DESPITE IT BEING RIGHT AFTER ONE OF THE MOST DIVISIVE ELECTIONS IN YEARS, THE CO-CHAIRS OF THIS YEAR'S HOLIDAY FOOD DRIVE ARE CHALLENGING LOCAL BUSINESSES AND OTHER FOOD DRIVE PARTICIPANTS TO PULL TOGETHER AND BE "ONE IN A MILLION". THE EVENT CO-CHAIRS THIS YEAR ARE SANTA CRUZ CITY MANAGER DICK WILSON, AND MIKE MACHADO, MANAGING PARTNER OF HUTCHINSON & BLOODGOOD. THEY WILL MAKE THEIR CALL FOR 1 MILLION POUNDS OF HEALTHY FOOD (FOR HUNGRY FAMILIES) AT THE KICK-OFF LUNCHEON ON THURSDAY AT THE SANTA CRUZ BOARDWALK'S COCOANUT GROVE.
THE NEXT DAY, (NOVEMBER 5TH ) A FLEET OF TRUCKS AND DOZENS OF VOLUNTEERS WILL BEGIN ROLLING OUT OVER 6 HUNDRED BARRELS TO AREA BUSINESSES.
AT THE KICK-OFF LUNCHEON, LAST YEAR'S TOP AWARD WINNERS WILL BE RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS.

MANY POLL WORKERS ON THE CENTRAL COAST SAY TODAY VOTER TURNOUT IS HIGHER THAN THEY HAVE EVER SEEN . LINES WERE LONG AT MOST POLLING PLACES, AND SOME WORKERS WORRIED ABOUT GETTING TO WORK LATE. VOTERS HAVE BEEN TURNING UP EARLY, AND SOME POLLING LOCATIONS REPORT MORE VOTES WERE CAST BY 9 A.M. THAN PREVIOUSLY WERE REGISTERED THE WHOLE DAY. EARLY VOTERS WAITED UP TO 30 MINUTES IN SOME PLACES IN ORDER TO VOTE, AND MUCH OF THE SAME IS EXPECTED AS AFTER-WORK VOTERS HEAD TO THE POLLS.

NATURAL GAS PRICES ARE ON THE INCREASE ACCORDING TO A WARNING FROM PG&E. THEY ARE CAUTIONING CUSTOMERS TO EXPECT A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN UTILITY BILLS IN NOVEMBER. NOT ONLY IS THERE INCREASED USAGE, DUE TO WEATHER, BUT COST INCREASES IN NATURAL GAS, CRUDE OIL, PROPANE AND HEATING OIL , ARE BEING PASSED ON TO THE CONSUMER. BILLED CUSTOMERS SHOULD EXPECT TO SEE AN AVERAGE 12 PERCENT INCREASE, JUST FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER. THE UTILITY COMPANY RECOMMENDS CONSERVATION IN KEEPING BILLS DOWN. THROW ON AN EXTRA BLANKET, AND TURN YOUR THERMOSTAT DOWN TO 55 DEGREES AT NIGHT, AND WHEN YOUR ARE NOT HOME.

THE CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL ANNOUNCED PRELIMINARY FIGURES MONDAY SHOWING AN OVERALL DECREASE OF 3.8 PERCENT, IN REPORTED VIOLENT CRIME IN THE STATE'S MOST POPULOUS CITIES AND COUNTIES DURING THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF 2004. IN SANTA CRUZ VIOLENT CRIME ALSO WENT DOWN 1.4 PERCENT, WHILE SOME NUMBERS IN MONTEREY COUNTY WEREN'T SO ROSY. VIOLENT CRIME SKYROCKETED 50 PERCENT, DURING THE SAME TIME PERIOD THERE, AND CRIME IN SALINAS WAS UP 8.6 PERCENT . MORE SPECIFIC INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S WEB PAGE.
http://www.ag.ca.gov