Bruce Bratton hosts University Grapevine, linking local and campus issues, every Tuesday 7:30-8:30 p.m. on KZSC 88.1 fm.
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NEAL COONERTY NEW ENDORSEMENTS. Neal got me a list of his newest endorsements in his run for re-election to the County Board of Supervisors. I listed a bunch in BrattonOnline.com in the June 15-21 column and probably left out and repeated a bunch but check it out. He added Sam Farr, Bill Monning, Fred Keeley, Katherine Beiers, Don Lane, Lynn Robinson, Ann Parker, Bonny Hawley, Brian Murtha, Bruce Van Allen, Caleb Baskin, Celia and Peter Scott, Connie Unsicker, Carol Fuller, Dan Haifley, Ed and Pat Manning, Emily Bernard, Emily Maloney, Francisco Sernas, Gary Griggs, Gary Patton, Geoff Dunn, Glen Schaller, Harriet Deck, Ian McFadden, Jack O'Neill, Jeremy Neuner, John Shultz, Kaitilin Gaffney, Karen and Darrell Darling, Karen Cogswell, Kris Reyes, Les Gardner, Laura Kasa, Les Gardner, Linda Wilshusen, Matt Farrell, Michael Breden, Mike Rotkin, Noel Bock, Pat Shand, Paul Elerick, Rabbi Rick Litvak, Roland Rebele and more yet. Neal said he still hasn't heard of anyone else running for 3rd District Supervisor.
WATER STREET BRIDGE CELEBRATION. The City of Santa Cruz has postponed the big celebration again. They were going to give a free weekend at the lovely but lonely 2030 North Pacific Luxury Homes http://2030northpacific.com to the tenth person to actually cross the new Water Street Pedestrian Bridge!!! But apparently it'll take a few months to reach that number. Meanwhile many citizens are suggesting a plaque be placed on the bridge with the City Council member's names that are responsible for allowing that bridge to nowhere be built. It's neatly odd and if you go to that 2030 No. Pacific link you'll read its tagline, "Life is Good here". We need another contest to change it to include something about "death being present here".
R.O.M.A. CONSULTANTS. No telling where this rumor came from but some secret person told me that when Santa Cruz hired the ROMA consultants group for past projects they never knew that R.O.M.A stood for "Right Out of My Ass". Snicker, snicker.
EARTHQUAKE'S 20TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR. Obviously 2009 is the 20th anniversary year of our big earthquake. What's happening by way of ceremonies??? The Santa Cruz Downtown Association had one meeting so far, and Chip says he's planning something in Louis Rittenhouse's' empty building for October. Sandy Lydon is planning a genuine commemoration out at the epicenter in Nisene Marks. Sarah Yahm's Community Studies program from UCSC has been working on an audio documentary. We'll just see what really transpires after all, we have just about 60 days before that eventful day of October 17th.
CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES, SO FAR. It's always exciting to hear about possible candidates for our city council race happening next year. It's assumed that Lynn Robinson will run for re-election. In addition there's talk about Emily Reilly running but there seems to be a question about her health. Then there's Ron Pomerantz, Debbie Elston, but David Terrazas did say he'll be running, Ed Porter may or may not, then there's always the fear that Scott Kennedy may try it again, but quien sabe?
This meeting, organized by the Campaign for Sensible Transportation and Support the METRO Committee, last Thursday was a winner. Room 3 at London Nelson Community Center was filled with people interested in alternative transportation, especially supportive of the bus system that has been hit hard by the Republican cuts to public transit. Cuts is the wrong word, they eliminated all capital budgets for public transit in the state for the next five years. Several bus riders testified as to what the impact of a bus-less Santa Cruz County would mean to them. Bill Monning provided Spanish translation for a young mother who depended on Metro to get her kids to school and herself to her job.
It was refreshing to see this event covered in the Sentinel the following morning, abbreviated as it was. Not sure why they featured a picture of Assembly member Caballero from the 28th Assembly District on their online version of the article.
Community TV also covered the Town Hall meeting for showing at a later date. For those who couldn't make the Town Hall meeting and are interested in the subject of public transit in our county, watch for the time and date of this showing on CTV's website. Speakers included Assembly member Monning, Rick Longinotti for the Campaign for Sensible Transportation, and Fred Keeley, current County Treasurer and former assembly member. All three conveyed their concern for the state of public transit in our area and suggested ways to save what we have and improve it. Bus rider and Support the METRO Committee member (and former London, England resident) Lisa Warshaw emceed the event, keeping everything moving at the right pace". (Paul Elerick is an Aptos resident, active in mid-county political issues, member of Nisene 2 Sea, Seacliff Improvement Association, Aptos Neighbors Association, and the countywide Campaign for Sensible Transportation).
SANTA CRUZ WOMAN MADE FAMOUS ON YOU TUBE. Don't keep wondering who that woman is who made such a world wide hit as she addressed our City Council on May 13, 2008,and has been the subject of about 1 billion emails so far. Rambling on from pesticides to pollution she seemed hilarious and somehow Pure & Weird Santa Cruz. After checking with a few city officials turns out she's a mite off balance-disturbed-challenged-etc. So leave that topic alone....don't go there anymore.
RANDALL KANE DIDN'T "GIVE BIRTH TO" THE CATALYST. That crazy Sentinel keeps getting it wrong...the recently departed Randall Kane only bought the up and running Catalyst from its original owners back in 1969. Patty Di Ludovico along with hubby Al managed the Catalyst for years. She remembered that those owners were a co-operative and are a who's who of early Santa Cruz movers and shakers. Byron Stookey helped start the co-op and got Phil Harry, Ralph Abraham, Paul Lee, Leon Taboury, Warren Penniman, Ian McPhail, Roland Hall, Chuck and Elizabeth Moore, John Dizikes, John Stenovich, Sam Bloom, Bob Ludlow, T. Mike Walker, Austin Comstock, Arn Ghigliazza, Todd Newberry, Dent Snyder, Bill Domhoff, Mike Johnston, Marv Namen, Bob Kraft, Joe Miller, Bruce Rosenblum, were all involved either as co-op members or very regular patrons. It was a genuine Catalyst for UCSC people merging with attorneys and townsfolk. Patty went on to say that Marilyn Liddicoat sang there, Tim O'Leary did a reading there and lots more special events. There was a UCSC Campus branch of the Catalyst called "The Kite" which later became "The Whole Earth Restaurant". Randall Kane came in years later and bought the economically failing co-operation and made it more commercial. He moved it to the present location in April 1975 and it was the opening article in the first issue of Good Times vol.1, #1. Randall got all his money from his wife's Underwood typewriter fortune. John Tuck and I bought the first beers in the new Catalyst by the way, starting a tradition. We also bought the first beers in the Poet and Patriot and in Clouds, thank you very much.
The Planning Commission will consider the proposal on August 6.
For years City Officials have insisted that the few remaining parcels zoned for industrial use should remain industrial. A hotel is not a permitted use in an industrial area under the existing general plan. The draft general plan provides that industrial lands are "...reserved for the city's most employment-intensive uses..." such as "...office parks or incubator spaces for new businesses that are likely to provide high-quality jobs...". Hotels don't hire many people and they do not pay the kind of wages that permit employees to live in the City. It required considerable gymnastics to justify a recommendation favoring the proposed hotel. It is a clear violation of the spirit and the law of the industrial zone. But the Planning Department managed, by calling it a Planned Unit Development---a device to avoid otherwise applicable zoning rules. A P.U.D. requires a public benefit. No public benefit can be served by this project which could not be better served by building a hotel in areas that are zoned for hotels.
If the City wants to change the rules, they should do it by changing the zoning. Reach out to the community, advertise the proposal, let it be heard in a public forum and please... no more spot zoning. But don't sneak a change in the back way". (Reed Searle is a retired attorney, active in Santa Cruz Residents for Responsible Planning (SCRP), the Community Water Coalition (CWC), The Tidelands Alliance," and he is a member of CCSTTF. (Cynthia's Citizens Silly Tax Task Farce), and he's a longtime community watchdog).
CULTURAL COUNCIL RUMOR-NO RUMOR. That wasn't a rumor about Alberto Rafols leaving the Santa Cruz County Cultural Council...it's a fact. It was announced a while back in one of their official newsletters...I just missed it somehow. Alberto inherited a lot of money, doesn't need to work and is moving back east.
PATTON'S PROGRAM. (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 discusses Inclusionary Housing, local control and coastal zones. He then talks about the Williamson Act and agricultural lands. And about the next Coastal Commission meeting next week in San Francisco and other minor matters that'll change our lives.
EAGAN'S DEEP COVER. Tim shows us an alternative universe in 2075 complete with guess what??? Scroll downwards.
 Don McCaslin on vibes and reed man Phil Yost in pre-mural days in front of the Cooperhouse 1972. The rest of the Warmth Band must have been on break...or this was one long solo. |
LANDAU'S PROGRES. (Saul Landau is an award winning author and film maker, and an authority on Latin American Issues). Read Saul's piece titled Egyptian River flows through Washington...
WATERS WEIGHS IN. Christina is in Seattle watching Wagner's Ring. Her reactions should be fun, because I think it's her very first Ring. In the meantime she wants everybody to get out of the house and visit your favorite wineries and
restaurants. Check her out at http://christinawaters.com she'll return on August 19 and may be older and wiser....Wagner can do that to you.
FUNNY PEOPLE. Adam Sandler can and does occasionally act and he does that for a few minutes in this bizarre script. The plot ambles all over the place, and is crude, rude disgusting and sometimes touching. You get the feeling that all the cast tried hard to make this work...but Funny People isn't very funny. Of course it was the #1 box office hit of last weekend.
THE COVE. Prepare to see this heavily loaded documentary about Japan's continuing slaughter of Dolphins. Yes, Dolphins with their mercury loaded meat and cute smiles are slaughtered and captured on film. Go see it as soon as it arrives at the Nick.
BEVERLY ROBERTS DIED. Beverly Roberts was the co-star of China Clipper died two weeks ago at the age of 95. Her second cousin Christina Baker called last week to tell all of us how much she enjoyed being feted at the re-opening of the Del Mar Theatre back in March 2002. Beverly was not just a fine actress and co starred with greats such as Al Jolson, Humphrey Bogart, Pat O'Brien and George Brent but she was kind, patient and gracious with all us locals who brought her here. Check out Wikipedia; it mentions Santa Cruz and the Del Mar. Someone else was in China Clipper I'd forgotten about....Marie Wilson (My Friend Irma).
MAESTRA MARIN ALSOP. While you're on You Tube check out one of world famed Marin Alsop's interviews...such as this one with Jim Lehrer on PBS. You can hear her history, how she became conductor of the Baltimore Symphony, about her parents but no mention of her dad's whistling career!!! Then hurry and get tickets to this year's Festival.
CABRILLO FESTIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC. Free rehearsals are now underway at the Civic and with five huge concerts coming up all of which have huge musical excitement....you need to go to the festival website at www.cabrillomusic.org then either order tickets online at Santacruztickets.com or by phone at 831 420-5260 or in person at the Civic box office. This is an excellent year to hear some excellent music. Tickets are available to all the concerts as of this moment.
MUSICAL SAW FESTIVAL. This weekend is the 31st Annual International Musical Saw Festival which a bunch of us began as a way to raise money to pay for Marghe McMahon's statue of Tom Scribner now sitting in front of Book Shop Santa Cruz. The press release reads....For great music that's a cut above the rest, come to the 31st Annual International Musical Saw Festival, Saturday and Sunday, August 8 and 9, 2009, in beautiful Santa Cruz County, California.
The cutting edge music starts Saturday, August 8, 2009 at 1:00 PM, with a free acoustic jam near the world's only life-sized bronze statue of a saw player - in front of Bookstore Santa Cruz, located at 1520 Pacific Avenue. Next comes a free potluck dinner and jam at 6:00 PM in the outer parking lot of Roaring Camp in Felton, just seven miles north of Santa Cruz. The big event happens Sunday, August 9, at Roaring Camp when the world's greatest saw players come out of the woodwork to join other acoustic musicians in a variety of musical performances. You'll hear bluegrass, country, folk, gospel, blues, classical, and even show tunes (believe it or not, no heavy metal) throughout the day. Festivities start at 10:00 AM, with spontaneous acoustic jams throughout the day. There's a Saw-Off competition from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, and a Chorus of the Saws at 3:00 PM., with up to 50 saw players trying to play in unison.
And for those who want to learn how to play music that really has some teeth in it, there's a free Musical Saw Workshop at 4:00 PM. The entire event is free, and fun for the whole family. For more information, check out www.SawPlayers.org , or www.RoaringCamp.com . Held by the International Musical Saw Association, this event is sponsored in part by KUSP Public Radio and the Cultural Council of Santa Cruz County. Come to the 31st annual Musical Saw Festival, and say you saw it here first!
SHAKESPEARE SANTA CRUZ REVIEW. Don't mull it over or quibble about it, just go see Shipwrecked. It's one of the very best productions Shakespeare Santa Cruz has ever produced. Every role is brilliantly acted, the plot is as funny as it is meaningful and it's absolutely excellent theatre". Dierk Torsek is the lead; Mike Ryan, Karen Aldridge, and Paul Baird double up and play all the rest of the roles perfectly. Matter of fact it's nearly impossible to imagine anyone else playing these parts....go see it, support live theatre, Save Shakespeare Santa Cruz. I haven't seen Julius Caesar or Midsummer yet.
UNIVERSITY GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:30-8:30 p.m. I host University Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer at WWW.KZSC.ORG. This Tuesday (August 4th) Audrey Stanley will discuss Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream and Julius Caesar for obvious reasons. After Audrey, UCSC Professor of Anthropology Adrienne Zihlman will bring us up to date on her recent work on human evolution. Jim Bierman will talk about his play The School for Fiancées on August 11th.
Thomas Hickenbottom will talk about his brand new book on Santa Cruz Surfing History. Nutritionist Cin Martino returns August 18th to say more about eating well. Later on and TBA will be Supervisor Mark Stone about County Politics and probably swimming, and sometime after that Assemblyman Bill Monning and Congressman Sam Farr will reveal what's new in the State and Nation's Capitols and other wide ranging but apt topics and appropriate topics.
QUOTES. "Sex without love is an empty experience, but as empty experiences go, it's a pretty good empty experience", Woody Allen. "All this fuss about sleeping together. For physical pleasure I'd sooner go to my dentist any day", Evelyn Waugh. "It's been so long since I've had sex I've forgotten who ties up whom", Joan Rivers.
Deep Cover
Bruce critiques films every Friday on KZSC-FM (88.1) on The Bushwhacker Breakfast Club at 8am.
It's free! Click here.
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