CAPITOLA BY THE SEA. The best photo date I can figure from Carolyn Swift’s book is 1928. The Capitola Hotel as shown above opened in 1895. Back then an electric railway ran from Capitola to Santa Cruz.                                                         photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

DATELINE July 22

STOP THE RECALL NEWS re. INDY BAY. It was Santa Cruz Indy Bay’s July 11th issue that reported this revealing and somewhat surprising story. Thanks are due from all of us…read on…they list “multiple businesses are publicly supporting Santa Cruz United and the recall effort, including: Surf City Barber Shop, Union Foodie Truck, Stockwell Cellars, KSCO and Brooks Properties”. There are many more names and businesses and politicians listed here. 

“BOYCOTT BUSINESSES THAT SUPPORT THE SANTA CRUZ RECALL”. 

MAUNA KEA, Part 1. Thousands of Hawaiians are currently protesting the continuing development of enormous telescopes on the big island of Hawaii. Our media has done almost nothing to tell us of the inhumane and unrespecting treatment the governing management is responsible for. To make some sense of what the protests are fighting for, consider for a minute your reaction if, say, Google had plans to erect the world’s largest cell tower in the heart of our Arlington National Cemetery or the Golden Gate national Cemetery. I talked with Ruben Carrillo — the son of Eduardo Carrillo, the famed painter who taught at UCSC and painted that three dimensional Jesus painting in the hallway in our downtown. Ruben lives and works in Honolulu as a photographer, and follows the Mauna Kea protest closely.

To get a sense of the sacredness of Mauna Kea.

MAUNA KEA PART 2. UCSC is heavily involved in the growing groups of telescopes. From a UCSC publication: “A leading astronomer at UC Santa Cruz hailed the selection of Mauna Kea in Hawaii as the site for construction of the Thirty-Meter Telescope (TMT), which will be the largest and most advanced telescope ever built.

“This is exciting, because it means we can move into the next phase of the project,” said Michael Bolte, professor of astronomy and astrophysics at UCSC and director of University of California Observatories. UCSC is a managing partner of the W. M. Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea, which houses the world’s largest optical and infrared telescopes, the twin 10-meter Keck I and Keck II Telescopes.

“The TMT will be a great discovery machine,” added Bolte, who has been active in the planning and design of the TMT and is on the TMT Board of Directors. “I’m sure we’ll find things nobody ever thought existed in the universe.”

With the TMT, astronomers will be able to analyze the light from the first stars born after the Big Bang, directly observe the formation and evolution of galaxies, see planets around nearby stars, and make observations that test fundamental laws of physics. Jerry Nelson, professor of astronomy at UCSC, is the TMT project scientist.

Building the telescope on Mauna Kea–which is home to many of the world’s leading observatories and more than a dozen telescopes–will foster scientific collaboration, said Bolte. “Because the TMT partners operate existing observatories at Mauna Kea, it will be possible to integrate our planning much better in terms of scientific programs, the instruments we build, and possibly even sharing key technical staff,” he said. 

MAUNA KEA. PART 3. The size and plans of the telescope’s footprint. 

From Wikipedia…As of 2012, the Mauna Kea Science Reserve has 13 observation facilities, each funded by as many as 11 countries. It is one of the world’s premier observatories for optical, infrared, and submillimeter astronomy, and in 2009 was the largest measured by light gathering power.[14] There are nine telescopes working in the visible and infrared spectrum, three in the submillimeter spectrum, and one in the radio spectrum, with mirrors or dishes ranging from 0.9 to 25 m (3 to 82 ft).[15] In comparison, the Hubble Space Telescope has a 2.4 m (7.9 ft) mirror, similar in size to the UH88, now the second smallest telescope on the mountain.[15] Planned new telescopes, including the Thirty Meter Telescope, have attracted controversy due to their potential cultural and ecological impact.[16][17] The multi-telescope “outrigger” extension to the Keck telescopes, which required new sites, was eventually canceled.[18] Three or four of the mountain’s 13 existing telescopes must be dismantled over the next decade with the TMT proposal to be the last area on Mauna Kea on which any telescope would ever be built.[19] A leading astronomer at UC Santa Cruz hailed the selection of Mauna Kea in Hawaii as the site for construction of the Thirty-Meter Telescope (TMT), which will be the largest and most advanced telescope ever built.

Building the telescope on Mauna Kea–which is home to many of the world’s leading observatories and more than a dozen telescopes–will foster scientific collaboration, said Bolte. “Because the TMT partners operate existing observatories at Mauna Kea, it will be possible to integrate our planning much better in terms of scientific programs, the instruments we build, and possibly even sharing key technical staff,” he said. 

Click here to get live-now, immediate footage of the protest.

What can we do about this? Keep informed; go to the Facebook page “Manaikaleo”. We can also wonder about UC’s so-called financial problem. Check the links above, and learn about another site in Chile.

DEMOCRACY AND CITY COUNCIL RECALL. A seriously-involved friend and Santa Cruzan asked to have the following published from an anonymous “voice of reason”. Very happy to oblige.

Is it “democratic” to attempt to recall two City Council members in one fell swoop?

A Santa Cruz Sentinel letter-to-the-editor writer, name of Sean Livingston, says the recall definitely is democratic, unselfconsciously citing a general reference in an on-line dictionary. This is typical of the lowbrow reactionary element pushing recall petitions in Santa Cruz. Anybody who has ever published a university thesis, or even a passing high school research paper, would know better than to cite a single unauthoritative source when opining on a complex socio-political issue.

Livingston does touch one of his group’s talking points though, reciting the formula, “the recall is designed to ensure that an elected official will act in the interests of his constituency rather than in the interests of his political party or according to his own conscience.”

The recall backers say they are a constituency who ought to be able to remove City Council members Glover and Krohn from office because they disagree with them. They say every City Council member has to act in the interests of all residents, especially including them. Meanwhile, they feel there is a “war” being waged against them by another faction in the body politic, which elected Krohn and Glover. Ergo, a large number of us do not agree with them, either about the “war” or the recall.

I’m pretty sure that not one of the recall backers voted for Krohn or Glover. Most likely, they voted for other candidates, who lost. But the recall crowd’s present scapegoats were nonetheless duly elected by winning pluralities in recent elections. They were elected by constituents whose interests are aligned with theirs, and whom the recall backers consider enemies. The factions that opposed Krohn and Glover in their election campaigns are not their constituents in a political sense. They are instead, perhaps, constituents of three other City Council members, and they are a minority group in the electorate. The electorate is in fact sharply divided by conflicting socio-economic interests, and so is the City Council.

So, to claim a constitutional warrant for attempting to cause a recall election now is really pretty disingenuous. Just because a political power grab is possible doesn’t mean it is the right thing to do. 

In fact, it is the wrong thing to do. It would seek to overturn two recent legitimate elections and overthrow a duly elected local government. It is anti-democratic in that sense. Don’t do it.

Don’t sign the recall petitions.

MISSING ANGELO GROVA. Angelo Grova gave so much to our community, and we’ve started to appreciate just how much during forced pulling back lately to handle his illness. He created the once annual FashionArt Show at the Civic, he taught hundreds of UCSC students sculpture and painting… and he maintained one of the happiest, outgoing personalities I’ve ever known.

EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. Love and other hidden desires Grace the seasoned Subconscious Comics and Tim’s focus. See below.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “Classic Deep Cover with Obama” down a few pages. As always, at TimEagan.com you will find his most recent  Deep Cover, the latest installment from the archives of Subconscious Comics, and the ever entertaining Eaganblog. 

THE CABRILLO FESTIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC. Now in its 57th year the festival is beyond any doubt Santa Cruz’s finest and most famous contribution to the world’s culture. With free and open orchestra rehearsals starting Saturday July 28,  a community night when you can pay what you wish, orchestra players from all over the earth…it’s huge, and still friendly and casual. There’s also more woman centered music this year. There are six main concerts Aug.2-4, and Aug. 8-11. Look them up at CABRILLOMUSIC.ORG 

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Try to imagine  the movie Fight Club as interpreted by Woody Allen, and you might get an idea what to expect from The Art Of Self-Defense. Read my review in this week’s Good Times, and keep checking back at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ) for more movie and summer theatre reviews!” 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 archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. Rick Longinotti and Bruce Van Allen members of Campaign for Sustainable Transportation give details on their current lawsuit against t Caltrans on July 23. Dr. Rachel Abrams guests on July 30 to talk about her books and new workshops. She’s followed by Susanna Waddell from the Pajaro Valley Arts organization who will discuss their exhibits and current events. OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… https://www.radiofreeamerica.com/schedule/kzsc   You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens. 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 

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, 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.  “STATUES”
“The great poet is a great artist. He is painter and sculptor. The greatest pictures and statues have been painted and chiseled with words. They outlast all others”. Robert Green Ingersoll
“I’ve searched all the parks in all the cities and found no statues of committees”. Gilbert K. Chesterton 
“In every block of marble I see a statue as plain as though it stood before me, shaped and perfect in attitude and action. I have only to hew away the rough walls that imprison the lovely apparition to reveal it to the other eyes as mine see it”. Michelangelo 

WAX FIGURE OF JAMES DEAN. Taken February 25, 1957. James Dean died September 30, 1955. That’s Brad Macdonald on the far right. He was the big time developer in and around Capitola. He started The Shadowbrook Restaurant and died in 1999. The Del Mar theatre opened August 14 1936.                                                        photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

DATELINE July 15

DON’T  BURY THE LIBRARY’S RESPONSE TO FALSE ACCUSATIONS. Friends and members of DBTL (Don’t Bury The Library) were rightfully angered when John Mills the habitual Pacific Avenue Profit (sic) labeled a disturbed and vocal demonstrator as being a member of DBTL. They wrote…”Anyone who knows the respectful intent of Don’t Bury the Library organizers knows enough to dismiss a recent letter in the Sentinel which implied that a chronic disruptor of public meetings was in any way associated with their group when she started ranting at last week’s kick off of the group Downtown Forward.  DBTL would never sanction such unproductive hysteria“. 

Jean Brocklebank of DBTL also wrote…”It’s unfortunate that John Mills did not fact check his 7/13 LTE before making false accusations about Don’t Bury the Library (DBTL). The screaming woman who disrupted the Downtown Forward event is in no way associated with DBTL. She is neither a member nor a supporter of DBTL. Furthermore, Mills accuses “other Don’t Bury the Library folks” of screaming and “deplorable and undemocratic behavior” during the meeting. In fact, DBTL members repeatedly tried to reason with the screaming woman, and then spent considerable time reassuring others that she has no connection with DBTL whatsoever. A member of the DLAC, who knew the woman was not with us, acknowledged that DBTL has acted respectfully throughout the entire Downtown Library planning process”. Jean Brocklebank

COASTAL HAVEN FAMILIES PROGRESS. This pocket neighborhood up on the approach to Pogonip is being created by twelve families who have come together to create a place for their adult children with disabilities to live with one another, and others, in an intentional neighborhood. As previously reported they were fighting some very unreasonable property demands by developers John Swift and David Curry.

In what we might call a near bulletin they announced on Monday (7/15)…’After more meetings, more attorney time, and more community support, they finally reached an agreement on terms they feel they can live with.

The main part of the letter that they agreed to, reserves their right to fully participate in the future Golf Club Drive Area Plan and to protest any portion of it by any means, including legal if it comes to that.  Once a plan is agreed to and put into place, Coastal Haven Families pledge to abide by it. They made other small changes to what the city presented them with initially, but the main thing here is they have a no protest letter that explicitly protects their right to protest by any legal means. This was the main roadblock to their getting permits and they are hoping  to be able to break ground soon.

GOOD TIMES CELEBRATION. ‘Twas surprising news that our little old weekly Good Times bought out Watsonville’s Register Pajaronian and the Aptos Times. They bought them  from News Media Corporation. Nobody talks about it much anymore but Good Times was once owned and operated by Rupert Murdoch and his empire. Go HERE for a well done report by John Yewell of Santa Cruz Metro (July 16, 1998) on Good Times’ real history.

MARY KELLY’S KONTRIBUTION. Mary manages to find great and needed laughs online. She sent this…“Lexophile” describes those that have a love for words, such as “you can tune a piano, but you can’t tuna fish”,  “To write with a broken pencil is pointless.”  An annual competition is held by the New York Times to see who can create the best original lexophile.

This year’s submissions:   

• I changed my iPod’s name to Titanic.  It’s syncing now.
• England has no kidney bank, but it does have a Liverpool.
• Haunted French pancakes give me the crepes.
• This girl today said she recognized me from the Vegetarians Club, but I’d swear I’ve never met herbivore.
• I know a guy who’s addicted to drinking brake fluid, but he says he can stop any time.
• A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.
• When the smog lifts in Los Angeles U.C.L.A.
• I got some batteries that were given out free of charge.
• A dentist and a manicurist married.  They fought tooth and nail.
• A will is a dead giveaway.

July 15

TRUMP SAID WHAT?

Has It Come to this?

Donald Trump has done it, again, and with the zeal of someone leading a lynch mob like an Archie Bunker on steroids. No, I’m not talking about his risky rhetorical rants about Rocket-man, Little Marco,Half-Awake Jeb, or Lyin’ Ted, names which he used for his sometimes so-called, “friends.” Nor am I writing about his deranged policy of separating children and locking them up in US border detention facilities, although that pretty well should have ignited a Martin Neimoller-esqe, “First they came for the Jews” firestorm. It hasn’t yet. I’m not even referring to Trump’s daily hate-spews, or his dubious legal tax dodging dereliction, or even the now infamous Charlottesville comments on American White Nationalists vs. anti-hate protesters. “You had very fine people on both sides,” he said that day. And that coming with the death of Heather Heyer who died from injuries she suffered when a Neo-Nazi at the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally took his car ran her over. Trump’s presidential bar has been set pathetically low. He entered his 905th day as President of the United States this past week when he lashed out at the newly minted congressional women of color class of 2018. Trump told congress members Rashida Tlaib from Michigan, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar who represents parts of Minnesota, and Ayanna Pressley from Massachusetts to, “go back” to the countries they came from. Not that it even remotely matters, but only Rep. Omar was born outside of the United States. Trump’s people are from Germany and his family’s last name was originally, Drumpf, less we permit collective amnesia to perform its Orwellian digital erasure miracle and continue to allow history to be rewritten.  According to the New York Times, there are 52 members of the House, and 16 members of the Senate who were either were born outside of the US, or whose parents came here from another country.

What Was Said
In the age of Twitter everyone can have access to creating a press release. You don’t have to hire a press secretary. Hell, if the President’s vile and villainous tweets have no vet-venality insurance, then why would anyone hire writing help? Or is he the model of why everyone needs PR help? I’m convinced though that a good bit of vetting does happen to his tweets and some nuance is built into his keyboard habits. There has to be someone present, a couple people maybe, when he sends out his early morning blurt-outs? As the conventional media is by-passed, Trump has developed his own news agency, much better for him even than a state agency like a Tass or Agence France-Presse, or Associated Press. Way too many eyes pass over that copy, but Trump must surely have a couple of wary-eyed assistants helping with strategy and messaging, right? 

Here is some of what the “Real Donald” tweeted out after his “go back” message and responses from Nancy Pelosi and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump

So interesting to see “Progressive” Democrat Congresswomen, who originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe, the worst, most corrupt and inept anywhere in the world (if they even have a functioning government at all), now loudly……

Nancy Pelosi? @SpeakerPelosi
I reject @realDonaldTrump‘s xenophobic comments meant to divide our nation. Rather than attack Members of Congress, he should work with us for humane immigration policy that reflects American values. Stop the raids – #FamiliesBelongTogether!

Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
So sad to see the Democrats sticking up for people who speak so badly of our Country and who, in addition, hate Israel with a true and unbridled passion. Whenever confronted, they call their adversaries, including Nancy Pelosi, “RACIST.” Their disgusting language…..
17,531 replies19,923 retweets102,385 likes

Nancy Pelosi
@SpeakerPelosi
When @realDonaldTrump?? tells four American Congresswomen to go back to their countries, he reaffirms his plan to “Make America Great Again” has always been about making America white again. Our diversity is our strength and our unity is our power.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
@AOC
Mr. President, the country I “come from,” & the country we all swear to, is the United States. But given how you’ve destroyed our border with inhumane camps, all at a benefit to you & the corps who profit off them, you are absolutely right about the corruption laid at your feet.

Earlier Dem Party Machinations
Trump’s comments came on the heels of a couple of weeks of Democratic party hand-wringing, and Twitter back-and-forths within the party over some comments House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said to New York Times Reporter, Maureen Dowd. Pelosi said something about the fabulous foursome’s votes–Pressley, Omar, Tlaib, Ocasio-Cortez–being just that, “four votes” in the house. The comment sounded more like a rebuke than stated fact. Bernie Sanders weighed in over MSNBC about Pelosi’s remark. “You cannot ignore the young people of this country who are passionate about economic and racial and social and environmental justice,” the Vermont Senator told NBC’s Chuck Todd on “Meet the Press.“You got to bring them in, not alienate them.” Ocasio-Cortez did some analysis of the old Dem party and the mainstream’s reliance on 24/7 fundraising throughout a member’s two years in office. She tweeted, “I find it strange when members act as though social media isn’t important. They set millions of $ on to run TV ads so people can see their message. I haven’t dialed for dollars *once* this year, & have more time to do my actual job. Yet we’d rather campaign like it’s 2008.”

AOC’s Chief of Staff
Looks like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s chief of staff, Saikat Chakrabarti is the most courageous person in Washington, D.C. this week. He’s the usual Harvard-educated house staffer, but most comparisons with other hill people end there. He is former digital director of Bernie Sanders’ 2016 campaign and one of the founders of the startup, Stripe. He also helped found, Justice Democrats, a group that takes on centrist Dems and helped elect the current target of Trump, the Fearsome Foursome. In addition, seems like Chakrabarti is one of those unusual staffers that has the trust and the okay from his boss to speak out about injustice whether domestic or international, and that includes criticizing the Democrats for caving to Trump on funding the border wall. Chakrabarti has taken on Pelosi various times, once writing, “Pelosi claims we can’t focus on impeachment because it’s a distraction from kitchen table issues. But I’d challenge you to find voters that can name a single thing House Democrats have done for their kitchen table this year.”

Read this New York Times article

Be on the look-out for more conservative and centrist Dems calling for Chakrabarti’s head. But you know what? If Ocasio-Cortez is worth her progressive soul, and I believe she is not the usual politico, she will not throw staff under the bus of the mainstream Dems. These folks are here to change the culture and mission of Washington, D.C. They don’t f**k around. Will history absolve the “Squad,” as Dowd calls them? Well, for now they will hang together…or be hung together. Stay tuned, it is an exciting time to be involved in electoral politics.

Our Work
This attack on elected members of Congress is a new Trumpian low and it should be called out for what it is: the deplorable declarations of a racist. He must be rejected at every level of our government. It used to be “the buck stops” with a President, every President. Now, the “buck” must stop with the American electorate. The followers must now lead, it’s time. We must spurn the vile hate speech and actions that emanate from this, the whitest of White Houses. The only mechanism to confront and defeat speech that you do not like is more speech. Speak up and speak out early and often and use your voice, and your vote, for change.

“It’s important to note that the President’s words Sunday, telling four American Congresswomen of color “go back to your own country,” is hallmark language of white supremacists. Trump feels comfortable leading the GOP into outright racism, and that should concern all Americans.” (July 15)

(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, and was on the Santa Cruz City Councilmember from 1998-2002. Krohn was Mayor in 2001-2002. He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 14 years. He was elected the the city council again in November of 2016, after his kids went off to college. His current term ends in 2020. Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com

EAGAN’S  SUBCONSCIOUS  COMICS. A genuine classic from the Eagan Archive. Scroll just a bit downward.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. Throwback Thursday with a Deep Cover from 2014. As always, at TimEagan.com you will find his most recent  Deep Cover, the latest installment from the archives of Subconscious Comics, and the ever entertaining Eaganblog. 

MUNCHING WITH MOZART. Every third Thursday of almost every month there is a free concert held in the upstairs meeting room of the threatened downtown Santa Cruz Public Library. This month the theme is “Poulenc’s Last Sonatas”and it happens Thursday, July 18, 2019…12:10 – 12:50. Musicians will be Kathleen Purcell, flute Carol Panofsky, oboe & Marina Thomas on piano. The program contains… Sonata (1962) a la memoire de Serge Prokofieff Francis Poulenc (1899-1962) from Sept Gnossiennes Erik Satie (1866-1925) and Sonata (1957) a la memoire de Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Francis Poulenc (1899-1962).

Remember…it’s free and at the Santa Cruz Library, Thursday July 18, 12:10-1:00 Central Branch Meeting Room upstairs

LISA JENSEN LINKS. “Will Shakespeare meets Jane Austen as Santa Cruz Shakespeare launches its summer season with a crowd-pleasing production of Pride And Prejudice, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ). Also, let me count the ways I’m still missing my Art Boy, and read my review in this week’s Good Times to find out why the country music melodrama Wild Rose doesn’t quite sing.” 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 archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. . John Sears and Sue Powell return on July 16 to update us on the devastating proposed development of the Garfield Park Errett Church Circle and the threat to the community. Then Ellen Primack exec. dir of the Cabrillo Festival of Music will discuss this year’s program which runs  July 28-Aug.11. Rick Longinotti and Bruce Van Allen members of Campaign for Sustainable Transportation give details on their current lawsuit on July 23. OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… https://www.radiofreeamerica.com/schedule/kzsc   You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens. 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

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, 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. “WHALES”

“Whales are killed today to supply the limited demand for whale meat or to be used in pet foods or as fodder for fur-bearing animals used in the fur trade”. Paul Watson
“Size isn’t everything. The whale is endangered, while the ant continues to do just fine”.
William E Bill Vaughan
“Consider the subtleness of the sea; how its most dreaded creatures glide under water, unapparent for the most part, and treacherously hidden beneath the loveliest tints of azure.” Herman Melville, Moby-Dick, or, the Whale

RAIL PLUS TRAILS IN DAVENPORT. 1948. The exact date on this was April 25, 1948. Trains were enjoyed and used daily. There’ll come a day…                                                       photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

DATELINE July 8

SAVE THE MERRIMAN HOUSE. Hopefully you read Becky Steinbruner’s plea here last week to save the Historic and valuable Merriman House. Becky wrote…” There is a large development planned for that spot at 1438 Capitola Road, (near the Live Oak Super market) and Mid Peninsula Housing wants to bulldoze the historic house where Robert Merriman spent part of his life. Robert Merriman became a significant volunteer to fight fascism in the Spanish Civil War, and was the role model for Ernest Hemingway’s protagonist Robert Jordan in “For Whom the Bell Tolls”. 

She talked to and used some of Joe Michalak’s historical wisdom. Joe is chair of the Historic Preservation Commission. Joe, being concerned, wrote to me (wanting to clarify some points) saying…  

“I read Bratton Online (July 1)  regarding Becky Steinbruner’s commentary on the Merriman house discussion at the July 1, County, Historic Resources Commission (HRC) meeting. I want to clarify that while I am a member of the City of Santa Cruz, Historic Preservation Commission, I never represented myself as such. I was asked by the Chair of the HRC to address the commission and my comments were given as a county resident, and stated as such for the record. The City of Santa Cruz, Historic Preservation Commission has no jurisdiction since the Merriman house is located about a mile beyond the city limits. The County Redevelopment Agency purchased the property in 1994. It is currently vacant.

My comments were the result of research that Judith Steen and I did in 2017 that were presented to the HRC in January 2018. Our comments were in response to an inaccurate and incomplete evaluation of the property prepared in 2004. 

John Kenneth Galbraith, classmate of Merriman’s at Berkeley, and later Harvard professor of economics, adviser to President John Kennedy, and U.S. Ambassador to India, commented that Merriman was, “the first hero of World War II.” Robert Hale Merriman, a 1925 graduate of Santa Cruz High School lived at 1438 Capitola Road from 1923 through 1928. He left the area in 1928 to attend college at the University of Nevada, Reno, graduating in 1932. That same year he became a graduate student at UC Berkeley studying economics. He often visited his friends in Santa Cruz while attending the university. In 1935 he received a fellowship to study agricultural economics in the Soviet Union. When civil war broke out in Spain in late 1936, Merriman seized the opportunity to join the anti-fascist International Brigades fighting to restore the democratically elected republic. With his college R. O. T. C. training, he quickly rose to command the volunteer Abraham Lincoln Battalion. While recuperating from war injuries in Madrid in 1937, he met with Ernest Hemingway, who was covering the war as a journalist. Hemingway was so impressed by Merriman that he later immortalized him as the fictionalized, heroic Robert Jordan, in his novel For Whom The Bell Tolls. Local, national, and international newspapers would later report on Merriman’s capture and death in April 1938. 

As a young man, the late Senator John McCain became mesmerized by the heroic character of Robert Jordan. At the end of McCain’s life, he remarked that Jordan was his lodestone.  “Jordan was his hero when he was young and his hero today. Nothing is better than the story of someone who sacrifices for causes greater then themselves and Robert Jordan was that.”

I think the Merriman house should be preserved as there is no other building associated with Merriman that is being considered for preservation in the United States at this time. The apartment building in Berkeley is not designated as a historic site and thus it has no protection and none is being considered. The proposed mural as mitigation is insufficient and impermanent. The late California historian Kevin Starr wrote, “Like his fictional counterpart [Robert Jordan], Robert Hale Merriman lost his life to fascism on the field of battle. Because he was so +must be given the first position in any roll call of Californians in battle against the ultra-Right.”

I recommend that people send an email to John Leopold, Supervisor, 1st District: john.leopold@santacruzcounty.us Indicate that comments should be part of the administrative record for CEQA purposes. Comments submitted after the CEQA review process begins won’t be considered. However, when the CEQA review is scheduled to begin is the great unknown, so any comments should be sent immediately. The Merriman house served as the Live Oak Family Resource Center for many years before the current project was proposed.

OCTAGON LOOKS TERRIBLE. The weather and my schedules have been lousy so I haven’t been able to maintain my almost weekly vigil/outpost for quite some time. Howsoever, my stop there a week ago was really depressing. Plaster or stucco or whatever cheap crap the county covered the front of the Octagon with has fallen or chipped off nearly everywhere they painted it. Doesn’t it seem like Nina Simon or Simon Sibley should be responsible for the upkeep to one of few remaining historical landmarks?  Do note too that the entire Abbott Square property is County Property…not the City of Santa Cruz’s. So I’m guessing that makes it all Supervisor Ryan Coonerty’s responsibility.  Then after completely destroying any and all traces of our unique and octagonal County Hall of Records a Roux Dat Cajun restaurant is slated to open in the Octagon sometime. It’s been years in the making. Roux Dat was going to open in front of Bookshop Santa Cruz but now it’s planning on the Octagon and continuing to operate next to Trader Joe’s in Capitola.  It’ll probably serve the same quick food.

July 8.

SUMMERTIME, AND THE LIVING IS EASY?
In the old days, certain Lefties would go somewhere, perhaps clandestinely, during their summer vacation to “pick up orders from Moscow” and proceed accordingly. Now with Putin in bed with his own 45 caliber brand of a President, and other pro-Trump authoritarian-friends like Duterte, Orban, and Kim gaining political ground each day, all self-respecting lefties had to go to the Heartland this year to receive “marching orders.” Chicago, Illinois was the place to be for those who fancy themselves to be “agents of social change” in 2019. The politics were hot, but the heat in City with Broad Shoulders was even hotter.

“Community Accountability is a process in which a community–group, friends, family, organization, workplace…

In Chicago last week more than 1700 registered for Socialism2019

Socialism 2019
It was quite a leftward intellectual and political social space(s) created within the bowels of one of capitalism’s mighty temples, the Chicago Hyatt Regency. How ironic. I was expecting maybe four or five hundred socialist souls to be out looking for any kind of relief in the dystopic unreality of the Trump presidency. The announced gathering, over 1700 conference-goers, blew everyone away. Socialism, Democratic Socialism, the DSA (especially in Santa Cruz),along with Bernie, AOC, and the “Chicago City Council 6,” although still finding its way in a free-for-all DNC-less world, it is still quite the uphill climb. But what is it about that “arc of justice” Dr. King spoke of? It is bending. With the election of the great socialist-progressive-feminine Firepower Four to Congress–Alexandria Octavio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ayanna Pressley, and Ilhan Omar–it is clear that a shared vision of sharing is still on the minds of many. Could a new political dawn be at hand? If judged by the usually cynical and psyched-out socialist mob attending this conference, the answer is a cautious, yes!

“…work together to commit to ongoing development of all members of the community, for the community itself, to transform the political conditions that reinforce oppression and violence.”

The Journey
What drew me to “Socialism 2019?” I’ve been following Bernie Sanders since he was mayor of Burlington, and Mike Rotkin at the same time was the self-identified “socialist-feminist” mayor of the People’s Republic of Santa Cruz. Municipal issues looked hopeful back then, around 1981. But Bernie himself was nowhere to be seen during these sultry–91 degrees and 100% humidity when the conference opened–politically-charged days of organizing haze (rage?). What took place here was four days of information exchange, facilitated conversations sometimes among groups of as many as 250, and shared visions of a more just political and economic way forward.

Provide safety and support to community members harmed that respects their self-determination and create and affirm values and practices that resist abuse and oppression and encourage safety, support and accountability. (This statement was developed by the “Women of Color Against Violence” group at the Socialism 2019 conference)

The Presenters
Several journalists of lefty note offered impassioned analyses of a Trumpian and post-Trumpian world. Amy Goodman, Naomi Klein, and David Barsamian all drew huge crowds. But what really raised the roof was Friday night’s announced center stage presentation of the six newly minted socialist Chicago city councilmembers. Yes, there are SIX. Okay, out of 50 city councilmembers, but there are six, and they’ve already been having an effect in reshaping the former Daley and Daley Jr. political machine of the Windy City. Also present were writers like Bhaskar Sunkara (The Socialist Manifesto) and super-intellect, David Harvey. They both easily filled large rooms filled to the brim with both the thoughtful and the wild-eyed. And in case you might think Socialists do not have any interest in sports, columnist and pod-caster Dave Zirin was present to discuss what must be a burning question for many, “What Would Sports Look Like in a Socialist World?”

Do not be deceived that the rich will allow us to vote away their money.
–Lucy Parsons, labor organizer (1853-1942)

Three of the six Chicago socialist city councilmembers Rossana Rodriguez (ward 35), Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (ward 33), Jesse Sharkey is President of the Chicago Teacher’s Union, and Jeanette Taylor (ward 20)

The Chicago 6 (Socialist Councilmembers)
Rossana Rodriguez and Carlos Ramirez-Rosa were elected to the Chicago city council running as self-proclaimed Socialists. They offered a wide-ranging, but intimate portrait of Chicago politics during a 2-hour give-and-take with over 100 conference attendees. What struck this Santa Cruz councilmember was their focus on tenants, migrants, and standing up to market-rate developers who are displacing residents by charging sky-rocket rents. Sound familiar? Ramirez-Rosa, the first openly gay man on the Chicago council was just reelected while Puerto Rican-born Ramirez won by fewer than 50 votes. Each Alder-person represents between 50,000-60,000 residents. Along with their four other comrades they’re choosing to focus not on serving downtown corporations, bankers, and for-profit developers like their predecessors, but instead  they’ve set their sights on 1) community-driven planning complete with town hall meeting “oversight,” 2) they’re demanding “CBAs” (Community Benefit Agreements, that is, extracting public benefits from developers) before approving developments, and 3) directing the $1.3 million each Alder-person receives to the economically depressed areas of their wards. They’ve already focused some of that money towards supporting tenants in court; organized a “deportation response network;” and opened city hall to all community groups seeking meeting space. In addition, their offices have sponsored “participatory budget” hearings, and civil disobedience trainings for those community members wishing to confront ICE.

Power of Green New Deal
The 4-day conference ended in the main Ballroom with over 700 in attendance. They came to listen to a conversation between Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor. Both are writers and film-makers. Canadian-born Klein focuses her energy on critiquing climate change and alerting people about the “eleven years we have left” to address the warming of planet earth. She not only interviews and critiques what climate change scientists say, but the claims of climate change deniers as well. Her book, This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate, was a New York Times bestseller. Taylor’s busy too. Her recent documentary film, What is Democracy? and a book, Democracy May Not Exist, But We’ll Miss It When It’s Gone have both become important in the climate change and climate “barbarism” debate. Klein said FDR’s New Deal “was a way to rescue capitalism,” but the Green New Deal is out to rescue the planet. While Klein discussed the concept of “climate apartheid” with respect to the absence of federal help in aftermath of New Orleans flooding and the hurricane in Puerto Rico, Taylor addressed the questions of people wanting “to change without changing.” Can we “live the same life [style] and just sub out fossil fuels for renewables?” The answer to both questions was, probably not. Later the conversation turned to the children, and adults, locked up in ICE detention centers along the US border. Throughout these four days’ conversations often turned to the deplorable situation at ICE detention camps. What can we do? Both Klein and Taylor agreed on a “freedom of movement” and “freedom to stay” policies. In other words, Taylor said she’d support a “right to stay” policy as earnestly as a “right to move” program. In the final moments of the conference, Klein the activist pleaded with the large group, “None of us have the luxury of sitting back and critiquing (any longer). We are all in this together. Build a big tent? The (earth’s) atmosphere is our big tent…the more truth we tell, the harder it will be to change the subject.”

“It was 115 degrees Fahrenheit in France last week – the highest temperature they have ever recorded. Still think climate change is a hoax, @realDonaldTrump? You are delusional.” (July 5)

(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, and was on the Santa Cruz City Councilmember from 1998-2002. Krohn was Mayor in 2001-2002. He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 14 years. He was elected the the city council again in November of 2016, after his kids went off to college. His current term ends in 2020. Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com

July 6

#187 / World Leaders Pictured Below 

The Guardian has published an article that is nothing more than a discussion between Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Greta Thunberg. If you don’t know who these women are, you should definitely click those links. Even more, you should read that article. The article is about global warming, and here’s the theme: 

Hope is contagious!

Gary Patton is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney for individuals and community groups on land use and environmental issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. You can read and subscribe to his daily blog at www.gapatton.net Email Gary at gapatton@mac.com

EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. The weekly rear view of those driving forces…we hope!! See downwards a bit.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s ” U.S. Border Patrol” ” down a few pages. As always, at TimEagan.com you will find his most recent  Deep Cover, the latest installment from the archives of Subconscious Comics, and the ever entertaining Eaganblog. 

BOOMERIA, CATACOMBS AND ORGANS. 
Boomeria returns! Santa Cruz Baroque Festival’s yearly celebration of music, science, food and fun will take place Saturday July 13, from 1-5 pm. The Kingdom of Boomeria is a monument to physics and whimsy located in the redwood forest of Bonny Doon, and a treasure of our region. Containing a multitude of delights for all ages, it has been built and maintained by San Lorenzo Valley High science teacher Preston Boomer, AKA “Boom”, whose delight in aesthetics, physics, and fun is evident around every corner. A centerpiece of the festivities is the magnificent Baroque-style tracker organ built into a charming chapel. Santa Cruz Baroque Festival favorites Vlada Moran, William Visscher and others will perform on this unique instrument. Interested visitors will be invited to observe the workings of the organ, peering below the surfaceto see how its manuals and bellows work to create its glorious sound. A few brave individuals may be allowed to play after the official program. 

Tickets available at scbaroque.org .

MUSICAL SAW FESTIVAL. Festival of the Saws was started Sept. 1, 1978. Marghe McMahon, the young woman/student who created the statue of Tom Scribner, did most of the organizing. The International Musical Sawplayers Association established their website in 1994. They publish the sawplayer’s newsletter and also present the annual “Saw Player’s Picnic and Music Festival” on the 2nd full weekend in August, with a Saturday afternoon jam in Santa Cruz and the evening potluck/jam as well as the Sunday festival at Roaring Camp in Felton, California

Here are the details:

42nd Annual Saw Festival August 10-11, 2019

August 10, 2019

2:00 pm Open jam at the Scribner Statue, 1520 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
6:30 pm Potluck and jam at Roaring Camp outer parking lot in Felton, CA.

August 11, 2018

10:00 am – 5:00 pm Festival and contest at Roaring Camp in Felton, CA.
11:00 am Musical Saw Contest on the Main Stage.

The 42nd annual Saw Contest, the longest running saw contest in the world, will crown our 2019 champion.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: ” Sorry, folks, but I have nothing to declare this week. I opted for some down time before the launch of the new Santa Cruz Shakespeare season (opening with Pride and Prejudice on Friday) and next week’s new movies. But I’ll be back on the beat next 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 archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. July 9 has Ken Koenig and Maryanne Campbell   talking about Santa Cruz Indivisible’s 7/12 rally “Lights for Liberty”. Then activist John Aird deals with UCSC, water, population, rent and other issues. John Sears returns on July 16 to update us on the devastating proposed development of the Garfield Park Errett Church Circle and the threat to the community. OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… https://www.radiofreeamerica.com/schedule/kzsc   You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens. 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 

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, 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. “Heroes”
“I think of a hero as someone who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with his freedom”.   Bob Dylan
“What has violence ever accomplished? What has it ever created? No martyr’s cause has ever been stilled by an assassin’s bullet. No wrongs have ever been righted by riots and civil disorders. A sniper is only a coward, not a hero; and an uncontrolled or uncontrollable mob is only the voice of madness, not the voice of the people”. Robert Kennedy 
 “Luck is everything… My good luck in life was to be a really frightened person. I’m fortunate to be a coward, to have a low threshold of fear, because a hero couldn’t make a good suspense film”.  Alfred Hitchcock   

SANTA CRUZ FOURTH OF JULY PARADE 1927.For quite a few years some folks believed that this was a photo of the Ku Klux Klan marching in our town parade. The KKK did march in one of our parades and then hightailed it back to San Jose but not this one. We don’t have nearly as many public or city sponsered  events as we didin the good old days. Fear of crowds, I guess. Has it ever dawned on you like it has on me that nowadays the police are as afraid of us as we are of them?  photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

DATELINE July 1

SAVE THE CIRCLE AND THE CHURCH. Neighbors far and wide are getting it together in many new ways. They are trying to prevent the bucks up wanna be developers who call themselves The Circle of Friends llc. These money grabbing people bought the property for $3.3 million dollars and plan on tearing down the historic Errett Circle Community church. They plan on dividing the circle into pie shaped lots to build their huge houses.

The latest newsletter from the concerned neighbors group calling themselves Friends Of The Circles tell us that they now have more than 852 signatures and will get together and plan on a website, develop financial plans and add to their social organizing. Reach them and join them at FriendsoftheCircles@gmail.com .

To read their entire newsletter, go here. 

Never missing a chance to preserve our local history and community  Historic Preservation Commissioner and historian Ross Gibson has written a 59 page “Neighborhood Context Statement” all centered on Errett Circle. The would be developers state that they are starting weekly information meetings. The word “information” should be changed to sales-promotion meetings.

July 1st 

NEWID TEULU CYMRU WALES FAMILY REUNION

Rees Family plus Mayor and other dignitaries

Presentation to Mayor of Caernarfon of a painting of Lionel Rees VC

The Rees family home within the castle walls

Caernarfon Castle, built by King Edward 1 in the 13th century to oppress and conquer the Welsh, was the site of a far more pleasant piece of history on June 21st. 2019.  

At the direction of the Royal Air Force, an RAF BAe 146 aircraft of Number 32 Squadron, was to be named after Group Captain Lionel Brabazon Rees VC, the first fighter pilot in World War 1, awarded the Victoria Cross in 1916 for bravery under fire, born and raised in Caernarfon in a 3-story stone house that still stands within the castle walls and who in 1932 sailed single-handedly in a 32 foot ketch to the Bahamas, where he eventually settled, married and had 3 children. Lionel was my great uncle and his children, my cousins, whom I had never met until this trip of a lifetime, made possible by the Royal Air Force and Welsh historian, Alister Williams.

Racism plays a central theme in the story. Lionel was undoubtedly shunned by other members of the Rees family, including my own, for marrying a black Bahamian woman. Growing up in Australia, I never heard my family speak of Lionel, despite his many honors and achievements. I previously wrote about the 2006 trip to Nassau in a single-engine Cessna my son and I made on a whim, to locate and pay our respects at Lionel’s gravesite, after reading Alister William’s book on Lionel, Against The Odds. We failed to locate any family members while in the Bahamas so were full of excitement with a touch of nervousness as we approached the Caernarfon museum where an exhibit commemorating Lionel’s life was on display. Three generations of the Rees family, fourteen in all attended. Hugs quickly erased any formalities and we found ourselves chatting like old friends.

The naming of an RAF aircraft for an individual is a rare honor. The last one was in 1968 so for this event, especially for a Caernarfon boy, the town was alive with anticipation. As I remarked on the natural beauty I was seeing across the straits to Anglesey from the top of the ancient Welsh Yacht Club, a local man explained that the view had not changed in a hundred years; in other words, no modern development. There had been attempts at development but they were stopped. So much for “change is inevitable.”  

The day of the naming of the plane dawned with blue skies and sunshine, a somewhat rare event for northern Wales. Also rare is my getting spiffed up for a formal event. A hat seemed in order so what luck to find a fascinator in a thrift shop in Caernarfon, even if I was the only Rees to wear one! The event was very moving, held in a hangar at the RAF base in Anglesey, across the Menai Straits from Caernarfon. Bilingual in Welsh and English, attended by the Mayor of Caernarfon and Group Commander of the Number 32 Squadron RAF (who happens to be a + woman) and other dignitaries. We were the guests of honor, and honored we felt. 

The second part of the day’s events included a fly-over in Caernarfon of the now newly named plane plus the telling of the story of Lionel’s life and extraordinary bravery. Then a short walk to visit the family home, which has been preserved and which now houses government offices. A singular feeling to be within the walls of the house where my great, great grandfather, James Rees lived, a successful publisher of an English and then a Welsh language newspaper and as I learned, quite a radical of his time, who twice served as Mayor of Caernarfon. 

Growing up with no extended family, no cousins, I feel blessed to connect at long last. To confront the divisive racism of the past and bring the family full circle into a loving wholeness suggests that, “people make history, though not under circumstances of their own choosing,” as another radical has written.  

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.

July 1

“THE CITY GOES DARK IN JULY”
I remember when I first heard that phrase. It was just an off-the-cuff response to a question I posed about a planned neighborhood meeting and what we might do to prepare for it. No, I can’t do that before August, she said, because, you know, the city goes dark in July. I am still mildly stunned that such a phrase is employed inside of city hall. The city going “dark” presumably means that the city council will have no scheduled meetings during the month. It is perhaps a welcome respite too for both city staff and councilmembers. A time to catch up on all those unread emails and consultant reports; maybe brush up on the city’s General Plan, re-read the Brown Act and the Parks Master Plan, and plan to go to a conference or two to see how other cities do it. But believe me, the city will not be dark my friends. There is plenty to do and it is likely the job of the council to light a few candles too.

Last Council Meeting
There were some really fine discussions and votes at the June 25th Santa Cruz City Council meeting. One was a presentation by students from our Italian seaside sister city, Sestri Levante, which I visited several years ago. This city of 20,000 is 35 miles from Genoa. It’s balmier than Santa Cruz, the buildings stand closer to each other, and it crowds around the Mediterranean like a small municipal castle. Small boats dot the harbor and many aged,taller broad-shouldered structures have been built, unlike Santa Cruz, right up to edge of its narrow beach. But like Santa Cruz, the weather and mellow inhabitants make it relaxing and a fun place to be. Then, there was the “Small Cell Wireless Facilities” discussion in which the city council verbally pushed back on the wireless industry, but felt there was little we could do in the policy arena. We will enforce the 1500-foot separation between “facilities,” but it still will cost a member of the public $645 to appeal any of these antennas. This issue is fraught with great local, regional, and national implications. It is being fought out in Congress and will hopefully be revisited soon by the city council. There was unanimous support for better pay and working conditions for Janus of Santa Cruz workers as they move forward in their contract negotiations. They work in difficult conditions (no restroom for employees, for example) and many are paid abysmal wages. Some Janus staff are paid less than $14 an hour to counsel, console, and assist the most vulnerable members of our community, many who are dealing with drug and alcohol addiction and while others are experiencing mental health crisis’. These employees recently organized to join the National Union of Healthcare Workers We as a community can do better by these workers. The city council stands behind the Janus workers. The tenant community of Santa Cruz was again supported by a majority of councilmembers in passing the Recommendations for Data Collection Related to Rental Housing resolution. City staff received direction from Council and will now go out and collect data related to housing such as amount rent paid, rent increases, numbers of tenants and landlords, number of actual rental properties in the city, and maybe we can even get an estimate of the number of students living off the hill and inside of the city. Good luck, it seems like an exhausting and tedious task, but one that may yield valuable results as we continue to move on in our local brave new world of an SF Mime Troupe earlier production called, City for Sale. (By the way, mark your calendars because the Mime Troupe is coming to Santa Cruz on September 7 and 8 and will perform on the San Lorenzo Park benchlands. This year’s show is called, Treasure Island, and is written by Michael Gene Sullivan.)

Response to Homelessness
The evening session was dedicated to city council’s response to homelessness, aka another “task force,” and this one on top of the 2000 task force findings and the 2015 city council subcommittee work, not to mention the Housing Blueprint subcommittee’s report because after all, it is really all about the extreme cost of housing in Santa Cruz. All those results and recommendations are available and many have yet to be implemented. Do we need another task force? Maybe. Do we need to get up our courage and implement the findings and past recommendations of other taskforces? Yes. The stars are now aligned: the city and county have a grand opportunity to work together, to forge a real partnership, in addressing our historic houseless issues. Why? The state already sent over $10 million this past year to address the homelessness, mental health, and the addiction crisis. And guess what? Gov. Gavin Newsome just approved at least that much more for next year. So, this nine-member taskforce has its work cut out, not necessarily in bringing more recommendations, but in trying to compel and convince city council and city staff of the necessity and profound crisis we must address. Go taskforce, go! There was an unusual rub within the selection process of the current taskforce. There are currently zero homeless people directly involved in designing and carrying out a work plan for the taskforce. A long-ish discussion ensued on the council concerning this omission. Direction was finally given to the taskforce to appoint two people who are currently experiencing homelessness, but only if you want to. Three members of the city council said it was imperative to place houseless folks on the committee at the very beginning. The final vote was 4-3, the maybes won that one, but I think the taskforce will get it, and immediately appoint two more members from the homeless community.

Addendum

Here are the Homeless Taskforce 2000 recommendations still waiting to be implemented. Also, note below the members of that long-ago taskforce. Recognize any names? As you read the recommendations I ask you to consider, what has changed in 20 years?

The charge of the taskforce was:

The Homeless Issues Task Force was formed by the City Council to study homeless issues and to develop recommendations to ameliorate the conditions and conflicts relating to the homeless. Generally, our charge has been described in these terms: 

1. 1)  the development of permanent year-round shelter for all segments of the homeless community; and
2. 2) opportunities for improving currently provided services; and
3. 3) the rights and responsibilities of homeless persons.

Interim Recommendations of the Task Force 

• Shelter, housing and places to sleep 
  • We recommend that the Council acknowledge that camping and vehicular sleeping will not stop because of laws. We suggest that the City move to an approach that regulates camping and vehicular sleeping, while minimizing negative impacts. Some examples of this approach include development of programs for expanding vehicular sleeping, including: 
    • Creation of a modest, staffed program to match vehicular sleepers with legal locations in church and business parking lots.
    • Selection of legal parking areas on public streets or parking lots away from residences for overnight parking.
    • Creation of a system of permits for sleeping in vehicles which is simple, free for those in need and avoids labeling anyone homeless.
    • Extension of the 3-day time limit for sleeping in a vehicle parked in a driveway with permission from the permanent residents there.
    • Creation of a conventionally managed public campground in the City of Santa Cruz which would exist for both tourist and homeless campers. Revenue from tourists would help to allow subsidy of very low-income campers.
    • We recommend that the City work toward year-round availability of the Armory with zero or low rent, recognizing that Armory-style emergency shelter has many limitations. This would begin with an emphasis on working at the state level to make it possible to use the armory year-round.
    • We suggest that the City work toward creation of a shelter for families with children. 
    • We recommend that the City work toward creation of an additional shelter site for the ISSP program that would be available 24-hours a day, 365 days a year, to be used flexibly by the program to meet special needs not currently met by church and Armory sites.
    • We recommend that the City help create a home-matching program for homeless families and households willing to accommodate them.
• Substance abuse treatment?
  • We recommend that the City, with other entities, work to develop a new residential substance abuse treatment facility geared specifically to meet the needs of homeless persons with a history of chronic substance abuse. The recent loss of two long-time homeless residents due to the effects of substance abuse, one of whom had been seeking treatment in vain in the last days of his life, underline the desperate need for these services. The task force will be providing information on models, potential funding sources, and potential collaboration partners, and also recommendations on the preferred features of such a treatment program.
  • We recommend that the City work to expand opportunities for treatment with a goal of treatment on demand, so that “windows of opportunity” are not lost.
  • We recommend that the City work to provide a small “safe haven” drop-in shelter for those not able to enter more structured shelter programs, with tolerance for active substance users. This project would include explicit outreach to high-risk individuals.Supportive Services 
  • We recommend that the City help create an independent “ombudsperson” position for homeless people to receive, document and assist with complaints related to homeless services (both agencies and governmental). The person in this position would also refer homeless people to appropriate services and/or agencies and document service shortages when there is no referral available.
  • We recommend that the City help create a homeless persons day labor program located at the Coral Street site.
  • We recommend that the City help assist in the creation of a small job training and employment enterprise for homeless people. 
• Legal and Law Enforcement Issues 
  • We recommend that the City work with other jurisdictions to reconcile differences between the Camping Ordinance provision related to community service for violations and existing Court practices. These differences preclude violators from performing community service for camping violations. 
  • We wish to inform the City of our successful involvement in upgrading the hourly calculations used by the court referral program, Community Options, from five to seven dollars per hour. 
  • We recommend that the Police Department make an effort to eliminate the appearance of selective enforcement of the “downtown ordinances” and other ordinances which are often enforced against persons who appear to be homeless but not enforced against people who appear to be well-dressed and affluent. 
  • We recommend the Police Department adopt a consistent policy of not citing or arresting people for typically homeless-related violations when they approach the police to report violent crimes. 
  • We recommend that the Police Department adopt a method of gathering specific data and tracking of crimes against homeless people. 
  • We recommend revision of laws which prohibit scavenging of recyclables since this is often a source of income for homeless individuals. 

Finally, we would like to note the enormous magnitude of issues contained in the assignment given to the task force. There is no way a group such as this can do justice to the assignment in a six-month period, with part-time staffing. We respectfully request that the City Council consider extending the life of this task force and creating a permanent advisory body dedicated to the hardest issues. 

Respectfully submitted by: 

Linda Lemaster, Nancy Anecito, Sherry Conable, Lucy Kemnitzer, Don Lane, Ken Cole, Paul Brindel, Peter Eberle, Thomas Leavitt, Tom Nedelsky, Timote Peterson, Christine Sippl, Marilyn Weaver, Mel Nunez, Laura Tucker

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (on her visit to the migrant detention camps along the US-Mexico border) “9,500 CBP officers sharing memes about dead migrants and discussing violence and sexual misconduct towards members of Congress. How on earth can CBP’s culture be trusted to care for refugees humanely? PS I have no plans to change my itinerary & will visit the CBP station today.” (July 1) note: CPB is Customs Border Protection.

(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, and was on the Santa Cruz City Councilmember from 1998-2002. Krohn was Mayor in 2001-2002. He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 14 years. He was elected the the city council again in November of 2016, after his kids went off to college. His current term ends in 2020. Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com

EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. More inside peeks that keep us exactly who we are. Scroll lower down.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “Trumps’ Type” down a few pages. As always, at TimEagan.com you will find his most recent  Deep Cover, the latest installment from the archives of Subconscious Comics, and the ever entertaining Eaganblog. 

BOOMERIA, CATACOMBS AND ORGANS. 
Boomeria returns! Santa Cruz Baroque Festival’s yearly celebration of music, science, food and fun will take place Saturday July 13, from 1-5 pm. The Kingdom of Boomeria is a monument to physics and whimsy located in the redwood forest of Bonny Doon, and a treasure of our region. Containing a multitude of delights for all ages, it has been built and maintained by San Lorenzo Valley High science teacher Preston Boomer, AKA “Boom”, whose delight in aesthetics, physics, and fun is evident around every corner. A centerpiece of the festivities is the magnificent Baroque-style tracker organ built into a charming chapel. Santa Cruz Baroque Festival favorites Vlada Moran, William Visscher and others will perform on this unique instrument. Interested visitors will be invited to observe the workings of the organ, peering below the surfacet o see how its manuals and bellows work to create its glorious sound. A few brave individuals may be allowed to play after the official program. 

Tickets available at scbaroque.org.

MUSICAL SAW FESTIVAL. Festival of the Saws was started Sept. 1, 1978. Marghe McMahon, the young woman/student who created the statue of Tom Scribner, did most of the organizing. The International Musical Sawplayers Association established their website in 1994. They publish the sawplayer’s newsletter and also present the annual “Saw Player’s Picnic and Music Festival” on the 2nd full weekend in August, with a Saturday afternoon jam in Santa Cruz and the evening potluck/jam as well as the Sunday festival at Roaring Camp in Felton, California

Here are the details:

42nd Annual Saw Festival August 10-11, 2019

August 10, 2019

2:00 pm Open jam at the Scribner Statue, 1520 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
6:30 pm Potluck and jam at Roaring Camp outer parking lot in Felton, CA.

August 11, 2018

10:00 am – 5:00 pm Festival and contest at Roaring Camp in Felton, CA.
11:00 am Musical Saw Contest on the Main Stage.

The 42nd annual Saw Contest, the longest running saw contest in the world, will crown our 2019 champion.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “The ’60s are having a moment right now, at least, the music of the ’60s, with the Beatles-themed movie Yesterday and the Cabrillo Stage season opener, Beehive. Will your mind be blown? Find out 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 archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. Listen on July 2 when Laura Bishop exec dir. of the 418 Project discusses the proposed development on Front Street. She’s followed by Anita Webb who’ll cover the problems of that monstrosity being proposed by, and across from, the Dream Inn. July 9 has Ken Koenig and friend talking about Santa Cruz Indivisible’s 7/12 rally “Lights for Liberty”. OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… https://www.radiofreeamerica.com/schedule/kzsc   You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens. 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 

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, 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. “Fireworks”
“And she learned that you couldn’t stockpile anything that mattered, really. Feelings, people, songs, sex, fireworks: they existed only in time, and when it was over, so were they.” Garth Risk Hallberg, City on Fire 
“There should be fireworks at last, when a dream dies.”  Kirby Larson 
“One example of a solid but inexplicable fact, ruling all human affairs – your fireworks won’t go off while the crowd is around.”J. K. Jerome, Second Thoughts of an Idle Fellow 

PACIFIC AVENUE, SOUTH END.With a bit of squinting you can make out the original Santa Cruz City clock on the Odd Fellows hall,  Holy Cross Church and the Theraputic Bath  house. There are train tracks and horses and buggys…I have little or no clue to what year this was…you have any ideas?                                         photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

DATELINE June 24

GRAPEVINE GOSSIP. ABOUT COMMON ROOTS FARM. 
IF you listened to Universal Grapevine last Tuesday (6/18) you heard manager Philippe Habib talk about how developers Dave Curry and John Swift are trying to stop Common Roots Farm (formerly Coastonoa Commons) from building “a pocket neighborhood for disabled children”. Swift and Curry want to build 400 or more expensive houses near where Common Roots has just about all the approvals and plans to create five small houses for residents and visitors. Curry and Swift are trying to force Common Roots to pay for projects in their development that have no connection to the Common Roots project. Our City Planning Dept. has been making it even more difficult for Common Roots. It’s become very complex, very expensively legal. To get in touch with Common Roots go to their weekly Saturday farm stand and get the freshest handpicked produce possible. Go to their website at commonrootsfarm.org support them, they are very worthy of your time and love.

JUDGE ARIADNE J. SYMONS…CONCERNING STIPULATION FOR DISCIPLINE. How many times and how many “screw the law” scenes do we have to put up with before Ari Symonds is taken off her bench? Over and over we read and hear neighbors tell of her illegal and totally improper actions involving decisions that affect our lives? AND she’s running for re-appointment!!! So far only a few folks know about the link between her and Dan Coyro‘s photos. I almost forgot that she was born and raised in Canada. Lastly here’s from an article in Internet Defamation Blog  from this month’s issue…” The trial was assigned to Judge Ariadne Symons, who by her own admission was probably not the best choice for this case, confessing that she knew nothing about the internet and computers”. Time will tell I’m sure if her bench mates support her OR our community.

MARY KELLY JOKE DEPARTMENT. Mary has some secret way of keeping happier than lots of folks. She sent this….see if it works for you. Click here for a laugh or two.

June 24

Deadlines
Deadlines are tough, but we all have them in life and somehow, they have a way with getting you organized. The deadline for BrattonOnLine is Monday at noon. I strive to make it. I usually do, but sometimes it’s just not possible given the weekly stresses and duties of the triple life–city council, UCSC job, and family life. Some weeks, something’s gotta give. Of course, when I’m under more stress it is probably better to write to not only relieve stress, but to get information out before it languishes on page 14.3 of a staff report (where is the $115k coming from and is that only .25 FTE for that position?), or buried on the city’s web site (for example, all of the past city “strategic” plans and at least two previous homeless task force list of recommendations. What do they really mean?), or some causal remark made at a public meeting (like the city of Santa Cruz spends less than 1.5% of its General Fund budget on social services. Oh, really?). Well, almost didn’t make it this week.

Hidden Away
So, given that the city council had a Saturday “planning” session from 8a to 5:30a and I have a Public Safety Committee meeting today and a city council meeting starting at10:30a tomorrow, this week’s Report may be less than usual, but I’m a big fan of less often being more. Looking at this week’s agenda, I notice the Mayor has placed a “Public Employee Performance Evaluation” for the City Attorney (Tony Condotti) and City Manager (MartínBernal) on closed session for the June 25th city council meeting. The city calendar has been moved to the beginning of the agenda from its usual last agenda item on the afternoon position. It has yet to be set in stone how a councilmember gets an item on the council’s agenda. If you remember from past columns, when the mayor rejects a councilmember’s item, or when an issue is topical and pressing in the community (like homelessness, housing, or wages) councilmembers have an opportunity at this point during the meeting to decide on whether to place an item on the very next city council meeting agenda by garnering four votes to do so. For example, this is how item #35 “Recommendations for Data Collection Related to Rental Housing” made it on to this week’s agenda. It is simply an item to directing city staff to gather more information about the crazy SC rental market. This information was seen as critical in moving forward in addressing this ugly market, i.e. it’s an emergency.  Four members of the council voted to get this information sooner than later. But the issue here remains, why has the “calendar” item been unceremoniously moved to the beginning of the agenda? Perhaps councilmembers will forget to use it? (I’m not sure.) And finally, the only item on the evening agenda is “Response to Homelessness: Community Advisory Committee on Homelessness (CACH) Nominations and Work Plan.” I suspect, if you go back and look at the previous two homeless committees, one a task force and the other a council subcommittee, and look at their recommendations that were never implemented, but come back in implement them now because little has changed for the homeless and houseless, then we would not need a new committee. Just sayin’.

Work Done and Work on the Horizon
I’m going to play it safe and list what this council has accomplished over the past six months and then what work we have laid out before us. Make no mistake, there have been some big issues like rent control, homelessness, and worker salaries confronted, but still needing continuing attention. There are other issues that have been successful and have opened doors towards a new day in Surf City. Your votes have meant new ideas and actions on the city council.

Top Ten List of Accomplishments

1. Transportation
   • Free bus passes and Jump Bike credit for all workers in the Downtown
   • Held a special study session on transportation and parking
2. Homelessness
   • City staff commitment to establish campground at 1220 River Street & the purchase of a property for a 24/7 indoor homeless shelter and day-use center
   • Funding for additional toilets, refuse pickup, and staffing services
3. Tenant protection
   • Direction to staff to carry out a rental data collection information effort
   • Increased funding for tenant legal services
4. City Advisory Commission appointments on Planning, Parks, Downtown, Transportation and Public Works resulting in potentially opening up the city’s General Plan with questions related to over-development; sending the Parks Master Plan back for an EIR; and commission members supporting for more pedestrian and bicycle amenities
5. Approved a city worker contract (SEIU) with significant pay raise (not enough, but better)
6. The regular agenda “oral communication” was moved from a floating time and put back put back to its former time-certain at 7pm
7. Planning Commission meetings are now televised
8. City declared a “Climate Emergency,” and will place greater emphasis and care on the issues of the environment and our changing climate.
9. This city council did not cut the “Community Programs” budget, and found money in other places to avoid hurting the most vulnerable in this community.
10. Confronting UCSC growth. Partnered with SC County Board of Supervisors to hire a full-time person to work with UCSC, the state legislature, students, staff, faculty and the community to limit growth without first sending the requisite resources from the UC Regents to mitigate past growth.

What do we have left? Plenty.

• Resolve the question of “how to get something on the agenda?” Support the concept that any councilmember can place an item on the agenda and it must appear within a reasonable, council agreed upon, time period. 
• Change to threshold for staff bringing items to the council from the current $100,000 to $50,000. 
• Explore the creation of a police review board.
• Improve Environmental Review procedures and follow existing environmental guidelines.
• Explore the creation of both a Human Rights Commission and a Climate & Biodiversity Commission.
• Make Santa Cruz a “Fair Trade” city.
• Create policy that begins phasing out diesel and gasoline vehicles in favor of a city policy of only purchasing electric and hybrid ones. In addition, establish a policy in which the city council has to approve all gasoline or diesel vehicle purchases.
• Expedite and support the installation plan for electric plug-in stations across Santa Cruz.
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions to “net zero” for the entire city by 2030.
• Increase market-rate developer in-lieu fees to 33% as San Francisco has done.
• Revisit the General Plan in order to resolve the conflicts that exist pertaining to land use protection vs. development. 
• Review anew the Front Street, Corridors, and Golf Club Dr. plans.
• Explore how all new construction in the city can be carbon-neutral; this includes the use and purchasing of asphalt.
• The golf course in DeLaveaga Park must pay for itself through course fees by 2020.

Please let me know what I’ve left off this to-do list? ckrohn@cruzio.com

“-45% of college students report struggling with hunger  -56% report struggling with housing costs  -17% say they experienced homelessness  In the richest country in the history of the world, students shouldn’t have to starve to get an education.  And another bright light in congress, Primila Jayapal adds: “Tax payers bailed out Wall Street. They can help us #CancelStudentDebt. Proud to introduce #CollegeForAll with my colleagues today!”

(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, and was on the Santa Cruz City Councilmember from 1998-2002. Krohn was Mayor in 2001-2002. He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 14 years. He was elected the the city council again in November of 2016, after his kids went off to college. His current term ends in 2020. Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com

June 18
#169 / Green Imperialism

One might think that a publication supporting progressive policies would be delighted that a presidential candidate is demanding that the United States military start taking action to help reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are putting all life on the planet in harm’s way. That includes human life, too, just in case that might have escaped your notice.

Elizabeth Warren, sometimes called Elizabeth (“I have a plan for that”) Warren,  does have a plan for how the U.S. military can “help lead the fight against climate change.”

Truthdig calls Warren’s plan “Green Imperialism.” That strikes me as just a tad unfair.

I do think that the United States acts with an imperialistic hubris that assumes that the United States should be the last arbiter of what happens on Planet Earth. I would like to hope that the next President of the United
States might start redirecting current military efforts into more positive channels. Our country should start taking steps to eliminate expenditures on military activities aimed at destroying things, and redirect such expenditures into activities that would have a positive impact on the natural environment and on human beings. Current spending patterns are aimed at this: Spending billions to develop (and then use) weapons to kill and destroy is not what our country should be doing. I totally agree with Truthdig on that point.

BUT…. all of our national activities, whatever they are, should also be aimed at eliminating, or reducing to the greatest degree possible, contributions to the greenhouse gas emissions that have led to the global warming that imperils our future, and the future of all living things.

I am happy that Elizabeth Warren is making clear that she wants to do more than “say” the right things, and that she has some ideas about how to make concrete and specific changes that might actually reduce our greenhouse gas and global warming footprint.

Gary Patton is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney for individuals and community groups on land use and environmental issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. You can read and subscribe to his daily blog at www.gapatton.net Email Gary at gapatton@mac.com

EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. Go ‘subbing” with our favorite duo deep down inside….a few scrolls below.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s ” The Trump Flu ” down a few pages. As always, at TimEagan.com you will find his most recent  Deep Cover, the latest installment from the archives of Subconscious Comics, and the ever entertaining Eaganblog. Eaganblog contains another view of Joe Biden abilities.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Look out for the remarkably assured and absorbing The Last Black Man In San Francisco, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ). Directed by Joe Talbot from a story concocted with star Jimmie Fails, it’s an atmospheric meditation on home and identity in a rapidly-evolving city. Find out why they ate it up at Sundance!” 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 archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. June 25 has UCSC Math Professor Emeritus Ralph Abraham talking about his brand new and revised Hip Santa Cruz book, volume 1. Then Barry Scott from Rail AND Trail discusses how necessary it is to have both rail AND trail.

Listen on July 2 when Laura Bishop exec dir. of the 418 Project discusses development on Front Street. She’s followed by Anita Webb who’ll cover the problems of that monstrosity being proposed by the Dream Inn. OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… https://www.radiofreeamerica.com/schedule/kzsc   You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens. 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 

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, 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. “Railroads”
“I believe in Liberty for all men: the space to stretch their arms and their souls, the right to breathe and the right to vote, the freedom to choose their friends, enjoy the sunshine, and ride on the railroads, uncursed by color; thinking, dreaming, working as they will in a kingdom of beauty and love”. W. E. B. Du Bois
Top of Form
If we are indeed nostalgic for the weight of clock time, it is worth remembering that the standardized time that most of us know has only been around since the mid-nineteenth century. It was invented for the railroads“. Stacey D’Erasmo 
“Railway termini are our gates to the glorious and the unknown. Through them we pass out into adventure and sunshine, to them, alas! we return”.– E. M. Forster 
“The only way of catching a train I have ever discovered is to miss the train before”.
– Gilbert K. Chesterton 

CHICKEN VILLA. April 4, 1950. My feeble research only hints that this might be Doc’s and Monica’s Chicken Villa drive in.. Located at Front and Laurel, which would probably be where Walgreens is located today. I believe I still have the waitresses’ names someone sent me years ago…any help on this puzzle?                                                        photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

DATELINE June 17

DREAM INN PROJECT. The Dream Inn developers are gearing up with their supposed “community” meetings and quickly before we know it their plots and plans will be floated before the city council. The Save Santa Cruz Westside organization has kept on top of this threat to our city and sent out many important notices. I’m re-“printing” most of their latest one here…stay tuned, it’ll affect all of us for generations.

“It is imperative we express our concerns about this project: the massive size, the height (56′ including stairwells and decks), the increased traffic (cars, pedestrians and bicycles) to an already congested intersection, slower response time for emergency vehicles, excavation for a 2 story underground parking garage that might cause destabilization of cliffs, the addition of commercial/retail to an area currently zoned motel/residential, only 10 affordable condos out of 89, loss of viewshed and heritage trees, as well as increased noise and air pollution

Every one should be informed about 3 very important meetings that have been scheduled for the Dream Inn project (aka 190 West Cliff).

There is a Community Meeting (by the Dream Inn Developer) tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, July 10 at the Cruzio Building located at 877 Cedar St.. It is important to attend this meeting to see what changes the developers have made to the project and express our concerns with this massive development

The project is expected to go before the City of Santa Cruz Planning Commission on Thursday, August 15.  It could go forward to the Santa Cruz City Council 2-3 weeks later (possibly in early September).  

It is important to get as many people as possible to these meetings to show our opposition and express our concerns! Please help get the word out to the community! We will post updates on these critical meetings on our website:  savesantacruzwestside.org

For more information on the developers plans, google 190 West Cliff, City of Santa Cruz.

Thank you for your continuing efforts!

And especially, we must insist on a full EIR!  

There are many objections to holding this “community” meeting so far away from the community affected – it will pose great difficulty for our CVC elderly population to attend. If it’s in the same room at Cruzio as the 6-story project was held last year, it is far too small a room, and parking during the summer downtown will be a challenge – I’m sure part of the strategy.. 

We will be sending in a request – and hope others do too – to hold the meeting IN the neighborhood of the project (St Joseph’s church room, SCPD Community Room or Louden Nelson option, or Circles church room for example – assuming their Dream Inn conference rooms are not available) and that there be a Q&A format! We hope hundreds of Santa Cruzans and others can attend! Spread the word.

REMOVE HIGHWAY ONE PROJECTS FROM CITY BUDGET. Rick Longinotti from the Campaign for Sustainable transportation has some, not just good, but necessary city financial and environmental concepts. Read the campaign’s latest newsletter.

Reducing Traffic Injuries Begins with Santa Cruz City Council budget Tuesday, June 25th  
Action: Sign an email to City Council .
The City of Santa Cruz budget contains two big projects that would increase auto capacity and take us farther from our goal to reduce fossil fuel consumption:

• Replacing the four-lane Hwy 1 bridge over the San Lorenzo River with a seven-lane bridge.
• Expanding the intersection at Hwy 1 and River St.

The City Council can remove these projects from the budget at its next meeting on June 25.

There’s another important reason to remove these projects. The projects would undermine the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists on our streets in two ways:

1. Expanding intersections almost always results in making them more intimidating for bicyclists and pedestrians. The plans for Hwy 1/River St. call for unprotected bike lanes on River St. of the minimum legal width of four feet. A bicyclist in that lane will be vulnerable to speeding traffic in the additional sweeping right turn lane from Hwy 1.
2. The opportunity cost of these “improvements” is a human cost. Santa Cruz is consistently at or near the top of the list of injuries to bicyclists and pedestrians of 103 California cities of similar size. Spending limited local funds on making our streets safe should be our priority. Instead we’re targeting $15.5 million for bridge replacement and $8.5 million for Hwy 1/River St. intersection expansion, with over $5 million in City funds to be spent in the next fiscal year.

Vision Zero, the international movement to reduce traffic injuries, urges us to stop thinking about traffic collisions as “accidents”. Would you agree with me that our City’s high rate of injuries to bicyclists and pedestrians is not accidental?  If so, please Sign an email to City Council

SIMON KELLY DIED. Simon died last Friday. His sons were with him. Among many, many achievements Simon was a staunch member of UCSC’s Dickens Players, and played many roles in productions here and in the Bay Area. He and I go back to our student years at U.C. Berkeley. We hung out during jazz, lsd, folk music, weed, opera, and the Monterey Jazz Festival’s earliest years. We’ll all miss him.

UGLY BUILDING CONTEST. Peter Scott UCSC Physics professor emeritus, and co founder of The Campaign for Sustainable Transportation has a great idea. He asks..

“How about a viewer poll: What’s the ugliest building now under construction in Santa Cruz? He says, “I would vote for at least two: (a) Swenson’s condo block (1547 Pacific Ave?) (b) The Hilton Hotel at Mission & King (west end of King)”.

Let’s go for it. Send any all entries to the usual  bratton@cruzio.com

June 17

HOME SWEET HOME.
I love this town. This past weekend was arguably the busiest of the year: 14 UCSC graduation ceremonies over three days and the usual Boardwalk madness, including the free Friday night beach concert. The traffic…fuhget-about-it! Locals know to stay far from High and Bay, and Beach Street and Pacific, but Mission and Ocean also functioned as alternative Seaside parking lots at various times during the weekend. Downtown was a pretty safe bet to try and get away from the bumper to bumper traffic elsewhere. Walking was the best mode of transit. And with all those graduations we should be proud to show off Santa Cruz. It’s a special place, one that it is pretty nice to show to all the parents, relatives, family and friends who visited.

ENVS Graduation
In my other life, many of you know that I believe deep into my soul that theory without practice misses a lot of life. Our 650-plus ENVS interns every year not only put out an enormous number of labor-of-love hours in this community, they also get a helluva an education on local farms, in an assembly member’s office, learning to teach kids at Life Lab or the Marine Sanctuary Center or at Natural Bridges State Park. It’s a great program that I am lucky to be a part of because it is the inquiring mind of undergraduates that can light a fire under the older generation’s trend toward cynicism and discomfort. So, back to the graduating culture…our Environmental Studies graduation brought close to seven hundred friends, family, and graduates to this year’s ceremony last Friday morning. Vice-mayor Justin Cummings was one of two keynote speakers and he hit it out of the park with undergrads when he said he never expected to get a PhD and be vice-mayor 15 years ago when he was sitting where the class of 2019 sat that day.  It was an improbable and wonderfully overcast morning at the remodeled UCSC Hay Barn near the base of campus. The other keynote, retiring Sociology Professor, Andy Szasz connected with students most when he described looking for the ideal job as they might look for the ideal relationship: it takes time and many false starts, which might even include one or two divorces along the way too.

Strategic Planning
I love this town too because there are more dedicated activists, volunteers, and politically involved denizens than in most other towns our size in all of America. This past Saturday morning dozens of Surf City’s finest activists gathered at a local union hall to discuss what could be contained in the next city of Santa Cruz Strategic Two-Year Plan. But this year’s biennial strategic plan is only going to be a “six-month” one, and nobody can figure out why. (You can access the past two city strategic plans here.) The last one, crafted in 2017 by a 5-2 council in which Councilmember Sandy Brown and me were in the minority on most big issues, focused on three over-arching themes: “housing, public safety and well-being, and infrastructure.” Pretty broad themes, right? So broad that it was difficult to parse city councilmember hopes and desires from staff’s penchant to keep on keepin’ on with the practices of the past. In the past, housing seemed to mean ‘all housing is good housing,’ instead of ONLY build housing if it is affordable for “low and very low” incomes and if it is focused toward the people who live here now, not second homes or tech housing for those living over the hill. And public safety and well-being basically aimed to hire as many sworn officers as possible without a plan, and without adequate police review in place or even planned. Infrastructure meant paving streets and moving cars as quickly as possible in a town famous for overbearing traffic and intersections at LOS–level of service–ratings at or near the “F” mark. But there was an election, as there often is in western democracies, and new people came into power.

A Progressive Strategic Plan
What about this as the beginning of a strategic plan? One that might more accurately reflect the progressive values and aspirations of our town.

Dr. James Hansen, 1988: “The greenhouse effect has been detected, and it is changing our climate now.”

Hansen, 2017: “The simple thing is, I’m sorry we’re leaving such a fucking mess,” he said.(New Yorker interview) 

NOTE: 1988 turned out to be the hottest year since modern instrumental records began in the 19th century. That mark has since been broken, in 1990, 1998, 2010, 2014, 2015 and 2016.)

1. Climate
   • over-arching theme-message for today, of Santa Cruz, is the Climate and climate change is the central issue that every other strategic goal and action ought to flow through, i.e. the climate lens.
   • Actions:
     • Reinstate 2015 climate goal as outlined in Strategic Plan
     • set greenhouse gas emissions to “net zero” by 2025
2. Infrastructure, Traffic, and Housing
   • All new construction must be carbon neutral
   • Actions:
     • Remodel the library on the site of the current library with the bond money that has been approved by voters
     • No purchases of non-emergency diesel and gasoline vehicles, e-vehicles only
     • Expedite installation plan for electric plug-in stations across Santa Cruz
     • Pursue backlog of $19 million in accumulated grant funds for bicycle and pedestrian projects as supported by the Public Works and Transportation Commission
     • Make 25% the inclusionary of low and very low as specified by HUD     as the requirement for developers to undertake housing projects in the city
     • Grandfather in unpermitted ADU units that do not affect health and safety of occupant
       

     • Support housing that favors our workers with Santa Cruz salaries  ver over commuter housing
     • Reform and restructure the “rental inspection ordinance” program and make it a tenant protection and tenant rights safety net program.
     • Identify bike and pedestrian projects that can be substituted for the $8.5 million going to the intersection widening project at Hwy. 1 and 9 (“traffic impact fees.”)
       

     • The golf course in DeLaveaga must pay for itself through course fees
3. Homelessness, Social Justice, Quality of Life, and Public Safety
   • Actions:
     • Create a police review board
       

     • Commit to using Quimby funds to provide the requisite amount of park space for every new housing development
     • Bring forward a wireless cell ordinance that contemplates the seismic shift(s) on the horizon with the coming of 5G technology and protects the health, safety of consumers and complies with ADA requirements
     • Build a 24/7 homeless shelter and navigation center now. It is needed, it’s necessary; we cannot wait another two years.
     • Create a plan to convert existing temporary workers to permanent worker positions.
     • Revamp and enforce the “local hire ordinance.”
4. Public Process and Council Process
   • Recommit ourselves to working with and serving the residents of this city by expanding our outreach efforts
   • Actions:
     • We will solve the age-old question of “how to get something on the agenda?” Support the concept that any councilmember can place an item on the agenda and it must appear within a reasonable, council agreed upon, time period.
       

     • Revisit the General Plan in order to address the conflicts that exist pertaining to land use protection vs. development (especially with respect to Golf Club Dr. coming development, Front Street development, Hwy. 1 and 9 intersection widening, and the Corridors Plan.
       

     • Full Disclosure ordinance. Develop a policy in which city councilmembers have to disclose all meetings they’ve attended wi       with interested individuals before deciding an item in which the council sits a          as a quasi-judicial body.
     • Change to threshold for staff bringing items to the council from the current $100,000 to $50,000

“Mr. President, you’re from Queens. You may fool the rest of the country, but I’ll call your bluff any day of the week. Opening an impeachment inquiry is exactly what we must do when the President obstructs justice, advises witnesses to ignore legal subpoenas, & more. Bye” (June 17)

(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, and was on the Santa Cruz City Councilmember from 1998-2002. Krohn was Mayor in 2001-2002. He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 14 years. He was elected the the city council again in November of 2016, after his kids went off to college. His current term ends in 2020. Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com

June 13, 2019
#164 / One More Sunbeam (That’s Our Problem)

The latest edition of The Sun magazine showed up in my mailbox recently. You can, by the way, get a free trial issue, if you’d like, by just clicking this link and going from there. 

I often turn to the “Sunbeams” section of the magazine first. That section comes right at the end and has various quotations that both energize and inspire. 

This time around, readers heard from Howard Zinn (among other persons). What Zinn had to say is worth passing along: 

“Civil disobedience . . . is not our problem. . . . Our problem is civil obedience. Our problem is the numbers of people all over the world who have obeyed the dictates of the leaders of their government. . . . Our problem is that people are obedient while the jails are full of petty thieves, and all the while the grand thieves are running the country. That’s our problem”. 

Howard Zinn

Gary Patton is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney for individuals and community groups on land use and environmental issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. You can read and subscribe to his daily blog at www.gapatton.net Email Gary at gapatton@mac.com

EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. Just a peek will do it for our wild and wooly deeper thoughts. Scroll below…just a bit.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s ” The Underlying Crime” down a few pages. As always, at TimEagan.com you will find his most recent  Deep Cover, the latest installment from the archives of Subconscious Comics, and the ever entertaining Eaganblog.

MUNCHING WITH MOZART. Every third Thursday of almost every month there is a free concert held in the upstairs meeting room of the threatened Santa Cruz Public Library. This month the musicoians areThe Fourtes and it happens June 20, 12:10-1 p.m. The program contains… Miles Crawford • Alexander Lee • Olivia Kang • Hannah Kuo on VIOLINS.

They’ll be playing works by Telemann, Lachner, Mozart, Hiller, Bacewacz and Piazzolla.

Remember…it’s free and at the Santa Cruz Library, April 18, 2019 12:10-1:00

Central Branch Meeting Room upstairs.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “In some circles, the words “Jim Jarmusch zombie comedy” would be all the PR you’d need to sell a movie titled “The Dead Don’t Die” Especially when you factor in a cast that includes Bill Murray, Steve Buscemi, and Tilda Swinton (among many others). Find out why it never quite comes to life 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 archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. On June 18 Phillippe Habib from Coastal Haven Families and Common Roots Farm talks about the issues and plans the groups are dealing with. Then Kara Meyberg Guzman and Stephen Baxter from “Santa Cruz Local” news organization reveal their ideas about local news and today’s politics. OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… https://www.radiofreeamerica.com/schedule/kzsc   You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens. 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

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, 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.   “DEBATES”

“The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum….” Noam Chomsky, The Common Good
“If you’ve got the truth you can demonstrate it. Talking doesn’t prove it.” Robert A. Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land
“Don’t raise your voice, improve your argument.” Desmond Tutu
“You can sway a thousand men by appealing to their prejudices quicker than you can convince one man by logic.” Robert A. Heinlein, Revolt in 2100/Methuselah’s Children

CALIFORNIA ADMISSION DAY PARADE September 9, 1888 at 11:27 am. In case you forgot, California achieved statehood in 1850 without becoming a territory first. This is now Church and Walnut streets, where we now find Verizon, Hotel Palomar, The Hat Company and Artisans. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

DATELINE June 10

NINA SIMON COMMUNITY CENTER. With all the big ceremonies and tributes to Nina Simon’s leaving Santa Cruz, I think there’s an idea no-one’s brought up yet: change the name from MAH Museum of Art and History to the NINA SIMON COMMUNITY CENTER. It’s the least we could do. She made it an amazingly successful community center, and it is no more an Art and History Museum than it is an Aquarium or Zoo. Back in the day, artists who needed to see and display art would be inspired, moved and motivated. Historians who cared about preserving our local history had a focus. That’s gone now. So many of those artists and historians would tell me their stories and concerns, and wanted to save MAH the way it had grown… but it was not to be. Nina took the reins and created a very active, ongoing Community Center instead. Let’s name it after her.

NEW CHANCELLOR PHOTO. Quite a surprise to see Cynthia Larive‘s photo last week, as the new UCSC Chancellor. I think we sort of expected an Elizabeth Warren lookalike or maybe a Pete Buttigieg. It’s hard to picture Cynthia hugging a tree, or raising her fists to stop the destruction of the East Meadow. Doesn’t she look more like Janet Napolitano’s best friend? Eleven chancellors can’t be all wrong.

EAST MEADOW UPDATE. June 10. James Clifford, and the UCSC stalwarts who are devoting every minute to defending UCSC’s East Meadow, sent this update. “It’s been six weeks since the last update that announced our lawsuit to prevent the University from building prefab housing in the iconic East Meadow. The legal process is moving forward, slowly.  

Meanwhile, the meadow remains untouched, except for a row of wooden markers along the northern boundary of the intended building site. The stakes are now submerged in tall grass — the sweeping horizon line unbroken. From green to brown, the transition has been accomplished, as it is every April and May. 

We are fairly confident that litigation can keep the University from digging up the meadow this summer. A new Chancellor and Interim Provost/Executive Vice Chancellor will assume their duties on July 1st. This is a time of transition, bringing fresh visions and strategies to UCSC’s administration. As they settle in, we urge as many people as possible to contact our new leaders, urging them to reconsider the plan that sacrifices our campus gateway and long-standing design traditions for so little new housing.

Cynthia Larive, Chancellor. chancellor@ucsc.edu
Lori Kletzer, Interim Provost/Executive Vice Chancellor. cpevc@ucsc.edu

Financial contributions from many people are making our litigation possible. Details on how to help can be found at our website: eastmeadowaction.org

RE-CALL, REFLECTIONS ON. Since the late 60’s Santa Cruz has been an unusual town. Consider the fact, for example, that the two biggest attractions here are (a) an amusement park, and (b) a university. Our city grew from a quiet Republican zone to one where politics rears its sometimes ugly reactionary head, and sometimes a beautiful progressive head, and the latest RE-CALL effort against Krohn and Glover certainly highlights that ugly divide. It’s the money-focused home owners against the renters. The newcomers vs the homeless. Silicon centered gentry vs. the weekly Food Bank….it’s sad to see all this division in print. The re-call will cost big bucks, take time, and probably come out being close to the next 2020 election. As I keep reminding folks, we did have 22,438 Trump voters in the county. We don’t need more trouble. Krohn and Glover are impetuous, lack decorum, and are non-traditional — but they are both caring, kind hearted, generous and protectors of the needy. We need them in office. We need to adjust, and so do they.

June 10

UP UP AND AWAY!
For the next two weeks I will be in Caernarfon in Wales. With no reliable computer access nor much quiet time to write, my next column for BrattonOnline won’t be until the first week of July.

Why Wales? I have been invited by the Royal Air Force to attend a ceremony in Caernarfon in northern Wales where an RAF plane will be dedicated to a long ago cousin, Lionel Wilmot Brabazon Rees who was a pilot in World War 1, as was my father. Lionel was awarded the Victoria Cross (the highest military honor in Britain) and his life story recorded in a book by Welsh historian Alister Williams. During a late night bored Google search, on a whim, I looked up Lionel’s name and discovered that a book had been written of his life. One copy left on Amazon and a few days later, having purchased and read the book I learned that after the war Lionel had sailed solo in a 24 foot boat from Wales to The Bahamas and that he died there in 1955 with his gravesite in the RAF cemetery in Nassau. After much searching I found the author who confirmed my relationship to Lionel. He and my father were first cousins. My birth name is Gillian Rees.

On another whim, I suggested to my son, who is also a pilot, that on my next visit to central Florida where he lives, that we fly to the Bahamas to find the gravesite and pay our respects. He suggested we fly in his two-seater Cessna 152.  Up for the adventure I agreed. As we flew on the first leg over the Everglades with the Atlantic Ocean up next, I did manage a small voice saying that I admitted to being nervous. My son retorted that unlike Lionel, we had GPS and no German planes firing at us, which did help a bit.

After many wrong turns by local buses we did find his gravesite, paid our respects and watching the weather, a few days later (it was July and hurricane season) flew back in two legs to central Florida. (One photo is the two of us on our way to The Bahamas. The other is on landing back in Florida and happy to be on firm ground again)

That was a decade ago. A few weeks ago I received an email from an RAF officer telling me about the ceremony and as relatives of Lionel’s, inviting me and my son to attend. Also attending will be Lionel’s grown up children whom I have never met. They are cousins and as someone whose family had emigrated to Australia from Britain in 1948, completely separated from any extended family, this will be a special occasion. What makes it even more special is that Lionel married a local Bahamanian woman and given the racism of the time, was probably excommunicated from the rest of the Rees family in England. His name was never mentioned in my household growing up in Australia. When I bought the book and was leafing through the photos, the last one was a picture of his wife, who was of course black. I exclaimed, “so that explains why we never talked about Lionel Rees!” So this will be a meaningful journey on many levels.

My great great grandfather, James Rees was Mayor of Caernarfon and the current Mayor will be attending the ceremonies. The old family home is still within the 11th century Caernarfon Castle walls and the RAF is going to give the whole family a private tour of the War Museum in London. I have never been to Wales so lots of stories to share upon return.

Apologies for my absence from this column…I’ll be back soon.

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.

June 10 #161 / Crossing The Line

The San Francisco Chronicle is Nancy Pelosi’s hometown paper. Generally speaking, the Chronicle strongly supports her positions. Not on Saturday, June 8, 2019, however. 

On that date, the paper ran a short editorial statement with this headline: “Pelosi crosses the line with ‘prison’ comment.” I am reprinting the entire statement, below, because I think it provides a warning to all of us. We are facing a politics that seems to be spinning out of control, and keeping “steady as she goes” is a political virtue not to be underestimated. Those who would like to return some basic decency to our national politics properly deplore calls to “Lock Her Up” (meaning Hillary Clinton). These are part of the standard agenda at rallies promoted by our current president, Donald Trump. The Chronicle suggests that those who feel this way should not be imitating him:

Pelosi crosses the line with ‘prison’ comment 
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been steadfastly strategic in her restraint amid a growing clamor within the Democratic ranks to begin impeachment proceedings. Pelosi has insisted “nothing is off the table,” but House committees should first proceed with their investigations and gather the evidence that could produce a “very compelling case to the American people.” 

So it was disturbing to learn from Politico, citing “multiple sources,” that Pelosi told a group of senior Democrats, “I don’t want to see him impeached, I want to see him in prison.” There may or may not be a case for criminal prosecution after President Trump leaves office, but for the speaker to advocate for it out loud, even behind closed doors, undermines her efforts to keep the impeachment talk at bay. It’s hard to argue that a president who belongs in prison should stay in office for another minute. 

Even worse is the notion — so cavalierly practiced under tin-pot dictatorships or expressed by the 45th president of the United States — that locking up one’s political opponents is an acceptable exercise of power. Let the congressional investigations proceed with vigor, fearlessness — and toned-down rhetoric.

What Diaz is saying, the way I read him, is that Trump is not a good role model, and that there is another way to get rid of that guy. It’s called an election. Of course, not everyone agrees with Diaz, as a letter to the editor from Eleanor Fischbein, printed in today’s Chronicle, makes clear.

Gary Patton is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney for individuals and community groups on land use and environmental issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. You can read and subscribe to his daily blog at www.gapatton.net Email Gary at gapatton@mac.com

EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. See Eagan’s  hree dimensional inside look at our realist selves!!! Scroll below.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s ” Loving Logos” down a few pages. As always, at TimEagan.com you will find his most recent  Deep Cover, the latest installment from the archives of Subconscious Comics, and the ever entertaining Eaganblog.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Celebrate the start of Shakespeare Season in Santa Cruz with Kenneth Branagh’s witty, tender cinematic ode to the Bard, All Is True, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ). And some thoughts on dismantling an archive, now that my Art Boy has been gone for over a year. (Can you believe it?)” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

NEW FEATURE — NEXT WEEK.

Watch this space. Folks have been asking for it…I’m more than excited about bringing “IT” to you.

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 archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. . Julie Phillips will be telling us about threats to the Tule Elk and how we need educating re their challenges. Then flag waver Becky Steinbruner talks about area issues mostly water . On June 11. Kara Meyberg Guzman and Stephen Baxter from “Santa Cruz Local” news organization are guests on June 18. OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… https://www.radiofreeamerica.com/schedule/kzsc   You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens. 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

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, 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. “Elections”

“It is enough that the people know there was an election. The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything”.  Joseph Stalin
“Winning the election is a good-news, bad-news kind of thing. Okay, now you’re the mayor. The bad news is, now you’re the mayor.” Clint Eastwood
Democracy is not something that happens, you know, just at election time, and it’s not something that happens just with one event. It’s an ongoing building process. But it also ought to be a part of our culture, a part of our lives”.   Jim Hightower

CAPITOLA’S “GAY 90’S” CELEBRATION. This was July 2, 1950. Remember when communities had so many parades, celebrations, festivals? Those were better times. Now it’s too dangerous to bring us together!                                              photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

DATELINE May 27

UCSC’S REAL PROBLEMS. There is a terrible gulf between UCSC and the Santa Cruz community — and I’m pointing at both students and faculty. It’s the same at most of the other campuses. Last week (May 23) CITY ON A HILL PRESS created a special issue titled BASIC NEEDS. These needs, seven in all, were headed by State of Student Mental Health. #2. Waiting for Water. #3. Managing your money. #4. Increased Demand, decreased quality #5. Houselessness and hygiene #6. Self-care tips, and #7. Party like a slug. Here’s a link to the special issue. It’s not easy to find all the topics… and you’ll learn a lot about our current student’s issues as they face “higher education”. Here’s the general link to all the other campus coverings…

What it’s really talking about are today’s students facing very overcrowded classrooms, poor connections with their teachers, lousy food conditions, miserable transportation problems, jammed up study areas, and then there’s facing an almost lifelong tuition debt. A major point to think about is NOT to project our student lives and times onto today’s student scene…they’ve got it much more difficult.

DREAM INN DEVELOPMENT. The Save Santa Cruz Westside Organization is up in arms about whether or not an EIR be required for the Dream Inn project (at West Cliff and Bay)? They say this is critical, and are very concerned that the City is NOT requiring an EIR on such a massive project. The project has still not moved forward to the Planning Commission but could soon….no-one seems to know much on it, or what the delay is. Their Facebook page says: Did you know that the owners of the Dream Inn, Ensemble, a Southern California developer, are proposing a 2 story underground garage as a part of their project at West Cliff and Bay Streets? We are concerned about disrupting the ground that close to the cliffs, as well as the high water table at that location! According to their reports, the water table starts at 12 feet below the surface there and they are planning on excavating over 25 feet! Go here to catch up and keep up with the Dream Inn disaster in the making.

May 27

Community Support Group
I don’t know what I would do without a “kitchen cabinet.” They are the eyes, ears, and hands that assist me in most aspects of my city council life. This steering committee is comprised of 33 local residents from a variety of backgrounds including teaching, law, journalism, healthcare, accounting, business, and former councilmembers. Collectively they probably have close to 400 years of experience in Santa Cruz politics. About half that number–various groupings of the 33–usually attend our Saturday afternoon pre-Tuesday city council meeting review of the council agenda. Interests in this group vary widely, but usually reflect the overall agenda thrust of Councilmembers Sandy Brown and myself. That is, our views and votes on the environment, traffic problems, advocacy for affordable housing, and support for labor do not simply come out of recent dream therapy treatments, or the latest Sentinel editorial. These issues–eco bus passes for all downtown employees, separating the library from the garage, increasing pay to those at the bottom, making UCSC contribute significantly for the city-wide effects it’s growth machine has on our residents before accepting more students–all do not emanate from our own interior thoughts. They come through a continual process of checking-in with the community, making sure that when you’re barreling up a difficult hill and look behind you there are actually friends, neighbors and political comrades providing rearguard support. Without a kitchen cabinet, there is a tendency for an elected official to become unmoored to the principles and ethics of serving, and that might just lead to becoming unhinged as well.

What Happened Around the Real Kitchen Table?
This past Saturday’s “sensational seventeen” showed up around a real kitchen table on the Westside, and went to work. Did the “Bay and King streetlights project” conform to International Dark-sky Association guidelines? Did we even need a left-turn signal at that intersection? With respect to the “Emergency Sewer Repair at Chestnut and Laurel,” is the city using “climate clean” building materials? There’s a new state bill being put forward listing these products and recommending (mandating?) their use by cities. Why was the “Sole Source Vendor and Power Purchase Agreement for Corporation Yard Solar Upgrade Project” sole source? Seems like our current solar projects are a boon to the city’s electric power purchases, but what if purchasing is better than leasing, or vice versa? What to do with the extra CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) $60k Fed dollars that were added to the half million grant the city already possesses? Why not lower the Cannabis tax even more than the currently recommended rate of 8% to 5%…perhaps we could go to 3% and that would be more in line with helping the local business owners of this nascent industry? These are just some of the city issues our kitchen cabinet helped us wrestle with in preparing for the May 28th city council meeting, but in all seriousness, city councilmembers also need even more analytical assistance.

Budgets
The City of Santa Cruz proposed budget this year is $262.6 million (2019 proposed) and funds more than 800 employees. The proposed budget for the County of Santa Cruz is $777 million (2018) (http://www.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/Visiting/AboutSantaCruzCounty.aspx ) and it supports almost 2500 employees. Then, the overall budget of UC Santa Cruz is $722 million(2015-16, most recent on-line version, likely more now) with the total number of academic and non-academic employees at 8,832.  In addition, each Supervisor has a budget for two assistants and along with their own salaries, including benefits, it costs about $400,000 according to figures for 2017 at the Transparent California web site. Now, I won’t even get started on the budgets of the UCSC Chancellor, and the one dozen vice chancellors and their staffs. They are enormous. But my point here is that paying people to do research, field phone calls and answer emails, look into constituent issues, and generally make the elected official more visible and available to the public is usually a wise investment in shaping effective public policy. Currently, each city councilmember is without such help. Therefore, in comparing my time on the city council from 1998-2002 up until now, I can safely say that the workload for councilmembers has changed. The number of issues has grown and the expectations of residents have also grown, not to mention the total number of people living in Surf City has also grown during that time.

Real City Council Assistance
Currently, the city’s “Principle Management Analyst” position is vacant. The person who occupied that position was paid $152,000 in salary and benefits in 2017. When it was filled, this person, with the best intentions, sought to do public policy analysis for six councilmembers and the mayor, an impossible job on the face of it, right? What I am calling for in the current budget is to not re-hire this position and use the savings to fund assistance to each councilmember. That is, put this money into a fund and have councilmembers draw on it and hire both professional policy and clerical help. Currently, councilmembers are trying hard to keep their heads above the incoming emails, new bills coming out of Sacramento weekly, attending community meetings they are asked to be present at, and also participating and being in attendance at the various committees and subcommittees we are assigned to. Providing actual council assistance in this form would be a real game-changer as one of my Kitchen Cabineteers remarked recently. It surely would not make that group of volunteer advisors any less valuable. In fact, it would strengthen every aspect of the councilmember’s task list and help achieve a more manageable workload.

“5 Principles in the Green New Deal: 1. Go Big 2. Be Specific 3. Set Deadlines 4. Let Them Sue (aka, “Don’t Flinch”) 5. Make Floors, Not Ceilings.” (May 27)

(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, and was on the Santa Cruz City Councilmember from 1998-2002. Krohn was Mayor in 2001-2002. He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 14 years. He was elected the the city council again in November of 2016, after his kids went off to college. His current term ends in 2020. Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com

May 25, 2019 #145 / The Experts Say 60%

According to Joe Garofoli, who hosts a podcast and writes the “It’s All Political” column in The San Francisco Chronicle, one “expert” political observer says that “President Trump could easily win re-election.” The “expert” cited by Garofoli is Matt Morrison. Because The Chronicle has a formidable paywall, it’s not certain that a reader of this blog posting will be able to see Garofoli’s May 24th column by clicking this link, but that link is where Garofoli’s column can be found. Here is a brief excerpt:

Matt Morrison has spent a lot of time over the past two years talking to working-class voters in Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania, and he’s got a message for those who don’t get out of the West Coast blue bubble much: President Trump could easily win re-election. 

“If nothing were to change from today, I would give him a better-than-likely probability of being re-elected and winning pretty clear majorities in places like Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin,” said Morrison. He leads the labor-funded Working America, a group that advocates for and has done deep research on working-class voters, including interviewing 5,000 people in focus groups in those states and elsewhere. 

Morrison believes that despite Trump’s tough-talking rhetoric, he hasn’t been good for working-class voters. While the stock market gains have benefited wealthier Americans, wage growth for most workers hasn’t kept pace with the rise in the economy. Yet Trump remains popular among white voters in Rust Belt states.

Garofoli also quotes Massachusetts Democratic Representative Seth Moulton to the same effect. Moulton puts Trump’s current chances at 60%.

Why do I mention these “experts?” I mention them because I believe that amost everyone who is hoping that President Trump will not be reelected next year has vastly underrated him, and it’s irritating. I truly believe that it is critically important to beat Donald Trump when he runs for reelection in 2020. But to do that, I believe a candidate (and that candidate’s party) has to express some admiration for our current president. Just as a “concession” in an argumentative essay almost always strengthens the argument of the person who makes the concession, so conceding that Trump is doing some things that the people want is an important part of running a campaign against him.

The “political class” is out of favor with the American people (and for good reason). To capture the presidency, a successful candidate will have to be “against” the political class (not of it). That’s my view. Trump’s strength is that he is on the side of those who “deplore” the political class. That’s his main appeal to the voters.

Running against the personal and political failings of our current president will not be enough.

Gary Patton is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney for individuals and community groups on land use and environmental issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. You can read and subscribe to his daily blog at www.gapatton.net Email Gary at gapatton@mac.com

EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. Hidden Surprises galore, check out the classic Subconscious Comics just below.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s ” One large step for women” down a few pages. As always, at TimEagan.com you will find his most recent  Deep Cover, the latest installment from the archives of Subconscious Comics, and the ever entertaining Eaganblog.

HIDDEN VALLEY STRING ORCHESTRA. This magnificent 16 piece orchestra gets up our way from Carmel Valley about twice per year. Don’t miss them.  The program is as follows: Air and Dance by Delius, Romance by Finzi, Nocturne by Dvorak, Adagietto by Mahler, Slow movement from quartet by Zimbalist and Serenade by Karlowicz. They’ll be playing June 1st at 2:30 at Hidden Valley Music Seminars in Carmel Valley and locally June 2nd at 2pm at Peace United Church 900 High Street in Santa Cruz. Please buy tickets in advance at hiddenvalleymusic.org

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Suffering post-partum angst after Game of Thrones? Enter the less brutal, but no less epic fantasy books of Robin Hobb, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ). On the movie front, Ukranian dancer Oleg Ivenko doesn’t quite have the same fire, but he captures the questing artistic spirit of the legendary Rudolf Nureyev, the role he plays in The White Crow, reviewed in this week’s Good Times!” 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 archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. The three top winners from Bookshop Santa Cruz’s annual Short Story Contest read their works on May 28. No BrattonOnline issued the week of June 3…my birthday and a trip to Mar Vista instead. Julie Phillips will be telling us about threats to the Tule Elk on June 11. Kara Meyberg Guzman and Stephen Baxter from “Santa Cruz Local” news organization are guests on June 14. OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… https://www.radiofreeamerica.com/schedule/kzsc   You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens. 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

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, 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.   “JUNE”

“In June as many as a dozen species may burst their buds on a single day. No man can heed all of these anniversaries; no man can ignore all of them”. Aldo Leopold
Top of Form
And what is so rare as a day in June? Then, if ever, come perfect days”.  James Russell Lowell
“How did it get so late so soon? It’s night before it’s afternoon. December is here before it’s June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?”  Dr. Seuss

CAPITOLA May 15, 1956.   The big building next to the water is the Saba Club. Owned by the Brad McDonald family. It was built on the site of the Hotel Capitola, and burned down. Snuggled back behind the parking lot is the grand Theater Capitola. Do note that this is May and note all the parking spaces!                                        photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

DATELINE May 20

GROUP THERAPY FOR OUR CITY COUNCIL! Almost since the very first week our new 4-3 city council has exhibited some painful actions…and votes. We’ve watched and heard some of the most nasty, personal moves any of us can remember from our elected group. We watch their smiling, polite faces as they plan and plot and again react to their fellow councilmembers. It’s got to be extra painful to each of them every meeting, every week, every decision. Their personal lives must be paying a terrific price for this forced civility. Given the wide diversity of their personal politics it’s only near-natural that they have to deal with such pressure.

I think, and I’m serious, I wish we could help our City council by getting them into some group therapy!! They’d probably have to have a judge in the room (Brown Act) and commit to just being alone with a well trained, credentialed, (probably from out of town) Group therapist.  Put yourself into any of the council’s seats and imagine how you’d be reacting to the internal and huge external battles-divisions each meeting. I know this is an unusual and impossible idea but once in awhile it occurs to me that it wouldn’t be just their lives that would change for the better but the lives of our city too. These are some very tough times…think about it.

TRADER JOE’S (ALDI’s) BEATING AMAZON AND WALMART!! I happened across a newsy, surprising article about ALDI the German food chain that is beating all competition around the world. You probably remember that ALDI bought out Trader Joe’s back in 1979. The link here will take you to some reading that will revise much of what you think you know about buying groceries. You’ll read that Aldi/TJoe’s stocks only about 1400 items while traditional stores go for 40,000 items or more. Aldi’s Facebook page has 50,000. TJoe’s/Aldi prices run anywhere from 50 to 15 % less than the other grocery outlets. Trader Joe’s now has 484 stores in the USA. Also hidden in the article is the news that Trader Joe’s/ALDI customers make more money and have more education than other grocery stores!!

CYNTHIA MATHEWS TERMED OUT! Two weeks ago (May 6) I wrote…” BEAT ME TO IT! I had intended to predict that our local political, habitual, driven, predictable, candidates would be starting to do their campaigning about now. Cynthia Mathews is the champ of this group. We see her photos at dozens of community functions just a short time before she actually announces. But Mike Rotkin jumped the gun and got his photo in today’s (Sunday, May 5) Sentinel. Watch for the Santa Cruz Business Council’s Robert Singleton’s name and photo soon. Most poll predictors are betting that unsuccessful City Council candidate Greg Larson’s name will pop up. New surprises await both Larson’s and Singleton’s campaigns!  Big thanks to all the folks who wrote telling us that Cynthia Mathews is termed out and won’t be running for mayor this next time. It certainly helps to remember these “little” things. Never mind that I knew that and mis-syped but I wanted to get across that she is the champ at joining each and every photo op just before any time that she does run…just not this time. So NOW watch and keep a lookout for Greg Larson and Robert Singleton’s names creeping into Sentinel articles. Por ejemplo… Singleton’s name has been in about three times recently.

CABRILLO FESTIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC. This world –wide famous Festival runs July 28-August 11 this year. One of the many extra grand experiences of the festival has always been when locals make room for a musician or two in their homes. The Festival website says…

“An essential part of the Festival’s existence is the generosity of 80 local families who volunteer housing for our orchestra members, composers, guest artists, and technical staff. While most of our hosts stay in the program for many years, there are the inevitable shifts that make finding new host families a constant need! If you have a spare bedroom, guest house, or granny unit that you can offer for one to two weeks during the Festival, please use the interest form provided on this page or phone us at 831.426.6966. Our Housing Coordinator Valerie Hayes will be happy to answer any questions you may have. Housing an orchestra musician is truly one of the most rewarding aspects of the Cabrillo Festival experience!

May 20

NEWS FLASHES
Only Twenty-Four hours in a Day and Approximately 10-12 years to do Right by Our Climate
The pace of city council life is hectic right now. Too many meetings…? Just this past week the city council cut the cord on the downtown library-5-story parking garage.  (Hip, hip, hurray!) Meaning, it’s starting to look like they are no longer umbilically linked, i.e. cars and books. A subcommittee will meet with the library director, community members, architects, and hopefully, all other concerned parties interested in putting together the best project possible. The subcommittee–Sandy Brown, Justin Cummings, Donna Meyers–is to report back to the city council no later than the October 8th city council meeting, as I understood the motion. But first, they are also to come back to the council on May 28th with a game plan on how to get to a community-infused yes.

Then, seemingly all of a sudden, the Deputy City attorney was let go for indiscreet remarks (questioning of a witness) in a San Jose Federal court room where he unknowingly (?) maligned a current councilmember’s past. This came on the heels of the city council receiving word that this same Deputy City Attorney had been involved in a drug case of his own back in 2012, according to the Santa Cruz Sentinel. I have not seen the document referred to in the newspaper article that was “hand-delivered to the city council.” It was apparently sent to the council anonymously. Continuing with the pace of events, the Water Department will spend many millions of dollars upgrading our community’s water delivery system and rate-payer bills are already reflecting the cost of these infrastructure improvements; Public Works announced that the sewer rates are set to jump dramatically over the next few years; and the 5G cell ordinance that was on last week’s council agenda was “continued” so that the council could get additional information about what has been done in Sebastopol and Portland to combat the onslaught of electromagnetic and radiation exposure.

Budget Opportunities

Don’t you just love these headlines juxtaposed on this version of the Santa Cruz Sentinel. Somewhere there is a subversive headline writer who enjoys making social commentary.

I am told by the city manager that the council will hold at least two more budget sessions, one on May 28th and the other on June 11th. This will be to finalize the city manager’s $262.6 million proposed budget. The question is, at the end of the day will it be a “city manager budget” or a “city council budget?” Stay tuned! I met with a dozen community members to talk about the budget and I came away with a list of requests that include: 1) the age-old question of how will the golf course balance its budget? (another $5-$6 water charge per round might do it…who knew their H2O budget for the next fiscal year would come in at $750k!), 2) How do we express the community desire to reign in UCSC growth in the city budget? We are hiring an analyst to turn up the heat in Oakland (Regents) and Sacramento (lawmakers). And, what to do about plans for an overbuilt round-about at the base of campus, which is in the 2019-2020 capital improvement project (CIP) budget? 3) How do we not fund the widening of the bridge over the river San Lorenzo between Hwy. 17 and River Street? 4) How do we inject, infuse, and enshrine climate disruption and our changing climate into every program, land-use decision, and purchased product the city undertakes? How do we get to the “carbon neutral” budget that people are pleading for? 5) Can we place a moratorium on the purchase of non-emergency gasoline and diesel vehicles in favor of acquiring more electric and hybrid ones? 6) What about that River Coordinator position that the council approved back in 2017? Isn’t it time to fill this hire? And, 7) What should be the right dollar amount for a placeholder to fund the future Housing Task Force that is to take up the extreme costs of housing and all of its collateral damages?

Yes, there Still is a Public Safety Committee
The bad news is that the Public Safety Committee (PSC) last met on October 15, 2018, and it has not convened a meeting since. The good news is that the PSC is going to actually meet on Tuesday, May 21st, a mere seven months after its last go-round. Why hasn’t the committee met? It’s not clear. One, wouldn’t you think we need a PSC meeting regularly after the million dollar-plus payout to the family of Sean Arlt who was killed by Santa Cruz police after he charged them with a garden rake? Or two, a former officer, David Gunther, was fired by SCPD according to the SC Sentinel for several unwanted sexual advances; or three, that homelessness camping and trespassing fine discrepancies, and some mighty justified neighborhood outrage continues oozing in Surf City like a festering sore; or four, that the current city council has not been privy to a BearCat tank incident report that I am aware of for many months. But, more bad news: the upcoming PSC meeting will be a “closed session” affair. The PSC is now comprised of councilmembers Drew Glover, Donna Meyers, and me. Formerly, then-Mayor Terrazas and councilmembers Chase and Noroyan held forth during this committee’s five meetings last year. The agenda for the meeting states that we will convene in the “city manager’s conference room” (I always call it the city hall conference room) and perform a “Review of Police Auditor Written Evaluations and Police Files.” My hope is to have an open session meeting sometime soon and report back to the public, to the extent we are allowed by current law, what happened at this meeting, and also to hear from the public on public safety issues they believe the council should address more vigorously, or less vigorously, in 2019.

Community-Council Network Continues to Meet
The Community-Council Network met for the fourth time since the Brand-New Council, Part II was seated. And I tell you what; it is so nice to be around folks who have your back on NextDoor, with the Sentinel, at city council meetings, and on the phone late at night for a therapy session. Why? Because I believe the current political project being undertaken by this council has not been seen since the early chapters of Santa Cruz progressivism. Remember? In the late-70’s people demanded local government protect and fund the Westside health clinic? Or when the city council jumped into the business of funding social service programs because that’s what constituents were asking for? Or when issues like curbside recycling, affordable housing (Nueva Vista and Sycamore Commons), municipal protests against Reagan’s war on Nicaragua and El Salvador, or the ballot initiative opposing the ridiculous notion that we somehow needed oil off the Santa Cruz coastline? I remember. These were all pursued with the same zeal, community debate, and organizing that our locals now engage in. The early progressives were our models. Environmental protection, the end of city purchases of gasoline and diesel vehicles, real affordable housing while holding developers in check, a remodeled downtown library, a permanent home for the Farmer’s Market, holding the line at 19,500 students at UCSC, and perhaps the issue that locals keep revisiting like any healthy democracy, the call for transparency and accountability of our local government and its spending habits. We are all indebted to [St.]Gary Patton…Mike Rotkin and Bruce Van Allen…and then Mardi Wormhoudt and John Laird…and later Celia Scott, Katherine Beiers, Ed Porter, Tim Fitzmaurice, Keith Sugar and Micah Posner. And let’s not forget those progressives who sacrificed and lost at the ballot box: Eleanor Eisenberg, Scott Bugental, Bonnie Moore, Simba Kenyatta, Ron Pomerantz, Leonie Sherman and Steve Schnaar. These are the giants whose shoulders this council is now standing upon. Enter the Community-Council Network, stage left. The group is filled with folks who are part of the political dreamers and part of the political do-ers. We need both. These people are working towards, and pushing councilmembers to pursue a downtown commons area sans a 5-story parking garage; support for Metro bus drivers in their upcoming contract negotiations; realizing a community land trust; opening more rest rooms around town; worker-owned businesses and support for a cooperative future; intense advocacy for scrutinizing the city budget and making it into a climate and global warming mitigations document; and of course, looking towards 2020 and how to bring the Green New Deal home to Santa Cruz. The Council-Community Network is the closest thing I’ve seen to the SCAN, the Santa Cruz Action Network, of yester-year. But, it is perhaps even more active as it is much broader with at least seven different groups that were represented: CFST, BAC, SC CAN, Sierra Club, DSA, Organizing Circle, and the PDC Wow, Qué vivala revolución local! Viva!(Google those acronyms if you want to know the group names).

Et cetera…Extinction is Forever
So many issues we are all talking about, and still they remain on the drawing board, or the cutting room floor. This list might be a bit like the $300 million city CIP–capital improvement plan–list at the back of the city budget. The only difference is, many of those projects, although put on the list in earnest, should be taken off, mostly because of global warming and climate change concerns. But here is a list I’ve gathered from community meetings, which I think are worthy of continued interest and thought. They are: public banking; building a community land trust for affordable housing; continuing to step up protection for immigrants vs. ICE-HSI attacks (Sherriff Jim Hart stated emphatically at a People’s Democratic Club meeting, “They’re (ICE and HSI) not allowed in any Santa Cruz County facility anymore.”); allowing the public to speak without fear of being cut off at the city hall podium; a 24/7 emergency homeless shelter with an active day center; supporting “Co-op Santa Cruz” and the flourishing of worker-owned businesses (meeting May 30th, 7pm at the RCNV); bringing the Green New Deal to the city council for approval, and because of the acknowledged “collapse of the recycling market,” let’s ban single-use plastic bottles while we’re at it…

“I was proud to stand with those marching in Birmingham today against the outrageous and unconstitutional abortion ban passed in Alabama. We will fight back and protect a woman’s right to control her own body.” (May 19)

(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, and was on the Santa Cruz City Councilmember from 1998-2002. Krohn was Mayor in 2001-2002. He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 14 years. He was elected the the city council again in November of 2016, after his kids went off to college. His current term ends in 2020. Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com

EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. Journey into our sublime and substitute world at Eagan’s Subsconscious Comics…just a drop below!!

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s ” Trade War ” down a few pages. As always, at TimEagan.com you will find his most recent  Deep Cover, the latest installment from the archives of Subconscious Comics, and the ever entertaining Eaganblog.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “George R. R. Martin hasn’t even finished writing his last book in the series begun with Game of Thrones, but the writers on the TV show have already wrapped up the whole story. Does he wonder: Who’s writing this thing anyway? Some thoughts, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ). Also, for an antidote to sweeping, epic drama, read my review of the small-scale romance Photograph in this week’s Good Times!” 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 archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG.  May 21st has concertmaster Roy Malan discussing the Hidden Valley String Orchestra concert occurring on June 2nd. Then Scott McGilvray from Water For Santa Cruz talks about our water issues and solutions. Winners from Bookshop Santa Cruz’s annual Short Story Contest read their works on May 28. No BrattonOnline issued the week of June 3…my birthday and a trip to Mar Vista instead. Julie Phillips will be telling us about threats to the Tule Elk on June 11. Kara Meyberg Guzman and Stephen Baxter from “Santa Cruz Local” news organization are guests on June 14. OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… https://www.radiofreeamerica.com/schedule/kzsc   You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens. 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

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, 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.  “Measles”
“Like the measles, love is most dangerous when it comes late in life”. Lord Byron
“Nationalism is an infantile disease. It is the measles of mankind”. Albert Einstein
“I just want people to know the facts and science and the information… measles is preventable”. Barack Obama

1111 PACIFIC AVENUE. Built in 1908, converted in 1989.  Once upon a time it was this Hotel Metropole, then later it was Hal Morris’ Plaza Books — and then Logos Books. Now it’s been empty for months, waiting for that non-profit brewery to open. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

DATELINE May 13, 2019

HAIL SATAN? The movie (FULL DISCLOSURE) I’ll admit that it’s rare (if ever) that I open with a movie review but Hail Satan! really got to me. I’ve been looking for at least three weeks for my own Anton La Vey personally-signed membership card to his Satanic Church in San Francisco. I’ll post it when I find it. I knew Anton for years through my producer/director days at KCBS (CBS) and at KGO (ABC). My Goodtime Washboard 3 Trio even played at one of his Black Masses. Anton was a very funny guy, full of fun and with a super sense of humor! It’s not too widely-known but one of his jobs was playing the organ at the Long Beach Pike (Boardwalk/amusement park). He’s only given a few seconds in this documentary about some activists who use Satan to help break the religious stranglehold that Christianity has on our government. These Satanists mostly want equal time or equal display of symbols beside the Christian one. GO SEE THIS FILM… you’ll think about the message for at least days on end! Yes. There’s a Santa Cruz Satanic Chapter that gets brief screen time. It has a 96 on RT!!! It’s also an excellent example of the power of the people when they organize!!!

• KZSC PLEDGE DRIVE. Next Tuesday May 21st is the KZSC Pledge Drive. One way or the other it’s the way they judge popularity of the programs. Please, if I’ve ever interviewed you or friends of yours, consider donating some cash to the drive. It is of course my “Universal Grapevine” program at 7-8 p.m. on Tuesday nights. Call 459-2811 to talk to somebody and be sure to give my program UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE name…otherwise the pledge goes to general funds. You also can go online, but I’m not sure how to direct the pledge to Universal Grapevine. I wouldn’t be asking if it didn’t matter, and thank you so very much. There’s a message on their website… KZSC is a student-run, community-based, non-commercial, educational public radio station teaches media making and non-profit management.
• The University of California does not fund KZSC; KZSC receives 32% of our support from student donations; another 32% comes from renting out space on our broadcast tower to other radio stations and cell phone companies; the rest comes from our semiannual on-air fundraiser, local businesses underwriting, and, of course, You! (the listener).
• KZSC airs alternative viewpoints to those found on commercial/mainstream stations. Honesty, balance, and sensitivity fuels our creative and educational endeavors.
• KZSC strives for completeness in news coverage, conscientiously providing unbiased and fair reporting on all events and topics. We have a newsroom covering the Monterey Bay–made by locals for locals!
• KZSC provides access in a non-discriminatory, progressive fashion to those traditionally underrepresented in the media, including but not limited to women, cultural, ethnic, and racial minorities, people of various sexual orientations, seniors, youth, children, and the disabled.
• KZSC is dedicated to serving the public interest, serving as a mouthpiece on air for the community it serves and represents.
• KZSC does not sell promotional advertising spots or accept payola of any kind. Anything you hear on-air is curated content by our lovely disc-jockeys and fiercely independent, local news editors.
• KZSC was first known as KRUZ.  Forty-nine years later, KZSC broadcasts at 20,000 watts, reaching 3 million people in Santa Cruz, San Benito, and Monterey counties!

#Give2KZSC today – or you can call 831-459 2811to make your donation by phone!  

MAY 13

FILL ‘ER UP

It’s no secret that Santa Cruz is a lucrative market for housing speculators. Despite rising building and material costs, current artificially high land values are a developers’ dream.  Shedding crocodile tears over the “housing crisis, “self-interested stakeholders urge approval of all manner of new large developments that are rapidly changing the character of Santa Cruz while paradoxically worsening the housing cost crisis.

It is not too late to weigh in on the latest of these out of scale developments. Thursday, May 16th, the city Planning Commission will discuss and vote on a proposed 9-unit development at 916 Seabright Avenue. A duplex and one single family home currently on the site are proposed to be demolished to make way for 9 three story townhouses with an average height of 30 feet (mid-way roofline, actual height 36 feet). This row of nine 2000 square foot units stretches almost the length of a football field. Nearby neighbors are rightfully disturbed at the scale of the development that will loom over nearby small cottages, taking away privacy and the small- scale character of the Seabright area. Their flyer summarizes the impact and concerns.

For those who profess to a belief that we need “lots more housing” which includes the Sentinel editorial board, the YIMBY group, Monterey Bay Economic Partnership, local Chamber of Commerce and SC County Business Council, there’s no downside to such developments. If we had a map of where they all live its likely none is impacted by this or the many other large-scale recent housing developments already approved or in the works. It’s also likely they are positioned to make money from an influx of well-off newcomers, either directly or indirectly.

Let’s put to rest once and for all the notion that “lots more housing” will lead to lower rents and/or housing costs. That model may work in some contexts but not in 2019 Santa Cruz.  We are in a housing vice-grip between the wealth of Silicon Valley and an expanding UCSC. Both represent essentially unlimited demand. Were there a moratorium on UCSC growth with a scale back to ten thousand students plus a downturn in the economy impacting the high tech Bay area industry then maybe supply and demand might become a relevant model but that is not in the foreseeable future. Unless we don’t care if our established neighborhoods are morphed into rows of expensive high-rise apartment buildings (the YIMBY goal), our only option is to organize and demand that the General Plan goal of protecting the character of established neighborhoods be followed.  Such efforts will be decried by the stakeholders and mischaracterized as catering to NIMBY types, usually described as old, white, elitists standing in the way of progress and affordable housing. That description does not match the demographics of our long-time neighborhoods. Well, maybe old and white is descriptive but not pejorative. Apart from higher income areas such as the upper westside, most of the lower westside and eastside neighborhoods are still comprised of lower and moderate- income families. While gentrification is rapidly changing these demographics with small cottages torn down and replaced with large expensive houses marketed as second homes for the wealthy, these newcomers are not the neighbors getting organized. The folks getting organized are long-term residents, mostly working or middle-class, or now retired who refuse to let their neighborhoods be lost to such out of scale developments that do nothing to alleviate the housing cost crisis and in fact tend to make it worse.

One of the nine units proposed for 916 Seabright will be “affordable” under the city’s Inclusionary Ordinance. The rest will be market rate. “Affordable” here is defined as 80% of the area medium income, which for a family of four is $98,000. I don’t profess to know all current income scales but that still seems unaffordable for the city’s janitors, cooks, cleaners and perhaps even teachers. The rents for the other eight units are likely to be comparable to other units recently built on Seabright, which rent for $4,600 a month.

Worse than simply being expensive, such new dense developments have been shown to displace lower income rental families by raising the value of nearby properties, putting pressure on the owners to sell, bulldoze and capitalize on the high income demand for infill housing in Santa Cruz. So the very people we pay lip service to wanting to protect are the first to be sacrificed. Make no mistake, such density and scale will soon be coming to your neighborhood should Senator Scott Wiener’s bills pass the state legislature.  In the meantime, show some solidarity by supporting the neighbors’ efforts to keep the scale, character and whatever’s left of the affordability of the Seabright neighborhood. When it’s your turn, they will be there.

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.

May 13

THE CITY BUDGET, PART ii

OMG, We’re Going Back to the City Budget

Thank you so much to everyone who came out to speak about the budget. You were terrific! There will be a couple more days to come out and advocate too, possibly May 28 and June 11. I will let you know. The bureaucrats with their large bureaucrat bats sought to lure, then herd, the city council cats into a kind of budgetary compliance. Fire and brimstone PERS payment schedules surround Surf City like fun-loving bands of wanna-be surfers camped on the outskirts of town. They’re just waiting to invade Steamer Lane once locals let down their guard. These retirement benefit payments represent a deep abyss where the city shovels in millions each year, and nothing grows but the budget hole. With this in mind the current council is keenly aware of city staff concerns and priorities. I wondered if there was any room for the council to offer alternatives to staff’s budget, which as filled with more code enforcers, images of widened bridges over the San Lorenzo, more low-paid First Alarm guards, and hardly a word about climate mitigations, or even climate change. (BTW, the Parks Master Plan, which appears to be a blue print for damn the climate change pabulum, full steam ahead with more mountain bike paths and $750k worth of water for the golf course (I kid you not) was sent back to look at the environmental effects of the plan’s actions, i.e. carry out an Environmental Impact Report (EIR), or be sued. (This was a win for the environment and at least one positive outcome that occurred this past week. In politics you have to celebrate the wins!)

Progressive City Budget
Yes, you heard that right, the city council pushed back on the staff budget and made some suggestions of their own.  Councilmember Sandy Brown passed around a list of funding priorities to be included: Women’s Self-Defense classes: $20k; Tenant legal services: $60k; Project Homeless Connect: $5k; Janus: $5,400; Foster Grandparents program: $5k; Meals on Wheels: $12k; funding for aUCSC-LRDP advocate position to help enforce the results of voter-approved Measure U: $60k; opening the Harvey West Pool year-round: $400k; and a long-awaited item, budgeting for City Council Assistants: $175k. Now that’s starting to look like a progressive city budget! I would like to say all of these items were embraced unanimously by a progressive council, andflew through on a 7-0 vote. But instead I will say, it sailed through on a 4-3 vote. (Surprise!) Another thorny issue discussed was the future of the brutish, nasty, mean, and short Rental Inspection Ordinance (RIO), which did result in a 7-0 vote. Similar to the now discredited Library-Garage fiasco, el RIO was also never fully vetted by the community and it has left a trail of disaffected and disempowered renters as well as irate landlords along the now long Santa Cruz housing trail of tears.(Apologies here to our Native American brothers and sisters.) The council voted unanimously to have the Planning Director, Lee Butler, bring back information on what a revamped and reformed ordinance might look like, one that puts the needs of tenants first.

Now You see it….now you don’t. Ross Camp Before and after…is it really better this way?

In Other Budget Issues…questions were raised with Police, Parks and Rec., and Public Works over their vehicle purchases and gasoline/diesel budgets. You could hear a pin drop shortly after a Public Works spokesperson lauded the department’s efforts at buying Nissan Leafs (6) and Toyota Priuses (12). Why? He was asked, how many vehicles does the Santa Cruz Public Works Department operate? Oh, around 800, he said. (pin drop time) EIGHT HUNDRED vehicles?!? That means around 2.5% of Public Work’s entire city fleet is electric or hybrid. Almost 11% of all vehicles purchased in California last year were EVs. Wow. Upon further inquiry, the council found that the police department has zero electric cars, and Parks and Rec. possesses far too many monster F-150 pickup trucks. Where does the climate change buck stop I wonder? The recent UN report that was issued last week on potential species loss was being chilled by the whirring new air conditioning system down at city hall council chambers. A wake-up call that the ice caps are melting and the ocean is knocking at the Santa Cruz door has already been issued, and it is certainly within our means to do more mitigating now with respect to the impending future effects of climate disruption. And vehicle purchases are just the tip of this melting iceberg. Where in the city budget is the city council owning up to the awesome responsibility of confronting climate change? There is still time for this council to look at its budget and perform a climate analysis and audit…i.e. identify the low hanging fruit like vehicle purchases, not installing any more air conditioning in city buildings, putting a hold on building more parking garages, and we could plant 2019 trees in 2019. Putting solar on the roof of every new home and every city-owned building, installing electric charging stations throughout the city, and revamping building codes so that all new construction is Leeds certified might take a bit longer, but we desperately need a plan, now. Kyoto, Paris, last week’s UN report, the time to act it now. How is Santa Cruz doing?

Wait, There’s Time
During the course of this Wednesday’s 10am-6:30pm budget deliberations, if I have this right, the deficit went from $1.9 million to $3.2 million then back down to $1.6 million even with the council ad-ons. But, as Yogi Berra might’ve put it, the budget “ain’t over ’til it’s over.” The extremely narrow window to pass the budget that the Finance Director and City Manager built appeared to grow wider throughout the day. At first, some councilmembers thought Wednesday’s meeting would be the only forum to intensely parse the budget, but it turns out May 14th, May 28th, and June 11th could all be additional sessions to discuss city finances. We have more breathing space to receive public input, have councilmember conversations, and put forward additional motions to discuss and debate. There’s time.

What’s on the City Council Meeting Agenda This Week

Four significant issues are of note on this week’s city council agenda:

1. From the city council’s closed session agenda, it appears that a discussion will take place under “Real Property Negotiations.” Under negotiation: Skypark sale.” This property, located inside the city of Scotts Valley, was once the Santa Cruz Airport.
2. “Climate Action Plan Annual Report” will be issued by Climate Action Task Force Coordinator, Dr. Tiffany Wise-West. This couldn’t come to the council too soon given the UN report referred to above and our torpid budget considerations in the area of climate mitigation. Tiffany, help us, guide us, tell us what to do.
3. Proposal by the Transportation and Public Works Commission to extend their yearly meeting schedule from six meetings per year to ten. Wow, am I impressed that a group of commissioners voted on a measure to have more meetings. How commendable is that! This is an especially important resolution since this group was once two commissions and each commission had 10-12 meetings each year. So, for the commission to go to 10 meetings, it’s still only half the amount from pre-recession days, a time when the city had to cut back because of less resources. I applaud these commissioners. Unfortunately, our city staff recommendation is to not have more meetings and stay with the current six meetings per year. I look forward to a robust council discussion on this one.
4. Surprise! Library-Garage is back on the agenda. The item suggests that three councilmembers form a subcommittee and come up with a recommendation that might jump start this project, or shelve the garage, or create a permanent home for the Farmer’s Market where it is, and/or remodel the current library using both the Measure S voter-approved funds of around $28 million and supplementing that money with another $10 million from the city’s Parking Fund. Now that would be progress.

“Nearly half a million-people sitting in jail haven’t been convicted of any crime—simply because many accused of a crime can’t afford bail. We must end cash bail as part of reforming our entire criminal justice system.” (May 13)

(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, and was on the Santa Cruz City Councilmember from 1998-2002. Krohn was Mayor in 2001-2002. He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 14 years. He was elected the the city council again in November of 2016, after his kids went off to college. His current term ends in 2020. Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com

SEND ME NEAT AND FUNNY THINGS FROM AROUND THE WEB. Ralph Davila sent this beautiful creation… You can too, email me at bratton@cruzio.com

EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. Note the invasion & revelation of your inner self at Tim’s Subconscious Comics.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “Our species with mustard” down a few pages. As always, at TimEagan.com you will find his most recent  Deep Cover, the latest installment from the archives of Subconscious Comics, and the ever entertaining Eaganblog.

Munching With Mozart presents Pirates of Penzance at the Santa Cruz Library, May 16, 2019 12:10-1:00 in the Central Branch threatened Downtown Library’s upstairs `Meeting Room. Students in the UCSC music department will perform excerpts from UCSC Opera’s spring production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance.  They’ll be accompanied by Michael Blackburn, the assistant music director. 

THE MIRIAM ELLIS INTERNATIONAL PLAYHOUSE (MEIP).
The 19th season of the Miriam Ellis International Playhouse (MEIP) will feature short, fully-staged theater pieces in 4 languages, with English super-titles, on May 17, 18, 19, at 8:00 PM at the Stevenson Event Center, UCSC. In Japanese, Tales of the Service Industry will be directed by Sakae Fujita; Spanish will offer El delental blanco (The White Apron), Carolina Castillo-Trelles directing. Chinese will present Butterfly Lovers, directed by Ting-Ting Wu, while French students will perform On fait le marché avec Papa (Shopping with Papa), directed by Miriam Ellis and Renée Cailloux. Free admission; parking is $5.00. The public is cordially invited to attend. More at language.ucsc.edu.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “It’s not a portrait of the artist writing in a fever of inspiration. Instead, the beloved fantasy author is depicted as a man of very methodical, intersecting obsessions in Tolkien, 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 archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. Dr. Shawna Riddle (PAMF) returns to discuss vaccinations plus many current health issues in our community on May 14 and she’s followed by Sarah Leonard from MHCAN Mental Health Client Action Network center..  May 21st has concertmaster Roy Malan discussing the Hidden Valley String Orchestra concert occurring on June 2nd. Then Scott McGilvray from Water For Santa Cruz talks about our water issues and solutions.Winners from Bookshop Santa Cruz’s annual Short Story Contest read their works on May 28. Kara Meyberg Guzman and Stephen Baxter from “Santa Cruz Local” are guests on June 14. OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… https://www.radiofreeamerica.com/schedule/kzsc   You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens. 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

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, 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. “MONKEYS”

“If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys“. James Goldsmith
“When you’re dealing with monkeys, you’ve got to expect some wrenches”. Alvah Bessie
“There’s a statistical theory that if you gave a million monkeys typewriters and set them to work, they’d eventually come up with the complete works of Shakespeare. Thanks to the Internet, we now know this isn’t true” Ian Hart