AFTER THE ABANDONMENT: HUFF meets at the Courthouse tables between Benchlands and back of the Courthouse Thursday 7-1-21 at 11 AM Come at 10:30 AM if you want to help distribute Organizing Info to Benchlands Residents

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In the dark aftermath of Tuesday’s withdrawal of Court protection for the San Lorenzo Park Camp, HUFF meets 11 AM 7-1 at the benches between the Courthouse & the Benchlands.
We’ll actually be in the Benchlands from 10:30 to 11 AM giving out literature to folks living there.Come early if you want to help.

Agenda Prospects  for Thursday’s (7-1) Meeting
       +++ Reports from Seaside RV dispersal and Sausalito’s Arrests of Dumphy Park Resident Resisters
      +++ Possible Resistance Strategies Against Further Sweeps and Benchland Demolition
      +++ Upcoming SC Homeless Union Camp Meet-Up 5 PM Friday July 2nd at the Benches between Courthouse & Benchland
      +++ Additional Meetings:  Jeremy Leonard holds his weekly Benchlands meetings Thursday 6 PM at the same location.
HUFF meeting next week–choosing a location–Benchlands or Sub Rosa?
      +++ Bringing Reports of Threats or Citations Using the New Camping Bans, Other Laws, or No Laws to HUFF or Alicia at 431-7766
      +++ Rental Moratorium Prospects and Landlord Harassment–Possible Updates  
      +++ RV Fightback and Crackdown Reports from Vancouver, B.C. and Elsewhere
      +++ Possible Sweep Defenses When the Cops Come Calling–Recalling and Reframing Past Strategies
      +++ Laura’s Law in Santa Cruz: Did They Opt-Out?
      +++ Untwisting the Crooked City Hall Narrative:  Mustering Past Evidence of Shelter Denial and the Susie O’Hara’s False Narrative
      +++ Pajaro Valley Shout-Out–the Word from Watsonville: Attempted Phone Updates from Wes White, Monike Tone, and Others      

+++ New Contacts with the Coastal Commission on Monitoring Illegal “Parking Limitation” Sign Placements Against Vehicular Residents

+++ Legal Papers for the San Lorenzo Park Injunction available for the next 28 days: http://cityofsantacruz.sharefile.com/d=s911ada8e9690536bb9 +++ Gloomy News from Other Cities: Petaluma, San Jose, Marysville, and Elsewhere

+++ Still Up…  Bathrobespierre’s Broadsides Shows on the HUFF website–http://www.huffsantacruz.org/Lostshows.html /

      Cooler Weather Predicted in high 50’s.  Dress warmly.

CAMPGROUND CRUSHING FOR POGONIP RESIDENTS COMING UP :  Homeless Czar Lee Butler’s Announcement at the Last City Council meeting that Pogonip Dispersal Begins in Earnest for “Get Out or Get Forced Out” on Thursday July 1st.

LISTEN TO THE JUNE 29th HEARING: https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AFAV6DNypFX%5FpZ8&cid=E7C40525F715047C&id=E7C40525F715047C%213055&parId=E7C40525F715047C%21657&o=OneUp

Audio of and Commentary on the June 29th Hearing Dissolving Federal Protection of the Benchlands Residents

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Judge Dumps Benchlands Survival Camp, Ignores Shelter Emergency by Robert Norse (rnorse3 [at] hotmail.com)
Wednesday Jun 30th, 2021 7:08 PM
 TO READ OR MAKE COMMENTS AND/OR READ THE TEXT OF THE COURT ORDER, GO TO https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2021/06/30/18843516.php

AUDIO OF 6-29 HEARING at https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AFAV6DNypFX%5FpZ8&cid=E7C40525F715047C&id=E7C40525F715047C%213055&parId=E7C40525F715047C%21657&o=OneUp

The federal court ignored the City Manager Bernal’s failure to fulfill the terms of the modified Preliminary Injunction to meet regularly with the Homeless Union to improve Benchlands conditions. Magistrate Susan Van Keulen lifted the Court’s protection of the encampment Tuesday afternoon, discarding more than several hundred people into the City’s predatory “care”. Download PDF (611.0KB) HEARING ENDS MONTHS OF PROTECTED CAMPING
An earlier 11 AM zoomed hearing before Susan Van Keulen provided few surprises. The magistrate, who’d previously protected the encampment from the City’s dispersal-without-alternatives strategy, stated at the outset the purpose of the hearing was the lifting of the Injunction.

In so doing, all parties paid little heed to the elephant in the tent–the lack of shelter, campground space, or housing for the majority of the homeless in the Benchlands–to say nothing of the wider city population.

Some activists–like myself–had been pressing SC Union officials to persuade their attorney Anthony Prince to focus on City’s lack of available shelter and prior history of false promises by the City in prior “relocation to nowhere” sweeps.

Though mentioned in the Declarations of Keith McHenry and Alicia Kuhl, the no-place-to-go arguments were not strongly raised by Prince in his pleadings. With the COVID shelter-in-place arguments predictably likely to be rejected by the Court, more fundamental issues had to be raised.

Other cities like Chico–which Prince did mention in his verbal presentation to the Court–had been granted a city-wide Injunction–something some activists had been urging. The strongest point Prince made was the City’s failure to follow the Court’s urging that the City authorities meet regularly with Union activists–something that reportedly only happened once in the course of several months.

Prince also used a closed if not secretive process in gathering information and framing documents, which made broader Union input problematic. He refused to release court papers, which finally had to obtained, ironically from the opposition City Attorney through a Public Records Act request,

Previous dispersals of the Benchlands (2018), the 1220 River St. camp (2018), the Ross Camp (May 2019), and the Phoenix (Desiree Quintero Memorial Camp November 2019) were accompanied by a bevy of non-existent “alternatives” from Susie O’Hara and Megan Bunch. The attempted mid-epidemic Xmas-time removal of hundreds from San Lorenzo Park featured more false promises by Lee Butler’s staff.

Judge and attorneys alike failed to focus on this well-documented history of bad faith and broken promises. Both sides laid emphasis on the “good management” of the Benchlands camp, without answering the obvious–what kind of guarantees was the City providing that it wouldn’t disperse the camp–say on July 4th when the new Camping Law goes into effect.

Nor were survival sleeping area alternatives provided in the recent camp demolitions at Hiway 1 and Hiway 9, the Camp Paradise “Hell’s Trail” bulldozing and the proposed July 1st deadline for Pogonip evictions.

The City Council has gone on July vacation, leaving all emergency powers in the hands of the City Manager and his subordinates. Few if any specifics were revealed at the last City Council meeting about storage and shelter alternatives supposedly being developed to provide reassuring backdrop to the harsh enforcement provisions of the new Camping Ban.


WILL THE COMMUNITY RESPOND?
On December 28th after an ineffectual earlier attempt on December 17th, community members in numbers came out to challenge the punitive “removal to nowhere” response of Mills’ SCPD. That day’s victory was followed the next day by a successful Preliminary Injunction from Prince and the Santa Cruz Homeless Union–something Union activist Alicia Kuhl said was put together in short order.

Recent activist and community response to the Highway 1 sweeps-to-nowhere has been sparse, but given the history of numbers of people in the Benchlands, the response may be stronger. The Homeless Union has been organizing there for some months, though meeting attendance has been limited (but spirited).

Tent residents, housed supporters, and Santa Cruz Union members met Tuesday night to discuss survival strategies for the Benchlands community survival encampments. A 2nd Benchlands camp meeting is planned for Friday July 2nd at 5 PM on the tables in back of the courthouse..

Federal Court Lawsuit Protecting the Santa Cruz Benchlands Homeless: Documents and Audio Access

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The most recent documents to follow the arguments of attorney Anthony Prince representing the Santa Cruz Homeless Union and the City Attorney Anthony Condotti can be found at https://cityofsantacruz.sharefile.com/d-s911ada8e59964e4c891a8e9690536bb9 .  The link will be active for 30 days, according to the Deputy City Clerk Administrator Julia Ward.  The documents were released in response to a Public Records demand.  Previous such requests to attorney Anthony Prince were met with refusal or silence. 

Tomorrow, Tuesday July 29 at 11:00 am   The Federal Judge will hear the case to decide if she will lift the injunction  

that makes it illegal for the City of Santa Cruz or it’s Police Force to sweep the homeless folks and all their tents and survival gear out of the San Lorenzo Park Benchlands where they have been living in tents for the last few months of the pandemic.   You may join this zoom meeting by using the link below: https://cand-uscourts.zoomgov.com/j/1613982797?pwd=QkRjaGdHbmNNbDJBcWNxRkNLbVB3QT09

There will be a demonstration at San Lorenzo Park at the Benchlands at 7 pm to discuss what the ruling means to the folks living in the tents at the Benchlands.  The Santa Cruz Homeless Union will meet under the Footbridge there.
Thanks to LawWatcher Laura Chatham for this additional information. 
 An audio of the July 29th hearing–if someone makes it available–will be posted at http://www.huffsantacruz.org/Lostshows.html .

The Sunday 6-27-21 Bathrobespierre’s Broadsides show archived and netcasting 9:30 AM -3 PM: Rage and Reason from Peggy Lee Kennedy of Venice, Thomas Leavitt on Permit Putrescence, Bellowing from the Benchlands and Haunted Cries from Hells Trail

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ON THE 6-27-21 SHOW:  

+++  Terrortaunter Theresa Buccola Challenges Cop Exclusion     

+++  Raging Blues from Venice’s streetside activist Peggy Lee Kennedy

+++  ‘Troublesome’ Thomas Leavitt Squares Off Against the City Attorney’s Renewed Requirements for Free Assembly “Permits”

+++  Minor Adjustments in L.A.’s Bloated Police Budget Hailed as “Achievements” by Anti-Violence Advocates

+++  Danville Deadshot Andrew Hall Finally Faces Reduced Felony
Charges for 3-Year old Murder of Laudemer Arboleda 
https://www.pressreader.com/usa/san-francisco-chronicle-late-edition/20210617/28180140191575

+++  Food Not Bombs Chatter: Street Performer on Troubling Times, Tokin’ Timothy on the anti-Vax movement locally     

+++  “Chief” Gary Joseph Artarte on the death of his brother; Kevin Leland offers goats and good advice to the City Council

+++  Largely White Juneteenth at London Nelson Park ==Interviews with B.J., Susie Cardell, Laurel, Rashanda, and others.     

+++  In the Wake of the Cal-Trans 6-14 Home Demolition Along Hell’s Trail: Anthony Chavez, Britany, Jonathan, and “Backstory” Brent    

+++  Gregory on Tough Times at the Housing (Funding) Matters Shower Bay
+++  Santa Cruz Community Credit Union activist Ron Pomerantz on the September sell-out of the Downtown Union building.

Flashback:  Audio of the January 3, 2001 Club Cruz show with
Bathrobespierre Robert interviewing HUFF activist Becky Johnson on
Mayor Tim Fitzmaurice’s attack on the Koffee Klatch–a sustained winter lobbying effort to get an emergency City Council meeting opening shelter and/or suspending the Sleeping Ban.

    The show will be available on HUFF archives at the Bathrobespierre’s Broadsides under Lost/Latest Shows http://www.huffsantacruz.org/Lostshows.html)  as well as netcast at 9:30 AM or shortly thereafter. 

Detailed written descriptions of recent shows are at http://huffsantacruz.org/wordpress/  (search for “Bathrobespierre’s Broadsides” on the right side of the screen).  Many older audio archives are described and currently available at http://www.huffsantacruz.org/brb-descriptions.html .  
Commentary by Ursula and more detailed descriptions of recent shows may also be available on the Homeless United for Friendship & Freedom Facebook page where you can also leave comments.  HUFF is also too slowly developing a page at http://huffsantacruz.org/ursula.html. 

BRING PHONE CHATTER BACK to FREE RADIO!
       We need studio space to restore the phone line.  Send us tips on where to rent studio space.  There’s still a $300 reward if you find us a year’s space.  FRSC also needs a location to set up our antenna again downtown– in a tree, a house, etc.  Call the HUFF line (831-423-4833) if you have any tips. 
    

Meanwhile for input into my show, contact Bathrobespierre Robert at HUFF or rnorse3@hotmail.com.  You can also comment on the Homeless United for Friendship & Freedom facebook page.


Bathrobespierre’s Broadsides 6-24-21 show netcasts 6 PM at freakradio.org : Organizing Resistance in the Benchlands: A Noon HUFF Brainstorming session with housed and tent dwellers sharing ideas and outrage

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The show is slated to go out tonight at 6 PM on the net at www.freakradio.org.Alternately, to hear this show (June 24, 2021) and other homeless civil rights shows at a time of your convenience, Click on http://www.huffsantacruz.org/Lostshows.html .


ON THE 6-24 SHOW:

Listening on a HUFF meeting at the Benchlands in preparation for the June 29th Federal Court hearing


xxx RV Harassment Updates from Motormama Monica


xxx Voices aplenty including Benchlands residents Greg and Greg, Braids and Tai, Gabriel and Goatkeeper Kevin as well as housed HUFFsters Laura and Laura, Joy, Gloria, Robert, Cherie.

xxx  Gloomy news from the last City Council Chatter on Tuesday


xxx “Backstory” Brent Adams on the Latest Sweeps Along Hiway 1 and the Lack of Shelter Space

xxx  Monike Tone of the Pajaro River Chapter of the California Union of the Homeless seeks updates and advice on organization ideas on how to get the resources that Santa Cruz homeless were able to secure briefly during COVID time.

xxx Katzenjammer Keith Describes His Input into the Upcoming Benchlands Federal Court Hearing next Tuesday 6-29 10 AM at https://www.cand.uscourts.gov/svk   Look for 5:20-cv-09425-SVK – Homeless Union et al v. Bernal et al

BARNSTORMING THE BENCHLANDS: HUFF meets at the Courthouse tables between Benchlands and back of the Courthouse Thursday 6-24-21 at 11 AM Come at 10:30 AM if you want to help distribute Organizing Info to Benchlands Residents

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HUFF meets at its new near where the people are spot 11 AM 6-24 at the benches between the Courthouse & the Benchlands.
We’ll actually be in the Benchlands from 10:30 to 11 AM giving out literature to folks living there.Come early if you want to help.

Agenda Prospects  for Thursday’s (6-24) Meeting
       +++ Sad Takeaway from the Council’s Tuesday Rubberstamping Operation Restricting Legal Protests, Funding RV Harassment, & More
      +++ Damage Report from the Latest Cal-Trans/City Attack on Encampments At and Beyond Hells Trail at the Old Camp Paradise
      +++ Continued discussion and hopefully Organizing for Response to the City’s post-COVID response: IF it Threaten Encampments?
      +++ Upcoming SC Homeless Union Protest Event 6 PM at the Footbridge Tuesday June 29th; Day of the Injunction Hearing
      +++ Additional Meetings: Jeremy Leonard holds his weekly Benchlands meeting Thursday 6-10 6 PM at the middle of the Benchlands camp
Union of the Homeless and the Benchlands Council meets Friday 6-11 5 PM under the Footbridge
      +++ Bring Reports of Any Threats or Citations Against Tentsters Using the New Camping Bans, Other Laws, or No Laws
      +++ Rental Moratorium Prospects and Landlord Harassment–Possible Updates  
      +++ RV Fightback and Crackdown Reports from Vancouver, B.C. and Elsewhere
      +++ Possible Sweep Defenses When the Cops Come Calling–Recalling and Reframing Past Strategies
      +++ Straightening the Crooked Narrative:  Mustering Past Evidence of Shelter Denial and the Susie O’Hara’s False Narrative
      +++ Pajaro Valley Shout-Out–the Word from Watsonville: Attempted Phone Updates from Wes White, Monike Tone, and Others       +++ New Contacts with the Coastal Commission on Monitoring Illegal “Parking Limitation” Sign Placements Against Vehicular Residents

      +++ Any News about Latest Local Laura’s Law (aka “Needles on Wheels”) Possible Activism/Education as the Opt-Out Deadline Nears ?

      +++  Legal Papers for the San Lorenzo Park Injunction: https://cityofsantacruz.sharefile.com/d-se5b96157b88a4d1aafcd23a97e17e0d5

      +++ Gloomy News from Other Cities: San Jose, Sausalito, Marysville, and Elsewhere 

      +++ Still Up…  Bathrobespierre’s Broadsides Shows on the HUFF website–http://www.huffsantacruz.org/Lostshows.html /

      Cool Weather Predicted.  Consider Bringing a Coat.

COMING UP FAST: THE JUNE 29TH FEDERAL HEARING THAT MAY SPELL THE END OF THE INJUNCTION PROTECTING THE BENCHLANDS

LISTEN TO THE MAY 13TH  HEARING: https://www1.huffsantacruz.org/lost/Final%20Homeless%20Union%20in%20Court%205-13-21.mp3

Real Struggle to Support Survival Camps While Council Gentrification Juggernaut Grinds On

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Community focus must shift from the prefabricated public-excluded City Council meetings to direct action and legal support to defend the many survival encampments (Meyersvilles) that have sprunt up around Santa Cruz as emergency housing.  The massive street protests of last summer tore down Chief Mills fences against Food Not Bombs and the Cooper encampment next to the Post Office. But recent attempts to rouse the righteous have failed to contest the mass camp evictions of June 4th and June 21st along Highway 1.

Still, I believe it is only through such massive direct actions that there can be real changes in abusive police policy–which must begin with massive budget cuts from a violent, secretive and inbred police department to broader community-based outreach system . Story continues at https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2021/06/21/18843369.php .See also “Defend the Survival Camps: June 29th Rally”  at https://www.indybay.org/uploads/2021/06/21/combined_stop_the_sweeps_flyer_6-21-20.pdf  . 

Sacto Strikes Back; Petaluma’s Martelli; Seaside Storms from Becky Johnson, S.C. Union Tough Voice Tumult, Juneteenth at Louden Nelson, and the City Council Report

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ON THE 6-20-21 SHOW:   FLASHBACK FREE  ALL NEW
      +++  Sacramento Activists Fight Sweeps


+++  Beggarbacker Becky Johnson on the Seaside Struggle


+++  Petuluma Pushback: Monica TMartelli’s Story in Words and Video: https://www.facebook.com/monica.tmartella.3/videos


+++  Down by the Riverside–Lee Ann Sherwood in the Benchlands    

+++  Santa Cruz Homeless Union’s 6-19 Meeting: Many Voices Struggle to Sustain Resistance and Renewal to the Benchlands Encampment     

+++  On the Grass Near Louden Nelson: Roaring Against Repression with Maria and “Can’t Stop Smilin'” Cooper     

+++  Largely White Juneteenth at London Nelson Park ==Interviews with B.J., Susie Cardell, Laurel, Rashanda, and others.     

+++   Food Not Bombs Food Terrorist Keith McHenry Chuckles in the Darkness     

+++   Danger Ahead: Tuesday’s City Council Meeting Extends the City Manager’s “Emergency” Powers, Rubberstamps a Repressive Anti-Protest Ordinance–and Dumps a “No Debate” Homeless Item at the End of the Agenda.

Detailed written descriptions of recent shows are at http://huffsantacruz.org/wordpress/  (search for “Bathrobespierre’s Broadsides” on the right side of the screen). 

Many older audio archives are described and currently available at http://www.huffsantacruz.org/brb-descriptions.html .  

BRING PHONE CHATTER BACK to FREE RADIO!
       We need studio space to restore the phone line.  Send us tips on where to rent studio space.  There’s still a $300 reward if you find us a year’s space.  FRSC also needs a location to set up our antenna again downtown– in a tree, a house, etc.  Call the HUFF line if you have any tips. 
    
Meanwhile for input into my show, contact Bathrobespierre Robert at 831-423-4833 or rnorse3@hotmail.com.  You can also comment on the Homeless United for Friendship & Freedom facebook page.

Bathrobespierre’s Broadsides 6-17-21 show netcasts 6 PM at freakradio.org “Whips to the Wicked” Wes White, Blastfurnace Brent Adams,, Monica Tmartella, Furiously Free, and Katzenjammer Keith McHenry

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The show is slated to go out tonight at 6 PM on the net at www.freakradio.org.

Alternately, to hear this show (June 17, 2021) and other homeless civil rights shows at a time of your convenience, Click on http://www.huffsantacruz.org/Lostshows.html .


ON THE 6-17 SHOW :
xxx “Worn But Not Weeping” Wes White on the Recent Seaside Sweep of the Robert’s Lake Refugees and another on Salinas’s Chinatown Homeless

xxx “Backstory” Brent Adams on the Latest Sweeps Along Hiway 1 and the Lack of Shelter Space

xxx  “Far Back” Free, former Free Radio Broadcaster calls in remember recently captured Freedom Fighter Chris “Commander X” Doyan aka Curbhugger Chris.

xxx Katzenjammer Keith Tours the Benchlands Survival Camp and Weighs the Upcoming Injunction Status Hearing for the Camp.

BRAVING SUMMER HEAT ABOVE THE BENCHLANDS: HUFF meets Thursday 6-17-21 at 11 AM at the lawn tables between the Benchlands and the Courthouse at 701 Ocean St.

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HUFF meets at its new near where the people are spot 11 AM 6-17 at the benches between the Courthouse & the Benchlands–though we may move the meeting if the heat burns us down.
Apologies for the Late Announcement:  Power Outage Last Night Delayed This Message

Agenda Prospects  for Today’s Thursday (6-17) Meeting
       +++ Continued discussion and hopefully Organizing for Response to the City’s post-COVID response: IF it Threaten Encampments?
      +++ Benchlands Reports & A Proposed Dusk Survey
      +++ Additional Meetings: Jeremy Leonard holds his weekly Benchlands meeting Thursday 6-10 5 PM at the Courthouse/Benchlands tables
Union of the Homeless and the Benchlands Council meets Friday 6-11 5 PM under the Footbridge
      +++ Bring Reports of Any Threats or Citations Against Tentsters Using the New Camping Bans, Other Laws, or No Laws
      +++ Tasty Talk from the Berkeley People’s Kitchen: Thursday 6-10 after 6 PM: https://www1.huffsantacruz.org/lost/FRSC%206-10-21.mp3
      +++ RV Fightback and Crackdown Reports from Vancouver, B.C. and Elsewhere
      +++ Reassuring Ripples from the Free Food Fellowship: Will the City  Lay Off if the Injunction is Lifted?
      +++ Demanding Real Progress: Updating & Restoring the Call for the Desire Quintero Homeless Union Demands of Fall 2019
      +++ Possible Sweep Defenses When the Cops Come Calling–Recalling and Reframing Past Strategies
      +++ Toughening the Talkback for Court:  Mustering Past Evidence of Shelter Denial and the Susie O’Hara’s False Narrative
      +++ Pajaro Valley Shout-Out–the Word from Watsonville: Attempted Phone Updates from Wes White, Monike Tone, and Others
      +++ Reviewing the Eric Price Claim Rejection and Lawsuit; Vigilante Homeless Union harassment
      +++ Placeholder Politics: HUFF and the SC Homeless Union share the responsibility.
      +++ New Contacts with the Coastal Commission on Monitoring Illegal “Parking Limitation” Sign Placements Against Vehicular Residents

      +++ Latest Local Laura’s Law (aka “Needles on Wheels”) Possible Activism/Education as the Opt-Out Deadline Nears

      +++ Accounting for Waste & Fraud Where to Find Gov Gruesome’s Greenbacks: Who Will Scour the Books?

      +++ Still Available for Inspection: Public Records Status: Legal Papers for the San Lorenzo Park Injunction: https://cityofsantacruz.sharefile.com/d-se5b96157b88a4d1aafcd23a97e17e0d5

      +++ News from Other Cities: San Jose, Sausalito, Marysville 

      +++ Still Up…  Bathrobespierre’s Broadsides Shows on the HUFF website–http://www.huffsantacruz.org/Lostshows.html /

      Bring Your Own Cool Drinks!  Predicted weather outside–mid-80’s, but it may feel hotter.

COMING UP FAST: THE JUNE 29TH FEDERAL HEARING THAT MAY SPELL THE END OF THE INJUNCTION PROTECTING THE BENCHLANDS

LISTEN TO THE MAY 13TH  HEARING: https://www1.huffsantacruz.org/lost/Final%20Homeless%20Union%20in%20Court%205-13-21.mp3