Alex Darocy Photography

Santa Claus made a repeat visit to the hotel workers rally held at La Playa Carmel this year in December. Community members continue to protest owner Sam Grossman's refusal to rehire the workers who were laid off in 2011 when the hotel was closed for a remodel. When La Playa Carmel re-opened in 2012, only three of the former workers, who were all union members, were hired back. At the holiday rally held at the hotel on December 20, a former La Playa worker named Sergio said in Spanish, "I miss working here. I worked for 23 Christmases in this restaurant, and the last three I haven't worked." "We are going to continue our fight for the next year, and we wont quit until we win," he added. Ramon, who worked at La Playa for 27 years, said in Spanish, "We are going to fight the boss until he understands he has to take us back." Officials from Unite Here Local 483, the labor union that represents the workers who were laid off at La Playa, said they...

On December 25, a sticker with the statement "Bring Back Code Blue! Santa Cruz, CA" printed on it was found on a no trespassing sign located on Bulkhead Street at the rear entrance to the parking lot of two businesses in downtown Santa Cruz. Many residents remember the phrase "code blue" as a reference to when officers within the Santa Cruz Police Department organized a pattern of violent assaults on homeless or "street" people in the 1980s. Today, little information about what has been called "operation code blue" is easily accessed by the public. When questioned in 2012, Deputy Chief of Police Steve Clark recalled there being charges filed against officers who participated in the attacks, which then "created an opportunity" for him personally within the police department. Many community members recall the details of the operation differently, but perhaps the most common telling of the story maintains that when police found a per...

Today, on Christmas Day, Santa Cruz Food Not Bombs served a free vegan holiday meal to hundreds of community members outside of the downtown post office. The temperature was in the 70s, people played music, activists tabled, and the mood was celebratory. Food Not Bombs co-founder Keith McHenry helped organize the meal, and he reports that many of FNB groups across the country would be sharing vegan meals on Christmas this year in response to an increased need due to new cuts in food stamps and an extreme reduction of access to food during the holiday season.  McHenry awarded Santa Cruz volunteer Jeane the Five Carrot award for being one of the people dedicated to making sure the Saturday meal at the post office happens every week. The post office has been the regular location for Santa Cruz Food Not Bombs weekly servings for over a year now on Saturdays, and McHenry announced that they could be expanding to serve free meals on Sunday as well. McHenry encouraged everyone...

Community members involved with the group San Lorenzo Valley Watchdogs have been recording their water board's meetings and posting them to their website because the district's recordings are of such low quality. Audio of San Lorenzo Valley Water District meetings going back to September are available on the Watchdogs' website on the 'Recordings' page, along with this statement: "After Watchdog Dana Weigand ruefully discovered the District's elaborate looking 1980's era audio recording equipment, complete with microphones and mixer, was defective and apparently has never in recent years resulted in a useable audio cassette tape (she asked for her $10 "tape duplication fee" back for the 8.15.2013 BOD high drama meeting), the Watchdog's decided to make their own recordings. One of our members has professional audio experience and set us up with a professional portable 4-channel directional 5-microphone digital device configured to recor...

Friends and family from coast to coast are mourning the loss of 28-year-old Anthony Messer, who died in Santa Cruz on the evening of December 2. Funeral services were held for him on Monday in Chipley, Florida. Anthony was well known in Santa Cruz as a veteran of the U.S. military, a political activist, a traveler, and a generally friendly person who exuded positivity. Anthony made a big splash in the Occupy movement after having first participated in Occupy Sacramento. After leaving Sacramento, he traveled to Santa Cruz in February of 2012 with a strong desire to revive the Occupy Santa Cruz occupation of the court house steps. Much to the chagrin of many involved with OSC at that time, who had become acutely image-conscious and occupation-weary, Messer embarked on a one person demonstration at the court house steps dubbed "Re-Occupy," where he held teach-ins and attempted to maintain a 24/7 presence. Anthony (on the right) during "Re-Occupy" Anthony acti...

The November 22 march for Andy Lopez began with about 100 people gathering at the Santa Rosa City Hall, with the numbers swelling somewhat by the time the group reached the Sonoma County Hall of Justice. When the protesters arrived at the Hall of Justice, many of them felt that sheriffs behind the police line appeared to have expressions on their faces that were unprofessional, and pointed out that some were chuckling. Youth crossed the police line and when expressing themselves closer to the Hall of Justice and the deputies, officers in riot gear were called out. Some of those in the riot gear targeted certain individuals with strong, sustained gazes and one community member was warned about their alleged probation status by officers. A few in the riot gear were smirking behind face shields and community members accused them and others of laughing at them. Demonstrators have been marching to the Hall of Justice to demand that Erick Gelhaus be arrested and charged with crimes fo...