Thursday, May 17, 2012
Before sunset Sunday, the Earth's moon will pass in front of the sun, casting a giant shadow across the land.
A solar eclipse is expected to be visible across much of the western U.S. on Sunday, and the view from Capitola-Soquel should be magical. In the hours before sunset on Sunday, the Earth's moon will pass in front of the sun—the eclipse will be between 5:24 p.m. and 7:42 p.m. The last solar eclipse visible in the U.S. was in 1994. In California, Sunday's eclipse is the most extensive since 1992, according to the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. NASA warns that people should never observe a solar eclipse with the naked eye, only through filtered telescopes and special glasses. To learn more about the eclipse, visit NASA's website. If you want to do it up and watch through a big telescope, the Fremont Peak Observatory Association in San …
Thursday, May 10, 2012
The intersection of 41st Avenue and Clares Street was under heavy discussion at Thursday's meeting.
The key agenda item on Thursday's meeting of the Capitola City Council was the repair of what Mayor Mike Termini called "Capitola's busiest intersection": 41st Avenue and Clares Street. As it stands now, the intersection, which was named one of Capitola's worst on this map, includes three lanes on eastbound Clares Street, all of which turn left onto 41st Avenue. Cars in all three lanes get backed up into the intersection at 40th and Clares. The council tackled this issue and more on Thursday evening. Here are the top five moments from the meeting: 1. Capitola Police Chief Rudy Escalante introduced Steve Anderson, the department's newest police officer. "I'm really thrilled to be here. I just finished up my second week," Anderson told the …
The first meeting of the month is Thursday at 7 p.m.
Drivers who frequent 41st Avenue could find some resolution concerning one of the roadway's busiest intersections. At the Capitola City Council meeting on Thursday evening, there will be a discussion concerning 41st and Clares Street, where traffic often backs up into 40th Avenue. The proposed solution is the make the right lane a right turn only, but the Public Works department has estimated that change to cost $4,000. Here are the expected highlights of the meeting. To view the complete agenda, click here. The real meat of the matter begins on page two. Want Patch in your inbox every morning? Subscribe to our free newsletter. You can also like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Barack Obama is the first sitting American president to publicly and officially support gay marriage.
After years of pressure from the American public, civil rights groups and the media, President Barack Obama gave a definitive answer on his stance on gay marriage Wednesday morning in an interview with ABC's Robin Roberts. In the video, which you can watch to the right, Obama says the following: "I have to tell you that over the course of several years as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that Don't Ask Don't Tell is gone, because …
State Sen. Joe Simitian says it will cost Californians 50 to 60 cents a year to keep the state parks slated for closure July 1 open.
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Wednesday, May 9
Two state senators from the Bay Area unveiled a "sustainable funding proposal" to help keep open 50 state parks that are slated for closure on July 1 because of revenue shortfalls. State Sens. Joseph Simitian, D-Palo Alto, whose district encompasses Capitola-Soquel and Noreen Evans, D-Santa Rosa said the proposal will be heard Wednesday afternoon in the Senate Budget Committee #2 on Resources, Environmental Protection and Energy and Transportation chaired by Simitian. The state Department of Parks and Recreation in March targeted 70 state parks for closure on July 1 because of an $11 million budget shortfall this year and an anticipated $22 million budget annual deficit starting July 1. Evans and Simitian said 18 of the 70 parks on the …
Friday, May 4, 2012
The population in Capitola and in the county have gone up over the last year. See all the numbers here.
The California Department of Finance released new census numbers this week, showing steady population growth across the state over the last year. The influx of people was equally reflected here in Santa Cruz County. Statewide, the population grew an estimated 0.7 percent from January 1, 2011 to January 1, 2012, increasing by approximately 251,000 people up to a total of 37,679,000. Locally, Santa Cruz's population showed the largest growth, increasing by 1.2 percent. According to the Department of Finance's new estimates, Santa Cruz now has the 138th largest population in California followed by Watsonville (169th), Scotts Valley (354th) and Capitola (375th). See the breakdown of our local population growth in the chart below. Now with a …
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Confusion between PG&E and wireless meter opponents has reached new murky levels.
Websites run by opponents of Pacific Gas & Electric's wireless SmartMeter program are atwitter with talk that fees charged to people who keep analog meters have been suspended by the California Public Utilities Commission. But the CPUC says that is not the case. Edward Hasbrouck of San Francisco claims PGE didn't meet CPUC requirements for adequately informing him of the fee, $75 for setup and $10 per month to cover labor costs for PG&E meter readers. The CPUC requires that utility companies serve documentation of any rate changes or out-of-the-ordinary fees to customers prior to billing. “Proposed fees for those who opt-out of having a SmartMeter...have been suspended (at least for now) as a result of procedural errors by PG&E and the …
Six men running for the first second and fifth district county seats address women and childrens needs.
Six county supervisorial candidates and board chairperson John Leopold laid out their vision for how to provide the best child healthcare and food assistance options to 30 area residents Tuesday. The discussion largely centered around digitizing and streamlining the application processes for program including MediCruz and Cal Fresh (formerly food stamps). Danny Keith of Second Harvest Food Bank moderated the forum held at the Resource Center For Non-violence in Santa Cruz. He cited that Santa Cruz County ranks 45th of 58 counties in the state for the number of eligible families who apply for Cal Fresh and asked how candidates would improve this level. 20 percent of county residents receive some sort of food assistance, but with the county …
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
PG&E announced a soft deadline of today for all those wishing to opt out of the SmartMeter program.
PG&E is asking its customers who want to opt out of the SmartMeter program to contact the utility by the end of today, a spokesman said. Although May 1 is a "soft" deadline, PG&E today is trying to get an accurate count of how many refurbished analog meters it will need to supply to customers who oppose the installation of SmartMeters, spokesman Jeff Smith said. "Customers can still opt out for any reason at any time in the future," Smith said. "We're basically trying to get a better idea of how many refurbished meters we'll need to buy and where they'll be needed." Opponents of SmartMeters have argued that the meters emit harmful radiation, an argument that state and federal agencies say is not backed by science. The California Public …
Friday, April 27, 2012
Thursday evening's meeting included a discussion of keeping the Rispin property, but the final decision will be left up to the state.
The Capitola City Council meeting rolled out at its usual leisurely pace on Thursday evening, ten minutes after 7 p.m., and without councilmember Dennis Norton. The sparsely populated room was no indication of a few juicy items on the agenda, however, which included blowing the dust off the now decade-long Rispin Mansion discussion, before placing it right back on the shelf where it has been for almost three decades. Capitola residents trickled into the council chambers to join in on the discussion of this issue as well as other matters. Here is an outline of the meeting’s highlights: 1. The council voted 4-0 to restrict commercial traffic on Reposa Avenue, after a traffic analysis resulting from residents complaining of high commercial …
Always Question
1:25 pm on Friday, May 11, 2012
I have to apologize for I was thinking of Gross Road, which also has severe backup problems. My suggestions were that, not Clares Street. Yes, Clares going into and out of the Mall is a nightmare. I avoid that at all costs. I prefer going clear down to Capitola Rd and doubling back if I need to get to a business on Clares (such as the Credit Union or a store in Browns Ranch Shopping Center). I … more ›