The Weekly Dump – 5.24.24

Summertime Blues

Happy Memorial Day Weekend! It’s that time of the year when the masses from over the hill make their daily trek to the Land of the Holy Cross in search of beaches and cooler weather. It doesn’t hurt that we also have a cool old free amusement park on the beach for kids little and big. Since I live within walking distance of Main Beach, I usually don’t venture down there much on the weekends or when the beach is likely packed with people. My favorite time to enjoy the beach is early in the morning or early in the evening. It’s gonna be interesting to see how Santa Cruz navigates the explosion of tourist traffic with all the new construction projects going on downtown and elsewhere in the city. I envision lots of gridlock. If you’re coming here, bring lots of patience. 

Santa Cruz County is Broke

Last week, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors held discussions on the county’s 2024-25 proposed budget, and the outlook painted a bleak financial picture, impacted by a combination of natural disaster debt and unfunded mandates from the state. The new proposed budget would be $161 million dollars less than the previous budget. The county is also using all of its credit to take out an $85 million loan to pay for disaster repairs it has already distributed. FEMA still owes the county $144 million. The county will not have the financial means to operate while waiting for FEMA to pay the county back. Even with an $85 million loan, the county does not have the means or budget for routine, infrastructure fixes, including upgrades to the county jail. The county will host one more budget hearing on June 4th.

Ocean Street is Getting Their Share of New Housing Projects

Santa Cruz city planners held a Zoom meeting this week to discuss a proposed 6 story housing proposal for 530, 542 and 548 Ocean Street. The developer, Santa Cruz-based Workbench, submitted a pre-application for a 77-foot building with:

• 30 deed-restricted affordable homes, including 15 homes for very low-income renters, five homes for low-income renters, and 10 homes for moderate-income renters. Income limits are set yearly by the state.
• 135 studios and 64 two-bedroom apartments. All homes would be flexible density units, which are smaller than other apartments.
• Stores and offices on the ground floor.
• 139 parking spaces.

In addition to that project, another new mixed use project is being proposed for the 900 block of Ocean Street, and is currently in the formal application process. This particular project proposes three condominium lots with 389 units and almost 10k square feet of commercial space. It would extend from Ocean to May Street in that block, and would currently displace 8 commercial buildings and 12 residential units. I’ve walked this block many times and it’s really not displacing anything but a few dirt lots, a few shabby old houses, and a few run down commercial buildings (like that motor repair guy who already moved). Marianne’s will not be effected and the project will basically extend to the Togos.

Coral Street is Still a Human Dumpster Fire

It just seems like the city of Santa Cruz has given up and written off Coral Street. One could argue, it’s only a block. But it’s a third world, skid row block that shows how well the Homeless Industrial Complex treat their front yard. They let the dogs shit all over it and they don’t clean it up. They have a fence with a gate to keep the rabble out. The rabble is our problem and our doing. Coral Street just personifies Santa Cruz’s progressive policy failures. Systemic failures in city and county policies created the daily parade of human despair along that one block of Coral Street, directly in front of the city’s de facto Homeless Industrial Complex. 

Santa Cruz receives $4 million grant to address homelessness (KSBW News)

Mountain Lion Shuts Down Aptos High School

Now that’s some top of the food chain power. Just your badass natural presence is enough to shut down a high school. Tuesday morning, Aptos High School was placed under a shelter-in-place after a mountain lion was spotted in the vicinity of the high school. According to a sheriff’s office spokesperson, a parent alerted school staff that they spotted a mountain lion on Mariner Way close to Freedom Boulevard. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said the shelter-in-place was lifted at around 1:35 p.m.

UCSC Students Still Desperately Seeking Attention

So this week, they moved their little cardboard gathering from the upper campus near the bookstore to the entrance to the university at High and Bay Streets. Gee, I wonder what prompted this? A lack of attention? Local apathy? Both? It’s pretty hard to notice their little camp on what amounts to an empty campus. And it’s only going to get emptier after graduation. Oh, let’s go park our ass down along High Street where traffic will actually see us. And I love this deep thinking by students as shared by KSBW:

“Protesters have stated several times that the only way to get them to go back to class is for the university to divest from Israel”

Hey dummies! They already have your money. They really don’t care if you come back. They just want you to go away. 

The Weekly Seen

The Community Speaks!

They just pulled off the Giant Dipper anniversary show on Saturday without a hitch. Why not on the 4th of July? It might keep down the absolutely ridiculous amount of illegal fireworks being shot off in the neighborhoods anyways. Personally, I’m not a fan of fireworks. They scare the hell out of the animals, and make life hell for local animal owners (myself included). So that said, if I could magically swap a sanctioned 15 minute show instead of 3 days of random bombs going off in the middle of the night, I’d take that. I don’t think a sanctioned show would stop the random shit shows in the neighborhoods. Actual fine enforcement might help cut that back, but that might be asking too much here. 

Question of the Week: Should the City of Santa Cruz have an official city sponsored fireworks show off of Main Beach on the 4th of July?

“I’ll be the wet blanket. Public Safety resources are already taxed beyond their limits on the 4th of July, arguably the busiest day of the year in Santa Cruz. Fireworks in the beach area on the 4th of July would bring more out of town visitors to Santa Cruz and further stretch our City police and fire resources beyond their bandwidth, which would create an unsafe environment for all of us.”
– Kevin

“I think it would be a great thing for the Boardwalk to sponsor on the 4th.”
– Shawna

“As much as I miss them from when I was a kid growing up here. Locals would probably stay home and do illegal fireworks. Tourists would invade worse then they already do, and PD can’t help residents as it is, they are always slammed.”
– Jessica

“I don’t think a city sanctioned show would affect illegal fireworks. Pyros will be pyros.”
– Debbie

“I say we try it again and see what happens. We could cancel if it goes to hell.”
– David

“It’s a great idea!”
– Mike

You can see all the comments here!

You’re Making Me Hungry

Last week, the new Whale City Aptos opened on Soquel Drive in the former Burger restaurant space. This marks the second location for Whale City Bakery, with the other well known location in Davenport serving up customers for almost 40 years. The menu at the new location is similar to the Davenport menu, with all-day breakfast, sandwiches, burgers and salads and the same amazing bread. Pastries and breakfast treats are delivered daily from Davenport. I love the Whale City in Davenport. It’s one of my favorite places to eat in Santa Cruz with ma boo. Great food with million dollar views if you sit outside on the patio. I love their burgers, fish and chips, and big hearty breakfasts. And did I mention they have the best bread! I’m looking forward to trying the new location soon! Or maybe the Davenport location even sooner!

In My Ear

One of my favorite one hit wonder songs from the past. It just feels like a Santa Cruz on Memorial Day weekend kind of tune. 

Marcy Playground – Sex & Candy

New Santa Mierda YouTube Channel!

I started a new YouTube channel for the Weekly Dump. It will host all my videos going forward. I’ll also put the podcast over there too if I can ever get that going. Go check out some videos if you haven’t seen them yet, and thank you to all the subscribers! (you can subscribe over there)

Check Out Our Twitter Feed for More Mierda!

Be sure to check out and follow our Twitter feed for even more mierda! Even though the Dump only comes your way once a week, I try to post breaking news and updates on other days as well. So check us out and follow us on Twitter for even more updates about real time news in Santa Cruz you might not otherwise hear about.

Get The Dump Delivered Each Week!

Don’t forget you can sign up and have the Weekly Dump automatically delivered to your email each week! Just go to the bottom right sidebar of any page and you’ll see “Subscribe to the Weekly Dump!”.  All we need is an email. Then click “Subscribe” and you’re done.