The Weekly Dump 11.16.18

Semi Out of Control

Tuesday morning around 10AM, a big rig semi dump truck apparently lost its brakes as it approached the intersection of Highway 1 and River street, taking out at least 20 vehicles before plowing into the back of one car and catching both on fire. Three people were listed in critical condition and 11 others were injured and taken to nearby hospitals. The big rig driver was hospitalized with minor injuries. A Sig-Alert was issued after the northbound lanes of Highway 1 were closed from the Highway 17 on-ramp to River Street while the CHP investigated. After further investigation, authorities determined not only was the truck not currently registered, it had also failed recent inspections. It looked like a war zone out there, I’m just glad nobody was killed at the scene. No word on the condition of those injured.

Gremmie Out of Control – Pearl Jam

Woman Assaulted With Meat Cleaver

Sunday morning around 6:15AM, a male suspect attempted to strangle a female victim and used a meat cleaver to strike her multiple times on Dover Drive in Santa Cruz. The victim was struck with the cleaver in the head, chest, upper arm and lower arm. The victim sustained life threatening injuries and was transported to a trauma center for treatment. The suspect led deputies on a high speed pursuit and was later apprehended.

Fire Chief Orders Closures of Local Parks

The city of Santa Cruz has decided to close more public parks and open spaces, in large part due to a rash of fires associated with one or more local arsonists, as well as carelessness by local homeless campers squatting in the woods. The Pogonip, Arana Gulch, Moore Creek, Delaveaga and Arroyo Seco parks and greenspace areas will all be closed basically until further notice. They join San Lorenzo Park (still closed) and Grant Park (recently re-opened). There have been multiple fires in the Pogonip recently, including another off Golf Club Drive on Thursday. The Fire Chief says the closures are needed given extreme fire conditions, as well as the “significant number of fires that have sparked in those areas”. Closures will be in effect until “weather conditions and fuel moisture levels improve”. In other words, until they feel like re-opening them. The city manager and the chief of police opened this can of worms.

You Can’t Put the Worms Back in the Can

It’s back! It’s the “unofficial” return of “Camp Coonerty”, only this time we’re re-naming it “Camp Bernal” in honor of our tone deaf city manager. No sooner does he and his comrades shut down the $95,000 Monthly Ponzi Plan than we get a new tent city behind Ross over in the appropriately named “Gateway Plaza”. We are the gateway to easy bum living here. I saw some video posted this week of the growing bum city off the levee, I’d guess there are maybe 10-20 tents out there last I heard. But that number is sure to grow as our City Manager and our Chief Apologist look the other way and turn the other cheek. Possibly 3 new city council members. Can they find a 4th and fire them both? Maybe we can play a shell game with their salaries too? Meanwhile, San Lorenzo park is still fenced and “closed” and the new residents of Camp Bernal are just biding their time until the fences come down. We tolerate it. We own it! And around 9:30PM on Wednesday night, I heard a report that Santa Cruz Fire responded to a fire at this exact location. Is anyone surprised?

Vehicle Hits Pedestrian Near UCSC

Tuesday night around 7PM, a serious vehicle accident involving a pedestrian was reported on the 1400 block of High street and involved a life flight for at least one victim. Apparently, a pedestrian was hit and was in serious enough condition to require treatment at a trauma center over the hill.

Early Morning Fire Burns in the Pogonip

Of course we’re talking about more bum fires this week. As long as we treat arson as a basically meaningless crime, we’ll be talking about it for the forseeable future. Around 3AM on Tuesday morning, Santa Cruz Fire responded to a report of a wildland fire on the 300 block of Golf Club Drive in the Pogonip area of Santa Cruz. The fire was located about a mile up from Highway 9 near the old clubhouse. When fire crews arrived on scene, the fire was about 2 acres in size and they were able to contain it within about an hour. A total of 54 firefighters from 9 agencies responded, including CalFire, spending about 12 hours dealing with it. No injuries were reported and authorities determined the fire originated from a cooking fire in a homeless camp. All that money wasted dealing with a single bum fire. We bought it. We own it. We’re paying for it!

Early Morning House Fire Destroys Home in Felton

Early Wednesday morning, Cal Fire and Felton Fire responded to a house on fire on Huckleberry Circle in Felton. Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Deputies went door to door alerting sleeping neighbors and began voluntary evacuations on the neighboring homes. The fire was contained and extinguished quickly and the house is apparently a total loss. Investigators don’t think the fire was criminal in nature, and no one was injured.

And He Thought He Was Just Going To Cut The Grass

Last week, I read a report in the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Department media log (always an entertaining read!) and I came across this little nugget from last week:

“An adult female openly masturbated in a county park, wiping her body fluids on a mower tractor which was being operated by a male county employee. The female also groped the male operator while he sat on the tractor and exposed her vagina to his view. The male positively identified the female subject in an in field lineup. The female was on probation. A Superior court judge was contacted, and a bail increase was sought and granted. A request for a no pre-trial release or Sheriff’s SOR was granted by the judge”.

“Probation”. It’s the gift that keeps giving!

Moving Dumpster Fire in Felton Extinguished

Tuesday around noon, Felton Fire was called to a garbage truck on fire on Mt Hermon road near Lilac Lane. The truck driver dumped the load along the side of the road and Felton Fire put it out.

Injured Surfer Flown to Trauma Center

Wednesday afternoon, a woman was injured while surfing off 38th Avenue. She had cuts on her face and seemed to go in and out of consciousness when Central Fire responded. Initial reports indicated she was not breathing, but apparently she was breathing when first responders arrived. The woman was treated by fire and medics before she was flown to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. No word on her current condition.

Rollover Crash on Graham Hill Road Ignites Fire

Last Friday night, a rollover crash on Graham Hill Road just north of Ocean Street caused the vehicle to catch fire and become quickly engulfed in flames. Scotts Valley Fire Department responded quickly with assistance from the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office to put out the fire.

City Council Fishes For Red Herring

At this week’s city council meeting, the Santa Cruz City Council took the first of two needed votes to approve an update to the city’s tobacco laws. If given final approval at a coming meeting, the flavored tobacco sales ban would go into effect for some retailers within six months, with enforcement beginning six months later. Wow. Talk about important business. Like there’s nothing more urgent needing their attention. Like “Camp Bernal”! Fishing for red herring.

They also got an update from the “Cowell Beach Water Quality Working Group” (seriously, is that an oxymoron? This is annually voted one of the dirtiest beaches in the entire state). The council voted to continue the working group through 2019 and put together a findings report and recommended improvement measures by February 2020. Blah Blah Blah Blah. Talk talk. All you do to me is talk talk! The city will also spend $25,000 to reduce “beach shower runoff and over spray”.  But the real “juicy” stuff was their plan to discuss at an upcoming meeting what would be required to expand a temporary beach curfew from Cowell Beach over to neighboring Main Beach. Gee, I wonder if this has anything to do with the growing number of tents camping on Main Beach? I’m sure the Seaside Company isn’t too pleased about that!

Bite Me

Hom Korean Kitchen

A bunch of people have been barking to me recently about how good this place is so I finally decided to give it a try.

Located in the old Hoffman’s space downtown, it’s kind of a shared space for the Hom (pronounced like “home”) Korean Kitchen and the High Tide Poke Shop. I went Korean this time out, and it was indeed TASTY! Basically, you order it like you would a Poke bowl. Base, protein, toppings. I got a bowl to go, which was large enough for 2 meals. White rice, Korean steak, potatoes, mushrooms, and pickled cucumbers. Delicious.

The staff was friendly and quick and I had my food in about 5 minutes. Total price out the door was 10 bucks and change.

Hom Korean Kitchen
1102 Pacific Avenue
Santa Cruz

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