Blog Archives

May 2 – 8, 2016

ARMED FORCES DAY PARADE MAY 17 1952. Pacific Avenue and Church and Cooper Street back in the day when our police and City Officials encouraged community events like parades, Just about the olny remaining recognizable landmark in view here is the old Santa Cruz County Bank (now Pacific Wave). The IOOF (Independent Order of Odd Fellows) building is still there and contains Artsians, Heavenly Coutre and Shoe Fetish.  Also note the parade is marching South, not northward to Mission Street. They reversed parade directions “back in the day”.      

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

Additional information always welcome: email bratton@cruzio.com

DATELINE May 2, 2016

OUR CHANGING COMMUNITY. Just the news that Kaiser Permanente is going to open 3 new offices in the county should be a huge indication that large changes have happened and are continuing to happen in Santa Cruz City and County. Part of the KPermanente announcement said, “By next January (2017) , Kaiser Permanente plans to open three medical office buildings located at Crossroads Center in Watsonville, downtown Santa Cruz and the Granite Creek Business Center in Scotts Valley. They have studied our growth and know there’s local political support for a lot more of the same…and they also know there’s huge amounts of money to be made from our “new” and formerly progressive community. Check the recent changes…our Community radio station KUSP is about to die because today’s Santa Cruzans prefer packaged NPR programs along with other slick shows. Our City Council is supporting the Seaside Corporation/Boardwalk instead of helping the community members maintain their 20 year old garden. We have a very hostile military Bearcat ready to roll against any and all community “problems”. To be very honest I’m not at all sure how our Santa Cruz City Council or our Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors would vote on allowing 10,000 new  homes (containing 30,000 people) to be built on local property similar to  what developers wanted to do at Wilder Ranch. Just think about that one!!!

JUNE 4TH EXCLUSIVE BIRTHDAY PARTY. Decades ago I started a June Fourth birthday party and invited anyone and everyone who had a birthday party only on June 4. Gail Cruse, Rip Harris, Kathy Cowan, Linda Pope and other blessed Gemini’s have remained in contact all these years and we are doing it again….on JUNE 4th. At a location to be announced. As was usual we’ll have an astrological sun sign reading this time by noted astrologer Susan Heinz. So if your birthday is exactly on June 4th get in touch immediately and I’ll tell you more about the party. Nope, not June 5th or third…just the FOURTH!

WIDENING HIGHWAYS. The Campaign for Sensible Transportation is bringing Susan Handy to the LONDON Nelson Community Center on Saturday, May 14, 10:30 am Admission is free! Professor Susan Handy, the Director of the Sustainable Transportation Center at UC Davis, will talk about why widening a highway not only will fail to relieve traffic congestion but also will increase vehicle miles traveled, and will be environmentally damaging.

SANDY LYDON’S CENTRAL COAST SECRET HISTORY and….if you want to get the real story on the 97 year old Cement Ship in Aptos or find out about the birth of Santa Cruz in 1866 or go behind the scenes in San Juan Bautista go to author/historian Sandy Lydon’s website Central Coast Secrets at http://www.sandylydon.com AND be sure to tune in to next week’s (5/10) Universal Grapevine Tuesday 7-8 p.m. KZSC 88.1 fm when Sandy co-hosts our Pledge drive. You can call in and ask him wild and woolly questions about our county history.

VETERANS AND SUICIDE. On May 23rd at 9 a.m at the Veteran’s Memorial Building on Front St. in downtown Santa Cruz there’ll be speeches by supervisors Zach Friend, Ryan Coonerty, Greg Caput, Bruce McPherson, Mayor Cynthia Mathews, and District Attorney Jeff Rosell. It’s about Journey for Change: Preventing Veteran Suicide through Community Action and Awareness. The “Journey for Change” is a long distance walk to Sacramento aimed at raising awareness of veteran suicide and promoting a proposal to reduce the rate of suicide among veterans. A 2012 Veteran Affairs study revealed that 22 veterans a day lose their lives by their own hands – every 65 minutes. The walk ends at the state capitol in Sacramento on Tuesday, June 7 with a presentation by Assemblyman Mark Stone. The Santa City Council has written a proclamation naming May 23 “Journey for Change Day” in Santa Cruz. The purpose and concepts of the march include:

  • mandatory confidential mental health screenings by a qualified mental health professional for all active duty service members to determine any existing mental health conditions prior to discharge.
  • post-discharge plan be implemented by various providers to improve and enhance access to services for each veteran based on their home of record.
  • 30 day outreach and nine month follow-up to offer a variety of VA resources and community based services as needed per evaluation of each veteran.

Some of the events along the way include: May 25 at the San Jose City Hall there will be presentations by Dave Cortese, Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, San Jose City Council Member, Ash Karla, and Mission City American Legion Post 564 Commander, Sherry Henry.
There will be an Honor Guard and ceremony at the Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno on May 28. Our message is clear: Confidential mental health screenings, improved services prior to discharge, and enhanced access to community resources post-discharge will reduce veteran suicides.  Register for this no-cost event on Eventbrite. Also, check out our Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/journeyforveteranchange/?ref=bookmarks

ELERICK’S INPUT. Mr. Paul Elerick of Aptos writes…
RANCHO DEL MAR NEW OWNERS MAY HAVE A WINNER HERE.

Can it be true? A developer has actually come forward with a plan for this shopping center that residents are happy to see.  Terramar, the new  owners of the center hosted a neighborhood meeting last week with one objective in mind, what do Aptosians want to see happen  on the property.  Well over 200 people showed up at a meeting requested by 2nd district supervisor Zach Friend to find out. Actually, over 300 people sent in requests to attend the meeting but the meeting room at Aptos Golf Course lodge couldn’t hold that many.  Most impressive was there were no artist renditions of what Terramar wanted until the residents told them what they wanted. The presenters did a level-set to start the meeting as to who they were and what they did.  There would be no change in the center’s footprint, no mega-stores like the huge Safeway that the previous owner wanted, all stores would remain one story, and no mixed-use housing would be included. 

Terramar presenters answered written questions and random questions from the audience.  The biggest item residents wanted to tell Terramar was that they wanted their movie theaters back. Straightforward answers from Terramar as to why this probably won’t happen followed but didn’t satisfy many in the audience.  However, many excellent suggestions came from the audience and even if half were implemented, I would be pleased with them.  I liked one speakers question in response to the presenter’s statement that Rancho Del Mar would be viewed as a “town center, the heart of Aptos.  “We’re being told that the town center of Aptos being promoted as the heart of Aptos is proposed just a short distance away”.  His answer was, “they may call that (Aptos Village Project) the heart of Aptos, but Rancho De Mar will be the soul of Aptos”.  That ended the meeting on a high note with Terra Mar saying they would be looking at all their suggestions and be returning with a more detailed proposal later in the year.

(Paul Elerick is a member of, and former co-chair of the Campaign for Sensible Transportation, http://sensibletransportation.org . He’s a current member of Nisene to Sea, a group of mid-county citizens committed to maintaining an open hiking trail from Cabrillo College to Nisene Marks State Park

GREENSITE’S INSIGHT.

THE FABRIC OF DOWNTOWN: SHOT FULL OF HOLES

Having met 30 times in private, a sub-committee of the Planning Commission last Thursday presented its findings to the full Planning Commission regarding massive development proposed for south of Cathcart along Pacific Avenue, and the riverfront area south of Soquel along Front St. to Laurel where there is a much larger parcel potential. If you need some familiar locaters, think University Copy, India Joze, Malabar Restaurant, Recycled Stereo (in business for forty years) Sherwin Williams, Community Credit Union and many others who will be lost forever. If approved by council, all these small town familiar places will be bulldozed to make way for high-density, mammoth buildings from 55 feet in height to 85 feet in height with the higher grades proposed to butt up to the San Lorenzo River walk and levee. The new high rises, which are aimed at “incentivizing investment” according to the staff report, will undoubtedly be far more expensive, whether market rate for housing (probably all students like the other high rise at 1010 Pacific) or increased rents for commercial.

In case you feel 55 feet is tall and 85 feet alarmingly so (getting close to the height of the Dream Inn) staff, consultants and commissioners have a solution.

click here to continue (link expands, click again to collapse)

The Planning Commission public hearing will continue Thursday 5/19/16 at 7PM in city council chambers. Last chance before the council hearing to voice your opinion”.

(Gillian Greensite is a long time local activist, a member of Save Our Big Trees and the Santa Cruz chapter of IDA, International Dark Sky Association  http://darksky.org    Plus she’s an avid ocean swimmer, hiker and lover of all things wild).

JERRY LEWIS AND THE TYPEWRITER SONG.

Jerry was a brilliant pantominist, among other things…watch this..

GUIDING HANDS. Ralph Davila spotted this more than apt bit of much needed help for humanity.

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary says…

I am taking a look back at the Land Use Report! The very first edition of the Land Use Report aired on KUSP on July 28, 2001. Here’s a quote:  Land use policy is important. How we use the land has a fundamental impact on our economy, on social equity, and on the health of the environment. Native Americans believed that they belonged to the land. Our modern conception is that the land belongs to us—and belongs to us as individuals. Our “individualistic” approach to land ownership and land use is tempered somewhat by the policies we establish as a community. When we talk about “land use policy,” we’re talking about the rules we make for ourselves, acting as a community, that guide and govern the way we use the land.

Every week … this land use report will focus on the choices we make—about how we use the land.

KUSP is facing very daunting financial challenges, and may, actually go off the air. That would certainly be a shame, because KUSP has truly provided the Monterey Bay Region with an opportunity to speak out with its unique community voice. I’ve been proud to have covered the “Land Use beat” since 2001, and if I’m not here next week, I hope listeners will remember those words from fifteen years ago:

Land use policy is important!

If you want to have an impact on the future of your local community, you will have to get involved yourself!  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

DECOLONIZING OUR MINDS….WITH EPISTEMOLOGIZING FROM THE SOUTH. This is an evening about how we can change our cultural perspective to include all peoples and how the values of the southern hemisphere can enrich our lives. Join 350.org, WILPF SC, and SCCAN for a thought-provoking evening with Professor Fernando Leiva (UCSC, Latin American and Latino Studies). According to Professor Leiva, “The colonization of the mind is founded upon the structure of power and know-ledge created over the past 500 years by the West.  De-colonizing the mind requires new fundaments for know-ledge production that are free from the bias of colonized knowledge and its fears of differences.”  

This presentation is a benefit for the late Berta Caceres’ nonprofit Council of Popular & Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH) to continue her work.   Ms. Caceres was gunned down in her hometown after a decade long fight against a project to build the Agua Zarca Dam along the Gualcarque River. It’s happening May 5, 2016, 7 pm at the Live Oak Grange, 1900 17th Ave., Santa Cruz. For more information, please contact Lynda Francis at 831-465-1778.

CLASSICAL DeCINZO. Facing those ferocious creatures…scroll below…

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. Tim Eagan takes us down deep for an in depth view of campaign headlines…see below. For those memorable Eagan Subconscious Comics go here… http://www.timeagan.com/?subconscious_comics  If you want even more of Inside Eagan try… http://www.timeagan.com/?eaganblog  

TALLEY’S FOLLY AT THE COLLIGAN. The Jewel theatre Company is collaborating with Santa Cruz Shakespeare and is presenting Talley’s Folly by Lanford Wilson. Directed by Mike Ryan. It runs May 5 -29 at the Colligan theatre at the Tannery. Their press release reads…”Using the backdrop of an ornate, deserted Victorian boathouse in Lebanon, Missouri, circa 1944, TALLEY’S FOLLY presents Matt Friedman, a Jewish immigrant now living in St. Louis, who has arrived to plead his love to Sally, the daughter of the prosperous Talley family. Bookish, erudite, totally honest and delightfully funny, Matt refuses to accept Sally’s rebuffs and her fears that her family would never approve of their marriage. His attempts to overcome her defenses bring secrets to light that each of them have long held close. The soul-baring cost of love is weighed closely in this Pulitzer Prize winning play as two wounded outcasts seek to find common ground and a chance at happiness. The NY Post called TALLEY’S FOLLY “funny, sweet, touching and marvelously written…” and this production features Equity actors Christopher Reber and Monica West whose portrayal  of Matt and Sally will capture your heart”. TALLEY’S FOLLY is being performed at the Colligan Theatre, 1010 River Street,Santa Cruz, from May 5 through May 29, 2016. Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm, and Sundays at 2:00pm. Visit www.JewelTheatre.net for tickets and details or call (831) 4257506.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “How do authors do that thing they do? In response to a recent clamor of inquiry (okay, one person), allow me to share some writing strategies, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (ljo-express.blogspot.com).” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

THAT IS THE QUESTION
(THE NEWEST FILMS IN ORDER OF PERFECTION)

ELVIS AND NIXON. Michael Shannon does an absolutely superb job as Elvis Presley. Kevin Spacey is equally as good being Richard Nixon. It’s a long drawn out shaggy dog story about how these two world famed figures met for an historic photo. It’s all fantasy, there are no records as to how this event happened but it did. It’s clever, but tiring. More so since we do know they actually met while Tricky Dick was in the White House. Just go if you have the spare time. Don’t miss anything important just to see this.

BORN TO BE BLUE. Another jazz themed bio-pic like Miles Ahead. Ethan Hawke does what he can with this saga of Chet Baker a heroin addict. He does his usual job of fine acting. But like Miles Ahead this too is a depressing, painful look at a stars problem dealing with success. No insights, no clues, it just says that Chet Baker was a failure at life…while you watch. If you do.

GREEN ROOM. To try and watch such a fine actor as Patrick Stewart in what is supposed to be a clever satire or insiders look on slash/blood/horror films is too painful. I walked out about half way through. A traveling punk band is accidently trapped by killer druggies and get killed one at a time as they try to escape. Rotten Tomatoes gives it an amazing 88. I give it zip!

STILL PLAYING AT A THEATRE NEAR US
FROM BEST TO REALLY BAD

POST SCRIPT “P.S.” none of the movies showing anywhere in the county right now  are very good. Save your time, take a nap or do something constructive.

A HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING. Tom Hanks (born in Oakland!!) plays a weary broken marriage guy going to a very foreign Saudi Arabia to sell the king a high tech invention. The plot is from a novel and must be a fairly boring book. The movie is slow and pointless and ecept for Hanks’ typically great performance ther’s no reason to see this poke along plot.Hanks face is every bit as intriguing to look at and watch as Humphrey Bogarts is/was. It’s a pleasant movie, and you’ll stick with it all the way through…but I’d bet you’d have a tough time explaining it to uour friends.

EYE IN THE SKY. Helen Mirren and Alan Rickman are Brits in Kenya who are involved in bombing humans by drones. Will they or won’t they bomb some terrorists because they might kill a little local girl. It’s hyped up suspense, manipulated beyond belief. It is Hollywood tension, and it’s done well but after a while you feel like you’ve been suckered in. Go warned, and of course Helen Mirren is excellent as always. I’ll miss Alan Rickman he had an unique style, great voice and quirky appeal…you couldn’t take your eyes off him.

HELLO MY NAME IS DORIS. Sally Field is now 70 and plays a empty-headed ditzy senior in this mean spirited good- for- nothing movie. Like “Big Fat Greek Wedding” tries to make a minority group cute, fun and quirky,  Doris the movie, makes fun of seniors.  Yet Sally Field who hasn’t had work in years does a good job with this piece of junk.

MILES AHEAD. Don Cheadle directed this Miles Davis bio-pic and turned it into a shallow action packed Hollywood boring film. Davis was a dentist’s son, born in St’ Louis, married three times, and went to Juillard, but you wouldn’t know any of that from this cheap shot. Cheadle made up a flimsy “who stole the master tape” as a plot and threw in a bullet loaded car chase just to make sure you’d watch. You will learn absolutely nothing about the genius behind Davis’ superior contribution to American music from this flop.  

SNOW WHITE SELLS OUT. Or The Huntsman: Winters War. Yes, it does have the mirror and “who’s the ugliest thing in the land” gimmick . It also has tons of dwarves who’s names should be Poopy, Syphly, Pee Pee, Crotchy and awful things like that. A fully armed (remember Mad Max?)  Charlize Theron along with Emily Blunt, Chris Hemsworth and Jessica Chastain do their best to bring life and some semblence of excitement, or maybe even magic to this dull flick…and they couldn’t add anything worthwhile to this convuluted old prequel to Snow White Rotten Tomatoes gives it a measly 17 tomatoes. It’s evil sisters fighting each other, curses, ice walls (Game of Thrones stuff), and special effects dwarves…BUT if like that sort of thing, it’ll probably play for weeks.

THE JUNGLE BOOK. I must confess to still being under the influence of the REAL Jungle Book movie. That’s the 1942 masterpiece starring Sabu as Mowgli. All real live action, no special effects, just Kipling and technicolor. This Disney commercial money maker is exactly that…a Disney money maker. Filmed darkly (to save FX expense) it’s a hodge-podge of Bill Murray’s looney asides, some old Disney songs and not one iota of what Kipling had in mind when he wrote the book. Send the kids, and you go to the movie next door, believe me.

BATMAN V SUPERMAN. Remember when these two heroes were nice guys with even some humanity and humor? Don’t even try thinking about a fully clothed Clark Kent getting into the bathtub with a naked Lois Lane (Amy Adams). Avoid thinking about Batman wanting to kill Superman or space monsters in Metropolis. Metropolis  at least has Laurence Fishburne playing Perry White, editor of The Daily Planet. Ben Affleck as Batman??? Jeremy Irons as Batman’s butler? Then for some reason Wonder Woman comes in near the end. They have besmirched our legends…don’t go.

CRIMINAL. Another very bizzarre, violent, dis-jointed, poorly written, secret agent mess. It stars Kevin Costner, Gary Oldman, Ryan Reynolds, Tommy Lee Jones and the new lovely Gal Gadot (former Miss Israel 2004), and they try hard to make sense of a gnarly plot. Ryan Reynolds mind and memories are stored in Kevin Costner’s brain. Costner is a former evil person, who now has to deal with secrets he can’t quite remember, and the whole thing goes downhill from there. Rotten Tomatoes gives it 26 out of a 100.

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

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE RADIO PROGRAM
KZSC  88.1 FM or live online at
www.KZSC.ORG     TUESDAYS 7-8 P.M.

archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. The bi-annual KZSC PledgeDrive happens May 3 with County Supervisor John Leopold co-hosting and Sandy Lydon co-hosts for pledges on May 10. On May 17 Brian Spencer from the See Theatre talks about T. McNally’s play, “Mothers and Sons“. Becky Steinbruner discussing Aptos issues and the legal measures in her lawsuit follows him. Anita Monga artistic Director of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival (21st Year) returns May 24, then Chris Krohn brings us up to date on the Beach Flats Garden issue. Mark Wainer and Judy Johnson talk about the Community of Artists show on May 31st followed by Santa Cruz County Clerk Gail Pellerin with updates on local voting. The Short Story Winners from Bookshop Santa Cruz take over the June 14 program. June 21 has Carla Brennan talking about Meditation, Buddhism, and Mindfulness. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always and only at bratton@cruzio.com   

This will be 5 of the most beautiful minutes you’ve ever spent in front of your computer.

NEW UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVE FEATURE. Stuff changes at KZSC a lot. If you missed either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go herehttp://www.radiofreeamerica.com/dj/bruce-bratton You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens.

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES. In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 9 years here’s a chronological list of some past broadcasts.  Such a wide range of folks such as  Nikki Silva, Michael Warren, Tom Noddy, UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal, 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.

QUOTES. “GARDENS” as in Beach Flats Gardens.

“I used to visit and revisit it a dozen times a day, and stand in deep contemplation over my vegetable progeny with a love that nobody could share or conceive of who had never taken part in the process of creation. It was one of the most bewitching sights in the world to observe a hill of beans thrusting aside the soil, or a rose of early peas just peeping forth sufficiently to trace a line of delicate green”, Nathaniel Hawthorne.

“It was such a pleasure to sink one’s hands into the warm earth, to feel at one’s fingertips the possibilities of the new season”, Kate Morton.

“The love of dirt is among the earliest of passions, as it is the latest. Mud-pies gratify one of our first and best instincts. So long as we are dirty, we are pure. Fondness for the ground comes back to a man after he has run the round of pleasure and business, eaten dirt, and sown wild-oats…. To own a bit of ground, to scratch it with a hoe, to plant seeds and watch their renewal of life,—this is the commonest delight of the race, the most satisfactory thing a man can do…. Let us celebrate the soil. Most men toil that they may own a piece of it; they measure their success in life by their ability to buy it…. Broad acres are a patent of nobility; and no man but feels more of a man in the world if he have a bit of ground that he can call his own. However small it is on the surface, it is four thousand miles deep; and that is a very handsome property“,  Charles Dudley Warner, My Summer in a Garden, 1870

COLUMN COMMUNICATIONS.

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Santa Cruz, CA 95060

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BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

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