|
DATELINE October 6, 2014
DATELINE October 13, 2014
A DOUBLE COLUMN THIS WEEK. Due to crappy internet problems Gunilla never got last week’s column. So we’re combining last week’s and this weeks. I know, I know, but whaddya gonna do???
BODEGA BAY 50 YEARS LATER. 50 years ago in 1964 a bunch of us defeated PG&E’s proposed Nuclear Power plant at Bodega Bay. It was my first real land use environmental battle and we fought it for about three years. The Sonoma County Museum is creating an exhibit titled “HOLE IN THE HEAD” The Battle for Bodega Bayand the Birth of The Environmantal Battle”. It opens Saturday November 1, 2014 and runs through February 9, 2015. What’s really great is that I’ve been invited to a pre-opening get together of a small bunch of us who started and finished that battle. Some of those folks I haven’t seen in those 50 years. Dave Pesonen led the battle and with incredible intelligence was able to keep all the different anti- nuclear groups united until we won.I brought Pesonen and others down to Santa Cruz to help organize and strategize PG&E’s same plot to build a Nuclear Power Plant in Davenport…we won that one too!!! The Museum states… “The exhibition chronicles the story of the nuclear power plant, proposed for construction at Bodega Head in 1958 and its defeat by members of the local community in 1964. Stories will focus on the lives of the individuals involved in the struggle against PG&E and the arguments made against the plant on one of California’s most pristine coastal areas. This project not only honors the region’s earliest environmental activists but shows their enduring legacy for our region. The project will include an in-gallery exhibition featuring text, photographs, artifacts and multimedia—mostly in the form of edited video interviews. The interviews will include new video collected for this project, as well as edited segments from a rich collection of existing video histories in SCM’s collection.” Check out the museum’s exhibit website.
| WHARF CELEBRATION DRONE VIDEO. There’s about 4:45 of aerial video that is truly breathtaking and even sentimental. The music track sounds like it’s dubbed from a little munchkin, and it’s sponsored by Santa Cruz Waves.com. Santa Cruz Wharf 100th Anniversary Celebration Fireworks from MultiRotorCam on Vimeo. |
NO ON DAVID TERRAZAS. I like Terazzas, everybody likes Terrazas…he’s a nice guy. Family Man, works over the hill and why in hell was he on the City Council? What did he ever take a strong stand on, what did he ever introduce, when was he ever strong enough to be on the minority side? When did he ever disagree with Cynthia Mathews or Hilary Bryant? MORE IMPORTANT here are a few of his votes when he voted against the ACLU, against the homeless, against Morgani playing on Pacific Avenue, and more.
On Jan. 28, 2014 He voted against The Bike Church receiving abandoned bicycles. On Feb 11 he voted against the working public being able to speak to the City Council at 7pm and changed it to 5 p.m. On Dec.2013 he voted to make expensive permits mandatory for groups/events of only 50 instead of 100. That means marches, gatherings, protests, etc. On Dec. 3, 2013 he voted to strengthen our so called City Park Safety Initiatives making it a civil rights issue against our homeless.. There’s more about Terrazas’ voting record and I’ll report more in the next week. Stuff he voted for like opposing the ACLU re the curfew on Cowell’s Beach, how the council can use “Closed Sessions” etc. He’s just too busy on his day job, relys too heavily on City Staff and Cynthia Mathews. Vote no on David Terrazas.
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & BUSINESS COUNCIL DID SOMETHING GOOD!!! Don’t tell anyone where you got this but for once the Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce and the Santa Cruz Business Council did a positive thing. They got Larry Pearson and Hillary Bryant to interview each of the Santa Cruz City Council Candidates on TV!!! Now Larry’s no Charlie Rose (and he’s nervous, but he makes good cookies) and Hillary Bryant is Hillary Bryant but at least we get to see how the wanna-bees perform on camera. These are long interviews (24-38) minutes each. They are all solo interviews. And as of Monday Oct. 13 Cynthia Chase had the most views (61) and David Terrazas had the fewest (26) take a look, think about these candidates. The camera work is about non-existent, the questions are sort of jerky, but you’ll get a feel of the quality and brains behind our to-be-chosen-few. It’s all on You Tube. As you probably know by now, I’m definitely voting for Leonie Sherman and Bruce Van Allen…ONLY!
WHARF WARNING. Now that the city and related developers have had their big 100th anniversary celebration we have to be very aware that those same powers are working very hard to develop our municpal wharf into another San Francisco Fisherman’s Tourist Wharf. We’ll see Swenson’s Wax Museum, Appenrodt’s Apple Toss, Canfield’s Bilk Bottle, Dunn’s Whack-a-Fish, Schwartz’s Diving Bell, Brooks Ball Batter and similar attractions. The Silicon Valley Business Journal reports…”Amid centennial celebrations this year for the wharf, the city will also complete a nearly $1 million,18-month study (funded largely by a federal grant) to evaluate new uses and capital costs for upgrading the half-mile-long wharf. The city expects to have a Wharf Master Plan laying out a comprehensive development strategy after the study wraps up”. Remember that’s ONE MILLION just for a study…let’s have a contest to guess what the legitimate total cost will be, how many tourist bucks will it generate, and what will it cost in maintenance just to keep it operational?
| ICEBERG FOOTAGE. |
BOARDWALK GARBAGE RATES??? Obviously just another rumor, but one intrepid BrattonOnline reader who has (or had) access to such things says that the Boardwalk and especially the La Bahia (owned by The Boardwalk) pays cheaper garbage rates than any of the other commercial operations in the city. Of course I’ll be happy to print all the proof and/or retractions on this one.
THOMAS PYNCHON IN THE MOVIES???
When Thomas Pynchon lived here and I got to meet him and chat I had no idea just how “reclusive” he was…or is. Pynchon and a good friend of mine became friends and my friend keeps me informed about Pynchon’s comings and goings (mostly goings). Here’s the latest news from the New York Times, Sept. 29 …
PYNCHON’S CAMEO, AND OTHER SURREALITIES
PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON films PYNCHON’S “INHERENT VICE” BOOK
By Logan Hill Sept. 26, 2014
Halfway through a long lunch at Tavern on the Green on a sunny September day, the trim, tanned filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson, dressed in a Southern California beach bum’s uniform — Quiksilver shorts, faded blue T-shirt, crumpled white bucket hat — went silent. Mr. Anderson, 44, had been asked a simple question: Does Thomas Pynchon, the reclusive author of “Gravity’s Rainbow,” “Mason & Dixon” and “The Crying of Lot 49,” make an on-screen cameo in Mr. Anderson’s “Inherent Vice,” the first movie adapted from one of the writer’s celebrated novels? Surely Mr. Pynchon, 77, would be tempted by such an inside joke? Told that other sources had confirmed a cameo, Mr. Anderson stared intently into his salad and poked around with his fork, either looking for an answer among the summer beets, fighting back a grin or both.
The mystery of Mr. Pynchon’s cameo is trivial. But that doesn’t make it any less fun to pursue — and the same could be said of the mysteries in “Inherent Vice,” which exist more to propel Joaquin Phoenix into wild, gag-filled scenarios than to deliver whodunit satisfaction.
Continue reading the main story Like the novel, the film is set in 1970 in the fictional Gordita Beach, Calif., among paranoid burnouts, white-supremacist bikers, black-power ex-cons, and hippies turned toothless heroin addicts”. BrattonOnline sez…I edited that article a lot, so try to link to it. Then we can wonder if Gordita Beach is really partly Santa Cruz, or was it Manhattan Beach? He lived in both locales.
WHEN ELECTED OFFICIALS GO OVER TO THE DARK SIDE.
One issue that fits this category was when 2nd District Supervisor Robley Levy came out in favor of Wingspread, the disastrous development at one time aimed for New Brighton Beach State Park. Many months of fighting off the developer, all the way to Sacramento and including a county-wide ballot measure won the day for the good guys on this issue.
Now we have a 2nd District Supervisor Zach Friend collaborating with the Aptos Chamber of Commerce candidates and their attempt to take over Soquel Creek Water District’s Board (SQWD) of Directors. This slate’s latest flashy and expensive mailer includes an endorsement by Zach and a quote from him saying, “We need to take politics out of the discussion and ensure that our community has a voice in water policy”. Since when has water not been a political issue?
A quick review of the latest Grand Jury report says the following, “We commend the Soquel Creek Water District for holding meetings at Capitola City Hall to address supplemental supply and mandatory rationing. This allows for greater public participation and awareness of the discussions via local access television and the internet.” Zach’s interest in water management is a few months old, as in…”right before the election”.
Look at all the Chamber’s endorsers, it’s a lineup of all the big-name developers, past (and failed) SQWD Directors and their supporters. It reads like a who is who of the old Aptos Incorporation crowd. The hidden agenda is not hidden very well. A red flag is the amount of money the slate is using to attempt to gain control of the board, not for the sake of the groundwater, but for the sake of their own wallets. Let’s face it, if a director had not even mentioned moratorium, (a motion that was not seconded, as in there is zero support for it) there would likely be no expensive opposition to a community service position occupied by Bruce Jaffe and Rick Meyer.
I would prefer a 2nd district Supervisor let the voters decide and not actively campaign in an area not under his area of expertise. This further polarizes the community and is very divisive. Zach’s finger prints are everywhere and that is not admirable.
(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).
| LIONS REVOLT, ATTACK CIRCUS TRAINERS. Gena Foucek Sinopoli finds all the great clips. It’s a wonder this doesn’t happen more often. We should close down aquariums too. |
PATTON’S PROGRAM. (Week of October 13-17) Gary talks about Bike lanes on Western Drive and the resultant loss of street parking, and the City Council’s decision. There’s a 5 story building proposed for 1482 Freedom Boulevard and the lack of water problem. On Thursday Oct. 16 there’s a Santa Cruz Water Supply Convention at the Civic (11am-9pm) he says we should all be there…IF you use water. Cal Am and it’s privately owned status are above the law, Gary says, read all about that issue. He closes giving details on what Sustainable Communities means…”Sustainable Communities” is a phrase that actually has a legal reference, in California. As part of California’s effort to address global warming, state law was modified to try to encourage land use planning that would reduce vehicle miles traveled, or VMT. The plans that are supposed to accomplish this goal are called “Sustainable Communities Strategies.”
As a kind of follow-up, I am providing interested listeners and readers with a link to a “Catalogue” of “Sustainable Community Indicators.” The Catalog helps communities identify indicators that can measure progress toward their sustainability objectives. The indicators focus on the relationships among land use, housing, transportation, human health, and the environment. The Catalogue was developed by a team of researchers, which evaluated over 100 community indicator initiatives across the United States. The team identified over 1,000 examples of indicators being used to measure community progress towards the Partnership for Sustainable Community’s Livability Principles.Here’s that link..The Sustainable Community Indicator Catalog
(The Week of October 6-10) Gary kicked off the week with some news about Marina and Monterey County’s water problems. Then he talks about the Santa Cruz City Council and their study session on Accessory Dwelling Units. He adds the problem that the UCSC student population causes by their adding more students and closing down some student housing for renovation. There’s a dispute over turning highway 156 into a toll road and the Transportation Agency role in it. More than that Monterey County has a “Rooster Ordinance”!!! You wouldn’t believe me if I wrote about it here, so read Gary’s report…it’s serious. 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 environmenatl issues. The opions expressed are Mr. Patton’s \. Gary has his own website, Two Worlds/365” – www.gapatton.net
CLASSICAL DeCINZO. DeCinzo gives us a “heads up” warning about Halloween scroll to page six.
EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. Tim has another idea about Security at the White House, It’s about three pages down
| Anna-Maria Hefele sings two and more notes at the same time.(Polyphonic Overtones) |
SANTA CRUZ CHAMBER PLAYERS. Their first concert of the 2014-15 season is titled
“Too Intimate to be Expressed in Public”
“The No-Holds-Barred Emotions of Dvor(ák, Shostakovich, and César Franck”. Roy Malan, artistic director and violin Susan Freier, violin; Polly Malan, viola; Stephen Harrison, cello; Ian Scarfe, piano. They’ll be playing Four Romantic Pieces for Violin and Piano, Op. 75 by Antonín Dvor(ák. Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op. 67 by Dymtri Shostakovich and Quintet for Piano and Strings in F minor by César Franck. It’s Saturday October 18 at 8pm and Sunday October 19 at 3pm atChrist Lutheran Church, 10707 Soquel Dr., Aptos. Advance single tickets for all SC Chamber Players’ concerts are available at www.scchamberplayers.org Single tickets are also available at the door 1/2 hr. prior to each performance CUSTOMER INFO: 425-3149 or www.scchamberplayers.org
DEL MAR THEATRE’S NEW SEATS!!! Those 300 new seats in the main auditorium of the Del Mar Theatre are absolutely amazing. They cut the 500 old style seats down to house only 300 of the new (not reclining) “leather” comfy seats. When pressed, Jim and Paul (Del Mar owners) said the new seats cost between $300-$500 per!!!
SHAKESPEARE LIVE ON SCREEN. There’s a new (??) live telecast Shakespeare series direct from London’s Globe Theatre…again limited to one screening only.
Henry V October 14th Del Mar
Taming Of The Shrew October 28th Del Mar
The Tempest November 4th Del Mar
Two screenings are Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. and ONE SHOWING ONLY. click here for a detailed link, and a connection to the Globe.
LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “This week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com), Open Studios heads into its last weekend, Alias Hook receives high marks from the School Library Journal, and coal miners and gay activists make strange, but effective political allies in the exuberant film, Pride.” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.
THAT IS THE QUESTION
(IN ORDER OF PERFECTION)
GONE GIRL.David Fincher directs some intelligent films and has a style which is more than most movies have nowadays. Gone Girl starring Rosamund Pike (who is genuinely great) and Ben Affleck who is generally pretty good is a fine film. One friend who requires definite, obvious,conclusive endings hated Gone Girl,,,for that reason. Neil Patrick Harris is in it too, but not much. It’s tricky, you have to think, you’ll be puzzled, it’s more complex than a Hitchcock mystery and well worth seeing. What’s hard to believe is that Gone Girl is #1 at the boxoffice with an 87% at Rotten Tomatoes.
KILL THE MESSENGER. Jeremy Renner is the main reason to see this almost true story about a San Jose Mercury reporter who uncovered thestory of The CIA smuggling cocaine and supporting Nicaraguan rebels. Renner liked the true story so much that he’s part of the producing group. But the film gets dull and full of old timey movie cliches. It could have been much better, and will make you very mad at our government, if you’re not already.
TRACKS. Mia Wasikowska plays a real life girl who treks 2000 miles across the Australian outback. The odd part is that most of the trek is along a road that has (we are told) “only 6-8 cars per day”. She has an affair with a Frans Lanting type National Geographic photographer (Adam Driver). She has lots of trouble with Driver, tourists, Aborigines, the media, and camels. Somehow we don’t get too involved with all this, and just watch with deserved interest.
JUDGE. Robert Downey jr. gets another chance to act and he proves that he’s really, really good. AND he’s not wearing any Marvel Comic costume. Robert Duvall can only play Robert Duvall but he’s good at it. My favorite part of this film was to watch Vera Farmiga one of my favorite and most versatile actors. Billy Bob Thornton is another favorite but he doesn’t get to do much in this cliched movie. Go if you’ve seen the other good films.
PRIDE. What a cast….Bill Nighy, Dominic West, Imelda Staunton together in this almost true story of how the Lesbians and Gays joined together to support the striking miners in Wales. You’ll laugh, cry and be inspired by this feel good film. It happened 30 years ago and is well worth watching, but hurry.
| THE REAL PAUL POTTS SINGS “TIME TO SAY GOODBYE”. You’ve just got to love this duet. Here’s the real Paul Potts from the movie “One Chance”. |
ONE CHANCE. James Corden, one of Britain’s finest upcoming actors plays Paul Potts a shy iPhone salesman who wins Britains Got Talent. I cried, laughed, and was forced to appreciate the honesty of this corney film. Go quickly, it’ll leave by Thursday.
HECTOR AND THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS. Rosamund Pike does a good job with this intelligent comedy so does Simon Pegg as the psychiatrist guy who earnestly goes around the world doing “research” on what is happiness. It’s sort of funny but it reminded me of how super funny the Alec Guiness Brit comedies were and how great this film would have been with other actors in his role.
DRACULA UNTOLD. Do we, or you, really want to know the back-story of Vlad the Impaler?? I walked out about 10 minutes BEFORE the ending. It’s all special effects, and good old Bram Stoker is probably spinning in his grave. We should dig him up and check!!!
STILL PLAYING AT A THEATRE NEAR US
FROM BEST TO REALLY BAD
(IN ORDER OF PERFECTION)
THE SKELETON TWINS. Even though Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader are SNL veterans and even though the trailer has laughs…this is NOT a funny feel-good film. It’s a wonderful, touching, perfectly acted and directed film.It’s sad, loving, sensitive, suicide attempts, and oddly enough like “The Notebook” it’s about twins struggling to survive on their own. See it asap.
EQUALIZER. A huge big hit and Denzel Washington’s third biggest opening weekend. Denzel plays a floor manager at “Home Depot” by day and like Batman turns into a near superhero who punishes with a hidden talent for violence that he learned in his secret past.It is violent, bloody, co-stars Chloe Grace Moretz, and is one of the best action films I’ve seen in a very long time.You’ll never take your eyes off the screen, and Denzel’s killing and acting ability makes Clint Eastwood look like Woody Allen. It’ll be here a month!
MY OLD LADY. Usually I’d bet big money that any movie starring Kevin Kline, Maggie Smith and Kristin Scott Thomas would be the most enjoyable, touching, funny and thoughtful film ever filmed. It isn’t!!! Kline plays a sad loser, Maggie plays a dull old maid with a sad past, and Scott Thomas is her sad daughter who’s never left their Paris apartments. Don’t rush to see it. Rent it, then you can turn it off a few times and take breaks as you watch it. Kristin Scott Thomas by the way, is giving up films. She’s 54 now and is tired of playing middle age women. She doesn’t want to do any more TV series either. Read her statements here http://blogs.indiewire.com/womenandhollywood/kristin-scott-thomas-quits-film
A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES. Liam Neeson always does a good job of acting and makes almost any film worth seeing. Guess what…. he’s an ex-cop and aa AA member. It’s about kidnappers who kidnap crooks wives, kill them and still ask for ransoms!!! You’ve seen it all before and Neeson still can’t do American accents.
THE MAZE RUNNER. More #1. definition “Dystopian” (opposite of Utopia) stuff. No big star names and not much excitement here either. This is a teenager film from a book. All bad future, kid survival, sci-fi puzzle with a dumb ending that makes strong hints that there’s more to come.
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. October 14 has Michael Alman telling us about his Life Raft Tutoring program followed by Sandy Ferguson and Jeff Gallagher from The Santa Cruz Chamber Players talking all about their newest season. On October 21st Ted Benhari and Tom Hearn from the Rural Bonny Doon Association talk about North Coast area issues. Oct. 28 has Tim Kelly and Judy Johnson from the Community Of Artists discuss their Felix Kulpa Gallery Show then California State Assemblyman Mark Stone brings us up to date on Sacramento politics. On Nov.4th Santa Cruz County Supervisor John Leopold returns to assist with our bi-annual KZSC Pledge Drive. 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 (two week’s worth) …SPECIAL DROUGHT QUOTES. “It’s so dry the trees are bribing the dogs”, Charles Martin. “Drought is the best thing that ever happened to my lawn. And my beard”, Jarod Kintz. “Love is a cloudless sky, and I’m having the longest drought of my life?” also Jarod Kintz. “Any party which takes credit for the rain must not be surprised if its opponents blame it for the drought“, Dwight Morrow. “Our fish, our recreation, our irrigation and all our uses of the Missouri River are threatened if the drought continues and the Corps of Engineers decisions aren’t changed”, Mike Rounds.
Subscriptions: Click and enter the box in the upper right hand corner of each Column. You’ll get a weekly email notice the instant the column goes online. (Anywhere from Monday afternoon through Thursday or sometimes as late as Friday!) Always free and confidential. Even I don’t know who subscribes!!
Snail Mail: Bratton Online
82 Blackburn Street, Suite 216
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com
Direct phone: 831 423-2468
All Technical & Web details: Gunilla Leavitt @ gunilla@thegoldenfleece.com
BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.
Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.
