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DATELINE March 2, 2015
THE B.E.A.R.C.A.T. & TERRORIST HOT SPOTS IN SANTA CRUZ. Good old dependable Congressman Sam Farr said in his letter of support for Santa Cruz having a BEARCAT attack vehicle that we must protect vulnerable critical infrastructure from terrorist attacks at four hot spots in our midst!! They are (in his order) The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, The Monterey Bay Sanctuary, Lockheed Martin and the UCSC Campus! Can’t you just see A BEARCAT thundering in on 420 day at UCSC? Or making peace as those short kids try to sneak under the height limit at the Boardwalk??? John Malkin adds…”Note that the BearCat will likely be on the City Council agenda again on March 24. The discussion will be about “use” of the BearCat. There seems to be some intention for Councilmember Posner to
raise, during the discussion, the possibility of not using the BearCat at all,and making a motion to rescind the decision to purchase it. Please encourage folks to write to City Council and especially to come to the City Council meetings on March 10 and especially March 24.
CHAPARREL NATIONAL MONUMENT” ??? As usual the current issue of the Rural Bonny Doon Association’s “The Highlander” has some vital and hot issues. You need to read all of it here There is the growing concern about the all too obvious “Pot Farms” on private property, there’s the pressure to create and allow Event Centers, and how much hope they are placing on Ryan Coonerty their new County Supervisor. The most interesting and biggest issue facing our North Coast is the possible and probable “REDWOOD National Monument” development. It’s called, “Coast Dairies: National Monument or a Monumental Mistake?” The Highlander article says, ” We also think the new name Sempervirens has single-handedly chosen for Coast Dairies, Santa Cruz Redwoods, is misleading. It seems solely designed to boost its attraction and support for the monument effort. Coast Dairies is largely coastal chaparral, and its upland redwood stands make up no more than 10% of its area. It is not Old Growth, and as statuesque as the groves are, few compare to those on Wilder/Gray Whale Ranch, and certainly not to those in Big Basin. Visitors expecting that kind of experience will be sorely disappointed”.Do read all of the current issue of The Highlander, and just wish your neighbors cared as much about your neighborhood as they do.
MAH’S DEVELOPMENT SLOWED??? Rumors on the street have it that MAH’s Nina Simon’s plans on revamping Abbott Square have hit some snares. The four to six planned incubator spaces for chef’s and food type businesses that are planned to happen along the Front Street side of the Suqare were being negotiated with John McEnery developer from San Jose.
Not only have those negotiations fallen apart, but according to that rumor factory Nina Simon was taken off the negotiating team. Details are hard to come by, and we’ll hear more about this I’m sure. First we lost the Art and History focus in the museum then we lost Annieglass then Vinocruz was forced out…this isn’t looning good for the Mostly Attendence & Happy (MAH) development. We need a show of hands on how many think hanging the red exercise balls in Abbott Square will help???
MIKE TERMINI RETURNS LIBRARY MONEY. This came in an email last week. Sure it was signed, but anonymity was requested…
“Capitola City Councilmember Mike Termini’s company, Triad Electric Inc., reimbursed the Santa Cruz City-County Library for $28,600 after it was pointed out that California Government Code section 1090 prohibits an agency from making a contract in which a board member has a financial interest. He was endorsed in his recent election campaign by fellow library board members Zach Friend, Cynthia Mathews, Jim Reed, and David Terrazas. The library board unanimously elected Termini as its chair at its meeting last month.”
| FIREWORKS AND MUSIC. Once again cousin Dean Hagen sends a nearly patriotriotic fireworks display.Only 6,893,704 folks have seen it so far…let’s put it over the top!!! |
J.M. BROWN’S DEMAND. Many great responses to J.M. Brown’s DEMAND that I tell you he resigned and wasn’t canned from The Sentinel. They all said the same thing…”now Brown knows what it’s like for the rest of us to be misquoted, deleted or edited in print”. Scroll down to last week’s column to see his demand and my correction.
GIRL SCOUT COOKIES…SOME MORE!!! Stephen deCinzo and some other well meaning friends wondered why my annual (42 years now) attack on Girl Scouts selling their Cookies hadn’t appeared yet. Back in Janurary 2001 I wrote this for the Metro Weekly….
GIRL SCOUT COOKIES. The bottom line is, we’ve got to boycott Girl Scout cookies. In past years, I’ve gone into numerous details of the many reasons why we need to stop supporting this miserable way they raise funds. Today, I’ll outline just some the major problems with their dependence on cookies. It is not only dangerous but also a degrading concept to teach young women/girls to go door-to-door selling anything, especially junk food. If they have to go door-to-door selling something, why not a product that would do some good for the environment, like soaps, herbs or flower seeds? Why not a product that they could make themselves (see above) and stop paying all that money to one of the two giant bakeries that make millions from all this free labor. Girl Scouts say they don’t encourage competition, but they award prizes to the bestsellers. In 1998, the Girl Scouts spent $100,000 (or the equivalent of 33,000 boxes, according to the San Francisco Chronicle) to a New York image consultant firm to “find out why they are best known for selling cookies.” The image firm was quoted as saying the Girl Scouts are “considered a fuddy-duddy, white-shoes-only organization that has fallen off the radar screen.” I’ve got files detailing the huge problems with cookie money being stolen by the girls and even by desperate moms who were then thrown in jail. My files also show the huge competition between the major cookie companies and the lengths they go to in order to land this lucrative cookie contract. Of the $3 per box, each local scout troop keeps only about 40 cents, according to the Chronicle. The Girl Scouts seem to be a fine organization and need a better image than what the cookies have done for them. By not buying cookies we’re helping the Girl Scouts grow up”. That was 2001, not much has changed. Just give them money and tell them to keep the cookies..that may send a message. But I doubt it.
EDUARDO CARRILLO FILM AND MURAL Betsy Anderson sends…”It is with excitement that I share that Eduardo’s film will be shown and our film maker, Pedro Pablo Celedon will be here at the Watsonville Film Festival. Our film screens on Friday, March 6 6pm. It is titled “Eduardo Carrillo: A Life of Engagement”. It traces his early years at UCLA and one of the earliest Chicano murals painted in an institution of higher ed- UCLA. We also traveled to Baja to his mother’s home town where he maintained a rustic dwelling and was deeply involved with the people of the town. His relatives still live there. The mural that was destroyed is an important part of the film. You can also see it ahead of time by the YouTube link to ECLE: http://youtu.be/HEGa1LJUE0o. More than that, a lot of people are working to digitally restore the 3D mural Eduardo painted in the passageway between the Santa Cruz Coffee Company and El Palomar restaurant and Front Street. IF you have any photos/ snapshots videos of that mural it would really helpful in that restoration. Let me know or contact Betsy at spark@cruzio.com.Here’s a link to the Watsonville Film Festival… http://watsonvillefilmfestival.org
MY HOME WATER REPORT
Here’s something every water consumer should receive from their water provider. I got my first one last week from Soquel Creek Water District, the first of a monthly report they will be sending to their customers. Private well owners should be required to do the same. It gives a simple measurement on how my usage of water compares to average neighbors use (theirs is 46 gallons per day, something called most efficient usage (25 Gallons Per Day or GPD) and my usage (22 GPD, a ranking in the top 20% of water savers. Not meaning to be a show-off, the numbers point out that it’s not impossible to do a better job at conservation. When some people scream that they cannot live with a 75 GPD water supply per person, it makes little sense. One strong answer to our water shortage is conservation; it should be on everybody’s to-do list.
(Paul Elerick is co-chair with Peter Scott of the Campaign for Sensible Transportation, http://sensibletransportation.org , and he’s a member of Nisene 2 Sea, a group of open space advocates).
PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary talks some more about the development of Fort Ord. Then hewarns us about the Santa Cruz city Council deciding on tiered water rates. He says,” that means charging more per unit of water as the amount of water used goes up. Obviously, this approach to water pricing builds in a bias in favor of conservation. Interestingly, the whole concept of tiered water rates is under attack in San Juan Capistrano, where a court said it was illegal to use this system. That case is on appeal”. He talks about LAFCO and eliminating the Lompoico County Water District. He talks about The Santa Cruz Plaining Commission and their dealing with ADU’s. He states, “The acronym “ADU” stands for “Accessory Dwelling Unit.” In the City of Santa Cruz, land use and zoning regulations allow homeowners in a single-family residential district to construct a whole new residential unit on their existing city, subject to the City’s ADU regulations. The purpose of the ADU regulations is to promote small and more affordable housing opportunities in a city in which housing costs have continued to escalate”.
Read the complete scripts of the above at Gary Patton’s KUSP Land Use site http://blogs.kusp.org/landuse . Gary is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney who represents indivuduals and community groups on land use and environmental issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. Gary has his own website, Two Worlds/365” – www.gapatton.net
CLASSICAL DeCINZO. Not exactly ADU’s or are they? Scroll downwards and check out DeCinzo’s concept.
EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. How Secure is our Homeland with these guys in places of power?? See below.
GINGHOFFER & HUNNICUTT SHOW. The Blitzer Gallery opens a show this Friday (3/6 through 3/28) with old friends of mine, painter Ray Ginghoffer and sculptor Fred Hunnicutt. Both are excellent artists and are almost local monuments. Masters Series III- Ray Ginghofer and Fred Hunnicutt. Opening Reception First Friday March 6, 2015, 5-9 pm Raymon Ginghofer Studied art at San Jose State, U C Santa Cruz and San Francisco Art Institute. Has exhibited in San Francisco, London, San Jose and Santa Cruz. Fred Hunnicutt studied sculpture at University of Texas and San Francisco Art Institute. Taught at university for 28 years, Professor Emeritus, U C Santa Cruz (25 years). Visiting artist in universities and art colleges in England and U.S. The Blitzer Gallery is located on Santa Cruz’s west side in the old Wrigley Gum factory.
HARPER REGAN IS A FINE PLAY. If by any luck or good taste you saw the National Theatre Live’s telecast of Simon Stephens “The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night” or any of his other plays, you know you’re in for a thrill when you see The Jewel Theatre’s production of Harper Regan. Stephens is 44 years old and is regarded as one of the world’s top “in yer face” playwrights.The tricky, crazed, plot gets deeper and further out as it develops and the Jewel Theatre production brings out all that puzzlement and search for reality. Their Brit accents make parts of it hard to understand, but go see it. Now through March 22.
LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “There’s hope for the future this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com), as I gloat over, oops, I mean discuss a new report that even today’s young “millennials” prefer to read for pleasure on old-fashioned books rather than digitally. Also, a constant reader shares a couple of links that will interest fans of two of my favorite recent movies.” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.
THE GLOBE THEATRE’S LOVE’S LABOR LOST Watch this live telecast (or maybe it’s a film??) of Shakespeare’s Love’s Labor Lost. You won’t see better Shakespeare anywhere (unless it’s the National Theatre Live telecasts). Here’s a link to details. http://www.thenick.com/index.html#nowplaying_LoveLabourLost It’s at The Del Mar Thursday March 5 at 7:30 p.m. and once again on Sunday am. At 11.
THAT IS THE QUESTION
NEW OPENINGS—IN ORDER OF PERFECTION)
MAPS TO THE STARS. Julienne Moore in another knock out role as a Hollywood creation with an ego that knows no bounds..or has any relationship to love or other humans.What a cast, Mia Wasikowska, John Cusack, Robert Pattinson and even Carrie Fisher!! It’s twisty, contains incest, and is directed by David Cronenberg. IF you go, consider that a warning!!.
RED ARMY. A great and poignant documentary of a world famous Russian hockey player. But more than that, it’s a history of both the changes in the Soviet government and the Soviet –USA relationship. It’s all about professional and Olympic hockey competition and team loyalty. A very personal, and deep film that will have you thinking about money, fame, sports, government…stuff like that. Go quickly, it probably won’t stay long.
FOCUS. Will Smith tries hard to get back on top of the Hollywood star ladder but this clever and yet meaningless film goes absolutely nowhere. It’s about pickpocketing on a global level, and I’m not kidding. You are supposed to be fooled by who’s lying to which character but you really don’t care much. I dozed off many times and I was at the 10:50 am show!!!
STILL PLAYING AT A THEATRE NEAR US
FROM BEST TO REALLY BAD
STILL ALICE. Julianne Moore deseves two oscars for her starring role in this mesmerizing film, and she got the big one!!! As a fictional, and 100% believable 50 year old victim of Alzheimers, she is perfect. She’s a linguistics professor with three kids and married to Alec Baldwin.One of many surprises in the film is how efficiently Kristen Stewart plays her daughter., and Baldwin is surprisingly good too. It’s a sad and thoughtful film that will cause you extra worry about the things you’ve been forgetting lately. It’s also one of the best films of the decade…don’t forget to go.
BIRDMAN. Greatest possible cast with Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Zach Galifianakis, and Lindsay Duncan. Keaton is always good and here he plays an ex Batman/Birdman who tries to make it back to fame in a Broadway play. This is not a simple Hollywood flick!!! Don’t expect some cheap laughs, and takeoffs on Batman movies. It’s a complicated psychological look at egos, fame, friendship, family. It’s a very fine film, worth your going to see by all means. It’s just deeper than the previews make you think. I’m betting on this to take the best film Oscar!!! ( and it did!!!)
THE IMITATION GAME.Excellent film, and if you care a lot about authenticity look the plot up on Wikipedia (much artistic license) but it doesn’t matter, it’s still a fine film. Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing and Keira Knightly as his best friend are nearly perfect. It’s all about breaking the code that the Germans were using during WW2. Turing invents a machine, and in spite of his extra odd personality, the Germans are defeated. The sub theme of Turing’s then illegal homosexuality, and the deathly consequences he paid for it are strangly underplayed, but significent. See this fine film asap.
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING.Stephen Hawking is played by Eddie Redmayne who did Les Miserables. Felicity Jones from Spider Man 2 and Emily Watson is in it too but you’ll hardly recognize her. David Thewlis is also perfect and downplays his role nicely. It’s a heart rending- tear jerker- feel very good- movie. Redmayne will be near the top for an Oscar because they always go for handicapped roles (My Left Foot, Rainman etc.). There’s very little of Hawkings actual scientific genius in the film. It’s more about how later he split from his long suffering and eternally supportive wife and went for his beautiful sexy caretaker and how his wife paired up with her choir director!!! Hawkings book A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME sold more than 10 million copies in twenty years (but only 8 people read it!!). It was translated into 35 languages sez Wikipedia.The Met has commissioned an opera based on the book which should happen in 2015. Wikipedia also says, “the theory of everything, is a physicists’ jargon term for a theory in physics which unifies the four fundamental forces of nature: gravity, the strong force, the weak force, and the electromagnetic force”, but recently Hawking says that theory will probably never happen. Go see it, and bring a hankie.
SELMA. Given the state of racial affairs in the USA and the world today, this movie should be seen by every thinking human.It’s a powerful document of a shameful historic period in our history that should never be forgotten. There are many facts, lessons, and messages here that need repeating over and over again, no matter how well you think you remember or understand our Civil Rights issues. It gives us a real picture of Martin Luther King and David Oyelowo portrays him beautifully. Tom Wilkinson isn’t a great LBJ but he tries hard and Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 99, so there you are. Go see it.
AMERICAN SNIPER. Director Clint Eastwood downplays the bar fighting, cruder aspects of this Navy Seal sniper who killed 160 humans and maybe another 95 not confiirmed. Brad Cooper got all big and tubby for the part, and does a great job as an actor. We see a bit of complexity and thoughtfulness from this killing machine, but untimately its’ another Eastwood product. Only go if you like killing, war, and surprise endings, or if you want to see Brad Cooper acting like it’s really a baby and not a doll he holds in one scene!!!
McFARLAND, USA. This heart breaking-tearful movie is Disney at the best. Kevin Costner and Maria Bello head this solid trite hackneyed saga and yep, I cried too. It’s sort of like seven Rocky’s all in one film, as we watch the local Mexican kids in McFarland become state running champs. You can make up the plot, you’ve seen it many , many times. Yet because of the direction and Costner you’ll fall right into the pathos, cornball story.I forgot where Mc Farland is, I looked it up, route 99 goes right through the center of town, that’s why I even remembered being there…back in the day(or decade) It’s near Wasco, where I always get my gas when I drive to Victorville.
50 SHADES OF GREY.My biggest problem with this movie is that I liked it too much!!! It’s like secretly wanting a MacDonald’s Burger or cherry jello…a guilty pleasure, you know it’s bad for you and still, and still, and still. This 50 Shades movie with its 28 Rotten Tomatoes score blew away the Valentines Day boxoffice weekend….all from women/girls under 28. It isn’t really very sexy, nor does it get very “dominant or submissive” and makes no sense at all from a masculine or especially a feminine point of view. Just to be sure I’d develop a proper opinion I went with a close friend, she agreed with me…and we had a great time discussing it afterwards. Go see it in Aptos, not so many people will know you there.
SONG OF THE SEA. Ireland’s Cartoon Studio also created The Secret of The Kells and I didn’t like it much either. It doesn’t compare to the Japanese Ghibli Studio’s classic works such as the current “The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya” or Pono, Howl’s Moving Castle, Princess Monoke or Spirited Away. The backgrounds in Song of the Sea are distracting, the music is too sweet or cute. The plot is cloying too. Plus, it lost the Oscar for animated feature to Big Hero 6.
THE DUFF. “DUFF” stands for “Designated Ugly Fat Friend”. The movie is touted as a teen age comedy, but it’s not very funny. Mae Whitman does a fine job as the Duff in the title, but the story is so over- used and old, you won’t care much for it…unless maybe you liked 50 Shades of Grey.
JUPITER ASCENDING.The special effects must have cost millions for this sci-fi flick. What is odd is that Eddie Redmayne (winner of this year’s OSCAR for best Actor and also BAFTRA’s leading actor award for playing Stephen Hawkins in The Theory of Everything) has a part playing the nasty Balem Abrasax, whoever that is. Mila Kunis, Channing Tatum and Sean Bean are in it too, but I’ll bet they aren’t proud of it.
UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE RADIO PROGRAM
KZSC 88.1 FM or live online at
www.KZSC.ORG TUESDAYS 7-8 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 archived… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. March 3 has Julie James and Bill Peters from the Jewel Theatre talking about their new production, “Harper Regan”. after that Hedwig Heerschop and Kim Tyler talk about The Pajaro Valley Arts Council exhibit, “Photo Alchemy”. “Santa Cruz County Clerk Gail Pellerin returns March 10 telling us about campaigns, voting, and the election department. She’s followed by UCSC’s Ariane Helou discussing the Shakespeare lectures happening on campus and the next Baroque Festival concert. City On The Hill co-editors Gabby Areas and Lauren Romero talk about their paper on March 17. UCSC History Professor Matthew Lasar talks about the future of radio on March 31. 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, 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. Hear them all!!!
QUOTES. . “To you, I’m an atheist. To God, I’m the loyal opposition,” Woody Allen “That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence,” Christopher Hitchens. “Is man merely a mistake of God’s? Or God merely a mistake of man?” Friedrich Nietzsche
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BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.
Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.
