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DATELINE April 6, 2015
DATELINE April 13, 2015
STARBUCKS ON OUR BEST CORNER. Another brilliant move from our so called leaders…allowing Starbucks to take over our most prominent, visible corner. Think about it. We have Jamba Juice on our Pacific Avenue entrance, a Taco Bell drive in at our southern Laurel Street entrance, Safeway/Albertsons on the Western entrance, and there’s Ross, Office Max, Cost Plus at the Highway 17 entrance. Each of them built and cheered on by the promise of jobs and tax revenue. Let’s hear it again….why would people come to Santa Cruz…to see what exactly??? Maybe the Bearcat???
MAUNA KEA, A CLEARER VIEW?? The UC system is working fast and putting out lots of publicity on the new telescope system that’s going up on Mauna Kea on Hawaii, the big island. If you go to whythemountain.blogspot.com you’ll read some of the many concerns native Hawaiians have about the destruction of their very holy and sacred mountain. You’ll read… “Mauna Kea is inundated with 13 telescopes, one of which is obsolete. The Thirty-Meter Telescope (TMT) would be larger than all the other telescopes combined. On March 26th, 2014 Hawaiians and our allies began peaceful protests in the very cold and rainy climate of Mauna Kea. So far 31 people have been arrested, and more arrests are expected to take place next week. Mauna Kea is sacred to Hawaiians, a vulnerable ecosystem that needs protection, and prized by the astronomy industry. Why do Hawaiians and environmentalists oppose a $1.4 billion project that promises a much-needed economic boost? Mauna Kea represents the origins of one culture, and is a place where other cultures go to seek their origins. Environmentalists argue that because the largest fresh water aquifer for Hawaii Island is on Mauna Kea, the potential for irreversible harm is too high a price to pay. They say to build a stadium sized structure and its 5,000-gallon hazardous chemical waste container above the aquifer is terrible risk to the entire watershed and the endangered and threatened species’ habitats. But for the Hawaiian people, what began as an agreement to allow one telescope on Mauna Kea over 40 years ago has turned into a generational struggle to protect the mountain from endless acts that amount to a form of cultural strip-mining. Because traditionally, Hawaiians have regarded the summit as sacred. Today, it’s also a symbol of cultural erasure and the ongoing assault on Hawaiian spiritual and religious practices and rights to self-determination. Read up on this, it’s yet another direction that the UC system has taken that so embarrassing, culturally offensive and non caring.
THE HUNTING GROUND. See this documentary at The Nick quickly. It’s about sexual crimes on American campii. You’ll wonder about UCSC, because it isn’t mentioned in the film. UC Berkeley, Stanford, UC Santa Barbara, Harvard, Yale, UC San Diego are all talked about but not UCSC. So we find in the papers… UCSC SEXUAL CRIME “REPORTS” ON THE RISE” was the headline by Kara Guzman in the Santa Cruz Sentinel, 02/23/2015. It stated, “SANTA CRUZ — Reports of sexual crimes at UC Santa Cruz have tripled since 2011 — a sign that administrators say shows their efforts to increase awareness and make victims less wary about stepping forward are paying off”. According to a 2013 collection of crime reports from both police and campus authorities, UCSC had 12 forcible sex offenses in 2013, up from 10 in 2012 and four in 2011. But those numbers don’t show the real picture, as sexual crimes are grossly underreported, said Caitlin Stinneford, sexual violence prevention educator and advocate. So far this school year, around 130 students have sought campus help for sexual or dating violence, That’s up from 97 students in the entire 2013-14 school year, she said. Weeks can pass before victims realize what happened, since most instances are not violent and involve alcohol, minimal force and an assailant the victim knows. Victims usually blame themselves, and don’t want to harm the assailant by reporting to the police, she said”. What’s almost funny is that UCSC’s Chancellor Blumenthal stated in the press last week something like “we are taking this very seriously”. If he’d seen The Hunting Ground he would have rephrased it. The film says, nearly 85 % of college officials always state, in the same words, “we are taking this very seriously”. But UCSC has stated that April is a big deal month and there are many “sexual awareness” meetings and presentations taking place. What’s even more interesting is that the film says (and proves) that most sex attacks on females (and males too) are committed by friends and acquaintances, not strangers.
TICKETING CURTIS RELIFORD AND NOT THE MOTORCYCLES? Does anyone else see the terrible crime our Santa Cruz City Council is allowing to happen when Curtis Reliford of the Follow Your Heart Network and his very humane colorful and decent trailer has been ticketed several times for being downtown and yet the damned noisy and offensive motorcycles are allowed to scorch and screech up Pacific Avenue with a knowing friendly nod from our smiling police? What’s with that?
KEITH SUGAR’S STIRRING MEMORIAL. Keith Sugar died of sudden heart failure On March 17, 2015. Keith is survived by his wife of nearly 25 years, Annrae Angel. He was a loving father to his son Ian 19, and his daughter Marlana 16. Keith Sugar was elected to the Santa Cruz city council in 1998 and also served on the Santa Cruz Local Agency Formation Commission, the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments, and the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control Board. He was mayor of Santa Cruz from 1999-2000. There was a fine and well attended celebration of Keith’s life on Sunday, April 12th, at Christopher Krohn’s house. Contributions in Keith’s name may be made to the Keith Sugar: Children’s College Fund, at the Santa Cruz Community Credit Union in lieu of flowers.
HISTORICAL PHOTO NEWS. Tony Russomanno poet, artist, reporter, TV cameraman found great photos of Governor Ronald Reagan on the UCSC Campus, and sent them. He also made great and important corrections to my notes on last week’s (April 6) historical photo caption. I welcome any/all corrections to stuff you read and see here. I got the UCSC Reagan Tuition protest notes from penciled notes on the back of the 8×10 photo. It was my guess that it was Vernon Berlin from KSCO with the microphone, Tony R. shows us none of above was correct. Tony reports….” Ronald Reagan was on the UCSC campus to take part in “Spring Thing,” an annual event that ran for a few years in the late 60’s to raise money for the UCSC Tutorial Project summer camp for underprivileged children. It would be nice to think that students on that day would have been far-sighted enough to hold a vigil against tuition, but they had other things on their minds, as shown in these photos from the UCSC McHenry Library Special Collections, Spring Thing, May 11-14, 1967. For more photos and corrections (be sure to not miss the early photo of cowboy Page Smith.),
click here (link expands, click to collapse)
| BANANAS EXPLODING ON FACE. Never mind, just take a look, another Mark Bernhard discovery.
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20th CENTURY FOX THEME. Mark Bernhard also found this gem…listen closely. |
ELECTRIC MAILBOX. Reed Searle sent this great idea…” I wonder, and I’ve tried but nobody seems to know the answer, how many homes in Santa Cruz are owned by non-residents and are vacant much/most of the time. Sure would be nice if it were possible, say, to double property tax for those homes or, better, to exempt them from the protection of prop. 13″. Any idea out there just how many non-resident homes there are in the county? We should check this out.
BLOCKHEAD ICED CREAM. Last Christmas daughter Jennifer treated me and her two boys to one of the most delicious taste treats ever. Blockhead Iced Cream. According to their website it’s a mix of “the fine texture of Hawaiian shave ice with the creamy goodness of ice cream”. There are only three Blockhead Shavery’s in the world so far, we need one up here much more than we need a damned Starbucks on Ocean Street. Check it out www.blockheadsshavery.com
ELLEN BASS IN THE NEW YORKER. Ellen Bass again makes the big time with The New Yorker publishing her “The Orange-And-White High-Heeled Shoes” poem in the March 30 issue with the Hillary Clinton emoticons on the cover. Be sure to read Seymour Hersh’s deeply researched My Lai story “The Scene Of The Crime” that surrounds Ellen’s poem. Did you know, and I’ve said this before, that there are more New Yorker subscribers in California than in New York….AND that there are more New Yorker subscribers in Northern California than in Southern California???
GUNILLA LEAVITT IS BETTER!!! Gunilla Leavitt my not-so-silent partner in getting this BrattonOnline..online, has gone through some hell and an operation and is doing just great. We should all stop in her Golden Fleece Yarn Shop on 317 Potrero Street over by the entrance to The Sashmill and tell her hello and give her a hug…she deserves it. Somehow she got last week’s “Bonline” out and continues to perform miracles!!! Or call her at 426-1425 and see what yarn specials she has going!!
[Gunilla here: Apologies for getting this out so very late sometimes, especially recently. The hell and the operation was breast cancer, and it’s kind of been a lot! I’ll try to pick up my pace; it’s never Bruce’s fault that the column doesn’t happen on Mondays every week… I’m doing fine, will start radiation within the month, provided that I don’t need chemo. Thanks for all your patience!]
APTOS VILLAGE PLAN – MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS
At the request of one of his constituents, Supervisor Zach Friend is organizing a public meeting April 22, 6pm-8pm at the Rio Sands Hotel (116 Aptos Beach Drive) Banquet Room. The purpose of this community-wide meeting is to give residents current information regarding the proposed Aptos Village Plan construction and answer questions.
Expected attendees;
Supervisor Zach Friend and his aide Patrick Mulhearn
Mary Gourlay and Jessie Nickell from Barry Swenson Builder
Jack Sohriakoff, Sr. Traffic Engineer for Santa Cruz County
Kim Adamson, General Manager of Soquel Creek Water District
perhaps Jeff Gaffney, Director of County Parks and Open Space (not confirmed)
Since there hasn’t been a public hearing on this project since 2012, many of us think it’s time to take a look at what has changed in this plan since then without much public scrutiny. There have been several changes, including adding more houses than were originally approved and the reduction in size of the mini-park near the entrance to Nisene Marks State Park. The size reduction of the park is to increase the size of a paved parking lot. There are concerns also over the staging of the project, i.e., building the houses after moving the Apple Barn before any possible benefits to the community. Changes in our water situation should be re-applied to this project. The Governor’s declaration to reduce water usage statewide was not in place in 2012….
(Paul Elerick is co-chair with Peter Scott of the Campaign for Sensible Transportation, http://sensibletransportation.org , and he’s a member of Nisene 2 Sea, a group of open space advocates).
PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary talks about Ryan Coonerty and Bruce McPherson’s “Working Lands Resolution” that gives big breaks to loggers and agriculture corporations. He says, “The “Working Lands Resolution” is being proposed by Supervisors Ryan Coonerty (representing the North Coast) and Supervisor Bruce McPherson (representing the San Lorenzo Valley). Timber harvest issues are controversial in both districts, and this Resolution comes down strongly in favor of timber harvesting and agriculture. That’s what the phrase “working lands” means; these are lands that are being used for economic production, including cattle ranching and timber harvesting.
The proposed resolution says that the county’s “working lands” are [quote] “at risk of conversion to other uses.” In fact, thanks to a long legacy of protective legislation, including our Growth Management System, enacted by Measure J, the conversion of the county’s “working lands” to any kind of residential or commercial development is very small. The objection seems to be to the possibility, on the North Coast in particular, that timberlands and range lands might be included in future parks”. Then he brings up the Seacliff Village Plan Amendment which would allow “more high-end residential development”!!! He gives a link to the “Climate Speakers” program which provides speakers who will provide information on climate change and global warming to ordinary people, to help empower them to make a difference. Go to his website for more info. 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 environmenatl issues. The opions expressed are Mr. Patton’s . Gary has his own website, Two Worlds/365” – www.gapatton.net
CLASSICAL DeCINZO. DeCinzo takes on Starbucks and coffee prices, scroll down a bit…
EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. Eagan peeks at Uncle Sam’s role playing …and asks a question!
See below.
LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Ahoy, me hearties, the paperback edition of Alias Hook is on the way! Also—stay tuned for big news about my next book. The film Effie Gray has everything: thwarted desire, confused sexuality, monstrous in-laws, cruelty, scandal, forbidden love, and Pre-Raphaelite art. Still, the handsome period drama Effie Gray just misses the mark. Find out why this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com.” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.
THAT IS THE QUESTION
(IN ORDER OF PERFECTION)
WHITE GOD. This Hungarian-subtitled unique and well done film is either a parable, or an allegory, or fable, or even a simile. It’s about how dogs see humans as White Gods and mostly evil, menacing god and how they band together, escape fom the pound and get even with them. You’ve never seen a film like this. It’s not your Lassie Come Home, or even Rin Tin Tin it’s much better….and see it quickly.
WOMAN IN GOLD. Helen Mirren will get no big awards for her starring role in this mini-saga of how a Jewish woman fought for years to get Gustav Klimt’s painting of her aunt back from the Austrian government. Austria possessed the painting after Hitler’s Nazi’s stole it from her folks. It lacks a point or reason or spark. Ryan Reynolds is pretty good as the young attorney. Go rent “The Rape of Europa” documentary from a few years ago, it’s more dramatic!!
WHILE WE’RE YOUNG. Naomi Watts steals the show from Ben Stiller in this “middle age” tragic comedy. They are an “older” couple who try competing with the 20 year younger couple Amanda Seyfried and Adam Driver. The film tries hard to say something about getting older and being present, but fails. However it does have a bizzarre sequence when everybody goes to an Ayahuasca ceremony(Hollywood version) and of course vomiting is supposed to get big laughs…it’s that kind of film.
DANNY COLLINS. Al Pacino hams up the lead in this Hollywood faux bio pic. Christopher Plummer has never been worse and Annette Bening does an excellent job of saving the film. Jennifer Garner and her dimples are in it too but I don’t know why. Pacino plays a washed up 1970’s singer who “coulda been a contenda” if he’d received a letter John Lennon wrote him 30 years before. Renting it is the best way to see this IF you have to. Screen credits say Michael Caine was in it….I sure didn’t see him!!! Maybe the noon nap time???
STILL PLAYING AT A THEATRE NEAR US
FROM BEST TO REALLY BAD
EFFIE GRAY. Emma Thompson wrote and plays in this “Jane Austen” Victorian era costume drama based on the true story of Effie’s marriage to an art critic. It stars Dakota Fanning (who is now 21 years old!). If you prepare ahead of time you might spot Claudia Cardinale as the countess. Derek Jacobi, James Fox, David Suchet, Julie Walters and Robbie Coltrane are all in it too. It lacks something. It’s subtle, sensitive, perfectly acted, but almost too unreal to be believable and touching. It’s about No-Sex!!! Read Wikipedia about Effie Gray before you go.
THE WRECKING CREW. This documentary, which was years I the making is another of those “behind the hit records” scenes. The Beach Boys, The Minkees, Nancy Sinatra, Cher, Mamas and The Papas, The Byrds, Elvis Presley, Glen Campbell and hundreds of other “stars” needed the incredible talent and creativity that this group of very professional musicians put together in the L.A.1960’s recording studios. Go see it.
KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER. This is an odd, partly comedy, psycho drama, curiosity that will keep you wondering long after you leave the theatre (if you go in!!!). This delusional, misfit young woman from Tokyo goes to Fargo to find a buried treasure, that doesn’t exist…and that’s all you need to know. It got an 88 on Rotten Tomatoes.
CINDERELLA. This is a 100 % Disney movie, and I mean it in a good way. It’s the classic Disney from Snow White, Pinocchio, Beauty and The Beast and the old timey beautiful, heart-tugging, syrupy romance years. This is a live action spectacular, with Lily James who plays Lady Rose MacClare in Downtown Abbey as Cinderella and Cate Blanchett as the wicked stepmother. I loved it, but it does start very slowly.
IT FOLLOWS. It’s a scary movie about teen age sex. Lots of teen age skin and guilt and a mysterious “something” that follows you until you have sex then IT follows that person.Oddly enough it really is scary and it’s done well, but who needs it?
DIVERGENT SERIES; INSURGENT. Unless you’ve read all three of thse teeny-bopper, sci-fi thrillers you won’t get much out of this part two. They could have named it Effulgent, Detergent, Emolument, Deterrent, or even best yet, Detriment…and it would have been more honest, and saved some unpuspecting movie goer an admission price!!
FOCUS. Will Smith tries hard to get back on top of the Hollywood star ladder but this clever and yet meaningless film goes absolutely nowhere. It’s about pickpocketing on a global level, and I’m not kidding. You are supposed to be fooled by who’s lying to which character but you really don’t care much. I dozed off many times and I was at the 10:50 am show!!!
| 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 sometimes old programs are archived… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. On April 14 actress and playwright Kate Hawley talks about “Complications From A Fall” her newest play opening at the Jewel on April 23. Then Jeffrey Smedberg reports on the Reel Work Labor Film Festival. County Supervisor John Leopold co-hosts our KZSC #1 Pledge Drive night on April 21. Historian, author Sandy Lydon co-hosts KZSC #2 Pledge Drive night on April 28. Miriam Ellis guests on May 5 to talk about this years International Playhouse at UCSC. Miriam is followed by Dr. Jason Luksich talking all about his field of Ophthalmology Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always at bratton@cruzio.com
UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES. In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 5 years here’s a chronological list of just this year’s podcasts. Click herehttp://kzsc.org/blog/tag/universal-grapevine then tap on “listen here” to hear any or all of them… all over again. The update includes Nikki Silva, Michael Warren, Tom Noddy, Anita Monga, Mark Wainer, Judy Johnson-Darrow, Wendy Mayer-Lochtefeld, Rachel Goodman, George Newell, Tubten Pende, Gina Marie Hayes, Rebecca Ronay-Hazleton, Miriam Ellis, Deb Mc Arthur, The Great Morgani on Street performing, 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. Hear them all!!!
QUOTES. “What would an ocean be without a monster lurking in the dark? It would be like sleep without dreams,” Werner Herzog. “Because there’s nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it’s sent away”, Sarah Kay “I really don’t know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I think it’s because in addition to the fact that the sea changes, and the light changes, and ships change, it’s because we all came from the sea. And it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea – whether it is to sail or to watch it – we are going back from whence we came”, John F. Kennedy. “Ocean, n. A body of water occupying about two-thirds of a world made for man — who has no gills”, Ambrose Bierce.
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BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.
Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.
