12th Annual Central Coast Regional Snapshot Day Event Good Times That's something Romano discovered all too vividly when he embarked on filming a documentary about surf icon Anthony Ruffo. The film makes its much-anticipated debut in the 10th annual—so big, so bold—Santa Cruz Film Festival [SCFF] May 14 (see ... Pro surfer Anthony Ruffo faces September trial on drug chargesSan Jose Mercury News Santa Cruz Film Festival plays up local angleMonterey County Herald all 79 news articles »

Fire guts businesses on Highway 9 outside Santa Cruz San Jose Mercury News Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, and UCSC firefighters work to contain a blaze at a building that housed several businesses on Highway 9 just north of Highway 1. Damage to the building was extensive. SANTA CRUZ -- A two-story office ... and more »

Beloved Santa Cruz jazz pianist Velzoe Brown dies at 101 San Jose Mercury News SANTA CRUZ -- Velzoe Brown, the 101-year-old jazz pianist beloved by generations of Santa Cruz County musicians, died Wednesday at her home in Santa Cruz. She performed with her band the Upbeats until last ... and more »

Capistrano school board accused of violating open-meeting law Los Angeles Times An Orange County school district that for years has been embroiled in scandal and controversy is under scrutiny again, this time by county prosecutors who contend that school board members illegally discussed ... and more »

Harvey West Jr., High Sierra patriarch and Sunset Beach resident, dead at 88 San Jose Mercury News SANTA CRUZ -- Harvey West Jr., eldest son and namesake of the famous Soquel-born lumberman whose deep-pocketed philanthropy stretched from Santa Cruz to the Sierra Nevada, and whose own business acumen transformed a Gold Rush outpost to a thriving ... and more »

Film premiering in Santa Cruz Sunday features local luminary filmmaker San Jose Mercury News Director David Hoffman, whose film, 'Everything Which is... Yes' will be shown at this year's Santa Cruz Film Festival, stands among items he was able to save from his burning home. SANTA CRUZ - David Hoffman ... 12th Annual Central Coast Regional Snapshot Day EventGood Times Santa Cruz Film Festival plays up local angleMonterey County Herald Film Festival Comes to Santa CruzNBC Bay Area all 79 news articles »

IN PERSON: Non-surfer preserves sport's artifacts, history North County Times Schmauss has been involved with the Oceanside museum since its inception in 1986, which was about when California's other surf museums, in Santa Cruz and Huntington Beach, were also in the works. Back in the mid-1980s, local architect and surfer Stuart ... and more »

Kuumbwa Presents: "Maestros in Concert," featuring Pandit Shivkumar Sharma ... Good Times That's something Romano discovered all too vividly when he embarked on filming a documentary about surf icon Anthony Ruffo. The film makes its much-anticipated debut in the 10th annual—so big, so bold—Santa Cruz Film Festival [SCFF] May 14 (see ... Pro surfer Anthony Ruffo faces September trial on drug chargesSan Jose Mercury News Santa Cruz Film Festival plays up local angleMonterey County Herald all 68 news articles »

Police: Woman Abducted In Santa Cruz KSBW The Central Coast The man was driving a black Cadillac sedan with tinted windows and a California license plate reading 5VIC952. The man ripped the woman's shirt off before forcing her into his car. She is wearing dark pants and a tan bra and has dark wavy hair. Police find Cadillac, woman, say it wasn't an abductionSan Jose Mercury News Santa Cruz Police Interviewing Suspect And Victim In Alleged KidnappingKTVU San Francisco Woman Abducted From Santa Cruz, Police Looking for Black CadillacKIONrightnow.com Santa Cruz Sentinel all 9 news articles »

Community Foundation may partner on county redevelopment projects San Jose Mercury News Santa Cruz County's fleeting fight against blight took a twist this week, when the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County said it might pitch in by getting into the redevelopment business. ... and more »

USA Today

Free Comic Book Day in Santa Cruz Saturday Patch.com In Santa Cruz, Snoopy and some famous illustrators will appear at Atlantis Fantasyworld starting at 10 am Saturday. At Comicopolis, artist extrordinaire Rich Koslowski will be on hand from 11 am-1 pm signing and entertaining. ... SJS Comic Promotions Announces Free Comic Book Day PlansComic Book Bin all 271 news articles »

Beloved Santa Cruz jazz pianist Velzoe Brown dies at 101 San Jose Mercury News SANTA CRUZ - Velzoe Brown, the 101-year-old jazz pianist beloved by generations of Santa Cruz County musicians, died Wednesday at her home in Santa Cruz. She performed with her band the Upbeats until last year, and lived independently ... and more »

Child Molest Charges Against Fire Captain Delayed Patch.com A Salinas fire captain suspected of molesting a 7-year-old girl when he lived in Watsonville four years ago will be in court Monday but will not be charged, the Santa Cruz County District Attorney's ... Calif. fire captain accused of child molestationSan Jose Mercury News A veteran Salinas fire captain was arrested Wednesday, accused of molesting a ...The Salinas Californian Cops: Salinas Fire Captain Accused Of Molesting GirlKSBW The Central Coast KTVU San Francisco all 58 news articles »

WKRG-TV

Santa Cruz Red Cross Volunteers Help With Tornado Relief KIONrightnow.com By Candice nguyen - email SANTA CRUZ, Calif - As of Friday morning, the American Red Cross of Santa Cruz has sent 12 volunteers to southern states to help with disaster relief. They expect to send more as long as the need is there. ... Bay Area Red Cross volunteers helping tornado victimsSan Jose Mercury News all 88 news articles »

Will And Kate's Calif. Visit: Your Destination Pick KSBW The Central Coast SANTA CRUZ, Calif. -- When Britain's new hot young royal couple arrives in California on July 8 they will have plenty to see. And if the titters of excitement already emanating across the state are an indication, Prince William and his new bride, ... and more »

Free peer support group for women with bipolar/depression Good Times Filmmaker Rocky Romano is not the first person to fall for Santa Cruz. (So many have, but who has the space to document it all?) So, when grilled about what he believes makes the area stand out, Romano just laughs. “Yeah—there's something in the water ... Pro surfer Anthony Ruffo faces September trial on drug chargesSan Jose Mercury News Santa Cruz Film Festival plays up local angleMonterey County Herald Film Festival Comes to Santa CruzNBC Bay Area all 60 news articles »

Calif. fire captain accused of child molestation San Jose Mercury News AP SANTA CRUZ, Calif.—A veteran Central California firefighter is out on bail after being arrested on suspicion of child molestation. Salinas fire department Capt. Andrew Scott McLaughlin posted $100000 bail following his arrest Wednesday outside at ... A veteran Salinas fire captain was arrested Wednesday, accused of molesting a ...The Salinas Californian Cops: Salinas Fire Captain Accused Of Molesting GirlKSBW The Central Coast Salinas Fire Captain Arrested On Charges Of Child MolestationKTVU San Francisco Patch.com all 55 news articles »

Veteran firefighter from San Jose accused of molesting 7-year-old girl San Jose Mercury News Andrew Scott McLaughlin, 43, a fire captain assigned to Salinas' downtown fire station, was arrested on a warrant about 10:30 am Wednesday outside his home in San Jose by Watsonville detectives and members of the Santa Cruz County Anti-Crime Team, ... A veteran Salinas fire captain was arrested Wednesday, accused of molesting a ...The Salinas Californian Cops: Salinas Fire Captain Accused Of Molesting GirlKSBW The Central Coast Firefighter Suspected of Molesting Watsonville GirlPatch.com KTVU San Francisco -Monterey County Herald all 31 news articles »

Wine Tasting at Poetic Cellars Good Times Filmmaker Rocky Romano is not the first person to fall for Santa Cruz. (So many have, but who has the space to document it all?) So, when grilled about what he believes makes the area stand out, Romano just laughs. “Yeah—there's something in the water ... Pro surfer Anthony Ruffo faces September trial on drug chargesSan Jose Mercury News Santa Cruz Film Festival plays up local angleMonterey County Herald Film Festival Comes to Santa CruzNBC Bay Area all 51 news articles »

Only four contestants remain after last night's elimination round of American Idol, and, yes, James Durbin is one of them. He and fellow survivor Scotty McCreery continue to be the only two competitors who have never been in the bottom after a round of voting. The surprise last night was not who went home, but who else ended up hanging by a thread in the penalty box.

The producers were cagey about it, of course, desperately trying to drum up some drama through the interminable course of fluff and foolery that is the Thursday night Idol show. After the weekly Ford commercial video, a guest performance by Lady Antebellum, and an Idol contestant omelet cook-off presided over by Chef Gordon Ramsay (Lauren Alaina won; Jacob Lusk came in second), host Ryan Seacrest started calling names. James, he segregated on one side of the stage, and Lauren on the other. It was an anxious moment, since neither of them had ever finished in the bottom before.

Local report: SLV softball team holds off Aptos Santa Cruz Sentinel Salangsang struck out two batters and walked none in the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League game. Offensively, she had a hit and run scored for SLV [13-11 overall, 6-3 SCCAL]. Lindsey Sotomayor led the Mariners [17-4, 8-2] with four hits, two runs, ... and more »

As We See It: Disaster in the making Santa Cruz Sentinel The agency is noncommittal so far about whether California's March storms will qualify for a federal disaster declaration. But as federal and state agencies try to sort out their own financial damages, Santa Cruz County has to deal with uncertainty. ...

Panel asks developers to redo design on cornerstone site: Revised condo ... San Jose Mercury News SANTA CRUZ - The Planning Commission sent the developers of a downtown condominium and commercial proposal back to the drawing board Thursday on plans to build up a landmark lot left largely vacant since the 1989 ... and more »

Robbery attempt in drug deal outside Ocean Street restaurant in Santa Cruz San Jose Mercury News SANTA CRUZ - A man with a handgun tried to rob three men who tried to buy marijuana from him outside a restaurant on Ocean Street this evening, police reported. About 5:30 pm on the 1500 block of Ocean Street, ... and more »

Los Angeles Times

DNA testing sheds new light on Original Night Stalker case Los Angeles Times (Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department) By Steve Chawkins and Nicole Santa Cruz, Los Angeles Times Whether the serial killer known as the Original Night Stalker is still alive, nobody knows. But 30 years after a couple died while housesitting in ... and more »

Kansas City Star

In the Nation | Philadelphia Inquirer | 2011-05-06 Philadelphia Inquirer WASHINGTON - A federal commission Thursday recommended construction of a museum on the National Mall honoring the history of American Latinos. The commission submitted a report to Congress and the White House outlining details of the proposed $600 ... Locals welcome call for national Latino museumSan Gabriel Valley Tribune Commission recommends museum honoring US LatinosLos Angeles Times Commission seeks congressional support for Latino museumFox News MiamiHerald.com -Art Daily -NBC Washington all 445 news articles »

Capitola rejects petition challenging rent control amendment Santa Cruz Sentinel CAPITOLA - After reviewing a petition submitted by Surf and Sand Mobile Home Park residents challenging changes to the rent control ordinance, the city has determined that proper procedures were not followed and ...

BankInfoSecurity.com

NCUA taps Bill Myers after six month stint with Santa Cruz Community Credit Union Santa Cruz Sentinel SANTA CRUZ - William "Bill" Myers, interim chief of the Santa Cruz Community Credit Union, will take a top post supervising federal credit unions nationwide. Myers is the choice of federal regulators to lead the ... Bill Myers to Head NCUA Small CU OfficeCredit Union Times all 37 news articles »

Pro surfer Anthony Ruffo faces September trial on drug charges San Jose Mercury News SANTA CRUZ - A trial for Santa Cruz pro surfer Anthony Ruffo was delayed to Sept. 19, a judge ruled Thursday. Ruffo, 47, was set for a May 9 trial on drug sale charges, but prosecutors and Ruffo's defense attorney agreed to push back ... and more »

Santa Cruz to appeal Nazi salute case to Supreme Court: San Jose Mercury News SANTA CRUZ - The city of Santa Cruz plans to appeal its loss in the Robert Norse free-speech case to the US Supreme Court next month unless a settlement agreement can be reached with the longtime government critic, officials confirmed ... and more »

Soulful pachyderm steals hearts in 'Water For Elephants'

OK, I admit it: I'm one of the few people alive who did not read Sara Gruen's mega-bestselling novel about passion and  mayhem under the Big Top during the Depression 1930s. But it's possible to detect the bones of a satisfying romantic suspense story within Francis Lawrence's evocative film adaptation of Water For Elephants.

New York Daily News

James Durbin gets emotional on 'American Idol': Jackson tells Santa Cruz ... San Jose Mercury News James Durbin performs in front of the judges on American Idol as he performed April 27 on FOX. SANTA CRUZ - James Durbin took the emerging stereotype that he's the resident "American Idol" heavy-metal screamer and ... Santa Cruz Fans Root For Local 'Idol' ContestantKTVU San Francisco Blurbin' on Durbin: Tell us what you think about Santa Cruz's American Idol starSanta Cruz Sentinel Santa Cruz expects American Idol rocker James Durbin's rise to the topExaminer.com Gather.com -Daily Mail -Daily Gleaner all 435 news articles »

Radio Survivor

College Radio DJs from California Convene at KCSB for UCRN Conference Radio Survivor On Saturday, April 30, nearly 100 people from KCSB, KDVS (UC Davis), KALX (UC Berkeley), KZSC (UC Santa Cruz), KUCI (UC Irvine), UCLARadio.com (UCLA), KSDT (UC San Diego), Bobcat Radio (UC Merced) and KSPC (Pomona College, the sole non-UC member of ...

You've got another think coming if you think you've seen everything James Durbin can do. Last night, he turned in not one, but two of the solid, quality performances the judges have come to expect from him every week on American Idol—a straight-up rocker, with a side of passion such as we rarely see in showbizzy Idol performances. It was Now and Then Night, and since there are only five contestants still standing, each of them got to sing two songs to fill up the 90-minute time slot—one contemporary tune, and one oldie (ie: pre-'80s).

James was up first with the rocker, "Closer to the Edge" from the modern emo rock band 30 Seconds to Mars, combining strong vocals with an easy onstage presence, working the stage and the audience. "You're ready for stadiums," declared judge Jennifer Lopez, adding, "(The competition) is yours to take!" "He wants it!" echoed Randy Jackson.

Hussain & Sharma return for an evening of energized Indian tabla and santoor
Mention Zakir Hussain and rhythmic magic comes to mind. He’s played percussion with Yo Yo Ma, Van Morrison and Pharoah Sanders, bringing an innovative approach to Indian tabla drumming. After growing up in Southern India with his father, legendary tabla player Ustad Alla Rakha, Hussain came to the US in 1970, and George Harrison invited him to play on Living In The Material World. Friday, the renowned cofounder of Shakti fusion band and music composer returns to The Rio.

Good Times: How it is performing with Shivkumarji Sharma?
Zakir Hussain: I must’ve been 15 when I first played with him, and he comes from the same part of India as my family. There’s this very instinctive reaction that we have that makes the music a lot of fun and a lot of joy.

Drug trial delayed for Santa Cruz pro surfer Anthony Ruffo San Jose Mercury News SANTA CRUZ - A trial for Santa Cruz pro surfer Anthony Ruffo has been delayed to Sept. 19, a judge ruled today. Ruffo, 47, was set for a trial on drug sale charges May 9, but prosecutors and Ruffo's defense ... and more »

Experts tell South County residents what to do during a tsunami... Santa Cruz Sentinel Danger from a tsunami can last up to 24 hours, such as what happened at the Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor when tsunami surges tore apart docks and sank boats and caused more than $28 million in damage. Statewide damages from the March 11 tsunami ... and more »

Daily Mail

Is Haley Reinhart the Next American Idol? Us Magazine As American Idol's Randy Jackson vehemently proclaimed on Wednesday's performance show, the remaining five contestants are "in it to win it." And while the five -- Lauren Alaina, Scotty McCreery, James Durbin and Jacob Lusk (though not so much) ... What's the judges' beef with 'Idol' contestant Haley?Entertainment Weekly Watercooler: Idol May Be Out of LuskTV Guide 'American Idol': James Durbin, Haley Reinhart bring the 'wow' factorSan Jose Mercury News Parade Magazine -CBS News -Hollywood.com all 298 news articles »

msnbc.com

Santa Cruz Fans Root For Local 'Idol' Contestant KTVU San Francisco As 'American Idol' prepares to narrow the field to four finalists, fans of 22-year-old Santa Cruz resident James Durbin hang out every Wednesday at Pizza My Heart in Capitola to cheer for their favorite 'Idol' hopeful. "I've watched him since he was a ... Santa Cruz expects American Idol rocker James Durbin's rise to the topExaminer.com 'American Idol' 2011 Top 5 - James Durbin CriesGather.com American Idol James Durbin Plays to a Packed House in CapitolaPatch.com msnbc.com -Santa Cruz Sentinel all 45 news articles »

CCS Boys Tennis: Monterey ousts Santa Cruz Monterey County Herald 3 singles player extended the Toreadores magical ride as they secured a 5-2 win over Santa Cruz in the Central Coast Section playoffs at Chamisal Tennis Club. "It was nice having the support,'' Quario said. The Toreadores, who haven't been to the ... CCS boys tennis: Santa Cruz falls to Monterey, 5-2Santa Cruz Sentinel all 2 news articles »

Experts tell South County residents what to do during a tsunami warning Santa Cruz Sentinel Danger from a tsunami can last up to 24 hours, such as what happened at the Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor when tsunami surges tore apart docks and sank boats and caused more than $28 million in damage. Statewide damages from the March 11 tsunami ... and more »

Santa Cruz LGBT Community is Most Troubled in Immigration Attempts Patch.com The harsh reality for the country's 35820 bi-national, same-sex couples—30 percent of whom live in California, according to Immigration Equality.org—is that unlike heterosexual couples, they cannot apply for legal permanent residence for the ... and more »

First Friday fetes fast film, female form Santa Cruz Sentinel Friday night's going to be frenetic and fast-paced in downtown Santa Cruz, thanks to First Friday Santa Cruz's cultural collision with the Santa Cruz Film Festival. The popular monthly art tour is doing a project with the festival ... Ask the Experts DaysGood Times all 56 news articles »

La Santa Cecilia breaks the Latin music mold
Klezmer music? Gypsy jazz? Covers of Doors and Beatles tunes? Clearly, this isn’t your typical Latin music group. Yes, La Santa Cecilia plays its fair share of cumbia, bolero, bossa nova, tango and rumba, but rather than being mere preservers of tradition, these six Los Angeles musicians are purveyors of what they call a “modern-day creative hybrid of Latin culture, rock and world music.”
According to the ensemble’s guitarist, Gloria Estrada, the diversity of La Santa Cecilia’s repertoire is a reflection of its members’ backgrounds. “The great thing about L.A. is that you can go to one part of town, and you’re in Little Tokyo; you go a few blocks, and you’re in a Mexican community, or a Jewish, Korean, El Salvadoran or Central American community,” she says. The musician adds that five members of the group are of Mexican descent, and bassist Alex Bendana was born in Venezuela, “but he was raised in L.A. by Mexican people—L.A. has a lot of Mexicans—so he’s an honorary Mexican. So we’re definitely bicultural in the sense that we have our parents’ background and culture and so forth, and at the same time, we grew up with American influence, hearing all kinds of music, eating all kinds of food and seeing different holidays be honored around L.A.”

Giving off good vibrations Stockton Record However, he did surf at Santa Cruz and Steamer Lane. He also owned a makeshift "woodie" station wagon when the Beach Boys - the Wilson family band from Hawthorne that rode songs about surfers, cars, girls and drive-in movies to the Rock and Roll Hall ...

Commencement speakers at local universities San Jose Mercury News University of California, Santa Cruz: Friday, Saturday and Sunday, June 10-12, various times and locations on ten college campuses: Tesla Motors CFO Deepak Ahuja; Bill Dickinson, founder of the Smith Renaissance Society; Assemblymember Bill Monning, ... and more »

New endowment supports teaching and research at UCSC Arboretum San Jose Mercury News SANTA CRUZ - A gift of $100000 from Jean Langenheim, professor emerita of ecology and evolutionary biology, has established a new endowment in support of the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum. The endowment, "Strengthening Ties Between the Arboretum and Plant ... and more »

Woodside winery goes all-in with pinot San Jose Mercury News WOODSIDE -- The buds are bursting open and leaves are forming on the pinot noir vines at Kings Mountain Vineyards at the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Grape grower Alec Hutchison, who stands 6 feet 9 inches tall and is built like an ... and more »

Castaniada chosen to lead Soquel school district San Jose Mercury News Henry Castaniada, 57, a San Jose man who earned his undergraduate degree at UC Santa Cruz, got a unanimous nod from school board members and the blessing of outgoing superintendent Kathleen Howard. Howard, 58, is retiring, after many years in the ... and more »

Ask the Experts Days Good Times Filmmaker Rocky Romano is not the first person to fall for Santa Cruz. (So many have, but who has the space to document it all?) So, when grilled about what he believes makes the area stand out, Romano just laughs. “Yeah—there's something in the water ... and more »