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DATELINE April 11, 2016
OUR EVER CHANGING SUPERVISORS. Thank goodness our County Board of Supervisors are so flexible. Remember way back when…when Bruce McPherson decided he wasn’t a Republican anymore? Remember when Ryan Coonerty once was totally pro De-Sal and dumped it like a very hot potato when the wind blew the other way? Now we’ve got Zach Friend out politicking like crazy around every progressive event he can get to. One Bonline reader wrote…I have to wonder if Zach feels that Becky Steinbruner is a significant contender. I would posit that all this outreach/making nice is about building a base for an office beyond Supe, like State Senator Bill Monning’s seat. It doesn’t seem likely that his wife would leave her position w/ the city to move” What’ll also be nearly amazing to watch will be Zach’s votes when they favor the environment over his developer friends projects. We will be equally enthralled when he favors homeless and civil rights issues over all his political pro-police background. Watch him closely.
| ANGRY RAM MEETS TETHERBALL. This is all over the web but it’s worth watching |
ARE APTOSIANS UNITING? Did you get this email from “Save Aptos”?
“There is a scheduled community meeting regarding Rancho del Mar Shopping Center. As you may – or may not know, Terramar Centers has recently purchased the property and would like community input on the direction of the shopping center from local residents and businesses. This meeting is being facilitated by Zach Friend, our local Supervisor, and Bruce Walton vice president of Terramar Retail Centers, Carlsbad, Cal. Terramar welcomes your input, questions and concerns. Meeting date: Thursday, April 28 Time: 6:30 Place: Seascape Golf Course, meeting hall. Seascape Golf Club 610 Clubhouse Drive…Aptos, CA 95003. What’s odd about is that when you go to the Save Aptos website SaveAptos.com there’s nothing newer than 2014. Anybody who cares about the future of Aptos should be careful that this isn’t just another Terramar developers scam where they pretend to carefully note which businesses locals want in the Rancho Del Mar development (forget any theatre… Terramar tore down Aptos Cinema quicker than Zach Friend became progressive). So they take notes about which businesses and how’d the neighbors like Rancho to change then just like Barry Swenson Developers sell space to anybody (franchises,chains etc.) who have the bucks. And do take your own notes on Zach…has he really changed? Does he really care about the neighborhood? Maybe???
| SHAMU and the Show at Seaworld. |
SANTA CRUZ CITY COUNCIL RACE. Words on the Street (read Pacific Avenue) have it that J.M. (Jim) Brown formerly of the SCSentinel has former Mayor Hilary Bryant working on his campaign. If you’re keeping track that means that Brown will be on the Cynthia Mathews side of the teeter-totter. Then we have Micah Posner shaving off his beard and talking much softer so we think he’s nicer than before. Micah like the recent development of Arana Gulch for example. Dru Glover has excellent stage presence, and has done lots of City homework. He’s one of Micah’s understudys as is Batya Kagan. Batya has made several good points about the Council’s (mostly Cynthia Mathews) ruthless attack and destruction of the Beach Flats Garden.
Watch this space!!!
FORMER MAYOR TO RUN AGAIN!!! I mean Kathie Beiers is going to run The Boston Marathon for the 12th time!!! She’s won a bunch of awards there just for being in her 80’s and she’ll win again we can be sure.
GET READY FOR THEM FORUMS. It won’t be long before we get plastered with promotions for “Meet your Candidates” kick-offs and forums. That’s a great time to ask them about such community issues as
- Do they believe that Windening Highway 1 will work?
- Would they vote for rent control?
- Do they want a permanent arena?
- Should there be a limit on campaign spending?
- Ask them who on the City Council they would they vote most like? (that would be either Cynthia Mathews on the militant pro-growth side or like Micah Posner’s side (when he doesn’t cave-in).
- Ask them if they would vote for making our historical wharf into another Pier 39…do they believe tourists come here to see new commercialized wharfs/piers or something more authentic and unique?
| Grizzlies Fight. Not fun, but natural. |
STARBUCKS STILL COMING TO MORRISSEY SAFEWAY. Plans got held up because of flooring problems and the Morrissey Safeway will add that new Starbucks (which I wrote about weeks ago) sometime in the fall.
PURE PLEASURE MOVING TO COOPER STREET. Not only is Pure Pleasure moving from Church Street to that little store next to Laili Restaurant but newest rumors say that Amazon is moving into the top floor of that stucco replica of the Cooperhouse on Pacific and Cooper. Yep, Amazon!!! What in hell could a giant like Amazon do with that little space???
| DRONES AND WHALES. |
KUSP AND A CHANGING COMMUNITY. Isn’t it just possible that our KUSP radio listening community has changed in the last 44 years since KUSP started ? Isn’t it also possible that Peter Troxell’s idea of making the station into a luxury suite wasn’t such a supportable goal?
Certainly Am Radio stations continue to go through hell and FM stations like KPFA have had internal strife for decades. Santa Cruz has changed a lot. Pro-growth politicians and their “stop the commuting over the hill, build more unaffordable homes here” campaigns continue to win.
There’s little “love our community” support our radio station feeling anymore. Not enough love and money behind that support. No family or identity feeling when you walk into KUSP like back when.
ESPRESSIVO ORCHESTRA’S THIRD TRIUMPH!! Director and Conductor Michel Singher has almost single-handedly tapped into a large and growing segment of our community. There have been three concerts by the new (since Sept.’15) Espressivo Orchestra. Each concert has almost completely sold all available seats. They’ve done this by playing a bunch of selections from composers that the Cabrillo Festival (mostly living and visiting composers) and the Santa Cruz Symphony (large symphonic orchestra pop favorites) ignore. Composers such as Schoenberg, Stravinsky, Mahler, Ibert, Wagner and Hindemith have delighted an audience that has been waiting to hear more challenging stuff. Last week in the Colligan Theatre Espressivo played Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire and Stravinsky’s Soldier’s Tale. Here’s an advance warning that Maestro Singher gave us on Universal Grapevine in March. October 6th they’ll perform a work by Anton Webern and John Orlando will play a concerto by Leos Janacek and they’ll also play a Schubert Octet. That’s at the Peace United Church, and you know where that is. On March 30 they’ll do an All Yankee program. Walter Piston’s Divertimento, John Adams Chamber Concerto (1970), Aaron Copland’s Applachian Spring, Charles Ives “Unanswered Questions” and Anton Webern’s Opus 10 also at 900 High Street. Go here to get more info, http://espressorch.org/concerts.html but the new concerts probably aren’t announced yet.
It was a breath of fresh air to read Stephen Kessler’s commentary defending non-native flora such as eucalyptus in Sunday’s Sentinel (4/10). The vilification of eucalyptus, a relatively recent phenomenon compared to their longevity in California, is not based on data. It is based on myths that border on the absurd. It would be easy to dismiss if it were not for the fact that many thousands of these century old trees have been and will be cut down in their prime (the average life span of a blue gum eucalyptus is 300 years) unless common sense and scientific fact prevail.
Those who seek to eradicate eucalyptus are not generally climate change deniers but they conveniently forget climate change when it comes to tree removal. Then, the fact that one large tree sequesters 1-2 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually and will continue to absorb even more during its remaining lifetime is suddenly a non-issue. I was told by someone campaigning to remove all eucalyptus from the East Bay hills that blue gum eucalyptus are called “gasoline” trees in Australia. Really? Australians don’t use the word “gasoline”. Allowing for ignorance of linguistic differences, neither do they call them “petrol” trees. Like “weapons of mass destruction,” such misinformation is repeated and spread until it is accepted as fact.
Click here for more (link expands, click again to collapse)
( 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).
PATTON’S PROGRAM. Hopefully Gary’s KUSP Land Use Brief will get online ASAP. He states…
The Santa Cruz City Council will weigh in Tuesday 4/12 on a classic confrontation.
Those who were around the City of Santa Cruz during the 1970s will remember the Frederick Street Irregulars. This neighborhood group organized to oppose a City plan to put high-rise apartments into their Eastside, single-family residential neighborhoods. The Irregulars won that battle, and a couple of Irregulars were elected to the City Council. By running for office, Sally Digirolamo and Carole DePalma changed the future of the city. You can read a brief history by visiting kusp.org/landuse
Maybe you’d like to get involved in making some history yourself? If you are an Eastside resident, or if you live or have a business on or adjacent to one of the City’s main transportation corridors (Mission Street, Ocean Street, Water Street, or Soquel Avenue), you should show up at the City Council meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, April 12th, at 7:00 p.m. A developer is proposing a high-rise apartment on the corner of Soquel and Hagemann Avenues, in a kind of replay of the type of Eastside development proposed, and rejected, in the 1970s. The City’s current planning efforts see this kind of development happening everywhere in the City. Show up at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday April 12th, at City Hall, if you want to get engaged in the discussion and decisionmaking. Check it all out here….Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog The Leftmost City – History of Santa Cruz Politics In the 1970s City’s Corridor Rezoning Website City Council Agenda, April 12, 2016 Meeting . Read the complete scripts of the above at Gary Patton’s KUSP Land Use site http://blogs.kusp.org/landuse.
Gary is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney who represents indivuduals and community groups on land use and environmental issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. Gary has his own website, Two Worlds/365” – www.gapatton.net
CLASSICAL DeCINZO. One of my favorite DeCinzo’s see below….
EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. Goes deep into Mississippi politics for this one scroll down, just a few pages…and go here for Tim’s other opinions…
NEW MUSIC WORKS. April 16th. Phil Collins’ New Music Works presents…MAJOR KEYS of ASIA MINOR on 8pm, Sat. April 16, UCSC Music Center Recital Hall. It’s titled The Spirit of Imagination Knows No Boundaries—Music & Peace: Views and notes from the Middle East. There’ll also be an Evening dialog with composer Eitan Steinberg & vocalist Etty BenZaken introduced by Philip Collins Friday, April 15 at 7 PM at Temple Beth El, Aptos. Read more at http://www.cysantacruz.com/#!The-Spirit-of-Imagination-Has-No-Boundaries/cugq/56e1b0fa0cf2e27c7640252b .
DISTINGUISHED ARTISTS. April 17. John Orlando’s Distinguished Artists series presents pianist Misuzu Tanaka who’ll play…Schumann: Variations on the name “Abegg”. Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109. Beethoven: Rondo a Capriccio in G Major, “Rage Over a Lost Penny”, Op. 129. Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No . 2 in D minor, Op. 14 and Rachmaninoff: Selections from Preludes Op.23 on Sunday, April 17, 2016, at 4 PM at Peace United Church, 900 High Street. Tickets at http://www.distinguishedartists.org/MisuzuTanaka/
SANTA CRUZ BAROQUE FESTIVAL. April 23. The Baroque Festival tells us, “We are coming to the close of our 43rd season! This final concert will celebrate Shakespeare’s 400th death anniversary. We will be featuring songs and works that highlight Shakespeare’s words. Elizabeth Hungerford will be joining us with her beautiful voice to honor this great historical figure. UCSC’s Lit Department will also be celebrating with a free event prior to our concert in the Recital Hall. It will have readings and presentations of Shakespeare’s works. It is a free event and open to the public. Together, these two events will be a fun way to celebrate Shakespeare through many different mediums of art”. They add….” Elizabeth Hungerford, Soprano,Hideki Yamaya, lute, and Linda Burman-Hall,on harpsichord will be our players.
Shakespeare and Experimental Baroque highlights cutting edge vocal, lute and guitar music from the 17th-18th centuries when much of Baroque music was controversial and new. Honoring William Shakespeare’s 400th death anniversary (April 23, 1616), our program opens with High Renaissance songs from Shakespeare’s plays and closes with High Baroque settings of Shakespeare texts. Experimental Italian songs that were considered radical at the start of the 17th century will form the center of the concert featuring ‘Canzonetta La Nonna’ by Tarquinio Merula. Later in the 17th Century, Purcell took Italian experimental chromaticism to heart in his heart-rending lament, The Plainte (O Let me Weep), from his own adapted version of Shakespeare’s ‘The Fairy Queen’. Elizabeth Hungerford’s clarion voice will illuminate Shakespeare’s words and bring them to life. Tickets available online at https://scbf.tixato.com/buy/ Ticket prices: VIP: $30 General Admission: $20 Under 30: $16 Students and Youth: $5
LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Santa Cruz Shakespeare has a Midsummer Dream of its own for its upcoming 2016 season. Find out how you can be part of it this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com). Also, come sail the Cyber Seas with me as I talk about pirate books and movies on my very first podcast, at the website “Under the Crossbones!” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.
TO SEE OR NOT TO SEE
THAT IS THE QUESTION
(THE NEWEST FILMS IN ORDER OF PERFECTION)
DEMOLITION. A very dark, deep film about a guy (Jake Gyllenhaal) who suffers terribly from the accidental death of his wife. During his healing he hangs out with Naomi Watts, and they stay crazed together. If you know tragedy personally, you’ll identify completely with what he goes through. Perfectly acted, totally believable and an excellent film. Just be prepared for the suffering.
| MIDNIGHT SPECIAL FILM CLIP. Maybe you can get a feel for the specialness of this film. |
MIDNIGHT SPECIAL. Michael Shannon, Kirsten Dunst, Adam Driver, Sam Shepard and Joel Edgerton make this into one of the best most imaginative films of this year (so far). It’s about Shannon’s son, who my really be from another world. Fine acting, great creative plot and an ending…well we didn’t get to see the last ten minutes because there was a fire alarm and flashing lights all inside and around the theatre. We (audience) thought it was part of the film’s special effects, and had to leave. I’ll go back this week to see the ending. . p.s. It’s got some exciting scenes of Don Lane type BEARCATS in action.
I SAW THE LIGHT. I can’t remember seeing a movie where the lead character was made out to be such a terrible human. If you really love Hank Williams music be very sure you want to find out what a miserable human being he was. Tom Hiddleston who was born and raised in London does an excellent acting job as Hank. He also does his own singing, just copying Hank a little bit. Williams died at age 29 and had recorded 36 hits in that short time. Hank had a wonderful and unique voice, plenty of stage charm but away from the spotlight….whew!!!
EYE IN THE SKY. Helen Mirren and Alan Rickman are Brits in Kenya who are involved in bombing humans by drones. Will they or won’t they bomb some terrorists because they might kill a little local girl. It’s hyped up suspense, manipulated beyond belief. It is Hollywood tension, and it’s done well but after a while you feel like you’ve been suckered in. Go warned, and of course Helen Mirren is excellent as always. I’ll miss Alan Rickman he had an unique style, great voice and quirky appeal…you couldn’t take your eyes off him.
STILL PLAYING AT A THEATRE NEAR US
FROM BEST TO REALLY BAD
EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT. One of my maybe top 3 films from 2015. It also has a 99% from Rotten Tomatoes. This was Colombia’s best foreign film entry for the Oscars…it shoulda won! Filmed along the Amazon. It’s two separate stories of scientists exploring the jungles for certain rare plants. It’s really about how “whites” have ruined, killed, destroyed,the peoples and the environment as they stoled the rubber and lumber. There’s a very clear message for all of us here, today. (subtitled)
10 CLOVERFIELD LANE. What a surprise…the reviews were coming in saying this is a well done, thrill -film from some very respected reviewers. They’re right, this is an exciting, involving, mysterious, well-acted, suspenseful movie. John Goodman stars as a creepy, misunderstood, possible deviate, who’s locked up a young beautiful woman Mary Elizabeth Winstead to protect her from what is (or isn’t?) outside the underground home-like prison. Great suspense, nicely filmed, believable, just go and have fun. Don’t read anything else about it, you’ll spoil the excitement and puzzlement.
WHERE TO INVADE NEXT. We liberals/progressives tend to think we know everything that Michael Moore has to say in his films…we sure don’t. His Invade film is full of very well thought out political concepts that we overlook constantly. He takes on women’s rights, slavery, college tuition, pregnancy leaves, bankers going to jail, decrominalizing drugs, prison sentences, school lunches, and many more. Moore is way too heavy handed and sinplistic but there are some very tearful and relevant points he makes in this documentary. He delivers the fact that so many great steps in human legal prigress were started way back when in the good ol’ USA!!! See this film. And vote accordingly! (that would be Bernie, naturally).
HELLO MY NAME IS DORIS. Sally Field is now 70 and plays a empty-headed ditzy senior in this mean spirited good- for- nothing movie. Like “Big Fat Greek Wedding” tries to make a minority group cute, fun and quirky, Doris the movie, makes fun of seniors. Yet Sally Field who hasn’t had work in years does a good job with this piece of junk.
WHISKEY, TANGO, FOXTROT. That’s W.T.F. or “W _ _ _ T_ _ FUCK” ? Tina Fey produced this female TV (CNN type) brand- new-novice–war-correspondent goes to Afghanistan movie. Tina faces the Taliban in Pakinstan and Afghanistan and some heavy sexist dealings and manages to get a few laughs in this deadly serious and pointless movie. Tina is actually very good in this mostly serious role. But there really isn’t any reason for you to spend your hard earned money on it.
ALLEGIANT, Part of the Divergent series. This mess got a 10 on Rotten Tomatoes, and deserved about a 2. Shailene Woodley once again leads her group of troopers out of Chicago and you can’t blame her. It’s the future and Chicago has been destroyed by secret nasty people led by Jeff Daniels. Jeff has something to do with altering genomes and making people nutty. The flimsy, thrown together plot is too confusing and too improbable to explain. Just remember that no matter how bad Chicago is in the future, outside the wall that surrounds it…it’s even worse. So’s the movie, don’t go.
BATMAN V SUPERMAN. Remember when these two heroes were nice guys with even some humanity and humor? Don’t even try thinking about a fully clothed Clark Kent getting into the bathtub with a naked Lois Lane (Amy Adams). Avoid thinking about Batman wanting to kill Superman or space monsters in Metropolis. Metropolis at least has Laurence Fishburne playing Perry White, editor of The Daily Planet. Ben Affleck as Batman??? Jeremy Irons as Batman’s butler? Then for some reason Wonder Woman comes in near the end. They have besmirched our legends…don’t go.
BREACHING THE BOTTOM. DEADPOOL. To be fair Deadpool is a fairly decent movie, because if you’ve followed the Deadpool comic book character for its many years (since 1991) you might relate to this meaningless , pointless, extra violent mess. Deadpool is a reluctant, foul mouthed superhero. If you like superhero/Marvel type graphic heroes, you could like this movie. Deadpool is making millions at the boxoffice.
| UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE RADIO PROGRAM KZSC 88.1 FM or live online at www.KZSC.ORG TUESDAYS 7-8 P.M. |
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. April 12 has UCSC’s Matthew Lasar talking about his new book, “Radio2.0 : Uploading the 1st Broadcast Medium”. Then Phil Kramer of the Homeless Services Center gives us the scoop on their plans and accomplishments. April 19 has Joan Van Antwerp describing Albee’s play “A Delicate Balance” playing at the Center Stage (4/8-4/23). She’s followed by Laurie King, author of 14 Mary Russell (Mrs. Sherlock Holmes) mysteries detailing her Bookshop Santa Cruz new book signing on April 20. Andrew Austin tells us about UCSC’s latest development plans on April 26. Followed by The Reel Work Film Festival’s Camille Walker. The bi-annual KZSC Pledge Drive happens May 3 with County Supervisor John Leopold co-hosting and Sandy Lydon co-hosts for pledges on May 10. On May 17 Brian Spencer from the See Theatre talks about T. McNally’s play, “Mothers and Sons“. He’s followed by Becky Steinbruner discussing Aptos issues and the legal measures in her lawsuit. Anita Monga artistic Director of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival (21st Year) returns May 24. Mark Wainer, Judy Johnson talk about the Community of Artists show on May 31st. The Short Story Winners from Bookshop Santa Cruz take over the June 14 program. 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
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Though I miss Jon Stewart dearly, Trevor Noah does a good job with the Daily Show. This piece is by Jessica Williams though; she’s great! Why people have these issues with trans people, I will never understand.
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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-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, 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. “WHALES”
“Nature did not put whales on this earth to splash kids while stuck in a pen”. Jane Velez-Mitchell.
“Many people cycle or swim to keep trim. But if swimming is so good for the figure, how do you explain whales?” Charles Saatchi.
“Ten percent of the big fish still remain. There are still some blue whales. There are still some krill in Antarctica. There are a few oysters in Chesapeake Bay. Half the coral reefs are still in pretty good shape, a jeweled belt around the middle of the planet. There’s still time, but not a lot, to turn things around”. Sylvia Earle.
“Ships are expendable; the whales are not”. Paul Watson.
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Snail Mail: Bratton Online
82 Blackburn Street, Suite 216
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com
Direct phone: 831 423-2468
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BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.
Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.
