Last Chance to Vote
This coming Tuesday is election day. If you haven’t mailed in your absentee ballot yet, don’t mail it. Take it to one of the drop off boxes in the county. Or go to the polls on Tuesday and vote.
Any voter can go to any location.
Click here to find the one closest to you.
The Santa Cruz County Clerk’s office and the Watsonville City Clerk’s office will be open for voting beginning Monday, October 5. These offices will be open Monday – Friday during regular business hours. Both locations will also be open for Vote Early Day on Saturday, Oct. 24 from 9am to 5pm and for the 4 days prior to the election.
Santa Cruz County Clerk/Elections: 701 Ocean St., Room 310, Santa Cruz
Watsonville City Clerk’s Office: 275 Main St., 4th Floor (6th Floor of the parking garage), Watsonville
We also have a VoteMobile where you can vote in person or drop off your voted ballot at various locations in the county.
In addition, there will be 16 other locations that will be open the following days and times:
Saturday, October 31: 9am to 5pm
Sunday, November 1: 9am to 5pm
Monday, November 2: 8am to 5pm
Tuesday, Election Day, November 3: 7am to 8pm.
Any voter may go to any voting location. Services will include:
- obtaining a replacement ballot – you do not need to bring in the ballot we mailed you. We can void the previously issued ballot when you come in to vote.
- voting and turning in the ballot mailed to you,
- using the Tablet to vote on an accessible ballot or a ballot in Spanish, and
- registering and voting on the same day.
All locations will adhere to public safety protocols including wearing masks, disinfecting services, using hand sanitizer, keeping physical distances, and washing hands frequently. We will also provide clear guard protections to separate people.
Locations are subject to change.
Voting locations in Santa Cruz County include:
- Aptos – Temple Beth El, 3055 Porter Gulch Rd.
- Boulder Creek – Boulder Creek Recreation Hall, 13333 Middleton Ave.
- Capitola – New Brighton Middle School, 250 Washburn Ave.
- Felton – San Lorenzo Valley High School, 7105 Highway 9
- Santa Cruz – Santa Cruz County Clerk/Elections, 701 Ocean St., Room 310. Voting begins at this location on October 5.
- Santa Cruz – Simpkins Family Swim Center, 979 17th Ave.
- Santa Cruz – Bonny Doon Elementary School, 1492 Pine Flat Rd.
- Santa Cruz – Kaiser Permanente Arena, 140 Front St.
- Santa Cruz – Masonic Center, 828 N. Branciforte Ave.
- Santa Cruz – Gateway School, formerly Natural Bridges School, Gym, 255 Swift St.
- Scotts Valley – Scotts Valley Community Center, 360 Kings Village Rd.
- Scotts Valley – Scotts Valley High School, 555 Glenwood Dr.
- Soquel – NOW Soquel High School, 401 Soquel San Jose Rd. WAS Soquel Conference Center – cannot be used due to poor connectivity.
- Watsonville – Watsonville City Community Room, 275 Main St., 4th Floor. Voting begins at this location on October 5.
- Watsonville – Pajaro Valley Community Trust, 85 Nielson St.
- Watsonville – La Selva Beach Clubhouse, 314 Estrella Ave.
- Watsonville – Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, 2601 East Lake Ave.
- Watsonville – Calabasas Elementary School, 202 Calabasas Rd.
- Santa Cruz – UCSC Merrill Cultural Center, will be open on Monday and Tuesday only.
- Vote Mobile – Santa Cruz County has a mobile voting trailer that will be used throughout the county. Check www.votescount.us for dates and times after October 12.
Santa Cruz City Council Race
Martine. Shebreh. Sonja. No fourth.
Will People Show Up Anyways?
No candy hand outs to local trick or treaters in downtown Santa Cruz on Pacific Avenue this year. Celebrating Halloween in a Pandemic. This will be a first for everyone. There will be no extra lighting, no extra porta-potties, and no added street closures downtown, according to the city. No trick-or-treating will be allowed either. Restaurants and other businesses will remain open. Santa Cruz police can hand out triple fines to discourage rowdy and lewd behavior. Police say this is generally related to alcohol-fueled problems like open containers, public intoxication, littering, traffic violations, and inappropriate behavior throughout the night.
So what the city wants to do is corral all the people that show up downtown into the one block of Pacific Avenue that’s ALREADY SHUT DOWN. Bad idea. Stupid idea. Let’s create a super spreader location when we don’t have to.
COVID-19 Updates for Santa Cruz County
There have been 2,848 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Santa Cruz County, according to the Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency. 25 people have died. 2,609 people have recovered from the disease. A total of 58,959 people have tested negative. 183 have been hospitalized in total. According to a state count, 9 people are currently hospitalized and two are in the ICU. Santa Cruz County is in the orange tier of the Blueprint for a Safer Economy, meaning some indoor business operations are open with modifications. Its adjusted case rate is at 3.5, and it needs to be below 1 to move up. It also has a 2.1% positivity rate, and that needs to be below 2% to move up. The county needs to meet the criteria for three weeks before moving to the yellow tier.
Camp Coonerty Continues to Pollute San Lorenzo Park
Homeless people camping in San Lorenzo Park (with the city and county’s blessing and support) were supposed to be out of the park this weekend, but Santa Cruz city and county leaders had to extend the deadline as they have no where to put them. How many fucking YEARS have we been doing this song and dance and listening to this shitty ass excuse? It pre-dates the Dump. The move is now scheduled to happen in two weeks on November 15th. The city and county are hoping they have new locations for them within that time frame. This is like Donald Trump telling us he’s got a plan for the COVID coming, and what a plan it is! It’s spinning bullshit. We get what we are willing to tolerate.
Beat It
Wednesday afternoon around 12:30PM, SCPD responded to the 600 block of California Street where they arrested a 46 year old male for masturbating in public. And a parole violation! Still in jail as of Friday morning.
Bad Mom’s Minions Deface City Hall
This past Tuesday around 2PM, minions from the “Santa Cruz Homeless Union”, the local grift established by Bad Mom and Keith McMuffin and friends (funny how we never see or hear from Lil Saul Goodman anymore) showed up at city hall to throw a temper tantrum outside in the courtyard. Making friends! A few of them got a bit too carried away and thought it would be a good idea to spray paint the wall of city hall. In broad daylight. On video.
To call these people morons would be insulting to morons. About two dozen people showed up to bitch and moan in the courtyard at city hall to disrupt the City Council meeting, which was taking place online. Whiners used a megaphone, sirens, and banged pots and pans to make enough noise to disrupt the meeting. One person smashed a window with a skateboard. City employees witnessed the suspects committing vandalism acts, and the vandals were captured on video surveillance. SCPD arrested 3 people as they left City Hall. The damage to the building will cost over $1000 to repair. None of them are in jail.
Chop Shop Shut Down in the Santa Cruz Mountains
Last Thursday, a CHP led auto theft task-force joined members of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office in responding to an in a remote area of the Santa Cruz Mountains to serve a search warrant on a suspected Chop Shop. The team recovered a total of 9 stolen vehicles from a location off of Highland Way, including automobiles, a travel trailer and an ATV. During the initial response, the known suspect was not on the premises. However, as the team was wrapping up work and leaving the area in the evening, they encountered the suspect walking on Highland Way. After trying to flee on foot, the suspect was caught and taken into custody. He was charged with 24 counts. You think that’s enough to warrant some jail time? Don’t make me laugh. This is Santa Cruz. Home of the “penny bail”. He’s not in jail. Blame Jim Hart. Blame the sheriff you elected.
Morons and Oxymorons
Just past midnight this past Wednesday, SCPD responded to a disturbance of some kind on the 300 block of Laurel. Eventually, they arrested a 40 year old male for being drunk in public after he battered a peace officer. Battering a peace officer sounds like an oxymoron. He’s out of jail already.
Wayward From Hayward
Wednesday afternoon around 4PM, SCPD responded to a disturbance near the Felker Street footbridge where they arrested a 40 year old Hayward man for being drunk in public and assault with a deadly weapon involving great bodily injury. His bail was set at $25K and last check he’s still in jail. Was he one of Brent’s “clients”? Or just one of the many bums camping back in that area? He’s been arrested at least 6 times locally in the past. He’s our problem now.
Get Your Swagger On!
I have swag! I’m working with Spreadshirt and have my own shop. I just put some basic products up to start with for now with the new logo. You can also click “Customize” and “Products” and pick from other products not currently available in my store. Contact me with any questions or issues. Nothing would make me happier than to see people out and about with my swag. I want photos! I’ve never asked for money, and I still plan to continue to do the Weekly Dump each week and make it available for free, without any paywall or ads or spam (or salary). Think of this as a way of donating to the effort and getting something back for your donation (I only make a few bucks on each item sold). I’d love to do more with Santa Mierda if I had the means to do so. This will help provide the means to do so. And it helps get the word out. The hell with the coronavirus, let’s make this viral. Being stuck inside is the perfect time for online shopping! I’ll love you long time if you buy my swag.
The Santa Mierda Podcast Network
Be sure to check out the Santa Mierda Podcast Network! You can find the Santa Mierda Podcast Network on SoundCloud. And Apple Music. And Spotify. It’s free so check it out and give it a listen!
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 click that little box in the bottom right corner of any page that says “Follow the Weekly Dump!” and sign up! All we need is an email.
Discover more from Santa Mierda!
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
13 Responses
re: This Weeks Dump
1) Well done Ben.
2) I took a pretty hard look at the dysfunction in the City of Santa Cruz over a 2 yr period. I found that nearly every problem experienced within the city is due to a direct failing by the County Government (Courts, Jails, Probation Dept., Social Services, Health Services…), and ultimately the County Board of Supervisors. Until the residents of the City of Santa Cruz make that cause/ effect realization (and good luck with that) not only will nothing change, but may degrade even further.
Here’s a new idea. In California, Government Agencies can be sued. For damages.
Maybe the City of Santa Cruz should Sue the County for all the damages and costs the city incurs through the county’s mismanagement of their homeless and mental health services.
The city would really have to grow a pair to do this.
Hi Ike – the city and the county have a “gentleman’s agreement” that neither one will blame the other for the communities woes. No matter how bad the local homeless issue is they will continue to say that its a nationwide problem: Translation: We’re not going to deal with it because its not our fault. It’s society’s.
I don’t know about anyone else, but whenever I decide I should attend a protest, the first thing I do is to load my backpack with cans of spray paint. I learned this from Abbie Hoffman 50 years ago. Glad to see the Youth International Party is still active and remember; don’t trust anyone over 30.
I’ve often wondered whether anyone was ever arrested for stealing “Steal This Book.”
In other news, the Sentinel has endorsed the city council candidates opposite to Ben’s urging. Odd. I thought that the Sentinal readership was, in balance, less Progressive than the local average.
Interesting how much energy has been put into urging people to vote but no energy has been put into urging them to actually consider the issues each candidate stands for and their track record. Letting late night tv hosts or rap stars or celebrities influence your vote either way is lazy at best. Basically people are voting in accordance with their opinion of the person running rather than their platforms. Voting for someone because you don’t like the other guy is not the practice of an educated electorate. But I guess that’s the point – get as many uniformed people as possible to vote based on the candidate’s personality rather than what they intend to do. Next election try voting for someone you don’t like but represents the best outcomes. At the rate we’re going its just a matter of time before Kim Kardashian is elected president.
Voting has always been a popularity contest over an actual appeal to make much needed changes in government… whether local or nationally.
Even when one has done the homework of actually getting to know an elective, what they stand for, and what they plan to change, little to none of it ever comes true, and, the elected are never held accountable for those false promises.
Until the average citizens grow a pair, get organized and start working together in numbers to hold these few in power responsible (probably only after it’s too late and gone too far NOT to do something) things will continue as normal.
Wha?? I guess this went to press before the cops ran the RV’ers on Mission at Western out of town (just two big piles of trash remain). Also worth a mention not one but two people spoke at city council against Food Not Bomb’s McHomeless. I’m pretty sure I’m the only one who had ever done that.
Only in Santa Cruz: Although I am a huge Trump fan, I spent some of yesterday putting up Democratic Party door hangers because a) there is no one to vote for right of center that could win, b) I don’t have another recall in me if the DSA/communist/far lefties were to win on city council.
Thousands of folks in Santa Cruz think that there should be a permanent homeless encampment- as long as it’s not in their neighborhood. I recollect that over a dozen sites for a camp were proposed, all of which were rejected due to objections by the neighbors. There are a few people who claim that they would welcome a camp in their neighborhood, but their neighbors would not agree. As a result spots like the Benchlands, Pogonip, or along Hwy 1 are the default locations for the homeless. I would not want a homeless camp in my neighborhood either, nor would I suggest a location in someone else’s neighborhood.
Got that right. All those Mission/Hwy 1 RV’ers who got booted by the Highway Patrol just moved over to Natural Bridges Dr and Delaware. Whack-a-mole. Since the longer someone is homeless the less likely they ever return to normal society, I’d say make room for the recently homeless, and if they still are after 6-9 months, they join all the others with a new location… out of the city. Sounds harsh huh? But would be great.
Santa Cruz-Free/accommodating to drug addicts and criminals, expensive for everyone else
Ben, it looks like the endorsed city council candidates did it! Congratulations.
In other news, Oregon has decriminalized all drugs, even heroin and meth. When that goes into effect, being caught with small quantities (not dealing) will be $100 fine or rehab, instead of jail. Now, maybe Santa Cruz can take advantage of that, and ship the addicts and meth-heads up to Oregon? Also ship the Sheriff and judges, so that those who are caught can remain in Oregon with penny bail and probation. I believe that the closest Greyhound or Amrtrak stop is in Ashland, Oregon. Seems that it would be economical to ship them one-way. Or maybe send them to Portland with a political sign, so they could camp out on the street and blend in.
Ha ha. Totally agree with you.