A MAGNITUDE 3.0 EARTHQUAKE SHOOK THE AREA NEAR PINNACLES AT 3:49 YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, AND SEVERAL AFTERSHOCKS HAVE OCCURRED SINCE THEN. THE LARGEST OF THOSE WAS A 3.3 AT 1 MINUTE TO 9 P.M. LAST NIGHT. THERE WERE 2 SMALLER QUAKES BETWEEN THOSE 2, AND THERE HAVE BEEN 5 SMALLER ONES SINCE LAST NIGHT?S 3.3 EVENT. ALL OF THESE SEISMIC EVENTS OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF THE PINNACLES NATIONAL MONUMENT IN SOUTH MONTEREY COUNTY.

A LOCAL VFW POST IS WORKING TO ENSURE THAT A SOLDIER RECENTLY KILLED IN IRAQ, IS NOT FORGOTTEN. THE VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS (POST 7263) IS HOSTING A DINNER FRIDAY WITH ALL THE PROCEEDS GOING TO THE FAMILY OF U.S. MARINE ANDRES PEREZ AND A SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. ALL COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND THE DINNER WHICH WILL START AT 4:30 P.M. FRIDAY AT 2259-7TH AVENUE IN SANTA CRUZ.

TRADER JOE'S WILL FILL THE SANTA CRUZ DOWNTOWN (FORMER) LOCATION OF ZANOTTO'S FAMILY MARKET. THE 13 THOUSAND SQUARE-FOOT STORE, HAS BEEN COMPLETELY REMODELED, AND IS SCHEDULED TO OPEN DECEMBER 10TH. 700 FRONT STREET WILL BECOME THE SITE OF THE 157TH TRADER JOE'S ON THE WEST COAST.

2 CHILDREN WERE AIRLIFTED TO PALO ALTO AFTER THEIR DRIVER 38-YEAR-OLD ANTONIO B. ALVAREZ WAS FORCED INTO AN ACCIDENT. 28-YEAR-OLD LEARA DONATTA SAMPSON WAS EXITING THE PARKING LOT OF WAL-MART, AND PULLED DIRECTLY INTO THE PATH OF THE ALVAREZ VEHICLE LAST NIGHT. SAMPSON COMPLAINED OF PAIN AND WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL, WHILE HER FEMALE PASSENGER WAS UNINJURED IN THE 7:15 P.M. ACCIDENT. THE OTHER PASSENGERS IN ALVAREZ'S VEHICLE, A 5-MONTH-OLD INFANT AND HER MOTHER, AS WELL AS THE DRIVER, WERE TRANSPORTED TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL FOR OBSERVATION. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED DURING THE POWER OUTAGE IN NORTH SALINAS, BUT ACCORDING TO THE POLICE INVESTIGATION, DIDN'T APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN A DIRECT RESULT OF THE OUTAGE.