Highlights this week:
BRATTON about whose birthday is it, Lulu’s and The Octagon history, Hoffman’s, New Leaf, City temp workers, new hotel at 7th and Brommer?…GREENSITE on PG&E and tree felling…KROHN and rent control, Armistice Day in February, Big Deal Council meeting…STEINBRUNER re Supe’s conflict of interest and the 82 foot Cemex tower, Aptos Village traffic lessens, Nisene Marks parking problem, Rancho Del Mar developer unfair to tenants…PATTON about good guys, bad guys and community…EAGAN displays Rotten Tooth Trump…DeCINZO relieves himself on Girl Scout Cookies…Munching with Mozart…Evening with Mahler…Jensen re Oscar Nominated Shorts…Bratton on 50 Shades freed, Oscar shorts…UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUESTS…QUOTES some great quotes from Abraham Lincoln.
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BARACK OBAMA’S PORTRAIT UNVEILING |
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ROBOT DOGS. Just what we need. |
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NAIL BALANCING TRICK. I know, I know but it was getting cold and rainy so… |
DATELINE February 12, 2018
LINCOLN’S AND WASHINGTON’S FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS??? Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, and George Washington was born on February 22, 1732. When I was little, we celebrated both of those days, separately, with school holidays. Then somebody combined them into President’s day — and who celebrates even that day, nowadays?
OCTAGON MYSTERY.
What happened to Lulu’s Coffeehouse at The Octagon seems to have become a mystery. Since I’ve been sitting there during the fair weather, dozens of locals and tourists peer into the unlocked and deserted Octagon and wonder exactly what’s going on. For newcomers… The Octagon was our County Hall of Records from about 1882. It became the Santa Cruz County Historical Museum in 1972. Charles Prentiss and Nikki Silva created a great and relevant City Museum display that answered many local history questions. Then it became the MAH store. Then Mark Primack designed the interior for Lulu Carpenter’s Coffee Shop. That location had an exclusive coffee-selling permit.
A few years ago, when the San Jose operation took over and erased all traces of what was Abbott Square to put in their six food operations, they wanted to have a coffee operation going on but Lulu’s had that exclusive clause — so MAH bought out Lulu’s lease. Lulu’s owner sued and lost. The San Jose group intended to open a whiskey-tasting bar in there. Obviously it fell through. Then two little restaurants were going to open last November… that too fell through.
So now the Octagon — one of our once proudest historical structures — sits with usually unlocked doors, totally destroyed inside. It’s lousy and irresponsible management of our County’s heritage on MAH’s behalf. Why the County does absolutely nothing while the Octagon rots to hell is beyond understanding.
PACIFIC AVENUE PONDERINGS. Just hanging out on the avenue during all the “summer” weather, I wonder how many folks have noticed the pair of sneakers hanging straight above the front entrance to New Leaf. Then we have to guess how they got there, and how many throws it took?? Then I got maybe a ” fractured fact” that Hoffman’s closed because they couldn’t afford the $13,000 per month rent. Remember that big deal TV Makeover show that brought in so many customers that night, and changed the atmosphere of Hoffman’s completely?
It seems ridiculous to bring it up again, but why can’t our City stop those roaring, racing motorcycles from ruining what atmosphere and sense of friendliness? Somehow the Fuzz manages to track license plates to give tickets for everything…why not for disrupting the peace? With our new policing practices in place, there should be dozens of trained citizen/authority people who would act as witness against these witless peace destroyers.
Then I just got an email stating that the City of Santa Cruz has over 35% temporary workers on the payroll. That alone is enough to make you wonder — and perhaps even accuse our city of some very criminal and hidden actions…more than before!!!
NEW HOTEL 7TH & BROMMER,WHY? (and who?) Many questions need asking about the hotel being pushed so strongly by both County Supervisor Ryan and dad Neal Coonerty. It’ll be built at the corner of 7th and Brommer. Why there? Why another hotel? And again why are the Coonertys involved? It’s far from Ryan’s District!
[oops!!! I just checked and 7th and Brommer is within Ryan’s (3rd) District which runs all the way from our north county line to where he wants the hotel. BUT why is a Supervisor pushing for a hotel? Ask him when you see him.]
TIME TO STAND UP FOR TREES
The whine of a chain saw is a fitting back-drop to my writing about PG&E and tree destruction. Fortunately the nearby chain saw is trimming not killing. I don’t use the term killing lightly. As tree expert Dr. Matt Ritter from San Luis Obispo reminds us: “trees are alive! Do not forget that.” They are very different from us but cutting down a tree is equivalent to shooting a man in the back. As John Muir cautioned: “any fool can destroy trees: they cannot run away.”
In California only 19 species of trees are natives out of 8,000 different tree species. Of course native trees should be protected and planted whenever possible. But to advocate the eradication and hatred of all non-native trees no matter how old or large is in my mind folly of the worst kind. Fuelled by all manner of myths and distortions, the assault on non-native tree species is not shared by birds or bees, which happily nest, perch, forage and thrive on a wide variety of non-native trees. Even the much maligned blue gum eucalyptus, hated by many and incorrectly blamed for the tragic Oakland Hills fire, is home to 59 species of birds that nest within its branches. In all, 90 bird species make regular use of these iconic trees, which are in decline due largely to wanton destruction and ignorance.
A mature tree stores an average of 1-2 metric tons of carbon, which increases each year the tree grows. For newly planted trees to become equivalent carbon sinks many decades of growth are needed. Given what we know about climate change due to carbon emissions, one would think that every viable big tree would be lovingly protected and revered. It is in this context that the massive tree removal project proposed by PG&E, which has just begun in the city of Santa Cruz, should stir alarm and action.
| 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. |
GOINGS – ON
Rent Control Now
The Movement for Housing Justice along with the student group, SUR, Students United with Renters (“No more students without more resources!” too.) combined to turn out over a 100 petition-gathers this past Sunday. It was the first official day for rent control signature-gathering in the city of Santa Cruz. Wow, what a crowd! The Resource Center for Non-Violence was abuzz with anxious, frenetic, and giddy groups of students, labor union members, and seniors ready to take to the streets, but first a training session took place. It was remarkable how the 100-plus-person training ensued as they strived to collectively figure out some common problems like who is eligible to sign the petition (registered city voters only), who can collect signatures (anyone), and how to list student addresses (need both dorm and UCSC campus addresses).The signature training session was presided over by Zav Herschfeld and Viveka Jagadeesan. At 3:45pm, everybody hit the streets for a first-run through of practicing the process. By 5:30pm they returned to a potluck dinner and a facilitated conversation about what went right, and what went wrong on Rent Control Day 1. They also returned with more than 700 signatures, towards the 8000 needed to place the initiative on the November ballot. Not bad for the first day.
Celebrating the Armistice
ar·mi·stice ‘ärm?st?s – a noun, an agreement made by opposing sides in a war to stop fighting for a certain time; a truce.
 Darrell Darling at last Sunday’s kick-off of Armistice Year. VFW Bill Motto Post’s, Steve Baer is also in picture. |
Over 60 peace-people met at the Town Clock this past Sunday (2/11) to celebrate the end of war. Yes, that war, “The Great War,” “the war to end all wars.” It was November 11th 1918 when the allies of World War I, and representatives of the German government, met on a private train in a forest near Compiegne, France to sign an agreement towards ending what many thought would be the last war–20 million deaths and 21 million wounded. Veterans for Peace activists, Steve Baer and Rico Baker carried out the first of a planned nine peace-making events leading up to a Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium celebration and commemoration this November 11th. Present at this gathering was like a who’s who in Santa Cruz peace history: Darrell and Karen Darling, Tatanka Bricca, Sherry Conable, Dick and Marion Vittitow, Jan Harwood and the Raging Grannies, Steve Pleich, and I am sure I’ve missed several…
Is That Just One Council Meeting?
There are council meetings, and then there are council meetings…The February 13th meeting was set up to be one for the ages. No fewer than five rather significant issues landed on the desks of city councilmembers. While I shall report out the results–votes–next week, as BrattonOnLine is put to bed before the meeting, I include the topics here:
- Declaring a “fiscal emergency” in the city of Santa Cruz…and this is on the heels of declaring a “homeless emergency” just two weeks ago;
- Placing two general fund tax measures on the June Primary election ballot–1/4-cent sales tax AND a 2-cent per ounce “sugar sweetened beverage” tax;
- Rent Freeze–“Interim emergency ordinance establishing a temporary moratorium on certain residential rent increases…” This ordinance would provide protection for tenants against arbitrary and capricious rent increases before the rent control ordinance can be voted on in November;
- “Just cause for tenant evictions” ordinance, which would protect tenants from being put out of their homes by the whims of landlords. There would still be provisions for putting out tenants for failing to pay the rent or abusing the property and/or neighborhood
- Opening of the first city of Santa Cruz-supported and sanctioned tent encampment on River Street.
And Then There is This Cryptic (nefarious?) Use of Closed-session Political Jujitsu Dept.
This appeared rather mysteriously on the February 13th Santa Cruz City Council “Closed Litigation Session:”
| B. | Conference With Legal Counsel – Anticipated Litigation |
| Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to Government Code §54956.9(d)(2).
(1 potential case) |
What the hell is that? Not even a subject or an organization mentioned who it is that is bringing, or threatening, or perhaps thinking about a legal action against the city. Why would it not be in favor of the city by naming names here? This to me is an abuse of closed session, and the Brown Act, and should be stopped. The public has a right to know the names, or organizations and institutions, who might be suing the city.
Bernie Sanders Tweet of the Week
“If you were wondering how Trump plans to pay for his tax cuts for billionaires and corporations, now you know: with $1.8 trillion in cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security”. (Jan. 12)
Picture of the Week
 RENT CONTROL NOW It was a packed Resource Center for Non-Violence as the rent control initiative began collecting signatures in earnest several members of the print and visual media looked on. |
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(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).
Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com |
WHAT A FLIMSY ACCUSATION!”
That’s what County Supervisor John Leopold told me last Tuesday when I asked Chairman of the Board Zach Friend and Supervisor Ryan Coonerty to recues themselves from voting on the new 82′ tall law enforcement communication tower at Davenport’s Cemex Plant. I support improved communication for emergency responders, but pointed out that the two County Supervisors both will financially benefit by the technology due to their personal investments in Pred Pol and , in the case of Supervisor Zach Friend, Yardarm Technology. I pulled the item from the Consent Agenda and had to wait all day for the issue to be heard as Regular Agenda Item 55.2 at the very end of the meeting.
That’s when Supervisor John Leopold took the floor and arrogantly stated my request was “based on a flimsy accusation not supported by facts. I am sure they would have reported any conflicts of interest in their Form 700.” I replied (not allowed further comment at the podium) that they had, and that was how I learned about it. County Sheriff Jim Hart stated that the Sheriff Dept. has no contracts with either Pred Pol or Yardarm Technologies, so everything was okay.
Did Chairman of the Board Zach Friend or Supervisor Coonerty recuse themselves? NO.
Pred Pol is short for Predictive Policing and is a company that provides recommended staffing information to law enforcement agencies based on local crime patterns and social movements. Yardarm Technology is a software company that provides technology linked to weapon deployment of law enforcement staff and sends signals to communicate real-time use of the weapons using cellphone technology. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff Department tested the technology for Yardarm when Phil Wowak was Sheriff. Zach Friend went to Sacramento on taxpayer time to lobby for the use of the technology in the state.
While the new 82′ tower in Davenport will, I have been assured, only support a microwave dish to link law enforcement communications with the tower on Mt. Toro across the Bay, it is my understanding that if cell phone providers in the future request space on the tower, the County legally cannot refuse to give them space.
Here is the link to Chairman of the Board Zach Friend’s Form 700 (look at page 4 for the Schedule A-1 and verify for yourself that his $10,000-$100,000 annual income from EACH Pred Pol and Yardarm Technology is an economic conflict of interest.
Look at page 3 of Supervisor Ryan Coonerty’s Schedule A-1 for his declaration of $2,000-$10,000 annual income from Pred Pol.
Do you think my request that they recuse themselves from approving a new tower in Davenport that will benefit their financial interests was a “flimsy accusation”?
Cheers,
Becky Steinbruner
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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.
Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com |
#39 / The “Good Guys” Versus The “Bad Guys”
I was intrigued by an article by Catherine Nichols that appeared, recently, in the online magazine, Aeon. Entitled, “The good guy / bad guy myth,” the article notes that while “pop culture today is obsessed with the battle between good and evil, traditional folktales never were.”
The point of the article is that the locus of “morality” appears to have shifted from the individual to the mass, with the article making the point that it is precisely this shift in understanding that justifies and makes possible concentration camps:
When I talked with Andrea Pitzer, the author of One Long Night: A Global History of Concentration Camps (2017), about the rise of the idea that people on opposite sides of conflicts have different moral qualities, she told me: “Three inventions collided to make concentration camps possible: barbed wire, automatic weapons, and the belief that whole categories of people should be locked up.” When we read, watch and tell stories of good guys warring against bad guys, we are essentially persuading ourselves that our opponents would not be fighting us, indeed they would not be on the other team at all, if they had any loyalty or valued human life. In short, we are rehearsing the idea that moral qualities belong to categories of people rather than individuals. It is the Grimms’ and von Herder’s vision taken to its logical nationalist conclusion that implies that “categories of people should be locked up.”
I am fond of saying that “we are not only individuals; we are also members of a community.” We need to remind ourselves of that all the time, because we often analyze things from an “individualistic” point of view, missing the fact that it is the “we,” not the “me,” that ultimately defines our human reality. We are all in this together!
That said, it is also true that the locus of moral choice (and moral responsibility) is at the individual level. Concentration camps, and the massive bombing of cities in which “enemies” reside (from Dresden, to Hiroshima, to Raqqa), are both examples of how the “good guy / bad guy myth” wreaks havoc on our common human world.
And to take another example, in which mass destruction is more metaphorical than actual, consider the hyper-partisan nature of our current politics. It might be best for us to go back to the old folktales. They have more than one lesson to teach us.
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Gary is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney for individuals and community groups on land use and environmental issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. You can read and subscribe to his daily blog at www.gapatton.net
Email Gary at gapatton@mac.com |
CLASSICAL DeCINZO. DeCinzo has another shot at Girl Scout Cookies…see below.
EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “Rotten Tooth Trump” 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.
MUNCHING WITH MOZART. Thursday 2/15 @ noon.
Munching with Mozart presents “Music for Two Clarinets” featuring Tatyana Rekow and Penny Hanna on clarinets. From its origins as an Arabic and European folk instrument, and often resembling the sound of a trumpet, the single reed clarinet or chalumeau from France became more widely used beginning in the early Baroque period. By 1700, Johann Christoph Denner’s technical improvements helped turn the chalumeau into the modern clarinet. W.A. Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A major K 622 is one of the earliest well known classical works, and the clarinet’s versatility and range have expanded it’s reach to military bands, Eastern European klezmer music, American jazz and big band swing.
Tatyana and Penny will be playing…Airs à Deux Chalumeaux (1706) Henry Ipermann (c. 1700), Selections arranged for 2 clarinets andante, Allegro, Menuetto Allegro, Polonaise
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart(1756 – 1791) June: Barcarole “The Seasons” op.37A
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 – 1893) Stardust (1929) Hoagy Carmichael (1899 – 1961)
And Clarinet Polka (late 19th. Cent.) A. Hupfa or Karol Namyslowski Gavotte: Symphony No.1(“Classical”) Op.25 Sergei Prokofiev (1891 – 1953)and Bartok, Waldeufel, Musiker, Curtis and Jerome Kern. It happens Thursday, February 15th 12:10 – 12:50p.m. Santa Cruz Public Library, Downtown Branch – upstairs Meeting Room. Remember it’s free, get there early.
ESPRESSIVO ORCHESTRA WITH MAHLER. Thursday2/15 @ 7:30 p.m.
Michel Singher conducts the Espressivo Orchestra playing Mahler’s fourth Symphony with Sheila Willey vocalist. It’s at the Peace United Church 900 High Street. Tickets at https://www.brownpapertickets.com/e/3198559 or maybe at the door.
LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Decisions, decisions. Animated or Live-Action? Before you choose, check out my review of the Oscar Nominated Short Films (and, yes, there are two separate programs) this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ). Also, feast your eyes on another vintage Beauty and the Beast illustration as the countdown continues toward the pub date of my next book!” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.
OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTS …ANIMATED. Not funny, not great, not far out, not profound… but “Dear Basketball” produced, directed and narrated by Kobe Bryant himself is beautiful.
50 SHADES FREED. I am probably required to admit that I actually saw 50 Shades of Grey (2015), and that it was the last movie I saw at the Aptos Theatre. I will not reveal the name of the person I saw it with, however, because we are still friends. 50 Shades Freed — the third and final film of this series from the book — got a 25 on Rotten Tomatoes. Fifty Shades Darker #2 got 10 on RT. 50 Shades Freed got an 11 on RT. Not that you should care, but it’s about Seattle, sex, money, and ice cream in your crotch.
LADY BIRD. This film restored my faith in great films! RT gives it 100% and it’s the highest rated film in RT’s history!!! Greta Gerwig directed Saorise Ronan and others in this sincere, well thought out movie. A teen aged daughter and her Mom have a terrible, never ending battle over clothes, religion, dating, sex, college and everything. It all happens in Sacramento in about 2003 , which is somehow appropriate. It’s sensitive, subtle, and surprising. Gerwig breaks many directing rules and creates new plot possibilities. Go see this film. Ps….as I’ve told many folks, it’s definitely not about Lady Bird Johnson!!!
CALL ME BY YOUR NAME. No matter where you’re at sexually this beautiful film deals with a young 17 year old boy in Italy working his way through his sexual coming of age. Armie Hammer plays the 30 year old scholarly hunk who visits the kid’s parents. You remember Armie Hammer heir to the Armand Hammer oil fortune and who played The Lone Ranger to Johnny Depp’s Tonto (2013)!!!
THE SHAPE OF WATER. A 93 on RT and that means something! Sally Hawkins plays a beautiful mute working in a lab who cares for, and falls in love with a mysterious water creature. It’s a fable, a fairy story, and reminds us of the black and white fantasy films from the 40’s and 50’s. It’s vital to know that it’s directed by Guillermo Del Toro who also did Pan’s Labyrinth and Hellboy. It is such an enormous change from every other film we’ve seen in years that its’ worth going just for the fun of it.
THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI. First, please note the 95 RT rating. When you have Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell working in a film directed by an Oscar winning director you almost can’t miss. It is definitely a dark comedy. The plot contains murder, rape, loyalty, cancer, and some absolutely brilliant acting. Go see it, and force all your friends to see it too.
DARKEST HOUR. Gary Oldman takes the role of Winston Churchill to new heights…and depths. Its world War II history and it’s the background story of what Churchill had to endure when he first took office as Prime Minister. He deserves the Oscar like few stars ever have. The story is absorbing, educational, and it makes you wonder why the USA doesn’t have someone like Churchill to handle Trump like Churchill handled Hitler and Mussolini.
THE POST. This is Steven Spielberg’s answer to the Trump administration’s corruption and misuse of presidential power. Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks rip up the acting as we expect them to do. It’s the story of the then little Washington Post trying to catch up to The New York Times printing Daniel Elsberg’s Vietnam exposure papers. It makes easy parallels to Nixon and Trump’s dictatorships. It also makes great pitches for freedom of the press…and what we need to do to keep that freedom alive…especially now. Go see it, bring your friends. But truthfully it’s not as interesting or revealing as the MSNBC documentary two weeks ago… “The Most Dangerous Man In America” the same story from Elsberg’s view.
I TONYA. A very dark, depressing movie about some very depressed people. It’s got loud rock period music as the film score which almost qualifies it as a fun comedy but you’ll be able to count your laughs. Somewhere in the movie somebody says Americans love to hate or love their current sport stars…and its sure true here. Allison Janney plays Tonya’s seriously disturbed mother and deserves some award this Award season…but not for this one. Warning IF you do got you’ll leave wondering why you cared about Nancy Kerrigan or Tonya Harding.
COCO. A genuine Pixar animated cartoon. And, the animation is amazingly three –dimensional. The plot is totally focused on the very rich and traditional Mexican culture. Day of the Dead, plenty of food, religion, music, and only a little boring after the first half hour. It’s completely original, you’ve never seen anything like this before, its way more creative and developed than what we usually think of as a Disney Cartoon. Go see it. (ends Feb.15 again!)
MOLLY’S GAME. This is an unusual “true” film about a once Olympic ski champion who becomes the owner/manager of zillion dollar poker games. Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba play the top roles and good old Kevin Costner has a bit part as Jessica’s father. It’s a fancy film with plenty of cinema tricks to keep us interested, and the acting’s ok too. But think twice before going, especially if you’re trying to give up movies for the New Year.
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI. Yes, 93 on RT and I thought it was a complete fake of a billion dollar move machine. I’ll always remember going to our Soquel Drive in (just a little stoned) and being completely taken into outer space with Star Wars 1. It had humor, empathy, great imagination, tension and a story you could care about. The franchise now stages monotonous, uncaring, space attacks and wars so numerous that you can’t remember who is on who’s side…and you don’t care much either. There’s the Dark Side, the Resistance, Adam Driver, R2D2, a very dull Carrie Fisher, an aging Mark Hamil as Luke Skywalker and those endless space battles that take up probably 33 1/3 of the movie. A great disappointment…go at your own peril, and its 2 1/2 hours extra long.
THE HOSTILES. In 1892 The Comanches fight the Cheyennes, settlers battle all American Indians, while Christian Bale leads a group that includes Rosamund Pike through all sorts of ethnic and tense battles. It’s a bit more sensitive than the John Ford John Wayne westerns but nowhere near as exciting. The photography is not just scenic, it’s gorgeous.
12 STRONG. This is almost a Hollywood western. Chris Hemsworth and Michael Shannon fight Taliban attacks in the Afghan War right after 9/11. It was actually shot in New Mexico and southern California…and you’ll believe it when/if you see it. It’s very confusing, and hard to figure who is on whose side. Apparently it’s “based on a true Story” but what isn’t nowadays? I counted three audience members actually playing computer games while the movie was grinding on for two hours and ten minutes plus the usual 20 minutes of Regal ads and previews.
THE GREATEST SHOWMAN. This is Hugh Jackman trying his best to bring life to the bio of P.T.Barnum. Jackman is an excellent dancer, singer and showman but this movie just doesn’t have the heart or solidity that a good film should have. The music is just more copying of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s gooey showbiz. It’s shallow, trite, and repetitious to a fault. Don’t bother seeing it.
WINCHESTER. To see Helen Mirren in a miserable movie like this flop is just embarrassing.
You know where 98% of it was filmed right? Yes, on sound lots in Australia…NOT the famous Winchester Mansion just over the hill. It’s dull, boring, darkly lit, and for a scary movie it misses at every bump in the night. Even Helen Mirren does a shameful job of acting…it’s her worst ever!!
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 Feb. 13 UCSC’s Felicia Rice discusses her new book “Doc/Undoc” an art piece centering on the immigration experience. Then Ashlyn Adams talks about her two new movie theatres opening soon in the former Circle Church. Feb. 20 has former UCSC Alumni President Donna Mekis talking about UCSC and the community. AND …if you just happen to miss 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. 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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Shameless plug! I am so proud and excited, I can’t stand it! This is my friend Niki Leeman, who used to live around these parts, but is now living happily in Chicago with his girlfriend. This is the first time I’ve heard this song since he told me he wrote a song for me and my husband, and sang it to us in our kitchen, a decade ago. Take a listen; it’s a great song! |
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. From Abraham Lincoln.
Don’t interfere with anything in the Constitution. That must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our liberties. And not to Democrats alone do I make this appeal, but to all who love these great and true principles.
–August 27, 1856 Speech
As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy.
–ca. August 1, 1858
On the question of liberty, as a principle, we are not what we have been. When we were the political slaves of King George, and wanted to be free, we called the maxim that “all men are created equal” a self evident truth; but now when we have grown fat, and have lost all dread of being slaves ourselves, we have become so greedy to be masters that we call the same maxim “a self evident lie.”
–August 15, 1855
The world has never had a good definition of the word liberty, and the American people, just now, are much in want of one. We all declare for liberty; but in using the same word we do not all mean the same thing.
–April 18, 1864
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BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.
Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.
