HOLY CROSS CHURCH. 1880. That little girl in the photo is Rose Rostron the daughter of C. Aichberg the photographer who took it. This church was dedicated in 1794. It was torn down in 1885. photo credit: photo courtesy Covello & Covello Historical photo collection Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

REUNION AT BIG CREEK. Marcia and Bruce Mc Dougal had a huge Big Creek Pottery Reunion Sunday July 3^rd. I couldn’t make it, and asked Marcia to tell you, me, and all of us, what it was like. She wrote…”We began receiving guests (90 approx) at 2 pm up at the house. It was hot, 96 degrees. We had all the doors open, tables outside on the decks with colored umbrellas everywhere. Same down by the pool, ready for swims. Stephanie Raugust had hors-d’oeuvres and a great meal. Nino Bachar and Jack Herman had arrived at 4:30 a.m. and started a big fire in the pit the guys had dug the day before that they had lined with fire bricks. They placed Nino’s volcanic rocks from Hawaii in it and the pig, and lowered it over the coals, lined it with banana leaves and dirt, and let it roast until 5 p.m. By that time people were happily getting reacquainted and emotional and peaking (peeking) at several slide shows here and there on computers, placed at appropriate places. Everyone was on overwhelm and really joyous.

We ate the pig and Steph’s food, listened to a great band, The Hucklebucks, down by the pool, exchanged endless stories and was presented emotionally, with a Big Creek Pottery Cookbook (available at the MAH Museum) which Linda Babcock had been responsible for putting together with the cookhouse recipes from the core group. . Everyone was bonded and left so happily. A very special occasion for us, filled with an abundance of love and appreciation from everyone. Certainly a day to remember.

THE WEEK’S BEST VIDEO CLIP. Mark Levy sent this one. It’s insane, bizarre and really funny in an M.C. Escher way. You must watch all of it, trust me. Mark says, “Cyriak is a British animator with a brain from another planet… He has tons of videos but be warned, some of them are macabre and edgy… enough said.

FOURTH OF JULY FOLLOW-UP. Karen Kefauver wrote to say…

“I could NOT AGREE MORE about our Fourth of July- I was disgusted by the fencing and crazed policing that went on this year – I feel like it was ramped up even from last year. I would LOVE to know the cost of the fencing, overtime, police hours – I feel certain that money could go towards a decent city sponsored fireworks display that would fill (most) beaches with an audience. I feel like we should have just CLOSED all highways and beaches and said: DON”T COME TO SANTA CRUZ”. Well said Karen

RUPERT MURDOCH AND SANTA CRUZ. Many new arrivals may not know that the ever-notorious Rupert Murdoch was once the owner of our very own Good Times paper. I doubt that he even knew it, but he did buy and later sell the corporation that owned it. Now Mainstreet Media owns it, they say,” Since its inception in 2004, MainStreet Media Group’s commitment to publishing is grounded in the belief that a publication’s relevancy literally begins on MainStreet. We are creators of hyper-local communication conduits, paved with interactive portals that invite and incite public debate, both in print and online. Our publishing teams proudly serve 48 demographically-rich California communities through traditional newspapers, alternative magazines, various niche publications, and dynamic web sites”.

Mark Levy alsosent this You Tube zinger. It’s a 3-D Printer. This blows my mind… and it is real. Let me know, when will you be getting one??

NEW HISTORICAL MURAL AT MAH. If all goes well, Marvin Plummer who paints dogs as well as painting that the Jazz Wall on lower Pacific and the Wave Mural over at 820 Swift Street will be painting a new historical mural in the lobby at MAH. Ann Thiermann’s just finished working on her beautiful 1911-2011 historical dream mural behind the Sockshop & Shoe store on Locust. It’s a dream because she painted both Fred Swanton who died in 1940 and Tom Scribner who didn’t move to Davenport and Santa Cruz until the mid- 1960’s. Be sure to see it, and show your friends.

GOOD OLD CIGARETTES. The Flintstones, how do we live without them??

MORE LOCAL HAPPENINGS NEAR MAH.Both The Downtown Association and The Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce will be moving to that big business building between MAH and Lulu’s Octagon next month. Then Vinocruz, the wine shoppe located back there by MAH will change hands as they say. New owner Steve Principe of Network Mortgages swears they’ll remain very true to the cause and feature only Santa Cruz Mountain wines. If the biggest plans of all happen, Warmth will be playing for the grand opening Saturday August 6^th. Tables will be added. Fun will be had, and most importantly, we’ll have some action back in Roy Rydell Square ( aka Abbott Square)

BAD COP SANTA CRUZ. Check out this website if you haven’t looked at it before.

http://badcopsc.blogspot.com . I received an email from “The Spoon” that says, “Bad Cop focuses on police accountability, know your rights education, and the dissemination of effective tactics to utilize while documenting police in Santa Cruz County. We seek to document the abuse of authority and highlight the double standard that some grant to those with badges. By documenting police actions – whether they are illegal, immoral or just a waste of time and resources – we encourage transparency and hold police accountable. If you are familiar with CopWatch projects, this is a way of documenting what we see when we are watching. You are invited to document your own CopWatch activities and file your own Bad Cop Reports here. Additionally, if you are fighting police in criminal or civil court, the police abuses documented here may be useful in proving an officer’s (or an agency’s) history of abuse, excessive force, discriminatory prosecution, brutality, perjury, or incompetence. This is the accountability arm of a larger Police Obsolescence project, working toward a world without police. Some of the efforts of this project include CopWatch, know your rights education, police accountability, alternatives to calling the police, and education about police, courts, and jails. http://badcopsc.blogspot.com Please spread the word, especially among your acquaintances who are members of vulnerable populations. Contact us at badcopsc[at]gmail.com

IN & OUT BURGER.We need a show of hand (HAND) by whomsoever’s pushing to get an In & Out Burger into Santa Cruz. Isn’t there enough information out there about bad food, dangerous meats, and fat and nutrition in general to convince everybody we shouldn’t allow more burger stands anywhere?

HAND FINGERS. I found this oddity but so did 958,229 other similar minded folks.

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary discusses that proposed cutting of 4000 oak trees on Fort Ord. Then there’s the proposed shopping center at highway 68 now trimmed down a very little bit. Vacation Rentals in Santa Cruz are the Coastal Commission’s topic in Marin County this week, better watch out!!! Corralitos may have a large rural parcel divided into 7 developable parcels (ie.development) and then there’s The regional Transportation Commission that Gary is working to get more air and transparency into…Like go to Santa Cruz County Transportation Commission Website – http://www.sccrtc.org/ Read all his stuff here XXXXX (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 )

WHAT CABRILLO HIGHWAY??? Carey Casey agreed and wrote…”I had the same thought the other day. The only Spanish explorer who deserves to have anything named after him around here is Gaspar de Portolà. We do have Portola Drive, but considering that he was the only early explorer who set foot in our county, where he gave names to Santa Cruz and the San Lorenzo River, there ought to be more things named Portola. Cabrillo (or his successor) completely missed the Monterey Bay (eventually discovered and named by Sebastián Vizcaíno). Sure, Cabrillo may have sailed past our bay, 200 years before Vizcaíno and Portolà, but that’s not much of a connection to our local history”. C.C.

VINTAGE DE CINZO.You really can’t miss our daily launchings from Canfield Island. Scroll below.

HAND FED HUMMNGBIRDS!!! Peter Scott sent this clip about getting hummingbirds to drink from your hand. It’s a bit commercial, but nice.

EAGANS DEEP COVER. Tim deals us a political Four Pack…and it’s generic scroll the only way you can…down.

BROADSIDE FROM BROOKLYN. Doug Pomeroy of middle Baltic Street, Brooklyn shares… Many people who are obese and continue eating like nothing else matters, expect Medicare to “take care of them” when they get deathly ill. Personal responsibility (something the Republicans rightly urge) IS important, along with a compassionate concern for the general populace as a whole, which we Liberals have always advocated. I have a copy of photographer Weegie’s famous photo of the bathers at Coney Island in the 1940’s – you don’t see ANY obesity! So, something has happened, and if you ask me, capitalism has A LOT to do with it (not just the advertising which cleverly tricks people into eating what’s not good for them, but also the anxiety which living in a capitalist society breeds – the disappearance of the American Dream for most middle-class Americans, etc.).Just my 2¢.

Laugh, damnit, laugh!” Doug Pomeroy.

LANDAU’S PROGRES. Mr. Landau’s article is titled, “Simul-opts and Simul- Speaks

He says and I quote…” Does Washington possess a consistent set of foreign policy principles? Presidents make war – without having Congress declare it as per the Constitution – and re-assure the public that they have chosen military interventions based on moral values. The public tends to back Presidents who make wars without analyzing their motives – like creating an image of strength, useful in re-election campaigns.

In Obama’s re-election quest, he seems to return to a method of President Kennedy’s: simulopting. “Simulopting,” my friend Marcus Raskin explained, was Kennedy’s decision-making process. He promised, for example, not to withdraw U.S. military advisers from Vietnam, so as not to appear weak. Simultaneously and secretly requesting plans to downsize out of that Asian “mess” – after he won the 1964 election. Withdrawing from war would have inspired Republicans to label him “weak.” All the rest of it is here… Saul Landau is an Institute for Policy Studies fellow whose films are on DVD from roundworldproductions@gmail.com

SAVE A WHALE ? Sure!!! Kit Birskovich sent this heart tugging whale opus, it’s great.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. This week on Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com/), come along on a multi-media “Journey Fantastique” with the Scotts Valley Performing Arts Youth Shakespeare Program and the artwork of James Aschbacher. Also, let’s check back in with Cabrillo Stage: its last call for The Full Monty, while a couple of virtuoso performances make The Last Five Years, an affair to remember. Lisa Jensen has been writing film reviews and a column for Good Times since 1975.

THE RECESSION ? Valerie Lasciak snickers just a bit and opines,

“The Recession hits everybody.…..

I got a pre-declined credit card in the mail.
CEO’s are now playing miniature golf.
Exxon-Mobil laid off 25 Congressmen.
A stripper was killed when her audience showered her with rolls of pennies while she danced.
I saw a Mormon polygamist with only one wife.

If the bank returns your check marked “Insufficient Funds,” you call them and ask if they meant you or them.
McDonald’s is selling the 1/4 ouncer.
Angelina Jolie adopted a child from America .
Parents in Beverly Hills fired their nannies and learned their children’s names.
My cousin had an exorcism but couldn’t afford to pay for it, and they re-possessed her.
A truckload of Americans were caught sneaking into Mexico.
A picture is now only worth 200 words.
When Bill and Hillary travel together, they now have to share a room.
The Treasure Island casino in Las Vegas is now managed by Somali pirates.

Congress says they are looking into this Bernard Madoff scandal. Oh Great! The guy who made $50 Billion disappear is being investigated by the people who made $1.5 Trillion disappear!
And, finally… I was so depressed last night thinking about the economy, wars,
jobs, my savings, Social Security, retirement funds, etc., I called the SuicideHotline. I got a call center in Pakistan and when I told them I was suicidal, they got all excited, and asked if I could drive a truck!! Thanks Valerie.

HAPPY TRAILS JOE KIMBRO. Ron Sandidge sent this item because a lot of us remember Joe and of course Edna Kimbro. It is with a most heavy heart that I bring you the sad news of the passing this week of local music icon, mentor and dear friend Joe Kimbro. Joe fronted and performed with The Bear Creek Boys, first bluegrass band that I ever saw live. In later years he played with Western Pacific, The Surf City Boys and western band Lone Prairie. Shortly after moving out this way (from his native Alabama) to attend the Language Institute in Monterey, he formed the seminal local bluegrass band The Bear Creek Boys (with Jeff Hawkins, Mark McCornack, Stanley Meidinger & Billy Rudock). Bluegrass music itself was barely 25 years old when these guys were sharing the stage with the founding legends of the genre such as Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, Jimmy Martin, Jim & Jesse McReynolds, Bill Monroe (the father of Bluegrass himself), as well as country music stars Merle Haggard, Ernest Tubb and many, many more. It was an exhilarating time to be young and exposed to such powerful music. Inspired, kind and generous to a fault, Joe and his late wife Edna often hosted music parties on the Fourth of July. They will both be sorely missed in the local music community. Goodbye Old Pal.

FILMS. Last week I stated, “I haven’t seen a film on screen in two weeks. I’m seeing Cars in 3D, Transformers in 3D and Larry Crowne (Tom Hanks) this week. You’ll be the first to know next week”. Well I saw those 3 films, and they all sucked. Miserable, nada films. Don’t go…but read on.

PAGE ONE: A YEAR INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES. This is a wonderful update on not just The New York Times and how they may go broke, but it’s a rapid survey of what’s new in the world of online media, and how it all competes. You can learn a lot from this film, links you don’t know about tricks you haven’t heard of, sneaky media plots by Murdoch, and it’s all in this film. If you read news anywhere, see this film. And, imagine the USA without The New York Times. Think about what that means.

BUCK. A documentary about a horse whisperer and philosopher named Buck who has been to Santa Cruz many times. Horses are my least favorite beast, but this film teaches us that even nags can be nudged to niceness. (I’m not at all sure why I wrote that). But see the film.

CARS 3D.This poorly written film proves that even Pixar can make dumb films. It’s a flop, no fun, not very clever and certainly not up to Pixar’s reputation. Owen Wilson’s and Michael Caine’s voices plus the 3D effects are about the only saving graces in this speedy mess. Emeryville should fly their flags at half mast.

TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON. Maybe you think that with John Malkovich, Frances McDormond and John Turturro you’d have a reason to see this part 3 of the Hasbro inspired Transformer movies. Stay away. Don’t go see Larry Crowne either, but that’s probably why they opened them both at the same time. No plot, no humanity, no emotions, just machines and destruction and it’s 2 and a half hours long!!! One critic said it’s not a movie…it’s a sentence.

LARRY CROWNE. Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts have brought light to dozens of films. They can sparkle, can make us laugh, cry, fantasize, project, identify…they are among only a few stars today that have that ability. This is a miserable film. Hanks directed it and he shouldn’t have. It’s dull, poorly timed, not funny, they both do their best…a poor plot, blah photography, even bad make-up add up to a big mistake, don’t bother, you’ll end up in a bad mood.

“REPEATED REVIEWS”.

BEGINNERS. Ewan McGregor plays the very cute son of out-of- the- closet dad Christopher Plummer. They have a thinking dog which you probably saw in the trailers. The film has plenty of solid and clever laughs and is about as real deep or profound as The Kids Are Alright or Tree of Life…if you catch my drift.

SUBMARINE.Quirkywell written, perfectly directedWelsh semi-dark comedy about a dysfunctional family. Sally Hawkins is in it, but plays against her earlier screen roles …and it works. She’s one of my favorite actors. Whatever you do, see this film asap.

BRIDESMAIDS. More than a few friends have asked me about Bridesmaids saying how much they liked it…I want to emphasize that I really liked this film too, and critiqued it weeks ago. Do see it if at all possible.

THE GIGABEATS BIG GIG. Ken Koenig, and his jazz group, The Gigabeats, are performing next Friday night at 7:30 p.m. at the Backstage Lounge (next to the Rio Theater). If you’re craving a night of cool jazz, bossa nova, and more in a wonderful new venue, this is the time and place for you. For more on The Gigabeats: www.thegigabeats.com

For more on the Backstage Lounge: http://www.backstageloungerio.com/

MUSICAL SAW FESTIVAL. Advance warning, The Musical Saw Festival will happen August 13 & 14 at the Bookshop Santa Cruz and at Roaring Camp . Click here for necessary information…http://www.sawplayers.org

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. Shary Farr (of the Carmel Farr family) talks about elders, death, dying and positive preparation on Tuesday July 12 after that author, historian, Geoffrey Dunn will tell us all about “The LIES of Sarah Palin”, (his newest book) and her latest breaking news. Michael Warren will give us an in depth Shakespeare Santa Cruz preview on July 19 and Sue Heinz will return to tell us even more about Tarot, The Qabalah, and of course astrology on that same program. July 26 has Sean Van Sommeran talking about our shark neighbors, suitably followed by somebody from Save Our Shores. Any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in and keep listening.

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 Great Morgani on Street performing, 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 Conpany. Plus 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. “Ronald Reagan is a triumph of the embalmer’s art“, Gore Vidal. “They think that whenever anyone in the White House now tells a lie, I get a royalty”, Richard Nixon. “President Calvin Coolidge was the greatest man ever to come out of Plymouth Corner, Vermont”, Clarence Darrow.