County declares Tsunami Awareness Week
On March 10, Santa Cruz County Emergency services Manager Rosemary Anderson issued a statement about how residents should prepare for natural disasters during Tsunami Preparedness Week.
The week, March 20-26, was set aside following the Tōhoku earthquake in Japan which killed 15,000 people and triggered the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster as well as a tsunami that travelled across the Pacific Ocean and hit the West Coast, damaging much of the Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor.
Anderson suggested four steps every county resident could take:
• Since tsunamis are often preceded by earthquakes, follow earthquake safety tips and pay attention to any tsunami warnings that may follow.
• In the event of a tsunami, go to higher ground and stay there until the threat passes.
• Learn local tsunami zones by going to http://myhazards.caloes.ca.gov and clicking on “Tsunami risk.”
• Organize school and other group activities such as tsunami walkouts or boat evacuations. Learn more and register your activities at http://www.tsunamizone.org/howtoparticipate.
U.S. small business group opposes $15 minimum hourly wage
The National Federation of Independent Business publicly opposed two proposals that have not yet qualified for the November ballot to raise the minimum wage in California to $15 an hour.
On January 19, the Service Employees International and United Healthcare Workers submitted 600,000 signatures for a ballot measure to raise the state’s minimum hourly wage to $11 in 2017 and $15 by 2021. They called the measure the Fair Wage Act of 2016.
NFIB California Executive Director Tom Scott wrote in a news release Monday the wage would constitute an undue burden on the state’s small business owners.
“Small business owners are still adjusting to the 11% minimum wage increase just this year — now is not the time to pile on another minimum wage hike,” Scott wrote. “Let’s be clear: the impacts of a minimum wage hike extend beyond private small businesses. (Non-profits, retirees, and governmental entities are directly impacted as their budgets do not have natural mechanisms to raise revenues.”)
In the news release the NFIB wrote that it would oppose any increase to minimum wage and that “99.2% of businesses in California are small business, many of which would not be able to continue operating at their current level with a $15 state minimum hourly wage.”
High temps, 10-foot swells expected for Paddlefest
According to organizers of the 30th Annual Santa Cruz Paddlefest, surfers can expect temperatures in the low-80s and 3- to 10-foot swells.
The surfing celebration kicks off tomorrow at 7 a.m. at Steamer Lane with check-in followed by heats for the combination beach race and two-lap paddle course.
Organizers expect 3-foot swells today to build up to 10-feet on Sunday morning.
Get more information and register for the races at http://santacruzpaddlefest.com.
