February 6 – 12, 2018

Highlights this week:
BRATTON about Linda Vista Center “fake facts”…GREENSITE on an air taxi future…KROHN re revolutions, activism, homelessness, rent control, wealth gap…STEINBRUNER reports on AMBAG legality and confusion, Nisene Marks closed again and again…PATTON and Trump’s speech: unity — a questionable goal? …EAGAN and “IncredibleTkrrump“…DeCINZO and our bicycle problem…JENSEN reviews “Winchester”…BRATTON critiques “Winchester”…UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUESTS…QUOTES about “Valentines”.

...

HIGH STREET and SOUTHERN VIEW circa 1890. You can actually see the Town Clock Tower in its original location, and just about all the “original locations” of our city back 120 years ago.                                                        

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

PREVIEW OF COMING EVENTS. DIANE GRUNES was/is kind and brilliant enough to send this amazing, well done, short video. Just watch CLOSELY so you don’t miss any frame of it.

DATELINE February 5, 2018

LINDA VISTA CENTER REVISITED. Last week I wrote that I’d been told by Center employees that the Westside Video Store building in the Westside Plaza was going to be demolished. It isn’t, and I should have checked first. Turns out that “the Linda Vista Center” is the correct name for what I called the “Westside Plaza”…(remember the Linda Vista Market where Shen’s Gallery now sits? It had paintings of dancing milk cartons on the windows?) The Center’s real estate management said, “Bruce’s had some bad informants… We are still evaluating what will eventually be done to upgrade the center, but demolition is definitely not on the table. A new roof on the entire building is scheduled to go on the 21st of this month.” Other businesses in the Center also told me last week there was no demolition planned…or announced! This must qualify as a “FAKE FACT”

Dateline February 5, 2018

DREAM ON
At the recent Titans of Tech night at the Dream Inn, local inventor JoeBen Bevirt of Joby Aviation, outlined his scheme to develop electric air taxis, with the “goal to liberate humankind from the automobile” and to “save a billion people an hour a day” in their commutes. He is seeking county approval to use part of the closed Cemex cement plant property in Davenport for this purpose. For some, such a future may generate goose bumps of excitement. The city’s Economic Development director Bonnie Lipscomb lauded the assembled techies with, “You are our super heroes!” For others, including myself, such a vision is a nightmare in the sky. Even a solitary drone with its swarm of bees hum drives me inside cursing as it invades my privacy, scatters birds and harasses marine mammals. Elephants en masse stampede to the hills at the sound of a drone. I’m with the elephants on this one. They outsmart us. When the 2004 tsunami hit Thailand, elephants took to the hills while humans went down to the shoreline to check it out.

Some will say, “thank goodness your sort of thinking didn’t prevail 100 years ago ,or we would never have developed the automobile.”  Hmm….

As with the automobile, air taxis may sound good in theory and roads jammed with cars inching along at 5 miles an hour during commutes is not what Henry Ford probably had in mind.  I predict that air taxis, if developed will share a similar fate.

To counter daydreams, air taxis will not be your personal aircraft. They will need a pilot. They will carry only two passengers. They will require ground infrastructure, which means that you will have to get transport from home to a hub. They will land at another hub, not plop you down at your workplace. Bevirt claims that the cost will eventually fall to be competitive with Uber but that requires mass usage and mass usage means a whole lot of air taxis in the sky. Most people don’t like living near an airport. How about multiple air taxi hubs? The most compelling objection for me is the vast invasion by human technology of our skies. Yes, we have planes, and fortunately, most are high enough to not intrude when we look skyward. LAX has 1500 take offs and landings each day and is the third busiest airport in the country. Now imagine hundreds of thousands if not millions of air taxis (remember the claim is to save a billion people an hour in commute time) flying at a far lower altitude (an air traffic control nightmare, even if automated) and suddenly the skies are as crowded as the freeways. Is it starting to sound less glamorous?

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

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.

...
Dateline February 5, 2018 | Majority Report 2018 #5

REVOLUTIONS ARE RARELY TELEVISED
Note: be ready for multiple exclamation points. They are small expressions of joy as I see lots of positive and powerful seeds being planted in an otherwise painful political era.

Resistance Is Futile?
Is resistance futile? Sanctuary cities are holding the line. Medical marijuana ordinances have given way to the complete legalization of cannabis, which may be under attack shortly by los Federales, but for now we’ve gone down our own California path. We were also busy taking on the federal government’s off-shore oil drilling scheme with renewed confidence this past weekend when over a thousand marched along West Cliff Drive to say hell no, no drilling here! This is what it’s going to take, and people are responding! The strategy may very well be delay, delay, delay through our court system (thank god for the third branch of guv!), like how He Who Shall Not Be Named’s deportation order was also scuttled awhile back. Millions participated in Woman’s marches around the globe, perhaps likely spawned by President Harasser (PH) himself. So many came away from that activist moment dedicated to the empowerment of women at the local, state, and national levels of government.  In the face of a mountain of evidence–Weinstein, Spacey, Nassar, Keillor–a welcome tide of debate, discussion, and hopefully changed attitudes is washing across America. What will 2018 yield? Activism is not futile. It’s real, dynamic, emancipating, and it’s spreading. People in large numbers are holding the line against the PH factor. They’re holding community forums, passing local impeachment ordinances, which get people to talk more to each other, and people engaging in civic participation, while necessary, can also be rewarding and liberating.

Special Bernie REQUEST re-Tweet from Emily Holden

‘My request of you is please get involved in the political process. Start running for office. You can do it. You can run for school board, city council, state legislature, Congress or the http://Senate.Trust  me. I work in the senate. I know, and you can do it.”

Resistance 2.0
We must continue to “think globally” and keep one eye focused on the dangerous shenanigans of this tin-eared President, while “acting locally” to keep, expand, and create policies and programs that nurture our community. And what is facing our community but the twin scourges of homelessness and the lack of affordable housing. This November voters will be asked if our city council has responded well to these thorny issues. Organizer and Santa Cruz County supervisor candidate, Steve Pleich spoke truth to power this past Sunday in a letter to the Santa Cruz Sentinel. He described how Police Chief Andy Mills seemed to get the homeless issue early on by centralizing camping in the Benchlands in order to provide some breathing room for the city council to figure how to acquire a homeless shelter. Unfortunately, “the positive effects of the chief’s strategy are now being bled off by the inability of city officials to create longer term emergency shelter.” Use your vote in November to get a new city council to adequately fund homeless services, hold developer’s feet to fire by including affordable housing units in all new construction, and standing up to UC Santa Cruz as it contemplates inviting 10,000 more to Surf City. Elections are about issues. Vote for your issues this November and don’t forget past elected officials’ voting records.

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

Bernie Tweet of the Week

“Today, our government is controlled by the most extremist, reactionary, xenophobic, bigoted, and thankfully, in many ways the most inept and incompetent administration in modern American history.” (Jan. 30)


Can we picture 3 or 4 “villages” (communities!) of these tiny homes discreetly placed around the city with 20-30 houses positioned around a plaza-green space…can you?
(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, former Santa Cruz City Councilmember (1998-2002) and Mayor (2001-2002). He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 12 years. He was elected last November to another 4-year term on the Santa Cruz City Council).

Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com

...

Dateline February 5,2018

MAKE ONE CALL.  WRITE ONE LETTER.  ATTEND A PUBLIC HEARING.  MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.   BUT JUST DO SOMETHING!

AMBAG’S ALPHABET SOUP WAS CONFUSING BUT SPELLS TROUBLE FOR PUBLIC PROCESS IN LOCAL FUTURE DEVELOPMENT
I attended the January 30 Open House and Public Hearing that the Associated Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG) held at Simpkins Swim Center.   I had tried to do my homework on the issues that I understood would be discussed in the “Moving Monterey Bay Forward Draft 2040 Plan” at the event.  What I found was: The massive MTP/SCS presented by AMBAG is an EIR done as required under SB375 to address GHG.  The related RTP, submitted by SCCRTC includes GHG that includes emission levels from trucks that cannot be included in the GHG reports by the MTP/SCS AMBAG analysis.  The RTP was created by the SCCRTC to represent Santa Cruz RTPA’s.  

This all means multiple Projects being discussed in a swirling alphabet soup of acronyms not always defined, each with different standards for some topics such as Greenhouse Gas Emissions.  One AMBAG representative at an information table was incredibly rude, never allowing me to finish asking my question before blurting out his interpretation of an answer and directing me to read the two-inch-thick document on the table that I was seeing for the first time.  The “Moving Monterey Bay Forward 2040” Plan was not at that table…it was at a different table.  I never got there because I was examining the new document, which presented much different information regarding Regional Growth Forecasts than I had read in the “Moving Monterey Bay Forward 2040 Plan”.

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

NISENE MARKS STATE PARK ONCE AGAIN CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC

“PARKING FULL”

Last weekend, State Parks officials once again posted a sign at the Aptos Creek Road entry to Nisene Marks State Park: “NO ENTRY”

Contact State Park Facilities Director Mr. Chris Spohrer via e-mail at   chris.spohrer@parks.ca.gov         Ask that State Parks negotiate a private/public purchase with the Aptos Village Project developers to secure the “North Remainder” parcel in the Phase 2 development for State Park visitor parking and to re-build the world-famous Post Office Bike Jumps.  That is the highest use of the land that will best serve the greater Community for future generations.  I am willing to help fundraise to support the public/private purchase….are you?  Please contact me. Becky Steinbruner rebuildthebikejumps@gmail.com  or 831-685-2915

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

...

Dateline February 2, 2018 | #33 / Just What Kind Of “Event” Do You Mean?

President Trump gave his State of the Union speech on Tuesday. You can click right here for a complete transcript. While a case can be made that the speech was hyper-partisan and divisive – and that is what Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank thinks – I, personally, saw the speech as rather unexceptional, with a rather traditional conclusion:

Americans fill the world with art and music. They push the bounds of science and discovery. And they forever remind us of what we should never forget: The people dreamed this country. The people built this country. And it is the people who are making America great again. 

As long as we are proud of who we are, and what we are fighting for, there is nothing we cannot achieve. As long as we have confidence in our values, faith in our citizens, and trust in our God, we will not fail. Our families will thrive. Our people will prosper. And our Nation will forever be safe and strong and proud and mighty and free. 

Thank you, and God bless America”.

These sentiments (genuinely heartfelt as they may be) are quite conventional, and I believe the president’s State of the Union speech is a typical example of personal and national self-congratulation. This is an art form cultivated by all presidents.  While I was not overly impressed by the president’s State of the Union address, I was riveted by some of the president’s remarks made earlier, before he gave the State of the Union speech. Here is a report from NBC:

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

~
E pluribus unum,” our national motto, reflects not the elimination of “difference,” but a celebration of the fact that out of all our differences we can act together as one. 

I don’t think that this is the way our current president understands it. Thus, I’m quite worried about just what kind of “Major Event” he might mean”.

Gary 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

...

CLASSICAL DeCINZO. Zeroes in on bicyclists…scroll below…

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s ” The IncredibleTrump”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. Read Tim’s take on Star Trek the original, and the series that follows.

RALPH ABRAHAM BOOKSIGNING & discussion.
Ralph Abraham will lead a discussion – “A Gender Tipping Point: Hip Santa Cruz in the 1960s and 70s”. UCSC Professor Emeritus Abraham is the creator of the Santa Cruz Hip History Project and editor of two books: Hip Santa Cruz Volumes 1 and 2, with Volume 3 on the way. He observes, “From the florescence of hip culture in Santa Cruz in the 1960s there emerged the longer lasting feminist revolution of the 1970s.” This presentation promises to be a fun opportunity to “speculate together on the dynamics of this important bifurcation.” When: Sat, Feb 10, 2018, 11am at MAH.

Lisa writes: “Get your art on, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ). Celebrate the return of a beloved tradition, Hearts for the Arts, a benefit for the Santa Cruz Arts Council, now open for bidding at Artisan’s Gallery, and take a virtual tour of the annual Take Away: Art to Go show at the Pajaro Valley Arts gallery. Also, more proof that truth is stranger (or at least more interesting) than fiction in my review of Winchester in this week’s Good Times.” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.  

WINCHESTER. To see Helen Mirren in a miserable flop like this is just embarrassing. You know where 98% of it was filmed, right? Yes — on sound lots in Australia…NOT the famous Winchester Mansion just over the hill. It’s dull, boring, darkly-lit, and for what’s supposed to be a scary movie, it somehow misses every bump in the night. Even Helen Mirren does a shameful job…it’s her worst ever!!

THE PHANTOM THREAD. Paul Thomas Anderson the director first made Boogie Nights, he topped that one with Magnolia, There will be Blood, and Inherent Vice and now there’s Phantom Thread. The star is Daniel Day-Lewis and seeing him and Anderson work together in this one makes it not a film but an experience. Day-Lewis in A Room With A View, My Left Foot, The Unbearable Lightness of Being became greater and greater with each role. Now he has promised to never make another film. If that’s true Phantom Thread is a brilliant masterpiece to end a career. It’s the story of a driven, crazed artist who designs women’s clothes…that’s all you need to know. As critics are saying it’s not a film for mass audiences, just those folks who appreciate genius. Closes Thursday, Feb.8th.

LADY BIRD. This film restored my faith in great films! RT gives it 100% and it’s the highest rated film in RT’s history!!! Greta Gerwig directed  Saorise Ronan and others in this sincere, well thought out movie. A teen aged daughter and her Mom have a terrible, never ending battle over clothes, religion, dating, sex, college and everything. It all happens in Sacramento in about 2003 , which is somehow appropriate. It’s sensitive, subtle, and surprising. Gerwig breaks many directing rules and creates new plot possibilities. Go see this film. Ps….as I’ve told many folks, it’s definitely  not about Lady Bird Johnson!!!

CALL ME BY YOUR NAME. No matter where you’re at sexually this beautiful film deals with a young 17 year old boy in Italy working his way through his sexual coming of age. Armie Hammer plays the 30 year old scholarly hunk who visits the kid’s parents. You remember Armie Hammer heir to the Armand Hammer oil fortune and who played The Lone Ranger to Johnny Depp’s Tonto (2013)!!!

THE SHAPE OF WATER. A 93 on RT and that means something! Sally Hawkins plays a beautiful mute working in a lab who cares for, and falls in love with a mysterious water creature. It’s a fable, a fairy story, and reminds us of the black and white fantasy films from the 40’s and 50’s. It’s vital to know that it’s directed by Guillermo Del Toro who also did Pan’s Labyrinth  and Hellboy. It is such an enormous change from every other film we’ve seen in years that its’ worth going just for the fun of it.

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI. First, please note the 95 RT rating. When you have Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell working in a film directed by an Oscar winning director you almost can’t miss. It is definitely a dark comedy. The plot contains murder, rape, loyalty, cancer, and some absolutely brilliant acting. Go see it, and force all your friends to see it too.

DARKEST HOUR. Gary Oldman takes the role of Winston Churchill to new heights…and depths. Its world War II history and it’s the background story of what Churchill had to endure when he first took office as Prime Minister. He deserves the Oscar like few stars ever have. The story is absorbing, educational, and it makes you wonder why the USA doesn’t have someone like Churchill to handle Trump like Churchill handled Hitler and Mussolini.

THE POST. This is Steven Spielberg’s answer to the Trump administration’s corruption and misuse of presidential power. Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks rip up the acting as we expect them to do. It’s the story of the then little Washington Post trying to catch up to The New York Times printing Daniel Elsberg’s Vietnam exposure papers. It makes easy parallels to Nixon and Trump’s dictatorships. It also makes great pitches for freedom of the press…and what we need to do to keep that freedom alive…especially now. Go see it, bring your friends. But truthfully it’s not as interesting or revealing as the MSNBC documentary two weeks ago… “The Most Dangerous Man In America” the same story from Elsberg’s view.

I TONYA. A very dark, depressing movie about some very depressed people. It’s got loud rock period music as the film score which almost qualifies it as a fun comedy but you’ll be able to count your laughs. Somewhere in the movie somebody says Americans love to hate or love their current sport stars…and its sure true here. Allison Janney plays Tonya’s seriously disturbed mother and deserves some award this Award season…but not for this one. Warning IF you do got you’ll leave wondering why you cared about Nancy Kerrigan or Tonya Harding.

COCO. A genuine Pixar animated cartoon. And, the animation is amazingly three –dimensional. The plot is totally focused on the very rich and traditional Mexican culture. Day of the Dead, plenty of food, religion, music, and only a little boring after the first half hour. It’s completely original, you’ve never seen anything like this before, its way more creative and developed than what we usually think of as a Disney Cartoon. Go see it.

MOLLY’S GAME. This is an unusual “true” film about a once Olympic ski champion who becomes the owner/manager of zillion dollar poker games. Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba play the top roles and good old Kevin Costner has a bit part as Jessica’s father. It’s a fancy film with plenty of cinema tricks to keep us interested, and the acting’s ok too. But think twice before going, especially if you’re trying to give up movies for the New Year.

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI. Yes, 93 on RT and I thought it was a complete fake of a billion dollar move machine. I’ll always remember going to our Soquel Drive in (just a little stoned) and being completely taken into outer space with Star Wars 1. It had humor, empathy, great imagination, tension and a story you could care about. The franchise now stages monotonous, uncaring, space attacks and wars so numerous that you can’t remember who is on who’s side…and you don’t care much either. There’s the Dark Side, the Resistance, Adam Driver, R2D2, a very dull Carrie Fisher, an aging Mark Hamil as Luke Skywalker and those endless space battles that take up probably 33 1/3 of the movie. A great disappointment…go at your own peril, and it’s 2 1/2 hours extra long.

THE HOSTILES. In 1892 The Comanches fight the Cheyennes, settlers battle all American Indians, while Christian Bale leads a group that includes Rosamund Pike through all sorts of ethnic and tense battles. It’s a bit more sensitive than the John Ford John Wayne westerns but nowhere near as exciting. The photography is not just scenic, it’s gorgeous.

12 STRONG. This is almost a Hollywood western. Chris Hemsworth and Michael Shannon fight Taliban attacks in the Afghan War right after 9/11. It was actually shot in New Mexico and southern California…and you’ll believe it when/if you see it. It’s very confusing, and hard to figure who is on whose side. Apparently it’s “based on a true Story” but what isn’t nowadays? I counted three audience members actually playing computer games while the movie was grinding on for two hours and ten minutes plus the usual 20 minutes of Regal ads and previews.

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN. This is Hugh Jackman trying his best to bring life to the bio of P.T.Barnum. Jackman is an excellent dancer, singer and showman but this movie just doesn’t have the heart or solidity that a good film should have. The music is just more copying of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s gooey showbiz. It’s shallow, trite, and repetitious to a fault. Don’t bother seeing it.

...

...

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. February 6 has Espressivo Orchestra director, conductor Michel Singher talking about their Feb. 15 concert then Edward Moncrief author of Raining Blackbirds talks about his book and farm laborers. UCSC’s Felicia Rice discusses her new book  “Doc/Undoc”  an art piece centering on the immigration experience. Then Ashlyn Adams talks about her two new movie theatres opening next month in the former Circle Church. OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go herehttp://www.radiofreeamerica.com/dj/bruce-bratton You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always and only at bratton@cruzio.com

This is good for a few chuckles…

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.   VALENTINES

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt”, Charles M. Schulz

“We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us”,     Joseph Campbell

“If my Valentine you won’t be,
I’ll hang myself on your Christmas tree”.  Ernest Hemingway

“Love is the only shocking act left on the planet”. Valentine’s Day Movie

“The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. I let him eat in bed”.  Ljupka Cvetanova,     The New Land


COLUMN COMMUNICATIONS. Subscriptions: Click and enter the box in the upper right hand corner of each Column. You’ll get a weekly email notice the instant the column goes online. (Anywhere from Monday afternoon through Thursday or sometimes as late as Friday!) Always free and confidential. Even I don’t know who subscribes!!

Snail Mail: Bratton Online
82 Blackburn Street, Suite 216
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com
Direct phone: 831 423-2468
All Technical & Web details: Gunilla Leavitt @ godmoma@gmail.com

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

Posted in Weekly Articles | Leave a comment

January 29 – February 4, 2018

Highlights this week:
TWO (2) new movie theatres opening in town!!!, Westside Plaza demolitions, John Tuck has left Santa Cruz forever…GREENSITE checks out more on the library vote… KROHN and council majority votes, UCSC housing and capacity, rent control, rent freeze…STEINBRUNER and AMBAG control issues, Soquel Creek’s Pure Water, more on Nisene Marks parking…PATTON on Wikileaks, Facebook, Google, and Julian Assange…DECINZO and Santa Cruz style Monster Homes…EAGAN with Blame issues…JENSEN and her top 10…BRATTON critiques The Final Year, The Hostiles, 12 Strong…UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE guests…QUOTES for February.

...

SANTA CRUZ PUBLIC LIBRARY. This interior of the original, and first of our four Carnegie libraries in Santa Cruz. It was opened in April 1904, and Carnegie came here to see all four in 1910. It had 9000 square feet. It was demolished in 1966. The present one opened in 1968.                                                

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

AMUSEMENT PARK RIDE FAILURES. Couldn’t happen here!!!

ROPE JUMPING LIKE YOU’VE NEVER SEEN
YET ANOTHER PERPETUAL MOTION INVENTION!!

DATELINE January 29

NEW ART/FOREIGN/INDIE MOVIE THEATRE IN TOWN!!! Ashlyn Adams, the owner of Westside Video, just sent a very exciting massive hunk of cinema news!!! She says…

“We’ll be in the former Circle Church, at 111 Errett Circle on the Westside. We’re busy at work getting the rooms built and soundproofed and wired every morning and evening, and I think we can do a soft open right around the second week of February. We’ll do a grand opening at the beginning of March for everyone. We’ll be showing first-run independent, foreign language, and local productions (especially stuff that isn’t otherwise playing in town), second run, bigger budget movies, and classics. We have contracts with Criterion, Kino, Lorber, Oscilloscope, and A24. We’ll be serving up cafe items, popcorn, drinks, and bulk candy, plus there’s a commercial kitchen for popup restaurants to come serve meals on the weekends. We’re running everything on a 4K UHD projector system with 5.1 surround sound.” Should be a real fun experience!

She added later that the entire Westside Video Store is moving to the Circle Church. It’ll be called the Westside Film & Cultural Center. Opening prices will be: adult regular $9 first run, $6 second run, $3 catalog. Kids and seniors will be $8/$5/$3. There will be two 30 seat theatres, with comfy sofas and great chairs. The films will be many of the ones that Landmark doesn’t bring to town. I’ll keep you posted.

WESTSIDE PLAZA NEWS. Reports from Westside Video staffers told me that the owner of that entire block of businesses — from the once Omei Restaurant to Shen’s Gallery — has big plans. He’s going to “demolish” the present Westside Video store building. The  owners of the La Cabana Restaurant next door are petitioning him to leave their part of the building standing.   

JOHN TUCK HAS LEFT THE COUNTY. More than one of the probably hundred-plus gang of friends that gathered to say good bye to John Tuck last week said it marked an end of an era. John has moved to Austin, Texas to live with his daughter Jaala and her family. John’s developed a few senior citizen type ailments and he’s better off there. John was a writer, a child placement specialist for the county, an actor, bon vivant and one of the closest friends I’ve ever had.

John and I had a great ceremony — we bought the very first drinks ever served at Randal Kane’s  “new” Catalyst, Chris Mathew’s Poet & Patriot, Lou Caviglia’s Clouds, and the Old Lulu Carpenters when it opened as a bar in the mid 70’s. From 1970 onwards we partied… and worked together at the Cabrillo Music Festival, Save Wilder Ranch (Operation Wilder), The Santa Cruz County Fair (as board members) and political campaigns beyond count.

It’s not enough to say all of us will miss John…it’s the end of an era.

Dateline January 29, 2018

A LESSON IN CIVICS
After 10 meetings and with a rare show of transparency, the Downtown Library Advisory Committee (DLAC)  voted unanimously for the option of closing the current library and constructing a new library on Cedar St. under a 5 story parking garage…. and then they opened the floor for public comment on the issue. More than one speaker noted that a process whereby the public speaks after the committee has voted is a waste of time. That is true only if speaking before a vote is not a waste of time. Why nurture the illusion that an elected or appointed body listens to and incorporates public comments into their decision making when that rarely happens? More honest to vote, then let the public vent.

The overwhelming public sentiment, expressed at this last meeting and all previous meetings, including the one devoted to public commentary attended by over 90 people, was against a new library under a 5 story parking garage, the option chosen by the committee. To be fair, DLAC did an impressive outreach effort, a fact I omitted to acknowledge in my last column on this issue. Over two thousand people were reached via their survey. Only one problem: the survey failed to ask even one question regarding a potential main library move and its placement under a parking garage. With the most controversial and significant issue out of the picture, the rest was an easy exercise in relative trivia, rendering the survey largely meaningless. Survey questions asked about what folks wanted in a library, what they did and did not like about the current downtown library and other similar enquiries. Answers were somewhat predictable: more computers, wifi and printing resources and problems with unhoused people, safety concerns, drug users and use of bathrooms. Such social problems have been largely addressed with the relocating of the homeless out of downtown. That doesn’t solve the homeless issues but it has largely addressed the impact on the library.  

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

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.

...
2018 majority report #4

Dateline January 29, 2018


Pacific Collegiate School bike rack. There has been an enormous increase in getting students to ride to school. Perhaps locating some new Bike Share stations inside school grounds would be another assist in getting even more students on a bike, as bus service to PCS is sporadic at best.

TYRANNY OF THE MAJORITY

If it be admitted that a man, possessing absolute power, may misuse that power by wronging his adversaries, why should a majority not be liable to the same reproach? Men are not apt to change their characters by agglomeration; nor does their patience in the presence of obstacles increase with Democracy in America the consciousness of their strength.”

Democracy In America, p. 287-88 (Harry Reeve translation, Penn State, 2002

Power Grab?
The basis for three council votes that the progressive community lost at last Tuesday’s (Jan. 23rd) Santa Cruz City council meeting is reflected within Alexis de Tocqueville’s phrase, one he coined while observing the potential downside of American democracy, “the tyranny of the majority.” It was practiced with impunity by a 4-member council majority. It happened when the mayor wanted to add the vice-mayor to the closed-door bi-weekly “agenda review” meeting. It’s a meeting I wrote about last week that is held to set the official city council meeting agenda. Fifteen department heads and the mayor sit down and discuss the essence of the coming week’s city business. While I support the vice-mayor attending this meeting I also support other councilmembers attending. So, I made a motion that a rotating councilmember be able to attend. My motion was seconded by Councilmember Richelle Noroyan. (Thank you Richelle!) The majority was having none of it. Why should they let minority members into such a meeting? I can only guess at the reason.

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

Rent Control, Rent Freeze, and Just-Cause Eviction
People make history, but not necessarily under conditions of their own choosing.
Will this be the year Santa Cruz finally realizes its electoral power and makes some significant community quality of life changes? If so, when historians look back they just might note that February 13th was perhaps the start of a great Surf City march forward, a regular Movement for Housing Justice campaign that woke a once sleepy electorate. I hear that three Santa Cruz city councilmembers may be placing rent freeze and just-cause eviction ordinances on the upcoming Tuesday, February 13th council agenda. If so, this will be an historic occasion you will not want to miss. What these ordinances just might do is provide cover for rent-weary tenants during the lead-up to the November rent control vote.

EXTRA: Bernie on the plight of the working-class:

Let me back up. There is a rent control initiative that was submitted last week to the city clerk’s office and “if all the i’s are dotted and t’s crossed”  an officially blessed and sanctioned initiative will hit the streets on Sunday, February 11th, I hear. So, come the 13th, folks will be asking the city council to stop landlords from raising rents until the people can decide during the November 6, 2018 election. No, my friends, rent control is not THE solution, but it is an enormously powerful tool, a community bargaining chip in getting the attention of property owners in one of the most expensive real estate markets in California. It also throws down the gauntlet and sends a unified message to those out of control capitalists who are gouging renters and exploiting a housing market that has come to place too much power in the hands of too few landlords. It doesn’t take a weatherman, or women, to predict that fed-up tenants will be trying to stick it to the man this fall by employing Bernie Sanders’, ‘enough is enough,’ and going about leveling the playing field through the ballot box.

Bernie Quote of the Week

Bernie Sanders recalled his own childhood growing up in a rent-controlled apartment in Flatbush Brooklyn, which “meant that my family, which did not have a lot of money, did not have to spend 50 or 60 percent of its limited income on housing.'”

We Have A Housing Emergency. Here’s How We Face It

Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, former Santa Cruz City Councilmember (1998-2002) and Mayor (2001-2002). He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 12 years. He was elected last November to another 4-year term on the Santa Cruz City Council.

Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com

...
Dateline January 29, 2018

AMBIGUOUS ORGANIZATIONS WHO RUN THE SHOW FROM BEHIND THE SCENES
This week, citizens will have an opportunity to attend public events of two local agencies that I have learned seem to set policy for our area, yet few may be aware exist.  The first is Associated Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG) based in Seaside, and the second is the Regional Water Management Foundation, housed within the Santa Cruz Community Foundation in Aptos. 

Here is a video a private citizen took at the January 10, 2018 roll-out of the Plan:

ACTION ITEM—> GO TO AMBAG’S “Moving Monterey Bay Forward  Plan 2040” Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) public hearing this Tuesday, January 30, 6pm-7pm, at the Simpkins Swim Center. This Plan will set land use, transportation and water use policy for the Counties of Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Benito that local government will insist they must abide by. 

Here is the link to the AMBAG website’s information on the 2040 Plan,
here is a link to the Board’s audio recording files and agendas/minutes of meetings, and
here is the phone number to call with your questions: 831-883-3750.

ACTION ITEM—> GO TO the “Connect the Drops” water informational event this Thursday, February 1, 6:30pm-9pm, at New Brighton Middle School Auditorium (250 Washburn Ave., Capitola).  Keynote speaker is Ms Taryn Ravazzini, Deputy Director, California Dept. of Water Resources. This event is sponsored, in part, by the Regional Water Management Foundation.

Here is a link to the Foundation’s website

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

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

...
Dateline January 25, 2018: #25 / Those Digital “Super States”


Julian Assange (pictured right) is the founder of Wikileaks. Both he and Wikileaks get mixed reviews. A profile in the August 21, 2017, issue of The New Yorker, for instance, Julian Assange, a Man Without a Country,” has both good things and bad things to report about Assange. 

I was struck by a recent blog posting by Caitlin Johnstone, “Assange Keeps Warning Of AI Censorship, And It’s Time We Started Listening.” Johnstone is a self-described “rogue journalist,” and is a radical voice on the progressive side of the blogging spectrum. She doesn’t have much use for establishment Democrats, and evidences some periodic sympathies for the Trump “base.” She is not everyone’s cup of tea, in other words.

Johnstone cites to a January 16, 2018, statement by Assange that is reproduced below. Read Johnstone’s posting if you are as intrigued as I was by two things I gathered from the Assange statement: 

First, Assange thinks that Google and Facebook are “digital super states,” which he ranks right up there with the Chinese government. 

Second, Assange says that “discourse” is humanity’s immune system for existential threats.

 I, personally, think Assange is right on target on both those observations!

Gary 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

...

CLASSICAL DeCINZO
DeCinzo takes on housing options… scroll down to see.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “The Blame Game” 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 with Tim’s deeper thinking about blame and the energy behind it.

NEW MUSIC WORKS presents the annual “NIGHT OF THE LIVING COMPOSERS”.

THEY’RE ALIVE!! And composing in our neighborhoods!!    (all Santa Cruzans at one time or another) Susan Alexjander ,Philip Collins, Steed Cowart, Michael McGushin, Jon Meyers, Barry Phillips and Scott Stobbe (not in attendance).  There’ll be a Composer Panel Discussion: 6pm. TICKETS: Night of the Living Composersat Cabrillo College Box Office: http://cabrillovapa.com/tickets 831/479-6154

CELEBRATE PIANO ENSEMBLE presents “An Afternoon of Piano Ensembles”. 
Selections are from both one-piano and two-piano repertoire. An eclectic group of composers will be featured ranging from Brahms, Saint-Saëns, Inghelbrecht, Nazareth, and Fina to a medley of dances from Bernstein’s West Side Story to commemorate the 100th anniversary of his birth. Performers include Erica Arul, Mary Jane Cope, Roger Emanuels, Rose Georgi, Irene Hermann, Nicki Kerns, Lynn Kidder, Lavinia Livingston, Michael McGushin, Vlada Volkova Moran, Carol Panofsky, Barbara Ruzicka, Kumi Uyeda, and Leah Zumberge.   

Suggested donation is $10 at the door. If you are not able to attend but would like to make a donation for scholarships please write a check to SCCMTAC and mail to Barbara Jirsa, Treasurer, Santa Cruz MTAC, 221 Nevada St, Santa Cruz CA 95060.

Sunday, February 11, 2018, 2:00pm UCSC Recital Hall

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Now that the awards season is here — and most of the movies in contention have finally played in Santa Cruz— it’s time to reveal my top 10 movies of 2017, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ). Also, some unsung, real-life female astronomers from a century ago finally get the props they deserve in Jewel Theatre Company’s lyrical new production, Silent Sky. And find out how you — yes, you! — can enter a giveaway for an advance copy of my next novel, Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge!” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

THE FINAL YEAR. A documentary covering the last year of Barack Obama’s presidency, this is an insider’s view of the hard and sensitive work it takes to run a government…especially the United States government. It shows the surprise and reactions to the Trump victory. You’ll get a vivid impression of our place in the world, and the heavy responsibilities that Barack felt. You’ll also be more afraid than ever of the danger our country is in, with Trump at the controls. Well worth seeing. No cutesy stuff about Barack’s kids, wife and family life…it’s all politics. See it quickly, it probably won’t stay on our screens long. It ends Thursday, Feb. 1st.

THE HOSTILES. In 1892, the Comanches fight the Cheyennes, settlers battle all American Indians, and Christian Bale leads a group that includes Rosamund Pike through all sorts of ethnic and tense battles. It’s a bit more sensitive than the John Ford John Wayne westerns, but nowhere near as exciting. The photography is not just scenic, it’s gorgeous.

12 STRONG. This is almost a Hollywood western. Chris Hemsworth and Michael Shannon fight Taliban attacks in the Afghan War right after 9/11. It was actually shot in New Mexico and southern California…and you’ll believe it when/if you see it. It’s very confusing, and hard to figure who is on whose side. Apparently it’s “based on a true story” but what isn’t nowadays? I counted three audience members actually playing computer games while the movie was grinding on… for two hours and ten minutes plus the usual 20 minutes of Regal ads and previews.

THE PHANTOM THREAD.
Paul Thomas Anderson the director first made Boogie Nights, he topped that one with Magnolia, There will be Blood, and Inherent Vice and now there’s Phantom Thread. The star is Daniel Day-Lewis and seeing him and Anderson work together in this one makes it not a film but an experience. Day-Lewis in A Room With A View, My Left Foot, The Unbearable Lightness of Being became greater and greater with each role. Now he has promised to never make another film. If that’s true Phantom Thread is a brilliant masterpiece to end a career. It’s the story of a driven, crazed artist who designs women’s clothes…that’s all you need to know. As critics are saying it’s not a film for mass audiences, just those folks who appreciate genius.

LADY BIRD. This film restored my faith in great films! RT gives it 100% and it’s the highest rated film in RT’s history!!! Greta Gerwig directed  Saorise Ronan and others in this sincere, well thought out movie. A teen aged daughter and her Mom have a terrible, never ending battle over clothes, religion, dating, sex, college and everything. It all happens in Sacramento in about 2003 , which is somehow appropriate. It’s sensitive, subtle, and surprising. Gerwig breaks many directing rules and creates new plot possibilities. Go see this film. Ps….as I’ve told many folks, it’s definitely  not about Lady Bird Johnson!!!

CALL ME BY YOUR NAME. No matter where you’re at sexually this beautiful film deals with a young 17 year old boy in Italy working his way through his sexual coming of age. Armie Hammer plays the 30 year old scholarly hunk who visits the kid’s parents. You remember Armie Hammer heir to the Armand Hammer oil fortune and who played The Lone Ranger to Johnny Depp’s Tonto (2013)!!!

THE SHAPE OF WATER. A 93 on RT and that means something! Sally Hawkins plays a beautiful mute working in a lab who cares for, and falls in love with a mysterious water creature. It’s a fable, a fairy story, and reminds us of the black and white fantasy films from the 40’s and 50’s. It’s vital to know that it’s directed by Guillermo Del Toro who also did Pan’s Labyrinth  and Hellboy. It is such an enormous change from every other film we’ve seen in years that its’ worth going just for the fun of it.

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI. First, please note the 95 RT rating. When you have Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell working in a film directed by an Oscar winning director you almost can’t miss. It is definitely a dark comedy. The plot contains murder, rape, loyalty, cancer, and some absolutely brilliant acting. Go see it, and force all your friends to see it too.

DARKEST HOUR. Gary Oldman takes the role of Winston Churchill to new heights…and depths. Its world War II history and it’s the background story of what Churchill had to endure when he first took office as Prime Minister. He deserves the Oscar like few stars ever have. The story is absorbing, educational, and it makes you wonder why the USA doesn’t have someone like Churchill to handle Trump like Churchill handled Hitler and Mussolini.

THE POST. This is Steven Spielberg’s answer to the Trump administration’s corruption and misuse of presidential power. Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks rip up the acting as we expect them to do. It’s the story of the then little Washington Post trying to catch up to The New York Times printing Daniel Elsberg’s Vietnam exposure papers. It makes easy parallels to Nixon and Trump’s dictatorships. It also makes great pitches for freedom of the press…and what we need to do to keep that freedom alive…especially now. Go see it, bring your friends. But truthfully it’s not as interesting or revealing as the MSNBC documentary two weeks ago… “The Most Dangerous Man In America” the same story from Elsberg’s view.

MOLLY’S GAME. This is an unusual “true” film about a once Olympic ski champion who becomes the owner/manager of zillion dollar poker games. Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba play the top roles and good old Kevin Costner has a bit part as Jessica’s father. It’s a fancy film with plenty of cinema tricks to keep us interested, and the acting’s ok too. But think twice before going, especially if you’re trying to give up movies for the New Year.

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI. Yes, 93 on RT and I thought it was a complete fake of a billion dollar move machine. I’ll always remember going to our Soquel Drive in (just a little stoned) and being completely taken into outer space with Star Wars 1. It had humor, empathy, great imagination, tension and a story you could care about. The franchise now stages monotonous, uncaring, space attacks and wars so numerous that you can’t remember who is on who’s side…and you don’t care much either. There’s the Dark Side, the Resistance, Adam Driver, R2D2, a very dull Carrie Fisher, an aging Mark Hamil as Luke Skywalker and those endless space battles that take up probably 33 1/3 of the movie. A great disappointment…go at your own peril, and its 2 ½ hours extra long.

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN. This is Hugh Jackman trying his best to bring life to the bio of P.T.Barnum. Jackman is an excellent dancer, singer and showman but this movie just doesn’t have the heart or solidity that a good film should have. The music is just more copying of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s gooey showbiz. It’s shallow, trite, and repetitious to a fault. Don’t bother seeing it.

...

...

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer, (live only or archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. On January 30 UCSC Music prof. Linda Burman Hall talks about the 45th annual Santa Cruz Baroque Festival opening February 10. She’s followed by James Weller United Peace Church minister talking about Sanctuary Santa Cruz and the current DACA issues. February 6 has Espressivo Orchestra director, conductor Michel Singher talking about their Feb. 15 concert then Edward Moncrief author of Raining Blackbirds talks about his book and farm laborers. UCSC’s Felicia Rice discusses her new book  “Doc/Undoc”  an art piece centering on the immigration experience. Then Ashlyn Adams talks about her two new movie theatres opening next month in the former Circle Church. OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go herehttp://www.radiofreeamerica.com/dj/bruce-bratton You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens. 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

Isn’t it amazing how obvious things become when the tables are turned…?

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”
“Why do all our friends and relatives destroy the summer for us? Why can’t they get married in February?”  Jerry Della Femina
“Without Valentine’s Day, February would be… well, January“, Jim Gaffigan
“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
“February – the month of love..?!!
No wonder the shortest one in the calendar.”
Dinesh Kumar Biran


COLUMN COMMUNICATIONS. Subscriptions: Click and enter the box in the upper right hand corner of each Column. You’ll get a weekly email notice the instant the column goes online. (Anywhere from Monday afternoon through Thursday or sometimes as late as Friday!) Always free and confidential. Even I don’t know who subscribes!!

Snail Mail: Bratton Online
82 Blackburn Street, Suite 216
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com
Direct phone: 831 423-2468
All Technical & Web details: Gunilla Leavitt @ godmoma@gmail.com

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

Posted in Weekly Articles | Leave a comment

January 23 – 29, 2018

Highlights this week:
Genuine and unique historic photo, LONDON Nelson shamed again, the still empty Octagon, About going topless?…Greensite on library issues…Krohn on What Homeless shelter Crisis?, the Mayor and Department Head meetings, Sierra Club changes, Santa Cruz Women’s March…Steinbruner and Aptos Village secret modifications, Nisene Marks closed, Swenson Builders and illegal storm water, Aptos Fire District and the Brown Act, our County Railroad failures, AMBAG question… Patton and Putin Problems…DeCinzo and the Pope’s ongoing issues…Eagan and Trump’s inner secret…Jewel Theatre’s Silent Sky…Jensen and #timesUp movement and The Golden Globes…I critique The Phantom Thread and most of the rest…Universal Grapevine guests…Quotes on FLOODS.

...

VERY HISTORIC PHOTO. For the first time since creating BrattonOnline almost 15 years ago, we decided to have a get-together/meeting. Not all the group had met all the other contributors. Some great, new, challenging ideas sprung forth…you’ll see them in a while. It was good fun and very friendly. We met at the East side of the obvious (and empty) Octagon Building. Front row seated left to right; Gunilla Leavitt our webwoman, Me, Lisa Jensen film reviewer,Tim Eagan cartoonist.                                                       

Back row, standing left to right; Gary Patton columnist, Chris Krohn city councilmember/columnist, Gillian Greensite columnist. Becky Steinbruner had to miss it because she works at a very busy nursery and couldn’t get off that day. Steven DeCinzo wasn’t present because he, his wife and new baby live in France. Michael Smith our new and erstwhile part editor also missed it due to incredibly engaging commitments.  

photo credit: Jeffery Sargent
Additional information always welcome: email bratton@cruzio.com

IGUANAS AND SNAKES. Another contribution from R. Davila. Like your worst dream!!!

PERPETUAL MOTION. As a kid I used to work on and dream up some wild perpetual motion ideas…this one works…or seems to!
5 OCTAVE MBIRA. I still have an 8 note African mbira that Fantasy Records gave me in lieu of the royalties they owed our Goodtime Washboard 3 trio for the album.

DATELINE January 22, 2018

THE NEW LONDON NELSON SIGN…I’ve been campaigning, pleading and questioning why the people in charge of the “LOUDEN NELSON” Community Center stop disrespecting the honor of London Nelson, a good man, former slave, and a very honorable Santa Cruz citizen. In the last week or two again the dimwits unveiled the new sign/plaque once more misspelling London’s name. It isn’t just me that cares or knows the correct way he spelled his name: check out these sources…

Read what the Good Times story on LONDON NELSON — with much data from historian Phil Reader — says, in the article by Elizabeth Limbach from May 3, 2013,  titled: ” Seven Things to Know About London Nelson”. If the dimwitted City admin needs more evidence re LONDON NELSON, the local Wikipedia says, “London’s first name was erroneously changed to “Louden” in documents after the 1930s, but almost no documents before that time show his name as anything other than “London.” London Nelson was buried in Evergreen Cemetery,where his headstone can be visited; the specific location of his grave is uncertain”.

Still more of LONDON NELSON’s story is at Mobile Ranger
Santa Cruz Waves also has a story titled… The Early Schools of Santa Cruz and London Nelson’s Legacy by Julia Gaudinski on May 4, 2015.
The Santa Cruz public Library History collection has this piece by Phil Reader… “Once these intrepid pioneers established themselves in the Monterey Bay area, they went on to leave their mark on local history. Much has been said and written about London Nelson, the Carolina born ex-slave, who, through a generous bequeath, saved the floundering Santa Cruz School District”.

Good Times also has this definitive piece …

“Nelson’s legendary act of generosity to the local school system has been a cultural touchstone in the community for more than a century. But for much of that time, the legend was more than a bit vague, if not distorted, and a significant error was made in the spelling of his name from London to Louden. Eventually, historical research caught up to the legend. Using slave records and genealogical materials originally compiled by the Mormon Church in Utah, historian Phil Reader was able to trace Nelson’s birth to a North Carolina (not Tennessee) cotton plantation owned by a slave master named William Nelson. As was the practice at the time, slaves were forced to assume the family name of their owner. William Nelson, in turn, named the slave children born onto his plantation after English place names: Canterbury, Marlborough, Cambridge—and London. William Nelson’s youngest son, Matthew, eventually inherited the Nelson slaves from his father, and moved the family plantation to Tennessee.

The discovery of gold in California in 1949, however, lured him farther westward. Promising both London and his younger brother, Marlborough, their freedom if they joined him, Matthew set up a claim on the American River, where the trio was to mine successfully for four years. With his freedom secured, London Nelson eventually found his way to Santa Cruz in 1856, where, with his earnings from the goldfields, he bought a small piece of land (near what is today the rear parking lot of the downtown post office”. In spite of all of the above our city refuses to do the decent think and give credit and devotion where its due…shame.

OCTAGON STILL EMPTY. Every time I sit at my favorite spot at the Octagon Platz corner of Front and Cooper Streets many, many folks either climb the new steps or walk around the corner of the historic Octagon building hoping to enter it and see either (1) The historic Octagon as a museum store, (2) Lulu Carpenter’s Coffee Shop, or (3) something befitting one of our most precious historic buildings. The Octagon has been vacant since October 2016, when Nina forced Manthri Shrinath and Lulu Carpenter’s great Coffee Shop to leave. And why did that happen? It has become a huge shame to Nina Simone and the Museum of Art & History, as well as the San Jose-based developer John McEnery IV — who brought in and controls/manages the out-of-town restaurants in Abbott Square. As of last Wednesday (1/17) a staff member told me there are no plans in sight for any new Octagon occupant.

WOMEN’S RIGHTS TO GO TOPLESS? What about that? A strange and very current freedom topic. Taken further, don’t we all have a right to go totally naked? Now? Somebody way back when decided that women’s breasts had to be covered…but not men’s??? The entire concept of nudity is odd, when you think about it.

Dateline: January 22, 2018

SPEAK UP LOUDLY FOR OUR LIBRARIES
While I often disagree with Stephen Kessler’s analyses, especially when it comes to his Freudian take on male sexual aggression against women, I found his column in Saturday’s Sentinel (1/20/18) to be an eloquent statement against the odious plot to tear down and relocate the downtown public library under a future 5 story parking garage on the site of the current weekly Farmers’ Market. I recommend you read his column.

I don’t believe that using the term “plot” is hyperbole. What else can one conclude of a process whereby a committee (Downtown Library Advisory Committee or DLAC) charged by the city council to involve the public in discussions about options for the future of the downtown library, makes little if any effort to publicize its nine meetings so far, with the last and deciding one on Thursday January 25th; allows no public comment until the end of the meetings; ignores the 90 attendees at the last meeting who expressed their preference to keep the existing library onsite with renovations and instead chooses the option of tear down and relocate under a five story parking garage?  There are other factors such as questionable estimates on the cost of renovation versus tear down and build anew but the overall message is clear: public be damned! Try to attend this last meeting in the upstairs library meeting room at 6:30 PM on Thursday January 25th.

This last DLAC meeting is where the final vote will be taken before the issue is forwarded to city council for its vote. If the discussion at the council meeting when the issue was first addressed in mid 2016 is any guide, it will be an uphill battle to have the will of the public represented by the council majority. At that meeting which I attended, I heard no murmur of concern for locating the library under a parking garage, no voice raised to preserve this long-standing familiar public resource in our downtown center, no word of respect for the institution of a library itself. And while it was laudable that the council voted to form a committee to hear from the public, that the public has largely been excluded and ignored is why committees are often so roundly lampooned.

Another indication of the city’s lack of respect for libraries and for library patrons is staff’s decision to locate one of its 25 hubs or stations for 20 rental bikes in front of Garfield Park library, which serves the west side. I wrote on this topic in the January 4th issue of BrattonOnline. An update is timely. While I support the bike-share program and wish it success, the choice of some of the locations reveals lack of care and shoddy decision-making. The choice to remove 40 feet of parking in front of a public library that has no onsite car parking space is one example. Parents who can now easily drop off and pick up children for and from library activities will no longer be able to do so. I wanted to appeal this unwise decision but was prevented from doing so by the Transportation Code, which states that one has to live within 300 feet of the site in order to appeal a decision to remove public parking. Given that the reach of the library is far wider, this should have been an occasion to allow for a wider appeal range. Since no one within that limited radius appealed, the decision is final. I plan to attend this evening’s Transportation and Public Works commission, which has already approved this site and speak to the issue at oral communications but no action can be taken at oral communications. The only small hope for wiser heads to prevail is when the permits come for approval before city council, probably on the consent agenda. We can request that the council reconsider this site and deem it inappropriate. There are many better alternatives.

In the late 1970’s Westside Neighbors, including leaders in the long-standing Black community fought hard to save Garfield Park library from closure by the city. I was part of that effort. This beautiful Carnegie library is deep in my heart. That its patrons can be so easily ignored disturbs me. When disturbed I tend to act. I hope you will join me. Email council members at citycouncil@cityofsantacruz.com.

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.

...
Dateline: January 22, 2018

THE WEEK THAT WAS

Declaration of a Homeless Shelter Crisis
The WTF Dept. A homeless shelter crisis will likely have been declared, officially, by the Santa Cruz city council by the time you are reading these words. “Declaring a Homeless Shelter Crisis enables the city to suspend any state or local regulatory statute, regulation, or ordinance prescribing standards of housing, health, or safety to the extent that strict compliance ‘would in any way prevent, hinder, or delay mitigation of the effects of the shelter crisis.'” OMG. Who would’ve known there was a shelter crisis without this declaration, raise your hand? The most recent “point in time” homeless census count was 2,249 countywide last year, with 1,204 individuals residing in the city of Santa Cruz…934 were “unsheltered,” that’s 78% of the total number of homeless-houseless. Why is there a shelter crisis now because most of us who have been paying attention for the past decade know there has been a crisis for a long while? Has there also been a concomitant crisis of governing? Why haven’t our various city departments been working in concert to address the growing problem of the housing…until…until a certain police chief came along and said, ‘Hey, let’s try something new!’

The hope here is that by declaring a crisis we can a get torpid bureaucracy when it comes to the homeless, rolling into action. Where will they roll to? First stop, San Lorenzo Park Benchlands. I counted 57 tents at 1pm last Sunday (1/21). This encampment will be relocated by city staff (I hope the homeless and their advocates have been asked for their input into this move…) to 1220 River Street. When? Dec. 15th? Jan. 15th? Now, we’re hearing Feb. 15th. It is expected that there will be storage and charging stations, and the with the Homeless Services Center’s extended shower hours, the plight of the homeless will be lessened as we move toward the longer term (intractable?) issues surrounding homelessness. Yes, the addiction and mental health issues. But as you read this you may be wondering, what about the encampment along the bike path alongside Holy Cross Church, or the Highway 1 encampment, or the various 2 and 3 tent encampments along the river that are now so visible? Folks, we have a crisis and it did not just begin because the council declared an emergency on January 23rd. The good news is that we are finally getting people to the table, city and county, and will be moving forward with (a) a relocated campsite, (b) a temporary structure with camping, and (c) an expansion of the current Homeless Services site to include a 24/7 year-round shelter.

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

Binders Full of …
The Collective Power of Women Dept. Remember Mitt Romney’s comment during the 2012 election? No, not the “47%” one maligning the folks who would never vote for him, but the “binders full of women” that were just waiting for him to be elected so they could get jobs in his administration, he maintained. Well, women were out in full force in Santa Cruz this past weekend, reclaiming history and maybe a whole lot more. It was anti-Trump but also pro-peace and love and understanding. I asked a 13-year old who was wearing a tee-shirt that had the word “feminist” written across, what the word meant. She said, “For me, it’s the idea that women and men are equal.” Women had a lot of allies joining them too on the march down Pacific Avenue from Cooper Street to the Louden Nelson Community Center. I was struck by all the signs people displayed. Truly remarkable. (click each image for a larger version)

Bernie Tweet of the Week

“People are more determined than ever to build a nation based on love and compassion, not hatred or division. Congratulations to the women around the world who are once again sending a powerful message of solidarity today.”#WomensMarch2018

(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, former Santa Cruz City Councilmember (1998-2002) and Mayor (2001-2002). He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 12 years. He was elected last November to another 4-year term on the Santa Cruz City Council).

Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com

...

Dateline: January 22, 2018

“I’LL LOOK INTO THAT…”
That is what Assistant Planning Director Wanda Williams kept saying during the meeting I was finally able to arrange with her to discuss what the “Minor Modifications” to the Aptos Village Project Phase 2 Building Designs really entail.  I was glad a couple of other citizens joined me because it was amazing to hear Ms. Williams repeatedly stonewall us every time we asked for clarification on various issues. She did not have the document available that outlined the proposed building design changes.  I found it later in the Records Room…and she had signed it, along with Planner Randall Adams. She refused a follow-up meeting with us next week before the Appeal deadline.  She refused to recommend a Community Meeting to have staff discuss the proposed design changes with the public. She instructed us to continue to send our comments to Planner Randall Adams.  “But he has already approved the changes,” I pointed out.  She looked at me sternly, “Well, then you can appeal.”  She did not seem to know the process, even though an appeal action would be referred to her, as the Zoning Administrator.  

She wrote down our questions (I think) and told us she would “get back with answers” but said it might take a week….after the Appeal deadline.

Stay tuned for more about your local “transparent” government.

ENTRY DENIED TO NISENE MARKS STATE PARK FOR THIRD TIME IN THREE WEEKS
Last Saturday, Nisene Marks State Park was again closed to vehicle access because there was just no more parking available inside the Park.  People parked alongside the narrow road, on blind corners, and any other place available…what would this picture look like during fire season?  Not good. Obviously, the highest use of the Phase 2 Aptos Village Project area is to re-establish the parking for the Community who used to park in the dirt along Aptos Creek Road and run/bike into Nisene Marks and to re-build the Post Office Bike Jumps.  Is State Parks paying attention?  Is the County?  How about you?

Contact State Parks District Services Manager Mr. Chris Spohrer 831-234-5140.

Please contact me if you are interested in working on this project.  Time is running out. Becky Steinbruner, email ki6tkb@yahoo.com or phone 831-685-2915.

BARRY SWENSON BUILDER CREWS DUMP ILLEGAL STORMWATER INTO LOCAL CREEKS AGAIN
The crews working for Barry Swenson Builder once again pumped muddy storm water from the utility trenches in the Aptos Village Project into nearby Valencia Creek last Friday morning.  I saw the muddy water draining directly into the storm drain at the intersection of Cathedral Drive and Trout Gulch Road at 8:30am…and again at 10:30am.  The State’s Regional Water Quality Control Board frowns on such illegal activity.  

Barry Swenson Builder, contractor license #342751, ought to know better.  Call them up and ask why their crews and Santa Cruz Underground Paving (SCUP) crews continue to pump storm water from the construction site into local creeks, smothering any possible salmonid eggs with silt from an area with a history of diesel tank soil contamination.  Remember the illegal underground storage tank these same two contractors extracted, transported and tried to cover up?  Thank goodness, the District Attorney issued a Judgment and fines for all those violations, but the fact remains that the real site of the tank was never remediated because it all got covered up before County Environmental Health got tipped off and arrived on scene over a week later.

Here is the contact for Mary Gourlay, Swenson Project Manager: 415-302-4634  or mary@swenson.com

Here is the contact for Carolyn Burke, County Environmental Planner: 831-454-5721 carolyn.burke@santacruzcounty.us who oversees compliance with storm water and erosion control matters for the Project.

Try contacting Public Works inspector assigned to the Project:Geoffrey Padgett 831-454-2160 or Public Works Information Officer Ms. Christine Berge 454-2160 christine.berge@santacruzcounty.us

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

ATTEND THE AMBAG PUBLIC HEARING JANUARY 30 AT SIMPKINS SWIM CENTER (6PM-7PM)
I attended the Santa Cruz Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) Board meeting last week to comment at the Public Hearing regarding the Draft Environmental Impact Report regarding the RTC 2040 Transportation Plan.  This document is being shepherded by the Associated Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG), a nebulous regional group currently holding some public hearings on the matter.  I wrote about this last week.  It is really worth investigation.  Several members of the public requested an extended comment period for the document, but the Board refused to grant it.  AMBAG is really the lead agency on this document.

Plan to attend the AMBAG public hearing January 30 at the Simpkins Swim Center (the flyer has already re-named it to “the Live Oak Community Center”) at 6pm to learn more about the ‘Moving Monterey Bay Forward’ Draft Plan.  Research it in advance on the AMBAG website.

~Cheers, Becky

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

...
Dateline: Jan 20, 2018 #20 / Mr. Nice Guy?


Whether or not Donald J. Trump and his campaign “colluded” with Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, to influence the 2016 United States presidential election in Trump’s favor, is not yet clear. Many Democrats seem to be extrapolating from smoke to fire, and have made up their minds that there was such collusion, but that isn’t, actually, how our legal system, or even “science,” works. Appearances can be deceiving. Maybe, in this case, they are. 

President Trump says there was “no collusion,” and he says that repeatedly! Such repeated denials, of course, mean nothing – particularly taking into account the president’s well-known propensity for prevarication. Still, maybe there really wasn’t any collusion about the election. Maybe money laundering, not campaign assistance, was what was discussed in the various meetings that are now public knowledge. Or, maybe something else was going on! Let’s wait for what radio commentator Paul Harvey used to call “the rest of the story.” 

As we do wait for some more definitive word about why Trump family members and campaign representatives were in significant contact with various persons connected to Vladimir Putin and the Russian government, it might be well to consider what kind of a guy Vladimir Putin really is. 

Our current president has been known to shower Mr. Putin with fulsome praise. A 2015 book by Garry Kasparov, who was the world’s number-one-ranked chess player for twenty years, presents a contrary view. Kasparov thinks that our president’s words of praise are just one more example of how successful Putin has been in convincing governmental officials in Western democracies (including former President Obama) that Putin is just one more democrat like they are, and that the Russian President is really desirous of being a great partner in various kinds of governmental good works. 

Kasparov calls that the “audacity of false hope.” He thinks that Putin is a world class dictator, right up there with Hitler and Stalin, and that we had better wise up before it’s too late. Kasparov’s book is titled, “Winter is Coming,” referencing the popular television series Game of Thrones (and the books that came before that). 

Kasparov’s book appeared in my house as a Christmas present, and I’ve just read it. I don’t really know enough about the former Soviet Union, and the current situation in Russia, and in the former parts of the Soviet Union, to be able to evaluate the book in any definitive way. However, when journalists and others who oppose Mr. Putin keep turning up dead, in suspicious circumstances, that is not a good sign. 

Our current president is wrong in many ways. I think he is wrong to be praising Putin.
Kasparov makes a good case that Putin is no “Mister Nice Guy!”

Gary 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

...

CLASSICAL DeCINZO. DeCinzo views the Pope’s latest challenge!! Just below a ways.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “A wrinkle in time” 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 with his new saga “Sweat Logic”.

SILENT SKY…the play. Jewel Theatre is presenting this play about the women at Harvard from 1920 to the late 30’s who made great astronomical discoveries and had to fight their way through enormous pressures from the man’s world. It plays Jan. 24 through Feb 18 at the Colligan Theater in the Tannery . Tickets and info at their website. www.JewelTheatre.net  or 831 425-7506.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: The powerful #Time’s Up woman’s movement swept through this year’s Golden Globes like a rampaging Fury. What might it portend for this year’s Oscars? Let’s take a look, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ). Also — stop the presses! (Gee, I’ve always wanted to say that!) Literally — my publishers (and me, too!) are so delighted with this endorsement from the great Laurie R. King, they’re re-designing the jacket for my new book, Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge, to include it!”

~Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

THE PHANTOM THREAD.
Director Paul Thomas Anderson first made Boogie Nights, then topped it with Magnolia, There Will Be Blood, and Inherent Vice. Now there’s Phantom Thread. Daniel Day-Lewis is the star, and watching him and Anderson work together in this one makes it not just a film but an experience. Day-Lewis starred in A Room With A View, My Left Foot, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, and became greater and greater with each role. Now he’s promised to never make another film. If that’s true, Phantom Thread is a brilliant masterpiece on which to end a career. It’s the story of a driven, crazed artist who designs women’s clothes…and that’s all you need to know. As critics are saying, it’s not a film for mass audiences, just for those folks who appreciate genius.

CALL ME BY YOUR NAME. No matter where you’re at sexually this beautiful film deals with a young 17 year old boy in Italy working his way through his sexual coming of age. Armie Hammer plays the 30 year old scholarly hunk who visits the kid’s parents. You remember Armie Hammer heir to the Armand Hammer oil fortune and who played The Lone Ranger to Johnny Depp’s Tonto (2013)!!!

LADY BIRD. This film restored my faith in great films! RT gives it 100% and it’s the highest rated film in RT’s history!!! Greta Gerwig directed  Saorise Ronan and others in this sincere, well thought out movie. A teen aged daughter and her Mom have a terrible, never ending battle over clothes, religion, dating, sex, college and everything. It all happens in Sacramento in about 2003 , which is somehow appropriate. It’s sensitive, subtle, and surprising. Gerwig breaks many directing rules and creates new plot possibilities. Go see this film. Ps….as I’ve told many folks, it’s definitely  not about Lady Bird Johnson!!!

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI. First, please note the 95 RT rating. When you have Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell working in a film directed by an Oscar winning director you almost can’t miss. It is definitely a dark comedy. The plot contains murder, rape, loyalty, cancer, and some absolutely brilliant acting. Go see it, and force all your friends to see it too.

DARKEST HOUR. Gary Oldman takes the role of Winston Churchill to new heights…and depths. Its world War II history and it’s the background story of what Churchill had to endure when he first took office as Prime Minister. He deserves the Oscar like few stars ever have. The story is absorbing, educational, and it makes you wonder why the USA doesn’t have someone like Churchill to handle Trump like Churchill handled Hitler and Mussolini.

THE SHAPE OF WATER. A 93 on RT and that means something! Sally Hawkins plays a beautiful mute working in a lab who cares for, and falls in love with a mysterious water creature. It’s a fable, a fairy story, and reminds us of the black and white fantasy films from the 40’s and 50’s. It’s vital to know that it’s directed by Guillermo Del Toro who also did Pan’s Labyrinth  and Hellboy. It is such an enormous change from every other film we’ve seen in years that its’ worth going just for the fun of it.

THE POST. This is Steven Spielberg’s answer to the Trump administration’s corruption and misuse of presidential power. Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks rip up the acting as we expect them to do. It’s the story of the then little Washington Post trying to catch up to The New York Times printing Daniel Elsberg’s Vietnam exposure papers. It makes easy parallels to Nixon and Trump’s dictatorships. It also makes great pitches for freedom of the press…and what we need to do to keep that freedom alive…especially now. Go see it, bring your friends. But truthfully it’s not as interesting or revealing as the MSNBC documentary two weeks ago… “The Most Dangerous Man In America” the same story from Elsberg’s view.

MOLLY’S GAME. This is an unusual “true” film about a once Olympic ski champion who becomes the owner/manager of zillion dollar poker games. Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba play the top roles and good old Kevin Costner has a bit part as Jessica’s father. It’s a fancy film with plenty of cinema tricks to keep us interested, and the acting’s ok too. But think twice before going, especially if you’re trying to give up movies for the New Year.

I TONYA. A very dark, depressing movie about some very depressed people. It’s got loud rock period music as the film score which almost qualifies it as a fun comedy but you’ll be able to count your laughs. Somewhere in the movie somebody says Americans love to hate or love their current sport stars…and its sure true here. Allison Janney plays Tonya’s seriously disturbed mother and deserves her many Awards this Award season…but not for this one. Warning IF you do got you’ll leave wondering why you cared about Nancy Kerrigan or Tonya Harding.

COCO. A genuine Pixar animated cartoon. And, the animation is amazingly three –dimensional. The plot is totally focused on the very rich and traditional Mexican culture. Day of the Dead, plenty of food, religion, music, and only a little boring after the first half hour. It’s completely original, you’ve never seen anything like this before, its way more creative and developed than what we usually think of as a Disney Cartoon. Go see it.

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI. Yes, 93 on RT and I thought it was a complete fake of a billion dollar move machine. I’ll always remember going to our Soquel Drive in (just a little stoned) and being completely taken into outer space with Star Wars 1. It had humor, empathy, great imagination, tension and a story you could care about. The franchise now stages monotonous, uncaring, space attacks and wars so numerous that you can’t remember who is on who’s side…and you don’t care much either. There’s the Dark Side, the Resistance, Adam Driver, R2D2, a very dull Carrie Fisher, an aging Mark Hamil as Luke Skywalker and those endless space battles that take up probably 33 1/3 of the movie. A great disappointment…go at your own peril, and its 2 1/2 hours extra long.

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN. This is Hugh Jackman trying his best to bring life to the bio of P.T.Barnum. Jackman is an excellent dancer, singer and showman but this movie just doesn’t have the heart or solidity that a good film should have. The music is just more copying of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s gooey showbiz. It’s shallow, trite, and repetitious to a fault. Don’t bother seeing it.

...

...

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer, (live only or archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. . Dr. Carlos Arcangeli, noted PAMF Urologist, bring us up to date on those problems on Jan.23. He’s followed by  UCSC Professor emeritus Ralph Abraham talking about his newest book, “Hip Santa Cruz Vol. 2” about the hip Santa Cruz scene in the 1960’s and 70’s with articles by local veterans. Then on January 30 UCSC Music prof. Linda Burman Hall talks about the 45th annual Santa Cruz Baroque Festival opening February 10. February 6 has Espressivo Orchestra director, conductor Michel Singher talking about their Feb. 15 concert. AND/OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go herehttp://www.radiofreeamerica.com/dj/bruce-bratton You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always and only at bratton@cruzio.com

This is Halsey. She spoke at the women’s march in New York City, and it’s a very powerful performance. (TW: rape, sexual assault)

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.   “FLOODS”

“What is the appropriate behavior for a man or a woman in the midst of this world, where each person is clinging to his piece of debris? What’s the proper salutation between people as they pass each other in this flood?”. Buddha

“We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear”. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Nobody’s strong enough to stand up under a flood of weak material“, Alan Ladd

I noticed that volcanoes, earthquakes and floods, though are not good events, they are better than the silence of good people when bad people take the podium. The latter are to an extent uncontrollable, but the former can be stopped”. Israelmore Ayivor,


COLUMN COMMUNICATIONS. Subscriptions: Click and enter the box in the upper right hand corner of each Column. You’ll get a weekly email notice the instant the column goes online. (Anywhere from Monday afternoon through Thursday or sometimes as late as Friday!) Always free and confidential. Even I don’t know who subscribes!!

Snail Mail: Bratton Online
82 Blackburn Street, Suite 216
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com
Direct phone: 831 423-2468
All Technical & Web details: Gunilla Leavitt @ godmoma@gmail.com

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

Posted in Weekly Articles | Leave a comment

January 16 – 22, 2018

Highlights this week:
Where’s the Revolution, UCSC Students as Immigrants, No on Nissan, Public Cannabis meeting…Greensite on further growth at UCSC…Krohn on MLK March and UCSC Moratorium…Steinbruner and Nisene Marks parking, Nissan EIR on Feb12, Redman-Hirahara and Merriman Houses, Aptos Fire chief news, Soquel Creek and Aptos Village water issue…Patton and 25th amendment and impeachment…DeCinzo and early immigrant problems…Eagan and a national health alert…Munching With Mozart…New Music Works…Radical Mindfulness Class…Jensen and Call Me By Your Name…I critique The Post and Call Me By Your Name…Universal Grapevine guest list….Quotes about MUD.
...

61 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK ON PACIFIC AVENUE. This is a March Of Dimes Promotion happening at J.J. Newberrys (later Woolworths) store at the corner of Pacific and Walnut streets on January 17,1957. You can see the Bank of America (New Leaf now) right at the corner, and we can almost read the marquee of the Del Mar theatre through the store windows. If you squint carefully you can see quite a few young girls in the group along with the boys.                                       

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

Additional information always welcome: email bratton@cruzio.com

TOMMY SMOTHERS IMITATING JOHNNY CARSON. Just for old timers, who remember these guys.

Bee Gees accompany some North Korean marching and North Korea needs some humor!!!

DATELINE January 15, 2018

WHERE’S THE REVOLUTION? Doesn’t it seem to you, as much as it does to me, that with all the NATIONAL support, fire, eagerness and need to demonstrate, march, and protest in infinite ways… that all we really lack is a leader, to get almost all Americans to really revolt? More than just waiting for the local elections, more than knitting and picking and choosing our local candidates, but aactually revolt…as in REVOLUTION ?

UCSC STUDENTS-OUR IMMIGRANTS! What’s terribly wrong with our reaction to the news that UCSC is estimating 10,000 new students in 22 years? We should be, and mostly are overjoyed that young people are jamming our colleges. It says so much positive good for their hopes and plans and also so much bad about our colleges and our community’s lack of plans and faulty policies. More details follow further down in both Gillian Greensite’s and Chris Krohn’s articles.

NO TO AUTO ROW! Or NIX ON NISSAN!
Bob Morgan is a very community-involved guy. Bob is a former high school English teacher and K-12 principal. He’s active in Climate Action and local transportation issues. Plus he’s also active with Campaign for Sensible Transportation, and now Sustainable Soquel. He emailed to say… “A looming disaster in progress, the 29,000 square foot aesthetic nightmare of a NISSAN car dealership at the corner of 41st and Soquel Dr., is an enormous mistake. This is the proposed site for the OUT OF TOWN (from VISALIA) NISSAN DEALERSHIP OWNER DON GROPETTI’S ITALIAN CREAM-—HIS MAMMOTH NEW AUTO DEALERSHIP. Don Gropetti doesn’t care if he’s from Visalia and helped to make congestion and greenhouse gas emissions worse in the once beautiful San Joaquin Valley with his FIVE auto dealerships, because he now calls his palazzo on Carmel’s 17 Mile Drive home. Oh, that fresh Pacific Ocean air! No worries about his newest venture: it completely DISREGARDS the wishes of the community, so caringly (and dutifully) crafted during community workshops in Soquel. These “community input” sessions that brought out so many car dealership issues and were designed to put together Santa Cruz County’s Planning staff’s “SANTA CRUZ COUNTY SUSTAINABLE PLAN”, now are being laughed at by that same County Planning Department. Re-zone? Change the General Plan?, Ignore the Sustainable Plan?, make a more industrially intense use of the land?  No problem, says the County.

Some of the workshop’s lofty tenets were that we need to build community, create connections among residents, and guide our community development with a VISION of mixed retail and housing, walkability and bike-riding along safe roads on a scale suitable for Soquel. I guess former County Economic Developer, BARBARA MASON, and replacement ANDY CONSTABLE, a former real estate developer from San Jose, now living here (new Central Coast residents love being FROM San Jose and Visalia), landed a big county catch — helping to justify Constable’s yearly $250,000 salary and benefits package. So, Soquel Village neighbors will just have to deal with being a regional destination hub for automobile buyers who will come and go, leaving locals in the dust and exhaust, fighting more traffic, noise and glaring LEDs while they stare at the homogenized behemoth at the gateway to their village, and wonder what could have been. What about all that “community input” to create the Santa Cruz County Sustainable Plan? So much for “sustaining” the unique community zeitgeist of Soquel. Heck, soon enough we might even look like Visalia and San Jose — seen one auto dealership, seen ’em all. The project has some ways to go before final Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors’ approval, so we can still RESIST this mistake by telling our County Board of Supervisors, NO. Instead, respect the community-generated Santa Cruz County Sustainable Plan and keep our trust. Trust in community needs to be the Supervisors’ mantra. (Are you listening, John Leopold?) Email, write or call your County Supervisor if you care what happens to our community. It’s a bad idea for Soquel. It’s time to BOYCOTT NISSAN. Say NO to Auto Row!”

CANNABIS MEETING FOR EVERYONE. Jim Coffis, the deputy director of Green Trade which is “a coalition of Cannabis Businesses” sent this press release Monday Jan. 15…

THE FUTURE OF CANNABIS IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
A public meeting on the future of cannabis in the County of Santa Cruz will be held Wednesday evening, January 24, at the Resource Center for Nonviolence, 612 Ocean Street in Santa Cruz beginning at 7 pm. Hosted by a coalition of cannabis advocates, representing consumers, patients, caregivers, environmentalists, small growers and others involved in the local cannabis trade, the meeting is open to the public. The imminent release of the million dollar, year long, Environmental Impact Report on commercial cannabis is expected to renew the debate on the shape of local regulations. The Board of Supervisors is expected to take up the issue in early February.

Learn about your existing rights, current and proposed state and local regulations, and the economic viability and impact of cannabis in our community. Hear about the short and long-term future and how it will affect access, availability, cost, production and the environment.

Advocates supporting improved access to medical and adult use products and licenses; best farming practices; environmental improvement and social justice will share their insights.  

Experts will be on hand for one on one advice on the regulatory process, consumer rights, and best practices. Leaders and luminaries from the local cannabis community will speak on the current state of affairs and the next steps that need to be taken. All interested stakeholders are invited to explore available options to ensure the preservation of our unique and rich cannabis heritage in this new era of legalization”.

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.

Dateline (January 15, 2018)

TIME FOR AN ENROLLMENT CAP
As locals opened their newspapers on January 13th I imagined a collective community gasp of dismay at the headline: UCSC plans for sizeable growth.”  The impacts of current UCSC growth on its host town of Santa Cruz are as obvious as a poke in the eye and no less painful: escalating rents; local families outbid by groups of students and gridlock traffic. On campus, the negative impacts from UCSC growth are also painful: escalating rents; shortage of bed space; overcrowded classrooms, buses, facilities and resources. Only those at the top isolated in their ivory tower would fail to conclude that further increases in student enrollment are unsustainable, for the town, for the students and for the unique natural environment of the Cowell Ranch, site of UCSC, itself.

In response to the impacts of the current level of student enrollment, the Chancellor retorted: “the notion that we’re going to cap enrollment and live with a capped enrollment is simply not realistic in the world we live in.”  A “pipe dream.” While I have long admired the current chancellor, that is until he falsified a state audit at the request of UC president Napolitano, I found his comment dismissive at best. Or maybe we do live in distinctly different realities. Ours is one of financial uncertainty, ever -rising rents, dislocated low wage, local workers, traffic nightmares and strained resources. His is one of expanding graduate programs and a larger UCSC as a prominent research institution.  This departure from the original vision for UCSC as a predominantly undergraduate campus no doubt has its cheerleaders. At some point however the rubber hits the road and the chancellor’s reality has to grapple with finite limits and real life impacts of such growth.

A familiar refrain to justify continued growth at UCSC is that demand for a UC education is growing. This is true and has been for the last two decades. It is also why a new campus was funded and built as UC Merced. The University of California is a system of ten campuses and a student is guaranteed a first class education at each and every campus. Commonsense dictates that if growth at one campus is negatively impacting the finite resources of its host community then further growth could and should be directed towards a campus whose enrollment is under 7,000 students. Arguments that students would prefer to live in Santa Cruz rather than Merced are outweighed not only by the exorbitant rents in Santa Cruz but also because we are beyond carrying capacity on every meaningful measure of quality of life. You notice that UC Merced is rarely raised in discussions about UCSC growth impacts.  The reason for that omission has less to do with concerns about student preferences for the coast and more about faculty and department jostling for greater resources and power, in my opinion. In other words, concern about growth impacts on our town doesn’t enter the picture. Nor, apparently does concern for the natural environment of this former Cowell Ranch. The proposal to locate the proposed 3000 beds (2100 are new, 900 are to relieve current overcrowded dorms) on the meadow at the corner of Hagar and Coolidge Drives may not arouse concern for those who see just acreage to build on, but for those who know the invaluable and unique natural environment that encompasses UCSC and which is a treasure for study, research and preservation, it is a sad departure from the founding values and vision for UCSC. Nor will such public/private building on campus lower rents for students on or off campus, let alone non-student residents in town since ten thousand more students on campus means five thousand of them will be living off-campus. If you think things are bad now…just wait. But waiting is what we cannot afford to do.

Our elected representatives at the city, county and state level must make it clear to the Regents and the Office of the President that a cap on enrollment at UCSC is critical for our survival as a community. And for those elected who have a conflict of interest because of ties to UCSC, remember which end of the hill you were elected to represent”.

...
(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, former Santa Cruz City Councilmember (1998-2002) and Mayor (2001-2002). He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 12 years. He was elected last November to another 4-year term on the Santa Cruz City Council).

Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com

Dateline January 15.2018

2 TWO Photos of the week.

Cooper Street closed for the large march on MLK Day! Over 2000 marched.

Super community activist, Ernestina Saldana holds her “Bell of Freedom” award, given to her this past Sunday by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Justly and richly deserved. Si se puede!

January 15 2018

The notion that we’re going to cap enrollment and live with a capped enrollment is simply not realistic in the world we live in,” (UCSC Chancellor George) Blumenthal said at a news meeting Thursday. “I think it’s a pipe dream, because the demand for the UC education is increasing by leaps and bounds.”

Santa Cruz Sentinel, 1-12-18

We call it a moratorium, you call it a cap, let’s call the whole thing off!

UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal named the elephant in the room last week and yes, it’s a 10,000-pound one! In a community of 60,000, ten thousand more students are really a lot. You heard right, Blumenthal’s opening salvo at our UCSC-city community is a Long-Range Development Plan that will add a whopping 10,000 additional bodies to Santa Cruz and grow the university to 28,000. Will Santa Cruz become a university with a city somewhere on the campus? Will campus growth effectively create a Town dressed up and encased in a towering Gown? Twenty-eight thousand is a figure not even envisioned by the most dreamy and visionary planners way back in the day.

The 28,000 number seems to have been thrown out by an ambivalent bureaucracy that is playing perhaps an unwitting part in the deterioration of a once great coastal town. UC Administrators on the hill are either afraid to tell their bosses in Oakland the hard truth that there is no more room at the inn, or are they just resigned to a different truth that California students must go somewhere so why not here? Perhaps, this figure is an early trial balloon, put out by the administration to see how much pushback there might be by townies, student activists, county supervisors, and city councilmembers? No one I know does not want all California children to experience a UC education, but this UC city is maxed out. There are nine other campuses and the state legislature ought to be planning for even more. The city of Santa Cruz, given its size, resources, and carrying capacity has reached its limit. No más after 19,500.

T-W-E-N-T-Y E-I-G-H-T  T-H-O-U-S-A-N-D Students?
I’m a member of CAG, the Community Advisory Group of 22 that was set up by the university to advise on the 2020 Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) process. The LRDP is the university’s “general plan” document and its already begun in earnest some two years before it is due to be submitted to the UC Regents. Chancellor Blumenthal and his assistant, Executive Vice Chancellor, Marlene Tromp who is mostly responsible for the UCSC budget, spoke to our group last Friday and dropped the bombshell: T-W-E-N-T-Y-E-I-G-H-T  T-H-O-U-S-A-N-D. It was not received well by most of the CAG. Although the Chancellor offered an olive branch when he said, “This needs to be a meaningful group (CAG) that provides meaningful input,” and then proceeded to pan the 2005 UCSC administration for not asking for enough community involvement back then. Blumenthal said, “I was struck by how little input there was from the community, it showed a lack of sensitivity on the part of campus.” Strong sentiments. I’m glad he wants to know our perspective, but those present wondered in various ways if things would be any different this time around, and if our community input would actually be taken seriously. After Blumenthal and Tromp left the room the CAG members were directed to pair up “with someone you don’t know,” and discuss our “core concerns” and be ready to report back to the group what those concerns are. We were limited to three. I immediately sought out someone who I thought might be my political opposite and there across the room was the former Sentinel editor, California secretary of state, assembly member, and current member of the Santa Cruz board of supervisors, Bruce McPherson. Turns out he and I share some similar concerns about university growth. We both liked it that the “U” wanted the community engaged in the LRDP process, but we were surprised by the 10,000-growth figure and wondered if it was simply a negotiating tool. Both of us agreed we want to see what resources UC will contribute to support these students before they arrive to our community. Financial resources that would cover their growth in the areas of housing, transportation, and water McPherson said. Moving around the large set of tables that formed a horseshoe at the Museum of Art and History downtown, each CAG member stated their “core concerns,” and they didn’t sound too supportive of growing the university more. I note a few of those concerns here:

Ted Benhari of Bonny Doon and the Committee to Limit University Growth (CLUE) said his concerns were the “quality of life impacts on the community and maintaining the urban services line…” Bill Tysseling, retired and the former Exec. Dir. of Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce said, “Funding of infrastructure, and an eastern access [road] has to occur or we have to keep everyone on campus.”Cynthia Mathews, Santa Cruz city councilmember noted that “UCSC will completely dominate…basically you will have a company town. We need to avoid a monoculture.”John Aird, Healthcare Executive and CLUE member was emphatic, “Fifty-percent growth is flat-out unacceptable.”Andy Schiffrin an Aide in Supervisor Ryan Coonerty’s office and also a Santa Cruz political observer for over 40 years said, “Input is meaningless without accountability…it would take a legislative solution…it’s a political problem that we have…”Robert Orrizzi said the university must “stop growth until beds are on-line because the currently planned 3000 beds will not be going in until 2020, so don’t grow anymore until those are in place.”

“An LRDP is like a city’s general plan. It designates areas of campus for certain types of use: open space, for example, or housing. It does not mandate growth.” (my emphasis)

–Chancellor George Blumenthal, Jan. 12, 2018

Pipe Dreams Revisited: “Ain’t no power like the power of the people and the power of the people don’t stop!

The community is calling for a moratorium on student growth until city services can catch up in the areas of housing, traffic, and water infrastructure. A five-year moratorium sounds about right. Blumenthal was quoted in the Santa Cruz Sentinel last week calling a cap on enrollment “a pipe dream.” Well, since we have a lot of dreamers in this town, we get called a lot of names. Pipe dreams are something we know about. Stopping a good-ole-boy convention hotel on Lighthouse Field was once considered a pipe dream; voters dreamed of approving the purchase of greenbelt lands–a choice of taxing ourselves to buy open space was pipe dreamy; stopping developers from building 10,000 homes on Wilder Ranch was at first an activist pipe dream; preserving the Beach Flats Community Garden for the community is still in the “pipe dream” stages, a work in progress. And of course, there was everybody’s favorite little pipe dream that would just not go away, the legalization of first, medical marijuana and now complete legalization. Some pipe dreams just will not die. This community’s been known to dream big. One might also ask which is the bigger pipe dream, a moratorium on accepting more students beyond the current cap of 19,500, or allowing ten thousand additional bodies to migrate here from all parts of California and beyond, to an already crowded Surf City? Will they be told there is no more housing here? Hey Regents, game on.

Bernie Tweet of the Week;
“Republicans in Congress must now summon the courage to stand up to the racist ramblings of our “stable genius” president. Democratic and Republican senators must continue efforts to produce a bi-partisan Dream Act to be voted on by the Senate as part of the overall budget deal.” (Jan. 12)

...
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

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENT APPROVES APTOS VILLAGE PROJECT PHASE 2…SAN JOSE AT THE ENTRANCE TO NISENE MARKS STATE PARK?
On January 10, County Planner Randall Adams quietly approved the massive building design and use changes for Phase 2 of the Aptos Village Project that will, if built, create a San Jose-like character at the very entrance to Nisene Marks State Park and further aggravate existing near-gridlock traffic.  The modifications allow three-story structures throughout in Buildings 1,2,8,9,10 located behind the Aptos Station commercial area.   I only learned that it had been approved when I had time to visit the Planning Department Records Room January 11 (Thursday) just before the 4pm closing to the public.  Last week when I visited there, no Aptos Village Project records were available to review except the proposed Phase 2 modifications…but nothing else with which to compare them in order to determine the exact nature of the proposed modifications. 

How can the public comment on modifications when it is not clear exactly how the Project is being modified?  I wrote Assistant Planning Director, Wanda Williams (you may recall that Planning Director Kathy Previsich has recused herself from involvement because she and her husband have financially benefitted from the Project) and Project Planner Randall Adams to ask, but neither replied.  Neither replied to my question about how the general public can review the material if unable to visit the Planning Department Records Room during the limited hours it is open to the public. I figured out on my own that if one visits the County Planning Department website, click on the left hand menu bar “Pending Projects”, click on “Level 4 Discretionary Projects” and then search for Application #171292 and click on the application number, the material is there.  Here is the link to what comes up.

In order to compare those plans with what PREVIOUS Discretionary Approvals have morphed the Project, one must find the materials for Application # 151005, which massively changed the layout of the Project and may have changed some of the building designs, too.  That is what Randall Adams approved in 2015 that changed the layout of the new Aptos Village Way internal street and necessitated dividing Building 6 into two buildings 6A and 6B to flank the new road at Trout Gulch, moved the Soquel Creek Water District’s new Granite Way Well site location to the corner of Trout Gulch Road /Cathedral Drive (where the clay layer is so deep that production will be minimal), reduced the size of the County Park Parcel (which allowed the County to waive the $1000/bedroom park developer fees for the 144 bedrooms), added an additional 6 residential units but did not increase the number of affordable units, reduced the number of parking spaces near the County Park Parcel (the Planner recommended just adding more to the on-street parking along Aptos Creek Road),  and other massive changes that PROBABLY CONSTITUTED A NEW PROJECT. 

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

“CONNECT THE DROPS”  REGIONAL WATER WORKSHOP SCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY 1 AT NEW BRIGHTON MIDDLE SCHOOL
Mark your calendar for this “State of the Groundwater” educational event sponsored by Santa Cruz County Local Area Formation Commission Office (LAFCO).  It will be held at New Brighton Middle School in Capitola, 6pm-8pm, with a keynote speaker from the State Dept. of Water Resources featured along with representatives of all local water agencies. 

It is unknown if the public will be given any time for PUBLIC question and answer, or whether people will be directed (as was the case at the last similar event) to tables of interest.  I hope the people will be able to ask questions publicly because last time, when the second option occurred, the place became so chaotic you had to shout to be heard when asking a question at one of the informational tables.  I expect we will hear glowing reports from Soquel Creek Water District about their “preferred project” PureWater Soquel and plans to inject treated sewage water into the area’s groundwater supply….against public protest.  How can this District boast of “Transparency Awards”???

I hope to see you there…I’ll be handing out information about the “Water for Santa Cruz” group who seeks to find a solution to the area’s water distribution issues that won’t risk health and safety problems and that ratepayers can afford.
Happy Martin Luther King Day….we will continue to uphold and continue to fight for that Dream

~Becky

...
#14/ Before It’s Too Late?

Dateline January 14, 2018

Just How Stupid Is Trump?” That’s the title of an opinion piece published on January 8, 2018, by Robert Reich. Reich served as Secretary of Labor under President Bill Clinton, and is now employed by the University of California. He is, besides holding down his university position, a prominent political pundit. Reich doesn’t think that President Trump is necessarily stupid, but he does think that our president poses “a clear and present danger to America and the world.” 

Reich concludes his article by saying:

The 25th Amendment must be invoked before it’s too late.

The 25th Amendment is pretty complicated. Click the link if you would like a briefing on how it works. My own sense is that neither the 25th Amendment nor an impeachment of the president is going to rescue the nation (and the world). This is also the conclusion of The New York Times editorial board. On January 10th, quite possibly in direct response to what Reich said, The Times ran an editorial with the following title: “Is Mr. Trump Nuts?” 

Is he “nuts,” or is he “stupid,” and what should we do about it? The Times evaluates both impeachment and the use of the 25th Amendment, and comes to the following conclusion, which I believe is right on target:

The best solution is the simplest: Vote, and organize others to register and to vote. If you believe Donald Trump represents a danger to the country and the world, you can take action to rein in his power. In November, you can help elect members of Congress who will fight Mr. Trump’s most dangerous behaviors. If that fails, there’s always 2020.

The fact that we have placed a highly unsuitable person in charge of the Executive Branch of our government does not mean that we our normal governmental processes are no longer functional. In fact, they are!

...

CLASSICAL DeCINZO. The more than omniscient DeCinzo gives us an inside view of Immigrant issues…see below.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “National Health Alert#13” 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 provocative “Roll of The Dice” in his Eaganblog.

MUNCHING WITH MOZART THURSDAY.
The MWM concert series presents The Wild Coast Brass. The Wild Coast Brass features  Kevin Jordan, Trumpet-Charles Old, Trumpet- Ruth Jordan, Horn-Steve Mortensen, Trombone and  James Paoletti onTuba. They’ll play Arthur Frackenpohl’s Brass Quintet, Don Sweete’s Mouse and the Elephant (Trumpet/Tuba Duet), J. S. Bach’s Fugue XI, WTC I (Low Brass Trio)  from Well-Tempered Brass Quintet, Anthony Plog’s Trio for Brass (Trumpet/Horn/Trombone),Traditional pieceThe Water is Wide, then Jose Carli’s Estampas and closing with Kevin McKee’s Escape. The concert is free and happens Thursday, January 18th 12:10 – 12:50 Santa Cruz Public Library Downtown Branch – Upstairs Meeting Room.

NEW MUSIC WORKS-DEFINITELY!!!
For 39 years The New Music Works has created some of the most new music of our time.  Now they say, “Nocturnal sonic emissions arising from next door-to-abroad, by living, tax-paying composers! A powerhouse line-up including four world premieres and a special line-up of guest artists.”  Performing on Feb. 3rd will be Sheila Willey, soprano, UCSC Guitar Ensemble, NewMusicWorks Ensemble, Philip Collins, conductor, Barry Phillips Ostinato for Elly (2016) clarinet, bassoon trumpet, trombone, marimba, piano, violin, double bass and Michael McGushin  A Queer Alphabet, (2017)  text by Gertrude Stein, (world premiere)s  soprano, flute, oboe, clarinet, violin, cello, double bass, harp, piano, percussion Heila Willey.

At 6 p.m. there’ll be a 45-minute Panel Discussion involving all seven of the evening’s featured composers.  

Buy Your Tickets Now! Sponsored by the Cabrillo College Music Department it happens SATuRdAy, FEbRuARy 3, 7:30Pm
barbara Samper Recital Hall
cabrillo college, Aptos, cA

RADICAL MINDFULNESS CLASS.
Carla Brennan has studied and taught Mindfulness for decades. I’ve been attending her weekly sessions and her classes for a few years…and If you’ve wondered about Mindfulness or need to know more Carla says;” Radical mindfulness is the practice of being unconditionally present to life as it arises, to completely be here now. Rather than living with true wakefulness and awareness, most of us are engaged in an endless struggle to control and limit our experience. We resist feeling our basic aliveness and contract around patterns of fear and confusion. Our meditation practice may become yet another attempt to control what we feel. We discover that beyond this futile struggle is an untapped capacity for clear knowing and compassion” Her 5 week one night per week class is titled…” Radical Mindfulness: The Art of Being Alive”
5-week class, Jan. 31, Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28 Wednesdays, 6:30 -8:30, 920F 41st Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95062  Registration required. Space is limited. Please only register if you can attend at least 4 of the 5 classes. To register, go to EVENTBRITE. More information

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “The awards season kicks off with a few front-running Oscar contenders, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com/). Also, please share your thoughts on authors rating their own books on Goodreads (useful or shameless?), and check out this week’s Good Times for my review of the sensual coming-of-age drama, Call Me By Your Name.” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

CALL ME BY YOUR NAME. No matter where you’re at sexually, this film deals beautifully with a young 17 year old boy in Italy working his way through his sexual coming of age. Armie Hammer plays the 30 year old scholarly hunk who visits the kid’s parents. You remember Armie Hammer, heir to the Armand Hammer oil fortune, and who played The Lone Ranger to Johnny Depp’s Tonto (2013)!!!

THE POST. This is Steven Spielberg’s answer to the Trump administration’s corruption and misuse of presidential power. Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks rip up the acting, as we expect them to do. It’s the story of the — then little — Washington Post trying to catch up to The New York Times, printing Daniel Elsberg’s Vietnam exposure papers. It makes easy parallels to Nixon and Trump’s dictatorships. It also makes great pitches for freedom of the press…and what we need to do to keep that freedom alive…especially now. Go see it, bring your friends. But truthfully, it’s not as interesting or revealing as the MSNBC documentary two weeks ago… “The Most Dangerous Man In America” — which is the same story from Elsberg’s view.

LADY BIRD. This film restored my faith in great films! RT gives it 100% and it’s the highest rated film in RT’s history!!! Greta Gerwig directed  Saorise Ronan and others in this sincere, well thought out movie. A teen aged daughter and her Mom have a terrible, never ending battle over clothes, religion, dating, sex, college and everything. It all happens in Sacramento in about 2003 , which is somehow appropriate. It’s sensitive, subtle, and surprising. Gerwig breaks many directing rules and creates new plot possibilities. Go see this film. Ps….as I’ve told many folks, it’s definitely  not about Lady Bird Johnson!!!

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI. First, please note the 95 RT rating. When you have Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell working in a film directed by an Oscar winning director you almost can’t miss. It is definitely a dark comedy. The plot contains murder, rape, loyalty, cancer, and some absolutely brilliant acting. Go see it, and force all your friends to see it too.

DARKEST HOUR. Gary Oldman takes the role of Winston Churchill to new heights…and depths. Its world War II history and it’s the background story of what Churchill had to endure when he first took office as Prime Minister. He deserves the Oscar like few stars ever have. The story is absorbing, educational, and it makes you wonder why the USA doesn’t have someone like Churchill to handle Trump like Churchill handled Hitler and Mussolini.

THE SHAPE OF WATER. A 93 on RT and that means something! Sally Hawkins plays a beautiful mute working in a lab who cares for, and falls in love with a mysterious water creature. It’s a fable, a fairy story, and reminds us of the black and white fantasy films from the 40’s and 50’s. It’s vital to know that it’s directed by Guillermo Del Toro who also did Pan’s Labyrinth  and Hellboy. It is such an enormous change from every other film we’ve seen in years that its’ worth going just for the fun of it.

MOLLY’S GAME. This is an unusual “true” film about a once Olympic ski champion who becomes the owner/manager of zillion dollar poker games. Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba play the top roles and good old Kevin Costner has a bit part as Jessica’s father. It’s a fancy film with plenty of cinema tricks to keep us interested, and the acting’s ok too. But think twice before going, especially if you’re trying to give up movies for the New Year.

I TONYA. A very dark, depressing movie about some very depressed people. It’s got loud rock period music as the film score which almost qualifies it as a fun comedy but you’ll be able to count your laughs. Somewhere in the movie somebody says Americans love to hate or love their current sport stars…and its sure true here. Allison Janney plays Tonya’s seriously disturbed mother and deserves some award this Award season…but not for this one. Warning IF you do got you’ll leave wondering why you cared about Nancy Kerrigan or Tonya Harding.

ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD. This movie will forever change your reaction to the Getty Museum in Malibu…trust me. And, you’ve probably read that this movie was completely finished with Kevin Spacey in the lead role of J. Paul Getty, then with Spacey’s sex problems looming so large they completely re-filmed the part and replaced Spacey with Christopher Plummer. Ridley Scott directed it, and of course he directed Alien, The Martian, Into The Storm and other big box office hits. Michelle Williams and Mark Wahlberg are the other stars. It’s a cruel, nearly true story about how J.Paul wouldn’t give Italian kidnappers any ransom money when they kidnapped his grandson. I felt far removed from the film, and never identified with anyone in the plot. It was cold, well filmed, and credibly acted but it never drew me into feeling anything for anyone involved.

COCO. A genuine Pixar animated cartoon. And, the animation is amazingly three –dimensional. The plot is totally focused on the very rich and traditional Mexican culture. Day of the Dead, plenty of food, religion, music, and only a little boring after the first half hour. It’s completely original, you’ve never seen anything like this before, its way more creative and developed than what we usually think of as a Disney Cartoon. Go see it.

THE DISASTER ARTIST. A curious movie, a very curious movie about the making of what has become known by critics and the public as the worst movie ever filmed. That movie is “The Room“. James Franco and his brother Dave Franco are the leads. Zac Efron and Seth Rogen are in it too but there are not that many laughs. If you’re not careful you’ll start pitying just about everyone in the film for being so desperate just to make a movie. I began to like or appreciate it about 20 minutes before it ended. The closing credits are a must watch to be believed item.

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI. Yes, 93 on RT and I thought it was a complete fake of a billion dollar move machine. I’ll always remember going to our Soquel Drive in (just a little stoned) and being completely taken into outer space with Star Wars 1. It had humor, empathy, great imagination, tension and a story you could care about. The franchise now stages monotonous, uncaring, space attacks and wars so numerous that you can’t remember who is on who’s side…and you don’t care much either. There’s the Dark Side, the Resistance, Adam Driver, R2D2, a very dull Carrie Fisher, an aging Mark Hamil as Luke Skywalker and those endless space battles that take up probably 33 1/3 of the movie. A great disappointment…go at your own peril, and its 2 ½ hours extra long.

DOWNSIZING.Matt Damon plays a guy who for might be considered an environmental move agrees to be reduced to about 5 inches tall and go live in a Truman’s Show type world with other shrinkees. It’s cute, pointless, and feel good. No genuine issues or meanings are dealt with ‘ Nasty ol’ Christoph Waltz plays his usual smirking, almost nazi-like character and Kristen Wiig plays Damon’s wife until she decides NOT to get shrunk. Save your money, subscribe to Netflix and watch Black Mirror instead.

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN. This is Hugh Jackman trying his best to bring life to the bio of P.T.Barnum. Jackman is an excellent dancer, singer and showman but this movie just doesn’t have the heart or solidity that a good film should have. The music is just more copying of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s gooey showbiz. It’s shallow, trite, and repetitious to a fault. Don’t bother seeing it.

...

...

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. We learn about the problems of the proposed Nissan Dealership in Soquel from Bob Morgan and Lisa Sheridan and how many of the citizens are opposed to it. Then activist, conservationist, columnist Gillian Greensite talks about local politics. Dr. Carlos Arcangeli, noted Urologist, bring us up to date on those problems on Jan.23. He’s followed by  UCSC Professor emeritus Ralph Abraham talking about his newest book, “Hip Santa Cruz Vol. 2” about that scene with articles by local veterans. Then on January 30 UCSC Music prof. Linda Burman Hall talks about the 45th annual Santa Cruz Baroque Festival opening February 10. OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go herehttp://www.radiofreeamerica.com/dj/bruce-bratton You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always and only at bratton@cruzio.com

This speaks for itself, I think 🙂

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. “MUD”
“Every struggle is like mud – there are always some lotus seeds waiting to sprout”, Amit Ray, Nonviolence: The Transforming Power
“Maturity is when you no longer get the urge to make snow angels in mud season”, Josh Stern,
“Spend your time with the people who talk about the stars because to whichever place you put your mind in, you will move to that place! Stars pull you to the stars; mud pulls you to the mud!” Mehmet Murat ildan
“You pray for rain, you gotta deal with the mud too. That’s a part of it“, Denzel Washington
“He who slings mud generally loses ground”. Adlai E. Stevenson
“They teach anything in universities today. You can major in mud pies”.  Orson Welles
“I could have ended the war in a month. I could have made North Vietnam look like a mud puddle”. Barry Goldwater


COLUMN COMMUNICATIONS. Subscriptions: Click and enter the box in the upper right hand corner of each Column. You’ll get a weekly email notice the instant the column goes online. (Anywhere from Monday afternoon through Thursday or sometimes as late as Friday!) Always free and confidential. Even I don’t know who subscribes!!

Snail Mail: Bratton Online
82 Blackburn Street, Suite 216
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com
Direct phone: 831 423-2468
All Technical & Web details: Gunilla Leavitt @ godmoma@gmail.com

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

Posted in Weekly Articles | Leave a comment

January 10 – 16, 2018

Highlights this week:
B.A.P. Store news, Swenson Suites at 1547 Pacific, Oprah for President?, My cannabis store visit… “GILLIAN GREENSITE  is off the grid for a week so no piece this issue. Back as usual next week…CHRIS KROHN and Federal Power locally, Immigration, rent stabilization, end corridor plan, housing, homeless issues, public library moving…BECKY STEINBRUNER on Rancho Del Mar, property tax rising, AMBAG questions, Nisene Marks parking…GARY PATTON about a digital Republic, and the loss of personal data online…DECINZO and historic rainy days…TIM EAGAN and Deep Cover…LISA JENSEN and I Tonya…Santa Cruz Chamber Players…8 tens @ 8…I critique Molly’s Game, I Tonya, The Disaster Artist, Downsizing…Quotes about January.
...

SOQUEL AND BRANCIFORTE 1960. Why is it that even with all the changes in the last 58  years, we can still identify where this corner is? Sure it’s now Bay Photo Lab, Solar Technologies, and the good old Shoppers Corner and the Buttery. Look closely and you’ll see that the Auto Float Tire Store was selling gas for 30 cents per gallon!                                                     

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

Additional information always welcome: email bratton@cruzio.com

EMMY AWARDS WITH TIM CONWAY & HARVEY CORMAN.
DEAN MARTIN with FOSTER BROOKS. Ralph Davila with his acute humor found this gem
BETTE MIDLER SINGS UKULELE LADY. Always been one of my favorite songs. Our Goodtime Washboard 3 performed it for years.

DATELINE January 8, 2018

BRITISH AUTO PARTS ON UPPER PACIFIC. In a small side question last week relating to the historic photo of the Town Square from high atop the hill at Mission and Pacific, I asked if anyone knew what the visible sign stating B.A.P meant. Some great responses came in…here’s the best…Will Roblin says: “I went to a wonderful BAR in that area in 1973 – The United. [Not sure if it’s got anything to do with this photo!; United might have been further away from Tea Cup, but that’s the correct side of the street.] Sign on the wall said: “BE GOOD OR BE GONE”; some very mellow, creative types could be found there. It was good (no frills, open atmosphere) but it’s still gone.

The Holgers wrote, “Bruce — Years ago an outfit named British Auto Parts went by that acronym.  It purveyed MG and Austin Healy stuff in that era.  Who knows?”

Mike Hess wrote, “Could not find out what B.A.P. stands for but attached is a newspaper clipping from 1965. It was a transmission shop. Always look forward to Bratton on-line!

Historian and author Stan Stevens wrapped it all up when he emailed saying…

“It appears that B.A.P. moved to a Front St. location at the start of its Santa Cruz branch operation in 1963. They had 16 other locations. Then, after the death of its manager in March 1964, they moved to North Pacific Avenue in Sept. 1964”. He attached a photo of another ad from The Santa Cruz  Sentinel from Friday, April 29, 1966…here it is….

WAFFLING ON SWENSONS SUITES ON PACIFIC. The vote’s been taken, and Santa Cruz City councilmembers Sandy Brown and Chris Krohn’s pleas to make some of Swenson’s suites at 1547 Pacific affordable got outvoted. It’s a tragedy that — over and over again — our City Council majorities vote in favor of giving developers what they ask for, or what will “pencil out” over humane and usually undeniable civil rights to fair housing. Then again, I must say it’s been 29 — that’s twenty nine — years since the 1989 earthquake took out the Bookshop Santa Cruz and The Pacific Coffee Roasting buildings, and the resultant hole has not been all that much to look at…or think about. Especially since they took out that “suspended sidewalk” that took us to the parking lot that was behind it. In addition to retail space on the street level, the new Swenson monthly rents will consist of 2 bedroom units at $3,7000, 1 bedrooms at $2,500 and studios for $2,000 yes…per month. Those figures will undoubtedly shift upward. So yes, the council’s developer-kissing will be forgotten with a big ribbon cutting ceremony, probably by Mayor Martine Watkins in 2019. And Pacific Avenue will once again look more like a town that never had an earthquake.

MY FIRST POT/CANNABIS SHOP VISIT. It’s been decades since paying $5 for a matchbox of pot or $15 for a lid in and around Berkeley in the 50s. Taking Jim Coffis from Green Trade Santa Cruz’s advice, I went to the Treehouse, which labels itself “A full service cannabis dispensary”. It’s located at 3651 Soquel Drive, the former Senate Mattress store.  It’s way upscale, much closer to an elegant jewelry store than a CVS store. They display only one or two of each of their “items”, and the clerk/attendant/guide punches your selections into his/her tablet and you pick up your total items at another desk on your way out. Very polite, regimented, and as they say, “Rooted in Community”. Whether you like pot or not, go visit Treehouse and see what the talk is all about. No, I didn’t buy anything…probably next time.

(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, former Santa Cruz City Councilmember (1998-2002) and Mayor (2001-2002). He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 12 years. He was elected last November to another 4-year term on the Santa Cruz City Council).

Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com

Dateline January 8, 2018 majority report #108

All Politics are Local, Even State, Federal and International Issues

Feds vs. the City of Santa Cruz
Just when you thought it was safe to go into the liberal, do-your-own-thing, can’t-we-all-just-get-along, feel-good political waters of both the Golden State and the People’s Republic of Santa Cruz, a political hell begins to erupt. Along comes Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke to tell us that he’s going to allow off-shore oil drilling off the central coast. Then it’s Attorney General Jeff Sessions, he wants to stop all cannabis production. What does Acting Commissioner of the IRS, David Kauter require? That homeowners no longer deduct their mortgage payments from their federal taxes. Next in line is another “Acting Director,” Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Thomas Homan, he wants to deport our immigrant community members. And then there’s the FCC chairman, Ajit Pai, he wants to slow down our internet traffic. The master of this dog house, Donald Trump, lost California by over two million votes, so to some political watchers it would seem quite logical that he would come to hinder, thwart, hobble, restrict, and generally wreak havoc on the people of this state. He’s beginning. Not long ago I can remember letters to the editor, or to city hall, inquiring and questioning the wisdom of devoting city time to debating  national and international issues. War for example has been debated by past city councils: Ronald Reagan’s contras, George Bush Sr.’s Kuwaiti expedition, and later his son’s Iraq War policies. Once the council passed a resolution to send Chilean mass murder, Gen. Augusto Pinochet, who was being detained in London, back to stand trial in Santiago. More recently the council is set to discuss a resolution asking the legislature to prohibit importation of crude oil from the Amazon. Santa Cruz has a long track record of being involved in US domestic and foreign policy issues.

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


Seen along Ashby Street in Berkeley, Ca.

What Just Might be Coming to the SC City Council This Year?

  • Revenue enhancement measures (taxes) to cover the increasing costs of city pension costs, mainly police and fire will be on the ballot. (Some options: Hotel, sugar beverage, real estate transfer).
  • Rent stabilization, rent freeze, just-cause eviction ordinance will all likely be debated vigorously this year, in Santa Cruz and at the state capitol. Link here
  • Will 2018 see a silver stake finally pierce through the Corridor Plan and exorcise the final ghosts of a plan that was never accepted by many on the city’s eastside? See here…
  • Will this be the year the Jessie Street Marsh actually moves toward restoration and the 2003 plan is finally implemented? Follow here
  • A housing plan is needed that designates 50% of the planned for 1000 downtown units be affordable and offered to people who live here now, not as short-term rentals or second homes.
  • A plan to confront homelessness that is authored by both the city and county, which includes a designated on-going revenue stream to get people housed and into programs that offer drug, alcohol and mental health treatment.
  • And lastly, there is that pesky $23-million-dollar question: will the public library bond money be used as bait to finally convince the public to support the Public Works Department’s five-story parking garage to be built on the current site of the Farmer’s Market at Lincoln and Cedar streets?

Predictions for 2018

  • The city of Santa Cruz will join other municipalities in forming a state bank!
  • Ranked Choice Voting will get on the ballot this November.
  • Rent control will be instituted in Santa Cruz come January 1, 2019.
  • Barry Swenson Builder will finally be convinced to build the damn affordable rental units.
  • Homelessness-houselessness ain’t going away.
  • The Giants will make it to the playoffs!
  • The Trump Administration gets into a spat with Santa Cruz, which makes national news.

Bernie Tweet of the Week
“We need to get our priorities right. Not giving tax breaks to billionaires. Not throwing millions of people off of health insurance. We have got to pay attention to the working families of this country.” (Jan. 8)

~ Chris Krohn

...
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


RANCHO DEL MAR CENTER REMODEL IS MORE THAN A “FACE-LIFT”
Take a look at this amazing photo by Erik Chalhoub, editor of the Aptos Life and Register-Pajaronian.  As you can see, the theater is gone, gone, gone…

Rancho Del Mar work underway
Still no reply to phone calls placed with the Rancho Del Mar tenants that were evicted on short notice last fall.  Send them good thoughts and maybe a few bucks if I can get a Go-Fund-Me set up for them.  Stay tuned.

WHAT IS AMBAG AND WHY DOES IT DICTATE LOCAL GOVERNMENT POLICIES?
I am curious about the influence that the Associated Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG) has over Santa Cruz County and other municipal land use and transportation policies.  The County Planning Department sets the number of building permits it publicly states that MUST be issued based on a State requirement that is approved by AMBAG to make sure each County “takes its share of the burden” for the state’s population growth.  These are the RHNA numbers that officials cite without any explanation to define what that means: “Regional Housing Need Allocation”. Here is a link to learn more about that.   

AMBAG was formed in 1968 and comprises of 24 representatives from Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito Counties and all cities within.   AMBAG has no ability to enforce the growth policies and transportation projects, according to Ms. Heather Adamson, the AMBAG Director of Planning, yet time and time again, I hear local government officials say “We have to do this because it is mandated by AMBAG”. 

I think the real truth is that it all revolves around money.  AMBAG gets grant money from State and Federal programs, so the local jurisdictions do what is necessary to get the money.  Here is the website for AMBAG…take a look and see what you learn.  http://www.ambag.org/about-us

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


NISENE MARKS STATE PARK ACCESS DENIED TO VISITORS FOR LACK OF AVAILABLE PARKING
Thanks to the photo and report from a concerned Aptos citizen (who wishes to remain anonymous) who contacted me about State Parks posting the entry to Nisene Marks State Park as closed, due to lack of available parking in the park.  Doesn’t it make sense to you that the Phase 2 Aptos Village Project could be used to re-instate the prescriptive use of parking for the State Park visitors and public benefit of re-building the world-famous Post Office Bike Jumps instead of adding more traffic to the nearly-gridlocked Village? Take a look at this photo:  The sign was posted December 31, 2017 and AGAIN last Sunday, January 7.

CONTACT SUPERVISOR ZACH FRIEND ABOUT THIS AND OTHER ISSUES In the January 2018 issue of the “Aptos LifeSecond District Supervisor Zach Friend wrote about all the wonderful things he has done in the past year.  Under “Community Meetings” he reported “we’ve held 71 open office hours in Aptos, Corralitos, La Selva Beach and Watsonville and held or attended nearly 50 community and neighborhood meetings in Seacliff, La Selva Beach, Aptos, Watsonville, Capitola and Corralitos. ”  Wow.  Where are the Community meetings for the general public (not just the Rio del Mar Improvement Association buddies) regarding the Aptos Village Project????   Who can attend his Wednesday 9am-10am constituent meetings held occasionally?

Maybe he’ll schedule one if you ask for one regarding the significant building design modifications for the Phase 2 Aptos Village Project.  He needs to do that SOON, before Planner Randall Adams makes his Level 4 Discretionary decision about adding MORE three-story buildings and San Jose-like structures at the Aptos Creek Road entrance…also the gateway to Nisene Marks State Park. That’s Zach Friend <zach.friend@santacruzcounty.us> 701 Ocean Street, 5th Floor, Santa Cruz, CA     831-454-2200  

You might also ask him why he made NO MENTION OF WATER ISSUES in his 2017 Reflections of being County Supervisor (January 2018 edition not yet available on line but in local coffee shops, banks and libraries)

~Cheers, Becky Steinbruner

...
Gary 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

Dateline Saturday, December 30, 2017
#364 / The Digital Republic

An article by Nathan Heller, in the December 18 & 25, 2017, edition of The New Yorker, identifies Estonia as a “digital republic.”

In other words, the article is not talking about some “abstraction,” but is claiming that an actual country, a nation, is now qualitatively different from the kind of political republics that exist in what most of us still consider to be the “real” world, a world that is definitely more “analog” than “digital.

Heller’s article is worth reading, perhaps particularly if you teach a course in “Privacy, Technology, And Freedom,” as I do. Here’s a sample of what Heller has to say:

I booked a meeting with Marten Kaevats, Estonia’s national digital adviser. We arranged to meet at a café near the water, but it was closed for a private event. Kaevats looked unperturbed. “Let’s go somewhere beautiful!” he said. He led me to an enormous terraced concrete platform blotched with graffiti and weeds.

Seagulls riding the surf breeze screeched. I asked Kaevats what he saw when he looked at the U.S. Two things, he said. First, a technical mess. Data architecture was too centralized. Citizens didn’t control their own data; it was sold, instead, by brokers. Basic security was lax. “For example, I can tell you my I.D. number—I don’t fucking care,” he said. “You have a Social Security number, which is, like, a big secret.” He laughed. “This does not work!” The U.S. had backward notions of protection, he said, and the result was a bigger problem: a systemic loss of community and trust. “Snowden things and whatnot have done a lot of damage. But they have also proved that these fears are justified.

“To regain this trust takes quite a lot of time,” he went on. “There also needs to be a vision from the political side. It needs to be there always—a policy, not politics. But the politicians need to live it, because, in today’s world, everything will be public at some point.”

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

~ Gary Patton

...

OPRAH FOR PRESIDENT? It takes a deep breath to think about it twice…then again, just maybe possible? There are rumors that she has been thinking about it, and last night’s Emmy Award speech was amazingly powerful. Yes, Oprah has little political history, but then again what has that proved for our past leaders? Who else is out there? Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders? As much as I like and would vote for either/both of them…Where are they lately? Hopefully Webmistress Gunilla Leavitt has found a way to link the Emmy Speech, so you too can consider the possibilities.

CLASSICAL DeCINZO. See DeCinzo’s extra classical view of our rain season problems scroll down a few pages…

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. Tim and I missed connecting this week for a new one, but…. 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.

SANTA CRUZ CHAMBER PLAYERS. This courageous, dedicated, talented musicians and the organization behind it has been presenting small group concerts of live chamber music for 39 years. Next weekend (Jan. 13 @ 7:30 and Jan. 14 @ 3 p.m.) their concert is titled “Czech, Please” and will feature musics by  Smetana, Dvorak, and Suk. The musicians involved in this concert are Roy Malan, concert director and violin, Susan Freier Harrison, violin; Polly Malan, viola Stephen Harrison, cello; and Robin Sutherland, piano. Czech Please of course means music from Czechoslovakia. All their concerts are at Christ Lutheran Church in Aptos just off the freeway at the Freedom Blvd. turnoff. Then take an immediate right past the CHP headquarters and up the hill. You probably can’t miss it. Tickets may be available at the door or at Brown Paper Tickets            

EIGHT 10’s at EIGHT PLAYS. For 23 years the Actors Theatre has performed and presented evenings of eight original plays submitted from everywhere… and each lasting only 10 minutes.

Funny, sad, profound, moving and even boring, but wait ten minutes and there’ll be a new one. There are now two evenings “A” and “B” each presenting eight different plays. It’s great fun.

They opened  Jan. 5 and will  run through February 4th at the Center Stage Theatre 1001 Center Street (near where the old India Joze used to be). Go to to the website for the rest of the information

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “She was famous for all the wrong reasons, but the raucous biopic I, Tonya aims to set the record straight, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com ). Also, something old, something new in the book department, with the gorgeously Gothic dust jacket of my next book, Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge, revealed in its entirety, while my last book, Alias Hook, racks up another boffo review! ” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

MOLLY’S GAME. This is an unusual “true” film, about a former Olympic ski champion who becomes the owner/manager of zillion dollar poker games. Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba play the top roles, and good old Kevin Costner has a bit part as Jessica’s father. It’s a fancy film with plenty of cinema tricks to keep us interested, and the acting’s ok too. But think twice before going, especially if you’re trying to give up movies for the New Year.

I TONYA. A very dark, depressing movie about some very depressed people. It’s got loud rock music as the film score, which almost qualifies it as a fun comedy — but you’ll be able to count your laughs. Somewhere in the movie somebody says Americans love to hate or love their current sport stars…and its sure true here. Allison Janney plays Tonya’s seriously disturbed mother, and deserves more awards this Award season…but not for this one. Warning…IF you do go you’ll leave wondering why you still care about Nancy Kerrigan or Tonya Harding.

THE DISASTER ARTIST. A very curious movie about the making of what has become known by critics and the public as the worst movie ever filmed. That movie is “The Room“. James Franco and his brother Dave Franco are the leads. Zac Efron and Seth Rogen are in it too, but there are not that many laughs. If you’re not careful you’ll start pitying just about everyone in the film for being so desperate just to make a movie. I began to like or appreciate it about 20 minutes before it ended. The closing credits are a must-watch-to-be-believed item.

DOWNSIZING. Matt Damon plays a guy who — for what might be considered an environmental move — agrees to be reduced to about 5 inches tall and go live in a Truman’s Show type world with other shrinkees. It’s cute, pointless, and feel-good. No genuine issues or meanings are dealt with. ‘Nasty ol’ Christoph Waltz plays his usual smirking, almost Nazi-like character, and Kristen Wiig plays Damon’s wife — until she decides NOT to get shrunk. Save your money, subscribe to Netflix and watch Black Mirror instead.

DARKEST HOUR. Gary Oldman takes the role of Winston Churchill to new heights…and depths. Its World War II history and the background story of what Churchill had to endure when he first took office as Prime Minister. He deserves the Oscar like few stars ever have. The story is absorbing, educational, and it makes you wonder why the USA doesn’t have someone like Churchill to handle Trump like Churchill handled Hitler and Mussolini.

THE SHAPE OF WATER. A 93 on RT and that means something! Sally Hawkins plays a beautiful mute working in a lab who cares for, and falls in love with a mysterious water creature. It’s a fable, a fairy story, and reminds us of the black and white fantasy films from the 40’s and 50’s. It’s vital to know that it’s directed by Guillermo Del Toro who also did Pan’s Labyrinthand Hellboy. It is such an enormous change from every other film we’ve seen in years that its’ worth going just for the fun of it.

LADY BIRD. This film restored my faith in great films! RT gives it 100% and it’s the highest rated film in RT’s history!!! Greta Gerwig directed  Saorise Ronan and others in this sincere, well thought out movie. A teen aged daughter and her Mom have a terrible, never ending battle over clothes, religion, dating, sex, college and everything. It all happens in Sacramento in about 2003 , which is somehow appropriate. It’s sensitive, subtle, and surprising. Gerwig breaks many directing rules and creates new plot possibilities. Go see this film. Ps….as I’ve told many folks, it’s definitely  not about Lady Bird Johnson!!!

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI. First, please note the 95 RT rating. When you have Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell working in a film directed by an Oscar winning director you almost can’t miss. It is definitely a dark comedy. The plot contains murder, rape, loyalty, cancer, and some absolutely brilliant acting. Go see it, and force all your friends to see it too.

ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD. This movie will forever change your reaction to the Getty Museum in Malibu…trust me. And, you’ve probably read that this movie was completely finished with Kevin Spacey in the lead role of J. Paul Getty, then with Spacey’s sex problems looming so large they completely re-filmed the part and replaced Spacey with Christopher Plummer. Ridley Scott directed it, and of course he directed Alien, The Martian, Into The Storm and other big box office hits. Michelle Williams and Mark Wahlberg are the other stars. It’s a cruel, nearly true story about how J.Paul wouldn’t give Italian kidnappers any ransom money when they kidnapped his grandson. I felt far removed from the film, and never identified with anyone in the plot. It was cold, well filmed, and credibly acted but it never drew me into feeling anything for anyone involved.

COCO. A genuine Pixar animated cartoon. And, the animation is amazingly three –dimensional. The plot is totally focused on the very rich and traditional Mexican culture. Day of the Dead, plenty of food, religion, music, and only a little bor ing after the first half hour. It’s completely original, you’ve never seen anything like this before, its way more creative and developed than what we usually think of as a Disney Cartoon. Go see it.

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI. Yes, 93 on RT and I thought it was a complete fake of a billion dollar move machine. I’ll always remember going to our Soquel Drive in (just a little stoned) and being completely taken into outer space with Star Wars 1. It had humor, empathy, great imagination, tension and a story you could care about. The franchise now stages monotonous, uncaring, space attacks and wars so numerous that you can’t remember who is on who’s side…and you don’t care much either. There’s the Dark Side, the Resistance, Adam Driver, R2D2, a very dull Carrie Fisher, an aging Mark Hamil as Luke Skywalker and those endless space battles that take up probably 33 1/3 of the movie. A great disappointment…go at your own peril, and its 2 ½ hours extra long.

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN. This is Hugh Jackman trying his best to bring life to the bio of P.T.Barnum. Jackman is an excellent dancer, singer and showman but this movie just doesn’t have the heart or solidity that a good film should have. The music is just more copying of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s gooey showbiz. It’s shallow, trite, and repetitious to a fault. Don’t bother seeing it.

...

...

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. January 9th has Otolaryngologist, Dr. Douglas Hetzler discussing surfer’s ear, ear wax and dangers of candling and many other health issues. Following the Doctor Jim Coffis and Pat Malo from Green Trade Santa Cruz talk about the latest legal cannabis scene. UC San Diego Professor Emeritus Roddey Reid comes from Berkeley to talk about his book, “Confronting Political Intimidation and Public Bullying” on Jan. 16. Then activist, conservationist, columnist Gillian Greensite talks about local politics. Dr. Carlos Arcangeli, noted Urologist, bring us up to date on those problems on Jan.23. He’s followed by  UCSC Professor emeritus Ralph Abraham talking about his newest book, “Hip Santa Cruz Vol. 2” about that scene with articles by local veterans. Then on January 30 UCSC Music prof. Linda Burman Hall talks about the 45th annual Santa Cruz Baroque Festival opening February 10. AND ALSO…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go herehttp://www.radiofreeamerica.com/dj/bruce-bratton You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens. 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

I grew up on Dave Allen. I have vivid memories of watching him on TV in my grandmother’s apartment. I hadn’t thought about him for a long time, and I was delighted when I found this piece about him on Youtube.

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.    “JANUARY

“January is the garbage can of movies in America, directly after all the Oscar contenders have been out”. Michael Caine

“It snowed and snowed, the whole world over,
Snow swept the world from end to end.
A candle burned on the table;
A candle burned.”
–  Boris Pasternak, Dr. Zhivago  


COLUMN COMMUNICATIONS. Subscriptions: Click and enter the box in the upper right hand corner of each Column. You’ll get a weekly email notice the instant the column goes online. (Anywhere from Monday afternoon through Thursday or sometimes as late as Friday!) Always free and confidential. Even I don’t know who subscribes!!

Snail Mail: Bratton Online
82 Blackburn Street, Suite 216
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com
Direct phone: 831 423-2468
All Technical & Web details: Gunilla Leavitt @ godmoma@gmail.com

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

Posted in Weekly Articles | Leave a comment

January 4 – 10, 2018

Highlights this week:
SADLY SHRINKING SENTINEL, Digital First Media muck, Netflix’s Black Mirror, Sentinel’s questionable movie reviews…GREENSITE on the city’s Bike-share program…KROHN and People’s power, Housing, City Library issues…STEINBRUNER about Aptos Village Secrets, Nissan Dealer in Soquel, Pacific Avenue development, County Budget & pensions, Redman Hirahara House, Merriman House, Rancho del Mar lacking….PATTON and Netflix’s Black Mirror show re our high tech future…DeCinzo and San Lorenzo Park…Eagan re Hats…Eight 10’s at Eight…Jensen and The Shape of Water…I critique Darkest Hour, The Shape Of Water, All the Money in The World, The Greatest Showman…QUOTES about “The New Year”.
...

DOWNTOWN SANTA CRUZ, 1966. Again we see Spike Jones’s Union Tire and Gas Station at the corners of Water, Mission, Front and Pacific Streets. There’s the McHugh & Bianchi Market, The Tea Cup Restaurant (and bar). On the lower left there’s a sign with the letters B.A.P. does anyone know what B.A.P. stood for? Send answers (and any feedback) only to bratton@cruzio.com thanks.

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

Additional information always welcome: email bratton@cruzio.com

BARBARA DANE & group! Barbara Dane has been singing for decades. We had
a jug Band together back in the day. That’s me on the jug.
BARBARA DANES 90TH BIRTHDAY PERFORMANCE. She went on to sing with all the greats!!!
10 AMUSEMENT PARK RIDES. Think about our local roller coaster then take a look at these thriller-diller rides

DATELINE JANUARY 1ST, 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 omnichannel approach, we look at a comprehensive view of the purchase journey for your ideal customer group and model the optimal combination of digital touchpoints to increase your marketing efficiency”.

WIKIPEDIA says this about Digital First Media… “Digital First Media is a management company specializing in newspapers in the United States. It is headquartered in Denver, Colorado. It manages the MediaNews Group, Southern California News Group, Digital First Ventures, and 21st Century Media. Its website states it is “a business name of MediaNews Group”. .As of 2012, the combined newspapers and online media outlets managed by the company had 66.6 million readers. According to June[when?] comScore numbers, Digital First Media ranked No. 8 in comScore’s General News Category ranking. On March 21, 2016, a bankruptcy judge approved the sale of Freedom Communications and its two major newspapers, the Orange County Register and the Riverside Press-Enterprise to Digital First Media. The papers were integrated into Digital First Media’s Los Angeles Newspaper Group, which was renamed the Southern California News Group on the same day”. We just have to adjust to the fact that Santa Cruz has lost any semblance of a locally-owned or even locally-focused print newspaper. A similar story happened — and is still happening — at the Monterey Herald. Read this Herald story…. It tells how George Ow and Geoffrey Dunn tried to buy back the Herald to keep it local. It’s another rapid advance into the tech future that the TV program “Black Mirror” centers on.

BLACK MIRROR ON NETFLIX. Gary Patton in his column this week tips us off to the gripping, fearful, and excellently-acted British Television program Black Mirror on Netflix. It’s not a series: each segment is a complete story, and usually based on what the future will be like if our present day tech devices take over even more of our lives. It’s into its fourth season now, and a fifth has been promised. Famous American and British actors show up in each episode…and you’ll end up thinking in new ways as you use Facebook, You Tube, and iPhones.

ANOTHER SENTINEL GRIPE. When Wallace Baine was the Sentinel’s film critic we had consistency. You might agree with him a lot, or maybe never, BUT you knew what kind of films he liked, and you could judge accordingly. Now the Sentinel has any number of syndicated critics/reviewers to choose from. They can pick a positive film review or a negative review from any source. Wallace was forced to choose either a good or bad review too…but not very often.

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.

Dateline: January 1, 2018

A SPOKE IN THE CITY’S WHEEL
In contemplating what to write about at the start of another year’s journey around the sun, I decided on something small and ostensibly uncontroversial: the city’s proposed Bike-share program, due to start in March of 2018. What could possibly be at issue with such a positive gesture towards alternative transportation?

If the comments on Next Door are any measure of the community’s opinion, the program is already generating controversy — and it’s easy to see why.

The program will provide 250 bikes for rent at 25 stations around the city: so far so good. The bikes are bright red and designed to prevent theft with no removable parts, built-in U-locks and a GPS tracker: even better. These JUMP bikes, as they are called, are a joint venture between Social Bicycle of New York and the city of Santa Cruz, with the former being responsible for the provision and maintenance of the bicycles: better yet. What could possibly go wrong? Well, 15 of the 25 stations require the removal of 1-2 on-street parking places, many of which are in front of people’s homes, much to their surprise. One station is in front of the Garfield Park library, which caused me to fire off an email of protest long before I saw the comments on Next Door. I’m a regular user of the Garfield Park library, one of life’s simple pleasures, and mostly I walk or ride my bike to and from. However if I’m on my way home and driving, I’ll park outside and run in to return or pick up a book. There’s almost always a space available: that is until the spaces are turned into a bike-share station. Trying to park a car elsewhere on Woodrow is difficult since it’s a unique street and what about patrons with mobility issues? Grrr…

Then I saw the comments on Next Door. I’ll take their word for it that they weren’t asked whether they wanted a station in front of their houses. I can say without fear of contradiction that few of my Westside neighbors would welcome losing their on-street parking for a collection of ten bikes plus people. My hunch is the same sentiment exists on the eastside. A good idea was suddenly losing its appeal. How could this happen? According to the city’s blurb on the program, there was outreach, and people weighed in with comments with 80 suggested locations for stations. That sounds reasonable, although comments were mainly solicited from Santa Cruz Open Streets, a bicyclists-promoted event and Bike to Work Day: the stakeholders. That might not be a problem if the JUMP bikes were to be centrally located in a city garage or at Louden Nelson Community Center, rather than removing on-street parking in front of people’s homes and taking away access to a neighborhood library. If the goal is to encourage more visitors and residents to ride a bike then outreach should extend beyond the converted. Aggravating car drivers is not a good motivator. And if the city is taking away parking in front of my house and installing a new activity, I’d surely like to be consulted with the option of refusal.   

A further look into the program raises other questions. The bikes will cost $4 an hour. In order to use one, you have to download an app, fill out a liability waiver, sign a contract and provide a credit card. That would seem to leave out a lot of young people. You have to be 18 to sign a contract unless your parent is there to sign. The bikes don’t have to be returned to a station since they can be tracked via the GPS and non-return costs a mere $1. Who will collect a bike left on the beach in Capitola?

While encouraging more people to ride a bike is worthy of support, there is no indication that a poorly thought-out program will achieve that goal. On a deeper level, the city’s practice of reaching out to self-interested “stakeholders” with a fait accompli while ignoring those who will be impacted is a recipe for failure. We have experienced that with the De-sal plant, the Wharf Master Plan and the Corridors Plan to name a few. Fortunately the Bike-share program is a relatively small program and hopefully it is not too late for a mid-course correction. Comments are being solicited until January 10th and should be addressed to Amelia Conlen, aconlen@cityofsantacruz.com.

...
CHRIS KROHN.

(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, former Santa Cruz City Councilmember (1998-2002) and Mayor (2001-2002). He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 12 years. He was elected last November to another 4-year term on the Santa Cruz City Council).

Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com

Dateline: December 17, 2017
“People Power Continues in 2017”

PEOPLE WOKE AND THE PEOPLE SPOKE


Leopold the cat. I love my cat…and he reads the NY Times daily.

The SC city council meeting was packed on Dec. 5th. These are just a few of the more than 50 comments that were heard at the public podium in council chambers. Taken together they reflect the essence of the housing debate in SC.

  • Bruce Van Allen said the city should be involved in offering legal services to tenants.
  • Zav Hershfield pleaded with the council, “all we are asking for is a level playing field.”
  • Vicky Winters asked the council to think about the impact of the housing crisis on young children.
  • Ernestina Saldaña was clear: “Property management companies are the problem.”
  • Deborah Marks was firm: “Treat neighborhoods as partners, not enemies.”
  • Josh Brahinski asked those present to join a new group, “Landlords for Rent Control.”
  • Steven echoed why so many showed up to what was supposed to be THE solution-oriented meeting during the Mayor’s year of housing, “We want a rent freeze now…we do not want to be punished for not owning property.”
  • Dawn Scott-Norris spoke against “gentrification.”
  • David Subock had an idea. “I’m putting together alternative standards” for building accessory dwelling units (ADUs) that are “deed-restricted.”
  • Mark Primack said the city has made so many mistakes in searching for housing solutions, “the corridor plan was a fiasco,” and the rental inspection ordinance was a “misstep.”
  • Gail Jack came with a complete recipe for lowering housing prices: rent stabilization, repeal Costa-Hawkins, vote for an immediate freeze on rents, provide legal support for tenants, support building affordable ADUs, and preserve existing affordable housing after their sunset date.
  • Walt Wadlow weighed in: “…overbuilding has the potential of destroying a gem of a town.”
  • Matt Nathanson said, “It’s really about affordability.”
  • Sarah was loud and clear: “Are you going to Oakland?…let’s bring it to the (UC) regents! Let’s make them accountable.”
  • Rick Longinotti said the planning department should cross off the “covered parking requirement” in residential neighborhoods. He also said his family has rented out five units in San Francisco since the 1950’s and have done just fine by that city’s rent control law.
  • Andy spoke for landlords, as did four others from realtor groups and the California Apartment Association, when he said there are “unintended consequences of rent control,” that we need to avoid, but he added that he’d “love to have rent control for my kids.”
  • Gary Patton said “don’t give away neighborhood integrity.”

The Downtown Library Advisory Committee Sends Its Recommendation to the City Council. Is it Reflective of the Community?

On December 13th, the Downtown Library Advisory Committee (DLAC), appointed to direct the spending of $23 million for a new or improved facility, decided to go with “Option B” and voted to go ahead with the consultants’ advice of placing a new library in a 5-story parking garage on the current site of the SC Farmer’s Market at Lincoln and Cedar Streets. Doesn’t sound so good on the face of it, does it? But after attending the meeting I have to believe DLAC members did what they thought was most prudent, and some actually said the committee’s charge was not about parking cars or about addressing homelessness. I think they’re right. So now it’s up to other committees and commissions like the Downtown Commission and the Climate Change Action Plan committee to weigh in and offer the city council their best advice. DLAC members heard an earful from the public with respect to the “library-garage” project. It is likely that over 200 members of the public came forward during their various meetings to tell them to separate the library from the garage. In the end, it seems to me they were offered options that were difficult to choose other than the one they did, which places the downtown library squarely inside of a 5-story garage. But wait. Perhaps asking the consultants to come back with other alternatives could’ve been a fifth option, but only four were put on the table for the committee to vote on. Stay woke and stay tuned on this one!

On December 3rd, I heard the voices of over 100 present at the DLAC meeting. They advocated for the following:

  • The library should be a cultural stand-alone place.
  • Wasn’t the group (DLAC) just to look at what to do with the $23 million (bond money)? If we go beyond $23 million we need another bond measure.
  • “Hell, no more parking” (structures)!
  • The current options are too vague and ambiguous.
  • Put a stand-alone facility at Cedar and Lincoln with a plaza for performance space.
  • More resident input is needed. Can we have more community meetings?
  • Why was the current downtown library not well-maintained?
  • What will the current library be used for if the move is completed?
  • There was nothing in the bond measure (Measure S, June 2016) about moving the library.

Bernie Tweet of the Year

Now is the time to alter our government. Now is the time to stop the movement toward oligarchy. Now is the time to create a government which represents all Americans and not just the 1%… No more excuses. We must all become involved in the political process.” 

...
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

SIGNFICANT APTOS VILLAGE PROJECT PHASE 2 BUILDING MODIFICATIONS….MORE CLOSED DOOR DISCRETIONARY APPROVALS IN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
I had three hours to comment on significant modifications to building design for the Aptos Village Project Phase 2, from the time I happened to learn about the Application #171292 Level 4 Discretionary Action. Most local residents, including me, had NO IDEA there are major changes in the works. Is this transparent government? NOPE! The two signs at the construction site are hidden from public view and do not state any close of comment period.

The Planning Department needs to extend public comment before Planner Randall Adams makes a determination. Write Randall.Adams and demand at least three weeks extension for public comment. Supervisor Zach Friend needs to hold a PUBLIC MEETING before any further changes are approved. CEQA process??? Write Zach Friend or phone 454-2200. Demand to see the Environmental Review for this Discretionary action and justification if there is none.

Here is the link to the Planning Department’s Level 4 Discretionary Projects, Page 3 — under “undeveloped land in Aptos Village”
APN 041-011-39 and -40 for Application #171292.

Now, compare the designs for Buildings 1, 2, 8,9, and 10 on the original Tentative Map Project here when you click on “Aptos Village Project Plans”

What I see are a lot of three-story buildings where there were none before, with wrap-around massive structures replacing landscaped areas at the entrance to Nisene Marks State Park on Aptos Creek Road.  I cannot read the fine print of the occupancy details, but it appears that the nature of the mixed-use businesses has also changed, which may alter the traffic counts, traffic circulation and parking. 

The community deserves a public meeting to weigh in on these issues.  Where is the Environmental Review for these Discretionary Approvals of Phase 2 Building Design Modifications?  Ask Randall Adams

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

SUPPORT APTOS/LA SELVA FIRE CAPTAIN RYAN PETERS ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 9 at 9:30am IN WATSONVILLE
Show up on Tuesday, January 9 in front of Grunsky Law Offices (240 Westgate Drive, Watsonville) to support Captain Ryan Peters as he goes into a SKELLY HEARING to defend himself against demotion by the Board. Bring signs and let him know the Community supports him in the course of this outrageous action.

The Aptos/La Selva Fire District Board is proceeding with punitive action against Captain Ryan Peters, President of Union Local 3535 who organized the unprecedented 100% Vote of No Confidence against then-Chief Jon Jones when he prepared to ask the Board for a contract extension. Now, the Board is seeking to have Captain Peters DEMOTED to Firefighter/Paramedic. They would have terminated him had he not had such an exemplary employment and service history. 

Here is information about what a Skelly Hearing involves
Write the Board and let them know what you think

Direct all communication to the Board of Directors to Ms. Tracy New tracyn@aptosfire.com AND SPECIFY THAT YOUR COMMUNICATION IS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE BOARD’S AGENDA PACKET. If you do not specify this, it will NOT be included.

LOWER RANCHO DEL MAR CENTER IS AN EMPTY ONE-WALL SHELL.
I hope to have photos for you next week of what this Project is looking like.  No reply from the tenants who were evicted last October, but ShowTime Pizzeria has moved next door at 7960 Soquel Drive, Suite E.

NO REPLY FROM PUBLIC WORKS ABOUT IMPENDING ROAD IMPROVEMENTS ON SOQUEL DRIVE IN THAT AREA, BUT WATCH OUT FOR APTOS VILLAGE TRAFFIC GRIDLOCK FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS!
The Santa Cruz County Public Works Dept. website for the Aptos Village Traffic Improvement Project Phase I at Trout Gulch was recently updated to warn the public of LONG delays with paving work.  The new traffic light may be operational by January 9.  Gee, I can hardly wait.  Take a look at the website info. here

Contact Project Engineer Carisa Duran carisa.duran@santacruzcounty.us or 831-454-3955 with your thoughts.  You might also contact County District Supervisor Zach Friend zach.friend@santacruzcounty.us or 831-454-2200.  He claims that he loves to hear from you.  If that were true, one would think he would begin having public meetings about the Aptos Village Project Phase 2 Building Design Modifications and the 2004 Project Traffic Study that needs to be updated….don’t you think? 

Cheers and Happy New Year,

Becky Steinbruner

...
Gary 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


Dateline: Friday, December 29, 2017
#363 / Nosedive

I have a recommendation for those who have not yet tuned into the Black Mirror series on Netflix. You should! For those not familiar with Black Mirror, here is what Wikipedia has to say about it:  

Black Mirror is a British science fiction anthology television series created by Charlie Brooker, with Brooker and Annabel Jones serving as the programme’s showrunners. [Black Mirror] centers on dark and satirical themes that examine modern society, particularly with regard to the unanticipated consequences of new technologies.

The image is from Episode #1 in Season #3, “Nosedive.” This episode was a pretty compelling picture of how our society would look if we took seriously all those social media “likes.” In the world portrayed in “Nosedive,” a person’s ability to participate meaningfully in society depends on the “score” that he or she has received from those persons with whom he or she has interacted. Those “likes,” or “dis-likes,” add up. Every interaction gets a score from 1-5, and if your overall score is too low, you won’t even be able to rent a car, must less move into the gated community of your dreams. 

As it turns out, the “Nosedive” world may already exist … in China. Here’s a report from The Wall Street Journal

Apple CEO Tim Cook looks forward to a “common future in cyberspace” with China, he told the Chinese government’s World Internet Conference earlier this month. This was an embarrassing gesture toward a state that aggressively censors the internet and envisions a dystopian future online.

The experience of lawyer Li Xiaolin may give a taste of what that future looks like. During a 2016 work trip inside China, he tried to use his national identity card to purchase a plane ticket. To his surprise, the online system rejected it, saying he had been blacklisted by China’s top court. Mr. Li checked the court’s website: His name was on a list of “untrustworthy” people for having failed to carry out a court order in 2015. He thought he had resolved the issue, but now he was stranded more than 1,200 miles from home.

Mr. Li’s dilemma was due to the Chinese government’s ambitious “social credit system.” Launched by the government in 2012, it vows to “make trustworthy people benefit everywhere and untrustworthy people restricted everywhere” by the time it is fully implemented in 2020.

The main character in “Nosedive” had problems getting on a plane, too.
What Black Mirror tells us is that our modern technologies may, indeed, have dark consequences. One good reason to watch Black Mirror is to help inoculate oneself against the glittering promises that our new technologies advertise. That iPhone X, with its powerful facial recognition capabilities, may not be such a wonderful invention, after all!

I have a hunch we may get a look at why facial recognition isn’t such a good idea in some future Black Mirror episode!

...

CLASSICAL DeCINZO. An old DeCinzo cartoon makes it clear some things never change!! Scroll down just a bit.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “The Year In Hats” 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 with his “Bee Wars” commentary.

EIGHT 10’s at EIGHT PLAYS. For 23 years the Actors Theatre has performed and presented evenings of eight original plays submitted from everywhere… and each lasting only 10 minutes.

Funny, sad, profound, moving and even boring, but wait ten minutes and there’ll be a new one. There are now two evenings “A” and “B” each presenting eight different plays. Its great fun.

They Open Jan. 5 and run through February 4th at the Center Stage Theatre 1001 Center Street (near where the old India Joze used to be). Go here for the rest of the information.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Happy New year to all! Why is Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water the most poignant love story of the year? Find out this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com/). Also, some further thought on beasts, and beauties, and the lure of non-traditional love stories” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.  

DARKEST HOUR. Gary Oldman takes the role of Winston Churchill to new heights…and depths. It’s world War II history and the background story of what Churchill had to endure when he first took office as Prime Minister. Oldman deserves the Oscar like few stars ever have. The story is absorbing, educational, and it makes you wonder why the USA doesn’t have someone like Churchill to handle Trump, like Churchill handled Hitler and Mussolini.

THE SHAPE OF WATER. A 93 on RT and that means something! Sally Hawkins plays a beautiful mute working in a lab, who cares for and then falls in love with a mysterious water creature. It’s a fable, a fairy story, and a reminder of the black and white fantasy films from the 40’s and 50’s. It’s directed by Guillermo Del Toro, who did Pan’s Labyrinth and Hellboy, and is such an enormous change from every other film we’ve seen in years that it’s worth going just for the fun of it.

ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD. This movie will forever change your reaction to the Getty Museum in Malibu…trust me. You’ve probably already heard that this movie was completely finished with Kevin Spacey in the lead role of J. Paul Getty, but then with Spacey’s sex problems looming so large they re-filmed the part and replaced Spacey with Christopher Plummer. Ridley Scott directed it, and of course he directed Alien, The Martian, Into The Storm and other big box office hits. Michelle Williams and Mark Wahlberg are the other stars. It’s a cruel, nearly true story about how J. Paul wouldn’t give Italian kidnappers any ransom money when they kidnapped his grandson. I felt far removed from the film, and never identified with anyone in the plot. It was cold, well filmed, and credibly acted but it never drew me into feeling anything for anyone involved.

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN. This is Hugh Jackman trying his best to bring life to the bio of P. T. Barnum. Jackman is an excellent dancer, singer and showman, but this movie just doesn’t have the heart or solidity that a good film should. The music is just more copying of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s gooey showbiz, and it’s shallow, trite, and repetitious to a fault. Don’t bother seeing it.

LADY BIRD. This film restored my faith in great films! RT gives it 100% and it’s the highest rated film in RT’s history!!! Greta Gerwig directed Saorise Ronan and others in this sincere, well-thought-out movie. A teenaged daughter and her Mom have a terrible, never-ending battle over clothes, religion, dating, sex, college and everything else. It all happens in Sacramento in about 2003, which is somehow appropriate. It’s sensitive, subtle, and surprising. Gerwig breaks many directing rules and creates new plot possibilities. Go see this film. Ps….as I’ve told many folks, it’s definitely not about Lady Bird Johnson!!!

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI. First, please note the 95 RT rating. When you have Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell working in a film directed by an Oscar-winning director you almost can’t miss. It is definitely a dark comedy. The plot contains murder, rape, loyalty, cancer, and some absolutely brilliant acting. Go see it, and force all your friends to see it too.

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI. Yes, 93 on RT and I thought it was a complete fake of a billion dollar move machine. I’ll always remember going to our Soquel Drive in (just a little stoned) and being completely taken into outer space with Star Wars 1. It had humor, empathy, great imagination, tension and a story you could care about. The franchise now stages monotonous, uncaring, space attacks and wars so numerous that you can’t remember who is on who’s side…and you don’t care much either. There’s the Dark Side, the Resistance, Adam Driver, R2D2, a very dull Carrie Fisher, an aging Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker and those endless space battles that take up probably 33 1/3 of the movie. A great disappointment…go at your own peril, and its 2 1/2 hours extra long.

COCO. A genuine Pixar animated cartoon. And, the animation is amazingly three –dimensional. The plot is totally focused on the very rich and traditional Mexican culture. Day of the Dead, plenty of food, religion, music, and only a little boring after the first half hour. It’s completely original, you’ve never seen anything like this before, its way more creative and developed than what we usually think of as a Disney Cartoon. Go see it.

WONDER WHEEL. One of Woody Allen’s worst films. How he can hit so wonderfully like “Annie Hall”, “Purple Rose Of Cairo”, “Midnight In Paris”,  ” and Blue Jasmine” and create a dull, unbelievable flop like Wonder Wheel? Kate Winslet has never been more unbelievable, Justin Timberlake does better than I would have predicted but he’s out of place in this muck and mire. It’s about their lives in Coney Island in the 1950’s and as I went to Coney Island a few times in the 1950’s so was really looking forward to this screening. Damn. Woody is now making a film titled, “Roda Gigante”…we can only guess! RT gives Wonder Wheel 30.

...

...

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. Santa Cruz City Councilman Chris Krohn opens the new year on Jan. 2 He’s followed by Attorney/activist Bob Taren, looking ahead to the new political year. January 9th has Otolaryngologist, Dr. Douglas Hetzler discussing surfers ear, ear wax and dangers of candling and many other health issues. UC San Diego Professor Emeritus Roddey Reid comes from Berkeley to talk about his book, “Confronting Political Intimidation and Public Bullying” on Jan. 16. Dr. Carlos Arcangeli, noted Urologist, bring us up to date on those problems on Jan.23. Then on January 30 UCSC Music prof. Linda Burman Hall talks about the 45th annual Santa Cruz Baroque Festival opening February 10. AND ALSO…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go herehttp://www.radiofreeamerica.com/dj/bruce-bratton You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens. 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

The Ted-ed videos are often on interesting topics.

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. “THE NEW YEAR”

“And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been”. Rainer Maria Rilke
“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it”, Charles R. Swindoll
“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment”,  Buddha
“First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you”, F. Scott Fitzgerald


COLUMN COMMUNICATIONS. Subscriptions: Click and enter the box in the upper right hand corner of each Column. You’ll get a weekly email notice the instant the column goes online. (Anywhere from Monday afternoon through Thursday or sometimes as late as Friday!) Always free and confidential. Even I don’t know who subscribes!!

Snail Mail: Bratton Online
82 Blackburn Street, Suite 216
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com
Direct phone: 831 423-2468
All Technical & Web details: Gunilla Leavitt @ godmoma@gmail.com

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

Posted in Weekly Articles | Leave a comment

December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018

Highlights this week:
NO BRATTONONLINE NEXT WEEK… Last Year in Santa Cruz, not very good, missing Joyce Malone… GREENSITE on Sexual Harassment… KROHN on housing, UCSC growth, and that LRDP… STEINBRUNER about the Board of Supes self-voted pay raise and how we can stop it, The desperate County budget Problem, Homeless moved to Harvey West, Soquel’s water fees to go up, and the new fire chief in Aptos…PATTON and too many cars…DeCINZO and holiday deliveries… EAGAN and our Unwanted Growth… JENSEN went on a holiday…I critique Star Wars:The Last Jedi, Coco, and Woody Allen’s Wonder WheelQUOTES on FIRES.
...

PACIFIC & WATER STREETS, December 26, 1951. This was SPIKE JONES (no relation)  TIRE SERVICE and gas station, located right where the Town Clock is today. Even squinting I can’t read the gas prices… and it’s probably just as well.                                              

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

Additional information always welcome: email bratton@cruzio.com

ALDI-TRADER JOE’S OWNER’S. Here’s what little known about the world’s largest food market chain, Aldi. They are planning on growing in the USA. Our Trader Joe’s is a part of that chain.
YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN BLOOPERS.
JERRY LEE THE PUPPET. Cousin Dean Hagen

DATELINE December 18, 2017

HOLIDAY IN VICTORVILLE & MAR VISTA. I’ll be busy counting my blessings — and trying to avoid forest fires — driving down to Victorville and back here from Mar Vista. That means that we won’t be publishing “a BrattonOnline next week. Have a great and happy holiday season… and we can be sure that next year just has to be better!!!

THIS LAST YEAR. As anyone who has lived here more than 5 years will agree… “Santa Cruz has changed”. We’ve seen our Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors (especially John Leopold) bend over forwards to give developers every possible financial break. Our Santa Cruz City Council has also sold us down the tubes, by creating new ways to give developers every break possible. As Becky Steinbruner reports here weekly, Supervisor Greg Kaput has been the one to surprise us with some good votes. Cynthia Chase was a let-down, however, after so many progressives supported her, and helped get her elected.

Chris Krohn’s weekly columns here have taught us more about the City Council than we’ve ever known, including how they’ve cleverly manipulated meetings, breaking the audience into small groups in order to control any community thinking, and stop any sharing of unanimous ideas…or complaints. Then there’s the stacked Library Planning committee, and their blinded and predictable support of building a parking garage that will destroy the Downtown Farmer’s Market and encourage more vehicles downtown…shameful. Now we’re seeing more anti-homeless fencing about to be erected around London Nelson Park.

As Gillian Greensite reminds us often, there are also enormous challenges in settling our relationship with the UCSC campus. Santa Cruz has changed for the worse, bottom line, and seems set to continue to change… and get worse. The biggest and most promising hope we have is to elect two people-oriented, positive thinking, and hard-working candidates to our City Council. Let’s start hearing about some of those good candidates!

JOYCE MALONE’S GONE. Joyce Malone and Bill Malone — her husband of 51 years — moved here about 20 years ago from Cambria. They made one hell of a team. They also made a big positive dent in our local progressive politics. Joyce was severe in her political stance but had a fine sense of humor. She would debate anybody on any topic, and be more friendly and helpful than just about anybody I ever knew. In addition to all that, she loved the quotes always at the end of this column! Typically she decided that she didn’t want any “services” when she passed, so we’ll just have to miss her forever and tell each other for the next century how much we loved her.


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.

A REVOLUTIONARY NEW LEVEL.
Over the 30 years that I worked at UCSC to help prevent rape, and offer resources for those who had been raped, the words from a member of a 1974 Vietnamese Women’s Delegation to Toronto, Canada (and featured in a poster from The Guardian) kept hope alive. It read: “When women become massively political, the revolution will have moved to a new level.” What we are witnessing today in the unprecedented breaking of silence around sexual harassment and sexual assault in the workplace may indicate such a shift. Whether the movement of women to no longer protect abusive men with silence and shame leads to significant structural changes depends, as always, on human agency and not on hope or fate or faith.

As many have noted, the most profound change in women’s overall status in the 20th century was the massive entrance of middle class women into the paid work force. Working class women have always worked at low wage jobs, and the raising of children has never been recognized as deserving of a paycheck — but the two wage earning family is now the norm not the exception. Sexual harassment aside, women have not entered the paid work force on an equal footing with men: occupations that are predominantly female are paid less than those that are predominantly male, and women working at the equivalent jobs as men are paid less. But economic independence is key to altering the global status of women, which makes the widespread use of sexual harassment by many men in power to keep women out of jobs or promotion if they don’t comply more egregious than the harassment itself.  

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

~Gillian

...
Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, former Santa Cruz City Councilmember (1998-2002) and Mayor (2001-2002). He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 12 years. He was elected last November to another 4-year term on the Santa Cruz City Council.

Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com

Dateline: December 17, 2017

WOKE AND SPOKE
The People Have Spoken


Hiking in the Pogonip with some of my favorite people: former SC mayor Jane Weed, her daughter Allie and son Dash, and Councilmember Sandy Brown

I wrote a column back in July in which I quoted those who came to the podium to clue the city council in on what ails city renters concerning the dearth of affordable housing in Surf City. They pretty much covered the housing conundrum: 1) developers get away with bypassing the city’s own 15% affordable inclusionary by paying a pittance into the housing fund of what a unit actually costs to build and thus economically segregate our community even further; 2) high cost of housing on-campus has students streaming down the hill and dislocating working families. I’m sorry, but housing 52% of an ever-growing student population–19,000 and counting–just doesn’t cut it; 3) there are well over 500 vacation rentals in the city of Santa Cruz and that is beginning to severely reduce our available housing stock for working people; and 4) Silicon Valley high tech workers have found a refuge in our city…just stand out there and count the “Google Buses” on the Avenue any given day.

WE ARE IN A HOUSING CRISIS
What do “the people” who come out to city council meetings to be a part of the community debate advocate? Of course, most would likely sign a rent control initiative in a heartbeat, but contrary to what the landlord-property owner is yelling at anyone who will listen, rent control is not THE answer, but it certainly is a part of solution. If we pass rent control we definitely get the attention of the moneyed-class because then you’re talking about their money. Tenants united is the only way to confront free-market abuses. First, you do a rent freeze to protect existing tenants, then pursue the rent control initiative. But what else should be on the table according to local voters? Real estate transfer tax, a soda tax (Berkeley raised over $3 million in one year), a 3% hotel tax. And by the way, doing all three of those will perhaps double the former Redevelopment funding that was lost when the program was ended in February of 2012. If rent control is to be successful the voters must also pass an initiative that installs an elected rent board. Tenants and landlords would both benefit from a Santa Cruz office of housing that also includes money to defend tenants in court. Lastly, it appears a housing bond will be before voters next November. This is also another important piece of the ever-difficult housing puzzle. Folks, if you want to ensure that this community has a fighting chance to win this housing struggle, you must ask city council candidates running on the 2018 ballot the tough questions around housing, and scrutinize the records of incumbents who may be once again asking for your vote, but often voting contrary to your interests.

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

Bernie Tweet of the Week
“Congratulations to Senator-elect Doug Jones @GDouglasJones for his great victory.  Congratulations to the people of Alabama for doing what few thought they would do. This is a victory not just for Jones and Democrats.  It is a victory for justice and decency”. (Dec. 12)

~ Chris

...
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

Dateline December 18, 2017

THE REFERENDUM PETITION TO REPEAL COUNTY ORDINANCE GRANTING AUTOMATIC PAY RAISE FOR COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IS MOVING AHEAD…CAN YOU HELP?
As I have written here before, I think the Board of Supervisors needs to be held accountable on a regular basis. Voting to grant themselves an automatic pay raise for the next four years is unacceptable, without public performance, especially when one considers the looming debt as presented last Tuesday by County Administration Officer  (CAO)Carlos Palacios. Please call 831-685-2915 or e-mail. I would really appreciate your help.

THE COUNTY BUDGET WILL HAVE A $4-$9 MILLION SHORTFALL IN 2019-2020, ASSUMING $10 MILLION IS CUT FROM THE BUDGET EACH YEAR BETWEEN THEN.
Item #64, near the end of last Tuesday’s County Board of Supervisor Agenda was alarming: the debt tsunami is coming and expected to hit you and me in 2019-2020.  County Administrative Officer (CAO) Carlos Palacios warned the Board that they will need to cut spending $10 Million annually beginning in June, 2018 to soften the blow of the impending CalPERS debt expected to implode many municipal budgets.  The County’s increase for retirement benefits is anticipated to be $9-$13 Million.  In five years, the County’s ratio of active personnel: retired personnel will be 1:1 (currently, it is 6:1).

What can be done, the Board wondered?

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

~ Becky

...
Gary 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



Dateline December 16, 2017
#350 / Moving Right Along

Too many cars and not enough space on the road. That’s a problem! 

Senator Dianne Feinstein wants to build a new Bay Bridge. See picture #1 for a depiction of the problem Senator Feinstein thinks a new Bay Bridge would address. 

In Santa Cruz County, my own community, local officials are involved in a “Unified Corridor Study,” to try to find a way to reduce traffic congestion. See picture #2 for an illustration of how our local problem looks, from an on-road perspective. One major suggestion for alleviating traffic congestion on Highway One, in Santa Cruz County, is to widen the highway.

Too many cars on the highways? Let’s build more roads! That is the time-honored (albeit ineffective) way to deal with traffic congestion. As I have pointed out before, more than once, we can’t “build our way out” of traffic congestion. 

While I know it seems counter-intuitive, building wider and more roads doesn’t, in fact, reduce congestion. “Induced demand” is a real thing. If we provide more space on the roads, more cars will quickly use it all up. “Wider highways and more cars stuck in the jam,” is how I usually phrase it. And if you are wondering where all those cars would come from, take a look outside at your residential street. Lots of our residential streets look just like picture #3. Thousands of cars are parked along the streets, or in driveways, just waiting for room to run.

If new construction isn’t the answer (and it is not) what can we do? My prescription is pretty basic. It’s one of those lessons we are supposed to learn in kindergarten. Instead of trying to make room for more cars, which is a costly and ineffective strategy, we should, instead, be finding ways to increase the number of people carried by the cars already on the highway. 

“Sharing”, in other words, is that “kindergarten solution” that would actually work. “Sharing” is the magic word. 

In the realm of transportation planning, as in all things political, we will start “moving along,” again, when we start moving along together.

~Gary

...

CLASSICAL DeCINZO. DeCinzo’s historic view of our housing problems. See below.

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

MUNCHING WITH MOZART. This free monthly concert presents Nicki Kerns and Lavinia Livingston solos & duets in a performance titled Celebrate Piano Ensemble  plus Holiday Sing-Along. It’s happening..Thursday, December 21st 12:10 – 12:50 p.m. in the Downtown Branch – upstairs Meeting Room…of Santa Cruz Public Library.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Wishing Happy Holidays, Merry Midwinter, Swell Saturnalia and an all-round festive Yule to all! I’m taking a holiday break this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com/). Actually, two weeks — don’t want to be accused of spreading fake news! But I’ll be back in the New Year with more fun stuff. Stay tuned!” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI. Yes, it gets 93 on RT… but I thought it was a complete fake of a billion-dollar movie machine. I’ll always remember going to our Soquel Drive-in (just a little stoned) and being taken into outer space with Star Wars 1. It had humor, empathy, great imagination, tension — and a story you could care about. The franchise now stages monotonous, uncaring space attacks, with wars so numerous that you can’t even remember who’s on whose side… and you don’t much care, either. There’s the Dark Side, the Resistance, Adam Driver, R2D2, a very dull Carrie Fisher, an aging Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, and those endless space battles that take up probably a third of the movie. A great disappointment… and at 2 1/2 hours, it’s also extra-long. Go at your own peril,.

COCO. A genuine Pixar cartoon, with amazingly three–dimensional animation. The plot is focused around the rich and traditional Mexican culture, with the Day of the Dead, plenty of food, religion, and music. You’ve never seen anything like this before: it’s way more creative and developed than what we usually think of as a Disney Cartoon — and only a little boring after the first half hour. Go see it.

WONDER WHEEL. One of Woody Allen’s worst films. How he can hit so wonderfully like
Annie Hall, Purple Rose Of Cairo, Midnight In Paris,  and Blue Jasmine and yet also create a dull, unbelievable flop like Wonder Wheel? Kate Winslet has never been less credible. Justin Timberlake does better than I would have predicted, but he’s out of place in this muck and mire. It’s about their lives in Coney Island in the 1950’s — and I went to Coney Island a few times in the 1950’s, so was really looking forward to this. Damn. Woody is now making a film titled Roda Gigante…we can only guess! RT gives Wonder Wheel 30.

LADY BIRD. This film restored my faith in great films! RT gives it 100% and it’s the highest rated film in RT’s history!!! Greta Gerwig directed  Saorise Ronan and others in this sincere, well thought out movie. A teen aged daughter and her Mom have a terrible, never ending battle over clothes, religion, dating, sex, college and everything. It all happens in Sacramento in about 2003 , which is somehow appropriate. It’s sensitive, subtle, and surprising. Gerwig breaks many directing rules and creates new plot possibilities. Go see this film.

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI. First, please note the 95 RT rating. When you have Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell working in a film directed by an Oscar winning director you almost can’t miss. It is definitely a dark comedy. The plot contains murder, rape, loyalty, cancer, and some absolutely brilliant acting. Go see it, and force all your friends to see it too.

BLADERUNNER 2049. Denis Villeneuve directed this sequel with advice from Ridley Scott and it has many hidden plot lines from the original (try to see it before you see 2049)…it’s an unique addition to science fiction films. Dystopian is a very overused word describing a disaster based future. This film again has Los Angeles totally transfigured…and even darker and more devastated and bleak than the first one, was set in LA 2019. Ryan Gosling carries the entire story, with Robin Wright and Harrison Ford doing fine acting jobs too. I have rarely, if ever, seen or felt a theatre audience so still-so hypnotized-awed-puzzled-and silent as the one I joined last week. I’ve seen it 2 1/2 times now… it needs two viewings on as large a screen as possible, because the photography is so impressive and important.

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS. Most mystery nuts claim this is Agatha Christie’s best mystery but this isn’t the best movie version the 1974 was better.  Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp and Michelle Pfeiffer are fine actors especially Michelle and they do their jobs in this new “Express”. However the cuts, flashbacks, photography, and not-tight directing by Kenneth Branagh who does the Poirot role just dull the trip. Remember the old one with Albert Finney as Hercule Poirot and Lauren Bacall, Martin Balsam, Richard Widmark, Jacqueline Bisset, Sean Connery, Wendy Hiller, John Gielgud, Anthony Perkins, Vanessa Redgrave, and Ingrid Bergman? That film just roared along the tracks and took us with it. Bergman won her third Oscar with her role in that version.

All that said, go see it! It’s fun and only a little dull in parts.

WONDER. This highly touted sob story starring Julia Roberts got an 87 on RT and about a 5 from me. Owen Wilson with his misshapen nose and jerk smile and Julia play the little Jacob Tremblay’s parents. Jacob was born with a misshapen face as in the “Mask” movie (which was better even though Cher played the kid’s mother. Wonder is a genuine Hollywood production in every way. Cheap heart-tugging emotions, shallow acting except for Mandy Patinkin. Patinkin has been the co-star of the Homeland series on iTunes and I just finished near bingeing all six seasons. Mandy has become one of my all time favorite stars. Anyway, Wonder is commercial, shallow and don’t go.

...

...

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 19 Wilma Marcus Chandler, Mar Nae Taylor and Bonnie Ronzio tell us about the annual “Eight 10’s at Eight” play festival playing Jan. 5-Feb. 4th at the Center Stage. Then Ross Gibson returns to talk about his book, “An Architectural Tour of Historic Santa Cruz County”. I’ll be in Victorville and Mar Vista on Dec. 26. City Councilman Chris Krohn opens the new year on Jan. 2 He’s followed by Attorney/activist Bob Taren, looking ahead to the new political year. January 9th has Otolaryngologist, Dr. Douglas Hetzler discussing surfers ear, dear wax and dangers of candling and many other health issues. UC San Diego Professor Emeritus Roddey Reid comes from Berkeley to talk about his book, “Confronting Political Intimidation and Public Bullying” on Jan. 16. AND ALSO…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go herehttp://www.radiofreeamerica.com/dj/bruce-bratton You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens. 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. “FIRES”

“What matters most is how well you walk through the fire”, Charles Bukowski
Get excited and enthusiastic about your own dream. This excitement is like a forest fire – you can smell it, taste it, and see it from a mile away”, Denis Waitley
“Desire is a bonfire that burns with greater fury, asking for more fuel”, Sri Sathya Sai Baba
“Perhaps my best years are gone. When there was a chance of happiness. But I wouldn’t want them back. Not with the fire in me now. No, I wouldn’t want them back”, Samuel Beckett
“One afternoon, when I was four years old, my father came home, and he found me in the living room in front of a roaring fire, which made him very angry. Because we didn’t have a fireplace”, Victor Borge


COLUMN COMMUNICATIONS. Subscriptions: Click and enter the box in the upper right hand corner of each Column. You’ll get a weekly email notice the instant the column goes online. (Anywhere from Monday afternoon through Thursday or sometimes as late as Friday!) Always free and confidential. Even I don’t know who subscribes!!

Snail Mail: Bratton Online
82 Blackburn Street, Suite 216
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com
Direct phone: 831 423-2468
All Technical & Web details: Gunilla Leavitt @ godmoma@gmail.com

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

Posted in Weekly Articles | Leave a comment

December 13 – 19, 2017

Highlights this week:
Garage and Library scam and meeting happening Wednesday, Dec. 13…Greensite on the city’s Budget Shortfall…Krohn and the new mayor, Housing and developer issues, useless forums, tours and still  ignoring the citizens, Gavin Newsom for Governor?… Steinbruner and Aptos Cinema and Food Court gone, RTC helping developers at Aptos Village, out-of-county truckers get woodwaste contract, Homeless Center to Harvey West Park….Patton about Democracy and getting involved…DeCinzo and our local Scrooge..Eagan and Sex and show business…Jensen and Scrooge play at Jewel Theatre and The Disaster Artist…I didn’t see any new movies last week! Quotes about “Holidays”.
...

TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS PACIFIC AVENUE HOLIDAY SNOW PHOTO. This was taken at 7:45 am in 1957. The Palomar Hotel is still there. You can see the original Town Clock site, atop the Odd Fellows building — now known as the Neary Business Center, and containing Artisans, The Hat Company, and Bunny Shoes. Leasks Department store on the right is now Urban Outfitters…and so it goes.                                                       

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

Additional information always welcome: email bratton@cruzio.com

FOR FANS OF “THE CROWN” ON NETFLIX
10 MOST EXPENSIVE FLOWERS IN THE WORLD.
CONTACT JUGGLING. NOT QUITE THE SAME..

DATELINE December 11, 2017

PARK N’ READ GROUND LEVEL LIBRARY MEETING WEDNESDAY. The level of response to increasing pressure from city powers to build a new library on the ground floor of a new parking garage is right up there with that provoked by the issues of housing, widening Highway 1, and UCSC growth. The concept of encouraging more cars to drive downtown, the destruction of the perfectly successful Downtown Farmer’s Market, the real possibility of renovating the present library and on and on. Here are excerpts from some of the “letters to the editor” I’ve received.

Judi Grunstra a Reference Librarian at the Watsonville Public Library wrote..

“On Dec. 3, slightly better advertising resulted in a larger crowd than previous meetings of the Downtown Library Advisory Committee.  Participants were seated around tables in groups, where they had a chance to review the costs of the 4 options provided by the architectural firm Noll & Tam, only two of which are close to the $23 million allocated by Measure S.   A completely new library building is millions over budget, so the affordable choices come down to either a partial renovation of the current 2-story library building, or moving the library into the ground floor of a multi-story “mixed use” (garage) on the parking lot behind the former Logos.  The great majority of participants rejected the library-in-a-garage concept,  preferring the renovation option, keeping the current site.   Most also questioned the need for another garage downtown.    The goal is to have an upgraded, safe, functional and attractive library that would serve the community well into the future. Although participants had questions to ask and ideas to share, this meeting was not set up to provide any answers.  Gathering this type of community input should have occurred much earlier in the process and with the architects present.  That is how other communities engage interested citizens.  That did not happen here. The committee makes their recommendations at their final meeting, on Dec. 13 at 6 pm at the Santa Cruz Main library meeting room”.  Judi adds the link to “Don’t Bury The Library”…  www.dontburythelibrary.weebly.com  .

LAST  LIBRARY MEETING WEDNESDAY, Dec.13!!! Carol Long emailed…”
Last meeting on the parking garage/library branch:
Final Meeting, Downtown Library Advisory Committee
Wed, Dec 13, 6pm @ Downtown Library’s Upstairs meeting Room
Please go to the meeting or send an email like the one below to this address:

sumanovargasi@santacruzpl.org

“I strongly urge the Library Advisory Committee to follow the advice they requested from the consultants from three different urban planning agencies; implement Transportation Demand Management before, and in fact, instead of expanding parking capacity. The Committee must think not only of the advantages the library will derive from various choices, but of the disadvantages — greater traffic and increased global warming emissions — which will accrue to the broader community and the world at large if we keep increasing automobile traffic. Traffic congestion will aggravated by the non-solution of enabling increased auto trips with more parking. 

As Rick Longinotti and The Campaign for Sensible Transportation recommend, we need to decrease both traffic and global warming if our cities are to be livable. Some cities like London are on the way to eliminating individual vehicles altogether, and a study in Australia showed that this would be necessary for most urban centers in the near future. Again, I urge you to be forward-thinking and not to do business as usual. That’s not what we voted for when we voted in the funds for the library”.

Rick Longinotti from The Campaign for Sensible Transportation added… “Many urban planners are questioning whether any city would be wise to invest in more parking capacity at a time when autonomous vehicles are on the horizon, with their anticipated reduced parking demand.
Our group sends its best wishes to the Library decision-makers to figure out how to spend Measure S funds on the Downtown Library. We understand that becoming a tenant in a City garage would be a sweet financial deal for the Library. However, we ask you to consider that investing limited City resources on expanding auto capacity instead of the available alternatives would saddle future generations with debt for a white elephant “asset”. Moreover it would enable an increase in traffic, increasing greenhouse gases and making our streets less hospitable to walking and bicycling”. We all need to watch and remember how Santa Cruz as a city handles this huge and involving issue…especially on Wednesday!!

CUTS TO THE QUICK
With tourism booming, brand new expensive hotels open for business, property taxes secure despite Prop. 13, and with the median home price around $850,000, it came as a surprise when the city budget director forecast a $2.7 million General Fund deficit for 2018. Surprise turned to disdain when staff recommended filling the deficit by cutting First Alarm patrols at Harvey West Park, the River levees and the Wharf along with cuts to Youth and Teen programs, trail camp clean-ups and Parks and Recreation programs. To pick on such small, vital services seemed mean-spirited at best. And if, as staff claimed, such cuts would make no difference and be unnoticed by the public, then why have such services in the first place? To their credit, five council members, all but Mathews and Watkins, voted against such draconian ways to fill the deficit.

According to the budget director, the basis for the 2018 shortfall with more to come ($15 million by Fiscal Year 2021) is due to steep increases in pension and health care costs, and the “need to retain and develop city staff” (emphasis added). Most institutions don’t “develop” staff during budget shortfalls. They enact a hiring freeze. Yet hiring at the city, especially at the upper levels, chugs merrily along as though there were no shortfall in sight. Do we really need “spokespersons” for the SCPD and other departments? Aren’t the handsomely-paid department heads capable of speaking to the press and the community? And what about the plethora of consultants hired to develop unpopular projects such as the Corridors and the Wharf Master Plans? To be fair, the  $1.1 million Wharf Master Plan was largely paid for by funds obtained under false pretenses from the federal government’s Department of Commerce, by the city’s claim that the wharf was “severely damaged” by the 2011 tsunami — when in fact the wharf was not damaged by the tsunami. In order to secure the federal grant, the city’s Parks and Recreation department had to cough up $175,000 in contributions, roughly the amount of the suggested budget cuts to fill the 2018 shortfall.  

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

A meaningful debate on such questions would show respect for the community. A set of options that includes cutting resources such as security on the levees is akin to telling us to go play in the sand box.

~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.

...
By: Chris Krohn    Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com

WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON?
Last council meeting of the year brings home little bacon, and no tofu. But a subcommittee to study the Santa Cruz housing crisis some more? That got done.

This would be the year of housing, housing, and housing according to Mayor Cynthia Chase. That was back in December of 2016 when the mayoral world was new and immigration (ICE) raids and a homeless benchlands camps were yet to come. December of 2017 might’ve been thought about in terms of the next comet sighting, a happening event but still far off. Hope, along with Santa Cruz dope, were still wafting freely through borrowed gas-tax repaving projects and declarations that Surf City might be the fourth most expensive planetary housing destination. That was then. Chase again reiterated the pledge in a Good Times interview on Jan. 23rd, “Housing is a big focus this year.”

Even when faced with a Homeland Security-immigration crisis on Feb. 15th–seems like the Department of Homeland Security had a desk inside the SCPD, and no one knew about it…except the SCPD–she didn’t change direction and make “sanctuary” her main issue. Nope, she doubled-down proclaiming at her “state of the city” address in May, “Our community is struggling with a full-blown crisis that requires rethinking of approach, emphasizing innovation, capitalizing on the growing level of compassion and expertise in our community and we need to come together to define our collective housing condition.”

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

NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN.

Santa Cruz Mayor, David Terrazas being sworn in by Superior Court Judge, Paul Marigonda in the Santa Cruz City Council Chambers at 809 Center Street.

Santa Cruz Has a New Mayor
David Terrazas was sworn in as the 94th mayor of the city of Santa Cruz last week. He began his mayoral reign on the evening of December 6th. Formerly, vice-mayor Terrazas literally changed hats all in one motion as Mayor Cynthia Chase was absent due to a nasty cold. During his new mayor remarks, he spoke of “a deep love of Santa Cruz”, proudly stated he is the grandson of immigrants, and that his wife Monica is also an immigrant from El Salvador. David’s remarks were as circumspect as they were emotionally charged. There is “a crisis in mental health…there is crime on our streets…public misery and disorder…” Terrazas itemized his public safety concerns first. He wants to “improve the Riverwalk,” and “keep open spaces healthy and family-friendly.” I think I supported him when he said, “we need to find out who the homeless are, and what they need to get off the street.” Amen brother. He said he had three priorities: 1) community safety, 2) support for city core services including support for youth programs, and 3) “cleanliness of downtown.” He also said, “I support getting back to basics.” There was not much in the way of specifics, but it was offered up before the more than 80 David-supporters present with gobs of passion, multiple smiles, all the while exuding a sense of determination and forthrightness. I think too he wanted to be candid, but he held himself back, perhaps for another day and time.

Gavin Newsom, Candidate for Governor, Comes to the Cruz Looking for Support
In my lifetime, no elected governor has ever run a campaign on universal healthcare, support for sanctuary cities (and state!), or addressing the needs of our state’s most vulnerable population, the homeless. Gavin Newsom says he is running on all these issues, and even seems to be proud to run on these intractable matters, arguably the state’s most pressing and persistent ones. Newsom was in town this past Saturday bringing his upbeat, unabashed, some might say oil slick brand of liberalism to Surf City. In his hour-long presentation before a crowd of well over 100 — mostly Dem party loyalists at the Police Community room on Center Street — Newsom offered his stump speech, and he even acknowledged it at one point, thanking the audience for asking tough questions on homelessness, creating a state bank, releasing Prop. 51 funds, housing more UC students on campus, and the one he received the most applause on, universal-single payer-medicare for all healthcare. I came away impressed and wondering if,  as the front runner — LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, California State Treasurer John Chiang, and former California Public Schools Superintendent Delaine Easton are also running — he will tack towards the center, as he visits the rest of a state that is not Santa Cruz or San Francisco. He appeared quite comfortable here in the city of the Holy Cross. Villaraigosa will be in Santa Cruz on Wed. Dec. 13th at Fred Keeley’s house.

Bernie Tweet of the Week
“The Democratic Party will not become a vibrant and successful 50 state party until it opens its doors widely to the working people and young people of our country. I am extremely pleased that the Unity Reform Commission has begun that process.” (Dec. 9)

~Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, former Santa Cruz City Councilmember (1998-2002) and Mayor (2001-2002). He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 12 years. He was elected last November to another 4-year term on the Santa Cruz City Council.

...
By: Becky Steinbruner    Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com

HOLD THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ACCOUNTABLE..SIGN THE REFERENDUM PETITION

Please help me hold the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors accountable to the people, by signing and helping to circulate the Referendum Petition to repeal Ordinance 5256 amending County Code to grant an AUTOMATIC pay increase to the Board for the next four years, with two increases in 2018.

Supervisors took this action via the Consent Agenda, without public discussion that day other than Supervisor Caput voting NO on the issue. This came after the Supervisors passed Resolution 279-75 on October 24 to increase their own salaries by the highest amount (5.18%) of any middle management salary increase approved. Look at the larger-than-cost-of-living increases granted here in Item #32

Please help me circulate Referendum Petitions countywide.  Call me: 831-685-2915 or e-mail ki6tkb@yahoo.com

REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION (RTC) VOTED TO FUND $1.9 MILLION MORE TO HELP SWENSON & APTOS VILLAGE DEVELOPERS DESPITE OVER 200 VOTES OF PROTEST BY THE PUBLIC.

“We’ll try to squeeze them in if we can,” said Assistant Public Works Director Steve Wiesner, when asked by Commissioner Sandy Brown if there were any bike racks included in the County’s Aptos Village area road projects. Including bike racks had been a contingency for the County to receive the $650,000 grant last year, but none got included in the bus stop relocation area or anywhere in the Phase I Trout Gulch/Soquel Drive area project. There were none included in the Aptos Creek Road Traffic Light project application before the RTC either.

When quizzed further by Commissioner Brown, Mr. Wiesner said there will plenty of bike parking within the Aptos Village Project. That does not serve the public taking public transportation to the Village area or to the many festivals held at the County’s Aptos Village Park, where there is NO BIKE PARKING currently available.

Commissioner Bertrand asked why the public had been denied access to view the County’s Aptos Creek Road $3 Million Traffic Light Project.  Mr. Wiesner replied it was because the plans have not been finalized. So, it is okay to spend public taxpayer money but not allow the taxpayers to see what is to be built???

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


COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WILL CONSIDER DECLARING A LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY OR SHELTER CRISES TO EXPEDITE BUILDING A HOMELESS DROP-IN DAY CENTER NEAR HARVEY WEST PARK
County staff has determined that the best place to open a Drop-in Day Center for the area’s growing homeless population would be in the Harvey West Park area. This will probably not be discussed at the December 12 Board meeting, because it is in the Consent Agenda as Item #11. What worries me is that the Board will consider declaring a Local State of Emergency or Shelter Crisis “to expedite siting of the Day Center and allow for amendment to zoning, building and other building codes/regulatory codes, reduce land use barriers (aka public hearings) and expedite contracting processes.”   

Currently, staff is looking for vacant commercial or industrial sites to lease. Preferred sites are 155 DuBois, 195 Harvey West Blvd (former Encompass Community Services building), 320-330 Encinal Street, and 350 Encinal (former Goodwill building).

Why lease property, increasing the burden on County taxpayers?  Why not set up the Day Center in the basement of the County Building at 701 Ocean Street, in the now-vacant cafeteria?  That would be close to the downtown homeless population, the existing Benchlands Homeless Camp adjacent to the County Building, and would provide logical and convenient access to public services for the homeless.  The County already employs two full-time security guards for the County Building and parking areas.

I want to help the homeless, but shouldn’t the Board also act fiscally-responsible with precious taxpayer money? Would declaring a Local State of Emergency require that the County INCREASE the number of required affordable units to be built inclusionary in new developments and hold developers to the requirement? Call your Supervisor and ask: 454-2200.

BOARD OF SUPES WILL HEAR PRELIMINARY COUNTY BUDGET REPORT PROJECTING $4 -$9 MILLION BUDGET GAP IN 5-YEAR FORECAST
The County Board of Supervisors will hear the County Administrative Officer (CAO) Carlos Palacios report the Preliminary Budget Protection Report for 2018-19 and may take action as recommended by the CAO. That part is a bit murky, but read this report and ask why County employee retirement costs are projected to INCREASE $9-$13 MILLION in the next five years.  Wow. 

Take a look at the report (Item #64) here

Help me with the Referendum Petition….make the Board accountable.

Cheers,

Becky Steinbruner, 831-685-2915

~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.

...
By: Gary Patton    Email Gary at gapatton@mac.com


http://www.gapatton.net    (Brattonote: now it’s much easier to subscribe)
#342 / Democracy Reviewed

I am known to rely on book reviews as a place to uncover various ideas that strike me as important or useful (and yet I never read the books themselves). This is not the best practice, I know, but it works for me. 

Most recently, I found some helpful observations in Barton Swaim’s review of a couple of books about democracy. Swaim’s review was published in the November 25-26 edition of The Wall Street Journal under the title, “Trusting the People to Make Mistakes.” That is the hard copy version of the title. When you click the link, you’ll see something else at the top, but the text is just the same as the version delivered to my doorstep. Swain focuses his review on the relationship between “liberalism” and “democracy,” and suggests, citing to Josiah Ober’s book, Demopolis: Democracy Before liberalism in Theory and Practice, that we disassociate these two terms. I am all for that!

Ober says that democratic government depends on “civic dignity,” which “requires citizens to be engaged in the effort of fashioning a shared existence.” That is what I call creating the “human world,” the world we most immediately inhabit. I am with Ober in saying that this requires civic engagement. My phrasing is generally along these lines: “We can’t have self-government unless we get involved with government ourselves.”  Among other things, Ober says that civic dignity implies that the people, as they work to govern themselves, must be free to make mistakes. The fact that they do make mistakes is not a reason to invalidate our commitment to democracy, or to suggest (along with Plato and other philosophers of perfection) that only the “elites” are fit to rule. 

What is the timely message in Ober’s scholarly analysis? 

The people made a mistake, in our last presidential election. A BIG mistake. However, democracy will survive. Let’s not be suckered into the idea that all Trump supporters are “deplorable,” an idea based on elitist liberalism. We’re all in this together. That’s another one of my favorite observations!

Gary 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 his blog at www.gapatton.net

...

CLASSICAL DeCINZO. A December traditional DeCinzo with our own local Scrooge…scroll downwards, just a bit more.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “If The Shoe Fits” 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 with his take on you-know-who titled “Just Go”.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol continues to haunt our holidays with the impressive, one-man show, Scrooge, at Jewel Theatre Company, reviewed this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com/). Also, find out how an obscure guy with no talent became a cult idol by making the worst movie in Hollywood history in The Disaster Artist.” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

For the very first time in years I didn’t attend any films last week. Nothing looked that exciting. I did see National Theatre Lives’ production of Stephen Sondheim’s “Follies” at the Del Mar at 11am. last Sunday morning. It was great. Not as good as his later musicals, Company, Sweeney Todd, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Assassins… but very good all the same.

LADY BIRD. This film restored my faith in great films! RT gives it 100%, and it’s the highest-rated film in RT’s history!!! Greta Gerwig directed Saorise Ronan and others in this sincere, well-thought-out movie. A teenaged daughter and her mom have a terrible, never-ending battle over clothes, religion, dating, sex, college and everything. It all happens in Sacramento around 2003 , which is somehow appropriate. It’s sensitive, subtle, and surprising. Gerwig breaks many directing rules, and creates new plot possibilities. Go see this film.

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI. First, please note the 95 RT rating. When you have Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell working in a film directed by an Oscar-winning director you almost can’t miss. It is definitely a dark comedy. The plot contains murder, rape, loyalty, cancer, and some absolutely brilliant acting. Go see it, and force all your friends to see it too.

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS. Most mystery nuts claim this is Agatha Christie’s best mystery, but this isn’t the best movie version — the 1974 was better.  Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp and Michelle Pfeiffer are fine actors (especially Michelle) and they do their jobs in this new “Express”. However the cuts, flashbacks, photography, and not-tight directing by Kenneth Branagh — who also fills the Poirot role — just dull the trip. Remember the old one with Albert Finney as Hercule Poirot and Lauren Bacall, Martin Balsam, Richard Widmark, Jacqueline Bisset, Sean Connery, Wendy Hiller, John Gielgud, Anthony Perkins, Vanessa Redgrave, and Ingrid Bergman? That film roared along the tracks and took us with it. Bergman won her third Oscar with her role in it, too.

All that said, go see this! It’s fun, and only a little dull in parts.

THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS. This simple minded Hallmark card movie is drivel. Christopher Plummer does a good job (as usual) and the rest of the cast swims through this rip off of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”. It’s supposed to be funny or sentimental, but it lacks any cleverness or sophistication. I’m not sure why they made this cloying mess. Closes Dec.14.

WONDER. This highly touted sob story starring Julia Roberts got an 87 on RT, and about a 5 from me. Owen Wilson with his misshapen nose and jerk smile and Julia plays the little Jacob Tremblay’s parents. Jacob was born with a misshapen face as in the “Mask” movie (which was better, even though Cher played the kid’s mother). Wonder is a genuine Hollywood production in every way. Cheap heart-tugging emotions, and shallow acting with the exception of Mandy Patinkin. Patinkin has been the co-star of the Homeland series on iTunes, and I just finished near bingeing all six seasons. Mandy has become one of my all-time favorite stars. Anyway, Wonder is commercial, shallow and… don’t go.

DAISY WINTERS. Just when you think you’ve seen the worst movie of your life, along comes something like Daisy Winters. Oddly enough, the plot is similar to Lady Bird. A mother and daughter fight to the finish. Poor acting, lackluster photography, saccharine plot and there’s only one reason you might stay awake… Brooke Shields is in it. Brooke is now 52 years old and looks a lot like Bruce Jenner in full drag. If I remember correctly, Brooke was in Santa Cruz with director Louis Malle, and they shot a scene on Cooper Street by the side entrance to the Cooper House. Anyone remember that? Do not see this movie.

...

...

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. Dec.12 has Chayla Fisher and Brandon Truong  from UCSC’s Student Environmental Center discussing some serious campus issues, such as the LRDP. December 19 Wilma Marcus Chandler and Bonnie Ronzio tell us about the annual “Eight 10’s at Eight” play festival playing Jan. 5-Feb. 4th at the Center Stage. Then Ross Gibson returns to talk about his book, “An Architectural Tour of Historic Santa Cruz County”. I’ll be in Victorville and Mar Vista on Dec. 26. City Councilman Chris Krohn opens the new year on Jan. 2 He’s followed by Attorney/activist Bob Taren, looking ahead to the new political year. January 9th has Otolaryngologist, Dr. Douglas Hetzler discussing surfers ear, dear wax and dangers of candling and many other health issues. …AND ALSO…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go herehttp://www.radiofreeamerica.com/dj/bruce-bratton You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens. 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

Pet Peeve Alert!! 🙂

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.   HOLIDAYS

“Once again, we come to the Holiday Season, a deeply religious time that each of us observes, in his own way, by going to the mall of his choice”. Dave Barry

“I once wanted to become an atheist, but I gave up—- they have no holidays”, Henny Youngman

“I love out-of-the-way, rugged places. For me, holidays are about the experiences, and the people, and the memories, rather than sitting on a nice beach getting tanned. I try to plant myself where I am and embrace what is there in front of me”,  Evelyn Glennie


COLUMN COMMUNICATIONS. Subscriptions: Click and enter the box in the upper right hand corner of each Column. You’ll get a weekly email notice the instant the column goes online. (Anywhere from Monday afternoon through Thursday or sometimes as late as Friday!) Always free and confidential. Even I don’t know who subscribes!!

Snail Mail: Bratton Online
82 Blackburn Street, Suite 216
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com
Direct phone: 831 423-2468
All Technical & Web details: Gunilla Leavitt @ godmoma@gmail.com

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

Posted in Weekly Articles | Leave a comment

December 5 – 11, 2017

Highlights this week:
Thanksgiving on 101 with Strawberry and Grape plastic fields, UCSC and Oral Roberts, real reason for Sentinel shrinkage, Cruzio responds to their rate hike and Net Neutrality, Quarnstrom and The Last Supper, another round a-bout at Bay and High, Dream Inn growth plans proceeding, Bartzcak tells more about his mural destruction, the shame of the Met Opera’s James Levine, Lady Bird breaks all RT records…Greensite on city’s Housing Report…Krohn about $80,000 on fencing, council’s housing failures, library garage plots. Kate Guzman at Sentinel helm…Steinbruner and the Supe’s self granted salary hike, Vision Santa Cruz plotting, UCSC growth…Patton and “Affordable Housing” …DeCinzo and Trump version of Christmas…Eagan and Trump’s new tax plan…Jensen and The Man Who Invented Christmas and Three Billboards…I critique Jane, Three Billboards, Daisy Winters and The Man Who Invented Christmas, Quotes about December.

...

COOPER HOUSE CHRISTMAS 1954. Actually this was still our County Court House on December 3, 1954. It even had a lawn. It was our County Court House from 1894-1970 when Max Walden bought it and created the Cooper House. The Cooper House existed until it was destroyed by greed, not the earthquake. The new owner wanted to get the FEMA funds from earthquake funding.                                       

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

Additional information always welcome: email bratton@cruzio.com

TAKING THE EDGE OFF THE INSANITY.
BLUE MAN GROUP. Odd..and fascinating!!
Best Neighborhood Synchronized Christmas Lights Show with Music in Yucaipa
California

DATELINE December 4, 2017

LOS ANGELES & THANKSGIVING. It was actually fun driving down and up Highway 101 to L.A. (Mar Vista actually) to spend Thanksgiving with both daughters and three grandsons.  The first thing I noticed for miles and miles were the shining, waving fields of plastic covering all the acreage of, first our local strawberries, then going down 101, the huge acreage of wine grapes. What special kind of pollution can that plastic create when it’s time for picking those fruits?? What happens to that plastic…it can’t be re-used! Then again, what follow-up is being done to assure the west coast that the pesticides aren’t killing much more than is necessary?  I wouldn’t swear to this but I don’t think there are any more of those Truck Stop Weigh In stations. Don’t they check for illegal trucking problems anymore? Then on the way back home I found a copy of The Santa Barbara Sentinel! Just a skinny little weekly throw away full of local ads.

UCSC MEMORIES. A fun part of my L.A. trip was getting together with my two nephews Bobby and Larry Cornman. Both of them came here around the 1980’s and went to UCSC. I told them of the 19,600 student enrollment, they were nonplussed. Larry reminded me of the early failure of UCSC when no students wanted to come here, the attendance was so bad that UCSC was almost sold to Oral Roberts Christian University.  Larry also had fond memories of Peter Scott and George Blumenthal way back when he too was in the physics department.         

SPEAKING OF LOCAL PAPERS. Music critic and editor of “Performing Arts Monterey Bay Weekly” Scott McClelland found and sent a detailed explanation of the demise of our Santa Cruz Sentinel and the Monterey Herald. You’ll get their perspective on why Wallace Baine and Don Miller were canned. Yes, much of the problem is what the internet created for advertising possibilities, but there’s a lot more than that. And besides the article is from The Nation so you know it’s true!!!

CRUZIO & $5 RATE HIKE AND PRO NET NEUTRALITY. Being a customer, former marketing adviser, and supporter of CRUZIO since May 1999, I figured Chris Neklason co-owner and co-creator of Cruzio would have some kind of reason for announcing that $5 per month additional charge for us folks who have that “cruzio.com” after our names. And I also wanted to get the “official” Cruzio statement on the scary Net Neutrality issue.  I emailed him , he replied…

“ABOUT THAT $5”
Cruzio is raising the monthly price of our email service to $5 per mailbox. For some people who have previously had free email attached to another service, this represents a significant jump.

Bruce (bratton@cruzio.com) asks a simple question, why the increase? And the simple answer is that email is among our most expensive services to provide. Sending and receiving messages would seem to be a cheap and easy thing to provide, and how many times have I been told that “the cost of machines, of memory, of hard disk space has come way down! Why do you charge X for Y?!”  

The fact of the matter is that email is what our customers call or write us about most. Our customers access their email using a wide array of mail apps from a wide variety of locations across the planet in a wide variety of circumstances. They call with “how do I” questions and our staff walks them through their Mac or Windows email settings or helps them stop their email app from sending the same email over and over again to their new mailing list to the annoyance of all their family or colleagues or helps them find that message from Uncle Joe while they are stuck in an airport in Singapore with a dead laptop.

We hire and train excellent people to answer those questions and help our customers, and our 100% local staff lives in one of the most expensive places on Earth, and for the last 30 years we’ve been undercharging or not charging for email. 

Add to this the fact that unlike the so-called free email providers like Yahoo! and Google, Cruzio customer eyeballs, data and privacy are not for sale to subsidize the email service and customer support, and that’s why the price increase. 

Cruzio customers pay for great customer service. At other providers, it is advertisers, political campaigns and who knows what-all that pay the email provider for you.

Recognizing that some of our customers do not utilize our support staff and will elect to move to a different service or perhaps a free service, we have given months of notice to make sure people have time to find and transition to a new provider.  If any of our email users want to talk to us about the change, we want them to contact us. Our staff is on hand to assist in any way possible. We value you as customers and as neighbors.

————————————————————————————————————

“ABOUT NET NEUTRALITY”
Cruzio is a passionate supporter of Net Neutrality, the principle that ISPs treat all traffic the same, with no discrimination of service based on the source or destination of the traffic.

Along with dozens of other ISPs, we have signed a letter to that effect and presented it to the FCC which is about to reverse the Net Neutrality regulations put in place under the previous administration.

Further, we dispute the stated rationale of the current FCC for changing the regulations and are outraged the FCC is ignoring our input and the input of millions of Americans who have contacted the FCC in support of Net Neutrality.

No matter how the FCC rules, Cruzio remains committed to Net Neutrality. We’re here to provide the fastest and cheapest Internet service possible. No games, no fooling around. 

Learn more about Net Neutrality at the Electronic Frontier Foundation site.

LEE QUARNSTROM AND THE LAST SUPPER. Long time reporter and man around town Lee Quarnstrom writes to say… “Happy Holidays, etc. The photo in your last column of the figures of “The Last Supper” wax sculpture getting a spring cleaning at the old Art League gallery reminds me that I once wrote a story for the Watsonville Register-Pajaronian, Good Times or, most-likely, the San Jose Mercury News, about the installation. I noted that among the baker’s dozen apostles and Jesus, only one, Judas Iscariot, could be said to look prototypically Semitic; the other 12, Jesus and 11 apostles, looked like they had just stepped off a bus full of Norwegian tourists!

ANOTHER “ROUND-ABOUT” AT BAY & HIGH!!! I commute to the UCSC Campus a lot. I’ve never seen a need for it, but there’s going to be a round-a-bout stuck in the intersection of Bay and High Streets. So far there’s been very little positive reactions or results from ANY of the round-a-bouts that have grown around here. Then too speaking of UCSC for another reason that isn’t obvious, they are going to erect a “UCSC STRAIGHT AHEAD” (or something like that) on High Street about a block below Bay. Who thinks up these ideas?

DREAM INN MOVING SILENTLY AHEAD. No big deal hoopla, no heavy PR but the Dream Inn is definitely moving ahead with those development plans for their property across the street. Remember you heard it here first, or second maybe.

BARTZCAK MURAL RE-VISITED. Peter Bartczak sent this email…”thanks for the coverage on the little sleight of hand that the art commission pulled on me. I felt betrayed – I did them a favor to lessen the heat on them for their decision and then they lay part of the blame on me for taking away a popular mural. I think people who were living here and were around when I did the mural love it, but the new crop didn’t live it or love it and it doesn’t mean anything to them.

Also, I was never notified of the unveiling of the new mural, either, even tho I’m on their mailing list.  And I’m sorry; I’m not a big fan of the new mural. I’m curious about what the other two submissions were like……………………..”. Once again we have to wonder why the Santa Cruz Arts Commission felt the need to lie.

LEONARD-ONE MORE TIME. Friends are still trying to remember Leonard the haberdasher’s last name. Leonard ran the haberdashery in the old Cooper House. No one replied the last time I mentioned this…somebody must remember Leonard.

METROPOLITAN OPERA’S JAMES LEVINE’S SAGA. Being a long time opera fan,  the news last Sunday morning that James (they called him Jimmy) Levine, the long time conductor and main star of New York City’s  Metropolitan Opera has more than a decade’s long history of sex abuse with young boys was miserably shocking. The news that Levine’s sex history had been rumored and suspected all that time was equally depressing. The Met fired him just after the news broke out.

“LADY BIRD” MOVIE RECORD BREAKER ON ROTTEN TOMATOES.
This film restored my faith in great films! RT gives it 100% and Lady Bird is now  the highest rated film in RT’s history!!! That means it has more critics and more audiences giving it 100%. Greta Gerwig directed Saorise Ronan and others in this sincere, well thought out movie. A teen aged daughter and her Mom have a terrible, never ending battle over clothes, religion, dating, sex, college and everything. It all happens in Sacramento in about 2003 , which is somehow appropriate. It’s sensitive, subtle, and surprising. Gerwig breaks many directing rules and creates new plot possibilities. Go see this film.

“HIGH HOPES”
After half a year of “listening” including 6 study sessions and many Mayor and staff hours soliciting input on the current housing crisis, one thing is clear: there is little the city can do to change the trajectory of ever increasing rental and housing costs.

While in no way wanting to detract from this admirable effort to hear from the community on housing, the suggestions offered in the Report fail to understand the driving forces behind the housing crisis. There is no mention of the fact that housing is a commodity traded by speculators to make money. There is scant mention of the impact of ballooning UCSC growth, whose students occupy a third of off-campus rental housing. The Mayor’s formal statement that: “The issues are complex and the needs cross all income spectrums” fails to grasp the class nature of the housing crisis. It is low and moderate income current renters, not home-owners who are suffering. If you’ve bought a house in Santa Cruz in the last ten years you are well-off by definition. And the rich are doing just fine.

Were the class nature of the housing cost crisis acknowledged, available options could be more readily assessed. When Governor Brown ended Redevelopment Funds in the face of blatant misuse, money dried up for local income-restricted housing. In Santa Cruz city there are 1500 such units. Without Redevelopment Funds, there is little if any money available to build more. A future ballot measure to raise money for “affordable” housing may pass but what is the definition of “affordable” and who would benefit? Rent control is an option but given legal restrictions, even if adopted, would apply to only 24% of current rental housing, a situation that would create its own set of problems. Upping the requirement for inclusionary ( below-market rate ) housing in new developments might help but so far the city council majority and staff seem to buy the developers’ crocodile tears that this would create a hardship for them and it would not “pencil out.” I’d say to that, sharpen your pencil and try again.

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

~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.

...
By: Chris Krohn    Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com

2017: The Year of Housing Dangerously

What’s New (and Old) This Week

  • Spending $80,000 for fencing in Louden Nelson and Star of the Sea Park
  • Now we know why Parks and Rec. purchased the humongous F-150 pick-ups!
  • Do we really need another “committee” to study housing, post “Mayoral Listening Tour?”
  • SC Finance Minister does not, or won’t, get it.
  • Ideas, short of a rent freeze, that city council could implement to protect renters and improve our housing situation in the city of Santa Cruz.
  • Verbal fireworks abound at “library-garage” community meeting this past Sunday
  • Kara Guzman replaces Don Miller as editor of the Santa Cruz Sentinel.

Fences Make Good Neighbors?
OMG! Eighty grand. I kid you not. The Parks and Recreation Department (P&R) came forward with a done-deal resolution to fence in Star of the Sea Park and Laurel Park, which is the backside green space side of the Louden Nelson Center. It came to the council big and fat and ripe for a rubber stamp. Meetings were held (with who? “Neighbors.” what neighbors?) and decisions were made, I guess by Mauro Garcia the director of P&R, and he put it on a batting tee before the city council last Tuesday (Yes, the fences were already ordered and construction will start tomorrow. Then he added, almost as an after-thought, …that is if you (the council) pass this resolution approving the funding…) Did I say it will cost upwards to $80,000 for both sites? Will the “wrought-iron fences” do what the neighbors, and Parks and Rec (?) think it will do? ALL persons will still be allowed in the parks during daylight hours. Until we begin funneling the $80k into mental health, drug and alcohol treatment, and shelter space we will likely see more requests for fencing and police for our parks and greenbelt spaces.

Parks and Recreation and Those Enormous Pickups They Purchased
I received a text message last Saturday while marching alongside the mayor and other city councilmembers in the incredibly popular and well-attended Santa Cruz Holiday Parade. (Btw, I counted around 8000 people out in the streets, and I am sure that is a conservative estimate.) It seems that P&R. had a holiday float in the parade. The text said: “It all makes sense now. We needed the Ranger trucks (Ford F-150’s) for the parade.” (They really make a great float!)

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

~

Drew Glover (far left) brought a Round-Up ban initiative to the Santa Cruz City Council. The council majority wanted to punt, but then passed a 6-month pilot project that will look at all pesticides used by the city.

Library-Garage Redux?
Stopped in briefly to the Downtown Library Committee’s second to last public meeting last Sunday. Wow! Over a hundred people had been divided up into groups and each group was offering their report-backs to the larger group. What I heard was that virtually no one seemed to want the library paired with the garage, and that several folks said if you have $25 million of public funds for this project why do consultants come back with $30 and $40 million projects? The question of the day: will the city manager and city transportation officials get their garage with a library? Or will they take the garage idea, sever the tie to a library, and go back yet again to the drawing board? This garage concept on the current Farmer’s Market site has been kicked around by city traffic planners for over two decades now. Most of the public present on Sunday seem to believe garages are so 20th century and we need to move into the 21st century. Score one for community organizing! I saw members from the Campaign for Sensible Transportation (CFST), SC4Bernie, Santa Cruz Climate Action Network, and Don’t Bury the Library all present and accounted for and offering Santa Cruz officials Susan Nemitz,  Martin Bernal, and Jim Burr all they could handle.

Newsworthy

  • Kara Guzman, a former Santa Cruz Sentinel writer is now the Sentinel’s Executive Editor. (Here  http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/article/NE/20171129/NEWS/171129651) This is news! Does the editor of the Sentinel still have the clout in the community it once had? Of course not, but the paper is still alive and kicking, but unfortunately still owned by hedge fund people who are constantly looking to cut and winnow out whatever dough might be left in this hometown newspaper asset. Many of us who still read the Sentinel welcome Kara Guzman and are hoping for greatness.
  • Jake Pierce of the Santa Cruz Good Times gets it pretty right in his recent piece on the forces at work in this city’s housing struggle. Check it out, “Can Santa Cruz Build its Way Out of a Housing Crisis?” Of course, the short answer is, ‘Hell NO!’ But there are forces, usually economic ones (some named in Jake’s article), who will have us believe this and take-down the community with its market-rate supply and demand theories.
  • The best day-to-day working journalist in America, and most hard-working–I’ve run into her in Boston, Cleveland, Minneapolis, and New York City–is hands-down, Amy Goodman of Democracy Now (democracynow.org). But possibly the best show on the air that offers consistently in-depth and insightful critiques of the media is Bob Garfield and Brooke Gladstone’s weekly show, On the Media. This week’s version is a compendium of Fake News, which rightly puts the President as the lead rumor-monger on the fake news circuit. Listen to it now at: http://www.wnyc.org/shows/otm/
  • I could not believe it, not only is Bill O’Reilly from Long Island (Levittown), but this week’s New York Times Magazine profile candidate, Sean Hannity, “How Far Will Sean Hannity Go?” has him also from L.I. (Franklin Square). Now, full disclosure, my first 18 years were lived in Nassau County not far from these two infamous Fox News strumpets. No, I’m not proud of that, but Amy Goodman also grew up on Long Island (Bay Shore), so go figure.

Bernie Tweet of the Week
“Mr. President, keep your promises. Today, get on the phone. Tell Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell that you will veto any bill that cuts Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.” (Dec. 3)

~Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, former Santa Cruz City Councilmember (1998-2002) and Mayor (2001-2002). He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 12 years. He was elected last November to another 4-year term on the Santa Cruz City Council.

...
By: Becky Steinbruner    Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com

PLEASE HELP ME CIRCULATE A REFERENDUM PETITION TO REPEAL AUTOMATIC SALARY INCREASES FOR COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS…THAT THEY VOTED TO ENACT FOR THEMSELVES!!

I don’t think it is fair to County taxpayers to allow the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors to change a County ordinance that will provide them with an automatic salary increase for the next four years WITHOUT ANY PERFORMANCE EVALUATION WHATSOEVER BY THE PUBLIC.    However, that’s just what they did, as part of the Consent Agenda Item #9 (reserved for non-controversial actions) on November 7.  And that was after they voted October 24 on Resolution 279-75 to grant all Middle Management (which included themselves) various pay increase rates…5.18% for themselves was one of the highest rates AND a one-time signing Bonus of $250/employee in Middle Management.  Wow…when the County Budget is in the RED by over $7 Million????

Please help me circulate a Referendum Petition that will cause the Supervisors to either repeal their action or place it on the ballot for a vote.  Here is my  e-mail contact:   I will also be at the Cabrillo Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings(9am-noon). We have until Friday, January 5, to get this done.

As I have reported in this column before, I had intended to pull Consent Agenda Item #9 off the Consent Agenda and put it on the Regular Agenda, which allows for better discussion and requires that staff answer questions presented by the public.  But that morning, there were NO parking places to be found at the 701 Ocean Street government lot, so I was 5 minutes late getting into the 5th Floor Chambers.  Usually, after roll call, the Moment of Silence, and the Pledge of Allegiance, each Supervisor talks about something they are especially glad to have on the Consent Agenda…all that usually takes about 8-10 minutes.  But on November 7, when I walked in 5 minutes late, the Board had done all that, opened/ closed public comment on the Consent Agenda and was voting on the Consent Agenda!  Many thanks to Supervisor Greg Caput for voting NO on Item #9.

After the meeting, I asked Clerk of the Board, Ms. Susan Galloway, what I could do to appeal the Board’s passage of Item #9.  She said she needed to check and would let me know.   She e-mailed this the next day:

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


WOW.  DID YOU KNOW THAT????
Take a look at this discussion of the issue by UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal.

The article boasts that UCSC houses 53% of its students….that’s not approaching the 67% that the University agreed to in the Settlement in 2008, is it?  The 2016-2017 enrollment figures were readily available: 16,328 undergraduate students, 1,735 graduate students, for a total of 18,063 students.  The enrollment numbers for 2017-2018 are not readily available, but the article referenced above reports the intention to enroll 10,000 more in-state students in 2018. Is it any wonder that Santa Cruz has a housing problem???

FREEZE THAT RENT!
A group of local citizens  are serious about getting a freeze on rent here.  Take a look at https://tinyurl.com/screntfreeze

Contact your local government representatives.

THANK YOU MR. DEAN LUNDHOLM AND MS. NANCY ABBEY FOR STANDING UP TO SUPPORT COUNTY AFFORDABLE HOUSING REQUIREMENTS
Once again, I really want to give public recognition to these two brave souls who volunteer their time on the County Housing Advisory Commission and recently fought to support the County requirement that 15% of new construction of rental units be inclusionary.  They were out-voted by the rest of the Commission because Julie Conway, County Housing Planner, said it would not “pencil out for developers”, and recommended against enforcing the requirement.  One Commissioner admitted he had been contacted by a large developer to sway his vote.  There was no call for Ex Parte communication from the Commissioners.   Isn’t that amazing?  

I see Mr. Lundholm often at public housing informational and community events…we are lucky to have someone so dedicated to helping the community.  Maybe he would run for County Supervisor?

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.

...
By: Gary Patton    Email Gary at gapatton@mac.com


#338 / The Two Million Dollar Teardown

Pictured above is a nice little house in Cupertino. It just sold for $2 million. The new owner intends to tear it down. You can read the story right here. In Santa Cruz County, there is a lot of discussion about “affordable housing,” but there is a real problem with that label. When you think about it, all housing is “affordable.” The question is simply who can afford it! 

The house pictured above, if located in Santa Cruz County, would probably sell for less than $2 million, but it wouldn’t sell for that much less. I am thinking that the $2 million house in Cupertino would probably bring something like $1.35 million here. Maybe a little bit less. Maybe even a little bit more, depending on location. That house certainly wouldn’t be “affordable” to a family with an average or below average income, here in Santa Cruz County, but it would be “affordable” to a person who could  pay $1.35 million for a 79-year-old, 1,015-square-foot home, then pay to tear that home down, and then pay to put up a modern monster home, which is undoubtedly the fate of the property that has recently traded hands in Cupertino. 

Here’s the point: as long as prices are set by “the market,” those with the most money will outbid those with less money and drive the prices up. The properties sold will only be affordable to the wealthy, and there happen to be an awful lot of those folks around. California coastal real estate commands top dollar in the global marketplace, and Santa Cruz finds itself right next door to the Silicon Valley, where high-tech workers have much more money than those who live and work right here. 

Moreover, when the City or the County puts zoning on a home like the one pictured above that tells property owners that they can build a much larger, high-rise and high-density structure on their property, that zoning designation drives the price of the property even higher. That translates to the government inviting someone who has the money to do so to tear down perfectly acceptable existing housing, to create something that will be out of the price range of the people who are displaced when the existing housing is torn down.

The only way to make new housing “affordable” to persons who have an average or below average income is to put a price restriction on the new housing produced. Otherwise, the “market” will always respond according to that Golden Rule we know about. Those with the gold make the rules, and they get the goods.

The “law of supply and demand” suggests that producing more housing should bring down the price. In Santa Cruz, it won’t bring it down enough to enable local folks to “afford” the new housing produced. Let’s take a tip from this recent experience in Cupertino, and stop pricing ourselves out of our own community by upzoning properties to let developers tear down existing structures, and then build high-rise and high-density buildings in all our nicest neighborhoods!

(Gary 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 his blog at www.gapatton.net

...

CLASSICAL DeCINZO. DeCinzo catches Trump’s Christmas spirit. Scroll below just a bit.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “Those Tax Cuts” 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.

SANTA CRUZ BOOK ON SALE. Author Lois Lawson announced she will be selling her book “Growing Up In Santa Cruz” at the Aptos Grange Holiday Vendor Show.  This will be Saturday December 9th from 12-4 PM at the Aptos Grange Hall, 2555 Mar Vista Dr, Aptos, CA 95003. She will also be participating in “Breakfast with Santa” at the Dream Inn in Santa Cruz on Saturday December 16 from 9-11 AM.  There will be a full breakfast buffet, cookie decorating, and she will be doing a Christmas story reading from her book.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Watch the superb Frances McDormand battle her way to her next Oscar nomination in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com/). Also, you don’t have to be an expert on Charles Dickens’ to appreciate the sly gusto with which The Man Who Invented Christmas delivers the holiday cheer! Fun factoid: it’s scripted by Susan Coyne, creator of the cult Canadian TV comedy Slings And Arrows!” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI. First, please  note the 95 RT rating. When you have Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell working in a film directed by an Oscar winning director you almost can’t miss. It is definitely a dark comedy. The plot contains murder, rape, loyalty, cancer, and some absolutely brilliant acting. Go see it, and force all your friends to see it too.

JANE. This documentary has great previously undiscovered film footage that her husband took of Jane Goodall’s earliest  years in Africa studying chimpanzees. Jane narrates most of the film herself and that includes her present day appeals to the UN and worldwide tours. Phillip Glasses’ music soundtrack doesn’t always fit into the flow of the film, and at time is much more interesting than the movie. I also keep thinking about Jane always wearing shorts in the Gombe, Tanzania jungle! Why would anyone wear shorts with flies, stickers, snakes, students, thorns, and  mosquitoes all over the place? It’s a very nice film. Ends 12/07

THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS. This simple minded Hallmark card movie is drivel. Christopher Plummer does a good job (as usual) and the rest of the cast swims through this rip off of Charles Dickens'” A Christmas Carol”. It’s supposed to be funny or sentimental, but it lacks any cleverness or sophistication. I’m not sure why they made this cloying mess.

DAISY WINTERS. Just when you think you’ve seen the worst movie of your life along comes something like Daisy Winters. Oddly enough the plot is similar to Lady Bird. A mother and daughter fight to the finish. Poor acting, lack luster photography, saccharine filled plot and there’s only one reason you might stay awake….Brooke Shields is in it. Brooke is now 52 years old and looks a lot like Bruce Jenner in full drag. If I remember correctly Brooke was in Santa Cruz with director Louis Malle and they shot a scene on Cooper Street by the side entrance to the Cooper House. Anyone remember that? Do not see this movie.

LADY BIRD. This film restored my faith in great films! RT gives it 100% and it’s the highest rated film in RT’s history!!! Greta Gerwig directed  Saorise Ronan and others in this sincere, well thought out movie. A teen aged daughter and her Mom have a terrible, never ending battle over clothes, religion, dating, sex, college and everything. It all happens in Sacramento in about 2003 , which is somehow appropriate. It’s sensitive, subtle, and surprising. Gerwig breaks many directing rules and creates new plot possibilities. Go see this film.

LAST FLAG FLYING. An all start cast with Steve Carell, Laurence Fishburne, and Bryan Cranston, it’s a buddy movie with strong U.S. Marine themes. Don’t take your Thanksgiving guests because it’s sad and feely-bad. It’s not at all like the funny trailer that you might have seen. Motherhood, patriotism, religion, Viet Nam, and maleness are the main themes. Don’t hurry to see it, you’ll fall asleep about half way through. Ends 12/07

WONDER. This highly touted sob story starring Julia Roberts got an 87 on RT and about a 5 from me. Owen Wilson with his misshapen nose and jerk smile and Julia play the little Jacob Tremblay’s parents. Jacob was born with a misshapen face as in the “Mask” movie (which was better even though Cher played the kid’s mother. Wonder is a genuine Hollywood production in every way. Cheap heart-tugging emotions, shallow acting except for Mandy Patinkin. Patinkin has been the co-star of the Homeland series on iTunes and I just finished near bingeing all six seasons. Mandy has become one of my all time favorite stars. Anyway, Wonder is commercial, shallow and don’t go.

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS. Most mystery nuts claim this is Agatha Christie’s best mystery but this isn’t the best movie version the 1974 was better.  Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp and Michelle Pfeiffer are fine actors especially Michelle and they do their jobs in this new “Express”. However the cuts, flashbacks, photography, and not-tight directing by Kenneth Branagh who does the Poirot role just dull the trip. Remember the old one with Albert Finney as Hercule Poirot and Lauren Bacall, Martin Balsam, Richard Widmark, Jacqueline Bisset, Sean Connery, Wendy Hiller, John Gielgud, Anthony Perkins, Vanessa Redgrave, and Ingrid Bergman? That film just roared along the tracks and took us with it. Bergman won her third Oscar with her role in that version.

All that said, go see it! It’s fun and only a little dull in parts.

...

...

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 5 has Michelle Willi ams exec. dir. of the Arts Council of Santa Cruz talking about their new events and looking forward to 2018. Then boat captain Jim Christmann shares some amazing tales from his nearby ocean adventures. Dec.12 has Chayla Fisher and Brandon from UCSC’s Student Environmental Center discussing some serious campus issues, sucas the LRDP. December 19 Ross Gibson returns to talk about his book, “An Architectural Tour of Historic Santa Cruz County”…AND ALSO…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go herehttp://www.radiofreeamerica.com/dj/bruce-bratton You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always and only at.bratton@cruzio.com

This guy is great; gives credence to “don’t judge a book by its cover”.

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. “DECEMBER”

“Colored lights blink on and off, racing across the green boughs. Their reflections dance across exquisite glass globes and splinter into shards against tinsel thread and garlands of metallic filaments that disappear underneath the other ornaments and finery.
Shadows follow, joyful, laughing sprites.
The tree is rich with potential wonder.
All it needs is a glance from you to come alive.” Vera Nazarian,

“I heard a bird sing in the dark of December. A magical thing. And sweet to remember. We are nearer to Spring than we were in September. I heard a bird sing in the dark of December.” Oliver Herford

“It was snowing. It was always snowing at Christmas. December, in my memory, is white as Lapland, though there were no reindeers. But there were cats.” Dylan Thomas, A Child’s Christmas in Wales


COLUMN COMMUNICATIONS. Subscriptions: Click and enter the box in the upper right hand corner of each Column. You’ll get a weekly email notice the instant the column goes online. (Anywhere from Monday afternoon through Thursday or sometimes as late as Friday!) Always free and confidential. Even I don’t know who subscribes!!

Snail Mail: Bratton Online
82 Blackburn Street, Suite 216
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com
Direct phone: 831 423-2468
All Technical & Web details: Gunilla Leavitt @ godmoma@gmail.com

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

Posted in Weekly Articles | Leave a comment

November 20 – 26, 2017

Highlights this week:
City lies about Scope Park Mural, Sentinel canned Wallace Baines, Michael Moore says Impeach Trump……Greensite on Downtown Recovery Plan…Krohn delivers bullets on Sentinel Council coverage, City helps evict UCSC students, Downtown Recovery Plan hoax, Rotkin and developers cheer “City Hall To You”, send us your news…Steinbruner tells us County cuts 43 trees, RTC to fund stop light and supports Aptos Village developers, S Cruz and housing fraud….Patton and Merry Munchins and their tax reform…DeCinzo and “clean” logging…Eagan and “Irritable Bowel Trump”…Hidden Valley String Ork Concert Dec. 3…Jensen and “Lady Bird” movie…I critique Last Flag Flying, Lady Bird and Wonder…Quotes on Thanksgiving…HAPPIEST THANKSGIVING POSSIBLE TO EVERYONE!!!

...

HOLIDAY TOUCH UP TIME. This was taken April 23, 1954 when the ¾ sized Lord’s last Supper wax figure group was still located where The Santa Cruz Arts Council is today. That’s Katherine Strubergh and her daughter doing the touching up. The wax group is now located  in the Santa Cruz Memorial Park and Funeral Home (viewing only by appointment) p.s. She’s not working on Jesus, he’s sitting to the far right we can only see his “severed” right hand. That’s John who’s getting the hairdo. Judas is to the left of John…note that he’s holding a small bag that probably contains those infamous pieces of silver!                                                        

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

Additional information always welcome: email bratton@cruzio.com

TURKEYS PLAYING SOCCER. Nothing needs to be said.
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER TODAY…AGE 70!!
AURORA BOREALIS LIVE STREAM. Ralph Davila found this unreal clip of a meteor.

No BrattonOnline edition
Nov.27th – Dec. 4th
Happy Thanksgiving!!

DATELINE November 20, 2017

SCOPE PARK MURAL LIES!!! Peter Bartzcak who painted the original Moonlight Dance p Figures on the Scope Park mural  wrote in a Face Book memo Monday (11/20) …”Just to set the record straight- in the Sentinel article on the unveiling of the new Scope Park mural, the S.C. Arts Commission stated that if I hadn’t given the new mural my blessing, they wouldn’t have replaced the Moon Dance mural. Not true. The decommissioning was presented as a done deal and I decided to be noble and give it my blessing. The commission had been trying to remove my mural since around 2008. Then they were just going to paint the wall battleship grey. A group of local muralists volunteered to freshen it up.” Why in hell’s name  does the Santa Cruz Arts Commission feel the need to lie like this?

WALLACE BAINE GUESSING! I don’t think there has ever been any doubt that Wallace Baine was one of the popular newspaper people ever in Santa Cruz County. He too was surprised at the huge number of Facebook friends who emailed to say they’ll miss him. My mention last week  guessing that he was willingly leaving The Santa Cruz Sentinel to move to  some greener pastures brought many, many emails my way. Most of them say that I missread Wallace’s “farewell” note on FB. Most folks seem convinced that since he got a very generous severance settlement that he was “let go” by the Sentinel management…such as it is. I then emailed Wallace asking him directly if he was canned or left willingly. Many days later, no answer from Wallace. And he has always answered my emails promptly. So the management of The Sentinel once again seems to have cut off their feet in an attempt to save money. Now we should take bets on the future of the Santa Cruz Sentinel. It’ll be much quicker to read it now that Wallace is leaving.

LAST WEEK’S PACIFIC AVENUE PHOTO. “Carey” emailed to say re that early Pacific Avenue photo from last week (scroll down)… “I love that we have a series of photos showing this same view, beginning in 1860. Note that 1891 was the year the horse-drawn streetcar lines were electrified – the tracks had been there since 1875. Bituminous rock paving was installed on Pacific during the 1880s, as can be seen here. The shorter 2-story building past the big awning on the right is the only survivor on that side of the block – now Lulu Carpenter’s”. Your comments are always welcome…bratton@cruzio.com  

IMPEACH TRUMP…MICHAEL MOORE & TOM STEYER. Michael Tierra was kind enough to send this excellent letter…take a minute or two and pass it on (after you’ve signed it). Otherwise what will you tell your kids when they grow up??? Or what you tell your relatives around the Thanksgiving table??

IMPEACH!
by Michael Moore

It is time to remove this dangerous man from office.

I have just signed the “Need To Impeach” petition initiated by Tom Steyer of California. Over two million other Americans have also signed it. And that number keeps growing every hour. We — all of us — must not wait a minute longer to act.

Trump has sent a fleet of our ships into the waters off North Korea in order to provoke the unhinged leader of that country to make the mistake of attacking us. This, plus Trump’s reckless taunts at Kim Jong-un, is being done for one reason: to start some sort of conflict so that America will rally behind him and forget about the impending criminal indictments he, his family and his cohorts now face. He has put us all in danger, and he may get a lot of people killed.

The Founders of this country were worried that, from time to time, we would have a President who would behave in such a manner that would put our nation in jeopardy, or a President who would try to profit off being in office, or a Commander-in-Chief who might not be right in the head (King George III gave them a good example of that). They feared we could end up with a President who might be a traitor to our country. They even knew that we might get stuck with someone who committed not just “high crimes” but also “misdemeanors.” They wanted to make it easy for us to fix a mistake we’ve made.

My friends, we have the most colossal mistake in our history sitting right now in the Oval Office. And there is only one way to rectify it: TRUMP MUST BE IMPEACHED. We can NOT wait until November of 2020 for that to happen. We simply won’t make it til then. The country we know as the United States of America will not be the same after three more years of Trump. You know it and I know it. Turning the TV off and trying to avoid the daily insanity won’t make him go away.

Donald J. Trump has proven himself to be completely unfit for office, a threat to our country and an imminent danger to this world.

He is also not well. He is a malignant narcissist and an active sociopath. Because he holds the codes to, on his own, launch nuclear weapons, he is a singular threat to humanity.

He has no fidelity to this country, to the constitution or to his oath of office.

He tried to coerce the director of the FBI into ending the investigation of him — and when the director wouldn’t, Trump fired him. It’s only a matter of time before he fires the Special Prosecutor.

He has lied about his finances, his campaign’s dealings with Russia and just about everything else that has come out of his mouth. It is stunning to see how many untruths he speaks in a single day (this site keeps track of all of them on a daily basis).

But here’s something even more stunning than Trump’s high crimes and misdemeanors:

NOT ONE Democrat in the U.S. Senate has stood on that floor and called for his impeachment! Not one! Rep. Maxine Waters and other members in the House have not been afraid to do so. This morning, Rep. Steve Cohen was joined by Rep. Luis Gutierrez, Rep. Al Green, Rep. Marcia Fudge, Rep. John Yarmuth, and Rep. Adriano Espaillat in introducing five Articles of Impeachment against Trump. But no Democrat in the Senate has yet to say this man must be impeached!

This petition I’m asking you to sign isn’t just a challenge to the Republicans to clean house, it is a demand to the Democratic elected officials you and I voted for to DO THEIR JOB. Many of these Democrats have even said they are opposed to impeachment. They need to hear from us! Now! If recent history has proven anything, it’s that Democrats only act when we tell them to.

When you were opposed to George W. Bush getting ready to start a massive war in Iraq (when Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11), the majority of Democratic Senators voted to send us to war. Most didn’t change their votes until the citizenry went to the polls in the Democratic primaries in 2008 and rejected the Democratic candidate for President who had voted FOR the war. These Democratic candidates became anti-war because of YOU.

For decades, when you believed our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters should be able to get married, the establishment Democrats (including the Clintons and Obamas) said NO and used their religion as an excuse to say that marriage can only be between a man and a woman. Only when the polls showed that a majority of Americans backed this basic civil right did Democratic leaders begin to “evolve.”?

Although the majority of Americans have favored a single-payer universal health care system for some time — Medicare for All — it took until last month for 16 Democratic Senators to finally back such a bill.

The cautious and often-frightened Democratic leaders will usually, eventually, finally come around and do the right thing. And they do so because they are good at (sooner or later) listening to the will of the people.

That’s why they need to hear from you and me right now. Give them the backbone and support they’re looking for. Sign the Need to Impeach petition and let them see that the majority of us can’t wait any longer to remove this dangerous man from office.

Here’s the link once again. Share it and this letter with your friends and everyone you know who loves this country. Let’s not wait until he gets us in a war to sign this petition. Let’s not wait until he turns another million acres of federal land over to the oil companies. Let’s not wait until he and Betsy DeVos dismantle what’s left of our once-admired-around-the-world public schools. Every day at his EPA, at his ICE headquarters, at his FDA and elsewhere, his cronies are literally taking apart our American way of life, piece by piece — and it will take years to rebuild after all the damage they are doing.

Can you really take one more day of this??

Please, I appeal to you, join with me and millions of your fellow Americans and sign this impeachment petition now: www.needtoimpeach.com

I did. You must.

Thank you for helping to save this country and this planet.

Michael Moore

THE DOWNTOWN RECOVERY PLAN: FROM VISION TO NIGHTMARE
With a packed crowd of supporters at its last meeting, the council majority voted 5-2 to approve the so-called Downtown Recovery Plan Amendments: the rezoning of areas of downtown to allow for future building heights up to 85 feet with 70 feet along the San Lorenzo River. The conclusion was inescapable: developers have finally won out.

The original Downtown Recovery Plan (DRP) was a response to the devastation of downtown from the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989. A group of 36 people, selected to represent the diverse, often conflicting interests of business, neighborhoods, environmentalists and social services, dubbed the Gang of 36 and named Vision Santa Cruz, met for over 300 meetings to develop a blue-print for rebuilding after the earthquake.  Their compromise and final consensus was for a downtown of “proper density and scale” with most new buildings of 2 to 3 stories in height. A few would be allowed up to 5 stories under special circumstances.

So how did that Downtown Recovery Plan end up 30 years later under the same name with large areas of downtown re-zoned for buildings of 70-85 feet?  

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

~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.

...
By: Chris Krohn    Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com

BULLET – POINT NEWS

‘Cause That’s What Friends are For…

My friend, the culture czar/bike anarchist/re-use guru/bioneer/heart-person extraordinaire, Grant Wilson mentioned to me last week, “Hey Chris, I like reading your column, but I don’t always have time. Can you make a bullet point version,” he suggested, “like a ‘what happened and what’s going to happen’ kind of piece?” The answer to your query Grant is, yes, I can and here it is, in bullet fashion with some web sites if you want more information. (But, after reading it over, the bullet points are perhaps too long for ‘bullets.’

Full Disclosure: Only one of the following stories was covered in the Santa Cruz Sentinel this past week that I am aware. In fact, I have not been contacted even one time since the election a year ago by Sentinel city council reporter, Jessica York. Housing reporter, Jondi Gumz has emailed me four times. I queried Sandy Brown and she too said the Sentinel has not contacted her this past year. On the other hand, I have had multiple inquiries from at least three Good Times reporters, Georgia Johnson, Jake Pierce, and Ardy Raghian.


Campus Hot SpotThis picture might not look like much until you know what the scene is…this is part of the 22-member Long Range Development Plan, Community Advisory Group (CAG). They were surveying where new campus housing might go in the upper UCSC campus. Those included in the picture from L-R are Melissa Whatley (Government Affairs for UCSC), Sarah Latham (vice chancellor of Business and Administrative Services at UCSC), Ted Benhari, unknown woman, Charles Eadie (former UCSC, SC city, and Watsonville city planner), Gage Dayton (UCSC Site Steward Director), John Aird (Coalition to Limit University Expansion, CLUE), Gary Patton (former SC county supervisor), Lee Butler (SC city planning director), and four other people including SC county supervisor Ryan Coonerty and SC city councilmember Cynthia Mathews.

This Was the Week That Was

  • Best thing I participated in, along with Councilmembers Sandy Brown and David Terrazas, was calling in the city code compliance officers and asking them to explain how six UCSC undergrads were put out onto the street because the house they were living in was red-tagged. I think we made some headway for tenants in the area of eviction protection. The council directed the city attorney, Tony Condotti, to come back with an ordinance that would have the city help those evicted when the city acts in the face of landlord violations. With two of the six students telling the council their horrific story about being put out, our code compliance staff would only say that they did everything by the book, which no one in the room was contesting. Because of this ordinance, the city in supporting tenants, could place a lien on the house and sue for expenses incurred. Seems like what city guv should be about, no?! (https://chriskrohn.org/2017/11/15/a-bit-of-relief-for-renters/ )
  • Now contrast that to the some not-so-good news to come out of the Nov. 14th city council meeting: The Downtown Recovery Plan Amendments were approved on a 5-2 vote with NO affordable housing provisions that I am aware, while they will allow developers to build up to five and six-stories along the San Lorenzo River on Front Street, from Soquel Avenue to Laurel Street. If you are wondering if this is an OMG pro-growth moment, well…yes, it is. And by the way, a seventy-five- foot hotel width (small boutique style) was changed, first to a 200 feet width and then to NO LIMIT at all. This means that Front Street could have one continuous line of hotels from Soquel to Laurel Street. Yes, unbelievable! This hotel part of the amendment has not been much debated by the community, nor did the city council say much in their discussion on Nov. 14th. The community will have another chance when it comes back to the council on Nov. 28th for the mandated “second reading” of the ordinance.
  • The above-mentioned council meeting was quite the affair, even awe-inspiring from a developer-real estate perspective. It literally gave one the sense of who actually wields power in Surf City. THE FAB FIVE “yes” votes clearly understood who’s in control. Somehow Brown and Krohn’s NO vote in the absence of any inclusionary provision just doesn’t “pencil out” for developer-class. Under the same roof touting build-baby-build were Robert Singleton of the Business Council, Developer Owen Lawlor, Casey Beyer of the Chamber of Commerce, the personnel director from Looker was there, Ted Burke of the Shadow Brook restaurant, Developer Craig Rowell, and there was even some cheerleading from former Councilmember Mike Rotkin (“The plan does many things in a synergistic way….” Rotkin said.). Indeed, those developer-real estaters present were all quite pleased that this item passed…high-fives, shoulder slaps and big grin$. More Santa Cruz seed corn sold. Check.
  • click here to continue (link expands, click again to collapse)

News Flash!—–Go To: www.ChrisKrohn.org/ for updates on city council business!

Bernie Tweet of the Week
“If we are going to stop Republicans from taking health care from millions and slashing Medicare to give tax cuts to the wealthy and large corporations, NOW is the time to stand up and fight back.” (Nov.16)

Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, former Santa Cruz City Councilmember (1998-2002) and Mayor (2001-2002). He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 12 years. He was elected last November to another 4-year term on the Santa Cruz City Council.

...
By: Becky Steinbruner    Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com

COUNTY CUTS DOWN 43 TREES AT 701 OCEAN STREET AND EMELINE OFFICES TO MAKE WAY FOR SOLAR PANELS.
Why did the County government order 43 trees cut down for solar panel projects when a presentation last year’s Board of Supervisor meeting stated there “would need to be a few trees removed but still pending project design”?  It seems the County wanted to remove 43 more lungs from the earth in order to put up those panels.  Why did County Parks & Recreatation have to pay for the mass tree slaughter?   Why did the County award the solar project to SunPower in Richmond, CA when there are at least four Santa Cruz-based solar companies?   What about carbon sequestration of all those greenhouse gasses that the dense eight-story mixed use developments proposed for that Ocean Street corridor would bring?  And the slaughter will continue, with another 39 additional trees getting cut down at 5200 Soquel Avenue in the near future…..

Last year, the Santa Cruz County Government Administration ordered nearly 20 trees cut down around the 701 Ocean Street site without any arborist report or proper process to seek competitive bids.  The chainsaw victims included six mature redwoods, five mature Scotch Pines, and nine mature Canary Island Pines.  The Parks and Recreation Dept. had to pay that $12,000+ bill, but Parks Director Jeff Gaffney laughed and said “I don’t know!” when I asked him why it came out of his budget.   Back then, the Public Records Act request materials showed the reason ranged from needing to remove a liability, needing to remove invasive root sources, and needing to remove inhibitors to rooftop radio antenna communication.  Now it is clear that the true reason was none of the above.  Now, there are plans submitted by SunPower for rooftop panels at 701 Ocean and parking lot panels at 1080 and 1400 Emeline. 

I applaud the addition of solar power to the County’s grid demand butask:  couldn’t the trees have been saved?  Last year, Supervisors John Leopold and Bruce McPherson championed a fight with PG&E to SAVE TREES that were scheduled to be cut….isn’t this County tree slaughter a bit hypocritical?  Why not put the panels in County-owned places that are already suitable and would require no or fewer trees to be cut?

Why is over $40,000 being spent from Parks & Recreation funds to remove trees (some of which required a crane operation) and grind their stumps and NOT from the County’s General Services money? 

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

BIG DEVELOPERS CAN’T MAKE AFFORDABLE HOUSING “PENCIL OUT” ANYWHERE BUT THEY CAN RUIN SMALL CONTRACTORS AND MAKE THEM HOMELESS.
Did you read last week’s Good Times report about the Benchlands Homeless issue?   Here it is: http://goodtimes.sc/cover-stories/homeless-camp-in-san-lorenzo-park-stirs-controversy-hope/

Read the section “Falling Through the Cracks” where a small contractor did not get paid for supplies by a LARGE DEVELOPER. and quickly became homeless:

“Mark Hemersbach, a 58-year-old Santa Cruz resident of 35 years, has been homeless for two years. He’s been living in a tent at the benchlands for the last six months, after what he calls a “set of bad circumstances” involving the collapse of his marble and stone contracting business, he tells me, when a large developer didn’t pay the bills and he didn’t have the resources to fight them in court.

“It only took 10 days to go from heaven to hell,” Hemersbach says. He had 25 employees and had invested his life savings in the company. Hemersbach says that a nearby storage facility would help provide homeless people some peace of mind, while cutting down on theft from a population that doesn’t have much to their name to begin with.

“It would give the people a sense of organization if they can maintain it, and in the end it would give people a little more hope,” he says.

These days, Hemersbach has become something of a mediator among the community benchlands, sometimes settling disputes, and other times organizing morning cleanup efforts to make sure the camp stays as tidy as possible. “We don’t want to be an eyesore for the public,” he says. “We understand this is a park. It’s not supposed to look like a run down beat-up litterbox, and we don’t want it to look that way.”

SO WHY IS SANTA CRUZ COUNTY AND CITY SO QUICK TO WAIVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE LARGE DEVELOPERS BECAUSE THE DEVELOPERS CLAIM “IT JUST WON’T PENCIL OUT”?

Who is the local government really looking out for here?????  Last week’s Santa Cruz City staff meeting with  the public at the church on Frederick Street was laughable and infuriating at the same time. Staff explained that requiring a higher percentage of affordable housing (15% under Measure J) would not be feasible for developers and would trigger the State to review the projects for feasibility.  HUH?  What a disgusting joke that meeting was!

Call your local representatives and demand that affordable housing be included in all developments of over 4 units.  Many thanks again to the valiant efforts of Santa Cruz County Housing Advisory Committee members Ms. Nancy Abbey and Dean Lindholm (I previously reported his name in error as “Bud”…so sorry!) for voting in against the Planning Department recommendation to waive required inclusionary affordable housing in developments at all.

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.

...
By: Gary Patton    Email Gary at gapatton@mac.com


#213 ANOTHER PICTURE WORTH 1,000 WORDS.

The image on the right graced the top of the Opinion page in the November 17, 2017, edition of The New York Times. It depicts Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and his wife, Louise Linton, showing off the first press run of money with Mnuchin’s name on it. 

Reading the message conveyed by the picture, these exemplars of the extremely rich are telling the American people, “your money belongs to us.” This isn’t just a “symbolic” statement, either. As The Times’ editorial accurately reported, commenting on the tax “reform” bill that is currently progressing at breakneck speed through the Congress, a bill strongly supported by Mr. Mnuchin and his boss, the President of the United States:


This bill would take money from working families
and give it to the world’s wealthiest people.

If it’s “our” government (and I mean if our government actually belongs to those not in the “billionaire class”), then we need to take back power from the billionaires.  The message we need to remember is exactly the same message that Mnuchin and his wife articulate: “Your money belongs to us.” More accurately, “Our money belongs to us!”  Wealth is collectively created. A government of, by, and for “the people,” can decide how to raise and spend money, and if the disproportionally rich have seized governmental control, diverting the collective wealth of society to themselves, then we (the non-rich, ordinary folks) need to regain control, and realign the paradigm. No guns or violence needed. Just inflamed, energized, and engaged voters. 

The Times says this picture shows these representatives of the current administration as “cartoonishly evil.” A column in The Washington Post says they look like “a pair of Hollywood villains.”

Frankly, these folks don’t just “look like” villains. They’re the real thing. And whether we like it or not, the James Bond role falls to us!

~Gary 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 his blog at www.gapatton.net

...

CLASSICAL DeCINZO. Check out DeCinzo’s view of “Selective Timbering” just a scrowl or two below.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “Irritable Bowel 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.

HIDDEN VALLEY STRING ORCHESTRA CONCERT. Sunday December 3. 2017
Sixteen of Northern California’s finest string players will play; Claude Debussy ~ Clair de Lune, Manuel Ponce ~ Estampes Nocturnas and Arnold Schoenberg ~ Verklärte Nacht.

In the early tradition, the orchestra will perform without a conductor. Prepared under the direction of Stewart Robertson, performances will be led by concertmaster, Roy Malan. Comprising sixteen of Northern California’s most talented and accomplished string players, the String Orchestra of Hidden Valley debuted to acclaim in November 2014.  Lyn Bronson of Peninsula Reviews  said of the String Orchestra’s debut, “A gorgeous performance. Every section . . . a perfect jewel.”
The doors open 30 minutes before the performance. Wine and cheese receptions with the musicians will immediately follow the performance., which happens Sunday, December 3, 3:00pm Peace United Church 900 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060. Tickets probably at the door or are available online, by telephone at (831) 659-3115 or by mail.  Send your check addressed to Hidden Valley Music Seminars, Post Office Box 116, Carmel Valley, California 93924.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “What happens when indie film darling Greta Gerwig steps behind the camera as writer/director on Lady Bird? Find out the happy results, along with a few other surprises, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com/). Also, how do you plan to resist Black Friday? Here are some ideas to consider!” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

LADY BIRD. This film restored my faith in great films! RT gives it 100%.Greta Gerwig directed Saorise Ronan  and others in this sincere, well thought out movie. A teen aged daughter and her Mom have a terrible, never ending battle over clothes, religion, dating, sex, college and everything. It all happens in Sacramento, which is somehow appropriate. It’s sensitive, subtle, and surprising. Gerwig breaks many directing rules and creates new plot possibilities. Go see this film.

LAST FLAG FLYING. An all start cast with Steve Carell, Laurence Fishburne, and Bryan Cranston,it’s a buddy movie with strong U.S. Marine themes. Don’t take your Thanksgiving guests because it’s sad and feely-bad. It’s not at all like the funny trailer that you might have seen. Motherhood, patriotism, religion, Viet Nam, and maleness are the main themes. Don’t hurry to see it, you’ll fall asleep about half way through.

WONDER. This highly touted sob story starring  Julia Roberts got an 87 on RT and about a 5 from me. Owen Wilson with his mishapen nose and jerk smile and Julia play the little Jacob Trembly’s parents. Jacob was born with a mishapen face as in the “Mask” movie (which was better even though Cher played the kid’s mother. Wonder is a genuine Hollyweood production in every way. Cheap heart-tugging emotions, shallow acting except for Mandy Patinkin. Patinkin has been the co-star of the Homeland series on iTunes and I just finished near bingeing all six seasons. Mandy has become one of my all time favorite stars. Anyway, Wonder is commercial, shallow and don’t go.

NOVITIATE. Whether or not you view the Roman Catholic Church as favorable will make or break this film for you. It’s the saga of a 16 year old girl going through the nun’s training. It’s raw, beautifully filmed and Oscar winning acting performances, you’ll not forget this very serious near documentary. Cruel, brutal, psychologically scary, honest…what more can you ask for? Nunneries were so bad that the Vatican issued a change of rules in 1964 to stop the inhumanity that was rampant, 90,000 nuns left the church after that. Go see it quickly. 86 on RT.Closes 11/21

BLADERUNNER 2049. Denis Villeneuve directed this sequel with advice from Ridley Scott and it has many hidden plot lines from the original (try to see it before you see 2049)…it’s an unique addition to science fiction films. Dystopian is a very overused word describing a disaster based future. This film again has Los Angeles totally transfigured…and even darker and more devastated and bleak than the first one, was set in LA 2019. Ryan Gosling carries the entire story, with Robin Wright and Harrison Ford doing fine acting jobs too. I have rarely, if ever, seen or felt a theatre audience so still-so hypnotized-awed-puzzled-and silent as the one I joined last week. I’ve seen it 2 ½ times now… it needs two viewings on as large a screen as possible, because the photography is so impressive and important. Closes 11/21

IT. This broke all box office records the weekend when IT opened…and IT should have. IT is a well made, very scary movie. Based on a Stephen King novel, IT is chapter one of a two-part nightmare/daydream that will grab you when you are least prepared to be scared. It has all the clichés…BUT it’s also got tension, mystery, and perfect timing along with excellent acting. Just go see IT — but only if you truly enjoy being scared. 86 on RT.

BATTLE OF THE SEXES. Billie Jean King plays against Bobby Riggs in this easy-going tennis and sex movie. Billie Jean has an internal battle with her own sex, which adds a deeper and more involved plot than the 1973 match which we’ve all been reading up on, or remember from those days. Emma Stone— reputedly the highest star in the world — acts perfectly with Steve Carrell, and the movie is a guaranteed hit with everybody. I didn’t recognize Sarah Silverman as the women’s coach because she wears sunglasses all through the movie. I liked Little Miss Sunshine better.

VICTORIA & ABDUL. Almost everyone knows that Judi Dench plays Queen Victoria in this cute, warm, cuddly feel-good movie. Eddie Izzard plays the Prince of Wales (Edward VII), but you won’t recognize him. I didn’t, and I’m a big fan of Izzard’s. Stephen Frears directed it. He did My Beautiful Launderette, Prick Up your Ears, Philomena and some more great films but this isn’t in that category. Aside from the cuteness, it ignores the cruelty of the British rule over India during the almost 30 years. Closes 11/21

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS. Most mystery nuts claim this is Agatha Christie’s best mystery but this isn’t the best movie version the 1974 was better.  Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp and Michelle Pfeiffer are fine actors especially Michelle and they do their jobs in this new “Express”. However the cuts, flashbacks, photography, and not-tight directing by Kenneth Branagh who does the Poirot role just dull the trip. Remember the old one with Albert Finney as Hercule Poirot and Lauren Bacall, Martin Balsam, Richard Widmark, Jacqueline Bisset, Sean Connery, Wendy Hiller, John Gielgud, Anthony Perkins, Vanessa Redgrave, and Ingrid Bergman? That film just roared along the tracks and took us with it. Bergman won her third Oscar with her role in that version.

All that said, go see it! It’s fun and only a little dull in parts.

THE FLORIDA PROJECT. Willem Dafoe heads the cast of unknowns in this depressing almost-documentary of a six-year-old girl and her little friend’s sad lives, as they eke out an existence living in motels near Disneyland in Orlando. Their lives and the fragments of the other neighboring families are sad from start to the finish of this film. It’s a saga, and it’s well done, but for sure it’s a feel-bad film. Closes 11/21

WONDERSTRUCK. I never read the book and after seeing this movie I never will read the book. It’s a confusing story of two kids one from 1927, one from 1977 running away from home and going to New York City. They come from bad homes, looking for a parent, and love, and there must be 100 time flips back and forth showing some mysterious connection. You’ll learn that connection at the end but it’s not worth it. Closes 11/21

SUBURBICON. I have not and will not see this movie. Never, ever have I read and received so many bad warnings about a cruddy movie. George Clooney directed it, Matt Damon has the top role, and Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 27. Julianne Moore and Oscar Issac are in it too. Never mind about the plot, too many friends and readers have warned me…and I’m passing the word on to you, DON’T GO!

...

...

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. November 21 author and political scientist Jill Cody talks about her book, “America Abandoned”. Following Jill will be Rick Longinotti talking about libraries, highways, and plenty more hot issues. The top winners of the Bookshop Santa Cruz Young Writers contest read their works on November 28. December 5 has Michelle Williams exec. dir. of the Arts Council of Santa Cruz talking about their new events and looking forward to 2018. Then boat captain Jim Christmann shares some amazing tales from his nearby ocean adventures. Dec.12 has Chayla Fisher and Brandon from UCSC’s Student Environmental Center discussing some serious campus issues, sucas the LRDP. December 19 Ross Gibson returns to talk about his book, “An Architectural Tour of Historic Santa Cruz County”…AND ALSO…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go herehttp://www.radiofreeamerica.com/dj/bruce-bratton You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens. 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.     “THANKSGIVING
“If you are really thankful, what do you do? You share”,  W. Clement Stone
“An optimist is a person who starts a new diet on Thanksgiving Day”, Irv Kupcinet
“My cooking is so bad my kids thought Thanksgiving was to commemorate Pearl Harbor”, Phyllis Diller


COLUMN COMMUNICATIONS. Subscriptions: Click and enter the box in the upper right hand corner of each Column. You’ll get a weekly email notice the instant the column goes online. (Anywhere from Monday afternoon through Thursday or sometimes as late as Friday!) Always free and confidential. Even I don’t know who subscribes!!

Snail Mail: Bratton Online
82 Blackburn Street, Suite 216
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com
Direct phone: 831 423-2468
All Technical & Web details: Gunilla Leavitt @ godmoma@gmail.com

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

Posted in Weekly Articles | Leave a comment