An image from September 2020 of Lake Tenaya in Yosemite National Park, with sunlight and shadows cast in the wildfire smoke hanging over the lake water.
Image credit: Chris Neklason contributed
Fire Season Begins with a Roar
A whiff of smoke on the breeze the other day had me thinking back to 2020.
I was up at our family cabin outside Yosemite that August, and one night watched the most intense thunderstorm of my life take place off to the east over the Sierra. Lightning lit up the sky and thunder crashed and boomed for hours, though little or no rain fell.
It was the same up and down California, and the next day, the state was on fire.
I was back up at the cabin a month later in September, and the smoke was so thick I donned goggles and an industrial respirator and headed up into the Yosemite high contry in search of breathable air. After driving a couple hours I found some up in Tuolumne Meadows, and remember hiking to the river and wondering if I should camp out for a few days.
That summer there were so many fires buring in the state, I'd found the best air in California and was loathe to leave.
Since then, more communities have become firewise certified, more homeowners have embraced defensible space, and more funding has been directed toward clearing beetle-killed trees in forests.
Hopefully, this summer won't see the return of the lurid yellow and orange skies of 2020.
Summer arrived this year on June 20, but fire season got here first with the ignition of the Corral Fire south of Tracy in San Joaquin County on June 1. Now 100% contained, the fire burned over 14,000 acres of grasslands and led to evacuations of some neighborhoods.
California wildfires are becoming larger, more frequent and more ferocious. ‘Malibu Burning’ author Robert Kerbeck shares simple steps you can take to protect your home.
The UC San Diego-managed ALERTCalifornia network of mountaintop cameras act as remote eyes for fire fighters, and the public.
Santa Cruz County's Homepage
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Recipe of the Week
Our friends at Sacramento Digs Gardening publish a recipe from their gardens every Sunday, which we feature here so you can start your week with some yum.
Santa Cruz County’s rail trail could divert from the train tracks onto neighboring streets to bypass narrow stretches of the rail corridor and wetlands, according to a draft route released this month.
Voters in Pajaro Valley Unified School District will decide whether to approve $315 million in bonds in the Nov. 5 election to help repair and upgrade the district’s 35 schools.
Just across the Pajaro River from Watsonville in Monterey County, hundreds of seasonal farmworkers are now living in a recently completed housing complex created for them at the end of Susan Street.
A Folsom Assemblyman is pushing legislation that calls for more transparency on how the state is spending money on homelessness. The bill is in response to a state audit report which revealed the state spent $24 billion on homelessness, yet …
Omega Nu Santa Cruz awarded college and vocational scholarships to 31 students from Santa Cruz County high schools during a Scholarship Reception for the students and their families at the Harvey West Park Clubhouse on May 28.
San Lorenzo Valley Museum Collections and Exhibitions Curator Lisa A. Robinson and SLV Museum Executive Director Laura DeAngelis accepted a generous donation from members of E Clampus Vitus Branciforte Chapter 1797 in a ceremony at the museum on Wednesday afternoon, …
Wildfire season is upon us and fires are up 9%. Cal Fire reports that "acres burned have skyrocketed by 1,462% (from 5,747 to 89,784 acres) compared to the same period last year (Jan 1 & Jun 19). 95% of these …
At its May 2 meeting the RTC passed a resolution unanimously requesting Caltrans to lower the speed limits on Highway 9 in downtown Ben Lomond, Brookdale, and the southern portion of Felton to 25 mph.
The magic moment for one of Santa Cruz’s most innovative companies came when its founder rolled the dice and bet big at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics trade show.
The Ben Lomond Village Alliance California Monarch And Pollinator Habitat Kit project has been accepted into the Pollinator Habitat Monarch Conservation program through the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation in Sacramento.
A groundbreaking was held on June 20 at the site where the new 10,000 square foot Encompass Community Services mental health and substance abuse services facility is to be constructed in Watsonville.
In a June 18 meeting of the Santa Cruz City Council with planning commissioners attending, a draft plan was presented for the South of Laurel area (SoLa) project including a permanent Warriors arena and 1600 units of housing in towers up to 12 stories tall.
• Contract for New Health Services Provider for County Jail
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors voted to award the county jail health services contract to a new provider, a move not related to the recent Civil Grand Jury report according to Sheriff Jim Hart.
• What You Need to Know About the California Budget Deal
Gov. Newsom and legislative leaders announce an agreement to bridge the state budget deficit by dipping into reserves and reducing some spending. The deal also calls for a bill in August to set aside more money and a 2026 constitutional amendment to grow the state’s rainy day fund.
• Environmental Groups Appeal Sites Reservoir Ruling
A new round of litigation began when environmental groups opposed to the Sites reservoir in Colusa County filed an appeal on a ruling which dismissed their suit seeking to halt the project from proceeding.
• In Rain, Snow and Drought, California’s Fights Over Water Rights, Supplies Persist
Legal rights to use water — particularly those obtained prior to 1914 — lie at the heart of California’s perpetual wrangling over the allocation of increasingly limited water supplies.
Vitakraft Sun Seed Inc. of Weston, OH, is voluntarily recalling one lot of Sun Seed Vita Prima Hedgehog Food because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is also a risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products,
Santa Cruz County Office of Education (06/20/2024)
Santa Cruz County Probation, the Santa Cruz County Office of Education (COE) and Santa Cruz Public Libraries (SCPL) are proud to announce the opening of the Robert A. Hartman School Library at Santa Cruz County Juvenile Hall. The renovations, which debuted Thursday with a brief ceremony, included creating a library space for justice-involved youth, as [...]
The post Library Opens …
Addis Joins Community for 5th Annual Juneteenth Jubilee in Seaside
piperch
Wed, 06/19/2024 - 15:56
Title
Chief of Staff
Email
julie.cravotto@asm.ca.gov
Phone
916-319-2030
Wednesday, June 19, 2024
SEASIDE, CA Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay) joined community members and leaders over the weekend for the 5th Annual Juneteenth Jubilee Celebration, hosted by the Monterey County Black Caucus. The event commemorated the …
An image from September 2020 of Lake Tenaya in Yosemite National Park, with sunlight and shadows cast in the wildfire smoke hanging over the lake water.
