft Coffee at Twin Lakes Church holds space just south of Cabrillo College, with a view of the green hills to the north from outdoor tables. Yes, there is a loft—albeit a small one—up a narrow stairway, an aerie near the lofty ceiling.
Loft Coffee selects beans from Copa Vida in Pasadena, 11th Hour and Verve. Organic syrups are from Holy Kakow. Coffee specials include the Santa Cruz Fog, made with macadamia milk.
Pastries are delivered daily from Kelly’s Bakery or Companion Bakeshop. Savories include avocado toast, chorizo breakfast burrito, chicken pesto sandwich, and ham and cheese croissant.
Seating is plentiful and comfortable for groups and singles, and eclectic Spotify playlists keep the mood upbeat but downlow.
All are hidden mere footsteps away from main throughways. Make a pilgrimage to all three.
The Abbey at Vintage Faith Church, 350 Mission St., Santa Cruz (enter from Highland Ave); Sunday-Friday, 8am-6pm. abbeycoffee.org
Shrine Coffee at Shrine of Saint Joseph, 544 W. Cliff Dr., Santa Cruz; Monday-Sunday, 7am-4pm. shrinecoffee.com
Loft Coffee at Twin Lakes Church, 2701 Cabrillo College Drive, Aptos; Monday-Friday, 7am-2pm; weekends 8am-2pm. loftcoffeeshop.com
There are experiences, people and places that can either be good for you or bad for you. Which way they tilt at any particular time may depend on your mood or their mood or forces beyond your immediate control. An example for me is social media. Sometimes it’s a mediocre drug that dulls my sensibilities and aggravates my fears. On other occasions, it brings rich new connections and teaches me lessons I’m thrilled to learn. What about you, Aries? In my astrological view, 2025 will be a time when you will be wise to re-evaluate and redefine your relationships with these paradoxical resources. If there are some whose influence is far more likely to be bad than good, consider ending your bond. For those that are equally bad and good, do what you can do to enhance the goodness.
TAURUS April 20-May 20
Taurus supermodel Linda Evangelista has supreme levels of self-esteem. At the height of her career, she bragged that she got out of bed each morning with the intention of earning no less than $10,000 in the coming day. I’m not advocating that you be equally audacious in your expectations during 2025, dear Taurus. But it’s reasonable for you to adopt at least a measure of Evangelista’s financial confidence. According to my analysis of your destiny, cosmic rhythms will be conspiring to open up economic opportunities for you.
GEMINI May 21-June 20
In 2025, dear Gemini, I invite you to make ample use of at least five of the following 11 tactics: 1. Shatter the molds. 2. Defy the conventions. 3. Challenge the norms. 4. Redefine the boundaries. 5. Disrupt the status quo. 6. Defy old rules and create new ones. 7. Go against the flow and against the grain. 8. Bushwhack through frontiers. 9. Dance to unfamiliar rhythms. 10. Search for curious treasures. 11. Change the way you change.
CANCER June 21-July 22
Good advice for the first half of 2025: 1. Lose your respect for tangled complications that have begun to rot. 2. Keep some of your necessary protective defenses, yes, but shed those that no longer serve you and are weighing you down. 3. Bury a broken-down dream to make room in your heart for a sweet new dream. 4. Scour away as much resentment as you can. 5. Sneak away from people and situations that are far too demanding. 6. Discard as much as you can of what’s inessential, unhelpful and defunct. 7. Don’t make a radical break for freedom yet, but begin plotting to do so by your birthday.
LEO July 23-Aug. 22
The coming months will be an excellent time to dream up bigger, better, more original sins and seek out wilder, wetter, more interesting problems. You should experiment with being naughty and even sweetly wicked as you uplift your spirit and deepen your love for life. You are being invited by your future self to experiment with daring departures from tradition that bring you exciting challenges. Dear Leo, my wish for you in 2025 is that you will be cheerfully courageous (not belligerently courageous) as you become both smarter and wiser than you have ever been before.
VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22
Aztecs were originally known as the Mēxihcah people. Before they forged an empire, they were semi-nomadic tribes. But even then, early on, they were guided by a prophecy that they would eventually settle permanently in a place where they found an eagle roosting on a cactus holding a snake in its talons. In 1325, wanderers spied this precise scenario on a small island in Lake Texcoco. Soon they began to construct the city of Tenochtitlan, the capital of their future kingdom. I bring this true myth to your attention, Virgo, because I want to invite you to formulate a similar prophecy in 2025—and then fulfill it. Your personal empire is primed for expansion and consolidation.
LIBRA Sept. 23-Oct. 22
As 2025 unfolds, your burdens will grow lighter, and your duties will become more interesting. Joyless missions and trivial hopes will be increasingly irrelevant and easy to relinquish, opening up opportunities for fresh assignments that motivate you to play more and to work smarter rather than harder. During the coming months, dear Libra, I predict you will be basking in extra good karma and tapping into more fertile mojo than you have in a long time. Would you like more freedom than ever before? It’s yours for the plucking.
SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov. 21
Painter P. K. Mahanandia is well-known because of his fine art. He is even more famous for an amazing adventure he had in the name of love. It’s a long story, but his wife was living in her native Sweden while he was stuck in his native India. Mahanandia was still at an early stage of his career and couldn’t afford to fly by plane. Instead, he bought a used bicycle and headed west, covering about 27 miles per day. He pedaled through Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey until he arrived in Europe 127 days later. He had raised money by drawing portraits of people he met along the way, so he had enough to travel by train the rest of the way to Sweden. I’m thinking you may have an epic romantic adventure yourself in 2025, Scorpio. Maybe not quite as extreme, but very interesting.
SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21
To symbolize your destiny in 2025, I drew a Tarot card. It was the 9 of Cups. Here’s my four-part interpretation: 1. Sometime soon, you should identify your top desires and ruminate about how to express them in the most beautiful and fulfilling ways possible. 2. Take a vow that you will shed half-hearted, insecure approaches for bringing them to fruition. 3. Be uninhibited about seeking not just a partial but a complete version of each fulfillment. 4. Figure out which allies you will need in your life to manifest the happiest and most meaningful outcomes.
CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19
You’re the most pragmatic sign of the zodiac and are most highly skilled at getting constructive things done. It’s also true that you thrive on organizing the chaotic details of our messy world into smooth-functioning systems. But I periodically need to remind you that these superpowers of yours require you to nurture a vigorous and rigorous imagination. All of what you ultimately accomplish originates in the fantasy realm. This will be especially crucial for you to keep in mind during 2025.
AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18
The Mona Lisa is a world-famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci. Beneath its visible surface is evidence that the artist reworked it extensively. There are at least three earlier versions with different facial features. In one, the figure has eyebrows and is wearing hairpins and a headdress. These details were scrubbed out of the image that now hangs in the Louvre Museum in Paris. I bring this to your attention, Aquarius, because I suspect you have been engaged in a comparable process as you have worked on your labor of love. In my reckoning, you’re finished with your false starts, practice runs and dress rehearsals. In the coming months, you can make excellent progress toward ripening and culminating your creation.
PISCES Feb. 19-March 20
Ancient Greek literature references a drug called nepenthe. Anyone who ingested it would forget memories that stirred pain and sorrow. Many of us modern people might consider taking such medicine if it were available. But let’s imagine a very different potion: one that arouses vivid memories of all the wonderful experiences we have been blessed with. If there were such a thing, I would recommend that you sample it frequently in the months to come. That’s because your relationship with the good parts of your past will be especially useful and inspirational. In fact, drawing on their power will be instrumental in helping you create your best possible future.
Homework: Visualize yourself accomplishing a goal you would have thought impossible a year ago. Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com
As pretty much everyone expected last New Year’s Day, 2024 has turned out to be a challenging and in some respects horrendous year for cannabis in California.
The biggest hurdle to a thriving pot market in the state and nationally remains the continued illegality of cannabis at the federal level. With the election of Donald Trump as president and with the Republicans controlling both houses of Congress, it seems likely that this hurdle will remain in place for at least the next few years, though some reforms such as de-scheduling pot and allowing banks to do business with weed companies might yet come through.
But federal illegality means that California companies can neither export nor import pot, which makes them vulnerable to volatile prices for bud and concentrates.
Retail prices, meanwhile, have to remain high no matter what to cover the continued high costs faced by dispensaries. In particular, they must pay the ruinous taxes imposed by the state—and often also by local governments. Those taxes—15% in the case of the state excise tax—come on top of normal sales taxes. The resulting high prices send potential customers back into the arms of unlicensed pot sellers, resulting in what more than one observer has called a “death spiral” of the legal industry all along the supply chain.
California growers, who have struggled most of the time since they started selling weed legally in 2018, got a tiny bit of relief this year. Several previous growing seasons were harmed by bad weather, wildfires or both, and that didn’t happen this year, which has seen the “best harvest ever,” according to one Humboldt County grower who talked toMJBusinessDaily last month. But that good news comes on top of years of strife, and it’s estimated that only about a quarter of farms growing legal weed in the Emerald Triangle just a few years ago are still operating.
Outdoor growers, however, got a bit of boost from the pesticide scandal that erupted in the summer, when WeedWeek and the Los Angeles Timesreported that there were “alarming levels of pesticides in pot products across the state,” despite the state’s supposedly strict testing regime. But that didn’t help indoor growers or anybody else in the legal-weed business, of course. Through 2024, a state industry that saw sales actually fall in each of the previous two years continued to sink, with many companies large and small going out of business, employment shrinking, and the number of separate brands store shelves diving to below one-quarter of their peak.
Much of this is thanks to idiotic business strategies and grotesque profligacy, as in the case of the large, national dispensary chain MedMen, which folded early this year.
But it’s also a result of policy. High taxes are just one issue. Another major one is the California constitution’s “home rule” provision, which allows localities to decide whether to allow cannabis businesses to set up shop. Large swaths of the state are still “pot deserts.” This situation has improved in recent years, but geographically, more than half the state is bereft of legal weed. Michigan, a far smaller state, has 8.7 dispensaries per 100,000 residents. California has just 3.2. Monthly sales per capita shows the problem even more starkly: monthly sales per Michigan resident are at about $23; in California, that figure is just over $9.
Perhaps the most dispiriting fact of all is that the state government doesn’t appear to be willing to take these issues on in any serious way. Several years ago, when the state was running big budget surpluses, there was a lot of optimism that the excise tax could be severely cut, and many bills were proposed. But then came deficits in the wake of the pandemic.
The budget is now supposedly “roughly balanced,” but Gov. Newsom has warned that it will likely go into deficit again with Trump promising to, for example, impose ruinous tariffs on imported goods and deport millions of immigrants, which would hurt governments across the country.
The most likely scenario for at least the coming year, then, is: more layoffs, more business exits, continued high retail prices, and an increasingly thriving illicit market.
What are you anticipating in 2025 that is exciting for you?
FERN
I’m getting pet rats today, so that’s something I’m excited about for the New Year. Their breed is called Fancy Rat. I didn’t want a dwarf rat, or a hairless rat—they don’t live as long, and they require a lot of care. You get pet rats from a breeder; it’s the ethical way.
Fern Perchal, 21, SF State Psychology Major
AUGUST
I started a new job at the Mystery Spot, so I’m looking forward to that. I applied and it was really kinda crazy. They scheduled me for an interview, I walked in, and they just said, “You’re hired!” My dad was a tour guide in L.A. for a long time, so it’s in my blood.
August Jonker, 20, Cabrillo College Journalism Major
MARAYA
A reaction to turmoil is often creativity and an explosion of art and music, so that’s something I’m going to cultivate in the New Year moving forward. More shoegaze music in 2025!
Maraya Fisher, 30, Bass Guitarist in My Transparent Eye
SIMON
For me personally it would be sharpening my focus, not just in life, but with art and making music—having focus and trying not to pile things on, just trying to focus on the main details. I make my own music, no band, just talking to a computer.
Simon Tabakh, 24, Student/Musician
CLIONA
I would say just putting stuff out there, maybe judging yourself less, without trying to overthink it too much.
Cliona Shirey, 25, Figuring it all out.
JARED
I’m looking forward to a lot of good things. I just got clean a couple months ago, so there are so many things happening. It’s a huge, huge thing for me. I’m getting another knee surgery—hopefully my final one, I’ve had six already—a full knee replacement. Hopefully that will change a lot of things.
Jared Russell, 39, Portal of Love on Pacific Avenue
The quaint little Santa Cruz we’ve known for decades has been booming in 2024, like no other time since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. It’s been a boom year for construction all over the county. It’s also been a boom for environmental troubles, a time when officials have to decide how they will face climate changes that have affected not just the coast, but everywhere throughout the county.
UCSC is growing, while public schools face budget troubles because families and teachers can barely afford to live here. There have been positive steps, including bond measures to help build affordable housing for teachers and students. Legislators in 2024 showed they are walking the walk after decades of talk.
One only has to look at the skyline—a skyline!—in downtown Santa Cruz to see what’s made the year’s biggest change. Is it a plus or a minus? Depends on who you ask.
On the fun hand, the good times have blossomed in this county with more entertainment and great food than you could find in a county of fewer than 300,000 people anywhere in the country. Every night of the week there’s something special going on, from poetry to pop, from Shakespeare to punk.
JANUARY
’SHROOM ZOOM
Finally, after hundreds of years, California got a state mushroom; surprisingly, it’s not psychedelic.
This year, Cantharellus californicus became the official state ’shroom. So what does it do? You eat it and it tastes great, fans say, and the portions are huuuuge.
The yellow-orange native fungus, clocking in at a max of 20 inches wide, is the largest edible chanterelle in the world, although nothing compared to the Termitomyces titanicus, of West Africa and Zambia, whose cap reaches 3.28 feet in diameter.
Just imagine the pizza you could make.
DEBATE FORESTALLS ACTION
The Santa Cruz City Council unveiled a new version of the Wharf Master Plan, designed to enhance and maintain the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf. The new plan ditched the proposed Western Walkway, a pedestrian path eight feet below the restaurants with new, shorter pilings to protect the current pilings from big waves. The change came after a group called Don’t Morph the Wharf, headed by Gillian Greensite, won a CEQA ruling in 2022 that found the city’s plan didn’t take environmental repercussions into account.
On Jan. 9 the council voted unanimously for the new plan, in part because Don’t Morph the Wharf agreed to drop ongoing litigation—which allowed the city to get $6 million in funding from the Coastal Conservancy for wharf repairs. Councilmember Renee Golder, who favored the walkway, explained her vote: “It is time we move on. We just need to protect the infrastructure.”
More proof of how badly that work was needed came at the end of the year when 150 feet of the wharf fell into the sea during especially high waves. Expect the battles to continue.
LAWFARE
California lawmakers were busy making your life more complicated for the new year. Sacramento legislators sent off 1,046 bills, of which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed 890 into law. They included: raising the minimum wage up to $20 an hour from $15.50 and up to $25 an hour for health care workers, or still not enough to afford a home in Santa Cruz. Another law raises the number of employee sick days from three to five and prohibits employers from penalizing sick workers. In response to harsh abortion laws passed in other states, California shields doctors from being prosecuted for providing abortions to women who come from other states and protects physicians who mail abortion pills to out-of-state patients. Landlords have been restricted from asking for more than one month’s rent for a security deposit and PG&E rates were defined by income. Low-income customers were to be billed $300 a year less and those earning more than $180,000 a year would pay $500 more. In the fun dept., lawmakers made it unlawful for cities to make cruising illegal and forbid employers from testing or asking about past marijuana use.
SANTA CRUZ GAVE
Who says there’s no good news? There was plenty to end 2023 and start 2024 on a high note: Santa Cruz Gives, the charity sponsored by Good Times, raised $1 million for 65 charities last year and is on track for more good news this year.
FEBRUARY
KIDS STRANDED
Pajaro Valley School District students were being left at school and parents have had to take time off work to pick them up because of a shortage of bus drivers. The district needs 75 drivers to take care of the area’s largest school district, but is short 21. The district voted to reward $1,000 to anyone who recommends qualified bus drivers. Low pay and high housing costs contribute to the shortage. Hourly wages range from $19.68 to $25.11 and it can take six months to get certified.
TERMINAL TERMINATED
The downtown Santa Cruz bus terminal, long a fixture on Pacific Avenue, was closed this month for a reset. Bus service has been kicked to the curb, literally, along Front Street, Soquel Avenue and River Street, while the old spot is turned into a behemoth of apartments that will contain 126 units of affordable housing, commercial and office space and a new bus station.
For better and worse, Santa Cruz now has a skyline more resembling Mountain View than Carmel.
Some people claim quaint Santa Cruz is now ain’t Santa Cruz.
PUBLIC OR NOT?
Despite the California Coastal Commission’s order to allow the path behind Aptos condos along Beach Street in Rio Del Mar to be open and available for all, the owners of what are mostly beachside vacation rentals rebelled against a $4.8 million fine and replaced the small, haphazard wall they first made with a big fence, blocking the public from walking along the beach and forcing them to walk in a busy street.
This is a long-standing debate that will still have more days in court. The local court ruled in favor of the homeowners, while the Commission favored public access to the path.
FAREWELL TO A LOCAL HERO
Hundreds of locals showed up at Cabrillo College Feb. 17 to say goodbye to philanthropist Rowland Rebele, who passed away in November 2023.
Reb contributed so much to this community, as writer Geoffrey Dunn recalled “his tireless advocacy for those experiencing homelessness; his generous commitment to the arts, education, journalism and newspaper publishing; his relentless protection of First Amendment rights; his delight in political campaigns (win or lose). Reb was seemingly everywhere at all times…his passions were broad and his energies both enthusiastic and unyielding.”
Recently retired County Supe Zach Friend noted: “Whether it was helping build skate parks for local youth or ensuring that the least fortunate are elevated in local government, Reb always quietly and effectively finds a way to make our community better for future generations.”
MARCH
GETTING HIGH
On March 4, local developer Workbench submitted a pre-application plan for the Clocktower Center to the City of Santa Cruz. At 18 stories with 260 apartments, the building at the former site of Santa Cruz County Bank and the Rush Inn would be the tallest building in the county. The next day, voters nixed Measure M, which would have required an election for buildings taller than the city’s current limit of five to eight stories.
But even without the threat of the vote, there was significant pushback on the idea of an 18-story structure. As it currently stands, Workbench has submitted an application for an eight-story project with 174 units on the Clocktower site, and city planners are reviewing the application.
To get a rough idea of what eight stories looks like, one needs to look no further than the 530 Front St. housing project in downtown Santa Cruz, an eight-story, 276-unit rental housing complex now under construction by Swenson Builder, which was approved by the city in April 2023 and soared skyward in the past year.
APRIL
SLUGGER TIME
The most illustrious member of the Ariolimacidae family, the banana slug, was upgraded from UCSC’s mascot (voted in by students in 1986) to California’s own state slug in April when the Legislature gave thumbs up to Assembly Bill 1850, authored by Santa Cruz’s Gail Pellerin.
Signed into law by Gavin Newsom in September, the bright yellow gastropod takes its place among other state symbols, including the pallid bat, the California dogface butterfly and the Pacific leatherback sea turtle.
STORM WATCH
The West Cliff 50-Year Community Vision was adopted by the Santa Cruz City Council on April 9. A response to the damage sustained by West Cliff Drive from the 2023 winter storms, the 50-year plan addresses the biggest issues facing the roadway.
But one part of the vision—a pilot program for one-way traffic—was voted down after dozens spoke out during public comment, including residents, former officials and members of the Santa Cruz Boardriders Club.
Since then the city has continued working on a 5-Year Roadmap for this beloved stretch of road, with a final report heading to the Santa Cruz City Council in March 2025. A public comment period will run through mid-January.
MAY
GROWING LIKE WEEDS
The corner of Mission and Laurel began a process of transformation this spring, first on May 13, when the contentious debate over approval of a dispensary operating near Santa Cruz High School ended when the Santa Cruz City Council voted 6-1 to greenlight the Hook Outlet at the former site of Emily’s Bakery.
But the bigger change came on May 28 when the Santa Cruz City Council unanimously approved a 48-unit housing project at the current site of the Food Bin and Herb Room, a project with no available parking, where residents aren’t allowed to own cars. WTF?
UPS AND DOWNS
One century ago, on May 17, 1924, the wheels began to turn on the Giant Dipper, and the momentum kept the historic wooden roller coaster moving into the 21st century.
In his Good Times, author Geoffrey Dunn remembers the day that he, like countless locals before and after him, finally surpassed the 50-inch mark and was tall enough to take that first thrilling ride.
He also reveals other milestones in the history of roller coasters in Santa Cruz, which began in 1885.
CURTAIN FALLS…AND RISES
On May 26, Jewel Theatre Company took its final bow with a production of Ted Swindley’s Always … Patsy Cline. Company founder Julie James plays the title role, which Good Times critic Christina Waters fits her talents perfectly, “from her bouffant hairdo down to her kitten heels.”
Though it survived a 20-month shutdown during the pandemic, the Jewel—like many other theater companies—suffered a form of “long Covid” in the 2022/23 season, when only 70% of its subscribers returned.“Many people just simply got out of the habit of attending performing arts events,” James said when she announced the closure at the end of that season.
The good news? All About Theatre, a great local company, has moved in.
UNCLE CHARLIE’S SPRING CAMP
Extracurricular activities on the UC Santa Cruz campus made headlines this year, especially as the spring semester drew to a close.
UCSC Students for Justice in Palestine began an encampment at Quarry Plaza, echoing protest demands on other campuses that colleges nationwide divest from companies with ties to Israel.
On May 20, UCSC graduate students and researchers went on strike to protest the treatment of fellow union members during pro-Palestinian protests at UCLA and UC San Diego. In the early morning of May 31, law enforcement agencies from across the state were called in to dismantle a blockade at the base of the campus.
University officials said more than 100 protesters were arrested, and the University also issued a two-week campus ban for students who were detained. Charges are still pending.
JUNE
NEW TOWN?
The north end isn’t the only part of downtown Santa Cruz that’s seen taller buildings sprouting. Also in the works is the South of Laurel Area Plan, which envisions a bustling neighborhood and a new 3,200-seat arena for the Santa Cruz Warriors in the south end.
A riverwalk, open-air dining on Pacific Avenue down to the beach and a pedestrianized Spruce Street in front of the future Warriors’ arena are among the enticements, along with 1,600 new living spaces. Comments were collected through mid-July, and we are awaiting a final report.
HEADING SOUTH
Santa Cruz County took a big step toward equity for residents in the south when the new South County Government Center opened on June 11. A makeover of the former West Marine building on Westridge Drive, the 121,000-square-foot building holds the Human Services Department, Agricultural Commissioner’s Office, County Clerk/Elections and Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office.
TWO DECADES OF FRIDAYS
This year, Santa Cruz’s First Friday celebration turned 20—and it’s still going strong.
Writer Richard Stockton interviewed its founders, Kirby Scudder and Chip, and also talked to current director Bree Karpavage, who says that although the monthly open gallery event was intended to help emerging artists.
“Over 20 years it has become a place for any artist of any level to show their work. A lot of well-known artists are Santa Cruz based; they live and work here but they haven’t necessarily shown here, and now because of First Friday, they’re starting to show in Santa Cruz.”
JULY
BIG MUSIC BOOST
The Santa Cruz Symphony announced a $1 million legacy gift from longtime board member Mark Chambers-Bray in memory of the late Roy Chambers-Bray, the largest single donation in the 67-year-history of the Symphony.
A longtime supporter of the arts, Mark Chambers-Bray recalls that he and Roy had agreed, upon their retirement, that they “really wanted to funnel our energies and our passion toward the things that inspired us. And the Santa Cruz Symphony was one of those things.
TINY HOUSES, BIG QUESTIONS
For years, unhoused people have camped in the levee area at the border of Watsonville and Pajaro, which is vulnerable during floods.
The “Recurso de Fuerza” (Resource of Strength) tiny home micro village was proposed in 2023 as a joint effort between Santa Cruz and Monterey counties to address homelessness. But residents in the East Front Street neighborhood of Watsonville pushed back against the project, saying local officials had ignored their concerns over crime and safety.
“Why is our voice not being heard?” asked Catalina Torres, who is a spokesperson for the group. Councilmember Eduardo Montesino said the decision on the project will lie with the county and state, but he urged residents to keep an open mind.
CAMPS OUT
Days after Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order directing jurisdictions throughout the state to address the homeless encampments within their borders—and about one month after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that laws banning sleeping in public do not constitute cruel and unusual punishment—unsanctioned camps throughout the state have been cleared, and the residents moved to shelters, or to other illicit sites.
On July 29, Santa Cruz Police were in Pogonip Open Space, clearing out several encampments where homeless advocates say 50 people had been living. Santa Cruz Homelessness Response Manager Larry Imwalle said the action was not sparked by Newsom’s announcement or the Supreme Court decision. Rather, officials were looking to clear fire-prone areas and ameliorate environmental impacts caused by campsites.
Police “made multiple visits over several weeks trying to engage folks, connect them with services if they’re interested and shelter options in particular,” according to Imwalle, who added, “It’s the humane and respectful way to go through this process.”
Similarly, in Watsonville, officials cleared encampments along the Pajaro River, where people living along the levee have dug shelters into the soil, which weakens the levee and increases flooding risks, Watsonville Police spokeswoman Michelle Pulido said.
Athena Flannery of Homeless United for Friendship and Freedom took exception with the sweeps, arguing that 10-day notices didn’t give campers enough time, especially for homeless people with few resources, many of whom are disabled. She added that the Homeless Persons Health Project would present a letter to the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, asking for a shift in thinking in the way local officials deal with the homeless population.
AUGUST
REASONABLE DOUBTS
The courtroom was packed as Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Denine Guy read her ruling that the prosecution had shown there was reasonable doubt that convicted murderer Adrian Gonzalez should be released from the juvenile detention system in October—on his 25th birthday—after his conviction for the 2015 kidnapping, rape and murder of his 8-year-old neighbor, Madyson “Maddy” Middleton.
According to state law, the juvenile system only keeps individuals until they are 25 years old. After that it is up to the courts to decide if they should be released. The judge said there was “probable cause to warrant a trial,” leaving Gonzalez’s fate in the hands of 12 jurors, with a verdict not expected until the new year.
HARBOR FUGITIVES
Two people were shot Aug. 8 after the Crow’s Nest Beach Party in the Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor. Santa Cruz Police arrested Moses Dollar, 27, after he was captured in Los Angeles Sep. 18.
On Sept. 30, a second suspect, Mo Jakaella Porter, walked into the Santa Cruz Police Department, turned herself in and was booked for criminal conspiracy and attempted homicide.
SEPTEMBER
SHERIFF APPARENT
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors unanimously appointed Undersheriff Chris Clark to take the agency’s lead role, a decision that was foreshadowed when Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart announced in August that he would leave before the end of his term and endorsed Clark to succeed him.
The supes got on board Sept 3, along with Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeff Rosell and Chief Public Defender Heather Rogers, to make it official. County Supervisor Zach Friend said that said the tension that exists in many other law enforcement agencies—and the high turnover—does not exist in the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office thanks to the leadership of Clark.
Clark took on the new position Dec. 6.
WHARF’S UP
Several thousand people showed up for the reopening ceremony of the Capitola Wharf on Sept. 25, celebrating its survival after it was cleaved in two by heavy storms.
The wharf, built in 1857, boasts new lighting, side rails, benches, permanently mounted viewing scopes, several art installations, a wider deck, restrooms, bait and gift shops and a boat rental facility. Around 150 new pilings were added for strength. The renovation repaired damage from the 2023/24 storms and tidal surge.
Jessica Kahn, the city’s public works director, said the $10 million project was “a huge investment for a city this size.”
NEW LOSD LEADERSHIP
After this year’s budget crisis, threat of layoffs and resignation of a beleaguered superintendent, things are finally looking up in the Live Oak School District. Patrick Sánchez takes the reins as district superintendent, seeking to turn things around and avoid more cuts amid enrollment declines at the district’s six schools.
The working 2025-26 budget calls for an additional $1.3 million in salary reductions if the district’s financial picture does not improve by next year. Sánchez is aiming to increase enrollment by developing “signature programming” at each school site.
DISLODGING PROTEST
After USCS’s 2024 spring quarter ended with dramatic clashes between hundreds of protestors and multiple law enforcement agencies at the base of the campus, resulting in over 122 arrests, new university policies are tamping down on direct actions. The policies were required by state lawmakers as part of the Budget Act of 2024, which allocated over $4.8 billion for the UC system.
The new policies ban any form of encampment on university property; the erection of any structures on university property; the blocking or obstructing of roadways, walkways, buildings, parking structures or other passageways. It also bans the use of masks to conceal identity.
On Sept. 9, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a suit in Santa Cruz County Superior Court against the University, saying the bans were “unconstitutional and overbroad, depriving students and faculty of their due process rights.”
Jimmy Dutra liable in sexual abuse case
A jury found that Watsonville City Councilman Jimmy Dutra committed sexual battery and lewd and lascivious acts on a minor in his Los Angeles apartment 19 years ago.
The jury awarded Stephen Siefke more than $1 million in damages for emotional and mental suffering and economic losses. The jury did not, however, determine that Dutra acted with malice, and so could not award punitive damages.
Only one juror dissented.
The verdict came after roughly three days of deliberation, which followed a weeklong civil trial.
OCTOBER
SOUTHERN EXPOSURE
Pajaro Valley Health Care District—the board responsible for overseeing Watsonville Community Hospital—announced the purchase of the building and surrounding property. The move would bring full local ownership to the institution after years of corporate mismanagement.
In more good news for South County, a gaggle of local, state and federal officials gathered in Watsonville to celebrate the groundbreaking for the $600 million Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project, which will build up the levee system and give the region the flood protection it’s needed for decades.
And the party didn’t stop there. The Watsonville art community gathered downtown to celebrate the completion of Watsonville Brilliante, the massive mural project that graces the Civic Center parking structure and transforms the city’s modest skyline with a splash of color.
BUTTS OUT
Santa Cruz County supervisors passed an ordinance banning the sale of filtered cigarettes in unincorporated areas. The thinking was commendable enough—smokers should indeed keep their dirty butts off of our streets, sidewalks and natural areas. Opponents found the move silly and more than a little performative, since smokers need only drive to their friendly local tobacco shops in unaffected cities to find their butts.
NOVEMBER
LOSE SOME, WIN SOME
On Election Day voters in Santa Cruz approved Measure Z, the 2-cent-per-ounce sales tax on sugary beverages that is expected to raise $1.3 million a year for improving parks and providing safe routes to schools, among other things. The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors will get its first female members since Ellen Pirie left in 2012. Kim De Serpa and Monica Martinez, who represent the First and Fifth districts respectively, were sworn in on Dec. 23. Changing of the Guard Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees incumbents Oscar Soto, Georgia Acosta and Adam Scow were unseated by political newcomers Gabriel Medina, Carol Turley and Jessica Carrasco. With Misty Navarro having been appointed the previous month to replace Jennifer Holm, the two-month period represented the biggest upset on the board in the past decade. The new board will now be tasked with a coming economic recession, budget woes caused by declining enrollment and $5 million in budget cuts next year. But the financial news in PVUSD was not all bad. Voters approved Measure M, the $315 million bond measure that will raise $18.3 million annually by placing $60 per $100,000 of assessed value on properties within the district. The funds will go to construction projects, upgrades and repairs at all of the district’s 35 schools. Cabrillo College must cut 70 of its 1,394 classes and $4.5 million from its $89.3 million budget as a result of low attendance and state funding cuts. While the news was grim for Santa Cruz County’s community college, it was not all bad because…
DECEMBER
INTERMURAL HOUSING
Cabrillo College is working with UC Santa Cruz to build a 624-bed student housing complex, a move that is expected to bring in more students and pave their way toward higher degrees.
TURBULENCE
With newly reelected President Donald Trump promising to take a hard-line stance against immigrants, those here both legally and illegally are bracing for an unknown future. The county supervisors showed their support for the immigrant community with a resolution that county officials will not cooperate with federal immigration officials. While some are expecting stormy weather ahead in 2025, plenty came before the end of the year. Speaking of strange atmospheric phenomena, on Dec. 14 Scotts Valley experienced its first tornado, which flipped several cars and left the little city reeling. And on Dec. 23, heavy waves smashed the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, shearing off a 125-foot section that was already being repaired from damage incurred in the 2023 storms. Pilings and wood debris were scattered in the ocean and onto the shore, along with entire buildings that fell off the wharf.
MATT HARTLE—As a celebrated figure in the Bay Area live events space, Matt Hartle is a melody maestro, standing at the forefront of the jam band scene. The lead guitarist for the China Cats and Painted Mandolin keeps feet moving and spirits soaring sky-high with engaging live performances featuring his signature “hot Hartle licks.” The inimitable Hartle also hosts a lively Grateful Sunday jam—curated collaborative sessions with talented rising and established Bay Area artists for musical magic and mayhem. Hartle’s a crowd favorite; his energy and artistry ignite the dance floor. Expect to hear classics from Jerry Garcia, Neil Young and Bob Dylan, alongside an exhilarating mix of rock, blues, jazz, Americana and original compositions from Hartle. MELISA YURIAR
INFO: 5:30pm, Discretion Brewing, 2703 41st Ave., Suite A, Soquel. Free. 316-0662.
HOLIDAY
CHANUKAH TRAIN—Roaring Camp’s historic trains, including a 130-plus-year-old steam train, take guests on a journey through Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, into the San Lorenzo River Gorge, across a century-old truss bridge and through a 15-year-old tunnel. For the holidays, Roaring Camp has the Chanukah Train, with a pre-ride menorah lighting, Chanukah games and traditions, Kosher refreshments (latkes and apple cider) and live music, all sponsored by Chabad by the Sea. Departing and returning to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, the one-hour excursion occurs twice on January 2. BILL KOPP
INFO: 5pm, Roaring Camp, 5401 Graham Hill Rd., Felton. $38-$53. 335-4484.
FRIDAY 1/3
COMEDY
TEARS FOR CHEERS Puddles Pity Party appears Friday in Felton. PHOTO: Andrew Woodman
PUDDLES PITY PARTY—Puddles Pity Party, the seven-foot clown with a voice likened to Freddie Mercury and Tom Jones, has amassed nearly 1 million subscribers on YouTube and performed sold-out shows worldwide. His unique act melds humor, heartbreak and a bittersweet, absurdist charm to create unforgettable moments filled with tears and laughter. After appearing as a quarterfinalist on America’s Got Talent, Puddles’ absurdity and pathos continue to earn praise from comedic all-stars like Jack Black and “Weird Al” Yankovic and resonate with audiences across the globe. MY
FEASTING ON THE WORLD—They say variety is the spice of life because the world is so massively diverse: the cultures, the food, the architecture, the animals—it’s hard not to physically and metaphorically eat it all up. Maybe that’s why local painter Gene Holtan created Feasting on the World. His abstract Cubist style seeps up life’s flavors, colors and nuances in vibrant ways, with something new to see at each glance. Art lovers are invited to explore the world through Holtan’s eyes in the front gallery at m.k. contemporary art while imbibing the poems of famed local poet Gary Young. Afterward, a nightcap and stroll through the back gallery featuring over 25 local and regional artists will satiate even the hungriest soul. MAT WEIR
INFO: 6pm, m.k. contemporary art, 703 Front St., Santa Cruz. Free. 250-2224.
SATURDAY 1/4
ROCK
TRESTLES—Santa Cruz-based Trestles describes its original music as “beach rock.” In practice, that means merging indie rock with classic surf-rock textures, informed by the garage rock that two of the group’s members (guitarists Jackson Jones and Hunter Kelly) made with a previous project. Rounded out by the rhythm section of bassist Sophia Wall and drummer Malena Clark, Trestles released their self-produced debut album, Halfway Up the Hill, in 2022. Tight playing, sharp lyrics (check out “Rip Curl Sweatshirt” as a representative track) and a commitment to melody are hallmarks of this band-to-watch. BK
SEEING THROUGH STONE—Anyone who hasn’t had a chance to check out Seeing Through Stone, a group art that includes currently and formerly incarcerated artists, should grab the opportunity while they can, as it’s soon coming to a close. Even those who’ve visited the exhibit will want to return for the closing ceremony, which includes talks from North Carolina artist Sherrill Roland and curators Gina Dent, Lauren Dickens and Rachel Nelson, who will discuss the exhibit in relation to the ongoing “Visualizing Abolition” initiative. KEITH LOWELL JENSEN
INFO: 2pm, Institute of Arts and Sciences, 100 Panetta Ave., Santa Cruz. Free. 502-7252.
SUNDAY 1/5
SING ALONG
BEATLES JAM GROUP—When RSVPing to a local Beatles Facebook group event, attendees are asked to choose two songs from The Beatles Complete Chord Songbook. For four hours, the Beatles Jam Group will play those chosen songs on acoustic instruments, and around 75 individuals will take turns singing, giving it their best John, Paul, George and sometimes even Ringo. Attendees are invited to join the band, playing along on ukuleles, hand drums, acoustic guitars and more. There’s also a potluck, making the event sound a bit like a church service for Beatles worshippers—and a whole lot of fun. KLJ
THE BOX—Why not let out the inner goth lurking with the first Box of the new year? For 25 years, Santa Cruz’s premier goth club has been beating weekly in the heart of the city’s downtown. Dance macabre to a soundtrack of post punk, darkwave, synthwave, industrial—everything from goth music’s roots to modern-day bangers. For those just dipping their toes in, don’t worry. Not only are the goths much friendlier than they appear, the DJs mix in a healthy dose of more mainstream bands like the Cure, the Smiths, Billy Idol and some of the other darker music of the ’80s. Plus, it’s free. The only thing left to say is, release the bats! MW
INFO: 9:30pm, Blue Lagoon, 923 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. Free. 423-7117.
WEDNESDAY 1/8
BOOK EVENT
WINTER READING PROGRAM MIXER—Ready, Set, READ! The Bookshop Santa Cruz is kicking off its annual Winter Reading Program with a charming mixer at the Hotel Paradox. Enjoy food and wine while staff give presentations on each of the eight recommended books. Adults who read at least three of the eight recommended books by Feb. 28will receive rewards from the Pacific Cookie Company, Birichino Winery and Bookshop Santa Cruz. It’s a perfect opportunity and a lovely incentive for the folks who look forward to unwinding with a good book after the holiday chaos. All eight copies will be available to purchase at the mixer for those eager to get started. ISABELLA MARIE SANGALINE
INFO: 7pm, Hotel Paradox, 611 Ocean St., Santa Cruz. Free. 423-0900.
Published in cooperation between time2play.com and Good Times
With its dynamic culture and spirit of innovation, California has had a long, intriguing love affair with gambling. Given that California is the most populous state in the U.S., with prominent cities like Santa Cruz, this means an extremely thriving industry from tribal casinos all the way to card rooms.
But is online...
Published in cooperation between AskGamblers.com and Good Times
California's casino gaming culture has a distinct and colorful way of playing poker, because the essence of the game is connected to a long history of card playing and casino entertainment. The Golden State, which is the home of a lot of well-known world-class cardrooms and poker tournaments, still remains to be...
From a press release...
CITY OF SANTA CRUZ TO HOST WHARF RE-OPENING CEREMONY ON JANUARY 4 SANTA CRUZ, CA — The City of Santa Cruz is happy to announce the re-opening of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf on Saturday, January 4. This date marks the formal re-opening of the Wharf and many of its businesses to the public since its closure on Dec. 23,...
Santa Cruz is blessed with a trinity of stellar coffeehouses provided by Christian communities, serving a variety of inviting neighborhoods—east, west and downtown.
ARIES March 21-April 19
There are experiences, people and places that can either be good for you or bad for you. Which way they tilt at any particular time may depend on your mood or their mood or forces beyond your immediate control. An example for me is social media. Sometimes it’s a mediocre drug that dulls my sensibilities and...
As pretty much everyone expected last New Year’s Day, 2024 has turned out to be a challenging and in some respects horrendous year for cannabis in California.
The quaint little Santa Cruz we’ve known for decades has been booming in 2024, like no other time since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.It’s been a boom year for construction all over the county. It’s also been a boom for environmental troubles, a time when officials have to decide how they will face climate changes that have affected not...
