This female raccoon with the gimpy paw--always talkative with plenty of facial expressions-- has been making the rounds in the Natural Bridges neighborhood for the past three years, and this year she has a baby in tow. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)

For some 20,000 vehicular scoffllaws this was their first look at traffic officer Ken Black. After 25 years of service, he is retiring from the Santa Cruz Police Department. (Bill Lovejoy/Sentinel)
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White cosmos grow in a field at Camflor Inc. outside Watsonville on Tuesday. (Julia Moore/Sentinel)

Strawberries ripen off San Andreas Road in Watsonville on Tuesday. (Julia Moore/Sentinel)

Grace O'Brien prepares to catch a softball at Main Beach in Santa Cruz on Wednesday afternoon. (Julia Moore/Sentinel)

Bridget Grossi attempts to block the ball during water polo practice at the Santa Cruz High School pool on Monday. (Julia Moore/Sentinel)

A 12-week-old Chihuahua plays in the grass at Pinto Lake City Park in Watsonville on Wednesday. (Julia Moore/Sentinel)

David and Steven Butler wait for their attorneys outside court Thursday after Steven Butler received a $2.85 million settlement from Taser International. Steven Butler was tasered by Watsonville police five years ago on a Metro bus and suffered cadiac arrest and permenant damages to his mental faculties. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)

Steven Butler leaves court Thursday with his attorney Dan Scruggs, at left, after receiving a $2.85 million settlement from Taser International. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)

David and Steven Butler listen to their attorney Nathan Benjamin Thursday at the county courthouse after Steven Butler received a $2.85 million settlement from Taser International. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)

Attorney Ed Frey uses his truck mirror to put on his tie before heading to court on Wednesday morning after spending much of the night at the new Peace Camp at Santa Cruz City Hall. Frey was headed to defend homeless activist Gary Johnson during a court appearance. (Shmuel Thaler/Sentinel)

A member of the homeless Peace Camp snoozes around 7:45am in front of Santa Cruz City Hall on Wednesday. (Shmuel Thaler/Sentinel)

The view from inside the 'wave.' (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)

Homer Henard drags his hand across the 'wave' face as he gets barreled inside a tarp being pulled by Luke Rockhold in an empty parking lot. For a handful of local surfers, tarp surfing is becoming big when the real waves are small. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)

Homer Henard drags his hand across the overhead 'wave' face as he gets barrelled while riding through a folding tarp in an empty parking lot. 'Tarp surfing' is becoming big when the real waves are small. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)

Dan Coyro/Sentinel Luke Rockhold emerges from a tube as Homer Henard yanks on the tarp. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)