SOQUEL STORM 1955.  Looking east toward Veterle Plumbing & Tile.  On the bridge over Soquel Creek.                                                                                           photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

DATELINE February 11, 2019

THAT DAMNED De LAVEAGA GOLF COURSE. We should change the name to De La VACANT or De La VACUATE !!!

With Pebble Beach Pro Am winding down and away, we need to look at what should be regarded as one of our largest money wasting facts. A good friend wrote to us… “Our taxes still subsidize every round of golf played at DeLaveaga golf course. Two activists were able to get the residential portion of supporting the harbor to end, but no one has ever succeeded in getting the DeLaVeaga golf course to  be 100% self supporting. Why not, and why is their budget so hard to find or see in print?  It’s always a brick wall topic, shouldn’t  the Grand Jury look at the non transparency of the golf   course operations ?. Most cities are closing their municipal golf courses due to funding problems, we pay for it. And how about  the environmental problems, like poisons for the grass flowing down the many creeks that emanate from there and end up in the Monterey May Sanctuary ?  And that it’s watered with potable water, not recycled water.   Why is the parking free at the golf course, when every other facility in town is not given free parking for customers, or even workers ? Charging for parking to make up the budget shortfall would be a place to start. The Frisbee golfers have to pay to park, why not the undercharged per round golfers? Another unanswered question ….Why and how is   $900,000 of city money going into the DeLaveaga Restaurant? Hopefully the city council will have looked at this on Feb. 12 and have made some definite changes…we’ll see.                                                                                                

SHERRY CONABLE. Sherry Conable certainly deserves all the love, honors, tributes and credit our community has been given to her. She was a truly wonderful and dedicated woman. When she decided to conclude her life it’s just possible that Sherry determined that she had finished the work she set out to do. I think she deserves even extra merit. One friend who read her good bye note said it was surprising how short, simple and lacking elegance the note was.  There was an apology, a good bye, and a love.

February 11, 2019

NOT GOING DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT.
I joined city councilmembers Drew Glover and Sandy Brown this past week in crafting several city council agenda items, which we thought were going to be on the February 12th city council agenda. Much to our collective consternation, the pushing of paper goal posts were moved and we missed a mayoral-imposed deadline to get on the official agenda. The resolutions we intend to put forward include re-opening city restrooms to the public at De Laveaga Park, inside the Louden Nelson center, and at city hall; creating an RV overnight parking area; declaring a “homeless state of emergency” in Santa Cruz; and outlining rules and regulations around “transitional camps” in order to transition away from the chaotic “Camp Ross” behind the Gateway Shopping Plaza on River Street. We are hoping to create a robust council discussion around organized and managed campgrounds. Councilmember Glover posted an insightful piece on Santa Cruz IndyMedia about what can only be characterized as the agenda snafu-doo doo controversy. (It’s titled, “The Fierce Urgency of Now.” )

Glover writes: “We need action NOW in Santa Cruz, not more reports or updates. Conversations and brainstorming is always important, but now is the time we need action. That is why I have been working for the last three weeks, alongside fellow Councilmembers, interns, advocates and people experiencing homelessness, on creating actionable policies that can be implemented now. We have solutions for the camps, solutions for RVs and car camping, solutions for zoning and the bureaucratic obstacles that have slowed action in the past. We have solutions for access to bathrooms and hygiene facilities, survival materials and more. There are those within the City Council that support the items for action at this next Council meeting on February 12th, and I applaud them. However, there are those who are slowing us down. Specifically, it is the Mayor that is making it difficult for us to take any action at the next City Council meeting.” 

Brand New Council Community Meeting No. 2
Another well-attended community-council planning meeting took place on Sunday February 3rd. It was a follow-up agenda-setting meeting from Dec. 2nd. The three-hour marathon session covered issues ranging from affordable housing to homelessness to oversight of the police department to transportation. It was a much-needed brain-storming session. One of the meeting facilitators wrote a follow-up email and characterized it this way:

1)” Networking function–These meetings can be a place where groups can update each other on issues they are working on and ask for support at Council at key times. In order for this to function well, representatives of active groups need to be present at each meeting. The representative can be prepared to make a brief presentation at the meeting. We can think of some groups that were not represented at the meeting on Sunday and invite them. Maybe each meeting can feature a longer presentation by one group with a focus on “How we are working with City Council.  2) “Place to plug in–I got the sense from a number of the working group reports on Sunday that people want to contribute, but they may not be ready to start their own working group. They may be unaware of the work already being done on an issue and unfamiliar with valuable information about that issue. So, with leaders from active groups present, the people who want to plug in will be able to do so.” The next large group community-city council meeting is scheduled for Sunday, March 17th at 10am. Mark your calendar.

Green New Deal
I attended the Green New Deal kick-off at the Walnut Street Commons last week. Great turnout! Over fifty people crammed into to their lounge to watch the Sunrise Movement’s nationwide group-chat about what the Green New Deal is and also to help strategize for getting it through congress. At first blush, 40 congress members signed on, but now it is up to 64 co-sponsors and the group is pushing for more. This week Green New Dealers will be visiting their members of congress who haven’t yet signed on (Jimmy Panetta get ready, we need you!). The Sunrise Movement’s web site reads: “Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Ed Markey have introduced a Joint Resolution for a Green New Deal. If resolutions get enough cosponsors, they can become a major driver of the policy debate! If not, they can get lost in the political shuffle and fade into oblivion. That’s why from Feb. 11-13, we are going to show up in person at our Senators’ and Representatives’ offices and ask them to cosponsor the Green New Deal Resolution.” Best document I’ve encountered, through the Washington Post’s “Energy 202” column, is a Google doc outlining the Green New Deal. It can be located here

What about a city council resolution outlining what a Green New Deal might look like for Santa Cruz?

Sherry Conable
So much has been written this past week about Sherry. We lost her on February 4th. Her body was found at Cowell’s Beach, an apparent suicide. Sherry was a pillar of positive, activist energy in this community whether it was her dogged pursuit of adequate police review, or how better to serve the homeless and houseless community. Perhaps she was most integral and active in the peace movement: Veterans for Peace, Resource Center for Non-Violence and Code Pink. Sherry showed up early and often, and was a shining star. Her words were measured, but forceful, and her resolve and commitment to peace never wavered.  Sherry Conable was a community hero. We’ve lost a friend, a mother, an activist, a kibitzer, a local historian. Sherry was part of every peace effort going back to the NO NUKES Jackson Brown concert in the ’70’s. And as Paula Leroy noted in a recent email, Sherry “organized dozens of rallies and events that helped us voice our views about war, militarization of the police (SCRAM), treatment of veterans, immigration, homelessness, and many more. She brought us together and made our voices and community stronger in beautiful ways. In her glorious pink outfit with flowered wreath, she marched in Gay Pride, Women’s March, Anti-Iraq and Afghanistan invasion rallies and every important cause for decades.”Sherry was the real Santa Cruz deal. We love you Sherry, rest in peace, we miss you already. Sherry Conable presente!

The Go-Figure Department
The city of Santa Cruz through the Public Works Department’s maintenance fund (general fund revenue) has shelled out $300,000 to fix up the restaurant at the DeLaveaga golf course. This comes after a 47-year-long tenant vacated. Well, I wasn’t wholly in favor of that past disbursement of city money, but I learned to live with it. But now, there’s an agenda item, #10, on this week’s council agenda asking for $600,000 more to get the job done. Ouch! With all the needs in Santa Cruz–affordable housing, need for more bus service to the university and other parts of the county, housing for the people at Camp Ross, affordable childcare–someone in the city wants throw $600k more for a 19th watering hole restaurant at the golf course? Doesn’t make immediate sense to this councilmember. You can read the staff report herehttp://scsire.cityofsantacruz.com/sirepub/mtgviewer.aspx?meetid=1162&doctype=AGENDA

The Tweet of the Week space is reserved for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her relentless questioning of ethics “experts” in a congressional hearing this past week. She eviscerates the notion that $$$ equals free speech in an incredibly entertaining “Let’s Play a Game” way. You gotta see this, it’s just five minutes.

(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

February 5, 2019
#36 / Updating Socrates?

Charles Krauthammer, pictured next to Socrates, was a “leaning right” political pundit who apparently compared President George W. Bush to Abraham Lincoln. Krauthammer died in June, 2018. Abraham Lincoln died in April, 1865. George W. Bush is still alive. 

Krauthammer left behind a set of essays, now published in book form under the title, The Point of it All. I have not read Krauthammer’s book, but I have read a review, published in my local newspaper on Sunday, January 20th. The review, by Daniel Oppenheimer, contained a line that Oppenheimer said was “core” to Krauthammer’s worldview: 

Beware the too-examined life.
According to Oppenheimer, Krauthammer believed that “introspection, self-counsciousness [and] deconstruction…were more likely to be vices than virtues, corrosive to the good life, sound political judgment and global leadership.”

Socrates was one of the founders of Western philosophy. He had a different idea. Here is one of Socrates’ most famous sayings:

The unexamined life is not worth living. 
Krauthammer did have an advantage that Socrates did not. Krauthammer lived post-Shakespeare, and can be expected to have pondered Hamlet’s agonized ruminations about how we often fail to take action, as we ought, when our resolution becomes “sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought.”

Another pundit, Thomas Friedman (still alive), has “debriefed” the Iraq War, one of the main initiatives of President George W. Bush, whom Krauthammer thought was a Lincoln-like hero. Considering the Iraq War, which has been disastrous in virtually every way, Friedman poses this question to past-president Bush:

What were you thinking?
Now, I guess, with the Krauthammer book, we know the answer. Influenced by the kind of “worldview” espoused by Krauthammer, our president wasn’t thinking at all!

As far as I am concerned, Krauthammer’s comparison of Bush to Lincoln is not convincing. With all due respect to Krauthammer (and to Shakespeare), when I think about what sort of leader I would like to have guiding our national policy, it strikes me that it would be an advantage, not a fault, to have a leader who “thinks” before that leader acts.

Just to be clear, in other words, as between Krauthammer and Socrates, I am sticking with Socrates!

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. Do check out our weekly visit to our nether regions…and enjoy!!!

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “Parading the Truth” 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. “My dialogue with Christina (Waters) over this year’s Oscar nominees continues this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com/).  And there’s still time to catch up with two outstanding Oscar contenders in the Foreign Language category, the dark, delirious romantic complexity of Pawel Pawlikowski’s Polish drama, Cold War, and Lebanese filmmaker Nadine Labaki’s harrowing but mesmerizing portrait of refugee children surviving the indifferent grown-up world in Capernaum.” 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. Authors and Publishers Doug and Rachel Abrams discuss their new book on finding, maintaining relationships “Eight Dates” on Feb.19. Vets Service Officer Dean Kaufman follows them and talks about many new veterans’ benefits and area events. February 26 has George Fogelson and Barry Braverman discuss the book, “Between The Redwoods and The Bay- a History of Jews In Santa Cruz”. Jean Brocklebank and Judi Grunstra discuss Santa Cruz library plans following Fogelson. Workers comp attorney Bob Taren returns March 5 to share his thoughts on the political scene. On March 19 Maestro Michel Singher talks about the Espressivo Orchestra concert happening March 31st. Then Ellen Primack exec. dir of the Cabrillo Fest of Contemporary Music talks all about plans to upgrade the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium. May 21st has concertmaster Roy Malan discussing the Hidden Valley String Orchestra concert occurring on June 2nd. 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. 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. “PRESIDENTS & PRESIDENTS DAY””
“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” – Abraham Lincoln

“We are a nation of many nationalities, many races, many religions — bound together by a single unity, the unity of freedom and equality. Whoever seeks to set one nationality against another, seeks to degrade all nationalities.” Franklin Delano Roosevelt  

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.”  Barack Obama 

SANTA CRUZ’S CHINATOWN ca. 1905-1955. Known as Birkenseer’s China Lane. That’s the Garibaldi Hotel on the far left.                                                                                    photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

DATELINE February 4. 2019

JOHN LAIRD CANDIDATE AND HISTORIAN. John was on Universal Grapevine last Tuesday (1/29). We had a fine talk about his campaigning for State Senate. Last week I ran a historical photo here of Thrash Motors that stood at the corner of Front and Cathcart Streets. John sent this neat note re that photo.

“Bruce – I enjoyed the photo of Thrash Motors. I do extensive family history research, and my Danish immigrant great-grandmother had a brother who died in 1903 in Oklahoma and left a widow and four young children. I looked in records, and was surprised to find the widow and one child in Santa Cruz, California in the 1920 census. Further research showed that the daughter, Maree Christensen – married Sylvan “Pop” Thrash. He was the owner of Thrash Motors that you pictured and they lived in Santa Cruz together for fifty years until their deaths in the 1970’s. I don’t think my grandmother ever knew she had a first cousin in Santa Cruz. Great to be on your show last Tuesday”. It’s probably too early for endorsements!!

BORGEN. Borgen translates as “the castle” in Danish, and I must tell you that I’ve been totally immersed in this three season iTunes saga since my daughter Hillary found and recommended it. It’s the story of a woman who becomes the first female Prime Minister of Denmark. If you like politics and wonder what a politician’s life is like, forget any American versions and watch this instead. The show started in 2010, and from what I hear it won’t go past the third series. Forget “Veep”, “House of Cards”, “The West Wing” and the rest… Borgen is far superior. I’d give you your money back IF and etc….but it would be too much trouble, and you’ll love it too.

DICK DOUBRAVA DIED. Dick’s good friend Fred Geiger wrote to tell us that Dick Doubrava had congestive heart failure for a while, it steadily worsened, and he finally went on Tuesday afternoon at home. His wife Diane was with him. Dick was active in the Terrace Point Action Network with Gordon Pusser, and he was also on the City Planning Commission for 5 years, including a term as Chair. Additionally he was part of SCRP for quite a while — including being involved in stopping the massive Dream Inn expansion — and ran for City Council in 2000. He was also active in the Seniors Center for many years, and bus Captain at the Senior Follies at the Civic for quite a few years. A great guy and liked by all who knew him!

February 4th, 2019

WHAT MONARCHS?
Few issues arouse such intense feelings as that of the proposed 32-mile rail trail for Santa Cruz County. Trail only advocates and rail trail advocates square off from opposite sides of the ring, hurling verbal challenges and opposing facts. Into the ring steps the city of Santa Cruz whose job it is to assess the environmental impacts of the rail trail for the segments that lie within its boundary. Theoretically, such assessment should be objective and accurate, allowing for an emotion- free evaluation of how the project will impact the environment, whether the impacts are significant and if they are , how or whether they can be mitigated.  So it was not encouraging that the city’s environmental review of Segment 7 Phase 2, the stretch of rail line that is less than a mile long, running from California and Bay Streets down past the Water Treatment Plant and ending at the wharf roundabout omitted any mention of the monarch butterfly habitat next to the trestle bridge in the eucalyptus grove pictured. There’s even a plaque at the site recognizing it as a monarch site. Somehow the city, in this case Public Works, didn’t notice it, like a referee who fails to notice a strike to the groin.

As is often the case, it took community members, in this case the Sierra Club, which supports the rail trail, to point out the monarch omission and other environmental inadequacies. As a result, Public Works re-circulated the environmental document, this time with the inclusion of the monarch site. If you were expecting a valid environmental review of the butterfly habitat you will be disappointed. Despite this being a recognized monarch overwintering habitat, the city claims, with no evidence, that “the current habitat suitability (for monarchs) is low due to the lack of low branches and nearby nectar sources.” The trees in the grove never had low branches and the nearby nectar sources have not disappeared. The city’s 2030 General Plan on page 127 states that to evaluate the current habitat value for monarch butterflies,  “multi-year surveys are required during the winter roosting season.” Since the city has had this segment of the rail trail on its radar for a number of years, the lack of proper environmental review for this monarch habitat is negligence or indifference or both. When placed in the context of other environmental review shortcomings on the part of the city, (Heritage Tree Ordinance changes for example) it is hard to not conclude that the city is failing in its task of an objective reviewer of the environmental impacts of its various projects. One might even conclude it is deliberate bias to favor pet projects, this being one of them, leaving the community little options other than lawsuits.

The project itself is fraught with environmental and cost problems. Less than a mile long, this Segment 7, Phase 2 is projected to cost $10 million to construct a trail next to the existing rail line. It requires 3,500 cubic yards of earth removal to create the width of the trail into the western bank, a retaining wall between 3.5 and 19.5 feet high to shore up the remaining bank, the removal of 42 trees, many of them heritage size, the channelizing of year-round springs, the removal of riparian vegetation and the displacement of birds, butterflies, amphibians, reptiles and mammals. The suggestion in the city’s review that the aforementioned fauna can relocate suggests a lack of environmental awareness or a lack of caring or both.

Meanwhile up on Bay Street, bike lanes run all the way to West Cliff Drive and another bike/walking path winds through La Barranca Park. Perhaps not ideal but perhaps sufficient if the environmental losses and costs for this project are more carefully evaluated with a cool head and unbiased mind. The Planning Commission is expected to review and vote on the Mitigated Negative Declaration for this project at its March 7th meeting.

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.

Feb.4. 2019

THIS WEEK ON THE CITY COUNCIL
Not much in-public council biz is taking place these past couple of weeks, and behind the scenes political chess pieces continue to move lethargically if at all. Our last council meeting took place on January 22nd and at that time I suggested two study sessions, one on homelessness and another on the library-in-a-garage project. The city manager said staff would likely not be prepared for a study session, so I was forced to make a motion that the council place an agenda item concerning homelessness on its next regularly scheduled meeting, February 12. It passed unanimously, but it was unusual to have to make such a motion. I simply wanted to ensure that the council begins to address the critical situation behind the Gateway shopping center, now dubbed, Camp Ross. It has become a metaphor for the houseless in this community. Call me paranoid, but the more the new council wants to move forward on addressing homelessness, tenant protections, inclusionary housing, and the library-in-the-garage project, the more we seem to be met with murmurs of slow down! Not so fast now…got to get the new councilmembers up to speed. But yet we are seeing two separate Tuesdays (Jan. 29 and Feb. 5), days all councilmembers presumably have marked in their calendars for city business, pass by with nary a public meeting. Go figure.

Lawsuits, Lawsuits, Lawsuits
Five major projects are either being threatened with a law suit, or already find themselves in the midst of litigation. Bruce Bratton reported on two of those last week, Sustainable Soquel vs. Nissan Dealership and East Meadow Action Committee vs. UCSC and Regents. What I’ve learned while working in government is that often filing a law suit is the only way to get the attention of either a municipality’s decision-makers or a corporate board room. The stopping of bad, and sometimes a good, projects take time and money, but money is key, you usually need a lawyer. As the former Executive Director of the California Coastal Commission, Peter Douglas, was fond of saying, the coast is never saved, the coast is always being saved. The law suits before us generally offer the picture of a community that cares about quality of life, increasing affordable housing, and providing transportation options. I will offer brief updates on the other three current or potential cases of litigation.

Hatch and Pomerantz v. City of Santa Cruz
Local environmental attorney Bill Parkin states early in his Dec. 11, 2019 letter to the Santa Cruz City Council, “It has become obvious that the City pays lip service to the need for affordable housing and uses the need as a tool to endlessly promote development within the City.” What’s at issue for Parkin and his clients is that they do not believe the city of Santa Cruz is enforcing the will of the voters as enshrined in the language of 1979’s ballot initiative, Measure O. “Measure O’s mandate is clear: It shall be the policy of the City of Santa Cruz that at least 15% of those housing units newly constructed for sale or rental each year shall be capable of purchase or rental by persons with average or below average incomes.” What’s at issue is that Parkin’s clients want the 203-unit Devcon project at Laurel and Pacific Avenue to build the inclusionary units.  The 6-story project was approved last year by the city council majority at zero units of affordability, Measure O seems to indicate that approximately 31 apartments in that project ought to be built as “affordable.” The “Notice of Intent to Commence Litigation” arrived on the council doorstep on January 4th, and this law suit takes issue with ignoring the intent of Measure O and CEQA requirements as well.

Ocean Street Extension
This law suit is over the property at 1935 Ocean St. Extension across from Santa Cruz Memorial Cemetery. It concerns the neighbor’s law suit at odds with a city council-majority approval of a 32-condominium project for that site. The property was originally zoned for nine single-family homes. The case is moving toward the courts, but mediation is always an option. Word has it that the owners of the property have offered it as a temporary camp site to the city for one year as the law suit plays itself out.

Potential Litigation to Stop Highway widening
This is currently only a threatened law suit by unnamed individuals (some who have been successful in the past), if the Regional Transportation Commission moves forward with using Measure D funds to widen Highway 1 all the way south to Freedom Blvd. This battle has been playing itself out over the past 30 years and it is unlikely there will be a resolution soon, but anyone who drives this corridor knows how excruciatingly slow traffic can be during the 7-9 am and 3-6 pm commutes. On one side, there is considerable support to widen the highway to at least three lanes–some would prefer four–each way on this key north-south county artery. On the other side is a vocal and active opposition that sincerely believes widening highways does not work. The opposition wishes to block any more space for cars until a variety of transportation options are put into place including the rail-trail project, on-ramp metering lights, and a bus-on-highway-shoulder configuration. Also, on a side note I wonder if car-pooling is essentially dead, except for UCSC van pools, as I am hearing about it less and less as an option.

“Three people own more wealth than the bottom half of our country. 25 hedge fund managers earn twice as much as all 140,000 kindergarten teachers. One family (Kochs) spent $400 million to buy elections. That’s why we need a political revolution.” (Feb. 4) (Note: Is Bernie in favor of a palace coup in Venezuela? One political scientist I spoke with this past week was convinced he is. Stay tuned.)

(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

Feb. 4, 2019

LEGAL ACTION FILED AGAINST SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT FOR ALLEGED MULTIPLE VIOLATIONS OF CEQA 
I have filed legal action in appeal of the Soquel Creek Water District Board approval of the expensive Project that would inject millions of gallons of treated sewage water daily into the aquifer that provides drinking water for most of the MidCounty area.  I allege that the Board certified a deficient Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Project (Resolution 18-30) and approved the Project’s Findings, Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program, (MMRP), and Statement of Overriding Consideration, thereby approving the Project (Resolution 18-31).  A Petition for Writ of Mandate is simply a demand that the District follow CEQA law, to correct and cure the violations I feel they have committed.  I am not suing the District for money, other than the costs of my filing and creating an administrative record of documents for the judge to review.

A local grassroots group of well-educated, informed and engaged citizens called ‘Water for Santa Cruz County’ had planned to file this legal action, but as an unincorporated association, was restricted to hiring an attorney to represent them.  Two legal counsels advised the group that the effort would cost $80,000-$100,000, and that was prohibitive.    Compelled by the Board’s actions and the potential negative impacts that are broad and irreversible, I chose to file the action myself, in Pro Per, under Citizen Standing for the public benefit.  The case is No. 19CV00181.  It is not a perfect document, but it was action that was required to stop the District’s arrogant hyper-focus action to shove through the Pure Water Soquel: Groundwater Recharge and Seawater Intrusion Prevention Project on a FAST TRACK CONSTRUCTION model for a Design-Build-Operate scenario.   Mr. Steve Wait, representative for IDE Technologies, a large multi-national company specializing in these projects, has already been circling the Board, attending the November 6, 2018 meeting when the Board approved the proposed rate increases that are modeled solely on whether or not the District gets grant funding for the Pure Water Project, and again, at the December 18, 2018 Board meeting when the EIR was certified and the Project was approved.

The Soquel Creek Water District Board will meet this Tuesday, Feb. 5, at 7pm in Closed Session to discuss the legal action (right after their two-hour Ethics Training).  Under Brown Act Rules, the Board MUST allow public comment on the Closed Session topic in advance of adjourning into Closed Session.  I urge members of the public to attend and testify.  Write the Board with your thoughts about their plan to inject millions of gallons of treated sewage water into the Purisima Aquifer, the drinking water supply for the MidCounty area, not just the District.  Shouldn’t all those people have a voice in this, too?  I think so, and so do the 300 or so people who signed petitions submitted to the District and the MidCounty Groundwater Agency to allow a public vote on this disgusting and arrogant action the District is taking.

Perhaps, in desert areas, this technology makes sense because there is no other potential water supply.  That is not the case in Santa Cruz County, where there is abundant water supply, but inadequate storage mechanisms.  Please look at the Water for Santa Cruz County website to learn more: www.waterforsantacruz.com/

You can write the Board of Directors of Soquel Creek Water District bod@soquelcreekwater.org      and copy the Secretary of the Board,  Emma Olin emmao@soquelcreekwater.org

Here is the link to the Feb. 5 Board Agenda and materials

SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT CUSTOMERS NEED TO FILE SPECIFIC WRITTEN RATE AND FEE PROTESTS
Attend the FREE educational workshop Tuesday, February 12 at the Aptos Library to learn how to file correct written rate increase protests letters to the Soquel Creek Water District.  These rate increases have been calculated by an expensive consultant, Raftelis, to craft the revenue levels necessary for the District’s plan to build a project that will inject treated sewage water into the area’s drinking water supply.  The District hopes to get $70 Million in state and federal grants for the disgusting project, but Raftelis also calculated what rates would have to be in the event that no grant money were awarded for the Pure Water Soquel Project.  The Board selected this most-expensive option, with the idea that if the grant money comes through, they could reduce rates more easily than raise them if the grants did not get awarded.  Mind you, THIS ACTION WAS ALL TAKEN BEFORE THE BOARD CERTIFIED THE PROJECT EIR AND APPROVED THE PROJECT.  

The District Staff also recommended that if the rate increases go through, the District would no longer charge at their Stage 3 Conservation Rate levels, which are HIGHER THAN THE BASE RATE, to make sure that in drought times when customers are conserving and using less water, the District still gets plenty of money for expensive consultants, lobbyists in Washington, D.C. (that’s currently $45,000/year to support Pure Water Soquel),  and monthly Pure Water Soquel Team Meetings in San Jose at expensive hotels.  It is amazing what a Public Records Act request will make known to the people, isn’t it?

Here is the link to the materials from the November 6, 2018 Board meeting, Item 6.2, where Raftelis presents the rate increase scenarios.  

Attend the Workshop at the Public Library so that you can learn more about this, as well as the alternative water supply possibilities if the District would only be willing to work more cooperatively with the City of Santa Cruz.  

Attend the District’s Board meeting and Prop. 218 RATE AND FEE INCREASE PUBLIC HEARING  Feb. 19 at 6pm.  All rate and fee protests must have Service Address, Assessor Parcel Number, and whether you protest the rate AND the service fee increases, with your signature and printed name.  Mail to Protest Officer, P,O,Box 1550, Capitola, CA   95010, or take it in person to the District Office at 5180 Soquel Drive, Soquel, CA, or take to the February 19 Public Rate Increase Hearing.  Submissions by e-mail are NOT acceptable and will not be counted.

If you are able, also attend the District’s Standing Committee meetings on February 12: (both at the District Office, 5180 Soquel Drive, Soquel)

Public Outreach  10:30am-11:30am

Water Resources Management and Infrastructure  4pm-5pm

LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT THE COMPUTER MODEL SHOWS FOR THE MIDCOUNTY GROUNDWATER LEVELS IN THE FUTURE
Attend the February 11 MidCounty Groundwater Advisory Committee Enrichment Workshop at the Community Foundation, at 5pm to learn what computer models show for water levels in the area, and that are being used to support certain project needs that are not always transparent to the public.

The Mid-County Groundwater Agency is a consortium of water agencies in the MidCounty area that are working to create the plan required by the State to show the agencies will work together to bring groundwater supplies to a sustainable level by 2040.  Because the State has declared the MidCounty Basin in critical overdraft (2016), the group must have this plan submitted for State approval by January, 2020.  Soquel Creek Water District is the largest pumper in the group.  The hypothetical computer model the group is using was initially commissioned by Soquel Creek Water District over two years ago, is still being developed at great expense by a consulting company named Montgomery & Associates, formerly HydroMetrics, and that was co-founded by former Soquel Creek Water District General Manager, Ms. Laura Brown (now deceased).

The model is complex, a “work in progress” and the largely-citizen-based Advisory Committee that is supposed to be formulating the Plan to submit for approval to the MidCounty Groundwater Agency Board and ultimately, the State, is to approve to meet the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. Read more here, but do attend if you are able

SHOULD SANTA CRUZ CITY WATER DEPARTMENT AND SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT CONSOLIDATE? 
The short answer is YES!!!  Sadly, the District’s political mistrust of the City is hampering efficient and effective regional water supply management, to the detriment of the ratepayers and and the community at-large, if the treated sewage water gets injected into the groundwater supplies of the region.   The Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) is responsible for overseeing efficient local government special district operations and can initiate annexation but can only initiate consolidation when there is a request to do so by the affected agencies OR THEIR CITIZENS.  

Please attend the LAFCO MEETING this Wednesday, Feb. 6,  10 am in the County Building (701 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz), 5th Floor and ask (during public comment) for the Commission to place discussion of consolidation of Soquel Creek Water District and Santa Cruz City Water Department on the next agenda.  There are two such letters requesting that action that are included in the Commission packet.  Please send yours in, too!    Pat McCormick pat.mccormick@santacruzounty.us      and copy Debra Means debra.means@santacruzcounty.us   

HOW WILL LOCAL WATER AGENCIES BUDGET HOW MUCH WATER YOU WILL GET?
Attend the Water Budget Educational Workshop this Saturday, February 9, at the Felton Community Center, 9am-1pm, to learn more about how Santa Cruz City and the San Lorenzo Valley water agencies will decide how much water citizens, agriculture and landscapes will be allowed under new state laws coming down the pike.   State Assembly member Mark Stone will be the key speaker.

www.smgwa.org/

The State plans to impose water budget limits on individuals and their water use with two new laws signed by (ret) Governor Brown: SB 606 and AB 1668.  These laws will take effect as early as October, 2021 but in full force by November 1, 2023.  This would ultimately limit individual use to 50 gallons/person/day, and set allowed water use levels for agriculture and landscaped areas.  Read more about this here

PLEASE WRITE TO SUPPORT THE AMAZING SANTA CRUZ COUNTY LAW LIBRARY
Do you know there is a free legal resource for all citizens to use at the County Government Building for times when you need legal knowledge, but perhaps have no money for expensive legal advice, or just want to learn for yourself what the law really is?

I could not have possibly written a Petition for CEQA Writ of Mandate against Soquel Creek Water District without the kind help of the staff at the County Law Library, located in the basement of the 701 Ocean Street Government Building.  Renee and Jose helped me find the laws I needed to read, the guides that showed proper form, and were incredibly patient and helpful with my poor computer abilities.   I witnessed them patiently working with many, many people who were afraid, angry and/or frustrated because the legal system had kicked them around without providing any real help, so they landed at the Law Library to get information.  I witnessed how, when given information and the power to take action themselves, the people calmed down, and became much stronger and focused.  About 85% of the people who visit the County Law Library do not have legal representation and cannot afford to hire expensive legal representation.   

How is this amazing public resource funded?  How can you help keep this wealth of free assistance available to those who need it most?

The County Budget DOES NOT FUND the Law Library.  The main source of funding is from a small portion of the first paper filing fee in civil cases, which has dropped in Santa Cruz County by 38% since 2010, and by as much as 50% in other counties.   This funding mechanism has not changed statewide since 1891 when law established them.  In Santa Cruz County, the Law Library was established in 1896, and the funding mechanism has not changed since.  

Please ask Governor Newsom to allocate a one-time line item in the State Budget to assist all county law libraries who are struggling to keep their doors open to the public.  Also, please contact the Legislature and ask that there be new legislation created to help the law libraries throughout the State by changing the archaic funding mechanism for County Law Libraries.   By and large, it is not attorneys who are using the County Law Libraries, it is the common people.  

Please contact: 

Governor Newsom
Assembly Member Mark Stone
State Senator Bill Monning  

ARE THE PARKING SPACES IN THE APTOS VILLAGE PROJECT REALLY GOING TO PROVIDE SAFE PARKING AND THOROUGHFARE?
The Aptos Village Project Phase 1 is complete, including the new 3220 Square foot office space for Second District Supervisor Zach Friend and various law enforcement staff (with two dedicated parking spaces).  However, the widths of the parking spaces that line the new Aptos Village Way thoroughfare have recently been REDUCED.  Hmmm…..  

Take a look….do you think this will be safe for fire engines responding if there are vehicles sticking out into the road way on both sides of the road, like this County-owned pickup in the photo?   I wonder how many bicyclists will get injured by motorists opening their doors into the lane of traffic?  

Shouldn’t the developers be made to fix this before Phase 2 construction in the area behind the pickup begins?  The Phase 2 Final Map approval has not yet gone before the Board of Supervisors, and may still be on the desk of County Public Works.  CONTACT PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR MATT MACHADO and insist the Aptos Village LLC developers tear out and fix this narrow, dangerous Aptos Village Way thoroughfare as a condition of approval for the Phase 2 Final Map.  

It is my understanding that Aptos Village Way will become County-owned once the Project is complete.

This dense mixed-use development has parking spaces calculated only for 61% occupancy to begin with, and the public has been consistently promised throughout the planning process that there will be free and unlimited parking for Nisene Marks State Park users and other public use.  

These parking spaces are just too narrow, and for public safety, must be fixed.  Allowing parking on one side only will only compound the lack of parking that everyone in the area understands will be a problem already.

Cheers, Becky Steinbruner

Becky Steinbruner is a 30+ year resident of Aptos. She has fought for water, fire, emergency preparedness, and for road repair. She ran for Second District County Supervisor in 2016 on a shoestring and got nearly 20% of the votes. Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com

EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. Visit our wildest dreams and super projections…just a scroll down.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “Flights To…?” 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. “Christina Waters, and I continue our face-off over this year’s Oscar nominees, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ). And speaking of Oscar, what do this year’s crop of nominated live-action and animated short films say about the (evidently dire) state of the world? Read my review 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. .  Ellen Grace O’Brian talks about her book, ” Jewel Of Abundance” on February 12. Then Willow Katz discusses Solitary Confinement and prison care. Authors and Publishers Doug and Rachel Abrams discuss their new book on finding, maintaining relationships “Eight Dates” on Feb.19. Vets Service Officer Dean Kaufman follows them and talks about many new veterans’ benefits and area events. February 26 has George Fogelson discussing his book, “Between The Redwoods and The Bay- a History of Jews In Santa Cruz”. Jean Brocklebank and Judi Grunstra discuss Santa Cruz library plans following Fogelson. Workers comp attorney Bob Taren returns March 5 to share his thoughts on the political scene. Then Ellen Primack exec. dir of the Cabrillo Fest of Contemporary Music talks all about plans to upgrade the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium. 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. “LOVE”
“Love doesn’t make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.” – Franklin P. Jones
“There are never enough I Love You’s.” – Lenny Bruce
“To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.” – Oscar Wilde
“Love is what you’ve been through with somebody.” – James Thurber

FRONT & CATHCART STREETS. June 24,1952. Once upon a time we saw Thrash Motors here. Now it’s Surfrider Café, Ocean City Buffet, and The Korean Grill. It still keeps us running on gas!                                                                                           photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

DATELINE January 28, 2019

UCSC’S EAST MEADOW UPDATE. “East Meadow Action Committee” (EMAC)
— a hardworking UCSC Campus group consisting of professors, students, staff members and other folks — has been working hard to preserve certain campus sites from developer-speed-cheap-rushed student bed sites. Their latest Update stated (minus editing)… “We’re sorry to report that the Regents appear unlikely to deflect the University from its plan to begin construction in June”. That refers to just the East Meadow development.

The first Regents meeting was held last Wednesday (1/16).. 

Our alliance opposing the current plan argued its case, though within serious constraints. A hopeful sign was a special session, focused only on the East Meadow part of the University’s plan, that was called for 1/15, prior to the regular meeting. Present at this gathering were: the President of the Board of Regents, the Chair of its Finance and Capital Strategies Committee, several other concerned Regents, members of the UCSC Administration with student and community allies, and four critics of the East Meadow siting. These latter included a former Regent, a former Campus architect, plus the Chair of the Alumni Council, and the Chair of the UC Santa Cruz Foundation, all very well-informed and committed. After a closed-door meeting of the Regents with the campus Administration, a discussion was organized, with speakers for and against the Meadow development. There was enough time for complex issues of cost and alternative siting to be raised, if not explored in depth. The Regents at the meeting were engaged and interested.

This special session, dedicated solely to the East Meadow, showed that our protests had gotten the Regents’ attention. It raised the possibility that they might require UC Santa Cruz to come back with an alternative plan, sparing the Meadow. However, on the following day, the regularly scheduled meeting of the full Board was a disappointment. 

In the Public Comment period, more than sixty people signed up to speak on a variety of important issues. Comments were thus restricted to one minute per speaker. Eight of us spoke about the Meadow. But this, our only chance to address the full Board, was limited to sound-bites which tended to be drowned in a cacophony of other interventions.

That afternoon, at the crucial Finance and Capital Strategies Committee meeting, a more substantial discussion took place. It can be accessed on line: https://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/meetings/videos/jan2019/jan2019.html#fin

First, a full presentation of the Student Housing West Project by the Chancellor and three senior UCSC administrators made the case for an urgent housing crisis (which no-one contests) and argued for speed and cost containment. A short debate was then organized, in which Paul Hall, a UCSC Alumnus, prominent attorney and former Regent, presented a brilliantly concise statement of the opposition to the meadow siting and the promise of several alternatives. 

The committee discussion that followed was an opportunity to gauge the reaction of influential Regents to the issues that had been raised. Nothing we heard suggested an inclination to question the plan presented by the UCSC Administration. The Chair of the Finance and Capital Strategies Committee asked the Chancellor to provide, by the next meeting in March, cost estimates for the various siting alternatives. These numbers, he said, would help the Regents be more confident in approving a project that was the least costly option. In the past, the University’s estimates have included drastically inflated costs for various alternatives, along with best-case, no-surprises estimates for the East Meadow development. Without access to “privileged” data, it has been impossible to challenge the University’s figures. We will see whether the numbers the University presents to the Regents are more realistic, and, if not, whether the Regents raise doubts or questions.

Beyond their focus on cost, the Finance Committee members seemed unwilling to get involved in the details of the proposal, preferring to defer to the campus Administration. Their proper role, they said, is not to function as a kind of local zoning board, but to oversee broad administrative and financial matters. It was apparent from their comments, moreover, that many of the newly appointed Regents have never set foot on the UCSC campus and have no knowledge of its history or reputation for environmental design. Few had read the materials we sent them. 

Thus, it seems highly unlikely that any obstacle to the Student Housing West project in its present form will emerge at the meeting scheduled for March 13-14. With a deadline to begin construction in the summer season, approval of the project is almost certain. 

This leaves only litigation as a way to stop the destruction of the East Meadow. After March 14th, those contemplating legal action under California Environmental Law must file suit within thirty days. That decision will depend on technical and legal analysis of the Environmental Impact Report once that complex document is finally made public. It will also depend on gathering critical financial and political support.  We’ll be addressing these issues in future “East Meadow Updates.” East Meadow Action Committee (EMAC)

NISSAN DEALERSHIP & SUSTAINABLE SOQUEL PROGRESS! “Sustainable Soquel” sent this email. I edited it just a little.

“We know many of you are anxious to hear how things are going with the legal action against the county. The good news is that we are in the homestretch, with a final court date likely in March. It’s been about two years since our community was first alerted about a Nissan Dealership project at 41st Avenue and Soquel Drive. At that time, many of us were stunned when we discovered there was no public notification, no Environmental Impact Report and no public hearings planned. We later learned the project was quietly being pushed through for approval by our County’s own CAO’s Economic Development Department and the Planning Department. The county ignored our community’s Sustainable Plan and the General Plan and voila – came up with its own plan for an auto dealership for that corner instead.

Our recent legal action has revealed a shocking discovery, including this….
The Planning Department has a subjective policy of purging emails that it believes has no relevance. In our case, the planners conveniently purged thousands of emails that should have been part of the legal record. Fortunately, our attorney was able to recover over 2,000 purged emails from the county’s computer mainframes. This information sent a bit of a shock-wave into our Sustainable consciousness about our local governmental lack of oversight and the lengths they will consider in covering their tracks.

However, we are only halfway to our goal of $20,000 for attorney fees.

It’s been a long haul, and your passionate input at the Planning Commission and Supervisor meetings inspired us to take that step in June when we filed a “Writ of Mandate against the County,” a court order to government agencies to correct their previous illegal behavior in order to comply with the law. It’s very difficult for citizens to challenge actions taken by governments. Many of you have given generously and we thank you. We still need financial support to see this through. We hope we can count on you to consider a second donation to this noble cause that will no doubt impact all of our lives and the Soquel community we leave to future generations.

Please help spread the word – share this with your friends and neighbors. 

Donate now – GofundMe campaign

Send Checks payable to:

Sustainable Soquel 3777 Cherryvale Avenue. Soquel, Ca. 95073  

Best Regards,

Lisa Sheridan – For Sustainable Soquel

Sustainablesoquel@gmail.com

EXTRA SPECIAL MOVIE REVIEW…
STAN & OLLIE. Full disclosure…as you can figure out from the photo nearby, I had a wonderful afternoon with Stan Laurel and his wife in their upstairs beach front apartment in Malibu in the fall of 1962. Stan told me about their European tour in 1953, which is the focus of this new film. He said it gave both of them some much-needed boosting. He also talked about their appearance on Ralph Edward’s “This Is Your Life” in 1954, and how it appearance was. Stan and I sent Christmas cards back and forth for a few years. Stan & Ollie has a 92 on Rotten Tomatoes, and Stan died in 1965. When I find those notes from him, I’ll share.

The movie is “bittersweet”, well-acted and does lay out the semi business-friendly relationship the two comics had all their lives together. Go see it.

P.S. I had an equally enlightened visit with Aldous Huxley and his wife in their Berkeley apartment while he was teaching at UCB someplace around 1962. We talked about my then-recent LSD and psilocybin experiences. He was one of the most friendly, accessible people I’ve ever met and yes, I still have his personally autographed copy of “Doors Of Perception“.

FAREWELL PETER McGETTIGAN. Peter was a videographer, veteran, volunteer, and much more. There’s going to be a special tribute to him: February 9, 2019, 11am – 1pm in the Santa Cruz MAH Garden Room. It’s free, and donations are welcome.
First, Peter’s sister Martha will speak about their Vallejo family. Then others will offer tributes to and remembrances of Peter:

• Stan Stevens on the nomination of Peter for the Distinguished Historian Award.
• Alverda Orlando on Peter’s work filming Davenport oral histories.
• George Ow, Jr. on his friendship with Peter.
• Joe Hall on Peter’s work for Community Television.

Attendees are also invited to say a few words about Peter and his work related to local history.
There will also be a display of some of Peter’s art collection that he donated to the MAH.

Martha’s talk evolves from an artifact in the Vallejo-McGettigan family collection for over 142 years. It demonstrates the diplomatic and respectful connection of the Russians in early California to the Spanish Mexicans of the time, and the Vallejo family. This is a military campaign chest, engraved with the General M.G. Vallejo’s initials and his granddaughter’s, Francisca Carrillo Vallejo. E. Peter Vallejo McGettigan was one of Francisca’s grandchildren and so connected to the Russian silver chest. He passed away June 14, 2018 in Santa Cruz, California, where he had been a resident since 1975. Peter became well-known and recognized for his extensive documentaries, producing, directing, editing and chronicling that community’s history. He made several trips to Russia – first for a Sister City (Alushta) event in 2003, and then again in 2011 in conjunction with a documentary project in Croatia. His obituary can be found here

January 28

ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS IN SANTA CRUZ.
Who’s not writing about “Camp Ross” these days? It’s the 135-tent (and growing) encampment stuffed between Ross Dress for Less and Highway 1 at River Street. Have we reached our Hundredth Monkey moment in which most all Santa Cruzanos now realize there is a homeless-houseless crisis and are ready to do something? The state of California is sending us $10 million this year and another $10 million next year to help cope with this crisis. There is no better time than now for city and county government to work together and direct these funds in helping address the severe misfortunes of so many of our fellow residents. Not only housing–emergency, interim, and long-term–but funding mental health and substance abuse programs, hiring social workers, establishing a 24/7 homeless shelter with day services, job referral and networking office, installing homeless liaisons to assist those seeking services to actually obtain them. For example, help is needed in filling out paperwork in order to receive food stamps and other needed services. We can do this. It will not be accomplished in a couple months, but if we start now, maybe over the next couple of years, but we must begin. In order to help facilitate that beginning, the Santa Cruz City Council formally passed a motion at its January 22nd meeting that a public forum and councilmember action around homeless issues would take place at its next regularly scheduled meeting on Feb. 12th. The public is invited. Time and place will be posted here on February 8.

Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Ordinance Changes
These changes are from an email from Sarah Neuse, city planner in a Santa Cruz ADU Ordinance Update memo. They are also on the Planning Department’s web site.

1. Proposals APPROVED:

State Required Changes

1. Removing parking requirement for Attached ADUs (attached to the primary home, to a garage, or to another legal structure on the property);
2. Removing the Minimum Parcel Size (ADUs can now be added to any size lot);
3. Allowing ADUs by right in all Residential Zones, when built with a single-family home; 
4. Removing requirements for Use Permits/Design Permits for ADUs on substandard lots;
5. Allowing ADUs above garages to provide minimum setbacks of 5 feet to side and rear lot lines (previously required minimum of 10 from the rear).

Site and Building Standards

1. Allowing full reconstruction of Conversion ADUs (previously limited to 50% of the structure);
2. Allowing modest expansions of Conversion ADUs of up to 120 square feet of floor area and 2 feet of height; and
3. Allowing interior connections between an attached ADUs and the Primary Home on the parcel (Building Code will likely require a self-closing, fire-rated door for this connection).

Land Use Policy Items

1. Modifying the definition of Owner-Occupant to include immediate family members (limited to Spouses, Siblings, Parents, and Adult Children).

Additionally, Council passed a resolution reducing the General Plan Maintenance Fee by half for ADU applications.  This could be a savings of $450-$750/ application, depending on size and estimated value of the project.

1. Proposals placedON HOLD:

 Site and Building Standards

1. Increasing Rear Yard Lot Coverage from 30% to 50%;
2. Changing ADU Green Building Standards to match those required for new Single-Family Homes (currently significantly higher); and
3. Allowing attached ADUs to be 10% of lot size (Currently limited to 50%);

Category 3: Land Use Policies

1. Allowing two ADUs on parcels over 10,000 sf; and
2. Eliminating parking requirements for Detached New Construction ADUs.

For these ON HOLD items, Council directed staff to return at a future date with an analysis of the feasibility of requiring perpetual affordability deed restrictions in exchange for each proposed change. 

III. Proposals DENIED:
One item from Category 3: Land Use Policies

1. Proposal to allow a temporary, three-year period of Short-Term Rental activity for newly-created ADUs.  This item will not return to Council. 

And Don’t Forget…ADU Affordability Reality Check
For a reality check, this is where the “market” is today (Jan. 27): $1500/mo. for an ADU with no bedrooms, no laundry, and not even an oven.. And these are some of the jobs being offered: “senior maintenance” job in Santa Cruz is currently offered at $13.70 an hour,  a Beckmann’s Bakery driver, full-time, is being offered at $15/hr.,  Many Santa Cruz jobs pay minimum wage, still.

FlixBus
Wow, a new transportation option is coming to Santa Cruz, and none too soon! The FlixBus will be stopping twice a day at our Pacific Avenue Metro Center beginning, soon. Surf City will be part of a FlixBus itinerary within the San Francisco to San Diego route. Here is what the last Metro Bus Board agenda said about the FlixBus agreement:

“FlixBus is a German owned company, which originated in Munich, Germany offering intercity bus service. FlixBus was launched in 2013 following the deregulation of the German bus market and by 2015 expanded across Europe. On May 15, 2018, FlixBus announced its expansion into the US market. As of May 31, 2018, FlixBus offers 180 connections within the southwest parts of the country, operating from a main hub in Los Angeles. Main cities planned to be served include Las Vegas, San Diego, Tucson and Phoenix, and San Francisco. It plans to have expanded the network to over 1,000 connections by the end of 2018. The service provided to Santa Cruz consists of a route between San Francisco and San Diego.”

This has the chance of helping bridge a very shaky public transportation link for students and other travelers to and from the Bay Area. My hunch is that hundreds of our UCSC students bring cars to town, park them and only use them to go back to the Bay Area or down to Southern California on a couple of weekends each month. If the FlixBus works it could relieve student and parent anxiety about having a real transportation option it also might see less cars parked on the streets of Santa Cruz. I had great experiences with the FlixBus this past summer traveling between Berlin and Paris and Prague. Could it be a transportation game-changer? Only if the current routes were successful and then more buses were added, perhaps for shorter trips to Bay Area. We’ll see.

“Our infrastructure is crumbling. Instead of building a wall on the Mexican border, we should create millions of good-paying jobs rebuilding our roads, bridges, water systems, wastewater plants, schools, airports and affordable housing”. (Jan. 28)

(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

January 28

HOW SHALL THE COUNTY SPEND $10 MILLION TO HOUSE THE HOMELESS?
That is the question being asked, along with Request For Proposals (RFP), issued January 18 by the County.  The County Board of Supervisors had to declare a “Shelter State of Emergency” last fall in order to qualify for the State money.  That action also allows the jurisdictions to WAIVE ALL HEALTH AND SAFETY CODES in order to fast-track construction and use the money quickly.  Hmmmm….

What I want to know is how could the County get a $10 Million Grant without any idea of how it would be used?  Usually, those grant applications are carefully-crafted and specify projects and timelines, with measurable outcomes, and explicit reporting measures.  How can the State just toss $10 Million to the County and say : “Here you go!  Have fun, and don’t forget to write!”  Meanwhile, a “non-conflicted group” has taken half a year to issue the RFP for ideas on what to do, the sad tent city along Highway One’s north portal to the City is growing, and not much is actually getting done to solve the problem or help the people sleeping in the mud.

Here is a good report and photo from the Register-Pajaronian. Write a letter to the editor….or maybe submit an RFP for some Tough Sheds behind Ross and the large plot of land in Watsonville behind the Health Services Agency (where all the FEMA trailers were installed after the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake and plumbing still exists).  That’s what the City of Oakland has done, and Mayor Libby Shaaf recently reported that 70% of those housed in the Tough Shed camps last year found permanent housing within the year.

Oakland’s  Northgate Avenue Tuff Shed Camp. (before it opened)

WHY DRINK EXPENSIVE TREATED SEWAGE WATER?
Indeed, why would Soquel Creek Water District gouge customers repeatedly for the next five years just to pay for an expensive and environmentally-damaging project to inject millions of gallons of treated sewage water daily into the drinking water supply for everybody in the MidCounty area when there is an alternative?  The Surface Water Transfer Pilot Project has not even been given a chance to work, yet the District wants to FAST-TRACK the construction of the PureWater Soquel Project that will cost ratepayers $200 Million, including debt burden, when the water is available from Santa Cruz  The District just has to ASK but won’t!

We all need to write LAFCO today and insist that the Commission initiate consolidation of Soquel Creek Water District and the City of Santa Cruz Water Dept. for better regional management of water supplies and storage, and to eliminate expensive and redundant administrative costs.  Make no mistake, the District will be asking Santa Cruz City water customers, Central Water District customers, small independent water company customers, and private well owners and the County government officials to help them pay for this expensive treated sewage water with the claim that “it will improve the groundwater levels in the MidCounty Basin and therefore, everyone who benefits should pay.”  The District has already convinced the MidCounty Groundwater Agency to swallow that pill and to approve helping to pay for such large projects, even though the By-Laws of the Agency state that they will not do any projects, but exist only to develop the long-term Groundwater Sustainability Plan that the State requires they submit by January 1, 2020.

Write LAFCO Director Pat McCormick  today:

Pat McCormick pat.mccormick@santacruzcounty.us and copy Debra Means debra.means@santacruzcounty.us 

LAFCO
Room 318 “D”
701 Ocean Street
Santa Cruz, CA  95060

STOP SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT’S $200 MILLION PLAN TO INJECT TREATED SEWAGE WATER INTO YOUR DRINKING WATER BY PROTESTING EXPENSIVE RATE INCREASES BY FEB. 19
If you or someone you know is a Soquel Creek Water District customer, you need to file written protest of the impending ANNUAL WATER RATES AND SERVICE FEE RATE that will happen for the next FIVE YEARS in order to provide money for the expensive treated sewage water the District staff wants you to drink.  All protest must be in writing, addressed to “Protest Officer”, and include your service address (not a P.O. Box address), assessor parcel number (the number above the name on the bill) and a statement that you protest both the water rate increase and the service fee increase.  Sign and print your name.  DO THIS BEFORE FEBRUARY 19.

Make a copy for your record (just in case we ask for a verified re-count) and mail to:

Protest Officer
Soquel Creek Water District
P.O. Box 1550
Capitola, CA  95010

or

Take it in person to the District office at 5180 Soquel Drive, Soquel

or

Bring it with you to the Rate Increase Hearing on February 19, 6pm, at the Capitola City Council Chambers in Capitola Village. Attend this Hearing if you can.  The Board and staff need to hear from you because they have completely lost touch with the people they are supposed to serve.  Please consider writing a letter to the editor of a local newspaper, too!  In my opinion, this is political insanity.

ATTEND “WATER FOR SANTA CRUZ COUNTY” EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS
Learn more about how to correctly file those Soquel Creek Water District proposed rate and service fee increases and how plenty of water and the pipe lines to move it already exist.   Water for Santa Cruz County is hosting two free educational workshops at the Aptos Library: Tuesday, January 29 and Tuesday, February 12, both at 7pm-8pm.  You can find more information about all this here.  

COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS SUPPORT ANNA ESHOO’S RESISTANCE TO 5G UNTESTED TECHNOLOGY IN PUBLIC RIGHTS-OF-WAYS
Many thanks to County Supervisor John Leopold for recommending the County support Rep. Anna Eshoo’s HR 530 claim of Home Rule Doctrine that would resist the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandate to force all jurisdictions to allow unlimited installation of telecommunication industry untested 5th Generation (5G) technology within public rights-of-ways. (Consent Agenda Item #21 on 1/29/2019 Board Agenda)  The new technology would require placement of equipment every 400′-500′ on utility poles, street lights and traffic lights throughout the jurisdictions, without any recourse to resist or regulate the placement for any reason. 

This new technology has not been tested in the U.S.A.  where the regulatory FCC has been captured and held hostage by the telecommunications industry.  However, researchers in other areas of the world have found alarming evidence that the level of electro-magnetic radiation emitted by 5G could cause widespread health problems due to interference with voltage-regulated calcium gate mechanisms within the body that are responsible for proper neurological functions.  That means that people could just drop of a heart attack, and no one is talking about effects on wildlife or other natural elements.

Here is the link to Anna Eshoo’s HR 530

Here is the link to her explanation about why she thinks this matters

Here is a link to a short YouTube video by Dr. Martin Pall, describing to the National Institute of Health the medical insanity of 5G technology proliferation

Contact Anna Eshoo and give her your support!

COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ADOPT NEW CLIMATE CHANGE STATE OF EMERGENCY RECOMMENDATIONS
Read what the County Supervisors John Leopold and Ryan Coonerty are recommending on the Consent Agenda Item # 23 on the 1/29/2019 Board Agenda.  I always pay close attention whenever a “State of Emergency” gets declared for anything, because it usually waives existing regulations and allows for different funding mechanisms to kick in.  Depending on who is driving that bus, and what their intentions really are, it can be either a positive thing or a disaster.  In this case, I am not sure….. Take a look and see what you think

I would appreciate your comments and discussion, especially in light of the action the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) took last week, and the issue of ever-changing housing density codes and agricultural land preservation.   (Becky Steinbruner )

COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION WILL CONSIDER CLIMATE CHANGE PUBLIC SAFETY & HAZARD MANAGEMENT CHANGES TO COUNTY CODE AND COASTAL GENERAL PLAN
The County Planning Commissioners, a very thorough and thoughtful group of citizens who oversee the changes proposed to Planning Department issues, will continue considering the proposed updated changes to the Public Safety and Hazard Management General Plan, Local Coastal Program and County Code Amendments on Wednesday, February 13, 9am in the 5th Floor Supervisor Chambers.  This has been continued a few times because it is so massive, and includes changing how and where people can build in the coastal and riparian areas due to predicted climate change impacts.  You can review the documentation and listen to the audio recording here (take a look at Item #7 on the December 12, 2018 meeting post)

When I attended the December 12, 2018 meeting, the room was filled with people who own or manage property on the coastal bluffs.  Having listened to their concerns, and given thought to the recent action in the Rio del Mar Beach Drive area, I wonder….now that the County and Coastal Commission have reclaimed the thoroughfare access in front of those beachfront homes, will the County be responsible for building an engineered seawall to protect the houses?  I wonder if the rip-rap that now exists, and was probably placed these by the property owners, will all have to be removed and replaced with engineered materials that meet the soon-to-be approved new County regulations responding to climate change hazards.  Hmmmm………    What are your thoughts?

COUNTY WILL HIRE TWO TRAFFIC ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS FOR $600,000
Another interesting Consent Item on the January 29, 2019 Board of Supervisor Agenda is #45, approving contracts for the next two years with Kimley-Horn Associates and Reggeri-Jensen Associates for traffic analysis and design work throughout the County’s unincorporated areas.  The total contract is up to $600,000.  Wow.

What will they do?  Where will that work be focused?   How will the results be used?  Is this tax-payer funded traffic analysis to support large developers?  I asked those questions in a few e-mails to Public Works Director Matt Machado matt.machado@santacruzcounty.us and learned that the areas of highest concern for County officials is Soquel Drive.  The exact project areas have yet to be determined, but the County Public Works Department is really short-staffed right now, and the traffic analysis is needed, he said.  The Phase 2 Traffic Improvements at Aptos Creek Road in Aptos Village are already a done-deal and will begin this year.

How did the County choose those two consultants?  I forgot to ask that, but members of the Sustainable Soquel group, who are taking the County to task with a Writ of Mandate for faulty process and a host of other eyebrow-raising misdeeds regarding the proposed Nissan auto dealership at 41st Avenue and Soquel Drive, have pointed out that Kimley-Horn & Associates were notably sloppy in their analysis for that project.  Kimley-Horn also has done the “traffic study” for the proposed Kaiser Medical Facility and 700 car parking garage on the Soquel Avenue Frontage Road (working with the County, by the way) and used cameras to count cars for two hours for one afternoon on one day.  Hmmmm…..how meaningful can that information be?  

I guess it depends on who is paying them for the study.  So, in this case, you and I will be paying the bill….$600,000.  What should we expect?  Write Matt Machado and ask: matt.machado@santacruzcounty.us

Take a look at Consent Item #45 here

WILL SANTA CRUZ BE NEXT TO GET SUED BY THE STATE?
It is shocking to me that Governor Newsom is suing Huntington Beach for not building enough housing to meet the State’s mandated boom.  Do you think local people can be trusted to do what is best for their own jurisdictions?  That’s the basis of “Home Rule”, and I think it makes sense.  But according to news reports, Governor Newsom wants 3.5 million new residential units to be built and may continue going down the hit list of the other 51 cities and counties like Huntington Beach that are not goose-stepping to his mandate.

The State has for years imposed requirements called Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) on all counties and cities in California, mandating that the jurisdiction build a certain number, based on state population growth and projected housing needs.  Last year, Senator Scott Wiener got a law passed (AB 72) that allows the State to enforce that mandated growth with lawsuits and penalties.  The law went into effect January 1, 2018, but only now, with a new Governor, are we seeing the heavy-handed approach begin. Given that the Santa Cruz County General Plan Housing Element acknowledges that the numbers and tactics EXCEED RHNA REQUIREMENTS,  one would think it not likely that Governor Newsom has our area in the immediate cross-hairs of litigation. However, Santa Cruz County IS on the SB 35 “Hit List” for non-compliance, as is Capitola, Scotts Valley and Watsonville.    However, Santa Cruz City is NOT on the list…it must be those 750 new building permit applications just in that are the counter-weight, but how many of those will be affordable units?  That is the question, isn’t it?

Mercury News article

hcd.ca.gov  

But what about the infrastructure to support this mandated growth?  That was the question posed to Senator Wiener by a Salinas City Councilman last November at the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership “State of the Region” presentation in Seaside.  Senator Wiener’s reply was “talk with me later, and we can work something out.”

Have you been to San Jose recently?  It is shocking.  Do you want to live in a place that looks like that, and has the broken transportation infrastructure that Santa Cruz seems to be plagued with?  Who is driving the local bus to decide how our County will grow?

Based on recent massive changes to County housing codes for “Enhanced Density Bonus” rewards to developers, I think it is the wealthy bankers and developers in Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP).  That private group wrote the housing code changes that were recently rubber-stamped by Santa Cruz County and City, and also other area jurisdictions.  Senator Wiener thanked them all at the MBEP gathering last November. 

I saw the initial presentation of Sibley Symon’s White Paper get shoved through the County Housing Advisory Commission (HAC) and jettisoned off to the Board of Supervisors for rubber stamping, noting “unanimous approval’ by the HAC.  Planning Department staff advisor for the HAC is Julie Conway, who serves on the Santa Cruz City Planning Commission (which seems like a conflict of interest to me) and handily helped push it through there, too.

Here is a good synopsis of the dizzying new legislation to force local government to ignore local people

Can we build enough?

Call the Governor’s Office at 916-445-2841 and let him know what you think,  or write.  

Cheers,

Becky Steinbruner

Becky Steinbruner is a 30+ year resident of Aptos. She has fought for water, fire, emergency preparedness, and for road repair. She ran for Second District County Supervisor in 2016 on a shoestring and got nearly 20% of the votes. Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com

Sunday, January 27, 2019 #27 / The Underbelly Of Mendacity

Instead of the title I chose, I thought about using the following title for this blog post: “Tuck in your shirt!” Pictured above is Roger J. Stone, Jr., whom The New York Times identifies as a “Trickster Who Is Right Where He Wants to Be.” That’s the hard copy version, of course. The online version of the article has a slightly different title.  I was surprised to see that Stone permitted himself to be photographed in such an unflattering way. Look below for the photo that The Times ran with the story that I have linked above. This is how Roger Stone likes to be portrayed. He always seems to be very well put together:

You can see more evidence of Stone’s sartorial sensibilities by watching the video of Stone’s appearance at The New Yorker Festival in 2016. If you click the link, you can see a video of Stone, and others, discussing “What Would a Trump Presidency Look Like?” 

The discussion documented in this video took place on October 8, 2016, exactly one month before the presidential election. Stone is impeccably dressed – far better than the other panelists. I was in the audience, and noted, very particularly, what a sharp dresser Stone was. I also heard him brag, during this appearance, about the upcoming WikiLeaks releases that would damage the Clinton campaign, very late in the campaign season. Later on, Stone claimed to have no insider knowledge. That was definitely not the impression Stone gave to the audience at The New Yorker Festival, and as it turns out, Stone subsequently lied under oath about his supposed lack of inside knowledge – at least that is what the Special Counsel says. 

Like many, I am waiting to see whether any “collusion” between the president and Russia is ever documented so clearly that an impeachment of the president would be appropriate. Whether or not that kind of proof is ever forthcoming, the article that ran in The Times yesterday definitely shows that  lots of those associated with Trump have lied about what happened in the 2018 presidential campaign. There is a little “chart” in the article, showing the connections. Stone is there, as are Paul Manafort, Michael D. Cohen, and others. Everyone shown in the chart has been convicted of a crime, except Stone and Konstantin V. Kilimnik, who is now in Russia and thus not susceptible to immediate prosecution. 

Pundits (on the left, admittedly) are saying that a “coverup” of the Trump campaign’s collusion with Russia will soon be proven. Things are coming “undone,” they say. 

I will wait for actual proof, myself, but in the meantime, the fact that Stone is coming “undone,” and isn’t “covering up” anymore, letting his underbelly hang out as he makes his pronouncements of innocence, seems like some kind of metaphor to me, some kind of indication that lies and mendacity are coming to light!

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. Laugh’s and inner thoughts…flick downwards & check it out.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s ” Is It Over Yet ” 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: “Hey, movie fans! Now that it’s awards season, my pal and esteemed colleague, Christina Waters, and I are talking Oscars. We try to make sense of this year’s nominees so you don’t have to, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ). Also, find out why the 18th Century French authoress who wrote the first version of Beauty and the Beast in print is considered the godmother of the modern fantasy genre — and how she gets a shout-out in my Beast book!” 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 Laird discusses his plans to run for Bill Monning’s State Senate Seat on January 29, then Bill Raney talks about his new book, “Beatniks, North Beach in the 60’s”. Linda Burman-Hall discusses the full season of The Santa Cruz Baroque Festival on Feb. 5 followed by UCSC Math prof. Ralph Abraham with news of his two new books on the Hip History of Santa Cruz.  Ellen Grace O’Brian talks about her book, ” Jewel Of Abundance” on February 12.  Authors and Publishers Doug and Rachel Abrams discuss their new book on finding, maintaining relationships “Eight Dates” OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… http://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.   “FEBRUARY”

“February, when the days of winter seem endless and no amount of wistful recollecting can bring back any air of summer”.  Shirley Jackson

“February, fill the dyke With what thou dost like”. Thomas Tusser

“Groundhog found fog. New snows and blue toes. Fine and dandy for Valentine candy. Snow spittin’; if you’re not mitten-smitten, you’ll be frostbitten! By jing-y feels spring-y.” The Old Farmer’s Almanac

“Good morrow, Benedick. Why, what’s the matter,
That you have such a February face,
So full of frost, of storm and cloudiness?”
~William Shakespeare, Much Ado about Nothing

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY COURTHOUSE. 1866-1894. 110 COOPER STREET. This magnificent building (on the right) was our courthouse until it burned down in 1894. They built the new Courthouse that same year. The Cooperhouse, as it was known, lasted until after the 1989 earthquake and was torn down by the new owner to get FEMA money.                                     photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

DATELINE January 21, 2019

BAD NEWS OR WHAT? Have you been noticing and reading that a few of our usually Progressive national press pundits are hinting Trump supporters may get him re-elected in 2020? It’s hell and a nightmare to think about. Is that big blue wave still allowing Democrats and liberals a future of good surfing? But in the meantime we’ve now got RAIL PLUS TRAIL.

MISSING A BEAT. I came up short this week on meetings, news events, even movies and concerts. Drs. Ryan Brandt and Dr. Neil Sawhney installed a combination Pacemaker/defibrillator early Wednesday morning and adjusted it again on Thursday morning over in Dominican Hospital. So I missed a few happenings this week. I may be calling a friend or two for some rides…don’t be surprised.

Jan. 23, 2019

MLK Day in Santa Cruz. Drew Glover, Chris Krohn, Justin Cummings

Being an Activist vs. Being an Elected Official
Can an elected official continue to be an activist after being elected? I’ve been told no a couple of times by some of our Village Elders. I’ve always carried with me the notion that yes, if you can get elected you can still fight city hall, but from within. It takes time adjusting to being on the inside, but activism does not have to stop.

Watching AOC, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, she has recently become a lightning rod example of trying to put activist experience into her elected office affairs. She sometimes livestreams parts of her day. AOC voted for Nancy Pelosi for Speaker, but also protested with a group outside her office demanding the speaker create the “Select Committee for a Green New Deal.” A couple of weeks ago AOC voted to fund a Dept. of Homeland Security budget (H.J. Res. 1), which included paying ICE employees during the government shutdown, and she keeps advocating for abolishing ICE too. She also continues to talk about socialism, rare for a US elected official, saying it guarantees “a basic level of dignity.”

Every member of this Brand-New City Council–Glover, Brown, Cummings, Krohn–was elected as an activist. Parsing the nuance between activism and governing is now on the table. Many will say, now you represent everyone in Santa Cruz. While that’s true, it may be nearly next to impossible to achieve. You may want to represent all residents, and you should never cower from meeting people who may not agree with you, or did not vote for you, but you were elected on issues. All Santa Cruz voters will not agree with you on all issues. The issues this council majority stood most firm on during the past two elections were affordable housing, protecting renters, and addressing the homeless crisis. Part of the job of the city council is also to be bridge builders and identify those issues that many can agree upon and move them in the legislative arena.

Herding Cats
Being in the majority can often create more difficulties than being on the minority side of the city council. I sometimes saw last council’s supposed Mathews majority—Terrazas, Mathews, Watkins, Chase, Noroyan–struggle to produce a majority vote. Often there was tension between Mathews and Watkins when spending real money on children’s programs came up (the 1% Cannabis tax, implementing a sugar tax, and forcing developers to provide more common space for children in their developments were three such issues), or between Mathews and Terrazas’ opposing views on the city manager’s effectiveness. (My opinion from watching city council public meetings.) When the Mathews’ majority would get really rankled was when she herself would seem to lecture them on being the only adult (her!) in the room. Oh, and when her majority members tried to pry away a few budget crumbs from the Mathews-architected city budget it was usually pretty entertaining to see. We’re already running a deficit according to our Finance Director, so why would we even consider adding more, she would aver while one of her majority was advocating for as yet unfunded worthy program. These were often big struggles over a few thousand dollars, while millions went to pay down pension costs, buy new F-150 city ranger pickup trucks, and fund First Alarm security contracts. So, working within a “new majority” or any majority takes time and real work.

New Majority
Understanding how well the majority communicates and can effectively carry out its agenda may be rooted in an old concept: party discipline. But then how can a progressive majority have party discipline when there isn’t even a party? At least if the current four councilmember majority were selected by a party, as in the British Parliament, for example, Labour selects its members to represent the party and not the individual interests of that Member of Parliament (MP), then they would be able to rely on a party platform. Right now, each councilmember cannot coordinate a four-person majority vote outside of a council meeting. The public’s business must, and should, be done in public. The Ralph M. Brown Act, passed by the state legislature in 1949, makes it so that no more than three out of seven councilmembers can agree in private on business that is before the council. The solution: City Councilmembers must be willing to engage in public discussion if the public is to be adequately represented.

Developing a Progressive Agenda and Communication Skills to Go Along with it
Brown, Glover, Cummings, and Krohn were elected to help create some sort of administrative governing agenda in order to address this community’s housing inequality, and then marshal our resource base (hotel tax revenue, sales tax revenue, parking fund revenue, rental property revenue, “one-time” state monies, and “charges for services” all equal to $102,277,346 in money the city expected to take in during 2019) to address the affordable housing and homeless services crisis. There have been wide-ranging discussions during the past two political campaigns on how to address this bifurcated crisis and they include: 1) demanding developers build the legally-mandated 15% inclusionary (all of us argued for a higher figure); 2) finding a place for a 24/7 homeless shelter with services and pathways toward transitional and permanent housing; 3) not constructing a back-in-time-looking five-story parking garage on the site of the beloved downtown Farmer’s Market; 4) placing climate change (disruption) at the forefront of our fashioning of public policy (what does that look like?);  and 5) opening up government to those who find it difficult having a voice (already started this by putting “oral communication” back to its former 7pm council agenda time slot and televising planning commission meetings. Next, is moving council meetings to the Civic when we expect over 150 participants.) But perhaps most importantly, 6) protecting tenants from overbearing rents, and if Measure M did not pass, creating a community conversation through bringing together a multitude of voices to design a rent stabilization program that would work for the most people in Santa Cruz. Of course, University growth, overwhelming traffic on many days of the year, enhancing the care and access to our greenbelt lands, an increasing awareness of social justice and equity in everything the city does, as well as increasing ways to support local businesses were indeed parts of the past two electoral campaign conversations as well.

“We must do more than just “honor and remember” Dr. Martin Luther  King. We must be faithful to his revolutionary spirit, his call for a “radical revolution of values” and his incredible courage in taking on virtually the entire political and economic establishment of his time”. #MLKDay (Jan. 21)

(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. Scroll below for secret scenes and driving forces, with our deeply committed friends.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “Deep State Plot” 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.

“RED VELVET, THE PLAY”. The Jewel Theatre Company, Santa Cruz’s only full time professional theatre company presents Lolita Chakrabarti’s play Red Velvet from January 23-February 17 at the Colligan Theatre in the Tannery. It’s about the backstage world of London in the early 1800’s. The play is Othello and the lead gets sick and a black actor from America is about to take his place as the black Othello!! Go to https://www.jeweltheatre.net/red-velvet  for more data and tickets.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Fate does not like to be tempted. She’s always ready to smack you with some new, unforeseen obstacle. Find out what she had in store for me last week — including  a 5 1/2 -day escapade at Dominican, and a guest appearance from my Spirit Guide — 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. . Julie James talks about Jewel Theatre’s new play Red Velvet on January 15. Then Celia and Peter Scott talk about Campaign For Sustainable Transportation. Phil Collins from New Music Works discusses their Feb. 2 concert featuring Terry Riley, piano and Sarah Cahill on January 22. Following Phil will be Attorney Bill Parkin and Ron Pomerantz talking about the lawsuit against the City and developer Owen Lawlor. John Laird discusses his plans to run for Bill Monning’s State Senate Seat on January 29, then Bill Raney talks about his new book, “Beatniks, North Beach in the 60’s”. Linda Burman-Hall discusses the full season of The Santa Cruz Baroque Festival on Feb. 5 followed by UCSC Math prof. Ralph Abraham with news of his two new books on the Hip History of Santa Cruz.  Ellen Grace O’Brian talks about her book, ” Jewel Of Abundance” on February 12.  Authors and Publishers Doug and Rachel Abrams discuss their new book on finding, maintaining relationships “Eight Dates” OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… http://www.radiofreeamerica.com/dj/bruce-bratton 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. “GROUND HOGS DAY.”

“The groundhog is like most other prophets; it delivers its prediction and then disappears”.  Bill Vaughn

“Old Groundhog stretched in his leafy bed.
He turned over slowly and then he said,
“I wonder if spring is on the way,
I’ll go and check the weather today…”  Author Unknown, “Groundhog Day”

“To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring”. George Santayana

PACIFIC AVENUE. August 29, 1957. This is about at the corner of Walnut and Pacific. Reeve’s is now the Gap, then we have Synergy, and Berdels at the corner.                                                                                         photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

DATELINE January 14, 2019

WOMENS MARCH (ON JANUARY 19). This march and rally has become a very strong statement, especially for Santa Cruz Women. Their website says… “The March begins at 10am at Pacific and Cathcart Street. We are asking people to start gathering at 9am. The route will follow Pacific and turn right onto Water, then turning ‘right’ into the County Parking Lot at the County Offices. 701 Ocean St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060. The Rally will begin at 11am. For more details see below…  We need your help to fund the 2019 Santa Cruz Women’s March, and beyond. Please use the link below and make a donation, any amount is helpful. Thank you! See you on Saturday, Jan 19, 2019 at 9 am.”

Women’s March: Sign up here!

MLK MARCH (ON JANUARY 21) NEWS. Carson Kelly from Santa Cruz Indivisible sent this plea!!! “For those of you that have signed up to help at this weekend’s Marches (Women’s March on 1/19 and MLK March on 1/21)… thank you! For those that haven’t, there is still time! And both Marches need the volunteer support.

MLK March: Sign up here!

Photographers needed: 

The Citizenship 2.0 project will also take place at the Rally, and we need assistance. One of Santa Cruz Indivisible’s calls-to-action will be to ask participants: “What civic duties do you have as a resident of the United States?” We will be asking people to answer the question on a small whiteboard, and then pose for a picture holding up their answer. We hope to gather hundreds of answers and put them into social media, as part of our Citizenship 2.0 project introduction. 

To help us with this, please register here . Thank you for your support

Carson Kelly.

SANTA CRUZ ONLINE. Erstwhile and honest and former KUSP staffer Michael Lewis has created a new and important source of political and environmental daily information. It’s Santa Cruz Online.  Michael writes to tell us: “Democracy is practiced by those who show up. Since we all have limited time and energy, we need to know where and when to show up, to support those causes we support and defend. With a newly seated Santa Cruz City Council, this year will be our opportunity to work with our representatives and community activists who support our causes. I’ve created a website, Santa Cruz Online, as an annotated calendar of events, meetings, actions and opportunities in Santa Cruz City and County government. I’ll be posting weekly reviews of upcoming meeting agendas and minutes for City Council and County Board of Supervisors, as well as advisory bodies, committees, and affiliated organizations. Click HERE to go to Santa Cruz Online, and enter your email address in the “Follow” box (in the right hand column on a computer or at the end of the post on a mobile device) to receive timely updates.

    Michael Lewis
Santa Cruz Online: https://sconline464234593.wordpress.com/

OBAMA AVENUE, NYC.  Mark Bernhard and Ann Steyeart sent this…

Petition Asks NYC to Rename a Stretch of Fifth Avenue 

A petition started by MoveOn.org calls for the block of Fifth Avenue in New York between 56th Street and 57th Street to be renamed “President Barack H. Obama Avenue.” Such renaming is not unusual. The New York City Council recently approved naming streets for the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, Notorious B.I.G., Woody Guthrie, and Audre Lorde. A section of freeway in Los Angeles has been renamed for Obama.

What is special about Fifth Avenue from 56th Street to 57th Street is that it just so happens to be home to Trump Tower. Donald Trump’s reelection campaign will be headquartered there. If the city council approves the name change, the reelection committee’s mailing address will become:

Committee to Re-elect President Donald Trump
725 President Barack H. Obama Avenue
New York, NY 10022

TAMARA PARKER DIED. Tamara Parker and partner Patrick Casey once owned and operated Casey’s Ice Cream Parlor in Scotts Valley. Tamara later owned and operated “Legal Document Services” on Walnut Street, which was a new name for Para Legal functions. She was one of my favorite clients and friends from the more than 250 clients I had while a marketing consultant for Cabrillo’s Small Business Development Center for nearly 15 years. She was as ardent a world traveler as she was in making sure her clients received 100% of her attention and care. She married and retired about 5 years ago, and moved to a great senior community “The Villages”, in east San Jose. She’ll be missed.

Jan. 14, 2019

PRIORITIES
What Should the City Council Take On?

The camp behind Gateway Plaza shopping center, “Camp Ross,” has grown to 135 tent structures.

What is the most important issue facing Santa Cruz right now? I met with over a dozen people this week all of whom would seem to have priority differences. There were the dozens of activists who came out to the council meeting seeking protections for tenants now; I met in the backroom (no smoke) of Lupulos Beer House  with folks wanting to decouple the library from the garage and take a look at that wonderful space bounded by Cedar, Lincoln and Cathcart streets as a public space, a town commons perhaps, and a permanent place for the Downtown Farmer’s Market; then there was the guy on the Westside who says UCSC is being let off the housing hook because they seem to be absent from the city council debate on renter protection and affordable housing (I hope not); the highest priority for the dance-arts community is preserving space for art downtown in the face of the Devcon-Swenson-Ross developer frenzy to re-do Pacific Avenue and Front Street; Save Our Shores is looking at eliminating plastics from the ocean; the “Berniecrats” organized a slate of state convention delegates that includes Justin Cummings and Jeffrey Smedberg, and were urging supporters to go to SEIU to vote this past Sunday; city commission appointments, set for a city council decision on January 21st, was on the minds of many I met with this past week, as was the ongoing saga over whether the Corridor Plan is really dead; and how do we get the Lawlor Project to build those 31 affordable units inside their 205-unit sprawling market-rate development on Pacific near Laurel Street? But when I ran into Daniel and Dougie at the now penned in homeless camp, dubbed Camp Ross, I realized anew what our community priorities might be.

Camp Ross, 25% more Tents this Week than Last
After counting 105 tent structures last week all packed between the cinder block back wall of Ross Dress for Less, and the unforgiving asphalt and noise of the Highway 1 and River Street intersection, I just figured there wasn’t much space left to grow. But when I visited this past Saturday the number of tent-structures ballooned to 135 with still more people looking for a spot. I also learned that, while this location is not really perfect for anyone–campers, community, businesses, drivers–it is in fact a place for the homeless and the houseless to be and collect their thoughts, use a rest room perhaps, wash up and maybe take a respite to plan for tomorrow. Is it safe for everyone? No, not like the city-sponsored River Street camp was. Is it a place to rest? For now, yes, but the city council and board of supervisors need to act, and act quickly on addressing this critical situation.

Late, Great California?
The scene out at Camp Ross is as startling as it is familiar. It’s a script playing out in many California cities including Hayward, Chico, Oakland, Berkeley, and San Francisco. Camp Ross is nonetheless eye-opening, perhaps because it sits only a few feet from the busiest intersection in Santa Cruz. I spoke with six residents at the camp and this is what they had to say: “Someone threw an explosive device (M-80?) at the camp the other night and woke many of us up.” “Someone in a passing car on Highway 1 shot pellets into tents recently.” “Many of us are willing to work… (he points)…over there is an electrician, there’s a plumber, I’m a professional laborer. I’ve worked on many construction sites. I just need a job.” What do they currently need most after a home and a job? “Toilette paper and work boots.” Also, “be nice to have a sound barrier…the traffic is so loud, really bad.” For the city’s part, we’re assisting Brent Adams’ Warming Center and storage program, bed space has been opened at the Page Smith House, and we are funding the Salvation Army shelter on Laurel Street. What’s clear is that these band-aid programs exist AND, there’s still close to 200 people camping behind Ross. So, what’s on the agenda for this city council? Fund an interim shelter with outdoor space for tents and incorporate wrap-around services like counseling and medical care (the recently opened navigation center is a move in this direction), identify a permanent 24/7 shelter site, and help create an expanded storage program.

Run Bernie Run?
Our Revolution, the Bernie Sanders organizing group, held a giant get-together this past weekend via act.tv Over 400 house meetings were held around the country to solicit input for a potential Bernie for President campaign run. There were 15 Berners present at the meeting I attended, it was one of four in Santa Cruz county. What I noticed was that while the passion for a Sanders presidency still, excuse the pun, burns bright, there is a slight wariness in the battle-hardened Bernie-istas. Is it the age of Bernie (77)? Is it the huge field of Democratic candidates? Is it the recent entry of hardcore Sanders’ supporter and strategist, Hawaii’s Tulsi Gabbard, into the presidential field? Or is it a spreading feeling (among white people) that only a white guy can take on an even older white guy and maybe Bernie’s too old? (Like Biden (76) and Trump (72) aren’t?) The age thing is a smoke screen because any campaign ought to be run on issues. If Elizabeth Warren (69) or Kamala Harris (54) or Gabbard (37) run for President on the issues Bernie has laid out–Medicare for all, tuition-free college, criminal justice reform, taking on the billionaires, and governing as if black lives do indeed matter–then I would say many Bernie supporters might sign on to such a candidate. But believe me, if it is the resurrection of St. Joe Biden, the tepid populism of a Sherrod Brown(66), or the Dem-insider politics of a Kirsten Gillibrand (52), then a lot of Berners will likely be disappointed. Warren might fit a Sanders supporter’s alternative eventually, but the group I sat with on Saturday watching the act.tv feed move from group to group around the country did not indicate much support at this time, they were excited about Bernie. Run Bernie run? Yes, but it won’t be like last time. It never is.

(PS Left out Booker, Garcetti, and Beto…okay, whatever…)

Measure M vs. Current Council Recommendation
No matter what you’ve been hearing about the reconstitution of Measure M, rent control, either on Next Door or the in letters to the Santa Cruz Sentinel, the Santa Cruz city council did NOT pass Measure M. What it did pass on January 7th was 1) limited rent increase of 7% over two years with a 2-month relocation assistance if it went beyond this amount (unanimous 7-0 vote) and 2) a temporary measure to offer some relief to renters while a housing task force goes to work in fashioning recommendations for city council consideration. There was no rent board approved, no six-month relocation fee passed, and no having to keep renting in-perpetuity to those 62 and over, or disabled. These were the parts of Measure M that seemed to be referred to most often as onerous in last November’s Measure M ballot initiative(The I’m in favor of rent control, just not this rent control measure, remember that sentiment? Okay, the council responded.) The council took an approach last Tuesday to try and provide protection for some of the most vulnerable members of our community, tenants, while we work on finding some permanent renter protections, shoring up homeless services, and taking another look at the rental inspection ordinance (remember that one?!). Stay tuned!

“In America, a woman—not the government or her employer—must control her own body. We must vigorously defend women’s access to all reproductive health services and allow them to make their own medical decisions.” (Jan. 14)

(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. Scroll below for secret scenes and driving forces.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “Cages and Walls ” 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: I opened the window and “in –flew- enza” !! No she didn’t really, but check out 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. . Julie James talks about Jewel Theatre’s new play Red Velvet on January 15. Then Celia and Peter Scott talk about Campaign For Sustainable Transportation. Phil Collins from New Music Works discusses their Feb. 2 concert featuring Terry Riley, piano and Sarah Cahill on January 22. Following Phil will be Attorney Bill Parkin and Ron Pomerantz talking about the lawsuit against the City and developer Owen Lawlor. John Laird discusses his plans to run for Bill Monning’s State Senate Seat on January 29. Linda Burman-Hall discusses the full season of The Santa Cruz Baroque Festival on Feb. 5. Ellen Grace O’Brian talks about her book, ” Jewel Of Abundance” on February 12.  OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… http://www.radiofreeamerica.com/dj/bruce-bratton 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.   “MARCHES”

“If your child marches to a different beat, a different drummer, you might just have to go along with that music. Help them achieve what’s important to them” Sonia Sotomayor

“I don’t even really see sit-ins and marches as passive. I see them as quite assertive. I see those as emotionally aggressive tactics. I see people putting their lives on the line and being bold and brave”. Ava DuVernay

“I actually believe that this Trump phenomenon, which has affected many of us, is going to accelerate the use of art for philanthropy, because people are realizing that art is a vehicle for showing opposition – just look at the signs in the women’s marches”. Agnes Gund

CVS/Long’s Drug Store, July 27, 1965. Note the back of the Del Mar Theatre at the very far left. That’s about the only way to get your bearings at this job site. It’s Front Street and Soquel, with the four story parking structure including Oswald’s Restaurant today.                                                                              photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

DATELINE January 7, 2019

JOHN LAIRD INTO BILL MONNING’S SENATE SEAT? Last Tuesday night (1/1/19) on my Universal Grapevine radio program, Gary Patton surprised me — and probably most listeners — by saying that John Laird is seriously considering running for California State Senator Bill Monning’s seat. Bill terms out in 2020. He was elected in 2012 to the senate, and re-elected in 2016. John says he’ll send me more details ASAP! Santa Cruzan John Laird is currently our California Secretary of Natural Resources. John has been in public Service for 40 years, 23 of which were in elected office. Go here for his longer bio…  

MEASURE O LAWSUIT AGAINST CITY OF SANTA CRUZ, THE CITY COUNCIL AND DEVELOPER OWEN LAWLOR. Activists Shelley Hatch and Ron Pomerantz have “filed a Petition for Writ of Mandamus against Respondents City of  Santa Cruz and City Council of the City of Santa Cruz . I’ve taken as much of the legal words in the action and included them in the next few paragraphs.” The Petition alleges that Respondents violated the California Constitution and a local voter-adopted initiative, Measure 0, that requires new developments to include a share of price restricted affordable housing in new housing developments, and that Respondents violated the California Environmental Quality Act”. Owen Lawlor of Lawlor Land Use Development Company is the developer of the proposed Pacific, Laurel and Front Street mixed 205 residential units and commercial 6 story building.

This lawsuit challenges the failure by Respondents City of Santa Cruz and City Council of the City of Santa Cruz (collectively referred to herein as “Respondents”) to enforce  the requirement of a voter-adopted initiative measure that requires new developments to include a share of price-restricted affordable housing in new housing developments (Measure O). While Respondents pay lip service to the need for affordable housing, what Respondents actually do is to use the need for such affordable housing as an argument to endlessly promote market-rate development within the City of Santa Cruz.

Such market-rate development fails to quell or dampen the need for affordable housing. Contrary to the impression that Respondents have given by their promotion of market-rate housing, providing more market-rate housing does not actually provide a solution to the housing woes besetting the community, and does not alleviate the need for affordable housing.

In fact, as long as market-rate housing in the City of Santa Cruz, or even the County of  Santa Cruz, is less expensive than housing in Santa Clara County (the address of the economic juggernaut infamously known worldwide as Silicon Valley), and as long as there is a world-class university, Airbnb and second homeowners, Santa Cruz will remain steadfastly unaffordable. No amount of market-rate development in an attractive California coastal area will dampen prices such that homes are affordable. Indeed, respondents ignore the economic realities of homebuilding. Density in San Francisco did not reduce the price of homes any more than it did in the New York City Borough of Manhattan.

The high cost of land and labor in California, and Santa Cruz, and the fact that developers only build when demand is strong, means that housing affordability will remain a perennial problem. Measure O, the growth management initiative adopted by the voters in 1979 that also created the City’s Greenbelt, recognized the folly of mindless growth and mandated an affordable housing requirement for new development. Measure O recognized that there was “an already existing housing crisis in the City of Santa Cruz… .”. The commitment, courage, and willingness shown by Shelley Hatch and Ron Pomerantz is amazing and inspiring. Now we get to watch how the new City Council will work under pressure.

SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL January 2018.  Exactly one year ago this week I wrote in this space….

JANUARY 1 ST, 2018 SADLY SHRINKING SENTINEL First it was Wallace Baine, then Don Miller, then Karen Kefauver, Stacey Vreeken, and Haven Livingston…all gone. Now we have to wonder about such favorites as Donna Maurillo, Offra Gerstein, Jondi Gumz, Julie Jag — and how about the new column by Steve Kessler? As we’ve been reading, the cutbacks are all generated by Digital First Media. Go here… to see the extent of their print empire, consisting of 97 newspapers. Here’s an example (quote) of what they promise to do for advertisers… “Taking an omni channel approach, we look at a comprehensive view of the purchase journey for your ideal customer group and model the optimal combination of digital touch points to increase your marketing efficiency”. (1/07/19… Jondi Gumz just left after 26 years and Wallace Baine had a piece in Sunday’s  (1/06/19) S.F. Chronicle).

ABOUT STEPHEN KESSLER, MARK PRIMACK, AND THE SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL 2019.
James Weller from Sanctuary Santa Cruz and the Peace United Church of Christ wrote a much-deserved critique on Facebook last week. Jim also adds that he has no authority to speak for those organizations, or for any of their members other than myself. Open the link, or links, to his entire piece — but his calling out of Kessler and Primack is spot on. Read how they slam Justin Cummings and Drew Glovers votes. Read about their accusation of exploiting the very legal UCSC student votes…and the ridiculous welcome to the “reality of governance”. See what Weller says about rent control and the “purchase of Propaganda”. And special thanks to James Weller, for allowing me to re-print all of it here…

“Enough already, from the stalking horses harnessed to the Sentinel’s bandwagon of shameless commerce. I’m talking about the politically purposed pundits Mark Primack and Stephen Kessler, whose blatherings seem to be the Sentinel’s favorite blunt instruments, pounding away at least once a week on the Opinion page.

What disgusts me is not so much that these smarty-pants oracles are beating their drums for the bourgeoisie, but that their utterances are full of errors. Worse, these are intentional errors.

Kessler, for instance, in his January 5 blurt, claims that Justin Cummings and Drew Glover, two of the three City Council candidates elected in November, nevertheless did “lose the popular vote,” laughably likening the function of our local popular election to that of the Electoral College.

Kessler’s rubric is “City Council Reality Check: Do the Math.” But he showed his work, and it is obviously bogus. No passing grade for you, Stephen. You compare the total number of votes for Drew and Justin with the total number of votes for all the other eight candidates, saying moronically that “a two-to-one margin” did not vote for the winners. Do I really need to point out that the total number of votes for all the candidates does not equal the number of voters?

He says that Justin’s and Drew’s campaigners asked supporters not to vote for a third candidate, though they could have. Yet, incredibly, Kessler ignores the common-sense certainty that most voters did nevertheless vote for three candidates, although we cannot determine which voters voted for whom. If every voter made three choices, then the total number of votes divided by three would equal the number of voters, which would come to 25,000. Now, look: Cummings won 12,516 votes, Meyers won 11,862, and Glover won 10,972. That means each in turn was favored by a whopping plurality among the rest of the candidates, though Cummings did poll an absolute majority among all of them.

No matter how you slice it, the winners won by solid pluralities of the popular vote. Period. Kessler got it badly wrong, and with a purpose.

Like Primack, Kessler whines about Glover’s “exploitation of the [UCSC] student vote” calling it a “clever political stratagem,” as if there were something nefarious about that. In his very next sentence, Kessler calls that outcome “fair and square by the rules of residency and same-day registration.” Well, duh. Those are the rules, aren’t they, Stephen? And the vast majority of us approve of them.

There are other equally telling lacunae in Kessler’s commentary, and nowhere does he tell the plain truth about why the likes of him, and Primack, are in print in the first place. When Kessler pompously says to Cummings and Glover, “welcome to the reality of governance,” as if he has any authority in the matter, the agenda is thinly veiled.

This isn’t about political philosophy. It’s about rent control, stupid. It’s about sore winners in the successful campaign to kill Measure M, the recently defeated rent-control and tenant eviction protection ballot measure. Glover, Cummings, Brown, and Krohn publicly supported M. Now, they are a majority of the City Council, which is what Kessler, Primack, and the Sentinel are freaking out about.

Some 57% of Santa Cruz residents are tenants, and they overwhelmingly support rent control, the failure of M notwithstanding. M was killed by nearly a million dollars’ worth of deceptive and diversionary propaganda bought and blasted at us by landlord interests, which bamboozled the electorate. The age-old ruling class strategy is to divide the populace, in this instance by pitting tenants against homeowners, and students against everyone else.

Yet in fact, very many voters who were scared off by the manufactured hue and cry against M allowed that they actually do support some form of rent control, but not this one. It was a ubiquitous refrain. In its particulars, M was a necessarily complex proposition, made weirder by the wild card of Proposition 10, conjuring a political Schrodinger’s cat if there ever was one.

But the 2018 election circus that seemed to be all about Measure M is over with. Before us lies the very different realm of municipal legislative process. And, guess what? In 2019, according to the will of the People, by due process, there definitely will be a rent control ordinance enacted by the Santa Cruz City Council. You can bet on it.

One thing on which Kessler agrees with the majority of us is that the process should “be a matter of reason, listening, persuasion, negotiation, [and] compromise.” I believe all that will indeed happen.

But this time, the landlord interests will not be able to buy their desired outcome by carpet bombing us with their purchased propaganda, as they did in 2018. This time, all their money will be to no avail. They’re going to have to come to the table. And there are way more of us than there are of them”. James Weller

TOM NODDY & THE FLYING KARAMAZOVS! Tom Noddy emailed to say he’s working on getting the original four Flying Karamazov Brothers plus himself to re-unite at the 50th anniversary of the Oregon State Fair. That’ll run August 23rd – September 2. Longtime Santa Cruzans who loved our downtown will never forget the Four Flying Karamazovs (UCSC students who went on touring the world, even making big time films). They’ll also remember Tom Noddy the bubble guy and Artis the Spoonman and all sorts of great entertainers that made our Pacific Avenue so unique.

JOHN DIZIKES DIED. There are certain people who create a place — or better yet, space — in their community that no one else can fill. John Dizikes was one of those special people. He had an unusual ability to be larger than life, to simply fill more dimensions than most folks do. No matter how many decades later, John represented all those special and unique features that UCSC had when it opened. He was a great radio interview, an incredibly knowledgeable opera companion, and we’ll all miss him…very much.

EAGAN’S  SUBCONSCIOUS  COMICS. Peer into the wild, profound world of yours and my id, ego, and unmentionables.

EAGAN’S  DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “Divided Government ” 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 has his “View From The Solstice” poem (very subtle) and his blog contains “Just Say Suck” which is nearly unforgettable.

ANNIE LYDON & DAVE STAMEY SHOWS. Singer, performer Annie Lydon joins songwriter and world renowned cowboy vocalist Dave Stamey with two shows at Michaels on Main  2519 Main Street Soquel on January 9 & 10. Get tickets immediately …they always pack the house. Doors open at 6:30, show starts at 7:30. Go to www.michelsonmainmusic.com  and scroll down.

SANTA CRUZ CHAMBER PLAYERS…Concert #3. The concert is titled “On the Shoulders of Giants!”it features the  Wild Coast Brass with Kevin Jordan, Concert director and trumpet. They’ll be playing music by J.S. Bach, Barber, Canadian Brass and more.  That’ll happen Saturday, January 19, 7:30 pm and Sunday, January 20, 3:00 pm at The Christ Lutheran Church which is at 10707 Soquel Drive, Aptos (Off Highway 1 at Freedom Blvd.)

RED VELVET, THE PLAY. The Jewel Theatre Company, Santa Cruz’s only full time professional theatre company presents Lolita Chakrabarti’s play Red Velvet from January 23-February 17 at the Colligan Theatre in the Tannery. It’s about the backstage world of London in the early 1800’s. The play is Othello and the lead gets sick and a black man from America is about to take his place as the black Othello!! Go to https://www.jeweltheatre.net/red-velvet  for more data and tickets.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Don’t expect action, but prepare to be immersed in Roma, the cinematic version of deep yoga breathing to observe and appreciate the small details of life, this week at  Lisa Jensen Online Express(http://ljo-express.blogspot.com)  Also, some further thoughts on where we go when we’re no longer here, with input from Harry Potter and Mr. Earl!” 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. . Julie James talks about Jewel Theatre’s new play Red Velvet on January 15. Then Celia and Peter Scott talk about Campaign For Sustainable Transportation. Phil Collins from New Music Works discusses their Feb. 2 concert featuring Terry Riley, piano and Sarah Cahill on January 22. Linda Burman-Hall discusses the full season of The Santa Cruz Baroque Festival on Feb. 5. AND/OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… http://www.radiofreeamerica.com/dj/bruce-bratton 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. “STORMS”

“The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore”, Vincent Van Gogh

It is only in sorrow bad weather masters us; in joy we face the storm and defy it. Amelia Barr

“I
think that the
world should be full of cats and full of rain, that’s all, just
cats and
rain, rain and cats, very nice, good
night.”
Charles Bukowski, Betting on the Muse: Poems and Storie

SANTA CRUZ’S PACIFIC AVENUE 1910. Yes, the corner of Lincoln and Soquel. The Unique Theatre we see here was once owned by Mack Swain. Swain partnered with Charlie Chaplin as his nemesis in many films. Nowadays it’s the Om Gallery on the left, Forever 21 and New Leaf on the right.                                          photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

DATELINE December 31, 2018

VICTORVILLE TRAFFIC! As our local RTC bumbles on its way to solve our Santa Cruz  traffic problem, we must keep in mind that traffic is terrible almost everywhere. I got dumped headfirst into the 5 o’clock car jam in the middle of Victorville! Who would believe there were enough people going anywhere near Victorville. This was the Westbound traffic on Bear Valley road — and no ne I asked could explain where such mobs were coming from (or going to) but it’s been a sad factor for years down there.

VICTORVILLE WATER! Nephew John took me on a sightseeing tour of Spring Valley Lake near his house. Like the traffic problems, water in California requires constant surveillance. It’s unbelievable to see the 200 acre lake — requiring 3 million cubic yards of dirt to be dug out of the ground in 7 months — created so that private homes developed by Boise Cascade Corporation would have porches facing water in this very dry environment. The lake contains 1 billion, 80 million gallons of water. The plumbing, evaporation, transportation, filtering problems continue to be gigantic. But the golf course and the very private children’s beach are very popular with the members/residents. How could that have happened? But then again Wilder Ranch was designed to have 10,000 homes and annexed to Santa Cruz city.

GREG LARSON’S PLANS. In case you’re wondering…yes, Greg Larson is planning to run again ASAP. There’s already been meetings to discuss when he should file, so that he can’t blame his late entry like last time. Cynthia Mathews is one of his main backers. This means we can expect Greg to start appearing at dozens of lemonade stand openings, in fact any type of community gathering — just to prove he really cares. It’s what Cynthia does as her next campaign gets rolling. Mkie Rotkins also joins every gathering just to get that exposure when he’s about to run for re-elections. Now we have to wonder if Larson has another $50,000 to spend on the next campaign like he did the last one.

SPECIAL THANKS
There’s no good enough way to thank Gunilla Leavitt for all the years she has been 100% responsible for getting BrattonOnline up online every single week…and she stays happy too. Our partnership goes back to July 23, 2003, when it first went online. Dick Bender suggested the internet, and Marv Kaplan introduced me to Gunilla. It’s been wonderful ever since.

Above and beyond a favor, author Michael Marshall Smith has been editing and trying to fix all of my punctuation and word parts of BrattonOnline every week for over a year. Read his Only Forward or The Anomaly novels. Keep up with his literary output by going to…www.MichaelMarshallSmith.com

EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. Venture near the ego, the id, and our friends Ava and the Boss at Tim Eagan’s Subconscious Comics below.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “Burning Issues” 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.

ANNIE LYDON & DAVE STAMEY SHOWS. Singer, performer Annie Lydon joins songwriter and world renowned cowboy vocalist Dave Stamey with two shows at Michaels on Main  2519 Main Street Soquel on January 9 & 10. Get tickets immediately …they always pack the house. Doors open at 6:30, show starts at 7:30. Go to www.michelsonmainmusic.com  and scroll down.

RED VELVET, THE PLAY. The Jewel Theatre Company, Santa Cruz’s only full time professional theatre company presents Lolita Chakrabarti’s play Red Velvet from January 23-February 17 at the Colligan Theatre in the Tannery. It’s about the backstage world of London in the early 1800’s. The play is Othello and the lead gets sick and a black man from America is about to take his place as the black Othello!! Go to https://www.jeweltheatre.net/red-velvet  for more data and tickets.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa reports in saying she’s had technical difficulties. Read her reports and reviews 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.    Ending the old year, former Santa Cruz County Supervisor Gary Patton and I will discuss the many events and issues that happened last year and guess some of the changes in 2019…for the full hour. January 8 has activist and columnist Becky Steinbruner. She’s followed by Keith McHenry bringing us up to date re Food Not Bombs. Julie James talks about Jewel Theatre’s new play Red Velvet on January 15. Phil Collins from New Music Works discusses their Feb.2 concert featuring Terry Riley, piano and Sarah Cahill. OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… http://www.radiofreeamerica.com/dj/bruce-bratton 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. 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. “New Years”
“A year from now, you’re gonna weigh more or less than what you do right now”. Phil McGraw
“Come, gentlemen, I hope we shall drink down all unkindness“. William Shakespeare
“May the New Year bring you significantly more joy than the holidays did”. Anonymous

DOWNTOWN SANTA CRUZ…PACIFIC AND COOPER STREETS 7:50 AM 1957. So many changes…no Cooper House, Bubble Bakery, Montgomery Ward Catalog Store or Leask’s. Now we have an O Neill’s Surf Shop, Urban Outfitters and Pacific Wave Surf Shop.                                              photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

DATELINE December 17, 2018

HAPPIEST OF HOLIDAY TIME. Feeling extra gung-ho and super-loyal to Downtown, I did ALL of my holiday shopping at Palace Stationers and Bookshop Santa Cruz. Goodly-sized shopper crowds at both places. What was even more encouraging was the Bookshop had six cash registers going…and everyone smiled nicely!!! Santa Cruz is doing some things right!!

ROBERT SINGLETON REVISITED. As “LinkedIn” states, Robert Singleton is… “The Executive Director of the Santa Cruz County Business Council. He serves as the principal advocate and spokesperson for the organization, and for the business community at large. … Senior Marketing Strategist”. Today, (Monday Dec. 17) BrattonOnline learned…

Robert Singleton was at the developer’s Dream Inn meeting on Dec. 3, and has everybody read about what he did that night, as reported by Jessica York in the Sentinel? None of the city representatives were wearing name tags, but someone recognized Singleton while he was handing out pro Dream Inn project leaflets for the YIMBYS, before the meeting began. Someone confronted him about it, and he rudely told them he could do it if he wants, “you’re wrong to tell me I can’t”. They found a planner to report Singleton’s activities and his attitude. Staff stopped him from handing out more of the YIMBY material that was biased for the project.  At the end of the meeting one of the Clear Court Mobile Home Park people, A. Webb, brought up this problem to Santa Cruz Planning Director Lee Butler and the attendees. Lee Butler told her he would refer the issue to the city attorney, as Webb asked for Robert Singleton to be recused when this comes before the planning commission. It’s been suggested that the Save Santa Cruz Westside people follow up with a letter to the city attorney, and Lee Butler, and others. It has also been actually suggested that they ask for Singleton’s removal from the commission, go for the big pressure point, to assure that we may just get Singleton’s recusal. Last week, a council member told us “the planning commissioners serve at the pleasure of the council members” and they would like to receive a letter about what he did for the YIMBYS. The YIMBYS are a developer-backed “please build anything in anybody’s back yard group”. Looks like more tasks for our NEW city Council!

THE NEXT CHANCELLOR? Lest we forget, George Blumenthal is UCSC’s TENTH chancellor! As we all are very aware, the forces that be are looking for his replacement. While they are “looking”, inside word has it that Executive Vice Chancellor and Campus Provost Marlene Tromp is going to get the job. Don’t mention where you heard this, and act surprised but you can almost bet on it!

DEVCON – LAWLOR –  TERRAZAS TERRABUNDA. I believe terrabunda means “large ugliness” but I couldn’t confirm it online. Just like some of us call it Don Lane’s Bearcat Tank, the plotting, sneaky way the Lawlor Devcon development was pushed through (as the last action our dingbat City Council would fall for) means that the monster that will more than fill that space should forever be named after ex-mayor David Terrazas. Terrazas should go down in the books as our most pro-development mayor in history. We should never forget his closing anti-homeless, pro-developers monument.  Check out this link to Owen Lawlor and Devcon’s acquisition of that Pacific/Laurel/Front Street property.

Better yet…read Gillian Greensite’s Insight on the same topic.

EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. Go even deeper to your hidden place with Ava and her friends with Subconscious Comics…a scroll away!
EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s   ” Now Hiring ” 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.

EVENTS. On the third Thursday of every month Munching With Mozart presents a free concert from noon to about 1 p.m. in the upstairs meeting room of the threatened Santa Cruz Main Library. This month it’s…

“Cello Concerto”

PROGRAM

Cello Concerto No. 1, a minor op. 33 

Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)
      Allegro non troppo
      Allegretto con moto
      Tempo Primo

Yosef Feinberg, cello; Marina Thomas, piano 

….And… 

Grand Waltz and Tarantella, from the ballet Anyuta

Valery Gavrilin  (1939-1999)
Rose Georgi and Marina Thomas, piano duo

That’s.. Thurs., Dec.20. 12:10 -12:50 Santa Cruz Public Library Downtown Branch – Meeting Room

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “I’m not a big fan of filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster), so there’s little chance his weird new effort, The Favourite, will appear on my Best Films of 2018 list next week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com/). But catch up with my full review in this week’s Good Times. And if I don’t see you before then, Happy Holidays to all!” 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. Jane Mio of San Lorenzo River Mysteries, Sierra club, Parks and Rec. holds forth on Dec.18 talking about river management. Then Fred Geiger gathers up facts about ADU’s and shares some new ideas. The Tuesday after that is Christmas and you know about no Bonline that week! January First 2019 has former County Supervisor Gary Patton looking backwards and forwards politically for the full hour. AND/OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… http://www.radiofreeamerica.com/dj/bruce-bratton 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. “Mistletoe”
“You are the happy to my holiday, jingle in my bells, nut to my cracker, fruit to my cake, present under my tree, a wish to my star, home for my holiday, candy to my cane, kiss under the mistletoe, holly to my jolly, winter to my wonderland, ginger to my bread, milk to my cookie, joy to my world, star on my tree, love of my life.” –Unknown
“Mistletoe, the same plant you kiss under at holiday time, may be an effective aid against certain types of cancer”. Chris Kilham
“It’s supposed to be jolly, with mistletoe and holly… and other things ending in olly.” Terry Pratchett,
“What happens under the mistletoe stays under the mistletoe.” Unknown

CONTEMPORARY HISTORICAL SANTA CRUZ PHOTO. As a break from my habit of displaying old Santa Cruz with snow scenes, this clever, pertinent, humorous, creative piece of art by Russell Brutsche deserves the big spot. Now we just have to guess — or imagine — if that’s the 1. New building across from the Dream Inn 2. The Owen Lawler monstrosity proposed for Laurel and Pacific, 3. The Ocean and Water apartment development, 4. A cell tower at the Errett Church Circle development or 5. Do not fill in the blanks!!                                            photo art courtesy of Russell Brutsche

DATELINE December 10, 2018

THE PROGRESSIVES VICTORY PARTY. Santa Cruz definitely needs more of these progressive victory parties. We haven’t had one in years. Not trusting my own attendance estimates, I asked Susan Martinez, Micah Posner, Becky O’Malley and a few others for their guesses….each of them estimated about 300 folks were there. I agree. Speakers such as Gillian Greensite and Katherine Beiers made the most important point of the evening (Saturday at the 418 Project) that  the work hasn’t ended not that there’s a progressive majority on the City Council — it’s just beginning. With impeachments already being whispered, we know the moneyed-development side of our city will aim at 2020 with both big and hidden guns. Beiers also spoke about what it was like to serve on the council with a six to one (6-1) majority. No one mentioned his name, but grimacing references were made about the $50,000 guy. And — to no one’s surprise — Mike Rotkin wasn’t there. There was much praise and big applause when notice was paid to the first two African-American males who won the race, and Justin Cummings and Drew Glover gave deep heartfelt talks about their new roles and the work that we will all have to share in by staying involved in City politics. Maybe the biggest and most important observation was made by long-time progressives such as Ron Pomerantz, Fred Geiger, Tadd Hatch and Robert Morgan, who pointed out that a lot of the folks attending and celebrating were new and young faces that we didn’t know. It proved that the positive and progressive majority now on the City Council will have the necessary hard-working populace to get Santa Cruz back on track. You shoulda been there!!!

GREG LARSON’S “I RAN TOO LATE”. Larson didn’t run too late, he ran too soon. He should have waited 10 years, until most of us have moved on. (Californians move every 7.3 years, according to studies) Jacob Pierce said about Larson in his Good Times article that predicted election results…. “He (Larson) believes that if he had launched his campaign earlier, he would have had a different result on Election Day, but says that he wasn’t able to announce sooner because of business and personal reasons”. Sure, THAT must have been why Larson lost. It couldn’t have been his assault on Ashley Scontriano, or his temper, or his meanness. It could not have been because he walked out of a UCSC Student forum. Who could possibly believe that his pro-development team of David Terrazas, Ryan Coonerty, Zach Friend, Fred Keeley, Owen Lawler, Ted Burke, George Ow, and Robert Singleton could have turned a few folks against him? Larson’s money involvement was startling. As I said in this space on Nov. 12 … “One reader wrote: “Greg Larson was the only candidate who declined to agree to the city’s voluntary expenditure limit, and is at $52,411 as of the Nov. 1 reporting”. Is it possible that Larson’s campaign contributions from The Seaside Company, various Canfields, many, many realtors, Cynthia Mathews, David Baskin, Mark Mesiti-Miller, Dana Morgan, Bob Bosso, John Burroughs, David Terrazas, Doug Ley and Zach Friend may have turned off more than a few voters? We’ll have to wait and see how many of the above support him when he runs again…and files earlier?

SAME SEX MARRIAGES. Now that same sex marriages have now been legal for ten years, has anybody seen statistics on which pairings are happiest? Two men, two women, or the traditional one of each. Which couplings have the highest divorce rates? Somebody must have done a study. Nothing serious, here just curious. If you have any numbers on this, please send them in…thanks.

December 10

DREAM INN REBELLION!
For decades we have been led like sheep into accepting a less than democratic process at community meetings. Herded towards display sites where we are allowed to chat one on one with planners and developers or shepherded around small tables and handed sticky notes to record individual opinions, our collective voice has been effectively muted. Even progressive orgs have adopted the practice of questions written on index cards, which are hastily sorted and only the least critical read aloud for a response. Prior to the adoption of these tactics designed to manage dissent, public meetings on controversial issues were uncomplicated. People asked questions and the developers, planners, organizers answered them. You got to hear how others felt about the issue, groans and all. Community groups formed out of such dialogue. You could assess the strength of various viewpoints and saw who was who. Clearly, such meetings require a competent chair to ensure all voices are heard and quieting the loud mouths: not such a difficult task. Those who preferred to put it in writing could always do so. That more democratic process has long been supplanted by the current managerial approach. However the large crowd who attended the community meeting organized by the Dream Inn developer, Ensemble, was having none of it.

People demanded the right to ask questions. With so many voices raised in unison, the organizers agreed to change the format. Our questions were asked and largely answered although the question about the legitimacy of city Planning Commissioner Robert Singleton distributing YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard) flyers with the heading: The Dream Inn Project Will Be Awesome! produced a convoluted non-answer from the city.

We learned that this project is deemed by city planners to be exempt from CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act). Such designation is being used more and more frequently by city planners, including the mammoth Devcon-Lawler mixed use project with 205 housing units on Pacific, Laurel and Front Streets, to be voted on by the outgoing council this week barring any last-minute surprises. Such exemption avoids having to acknowledge, study and mitigate environmental impacts. The Dream Inn development has been well covered by the Sentinel, so just a few observations here with Ensemble’s rendition of the project included.

The current parking lot for the Dream Inn used to be the old Sisters’ Hospital, a handsome stucco low-rise building with spacious grounds, before it was bull-dozed to make way for the Dream Inn’s visitors’ cars. While cars are not a visual attraction, the big trees, open space and uninterrupted view of the Cowell Ranch (aka UCSC) and distant hills certainly are. While 6 out of the 55 trees on the property are to be saved, the stature of the remaining trees will be erased by the height and scale of the development. Talking of height and scale…here we go again with the architect’s rendition using the old trompe l’oeil of placing people, cars and bikes in the foreground to minimize the height and scale of the development in the background. In art, this is creative. In purporting to assess the impacts of a development, it is deceptive. Nor do we need birds-eye views; we need story poles delineating the actual scale of the 4 stories so we can walk by and get a feel for the impact. We need to-scale drawings with the surrounding buildings included, not just the project, so we can assess context. If our Planning Department were representing the good of the community not just the developer’s project, these would be required.

Some will be seduced with this project’s providing 89 housing units, 11 of which are designated “affordable.” That, plus green building standards, recycled water and roof gardens and what’s not to like? Well, a lot, if you care about the 64 unit Clearview Court low-income residents, many of whom own their mobile homes, have lived there for years and are probably some of the low income “work-force” that housing advocates profess to be concerned about. Their quality of life will be profoundly impacted with their windows abutting the service vehicle entrance to the project and with a 4-story shadow robbing them of morning sun. But never mind them, 11 other lucky ones will get to live in the new development.

There are many more issues, such as bringing commercial shopping into a residential area, the loss of a last rare piece of open space by the coast, the traffic impact in the already heavily impacted intersection of Bay and West Cliff. But take heart! Ensemble claims the project “will also provide habitat for butterflies migrating through the site.” (190 Westcliff.com. FAQ)

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.

December 10

Something Needs Fixing at City Hall

No Way for City to do Business
More agenda items have been packed into the last agenda of the year, Dec. 12th, than all the city council business undertaken in October and November together. The hardcopy edition is over 700 pages. Councilmembers receive it on Thursday night and are expected to read it, or rubber stamp the items, by the following Tuesday. This includes making inquiries and searching out additional information, informing constituents who have previously expressed interest in keeping up with certain topics, and finally, usually for me, meeting with the city manager, city attorney, and a couple staff people about certain agenda items. I especially like to meet in the field with staff concerning building projects, trees, and traffic issues.

It took a couple more years than expected, but here is the Brand New Council, Part II. Justin Cummings, Drew Glover, Sandy Brown, and Chris Krohn

The Reasons
There are likely three reasons why the Dec. 11th council agenda was so ginormous. It was Mayor Terrazas’ last meeting and he likely wanted to fit in a couple of projects he’s been working on like the resolution adopting “Budgetary Policy” that came out of an ad-hoc subcommittee he chaired. He also wanted one last stab at homeless policy, so the council was to “receive a comprehensive update on local and regional [homeless] policy…,” a pretty tall order for just one meeting, but given other items, Terrazas called the meeting for 8:30a, partly because of the agenda size and partly because the evening is reserved for the council to choose the incoming mayor and vice-mayor. Second reason why there is agenda-packing, as far as I can see, is fear of the incoming city councilmembers syndrome. Staff just doesn’t know where new council will be on various issues, they’d likely rather take their chances with old ones such as the long and complex Devcon-Lawlor project, which swam under the radar screen for so long then desperately sought to cross the Dec. 11th last meeting deadline. Will it happen? I am writing these words the day before the council meeting for the Bratton-on-line deadline, so I don’t know yet. Another one of these fear-factor projects, which could’ve come to the council weeks ago, or weeks from now, is “installation and maintenance of electric charging features” for Jump (Uber) Bike stations around town. All councilmembers seem to like program, but the progressive-left ones ask more questions and even succeeded in getting one of the stations moved a couple of meetings back. With more progressive-lefties on the way, staff is taking no chances. The Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) ordinance is another one to not let to chance with a new city council, although a new council can easily call it back and make changes, whereas the with respect to the 206 market-rate Devcon-Lawlor apartments to be situated along Pacific Ave., it might be harder to bring that one back…not impossible, just more complicated. And then with lawyer Bill Parkin’s last-minute letter representing a client who is demanding that Measure O affordable housing inclusionary ordinance be adhered to, the project may very well have to come back to council in January or February. Stay tuned! Final reason could be just work load issues and clearing of staff calendars for the new year.

Finally
The ADU part of the agenda is only 291 pages, the “Regional Transportation Commission’s Unified Corridors Study (UCIS) also not light reading, and the Devcon-Lawlor Project is also a couple hundred pages which all makes for an overwhelming bureaucratic reading experience. It is not really possible to read this packet in any manageable way, hangout a little bit with your family, and work the day job. Something’s gotta give. Spreading agenda items out through the year would make it more manageable. Which brings us to the recent election results. Justin Cummings and Drew Glover won seats on the council. What is the mandate? Crafting affordable housing that works. Building a 24/7 homeless shelter. Negotiating with UCSC on the number of students the UC Regents brings to town. Bringing popular power and participation back to city hall and the council chambers, i.e. restoring oral communication to 7pm; having more evening sessions so working people can attend meetings; making the city web site more accessible and user friendly; surveying residents on their needs and ideas; and opening up the civic auditorium when council meetings top over 130 people. I have no doubt that this new council will be open, hard-working, and social justice-minded. They were installed into their new jobs last Tuesday evening.

(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

December 10, 2018

UCSC KRESGE COLLEGE PROJECT DRAFT EIR OPEN FOR PUBLIC COMMENT UNTIL JANUARY 7
I attended the Public Comment Hearing recently for the Kresge College Renewal and Expansion Project.  There were two hearings, and I chose to attend the one on the UCSC Campus.  There were not many people there, but the mix was interesting, being current students and alumni.  The Project will only add 175-225 new beds, enough to house current Kresge College students, but does not address the needs stated in the UCSC Long Range Development Plan to house substantial numbers of increased students in the future..  I learned that only about 50% of the UCSC population currently lives on campus.  The new plans will make it difficult for students to have access to a common kitchen, requiring 33 students to share a kitchen, rather than the current 8.  One current student in the audience asked if there would be showers near the common areas….which are currently being used as student dormitory areas.  Wow. 

Take a look at this Project and submit your thoughts by January 7

I was not able to review the document thoroughly before attending the hearing because the link was broken, but it seems to be repaired now. Maybe we need to follow the good work that the city of Davis, Calif. leaders recently did, with the help of a mediator, negotiating an agreement with UC Davis to provide on-campus housing for 100% of the increased student enrollment.  UC also agreed to fund $2.3 Million in transportation improvement projects immediately around the Campus to support better infrastructure serving staff and students.  What an amazing accomplishment!  Why can’t we do that in Santa Cruz, too?    Are there any leaders in the house?

Fire damages Seacliff apartment building An apartment at the Seacliff Garden Apartments in the Seacliff area of Aptos sustained massive damage Tuesday (12/2) from a 3:30 p.m. blaze. (Photo by Tarmo Hannula/Register-Pajaronian) FIRE DESTROYS SEACLIFF APARTMENT, LEAVING SOME HOMELESS A November 20 electrical fire destroyed several apartments in Seacliff Gardens, most notably that of Gary Lindstrum, recent Soquel Creek Water District Board candidate.  He was barely able to escape the fire, but lost everything.  If you can help Gary, please consider a donation of any amount to a special account established for his benefit at Bay Federal Credit Union, account #33713456.  You may send checks, payable to Becky Steinbruner with the notation “FBO Gary Lindstrum” and mail to 3441 Redwood Drive, Aptos, CA  95003.  Phone 831-685-2915 with questions.

Take a look   

THE WATER VALVE FINALLY OPENED!
It was a beautiful celebration Monday, December 3, when the Santa Cruz City Water officials and Soquel Creek Water District Board Chair together opened the valve to begin sending water to customers in the over drafted area of the MidCounty.  Now, 1200 gallons/minute are flowing from Santa Cruz City’s system into the pilot project area of Soquel Creek Water District and District pumps in the area have been turned off.  This should help groundwater levels rise and is a pilot project for using the water more extensively in the District to help address the Soquel Creek Water District’s over-pumping problem.  It is one of the recommendations of the Santa Cruz Water Advisory Commission’s work that came from extensive studies by local citizens after the expensive SCWD2 DeSal effort dissolved due to citizen protests and referendum.

Here is a good report from Santa Cruz Sentinel writer Ms. Jessica York.  

I also video recorded the celebration and will send out the YouTube link in the near future.

So, one must now ask the question: Is Soquel Creek Water District’s fast-tracked construction of the PureWater Soquel Project pre-mature and an irresponsible use of ratepayer money?  This Project would inject 3 Million gallons of treated sewage water daily into the area’s drinking water supply; require annual 9% rate increases for the next five years in order to pay the $200 debt burden of the Project.  In my opinion and that of many others informed on the subject, it would pose unknown health and safety risks to all who depend on the Purisima Aquifer for drinking water…..not just the District ratepayers.  It would increase District annual operating costs by an estimated $2.5 Million, require hiring additional staff with required certification, increase energy demand significantly and depend on the highly-technologically dependent equipment to function perfectly 100% of the time.  Remember that in Marina last January the high-tech sewage treatment system failed and dumped an estimated 9 Million gallons of raw sewage into Monterey Bay without anyone noticing for days.

Please contact Ms. Rosemary Menard, Director of Santa Cruz City Water Department and Mr. Ron Duncan, General Manager of Soquel Creek Water District and support further water transfers instead of the treated sewage water injection project.  Rosemary Menard   831-420-5200      Ron Duncan   831-475-8500    and please copy District Chairman Bruce Daniels .

Take a look at the excellent article  recently in the Santa Cruz Sentinel about water supply options the District’s Board discussed:

https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2018/12/06/soquel-creek-water-district-lines-up-water-projects/     

SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT WANTS TO SNEAK THIS PAST YOU
Just when water observers were rejoicing the beginning of water transfers, Soquel Creek Water District dropped this calculated bomb….the Board intends to certify the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for pumping treated sewage water into the area’s drinking water supply at their next meeting on December 18.  Staff had reported to the Board during the December 4 meeting that the Response to Public Comment on the Draft EIR for PureWater Soquel was expected early next year.  Nothing was noted on the board-approved calendar for December 18, other than a Resolution regarding Prop. 1 Grant funding (for the treated sewage water Project).  Can the Board, with respect to transparency, expect the public to plow through this 740-page complex document in just 10 days, the MINIMUM required by California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) law???

This is deceitful and disgusting.  Take a look at the information at www.soquelcreekwater.org   Ask the Board for a time extension on Public Comment.  Why does the District boast of transparency awards???  It really makes one wonder what the criteria are for granting these accolades, doesn’t it?  By the way, contrary to the Board’s decision last year, Tom LaHue is AGAIN the Chairman of the Board, simply (AGAIN) changing places with Bruce Daniels as Vice Chairman.  Not that much has changed since the old days when Martin Kreige ran the Board year after year ad nauseam.

Please contact the Board with your thoughts:

• Tom LaHue toml@soquelcreekwater.org
• Bruce Daniels bruced@soquelcreekwater.org
• Carla Christensen carlac@soquelcreekwater.org
• Bruce Jaffe brucej@soquelcreekwater.org
• Rachel Lather rachell@soquelcreekwater.org
• Emma Olin emmao@soquelcreekwater.org   She is the new Board Clerk

WATER RIGHTS OF THE SOQUEL CREEK EXAMINED
The County Water Advisory Commission met last Wednesday to discuss the Soquel Creek Riparian Water Rights Adjudication, and with possible addition of Water Master to enforce the water rights adjudication order. An interesting guest was retired Judge Hodge, who made the landmark water rights decisions for the American River water rights adjudication.   Soquel Creek Water District has no water rights to Soquel Creek, but Scotts Valley Water District does.  I thought it interesting that the adjudication issue was brought about by a complaint filed by the City of Capitola.  No Water Master was ever appointed by the court to enforce the adjudication and no annual reports (required by the State) regarding the enforcement have been filed.

Here is a link to a presentation on water rights made to Soquel Creek Water District Board within the recent past
Here is a link to the actual Superior Court adjudication order #57081 made in 1975

I always learn a lot at these meetings, and video recorded the discussion of the adjudication.  Stay tuned for that public YouTube video release.

ARE YOU STILL GRAPPLING WITH THE IMPACTS OF RECENT BOARD OF SUPERVISOR APPROVALS FOR ENHANCED DENSITY BONUS?
Gary Patton described what is happening in Santa Cruz County very well in his last week’s Bratton Online contribution:

“One important thing to realize, in the Bay Area, anyway, is that those generating a huge part of housing demand (the large corporations with their jobs) are not paying for the impacts they are causing and there isn’t any solution unless we get money to write down the cost of newly-produced housing, keeping it as permanently “affordable” through price restrictions. Why not get some of that money from those corporations?

Anyone who observes what is really happening can see that the private market will never produce “affordable” housing. It will just produce MORE housing, and that housing will be taken by those with more money. Since we have a global market competing for our very scarce housing supplies, plus a lot of billionaires and want-to-be billionaires competing for any housing that is produced, simply increasing supply won’t do anything except gentrify and otherwise drive ordinary working people out of the homes they may barely be holding on to.” Well said!  Now, consider this information from a recent report in the San Jose Mercury News.

Is there any of that money going to fund affordable housing in Santa Cruz County?  I don’t think so, yet an estimated 25,000 residents from here commute daily to jobs in the high-tech industry, many of which have been forced out of the even-higher-cost-housing in the Bay area to Santa Cruz County.  And don’t forget, some large tech companies, such as Amazon and Dudek, have already moved into downtown Santa Cruz.

Dont’t forget that over a year ago, Santa Cruz City Economic Development Director Bonnie Lipscomb stated on KION that the City had already approved 500-700 new housing units for the high tech workers.  Are Amazon and Dudek contributing money to help build affordable housing for their workers?

FIRST AMENDMENT COALITION SUES SAN JOSE CITY TO GET BEHIND THE TRUTH IN GOOGLE AGREEMENTS
Big money from high-tech Google changed hands last week with the City of San Jose.  Many people protested the transaction for Google Village, which has not been transparent and poses significant changes to the quality of life in the area of consideration.  Here is a link to what the public is being told.

Notice that the issue of government transparency is getting minimalized, but consider the bigger-picture information below, taken directly from the First Amendment Coalition news release.   Ask yourself why Mayor Liccardo is fighting the release of public information so vehemently?

For Immediate Release—The First Amendment Coalition (FAC), joined by Working Partnerships USA (WPUSA), today sued the city of San Jose to force the disclosure of secret details of its negotiations to sell valuable public land to Google.

The suit, filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court, seeks records under the California Public Records Act (CPRA) relating to the planned development of a massive new Google campus on city-owned property, including records about the city’s use of nondisclosure agreements (NDAs).

More than a dozen city officials, including Mayor Sam Liccardo as well as councilmembers, signed NDAs at Google’s request. The NDAs purport to require city officials to withhold a broad range of information required to be made public under California law.

FAC and WPUSA, a San Jose-based nonprofit, have submitted numerous public records requests to learn more about the development and the city’s use of NDA’s. The city largely rebuffed these requests, in clear violation of the CPRA. Today’s lawsuit seeks to force the city to disclose those records.
“The public is entitled to know what elected leaders are doing and saying in negotiations with corporations doing business with the government—especially where those companies are as large and powerful as Google,” said FAC Executive Director David Snyder. “NDAs do not and cannot override elected leaders’ obligations to produce records under public records laws.” 

***********

It all comes back to that common thread of local government’s lack of transparency, doesn’t it?  Do you think Santa Cruz County has that problem?  I do.  Do you think there might be a similar case of backroom dealing with the City of Santa Cruz and the 1100 Pacific block of redevelopment land owned by the City?  How does that fit with the Library-Parking Garage plan being shoved down our throats?  How does that fit with the Pacific-Front Mixed Use development?  And another 6-story project in the works behind the Metro Station?  Think about it.  

WHY ARE TAXPAYERS LEASING 3220 SQUARE FEET OF OFFICE SPACE IN THE APTOS VILLAGE PROJECT FOR ZACH FRIEND AND THE SHERIFF?
I just wonder why Consent Item #53 on the December 11 Board of Supervisor agenda would approve leasing such grand office space from the Aptos Village Project developers when the County taxpayers just financed multiple remodel projects of the Sheriff sub-station in the Rancho del Mar Center?  I also wonder why the cost of the new lease is being paid largely by 911 Joint Power funds ($81,706) (Measure G money???) and money the District Attorney approved ($14,640) from the Consumer Fraud Penalty Trust Fund that the developers paid $124,000 into last year via a judgment regarding shocking environmental violations?  Hmmmm…..   And notice that the Consent Agenda Item #51 signs off over $2.5 Million in taxpayer-funded road improvements to deem the Phase 1 Aptos Village Traffic Improvement Project complete.  Phase 2, which will bring a second traffic light to the Village at Aptos Creek Road, is due to begin next spring. 

Here is the text of Consent Item #53: 6338 : Approve lease agreement with Aptos Village LLC for shared office space at 171 Aptos Village Way, Suite T1, Aptos; authorize the Director of Public Works to approve any future non-monetary changes to the lease agreement; adopt resolutions accepting unanticipated funds in the amount of $14,640 from the Consumer Penalty Trust Fund for the District Attorney’s Office, and in the amount of $81,706 from the Santa Cruz County 911 capital fund for maintenance and tenant improvements, and take related actions, as recommended by the Deputy CAO, Director of Public Works

THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOTES
Santa Cruz County Clerk Gail Pellerin certified the County’s November 6 Election results last week.  Thank you to the 64,298 voters who said NO! to Measure H and a tax on housing that violated state law.  Thank you to the 5,271 voters who said YES! to Soquel Creek Water District Board Candidate Gary Lindstrum and support for water transfers.  Thank you to the 39,309 voters who said NO! to a deceitful  Measure G sales tax increase that will actually not fund County Fire Dept. budget at all.

KAISER TO BUILD MASSIVE COMPLEX IN LIVE OAK?

I receive County Supervisor John Leopold’s monthly newsletters (by the way, he is the only Supervisor who sends them out regularly) and found this of interest:

“On December 13, Pacific Medical Buildings, a developer of medical office buildings, will host a community meeting about a proposal for a new facility located on the Soquel Avenue frontage road, near the Sheriff’s Center. The proposed facility will likely be a 3-4-story medical center with over 150,000 square feet of space for health care providers. Included in their plans will be a parking garage. If successful in the medical office building entitlement process, Kaiser Permanente has expressed interest in occupying the facility, significantly expanding their presence and level of services to the Santa Cruz County community.

The addition of a new medical center will have a variety of impacts on the local health care ecosystem. The County has hired a firm to study these impacts and identify any changes that need to be made to assure that all parts of our health care system stay strong and viable. This new project will also include a detailed traffic analysis to minimize impacts on surrounding roadways.

The healthcare industry is one of the economic and job providing pillars of the county. Local residents have been educated at Cabrillo College for years to enter the medical profession which pays living wages. The potential of new living wage jobs in our community is one of many aspects that should be considered during the important community conversation about this project. I encourage you to attend the Open House and find out more about what is being proposed.

 
Pacific Medical Buildings Community Meeting
Thursday, December 13
6:00 pm to 7:30 pm
Simpkins Family Swim Center
979 17th Avenue

Cheers and Happy Holidays, Becky Steinbruner

Becky Steinbruner is a 30+ year resident of Aptos. She has fought for water, fire, emergency preparedness, and for road repair. She ran for Second District County Supervisor in 2016 on a shoestring and got nearly 20% of the votes. Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com

EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. Eye in the Sky below, scroll down a bit.
EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s Characterization of Trump 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: “There’s great news on the Beast front for e-book readers this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com/). Also, find out why Willem Dafoe (mesmerizing, as usual) received a Golden Globe nomination for At Eternity’s Gate, a cinematic oddity that would rather be a painting than a movie.” 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. December 11th has former mayor and political consultant Bruce Van Allen talking about that last election. He’s followed by Scott McGilvray from Water For Santa Cruz bringing us up to date on our water issues. Jane Mio of San Lorenzo River Mysteries holds forth on Dec.18 talking about river management. Then Fred Geiger gathers up facts about ADU’s and shares some new ideas. The Tuesday after that is Christmas and you know about that! OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… http://www.radiofreeamerica.com/dj/bruce-bratton 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. “Homeless”
“You know, if I listened to Michael Dukakis long enough, I would be convinced we’re in an economic downturn and people are homeless and going without food and medical attention and that we’ve got to do something about the unemployed”. Ronald Reagan
“You can spend the money on new housing for poor people and the homeless, or you can spend it on a football stadium or a golf course”. Jello Biafra
“Economic inequality is not about food stamps and homeless shelters. It is about being a devotee of social justice and equality”. Mike Quigley

SANTA’S VILLAGE. Taken on May 9, 1959 in Santa’s Village — which was built in 1955 and went bankrupt in 1977. It was in Scotts Valley. Shown here (left to right) is some guy, and then with necktie, is Liberace’s almost famous brother George, then Carl Hansen all dressed up as Santa Claus. For the rest of the many years Carl Hansen was Hocus Pocus the clown. See the You Tube just below.                                                        photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

DATELINE December 3 (before city election results)

CIRCLE CHURCH PROPERTY. There was a meeting last Thursday (11/29) in the Circle Church, managed by Mark Thomas, a realtor from Lighthouse Realty. 75 or more community members attended. Justin Cummings, Donna Meyers and Chris Krohn also attended. Sue Powell was there too, and she Facebooked… “Thank you for the reminder about the Errett Circle development meeting. It was well-attended. The “Circle of Friends” bought the property a year ago and hired Thatcher Thompson to draw up plans. The majority of community members in the audience opposed the development. My POV is that it is elitist, lacks diversity, and does not fit in the neighborhood. Any mandated affordable units will most likely be built elsewhere. It is an important central location with an incredible view to the ocean, and it should remain as a center for community gatherings. New Council, new Planning Commissioners. Hopeful”. Sue didn’t mention that the property sold last December for $3,266,666, and that it’s zoned for residential. The majority of folks attending that meeting proved that most of the neighbors want to see the property remain oriented to community use. Most of the audience applauded when any anti-co-housing property plans were discussed. Many Circle Church neighbors were so mad at the managed presentation that they walked out in frustration. It’s been a genuine community center for 120 years. The property continues to be heavily used, with classrooms, the gym, and the kitchen and sanctuary always filled and booked way in advance with activities. Many folks want and hope that the city can take over the entire facility. The church is not in poor shape, as the would-be developers claim. The developers are pushing for cutting down the trees, destroying the church and making it into 12 two, or two and a half, story houses with 12 ADU’s. It’ll be a huge money-maker for the Circle of Friends and their co-housing development. Let’s hope the city takes a genuine interest in this Circle property: it’s precious ,and a very significant part of our history…and future.

FACEBOOK FOLLIES. I won’t bother repeating all the stuff that a few well-intentioned FB’s wrote in response to my including “scumbag” as a description of Christopher VanHall in last week’s BrattonOnline. My community bell-ringer did tell me that maybe “scumbag” was a little harsh, and that “slick sales pitchman” fits him more accurately. VanHall is generally regarded as the “pastor” of the Circle Church, even though he has no official religious title. VanHall also has a history of owning two churches in South Carolina. You should go to my page on Facebook and read the 6 or more entries, including a response from VanHall. A very important factor in all of this is that in spite of all of above, these FB’ers don’t seem to realize that BrattonOnline is an OPINION COLUMN! It’s like an editorial or any regular opinion column, it’s not “fake news” and doesn’t try to be…what you read here now, and all the way back to 1975 when I started with, Good Times Vol.1, #1 are opinions.

SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION. Peter Scott sent this important notice…I recently added three links to videos about bike parking in the Netherlands to our website. The three videos are about new bike parking facilities at transit stations in Utrecht and Delft.  These facilities are large — as many as 12,000 bikes can be parked at the Utrecht Centraal Station. Just click here for links to all three. Those links are on the left-hand side. Please read the pieces on Bus Passes, Highway widening, Smart Trains and Rail PLUS Trail. Peter concludes… “I hope you enjoy them.  Maybe some ideas here.  Do we really need a garage for 12,000 cars?”

December 3, 2018

Far Left
A journalist writing for a local weekly recently called me and my fellow Santa Cruz Councilmember, Sandy Brown, part of the “Far Left.” I wondered what I had done to offend him? Should I cut my hair? Change my pants more often? Were my nose hairs too prominent? Or maybe, just to prove him right, I should don a black arm band and sweat band and run down Pacific Avenue screaming, “death to Amerika.” A part of me thought I should wear more black and spit a lot more. Maybe Sandy and I should call ourselves The F.L. as the insurgent FMLN in El Salvador and FSLN in Nicaragua came to mind.

Some History
A Far Left in the United States, or Europe often saw armed revolution as the only viable political alternative. The Weather Underground, Red Brigades, the Bader-Meinhoff Gang come to mind. Hate to say it, but Sandy Brown and I don’t even possess gun permits. Far Left also conjures up for some the image of the bearded beret-wearing Che poster, or Stalin twirling his famous Simon Legree mustache. (Question: do Far Leftists always have some form of facial hair?) Perhaps cars burning on the Champs Elysee in Paris in ’68 is the image of leftists gone really far? Will autos, or bicycles be burning along Soquel any time soon?

Realpolitik
Sandy and I’s Far Left tendencies generally have to do with not building a five-story parking garage on the current site of the Farmer’s Market, or asking developers to keep 25% of the units they build affordable. We did once oppose one of those Uber Jump Bike racks on West Cliff. Maybe the Far Left label comes from the time we voted for money to televise Planning Commission meetings (we lost, 5-2)? Oh, I know what it could’ve been, we voted to increase the city council’s budget supporting childcare facilities in town. We were told the extra $25k would be a budget buster, but we voted yes anyway.

More History
Far Leftists are often seen as seizing office to combat an overbearing dictator–Somoza, Diem, and Pinochet all come to mind, but since Donald Trump does not live in Santa Cruz, it is unlikely that the Santa Cruz version of armed revolution will be spilling into our streets any time soon. And sometimes, because a few of those so-called Far Leftists are bat-shit crazy–Jim Jones, Daniel Ortega/Rosario Murillo, and Pol Pot–the term Far Left carries a good deal of pejorative baggage when used in the Santa Cruz context. Some of these dictators were ruthless people who killed off their opposition wantonly and sought to bring “ordem y progreso” only to maximize the profits of their petrochemical factories, copper mines, and cattle ranches.

Rubber Band Effect
In politics, the political rubber band often snaps back. First, a country is pulled over from the Far Right to the center, only after a left was pushed to the Far Left and picked up weapons, but is that what’s happening in Santa Cruz today? I wonder if Gaspar Ilom (Guatemala), or Roque Dalton (El Salvador), or even Abimail Guzman (Peru) know there’s a Far Left in La Republica Popular de Santa Cruz? If they did, maybe they’ll apply for political asylum? (Wasn’t that a city council agenda item recently?)Insurgents of the Colombian FARC, the Basque ETA, or Western Sahara’s Polisario must all be wondering what they were fighting for if all it took for two members of the Santa Cruz city council to waltz into office and be pronounced as members of the Far Left.

Councilmembers Brown and Krohn showing off “Far Left” credentials in front of surfer statue.	The “Far Left” Raging Grannies performing recently at Ruth Hunter’s memorial.	Students waiting in line to vote. Do “Far Leftists” vote?
Sam Farr, seen recently sporting a Red Gayabera shirt. The “Farr Left” gloves came off when he revealed it was from, now get this a Havana trip with hardcore “Far Leftist,” Ruth Hunter.	The Bicycle Taxi driver…is he on the “Far Left” too?

Addendum
So, what does a Far Left in Santa Cruz even look like? Given that the Far Left is rarely (if ever?) elected, what could be behind this local weekly’s Far Left labeling of the apparent winners of the Santa Cruz city council elections? I was so interested in this notion that I began asking everyone I encountered during the past week what a Far Left is, and does it exist in Santa Cruz? Most people just winced and wanted me to repeat the question. When I did they responded: ‘A Far Left in Santa Cruz, what does that mean?’ I wondered if this weekly media organ is so invested in condos, bike racks, or parking lots that they have to label hardworking, renter Democrats as leftist insurgents. More appropriate labels might be: Left Democrat, Berniecrat, Progressive or New Progressive, but Far Left? Would anyone out there actually believe we have a Far Left city council in this city, or in California, or would you believe there’s one looming and lurking somewhere on the US landscape east of here? Me neither. But if you read the local weekly, there appears to be one in Surf City so beware.

Raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour may have been a fringe idea a few years ago, but now it is a mainstream idea whose time has come. (Dec. 3)

(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. See deep inside our subconscious like for instance..mindless chit chat and beyond!! Scroll below.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “CLIMATE REPORT” 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: “My esteemed editor at Good Times calls Green Book “the feel good movie of the year about racism.” Well, yes and no: it doesn’t make you feel good about racism, but stars Viggo Mortenson and Mahershala Ali — forging an alliance on a road trip through the Deep South — makes it a trip worth taking, 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. Tandy Beal talks about her special performances on Dec. 4th. Then Carla Brennan shares news about Meditation and Mindfulness’ and how it can help get through the holidays. workshops. December 11th has former mayor and political consultant Bruce Van Allen talking about that last election. He’s followed by Scott McGilvray from Water For Santa Cruz bringing us up to date on our water issues. Jane Mio of San Lorenzo River Mysteries holds forth on Dec.18 talking about river management. Then Becky Steinbruner covers many south county and environmental problems. The Tuesday after that is Christmas and you know about that! OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… http://www.radiofreeamerica.com/dj/bruce-bratton 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. “Donald Trump”

“I’ve always said, ‘If you need Viagra, you’re probably with the wrong girl”. Donald Trump “I have a great relationship with the Mexican people”. Donald Trump “People love me. And you know what, I have been very successful. Everybody loves me”. Donald Trump “The first thing the secretary types is the boss”. Donald Trump