END OF THE LINE. Horsecar #1 at Soquel May 1890. This horsecar line went from Ocean Street to Arana Gulch (2 miles). That’s the Netherton and Williams Saloon in the background. That’s Ed Ely at the reins. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

RUNNING ON WATER. With tsunamis, floods, rains everywhere this could be a new talent we should all learn.

LAST WEEKS PHOTO OF THE SWENSON-BOARDWALK SEVEN STORY LA BAHIA. Scroll down to last week’s column to see Barry Swenson’s own drawing of what he and Charlie Canfield want to build on Beach Street. That’s 7 stories high no matter how you measure…you can count them. That’s what we mean when we say we don’t want another Waikiki Beach here. Just stay within the Coastal Commission limits and we’ll all be better off.

SOME SERIOUS QUESTIONS FROM AN EX WATER DEPT. EMPLOYEE.

Peter Pethoe sent this email to our Anti De-sal group.

“Between 1977 and 1998 I worked as electrician for Santa Cruz City Water. Having a license, I was a Treatment Plant Operator #3 for a year until they could find someone.

It’s a fairly high paying job because there are so few of us and many systems around the State need us. I would recommend to kids that they pursue this profession. Remember: Water is one of the few commodities that cannot be imported from China (or Japan, Korea, India, Germany)

Although I have not visited any of the facilities I worked on I hear that there are not many changes, at least not for the better. Most of the places now have backup generators that can handle at least some of the load. There are new pumps at some stations, like PS2 and PS4 and Felton Booster. PS2 pumps are now larger but cavitate unless the small temporary tanks are filled to above 15 feet. Much of the Beltz well system is new.

However the Bay Street 40Million Gallon reservoir was taken down and replaced with four temporary tanks totaling only 6 Million Gallons. That is only one half daily summer consumption. Bay St. Reservoir supplies water to downtown and is the source for the entire West Side and UCSC. Yes, the City Council just approved a $750,000 design study for a 10Million Gallon replacement tank. If we have another Quake like on October 17, 1989 or worse like New Zealand, Japan, or Indonesia, we are in big trouble!

Worse yet, I heard that the DeLaveaga storage tanks that supply water to the Eastside as far as 41st Ave are practically empty because of problems with interior coatings.

At the same time SC Water is taking down a good Bay Street Reservoir storage reservoir, the Vallecitos Water District in Southern California completed a 40Million Gallon cement underground reservoir (next to their 33 Million Gallon tank), with a cement roof, dirt and grass cover. I suggest keeping your bathtub full and plenty of bottled water!” Peter Pethoe. Check out the “project of the year” and ask why we have never had this built.

WALKING ON WATER. A magician shows us how to walk on water, not filmed at U Dock!!!

Peter also suggests we look at the Santa Cruz Water system, it’s complicated.

http://www.iecorporation.com/Ptwinoaks2.html

A SERIOUS QUESTION FROM A MURAL PAINTER. Peter Bartczak muralist who did the dancing family mural at Pacific and Mission and the panorama mural on the pizza place as you enter town, sent this in for us to think about…

“GENIES OUT OF THE BOTTLE”

“What’s happening at the nuclear reactors in Japan reminds me of the gulf disaster last year. Once again, a powerful genie that was summoned on a high tech lamp has gone dangerously out of control. Once again, the world watches in horror as the experts struggle in a panic to bring it back under control. All their reassurances, promises, and claims of expertise are cold comfort as we witness what may be the prelude of something really horrible on a scale never before imagined. Perhaps the nuclear disaster will dwarf even the effects of the tsunami.

Our addiction to our electricity and gas guzzling toys has forced us to desperately go to dangerous lengths to keep them running. We lay down with tyrants and murderers and turn our backs on our ideals to get our fix.

The US is accelerating into a red light. Despite the given that we are quickly outstripping our energy sources, new electricity gobbling gadgets abound – all the pumps and lights in the inflatable Christmas lawn ornaments, toilets and doors that automatically do what we used to do manually without thinking about it, the profusion of cheap air conditioners, and the never ending love affair with huge trucks and SUVs. Not to mention electric can openers, energy hog plasma screens, all the computers, printers, and scanners that are left on 24-7, and last, but not least, office buildings and parking structures with all the lights blazing and nobody there.

Japan’s deal with the atomic devil has gone sour and I can imagine those brave 50 nuclear workers working desperately, sacrificing their lives and health, as things get even more nightmarish and hopeless and explode and spray invisible death into the air, ground, and water. Too bad the sins of the scientists, capitalists, and politicians have to be paid for by these brave and innocent folks. If the people had been told the truth about the limits and the dangers of the technology instead of just being sold on the advantages and the potential, would they have still built all these reactors?

HOW MAGICIAN CHRISS ANGEL REALLY WALKS ON WATER

Eight and a half inch thick metal walls, nitrogen atmosphere, back up generators, steam operated pumps, and triple back up systems (the Japanese are known for their caution) couldn’t create the fail safe situation necessary for containing the incredible forces that we are playing with.

I am no Luddite, but this blind pursuit of satisfying our addiction is bringing us to the brink of disaster. Will we learn from this and start conserving energy and change our cheap gas and energy habits or will we accelerate even faster into that red light?” Peter Bartczak.

SAVE LA BAHIA SAYS DOWNTOWN BUSINESS OWNER. Paul Cocking owner of Gabriella Cafe sent this….”As a business that has benefited from a landlord with a vision of architectural preservation I see the La Bahia debate as possibly the last chapter of a story beginning with the earthquake…should we preserve our historic buildings or tear them down and put up larger, potentially more profitable, but certainly less authentic buildings. My building was built in 1928 by the famous Dr. McPherson of the Sentinel clan. It has its original doors and windows. I moved some walls around. Customers very often ask what its original purpose was.

Pacific Avenue is lined with large new buildings, possibly five times larger than their predecessors, that are largely empty and certainly lack the character of their predecessors. The building at the corner of Pacific and Church took almost 20 years to build, sits empty. What other coast community would have tolerated such a vacant lot on their main street? The very prime lot across from the post office still sits empty. What Central Valley community would tolerate that?
I recently had lunch at Chateau Marmont in Hollywood, (someone else was buying),which is the location of the quintessential Hollywood movie by Sofia Coppola “Somewhere,”.

MAKING A BOOK.

The Marmont owes everything to the fact that it has been preserved down to the doorknobs. Preservation means preservation. If a large beachfront hotel can be profitable (look what pros like Chip Connolly can do with the Dream Inn or the owners of the very authentic looking West Cliff Inn, the Victorian across the street). They should build one on one of the many lots down there occupied by cheap fifties buildings or on vacant lots. The Marmont shows the preservation can be also profitable. Make La Bahia the most carefully preserved and the most exclusive hotel in town”. PAUL COCKING
GABRIELLA CAFÉ, 910 CEDAR ST. SANTA CRUZ, CA. 95060 831 457 1677

GO TO CUBA! Congressman Sam Farr recently spoke at a Travel and Adventure show in Washington DC about your right to travel freely to Cuba. Check out the link to an article about his participation in the event and also a link to a short video clip in which Farr calls for a Travel Revolution!! Cuba Now You Can Go –Havana Times
Congressman Farr promotes free travel to Cuba And for all of you who were involved in Santa Cruz-Guamá Sister City relationship… note that travel for such purposes is back ON!!! Click here to get info on the new travel rules. (from Cuba action group)

MORE BOOK CARVINGS. Mark Bernhard, DC sent this additional bunch of book carvings. Try this on your Kindle!!

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Ever the land use attorney Gary tells us about Ceremonial resolutions that mean preservation in Monterey. He tells about Item 49 (like Area 51) dealing with variances and Urban Services. What’s OPR and Jerry Brown and Measure J have in common? SOP means Save our Peninsula, and they mean to do just that. Highway 68 faces developers who want to build a huge new shopping center…next Tuesday (3/29) Monterey faces that decision, remember “De Novo!!!

(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. Ranger DeCinzo explains the tides…look below

EAGANS DEEP COVER. Tim Eagan brings sunlight to our energy problems….look downwards a few feet.

LANDAU’S PROGRES. Saul writes “GROSS STUPIDITY: U.S.-Cuba policy for 50+ years”. He says, among other things, “What baffles Cubans is the nature of its northern neighbor: “self-righteousness” under the rubric of “American democracy.” Note: do not call it U.S. democracy because Washington applies the concept to all the territory God ordained as a U.S. (unofficial) protectorate (See Monroe Doctrine and discussion of Manifest Destiny in the 19^th Century). Since God selected a few English of Puritan bent to cross the ocean to Massachusetts to preach His revealed word to savages and make proper (capitalistic) use of the rich land they were to conquer, the chosen had a serious obligation to fulfill. Those conquered or subdued from Patagonia to Mexico should be coaxed or forced to adopt as their political norms the perfect system elaborated for them by the U.S. Founding Fathers. Read it all here
Saul Landau is an Institute for Policy Studies fellow whose films are on DVD from roundworldproductions@gmail.com

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Remember Big Creek Pottery? This week on Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com/), we celebrate the legacy of this fabled pottery school with a big, new retrospective at the MAH, and run away to a tropical island with Helen Mirren in Julie Taymor’s The Tempest. Lisa Jensen has been writing film reviews and a column for Good Times since 1975.

DAVID GOES BACK TO ITALY. Cindy Stone formerly of Cabrilho College now of Texas proves that at least one Texas resident has a sense of humor. After a two year loan to the United States, Michelangelo’s David is being returned to Italy His proud sponsors were:

LINCOLN LAWYER AND SEVEN DAYS. Lincoln Lawyer has Mathew McConaughey as a lawyer who is forced and then tricked into defending a murderer. Seven Days: Time is Running Out (Korea 2007) has the exact same plot and was probably the source of L.Lawyer. Both films are tricky and could have been winners but both plots got too weird, impossible, full of holes, and ended stupidly. Of the two it’s cheaper and better to watch Seven Days.

PAUL. Just because film critic Mick LaSalle of the S.F. Chronicle liked this space alien comedy I went to see it. It’s gross, tired, obvious, and not funny. Do not attend. To hell with Mick LaSalle.

HOSTETTER’S HOT STUFF. It has been awhile, but there are two gigs in the area this week I wanted to remind you of while there was still time: Väsen at Kuumbwa and the Freight, and the astonishing African guitar show at the Rio on Saturday night. And a bit further down the line, the John Jorgenson Quintet, BeauSoleil avec y’all-know-who, the Magnolia Sisters, Party of Five, and more things looming in April, which I’ll nudge you about in due time. Details as ever at http://www.lutherie.net/live.music.html

Mostly of current urgency: Väsen and the three guitar masters from Africa: Oliver Mtukudzi, Habib Koité, and Afel Bocoum, who was Farka’s main partner for many, many years. Hope to see you at one or another of these. More soon. Pray for Japan. ph

WALLACE BAINE & SHMUEL THALER, together again. Their first jump into show biz was so successful that Snazzy Productions is bringing them back again…they say,…” Spend an evening with local media greats Wallace Baine, writer, and Shmuel Thaler, photographer, of the Santa Cruz Sentinel. Wallace and Shmuel will share excerpts from their work in Santa Cruz spanning several decades. Brought back by popular demand. Purchase Tickets online. It happens Saturday, 7:30 PM, April 2, Kuumbwa Jazz Center.

PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC CLUB. Brian Murtha new president of the PDC announced that their next meeting happens March 24 at 7 PM at the Center for Change a.k.a. Democratic Headquarters, in the Galleria behind Mobo Sushi. Jeffrey Killeen, Democratic Party Progressive Caucus Parliamentarian, is an attorney practicing primarily estate, tax, and Medi-Cal planning in Santa Cruz will speak on the progressive caucus of the California Democratic Party and what they have been doing lately. That’s Thursday night at 7 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 on “blog”) at WWW.KZSC.ORG. The Museum of Art & History’s Big Creek Pottery show is the topic this Tuesday March 22 with Paula Kenyon and Karen Massaro. Carolyn Burke will share views on her brand new Knopf book No Regrets: Edith Piaf and her baffling life and 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. Brian Spencer of See Productions will talk about “A Number” the play, opening April 8-23 also on March 29^th. Dan Haifley of O’Neill’s Sea Odyssey will discuss nautical and harbor changes on April 5^th followed by the New Director of the Santa Cruz City Museum Daniel Harder. Any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in and keep listening.

QUOTES. “As long as Christ knew I wasn’t a sissy, I had nothing to fear“, Tiny Tim.” From the ruin of yourself pick up yourself (if you can) but let old meanings lie”. Warren Talman. “Alienate—No! Empathize—Si!”, Swami Sivanenda.