THE ALMOST HISTORIC “PALO ALTO” CONCRETE SHIP. This photo was taken in 1947. The “Palo Alto” was built of concrete by the U.S. Government in 1918, and it cost $2 million. It was towed to where it is today (Seacliff Beach) in 1930. It broke in half during a storm in 1932, and just sort of rots there as we peek. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

NEAL COONERTY OUT, RYAN COONERTY RUNNING.According to unimpeachable sources it was the out-and running news this weekend, Ryan is chasing around trying to gather supporters and endorsements and is running for Dad’s County Supervisor job. Earlier and well planned rumors had it that Lynn Robinson was going to run for the Supervisors job…nope. We can bet that Ryan’s going to his long time Developer Donators such as Bill Brooks, Craig French, Charlie Eadie, Jesse Nickell, George Ow, and Louis Rittenhouse. And he’ll go for his continuing Beach Boardwalk backers like Charlie Canfield and Chris Reyes. Anti-Desal folks need to remember that it was Ryan and Dad Coonerty who brokered or shuffled the UCSC Growth- City Water- “Bring on De-sal” deal. In case you’ve forgotten check out Ryan’s old City Council campaign website, read such endorsements as Joe Appenrodt, Bob Bosso, Scott Daly, Darrell Darling, Ken Haber, Tom Honig, George Newell, Mark Primack, Peter Prindle, John Burroughs, Robert DeFreitas, Carol Fuller… all of which means that there’ll be lots of big bucks spent on this next Supervisors Race. What we really need, instead of Ryan Coonerty is a woman on that all male, right leaning and very important Board of Supes.

LAST WEEK’S FLOOD PHOTO. Scroll down to last weeks flood photo taken at Soquel and Seabright…Jeff Hawkins was kind enough to tell us “That Studebaker is a 1948 Champion, so I’m guessing the pic is from ’50-’54”.

MIKE ROTKIN NOT RUNNING, EVER. Mike said I could quote him when he said that he’s definitely not running for City Council, not running for the Board of Supervisors, and not running for State Assembly either. He said he’s happy with his job with the Union. I asked him about that and about the rumors that he was using his union work to make sure the proposed de-sal plant would use union labor so that the unions would come out in favor of De-Sal. He replied… “Bruce, I don’t know that my job is of any general interest, but I am Vice President for Organizing for the University Council of the American Federation of Teachers. We represent all of the lecturers and librarians in the UC system. I am paid hourly up to half time. My work involves service on the union Executive Committee, Helping coordinate organizing efforts on ten campuses, including teaching organizing skills, and I am the Chief Negotiator for the Librarians and on the bargaining team for the lecturers. I also advise on grievances and other contract enforcement issues but my work on that overlaps with many others” Mike continued, “There is no connection to any of my community work on desalination, but to answer your specific question, I’d love to see any and all jobs be union jobs, so, of course, I hope that the desalination project, if approved, would use union labor. But I wouldn’t be charging any work I did in advocating for that on that to my union. That’s just volunteer work as a community activist”. There we have it.

PHIL SLATER. According to Phil’s longtime friend Andy Schiffrin, Phil died peacefully after a lot of years of suffering from non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. The Chronicle and The Sentinel had fine obituaries, and Andy said the NYTimes was excellent. Here it is…

DOWNTOWN MOTORCYCLE SICKNESS. Chip from The Downtown Association wrote, “Bruce, I’ve actually done a bit of digging on the motorcycle thing. I’m sure it’s a much more interesting story that the cops love noisy bikes, but what I have learned is that the California Vehicular Code trumps our city noise ordinances and unless the mufflers are illegal (Which I’m sure some of them are) PD can’t really do much. Also, as you can imagine it’s not the easiest thing to enforce being the problem is three blocks away a second after the pollution occurs.” That’s got to be one of the lamest excuses I’ve heard. You’d think The Downtown Association would be a leader in trying to promote our downtown ambiance.

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Once again, land use attorney and former Santa Cruz County Supervisor Gary Patton sums up the De-Sal issue…” The City of Santa Cruz and the Soquel Creek Water District are planning to build a 2.5 million gallon per day desalination plant, expandable to a 4.5 million gallon per day desalination plant.

Both the City and the District have real problems. The Soquel Creek Water District relies on groundwater, and faces groundwater overdraft and seawater intrusion. The City relies mostly on surface water, and has water supply problems in drought years. Both agencies decided some time ago that desalination is their best option. Both agencies have been members of Cal Desal, an industry support and lobbying group devoted “solely” to desalination. The Water District recently quit Cal Desal, but the City of Santa Cruz continues to be a member, and to fund the group. Skeptics, including members of the Community Water Coalition, a community group I represent as an environmental attorney, want to take a very hard look at the cost and other impacts of desalination, and thoroughly to consider alternatives” Gary also tells about Affordable housing and the law, about CPAD a great online resource, and about our Central Coast water problems.

Read all of above at Gary’s KUSP Land Use scripts http://blogs.kusp.org/landuse (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)

VINTAGE DE CINZO.Summers here and so are the Boardwalk Concerts….see a few pages down.

EAGANS DEEP COVER. T. Eagan depicts the adventures of Mindy Moderate, scroll below.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes “Looking for something fun to do with the kids this holiday weekend? Why not sign up for a summer refresher course at Monsters University? Read all about it 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.

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 July 9 Ellen Primack talks about The Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, then Scott McGilvray talks about his film “Water for Santa Cruz” and the big de-sal event happening at the Rio on July 11. Audrey Stanley talks about Shakespeare Santa Cruz season on July 16, followed by Carolyn Swift discussing the brand new Capitola Picture book by Arcadia. Assemblyman Mark Stone will be on July 23 bringing us up to date on Sacramento and his job. Ed Holmes talks about The San Francisco Mime Troupe’s annual visit on August 6. 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, Paul Whitworth on Krapps Last Tape. Jodi McGraw on Sandhills, Bruce Daniels on area water problems, 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. 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. “On the fourth day of July following, a party of about two hundred Indians attacked Boonsborough, killed one man, and wounded two”, Daniel Boone

“Your mind must always go, even while you’re shaking hands and going through all the maneuvers. I developed the ability long ago to do one thing while thinking another”, Richard Nixon. “The true profession of man is to find his way to himself”, Hermann Hesse.