BrattonOnline: the latest incarnation of Bruce Bratton's weekly opinion columns, 34 years and running. Featuring additional content from Paul Elerick, Gary Patton, South County Report, Patrick Casey, Tim Eagan, Saul Landau, and more!

Bruce Bratton hosts University Grapevine, linking local and campus issues, every Tuesday 7:30-8:30 p.m. on KZSC 88.1 fm.

CAMP EVERS 1948.

This is really the intersection of Mount Hermon Road and Scotts Valley Drive back when Scotts Valley didn't have anything going for it.

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection, click for bigger version.
Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

OPEN WIDE...EIGHT LANES WIDE. We're getting eight lanes of freeway widening shoved up or down our Highway One, depending on which way you bend. There's no EIR, The RTC is completely ignoring Fred Keeley's Task Force, Capitola voted No Widening, but who asked them? Read PAUL ELERICKS INPUT right here. Paul has followed this widening cancer since it began and has nailed it. See what's going to happen on January 11th and what we can do to stop this enormous waste of our money on something we voted against.

ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS. The Oscar nominations will be announced Tuesday, January 23. The big Academy Awards show will be at 5 p.m. on Sunday February 25. On the other hand, we area film critics Morton Marcus, Lisa Jensen, Wallace Baine and I will discuss our opinions as to which films SHOULD win on Saturday February 24 at noon at the Nickelodeon. Bring opinions, it's free.

GOLDEN GLOBE and other AWARDS. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association's Golden Globe Awards will be televised next Monday January 15. It'll be hosted and presented by Drew Barrymore, Hugh Grant, Cameron Diaz, Hilary Swank and George Clooney. The Oscar Awards usually give awards to the same films as the Globes, so tune in. The wild and funny Independent Spirit Awards will be telecast 2 p.m. Saturday February 24 (the day before the Oscars) Go to www.filmindependent.org and watch past years clips, swearing, drinking, they got it all...especially Felicity Huffman's acceptance speech...and it's great fun too.

LEN KLEMPNAUER AND BOB CASTAGNOLA. I ran into Bob Castagnola at lunch last week and thanked him for his new data on that historic Santa Cruz Hotel photo. He added that no story on the old days of the hotel would be complete without mentioning Lula. Someday we should write the entire history of the Santa Cruz Hotel including the Lula part. Then Len Klempnauer sent an email saying, " Any story of the Santa Cruz Hotel during the '50s and '60s should include mention of the restaurant's spectacular French-fried raviolis that were served as hors d'oeuvres in the bar during the happy hour. Also, Al Castagnola' s partner was Friend "Amigo" Arevalo. "Friend" should be capitalized. That was his name. After Al sold out and started another restaurant, I believe Annie Righetti, John Righetti's sister, became part owner. Bob Castagnola should be able to clarify that. Len Klempnauer, Capitola.

CAPITOLA BOOK CAFÉ, PART 2. Last week I wrote that the Capitola Book Café was already sold, it hasn't been...not yet. Here's what Janet Leimeister and C.B.C. employees wrote to set the record straight...."Regarding your statement about the pending sale of Capitola Book Café, it is very important for you and your kind readers to understand that we are still in a transition stage of this important project and no sale has been completed. The current employees who have spearheaded the effort are still raising funds from community members to complete the project. We have taken over the day-to-day management needs, are discussing possible partnerships, are learning much from the current owners and our beloved bosses, and are eager to see that Book Café remains a vital part of our community. Patience and support is appreciated. Additionally, George Ow and Geoffrey Dunn both have offered advice on this transition but have not been involved in the process. Sincerely, Janet Leimeister & Wendy Mayer-Lochtefeld, employees of Capitola Book Café.

CLUB ZAYANTE BENEFIT. Tom Louagie hisself sent the following email

AN EVENING AT CLUB ZAYANTE
The legendary mountain club recently burned down. But all on ONE BIG NIGHT many of the fine musicians who played Club Z.and then went on to greater glory, will be
honoring its memory and playing for old friends and new.
LACY J. DALTON, Country music awards: 'Best New Female Singer" (Crazy Blue Eyes, 16th Avenue, Brand New Tennessee Waltz, Hard Times, Takin' it Easy).
BOB BROZMAN, National Guitar and Hawaiian slide master, world musician, producer, director, performer in "Song of the Volcano".
RON THOMPSON, Chris Isaak says :"You're lucky to be in a little club seeing the legendary Ron Thompson, one of the last living blues legends. He's the real deal!"
SIROCCO, Sulyman and Armando and their dancers roar in from the desert and enchant us once again!
THE DIRTY BUTTER JUG BAND kicks the chairs off the dance floor for the grandee finale with the one and only ORNATE HAWKINS sitting in!
Also "LIVE AT CLUB ZAYANTE" CD's and tee-shirts, (great late xmas gifts)
IT WILL ALL HAPPEN AT
DON QUIXOTE'S, Hwy 9 & Graham Hill Rd., FELTON. 8P.M.
SATURDAY, JAN.13
$20 at door; $18 advance.
Call 831-603-2294
P.S. If you'd like to tell your favorite Club Z.story, hear someone else's, or even make one up, e-mail clubzayantetom@yahoo.com I'll set up a blog or whatever when I figure all that tech stuff out, and we'll keep in touch. Investors welcome.
Yes, our Hot Damn String Band played there many, many nights and early on several mornings too. Then we'd drive over the hill to Roaring Camp and play there on Saturday mornings...those were the days, I think.

GARY PATTON'S PROGRAM. Gary also weighs in on the RTC's plot to widen Highway One. He talks about the referendum campaign against the Monterey County Board of Supervisors. The powers are working fast to pave over Spreckels farmland to build 73 new homes. Gary praises using "Google Earth" as an environmental tool! He closes by talking about Saving Pleasure Point's fight to save the historic roadhouse. Click here

TIM EAGAN'S EFFULGENCE. Tim scoops the political world with a new meaning of "Chairman" Bush. Scroll down.

CHRISTINA WATERS WARILY. Check out Christina's website at http://christinawaters.com She's talking about Babe l and the Oscars. She's found a café in La Jolla and doesn't like the use of the phrase "Guys" in restaurants.

PAUL HOSTETTER'S WEBSITE. www.lutherie.net/live.music.html Hostetter manages to collect the most interesting musical performances in Northern California on his website. Check it out to learn about Pacifica Performances, which is in Pacifica. They have a grand event schedule and very low prices. Then you can check out Stanford's Lively Arts where Michelle Witt is now holding forth.

SAUL LANDAU AND GORE VIDAL IN CUBA. Here's the link to read Progreso Weekly and Saul's story about Gore Vidal and others including Saul and their trip to Havanna. Vidal is as witty as Saul is and the background comments are typical Landau.
http://www.progresoweekly.com

CHETAN TIERRA, pianist. Aside from being a Santa Cruz kid twenty three year old Chetan Tierra holds prizes in over twenty competitions including the 2006 gold medal at the Eighth California International Young Artists Competition, first prize at the Twenty-Eighth Frinna Awerbuch International Piano Competition, and second prize at the Eighteenth New Orleans International Piano Competition. He's going to be playing works by Chopin, Ginastera, Mozart and Scriabin on Saturday, February 3 at 8PM
in the Cabrillo College Theater, 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos, CA. You can get tickets at the Cabrillo Box Office, Bldg 2100 A, Cabrillo College, 479-6331 M-F 9:30 - 4:30 or at www.ticketguys.com

CELEBRATING ALICE DAVIS. WILPF and the family of Alice Davis invite you to a Celebration of Her Life. Sunday, January 14, 2007, 2:00 - 5:00pm, Harvey West Clubhouse, 326 Evergreen Street, Santa Cruz. Alice was a long-time peace and justice activist and member of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom among other organizations. We will share our "Alice stories", celebrate her kindnesses and the infinite occasions and actions when Alice was the calm center and model of hope.
You are welcome to bring a finger-food dish to share. Additionally, you may bring an item for the altar and/or items to be included in a scrapbook of remembrances.

CHILDREN OF MEN. A near film masterpiece directed by Alfonso Cuaron who also directed Great Expectations with Gwyneth Paltrow, Y Tu Mama Tambien, and Harry Potter and the Princess of Azafriznutz or something. It's from Miss P.D. James' book and it's all about London in 2027. Clive Owens is the star along with Julienne Moore and Michael Caine has one of his best parts in years too. It's 1984, Escape From New York, Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451, and it's simply a brilliantly done film. The accents range from Cockney to Liverpool and some words are lost but it is one thrilling and provocative film. Especially if you are political or even environmental.

PERFUME. It's a shock to see Dustin Hoffman as a wheezy foppish perfume maker and it's a shock to watch this entire serial murderer movie. It's full of period costumes and it is a visual and even a guttural pleasure to watch. Not for the squeamish, and Mort Marcus tells me the film has a slightly different ending than the book, and do see it.

THE PAINTED VEIL. Why or how is it that Edward Norton and Naomi Watts have such reputations that when you hear they co-produced this film you know it has to have something going for it....and it does. It's from a Somerset Maugham novel set in 1920's China. Like Maugham's best works the film is intensely personal and the main characters are flawed. See it by all means.

UNIVERSITY GRAPEVINE. Every Thursday from 4 -5 pm I host University grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. You can hear it on your computer around the world at www.kzsc.org. This week I'll be talking with Offra Gerstein who writes the Relationship Matters column for the Sentinel. Offra has some new approaches to relationships, tune in. Then Gary Griggs & Deepika Shrestha Ross co authors of the new book Santa Cruz Coast (Arcadia Publishing) will talk about their unique idea of matching photos of our coastline taken decades ago and now. Sandy Lydon has a theory that the reason our picturesque bridges like Natural Bridge collapse so often (see the book for many more examples) is because of the vibrations camera lens produce when we take too many photos at the same place. He may not believe that anymore.

QUOTES. "To live in Australia permanently is rather like going to a party and dancing all night with your mother." -Barry Humphries. "My opinion of New York is that the newspapers are too thick and the lavatory paper is too thin." -Winston Churchill. "Going to the bathroom in a yacht in a French harbor is not so much good-bye as an au revoir." -Noel Coward.

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Bruce critiques films every Friday on KZSC-FM (88.1) on The Bushwhacker Breakfast Club at 8am.

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