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(05-26) 19:08 PDT Corralitos — Some residents who had been forced to evacuate from their homes in the Santa Cruz Mountains last week were allowed to move back in Monday as moist weather and calmed winds helped firefighters contain 80 percent of a wildfire that has scorched 4,270 acres.
Fire officials hope to have all the evacuees back in their homes by Thursday, said Henry Dekruyff, a spokesman with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. They expect to fully contain the blaze by today and have it under control by Friday.
The fire, which started Thursday, has destroyed 36 residences and 18 outbuildings such as sheds and barns. A hundred homes remained threatened as of Monday night.
People had voluntarily evacuated 1,400 homes and authorities mandated the evacuation of 450 more, said Chris Morgan, a Cal Fire prevention specialist.
On Monday afternoon, fire officials allowed an unidentified number of people to return to their homes, which were mostly in Santa Cruz County. Those allowed to return include people with homes along Eureka Canyon Road and Rider Road to Ormsby Road; Hazel Dell Road; Buzzard Lagoon Road; Browns Valley Road; and Croy Road in Santa Clara County. People had been allowed back on Saturday on guided tours with fire officials but weren’t allowed to stay.
Holly Waddle, who lives on Mount Madonna Road, said the three-bedroom home she built 33 years ago was spared even though it sits roughly 100 feet from where the blaze started. Living in a fire-prone area where winds can get as high as 125 mph, Waddle keeps a plastic container with old photos and papers handy in case she needs to flee. She grabbed those as well as her father’s ashes and sped down her road after her husband spotted the blaze early Thursday morning. She said she stopped at neighbors’ houses and leaned on her horn, screaming for them to leave. One of those houses ended up burning to the ground. She is grateful she can eventually return to hers.

sfgate.com

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The CW just released an official announcement that Supernatural, One Tree Hill, Smallville, Gossip Girl and America's Next Top Model have been picked up for next season. Yes, we will see all these shows in the fall for the 2008-09 season!
Happy Snoopy dance with me, will ya?
The episode orders for each of these series remains "TBD," but I can assure you that the cast of OTH is celebrating the pickup of its sixth season—most likely at Hilarie Burton's house—right now in Wilmington, North Carolina. I just ran into Sophia Bush at dinner in West Hollywood a few days ago and had a nice chat about how the show is really, as she put it, "in its groove" this season, and how she and the cast feel they have a good thing going and hope it continues. Word. Ask and ye shall receive.
I also just checked in with Gossip boss Josh Schwartz, and he tells me, "Didn't know [the pickup] was happening today but I guess—when the show is Gossip Girl—reading it online is as good! Stephanie and I couldn't be happier or more grateful to the CW for all their support. We've had a blast working with this cast and crew, and shooting in NYC has been awesome. We're excited about what's to come in the next five episodes and season two." Josh's other new show, Chuck, is also expected back this fall, so he's just on a roll. Whee!
And while Gossip Girl and Top Model seemed no-brainers for fall, Supernatural and Smallville fans are most assuredly breathing a huge sigh of relief at these pickups, since the fates of both series have been in limbo as of late. Super boss Eric Kripke knows he owes a great deal to you fans and your very vocal support efforts, especially in this here wacky world o' web. "Our online community is a rowdy and boisterous one," he says. "And we love them for it."

eonline.com

BELMAR — All along Main Street on Sunday, the color green was king. Paradegoers clad themselves in green hats, shirts, bandannas and plastic beads. Teenagers had green hair and wore green makeup. Some people dined on cookies, cotton candy and pizza, all dyed brilliant shades of green.
On Sunday, the 35th annual St. Patrick’s parade marched through Belmar and Lake Como, with pleasant weather drawing a large crowd. The parade, comprising 3,500 marchers, had something for everyone, including 25 pipe-and-drum bands, 10 high school and elementary bands, police and fire squads from many Shore towns, senior citizen and nonprofit groups from throughout the state, beauty queens from several New Jersey pageants, the Denville String Band decked out in brightly colored sequins and feathers, and even the Geico gecko.
Around the 12:30 p.m. start of the parade, space was still available curbside for people to set up chairs and blankets, but as the afternoon progressed, the crowd became thicker and thicker. Beth Ballon of the Shark River Hills section of Neptune said she arrived around 11:30 a.m. to secure a front-row spot near the end of the parade route by Eighth Avenue.
Belmar Police Chief Jack W. Hill Jr. estimated about 100,000 people attended, and about 75 officers patrolled the area, stretching from Lake Como to Seventh Avenue in Belmar.
U.S. Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg, D-N.J., was among the parade’s marchers, as was Rep. Frank J. Pallone Jr., D-N.J. Grand marshal was Ed Neafsy of Avon, and deputy grand marshal was Peggy O’Connor of Belmar.
For Belmar resident Jim Reilly, who was at the parade doing news coverage for Cablevision, being there was not only for work.
“I cover it every year. My family owns the Irish Centre, so it’s a family tradition,” he said. “It’s a day for the Irish to show strength in numbers. We can put 100,000 people in the streets.”
Paradegoers filled the shops on Main Street. Many store owners and vendors welcomed the onslaught of people, setting up separate stations or serving food buffet-style to ease lines. Freedman’s Bakery was full of people buying hot dogs, baked goods and coffee.
“Eleven (a.m.) is when people start coming around,” said Danielle Liss of Hoboken, who was working at a table set up outside the bakery. “Inside is busy before that.”
Kelly McAllister of Farmingdale, membership director for the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore, sold Girl Scout cookies with several other volunteers. Though they were not offering Irish-themed food, it did not put a dent in their sales.
“This is our first year,” she said. “We’ve sold 10 cases so far (by around 1 p.m.), and we have about 20 more.”
McAllister also explained the parade was the first Girl Scout cookie sale in the county. “The cookies were just delivered this week,” she said.
At 10th Ave. Burrito Co., Scott Southwick of Neptune sold hot dogs, churros and sodas. The restaurant opened a table outside at 11:30 a.m., and by almost 3 p.m. sold out of hot dogs.
“Instead of opening the shop and dealing with problems all day, we set up out here. It works out well,” he said.
As the parade wound down around 3:30 p.m., the crowds dispersed, many taking the train out of Belmar, or headed into borough bars and restaurants to keep celebrating.
“It’s the most fun day at the Shore,” Reilly said.
Jennifer Bradshaw: (732) 888-2621 or jbradshaw@app.com

app.com