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By Sharan Street
Published Jul 11, 2022

Stagnaro Bros. Seafood has been a local staple since 1937. Image credit: Lux Blue Shutterstock

7-11-22: Cultural Evolution

The past couple of months at California Local, our attention has been consumed by the June primary election. That’s officially over, now that the results have been certified. Then there was a blistering series of decisions from the Supreme Court of the United States, stilled for the moment now that SCOTUS is in recession. And of course there were the revelations from the Jan. 6 hearings—and there’s still more to come there. But for one moment let’s just hit pause on the daily news.

Instead, let’s look to the past. Not the awful parts of the past, of which there have been many. Rather, let’s celebrate some local cultural institutions that are still actively making Santa Cruz County a better, more entertaining place to live. And we’ll toast a few quintessential spots that time seemingly forgot.

Santa Cruz Survivors

When California Local made its debut in 2021, one of the first organizations to sign up for a free membership was the Santa Cruz Baroque Festival. A longtime fixture on the cultural scene, this arts group dedicated to Renaissance and Baroque music got its start in 1974. Noticing that the group is approaching its 50th anniversary, we got to thinking about other veteran arts organizations in Santa Cruz County. The oldest we know of is the Santa Cruz Art League, which has endured for more than a century. But there are quite a few other local cultural institutions that have passed the four-decade mark. Find out more about how these groups got started, and what they’re up to now.

And the more things change, the more we need some things to stay the same. Writer and longtime Santa Cruzan Kelly Luker cheers for 10 local landmarks that are still standing.

I’m Still Here

Though all of its wooden parts have been replaced, the Giant Dipper looks the same as it did nearly a century ago.

A lot has changed in Santa Cruz County. But these things remain the same.

10 Over 40

The Santa Cruz Mountains, an inspiration for local artists for many decades.

Too much emphasis is placed on what’s shiny and new. Just as important is what endures. We salute some of Santa Cruz’s oldest cultural institutions.

The Present ... Tense

One can only look back for so long, however. Then it’s time to look ahead. California Local’s Jonathan Vankin looks at three troublesome trends that are in the news: the threat that a conservative-majority SCOTUS will pose to California’s assault weapons ban, the state’s worsening drought, and a new COVID surge.

California Drought: State Fell a Year’s Worth of Rain Short

Low rainfall from 2019 to 2022 left Shasta Lake—the state’s largest reservoir—filled to just 39 percent of its capacity.

California’s drought shows no signs of easing as the state lost a full year of rainfall between 2019 and 2022, while residents actually increased their water use, ignoring Gov. Newsom’s pleas to cut back.

California Assault Weapons Ban May End Due To SCOTUS Ruling

Assault weapons like the AR-15 rifle remain banned in California, but maybe not for long.

California's assault weapons ban, in place since 1989, may not stand up to a new Supreme Court decision that makes it much harder for states to impose gun control. A federal court brief filed June 30 aims to strike down the law.

What the COVID BA.5 Variant Means For California

Californians may soon mask in public places again, as the BA.5 COVID variant sweeps the state.

California is headed for a new COVID surge as BA.5, the most contagious variant of the virus yet discovered, arrives in the state, apparently causing an uptick in hospitalizations and deaths.