Two Santa Cruz lawn bowlers are heading to England in January to represent the U.S. in the World Bowls Indoor Championship. They say that while the game is “easy to learn, it’s hard to master,” and expect some extraordinarily stiff competition overseas. Meanwhile, they look to bring more people of all ages to Santa Cruz’s lawn bowling green to foster local interest and keep the likelihood of the bowling green remaining through San Lorenzo Park’s redesign.
Recreation & Sports
Posted inRecreation & Sports
High school sports roundup: Aptos claims tennis titles, Harbor takes volleyball crown as SCCAL seasons wind down
Tiana Smith won the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League singles championship for Aptos High, which also had Holly Hegna and Coral Collins win the league doubles tournament. In volleyball, Harbor High took down rival Santa Cruz High again, while in water polo, Santa Cruz High won the SCCAL boys tournament and Soquel High scored yet another girls tournament title.
Posted inRecreation & Sports
Athlete of the Month: Soquel High senior Jordan McCord III speeds past defenses to reach new heights
Jordan McCord III led Soquel High School to a historic football victory against Palma High last week, with his athleticism playing a key role as the Knights scored a 14-7 win and avenged last season’s loss. McCord has earned scholarship offers from San Jose State and Eastern Washington.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Hotel Paradox unveils multimillion-dollar renovation as local tourism industry bounces back from pandemic
Santa Cruz’s Hotel Paradox recently completed a multimillion-dollar refresh and an ambitious overhaul of its in-house restaurant, Solaire. The Ocean Street property joins a growing list of Santa Cruz County hotels that have opened or undergone renovations in the past two years as the region experiences a rebound in tourism.
Posted inRecreation & Sports
High school sports roundup: Watsonville volleyball turnaround, Soquel’s big gridiron win & Haley Jones honor
In this week’s high school sports roundup, it’s another winning season for the Watsonville High volleyball team, highlights aplenty from Santa Cruz County football action, tennis and water polo regular seasons wrapping up and a spot on the WNBA All-Rookie team for Santa Cruz’s Haley Jones.
Posted inCity Life
What’s happening where this Halloween season in Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz is a terrific place to be in the black-and-orange season, from the beautiful and family-oriented cultural richness of Dia de Los Muertos in downtown Watsonville to the whack-a doodle spectacle and abandon of Halloween night in downtown Santa Cruz. Wallace Baine brings you a selection of the best ways to have some spooky fun.
Posted inRecreation & Sports
High school sports roundup: SCCAL volleyball showdown, football fireworks & Aptos’ tennis roll
The Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League girls volleyball title is on the line Tuesday when Harbor High travels to Santa Cruz High, Aptos girls tennis remained unbeaten in SCCAL play, Scotts Valley football is still perfect in its division and remembering a local in the World Series.
Posted inCity Life
What would a new downtown arena mean for Santa Cruz audiences?
With Kaiser Permanente Arena extended beyond its intended lifespan, the Santa Cruz Warriors want a multipurpose downtown venue that could host events beyond basketball year-round, with a capacity of 3,000-4,000. That would be an alluring upgrade from the Civic Auditorium in terms of attracting big-name musical acts and speakers, but whether a new venue would suit mainstay Civic tenants like the Santa Cruz Symphony is a concern — and in any case, it’s no slam dunk that a bigger new venue would be filled regularly, either.
Posted inLatest News
Soquel Demonstration State Forest set to reopen Tuesday, months after suffering winter storm damage
A popular destination for hikers, mountain bikers and outdoor enthusiasts, Soquel Demonstration State Forest was shut down in mid-January because of dangerous conditions from the winter storms. It’s set to reopen Tuesday.
Posted inRecreation & Sports
High school sports roundup: Santa Cruz, Soquel primed for SCCAL water polo clash
In this week’s high school sports roundup, the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League boys water polo title could be on the line when Santa Cruz High visits Soquel High on Thursday. Plus a full slate of football action, volleyball going down to the wire, Aptos High closing in on an SCCAL tennis title, a local soccer star commits to Duke and more.