1258735868 http://news.santacruz.com/traci-hukill Santa Cruz News: Local news and information for Santa Cruz CA constantly updated. en traci@santacruz.com Copyright 2009 2009-11-20T15:48:07+00:00 /2009/11/20/new_charter_school_proposed_for_watsonville /2009/11/20/new_charter_school_proposed_for_watsonville There may soon be a new charter school in Watsonville, the Escuela Xochitl Tonatiuh. The school, proposed by Teresa Robinson of Los Gatos, is planned for 85 students and would be intended to help middle-school students avoid getting involved in drugs and gang violence. News 2009-11-20T15:48:07+00:00 /2009/11/20/architect_sues_county_to_restore_planning_appeals_board /2009/11/20/architect_sues_county_to_restore_planning_appeals_board Last week, architect Cove Britton sued the county to restore a planning appeals board that was disbanded earlier this year after just a few meetings. News 2009-11-20T15:43:28+00:00 /2009/11/20/students_protest_at_ucsc /2009/11/20/students_protest_at_ucsc When UC’s Board of Regents met in UCLA yesterday to vote on a 32 percent fee hike for students, they gathered behind closed doors in a windowless room. News 2009-11-20T15:40:33+00:00 /2009/11/20/pajaro_water_agency_chief_resigns /2009/11/20/pajaro_water_agency_chief_resigns The Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency lost the chair of its board yesterday with the sudden resignation of Dennis Osmer. He later compared the role of chair to that of a circus ringmaster, and noted one boardmember, John G. Eiskamp, as being particularly troublesome. News 2009-11-20T15:35:33+00:00 /2009/11/18/luis_alejo_named_mayor_of_watsonville /2009/11/18/luis_alejo_named_mayor_of_watsonville Watsonville’s city council selected Luis Alejo to serve as the city’s next mayor. Alejo, the son of migrant workers, was born and raised in Watsonville and is running for the the 28th District Assembly seat being vacated by Anna Caballero. News 2009-11-18T17:10:02+00:00 /2009/11/18/new_taxes_unlikely_for_medical_marijuana /2009/11/18/new_taxes_unlikely_for_medical_marijuana Santa Cruz is hoping to regulate medical marijuana dispensaries in the city, but that does not mean that it will be imposing new taxes on them, at least for now. In addition to state and federal taxes, the dispensaries currently pay a 9.5 cent sales tax to the city. It has been suggested that an additional tax be paid by the dispensaries, in part to limit the number of nonlocals who come to Santa Cruz to buy marijuana. According to some estimates, only 25 percent of the customers at the city’s two dispensaries live in the City of Santa Cruz. Another 50 percent live in the county, while 25 percent come from out-of-county. News 2009-11-18T16:51:46+00:00 /2009/11/17/if_you_dont_call_us_well_call_you /2009/11/17/if_you_dont_call_us_well_call_you The SCPD has taken the initiative in the fight against crime. News 2009-11-17T14:24:14+00:00 /2009/11/17/second_harvest_launches_food_drive_for_thanksgiving /2009/11/17/second_harvest_launches_food_drive_for_thanksgiving Poverty is up; giving is down. That, in a nutshell, is the central theme of Second Harvest’s campaign to provide food for the needy this Thanksgiving. News 2009-11-17T14:23:31+00:00 /2009/11/17/should_santa_cruz_remain_a_sanctuary_city /2009/11/17/should_santa_cruz_remain_a_sanctuary_city It all began in the 1980s, when the Santa Cruz City Council began to speak out against immigration raids. News 2009-11-17T14:21:09+00:00 /2009/11/16/students_stage_library_sit-in /2009/11/16/students_stage_library_sit-in For some people, Friday night is a chance to get out and party. For many students at UCSC, particularly in the departments of Science and Engineering, it used to be a chance to get some work done at the library. News 2009-11-16T15:32:39+00:00