Twenty-seven years ago, on Oct. 17, 1989, I was a City Council member going about my normal business in Santa Cruz. I returned home in time for game three of the Giants v A’s World Series. As I settled in, the TV jumped at me. A 6.9 earthquake centered about ten miles away was shaking the region. I ran out through the kitchen as dishes pitched out of the cupboards. Outside I couldn’t take my eyes off a neighbor’s palm tree as it waved almost to the ground. Eventually, I made my way to City Hall at the edge of our decimated downtown.