May 21 – 27, 2013

MORE ECONOMICALLY SUSTAINABLE LOCAL LOGGING. Again back in the 1890′s these loggers probably used the same justifications for their clear-cutting as our local foresters do today. What would Santa Cruz County look like IF someone prevented this “selective forestry”? photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

“OF ALL THE GIN JOINTS IN THE WORLD“. “Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world”, and Charlie Canfield had to buy The Casablanca Restaurant!!! Actually, it’s just a rumor (oft repeated) so don’t go around saying it’s true…or say where you heard it. But if, and when you read it in The Sentinel, remember where you heard it first. As most of the civilized world knows Charlie Canfield (The Seaside Corporation-Boardwalk) has been buying up properties in Beach Flats for decades. I also missed the sentinel reporting on how Charlie & The Boardwalk bought the home and lot that Habitat For Humanity had already leased and was going to build on in Beach Flats. Somehow the Seaside Corporation got our City to make Habitat a better deal on other property elsewhere and now Charlie owns that lot too. They probably bought and own more than 3/4 of all those houses in the flats, then as we can see, they let them go to ruin. My guess is either Charlie hopes to someday build a CANFIELD WORLD Theme Park where he can charge admission (unlike The Boardwalk where he’s forced to let folks enter free). Or, the corporation will build more “conference center” hotels, shoppes, and tourist attractions. Just hang in there; we’ll see what he’s up to and probably soon, since he now has almost total support from our City Council and our Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors. Canfield hasn’t had such influence on our local law makers ever in history. Mark my words.

TATTOO THE HOMELESS. Incarceration isn’t enough, now that we know ( Santa Cruz Sunday Sentinel 5/19) that we’re way too easy on those terrible humans. We need to tattoo now!! It’s the only logical way to control these beasts. If we just jailed every homeless person, tied them down and tattooed a large “H” on their forehead we could tell who they are….forever. They’d never fool us again. Then we could fence in a beautiful view lot out by Dimeo Lane and keep them there. Take Back Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz Neighbors, Courtwatch, could all take turns on guard duty and District Attorney Bob Lee and Adriane Symons could make sure every little eye is dotted in those tattoos.

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary says on his KUSP program, “Every California county has a Local Agency Formation Commission (or LAFCO), and this state mandated agency plays an incredibly important role in many of the land use decisions that turn out to be the very most central and important decisions for the future of a local community. Will the City of Watsonville be allowed to expand its borders and to develop urban uses on the fertile farmlands that surround the city? LAFCO will decide. Will the City of Santa Cruz be given permission to extend its water service to an undeveloped part of the UCSC Campus, to facilitate over 3,000,000 square feet of new development? LAFCO will decide. Will the City of Seaside be permitted to annex lands on the former Fort Ord that are the location of a planned “Monterey Downs” development? LAFCO will decide.

Then he states…The City of Santa Cruz and the Soquel Creek Water District are planning jointly to construct a seawater desalination plant. The construction cost is estimated to be over $100 million dollars. Ratepayers in the City of Santa Cruz will be on the hook to pay 60% of that cost. Water rates will go up significantly if the plant is built. On a more philosophical plane, a decision to build a desal plant will be a decision to release our community from the inherent limits of the natural environment. Currently, we have to live within the limits of our natural water supply. Desalination is a way to “manufacture water.” As long as the ratepayers are willing to pay the costs, the supplies of water that can be produced are essentially unconstrained. The City of Santa Cruz has promised UCSC that it will pursue modular desalination plants in the future, to meet “system demand” for water. In other words, the decision on desal is a decision about University growth in particular, and future growth in general”.

He says a lot more…and you can read all of above at Gary’s KUSP Land Use scripts http://blogs.kusp.org/landuse (Gary Patton is “Of Counsel” to the Santa Cruz law firm of Wittwer & Parkin, which specializes in land use and environmental law. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. Gary has his own website, “Two Worlds / 365″ – www.gapatton.net)

VINTAGE DE CINZO. De Cinzo’s take on our parking meters!! See a few feet below.

EAGANS DEEP COVER. Tim Eagan goes one level deeper for our president’s duties. See below, just a bit.

LANDAU’S PROGRES. Saul asks that we, «Take Syria Seriously Stay Out ».He says, “Syria’s struggle also confronts Washington again with the drama of the Arab Spring: pro U.S. dictatorships in Arab countries vie with an amalgam of democrats, socialists and religious authoritarians, a setting ripe for more conflicts.

Assad’s ouster could lead to worse conditions and rebel control. Those who have already proclaimed Sharia law in areas they control and they have slaughtered Christians, Alawites and other minority Assad supporters.

U.S. military intervention could also hinder humanitarian relief operations and simultaneously embroil the United States in uncertain military commitments. Unilateral military action could strain key international relations, since no world or regional consensus supports armed intervention. And intervention could bring the United States into a broader regional conflict. Obama should not commit what the Pentagon estimates as the 75,000 troops to secure Syria’s chemical weapons stockpiles, which do not threaten U.S. interests. Stay out of Syria. Read all of it here…..

Saul Landau is an Institute for Policy Studies fellow whose films are on DVD from roundworldproductions@gmail.com

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes ” This week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com), enjoy an Art Nouveau adventure in Prague, revisit the Star Trek universe at warp-speed in J. J. Abrams’ entertaining new prequel, and take a look at my new bouncing baby book!” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer (live only, or sometimes old programs are archived…(see next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. On May 21^st City Council person Micah Posner talks about the May 23 money and politics forum. Then Sheriff Phil Wowak discusses what his job entails. Judge Paul Burdick returns on May 28 to talk about our court system. After that Gillian Greensite discusses Santa Cruz’s Heritage Trees. and On June 4^th Davis Banta & April Bennett talk about SideReal Theatre followed by Joan Antwerp talking more about local theatre. On June 11^th The Winners of Bookshop Santa Cruz’s Short Story Contest read their stories. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always at bratton@cruzio.com

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES.In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 5 years here’s a chronological list of just this year’s podcasts. Click herehttp://kzsc.org/blog/tag/universal-grapevine then tap on “listen here” to hear any or all of them… all over again. The update includes Nikki Silva, Michael Warren, Tom Noddy, Anita Monga, Mark Wainer, Judy Johnson-Darrow, Wendy Mayer-Lochtefeld, Rachel Goodman, George Newell, Tubten Pende, Gina Marie Hayes, Rebecca Ronay-Hazleton, Miriam Ellis, Deb Mc Arthur, The Great Morgani on Street performing, Paul Whitworth on Krapps Last Tape. Jodi McGraw on Sandhills, Bruce Daniels on area water problems. Mike Pappas on the Olive Connection, Sandy Lydon on County History. Paul Johnston on political organizing, Rick Longinotti on De-Sal. Dan Haifley on Monterey Bay Sanctuary, Dan Harder on Santa Cruz City Museum. Sara Wilbourne on Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre. Brian Spencer on SEE Theatre Co. Paula Kenyon and Karen Massaro on MAH and Big Creek Pottery. Carolyn Burke on Edith Piaf. Peggy Dolgenos on Cruzio. Julie James on Jewel Theatre Conpany. Then there’s Pat Matejcek on environment, Nancy Abrams and Joel Primack on the Universe plus Nina Simon from MAH, Rob Slawinski, Gary Bascou, Judge Paul Burdick, John Brown Childs, Ellen Kimmel, Don Williams, Kinan Valdez, Ellen Murtha, John Leopold, Karen Kefauver, Chip Lord, Judy Bouley, Rob Sean Wilson, Ann Simonton, Lori Rivera, Sayaka Yabuki, Chris Kinney, Celia and Peter Scott, Chris Krohn, David Swanger, Chelsea Juarez…and that’s just since January 2011. Hear them all!!!

QUOTES. “Sometimes Nothing is a real cool hand“, Luke, in Cool Hand Luke. “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye“, Antoine De St. Exupery (the Little Prince). “People think love is an emotion. Love is good sense”, Ken Kesey.

May 5 – 19, 2013

HISTORIC “CLEAR CUTTING” PLUS. Dating around 1900 these hard working guys felled everything that vintage “selective harvesting” would allow. We are living in the heritage of those timber practices. I have no clue where in our mountains this epic photo was taken…and it sure is impressive. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

DOUBLE ISSUE.Constant readers of BrattonOnline know that Gunilla Leavitt (owner of The Golden Fleece Yarn Shop (http://thegoldenfleece.com ) and husband Thomas Leavitt (former city council candidate) work hard every week to get this column online. It’s been 10 great years that we’ve been online. As we’ve all become accustomed to…. the internet system broke down last week…there was no BrattonOnline!. Even if you went online to Google (as many of you , and me too did) there was no link to BrattonOnline. A server problem I’m told. So anyways stuff is back to operating “normally”. I’ve up-dated last week’s bits and pieces and edited accordingly. Sorry about that, and thanks for all your inquiries. Please try subscribing again. That too screws up a lot and subscribers get lost to the ether. It’s the only way you can keep up with the changing days (or nights) that Gunilla can get this all online and running. Thanks again…and still.

THE GOOD OLD LA BAHIA BOUNCE BACK. Sunday morning’s Sentinel had a real headline when they related Craig French & Charlie Canfield’s new plans for La Bahia. It’ll take a while and more than a Sentinel article to understand what’s happening.

So none of us need to take positions just yet on what it really means. I asked Don Webber of the La Bahia neighborhood what he really thinks…he said and I quote..

“Supporters of the previous (Swenson) design sometimes assume that the problems with it could be boiled down to one word: height. That’s because the City amended the zoning law to accommodate proposed increased building heights.

However, nearby neighbors (and others) were critical of the massing and absence of setbacks and view corridors as much as (and maybe more than) the increased building heights. The California Coastal Commission was critical of these elements as well. They judged the proposed development to be visually incompatible with the surrounding area based on all of these elements, not just the building heights”.

“We continue to believe that it makes a lot of sense to develop this property within the existing zoning law, and we believe in this site for hotel use. We look forward to a great new hotel for our main beachfront. We look forward to meeting with Craig French in the hope that we can help shape a development that works for everybody.”

COUNTY SUPES CHANGING OUR TIMBER HARVEST LAWS. ( PART ONE) I asked Jodi Frediani ( Forestry Consultant Loma Prieta Chapter, Sierra Club and Director of the Central Coast Forest Watch) what the recent 3 to 2 vote by our Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on AB 904, the Working Forest Management Plan Bill really meant. The main reason I was curious is because John Leopold and Bruce McPherson were on the same side and were the two votes opposing the bill.

She wrote…”AB 904, the Working Forest Management Plan Bill, is another gift of regulatory relief to timberland owners. This bill would provide a vehicle for landowners of up to 15,000 acres to get a single permit, good forever, to harvest their forests. Neighbors would lose the right to comment on, or receive notice of future logging, and this bill takes away more of the little power counties still have to oversee logging operations.

Our County would lose the ability to review or appeal future harvests on these properties as well as any amendments to the plan, including the addition of new acreage, change in harvest methods, and use of helicopters. Forever is a long time.

Voice your opposition to Assembly members Mark Stone and Bill Monning.

COUNTY SUPES AND TIMBER HARVEST LAWS. (PART TWO). Jodi was kind, very kind, and wrote more on this issue. She wrote such statements as…”So ten years down the line, 20 years on, the owner conducts his logging operation, and the neighbors find out by hearing the sound of chain saws, and the rumble of loaded log trucks.

“And there are other identified problems with NTMPs including lack of adequate protection for endangered and listed species, over-cutting rather than meeting sustained yield requirements, damage to streams and water quality”. Plus, “in exchange for giving up the little power we have left regarding timber harvest operations”. “What may be good for Mendocino or Humboldt Counties is not good for Santa Cruz. As Supervisor’s Leopold and McPherson voted, Santa Cruz and the southern sub-district should be excluded from AB 904. Forever, is a long time”.. It’s an excellent critique on our timber issue…. read all of it here [expanding link, click again to collapse]

MONEY & POLITICS FORUM.There have been discussions, battles, fist fights and more for decades over the amount of money spent on local, state, and national political campaigns. There’s a forum happening in two weeks we should all attend, especially our Santa Cruz City Council members who refuse to limit their campaign spending.

It’s titled, “Forum: Democracy for the Rest of Us…Leveling the playing field in national, state, and local politics“. The sponsors are: Freedom Forum, CALPIRG, UCSC Democrats and Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom (WILPF)

The Keynote Speaker is Derek Cressman of Common Cause, speaking on “Across the U.S.: getting money out of politics”, Austin Price of CALPIRG and Overturning Citizens United. Nancy Abbey of WILPF about, “Increasing transparency in elections with the CA Disclose Act”, Chris Finnie of Move to Amend – Santa Cruz speaks on
“Corporations are not people and money is not speech”. Micah Posner, Santa Cruz City Councilmember on Public Campaign Finance in Santa Cruz. The moderator is Manu Koenig of Civinomics. For More Info or to arrange childcare please Contact Stacey at 421-9367 or staceyffalls@yahoo.com . It’ll happen 7:00 PM, NEXT THURSDAY May 23, 2013 Santa Cruz High School Auditorium. Find out what you can do! It’s time for action!! Let’s get big money out of politics!!! As they say.

HERITAGE TREES. Gillian Greensite wrote a fine summary about what’s happening to our Heritage Trees :

HERITAGE TREE ORDINANCE…. REVISIONS: 2013.

The S.C. City council will soon vote on a set of revisions to the current Heritage Tree Ordinance (HTO) which was last revised in 1994. The revisions gut the HTO of its standing as law to protect the urban forest. They replace the first 3 pages, which provide the rationale for urban forest protection, with a new chapter 9.56.001 entitled “Purpose.” This new chapter is subtle in its shifts but it essentially places private property rights ahead of public policy on heritage trees. Emergency is redefined as an “imminent” rather than an “immediate” danger. The current ordinance allows removal of big trees only if they are impacting the structural integrity of a building or are a danger. The revised grounds for removal are broadened to include allergies; objectionable insects; “unreasonable” financial burden and other subjective categories. The revisions loosen the protection under new construction with the following change (in bold): a heritage tree can be removed if, “a project design cannot reasonably be altered to accommodate existing heritage trees.”

The revisions take blue gum eucalyptus and all acacia out of protection. The blue gum is one of the largest and oldest of tree species in our urban forest. Song birds, honey bees and butterflies depend on this species for over wintering and survival. Big trees sequester the most carbon. The revisions include no environmental review of the impacts of taking these big trees out of protection. Re-planting is not adequate to compensate for the loss. The appeal process is changed so that most tree appeals will fall under the Planning Dept. rather than Parks & Rec. The cost to appeal a city permit for heritage tree removal under Planning is $1,000 if that appeal goes to council. Current cost under Parks is $50.If you want to check out the proposed revisions to the HTO contact the Parks and Rec. Dept. or Planning. Ask for a copy of the original 1994 edition to so you can see the changes in proper context“. Gillian Greensite

LYDON ROAST NEWS.It was a grand evening at “The Roasting of Sandy Lydon”. Last Friday night (5/10) at the Cocoanut Grove Ballroom. The Roasters were such luminaries as Sheriff Phil Wowak, Judge Bill Kelsay, author Geoffrey Dunn, Business guy and publisher George Ow, Mike Rotkin and Madelyn McCaul, Seymour Marine Sciences Director Gary Griggs and Assemblyman Mark Stone were all there and roasting, but mostly toasting. I helped organize the event and did my share of roasting with back-up humming by Nikki Silva, Katherine Minott and Rachel Hill. It was sponsored by the Capitola-Aptos Rotary. You can see, and sense more of the event by the fine coverage from Brad Cava’s Santa Cruz PATCH. Go here for it…

PACIFIC AVENUE BREEZES. One rarely mentioned fact is that if, just if, Santa Cruz ever does get de-sal water it’ll be the Westside that gets it 100%.Ever taste de-sal water? Folks who have tell me there’s a genuine miserable and lingering difference between de-sal and the real thing. It’s only a rumor that Nina Simon is planning on giving birth in MAH’s Atrium as part of an exhibit called “Everything’s Art”. Besides that, she probably isn’t naming the baby “Art” anyways. Speaking of drinking too much de-sal water, about two weeks ago I watched from the porch at Lulu’s Octagon while Bill Kocher walked out of Laili’s Restaurant after his luncheon date there. He complete forgot his sport jacket only to be chased seconds later going east on Cooper Street by the alert waitress. I asked him about it , he said it was the first time it ever happened (that he remembers!)….Only eagle eyed film goers noted that Downtown Chip was cut out of the Nick-Del Mar trailers advertising Chocolate, the restaurant. Other cinema buffs cheer or jeer every time they see that other Nick trailer where Ryan Coonerty gives his keys to the city to that spacey man,” Too Late” they sing in unison.. Susan Hillhouse Leask former art curator at MAH is going onward to curatea lot more art at The San Jose

Museum of Art or “SJMA” which is tough to pronounce.The SJMA website says they exist “for a growing permanent art collection, impressive international exhibitions, and an ambitious mission that bridges tradition and innovation” That’s not bad either.

A MOTION TO TABLE. Why and how come our newly focused & “economic driven” City Council replace the four or more sets of tables and chairs that vanished from the parkette with doggie statue between The Del Mar and New Leaf Grocery. How can we attract tourists and business downtown and have no place to sit??? It looks terrible..Tsk, Tsk, and shame.

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary says on his KUSP program, that greenhouse gases are being studied by our educational institutions…He says that it’s not only land but water and stream issues that need planning. He talks about the Ocean Street Area Plan and the Coastal Watershed Council tour..Read all of above at Gary’s KUSP Land Use scripts http://blogs.kusp.org/landuse (Gary Patton is “Of Counsel” to the Santa Cruz law firm of Wittwer & Parkin, which specializes in land use and environmental law. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. Gary has his own website, “Two Worlds / 365″ – www.gapatton.net)

VINTAGE DE CINZO.Oh those pesky teenagers…they never change! Scroll down a few pages.

EAGANS DEEP COVER. Check out Tim’s take on Sequestration…and ponder. Then (being a Double column) check out his latest prayer to the almighty…See below a bit…

LANDAU’S PROGRES. Saul Landau states, »Birth Defects U.S. Legacy in Iraq »

Amidst other things he says, “It’s almost amusing (like watching vampire films) when U.S. officials brag about how wonderful our country is, and how the rest of the world should take lessons from us on democracy (don’t count the vote in Florida – Gore v. Bush), the rule of law (and human rights at Guantanamo Base). If law had meaning in the USA, George W. Bush and Dick Cheney would stand trial after a law enforcement officer had cuffed them and read charges against them for having committed war crimes and other major felonies (like murder and torture) against Iraqis and citizens of other countries”

Saul closes with, “Those screaming for war with Iran should study the results of the last war before sending more death and destruction to that oily region we depend upon, but cannot control. As we mourn for the dead in Boston, let us remember those we continue to kill in Iraq, babies who don’t deserve defects to accompany their birth, defects that derive from U.S. residual weapons contaminating their environment. Who takes responsibility”? Read all of it here…

Saul Landau is an Institute for Policy Studies fellow whose films are on DVD from roundworldproductions@gmail.com

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Moms get a sweet deal at the 6th Annual Art & Chocolate Mothers Day art tour, and Laurie King leads a Mysterious Regiment of Women in a panel on crime fiction and theology, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com). Also—enjoy the tall tale that is Mud, and the entertaining hooey of Iron Man 3, and find out what I have in common with Woody Allen and Ebenezer Scrooge. ” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer (live only, or sometimes old programs are archived…(see next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG.

On May 7^th Rebecca Jackson provides details on her Music In May concert. She’s followed by Fred Keeley our out-going County Treasurer talking about his job. May 14^th is when we’ll learn about Lifespan from Saundie Isaak then Pat Lerman is coming from Aromas to tell us what’s happening on the Fracking scene in her neck of the shale.

Micah Posner talks about the May 23 money and politics forum on the May 21 G’Vine. Judge Paul Burdick returns on May 28 to talk about our court system. On June 4^th Davis Banta & April Bennett talk about SideReal Theatre followed by Joan Antwerp talking more about local theatre. On June 11^th The Winners of Bookshop Santa Cruz’s Short Story Contest read their stories. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always at bratton@cruzio.com

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES.In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 5 years here’s a chronological list of just this year’s podcasts. Click herehttp://kzsc.org/blog/tag/universal-grapevine then tap on “listen here” to hear any or all of them… all over again. The update includes Nikki Silva, Michael Warren, Tom Noddy, Anita Monga, Mark Wainer, Judy Johnson-Darrow, Wendy Mayer-Lochtefeld, Rachel Goodman, George Newell, Tubten Pende, Gina Marie Hayes, Rebecca Ronay-Hazleton, Miriam Ellis, Deb Mc Arthur, The Great Morgani on Street performing, Paul Whitworth on Krapps Last Tape. Jodi McGraw on Sandhills, Bruce Daniels on area water problems. Mike Pappas on the Olive Connection, Sandy Lydon on County History. Paul Johnston on political organizing, Rick Longinotti on De-Sal. Dan Haifley on Monterey Bay Sanctuary, Dan Harder on Santa Cruz City Museum. Sara Wilbourne on Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre. Brian Spencer on SEE Theatre Co. Paula Kenyon and Karen Massaro on MAH and Big Creek Pottery. Carolyn Burke on Edith Piaf. Peggy Dolgenos on Cruzio. Julie James on Jewel Theatre Conpany. Then there’s Pat Matejcek on environment, Nancy Abrams and Joel Primack on the Universe plus Nina Simon from MAH, Rob Slawinski, Gary Bascou, Judge Paul Burdick, John Brown Childs, Ellen Kimmel, Don Williams, Kinan Valdez, Ellen Murtha, John Leopold, Karen Kefauver, Chip Lord, Judy Bouley, Rob Sean Wilson, Ann Simonton, Lori Rivera, Sayaka Yabuki, Chris Kinney, Celia and Peter Scott, Chris Krohn, David Swanger, Chelsea Juarez…and that’s just since January 2011. Hear them all!!!

QUOTES. “Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!’, Robin Williams.

“In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours”, Mark Twain. “Isn’t it sad to go to your grave without ever wondering why you were born? Who, with such a thought, would not spring from bed, eager to resume discovering the world and rejoicing to be part of it?”, Richard Dawkins