TO HELL WITH SEGWAY, THIS IS FOR SANTA CRUZ!! Watch this super scooter ride then imagine it racing up Empire grade! Geez, we could issue one to each UCSC student, and maybe even outlaw bicycles forever!!!

BUMPING BAHIA. After our City Council led by Rattling Ryan cancelled everything and asked for a postponement before The Coastal Commission met to make decisions about destroying La Bahia the reactions were hot, heavy and mostly asking for more citizen input. Jean Brocklebank opens this week’s La Bahia topic by asking “How is it that the “City” can decide to ask for a continuance to another hearing, if the “City” never discussed this in public. It wasn’t on their Tues. agenda but it was announced after their Tues. meeting. It smacks of sharp practice, not to mention a violation of the Brown Act”.Jean Brocklebank.

This next missive is from Don Webber, one of La Bahia’s many concerned neighbors.

Below is the “official” explanation (from Friends of La Bahia) as to why they retreated from the March 10 rendezvous with Coastal Commissioners. Their assertion that the project’s best interests are best served by requesting a “slight delay” seems to boil down to:

1. Canfield-Swenson were unable to persuade the CC staff to recommend approval.
2. Canfield-Swenson would probably lose if the decision were made on March 10. So they want to wait till new commissioners are on board, lobby the hell out of them, and they figure they might stand a better chance.

It’s apparent that the Canfield-Swenson development team believed that they could use their considerable local influence to bulldoze the Coastal Commission staff and board much like they did our city council. That’s not working out as they hoped.
They show no outward sign of making any substantive change to their dream project, however. Rather they are poised to apply more lobbying pressure. They initially targeted only Commissioner Stone; this signals their intention to target the rest of the commissioners, significantly pinning their hopes on the commissioners yet to be named.

ORGANIZING THE BOOKCASE. From Eileen Begley at Bookshop Santa Cruz

This letter was sent to pro-La Bahia developers from La Bahia

February 23, 2011

Dear La Bahia supporter,

You have been a strong supporter of the proposed La Bahia Hotel and we are writing to give you a status update of the Coastal Commission hearing on this project. Please see the attached letter.

It was decided a few weeks ago to have the La Bahia Hotel placed on the Coastal Commission’s March 10th agenda. Their meeting is here in Santa Cruz March 9th – 11th. As the cornerstone of beach area revitalization and the Beach/South of Laurel Plan, the La Bahia is extremely important to this community, so a local Coastal Commission hearing was preferred. It now appears that it may be in the project’s best interest to request a slight delay. Therefore the City of Santa Cruz in cooperation with the project developer is requesting a POSTPONEMENT of the Commission’s consideration of this project.

Here is why: The La Bahia is a complex project that requires significant review by Coastal Commission staff, as they conduct their final analysis and prepare their staff report. The City wants to continue to be able to work with Commission staff to answer any questions and consider any ideas that may arise, to be sure the results of their input is considered in the final project that is presented to the Commission.

• We just learned that the Governor has dismissed two of his predecessors appointees to the Commission and the new appointees will likely not be seated by March. As well, there is possibility of further change right up to the hearing date. Due to the significance of this project to the City and the community it is important that the project be afforded consideration by a full Commission. We want to make sure that all of them have time to familiarize themselves with the project and the goals of the City’s certified Local Coastal Plan for the Beach/ South of Laurel Area.
• We appreciate your support and look forward to eventual approval of the very best plan for the La Bahia site and the Santa Cruz beach area.
• Sincerely, Friends of La Bahia

ARTIST WRITES ABOUT A BETTER LOOK FOR BEACH STREET. Dear

BrattonOnline, Thanks for focusing on the La Bahia. I am a local artist and feel very strongly about the Seaside’s abuse and neglect of our beautiful historical gem. Their uninspiring business strategy for Santa Cruz’s most valuable real-estate has left it closed down for a majority of the year and a cesspool for crime. I’ve never understood why the city has not tried to do more for this part of our city, to expand beyond the Boardwalk.

5 years ago I submitted renderings of the La Bahia to the City, the Preservation Committee and to Canfield and Co. The Preservation Committee invited me to make a presentation with my drawings which were inspired by San Diego’s Old Town. The complex was turned into restaurants, galleries, boutiques and even had a wine garden in the courtyard. Local artists, wineries, breweries, and innovative small businesses could truly revitalize this area instead of plunking down a high end hotel on top of a potential cultural attraction and in the middle of drug dealers and gangstas.

Unfortunately I didn’t affect much change but I still do dream of a La Bahia makeover, it’s such a beauty, if you can see beneath the peeling paint and rot. The story in the Sentinel today does give a glimmer of hope. There’s definitely not enough about the poor stewardship the Seaside Co. delivers the city of Santa Cruz. And what about that asphalt parking lot sitting on top of our lagoon???!!! This is supposed to be a progressive city!

Yours, Lyn Guenther.

Thanks Lyn and all the other reader/writers.

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ON LA BAHIA. If you really want a better and even historical view on the La Bahia Battle read this well done piece from the June 30, 1999 issue of Metro Santa Cruz

BETTING ON RYAN AND TERRAZAS. I stated a few weeks ago that I’m willing to bet anybody that David Terrazas like Hilary Bryant and Lynn Robinson will vote exactly the way Ryan Coonerty wants them to. What I really said was:

“TERRAZAS BET. WHAT HE WROTE, WHAT HE’S PLANNING. David Terrazas fooled a lot of friends and folks during his first campaign. They thought maybe, just maybe he would represent the progressive part of our community, I never did. Now we’ve just begun to see his pro-development, pro-business stand. Terrazas op-ed in Sunday’s Sentinel when he said things like “Enhance our town’s business environment”, and “simplify the process to obtain business permits” means just that. Like Berkeley’s Developing Democrats, Terrazas and Ryan Coonerty will be teaming up to bring us more big time development than we’ve seen in decades. Locally owned hah! Watch and See. I shuddered when one friend even thought Terrazas was “naïve”, not so, watch his pro- LOBA, pro Chamber of Commerce votes and positions from here on out. I’ll tell you what, why don’t we make a bet…every time Terrazas votes WITH Ryan Coonerty on a meaningful issue you pay me $5, every time he votes against RYAN I’ll pay you $5. Sure, add in Hilary Bryant and Lynn Robinson as part of RYAN’s voting followers. After I wrote that Ryan answered me and said wait and see if Terrazas and I agree on the appointments we’ll be making. I’m not talking about funny little advisory commission appointments that have no power, I’m talking about La Bahia, Arana Gulch, Closing libraries, issues that make up our community.

GRAVAGO SOLD. Barbara Horscraft announced that she sold Gravago and will now become a buyer/shopper for new owner. Alls well that ends well.

SANTA CRUZ HIGH HISTORY & ZASU PITTS. Cindy Stone now residing in Texas sent us this bit of memorabilia she found at her mom’s place. Click thumbnails for larger images.

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary praises Monterey County Supervisor Jane parker and Santa Cruz County John Leopold for their regular holding of regular public meetings so everyone can air their concerns. Why don’t the rest of our supervisors do the same? Don’t they care? Patton goes on to urge us to go to Elkhorn Slough and just get out of doors more. He goes on to say that the Sierra Club has many outings that are good fun. He closes by reminding us that the Coastal Commission will be in the County Building on the 5^th floor wed march 9-Friday March 11 hearing many issues and of course not the La Bahia Canfield- Swenson- Rotkin-Coonerty project that Ryan yanked out of the community purview.(Gary Patton is “Of Counsel” to the Santa Cruz law firm of Wittwer & Parkin, which specializes in land use and environmental law. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. Gary has his own website, “Two Worlds / 365” – www.gapatton.net )

HUMAN TETRIS, REMEMBER TETRIS?

EAGANS DEEP COVER. Check out Tim Eagan’s explosive view of our expanding economy…scroll below.

LANDAU’S PROGRES. Saul writes a piece titled , “A Letter To Bambi” in Progresso Weekly. There’s a great quote in it, “”There exists an almost extinct breed. Their character is shaped by honor, devotion, courage, and love of their homeland, their very reason to live. These rare specimens survive in a hostile environment. Lies, hypocrisy, cowardice and betrayal by the world around them cannot crush their unbreakable will to fight for their ideals. These men don’t fear prison or death; nor do they surrender or compromise their principals. No one and nothing can separate them from their goals. Luis Posada Carriles belongs to this nearly extinct strain.” Read it all here Saul Landau is an Institute for Policy Studies fellow whose films are on DVD from roundworldproductions@gmail.com

MUSIC MAG ASKS IF MARIN ALSOP WILL STAY WITH CAB MU FEST? San Francisco Classical Voice last week had a question about Marin Alsop and her newest conductor job in Brazil…SFCV said…approaching her 20th year as music director of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, Marin Alsop has always been a multitasker. After leaving the Colorado Symphony (1993-2005), she remained its music director laureate; following her 2002-2008 stint with the Bournemouth Symphony, she was named its conductor emeritus, even while becoming music director of the Baltimore Symphony in 2007. But now, there is a challenge of long-distance travel, for last week she was appointed to the post of principal conductor of the São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra in Brazil, succeeding Yan Pascal Tortelier. With up to 16 weeks in Baltimore, and 10 weeks in Brazil, in addition to guest-conducting in many venues, will spending a month in Santa Cruz be feasible for her? Neither the 16 weeks nor the 10 are likely to be in one block, and the distance between the two locations is about 5,000 miles — 10,000 miles roundtrip. From Brazil to San Francisco, it’s another 6,500 miles. Alsop may well have the oomph to circle the world and conduct everywhere, but will she? Probably, at least for a while.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. This week Lisa Jensen actually admits, ” I need a nap after all the Oscar hoopla, so whatever goes up this week on Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com/) will be a big surprise—especially to me. Stay tuned! Lisa Jensen has been writing film reviews and a column for Good Times since 1975.

GRUNSTRA ON BUMPER STICKERS. Knowing my never ending fascination with bumper stickers (now all but extinct) Judy Grunstra sent this from Librarian News…February 22, 2011 – 5:09pm — though she’s seen thousands of bumper stickers, Whitney Baker isn’t all that interested in what they have to say. She’s more interested in keeping them around for a long, long time.
She’s a conservator for the KU Libraries and took a five-month sabbatical to go around the country to look at bumper stickers, and she’s learned a lot about how to preserve them for others.

During her research, she found that the history of bumper stickers points back to Kansas. Many credit Forest Gill, a screen printer from Kansas City, Kan., with developing the idea. He founded Gill Studios Inc., which today operates out of Lenexa. Gill’s son-in-law, Mark Gilman, today is chairman of the board for the company.

He said Gill developed an adhesive paper sticker to replace cardboard signs tied to bumpers that were beginning to gain popularity at the end of the 1930s and early 1940s.

Though many have said the concept can be traced back to Gill, that’s not something the company has definitively established, Gilman said.
Check out the thumbnail gallery and Baker’s video about the collection now housed at the Spenser Research Library at Kansas University.

HOUSEMAID.A re-make of an earlier Housemaid this Korean film has all the characteristics of excellent Korean films. It’s crazy, dream- like, sexual, class oriented, and meticulous. Go see it, you’ll definitely cringe a lot.

NORA’S WILL. If you’re into Jewish culture don’t miss this Jewish/ Mexican bitter sweet pleasant & tender comedy in Spanish with subtitles. Touching, perfectly written, marvelously acted…fine photography. You’ll love it, just go.

UNKOWN. Liam Neeson stars in this reality-bending spy-assassin flick. It has more plot holes than the Vatican. It’s also full of those mind numbing scenes where you sit there wanting to scream out “don’t open the door” or “why not call the police“, or “better not drink that drink”, or “don’t go down the stairs” or simple minded things like that. January Jones (Mad Men) is in it too and she doesn’t help much. She’s type cast into playing a ditzy blonde (duh!)

A COP OUT. That’s not a movie title, that’s my plea for forgiveness because I just couldn’t face seeing Owen Wilson in Hall Pass, Big Momma’s Like Father, Like Son and especially Nicolas Cage in Drive Angry in 3D. I mean how would you like to wake up in the morning and fell like you had to see Nicolas Cage in a movie?

A BOOK…IN CASE WE FORGET.

LUIS VALDEZ’S “MUMMIFIED DEER” AT UCSC IS BIG HIT. Kinan Valdez, Luis Valdez’s son told us on Universal Grapevine that Mummified Deer is one of his dad’s favorite plays. It’s a theatrical biography of the Valdez family. It’s being presented by UCSC’s Theatre Arts Department and runs through Sunday March 6 at The Mainstage Theatre. Remember it starts at 7 p.m. thurs-sat. and 3 pm for Sunday matinees. Kinan’s directing it, and I agree that the student actors are fantastic. I saw it last Saturday, and liked it every bit as much as Zoot Suit. It’s crazy, historical, musical, commedia, corridos,

profound, slapstick, everything you want in a play. Special ticket offer: Buy one full-price ticket ($15), get a second ticket FREE at the Thursday, Mar. 3 evening performance. Tickets for “Mummified Deer” are available now at santacruztickets.com and at the UCSC Ticket Office and the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium box office.

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 on “blog”) at WWW.KZSC.ORG. On March 1^st Rob Slawinski will reveal secrets about the auction business. Gary Bascou 1/2 of Staff of Life follows Rob and will talk about their brand spanking new store. March 8^th is one of the great 88?s (KZSC) Pledge Drive and County Supervisor John Leopold & I will play lots of Arhoolie Recordings and exhort you into supporting our number one most listened to college radio station in the USA. Peggy Dolgenos and Westi Haughey from Cruzio will talk about their new location and their new lighting of “the fiber internet”, on March 15. The Museum of Art & History’s pottery show is the topic on March 22 with Paula Kenyon and Karen Massaro. Carolyn Burke will share views on her brand new book on Edith Piaf and her early death also on the 22^nd. Then on March 29 Sara Wilbourne administrator of the Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre will discuss their latest plans and projects. Any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in and keep listening.

BEST OF VINTAGE DeCINZO.

QUOTES.” One plays at being immortal and after a few weeks one doesn’t even know whether or not one can hang on till the next day“, Albert Camus. “In our fear, we make an image, and that image we call God”, The Knight, Bergman’s The Seventh Seal. “Sure we’re all one…but—shh—don’t spread it around.”, Jay Lynch