Bratton Online

PRE DEPOT PARK 1905. The Santa Cruz Union Station was built in 1892 for the South Pacific Coast Rail Road. Note the Santa Cruz electric open car on the far right. Now there’s mostly an artificial turf soccer field taking up all that space.

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

Additional information always welcome: email bratton@cruzio.com

DATELINE March 6, 2017

K’LONGPUT ARTIST!!

VIETNAMESE “ZITHER”

WHARF TO WHARF COMPARISON. The editorial in Sunday”s Santa cruz Sentinel (03/05) had a great bit of statistics that hopefully convince locals of the need to preserve our Municipal Wharf instead of developing it into a non descript shopping mall. To quote the Sentinel…

“For Monterey, a recent Herald report found that city’s Fisherman’s Wharf was the second most visited attraction in the area in 2016 (Cannery Row was number 1 and the Aquarium was number 3.)”. It clearly shows that visitors go first to the historic and preserved sites (Cannery Row) then second they go to the more modernized Monterey Wharf. Lastly they go to the Aquarium. Adult admision to the Aquarium is now $49.95!!!

22, 438 TRUMP SUPPORTERS IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. One way or the other I’m going to repeat this voting statistic often. We must remember that even in this heavenly liberal bubble we somehow keep thinking we live in..that the reality is that 22,438 neighbors voted for Trump! (lest we forget)

THE COTONI-COAST NATIONAL MONUMENT NEWS. Everyone one who cares about the environment, climate change, tourism, and politics waited with bated breath to see if President Obama would declare this space a national minument just before leaving office….and he did it.What’s been happening since? How do the neighbors who live near the “monument” feel about it? What’s the future hold for the development? The Latest issue of The Rural Bonny Doon Association newspaper The Highlander has thai article in it…it’s four or more pages long and if you want to understand more about what monument status means…go for it.

Cotoni-Coast Dairies National Monument:

LOTS OF QUESTIONS, FEW ANSWERS.

As most of us expected, on Jan. 12 then- President Obama, under the auspices of the National Antiquities Act, proclaimed Coast Dairies a national monument, and added to it the name of the Cotoni (pronounced Cha-tone-ee) band of Amah Matsun people who used to inhabit the area.

Along with other local groups like Friends of the North Coast and the Davenport/North Coast Association, the RBDA Board feared the designation would attract many more visitors to the 5,800 acre property that stretches from Highway One up into Bonny Doon, surrounds Bonny Doon Road, and reaches up the coast into Swanton, than if it were simply maintained as a protected area managed by the federal Bureau of Land Management, a division of the Interior Dept.

The problem is that national monument designation gears up a global barrage of publicity, while guaranteeing only a pittance of additional funding for management and stewardship.

Cotoni-Coast Dairies faces the same dilemma as most other protected lands. They are managed for two conflicting purposes: public recreation, and environmental and habitat preservation. But Cotoni-Coast Dairies is different from most other large protected lands: it is just two hours or less away from a population of 8 million people, many of whom are enthusiastic hikers and bikers. It isn’t hard to foresee that when a visitor center and trails are established, 500,000 or more people a year may be enjoying the property. [State Parks estimates that that many visitors—obviously, many of them locals who use it frequently—tramp or ride about on Wilder Ranch State Park each year. We think that estimate is high.] Since being named a monument, Ft. Ord’s visitation has zoomed to over 400,000.

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Will BLM have the personnel and funding to protect the land and minimize fire danger and other impacts? Republicans, who control Congress, and now the White House, too, are hostile to spending money for environmental protection. The Interior Dept. budget has been shrinking, considering inflation, for several years, and it has an estimated $15 billion backlog in deferred maintenance. Private funding may make up some of the budget shortfall for Cotoni-Coast Dairies, but it can’t make up for a serious deficit. Historically, conservation organizations have been willing to donate funds for programs and facilities, but not for operational budgets.

Adding to our concerns are more studies that show that top predators—mountain lions, coyotes, bobcats, etc.—shy away from areas frequented by humans, even people just hiking through. Cotoni-Coast Dairies is a significant territory for those predators.

Undoubtedly BLM will proceed slowly, and, we hope, thoughtfully and carefully, in opening trails. It will take several years, perhaps 10 or more, for them to fully develop a visitor center (most likely at the Davenport cement plant site), parking lots and other facilities. Everyone acknowledges that successful stewardship will require the development of a dedicated volunteer cadre; BLM itself has only four rangers right now for the 278,000 Central Coast acres it manages.

It remains a mystery where the money will be found to meet the additional costs for local emergency services and law enforcement, and there seems no way to cope with increased traffic on Highway 1/Mission St., and feeder roads like Highways 17, 92 and 84, and even Felton Empire and Empire Grade. Along with the near-term prospect of opening San Vicente Redwoods to the public, we fear that Davenport, in particular, Bonny Doon and even Santa Cruz may become much busier than many of us will like.

To follow this issue as it develops, and share your thoughts, go to friendsofthenorthcoast.org, and join the Facebook group Friends of the North Coast.

Cotoni-Coast Dairies Supervisors’ Conditions Missing from Monument Proclamation

Responding to concerns raised by the RDBA and the Davenport/North Coast Association, in April 2015 the County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution basing their support for Coast Dairies becoming a national monument on a set of conditions that could help mitigate the impacts of the expected increase in visitation. President Obama’s monument proclamation failed to meet many of those conditions. The Supervisors’ resolution specifically stated, “There should be no implication in the Proclamation that the National Monument is adjacent to the California Coastal National Monument.” Instead, Coast Dairies is now officially part of the CCNM.

Condition 10 said “Long-term funding from private, as well as public, institutions should be secured to assure adequate management of the Monument.” While Sempervirens Fund, which initiated and spearheaded the campaign for monument status, has promised some funding, it is a pittance compared to the amount needed for “adequate management,” and Congress is more likely to reduce the Interior Dept.’s budget than expand it.

Condition 3 stated that “The Proclamation designating the National Monument shall contain a commitment that the National Monument Management Plan shall: a. Be comprehensive and specific to the land included in the Coast Dairies National Monument.” The Proclamation ignores this, and the Cotoni-Coast Dairies management plan may instead be included in the CCNM management plan, which could well make it much less specific to Cotoni-Coast Dairies. The Proclamation also ignores Condition 2, which calls for the management plan to be completed within 3 years. Condition 3f. said the Proclamation should direct that the management plan “Assure that local fire and rescue services are not overburdened by increased use.” That language isn’t in the Proclamation. Condition 3g. demanded that a fee-for-service be negotiated for emergency services, and take into consideration “costs that occur off the property as a result of its public use.” Again, not in the Proclamation.

Condition 9 was that “There should be no specific reference to plant communities not specifically listed as endangered on Federal or California state endangered species lists.” The Proclamation specifically names several such plant communities. Will the Supervisors push BLM to live up to the conditions their Resolution demanded? We think they are honor-bound to do that, and that it is very much in the community’s interest.

Sempervirens Fund and other organizations that backed the monument campaign have an ethical obligation to try to reduce the negative impacts of that designation. Ironically, we who fought this designation on the grounds that Coast Dairies was already fully protected and that greatly increased visitation would bring only negative consequences, must nevertheless work hard to try to make the best of this by participating in the management plan process, overseeing BLM’s plan implementation, and by volunteering as docents on the property itself. It will be about three more years before you can hike, ride your bike or horse, or walk your dog on San Vicente Redwoods, the 8,500-acre property that stretches from Empire Grade nearly to Davenport. That was the word at the January RBDA meeting from Bryan Largay, the Conservation Director at the Santa Cruz Land Trust, which has been developing a public access plan for the property for about three years . Earlier, the Land Trust had been hoping to have one or more trails open by 2016, but detailed studies of the flora, fauna, geology and other critical matters have not only pushed the timeline back, but added to the projected overall costs of trail construction to protect against erosion and impacts on such things as mountain lion denning and roaming. Some of those costs have been underwritten by a $500,000 donation earlier this year from Santa Cruz Bicycles, the world-renowned mountain bike manufacturer, and a matching grant from an anonymous donor. Mountain bikers are eager for more local trails, including on Cotoni-Coast Dairies and Pogonip. Those whose job is to reduce bikers’ impact on land, plants and animals, and other recreational users (hikers and equestrians) are very aware that a small subset of bikers will strike out on their own if legal, managed and monitored trails aren’t provided (or even if they are).

To that end, the Land Trust has worked with its conservation partners in San Vicente, Sempervirens Fund and Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), who will fund it, and with County Parks and the County Sheriff, to implement a patrol program on San Vicente. Largay said current plans call for 38 miles of trails. Trail design will separate hikers, equestrians and bikers as appropriate to try to eliminate problems. Some of the old logging roads will be made into trails. When it owned this property CEMEX logged it extensively. Projected costs have been rising because of the neglected state of those roads.

Eventually, of course, the San Vicente trails will link up on the southern end to Cotoni-Coast Dairies, which separates it from Cement Plant Road in Davenport. In the beginning, the plan calls for a short dog-walking trail paralleling Empire Grade, and loop trails going down into the property. Largay said there will be a free 25-car parking lot off Empire which will be locked at night, and will be expanded when and if needed to ensure people don’t park on Empire or on nearby private roads. In response to a question at the January RBDA meeting, he said there definitely will not be access to the property from Bonny Doon Road.

San Vicente Trails may make up some of the budget shortfall for Cotoni-Coast Dairies, but it can’t make up for a serious deficit. Historically, conservation organizations have been willing to donate funds for programs and facilities, but not for operational budgets.

~
KZSC’S NEW NEWS. The Monterey Bay Area News coverage scene has changed. UCSC students at KZSC have been creating and broadcasting weekly news every Thursday morning from 8:00-8:10 am. They work hard and wisely on gathering and checking sources…and the enthusiasm is unbeatable. Tune in Thursdays 8 am to KZSC 88.1 fm or online at KZSC.org.

More Views from Australia

Public transportation in and around Sydney is a delight. This is no indictment of Santa Cruz, whose small town size, relative isolation and funding sources make public transportation a challenge. In Australia, public transportation, similar to education, is state, not locally funded. This ensures that trains serve all towns and counties and school districts receive essentially the same state funds, whether they are affluent or working class. Public transportation is widely used and user friendly. All ages and social classes travel by bus and train, both of which are spotless, comfortable and clearly marked. If you are over 60, retired and a resident, your senior card allows you to travel up to distances of 100 miles in all directions for a maximum of $2.50 and all school buses are free.

I travelled by train from Central Station in Sydney to the Blue Mountains at Katoomba to visit my sister. These are not bullet trains but fast enough. The trip of two hours passed by the many small, historic train stations, each immaculately maintained and punctuated with lovingly tended islands of landscaping. Apparently the stations vie with each other to present the best landscaping. As a non-resident, my fare was $6 each way.

Despite the wide availability of excellent public transportation and gas at over $6 a gallon, car traffic is a nightmare in and around Sydney. My hunch is that this will hold true for the future of Santa Cruz, irrespective of the push for non-car forms of transportation. The assumption on the part of Santa Cruz city planners, city council and transportation activists that providing bike lanes, sidewalks, the rail trail and eradicating on street parking as well as reduced required parking for new dense developments will result in people getting out of and getting rid of their cars is in my view a pipe dream or a sop to development interests.

One last reflection: on a 10K hike along the headlands of the many northern Sydney beaches from Collaroy to Manly, I was struck by the huge swaths of open public land punctuated by perhaps a small children’s playground. One or two people even on a Sunday. Space to throw a ball or spread out a blanket and have a picnic. This within a metropolitan area of 5 million people. I could hear echos of Santa Cruz park planners intoning that the space is “under-utilized” and should be “activated.” I was also struck by the respect for pedestrians. On reaching our destination and heading for the bus to catch home I observed the clear signs alerting bike riders to dismount and walk in pedestrian crossings and signs that prohibited bikes on frequently used promenades. The signs were respected.

Gillian Greensite is a long time local activist, a member of Save Our Big Trees and the Santa Cruz chapter of IDA, International Dark Sky Association http://darksky.org Plus she’s an avid ocean swimmer, hiker and lover of all things wild).

March 5,2015

Oh, What a Night, late February Back in ’17!

The bomb blast you may have felt last week came during the ninth hour (10:20pm) of the Santa Cruz City Council meeting of February 24th. 2017 During a lengthy discussion about whether Santa Cruz should have both a sanctuary city resolution and an ordinance provision, several community members asserted at the public podium that Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) has a desk inside the Santa Cruz Police Department. When the conversation came back to the council, Vice-mayor David Terazzas said people should be careful in making accusations about the police. Councilmember Sandy Brown chimed in that she had an email from Santa Cruz County Supervisor John Leopold corroborating the existence of HSI’s physical presence within one of our city’s public safety facilities. With that, Police Chief Kevin Vogel spoke up. Yes, in fact “an agent (from HSI-ICE) has had a desk at SCPD” since 2009, he said. Vogel followed up that comment with, “my intention is to serve the DHS (Department of Homeland Security, HSI’s parent organization) agent with an eviction.”

Move him out of the facility in other words?

It is a question that still looms over an otherwise productive and sensitive discussion—over 250 showed up—that placed the protecting of our local immigrant community at the top of the city council’s evening agenda. It is important to state here that both the resolution and a toothier ordinance fashioned on the city of Santa Ana’s law were both passed by the council. (see the New York Times editorial on the Santa Ana ordinance here)

When asked if our ordinance is as strong as it could be, city attorney Tony Condotti said, “I don’t’ think this is the strongest policy statement from among the ones I’ve seen…it’s a measured policy statement in my view.”

Other questions that remain:

How could SCPD not know earlier about the entire scope of the DHS-HSI-ICE operation that was carried out in the early morning hours of February 13th? Why has Department Of Homeland Security (DHS) not yet provided SCPD with a list of immigrants who were detained that day? And that’s after being prodded several times by our Deputy-chief of Police, Dan Flippo? “It is upsetting that HSI has not been forthcoming,” Flippo stated. And of course, a question that does not go away: How is it that Santa Cruz County Sherriff, Jim Hart opted NOT to provide county resources to DHS after his officers attended an initial pre-planning meeting for this operation?

What also needs to be pointed out here is that it is rare, and somewhat heartening, to see a local police chief, and deputy chief, so sincerely take professional responsibility for a federal operation gone wrong. Vogel and Flippo, while acting as a Santa Cruz David, stridently and forcefully went after Goliath, the Department of Homeland Security. The Washington Post reported on February 23rd that Chief Vogel said, “We cannot cooperate with a law enforcement agency we cannot trust.”

SCPD’s verbal pushback, and the police hierarchy’s stated concern in carrying out our city’s sanctuary resolution and ordinance, remain as a positive outcome to an otherwise sordid affair. There is much more to this story and I hope our local media will be reporting it. I urge readers of BrattonOnline to check out UCSC’s City on a Hill last week. Their coverage is exemplary and the newspaper’s cover picture incorporates Spanish and English over a picture taken inside the city council chambers during the sanctuary discussion. The picture deserves a journalism award!

Snapshots and Take-Aways

Wells Fargo bank holds over $20 million of Santa Cruz City money at any given time. It handles our city’s payroll. Wells is helping finance the “Dakota Access Pipeline” (DAPL). Cities from Seattle to Santa Monica are divesting from Wells Fargo. Should Santa Cruz also pull out? How difficult would it be for us to divest? Are there other banking services available, local ones to be specific? Let the city council know how you feel: citycouncil@cityofsantacruz.com mailto:citycouncil@cityofsantacruz.com

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The People’s Democratic Club (PDC) retreat

The PDC retreat this past Saturday was energizing and encouraging. Twenty-five of us sat around a rectangular table at SEIU’s union hall on Mission Street and discussed a community-centered agenda beginning with continued support of sanctuary city protections for immigrants, support for statewide issues like single-payer (universal) healthcare, allying the club with younger voters by supporting their issues (affordable housing, free college tuition), not only registering voters but empowering them too, and also to continue searching for good candidates to run on local city councils and school boards throughout the county. It appears like the political health of the PDC is better than ever!

On the heels of the PDC retreat came the Campaign for Sensible Transportation’s overt facilitated discussion of “parking demand management.” While a not so covert conversation was also being waged on how can the community can decouple and sideline the SC city manager office’s apparent dream of building a $33-$37 million five-story parking garage-library. It’s envisioned on the site of where the Farmer’s Market now sits at Cedar Street bounded by Cathcart and Lincoln downtown. Brodie Hamilton was the featured speaker. Hamilton directed Stanford University’s successful demand management program that he says saved over $100 million in avoided costs for parking lot construction. Seems like he thinks we can do the same here.

The significance of his presentation was perhaps reflected by who actually attended: Planning commissioner, Mark Mesiti-Miller; Metro’s bus driver union president, Eduardo Montesino; former SC city parking czar, Matt Farrell; UCSC’s current Transportation and Parking Services Director, Larry Pageler; former Brand New City Council candidate Steve Schnaar; UCSC professor emeritus, Peter Scott; elections consultant and former mayor Bruce Van Allen; former SC councilmember Ed Porter; and housing and transportation visionary, Ron Swenson. (Wow, looking back that’s a lot of male energy in one room…)

The media even showed up to the SCPD Community room to cover the event. I saw Kara Guzman reported the story in last Sunday’s Santa Cruz Sentinel, while the Good Times’ Jake Pierce will likely come out with his own piece this week. Although Guzman quotes deputy city manager Scott Collins (who was not in the room) as contending that the garage-library project is “largely conceptual,” the very large elephant that is now sitting behind city hall’s currently closed doors is that others inside the city manager’s office actually see this project as some sort of done deal. If it’s not, it’s at least near the top of city manager, Martin Bernal’s project priority list. It’s refreshing to hear that Collins believes it’s “conceptual.”

The indefatigable, Rick Longinotti was really to blame for this local-vocal pushback on the project. He wants to reward residents who bike, bus, and walk more, and leave the current downtown parking spaces for residents who opt to bring their car. He would also call for rewarding those city employees who choose not to drive downtown with bus passes as part of their paycheck. The employees at Stanford saved over $1000 each per year by carpooling, busing, and taking the train instead of driving to campus. Longinotti thinks there’s already enough parking spaces, but would still support the city undertaking a “parking demand management study” before investing so much money in another garage.

Mayor Cynthia Chase Put Aside $10,000 to Fund a Community Conversation

Mayor Chase wants to talk about housing this year, in all of its myriad forms—rental, market-driven, houseless-homeless, and the hundreds of NEW students the UC administration continues to invite onto “the Hill,” thus forcing juniors and seniors to look for housing in town. I say great, let’s talk and plan, but at the end of this discussion, let’s invest our scarce dollars into the people who live here now, not the vacation renters and second-home folks who might just be finding out about Santa Cruz for the first time.

Leftovers
Can’t wait to get to more Bernie-issues on this council gig…the tough policy ones like the “Fight for $15,” assisting students in obtaining free public college tuition, a just-cause eviction ordinance, raising the hotel tax to help fund our housing trust fund and a 24/7 homeless shelter, and how about rent control and ranked-choice voting too? This week we will hopefully be taking on Wall Street and a Banks, aka Wells Fargo.

And this just in…
A friend texts: “The Pope drives a Leaf (Nissan), how are you liking your Bolt?” Lovin’ it! Goes over 200 miles. We can finally get up and back to see the in-laws in Berkeley on a single charge.

~Bernie Quote of the Week:
“I am going to do my best to try to create a country in which children are not living in poverty, in which kids can go to college, which old people have healthcare. Will I succeed? I can’t guarantee you that, but I can tell you that from a human point of view it is better to show up than give up.”

(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, former Santa Cruz City Councilmember (1998-2002) and Mayor (2001-2002). He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 12 years. He was elected last November to another 4-year term on the Santa Cruz City Council).

WHY IS IT SO DIFFICULT TO BE INFORMED ABOUT…LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROCEEDINGS?
Last week seemed to be full of various County government meetings. Citizens who are concerned about what is going on and want to become educated have to work very hard to get information. While the standard answer from government staff is “you can look that up on our website”, I have found that I learn much more by attending meetings and hear what gets said but not necessarily reported in minutes.

I appreciate that Community Television records and broadcasts the County Board of Supervisor meetings and many others, but many Commission (e.g., Water Advisory, Housing Advisory, Historic Resources Advisory) meetings are not recorded. It would be good for the public if they were. Ask your local elected officials to do so, in the name of government transparency.

Here is the link to the Community TV schedule of current government broadcasts.

Take advantage of this good resource…maybe someday the County Board of Supervisors and the Regional Transportation Commission will accommodate the working class and students who cannot currently attend their 9am weekday meetings.

A LONG DAY ON THE FIFTH FLOOR AT 701 OCEAN STREET
The February 28 County Board of Supervisor meeting was a long one. Why were two critical matters placed on the agenda for the same day? The Cannabis Cultivation and Licensing Environmental Impact Report Noticing brought a room full of people with many good questions and ideas. Cannabis Enforcement Officer Mr. Dan Peterson also presented a great deal of information.

Unfortunately, it seems the District 2 ban on outdoor growing on less than 5 acre parcels is still on the books….all because County Administrative Officer Ms. Susan Mauriello doesn’t like the smell in her backyard. Doesn’t that place residents in District 2 at an unfair economic disadvantage by forcing them to pay higher electric bills for lighting and ventillation to grow their medicine? I think so, not to mention the fire hazard from over-loaded electrical circuits. My neighborhood had to evacuate in the middle of the night three years ago due to a fire for that very reason.

Maybe Ms. Mariello will have that same pleasure and see the errors of her ways…..

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SMOKE AND MIRRORS…A DISMAL COUNTY BUDGET REPORT
The $711 million Mid-Year Budget Report was scheduled for the last item of the day. I could not stay later than 3pm…and the staff presentations were still going. What I heard worries me greatly.

The County is operating at $8.1 MILLION DEFICIT. What happened to that balanced budget promised last June? But hang on, there’s more:

An additional $4.5 million is needed to bring reserves up to the desired level of 10% by FY 2020-21.
Project that PERS costs will continue to rise by over 12% by FY 2018-19 resulting in increased costs of $5 million.
GENERAL FUNDS FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS OR MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIRS MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE. (read that one twice to let the true meaning sink in)
Funding needs for road improvements will be significant.

Cheery, isn’t it?

Hang on, there is more….

Directors of Public Works, Sheriff, County Fire, Human Services and Health Services each made presentations of “Emerging Issues”. I could only stay to hear Public Works and the first half of the Sheriff reports. Take a deep breath and read on….

County Public Works Director Mr. John Presleigh reported the current estimate for repairing the damaged County roads and bridges is $40 million and climbing. He hopes to get State and Federal money to help pay that bill but the County will still need $5-$9 million for matching funds. Now, let me repeat the note from above:

“GENERAL FUNDS FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS OR MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIRS MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE.”
Mr. Presleigh stated that to save money, engineering staff will do much of the repair designs in-house. That is good…all those consultants and outside contractors the County hires are very expensive. Mr. Presleigh also said his department plans to increase County Service Area 9 (CSA) taxes on all county property tax bills to get more money for road repairs. He said that the County will conduct a poll (probably done by an expensive consultant) of the three general county areas to see just how much additional tax money people would be willing to pay.

The Board of Supervisors seemed to think this is a good idea, and urged Mr. Presleigh to take action quickly, before people get used to the damaged roads and forget what distress the storms brought them. Supervisor Ryan Coonerty said, “Let’s borrow now, before the interest rates go up.” Maybe he did not understand that the Mid-Year Budget Report states the County is operating at $8.1 MILLION deficit?

So much for a balanced budget and living within one’s means…. But County Administrative Officer (CAO) Ms. Susan Mauriello’s report promises a balanced budget by May…just in time for her retirement and hefty pension.

KUDOS TO RTC COMMISSIONER MR. RANDY JOHNSON
It was refreshing to hear Regional Transportation Commissioner (RTC) Mr. Randy Johnson (Scotts Valley) question the effectiveness of an additional $70,000 consultant to go door-to-door in select areas of Watsonville and Branciforte to ask why people do not take the bus or bicycle. “How will you measure the success of this survey?” he asked. RTC staff (Ms. Blakeslee) answered: take another survey. Wow. Commissioner Mr. Oscar Rios (Watsonville) pointed out that residents of Watsonville have the highest per capita bus ridership in the County already. Mr. Johnson recommended enlisting the help of community volunteers who are passionate about reducing greenhouse gasses (quite a few of them were in the audience) to do the door-to-door surveys. The Commission voted to approve the additional $70,000 for the project, with Commissioner Johnson voting “no”.

KUDOS AGAIN TO COMMISSIONER JOHNSON
The next item on the agenda was a different RTC staff member (Ms. Dykaar) asking for an additional $500,000 to hire a consultant to incorporate the public input from the recent online “Unified Transportation Corridor” survey for the County. It seems that the 3,300 responses presented information that now legally must be reflected in the Transportation Plan, and update a couple of studies because they are now out of date.

Again, Commissioner Johnson asked “Why do we have to spend more money studying this? Now that Measure D has passed, my constituents are asking when will Highway One get widened? It seems like there is all kinds of money from the State to study projects but NO money available to actually get anything done.”

Ms. Dykaar reported that she had already sent out invitations to consultants for the survey compilation work, but at a lower budget amount. No consultants were interested in the job because it wasn’t enough money…she needed half a million to get a consultant to do the work.

Once again, the Commission approved the $500,000 additional funding, with Commissioner Johnson voting “No”. I am glad someone is paying attention. Now, tell me about that Measure D Oversight Committee? Will we have to hire a consultant to select those five people? Hmmm…..

RTC DIRECTOR HAS PREDICTIONS REGARDING IMPACTS OF WHITE HOUSE TWEETS
Mr. George Donderos, Director of the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) had a dismal report with information from the profession regarding federal funding for transportation.

At best case, the funding will be flat, but probably will decrease due to congressional emphasis to increase the Defense Budget while not increasing the total federal budget. Currently, half of the federal funding to the National Highway Trust Fund comes from the general budget. “In 2020, Congress must act to provide an equivalent of doubling the gas tax just to stay at current funding levels.” Last year, Congress lowered the gas tax rate.

Here are the implications for our region:

Expect funding for bridge replacements, highway maintenance, and freight movement.
Potential cuts to transit, and programs considered “non-essential” such as bike & pedestrian.
Shift in decision-making to the states (Governors, not necessarily CalTrans, or regions).
Expect little for congestion relief for interchanges or other improvements.
THE POTENTIAL LOSS OF THE TAX EXEMPT STATUS OF MUNICIPAL BONDS

SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTS LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANACING OPTIONS AND INCREASES COSTS. (legislation introduced by Senate Majority Leader Paul Ryan)

Here are some Issues:

“1. Acknowledgement by many that tolling will not replace the need for traditional revenues for maintenance and improvement of existing facilities, nor is it an option in rural areas.

Current law does not allow tolling on existing facilities.
A significant concern is that many polticians see “increased financing” opportunities as equivalent to increased funding. It is not, and there remains a significant need for increased revenues.
TIGER grants (competitive transportation grants) will likely be stricken; transit reduced; and bike, pedestrian, and Safe Routes to School funding will potentially be in jeopardy.”

How cheery. Mr. Donderos encouraged all Commissioners to lend support to SB1 that, if approved would allocate millions to fund local roads and Metro. You can track transportation-related bills in the state legislature on a website: www.calcog.org . Click on the “Bill Tracker” and hope for the best.

LAFCO MEETING….CONSOLIDATING APTOS/LA SELVA AND CENTRAL FIRE DISTRICTS AND…..
The Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) met to discuss that agency’s budget. I was surprised to learn that they must, along with any non-county agency, pay rent to the county for space. The Commissioners also discussed the proposal to consolidate the Aptos/La Selva Fire Protection District with the Central Fire Protection District. Interestingly, Aptos and Corralitos divisions of the County Fire Department, those wonderful well-trained volunteers that respond 24/7 to medical calls and fires in the rural areas of the County, were also added into the consolidation proposal.

However, somehow County Fire Chief Ian Larkin was never invited to attend any of the ad hoc committee meetings to discuss the consolidation proposal. Hmmm…

Commissioner Zach Fiend (whose supervisorial district includes Corralitos and Aptos) admitted that he had not instructed LAFCO Director Mr. Pat McCormick to invite Chief Larkin to join the discussion about including County Fire in the consolidation. “We have the other two fire agencies that are motivated to take action now, and I was advised that adding County Fire into the discussion would just slow things down.”

But wait a minute, don’t you think the County Fire Chief needs to have some input on matters of consolidation that would take away the areas that provide some of the highest tax money to financially support County Fire Department’s budget? I do, and I live in rural Aptos. If you do, too, maybe Supervisor Zach Friend would love to hear your thoughts about this matter:

Zach Friend zach.friend@santacruzcounty.us 454-2200 701 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Stay tuned next week for news on the County’s irresponsible plan to spend $2 MILLION on Aptos Village’s Soquel Drive/Trout Gulch Road intersection, moving the westbound bus stop for Aptos Village Project developer Barry Swenson Builder, and adding dedicated turn lanes for Aptos Village Project developer Joe Appenrodt’s Bay Fed/Starbucks shopping center.

Is the 1928 historic Aptos Creek Bridge safe? The last time it was inspected (2013), the report advised careful monitoring (and possible closure) during heavy storm events. Hmmm…… Did you see any bridge inspectors there? I didn’t. No word yet from the Public Works Department if any inspections have occurred since 2013. Is it safe for construction trucks and heavy equipment???

What about the integrity of the buried gas lines on the other end of the Aptos Village area, near the trestle abutment? Given the dramatic road shoulder failures on both sides of Soquel Drive, should the area be re-named to “Isthmus of Aptos”?

Will Valencia Road ever get funded for repair so Valencia Elementary School can re-open?

Tell me again why the County would rather spend $2 million to help Aptos Village Project developers instead of Valencia Elementary School’s 600+ students, families and staff and the 140 households in adjacent Rolling Green Estates and Aptos School Road?

Is there a consultant in the house?

~WRITE ONE LETTER. MAKE ONE CALL. MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.

Cheers, Becky Steinbruner (Becky Steinbruner is a 30+ year resident of Aptos. She has fought for water, fire, emergency preparedness, and for road repair. She ran for Second District County Supervisor in 2016 on a shoestring and got nearly 20% of the votes).

2/28/17 #59 / Time And Space

Albert Einstein is quoted as saying that time is an illusion. Apparently, though, Einstein did believe in a more conventional understanding of “space.” That is the way I construe his reluctance to accept what he called “spooky action at a distance.” This phenomenon, predicted by quantum physics, and largely proven, is defined by the fact that two particles, widely separated in space, can be shown to affect each other, instantaneously, despite the distance separating them, and despite the limits on communication supposedly imposed by the speed of light.

If I am correctly understanding the implications of that “spooky action at a distance” thing, it would seem largely to negate our common sense understanding of what “space” must be, since geographic separation (the “space” between us) would not interrupt an immediate exchange of information between two widely-separated particles, or “things.”

According to Scientific American, recent experiments seem to be eliminating any reason to think that the “spooky action at a distance” phenomenon is not an accurate description of how physical reality is actually organized. Doesn’t this mean that “space,” too, is an “illusion,” just as Einstein said that “time” is? As I said a week or so ago, I am a “sucker for physics,” with that confession going along with an acknowledgment that I don’t understand it. What I draw from all these things that I don’t understand, though, is that what we think of as “reality,” based in material existence, may not be our actual “reality” at all.

My friend Mr. Dylan puts it this way: “Something is happening here, but [we] don’t know what it is.” We are all playing the role of a materialist “Mr. Jones,” as we find out more about the World of Nature. What we are finding out is that we actually live in a world that is a something quite different from what we have assumed to be the case”.

Gary is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney for indivuduals and community groups on land use and environmental issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. You can read his blog at www.gapatton.net

CLASSICAL DeCINZO. Check out DeCinzo’s idea of our housing problem a page or two below.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s ” What Smell “down a few pages. As always, at TimEagan.com you will find his most recent Deep Cover, the latest installment from the archives of Subconscious Comics, and the ever entertaining Eaganblog.

RUSSIAN SYNCHCHRONIZED SKATING. I’m not a big ice skating fan but this teamwork is beautiful.

JEWEL THEATRE’S “The Dance of Death” a play by August Strindberg plays March 16-April 9 at the Colligan Theatre over in the Tannery Arts Center. Wikipedia says it has black humor. It’s about a soured marriage and reviews have almost always said it has overtones of George and Martha in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf”. Tickets and more information here!

SANTA CRUZ CHAMBER PLAYERS. “The Greatest Music You’ve Never Heard” is the title of their next concert happening Saturday March 11th at 7:30 pm; and Sunday March 12th at 3:00 pm. That means Rarely Performed Chamber Works by Jaun Crisóstomo Arriaga, Aaron Copland, William Grant Still, and others. The concert will be performed by Ivan Rosenblum, Concert director and piano; James Pytko, clarinet; Shannon Delaney and Rachel Magnus Hartman, violins; Arlyn Knapic, viola; Aude Castagna, cello. Their press release says, “Rarely performed?” We know what you’re thinking: surely there are good reasons for that! Our program judiciously avoids those unworthies in favor of first-rate, seldom-performed pieces that deserve wider exposure. We explore why even excellent music is sometimes under- programmed and under-appreciated. For example, Arriaga, the “Spanish Mozart,” who died at age 20, didn’t have time to amass enough compositions to insure a lasting reputation. Even though Aaron Copland is well-known, his Sextet is not, because it’s written in a less popular style than Appalachian Spring. Some composers, for sociological or historical reasons, never received their full due. Such was the fate of Afro-American composer William Grant Still, whose lively dance Dance Suite will be performed. By exploring the twists and turns of “rarely performed” repertoire, we discovered the intriguing Zemlinsky Trio and opera composer Gian Carlo Menotti’s instrumental Trio. With its 18th-20th century varied repertoire and diverse instrumentation, this concert is not to be missed. You might not get another opportunity to hear these pieces for quite some time! Once again…it’s Saturday March 11th at 7:30 pm; Sunday March 12th at 3:00 pm at Christ Lutheran Church in Aptos off Freedom Blvd. near the old run down CHP headquarters.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Find out if Hugh Jackman’s last Wolverine movie LOGAN is a worthy send-off, and join the countdown to publication day for my next book, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com). Also, fasten your seatbelts for the Return of the Oscar Barbies — 2017 edition!” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

LOGAN. Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart lower themselves considerably by playing the lead roles in this last of the Wolverine series. I’ve tried hard and failed to stop thinking that this is exactly the kind of film I’ll bet that Donald Trump likes. Even though the Wolverine (Jackman) is a comic book character and the special effects are just about 90% of the picture, the cruelty, killing, blood, evil, are all so typical of today’s biggest boxoffice hits, it’s too over the top for me. No plot, no emotions, no humanity…just more blood and more killing. Even the ending when Wolverine is in a stone covered grave I kept worrying and watching to see if some of the stones didn’t start shaking, meaning we’ll be tortured by an even worse Wolverine # 10. Yes Jackman has played the part nine times!!! Go if you like Donald Trump type movies.

MANCHESTER BY THE SEA. Casey Affleck single handidly sustains this deep, emotional film. It’s on the way to several awards and should win them all. It’s an intelligent, beautifically acted in depth portrait of people going through trauma and relationships. Along with Affleck there’s Michelle Williams, Gretchen Mol, even Mathew Broderick in a bit part and especially the 16 year old Lucas Hedges. It’s a cold and unrelenting film that demands your attention.

THE SALESMAN. This great film won the OSCAR for best Foreign language film. It’s from Iran …and it’s a winner anyway. Subtle, subtitled, human, complex…it’s a story about a young couple who are acting in a staged version of Death Of A Salesman. A secret tragedy happens and the plot handles the truth about it very slowly and very beautifully. You could call it searing, emotionally draining, and a lot more. Go see it quickly.

MOONLIGHT. Best Oscar film 2017!!! For starters, Moonlight has a 98 % on Rotten Tomatoes, so it’s not just me who really not only enjoyed this tale of drugs, gangs, and love, but people who like deep, serious films loved it too. Set in Miami, this sharp, delicate, brilliant story of a Black man’s life is told in three parts. It’s best not to read too much about the plot and just watch with wonder as it unfolds. You’ve never seen a film like this one. Yes, It’s back again…many nominations and Sunday’s winning an Oscar did it!!

I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO. James Baldwin began writing a book in 1979 and this documentary uses the 30 pages his finished as continutity between the 6 chapters in the film. The links are stories of Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and Medgar Evans. It’s Baldwin working for unity and equality and we all need to see this film. It’s a lesson in humanity, and probably no Republicans or any of the 22, 438 Santa Cruz Trump voters will see this important film. It’s narrated by Samuel L. Jackson and got a 98 % on Rotten Tomatoes. Please see it!!!

A UNITED KINGDOM. “Based on a ture story” has almost become a law for movies lately…but this one really is. And It’s an excellent film. There’s a bunch of Black & White themed films out there now and that’s a good thing. This “historical” film about the King of Botswana land falling in love with and marrying a white Brit. woman is still deeper and more meaningful than most of the rest. (“Loving”, etc.) Recent award winner David Oyelowo and the brilliant Rosamund Pike star of Gone Girl (one of my favorite actors) grab hold of every scene and make you believe it. More than that you (we) become completely involved with the story. Somehow you’ll begin to wonder just how far you’d go in this “mixed marriage” thing. Rotten Tomatoes gives it an 85%.

GET OUT. Rotten Tomatoes gives this one an amazing 99%. Plus, it’s a huge box office hit !!! That’s surprising to everybody because it’s a low budget semi horror-comedy, black and white theme film. Probably released in February because that’s when they release films that aren’t expected o make much money. Catherine Keener is about the only actor whose name any of us might know. It’s a white girl brings home a black boyfriend topic. Only it goes into zones and situations that will amaze and get you laughing!! Wild, inventive, new, fine acting, twisted…you’ll love it.

LION. A true story of a little 5 year old boy getting lost in India. At last we get to see Dev Patel portray somebody serious and he does an excellent job. It’s a very cornball plot that you can guess every turn and twist, but still just because it’s India you do stay tuned in all the way through. Rooney Mara is his girlfriend for part of the plot and Nicole Kidman is the Australian wife who adopts him. It’s 100% feelgood and there are much better films out and around now, but it does have a certain charm.

HIDDEN FIGURES. A syrupy, Hollywoody much- altered story of three Black American women who did spectacular mathematical and technical work at NASA while fighting against a lot of racial and female prejudice. All to launch John Glenn into orbit. It’s both a cute and painful story at the same time. It’s a contender and still lacks something that could have made it a classic. It almost outdrew Star Wars on opening weekend!

LA LA LAND. It all depends on how much you remember the glorious and very bright and brilliant days of the Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Betty Grable, even Barbara Striesand, Judy Garland, and especially Ginger Rogers musicals. La La Land works very hard to convince us that the world hasn’t changed since those days and tries earnestly to recreate the innocence, and obvious genius of those performers. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone make La La Land fun and happy to a degree, but it’s not the same. The music and songs aren’t anywhere near as good and the photography of today’s LA doesn’t add much either, besides that Stone and Gosling are not professional dancers or singers like all of above. It’s like having Eddie Redmayne play Tarzan.

SPLIT. M. Night Shyamalan makes some pretty weird and frequently awful movies. But Split has James McAvoy playing a very disturbed guy with 23 distinct and split personalities (and most of them are very crazy). He’s lured and locked up 3 teen aged girls and it’s scary and more or less predictable after that, but you’ll stay glued to the screen and your seat…go for it …if you like scary stuff. Not anywhere near as a good as Hitchcock, but he tries. (Shyamalan even makes a secret cameo appearance like Hitch always did).

OSCAR SHORTS. LIVE ACTION. There s five of them. 100 % on R. Tomatoes.They range from really, really soapy cornball love story to a really, really, soapy, cornball car attendents secret dancing between parking cars. One is very heavy and serious about a guy being questioned about his loyalty, and you’ll question yours too after seeing it. All in all nit my favorite year for Live action shorts. All foreign, all subtitled.

OSCAR SHORTS, ANIMATION. There’s five of these animated shorts too. They range from a sickingly slick, cutesy Pixar baby sandpiper confection to an adults only “Pear Cider and Cigarettes” 35 minute graphic saga that is brilliant. Don’t take the kids to any of these shorts they simply aren’t worth it. But see Pear Cider if you can.

THE GREAT WALL. Matt Damon heads this almost all Chinese cast in a huge special effects battle against thousands of 20 foot man killing, organized, queen – led Iguanas during the 12 century. Damon’s accent goes from Ireland to Massachusetts (his birthplace). Damon can and has done some fine acting in the past but he’s lost in this computer generated, darkly filmed big, big box office success (in China). 36 on Rotten Tomatoes.

JOHN WICK Chapter 2. Keanu Reeves is back as the star of this sequel. That should be warning enough. One of the most splatteringly bloodiest films I’ve seen in years. Seems like all American made big studio films are violent nowadays, but this one is more than that. They justify the plot by adding sworn Mafia type family oaths , scenes in Rome, and just blood and more blood and as I said, most of it gets splattered on walls… a lot. However. I’m more than willing to entertain the possibility that it’s a generational thing. Most of my younger friends love it…and Rotten Tomatoes gives it 90%!! It’s in “THE SAME VEIN” as Logan and Jack Reacher movies.

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 archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. On March 7 Newton and Helen Harrison talk about their book, “The Time of The Force Majeure”. Tony Russomano follows talking about the structure of the Democratic Party in California. Patrice Vecchione returns March 14 to talk about her one-woman show “Dressed and Undressed” happening March 17 & 18, then somebody from the Sanctuary Santa Cruz group will give us new details. Espressivo conductor and artistic director Michel Singher talks about their March 30 concert on March 21 followed by Chip from The Downtown Association of Santa Cruz. Roy Malan discusses the Hidden Valley String Orchestra concert happening April 9. John Aird follows with an overview of UCSC growth, water, and our tourist driven wharf plans. On April 4 Linda Burman-Hall returns to talk about The Santa Cruz Baroque Festival’s spring concerts. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always and only at bratton@cruzio.com

There are no words, this is pure joy 🙂

NEW UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVE FEATURE. Stuff changes at KZSC a lot. If you missed either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… http://www.radiofreeamerica.com/dj/bruce-bratton You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens.

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES. In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 9 years here’s a chronological list of some past broadcasts. Such a wide range of folks such as Nikki Silva, Michael Warren, Tom Noddy, UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal, Anita Monga, Mark Wainer, Judy Johnson, 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, and 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 Company. 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.

QUOTES. “MARCH”

“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade”, Charles Dickens

“Indoors or out, no one relaxes
In March, that month of wind and taxes,
The wind will presently disappear,
The taxes last us all the year”. ~Ogden Nash

“March brings breezes loud and shrill,
Stirs the dancing daffodil”. ~Sara Coleridge

“Don’t ever become a pessimist… a pessimist is correct oftener than an optimist, but an optimist has more fun, and neither can stop the march of events”. ~Robert A. Heinlein

“By March, the worst of the winter would be over. The snow would thaw, the rivers begin to run and the world would wake into itself again. Not that year. Winter hung in there, like an invalid refusing to die. Day after grey day the ice stayed hard; the world remained unfriendly and cold.” ~Neil Gaiman

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March 7 – 13, 2017

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

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